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SD1 Nov 20th review


Tiki_Man
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Just back from 5 days (plus 2 pre-cruise days) on SD1. I will try to give a brief review broken into a couple of segments so that is does not get too long. I did post a few daily updates on another thread, so will try not to duplicate very much.

 

Background - original itinerary was St. Martin to St. Martin, however due to Irma and Marie plans were changed. Antigua became the new embarkation and disembarkation port. We live in Atlanta and Delta only has Saturday flights to Antigua therefore we had to change to an arrival on Sat the 18th instead of Sunday the 19th which of course added an additional day of pre-cruise. Delta pricing for the change was excellent, no additional charge (actually reduced the fare by $40 or so US). Our TA arranged for 2 nights at Carlisle Bay in Antigua with private drivers for transfer.

 

Flight to Antigua was pleasant but full of families going to the island for Thanksgiving holiday (which was to be expected). Antigua airport is very nice. Clean, laid out very similar to St. Martin and relatively easy to navigate. Delta does use gate 8 which entails an outdoors walk from the plane to the terminal (American seemed to be split, half walk, half used Gate 4 with a jet-way).

 

Carlisle Bay rep meet us inside the terminal, handed us a plastic card and it allowed us to go to the front of the immigration line (very nice). Once through, baggage was easy and stepped outside to meet the same rep that then signaled for our car to the resort. (Again, very pleased with the Antigua Airport scenario).

 

45 minute ride to Carlisle Bay (some other folks stayed at Curtin Bluff and it is about the same distance, right around the corner). Bumpy road but pleasant. Carlisle Bay was very nice with excellent service (similar to what we were hoping for with SD). We enjoyed our 2 days, mainly stayed on the beach, ate at the resort and did venture to Shirley Heights on Sunday night which is a must-do event. Driver from Carlisle to S.H. was $50 per couple, very reasonable and cheaper than a taxi. Prince Charles was staying at the resort also, doing some review of the British Islands damaged by the Hurricanes, never saw him until his departure on Sunday night but did see his protective service group (very interesting to watch those folks work). Monday morning we had a late check out, relaxing day and excited about boarding SD, and then the adventure begins.

 

Antigua is not really set up to handle embark/disembark, so not completely their fault. SD was using Antigua for the first time as a embark port, so not really their fault. Passengers were use to the scenarios at St. Thomas or St Martin or Barbados, so not really the pax fault - but this was quite a goof up.

 

SD embark info stated Heritage Quay for embarkation. The problem is there are "2" piers in Antigua. The other is called Redcliff Quay. Our driver took us to Heritage (even though I said "hey, that is our ship at the other pier") but he dropped us at Heritage Customs and said "we are here" and left. Needless to say we were not happy. I will commend the Antigua Customs folks for understanding, helping us with the situation and even walking us over to the correct pier "after" we had paid our fees.

 

Here is the sticky point. If you stay more than 24 hours on Antigua and then depart, you have to pay a CASH fee of $30 dollars (not $25 as stated in the SD program). Several passengers were not aware (thinking we pay at the end of the trip). Also, the Customs embark was just a little pop-up tent and NO SD personnel other than porters for luggage. (Oh, and by the way the RCL Adventure of the Seas was parked at the same pier with 3000 passengers using the same entry point for customs going back and forth - perfect storm situation ). Because we had paid our $30 each at the other custom office, the officials finally let us pass to the ship and come aboard with passports in hand after a bit of a walk along the pier. That just created more confusion because Customs was supposed to be holding ALL of the passports at the pier (Mary and I were the only 2 on board with our actual passports). Lots of confusion among the SD staff, not just us but others with different situations. Finally about 4:30 all seemed to call down, champagne had started to flow and everyone started to relax. Muster drill at 5:30, more cocktails at the TOY and SD was underway around 6 pm. Finally all seemed normal.

 

Next post will be more about the itinerary and then a final post about the Good, Bad and Ugly (or Unruly) with the sailing.

 

Cheers

 

Tiki

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My Editor in chief (the lovely Mrs Tiki) has informed me there are a couple of corrections that needed to be stated for the previous posting.

 

Delta uses gate 5, not 8 (although 5-8 go out the same door) in Antigua.

 

Also, at Heritage Quay there is a boardwalk that connects the 2 piers along the waters edge (I was planning to use that once I recognized where we were), HOWEVER, that walkway is under construction and you cannot use that as a pathway. We had to drag our luggage back through a couple blocks in town, down an alley I would not have guessed to use and then across a gravel parking lot to finally connect to the walkway that put us at Redcliff Quay.

 

Additional Note - in the previous thread I suggested telling your driver to use Nevis Street for the correct way to the pier - that is NOT correct (although told to me by the local official).

 

Part II coming soon.

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Part 2 - the itinerary Nov 20th to 25th.

 

Tuesday the 21st we arrive in Gustavia harbor of St. Barths. Not really knowing what to expect in regards to hurricane damage we decided to just go into town to explore (and try to find some WiFi). In the harbor there were only 2 "mega-yachts" and even those were not over the top boats. The actual harbor had 1 very nice yacht and a couple of smaller boats but basically empty. Walking along the main street, shops were boarded up or just closed with only a handful open. Some seemed to be due to water damage, others were closed because the "season" has not yet begun (hopefully they will be open soon once more traffic is on the island). Even our favorite place to stop for a beer or Coca-Cola, Le Select, was closed. We did stop at the L-douible (sp?) across the street for a beer and used their wifi, not busy at all. Overheard some conversations that the windward side of the island (Nikki Beach, Eden Rock) suffered much more damage and will not be opening this season. We were surprised at how green the islands seemed, although it is mostly new growth. The large trees have been pruned back and most of the debris is out of sight. Still rather disappointing, more for the shop owners than anything, as to the situation on St. Barths. We did play on the water sports in the afternoon, just saying "jet-sking in St. Barths" brings a smile to my face.

 

Wednesday was Anguilla - WOOHOO, finally Anguilla. We did have excellent weather during the entire cruise. A couple of rain showers and they had to cancel the outdoor Dessert Party on St. Kitts Day but overall the weather was perfect.

SD anchored on the southeast side of the island where they could use a small "old" wooden pier for tender service. Quite a bit of damage here. Couple of bars open (Elvis, and a new one called Dad's) but other than that, nothing at the pier. Everyone either taxied over to Shoal Bay or some rode bikes (brave and hearty souls). We did the cab route with another couple. $22 US each way for a couple. The driver took the long route and gave some updates of the island. He still does not have power but is hoping to get it back in the next week or so. Lots of damage along the way and most buildings still boarded up.

 

Shoal Bay is PHENOMENAL and BEAUTIFUL. If you like beaches at all, you MUST go to Shoal Bay. The sand is so soft, almost ankle deep as you walk, water is perfect colors and post card worthy. The cabs drop you at the far end, but take a walk down to the Manoah (sp?) hotel (only 5 story building along the beach) for excellent WiFi and nice beach facility. Anguilla lived up to our expectations and we would definitely love to go back.

 

Thursday for St. Kitts. We avoided the Basseterre pier area and anchored right off of the Carambola Beach Club. Short tender ride to a nice pier (beware the Men with the Monkeys unless you like that sort of thing). Several folks took cab rides around the island, other did a couple of excursions and other rode bikes. We paid $20 US for an umbrella and lounge and stayed right there for the lovely beach and water (until noon when the large cruise ship folks started to show up). We were back on board for our daily "wine lunch" and then just played off the back of the ship with water toys.

 

Quick note about the early morning. SD2 came along side SD1 about 7am. Performed a couple of "exchanges". SD1 gave a crew member and a small zodiac in exchange for some provisions and WINE (the joke was that SD1 won the exchange). As the ships came along side Mary and I were topside to observe. It had rained that night and still some clouds that morning. Beautiful Rainbow formed on the horizon and SD2 pulled right underneath it (I have a wonderful picture of the rainbow seeming to come right out of the SD2 stack). Right place at right time. Also, rather sure that a certain Ho-Hum made an appearance at the rail on SD2 waving to everyone.

 

Friday was Nevis and the Splash (also my birthday). We actually sailed the couple of miles from St. Kitts to Nevis during Thursday dinner and stayed at anchor outside of Charlestown that night so no ship movement all night. Dropped some folks at Charlestown early (8 am) for excursions and then sailed the ship north along the coast to Chrishi Beach. It was a wonderful way to enjoy my birthday by having breakfast as we sailed slowly along the coast (I am sure Capt Lund planned it that way haha).

 

The Splash - first time for SD1 to use Chrishi Beach (SD2 used it the previous day, hence the need for the additional zodiac that we traded). The "wet" landing was simple, but rather a long walk along the beach to the facility. Family owned restaurant with plenty of lounge chairs but few thatched umbrellas so it was hard to hide from the sun unless back inside the open air lounge area. Water was too rough for the splash in the water, therefore it was landbased and went off fine (we were standing next to Gareth in conversation when Peter looked over, gave the signal and Gareth radioed the bridge of the ship to "make some noise"). The ships horn blew and everyone enjoyed the festivities. Fun day, a little rocky on the bottom, not a smooth sandy beach area in the water but no worries. Wonderful family from Norway that owns the facility and trying their best to make it an enjoyable day.

 

Sunset and sailaway was spectacular. Mary and several others swear they saw a "green flash". Again, perfect weather and smooth sailing the entire week.

 

Saturday in Antigua. There was a certain apprehension among the crew over Disembarkation. It was much slower than usual due to Antigua requirements, however it did go rather smoothly. We were one of the first off around 10:30 am (not on purpose, just that Antigua customs held onto the Passports and only let a couple go at a time for some reason). Walk to the pop-up tent at end of pier for luggage id, taxi's waiting right there (couple of scenarios, we were in a larger taxi that loaded up 10 people for $20 per person and friends of ours had their own taxi for just the 2 of them for $28 total). Negotiate if you wish, we just followed along like sheep.

 

Arrived the airport around 11:15. Delta counter not open and we did expect to open until 1 pm (for a 4 pm flight). Pleasantly surprised that they opened at noon. Dropped our bags, easy walk through Customs and security (although only 1 screener working, so it you are caught in a crowd it could be delayed). There is a Priority Pass club at one end of terminal which was very pleasant and comfortable. The folks in the actual terminal seemed fine as far as room and seats. Couple of places for food or drink. Used gate 5 (got it right this time) and departed right on time. American and United seemed to be running as smooth as the Delta flight so again big Thumbs Up to the Antigua Airport.

 

I am sure they will be some post-edits shortly :D until, then, the next segment will be more about the ship, the crew and of course - the Passengers (get your popcorn ready).

 

Cheers

 

Tiki

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Part 2 - the itinerary Nov 20th to 25th.

 

 

 

Tuesday the 21st we arrive in Gustavia harbor of St. Barths. Not really knowing what to expect in regards to hurricane damage we decided to just go into town to explore (and try to find some WiFi). In the harbor there were only 2 "mega-yachts" and even those were not over the top boats. The actual harbor had 1 very nice yacht and a couple of smaller boats but basically empty. Walking along the main street, shops were boarded up or just closed with only a handful open. Some seemed to be due to water damage, others were closed because the "season" has not yet begun (hopefully they will be open soon once more traffic is on the island). Even our favorite place to stop for a beer or Coca-Cola, Le Select, was closed. We did stop at the L-douible (sp?) across the street for a beer and used their wifi, not busy at all. Overheard some conversations that the windward side of the island (Nikki Beach, Eden Rock) suffered much more damage and will not be opening this season. We were surprised at how green the islands seemed, although it is mostly new growth. The large trees have been pruned back and most of the debris is out of sight. Still rather disappointing, more for the shop owners than anything, as to the situation on St. Barths. We did play on the water sports in the afternoon, just saying "jet-sking in St. Barths" brings a smile to my face.

 

 

 

Wednesday was Anguilla - WOOHOO, finally Anguilla. We did have excellent weather during the entire cruise. A couple of rain showers and they had to cancel the outdoor Dessert Party on St. Kitts Day but overall the weather was perfect.

 

SD anchored on the southeast side of the island where they could use a small "old" wooden pier for tender service. Quite a bit of damage here. Couple of bars open (Elvis, and a new one called Dad's) but other than that, nothing at the pier. Everyone either taxied over to Shoal Bay or some rode bikes (brave and hearty souls). We did the cab route with another couple. $22 US each way for a couple. The driver took the long route and gave some updates of the island. He still does not have power but is hoping to get it back in the next week or so. Lots of damage along the way and most buildings still boarded up.

 

 

 

Shoal Bay is PHENOMENAL and BEAUTIFUL. If you like beaches at all, you MUST go to Shoal Bay. The sand is so soft, almost ankle deep as you walk, water is perfect colors and post card worthy. The cabs drop you at the far end, but take a walk down to the Manoah (sp?) hotel (only 5 story building along the beach) for excellent WiFi and nice beach facility. Anguilla lived up to our expectations and we would definitely love to go back.

 

 

 

Thursday for St. Kitts. We avoided the Basseterre pier area and anchored right off of the Carambola Beach Club. Short tender ride to a nice pier (beware the Men with the Monkeys unless you like that sort of thing). Several folks took cab rides around the island, other did a couple of excursions and other rode bikes. We paid $20 US for an umbrella and lounge and stayed right there for the lovely beach and water (until noon when the large cruise ship folks started to show up). We were back on board for our daily "wine lunch" and then just played off the back of the ship with water toys.

 

 

 

Quick note about the early morning. SD2 came along side SD1 about 7am. Performed a couple of "exchanges". SD1 gave a crew member and a small zodiac in exchange for some provisions and WINE (the joke was that SD1 won the exchange). As the ships came along side Mary and I were topside to observe. It had rained that night and still some clouds that morning. Beautiful Rainbow formed on the horizon and SD2 pulled right underneath it (I have a wonderful picture of the rainbow seeming to come right out of the SD2 stack). Right place at right time. Also, rather sure that a certain Ho-Hum made an appearance at the rail on SD2 waving to everyone.

 

 

 

Friday was Nevis and the Splash (also my birthday). We actually sailed the couple of miles from St. Kitts to Nevis during Thursday dinner and stayed at anchor outside of Charlestown that night so no ship movement all night. Dropped some folks at Charlestown early (8 am) for excursions and then sailed the ship north along the coast to Chrishi Beach. It was a wonderful way to enjoy my birthday by having breakfast as we sailed slowly along the coast (I am sure Capt Lund planned it that way haha).

 

 

 

The Splash - first time for SD1 to use Chrishi Beach (SD2 used it the previous day, hence the need for the additional zodiac that we traded). The "wet" landing was simple, but rather a long walk along the beach to the facility. Family owned restaurant with plenty of lounge chairs but few thatched umbrellas so it was hard to hide from the sun unless back inside the open air lounge area. Water was too rough for the splash in the water, therefore it was landbased and went off fine (we were standing next to Gareth in conversation when Peter looked over, gave the signal and Gareth radioed the bridge of the ship to "make some noise"). The ships horn blew and everyone enjoyed the festivities. Fun day, a little rocky on the bottom, not a smooth sandy beach area in the water but no worries. Wonderful family from Norway that owns the facility and trying their best to make it an enjoyable day.

 

 

 

Sunset and sailaway was spectacular. Mary and several others swear they saw a "green flash". Again, perfect weather and smooth sailing the entire week.

 

 

 

Saturday in Antigua. There was a certain apprehension among the crew over Disembarkation. It was much slower than usual due to Antigua requirements, however it did go rather smoothly. We were one of the first off around 10:30 am (not on purpose, just that Antigua customs held onto the Passports and only let a couple go at a time for some reason). Walk to the pop-up tent at end of pier for luggage id, taxi's waiting right there (couple of scenarios, we were in a larger taxi that loaded up 10 people for $20 per person and friends of ours had their own taxi for just the 2 of them for $28 total). Negotiate if you wish, we just followed along like sheep.

 

 

 

Arrived the airport around 11:15. Delta counter not open and we did expect to open until 1 pm (for a 4 pm flight). Pleasantly surprised that they opened at noon. Dropped our bags, easy walk through Customs and security (although only 1 screener working, so it you are caught in a crowd it could be delayed). There is a Priority Pass club at one end of terminal which was very pleasant and comfortable. The folks in the actual terminal seemed fine as far as room and seats. Couple of places for food or drink. Used gate 5 (got it right this time) and departed right on time. American and United seemed to be running as smooth as the Delta flight so again big Thumbs Up to the Antigua Airport.

 

 

 

I am sure they will be some post-edits shortly :D until, then, the next segment will be more about the ship, the crew and of course - the Passengers (get your popcorn ready).

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Tiki

 

 

 

Keep it coming! We are doing the 9 day trip in January and your reports are so welcome. We spent a week in Anguilla in July @ Zemi Beach (on Shoal Bay) and just feel in love with the island. Glad you got to go in there as sometimes it is iffy.

 

 

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Hi Tiki

 

Just booked my first trip on SD1 but I can’t find a list of the included liquors. Could you post what they have for complementary bourbon, vodka, scotch, also what kind of champagne or sparkling wine are they pouring?

 

Thanks DPR

 

 

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Dred, here is what I remember:

Bourbon first of course. You only choice is Makers Mark. I would have that at the end of each evening at the TOY. Short glass with lots of ice and they just kept refilling the ice. Finished the day nicely.

Vodka (never asked for anything top shelve) was Smirnoff and Sky.

Not a scotch guy, but I think they had Dewars?

Also, not a bubbly person (that would be the lovely Mrs Tiki). They served a proseco for some events and a French champage (I think) for others - no "V' though.

Others probably know better, but that is what I remember.

Beers, just in case - Heineken on tap, Stella (not the crew member haha), Red Stripe and Corona (no American light ones and no craft).

Couple special drinks were a frozen Rum Punch enjoyed by the ladies during the day around the pool, Mount Gay and Tonic (one of my favorites) and a PainKiller knock off that was very good (but with quite a kick).

 

Hope that helps

 

Tiki

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Fear not, Jim! I saw Jack onboard.

 

I think that after putting a child through college in KY and grad school on TN, TikiMan got caught up in the purist semantics of a KY bourbon vs. TN whiskey!

 

 

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That little detail has caused more than a few disagreements....;p

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Part 3 of the review - the ship, the staff and the passengers (note, at this point all of the comments are simply my opinions. Not starting a debate or discussion, simply stating my opinions)

 

The Ship - "she is what she is".

SD1 is a lovely vessel that was commissioned in 1984 and became SeaDream in 1995 (I think I have those dates correct). She is not an ultra modern, super fancy, glitzy cruise ship. She is ideal for her purpose and that is to carry a small group of passengers in comfort and style. She is a bit dated and her layout is unique, however the crew does a fantastic job of keeping her clean, operable, performing and safe. The open layout and ease to move around is wonderful. The staterooms (we had 314) are very nice (ok, the bathroom is VERY small) and the appointments in the room are ok. Plenty of drawers and hangup room. Beds are comfortable and we do not miss not having a balcony.

We were able to always find a table at breakfast and lunch on deck 5 and even around the pool area, for the most part when folks were done with a lounge chair they would retrieve their towel and make them available for the next person to use. Bali beds were often available and the ship never felt crowded. I did not use the spa so not able to comment (Mrs Tiki did enjoy a spa day and said it was very pleasant). The water sports platform was easy to maneuver and they did put out the Jet Ski's in St Barth and in St Kitts. Swimming was open everyday except for the splash since everyone was on shore.

We enjoyed fantastic weather so no problems at all with movement (we have had previous itineraries where she rolled quite a bit). Overall SeaDream 1 gets a A (if the bathroom was only a wee bit larger it would be A+).

 

The Staff.

This is the crown jewel of SeaDream. The staff are simply amazing. Always helpful, smiling, courteous. I am amazed at how well they help each other in regards to serving the guests. The staff seems to take pride in helping the passengers whether it is their actual job or if they can simply be of assistance. I would not do the staff justice by trying to name all individuals in this post since they all work so hard. I will identify a few that I hope is not against the rules or against protocol by SeaDream or Cruise Critic.

Capt Lund is a gracious and very professional Captain. From the moment we walked onboard he was standing at the gangway and interacted with the passengers throughout the cruise when available. We had the pleasure of dining with him on Thanksgiving night and he had some interesting and funny stories.

Peter and Silvio did an outstanding job as Hotel Manager and Matre'd. Not sure they ever slept as we saw them first thing in the morning and seemingly till the end of each evening. Their entire staff were all so very professional. I do have a few favorites but again I will keep that to myself. Brenda, Stella and Toni work so hard it almost seems effortless and is very much appreciated. Jeralyn our steward was wonderful and even did a few extra decorations to help me celebrate my birthday on Friday.

Our second sailing with Gareth, and as before, a charming, engaging, funny and outstanding example of SeaDream personnel (and this time no volleyball adventures).

Hats off to everyone of the staff. If it was possible to grade as A++ that would still not be high enough. Well Done all.

 

The passengers - ok, going to try to be fair, understanding and not too Grumpy. First the facts.

This sailing was suppose to be a charter. Due to the hurricane the charter fell through and SeaDream needed to try to fill the boat. Fares were exceptionally low (which yes we appreciated although was not the reason we sailed). 70 total passengers on board. Of that total, 15 were minors. Now that ranged from 17 years old down to a 3 year old with most in the middle. Only 6 non-US passengers (and one of those actually had lived in the US for more than 20 years). For some odd reason the state of Georgia was "overwhelmingly" represented (including the Tikis) with 28 pax. Also an extraordinary number of travel agents or travel related persons. Just a very odd make up of passengers.

Several long time SD cruisers (the winner was a gentleman that had 168 days with SD) and quite a few first timers.

Overall the passengers were pleasant, but you cannot put 70 people in a room and have them all get along. I understand each person has their own personality and nuances.

The thing that made me scratch my head was WHY would someone bring young children on SeaDream. I realize it was a Holiday break in the states and families want to vacation together - but SeaDream????? There is NOTHING for kids to do and the staff is not set up to handle children (although they did an outstanding job when possible).

The "parent neglect" factor was the most glaring part to me. Parents would simply ignore their children running around the ship while the parents sat drinking cocktails and beer. There were a least two dinners where the parents sat for dinner and left the kids to have room service or just wander around, and of course the children would get bored and come find the parents. Running barefoot in the main dining room, and the parents seeming to think that their precious little child was the belle of the ball.

There were other families where the children behaved properly (older children) and were always mindful of others. That was appreciated by the passengers without children.

The final straw that almost did me in was at the splash on the last day, Mary and I were relaxing by ourselves on the water trampoline later in the day after everyone had plenty of opportunity on the tramp. We were enjoying a cocktail and a pleasant conversation when 2 young children swam up and yelled "just to warn you, we are coming up and going to be bouncing all over so you may spill your drink". Not a "do you mind it we climb up" or "would you mind if we bounced". Just a spoiled rotten little apple that had not fallen far from its tree.

 

I will get off my soapbox now - and again, this is just my opinion, so I am not wrong - these are just my thoughts.

 

No blame to SeaDream over the passengers, they are simply running a business. However maybe a suggestion to passengers prior to booking that there might be more child friendly cruise lines available. Just a thought.

 

Ok, I have blabbered on way too long and I doubt anyone made it to the end. However if you do have questions about the itinerary or if I can be of help just let me know.

 

(and yes, we did book an open booking and will be sailing again this season so all is well).

 

Cheers

 

Tiki

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Thanks for all your work Tiki. Excellent review. I have been beating the dead horse about kids since our second SD sailing back in 2005. SD does not and will not do anything about it. So far we have had 3 sailings majorly impacted by the spoiled little jerks. Other lines limit or completely exclude children. SD could if they wanted to but obviously the owner does not care if your or my holiday is impacted by children. We are sailing in January on Viking Oceans new Viking Sun and they do not allow any children under the age of 16. Do not know what Viking is like yet but will be reporting back over at their board. In steady sailing on SD since 2004 (they became SeaDream in 2001) the only complaint we have ever had concerned kids. Again, thanks for taking the time to report.:cool:

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Part 3 of the review - the ship, the staff and the passengers (note, at this point all of the comments are simply my opinions. Not starting a debate or discussion, simply stating my opinions)

 

 

 

The Ship - "she is what she is".

 

SD1 is a lovely vessel that was commissioned in 1984 and became SeaDream in 1995 (I think I have those dates correct). She is not an ultra modern, super fancy, glitzy cruise ship. She is ideal for her purpose and that is to carry a small group of passengers in comfort and style. She is a bit dated and her layout is unique, however the crew does a fantastic job of keeping her clean, operable, performing and safe. The open layout and ease to move around is wonderful. The staterooms (we had 314) are very nice (ok, the bathroom is VERY small) and the appointments in the room are ok. Plenty of drawers and hangup room. Beds are comfortable and we do not miss not having a balcony.

 

We were able to always find a table at breakfast and lunch on deck 5 and even around the pool area, for the most part when folks were done with a lounge chair they would retrieve their towel and make them available for the next person to use. Bali beds were often available and the ship never felt crowded. I did not use the spa so not able to comment (Mrs Tiki did enjoy a spa day and said it was very pleasant). The water sports platform was easy to maneuver and they did put out the Jet Ski's in St Barth and in St Kitts. Swimming was open everyday except for the splash since everyone was on shore.

 

We enjoyed fantastic weather so no problems at all with movement (we have had previous itineraries where she rolled quite a bit). Overall SeaDream 1 gets a A (if the bathroom was only a wee bit larger it would be A+).

 

 

 

The Staff.

 

This is the crown jewel of SeaDream. The staff are simply amazing. Always helpful, smiling, courteous. I am amazed at how well they help each other in regards to serving the guests. The staff seems to take pride in helping the passengers whether it is their actual job or if they can simply be of assistance. I would not do the staff justice by trying to name all individuals in this post since they all work so hard. I will identify a few that I hope is not against the rules or against protocol by SeaDream or Cruise Critic.

 

Capt Lund is a gracious and very professional Captain. From the moment we walked onboard he was standing at the gangway and interacted with the passengers throughout the cruise when available. We had the pleasure of dining with him on Thanksgiving night and he had some interesting and funny stories.

 

Peter and Silvio did an outstanding job as Hotel Manager and Matre'd. Not sure they ever slept as we saw them first thing in the morning and seemingly till the end of each evening. Their entire staff were all so very professional. I do have a few favorites but again I will keep that to myself. Brenda, Stella and Toni work so hard it almost seems effortless and is very much appreciated. Jeralyn our steward was wonderful and even did a few extra decorations to help me celebrate my birthday on Friday.

 

Our second sailing with Gareth, and as before, a charming, engaging, funny and outstanding example of SeaDream personnel (and this time no volleyball adventures).

 

Hats off to everyone of the staff. If it was possible to grade as A++ that would still not be high enough. Well Done all.

 

 

 

The passengers - ok, going to try to be fair, understanding and not too Grumpy. First the facts.

 

This sailing was suppose to be a charter. Due to the hurricane the charter fell through and SeaDream needed to try to fill the boat. Fares were exceptionally low (which yes we appreciated although was not the reason we sailed). 70 total passengers on board. Of that total, 15 were minors. Now that ranged from 17 years old down to a 3 year old with most in the middle. Only 6 non-US passengers (and one of those actually had lived in the US for more than 20 years). For some odd reason the state of Georgia was "overwhelmingly" represented (including the Tikis) with 28 pax. Also an extraordinary number of travel agents or travel related persons. Just a very odd make up of passengers.

 

Several long time SD cruisers (the winner was a gentleman that had 168 days with SD) and quite a few first timers.

 

Overall the passengers were pleasant, but you cannot put 70 people in a room and have them all get along. I understand each person has their own personality and nuances.

 

The thing that made me scratch my head was WHY would someone bring young children on SeaDream. I realize it was a Holiday break in the states and families want to vacation together - but SeaDream????? There is NOTHING for kids to do and the staff is not set up to handle children (although they did an outstanding job when possible).

 

The "parent neglect" factor was the most glaring part to me. Parents would simply ignore their children running around the ship while the parents sat drinking cocktails and beer. There were a least two dinners where the parents sat for dinner and left the kids to have room service or just wander around, and of course the children would get bored and come find the parents. Running barefoot in the main dining room, and the parents seeming to think that their precious little child was the belle of the ball.

 

There were other families where the children behaved properly (older children) and were always mindful of others. That was appreciated by the passengers without children.

 

The final straw that almost did me in was at the splash on the last day, Mary and I were relaxing by ourselves on the water trampoline later in the day after everyone had plenty of opportunity on the tramp. We were enjoying a cocktail and a pleasant conversation when 2 young children swam up and yelled "just to warn you, we are coming up and going to be bouncing all over so you may spill your drink". Not a "do you mind it we climb up" or "would you mind if we bounced". Just a spoiled rotten little apple that had not fallen far from its tree.

 

 

 

I will get off my soapbox now - and again, this is just my opinion, so I am not wrong - these are just my thoughts.

 

 

 

No blame to SeaDream over the passengers, they are simply running a business. However maybe a suggestion to passengers prior to booking that there might be more child friendly cruise lines available. Just a thought.

 

 

 

Ok, I have blabbered on way too long and I doubt anyone made it to the end. However if you do have questions about the itinerary or if I can be of help just let me know.

 

 

 

(and yes, we did book an open booking and will be sailing again this season so all is well).

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Tiki

 

 

 

Great job on the review. Thorough and fair.

Add us to the bandwagon on banning "rugrats". Shout it from the rooftops that SeaDream is expensive, has NO programs designed to entertain your children , and they are annoying everyone, but we are too polite to tell you. You think they are cute. THEY AREN'T! Leave them with gramma or get onboard Carnival. Just sayin'...

 

 

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