Hats off to Southern Queen
We just got back to DC tonight and I wanted to say thank you for sharing your boat with us. Our group all agreed that this was the best trip we had ever experienced. The bar was high, many of us have had experience with Viking Chateâux, Rivers & Wine, a private yacht tour on The M.S. My Way sailing round-trip Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, etc.. Riverboat charters in Ireland and Scotland, and a couple of gals whose idea of adventure is to go to the Ritz-Carlton for tea, so this really was high adventure for them. I have traveled to 52 countries across, Europe, Asia, Africa, South/Central America and this trip topped them all.
I really want to emphasize the incredible work ethic of both Jason and Rein. The amazing duo was knowledgeable, safe, professional and accommodating. I think you are aware that this was a trial run for Kelly and I potentially acquiring a catamaran and Rein patiently answered all my never ending questions about the boat, sailing, provisioning, power systems, options and market trends.
Rein and Jason worked tirelessly to insure that we not only had excellent meals and drinks, but insured that every guest had a positive experience and worked to meet everyone’s unique needs.
They also need to be recognized for their quick action, when one of our senior guests, was struggling in the water and called out for help. Without hesitation Jason did a diving leap off the boat and immediately assisted the swimmer to shore. Simultaneously, Rein fired up a dingy and zipped over to assist. The swimmer was fine and only feet from shore at Soggy Dollar on the first day, but had no experience with tides and was fighting them with a less than ideal body mass index for a 62 year old.
Derek thank you for working the crazy logistics to get us on the boat on time and well lubricated.
We will most definitely be doing this again in the near future. Again thank you, if you ever need an on call duo to come down, keep me on speed dial.
Greg
AMAZING
Trip was phenomenal. Sofia the captain was unreal. She planed a vacation of a life time. Jennie our chef made food that was 5 star. I hope to be part of another adventure with them.
Southern Queen - What a Dream!
Our family just returned from a vacation aboard Southern Queen, enjoying a week of hospitality from Captain Sofia and Chef Jenine. While nothing we could possibly write in this review would match the magical time we had, we'll give it our best shot. Firstly, Southern Queen is a gem! We looked at many boats and are so happy we decided on this one. The boat is well appointed, spacious, clean, nicely decorated with modern finishes and a ton of space for everyone to have their own daytime lounger for ultimate relaxation! Secondly, the beauty of STVI & BVI is unmatched! It's quite mountainous, offering an abundance of interesting sights from both the water and land. The colour of the water is stunning, and visiting a different region each night leant itself to endless picturesque views. Last but not least, Sofia and Jenine - talk about winning the lottery with this crew! We arrived as guests, and left as friends. These two went above and beyond to ensure our stay aboard Southern Queen was the Family trip of a lifetime. From arranging a special 70th Birthday party (with cake!), to knocking it out of the park on Easter with a Easter Egg Hunt for the 4-year old on the boat, and this was only the beginning. They catered to our every ask - making drinks, special food items and generally just doing everything they could to ensure we didn't have to lift a finger. They loved on our 4-year old girlie as though she was their own. They joked around in the cheekiest of ways with the adults in our family (30's, 40's & 60 year olds) and enjoyed many games nights with us in the evenings, including teaching us one of their own. At a moments notice, they arranged to have a guitar on board for us to use which made the music lovers in our family so happy. Nightly briefings with Captain Sofia were a highlight - mostly for us - because she knew we'd forget everything she told us by morning! The drinks are strong board Southern Queen!
Jenine's cooking could not have been beat. We're still talking fondly about specific meals she made us several weeks after getting home. This duo worked tirelessly day in and day out, and did it all with enthusiasm and smiles on their faces. They make one heckuva team! We couldn't have enjoyed this trip more!
Spectacular !!!
Our adventure on the Southern Queen with Sofia and Jenine was spectacular. We swam during the day and had night swim, paddle boarded, snorkeled, and played games. Captain Sofia is a skilled navigator and tailored the events to our desires and each location we explored brought new experiences. The meals created by Jenine were delicious and beautifully presented. Jenine met all our food and beverage desires, we didn’t want for anything. Each meal was 5 star. Jenine and Sofia are engaging, approachable and fun. They took time to get to know us and were very invested in making our trip the best we could have. The Charter was more than we expected. We will be back.
Best experience on the Southern Queen
My wife and I joined 4 other couples on board the Southern Queen. Their crew took us through the BVIs for a week and we had a great time seeing all the sites along the way: St John's, walking the caves in the Baths, Soggy Dollar, Foxy's, Saba Rock, The Bitter End Yacht club, Cooper Island Rum Bar.
The boat is brand new and the food was incredible. We had gourmet meals breakfast, lunch and dinner.
What an awesome trip. We are starting to plan our trip now for next year.
An absolutely heavenly week with Paula and Simon
An absolutely heavenly week with Paula and Simon. The boat is new and luxurious and gorgeous, and the USVIs are breathtaking. But more than the setting, what really blew us away, was our crew. Paula and Simon turned this into the trip of a lifetime. We were Paula’s first all-vegan charter but you would have thought she was a completely vegan chef. Every single meal was 5-star quality. We are so spoiled now. How will we ever eat well again without Paula?? Right off the bat, you get the sense that Simon is just one of those people who is extraordinarily capable and can do anything. There was a storm our first day with very rough seas but we weren’t concerned even for a second. We trusted his judgement and skill without hesitation right off the bat. He also taught our 12-yr-old daughters how to wakeboard and spent hours and hours pulling them around in the dinghy, and doing it enthusiastically! Paula’s trivia game on the final night was the best. We became friends with Simon and Paula and miss them a ton. We'd love to take another charter in the future but we all agreed, it has to be with them and no one else!
They really made our trip the BEST vacation!
We set sail May 29 - June 5, 2022 with Simon and Paula! Our trip was amazing! We’ve already recommended this vacation destination, sailing and the best crew to our family and friends! We came into the trip with no itinerary plans because we wanted to leave it up to our crew, and they did not disappoint! The food was amazing, as well as the sailing and all of the laughs we shared with Simon and Paula! We enjoyed them being on board with us and getting to know them. They really made our trip the BEST vacation! We would do this trip 100Xs again with them! We miss them already!
Thank you for all of the incredible hospitality, adventures and memories that will last forever!
Thank you for all of the incredible hospitality, adventures and memories that will last forever! We are so grateful for you two!
Wonderful Family Vacation
We had the most amazing vacation with Simon and Paula! We had two families on board, and they did everything to make this an unforgettable family vacation. Simon took our kids wakeboarding in multiple locations. Paula made each meal unforgettable!
Thank you for making this a fun and relaxing time for all!! We can't wait to come back.
Southern Queen
Amazing trip on the Southern Queen with Captain Simon La Rioux and First Mate / Chef Paula Milovac. They spent 7 days making sure everything was ideal from taking our 6 kids wake boarding and tubing to serving the adults amazing meals (& the kids what they actually eat). We will certainly be back and would highly recommend to anyone.
Personally I have don’t this trip 8 times and this was the best boat, crew, etc of all.
Simon and Paula were unbelievable
It was amazing, Simon and Paula were unbelievable. They made my husbands 50th birthday sail better than we could’ve imagined! The food, drinks and fun we had aboard Sunshine Baby 2 was above and beyond and we can’t wait to go back and sail with them again!
an experience of a lifetime!
Thank you so much for an eventful and exciting trip! We appreciate all of the hard work and time you both put in to make this happen and to give our family an experience of a lifetime!
We couldn't have dreamed up a better trip or crew!
Thank you for everything! We couldn't have dreamed up a better trip or crew!
thanks so very much for making this trip of a lifetime!
Simon and Paula, thanks so very much for making this trip of a lifetime!
incredibly impressed by the professionalism and hospitality
We sailed with Simon and Paula and we were incredibly impressed by the professionalism and hospitality! Both Simon and Paula went above and beyond their roles as Captain and Chef. They did not overlook a single detail to ensure we had a relaxing and enjoyable trip! Simon is an excellent captain as well as very friendly and personable- we felt like we were being hosted by dear friends! Paula’s meals are easily 5 star worthy both in taste and presentation!! We truly hope to sail with them again in the coming future!
It was perfect in every way!!! Highly highly recommended!
Absolutely amazing week with Chef Paula and Captain Simon!!!! We couldn’t have imagined a better week. This was our second group trip to the islands, first was chartered out of BVI and this one with Ocean Yacht Club out of USVI. Trips of a lifetime, that is for sure. Paula’s cuisine was exceptional!!!! Every meal was breathtaking! I don’t know how we go on without Paula’s cooking. Simon planned every day and every stop perfectly for our group!! We appreciate the level of detail and thought that went into the itinerary. Simon nailed it!!!!!! So well thought out. Thank you both for a wonderful week in paradise. It was perfect in every way!!! Highly highly recommended!!!
This was the adventure of a lifetime with the most incredible chef + skipper
We lost track of time all week & were only reminded based on when Paulas amazing meals were served! And we never missed snack time. This was the adventure of a lifetime with the most incredible chef + skipper, Paula + Simon. The blue water, sunshine, amazing company & crew will leave lasting memories!
We would highly recommend the crew
We sailed with Simon and Paula and it was a fantastic trip and our crew were very accommodating and friendly. Simon was a great captain and made sure we had everything we needed to make our trip a success. Paula cooked some great meals and we couldn't wait to see what her next creation was going to be. We were never disappointed. We would highly recommend the crew. Well worth the cost.
What made our trip the greatest was by far our amazing crew
Beautiful boat, islands, water and skies. What made our trip the greatest was by far our amazing crew. Simon & Paula are truly the best. It takes a special kind of person to make a group feel like they can relax and take in all the fun and beauty the islands have to offer. Thank you Paula & Simon, you’re officially family now.
you both are incredible people inside and out
When people ask about this trip, my only answer is incredible! Everything was incredible... the boat, the people, the islands... However, what made it unforgettable was Paula + Simon! Paulas cooking was ridiculous! We never had a watch on, just navigated our days around the meal bell. Every meal was beautiful and well thought out. Thank you for making us feel like we were in your home. Simon, it didn’t matter what we asked, he did everything and anything with a smile. He is definitely the most competent sailor on these waters and made everything look easy! He would take the kids out tubing and wake boarding! Thank you both for everything, you both are incredible people inside and out."
