The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007 - (Page 13)

european cruise review river cruising When several big ships were in Santorini last summer, the captain announced that the Greek island would be unpleasantly congested with tourists, so he steered away to a quieter island and returned to Santorini the next day when no ships were in port. In Port Vendres, France, ours was the only passenger ship in port. In fact, it would be hard to imagine a bigger ship being able to even enter the harbor (though Oceania and possibly others calls here). Cycling the waterfront, I stopped to watch fishermen roast freshly caught sardines on an open fire. They invited me and other passengers to dine with them. The villagers could extend a warm welcome to 110 cruise passengers in a way that they could not have done for a few thousand. Recalling the day while sipping a Corona at the Top of the Yacht Bar, Paul, an Australian traveling with his wife, talked about the “authenticity” of the experience. “You’re lucky to have a day like that once in a lifetime,” Paul said. “But to have it on the first day of our cruise is something spectacular.” Simply The Best? Similar episodes would follow during our week on board, and while it became clear that SeaDream does indeed offer a top-notch travel experience, my question remained: Do SeaDream’s twin yachts truly outperform all others? There were aspects of my cruise that were not unique to SeaDream, and you could argue that other cruise lines do the job as good as or better than SeaDream. Open-seating dining, the quality of the cuisine, and the fact that al- cohol and gratuities are included mirrors what you’d expect on small luxury ships. SeaDream’s ability to get into small ports, its wide expanse of deck space and its marina with all of the toys reminds me of a ship that sailed along beside us during much of the week: Windstar Cruises’ Wind Surf, a special ship in its own right (pictured with SeaDream II on page 11). But there are some areas where SeaDream stands apart. The company’s late nights in port combined with outdoor dinners appears to be unique. And while yachts may offer opportunities to sleep under the stars, SeaDream makes a luxury experience out of it, even down to the custom-embroidered pajamas. Seabourn Cruise Line offers something similar to the Crew Shoreside Casual, but SeaDream takes it one step further with the Captain’s hike. Nearly all cruise lines claim excellent staff and cuisine — they better; their reputations depend on it — but SeaDream II really did shine in these areas. The crew exhibited a friendliness and enthusiasm that went beyond what their jobs required. They had a sort of spirit. Moreover, with 94 crew members, the 110-passenger SeaDream II boasts a nearly one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. Should SeaDream should be the only cruise company in Conde Nast Traveler’s top 100 travel experiences? Of course not. Several other cruise companies qualify for the list. That’s not a knock on SeaDream, but rather a vote for cruising over other forms of vacation. After all, can you think of a hotel that can take you from one destination to another while you sleep? I can’t. Nor is SeaDream perfect for everyone. If Broadwaystyle revues are important to you, don’t choose SeaDream. If you require more than a small casino, cruise elsewhere. And one drawback of a small ship is that shore excursions can be cancelled (and often were on my cruise) because there were not enough people to participate. Families traveling with kids are welcomed, but SeaDream is an adult-oriented experience. That said, families do charter the SeaDream vessels, and both yachts are chartered on a regular basis. The important question, however, is this one: Will SeaDream make your list of top travel experiences? Only you can answer that, but for me, the answer is undoubtedly yes. It could have been the weather (perfect for the whole trip), the lack of crowds in port (we were cruising shoulder season in May) or the ports themselves (idyllic in every way), but I look back on the cruise as one of my best ever. To view video clips and commentary, visit: www.avidcruisertv.com. 3 FALL 2007 Avid Cruiser http://www.avidcruisertv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007

The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007 Contents The Poop Deck Cruising, Back to Back At The Piazza SeaDream Yacht Club Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager The ‘New’ Crystal Symphony Bay of FUNdy Long Weekend Getaway Silversea Cruises: Silver Whisper Cruising Southeast Asia ‘Awesome’ Alaska Sacred Moments In South Georgia Two Years With A Princess Of Days Gone By

The Avid Cruiser - Fall 2007

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