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Place the cursor over the photos to read the
descriptions; if you click on any of the thumbnail pictures,
the full-sized photo will open in a pop up screen. Please note
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Page 1 of 8 |
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Page 1 of 8 |
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Be honest now. How often have you secretly dreamed of owning
a super yacht? To invite your friends and sip cocktails on
deck as your yacht anchors off some fancy Riviera town? Ahh... |
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SeaDream I
anchored off Portofino, Italy |
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Enter
SeaDream I,
one of two identical super yachts owned and operated by SeaDream
Yacht Club. Dividing their time between the Mediterranean
and Caribbean the two yachts each carry a maximum of 110 guests
and a crew of
92 to cater to every whim. Luxurious? Absolutely! Stuffy?
Never! |
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Cruise Line: |
SeaDream Yacht
Club |
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Built: |
1984 |
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Building Yard: |
Wärtsilä,
Finland |
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Gross Tonnage: |
4,253 |
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Length: |
104.8 m
(343.8 ft) |
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Beam: |
14.3 m (47.9 ft) |
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Passengers
(norm.): |
110 |
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Passengers
(max): |
110 |
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Crew: |
92 |
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Service speed: |
17.5 knots |
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SeaDream
Yacht Club was founded in 2001 when cruise industry veterans Atle Brynestad and Larry
Pimentel bought Sea Goddess I
and II from Cunard. These two small boutique vessels were originally designed to
be the most luxurious cruise ships afloat. |
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SeaDream I
at Portoferraio, Elba |
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Under
SeaDream management, a program of ongoing enhancements turned the Goddesses into Dreams.
Over the past six years, SeaDream I and II have
steadily climbed up the cruise ship ladder and are now in the
top league.
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SeaDream gangway |
SeaDream I at Portovenere,
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An
important part of the SeaDream success is the charter business and the two
yachts are frequently chartered to companies and private parties (isn't that the
ultimate luxury?). With a capacity for 55 couples and an
all-inclusive drinks policy, the yachts are perfectly suited
for any charter. In fact, the charter business is so important
for the line that they have set up a special charter website.
But apart from the charter business SeaDream also makes many
voyages available to the general public. Like our week-long
cruise along the Italian Riviera. |
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Don't expect
to cover long distances on a SeaDream voyage (except on
transatlantic crossings). This is yachting after all... On our
voyage, SeaDream I usually remains in port until the
early hours of the morning, leisurely drifting to the next
port of call which is just a couple of hours' sail
away. |
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SeaDream I |
October 20-27, 2007 |
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Saturday |
Civitavecchia
(Rome) |
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Sunday |
Portoferraio,
Elba |
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Monday |
Portovenere |
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Tuesday |
Portofino |
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Wednesday |
Livorno |
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Thursday |
Livorno |
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Friday |
Bastia,
Corsica |
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Saturday |
Civitavecchia
(Rome) |
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SeaDream is
eager to point out that sailing on their ships is "Yachting,
not Cruising". Still, the food, service,
daily programs,
Cruise Director (or Club & Activities Director as it is called
here) and room service will remind you of any other
upscale cruise line. What really sets SeaDream apart is the
size of their yachts. They are compact and perfect for warm
weather cruising. |
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SeaDream I at
Portoferraio, Elba |
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With 92 crew
member taking care of a maximum of 110 guests, you can imagine
that the service level is high. But it is the attitude of
the crew that really gives SeaDream a distinct edge. Always friendly
and courteous but never stuffy, the mostly Philippine service
staff create a feeling of camaraderie that is hard to beat.
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SeaDream logo |
SeaDream I at Portovenere,
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On such a
small ship (pardon me, yacht) it is very easy getting to know your fellow yachters. On our voyage, most of them
seemed well-traveled, affluent but remarkably down to earth.
The average age on our cruise hovered in the mid-forties and
with 50% Americans and 50% Europeans, the atmosphere was very
international. Add to that a relaxed dress code and a great
all-inclusive policy (you only pay for spa treatments, vintage
wines and shore excursions), most guests got what they were
looking for - great food and service, relaxation and... the
feeling of owning a super yacht! |
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Feels like a
private yacht |
Wheelhouse |
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