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SD2 - Rome-Nice, 6-20 October

vandrefalk

By vandrefalk,
in SeaDream Yacht Club

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vandrefalk

vandrefalk

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We sailed to Monaco early this morning and are docked near a private yacht even larger than we are! The Lady Maura -- owned by a Saudi, I hear. Monaco is impressive -- very clean and every square inch of land occupied. we took a tour to Eze, which is absolutely charming. Then a walk around the "Rock" and we went back on our own this afternoon. Took a tour of the palace -- wow. I think we will probably try to go to the casino after dinner, just so we can say we were there.

 

When we got back for lunch, the suitcases were sitting on the bed :(:(:(

So guess I've got to bite the bullet and go pack. We're dining with the First Officer tonight (Scottish Michael) which should be fun. Then I guess they really are going to throw us off the boat tomorrow. . . .

 

Will not be able to post again til we are home and will try to do a wrap up then. If you're interested, I'll post the link to my pictures once I get them edited and uploaded, but be warned -- there are over 1000 of them!

 

It's been a fabulous 2 weeks and I hate to see it end. Now I will be looking forward to the crossing blog and seeing posts from those who are onboard!!!

 

Vandrefalk

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Zimmy

Zimmy

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Thank you for your wonderful posts. We feel like we are onboard with you, and we are grateful. DH & I leave tomorrow for Barcelona, and we will board SDI on the 25th. I will not post while on board (don't know how), but I plan to take notes daily so that I can post a comprehensive review upon my return. You and FT have put me to shame with your wonderful reporting. I will try to do my part.

 

I wish you safe travels on your way home.

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mimito4

mimito4

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You could always try handcuffing yourselves to the bed, with claims that you're both a little kinky ;) :p :eek: Shame on me!

 

Seriously though, thanks for your live reports. It's been a joy--albeit a jealous joy--to follow you. Will look forward to your pics and wrap up.

 

Safe travels back home, and hopes for a "gentle" re-entry into the real world.

 

We are leaving for Barcelona mid November for a few days of tapas and sight-seeing before we board a mega ship's (coughcoughX) inaugural crossing. Looking forward to it, 'cause I do love "new," but it won't be SeaDream. :(

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frequent traveler

frequent traveler

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Will not be able to post again til we are home and will try to do a wrap up then. If you're interested, I'll post the link to my pictures once I get them edited and uploaded, but be warned -- there are over 1000 of them!

 

It's been a fabulous 2 weeks and I hate to see it end. Now I will be looking forward to the crossing blog and seeing posts from those who are onboard!!!

 

Vandrefalk

 

Unless you figured out a way to stay on board for the crossing, hope you made it home on time and with an easy flight. Very interested in pictures and the wrap up once you've made it through withdrawal. Hope you booked the Venice trip while on board. Wish I could suggest an easy way through withdrawal, only way is to stay on board.

 

FT

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vandrefalk

vandrefalk

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Handcuff idea didn't work :rolleyes:

We are home after a very, very long day from Nice to Charlotte. Spent the night in Charlotte and drove home yesterday to tons of mail, internet problems, laundry, etc., etc., etc. Will take me a day or two to work my way through it, but I really will try to post a wrap up. BTW, where is CDreamer and her report??

 

Yes, we have two more cruises booked :D But they are months away. I will say I enjoyed every moment of this cruise and really hated to leave. Loved the port excursions, chef's walks, food (and I only gained three pounds - hah! - thanks to those shore excursions!), crew, etc.

 

More later!

Vandrefalk

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CDreamer

CDreamer

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However, they are having some trouble with the water lines. The toilets tend not to work at inopportune times, but come back on fairly quickly. Not sure what the problem is but they are working on it.

 

We thought something was up. A few times our toilet stopped working, but then the next time we'd flush it everything was fine. :confused: No problem with pressure in our shower or sink - and, (since the toilet did ultimate work), it was a minor thing compared to the vibrating cabin we originally had on deck 2! :eek:

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CDreamer

CDreamer

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BTW, where is CDreamer and her report??

 

I'm here, but not much of a SD wrap up report, I'm afraid. Spent three full days - and nights - in our SDII cabin, so really only went on two land excursions, both of which were at the tail end of our cruise: the Chef's Tour with Tomasz (which is something I've always wanted to do) in Amalfi and the tour of Pompeii, which is one of the main reasons we took this cruise (in addition to celebrating the Vandrefalks' wild handcuffed - or not? - 25th anniversary, of course. ;)).

 

What I will tell you about is that pre cruise we stayed at the Rome Hilton (at the airport), and while I was a little nervous about staying there based on some sketchy reviews, it was clean, quiet, and very convenient for Rome Cabs pick up and take us to Civitavecchia. But here's a tip if you are staying at/near the airport and are interested in ruins, like we are. Take the 15-20 minute taxi ride and go see the ruins at Ostia Antica. You can explore miles of beautiful, shaded parkland that encompasses the entire ancient Roman city, which also includes a full sized amphitheater and a small museum. We strolled around for almost FOUR hours, there is that much to see! Some people take picnics and there are a couple of restaurants on the outskirts of the park, but there is also a small bar/cafeteria-type restaurant on the premises. No taxi stands at the ruins so just make sure to get a callback number from your taxi driver or have lunch at a nearby restaurant (there are a couple that sit around the castle/castle wall directly across the street from Ostia Antia's main entrance) then ask them to call a taxi for you. Entrance to the park is 6.50 euro p/p and it is well worth exploring. Believe me - seeing Ostia Antica kept me from tearing my hair out after missing the Doric Temple at Segesta! I had really looked forward to seeing the Temple, but after my DH came back and told me how fantastic it was and showed me pics my reply was, "Well at least I was able to see Ostia Antica!" :rolleyes:

 

Had been to beautiful Amalfi on a previous anniversary trip and it was still as pretty and charming as we had remembered. I was just back on my feet so we passed on Ravello, which we had previously seen, and instead tagged along Tomasz' chef's walk, which was something I've always wanted to do.

 

Pompeii: the day we went the heavens broke open, but (even though there were plenty of tourists there) I think the rain may have prevented it from being completely overrun. The ruins were fantastic, and our guide was once actively involved in a digging project at the ruins, so he had first hand knowledge of Pompeii, which made it even more interesting. Only glitch was in the transfer between busses.... Our guide lost the bus we were supposed to return on, but after some searching around we found it. I must say many of us on the bus were quite embarrassed when a fellow SD passenger YELLED (obscenities) at the bus driver and guide because the bus started to move before said passenger had fully sat down in his seat. Granted, they should have ensured everyone was safely in their seats before driving off, but this man cursed, swore, and even challenged the guide to a FIST FIGHT!! :eek: Things eventually calmed down and everyone got back to town safely, then some stayed in town for lunch while others went back to the tender and ship. There was a bit of confusion transferring between the large bus to the transfer (back to the tender) bus, but we all eventually figured it out. Highly recommend this trip if you are interested in ruins. Even in the pouring rain! :p

 

SDII: Hotel mgr Peter is a true gem. Personable, accommodating (he came to the rescue and helped move us from the cabin on deck 2 to 4), and extremely professional. Catherine, our cabin stewardess, and all the other stewardesses who pitched in, were truly amazing. Always making sure I had what I needed and checking in with me to make sure I was OK....everyone took such good care of me when I was down (turns out I had strep) and EVERYONE welcomed me back when I finally showed my face Topside again! Loved seeing all the familiar faces again: Captain Terje, Jamie M'aitre D, Shaun, Goran (a personal favorite!), Jeff, and June - who never, ever stops smiling - and Frank, who never stops pouring (wine)!! (if I've forgotten someone, my apologies - am working off my feeble memory!). And the spa gals... Wow. Esmerelda, the spa mgr, was a joy to deal with and the hot stone massages brought me back to life. These girls are amazing, so great at knowing the right amount of pressure, and all very sweet. Wasn't thrilled to have to see the doc but he addressed my symptoms, checked in on me each day, and put me back on the road to good health, so it's always nice to know he's there...just in case!

 

Thankfully, by the end of the cruise I was back on my feet and we really enjoyed staying in Umbria post cruise, even though our time there was way too short. It was our 15th trip to Italy but certainly not our last.

 

Sorry, but that's the extent of my review.... Unless you want to hear how comfortable my bed and cabin was, or how much I loved my soft pillows!! But I will say SDII still shines re: 5 star service, inventive, creative dishes, and nothing is ever too much trouble for the outstanding crew (or if it is you'll never know about it). Think some of the excursions and advice to those who just want a bit of guidance re: particular port stops still need a bit more hands on planning (based on some things I heard from my DH in one instance and a few other passengers' experiences), but in general all went pretty smoothly. It was another fun SD cruise with old SD crew friends and lifelong friends whom we originally met on SD. (Yes, Vandrefalk, I am looking at YOU and Mr. Vandrefalk!!).

 

No future cruises planned at this point, but w/ 8 SD cruises under our belts I'm sure we'll be back at some point. Still say no one does the Caribbean like SD, so - because we prefer seeing Europe by land - we may need a Painkiller SD cruise fix down the road! ;)

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vandrefalk

vandrefalk

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"It was another fun SD cruise with old SD crew friends and lifelong friends whom we originally met on SD. (Yes, Vandrefalk, I am looking at YOU and Mr. Vandrefalk!!). "

Aw, Shucks :o, CDreamer! Back at ya, Sis!

 

Actually, for missing a good part of the cruise, CDreamer did a pretty good job! I've already covered the main events on board, so will just provide some wrap-up comments. One of the things that always amazes me is the ability of the crew to make you feel like you are their FAVORITE guest! I'm sure they like some better than others, but they always manage to make you feel like they like you best. Of course, you never know what they are saying about you below decks! The nasty man CDreamer mentioned in Pompeii also had a nasty wife -- she complained about everything -- said everything was wrong -- and intended to give Jeff an earful. He said she never said a word to him, but don't know what her comment card said. It was their first -- and hopefully last -- cruise on SD.

 

One other thing I noted was that Jeff started being more specific about how strenuous some of the exursions could be; i.e., lots of walking, stairs, etc. One of the things the nasty couple complained about were the uneven surfaces at Pompeii. Excuse me? IT'S A RUIN!!

 

There is a lot of excitement among the crew about new itineraries -- especially Asia. The spa girls and all the Filipino crew are really looking forward to being close to home.

 

Europe is much more port intensive than the Caribbean -- we were up early almost every morning, but you still had time to chill in the afternoon. Some of the towns weren't so pretty (Livorno comes to mind) but others (Amalfi, etc.) were storybook perfect. I thought the excursions were generally very well done and since almost everything was brand new to us, it was exciting every day.

 

When I compare SD to Regent (which we did in Alaska), I still say the Regent ship was very nice, but the food wasn't as good and you didn't have as much opportunity to meet people as you do on SD. But the most important difference is the way the crew makes you feel -- they really do want you to feel like it is "home" and that's something you just can't get anywhere else. We'll be doing more of Europe on SD, I'm sure and CDreamers can probably talk us into the Caribbean again. We'll also be doing some land trips in Europe, but for us, SD will always be tops.

 

Now I will have to start working on the pictures!!

 

Vandrefalk

 

 

 

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mimito4

mimito4

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Nice recap. So sorry that strep had to intrude on such a great trip, one that I'm sure you had looked forward to. Still, you have such a good attitude about it, CDreamer. I think you must be a lovely person.

 

Also does my heart good to read about your good friendship. . .founded on SD. Nice.

 

Again thanks for taking us along!

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JES4845

JES4845

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Thanks to all for the excellent wrap up reports.

 

Quick question to CDreamer. If you wouldn't mind, please advise which cabin on Deck 2 has the shakes? We will be on SDII for Thanksgiving Week and trying Deck 2 for the first time to stretch the dollar. We have stayed on Deck 3 in the past.

 

When we were on SDII in August we experienced the same intermittent toilet issues. It was a minor nuisance as you reported not a major hiccup.

 

If memory serves the first crossing starts later today and the other later next week. Here is to hoping they avoid any nasty weather as those of us in the US Northeast prepare for TS/Hurricane Sandy!

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vandrefalk

vandrefalk

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Nice recap. So sorry that strep had to intrude on such a great trip, one that I'm sure you had looked forward to. Still, you have such a good attitude about it, CDreamer. I think you must be a lovely person.quote]

 

She is a lovely person, mimito4 -- at least most of the time :D

 

Jes -- it's not just one cabin. Believe CDreamer was originally in 206 but we were in 212 in January and had some issues as well. In addition, there was another guest on Deck 2 when we were in Italy who mentioned it. It's sort of a shudder now and then -- a bit disconcerting and bothers some more than others. I suspect it has something to do with the engines? And it wasn't all the time -- seems you noticed it more when the seas had some motion. I've always liked Deck 2 though.

 

Now we'll be waiting for someone (CTBJR?) to post the link for the crossing blog(s)!

 

Vandrefalk

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JES4845

JES4845

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Has anyone heard from anybody on the crossing that left or was supposed to leave Barcelona yesterday (Sat 27 Oct) on SD II (or so I thought)? Swear I saw it departing Barcelona port yesterday (via Marinetraffic.com). When I checked today (ok am I addicted, too?) it looked from the track like it had double backed to Barcelona and left again earlier today (Sun 28 Oct). If anyone can shed any light please let us all know. Hopefully it is just a mistake on the marinetraffic.com site and not on my part!

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CDreamer

CDreamer

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She is a lovely person, mimito4 -- at least most of the time :D

 

Thanks Teresa. The crew really helped to keep my spirits up, so this cruise became more the journey than the destination! (And, um, thanks - I think - Sis!! :rolleyes::D).

 

Vandrefalk: << Jes -- it's not just one cabin. Believe CDreamer was originally in 206 but we were in 212 in January and had some issues as well. In addition, there was another guest on Deck 2 when we were in Italy who mentioned it. It's sort of a shudder now and then -- a bit disconcerting and bothers some more than others. I suspect it has something to do with the engines? And it wasn't all the time..>>

 

I should mention something here, though I had planned not to say which cabin, since some people can sleep through anything.

 

We have stayed on deck 2 before, but never had this issue. We don't mind a little vibration... you are on a ship, after all... and even the rocking and rolling during high swells lulls us to sleep.

 

What we felt in this particular cabin (yes, 206) was a very strong shimmy...like someone was trying constantly trying to shake us awake. As Vandrefalk mentioned, it was while we were moving, but it didn't matter what speed we were going. Of course this is the time when you are usually trying to sleep! And it wasn't just the bed.... The whole cabin shook, which is why they couldn't "fix" the problem.

 

Another fellow passenger on deck 2 invited me into her cabin, and while there was a bit of vibration it was nothing like the shaking we had. We were just thankful they could move us because we stayed in this cabin the night before I came down with Strep, so getting very little sleep that night certainly didn't help. Once up on the 4th deck though I hit the pillow for 3 nights and got the best rest possible. Lesson learned for US (your mileage may vary): no more GTYs!

 

To all our east coaster posters/lurkers/travelers.... batten down the hatches and stay safe! :eek:

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CDreamer

CDreamer

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Thanks for a wonderful tag-team report!:D

So sorry to hear that you were sick CDreamer:mad:

 

Thanks DJ - Vandrefalk should get the real credit here, since she was the ace reporter! :D

 

Though it wasn't fun being sick I don't feel cheated. The best thing was I was able to do the three things I was most looking forward to on this cruise: celebrate on board with the Vandrefalks, take the chef's tour in Amalfi, and see Pompeii. And with some extra time spent in Italy afterwards which included a visit with an Italian friend of ours who runs an agriturismo just outside of Pienza, it really was a fun vacation. ;)

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