Dream Review, Boston to Bermuda, June 8th (super long!)

[Cubechick]

Okay, I’m having a bit of trouble starting this review. Do I mention that we’d been on the Dream in May on her cruise-to-nowhere? I think I have to just to set the mood so to speak. We had booked that cruise as it was a good chance to scope out the Dream before our cruise in June, plus it’s not far from home, so why not? That was not a good cruise, and I refrained from reviewing it as I felt that the issues the Dream suffered from on those two days were a “hiccup” and that our 7-day cruise would be a true test of what the Dream was made of. Better to wait and write my review when I had a handle on what folks could really expect. But the experience did leave us a little conservative in our expectations, and after being told on the CTN that the Dream would receive no Freestyle 2.0 upgrades, a little bummed as well.

 

Did that dampen our enthusiasm for sailing to Bermuda once again? Heck no! This would be out seventh cruise from Boston to Bermuda in 6 years and we are just as excited each and every time. We’d been watching the reports come back from those sailing the Dream with keen interest. Her first two trips to Bermuda she’d been forced to bypass St. George and dock in Hamilton due to strong winds. Boo! But we took this philosophically and scoped out things in Hamilton just in case we ended up there. The reviews posted to Cruise Critic each week were improving, so things were looking good. Oh, yeah, and this would be our first cruise after attaining “gold” status. It had taken us over six years to achieve this level and we were curious to find out what all of the fuss was about.

 

The day finally arrived and as always we had a tough time making ourselves wait until a reasonable hour before racing to the pier. We always aim for 11:30 arrival figuring that by the time we’re checked in it’s time for lunch. We got to Black Falcon terminal and as usual DH dropped me off with our luggage and went to park the car. Ah, here things were a little different. Instead of the porters approaching you to whisk away your bags, you needed to stand in line. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of if you’re being dropped off with 5 pieces of luggage with the expectation that everything will be taken care of by the time DH returns from the parking garage. I stood there awhile figuring out the logistics and did maneuver myself into line before DH got back. Once in line, things progressed quickly, and our luggage was soon off of our hands.

 

The line for Latitudes was the longest we’d ever seen and Black Falcon doesn’t have a separate line for Gold and Platinum members. However, we showed our cruise ticket to the gentleman herding the masses, which clearly stated that we were “gold”, and he whisked us to the front of the line. We felt a bit guilty about this, but got over it fairly quickly. ;-) Before you knew it we were on board and lo and behold, wasn’t there a waiter with a tray brimming with complimentary Freestyle 2.0 champagne? Woo-hoo!

 

Our room wasn’t ready yet, but we knew that we could drop off our carry-on bags. We were in a CC superior oceanview and have to say it was a very nice room. Very spacious with a small couch, two chairs and a coffee table in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. I must say this was the cleanest window we’d ever seen in a non-balcony room. Little spray nozzles pointed at the window from the outside clued us in to the Dream’s success at keeping her windows clean. Unfortunately the room had the same micro bathroom as the regular oceanview cabin, but, hey, look at that…more complimentary champagne, in bottle form this time, chilling in a silver bucket. Sweet!

 

We decided to have lunch in the Terraces restaurant as the Dream doesn’t have the covered outdoor seating that the Majesty has. Plus it was well into the 90’s and very humid on this day. We’d seen this menu on four previous cruises and found the food to be adequate, but would love a new menu at this point! After lunch we explored the Dream, reacquainting ourselves with her quirky layout. Our room was on deck 9 forward and in order to get there you had to go through the Four Seasons restaurant, or if you were on deck 10 you had to go through the Stardust Theater then down a flight of stairs. On the plus side, we found that the Dream has a lot more deck space than the Majesty (or perhaps even the Gem). Between the main pool area and sun area, the pool on deck 9 aft (which was the quiet zone) and deck areas both aft and forward, there really was a lot of places for people to lay out or grab a chair and a good book. At one point we walked by Le Bistro and easily made dinner reservations for the following night.

 

The public areas of the ship are very well maintained. She’s very clean and I found her lighter colors to be a pleasing contrast compared to the darker décor of the Majesty. Both main dining rooms and the Trattoria have large windows allowing you to take in the scenery while you dine. The Stardust Theater is much larger than I’d expect on a ship of her size, but I did hear from the CD Fith that he’s gotten complaints about their disco as compared to the Majesty. I could understand that as the Dream’s disco is really just a small dance floor in the middle of deck 10, rather than its own dedicated space like on the Majesty.

 

Time flew and next thing we knew it was time for the muster drill. Since it was really hot I dawdled a bit so I wouldn’t have to stand outside forever in the sweltering heat. The muster drill was a bit disorganized. The person with the clip board, noting your cabin number was planted at one end and wasn’t calling out room numbers. I finally walked down to her and gave her our room number as I definitely didn’t want to attend the make-up session the next day! When they went over the details of what to expect in the case of emergency over the loud speaker, you couldn’t hear a word that was being said. All in all, it was a complete waste of time. Thank goodness we never needed those unheard instructions!

 

We finally eased away from the pier at around 4:45, about 45 minutes late. Per the captain this was so we could take on fresh water. Maybe that’s why she’s left late on all prior Bermuda cruises as well? We love sailing out of Boston Harbor and are always out in the front of the ship. I refrained from taking my normal 30 or so pictures of sailboats and limited it to a couple of scenic shots. Before you knew it we’d dropped off the Pilot, and the casino and shops were open!

 

Tip! Make your liquor purchases that first night as it’s 10% off on most items that night. Plus you don’t run the risk of them running out of something you want to buy…which did happen to us once!

 

We decided to keep it casual for dinner and went to the buffet. Aha! Tablecloths and flickering candles on the tables were evidence of another Freestyle 2.0 sighting. The food was okay, not great but okay. I had some pasta from the pasta station that wasn’t bad, but it was pretty much what we expected from the buffet (unless you’re on one of the newer ships where the menus are definitely an improvement).

 

Later that night we were going through the various letters that were left in our cabin and found a surprise. Le Bistro was open for breakfast and lunch for the VIP’s. This was something new and completely unexpected. (We were later to find out that ours was the first cruise that this was being offered on.)

 

That first breakfast I ended up having the Crab Cake Benedict and DH had the filet mignon and eggs. Yum! Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed each of our breakfast experiences there. We did skip it a couple of times while in port as we wanted something quick, but what a nice treat! The first lunch we had offered a different menu from the main dining room, but subsequent lunches offered the exact same items. However, I know that they’re still rolling out Freestyle 2.0 and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the lunch menus change.

 

The weather was great and the seas calm (we had a smooth ride on the way down and on the return) so that first sea day we just found nooks and crannies around the ship to relax in. There is nothing like sailing on the open water to relax you.

 

That evening was the VIP cocktail party and there DH spoke with HD Monique Barnhoorn and got the scoop on 2.0. She said that NCL higher-ups had taken note of the hue and cry on Cruise Critic and had come out to the ship two weeks previously to discuss what could be done. The group included HD extraordinaire Klaus Lugmaier who is currently heading up the Freestyle 2.0 rollout. We were bummed to have missed Klaus by such a small window! Obviously they couldn’t upgrade the bedding and turn the buffet into action stations, but they agreed to make many of the “soft” changes that were part of Freestyle 2.0. In addition to the changes already mentioned, we noticed that they’d set up a Latitudes Lounge (just outside of the Trattoria), we were able to select the fruits we wanted for our fruit basket, and we got our cookies on the last night of the cruise. We spoke with the Executive Chef, Christoph Escbach, later in the week and he said that they would implement some menu changes, but couldn’t do everything because they didn’t have the equipment (never would have thought of that).

 

We killed some time after the cocktail party and had a martini before dinner. Oddly, during most of the cruise, our martinis were served in margarita glasses making me think there was a shortage of martini glasses? No biggie, but odd and notable!

 

We had almost skipped LeBistro this time out as we’ve never liked this menu as much as the previous menu. However we figured we’d try the Chef’s Tasting menu this time for something new. We ordered the Chateaubriand but I switched out the Foie Gras appetizer for my beloved escargot. The meal was very good, but the service was SLOW. We actually ended up leaving without having dessert and although we enjoyed the food, we didn’t find it to be worth the additional cover charge.

 

Anyhoo, moving on, we retired that evening wondering if we were going to make it to St. George. We’d been watching the posted weather reports and the predicted wind speed made things a bit iffy. Sure enough, we got up in the morning and boy was it windy! It was overcast, so it took awhile for Bermuda to appear on the horizon. While we were waiting though, we looked down and saw two dolphins swimming next to the ship. Cool! When Bermuda did appear, we noticed that were approaching the island from a different angle than we were accustomed to on the Majesty, so we thought for sure we were heading for Hamilton. Oh, well, it’s still Bermuda, right? Well as we’re watching the island grow closer I say to DH, “Isn’t that the Club Med? And Fort St. Catherine? And isn’t that the Town Cut?” Heck, yeah, it was St. George on the horizon! The Captain made an announcement that despite the wind, he was going for it. “But it’s going to be a tight fit, so keep your fingers off the railings!” he joked.

 

As you near Bermuda be sure to go the front of the ship and check out Fith, the CD. He makes a big show of appearing in full snorkel gear, fins and all at the crew hot tub, which is on deck seven. He makes a great production of “diving” several times in the hot tub before finally pulling out a “fish”.

 

Gates Fort was looming on the starboard side, but wait, no Town Crier?? Oh, yeah, we remembered, he hides sometimes. Sure enough, we spotted him hunkered down behind the cannon. We were so pleased to see him that we almost didn’t notice that we were approaching the Town Cut at a speed approximating “Mach 2”. We guess that by going fast, the Captain eliminated any chance of our entry being affected by the wind. I felt bad for the Town Crier though…we saw and heard the cannon blast, heard him ring his bell…and that was pretty much it. We were by him as though we had been fired from that cannon!

 

Oh it was wonderful to be in St. George’s Harbor and so weird to see the Majesty already docked! I took plenty of photos of her parked at Ordnance Island as I’d never gotten pictures from that angle. Oddly, we didn’t execute our turn in the harbor (perhaps because of the wind??), but pulled straight up to our pier. We wondered if people would be confused at not seeing the Majesty on the Dream’s web cam?

 

This first day, we took it easy as it was very overcast and therefore very humid and sticky. We wandered around the town, up to Somers Garden and St. Peter’s Church and did some shopping (naturally). We hit the White Horse for happy hour but found that they’d really jacked up their prices. Up to $4.75 from $3.00, which was still cheaper than the ship, but their regular prices were now the same as on board. We opted to have dinner here as well, and although we stuck to “pub grub”, we spent a good chunk. Expect to pay about double what you would back home if you eat out on the island. Tuesday night is Market Night and there is entertainment and vendors selling their wares on the Town Square. This is the first time in all of our trips that we got to see the Town Crier enact out his little play revolving around the ducking stool from start to finish. The show is very entertaining and well worth a look if you happen to catch it.

 

Wednesday we had a reconnaissance mission out at the Dockyard to attend to, so we caught the first ferry. A 2-day bus pass is $20 pp and covers both buses and ferries. The Dawn was already in port and we took many photos of her and the Dockyard as we will be on her in October. It was for our fellow roll call members that we made our way out to the west side of the island to scope things out. There is a “mall” with a number of shops, a couple of pubs, a craft market, the Snorkel Park (which also boasts a bar w/ vittles), the Maritime Museum and Dolphin Dip. The “fort ambiance” is not bad to look at, but must admit a preference for the pastel colored houses dotting the landscape of St. George’s. We dined at the Frog and Onion and eyed their beer sampler ($10.50 for 6 oz each of five micro-brewed varieties), but decided to wait until next time.

 

Once back at St. George we just took it easy, again walking around and hitting the White Horse for a Dark and Stormy or two. We had dinner at the Four Seasons on the ship. There wasn’t a wait (a blessing of days at port) and the dinner was good, although if pressed I don’t remember what we had. I do recall that we were seated by the window and had a wonderful view of the harbor.

 

I want to pause here to comment about our assistant room steward, Neil Feuntes. He was excellent, calling us by name before we’d even “officially” met. He even greeted us by name when we were boarding after one of our jaunts and he was on his way out for some down time (we almost didn’t recognize him in his civvies). On Wednesday we chatted about the crew party that they always have on the beach, especially when two Norwegian ships are in port. The crew members have a fantastic time and Neil was especially looking forward to fishing. Whatever he caught on Wednesday was apparently small, but tasty. LOL! He was fun to talk with and a sheer pleasure.

 

Thursday had two missions on the agenda. First, watch the Majesty sail through the Town Cut and second, hit the Swizzle Inn for lunch. We walked up to Gates Fort and then on to Alexandra Battery and the small beach adjacent. We hung out, enjoyed the sun and watched fellow cruisers scouring the small beach for sea glass. We returned to Gates Fort and took up our positions to watch the Majesty. You can’t really see beyond the Cut into the harbor so I climbed the small set of stairs to the top of the fort to see if I could make anything out from that vantage point. Nope, but I did hear the Majesty’s horn give out three long blasts, so I knew she was on her way.

 

We were joined by some locals and a few other people. The locals filled us in on the fact that when the ships are half way through the Cut they displace so much water that giant rocks break the surface of the water. Also the side of the Cut where the Fort is isn’t as deep as the other side, so ships have to navigate away from the Fort, effectively making the Cut narrower than we thought.

 

When the Majesty made her appearance, she was a sight to behold. She literally appeared from nowhere, having been blocked from sight by trees. First you saw her nose then immediately the entire bow of the ship was right there in front of you. Before you knew it she had drawn abreast of you, and although she is small by today’s standards, she looks mighty impressive as she steams ahead only 50 feet from you. I snapped a bunch of photos and was really glad that we’d checked this off our “bucket list”.

 

A quick glance at the watch told me that it was after noon and that meant Swizzle time. A forced march back to the ship (how does the walk manage to be uphill both ways?), followed by a much needed shower and we were on the bus to the Swizzle Inn. Tip! ALL busses from St. George, that aren’t going to St. David, stop at the Swizzle Inn. As long as the front of the bus doesn’t say “St. David” jump on, you are good to go. We immediately ordered a pitcher (in Swizzle speak this is always a pitcher of rum swizzle, not beer) and our lunch. The Swizzle Inn’s rum swizzle is the “original” (or so they say) and the best on the island. We can’t wait to check out their recently opened second location on the south shore when we sail again in October. It’s important to do comparative taste tests you know!

 

This evening we took the opportunity to go to Ordnance Island. The gates of the customs area were open as the Majesty was no longer there. Approaching the spot where the Majesty usually dwells was weird enough as it was our first time viewing St. George’s landscape without the Majesty holding reign. However to stand directly on the pier where she is normally docked was beyond surreal. Neither of us could adequately explain it, but we both agreed that to stand on that dock without the Majesty soaring above us was nearly creepy.

 

The next morning (our final morning on Bermuda, sniffle) we walked to Tobacco Bay to snorkel. Well wouldn’t you know that our hour or so there was the only time it rained during our vacation? Again we rolled with the flow as I simply moved our belongings to shelter and DH said the rain did a nice job rinsing him off after he emerged from the bay. For those that are at Tobacco Bay, look past the coral reefs and off into the distance. If there are ships docked at Dockyard, you can clearly see them, almost framed by the rising reefs. Really kind of cool.

 

Sail away was much less exciting that the sail into the harbor. We pushed away from the pier, executed a tight 180 and in less than 20 minutes, we were saying good-bye to the Pilot. Our sadness at leaving Bermuda was tempered by the knowledge that we’d be back in four months (woo-hoo!). A sail away barbeque was going full swing by the pool, but we showered off and went to Le Bistro for lunch. Although the menu was the same as in the main dining room, the more intimate atmosphere, not to mention the lack of wait, drew us in.

 

That evening we decided to dine at the Italian restaurant, the Trattoria. I’d enquired earlier in the week and was told that, unlike all other NCL ships, this restaurant did not require reservations. However, when I approached the podium to ask for a table, I was told that there would be a 45 minute wait. This makes me think this restaurant is just as popular as on other NCL ships and should require reservations. I decided to pass as it was already after 7:30 which is about as late as we like to eat. DH was lingering by the door to the Latitudes Lounge and I shook my head to convey the bad news. We were contemplating going to one of the main dining rooms when the F&B director, Andres Paez, exited the lounge and asked if we were dining at the Italian restaurant. I answered in the negative, explaining that the wait was too long. He told us to wait a moment to see what he could do. Three minutes later we were being seated at a table for two. That is some seriously excellent customer service! I ordered a pizza (which had been recommended by a waitress at Le Bistro) and found that it was far superior to the pizza in the “Pizzeria” (how ironic). DH had some sort of fish dish that he enjoyed. We were glad that the menu was more of the caliber of La Cucina on the Gem as opposed to the very limited menu that we were used to on the Majesty.

 

The next day we prepared to enjoy our last sea day and pack (boo!). I’d saved our champagne from that first day to consume while packing. I’ve found that a little bubbly helps ease the pain of vacation coming to an end! After 3:00 pm, we began keeping an eye out for porpoises. Tip! If you have calm waters on the last sea day back to Boston, after 3:00 you have an excellent chance of spotting harbor porpoises. Sure enough around 5:30 DH spotted a small pod through our window and we raced to the deck. For the next hour we kept a porpoise vigil and were finally rewarded by spotting at least a hundred of these playful mammals. We also had a bonus spotting of a whale fluking off in the distance! Finally we got hungry enough that we had to go inside and search up some vittles. We always eat in the buffet that last night just to make things easy, so up to deck twelve we went!

 

Our final morning we grabbed breakfast from the buffet and in the European tradition just made little sandwiches with rolls, salami, and cheese. We killed some time before meeting the concierge in the Stardust Theater for VIP disembarkation. Tip! VIP’s can take advantage of express disembarkation too if they like and will be the first group escorted off of the ship. Good to know if you need to catch a plane, or if you’re like us and once you’ve docked, you just want to get off of the ship. We didn’t know this ahead of time and didn’t feel like schlepping our bags off ourselves, so we went for traditional disembarkation.

 

This was a great cruise. None of the issues that had arisen on the two-night cruise remained. The Dream appeared to be fully staffed and provisioned and this time we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. I’m glad that we were able to sail her before she leaves the fleet. There is a charm to older ships that somehow the newer ships just can’t duplicate. There is also a charm to docking in St. George that we will sorely miss on our future cruises to Bermuda. I’m glad that we had the opportunity to experience both a final time.

[Smellytoes]

Thank you for that excellent review. I'm seriously thinking of a cruise on the Dream and I'm very hesitant. My kids really didn't like the Majesty (but LOVED the Dawn) but every Sunday as I watch the Dream pull out of port (without me:mad: ) I can't help but feel like I'm missing something. Your review just reinforced that feeling that I'm missing something and should give it a try while I have the chance.:confused:

[coka]

I'll go with you Smellytoes. I feel the same way as my 2 dayer was not representative of the total product.

 

Great review Cubechick! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I never knew that sailing into Bermuda was such a cool thing to take part in. I appreciate the descriptions of what you did while there.

 

coka

[mbisson]

Sounds yucky! Maybe I'll cancel...still time to get a full refund!

 

Aimee---you know I'm kidding! Thanks for the review. I'm glad you had such a good time!

[snorklinbarb]

Hi Cubechick,

 

What I liked about your review is the open mindedness towards the smaller older Dream after you went on the GEM TA (that was a great trip, wasn't it?)

 

Glad to hear that NCL listened to Dream feedback and decided to roll out what they could of freestyle 2.0. As you say, Klaus is the best!

 

Did your Gem cruising friends join you on the Dream or was this a romantic getaway?;):D

[Denlin]

Thanks for posting this - now I'm even more excited (if that is possible)for our cruise on July 20th - woo hoo!

[dongordon]

Aimee.....GREAT REVIEW!

 

Now I know why it took you time to get back to the "Bermudaful Swizzlers" on our October Dawn roll call!

 

Thanks for the surveillance work!

 

Don

[Smellytoes]

I'll go with you Smellytoes. I feel the same way as my 2 dayer was not representative of the total product.

 

Great review Cubechick! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I never knew that sailing into Bermuda was such a cool thing to take part in. I appreciate the descriptions of what you did while there.

 

coka

 

Thanks Coka.lol I think I've created a couple of monsters (spoiled monters) They have no idea how lucky they are that we can even DISCUSS going on any cruise.

[Cubechick]

Hi Cubechick' date='

 

What I liked about your review is the open mindedness towards the smaller older Dream after you went on the GEM TA (that was a great trip, wasn't it?)

 

Glad to hear that NCL listened to Dream feedback and decided to roll out what they could of freestyle 2.0. As you say, Klaus is the best!

 

Did your Gem cruising friends join you on the Dream or was this a romantic getaway?;):D[/quote']

 

Hi Barb! We were actually on the January Caribbean cruise with you. Also an enjoyable trip! :D

 

We sailed solo this time. Our friends will be joining us on our next two cruises, so I'm sure they don't feel too left out. ;)

 

About the Dream, I do find it a pity that more people seem to be so enamored with the bells and whistles of the newer ships that they can't appreciate the quiet elegance of the older, smaller ships.

 

Not that I'm not looking forward to experiencing the Dawn and Pearl for the first time! But I think each cruise ship has it's own charm.

 

Do you have your next cruise lined up yet?

 

Aimee

[welove2cruise232]

Thanks for posting your review -- it was great!

 

We too love the small ships.

[jimswims]

Thank you for posting your review. I am glad that the issues that we had on the 2 day were not present on your cruise to Bermuda. The 2.0 surprises sound like a real plus as well.

[goodml]

Great job Aimee!

[pumpkin228]

Alright that's it, I want a refund, we missed all the 2.0 upgrades because we went on June 1st!!! I want my money back!!! JUST KIDDING!

 

I'm glad they were able to start implementing some of the 2.0. I really appreciated your review and was especially appreciative of all the things you said about the Majesty, I know exactly how you felt as you sailed into St. George's and saw her there (Odd) and how it felt to watch her sail out and know it was probably the last time I would see her. And of course being on the island without her there.

 

The Majesty holds a special place in my heart and always will.

 

I really enjoyed your review!

Thanks!

[snorklinbarb]

Hi Barb! We were actually on the January Caribbean cruise with you. Also an enjoyable trip! :D

 

We sailed solo this time. Our friends will be joining us on our next two cruises, so I'm sure they don't feel too left out. ;)

 

About the Dream, I do find it a pity that more people seem to be so enamored with the bells and whistles of the newer ships that they can't appreciate the quiet elegance of the older, smaller ships.

 

Not that I'm not looking forward to experiencing the Dawn and Pearl for the first time! But I think each cruise ship has it's own charm.

 

Do you have your next cruise lined up yet?

 

Aimee

 

Of course, the Super Bowl cruise.:D:D How easily I get mixed up.

 

Just had to cancel our Norway Jade cruise due to illness in the family (not Bob or me). However, we are booked on the same special cruise next June and since it will be our 25th, should be a fun way to celebrate.:)

 

Thanks for the super review. We were on the Dream years ago to the Baltics. That was before all the bells and whistles.;)

[cruiser5678]

Thank you for taking the time to write your excellent review. We are really

looking forward to the August 10th sailing!

[maun]

Cubechick,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your detailed upbeat review. I too was getting nervous about having booked the Dream after having read about the first few trips of the season. Now, with yours and other recent positive comments, it makes me more excited about our turn in August. I just have to go one more time before the ships no longer dock in St. George's.

Looking at the deck plans, and now confirmed by you, the way to get from the front to the back of the ship on Deck 9 or 10 is by walking through the dining room or through the theater. It sounds awkward and I'm having a hard time visualizing. Are people coming from the pool on Deck 9 aft walking between rows of tables during mealtimes? Or is it like a "hallway" going through the dining room? Can you describe please?

Thanks for clarifying.

~~Maun

[yogi]

We were also on the June 8th sailing of the Dream. Yes, there is a hallway through the dining room, not people weaving in and out of tables. I never saw people in bathing suits going through, although, people do cut through. I think most pool people probably make their way across deck 12 and then down to 9 or 10 thus not entering the dining room.{WE did}

We have cruised numerous times, mostly on Royal Caribbean. We are RCCL fans. That said we did have a wonderful time. We went on the Dream knowing that it was an older ship. It is very clean and very well kept.

We couldn't help but notice that it could be difficult for older folks, or people with breathing{up and down stairs} issues. The ship is very broken up. Hard to get from point A to point B without long walks or stairs. Also in Bermuda a hill to walk up from the ship to town. Not any problem for most but elderly or breathing impaired may have a problem.

We were in CC 0008 cabin on deck 10. We were very pleased with the cabin. We would walk through the Stardust lounge and the casino to make our way through the ship. If the lounge was occupied we would go down the stairs, thru deck 9 hallway or up stairs to deck 12 and outside.{of course the elevators are an option}

Our cabin stewart was not very friendly,never once introduced himself. He did however keep our room very nice. We are used to {RCCL} introducing themselves, asking what they can do for you, leaving you their number to call anytime.

We ate in the dining room most evenings. The food was good. The service fair. Buffet service is in the sports bar on deck 12 aft.

Ice cream on the pool deck{not sure which since it is divided up}in a little covered room was always a treat!

We had beautiful weather this week. The days at sea were also very nice. We liked the aft as the ship blocked the wind. We would get seats on the deck above/overlooking the aft pool. The water was nice as well!

This was our 1st time in Bermuda so we really wanted to look around and get a feel for the island. We bought the bus pass{3 day} and it really was the best way to get around. Everyone is friendly and helpful. They do run out of 3 day passes as the bus station right inside the dock. All of a sudden after you are in line for 15 min they announce, we are out of 3 day passes. So if you make your way up the hill{follow the crowd} to the variety and or liquer store they also carry them and you also get the bus right there. Altho the scooters look fun..the roads are very narrow and lots of traffic. They do look dangerous.

We enjoyed horseshoe bay and Tobacco bay{altho didn't see many fish here}. Also enjoyed the caves. Not so impressed with the dockyard. Stores/food as everyone knows is very expensive!!!

The 1st afternoon, we hopped on the bus to Horseshoe. Takes a while{45min-1hour} to get there. We were glad we did this.

The only excursion that we did thru Norwegian was the Turlte bay snorkeling. We had a great time, Beautiful secluded beach. BUT.. no turtles!!!

Fun ride out on the catamaran.

If you like Bingo...you will be in Bingo heaven on this ship!!!!!

[CruisFran]

Great review, Cubechick, we thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and all the tips!! We just made the trip to Black Falcon this morning to pick up friends returning from the 6/15 cruise. Drove them in last week also. Not easy being there and not boarding...the excitement is building!!:)

 

Question: what qualifies for the VIP treatment? Is it your Gold Latitude status...or the CC cabin category? We are also Gold Latitude. Looking forward to our Dream sailing Oct. 26th...the last one...sniff It will be our 15th cruise to Bermuda. Being it is the last cruise, DH is worried she will not be fully staffed or stocked!!

 

One more thing...is there a charge for the breakfast & lunch in the Le Bistro? Assume that is just for VIP's?

[Gypsea]

Good to know she is Bermuda worthy. Even if she weren't the itinerary is the BEST! I never minded the Majesty and have a great framed photo of her in St George. Maybe I should get another of this ship.

 

Thanks for the in-depth review,

Rita

[Cubechick]

Great review, Cubechick, we thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and all the tips!! We just made the trip to Black Falcon this morning to pick up friends returning from the 6/15 cruise. Drove them in last week also. Not easy being there and not boarding...the excitement is building!!:)

 

Question: what qualifies for the VIP treatment? Is it your Gold Latitude status...or the CC cabin category? We are also Gold Latitude. Looking forward to our Dream sailing Oct. 26th...the last one...sniff It will be our 15th cruise to Bermuda. Being it is the last cruise, DH is worried she will not be fully staffed or stocked!!

 

One more thing...is there a charge for the breakfast & lunch in the Le Bistro? Assume that is just for VIP's?

 

I'm glad you (and everyone else) enjoyed my review.

 

To answer your questions, tThe VIP treatment was due to Gold Latitude Status. We received a letter in our room that mentioned the Captain's party, breakfast/lunch in Le Bistro, etc. So you should be all set!

 

And yes, the Le Bistro breakfast and lunch are free! :D

[CruisFran]

Thanks so much, Cubechick, for your quick reply! Even more excited now with those extra perks!! :D

[AnnieB925]

Cubechick, Thanks so much for your thorough review of your recent cruise to Bermuda on the Dream. I am so happy to hear that the kinks are being worked out and that NCL is listening to its clients.

 

We are looking forward to our first Boston-Bermuda cruise in October and expect the Dream to be a well-oiled machine by then! :o

[Carnac767]

Thoughtful, well-written review. Thanks. You really made us nostalgic for both Bermuda and the Dream.

[Gypsea]

So, when you board NCL for the ninth cruise champagne awaits and you receive all the bennies on that sailing? I have to get sailing, still at silver. Poo..

[sunluva7]

Cubechick -

 

Have you ever thought of becoming a travel writer? Your excellent description of the Dream and Bermuda were great to read. We had our doubts about our upcoming cruise on the Dream on August 10, but now we know we made the right decision.:D

 

Just a few questions:

 

Everyone gets a glass of champagne on boarding? Awesome!

 

I assume the bottle in your room is only for VIP's, correct?

 

How long and/or difficult is the walk to Tobacco Bay? If we had one place to snorkel, would it be a good choice?

 

If you had one place to grab some "pub grub", would you pick the Frog and Onion, White Horse Tavern, or Swizzle Inn? We've been to Bermuda twice and, of course, never missed an opportunity to experience the Swizzle Inn. Our budget is tight, and we may only get to select one on-shore eatery this time, and want to make the best choice possible?

 

Can't wait until our turn!:D