Our Honeymoon On A Yacht
A honeymoon on a cruise ship is great; a honeymoon on a yacht is even better!
My husband and I finally decided to plan our belated honeymoon and spend some alone time away from our one year old daughter. We spent eight wonderful and carefree days visiting the Antilles with the Seadream Yacht Club.
Seadream operates two 344 foot yachts, Seadream I and II. They never take on more than 112 guests so you have the feeling of traveling on your own private yacht. The staff to guest ratio is 1:1 and we never once had to wait for a drink, snack, deck chair, or dining table. The instant we boarded, every member of the staff warmly addressed us as Mr. And Mrs. Mandel, as opposed to feeling like guest #204 of 3,000.
The all-inclusive pricing no tipping policy meant we spent our days pampered, lounging in the sun, sipping top shelf drinks and staring into the boundless blue Caribbean. Quite the contrast from our daily routine of diapers, nap times, and no sleep.
We anchored in a different port everyday ranging from practically uninhabited Mayreau in St. Vincent and the Grenedines to ultra-chic St. Barths. Among the variety of land excursions available we found ourselves snorkeling in Mayreau, Snuba diving in St. Lucia and hiking a rain forest in Nevis. The excursions were reasonably priced, professionally run, and timed so that we were able to have free time after.
As the head chef in our family, I definitely appreciated the dining service and the respite from meal preparation (though to be fair, husband does the dishes)! There were a variety of choices at every meal, aimed at pleasing the international clientele. Those with dietary restrictions were not left out of the deliciousness.
There was a different vegan and raw menu daily as well as gluten free and vegetarian options. Meals were elegantly served in multiple courses with portions that were perfectly sized. There is a formal dining room but our favorite evenings involved dining al fresco on the top decks. We fully intended to skip formal dinner one night and order room service with a movie, but the friendly camaraderie my husband developed with the staff kept us at the dining table (the bottomless glasses of wine helped too).
I have to confess to taking several (3!) visits to the spa: holding a baby is tough on the shoulder muscles and while the space is small the ladies there did an excellent job at getting those knots out.
As I type this blog on the flight home, my husband and I are reflecting on the week and agree that it truly felt like a yacht all our own. We were so well looked after with attentive service that was not intrusive. The atmosphere was elegant and convivial with no pretension. The staff truly aimed to please.
Though we missed our daughter terribly (we actually found ourselves looking at pictures of her on our phones and reminiscing about her first year more than once) we returned rested, recharged and reminded of all the reasons we love each other in the first place. Isn’t that what a honeymoon is all about?
Your Avenue Two Advisor can help select the best voyage and port activities for your interests. Seadream voyages to the Caribbean and Mediterranean and guests booked through Avenue Two Travel may receive a $200 spa credit.
