What is it? Crewed Scandinavian motor yacht Galerna was built in 1973 to ferry the Danish royal family and its notable guests (including artist Salvador Dali) around the Fjordlands. The Galerna is now based in New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds, at the top end of the South Island. She is available for cruises and exclusive charters of a week or more. The area is a maze of deep coves and steep bays dripping with rainforest.
Luxurious or basic? By marine standards it's luxurious, but the Galerna is still a classic old ship with an original interior, so think compact. The two smaller cabins are well appointed (with en suite bathrooms, central heating, closets and a double and single bed) but are certainly maritime in their proportions. For pure luxury, go for the Prince Henry suite, the former royal stateroom now with a king-sized bed, DVD player, study nook, library, bath - and what luxury Scandinavian cruiser would be without a sauna?
Who should sail? For day hire, the Galerna is ideal for weddings or corporate groups, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktails and canapes on the upper deck. For overnight trips and charters, the three-cabin layout is best suited to couples or families. You can even marry on board, then drop the family back at Picton wharf while you cruise Marlborough Sounds on your honeymoon.
What's on the menu? The menu is flexible and chefs come from award-winning local restaurants and wineries. Expect modern New Zealand fare (a casual English-Italian-French mixture) with the emphasis on lamb and seafood. All wine and beer is included in the tariff and, given that Marlborough Sounds is New Zealand's best wine region, this is a good opportunity to sample specialities such as Johanneshof winery's gewurztraminer.
What else is there to do? The Queen Charlotte Track winds around Marlborough Sounds for 70km and the crew can organise walks along sections. Ship Cove is a worthwhile spot at which to go ashore: Captain Cook used the bay as a base for his southern explorations, which brought about his discovery of Australia, and the area still feels like his camp site. Kayaks are kept on deck for
more energetic souls, but the truly brave might consider scuba-diving on the wreck of the Mikhail Lermontov, the largest cruise liner to sink since the Titanic, in 1986. All aboard bar one crew member escaped the sinking vessel; three recreational divers have since died in it.