The Dream? Or the Nightmare? (or why I may give up cruising?)

[7leagueboots]

Thanks, I found it. A little expensive for me, but it looks like a great cruise.

 

You could always pay for the cruise by publishing your review of the cruise?;)

[Aurora2143]

You could always pay for the cruise by publishing your review of the cruise?;)

 

How does that work?

[TenerifeSharon]

You could always pay for the cruise by publishing your review of the cruise?;)

A great idea! Sailor Jack, what say you? How about an anthology of all your cruise reviews -- bet you'd have a LOT of buyers.:D (Kind of a good companion to "What Time is the Midnight Buffet?" by Chester H).

[Econom405]

I too enjoyed your reviews SailorJack, so much so I made my husband look them up to read.

What is making me snicker now, is on page 5 or 6 of this post by a 10,000 poster who said this review would be lost forever..funny really, 6 years later and VIOLA! It's still a wonderful read!

[Teris50]

are you Dave Berry, or related to him? I loved every bit of your review!

[SailorJack]

A great idea! Sailor Jack, what say you? How about an anthology of all your cruise reviews -- bet you'd have a LOT of buyers.:D (Kind of a good companion to "What Time is the Midnight Buffet?" by Chester H).

 

Good to hear from you again. I take it you still have not sold your home in Tenerife? No book deal coming...but I could use the cash!:) The Midnight Buffet book is a hoot.

 

PS to Aurora...I would have to submit an article to a travel magazine and then get paid for it. Also not it the cards.

 

I too enjoyed your reviews SailorJack, so much so I made my husband look them up to read.

What is making me snicker now, is on page 5 or 6 of this post by a 10,000 poster who said this review would be lost forever..funny really, 6 years later and VIOLA! It's still a wonderful read!

 

I also get a chuckle out of that post. At Cruise Critic's request I also posted the same review on the regular review site - which is the site the poster said would live forever. When the Dream was sold all the Dream reviews were deleted. I guess that is one of the things that makes life interesting.:)

 

are you Dave Berry, or related to him? I loved every bit of your review!

 

Dave Berry was/is one of my favorite writers. His Sunday column (in our paper) was one of the first things I would turn to. It's possible some of his style rubbed off on me, but I am certainly not in his league - but thanks for the kind words.

 

Jack

Edited April 12, 2013 by SailorJack

[Aurora2143]

I finally got that ebook downloaded. Now...I know that can't be all the reviews. Would love to find more if it's out there.

 

I've been reading one review to my husband every night after he comes home exhausted from work. He about died when I was reading the Mama Chang story (since I grew up in Hawaii, I do a pretty good impersonation of old chinese ladies), and he said, "we need to go back there!"

[SailorJack]

I finally got that ebook downloaded. Now...I know that can't be all the reviews. Would love to find more if it's out there.

 

I've been reading one review to my husband every night after he comes home exhausted from work. He about died when I was reading the Mama Chang story (since I grew up in Hawaii, I do a pretty good impersonation of old chinese ladies), and he said, "we need to go back there!"

 

Links to the 14 reviews I have posted can be found in my signature (do you have your signature turned off?). That story definitely goes better with a good impersonation!:D

Edited April 13, 2013 by SailorJack

[biker@sea]

Thanks' for the years if laughter . :)

[jertom]

Thanks Biker@Sea for bringing the review forward. I had never read it.

And thanks Sailor Jack for the review ! What a classic. Made my day (well actually, night).

[SailorJack]

Thanks' for the years if laughter . :)

 

What a nice sentiment...thanks you very much. Best wishes to you and yours from Jill and myself.:)

[SailorJack]

Thanks Biker@Sea for bringing the review forward. I had never read it.

And thanks Sailor Jack for the review ! What a classic. Made my day (well actually, night).

 

Glad you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun doing it. My latest review - a 28 day cruise to Hawaii and the South Pacific is in on the Princess Board (28 Days in the South Pacific and it wasn't Bora Boaring). My 14 other reviews are linked in my signature,

Edited December 22, 2014 by SailorJack

[Minoushka]

We need a good laugh so please post another review soon

Happy Holidays

 

Michele

[CruisinMaterial]

Sailor Jack – I remember this review fondly. I also remember the ship. It was my least favorite ship in the NCL fleet (due to age) but I loved the fact she could dock in Hamilton. It was the best Boston to Bermuda run I did (and also the first one). The next visits all the ships were too big to get into Hamilton and far too large for Town Cut. Happy Holidays bud.

[SailorJack]

We need a good laugh so please post another review soon

Happy Holidays

 

Michele

 

Hi Michele, good to hear from you again. Hope you are having good weather up there. Best season wishes to you! You can catch my latest review on the Princess board. - 28 Days in the South Pacific and it wasn't Bora Boraing. I think it is still on the front page.

 

 

Sailor Jack – I remember this review fondly. I also remember the ship. It was my least favorite ship in the NCL fleet (due to age) but I loved the fact she could dock in Hamilton. It was the best Boston to Bermuda run I did (and also the first one). The next visits all the ships were too big to get into Hamilton and far too large for Town Cut. Happy Holidays bud.

 

The ship was a little strange. If I remember the ship correctly, it was sort of cut in half in dry dock and a new middle section added. The modification, as I recall, meant that to get from one end of the ship to the other you had to walk through a dining room.

 

And Happy Holidays to you as well - enjoy the season!

 

Jack

[bean24]

Jack

I cruised a few years ago and dined with an officer who was on that trip, as a junior officer then. He was amazed to hear about your review, since it had been quite a few years that had gone by and that I knew the drama. He said it was a lot more fun to relive now then to actually experience live.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[SailorJack]

Jack

I cruised a few years ago and dined with an officer who was on that trip, as a junior officer then. He was amazed to hear about your review, since it had been quite a few years that had gone by and that I knew the drama. He said it was a lot more fun to relive now then to actually experience live.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

There was no doubt that that cruise was more hectic for the crew than for the passengers. Many of the passengers, however, were clamoring at the purser's desk for refunds, OBC, to be flown home, etc., They had to put with all that plus address all the mechanical, electrical, and repair work. I think, given the circumstances, that the crew did an outstanding job.

 

Jack

[warriorking]

:D I believe the former Captain aboard that cruise is still scrubbing rust and other areas from the NCL ships with a tooth brush as his only source of income...

 

Edited December 22, 2014 by warriorking

[SailorJack]

:D I believe the former Captain aboard that cruise is still scrubbing rust and other areas from the NCL ships with a tooth brush as his only source of income...

 

 

Cute video.:) Actually, I cannot recall the Captain's name so I have no idea whatever happened to him. I would like to think that he got another command, but I just don't know.

[DavyJoneses]

It was fun reading this one again. This has to be one of your favorites - so much happened.:D

 

PS..Can't help you with the Captain's name but warriorking is right - he might not be in charge of another NCL ship - although I recall there was some discussion that the collision might not have all been his fault.

[lgdesign]

Hi Michele, good to hear from you again. Hope you are having good weather up there. Best season wishes to you! You can catch my latest review on the Princess board. - 28 Days in the South Pacific and it wasn't Bora Boraing. I think it is still on the front page.

 

 

 

 

The ship was a little strange. If I remember the ship correctly, it was sort of cut in half in dry dock and a new middle section added. The modification, as I recall, meant that to get from one end of the ship to the other you had to walk through a dining room.

 

And Happy Holidays to you as well - enjoy the season!

 

Jack

 

Great, great review and story-telling!!! The Dream was indeed an odd-duck of a ship... and it did have the middle section inserted after being cut apart!

 

I was on it in 2002 (my first cruise ever) and there were stories about her having an "incident" in 1999:

 

http://www.cruiseshipsinking.com/Collision/Norwegian_Dream_Collision_August_22_1999.html

 

Here's part of the story: "The Norwegian Cruise Lines ship Norwegian Dream, loaded with mostly American and British passengers collided with the Ever Decent in the English Channel at 1:15 a.m. (0015 GMT). At least 10 other ships were in the area of the English Channel where the collision occurred.

 

The 55,605 gross-ton Ever Decent, built in 1997, was heading Southeast bound for Zeebrugge across the channel. The 50,764 gross-ton Norwegian Dream, with 2,400 passengers onboard was heading Southwest bound for Dover. Fire consumed the Ever Decent after the collision, as seen above."

 

So, the good ol' "cursed" Dream seemed to have a habit of running into things. Also, whenever we were underway, the back end of the ship shook like crazy so the glasses jingled incessantly in the main dining rooms at dinner. We always wondered if this was a side effect of the repair.

 

Again, your review is a hysterical classic!!! Thanks so much!

[jertom]

The Dream was indeed an odd-duck of a ship... and it did have the middle section inserted after being cut apart!

 

I was on it in 2002 (my first cruise ever) and there were stories about her having an "incident" in 1999:

 

 

Interesting... our first ever cruise was also on the Dream, in spring of 2002, in the Baltic/North Sea (when were you on her?). We were so new to cruising that we never heard of the 1999 incident. If we had, we might not have signed up!

Our day going through the Kiel Canal was memorable: people waving all along the shore, and the folding Dream funnel to get under a bridge.

And yes, we know about the ship being cut apart but might have learned that after the cruise. Another thing we were probably better off not knowing! :)

[lgdesign]

We were on the Dream in December of 2002. Very interesting itinerary that left out of Miami and after doing the Panama Canal, we went on a side trip to Machu Picchu (through NCL) for three days mid-cruise finally disembarking in Valparaiso, Chile. Great first cruise... I think it was 16 days. We originally had booked a balcony, but two weeks before we cruised, they "gave" us an excellent price to upsell us to an owners suite which was a real treat being on the ship for such a long time. We got spoiled rotten.

 

That said, cruising the Kiel Canal must have been a highlight... I would have loved to see them folding the funnel!!!!!

 

We heard about the 1999 incident from some other passengers who had sailed on her before or we would have never known either.

 

We have very fond memories of the ship as she was our first cruise but also because she was the smallest ship we've ever sailed on (so far). We liked the intimacy of her layout. Hear she's sailing in Asia now and called the Gemini... would be interesting see what she looks like now :)

Edited December 25, 2014 by lgdesign

[biker@sea]

As best described by C.C. member Zamboni Girl

 

 

Originally Posted by family cruisers

We just returned from the Dawn ,NYC to BERMUDA and so many people we talked with were saying "Did you hear about the Dreams cruise to bermuda? Crew and passengers were talking about the horrible ride out there, very rough seas etc... which we also experienced but being such a large ship we didn't get beaten up like they did.

 

WE had dishes flying, very rough seas for about our first 30 hours of sailing. 12 - 18 foot continuous rough seas.

 

Would love to hear how those did on the Dream, heard they were in lock down for a few days?

I was on the Dream. What a ride!

 

I think it might of been a perfect storm kind of deal for the combination of where and when the Dream was leaving, with a rather large tropical depression to the east of Bermuda. I dont know when the Dawn left, but I believe they were not scheduled to be in Bermuda until Wed, giving them some leway in travel plans, plus leaving a little further south certainly puts the dawn in less of the storm. I am not sure having a bigger ship would of helped, as the cruise ships now sit so high on the water. Having a ship with a deeper hull would of helped but they just dont make them like that anymore.

 

The swells on the Dream were up to 32 feet in height. Twice the bow went under, and the propeller came out of the water. Which is apparently bad. If that kept happening rumoer has it, they would of had to stop the ship and just let us bob in the water. I dont think anyone anticpated the swells of that height. The crew expected a rough ride (about 20ft swells) but not quite what we experienced.

 

After hearing what had happened, i guess it makes sense the decks were all closed. Certainly dont want a passenger fall off in a wave, but I would of liked better pictures of the ride!

 

The dinning staff were friggen CHAMPS that night. It took two hours for dinner, but because of the lack of dishes they had to wash stuff as it came in, and half the kitchen equipment was down so that is why dinner took so long. The people I sat with at dinner had a good time of it. The poor waiter kept appologizing, nothing much he could do about it but I appreciated him at least letting us know why service was taking so long.

 

The shops were all smashed up, booze bottles everywhere, broken glass, it was not until about 4PM on the sea day that stuff started to open. One of my poor room stewards was feeling awful and the cart even fell on her once. TVs were falling everywhere, I heard one fell on some guy's leg. Just about every staff person I talked to would say something to " This is the worst I have ever seen it in X number of years working for NCL". x = number of years that employee worked for NCL.

 

The CC meet and greet was short and with no goodies, mostly for safety reasons. They didnt want tables of hot coffee spilling everywhere. As I heard that a couple of tables did flip while people were sitting at them, and there were numerous chair tippings.

 

Me I was loving it! I mean I wouldnt willingly sign up for a trip like that again, but there wasnt much the staff could do about it and I felt self with such an experienced seaman leading the way. Captain Hoddevick spent 36 hours on the bridge, the entirety of the storm. In the end it makes a heck of a story/ adventure!

[PathfinderEss]

One of the best reviews I've read on these boards. Thanks!