Dream pictures posted

[joeholiday2]

http://joeholiday2.shutterfly.com/pictures/1550

 

Pictures of the so called platinum upgrade.

To be honest we didn't notice a lot of difference from our cruise last July.

 

I didn't get a picture of the casino, we didn't use it, but it didn't look much different than the last time.

 

Videos of the fabulous crew performing will follow in youtube.....

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Fabulous photos Jo :) Another 7 weeks before we go :(

 

TBH I liked her as she was, so a few new carpets and tea making facilities :D will suit me fine :)

[kruzseeka]

Joe - thanks for those great pics. :D You managed to capture all the areas I overlooked! Can't believe when I look at yours how I could possibly have missed them out! :o Some fab views of the Lido deck with the new canopy and evening lighting effects and the mezzanine in the showlounge - also the dining room. Brings back some lovely memories!

 

I agree the 'Platinum' wasn't anything fantastic and I can see why some people's expectations were raised and then they were disappointed - but I do think the ship's looking good. New carpets and a freshen up were very much over due and I'm pleased that they have been done.

 

Thanks again for your lovely photos! :)

 

P.S. glad you had a good time - looking forward to hearing all about it! ;)

[Stevio]

I am impressed with the size of the deck 6 inside cabin, what with a clear runway down each side of the bed, plus room to put up a badminton net at the foot . (OK bit of an exaggeration but at least a wide chair & a mini table). None of that bed shoved up against one wall when you have the singles made into a double, as on Island Escape or the old Destiny.

Still think that collections of good room pics such as yours & Kruzseeka’s for each ship should be arranged somewhere findable… Perhaps an idea for Sailaway’s blog. I have found Thomson’s own fish eye shots to be not too helpful.

Good pictures Joe, thanks for going to all that trouble.:):):)

[joeholiday2]

We thought the platinum upgrade was over-egged by Thomson. Much like the dreamliner debacle....

I would say it was routine maintenance for a ship or a hotel really.

 

We used the kettle once! it takes ages to boil.

 

It looks like they are still trying to smarten the ship up, on our last day the dance floor in front of the stage by the sirens pool was sectioned off and being sanded down to remove the lumps in it caused by the heat. An officer was going around taking pictures of the rust by the windows that keep the wind at bay on desk 12, so that may be due a tidy up soon. I suppose a ship is like the forth road bridge, you never stop with the maintenance.

 

The inside cabins are OK, we never missed the extra space of the outside plus we had last year, the lighter wood helps a lot.

[Cappers]

Dream looks lovely,,very pretty ship..I want to go on her!

[Sailaway487]

I am impressed with the size of the deck 6 inside cabin, what with a clear runway down each side of the bed, plus room to put up a badminton net at the foot . (OK bit of an exaggeration but at least a wide chair & a mini table). None of that bed shoved up against one wall when you have the singles made into a double, as on Island Escape or the old Destiny.

Still think that collections of good room pics such as yours & Kruzseeka’s for each ship should be arranged somewhere findable… Perhaps an idea for Sailaway’s blog. I have found Thomson’s own fish eye shots to be not too helpful.

Good pictures Joe, thanks for going to all that trouble.:):):)

 

I do have some plans at the moment for my blog and cabins. On Celebrity's forum there's a fantastic spreadsheet they use with cabin reviews by people:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AtHczoNeooladEEyVmQwWmJhaGItbFZPUFNudTFZcEE

 

If I manage to get to grips with something like that, perhaps I will be able to add images onto it, or a link to some anyway. I'll try and work at it and see how it goes.

[joeholiday2]

If you want the images to host elsewhere sailaway, just let me know and I will email you them.

 

Joe.

[Sailaway487]

If you want the images to host elsewhere sailaway, just let me know and I will email you them.

 

Joe.

 

Hi Joe. That would be great if you could. If you email them to me at sailawaysblog@yahoo.com then I might use them if I manage to get this cabin thing going. They'll be good to use when I'm trialling it. :)

 

If I do use them, obviously I will credit you in the photos with your CC username.

 

Thanks Joe! :)

[Dreamgirl1957]

fab photos thanks :D:D

[whistlerbc]

Excellent photos Thank You, getting really excited now :D

[westerdam]

She is looking good I did my first cruise on her when she was the Westerdam back in the fall of 1998. Thanks for posting the pics of her. In the cabin bathroom though is that a wood floor or some kind of plastic made to look like wood?

 

Nathan

[Little Nell]

Thanks for the pics, Joe. I really enjoyed looking at them :). Your and Kruzseeka's pics will make a great archive for people who have never been on the Dream. Perhaps we should have a separate thread for them or somewhere else to keep them together. Perhaps a pinned notice at the top of the page.

 

Sailaway, it would be great to do the Celebrity thing with the cabins and would give your blog a unique value. I could see it getting many hits.

[geomagot]

great pics:cool:

 

glad you had a great time

 

I really like the idea of putting all cabin pics on one thread....if we all took a photo of each of our cabins and posted them...it would be a great tool for helping us to decide which cabin to book:cool:

 

(make it easier for sailaway to collate them for his blog too):cool:

[CRUISIN LINDA]

She is looking good I did my first cruise on her when she was the Westerdam back in the fall of 1998. Thanks for posting the pics of her. In the cabin bathroom though is that a wood floor or some kind of plastic made to look like wood?

 

Nathan

It is wood! When you get out of the shower it get really wet, but at least it's not slippery :rolleyes:

 

We have been on her twice now and going on a repositioning cruise next month from Tenerife to Majorca. She is getting on as bit (like us all) but a lovely ship :)

[judeniece]

OMG Thanks Joe these photos look fantastic, have just booked our first cruise on the Dream in June and after seeing these photos now I just cant not wait and am now counting the days like a big child... Tks again :D

[campolady]

Excellent photos - thank you.

 

We loved our trip on the Dream last year - have re-booked for October this year and we very rarely duplicate a holiday - so we are actually very pleased that the ´Platinum´ refurbishements haven´t taken away the charm of the ship or its ´old liner´ feel. We don´t want to be on one of the floating shopping mall type ships that lack the friendliness of the Dream.

[Stevio]

I do have some plans at the moment for my blog and cabins. On Celebrity's forum there's a fantastic spreadsheet they use with cabin reviews by people:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AtHczoNeooladEEyVmQwWmJhaGItbFZPUFNudTFZcEE

 

If I manage to get to grips with something like that, perhaps I will be able to add images onto it, or a link to some anyway. I'll try and work at it and see how it goes.

Now that celebrity spreadsheet is something else, perhaps too much. I could imagine being on the phone for hours with Thomsons trying to book the best room, calling out from a huge list of cabins one number at a time with the lady on the other end repeating "that ones gone" over & over. Anyhow Sailaway, that looks like more of a full time job, you would warrant paid subscriptions for attempting something like that. I was thinking more along the lines to a list of links to all the photos of cabins provided by the good people of this forum.

By the way I realise that in my last post I thanked Joe & Cruzseeka for their pics & forgot to mention the outstanding works of Geomagot, who if I remember correctly was the first to report on the Dream upgrade & crucially first to show photographic evidence of the fabled cabin tea making facilities.:)... And to break the news of the smaller casino.:(... So thanks again to all those who put themselves out for us lurkers that follow this forum avidly but who don't have much to contribute.

[joeholiday2]

Yes, thanks Geomagot, it's you who started us all off with the pics and info on the "upgrade".

 

I didn't really think the casino was any smaller, they have an "Elvis" bank of slot machines on one wall now, but other than that I didn't think it had changed much, but then we never use it so haven't taken a lot of notice.

 

Has anyone picked up on that they have moved the Grill over to the other wing of Sirens? Not that it makes any difference.

 

BTW, the German Captain started on Sunday, Captain Roy has gone off.

 

Campolady, yes, it's the staff that bring you back to this ship not the facilities. But more of that in my report when it is finished.....

[Little Nell]

Stevio and Joe, you are both right to mention Geomagot's excellent review and pics. I apologise for the oversight :o

[Jim The Scot]

Great photos joe....I think the cabins look a helluva lot better with the new carpets,curtains etc.Overall I think they have done a decent job of sprucing the ship up although can`t believe that they still have the old rackety loungers by the pool.Surely they could have forked out another few bob and replaced them.

 

Anyway describing it as platinum is a bit OTT but personally I couldn`t give twa hoots and looking forward to our cruise in May

[infoqueen]

hey jim which one are you doing in may and wheres your countdown clock so we can see how many days left. So thats two holidays by may have you won the lottery by any chance?

[geomagot]

Captain Roy has gone off.

 

captain Roy has gone!:eek: I guess he has retired...I know he has been wanting too for a while....wishing you all the best captain Roy:cool:

 

so our Teutonic friend captain Torsten is at the helm/tannoy:cool:

[geomagot]

can`t believe that they still have the old rackety loungers by the pool.Surely they could have forked out another few bob and replaced them.

 

 

yes....lovely...arent they:eek:

[kruzseeka]

Great photos joe....I think the cabins look a helluva lot better with the new carpets,curtains etc.Overall I think they have done a decent job of sprucing the ship up although can`t believe that they still have the old rackety loungers by the pool.Surely they could have forked out another few bob and replaced them.

 

Anyway describing it as platinum is a bit OTT but personally I couldn`t give twa hoots and looking forward to our cruise in May

 

 

Yes it does look better and I like the cabins too. Had they just said they were spending £Xm on an extensive refurb and left it at that, it would have piqued people's interest without raising expectations to an unrealistic level.

 

Actually I believe their 'Platinum' category relates to a % satisfaction score which is either what they have or hope to have for Dream/Celebration - it means nothing in terms of facilities, quality of fittings etc. But I think many would assume a superior standard in a 'Platinum' product - and given the age and type of ship, Thomson aren't going to offer a luxury level experience.

 

So I think a mis-judged promotion and advertising message. Having said that as long as you know and love the Dream - you are not going to be disappointed imo as it is looking good and infinitely better now certain shabby areas (like corridor carpets) have been refurbed.

 

I'm sure you will enjoy your next trip Jim and will like the fresher, attractive look. :)