First Impression: Andreas L

Date toured: December 2008

Editor's Note: This yacht launched in 2008 as Amnesia, but was purchased in 2010 and renamed Andreas L as part of the Liveras Yachts charter fleet. The following review was was written when she was still known as Amnesia and was part of the Camper and Nicholsons fleet.

At every one of the world’s premier charter yacht shows, there is a motoryacht of jaw-dropping proportions. The sisterships that held that distinction at the December 2008 Antigua charter yacht show were Amnesia and Xanadu, both brand-new, 197-foot sisterships built in Italy by Benetti. They were docked just a few slips apart in Antigua, each showcasing very different interiors and charter programs. Each was impressive in its own way, with Xanadu being especially noteworthy for the audiovisual system within her rich, Old World-style decor, but I must admit that the contemporary, almost minimalist interior aboard Amnesia was more to my personal taste.

Amnesia actually launched from the Benetti yard first, in spring 2008, and she had brought aboard a new captain the very week of the Antigua show. I didn’t have a chance to meet him and instead toured the yacht with stewardess Renee Easthope, an Australian who was new to the yachting business (Amnesia is the first yacht on which she has worked).

As we made our way through the main saloon, I noted that the light woodwork with cream and ivory fabrics, paired with subtle, small-framed artwork, made for a subdued feeling compared with the far more ornate interiors aboard a lot of yachts in this size range. “We like it because for theme nights, we can really make the place whatever we want it to be,” Easthope told me. It's a good point—and one that shows the crew are interested in keeping mealtimes fresh for guests who choose to dine inside night after night.

The master cabin (shown in the photograph below) is forward on the main deck and includes a sitting room with a flat-screen television. The sleeping area spans the full width of the yacht and includes six huge, rectangular windows that let in an extraordinary amount of natural light. Each of the his-and-her bathrooms has a shower with a head that is not round, but square, and easily a foot and a half in diameter, producing a rain shower effect. Also—as a special note for all of you ladies reading this—the closet on “his” side is at least twice as big as “hers.” Give him the tub that goes along with the rain shower in “her” bathroom and take “his” closet for yourself.

Up one level is the bridge deck, which includes a massage room as well as the VIP cabin. It, too, has a wall of windows and, in my opinion, even better outdoor views than the master, given the room’s height off the water. The VIP cabin can be split into two cabins with twin beds, if you so choose. Also on this level is the sky lounge, which is ready for fun with a bar, game table, and sofas.

The other four guest cabins are on the bottom deck. Two have queen-size beds, while two have twin-size beds that are large enough to be comfortable for adults. Each of these cabins, too, has a pair of large windows to let in natural light.

As I made my way to Amnesia’s galley, I ran into head chef Zac Phillips, another of Amnesia’s 16 crew members. He had been working aboard for nearly two months, having arrived from the 173-foot charter motoryacht Passion and, before that, the 414-foot motoryacht Octopus (which is not available for charter, but is well-known as private yacht of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen).

Like Easthope, the stewardess showing me around, Phillips is an Australian. He told me that he trained for four years in his home country at restaurants that had French and Asian influences. “Plus, with six years of being on yachts, I’ve picked up a bit of everything,” he says. “For instance, I’m very good with meat. I don’t get anything pre-portioned or vacuum-packed. I do all my own butchering.”

Easthope quickly added: “And his cheesecake is to die for.” It sounded like a meal made in heaven to me.

The only other thing I would note about Amnesia is that her sundeck has no permanent biminis. It is a true sundeck (see the photograph at the top of this page), with movable umbrellas being your only option for shade--unless you’re working out in the air conditioned gymnasium that is in the center of the sundeck. There’s plenty of places for sun-worshipers on this deck, including a massive hot tub with three underwater, leather-seat bar stools. That’s an interesting feature I haven’t seen elsewhere, and it’s hard not to wonder how those cushions feel against a wet bum. You’ll have to charter Amnesia to find out.—Kim Kavin

Amnesia takes 12 guests with 16 crew at a lowest weekly base rate of €250,000. She’s expected to be in the Caribbean during winters and the Western Mediterranean during summers. Camper & Nicholsons International is the management company. Any reputable charter broker can help you book a week onboard.