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MS EUROPA: Extreme Luxury at Sea

by Lillian Africano

here are any number of ships that offer luxury cruises. But only one, the MS Europa, received the Five-Star Plus rating in the 2008 Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Shipsand also received a Six-Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Science. The level of service is one reason for such ratings. The ship claims the highest staff-to-passenger ratio in the industry, with 280 staff members for 400 guests. Service begins not on the ship, but when passengers arrive at the dock and are greeted by crew members, who check boarding passes and take charge of luggage and passports to complete the check-in process. Passengers are then escorted onboard, where champagne, hors doeuvres and music await. Luxury is further defined by the accommodations. The Europa is an all-suites ship; 80% of the suites have private verandas. There are two 915-square-foot Penthouse Grand Suites with a living room, bedroom, bathroom with sauna and

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whirlpool, and balcony; and ten Penthouse Deluxe suites of almost 500 square feet, which have a separate bedroom and liv i n g area and a bathroom with whirlpool. Oh yes, and butler service all the penthouse suites have butler service. All the suites are spacious: at almost 300 square feet, they are the size of some New York studio apartments, with a comfortable seating area. The bathrooms are luxurious, with roomy bathtubs and separate shower stalls. The walk-in closet is the size of a small room, fitted with shelves, racks, and a safespace enough for even the fussiest passengers taking a long cruise. Upon arrival, passengers find attractive floral arrangements, fresh fruit (which is replenished regularly), and champagne chilling in a bucket. Mini-bars are stocked with soft drinks, beer, and mineral water; all are complimentary and are also replenished regularly. For en-suite entertainment, there is Cruise Net, a complimentary TV information network with private e-mail, a good selection of movies, music on demand, cruise information, and the Internet. When the ship sails, experienced cruisers often comment on the fact that there is little noise or vibration. During the bridge tours, Captain Friedrich Jan Akkermann, the 13th generation of his family to be a sea captain, explains the reason: the ships electric motors and propellers are suspended in pods below the hull. (He also explains that the Europa, only 650 feet long with a shallow d raft, can dock in places where larger vessels cannot.)

One of the big attractions of any cruise is the foodand here the Europa excels, with its focus on quality rather than quantity. In the main dining roomalso called the E u ro p athe menu for the first formal evening might include superb lobster, excellent caviar (1600 Euros a kilo), and plenty of champagne. Dining at the other r e s t a u rantsthe Oriental (Asian) and the Venezia (Italian)is like dining at a multi-starred restaurant on land. The Lido Caf has tables outdoors on the deck and when the weather is pleasant, meals can be served outside. Though the Lido is the ships casual dining venue, it would be a mistake to confuse it with the long buffet lines and the erratic service sometimes associated with larger ships. The service is as attentive as it would be in a fine-dining restaurant, with beverages and any requested items brought to the table. And though there are several buffets offering a variety of cooked food, salads, and desserts, there are no lines. The food, too, bears no resemblance to mass-produced buffet food. It is varied and well-prepared with top ingredients. Theme nights are offered from time to time. Russian night, for example, features costumed wait-staff serving such classics as blini and caviar and vodka. With all the lavish dining, not to mention the delectables delivered by room service, most passengers choose some form of exercise. Golfers may head for the golf simulator, which has been programmed with twenty of the worlds most interesting courses. Video analysis and the PGA professional onboard can help with technique.

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The Fitness Loft, with panoramic windows overlooking the pool deck, makes doing time on the treadmills almost pleasant. A personal trainer is available to customize fitness programs to individual needs. The 20-meter by 75-meter pool, larger than most ship pools, is almost never crowded, so doing laps is pleasurable and easy. The nearby hot tub is a good place to wind downjust before relaxing on a lounge chair. Daydreaming and napping happens often in this setting. If, however, passengers happen to be in the pool area in mid-afternoon, good intentions may go right out the window because thats when the aroma of hot waffles served with ice cream and assorted toppings fills the air. Nearby, in the library, more temptation lurks: the afternoon tea, a proper English tea, properly made with top quality tea leaves and served in lovely individual teapotsto accompany the temptingly displayed sandwiches and cakes. Piano renditions of old favorites make the repast even sweeter.

For onboard pampering, the Ocean Spa offers a full menu of body and facial treatments, as well as nail and hair services. The atmosphere of quiet and calm prevails in the solarium, the steam room, and sauna. If a passenger wishes a late service, such as the Sleep Well Massage, the spa will stay open past the usual 8 p.m. closing time. On the same deck as the Ocean Spa are the ships spa suites, decorated in the same shades of red and gold as the spa, with whirlpool bathtubs and windows in the bathrooms. The onboard entertainment is geared to sophisticated travelers who wish something other than Vegas-style revues. There is classical music, good quality lounge performances, and universitylevel lectures geared to ports of call on the ships itinerary. The itineraries are designed for passengers who have been there, done that, and include voyages to ports in Europe, Asia, and Africa. One of the popular cruises last year began in Turkey and traveled along the Black Sea, calling at ports in Russia, the Ukraine, and Bulgaria. One shore excursion was a tour of the Russian town of Sochi, where the winter Olympics of 2014 will

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take place. Though the area dates back to 800 B.C., the town itself was built in the last years of Tsarist Russia and served as a kind of Caucasian Riviera for Soviet apparatchiks. More recently, it was a favorite getaway for President Boris Yeltsin. The city of Yalta was another historic stop, with tours going to the Livadia Palace, where the famous Yalta Treaty was signed by Stalin, Churchill, and U.S. President Roosevelt. This year, the Europa takes passengers on voyages on the worlds great seas, visiting cities in France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus,

Greece, and Turkey; in Argentina and Chile; in Australia and Tahitiand even in South Africa. In short, cruise passengers who like to visit exotic destinations in comfort and style will find an itinerary to suit their tastes aboard the MS Europa. The MS Europa was awarded six stars plus by Sterns Guide to the Cruise Vacation 2007; Fieldings Guide to Luxury Cruises voted the MS Europa Ship of the Year 2006.

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