Report on Norwegian Dream Cruise, 2/20/05

[EyeDoc1954]

Hello, I just returned from a cruise to the Western Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Dream and thought I would share some of my observations. You folks on this message board were very helpful to me prior to my cruise so now it's my turn to contribute.

 

CREW: The crew of the Dream was marvelous. Very hard working, well trained, friendly and polite in all cases. The only drawback is that some did not have much English, so you need to pay attention to the way they react to your words. Make sure that they understand what you are saying. It is amazing how many countries are represented on the crew. We only met one American who happened to work at the shore excursion desk.

 

FOOD: varies from below average to very good. It appears that the company cuts corners on some ingredients, especially meats. The chef does quite a good job of compensating with fancy preparation and exotic sauces, but as any cook knows, the most basic secret to good food is to start with the best ingredients. The table service was excellent in all the restuarants and we were usually able to be seated without waiting, except for a 10 minute wait one evening at the height of the dinner hour. The Bistro is the only restaurant with an additional charge ($15 per person) and it also had the best food. I'd say The Trattoria (Italian cuisine) was second best. We missed the famous chocolate buffet, since it was presented at 10 PM on Friday night. We were very tired from our long shore excursion and were not willing to stay up that late.

 

SHORE EXCURSIONS: As you might expect, these vary greatly in quality and are not under the direct control of NCL. The local contractors do seem to want you to have a good time and they are obviously grateful for the employment opportunities. Our favorite excursion was the Jungle Canopy Tour on Roatan, which involves flying through the forest suspended below steel cables on a pulley. The young men and women who run the tour (more like a thrill ride) are very professional and careful. Our least favorite tours involved long bus rides to distant Mayan ruins. The ones to Tulum and Xunantunich (El Castillo) involve a four hour round trip with only about 90 minutes at the site. Tulum was too crowded to take many photographs of the ruins. If you like to snorkel or scuba, I'd say the water-based excursions are your best bet. Our friends said that they liked the cave tubing and we enjoyed the dune buggy/snorkel excursion on Cozumel.

 

There is one problem that affects almost all of the shore excursions and that is getting folks off the ship. On the morning of the port days, everyone who has a ticket for a shore excursion must gather in the large theater (Stardust Lounge) and wait until your excursion is called for disembarkation. If the small boats (tenders) are being used to reach the shore, you can easily wait there for an hour. Then the boat ride to shore can take another 30 minutes or more. This takes a big chunk out of your recreation time. We were able to dock in Cozumel, which was really nice. At Roatan, we rode a tender to shore in the morning, then the ship was able to dock in the afternoon after another ship left and opened up space at the dock. Riding in the tenders is somewhat uncomfortable and could be a problem for handicapped passengers.

 

ENTERTAINMENT: We only caught one performance by the Jean Ann Ryan Company. It was called "Rock This Town" and was a sort of tribute to famous Broadway musicals, notably by Bob Fosse. The subject matter seemed rather bland and dated to me, but would probably be very appropriate for viewers over age 65. While I was not interested in the music, I was fascinated by the quality of the performers. They have some very talented singers and dancers, who all seem to have skills in many areas. There was a male/female pair of ballet dancers and an olympic level gymnast who managed to work their routines into the overall Broadway musical theme. It was kind of odd, but really a great tribute to the performers who were making do with a small cast and a limited budget. I imagine that this is a great place for young entertainers to gain experience before making their way to Broadway or Las Vegas. In fact, one of them, probably the best singer, was honored at the end of the show since it was her last before taking a role in an unamed Broadway show.

 

THE CABINS: All of our friends seemed very happy with their accomodations. Plenty of room to unpack into drawers and closets. The little bathrooms are quite small, but very well designed to make use of every cubic inch of space. A large person could still have a problem moving around in the bathroom and especially in the shower. The beds seem quite comfortable. TV reception is limited to just a few channels off the satellite plus a few channels of ship information that come in rather handy.

 

THE SHIP: The ship appears to be very well maintained, but as others on this message board have said, it is an older ship and not up to the standards of the newer and larger cruise ships. There are certain problems that I noticed. The first is that the ship's plumbing system has some minor problems. The vacuum toilet system seems to allow frequent escapes of what plumbers call sewer gas. This is most noticeable in your own little bathroom, but you will notice whifs of nastiness walking down various passageways. The fresh water system provides plenty of hot water for showers, but while at sea, the water takes on a yellowish color, perhaps due to rusty sediment sloshing around in the water tanks.

 

Many areas of the ship were rather noisy. In the Observatory Lounge, you could hear people playing shuffleboard on the deck above. In the cabins, you could hear passengers next door talking or watching TV. If you are on Deck 6, you are under the running/walking track and will hear the footsteps of everyone who passes over your head.

 

Our biggest complaint of the whole cruise was the amount of motion we felt while underway. The Dream is supposed to be equipped with roll stabilizers, but there still seemed to be a lot more rolling than you would expect given the fairly calm conditions that we encountered. Maybe the stabilizers were turned off or maybe we were just too sensitive, this being our first cruise. Using the outdoor running track that circles deck 7 was difficult for some folks who like to jog. In addition to the rolling, there were a lot of odd sharp shuddering motions from side to side and vertically. It was a lot like riding in a motor home with bad suspension on a curvy bumpy road. Our cabin was on deck 6 amidships and we were amazed at how much more motion there was when we went up to the restaurants on decks 10-12. Most of these were located at the stern where the beat of the propellers added a strong vibration to the other motions. It was funny to watch the water sloshing violently in the two swimming pools. Don't count on using the pools while the ship is underway, as you will feel like you are in a washing machine. The crew closes the pools when it gets unsafe. I survived the first day by using a scopalamine patch, then I guess I got my sea legs and did not need to put a patch on again until the last day headed back across open water to New Orleans. We found it quite annoying to have to deal with so much motion. It was hard to relax and enjoy the trip. As I type this I still feel as if the floor is rocking a bit. Hope that goes away soon.

 

CONCLUSION: While we were impressed with the performance of the crew and enjoyed a safe, uneventful cruise, we don't think we would do this one again. It might be worth trying one of the larger, newer ships someday.

[LINDA of NJ]

Eyedoctor..thank you for your review. Well written. It contained a few points of useful information that had not been previously mentioned in reviews that I have read. I am going on the DREAM to Alaska in June and are prone to becoming seasick. Needless to say, your review about the motion on the ship gives me a little concern. Now I know I have to be prepared to deal with that problem. Thanks again for an interesting review.

[EyeDoc1954]

Hi Linda,

 

I definitely suggest getting some scopalamine patches prescribed by your physician. They really worked for us. The two side effects we noticed were some drowsiness and a dry mouth, which was why I was glad to take off the patch after the first day. The good effects take about 4-6 hours to kick in so attach your patch before things get rough or you'll be sorry. When you take the patch off, both the good and bad effects last for several hours afterwards.

 

We saw lots of passengers wearing the patches. One person was wearing only half a patch. We tried that, but not for long enough to tell how well it works. Apparently you can regulate your own dosage by snipping the patch with scissors.

 

Just to be accurate... We never saw anyone who was obviously seasick on board the Dream. I think we were more annoyed than sickened by all the motion and vibration. It definitely detracts from the concept of a luxury cruise experience if you have to hang on to things to stay upright and if people walk a serpentine course down the long passageways.

 

 

Take Care,

 

Mike

[LINDA of NJ]

Mike, Thanks for the good advice. I will surely put it to good use.

[like2cruise]

I am assuming you must of made it to Cancun?? If you did, what did you do in that port. We have everything planned for all the other ports, but are still undecided for Cancun and we leave March 20...thanks for any information!!!

[cod]

The Dream will be idle for 2+ weeks in April - cruise idle, that is - so I wonder what they will do to her during that time? Will it be major stuff or just cleaning and sprucing up for her Alaskan debut? Is there even anything that can be done for the motion problems, which many have commented about?

 

My daughter is thinking about about sailing on her before she leaves NO but is concerned after reading some of the reviews written. It will be her first NCL cruise and perhaps she should wait for the Sun!

[Tam]

After reading all the negative reviews about the Dream I was very apprehensive about going. I just knew I had booked the "nightmare" :eek:

 

Mike, I think you did a good job on your review!

 

As to those of you that are going on the Dream, just be prepared for the motion, Mike did not exaggerate, that pool looked just like a washing machine :p If you are prone to motion sickness or if you think you are, be prepared and take something. I bought generic motion sickness pills from wal-mart and they worked fine for me. Only mistake I made was not taking them until I got sick (after 15 hours at sea). Was fine 1 hour after taking it but was sleepy, will look for non drowsy type for next cruise and will take it first thing after boarding. I was the only one out of the 6 of us that got seasick. I was one of those kids that got sick every night after a day at the carnival, so I knew I was prone to motion sickness.

 

I had a great time, I met 2 other cruise critic members and they too were relieved that we weren't on the "nightmare". If you are prepared you too will have a good time.

 

I highly recommend meeting your fellow cruise critics. We met up at the internet cafe, it was nice to put a face with the names. :)

 

Tammye

[EyeDoc1954]

Dear like2cruise,

 

In Cancun we took the bus ride to the ruins of Tulum. I would not recommend that option to you, since you spend a lot more time on the bus than you do at the ruins. Also, the ruins are pretty crowded and the good parts are roped off to protect them from wear and tear.

 

If I were going to Cancun again, I think I might take the special boat over to Isla Mujares. The ship anchors about halfway between Cancun and Isla Mujares with a 30+ minute ride either way.

 

You don't have much time in any of the ports, so I feel it is important to minimize the time you spend traveling to your final destination.

 

If you go off on your own, make sure you get back in time for the last tender. As we left each port, there was a PA announcement requesting certain passengers to contact the staff immediately. I assume those were folks who either failed to check in properly when they came back to the ship or were left on shore.

 

Take Care,

 

Mike

[EyeDoc1954]

Before our cruise on the Dream, I had no idea that the Dream was known for having a lot of motion. Perhaps some of you who have been on many cruises could suggest a ship for our next cruise that has a reputation for being very stable. If we cruise again it will be a high priority for us.

 

Thanks!

 

Mike Brown

[MobileMystic]

I have a 21 year old traveling with me week after next on the Dream....she's not normally prone to motion sickness, but I'll be prepared just in case....

 

The only other ship I've been on was a small Carnival ship also out of New Orleans, which also had a good bit of movement especially in the river and gulf...Was the Dream movement the same for the entire cruise?

 

...Forewarned is forearmed....

[Elizabeth Gillian]

It looks like we'll be cruising together. My family of 4 will be "Dreaming" on March 20th as well. "See you on board."

[Al_Frescoe]

The Dream will be idle for 2+ weeks in April - cruise idle, that is - so I wonder what they will do to her during that time?

 

Greetings,

 

Where did you get that information? We are booked on the Dream for April 24th, which accroding to what I can tell is the last trip of the current NOLA run for her. Where did you hear that the Dream was off line for "2+ weeks" in April?

 

Thanks

[like2cruise]

It looks like we'll be cruising together. My family of 4 will be "Dreaming" on March 20th as well. "See you on board."

 

I plan on having a great time and wish you only the same!!! What ages are your children? Our 18 year old daughter is our favorite cruise mate, but her spring break is different than ours...so we will miss her! Is this your first cruise? Have you started packing yet? We have done nothing so far, but read the boards and plan our excursions :-)

[like2cruise]

Before our cruise on the Dream, I had no idea that the Dream was known for having a lot of motion. Perhaps some of you who have been on many cruises could suggest a ship for our next cruise that has a reputation for being very stable. If we cruise again it will be a high priority for us.

 

Tulum is too far for us!! Thanks for the reply. Are you looking to stay with NCL or any cruise line? I think any of the ships built after 1999 that have the

diesel mechanical propulsion engines are smoother...With NCL I can vouch for the Star being smooth going to Fanning Island and back...I think the Grand Princess class are smooth too!! Hope that helps!

[EyeDoc1954]

Mobilemystic said: The only other ship I've been on was a small Carnival ship also out of New Orleans, which also had a good bit of movement especially in the river and gulf...Was the Dream movement the same for the entire cruise?

 

 

Interesting question mobilemystic. The answer is no. The motion of the ship changed depending on the waves and where you were located on the ship. When we had what the captain called 3-5 foot swells, the primary motion in our cabin (deck 6 midships, port side) was a moderate rolling, but there was also an up and down bumping motion as well as a side to side shuddering. It felt like a road trip in an old truck.

 

When the sea state went up to 4-6 foot swells on the way back to New Orleans, the rolling was pretty pronounced and we had to put our scopalamine patches back on even though we had developed pretty good "sea legs" during the previous 6 days of the cruise.

 

People whose cabins were aft mentioned some engine/propeller vibration that seemed to increase with rudder deflection. I just noticed a lot of vibration when I was aft in the restaurants.

 

Of course all the restaurants are up on decks 9-12 where the rolling motion is amplified. We attended some wine tasting events in the observatory lounge which is above the bow on deck 12. The vibration caused our dozens of wine glasses to vibrate together in a very funny manner. Don't know if that was engine vibration or wave impact transmitted from the hull.

 

I'll have to do some research on the more modern propulsion systems. Maybe that is the key. I also see that the companies that make stabilizers are claiming great things for their newer products.

 

Take Care,

 

Mike

[Elizabeth Gillian]

I plan on having a great time and wish you only the same!!! What ages are your children? Our 18 year old daughter is our favorite cruise mate, but her spring break is different than ours...so we will miss her! Is this your first cruise? Have you started packing yet? We have done nothing so far, but read the boards and plan our excursions :-)

 

 

This isn't our first cruise but our first on Norwegian since our honeymoon in 1986. This is our second time cruising from New Orleans with the first being on the Enchanted Isle. Our last cruise was with Holland America on the Ryndam from Seward to Vancouver. Yes, it is Spring Break for our children who are 16 and 11. With our son a Junior this year, we're trying to get as many family vacations in before he goes to college and doesn't want to be seen with his parents.LOL I haven't started packing yet but I am going through the closets and organizing outfits. I've met a few other cruisers through our Roll Call on this board and another one. We're e-mailing back and forth as we research the ports and etc. We're all getting excited about the cruise and meeting each other once we get aboard.

[MobileMystic]

Eyedoc said....

Of course all the restaurants are up on decks 9-12 where the rolling motion is amplified. We attended some wine tasting events in the observatory lounge which is above the bow on deck 12. The vibration caused our dozens of wine glasses to vibrate together in a very funny manner.

 

:o Uh Oh......our cabin is on the 9th (Fore)......I'll be packing the "Reliefband" and ginger.....Thanks for the "heads-up" Mike. We'll be sure that my daughter can get to the outside deck for air as needed....Maybe she can sleep there! On the other hand, she enjoys turbulance on planes so this might be good news??

 

Thanks Again,

 

Chris

[GummyBear]

We’re on deck 7 midships. All this talk of “motion on the ocean” has me a little nervous. I’ve only been on the larger ships. Our last was on Conquest out of New Orleans last January. Making the transition from the river to the Gulf was rather noticeable on the 110 ton Conquest I can only imagine what it will be like on the 48 ton Dream. I never been seasick but I guess I should be prepared for the worst.

I remember our first cruise on the Starward in the 70's. The engine vibration was constant.

[Dirtyoldad]

Hi All,

The Dream 2/20 President's week was a pretty good cruise. Yes there was motion to be felt. However, it really didn't affect either myself or spouse. We had generic bonine (meclazine) with us, but never had to use it. We were deck 6 towards midship. Besides, all that motion can be a good thing (sly chuckle). If the ship be rockin', then don't come knockin'. LOL

 

Yes she is an older ship, not the "glitz" or " grand atrium" of most of the newer ones. However she is a pretty comfortable ship. The Stardust Lounge has very good lines of sight from most seats. We much prefered our dinners in the Terraces dining room. Overall, the service was pleasant and polite. However it seemed that the nights we tried to Trattoria the service was much slower. Our cabin stewardess were excellent. The quality of the food was good to very good. Not grand gourmet, but for the most part, well prepared. And they did go out of their way to grant a few special requests in preparation.

 

Ports: Coz-Paradise Beach was cool. Roatan- Mayan Princess was ok- they ripped us off with chair charges. Belize-cave tubing was fun-but the river was very very low. I was always having to push off the rocks with my feet. and Cancun-We just stayed on the beach right by the tender drop off. It was very nice, with Esteban our waiter helping us with drinks and chairs. Good place to jetski. Only $45/half hour.

 

We felt that the entertainment could have been of a higher level. The male singer played as if to a 65 + audience. The dancers and entertainers from Jean Ryan were pretty good, but not of the oooh aaaaaaaaah caliber. We have been a little spoiled by the Carnival and Princess production styles.

 

Thanks to the cruise critic members who took the time to meet and greet. Tammye and tim, and Tanya and Jeff. We had fun on the beach, didn't we. To my "chopper" fellow tubers-Malia and Jim, nice to meet you and keep the safe takeoffs and landings happening.

 

Bye for now-

Joe

[sailaway2]

We To We On The Feb.13th Dream Cruise And Had A Wonderful Time. I Am Not Saying That There Were Not Any Problems But Being From Michigan 80 Is A Whole Lot Better Than 20. This Was Our 4th Cruise On Norwegian And We Enjoy The Freestyle Cruising. The Motion Problems On Our Cruise Were Minimal As Far As We Were Concerned. The Reason This Ship Has More Motion Is Because Of Her Size. She Is Only 754 Feet Lon At The Longest Part Bow To Stern And Has Only 23 Feet Of Draft. To Get The Best Ride Length And Draft Are The Things To Look For In A Ship. The Norway Was Probably The Best Rideing Ship That Noregian Had In It's Fleet. She Was Built For Transatlantic Cruising. She Was 1035 Feet Long,had A 110 Foot Beam And Had A 34 Foot Draft.so If Motion Is A Problem Size Really Dose Matter. I Hope That This Little Bt Of Info Helps

[albertiger]

you might want to check out crazycanuck's post, "who has cruised Wind recently". they are sister ships and the Wind is in the Pacific where seas can be a lot more, shall we say, unpredictable? ;)

[EyeDoc1954]

Sailaway2: The Reason This Ship Has More Motion Is Because Of Her Size. She Is Only 754 Feet Lon At The Longest Part Bow To Stern And Has Only 23 Feet Of Draft. To Get The Best Ride Length And Draft Are The Things To Look For In A Ship. The Norway Was Probably The Best Rideing Ship That Noregian Had In It's Fleet. She Was Built For Transatlantic Cruising. She Was 1035 Feet Long,had A 110 Foot Beam And Had A 34 Foot Draft.so If Motion Is A Problem Size Really Dose Matter. I Hope That This Little Bt Of Info Helps

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Thanks for the info, Sailaway2. I was wondering if the draft had some effect on stability. I think one reason the Dream is used for the Western Caribbean run is its shallow draft. When you anchor off Cancun, for example, the crew drains the ballast tanks so that she ship rises a few feet higher out of the water and they can run her closer in to the shore. Still a long ways from the beach though. It was about a 30 minute fast boat ride to the dock. Same thing at Belize City.

 

When we docked at Cozumel, it was fun to watch the bridge crew trying to maneuver the ship sideways to the pier using the bow thruster. (It took forever.) The water there was obviously shallow. I saw something quite interesting as I looked over the side at the bright turquoise water between the ship and the dock: Apparently all the turbulence stirred up a good size fish from the white sand bottom. A 5-6 foot long shark spotted it and had it for lunch in two bites. Of course, since I was scheduled to go snorkeling soon, I was not necessarily pleased!

 

Take Care,

 

Mike

[karifromla19]

We were on the dream in January and they are right there is alot of moving. My husband is in a wheelchair and he had to stay in bed from Friday to Sunday because he could not sit in his wheelchair. So bring motion sickness medicine. I was fine. Maybe one day I felt quesy but I was fine. Have a great time on ya'lls crusie