Last week, I was one of a select group of travel agents who were invited onboard SeaDream’s Sea Dream 2 whilst it was docked in London for a few days. For those who don’t know about the SeaDream concept, it’s not cruising it’s yachting, and there are some quite key differences between the two, not least that it can sail through Tower Bridge and dock next to HMS Belfast (and not overshadow it either).
As many of you know, with overtourism concerns in many different destinations around the world, we advocate small-ship cruising, which can be anything from the smallest cruise ships, expedition cruising, exploration cruising such as Hurtigruten in the Norwegian Fjords or river cruising.
Yes, you can describe this as your own yacht. It has 56 staterooms, carrying a maximum of 112 guests – so we’re not talking your mass-market cruise here, we’re talking a much different experience. That’s emphasised by the fact they have a 1-to-1 crew-to-guest ratio – but because it’s a small yacht, it’s a more personal service where they are more like family than staff.
Like many of the ‘luxury’ cruise lines, all-inclusive comes as standard, more for convenience than anything else. It offers excellent cuisine and a wide selection of drinks as well.
However, it’s more than just food and drink, with an array of watersports available from the yacht, including the only ship to sea slide – snorkelling equipment, jet skis and a whole lot more!
Staterooms are located on decks 2, 3 and 4 – and its worth noting that not even the largest suites come with a private balcony. However, they are all beautifully appointed (as good as Ponant, or Silversea) – and some of them interconnect, although it’s not really the right environment for small children. The interconnecting option really gives you a second bathroom and a sitting area, which is great if you’re on a longer sailing.
If your bedroom isn’t enough, they will also make up a bed on deck for you in warmer climes, so you can sleep under the stars – again, something you can’t really do on a ‘standard cruise’!
For those who like a little entertainment in the evening, there isn’t a huge choice – it’s more about socialising and enjoying the company of the fellow guests. There is a small ‘casino’ and a pianist by the bar, but this isn’t the option for you if you’re expecting large production West End style shows.
However, dinner is relatively informal – with no sitting system or prebooking – you can generally dine anytime from 7-9:30pm, and unusually they have the capacity for everyone to dine inside or outside all at the same time – so if the weather isn’t the best, you know you’ll be able to dine exactly when you want, and not when the restaurant can fit you in – it’s touches like this which make it so much more personal.
SeaDream 2 – Top of the Yacht Bar
There is a lot of desk space for the number of guests onboard, with the whole top deck available as a restaurant, or ‘The Top of the Yacht’ bar – particularly popular! There is also deck space behind and in front with special cabanas to make it more private, especially if you’re travelling around the Caribbean or the Mediterranean in the summer. At the back, there’s a pool – again with another bar (remember this is all-inclusive), with a more expansive deck area to enjoy the weather.
This Norwegian-owned yacht experience is like no other – it’s not super glitzy like some of the modern yachts, it has a homely-comforting atmosphere, just like your home-away-from-home. The crew are just amazingly friendly – and I have to say, it’s experiences that make the difference, not the bathroom is cladded in marble!
SeaDream sails the Med and Northern Europe in our summer, and the Caribbean during the winter – all available to book with us. Contact us for more information.
