8/24 - NCL Dream Review

[lovn2liv]

Here's my review...Broken up in pieces...I think.

 

Just off of the NCL Dream yesterday (8/31). Family of 4, stayed in cabin 4011, 20 and 10 year old kids. We had no problem with bad odors or seeping sewerage in our room....thank goodness. Did hear that there were cabins further back on same floor that had these problems. There was a floor fan in the hall running for a few days to dry the hallway carpet...so whoever was in that area...I feel bad for them. My sister stayed on 5th floor with her family (2) cabins 5251 and 5250 and too had no problems with their cabins. The pull-out sofa was no problem for my 2 girls. We asked for an egg crate and I'm sure it made a huge difference. With the egg crate however, it was difficult to fold the couch up. They folded it the best they could, but we didn't care. We didn't spend a whole lot of time in our cabins hanging out.

Our cabin stewards were great...Romeo and Luis.

Our neighbors on one side were a room of 4 young men (early 20s, didn't hear a peep from them). The other side was a young couple, and we were disturbed constantly with their "fighting" in the morning, noon, and late to early AM hours. Foul mouths and very aggressive with each other. We could hear them as if they were in our room. Later on in the cruise, we were puzzled about their behavior, and came to the conclusion that they "liked being rough with each other"????? enough said. We were laughing by the end of the cruise. Different strokes, I guess. She seemed to be getting the better of him too. But after he would scream his head off that "IT" hurt, he'd start laughing histerically. ??? I just don't get it. We did call the front desk after we were awaken once again by their entrance into the cabin and their screaming at each other. Ugh! Never have I had a bad neighbor on the cruises we have taken. This one took the cake.

Now about the cruise.

I was apprehensive, very apprehensive about what my ship experience was going to be, due to the reviews as well as my experience on the Majesty a few years earlier. Being it an older ship, I knew that the facilities just weren't going to be cracked up like we have experienced on the newer and more state-of-the-art ships that we have been fortunate to cruise on. But, living 40 minutes from the Boston Port...and all that convenience, along with the Bermuda destination, we decided to bite the bullet and take the ride. Our expectations were very very low. I imagined "camping". I set that image with my sister too, and it was the right thing to do. We had a great time.

The majority of the deck chairs are old and icky. Icky. Towels are a must. Since the ship is sold...I wasn't expecting anything to be shiny and new so it didn't disappoint me. I just made sure we had towels. They give you a card in your cabin that states you can get extra towels on the pool deck. I dare you to find them....we could not, and asked pool hands and they told us we had to get them from our cabin steward. So, don't leave your cabin without them. Let your room steward know you need your towels in the AM. We had a long walk from the pool deck to our cabin, so they did their best to accommodate us. (Maybe someone else on the boards knows where the stash was on the pool deck.)

The food...

Now, I heard many reviews on how bad the food was....so I wasn't expecting anything grand, and would just celebrate the fact that I wouldn't have to cook. So that is what I was thinking as I went up for my first meal at the sports bar buffet. I loved it. My whole family found something they liked. I'm definitely a fan of the carving station. Then you can get a freshly mixed caesar salad, pasta station, tons of fruit salad, vege salads, rice salads, etc. Some people were taking the veges from the buffet and having the pasta station chefs incorporate that into their pasta dishes. No problem and it looked great. Assortment of sliced cheeses were always available, and they do a good job with the sugar free desserts too. Everyone liked the ice cream available daily....and the toppings to go with it. I stayed away from any fish and stuck more with the meats. They always had some kind of roasted potato with the buffets and grilled veges.

The dining room selections were decent, and we always found something we liked. Pork roast, lamb, steaks (different varieties), ham, chilled soups, salads, were all good. My sister got a fish selection one night, and got a mouthful of bones. Ugh. Other than that, we pretty much were not disgusted or disappointed with our selections. By the end of the cruise, things started to taste the same, but overall, I would say the food was good to excellent. (My expectations were very low as I mentioned.) We sailed on the Dawn in February/March timeframe, and I was hugely disappointed with the food. Dream had it over the Dawn, hands down.

Pizza--no way. My 10-year old ate it, but that was it. She left a lot behind too. Didn't look any different than a cheap frozen pizza. They've got a long way to go there. Not enticing at all.

The grill/barbecue had all kinds of selections to choose from. We had the barbecue chicken...very good. Strip steak was good, but not hugely seasoned, not much flavor. The burgers were fine, but the kids swear that the room service angus burger was way better than the grill on deck. So ????

[lovn2liv]

Kids Camp

 

The facilities for this program are the pits. Really the pits. When I took a look initially, I figured I was going to see my 10 year old right next to me for the whole trip. This child loves the kid's programs on board and has seen some great programs at sea. The Majesty program was not good, and this one looked to be just as bad. I couldn't have imagined that she would have found this area remotely interesting. The 10-12 year olds were in a narrow room with nothing to sit on but the floor. I didn't see any electronics, air hockey, a place to sit around a table and play games...NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING. It was poor to say the least. However, we signed her up and gave her the option to stay. She wanted to stay. We went back on the hour every hour to see if she was alright....and she LOVED IT! She really liked "Crayon"...which was an alias for the counselor. She kept them entertained with games and inventive interactions. I was happy for my daughter because she really did have a good time in this program because of this woman. There was another councelor that really had very little patience with the younger kids. I think she is long overdue for a break.

 

The Casino

 

Actually we were pleased with the outcome. We aren't huge gamblers, but had a few hundred set aside to gamble. DH doubled that number in winnings and I was the lucky winner of the Slot Tournament. So we both did great, and came home with a bit extra in our pockets. WooHoo. Spent it today on school supplies.

 

Entertainment

 

Didn't really see many of the shows. I get bored very easily. There are two dancers that are excellent. They do more of the physical jumps and leaps and they were terrific.

Karoake

We had a blast with this form of entertainment. Jose was our MC and he was utterly histerical. He did more shananigans behind the scenes as people sang....it was very entertaining, along with some great talent and not so much, but it was fun fun fun.

 

Pools/Chairs

 

Wouldn't swim in any of them if you paid me, but people seemed to enjoy them. Very salty and as you can imagine, very crowded. Good for them. Chair hogs; of course. I even became one of them for a morning, but I paid for it the next day. Couldn't get a chair to save my life on the last full day at sea. I was up at 8:15, and the aft pool had approximately 50-60 chairs, and every single one of those chairs had a striped towel on them. I counted 11 live bodies and the rest were reserved with those striped towels. You win some you lose some. We eventually found some chairs elsewhere a couple of hours later, and all was well with the world.

Embarkation was a breeze, disembarking was lengthy. It went very slow, and then it kicked into high gear instantaneously. The crew said it was a hold up in customs. We picked up our luggage without a problem (6 pieces) and were out of the building and into our car in a matter of 5 minutes once off of the ship.

 

The seas were extremely calm. The ship had a problem with one of their engines leaving St. George. They corrected it. Bermuda was great. Been there several times. Less and less friendly hospitality as the years go by. More and more non-Bermudians are working in the stores and in service positions. Less friendly in my opinion.

 

I had heard on the last full day of the cruise that there were quite a few passengers that demanded a meeting with the Captain to voice their disappointment with their cruise experience. I would have participated if I had experienced certain things like raw sewerage, but I didn't find it necessary to complain about anything.

 

We had a great time with very very low expectations and were pleasantly delighted with the outcome.

 

I'm done sailing on the old ships though. I like grand ships that are pretty to look at with a WOW factor. The food was better than expected, and I think that the bigger the ship the lousier the food. So there is a payoff. Well, until the next time.

 

Oh yes, drink prices...

Cosmo - over $10 - beer 29.00 for 6 (helmut) - other mixed were between $6 and $8 bucks. Coffee bar was really really really good. Espresso/Cappacino machine was broken in the restaurants. No decaf cappacino avail in the coffee bar. Definitely a disappointment...but we survived.

 

[Maxsboubie]

Thank you for the great review. We're going on her in two weeks. Like you, I have no great expectations. Just a cheap get-away. Did you go to the Bistro? I was wondering if it is still good. Thanks

[lovn2liv]

We didn't go to the Bistro, however, people raved about it. It looked very nice. I'm sure it will be good. If you can, I would reserve a seating for the end of the week, if you can, because it will be a nice change from the regular food. Book immediately though, because they filled up quickly. We tried to get in, but could not.

 

Also, the photographers really did a great job with the pictures. We've never seen such a great variety of shots that came out very nice.

[Tiger55]

Very nice review!! Our expectations of this ship seem to be on the same page as yours. So the chair hogs were that bad huh? Here is what I want to know, the top deck of the ship(where the courts are), is it possible to bring your own personal beach chairs up there on sea days? Of course, if it's not too busy up there.

 

Also, is it possible to have to different credit cards being used for the same room? I wanted to use mine for the daily tip charge, le bistro, and whatever else I might come across. I wanted my girlfriend to use her own card for 'drinks'. Wasn't sure how this whole process works.

 

We are going to be staying on the same deck as you, so hopefully the smell isn't in our area:eek:

[Tiger55]

Oh yeah, the most important question (for me of course)...how was the dress code? Was it enforced? What time did you eat on most nights?

 

We are doing the cruise since it's pretty close to home to the terminal, and the fact we've never tried cruising before. What time do you suggest we get to Boston? It's under 2.5 hours to the terminal from our house. We looked into going to Vegas for a vacation, but the cost of the cruise was much less.

[lovn2liv]

There are deck chairs up by the shuffleboard court, but not on the basketball court. Tough place to relax if someone is bouncing a ball around your head....LOL.

 

Not sure about the card, however, I cannot imagine them not being able to do that. I sailed with 3 other friends on the Dawn in the same cabin and we all used different credit cards.

 

Have a great time....and just by chance my room was going to have any odor, I brought the orange scent spray, and that stuff is strong. We didn't have to use it at all.

[lovn2liv]

The dress code was enforced and then wasn't depending upon how much you resisted with the maitre d....Most people were nicely dressed. Very few formerly dressed, unless they were getting portraits done it seemed. They baulked at shorts for men and jeans, but as you know if you've read these boards...they get by anyway.

[lovn2liv]

Sorry Tiger...if you have your own personal chairs...then there will be plenty of places to go with them. You'll have your prime choices.

 

If you like shade, the 8th deck in the aft was awesome. If you like the sun, mid ship deck 11 or upper deck on 12 you will find plenty of open spaces, just not open seats, unless you get up super early.

 

If you want the sun and have your own personal chairs, and like peace and quiet, then take your own chairs up to the shuffleboard deck. It is out of the way, sunny....but nice spot. Be sure to bring your own big big big mug, because it is a long walk to the sports bar / buffet to refill your water/ice tea.

[Tiger55]

Thanks for the tips Lovn2liv!! I just read your other response about the dress code on another thread. Let me ask you this, is there areas to do laundry on the ship? I hate jeans and pants, and like wearing shorts. I have a few pairs of dress slacks that I plan on bringing, but I'm just worried about spilling something on them(or could this be a 'good excuse')

 

Air freshener...another great tip(added it to the list), and the big big mug!! I wrote down your suggestions also on places to sit. We are hoping since the cruise is at the end of September, that the pool area won't be too crowded with kids.

[lovn2liv]

There is no laundry facility, however, I believe they offer a laundry service. Mid week, throw your things in the laundry bag they supply, and I think their price is pretty reasonable. One price for everything that you can fit into that bag. Just make sure you don't give them something that will shrink.

 

About the shorts....I was so aggravated with the inconsistency, so I "lied" to get past the gate keeper, however, it just wasn't worth the aggravation. I got through, but not without a cost -- being aggravated. I'd much prefer to just be happy on my vacations.

 

Bring a couple of slacks (preferably dark). Maybe double up on the napkins so you won't soil them...and then go to your room after dinner and slide the shorts back on. The sports bar buffet is an alternative if you just don't feel like going through the motions of getting dressed up. We did that one night after our 4-seasons dinner took 3 hours from beginning to completion. It was unusually slow. The servers were so nice, and we didn't have the heart to complain...but man, it was brutal. They poured our tea and we got our dessert 30 minutes after our tea. So the next night we decided to waste no time and eat at the buffet. They had a great pork loin at the carving station and we enjoyed it just as much. 20 minutes later we were free to do what we wanted.

[Tiger55]

maybe I can find a pair of those 'stripper' pants that you can just rip off, that way I can wear my shorts under them, and not have to worry about going back to the room to drop trou, to put shorts back on.

 

oh yeah, another question(s)..is there a closing time for the pool? is there any of the restaurants that are open in the early morning hours? is there a time you have to be on the ship at night, or can you have a late night out in st.georges and come back when you please?

 

I had to laugh about your 'noisy' neighbors. I was wondering how much you could hear through the walls

[lovn2liv]

LOL....love the stripper pants idea...in fact I don't sew, but I can glue velcro, so there may be a future in Cruise Attire...I hear you can buy velcro by the mile.

 

Once in St. George there is no curfew (sp?), except for the day of disembarkation. That time you must watch closely, and listen closely from the announcements. Friends of ours were on the 8/17 Dream cruise and their last day was cut short by 5 hours. They ended up leaving at 7:00AM on Friday instead of 12:00/12:30.

 

Really not much open on St. George. There are a couple of restaurants with an outside seating area that we had a couple of drinks at, and then there is a club called the White Horse not more than an 1/8 mile from the dock. Music so loud that my sister and I were immediately forced to block our ears in fear we would have permanent hearing loss. We went there with our 20 year olds, and thank goodness they too had outside seating. She and I called it an evening after 30 minutes or so, and ran out covering our ears.

[duiscubaguy]

Had a cabin on Caribbean Deck 4 on the stern port side. No problems with sewage or odors in our cabin. Didn't smell anything as we made our way forward on deck 4. The Bistro is a must IMHO. Ate there on Monday & Friday. Food and service were great. As for the dress code, we ate all our other meals in the evening at Terraces and Sun Terraces. Constantly saw men in T's and shorts as well as women even though the dress code for the evening meals is posted at each venue. It in know way impacted my cruise but just wanted to mention what I saw.

Bottom line is go in with the right attitude and expectations and you will have a fine cruise. I thought the ship was well maintained and the crew friendly and courteous.

[nautica34]

There is no laundry facility, however, I believe they offer a laundry service. Mid week, throw your things in the laundry bag they supply, and I think their price is pretty reasonable. One price for everything that you can fit into that bag. Just make sure you don't give them something that will shrink.

 

About the shorts....I was so aggravated with the inconsistency, so I "lied" to get past the gate keeper, however, it just wasn't worth the aggravation. I got through, but not without a cost -- being aggravated. I'd much prefer to just be happy on my vacations.

 

Bring a couple of slacks (preferably dark). Maybe double up on the napkins so you won't soil them...and then go to your room after dinner and slide the shorts back on. The sports bar buffet is an alternative if you just don't feel like going through the motions of getting dressed up. We did that one night after our 4-seasons dinner took 3 hours from beginning to completion. It was unusually slow. The servers were so nice, and we didn't have the heart to complain...but man, it was brutal. They poured our tea and we got our dessert 30 minutes after our tea. So the next night we decided to waste no time and eat at the buffet. They had a great pork loin at the carving station and we enjoyed it just as much. 20 minutes later we were free to do what we wanted.

 

What time did you go to dinner at the Four Seasons? Just wandering if you went at a busy time as to why it took 3 hours. We are going in October and hope dinner doesn't take 3 hours

[dhkhth]

I was lucky and had dinner @ all the restraunts. LeBistro was spectacular we had a great waitress Madeline. LeBistro we had reservations for Wednesday evening @ 6:00. we made the 1st reservation on Monday, but changed Wednesday @ 6:30 (not busy at all until we left @ 8:00) All evenings we would eat @ 5:30. We had a large group of 12.(mostly had 2 table of 6 tough to sit together). Dinner would take at least 2 hours, they do not rush you at all. Do not expect coffee with your desert, when you ask they look at you like you have 2 heads. I would leave dinner, and go grab the coffee @ the coffee bar, boy is that good coffee.

The sports buffett was busy, but good.

I went on board thinking I would not like the food, and was pleasently surprised.

[duiscubaguy]

Do not expect coffee with your desert, when you ask they look at you like you have 2 heads.

That's odd. We were not only offered coffee but asked if we wanted espresso or cappuccino every night.

[lovn2liv]

We went at 6:15. I think something was just off that night. We ate at the Four Seasons the first night and it averaged about 90 minutes. Everyone around us experienced the same wait on the 2nd night there of 3 hours...and boy oh boy, not something I wanted to do again.

[lovn2liv]

Wow, I wished I were eating where you were eating. The special think about NCL is they don't charge you for cappacino or espresso at meal time, so we always take advantage of it on NCL. The first night at four seasons we asked for decaf cappacino...they told us that the cappacino machine was broken, so we decided to just go with decaf coffee.

 

The 2nd night at The Trattoria, we were told that the cappacino machine was broken, but they would see what they could do. I believe they made an espresso and then mixed milk into the espresso. No foam, and definitely not a cappacino....not the end of the world, and we just sipped it and left it behind.

 

The 3rd night was back at 4 seasons for the 3 hour dinner, and the cappacino still was not available, so we ordered tea.

 

The 4th night, we just went to the coffee bar, but couldn't get decaf cappacino, but decided on getting the high test....it was very good and I was up until 4:00. We stopped asking for cappacino after that and started getting different specialty coffees. They were excellent.

[lovn2liv]

They do close the pools at different times I noticed. Because I don't use them, it didn't jump out at me. But it seemed the main pool in the center of the ship closed approx at 8:00 or so. The pool in the aft remained open later. Not sure if they closed it at all. Maybe someone else will remember.

[didan]

They did close the pools relatively early - 8 or 9 p.m. including the aft pool. I think the hot tubs were open until 10.

[duiscubaguy]

The first night at four seasons we asked for decaf cappuccino...they told us that the cappacino machine was broken, so we decided to just go with decaf coffee.

Hmmmmm. Curious we were told the same thing in Terraces the 1st night by Ramona the room supervisor. She apologized and offered some nice fresh brewed coffee. After that we had cappuccino and espresso every night no matter where we ate.

[lovn2liv]

I think for us it was the operative "decaf" word...that it wasn't possible after the 2nd night. But, such is life, and it didn't put us over the edge. I was disappointed, but not sidetracked from having a great time.

[nautica34]

Do both of the main dining rooms have similar waiting times? Are guests allowed to put their names on both waiting lists? Do they give you a pager so you don't have to wait at the actual restaurant?

[duiscubaguy]

Do both of the main dining rooms have similar waiting times? Are guests allowed to put their names on both waiting lists? Do they give you a pager so you don't have to wait at the actual restaurant?

I did not dine in 4 Seasons but will say that the wait at Terraces was usually a 1/2 hr for a table for 2 unless you know someone ;) . Sun Terrace Trattoria was closer to an hour. There are no pagers. I don't see why you couldn't put your name in at both. They come out calling your room number and had a hand held white board also showing you room number.