Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 11, 1990 TAG: 9003112837
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By STEPHEN WILLIAMS NEWSDAY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Imagine that the five masts of the sailing ship are skinny Eiffel Towers; that the elegant shipboard restaurant is simply a branch of Maxim's; that the little round table on the Foca deck where you are sipping cappuccino is the Cafe de la Paix.
The Seine is not around the next block; instead the shimmering turquoise of the Caribbean Sea flows to the horizon - but you can pretend.
This dreamy sailing ship, called the Club Med 1, is a new twist on travel from the people who originated the concept of the all-in-one packaged vacation and "carefree lifestyle" was the operative philosophy.
Before too much fantasizing, though, let's explain what the Club Med 1, as of now, is not: It isn't a floating Club Med.
The idea that this sleek, modern, $100 million vessel might become some waterlogged singles bar rankles the marketing minds of the creative staff who funded and built it and who see Club Med 1 as an "upscale cruise product." At minimum rates of about $2,500 for each half of a couple on a seven-day cruise, Club Med 1 is not a spur-of-the-moment option for college kids seeking a quick vacation fix.
"We are not a village on the water," said Jackie Amzallag, marketing director for the ship, and it's clear that his organization is trying to reform the sticky image - among many Americans, at least - that Club Med is only about surf, sand, sun and sex, not necessarily in that order.
The Club Med 1 is a blend: of romance and technology (its magnificent sails are computer-driven); of land and sea - seven ports in seven days - and it is a whirlwind tour that still leaves time for moments of exquisite relaxation . . . like watching the sun set pink over a Caribbean volcano while the trade winds rock the ship just enough to make the ice in your cocktail clink ever so gently.
Most of all, the ship is a mix of cultures: mainly French, some French-Canadians, a sprinkling of Germans and Americans and Italians on the maiden voyage earlier this month, which departed from and returned to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
No Love Boat here. No wet T-shirt contests on the Club Med 1. No chicken-wing, Swedish meatball buffets at midnight, no rum-punch parties, no afternoon disco dances, no Simon Says by the pool.
The marketing folks at Club Mediterranee may bill their resorts as "antidotes to civilization," but this 600-foot-long vessel is civility defined. A rather nouvelle French cuisine was consistently fine throughout the week. The pricey boutique sold only the finest items from Guerlain and St. Laurent, Dunhills from England, and Smarties - those wonderful continental M&Ms - from West Germany. The decor and colors of Club Med 1 are tastefully unobtrusive, the deck chairs soft leather, the splinterless decks smooth, polished teak - from Burma, no less.
The ship's 191 staterooms aren't quite suites (there are six suites) but are far from claustrophobic, with space to roam between the beds and the smartly designed shower rooms, with two closets, plenty of drawer and shelf space, a mini-bar-refrigerator, a private safe, two shower heads (one can be hand-held), a swiveling TV that receives video Club Med brochures or the movie of the day.
Unless you speak French beyond "s'il vous plait" and "RSVP," there could be a problem. On the Club Med 1, the language was definitely French. Announcements were made in French. Excuses (like when the excursion to St. Martin was canceled) were in French. The jokes and patter during the nightly cabaret shows by the ship's effervescent staff were mostly in French, with some Italian punch lines. The majority usually rules at the dinner table, so the conversation was usually in French.
Even with the ship's sails down, the sight of it, on first arrival in Guadeloupe, was thrilling. As darkness fell, a string of bulbs illuminated the white spars.
Staff members swirled around the reception desks as guests sipped juice drinks, checked their passports and were shown to their rooms, their fruit baskets, their terry robes (for "use during the cruise") and their splits of Mumm's Champagne.
The ship was marvelously new and uncrowded (more than 100 passengers from France arrived after midnight, delaying the ship's departure from Guadeloupe by more than three hours). In the fitness salon, the weight machines were gleaming white enamel, the pine in the sauna was fresh and clean, the virgin velvet of the casino's blackjack tables was soft and the large saltwater swimming pools were tempting.
At the rear of the ship was the Hall Nautique, a retractable platform that dips down nearly to the water when the ship is at rest. Water sports are an integral part of the Club Med program and an important part of the cruise agenda. Waterskiing, windsurfing and snorkeling were conducted off the Club Med 1's stern.
On the maiden cruise, I expected VIPs: bigwigs from the club and the organization that built the ship over two years in France.
Indeed, there were dozens of invited guests along with paying passengers like me, and many of them seemed shy.
What helped to break the ice was the ship's policy, or non-policy, of no formal sittings and no table reservations at its two restaurants, Le Louisiane and the Odyssey. Passengers are seated where space is available, so one night I sat with the bar steward, another night with one of the officers and his wife, another night with three brothers from Los Angeles.
Action central during daylight hours was usually by the pool at the rear of the E deck. The deck here was fat and wide, a perfect spot for railbirds to watch the world pass by.
Pacing is what keeps a cruise vibrant and fun, and the daytime itineraries for the Club Med 1 made the journey a virtual Caribbean sampler. Seven nights, seven ports: from the home port of Guadeloupe to the sleepy, mountainous islands called Les Saintes (a substitution for Antigua, where, we were told, the authorities were unhappy about the prospect of Club Med passengers windsurfing instead of shopping in St. John's), then to St. Maarten, Virgin Gorda, San Juan, St. Thomas and the lush beauty of St. Barthelemy.
The major evening event was the patented Club Med cabaret in the Calypso lounge, although a dedicated group of gamblers each night made a beeline for the casino's two blackjack tables or to the roulette table, where the game was American roulette (a zero and double-zero on the wheel). The casino was a concession, run by an Austrian company, with a staff that was truly international: four women, from Scotland, Italy, America and England.
The shows were a series of hour-long adventures, usually focused on some kind of theme. The theme of the last show was being on a cruise ship. This was not Vegas; the closest Club Med 1 got to a "name act" was a pleasant singer named Amar.
by CNB