[ON LOCATION] REGINA BARABAN
Sailing recently on Atlas Ocean Voyages’ World Voyager luxury yacht, it occurred to me that a charter of this lovely ship would be an unforgettable experience for incentive groups. Particularly for top-tier qualifiers who have “been there, done that,” the ability of this small expedition ship to visit hidden-gem destinations can’t be beat. My week-long cruise on an Atlas Cultural Expedition in September from Iceland to Ireland was seeped in luxury, camaraderie, adventure and bucket-list experiences.
World Voyager, the third ship in the Portugal-flagged Atlas fleet of luxe yet unstuffy yacht-like expedition vessels, set sail in 2023. Like its sister ships, World Voyager offers an all-inclusive experience. With 100 outside cabins, it comfortably accommodates up to 198 passengers. The vibe is stylish yet relaxed, with a nearly 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio of officers, staff and crew courteously attending to guests’ every need. Eight nationalities were represented on my voyage and I quickly got to know many friendly staff and crew members.
On board World Voyager, there’s a lovely abundance of indoor and outdoor spaces on the six decks to chill out and enjoy the views. The Dome observatory lounge on the highest deck has curved floor-to-ceiling windows and a wraparound viewing platform. Lower decks sport four additional outdoor viewing areas, including Water’s Edge at the ship’s bow with a heated wraparound bench for cold days. Inside, windowed lounge areas with comfortable upholstered seating bring the outdoors in. I enjoyed an excellent massage in the small L’Occitane spa. The spa’s large sauna has great outdoor viewing in a lounge area with four heated lounge chairs plus tables and chairs facing floor-to-ceiling windows. Onboard spaces for meetings include a full-ship capacity auditorium with a 217-sf stage.
My chic Veranda stateroom, decorated in neutral hues with pops of color, was a comfy home-away-from-home. The bathroom is a standout, with L’Occitane toiletries and a spacious mosaic glass shower with a rain shower head, body jets and handheld wand. The ship also has Horizon staterooms with Juliet balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows, and three categories of 1-bedroom suites with extra amenities such as a deep bathtub and personal butler. Atlas is committed to reducing environmental impact and this is reflected in such details as reusable glass bottles and complimentary water bottles in the staterooms. Stateroom attendants fill the glass water bottles nightly and there’s a water station on the ship for guests to fill their water bottles before heading out on excursions.
The main restaurant is full-ship capacity for group dining. I was impressed with the food quality and range of vegetarian options. Breakfast and lunch buffets offered a bounty of delicious choices and the dinner menu included plant-based starters and a veggie main course every night—there’s no need for vegetarians to make special requests. There are also three chef-driven entree choices each night, such as Black Angus Chateaubriand with smoked green beans, truffle sauce, baked garlic aioli and green asparagus foam. Always available main courses on the menu include grilled grass-fed dry aged ribeye steak, sous vide salmon steak wrapped with herbs, chargrilled plant-based steak, pasta items, and a traditional Portuguese main course. There’s also a small cafe with a variety of snacks, smoothies and coffees—this is the place for a cappuccino. All menus can be customized for groups.
The overall Atlas vibe is friendly and encourages mingling—perfect for group teambuilding activities. Many onboard happenings throughout my week fostered connections, starting with a Meet Your Neighbors hallway gathering on the first night. The friendly buzz was instantaneous from the minute I stepped out of my stateroom, and I quickly got to know many of my fellow passengers. Connections were made, stories were shared and a convivial vibe defined the tone for our week ahead. Another of my favorite networking events was the Yachtsman’s Cookoff, an Iron Chef-type competition enthusiastically hosted by our charismatic cruise director Greg. Gathering in the comfy Atlas Lounge set up with ingredient-laden tables, we watched four couples compete in a cookoff to create a cold dish that was evaluated by fellow-passenger judges for presentation, taste and cleanliness. The Voyager Surf & Turf winner was offered as a starter course on our dinner menu a few nights later.
By the time we gathered for a lively crew talent show towards the end of the cruise, it felt like a fun family get-together, with guests exchanging contact information and chatting about future travels. These events and more can be custom-tailored for groups.
My Reykjavik to Dublin cultural expedition in September was a deep dive into off-the-beaten path destinations, often docking in ports accessible only to small ships. Severe weather conditions prohibited us from visiting our first scheduled port of call in Denmark’s Faroe Islands, but on an extra day in Reykjavik I discovered the restorative geothermal waters of nearby Sky Lagoon that healed my tired body and wiped away all traces of jet lag. I highly recommend this beautiful new oceanside experience for itineraries with limited time in Reykjavik. After that, our expedition took us to three stops in Scotland—Stornoway (Isles of Lewis), Fort William (Loch Ness), and Greenock (Glasgow), then Belfast (Northern Island) and Dublin. It wasn’t easy to choose from among the choices of Atlas Ashore excursions in these beautiful and historical locales. One standout was an exploration of the Isles of Lewis in the remote Outer Hebrides archipelago. Walking among Scotland’s most famous stone circle, the Callanish (also known as Calanais) Standing Stones, felt indescribably mysterious. The ancient stones, which pre-date England’s Stonehenge, are set on a prominent ridge overlooking land and sea and radiate outward to form a rough cross shape. There’s a center stone circle that suggests ritual activities but the makers of these stones and their purpose remains unknown. Among my other excursion highlights was a gondola ride and short hike on the UK’s highest mountain, the Nevis Range, with views for miles; the fascinating Titanic Belfast museum; and exploring the spectacular geological wonder called the Giant’s Causeway on the coast of Northern Ireland.
Group charters are completely customizable, including program length and ports of call—including Antarctica, Patagonia, the Falklands, the High Arctic of Svalbard, Norway and Greenland, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and everywhere in between.
atlasoceanvoyages.com/meetings-incentives-charters-events