SeaDream. Let the Surf be Your Soundtrack.

SeaDream Yachting. If you dream of broad expanses of open ocean, but the idea of pulsating discos, searching for your dining table amid hundreds /thousands of diners or following a crowd of travelers snaking beyond a guide with an elevated orange flag…dream no more.

Our clients are not cruisers, my usual retort: my peeps don’t mingle, we usually charter private yachts all over the world for our sea loving clients.

I’ve reserved the Lindblad National Geographic exploration ships and sailed from Papeete to the Marquesas, which was a marvelous adventure with a small group of like-minded travelers. One of my younger clients treats his parents to these explorations.

A random introduction by one of my respected travel colleagues led to a very fascinating connection to SeaDream yachting.

A small family-owned firm, SeaDream Yacht Club has a unique approach to cruising. Small is Small with their twin cruising yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II, offering style and refinement for a maximum guest list of 112 guests with a crew of 95!

Fully inclusive, passengers enjoy pampering by a polished crew, dine on locally inspired gastronomy served on deck or in an elegant dining salon; my friend who enjoyed an excursion, mentioned he dined al fresco the entire Journey! Also included-in-the-rate is wine, Champagne, and cocktails. Cheers!

Slow down, savor a slower pace and let the surf be your soundtrack.

Onboard attire suggestion, summer elegant casual. One of the most exciting extras that appeals to me is an option to sleep under a canopy of stars on a deck in a Balinese Dream Bed. Slumber Under the Stars, with full service, count me in!

Balinese Dream Bed

SeaDream cruises include these enticing areas: spring in the Caribbean, and summer in the Mediterranean and Baltic. One advantage of this style of cruising, the yachts are not massive sea ships who can only dock at major ports with other immense ships. These programs incorporate small, hidden-ports and crew-led activities, all included in the pricing. No gratuity expected, fully inclusive is fully inclusive!

My itinerary…when you read of my 70-day Journeys, this is how it originates and flourishes… I consulted with my amazing yacht broker to select my summer Yacht destination. A week of cruising includes a spin of the globe, if I’m here, where can else can I explore? Start in Dubrovnik translates to arrive several days early check into the best five-star hotel, Villa Dubrovnik, where our clients stay, explore with our guides and then board SeaDream.

My first port is near Montenegro, of course I will enjoy a day at One & Only Montenegro, a favorite brand in our repertoire – this is work, after all! 

An overnight crossing to the boot of Italy, docking in Otranto. I’ve visited the enchanting hill towns along this attractive coast. Lecce is 25 mins. away, car & driver to the luxurious five star La Fiermontina for lunch in their curated gardens. The owners also have a glammy apartment in Paris, on my list and a new Ocean property on the coast of Morocco, just north of Casablanca…do you see a pattern here? One week yacht adventure expands to discover remarkable properties.

Amalfi coast will be overrun with summer travelers, a private speed 38-foot sea craft to cruise to visit the Queen of Capri, the Blue Grotto and a divine lunch at a private beach club, my day ticket with our enchanting Italian team.

Another Capri day trip to the oh so very new Hotel La Palma, an Oetker Collection addition to their already loaded five-star roster!  Located mere steps from the famous Piazzetta, Hotel La Palma will offer a rooftop restaurant and bar, its own beach club, a pool deck,. Excited about the sneak peek!

Taormina, a trifecta excursion – Belmond has two luxurious hotels, clients love Grand Hotel Timeo, the first grand hotel to open in Taormina, celebrating its 150 year birthday!  And its sister property on the beach Villa Sant’ Andrea. At Grand Timeo, our favorite suites have terraces that overlook Mt Etna. Our clients flock to both iconic properties for the fabled Belmond luxury experiences. Sicilian Bliss on a romantic shoreline.

Late afternoon visit to the White Lotus film spot, the San Domenico Palace, Taormina, Four Seasons. A fourteenth century convent perched atop a rocky height for lunch and back on board SeaDream …#itswork

The Eternal city is my final port- I love to visit my friends at Hotel Eden & Hotel de Russie for a few nights. What is better than a personal Grazie for the recent VIP care of our Clients? La dolce vita!

Oh, add on Paris, perque no? Dear Christophe, whose real title is Le Meurice Deputy General Manager, but to me, he is the infamous Paris Black Book advisor, will always find a petite suite for me, do you recall my photos of the Madame Pompadour suite?  Several thousand feet of comfort to rest from my excursions! Once my clients see the photos, emails rain in, can we stay in that suite next visit? Oui!  Sadly, August restaurant closings means no Bistro Benoit or Jean Imbert at Plaza Athenee.

Yachting, not Cruising, Sea diary in summer! Or how to design a weeks Travel in Two Weeks!

Paris: Exclusive Pop-Up Royal Mansour Takes over Le Bristol Dazzling Dining!

In Marrakech, one of my go to divine lunch locations is the gardens of the elegant and chic Royal Mansour Hotel. Several options at this pleasure palace, their fine dining restaurant, La Grande Table Marocaine, conjures all the magic of Arabian nights.

During five exceptional days, Royal Mansour Chef Karim Ben Baba, comes to Paris to inspire and delight. Hospitality is rooted in fine local traditions. To mark its tenth year as a Michelin starred establishment, Le Bristol Paris will host an exclusive weeklong residency at 114 Faubourg by Royal Mansour Marrakech’s signature restaurant, La Grande Table Marocaine.

114 Faubourg at Le Bristol Paris

The legendary traditions of French and Moroccan art de vivre are preparing to reach their fullest expression under the same roof at Le Bristol Paris come November.

To celebrate their first decade as a Michelin starred brasserie, 114 Faubourg’s Chef Loïc Dantec and his team will hang up their aprons from November 21-25, 2022, to allow Chef Karim Ben Baba of Royal Mansour Marrakech to dazzle Paris with his award-winning cuisine.

Chef Karim Ben Baba presides over the culinary team at La Grande Table Marocaine, the signature restaurant at Royal Mansour, voted Marrakechs’ best restaurant in Africa and among the 100 best restaurants in the world. The young chef’s outsized talent has helped shape the ancestral culinary traditions of Morocco in the contemporary image of haute cuisine, turning the iconic palace that is Royal Mansour into the country’s leading interpreter of Moroccan gastronomy.

Throughout his five days as chef-in-residence at 114 Faubourg, Karim Ben Baba will present a comprehensive à la carte menu showcasing his refined approach to the nuances of Moroccan flavors. In the gold and orange decor of 114 Faubourg, reminiscent of the palaces of the medina, to the sound of Berber music, the delicate Briouates with chicken, honey and roasted almonds are refreshed with a heart of orange sucrine. The Tangia reinvents itself in the delicate flesh of a sea bream, the lobster explodes under the flavors of a Chermoula and the Couscous with beef cheeks and seven vegetables is as flamboyant as the velvety dunes of Merzouga.

With a décor rich in warm colors and featuring lavish, embroidery-trimmed banquettes, 114 Faubourg’s atmosphere lends itself perfectly to this takeover by Morocco’s most majestic restaurant to enhance the authenticity, the rhythms of a playlist specially curated for the week will coax diners further along the sensorial journey.

Couscous Couscous Friday!  Morocco’s traditional Friday lunch of an abundant couscous at lunchtime will be given the highest honor reinterpreted through a unique dish. Chef Karim Ben Baba is planning an exclusive variation of this most beloved dish for Friday November 25th — a suitably grand finale capping the week’s sublime immersion into the very best of Marrakech. The Kingdom envelops diners in all its delights.

From Monday 21 to Friday 25 November 2022. Lunch service – from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dinner from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Reservation required at 114 Faubourg.

Oh, what I would give to enjoy the elegant combination of Le Bristol and the Magic of Marrakech in Paris!