The Dream? Or the Nightmare? (or why I may give up cruising?)

[fin]

Oh My GOD!! Do you mean that booty does NOT mean middle finger???

[SDHALFAN]

Please add me to your list of devoted fans - what a review:cool: . It almost the made me wish that I had been on the same cruise, but I am a devoted HAL fan, as evidenced by my user name. Thanks to Carlena1, from the HAL boards, for recommending that we read and enjoy your review.

 

I only have one bone to pick with you - I loved Buenos Aires and would go back there in a heartbeat. However, we were there during their Springtime and the Jacaranda trees were in full bloom, the parks were filled with gorgeous flowers and I found the Argentines to be very warm and welcoming people (even to us "Ugly Americans";) .)

 

I can't wait for your next cruise and your next review.

 

Thanks so much for a truly great read and I hope that you and Sailor Jill had a wonderful Christmas and I send my best wishes to both of you for a sensational 2008.

 

Valerie:)

[viciouslysh]

I read this review to my 9 yr old while she ws playing w/ her new Christmas toys and she LOVED your review as well. It was awesome!

[ruskatab]

Best and funniest review ive read on CC. You laughed instead of crying and I admire that. I wish many happy cruises to you!

[Host Mama]

I too just want to add my 'WOW'! What a fun read this has been. I would love to sail with you any time any where.

Ann

aka Host Mama

[Host Walt]

I took the liberty of reading the entire post to friends (4 of whom are also cruisers) at Christmas dinner today and their reaction was totally hysterical. It was contagious to the point where I could no longer keep my composure. As a result it took quite a long time for me to get through the post.

 

It truly made our day, and the common feeling was how all of us would love to travel with Jack and Jill. More to the point is how everyone wishes they could predict that they would react as positively as Jack did.

 

Thanks, Jack, for making our day so memorable with your review. It was definitely in synch with the spirit of tolerance and happiness of the day.

[Host Walt]

Many, many thanks for sharing this Jack (and Jill). We await announcement of your next sailing so that we may join in the fun in person.

 

All - please put in a good word for DW and me, as we soon sail on Infinity (one of the trapped ships) on a similar itinerary (again).

 

Someone asked about photos of the incident. The following is taken from a post on the main Celebrity board shortly after the incident.

-----

Have a look at

 

http://www.maritimematters.com/shipnews.html

 

Scroll down to the story about Dream dated December 14 and look for the link within that story to reach the sequence of photos, as it happened.

-----

Cabo

 

Great photos. Looks like it really wasn't a fair fight between the ship and the barge.

[MrPete]

Not only a trip, but an adventure! What every vacation should be!

 

Great read!

[Missybud]

Hilarious! Are you keeping the truth of your wife's real name from us. Perhaps she is really Stephanie Plum, and those of us who follow her misadventures know how much she loves cake! Tira Mizzou, hmmmm, tiramisou? Move over Janet Evanovich, there is a new writer on the block!

 

...and the band played on with lights ablaze

[2fingers]

Fantastic review. :) We would cruise with you folks anytime if only to shake your hand. :)

[Host Anne]

SailorJack ~ many happy cruises to you and Sailor Jill. Keep on writing these fantastic reviews! Thanks for sharing....

[Bennett'sCruise]

GREAT read! I had read a post from a disgruntled pax on the same cruise ... yours was, by far, the BETTER of the two! ;)

When are you cruising again? DH and I want to be there, too!!! :D

~d

[clerky96]

Thank you sooooo much! That was a great review! I love people who can look on a unfortunate situation as an adventure!

[Jimsgirl]

Sailor Jack

 

THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL POST. I will sail with you and Jill any time.

 

Best wishes for any future cruise.

[cruzfiend]

Great story/review. ILOL!!!! :D

[CatServants]

SailorJack - Someone posted the link to your review on the X boards where I usually reside. I MUST tell you that I'm sorry your cruise was so...eventful(?), but I GREATLY admire your attitude and I LOVE your writing! I read the review out loud to my DH and the 2 of us broke into frequent laughter. I hope, that should we ever be faced with such circumstances, we can handle the situation with the same humor and style as you. Thank you for sharing your cruise and wonderful writing with us.

 

Happy cruising!:D

 

Denise

[CatServants]

I thought you might like the link to the thread on the X Boards. It seems we all enjoy your writing and everyone wants to sail with you!:)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=679137

 

You'll have to take a cruise a month to satisfy all your admirers!;)

 

Happy cruising and Happy Holidays!

 

Denise

[Host Anne]

SailorJack ~ CatServant is correct...you are welcome to join us on the Celebrity board and ships anytime! We love adventures!

[Shelly&Jack]

SailorJack, We sailed on the "Dream" in March 2003 from Santiago to Miami. Your review of your experiences on the ship reconfirms my belief that the ship was misnamed, since it is really the NCL "Nightmare". We had a rattling noise in our stateroom whenever the ship was underway and had to wear earplugs at night in order to sleep. They had offered to move us to a lower classification accommodation, but that cabin had become vacant due to someone becoming ill and having to leave the ship. No Thanks.

 

The free style dining assured that we would play waiter/waitress roulette each evening. That is, you never knew how you would be served since some provided excellent service while others could not care less if their service was even satisfactory. They would even set the tables with torn linens. The food was just okay.

 

The ship has no shade areas around the pool for those of us who can not be exposed to the sun. Everyday they would light-up the charcoal grills on the deck to have a barbecue by the pool. This assured that everyone smelled uniformly smokey in the afternoon.

 

Sea days were absolutely boring with the highlight of the day, the art auction. Their selection of adult activities/entertainment was sparse.

 

Fortunately, our papers were in order when we arrived in Miami, so we were able to rapidly run off the ship.

[Bonnie&Rob]

I need to clean up the soda I spit all over my monitor.......

 

Can I sail with you, Jack & Jill?

[Host Karen]

What a fabulous, fantastic review. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures and your witty way of looking at what could have been a total vacation disaster. If only more of us could look at life with that attitude...

[ghjohnson]

As you can see below in my sig -

we are headed in the same direction come Jan 31, 2009.

I dearly hope the Carnival Splendor has a clean & wonderful trip. :eek:

 

Here's the info from . . .

Cruise Ship News

MARITIME MATTERS

Ocean liner history and cruise news, shipping news site : http://www.maritimematters.com/shipnews.html

DREAM Collides

December 14: Norwegian Cruise Line's 1992-built NORWEGIAN DREAM (ex DREAMWARD -- ship was stretched in 1998 by inserting a 130-foot midsection) collided with a container-carrying barge on Monday afternoon, December 10, outside the port of Montevideo, Uruguay. The NCL ship had just begun a cruise in Buenos Aires the day before. Images of the collision are available by clicking here for photo sequence of collision off Montevideo. (*this link does not work on my computer . . . anyone got a better one?*)

The collision resulted in the closure of the port as five containers and three cars fell from the barge into shallow water. The Navy had to clear the containers from the bottom. The NORWEGIAN DREAM returned to port for two days of repair to her bow and forward ballast tank. CELEBRITY INFINITY was also trapped for 24 hours in Montevideo along with several cargo ships. No injuries were reported.

Footnote: Readers may recall on August 24, 1999, NORWEGIAN DREAM collided with container ship EVER DECENT in the English Channel, resulting in bow damage and some passenger injuries. EVER DECENT caught fire and a number of containers fell in to the sea.

NORWEGIAN DREAM departed Montevideo at 7PM, December 13, on a reduced itinerary.

[SailorJack]

Thank-you so much for all your kind words. To say that I am somewhat overwhelmed by the response would be an understatement. I had never before sailed on NCL and I think this is only my second or third posting in this forum. The last was on behalf on SailorJill who wanted to know about hair dryers on the Dream. Not only did we get immediate replies, but Ute Fan even sent a picture of one! (My other postings have been on RCL, but I will not be able to share this adventure with them!)

As gracious as you have all been, I think you all would have handled this cruise just fine.

That said, I will try to respond to questions raised by other posters in this string:

Mukluk (and many others): I am not a writer. This is only the second review I have ever written – but I have to admit - it was a lot of fun.

Sunshine to Go: I am not sure how you go about sending private messages. As CC has our e-mail addresses there may well be a way to do it. Perhaps some more experienced posters can help us out here.

Electricon: No immediate plans for our next cruise. I generally watch the CC bargain list and wait for a cruise that is well priced and has an interesting itinerary. I booked the Dream just weeks before it was due to sail. It was our third cruise in the past 18 months.

Coka: I was reluctant to post the Captain’s name, as the results of the accident investigation have not yet been completed. However, I think his name was on another post – which is fine, as it was not disparaging in nature.

Spearmint: Not a result of the British education system, but as near as one can get – the Vancouver, B.C. system, where most teachers were from England. The high school that thrust me out among the public burned to the ground shortly after I left. Either by accident or upon direct orders from the Board of Education I was never able to discern.

Bearbait: er, thanks, (I think).

Klct39lg: I’m not making his up. Of course I occasionally use some poetic license;)

If I knew how to post pictures, I would post one of the massive hole in the front-end of the ship.

[FL_Cruiser64]

I haven't read any of the replies here. But you are absolutely incredible. If I ever get stuck on a ship I hope that SailorJack and SailorJill will be aboard. It must be a great pleasure to sail with you.

 

And this but in the end the worst day on a cruise is better that the best day at work is so true.

 

 

[peanutter]

I was so lucky that someone posted this on the Celebrity site or I might have missed it! Thank you so much for the lunch-time entertainment - just brilliant. I printed it out and my cubemate is reading it now and giggling uncontrolably. Thank you so much and keep up the good work!