Norwegian Dream

[davidaperryman]

Any one sailed on her.

 

She is comming to Galveston in Oct and we were thinking about it.

[hotspur]

Any one sailed on her.

 

She is comming to Galveston in Oct and we were thinking about it.

We've sailed her twice--a trans-Atlantic in 2002 and an Alaska last May. She's an older ship with little of the glitz of newer mega-ships. We found her very comfortable with large, nicely-decorated standard cabins. Decor is traditional cruise ship, warm and with lots of wood.

 

The Dream was not built for freestyle, so does not offer the dining choices of newer NCL ships. There are two main dining rooms, an Italian dining room (Trattoria), the high-end Bistro, and a buffet called the Sports Bar. The Dream was stretched, adding cabins, some public areas, and the second main dining room (the Four Seasons). The main theater can get crowded as a result of the added cabins. Seating in the Sports Bar can also get tight. We particularly enjoyed the Trattoria, as it is smaller than most cruise ship dining rooms and has walls of glass on three sides. It's also located on deck 11 so is not buried in the bowels of the ship as are most dining rooms on newer ships (have to save those upper decks for balconied cabins now).

 

If you are looking to be dazzled by your ship (e.g., skating rinks, umpteen-story atriums, climbing walls, billiards tables, bowling alleys, restaurants seating thousands) you will likely be disappointed by the Dream. If you are looking for a comfortable cruise on a traditional cruise ship at what is probably a very reasonable price, then I think she'd be a good fit for you.

 

With the right itinerary, at the right time of year, at the right price, we'd sail her again tomorrow and be enthused by the prospect.

[nurseone]

for Halloween and had a blast. Are already booked again for October 28 and really looking forward to it. Agree with hotspur's assessment of the ship. Come join us in october. Any specific questions I'll try to answer.

[Gigi&Don]

We sailed with her on the Western Carribean in December 2003 and are crusing with her for the Baltics this August. We cruised on NCL Jewel in November 2005. Although the Jewel does offer so much for restaurant choices, we perfer the Dream. It is a smaller ship (still quite large) and more "cozy". Although the cabins with window (not porthole) have ample storage space and good sized bathroom, the beds were under the window. On the Dream, the window room has seating space (couch/chairs) next to the window. We much prefer the Dream.

 

Happy Cruising!

[hotspur]

Although the cabins with window (not porthole) have ample storage space and good sized bathroom, the beds were under the window. On the Dream, the window room has seating space (couch/chairs) next to the window.

Nice to see someone else feels the same way about cabin layout. We, too, much prefer having a sitting area near the window rather than the having bed(s) under it. HAL's Maasdam had it the latter way and we NEVER sat on the sofa because it was in the middle of the cabin and all you could look at was yourself in the mirror opposite the sofa.

 

The Dream is also nice because, unlike the Jewel, in standard oceanview cabins there is a drape that can be drawn separating the sitting area from the bed(s). This is very handy when one person arises early while the other is sleeping. You can draw the drape, open the drapes on the window, and relax on the loveseat or chair while reading with natural light and looking out the window. I believe only minisuites and above offer this separator on Jewel.

[ute_fan]

Just a small comment -- the Dream will be sailing out of the port of Houston, not Galveston. Not a really big deal, but if you try to find her the day of sailing in Galveston, you'll be in trouble :D .

 

We haven't been on the Dream, but did the NCL Sea twice out of Houston. It was an even smaller ship, with tiny staterooms, but it sure got us hooked on cruising. The itinerary has changed slightly since last May, but we're looking forward to trying the Dream some day too.

[davidaperryman]

We are looking at booking a inside cabin on deck 9.

 

Are any of the dinning areas extra charge?

[davidaperryman]

Also I have read that on formal night that formal is optional.

 

True?

[Velvet Teddy Bear]

Hi....There is only one extra charge dinning room on the Dream..It's the Bistro...and the food is really GOOD.... We sailed on her last Oct...it was her first trip out of Houston...We liked her so much, we have booked her again for Nov 25, 06......She should be decked out for the Holidays then..

 

She is older and smaller than most of the others, but can hold her head up high...a great crew and officers....We have the same cabin as last time, an obstructed view window...if you pick the right ones, there is no problem with seeing the water....

 

There will be 3 of us, and using the sofa bed works out very nicely, and there is plenty of room for all of us....we usually have a drink in the cabin before we go up to dinner...we are on deck 8 a great deck to be on....

 

If you haven't picked out which week you want, think about joining us on the 25th....there are about 6/7 other groups already signed on....

 

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

[GrapevineTx_Cruiser]

We're sailing on her Jan. 6. Looking forward to a smaller, less bells and whistles cruise, although we did love the Star. Our first cruise was on an even smaller (23,500 tons), less populated (713 pass. D.O), and older ship (built 1957) and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The crew and the pride they take in their vessel can more than make up for the lack of glitz.

[hotspur]

Are any of the dinning areas extra charge?

Like the two main dining rooms, the Trattoria is also a no-extra-charge restaurant. Don't know if they still do this, but on certain "special menu" nights the Trattoria used to serve the same menu as the main dining rooms but was usually less crowded--besides being, in our view, a more attractive room. Be sure to try it. On most nights it serves an Italian menu, with one or two menu items changing every day (e.g., pasta of the day or fish of the day).

 

As an older ship, the Dream has lots of open deck space both at the front and back of the ship. On newer ships, nearly all of the outside space is taken up by balconied cabins.

[Cruising Ken]

I've just been on the Dream and I can't say why, but I really like her. I 've been on much bigger and better ships but somehow I always feel right at home on the Dream.

 

On this last trip the menu selection was the subject of much discussion, however I thought the food was good but the selection was poor, Le Bistro is a pay restaurant but IMHO well worth the cost. The Trattoria serving an Italian menu was also excellent. There is also a buffet (sports bar)which is open almost 24 hours, a Pizzeria for continental breakfast and lunch as well as a barbeque on good weather days and of course the two main restaurants (Four seasons and Terraces) so there's plenty of places to eat. Not to mention the Ice Cream bar:D open 11am-5pm something which some other cruise lines are now charging for.

 

Some friends of ours also went on the Dream with us, this was their first time on NCL. They were highly impressed with the cleanliness of the ship and their accomodation.

 

So yes she may be a smaller ship, but she still has plenty to offer. I would certainly be considering travelling on her again in September when she goes transatlantic back to Miami if it were not for the new NCL Pearl doing the same trip in December.

[calmac]

Seven weeks tomorrow we will be on our second cruise on the Dream. :D We really enjoyed the ship last summer and are really looking forward to being on her again.

 

We found the crew and officers to be very friendly and also very visible - something which we didn't notice on the Dawn in April - and we're hoping to see the same Captain and Chief Engineer next month.

 

We had no complaints about the Dream at all - except maybe that we had to leave her in Seattle.

[NJGRANNY]

I agree with everything everyone's said about the Dream. We did the Baltic cruise on May 11th this year.

 

I loved the cabin. It was great having the curtain to pull across the bed if my DH was still asleep, and I wanted to read or just look out. I'm a big fan of NCL's duvets. I even bought a similar one for home.

 

Our only complaint about the ship was that the Sports Bar was too crowded and noisy. Sometimes they let you take your food down to the Trattoria to eat. We enjoyed the food on the ship.

 

I found the size of the ship to be just right. The decks on the back are great. On deck 8, there are lounge chairs under cover and one flight up is the outdoor pool with lots of sunning room.

 

Being the Baltic and cool, we didn't get to take advantage of the pools, etc. There is a swim-up bar at mid-ship that looks fabulous.

 

Happy Cruising!

[Joe1690]

I have sailed on the Dream twice once in the early 90's before she was stretched and in 2004 out of New Orleans after the stretch job. The ship has some quirks that make her less desirable but overall as others have said I found myself right at home and really enjoyed the ship. The odd quirks are mainly in 3 areas. First off, since the ship was stretched one of the dining rooms occupies the whole width of the deck and thus if you are located on one side and want to reach the other side of the deck you have 3 options: 1) walk through the dining room, 2) go up a deck and over and then back down or 3) go down a deck head toward the other side and then back up. Another problem with the ship is that when she was stretched the main pool area changed and has a very boxed in feel. It has very little deck space next to the pool and probably little resembles the pools on other ships you have been on. With that being said, I really enjoyed the aft pool located outside of one of the dining rooms because it was less crowded and had a wonderful breeze. A third quirk is that the ship doesn't have a true buffet area like on other ships but rather the buffet is located in the sports bar and only has a few serving trays and has limited seating capabilities as well for probably around 50-200 people (my memory is a little hazy). With that being said, I always enjoy eating outdoors anyway and just carried my tray outdoors to eat enjoying the beatiful ocean.

 

With those few warnings mentioned if you can live with them then I am sure you will enjoy the Dream. Just remember she is a smaller and older ship and thus doesn't have many of the amenities found on newer ships. Also, as others mentioned I really like the outside cabin design with the sitting area next to the window and the great curtain that allows the 2 areas to be separated. Also, I found the crew to be very friendly and the ship to be well maintained. The Dream may not be the newest ship in the NCL fleet, have the latest bells and whistles but she is a throwback to the way cruising and ships were being built in the 80s and early 90s. She has grace, charm, and is very nicely appointed with a dedicated staff who takes pride in her. So go and enjoy the Dream and let her create a great cruising vacation for you with many memories for years to come.

[hotspur]

Also I have read that on formal night that formal is optional.

 

True?

True. It's "optional" on all NCL ships. Dress if you'd like, but resort casual is always appropriate.

[cruisedolly]

Thanks to all of you. We are going on the Dream transatlantic in Sept. I had read so many just horrible things about her I had wondered if I was losing my mind in booking the trip. I am beginning to realize that some people simply have expectations far beyond my own. Thanks again. We look forward to the trip.

[MrLee]

Seven weeks tomorrow we will be on our second cruise on the Dream. :D We really enjoyed the ship last summer and are really looking forward to being on her again.

 

We found the crew and officers to be very friendly and also very visible - something which we didn't notice on the Dawn in April - and we're hoping to see the same Captain and Chief Engineer next month.

 

We had no complaints about the Dream at all - except maybe that we had to leave her in Seattle.

 

Please be sure to post a review when you return. After all the mixed comments it would be nice to hear from someone with recent information.

[mlockwoo79]

Our first NCL cruise was on the Dream in 2003 out of New Orleans. We loved everything about her, from the facilities to the staterooms. Food was wonderful. We've been on the Sun this spring and even with our amazing room (AB suite) we still thought the Dream was great!! Hope you have a wonderful time!!

[sealgs2000]

Thanks for the good comments, we are booked for Spring Break next year. We were on the Sea a couple of years ago and it was the smallest ship we had been on but we had a great time. We are looking forward to the Dream.

[sterling2]

We were on the Dream for a 7 day in 12/2003 and we did the Baltic/Transatlantic in Sept. 2004. We loved the Dream and agree with the other comments. She doesn't have the glitz and glamour of the newer ships, but has much more of a traditional cruise feel. The Baltic itinerary is awesome, especially with the Kiel Canal. Enjoy the Dream and will look forward to reviews when you return.

 

Sue

[jnc411]

Thank you for this thread on the Dream. We have never cruised with NCL before and we are looking at a cruise on the Dream. We have sailed with Royal Caribbean a few times and Princess several times, and are interested in trying NCL if the itenirary is good. Do you think we will be happy with NCL. ??

Cori

[cactusmo]

We are thinking about the Baltic cruise on the Dream this year, can you tell me how your experience was? A little concerned about the languages, getting to know the currency, etc. Also what did you do in St Petersburg?

Any other tips would be appreciated, thanks Mo.:rolleyes:

[NJGRANNY]

We had no problems with the languages or the money. I think the only place we exchanged money was in Tivoli gardens. Then we used an ATM machine. The rest of the time we either used a credit card or US $$.

We did have about $50 in Euros with us when we started which was left over from another trip. I just remembered that I also got some Euros from the ATM machine in Helsinski.

 

There is usually someone who speaks English.

 

In Russia, we booked two tours with Denrus, the Russian company. One afternoon we went to the Hermitage with Gold Room included; the other afternoon we went to the Peter and Paul Fortress and on a boat ride through the city's waterways. Had a beautiful time.

 

We didn't book any ship's tours this time. Just did our own thing and didn't try to cram alot in. This cruise is so port intensive that you could get really tired if you're not careful.

 

Hope you have a great time.

[Mekamax]

On the obstructed view cabins Deck 8 - it was said if you booked the right ones you had a decent view - can you explain which ones? Also how bad is the view in the not so right ones? Thanks - booked for Oct in an obstructed Cat G. Debbie