What’s the difference between a cruise ship and a yacht? For family-owned SeaDream Yacht Club, just about everything. Their slogan – It’s Yachting, Not Cruising – is a testament to the personalized luxury and unique destinations found on every itinerary. Some cruise ships can be large, loud, and guests become just another number. On a SeaDream yacht, the vacation revolves around you. 

We may be living in uncertain times, but SeaDream Yacht Club has made significant changes to their booking process that makes cancellation and rescheduling easier than ever. They’ve also taken the time to examine their operations to better provide a true luxury vacation experience for guests. 

The cruise line initially shut down in March like the rest of the industry, but thanks to their small ships and unique itineraries, they were able to return to operation on June 20th, an incredible feat given some cruise lines remain paused now months later with no end in sight. 

SeaDream’s first voyages to Norway on board SeaDream I sold out quickly, so quickly in fact that the cruise line decided to activate their second ship, SeaDream II to handle the demand. That cruisers wanted to come back and successful cruises could be completed safely was an important milestone for a full return to operation. 

SeaDream’s call on Fjaerland, Norway Summer 2020 | Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

The cruise line currently offers cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean for 2020 and beyond. If you’re tired of sitting around at home, here are a few reasons why you should treat yourself to a luxury cruise for your first vacation back. 

The Small Ship Difference 

The massive cruise ships built these days are impressive, but how can you personalize your vacation when thousands of others are onboard looking for the same thing? With only 112 guests per yacht, SeaDream has the ability to craft a unique vacation experience where you are the only thing that matters. Guests can enjoy their time on board in relaxing fashion or explore exotic ports to the fullest, it all depends on how you want to spend the day. 

SeaDream’s Caribbean itineraries take guests to some of the region’s most treasured destinations with some of the most picturesque ports. Itineraries leaving in November are full of highlights like a morning exploring the chic port of Gustavia, St. Barth and a sunset by the towering Pitons of St. Lucia. The Mediterranean itineraries are just as impressive with calls to multiple countries along the coastline. One trip outlines a visit to Portugal, Spain, France, Montecarlo and Italy in the span of just a week. 

A SeaDream Day, and Night 

Is there a better feeling than waking up in paradise? Spending the day the SeaDream way means waking up to a fresh, hot breakfast before making difficult decisions like which Balinese Dream Bed you want to lounge in. You can also head down to the sport deck where the choices include a leisurely paddle in a kayak or an action-packed jetski ride, just to name a few. With such a small number of passengers on board, there’s never a line or a wait to enjoy yourself to the fullest. 

Balinese Dream Beds | Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

When you cruise with SeaDream Yacht Club, the day is yours. 

The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. In fact, some would say it’s just getting started. Live music at the piano bar, movies under the stars, or a few hands at the blackjack table are just some of the ways you can spend your evening on board a SeaDream Yacht. 

Top of the Yacht Lounge | SeaDream Yacht Club

More than Just Dining 

A large part of any luxury cruise experience is the dining. You won’t find 20+ specialty restaurants on a SeaDream Yacht, just a handful of outstanding ones. Choice is great, but on some ships, lots of choice means sacrificing quality. SeaDream is focused on creating a culinary experience bursting with flavor and creativity. 

Multi-course meals served with a selection of fine wines delight with their presentation and you can’t beat the view from the Topside Restaurant. The elegant dining salon is another option serving 5-star dishes that excite the palate, just make sure you leave room for the evening dessert extravaganza. 

Elegant Cuisine, with a view | Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

With specialty options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cruisers, SeaDream goes above and beyond to ensure a positive dining experience. Guests with other dietary restrictions are encouraged to contact SeaDream before the cruise so the team can better accommodate those needs on board the ship. 

SeaDream’s Ultimate Booking Assurance 

There’s always going to be uncertainty in life, but with the state of travel these days, many are hesitant to book a vacation. Who knows what life could be like a month from now? SeaDream Yacht Club listened to potential cruisers express their concerns and decided to do something about it. What they came up with was a brand new booking policy designed to give guests the confidence to book their dream vacation. 

SeaDream’s new Ultimate Booking Assurance guarantees a full cash refund or 120% future voyage credit for all new cruise bookings departing July 22, 2020, until June 30th, 2021. The policy applies to all cruises affected by travel restrictions from the guest’s country of origin. 

That’s a generous policy already, but SeaDream Yacht Club really wanted to make sure guests felt comfortable planning their vacation. The cruise line is allowing guests to reschedule their booking to a later date should someone simply not feel like traveling. At a time when circumstances can change in an instant, it just makes sense to give people as much peace of mind as possible. 

SeaDream I and SeaDream II | Photo: SeaDream Yacht Club

The time off was well spent for the line as they also made an effort to enhance the guest experience through updating and rejuvenating their fleet, testing out new recipes for their dining rooms and implementing a new training course for crew on proper cleaning procedures and COVID-19 infection management. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but SeaDream clearly made an effort to make the best of it and those efforts are paying off. 

It’s been a long wait to cruise again, so make sure your first vacation back is one to remember. A luxury yacht cruise just might be the perfect vacation so if you haven’t experienced one, why not now? 

This post was sponsored by SeaDream Yacht Club.