I shot the above photograph on the sundeck of the 141-foot Palmer Johnson motoryacht Pure Bliss a week ago today, on the last day of the Genoa charter yacht show. It may seem unremarkable here–a picture of a nicely set table surrounded by perfectly fluffed pillows and seat cushions–but the truth is that this photograph is evidence of just how can-do the Pure Bliss crew really is.

The yacht, you see, was late in getting to the Mediterranean from the United States. The transport ship that was carrying it over didn’t arrive in Palma, Spain, until last Tuesday–after the boat show in Italy had already begun. Whereas other charter yacht crew had spent several days preparing to demonstrate their skills and vessels for the brokers and press in Genoa, the Pure Bliss crew had to get their yacht into show-ready condition while racing along the Mediterranean coastline.

They left Palma on Tuesday night and cruised nonstop, making it to Genoa and their slip at the boat show at 5:30 on Thursday morning. You can imagine how exhausted they were–but they had Pure Bliss organized and ready to show, with welcoming smiles on their faces, by 10 o’clock that same morning. They hosted a cocktail party for brokers and press later that night, and were right back at their posts on Friday morning, with the yacht looking spotless, as you can see in the above photo that I snapped that afternoon.

Boy is that impressive. And it’s exactly the attitude you want in a top-notch charter yacht crew. Reputable charter brokers always say they want a “can-do crew,” a crew that simply gets done whatever needs to get done, no matter the circumstances. In my opinion, this crew of nine onboard Pure Bliss fit that description last week to a T.

The 10-guest yacht, which is entering charter seriously this summer for the first time in her 11-year history, is part of the fleet at International Yacht Collection. Contact any reputable charter broker for more information.

I shot the above photo while standing in the main saloon onboard Cristalex, a 100-foot Azimut motoryacht, at last week’s charter show in Genoa. Looks like lots of other charter yachts, right? Don’t see anything all that different?

The truth is, what makes Cristalex different–dare I say unique, at least in her size range–is the yacht’s dedication to being eco-friendly. That’s not an adjective typically associated with motoryachts, but in this case, it’s fitting. The yacht’s owners are keen not just on having a great charter yacht, but also on running it in as environmentally responsible a way as possible. To that end, the crew have been instructed to make use of everything from organic sheets to non-toxic cleaning products to biodiesel fuel.

“The owners are trying to reduce their carbon footprint,” Capt. Martin Greatbanks told me. “Even our washdowns, we try to use biodegradable and eco-friendly products. We can’t always guarantee things like biodiesel, but we try.”

It’s an interesting sentiment onboard a charter motoryacht, and by Greatbanks’s own admission, the operation is not perfect. Biodiesel, for one, is not available nearly as often as regular fuel, and sometimes, industrial products are the only solution to problems such as spilled oil and the like.

What Greatbanks says he and his team have found during their first year onboard Cristalex, though, is that they need to resort to such “typical” products much less often now that they actively pursue other options.

“It was strange when I joined the boat,” he told me, “but it’s actually quite fine once you learn about it. Things take a little more elbow grease sometimes, but we rarely have to resort to harsh chemicals for anything.”

As you can see in the photo above, the yacht is spotless (and quite stunning, to my personal tastes). If you’re interested in chartering a lovely yacht with an eco-friendly attitude, then Cristalex just might be for you. She’s part of the fleet at Ocean Independence, and any reputable charter broker can tell you more.

Remember the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?” There’s a scene at the end, after Charlie learns he has won Wonka’s contest, where the two of them get into Wonka’s Great Glass Elevator, push an until-then forbidden button, and then hold on tight as the elevator bursts clear through the roof of the factory to offer stunning views of the landscape below.

I couldn’t help but think of this scene as I stood on the deck of the brand-new, fully custom, 173-foot Benetti motoryacht Latinou at last week’s industry-only charter show in Genoa, Italy. No picture-taking was allowed onboard, but I got special permission from management company Fraser Yachts Worldwide to snap the photographs you see in this blog post, of the glass elevator that runs from Latinou’s bottom-deck massage/hair styling room clear up and through onto her sundeck. Here’s a close-up of the elevator itself:

The representative from Fraser Yachts Worldwide–who was instrumental in the yacht’s construction–told me Latinou’s owners were keen on having an elevator that accessed all decks instead of stopping one level short of the sundeck, as is common on other motoryachts in this size range. The idea is that you can be sitting in the hot tub one moment, zip down to have your hair done the next, and then be right back on the sundeck in time for cocktails at the bar.

I didn’t get to ride in the elevator, as it is one of several things aboard Latinou that aren’t yet complete. The yacht appeared at the boat show nearly done and was scheduled to go right back to the Benetti shipyard for finishing touches starting this week before becoming available to charter clients this summer in the Mediterranean.

Thus, you won’t see photos of this yacht anywhere else for a while–but you will see the handful of interior shots Fraser allowed me to take in addition to these sundeck pictures. Latinou’s interior decor is in the style of a 1930s steam ship, and believe me, it’s every bit as interesting as this glass elevator.

I’ll have the photos posted along with my First Impression review here on CharterWave soon.