Archive for category Uncategorized
Behind the Scenes with Virtuoso Life in New Zealand
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Uncategorized, Virtuoso Life on March 2, 2010
By Marika McElroy Cain, Senior Editor, Virtuoso Life
The biggest story that didn’t make my feature on New Zealand’s North Island for the March/April issue of Virtuoso Life was our accompanying cover shoot in the Bay of Islands. The shoot fell at the tail end of a truly unparalleled trip organized by Seasonz Travel. Associate art director Korena Bolding and I had fly-fished, helicoptered, sailed, and, yes, dined our way through the best of North Island, and our final undertaking before heading back across the Pacific for home was to oversee the cover shoot.
No matter how many cover shoots I work on, it never fails to amaze me how much work it takes to get one perfect, inspiring, effortless-seeming, crowd-pleasing shot. Months of planning preceded the shoot: countless calls and emails with our photographer and his assistant, wardrobe discussions, logistical wrangling, location and talent scouting, and more.
Our Auckland-based crew arrived the evening before the shoot, and over champagne and Thai takeout at Eagles Nest, we plotted out our moves. Everyone had done their homework: our model was professional and lovely, our makeup artist had stellar credentials, our stylist had pulled exactly the right looks, and our photographer was New Zealand’s best. Cue the one element no one can control: the weather.
Sure enough, shoot day arrived, and our 5:45 a.m. call time coincided with lashing wind and steady drizzle. Not to worry, Kieran Scott, photographer and professional cool cucumber, assured the crew as they played poker for almonds and waited for the storm to blow over. The weather in the Bay of Islands can change in a blink.
And change it did. By late afternoon, the clouds had cleared and we were basking in sunshine. We enjoyed the same fine weather during day two of our shoot and the result was a cover that perfectly captures the beauty of the Bay of Islands.
A Tango Story
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Postcards, Uncategorized on February 5, 2010
by Virtuoso Preferred On-Site in Argentina – Mai 10
The event: Virtuoso Voyager Club 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner.
The time: dusk on a perfect summer evening.
The place: Buenos Aires’ first tango club, El Viejo Almacén. The story begins…
As Virtuoso Voyager Club guests of the Crystal Cruises World Cruise 2010 stepped off their motorcoach, they stepped into Buenos Aires of the 1920’s, the era when tango had reached its zenith. The sights and sounds of life on the old street quickly drew the guests into the magical setting.
The flower girl, the paperboy, the patrolman and the old man were there. So, too, were the beautiful young women who vied for the attention of young men sporting finely tailored suits. A solitary couple danced in the street as a young musician played a melancholy tango. Nearby Voyager Club guests looked on as they enjoyed cocktails and appetizers.
Guests were soon invited inside the historic tango club for a private meal of the finest Argentinean cuisine and wine. The club was quaint and dark, the perfect backdrop for a stunning tango show. One after another, couples came to the stage, held each other close, and performed the exquisite steps of the tango. The passion of their music and the intensity of their dance captured the hearts of the audience. Time stood still. The enchantment was complete.
Abuzz with excited conversation about the evening’s events, Virtuoso Voyager Club guests returned to the Crystal Serenity. It was the end of their tango story. It was also the beginning of a new adventure at sea as the Serenity departed at midnight with a new heading – Cape Town.
These and other experiences are being captured in a blog by Jesse Upchurch, Chairmain of Virtuoso, Ltd. and honorary host of this historic world cruise. Read Jesse’s blog here.
Just Back From … Anguilla
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Uncategorized on February 1, 2010
By Elaine Srnka, Editorial Director, VIRTUOSO LIFE
One recent winter morning my husband and I left behind below-freezing temperatures for the Caribbean clime of Anguilla in the British Leeward Islands. My mission: To check out the new villas at CuisinArt Resort & Spa.
A low, scrubby island, Anguilla is ringed with gorgeous fine-sand beaches and stunning views of Saint Maarten – and the megayachts of the rich and famous – off the southern coast where CuisinArt is situated. Sprawling across 20 acres with two miles of beachfront, the 93-room resort (yes, of the kitchen appliance fame) boasts a unique hydroponic farm, three tennis courts (lessons with head pro Rodney Ross were a fun treat), bocce court, and an expansive new spa with a fitness center and yoga pavilion. With two restaurants, cigar bar, and wine room, executive chef Daniel Le Guenan offers creative dining options, including his chef’s table. We feasted at a decadent poolside lobster barbecue one night, enjoyed fine dining at Santorini another, and even took a cooking class at lunch, learning to prepare local specialties.
And about those villas: Wow. These six expansive new beach houses boast from one to five bedrooms and range from 1,800 to 5,100 square feet. Surrounded by lush foliage, they have a full kitchen and most have an outdoor courtyard, grill, shower, and private pool (with beachside cabanas for the oceanfront ones), offering families or couples privacy and space. We liked that the iPod docking station was wired for surround sound, and noted wistfully that the indoor-outdoor flow of the villas begged to host a cocktail party – if only we’d had friends on the island to invite.
Anguilla is home to a surprising number of quality restaurants. We ventured off property one night to Blanchard’s, an island classic deserving of its status. Everything we ordered was fantastic, and their signature rum punches were the best we’ve ever tasted. We also admired Cap Juluca’s waterside Pimms, literally perched over the water. And just a few sandy steps down the beach from CuisinArt is Banky Banks, an iconic hole-in-the-wall famed for music (funky or not, the cover charge was $15 a person the night we went).
Tennis lessons, beach walks, lobster barbecues, cooking classes, spa treatments, and plenty of rum punch – we packed a lot into our three-night stay and were sad to leave. The staff was charming and personable, starting at the top with GM Stephane Zaharia. On the last day of my quick visit, several staffers hugged us goodbye – how often does that happen? It won’t be goodbye forever, though – I definitely hope to return.
Yachting Out of Your Reach? Think Again
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Uncategorized on January 22, 2010
It’s winter and, for most of us, the cold and gray of the season leads to dreams of far off destinations.
Admit it, are you bundled up in your home dreaming about sailing on a Yacht in some far off locale? If the answer is yes, then you’ll be happy to hear that now is the best time to plan a cruise.
Many cruise lines offer deals this time of year – but a Virtuoso Advisor can make the best prices of the season happen with free air, 50% off & $200 ship board credit per suite! Click here to find out more about Virtuoso’s special Seabourn offer, then contact your Virtuoso Advisor.
This offer is exclusive to clients who use travel consultants in the Virtuoso network. Don’t have a Virtuoso Advisor? Click here to find one.
Travel Veteran Sets Sail to Rediscover the World
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Uncategorized on January 20, 2010
If you think an experienced traveler would be passé about a world cruise (“been there, done that”), Virtuoso Chairman Jesse Upchurch would prove you wrong. A 50+ year veteran of the travel industry and founder of several travel companies, Upchurch has traveled the world many times over; at times calling places like Botswana and Mexico City home.
Now he’s helping Crystal and Virtuoso’s Voyager Club program celebrate their 20th anniversaries by serving as the honorary host of the Virtuoso Chairman’s Cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity – and he’s blogging about his experiences.
“I have been looking forward to this day for quite some time, and I was not disappointed,” Jesse writes about the day the Crystal Serenity left Miami for its 108-day journey around the world.
The ship will cruise the Caribbean, South America, South Africa, India, the Middle East, the Baltic region, and the Mediterranean before arriving in Southampton, England. For Jesse, it’s a chance to revisit some destinations he hasn’t seen for decades. Catch his daily experiences on his blog, and you’ll see the world from the unique perspective of a travel industry legend. Click here to follow Jesse’s voyage.