SeaDream Introduces Twin Mega Yachts
COCONUT GROVE, FL, March 2002---Twin Ultra-luxury mega yachts SeaDream I and II are offering seven-day, summer Mediterranean and winter Caribbean sailings in May for travelers desiring free-form seagoing holidays. The Twin mega yachts are operated by Florida headquartered SeaDream Yacht Club.
SeaDream II has just been completely redesigned and refitted at Lloyd Werft’s shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany and is now cruising in the Caribbean. Dream I, also operating in the Caribbean now, will go into the same European dry dock in April for the same work. Beginning in May both yachts will begin operating their Mediterranean season.
SeaDream I and II will be based in Nice for Mediterranean sailings and St. Thomas for the Caribbean. Both will be based in Miami in November and December for a ten week stint.
In the Mediterranean the twin yachts will call on such ports as Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon, Seville, Livorno (Florence), Monte Carlo, Portofino, Cannes and St. Tropez as well as a variety of lesser known, off-beat coastal towns and small harbors. In the Caribbean, where the yachts will sail out of St. Thomas and will call on ports in the British Virgin Islands and the Grenadines. For the Miami-based sailings, ports will include Nassau, San Salvador, Rose Island and Key West.
Larry Pimentel, Chairman and CEO for SeaDream Yacht Club, said “Our handsome twins provide a true yachting experience. It is totally different from a cruise line experience.
“Yachting features an open and unstructured ambience and provides guests the ability to fulfill their own dreams at their own pace,” he said. “No clocks, no crowds, no lines, no stress.
“We are a yacht company, not a cruise line,” said Pimentel.
Highlighting the SeaDream yachting experience, Pimentel cited several points of difference from cruise Lines:
Flexible Schedules and Itineraries---“Our yachts depart their first port and arrive at their last port as scheduled. But arrivals and departures at intermediate ports are not necessarily cast in stone and run by a strict timetable. Our Captains have the authority to adjust for local opportunities. If they want to visit a small island fish market so the chef can pick up the catch of the day, that’s fine. If the weather and the snorkeling are perfect in a small secluded bay and guests want to remain there a few more hours enjoying water sports with the yacht’s water toys, that’s fine.”
Overnighting in Key Ports---“Most cruise ships arrive at ports of call at about 8 a.m. and sail at 5 or 6 p.m. the same day. We overnight at such ports as Monte Carlo and St. Tropez, for example. The action in these ports doesn’t even get started until late in the evening. Why force guests to miss it?”
Raid the Pantry---“SeaDream guests enjoy the pleasures of the table in an indoor Dining Salon and outdoor Topside Restaurant, or from room service. They can also raid the pantry 24-hours a day for cookies and milk or for a sandwich---just as they can at home.”
Officers and Staff Lead Guests on Personal off-Ship Experiences---“Visit small town pastry shops with the chef, go snorkeling with the Captain or hiking biking or golfing with the officers. After all, they know these sailing regions like the backs of their hands.”
No Tux for Guys, No Gala Gowns for Gals---“Yachting is a casual affair and so is the dress. The fact is, there is no dress code.”
“The key word to our yachting experience is unstructured. Think of it as a free-form holiday. It’s all about personal choice,” Pimentel concluded.
Outdoor features of SeaDream I and II include: alcoves for sunning on double sun beds, a private massage tent on deck, a large screen golf simulator that can also be used to watch sports events or movies, captain’s chairs with mounted binoculars, a water sports Marina at the stern where guests can enjoy kayaking, water skiing, tubing, boarding, wave running, snorkeling and sunfish sailing. Tai chi, yoga and aerobics are also included.
Among indoor features are: an Asian-style spa with a Thalasso therapy tub into which warm sea water is filtered and pumped, a health club with elliptical treadmills mounted with flat screen TVs, free weights, and recumbent bikes. A personal trainer is available. There is also the Main Lounge with a 61-inch, flat screen viewer, piano bar and casino and a library with books, CDs, DVDs and PC outlets.
There are 55 guest accommodations on the SeaDream yachts with 54 Yacht Club Staterooms of 195 square feet. Sixteen of these are convertible to Commodore Club
Staterooms of 390 square feet with his and her bathroom facilities and a dining area accommodating four. There is also a 450 square foot, Owner’s Suite with a bedroom and bathroom with a tub and separate shower with a view of the sea, plus living room and dining area and a guest bathroom. SeaDream I and II will accommodate from 47 to 55 couples based on how the staterooms are configured. Staff and crew numbers 89.
All guest accommodations feature multiple jet, massage showers, lighted magnifying mirrors, an entertainment center with a flat screen TV, CD and DVD systems with an extensive selection of movies and other offerings, a personal jukebox with more than 100 digital music programs. All accommodations are Internet-ready.
SeaDream has also introduced what it terms “Yacht-Simple Pricing” that Pimentel says is “unstructured, uncluttered, uncomplicated and unusual. It avoids the frequent cruise industry morass that resembles the taxman’s handbook.”
SeaDream Yacht Club is the new yachting venture by Norwegian entrepreneur Atle Brynestad who founded Seabourn Cruise Line and Larry Pimentel, who was president of Seabourn under Brynestad and later president and CEO of the merged Cunard and Seabourn. Pimentel is Chairman and CEO of Coconut Grove, Florida- headquartered SeaDream Yacht Club and a co-owner. Aboard the yachts the officers and staff are international. The yachts are also ideal for small meetings and incentive groups and are available for full charter.