Travel
choices on her younger sister to
be well beyond the ordinary. They
were – and I was able to sample
the cuisines of the world from
Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce
(one of my favourite dishes) at the
French brasserie, Tarragon, to
Mediterranean classics at the
elegant Serenissima to Asian Fusion
cuisine at Elements. The sushi bar,
Sakura, is a passenger favorite, and
with good reason. Here, the sushi
master prepares nigiri, maki, sashimi
and other delectables that are as
pleasing to the eye as they are to
the palate. There are seven
restaurants in all, plus an eighth
option that can be booked for
private dining for a surcharge.
Tarragon
With dozens of champagnes and
some 500 different wines onboard,
individual tastings can be arranged
with real vine rarities. As verified by
the Guinness Book of World Records,
the EUROPA 2’s collection of 35 gins
is world’s largest aboard a ship.
I don’t like gin – at least I thought
I didn’t – but after I attended a
complimentary tasting, I found the
taste of the French Saffron gin was
really pleasant.
But wait – there’s more. Midafternoon is tea time, so many
varieties, both leaf and in bags,
are serve in the library, along with
cakes, pastries, mini-sandwiches
– and piano music. My temptation
was located on the pool deck where
freshly made waffles with ice cream
and/ or a choice of toppings are also
served every afternoon.
Sushi
In response to the growing
popularity of culinary travel, the
chef de cuisine of Tarragon, teaches
cooking classes (based on the cuisine
of the ship’s cruise destinations) in
the Miele Culinary School. The extra
charge (about $100) includes
accompanying wines, cooking aprons
and recipes (and the meal, of
course). During my cruise, a sushi
class was taught by one of the sushi
masters, and while I didn’t excel, I
did learn to make some edible rolls.
Though I’m not given to visiting
gyms at sea, the EUROPA 2 has one
with ocean views and state-of-art
equipment by Technogym; personal
trainers are available.
There’s also state-of-the-art golf
simulator, which allows guests to
play virtually on several famous
courses. A PGA golf professional
provides video analysis and support.
One of my favorite spots is the
Ocean Spa, which has a hammam,
whirlpool, a Finnish sauna, herbal
sauna, bio sauna and Tepidarium – a
relaxation room with heated loungers.
As it’s possible to customize so many
experiences on EUROPA 2, it’s also
possible to book a Personal Spa, with
a private lounge, sauna and whirlpool.
I simply crave the massages, for is
there anything as pleasurable as
being massaged at sea, with no
obligations or cares to dim the
sense of well-being?
Another favorite area is the goodsize pool located under a retractable
roof, which makes it possible to
swim laps in any weather. Lounges
around the pool and on the deck
EUROPA 2, Crew
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