"After eighteen hours at sea between Monopoli and Bari off the eastern coast of Italy, with prevailing swells and waves constantly in the eighteen to twenty-foot range, seasickness was prevalent among the owners and guests aboard Paradise. At 455 feet and less than a year old, she was a sturdy ship and performed better than almost any ship at sea when it came to keeping her passengers comfortable. In addition to her mechanical and engineering functions, every aspect of this brand new mega-yacht had been outfitted with the latest state-of-the-art technology. Money was no object."

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"Paradise was the lavish indulgence of some of the richest people in America, and the world over. Although this diverse group of thirty-two owners really had no idea what equipment was being outfitted for the bridge, engine rooms, or residential cabins, they were insistent on demanding only “the finest,” whatever that might mean. It was the world’s most exclusionary private yacht. No one with under fifty million dollars in net worth, or without proper social credentials, need apply for admission."

 

"Those sailing on Paradise were not occasional ship passengers. Quite the opposite - as owners of a massive private yacht, a venture devised and organized by New York litigator Eva Lampedusa, the sixty-eight passengers sailing aboard the ship were its actual owners or their invited guests. From a technical, legal standpoint, the owners were shareholders of a holding company, Paradise, LLC, the actual corporate owner of the ship, but they never spoke of it that way. But from a practical perspective, each owner was the complete and absolute owner of his luxury suite aboard Paradise. The owners were free to join the ship, or leave it, at any of the fifty or so ports the ship was planning to call on every year as it constantly circumnavigated the globe. With no home port, the ship sailed throughout the year, usually favoring warm climates and cities where billionaires like to romp and revel, cities like Monte Carlo, London, Hong Kong and New York. Occasionally, the ship would visit remote locations such as Easter Island, Borneo or Antarctica that were added to the itinerary to attract potential new owners. Those exotic venues also provided bragging rights to Paradise’s rich and famous once they returned to their land-based country clubs and social scenes."

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"The following morning, the ship arrived in Venice. It was not the type of storybook entrance the owners expected, with expansive blue skies and calm seas ushering their majestic vessel into port. Instead, it was a dreary, rainy day with winds that spat water horizontally across the faces of the intrepid photographers who had assembled on the viewing platform located on the bow of the fifth deck of Paradise. Nevertheless, a sail-in to Venice is one of the most memorable maritime transits in the world and the owners were not to be denied that memory because of a bit of bad weather."

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"The sail down the majestic Grand Canal was spectacular with many of the ship’s owners, guests and crew assembled outdoors, even if they struggled to keep their balance in the wind that threatened their stability with its ferocity. From there, they were able to observe the fireships usher Paradise into the harbor with airborne rockets of water criss-crossing ahead of the ship’s path. Such escorts were available to anyone willing to tender a $10,000 donation to the Venetian fire brigade. Captain Pugliese knew that Paradise’s owners would enjoy the pomp and ceremony of such a grand entrance and, with money being no object, he had arranged for the fireboats a few days earlier."

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"Paradise sailed into the Venetian Lagoon, making its way through the San Marco Canal before entering the Grand Canal of Venice. And just then, as if to pause their fury and welcome the ship, the rain gods napped for twenty minutes as Paradise sailed down the Grand Canal. The sun briefly emerged and a rainbow could be viewed over the Piazza San Marco off the starboard side."

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"Candy’s compensation was mostly in the form of commission, directly correlated to the number and sizes of the luxury suites she sold. Candy was the ideal person for this position. She was 34 years old and fortunate enough to boast perfect white teeth, suitable for a Crest commercial, a naturally radiant smile, and a 34C bust line. Candy was also very fit, her physique having strategically sculpted herself during her four years as an NCAA all-American softball pitcher for the University of Tennessee. Now at sea, she kept her body in great form during her four sessions a week in the crew gym. Candy’s native Nashville accent rounded out the perfect sales persona, straight out of central casting."

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"Candy’s job was comfortably similar, and quite comparable, to what she had done as a sales associate for the Four Seasons Residence Clubs. Guests at the Four Seasons properties, and on Paradise, were financially well-heeled, successful people, who were interested in luxurious travel experiences. Candy’s job was to get these people to see this transient lifestyle as something they could incorporate into their own lives on a more permanent basis. At the Four Seasons, the message was simple -- buy a membership in the Residence Clubs, pay a hefty annual maintenance fee, and you have privileges to stay at any of the Four Seasons Residents Clubs at any of the fascinating, adventurous, luxurious locations anywhere in the world. On Paradise, the message was both similar and different -- buy a luxury suite on Paradise, pay a hefty annual maintenance fee, and the ship will deliver you to fascinating, adventurous, luxurious locations, while never leaving the comforts of your own luxury suite."

 

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"After the ship left Bari, minus one bartender named Ramon, it was headed to Rimini, a short twenty-hour sail. The owners had voted to stop there because they were fascinated by the story of the republic of San Marino, a tiny country perched atop Mount Titano in the Apennine Mountains and only a forty-five minute drive from Rimini. Yes, San Marino is a sovereign nation that can trace its roots to the beginning of the fourth century when it was a monastery. The concierges had booked a large, air-conditioned coach bus to transport any of Paradise’s interested passengers to this unique country."

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"Paradise’s passengers were intrigued by the government of San Marino, which is as interesting as the republic itself. Formed in 1460, the government calls for two presidents to be elected each year – one every six months. The presidents are elected by the sixty members of the governing council who themselves are elected every five years by the citizens of San Marino. The republic of San Marino is essentially comprised of nine “castles” that are run by different families. Over the centuries, the Italian Duke of Rubino protected San Marino and consequently, Italy has not exercised dominion over San Marino for over 500 years. Instead, the relationship between the two countries evolved into the unique symbiotic relationship that exists today. Curiously, and of some bewilderment to the passengers aboard Paradise, although San Marino is located in the middle of Italy, it is not part of the European Union, but it uses the Euro as its currency. And equally fascinating, San Marino was the first country in all of Europe to use stamps. These were the quirky, little tidbits Paradise owners found fascinating and that could lead them to decide to stop somewhere no other cruise ship would bother to explore."

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The following morning, the ship arrived in Venice. It was not the type of storybook entrance the owners expected, with expansive blue skies and calm seas ushering their majestic vessel into port. Instead, it was a dreary, rainy day with winds that spat water horizontally across the faces of the intrepid photographers who had assembled on the viewing platform located on the bow of the fifth deck of Paradise. Nevertheless, a sail-in to Venice is one of the most memorable maritime transits in the world and the owners were not to be denied that memory because of a bit of bad weather. 

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 The sail down the majestic Grand Canal was spectacular with many of the ship’s owners, guests and crew assembled outdoors, even if they struggled to keep their balance in the wind that threatened their stability with its ferocity. From there, they were able to observe the fireships usher Paradise into the harbor with airborne rockets of water criss-crossing ahead of the ship’s path. Such escorts were available to anyone willing to tender a $10,000 donation to the Venetian fire brigade. Captain Pugliese knew that Paradise’s owners would enjoy the pomp and ceremony of such a grand entrance and, with money being no object, he had arranged for the fireboats a few days earlier.   

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"Paradise sailed into the Venetian Lagoon, making its way through the San Marco Canal before entering the Grand Canal of Venice. And just then, as if to pause their fury and welcome the ship, the rain gods napped for twenty minutes as Paradise sailed down the Grand Canal. The sun briefly emerged and a rainbow could be viewed over the Piazza San Marco off the starboard side."

 

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"At a cost of $100 million, Lorraine’s platinum level luxury suite was the most beautiful and lavish on the ship, if not all the seas. Both sides of the thirty-foot long hallway that led from the public corridor into the main vestibule of Lorraine’s luxury suite were tastefully lined with Swarovski crystal wallpaper."

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"One of the four bedrooms in Lorraine’s luxury suite had been converted into an office. It was there that Lorraine’s assistant, Sally, spent most of her time overseeing Loraine’s vast Canadian paperboard empire. The converted office was larger than many of the master bedrooms on the ship and was home to three wall-mounted computer screens. The screen on the left monitored the Canadian and US equity markets as well as all global commodities relating to wood and wood by-products. The center screen was used for Sally, or Lorraine, to conduct business via email. And the screen on the right was dedicated to videoconferencing so Lorraine could attend board meetings and conduct other events, via Skype. Besides endeavors related to overseeing her multi-billion-dollar enterprise, Lorraine was very involved with the state of healthcare in Canada. She sat on the boards of three different Canadian hospitals and shared her generosity with each In fact, she had recently made a $125 million donation to the Toronto General Hospital to found a breast cancer research and treatment wing."

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"The office was also outfitted with a Murphy bed that Sally dropped from the wall in order to sleep at night on those rare evenings when the other three bedrooms in Lorraine’s luxury suite were full. On most nights, however, Lorraine and Sally were alone in the luxury suite and Sally used the guest bedroom located clear across the suite, comfortably far enough from Lorraine’s room that either woman had her own privacy."

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"The second bedroom had been outfitted as a gallery to accommodate some of Lorraine’s more interesting artwork, most of which involved a nautical motif. It housed two pastel Henri Matisse paintings the artist had created during his relaxed period while he lived in Nice in the early 1920s. It was also home to three important pieces by the post-impressionist master, Henri Rousseau, during his Rose Period. The tranquility and flow of all five pieces lent great serenity to Lorraine’s shipboard life, so she told her therapist. And finally, the mini-gallery housed a small bronze sculpture created by Henry Spencer Moore early in 1920 while he was still a student at the Leeds School of Art in England. Of course, all the pieces were heavily insured and, as a precaution, Lorraine’s security team had installed surveillance cameras and motion detection equipment at appropriate points throughout the luxury suite."

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"The board meeting was convened in a conference room that was located directly off the right side of the bridge. That room was routinely utilized by the captain and his senior officers as they prepared their daily navigational and operational briefings. The captain’s quarters were located off the left side of the bridge. While some of the owners objected to the captain having such a luxurious space in prime real estate on the ship, the board had determined it was essential the captain be adjacent to the bridge. Every time Paradise was to leave or approach port, the captain had to be at the helm. Every time there was a difficult transit, such as when the ship traversed unmarked waterways, the captain had to be at the helm. Every time there was potential danger, be it pirates, icebergs, or congested marine traffic, the captain had to be at the helm.

Captain Pugliese was a diligent skipper. He was not going to leave the ship’s navigational responsibilities to a lesser qualified member of the bridge team. Sometimes the ship would leave at midnight or arrive at five o’clock in the morning. It was not right, the board had concluded, that the captain should have to walk all through the ship from the crew quarters below deck to the bridge during the wee hours of the morning. No, it was far better that he occupy space adjacent to the bridge."

 

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“Code Alpha, Code Alpha, Code Alpha, suite 900” blared the speaker aboard Paradise at 1:00 a.m. the fourth night the vessel was docked in Barcelona, two nights after Tim had met Danek in Boca Chica. Code alpha was the ship’s onboard signal for a medical emergency. 

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After a session of foreplay with Lorraine Williams in her luxury suite, Danek had slipped into the bathroom to give himself a power bump of cocaine before engaging in what was to be an uncompromising sex session. But mere seconds after filling his nostrils with the powder Lorraine didn’t even know he had, Danek stumbled out of the bathroom and fell to the floor. Lorraine initially thought he had tripped and slowly walked over to him, wearing only her light grey La Perla lingerie. But when she got to where Danek lay, she noticed that his lips were blue and a foamy substance was oozing out of his mouth. His body twitched, evidencing the seizure he was experiencing. She immediately grabbed the telephone in her suite and pushed a button with a red cross on it, signaling a medical emergency and summoning help. The phone rang on the bridge where one of the officers asked, “What’s your emergency,” as he had been trained. Panicked, Lorraine responded that a man in her suite appeared to be having a heart attack, or a seizure, or something else.

 

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"At 2:30, Captain Pugliese entered the conference room. Although Marc wanted to make sure there was enough time to brief the captain, the captain was really just there for window dressing and to lend some gravitas to the proceedings. For the first 18 years of his career, before being hired as the skipper of Paradise, Captain Pugliese had been a captain onboard commercial cruise lines. This Venetian-born, twice divorced seafarer had seen a lot of remarkable things during his eighteen years at sea. But listening to the sordid details of how one of the ship’s owners, and a director at that, had fleeced his fellow owners shocked him more than he was inclined to show. When he asked questions, Eva and Marc made it clear that his role was to add heft to the meeting, not to be involved at all in the discussions."

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"Captain Pugliese was used to these types of assignments aboard Paradise. When owners behaved badly or were found to have engaged in inappropriate behavior, a panel of three board members confronted the offender. At those meetings, Captain Pugliese was present. On occasion, if the owner chose to refute the facts, or was a repeat offender, the captain would sometimes puff out his chest and spout a line or two about the need for decorum on his ship. Two of the owners who were part of the Gripers had each been fined ten thousand dollars for “disruptive conduct.” The captain was not fond of either of them, Levi Perlmutter or Oliver Rasmussen, and had no problem warning them that their next conduct violation would result in a $25,000 fine."