SeaDream I in Helsinki, 11 July 2011

SeaDream I

IMO number 8203438
Previous names: Sea Goddess I, Seabourn Goddess I
Built 1984, Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 4 253 GT
Length 104,81 m
Width 14,60 m
Draft 4,17 m
112 passengers
2 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 3 540 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 15 knots

SeaDream I is an ultra-luxe boutique cruise ship (or a yacht, as her owners call her) owned by SeaDream Yacht Club. She was built in 1984 at Helsinki as the Sea Goddess I for Norske Cruise, probably better known as Sea Goddess Cruises. After just two years in service the Sea Goddess I (and her sister Sea Goddess II) was chartered to Cunard Line, retaining her original name. The Sea Goddesses stayed with Cunard Line for the next 14 years. Changes came after Cunard was acquired by the Carnival Corporation in 1998: ships deemed by Carnival to be ill-suited for the Cunard brand were transferred within the Carnical group to Seabourn Cruise Line. The Sea Goddesses now became Seabourn's Seabourn Goddess I and Seabourn Goddess II (while the Royal Viking Sun became the Seabourn Sun).

The Goddesses career with Seabourn was short, as already in 2001 they were sold to a new company, SeaDream Yacht Club that had been established by Atle Brynestad, who had also been the fourder of Seabourn Cruise Line. The Seabourn Goddess I and Seabourn Goddess II now became the SeaDream I and SeaDream II, respectively. Despite being over 25 years old, the pair remain amongst the world's most luxurious cruise ships.

The photographs below show the SeaDream I departing from Helsinki on 11 July 2011. Click on on the individual photos to see in larger size.

I decided not to include any photos taken more "head on" than this one, as the ship really doesn't look her best from such a point of view. As you can see, the Finnish summer weather (which was surprisingly fine over the whole summer) did not respect SeaDream I's wealthy passengers.

I was surprised at how much smoke the SeaDream I generated - she certainly did not seem like a green ship. Neither did the Ocean Countess sailing ahead of the SeaDream I.

SeaDream II, 24 May 2009

SeaDream II

IMO number 8203440
Previous names: Sea Goddess II, Seabourn Goddess II
Built 1985, Wärtsilä Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 4 333 GT
Length 104,81 m
Width 14,60 m
Draft 4,17 m
108 passengers
2 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 3 540 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 15 knots

SeaDream II is a five-star yacht-like luxury cruise ship operated by SeaDream Yacht Club. She was built in 1985 in Helsinki for the new-fangled Sea Goddess Cruises as Sea Goddess II. Sea Goddess Cruises were not a success, and in 1986 the Sea Goddess II and her sister Sea Goddess I were chartered to Cunard Line who took them under the Cunard banner but retained the original names. Following the sale of Cunard to the Carnival Corporation in 1998 the Sea Goddesses were transferred to Carnival's Seabourn Cruise Line brand as Seaborn Goddess I and Seabourn Goddess II, respectively. In 2001 Seabourn decided to give up the Goddesses, which were sold to the new SeaDream Yacht Club, which ironically is owned by the same person who originally founded Seabourn Cruise Line. With SeaDream the ships were named SeaDream I and SeaDream II. They remain two of the world's most highly-regarded cruise ships to this date. In the 2008 edition of Complete Guide to Cruising they shared the number two spot on the list of the world's most luxurious cruise ships, second only to Hapag-Lloyd's Europa.

SeaDream II at Monte Carlo roads on 24 May 2009, photographed from onboard MSC Sinfonia. Click on the image to view full size.