The Crystal Esprit can host your 200 closest friends for seven days on only $700,000.
Chartering yachts is nothing new — many boat owners rent their mega-yachts out for months at a time to make up for the high costs of ownership.
Chartering cruise ships? Now that's something different entirely.
Celebrities and the ultra-rich have taken a penchant for renting out entire cruise ships for them and as many as 200 of their closest friends, Bloomberg reports.
"It's like owning a mega-yacht for a week or two," Carolyn Spencer-Brown, editor of Cruise Critic, told Bloomberg.
These cruise ships are on the small side, to be sure, and often are owned by smaller boutique cruise lines like Crystal Cruises.
Crystal's Esprit ship, which the company purchased with the intention that it could be loaned out, can host 62 guests — the perfect size for private cruising, but pales in comparison to the giants from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Norwegian Cruise lines, which can host thousands.
A seven-day private cruise with the ship starts at around $500,000 a week.
For comparison, one of the most expensive private yachts in the world to charter, the Triple Seven, only has five cabins and costs $600,000 a week, a number that doesn't include food, drink, taxes, entertainment, fuel, and gratuity like the cruise does.
Luxury Yacht GroupThe main lounge from the Triple Seven yacht, available for charter for $610,000 a week.
It also works out well for the cruise line, as that $500,000 adds up to be more than the company would generate from a single seven-day trip with a full ship of passengers paying $6,250 each.
These are no spur-of-the moment bookings, however, and they don't interfere with regular sailing schedules. Often, these types of private rentals are planned up to two years in advance.
The Royal Penthouse Suite of the Hotel President Wilson is famous for being the largest one in Europe (1’680 sqm in total) and the most luxurious Suite in the world. The Suite has even been awarded “World’s Leading Hotel Suite” at the prestigious World Travel Awards. Located on the eighth and top floor of the hotel, the Royal Penthouse Suite offers to the most demanding guests 12 luxury bedrooms including marble bathrooms, as well as a private terrace with a unforgettable panoramic view over the lake and the Mont-Blanc. With every conceivable amenity, such as one of the 3 biggest Bang & Olufsen TV screen in the world (BeoVision 4-103 flat-screen) with sound system, a Steinway grand piano, a billiards table, a collection of ancient books and pieces of art, as well as a private gym, the suite leaves nothing to be desired. This truly unique suite stands for pure luxury with maximum security, from bulletproof windows and safe to a private lift to take guests directly to their majestic living quarters. View more photos
When you stay at the Ty Warner Penthouse Suite at Four Seasons Hotel New York, you’re at home in an exquisite work of art. Designed by Peter Marino and I.M. Pei, who came out of retirement to complete his original vision, the 4,300-sq.-ft. (400-m²) Penthouse features one-of-a-kind furnishings and original works by international artists, all of which were hand-selected by Marino or Pei. Soaring 700 feet (213 meters) above Manhattan, guests of the Ty Warner Penthouse enjoy unobstructed panoramic views of Manhattan from the Suite’s four cantilevered glass balconies, the highest in the world. A chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantom, a round-the-clock personal butler, and unlimited caviar, champagne and massages are also at your disposal. This one-of-a-kind suite truly is the crown jewel in Manhattan’s ultimate luxury hotel.
Designed for royal and prestigious guests, the Royal Villa encapsulates the essence of luxury in its splendidly appointed interior and exterior spaces welcoming esteemed guests to experience the epitome of luxury living. The Royal Villa features two master bedrooms with king size beds, a spacious living room with a fireplace and dining table, a fully equipped business corner, a fully fitted kitchen and grill as well as outdoor BBQ facilities. The villa comes complete with an indoor and an outdoor heated pool, a fully equipped gym and steam bath, a private massage area with a massage-table, two oversized marble lined bathrooms and a guest bath. Furthermore there are the Butler’s quarters with a separate entrance and a bathroom. Privileged guests are welcome to sunbathe on the spacious outdoor terrace, dive in the crystalline waters of the pool, maintain their work out routine while on holidays and follow their own private path to the dazzling shore of the bay.
The Shahi Mahal Suite offers unparalleled luxury in the Raj Palace, the oldest mansion in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. The lavish palace was converted into a luxury heritage hotel in 1996, and is an unmatched example of Rajasthan’s regal character, charm and grandeur. Each opulent suite has its very own museum inside, displaying a range of antique clocks, weaponry and jewelry. The suites are decorated in priceless antique Indian furniture. Walls are adorned with hand-painted murals and grand crystal chandeliers hang from the ceilings. The hotel’s dining room is home to the world’s largest chandelier, along with a large collection of royal silverware.
The two-story 9,000 square foot, 3-Bedroom Villa includes a glass elevator, rotating bed, and a glass wall Jacuzzi that extends out over the hotel and offers amazing Strip views. Other amenities include: Terrace with Playboy Pool and sunbathing area, indoor water features, show tub, steam room, gym, media room, massage and spa rooms, poker table, wet bar, espresso machine, fireplace, three bedrooms, and pop-up plasma TVs.
Yachtico — the world’s #1 online booking portal for yacht, sailboat, houseboat and luxury boat rentals — announced the 10 most popular luxury rentals#Yacht.
With Yachtico, vacationers can book yachts in real time at any budget level. Similar to booking a room in a luxury resort on Orbitz, a traveler chooses a destination city, a luxury level (like a 5-star hotel) and a date … it’s that simple. This holiday season, travelers have the ability to create a truly unique experience — an experience that can’t be recreated on land, in a hotel, or on an Air BNB sofa …
Urban land-lovers generally recognize five types of boats: the standard redneck fishing boat with oars, the bikini-clad spring-break party pontoon, the buccaneer vessel made popular by Johnny Depp in “Pirates,” the Puff Daddy platinum-selling luxury yacht and the colossal Royal Caribbean (please don’t be the Titanic) cruise liner.
Oh, for marine lovers, however, there are so many more to choose from, as evidenced by Yachtico’s top 10 list.
Bavaria 46 Cruiser — Put away your snowblower and take out your sailor’s cap in this sailing yacht that can be chartered in Seget for $1,736 per week.
Oceanis 45 — This gorgeous sailing boat can be chartered in Alimos Marina Kalamaki for $3,756 per week; Miami Vice style Armani jackets are extra.
Bavaria 43 Cruiser — Sail away from shoveling and towards relaxation in this stunning sailing yacht for rent in Athens at $1,707 per week.
Sun Odyssey 509 — This luxury sail boat can be chartered in Fethiye at $4,627 per week. Looks like a perfect backdrop for a cold bottle of Dos Equis with the most interesting man in the world.
Athena 38 — This remarkable cruising catamaran can be rented in Marina Cienfuegos for $2,846 per week. The Fountaine Pajot-produced luxury vehicle features four privacy cabins each with its own shower. So invite family and friends, or Playboy playmates, for a spectacular vacation.
Lagoon 420 — This innovative family cruising boat can be chartered in Alimos Marina Kalamaki for $4,541 per week. The Lagoon 420’s high-tech motors are silent, yet provide instant acceleration. And if you’re trying to escape the hustle and bustle of noisy city life, that silence will be relaxing.
Lagoon 421 — While others are spending the holidays with gingerbread houses and eggnog, you can rent this spectacular luxury catamaran in Netsel Marmaris Marina for $5,236 per week. The Lagoon 421, the updated version of the 420, is the pure definition of sailing.
Lagoon 52 — Make your neighbors who rented the Lagoon 420 and 421 jealous with the stunning Lagoon 52, for rent in Marina Le Marin at $18,098 per week. The Lagoon 52 marks a whole new era in the design of cruising catamarans with its stunning diamond-shaped vertical bows and levitated deckhouse. Now you’re entering P. Diddy country.
Lagoon 560 — This massive 56-foot cruising catamaran is available for charter in Yacht Club Port de Plaisance at $17,984 per week. It’s designed for hospitable and comfortable cruising, even capable of accommodating a skipper (sorry, no room for Gilligan).
Beneteau 50 — This nicely appointed, spirited French sailboat is available for rent in Kastela for $3,187 per week. The Beneteau 50 is a classic, popular because it features the master forward layout with ensuite head and separate shower.
Changing lives with a trip so one-of-a-kind that it has never been attempted before, Health and Fitness Travel, the leading specialists in healthy holidays worldwide, introduce their Ultimate Luxury Around the World Wellness Trip.
With the expert guidance of professional wellness teams, become the master of your health and fitness on this one year trip of a lifetime with multiple stops in 20 countries, from Australia to Brazil. Ideal for burnt out 30+ executives feeling the stress of the rat race, it is no wonder sabbaticals are tempting more professionals, with 4 million people in the UK recently taking a career break[1]. Learning a healthier lifestyle through educational health consultations, inspiring fitness training, healing spa therapies and healthy nutrition, this life changing trip is the long-term answer to Sunday evening meltdowns.
With the estimation that today’s early 30 year olds won’t be able to retire until they are 73[2], this around the world trip which tops £156,000pp (approx. USD$237,000pp)with business class flights is an investment in your health and well-being. If that’s blowing the budget, there is even a *six month version of the trip, for those with fewer funds or time to spare. With larger budgets than their younger counterparts, joining the career breakers in the rise of the adult gap year are the equally exhausted career enders. Also known as ‘grey gappers’, this growing phenomenon is fueled by the ‘now or never’ factor with health conscious baby boomers looking to get the most out of life after retirement. Whether in search of an alternative approach to existing health problems, or in need of a healthy lifestyle overhaul after the trials of a divorce or illness, this tailor-made trip is about your personal journey towards a healthier and happier you.
For those ready to take the first step, transform your health and fitness as you learn from leading experts in stunning destinations around the world, from a 1-on-1 kickboxing session with a British gold medalist in Ibiza, to a Tai Chi class on the summit of Vietnam’s Marble Mountains. Learn how to switch off from stress with yoga in India and heal your body with medical spa therapies in Spain, all whilst sampling the very best in healthy cuisine, from a cleansing juice detox to macrobiotic cooking classes.
Get your culture fix in Rome and Istanbul, before keeping active on your journey when mastering stand-up paddle boarding in Hawaii and hiking to the 700m summit of Gros Piton Mountain in St Lucia. All combined with a healthy dose of adventure, paraglide from the mountains of Oman and zip line through the rainforests of Costa Rica. Including a helicopter tour of Australia’s iconic Twelve Apostle’s and a private guide safari across the wilds of South Africa, experience the very best in luxury travel on this ultimate life changing wellness trip.
Offering a gateway to traveling the world whilst becoming the master of health and fitness, the ultimate luxury around the world wellness trip will banish bad habits and reward you with health benefits that will last a lifetime.
In keeping with providing guests unique experiences, the legendary Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, debuts Legends of Boca Experience, a four-day, three-night escape featuring tennis legend Jimmy Connors. To coincide with the unveiling of the resort’s partnership with Connors, Legends of Boca Experience offers guests a multitude of luxurious amenities and activities including a chance to spend a half-day with Connors himself; receiving private tennis instruction or enjoying a round of golf and gaining inspirational insight over lunch at one of the resort’s acclaimed restaurants.
After being welcomed at the airport by a chauffeured Maserati Quattroporte, the resort’s exotic house car, guests are whisked to Boca Raton Resort & Club and escorted to their spacious suite.
"As an iconic resort, we constantly strive to enhance the guest’s experience by offering unique, memorable experiences complemented by exceptional service. We’re thrilled to be able to offer guests unforgettable experiences such as spending time on the tennis courts or golf course with Jimmy Connors. After all, it’s not everyday that a guest is able to do such a thing,” said Rick Hayduk, president, Boca Raton Resort & Club. “The ability to partner with Jimmy Connors and offer guests such fantastic experiences is something we’re absolutely thrilled about.”
“Nothing quite compares to the uncompromising setting I’ve found at this resort, with all the amenities of iconic luxury,” said Connors, winner of eight Grand Slam singles championships and longtime golf enthusiast. “Boasting one of the finest and most renowned tennis and golf complexes in South Florida, this is an ideal partnership and I look forward to spending much of my family’s and my time at Boca Raton Resort & Club.
A modernized Mediterranean resort village sprawled amongst 356 breathtaking acres, Boca Raton Resort & Club and Boca Beach Club offer guests two world class resorts, one unique experience. Unparalleled features include an award-winning spa, championship golf and tennis facilities, an expansive beach and luxurious marina. Priced starting at $20,000, double occupancy, Legends of Boca Experience may be crafted to suit each guest’s schedule and ultimate desires. From arrival to departure, guests of Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort are welcomed by True Waldorf Service – a service initiative that assigns a personal concierge to each qualified guest who acts as their primary contact, before, during and – an industry first – after a stay, to guarantee every want and request is met.
Boca Raton Resort & Club participates in Hilton HHonors®, the only guest loyalty program where guests who book directly through www.waldorfastoria.com have access to benefits including digital check-in, choose your room, and free Wi-Fi at over 20 Waldorf Astoria hotels worldwide. The three-night package is priced at $20,000 for two people. To book the offer, please visithttp://waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/about/unforgettableexperiences.html.
To learn more about the Boca Raton Resort or for hotel reservations, please call 1-888-543-1286 or visitwww.bocaresort.com. For more information about Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, please visithttp://news.waldorfastoria.comor follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @waldorfastoria.
This opulent Midtown hotel offers guests who book the Prestige, Harcourt, or Baccarat suites complimentary hair blowouts from 5–7 p.m. daily. Suite guests also receive a complimentary package of La Mer beauty products from the hotel’s La Mer Spa, the first of its kind for the luxe skincare line.
When packing and unpacking seems like too much trouble, guests of this Brickell Key hotel can simply call up the “Fashion Butler.” The butler will arrange clothing in whatever order the guest prefers, or if a new outfit is needed, can coordinate a personal shopping experience in-suite with Miami boutiques such as The Webster, Joanna Paige, and The Weekender.
Courtesy Mandarin Oriental
Peninsula Hotels
By the end of the year, all Peninsula hotels will offer Beats by Dre items to guests during their stay, including the Studio Wireless headphones, Powerbeats Wireless earphones, and a Beats Pill speaker. Concierges hand-deliver the items to the room and offer a quick tutorial—though no word on whether they suggest playlists.
Courtesy Peninsula Hotels
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Guests in the hacienda-style rooms of Rancho Valencia near San Diego have the chance to test drive three different Porsche models during their stay: a 911 convertible, a Panamera Hybrid, and a Cayenne GTS. The speedy cars are available for up to four hours a day, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests can then consult with the Porsche-certified concierge on site if they want to drive one home.
Courtesy Porsche
The Connaught, London
"At The Connaught in Mayfair, the wardrobes in every suite come stocked with Burberry trench coats free for guests to use throughout their stay," Krisanne Fordham reported for Traveler. "'The weather in England has been known to feature rain, wind, cold, or all three,' reads the tag on the coat. 'Fortunately, this country is also home to the classic Burberry trench coat. Here is one to use during your stay.' If the coat provided isn't the correct fit, guests can call reception and the perfect coat will be personally fitted in-suite."
Courtesy Maybourne Hotel Group
Cordis, Hong Kong
Cordis, a new brand from Langham Hotels aimed at business travelers, gives every guest complimentary "handy"—in name and use—smartphones, with free local service to use during their stay. The phones are also pre-loaded with several apps, including a currency converter and MTR train maps, and are equipped with 3G data connectivity, enabling guests to hop onto Wi-Fi networks anywhere in Hong Kong.
Courtesy Cordis Hotels
The London West Hollywood
Guests who book the stunning bi-level penthouse suite at the London West Hollywood, designed by fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, will receive his and her leather wallets, each packaged in their own box and delivered in a Vivienne Westwood shopping bag. An hour of private shopping at the designer's West Hollywood boutique with special discounts on purchases is also included.
Courtesy The London West Hollywood
Atlantis, The Palm Hotel & Resort, Dubai
Splurging on an Underwater Suite at this Dubai resort not only gets you floor-to-ceiling views of the Ambassador Lagoon, which contains more than 65,000 fish and other sea life, but also includes a dining room for six, butler service, a complimentary connecting room, airport transfers, two head-neck-shoulder massages per stay, two 30-minute personal training sessions, two Dolphin Encounters at Dolphin Bay, and unlimited access to Atlantis’ Lost Chambers Aquarium and Aquaventure Waterpark.
Wildlife enthusiasts and outdoor adventure-types can now stay in one of New Mexico’s most exclusive private homes. Billionaire Ted Turner, who owns the Ladder Ranch, which covers some 245 square miles in pristine south-central New Mexico, is opening his house to renters for the first time through his eco-adventure company, Ted Turner Expeditions.
For a cool $6,000 per night, based upon four people sharing, you can stay in Mr. Turner’s private home and bunkhouse, and have access to a private chef and house manager. The rate also includes all meals, beverages, and guided excursions, which are typically half-day. The house was first built in 1992, and decorated in a traditional Western ranch style by Mr. Turner’s ex-wife, Jane Fonda. Many of her design touches remain.
But the terrain and activities truly make this rental experience unique. You’ll be able to go on incredible hikes, and see the landscape shift from desert grasslands to pine forests set in the foothills of the Gila Mountains. Wildlife frequently spotted in the area includes elk, deer, antelope, mountain lions, and bears. You’ll also have the chance to experience New Mexico’s unique history, and see petroglyphs of the ancient Mibres culture next to a creek, and an actual ghost town, Hermosa, which was abandoned in the 1800’s. Billionaire-style living never felt this rustic—or this cool.
The castle, which is near the Loire Valley, was in the viscount’s family until it was sacked during the French Revolution, leaving much of it a crumbled ruin. Mr. Vignial, 73, had heard about it for years, but never visited until he was 36, after it was put up for sale.
“It was in the winter,” he said. “My wife was completely afraid because it was nothing; completely closed, cold,” he said. But he knew he had to buy it.
“I decided in five minutes,” he laughed. “I didn’t tell it to my wife.”
I successfully navigated a great many, but not all of them, and several were so new that my soothing navigation system, now purring along in the Queen’s English, seemed to be increasingly aggrieved by my orbital driving patterns. An errant turn off one of these freshly paved roundabouts led me onto a one-way street, the wrong way, leaving me face to face with a student driver. Excusez moi!
By now the car’s polite British voice had turned more aggressive. “Turn around when possible! Turn around when possible!” I started to wish I could turn the Italian back on.
About a dozen more roundabouts later, I reached La Flocellière, a town of about 2,400. You’d think finding a castle in a French village would be easy, but it was dark and this wasn’t an Econo Lodge lit up on the side of a highway. After several passes through the town, I located the giant chateau behind a gate. The castle has four towers, including a large central keep, though some sections of the chateau remain in ruins, adding to its mystique.
I went inside and began to speak a few lines of carefully rehearsed French, since I had had a couple of hours to practice. This was perhaps not the best idea. Erika Vignial, the viscountess of the castle, proceeded as if I had a working knowledge of French, perhaps being polite. I wasn’t entirely clear what was happening after that.
The Vignials, to their credit, are a far more welcoming brand of aristocrat than you might imagine. The dishes came out. There was fish first — white fish and salmon. And rice. And little baguettes. I ate, and I was well satisfied. I prepared to leave, but then Mrs. Vignial brought out a plate of veal and cheese tarts, then big tomato slices. Merci, bon.
Fromage? I got the sense that it would be in poor taste to leave now, so the cheese came. I ate it. And it was good. And so was the mousse that followed.
The castle was filled with upholstered chairs, chandeliers, richly decorated wallpaper and fancy clocks. There was a statuette of a tiger under an oil painting of the Madonna and Child, flanked by Chinese urns. In one room there was a rather severe-looking portrait of an ancestor, Stanslas Vignial, the president of the royal court in Bordeaux in the mid-1800s, imposing in black-and-crimson jurist robes.
In another room, I felt as if I had momentarily stepped onto the set of “The Royal Tenenbaums” — a large family portrait was near a shelf of old games like Boggle, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit.
There was also a family tree. The earliest known ancestor there goes back to 1090, when the chateau was more like a fort in the woods. The stone castle was originally built around 1200.
The region was a stronghold of support for the French monarchy. During the revolution, the locals filled the Catholic and Royal Army, which didbattle with the French revolutionaries from 1793 to 1796. That did not end well.
“Paris sent heavy, well-equipped troops with cannons and things to the region, to kill and burn every village,” Mr. Vignial said. “It was terrible, especially in January 1794, they arrived here in the village. They killed all the people, burned the houses and burned part of the chateau.”
Mr. Vignial said his father and grandfather were fervent monarchists, at a time when that was a real political movement. While the notion of a return of French kings today is far-fetched — though there are still some claimants to the throne — Mr. Vignial allowed that he still believes it would be better to have a constitutional monarchy.
“In France, we are not very satisfied with our present president,” he said, referring to the long-beleaguered Socialist François Hollande, who has recorded historically low popularity ratings. “I think it would be better to have a man not directly involved in the day-to-day politics, and just a prime minister like you have in England.”
Photo
The Marquise Suite, one of five guest rooms available in the main part of the castle.CreditAlex Cretey-Systermans for The New York Times
The viscount, who had his own mergers and acquisition consultancy before retiring a few years back to focus on the chateau, toured the grounds with me the next morning. The castle sits on 37 acres. We toured “le donjon,” and he explained to me that the word donjon, in French, means a keep or a main tower and is not to be confused with a dungeon.
The four-story keep has a dining room on the first floor with a view onto the grounds and three stories of handsome apartments above. But I was most captivated by a lush medieval tapestry in the dining room depicting a man approaching a woman on a throne, against a verdant backdrop of plants and flowers, and a white bird that looked like a heron.
For a week, you can rent the keep, which accommodates 10, for about $2,300. For the same price you can also rent the Louis XIII wing, a detached house that has a tower once used for defense. It can accommodate 12 to 14 guests. (Rates are typically $177 a night for a standard room, $260 for a suite and $327 for a family room for four. Breakfast is included, dinner an additional $30 to $60 a person.)
I stayed in the spacious Baronne Alquier Suite, which had a lush canopy bed and what was advertised as “a yellow gold Louis XVI-style fabric” covering the walls. There was a small television, but it seemed more like a place where I was supposed to sit next to the fireplace and read a novel.
“The relationship you have with this sort of a house is a sort of a love relationship, like with a woman, you know?” Mr. Vignial told me as we wound our way through the chateau. “It’s not a question of money, it’s a question of love.”
It was not an easy relationship at first.
Back in 1979, Mrs. Vignial had two young children, a life in Paris and a job in public relations for L’Oreal. Taking on a castle?
PhotoA medieval garden.CreditAlex Cretey-Systermans for The New York Times
“I was quite terrified,” she said. She recalled the first time she saw it.
“We took a plane to Nantes, and it was rainy, dark,” she said. “We took a car and we came here, and it was absolutely horrible. The water was on the walls, everything was humid and everything was empty.”
No electricity, no heating, no plumbing.
“She told me, ‘O.K., if you want to buy it, O.K., but I will never go,’ ” Mr. Vignial said. “That was our convention. But after some years, when it became more habitable, she spent all our holidays here with our children.”
Sandrine, the couple’s daughter, was 10 when they bought the castle. She also remembered being afraid of it and sleeping in the same room as her father at first. But she soon embraced it, and she and her brother spent their days playing amid the ruins. “I was the princess, or the prisoner in my own tower,” she said. “It was our main activity.”
The Vignials started by restoring the dungeon, and it was there that they stayed for many years when they came to the castle. Sandrine, now 46, moved in full time for four years in the 1990s, after she earned an art degree and before she married, and opened up the castle as a bed-and-breakfast.
“I think that this chateau is alive when there are a lot of people every day in it,” she said. “I said to my father, ’It’s a good idea to develop this and the chateau will have a new life in a new generation.’ ”
Another guest, Fiona Thompson, a Londoner who has visited twice, said: “I almost feel like writing them a thank-you letter at the end of it all. They are very gifted at making people feel welcome.”
The next morning, I bid adieu to this remnant of the old world. And I conquered the demons of the new one, fixing my GPS and navigating a far more direct and speedy course back to Nantes. True, I had not earned any Marriott points. But I had checked “Stay in medieval castle with viscount” off the bucket list.
An earlier version of this article misspelled part of the title of a movie evoked by a room in a French castle. It is “The Royal Tenenbaums,” not “The Royal Tannenbaums.”
