PINNACLE OF SUCCESS
Pinnacle Of Success - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Pinnacle Of Success | |||||
| By: Andrew Conway, Issue 28 – Spring 2006 | |||||
| (ms Statendam - Holland America Line) | |||||
| HOLLAND AMERICA LINE’S STATELY MS STATENDAM WILL CHART AN EXCITING NEW COURSE FOR AUSTRALIA IN ITS SUMMER SEASON. | |||||
| You know you are dining somewhere special when the plates are hallmarked Bvlgari, the glasses are Reidel, the crisp white linen is Frette, and the Sterling Silver beef all but melts in the mouth. Could this be a top restaurant in London, New York, Hong Kong or Paris? Think again. The Pinnacle Grill, this city-style, reservations-only dining room is actually on board a luxury superliner – Holland America Line’s stately ms Statendam – which at this moment is several nautical miles off the coast of Victoria and sailing full steam ahead to Sydney. The sea is calm, the red wine is flowing, the lights are dimmed, and the only difficult decision is whether to throw caution to the balmy sea breeze and order the trio of chocolate crème brule for dessert. Or not. The crème brule wins out. The stylish and glamorous Pinnacle Grill restaurant is part of Holland America Line’s bold new Signature of Excellence, a US$225-million-dollar investment program across the entire fleet which aims to ‘redefine the premium cruise experience’ and offer its passengers a much higher level of comfort, service and facilities. The Statendam is the first of the Holland America Line (HAL) fleet to adopt the major improvements, just in time for its latest Summer season in the waters of Australia and New Zealand. And following a highly successful schedule of sailings between Sydney and Auckland between late last year and early this year, the popular liner will be back for an encore season, starting on October 27 and running through to the end of February, 2007. The Signature of Excellence cuts across a range of public areas, a great improvement to the ship’s original 1993 design. Arguably the best innovation is the Explorations Café – powered by The New York Times – a Euro-style café and library serving a range of coffees where you can browse the world’s newspapers, read books, enjoy terrific audio and cable TV networks, view New York Times photo archives, or surf the net. Foodies will love the all-new Culinary Arts Centre in the Wajang Theatre, where a program of world-class chefs offer gourmet demonstrations, tasting events and intimate cooking classes, many coinciding with the ship’s exotic ports of call, plus wine tastings at the very stylish wine bar next to the theatre. If you’re cruising with kids – as many parents do these days – the Signature of Excellence program even extends to them, with major improvements to Club HAL, a fantastic Oasis outdoor playground tucked away at the very top and back of the liner, and The Loft, the perfect teens-only hangout with music, interactive games, and big-screen TV. And if all you want to do is pamper yourself, the new Greenhouse Spa and Salon, a vast beauty, health and fitness centre adjoining the ship’s indoor-outdoor Lido pool and spa area (pictured bottom right), will have you in relaxed holiday mode in an instant. At 55,000-tons, and holding 1,250 passengers and 560 very attentive crew, the 10-deck Statendam is considered a mid-sized ship, but the clever layout and design is such that you move from one public area to another with surprising ease while dipping in and out of an extensive program of activities. On the downside, the standard inside and outside staterooms are disappointing by today’s cruise standards – the Signature of Excellence program hasn’t extended to a brighter décor and the bathrooms look tired – but major improvements have been made in supremely comfortable Euro-Top mattresses and fine cotton bed linen, flat-screen TV and DVD/CD players, and a cute HAL tote bag for shopping or going to the beach or pool. This is definitely one instance where paying the additional tariff and upgrading to a much larger Verandah Suite with your own private balcony and other added extras is well worth the investment. As with all HAL ships, dining is a highlight on Statendam whether you opt for the Pinnacle Grill (a nominal US$20 a person cover charge applies and reservations are required), the grand two-level Rotterdam Dining Room, or casual Lido Restaurant, the food, wine selection and service are something to look forward to. The passenger mix is largely American- European (more Australian during the Summer season) comprising an older and very loyal HAL clientele, but Statendam has a breezy, informal, fun and relaxing atmosphere that is very engaging. And what better way to explore New Zealand’s magnificent coastline and cross the Tasman than in the comfort of a luxury liner? An excellent adventure indeed. | |||||
| Details: | |||||
| ms Statendam: www.traveltheworld.com.au | |||||
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