Documenting the dream western caribbean 01/21-28/2012; the money monkey goes cruising

[radrayjax]

SPOILER ALERT: If you DON’T want to know where the ship’s coin is housed, SKIP THIS POST (three photos)!

 

Starboard to Port view (Right to left) of the slide support in the aft area of the Sky Deck:

 

The housing for the ship’s coin is in plain sight on the wall to the right of the slide support. See it? Just in case…

 

More direct view of the wall in front of the slide support in the aft area of the Sky Deck:

 

You KNOW I wanted to find the coin and I must have passed it three or four times while taking daylight photos up there. I’ve read other reviews that it was near the base of the slide. But, as I mentioned before, there is a lot I CAN’T see using an LCD for exterior daylight photos. It was not until the last night of the cruise the I gave it one more try.…

 

The ship’s coin, on the wall facing the support of the slide deck. Circled above:

[radrayjax]

Closer view of the bottom of slide deck in the aft area of the Sky Deck, form starboard:

 

A night shot of the top of the Atrium canopy from below the slide support:

 

Looking up at the top of the Atrium canopy, seen from the Panorama Deck. The slide is in the background:

 

Stairs leading up to slide deck, seen from the aft port side of the Sky Deck. Note the first small landing at the top of the first flight of stairs:

 

Starboard view of the stairs leading up to slide deck

 

Looking starboard from the bottom of the stairs:

[radrayjax]

With the next group of photos, we’re going up the stairs to the top of the slide deck and taking a look around…

 

Looking down at the top of the Atrium canopy, seen from a few rungs up the stairs:

 

Forward view of the port side of the Sky Deck, seen from the first landing up the stairs:

 

Forward towards view antenna section above the sky deck from the first landing:

 

Forward view – Top of the antenna mast, from the first landing:

 

Aft view – lower decks of the ship and the funnel, seen from the first landing up the stairs:

 

Aft view towards starboard, the spirals of the slide, seen from the first landing up the stairs:

[radrayjax]

Looking down to starboard to the steps from the first landing up the stairs s:

 

Looking down to port – the steps to the “kiddy” slide are seen below on the Sun Deck:

 

Another view looking down at the “kiddy” slide deck and entrance:

 

Looking up and starboard to the top deck of the slide:

 

Looking up and starboard to the stairs leading to the top deck of the slide:

 

Aft view of slide spiral, almost at the top deck of the slide:

[radrayjax]

TOP OF THE WORLD, MA!

 

Close up of the funnel from the top deck of the slide:

 

Forward and port view from the top deck of the slide:

 

Forward view of the antenna masts above the Sky Deck from the top deck of the slide:

 

Forward and starboard view of the Sky Deck from the top deck of the slide:

 

Slide rules on the starboard fence of the slide deck:

 

Starboard view down, entrance Sky Deck Serenity area and the Sun Deck Serenity below:

[radrayjax]

Telephoto of above view starboard:

 

 

Aft, starboard view from the slide deck:

 

Aft facing view of entrance to slides:

 

Close-up of the maw of the slide:

 

Aft view, entrance to slides and the funnel in the background:

 

Medium telephoto shot showing the Sun Deck aft section in front of the funnel:

[radrayjax]

Portside view and down, showing people coming up the stairs to the slide:

 

Starboard view, showing first and second flights of stairs to the slide:

 

Well, I think I’ve done enough damage with the Sky Deck.

 

Tomorrow, we start the SUN DECK (14)!

[radrayjax]

Thank you for writing and sharing your vacation.

This is such an amazing review with wonderful pictures :)

 

Thanks. It's nice to know someone is still watching....

[sydsdaddy7]

Loving your review so far. Although I am wondering what I will do on the Dream in 7 weeks as your review will leave nothing to the imagination. But seriously thank you for all your efforts.

[momtoabowhead]

I feel like we are friends just from reading your review. You are awesome for writing such a detailed trip report.

[Pennyscandy]

radrayjax, look for your posts first thing. Love the details. Will know a lot about the Dream, thanks to you when we sail in April.

Thanks

[dreaming2012]

Nice Pictures in the review

[lperry1016@yahoo.com]

Thank you for your detailed review of the ship. We will be on the Dream March 3rd. We are on the 1st floor, so I am interested to see what that floor is like. Can you tell me if you felt any movement on that floor? I am trying to decide wether to upgrade to a balcony or stay in the inside cabin. I have read that the first floor is a convenient location for exiting the ship for excursions, to the shows, and to the dinning rooms. I am interested in your response.

Thank you in advance.

Linda

[radrayjax]

Thank you for your detailed review of the ship. We will be on the Dream March 3rd. We are on the 1st floor, so I am interested to see what that floor is like. Can you tell me if you felt any movement on that floor? I am trying to decide wether to upgrade to a balcony or stay in the inside cabin. I have read that the first floor is a convenient location for exiting the ship for excursions, to the shows, and to the dinning rooms. I am interested in your response.

Thank you in advance.

Linda

 

Thanks. I cover that floor in detail, it had LONG hallways of course. I felt nothing different on that floor than the floors above. At the rate I'm going, I doubt that I will have posted my photos of that floor, which I plan to do just before covering the last sea day and the behind the fun tour.

[radrayjax]

Thank you for your detailed review of the ship. We will be on the Dream March 3rd. We are on the 1st floor, so I am interested to see what that floor is like. Can you tell me if you felt any movement on that floor? I am trying to decide wether to upgrade to a balcony or stay in the inside cabin. I have read that the first floor is a convenient location for exiting the ship for excursions, to the shows, and to the dinning rooms. I am interested in your response.

Thank you in advance.

Linda

 

An added note: I was on that floor while the ship was underway at normal speed, not while doing any maneuvers, or thruster rotations. So I can't speak to how it will feel on the first or second floor under such conditions. I was topside typically on 11 when we were docking or leaving ports.

[radrayjax]

DOCUMENTING THE SHIP, CHAPTER 2: THE SUN DECK (14)

 

The Sun Deck has two separate sections. The forward section houses the top floor of the Cloud 9 Spa forward and the lower level of the Serenity Area aft. The aft section of the Sun Deck is behind the golf course on the Spa Deck (12) and has the (non-public) smoke stack and machine housings. To the rear is the basketball court, more machine housing and a small observation deck at the very aft. I was never able to get on the area to the sides and in front of the smoke stack so I don’t have close photos of those areas.

 

There is another raise area that doesn’t show up on public deck maps. This is a housing in front of the golf course and it also holds up the large screen. On top of the housing is a crew-only sun-bathing area. This is another area I could not gain entry to.

 

Tonight we’ll cover the forward section of the Sun Deck.

 

SUN DECK FORWARD............SUN DECK AFT

 

The forward section of the Sun Deck can be reached by the aforementioned glass elevator and spiral stair at the very front of the ship. To the rear of the Spa are also the tops of the forward interior stairs that reach to the bottom of the ship. To the very rear of the forward section are two sets of stairs leading to and from the Spa Deck.

 

We’re going to stair as though we came up the forward glass elevator or spiral stairs, work through the port side of the Cloud 9 Spa and then work briefly through the starboard side.

 

Forward view of the glass elevator and spiral stairs at the forward entrance of the Cloud 9 Spa on the Sun Deck:

 

Aft view of the lobby of the Cloud 9 Spa upper level:

 

Closer view of the lobby waiting area of the Cloud 9 Spa upper level:

 

The chamber for the Thalasso pool actually takes up both the Spa and Sun Decks. The Sun Deck has windows looking down to the pool. This takes up about a third of the forward port side of the spa.

 

Fran waving up to me from the pool on the first sea day [A little levity here]:

 

 

 

[radrayjax]

The Thalasso pool looking down and aft from forward windows in the lobby:

 

The Thalasso pool looking down and port from the lobby:

 

The Thalasso pool looking down and forward from the lobby:

 

Another angle:

 

The Aerobics/Seminar room to the rear of the Thalasso pool chamber

 

Looking forward:from the Aerobics room- to port of the Thalasso chamber is cordoned off:

[radrayjax]

Far forward view of the Aerobics room beyond the cordon:

 

The Aerobics room looking to starboard towards the entrance of the room:

 

Lobby desk of the upper level of the Spa, leading to the main salon area to port:

 

Products for sale on the shelves behind the desk:

 

Entering the main salon behind and to port of the desk. This is just aft of the Aerobics room:

 

Salon chair to the rear of the salon, port side:

[radrayjax]

Looking out the window of the salon, port side (while at Port Canaveral):

 

Looking forward in the salon to the pedicure area:

 

Close up of pedicure seat:

 

Tech station in front of the pedicure seat:

 

Hair?/Beautician stations on the forward wall of the salon area – This is the wall to the rear (aft) of the aerobics room:

Beautician during the Spa tour:

[donoiv]

Interlude 1 (2004-2009):

 

Wife #2 and I split 14 months later (June 2005) and divorced in December 2005.

 

I dated someone for almost a year (met on line) and split in August 2006. I met Fran, who would become wife #3 on line and we started dating in September 2006. She moved in a few months later.

 

Things went very well. Among our trips together was a vacation/buying trip to Charleston in October 2007. About a year later I proposed.

 

Such romantic thoughts... How did I pop the question?

 

Me: “How would you like to take home $35.00 a [bi-weekly] pay period more?”

She: “Sounds good. How?”

Me: “Marry me and then you will pay less taxes at the married rate.”

She: “Will everything else stay the same?”

Me: “Sure.”

She: “Okay.”

 

We decided on the date of January 18, 2009. We were married at a close friend’s house with immediate family. I took everyone out to eat Thai food for dinner after words.

 

The “official” shot (Fran is the one on the right):

 

Fran with her beautiful children. They are currently aged 30-35.

 

Cruise #2 would be the honeymoon cruise, but we couldn’t take it until a couple of months later. My mother paid for most of the cruise as a wedding present.

 

This time it would be a five day cruise on the Fascination with two ports-of-call, Key West and Nassau.

 

My mother paid $900.00 and I paid $50.00 more up front and $100.00 more for gratuities when checking out. I used the same big box membership club TA.

 

Pre-cruise I did more research and for Key West I booked the Old Town Trolley hop-on/hop-off on line directly with the trolley company. Maps are in the review to follow.

 

I didn’t plan any excursions for Nassau. The goal there was to get to a bank near the port and obtain new Bahamian currency.

 

Fran and I don’t work for money…we work for the state. I work for the State Bureau of Vital Statistics and am in contact with many of the county vital statistics offices. I speak very often with the chief deputy registrar (CDR) in the Monroe County (Key West) office. I had talked to her about the cruise well in advance and made plans to meet her at her office when we got to Key West and have lunch at some place local.

 

What follows TOMORROW night is my not-so-mini review of the Fascination honeymoon cruise March 30-April 4, 2009....

 

This odd and only 3 wives???? Seems unfair! :)

[radrayjax]

Steam/shower rooms just aft of the salon on the port side:

 

The mosaic on the shower wall:

 

Anther view of the shower:

 

More items for sale in the spa:

[radrayjax]

With the next few shots we’ll be looking at the STARBOARD side of the upper level. Most of this side is taken up by individual/private salon/therapy rooms. Except for a view in a couple of rooms during the spa tour, I was not able to look at much on this side of the spa.

 

This is a forward storage area just to starboard of the elevator and spiral stairs. It is not public:

 

Closer look at the storage area above:

 

Crew-only stairs just to the left (port) of the entrance to the storage area above:

 

Looking down the crew-only stairs:

 

The individual therapy rooms are on either side of an L-shaped hallway – This is the short leg going from port to starboard:

 

The long part of the L from above, leading forward to the aft of the spa:

[radrayjax]

One of the therapy rooms, during the spa tour:

Continuing from above, note that the couch/bed has sunk:

 

Another view of the therapy room, during the spa tour:

 

Special equipment in the therapy room:

 

Rear exit of the spa:

 

Rear entrance to the spa:

[radrayjax]

We’re now going to look at the areas behind and out side the spa, the inner lobby and the serenity area. We’ll head out to the starboard side of the serenity area first.

 

Stairs and lobby to the rear of the spa, looking from port to starboard. The spa is to the right:

 

 

Deck info plate on the aft wall, portside behind the spa:

 

Looking starboard to the serenity area. The serenity bar is to left, foreground. The stairs leading to the Sky Deck Serenity area are to the left, background:

 

The serenity bar (this is the only bar in the Serenity area):

 

The serenity bar offerings:

 

Moving aft, a forward and port view of the bar:

[radrayjax]

Looking forward to the starboard Serenity area:

 

Looking forward and up to the Sky Deck, above the bar area:

 

Aft and starboard view of central section of starboard Serenity area:

 

Aft view from the central section of starboard Serenity area:

 

Starboard Serenity area chairs:

 

Back in the lobby behind the bar, looking to PORT: