JP/7 /CLUB

JP/7 /CLUB

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On invitation by Club Med and its marketing consultant here, PT
Wadhia Bala, a reporter of The Jakarta Post joined part of its
first Asia-bound cruise from Bali to Semarang, and wrote the
following story.
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European "village" in Asia on the "Club Med 2"

By Prapti Widinugraheni [10 pts ML]

PADANGBAI, Bali (JP): As the small boat brought us farther
away from the Padangbai port and closer to what was claimed to be
the largest sailing cruiser in the world, one could indeed see
that Club Med 2 was a truly awesome five-masted, seven-sailed
yacht.

"It can be completely powered by sail when conditions of the
wind allow, giving it a speed of eight to 10 knots, or can be
combined with an engine, giving it a maximum of 15 knots. Either
way, the ship runs on a fully computerized navigation system,"
the Manager, or "Chief", of the Club Med 2 "Village" Janyck
Daudet said.

On its Asia-bound cruise, Club Med 2, is sailed in Indonesia,
and went on to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong
and Japan. This is a new route for the ship, which formerly plied
the route to the New Caledonias between 1991 and 1992.

On its first visit to Indonesia late last month, Club Med 2
made an unscheduled stop at the eastern Bali Padangbai harbor, as
unfavorable weather made it impossible for the cruiser to dock at
the Benoa harbor which is actually much closer to the Club Med
Bali resort.

The cruiser's stops here includes Lombok Island (east of
Bali), Probolinggo (East Java), and Bawean Island (off coast East
Java).

'Village'

Despite the impressiveness of the boat itself, the most
notable part of the Club Med 2 is what happens on-deck.

Daudet said the atmosphere of the 187 meter-long and 20 meter-
wide eight-deck yacht, was created in the style of a typical Club
Med "village".

This, said Daudet, means passengers can choose to go on shore
for excursions or join other activities on board, with the help
of 62 young crew members of various nationalities -- known as
the GOs or gentils organisateurs (gentle organizers).

The GO's are the backbone of Club Med, providing
entertainment, sports instruction, and friendly service to the
customers.

Since Club Med 2 is equipped with several bars, pools, and
restaurants as well as sports equipment for everything from water
skiing to aerobics, passengers only need to hope for enough time
and suitable weather to enjoy them all.

The ship, said Daudet, was also equipped with a casino and
slot machines. "But once we entered Indonesian waters, the
immigration officials sealed them up since they are forbidden
(here). We will open them again after we leave the territory," he
said.

Young travelers

Despite many similarities between the cruiser and the Club Med
villages on shore, Daudet admitted that the cruiser's atmosphere
is more formal.

Indeed it may be boring to young people who prefer to walk the
country, discover things for themselves and find something new
everyday -- unless a romance turns up on board.

So it was not surprising to see that most passengers were
elderly French-speaking Europeans, while others were Australian
and Japanese.

A French influence was obvious in the emergency drill.

As the first announcement was in French and the second in
Japanese, English-speaking passengers wondered aloud if they
might be the first to drown in a real emergency.

The food and entertainment added to the western atmosphere,
but also posed another `danger' to passengers.

"Be careful you don't end up rolling out of the ship," an
Australian passenger joked, referring to the rich, five-course
European dinners.

The meals usually consisted of a certain kind of soup, hot and
cold appetizers, a main course and delicious dessert.

The nightly entertainment of lively cabarets, songs and other
performances were presented professionally by the surprisingly
vibrant GO's, despite their hard work all day.

Pace

But the ship had an extremely tight schedule which prevented
passengers from enjoying onshore scenery at a relaxed pace.

Take for example the seven-hour, well-organized express trip
to Mount Bromo in which passengers could not experience the
mountain's famous sunrise.

Those intending to go on the tour had to wake up at 6 a.m. --
after a night's full of disco at the ship's St. Tropez bar -- so
they could finish breakfast just in time to catch the last
shuttle boat to shore at 7:30.

By 10 a.m., after a dizzy trip from the Probolinggo harbor to
the last point reachable by vehicles, we proceeded on horseback,
the pace depending both on the condition of the horses and their
owners who walked behind them.

The scenery was amazing, despite the plain of fine, dark sand
that seemed to stretch off into eternity.

At 11:30 a.m. everyone was at the foot of the more-than-500,
steep cement steps leading to the edge of Mt. Bromo's now-extinct
crater.

After puffing up the stairs for five to 15 minutes, we were
welcomed by what seemed to be a combination of fog from the low
clouds and sulfur from the crater.

Depending on the wind, the strong scent of sulfur would
occasionally rise from the crater, making breathing
uncomfortable.

The thickness of the gas also made it impossible to see
anything inside the crater.

So after struggling to take a few good pictures for five to 20
minutes we were ready to return.

Back at the harbor at about 2:15 p.m. the passengers could not
wait to get back to the ship to have a late lunch. Thanks to the
reliable shuttle boats, this last part of the trip lasted about
five minutes only.

Although short, most of the more elderly passengers seemed to
enjoy the trip and many expressed admiration over the view.

Asia

On its first debut here as well in Asia, Club Med 2 only
carried 65 passengers of the ship's total capacity of 419
passengers and 200 crew.

Daudet admitted that not much profit is expected on Club Med
2's first cruise here.

So why expand to Asia?

Asia's impressive economic growth and exotic magnetism seems
to have made it an increasingly favorable market for
international cruise lines.

The Club Med's Regional Marketing and Transportation Director
for Asia Pacific and the Indian ocean, admitted that the
Indonesian market of this US$120 million publicly-owned cruiser
is very specific.

"I believe that there are at least one million Indonesians out
there that can afford Club Med's services," said Charles
Flanagan.

Serran Sianturi, Managing and Creative Director of PT Wadhia
Bala -- Club Med's marketing consultant for Indonesia -- said
Club Med 2's rates in Indonesia vary between $330 and $440 per
person depending on the chosen route.

Deputy Director for Travel and Cruise of the Department of
Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Thamrin B. Bahri, who also
joined the cruise, said that despite its limited market, Club
Med's visits here support tourism.

The ship, he added, not only travels across Indonesia's vast
seas but gives passengers a chance to cruise inland.

The Club Med tour is a voyage of contrasts. The on-board life
is a luxurious, "European" atmosphere that concentrates on food,
entertainment and relaxation. The shore activities offer the
passengers a chance to enjoy unspoiled beauty of Asia.

These two worlds are blended almost seamlessly together to
provide a lucky few with a truly memorable vacation.

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