Congratulations on booking your first cruise on the luxury private residential cruise ship, the Thalassophile of the Seas! Whether you are a relative of a suite owner or have rented a unit through Travel the World Experiences and Rental Properties (TWERP) we want to ensure your sailing adventure is everything you have dreamed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is a private residential cruise ship? Similar to a condominium, the Thalassophile boasts a hundred privately owned luxury residences ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms, along with five restaurants, two bars, a handful of boutiques, a casino/gaming room, a cigar lounge, a spa and hair salon, a grocery store, a fitness center, a full-sized tennis court, two swimming pools, two hot tubs, a theater, and a library. Each suite owner is able to decorate their units however they would like, so depending on which unit you are renting, the furnishings will be varied.
How are the itineraries set? Every October the owners meet to discuss the sailing itineraries for the following year. A vote is taken, with each unit receiving one vote. The goal is to not repeat a port of call more than once every five years, except for Seattle, our home port. One owner proposes Tuvalu every time, simply because it’s the world’s least visited nation, but he always gets outvoted.
What types of activities are available? In addition to the standard amenities such as yoga classes, spa days, and a gaming casino, each sailing is themed to a port of call, as are the activities. For example, our sailing to Yokohama, Japan featured a Sakura blossom celebration, a Ninja demonstration, and an origami class. Our New Orleans events included a Mardi Gras party and a masquerade ball mask making class.
What about safety and security? I’ve heard there’s been some trouble recently. The per capita murder rate has been exaggerated. * The Thalassophile has a full time, round the clock security crew, headed by former special forces commander Xavier Mesnier. We have a state of the art security camera system that works well, as long as it’s not disabled by those with nefarious intent. Rigorous background checks are made on owners, guests, and crew. Very rarely someone slips through, but our crack team always gets their man—or woman–eventually. Sometimes they are aided by residents Charlotte McLaughlin and Jane Cobb, but only in an unofficial capacity. They have a knack for solving crimes, probably from their years as librarians with a penchant for crime fiction.
Tell me about the other staff and crew onboard. We are truly an international community. The ship is captained by Karl Knutson (Norway) and his co-captain Marco Bellucci (Italy). Zahra Idris (Nigeria) is the general ship manager. Each unit is serviced by an assigned butler; our most prestigious being Windsor Hadwin (England) who may or may not have served the royal family (he’s unable to speak about it, so don’t ask). In the dining room we are grateful to have Ulfric Anton (Germany) as our maître D’ and Haimi Dara (India) who is both head server and food and beverage manager. Executive Chef Elliot Patenaude (France) creates a varied menu of delicious and elevated dining experiences (Just keep an eye on your wife). Cortes (California) and Egan (Ireland), our bartenders extraordinaire, can make you any cocktail you can think of. Just remember, whatever you tell them under the influence may not stay a secret. All our staff and crew are hardworking and professional with an emphasis on the highest customer service.
We hope you enjoy traversing the high seas aboard this truly unique vessel.
*Actual murder rates per sailing may vary.
About the Author.
Kate B Jackson (KB Jackson) is an author of mystery novels for grownups and mystery/adventure novels for kids. She lives in the Pacific NE with her husband and at least one of her four grown children at any given time. Her debut middle grade release is “The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary” (Reycraft Books) about a twelve-year-old boy hired by the most popular girl at his new school to investigate what she saw in the nearby woods. Book one in the Chattertowne Mysteries series, “Secrets Don’t Sink,” (Level Best Books July 2023) introduces Audrey O’Connell, a small town feature reporter who, when her former boyfriend’s body is found floating in the local marina, uncovers the depths to which some will go to keep secrets submerged.
Her debut novel in the Cruising Sisters mystery series, Until Depths Do Us Part (Tule Publishing) will be released Spring 2024.
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