Page 138 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2025 GRAND VOYAGE

Pools, Whirlpools, and Cabanas
The resort hotel analogy carries over to
its swimming pool plan. It has four heated
swimming pools rather than one large cen-
tral pool deck as on most cruise ships. The
ship’s outdoor decks are more than 2,500
square meters (or almost 27,000 square
feet), offering spectacular sea views and
numerous indoor and outdoor whirlpools.
One of our new friends from the Traveledge
gang spent one day making a “Corona
Tour,” sipping the Mexican beer in each of
the whirlpools and swimming pools, listen-
ing to music on his earphones, and chatting
with guests from London, Spain, and Italy.
The ship also has 64 private cabanas
around the decks for escaping the sun to
read, relax, and snooze.
The largest pool, the Conservatory Pool
& Bar, has a retractable glass roof so
guests can enjoy aquatic relaxation in any
weather. In the evenings, the space is also
used for movies.
138 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2025
Signature Restaurants
The resort concept is carried out in dif-
ferent specialized restaurants rather than a
big main dining room. We dined our way on
Decks 4 and 5 through Anthology for Italian;
the casual Med Yacht Club for Mediter-
ranean flavors and ambiance; Marble & Co.
Grill, the steakhouse; Sakura for Pan-Asian
cuisine and Asian-influenced beverages;
and Fil Rouge, an intimate restaurant with
French-inspired international cuisine. Food
quality was uniformly high, and service ex-
cellent.
The ship’s Emporium Marketplace on
Deck 11 is a brilliant concept for creating
variety in your breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The all-day dining venue has 18 separate
cooking and serving stations, showcasing
diverse cuisines inspired by local destina-
tions. The staff custom-makes each item.
Request what you want from each display,
and the friendly host will comply. We en-
joyed customized cheese and fruit plates,
salads, pasta dishes, hamburgers, sand-
wiches, and the ”Wok of the Day.” My fa-