SD1 - March 16 to 23, 2008 Review

[DisneyJen]

Saturday, March 15

Our flight from Charlotte was delayed about 30 minutes because of the weather (the storm front that produced tornados in Atlanta was in the area as well as some fog). We left our house in Jamestown, NC around 9 a.m. and arrived at the Charlotte airport around 10:30. After checking our bags (yes, we ended up checking two bags) we headed to the USAir Club to enjoy a Bloody Mary and to pass the time).

There were many flights cancelled and delayed because of the weather so there were lots of unhappy people in the USAir Club as well in the terminals. DH and I were both amazed that so many people were yelling at the gate and ticket agents because these folks who didn’t fly out that day before might miss their cruises. Seems that the 7 a.m. flight to SJU was cancelled and the 11 a.m. flight was delayed 90 minutes. Lots of folks were on the standby list for our flight. I did feel bad for all involved. DH and I agree that it is not worth flying out the day of the cruise … even though we live in a relatively warm climate near a hub airport you just never know what Mother Nature is going to decide when the day dawns.

We used FF miles for my first class ticket and because of DH’s FF status he was upgraded to first on Thursday. The perfect way to start a trip, especially on SD, for sure.

The flight itself was uneventful … a little bumpy at times but nothing major. Before we knew it we were landing in San Juan. My oh my how this airport has change! What a lovely, clean and bright facility. It’s a far cry from the airport I remember 15 years ago.

Our bags were the first two down the luggage shoot. We grabbed them and then a cab to the Caribe Hilton. The can ride was $19 and 50 cents per bag. It was about a 15 minute ride to the hotel using an expressway that was more crowded than the roads we have at home.

Check in was easy although it took us a while to find our room as we were told that it was in the Main Tower but we actually were in the Garden Tower.

We dropped off the luggage and then strolled the grounds. The Hilton is one of the oldest hotels in San Juan. I can remember coming here as a child when cruising with my parents. The grounds including the pool are quite lovely and well kept.

We then headed to the Executive Lounge in the Hilton Honors tower for a drink (cash bar) and some cheese and crackers. The view from the 9th floor was quite lovely.

We had made reservations for 7 p.m. for Morton Steakhouse. I had a coupon for Surf and Turf for two for $99. It was a great deal as we each had a salad (Caesar for DH and Morton’s for me), a single cut filet that was cooked perfectly, and seafood (Crab cake for DH and Shrimp for me), a baked potato and steamed broccoli to share and then dessert (Chocolate cake for DH and Key Lime pie for me). We both were so stuffed we took the dessert back to our room. I don’t tolerate seafood as well as I used to so DH ate my shrimp. The filet was plenty for me! We had a lovely bottle of Ferrari-Canaro with dinner. A lovely dinner and lovely way to end the day.

Sunday, March 16

We awoke to sunny skies and warm temperatures this morning after a fitful night’s sleep in the Garden Wing at the Caribe Hilton. Our 8th floor room, which was renovated a few weeks ago, overlooked the roof of the convention center but we also had a lovely view of the ocean, an old fort and some other hotels along the beach. We can’t really complain as we used Hilton Honors points for the king ocean view room.

The room itself was lovely, with a 32-inch flat screen television, comfy bed and a beautiful shower. However, this is an old hotel so the sound insulation isn’t the best. We could hear the telephone ringing through the night in the room next door as well as the elevator ringing which was a few doors away.

Also, the hotel seems to be in the flight pattern for small prop planes so we could hear the constant rumble of engines as the planes took off and landed.

DH showered and dressed while I lounged in bed (what a treat). He then headed back to the Executive Lounge for a continental breakfast. Being the good guy that he is he brought back a banana and bottled water for me. He also arranged for us to check out at 1 p.m. instead of noon so we are just lounging about and enjoying the morning and counting the hours until we board SD1!

It’s now 1:22 p.m. and we are sitting in the lobby at the Caribe Hilton, taking advantage of a WIFI hotspot to post this before we head off to the port. I think we are going to leave here around 1:45 since the pier is allegedly about 10 minutes away.

I will be keeping a journal every day but not necessarily posting every day. I suspect we will have Internet access Monday into Tuesday and then Thursday into Friday … subject to change of course!

[ctbjr1309]

Sounds great, so far DJ. Thanks for taking the time to keep us posted on your trip. We'll be eagerly awaiting each update.

[Jim Avery]

Good job DJ. Glad you made your flight. I agree, no same day travel. Just too much of a crap shoot. Just so you know how lucky you are, us normal people are spending the day washing 2 dogs and 2 cars. Wish we were there!

J & L

[Cammiem]

Hi DJ!

 

It's great to hear from you! Thanks for taking the time to post and update us on your travels. I'm excited to hear more. :)

[zqvol]

Have fun Jen, wish we were with you!

[DisneyJen]

Greetings all from St. Martin! We were supposed to be in St. John today but the Captain decided to put in at St. Martin and then St. Barts because of expected seaswells in the next few days. I suspect it will get bumpy:mad:

 

Here is the next installment. Still working on Mondays' report. We have spa treatments at 11 a.m. today so it may be late today or tomorrow before I post the next report.

 

Sunday, March 16

We left the Caribe Hilton at 1:50 by taxi to the pier. The ride was about 10 minutes and cost $16. As DH paid for the taxi I quick ran to take a photo of photo. Seeing SD1 made feel like we were finally home!

A porter took our bags through security while we waited in a line of about 20 people to clear the security scanner (think airport security) and then to turn over our cruise contract, passports and credit card number for incidentals.

As we walked out the door of the terminal we both noticed that the skies were turning gray with a threat of rain. Not to worry … nothing dampened our spirits as headed up the gangplank and were welcomed aboard by Capt. Valter Berg and Activities Director Richard Jones. As we were offered a cool towel I heard my name. Christophe Cornfu, the Executive Hotel Manager, made his way over to us and warmly welcomed us back. There were a few things that we needed to talk to him about regarding some dietary issues as well a surprise that I was trying to plan for later in the week. We made plans to get together later in the day to discuss those items.

After taking the offered glass of Charles Lafitte champagne we made our way through the main salon and to the reception area. The wonderful housekeeping crew welcomed us. I had to questions that I asked of the head housekeeper who was checking us in. How many children are on board and if the owners were on board. The answer to the first question was yes, there are 4 children who range in age from about 8 to 15. The answer to the second question was yes one of the owners was on board but he would not be staying on board since the sailing was sold out.

SIDEBAR: Now as some of you know we had some issues with younger children (a 1-year-old and a toddler) on our first SD1 cruise. I had braced myself that since this week is spring break for some schools that we might have some children and/or young adults on board. There has been much written about children and SD … and I must say that the young people on board have not had any impact on the service or ambiance as of Tuesday. I congratulated one father of two girls on how lovely and well mannered his children are. We haven’t seen much of the children so far as they have been busy touring. Back to our story…

We were escorted us to Cabin 415, which is right next to the spa. DH and I both commented on the new color schemes for the soft goods and the excellent condition of the stateroom. A split of Charles Lafitte was on ice waiting for us as well as my request diet tonic. I forgot to include DH’s request for Michelob Ultra beer. Lineth, our stewardess, welcomed us within a few minutes of our arrival. We asked her if we could have Mic Ultra for DH.

We checked out our room, dropped off our hand luggage and headed to the Top of the Yacht (TOY). Tradition for us to relax on a Bali bed with champagne to kick off vacation. Mother Nature was not cooperating so we grabbed one of our favorite tables at the TOY. We meet some people who were cruising SD for the first time. We compared notes. Christophe stopped by and we quickly talked about our dinner requests and I gave him a snapshot of the surprise I hoped to plan. DH also made mention of the Mic Ultra. Christophe assured him that it would be taken care of … and by Monday morning it was!

Around 3 p.m. we headed back to the cabin to unpack. I am constantly amazed at the amount of storage space in these cabins. Every inch is used efficiently.

After unpacking we headed back to TOY as neither of us had lunch and needed something since dinner wasn’t until 7:30. We found a quiet table at Topside Restaurant. Edwin appeared and topped off DH’s champagne glass and refilled my drink. Interestingly, there was diet tonic in our stateroom but none available at TOY the first day. By Monday there was diet tonic at both bars as well as in our cabin..

DH ordered a shrimp cocktail and I ordered a cheese plate. Both were perfect … as has been the service! I just can’t say enough good things about this crew.

Before we knew, it was time to change for cocktails and dinner. There weren’t many folks in the main salon at cocktail hour. There were some wonderful Chinese inspired hors d’eouvres as well as some wonderful goat cheese and seafood items.

The wonderful guitarist Ruel provided lovely music.

One of the special requests that we made of Christophe was for a quiet table for two. He told us to check in with Gabor Kiss, the maitre d’, and that we would be taken care of. True to his word, we were shown to a very special table.

I had Double Consommé, Caesar Salad, filet tenderloin and Grand Mariner soufflé. DH had Caesar Salad, pan seared scallops, filet tenderloin with the soufflé. Veal Saltimbocca was one of featured entrees so we asked to have a tasting of that as well.

The food, wines and service were what we have come to expect of SD. I am always amazed that there are little to no gaps in service on SD especially on turn-around/embarkation day.

After dinner we headed back to the TOY for one of our favorite post-dinner activities … star gazing and talking on a Bali bed.

Around 10:30 the bar was hopping and we were tired so he headed back to our cabin where we found the bed turned down and our first gift … those wonderful SD pajamas… and yes there were slippers too!

We had a relatively smooth sail over to Culebrita. One of the issues that we had with SD1 before was that our cabin was not cool enough for us. I travel with a sound machine that also displays the time and temperature. The cabin was a warm 73 degrees and didn’t get much cooler than 71. Needless to say, although the new bedding is wonderful we both had a restless first night.

[Cammiem]

Hi DJ!

 

Love your review so far. It's exciting to hear what I'll be experiencing next month. Poor DH has to put up with my budding excitement between now & April 13. :D

 

Don't you just love Richard? He's fantastic. His accent is so charming. I recognize some other names as well.

 

Enjoy yourself! Can't wait to hear more. :)

[Jim Avery]

Hi Jen:

Almost like being there, almost. Is Sudesh Kishore Executive Chef? Sorry about missing the twins in St. Barts but the Captains are really great at considering the motion of the ocean in planning routes. Better to be comfortable. Which owner is/was aboard? Dont stop now, keep writing.

Jim.

[MDR-DAN]

Well my Lurking days are behind me and I am happy to step off the sidelines. Thanks DisneyJen for some great writing and insight concerning SeaDream. I am onboard SDI as we "speak" write. Tonight we are in St. Barts and with dinner completed and computer booted up, I am happy to join this online community. An additional shout out to the friendly chef from Virginia. 3 days into the cruise, all I can say is "Fantastic". Great Ship. Great Service and a great time. More to follow....Stay tuned.

[NASCAB]

Jen,

 

I hope you are enjoying your room, it's the room that we stayed in. We also had a problem with the temperature there, but they gave us a fan the first day which made all the difference. Some like it hot, we're used to the cold. Our room was great, right next to the spa and down the hall to the computer, enjoy it. Have a great time, wish we were there.

 

NASCAB :)

[Jim Avery]

OK Jen, 2 days off is enough. Back to work!

[Cammiem]

OK Jen, 2 days off is enough. Back to work!

 

Jim's right. You're killin' us! :D

[ctbjr1309]

Received the following via email from DJ earlier this evening:

 

"Ahoy landlubbers!

 

We are finally "safe" in Tortola, after 2 days of running from the North Atlantic swell. Itinerary blown to hell, but Captain and crew made sure we were safe and as comfortable as possible.

 

Jen asks that one of you advise her loyal followers that further postings Will be forthcoming, once she digitizes her notes from this wild ride. Feel free to post this email on cruise critic.

 

 

Thanks!

DisneyJen and DH"

 

Sounds like it's been a very interesting few days. I guess that all we can do is to continue to wait patiently for a complete update. Sounds like it will be an interesting one!

[DisneyJen]

Greeting all from a very calm Prickly Pear. The storm has done incredible damage in the Caribbean. For those of you familiar with Prickly Pear the beach is about 1/3 of the size it normally is.

 

I will go into greater details in my daily review but let's just say that in 30 plus visits to the Caribbean I have never seen so many ports closed or the ocean and sea so large. I haven't confirmed it but I think we hit one swell yesterday on our run from St. Martin that was about 20 feet.

 

Our seagoing friend Jim Avery is right ... SD handled it beautifully although there were lots of folks holed up in their cabins.

 

SD2 is anchored about 1/2 mile from us ...

 

I cannot say enough good things about this incredible crew ... from Christophe to Gabor (the maitre'd) to our wonderful waiters Adrian, Olivier, Simon, Mickee and of course the great bar staff including Stuart and Ivo and the wonderful sommelier Frank who always makes me laugh!

 

The chef is Tomasz Kozlowski ... and he is incredible as is his staff including pastry chef extradonnaire Garflield!

 

NASCAB they did bring us a fan on Monday and it has made all the difference in "our" room.

 

Welcome aboard MRD-DAN ... We are so enjoying your company as well as the rest of the wonderful guests. MRD-Dan has promised us a Silverseas-SeaDream comparison.

 

 

Just as I teaser I will post the next installment before heading to the tenders and the beach party.

[DisneyJen]

Monday, March 17

As Monday morning dawned we were greeted with sunny skies and warm breeze off the coast of Culebrita, Puerto Rico. DH was up and moving a bit earlier than I so he headed off to the TOY for coffee which he enjoyed from one of the wonderful Bali beds. After joining him on the Bali bed we asked Gabor for two Mimosas. A few moments later he delivered them to us.

We headed down to breakfast at the Topside Restaurant where Adrian made sure that DH’s coffee cup was full and that we had everything we needed for breakfast. As always, there were many options for breakfast. Since it was St. Patrick’s Day I went with corned beef hash with two poached eggs. DH went with a ham cheese and mushroom omelet.

After breakfast we headed back to the Bali beds while other ventured out on the Zodiac for a wet landing. After a relaxing awhile on the Bali beds we decided to head down to the pool on deck 3 to cool off. While chatting with folks while coolly and comfortably seated in the pool I was “outed.” One of the couples we were chatting with heard DH call me by names and asked if I was “DisneyJen.” After owning up to my CruiseCritic moniker we chatted along with another couples about our cruising resumes. I told these lurkers that since the outed me they know need to post … and at least one already has.

Capt. Berg had told us that 60 percent of the folks cruising this week were first time SeaDreamers. Most of the people with whom we talked have sailed on Silverseas and Regent.

I ran into Capt. Berg who was enjoying a yogurt and commented to him on how we appreciated the fine weather and hoped it would continue. He told me that the next few days would be nice but later in the week we would experience some swells.

Christophe and I talked about my wanting to get SD1 and SD2 folks together during our overlap in St. Barts. He mentioned to me that there would probably be a change in itinerary because of the developing sea situation but we would check on it day to day.

We spent the rest of the afternoon reading, relaxing and socializing in the warm Caribbean sun. For those of you who know me you know that I tend to be social by nature. The passenger mix on this cruise is such that there is always an interesting conversation to share by the pool, on the Bali beds or at the tables around TOY.

About 3 p.m. we repositioned over to Vieques. During this time Stuart the bartender spritzed those lounging on the Bali beds and cleaned sunglasses. Captain Berg made an announcement that we would skip St. John because of the swells and would head to Marigot, St. Martin, He said we would then head to St. Barts and then pick up the rest of our BVI itinerary.

We headed down for a nap before dinner which was held at 8 p.m. Gabor seated us at our table for two.

DH ordered chicken croquettes for his first course but was delivered some sort of fish dish that he enjoyed. He then had the Anguillian shrimp soup which he enjoyed. For his entrée he had the Jerked Chicken which he said was spicy and delicious. He ended his meal with the Mango Crème Brule.

I started with the Black Bean Soup which was very delicious. I then had the Caesar Salad which had the most delicate and delicious dressing. I then had the Lemon Herbed Chicken with a baked potato. I also finished with the Mango Crème Brule which had a little two much bite for me.

After a wonderful paced and delicious meal we retired to the TOY Bar for socializing with CruisingChef and a few other CC lurkers including MDR-DAN. After a perfect day we headed to our cabin where we found a fan than made all the difference in the temperature of our room. I must say that the new bedding is wonderful (although we’d like a double-comforter, vs. 2 singles). I keep forgetting to ask for them to change it out.

[ctbjr1309]

Wow. Eagerly awaiting the next installment, DJ. Here's hoping that you have a wonderful beach party today. Just remember that 1/3 of Prickly Pear beach is 1000% better than the rest of us have it at this point.

 

I'm glad to see that Frank is on board. Please give him our regards. Thanks.

[Jim Avery]

Not your run of the mill trip, it seems. Those are rare swells for this time of year. Has Capt. Berg said where the storm is? You didnt mention rain so can we assume it is warm and sunny? Sure hope so. Really enjoying your posts, keep it up!.

Jim.

[Cammiem]

Glad to hear you are all safe and made it through the crazy seas. I'm sure it was quite an adventure and one you'll never forget. Hope the beach party was memorable as well. I could use one of those right about now. :)

 

Looking forward to reading more.

[DisneyJen]

Greetings all!

 

Just back from the caviar, champagne and BBQ on Prickly Pear!

 

Mea culpa ... I misspelled the wonderful Christophe's last name ... it is Cornu not Cornfu ... so this means that the staff can no longer give him or me a hard time:p :D

 

In honor of Mrs. Ctbjr I had my traditional reflexology on the beach after lunch ... actually I introducted my new friend Mrs. MDR-Dan to this life-changing experience!

 

We are back on board and ready to take a short nap before Chef Tomasz' special menu.

 

The BBQ and splash was as spectacular as ever!! I was so impressed that Chef Tomasz made sure to have some wonderful non-meat options for those of us who observe meatless Fridays ... especially on Good Friday.

 

DH is insisting it is nap time! Something about the sun, surf and champagne that make us tired!

 

More to come later!

[Bryn295]

Great reviews, Disney Jen. We are on SDI the week of April 20th. Your wonderful daily report has definitely gotten us excited about our upcoming adventure!

 

Bryn

[DisneyJen]

Just a quick update before heading off to St. John...

 

We had another wonderful dinner last night - the Chef's Degustation menu! All I can say is WOW!!

 

I promise to finish up the review, probably tomorrow while we are waiting at the airport in SJU to catch our flight home.

 

All I can say is that this has been the best SD cruise for us yet ... the service has been outstanding, the food wonderful, the passengers are great fun. It will be very hard to leave tomorrow ...

 

Weather has made it quite an adventure but Capt. Berg has made sure that we were as comfortable as possible at dinner time and at night ... although we had some rolling early this morning.

 

Jim, the cause of the storms if the North Seas swells. It is the worse that it has been in 17 years with many ports throughout the Caribbean closed. We have been lucky as we hit all of the ports ... althogh St. Barts was really an abbreviated visit.

 

More to follow upon my return!

[ctbjr1309]

All I can say is that this has been the best SD cruise for us yet ...

 

DJ,

 

We're very glad to hear this but somewhat shocked that you can make this statement in describing a SD cruise without the CTBjrs!

 

Enjoy your day today and we'll look forward to the detailed reports.

[Cammiem]

 

All I can say is that this has been the best SD cruise for us yet ... the service has been outstanding, the food wonderful, the passengers are great fun. It will be very hard to leave tomorrow ...

 

 

It's amazing how hard it is to leave, isn't it? The crew, the yacht, the schedule, the pampering, the fellow passengers...

 

I'm going to have to look into the reflexology on the beach after the beach party. I love your description of, "life-changing."

 

I'm looking forward to reading more. Hope your travels home are safe.

 

Our countdown continues! :)

[ama22]

DJ: I am wondering if the Gabor you mentioned is the same Gabor we had on SDII on our Med cruise last Sept. If so, isn't he great?!!!!

 

Mary Lou

[DisneyJen]

We are sitting in Delta's Crown Club in SJU waiting for our 4:25 flight. We originally were going to go the the InterContinential for brunch but decided to head here instead. We agree that neither of us could possible enjoy the food after the incredible creations we have had this week.

 

I did indeed cry last night ... before dinner, at dinner, after dinner and of course this morning. I can't say enough good things about the passion that Capt. Berg and his staff have for making sure we all felt pampered.

 

MaryLou ... yes it is the same Gabor. He is quite an asset to SD. He reminds me a great deal of Christophe ... you can tell that he has been mentored by the best.

 

Cammiem ... Now it's mine turn to be jealous!! We have two cruises that we are debating for '09 (both two weeks).DH made the mistake of telling me his bonus check hit our account while we were on board this week:p

 

Ctbjr ... We did say several times how much you would have loved the passengers this trip ... We didn't get to see much of your friends L and J but we did manage to have drinks together several times.

 

Well let me close this up and then post what I have written ...

 

And to all of my pals on SD who I know are reading this ... I miss you all already and I am sad that I didn't get to see all of your this morning before we left. You know how to get a hold of me:D