Getting there is half the fun

June 6th, 2007

Luxurious homes come in all shapes and sizes. One of my favorite styles is the sort which rocks you to sleep at night and can magically transport you to exotic locales.

Of course, I’m speaking of yachts and cruise ships. These two categories have much in common, and much to set them apart.

First things first — the yachts. Jill Bobrow, editor of ShowBoats International magazine, recently wrote about how “viewers (and voyeurs) [of 100-plus-foot yachts] are captivated on the one hand and repelled on the other.” She used the words of Heart of Darkness author Joseph Conrad to describe the phenomenon: “fascination of the abomination.”

Whether viewer or a voyeur, the fascination is undeniable. My theory is that yacht design, by necessity, demands the use of graceful curves which strike a chord within all of us. Apply that curve to a fantabulous 150-foot floating palace, and we can’t help but stare (which makes us all voyeurs, I’m afraid).

If mega-yachts are palaces, cruise ships are the Magic Kingdom. Plenty of other commentators attempt the near-impossible task of attempting to capture the essence of these colossal cities on the seas – so I’ll leave that task to them. My focus is much narrower.

Without a doubt, cruise ships are incredible. And every year, they get bigger, more luxurious and more feature-laden. With so much to focus upon, how to choose? In keeping with this website’s devotion to luxury homes, and luxurious homes-away-from-home, naturally my focus is upon the staterooms. Not the lower level interior rooms. Not the mid-level outside rooms with a porthole. But the best of the best, the crème de la crème, ultra-first-class accommodations.

So if this is the sort of thing which “floats your boat,” you’ve come to the right place.

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