I may be a lawyer, but I’m not a control freak…seriously. That said, when it comes to my vacations, even the relaxing beach holidays, I like to know everything is going to be just right. I like to know that my scarce vacation time is going to be well utilized. This usually means a significant amount of pre-travel research: sourcing the best accommodations, restaurants and bars, the most fun activities and adventures and the best ways of soaking up the local culture.
Not surprisingly, until now, I’d never taken a vacation where most of my decisions are made for me; I couldn’t imagine surrendering almost complete control of my vacation plan to someone else. But my most recent trip has changed my mind. I just got back from a luxury catamaran charter by TradeWinds — complete with captain, crew and personal chef.
As we boarded the six-bedroom Galathea, moored off the southeast coast of Guadeloupe (an island in the Lesser Antilles, southeast of Puerto Rico), we were greeted by enthusiastic members of our crew: Andy, the first mate and dive master; “Lu,” the on-board chef (and also a dive master); and Micke, our captain. A bottle of chilled champagne, together with a light hors d’oevres platter, awaited us. After a welcome toast, Andy advised that lunch would be served shortly, and asked if he could get us anything else…fruit, cocktails, whatever we wanted. It was clear to me immediately, that the level of service wouldn’t be an issue on this trip.
The catamaran — 70 feet long, almost 35 feet wide and boasting a mast of over 90 feet high — literally took my breath away. Galathea is the largest production catamaran in the portfolio of world renowned French shipbuilder Fountaine-Pajot. Each of the guest bedrooms has its own ensuite bathroom with shower, and comes complete with a bottle of plum wine for private, late night drinks.
As one day began to roll into the next, the meals continued to impress even our friend (and well-respected food critic) Chris Johns, who was on board with us for the week. Each day began with a gourmet breakfast, including fresh croissants and pain au chocolat (we are in France, after all; Guadeloupe is an “Overseas Department” of France, not a colonial island, as I had thought). Lunches consisted of an amazing variety of carefully prepared and presented salads, grilled meats and French cheeses; while dinners (preceded always by cocktail hour, with a different feature cocktail every day) included locally caught fish, langostas and amazing French wines!
Somehow, between all these decadent meals and cocktail gatherings, we managed to take in a significant amount of adventure. In addition to sailing around to the different islands within the French Antilles (which sure beats lying on a beach chair), there was virtually non-stop swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, visiting secluded beaches, and scootering around off-the-beaten-path islands, reachable only by boat.
For the entire week, I was completely entrenched in the perfect blend of relaxation, luxury and adventure. On top of the fact that I didn’t have to plan any of it myself, I scarcely had to make any decisions while I was enjoying the vacation. This was not just a luxurious vacation, or an adventurous one. This was a trip that gave me the opportunity to go on an impeccably serviced, passive adventure. It’s hard to make an argument against that kind of luxury.
Ruth Promislow is a commercial litigation partner at Bennett Jones and co-founder of Bustle Clothing
Image (c) TradeWinds