Superyachts – The Ultimate Luxury Travel

Hatairos, unfortunately sails no longer, but beautiful private yacht in her day.

Have you ever been sitting at a charming dockside tavern, enjoying the sunset over a balmy harbor when a boat turns into the harbor and dwarfs all the others? You count the windows you realize that the thing has got to be over 100 feet long, in fact maybe 130 feet or so. And the thing is three stories tall, with a helicopter on one deck and a 20 foot sailboat on davits on another. As it takes anchorage people appear on deck and shortly the yacht is bobbing gently on the blue waters of paradise and all is quiet and calm. As if by magic a hole appears in the stern, yet another boat slides out and is lowered slowly to the water as you try not to think that you have just witnessed the live birth of a large hard bottom center console zodiac.

As uniformed crewmen leave the yacht heading for shore to provision, you can’t help but wonder who is on that boat? From your perch you can see the rest of the crew in casual uniform getting ready to serve cocktails for the guests on the lower deck. Half an hour later there are sequined dresses and blazers as if the glorious sunset was arranged just for them. While these guests are occupied with relaxing on deck, overhead on the deck above more crewmen are setting the stage for dinner. It is theater, no mistaking it. Tomorrow night the same scene might occur but with palm trees on the lower deck, guests in shorts and pareos, and Polynesian music flowing over and around a dinner table of fruit, flowers and Poisson Cru on the upper deck. Practically anything is possible on a luxury cruise. And who are these guys? And where do these yachts come from? Well the answers have changed in the last decade.

It used to be that luxury yachts were built only for people with bottomless checkbooks. Ok, that is not the part that has changed. But what has changed is that the technologies for design and construction of Superyachts and Megayachts has advanced to the point where there are several hundred of them afloat now and if you want to spend your vacation moving through paradise on a yacht surrounded by crewmen who live by the phrase “your wish is my command” you can.

WindRose under sail in Antigua Classic Regatta

This burgeoning new industry of crewed yacht charter has made it feasible to charter yachts in length from 80’ to over 300’ practically anywhere on the planet. They come with engines, sails or jet power. They often wear other boats and water toys like jewelry. They come with one hull, two hulls and even with three. And they can be tall! One new sailing yacht can not be chartered from Sydney because is can’t get under the bridge over the harbor. It can, in theory, be sailed by computer from Florida though. Some have three staterooms and a crew of three while others carry up to 45 people with over half of them being crew.

Let’s say a group of six wants to charter a yacht for a week in the Caribbean. You request three state rooms with heads and you want it to be very nice. You have three flavors of yachts to choose from, and the rates for them vary by kind of boat as well as location. In the US & Caribbean aboard a motor yacht it is estimated that the-add on service charge will be 35% of the charter, to cover fuel, dockage, the bar (which can expand enormously when you invite guests aboard “your” yacht) and crew tips. You can expect this average to be 55% in the Med. Sailing vessels don’t have the huge fuel consumption, so generally fuel is included in the charter price, and the service charges will be only for extra dockage, bar use and tips which come in closer to 15%. And now for the boats.

If you are a real adventurer, and you love the life force of the wind in the sails, you are quite likely to enjoy a monohull sail boat. Athena is an 295′ three masted schooner. Athena is an old world experience with luxury of a bygone era. Until you have experienced rich craftsmanship and flawless extravagance of one of these queens of the sea, there are no words adequate to describe how it makes you feel to travel this way.  If the captain has an itinerary of dockage, it is often included in the charter price, so unless you request extra overnights at a dock additional to the itinerary, you generally aren’t charged. Fuel charges are negligible on a sailing vessel, so it is included in the price, and guests are expected to pay for the use of the bar plus a 20% tip. http://www.ycoyacht.com/yacht/athena/?t7

If you like to sail, but some of your group are a bit unnerved by that, you  might think about a catamaran which has lots of living space, is a very comfortable vacation platform, and stays flat under sail. Douce France is a 138’ cat, The worlds largest ketch catamaran with six state rooms and seeming endless grace. You will have to contact them about rates as it depends on the region that they are sailing in. Captain Eric Saint Placat is a most elegant host, his crew charming, and sailing on this yacht was one of the highlights of my entire charter sailing experiences.   http://www.doucefrance-yacht.com/

For the guest who wants ultimate luxury and mobility without any involvement with sails we have motoryachts. Askari is an 108’ motor yacht with five large guest suites that roams the Society Islands during the winter season. The charter price for this beautiful yacht is $75,000 per week with ten guests and the fuel, dockage, bar and tips generally come in at 35% of the charter fee. They burn a lot of fuel, but they stay flat and can cover huge distances. Sailing with Askari makes travel a pleasure in any weather. Lon and his crew gracefully deliver a fabulous tours of the islands.  http://www.myaskari.com/

Before you go out on any charter, a reputable charter broker will ask you to fill out what is called a preference sheet. This is where you get to tell the captain and crew your favorite foods, your beloved cocktails and any fantasies that you might have relative to theme or activity. The crew really want to know how to make each day you are aboard into the best experience that you have ever had. I have seen guests become so enchanted with the amazing food delivered any time or place, the extreme courtesy of a good crew and the ultimate comfort of life on such a yacht that they run off and buy one.

Now he is not a guest, he is an owner. There are hundreds of these on the planet, gods in their world. The decision about utilization of the yacht as well as the culture aboard comes directly from him. Is this yacht for his private pleasure alone? Is this yacht a perk that he uses for business associates and employees? Is this yacht a business investment targeted towards the charter industry? At the end of the day the yachts being built are some combination of the three. Of course none of this is possible without excellent crew.

It can take a while to form a group of four to twelve people who work and live in harmony for long periods of time within the confines of a yacht. It doesn’t always happen the first time out. Crewmen join a boat for some period of time to test those waters. If the first boat isn’t a good fit, they network in pubs and on docks until they find people that they like working with, and a boat that they like that is owned by a kind and beneficent owner in a location they enjoy exploring. Once they have found this situation, they are hooked. Making good money with no living expenses while working among friends on a beautiful boat in beautiful places is a pretty sweet life and well worth the search. As the charter industry grows, more boats are being built and the need for good crew grows annually.

I know of one captain who became an honorary member of the owner’s family, and has the ability to develop really good crews. They were all having such a good time together that they decided to go for a bigger boat and longer trips. With this in mind they bought a 105’ tired old thing and brought to it beauty it had never before known under the banner of a refit. To help with expenses the now luxurious expedition trawler m/y yacht Askari went to Nicholson’s Yacht Charter Show in Antigua. The crew did such a good job with the refit and the show that the owner has not been getting much use from his boat. Askari was chartered for a nine month Caribbean to New Zealand cruise by a family that wanted to live aboard and explore the world. So that can happen too!

The world of the charter yachts is a relatively new industry and growing fast. With more boats, crews and participants exploring islands while living aboard it is no longer only available to the ultra rich. It is premature to say that under most conditions it is a good investment to buy a yacht and expect it to be a revenue stream for you unless you are the owner/captain and living aboard. People are leaving the land to become charter captains though, and the life is very nice for them too. That this is out there. You could be an owner, a guest, you could be crew, or you could be an owner/captain. These are all means of seeing the world from the water, and as a serious devotee I highly recommend spending some time at it!

The Sweet Seduction of La Samanna, St. Martin

Seductive is the best word. I am a serious luxury hound and have had the great fortune to visit many astonishing, well thought out and pleasurable places. Each has its distinctions and the word that I would use for St. Martin’s La Samanna is  “seductive”. The whole environment of La Samanna wraps itself around you and whispers to you long after your tan fades.

The ultimate.

Arriving at around 10:30 PM we were escorted to our two bedroom villa in the dark. We could hear the surf sweeping up the beach through the three tall arched French doors open onto the terrace. Beyond the tall palms rustling in the evening breeze lay the wide white sand glowing in the moonlight. Beyond that the ocean glittered, disappearing into the night sky. I couldn’t resist, had to feel it on my skin. Wading out into the sparkling warm sea as it gently massaged my tired legs, I got my first look at the elegant moorish white columns, arches and terraces hanging on the cliff several hundred yards up the beach. So began the sweet seduction of La Samanna.

Warm air slid smoothly over my skin as I returned to our gracious living room. Knowing that we had traveled all day, our hosts had placed covered chargers laden with a variety of small sandwiches, bowls of exotic salads and a serious chocolate dessert on the large dark wood table between cozy stuffed couches. Breezes wafted tall white diaphanous curtains through the open doors, and at that moment it occurred to me how much this place stirs the senses. We moved to the terrace to enjoy the chocolate and Veuve Cliquot left chilling for us. Later in the silky sheets of my comfortable bed the waves lulled me to luxurious sleep with salty breezes whispering promises of more to come.

The beach in front of our villa.

Being an early riser, I was knee deep in the now tranquil brilliant blue water as the tall shadows of the palms on the beach grew shorter. One of the graceful doors opened to the terrace with a voice asking if I wanted the coffee prepared in our sparkling blue and white tile kitchen. Tough choice. Wading in the magical solitude of the early morning sea with the empty beach curving out of sight in either direction, or coffee in the sunlit living room. OK, coffee and a leisurely stroll up the raked sand to the dazzling cliff restaurant I had seen by moonlight.

We climbed the stone steps up the cliff, passing a shimmering blue pool with its half shell fountain as we left the brilliant sunlight for the cool tiles and arched shadows containing a breakfast buffet with seemingly endless selections and an ocean view that stops when it hits Spain. Between high white walls and glossy dark floors we found cobalt blue glasses and sparkling silver with the deepest of skies behind them practically humming with an invitation to breakfast. A crisp white linen covered table sat hanging over impossibly blue water. Sipping fresh coffee with every perfect bite from the endless buffet made lingering over breakfast the only way to go.

Breakfast awaits

This dining room is available for all meals, but there are equally luscious alternatives. Through the week there were pool parties, a torch lit lobster bake on the beach, and casual dining in the tavern. On the beach there is a raised deck with a small but complete bar and light lunch menu. Dinner in our suite was charming and we enjoyed dining in privacy on our terrace followed by swimming under the moon. The menu at La Samanna makes you want everything on it. Each meal is an adventure, distinctive in its blend of flavors and textures, infused with fresh local fruits, vegetables and fish enhanced by a lavish wine selection to compliment your choices. Of course the ultimate seduction is revealed in the decadent desserts.

Friar’s Beach, St Martin

Daily we explored St. Martin, a place that not only has an abundance of long white wide beaches but an astonishing variety of shops, places to hike or ride horses, and restaurants. You hear a variety of languages as you walk through the streets, energy and excitement flow everywhere. We went to a farmers market to buy fresh Caribbean spices one day and visited a recovering rain forest and had a wonderful lunch there on another. You could eat your way from one end of orient beach to another without hearing the same language twice or seeing both parts of a bikini all day!  We took in an outdoor street fair where we bought hand made silver jewelry, silk and cotton clothing, presents for friends at home, and delicious fresh drinks served in coconuts with native rums. We had lunch on a tiny island where the chefs kept fish and shellfish in live traps in the shallow water and cooked it fresh from there. I think you could roam around St. Martin for years without seeing anything twice. In fact, I bet you could sit still and let the life of the island swirl around you without seeing anything twice!

beachside fare

Of course we thought of La Samanna as home, having dinner with some people that we met there, and getting to know the names of some of the staff. One morning a gardener found me photographing particular flowers dripping dew in the early light around the grounds and then took me on a short tour of some particularly luscious flowers that he loved. When I headed back towards our villa, he came around the corner with a huge bouquet of mixed flowers for our living room. The people in the dining room learned our preferences, and on the breakfast table as we approached there was already one coffee and one tea, one orange juice and a grapefruit. This kind of intuitive and unobtrusive service is a hallmark at La Samanna.

Massage room at the Elysee Spa

One afternoon we came back from our wanderings with the express purpose of indulging in the Elysee Spa. Being an outdoors kind of girl I found the massage rooms perfect, only two solid walls for one thing. The louvered doors set into the walls to the south and west both opened wide onto a sunken garden protected from view by thick tangles of flowering vines growing into a tall stone wall that surrounded the entire back of the spa. One of the doors led to an outdoor shower with a trellis wall barely able to support the enormous vine flowers weaving through it. Steam released exotic scents into my shower while blossoms dripped as tiny crystals of color. I had a massage first and then heated stones were placed along my spine on places of tension. I went from fully charged to completely relaxed to practically disconnected from the planet in 90 minutes. We were taken by golf cart back to our villa so as to prolong this heavenly balmy state. Chaises on the terrace for the evening sunset, cold tart margaritas and a wonderful dinner being delivered.  Sweet seduction complete.

La Samanna is a place that you could happily never leave, but St Martin will always deliver something new when you do leave the grounds. Getting to St. Martin is relatively easy from almost anywhere. Of course the nicest way to arrive is on one of the Superyachts you see in the harbor.  They always stop when they are in the area as this is the best place in the Caribbean for provisions from all over the planet. In a perfect world I would spend happy weeks exploring St. Martin and living in the sweet seduction that Orient Express has created called La Samanna at the far side of the Caribbean.

La Samanna PO Box 4077 97064 St Martin CEDEX French West Indies Tel: + 590 590 87 64 00 Fax: + 590 590 87 87 86 Email: reservations@lasamanna.comReservations: Tel: +1 800 854 2252 Tel: +1 212 575 7030 Fax: +1 212 575 7039

Scrub Island – Newest Island Fantasy in the BVI

The BVI is the epicenter of fun in the Caribbean, and Scrub Islands Sunshine Madness is a fine way to start!

In the Caribbean beautiful blue water, warm tropical breezes and a slow appreciative way of life are assumed, old news. What is new though is a private island, the first new project the BVI in 15 years, where you can design your own fantasy get away from the world left behind.

Amid the many pristine white sand beaches, 4 restaurants in different locations, coral reefs, pools, kayaks, yachts, fresh seasonal foods, you can choose sailing, snorkeling, spa treatments, fine or casual dining, fishing, kayaking, hiking or just doing nothing in style. Fortunately there is also a talented  staff to help you put together an itinerary to make your fantasy come true! They are serious about these custom itineraries, so wind up your imagination because everything is possible here in paradise!

Glorious bathroom to the left, french doors to the porch over the harbor, luxury bedroom in between.

I love beautiful high ceilinged rooms with slow turning fans and  comfortable,  graceful furnishings. I adore huge luxurious tiled bathrooms and beds that are so comfortable that you think about them over dinner and linger beyond reason  in the morning.

Pools with infinity edges, swim up bars, fountains and even water slides are delicious.  Mainsail’s new Scrub Island has all of that, plus the unique quality of being a self contained island. My favorite is a beautiful restaurant that hangs over the lower pool, and also has a swim up bar. It is hard to describe the feeling of indulgence when you float slowly with your fresh fruit & rum drink in hand. It is impossible to believe that there could possibly be a phone call demanding your attention somewhere in the world.

One Shoe Beach has been left in its natural coral reef state, but with bar service.

To me the distinction that I found on Scrub Island was the job that they have done at integrating the un-contrived nature of the island with the ability to offer a luxury guest experience. They have accomplished a nice blend of celebrating the beauty of the natural Caribbean, while enjoying the enhancements of 4 distinctively different ways to dine through the day plus the pools, the spa, and the interesting mix of public and private spaces that they have created. Scrub Island is an arena for you to decide on your own perfect island fantasy, the kind that warms your mind while you are donning your winter coat. It is the experience that will whisper in your ear, reminding you that there are alternatives to shoveling snow!

I really appreciated the beautiful area that they opened up for weddings as it juts out into the Sir Francis Drake Passage.  A level area that can be decorated with tents and flowers and chairs if you wish, or you can be wed there in the simple elegance of the Caribbean islands. Mainsail’s approach to letting that be the magic rather than trying to fabricate it shows wisdom that is not found at every destination resort.

2 Restaurants facing the harbor at night.

Additionally, Scrub Island has a network of private residences along the harbor that you can rent for a wedding party of almost every size! Romance abounds here, you would have to work really hard to ignore the simple beauty and natural comfort of everywhere you turn in the Caribbean.

I was also surprised at how easy it was to get to Scrub Island. Fly to Beef Island on Tortola, and they pick you up in their own private ferry for the mile long cruise across Trellis Bay. Arriving by boat couldn’t be much easier, there are 3 channels into Trellis Bay and many slips waiting. From that moment on, you make your own fantasy on a private island in the paradise of the Caribbean.

Video Welcome to Scrub Island

Website: http://scrubisland.com/

Reservations (877) 890-7444
Fax (813) 269-4802

Travel Troubles Be Gone – and just in time for Christmas!

I travel a lot. Because of my job, I am always going to beautiful places so the pull of getting there is always strong. Still, there has never been a single trip in the last two decades where you wouldn’t find me stomping around the house the day before departure muttering “… it’s just not worth it….” caused by the ritual of house sitters for the dog, bills paid that will be due, and letting friends know.  For me the real issue is PACKING! After all these years I still put it off to the very last minute as packing is the precursor for all the coming hassles of being enroute.

Well there must be hope for us all because after years of doing things one way, I made a change. As I was dreading the approaching travel day it suddenly came home that perhaps it could be easier. Someone must have been working on tools to make getting through airports easier and I had the technology to find it! The search turned out to be fascinating, the products turned out to be comforting, the result rewarding. After  long hours of traveling to airports, rushing between planes, and sitting in old seats the new gear had worked. I got off the plane with a comfortable body and relaxed nerves happily looking forward to my first cocktail of fresh fruit and local rum.

This in only the check in so far!

I am practiced at selecting clothes and laying them out on the bed so that I can be sure I have the mix and match collection of what I need for the next trip. Also, the nature of where and when I travel, there can be an 80 degree temperature differential between where I get on, and where I get off. Airport climate will be consistent, but other than that it is a matter of constantly being ready to change clothes.  Then the questions start. Will it all fit into the luggage? What part goes into the checked bag and which goes into the carry on. Will I get hit for overweight fees?  And the biggest one; how can I arrange it so that I can move it all at once by myself.

Next morning, gear into the car, car to the airport, luggage from the parking lot to the terminal, then the line to check in. Next, the dread of checking in with luggage, living in fear of small overhead or underseat compartments that won’t hold the carryon . Do I have some way to deal with it if I get one of those awful 30 year old seats? Must leave room to tote a reasonable lunch and a change of clothes. The plane can be cold or hot in flight and who knows where those airplane blankets have been?

Welcome to a new day! There is a world of tools out there that you can customize for your own comfort and efficiency as you pass the day in airports and planes. A much underutilized tool is a good passport case. I got one with room for my passport, itinerary, ticket, a little cash and one credit card and that is all. It’s flat, fits in a carryon pocket and I can reach all the travel docs I need.

So new check in luggage. First of all, luggage must be light, robust and have good wheels. My war horse of a check on bag weighs 11 pounds, just begging for overweight fees even while empty. Best solution for that turned out to be a huge rolling duffle (Eagle Creek) that weighs roughly 4 lbs, with the added convenience of folding up when it is empty.

I also got several of the mesh cubes for putting clothes in. Not only do they make it easy to keep things sorted going into and out of the luggage for packing but when the baggage guys ruffle around during inspections, your luggage is easy to check and neat when they are finished! The mesh cubes of clothing go in along with a shoe bag and a “jump kit”, your best working toiletry bag. Wonder of wonders, Magellan’s has a large selection of all of these things.

The new carryon luggage is another matter entirely. I need a change of clothes, I even carry sandals. I have a computer, kindle, cell phone and room for my purse and lunch in one bag that I put under my feet so I can reach them. The Vertical Business case worked perfectly for those and can be stacked with m other carryon so I only have one to pull.

The other carryon bag goes over head and is all about comfort in flight. I got a Getaway Wheeled Underseat Tote for that. Packed on top I carry the clear rugged bag of carry on liquids for easy removal at check points. I carry a blanket, an inflatable neck pillow, earphones, a GSeat folding cushion to sit on, as well as my new camera bag.

Doesn’t look like something to steal and has all the right spaces for a full camera set up.

I found that the Urban Hybrid Touring Bag holds all my camera gear perfectly and fits neatly inside the Tote which fit inside every overhead bin I encountered. Happy girl! I carry a small arsenal of wellness gear as it is impossible for millions of people to share space without a few nasty bugs floating about. The air ionizer I got years ago is a tiny device that hangs around your neck and sterilizes the air for 3 cubic feet around your face. I can’t say for sure that it is the reason, but I don’t seem to catch anything during travel.

While I was practicing retail therapy to dissolve the airport travel blues, I also got some clothing. I found two shirts online that really don’t wrinkle.

Weighs nothing, has tons of pockets and the sleeves zip off in the heat. Fabulous!

You can whip one out of the tiny knot it became when you stuffed it into the carryon bag, give it a shake, and good to go. One of them has the added advantage of providing UPF sun protection while breathing so well that you are hardly aware of it.

I also bought something I found called a Voyager Jacket which is the only coat I need. Light weight, lots of pockets in the right places, a passport case pocket, and sleeves that can be removed for climate changes. It is even good looking!

The Heineken Regatta is one of the famous parties in the Lewards, with 3 days of sailing mixed in.

So I left Vermont when it was 4 degrees in the morning and spent the day going through airports finding my way to the island of St. Maartin and the 32nd Annual Heineken Regatta where it was 84 degrees at night. I easily got to check in with all luggage  rolling in harmony. I checked in my new cube organized duffle bag without the dreaded overweight fees. Had all of my travel docs easily accessible in one place without putting my purse at risk.

What a difference this makes!

Breezing through the scanners and onto the plane, I used the seat cushion (amazing difference), blanket and ionizer from overhead and the underseat gear to entertain myself during the  flight.

This little unit ionizes the air for three cubic feet around your face and is tiny to wear!

If you travel by plane, I can highly recommend spending some time getting the right tools for the task together.

I changed mid flight in prep for the new climate and bounced off the plane looking wrinkle free and happily up to the task of searching for the perfect margarita!

Most of the gear that I acquired can be found at Magellan’s.com.

Perfect Villa on Beautiful Anguilla

My New Home: The Villa at View Fort on Anguilla

I have been lucky enough to visit many amazing luxury villas around the planet so I consider myself a pretty good connoisseur of beautiful retreats. Each gives its own feeling of perfection with glorious scenery, graceful buildings, distinctive furnishings, excellent cuisine, and of course the mandatory house cocktail. Infinity pools nearby make you feel as if you have found the blessed end of the universe, and it all belongs to you. Villa staff work hard to provide one perfect day after another for the guests who visit. Each day ends with sunset drifting into a darkness that promises another glorious day. Luxury rental villas and the staff of them offer beautiful living in one of the most rarified form.

(areal3small) What Anguilla as an island and the Villa at View Fort adds to that experience is a sense of home. It is not a blistering white austere temple to the ocean gods, but rather a brightly colored beautifully decorated home, complete with excellent cooking smells from the kitchen and of course the mandatory Villa at View Fort Rum Punch.  With many balconies, hammocks and terraces all planned to show off the beauty of the ocean, the sky, and lush flower gardens for the first few days we only left to visit the famous beaches of Anguilla, to get warm and salty, and then drifted back to the comforts of home. Here you feel that your life is filled with loving friends who appear just when you are thinking you need them and no matter when you come back will have been looking forward to your return.

The Villa at View Fort has two upstairs bedrooms with a large balcony accessed by wide doors where the only distinction between inside and outside is floor to ceiling diaphanous white curtains. Each bed is heavy dark hand carved wood with a luscious mattress that makes sleep a gentle reward waiting like a gift at the end of each day. Soothing tiled bathrooms with rain head showers, large Jacuzzi tubs, fabulous stone sinks and as many different candles, water fountains and soft lighting effects as possible so that you can create any mood that soothes you. The two bedrooms on the ground floor offer a sense of the old world island architecture within softly painted Caribbean colored walls and gaily designed pillows and throws. The 200 year old bedroom known as “The Cottage” with its lime green walls and handsome bed facing the sea is the essence of welcoming island rest.

A small rectangular swimming pool set into the center of the main terrace is not only the perfect temperature but has an adjunct area where you can sit on a tile bench in the water, put your feet up on an edge with nothing before you but the million blues of the Caribbean sea. I found this one of my favorite perching spots during the day, cooled by the water and warmed by the sun with the ever present View Fort rum punch nearby.