SeaDream II is a compact, luxury vessel operated by SeaDream Yacht Club. Launched in 1985, the ship was bought by the cruise line in 2001 and is a sister ship to SeaDream I.

We were thrilled to be invited on board this vessel in London last month and excited to have an opportunity to stay overnight to experience all aspects of the ship including its facilities, cuisine and personnel.

In Sea Dream’s own words, “the twin mega-yachts SeaDream I & II are intimate boutique ships that provide a unique travelling experience unlike any other cruise vacation.” This uniqueness is undoubtedly the case, since these vessels are home to 95 crew members serving only 112 guests on each voyage. This small number (and the almost 1:1 ratio of crew to passenger) makes each guest feel like they are on their very own private luxury yacht.

Chic and stylish, SeaDream’s 56-stateroom vessels are highly regarded for their elegant informality, highly personal service and only ocean view staterooms and suites. Each yacht offers luxury accommodation throughout the vessel and world-class cuisine (and of course an inclusive open bar and gratuities).

Upon arrival on board the Yacht in the late afternoon we were greeted with a warm welcome from the Scottish Captain (who has worked for SeaDream for 20 years) and crew who had laid out welcoming cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the main saloon.

After settling into our beautiful stateroom, we made our way to dinner where SeaDream II’s expert chefs and sommeliers treated us to a grand dining experience. Dinner was a relaxed and relaxing affair where the crew made a grand spectacle of the main course with the waiters revealing every diner’s food at the same time. The food was spectacular, well presented, perfectly prepared and, naturally, extremely flavourful and tasty.

After dinner we explored the Yacht. We visited the piano bar where guests were singing along with the pianist – it felt like a family affair, or perhaps an exclusive ‘club’ where everyone is welcomed and joining in (no matter how bad ones singing) is part of the experience.

The pool deck was set up for a movie under the stars with plenty of popcorn to hand and blankets for our knees if we got too cold. By day the Balinese dream beds on deck are perfect for relaxing but by night these can be made up for sleeping under the stars – if it’s warm enough of course.

On our visit, we found most guests on the top deck at the “Top of the Yacht” bar. Offering fantastic views and a great atmosphere this was a favourite for all of us and the music and conversation made this a fabulous venue to sit and chat.

In terms of on-board amenities, the Ship is well equipped with a spa and fitness centre that offers guests every opportunity to both work- and chill-out while being pampered. The ship also has a fantastic retractable water sports marina platform and slide which we can imagine offers a great combination of both fun and hilarity when in use.

A great new addition to the vessel is the couple’s hot tubs which are located towards the bow of the ship near to the golf simulator – there’s absolutely no excuse for not keeping one’s handicap up to par when on board a SeaDream Yacht.

We were accommodated overnight in a Yacht Club Stateroom. These are located on Decks 3 & 4 and average 195 sq.ft./18.12 sq. metres in size. These picture window ocean view staterooms include a marble-lined bathroom with a multi-jet shower and a well-appointed living area with sofa, chair, cocktail table, and built-in dresser with writing desk. Most staterooms offer a choice of 2 twin beds (which ours had) or 1 queen bed. It was both luxurious and, given we were in the heart of Europe’s busiest city, it proved to be very well insulated, keeping out London’s night-time noise which enhanced the experience greatly.

There was a wide selection at breakfast the following morning including both buffet and cooked to order items. Both the pancakes (with banana) and the eggs benedict were delicious.

Would we recommend SeaDream to you? Absolutely! We look forward to the time when we can spend more than one night aboard these lovely, intimate, classy vessels.