SeaDream I December 9-16, San Juan, review

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for a thorough report Jim!

 

Sounds like you and Lois had a great time.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and Lois as well!

[siriann]

Long time , no hear... we have been to Shell Beach every time in St. Barths. It is really nice. No luxury.... just us, ordinary people, beautiful water. Actually it is so close that you meet lots of crew there, taking a hour or of their free time. We have been following the CC boards although we have been travelling in our part of the world more(ie. Egypt and South Africa)!! But we will be back to SD. Nothing compares. Friends have been in the Med with SD and loved it. We will probably stick to the Carib, as it is the better part of the year for us. Perhaps we will meet again some day on a SD ship??? Best to you and DH(half swedish by now.....!) /Siri

[DisneyJen]

Long time , no hear... we have been to Shell Beach every time in St. Barths. It is really nice. No luxury.... just us, ordinary people, beautiful water. Actually it is so close that you meet lots of crew there, taking a hour or of their free time. We have been following the CC boards although we have been travelling in our part of the world more(ie. Egypt and South Africa)!! But we will be back to SD. Nothing compares. Friends have been in the Med with SD and loved it. We will probably stick to the Carib, as it is the better part of the year for us. Perhaps we will meet again some day on a SD ship??? Best to you and DH(half swedish by now.....!) /Siri

 

Hej Siri!

 

So good to hear from you! I can't believe that DH(yes, his Swedish is improving as is mine, lol) and I haven't made it to Shell Beach. We'll have to put it on our "To Do" list for our March SD1 cruise!

 

When I was reading Jim's report about the Foxy's stop on Jost I smiled as I recalled our evening there with you, your DH and our other SD friends.

 

To Siri and the rest of our Swedish CCers ... "Gott Jul!Gott Nytt År!"

[Jim Avery]

Cammiem:

I would not say the shore excursions are lesser quality than Europe, just different. Its hard to beat walking in centuries old places where so much history has occurred. The Carib. is more casual. The best excursions were in the Yucatan for zip lines and swimming in cenotes and the helicopter to Montserrat from Antigua. My comments on the Fly Zone should not reflect poorly on that event but that we were not really looking for that. The zip line parts were good but the rest was too "extreme sport" for us. Age showing? Probably, but then I have lived over 50 years without ever bungee jumping. The "Painkiller" is a signature drink of Jost van Dyke, though it has spread to the other islands as well. It is reported to have been invented at the Soggy Dollar Bar at White Beach. It has 2 types rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice, shaken, served over ice with fresh island nutmegs grated directly on top. Google painkiller for a bunch of recipes. Dont know the secret proportions but it is hard to go bad with that stuff. The "BBC" I first (and so far only) had on SeaDream. It involves a banana, Bailey's Irish Cream and some other stuff blended. It is very cool and refreshing and the banana gives you a boost. Maybe Disney Jen knows the rest of the stuff.

Jim.

[DisneyJen]

... The "BBC" I first (and so far only) had on SeaDream. It involves a banana, Bailey's Irish Cream and some other stuff blended. It is very cool and refreshing and the banana gives you a boost. Maybe Disney Jen knows the rest of the stuff.

Jim.

 

It's a Bailey's Banana Colada ... Said to be the breakfast of champions:eek:

 

Dark Rum

Ice

Bailey's Irish Cream

Piña Colada Mix

Banana Liqueur

Banana

Instruction

 

Put banana and liqueur into blender until it is a thick paste then add bailey's to taste and pina colada mix and rum. Blend well then add ice blend until smooth and enjoy!

 

The key to a real Painkiller is to use Pusser's Rum (the rum of the Royal British Navy).

[Jim Avery]

I knew you would know. Nothing like going to the pros for good advice.

Jim.

[Cammiem]

Ah, thank you both, DJ & Jim, for the information.

 

Jim, I had a good giggle reading your review, especially the part about the commando training at the fly zone. I'm certain my DH & I would feel the same way you did. Of course, it's nothing a cool cocktail poolside couldn't fix; that's about as extreme-sport as we get. :)

 

And here I thought the breakfast of champions was a screwdriver w/ fresh squeezed OJ. Guess I'll have to experiment. :D

[ctbjr1309]

Jim,

 

Thanks for the excellent report. We appreciate very much your taking the time to share. It brought back lots of fond memories as it's been nearly a year since I was last on SD 1 and nearly 2 years since I was on SD in the Caribbean. Need to do something about.

 

I'm glad to see that you enjoyed spending time with Capt. Smorawski. He's a great guy whose personality and sense of humor become more apparent the better you get to know him. He's one of our favorites. He would have even higher standing with me had he done a better job in October of keeping Mrs. CTBjr out of the $%$$###^% jewelry stores in Kusadasi!

[DisneyJen]

I knew you would know. Nothing like going to the pros for good advice.

Jim.

 

I resemble that remark:p

 

Actually the breakfast of champions (at least IMHO) is a Grand Mimosa - Grand Mariner, Fresh Squeezed OJ and champagne.

[Cammiem]

I resemble that remark:p

 

Actually the breakfast of champions (at least IMHO) is a Grand Mimosa - Grand Mariner, Fresh Squeezed OJ and champagne.

 

Ooooh, a Grand Mimosa. I've never tried it with Grand Marnier. Will have to do so very soon. :D

[Jim Avery]

ctbjr1309: I feel your pain. There is a jewelry store in Old San Juan that sends us Christmas cards and feeds me beer. They struck again this trip. I got a new t shirt.

DJ: I am old fashioned, get my vitamin C from Bloody Marys.

Jim.

[zqvol]

Sounds like quite an adventure Jim:D

 

We have been to St. Barts three times and never made it to Shell Beach. We have the drive around the island thing (got to love the approach at the airport:eek:). Perhaps we will check out Shell Beach this trip.

 

DJ

 

FT and I enjoy shell beach. Surprisingly the snorkeling there is pretty good.

[alita]

I've very much enjoyed your review... you packed in a lot of weather and experiences in those seven days! Not the usual Caribbean cruise by any means...by the time I reached the end of the thread I was happier than ever that I have two SD cruises in the wings, just wished they were coming up sooner!

 

alita

[frequent traveler]

Hi Jim -

 

I wouldn't let myself read your reviews until today - had to get through work without triggering massive jealousy. there is something quite unfair about being able to go on SD twice within 6 weeks. Though with college tuitions due again, the only way we'll experience Shell Beach this year is through your & DisneyJen's comments.

 

We've missed Marigot twice due to bad weather, and always ended up in Phillipsburg (can't remember if that's the island or if its Saint Barts that Sweden traded for Gothenburg - I think the Swedes got the worst in that exchange).

 

ctbjr - I thought you had gotten over your Turkish jewelry snit. I have yet to figure out why you got so upset, remember, it didn't cost as much as a car, so you got off easy. By the way, I had dinner with the life of the party of our SD II crossing in DC on Tuesday night. All is going well and she sends her best to all. While Citronelle's isn't quite the same as the TOY, as usual, she had the bartender mixing up "specials" in no time.

 

Happy Holidays.

 

FT

[ctbjr1309]

ctbjr - I thought you had gotten over your Turkish jewelry snit. I have yet to figure out why you got so upset, remember, it didn't cost as much as a car, so you got off easy. By the way, I had dinner with the life of the party of our SD II crossing in DC on Tuesday night. All is going well and she sends her best to all. While Citronelle's isn't quite the same as the TOY, as usual, she had the bartender mixing up "specials" in no time. FT

 

That's a negative on the snit, FT.

 

I'm glad that you and the LOTP had a chance to get together. Ted and I had dinner tonight in Orlando and I have a sneaking suspicion that our table was much tamer than yours was on Tuesday.

 

Hope all is well. Come visit soon.

[DisneyJen]

... Though with college tuitions due again, the only way we'll experience Shell Beach this year is through your & DisneyJen's comments.

 

We've missed Marigot twice due to bad weather, and always ended up in Phillipsburg (can't remember if that's the island or if its Saint Barts that Sweden traded for Gothenburg - I think the Swedes got the worst in that exchange). ...

 

FT

 

So now the pressure is really on for a complete trip review as well as a visit to Shell Beach:D

 

It is St. Barts that the Swedes traded for Gothenburg ... imagine that:rolleyes: The Swedes owned it from 1784 to 1878 (looked that part up on Google:))

 

Ctbjr ... just bought our tickets for our June visit to Orlando. Maybe this is the trip that we will be able to get together ... unless you join us on SD1 in March!

[ctbjr1309]

Ctbjr ... just bought our tickets for our June visit to Orlando. Maybe this is the trip that we will be able to get together ... unless you join us on SD1 in March!

 

We'll hope to see you in June, DJ.

[Jim Avery]

Hi FT:

It was fun doing SD 2 times in a short period of time but it was a long time between prior and will be a while till the next. Just the way the time off fell. You need to join us on the "drive to" SeaDream II out of Miami. I told your hubby he needs to apply for rehab time to treat his SeaDream addiction. Sounds like a perfect use of sick leave to me.

[ctbjr1309]

Having done it once, I have to say that driving to and from SeaDream is a real treat. We did a Palm Beach round trip a few years ago. Palm Beach is 3 hours from us by car and the ability to have total control over one's arrival at the port and at home made a much bigger difference than I had expected.

 

When we returned to Palm Beach, there was an issue (created by the local officials, not SD) in our getting off the ship. We were delayed several hours. Those who had flights booked that morning were not happy. We just sat back and watched it all unfold as we knew that our car wasn't going anywhere without us.

[frequent traveler]

Jim

The minute we win the Lottery (my early retirement plan) I'm faxing in the notice and we'll joining you, Lois, CTBJR and Mrs. CTBJR, and Disney Jen and DH on every SD cruise you take (unless its during school holiday weeks - even though SD's pricing changes a couple of years ago seems to have greatly reduced the likelihood of having lots of little ones on board - but I still can't stand the airports when overrun by non-business travelers).

 

Until we win the lottery and are able to stop writing tuition checks we'll have to settle for the occasional actual SD experience and living vicariously through the rest of your trips. Definitely would love to be able to drive to the port - hate having to fly and be subject to the whims of Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport and US Scareways.

 

FT

[vandrefalk]

Sounds as though you had a wonderful time! We were in 211 in 06 and 07 -- are tentatively booked in 215 in March on SD2. Interesting comments about Marigot vs Phillipsburg -- I have to say I'm not much on shopping anyway and haven't been to Phillipsburg in about 10 years. Have wandered Marigot twice in the last two years -- nice -- but prefered the hike to the fort :-)

Will be in St. Barts again in March -- and have friends joining us on the cruise -- don't know whether to drive around (sounds adventurous!) or take the walk to Shell Beach!

Many thanks for the report -- too bad Disney Jen will be on SDI in March and we'll be on SD2 -- perhaps the ships will be near each other at some point and we can wave!

Happy Holidays, all!

Vandrefalk

[DisneyJen]

...

Many thanks for the report -- too bad Disney Jen will be on SDI in March and we'll be on SD2 -- perhaps the ships will be near each other at some point and we can wave!

Happy Holidays, all!

Vandrefalk

 

We'll be on the look out vandrefalk!

[stebul]

Well it looks like I am a little tardy in my review, as Jim has already covered all of the wonderful aspects of the cruise. It will make things easy for me! Keep in mind that this was our first cruise on SeaDream (others have been on Oceania, HAL, and Celebrity). I tried very hard not to build my expectations too high for SeaDream, so in the end I think we were very happy with the cruise and are planning another cruise next December. Jim, I don't think we met -- but we dined most nights with the two couples you shared dinner with at the Captain's table and I met the fellow CC poster who was waiting for you in St. John under a canopy waiting out a rain shower.

 

Room. We were in 212, so right across the hall from Jim. Shugar was also our cabin attendant, and she did a good job at keeping the room ready for us. It is amazing what can be done to keep a 20 year old ship looking modern. The bathroom shower was the nicest we have seen on any cruise -- marble, glass, and sleek European fixtures. Space for the toilet and sink are a little tight (we are 5'6" and 5'8"), but we made do by using the dressing table and closet shelves for our toiletries. We were amazed at how much storage space was available in the room and how functional the living area was. I was surprised to see only two bath towels in the bathroom, but as the trip went on I realized there was no place to put more!

 

Ship. The ship was in great shape. It looked like most every surface was repainted/revarnished on the crossing without passengers.

 

Cuisine. Jim already described the degustation menu, which was certainly the culinary highlight of the cruise. The raspberry-rhubarb souffle was delicious. I had blueberry pancakes almost every morning for breakfast. Adrian, Simon, and Timo did an outstanding job of serving us in the dining room, and Jan steered our table towards an outstanding wine choice to go with the degustation menu (Williams Selym Russian River Pinot Noir).

 

Booze. This was our first "all-inclusive" cruise. On other cruises we typically have one or two drinks per day. I think we were up to around 5 per day on this cruise (a lot of it due to the bottomless wine glasses in the dining room).

 

San Juan. In San Juan we stayed at the Marriott in Condado one night before and after the cruise (I used Rewards Points). Almost all of the rooms have now been remodeled in a classic Marriott style with a distinct Caribbean twist. Walls are painted pale yellow with nice cherry and mahogany furniture, Revive bedding, and an LCD TV. The bathrooms are marble and glass. I think every room has a good view of the ocean/beach or the San Juan skyline. A lot of effort is being put into redeveloping Condado. The La Concha is now reopened as a Marriott Renaissance, and work is proceeding on reconstruction of the historic Vanderbilt. We actually walked from Old San Juan back to the Marriott (took about 75 minutes).

 

Ports. In Culebrita we took the Zodiac ashore with Richard at the helm and hiked up to a short trail to the abandoned lighthouse. The rest of the day we relaxed on the ship -- reading and sipping tropical drinks. In Vieques we went on the bio bay excursion, which had a great local guide who had a wealth of knowledge about both the ecosystem and astronomy. We rented a car in St. John, stopping at Trunk Bay, Cinammon Bay, and the old sugar mill and driving to the "end of the road" at the southeast corner of the island. In St. Martin we went on the 12m yacht regatta excursion, which I HIGHLY recommend. I was assigned to "True North", and on this day Canada came out ahead of Dennis Conner's original "Stars and Stripes". This excursion is an actual yacht race in the Phillipsburg harbor (next to the mega ships). Lots of adrenaline, and some tricky winds. The ride from St. Martin to St. Barts was choppy, but the Captain managed to get us across before 7:30 so that dinner was not disturbed. SDI anchored overnight near Gustavia. We also rented a car in St. Barts, where we visted about a half dozen beaches and enjoyed the island scenery. We were planning to go snorkeling at The Dogs in Virgin Gorda, but rough seas cancelled the excursion and we instead went to the Baths. We've been there before, but it is a special place with good snorkeling so we didn't mind. Later in the day we went ashore to the Bitter End and walked along the shoreline before buying some gifts. Finally, we had the beach day on Jost Van Dyke which is an amazing amount of work for the crew to host. The weather was perfect and it looked like everyone was having a great time.

 

Overall. We did have a few problems with the rough ride due to the storms (particularly from San Juan to Culebrita and St. John to St. Martin). The Captain told me he had never seen anything like this during mid-December in all his years of cruising the Caribbean. This is a key disadvantage of the small ship, and with the unpredictability of global weather it is something to keep in mind. Because distances are so short in the Caribbean SDI was able to stay anchored until 11PM so meal service was not impacted by moderate seas that would have not caused a problem on a larger ship. We are planning to be back on SDI next December for a 9 day cruise from San Juan to St. Thomas.

[Jim Avery]

Hi Stebul:

Already a week with someone else in our cabins. I remember seeing you two as we came and went. You are right Shugar was great. We have never had anything but superb cabin service on SeaDream. The only glitch of the week was the sometimes uncooperative weather. Not much we can do a bout that.

Disney Jen: you mentioned not having been in a "convertible" cabin. In Italy we were in 203, a possible Commodore Club conversion. The only differences noted is that the wall at the foot of the bed is a movable panel and so is less resistant to noise in the adjacent cabin, the bed appears movable or foldable like a Murphy bed (but still just as comfortable), and Lois noted that the shelf on the wall at the foot of the bed is removable so does not have the drawer under the makeup mirror where she normally keeps her "girly" makeup stuff.

Jim.

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for posting Steubel!

 

Sounds like you enjoyed your first SD experience ... even if the weather was less than cooperative. My folks sailed the same week out of San Juan on RCCL's Serenade of the Seas and they said that the sailing was "rough" the first few days as well. I had to remind them that sometimes Mother Ocean makes a little motion:p

 

Jim: Thank Lois for the info on the make-up area in the convertible cabins. These things are important!

 

Cold and rainy here today ... wish we were with our fellow CCers who are on SD this week and preparing to enjoy the champagne and caviar splash!