First Impression: Magna Grecia

Date toured: December 2006

This 193-foot motoryacht had already had quite a life by the time I got a chance to step onboard. She was built as October Rose back in 1986 in Germany and was kept by the same owner for many years. He offered her for charter and even gave her an interior refit in 1999,  but then decided to take her out of charter altogether.
     She was sold in April 2006 to a new owner who renamed her Magna Grecia and put her back into the charter market, focusing on the area around Nice, France, during the summer season and the Caribbean during the winter season. Magna Grecia thus re-enters the market as one of the world’s largest crewed motoryachts available for 12 guests at a time, part of the fleet at Edmiston & Company.
     When I was walking through her, I compared her to similar-sized motoryachts I’ve been onboard such as the 197-foot Paraffin and the 193-foot Senses. All yachts are of course an expression of their owners’ tastes, and I personally like some of them better than others, but in general I try to determine what makes this 220,000-euro-per-week boat (about $300,000, or $31,250 per person with 25-percent expenses included) different for charter than, say, Senses, whose base rate is $60,000 a week less, or Paraffin, which charges $100,000 a week more.
     True, we’re talking huge sums of money overall. But even at this price point, people booking a charter deserve to know exactly what kind of value they’re getting for their money.
     In the case of Magna Grecia, I think the type of charterer who will be particularly pleased is one who appreciates a contemporary décor and onboard party spaces. The yacht is quite crisp in terms of interior ambience, with lots of pure white that could be described as clean, if you like that style, or cold, if you prefer warm wood tones. Couple that with the huge sound system for throwing parties on the helicopter pad, plus the fiber-optic dance floor and lights that run throughout the yacht, and you have a style and tone unique to this price range.
     One broker who has experience with booking Magna Grecia told me the yacht’s layout works well for family and corporate charters alike. I would note, however, that the accommodations are a bit unusual in that there are two guest cabins on the main deck, where a formal dining room would normally be.
     Also worth noting is that the dining room itself is below one deck, sized to fit eight or ten people, tops. As the yacht takes 12 guests total, if everyone wants to eat together, it will not be in this formal setting.
    That’s okay, of course, if your party is divided among adults and kids, or among corporate couples who have individual business to discuss. And it may be one of the areas the new owner is still considering upgrading for charter. His main priority when I was onboard was hiring more crew who had charter experience, another important detail you should ask your reputable charter broker about before booking.—Kim Kavin