Evrima, the luxury mega cruiser from the Ritz-Carlton, spotted off the coast

19/07/2023

What do you get when you cross a cruise liner with a superyacht? The brand new Evrima, the first seaborne venture from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection that will be heading for the Principality of Monaco next week.

The eagle-eyed will have noticed a new boat in town in recent days: the glimmering, dark-hulled Evrima from the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

The luxury liner – although it’s hard to distinguish whether the Evrima is more cruise ship or megayacht – cast off anchor at the end of last year and is now spending its first summer cruising the Mediterranean.

It was most recently in the French Riviera when it picked up a fresh batch of passengers from the port of Nice on 15th July, before heading along the coast to Cannes and later Calvi and Ajaccio in Corsica. After a pit stop in the Balearic Islands, the Evrima will wind up its current trip in Barcelona at the weekend.

The next voyage leaves the Catalonian capital on 22nd July for Rome 11 nights later, but not without stopping off in Monaco for two nights on 28th and 29th July.

*The Evrima will be docking in Monaco at the end of July. Photo credit: Juliette Remi*

All about the Evrima

Named for the Greek word for “discovery”, the 25,400 tonnage, eight deck Evrima was completed in 2021. She measures 190 metres in length and 23.8 metres at her widest.

There’s space enough for 298 guests and almost as many crew and service staff. Some 50,000 employees from across the Ritz-Carlton Group are reported to have applied for one of the 250 jobs onboard, meaning that only the very best in service, hospitality and skill will be working aboard the prestigious vessel.

Just shy of 150 guest suites, each with an outdoor terrace, are available. Two are classed as “Owner’s suites” and are the ultimate in seagoing luxury, measuring 160 square metres.

There are five restaurants and six lounge spaces on the ship as well as fitness centres, a spa with outdoor terrace, a hairdressing and beauty salon, a kids centre, an outdoor swimming pool complex, meeting rooms, a wine tasting zone and a boutique.

ritz carlton evrima — A pool with an ocean view. Photo credit: Jack Hardy*

All in all, the Evrima is a clever combination of private superyacht and all-inclusive cruise ship, giving it appeal to those who don’t own a yacht but dream of experiencing the lifestyle, and those who simply don’t want the fuss of maintaining or managing their own boat.

How much does it cost?

Prices for the recent Nice to Barcelona seven-night voyage started at €8,750, while the longer trip from northeastern Spain to the Italian capital has spaces from €12,588. The most expensive cruise this summer is an island-hopping journey from Istanbul to Athens over 11 nights. Tickets start at €15,412.

It’s a similar story next summer, with the Evrima trips stopping over in Monaco and the south of France amongst the best value for money. The full itinerary for next year can be found here.

All suites benefit from a private outdoor terrace. Photo courtest of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection*

Between now and then, the Evrima will cross the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean for the winter season.

The Ritz-Carlton fleet is also set to grow next year with the release of the Ilma sometime in 2024. This ship will be even bigger than the first, and will almost certainly ride the waves the Evrima is already making in the sailing holiday industry.

Click on the images below to see more:

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Photos courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection*

*Renderings are artistic concepts. All features, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Luxe Pack to test out eco-friendly transport option from Paris to Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman

19/07/2023

The upcoming Luxe Pack trade event is looking to reduce its carbon footprint by drastically reducing the emissions produced by its exhibitors and guests. So what’s the plan?

Rail over air and road, essentially. The idea is to run a chartered train service from Paris to Monaco ahead of the event that will allow incoming exhibitors and visitors to the premium packaging trade show to travel in style while cutting right back on the massive emissions that would have been otherwise produced by private transportation.

Since 1988, Luxe Pack has been attracting the world’s most innovative manufacturers to the Principality for a showcase of their high-end designs in terms of sustainability and creativity.

Upward of 9,000 visitors pass through the show, which will take place from 2nd to 4th October at the Grimaldi Forum, alongside more than 450 exhibitors from nearly 100 countries around the globe. In addition to the stands, there’s also a rich programme of conferences and networking opportunities.

According to its organisers, Luxe Pack is the world’s largest packaging event.

SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-AWARE

In recent years, a focus of the show has been on how to make packaging less harmful to the environment, as well as how to make the event more eco-responsible. As such, organisers have worked to lessen their impact and have received an ISO 14001 Certificate, which shows the organisers have met certain environmental standards, for five years running.

Now, Luxe Pack is adding to its eco-credentials by chartering a six-hour long train ride from Paris to Monaco to bring guests to the show. For €60, including breakfast, lunch and entertainment, visitors and exhibitors can feel good knowing they are travelling by a mode of transport that has 26 times less carbon impact than air travel.

This initiative is supported by the Monegasque Government’s Mission for Energy Transition and the Principality’s Tourist and Convention Authority, who will also lead onboard awareness-raising workshops on social and environmental responsibility.

LOOKING AHEAD

Monaco hosts multiple large trade events each year. This experiment by Luxe Pack could lead to others following in its low carbon footsteps and making rail travel the “new norm” for B2B travel, not just in Monaco, but around the world.

As for Luxe Pack’s organisers, if this trial run is a success, they will consider it for the 2024 edition and beyond.

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Photo source: Luxe Pack Monaco

Record sea temperature recorded in Nice’s Baie des Anges amid Charon heatwave

by: Stephanie Horsman

19/07/2023

So much for a refreshing dip! The waters off the coast of Nice have never been warmer and the temperature is likely to rise further in the coming days.

The phrase “like bath water” has never been more true. On Tuesday 18th July, as the Charon heatwave took hold in the French Riviera, a marine buoy off the coast of Nice registered a record sea temperature for the area of 29.2°C.

Experts have warned that these high sea temperatures could go up even more, perhaps reaching 30°C, in the coming days as weather forecasts predict a protracted hot spell in the Mediterranean.

LAND NO BETTER

The orange alert for much of the region remains in effect on Wednesday 19th July following a record-buster of a day and will continue until midnight Thursday 20th July.

On Tuesday 18th July, the town of Puget-Théniers saw the thermometer rise to 41.8°C, higher than any other day since record keeping began in 1947. The previous record stood at 41.1°C.

The Alpes-Maritimes town of Caussols above Grasse also broke a record, hitting 30.6°, while temperatures in Aups in the Var climbed to 38.6°C. Both of these temperatures are about 8°C above seasonal norms for the respective towns.

Since 2000, heat waves have been five times more frequent in France and experts predict that they will be twice as frequent as today within the next three decades, with climate change being the direct cause.

It is estimated that over 60,000 people died in Europe in last summer’s heat waves.

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Photo source: Tristan Miment, Pixabay

France announces tougher punishments for drivers under the influence

by: Stephanie Horsman

19/07/2023

In an effort to bring down the tragic number of road accident-related deaths in France, the government has brought in a raft of new rules that includes tougher punishments for speeders and those driving under the influence.

In 2022, 3,260 people lost their lives in road-related accidents in France. To try and cut those figures down, the French government’s Interministerial Committee for Road Safety, chaired by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, has announced 38 new measures to make the country’s roadways safer.

TOUGH ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Amongst the new rules are harsh fines for motorists driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Drivers caught driving on narcotics will also face an automatic suspension of their licence for a mandatory time period of six months to a year, and offenders will lose eight points from their licence – it will now be the same for those caught drink driving – up from the current six.

For anyone driving under the influence of both drugs and alcohol, the government has said they will impound the driver’s vehicle as a matter of course.

EXCESSIVE SPEEDING

Any driver caught going 50 kilometres or more above the autorised speed limit will now face two months’ imprisonment, a fine of €3,750 and a six-point withdrawal from their licence.

WHAT ELSE?

Some of the new legislation is somewhat gentler on drivers who break the law, such as the removal of the point-docking system for those caught going less than five kilometres above the speed limit from 1st January 2024. Though no points will be taken, a fine will still have to be paid.

From 1st April 2024, in conjunction with the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, the government will no longer require a green insurance sticker to be put on vehicles.

Registration procedures will also be simplified and the start of a dematerialisation of driving licences will come into effect. The goal here is not to fully replace a physical licence, but to complement it with a digital option available on mobile phones.

Additionally, Prime Minister Borne announced that the age for obtaining a driver’s licence will be lowered to 17 from 18, making it easier for younger people to get to and from school or work, as well as give them freedom, notably to those living in rural areas.

The government will also be allocating more funding to associations who advocate for road safety.

Click here for the full run-down of the changes.

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Photo source: Max Fleischmann, Unsplash

Grimaldi Forum hosts Monet-inspired art classes for children

by: Elsa Carpenter

19/07/2023

Until the end of July, the Grimaldi Forum is organising art classes for children inspired by its grand summer exhibition, Monet: en pleine lumière.

The classes are running each day until Friday 28th July, with a morning class between 10am and noon suitable for young artists aged five to eight, and another in the afternoon from 2pm till 4pm for those aged nine to 12.

The focus of Monday classes is colour theory, giving children a special insight into building a successful palette with primary, secondary and complementary colours.

On Tuesdays, students will experiment with brushes and sponges to achieve the signature Monet look.

Wednesdays will teach budding artists how to compose an impressionist landscape of their own making, drawing from any source of inspiration.

Pattern and abstraction will be the theme on Thursdays, with a focus on observation and understanding the art of perspective.

Fridays will see children take on the classic Monet motif of the water lily to create a water landscape using the techniques learned over the course of the week.

The art classes cost €25 each or €110 for a week of tuition.

To reserve a spot for your child, please email ticket@grimaldiforum.com with the words “ateliers enfants” and the child’s name in the subject line.

The main exhibition: Monet: en pleine lumière

The 2,500sqm exhibition space at the Grimaldi Forum has been transformed into a homage to Claude Monet’s time on the French Riviera and in Monaco, and features almost 100 paintings and artworks from this time, including many masterpieces never seen before in this context and one unpublished work.

The exhibition is on every day until 3rd September. Adult admission is €14, but those under 18 can enter for free.

Read more about the exhibition in the Monaco Life article below:

On now: the Grimaldi Forum presents its summer exhibition ‘Monet: en pleine lumière’

Photo source: Kseniya Lapteva, Unsplash

Summer fireworks: two evening shows in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti

19/07/2023

Two spectacular fireworks shows are being organised by the Mairie over the next weeks and, this being Monaco, they’ll be accompanied by some additional entertainment for the family.

The Mairie de Monaco is once again keen to “liven up the city in the evening” by illuminating the sky above Port Hercule with a fireworks display, followed by themed entertainment.

The first fireworks on Saturday 22nd July will commence at 10pm when the sun is well and truly set. At the end of the show, at 10.20pm, a DJ party will be organised next to the swimming pool stairs.

The second fireworks show, on Saturday 5^th August, will also start at 10pm, and will be followed at 10.20om by a cabaret show in the same location.

For some pre-show entertainment, jumping castles for the kids will be positioned on the port near the trampoline, from 6pm to 9.30pm on both evenings.

Summer activities at the port

To keep families busy this summer, several activities are set up on the Quai Albert Ier every day until 20^thAugust, from 4:30pm to 10:30pm: carousel, karting, basketball courts, trampoline and duck fishing.

New this year is the addition of gourmet and sales stands labelled ‘Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco’, which are open until 15^th August, from 6pm to 11pm.

Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

Day: 19 July 2023