The Avid Cruiser

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After sailing on SeaDream II, I’m better qualified to answer the question I posed at the outset of my cruise, and that was: How do SeaDream’s twin yachts, both more than 20 years old, outperform all others — at least to readers of Conde Nast Traveler.

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You can spend an afternoon of play on a Waverunner or speed away on a Zodiac.

All of these activities and more are launched from the sports platform at the back of the ship. It’s where all the toys are found, and they’re available free of charge.

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Step into stateroom 403 before I clutter it.

There are 55 staterooms, and all have been updated on this 20-plus-year-old ship.

Staterooms feature flat-panel televsions, DVD player, Sony entertainment system with CD. A selection of DVDs and CDs are available for use free of charge from the concierge desk.

Laptops plug into ethernet for (fast) internet access at $35 per day. Two terminals are available in the library for those who do not burden their vacations with their laptops. Internet access at the terminals is $5 for the first 10 minutes and $3 for each additional 10-minute period.

Refrigerators come stocked with beer and soft drinks (soft drinks and alcohol, except for select premium brands, are included in the cruise fare).

There is a large safe and plenty of storage. There are no balconies, though most of your time will likely be spent on deck anyway.

Other features: Comfortable queen-size beds with luxury linens. Sofa and dine-in table.

The bathrooms are a bit small, even by ship standards, but well appointed with marble tile floor and surround, three showerheads and Bvlgari amenities.

Formats available: Flash Video (.flv)

One of the advantages of small passenger ships - not only SeaDream I & II, but all small passenger ships - is the ability to call on small ports. For passengers, small ports often lead to more authentic travel experiences ashore - not to mention less-crowded touring.

When SeaDream II navigated into the harbor at Port Vendres, France, there were no other cruise ships in port. In fact, it would be hard to imagine more than one passenger ship docked at tiny Port Vendres. And I could never imagine a ship carrying, say, more than 1,000 passengers in this port.

I hopped on one of the Hummer bicycles that SeaDream makes available free of charge and pedaled through Port Vendres on the Sunday morning we were there. After pedaling not more than five minutes, I passed a group of fisherman who were cooking over an open fire sardines they had just caught. I stood around and watched for a few minutes before being invited to join in.

I then pedaled 15 minutes to Collioure, a charming village that is said to have inspired the painters Matisse, Picasso, Derain and others. Collioure was truly picturesque, and the fact that there were few cruise passengers in port elbowing for space made the village - and indeed the entire day - all that much more special.

It’s not the only program of its kind (Seabourn and some other small cruise lines have similar offerings), but SeaDream’s “Crew Shoreside Casual” in St. Tropez certainly was one of the most entertaining crew-led tours I’ve experienced.

Nearly the entire ship turned out to join Executive Chef Jes Parkins and Pastry Chef Gerben Land as they led us into seaside St. Tropez. Passing through the “Roman Gate” and the fish market, we came to the oldest square in St. Tropez, where we sampled local wines, cheeses and other French specialties.

Afterward, I went shopping with the chefs on a quest to spend their budget (800 Euros) for fresh vegetables, cheese and other local food to complement lunch and dinner back on the SeaDream II.

On nearly all of its cruises, SeaDream offers a Crew Shoreside Casual, and it is one of the highlights of the cruise, say frequent cruisers who I spoke with on this cruise.