Epic in Every Way
Platinum Seminars enjoys ships and especially new ships. Sailing on the inaugural in the Deluxe Owner's Suite, Suite 17032, we have a chance to see NCL's newest baby first hand. Sitting in the hushed quiet of the private access suites only Epic Club Lounge overlooking the pool area and the entire aft end of the ship, it is easy to see why so many people clamored to be on the inaugural sailing. All suites were sold out months ago. Dining in the peaceful and beautifully appointed Epic Club dining room reminds me of the old days on the QE2 in the Queen's Grill. Service is efficient and not hurried. The food has been wonderful. Getting up early today to have a razor cut shave was a rewarding experience. The treatment lasted over 60 minutes in the stand alone Barber Shop on deck 7. It was the most amazing shave I have ever experienced. Bowling at sea, sipping drinks in the 17 degree Ice Bar, watching the brilliant Blue Man Group or enjoying Cirque Dreams, what is not to like? The only issue I had was deciding which shows to tell our Butler and Concierge to book. Sometimes too much of a good thing is wonderful. See our video postcard below.
See you at Sea!
NCL EPIC INAUGURAL VIDEO
Putting the WOW in Wow
Platinum Seminars was invited by Vicki Freed to be one of the first to experience the wonder that is the Oasis Of The Seas. The two day cruise to nowhere allowed Royal Caribbean to show off their newest baby in grand style. First off, she is really big, I mean really big. I would not recommend breaking in a new pair of Bally shoes on this ship. She has miles of interesting things to explore from sun up to well past sun down. She is very well appointed and there really is something for everyone. Being that Platinum enjoys all things luxury, we were very pleased with 150 Central Park. If Michelin starts awarding stars to cruise ships this restaurant will be first in line. We also enjoyed the new loft suites. They were very stylish and away from the hustle and bustle of the other cabins. I really enjoyed Central Park. The open air park was quite amazing. Owning one of the top luxury gardens in Atlanta, I was impressed with what Royal Caribbean has accomplished on a cruise ship. It had the feel of being in an elegant courtyard somewhere in Europe. Once it grows in it will be even more spectacular. While we are more accustomed to ships under 700 passengers, we thoroughly enjoyed the Oasis.
You may also view Royal Caribbean's official photos here.
Stay tuned for more Platinum moments.
Turkish Delight- Ritz-Carlton Style
As a child I read a lot. One of my favorites was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. At the beginning the Queen of Narnia tempts Edmund with Turkish Delight. I had never heard of Turkish Delight but it sounded divine. Edmund eventually betrayed his family and sold his soul for Turkish Delight. Years later in Istanbul I had my first taste of the fabled Turkish Delight. Nice, a little chewy, reminding me of bubble gum; hardly worth selling your family or soul out for this confection.
Recently, at the Ritz-Carlton in Istanbul, that changed. Disembarking after a Black Sea cruise on Oceania with fifty other luxury travel agents we were training, we had a 20-minute ride to go the pittance of half a mile to get there. Reaching the Ritz-Carlton, various porters and doormen greeted us by name, a sure tonic for the ride. Once in the massive marble lobby, Mr. Brown checked us in while I explored. I was taken with the amazing views of the Bosphorus and Asia across the water. A small table in the lobby held several elegant jars with copper lids stuffed with Turkish Delight. Immediately I reached in with tongs taking a small rose colored candy, about the size of a dice, and plopped it into my mouth.
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Ritz-Carlton Instanbul Lobby |
Turkish Delight served in the Ritz-Carlton Suite |
From that moment I wanted more and understood Edmund selling out his family for Turkish Delight. Unlike any confection I had ever experienced, it was supple and delicate with lingering flavors dancing on the tongue for hours (if you waited that long to try another flavor). After eating 3 or 4 pieces, we finally went to our suite.
A charming lady escorted us to our room. She opened the door and we stepped into 2,600 gorgeous, amazing, square feet (View the Suite). We stay at the Ritz-Carlton 25-30 nights each year when joining a cruise to conduct our seminars or attending trade shows. The office overlooked Europe, the talking Jacuzzi tub had Bosphorus and European views, the dining room gazed at Asia, the living room and bedroom had Bosphorus views too. In Istanbul we’ve stayed at many luxury properties but this was breathtaking. I expected staff to pop out asking if we needed anything and they did.
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Ritz-Carlton Suite Living Room |
Ritz-Carlton Bedroom |
The dining room sat 10, encouraging us to invite guests. We invited the cruise director from the Oceania Nautica, Dottie Kulasa, and her husband, comedian extraordinaire, Tom Drake. Their ship was overnighting and they said they would be delighted to put on the Ritz.
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Ritz-Carlton Suite Bathroom View |
Ritz-Carlton Dining Room |
Shopping all day at the Grand Bazaar we returned to the Ritz-Carlton Club for champagne. One glass led to two and two to… well anyway, Dottie and Tom arrived and were announced by the charming ladies of the Club. We enjoyed some delicious Meze (appetizers) in the Club and caught up.
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Grand Bazaar Instanbul, over 4000 shops |
Ritz-Carlton Istanbul Club |
Martin Kleinmann, the GM was in the Club greeting guests and made our guests feel at home. We proceeded upstairs to our suite and gave them a tour of our palace. The chef of the hotel was there to personally greet our guests and ask what they would like for dinner. We told him to decide and proceeded to enjoy the view and have some lovely California chardonnay. The coffee table was overflowing with an amazing display of various flavors of Turkish Delight. Dottie and Tom tried several pieces and were hooked. There is something about being at a Ritz-Carlton overlooking four Sultan’s palaces and enjoying the view from your own, however temporary. The Food and Beverage manager personally supervised the dinner which was beyond words. I am not certain how many bottles of wine were served but all the guests were definitely enjoying the experience. Dottie and Tom left and returned back to the ship and sailed away the next afternoon. This memory will be with all of us for a lifetime.
At the spa the next afternoon, The Laveda, our experience was equally rewarding and relaxing. The Turkish bath or hamam was a religious experience at the Ritz-Carlton but that is another story.
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Laveda Spa Hamam |
Ritz-Carlton Dining Room |
The moral to this story is that this is what you can do for your clients. When booking a cruise, please do them the favor of booking them a pre and post hotel so they may further enjoy their adventure. Most clients are loyal to one or two hotel brands. Platinum Seminars enjoys the Ritz-Carlton worldwide and the perks that go with that. Once your clients stay with a luxury brand with frequency, they are recognized and rewarded. Make sure they are using all the benefits of the credit cards they carry. AMEX offers many benefits for Centurion and Platinum members. I am told Visa and Master Card offer similar benefits to their high end clients.
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Cookies, Ritz-Carlton Style |
Stay with a brand that is loyal to your clients and to travel agents in return. You should also be experiencing luxury properties first-hand so you can more confidently recommend the properties. Your client’s memories of their trip are priceless and you as their agent are in position to continue making those special memories for a lifetime.
I still have some Turkish Delight in the fridge and it is calling me, beckoning me to sit in a quiet place and savor a memory that was 40 years in the making. After it warms to room temperature, I will take the journey to Narnia and see what other adventures and mischief I may find.
Just as Turkish Delight takes seven years for an apprentice to master making it, an agent should learn about luxury every day and make it a part of their life. Turkish Delight is only made from a few simple ingredients; sugar, cornstarch, cream of tartar and flavoring. A luxury experience contains simple ingredients as well; exceptional service, outstanding location/property, unique amenities and a reputation to deliver all of these on a consistent basis.
I look forward to seeing you in Narnia or onboard one of our cruise seminars. The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul would be a wonderful place for you to stay when you attend ASTA’s International Destination Expo in Istanbul next April. Experience it, Sell it!
Platinum Seminars trains over 2500 travel agents how to sell luxury on over 250 sail dates a year. The training is traditionally conducted onboard the cruise lines. Experience a Platinum Seminar and see how you can make your clients memories Platinum.
Platinum Goes Wild
Platinum’s Senior VP in action
Platinum Seminars just got through hosting their first Signature Luxury Series in Iceland. 20 luxury agents were wined and dined and shown the gentle and wild sides of Iceland. Bill Brown, President & CEO of Platinum Seminars & Platinum Luxury Society and Dana McPherson, Senior Vice President joined Thorunn Reynisdottir, President of Destination Europe on an Icelandic Odyssey. Thorunn is a native of Reykjavik. Nick Jaksic, Sales Manager for GTA Wholesale arranged all the events once we landed in Iceland. The agents flew from Boston or JFK courtesy of Iceland Air. Many of the agents took advantage of the exceptional business class air that was offered. Upon landing in Reykjavik, agents were transferred via luxury motor coach to the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, one of the top hotels in the capital city of Reykjavik. After a sumptuous breakfast, the adventurous agents boarded their coach for a short drive to Bolalda, a popular ATV wilderness area close to Reykjavik. The Icelandic weather, ever changing, did not disappoint. The sky was filled with rain clouds and the wind was blowing about 40 mph. The agents suited up head to toe in all weather gear including gloves, sock hat and helmet. Agents aged 40 to 80 all enjoyed the adventurous ride on the ATV’s. At one point the rain was coming at you sideways and you could barely see the trails but that did not stop the agents from enjoying this one of a kind experience. If anything, the weather that seemed to change every 5 minutes enhanced the experience. What is more fun than going 30 mph through an 18” deep mud hole and remaining dry and warm? After the first round of maneuvers, the more adventurous of the group ventured off to the wilder side of the course where jumping hills and huge 40 foot mud puddles were the norm. After a short ride back to the Hilton, agents retired to their rooms for a short rest before the evening festivities. Mother Nature, ever the trickster, keep the weather changing constantly from sunny to rainy to windy and sleeting to perfectly glorious weather. 3 seasons in 30 minutes was experienced on more than one occasion.
That evening the agents donned their finery and were whisked off to a private dining room in the heart of the old city at Lækjarbrekka restaurant. After two lovely wines were selected by Dana, the agents feasted on delicacies such as puffin and cured lamb. Puffin, if you have not experienced it, is quite unique and tasty when prepared correctly. The fish course was superb and the agents really enjoyed their first taste of Iceland. After a few shots of the local schnapps, the agents were ready for well deserved night of rest.
MONSTER Truck
The next morning after enjoying another wonderful breakfast (how many restaurants have you seen that have cod liver oil offered as a starter?) agents were greeted by the MONSTER truck, the largest transport truck in Iceland. After literally climbing aboard the truck the agents embarked on a must see tour; The Golden Circle. The sun was shining and it was just beautiful out and a crisp 55 degrees. Our guide, Garðar (officially dubbed one of the best guides I have ever had the pleasure of touring with) was funny, gracious, informative and never boring. You could tell he really enjoyed his work. After grinding through the 20 gears we were on our way. After passing many geothermal wells we passed the first hydrogen gas station in the world. Iceland is one of the most eco friendly countries in the world. The houses and buildings are all heated by geothermal hot water. We passed the continental divide where Europe and North America join. You could actually see the line on the horizon and we actually stopped at a park where we could stand on the line and also see the oldest parliament in the world. It was a beautiful setting with a lake and an amazing glacial waterfall.
Continental Divide
The air was so clear and for as far as the eye could see was natural beauty. After a leisurely walk from the drop off point to the other side of the park, we were off to see the old geysir, no not that old geysir, the ones that spew up out of the ground. I have never been to Yellowstone but they tell me she only erupts every hour or so and there are grandstands to view it. Not so in Iceland. This one erupted about every 4 minutes. You could get about 30 feet from the mouth which was impressive. See the eruption on YouTube here.
We then ventured to the majestic, dual-folding Gullfoss, the Queen of Waterfalls. It was like Niagara, Iguaçu and Victoria all rolled into one but on a smaller scale. And if you wanted to get right next to the raging rushing river there was no barrier to stop you. A couple of our agents did just that. I thought better than to tempt Mother Nature, she might have had a rough morning. It started sleeting just in time for us to board our MONSTER truck. We returned to the Geysir Park and had a lovely lunch overlooking the geysirs with a bird’s eye view of the eruptions.
The lunch included an exotic blend of local meats and fish. My favorite was the reindeer pate, Yumm!
No diving allowed
On the way back to Reykjavik we were treated to a sheep crossing. The sheep were making their annual migration from the fields back to the pasture. There were literally thousands of them and all traffic stopped for them to cross the main highway. Once we got rolling again we spotted a rainbow. Not just any rainbow, but a traveling rainbow. You see where both sides of the rainbow touched the ground. We were cruising along at bout 55 MPH and it followed us for about 7 minutes. Pretty amazing. It was one of the most vivid rainbows I have ever seen and it was not very far away either. Once we were safely delivered back to our hotel, the agents had a much needed rest after their 8 hour journey. Agents were free to explore the city on their own that night.
The next day we were scheduled to go on a whale watching cruise but the weather did not permit it and I think the whales had gone to St. Barts for sushi anyway. Agents spent the day shopping and taking in the sites of Reykjavik. That evening we were whisked away to the uber-chic Hotel Borg. We were greeted with a champagne toast in their gorgeous restaurant; Silfur. The restaurant had prepared all sorts of tasty nibbley things like foie gras, sushi and several other treats. The agents were given a tour of this wonderful deco hotel before then traveling a short distance to Kaffi Reykjavik. The agents were then secreted away to the Ice Bar. After putting on the provided parkas, agents enjoyed a cold drink inside the ice bar. It was really a unique experience but man was it ever freezing. It was also really hard to shoot pictures in the ice bar due to the reflection on the ice and the ligting was very dim. After experiencing the ice bar the agents enjoyed a traditional Icelandic feast of whale, puffin, lamb and various fresh fish.
VP on the rocks
Nick and his cool friends
The agents chillin’
Thorunn Reynisdottir, Bill Brown, Dana McPherson
The party did not stop there. Thorunn Reynisdottir took several of us to a local nightclub. There was a really good cover band and the crowd was interesting. It was a very elegant bar but we happened to be there on Trucker night. Now just because we rode in a MONSTER truck does not a trucker make. It was a lot of fun and the ones who went enjoyed it. Party like an Icelander! There are no pictures of that merriment. The censors would block us. J
The next morning was time to leave, but not before visiting the world renowned Blue Lagoon. After arriving and slipping into something more comfortable, the agents enjoyed the soothing warm waters of the lagoon where it is traditional to get the white clay and put on a mud mask. Talk about a bunch of pale faces. The Blue Lagoon was actually started by accident. They drilled a geothermal well and they thought the water would just drain back into the earth once the heat was exchanged. Well the water had other plans and formed a small lagoon and the rest is history as they say. The medicinal healing properties of the water have hordes of visitors coming from all over the world to partake in this ritual. There is an excellent spa onsite as well.
After spending a few relaxing hours it was time to jet back to the real world and once again Iceland Air delivered beautiful service. þakka þú or thank you in Icelandic.
  
We would like to thank Thorunn Reynisdottir of Destination Europe and Nick Jaksic of GTA Wholesale for making this all possible. Stay tuned for the next Signature Luxury Series by tuning into
www.platinumseminars.com
The Art of River Cruising
Bill Brown ECCS PLSI President & CEO Platinum Seminars
Several years ago while shopping in Amsterdam, I ran across a wonderfully colorful artwork by Dutch born painter Walter Van Oel. The piece had just finished a run in a local high-end gallery and the owner had purchased it to turn it fast. We made a deal and the artwork now hangs in my home.
Last year at CLIA’s Cruise3sixty, during a conversation with Rudy Schreiner and Kristin Karst, owners of Amadeus Waterways, the subject of their new ship, the MS Amadagio, came up. They were so proud of it and especially of a new piece of art that hangs in the reception area of the ship. We were busy taking care of business and the artist who created the piece was never mentioned.
But, recently I sailed on the Amadeus Tulip Time cruise and saw firsthand the artwork Rudy and Kristin talked about. To my delight, hanging behind the reception area was a piece by Walter Van Oel! Great art and cruising minds work together!
But as fun and interesting as it is to know that the ship’s owners and I share the same taste in art, I was soon to be reminded that not all art is the end product of brush strokes. Art is defined as the human skill of expression and the forms that expression takes on during a river cruise can be simply amazing.
The MS Amadiago is in itself an artwork. Like brush strokes on canvas affect the final image, the dining experiences, exceptional service and accommodations paint a picture of a ship perfect for the affluent market. The ship was built in Holland by the best ship builders and offers the luxury of more cruise space than any other ship in Europe.
And like any luxury product, almost everything is included in the cost including bicycles for touring on own and escorted walking tours to most cities it passes. And, I found that it’s particularly through the cycling and walking tours that art takes on life.
For example, during my visit to Keukenhof Gardens, I thought of the inspiring words of acclaimed artist Marc Chagall. He said, “Art picks up where nature ends.” The designer showcase of over 7,000,000 tulip bulbs from the fields of the best Dutch growers were in full bloom and here the artist is nature, and the finished product is a heavenly delight of color bursts and designs.
One can find art anywhere on a river cruise but most impressive was in Antwerp at the De Kathedraal with its collection of more Rubens than I’ve ever seen in one place. For an art lover, it is an experience of a lifetime!
And, of course, we can’t overlook the art within the presentation of culinary delights like rare white asparagus from Mechelen prepared in the style of French chef Alain Chapel and served at the Michelin three-star restaurant De Karmeliet in Bruges. It is a tempting delicacy and a visual feast.
Back onboard, the panoramic views as you cruise past villages and cities are sometimes awesome, often quaint, and always interesting. You find art in architecture, plantings, and even the colorful characters that populate the streets.
During the river boat cruise I came to understand my fascination with the paintings of Walter van Oel. He is an artist who literally wears his colors as he creates his canvasses while brushing, throwing, and dripping paint. In other words, he immerses himself in the experience. The results are unusual and extraordinary.
For those of us who love luxury and cruising, river boats hold the perfect palate from which to paint a masterpiece in experiential travel, and like fine art, the memory of the experiences will last forever.
Platinum Luxury Society (PLS) is conducting the first survey of its membership. Please take a few minutes to give us your opinion about cruise ships that are preferred partners with Platinum Seminars.
The Platinum Luxury Society Cruise Line Survey 2010 |