Yacht
CD Two is a 1995 motoryacht whose owner was completing extensive renovations at the time of our cruise. Both the furnishings that will appeal to charter guests and the machinery that makes the yacht run properly were given overhauls. Just a week before our visit, the boat was still being put back together. By the time of our arrival, most everything was in place, and we can honestly say that everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.

New carpeting in the guest staterooms was still to come, and the captain had yet to try out all the new helm electronics. In fact, the yacht’s owner hadn’t seen the finished product yet, either. “We’ve spent an awful lot of money, and he almost won’t recognize the boat when he sees it,” Capt. Peter Leeming told us. “He’ll be so pleased.”

And rightfully so.

Crew
On the day we joined CD Two, the yacht’s crew were meeting one another for the first time. They had yet to develop a routine or even get to know each crewmembers’ names, so we were thoroughly surprised to receive the level of service that is expected onboard a yacht of this caliber.

The main reason they seemed able to pull this off was steady, calm, friendly direction from Capt. Peter Leeming, a Brit who earned a very good reputation in the charter industry at the helm of the owner’s former yacht, CD One.

He sets a tone on the yacht that is attentive, but not overbearing. He believes his team will be well-suited for either family or corporate charters. “We get clients who want to relax, who don’t want to be intimidated by crew standing at attention and being in their face,” Peter says. “This is also a perfect boat for business. Upstairs, downstairs, and on the aft deck—they can have three meetings going at once.”

Chef
The chef during our charter was brought on specifically for our cruise and is not expected to be the permanent chef onboard. He was French and incredibly shy, but did a lovely job of preparing everything from vichyssoise to veal marsala.

We won’t waste your time with more details, since you’re likely to have a different chef when you book your charter.

Accommodations
The great thing about CD Two is that her accommodations offer a lot of flexibility for different kinds of charter parties. The full-beam master stateroom is on the main deck, and it has an adjoining twin cabin—perfect for a couple with a young child they want to keep close, or for a businessman with a secretary or bodyguard who needs to be at the ready at all hours. 

Belowdecks are the four remaining guest cabins, two with double-size beds and two with twin berths. These would be terrific for a multigenerational family cruise, or for business associates who want to share cabins but not necessarily beds.
 
Destination
The Balearic Isles off the southern coast of Spain have long been a favorite summertime destination for Europeans. The island Mallorca is known for its main city, Palma, while Ibiza is known for its discotheques and Menorca is revered for its natural habitat.

High winds prevented us from cruising beyond Mallorca during our charter, so we had to turn inland for new destinations to explore. We could have been quite happy milling around Palma for an entire week—with bustling shops, restaurants, and historic buildings—but we were pleased to find Valdemossa, a charming walled city atop a very high hill.

If you get the chance to do some inland sightseeing on Mallorca, don’t pass up these two locations. They’re worth the extra few days on that single island during your charter.