The crew are an integral part of the success of any luxury yacht charter, and in this review of luxury catamaran OCEAN VIEW we show one such example where three exceptional individuals turn a fantastic holiday into an unforgettable experience in the French Polynesia
Aboard luxury catamaran Ocean View
The popularity of luxury catamarans within the international charter market is undisputed, offering as they do excellent stability, a large beam that translates into a spacious social environment, excellent family-oriented amenities with a variety of water toys and environmentally friendly credentials by using wind power.
Following her adventures in French Polynesia, S/Y OCEAN VIEW is now heading to the Caribbean & Bahamas where she will be available to charter this Winter 2019/20. Here’s why you should consider this impressive value-for-money choice for your next sailing holiday.
About Ocean View
Built by Lagoon in 2014, refitted in 2016 and carefully maintained over the years, 18.9m/62ft OCEAN VIEW can accommodate up to six guests in three large cabins for a relaxing holiday with a group of friends or an extended family.
Luxury catamaran OCEAN VIEW in Bora Bora
As a 620 model, S/Y OCEAN VIEW is currently one of the largest vessels in the fleet and is dynamically designed for modern living on the water. A range of interior layouts was created for the LAGOON 620, adapting to a number of guests onboard and the Owners’ desired activities. With naval architecture from Van Peteghem and Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) in association with the Lagoon R&D department, and interiors from Nauta Design, she represents state-of-the-art design and top quality living areas.
Onboard there is an excellent collection of water toys that allows guests to truly explore their destination above and below the water, and the collection includes:
- Highfield 460, 70 HP
- 2 x Seabob F5s
- 10 x Kite surfing sets
- 2 x paddleboard
- 8 x snorkelling
- water skis (for kids & adults)
- wakeboard (for adults)
- towable toys
- fishing gear
- diving compressor and diving equipment for 2 people
- onboard yoga instructor
What’s more, guests can keep up a fitness regime on board with a yoga instructor among the crew.
Fun in the water – Luxury catamaran Ocean View
When it comes to windless days, guests can still cruise to the next destination using a pair of Volvo Penta 150 HP engines, which give a top speed of 12 knots.
The interiors
Styled by Nauta Design, S/Y OCEAN VIEW has a contemporary beach club feel perfect for laid-back social gatherings.
The large and well-equipped galley is placed in one of the hulls, leaving plenty of room in the centre of the yacht for rest and relaxation as a group. Large windows surround the lounge for plenty of natural light and impressive views of the location. After dark, the ceiling spotlights are concentrated around the seating areas, ensuring that the group receives the maximum benefit.
Cockpit in the evening
L-shaped sofas are placed to port and starboard, the former also having a padded coffee table/footstool for more languid moments, while the other area has two tables that fold out and convert to become on the large indoor dining area. A widescreen TV is placed in the forward port corner to entertain during transit and at the end of a busy day.
The accommodation is also placed in the hulls and consists of a Master suite with its own lounge area, plus two double cabins and all have en-suite bathrooms.
Ocean View – Accommodation
The exteriors
With only six guests on board there is plenty of room to spread out for some quiet time or entertainment – the forward trampolines are popular with children of all ages and make a great place to sunbathe while listening to the lull of the waves.
The aft main deck is easily accessible and will be a prime area for gathering the family outdoors, where there is a large alfresco dining table and raised sunbeds on both sides, plus a large sofa/sunbed along the stern.
exterior deck areas in the evening
The water is easily accessible by steps leading down both hulls, which together with the shallow draft of 1.55m/5.1ft allows guests to anchor close to the best beaches and reach land simply by swimming.
The flybridge is accessed via a stairway to port from the main deck aft and the space above provides ample alfresco dining and lounging space beneath a canvas rooftop, with an additional sunbed for guests to unwind while enjoying the elevated view.
The crew
Captain Maciej, Chef Krystyna and Deckhand Marek make up the OCEAN VIEW crew and this professional trio are hard to beat in terms of warmth and service. Experienced charter guests who stepped on board in French Polynesia in August 2019 share their adventure and how it made OCEAN VIEW a prime pick for future holidays on the water.
“The crew, all beautifully presented, greeted us with warm smiles, a glass of champagne for the ladies, cold beers for the gents and fresh coconuts for the kids….along with a platter of beautifully presented hor d’oeuvres.”
– Charter guests, French Polynesia, July 2019
Persian eggplant
Professional chef Krystyna instantly impresses with her beautiful presentations and broad knowledge of different cuisines and diets: From baking bread to homemade sauces and pasta, she prefers to create everything fresh from scratch and the difference in taste is immediately apparent.
“Krystyna the chef, rivals the best of any we’ve come across in over 15 years in the yachting industry. We were immediately sold on Krystyna’s philosophy on food – fresh, nutritious and tasty meals. Krystyna delivered day after day – always with something new, creative and bursting with flavour.”
Fresh seafood
Whether those on board have a desire for salads or something heavier to indulge a sweet tooth, mealtimes will be eagerly anticipated every day by children and adults alike. Her extensive experience and skill means that almost any request can be completed quickly and to great satisfaction using the ingredients are on board.
Special occasion cake
Captain Maciej – also known as Matt – is knowledgeable and competent in his role and more than happy to discuss itinerary options, provide suggestions and to include and involve the children:
“… [He] really [got] down on their level. By the end of the week, he and our 4 year old son had created an entire army of ‘Lego alien robots’. Some of the dress-up creations they came up with out of paper, pens and sticky-tape were also hilarious and mighty impressive!”
Having fun aboard luxury catamaran Ocean View
Deckhand Marek is tireless in his duties and works from early morning through to late in the evening, keeping his happy, easy-going demeanour throughout. His passions for travel writing and photography go in perfect tandem with his work, and as such guests may learn a thing or two about the destination and how to best capture it on camera.
“When we swam out the back, [Captain Maciej would] always throw out the life buoy attached to the boat for extra support and either he or Marek, were always watching us…just in case the kids got into trouble. I could go on and on but will simply summarize by saying Maciej and Krystyna are a dynamic couple who really excel in what they’re doing. The food and service on OCEAN VIEW rival any good superyacht, but in a far more intimate environment.”
French Polynesia
This tranquil destination out in the South Pacific is a popular retreat for health-focused individuals who want time to themselves and on living in the moment, away from modern pressures: There is little shopping to be done on land but plenty of natural wonders and your main focus will be on quality time doing activities with your group in the crystal clear seas.
Yacht charter holidays in Bora Bora
The gentle incline from the beaches into the sea make this a fantastic destination for families with young individuals learning to paddle or swim. The snorkelling and Scuba diving is amazing and the group will be spoiled for choice for sites replete with colourful critters of all shapes and sizes. Best of all, you are likely to have it all to yourselves day or night, giving you the freedom to choose where to go and what to do in the sunshine or under the stars.
The Bahamas
Luxury catamaran OCEAN VIEW is now heading to the Bahamas for Winter 2019 and now is an excellent time to book ahead and secure dates for the busy festive season: Spend Christmas Day on one of the whimsical pink sand beaches such as Harbour Island and savour freshly prepared meals in remote locations covered in swaying palm trees.
OCEAN VIEW – Stern
The islands offer a fantastic selection of Scuba diving and snorkelling sites where vibrant coral reefs can be found just metres below the surface. Turtles, rays and reef sharks can all be encountered within this region for a stunning and memorable underwater experience visitors will want to return to in years to come.
For those who like a thriving social scene, Nassau and in particular Paradise Island have a choice selection of casinos, golf clubs and boutique shops for a satisfying day on land.
