SEYCHELLES CRUISE ONBOARD MEGA YACHT PEGASOS

 When you picture paradise, it’s often an island of lush vegetation, fringed with tranquil white-sand beaches and surrounded by clear, sparkling azure waters. Add dramatic granitic rock formations, and you’ve imagined the idyllic Seychelles — an archipelago of around 115 islands and islets in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of East Africa.

I’m Amy, part of the award-winning family team at Select Travel Holidays and a CLIA Master Cruise Consultant, and together with Rachel, our Managing Director, I recently explored some of the Seychelles’ beautiful islands on a small-ship yacht cruise with Variety Cruises. In this Variety Cruises review, I’ll share our first-hand experiences, insights, and honest impressions of this unforgettable voyage.

By Amy, Blogger-in-Chief at Select Travel Holidays | CLIA Master Cruise Agent

Discover the Enchanting Seychelles: From History to Island Paradise

 The Seychelles were uninhabited throughout most of recorded history, although it is believed that they were first visited by Austronesian seafarers, and later Maldivian and Arab traders. The Portuguese were the first Europeans in 1502 to record a sighting of the Seychelles, but it wasn’t until the mid-18 ^th  century when the French began to take control, laying a Stone of Possession on Mahé in 1756.

Of course, as a transit point for trade between Africa and Asia, the islands have seen their share of pirates! Perhaps because they have been inhabited so little throughout history – and today, the population is only 92,000 (our hometown of Bedford’s population is 166,000!) – they’ve been able to retain for so long their romantic air of paradise, with many islands appearing to rise from the waters as if they were Robinson Crusoe islands.

Yacht Cruising: M/Y Pegasos

Many of the islands cannot be accessed other than by boat, making a cruise the ideal way to explore the Seychelles. Better still, a yacht cruise offers a  more intimate, informal and flexible way to explore the area  than traditional cruises (with greater accessibility), as Rachel and I discovered during our  seven-night ‘Garden of Eden’ cruise Variety Cruises onboard the M/Y Pegasos.

What Makes Pegasos Unique: Twin-Hull Comfort and Intimate Scale

 The M/Y Pegasos is a 45m mega yacht, with a capacity for up to 44 guests. First launched in 1990, she’s kept in remarkably good condition, and lovingly looked after by the crew, who ensure that she is constantly gleaming. View all M/Y Pegasos itineraries.

Cabins are spacious, with a few offering a three-berth for families, and we were pleasantly surprised by the generous storage space. The public areas consist of the main bar/lounge and restaurant, which are open plan on the upper deck, and a lot of al fresco deck space. There’s even a spa onboard, with very reasonably priced massages on offer!

Learn more about the accommodation and cabins on M/Y Pegasos

Life Aboard: Relaxation, Views, and Exceptional Service

 The crew bring the M/Y Pegasos to life, with their friendliness and warmth, and we were immediately welcomed onboard and made to feel at home. Being a small yacht with a capacity of up to 44 guests, the Pegasos is an intimate vessel, and you’ll soon get to know your fellow passengers, not least because dining is set up to encourage conviviality with tables on average seating six guests.

Learn more about M/Y Pegasos

What Makes Pegasos Unique: Informal and Intimate

 Onboard life is more informal than traditional cruising, and the appeal of this cruise perhaps extends beyond, reaching people who wouldn’t ordinarily consider themselves cruisers. There’s certainly no formal nights onboard!

However, there was a fun-filled al fresco Creole Night while we were docked at Baie St Anne on Praslin island, where we savoured a delicious local themed buffet out on deck, and were entertained by a local singer and joined by local dancers who taught us sega dancing, and the Captain led the limbo dance! For me, Creole Night was a memorable highlight of the cruise.  

There’s an international feel onboard, with guests hailing from predominantly from Europe; during our cruise, there was a British couple and an American couple onboard, but all other guests were European (a German couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, two Swiss couples, a pair of Austrian sisters in their late twenties, and a party of seven Belgians).

There’s also a wider range in ages than you’d perhaps see on other cruises, from millennials in their late twenties, couples in their forties, to those in their seventies, but still fit and active.

From Buffets to Fine Dining: Culinary Life on M/Y Pegasos

Dinner alternated between a buffet and a set four- or five-course meal, with a choice for the main course, and was always served at around 8.00 after the daily briefing given by Vivek, the Cruise Co-ordinator, who would explain the timings for the next day, and give us information about what we would be seeing. 

Whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we would always be securely moored up and never sailing during mealtimes—‘we don’t want you to have rock and roll while you’re eating!’ they explained with a smile. This thoughtful approach ensured that we could truly focus on savoring our meals without any interruptions from the swaying of the boat.

Despite having only three, maybe four, dedicated individuals working tirelessly in the galley, the food they prepared was consistently well presented and incredibly tasty. We were genuinely impressed with the variety and quality of the meals served throughout our stay. One of the highlights was a delightful beach barbecue at Moyenne Island, where we enjoyed freshly grilled delicacies amid stunning surroundings, creating an unforgettable dining experience that added a special touch to our adventure.

Learn more about the dining on M/Y Pegasos

The Joy of Small Ship Cruising in the Seychelles

 Most of the sailing was only for short stretches, averaging perhaps an hour each time. We left Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles, for a short sail to moor overnight nearby  St Anne , enjoying a swim stop in the wonderful waters of the Indian Ocean, which was beautifully refreshing.

Swim stops in the ocean are something unique to a smaller yacht like M/Y Pegasos; you certainly can’t do that from the back of a normal cruise ship! Most of the places we were visiting didn’t have ports to dock in, so the Pegasos usually moors a little away from shore, and we’d go ashore in the zodiac, with either wet or dry landings.

Discover Seychelles with Handpicked Excursions

 The cruise includes excursions to  Curieuse Island,  Cousin Island, and  Moyenne Island, and the chance to unwind on some spectacular beaches such as  Anse Lazio, or to go snorkelling at St Pierre  (where I enjoyed my first ever snorkelling experience) and  Felicite.

Optional excursions are offered – for an additional cost – at  Baie St Anne (Praslin) and  La Digue, which Rachel and I both went on, although there was a consensus from the guests involved that the excursion in La Digue did not represent value for money. However, Variety Cruises listened to feedback and gave guests a 50% refund for their La Digue excursion (run by local tour operators Mason Travel) as a good will gesture. Whilst the excursion itself had been disappointing, it was positive to see that Variety were reacting to guests’ voices

Learn more about tours and enrichment on M/Y Pegasos

Exploring Vallée de Mai & the Iconic Coco de Mer

The excursion from Baie St Anne (also run by Mason Travel), however, took us on a tour through the UNESCO-listed Vallee de Mai, and we learnt all about the vegetation, particularly the famous – and curious looking –  Coco de Mer, the great and unique icons of the Seychelles.

After a tour of the Vallee de Mai, we were taken to a beach to unwind and refresh before heading back to the Pegasus.

Meeting the Giant Aldabra Tortoises of Curieuse Island

 On Curieuse Island, the cruise co-ordinator Vivek introduced us to his ‘lazy friends’, the giant Aldabra tortoises  which are synonymous with the Seychelles, before leading us on a walk through the island’s lush vegetation, pointing out notable plants and wildlife, including the  land and mangrove crabs  which resided in the mangrove forest.

After about an hour and a half, we reached the ‘Doctor’s House’ (Curieuse Island was once the site of a leper colony, while its doctor was the only one available for nearby Praslin) and the beach, where the rest of the crew had set up a barbecue for us.

Wildlife Encounters on Cousin Island & Anse Georgette’s Beauty

More wildlife was also discovered on our excursion in Cousin Island, where a local guide showed us the many different types of birds, many unique to the Seychelles. Usually the cruise visits Aride Island, but we were unable to do so because of the birds mating at that time of year!

Instead, the Captain asked the guests whether they would prefer to spend more time at Anse Lazio (where we had been docked overnight after visiting Cousin Island), or visit the stunningly beautiful beach at Anse Georgette; the latter was chosen. Due to the small numbers of guests onboard the Pegasos, it was possible for a choice to be put to the guests, rather than a unilateral decision from the captain.

Snorkelling Adventures at St Pierre & Felicité

 For me, one of the most memorable and incredible experiences was my first-time snorkelling. The M/Y Pegasos moored near the tiny islet of St Pierre, a rocky granitic outcrop not far from mainland Praslin, and an obviously popular spot for snorkelling. We were taken out on the zodiac and so jumped straight into the sea to view the fish immediately.

The sheer numbers and colours was incredible; at one point, I felt like I was in the middle of the fish version of Oxford Street! I tried, and enjoyed, snorkelling again from the zodiac at Felicite, although I sadly missed out on spotting the sea turtle and lemon shark.

M/Y Pegasos Photo Album

Unforgettable Memories Aboard the M/Y Pegasos

“We aim to give you memories!” promised Makis, the captain of the M/Y Pegasos, at the start of our seven-night ‘Garden of Eden’ cruise around the Seychelles. At the end of the voyage, he asked the guests if the cruise had lived up to that promise. Having discovered the Seychelles’ unique wildlife, relaxed on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, swum and snorkelled in the sparkling turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, walked through lush forests, and enjoyed the warm hospitality of Variety Cruises and the M/Y Pegasos, the response was unanimous: it had

View all the M/Y Pegasos cruise itineraries

Discover Paradise with Variety Cruises

Follow in Amy and Rachel’s footsteps and uncover the beauty of the Seychelles on a seven-night ‘Garden of Eden’ cruise aboard the M/Y Pegasos. With just a handful of fellow travellers, you’ll enjoy unique excursions, relaxed dining, and memories to last a lifetime. Speak to our cruise experts today to start planning. Call us on 01234 326 778, use our Contact Us form, or pop into the shop!