$1.2 Billion Yacht Abramovich Comes Equipped With Laser-Powered Anti-Paparazzi Shield

Famed yacht-fanatic Roman Abramovich added a new feature to his 557-foot, $1.2 billion monstrosity, Eclipse: A laser shield that sweeps the boat's surroundings for paparazzi and then fires a bolt of light at the camera to destroy any photo.

The lasers detect CCDs, or charge-coupled devices, which are used in most (but not all; CMOS chips are also around) photoelectric sensors. Guards can activate the lasers when they spot any suspicious glint of a camera's lens, which will then shoot a bright, focused light directly at the camera, ruining any photography.

wired.com

Ankida Yacht Will Make You Long For A Journey

The entire driving force of the Ankida concept, aside from beautiful looks, is to have ideal placement for every part and get the most out of your escapes. Whether you prefer to move under only one sail, or test the performance of them all, you can easily do it with a hell of a lot of style. And while it's a still just a concept design, I'm already lost in daydreams of adventure and pirates.


I don't even want to imagine what the price tag for Lila-Lou's finely-tuned Ankida yacht will be. I just want to lay on the deck and watch the wind hit those optimally-positioned sails as I drift around the world.

Code-X Yacht Will Have Two Kinds of Power

There's a real company promoting a not-so-real power yacht called the Code-X. The differentiatorвor "thing that's supposed to land a billionaire customer"вis that the boat will have two Formula 1 engines and two solar-powered electric ones.

It's not abundantly clear when you'd use the as-yet-unannounced electric engines, or exactly how efficiently the onboard solar panels will collect sunlight and charge the as-yet-unannounced batteries.

Let's be honest: You probably won't use them all that often. The point is to have them, and to tell your rich-ass friends that you are, in Code-X's words, "a pioneer and frontrunner on the path to a cleaner and more environmentally friendly future." The point is to be saying this while gunning your twin F1 Limor 710HP smogmasters to drown out the riffraff circling you in those environmentally unfriendly Jet Skis.
The most sinister thing about the whole operation is the length that Code-X went to render a completely non-existent boat into so many real-life scenes, almost as if James Cameron was the company's marketing consultant. [Code-X

Royal Caribbean and Labadee, Haiti - Vacations, Industry, Relief Efforts...And, Yes, Critics.

Royal Caribbean, in addition to its direct relief efforts (providing and off-loading desperately needed supplies), has decided to return to its "private island" of Labadee, Haiti.  I applaud this and will explain later.

On the other hand, one United Kingdom newspaper, The Guardian, has taken a rather sickening approach:  Sell newspapers by twisting the reality to make it all sound sordid.  The writer, Robert Booth, should be ashamed of himself.  But, alas, anyone that would pervert the disaster in Haiti to profit (economically or his ego) has insufficient ethics to enable such feelings.  You can read his two articles here and here...and please read them before reading further.  I want to feel the same disgust and violation I did as you read the truth afterwards.

OK, now the facts. 

First, Royal Caribbean is a business and, in part, "industry" in Haiti.  It employs 230 Haitians directly and supports an additional 270 merchants via its straw market vendors, hair-braiders, etc. for a total of 500 people.  Those 500 people have families and close friends that directly benefit from the income; making the direct impact on over 2,000 people.  Robert Booth and The Guardian have the self-centered and thoughtless approach that it is better to abandon those people and to shift the industry away from Haiti and not only have Royal Caribbean pay people at another port, but have its guests give their vacation dollars to less in-need people as well.  That's right:  Booth wants everyone to shut their eyes by not going there, pull the industry out of the country by going elsewhere, and then say, "See, we are so concerned about the Haitian people and we want to help."

Second, Royal Caribbean has directly donated $1,000,000 to the relief effort.  Royal Caribbean also reports that 100% of the proceeds from the calls at Labadee are being donated to the relief effort and that 40 pallets of rice, beans, powdered milk, water, and canned foods were delivered on Friday, and a further 80 are due and 16 on two subsequent ships. When supplies arrive in Labadee, they are distributed by Food for the Poor, a longtime partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti.

Third, Booth criticized that the dock was being used by a cruise ship rather than by supply ships.  What he doesn't report (possibly because he didn't think to check) is that the United States Coast Guard surveyed every possible dock in Haiti and determined that the Royal Caribbean dock was not sufficient for the relief effort.  Why?  Well, without having spoken to the Coast Guard, it seems pretty obvious:  The dock is located about 100 miles from the areas needing the supplies and the roads are in ruins as you near the quake's epicenter; the infrastructure was designed to facilitate people, not cargo; and, without limitation, the infrastructure was designed to keep guests on site and to avoid easy access to/from the local Haitian roads and communities.

Fourth, in an effort to find additional ways to assist, Royal Caribbean has begun donating any lounge chairs and other surplus supplies from its facilities and, as a result, has greatly assisted in supporting a local hospital.  Why Booth seems to want to make this sound like it is simply tossing its trash and claiming it is a good thing is beyond comprehension.  In a crisis that sees people desperate for any sort of comfort and doctors welcoming anything that allows them to keep quake victims off the ground, it leaves me (almost) speechless.  (And if the facilities were gutting of all lounges and supplies the millions of dollars in recurring income - discussed above - would simply vanish because there would be no way to sell the goods and services to the vacationers.)

Let me summarize: 

If you are so troubled by the Haitian crisis that you think Labadee, Haiti should be avoided as a Royal Caribbean port, are you sufficiently troubled that you have donated to the relief effort?  And if you have donated to the relief effort, has that donation equaled what you have/will spend in a mere 24 hours on your vacation (that day in Haiti)? Or do you think your vacation (as long as it is not in Haiti) is your business and not anyone else's?

And, if you are in support of Royal Caribbean (or any other cruise line) pulling out millions of dollars of business and shutting down an entire industry that supports thousands of Haitians, what is your suggestion as to how those thousands are going to be supported...today, tomorrow and months from now? Please remember that handouts are a one-time thing and jobs/industry provide a continuous revenue flow.

Oh, and when will it be acceptable to you for the cruise business to return to Haiti?  There will be suffering in Haiti for years to come.  (Like there wasn't enough before the quake!)

Let none of us be righteous.  Let is be smart and caring.

So while you think how hard it is to enjoy yourself while there is suffering of unimaginable proportions less than 100 miles away, ask yourself if it is better to turn your back on the suffering; making it all impersonal, or instead to find a way to personally contribute...with dollars, with business, with support of economic growth.

What do you think?  Join the discussion at The Gold Standard Travel Forum.

Yacht for 21st Hydrogen-Powered Century Pharaohs

Its hydrogen diesel-electric engine can, in theory, give it a range of 13,000 nautical miles at 10 knots—which is mind blowing for a yacht with these features. The axe bow gives it lower resistance. And its general design makes it look like it can kick any other yacht ass. Or a cheese knife. Or a kick yatch ass cheese knife.

Pharos Marine Unveils 60M Orcageno - it's not only that this yacht has been designed by an Egyptian naval architecture house, it's that it reminds me of the Egyptian ships of old, rolling up and down the Nile. Except that this 197-foot vessel runs on hydrogen.

The interior features are just as stunning, with a spa and health centre positioned within the curved glass superstructure. A sun deck with Jacuzzi is surrounded by a leather-covered lounging area. The dining room is positioned forward with a fabulous view of the dual-level swimming pool and its hydraulically-operated glass sunroof. There are accommodations for 12 guests and 14 crew in total with the owner’s quarters being of course the most luxurious. The 13,000 nautical mile range is based on a cruising speed of 10 knots, while at the maximum speed of 18 knots the figure drops to a still impressive 7,100 NM.

by jameslist

Silversea Silver Spirit - Laying It On, But Only For A Chosen Few - For The Others: Watch Out!

What has caused me to write this entry is a very rude slap one Cruise Critic poster made toward a guest that was not given the royal treatment by Silversea, but was - instead - treated as a "normal" passenger.

This is, nonetheless, sort of a tough post because its intent is not to rain on anyone's parade (er, umm, cruise), but there needs to be sense of reality to the reviews and posts of that are being treated differently than the majority of the guests.  I say this because if you don't know there is a difference, then you might believe that all is well.
 
First, some perspective:  There are four people on the Silver Spirit Maiden Transatlantic that are being wined and dined by Silversea.  The reason is, to me, obvious:  They frequently post their thoughts on two or three message boards, have a pretty regular line of communication with the cruise line and...this is actually quite relevant...apparently have a historical relationship (either directly or indirectly) with two of Silversea's top executives from their time at Regent Seven Seas. As such, Marketing 101 kicks in:  Make it wildly fantastic or hear the rath all over the internet.

For example, how many times does the ordinary passenger personally speak with the Captain no less dine with him?  When did Silversea start making caviar complimentary again?  (I mean it ain't Seabourn and the complaints about this change are more than a year old.) Renewal of Vows ceremony?  (Reportedly never before done on Silversea.) Special Order Dinners?  (Not just a single course, but entire meals!)  And the list goes on...and on...and on.

Now, while I am absolutely thrilled that these folks have been treated so well, and truly give a nod to Silversea for doing an exemplary job, the fact of the matter is that while most of us truly enjoy the voyeuristic aspects of reading about another person's cruise, our primary interest is "What can we expect on our cruise?"

And then a poster who did not receive the same level of service wrote (which I have gently edited as to form and some spelling):

Unfortunately, the Spirit does not live up to its billing. We knew that we could not expect too much from a second cruise as we got on in Lisbon, but it has been disappointing. The crew attitude is the only thing making this cruise for us; all are smiling and pleasant and willing to learn. Once our gang finally realized that we were sailing on Faulty Towers, a la Monty Python. John Cleese's wacky hotel, we then took it all as a laugh!

This appears to be the Silver Spirit "throwaway" cruise to get it across the pond, and they are saving all stops for the inaugural next week. No doubt the next cruise will find a very different ship and we wish them well. Some cruise critic regulars on board are having a good cruise; but perhaps they have not

- had to have their TV changed three times;
- a ships hairdryer that blows the fuse every time it is turned on;
- all the 110 plugs in the suite not operational;
- shower doors that have to be kept open with our bathrobe belts so they do not break in rough seas,
- a stereo that only a midget can reach etc, etc,

.... and we are in one of the Grand Suites!


On all lines we have taken there are usually special small attentions offered to passengers in the large suites over and above what is advertised. Guess we are spoiled and have grown to expect these small attentions. Do not expect any attentions on this ship if you book a large suite as none are given. And do not expect a DVD in each suite as advertised in their brochure, no cabin has a DVD. We book large suites specifically for a DVD for subtitles as my husband does not hear well. We were provided a DVD for this reason when we asked for one; but had to rush out to buy our own DVD's in the first port of call, Las Palmas, since there are none on board.


The staff and amenity matters can be fixed; the staff smiles are genuine and they can be trained with time, and the amenities can be brought up to standard, particularly for the large suites.

Unfortunately, the design issues cannot be fixed so easily.

- You are not able to close your sink in your bathroom, no washing out of unmentionables ladies;
- Be prepared to get very friendly with the stinky bodies around you in the gym, it is tiny;
- The hairdressing section is tiny, but lots of rooms for treatments, all empty for the most part;
- Manicure table not under lights;
- The Silver Suites elevators at the front of the ship did not operate in the first two very rough seas days so the wheelchair passengers were marooned on their floors for two days;
-The Observation Level has no washrooms, so its down two floors and along a long hall if you need to go.

Hopefully at some point all these design issues will be addressed.

So as Faulty Towers is now nearing land, two days out of Fort Lauderdale, we hear that many passengers have booked future cruises, many on the other Silversea ships. We too have loved Silversea in the past. We will happily return to the other Silversea ships. As far as this one is concerned, perhaps in a couple of years when this ship can properly be called a Silversea Ship.

Well, when one of the royally treated posters personally attacked this person (Doug Burns)...who apparently spent about $20,000 for the experience...I thought "What a set of *%^$ this guys has! He is nothing other than a bully.  And, possibly more importantly, he well and truly has no appreciation for the extent to which Silversea has gone so far above and beyond for him."
 
And then I thought:  "You know, those guys at Silversea (and formerly of Regent Seven Seas) Christian Sauleau and Ken Watson, were no fools.  This Burns guy would have been all over Silversea and the posts would have been absolute nightmares."
 
Well, folks, there have been some nightmare posts which have been overwhelmed by the postings of the rather unique experiences of the chosen few. I am not talking about whether "meat on a stone" is a luxury experience or whether the vanity basins are too large and dysfunctional.   I am talking about serious omissions, errors and absurd cost-cutting measures that have degraded what could have been a top quality product.  I have posted them in this post, on this blog and on The Gold Standard Luxury Travel Forum.  
 
DidI expect some of the problems the less complimentary posters have written?  Of course.  Are many of them fixable?  Of course.  But some important flaws are not.  One of the flaws that Silversea better fix is treating the chosen ones as "guests" and the others as "passengers".
 
Just some objective observations.

Silversea Silver Spirit - Cheers or Bronx Cheer? Depends On Who You Ask!

Silversea's Silver Spirit is in the last days of its Maiden Transatlantic Cruise which was right on the heels of its Maiden Voyage. To say the reviews have been mixed would be an understatement.


There is no question that a few people are being treated like royalty with special ceremonies, dining with the Captain, private parties, etc. And for those people it is very easy to not only look past (or simply not observe) any issues, but frankly it would be illogical for them to ruin the royal treatment by either noting the problems or discussing them on a blog or message board. As one put it, ""Praise in public, but criticize in private".


However, as happens far too frequently on Cruise Critic, those that express an opinion or criticism tend to be attacked because, heaven forbid, they don't think everything is perfect. So, rather than royal treatment they get insulted.


First, the good news.


1. After an expected rocky start, the reports indicate that much of the staff now doing a very good to excellent job. Yes, there are still some serious misses which seem to be attributed to undertrained staff. To expect more than that at this early stage would be, to my mind, unfair as Silversea simply did not invest in training as it should have...making the staff's hard job more difficult. It appears that the Captain and officers are, to their credit, putting on an absolutely first class show!


2. It also appears that the ship is functioning well overall. While I have read it rides like a Lexus on the highway by one person, another complained of some serious vibration and creaking when in some weather. To me, as of yet, not a big deal either way.


3. Similarly, it seems the variety of dining choices is well received (though the quality of the food or cuisine has been debated...and is debated below).


4. Comment about the ship's decor and public areas has been generally positive, but no one is mentioning how its style knocks them off their feet. It has been described as 1940's Hotel/Art Deco, which is a style if not a youthful or modern one. Rule No. 1 in design: Don't Offend. Let's not go down the other rules just yet.


Now, the not so good and bad news.


1. The Standard Suites - It is reported that the suites are the narrowest the luxury cruisers onboard have experienced. There is a narrow space between the foot of the bed and the dresser and between the hallway and the bed. Further the configuration is such that climbing over the bed is required if one person is using the dressing table. The bed-dresser conflict exists on the circa 1980's much smaller Seabourn triplets and was corrected on the new Seabourn Odyssey. There is simply no excuse for this...other than trying to fit additional suites onto this ship...two decades later. (I mentioned this months ago.)

There is but a single 110v outlet for the entire suite. Not sure what, if anything, was being thought of with that one.

The bathroom vanity is consumed by the vessel sink so there is no room for toiletries and the shelving for the toiletries is inconveniently placed. I pointed this out months ago as well.

2. The Main Show Lounge - It is hard to imagine how a more poorly designed space could have been created. Getting over the fact that there is no bar service (that's right!), the seating is for couples...and the reports are they had better be couples, for the seats are quite small. There are no tables for drinks (but without bar service...). The space between the seat is narrow for leg room, so passing through is a challenge, if possible. And, incredibly, the space cannot seat the entire ship at one time, so things like the Captain's Reception must be split. This is inexcusable on a luxury line.

3. Pay-As-You-Go Dining - While is wonderful that there are multiple dining venues, charging to dine in them - on a luxury line - is unforgivable. $40 per person to dine a Sheishen (Japanese) with an additional charge for sake. (Do I get charged if I order sake when I am in a lounge? Or what if I order a single malt - as many Japanese do?) $30 to dine at Le Champagne, but $200 per person if I order the specialty menu with paired wines. (For example, Nicholas -one of the highest rated restaurants in the New York/New Jersey area...you can look it up here! - is offering a special six course Black Truffle Menu for $105 per person. Feel free to add $200 of wine to that...and, trust me, there is no way Le Champagne can compete with the cuisine or the wines.) Yes, there are those that think spending money means luxury, but when spending tens of thousands of dollars the luxury better already be there.

4. Stone Grill "Eating" - There is a new al fresco eating venue (I can't call it "dining") where you are literally given a very rare piece of meat on a hot stone and you cook it. (One guest - who loves the place - noted that her husband now knows not to wear a good shirt because the grease splatters!). Take a look:

Sorry folks, that ain't luxury. That is not even appetizing. That is not to say that it does not have a place on a ship, but to me it is a way to cut down on labor (no chefs and little waitstaff) for what may be fun for some...and they can enjoy it...but not a luxury experience. (I have written recently yet again about the apparent effort to "dumb down" people into believing marginal is high quality: What is Luxury? Luxury is What They Say It Is.) I would think that offering it on occasion - as Seabourn does with its Sky Grill - for a casual and fun/quirky option would be far more appropriate.

5. Small and Unisex Spa - Another baffling aspect of the 500+ passenger luxury cruise ship is that the spa is reported to be about two thirds to half the size of the spas on the smaller Silversea ships. One person noted a yoga class with but eight people was akin to a package of sardines. The sauna and other general facilities being unisex is also troublesome. For some the mixing of sexes may not be an issue, but for many it is just uncomfortable. This is the area to literally let your hair down and relax; not to be placed in a situation you just don't have on any ships or, frankly, any semi-luxury or luxury spas...and you haven't for years. It is, to my mind, another example of poor design fueled by cost-cutting.

6. A Physically Challenged Person's Nightmare: It has been reported, in detail, that there are very many aspects of the Silver Spirit that are poorly designed or simply did not consider the physically challenged. The Main Show Lounge literally has no design for wheelchairs, walkers or the like. Guests are relegated to straight-back chairs at the back of the room and no place to even place a drink. (Of course the Show Lounge doesn't have bar service - discussed above - so this may be moot.) The Suite doors are too small to allow a wheelchair or walker to enter. The space between the bed and dresser and hallway and bed are too narrow. In 2010 these sort of design omissions are inexcusable. One wonders if there will be any issues when she enters United States waters (though probably not). I understand there are further issues on this topic and they will be discussed when available.

Before all the cheerleaders start attacking, take a moment and ask, "Is Iamboatman accurate in what he is saying?" If I am (and I am), then all I am doing is pointing out information which those who expect a more inclusive experience, who love cuisine, are physically challenged, who expect separate spas and/or are concerned with the functioning of their suite want and need to have. It is not a slam of Silversea or a condemnation of the Silver Spirit. Alas, it is what it is.

With all that said, is it possible to have a luxury experience on the Silversea Silver? Absolutely. You can dine on good cuisine and have a wonderful meal in Le Champagne. You can love the television in the mirror (or the black rectangle in the mirror). You can enjoy Stars for a tasting menu after 9:00 p.m. or a nice swim in the heated pool.

For me, with the choices that exist in the cruising world today, the Silversea Silver Spirit just cannot gain my endorsement as she now exists. Maybe I am wrong, and I am happy to discuss or debate it. There is no such thing as a wrong opinion; just different ones.

Join the multiple discussions of the Silversea Silver Spirit on The Gold Standard Luxury Travel Forum.