SeaDream II – Rome to Barcelona (Europe)

Overall Impression Our week-long trip aboard the SeaDream II was reminiscent of the by-gone days of classic ship travel where passengers had an opportunity to meet each other while sharing time and space with fellow travelers and crew members. In an era fraught with time constraints our “cruise” aboard SeaDream II provided us the luxury of meeting like minded people while enjoying a leisurely and luxurious voyage along the coast from Italy to Spain in the prime of the area’s tourist season.

We thoroughly enjoyed the pluses the sailing offered such as a limited number of passengers (there were 108 of us) and high crew to passenger ratio (there were 96 crew members). From the beginning, we were impressed with the personalized service and staff member’s ability to recognize passengers by name. Even by these high standards, food service and dining room staff, under the vigilant supervision of chief steward Christophe Cornu, stood out for their professionalism and extraordinary service. His staff were efficient, attentive, knowledgeable about the meals, and frequently remembered guest preferences. Meals were served at set times and were prepared to order. Dishes looked appetizing, were well prepared and arrived hot when they were supposed to. We especially liked that meals were a la carte (only breakfast included a buffet portion) after which we always felt satisfied without being overfull. Our hat is off to the chef and pastry chef for feeding us well and frequently in a moving vessel where supplies and last minute changes of schedule must present challenges land based chefs rarely encounter.

We found many attractive features aboard the recently refurbished ship, formerly part of the Seabourn fleet. Service and gratuities, meals, snacks, room service orders, wines, champagne and most drinks were included. There were plenty of poolside and top deck comfortable lounge chairs though sometimes it was too windy and cold for us to enjoy them; complimentary activities such as yoga classes, walks with activities led by staff members at some ports, a brief visit to the bridge, karaoke singing, use of books, magazines, board games, a small selection of DVDs and CDs from the ship’s library, swimming in the pool, Jacuzzi, working out in the fitness area (with a marvelous view of the water), water sports on one occasion, evening movies in the Main Salon, live music (guitar and piano) and a impromptu Flamenco performance which much enjoyed. We took advantage of some of the additional options requiring a supplementary fees such as shore excursions (available at every port we visited), Segway rentals, spa treatments, Internet surfing, and fine dining shore side (SeaDream II staff assisted us with selection and reservations at an enchanting gourmet restaurant).

The weather cooperated only part of the time during our trip. Strong winds and choppy waters made plenty of passengers seasick one day and threatened to at least once more. In response, the captain shared updates over the loudspeaker and assured us he would lead us to calmer waters as soon as possible. Sea sickness pills were readily available and the crew responded quickly and effectively to the situation by switching routing and ports. Although this caused the cancellation of visits to popular ports such as Portofino, the crew adjusted the itinerary and provided desirable alternatives including an unscheduled excursion opportunity to Lucca or Florence and a delightful daylong stop in legendary St. Tropez.

We were amazed at how many of our fellow passengers had traveled aboard the SeaDream or SeaDream II on past occasions, some of them several times. They greeted and were greeted by staff members who recognized them from previous trips; and several of them booked 2006 sailings before the conclusion of our voyage. Almost all of the travelers, mainly couples and family groups, we spoke with, seemed to have enjoyed the SeaDream II experience. As the week progressed we understood their preference for the cozy yachting oriented options SeaDream II offered. It’s difficult for a trip to be flawless or offer everything a traveler wants. It was impressive to find a classy company which excelled and succeeded a majority of the time. We have already recommended SeaDream II to friends and are considering repeat visits ourselves.

Location In the Mediterranean Sea sailing from Rome, Italy to Barcelona, Spain  

Sailing route Original program: Civitavecchia (Rome), Sorrento, Porto Ercole, Portofino, Monte Carlo, Port Vendres, Barcelona. Revised program due to weather conditions: Civitavecchia (Rome), Sorrento, St. Estefano, Livornio, Monte Carlo, St. Tropez and Barcelona.

Executive crew Captain Erik Lund Anderssen SeaDream II master, chef de cuisine Robert van Rijsbergen, sommelier Ferenc Kis, chief steward Christophe Cornu

About the crew Ours was diverse with crew members from nearly 20 countries including England, France, Holland, Hungary, Norway, and the Philippines. Some like the captain had many years of sailing experience, others stood out in their chosen vocation such as the capable Dutch chef and pastry chef.

Languages Although native tongues were assorted, all the crew members we encountered spoke English with varying degrees of proficiency.

The Vessel The SeaDream II has a gross tonnage of 4260. It is 344 feet long and has a 47 foot beam. Its maximum speed is 14 knots. It had a Bahamian registry.

Owned Atle Brynestad

Managed SeaDream Yachts, Inc.

Built The SeaDream II was built in 1984 and refurbished in 2003

Size The yacht could accommodate a maximum of 100 passengers in 54 staterooms and had a crew of 92.

Description A week long (Saturday to Saturday) cruise aboard a refurbished cruise ship with a limited number of passengers. Emphasis was on personalized service, well prepared meals and a quality experience for adults; there were few if any activities for children and the ambiance was adult oriented. All meals (at set times) and snacks in between meals were included as were most on board activities. Most drinks including wines with meals, cocktails and champagne were included except for premium varieties which were available for a reasonable supplement. On shore, passengers were usually on their own to relax, meander about on foot, hire a car or sign up for a third party shore excursion made available through the ship at an additional cost (usually starting at $100 and up per person and exclusive to SeaDream II passengers). Dress was casual although some guests enjoyed dressing up in evening gowns and tuxes for dinner for their own pleasure.

Handicapped access Limited. There was an elevator which many of the elderly passengers with ambulatory challenges made use of. The gangway stairs to board the ship required some care to negotiate for anybody with physical impediments. We observed a number of passengers anxious when boarding the tenders, especially when the water was choppy.

Duration Seven nights (arrival was on a Saturday afternoon between 2 and 5) and departure was the following Saturday morning between 7 and 10 a.m.).

Amenities Bulgari Green Tea toiletries including shower cap, shampoo, conditioner, soap, bath and shower gel, and body lotion. Cotton bathrobes and his and hers oriental style pajamas. Drinks in a smaller cabin refrigerator. Meals, champagne, house wines liquor (except premium brands) and room service. Every night when we returned from dinner there was information on the following day’s activities, information on our next land excursions, the U.S.A. Times summary, a daily amenity such as: two white chocolate dipped strawberries, a long stemmed red rose, a sachet of lavender potpourri, a nautical map, a bucket with a half a bottle of champagne. There was a specially made (and delicious) birthday cake one night.

(Continued in Part II)

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