First Impression: Newvida

Date toured: October 2007

May 2011 Update: Newvida is now part of the charter fleet at Northrop and Johnson. She looked to be in outstanding condition during my tour in Europe, and chef Alisa Levy turned out an impressive luncheon for brokers and media who know the megayacht industry well. Capt. Don Anderson is now in command.--K.K.

If you’re a follower of the motoryacht scene, then you will recognize the 164-foot motoryacht NewVida by her previous name: Gallant Lady. Her current owner bought her in the summer of 2006, spent a bit of time in the Florida Keys, and then sent NewVida straight into the refit yard in the fall of 2006 to upgrade her audiovisual and entertainment systems.

Now, this was no standard upgrade. When I got onboard NewVida in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a year after her refit began, she boasted an audiovisual system that was, without question, one of the most sophisticated available for charter onboard any yacht, anywhere in the world.

Her new features are based on a Crestron system, which a growing number of large yachts have nowadays. The system includes an oversized remote control in each guest room that lets you control not just music and movie selections, but also lighting, curtains, and temperature. In NewVida’s case, that means the system is wired into a pair of XM Satellite Radio receivers, iPod docking stations, DirecTV, and a Kaleidescape DVD/CD system. There are also now three radomes atop the yacht instead of the one that was there before—so that no matter which direction NewVida swings on her anchor, the satellite signals will never be lost.

But wait.

There’s more.

“What makes our Crestron system the cutting edge is the integration with the service by our crew,” Capt. Dan Verhoff explained as he gave me a demonstration onboard. “You can get into the wine cellar and read a paragraph about the wine, see a label. You can order cigars, see the day’s menu or itinerary, all kinds of things.”

That’s something I haven’t heard of onboard any other yacht, anywhere. Sure, you can order wine or cigars from any crew, but not after perusing the wine cellar’s contents at the push of a button while in your pajamas in your cabin. The crew get your message via three receivers throughout the yacht as well as a Palm Pilot that’s being watched 24 hours a day.

That $1 million audiovisual upgrade—which added some 20 miles of wiring to the yacht’s insides—was just part of the refit the new owner undertook. He also added a hot tub and a guest bathroom up on the top deck, and just a few days before my visit had completed the sea trials on new zero-speed stabilizers (which have become a “must-have” for charter motoryachts in this size range). There are also new, ornate interor decor elements such as comforters (see photo at right) and dining chairs.

All said and done, NewVida boasts 11 crew to keep everything online and running properly. That’s better than one-to-one service for each of her ten guests at a weekly base rate of $220,000, or about $27,500 per person if you factor in typical 25-percent expenses.

NewVida is part of the fleet at Fraser Yachts Worldwide. Contact any reputable charter broker for more information.—Kim Kavin