This week one of our directors, Jake, was invited by Club Med to fly to Marseille, France to board a 2 night sailing onboard their yacht - style cruising experience, Club Med 2.
After an early start for a 6am flight from Manchester, my anticipation was building to embark on my journey to Marseille to board Club Med 2, a yacht built in 1996, but refurbished in 2024. As someone who usually sails with the main cruise lines and their much bigger ships, I honestly didn't know what to expect.
After meeting up with a fellow travel agent, who I quickly became friends with, any nerves about going in to a new experience, with new people soon turned in excitement and curiosity as neither of us had sailed this way before.
Fast forward to Marseille that afternoon, it was such a pleasure to finally meet up with our group, a collection of travel agents, fellow agency owners, Club Med staff and some trade media reps - all excited for our next 3 days, rosé in hand. Unfortunately, a taxi strike in the region was causing some delays in everyone leaving the airport, but Club Med's Jemma Bridges and her team were on hand to sort that for us and quickly had us transferred to the port.
Docked opposite two ocean cruise ships from Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises, the first glimpse of Club Med 2 reaffirmed that this really would be a much smaller, personalised experience, one that I knew I was excited to try.
Club Med 2 from the port before boarding
So what happens next? Like most cruises, luggage is tagged and taken to your cabin, whilst you complete the check in formalities, including registering a credit card for any onboard expenses (more on this later!), and that always glamorous security photo for your cruise card.
A deluxe cabin onboard Club Med 2
There's a few cabin options onboard Club Med 2, and I was staying in a Superior Cabin. This is the entry level cabin onboard, but don't be fooled thinking that it lacks any style, comfort or amenities. As a coffee lover, I was definitely pleasantly surprised to walk in to a coffee machine on the desk!
Click here to watch the cabin tour on YouTube
In some outside cabins, particularly with portholes it can be easy to feel a little claustrophobic and dark, however the first thing I noticed about my cabin was just how airy and light it felt. Complimented by plenty of lighting, the light blue feel to the carpet and curtains, and the crisp white bedding really made the cabin feel much bigger and brighter than it perhaps could have felt.
As you can see from the cabin tour video, a big double bed, desk with chair, and small but functional bathroom make up the basis of the cabin, with some added features such as safe deposit boxes, a TV, mini fridge, and of course WiFi!
As you may know, Club Med resorts are "more than all inclusive", and for me I really understand this now. Since this was my first experience of any Club Med product, either a resort or indeed onboard Club Med 2, I knew only from what other people and customers had told me. There's a selection of bars and restaurants onboard the yacht, with the main being Le Monte-Carlo and Le Saint-Tropez, with the latter being a buffet service. Both restaurants serve a range of dishes, from traditional French cuisine, to salads and cooked-fresh meats and fish. The all inclusive doesn't stop with delicious dining, as once we were done with dinner on both nights, we danced the night away at the bar. There's champagne flowing from sailaway, and a dedicated bar team mixing cocktails, wines and spirits for the rest of the night! Let's just say that on the first night, some other travel agents and I really made us of the bar being open till 2am, the dance deck and the brilliant DJ.
Last ones standing
For our second day onboard, we docked in the lovely seaside town of Roses, in Spain. As all good ship visits must have, we were given a ship tour on the morning before lunch, and then made our way below deck to the tender disembarkation area, where frequent boats were available to cross us in to Roses. Whilst I thought Roses seemed to be a lovely little town, with a range of shops, bars, beaches, restaurants and historical culture, I was really here to try out the ship, so I didn't spend too long on dry land... besides, the second night was White Night, so we all needed to get dressed and ready for our formal dinner and party later!
Jake with another travel agent, Karen, on white night
One of the great things about Club Med 2 is that it's such a small ship, the whole experience can feel as cosy as you want it to, but without feeling like you're stepping on each others toes. Being the size it is, and the spaces onboard so close together, it was never difficult to find someone from our group, yet we never felt as though we were getting in anyones way - I think this would be a good point to consider for various different types of people. For couples, there's enough space to socialise with others but also keep to yourself when you want to, and for solo sailors, I can't imagine you'd have a hard time trying to find someone to get to know!
So, I think I've covered everything I got up to onboard Club Med 2, but there is definitely much more to do, too! Club Med 2 has a large nautical hall at the back, giving you direct access to water sports and the sea, from paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking, snorkelling and sailing - all of which are included when you're onboard!
If you like the sound of Club Med 2, get in touch with there.travel today to discuss itineraries, cabins, and to get your yacht style sailing booked.
