Review: SDII Caribbean Oct 25 to Nov 8

Everyone on this board has been wonderful in providing information and details. After experiencing SeaDream for the first time, we thought we’d add to the reviews found on this board.

Details

We did a two week back-to-back Caribbean cruise on SeaDream II, October 25th to November 8th. About a week prior to boarding the yacht we were lucky enough to be asked to upgrade to Suite 315, the Owner’s suite.

Pre-cruise San Juan

After reading the many reviews on the different hotels in San Juan, we realized that there really is no exceptional place to stay in San Juan, so we opted for the Sheraton due to its proximity to the Yacht and Old San Juan. We were happy with our port view room, and felt it quite adequate and comfortable. It was nice to wake up, and see the Yacht docking, not to mention being close enough to walk to the yacht for embarkation.

Embarkation

Even though there was a bit of a wait to have photos made and credit cards imprinted, but with champagne in hand it went smoothly. I have to question the reasoning of the passenger health screening, as there was one crew member that had a cold and managed to spread it on to a few passengers.

Our Suite

As stated prior, being offered an upgrade to the Owner’s Suite at the last minute made for a wonderful start to our vacation. It was spacious and very well appointed. The only awkward part of the layout was the closet, as it was jammed between the far wall and bed. The master bathroom was very nice and had a huge picture window over the sink (but one must make sure the tenders weren’t floating nearby!). We did find that by the end of our cruise, we had under utilized the suite, as we were always out and about enjoying the fantastic weather and vistas.

Ports of Call

We would have to agree with many that you go to the Caribbean for the beaches, water and warm weather. There really is not too much to do at many of the ports other than finding a nice sandy beach to relax. Doing a back-to-back cruise was interesting as we repeated most of our ports so we were better informed as to what we wanted to do the second time around. We found Saba to be the most interesting and unspoiled, especially the Windward side village. They did cancel Angeda due to strong surf, but added Virgin Gorda, which we loved on our first leg. The bioluminescent bay on Visques would have been much more interesting if the moon wasn’t so bright, and felt the activity staff should have been forthcoming with this information as we had to swim under the catamaran to get the glowing effect—not exactly a luxury experience! Also, the comments coming back from the zip line excursion on St. Martin scared us from signing up on our second visit. And, based on the second visit comments for the zip line, I think it was wise to skip the excursion.

The Food

We were very pleased and at some times “wowed” by the food and service. We enjoyed our leisurely meals al fresco most times, and liked the uniqueness of the different dishes. The only disappointment was that they repeated the menu on the second go around. Our past experience on luxury cruise lines is that they tend to repeat about every two to three weeks to accommodate continuing passengers. One interesting tid bit we learned from staff was that the passengers on the second leg were heavy room service users, and ordered double entrees, thus they canceled the menu degustation!

Libations

Needless to say, the glass was never empty! The bar staff was top notch and made sure we were all well tended to. The champagne was Lafitte, and was quite tasty. The sommelier was quite friendly, but he doesn’t drink, so it made it hard to justify buying a nice expensive bottle of wine when he can’t give you his first hand impressions. We brought wine from our cellar, which I would highly recommend. It was very nice to open some special wines we have been storing and enjoy on holiday. The $11 corkage fee was a bit absurd, as I had a hard time finding a reason to justify it. I think once we got special glasses, but other than that, a bottle would have had to been uncorked and poured for us. The house wines were adequate, and at times good, but at other times not so good. In comparison to Silversea, Silversea will make sure that if you really like one of their complimentary wines it will always be available to you.

The Staff

The entire hospitality & hotel staff headed, by Peter, was top notch. Peter even went as far to make us his childhood goulash with spices he brought from home. The head housekeeper Sonja and our cabin attendant Tess provided unobtrusive superior service. The entire ship glistened and never once did we feel that it was unmaintained.

We were extremely disappointed by the lack of knowledge and presence of the cruise & activity director. However, the concierge, Meike, picked up some of the slack and tried to make the best of the situation. It is too bad that SeaDream can’t invest in a well seasoned cruise director that is multilingual, has a wealth of travel and port knowledge, and is comfortable enough to socialize with all passengers, especially during the peak times. One would think that they could attract such a professional from a competitor line.

The captain was not what we were expecting and accustomed to on other luxury lines, and at two times we were shocked by some of his actions. As this is not an appropriate forum to discuss further, we have sent a letter to Miami to address.

The Balinese Beds

What a unique concept and it was unfortunate we learned on the second week that umbrellas could be used to block the sun during the day. We very much enjoyed using them at sunset the first week, then during the day the second week with the shade of an umbrella. We booked the front bed twice during our voyage, with one night being rained out. I found the bed a bit hard and it was noisy, but my DH loved the experience.

Our Favorite Yacht Spot

As with many on this thread we seemed to be permanently glued to the TOY. It had the best views and breezes, the staff was very attentive, and it felt like being at home poolside sans the pool. We never felt too crowded up at the TOY, whereas the pool was often overrun and crowded.

The Yacht’s Public Areas

As stated above, the TOY can not be beat! In regards to the pool area, I don’t understand why they can’t hire a pool attendant to keep the chairs in order, fresh towels replenished and to monitor those pesky passengers that lay down their book & towel and disappear for hours on end. It would certainly ease the overcrowding of the pool area if it was maintained and monitored.

We only went to the Salon twice for drinks, and found it to be a bit cramped and close due to the low ceilings. Other areas never ventured for us include the piano bar and casino, as we just wanted to be outside whenever possible. The library was a nice space, and there was minimal wait time to check e-mail.

The Latest News from the Yacht

It was announced during our trip that the yacht will be headed to the Baltics and Norway in 2011. The exact dates and itineraries were unknown. Personally having traveled to Norway, and affirmed by fellow Norwegian passengers, it doesn’t make sense to take a warm weather vessel into cold waters. I could just see everyone hovering in the library and salon for the entire trip. One passenger suggested they do some of the Southeast Asia itineraries that the ships did when branded under Sea Goddess name.

The Weather and Sea Conditions

Being a bit concerned about booking a Caribbean cruise towards the end of hurricane season, we didn’t know what to expect. For the first week the weather was perfect, but a bit rainy the second week. The rain wasn’t too bad, but it did cancel all but one night of topside dining and I don’t think any overnight Balinese beds were used the entire trip.

For the most part the seas had a nice gentle roll to them. Many passengers complained of the roughness during the first leg, but we found it to be just fine. During the second leg, the captain pulled in the stabilizers (I guess to save fuel costs?) and we had a roll that cleared everything that was not stored in a drawer or a closet! The entire ship was startled awake at 3am for this event.

General Onboard Pricing

Having read some discussions on this board about prices for services I thought I’d give my two cents. We found the laundry pricing to be high compared to home. For instance we pay $1 per shirt at home and it was $5 on the ship. Perhaps we were in laundry shock, as with many days on Silversea we now sail with free laundry. The wine pricing was not bad, but as stated prior, as the ship has an expansive wine list heavily weighted at $100+ they need a sommelier that has tried the various wines. We used the internet in the library and found it to be an economical way to keep in contact and not too costly to use.

Debarkation

We were a bit concerned about making a 10:30am flight out of San Juan. There were no issues and we had plenty of time to spare. We had fellow passengers that easily made 9:30 am flights in both San Juan and St. Thomas.

Thanks for the review. Very interesting as we are boarding in 2 weeks. Who is on as Cruise Director? I also fully agree with you about the Baltics and Norway. What are they thinking? We were onboard in the Med in late October and I can tell you, these ships are very small and confining in cold/wet weather when the outdoor spaces are not in use. Norway, last time I looked I think it is cold a great deal of the time. Especially for a Florida Boy! I keep hoping for Costa Rica, Sea of Cortez, or any U.S. port sailing to the Bahamas, Keys, or Bermuda. Norway???:eek:

The cruise & activities director was Meredith. She was very sweet, but just doesn't have the experience one would expect for the caliber of clientle. Am I wrong in thinking a cruise director should be pretty much present most of the time, or was I spoiled on another line?

I think they are doing different itineraries that keep their client base interested. And, my only guess is that the Baltics and Norway are close to their other operations, so for logistics it proably makes sense.

I think your expectations of a CD are spot on. The senior CD, James Cabello, has been promoted to Commodore and sails infrequently now but James, along with Richard on SDI were/are the essence of CDs. SeaDream, by its nature, is very flexible and itineraries can and do often change. This puts lots of work on the CD to make things happen. I am certainly not saying that only males can be forceful enough to be a good CD but, IMHO, being forceful with vendors, port officials, sometimes passengers, is often necessary. A good CD is forceful and polite at the same time and accomplishes what is necessary for the good of the passengers. From your post, it sounds as if Meredith could use some more training. SD usually works any "bugs" out rapidly. Glad you had a good trip. I know we are looking forward to ours.

J.

I am really not sure if training will correct the issue. What they need is a well experienced cruise director. One that knows how to socialize and thrives on it, and one that has done the ports over and over that they can be flexible with changes, and can suggest other fun things to do in port that aren't on the list. My advice to you would be to just advance plan any shore excursion you want to do, and don't rely on the current regime for your upcoming voyage!

Thanks for the through review, SonomaWine. The one thing that stood out to me is the $11 corkage fee for opening your own wine. This is, imo, totally unacceptable on an all inclusive line. It takes no more trouble for them to open your bottle than their own, plus you are saving them the cost of their bottle.

Thanks for a thorough and comprehensive review SonomaWine.

How wonderful that you were able to upgrade to the Owner's Suite!

I can't imagine being on a SD yacht in the Baltic and Norway. As Jim has said, and I agree wholeheartedly, nobody does the Caribbean better than SD. Interesting on the new itineraries. While they don't necessarily appeal to me I suspect SD must have had some guest feedback on cruising in that area.

So would you sail SD again?

Thanks for the through review, SonomaWine. The one thing that stood out to me is the $11 corkage fee for opening your own wine. This is, imo, totally unacceptable on an all inclusive line. It takes no more trouble for them to open your bottle than their own, plus you are saving them the cost of their bottle.

I just fail to see the justification for it, especially since we bought wine off of their premium list. In our past cruises with Silversea, they never charged a fee to uncork our wine!

 

So would you sail SD again?

That is a question we have contemplated. The big obstacle with SeaDream is the lack of diverse itinerariies. We liked the Caribbean, but the haul from California really makes one think twice about doing it annualy. I do believe the only way to do the Caribbean is on SeaDream, well that is if you don't want intensive shopping ports. As far as the Med goes, I have always been a big fan of land based travel over there. With the Med being so port intensive, I'd be afraid to book any shore excursions given our experience in the Caribbean.

That is a question we have contemplated. The big obstacle with SeaDream is the lack of diverse itinerariies. We liked the Caribbean, but the haul from California really makes one think twice about doing it annualy. I do believe the only way to do the Caribbean is on SeaDream, well that is if you don't want intensive shopping ports. As far as the Med goes, I have always been a big fan of land based travel over there. With the Med being so port intensive, I'd be afraid to book any shore excursions given our experience in the Caribbean.

It is a long flight to the Caribbean from California so I can understand your not wanting to do it annually.

We spend a lot of time in the Caribbean both on land and on sea:p We tend to do our own thing when we cruise in terms of ports since we know many of the islands quite well.

The Med would be another story as we haven't yet visited that part of the world ... on land or sea!

Thanks for a thorough and comprehensive review SonomaWine.

 

I can't imagine being on a SD yacht in the Baltic and Norway.

Ditto with the thanks. Very good read.

If SD is doing the Baltic and Scandinavia in June/July, it will be quite beautiful and very pleasant. 18-20 hours of daylight, assuming its not one of those rainy summers, can make it a very unique experience. There's a reason the Swedes take the month of July for holiday.

FT

SonomaWine, your review pretty much sums up our experience on SD also. I'm glad to see that someone else wonders about the captain too...

On our cruise, the pool seemed to be well attended to (or maybe just not over-used), as we always seemed to be able to get a lounger when desired (which was not very often). It was a bit difficult to get drink service or empties removed, did a lot of that myself.

The CD was the same and we had the same impressions. The "front desk" folks though were great, really helpful in setting up rental cars, making reservations, etc. We didn't really do much in the way of ship-sponsered shore-ex.

We agree with you about Saba, what an undiscoverd jewel :) Too bad you didn't get a chance to explore Anagada. It's a rather unique experience to drive around there and roam miles of completely deserted pure-white sand beaches.

By the way, how did you transport your wine from California (we are in SoCal)?

SonomaWine, your review pretty much sums up our experience on SD also. I'm glad to see that someone else wonders about the captain too...

 

On our cruise, the pool seemed to be well attended to (or maybe just not over-used), as we always seemed to be able to get a lounger when desired (which was not very often). It was a bit difficult to get drink service or empties removed, did a lot of that myself.

 

The CD was the same and we had the same impressions. The "front desk" folks though were great, really helpful in setting up rental cars, making reservations, etc. We didn't really do much in the way of ship-sponsered shore-ex.

 

We agree with you about Saba, what an undiscoverd jewel :) Too bad you didn't get a chance to explore Anagada. It's a rather unique experience to drive around there and roam miles of completely deserted pure-white sand beaches.

 

By the way, how did you transport your wine from California (we are in SoCal)?

Did you and SonomaWine have the same captain?

Our experiences with three different captains on our 4 SD cruises have been nothing but positive so I am not sure if my expectations are different or if I just haven't sailed with the captain that you and SonomaWine have sailed:confused:

I agree that the beaches on Anegada are just wonderful. It is one of our favorite islands!

I sure hope we had the same captain, because if SD has two captains like that I would not get near a SD ship again :eek:

I sure hope we had the same captain, because if SD has two captains like that I would not get near a SD ship again :eek:

Wow ... Are we sure we sailed on the same SD?

Do you mean this from a personality standpoint or from a seamanship standpoint?

All of the captains who have had the helm while we have been on board some 30 nights have been excellent ... in terms of personality and most importantly in terms of seamanship!

I am sure Jim, who is our resident expert on seamanship as he has sailed as a professional, will chime in if he isn't too busy polishing his flip flops.:p

I am a bit of a control freak (be quiet FT, zqvol and DJ's DH) with enough sailing in the Caribbean background to be dangerous. I know how fluky the winds, water and weather can be in that area (can you say 20 foot plus seas in March) and feel extremely safe while on board. As a matter of fact during our trip in March '09 Capt. Tysse made it a point of going over the weather and wave charts with me EVERY morning.

Capt. Tysse knows that I sometimes worry (okay more like constantly) about wind and sea conditions (blowing off and dragging anchor in a squall on a 38-foot sailboat with your husband in Great Harbor, Virgin Gorda will do that to a person). Now mind you one side of the brain knows that can't happen with a yacht the size of SD but the other side of the brain sometimes takes over:rolleyes:.

Nonetheless, both Captains Tysse and Berg have always been excellent about answering my gazillion questions with professionalism and good humor. Although I can't imagine what they must think when they see my name on the manifest:eek:

Wow ... Are we sure we sailed on the same SD?

 

Do you mean this from a personality standpoint or from a seamanship standpoint?

 

I was curious about this too. I've sailed with 3 different captains on SD I and II and never had any concerns about any of them (hopefully they would say the same about me . . . I say hopefully but there is that never empty glass of champagne:rolleyes:). Each has a different personality but I don't think I notice them that much in the Caribbean, except for the wonderful Captain T, who is everywhere all the time (does that man ever sleep?). Its a bit different on the crossings, where with no island hopping, its more like a little community and you get to know everyone a bit better.

FT

We have sailed over ten times with Capt Berg and he has always been professional and courteous, he remembers us and the kids and always has been very nice to us...our biggest challenge is trying to avoid having dinner with him..I would submit to root canal surgery before going through that again

Rest assured all, it is none of the captains you have mentioned, but rather the newest captain of the fleet. I won't comment much further but his actions onboard were deplorable and would not be tolerated in most businesses. I believe his seamanship was fine, but other fellow passengars would probably disagree given the 3am ROLL, FALL, SLIDE, CRASH and TUMBLE! Oh, did I mention the flash from the iPod docking station? I thought it was fun, well excpet being suddenly awakend at 3am!

Ragnar, we did the styro shipper, checked it as luggage, hauled it all over NY as we had a 3 day stint on the way down. It works well if you do 2 6 pack shippers, as it fits right ontop of the rolling luggage with ease:p

We have sailed over ten times with Capt Berg and he has always been professional and courteous, he remembers us and the kids and always has been very nice to us...our biggest challenge is trying to avoid having dinner with him..I would submit to root canal surgery before going through that again

ROFL at the image of Carlylecat dodging a dinner invitation!

Actually we, along with the jbcjtc'ers, had a wonderful dinner with Capt. Berg on SD1 in March '08. As a matter of fact, he asked if we minded if he changed out of his dress whites (full dress with jacket) and into his standard uniform (shirt and pants) since we were dining al fresco. Of course we said we wanted him to comfortable!

It was a wonderful meal, filled with good food, good wine, great conversation! Both Dr. jbcjtc and DJ's DH are sailors while Mrs. jbcjtc and I enjoy sailing so there was plenty to talk about!

We have had the honor of dining with Capt. Tysse on each of our sailings with him. Both were incredible evenings that we fondly remember and recall!

No seamanship issues. Well, as least we didn't hit anything hard enough to upset my wine glass :D

Rest assured all, it is none of the captains you have mentioned, but rather the newest captain of the fleet. I won't comment much further but his actions onboard were deplorable and would not be tolerated in most businesses. I believe his seamanship was fine, but other fellow passengars would probably disagree given the 3am ROLL, FALL, SLIDE, CRASH and TUMBLE! Oh, did I mention the flash from the iPod docking station? I thought it was fun, well excpet being suddenly awakend at 3am!

 

Ragnar, we did the styro shipper, checked it as luggage, hauled it all over NY as we had a 3 day stint on the way down. It works well if you do 2 6 pack shippers, as it fits right ontop of the rolling luggage with ease:p

Thanks for the tip on the styro shipper! We took a special bottle with us in March that we wrapped in layer upon layer of bubble wrap:p

Roll, fall, slide, crash and tumble does NOT sound like fun ... especially at 3 a.m. We have had something similar happen when Mother Ocean and Mother Nature were not happy.

Again, thanks for the review and answers!

"Ragnar, we did the styro shipper, checked it as luggage, hauled it all over NY as we had a 3 day stint on the way down. It works well if you do 2 6 pack shippers, as it fits right ontop of the rolling luggage with ease"

Only 12 bottles for two weeks, the horror :eek:

I really wish there was a way to know which Captain, Maitre' D, Chef, TOTY bartender, and Cruise Director was staffing the ship when making a booking. We have noticed consistency problems in the past between crews, and keep hoping SeaDream will figure out how to provide uniformly exceptional service. It is a combination of training, experience, and attitude -- with the last, attitude, being most important. Unfortunately attitude is not trainable. Ineffective leadership translates to noticeable service gaps no matter how hard the customer-facing waiters and bartenders are trying. The casual elegance that SD strives to provide is only possible when the service is genuine and friendly. Once you have sailed with a "Golden Crew" you will want to keep coming back.

I would discourage folks from turning this into a discussion naming crew members who need improvement. I have had several discussions with SeaDream employees over the years; the company knows which employees are long term "special projects". I am expecting "great" -- not just "good" -- which is a high bar to meet.

Being such a small ship, individual staff have a greater than normal impact on guests' impressions. But I think most issues on SD are "process issues", rather than problems with individuals. Process issues are strictly the responsibility of upper management.

A few examples:

- Bar staff are often harried by having to run all over the ship to chase coffee/espresso drinks. Solution: Put semi-auto or fully-auto espresso machines in each bar, and have "airpots" of coffee and decaf at each bar.

- Quality of prep varies wildly at breakfast and lunch. Solution: Reduce the choices a bit and focus on doing the fewer choices really well and consistantly.

- Some of the crew seemed out of sorts at times (including senior crew). Solution: Recognize that employees have problems from time to time, can be overly tired, or are just be in an odd mood. At these times, allow the employee to do more "behind the scenes" work and move someone else into the more customer-interacting roles. An employee's "bad day" should never be thrust in front of customers.

After reading this thread, I think that I sail on a different SD than a lot of these posters. I have never experienced anything but impeccable service. I want a captain who can captain the ship, not be a social host. The wine on board is for my taste superior, I have never had a bad glass.

I have never experience slow service around the pool or at any bar. The food at breakfast and lunch are always exceptional , never a bad item.

The crew ALWAYS goes above and beyond and have never been out of sorts or anything but overly friendly!

The CD have always been well informed and know all about all of the islands that we have visited.

I am beginning to think that people who prefer Seabourne and Silverseas are just not cut out to be on SD, because it is never going to be like either of those lines, thank goodness!