Review of SDI Dec 14 CR depature

My 60th birthday cruise began with a gigantic bonus when 4 of my best friends totally surprised me by showing up on SDI in the Main Saloon in disguise as pictured. It seems everyone on the ship and in Costa Rica knew they were coming down to surprise me except me and DW. They sat in the saloon looking dangerously like people from Duck Dynasty or the Taliban, and I thought how could SD let people like this on our special cruise!!! After 20 minutes the waiter came over and said the 4 strange-looking people thought they might know Commodore Dave from CC. "OMG," I thought!! "Is this Jim Avery, or Zimmy or someone else from CC! I will have to quit CC when I get back home."

So I nervously walked over to the 4 weirdos and shook one of their hands. Still had no idea who they were. Then the one with the biggest beard spoke and I suddenly realized that these were my 4 best friends from Toronto who had travelled all the way to CR and paid for a cruise just to help celebrate my birthday!! A few tears, martinis, and many laughs later, we relocated to the TOY bar for a very long evening.

More to follow later. But what a great beginning!!!

What great friends you have. That sounds like a wonderful start. Looking forward to the rest of the story.:D Merry Christmas to all.

Jim & Lois

That is very cool!

Did your wife know?

CD, you are a very "wealthy" man, you have truly wonderful friends. Enjoy your special vacation.

Did your wife know?

Nope. A complete surprise to her, too. And to the other couple travelling with us from Florida. They had never met our Toronto friends before, and must have initially thought we had the most bizarre friends on the planet!

CD, you are a very "wealthy" man, you have truly wonderful friends. Enjoy your special vacation.

We are indeed "wealthy." But how can we top this for 65?! :eek:

Part 2

We spent our next day (Dec 15, my b-day) at sea getting to know the ship, which was new to all 8 of us. It was a good thing we had little to do as I was somewhat hung-over from the previous night's celebration which lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

It didn't take us long to get acquainted with SD1 as it is a lovely, intimate yacht-like ship that we could navigate one end to other in just a few minutes. We loved the décor, which uses lots of natural woods and soft tones -- it felt more to us like being on a real ship than the larger vessels we have sailed on. The pool area soon became one of our favourite spots and was much needed due to the heat and humidity of Costa Rica. Ditto for the Top of the Yacht Bar, where we had pre-lunch and pre-dinner cocktails! Both places wonderful spots to make new friends, which we found easier on SD than any other ship we have sailed on.

Being a group of 8, we were initially concerned about getting a table large enough for all of us in the restaurant. But it was never a problem, thanks to Maintre 'D Enes who always had a great table reserved for us -- usually the centre one used by the CD Elisa to host guests. In fact, she had us to her table the night after my birthday -- what a lovely lady.

In fact, it didn't take long for us to realize that SD has some very special people as onboard staff. From bartenders to waiters, to officers to tender crew, everyone was lovely and quickly became a friend.

We had two children on board -- twins aged 10 years -- but they were brilliantly behaved and a joy to have sailing with us. Kudos to their parents for raising some great kids.

Our first port of call was on Monday, Dec 16. I'm still in a bit of a haze from all the food and alcohol, but I believe it was Isla Coiba in Panama. This was our first beach day on a deserted island which we reached by zodiac and did a wet landing. A lovely, quiet and peaceful place -- but no facilities including toilets -- so we stayed just 2 hours. Anyway, it was time for cocktails and lunch back on board.

Our next stop was Golfito (I think!), which I will address in the next post.

Part 2

 

We spent our next day (Dec 15, my b-day) at sea getting to know the ship, which was new to all 8 of us. It was a good thing we had little to do as I was somewhat hung-over from the previous night's celebration which lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

 

It didn't take us long to get acquainted with SD1 as it is a lovely, intimate yacht-like ship that we could navigate one end to other in just a few minutes. We loved the décor, which uses lots of natural woods and soft tones -- it felt more to us like being on a real ship than the larger vessels we have sailed on. The pool area soon became one of our favourite spots and was much needed due to the heat and humidity of Costa Rica. Ditto for the Top of the Yacht Bar, where we had pre-lunch and pre-dinner cocktails! Both places wonderful spots to make new friends, which we found easier on SD than any other ship we have sailed on.

 

Being a group of 8, we were initially concerned about getting a table large enough for all of us in the restaurant. But it was never a problem, thanks to Maintre 'D Enes who always had a great table reserved for us -- usually the centre one used by the CD Elisa to host guests. In fact, she had us to her table the night after my birthday -- what a lovely lady.

 

In fact, it didn't take long for us to realize that SD has some very special people as onboard staff. From bartenders to waiters, to officers to tender crew, everyone was lovely and quickly became a friend.

 

We had two children on board -- twins aged 10 years -- but they were brilliantly behaved and a joy to have sailing with us. Kudos to their parents for raising some great kids.

 

Our first port of call was on Monday, Dec 16. I'm still in a bit of a haze from all the food and alcohol, but I believe it was Isla Coiba in Panama. This was our first beach day on a deserted island which we reached by zodiac and did a wet landing. A lovely, quiet and peaceful place -- but no facilities including toilets -- so we stayed just 2 hours. Anyway, it was time for cocktails and lunch back on board.

 

Our next stop was Golfito (I think!), which I will address in the next post.

More photos:

- our hotel, the los suenos Marriott in Herredura

- isla coiba in panama

- cabin decorated for my b-day

Commodoredave, great start. We enjoyed the Marriott as well. A beautiful hotel. Keep up the good work.:D

Wondering if the internet or engines are a problem. Very disappointed to hear of problems for our January 4 sailing and very little information or response from seadream.

Wondering if the internet or engines are a problem. Very disappointed to hear of problems for our January 4 sailing and very little information or response from seadream.

Internet was still a problem, particularly on cloudy days. Most of us did not sign up for it and instead used free Wi-Fi in a couple of the ports.

Asked about the engine problem and got several inconsistent answers. The gist of it was that a temporary fix has been put in place and that a more permanent fix will be made when in drydock in early 2014. No one could adequately explain the nature of the temporary fix.

I suspect the temporary fix is to run on one engine.

Part 3

We arrived in Golfito on Dec 17 and took the tender ashore for the morning excursion to the local rainforest. It was very hot and humid, and the first part of our hike was through an uphill, uneven path that ended at a beautiful waterfall. We were all sweating buckets -- at least the men, as the women don't sweat, they only glow! We then stopped for refreshments -- fresh watermelon and pineapple along with water or juice -- and the on to the second trail which was much easier to navigate. We spotted a few lizards and birds, but no sloths, macaws or monkeys. However, we did see a few toucans after we left the park on the way back to the boat.

Not much else to do in Golfito as it is a small, fishing village without any shopping or interesting things to do. However, we were able to connect to free Wi-Fi at the local marina and catch up on emails, the ship's internet service being very unreliable. After returning to the ship for lunch, we spent the rest of the day there poolside enjoying the weather and a few gin and tonics.

Tonight, due to the risk of rain, dinner was served inside at the main restaurant. Another great meal followed by a nightcap at the piano bar where a couple of guests were doing impromptu karaoke. Lots of fun!

Part 4

On Dec 18 we anchored in Drake Bay, where there was an uncomfortable swell all day due to exposure to the Pacific ocean -- not a great place to drop the hook, but not many options. Once again, another very hot and humid day -- boy, it gets hot along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica this time of year.

Two of our group took the tour to Corcovado National Park in the morning, while the rest of us decided to goof off poolside to avoid another sweaty hike. The two hikers came back with great reviews of Corcovado, making us feel just a little, and I emphasize a "little" guilty about being so lazy.

In the afternoon, we took the zodiac ashore to the Aguila de Osa hotel for beers and free Wi-Fi. There's a dog at the hotel called "coco" that barks at the monkeys in the late afternoon when they get close to the hotel grounds. When he barks, they toss coconuts at him, which is how he got is name.

The afternoon call at Isla de Cano was cancelled due to new government regulations on the size of groups that can land at the island. We were told no more than 15 people can visit at one time, which made the call impractical for a ship our size (who would have thought a tiny ship like SD1 would have been too big!!). So instead we enjoyed the water toys off the marina platform -- two of us taking out the wave riders. Lots of fun.

Another great dinner at our favourite table for 8 -- once again indoors due to the risk of evening rain.

Part 5

Today was one of the highlights of the trip – our visit to Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos. Much easier walking than the previous parks, and saw a lot more birds, lizards, red-eyed frogs, monkeys and sloths. Finished our escorted tour with a beautiful swim in warm waters at the park’s beach. Then walked back to the bus for the trip back to the pier, and a tender ride back to the ship for lunch.

In the afternoon we stayed on board to enjoy the pool and play with the water toys off the ship’s water platform. While Quepos is the largest of the towns we have visited, it still has very little in the way of decent shopping – the ladies were disappointed but will have to wait until we return to San Jose.

Another anchorage with high, uncomfortable swells. Have never experienced this level of discomfort while an anchor before. The staff explained that this stretch of Central America on the Pacific has very few protected anchorages . Oh well, a few of our group had to resort to sea sickness pills as a precaution. Fortunately, no one missed lunch or dinner!!

Friday, Dec 20, the last day of our 7-day cruise before we disembark the following morning in Caldera.

After a morning poolside, we took the zodiac ashore at noon for a wet landing at beautiful Playa Curo. Shortly after landing, we followed the processions of cruisers behind a table of champagne and caviar that was being carried by crew into the shallow waters of the beach. The Captain and fellow officers then popped the champagne corks, spraying us with champagne, and then served up the caviar and glasses of champagne. Wow!! Now I know why SeaDream is famous for its champagne and caviar splash in the surf!

A beautiful BBQ followed with steak, ribs, fish, chicken and more. And of course, an open bar. There were also toilet facilities and a gift shop at the beach, which made staying a while very comfortable. We spent a couple of hours after lunch swimming and tanning, before returning to the ship about 3:00 pm for some more pool time.

Conclusion

Our cruise on SeaDream 1 to Costa Rica was lovely. We found the ship, crew and fellow passengers delightful. And we love the small size of the ship, which makes it easy to get around, find places, meet people and enjoy.

Food was very good, but not as consistently good as we have had on Crystal, Regent and Seabourn. But the dining room service was the best we’ve seen afloat.

The relaxed dress and casual atmosphere aboard SD is wonderful. Officers and crew were extremely friendly, and got to know our names from the first day. We felt at home, relaxed and having fun faster than on any other cruise ship.

The itinerary – Costa Rica – was very good, but not great. The rainforests and beaches are lovely, but CR did not have the charm or infrastructure of the Caribbean. After a few national park visits, we were wishing there was more to do. And absolutely no shopping.

This is yachting, not cruising, and it’s on an older ship. So it a broken toilet or two, a few hours of no water, a steep gangway to the tender, frequent changes in plans, etc. bother you, then SD is not your best choice. However, if you want to really relax and won’t get uptight if the occasional thing breaks or goes wrong, you’ll love SD. The crew have a way of quickly making everything right, and making everyone feel good.

By the same token, SD is more yacht than cruise ship, and delivers an intimate and special experience that is not available elsewhere. This really is a lovely small ship that stands out as special.

The bottom line: would we sail with SD again? Yes, but we have concerns about the age of these ships and the financial capability of SD to properly maintain them and eventually build a new ship. For several weeks now, SD1 has been functioning on only one engine (of 2), and broken toilets, water stoppages, etc. seem to be a regular occurrence. And there seems to be a lack of communication from management about the current situation and future plans.

So while we hope to sail with SD again, we will probably take a wait and see attitude in the hopes that management will give us reason to be more confident in the condition of current ships, and the cruise line’s longer-term future.

Great review Dave. Thanks for taking the time to do it. Hope to see you on board somewhere, some day. :D

Great review Dave. Thanks for taking the time to do it. Hope to see you on board somewhere, some day. :D

Thanks, Jim. Look forward to meeting you on board one day as well -- assuming the other engine is working!

Thank you, Dave, for your review with photos!

Thank you, Dave, for your review with photos!

You are most welcome.

Also thanks to Dave for a great well balanced review. Also thanks for the great pics. Wish I knew how to do that!