Baltic on NCL Dream 6/16/06 - Mistake (?)

[Henna7999]

I am sailing on the NCL Dream 6/16/06 to the Baltic and am very interested in utilizing RO based on input from this message board. Thank you all for this wonderful info!

 

I haven't seen the Dream mentioned in any of these recent postings and am beginning to wonder if I made a mistake choosing the Dream. It seems folks lining up RO tours are on other ships.

 

Anyone have any insight about this or am I being overly paranoid?

[Henna7999]

I am scheduled to sail the NCL Dream on 6/16/06 and am contemplating utilizing RO based on the positive feedback on this message board. Thank you all for this wonderful information!

 

In recent postings, I noticed that the Dream has not been mentioned as the ship people are cruising when scheduling tours with RO.

 

Have I made a mistake in choosing the Dream or am I being overly paranoid?:eek:

[Mercury]

We have not been on the NCL Dream, but have been on the NCL Sun. We thoroughly enjoyed that cruise. The Dream is one of NCL's older ships. We cruised the Baltic on Jewel of the Seas which really is the MOST beautiful ship and very new (launched in 2004). I think it all depends what you are looking for - is this your first cruise?

 

Maybe someone who has been on the Dream can give you their thoughts :)

[dbh62ark]

In my opinion, yes, it's a mistake to sail the Dream. :) I sailed the Dream several years ago and would not sail it again if it were free! And yes, I do mean that literally. My vacation time is too precious, and that ship is a dump. I said everything I had to say about in a somewhat heated discussion a few weeks ago (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=246828). I suggest that you take a look on these message boards; you’ll see lots of dissatisfied passengers, and many multiples more than you’ll see with other ships that have a few dissatisfied passengers. NCL continues to sail that ship despite the well documented problems that have affected itineraries in Alaska and in the Baltics for the last few years. I don’t keep up with the latest on that ship, but unless the engine problems have been been permanently fixed in the last few months, there is a high likelihood that you will not sail the itinerary that you buy. On top of that, we found the ship was not maintained properly and that there were numerous plumbing and sanitation issues on our sailing (it was not pretty). We have some distant cousins who were not very experienced with travel who purchased a trip for their parents’s 50th anniversary on the Dream last year, and they were also shocked by poor condition of the ship.

 

I think a lot of readers of these boards are educated about cruise travel and have been warned about the Dream, and that may be why you don’t see a lot of references to that ship on these boards. I don’t understand why a cruise line would continue sailing a ship with so many problems and alienate so many customers. I would switch if I were you, but I wish you the best no matter what you decide and hope that your sailing won’t be adversely affected.

 

Donna

[calmac]

We have booked the NCL Dream for the Baltics (10th July sailing). This will be our second time on the Dream. One of the main "selling" points with the ship is that she is the largest cruise ship which can go through the Kiel Canal. Freestyle dining also gives you benefits of not having to rush back from excursions in order to meet a set dinner time. The Dream is smaller and older than many of the ships which sail in the Baltics but she is very clean and her crew and officers are very friendly. You won't find any glitzy atriums on the Dream but we loved her.

[mncruiser66]

Haven't been on this one but of my six cruises with NCL I have no complaints - we are booked to go on this cruise in August and are very excited to go on this ship! I love the lay out of it from the maps and such that are online it looks like it should be very easy to navigate which is why we pick the smaller ships, my mother is elderly and it is hard for her to get from one end to the other on the bigger ships. Hope you have a great time and please post a review as I am trying to learn all I can before we get there! :)

[Henna7999]

Donna, thank you very much for the background info. I read through all of those threads and found them very informative.

 

I have been contemplating cancelling this cruise. Although I still have time to get reimbursed for the cruise itself, I will incur a cancellation fee in addition to not getting refunded my trip insurance money.

 

So I called my travel agent today to see if he had any new info on the Dream. He informed me that after last season's run, the Dream spent 4 months in dry-dock in Germany and was overhauled. Supposedly, the engine problem has been fixed.

 

I haven't heard or read anything about this "overhaul". This seems like a big enough deal that one would think this feat would be communicated better if indeed this is true. I'm still on the fence about this cruise.....:confused:

[Henna7999]

Thank you everyone for your feedback!

 

I have been contemplating cancelling this cruise after seeing so many bad reviews on this ship with its engine problems and missed ports (this would be my third cruise).

 

Although I still have time to get reimbursed for the cruise itself, I will incur a cancellation fee in addition to not getting refunded my trip insurance money.

 

So I called my travel agent today to see if he had any new info on the Dream. He informed me that after last season's run, the Dream was dry-dock and overhauled. Supposedly, the engine problem has been fixed.

 

Does anyone know if this is true??? I haven't heard or read anything about this "overhaul". This seems like a big enough deal that one would think this feat would be communicated better if indeed this is true.

 

I would sure appreciate any feedback as I am still on the fence on whether or not to go through with this cruise. :confused:

[Mercury]

Hi Henna

 

Check the NCL Board. There are postings from cruisers who have just returned from the Dream and had a great time. Maybe they could answer your questions :)

[dbh62ark]

I understand your concern and hope that it all works out for you. I would be concerned about NCL fixing a lot of things on the Dream and not just the engine, but that's due to my experience on my sailing. I was not a bit surprised to read of the Norway explosion after what I saw on the Dream but was of course horrified for the families of the crew members.

 

I read and hear lots of good things about the newer ships on NCL, but I wouldn't feel safe on one of their older ships after what I observed, and safety is first and foremost. I hope the Dream has been fixed and refurbished because a lot of passengers have been affected in the last few years, and the situation has not been handled well by NCL, so I've lost confidence in them completely. I've sailed other older ships before such as the Pacific Princess (the original "Love Boat") and enjoyed them a lot, but they were well maintained and Dream was not. The Kiel Canal is the only advantage to sailing the Dream, and that addition would not outweigh the negatives for me. The canal is a nice addition to the itinerary but not that nice. Only time will tell, and I think there is still plenty of capacity (maybe not best choice of cabins but lots of capacity) on other ships for Baltics sailings in 2006, so I suppose you could wait to see what happens and switch to another sailing later. Each passenger's needs are different, and some people are willing to take the risk with the Dream.

 

When unexpected weather conditions necessitate a change in itinerary, that is out of the control of the cruise lines (that has happened to me before). That is completely understandable and cannot be helped. But continuing to sail a ship that has not been maintained and has engine problems indicates a complete lack of sensitivity to the passengers's desire to sail the itinerary that NCL sold; that is a corporate culture problem at NCL and is not acceptable to me. As I said before, I work too hard to earn my vacation time and funds, and there are too many other options to subject myself to a repeat of the conditions on the Dream.

 

I know it's not fun to start a trip this way, so I hope you get to sail the Baltics because it's a fabulous cruise. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Donna

[calmac]

Hi Henna

 

I've responded to your question re engine problems on another thread you started.

[PRNole47]

The Dream is one of NCL's older ships....Maybe someone who has been on the Dream can give you their thoughts :)

 

We sailed on the Dream this past Dec 31 out of Houston. I was not bothered by the fact the ship was built in 1992 and "stretched" since then. Prior to this trip, I had not cruised on any ship built AFTER 1980 so I was not expecting any problems due to the age of the ship.

 

Actually, I prefer the smaller ships (fine, if they must also be older), for I do not relish (nor understand) the need to build ships that look like condo apartments in South Florida. The Dream does not have a dedicated track for runners (Deck 8, Promenade, is the only deck that used by all who want to spend time outside, walking and/or running). The ship also does not have tennis courts, "rock wall" for climbing, shooting gallery, drive-in theater, motorbike tracks, waterfalls, etc.

 

To me, used to the older ships, it had plenty of the home-like "conveniences" that cruisers seem to prefer today.

[Host CMLA]

While one member has chosen to point out only the very bad things about the Dream in recent months, you can find dozens of people that loved the ship and her itineraries. That doesn't mean that everyone loves the Dream or has the best time. But overall, the reviews are good and the engine troubles of the past have been fixed. I'd say that if you did a search for reviews and didn't read the ones about the engine problems, you'd find mostly positive things. The engine problems are a problem all on their own and have been fixed.

 

Having said that...the Dream is the only large passenger ship that can transit the Kiel Canal and that alone is worth cruising her to the Baltics. Second, the Dream is an older ship and it looks like an older ship. That doesn't mean it's the trailer park of cruise ships. It just means that there aren't any fancy atriums or rock climbing walls. It's a nice ship with a good itinerary. She has random problems like every cruise ship out there. Choose a ship and itinerary based on your needs. If a smaller, older ship will work for you, then the Dream is a good choice and the price you pay will reflect that it's a smaller, older ship. I've sailed on the Dream 4 times (total of 55 days) and I've never had a bad day onboard her. Good luck with your decision.

[dbh62ark]

While one member has chosen to point out only the very bad things about the Dream in recent months, you can find dozens of people that loved the ship and her itineraries.

If this "one member" is directed toward me, this is a mistatement because the boards are filled with other passengers who sailed the Dream who are were not happy with their experience on board.

 

Donna

[Host CMLA]

If this "one member" is directed toward me, this is a mistatement because the boards are filled with other passengers who sailed the Dream who are were not happy with their experience on board.

 

Donna

Yes, Donna, there are probably other members of this board that have expressed dissatisfaction with the Dream. However, on this thread, you're the "one member" that has said only negative things and the OP should know that there are a lot of good things about the Dream too and not everyone feels the way you do. For all the people you say were unhappy, there are just as many happy. I'm sorry you disagree with my statements but I'm just giving my opinion about the Dream. And my statement to you was in no way derogatory towards you or saying that you're wrong for feeling the way you do. I expressed a different opinion.

[dbh62ark]

There are “probably” other board members who have expressed dissatisfaction with the Dream? You’re kidding me, right? I’m sure there’s not enough space to post links to all the bad reviews, and they speak for themselves for anyone who cares to educate himself or herself on the subject.

 

I appreciate the clarification that it is your opinion because the “Host” part of your name makes it appear as if you speak for CruiseCritic. With credibility and integrity explored ad nauseum in the press in the last week (the James Frey/Oprah publishing controversy), I think many board members and consumers are taking a hard look at their sources of information.

 

But I don’t think your 55 days of sailing on the Dream negates my bad experience—and by the way, the experience of hundreds of others on my sailing—any more than you believe that my 12 days of sailing the Dream negates your good experience on the ship. I have said before and will say here again that if you don’t have problems with your cabin or the sailing on your itinerary, then you’re much more likely to be satisfied. But to try to minimize the problems that have affected so many sailings to attempt to invalidate the experiences of others is just wrong because the problems with the Dream were too frequent to be excused in that manner. I advised the original poster to take a look around on the boards to make her own decision. I might have different priorities than she has, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to sail the Dream unless I really disliked them. :) I want to read the good and bad on these boards so that I can be an educated cruise consumer, and I am happy to return the favor for all the good will that has come my way on CruiseCritic. The bottom line is that I wish I had known about the Dream before we booked our sailing, and it’s a shame to be subjected to those kinds of conditions on vacation (days of raw sanitation in our cabin that was not ours, flooding on our whole floor and the floor above, etc.). We thoroughly enjoyed sailing on the NCL Crown, another older ship that was in the NCL fleet, but found the Dream to be in disrepair. I have repeatedly read posts indicating that many other passengers found the same thing on their sailings, so I believe things haven’t changed that much since we sailed. For some passengers, the situation was even worse than what we experienced.

 

It’s also a misstatement to say that the conditions on the Dream were “random”. The problems on the Dream are far more numerous than mechanical problems on other ships. On my sailing, the issues were with plumbing and sanitation and had nothing to do with the engine issues of the past few years.

 

Also, it’s a misstatement to say that the Dream is the only large passenger ship that sails the Kiel Canal. While I acknowledge that luxury lines are not in the same price range, Oceania and Radisson sail the canal. I’ve also seen itineraries in the past for lines such as P&O and Costa that included the canal, and those are far better options for my vacation dollars if I want to sail the canal. It is your opinion that the addition of the Kiel Canal is worth sailing the Dream despite the problems associated with that ship. I have sailed the Kiel Canal on another ship and have sailed the Dream, and I do not agree. The canal is nice but not nice enough to outweigh the risk of further mechanical problems of any nature on the Dream.

 

And I was not pointing out problems with the Dream in the last few months but was speaking to the issues with that ship for YEARS. Shame on NCL for continuing to sail that ship with mechanical problems. I read repeatedly posts from passengers who were upset with the skipped port of Tallinn in the summer of 2004. By all accounts, Tallinn is a popular port and frequently ranks second only to St. Petersburg in polls and comments on Baltics itineraries, so this was not a small change in itinerary. Then I read repeatedly in 2005 about the skipped ports in Alaska. Yet NCL continued to market and sell the itineraries, and I assume that was hoping that the engine would be fixed. Because of that, I don’t have a lot of faith in anything NCL has to say and will rely on the word of the passengers. And I am hesitant to book a cruise on a line that conducts business in that manner.

 

I can’t compare it to a trailer, but the condition of the Dream was decidedly shabby when I sailed that ship. That is regrettable because I also like the smaller boats. As for the lower price, in my opinion this is decidedly a case of “you get what you pay for.” As for me, I’d rather save a little more and wait a little longer to go on a ship that is maintained and will more likely get me where they say we’re going. That’s what I want from a vacation and not a mystery cruise. I could care less about fancy atriums and rock climbing walls but do care about ship maintenance (and failure to do so leading to problems like raw sewage from other cabins and flooding in the halls) and overall cruise experience.

 

I’m very thankful that we were in Europe when our Norwegian nightmare occurred. We have been very fortunate to travel as much as we have considering our age, and we knew that sooner or later our number was up and our luck would run out. When it happened, we were able to get stay off the ship as much as possible to enjoy the wonders of the Med. So while I would not sail the Dream again, that beats staying home any day.

 

Happy travels to all,

Donna

[Host CMLA]

Donna...I'm not going to argue with you. I gave my opinion. I'm a member just like you are. Please see the board guidelines and see that hosts are allowed to post even if they disagree with you. Thousands of people sail on the Dream every month and have a great time. Just because you didn't doesn't mean that no one else will. I stand by everything I said and I hope the OP does research and makes the best decision for them.

[MTemple212]

ALthough I have not been on the Dream, I have been on the "Wind" which is the exact same ship as the Dream as it had also been stretched at some point to the size it is now. We did the Dream back a few years ago and for lack of a better term and in my own opinion, it sucked!

 

My wife and I have also sailed Celebrity(our favorite), Royal Caribbean, and Holland America and by far, Norweigian was our worst cruise we have ever been on. And this does not just involve ship conditions either. I just feel that they are a (big)notch or two below the competition in every way!!! By the way, we will be sailing on Princess in the Baltics this July and are looking forward to what Princess has to offer.

[PrincessFan]

My family is looking forward to a July 10, 2006 Baltic trip on the NCL Dream. We cruise with our teenagers. To be honest, if it weren’t for last-minute offerings and older ships we couldn’t afford to go. We have befriended a few NCL crew members and they were very honest with us about the condition of the Dream - including the four engines that rarely run at the same time, resulting late arrivals, and fewer amenities. They know our family and said we’d have a blast. One crew member said it was her first contract and remains her favorite.

 

For us it’s not entirely a “get what you pay for” decision. We could get a balcony on a mega-ship and leave the kids at home, but we enjoy the privilege of showing our children the world. We want our children to experience something different than air conditioned coaches and English-speaking guides.

 

We've been tracking 2006 cruises in Europe for months. Not to minimize the significance of delays, sewage, flooding, and wasted vacation dollars, but we believe our expectations have been set accordingly (thanks in no small part to CC). We secured a great rate. As with other trips, we are planning our own shore excursions to maximize local culture exposure. Sometimes things don’t go as expected. When they do we manage and seem to always benefit if even in a small way.

 

Thank you one and all for taking time to share opinions, post detailed reports, refer to prior posts, and offer suggestions. I feel guilty for not taking the time to report on our own experiences. I'll try to do better.

[Paul&Kathy]

We are just home from a Dream Baltic Capitals cruise and were very impressed. Having read the reviews we booked it because it was so much cheaper than Princess/Celebrity/P&O and went with low expectations of the ship but knowing we would be in port most of the time were not inclined to pay several hundred pounds extra for a better ship. We are big Princess fans and love the freestyle cruising and felt that NCL came a very close second. We had no engine problems and arrived everywhere on time or early. Our cabin was fine and the food excellent (much to our surprise !). I am sure we will cruise with NCL again.

[Marzipan]

I am booked on the Dream later this summer and was quite worried but all the recent member reviews have been quite good.

 

It looks like they are actively working on improving everything.

 

Please post a review when you have come back.