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While I was in Toronto, attending
Incentiveworks, I had the pleasure, along with Carol Berwager, of seeing one of
the Haimark Line new ships – the Ms Saint Laurent.
The Ms Saint Laurent carries 210
passengers and 90 crew. Her itineraries for the summer are cruising through the
Great Lakes, and then she repositions via the Caribbean and Panama, for her
inaugural season in Cuba starting in late February 2016.
 Staterooms:
There are two Owners suites which have a nicely appointed living area, dining
area and bedroom. Bathrooms come with L’Occitane Amenities. Mini bar. Safe.
Robes and slippers. Evening canapes, complimentary laundry service, fresh
fruit daily and butler service. Exterior entrance to a patio/verandah area at
the front of the ship.
Then you have the Category AA cabins which are all on Deck 4. These cabins have
their own exterior door that opens out onto a promenade area with chairs and
tables. This category comes with minibar, robes and slippers, complimentary
evening canapes, complimentary laundry service and fresh fruit. There being
only 22 of these cabins, all on the same deck, this is a perfect category to
book for a group. At the front of this deck is another private patio area,
great for the group to gather for cocktails.
This number also is a perfect for
a group, as the second dining area (Cliff Rock) accommodates 51 guests and can
be booked exclusively one night for dinner.
The rest of the Ocean view staterooms are all pretty much the same, just
different location. Cabins are small, but they are nicely appointed with
colorful furnishings – crisp and clean with a light color scheme.
 The
Main Dining Room accommodates 188 guests and most tables are
either 4 tops or 6 tops. There are a couple of 2 tops, however all tables are
moveable. Here you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Then there is the Cliff Rock Bar & Grill. This accommodates 51
guests and serves buffet breakfast and lunch, and for dinner it features the
“hot rock” style of cooking which has become so popular. Great views from this
casual outdoor location. For a group one can book this exclusively one night
for a private event.
The main lounge is comfortable and a great gathering spot during
the day. There is a coffee station available 24/7. There is also a piano and
stage area for live entertainment on select evenings. This lounge can also be
used for conferences during the day and is equipped with audio and video
technology.
 The
main lounge flows through to the Seascape Tavern – a typically
English casual club atmosphere with wood paneling and leather chairs. A good
spot for a drink before dinner.
On deck you have the Observation Area, which is a comfortable
place to gather for sunset and cocktails. Typically this is the smoking area on
the ship, but there is another section further down where you will also find
more deck chairs and again this is a nice area to watch the scenery as one sails
by – during the day or in the evenings.
A perfect charter vessel, and also
a good option for a group of about 44/48 guests. Seeing the vessel in port, I
am unable to attest to the standard of service and quality of food, however I
will
 be
able to follow up on this after my cruise on one of their other ships, the
Mekong Princes, in late September.
The ship has interesting itineraries and is what I would classify as an
Expedition ship. If you want a different destination, this is it. The most
alluring of all being Cuba.
Also, belonging to Haimark Line, are several river boats that operate in exotic
locations around the world – the Mekong in Vietnam, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar,
the Ganges in India, and the Amazon in South America. Stay tuned for a ship
report from the Mekong next month. |
