Charleston Coastal Excursions B&B On the Sea

Description:

The “Blue Hour” is a luxurious 48’ Californian yacht that includes three staterooms, a galley, a salon decked out in teak (with an entertainment center) and a spacious aft deck. The boat, owned by Captain Robert Rosene, provides an at dock party facility, cruises (everything from sunset cruises on Charleston Harbor to week long Bahamas getaways) and most importantly, a bed & breakfast.

The Good:

Relaxing on the deck, listening to the boatwide music system, watching boats and ships ply the coastal waters (including watching a Carnival cruise ship depart) and spotting a mother and child dolphin playing in the harbor.

The Bad:

The desire to crank the boat and simply sail away. (Charleston does have a history of pirates.) Perhaps also the tiny shower.

The Ugly:

The excessive heat and sun on the bow and the sounds and smells of a working barge docked nearby for part of one day of our stay.

Review:

For a number of years, my wife and I celebrated out anniversary by dining at what I considered to be the best restaurant in Charleston, Roberts of Charleston (now, unfortunately closed due to Chef Robert Dickson's retirement). For our 25th, last year, we cruised on that same Carnival ship I spoke of above. This year, I was looking for something different and happened upon this opportunity. I am so glad I did.

The experience was nothing but first class from the beginning. Captain Bob and his crewmember, Kelly, were gracious hosts and provided a perfect experience. We were greeted warmly and given a tour of the boat and an explanation of the workings of parts we were unfamiliar with. The galley was stocked with our choice of breakfast items; in this case bagels, cream cheese and orange juice, but we could have also requested many other items for a deluxe continental breakfast.

Rental of the boat also includes use of the facilities of the Charleston harbor resort, including the pool and room service, though we did not take advantage of this. Instead, we were content to relax on the enclosed aft deck, playing games and listening to music. The crew provided an iPad attached to the sound system, on which we used the Pandora app to listen to our choice of songs. At night, the gentle sway of the boat rocked us to a restful sleep.

By the time we checked out on Sunday, we were totally relaxed after a very romantic weekend.

The Bottom Line:

Do not expect an economical B&B visit. The B&B on the Sea experience is luxury all the way, including the price. However, after checking the price of accommodations at Kiawah's Sanctuary as well as the Woodlands and Middleton Inns, I found it to be comparable.

As for the noisy and smell barge docked nearby, it was only there for a couple of hours on Friday and Captain Bob offered to move the Blue Hour to a slip farther away, but we declined. Hopefully, the work they were doing has been completed and this will never be an issue again.

This was an experience to treasure and if given the opportunity, I would do it again. I highly recommend that if you can afford it, you try it as well.

Charleston Coastal Excursions (http://bbonthesea.com/)
Charleston Harbor Marina
24 Patriot's Point Road
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Telephone: (843) 323-9010

Disclaimer: I reserved and stayed on the Blue Hour anonymously, paid for my own lodging, and was not compensated for my visit or review.