Exclusively Yours Travel
by Elizabeth Hansen

We travel for lots of reasons — and usually meeting new people is one of them. However, there are times when this isn’t the case.

My friend Jack thought it would be fun to share his 75th birthday with family and friends, so he invited them to join him on a cruise in the Mediterranean — and he chartered the whole ship. This alternative provided privacy for his party and set the stage for an event that few of us will ever forget.

“Alone together” is also a good policy when planning a family reunion. Mixing multi-generations of far-flung relatives is sufficiently challenging without having to deal with the presence of total strangers.

So what are the alternatives for assuring privacy without sacrificing luxury? Happily, they are many. Read on.

Jack and his family chose a seven-day Seabourn cruise because they were familiar with the ships and confident that the suites and service would be top notch. Size is the other factor that makes Seabourn a good choice for chartering. The line’s Pride, Spirit, and Legend — each offer 104 staterooms for a maximum guest complement of 208.

When a ship is chartered, the host can customize the itinerary and plan special shore excursions and onboard programs. All Seabourn cruises include open bar, open seating at meals, ocean view suites, and freedom from tipping, but in the case of a charter, special theme nights, menus, and entertainment can also be arranged.

For instance, one of the Seabourn ships has been chartered for a week this summer by someone who’s celebrating his 60th birthday and his just-achieved Ph.D. in Italian. His guests will be family members, favorite professors, and former classmates. And the itinerary? Italian ports, of course. What his friends don’t know is that he’s arranged a shore excursion to the beautiful Hotel San Pietro in Positano where they will enjoy an exclusive Rod Stewart concert. (More costly, by the way, than the week’s charter of the ship.)

Security is another plus of chartering. High-profile folks like the controlled environment where everyone boarding can be carefully screened. Given this fact, it’s not surprising that cruise ships are becoming increasingly popular venues for weddings.

If you like the idea of a shipboard celebration or family reunion, but would prefer a more intimate setting closer to home, American Safari Cruises (ASC) has three yachts available for charter. Safari Quest accommodates 22 guests, and Safari Spirit and Safari Escape each offer six staterooms for up to 12 passengers.

These elegantly appointed yachts cruise the Sea of Cortés from December to April and travel the Alaskan coast from May to September. They also offer excursions in the Pacific Northwest (including Washington’s San Juan Islands) on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and through the California wine country.

Because of their size, itineraries are flexible and guests have access to ports that have never seen a cruise ship. In Alaska, for instance, the Safari Quest anchors in a dramatic fiord one night and in a remote fishing village the next. Secluded coves can be explored by kayak or inflatable launch. Guided forest walks, whale watching, and the chance to visit with local residents are other popular aspects of these exclusive yacht adventures.

The attentive staff, excellent meals, and upscale facilities of Safari Quest have attracted Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and William Randolph Hearst III, who cruised the Alaskan coast and waterways with their families. Chuck Norris is another former guest. The Young Presidents Organization (YPO) has chartered the yachts on three occasions.

These folks, like other guests, have all requested special meals, itineraries, and services — one of the most memorable being the group of seven bankers who chartered the Safari Quest in Alaska a few years ago. When they learned that the yacht’s remote location precluded TV reception of a pro football game they wanted to watch, ASC arranged for a float plane to pick them up and fly them to a B&B near Glacier Bay National Park. Here, the bankers enjoyed refreshments and watched the game on a big screen while the plane waited and then flew them all back to the yacht.

Then there was the guest who had a habit of shaving while singing along with Italian arias. He wondered if it was possible to pipe his favorite opera music into his stateroom at a certain time each morning. It was, and they did.

So you like the idea of an exclusive excursion, but you’re not keen on boats? How about hiring the most beautiful private railcar in North America? Last summer husband Richard and I traveled across Montana in the Bella Vista, a fully restored 1956 dome car owned by Rail Ventures, Inc. We slept in a comfortable queen-size bed and spent the day admiring glorious scenery through the curved-glass windows of the vista dome. The traditional feel here — created by polished teak woodwork, mahogany tables, brass fittings, and seats covered in rich upholstery — transported us to another, grander era.

How do I know that the Bella Vista is the most beautiful? Because our itinerary overlapped with that of AAPRO — the American Association of Private Railcar Owners — and I had an opportunity to tour the best of the best. It didn’t take long to conclude that none was restored to the impeccable standard of the Bella Vista (and only the BV offers ensuite bathrooms and all lower beds — no bunks).

This five-star railcar can be attached to any Amtrak train in the U.S. or any Via Rail train in Canada, providing a private and luxurious setting for a family reunion or special celebration. Gourmet meals and an open bar are included in the cost of chartering, as are a chef and porter to look after guests’ needs.

In fact, we were so well looked after on the Bella Vista that I started to feel like royalty. When Chef Seth learned I liked Twinings Earl Grey, he jumped off the train in the next town and bought a tin. He also prepared memorable meals — huge grilled prawns with fresh asparagus, medallions of elk with a currant
demi-glaze, Idaho red trout served with Columbia-Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay — and all artistically presented.

For his part, dear Elton — the porter — waited on us night and day, ran DVDs on the flat screen in the dome car after dinner, and welcomed us back to the train with huckleberry champagne every time we went for a walk.

For larger parties, a second private railcar can be attached. The Yerba Buena also sleeps eight — in a combination of upper and lower beds. This provided just enough space for Steve Straun, CEO of Straun Explorations in Denver. For the last two summers, he’s flown his extended family of 16 to Sandpoint, Idaho by private jet, then boarded the train for the two-day trip to Livingston, Montana. Along the way, three generations enjoy each other and the 360-degree view of majestic scenery from the vista dome.

Another client leased the cars to take a group of sports fans to the Super Bowl, but what I think would really be fun would be to gather friends and take the train up the coast to San Francisco. In addition to providing transport, the railcars can serve as a hotel at destination.

But what if you don’t want your party to be a movable feast? Hotels are never quite right for hosting special occasions and even resorts are sometimes a little awkward. What’s best is to invite nearest and dearest to your home — or maybe one of the 200-plus homes you have access to as a member of Exclusive Resorts.

This private club is causing owners of multiple homes to re-think their options. Why tie up capital in two or three houses and endure the hassle involved with managing them when, as a member of Exclusive Resorts, you could choose from a menu of luxury residences around the world every time you want to travel?

I haven’t seen all 200-plus homes, but I have toured one of the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath residences in Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York. This impressive home-away-from-home enjoys a view of Central Park and offers tasteful furnishings, a state-of-the-art stereo and flat-screen TV, access to the hotel’s spa and fitness facilities, and room service from Nougatine — Jean-Georges’ hip eatery on the lobby level. The concierge can stock the kitchen or guests can make their own choices from Whole Foods just steps away on Columbus Circle. For non-members, the published rate for this suite life is $1,725 a night.

I’ve also visited the Exclusive Resorts’ villa at Montage, the spectacular oceanfront resort that opened in Laguna Beach two years ago. This home is one of 14 adjacent to the hotel with its beach access, three restaurants, full-service spa, fitness center and lap pool, attractive shops, and fully-furnished cabanas next to a picturesque mosaic-bottom pool.

In fact, my visit to the villa unexpectedly overlapped with the arrival of members Dr. Jim Lee and Wolfgang Möckel, and I was happy to have a chance to chat with them while they decorated the residence for the next day’s Christmas party.

Like — I suspect — many members, Lee and Möckel were first attracted to Exclusive Resorts because it provides cost-effective access to The World — the floating community of 165 luxurious apartments (www.aboardtheworld.com). While some residences on this ship can be rented, most are owner-occupied, so the fact that Exclusive Resorts owns five was a big plus.

“We’ve planned all our trips for the next two years,” Lee told me, and then he rattled off a list that included Snowmass, New York, three voyages on The World, Puerto Vallarta, and Chamonix.

“The house in France is five bedrooms,” Möckel interjected, “but we won’t have trouble finding friends to join us.”

Having a place large enough for friends and family is a big selling point for this private residence club. Most homes have four bedrooms, which accommodate multi-generation family travel and special occasion celebrations. Another big plus: a concierge to provide turnkey convenience and facilitate members’ stays. In the case of the Montage, Mary Jo Goodman helped organize the party and coordinate catering from the resort.

Like the staff on the Seabourn ships, the crew of Safari Quest, Safari Spirit, and Safari Escape, and the chef and porter on the Bella Vista, the concierge of the villa at Montage makes it possible for guests to spend maximum time with the people they know and love the most.

I can’t think of a better reason for traveling.

The details:
Chartering a Seabourn ship saves about 50 percent off the published per-person rate. The all-inclusive cost for the whole ship ranges from $75,000 to $95,000 a day. Group rates for up to 40 suites are also available. 800/929-9391 or www.seabourn.com.

An all-inclusive charter of the Safari Quest in Alaska costs about $95,000-$126,000 a week. The 12-passenger Safari Escape and Safari Spirit cost from $52,000 to $78,000. Private air travel can be arranged to your point of embarkation. 888/862-8881 or www.amsafari.com.

Full railcar charter runs about $5,000 a day for a group of eight. This includes limousine transfers to and from the train, two onboard staff, and all meals and beverages. 888/533-7245 or www.railventures.com.

Members of Exclusive Resorts pay an initial deposit of $375,000 (80 percent is refundable) and annual dues of $15,000-$25,000 (for 30-60 stay-days a year). Access is guaranteed anywhere, anytime to the entire portfolio of homes (worth an average $2.5 million each) with 90-day advance notice. Guests may stay one night or up to two consecutive weeks. 800/447-8988 or www.exclusiveresorts.com.

Elizabeth Hansen is the travel editor of Ranch & Coast. She loves planning and attending get-togethers with her large, extended family. When not traveling, she and photographer husband Richard Adams are at home in La Jolla.