Sea Dream I

[ctbjr1309]

11:28 today Barbados time. SD I officially made it to Barbados. :D

 

Jim, what time is it now in Barbados?

 

https://www.google.com/#q=current+time+in+barbados

[ho-hum]

Jim, what time is it now in Barbadosl]

 

Tequila time !!!

[Jim Avery]

Jim, what time is it now in Barbados?

 

https://www.google.com/#q=current+time+in+barbados

 

Oops... Just relating the actual time of arrival listed on Vessel Tracker. What do I know about time zones? We don't even do daylight savings time in AZ.:eek:

[Jim Avery]

Tequila time !!!

 

Now you're talkin podner.

[oliveau]

SD1 had a slight docking contretemps with P&O Britannia this morning. Paint scrape to Britannia just aft of starboard anchor. SD has a dink at top of the bow and some broken woodwork. Under Pilot and trying to 'park' at right angles to Britannia at the time.

[ho-hum]

SD1 had a slight docking contretemps with P&O Britannia this morning. Paint scrape to Britannia just aft of starboard anchor. SD has a dink at top of the bow and some broken woodwork. Under Pilot and trying to 'park' at right angles to Britannia at the time.

 

Tres interresant mon ami, merci.

How on earth did you discover this cher Oliveau.

Very impressed with your discovery.

[Jim Avery]

I haven't been able to find any confirmation of this but if true, SDI is like that cartoon character that went around with a black cloud over his head. I can relate to "Pilot caused issues" as I once had a Canadian Pilot in charge ram a mountain with my ship. :eek: Another story for the TOY Bar on a sunny afternoon. :D

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Who goes down with the ship? Pilot, captain, both?

[Jim Avery]

Who goes down with the ship? Pilot, captain, both?

 

I just know it aint me!:eek::D

[Tiki_Man]

Are ya kidding?????? SD1 was fine until we booked our little trip. Literally the day we booked she had the fire and now as we are starting to get ready to pack there is a small incident (maybe?? not confirmed???)

 

Just shaking my head and hoping I don't have to change my moniker to Albatross_Man.

 

Kinda/Sorta Officially on vacation but we have to have a family Thanksgiving Dinner this Sunday afternoon before we leave bright and early Monday. Unlucky Mrs Tiki has been traveling the past 2 weeks for work, now has to prepare a big family dinner and try to get ready for the trip. She is the one that truly needs the time off. Hopefully SD1 had plenty of Chardonnay on board and a paddle board off the swim platform - if so all is good.

 

Young Miss Tiki is rushing to finish a couple of papers for her Grad School work and then driving from Nashville to Atlanta to throw things in a suitcase on Sunday. The Rose' cellar on board may take a hit next week as she relaxes and enjoys the sun.

 

I am already shifting into vacation mode. Have read the SD documents, all seems normal. We have been to Barbados several times so understand the port and the pier. I am guessing there might be some type of a Vodka drink available on board (wink wink). Can almost hear the rattlesnakes now as I shake my empty glass with ice.

 

From what I have read, after check-in, a fun place to relax is the Top of Yacht Bar. Hoping to make friends with the friendly staff there shortly. Quick question - is the option of enjoying dinner outside an enjoyable experience? We enjoyed that very much on the Paul Gauguin - same type of option on SD?

 

As you can tell I am looking forward to the SeaDream experience - the idea of a much smaller yacht atmosphere seems ideal.

 

Cheers to all

 

Mark

[Jim Avery]

Hi Mark. On Paul Gauguin eating outdoors seemed a bit more sheltered than on Seadream. Seadream outdoor dining is great but we have been drenched by sudden showers or blown about by wind. Admittedly my sample size is skewed in that we have sailed PG one time and SD many so there you go. For sure eat outdoors as much as you can unless the weather is iffy.

[Jim Avery]

Bon Voyage Tiki Man. Looking forward to your posts.:D

[TrapperZimmy]

Here's a tip for a first-timer, Tiki Man. There may be one or two nights when dinner is set up on deck. But if you ask the maitre d', preferably no later than lunch time, you can eat on deck any night that weather permits. We've done trips where we never saw the dining room.

[Jim Avery]

Here's a tip for a first-timer, Tiki Man. There may be one or two nights when dinner is set up on deck. But if you ask the maitre d', preferably no later than lunch time, you can eat on deck any night that weather permits. We've done trips where we never saw the dining room.

 

Trapper Zimmy, bless him, and his much better half come from the frozen north so eating outside is a new thing for those D**n Yankees.:D We came from Florida and now live in Arizona so can appreciate the beautiful surroundings of the Dining Salon. Outdoors has its place (pic nics come to mind) but fine dining needs fine surroundings a la SeaDream Dining Room. :D:D

[TrapperZimmy]

Trapper Zimmy, bless him, and his much better half come from the frozen north so eating outside is a new thing for those D**n Yankees.:D We came from Florida and now live in Arizona so can appreciate the beautiful surroundings of the Dining Salon. Outdoors has its place (pic nics come to mind) but fine dining needs fine surroundings a la SeaDream Dining Room. :D:D

 

You are absolutely right, Jimmy. We don't have many opportunities for al fresco dining in Chicago. On the other hand, we have plenty of fine dining places to eat. Restaurants without dried peppers hanging from the ceiling are fairly common here.

[Zimmy]

Trapper Zimmy, bless him, and his much better half come from the frozen north so eating outside is a new thing for those D**n Yankees.:D We came from Florida and now live in Arizona so can appreciate the beautiful surroundings of the Dining Salon. Outdoors has its place (pic nics come to mind) but fine dining needs fine surroundings a la SeaDream Dining Room. :D:D

 

Jim, I can certainly see your point of view. So I want to thank you and Lois for being so gracious about eating on deck last year. It is already 40 degree here, and I can hardly wait to be on deck dining in a month. But I do realize that for the degustation dinner, it is doing a disservice to the SD crew and all the work they put into that meal not to enjoy it in the dining room.

[Jim Avery]

Hi Guys, figured that would roust y'all out. Zimmy, you have been way to quiet around here. Letting poor Trapper carry all the load. Wish we were sailing with Y'all again and yes, I loved eating al fresco with all you frozen Northers.:eek::D

[Zimmy]

Hi Guys, figured that would roust y'all out. Zimmy, you have been way to quiet around here. Letting poor Trapper carry all the load. Wish we were sailing with Y'all again and yes, I loved eating al fresco with all you frozen Northers.:eek::D

 

Yes, I also wish that we were sailing together. But yours is getting really close. You must be psyched!

[Jim Avery]

Yes, I also wish that we were sailing together. But yours is getting really close. You must be psyched!

 

Yep, Yee Haw!!!!:eek: Just saw all the lines of Thanksgiving travelers at the airport. Part of why we picked the week we did is that it is one of the quietest travel weeks of the year. And we really do not care which islands SD goes to as long as SD goes. :D:D

[Mrs_Tiki]

Thanks to all for the tips, advice, and reassurance when we were unsure about when SD1 would sail again! As you predicted, it was a great cruise, and we are hooked! (Booked again for March 2017!)

 

I am sure that Mark will have more to say later, but wanted to thank you and let you know our short voyage was brilliant!

 

Although, Young Miss Tiki did remark, as we were boarding the yacht, "I am sure that this is a form of chicle abuse." Meaning that we have exposed her to a level of travel that will be impossible to attain on a first-year teacher salary. We told her that it's good to have goals!

 

Mary

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Jim Avery]

Amazing how many times one leaves SeaDream with a future booking in hand... Glad you had such a good time. :D

[TrapperZimmy]

And, Jim, the Tide just keeps on rolling!

[Jim Avery]

And, Jim, the Tide just keeps on rolling!

 

Three more Trap, just three more..:D Wonder if I can talk them into playing the SEC Championship game on the big TV next Saturday??? Would be perfect for the cocktail party. :eek:

[Tiki_Man]

Good morning all. I will be writing a more in-depth review that I will post soon but wanted to give a quick write up of our thoughts from first timers on SeaDream.

 

It was a very nice experience. The service of the staff and the food were the best we have ever enjoyed on a sailing. The ship has an easy layout with nice appointments. Room was ok for 3 and would be even better for just 2 (if our daughter joins us again in the future she will have her own room). The stateroom bathrooms are rather small - just getting into the bathroom was a challenge.

 

Deck space was plentiful and could always find a table for lunch or breakfast. Dining room was fantastic. Ship had more movement than I expected but did not bother any of us.

 

Excursions were limited but very nice. We did a Catamaran tour in Mayreau and at Union Island (only 16 pax on the first day with an 80 ft Cat and only 9 on the Union Island day on a 65 ft cat - that was VERY enjoyable). The private beach party was perfect, they know how to throw a champagne and caviar beach party.

 

One major disappointment. There were 107 passengers on the sailing. A group of about 25 or 30 from Barbados and Trinidad (that we were told were somehow part or guests of The Company) were extremely LOUD and Obnoxious. We actually had the Hotel Manager apologize to us in person for the group's behavior. They were drunk and belligerent from lunch time through late evening. Where the group went (TOTY or the Piano Bar or Pool area) other passengers had to go to a different area for any type of enjoyable time. Even in the dining room the group had a couple of large tables and were beyond anything we expected.

 

Honest - if this was the norm we would never ever consider SeaDream ever again. We were assured by Gareth and others that this was a one-time blip on the radar and not a normal example of the typical SeaDream passenger. This group would have made Carnival passengers look like a Holland cruise in regards to rowdy behavior.

 

We have decided to give SeaDream another try in March - lets just hope we have not picked another "Booze Cruise" for Company guests.

 

Mark

[Jim Avery]

Thanks for posting Tiki. I do have to say that this type of event is not a one time blip. We have had at least three voyages marred by large groups or lots of kids on board. The times when it all goes well is what keeps us returning. I have been told there is a group that booked 18 cabins on our SD II trip next week. Hopefully not a "takeover" type group. Will be posting. SD food and service is top notch but the passenger makeup can drastically change the on board experience. Hopefully your next will be much better. Yes, the bathroom (head) is a beautiful phone booth. Look at the bright side, you can brush your teeth and shave all while sitting........:eek::D:D