YAAACHTS QUEEN!
Variety Cruises and Emerald Waterways both give cruisers unique glimpses o f a l l t h a t ’ s f i e rce in yacht life.
Today’s megaships grab headlines with the sheer grandeur of their size and their array of dazzling activities, while smaller ships counter with their focus on personalized attention and luxury amenities, touting a “yacht- like” experience. Taking it one step further with actual megayachts, two companies — Variety Cruises and Emerald Waterways — set sail to under-the-radar destinations, blending an intimate cruise spirit into cultural and geographical immersion.
The takeaway from this type of cruise experience is that it provides a gratifying sample of the yacht lifestyle minus the exorbitant cost of ownership. It’s more than the mirage of caviar and champagne sizzle — it’s a dose of destination fantasy spiced with small- ship intimacy and well- deserved pampering.
Egyptian Cruising in Perfect Harmony
Variety Cruises’ sleek-looking 49-passenger
M/Y Harmony V doesn’t flaunt outrageous excess, but offers a unique opportunity to dabble in the rich-and-famous lifestyle. Sailing out of Haifa, Israel, on a 7-night voyage through the Suez Canal and along the Egyptian coastline serves up a tasteful appetizer of small-ship affluence.
After the departure from Israel and a superb welcome-aboard dinner, the vessel sails for the initial port of Port Said, Egypt, gateway to Cairo and the Suez Canal. Although the city itself has lost some of its former luster, its long-held appeal is on full display with the bustle of life along the Corniche and inner-city market area.
After an early morning breakfast, a full-day excursion to Cairo provides an opportunity to witness bucket-list entities like the Pyramids of Giza and the intriguing Sphinx. Instagram photos may convey proof of your visit, but nothing compares to the mind-boggling experience of standing in front of these iconic wonders of the world. (It is pleasing to note that since my previous visit to these testaments to Egyptian history in 2006, during the apex of the country’s tourism boom, the country has deployed a comforting degree of security and today’s smaller number of tourists make the experience even more enjoyable.)
In the center of the city, the distorted sonata of calls to prayer accompanies the choreographed chaos of the streets. To cap off a fascinating day, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum opens its doors for a look into ancient Egyptian history. An early evening return to the vessel reinitiates the onward journey through the canal with the port of Hurghada as a navigational target.
As the Harmony V is ushered along the 120mile journey of the Suez Canal as part of an assorted vessel convoy, a historical perspective of the area is presented on board by a local expert. Minus the spectacle of the ingenious locks of the Panama Canal, construction of this essential waterway was begun in 1867 and through the decades has undergone virtual destructions as well as critical upgrades, thus eliminating the 3,700-plus-mile journey around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
As an intriguing departure from standard cruise itineraries, this journey of Egyptian heritage includes a break from onboard life by providing a mid-cruise, 2-day, 1-night stay in a luxury hotel in Luxor, ground zero for visits to the fabulous complex of structures at the Temple of Karnak and Temple of Luxor.
Dating back 4,000 years, these archaeological sites and the 62 unearthed tombs in the Valley of the Kings are a fascinating look into the lives and afterlife beliefs of prominent kings and pharaohs, none more famous than the youthful King Tutankhamun. Enormous statues stand sentry to the entries of tombs and temples; while inside, visitors marvel at the artifacts and hieroglyphics left behind and preserved for afterlife documentation.
Post-cruise disembarkation in Aqaba, Jordan permits an opportunity to visit the awe-inspiring Petra or the desert bedouin community of Wadi Rum. The immersion into fascinating excursions ashore is only a fraction of the weeklong cruise experience. Evenings on board the
are relaxed affairs, with dinners served in the tastefully designed dining room
evoking a casual ambiance. Menu selections run the gamut of locally inspired dishes to westernized favorites served by the vessel’s friendly crew.
Breakfasts and lunches are served buffet-style and scheduled according to the day’s itinerary. Accommodations aboard the vessel are compact yet designed to reflect the intended aura of understated class. These havens of repose feature live satellite television, Wi-Fi, DVD players, and adequate closet space, with all rooms enjoying outside-view status.
Summertime finds the Harmony V deviating to the coastal retreats of Spain and Portugal and returning to Egypt in late fall with compelling itinerary upgrades scheduled. Variety Cruises operates seven other similar yachts, deployed throughout an array of diverse and sought-after destinations. The company’s fleet of personalized indulgence features port calls to the islands of Greece, the serenity of the Seychelles and Indonesia, the rivers of West Africa, as well as adventures that explore Costa Rica and Iceland. The size of their vessels falls somewhere between small ships and personal yachts with varying degrees of elegance, none more fashionably adorned than the company’s flagship, the Variety Voyager.
Spot On Dalmatia
Having already earned its reputation as a premier river cruise operator, Emerald Waterways has ventured into the yacht cruising niche with two vessels, MS Swallow and the
MS Lastavica, setting sail along the coast and archipelago of Croatia between Dubrovnik and Trogir. Their 7-night Islands Of Dalmatia itineraries offer a dazzling dose of natural beauty spiced with fascinating history and culture. These spiffy vessels are the perfect complement to the pristine coastline, blending the concept of yacht travel into a personal amenity.
Their decor is neither bold nor loud, never screaming extravagance but discreetly whispering refined travel in a relaxed style. Cruising on this type of holiday is a liberating escape with no need for packing formal wear, as casual dress is encouraged. The vessels sail to remote islands inaccessible to larger cruise ships plying the country’s waterways.
The combination lounge/dining rooms sport a contemporary modern look with beautiful hardwood flooring and eight-person dining tables alongside an unimposing cash bar offering local beers, wine, and cocktails. Accommodations are surprisingly spacious, offering television and complimentary WiFi. The upper sundeck provides ample chaise lounge seating with full sun or shaded access.
Similar to the company’s river boat programs, complimentary excursions are part of the cruise experience. Shortly after embarkation in Trogir, a local guide provides an orientation tour of the city, one of the country’s many
UNESCO Heritage Sites. The overnight stay allows guests the independence of exploring the hidden passageways of the medieval port.
Early the next morning, the yacht departs for Skradin, where a smaller boat transfers guests up the river to Krka National Park for a gentle walk over and around an unending series of cascading waterfalls fed by turquoise-tinted lakes. An afternoon cruise to Sibenik and a short walking tour reveals the charm and history of the night’s host city.
Although only two special dinners are served on board, it only takes one night in a port like this to make sense of the otherwise puzzling concept of dinner not being served the remaining five nights. Independent dining ashore offers a rare opportunity for cultural immersion at its best. People watching on the promenade, sampling regional cuisine, and local ambiance provide far more authenticity than dining on board.
The eye-popping coastal areas of the steel-blue Adriatic is the trump card for any cruise in Dalmatia, and nothing depicts the character of the country better than the island of Hvar and the ancient yet very hip city of Split. The beige stone buildings of medieval Hvar surround a bustling marina beckoning to dozens of yachts, with a massive stone fortress perched high overhead. Split and its absurd energy projects living history inside the walls of Diocletian’s Palace with its medieval passageways and impressive courtyard.
In terms of destinations, Day 5 finds the zone with three straight strikes. A river boat excursion in Omiš weaves through towering canyon walls and a visit to a workshop of stone artisans in Pučišča completes the afternoon, with the grand finale reserved for an overnight in the picturesque yachting harbor of Korčula. Nothing depicts the jet-set life better than surveying the marina over a Croatian beer, as the bounty of the sea lands on your plate in the form of freshly caught fish, mussels, and oysters.
Throw in a day of small port visits to Mljet, Slano, and Ston and the weeklong show concludes with the fitting encore. Dubrovnik, the epicenter of Croatian travel, has become an obligatory pilgrimage for Game of Thrones fans, presenting a chance to geek out over the real-life setting for mythical King’s Landing. You won’t find dragons flying overhead and there is no need to kneel down, but it’s easy to be caught up in a fantasy world walking the ramparts of the walled city overlooking the sea.
Croatia has emerged as the darling of the Adriatic, and cruising by yacht is playful and seductive. If you’ve been to Dubrovnik and think you know Croatia, think again. The gods of the Adriatic have much more to give with blessings of over a thousand islands waiting for discovery.
The popularity of the itinerary has led to plans for introducing a new luxury yacht,
Emerald Azzurra, in July of 2021. Bending the rules just enough, this trending cruise style adds a bonus identity to the already respected profile of Emerald Waterways.