Bermuda on the Norwegian Dream

[amd1234]

We are trying to plan a family trip next June Boston to Bermuda and need advice on cruising on a Norwegian ship. We have always cruised Celebrity and a little apprehensive about the Norwegian Line. :o Also the prices right now are steep and should we wait or book closer to June? Please need opinions about this ship...Thanks..

[racepoint]

I have no idea about the possibility of prices coming down on the Dream, but at the moment, the prices are outrageous!! My sister and I were pricing out a cabin for next June. Balconies were running $1,900+/pp and even a rock-bottom inside cabin was $1,300+/pp. I tried searching for sailings in May, thinking I might find more reasonable prices earlier in the season before the kids are out of school. No such luck. (UPDATE: Before I hit send, I decided to check the prices again on an Internet travel site and came up with $1,670+/pp for balcony and $945+/pp for low-low-inside.) We ended up pricing out a Western Caribbean itinerary on Carnival with a mid-range balcony, including travel insurance and airfare for $1,300/pp. I just can't imagine that people (who cruise frequently and/or know cruise pricing) will be overly anxious to book the Dream. And maybe the prices will come down some more. Time will tell.

[yoyocruiser]

We just returned from the cruise to Bermuda out of Boston aboard the Majesty. I realize that the ship going out of Boston next summer is a different one, so I cannot comment specifically on that ship, I can only relay my experience on the Majesty. I too was very concerned about booking with NCL as I had read a lot of varying reviews--especially given that the Majesty is a smaller, and somewhat older ship. I have read endless complaints about the food, and the wait lines. But our experience was absolutely terrific. The service was top notch. The crew was very young and lively. The cruise had a very upbeat, but relaxed, laid back kind of feel. Sailing out of Boston was fantastic, at least a $300 savings per person to start out, (as i am in the Boston area.) As I had many conerns about NCL I will try to address these, as truly I almost did not book this trip, and given how wonderful it turned out that would have been quite sad.

 

Regarding the food, I honestly don't know what people expect or want or even how much they can eat. I absolutely know that you CAN get excellent food. I absolutely enjoyed the food and dining experiences aboard the Majesty. What I will say is that you do have to spend some time PLANNING (yes, even though it is Freestyle, I think that it actually takes more planning as it is NOT prescribed where and when you will eat each day). We planned to go against the tide as they say. We ate at the popular spots either late or early or when others tended to be at other places (such as a show--it just happens we are not big into the entertainment stuff). There are many options even on a small ship. I did not find the Caesar salad station until the third day, but a person is there through most of the afternoon tossing up fresh caesars to order with fabulous shaved parmesan, and choice toppings--my ideal lunch! We ate twice at La Bistro, the extra charge was minimal and worth it, and twice at the Italian restuarant (that required reservations--but no charge). The Dine Ashore program was great, our $100 voucher paid fully for our fabulous dinner (not drinks) at the Carriage House.

 

My other concern was crowds and cigarette smoke. This too just takes planning. There are plenty of quiet places to be. Some people read the daily newsletter to find out where to go, I tend to read it to find out where NOT to go--that's just our style. I found plenty of lounge chairs, plenty of places to read. Sometimes you just have to move around the ship. For some odd reason i didn't even have to wait in the breakfast omelet line, I guess I eat early.

 

We had the deluxe ocean view room, and I felt the room was quite spacious. Then again, I don't hang a lot in the room. But the beds were VERY comfortable, excellent twice daily service from room stewards, and very clean. I enoyed a room service wake up call each morning with really great coffee and juice, just to start the day before proceeding to breakfast, and at this time truly enjoyed the great ocean view from our room.

 

Now regarding the price. YES--this is fairly stunning. Because when I tell you what this cruise cost it will seem unbelievable. We booked only ten days in advance (a sudden surprise birthday gift), the cost of our Superior (or deluxe) Outside Room was $499, plus $110 for taxes and port fees. Honestly, I do not have any idea if you could possibly depend on the price coming down, but certainly last year it came down for the September cruises. But do consider that these are after kids return to school and it is hurricane season which concerns some people. Frankly, one of my concerns was that the cruise was SO inexpensive, as I truly am one who feels that you generally get what you pay for. So do consider that in light of my favorable review. I felt I got WAY more than I paid for. If I had paid double that amount, perhaps my enthusiasm would not be quite so great. But nonetheless, it was a beautiful trip and and regardless of the cruise line you select, Bermuda is absolutely awesome.

 

I hoep this is at least somewhat helpful and i hope you make a choice that pleases you.

[LOVETOTRAVELE]

june july august are very busy times to go to bermuda if your traveling with kids ok other wise don't even think about it they are every place they take it over and over run the place one time in june i went and never again there were over 750 kids on board the crew went nuts.

 

and remember ncl is freestyle no dress up and it makes a huge difference it will be great to see another ship here in boston .

 

but be aware jun jul aug. the best time i ever went was mid sept.

 

and dream will not do bermuda aug and sept they are going to canada . 2008:cool:

[bluefintuna]

The Dream will take the place of the Majesty in Boston, but there is no way I would pay $1,600 per for a balcony cabin. That said, some of the cruises are sold out for balconies. We love sailing from New York, no airports and no hassles.

[cruiserssandr]

The Dream will sail to Bermuda out of Boston thru the end of August (last cruise is 08/24, then it will do Canada and New England. It resumes it's Bermuda run on 09/28/08 and the last cruise to Bermuda for the season will be 10/26/08. We are already booked for the June 1 cruise to Bermuda.

[Highseashighjinx]

I'd say I totally agree with Yoyocruiser regarding the freestyle experience. I too just took this same trip and while being my first cruise I do not have any experience to compare it to, I thought the freestyle was pretty terrific. Although, I did pay more for my ocean view room, which was indeed very small and the view was completely obstructed by a life boat, it was very clean and the beds comfortable.

 

I was aware of complaints from fellow travelers who made comparisons to other cruises/lines. I guess I'd say the "resort casual" dress is too loosely interpreted as there was quite a mix of attire in the common areas. And in some cases, I did feel it was overly casual in the dining areas. I'd venture a guess that the smaller size of the Majesty didn't lend itself to clearly designating areas for a more formal cruise experience. For example the highend dining room (the Bistro) has some of its seating in the main passageway and diners sat amid a constant stream of passengers in a various levels of "resort casualness" and I could see how that might not sit well with someone looking for an intimate, formal evening. I'm told the newer, larger ships are layed-out to better accommodate the freestyle concept. I thought the food was good, the entertainment was great, and the crew and staff seemed to genuinely want to make sure we had a great time. They worked very hard and we experienced numerous special efforts to make our cruise memorable. (Ours too was a birthday cruise). At any rate, we are now "into" cruises and look forward to experiencing the various lines. But I would definitely cruise with NCL again. We loved the flexibility.

:)

[electricron]

The reason balcony cabins are priced higher on the Dream than on other NCL ships is mainly because there aren't enough of them. Take my suggestion, book a CC Superior Oceanview cabin aboard the Dream. You'll get great views from inside the air conditioned cabin, and since these cabin are forward and on the upper decks, you can get great views from the open platform area forward too, not that far away for those wanting some fresh air.

 

Dream CC Superior Oceanview Stateroom

This stateroom features a sitting area, two lower beds or queen-size bed, floor-to-ceiling picture windows, bathroom with shower, TV, hair dryer, and safe. Most rooms also have refrigerators. Concierge service available. Staterooms facing forward have picture windows and have obstructed views. (176 sq. ft.)

 

They are the best cabins aboard this ship for your money. Those with forward facing picture windows obstruction is from the covered roof forward. It only obstructs your view upwards, not out to the horizon.

 

The Majesty and Dream are appoximately the same age. If you enjoyed your cruise on the Majesty, you can enjoy a cruise aboard the Dream.

[Leafpeeper]

Yoyo, did you do the 5 night Bermuda cruise? I have a friend who was celebrating her 20th anniversary on that cruise. Just wondering what the seas were like.

 

I've heard great things about the Dream from a friend who sailed on her. We are waiting until Spring to see if the rates drop. Otherwise, we'll book a hotel getaway for our anniversary in June.

[cruizinwithkids]

Yoyo, did you do the 5 night Bermuda cruise? I have a friend who was celebrating her 20th anniversary on that cruise. Just wondering what the seas were like.

 

 

The weather was great. For the Atlantic, the seas were fine. They could have been a little calmer, but really nothing much. It stayed warm the entire trip home which was nice.

[LadyBerard]

Pricing just keeps going up, as everyone is very excited about a different ship sailing out of Boston.

 

There is some reasonable pricing out there. Call a cruise agency that does lots of business with NCL. They more than likely have group space available and their pricing locked in. This ship is selling well, and NCL has been taking back group space. I wouldn't hesitate to book, as prices are going up up up.....

[WatchHill]

I just returned from Dover to Barcelona on the Dream and was in 0003 on deck 10. The room was huge compared to the over-priced balcony suites on deck 12. Luckily, we were adjacent to the door onto a small outside deck, giving us great views entering and leaving ports. Balcony staterooms are not worth the money - save the difference for exploring the island and dining ashore. Oh, and the bar bill, too.

 

Nice to have a different ship in Boston next summer. I've sailed on the Majesty 5 times and may do the Dream. It will be interesting to see how the ship handles going through the cut in St. George. I spoke with the current captain, who seems happy to be going onto the Pearl, as he's concerned about the Dream entering the harbor if the wind and current/tide are too strong.

 

Darcy

[Cubechick]

Watch for sales. I booked a CC on the Dream for the June 8th cruise for $300pp less than the original price listed (and I just checked and saw that the CC's are gone for that cruise, so I'm glad I moved!) w/ the Pity the Procrastinator promotion they just ran.

 

It really pays to watch the prices...and have a good TA...;)

 

I keep sailing to Bermuda out of Boston, because no matter how I crunch the numbers, it's cheaper than flying and booking a hotel!

 

Oh and as far as freestyle goes, as another poster mentioned it's fantastic. You just have to treat going to dinner as you would at a land-based restaurant...if you're going during peak times there will be a wait (the worst I've experienced has been 20 minutes)...and the premium restaurants require reservations which you can make up to a day in advance.

[electricron]

I just returned from Dover to Barcelona on the Dream and was in 0003 on deck 10. The room was huge compared to the over-priced balcony suites on deck 12. Luckily, we were adjacent to the door onto a small outside deck, giving us great views entering and leaving ports. Balcony staterooms are not worth the money - save the difference for exploring the island and dining ashore. Oh, and the bar bill, too.

Nice to have a different ship in Boston next summer. I've sailed on the Majesty 5 times and may do the Dream. It will be interesting to see how the ship handles going through the cut in St. George. I spoke with the current captain, who seems happy to be going onto the Pearl, as he's concerned about the Dream entering the harbor if the wind and current/tide are too strong. Darcy

 

Actually, when looking at the statistics, the Dream isn't all that much larger than the Majesty.

 

Statistic: Majesty - Dream

Tonnage: 40,876 - 50,760

Length: 681 ft - 754 ft

Width: 91 ft - 94 ft

Passengers: 1,462 - 1,748

Veranda cabins: 0 - 74

 

The ex-Crown stats

Tonnage: 34,250

Length: 614 ft

Beam: 93 ft

Passengers: 1,104

Veranda Cabins: 16

 

I really don't think the Dream being 3 feet wider than the Majesty, or 1 foot wider than the Crown is going to cause more problems sailing through Town Cut. Although it's longer length may, but definately not being wider.

[Philly Steve]

We just returned from the cruise to Bermuda out of Boston aboard the Majesty.

 

Thanks for the info! We're looking to cruise NCL's Majesty out of Philly next September, now that RCI is ending service here. Thanks to NCL for sticking with Pier 1 at the old Philadelphia Navy Yard!

[amd1234]

Thanks to all who responded to my questions on the Norwegian Dream..:) I will continually check the internet and look for the best price..

[Philly Steve]

Best of luck and we'll see you on an NCL ship. :)

[cruisin2000]

The reason balcony cabins are priced higher on the Dream than on other NCL ships is mainly because there aren't enough of them. Take my suggestion, book a CC Superior Oceanview cabin aboard the Dream. You'll get great views from inside the air conditioned cabin, and since these cabin are forward and on the upper decks, you can get great views from the open platform area forward too, not that far away for those wanting some fresh air.

 

Dream CC Superior Oceanview Stateroom

This stateroom features a sitting area, two lower beds or queen-size bed, floor-to-ceiling picture windows, bathroom with shower, TV, hair dryer, and safe. Most rooms also have refrigerators. Concierge service available. Staterooms facing forward have picture windows and have obstructed views. (176 sq. ft.)

 

They are the best cabins aboard this ship for your money. Those with forward facing picture windows obstruction is from the covered roof forward. It only obstructs your view upwards, not out to the horizon.

 

The Majesty and Dream are appoximately the same age. If you enjoyed your cruise on the Majesty, you can enjoy a cruise aboard the Dream.

 

 

Looking to book the Dream for next Oct to Bermuda. Is there problem with noise in the CC cabins on deck 9 or 10 from the Stardust Lounge? Which deck do you think is better and is there much motion in the forward cabins? Thank you for any info you or anyone else can provide.

[WatchHill]

We never had any problem with noise from the Stardust Lounge in our stateroom on deck 10. Once the show begins, the door are closed. Location is great, except when the band or others were practicing in the lounge, then it was inacessible and closed off for through passage, so I simply walked down to deck 9.

As far as motion, that a tough call. I've sailed Marion, MA to Bermuda in a 38 ft. sloop, so rough seas are a part of the adventure. Yes, I felt significant pitch and yaw as we headed South from La Coruna toward Portugal. One night it was particularly rough and the captain announced that all outside doors would be secured to prevent anyone from going onto the deck. He suggeted everyone go to their cabin and get a good night sleep. If motion is a problem, then look at midship and lower for a cabin.

 

Darcy

[electricron]

Personally, I would prefer the deck with the Four Seasons restaurant. You can "always" access your CC cabin through the restaurant, which you can't "always", as mentioned by another, through the Stardust Lounge.

If you're not bothered taking the extra time to go around when you have to, the deck with the Stardust Lounge has fewer cabins, hopefully less noise is the result caused by the more limited access, and you're also one deck closer to the swiming pools. But, if you're going to be upset when the Stardust Lounge is closed to through traffic, stay off that deck.

[cruisin2000]

Electricron & WatchHill,

 

Thank you both for =the helpful info. We are booking deck 10.

[Grand-Ness]

Hi cruisin2000

 

Have you booked yet? If so, which week? We are looking at either the 5th or the 12th. You beat me to the question about cabins. It was nice meeting you guys this year:) .

 

Thanks to Electricron & WatchHill for the info

[cruisin2000]

Hi cruisin2000

 

Have you booked yet? If so, which week? We are looking at either the 5th or the 12th. You beat me to the question about cabins. It was nice meeting you guys this year:) .

 

Thanks to Electricron & WatchHill for the info

 

Hi Bob,

It was nice to meet you & Kay as well! We booked 10/5 in CC cabin on deck 10. Why don't you join us!

[Writeratsea]

Hi Bob,

It was nice to meet you & Kay as well! We booked 10/5 in CC cabin on deck 10. Why don't you join us!

Hello Mark and Anna. Enjoyed meeting you on the Majesty on the 9/30 sailing. We also are booked on the Dream next year for 10/5/08. I thought we were jumping the gun a little bit to book so early. It is funny to read that you are booked and Grand-Ness is considering joining us.

I thought the prices of the Dream were high compared to the Majesty but we are only paying a little more than last year, so what the heck. It does give us something to look forward to during the cold and snowy winter months.:)

Edward and Ruth

[cruisin2000]

Hello Mark and Anna. Enjoyed meeting you on the Majesty on the 9/30 sailing. We also are booked on the Dream next year for 10/5/08. I thought we were jumping the gun a little bit to book so early. It is funny to read that you are booked and Grand-Ness is considering joining us.

I thought the prices of the Dream were high compared to the Majesty but we are only paying a little more than last year, so what the heck. It does give us something to look forward to during the cold and snowy winter months.:)

Edward and Ruth

 

Hi Edward,

It was great to meet you on the Majesty. We had a great time and are looking forward to our return to Bermuda on the Dream. We will also look forward to another Meet & Great! We'll have to start a roll call thread soon, maybe after the holidays. Hopefully Grand-Ness will join us!

Mark & Anna