Destinations

The very best way to end a busy year is to take stock while stopping over in various Caribbean ports of call.  This year I chose to spend the time on a five-day fabulous SeaDream II sailing.  She is one of two small yacht-cruise vessels holding a maximum of 98 pampered guests .  We coupled this with stopovers in St Thomas prior to boarding the ship and in San Juan Puerto Rico at the end making a balanced relaxing holiday.To say that service, food, water- and land-based activities abounded is to be severely understating the quality of this fine cruise.

This is The Cruise for the person who wishes low profile albeit attentive service.  By the time you have returned from breakfast topside cabins were remade, fresh Bulgari amenities replacing used ones, fresh ice in the ice bucket, and specially requested juices and sodas replenished in the mini-fridge.  Our cabin was completely ready and renewed for the day.  The ship has 3 cabin decks with ample outdoor space for walking or lounging, a small casino bar area downstairs and ample bar services topside, poolside and inside, a watersports deck in back and ample area to be either quiet or busier with others on board.  Up top are the famed lounging sunbeds.  These fabulously comfortable deep-cushioned deck beds can be made up at night for sleeping under the limitless star-filled skies!!!  Dining is just that — taken either in the lovely dining salon or up top on the varied deck dining areas with tables for two, four or more depending on your personal choice.  You can just enjoy the company of your traveling companion or with new-found shipboard friends.  There are no set dining start times so you dine as you wish and times you desire.  Everything on board SeaDream is meant to let you enjoy your time in your own fashion.  The wonderful Thai spa services are simply fabulous.  And if you must work out, there is a gym and even golf simulator room for your use.  This could not have been a more perfect five days of total enjoyment.

Ports-of-call:  Gustavia, St Barts was amazing with a long Swedish history and city design and a harbor full of some of the largest private yachts I have ever seen.  Our 4,333 ton SeaDream II seemed almost part of the family of private yacht cruisers anchored in the larger outer harbor area.  Dockside in town various private yachts were lined up side by side.  I had always heard that the air landing on the island was an heart-thumping arrival experience.  I climbed the saddle of the two hills behind town to find a small prop plane arriving just over my head and diving down to land expertly on the small strip.  French and Swedish traditions live side by side.  The liquor outlet advertised itself in both French & Swedish.  French is the language of St Barts today.   We also cruised over to spend time in the British Virgin Islands — lovely and unspoiled Virgin Gorda, Norman Island with its amazing cove and water, and finished our short cruise with the famed “beach lunch and champagne/caviar splash” on impeccable Joost van Dyke.  Yes, the Dutch were here, too!!!  Bathing suits on, we waded into the water where a surfboard manned by our ship’s chef and maitre d’hôtel and several of our waiters attired in slightly wet clothes served glasses of champagne along with caviar and all its accompaniments to applause and the clicking of camera lens as we waded in.  Great fun!

St Thomas proved once again that history trumps modernity.  The roots of this busy island keep cropping up in street names (Toldboldgade which is Danish), in left-side driving (England left her imprint here), in the variety of religious houses of worship (Lutheran founded by the Danes; Jewish in the 2nd oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, as well as Catholic, Protestant and other declarative Christian houses of worship).  As a former free port as well as long time European entrepôt and former slave trading community, today’s population reflects the diversity of peoples who came here to live.  Island living means graciousness and hospitality to others.  Once outside the most densely visited sites of the busy cruise port restaurant-shops-souvenir warehouse district (itself fun and historical) you can feel the inherent grace of the island.  Waters are azure, aqua and green blue; palms and bougainvilleas sway and rustle in the tropical breezes, and fabulous iguanas are found along warmed walls and rocks, some green in their new lives – some more rusty/gray as they age.  Ah, island life.

One Response to “Caribbean Yacht-Crusing on Sea Dream II”

1. Nicolas Remmo Says:
   January 14th, 2010 at 9:07 am

   Looks great!
   Can you post these photos in high-resolution? I wanna make some wallpapers from them..

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