Back from Aug 22 Dream

[herewego]

Had a great time with a lot more positives than negatives! Feel free to ask any questions -- traveled with a group of 12 in 3 cabins with 1 in the kids program and 2 in the teen programs.

 

We bought the phot package which turned out to be the best choice we made the entire trip!

 

Slots were VERY tight

 

Ate at all of the restaurants -- the food was always good and a few times excellent.

 

Any questions?

[sunshine 229]

Had a great time with a lot more positives than negatives! Feel free to ask any questions -- traveled with a group of 12 in 3 cabins with 1 in the kids program and 2 in the teen programs.

 

We bought the phot package which turned out to be the best choice we made the entire trip!

 

Slots were VERY tight

 

Ate at all of the restaurants -- the food was always good and a few times excellent.

 

Any questions?

 

No questions. I just wanted to say that I'm glad your trip went well and I'm sure you will make a lot of people who are cruising on the Dream in early Sept. happy with this report.

[merry]

Glad you had a nice trip. I'm leaving on 9/12 for the 10-day on the Dream and was wondering what the weather was like while you were cruising.

 

Merry

[herewego]

We had to buy T shirts in Juneau because it was too hot in the sweaters we were in! There was rain in Prince Rupert but that was the only place.

[gettingready]

I was wondering about the photo package - what exactly was it and how did it work?

 

Also did you like the Captain, ever see him other than at the Q&A? I have heard he is pretty visable.

[drjpreston]

[quote name=

Also did you like the Captain, ever see him other than at the Q&A? I have heard he is pretty visable.[/quote]

 

He was the most accessible and visible captain I have ever cruised with. Great teams always start from the top. The Dream has a great team because they have a great Captain. I hope someone in NCL corporate offices is reading this. He is a jewel, take good care of him.

[herewego]

I agree - the Captain was a doll! Once I was sitting at the coffee bar and he sat down and joined me, he was so charming and such great PR for the line! He stayed and chated for about 15 minutes, until I left to play trivia LOL He smiled and greeted each passenger that stopped. He joined the Dream after the Alaskan season started, maybe just for the PR?????

 

I believe he is leaving the ship in the near future but am not sure exactly when. He looks so young when you first see him but then he says something about sailing for 20 odd years AFTER college! He will be an assest wherever he goes.

 

The photo package is $199 for 2 people then $25 for the next and $15 for the next. You get a sticker on your card with your code on it and then you get EVERY picture of your group. So, we got pictures taken as a family then just the kids and then us as a couple and then finally each child alone. On the first night, there were 2 stations and we did both, then again on the other picture nights (6 I believe), dinner shots, glacier deck shots, pictures when we got on and off the ship and pictures with the Captain. There were 4 or 5 families doing this and the photographers were really nice. They arranged a "secret" shot of the kids for us out on the deck with the Glacier behind them, 3 of them together and then 2 of each of them alone -- they approached the kids the day before so that was a nice surprise. I was a bit nervous about taking advantage of it but they were very encouraging and saying "Let's do each of the kids now" and "How about just the girls?" They even did some nice casual shots which I liked the best. Anyway, it is a wonderful deal!

[Maria Woo]

we too will be on the sept. 12th sailing. Are there tours to take in the ports when you get off the ship? are there taxi drivers there that will take you on tours? I've only been on Carribean cruises up yo now . There are always tours to take there at the ports.:)

[Bejamquinn]

Can you tell me how the kids club was. We have an 8 and 10 year old. Thanks.

[drjpreston]

we too will be on the sept. 12th sailing. Are there tours to take in the ports when you get off the ship? are there taxi drivers there that will take you on tours? I've only been on Carribean cruises up yo now . There are always tours to take there at the ports.:)

 

We nearly always wait to book tours after we get off ship. We did not feel we did as well on our own in Alaska as we have on other cruises.

 

In Wittier we did not see any Taxis. We got off later than most, so there may have been some earlier. There was not the usually stands right at the port trying to sell tours. As you walked a away from ship, to the left, there were a number of small building offering boat rides to glaciers and kayak trips. We walked across the RR tracks to the bottom of a waterfall that could be seen from the ship. We then walked to a steam where salmon were trying to swim up stream. The walk to the steam was over a mile up and down some hills. There was not a lot to see or do in wittier.

 

In Juneau, it was more like what you would normally see in most ports. Taxis and tour salesmen everywhere. Bus rides to the glacier could be purchased at the dock for $5.00 each way. They will bargain with you over other tours. Whale watching trip was $115.00 on the ship. We went with same company and paid $90.00. Juneau was our favorite port. It had the most to offer. It helped that we had the best weather there as well. We took a taxi to church on Sunday morning. A church member then took us to see the glacier and gave us a private tour of the area before we went to see whales. We were around whale most of the trip.

 

Ketchikan was our second most favorite port. Sadly you don't arrive until late in the afternoon. There was a small number of taxies and tour people available on shore. Most tour salesmen seemed to be charging the same price as on the ship. We did not try very hard to get a deal. We waited and purchased the lumberjack show on shore and paid the same as we would have on the ship.

 

Prince Rupert was our least favorite port. Heavy rain played a part. We did not see any taxis or tour salesmen. There was a small number of shops about a block away from the ship. There was a few fishing trips sold at these shops but their advertised price was same as NCL. We did not take it, but I heard several passengers say they enjoyed the train ride booked on the ship. We spent most of the day just walking around in the rain. Saw a few totem poles but not much else.

 

If I had it all to do over, I would have booked most tours on the ship.

[drjpreston]

Can you tell me how the kids club was. We have an 8 and 10 year old. Thanks.

 

We did not have children with us. I had hoped someone with kids would respond, since they did not, here is what little I witnessed. They seemed to have fewer kids than any ship I had been on. They did have a full program for them, although I did not pay much attention to them. I did see workers bring them in as a group for one of the shows. I also saw them take some of the kids to the front of the ship and allow them to spray water out of a large fire hose.

[Maria Woo]

We nearly always wait to book tours after we get off ship. We did not feel we did as well on our own in Alaska as we have on other cruises.

 

In Wittier we did not see any Taxis. We got off later than most, so there may have been some earlier. There was not the usually stands right at the port trying to sell tours. As you walked a away from ship, to the left, there were a number of small building offering boat rides to glaciers and kayak trips. We walked across the RR tracks to the bottom of a waterfall that could be seen from the ship. We then walked to a steam where salmon were trying to swim up stream. The walk to the steam was over a mile up and down some hills. There was not a lot to see or do in wittier.

 

In Juneau, it was more like what you would normally see in most ports. Taxis and tour salesmen everywhere. Bus rides to the glacier could be purchased at the dock for $5.00 each way. They will bargain with you over other tours. Whale watching trip was $115.00 on the ship. We went with same company and paid $90.00. Juneau was our favorite port. It had the most to offer. It helped that we had the best weather there as well. We took a taxi to church on Sunday morning. A church member then took us to see the glacier and gave us a private tour of the area before we went to see whales. We were around whale most of the trip.

 

Ketchikan was our second most favorite port. Sadly you don't arrive until late in the afternoon. There was a small number of taxies and tour people available on shore. Most tour salesmen seemed to be charging the same price as on the ship. We did not try very hard to get a deal. We waited and purchased the lumberjack show on shore and paid the same as we would have on the ship.

 

Prince Rupert was our least favorite port. Heavy rain played a part. We did not see any taxis or tour salesmen. There was a small number of shops about a block away from the ship. There was a few fishing trips sold at these shops but their advertised price was same as NCL. We did not take it, but I heard several passengers say they enjoyed the train ride booked on the ship. We spent most of the day just walking around in the rain. Saw a few totem poles but not much else.

 

If I had it all to do over, I would have booked most tours on the ship.

This has been invaluable. My husband doesn't want to book through the ship. There are advantages of booking through them such as making sure you're back in time to leave.

Do you know of anyone who booked the whalewatching in Prince Rupert?

[Ducky61]

On the days you were at sea were there any bridge lessons or bridge tournaments scheduled?

[vette]

Any update on the engine situation? We are cruising on her in November, and I am just curious if they have made any progress with them.

 

Vette

[drjpreston]

Any update on the engine situation? We are cruising on her in November, and I am just curious if they have made any progress with them.

 

Vette

 

I did not hear any news other than they were working on the problem when we were on the ship last week. I will say, that unless you had been told there was a problem, the average person would not have known there was one. The ship moved at 16 knots or better when in open waters. We stayed on the revised schedule. I don't believe it is anything to worry about.

[merry]

Did you receive any onboard credit for missing Sitka?

 

Merry

[Maria Woo]

Did you receive any onboard credit for missing Sitka?

 

Merry

What I don't understand is that it seems almost every cruise before us they gave the passengers something. God knows they make a fortune on your room charge anyway. I still have my travel agent working on trying to get us sme kind of compensation.

[vette]

Thanks, Drjpreston, for the engine information. Good to hear that there were no major problems.

 

Vette