At Last, SeaDream I and II Make Down-to-Earth Prices a Reality

We never thought it would happen--a seven-day cruise on one of the legendary Sea Goddess ships for $1,599 per person, double occupancy--but it has.

Through the pre-Christmas sailing of Dec. 15, the former Sea Goddess I, now the SeaDream I, will sail round trip from Charlotte Amalie in the U.S. Virgin Islands every Saturday to St. John, St. Croix, Virgin Gorda, St. Martin, St. Bart’s and Jost van Dyke. For sailings on Dec. 22 and 29, the fare increases to $2,975 per person, double, still considerably less than the previous Seabourn brochure price of $11,820.

We spent a week aboard the 116-passenger Sea Goddess I in August in the Mediterranean shortly before its newest owner, Atle Bryne-stad, took it over. It was the same luxurious vessel, with many of the same top-class crew members on board that have been running the pair for years.

The yacht-like ambience and the mix of sophisticated, even glamorous, American and European clientele were the same.

So was the all-inclusive feature, which meant rarely, if ever, signing a tab.

But new to the ship’s mix were younger passengers drawn by a more relaxed dress code and more gay and lesbian travelers. We also saw an elderly disabled man with his wife and his nurse, a pair of young Latin American women and several Swedish couples.

Sea Goddess I and Sea Goddess II have weathered numerous changes of name and ownership in the years since the first one made its debut in 1984. Sea Goddess Cruises began as the dream cruise line for a young Norwegian businessman, but after two financially rocky years, it was sold to Cunard Line, which continued to operate the ships without changing legendary traditions like frequent and generous portions of caviar and champagne.

Brynestad, founder of Seabourn Cruise Line, sold that company to Carnival in 1991. When Carnival Corp. acquired Cunard in 1998, the Sea Goddess ships were moved into the same brand category as the three Seabourn ships, and all five were marketed as “the yachts of Seabourn.”

Then, last July, a group of Norwegian investors led by Brynestad announced the purchase of the Goddesses, effective Aug. 31. The president and chief executive of Brynestad’s new cruise line, SeaDream Yacht Club, is Larry Pimentel, former president and chief executive of Seabourn, and later of Cunard Line under Carnival ownership.

The new company will continue to operate the pair of ships, now named SeaDream I and SeaDream II, on their existing itineraries through the end of the year.

One ship will go into a 42-day dry dock in December, the other early next year, according to Pimentel.

“We’re actually going to make the ships with convertible cabins,” Pimentel says. With convertible cabins, two standard cabins can be doubled to a suite by opening up the wall between them. That way the ship can offer anywhere from two suites and 56 standard cabins to 28 large suites, depending on demand.

Plans also call for extensive refurbishment of the bathrooms; renovated cabins with new bedding, furnishings, carpets and built-ins; an expansion of the Steiner spa area; and a major renovation of all public areas. More emphasis on lifestyle lectures, good health seminars and human potential programs is expected, Pimentel says. Creative chefs and an expanded wine list are high priorities.

In the changeover to SeaDream, Pimentel says, the ships lost only eight of the 270 staff and crew members. The ships will continue to carry Scandinavian officers, international crew and the Bahamian flag.

SeaDream plans to continue the same type of itineraries the ships had during the past decade, spending winters in the Caribbean, primarily the British Virgin Islands, and summers along the French Riviera, based in Nice or Monaco.

To some passengers accustomed to the newer and larger vessels of Radisson Seven Seas and Silversea, the standard Sea Goddess cabins are small at 205 square feet. The bathrooms, with tub/shower combinations, resemble those in the average Sheraton Hotel.

The bed is by the window with a small pair of nightstands, and a wide arch leads into the sitting area with sofa, chair, coffee table, ottoman, desk/dresser and built-in storage and entertainment area.

If you’re not a clotheshorse, there is enough wardrobe and storage space for the average cruise of a week or two. Added touches: a duvet on the bed and a silk floral bedspread with small decorative cushions in daytime. Mineral water, fresh flowers and fruit, and a complimentary stocked bar are among the amenities.

All beverages on board, except for certain expensive wines, are complimentary, and gratuities are included. Laundry and dry cleaning are expensive compared with other cruise ships, and there is no self-service laundry.

The dress code is “elegantly casual” after 6:30 p.m. throughout the ship, with most men wearing polo shirts or silk or cotton shirts without ties. On our cruise, a few wore sport jackets, and one donned jacket and tie for dinner. The women were generally dressier, with silks, sequins and jewelry.

The line’s U.S. debut will be Feb. 1 in Miami.

For more information about SeaDream Yacht Club, ask a travel agent or contact the company’soffices at 2601 Bayshore Drive, Penthouse 1B, Coconut Grove, FL 33133; (800) 707-4911, https://www.seadreamyachtclub.com.*

Shirley Slater and Harry Basch travel as guests of the cruise lines. Cruise Views appears twice a month.