SeaDream II is an old ship, built in the pre-balcony era. As such, cabins -- or staterooms, as they're called -- are compact, although stylishly kitted out. There are four cabin grades: Yacht Club Staterooms, eight Commodore Suites, one Admiral Suite and one Owner's Suite.
We had a Yacht Club Stateroom. (There are more of these than any other category.) At 195 square feet, it was perfectly adequate for two. There were a sitting area with a flat-screen TV and DVD player, a bar stocked with soft drinks, a spacious closet and two big, soft bathrobes. I loved the bed linen -- crisp and expensive-feeling.
Bathrooms really are compact, especially for tall passengers, but they have an impressively large shower cubicle with power shower and a proper glass door, rather than a clingy shower curtain.
Staterooms on Deck Two have two portholes; those on Three and Four have proper windows.
Commodore Suites are two staterooms combined, so you get a larger sitting area and his 'n' hers bathrooms. Only the two big suites have full baths; the tub in the Owner's Suite has a sea view. The benefit of these larger suites is that there's room for dining and entertaining, but the reality is that most people seem happy in the public areas. With a maximum of 110 guests, the ship never seems crowded anyway.
A word about sleeping on deck: This can be entertaining if it rains, but I highly recommend it. You can sleep on the eight double Balinese beds on the port and starboard sides of Deck Six; linens, duvets and monogrammed pyjamas are provided. Better still is the eight-person sun lounger, forward on Deck Six. You have to book all of these in advance, as they're popular. But, since we were cruising in chilly October, there was understandably less demand, and we were able to get the big bed.
The forward deck was roped off at 10 p.m., at which time it was ours. The bed had been scattered with rose petals, Champagne was chilling in a bucket, candles (the battery-operated type) were flickering, and a tray of chocolate truffles and strawberries had been left for us. Although a few curious drinkers from the Top of the Yacht Bar peered around the corner, we had the deck all to ourselves. We lay in bed, counting shooting stars, and eventually dozed off, only to be woken at about 3 a.m. by a howling gale, so strong that deck chairs were blowing around the deck. At that point, we retired down below. The following night, we sailed through a huge storm, and all the people sleeping in the Balinese beds were soaked.
