Documenting the dream western caribbean 01/21-28/2012; the money monkey goes cruising

[radrayjax]

MUSTER DRILL 3:30-4:00 PM:

 

The tour took us nearly an hour. We only had a few minutes to drop some material at our room and head down to the Encore lounge for the 3:30 Muster Drill.

 

The Encore Theater/Lounge takes up the forward space of The Lobby (3), Atlantic (4), and Promenade (5) Decks. The three plans are fairly well aligned below. The Bow area forward on the Atlantic deck is not wood planking and is the “private” crew area. This will be seen later in the write-up. On decks three and five the grey areas forward of the lounge a not public areas.

 

 

Muster Drill in the Encore Theater. This is looking forward from the height of the Atlantic Deck to the Lobby Deck:

 

 

Looking across at the upper (Promenade) seats of the starboard side of the Encore Lounge:

 

 

 

[radrayjax]

MUSTER DRILL VIDEO...

A Muster video shown on the large screen of the Encore Theater (Yeah, it was muddy in real life). It only lasted a few minutes.

 

 

 

 

That’s it for tonight, a bleary-eyed me says past 1AM.

 

TOMORROW: I’m going to TRY to get this ship to START to sail away….

[jbhcw]

Amazing review:) We are thinking of the Dream for our 30th anniversary in November...even though I said I wouldn't do a bigger ship...the Liberty is the biggest so far:eek:

 

I have read a ton of reviews since joining CC and love the detailed ones with pictures...think you've got both detailed and pictures covered...Carry on:D:D:D

 

So...if you book a spa cabin you get the hydro pool and heated chairs included in the price of the cabin??? Do you know the cost for those for a week if you're in a regular cabin? Hal charges a $100 plus I think...but it is worth it:)

[Cruzface]

Dude, we leave in 2 weeks, hurry up!!! Sleep is over-rated. Lol. Your review is great. Can't wait to read more and see the pics.

[radrayjax]

Amazing review:) We are thinking of the Dream for our 30th anniversary in November...even though I said I wouldn't do a bigger ship...the Liberty is the biggest so far:eek:

 

I have read a ton of reviews since joining CC and love the detailed ones with pictures...think you've got both detailed and pictures covered...Carry on:D:D:D

 

So...if you book a spa cabin you get the hydro pool and heated chairs included in the price of the cabin??? Do you know the cost for those for a week if you're in a regular cabin? Hal charges a $100 plus I think...but it is worth it:)

 

At the very beginning I went over some of the spa privileges:

Unlimited use of facilities not requiring spa personnel:

Pool, Multiple heated, steam rooms, saunas

Full locker room and shower

"Relaxation" room with coffee, tea, flavored water to cool down

1 free class per person

Special slippers and robes (you keep the slippers)

The Elemis "upgraded" bathroom goodies.

 

The GYM is available to ALL passenger, not part of the spa package

 

Not to get too far ahead, Fran used it EVERY day, I used it at least 5 days.

 

If you buy the spa week ala carte with a non-spa room it costs $250.00. I based my price comparison on an interior cabin on deck six compared to deck 11 and there was a $100.00 difference for the week. If you start at the Lido Deck (10) and only go up ONE deck the price difference is on the order of only $3 or $4 a day!

 

As noted the pictures above are only scraping the surface of what I will cover when I DOCUMENT the two spa decks later. I will have photographs of all the sauna areas, but not necessarily from INSIDE the real STEAMY rooms.

 

When I document decks 3, 4, and 5 I will have photos of the Encore Lounge from each level.

[jbhcw]

At the very beginning I went over some of the spa privileges:

Unlimited use of facilities not requiring spa personnel:

Pool, Multiple heated, steam rooms, saunas

Full locker room and shower

"Relaxation" room with coffee, tea, flavored water to cool down

1 free class per person

Special slippers and robes (you keep the slippers)

The Elemis "upgraded" bathroom goodies.

 

The GYM is available to ALL passenger, not part of the spa package

 

Not to get too far ahead, Fran used it EVERY day, I used it at least 5 days.

 

If you buy the spa week ala carte with a non-spa room it costs $250.00. I based my price comparison on an interior cabin on deck six compared to deck 11 and there was a $100.00 difference for the week. If you start at the Lido Deck (10) and only go up ONE deck the price difference is on the order of only $3 or $4 a day!

 

As noted the pictures above are only scraping the surface of what I will cover when I DOCUMENT the two spa decks later. I will have photographs of all the sauna areas, but not necessarily from INSIDE the real STEAMY rooms.

 

When I document decks 3, 4, and 5 I will have photos of the Encore Lounge from each level.

 

Thanks so much for the info:):):)

[jd759308]

Great review! DW and I are sailing March 3rd in cabin 11219, on the Starboard side of where you guys stayed. After reading your review, we can't wait. Hope your done by then, but no pressure. Quick question, did you notice any bad motion in a room that high up and forward? That's my only concern.

 

Thanks again for the great review.

[radrayjax]

Great review! DW and I are sailing March 3rd in cabin 11219, on the Starboard side of where you guys stayed. After reading your review, we can't wait. Hope your done by then, but no pressure. Quick question, did you notice any bad motion in a room that high up and forward? That's my only concern.

 

Thanks again for the great review.

 

 

I will be covering this issue in detail l later on. I used a TOWEL test. What I felt vs. what I could see.

 

I used a test with the facial towel that hangs on a rack in front of the toilet (I'll have a photo of course later in this write-up) just below the sink: The average swing was an arc about 1/4-1 inch. In other words 1/2 inch off center.

 

I NEVER felt actual rocking, the movement was more of a shift back and forth.

 

This info will be repeated later in the write-up, but at times the water in the main pool and Thalasso pool would cavitate heavily. I now know that when people use this type of video or photo (and I took a few!) to say LOOK! SEE! BAD SHIP! BAD SHIP! It is HOOEE. I would be standing on a rock solid deck feeling next to nothing and the water would just about get up and shake my hand!

 

When I was IN the Thalasso pool and the cavitation could vary at times by a foot. Sometimes there was nothing. I would stand up (the depth was about 3 feet) to see what was really going on. What can I say?

[Ltcsquad]

Yes that should do it

[Pepperw23]

Loving the review!!! I think that is a friend of mine in one of your SPA pictures (Can't be sure yet though I need to ask her)

[radrayjax]

Just a quick note here: I spent some time with Fran while she got up to date with this! She has not seen my document since just before we left for the RMB&B. She does agree with what I said including the answers to some of the questions.

[radrayjax]

My original SECOND POST was deleted by the powers that be some time ago because I had a naughty word in it. Many of you good people who came on late have no idea what I mean when I refer to RULE 1.

 

I am NOT going to try to repost that entire post but I do need to put RULE 1 back (to cut off any potential questions):

 

RULE 1:

 

I AM CHEAP

 

I'll just recap the end of the long post:

 

How cheap am I? Is it Nature or Nurture?

Behavioral psychologists could argue this point for decades. In the NUTURE corner is my mother, who is 100% German of Scottish decent!

La Cheapa

spawned

El Cheapo

. I learned the art of the cheap at momma’s knee (or is it KID-NEY?).

In the NATURE corner is Gene Mapping, setting the record straight once and for all. In my case the gene has been identified as the Yar54. By the way, my wife, Fran, has a variant that has been mapped to the Narf56. Her instincts are pretty good but she doesn’t have my sharpness for the math of the cheap.

Where does this fit in this write-up? Let’s just say that I take the ALL-INCLUSIVENESS of room and board offered by Carnival very seriously and am loath to spend more for something I’ve already paid for. In other words, don’t expect me to pay more for food when I’ve got all the food included. Although, the café with the nice chocolate desserts may give me a run for my money late in the voyage.

 

We now return to our story in progress....

[radrayjax]

MINUTES BEFORE SAIL-AWAY 4:00 PM JANUARY 21

 

The muster drill ended shortly before the 4:00 PM sail away time. My goal was to capture the event from two different perspectives: Fran would go up to the Panorama Deck (11) where she could capture a deck party on Lido (if any) and I would stay below on the Promenade Deck (5) and rove around to capture different angles closer to the water line. The dozen or so pictures Fran took topside were the only photos taken with her camera during the cruise. My intent was to capture the very once-in-a-cruise moment when we “broke the surly bonds” with Florida.

 

The route below on the Promenade Deck plan shows my path aft and center from the Encore lounge to the Ocean Plaza and Lanai (Center of the Promenade Deck).

 

 

I took MANY photos along the way and will use them later in the write-up when I DOCUMENT THE SHIP. For now let’s try to count down to the actual sail away.

 

 

The port door to the Lanai from Ocean Plaza:

 

The Top of the hot center port hot tub just outside the door. In the distance is the port side of the Bridge:

 

Shot looking forward to the bridge from the top of the hot tub. Our ship has not started to move.

 

Shot looking aft from the top of the hot tub. The Norwegian Star has “set sail” and is down the channel almost to the Ecstasy.

 

Since the ship hadn’t started to move, I thought I had a little time and went forward on the exterior Promenade to the most forward hot tub. Then I went back inside and down to the Atlantic Deck (4) and took more pictures for later.

A picture of a port side life boat on the Atlantic Deck (4). Note this is through a window of a non-public area on this ship. MORE for later….

[radrayjax]

Since the ship hadn’t started to move, I thought I had a little time and went forward on the exterior Promenade to the most forward hot tub. Then I went back inside and down to the Atlantic Deck (4) and took more pictures for later.

 

I’d taken nearly 60 pictures since the exterior shots on the Promenade and I took a fairly roundabout route on the Atlantic Deck as seen below happily snapping away and NOT feeling the ship move. I made my way all the way to the rear of the ship to the Crimson Restaurant upper level (far right in the deck plan below). It was now about 4:15.

 

 

I took the following “Oh C**P! We’ve moved!” photo:

 

Looking out of a window from the Crimson Restaurant:

 

Not only have we moved without me feeling a thing, I wasn’t even sure which way the bow of the ship was facing!! I also hadn’t heard the horn blow. I “raced” back up to the port side of the Promenade Deck and went up the stairs of the same mid ship hot tub.

[radrayjax]

SAIL-AWAY 4:15 PM JANUARY 21, 2012!

 

Forward-looking shot from the mid-ship, port side hot tub:

The ship is in the process of doing a one-eighty and I still need to get my bearings! The ship has rotated less than 90o – it is facing a point just east of the terminal.

 

Sideways shot from the same point – looking down the channel:

 

The terminal, taken after moving to near the aft area:

 

“Money Shot” of the Disney Magic, taken from the PORT Side aft after the Dream as swung around even more:

 

The terminal, after we are further along the arc and have moved slightly forward:

 

Starboard side forward view, about 150o into the arc. Forward is now south east:

[radrayjax]

People on higher decks lookout at the sail away.

 

Now looking aft at people on the Disney Magic watching US.

 

Starboard side view of the south bank and buildings. We are now moving east.

 

Passing Fishlips Bar and Grill on the south bank.

 

Forward view: The Carnival Ecstasy is now at the head of the channel, a few minutes ahead of us. Didn’t hear her horn either!

 

Forward view: Telephoto shot of the Ecstasy:

 

At the time I took the above shots I didn’t know it was the Ecstasy until someone told me. I couldn’t read it in the LCD screen of the camera. There were a LOT of things I couldn’t see doing outdoor photography with an LCD screen.

I had gotten a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX24 16Mpl in October, replacing an 8-year-old Nicon CoolPix 4300 that had died after 25-30,000 pictures. BTW, I NEVER take pictures at 16Mpl, I use 5Mpl for most shots The Leica lens makes the difference and after compression most photos on the internet are less than 1 Mpl. High Mpl is only good if you are going large scale printing.

[radrayjax]

SAIL AWAY CONTINUES, HEADING OUT THE CHANNEL...

 

The commercial (north) side of the port, now looking at the port side, forward:

 

The bow at the Promenade deck:

 

After taking this photo I went up the stairs to the right to the forward observation deck on the Upper (06) Deck.

 

Forward areas (observation decks) of the Upper (6), Empress (7) and the Bridge on the Veranda (8). The circle was my approximate vantage point, slightly port center.

 

 

The very bow of the ship (Atlantic Deck) seen from the Upper Deck:

 

Looking up at people on the Empress Observation Deck and the Bridge.:

 

A lot of people call these open observation decks “Secret Decks.” HOOEY! Just explore, people. There the STAIRS going from Deck 5 to 6, to 7! There is NO secret! I will talk about this later in the write-up when I DOCUMENT THE SHIP. Some of this will be repeated [i have no shame.].

 

Facing starboard on the Upper Deck Observation deck. Note the stairs leading down to Deck 5:

[radrayjax]

Continuing Sail Away, STAIGHT TIME....

 

Passing cargo vessel Nippon Maru on the Port (north) side. Where’s the Kobiashi Maru when you need her?:

 

Passing the US Naval Vessel Waters on the port side:

You don’t want to know what the mission of this ship is, this close to Kennedy Space Center. If I told you, I’d have to kill you.

 

TOMORROW: SAIL-AWAY CONTINUES! OUT ON THE ATLANTIC!

[shootr]

Looking good!

[Minoushka]

Please poswt pix of slots in Casino

[radrayjax]

Please post pix of slots in Casino

 

I will be posting TONS when I DOCUMENT the PROMENADE DECK (5). Remember as noted at the beginning of this thread, the intended goal is for the reader to almost use the photos and have near continuous feel of going through the length of a deck.

So far the thread has been documenting the TRIP, not the SHIP.

[melhodgyp0]

 

The Norwegian Star, seen through the glass from the Lido Deck:

 

 

Really enjoying the review so far! Just wanted to mention the ship you keep refering to as the Norwegian Star is actually the Norwegian Sun. Can't wait to read the next installment though!

[radrayjax]

Really enjoying the review so far! Just wanted to mention the ship you keep refering to as the Norwegian Star is actually the Norwegian Sun. Can't wait to read the next installment though!

 

Thanks. Actually I wasn't being consistant. I did a search in my Word document and I had SUN four times and STAR three time. So I did a global replace.

[radrayjax]

SAIL-AWAY CONTINUES! January 21, 2012!

 

 

Backing up a few minutes, below is a shot Fran took of the View of Upper Deck OD. The stairs lead down to the Promenade Deck OD. An officer was here (on the right) also taking photos.

 

It is now about 4:35PM

 

A vehicle assembly building at KSC (Not THE VAB but a smaller one for rockets) looking north from the port side.

 

Casino Ship along the south bank (starboard) seen from the Upper Deck OD.

View of Upper Deck OD. The stairs lead down to the Promenade Deck OD. An officer was here (on the right) also taking photos.

 

 

 

Forward view from Upper Deck OD. The Ecstasy is on the ocean and has turned south:

 

I think this is the pilot boat coming to fetch the pilot:

[radrayjax]

Closer view of the Casino ship to starboard as we are passing along side:

 

View of the port side of the bridge seen from the Upper OD:

 

Telephoto shot of Norwegian Sun seen over tops of condos:

 

This wider shot shows the Ecstasy on the far left behind the Sun on the right:

 

Passing by the Orlando Princess tour boat to starboard:

 

Passing by the Ecstasy Terminal to starboard: