Review of Sea Dream II 2005 Fall Atlantic Crossing

When I booked Sea Dream II’s 2005 Atlantic crossing I thought this would be a slow paced cruise with very little activity, lazy days, cool and/or rough weather, and little to do.

Totally wrong – not that a passenger has to do anything – but with so many options and such great weather, I ran out of time for all the planned activities several days. While I posted daily updates and, thanks to the wonderful Web site, many of you tracked us daily, those entries can only give you a hint of the wonderful crossing we experienced. So I decided to post these notes, targeted at experienced Sea Dream sailors.

Having been on a Sea Dream cruise last spring that had way too many children on board, booking the Atlantic crossing ensured (at least for this trip) that it was an adults only experience. My husband, a professor, was unable to make the trip (taking two weeks off in the middle of the semester just wasn’t the best career move) so not having to pay a single supplement made it even better.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands is a beautiful, clean, safe, and friendly city. Next time, I will plan to arrive more than 24 hrs before embarkation to see more of the island. The Sheraton De Mency is a superb hotel in the middle of the port city and as a single traveler, I received great service in the bar, restaurant, and casino. It is always a pleasure to travel in a city where the cab drivers’ English is much better than my Spanish.

Most of the arriving passengers were at the gangplank at 2:00. All were on board by 4:00. The captain, Johannes Tysse, and the chief steward, Christophe Cornu, among others, warmly greeted us as we boarded. Three (3) steps later, the first wave of the never empty champagne glass arrived. The main lounge hosted a reception with hor d’oevres.

Just outside the main lounge the wonderful spa ladies were explaining various treatments. One benefit of booking when first arriving on board is getting your choice of times (late afternoon is a preferred time slot). Another benefit is the wonderful neck, shoulder, and arm massage you receive while booking your treatments. (A slight bit of panic when I saw a ten year old sitting by the spa ladies, but her family had been on board the week before and was departing before we sailed).

Then I moved on to the stewardesses who greet you and show you to your cabin. Deralin took care of me and she was wonderful. I had no request go unmet during the 13 days on board.

Luggage arrived promptly in my cabin. I unpacked and was back on deck in a jiffy. We sailed away.

From here, it’s easier to address by category:

Crew: Truly a 6 Star Experience. This was the first cruise I have been on where the Captain made a point at his closing cocktail party of introducing crew that don’t have day to day contact with the passengers. Recognition of the engine, safety, maintenance, laundry, etc crew who are so vital to the total experience was very much appreciated by the crew and the passengers. Captain Tysse was visible most of the voyage, taking pictures for the Sea Dream II Crossing web site, mingling with passengers, and giving us updates.

Christophe and his more than capable assistant, Martin, as well as all of the waiters and bartenders, not only provided top notch service but seemed to enjoy the experience as much as the passengers. Occasionally and only in the first couple of days of the cruise, a waiter refreshed my sparkling water with still water or my tea did not show up for ten minutes but those are the only nits I can raise (for 13 days and I’m a grouch by nature, that’s quite amazing:rolleyes: ). Offsetting this is that when I sat down to breakfast in the morning, the waiters knew I liked a glass of sparkling water, no ice, and a pot of tea (Earl Grey) with two slices of lemon. The beverages miraculously appeared without request. The same for ice tea with extra lemon at lunch. On days I did not want to drag myself away from the sun and pool for lunch – the waiters always served me lunch poolside. A special thanks to Henk who always made wonderful recommendations.

The talented Sommelier, Ferenc Kis, hid his disappointment well when I drank champagne every night and only tried one of his wines during the crossing. I did have a wonderful Shiraz one night and noticed that if a passenger did not like the recommended wine, Ferenc was quick to recommend a substitute (and not off the premium “purchase” wine list). I didn’t hear one complaint about the wine selection while on board.

The Head Housekeeper was always asking what I needed (thanks to Deralin, my answer was always "nothing and thank you for asking"). The spa ladies adopted me, providing a Halloween costume and make-up for Halloween. The ladies running the casino took pity on my ignorance and were extremely patient both in teaching me blackjack and in taking my money. Richard, the activities director, and his staff were always able to address the requests of the passengers and the purser’s staff was the most responsive I’ve ever been experienced. I hope I haven’t left out a team, but if so, my apologies. An organization lives or dies by its personnel and the Sea Dream II team on this crossing would be a success in any line of business.

Cuisine: The absolute best ever. Another 6 Star Experience. Jeremy Paskins, (a/k/a, Jes, the Energizer Chef) heads up a team that delivered Michelin quality meals at every meal. I will confess to being bored by some of the lunch offerings on my prior Sea Dream I cruises, but on this trip there was always one or two surprise entries that made lunch just as highly anticipated as dinner.

Thanks to being in the middle of the Atlantic, we were able to obtain a tour of the main galley (security restrictions prohibit on island cruises). It is remarkable what this talented team creates in such a small space. And as far as cleanliness, I’ve never seen such a spotless and shining kitchen. Jes was quick to credit his sanitation manager as the most important cog in the galley.

The Oriental Wellness offerings were delightful and surprisingly filling. Many passengers incorporated components into the dinner meal, especially the spring rolls, green beef curry, and Thai chicken. The daily soups were excellent – ranging from the standard consumer double to cream of pumpkin with tarragon and lobster (the first course at my Thanksgiving dinner this year), cream of roma tomato with fresh basil, to kamto (Chinese beef soup with glass noodles) to corn and crab soup with lime leaves.

A first for me on a Sea Dream cruise – a brunch on the second Sunday of the trip. Specialties included a crepe station and a young roast pig. Hopefully these will be offered on more than just the Atlantic crossings.

And to die for desserts. Gerben Land, the pastry chef, takes great pride in his one of a kind creations. Chocaholics will enjoy his signature “fondant au Chocolat with Vanilla ice cream” and “Seadream Noir”. The rest of you will have to be satisfied with the exquisite Crème Brulee with Madeline, Grand Marnier Souffle with Sauce Anglaise, and Cherries Jubilee. Of course there are the fresh ice creams and sorbet made on fresh daily on-board. If you can’t make up your mind, at the ice cream social try all six available flavors.

Activities: One of the best reasons to cruise Sea Dream as opposed to any other luxury line is the “personal yachting experience”. Shows, reviews, speakers, etc are not an attraction for me. However, Sea Dream management is to be commended for striking a balance on this crossing. All of the speaker sessions ranging in topic from the Concorde to European political affairs to handwriting analysis and jury selection were well attended. A passenger, Anthony Nicholas (author and maritime historian), graciously agreed to give two informal talks, one on the “Titanic –Sinking the Myth” and the other on the “SS Normandie.” Mr. Nicholas will also be posting a professional review of this cruise.

In addition, yoga and tai chi classes as well as “walk a mile” competitions were offered daily (16 laps around the deck equals a mile). Every night either a dance (disco) or concert video was offered in the main salon and/or deck. Hard working Christian, the head bartender, offered an absinthe tasting. Another day was a rum tasting. A movie every afternoon at 2:00 p.m. competed with an afternoon session of blackjack and/or poker. Comment: Isn’t there some way management can put back a couple of the slot machines in the small casino? They were truly missed on this cruise and I heard this request from a number of my fellow passengers.

A Liar’s Club session (members of a panel each gave a meaning to a word and the audience had to guess which was right) was highly enjoyed. Every day at noon a different appetizer and drink was served on the decks (tapas & sangria, quesadillas & margaritas, bitten bites & Heineken, etc). The ship has two musicians, Joey, a guitarist and DJ, and Venmar, a pianist. Both are wonderful musicians but neither are vocalists, so on this trip there was no singing at the piano bar. A deluxe classical afternoon tea was poorly attended, but the scones and clotted cream were as good as any I’ve had in London.

It was a treat seeing the staff dressed and made up for Halloween. If you haven’t already – go to the Sea Dream crossing website. The waiters seemed to especially enjoy the event and the main salon and dining room were decorated for the occasion. Each day at noon we waited for the results of the “Noon Report Sweepstakes” – the person who guessed how many miles we had cumulatively traveled from Tenerife won the pool ($1.00 bet to enter). Two of my fellow passengers seemed quite expert in their guesses, notwithstanding the day we had to drift for a while a minor engine repair was made or the day we changed direction for lunch due to crosswinds (to keep the salad from blowing away).

Of course a passenger can always do nothing. A number of guests retired to the Balinese beds during the day with a book or headphones. It was extremely warm and some sort of freshwater shower would have helped cool down guests. Failing that, maybe a spray bottle of water placed in an ice bucket beside each bed would be appreciated. Eric did walk around on deck several times dialing misting guests with water. Just a small suggestion.

The Balinese beds also saw a lot of overnight visitors. With the great weather and mostly clear nights, star gazing was a frequent activity.

It is extremely difficult to select a favorite experience, but the “Caviar and Champagne Poolside Beach Party” will be difficult to top. We watched the set up of the caviar & all the fixings as well as the champagne and oysters poolside. Then the party began. As champagne was passed around, Danny and Eric, began spraying champagne on passengers beside and in the pool. The fun wasn’t limited to the pool deck as they shook bottles and sprayed folks and shot corks to the 4th deck. A waiter setting up for lunch on the 5th deck got in to the action and targeted a passenger below. Danny and Eric also did cannon balls into the pool land and delighted in refilling passengers’ glasses while in the pool. Martin, in his dress whites, was tossed against his will into the pool but turned in a full somersault without spilling a drop, then went back to work dripping wet. As Christophe told me – if the boys can’t have fun why do it? Empty bottles were gradually placed on the ledge around the hot tub making for great photo opportunities. So many passengers were in the pool and hot tub with waiters constantly refilling champagne glasses. The joie de vie was felt by all.

Passengers: What a great group we had on board. Many were repeat Sea Dream passengers who make both Atlantic crossings each year. Others like me were on their first crossing. A slight majority were American, followed by the UK, then Norway and Denmark. We also had folks from Holland, a token Canadian, and one New Zealander. The groups mingled very well and were extremely fluid. Even with two groups of 10 or so who travel together often, the passengers were extremely congenial. We did have one exception, an extremely difficult and occasionally very rude passenger, who I hope Sea Dream management reins in on future cruises. Otherwise I expect that I, another passenger, or an irate crew member will eventually toss this difficult passenger overboard.

Spa: Excellent Services. I had aromatherapy, Swedish, and Reflexology massages. I passed on the Thai massage, after several passengers commented that it was a less pleasant experience. The consensu was that the Thai massage would not be the best choice for someone with limited flexibility, but was an excellent massage for an athletic and active person who has maintained their flexibility. Body treatments for dry skin and a facial were also excellent and will be repeated on future voyages.

It has been very difficult returning to the real world. I’m already counting down the days to the our next Sea Dream Cruise II and have already booked the fall 2006 Atlantic Crossing. Its only 9 nights and ends in San Juan, but I understand Captain Tysse, Christophe, Richard and the rest of the wonderful crew will be on board. Until then, smooth sailing.

FT

Wonderful review Teresa,

You make us ready to go. Yes, Lois & I have decided to try SeaDream again in spite of last March. Lois has won a RCL cruise in March so we will try later in the year. Hope to see you and Philip aboard in the future. Again, great review and so happy you had such a good cruise.

Jim & Lois.

Are the cabins not air conditioned?

What a wonderful review, FT! Sounds as though you had plenty to do -- which is the one thing that would concern me on a 12 day crossing -- that and not being able to get off :)

Really makes me look forward to our January cruise -- none of the crew sounds familiar (we were on SD1 our first cruise), so it will be nice to meet them!

Thanks for all the updates -- we lived vicariously!

Vandrefalk

Can anyone tell me what type of BEER they have on SeadreamII. Is it cans or bottles? Red Stripe?

As best I can remember they have a variety of beers available, but I do not remember Red Stripe being one of them.

Cans and bottles - but they always serve in a glass unless on the pool deck.

If you want Red Stripe or any other variety -- just like a special soda, contact Andrew Cohen or one of the other reps at SD headquarters and request.

Have fun.

FT

A passenger, Anthony Nicholas (author and maritime historian), graciously agreed to give two informal talks, one on the “Titanic –Sinking the Myth” and the other on the “SS Normandie.” Mr. Nicholas will also be posting a professional review of this cruise.

FT,

I would consider your review a professional one! Very well done. :)

Where will Mr. Nicholas' review be published?

Bill

Thanks for the feedback on my review.

I believe Mr. Nicholas' review will be published on another site linked to cruise reports. com but also on the Sea Dream II Atlantic crossing website. When I left the ship, Mr. Nicholas had told Captain Tysse that he would be sending a copy to him. With Mr. Nicholas' permission I will also attach his review here.

Best regards and I am waiting for the Sea Dream II live updates, Part III.

FT

Excellent review FT!

DH and I have the papers to sign for the fall '06 crossing! DH want to see how he likes two days at sea this week before we give our deposit!

I must say that the service is just as you have described!

Well, if DH doesn't want to go -- run away from home like I'm doing again next fall.

FT

Actually FT ... Ctbjr and I were talking about this very thing this morning. We were saying that if DH doesn't want to go you and I could share a cabin as I suspect Capt. T has done such a good job with marketing that there won't be a single supplement waiver next year!!

Regardless, I am doing the crossing ... and you will just love spending time with Ctjr whom I fondly call Jim ... not his really name mind you ... but the name I call him after too much time in the sun or too many GnTs:D His DW is lovely and you will become quite fond of her as well!

Time to catch the last of the rays here in Miami.

More to come on the next work day!

I think I'd be a terrible roommate - I've already booked the East to West crossing and confirmed no single supplement - but if you get desparate, yes we can share. Just no snide comments about my messiness.

Now I really want to stay on at the end of our April cruise and cross West to East but work may prevent.

FT

FT ... looks like DH has bought into the crossing ... as matter of fact he and Ctbjr look quite comfortable in their corporate office (Top of the Yacht) and regional office (by the pool)!

I suspect that Capt. T. will have a full ship from the Fall '06 crossing:D

FT ... looks like DH has bought into the crossing ... as matter of fact he and Ctbjr look quite comfortable in their corporate office (Top of the Yacht) and regional office (by the pool)!

I suspect that Capt. T. will have a full ship from the Fall '06 crossing:D

Shame on me, a few more points to mention:

Medical Staff: Nothing but praise -- in fact one passenger with a chronic medical reaction who suffered a bit of dizziness on board felt she received much better treatment than she did at home with her regular doctor. The on board doctor (and I am so sorry for not remembering his name now) explained the medications and possible interractions. In short she felt better after seeing him than she had in a long time.

Waiters: I didn't single out particular waiters because I knew I would forget someone (either a middle-age moment or too much champagne at any point in time) and I know certain crew members follow Cruise Critic postings. Across the group --- my thanks to all, but in particular (due to my repeated early breakfast) -- the "Dutch Mafia" is a great group. :cool: I appreciated their humor as well as the personalized service.

Internet Speed: I continued to forget while on board that connecting to the net via satellite from a moving ship is going to be slower than a cable, DSL, or T2 connection on land. However, be prepared that at certain hours, the net basically is unusable (seemed to correspond with the mid -afternoon breaks of the crew).:( The purser's staff was excellent at understanding frustration when sending a simple e-mail composed off line took 15 minutes and reimbursed without fail each passenger who complained:)

If for some unbearable and incomprehensible reason you must have access to the Internet for a lenghthy period of time - the $35 per day charge is a better value than the card which charges for access at $5.00 for first 10 minutes and $3.00 for each 10 thereafter (haven't figured out if that means each time you log on or cumulatively).

On board gift store: Opened daily and will deliver purchases to your room. Acceptable selection of items but do not rely on for broad range of personal sundries. Having left a few items in my hotel room I was able to replace but for a significant cost and with no choices in category. But the prices were no more than I would expect to pay at a somewhat isolated land resort.

What is unique is the selection of Nordic crystal - very reasonably priced. Sea Dream branded apparel and accessories are of excellent quality and again, reasonably priced. No cheap "My parents went on Sea Dream and all I got was this" teeshirts. :rolleyes: This trip I acquired the largest capacity lightweight Sea Dream bag (somehow the clothes that came across the ocean in one carry on would not go back in one bag) for $35. A number of passengers acquired jackets, shorts, shirt, visors . . .

While I didn't hear of any purchases -- should you wish to spend $3200 or more on a watch or buy an expensive piece of jewelry or sunglasses -- that option is also available.

All in all, I just can't think of a better vacation. My office commented when I returned that I looked so relaxed . . . . just couldn't stop smiling . . . have already booked next fall's crossing and planning to book the spring crossing -- heck, if I don't have enough vacation days, maybe its time to change jobs.

FT