Lift Off! On the Way to San Juan, Puerto Rico

Today's the day we leave for Puerto Rico! Yeah! We've got a nonstop flight but it's booked solid so an upgrade isn't looking good. Oh well. At least it's only a four-hour flight. We can handle that! Knowing we've got a yacht waiting on the other side will certainly help us look on the bright side no matter how crazy the airport or flight becomes!

We'll spend the night at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan before embarking on SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream II for a seven-night voyage. (While the Sheraton Old San Juan is the closest hotel to the pier, it was sold out so our next best option was to use our Hilton HHonors points for a free night's stay at the Caribe Hilton.)

We've never sailed with SeaDream before but are looking forward to it since the line promises an intimate yacht experience with a crew of 95 catering to just 112 passengers. One of our favorite cruise companies is American Safari Cruises with its fleet of yachts (all significantly smaller than SeaDream I and SeaDream II). We're wagering that the vibe, service, and amenities will be right up our alley.

Ports of call on our SeaDream II yacht adventure include:

San Juan, Puerto Rico
Culebrita, Puerto Rico
Esperanza, Vieques, Puerto Rico
Cruz Bay, St. John, United States Virgin Islands
Marigot, St. Martin, French West Indies
Saba, Netherlands, Antilles
Gustavia, St. Barthelemy, French West Indies
Jost van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands

If everything goes according to plan, we should check in to the Caribe Hilton this evening. We're looking forward to a nice late-night dinner at the hotel. On Saturday, we'll be up early to explore Old San Juan before meeting SeaDream II at pier 1E. Wish us luck!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico courtesy of iStockPhoto.com