Review: SD2 - March 6 to 15, 2009

[DisneyJen]

By my calculations Peter is on his way back to joining SDII, this time in his capacity as Hotel Manager -- congrats on the promotion, its very well deserved (wonder if we'll see him on the fall crossing?) and Mary is off to St. Louis - hopes she's recovering from all the stress we put her through . . . and the rest of the crew is resting up for CTJBR's next visit . . . hope the Red Stripe will hold up for his upcoming week aboard! I'm getting ready to wander down the hall to the office microwave to heat up a frozen dinner -- wish it was the fresh mussels and perhaps the carrot or spicy shrimp soup . . . oh Gary, where is the lunch menu please?

 

FT

 

I want to know where Jinky is as the bedrooms and bathrooms aren't magically clean here at home:p

[DisneyJen]

Saturday morning we pulled up the anchors and left Jost to once again head up the Sir Francis Drake Channel … today’s destination was Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda. The skies were grey; a mirror image of my mood as I realized this would be our last day on SD this trip.

 

I was up and in the Office around 7:30 a.m. Christoph brought my sparkling water and lime while I waited for the rest of the gang to wake up and join me for breakfast.

 

The sail up the channel was invigorating as the winds were blowing around 30 knots (Capt. T shared this info during the morning’s announcement). I watched sailboats and catamarans battling the wind and seas.

 

As a bareboat sailor who has spent time on these waters in the same conditions I knew how lucky I was to be on SD2 than on one of those little boats.

 

The weather forecast was for a windy and partly cloudy day. I knew that once we were anchored in Gorda Sound we would be protected from the winds and the seas.

 

DJ’s DH finally made his way up from Deck 2 to join FT, zqvol and me for our final breakfast in the Office. We toasted each other and our good fortune to be sailing on SD with mimosas and champagne.

 

As we approached Gorda Sound, Capt. T pointed out Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private island. It was a beautiful sail into the Sound. The waves were breaking on the reefs and the ocean was ever-changing from blues to turquoise with even a hint of green.

 

We made our way toward the Bitter End Resort and dropped the anchors around 10 a.m. Capt. T was able to navigate us into the perfect spot where we had an incredible view of Saba Rock Resort, Bitter End Resort and Biras Creek Resort. This provided a very short and easy tender ride for those who opted to visit the island.

 

A view of Bitter End Resort, left, and Biras Creek Resort, right.

 

Saba Rock Resort

 

 

Almost on cue, the wind stopped and the sun came out. A picture perfect Caribbean day … probably one of the prettiest of this trip.

 

Tender service was established by 10:30 and many headed off to explore the resort’s grounds while I observed from the comfort of my Bali bed. DJ’s DH set up shop in the Office where he was occasionally joined by visitors.

 

The Marina Platform was down by 11 a.m. for those who wanted to swim off the back of SD2. DJ’s DH and I opted to watch the tenders from the Seabourn Pride ferry passengers from the ship to Prickly Pear for their caviar in the surf barbeque.

 

During lunch in the Office, DJ’s DH and I talked about booking our next cruise while we were on board to take advantage of the 10-percent booking discount. Jbcjtc and I decided that we would like to try a crossing so we decided to book for Fall ’09, even though Capt. T won’t be at the helm. So DJ’s DH headed off to find CAD Mary to request a booking for me (what a guy!).

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp357/jsl6_photos/SD%202%20March%202009/DSC00868.jpg[/img]

Late afternoon in the Gorda Sound

 

The afternoon was spent lounging in the sun, reading books and receiving stellar service from Clint who made sure my glass of sparkling water stayed full as well as checking in with me on the status of my Bombay and diet tonic. As he often did during the trip, Clint brought me a glass of ice to keep my drinks cool.

 

Even though the water toys were out from 2 to 4 p.m., DJ’s DH passed since the jet skis aren’t allowed in the BVI. We watched lots of people take advantage of the wind in sunfish and laser sailboats that were rented from the Bitter End. I couldn’t tell if DJ’s DH was envious of those sailors until he started laughing at the two or three boats that tipped over and dropped their skippers into the brink.

 

Swimming was offered again from 4 to 4:30 and of course we couldn’t be lured away from our respective spots … we each wanted to spend as much time as possible at our favorite places.

 

Around 5:30 we decided to mark the end of our incredible proposal/renewal trip by drinking the bottle of Veuve Clicquot that FT and zqvol gave us as a present (along with the wonderful reception). DJ’s DH headed back to the stateroom to retrieve the bottle along with the silver goblets that we used to toast at our wedding reception and then again at our vow renewal reception.

 

We asked Clint if he would order us a shrimp cocktail to have with our champagne to which he replied … “But of course.”

 

When DJ’s DH returned to the TOY Bar Clint was quick to open the bottle and pour the nectar of the gods into our well-traveled goblets. We told him we were going to head back to the captain’s chairs aft Deck 6. He told us he would have our shrimp cocktail delivered to us there and that he would keep our champagne on ice.

 

So we headed aft, sat in the chairs and toasted our incredible past and our hope-filled future (yes … even at our age) and soaked in the beauty that surrounded us. It was almost as if we were on our own private yacht with our own personal staff who knew what we wanted and needed before we did in one of the most special places in the world.

 

Clint delivered our perfectly iced shrimp and champagne to us as promised. DJ’s DH and I watched the sun slip even lower in the sky to cast the most beautiful light on the perfect ending to yet another SD day.

 

A final toast

 

Now I will admit there was a part of me that wanted to stay and watch the sunset at 6:27 p.m. (I have the daily itineraries that list sunrise and sunset) and yet another part of me that wanted to hear Capt. T give his talk during farewell talk during cocktails in the Main Salon.

 

So after quaffing the last of the Veuve and dining on the last of the shrimp we headed, goblets in hand, back down to Deck 2 to shower and dress for dinner.

 

As we made our way down the staircase we stopped for a moment to see how long a line had formed to see CAD Mary about future bookings. Luckily we had heeded her advice and arranged for our booking to be in our stateroom that evening.

 

As we entered our stateroom for the last evening the tears began.

 

DJ’s DH tried to comfort me by showing me the deposit that had been made on my next SD cruise but that just made be cry harder. After 25 years (most of them happy) DJ’s DH knew that it was a combination of happy and sad crying … happiness for all the incredible moments and memories tinged with sadness that we would be leaving yet again and heading back to the “real” world.

 

So after his annual pep talk which included the words “you’ll be back before you know it,” I headed to my shower while DJ’s DH headed to his. I can’t tell you how valuable the two bathrooms in the Commodore Suite were … especially since I operate on DisneyJen time and DJ’s DH operates on “We have to be there early or on time” time.

 

We arrived in the Main Salon in time to hear Capt. T give his farewell remarks followed by CAD Mary’s information on disembarkation.

 

When Capt. T asked how many crew members would be missing after we disembarked I shouted out “Four.” And he then asked who they were … and I reported which crew members would be going home with which members of our traveling party.

 

While I really like the SJU airport more than the STT airport I have to say that I HATE that we have to disembark at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m. in SJU while it is more like 10 a.m. when we disembark in STT.

 

We left the Main Salon and headed to dinner. The six of us were shown to our favorite table one final time by Peter.

 

DJ’s DH and I started with the Norwegian Smoked Salmon on Red Bliss Potato Salad with Saffron Mayonnaise. We then had, drum roll please, the Caesar Salad served with Croutons and Grated Parmesan Cheese (why ruin our streak).

 

For our main course we had the Chateaubriand of Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Shallots, Crispy Potatoes, Veal Stock Reduction and Sauce Béarnaise. This was absolutely fabulous.

 

And for our final dessert we had the Chocolate Soufflé with Warm Chocolate Sauce … yet another heavenly confection from Pastry Chef Hernani. During dessert Rey and his guitar made an appearance. As he played and sang “Leaving on A Jet Plane” we sang along.

 

Earlier in the day DJ’s DH and I debated when we should pack as our suitcases needed to be in the hall by 1 a.m. I wanted to pack before dinner to get it over with while DJ’s DH insisted that we pack after dinner.

 

So after a lovely dinner we headed back to the stateroom to pack. Not a fun way to end the evening for sure and I think DJ’s DH now understands the value of packing earlier in the day or running the risk of a meltdown.

 

After stuffing our belongings into our suitcases we headed up to the Bali beds for our final night of stargazing. The ever efficient Clint brought us a SD blanket and our drink of choice.

 

Around 10:30 we headed down to Deck 5 to watch as Capt. T pulled up the anchors. DJ’s DH and I joked that Capt. T looked very Capt. Kirk like as he stood at the helm and was lit by the glow from the electronic screens.

 

At 10:50 p.m. we started our 104-mile run back to where it all started … San Juan. It was a beautiful sail out of the sound and into the channel.

 

We headed down to the Piano Bar for our good-byes since we knew how hectic the morning would be.

 

Before going to bed we placed a room service order for 6:30 a.m.

 

The following seas gently rocked us to sleep.

[ohmiss]

We're back....been off and out of town for a week, DH just can't sit still:eek: ! Anyway we are still sitting down to breakfast two weeks later and waiting for Gabor, Mike, or Job to arrive with coffee and fruit....Withdrawals are hard!

 

Just wanted to say, thank you, Jen and FT and All for the great write-ups and reviews...all true. A great experience was had by all. SeaDream is truly the best holiday. The memories of all the people we met and the smiles they bring to my heart is worth every cent spent and more! Have fun all you future SD'ers, we look forward to joining you someday soon!

[DisneyJen]

We're back....been off and out of town for a week, DH just can't sit still:eek: ! Anyway we are still sitting down to breakfast two weeks later and waiting for Gabor, Mike, or Job to arrive with coffee and fruit....Withdrawals are hard!

 

Just wanted to say, thank you, Jen and FT and All for the great write-ups and reviews...all true. A great experience was had by all. SeaDream is truly the best holiday. The memories of all the people we met and the smiles they bring to my heart is worth every cent spent and more! Have fun all you future SD'ers, we look forward to joining you someday soon!

 

Welcome home ohmiss!

 

At least you know you aren't alone in your SD withdraw:p

 

Glad that you were able to join us! I like reliving the trip so that's the reason for the detailed reviews and photos. When the withdraw is really bad I just reread the posts.;)

[Cammiem]

Oh, dontja just hate that last day and the emotions that go with it? :( I think it gets worse with each SD cruise one takes.

 

It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time. :)

[Jim Avery]

The review is over. It is wonderful but now I guess it is officially over. Must be time to start planning the next one. The fall crossing will be here before you know it.

Jim.

[DisneyJen]

Oh, dontja just hate that last day and the emotions that go with it? :( I think it gets worse with each SD cruise one takes.

 

It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time. :)

 

DJ's DH blames all the emotion on my age and hormones:eek:

 

The review is over. It is wonderful but now I guess it is officially over. Must be time to start planning the next one. The fall crossing will be here before you know it.

Jim.

 

I still have more notes if you are interested in breakfast, disembarkation and the marathon at the airport:eek:

[DisneyJen]

Evidently when I cleaned up the fonts I mess up some coding so I am re-posting this photo:

 

 

Late afternoon Gorda Sound, Virgin Gorda

[luvtojump]

I would definitely like to hear more.

 

I don't have a SD cruise booked in the near future, but love to relive my previous two voyages through you!

 

Please don't stop here.

[Jim Avery]

DJ's DH blames all the emotion on my age and hormones:eek:

 

 

 

I still have more notes if you are interested in breakfast, disembarkation and the marathon at the airport:eek:

 

Bring it on. Never enough!

[DisneyJen]

I would definitely like to hear more.

 

I don't have a SD cruise booked in the near future, but love to relive my previous two voyages through you!

 

Please don't stop here.

 

DJ's DH and I often live vicariously through other trip reports to get us to our next SD cruise:p

 

Bring it on. Never enough!

 

You wish is my command.

 

Actually DJ's DH and I talked about doing a round-up/summary as well.

 

It has been raining here in NC for four days straight with the forecast saying rain for at least another day:( Feels like Seattle or Belgium:eek:

[Jim Avery]

DJ's DH and I often live vicariously through other trip reports to get us to our next SD cruise:p

 

 

 

You wish is my command.

 

Actually DJ's DH and I talked about doing a round-up/summary as well.

 

It has been raining here in NC for four days straight with the forecast saying rain for at least another day:( Feels like Seattle or Belgium:eek:

 

We have had the same miserable weather here in Destin. The Spring Breakers (us as well) are going stir crazy. I am actually wishing I could mow the yard! More sunny Caribbean stuff please.

[zqvol]

I just added the last day of pictures to my flicker account.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8259823@N06/

 

And for those of you who are interested in seeing more of our merry band, there are pictures from Saturday night dinner, including myself and FT, DisneyJen and DJsDH, mrs and mrs jbcjtc and the sistas.

[zqvol]

My review is long and full of pictures so instead of posting it here I put it on my web site. Here is the link

 

SDII Review

 

Comments are welcome. Many thanks to DJ for taking such wonderful notes. I have been so busy writing that without her this review would be at least another six weeks in the making.

 

A special note to the gang that was with us, let me know if you want any of the pictures, or go get them from flickr.

 

It's time to do it again!!!!!!!!:)

[Jim Avery]

Great job ZQVOL. Only one rant in a 9 day trip, not bad. I have ranted much more with just 7 days to work with! Let us know when you plan the next one.

J & L.

[DisneyJen]

My review is long and full of pictures so instead of posting it here I put it on my web site. Here is the link

 

SDII Review

 

Comments are welcome. Many thanks to DJ for taking such wonderful notes. I have been so busy writing that without her this review would be at least another six weeks in the making.

 

A special note to the gang that was with us, let me know if you want any of the pictures, or go get them from flickr.

 

It's time to do it again!!!!!!!!:)

 

Thanks for putting this together zqvol. Glad I could help with the verbiage:D

 

We'll have to get together soon so I can get the exclusive DVD:p

 

Great job ZQVOL. Only one rant in a 9 day trip, not bad. I have ranted much more with just 7 days to work with! Let us know when you plan the next one.

J & L.

 

And his rant was really my rant ... which wasn't much of a rant considering some of the other stuff I have read on CC:eek:

 

I am working on the last day ... which means the cruise is REALLY over.

[ctbjr1309]

My review is long and full of pictures so instead of posting it here I put it on my web site. Here is the link

 

SDII Review

 

zqvol:

 

Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to put together such an outstanding review. Very well done. Makes me anxious to get back on board.

[frequent traveler]

Great job ZQVOL. Only one rant in a 9 day trip, not bad. I have ranted much more with just 7 days to work with! Let us know when you plan the next one.

J & L.

 

when he plans the next rant or the next SD trip?

 

the next rant will be the next time his editor revises a chapter in the book. Next SD trip is already being planned. We really really want to do the Greek Islands in summer of 2010 . . . . I've got a couple of crossings in the works . . .all depends on the economy since the 401(k) is now a 101(k). :eek:

 

FT

[ohmiss]

ZQ Vol, what a great review as well!! Thank you! It is fun to see the pictures, as we thought of you all on SD2 everyday. Our pictures are almost the same as yours! Thank you for the wonderful dinner aboard SD2 as well. DH and I felt like celebrities as we took our "private tender" from SD1 to SD2 while waving to our friends on SD1. They were wondering why we were so lucky to have such a wonderful invitation?! :p :D Not even the "hot tub gang" ruined that night for us...it was special. Thank you to all my new CCer, SD friends! Looking forward to seeing you all again aboard our "yacht." ;)

[DisneyJen]

ZQ Vol, what a great review as well!! Thank you! It is fun to see the pictures, as we thought of you all on SD2 everyday. Our pictures are almost the same as yours! Thank you for the wonderful dinner aboard SD2 as well. DH and I felt like celebrities as we took our "private tender" from SD1 to SD2 while waving to our friends on SD1. They were wondering why we were so lucky to have such a wonderful invitation?! :p :D Not even the "hot tub gang" ruined that night for us...it was special. Thank you to all my new CCer, SD friends! Looking forward to seeing you all again aboard our "yacht." ;)

 

DJ's DH and I look forward to seeing you and your DH as well as other CCers on board SD as well.

 

I am still working on Sunday's write up ... DJ's DH jokes with me that I am like a little kid who doesn't want summer to end:D

[DisneyJen]

Before heading to bed on Saturday night we arranged for a breakfast of toasted bagels with cream cheese, coffee and orange juice to be delivered to our stateroom at 6:45 a.m.

 

We were up at 6:30 a.m. after a fitful night’s sleep … I had one eye on the clock as I knew we had to be off the ship some 30 minutes after docking. Our room service order was promptly delivered at 6:45 a.m. complete with linen and silver.

 

DJ’s DH retrieved a bottle of champagne from the fridge and made mimosas for us. After a toast to the end of a wonderful cruise we each headed to our respective bathrooms to shower with those lovely Bulgari products one more time. As always, there was plenty of hot water and excellent water pressure in the shower. I do love the three-headed shower on SD.

 

After showering and dressing, I nibbled on my bagel and sipped on my mimosa. DJ’s DH knew better than to hurry me along. I doubled checked the closets and drawers to make sure we hadn’t missed any items in the hurried packing the night before. We zipped up the roll-aboards with the last of our belongings.

 

I ran up to the concierge to collect our passports and said a goodbye to those we hadn’t seen the night before. We opted to wait for the initial disembarkation rush to pass before heading down the gangway one last time.

 

While we were waiting in our suite we told Jinky that we would move to the living room side of the suite so she could get started on the beds for the next guests. She was appreciative but quickly disappeared to leave us alone for the last few minutes on board.

 

Around 8:45 we headed up the stairs to Deck 3, past the concierge, out the door to the pool area to the top of the gangway where we found Capt. T and HM Stephane waiting to wish all safe travels. Not surprisingly, I started to tear up and Capt. T pointed to the box of tissues he had waiting for me on the railing. He joked with me that he thought one box would be enough.

 

I hugged HM Stephane and thanked him for everything he had done to make this cruise a vacation of a lifetime. The tears of course started to well up and I kept waiting for DJ’s DH to paraphrase one of his favorite movie lines … “There’s no crying in baseball.” On many occasions DJ’s DH dusts off this line to fit the occasion … as in “There is no crying on SeaDream.”

 

I hugged Capt. T and thanked him for a fabulous trip as well the vow renewal ceremony which was all the more meaningful because he officiated. With promises to keep in touch, we headed down the gangway where Gary and Mario helped us with our baggage. We spotted Mary and gave her a hug and our thanks as well.

 

A porter met us inside the hall where we claimed our luggage and then showed our passports and turned in our Customs forms to the officials at the podium.

 

We joined FT, zqvol and another couple in a van for the quick ride to the airport.

 

Our flight was scheduled to leave SJU for CLT at 2:30 p.m. We knew that since it was 9:30 we would probably have to wait a while to check in at the US Airways counter. We checked at the counter to see if we could join the jbcjtc’ers on the noon to flight to CLT but we were told that the plane was booked solid.

 

So we checked out bags, received our boarding passes and headed over to a waiting area outside of security.

 

With the downturn in the economy and tourism two of the three airline lounges (Continental and Delta) have closed. Last year we spent several hours in the Delta Crown Room in SJU before our flight home but this year we would have to brave the crowds and wait in the gate areas.

 

We decided to head through Security as we noticed the airport was starting to become crowded. We caught up with FT and zqvol and joked as we watched someone try to take a 12-pack of beer through security.

 

Through security, we headed to the US Airways gates and caught up with the jbcjtc’ers. Before we knew it the time had come for the jbcjtc’ers to head home. And soon after that FT and zqvol were on their way home via Delta.

 

The gate area around USAir was extremely crowded which should have been my first indication that something was amiss. I checked our flight info on my Blackberry only to learn that our 2:30 flight was delayed 4 hours … it had not left CLT yet.

 

Actually several USAir flights had issues that Sunday.

 

Since DJ’s DH spent a lot of time in the air last year he had racked up the premium level status on USAir. He called the preferred desk in hopes of moving us to another USAir flight but it too was delayed.

 

It was long past lunch at this time so we decided to grab a drink and something to eat in the very crowded restaurant. It certainly was no SD lunch … especially when we were handed the tab.

 

We headed back to the gate where I spent the time emailing friends and family about out plight. One friend offered to arrange for Zoltan to deliver beverages to us … if only we could get them past security!

 

After much confusion we finally boarded our flight to CLT. As we pushed back from the gate some five hours later the flight crew informed us that we would be flying an extra 200 miles as we had to make way for the launch of the space shuttle. I looked at DJ’s DH and just shook my head. All I wanted at this point was to be home … either on SD or in NC.

 

 

Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) from space shuttle returning to earth as seen from our flight

 

 

The lead flight attendant in first class was very attentive during the flight. He pointed out the contrails from the shuttle as we made our way back to the real world.

 

Our dinner choices were a chicken sandwich or a chicken salad … another sure sign that we weren’t on SD anymore.

 

We arrived in CLT, collected our luggage and headed north on Interstate 85 to our home. We walked into the house a little after midnight

[frequent traveler]

and just when I thought I was starting to get over the withdrawal symptoms . . . I was in Kansas City this weekend - staying at the Hilton . . . left the room for four hours - when I came back, towels were still on the bathroom floor, amenitites had not been refreshed, dirty coffee mug still in the room. Went to lunch, the waiter actually walked past my empty champagne glass, never offered a refill and had the audacity to bring me a check at the end of the meal . . top that with ice and snow . . can't wait until I walk up the gangplank again.

 

DJ & ZQ Vol -- great reviews. Wish I could add something, but I was enjoying my time on SD way too much and was much too lazy to take notes, much less revisit them post cruise. :oMaybe someday.

FT

[DisneyJen]

The only ice I want to see is in my sparkling water or Bombay and diet tonic:p

 

Taking notes and reporting is a part of who I am ... sort of like a pirate and poet:cool: Just glad to share the experience and pay it forward.

 

If there are any questions about the cruise or review out there folks feel free to ask!

[Cammiem]

My review is long and full of pictures so instead of posting it here I put it on my web site. Here is the link

 

SDII Review

 

Comments are welcome. Many thanks to DJ for taking such wonderful notes. I have been so busy writing that without her this review would be at least another six weeks in the making.

 

A special note to the gang that was with us, let me know if you want any of the pictures, or go get them from flickr.

 

It's time to do it again!!!!!!!!:)

 

Thank you SO much for taking the time to place your review and pictures on your website. I really enjoyed it.

[jbcjtc]

Great job! Even though we were right there with you, I have still enjoyed EVERY word!