S urely you have been guilty of it, too. You see a magnificent yacht arrive in a harbor and want to know who’s on board. Is it a celebrity … a pro athlete? Maybe it’s a tech billionaire? Our culture is fascinated with the lifestyles of the rich and famous, especially intrigued by their pricey toys and exclusive ports of call. So, where are the nautical hideouts of the rich and famous? Where do the super celebs and the fabulously funded go for sun and fun? Celebrities travel on a much more extravagant budget (or no budget at all), so that’s enticing enough. And they journey to extraordinary places. Here are Caribbean destinations where you may encounter movie stars, rock legends or royalty on holiday or perhaps just floating in the harbor on a mega yacht.
SAINT BARTHÉLEMY Also known as St. Barts or St. Barths, this island is French, fabulous and a favorite vacation spot for the cool upper class in the Caribbean. St. Bart’s harbor (the capital and port of Gustavia) fills with hundreds of mega yachts for New Year’s festivities and fireworks, and in the prime winter season. Unfathomably large yachts like Eclipse at 540 feet, owned by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, often floats into this posh paradise. Beyoncé and Jay-Z like to host New Year’s here aboard a chartered yacht, and the power couple rents other peoples’ yachts to the tune of $900,000 a week. They tend to host their A-lister friends Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, and Orlando Bloom. If you are hob knobbing in St. Bart’s over the holidays, you may also spot U2 lead Bono’s yacht, The Cyan ; Sean “Diddy” Combs’s $72 million yacht, Oasis ; Lionel Richie aboard 380-foot Ulysses ; or Diane Von Furstenberg on her $200 million sailing yacht, Eos . For on shore luxe, celebs stay at the exclusive Eden Rock, a “discreet bolt- hole of glamourous Hollywood characters” since the 1950s. Where to Dock : St. Barts Marina, Gustavia
Roman Abramovich’s yacht, Eclipse
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WINTER 2022
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