Although I love cruising, I have become very disillusioned with the large cruise lines. I do not like crowds and having to wake up early to get a lounge chair or breakfast table. After doing some research into smaller cruise lines I came across SeaDream Yacht. With only 100 passengers and 95 crew members, I thought this would be perfect. There were many interesting itineraries to choose from, but we ended up choosing a cruise that would start and end in Rome and take us to the Amalfi coast. Embarkment was a breeze. There were no lines and we were immediately greeted with refreshments in the lounge. What a relaxing way to start our trip. We enjoyed cocktails and delicious snacks before even checking in! When we were ready to check in, we simply walked to the desk, gave our names, and we were given out ID card. Our cabin was on Deck 4 and was roomy and comfortable. Plenty of storage space for our stuff. We had a large picture window, as none of the cabins on SeaDream have balconies. I definitely missed having a balcony, but we were able to be out on a deck in under a minute. The dining on the ship was incredible. There was a new chef on board during our cruise, and the food was amazing. We asked to dine outdoors, rather than in the dining room and we were given a table with the most amazing view. The food was all freshly made, high quality, unique and delicious. The service was outstanding. We chose to take several excursions through the cruise line and we were always impressed. Everything ran on time and the local guides were friendly and knowledgable. It never felt overly crowded and everything was first rate. There are a few after dinner activities each night. The casino (which consisted of one blackjack table) was open every night and people seemed to love it. There was also an open piano bar, a few nights of karaoke, a dessert extravaganza and a dance party. The upstairs bar is open late and always has good music playing. I found the other passengers to be mostly from the US, UK and Australia. Average age from late 40's to early 60's, although there were plenty of older passengers and a few families with adult children in their 20's. I found the other passengers to be interesting, smart, very friendly and I enjoyed getting to know them. I was expecting a bit of a pretension from fellow passengers, but there was none of that. Everyone I met was down to earth and thrilled to be there. Since the ship is so small, when you meet people you like, you will definitely see them again. Service throughout the ship is perfection. I do not know how they do it, but after just a day, the entire crew seemed to know our names and preferences. Even crew we hadn't interacted with, knew our names. The only special request we made was to have our minibar emptied of sodas and beer and replaced with just water and club soda. It was a small request, but it was done within the hour and kept up for the entire cruise. We had such an amazing time, we booked another cruise for next year, while we were still on the ship (you get a 15% discount if you book while still on the ship). I cannot imagine taking any other cruise line after being on the SeaDream II. They really know how to make you feel special and how to give you an unforgettable vacation. Read Less

This was my fourth cruise on Sedream and my wife and i went to celebrate my 65 th birthday and her 60th birthday. We went for two weeks and the first week there were only 45 passengers on board as we were originating in St Thomas and visiting Jost Van Dyke and St Barts on our way to Barbados. The dinner to celebrate my birthday on the back of the boat was serviced with every detail and our cabin decorated when we returned! Silvio was always welcoming and made us feel at home and was always there to ne sure our service was excellent. Anna the Activities Director and Taylor the Club Director were always fun to be with and the second week Taylor took us to Happy Island for Rum Punch one afternoon which was a unique experience, the good part of Seadream is we always get to know and enjoy all the staff and crew making it such an enjoyable experience! The second week we caught up with people we met on our last Seadream cruise Sandy and Ross from Australia and met a great couple from Switzerland that we had dinner with Saturday night in Bridgetown after disembarking, Needless to say , we love Seadream! Read Less

Having written many reviews in tripadvisor I have always been 100% honest in my consideration. Will share this review in two SHIP, FOOD AND SERVICE Have never experienced any thing like this, even after many experiences with Michelin-starred restaurants. The food was amazing both on taste and presentation. Chef Thomas was amazingly creating new artwork everyday. Tableware on board was second to none, the most used word when we asked for something was: "no problem". The cabins were not big but always clean and fresh, with small gifts every evening. CRUISE It was not as good in relation to what we expected for that price. Strong wind and small ships are not a good combination. We sailed past many of the places we were supposed to visit. The marina was open for a maximum of 5 hours on the whole cruise. We left the dock in San Juan and St. Thomas without experiencing anything. On St. Thomas we spent a whole day at an industry pier that ruined a whole day for us. We wanted swimming nice beaches etc. but experienced boring quays and little activity. I have been a tour director, but here there was no creativity - we just lay still at the pier. Could we not get information about nearby beaches that were in shelter and could be reached by taxi? Or other experiences that were available? Do we want to travel in the Caribbean again with SeaDream - highly uncertain - can we recommend it - the same answer here we can not recommend it. We will always let the "accused" have a second chanse - so we are now looking at a Mediterranean cruise and have paid a deposit. Most because of the dinner and the food on board with Eric (wine waiter) Thomas (chef) and Alfie and the other waiters and Our cabin attendant. Summing up: On a cruise at this price you have to have the options ready when you can not deliver as promised - it did not happen on this cruise - this was mainly due to the lack of creativity to offer alternative experiences when we had to stay at dull cargo piers.. Read Less

My wife and I sailed on the SeaDream II out of San Juan in February. We have cruised many times on the mega ships, but have since transitioned away from cruising. On the recommendation of friends, we booked the SeaDream II cruise. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and the service on board greatly exceeded our expectations. Our cabin was spacious for a cruise ship. After the first night, our cabin steward (without notice) stored our suitcases so that we had additional space. On the last night, she returned them (again without notice) so that we could prepare for disembarkation. This was a nice touch. The bartender and servers at the various lounges were incredible. After the first night, they addressed us by name. They were all very friendly and never seemed too rushed to ask how our day was or our plans for the following day. If we had any special requests, they were quick to act upon it. The food on this cruise surpassed all expectations imaginable. The variety, taste, and presentation at each dinner was incredible. Because of poor weather conditions, we only sat outside for dinner once. However, eating inside was not a disappointment. Especially because of the quality of the meals. In addition, the house wine that was served at all meals was very good. We utilized the spa on a couple of occasions. It was exceptionally 5-star. My wife and I each had a Thai Massage that was incredible. As with the rest of the staff on board, the workers in the spa were friendly and very helpful. Our biggest disappointment had to do with communication and in particular, the activity director. Throughout our cruise, the weather was not great. Windy conditions caused us to change our itinerary. We understand that safety always comes first. However, considering the cost of a SeaDreams cruise, I would think that the activity director would have a backup plan when weather becomes an issue. On this cruise, you were left to figure it out on your own! On our first full day, we changed itinerary and went to St. Thomas. We docked at Crown Bay which is essentially a cargo harbor. Absolutely nothing to do within several miles. The plan was that we would dock here for a couple of hours, then go to Honeymoon Beach. My wife and I took the bikes on board and rode into Charlotte Amelie. We were having a great time, but had to quickly leave so that we wouldn't miss our departure time (11:30 am). When we arrived back on the ship, someone told us that because of weather, we weren't leaving until 10:00 pm. This was frustrating. The winds and weather were the same at 11:30 am as they were at 9:30 am when we left the ship. I feel they knew we weren't leaving all along, but failed to communicate this until later. In fact, we never heard the staff make the announcement, we just heard it from other passengers who were confused and didn't know what to do at this "less than attractive" port. So, what to do for the next 10 hours. Well, Greg the activity director, was no where to be found. Ultimately, my wife and I took a taxi to Megans Bay where we had a wonderful beach day. It was out of the wind and the water was great. Fortunately, we had been to St. Thomas before so we knew what to do. When we got back to the ship, most of the passengers just stayed on board. Without any direction from the activity director, they didn't know what to do. Again, when you pay as much as you do for a SeaDreams cruise, they should have coordinated transportation to Megans Bay so the passengers who wanted a beach day could have a beach day. Another frustrating moment we had was on Anguilla. Early in the cruise, we informed the Greg that we enjoyed biking and would want to bike on most of the islands, if possible. This obviously fell on deaf ears. SeaDreams had a shore excursion to Schoal Beach. We paid the money only to find out that the excursion only included transportation to the beach. We could have hired a taxi for a cheaper price. What was also frustrating is that the excursion ended at around 1:00 pm and we wanted to stay longer. So, we just skipped the return transportation that we paid for through SeaDreams and took a taxi when we were ready. The entire Schoal Beach excursion was poorly communicated. SeaDreams easily could have had two return buses for people. One at 1:00 pm and one at 4:00 pm. We took two buses to the beach. However, what was super frustrating was that after we paid for this excursion, Greg announced that they will have bikes available to bike to the beach. What? When I asked if we could take two bikes, he indicated that we already had paid for the excursion so we wouldn't get a refund. Furthermore, I immediately tried to sign up for the bike trip and he said they were already booked. This was very frustrating. Overall, our SeaDreams cruise was truly wonderful and definitely a 5-star experience. However, the lack of communication especially from the activity director was underwhelming at best. Read Less

The ship is a yacht -there were 110 people and 95 staff. This was a special cruise and we were two of fourteen of the Domaine Carneros wine group, hosted by founder Eileen Crane. This cruise exceeded every normal expectation and exceeded even Crystal or Seabourn, which are both excellent, more formal, and newer ships and amenities. The yacht has six decks with suites on two-through five, is lovely, casual and everything is easy to get to. There are multiple eating areas, dining, gym, spa and all the normal amenities, including a casino. The cabins are small suites, more than adequate and plenty of room for personals brought on the yacht. There are larger suites, but our suite was centrally located on Deck 4. the bedding and comforters are exceptional. Dining was amazing in the dining areas, with a buffet for both breakfast and lunch and ordering the main breakfast/lunch off the menu for both. Choices always nclude both gluten free (many for all courses) and vegan. For each meal there is a ‘Chef’s Selection’ for all courses, and multiple alternatives and other choices. The food is prepared to order and there was not one meal that was not prepared to perfection. This is a more casual atmosphere without formal nights or ‘dress up.’ During the day, shorts, causal attire was perfect. At night, no jeans, but yacht casual, summer dress, pants and top, and for men slacks and a collared shirt. The service was impeccable and the staff knew each of us by name from day one and addressed us by name. We were part of the wine group and we had a Winemakers Dinner that was exquisite with champagnes and wines paired with each course. There was a minimum charge on this but it was a token compared to the quality of champagnes and wines that were served-each in their appropriate glass. This group also had special champagne and food hosted by Eileen Crane at no additional cost and some wine tastings. The first night we were each provided Sea Dream pj’s with our name embroidered on the top. There was an impromptu pj party on the only night it rained. On the top deck you can sleep under the stars in beautifully done beds and those had to come in due to rain and others joined then in the piano bar for the pj party. Each night we had appetizers and either champagne or wine before dinner—done beautifully. We cannot say enough about the staff-Severin and Garrett were amazing bartenders and went above and beyond. They represented the best of Sea Dream. The sommelier Frank was more than knowlegable and attended to every wish and desire -like everyone else with a smile. The Tai massage therapists were excellent and the cabin staff were consistently fast, efficient and helpful. The spa is on our deck 4 and I utilized the sauna, steam and shower first thing often. The caviar splash and Bar-B-Q was an amazing excursion with everything necessary brought out to the beach. Some of the other excusrsions were not was well organized and were done by island people rather than the Sea Dream staff. There is a pool and jacuzzi but one highlight was the availability of jet skis, snorkeling off the yacht, weather permitting daily. For those who scuba dive-that is available too. Fresh made popcorn for watching movies from the extensive DVD library. Excursions without cost are available and you can join the staff for bike-rides or hikes. We cruised at night and docked daily at a different island. The smaller sizer of the yacht allowed us to dock where bigger ships cannot. This was not your normal Caribbean cruise. All the ports were lovely destinations. I will mention that going throiugh customs in Barbados is a long process—waiting in line to have a visa stamped. All the planes arrive at the same time-and it took 2 hours. We learned later for $60 they will expedite the process. :( We stayed at the Barbados Hilton Resort the night before the cruise-some stayed in more expensive places-but our room, the amenities and beach were lovely and we would have loved to stay there again. The week was truly glorious. Read Less

My wife and I love small cruise ships. We prefer a “country club casual” dress code; great food and service; and an intimate vessel that makes it easy to meet new and interesting fellow travelers. We’ve cruised on Windstar and several other small-ship ocean cruise lines many times, as well as on river cruises in Europe, the U.S., and the Amazon. I’ve been intrigued by SeaDream for several years, and this year we finally took the plunge on a 7-day Caribbean winter-getaway cruise from Barbados to St. Thomas. We’re glad we did! Embarkation: Getting to - and on – a ship at the beginning of a voyage is often one of the most stressful, frustrating parts of a cruise. Embarkation on SeaDream was easy and seamless. We arrived portside about an hour before boarding was to start. SeaDream had port agents there to take our luggage and free us to wander Bridgetown unencumbered at our leisure. At the designated 2:00 pm time, we caught the shuttle to the ship, were welcomed aboard with champagne and a lovely buffet, and quickly and efficiently went through the registration process. It couldn’t have been easier. Disembarkation was just as easy, albeit a little sadder. The Ship: SeaDream is a tiny, all-inclusive, boutique cruise line, consisting of two, thirty-year-old ships, (cleverly named SeaDream I and SeaDream II). These identical, very well-maintained ships each carry about 110 passengers and 96 crew members. The ship has a small pool and hot tub, plenty of lounge chairs and lots of shaded nooks and crannies to curl up with a good book. There are several bars around the ship, with convivial bartenders eager to keep passengers well-lubricated. SeaDream has a very loyal clientele. Half or more of the passengers had sailed on SeaDream before; often many times. One couple had spent 311 days on SeaDream ships. It doesn’t get much more loyal than that. Dining: The food on SeaDream II was superb! (Thank you, Alastair!!) There was always a seafood dish on the menu, plus a variety of entres. I don’t eat tofu, but there also appeared to be plenty of tasty options for non-carnivores. The main dining room on Deck 2 is lovely, but most evenings (weather permitting) dinner was alfresco at the Topside Restaurant on Decks 5 and 6. Pre-dinner cocktails were served in the lounge or poolside, and always included a wonderful assortment of hors d’oeuvres. Cabins: The cabins on SeaDream are adequate in size ( 195 sq. ft.), nicely appointed and well layed out, but there are no verandas. The bathroom is quite small. You actually have to sit side-saddle to use the throne. The shower, however, is decent-sized, and water pressure is good. On-Board Activities: There are no Broadway shows, water slides or midnight buffets on SeaDream II. During the day, the sports platform is out for swimming, sunning and enjoying an assortment of water toys (both motorized and non-motorized). The two jet-skis were great fun, (however, after riding in choppy water I quickly learned how my dog must have felt when I had him neutered). The piano bar on Deck 4 was a fun place to be after 9:30 pm. Fred is a marvelous piano player and loved to accompany us in ad hoc karaoke. Across from the piano is a tiny “casino” consisting of a single blackjack table at which Alexandra is always “feeling very generous”. Bartender Severin happily and efficiently kept us all well lubricated. SeaDream did a great job helping my wife celebrate her birthday. At dinner they served her a beautiful - and tasty - personalized cake, and everyone, of course, sang “Happy Birthday”. On a ship this size, (we had only 88 passengers on board), most everyone already knew her and came up afterwards to wish her a happy day. And when we returned to our cabin, we found it festively decorated with balloons and towel animals. We were very pleased. The Crew: The SeaDream staff came from all over the world: Phillipines, Thailand, South Africa, Hungary, Croatia, Norway, etc., etc. They were all outstanding. They were fun, funny, efficient and attentive, and knew our names by the second day. I worry about naming a few names because so many wonderful crew members will be left out. But among the folks who made this voyage so memorable are Nikola the maitre d’, Frank the sommelier, Eugene, Fernando and Alfie in the dining room and Tonya, the masseuse. On a somewhat negative note, we wish there had been more opportunity to mingle and talk with the Captain and senior crew. We first saw the Captain at the reception Sunday night, and then again when we disembarked a week later. But never in between. On a small ship like this, we’d prefer that the Captain not be invisible. Other Activities and Issues: SeaDream’s much-touted “Caviar and Champagne Splash” and beach party easily lived up to the hype. It was a hoot!!! Everyone – passengers and crew alike – was eating and drinking and smiling and laughing. Where else can you wade into surf to be served caviar and champagne from a surfboard? The setting was perfect. A beautiful stretch of beach with plenty of chairs, a wonderful buffet and a well-stocked bar. With fewer than 100 passengers, the beach was never crowded. You could lay out in the sun, or in the shade of a palm tree, and relax and enjoy. It was a wonderful day SeaDream provides each passenger personalized pajamas with names embroidered in the shirt. We understood that the pajamas were “one size fits all”. That works for me, but my wife is less than 100 pounds soaking wet. Three months before the cruise, I asked SeaDream if they could provide my wife pajamas in an XS. No dice! Her lovely, personalized pajamas were Extra Large and useless to her. We threw them in the trash. What a waste. SeaDream’s much-touted “Sleeping under the stars in a Balinese Bed” was very disappointing. We took the advice from SeaDream reviews and were among the very first passengers to board the ship. We immediately reserved the most secluded and private of the Balinese beds (on the bow of Deck 6) for my wife’s birthday later in the week. When that day arrived, there was no communication from SeaDream reminding us or providing guidance on how best to take advantage of the experience. We also discovered that the only way to get to that Balinese bed was to traipse through a crowd of passengers in the Topside Bar. The above-mentioned pajama issue was also an obstacle to enjoying the Balinese bed. As a result of all this, we visited our Balinese bed after dinner, sat under the stars for an hour or so, and then returned to our cabin to go to bed. It should have been more fun and memorable than that. As is the case with most cruise lines, excursions booked through SeaDream are expensive and a bit of a crap shoot. We took only one excursion all week, a disappointing Catamaran and Snorkeling adventure. The sailing part was scenic and enjoyable, (it was a lovely, spacious boat), but the snorkeling was a waste of time. For the even more-expensive ($159 pp) “Tropical Eco-Adventure by Zodiac”, we fortunately never got off the wait list. Friends who took this excursion said it was awful. Instead, that day, we visited the amazing Deshaies, Guadelupe, Botanical Garden. A beautiful place well worth three hours of our time.!! We could have taken the SeaDream excursion to the Gardens for $79 per person. Instead, we took the tender into town and looked for a cab. By pure luck, we discovered there was a free shuttle to the nearby gardens. Perfect!! We paid our $16 pp admission and had a great time, while saving a total of about $125 in the process. Afterwards, the concierge on SeaDream claimed to know nothing about the free shuttle. A word of warning to those prone to sea-sickness. This is a small, older ship configured with less-than-state-of-the-art stabilization. A couple of times we sailed all night in choppy waters, and the SeaDream II was rocking and rolling a lot. We found it soothing and relaxing; but some motion-sensitive passengers may not. I don’t want to overstate the negatives on this cruise. For the most part, they are little nit-picking things that could easily be fixed or simply ignored. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and a marvelous relaxing week. I expect that we will be back on board a SeaDream cruise again in the not too far distant future. Read Less

This has been our third Transatlantic crossing (Malaga to Barbados) all on Seadream1 and it’s been the best. We are still on board and I must say that our experience has been a lot better than one comment already posted. The sea from Malaga to Madeira was a bit choppy, but they were still able to serve dinner on the rear outside upstairs decks, so there was no rocking and rolling. We are now 10 days into the 13 day crossing and the seas are calm, it’s 29 degrees and passengers are enjoying the pool and sun decks. The yacht is looking good, a lot of care is obviously taken to keep it on top form. The food is the best yet, some superb meals. Service is excellent and the officers including the captain are always on hand with information. There are only 67 passengers on board ( it can take 112) so plenty of space for everyone. We have absolutely no complaints to make and have rebooked for next year! Read Less

Apparently this was just another Greek Island cruise, where I think I have cruised in this region more than 10 times, but in fact it is an entirely different experience and it now ranks with the very few truly memorable cruises that I have had over almost 30 years. SeaDream, with its motto "it's yachting not cruising" ,makes all the difference, unlike what you conceive of another Greek Island voyage. Yes, I have been there too many times (and probably can count 10 ships that I have sailed with), yet in this 10-night cruise it is amazing that 6 of the 10 ports we called are my first visits! I thought I have seen all around Greek Islands ....I was wrong. This argues forcibly that only a small ship can bring about such a wonderful trip. For all these ports are tender ports: it is unthinkable if a big ship arrives, with its passengers that can be more in number than the town's whole population. The tender operation throughout all ports are immediate, no waiting, often I and just one couple take out the whole boat. I recall the chaos when tendering from a big ship (such as at Santorini). And as a matter of fact, these small discoveries (of ports) are even more beautiful than their more famous neighbors! The fact that the ship sails within a close region also means that we often arrive at 8am but leaves almost midnight. To be more specific, these ports are Spetses, Patmos, Agia Anna (Naxos), Paros, Sifnos, and Hydra, each has its own characteristics, each very beautiful in it own right, none polluted with mass tourism. Adding to these, we started from Piraeus and the voyage also covers famous names like Santorini and Mykonos,,and also Nafplion, which is not new to me but surely new to big ship cruisers. Even at the much visited Mykonos, I had the first opportunity to relish the famous night-life of it, as we sailed after midnight (the last tender back was 1 am) while all big ships invariably leave at 6 pm trying to catch the next far away port that offers a pier! While ships are cutting budgets, for example even Silversea are serving packaged juice and inferior beef, SeaDream is unchanged since my last cruise almost 3 years ago. And to my surprise many crew members not only still remember me as a return passenger, but also my dining habits. No ship (and I have been to many so-called 5-star ships) can offer this kind of service from the heart. The food is simply great, again probably better than any other ships I have cruised in. I am happy that the cuisine is time-honored, and no funny fusion or molecular. In fine weather, the outdoor deck dinner under candle-light , with silverware and crystal and fine linen, bring about absolute fine dining at the best sense of the term. Caviar (in ample portion), foie ghras, and lobster are served. The deck lunch when the main course is cooked to order while the entree is self-served, offered no less than Alaska crab leg , for example, and on several cocktail occasions caviar is still free-flow. This puts most other cost-cutting so-called 5-star competitors to shame. It is these two aspects, Food and Service, that bring me back time and again, for in these no other ship can offer this level of excellence. The cabins are not spacious and not very modern compared with those on newer ships, but it is never-the-less very comfortable, offering fine linen b edding and Bulgari amenities, with impeccable house-keeping of the highest order that everyday when I come back from breakfast the room is done. Compensating for no entertainment, SeaDream offers a range of water sport activities that no other offers, thus its passengers are much younger than on similarly priced ships. These people are well-traveled and well-educated, making ship atmosphere particularly congenial. It looks that everyone parts with new friends. The ship was also able to operate with flexibility, thanks to the 'best captain at sea'. We can reverse the order of port visits to avoid the rough sea. The captain and hotel manager greets guests on embarkation, and the Master is seen on deck on many occasions talking to guests. I hope this description amply explains why 'yachting' is different from 'cruising' that one comes to expect. I shall seek for the first opportunity to return, and also after this useful introduction, I also want to spend some time, maybe a few days, re-visiting my new discoveries: Naxos, Hydra, Paros.....all are simply memorable in the sense of returning to unspoilt nature. Read Less

This cruise was everything I was hoping for and more ! We don't like crowds nor need constant entertainment. If that is what you are looking for this is not the cruise for you. If you are looking for that moment you know you are home and you exhale. This is the place for you. From the moment you step on the ship to the very last step the day you leave the Seadream crew out do themselves. The food was amazing, the staff are always friendly and move with a sense of pride. They truly love their jobs and it shows. They think of everything. From a cool cloth for when you get back from a day at shore to someone coming around to clean your sunglasses. They even had a velvet lined box of reading glasses in case you forgot yours at dinner ! Those are just a few highlights. Each and every day was a pleasure to be there. You never had a drink that wasn't full but they seemed to know when to be there and when to be invisible. An art in itself. We didn't want to leave. Hence why we book 2 more trips in the near future to head back to what we now call home :) BTY - We got engage on this trip and WOW, again Seadream went above and beyond to make that experience so memorable. Thanks Seadream ! Read Less

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