Extra special 40th Birthday – CREW REVIEW from previous yacht
Where can I begin. My wife wanted to do something special for her birthday. We had all kinds of ideas and plans, however she wanted to do something extra special. She happened upon private charter boats and stumbled into Dreamcatcher. From the very beginning, Stef and Jake were prompt in their email replies and responses answering all the important questions as well as the ignorant ones since we had never done anything like this before. Jake and Stef took it in stride and were very kind and polite through the whole process down to the best ways to travel and get there, offering advice along the way. The conference call the week before was a big help as it answered a lot of questions that came up at the last minute such as things to pack, what to prepare for, down to last minute dining and drink choices. The day we arrived in St. Thomas we caught a cab from the airport to the marina where Captain Jake stood waiting for us with a cart to help us move all our gear from the cab to the boat. When we arrived at the boat, Stef was ready and willing to do whatever she needed to and welcome us aboard. “We are a shoe free ship so drop them in this basket and come on in!” We were shown where our sleeping quarters would be for the week. We already had a great idea of what we were walking into because the preference sheet as well as sleeping arrangements were well laid out for us prior to our arrival so we knew EXACTLY what to expect. I will say, it went above and beyond our expectations. Everything was tidy, clean, and neat. A welcome basket greeted us as soon as we entered our rooms that included a journal, welcome note from the crew, as well as sunscreen and towels. Since it was my wife’s birthday, they went above and beyond and decorated the door to our room with Happy Birthday banners. Before we could turn around, as we were all wary and famished from our travels, we were greeted with an appetizer and shown where the beverages were so we could immediately begin our vacation. We set sail and went to our first bay for the night and traveled to many on our seven-day tour. Captain Jake is excellent and knows the waters around us, as well as how to provide a smooth sail as to not disturb us or create any illness on our moves from port to port. We motored part of the journey and sailed the rest. He was willing and able to let us be involved in the process and stood by as we swapped sea stories of our own personal adventures through our lives. The food on board was top notch. Every meal was shared with laughter and joy as we indulged in what Stef prepared for us. Breakfast was fantastic. Lunch, even better. There were several days that she spent all day prepping for dinner. You could really tell she put her heart and soul into it as dinner was normally quiet as we all savored in the fare that she set out in front of us. Although we filled out preference sheets, we never really designated meals as we are uncomplicated and easy going. There were 5 of us in our party total and some had special requests, but Stef nailed every meal and fit everyone’s specific requests from beginning to end. You want chicken nuggets? No problem. Pizza? Why not. Fish tacos? Our pleasure. Fresh lobster on the grill that we caught while diving? Absolutely! We were never left leaving the table hungry and as the day melted on, there were always snacks available and of course, cold beverages of whatever we wanted. Before dinner every evening we had a light snack as well as hand crafted cocktails to boot to wash down our exciting days as we traded stories of our current and past adventures. My personal favorite of every day was saying goodbye to the day and blowing the conch shell as the sun set on the horizon. I am a little bit more of a night owl, so Jake and I got to sit up late many nights and chat. The conversation was warm, friendly, and welcoming as we shared about ourselves and learned about each other. There was much laughter to be had. We got to see so much on our journey that it is hard to put it all into words. Beautiful bays, amazing wildlife, shipwrecks, private beaches and so much more. What do you want to do today? Lay on the net and take a nap? Hang some hammocks and swing in the breeze? Float around on some rafts or swim? Give paddle boarding a try? Go to a private beach and sunbathe? Get scuba certified and go for a dive? How about a snorkel? Grab some lunch from a floating taco barge or stop in town for some shopping? Literally, anything that we wanted, they accommodated without question. I wanted to also point out that I personally, was a little reluctant about vacationing with two dogs on board a 47’ catamaran, but Daisy and Parker are so well behaved, they left an impression on our hearts. The day of my wife’s birthday, we were able to use the boat as our home and decorate it for her to feel special. That evening, Stef and Jake secured a special cake made just for my wife and we were all able to enjoy it. The cake was so big, that we enjoyed the other half the next day! Stef split it in half and flopped it down on the table for us to all to delve into and enjoy. Towards the end, we were all presented with a video of our vacation that highlighted our top moments and passed to us to keep this memory forever. I could drone on and on how amazing this whole experience was, but I will leave you with these final thoughts. This experience has ruined all my other resort travels in the future as this was so perfect, nothing would compare to having this experience again. We went on a vacation for that purpose. To disconnect, unwind, and relax. We came as guests, but we left with friends. Jake and Stef will now be ingrained in our lives forever and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind, we will be back to see them again and again, and again. This vacation is everything you make it. The more specific you are with them about your wants, needs, and desires, the more perfect they will make it for you.
Dave, Shana, Rick, Laura, Matt and Jess
