Those of you who have known us for awhile know that we like to go on cruises. Although our lifestyle has changed significantly over the last 4+ years, the desire to get out on the water still exists and so every now and then we like to get off the land and set out to sea. We last took a cruise in the later part of 2021 while some COVID restrictions were still in place (testing to get on board, masks worn while indoors, etc.). We tried what was for us a “larger” ship in Azamara mainly because we knew the captain and the fare was a real steal.
Fast forward to last December and a deal popped up for our favorite “cruise” line which is really too small to be called a cruise ship. In fact, they refer to it as “Yachting, not cruising”. They are called Seadream Yacht Club and it consists of two ships that can carry up to 112 passengers and 95 crew. Over the years, we’ve spent 75 days on board these yachts sailing the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and even a trans Atlantic cruise. So, we decided to book a 7 day April trip on Seadream I which would start in St. Thomas and end in San Juan.
On Friday, April 14th we departed on a morning flight to St. Thomas, an island we had visited twice before but never really explored. Fun fact: We spent our honeymoon back in 1987 on St. Thomas! We were picked up by Harmonie, who would also be our tour guide of the island on Saturday before we embarked. She drove us up to our hotel, Mafolie which provided a great view of the harbor and also had a great bar and restaurant attached.
View from our room at Hotel Malfolie
Bar at hotel
Charlotte Amalie and the harbor from restaurant
Saturday morning was an early wake up so we could enjoy breakfast and be ready for pick up at 9:00 am for a tour of the island. We were greeted with a beautiful sunrise and the sight of Seadream I coming into port.
Sunrise from our room
Our ship/yacht coming in
We toured most of the island, visiting beaches and mountains and everything in between. We fed goats and had a drink on the water. We even saw Seadream I in port. It was a full 5 hours of history, stories and views.
At 2 PM we arrived dockside and after a very quick check in and a run thru a brief shower, we were welcomed on board with champagne and smiling faces. The ship had received a total refresh and it looked great!
By 5 PM we were loaded up with 72 passengers and on our way, next stop just a short hop over to St John.
Now, it’s at this point that we need to share an interesting story that was to follow us throughout the week of our cruise. We’ll tell the story as it unfolded so you’ll follow along on this amusing and confusing tale. After our first night’s dinner, we made our usual stop at the piano bar on deck 4. George was there playing songs and offering others to sing along if they wished. Andre was behind the bar pouring and mixing drinks upon request (see above chocolate martini as exhibit 1). All was good and as it should be. And then entered mystery woman with a very unique companion. She approached the bar and left an item on the stool next to Dan. And thus we had met “Barbie”.
Now, we weren’t exactly sure what to make of this. We kind of chuckled and whispered thoughts with another couple at the bar. Is this a joke? Is this an Emotional Support Doll (ESD)? We weren’t really sure what to say or do so we just had another drink!
Later, the woman decided to bring out Barbie for all to see and so Barbie could enjoy the bar some more.
Soon, the woman and her companion left the piano bar and the conversation really picked up at that point. The bartender was besides himself, never having seen anything like this in all his time working a bar. As the evening ended, the conjecture (and activities related to Barbie) continued but we said our good nights and headed to our cabin.
Sunday morning dawned cloudy with scattered showers as we approached St. John Island. Dan had signed up for a snorkeling trip to Trunk Bay, one of the best beaches on St. John and thus he was up early to capture our approach and anchoring.
At breakfast, we were able to get the latest on the Barbie escapades. Evidently, after we left, somehow Barbie was kidnapped. A ransom note was left behind requiring that $3 in unmarked bills be left at the bar and she would be returned. And supposedly that happened.
Dan took the tender into town where everyone was picked up for the shuttle to the beach. As skies cleared, they were able to see some of the beautiful scenery that makes St. John so special.
Along the way, they passed by the remnants of Caneel Bay Resort. The Rockefellers bought the property back in 1952 and opened up what came to be known as the Caneel Bay Resort. The resort officially opened, along with the Virgin Islands National Park, on Dec. 1, 1956. In 1960, Rockefeller donated the Caneel Bay Resort to the Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc., a nonprofit conservation organization.
In September 1983, Rockefeller decided that he wanted the property turned over to the National Park Service on September 30, 2023. It was then that he crafted the language for the Retained Use Estate agreement (RUE), which the property continues to operate under today. Under the RUE’s terms, the resort could be passed down to subsequent parties until it was handed over to the National Park Service in September 2023.
When Hurricane Irma hit St. John on Sept. 6, 2017, it devastated the island, Caneel Bay included. The once-posh resort was left in ruins. The resort’s operator, CBI Acquisition, opted not to rebuild without an extension of the RUE. They tried to get an extension through an Act of Congress, and it failed. At present, no one can venture onto the property or enjoy the pristine beach and waters due to hazards and safety issues. The NPS is still working to determine what will be done with the land when it officially transfers over this September.
Upon arriving at Trunk Bay, Dan picked up snorkel and fins and headed to the beach. The beach is wide and beautiful with a small bunch of islands in the middle of the bay. The Trunk Bay Snorkel Trail covers the left side of these islands. The underwater trail at Trunk Bay introduces visitors to the magically colorful world of the coral reef. Visitors snorkel along above the trail and read the underwater signs to learn about the many animals that depend on the coral and ways to protect these fragile reefs. We were free to wander over to the islands to get up close views of the coral and fish in the crystal clear water. It nice refreshing morning swim.
After an enjoyable swim, it was time to shuttle back to port and then tender back to Seadream just in time for lunch. It is a regular tradition for Dan to have the lunch special on the first full day onboard which is always mussels. That day was no exception. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in “The Office” and at the pool while the ship remained anchored. Later we departed for Nevis and St. Kitts for a day anchored offshore and a dinner on the beach (more on that to come).
Our approach to St Kitts was beautiful, with a larger cruise ship pacing ahead of us (but bound for a stop farther ahead since they could not stop at this small port).
We had no plans for this day so we remained on board and just enjoyed out time on deck as well as a nap or two. Dan wasn’t feeling great by that evening (a bit of a tummy ache, nothing big) so we decided to pass on the dinner ashore. This is something new for Seadream and we were bummed to miss it but just didn’t think we’d enjoy it much since we would be tendered over for pre-dinner drinks, dinner, and then entertainment after – just too long an evening for us. As it turns out, that was a very fortuitous decision as we found out the next day that the entire landing party was attached by swarms of mosquitos for about the first 1 1/2 hours. For the rest of the cruise, we would see evidence of that evening in the huge number of bites we saw on quests’ legs. It sounded like a mixed outcome where some still enjoyed while others could not overcome the idea that they had become the dinner that evening.
Tuesday found us approaching Saint Barthélemy, otherwise known as St. Barts. Saint Barts, a French-speaking Caribbean island, is known for its white-sand beaches and designer shops. The capital, Gustavia, encircling a yacht-filled harbor, has high-end restaurants and shops.
Dan was up early again to watch the approach and anchoring in Gustavia harbor. The Captain was kind enough to invite him onto the Bridge to watch as they maneuvered into the anchorage
One thing that makes Seadream so special is the relationship and bonds that are made between guests and crew. The crew seems to instantly know your name and figures out your preferences within your first day on board. As the trip progresses, we are able to have lots of conversations with the crew, learning more about them and their family. With nearly a one to one ration of guest to crew, it is easy to get to know everyone onboard.
One such crew is Mikee, one of the guys who is always there to serve you whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. He has a great attitude and sense of humor. Dan discovered this in particular on Tuesday at breakfast. He requested a fruit plate and received what you see below:
As Dan struggled to figure out what he had gotten wrong, another crew snuck up behind Mikee with a dish closer to expectations. We all had a great laugh and this type of banter continued the entire cruise.
During breakfast, we found out that Barbie had again disappeared. Upon arriving at the concierge desk, we discovered where she had gone.
We’re not sure how she ended up there but her owner soon came by and found her and was later seen at the pool looking extremely happy.
While at the pool, we ended up sitting next to two of the ladies from the group that included Barbie’s friend. We were able to get a lot of additional information at this point. Evidently, this was a group of 6 women who were celebrating the 60th birthday of one of them. They evidently like to travel a lot as friends and have a lot of fun and do silly things along the way. In this case, the lady in question had never had an Barbie doll in the past and just showed up at the yacht with the doll (who we discovered is named “Sassy”). At this point, one of the women informs us that she, in fact, was the kidnapper and they were still keeping this a secret. Her friend had no idea and was still trying to figure who the culprit was. We had quite an enjoyable conversation and lots of laughs about the whole Barbie doll thing.
Our other entertainment was a sailing regatta that was going on near the anchorage. We really couldn’t figure out what was going on but it was nice to see all the sailboats cruising thru the waters off our starboard side.
Wednesday found us with an early arrival at Philipsburg in St. Maarten. This island is split in half, one part being Dutch and the other side being French. We arrived ahead of two much bigger cruise ships which helped to appreciate the size differences (yes, size does matter but bigger isn’t always better).
We had originally planned to take a tour of the island but changed our mind and just caught a water taxi into town. We got out ahead of most of the people on the other ships which meant town was still pretty empty. We strolled along the shops and restaurants as well as the beach but didn’t really find anything we were interested in and headed back to the ship.
Days on board are very relaxing wherever you are. You can relax by the pool or hot tub on the stern, find a place in the shade at a table at Top of the Yacht Bar, get a massage at the spa, or take a nap in your cabin. We tended to hang out at the pool or bar and always had a few people to chat with. Even after so many trips, we still find things that are new to us. Such as this unique rule at the hot tub…
We always enjoyed the food on board which is 5-star perfect. Sometimes we’d eat indoors at the restaurant on Deck 2 (our first evening we ate with the Captain) and when weather permitted, we’d eat outside under the stars. We didn’t get many pics of our food, too busy eating it. But here’s a pic of one of our desserts…yum!
Thursday morning found us anchoring off of Virgin Gorda for the big tour of the trip – a visit to The Baths.
The Baths is situated about 1.2 miles south of the town of Spanish Town at the southern tip of the island between Spring Bay and Devil’s Bay. The Baths is an area of unique geologic formations and one of the BVI’s major tourist destinations.
Although volcanism accounts for much of the Virgin Islands, The Baths was formed by granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach. Granite forms from the slow cooling of magma at depths nowhere close to surface volcanoes. The granite only appears at the surface after geologic ages have eroded away all the overburden covering it. Once exposed, erosion continued to isolate the granite into large boulders and round their surfaces. The boulders form natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches, and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. The largest boulders are about 40 feet long.
Since 1990, the area has been a BVI National Park as are the adjacent bays, and the area is a major tourist attraction, with swimming and snorkeling being the main attractions. It is a very dry landscape on the approach, with cactus being the main type of growth. Before entering The Baths, we arrived at a lovely isolated beach at Devil’s Bay. After a short swim, we headed into The Baths where at times we were climbing up and over boulders, crouching down and thru cracks, and walking thru knee deep water. After about a 30 minute walk, we arrived at the other end which had another beach and a place to grab a cold beer before heading back.
We made it back to the ship in time for lunch and another chapter in the Barbie/Sassy story. The group of ladies that included the one with the doll had lunch at the table next to us. Sassy was getting a champagne shampoo by having her head dunked in a glass of bubbly. At one point they left for a few minutes and at that time Sassy was left on the table alone to dry out and one of the bartenders decided it was time to hide her again. Before long, the women returned and immediately started asking where Sassy had gone (even Dan was a suspect). The bartender fessed up to the crime and for his punishment, had to hold Sassy in his hands while having his apology taped by the owner.
As we finished lunch, the yacht maneuvered to our next destination, White Bay off of Jost Van Dyke in the BVI’s. Dan wandered up towards to bridge to catch the sunset and was lucky enough to be present for couple renewing their marriage vows for the 10th anniversary. We enjoyed cocktails outdoors on the pool deck as we arrived at our anchorage off the beach.
Friday dawned sunny with a beautiful view of the beach and where we would be enjoying a barbecue and the famous champagne and caviar splash. This is a huge logistical challenge for the crew as all food and supplies have to be taken over in the morning before passengers can then be shuttled over to the beach in zodiac boats for a wet landing. There were plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas and the water was wonderful. At one point, we took a walk down the beach to the Soggy Dollar but otherwise hung out on our part of the beach enjoying pain killers.
We enjoyed one more wonderful dinner as the ship set sail for our port of disembarkation, San Juan Puerto Rico. After dinner it was one more round of the bars (Piano and TOY) and the culmination of the trip – the reveal of the kidnapper. It was announced that one of the women in the group had actually been the kidnapper and Sassy’s owner never knew (she still suspected Dan or the bartender!). And we found out that the group always likes to have a little fun on their trips and this was just a silly idea she had cooked up prior to departing on this one. Definitely an additional bit of entertainment for all.
This is always the saddest evening as you are required to have all your bags packed up and out in the hallway before you go to sleep. Luckily, we still had a full day and night in San Juan before we headed back to Atlanta so we had one more day of fun! We had an early wake up as everyone was expected to be off the ship by around 8:30 due to local customs and immigration rules. That was OK for us as we caught an Uber to our hotel (La Terrazza de San Juan) to drop our bags, have a coffee and then meet up for a 10 am food tour of Old San Juan.
Old San Juan, founded in 1521, is home to the San Juan National Historic Site, with buildings dating from the 16th century, including the San Felipe del Morro and San Cristóbal fortresses and the old city walls. The Bautista Cathedral houses the tomb of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. Brightly colored houses line cobbled streets and shady plazas, alongside cool cocktail bars and renowned Caribbean fusion restaurants.
On our tour we learned about the history of the city and island, the many nationalities that came and how they influenced the culture, and tasted a variety of foods including local coffee, mofongo and the pina colada. In fact, we made our own mofongo which is a uniquely Puerto Rican dish with plantains as its main ingredient. Plantains are picked green, cut into pieces and typically fried but can be boiled or roasted, then mashed with salt, garlic, broth, and olive oil in a wooden pilón (mortar and pestle). The goal is to produce a tight ball of mashed plantains that will absorb the attending condiments and have either pork cracklings (chicharrón) or bits of bacon inside (although ours had chicken). It is traditionally served with fried meat and chicken broth soup.
Since Jill did not want her pina colada, Dan got to enjoy two on the tour! Although it is agreed that the drink was invented in Puerto Rico, exactly where and by whom is still disputed to this day.
The Caribe Hilton Hotel claims Ramón “Monchito” Marrero created the Piña Colada in 1954 while a bartender at the hotel. According to this account, Marrero finally settled upon the recipe for the Piña Colada, which he felt captured the true nature and essence of Puerto Rico. The hotel was presented with a proclamation in 2004 by Puerto Rico Governor Sila M. Calderón celebrating the drink’s 50th anniversary.
Barrachina, a restaurant in Puerto Rico, says that “a traditional Spanish bartender Don Ramon Portas Mingot in 1963 created what became the world’s famous drink: the Piña Colada.”
In 1978, Puerto Rico proclaimed the cocktail to be its official drink.
We checked into our hotel that afternoon after walking several miles and having very full bellies. Later, as rain swept in over the city, we enjoyed some cocktails at the hotel bar, strolled around town and grabbed a bite at a local bar.
Sunday dawned sunny, hot and humid. We had booked a late flight back to Atlanta which allowed us to have a laid back first half of the day. While Jill remained at the hotel enjoying breakfast, Dan walked over to one of the fortresses and thru Old Town one more time to see a few more things. The highlight of the walk was a visit around the exterior of the Castillo San Felipe del Morro also known as El Morro. El Morro is a citadel built between 16th and 18th centuries.
Lying on the northwestern most point of the islet of Old San Juan, Castillo San Felipe del Morro is named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. The fortification, also referred to as el Morro or ‘the promontory,’ was designed to guard the entrance to the San Juan Bay, and defend the Spanish colonial port city of San Juan from seaborne enemies.
In 1983, the citadel was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in conjunction with the San Juan National Historic Site. Over two million visitors a year explore the castillo, making it one of Puerto Rico’s leading tourist attractions. Facing the structure, on the opposite side of the bay, a smaller fortification known as El Cañuelo complemented the castillo’s defense of the entrance to the bay.
After the fortress, Dan traveled back thru Old Town, stopping off at the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista where Juan Ponce de Leon is interred.
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, in 1474. Though little is known about his family, he was of noble birth and served in the Spanish military from a young age. He first came to the Americas as a “gentleman volunteer” with Christopher Columbus’s second expedition in 1493.
By the early 1500s, Ponce de León was a top military official in the colonial government of Hispaniola, where he helped crush a rebellion of the native Taíno people. He was authorized to explore the neighboring island of Puerto Rico in 1508 and to take office as the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown in 1509. While Ponce de León grew quite wealthy from his plantations and mines, he faced an ongoing legal conflict with Diego Colón, the late Christopher Columbus’s son, over the right to govern Puerto Rico. After a long court battle, Columbus replaced Ponce de León as governor in 1511. Ponce de León decided to follow the advice of the sympathetic King Ferdinand and explore more of the Caribbean Sea.
In 1513, Ponce de León led the first known European expedition to La Florida, which he named during his first voyage to the area. He landed somewhere along Florida’s east coast, then charted the Atlantic coast down to the Florida Keys and north along the Gulf coast; historian John Reed Swanton believed that he sailed perhaps as far as Apalachee Bay on Florida’s western coast. Though in popular culture he was supposedly searching for the Fountain of Youth, there is no contemporary evidence to support the story, which most modern historians consider a myth.
Ponce de León returned to Spain in 1514 and was knighted by King Ferdinand, who also reinstated him as the governor of Puerto Rico and authorized him to settle Florida. He returned to the Caribbean in 1515, but plans to organize an expedition to Florida were delayed by the death of King Ferdinand in 1516, after which Ponce de León again traveled to Spain to defend his grants and titles. He did not return to Puerto Rico for two years.
In March 1521, Ponce de León finally returned to Southwest Florida with the first large-scale attempt to establish a Spanish colony in what is now the continental United States. However, the native Calusa people fiercely resisted the incursion, and Ponce de Léon was seriously wounded in a skirmish. The colonization attempt was abandoned, and he died from his wounds soon after returning to Cuba in early July. He was interred in Puerto Rico; his tomb is located inside the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista in San Juan. If there was a Fountain of Youth, he never found it and it wouldn’t have helped him with his wounds, that’s for sure.
At noon we checked out and left our bags at the hotel and walked up the street to a marvelous place for Sunday brunch. After one last meal, we were off to the airport and arrived back in Atlanta around midnight and settled back into our own land yacht.
it was a wonderful time away and reminded us how much we enjoy our cruises (oops, yachting) on Seadream.