Inside the world’s most luxurious cruise ship suites

THE butler’s at your beck and call, the champagne’s on ice and the views are ready to impress.
Welcome to cruise ship life at the top end of town.
It’s a few rungs up from bunk-bed berths where the only luxury is peering through portholes.
We’re talking suites bigger than houses - and prices almost as large.
From swish spas to fancy fittings to gourmet in-suite dining options, these top-class cruising options let you kick back and enjoy the spoils of your splurge in some of the best digs on offer at sea.
And since everything is brought to you, you won’t even need to find your “sea legs” in one of these well-serviced suites.

Queen Mary 2
Grand Duplexes
There’s champagne and strawberries on arrival and a nightly pillow chocolate provided with turndown service. But the little luxuries are the only thing little about this suite experience. You’ve got 685sq m over two storeys to spread out in (about three times the size of an average Aussie home) - with huge private balconies to enjoy. There’s butler service, exclusive access to the Queens Grill Lounge and in-suite dining from Queens Grill menu. Fit for royalty, these residences-at-sea are aptly named the Balmoral and Sandringham suites.
Sample price: $95,000 for a 14-night Transatlantic crossing for two ($6800 per person per night).

Crystal Symphony
Crystal Penthouse
Can’t decide between relaxing in the bath, staring at the horizon or watching telly? Never fear, the Crystal Penthouse has you covered with its ocean view bathrooms, which feature jacuzzi tubs and TVs. These 300sq m suites are attended by a penthouse attendant and butler and are kitted out with glamorous furnishings such as a Swarovski chandelier and crystal pedestal sink in the powder room.
Sample price: $43,500 for an eight-night China-Japan cruise for two ($2700 per person per night).

Oasis of the Seas
Royal Loft Suite 

If music (and money) is your thing then you’ll probably be expecting a piano in your suite and the Royal Loft doesn’t disappoint, with a baby grand part of the deal. Spread over two levels totalling 148.6sq m, these suites feature panoramic views, a 81.2sq m private balcony with jacuzzi, a wet bar and two dining areas.
Sample price: $24,000 for a seven-night Caribbean cruise for two ($1700 per person per night).

Source: heraldsun.com

The Bugatti Dynamic Drive Experience Wants You to Push the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse to Its Limits

Buying a Bugatti Veyron is already pretty darn cool, but the luxury car brand took it a step further by offering their customers the chance to take a Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse out for a test spin — which they announced last year. Called the Bugatti Dynamic Drive Experience, four events are planned to happen annually throughout the U.S. and Canada, and according to GT Spirit, the first one of 2014 was held on California's famed Route 74.

“Driving a Bugatti is an incredible experience. It is the most powerful and fastest production car in the world and is outstanding in terms of driving dynamics but also in terms of usability”, said Dr. Stefan Brungs, member of the board of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. for sales, marketing and customer service. “We modeled this new event format that is centered around driving the 1,200-hp Vitesse on the greatest roads in America with the opportunity to fully experience the car both on windy road courses and at high speeds on long straightaways.”

The scenic Route 74 is known for being one of the most dangerous in the states, mainly due to its narrow roads and high traffic, and gives some pretty stunning views of the Senora Desert. Dangerous curves and fantastic sites? Sounds like the perfect backdrop for test driving the 1200hp, open-top Grand Sport Vitesse. If driving the $3M supercar seems a little intimidating (you're only human), not to worry because Bugatti lends you a professional instructor who will give you tips on how to handle the car. When you're not driving, you get to enjoy five-star treatment and events, all while getting to rub elbows with Bugatti's representatives.
The very first event was held last year in Las Vegas, and the French auto brand is hoping to keep this going in the years to come. If you want to take part, you should contact Bugatti directly.

Source: justluxe.com

Maria Sharapova Presents Personalized Porsche During Sochi Olympics

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova happens to be from Sochi where the Olympics are currently in full swing — so of course she paid a visit to the epic event. And to spice things up a bit the Porsche Brand Ambassador brought a personalized ride: the Porsche Panamera GTS “by Maria Sharapova." Taking full advantage of the Porsche Exclusive customization program, the athlete’s Panamera is painted in classic Carrera White, an appropriate color for the winter games.

The Panamera GTS, one of the sportiest models in brand’s acclaimed four-door range and the top non-turbo offering, comes equipped with a naturally aspirated 4.8 liter V8 engine good for 440hp at 6,700rpm. It accelerates from zero to 60mph in 4.2 seconds and reaches a top track speed of 179mph. The base price of the GTS in the U.S. is $113,400, while options can add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost.

Some of Sharapova’s custom details on the car include black LED main headlights, tinted LED rear lights, black tailpipe covers on the sports exhaust system, and black 20-inch Panamera sports wheels with red brake calipers. Inside you’ll find extended espresso leather trim with decorative cream colored contrast stitching and carbon fiber accents. The instrument dials and vehicle key are painted to match the Carrera White body color. The front and rear headrests are embossed with the Porsche crest and the armrests are customized with the “Panamera GTS” model logo, while the carbon fiber door guards feature “Maria Sharapova” lettering.
“Creating and specifying a very personal Porsche Panamera GTS was such an exciting undertaking,” Sharapova says. “It opens the door to a whole new design sensibility and allowed me to bring my own personal aesthetic. It’s an ingenious melding of the design world with automotive personalization.”

Source: justluxe.com

Audi Reluminates the Sport Quattro Concept with Laserbeam Headlights

The name Audi is synonymous with Quattro. It's the name that Audi gave to its all-wheel drive system and the name of its performance tuning division. But it all started with the 1980s rally and road car. One of the first production coupes with a four-wheel traction, the Audi Quattro dominated the international rally scene and earned its place as one of the most indelible vehicles in Germany's considerable automotive history. And Audi hasn't been able to shake the image since – not that it would want to.

 Audi came to the 2010 Paris Auto Salon with the Quattro Concept that sought to revive the spirit of the original with a reinterpreted boxy shape and a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine. Three years later, the German automaker resurfaced with the Sport Quattro Concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, bringing the form one step closer to production and rekindling the public's fascination with the Ur-Quattro.

And early in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it brought the concept back once again with the Sport Quattro Laserlight.

Essentially the same show car that appeared in Frankfurt last year, the Sport Quattro concept had its carbon-fiber bodywork repainted from yellow to red and its headlamps replaced with advanced laser headlights – similar to the ones Audi uses on its Le Mans Prototype racecars – surrounded by a matrix of LEDs. The laser diodes are both more compact – measured in mere microns – and brighter than conventional headlights, illuminating the road ahead for nearly half a kilometer.

"The new show car demonstrates technical 'Vorsprung' on many levels," says Audi board member Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg. "On-board this car we have e-tron technology with 515 kW of power and 2.5 l/100 km (94.09 US mpg) fuel economy; laser headlights that leave all previous systems in the dark with its higher performance as well as new display and operating systems with cutting-edge electronic performance. We are showing the future of Audi here."

The party-trick headlamps are all well and fine, but what we're really looking forward to is seeing the Sport Quattro concept – with laserbeams or without – make the transition from showcar to showroom in the near future.

Source: justluxe.com

Infiniti Gets Serious About Performance With Q50 Eau Rouge Concept

A truly world-class luxury automaker needs a performance brand. Mercedes-Benz has AMG, BMW has its M division, Audi's Quattro GmbH produces an RS line, Lexus has taken to bestowing its performance-oriented models with the letter F, Cadillac uses the letter V, and Jaguar has R and R-S. But Infiniti has been trying to catch up with the rest of the pack for several years now.

The Japanese luxury automaker started the Infiniti Performance Line in 2010, but in the years since it has only produced two models — and they were both based on the Q60 (or the two-door version of the G37, as it was known then). Thankfully, Infiniti finally turned a new page with the unveiling of their Q50 Eau Rouge at the Detroit Auto Show this year.

If you have even a cursory understanding of French, you'll probably be wondering why Infiniti named its new performance sedan concept “red water” — but that's not from where it derives its name. Eau Rouge is the name of the most challenging corners at one of the most legendary racetracks in the world, Spa Francorchamps (home of the Belgian Grand Prix). Evoking the name draws on the auto brand's ever-deepening partnership with Red Bull Racing, the team that's heading into the 2014 season as the reigning Formula One World Champions for the fourth year in a row.

There's more to the Eau Rouge concept, however, than a name. Although the show car may look mostly like the Q50 sedan you can buy at your local Infiniti dealer, the company's engineers have replaced most of the body panels with carbon fiber. In fact, only the front doors and part of the roof were left unchanged.
"From our shared passion for performance with Infiniti Red Bull Racing grew a collective desire to produce an ambitious and powerful Infiniti Q50 design study," said Infiniti design chief Alfonso Albaisa. "The overall design creates a feeling of refined muscularity."
The lightweight composite body panels give it a wider, more aggressive stance, punctuated by very serious-looking aerodynamic elements and 21-inch wheels at each corner — all of which betray a far more potent engine under the hood than the 328hp, 3.7-liter V6 that comes stock.

So what, exactly, is under the hood? Infiniti isn't saying, probably because like most concept cars, the Eau Rouge design doesn't actually have an engine. At least not for any purpose other than moving it on and off the show stage. Rest assured though, because Infiniti is talking seriously about putting it into production. "If we built this car I would expect it to feature over 500 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque," said Infiniti's President Johan de Nysschen. "The engine we are evaluating for the Q50 Eau Rouge is a big personality, V-cylinder engine with forced induction."

 That sounds very promising indeed, but word has it that the Q50 wouldn't be the only one to get such an athletic makeover. The same formula could be applied across the company's line-up, giving the Europeans a run for their money and Infiniti something to bridge the gap between the luxury automobiles it is known for making and the racing cars it sponsors.

Source: justluxe.com

Wider 42: The Transformer of the Sea

The Wider 42' yacht may remind some of a transformer, only it's way cooler because it's real (sorry, kids). Developed on an idea by Wider President Tilli Antonelli, and interpreted by yacht designer Fulvio De Simoni, this day cruiser is versatile with a very open design scheme — so open that the sides extend out in case you want to have a dance party on deck.

 Wider calls their 42' yacht a "fusion of strength, cutting-edge technology and design excellence." With twin 480hp Cummins engines giving her a top speed of 44 knots (around 50mph), this vessel is apparently pretty lightweight — thanks to the carbon hull and deck.

All you have to do to expand the sides, which only takes 12 seconds, is to push a button on the panel. Once extended, the deck ends up being nearly 22 feet wide. Not only does this give you and your friends more room to relax, it also gives the boat extra stability, which could come in handy when you're grilling streaks thanks to the outdoor galley. The multi-pad system found at the stern starts as a sun pad but can take on four additional layouts: one for diving equipment, stowing tender, a jet ski, and a fight chair for fishing big game.

There is also a kitchen, living room with sofa bed, bathroom and a bedroom all onboard — pretty impressive for being only 43 feet long, despite what the name implies.

Source: justluxe.com