SeaDream II Review — A classic, albeit aging ship, that still has a lot going for it, including excellent cuisine

SeaDream II Review

By John Roberts

For me, there is nothing more alluring than sailing to exotic destinations on a small cruise ship —one that carries just 112 passengers like SeaDream II.

Well, maybe a few things can make this even better.

• How about the best food you have ever had on a cruise ship — or on any trip, actually.
• Service from a team of crew members offering a perfect mix of passion, humor and attentiveness, and who leave you smiling every day.
• Having just 70 people on board, as my particular voyage did.

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Life is good for John aboard the SeaDream II. * Photo: Colleen McDaniel

My first SeaDream cruise won’t be my last

So, my first cruise with SeaDream Yacht Club delivered on all these counts, showing why small-ship ocean sailing is so delightful.

SeaDream is renowned for their fantastic mix of relaxation, classic yachting and soft adventure.

VIDEO: Below, John shares a quick video overview of his SeaDream Cruise.

That said, while our mid-winter getaway allowed for an escape to a warmer climate, it was not without a few weather-related disruptions.

Sailing out of the tiny Port of Palm Beach in Florida, our original 7-night itinerary included seven port calls in the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic.

John perched on deck with the binoculars available for passengers. * Photo: John Roberts

Mother Nature reigns

Wind and waves caused adjustments to the plan, though.

Further, SeaDream was not able to meet the COVID testing protocols for our planned visits at Turks and Caicos. (Basically, Turks changed its rules, requiring a negative COVID test for entry, but SeaDream has no testing facilities onboard, so it couldn’t meet this new requirement.)

Our captain found new island destinations on the leeward side of islands in the Bahamas to avoid wind and rainy conditions. And we ended up having two stops at the Dominican Republic (originally it was one stop, at Samana) — at Puerto Plata and Isla Saona — where we joined the other passengers for a beach day, the signature SeaDream “Champagne and Caviar Splash at the Beach” party.

However, because of the conditions — sunny and mid-70s, but often quite windy — we never got to experience the wide variety of water sports available from the ship’s marina located on Deck 2 at the aft of SeaDream II.  It was just too windy and choppy to ever safely open up the marina the entire week.

I’ve seen plenty of these types of days in the Caribbean before, but for small, older ships like the SeaDream twins, conditions need to be pretty calm and ideal to use the water-sports toys.

SeaDream’s water sports marina in good weather conditions. * Photo: SeaDream

When the weather gods hand you lemons …eat!

We focused on SeaDream’s food and service, two aspects of the cruise that made it very special and memorable. And so my Sea Dream II review is big on eating and service.

That combined with the charm of sailing on a ship designed to bring the passengers outdoors in true yachting style shows exactly why loyal SeaDream cruisers continue to rave about this cruise line, and come back again and again.

I have sailed on more than 100 cruises, and my preference is always small-ship cruising. Over the years, as I’ve enjoyed adventures with other boutique lines and expedition lines, and I have met many other like-minded travelers who prefer this same style of small-ship cruising. And I’ve heard from dozens of these new friends about their incredible experiences on SeaDream Yacht Club trips, and they insisted that I would also love it.

John loved it! * Photo: Colleen McDaniel

They were right.

It’s not perfect, of course, being an older ship (originally built in 1985 and most recently refurbished in January 2022) with certain limitations — namely no balconies, limited entertainment options and bumpy in rocky seas.

But, the overall experience was so delightful that Colleen and I began making plans to book a trip with friends and family on one of the two SeaDream Yacht Club vessels in the near future.

Our Caribbean voyage with SeaDream Yacht Club ended up delivering an eye-opening experience focused around the stellar service and standout cuisine.

Overall, John & Colleen were happy campers on the Sea Dream II. * Photo: SeaDream

As a winter getaway, it’s ideal. We have sailed extensively in the Caribbean and were excited to visit some unique spots that you can only reach by small ships such as Sea Dream II.

The appeal of this small cruise line is that the incredibly intimate environment filled with attentive staffers and well-traveled fellow cruisers makes you quickly feel as if you are enjoying a chartered vacation with friends and family.

These voyages allow you to fully savor your trip in any way you want: Just relax, dive into the activities available, or enjoy a mix of both.

SeaDream II is ideal for travelers who love to stay fit with daily workouts in the gym and an array of active excursions, from the stern marina water-sports options (in good weather), to cycling and hiking in port.

John in the impressive gym for a ship the size of SeaDream II. * Photo: John Roberts

LOOKY HERE: Check out John’s 7 ways to keep fit on a SeaDream Yacht Club cruise.

A tour of the Sea Dream II

SeaDream II rises six decks high, with passengers using Decks 2 to 6. The small ship has an easy-to-learn layout, and the design is geared toward getting you outside. That’s what the yachting lifestyle is all about!

The SeaDream ships carry just 112 pax each. * Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

A $10 million-dollar refurbishment was completed in 2022, giving SeaDream II a fresh look, including cabin updates — new furniture, cabinets and electrical power outlets.

Most of your time is spent on the Pool Deck, located on Deck 3 aft or on the outer resort decks on 5 and 6, where you enjoy the new couples Jacuzzis, Balinese day beds and sun loungers.

The pool, now surrounded by new Bolidt® decking material. * Photo: John Roberts

This large resort Deck 6 features new composite Burmese-style teakwood-look decking (bye-bye classic teak wood deck, hello easy-to-maintain artificial decking) and the furniture now features Loro Piana Italian upholstery. Even the towels are new; we found the plush Frette beach towels to be luxurious.

The Balinese beds are open for use during the day and can be reserved and set up for passengers to sleep under the stars, as well.

The Balinese sun beds on SeaDream II. * Photo: John Roberts

We spent most of our time at the very bow area on a big lounger and with close access to the hot tubs.

Bar staff made frequent runs around the top deck to ensure all passengers were able to keep their glasses full of the free-flowing included drinks.

Gareth the Head Bartender serving on deck, even to the pair of hot tubs. * Photo: John Roberts

As beer drinkers who love to try out regional varieties when we travel, we found the selection onboard extremely limited.

However, we learned that you simply have to make a request for local beers (or any other food- or drink-related items), and the crew will do everything possible to head ashore and get what you desire.

That’s exactly what happened when Hotel Manager Jamie heard about our affinity for brews. He surprised us with a six-pack of Kalik (Bahamas) beer that he stashed behind the bar just for Colleen and me.

Ask and ye shall have! * Photo: John Roberts

At the center of Deck 6 is the Top of the Yacht Bar, and this is where we spent a lot of time meeting new friends and having fun chats with head bartender Gareth and his colleagues Byron and Pavlo.

The bar seating area offers great views and a semi-protected area from any windy conditions while sailing.

Top of the Yacht bar. * Photo: John Roberts

There is seating around the bar, and tables there also are used as part of the Topside Restaurant that spans Decks 5 and 6 midship. This eatery is used for breakfasts, lunches and dinners on most sailings.

VIDEO: Here’s a short video look at Deck 6, below.

Inside the Sea Dream II

The ship offers a main restaurant on Deck 2, and this space is used for dinner primarily and for other meals when weather is too harsh for eating outdoors at Topside.

SeaDream II ‘s Main Salon is the lounge on Deck 3, and this space features a dance floor and small stage where musicians set up for evening entertainment. We had a guitar player on for our sailing. This lounge is filled with chairs, sofas and tables and is a gathering place for evening entertainment and afternoon movies played on a pull-down screen.

The Main Salon also has a bar and a small buffet area for tapas at happy hours and on embarkation day as you wait (with drinks and refreshments) for your cabin to be ready before you are checked in and escorted to your accommodations.

It was mostly empty during the days, though, on our cruise, as most people enjoyed the pool and top deck to be in the sunshine. A grand dessert buffet also was set up one night in this space.

Dessert fest in the Main Lounge one evening. * Photo: John Roberts

Adjacent to the lounge, the Concierge area features the guest services desk, a fairly sizable boutique filled with SeaDream Yacht Club logo wear, watches, sunglasses and jewelry. The next cruise desk is also in here, and we saw plenty of people sitting down with Club Director Jamie Sommers to discuss their future cruise plans.

Our favorite rooms were on Deck 4

Deck 4 is filled with the best indoor spaces. A large library offers guides, books, games and other reading materials, as well as two computer stations with internet.

The attractive library. * Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

This is a wonderful space filled with attractive décor and comfortable seating. Just outside the library is the ship’s Casino (a room with a blackjack table) and the Piano Bar.

A lively area most nights, people gathered around Josh the piano player and signing along as Gareth slings drinks.

The popular little piano bar with player Josh tickling the ivories. * Photo: John Roberts

The blackjack table was filled with players each night, too.

At the other end of the ship is the spa and fitness center complex. I outlined all the gym features in this sidebar, HERE.

The spa offers an array of massages and other treatments, as well as a beauty salon and a small sauna and steam shower.

A visit to the spa puts a smile on John’s face. * Photo: Colleen McDaniel

VIDEO: Below is John’s full ship & voyage tour of the Sea Dream II. 

Staterooms on Sea Dream II

The cabins on Sea Dream II received extensive upgrades with the ship’s recent refresh.

Our stateroom was No. 404 on the port side midship, and we could really feel the waves during our sailing.

Being built in 1985, the ship doesn’t have the modern stabilization system that we enjoy on newer vessels.

The recent refurbishments added 55-inch flat-screen TVs with interactive menus showcasing on-demand movies, cable channels and the ship’s daily program. There is also plenty of storage and new charging ports for two styles of USBs, as well as U.S. and European plugs.

Stateroom #404. * Photo: John Roberts

We enjoyed the large living room and comfortable bed, and the cabin features tons of drawer space, a mini fridge that can be stocked with your beverages of choice and ample charging ports.

There are no balconies for any stateroom on SeaDream II. Instead, the rooms on Deck 2 offer portholes, and the other cabins feature large windows.

VIDEO: Here’s John’s Sea Dream II cabin tour.

The Sea Dream II Dining Experience

I am usually quite happy with the fine food I get on any cruise voyage, but the cuisine on SeaDream II stood out as a highlight of our trip.

We were impressed with the amazing variety of high-quality and delicious options offered on each menu. It truly was hard to choose our courses every time we sat down to eat. It all looked so good, and what we ended up choosing never disappointed.

Chef Alistair and his crew have it really dialed in to meet the tastes of the passengers, who on our sailing ranged in age between late 40s to 70s and came from mostly North America — with travelers also from Germany, Sweden and Norway.

Breakfasts and lunches at Topside offer a buffet and a menu of specialties.

The al fresco setting in Topsiders. * Photo: John Roberts

The Topside Buffet spread. * Photo: John Roberts

Each day, a specialty egg creation was offered for breakfast. There was an Indian curry omelet and Italian pesto eggs benedict to name a couple excellent dishes.

The buffet features breads, salads, cereals, fresh fruits and mueslis among other tasty items. We also started each day with a power shot veggie/juice blend.

For lunches, the buffet offered pastries, breads, a seafood bar with chilled crab claws and smoked herring and meat tray with salamis. The menu had gourmet burgers, lasagna, steamed black mussels and chicken wings.

Steamed mussels for lunch on deck! * Photo: John Roberts

Wings for lunch! * Photo: John Roberts

The standout lunch of the week was the huge barbecue spread with ribs, chicken and sliders.

Topside Restaurant has seating either under the canopy or on the railings at the stern of the ship, and the space is used for dinners.

You have the option to book a spot for dinner outside any night that weather is good enough.

Dining out on deck, a wonderful experience when the the weather permits. * Photo: John Roberts

Meanwhile, the indoor restaurant is the designated dining spot for all on some days of the program.

The indoor dining room. * Photo: John Roberts

On the dinner menu, we chose among dishes such as cauliflower tiki masala, osso bucco, almond crusted supreme free-range chicken, grilled lamb medallions, grilled filet of fresh turbot, tempura fried vegetables and grilled rock lobster tail.

The menu also features a solid array of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Lasagna is one of many dinner choices. * Photo: John Roberts

Our Ports of Call on the SeaDream II

First we headed to the Bahamas

Pulling out of West Palm Beach, we ambled up to the top deck to enjoy the views as we sailed up the channel toward the open seas.

Salt Cay was slated to be our first stop the next day, but we had to bypass this remote destination for a visit to Nassau, which offered safe harbor from the windy conditions that prevailed at Salt Cay, a tiny island just three miles from Nassau.

Sailing to Nassau. * Photo: John Roberts

Having already been to Nassau several times, we took the opportunity to stay onboard SeaDream II to use the gym, get an authentic Thai massage at the spa and relax at the pool and resort deck.

The next day, we visited Compass Cay, a small island in the Exumas in the Bahamas that has a beautiful bay. Conditions again were quite choppy, so the marina was not able to be used.

We figured we would have a few more chances to enjoy this feature and all the water sports and swimming opportunities it offers. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Instead, we spent our time finding active ways to enjoy these destinations on our own.

At Compass Cay, Colleen and I took a rough tender ride ashore and set out on a long hike along a forested path and a long stretch of secluded beach. After the hike, I enjoyed a little beach run and dip in the water.

John taking a run on the beach at Compass Cay. * Photo: John Roberts

By late afternoon, it was time to head back to the ship, and we stopped off to hang with the resident nurse sharks in the marina. Yes, people swim here with these gentle creatures.

Next up was San Salvador Island, another gem in the Bahamas that is lightly visited.

It was time for another run, this time from the pier to the beach. No one else was there, and the blue waters made for some nice snorkeling with the ship visible in the distance.

San Salvador Beach is a lovely stretch of sand. * Photo: Colleen McDaniel

We got back onto SeaDream II in late afternoon feeling energized by the thrilling day, and we had a lovely romantic dinner outside as we set sail for Gordon’s Beach.

There was great anticipation for this port call because Gordon’s Beach was to be the location for the big beach party and Caviar Splash, a signature SeaDream Yacht Club event that is one of the highlights of any voyage.

Sadly, it was too choppy to go there at all. We skipped it and went on to the Dominican Republic.

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On to the Dominican Republic

However, we woke up to extremely cloudy and stormy conditions while anchored off the beach.

By mid-morning, the ship started moving, and we were told that we had to head straight to the Dominican Republic to avoid the rough conditions that would persist for the next couple of days in the Bahamas.

About 30 hours later (having a sea day while motoring over to the Dominican Republic) we arrived to Puerto Plata for a three-hour visit. This left time for a quick tour for many, and Colleen and I strolled the city to stretch our legs after being onboard the rocking and rolling ship for too long.

Puerto Plata, DR. * Photo: John Roberts

Before we knew it, we were sailing again. The crew set up a brilliant deck cocktail party, complete with sushi, by the pool, and we again took advantage of the warm Caribbean evening for a dinner under the stars and moonlight.

Cocktail deck party spread. * Photo: John Roberts

The pastry chef designed an impressive dessert spread in the main lounge, and after a few sweet treats, we capped the night with some rousing sing-along time at the Piano Bar.

To the delight of passengers, the SeaDream crew and activities manager Frude were able to resurrect the Caviar Beach Splash party at our final destination. What a great ending!

We arrived to Isla Saona and were greeted by a beautiful sunshine-filled day, the best of the cruise.

The coveted SeaDream beach party. * Photo: John Roberts

We tendered ashore — all passengers — and settled in at a beach resort with loungers and an open bar. Colleen and I went swimming, snorkeling and strolled the beach. The celebrations included the caviar and Champagne event, with Sea Dream staff popping bottles in the surf and spraying the group as we sipped (and some gulped down) the bubbly and noshed on caviar.

Talk about your guilty pleasures.

The Champagne pour! What COVID?! 🙂 * Photo: John Roberts

Watch SeaDream’s famous beach party below!

After a lobster lunch and more time relaxing in the sands, we went back to the ship and said farewell to the island and started our journey to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we disembarked the next morning.

The Service on SeaDream II

Throughout this whole voyage, it was obvious why SeaDream Yacht Club gets such great marks from its loyal cruisers. The crew is just fantastic. From the moment we stepped onto the ship, we felt a special level of service. We had really never been treated better on a cruise ship.

The captain grabbed our luggage and offered to take it to our room. Yes, the captain!

Frank the sommelier joined us in the ship’s lounge for a wonderful chat as we waited our turn to check in. He told us that he is from Hungary, but SeaDream II is his second home because he has been with the company for 18 years. He loves his job, and he offered to give us a tour of the ship.

Frank the sommelier. * Photo: John Roberts

Meal service was always superb, as well, with waiters such as Vikram, O’Neil, Emir, Fernando, Jesse, Jun, Sanny and Jerry quickly remembering our drink preferences and always popping by the tables to checking their guests.

Waiter Vikram. * Photo: John Roberts

Hotel Manager Jamie and maître d Severin made sure everything ran smoothly and regularly checked to see how our cruise was going and whether we had any special requests (remember the local beers?).

They also asked each day whether Colleen and I wanted a table set up for dining outside, which we often took advantage of.

I also had a great time chatting with Gareth and Byron at the bar as we sipped beers and tried their special cocktails. Byron, an avid golfer, even gave me a few tips as he joined me in the golf simulator for a little swing session.

Our cabin steward Edhz had everything exactly to our liking each day, with the fridge stocked with our drinks and the space nice and tidy, always with a special treat snuck in each night. Chocolate-covered strawberries was a welcome surprise one evening.

It’s these personal touches that reveal themselves throughout your cruise that truly make it special.

Chef Alistair. * Photo: John Roberts

Sea Dream II Caveats

• The bathrooms are extremely small, dark and tough to maneuver within. However, the walk-in shower space is ample.
• For those who are prone to seasickness, you might not like the motion of the ship when it gets into somewhat wavy conditions. I personally like a little rocking and rolling. That makes it feel like sailing a little more to me, but it can make it hard to sleep when it gets rougher at night.
• Entertainment options are limited when the weather prohibits the water sports and outdoor activities.
• SeaDream II has no balconies, which will disappoint cruisers who consider those a must-have amenity.
• The Wi-Fi service (an added fee) has supposedly been enhanced, but our service was weak and spotty for most of the cruise.
• Environmental impact — being an older ship, SeaDream II is nowhere near as energy efficient as the new vessels sailing today.

SeaDream II Review: Fast Facts

Itinerary: Here’s John’s 7-night Caribbean itinerary.

Fares: All-inclusive 7-night Caribbean cruise fares start from $4,800 per person, all-inclusive.

Weather: Cruising in the Caribbean in January will typically be cooler, with more wind and waves. The best season to take a Caribbean voyage tends to be in April and May ahead of hurricane season.

Passengers, in general, were a little disappointed about the adjusted itinerary during our cruise and poor weather limiting the water sports activities, but they also understood that the cruise line can’t control the weather. Like us, many of the first-time SeaDream cruisers also fell in love with the staff and service.

Recent Refurbishment: The cabins and outside decks were the main areas of SeaDream II that were refurbished.

Until next time … * Photo: John Roberts

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