Christmas 2011 on SD II

[zqvol]

Not much to add to what FT has said. There are a lot families with young people on board, and they kept the bar tenders hopping at the TOY last night until after 2:30.There are also quiet a few younger ones, than the large group of college age people, but all are well behaved and never cause any problems.

 

Prickly Pear was nice today, I like the setup better than at Jost, but there is no Foxy's, nor One Love, nor any of the other beach bars. North sound was crowdeed with a lot of big yachts today and some rather large sailing vessels along with the usual small craft. The seas are so rough that a lot of small craft are having to stay close to home so there were not as many around as I anticipated.

 

Expecting a bumpy ride again tonight, Seas are calming but still expect swells of about 6 feet out of the north which will make for an interesting ride. Supposed to be better tomorrow evening. I would not mind a substitution of Tortola, or Jost for tomorrow instead of Anguilla, but one family on board has dinner reservations there. That might prove interesting as the captain is changing the schedule daily, leaving ports much early than what was posted on line. (Last night we were supposed to overnight at Norman Island, instead tender service stopped at 5:00 and we sailed to Virgin Gorda and overnighted at Spanishtown with SDI. In fact tender service according to the board was supposed to run until six and ended an hour early.)

 

I have been napping this afternoon so I don't know if we are still running the tenders or not so I will report on that later.

 

Merry Christmas to all!

[Rustycat]

Hello and Merry Christmas, FT!

 

All is well in St. Barts and we await you eagerly. Hopefully there will be no issues with the tenders running -- seas have been high, as you know. Just drop me a note or give me a call when you know your schedule. It looked like from your earlier post Anguilla may be off due to the seas. Too bad; great beaches there.

 

See you soon,

 

Denise

[frequent traveler]

Hello and Merry Christmas, FT!

 

All is well in St. Barts and we await you eagerly. Hopefully there will be no issues with the tenders running -- seas have been high, as you know. Just drop me a note or give me a call when you know your schedule. It looked like from your earlier post Anguilla may be off due to the seas. Too bad; great beaches there.

 

See you soon,

 

Denise

 

Looks like we will try to make Anguilla after all. Perhaps not the planned port but the back side

Will call later today when back in phone range

Ft

[frequent traveler]

Brief update - returned from dinner last night and found a gift wrapped box on the bed - with a beautiful card. Signed by Sea Dream's owner. Inside the box was a lovely piece of glassware - more a piece of art. So getting it home will be the challenge - safest way is to leave it in the box - but that's not sturdy enough to ship separately and probably to big to fit in carry ons . .. oh well, nice problem to have.

 

lovely pumpkin soup last night and asparagous soup at lunch today. Can always count on those SD soups.

 

Made it to Anguilla - finally, and East Shoal Bay Beach. Very lovely, but got blindsided by a wave, knocked over, ate sand and sunglasses went floating. Recovered the sunglasses but sand still in the hair. Gorgeous beach.

 

80 minute Stone Massage this pm with Paula - highly recommend. so relaxed probably skipping dinner.

 

If you ever want to bring guests on board, get their passport number, DOB and place of birth - will help with the paperwork and clearance. But looking foward to having visitors for cocktails and dinner tomorrow night.

 

Bike ride (18 miles) was oversubscribed today - so they added a 2nd one this afternoon. Gym stays pretty full and yoga is croweded consistently - I'm having my coffee when they walk by. What a healthy group!

 

Happy Boxing Day.

 

FT

[mimito4]

So fun to read of your adventure, FT and zqvol! Hope the seas settle down and you can have a gentle "rocking" only for the remainder of your SD vaca.

 

I agree about the wireless on the beds. I also had problems in the room most days. . .found the best connection out by the reception desk. Ugh. I was hoping to hear of better connectivity.

 

Very impressive about your suprise present. A big problem indeed. Happy holidays, good people!

[frequent traveler]

Entire ship had cocktails outside and dined al fresco. Since ZQVOL and I both had massages right before dinner we were barely awake but didn't want DS to go solo or join another party. He was happy to announce that his sister had surrendered possession of the Norwegian glassware gift when I gently reminded him that it was really part of a pair that belonged with us:rolleyes: so for the time being the bowls will be displayed together !

 

Last night's menu was Caribbean/fusion. Started with a salad topped with crab that was the highlight of the evening. Sweet and tangy dressing and just the right selection of vegetables made it all come together just right. DS enjoyed his junked chicken and DD stayed "home" with a movie and room service. I do wish SD would make chocolate desserts without nuts. But it's good for the calorie count:cool:

 

Tonight's outdoor concert is "Adele -Live at royal Albert hall London" and another al fresco night

 

On the wait list for an excursion today so will probably do our standard walk to shell beach. Tomorrow possibly visit friends at flamand beach. Life is good

 

Ft

[Rustycat]

Bonjour, FT and bienvenue a St. Barths.

 

We will see you tonight at the appointed hour. Looking forward to it.

 

Denise

[zqvol]

St. Barth's is interesting today. Along with SDI and SDII, and the usually plethora of mega yachts, we have Regent Seven Seas Navigator and HAL Maasdam. It is a busy harbor. Gustavia is packed but everyone seems to be having a good time. Water toys are out this afternoon and got in my jet ski fix for the trip. Great gazpacho and fish and chips at lunch. I may have found a new dessert. Pina Colada sorbet, wonderful.

 

I finally made it to the fort, and will be posting pics of the busy harbor when we return. I enjoyed a nice chat with the sous chef Pedro this afternoon, and I also had a chance to speak with the wonderful Christophe.

 

All in all a good trip so far, we have friends staying on the island joining us for dinner tonight. FT is going ashore to meet them and bring them back to the yacht.

 

More to come later.

[frequent traveler]

Dinner was amazing! From the carpaccio starter to the aubergine soup to the special "warm foie GRAS" course made for our table after Goran made a special request to the chef when ZQVOL passed on the terrine a couple of nights ago to the Osso bucco and dorado with risotto.

 

Our table on deck 4 was not affected by the brief rain but the concert was moved indoors so had no viewers.

 

A number of people went ashore for dinner. I stayed on board yesterday except to go pick up our guests. The tender area when the st Martin ferry comes in is a circus but fun to watch.

 

Really recommend gazpacho and the fish and chips for lunch.

 

Jeff is leading a walk this morning that starts at the fish market, goes past Jimmy Buffet's House and Margaritaville, the fort (where a new overlook has been built) and then to Shell beach.

 

Ft

[Jim Avery]

FT & ZQVOL. Thanks for the updates. Safe travels home tomorrow. Looking forward to your reviews and pictures.:D

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for taking us along on your holiday trip!

 

Safe travels home!

[mimito4]

Ditto on the thanks. Can't wait to see pictures and read the long version of your experience. Safe travels, kids!

[ohmiss]

I've been lurking too, just for your trip! Thank you so much for bringing us along...been sad I couldn't make it! Thank you FT and ZQVol! I have loved tuning into CC this week. :p

[zqvol]

We are all safely home, and a final review with pictures will becoming in the next week, though I must admit I did not take a lot of pictures this trip.

[frequent traveler]

a few more "new" things -

the paper maps showing the location on Deck 5 have been replaced with Google earth - pretty cool - except when the internet is down. And individual sea salt shakers and matching mini pepper grinders on the tables on Deck 5. Clear and cute and practical. And though I didn't notice until last day due to location in cabin - now all cabins have I pod docking stations - round and on very top shelf in cabin (doesn't pay to be height challenged!).

travel out of STT on a Friday is much easier than a Saturday or Sunday - very easy to check in and clear security and was able to get a seat, get something from a store or the one fast food place, etc. Still not a great airport - but bearable.

so relaxed the last couple of days of voyage - way too much effort to log on here to post, but will included updates in final posting.

 

more later -just didn't want to forget

 

back home in real world - where is dear Goran with my sparkling water?

 

FT

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for the updates on the upgrades!

[frequent traveler]

2nd day in St. Barts

 

I began the the day with shore excursion - walk led by Jeff. Started off with a stop at the fish market at 8:30 a.m.- take a left at the pier after you get off the tender. First little square building. Those were some big fish getting carved up. Jeff was able to throw the remains to other big fish lurking in the water. What a feeding frenzy. Would not want to be snorkeling near that pack - 3-5 ft long. Then walked around the big yachts, passed the shops, restaurants,the Swedish consulate, a hole in the wall local bar, around a Swedish museum, up the hill past Jimmy Buffet's home, to the fort, to Shell Beach and back. We had lunch with friends at Flamand beach at a lovely boutique hotel, yum yum and discovered the local tradition of flavored rum as an after lunch complimentary drink ... glad we weren't driving. DD stayed on the yacht and we learned Marguerita pizza was on the menu! Flamand beach is on the Atlantic side of St. Bart's and beautiful.

 

Degustation Menu was our last night in St. Bart's - not on Christmas Day thankfully. This was my absolute favorite from top to bottom. Loved the white tomato cappuccino soup. The Chateaubriand was the best prepared beef I had on board the entire trip. And bless Pedro, Goran, Jaime and Christophe - I got a chocolate dessert with no nuts. Yum, yum.

 

We didn't stay up for it but Karaoke went on to 2:30 am or so - the entertainers have been very busy this voyage.

 

Last day was at St. John's - there was a big swell, so snorkel trip to Trunk Bay was cancelled. We walked to HoneyMoon Bay - was crazy with Celebrity excursion there. Security at Caneel Bay was not thrilled with us showing up there. However, Jeff's hike didn't get turned away like we did - as we saw everyone on the beach. If you need a dive shop on St. John's, we recommend Low Key, stop at the information booth on your way there and pick up a 10% coupon. There is no up sell and you get a much better deal then here - at least we did in replacing a mask and snorkel. We also learned that if the beaches on the Trunk Bay side are rough that Salt Pond bay is the best snorkeling on the island - however you need a car to get there as public transportation is unreliable and you should be a comfortable swimmer. The cruise ships no longer tender to the general ferry area but go to the left to a secure area next to the National Park office building. Taxis are always waiting though - $5.00 per person to Caneel Bay.

 

Last lunch - have kiwi mussels from buffet - Never did get the garlic mussels I love so much. Those of you who know Chef Josselin -Chela says he's doing well. But did have the pasta with 4 cheeses. Egg salad on the buffet was delicious. We liked the wings (2 per order, so hard to overindulge) but DS and ZQVol left most of the curry.

 

 

Got our next SD voyage booked (well not our next - but at the time thought it was our next voyage!) - SD II - Thanksgiving 2012, Marigot to Marigot. We love Iles des Saintes and want to at least sail by Monserrat. Love that 15% on board discount.

 

Last night dinner was Dover Sole. But I focused on the appetizers and soup courses - tuna carpacchio, a mini cobb salad, lobster bisque. I passed on the tomato/mozzarella salad but DD had and it was a beautiful and unique presentation - truly did not resemble the traditional course. And the dessert was a signature SD chocolate molten dessert -liquid ambrosia in the center. I packed during the afternoon so the this was one time evening wasn't too bad - other than figuring out how to get two pieces of glassware home - both made it safe and sound!

 

Last morning --for once do not have to dash off yacht for early flight but wouldn't you know it, DHS comes on board early at 7:15 for passengers to clear immigration and customs so we head up and clear. Very easy today - think just about everyone had cleared by 8:15 as Jeff was on PA looking for last two couples who needed to clear. We had been debating Croatia/Corinth Canal on SD I this summer v. St Petersburg/other Baltic stops on gulp another line and after talking to Elena and Christophe went ahead and booked the BtB Croatia/Corinth Canal on SD I. Now if we can only get decent airfare - starting in Venice and ending in Athens is challenging, especially with the reduction in direct flights to Athens.

 

Departing at 10 - we were almost the last people off and got a chance to say goodbye to a number of crew - right now a number are scheduled to be on board next Nov so it was a "see you in november" which was much easier than goodbye.

 

 

We arranged a private transport to airport this trip - more expensive than a taxi, but a nice air conditioned van and very easy transfer. Traveling on a Friday out of STT was the easiest I've ever seen STT - 5 minutes in line for immigration and to clear baggage. Again, if you have a lot of luggage, paying a private porter is the easiest way to go.

 

Made it home . . . and now in real world again. I know ZQ Vol will post a link to blog with all the menus - I'll do one last posting with final thoughts/pros and cons.

 

FT

[CDreamer]

FT and ZQ Vol, Happy New Year and thanks for all your posts! Always fun getting updates on the crew, menu items, and passenger mix (sounded like a pretty lively group?).

 

Would be fun to have Jeff on board during our upcoming cruise, but I'm thinking he might be heading home by the end of January. He was our CAD on our 2010 SD1 Athens-Dubrovnik cruise.

 

And you are so right - being able to say to everyone: "See you next ____ (fill in the month or year of your next SD cruise)" is a lot easier than saying: "Goodbye!" ;)

[Jim Avery]

OK FT, you have been home almost a week.:eek: Time for your review wrap up you promised and pictures.:D Hey, we have been lurking the Nov 18 SXM r/t that you booked. Us booking it wont make you cancel, will it? Lois says that Thanksgiving will attract rug rats. Might push back a week or so but I really like the itinerary, especially the Montserrat stop. Looking forward to your wrap up.:D

[zqvol]

OK FT, you have been home almost a week.:eek: Time for your review wrap up you promised and pictures.:D Hey, we have been lurking the Nov 18 SXM r/t that you booked. Us booking it wont make you cancel, will it? Lois says that Thanksgiving will attract rug rats. Might push back a week or so but I really like the itinerary, especially the Montserrat stop. Looking forward to your wrap up.:D

 

It would be good for you and Lois to book that one. I don't think that will get the rug rats out as getting in and out of SXM can be problematic. Of course our two will be along but at their ages they don't qualify as rug rats, but spartanchurch is a pretty good drinking buddy:D

 

BTW, I did not take a lot of pics and Have a bunch of stuff going on right now so it may be a couple of weeks until I can get them up.

[zqvol]

You're right I do have to take what I can get! My parents are awesome considering I'm about to be at 14 Sd II nights.

 

 

and just think by the end of Thanksgiving weekend coming up you will hit 21 nights.