Celebrating Unique Experiences

May 21, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

As the president and CEO of Marriott International, Arne Sorenson has nearly infinite opportunities to visit extraordinary places, and experience extraordinary things. His company, after all, has properties in 130 different countries. Some are exquisite resorts in the Maldives, while others are exclusive hotels in the heart of New York City.

So, what did Sorenson do last summer to ensure he had a most-memorable vacation? Take a three-day, nearly 203-mile biking trip through Spain with his two grown sons. As grueling as it may sound, the trip was “the experience of a lifetime,” he happily asserts.

Why? Because the trip was a unique experience—made all the more so because of two people he dearly loves and often doesn’t get to see.

Sorenson’s two sons are grown, with busy lives of their own and friends who they’d rather hang out with than ol’ Mom and Dad. He doesn’t begrudge them that. In fact, he’s all the more grateful they chose him, and this trip, over every other option last year. They laughed—a lot—took in stunning scenery along the famous Camino de Santiago, and talked. And talked, and talked, and talked.

The trip came down to a pretty simple, yet powerful realization:

This unforgettable trip was a confirmation that—for me—unique experiences will always outweigh material possessions.

Of course, I am fortunate to have access to both. My point is to encourage everyone to slow down this year and do something memorable. … Make it an adventure—experience it with people you love.

In a day and age where many of us lead busy lives, and where our children arguably lead equally busy, or even busier, lives, it’s crucial to create unique experiences together. It’s crucial to do the same with other family, too, as well as friends who are as close as family. Then, reflect fondly on the memories, linger on the photos, and tell the stories again and again. (We can help you beautifully capture those stories, by the way… hint hint.)

Whatever you do, celebrate these unique experiences.

By the way, if you’d like to read Sorenson’s full article—and I encourage you to do so—it’s here.

The Art of Storytelling—With George Clooney and Coffee

April 30, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

“For saving the kingdom, what doth thou desire?” asks the queen of the knight in this popular television commercial (below), which you’ve likely seen in recent weeks. The knight has just slain a dragon to protect the kingdom, and he can have anything he wants… which, it turns out, is a perfect cup of Nespresso coffee. Between the famous stars—actress Natalie Dormer and actor George Clooney—the Peter Gabriel song “Solsbury Hill” (about a personal epiphany) playing in the background, and the amusing cross-century cultural encounters that ensue, the story of “The Quest,” as the commercial is known, is entertaining.

It’s also absurd. I mean, really: A knight from a bygone century steps through a movie screen into modern-day times and traipses through New York City until he finds the Nespresso coffee his heart desires? Then he takes the whole kingdom on a double-decker bus ride to ensure they all get a cup, too? Seriously? But that’s not the point. The point is, the story is engaging.

Nespresso weaves its story without hammering you over the head. It also doesn’t have a talking head insisting that a taste test proves its coffee beats 4 out of 5 other brands. That would have been boring, and boring isn’t memorable. Rather, Nespresso avoids taking itself too seriously—witness the billboard of George Clooney as himself drinking Nespresso come into view when George Clooney the knight emerges from the subway. It plays on a basic human emotion that those of us who love coffee (and you know who you are) will go on a quest of our own to get the flavor we enjoy most of all.

This is what we mean when we talk to clients like you about the art of storytelling. Storytelling isn’t simply writing down information about a yacht, or a fact about the build, or a memory from your times onboard. It involves weaving nuance and emotion into the threads of the information, or fact, or memory. This gives it color, even a life of its own. It makes it memorable, and enjoyable.

It may not be as funny as gathering an entire kingdom aboard a double-decker bus… or perhaps it will be even funnier. That’s the beauty of your story: It’s yours to enjoy, or to laugh at, as you please.

Let’s tell your story, together.

“There’s No More Valuable Asset Than My Time”

April 16, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

Sometimes a statement is utterly eloquent in its simplicity. Matt Voorhees, the owner of a handful of superyachts over the years that he’s christened Broadwater, said something that captivated the room at a recent superyacht-industry conference. Eight simple words left the room so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

“There’s no more valuable asset than my time.”

While it was the answer to a question as to how he selects a shipyard, it very well could have been the story of his life as a yacht owner. Indeed, it could be the story of the life of any yacht owner, even you.

Voorhees explained that as an entrepreneur, his weeks are filled from dawn to dusk. Therefore, the days he carves out to spend with family and friends are precious. As you can imagine, he doesn’t take too kindly to people or businesses that don’t understand that his time is important. If he commissions a refit, he expects the schedule to be realistic and respectful of his most valuable asset. If his crew tells him a voyage will take a certain number of hours, he expects the same.

“There’s no more valuable asset than my time” is an important reminder that the intangibles are really deserving of being our top priorities. Can you put a price on watching your kids take their first wobbly runs on water skis? How about the moment you saw the shores of the islands from the deck of your yacht? What about the moment you or your spouse released the champagne bottle to break it across the bow of your yacht? Each of these memories is surely etched in your mind. You may have even captured them on film, or on your smartphone. Their worth comes in every second you get to live and re-live them. Their worth comes in the happiness they provide you.

There’s no more valuable asset than your time. Treasure it.

Family Time Is the Best Story Time

March 4, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

Some of my fondest memories are from childhood. Not surprising, my family time over the years has provided me with some of my best stories. For instance, I vividly remember my father indulging me in my love of jumping into the pool, at the ripe old age of 5. (And by “love of jumping,” I really mean “my incessant desire to jump.”) My father is also the reason why I love boating. A New York city slicker by birth, he discovered fishing charters in his 30s and, excuse the pun, was instantly hooked. When I was about 8 or 9 years old, he took me on one of those day charters, out off Long Island’s East End, and I, too, was hooked. Maybe it was because I literally hooked a fish on one of my first attempts. Regardless, I had so much fun that I couldn’t wait to go out again.

And we did, at first on charters and later aboard a boat he proudly purchased. We fished and cruised lots of weekends through my teen years, just my dad and me. It became a challenge once I went away to college, though, and even more of a challenge when my parents moved to another state several years ago. But, whenever we get together these days, one of the first questions I still ask is, “When can we go out on the boat?”

This story resonates with so many people I meet. It might resonate with you as well, and for good reason. Family time often makes for the best story time; the stories we share over and over again. Chances are, one or both of your parents encouraged your love of sailing or powerboating. They also probably taught you how to tie up at the dock, and even recognize and maneuver amid channel markers. Family time is together time: Time to share, to learn, to laugh, and to have fun. Isn’t that also what boating and yachting is all about?

These memories are the chapters of your life. As powerful as they are as oral history, they can become even more powerful when recorded and retold in vivid pictures and written words. We’d love to hear your stories and see your photos, to help you create a lasting legacy. After all, your story is far from being over.

Superyacht Storytellers Joins Forces with Tahiti Private Expeditions

February 6, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

French Polynesia exudes exotic allure. From Tahiti to the smaller islands, they’re considered an unspoiled paradise, too. Especially attractive to avid divers and snorkelers, the life underwater is extraordinarily varied. These are reasons why superyacht owners seek out Tahiti Private Expeditions. The company customizes dive services, logistics, and itineraries throughout the region—and farther afield in the Pacific. In fact, Tahiti Private Expeditions is the leader for these VIP experiences. This, in turn, is why we’re delighted to be its newest partner. Together, we’re offering its customers one more special service: customized coffee table books.

The Tahiti Private Expeditions team, led by Rodolphe Holler and Christelle Holler, has extensive, personal knowledge of the best cruising and diving destinations throughout the region. Wherever you yearn to travel, the company provides discreet, private service. Besides providing an experienced dive guide onboard your yacht for a trip, the company can, when requested, send a photographer or videographer. Between the high-quality professional images and the abundant photos that you, your guests, and your crew take, you can re-live the adventures again and again.

In the course of customizing itineraries, the Tahiti Private Expeditions team is now alerting clients to our expertise at Superyacht Storytellers. Say, for example, a customer is celebrating a special event. If he or she wants to capture the magical moments in the islands in an extra-special way, the company will explain what we do and provide our contact details. This way, we can discuss directly the creative possibilities.

Imagine oversize, full-color photos of different species of sharks… page after page of brilliant reef fish and stunning corals… all brought together in a beautifully bound, completely customized coffee table book. If they visit French Polynesia certain times of the year, they might even be lucky enough to capture images of humpback whales and their newborns. As younger members of the family grow up, they can enjoy learning of the family’s adventures—and look forward to creating their own similar ones soon.

To learn more about Tahiti Private Expeditions, visit http://tahiti-private-expeditions.com/.

The Story of Christina O

January 9, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

In 1954, the late Aristotle Onassis acquired a frigate that saw action in Normandy during World War II. While he didn’t initially set out to convert her into a yacht, that’s what he ultimately did—and ultimately, he turned her into Christina, known today as Christina O, one of the world’s most famous superyachts.

At 325 feet (99.13 meters), this was no mere boat. Even in today’s world, that length turns heads, so imagine the astonishment 60 years ago. Fascinatingly, Onassis acquired her for her scrap value: $34,000, which in today’s dollars would be roughly $511,600. The total pales in comparison to what he spent to rebuild and renovate her. It was worth every penny to Onassis. And, the end result was nothing short of spectacular. Christina, christened in honor of his daughter, wined and dined world leaders, Hollywood elite, and numerous other dignitaries for nearly two decades under his ownership. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor… Winston Churchill… the Aga Khan… Frank Sinatra… Jackie Kennedy. The list goes on.

Upon his death in 1975, Christina O passed to the Greek government, for use as a presidential yacht. Unfortunately, the government eventually could not keep up with the maintenance costs. Christina O deteriorated for years, until the late 1990s, when a gentleman with ties to the Onassis family stepped in to rescue her.

Thanks to him, today you can walk on the same decks and in the same rooms, meticulously restored, as Burton and Taylor as well as all those other famous faces. In fact, you can relax in one of the Hollywood couple’s favorite places. It’s in front of the lapis lazuli-fronted fireplace, in the main deck’s Lapis Lounge. Imagine hearing opera diva Maria Callas sing to the tune coming from the piano in the aptly named Maria Callas Lounge. The singer and Onassis had quite the stormy affair. In her honor, the room features plentiful memorabilia.

Even more rooms aboard Christina O could tell amazing stories if their walls could talk. These are the types of stories we love to retell in our books—and we share at least one more famous (infamous, really) tale about the superyacht in Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors. It involves Ari’s Bar (above), the extraordinary cocktail lounge adjacent to the formal dining room. Onassis had the bar stools covered with whale foreskin. Want to know what he’d tell his guests? Turn to page 31 in the book to find out… then be sure to admire the rest of her interior, featured in six full-color pages.

To experience the luxury in person, Christina O is available for charter via the central agency of Morley Yachts.

Capt. Sean Meagher on Making Memories

January 4, 2019 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

PHOTO: Vripack

“’I want to go on adventures and photograph wildlife.’ Who could pass up an opportunity for that?”

Thus begins Capt. Sean Meagher’s story of how he came to helm the motoryacht Latitude for some of the most extraordinary cruising a superyacht has ever done. It also begins his nearly seven-minute video posted below. Meagher mostly talks about Latitude’s astounding crossing of the 3,000-mile-long, notorious body of water known as the Northwest Passage—twice. The details are riveting. Equally important, though, are the quick laughs, one-sentence mentions, and snapshots, collectively reflecting the lifetime of memories he has from the trips.

The Northwest Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific coasts via the Canadian Arctic. Nearly impassable due to ice at times, it’s not to be taken lightly. In fact, only eight yachts in history had ever crossed the Passage when Latitude’s owner, guests, Meagher, and the crew embarked on their journey in 2014. It took her nearly one-third of the year. “It was the most amazing trip I’ve ever done in my career,” Meagher says. “It was also the most intense.”

Seven minutes is like an eon in today’s digital world. Yet, you’ll find yourself so captivated by Meagher’s storytelling that, like his audience, you won’t even know how much time is passing. All you’ll want to do is keep hearing his story.

“Why do we do this?” he asks at the end, philosophically. “Why do we push ourselves to go to higher limits and in this case, higher latitudes?… We’re all explorers.” In other words, it’s all about making memories—unquestionably, unrivaled memories.

We’ll add one more reason: It’s all about sharing stories. Let’s share your story, together.

“I Don’t Know What I Want. That’s the Problem!”

December 7, 2018 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

One person’s problem is another person’s opportunity. Put another way, one yacht owner’s worry is our solution.

We recently spoke with two people who each want to publish a book. Each has had a fascinating, dramatically different life—with far different experiences and escapades to share. Interestingly, despite their differences, they’re remarkably the same. In fact, they used nearly the exact same words to admit, rather sheepishly, that they don’t know what to include in their book. They’re overwhelmed in trying to figure out where to start.

Our response: Relax, that’s our job.

Consider this:

Does an athlete have a coach? Yes. Even the world’s elite players do.

Does a successful executive run a company all by him- or herself? No way.

Does a respected world leader map out the state of the union solo? Impossible.

Does a celebrity roll out of bed looking red-carpet ready? Of course not.

So, consider Superyacht Storytellers your coach, your board of directors, your cabinet/ministers, and your stylist, all rolled into one:

Like an athletic coach, we zero in on your best elements, and elevate them.

Like a board of directors, we advise on the most powerful message to convey, given our strong journalism and storytelling skills. And, we advise on the most powerful images that further convey that story, given our strong artistic skills.

Like government officials (the smart ones), we have some of the smartest minds to keep writing, copyediting, design, and printing all flowing in an orderly fashion.

And, like a Hollywood glam squad, we help you put your best foot forward.

So, like what occurred in our recent conversations, don’t worry if you don’t know what you want. It’s not a problem. Not for us.

What’s It Cost?

November 16, 2018 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

The response to our book Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors has been extremely positive, so of course we’re thrilled. We’re also delighted that it has spurred interest among people who want to commission books of their own.

Interestingly, and excitingly, everyone we’ve spoken with has had a different vision for his or her book. Some are yachting companies keen to create gifts for clients, rich with illustrations and photos. Others are owners with fascinating experiences, where the best storytelling will result from a combination of . Not coincidentally, at least to us, each person has asked the same initial question: What’s it cost?

The answer is: Just like with superyachts, it depends. In fact, custom superyachts and custom books have a few things in common when it comes to cost:

Both depend on what you like to do. The old adage “form follows function” applies. Before a shipyard can start talking dollars or euros, the conversation begins with how you envision cruising. If you’re a globetrotter who wants to see remote corners of the world, your yacht will be a long-range cruiser, perhaps an expedition design with an extra-sturdy hull. A maxi, by contrast, is not the right fit. Similarly, the very foundation of your book starts with the story you want to tell. If you want to share rich experiences in detail, your book surely will be chockful of imagery and written tales. A 50-pager, by contrast, won’t scratch the surface.

Style is important, too. Owners commission yachts because of a driving passion not just to enjoy the water, but to do so in luxury. Due to the creative minds in the industry being able to interpret owners’ singular visions, two 45-meters could dock side by side yet look radically different, with quite different build budgets, too. At Superyacht Storytellers, no two coffee table books are alike, either. Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors measures about 11×12 and totals 140 pages. Another client’s book is shaping up (no pun intended) to be much smaller in height but also much longer in width, for an extraordinary landscape-like effect. It will also have far more pages, due to an equally extraordinary story worth sharing.

Budget dictates all. Ultimately, what a yacht owner is willing to spend dictates whether a custom superyacht vision can lead to a contract. Books are no different. The good news is, in each case, expectations are often realistic.

Our Book Is Here! Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors

October 26, 2018 By Diane M. Byrne Leave a Comment

spectacular superyachts inspired design — PHOTO: Guillaume Plisson

We’re excited! For the past several months, Superyacht Storytellers has been hard at work designing our first book. Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors is the result, and if we do say so ourselves, the results are spectacular.

The book is the culmination of 25 years of observation. From the moment I entered the yachting industry in 1993 to the current day, one thing has remained the same. Every yacht I’ve seen, of every size and style, has had a story to tell. So, we pulled together nearly two dozen yachts that are among the best storytellers around for Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors. Through more than 100 photos, we share the fantastic tales behind their design: what the owners wanted, and how the world’s top designers made it all happen.

Some of the stories are simply astounding. Take Kismet (left), for example. One of the most exclusive yachts in the world, and among the world’s 100 largest superyachts, she belongs to an extraordinary owner who wanted to provide extraordinary experiences for friends, business associates, and charter guests. This two-deck-high atrium really puts it all into perspective. The piano bar (a piano and a bar combined) fills the atrium with music, luring those on the second level to come to those Art Deco-inspired railings to get a better listen, and look.

Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors allows you to see Kismet, along with 20 additional impressive yachts, as if you were standing in their rooms yourselves. You’ll see and learn:

how the chandelier cascading through the main stairway onboard Aquila (281 feet/85.6 meters) is comprised of more than 850 pieces of hand-blown glass

how a regulation-size padel court—more than 66 feet/20 meters long—is the heart and soul aboard Aviva (323 feet/98.4 meters)

how a mere $34,000 in the 1950s led to the creation of Christina O (325 feet/99.13 meters), perhaps the most famous yachts in the world, featuring a fireplace framed in semi-precious lapis lazuli.

You can become one of a select few to own a copy of Spectacular Superyachts: Inspired Interiors. It has a limited-edition print run of 100. Check out the dedicated page on our website to order yours.

Superyacht Storytellers