Just returned from 14 day reposition from St Maarten to San Jose, Costa Rica. Only 35 passengers with 90 crew, so we pretty much "owned" the yacht for 2 weeks.
The good: The crew and officers are awesome. Several remembered us from earlier WS cruises and after 3 days they all knew our names, interests, drinks, etc. The food was terrific, lots of variety and very well prepared, with lots of options. Dinner on deck was picture perfect. We visited amazing spots and had 2 wet landings where we are taken ashore in inflatable boats holding 6 passengers. Great lunch on the beach with the option to water ski, kayak, board paddle and snorkel. One couple did several scuba dives. Had 2 nice dinners with ship's officers which was very interesting.
Now the bad: Tis is a 26 year old ship and it shows it's age. Rooms are small with portholes, and are being redone this Spring. Bathrooms are quite nice, good shower and lots of hot water. On deck you se lots of rust, broken fittings and things that just don't work anymore. The ship had 5 sails but only 2 worked. They had 3 small sailboats (2 Lasers and a Hobie) that they did not launch because "conditions weren't right". I have sailed my whole life and that was BS. Very disappointing! The important stuff always seemed to work, such as engine, generators, plumbing, AC, etc, but the ship needs a refit.