Just booked the Dream for next August...any suggestions?

[VAGentleman05]

So the 4 of us (Mrs. VG and I, along with my parents) just booked cabins on the Dream's August 4 sailing to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya. Any suggestions about the ship or ports? Can't miss things? Things to avoid? Etc? Thanks!

[rtw68]

We just got back from the Dream on the same itinerary on 12/17/2011.

 

Check out my review (link is in my signature).

 

We had a great time.

[Jennfor5]

Bumping, anxious to hear as well. We leave on the dream on May 26th

[airlink diva]

So the 4 of us (Mrs. VG and I, along with my parents) just booked cabins on the Dream's August 4 sailing to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya. Any suggestions about the ship or ports? Can't miss things? Things to avoid? Etc? Thanks!

 

I sailed on the Dream in September and had a good time!

Here are some of my suggestions to enjoy the ship.

If you want to enjoy the sea days without alot of crowds and plenty of chairs, hang out on the 5th deck Lanai promenade deck! I sailed during Labor day weekend with 6,000 people and yet on both sea days and port days, there were plenty of empty chairs and hot tubs. Often I would have two to three chairs on each side empty. Now if you want crowds, hang around the pool area,but if you want to enjoy a day lounging in a chair and enjoying an ocean view, this was the best area!

During lunch time, the sushi bar offered wraps and salads with no waiting!

The Pasta bar on the first day was the best place to enjoy lunch without the crowds. I ate up there on the first day. It was packed downstairs and only three tables with people at the Pasta bar. As the week went along, it got crowded.

Of course as on any ship,on sea days during prime lunch time, the Lido gets crowded!

I feel that they need to expand the wok area, the line was always long!

The steakhouse was wonderful and I ate there twice! The first night on the ship you can get a free bottle of wine. The reason they do this is because this is the slowest night in the steakhouse.

I enjoyed the BBQ on the Lanai deck. Since I was already on that deck, I grab some items to eat when they first open and enjoyed lunch there.

As for the ports, what do you like to do? Head to the "Port Of Call" board for great suggestions. I did all local vendors suggested by this website and only one was not a great tour!

In Cozumel, the BAR HOP!!! For the price, you get a tour of the island, free shots and have a great time. Even if you are not a drinker, it's fun!

I know you will get alot of suggestions about the Dream. Have fun!

[Catrin]

We cruised on the Dream Western this past August.

 

The weather was perfect, except for the last night, when we were sailing back into the East Coast Hurricane!

 

We loved the ship, rarely felt crowded, except waiting for elevators. I enjoyed the Burrito Bar, Pasta bar for lunch the first day.

 

Review is below!

 

Catrin

[Transatlantic Dvoika]

On Deck 10 (Lido) in the Aft Section are two great alternatives for a quick bite: The Tandoor (starboard side) and The Deli (Port Side).

 

The Deli's sandwiches are to die for. Don't miss this place. We discovered it early on in our cruise and must have stopped by every day. A few times we ordered a salmon on bagel just before they shut down for the evening and would take that back to our cabin for a late night snack.

 

The Tandoor doubles as an American-style breakfast bar in the mornings, and offers a briefer but adequate breakfast when the regular Buffet's lines inside are packed out.

 

Another nice feature of this "Gathering" area is the convenient accessibility to restrooms and a bank of four elevators, both of which see far less traffic than the rest of the ship.

 

Have a great time.

[thecruisers723]

When in Roatan, I would highly recommend a private tour with Victor Bodden Tours. Tex was our guide and he's the best. The tour guide you get makes a big difference on the outcome of your day in Roatan. Tex lives right on the water and has a dock that goes out into the water. If you ask, he'll take you to his house and you can go out on his dock and watch the dolphins at the marine sanctuary which is literally just feet away doing their swims and encounters with tourists. They were jumping out of the water and performing. It was an awesome free dolphin show. There were also Starfish right in the water there. I waded in and got one out and we all got to hold it before I put it safely back where I found it a few feet into the water. If you do this, a stop at Victor's Monkey Farm is a must. It's only $5 each and you get to hold and play with the monkey's. You also get to pet a Lemur and get to see other types of Monkey's as well as Anteaters, White Tailed Deers, White Bellied Squirrels and more. We also went to West End and walked the little town and did some shopping. We stopped at a place called Chapi Catrachas while there and ate some authentic Honduran Baleada's and Pastililo's that were so good. They were cheap too. We bought 2 Baleada's, a Pastililo and 2 drinks for $7. Our final stop was at Infinity Bay Resort to stop at their outdoor restaurant with tables right in the sand overlooking the beach. They charge a daily fee of $40 to sit in their loungers on their beach. But there's no cost to sit at the restaurant except for what you eat and drink. We ordered some Nacho's for the 4 of us to share (really delicious). We had a couple of local beers. I had a Salva Vida and my hubby had a Barena. And I had a Margarita which was very good also. Our 2 friends each had a Diet Pepsi which they call Pepsi Light there and that's even what it says on the can. All of that with tip and any taxes that may have been added came to $40 which isn't bad considering this was a high end resort right on a beautiful beach on West Bay. It was a very nice day and the private tour (which also included a driving tour of the island) was only $25 each plus tip. Each couple tipped $25 on top of that. Not bad for a full day of fun with a great guide who's funny and informative at the same time. Tex is highly recommended. So if you want him, you have to book really early and specifically request him. Have fun whatever you do in Roatan when on the Dream. It's a beautiful island.

[ScootsMom]

If you are driving in the day of your cruise you may want to take a look at this site:

www.parkcruise.com for another parking option. I have friends that have used them and they were satisfied with the service and of course the rate compared to port parking rates.

 

Happy Cruising!:)

[k2excursion]

I've cruised Dream twice, and did reviews both times. The links are in my signature. They have been my favorite 2 cruises out of the 10 I've taken! Dream will be more crowded with longer lines for summertime and holiday cruises, so just be prepared for that. My cruises were not at peak times (at least not for the whole country), so it was not crowded at all for us.

 

In Roatan, I second the suggestion for Victor Bodden tours. Please...please, do not just stay at Mahogany Bay, like what so many do. Not that you wouldn't have fun there, but it's a manmade beach. And if you just stay there, you will miss out on one of the most beautiful islands in the entire Caribbean!!! Victor Bodden does great tours, no matter who your guide is. You pick what you want, and you don't do what you don't want. Your party gets your own driver for the day. Costa Maya has a nice setup at the port, but again, it's worth it to get away from the port and go into town. They have a nice beach there.

 

On the ship, the evening shows are amazing! Don't miss them!!! BlackJack Band plays in the Oceans Plaza most nights, and they do a great job. They are very friendly too! I've gotten to know them well, since they've been on 5 of my cruises. The waterslides are not just for kids!!!!!!!!!!!! The Dream class ships have the best waterslides on any cruise ships in the world!!! Take full advantage of them. The best time to ride them is around 4:00-6:00, as the lines will be shortest then. If your cruise is crowded, with it being a summer cruise, plan when you'll eat lunch carefully on sea days. Peak times will have longer lines. Don't forget about the aft buffets; lines there may be shorter, as some guests will never even know that those are back there. There are other eating options around too: pasta bar on deck 11 above the aft buffet, lanai BBQ on deck 5 (to name a couple).

 

Don't worry about the talks of negative reviews of the Dream around these boards, as almost all the reviews are positive. The very few negatives get crazy amounts of attention, while the positives (like mine) get very little attention. Most importantly, don't expect everything to be perfect; don't expect it to be the ultimate "dream" cruise. It won't be perfect. Even in my very positive reviews, I am also honest to point out some of the ways it wasn't perfect. Crazy high expectations lead to tremendous disappointment.