Transatlantic Dream

Hi all, need help from all of you experienced cruisers. The wife would like to know how many formal nights we can expect on our Dream big band transatlantic 19 night cruise.

Hi all, need help from all of you experienced cruisers. The wife would like to know how many formal nights we can expect on our Dream big band transatlantic 19 night cruise.

That's a bit of a puzzle. We did the 22 night TA last autumn and expected there to be three. But then they decided (on a bit of a whim I thought) to make the third one a more casual formal night by having the Capt reception on the pool deck.

That was fine but the info regarding dress code was very ambiguous. As I remember it was on the lines of 'you can dress formally if you wish' so we had everything from DJs to Caribbean shirts! Frankly I thought it ill thought out. No problem having a more relaxed reception with the Capt mingling in fact that worked well imo (and no point in introducing you to all his senior officers in the third week of the cruise) but the dress code was confusing and irritating if you had brought three outfits especially for the formal nights.

So not quite sure what to say............... I think you can be confident about having two but once in the Caribbean, will they have one 'informal' informal as we had with mixed messages about dress? I think there is nothing wrong with that but why not stick to the formal dress code as we had expected?

I think you can be fairly confident about having two - perhaps your wife could take something which she could feel happy with either as a formal or other party night outfit. I'll be interested to know what approach they use this year.

(Also are they still having the Deck-fests? They were glorified deck parties but very, very loud which drove people away! :eek: They would have been good if the sound was ttolerable although I seem to remember that they replaced the evening show but of course they have to string the entertainment out a bit over three weeks as their normal programme would span 14 nights.)

Hope you enjoy it. We did although I'm not usually a fan of sea days but we got involved in the various activities and had a great time.

Hi all, need help from all of you experienced cruisers. The wife would like to know how many formal nights we can expect on our Dream big band transatlantic 19 night cruise.

I expect two but one of them I guess will be the Venetian Mask evening - if there is a third I expect it to be similar to last time where the Captain and senior crew / heads of Dept / Show Team mingle on Sirens Deck but then disappear as you go for dinner.

Looks as though from your cruise list that you're going again this December HT. We're not this time - it's just too close to Christmas getting back for us. :(

Hope you have a great time. ;)

Looks as though from your cruise list that you're going again this December HT. We're not this time - it's just too close to Christmas getting back for us. :(

Hope you have a great time. ;)

Hi - yes we are - and hope you and J are keeping well.

We join in Gran Canaria on the Saturday flying from Manchester and coming back on the Dreamliner.

Next year we are not sure what we fancy yet but may well do the Celebration return crossing to Tenerife in April but after that who knows !

Hi - yes we are - and hope you and J are keeping well.

 

We join in Gran Canaria on the Saturday flying from Manchester and coming back on the Dreamliner.

 

Next year we are not sure what we fancy yet but may well do the Celebration return crossing to Tenerife in April but after that who knows !

Yes thanks HT - both well. :)

I know you love the TAs - I wouldn't have understood why until we tried it last year. We were surprised how much we enjoyed it - a nice mix especially for those still at work to have a good chill then look forward to the PoC once arriving in the Caribbean. (And we just love the Islands!)

Haven't given up on cruising but being a little more open-minded at the mo. Like biffybear have booked a land based holiday next year - first time in almost a decade since we first discovered cruising!

Will enjoy reading about your experience on Dream (still have big soft spot for her) also whatever you decide to do in the future. Hope you have a good sunny crossing. Best wishes to T too. ;)

Many thanks for the reply. Very informative

Yes thanks HT - both well. :)

I know you love the TAs - I wouldn't have understood why until we tried it last year. We were surprised how much we enjoyed it - a nice mix especially for those still at work to have a good chill then look forward to the PoC once arriving in the Caribbean. (And we just love the Islands!)

Haven't given up on cruising but being a little more open-minded at the mo. Like biffybear have booked a land based holiday next year - first time in almost a decade since we first discovered cruising!

Will enjoy reading about your experience on Dream (still have big soft spot for her) also whatever you decide to do in the future. Hope you have a good sunny crossing. Best wishes to T too. ;)

Thanks - I expect to be able to comment on any changes on board and we are both very much looking forward to it.

Next year we will still be cruising but will likely be on another Thomson ship or two !!

 

Next year we will still be cruising but will likely be on another Thomson ship or two !!

Now that sounds intriguing! Look forward to hearing all about it - and of course an update on the Dream. ;) Enjoy!

Yes thanks HT - both well. :)

 

Haven't given up on cruising but being a little more open-minded at the mo. Like biffybear have booked a land based holiday next year - first time in almost a decade since we first discovered cruising!

Will enjoy reading about your experience on Dream (still have big soft spot for her) also whatever you decide to do in the future. Hope you have a good sunny crossing. Best wishes to T too. ;)

Oh, Kruzseeka - how exciting; where are you venturing? My parents have booked a 2 week tour & cruise for February; they are doing a tour of Florida & then a week with Holland America - looking forward to hearing what they think of HAL; they said they wouldn't travel on a Thomson ship again after their Christmas Cruise on the Dream last year....

Oh, Kruzseeka - how exciting; where are you venturing? My parents have booked a 2 week tour & cruise for February; they are doing a tour of Florida & then a week with Holland America - looking forward to hearing what they think of HAL; they said they wouldn't travel on a Thomson ship again after their Christmas Cruise on the Dream last year....

Hi Jules - yes land-based is quite a departure for us since we discovered cruising - but one place just didn't give us enough time there................Santorini! On something of a whim we booked for a week and we are looking forward to exploring more of the island - the 'resorts' on the opposite coast line, perhaps the islands in the caldera and Akrotiri (a mini Herculaneum by all accounts). We've always made a bee-line for Oia on our day visits so haven't really seen anything else much. Oh..........and if we're lucky, we might see a sunset too! ;)

Will be very interesting to hear about HAL - we have friends who reckon they're the best (well, I suppose excepting the 6* all-inclusive lines which aren't in our price bracket anyway.) Hope they enjoy it.

Oh Kruzseeka, that sound lovely. I seem to have missed Santorini on my travels, but it looks a beautiful place.

Much as we enjoyed our cruise last week, I did feel that perhaps I would maybe rather go to a hotel next time. I feel a bit guilty to say I am a bit bored with cruising, no not bored, but just feel that sometimes it is nice to have more time in a place. We had thought of trying P&O next, but looking at the short times they seem to stay in port and the extra days at sea, it has put me off a bit.

We really loved our holidays at the Rocamarina in Cala d'Or last year and would like to go back there next year, perhaps for 10 days. Maybe we will book one cruise next year, I have my eye on the Balmoral cruise round Britain, as it goes to Stornoway, which we missed on Fire and Ice. I keep checking the price, but it doesn't seem to be going down, so must hold my nerve and book late and hope for a bargain.

I also fancy both the repo cruises on Celebration and Majesty and Italian Flavours on Majesty - ahh decisions ;):D

Hi Jules - yes land-based is quite a departure for us since we discovered cruising - but one place just didn't give us enough time there................Santorini! On something of a whim we booked for a week and we are looking forward to exploring more of the island - the 'resorts' on the opposite coast line, perhaps the islands in the caldera and Akrotiri (a mini Herculaneum by all accounts). We've always made a bee-line for Oia on our day visits so haven't really seen anything else much. Oh..........and if we're lucky, we might see a sunset too! ;)

 

Will be very interesting to hear about HAL - we have friends who reckon they're the best (well, I suppose excepting the 6* all-inclusive lines which aren't in our price bracket anyway.) Hope they enjoy it.

Oh, how lovely for you . I must admit we do enjoy our 'land holidays' too - it's good to have the variety as well as enjoying the cruising. So many places to see.....!!!!!!

Will keep you uodated about HAL upon their return.