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Days 6, 7 and 8 Disembarkation and Puerto Rico – December 18th, 19th and 20th

We arrived at San Juan around 8:00 a.m. and were unceremoniously told that we had to leave. This is the worst part of the trip. Disembarking in San Juan was a little bit different. There are no immigration formalities on board. You tell the crew goodbye, walk down the gangplank and into the terminal, where you pick up your luggage and clear both immigration and customs at one stop.

We had a driver arranged in San Juan, to take us to the El Conquistador resort. He never appeared and we ended up with a wonderful cab driver, who charged us $50 less than the arranged car. We arrived at the hotel around 10:30 and were able to get right into our room. FT spent the day at the pool. I napped and spent some time at the pool.

Friday night we took a kayak tour of bioluminescent bay. The sparkling single cell organisms are unbelievable. We took the second tour of the evening. All of us are non kayakers. FT and DD were in one kayak and DS and I were in a different one. FT's coordination impaired kayak was definitely a challenge for the guides who were fantastic, better than that, they had to be towed most of the way. We paddled, well DS and I did, through mangrove channels to a bay. At times it was so dark you could barely see the kayak in front of you. The organism were so concentrated the water flowing off the kayaks sparkled like diamonds were flowing through it. It was a wonderful adventure.

Saturday breakfast was a shock to say the least. DS got a glum look on his face. Turns out he had been having banana pancakes every single day for breakfast on the yacht and of course they weren't on the menu here. DD had to skip the chocolate croissants and I had to start the day without lamb chops. And both DD and DS were in withdrawal from SD hot chocolate. Louie had spoiled them by no matter where they were sitting bringing them a full pot, more than enough for a couple of cups each, every morning. Thank you Louie

The hotel has a private island that is very nice. FT and I took the ferry over and spent the day there. It was nice, not Jost nice, but nice.

On Sunday we called our cab driver who took us on a tour of the rain forest. As I mentioned we discovered a very good driver in San Juan. The service I arranged was not waiting at the pier and did not show up on a timely basis. Turns out a taxi was cheaper than the any car/limo/van quote I received. From the pier to El Conquistador - $80 for 4 plus $1.00 per bag and the $1.50 toll. His name is Regis Polanco and he will meet you at the airport or pier and was on time. I admired a CD he was playing - and he handed to him when he dropped us off at the airport. Phone number is 787.473.7872 and e-mail is 472-7872. (note: I am not receiving any compensation of any time for this recommendation.)

We were dropped at the airport and had an on time, uneventful flight back to CLT. The only bad part was that we were early and had to wait almost half an hour on the tarmac. A short drive up I-85 , we ran into snow on the side of the roads, and a return to reality.

Days 4 and 5 Virgin Gorda, Norman Island and Jost van Dyke = December 16th and 17th

We arrived off Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda around 8:00 a.m. and tendered into shore where we met the local "taxis" and journeyed to the Baths. Considering how early we arrived it was very crowded. A number of excursions from a large cruise ship docked at Tortola were already there and a large group of people staying on St. Thomas were there. Two separate tour groups were coming out back from Devil's Beach while we were trying to get there, so we had to wait for a few minutes. The guides for the land based tour were some of the rudest people that I have ever encountered in the Caribbean. They insisted on going backwards through the Baths with large groups and in an effort to maintain a schedule told us that they were hurrying because they had an injured guest with them. Surprisingly no injured guest appeared.

The Baths were lovely, as usual, but, if you get claustrophobic, it can be a bit confining. It is well worth the trip. The short trip down the hill, seems a lot longer coming back up. The snorkeling in Devil's Bay was very nice. There are not as good or as many fish at Devil's Bay, so stay at the Baths proper if you want to see Barracuda, etc. Devil's Bay is much gentler for swimming and allows more spreading out. If you don't want to go through the caves, there's an easier walk from the car park. We spent about two hours there and then made our way back to the top of the Baths, where we rejoined the "taxis" and went back to Spanish Town where we tendered back to the yacht.

If you want a bar in the Caribbean, Toad Hill, at the top of the Bath's is up for sale.

A few signs of Christmas, including an inflated Santa on a yacht in the marina and some 30 foot decorated trees at a couple of public buildings, were in evidence

The captain weighed anchor around noon and we moved to Norman island as we enjoyed lunch. FT was impressed watching the Captain maneuver the yacht past another yacht (not a lot smaller that SD) and "park" it. He had numerous observers on the bridge. Water toys are coming out again this afternoon but the dreaded disembarkation information showed up in our cabin.

Tenders ran all afternoon to Pirates Bight and number of guests, including FT and myself, ventured ashore. It was a gorgeous walk up a hill to the top of the island where you could see both coasts and the SD sitting so nicely (as opposed to rocking and rolling in St. Maarten). And another pleasant surprise, lots and lots of butterflies, orange and black, yellow and white, white with black markings. It was like being in a Disney cartoon with them flitting all around. And there's a nice little patch of snorkeling to the left of the beach. Schools of fish and just about ten feet off shore a huge ray came swimming by. Beware the diving pelicans though. They don't let a human get between them and their dinner. I enjoyed an original Bushwacker, it was more like a nice chocolate shake.

The Returning Guest Reception was held tonight and seemed lightly attended, but the owner and his wife made a point of introducing themselves to each guest. They are staying on for the next couple fo weeks, with their daughter and sons who will join them Friday. Among the return guest nights between us all, we had 1500+ nights but two couples (of which sadly we are not one) accounted for 900+ of those nights. One English couple had more than 650 nights total, each having spent almost a year on board. They boarded with us and are on for a month. FT has 60+ nights which would have put her fourth alone and adding my 28 nights (. . .darn crossings!) did not help much because we were still fourth. Hopefully the days we get in May will help. When Captain T asked FT what she would have to do to get the winning number of nights her answer was classic - win the lottery.

Neither of our children do not want to get off. Their cabin is way neater all the time than their on shore rooms and DS disclosed he doesn't leave his clothes on the floor (as opposed to home where they stay on the floor) because the stewardess keeps picking them up and folding them and he felt bad about creating that much work for her.

Captain did discuss a couple of the new itineraries, especially a couple that deal with the wine country in France and mentioned that those were a result of requests from Club members - so keep those comments coming folks.

The menu Wednesday night was Chef's Degustation menu and included:

Menu

• L'Oeuf Poule au caviar "Surprise"
• Seared Tuna Loin with Grilled Scallop and Carrot Tagliatelle Hazelnut Dressing with Duck Liver Emulsion
• Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Peach Champagne Sorbet
• Pan Fried Sea Bass on Aubergine Caviar with Saffron, Fresh Herbs Risotto, Bell Pepper Coulis with Basil Oil

  or

  "3 Ways of Lamb" Lamb Loin "Sous Vide", Grilled Lamb Chop and Braised Lamb Shoulder with Lemon Thyme Beans and Sautéed Forrest Mushrooms

• Morbier Cheese on Dried Fruit and Nuts Bread enhanced with Truffle flavored Honey
• Chocolate Crumble Tart with Marinated Strawberries and Champagne Sabayon
• Homemade Petit Fours and Chocolate Truffles

There was a Vegetarian alternative also available.

We overnighted at Norman island so it has been very calm. A tender service ran from 9:00 p.m. until midnight to accommodate people who wanted to go ashore to Pirates Bight. Reports overheard indicate that some of the "wild bunch" mentioned previously mentioned continued their revelry ashore. We left for the short sail to Jost Van Dyke during breakfast. The first zodiac for guests was around 10:30, and the four of us were on it.

Today was beautiful, literally not a cloud in the sky, gentle breeze which I estimate at about 5 knots from the east. The water in White Bay was smooth as glass and we had a great time. DS and I ventured to Foxy's, by taxi, and the Soggy Dollar where pain killers were sampled and the hat and T shirt supply was replenished.

FT wandered down the beach to One Love and Soggy Dollar. She had to restock on sunscreen. No burns this trip so far and record consumption of sunscreen thanks to the wonderful weather.

Snorkeling was very good. Saw some barracudas. C&C Splash kicked off promptly at 12:30. Of course trays of rum punch and pain killers had been circulating for quite a while. Everyone seemed to enjoy and as others have commented - any walls between passenger groups come down when you mingle in the surf all day. We were almost the last ones to come back to yacht.

At the barbeque on Jost FT saw Chef Josselin working on the charcoal for a grill and went to thank him for the wonderful lamb at the tasting menu the night before. He then responded to a comment we had made to a waiter on a side dish a couple of nights before, calling her by name. You think you would get used to the 5 star attention of SD, but she was still taken a back. No wonder we all keep going back to SD.

We spent a lot of time standing in the surf chit chatting quite a bit with various SD sales folks on this trip. It was great to meet the, especially Ralph. FT believes that SD isn't hurting as much in this economy as some of its competitors which explains why we aren't seeing the further price reductions.

FT went ahead and booked the back to back Greece trip for next summer. 15% on ship discount plus 10% on 2nd voyage only. Nice little savings. The Captain recommends the Ephesus concert, so it will definitely be on the to do list. This definitely takes the sting off the SD withdrawal pains. I am excited because we will at least get a few hours in Istanbul, or as we say Constantinople, where my grandmother grew up and lived for the first 24 years of her life.

Cocktails tonight were served in the main salon, and we dined al fresco. Dinner on board included a special cake to celebrate DD's birthday. Surprise included a decorated cabin. Made it a special event. As FT says, and knows from personal experience there is nothing like celebrating a birthday on SD.

The menu Thursday night included:

Starters

• Salad of Shrimp, Tomato and Avocado with Bell Pepper - Orange Dressing
• Homemade Terrine of Foie Gras with Fresh Figs Compote and Toasted Butter Bioche
• Homemade Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Soups

• Veloute of Forrest Mushroom with White Truffle Oil
• Chilled Mango

Salads

• Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing and Croutons
• Waldorf Salad

Chef's Main Dishes

• Fillet of Cod Fish with Tomato Chutney and Herb Crust Artichokes a la Grecque and Boiled Potatoes
• Whole Roast Pork Tenderloin glazed with Calvados and Thyme Green Vegetables and gratin Potato
• Beijing Whole Roast Duck on Stir Fried Noodles Crispy Vegetables and Hoi-Sin Sauce

There were of course the Vegetarian alternatives and the selections from the Oriental Wellness Cuisine.

Desserts

• "Fondant au Chocolat Blanc" served with Raspberry Sorbet
• Oreo Cheese Cake served with Butter Scotch Sauce
• Porfiteroles stuffed with Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Sauce

Days 2 and 3 - St. Barths –December 14th and 15th

As Monday dawned we were sailing toward St. Barths. The ride was still a bit rocky, as it had been all night, but it was not too bad. FT and James Cabello, the commodore, who cruised with us this week along with some SD execs, completed an early morning mile around deck five, which I understand is done daily on the crossing. The weather was beautiful as we cruised by St. Marteen. After there walk, we enjoyed breakfast in the port side office. The lamb chops were wonderful, and became a daily requirement. FT introduced our son to the warm dark chocolate croissants. In addition to those he scarfed down an omelet and banana pancakes. I don't think that he stopped smiling the whole time we were on board.

A few words about the Admiral Suite. It is beautiful. But you can only imagine walking in and seeing the bathtub edge lined with red rose petals and rose petals scattered on the soap dish. FT was a bit concerned about potential noise from the piano bar. No need to be it was not disturbance at all. In fact, it is strange, you can hear the noise in the bathroom and living area, but not in the sleeping area. It is perfect. Huge closets. Three large windows. Comfy couch and two chairs as well as small table and 4 chairs. 48 inch flat panel TV in seating area and small 27 inch TV in the bedroom. According to FT the bathroom is just gorgeous. Two people can fit comfortably. Very well designed with closet and lots of cabinet space. The only complaint is that the shower is tiny, but the 7, yes 7 , shower nozzles are incredible!

FT adds to my shower report by saying that the AS shower is a spa treatment in itself. The height (about 6 ft 4) and the size of the large shower head (bigger than a human head) coupled with the 6 standard SD shower fully adjustable jets - 3 vertical pairs at about knee level, lower back and shoulder level, puts out enough water to be a vertical Jacuzzi. SD should use this shower as a marketing feature. Unbelievable!

If there is one disconcerting thing about the suite it is the doorbell. It sounds just like the "bong" that comes over the PA system before an announcement is made.

We arrived at St. Barths shortly after noon. Unfortunately I had to work for a couple of hours so I did not get off the ship. We are here until tomorrow night so it is not a big deal, as we have visited four times before. Lunch was wonderful. I had some items off the buffet line. A tomato stuffed with small shrimp and a slice of duck breast, followed by the traditional mussels in garlic sauce. Chef Josselin was very visible and worked very hard to insure perfection.

This afternoon we had the pool deck almost to ourselves. The drink of the day was Blue Shark - Patron Tequila with Blue Curacao. The afternoon pass around with chilling cold fruit on skewers. Water toys were out from 2:00 until 4:00 followed by swimming off the Marina platform from 4:00 to 4:30. Since there was no line at the platform, our DS got an extended time on the "fast" jet ski. We thought of DisneyJen's DH on that one. Something tells me that even on the "slow" one he would run circles around DJsDH and myself. He has no fear.

The next best site of the day had to be a fleet of 8 tiny sail boats, each manned by two children wearing life jackets. They were guided by a larger boat with instructors and with a "pick up boat" at the end. They were taking sailing lesson behind us. The boats were about the size of large garbage cans cut in half and the children ranged from 7 to about 11 or 12 in age. They were waving at us and chatting merrily in French of course. Great young sailors. They had no accidents as they tacked back and forth, a couple of close calls, but it was so enjoyable.

FT reports that the sunglass cleaning reached a new high today. As Brian was working his way around the pool, when he got to a couple of women in the hot tub, they rejected his offer to clean their glasses. He looked a little surprised, they grinned and said Zoltan beat you to it. They had just had them cleaned upstairs! Then Brian came around with the cold water mister. She doesn't remember that from last March or prior trips, but it was very refreshing.

Before dinner DS and I enjoyed wonderful massages at the SPA. You would have thought that the boy had died and gone to heaven. DD is loving the trip. She is wearing the patch, and is not having a problem with seasickness and swears that she's not getting off the yacht. (She has been hesitant to cruise with DS and myself because of fears of seasickness, somehow I think our boys week away each summer has a stowaway from now on!) She did not suffer any side effects. She is reading her kindle by the pool and her only concern is needing to download books before we give up the internet connection. She had kiwi sorbet for dessert at lunch and loved it.

Cocktails were served poolside from 6:30 to 7:30 followed by dinner at the Topside restaurant. Tonight was the Captain's reception. Lots of caviar and all the fixings, and stone crab claws. All the officers were introduced tonight at the reception. It is always nice to hear their background, they are an eclectic group. The Chief Officer is leaving tomorrow to head home for the holidays and snow. We got a chance to chat for a few minutes with Sea Dream's President, Mr. Bob Lepisto. This turned out to be the first of many conversations. What a very nice guy. I commented that the internet seems faster now than it has been on previous trips. He mentioned that it would be getting faster in March - but that it would not be Wifi.

Captain T had not been very visible today and he explained by saying he had been working on the weather. Looks like we aren't going to Marigot/St. Maarten on Wednesday but are instead going to Virgin Gordon/The Baths and then on to Norman Island. A big hooray came from the peanut gallery, especially since it is supposed to be pretty rough in Marigot plus the Oasis monstrosity and several other ships are going to be on St. Maarten. Hope springs eternal that we will make Jost van Dyke this trip. He also reported that 45% of the passengers were repeaters.

The menu Monday night included:

Starters

• Spicy Thai Beef Salad with Fresh Mango, Mint and Soya Dressing
• Green Asparagus Bavaroise with Organic Smoked Salmon Tartar and Caviar Crème
• "Vol au Vent" - Creamy Asparagus and Mushroom Ragout in Puff Pastry

Soups

• Cream of Potato and Leek
• Chilled Gazpacho with Condiments

Salads

• Mint Green Salad with Cucumber and Red-wine Vinegar
• Heart of Palm Salad with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Chef's Main Dishes

• Grilled Fillet of Halibut on Vegetable Julienne with White Asparagus, Mash Potato and Champagne Beurre Blanc and Vongole
• Whole Roast Prime Strip Loin Beef with Duchesse Potato, Steamed Vegetables and Burgundy Sauce
• Roasted Quail on Curried White Cabbage, Sautéed Red Bliss Potatoes with Onion and Bacon, Jus natural.

There were of course the Vegetarian alternatives and the selections from the Oriental Wellness Cuisine.

Desserts

• Chocolate Silk Cake
• Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Crème Fraiche Ice Cream
• Warm raspberry Steam Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Before retiring for the night we found a cute little critter awaiting us in our cabin, a towel elephant wearing FT's sunglasses. He survived the night but took a turn for the worse in the morning when he jumped off the counter as the yacht rocked a bit. Last night's gift was the five post cards with various SD photos. The top one was the shot of the yacht with the Sea Doo cutting in front of it labeled playful.

We took an early tender ashore and picked up a rental car that I had arranged with Soleil Caraibe. They are located at the airport, but the owners also own the Sunset Hotel, which is just across the street from the tender landing. If you check in at the hotel they will come from the airport and pick you up. That way you can go back to the airport and finish the paper work. You return the car to the airport and they take you back to town. It saves about 20 Euros in cab fare. We got, a great rate for the car. 40 Euros for the day. Even with the insurance and the gas it was only 64 Euros for the day. Much better price than I found anywhere else.

St. Barths is a beautiful island, but several roads are under construction and detours abound. Nothing like dead ending in front of exasperated, French speaking, construction workers.

The four of us went to Governor's Beach, which is gorgeous and was almost completely empty. Probably no more than 20 people there today. We were heading to Saline when we ran into the above mentioned workers. FT and DD were tired so DS and I dropped them in town and we went exploring. Gustavia, as usual, was crowded. He and I ended up going to the East end of the island. He loved the little villages and got some nice pictures. Our plan was to eat lunch, but parking, even away from town was so difficult that we gave up and went back to the ship around 2:30. It wasn't so bad the water toys were out again and we enjoyed the jets skis one more time.

To those of you who always ask, there are five under 15 year olds on board., but as opposed to some other voyages, you have to look long and hard to find them. If only the twenty somethings (not ours, but a group of about 6 or 8 others) who are on the ship acted like the children it would be wonderful. There is a time and a place for everything, but I will give kudos to SD, as soon as they learned of the issues, the offending passengers straightened their behavior out.

Buffet at lunch included very nice sized crab legs. Entrees were pizza marguerite and a lasagna. One member of party had the guava-orange sorbet. And the champagne was Perrier-Jouet.

We got a surprise when we walked out to the pool deck for the Caribbean Madness Cocktails. All the waiters were wearing Hawaiian/Caribbean patterned shirts. A separate bar was set up and trays of drinks were being circulated. The beverages included Heat Wave (peach schnaps, triple sec, banana liquer, malibu rum, pineapple juice); Pain Killers, Nutmeg Bushwhackers and a Long Island Tea. Pass Around this afternoon was orange sherbet with blueberries on top in a frozen orange half. Quite an afternoon.

SD I arrived around 6, and we had a few visitors. We are "traded" entertainers. Because of the expect rough waters we remained in St. Barths until about 10:00 p.m., but ended up with a smooth sail to the BVI.

The menu Tuesday night included:

Starters

• Escabeche of Fresh Swordfish with Onions, Tomato and Lime Wedge
• Poached Chicken Breast on Avocado "Salsa" Salad, Tomato and Red Onions Crostini
• Crab Cakes from "The Grenadines" with Hot and Spicy Tomato Dip

Soups

• Chilled Passion and Coco Flip
• Veloute of Heart of Plam

Salads

• "Ensalada de Codito" Cuban Pasta Salad with Peas and Boiled Egg
• Green Bean and Sweet Red Pepper Salad

Chef's Main Dishes

• Pan Fried Mahi-Mahi on Tobago-Keys Style Coconut-tomato Sauce, Puree of Sweet Potato and Green Vegetables
• Whole Roast Rib-Eye "Cuban Style" with Peppers and Cumin, Yucca Pont Neuf and Broccoli
• Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken glazed with Honey and Tamarind, Scallion garlic Rice and Botchy

There were of course the Vegetarian alternatives and the selections from the Oriental Wellness Cuisine.

Desserts

• Cassava Cake with Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla Ice cream
• Kalamansi Crème Brulee with Honey Madeleine
• Banoffee Pie with Pina Colada Ice cream

Saint Thomas – Sunday December 13, 2009

Sunday dawned bright and sunny. After a nice buffet breakfast in the hotel, FT and I spent a few hours at Morning Star beach, and left for the yacht around noon. As check in time is never before 2:00 p.m. we dropped our bags with security ( the dock workers are wonderful at Crown Bay) and went into town. DD had left her sun glasses at home so we added another birthday present to her collection. While a lot of things, especially cameras and electronics are good deals in St. Thomas, other than no tax, prices for sun glasses are no better than at home.

Only one ship was in town so just about every thing shut down at one. While FT and DD shopped DS and I found a lovely sidewalk beverage establishment and enjoyed a few adult beverages. We were soon joined by the ladies an promptly at 1:40 we grabbed a cab and ventured to Crown Bay to board our home for the next five days. After a quick walk over we were on SD II in no time at all. As we approached the ship, Captain T was at the top of the gangway, and warmly greeted us.

I was then introduced to Christophe Cornu, our hotel manager for this voyage, and Amy Boothman, our Club and Activities Director and we were given a cool towel and a perfectly chilled glass of champagne. (For FT as she says it was the first of her never empty glasses of champagne.) (The house champagne is Nicolas Feuillatte.) After a few brief minutes, we were shown to the Main Salon where we waited, to be shown to the lobby where our photos were taken for our boarding cards. We were then shown to our cabin, well really the Admiral's Suite which FT had upgraded us to by our stewardess, Arla, who did a great job taking good care of us. When we boarded she told FT that her nightly cheese tray was already ordered. When we got to the cabin someone else's back packs ended were there leading us to think we have some small children on board. The kids were escorted down to deck 2 to their cabin 211.

The rest of our luggage (my book bag with my laptop was taken on immediately by the dock workers) was on board within 10 minutes and we were unpacked by 3:00 at the latest. I meet the kids at the TOY and gave them a tour of the ship. The galley was worked very hard as a lot of guest ordered lunch at TOY. The owner, and his wife and daughter are on board, as are a number of SD sales execs.

Muster drill was at 5:30 pm. It went without a hitch. Welcome cocktails wer served in the main salon with Edgardo at the piano. Amy gave us a brief overview of tomorrow and then the captain warned us, we are going to be heading into rough waters after dinner so we delayed sailing until around 11:00 p.m.

We dined al fresco on deck 4 as is our preference. The menu Sunday night included:

Starters

• Meli Mele of Melon with Parma Ham, Grissini and Crushed Black Pepper
• Grilled Escalope of Norwegian Salmon on Asparagus Salad and Egg Tartar
• Sea Scallops Skewer on Thai Risotto and Chicken Galangal Soup

Soups

• Cream of Celery Flavored with Nutmeg
• Chilled Cucumber and Dill

Salads

• Greek Style Salad with Feta Cheese
• Hot and Tangy Prawn and Fruit Salad

Chef's Main Dishes

• Fresh Yellow Fin Tuna Steak on Roasted Zucchini Tomato Compote and Veal Steak Reduction with Aceto Balsamico
• Mignon of Beef Tenderloin on truffle infused Veal Demi-glace Duck Liver-Herb Crust, Anna Potato, and Steamed Spinach
• Supreme of Free-Range Chicken on Grilled Cherry Tomatoes, Mushroom lasagna and Crème do Volaille with Whole grain Mustard.

There were of course the Vegetarian alternatives and the selections from the Oriental Wellness Cuisine.

Desserts

• Grand Marnier Soufflé with Sauce Anglaise
• Sautéed Strawberries with Candied Black Olives and Olive Oil Ice Cream
• Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango Sorbet

We were waited on by June and Maître’d Jamie. Both of these fine gentlemen, along with the tag team of George, the sommelier and Chief Bartender Zoltan, Chad, Memed, Merza, and others took excellent care of us at dinner every night (especially when we dined aft on deck four). Dinner, in the usual SD fashion was wonderful. The Filet was perfect and service was exquisite. The standard wines were very nice and fit in perfectly. I did not pay a bit of attention to the labels, but trusted George and Chad, to make good selections, which they did. On SD for the most part there is never a reason to need any wine other than the standard pour.

Due to the weather conditions we stayed late in San Juan and sailed at 11:00 p.m. Chad did a great job of keeping FT's after dinner drink -lemoncello - never empty. (According to her he's a sly bartender.) Before retiring for the night we found our SD pajamas with our names. The captain was right it was a rocking night.

Our Next Journey - December 13 - December 18, 2009

Days 1 and 2
As a note all passengers are referred to by their Cruise Critic monikers in order to make an effort at protecting the innocent or guilty or revelers, or whatever! Crew members are referred to by name so that they can get all the recognition that they are due for the wonderful job that they all did taking care of us. Special thanks to Capt T, Amy, Christophe, Jamie, Zoltan, Memed, Merza, June, Chad, and Super Mario!
(Many thanks to Frequent Traveler for letting me use her material to refresh my memory and save me a lot of time)

Home and St. Thomas, Saturday, December 12th.

It’s time for the journey to begin. We (myself, FT, DD, and DS) will be off to the airport in Charlotte within the hour. (The predicted bad weather did not arrive before we left) We were soon winging our way to Saint Thomas and an afternoon of shopping. Everyone is excited, in fact we have two twenty somethings bouncing off the walls. The trip from CLT was uneventful - other than the fact that FT's rollerboard that goes in the overhead all over the world wouldn't fit in US Air plane to St. Thomas. No big deal. checked it and it made it there.
We arrived in Saint Thomas around 2:15 p.m. and after a quick cab ride to the Marriott Frenchmen's Reef we checked in and the children and I grabbed a cab to town for shopping. I was in the market for a new DSLR and since DD celebrated an important birthday while traveling she got to pick her own presents.
We enjoyed dinner at the hotel and then spent some time at a great new Rum bar at Frenchmen's Reef-that is sleek, very comfy, and has great view of St. Thomas and the harbor.

The scheduled itinerary for this voyage is:

• Sunday December 13th Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI
• Monday December 14th Gustavia St. Barths, FWI
• Tuesday December 15th Gustavia St. Barths, FWI
• Wednesday December 16th Marigot, St. Martin, FWI
• Thursday December 17th Jost van Dyke, BVI
• Friday December 18th San Juan PR

So you may wonder what our itinerary finally looked like:

• Sunday December 13th Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI
• Monday December 14th Gustavia St. Barths, FWI
• Tuesday December 15th Gustavia St. Barths, FWI
• Wednesday December 16th Virgin Gorda, BVI - morning
• Wednesday December 16th Norman Island, BVI afternoon
• Thursday December 17th Jost van Dyke, BVI
• Friday December 18th San Juan PR

Saturday March 14, North Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVI

Saturday morning we sailed up a very windy up the Sir Francis Drake Channel from Jost van Dyke to North Sound of Virgin Gorda. Unfortunately our stop at Spanish Town and the Baths was canceled due to the swells that we had been fighting all week long. The small sailing craft that were out were having a time, but looked like they were enjoying the day.

We had breakfast with DJ and DJsDH in the office and enjoyed champagne for breakfast. The captain pointed out the sights as we sailed up the sound including Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private island. We anchored off the Bitter End Yacht Club around 10:00 with a great view of Saba Rock Resort, Bitter End Resort and Biras Creek Resort, and the Seabourne Pride that had been following us for a couple of days.

We enjoyed the day on board spending our time between Deck 6 and Deck 3. We joined DJ and DJ’sDH in the Office for a nice lunch and then I went ashore for a nice walk. Others enjoyed the marina that was out again as it was many days of this trip. I honestly think that Capt. T went out of his way to make sure that we could enjoy as many of the pleasures of the yacht as possible.

FT and I were the first of our group to reach the Main Salon for a last night of cocktails, and were soon joined by the group. Capt. T give his farewell remarks followed by CAD Mary’s information on disembarkation. We left the Main Salon and headed to dinner. The six of us were shown to our favorite table one final time by Peter. During dessert Rey and his guitar made an appearance. As he played and sang “Leaving on A Jet Plane” we sang along.

Around 11:00 we began our final night of sailing as we headed the 104 miles back to San Juan. We had a relatively smooth ride, especially when compared to our journey out of San Juan. Capt. T took his time and we arrived outside San Juan as FT and I finished our last breakfast in the Office. The captain had us tied up alongside the pier right around the scheduled time of 8:30 a.m. Disembarking was painless, but also painful as no one had any desire to leave the yacht. We grabbed a cab along with 6 of our fellow passengers and were at the airport by 10:00 a.m. or so, accompanied by Kenny and the flamingos.

Unfortunately the cost of returning Kenny and two of the flamingos home with us was prohibitive so we gave them to a receptive employee at the airport. Clearing security in San Juan is slow. FT and I soon boarded our Delta flight home and were back at the house only about an hour later than scheduled. Which we have since learned was much earlier than our traveling companions.

The issue now is how soon can we be back on the yacht!

March 13 – Here – There - and It Seems Everywhere in the BVI.

We awoke on Freaky Friday (March 13) to find that we were anchored of Jost Van Dyke between White Bay and Great Harbor, the perfect place for all the fun activities we had planned for FT’s birthday on one of our favorite beaches … White Bay. Home to the Soggy Dollar and Seddy’s One Love Beach bars, White Bay is home to one of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean. FT and I awoke early as usual and were in the Office, our usual spot for breakfast when we were joined by DJ and DH’sDH. FT was not a happy camper because we were not going to be having the Champagne and Caviar Splash on Jost van Dyke due to the uncooperative ocean.

We waited for the purser to return to the ship from Jost where she was clearing customs for the ship and it passengers and crew, and then set sail for Peter Island our alternative location for the C&C splash. We went through the cut between Tortola and the Thatch islands on our way to the Sir Francis Drake Channel, when we passed Sea Dream I anchored at Soper’s Hole, Tortola. As we made our passage we heard the ship’s horn sound warning one of the many sailing vessels in the channel of our approach. The funny thing was that the horn went on and on and on and on. We later found out that it had been stuck.

Unbeknownst to me on our sail, CAD Mary, HM Stephane and DJ had a quick meeting to revise plans for one of FT’s last surprises. (Part of the decorations I had shipped to the captain ahead of our sailing were four pink flamingos, a bird that FT really enjoys. The plan had been for them to be arranged around a beach chair when we arrived at Jost.) They decided to have the birds great us on the dock as we landed at the Oceans 7 Beach Club on Peter Island. They also arranged for a champagne toast on the beach. After a quick tender ride we were greeted on the pier by the flamingos. FT thought that they were indigenous to the pier but we explained to her that they were for her birthday. She was really amused and loved the birds. We picked up the flamingos and used them to stake our loungers along the very short and rocky beach. The plan had been to return home with them, but costs were such that two of them are spending their life in San Juan, courtesy of a nice young man at the airport. We were soon approached by the wonderful wait staff offering Painkillers or Rum Punch. They were quickly followed by HM Stephane who appeared with six plastic champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne which we used to toast FT’s and jbcjtc’s milestone birthdays.

The physical facilities at Ocean 7 Beach Club were wonderful. There were enough tables and chairs under cover for all to be seated at lunch, which was a good thing as the skies opened up poured rain just before noon. The surfboard laden with caviar and the accouterments was moved under cover as well. While we did not have the usual service in the surf guests still had a wonderful time and rapidly consumed the caviar. The beach barbecue menu was fantastic as always with prime rib, grilled shrimp, barbecued ribs, many different salads and wonderful desserts. Of course the champagne was flowing as well.

After a wonderful lunch, we reboarded the yacht and rested at the pool until we weighed anchor and headed back to Jost where CAD Mary had made arrangements for the shop at Foxy’s in Great Harbor to stay open until 6:30 p.m. so those of us who wanted to could shop. FT made her first visit in three trips to the islands, but was still disappointed that we missed White Bay and the Soggy Dollar. Even DJ went ashore with us. We made the short walk along the sandy road to Foxy’s and visited the shop, and bar, before returning to the ship to prepare for dinner and the usual cocktail party.

For a change, DJ’s DH and DJ arrived at the cocktail party before us. We learned that CAD Mary had announced that in honor of FT’s birthday “The Eagles Farewell Concert from Australia” would be shown in the Main Salon after dinner. Since FT and I missed the first announcement it was repeated for her benefit upon our arrival. (FT is an Eagle’s junkie, having traveled all over the US last year to their concerts. This year’s musician of choice is Keith Urban.)

DJ and her DH ordered a bottle of Pommery Champagne from Frank to celebrate FT’s birthday. We then learned that the four of us had consumed ALL of the Pommery that were on board that week. Much to her chagrin FT was serenaded with “Happy Birthday” and presented her with a chocolate cake which DJ had arranged from the pastry chef, at my request. It was delicious and the perfect ending to a surprise filled day. After a short visit to the TOY and the piano bar we turned in anticipation of our last full day tomorrow aboard the wonderful Sea Dream II.