Final fit-out operations are near completion on Emerald Cruises’ latest ocean-going yacht, Emerald Sakara, as it prepares for upcoming sea trials. Work is also on schedule to see the interior completed and fully outfitted before the first guests arrive for the inaugural sailing. The debut sailing—the eight-day “Ionian Sea Adventure” from Athens to Rome on August 5, 2023—is less than three months away.
Emerald Sakara, the second luxury yacht to join the Emerald Cruises fleet, was custom built by The Halong Shipbuilding Company in Vietnam and follows quickly in the wake of identical sister-yacht, Emerald Azzurra, which launched in March 2022. Both the Emerald Sakara and Emerald Azzurra have just 50 luxury suites and staterooms, 88 percent of which have a private balcony or terrace. With a maximum of 100 guests on a given journey, Emerald Sakara, like her sister yacht, offers a new type of exclusive cruising experience, exploring ports and harbors only accessible to small yachts.
Onboard, Emerald Sakara’s Wellness Center will house a spa (where various body therapies are available), gym and infrared sauna, while the Sky Bar, infinity pool and comfortable public areas on the top decks provide the perfect place to relax and watch the world go by. The yacht’s marina platform was designed with water sports in mind. Guests can borrow snorkels and paddleboards, as well as a SEABOB, or they can dive into the water with a little help from the deployable water-trampoline.
After Emerald Sakara’s August debut, the yacht will embark on a summer season exploring the coastal waters of Italy, Greece, Türkiye and the Adriatic. The inaugural eight-day "Ionian Sea Adventure" begins on August 5, 2023, in Rome (Civitavecchia) and heads to Athens (Pireaus). Guests can live it up with the glitterati on a guided walking tour of Capri, sample Sorrento’s famed gelato in one of many seaside towns or take in the colorful terraced houses of the Amalfi Coast as they kayak along the blue water. Other tempting excursions include a relaxing afternoon river tubing in Alcantara, hiking through olive groves in Cephalonia, and stepping back in time on a tour of the ancient ruins at Delphi.
From there, it’s off to cross the Atlantic where the Emerald Sakara will winter in the Caribbean and Central America. The first “Eastern Caribbean and Grenadines” sailing is scheduled to depart on November 17, 2023. The yacht will be christened on December 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico by her godmother Kelly Craighead, president and CEO of CLIA.
Emerald Cruises guests can enjoy special savings on 2023 and 2024 Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara sailings. Details can be found at www.emeraldcruises.com.
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