I recently spent seven nights onboard SeaDream II on a cruise around the Greek Islands.
Celebrating a special anniversary, this was the first time that my husband and I had ever been away without our children. It was also the first couples cruise we had done since our honeymoon!
We were invited as guests of SeaDream Yacht Club, but all the opinions in this review are ours and I’ll be sure to show you what we liked as well as what we weren’t so keen on.
Embarkation
SeaDream yachts accommodate a maximum of 112 guests, so as you can imagine, check-in was pretty speedy!
We were met at the port in Piraeus and personally escorted on to the ship. At the top of the gangway, we met the captain, hotel director and club director.
We were handed cold towels, a glass of Champagne and invited to take a seat on the deck. A crew member, Sanny, came over to clean our sunglasses, which was a lovely touch.
We only intended to sit for a moment, but the champagne kept flowing and it was just so nice to be relaxing on board.
Accommodation
SeaDream cabins all have windows – there are no inside cabins and no balconies. There are some suites, but those have windows too. We had a standard outside cabin with a picture window and it was lovely.
Although SeaDream’s two ships, SeaDream I and SeaDream II are as old as me (!) you definitely wouldn’t know from the decor.
All cabins have been recently upgraded and ours was spotlessly modern with a comfortable bed, sofa, huge TV and far more storage space than we could ever need.
There was a fully stocked mini-bar (all included) and large bottles of water were refilled daily. We asked if we could have Coke Zero in our mini bar and each day it was topped up with more cans!
Dining
The food was certainly one of the highlights of our cruise. Being vegan, I was especially keen to try the ‘biggest plant-based menu at sea.’ And SeaDream did not disappoint. In my opinion, after taking 40+ cruises, SeaDream is the best cruise line for vegans.
SeaDream yachts have enough space for every guest to dine at the same time, either in the Dining Salon or outside on deck. We enjoyed almost every meal out on the deck, which was an incredible experience.
Breakfast and lunch offered a combination of a buffet as well as a la carte options, while dinner was a five-course meal every night!
All of our meals were fresh, colourful, healthy and delicious. The plant-based options were incredible and included things I had never tried before, such as vegan shrimp!
There are plenty of snacks available too – I particularly loved the Pringles, nuts, pretzels and popcorn. Plus, there’s always a pre-dinner canape buffet.
24-hour room service is available free of charge, with some fantastic options on the menu, including an incredible vegan burger.
Drinks
Drinks are included in a SeaDream cruise and they were always flowing – from the welcome bottle of Champagne on ice in our room, to the endless offers of more drinks as we sat by the pool or in the restaurant. Our glasses were never empty.
One thing I found a little peculiar about SeaDream is that there are no drinks menus anywhere on the ship. Instead, you just ask for whatever you want and you can have it!
While some people undoubtedly love this, I did miss being able to browse a cocktail menu for inspiration rather than relying on the classics.
Onboard Activities
If you enjoy watersports, you’ll love SeaDream Yacht Club. Each ship has a marine platform giving you direct access to the sea so you can enjoy jet skis, kayaks, standup paddleboards, sailing boats, banana boat, snorkels, pool noodles or the floating trampoline – all free of charge.
Of course, there’s also the infamous slide into the sea! The 23.5-foot-long inflatable slide takes you from the pool deck and drops you into the crystal-clear ocean – it’s a must try!
If you prefer relaxation to action, there’s plenty of that on offer too with a swimming pool, three hot tubs, a hammock and plenty of sun loungers and day beds.
Evening entertainment
Given the small numbers of guests on board, the evening entertainment is minimal. You can listen to piano music and there is a casino table, but it seems that most guests go to bed after dinner.
This can feel a bit strange if you’re used to dinner and a show while on a cruise. You won’t find karaoke, comedians, acrobats or anything like that.
However, we soon adjusted to watching a movie in bed, or under the stars on the big screen, before retiring to bed ready for a busy day ashore.
One activity that you simply must try on a SeaDream cruise is sleeping under the stars. As night falls, the daybeds are made up with duvets and pillows so that you can experience camping at sea! It really is a magical experience.
Ports & Excursions
Thanks to their small size, SeaDream yachts are able to visit ports that big ships simply can’t.
We explored tiny Greek Islands like Milos, Ios, Patmos, Lindos and Symi. The contrast between these and the larger ports like Heraklion and Santorini was stark!
Visiting small towns and villages enables you to have more authentic experiences, sample local cuisine and see what a place is really like – away from the tourists.
Service
Every single crew member went above and beyond to make our voyage magical. With an approximate 1:1 ratio of guests to crew, they have time to chat and get to know the guests and you can tell that they love their jobs.
All of the waiters and bartenders would greet each guest by name, which is a skill I was certainly in awe of.
And nothing is too much trouble. Whatever we desired, the answer was never ‘no’. It was always – ‘Let me see if I can make that possible for you’.
We were even invited for dinner with the captain on one evening. He likes to dine with as many guests as possible during each cruise.
Atmosphere
On a SeaDream yacht, guests feel as though they are at home. The atmosphere is so warm and welcoming.
The dress code is casual – the only request is that men wear long trousers and closed-toed footwear when dining in the indoor restaurant.
Around half of the guests on our cruise were from the United States, with the rest being from a variety of countries including the UK, Australia, Canada, Norway and Germany. Most people were couples aged between 40 and 70.
To see more of what we did on our SeaDream cruise, you might want to watch our vlog…
My Recommendation
Our SeaDream cruise was truly magical and we will treasure the memories forever.
It’s one of the best cruises that we’ve ever done and we would be thrilled to cruise with SeaDream again one day.
The crew members suggested that we bring the kids, and while children are allowed, I wouldn’t recommend this cruise line for families. However, if you have teenagers who enjoy gourmet dining, relaxation and watersports – that could work well.
To learn more about SeaDream Yacht Club you can visit SeaDream.com. For expert help with planning your holiday, I recommend that you speak to the experts at Panache Cruises, who will be happy to assist.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.