SeaDream Yacht Club - Arguably the world’s best cruise line
Only a few travel people have ever sailed on SeaDream and even fewer have the close relationship we are pleased to have built up with SeaDream Yacht Club since its inception. This enables Sunliving to guarantee always having access to the best prices, terms and arrangements for SeaDream. To see a selection of prices now click here.
To see what we think please read on.
At Sunliving Paul and I have sailed several times on SeaDream I & II in both the Mediterranean and also the Caribbean. Another colleague, Tony, has chartered one of them in its former role as Sea Goddess for a major international car manufacturer.
This is Sunliving’s view of SeaDream. SeaDream wins coveted awards which would be easy to list here. But there’s no point when they are very well and proudly displayed on SeaDreams own website which you can visit anytime: www.seadreamyachtclub.com
Suffice to say that in our experience of well over 120 ships the awards are wholly justified and the website claims and video sequences are not exaggerated. If anything they are understated.
SeaDreams’ website updates its guest testimonials every few days. If anything they are boringly similar! They all exude the quality of service, value for money and unique experiences which add up to SeaDream. We make no apologies for doing much the same here.
Because, like SeaDream, Sunliving is small and personal we can never have that many guests who sail with SeaDream but do take a look at our previous blog post featuring Lisa and Anthony, a well travelled professional couple who took their first cruise ever, on SeaDream II in June 2009.
So, is SeaDream the best cruise line in the world or not?.
Does ‘best’ mean small, sophisticated and elegant?
The answer depends to some degree on what you want. If you positively want a large ship with 10-15 decks, a dozen bars or more and wall to wall entertainment then SeaDream is probably not for you. But most who thought that’s what they wanted and tried SeaDream were woken up to its unique pleasures and experiences which are just not possible on a large ship.
Small and sophisticated? SeaDream I & SeaDream II are small, yacht like vessels of about 4500 tonnes apiece and just 112 guests when full. And they are most definitely small when compared with the largest, 220,000 tonne, cruise ship to be launched later this year with space for 5400 passengers and a whole lot more when upper berths are taken into account.
SeaDream doesn’t have upper berths! It only has ocean view suites from 195 to 447 square feet with marble lined bathrooms and Bulgari amenities. There’s personalized stationery and a private bar stocked to your own specification prior to boarding.
Sophisticated? Yes, if by that you mean discerning with service levels which win higher awards and accolades than the worlds best hotels. In early 2009 one delighted guest commented that SeaDream was like the Ritz at sea. From early on, the crew know who you are, how you would like to be addressed and what your favourite drink is, all without appearing to ask. Spooky.
Elegant? Totally but only to a degree. For all this quality and perfection you don’t need to dust down your tiaras or raid the piggy bank. Dinner Jackets (indeed, jackets of any description) or evening dresses are not required, but they’re not banned either. You can wear whatever you like. The only guidance is elegant casual, which usually means swimwear and cover-ups during the day and smart casual in the evenings, with the accent on dressing down rather than dressing up.
The on-board atmosphere is akin to the casually elegant private yacht lifestyles we all see displayed in upmarket glossy magazines It’s the nearest most of us will ever get.
It goes without saying that SeaDream provides top class dining with with open seating at tables of two to ten or more depending on what you want each day. Most meals -all breakfasts and lunches-are taken al fresco under shade on the teak decks. Sometimes dinners are served here too.
There are fitness and Thai spa facilities as well as a host of ‘boys’ toys in the ocean off the small marina at the back of the yacht-powerful wave runners, kayaks, snorkelling, water skiing and more.
In addition to comfortable sunbeds around the pool there are several semi-discreet Balinese style double sunbeds where you can relax and unwind. And a quiet word with one of the staff will ensure that one of these is made up for you for a romantic night under the stars….Ahhhh.
One of the best bars at see is at the highest point (not very high) and aptly named the ‘Top of the Yacht Bar’. And your bar tab as well as your tips for the whole duration are both taken care of before you even get on board, although some non house drinks are charged for.
The bad news? Oh yes, there is some. After a weeks yachting with SeaDream you may never want to go on a cruise ship again.
