SeaDream Yacht Club
Just got back from my first (and not last) SeaDream Yacht Club cruise.
We sailed from San Juan to St. Thomas, and since SeaDream yachts are small ships, we were able to get into small harbors like St. John and even in White Bay on Jost Van Dyke.
The Yacht
Each yacht accommodates 112 guests and approx 95 staff, so very small compared to most cruise ships. It is 40 years old but has been recently refurbished and has managed to keep the old-world nautical style but feel fresh and modern. The ship has just about everything that's on a large cruise ship - bars, restaurants, a casino, a piano bar, a library, etc. but they are all miniscule!
Cabins
Most of the cabins are 195 square feet with either portholes or windows - No balconies - which my husband and I both missed. There is plenty of storage and a small but nice bathroom. The shower is about a third of the bathroom, so that makes it much more comfortable to use. We decided we could even do a 2-week cruise without being too bothered.
The Staff
The staff is from about 20 different countries and every single person I interacted with was genuinely nice. They go out of the way for everyone - cleaning your glasses while you sit by the pool, bringing you your favorite drinks, etc. One morning I asked if there was any grapefruit on the bar, then suddenly a plate of grapefruit sections appeared at my table...and did so every morning without having to request it!
The Captain sat at the table next to us every morning for breakfast and after he finished, he went around to every table and chatted - every single morning! The Bridge is always open for visitors.
Excursions
Our excursions were exclusive to SeaDream and the largest group was 18. I thought they were a bit more expensive than booking them outside the cruise; however, daily there was some sort of staff led hiking or other activity, so you could choose do those instead.
Food & Drinks
The food was the best I’ve had on a cruise! There is one indoor restaurant and one outdoor. Sometimes one is open and the other is not. If the outdoor restaurant is not open, you can still request to eat there (limited).
· Mornings they have a full breakfast to order from with pancakes and all kinds of goodies, but they also have a buffet of fruit, meats, fish, cereals, yogurts, etc. They even have an oven that the croissants and pain aux chocolat stay in so you always have a warm croissant.
· For lunch it’s always a variety of things including burgers and fries, fresh fish, salads, breads and soups. Great wine is poured (Rose all day!). The choice was so good, I felt like I was eating healthy most of the time.
· Before dinner every night, there is a cocktail party with one-bite appetizers. Themes like Mexican or Italian were used. During that time, the activities director gives a 15-minute overview of the next day.
· Dinners were interesting with a duck, fish, steak, and all sorts of interesting choices like Indian or Thai salads or appetizers. They even had jerk chicken that was delish. The desserts are very good and usually fairly small, so you can have more than one!
· All drinks (alcoholic and non-) are included and were pretty good (Cosmos, Old Fashioneds, Pina Coladas) - they had good quality liquor and for an additional cost, you could have even better. Wine choices were excellent IMO.
Activities and Guests
The number one activity on a SeaDream cruise is Socializing! This cruise is probably not for introverts and not for those who want lots of activities such as games, wine-tastings or trivia. There are no shows either. There is a lot of dancing in the evenings and/or time in the piano bar. There are a lot of repeat guests - some had been onboard 26 times! The mix of people was interesting - lots of active retirees but also some families with kids as young as 15 and lots of friends traveling together. Mostly Americans but our cruise had people from 13 different countries.
Highlights
· SeaDream is famous for it's champagne and caviar in the surf - and I hate caviar OR I thought I did. It was delicious and fun!
· Daily Gifts
· The Dessert Extravaganza
Pros
- Small Ship with lots of friendly people
- Great Fresh Foods
- Great Service
- Interesting and Nice Fellow Passengers
- Unique experience
- All Inclusive
Cons
- You must tender just about every port (if not all)
- Small Rooms and no balconies
- Bathrooms would be tough for tall or larger people
- Fewer choices for activities and excursions
- The boat is small enough that you can feel it moving and if weather is bad, it could be uncomfortable








Forgot to add that they have very good TA rates.