Live aboard the Dream 1/13/07

[Don Haynes]

You can walk through the Four Seasons restaurant at any time. Its the Stardust Threater you may have to dodge, when they do rehearsals and during their shows. They use the walkway to get to their dressing rooms for switches of costumes. Its done for their safety and yours, as they do move and switch on the fly. Yes, there is a forward elevator bank you can use to go up or down.

 

Many of the reviewers have used the Comfort Suites or the La Quinta Inn in La Porte. I believe they are just a few miles south of the Barbours Cut Cruise Terminal on SH 146. Call either to see if they will pick you up at Hobby if you are flying into Hobby. Otherwise you have to rent a car, preferably Enterprise, as they will pick up your car on Monday in their small lot at the terminal. Otherwise its the cab.

 

If you are flying into Bush International, there are hotels nearby. Call them if they will pick you up or you can take a quick taxi. On Saturday use either to go back to the airport and ride the NCL shuttle to the port.

 

Houston's airports are a long ways from the port, some 30-60 minutes. The shuttle from Bush International isn't cheap, neither are the cabs. I have read some reviews where it was cheaper for some to hire a limousine from either airport.

 

Read more at the Gulf ports forum at this web site.

[troyphoto]

We’re at see again, heading back to the dreary weather. Seas are still mild, but I noticed the housekeeping staff placing seasick bags in the lounges. Probably just preventative measure. ☺

 

Last night we were treated to the vocal talents and warm personality of “the Chocolate Goddess of Love” – Jane L. Powell. She has an excellent voice, great stage presence, and entertained the ship with her versions of songs by greats like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Otis Redding, to name a few. Talk at breakfast this morning revealed that the late show is not a clone of the early show, but an addition to. We didn’t do a full song comparison, but a few of the pieces were different.

 

For the gents in the audience, you definitely need to volunteer when she asks for some help. She will get you very involved in the show. You can find her website at www.janelpowell.com.

 

Last night was the Caribbean Dance Party pool side. Carol got out and shook her booty, and probably has a pic in the photo gallery I need to purchase – since I wasn’t allowed (by her) to take my camera. They pulled her and a gentleman up for a spotlight “show us what you got” during the “dollar dance.” I got worried when the young man pulled his shirt off and started swinging it around while he danced. Fortunatley my wife decided to keep her top on and just shake her “5 cent – 10 Cent, etc.

 

We even saw the kid a few times during the dance party. She and her posse of boys didn’t dance, but they came through the party a few times. I guess it was just too “grown up for her.”

[troyphoto]

Troyphoto, do the elevators don't go to all the floors or does it skip a floor? Just wondering because it's kinda difficult for some to be taking the stairs all the way to deck 12. (My husband uses a cane)Also, do you have to go down 1 floor then go up( i think i read this somewhere ) to go to the Terraces and four seasons restaurant even if you're on the same deck 9? How soon do you have to reserve a table at the main restaurants if you want to dine at a certain time? Where do you make these reservations, at the restaurants themselves? Lastly, the sodas. Did you purchase a soda card? Where and when do you purchase these cards? Thank you for all your postings. You have been a big help to everyone. :)

 

There are four banks of elelvators. One bank in the bow, one aft, two mids (each side of the split/stretch area)... the foremost of the mid only runs decks 7 to 10. Because the Stardust theater is not quite in the front of the ship, it takes up the space of three decks. You have to detour under or over it if you're on deck 10 or 11. Deck 12 is mostly topside, and you can walk along there weather permitting.

 

I've met quite a few folks the first four doors who are looking for the observatory lounge and can't figure out how to get there.

 

The easy way from aft or midship is to head to the fore elevators on deck or lower and go up to 12. If you go through the casino and theater on deck 10, you still have to use the vater to get up.

 

The other pain is getting to the aft pool deck. You definately have a flight of stairs no matter how you go. Easiest is to head aft on deck 8... go through the halls in the passenger cabin areas. There a door there that lets you out onto the covered sun deck aft. Climb a flight up to 9.

[almitra]

I sure look forward to these updates of yours, dude! You are the best.

I have a question.....do you HAVE TO make reservations to eat at Trattoria? But not the other two, right? Thanks.

[almitra]

One more question....did you tender into Coz or pull up to the pier?

[BarbSW]

Thanks for the posts. We are leaving Saturday for the Dream and am not

sure how much cold weather/warm weather clothes to pack. Today, for instance, is the ship getting into colder weather? Any comments would be

appreciated.

[bowbiter]

Regardless of the weather at the POC I would suggest bringing some warmer clothing to wear around the ship when it's over airconditioned. I tend to get cold easily and generally have a hoodie with me when I'm going to be inside for a while. There is also the last minute "I want to go horseback riding" factor as well - you definitely don't want to do that without a pair of jeans. (And yeah, most probably don't get hit with that but you never know lol.)

[megsterl]

Im thinking about booking a tour on my own in belize like i did last year, but im wondering how long it takes to get off the ship with out booking through NCL. I remember last year on RCI i got off really quick but dont know how this works, can i get a tender ticket without booking with them?

[hlfdzn]

I booked my own tour and since we were running late due to bad weather, the tendering didn't even start for the people who bought tours through the ship until 8:45 or so. We did as someone had suggested....snuck into the line for the same tour and pretended to know what we were doing. All went well until we were trying to get out the door...they wanted to see your room key and your shore tour card...a yellow card. I didn't have a shore tour card since I had not bought it through the ship. We ended up going up to get tender tickets. The first of the tender tickets got off the ship about 10:30 am. By the time we got off, we had to decide which of the 2 things we were scheduled to do to drop. We decided to keep the zipline and Belize city tour. Nacho and Cynthia did a great job and I would highly recommend them.

[daisydu]

Your blog is great as are the photos. Thanks for sharing this. BTW, hope "the kid" is enjoying herself!!

[stylegal]

Hi! Love your updates! Thanks for taking the time to write them and send pictures! We are sailing 2/3 and have been trying to get in touch with the cruise coordinator - to set up a CC group - we've got 30 of them so far.. if you get an opportunity, could you get me an email from someone I can contact on the ship...

 

Thanks

[troyphoto]

We docked at Progresso... BTW that's the longest pier in Mexico... about 4 miles to get to the mainland. Don't worry, you don't have to walk it. You have to take the provided transport.

 

Coz: Tender on the bigger boats

Belize City Tender on a mix of boats

 

Clothing: bring fun& sun clothing, but also include a few with long sleaves or a wrap or sweater. My wife is going through hot & cold cycles and needed to have a sweater handy most of the time inside.

[troyphoto]

A day at sea yesterday and today. The restaurants are a lot more crowded when we’re at sea.

 

There are two main restaurants: The Terraces (aft deck 9) and The Four Seasons (mid deck 9). No reservations are required for those, but reservation can be made. The staff has been good on trying to get everyone seated in a timely fashion. This is an older ship, without the pagers that the newer ships have. So just have a seat in the starboard side lounges and the hostess will come in call your party name when your table is ready.

 

Since this is what I call a “freestyle Lite” ship, you may be asked if you’d like to share a table. Be brave and say “Yes!” We’ve met some wonderful people that way.

 

I don’t know how often she does this, but “The Cruise Lady” travel agency has about 150+ cruisers onboard. They usually eat dinner in the Four Seasons. So, when we begin lining up for dinner about 5:25 the line seems really long. But once the doors open, the Cruise lady’s group goes straight in to their assigned section. We usually go from 50+ people in line to about 6 people in about a minute.

 

Trattoria and Le Bistro (the Café) both require reservations. During the day, the reservations clerk sits in front of Le Bistro with the books for all the restaurants.

 

Also, during breakfast and lunch, if you want to use the buffet on deck 12 in the Sports bar, or at Pizzeria (Deck 11 by the pool)… get your plate and head to La Trattoria – The signs all say “additional seating in La Trattoria” – so just go in and sit. Be sure to take your napkin and flatware in with you, since they won’t have wait service going in there.

 

The Show last night was “Sea Legs at Sea” – a dance and singing production from the JAR company. This ship really has some great performers. The small stage of the Stardust lounge really taxes the performers. There is a great husband/wife dance duo from the Ukraine (I think) that uses almost every inch of the stage, and the gymnast in the troupe finds the few square inches that they don’t use.

 

Sea Legs showcased everyone’s talent, but especially that of the once I just mentioned (sorry, but I’m terrible at remembering names). At the end of the show, Assistant Cruise Director Jamie introduced the staff members and command crew for the obligatory “We are the world NCL” sing along.

 

The Chocoholics buffet was last night, right after a late night comedy show by Tom Naughton. Tom was very funny, with a PG rating, so the show is mostly safe for older kids.

 

The Chocolate Buffett was in the Four Seasons. You need to enter from the Aft end of the dining room. Be sure to grab a plate on the way in. The wait staff is on hand to make sure you have what you need to get your chocolate fix. My only regret was that I wished they had more lights on in the dining room. Everyone kept pulling out cameras. The flashes were getting a bit annoying, and as a photographer, it takes a lot of flashes to annoy me.

 

A few other tips or discoveries:

 

Ice Cream. There are no soft serve machines on board for guest use. But there is an Ice Cream hut on the pool deck between the hot tubs. Most days it is staffed from noon to 5 p.m. You’ll get a small waffle cone with a scoop of your choice of several varieties. The flavors of ice cream and sherbet change frequently, so check back later if you don’t see your favorite flavor. I’ve also heard that the sports bar usually has some ice cream, but I haven’t been in there for lunch or dinner.

 

If you need a shady spot to sit, and still feel like you’re outdoors, try right in front of the golf cage/ping pong tables on Deck 12 aft. There are some café tables and chairs up there. Unfortunately the roof overhang isn’t really big enough to get many folks into the shade. My main regret about this ship is that it was built at a time when cruisers were still mostly sun worshippers. For those of us who prefer the shade, there just are not many options.

 

I’ve enjoyed the music of Enrico Braza on the piano every evening in the Coffee bar area. But, I’ve heard that this is his last cruise on the Dream. I wish him well on his next voyage. He’s a very talented pianist, and extremely friendly.

 

The other bands around the ship are fun as well, and too numerous for me to remember their names. The entrainment is fantastic on this ship.

[mike_at_sea]

Thanks for the posts. We are leaving Saturday for the Dream and am not

sure how much cold weather/warm weather clothes to pack. Today, for instance, is the ship getting into colder weather? Any comments would be

appreciated.

 

BarbSW--Hi! We are going to be on the cruise also. We are having a Cruise Critic Meet & Greet if you would like to attend.

 

Sunday at the Terrace Restaurant from 11:30-12:30

 

Happy Sailing!

Cyndi

[troyphoto]

No fog today.

We're sitting out in the bay, I imagine we're waiting on the pilot.

 

I'll be happy to post a recap for everyone on Sun or Mon after we get re-acclimated to the real world again.

 

One clarification: I used the incorrect term above. Enrico Braza is on his last CONTRACT with NCL. He'll be persuing his own destiny once the current one is up. Be sure to stop by the coffee bar any evening to hear his wonderful music.

[almitra]

Thanks for the daily updates and answering all of our questions, Troy. Hope your trip home was safe and we anxiously anticipate your disembarkation info after you get back. :)

[icanflossu]

WHAT???!!!!?????? It's over? NOOOOO!!!! ::::stomping feet:::::::

 

Troy, I have loved reading your day-by-day experiences on the Dream. We don't leave for two weeks, 13 days to be exact (my five year had already told me three times this morning and it's not even 8am).

 

Do you think that you could just live on that cruise ship and tell us what you're doing everyday?

 

Thanks for spending your time to let us experience your trip with you.

[troyphoto]

Wow! Land based wireless internet is tons faster than what is on the ship!

 

We're sitting in GB Intercontinental airport... waiting on a 7:30 p.m. flight home.

 

So, here some update on disembark.

 

early disembark was called somewhere around 8 a.m. or a bit earlier. We were in the last group called, since we didn't have to be at the airport early. I didn't get an official time, but when we pulled out at 10:30 from the parking lot, it looked like all passengers had made it through customs (at least those who weren't naughty!).

 

We were scheduled for a super shuttle at 10 a.m., but ended up taking one of the independent white van. The cruise staff along the curb were very nice and even called it back right as it pulled out. With no reservations, the shuttle to Bush was only $25 per person. Had a great driver that looked like Morgan Freeman's brother.

 

Yes, you do get to have breakfast on board. Four Seasons and the Sports Bar buffet were open. FS opened at 6:30 a.m. Buffet was open at 6.

 

Found out from "the kid" that the restaurants have a Kids Menu available for lunch and dinner. So if you want a three-decker grilled cheese or spaghetti, ask for the kid menu.

 

in retrospect, the Dream is a good little ship. they've got a great crew and staff who really care about the guests and their ship. It lacks some of the features that I was looking forward to: Variety of Restaurants, and Great Outdoors style area for shaded sitting and watching the ocean go buy.

 

And Coffee! I'd love to see the "Coffee bar" converted over to a real coffee experience -- and not necessarily the foo-foo drinks! I just want good coffee. On-board coffee (for someone that can't have booze or soda) is pretty darn important. Come’on NCL get with the Starbucks age! Surely there is some up and coming coffee shop franchise that would love to set up residence on your ships!

 

I’ll definitely be taking a French press coffee maker on the next cruise… whenever that is.

 

And remember, NO FRIDGES or HOT POTs come with the staterooms -- as least for us common folk. I'm not sure what the suite folks get in their space.

[megsterl]

can you give me an idea of how it was to schedule eatting and watching the show. Im a little worried that without a set time for me to eat and watch a show i might end up missing it. Also in your opinon which show was less crowded? Thanks in advance mEG

[troyphoto]

can you give me an idea of how it was to schedule eatting and watching the show. Im a little worried that without a set time for me to eat and watch a show i might end up missing it. Also in your opinon which show was less crowded? Thanks in advance mEG

 

Both shows were about equally attended. Wife went to second show a few times.

 

We always ate around 5:30 due to personal preference. We were hard pressed to get to sunday's first show, but we had time the rest of the week. Please note that we usually skipped appetizers just to save our waistlines, and give MIL time to do insulin and blood sugar test.

 

Saturday 7:30 and 9:30 comedy by Tom Naughton

 

Sunday 6:45 and 9 p.m. Rock this town (JAR)

 

Monday 7:30 and 9:30 Magic Harry Maurer

 

Tuesday 7 and 9 Country Gold (JAR)

 

Wed 7:30 and 9:30 Jane L. Powell (warning: she's great, but forgets to stop -- I'm sure they'll coach her to watch the clock better -- but, as she says "You paid for your cruise" so she gives you your moneys worth!)

 

Thursday 7:30 and 9:30 Sea Legs at Sea" (JAR)

 

Friday 7:30 and 9:30 Harry Mauer/Jane Powell

[BeachBumMama]

Thanks so much for your review and info. I'm leaving end of Feb and can't get there fast enough.

[GalOverCs]

Im thinking about booking a tour on my own in belize like i did last year, but im wondering how long it takes to get off the ship with out booking through NCL. I remember last year on RCI i got off really quick but dont know how this works, can i get a tender ticket without booking with them?

 

We had a really bad experience this last week getting off the ship in Belize. They shuffled us from Mid ship to front twice (grrrr) but we were on shore at 1040 in the very first non-NCL (with tender ticket which you pick up in the disco) boat. We were very worried about not making our tour with Cave-tubing dot com. BUT low and behold because I had told them we were coming the waited for us! I was very impressed and because I did not have to pay a deposit I wasn't nervous about losing out on $$. Pre-paying deposits make me tense when we come in late!

[carol459]

thanks afor all the info..............we leave this sat..............

does anyone know where there is a walmart or walgreen somewhere to get water and soda to take onboard......we bring a duffle bag empty and put stuff in and check at pier no problem.........

sure enjoyed your reviews

Carol

[acrna]

Carol

There is a Walgreens at S Broadway and W Fairmont in La Porte, or, further away, WalMart is on Spencer Highway (Main east of 146) and East Blvd.

[elisamarie]

Is there a Sam's nearby?

 

elisa