“You’ll know which boat it is – it’s the biggest one in the harbour” we told the taxi driver as we drove slowly along the water’s edge. After a while we were greeted by the gleaming white Amore Mio, a 45-metre superyacht made by Heesen, with the crew waiting to welcome us on-board.
Our weekend on Amore Mio was going to give us a brief glimpse into the superyacht owner’s lifestyle, one of the most extravagant, luxurious, and costly ways to holiday.
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It started with a tour of the elegant vessel, which features a large deck for early-morning yoga sessions, huge outside grill, space for ten guests, an inflatable water slide, and an armada of “toys” which included 2 350bhp jet skis, 4 Seabobs and 2 Flyboards.
After touring around the beautiful island of Malta, playing with all of the toys, and eating the most amazing freshly-cooked food on-board, it’s easy to see the appeal of this type of holiday. It gives an unlimited sense of freedom and privacy, a quiet escape from busy tourist destinations and restaurants.
If you spend all day staring at the Côte d'Azur on your desktop background, there are a few ways to get a taste of the superyacht lifestyle, such as chartering or shared ownership. It’s still not cheap, but we’re not exaggerating when we say it’s one of the best experiences money can buy.
Here are six reasons superyachts are the ultimate holiday:
1. Freedom and flexibility
When you're the owner (or charterer) of a yacht, you can decide where you go, when you want to go, and what you want to do when you get there (as long as the captain says its possible).
Every dream you've had about exploring the coast of deserted islands in the Caribbean or diving into the Cote d'Azur can become a reality.
Your captain and crew will completely personalise your itinerary to what you want, meaning you can relax while all the logistics are handled for you.
If you're not sure what you want to do, you can rely on the captain and crew's local knowledge to ensure you have a great time, whether that's at a local bar, secluded bay, or a empty beach with white sands.
2. The toys on-board
Another reason superyachts are so great is the number of 'toys' on board. These can range from seadoos to inflatable slides.
Amore Mio had a mahogany Boesch tender, 2 350bhp Seadoos, fleet of seabobs, an inflatable slide, see-through kayaks, and the pièce de résistance, a flyboard (pictured above).
That's just a small selection of what's available, you can get inflatable assault courses, stand up paddle boards, floating trampolines, and, for the ultimate James Bond experience, mini submarines.
In fact, on Amore Mio its part of the Captain's job to surprise the owner with new, exciting play things every season.
3. The food
On a superyacht you'll be dining on the very best local ingredients, presented to perfection (we can speak from experience here). Superyacht chefs are masters of their trade and will customise the menu to your tastes.
You'll be able to choose between fine dining, or maybe something a little more informal (Amore Mio had the most spectacular stainless steel barbecue on-board). Had enough seafood? The chef will rustle up some lamb. It's all tailored around you.
Of course, the food is just the start of it, becasue you can also expect immaculate service as part of your stay.
The attentive crew are always on hand, day and night, catering to your every need whilst also being as unobtrusive as possible.
4. The solitude and privacy
Whether you want to escape the hustle and bustle typical of a typical holiday or are looking for private time with your friends and family (away from the paparazzi).
A superyacht delivers unrivalled privacy in world where such a thing is increasingly hard to come by.
Sail out into the middle of the ocean, and spend days on end without seeing anyone else.
5. The ultimate luxury
If you're looking for the ultimate holiday, a superyacht is the hotel, the destination, the restaurant and the activities all combined into a single, spectacular entity.
Heesen spends thousands of man hours designing and crafting the perfect yacht, maximising comfort and performance, so you're spending your holiday on a floating 5-star hotel. Its exterior and interior design is perfect, the entertainment system is state of the art, there's artwork hung on all the walls, and everything is immaculate.
Thanks to Heesen for inviting us on-board!
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