Costa Rica Nov 30 preview/review

[Jim Avery]

As many of you reading this know, we have had several cruises with SeaDream marred by unruly children, one had 30 kids on board. It can and does mess up a really good thing. This time, before final pay, I contacted SeaDream and Adrienne assured me the youngest booked was 34. That was true and she was part of the largest group on board, a New Jersey family of 6. They were a load of fun. The numbers, as told by Captain Eriksen, 104 passengers from 9 nations. Brazil, Mexico, Germany, England, Canada, France,and USA as far as I could tell. A really good mix that we enjoyed sailing with. There were 92 crew and a fairly large amount were new or newly back from vacation. The service was a bit rushed and short staffed the first day but the "bugs" were sorted out in a day or two and all was as usual. While we are on numbers, there were 56 repeaters out of the 104 and the most sailed passengers had 98 days on SeaDream. Maxine and Dave were just behind the leaders. Captain Eriksen is a good ship handler (remember, he is operating with one engine down) and is very personable and approachable. Lois is more direct calling him a "Hottie":eek:. As far as the engine problem, it is still there. They are in process of sourcing a replacement crankshaft but it is taking considerable time. One of the issues is that these are 30 year old engines and are naturally no longer made. It was not an issue at all for us as the distances in CR are very short between stops. It will become an issue as the schedule transfers from Panama to San Juan and for the Eastbound Transatlantic. I know all concerned are doing their best to have it repaired ASAP. As long as we are discussing "issues", lets get the internet out of the way. My advice: DO NOT buy the internet packages offered. They are just about completely useless. I could occasionally check email but never open attachments. Forget about opening a website such as Cruise Critic. It might open every now and then but it takes forever to load a page. Then try to click a link. It was a real complaint area on board but I complained to staff but they would not remove the charge. Most realized the only way to reliably communicate was to go ashore and find a bar where, for the price of a beer, you could have all the reliable internet you wanted. I do not understand why SD continues to do this. The crew has internet. Also, do you think ship's business is being done on the garbage they sell us?? Of course not. Another real stupid move, you can only have one device at a time. If Lois wanted to try and use her iPad, I had to log off and cut my phone off in order for her to be able to log on. Ridiculous. Any cheap motel does it better.

There was one tragic event on board. As soon as I boarded, I signed up for the internet. I was able to access football scores for a short period of time. Just long enough to find out that my Alabama team had blown it. RIP.:eek: At least I was in a great place to drown my sorrows.:D Wait till next year!

[Jim Avery]

A bit more housekeeping concerning cell phones. Costa Rica phone service is very different from many other countries including the US. We have AT&T iPhones and had absolutely no service at any time anywhere in CR. At the Marriott I went online and found several ways to make the phone work. They all involved going to an AT&T store in the US. Great, I am in CR.:eek: The other way some were doing it on unlocked phones was to buy a CR SIM card. The only other way seems to be to buy a CR cell phone. So, no phone for 9 days. Probably did not hurt me any. So, check with your carrier prior to leaving the US if cell service is important to you. Ok, back to the ship. Several of you have mentioned that it is hot down here. You are very right. Hot and humid anywhere along the coast. The Central Highlands, and especially the parks at the volcanoes are quite comfortable to even cool. But, since we are on a ship, lets deal with the hot and humid. As a long time Florida resident and a current desert resident, I am very used to both hot and humid. This really felt worse. We never used the Bali Beds, just too hot. The pool deck was bearable with frequent dips in the pool and one of their umbrellas strategically placed. Way too warm and humid at night to consider sleeping on deck. At least for us. Did not hear anyone speaking about doing it. We, thankfully, ate most evening meals indoors as well. We personally enjoy the evening meal in the Main Dining Room so this suited us fine. Breakfast and Lunch were always Topside and went well. Had the traditional first breakfast eggs benedict and lots of good breakfasts after. One passenger lamented that the breakfast menu was boring. I told them to just ask for whatever they wanted and, chances are, they would get it. After that they were very happy.

Recently, it was asked about marina days and the watersports. They were scheduled for most days but three anchorages were subject to some swells producing rolling at anchor which made using the marina and water toys hazardous. Costa Rica is rather exposed to the broad reaches of the Pacific Ocean so this should be expected. The Pacific Coast of CR has a lack of quality beaches. If you are looking for a real "beachy" trip, this is not for you. The coast of CR is extremely picturesque while viewing it from the Pool Deck but the reality on shore is that the two really pretty beaches we went to were somewhat rocky with small shell and stone bits that were uncomfortable for walking with or with out flip flops. The water tended to be murky as well. Not nearly as nice as the BVI for example. But then, CR is advertised as an "eco-adventure" sort of destination. If you are looking for shopping, keep looking. We didn't see any. Didn't even buy a tee shirt.:eek: CR is about hiking in the rain forest, river rafting, zip lining. We did the Golfito Zip Line. Having done zips before in Mexico and St. Martin, we probably should have done something else but a large group was going and it sounded fun. The fine print said "offroad". Actually the print was not that fine, we just did not expect the Rubicon Trail in the jungle.:eek: There was an hour drive up and another hour drive back on very rough trails, mostly of mud. That was a recurring theme for us as most of the trails we walked on were muddy. The actual zip lines were up in the canopy and were fast. The longest was 500 meters and was quite a thrill. The company that ran the show should have had a few more guides though as there was lots of waiting on platforms for guides to finish with the last riders then jump ahead of the groups to receive them at the next platforms. A few more guides would have made for a much smoother experience. I forgot to mention a small adventure on the way to this excursion. The group was approx. 36 so SD used one of the lifeboats to transport us to the dock. Half way from the ship to the dock, the lifeboat engine overheated and stopped running along with smoke from the engine box. This left us drifting on an outgoing tide till one of the regular tenders came to our rescue. ONe problem, they did not hold all so some were left drifting while the rest of us were shuttled to shore. All made it safely and we proceeded to our zip adventure. If you chose this one, wear old shoes and clothes. You will get muddy. Shoes especially. A quick rinse, a dip in the pool, a BBC and all was well. More later.

[piratelooksat45]

Thanks for your notes, you've reinforced my choice to stick with the Caribbean, I don't think I'm adventurous enough for Costa Rica. From what I've been reading and seeing on posts and facebook it looks like a lot of the long-time SeaDream crew is missing. Did you notice mostly new crew?

[vandrefalk]

Great review, Jim! Thanks for confirming the "hot and humid" -- I thought it was just me -- and I live on a hot and humid island (at least it is in the summer).

 

We have AT&T as well, but didn't have any problem in CR -- but we also bought the data package before we left, so that may have been it. Surprised they charged you for the internet -- it was so bad on our cruises that they even shut down the crew access to try to get better bandwidth. And they weren't able to do much business either -- everyone was totally frustrated.

 

The road we took from Caldera to San Jose was good (but new, they told me) but I wasn't at my best that day, so just as glad we passed on Poas! I thought the countryside was lovely, but the towns really reminded me of the Philippines --

 

Glad you got to eat inside! Several folks kept bugging Pierre to have dinner topside, so we did twice. Once was very windy and the other was so hot that I was literally dripping (not a pretty sight). Some, of course, ate out every night, but I was just as happy in the dining salon!

 

The main reason we did the trip was the Canal and it was well worth it. I thought Costa Rica was lovely and glad I saw it, but if I returned, I think I would stay in the highland. Still and all, ours was a great trip.

 

Tell Lois I agree with her about Capt. Eriksen! :)

 

Vandrefalk

[Zimmy]

Yes, you can't compare Costa Rica with the Caribbean. Two totally different experiences. We weren't able to do a splash in Costa Rica, but we did see some awesome wildlife. Where in the Caribbean can you see both a two- and a three-toed sloth on the same day? The Ticos are some of the friendliest people we have ever visited. They are very proud of their country and are happy to have you visit it. Anyway, it was a nice change from the usual islands. And there certainly seemed to be a market for it among SeaDreamers as more than 80% of our shipmates were return passengers. Would we go back to Costa Rica? Doubtful.

 

We went to the Papagayo Peninsula instead of San Jose after the cruise, so most of our drive was along the Pan-American Hwy. Much of it was one lane in each direction, but there were areas where the road is being rebuilt and widened. Improvements may be slow, but they seem to be working on them.

 

Dinner topside was dependent upon the temperature and humidity. But Doramas was working the dinners outside, and that is a good reason for leaving the dining room to others. There were several new crew members, but enough of the old timers to let you know it was still SD1 and to greet you by name before you even got on board.

 

Zimmy's DH

[Jim Avery]

Piratelooksat45, we also will stick to the Caribbean in the future. Just nicer in our opinion. My take on Costa Rica might be colored by my having lived in Florida for over 35 years. I had never been to CR but had the impression from Travel Channel, travel mags, etc. that it was this lush tropical paradise. Personally I found it to be mainly just overgrown looking. I have seen more exotic tropical plant life in a hotel courtyard in Ft. Lauderdale.:eek: Again, just my probably tainted personal opinion. As far as wildlife, again this is from someone used to seeing alligators, pelicans, turtles, snakes, Great Blue Herons, etc.----in our yard.:eek: From the pool deck though the vistas of Costa Rica are beautiful. As far as crew, enough familiar faces to feel right at home. As mentioned, there was a fairly large crew change prior to our arrival and this included some new crew as well as several returning well rested crew.

Vandrefalk, yes the road from SJO to Caldera is ok but mainly only 2 lanes. Still, much better than all the other ones we traveled on. As one fellow traveler put it: "roads in Costa Rica are 90% patched potholes". I have to agree. And that is if they are paved at all.

On board, however, it was SeaDream at its best. As mentioned before, the engine issue did not affect us in the least. Air conditioning worked just fine, no problems with toilets:eek:, and the food and service was as expected. It really was a great group on board. The only issue I found a bit strange was that there was considerable "chair hogging" going on at the pool deck. I have not come across this before on SeaDream. Possibly it is caused by the excessive heat and humidity making the Bali Beds not so attractive. We managed ok as we are early risers and were usually among the first on deck. Most days we were "well done" by lunch time and were searching for shade and cool. I gained the requisite 8 pounds a day of unsightly belly fat but it sure was fun getting there. Notable meals include the Osso Buco and the Degustation menu. The Dessert Extravaganza on the Pool Deck was just too much to resist. Also, a new to me favorite cocktail making the rounds is a strawberry mojito. Very refreshing on a hot afternoon. As usual, the splash was highly anticipated. The venue is very picturesque, especially when viewed from sea. There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas set up in a separate area from the public part of this beach and a small shop was available for souvenirs. There were no bug issues as can sometimes happen at Jost but the beach was rough on the feet being rocky and full of shell bits. The water was murky as well. When we arrived a number of us, drinking beer, had to find the facilities. They had 3 small phone booth sized restrooms with a big sign on the door stating it was $1 per use! Fortunately, SD had made arrangements for no charge use. The guys didn't so much care but most of the ladies used them. I lived a long time in the South. Had we seen such down there, it would have been "hold my beer and watch this".:eek: Also at the Splash location was a pet wild pig. We call them Javelinas in Arizona. They are known to be aggressive but not this piggie. It would roll over and let anyone pet on it. What a beggar for food. Lots in the crowd had their picture taken with the Costa Rica pig.:eek:

Frequent Traveler you will want to know about Lois and her Spa day. Our TA had given us a $200 Spa Credit so it went toward a "Cellular Hydrating Facial" whatever that is. Lois loved it and told me it included a full massage from head to toe. Some facial! Also, News Flash! We actually went to the Gym. Twice! 30 minutes on the bikes and some weight work. It did help, at least it seems to have. The Gym, for those like us who had never previously darkened the door. is all the way forward on 4 deck and is part of the Spa area. It is, like the rest of the ship, maintained spotlessly. There are 4 treadmills, 2 recumbent bikes, one elliptical, and a central 4 station weight machine. Also there are a good selection of free weight hand weights. Provided is flavored water, towels, cool face cloths and scales. DO NOT GET ON THE SCALES! You have been warned! So, it was a typical great SeaDream voyage. Costa Rica might be just right for others but was not a good fit for us. That is why there are so many ships going to so many places. Coach Costa Rica was reliable and knowledgeable as well as spot on time. The Marriott San Jose is a beautiful place to spend a night or two. Our cabin attendant, Fatima, was charming and did an excellent job. We had outstanding service from every crew member we had occasion to meet. I almost hate to mention names as surely I will leave someone out but Doramas, Enes, Brian, Christian, and Francisco at the TOY Bar were consistently wonderful. So, as happens, it was all over too soon. The trip home was a long day and be aware that Costa Rica charges a $29 per person "get out of jail free" charge for you to leave the country. This is paid at a counter in the airport before you are allowed to get in line to check in. It is preferable to have cash in exact change if you don't want CR Colones as change. They take credit cards but it is treated as a cash advance. Some cards charge extra for that, especially overseas. I advise allowing a bit of extra time at this airport. Our trip home was uneventful (always good) and as many of you know, Houston (IAH) is not a very good place to enter the US from a foreign country. I will leave it at that. I wish we had another one booked but, for now, we are in that group that wants to see a policy from SeaDream confronting the issue of kids and large groups before we put down another deposit. Time will tell.

[Jim Avery]

Correction: I only gained a (1) pound a day, not 8 pounds a day.:eek::D

[whatnot]

Glad you made that clarification! I was wondering what you had eaten!

 

Thanks for the great review (and very a very candid one at that). Sorry you were not carried away with Costa Rica. I was there 6 years ago on another small cruise line in early February. It was hot but not unbearable. Sounds like the roads haven't changed a bit! We enjoyed the National Parks and some of the beach towns. We also went to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua which was one of my favorite ports. We went in 3 days early and stayed 2 days afterwards and visited the sights in San Jose(really loved the Gold Museum), the Butterfly Farm and Gardens, the Volcano, and the coffee plantation to name a few.

 

I do have concerns about the internet issues and the engine parts on SD. Seems like it is getting harder and harder to get things fixed as the yachts age. Hope they get get these issues solved. I would sure hate to see them get stranded in some remote place. SD I goes into dry dock after the Spring Crossing, and that is many months away. Sounds like it will be a much overdue dry dock!

[Jim Avery]

Thanks Whatnot. We are glad we went to CR. We had wanted to see it for a long time. I am sure there are nice places and certainly we have seen info on some great looking resorts but the overall picture just doesn't grab us. We stayed at a lovely resort in Jamaica but are not fans of Jamaica and for many of the same reasons. Lots more places to check out. :D Besides, we have been known to be perfectly happy on SeaDream never going ashore until they kick us off.:eek:

[rolltide1]

Jim and Lois:

 

Glad you enjoyed your time!

 

So sorry about the final second of the Alabama game. It was truly exciting til the very, very end, though!

 

Jim, that was a very informative review and thank you!

 

Best to you both.

 

RT1

[knotheadusc]

I enjoyed your review! I'm still curious about Costa Rica, but maybe a little less so now. Thanks for reporting! :)

[Jim Avery]

Jim and Lois:

 

Glad you enjoyed your time!

 

So sorry about the final second of the Alabama game. It was truly exciting til the very, very end, though!

 

Jim, that was a very informative review and thank you!

 

Best to you both.

 

RT1

 

Thanks Ellen. Auburn's luck has to run out some day.:eek::D I am sure we will feel fine by next September.:D:D

[frequent traveler]

JIm,

as always enjoyed your reveiew. We really miss the SD family. Was at Iguassu Falls in Brazil\Argentina over the weekend and it was hot,hot,hot. I have never been here in the summer so I was really surprised. Wish i could remember the location of the 4 Seasons we held a corporate event in Costa Rica - it was wonderful and terrific excursions. Totally different than what your experience seems to have been. Our dealers raved about it. But like you said - the SD experience on board is the whole reason for sailing SD, at least when the children are under control.

FT

[Jim Avery]

JIm,

as always enjoyed your reveiew. We really miss the SD family. Was at Iguassu Falls in Brazil\Argentina over the weekend and it was hot,hot,hot. I have never been here in the summer so I was really surprised. Wish i could remember the location of the 4 Seasons we held a corporate event in Costa Rica - it was wonderful and terrific excursions. Totally different than what your experience seems to have been. Our dealers raved about it. But like you said - the SD experience on board is the whole reason for sailing SD, at least when the children are under control.

FT

 

Hi FT. No doubt the Four Seasons was nice. You could put a Four Seasons in Siberia and it would be nice. CR has what looks like several nice all inclusive resorts. We like a nice place to stay but also enjoy walkabout (or drive about) in the local towns and villages. Where we were in CR did not appear real conducive to doing that with a level of safety. Hey, they put up the razor wire, not me.:eek::D Hope you and Philip have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

J & L

[Zimmy]

JIm,

Wish i could remember the location of the 4 Seasons we held a corporate event in Costa Rica - it was wonderful and terrific excursions. Totally different than what your experience seems to have been. Our dealers raved about it.

FT

 

It was in Guanacoste (sp) on the Papagayo Peninsula. It was about a 3 hour drive from the port on good roads. And it was fabulous.

[commodoredave]

Which ports will you be visiting? There is nothing in the immediate vicinity of Puerto Caldera so you would probably need to go into Puntarenas.

 

Since our flight arrived early but we didn't have enough time to do a tour, we went directly to the port and actually arrived a little before noon. They had some lemonade, cookies, and fruit on a table in a holding building near the ship. Nobody even came to greet us until 1:40. I recognize that they need to get the ship turned over from the previous voyage but thought they would have somebody walk ~30 meters from the ship to at least say hello. I was later told that they would have allowed us to board before 2 PM and hang out by the pool but that we would not be allowed to go to our room, which would have been great. It may depend on your availability to get the attention of the right person when you arrive but it may be worth a shot.

 

Sorry for the tardy response, but have been out of town finishing up business before we leave for SJ on Thursday.

Our ports of call are Isla De Coiba, Golfito, Drake Bay, Isla del Cano, Quepos, and Playa Curu & Tortuga Islands.

Sounds like we should try to board the ship if we arrive anytime after 12 pm. If we are earlier, we will head to the bar/resto mentioned by another poster.

We are spending two nights pre-cruise at the Mariott Los Suenos in Herradura, and one night post-cruise at the Mariott SJ airport hotel. About a 15-20 minute taxi drive into SJ from the airport hotel, so thought we might do that at the end if the town is worth a visit without a bullet proof vest. ;)

This is our first SD cruise, so we are looking forward to experiencing the ship and crew. Hopefully the destination won't disappoint, but we have been spoiled by some gorgeous spots in the Caribbean.

[whatnot]

San Jose was really a pretty nice city when we were there 6 years ago. Never felt threatened but maybe it has changed. Loved the Gold Museum. It exhibits the Pre Colombian gold objects made by the indigenous people of Costa Rica. It was fascinating! Not sure what days it is open. There are also some other tours that are quite good like to the Coffee Plantation or the Butterfly Farm. Saw the most fantastic Hummingbirds ever at one of these places. Booked all of our tours through Coach Costa Rica. They did a great job.

 

Have a great cruise! Hope you enjoy SD. You will LOVE the crew!

[commodoredave]

Arrived in SJ a few hours ago and drove out to the Marriott Los Suenos resort with Juan Carlos Ramos of Coach Costa Rica. He did a great job driving and was great to talk with. We now have two days before boarding the ship on Saturday. Expect to just take it easy and enjoy the resort after a long day of travel from Toronto.

[commodoredave]

The Marriott Los Suenos is a lovely resort with lots of great amenities including a huge pool area, 3 restaurants, a golf course, a beautiful view of a horse-shoe shaped bay (nice views but not dirt beach), large rooms, great service and many acres of gated space. A nice combination of Costa Rican ambience with American-style amenities and service.

Off to the ship tomorrow, and likely no internet. So the ship review will probably follow after the cruise.

[Jim Avery]

Commodoredave, here is hoping you are having a great time. You are either having too much fun to post or you are having the same internet fun the rest of us have had. Write when you can.:D

[Jim Avery]

Commodoredave, welcome back to the real world. I know you will have some comments. Safe travels home.:D