SeaDream I December 9-16, San Juan, review

[Jim Avery]

Sorry for not posting earlier but this is a computer type passenger load. Most times both computers in use at times I thought about it. We have managed to skirt most of the tropical weather and have had plenty of sunshine with a few passing showers. Has consistently been windy but Capt. Smorawski has done a fine job of minimizing the motion. Some evenings have been a bit rocky but as you know, I feel this ship has a good motion. Not very helpful if you are very sensitive to motion but a nice motion nonetheless. The trip so far has been fabulous. Are waiting to Zodiac into White Bay for the Splash. Painkillers are in the forecast. 100 passengers on board and, according to a crew source, there are more than half Europeans. 16 Belgians and a good representation of the other EU countries. This has been a very nice mix of passengers. Very personable and approachable though I have not met STEBUL yet. Bet I have but no Cruise Critic mention. Most importantly--NO Children! Yesterday Larry Pimentel and Bert, the head of hotel operations came aboard and for those who have asked, yes they do read Cruise Critic. Will do a proper review when at home. Just printed boarding passes--bummer. Time to go to the beach!!

All the best to the 12/16 SeaDreamers.

Jim & Lois.

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for checking in Jim!

 

Was wondering how the subtropical storm impacted SD and you. Glad to hear you were able to find some sunshine!

 

I am sure those Painkillers will help ease this evening's packing!

 

Looking forward to your detailed review.

 

Safe travels.

[Jim Avery]

Our trip started a day early with a Continental flight from Destin (VPS) to San Juan via Houston. Thats the way it is in this part of Florida, you fly North to go south and West to go East. Go figure. At least it was on time for each leg and the service was miles better than our October mess with Delta. We arrived Saturday afternoon and had a 15 minute cab ride into the Sheraton Old San Juan. We had stayed here before and it is very convenient. This time we hit it right, upgraded to a suite overlooking the port! Way to start a trip, on time flights and an upgraded room. Wandered around a bit and had a meal. Back to the room and an early evening with "The Bourne Ultimatum". Sunday dawned breezy and overcast with passing showers. Little did we know that in 2 days tropical storm Olga would be right over San Juan. We did walkabout in Old San Juan and investigated a few stores (jewelry) with Lois's usual success rate. (I got a t shirt). We had watched SeaDream I dock earlier from our balcony so were getting impatient for boarding. After walking across the street to the pier we arrived uncharacteristically late at 2:35. There was a line ahead of us! It took approximately 7 minutes and were back home. We were met at the top of the gangway by Capt. Bjarne Smorawski and our champagne. Great to be back after only 6 weeks. Just worked out that way and it will be more than 6 weeks for sure before we can take time off. Got to take it when you can. Our cabin was 211, forward on the starboard side of 2 deck. Our charming Stewardess was Shugar. She took perfect care of us this week. All the stewardesses do a fine job and are always so pleasant. Our cabin was, as usual, very clean and well appointed. Love the beds.

Time for Top of the Yacht. Not sailing till 11:00 pm so plenty of time for cocktails, dinner, sleep. (?) A very nice bunch of passengers this trip. 100 passengers, 94 crew and NO CHILDREN. Only the second time this has happened. Also of interest, Americans were in the minority with just under 50. Europeans represented all countries with 16 Belgians, not all traveling together. This was a very fun and outgoing group and we feel that we met just about everyone by the end of the week. Never knew who STEBUL was but am sure I must have met. Maybe there should be a cruise critic pin, t shirt, or tattoo. Richard Jones was Activities Director on board and did his usual superb job handling the inevitable scheduling glitches. He also is very pleasant and fun to be with. The ship is in very nice condition due to the drydocking and the transatlantic with no passengers. The crew said they caught up on lots of cleaning, painting, varnishing, etc. Sudesh Keshore was Executive Chef, Donatas Budraitis, Maitre d'Hotel, and Rico Taubert, Hotel Manager. All were very good at what they do and served us very well in a week that had some rain and a fair amount of motion.

Sailaway was nice with the lights of San Juan making it seem more festive. The behemoth ships at ajacent piers were still loading passengers! I dont care if they do have ice rinks and rock climbing walls, I'm not going! The first night was one of several where the motion (caused by now forming TS Olga) was a bit pronounced. I have said before, as a retired ship master, I feel this vessel has a good motion in a seaway but that is no help to anyone sensitive to motion. Lois does well as far as seasickness but motion and any "slamming" type noise disturbs her sleep. She woke up Monday and said she needed a nap because she had no sleep with all the motion. I said "what motion". She slugged me. Typical husband remark but I really did sleep well all nights. Will get to Culebrita soon.

Jim.

[Jim Avery]

Monday morning and anchored off the tiny, uninhabited island of Culebrita. A very pretty hilly island but we preferred to see it from a Bali Bed. It was a perfect tropical view for our reading, drinking, eating. What a way to spend the afternoon. Tonight is the Bio-Bay excursion from Viequez. A short repositioning and we were ready to go. Only problem, it conflicted with the cocktail party. The winds were gusty and it was pretty cold. The North winds blew a lot of the organisms out to sea as well as making the water murky. There was some glow but not as much as we expected having seen great shows from our boat in Florida waters. If you have never experienced the bioluminescence, it is well worth it. The guides also do a great job of explaining the stars and constellations. The bus ride is the biggest thrill. Short but very bouncy. Watch out for the branches coming in the windows. They'll getcha. The bus, with a different paint job, could have belonged to the Partridge Family. Back aboard in time for dinner and drinks at TOY. Then a good nights sleep. Tomorrow is Cruz Bay, St. John.

[Jim Avery]

Tuesday dawned sunny and warm. We were anchored off Cruz Bay, St. John. Originally we planned to have a "sea day" and stay on board but a few weeks before our cruise we received an email from a friend we met on SD II in Mexico in 2004. She had suddenly lost her Husband shortly after that cruise but is now doing well and travelling a lot. Linda met us at the tender dock and showed us some of St. John we otherwise would have missed. After walking through the town, we ended up at a perfect waterside beach bar for painkillers, beer, and catching up. It was really great to see Linda and find out the amazing amount of things that have happened in our lives in just 3 years. We made plans to try and sail SD together again. Looking forward to it. In fact we booked another one while on board (got to get that 5% extra). We booked SD II April 12, 2009 round trip Miami. Who could resist a "drive to" SeaDream cruise? Also, I had suggested possibly some American ports and the keys/Bahamas. This trip combines that with one Sea Day. A seaplane trip from Key West to the Dry Tortugas is on our list for sure. I have sailed past the Tortugas several times during my sea career but never had the opportunity to go ashore. They look beautiful and unspoiled. Key West is always fun and the Out Islands of the Bahamas are as pretty as anywhere. Nassau is, well, Nassau. About like St. Thomas in my opinion. Anyway, might be able to fit something else in between then and now but couldnt miss a home state SD cruise. How about other CCers? Just leave the kids at home. Tuesday evening was Capt. Smorawski's welcome cocktail party and was well attended. Meeting lots of nice people. Had grilled lobster tail and NY strip. Decadent dessert and a nightcap. I love this food. Will ultimately gain 6 lbs this week. Next, Marigot, St. Martin. Back to the gym.

Jim.

[Cammiem]

Hi Jim!

 

I'm enjoying reading your review. Aren't Richard, Chef Sudesh, Donatas and Rico wonderful? Was Jan your Sommelier? We thought highly of him, too.

 

Looking forward to more. :)

[DisneyJen]

More please!!!

 

I was wondering how you were faring with that stubborn subtropical storm Olga:eek:

 

I had lunch with FT today and she mentioned that there were lots of new faces on SD2 on her crossing. Sounds like there are some new faces on SD1 as well?

 

DH and I are interested in the Bio Bay excursion as we have never seen anything like it. Will have to make sure to sign up for it.

 

We were just on St. John for a week in June so it will be a sea day for us ... although I think I can talk him into a drink at sunset at one of our favorite restaurants ... ZoZo's.

 

The Miami round trip sounds interesting ... will have to take a look at calendars as next year is our 25th wedding anniversary and we have talked about the Med or a B2B in the Caribbean.

 

Back to our story please!:D:p:D

[Jim Avery]

Wednesday, a busy day in St. Martin. We anchored off Marigot after a relatively calm night and the day dawned bright and sunny. The tender into Marigot is short and passes the marina, beginning to fill with large yachts. A pretty approach but upon docking the town is cluttered with cars, taxis, and buses. Very crowded and hectic feeling. We much prefer Philipsburg on the Dutch side after seeing Marigot. We always diverted due to weather before but would vote for Philipsburg in the future. This was market day and the market area was crammed with stalls. Most had the same old, same old Caribbean trinket stuff and t shirts. Tour buses were disgorging hundreds of passengers from the large ships in Philipsburg. We should have gone there. Had a walkabout, didnt spend any money, went back to the ship for lunch. This afternoon is the "Fly Zone" excursion. We were looking forward to this as we had done the zip lines in the Yucatan from SD II in December 04. That excursion was a real hit with long zip lines over the trees, a "purification" in a cave with a Shaman, and swimming in the cenotes. Very nice. This one was something else entirely! A short bus ride took us up in the hills to Loterie Farms. A pretty setting. A short walk and we were met by our guides for the adventure. Two "Rasta Dudes" gave us a brief indoctrination, checked our harnesses, pointed to the start and said "have fun". The first zip line was easy, fairly short, and had the photographer at the end. Smile for the camera. Good thing he was first as this is the last time we looked good. The next stage (of approximately 30) was a tight rope cable. Whaaaat??? The zip lines we had been on before had people at each end attaching and removing the lines. No sweat. All the fun, none of the work. This place, you are on your own, baby. Several stages of balance beam in the trees took place between the zip line runs. You made all the changes yourself and above the ground from about 15' to 50' up. Some were steps between cables, some were swinging logs or wood grates, some were rope loops for your feet and several were wire tightropes. I expected at any time for a guy in camo to jump out and start firing paint balls at me! Meanwhile, during the tightrope sections, the "Rasta Dudes" are hollering "no hands, man, no hands". Call me sissy but God gave me 2 good hands and I used both of them. The Dudes also had a habit of shaking the wire you were walking on. Cute. This is better thought of as "extreme sport". Good for younger people looking for a good workout but it takes good upper body strength. Lois works out 3 days a week and is pretty strong (especially when she punches my shoulder for some perceived dumb remark by me) and I am fairly fit so we did ok but Lois, who bruises easily) had lots of bruises under her arms and on her legs from the wire hand rails and safety lines. When finished, we were dirty, bruised, and drenched with sweat. Would not do this one again. Back on board, the hot tub, a BBC or 2 and the pool helped. Yes, we showered first. We repositioned to St. Barts around sundown. Beautiful. Tonight is the club members cocktail party. Just over 30 were there. As usual, lots of caviar and socialization with the Captain. Crabmeat cocktail before jerked chicken hit the spot. Not surprising, early to bed tonight.

Tomorrow, the POS car adventure.

Jim.

[Jim Avery]

Cammiem: Yes, Jan was our Sommelier and did his usual wonderful job. He is excellent both personally and professionally.

 

DJ: Olga was a bit of unpleasant rain and produced wind and swell all week. Capt. Smorawski did a good job of hiding from the swell as much as possible but, inevitably, there were a few between island runs that had some people uncomfortable. Not much you can do about the weather. Pass on to Frequent Traveler that yes, there are many new faces. As I talked about in the October Europe review, many old friends are moving on due to the weak dollar. Being paid in Dollars and living in Euro countries is putting the squeeze on. P.S. to Frequent Traveler: the group on board was very sociable and friendly but we did have two incidents that would take you back to the drink throwing scene in the Piano Bar on our last trip together. One couple, on their honeymoon, spent a mid week night from about midnight to about 5 am screaming, cursing, and throwing things (each other?) against the wall. Our luck, just next door. Very creative use of the "F" word among others. Any bets on longevity of the marriage? Another was the break up of a couple at our invited table for 8 on the aft end of 4 deck outside on Saturday Night. Time for us to go to TOY Bar. Have a nice life. It was uncomfortable for the rest of us at the table for sure. Some people just cant take being together too much, I guess. If things are bad at home, a cruise sure wont fix it in a week.

Back tomorrow with more of the good stuff.

Jim.

[DisneyJen]

I am sure FT and ZQVol will check in/chime in during due course:D

 

Your observation is right on the money (pun intended) on the Euro/Dollar issue. FT and I were talking about this very subject at lunch.

 

Looking forward to more good stuff tomorrow!

 

I think DH and I will pass on the zip-line in St. Martin:eek: Sounds like quite an adventure.

[zqvol]

More please!!!

 

I was wondering how you were faring with that stubborn subtropical storm Olga:eek:

 

I had lunch with FT today and she mentioned that there were lots of new faces on SD2 on her crossing. Sounds like there are some new faces on SD1 as well?

 

DH and I are interested in the Bio Bay excursion as we have never seen anything like it. Will have to make sure to sign up for it.

 

We were just on St. John for a week in June so it will be a sea day for us ... although I think I can talk him into a drink at sunset at one of our favorite restaurants ... ZoZo's.

 

The Miami round trip sounds interesting ... will have to take a look at calendars as next year is our 25th wedding anniversary and we have talked about the Med or a B2B in the Caribbean.

 

Back to our story please!:D:p:D

 

Jen

 

Did you talk her into booking for New Years 2009?

 

Great review so far Jim. I would love to do the Miami Miami but you think I can get away at that time of year.:(

[DisneyJen]

Jen

 

Did you talk her into booking for New Years 2009?

 

Great review so far Jim. I would love to do the Miami Miami but you think I can get away at that time of year.:(

 

We didn't talk about New Year's '09 zqvol ... we did talk about Alaska though (sshh ... on another brand:eek:).

 

We did talk at great length about the Med and the trip that Jim and Lois took ... as well as the Greek Isle trip that ctbjr has done.

 

Hey ... it's only money;)

[Cammiem]

We didn't talk about New Year's '09 zqvol ... we did talk about Alaska though (sshh ... on another brand:eek:).

 

We did talk at great length about the Med and the trip that Jim and Lois took ... as well as the Greek Isle trip that ctbjr has done.

 

Hey ... it's only money;)

 

DJ,

 

We did the Med, and it was fabulous! The Euro/Dollar issue hit us hard, but didn't stop us from purchasing and enjoying ourselves. It's not everyday we make it over there; in fact, this was our first time. Can't let a silly thing like an exchange rate keep me from livin' it up. :D

 

My parents cruised Alaska in May. After hearing the recounts of our SD1 voyage, they've decided to join us on SD1 in March '09. I think they'll love it. I had them with, "We boarded after about 5 minutes, walked up the gangway, were greeted by Capt. Berg, handed a glass of champagne and were in our stateroom in a matter of minutes." :)

 

Jim: We were in 212. I'm not sure if the honeymooners you mentioned were in 212 or 210, but we had issues with noise from the people in 211. Must be something about that stateroom. :) Did you happen to have the pleasure of being served by Jun or Ben or Mikee? They were absolutely wonderful! Oh, and Ljuba (head of housekeeping) brings a smile to my face.

[DisneyJen]

DJ,

 

We did the Med, and it was fabulous! The Euro/Dollar issue hit us hard, but didn't stop us from purchasing and enjoying ourselves. It's not everyday we make it over there; in fact, this was our first time. Can't let a silly thing like an exchange rate keep me from livin' it up. :D

 

My parents cruised Alaska in May. After hearing the recounts of our SD1 voyage, they've decided to join us on SD1 in March '09. I think they'll love it. I had them with, "We boarded after about 5 minutes, walked up the gangway, were greeted by Capt. Berg, handed a glass of champagne and were in our stateroom in a matter of minutes." :)

 

Jim: We were in 212. I'm not sure if the honeymooners you mentioned were in 212 or 210, but we had issues with noise from the people in 211. Must be something about that stateroom. :) Did you happen to have the pleasure of being served by Jun or Ben or Mikee? They were absolutely wonderful! Oh, and Ljuba (head of housekeeping) brings a smile to my face.

 

Yikes... We have a GTY for our March cruise. Hope we don't get noisy neighbors too:eek:

 

I hear you Cammiem ... but DH is another story. He'd rather spend 2 weeks in the Caribbean than 1 week in the Med. He travels a great deal domestically and internationally so he doesn't always understand my desire to go overseas:rolleyes:

[Jim Avery]

ZQVOL: The progressive bastions of higher learning provide for the best of care. You must have a lot of sick leave built up. You have SeaDream withdrawl. You should apply for a week of rehab on the Miami trip.

Cammiem: Yes, all three and they are great. Also Super Lowell who seems to be everywhere.

[Cammiem]

DJ,

 

What's a GTY?

[DisneyJen]

DJ,

 

What's a GTY?

 

It's a guaranteed rate ... which means they guarantee us a cabin but we won't know which one until maybe a week before we board.

[Cammiem]

It's a guaranteed rate ... which means they guarantee us a cabin but we won't know which one until maybe a week before we board.

 

Gotcha. Is there a benefit to booking that way, rather than having your cabin assigned upon booking?

[DisneyJen]

Gotcha. Is there a benefit to booking that way, rather than having your cabin assigned upon booking?

 

They GTY rate, when offered, is a good deal. For instance, on our sailing we were able to save $800 per person over the Deck 2 rate. The GTY isn't always offered and they tend to go quickly.

 

We know of some folks who have booked the GTY and ended up on Deck 3 or 4 as well as folks who ended up on Deck 2.

 

This is the first time we have gone this route so I will be interested to see where we end up. SD is the only cruiseline I would consider taking a GTY rate as my sense is that the cabins, with the exception of the Owner's Suite, are equal (mind you we have not yet stayed in one of the cabins that is able to be converted to a Commodore suite so we'll see).

[Jim Avery]

Thursday also dawned sunny and bright but with the persistent windy conditions. We had booked a 4 wheel drive from Tourbe rentals to be at the passenger dock at 9:00 am. We invited new friends from Texas to come with us and explore some of the beaches. So, promptly at 9:00 we arrived in the tender to be greeted by -- no car. Time goes by, no car. A nice cabbie offers to call them and after a lengthly conversation in French tells us they will "be right here". More time goes by, no car. Another call, he gives me the phone. They have no reservation. I say I am holding a confirmation. Ok, we will pick you up. 10 minutes later they arrive and take us to the airport to get our vehicle. at 10:15 we see the POS car. A Suzuki Samurai of indeterminate age. We all pile aboard and were off for the perfect beach singing Adam Sandler's classic song "POS Car". Had not heard that song before but our new friends knew all the verses. So did we by the end of the day. Driving on St. Barts is a thrill. Narrow, rough, concrete and very twisty. Full of other traffic driving in training for Formula One. You might imagine what our ride is like. The first thing noticeable is it has almost no power. A bike could out run us. Next, no shocks. Thats a given for renters in the Caribbean. The steering wheel seemed to be connected to only one front tire and the brakes squealed mightily. Then they stopped squealing. They also pretty much stopped working unless you were turning hard right-then they worked even when not pressed. No problemo, we are off. First stop is Eden Roc. Beautiful place with a great beach right off the airport. Bar is closed. Our quest is for a great beach with a nice beach bar/restaurant for lunch so we are back in the POS. Following the map we head out to the North and East. One hill (I spent most of my time in first gear) crested and all we saw was ocean. The road dove hard right and down. 4 tourists in a POS all screaming at the same time! Made it but now we really need to find a beach. Saw a beach access. It led to a cemetery and then the beach. Found the beach, no bar. Back in the POS. The girls suggest we ask someone. Who are they kidding? We are guys. Never ask, never go back. We showed them, we found a beautiful beach, great little open air bar/restaurant, perfect water. The bar opened at 6:00pm. Bummer, back into the POS. Ok, Ok, we will ask this guy for directions. An elderly Frenchman answers our pointing at beaches on the map with a 5 minute explanation in French. We understood 2 minor points: "go back" and "turn right". On the road again. We finally ended up at Shell Beach. A nice, protected beach with a nice bar/restaurant that was, by now, open! One small thing to fess up. It is a 5 minute walk from the tender dock. Another SeaDreamer blurted out "you rented a car to come here???". Ok, all we need is a cold beer or 3 and a soak in the ocean. Did I mention this is a topless beach? Were not in Kansas any more, Toto. After some time enjoying the view (ocean) it was decided to go into town and eat a burger at Le Select. We walked. Good burger and beer then my crew deserted. They all went in search of shopping, yacht watching, fun stuff. I got to walk back to the POS and return it to the stable. All in all, a great day ashore in St. Barts but when we arrived back on board, another new friend, Ed, who is in the car business added the finale: " A Samurai, you rented a Samurai? They havent allowed them in the States for years--they roll like a bowling ball." I am taking a cab in the future. Grabbed a Bali Bed for rest and a tonic. Tonight, after the cocktail party, we are dining with Capt. Smorawski. There were three couples in all dining with the Captain. Captain Smorawski is a very good table companion with a great sense of humor. We all got on well and before we realized, its late. Sommelier Jan had done his usual great job and, between the wine and the over the top desserts/chocolates, its time for bed. The week is going by way too fast. Tomorrow is Virgin Gorda.

[Cammiem]

They GTY rate, when offered, is a good deal. For instance, on our sailing we were able to save $800 per person over the Deck 2 rate. The GTY isn't always offered and they tend to go quickly.

 

We know of some folks who have booked the GTY and ended up on Deck 3 or 4 as well as folks who ended up on Deck 2.

 

This is the first time we have gone this route so I will be interested to see where we end up. SD is the only cruiseline I would consider taking a GTY rate as my sense is that the cabins, with the exception of the Owner's Suite, are equal (mind you we have not yet stayed in one of the cabins that is able to be converted to a Commodore suite so we'll see).

 

Great info. Thanks, DJ.

[Jim Avery]

Friday dawned cloudy, windy, rainy. We were anchored calmly at Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda but wind conditions caused a delay in offloading the passengers going to The Baths. The Dolphin Encounter on Tortola was cancelled due to high winds and swell causing the Sir Francis Drake Channel to be closed to small craft. We had signed up for the Dolphin Encounter but were glad they cancelled as we did not relish the idea of a long small boat trip in choppy conditions. Richard re scheduled for Saturday and many took him up on it but Saturday is Beach Party so we decided we wanted all the beach party we could get. Back to Virgin Gorda, as we had been to the Baths before, we stayed aboard. Capt. Smorawski did his usual good job finding sheltered ways to get places and we repositioned to Gorda Sound without much motion. We decided this would be another "sea day" and stayed aboard. Later in the day, the sun came out but still windy. No motion in Gorda Sound and the view is spectacular in any direction so we spent most of the afternoon on the Bali Beds reading, eating, drinking--the usual. A small (smaller than us) French cruise ship, Le Levant, arrived and anchored off our port side and tendered passengers ashore to Prickly Pear for a beach party. We went ashore to The Bitter End for a brief lookabout and then back to SD to get ready for the cocktail party. A restful day so far. For dinner, we were invited by more new friends to join them at a private table for 8 aft on 4 deck, the covered area overlooking the pool. During the meal, we are repositioning to Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke for the evening tour to Foxy's. This was our first time at one of the private tables and were amazed to see the same servers and Jan taking care of us. Also, Donatus was around apparently all the time. At the same time, they were doing their duties in the Main Dining Room on 2 deck. The same good service, the same never ending wine glass, all food hot or cold as intended. How did they do that?? In addition, as we were sailing, we passed through a heavy squall with downpours of rain. We were under a covered deck but some spray was flying about. As we are marveling at the force of the rain, our waiters placed the large blue beach towels around our shoulders. No one at the table had asked, they just did it. You will not find that kind of attention anywhere, not even at home. Just another of the little things that SeaDream continues to do so well. Right up there with cleaning your sunglasses by the pool. But wait, we are still eating. Tonight is the Chef's Menu Degustation and it was great. Egg with caviar, lobster/potato salad, cream of pumpkin soup, peach/champagne sorbet, Veal or sea bass, then rhubarb/raspberry souffle with white chocolate ice cream. The chocolate truffles almost went uneaten after this, almost. Top of the Yacht, nightcaps, time for bed. No Foxy's for us, its late, its raining, and I am still getting over the last visit to Foxy's. Call me a lightweight.

Jim.

[DisneyJen]

Sounds like quite an adventure Jim:D

 

We have been to St. Barts three times and never made it to Shell Beach. We have the drive around the island thing (got to love the approach at the airport:eek:). Perhaps we will check out Shell Beach this trip.

[Jim Avery]

Saturday, all too soon the last day, dawned sunny and bright. We are in the lee of Jost van Dyke and are mostly protected from the continuing windy conditions. Had a relaxing slow start to the day and a leisurely breakfast Topside before jumping on the first Zodiac to the beach at 11:00. The beach is almost deserted as the wind and chop has discouraged the daytrippers in their motorboats from coming over. First order of business is the Soggy Dollar Bar for a painkiller. This is purported to be the "original painkiller" and is very good with the fresh grated nutmeg. $120 later, we have the painkillers, we have the hats, we have the t shirts. Mission accomplished. Back to the beach party to mix and mingle. I forgot to mention that co owner Larry Pimentel and the head of hotel operations for SeaDream had come aboard at Virgin Gorda. We discussed Cruise Critic as they do keep up with the posts and said they have had some good input with some of the ideas of all of us. Both men were very approachable and friendly. Looked like they were having fun at the beach party as did everyone else. This signature event for SeaDream always amazes us. The work involved starts early the day before and takes hours on the day of the event. Transferring all the gear, food, drink, and then preparing and presenting a great meal in addition to the Champagne and Caviar Splash is a lot of work. Through it all, the crew actually appears to be having as much fun as we. Always truly amazed at the great job and want to say thank you again to all the crew. Back aboard after a great time, we found the shower and pool to be soothing. The BBCs also helped cool us down. Last night, trading addresses at the cocktail party is the evidence that they will soon kick us off. Dinner tonight features Chef Sudesh's Traditional Indian Dinner, a real favorite of ours but for those who are not partial to Indian cuisine, there were plenty of alternatives. Once again stuffed with a great meal. Only gained 6lbs this trip. Is that restraint or what? For the exercise junkies, I did not even darken the door to the nicely appointed exercise room. I figured the Commando Training at the Fly Zone was enough. Will work out next week. We had one nightcap this night as we learned through tough experience in the past what it is like to face airports after a long session at the TOY Bar. To bed early (11:30) as we have an early flight. This brings up another important point about SeaDream. They are allowed flexibility in their schedule. Soon after boarding in San Juan, I read the itinerary on board. It showed a 9:00am arrival back in San Juan on go home day. The last time we sailed from San Juan we arrived at 7:00 am. When we booked months ago I thought the website showed 7:00am. We had a 9:45am flight booked!! Not a problem for 7:00 but impossible for 9:00. I met with Capt. Smorawski on Monday morning and he changed arrival to accommodate us and 3 other couples that had thought we were arriving at 7:00am. At disembarkation, we had red tags on our bags (Lois & I only had carryons so no prob.) And all the early flight bags were taken off first. Richard had us at the head of the line so that when our Immigration troops finished their donuts we were quickly through the line and out the door. As we were leaving the ship, Capt. Smorawski saw us from the bridge wing and gave us a big wave good bye. A nice finish to a really good trip even with the weather issues. We met so many nice people that we will be in touch with and hope to see many of them and many CCers on the Miami "drive to " trip. The cab ride in San Juan is great, by 8:15am, we had bloody marys in the President's Club. Not as good as the ones on SD but it is time to return to the everyday world (I am convinced the "real world" should be SD) and pick up my own towels. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

All the best,

Jim & Lois.

[Cammiem]

Jim,

 

Great review. Loved your Thursday installment. I could listen to Richard talk all day, as I find his accent charming.

 

Question for you regarding excursions. All of the excursions we took while in the Med. were 1st class and fabulous. Based on some of the comments you've made ("commando training at the fly zone" LOL) and other reviews I've read, it seems that excursions in the Caribbean aren't what we experienced in the Med; meaning, they are not the first class caliber I associate w/ SD. Of course, I really enjoy time aboard SD, so not taking any excursions in the Caribbean wouldn't be a problem.

 

Isn't the degustation incredible? That caviar & egg...mmmmmm. I love the service provided on SD1 (I've not experienced SD2, but am sure it's just as wonderful). I have so much respect for the crew and for how they seem to be everywhere at once, not missing a beat and seeming to know what you want before the thought even enters your head.

 

What, exactly, is a painkiller? And, a BBC?

 

Welcome back to reality and picking up your own towel. :)