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There are any number of ships that offer luxury cruises. Butonly one, the MS Europa, received the Five-Star Plus ratingin the 2008 Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise

Shipsand also received a Six-Star Diamond Award from the

American Academy of Hospitality Science.The level of service is one reason for such ratings. The shipclaims the highest staff-to-passenger ratio in the industry, with280 staff members for 400 guests. Service begins not on the ship,but when passengers arrive at the dock and are greeted by crewmembers, who check boarding passes and take charge of luggageand passports to complete the check-in process. Passengers arethen escorted onboard, where champagne, hors doeuvres andmusic await.

Luxury is further defined by the accommodations. TheEuropa is an all-suites ship; 80% of the suites have privateverandas. There are two 915-square-foot Penthouse Grand Suiteswith a living room, bedroom, bathroom with sauna and

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whirlpool, and balcony; and ten Penthouse Deluxe suites ofalmost 500 square feet, wh i ch have a separate bedroom and liv i n garea and a bathroom with whirlpool. Oh yes, and butler serviceall the penthouse suites have butler service.

All the suites are spacious: at almost 300 square feet, they arethe size of some New York studio apartments, with a comfortableseating area. The bathrooms are luxurious, with roomy bathtubsand separate shower stalls. The walk-in closet is the size of a smallroom, fit ted with shelves, ra cks, and a safespace enough for eve n

the fussiest passengers taking a long cruise.Upon arrival, passengers find attractive floral arrangements,

fresh fruit (which is replenished regularly), and champagnechilling in a bucket. Mini-bars are stocked with soft drinks,beer, and mineral water; all are complimentary and are alsoreplenished regularly.

For en-suite entertainment, there is Cruise Net, a compli-mentary TV information network with private e-mail, a goodselection of movies, music on demand, cruise information, andthe Internet.

When the ship sails, experienced cruisers often comment onthe fact that there is little noise or vibration. During the bridgetours, Captain Fr i e d r i ch Jan Akkermann, the 13th generation of hisfamily to be a sea captain, explains the reason: the ships electricmotors and propellers are suspended in pods below the hull. (He

also explains that the E u ro p a, only 650 feet long with a shallowd raft, can dock in places where larger vessels cannot.)

One of the big attractions of any cruise is the foodand herethe E u ro p a excels, with its focus on quality rather than quantity. Inthe main dining roomalso called theE u ro p athe menu for thefirst formal evening might include superb lobster, excellent cav i a r(1600 Euros a kilo), and plenty of champagne. Dining at the otherr e s t a u rantsthe Oriental (Asian) and the Ve n e z i a (Italian)is likedining at a multi-starred restaurant on land.

The Lido Caf has tables outdoors on the deck and when theweather is pleasant, meals can be served outside. Though the Lido

is the ships casual dining venue, it would be a mistake to confuseit with the long buffet lines and the erratic service sometimesassociated with larger ships. The service is as attentive as it wouldbe in a fine-dining restaurant, with beverages and any requesteditems brought to the table. And though there are several buffetsoffering a variety of cooked food, salads, and desserts, there areno lines. The food, too, bears no resemblance to mass-producedbuffet food. It is varied and well-prepared with top ingredients.Theme nights are offered from time to time. Russian night, forexample, features costumed wait-staff serving such classics asbliniand caviar and vodka.

With all the lavish dining, not to mention the delectablesdelivered by room service, most passengers choose some formof exercise. Golfers may head for the golf simulator, which hasbeen programmed with twenty of the worlds most interesting

courses. Video analysis and the PGA professional onboard canhelp with technique.

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The Fitness Loft, with panoramic windows overlooking thepool deck, makes doing time on the treadmills almost pleasant.A personal trainer is available to customize fitness programs toindividual needs.

The 20-meter by 75-meter pool, larger than most ship pools,is almost never crowded, so doing laps is pleasurable and easy.The nearby hot tub is a good place to wind downjust beforerelaxing on a lounge chair. Daydreaming and napping happens

often in this setting.If, however, passengers happen to be in the pool area in

mid-afternoon, good intentions may go right out the windowbecause thats when the aroma of hot waffles served with icecream and assorted toppings fills the air. Nearby, in the library,more temptation lurks: the afternoon tea, a proper English tea,properly made with top quality tea leaves and served in lovelyi n d ividual teapotsto accompany the temptingly displaye dsandwiches and cakes. Piano renditions of old favorites make therepast even sweeter.

For onboard pampering, the Ocean Spa offers a full menu ofbody and facial treatments, as well as nail and hair services. Theatmosphere of quiet and calm prevails in the solarium, the steamroom, and sauna. If a passenger wishes a late service, such asthe Sleep Well Massage, the spa will stay open past the usual8 p.m. closing time.

On the same deck as the Ocean Spa are the ships spa suites,decorated in the same shades of red and gold as the spa, with

whirlpool bathtubs and windows in the bathrooms.The onboard entertainment is geared to sophisticated trave l e r s

who wish something other than Vegas-style revues. There isclassical music, good quality lounge performances, and unive r s i t y -level lectures geared to ports of call on the ships itinerary.

The itineraries are designed for passengers who have beenthere, done that, and include voyages to ports in Europe, Asia,and Africa. One of the popular cruises last year began in Turkeyand traveled along the Black Sea, calling at ports in Russia, theUkraine, and Bulgaria. One shore excursion was a tour of theRussian town of Sochi, where the winter Olympics of 2014 will

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take place. Though the area dates back to 800 B.C., the townitself was built in the last years of Tsarist Russia and served as akind of Caucasian Riviera for Soviet apparatchiks. More recently,it was a favorite getaway for President Boris Yeltsin. The city ofYalta was another historic stop, with tours going to the LivadiaPalace, where the famous Yalta Treaty was signed by Stalin,Churchill, and U.S. President Roosevelt.

This year, the Europa takes passengers on voyages on theworlds great seas, visiting cities in France, Italy, Spain, Cyprus,

Greece, and Turkey; in Argentina and Chile; in Australia andTahitiand even in South Africa. In short, cruise passengers wholike to visit exotic destinations in comfort and style will find anitinerary to suit their tastes aboard the MS Europa.

The MS Europa was awarded six stars plus by Sterns Guideto the Cruise Vacation 2007; Fieldings Guide to Luxury Cruisesvoted the MS Europa Ship of the Year 2006.

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