Virtuoso Life - May/June 2008 - (Page 42) LUXE REPORT BON VOYAGE New Polar Express Lindblad Expeditions’ long-awaited seventh ship, the National Geographic Explorer, is nearing completion for a June launch in the North Sea. Fitted for polar expeditions with hydrophones, underwater cameras, Zodiacs, and kayaks, the 148-passenger vessel sets sail from Bergen, Norway, for 16 days amid northern fjords and the Arctic Svalbard Archipelago, where last year the company reported spotting 117 polar bears, a Lindblad record. Departure: June 26, 2008; from $9,190. Chef Suzanne Tracht takes classic chops to sea. Bon Appétit’s Supper Clubs – featuring a special, one-night-only dinner by a guest chef – have caused quite a buzz in the Big Apple and at Sundance. Now the magazine has teamed up with Silversea Cruises for the 382-passenger Silver Shadow’s 15-day sailing from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. The 70- to 100-person dinners (included in the cruise fare) feature American classics from chef Suzanne Tracht of Los Angeles’ Jar restaurant, renowned for 1940s-style chops and braised meats. Departure: November 18, 2008; from $6,596. JOIN THE CLUB Queen of the Continent Arctic passage: Polar bears are a highlight of the Svalbard Archipelago. The Independence of the Seas takes the crown as Europe’s largest ship (3,634 passengers) when she debuts this May at her homeport of Southampton, England. After warmup cruises to the Canary Islands, Royal Caribbean International’s liner sets off on a 15-day round-trip journey through the Mediterranean. Aside from its sheer size, wow factors include whirlpools cantilevered over the ocean, an ice-skating rink, and the Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps 14 and includes an 810-square-foot balcony with private hot tub and bar. Mediterranean departures: Multiple dates June 14 through September 6, 2008; from $2,184. Presidential Family Suite from $41,000 with a minimum group of eight. Passengers on Crystal Cruises’ Mediterranean voyages this season can opt for new helicopter excursions over Mount Etna (Europe’s largest active volcano), the Dolomites and Venice, or the Amalfi Coast, where flights offer views of Positano, Naples, and Mount Vesuvius before touching down for lunch in Capri. The tours, ranging from $1,995 to $3,268, are available on itineraries calling in Rome, Venice, Taormina, and Sorrento aboard the 940passenger Crystal Symphony and the 1,080-passenger Crystal Serenity through October. BY JIM GULLO 42 V I RT U O S O L I F E (BEAR) RAlph lEE hopkins/ gEtty imAgEs LIFTOFF The Crystal Serenity in Sorrento.
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