Sea Dream Yacht Club Hopes to Begin Europe Voyages in June

March 5, 2021 Jim Byers

The president of Sea Dream Yacht Club says he hopes to resume voyages in June.

“We fully anticipate” being able to set sail in the Mediterranean in June,  Sea Dream President Bob Lepisto said on a Zoom call on Thursday.

Lepisto said guests will be required to show they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19, and they’ll be required to take a virus test prior to embarking. They’ll also have their temperatures taken each day in a non-invasive manner.

Lepisto said he hopes all Sea Dream staff will be vaccinated when sailings begin, but that he’s not sure about that. All employees will be tested before they leave their home countries, and again before they embark.

Because Sea Dream’s two ships are relatively small (344 feet, with a capacity of about 100 passengers), they can dock in smaller ports than the big cruise ships. Ports of call in the Mediterranean include Seville, Portofino, Ponza, Italy (a beautiful island north of Capri) and Hvar, Croatia. In the Caribbean, they can pull into harbours on small islands such as Mayreau (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Jost Van Dyke, Saba and Anguilla.

“Now more than ever people are looking for small, boutique” ships with fewer crowds, Lepisto said.

Sea Dream this year will operate several cruises out of Palm Beach, Florida; some round-trip but also a one-way cruise to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Sea Dream’s slogan is that “it’s yachting, not cruising.” It’s certainly a smaller ship than you’ll find from the likes of Carnival or Royal Caribbean. But they have tons of activities and amenities, including a hot tub, a gym, a spa that offers Thai massages, bicycles, a water trampoline, paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear and more.

The cruises are all-inclusive, so you don’t have to worry about extra charges for your excursions or equipment use.

Yours truly had a chance to take a Mediterranean cruise with them a few years ago, and it was tremendous. The rooms were reasonably-sized and the ship was great. But it was the food and the people and the service who really made it.

What kind of service? Towards the end of our trip I ordered a burger for lunch, and the waiter asked if I wanted him to spread the mustard on it for me. That kind of service. (By the way, I declined. If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s properly applying condiments to a hamburger.)

Our trip featured a couple who worked for a winery in the Napa Valley, so we got in some great tips and champagne tasting.

Our voyage began in Barbados and included stops in Saint Lucia, Mayreau, Bequia, Iles des Saintes in Guadeloupe, St. Barts and Nevis.

Two of the coolest things I recall were at the beginning and near the end. Our first stop was Mayreau, and they kicked things off with their traditional floating caviar and champagne celebration, with sparkling wine and nibblies served on a floating raft in about two feet of clear, aquamarine water in a quiet bay. Sipping champagne and eating caviar in your bathing suit in the warm waters of the Caribbean is something you remember for quite a long time.

Another highlight was our night sleeping in a large tent (with comfy beds) perched on the top deck of the ship. Before we went to sleep we sat outside on the deck (which was closed off to other guests) and sipped champagne , admiring a brilliant, full moon rising over the dark waters of the sea as our ship skirted the coast of Guadeloupe.

Lepisto said Sea Dream has seen an “incredible” surge in bookings, but that there are still rooms available for Mediterranean sailings this summer (they operate in Europe in summer and then move the ships to the Caribbean for the winter season).

About the Author