Dream Review 1/7-1/14

Okay folks I’ve now been back on the mainland for 4 days and I WANNA GO BACK TO SEA! I want to start off by saying what a wonderful time I had on my last cruise on the Dream. All the negatives that I read about in the months leading up to the trip certainly prepared me for the worst and I was pleasantly surprised.

This trip was a vacation that my 18 year old brother and I (age 28) could get some bonding time in. Obviously the age gap sometimes prevents us from doing much together, and the miles between us also lends to that end as well. We drove down to Houston on Friday the 6th and spent the night. The next day we drove to the port and arrived around noon. Looked like there was a long line to enter the terminal but tried not to let it get to me. First we had to drive around and get our luggage to the porter. I was a bit worried because I had e-tickets and didn’t do my own luggage tags. No problems though, luggage was fine and arrived much earlier than I expected it to. Parking was easy too. Then we went into the terminal and were ecstatic to see that the majority of the line was for US citizens who weren’t Latitudes members (haha). The latitudes line was so quick and painless – I almost felt guilty that all those people were waiting for a long time. Once in a while it pays to be loyal J

We walked immediately onto the ship and went to check out our room. I was very happy with the room since it was much bigger than my room on the Sun. Only one problem –the beds were pushed together as a queen. I was a bit irked because I had called NCL prior to cruising and asked that they be separated and was told that they are always like that unless you specifically ask for them to be together. So I sucked up my annoyance and called reception to ask that they be fixed. This was probably the biggest annoyance of the whole trip. I had to call 4 more times before this actually was fixed around 9:30 pm. By this time I was tired and cranky and really wanting to sleep. Finally housekeeping walked by my room in which they must have seen my exasperation showing and fixed it for us.

I definitely felt that the Dream was smaller and cozier than the Sun – and it was a little obvious that it was more for structured cruising than for freestyle but she was still a charm and we enjoyed her immensely. I cannot say that I agree with comments I’ve read about her interior design – she is an older ship for sure but I don’t think it’s that painful to look at. If it’s true that she will be leaving the fleet soon please take a moment to enjoy before she goes.

Sunday at sea was good – as always it was a little windy on the higher decks so we spent little time up there but spent tons of time walking around the ship trying new things, eating at different places and trying to schedule our week of fun!! We had a great time in the casino, especially introducing my little bro to my favorite table game of Let It Ride. We met some really nice dealers during our stay and they truly made it more enjoyable. They didn’t even get too upset when I accidentally dropped my pina colada all over the table! OOPS!

Sunday night we made our first visit to Le Bistro and I was in LOVE with the food. The filet mignon béarnaise style, the asparagus and the french onion soup were so good but the chocolate fondue sent me to a whole other realm. I wanted more but couldn’t fit it for sure! We made our way back there on Friday night to honor my grandfather who had passed away 4 years before on that date. I again took the same filet mignon but this time had the cream of mushroom soup in a bread bowl and it was SO DELICIOUS! Once again the fondue was a dream. I almost always requested a cappuccino with my dessert selection and it was very good on board. I almost didn’t miss my Starbucks fix the whole week. Almost…

The other restaurants were good too but perhaps not as many stars as I remember on the Sun. One thing I noticed on board is that the rantings of some often times picky passengers has taken its toll on the crew. They somehow resent their jobs on board since so many people cannot accept the Dream for what she is. In my opinion this could be why some of the crew feels like they need to go above and beyond and why others don’t try hard to please at all. I felt bad for some of them because they seemed to feel that you just couldn’t please certain individuals at all. We dined mostly in the Four Seasons because The Terraces was often closed. We also ate one night in Trattoria which was pretty good. I never really had a bad meal – though there were certain courses I tried and didn’t care for. The drinks were very good – sometimes pricey but I did end up bringing home 4 more souvenir glasses and 2 coconut monkeys that I gave to my little brother. I really enjoyed the poolside bar but it was always so windy up there. Obviously that can’t be helped and we still liked it.

I definitely think there could have been a wider selection of activities on board. This time compared to when I went Thanksgiving 2004 on the Sun there seemed to be less that interested me. That could have been because the first time I was more willing to try out new things or perhaps because there was a wider range of things to do on a cruise that definitely had more families on board ( i.e. holidays). Just a suggestion not a complaint.

Monday we anchored in Cozumel and had to tender in. Out of all the ports this one was the most inconvenient. I think they are still trying to figure this out since tendering is somewhat new for NCL there. It took a long to load and unload the bigger boats. Unfortunately the weather was not great earlier in the day and we were on a catamaran sail and snorkel excursion and were wet and freezing by the time we got to the snorkel site. Lucky for us though, this was the worst part and it cleared up – it was beautiful on the return trip. No time to shop in port when we returned but this was fine with me. The mall that I spent so much time at the last trip was devastating to see. It looked like the escalators had been ripped out, someone took a jackhammer to the cement, things were board up and fenced – it just wasn’t appealing to me. I look forward to returning again to see her restored. Good news is that Carlos and Charley’s was OPEN! I’m so sad I didn’t have a chance to visit again – we had such a great time last year! Oh well – next time!

Tuesday is Roatan was just gorgeous. I was smart this time and actually booked an excursion here. We did the Tabyana Beach Party and Snorkel and it was the best day at the beach I’ve ever experienced. The weather was gorgeous, the snorkeling was so much fun and the people at the beach were gracious and accommodating. We almost didn’t want to leave but the sun wore us out and we were ready for naps. Please take advantage of this excursion if you can. It was great! We also had lunch included in our ticket so it was a very good value. Last time I went to Roatan we didn’t book a tour and my friend and I decided to walk to one of those places that NCL recommends the Yaba Ding Ding. We were followed by locals the whole way and got a little nervous. Once we got to the store we were even afraid to walk back to the ship but we did…immediately. We spent a total of 45 minutes off the ship in that port and after this trip I totally regret that HUGE error. In fact we heard people talking on board who made this same mistake and I made sure to let them know what to do for next time.

In Belize we opted for a tour that wouldn’t require us to get wet – one day where I didn’t feel grubby while in port. Haha. We did the mangrove tunnels and city museum. The mangrove tunnels were really cool and we learned a lot from our guide Elise. She was so nice and funny and we had a blast. The museum was okay but we were hot and tired by then and not as interested. Still a great tour for the money and we loved all the wildlife we saw in the tunnels and all the things we learned about Belize there.

Hmmm….can’t think of anything else to say right now – had a wonderful time on cruise. Sorry we missed Cancun but after seeing Cozumel there is no way I would have wanted to go to Cancun now. I can wait until she is healed.

Cruises for the future:

Family Cruise to Alaska – 2007

Mexican Riviera or Eastern Caribbean end of 2006 or early 2007

Thanks for reading…ask any questions you like and I’ll do my best to answer.

Kimberly

Great Review, couldn’t agree more. I felt the same way about the staff, chronic complainers ruin the work place attitude in any business. I think that made me even go further in complimenting them and passing out those all those ones I brought.

Thanks for the nice review.

We enjoyed the Dream as well to Alaska last year. Our only complaint was the ship seems very smokey.

One Question: Why was Terrraces closed? We ate almost every dinner there except a few at Trattoria.

... the ship seems very smokey.

Thanksgiving 2005 cruise: We only noticed any smoke when we walked through the casino and some of the bars. And, since we are not gamblers nor drinkers, we never dealt with this nor encountered it in any other area of the ship. I guess we also would have expected smoke in these places. Where did you find this on your cruise?

Roatan was just gorgeous. We did the Tabyana Beach Party and Snorkel and it was the best day at the beach I’ve ever experienced. Kimberly

Kimberly, when we were in Roatan we went to Tabyana beach and the wind was up to the extent that we could not snorkel at all. We had a GREAT time on the beach with the kids, playing in the sand, building sand castles, etc. But - we could see glimpses of how incredibly awesome the water was when the wind would momentarily die down. We could even see the bottom of the ocean and the huge schools of tang, etc. when we were just standing on the pier by the ship! This is going to kill me, I know, but I bet the water was unbelievably as clear as Ozarka, huh? (We HAVE to go back to Roatan...)

Thanks for the nice review.

We enjoyed the Dream as well to Alaska last year. Our only complaint was the ship seems very smokey.

One Question: Why was Terrraces closed? We ate almost every dinner there except a few at Trattoria.

I meant Terraces was only open most dinners - not normally for breakfast or lunch. Sorry for the confusion. :)

Thanksgiving 2005 cruise: We only noticed any smoke when we walked through the casino and some of the bars. And, since we are not gamblers nor drinkers, we never dealt with this nor encountered it in any other area of the ship. I guess we also would have expected smoke in these places. Where did you find this on your cruise?

Yes could get smokey in the casinos for sure but never noticed it anywhere else. Last night on board was particularly bad but no more so than I've seen on board the Sun.

Kimberly, when we were in Roatan we went to Tabyana beach and the wind was up to the extent that we could not snorkel at all. We had a GREAT time on the beach with the kids, playing in the sand, building sand castles, etc. But - we could see glimpses of how incredibly awesome the water was when the wind would momentarily die down. We could even see the bottom of the ocean and the huge schools of tang, etc. when we were just standing on the pier by the ship! This is going to kill me, I know, but I bet the water was unbelievably as clear as Ozarka, huh? (We HAVE to go back to Roatan...)

It was just beautiful - we didn't see a ton of fish, but there was the most corral I have ever seen and it was really awesome to be able to swim through it. One lady got cut on it when another swimmer cut her off and she had no choice but to rub against it. Just a warning to make sure you go slow and have patience. It is truly breathtaking though!

Oh yeah - I also have all the freestyle dailies if anyone is interested I will scan them and post them online.

Oh yeah - I also have all the freestyle dailies if anyone is interested I will scan them and post them online.

Please do!

We leave for the Dream on Feb 11 and I'm so excited and can't contain myself! Thank you for the great review!!!! We were on the Sea last year, so I think it will be like that! I agree that Roatan is the most beautiful of the ports and I'm sad to be seeing Cozumel. I would love to see the dailies!!:D Thanks again for the positive review!

Thanks for the wonderful review of the Dream. Older smaller ships are just as much fun to cruise on as the newer larger ships. Plus you don't have to walk as far to get anywhere...

Thanks for the review, it was quite candid and helpful.

Count me in for the dailies as well,,,,we'll be on the Dream 3/25.

Who was the cruise director??

Sparky,

I have cruised on both the Sea and the Dream. They are very much alike. The Dream is a little bigger and has a few more choices on where to eat, but the crew is great and the ship is clean. Hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise as much as we did. Look for Julian on the pool deck every morning. He is a great guy and very friendly. Julian also sang for us at the Latitudes party. What a great voice. Don't forget your morning omelettes!

Vette

I will post the dailies as soon as I get a chance - this weekend if not earlier :)

Have a great day! Oh yeah, that nutty Patti was our CD.

Thanksgiving 2005 cruise: We only noticed any smoke when we walked through the casino and some of the bars. And, since we are not gamblers nor drinkers, we never dealt with this nor encountered it in any other area of the ship. I guess we also would have expected smoke in these places. Where did you find this on your cruise?

I encountered several places during our Dec 31 cruise where smoke was quite noticeable: First, immediately outside our Deck 9 cabin, many of the inside rooms must have been occupied by smokers. I smelled it anytime I went in or out of our room. Second, the smell of cigarettes was quite strong throughout most of the aft hallway of the same deck.

As for the other public areas, the lounges on the starboard sides of decks 9 and 10 of the ship were the "designated" smoking areas, whereas the portside lounges had "no smoking" signs. There was a clear difference in the smell, so that one could smell the smoke from the smokers on the starboard side quite distinctly vs. the non-smoking portside of the same decks.

If a passenger was not aware of these areas, then s/he would believe smoking was allowed throughout the ship, esp. when lining up to dine at Le Bistro, 4 Seasons, Trattoria, etc., since all entrances to these dining rooms are located on the starboard (smokers') side of the ship.

I don't smoke but I also believe smokers ought to be allowed to smoke in designated areas. I just avoided all designated smoking areas whenever I could, except for going in and out of our cabin.

Kimberly, when we were in Roatan we went to Tabyana beach and the wind was up to the extent that we could not snorkel at all.

Did you notice the "$250,000 luxury condos for sale" sign on the beach? :)

If a passenger was not aware of these areas, then s/he would believe smoking was allowed throughout the ship, esp. when lining up to dine at Le Bistro, 4 Seasons, Trattoria, etc., since all entrances to these dining rooms are located on the starboard (smokers') side of the ship.

We never noticed it at all except for the casino and bars. Especially never noticed anything while standing in line for any of the restaurants. I double-checked with my bride, and she says she did not notice anything, and she has a much more sensitive nose than me. I guess the New Years Eve bunch had more chain smokers than our Thanksgiving bunch.

Did you notice the "$250,000 luxury condos for sale" sign on the beach? :)

Didn't see it. Maybe it went up after we left at Thanksgiving. Are you saying that you feel there is a correlation between the high winds experienced way more often this year by an unnatural number of hurricanes/storms and the "for sale" sign?

Didn't see it. Maybe it went up after we left at Thanksgiving. Are you saying that you feel there is a correlation between the high winds experienced way more often this year by an unnatural number of hurricanes/storms and the "for sale" sign?

Yeah, but more like hot air...

We never noticed it at all except for the casino and bars. Especially never noticed anything while standing in line for any of the restaurants. I double-checked with my bride, and she says she did not notice anything, and she has a much more sensitive nose than me. I guess the New Years Eve bunch had more chain smokers than our Thanksgiving bunch.

Well, I live in Fla, which is a "smoke-free" state, where there's no smoking in any public place, including stores, restaurants, offices, etc. I also tend to stay in non-smoking rooms and floors in hotels, and, worst of all, am an x-smoker. So the combination of all these probably makes me more sensitive to smelling it than others.

Kimberly,

Thanks for the report. I'm going on Dream in April and am glad to read a good review. Was the Pina Colada that you spilled on the table at least free? I mean, do they serve free drinks to the people at the table games like they do in Vegas? This is my first cruise coming up and I cannot remember the last time I was so ready for a great vacation.

Thanks,

G

hi all....I was on the Dream this past October..her first trip out of Houston...and while playing in the casino they quite often would buy you a drink.....there wasn't a cocktail person going around as in Vegas, but the pit boss or else the dealer would call one...during my 7 days, I think I paid for only one drink in the casino....of course, you have to play ...not just stop by for 10 minutes.......:)

till we all sail again.....jus me...jim.....the velvet teddy bear....:cool:

I actually didn't drink much in the casinos so no freebies this time. This instance I actually spontaneously requested one from the cocktail waitress and the "incident" occurred when I was getting up to leave after I left all my chips at the table. It was embarrassing but thankfully they were very gracious. :)

Don't feel too embarrassed. I dumped a full Corona on a blackjack table at the Mirage in Vegas one time. Went to double down and down she went. The bad thing was the beer ran into the dealer's chips and they had to send a team out to clean every single chip in the holder by hand. Took about 20 minutes. They, unlike your experience, were not very gracious..;) Not a good way to enjoy my first beer of the afternoon.

I did win the double down, however. :D