Dream Review March 13 Sail LONG Version

[MobileMystic]

:D Now that I have caught up on email and laundry I can work on my review of the NCL Dream.

 

 

First of all let me say that we had a GREAT time! Anything else is secondary.

We arrived at the port at 11:30am on March 13. Everyone was very helpful. Check in was much quicker than I expected because of the number of people checking in at the same time. The entire process, from parknig to gangway took 30 minutes.

Everything was prepared for us when we arrived at our stateroom. (9103) We were just about as forward as one can be in an inside stateroom. This stateroom is one that necessitates walking though the restaurant to get to other areas of the ship. (Or use of the outside stairways) Maybe more exercise than we would have had in a different location….not a problem helps work off all of the desserts. We were three to a cabin so my 21year old DD slept on the pullman. Our welcome aboard package was wonderful. The wine was quite good and the wide assortment of fruit was fresh. The cabin was well maintained. The carpet appeared to be new. There were no noticeable "white glove" issues. There were no "off" smells or smoke residue anywhere on the ship, including the Casino. We did notice that all of the housekeeping carts carried Fabreeze.

 

We immediately set out to explore the ship and sign up for shore excursions. I really enjoyed all of the wood and marble in the decor. Although it was not "glizty" it was rather nostalgic. We grabbed a quick lunch poolside at the pizzaria which was surprisingly good. Our luggage arrived in stages, which was great. It allowed us to unpack one suitcase and stow it under the bed before the next one arrived.

 

 

The weather was beautiful for "sail-away", so we stayed on deck for the barbeque. I should start all food reviews by saying that I work for a company that provides hospitals etc, with contract food services, and I have some knowledge of what it’s like to try to feed large numbers of people …so......bearing in mind that health considerations for cooking meat means everything well done, the food was certainly edible. Not gourmet, but that was not the expectation for a deckside meal.

By nightfall, the wind had picked up considerably and holding on to plates, chairs, etc. was very much a challenge. DH who does not eat pork and very little beef decided that she was hungry later and called for room service. Our cabin did not have a room service menu, but staff member taking her call was extremely nice, and offered suggestions. Delivery was quick and efficient. Food was still hot and fresh when delivered. (and yes...we did tip).

 

Cabin Service: The "ice fairy" continuously refreshed the ice in the cabin. Not only the ice bucket, but also the beer "helmet" that DH seemed to have as a constant companion, and the bucket the wine was in. Just a note of comparison…On Carnival we rarely saw room stewards. The cabin was always maintained almost invisibly. On NCL while we moved along the hallways on the Dream, it seemed that there were always stewards present. It's not something that bothered us...it was just different. Perhaps this is a free-style thing. On a traditional ship, the stewards would have a better idea of when the passenger is likely to be dining etc. We learned to use the "make up room now" or "do not disturb" signs to help co-ordinate with the room stewards, and this worked quite well. We did not lack any cabin services this way. We did not have many "towel animals", but DD's stuffed cow turned up in the most amusing places in the cabin ( standing on it's head on her pillow, hiding in the shower...) . DD was delighted by this personal touch more so than towel animals.

 

 

Dining: We really liked the free-style concept and took advantage of the many dining options. Our decisions were a compromise between the preferences of all three of us. DD has a natural phobia of linen and stemware and was uncomfortable about eating in the main dining areas at first. Her first experience was on the optional formal night. Our waiter for the evening immediately sensed DD discomfort, and quickly set her at ease. After that, she began to look forward to eating the restaurants as opposed to the buffet. Now she's spoiled! I would say that for the most part the food was average for cruise food, and some of it was amazing good. The desserts, soups and salads were excellent. The osso-bucco and calimari in the Trattorria were great as were the steak and lobster in the main dining room. Frankly I could have lived on appetizers, chilled soups, fresh fruit and desserts. We did, however, have a tendency to miss onboard activities because we opted to dine at during the same time frame. This was NOT because of long lines and seating waits. The longest wait we have was 20 min at the specialty restaurant. The activities and show that we missed were strictly a decision we made.

 

 

Ship: The ship seamed well maintained. There was a lot of movement. For the most part it was comparable to a greyhound bus, movement wise. Keep in mind that the captain cannot control high seas and winds. We are not prone to motion sickness but I had prepared with a relief band, ginger capsules, bonine etc. All of which came home unused, fortunately. I would caution those who are prone to be prepared. I should say that most of the evenings there were strong wind warnings posted on the doors leading to outside deck areas. During the afternoons on board, many a beach towel and lounge were relocated by the wind. Seas were at times rough enough that we used handrails, always. One morning, (4 am "ish" the bow of the ship came down so hard it sounded like we crashed landed. Only happened twice in succession then stopped. I rolled over and went back to sleep. DD found herself face down in the bathroom the first morning after a sudden onset of vertigo. (No nausea, just disorientation). This, of course, only happened once. There was also a lot of vibration in the aft restaurants. Though that's really not necessarily a problem :) Dinner and a thousand finger massage at the same time…who can ask for more than that :o) As stated before, winds of 30 knots and 8 - 10 foot seas are beyond control. It may not be as noticeable in a larger new ship, but I'm pretty sure some movement would be felt under the same circumstances.

 

 

Shore Excursions: In Cozumel we just shopped around and DD had to go to Carlos and Charlies.....a little loud for us old folks, but the food was actually pretty good.

 

 

In Roatan, DH and I opted for snorkeling at Tabyana Beach while DD did zip-line tour. DD had a great time. However, we were a little late docking so by the time her canopy tour group returned to the beach area is was already time to return to the ship. She didn't get in any beach time which was a little disappointing. I'm not an experienced snorkeler, so I took the group option to start with. The 40 min reef snorkel with guide actually lasted 1 and 1/2 hours in the water at the reef areas which was fabulous!. Experienced snorkelers of course would be on their own. The reefs are beautiful and the water absolutely clear. One should beware of the shallow "knee eating" coral however. (I swear that that coral formation jumped up and bit my knee! It couldn't have been my fault...)

 

 

In Belize we took the ship tour of New River and Lamanai. It was great. I swear the boat was traveling faster than 30 mph on the river.......my hair was standing on end when we reach the landing....lunch served at the landing was delicious. The ruins are still in a very natural, non commercial, setting. It is quite a hike, and the ground uneven so if you go, wear good shoes.....duh, it's a jungle.....Howler monkeys and all. Very "Indian Jones". DH and DD climbed to the top of the great pyramid. (I sat on the ground panting for breath).....

 

 

Because of high winds and rough seas Cancun was canceled. A lot of whining took place ...lots of really grumpy people. We knew the odds going in and weren't surprised. DD was distressed....a week in the Caribbean and no time at the beach. She got over it and attended juggling class instead. (Actually learned to juggle too!) Also purchased drinks on deck (in the coconut monkey of course) with the money refunded for port charges.

 

 

Entertainment....As stated before, we did not attend all of the shows. Too darned much to choose from! The Juggler, and comedian were hysterical. Bud Anderson has to be one of the funniest people alive. Bands could use a little help, but then everyones a critic....We also had a group of Polka Dancers as passangers so there was stiff competition between the cruise line bands and their Polka band. (Oompa and calypso...Hmmmm).

 

 

Disembarkation was simple and easy. All of our luggage was grouped together at the pier, etc. We were the 5th group to be called, and we were on our way out of New Orleans by 10:30.

 

 

Conclusion: Did we have a great time? YES. Would we do it again? You betcha! As one woman put it…..If you have your coconut monkey, you don’t need anything else!

[jjfla]

Thank you so much for the nice review!!! We are sailing on the Dream for 10 days this summer to Alaska and it is nice to see that some are enjoying the ship and crew!!!

 

Glad you had a great time!!!

[karen2cruz]

Yes, Thank you for taking time to write this review. We are looking forward to our Dream cruise nin October, and our first small ship (and NCL cruise).

[larterpc]

Thanks for the wonderful review. My wife, daughter (age 19) and I are headed to Alaska for 10 days, leaving on August 1. One question. Is there a self-service laundry on-board. If not, how do we get the laundry done while on board.

[MobileMystic]

I didn't remember anything about passanger laundry aboard the Dream. I double checked the Freestyle Dailies where they list services and none are listed for self laundry or otherwise......:confused:

[kadeycat]

Yep, you're right-no public laundry. You have to pay for staff to do it for you