In advance of publishing the 2012 Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships on 1st October, the new guide has announced that the 112-guest mega yachts SeaDream I and II have achieved the top two ratings in the ‘Boutique Ships’ category (50 – 200 passengers).
The Berlitz Guide, now in its 27th year, is researched and written by Douglas Ward – the world‘s top authority on cruising and cruise ships. Having reviewed 285 cruise ships, Ward has named the top-rating ships for 2012, with the 10 most highly rated being officially ’small‘ or ’boutique‘. The SeaDream ships’ ratings out of a possible 2,000 points, are:
SeaDream II – 1,788 points)
SeaDream I – 1,786 points
The hard-hitting reviews independently expose the best and worst scoring cruise ships, using an internationally-accepted rating system devised by the author, Douglas Ward, the most feared critic in the business. Taken into account are 400 separate items based on personal cruises, visits and revisits to ships, as well as observations and comments from Ward’s team.
Since SeaDream’s founding in 2001, it has been honoured annually by the Berlitz Guide, SeaDream I and II having been described as “ultimately Exclusive Boutique Vessels” ; and named as the tops in its Five Star Club, listing them as the “Crème de La Crème”.
Commenting on the announcement by Berlitz on their 2012 ship ratings, Bob Lepisto, SeaDream’s President, said:
We are honoured and delighted to have been so highly recognised once again in this world-renowned guide, produced by the passenger shipping expert Douglas Ward. We thank him and his publishers, however, as President I also want to add my sincere thanks to our colleagues at sea and those in our offices around the world who have all contributed to our continued success.
This accolade follows fast on the heels of our recent success in the Conde Nast Traveller Annual Readers‘ Travel Awards 2011, when we were voted ’Favourite Small Ship Cruise Line’ a first for us in the UK marketplace.
The SeaDream Difference:
In the 10 years since the company came into business, innovative SeaDream Yacht Club has brought a refreshing sea change to the world of ultra-luxury holidays at sea – with the intention of being completely different from any and every other cruise product.
The expression ‘Yacht Club’ is not a sentiment about size, it is a statement about lifestyle aboard the small, ultra-deluxe ships. Chic and stylish, SeaDream I and II are the ultimate hybrid of deluxe private yacht and luxury boutique spa. The elegant informality of the yachts sits comfortably with state-of-the art facilities, discreet, personal service and world class cuisine. – SeaDream is the only cruise operator to be a member of the Thai Spa Association
Yachting is about enjoying an unstructured lifestyle – dropping anchor offshore rather than tie up along side, staying in port until well after midnight and taking a voyage to locations where large traditional cruise ships just cannot sail.
That its two, 56-bedroom mega-yachts, SeaDream I & II have set such high standards, it is widely agreed to be a significant reason behind certain ultra-luxury traditional cruise lines having abandoned the quest for exclusivity and exactitude and announcing plans to build ships that resemble upscale holiday resorts.
Visit SeaDream & Deluxe Cruises at the Telegraph Cruise show at the NEC Birmingham on 29/30 October 2011