Travellers craving a taste of history and the high life can now bask in the sunshine and seas in a stunning luxury yacht that was once owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The Christina O on the high seas. Image by Stef Bravin
Originally built in 1943 as a convoy escort, Christina O is now available to charter through Greek company Valek Yachts, allowing guests the opportunity to live on board the historic vessel that once hosted Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Grace and Frank Sinatra. Purchased by Jackie’s husband Aristotle Onassis in 1954, it was converted into one of the largest, most modern yachts of the era at the cost of over $4 million, and became his floating mansion and headquarters for over two decades until his death in 1975.
The Christina O is available to charter through Greek company Valek Yachts. Image by Stef Bravin
In 1978, Aristotle’s daughter Christina Onassis donated the yacht to the Greek Government and it eventually became disused. In 1998 the vessel was purchased by a friend of the Onassis family and underwent extensive refurbishment, as well as the addition of new technology and equipment. It now boasts a number of areas for entertaining, including a dining room with seating for up to 40 guests, an exterior swimming pool which converts to a dance floor, a large Jacuzzi and sunbathing decks. It also has two massage rooms and one beauty room, with fitness therapists being included in the charter rate.
The afterdeck. Image by Stef Bravin
The Christina O comes with a hefty price tag however, with the cost chartering starting at €80,000 per day during the low season. It can accommodate up to 34 overnight guests, with a crew of 38, and can cruise with up to 157 people. Last year saw the 99-metre long yacht being upgraded with a new paint job, a new finish on the Jacuzzi deck, as well as the addition of a hydraulic swim platform.
The Callas Lounge. Image by Stef Bravin
“She is one of many luxury crewed yachts we offer in the Mediterranean, but certainly one of the most prestigious. Aboard there were meetings of great minds and personalities, and of course decadent parties. Above all, Onassis enjoyed Greece’s seas, being pampered by a full crew and in the generous spaces aboard offering privacy,” Kassandra Lefakinis of Valek Yachts told Lonely Planet Travel News.
More information is available at the official Valet Yachts website.
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