We just loved this cruise and signed up for a second cruise for 2018. I would go on the Dream again most definitely. On Friday before the cruise there were three hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and somehow the captain sailed us through calm waters. I can only hope that those seriously affected by Irma will find those calm waters again because the Caribbean is one amazing treasure in this world.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was the most confusing part of the experience but overall I think it went very nicely. We didn't have Faster to the Fun and had agreed to be patient with lines. I guess patience with lines would be a good idea (however) it all flowed as planned. This was first time to do it so I learned a lot from the experience. Although it was pretty confusing, it all did seemed to be controlled chaos and we were on board the Dream early on in the day.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Activities I enjoyed: Coffee in the morning, napping, Serenity sun deck and also the shade deck. Reading actual books -- seriously hadn't done this in a while.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I enjoyed the shows I attended which included an homage to 80s Rock and Soul. Chris the Flying Scotsman was on hand seemingly everywhere - unstoppable energy and good humor. I was surprised by the singer/dancer team. We had a great time although I didn't go to all the shows and that was not my primary interest in the cruise.
Children's Programs
N/A
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Habib our room steward was exceptional. Always remembered my name and thus I remember his. He made us very welcome, was most reassuring, answered all questions patiently, wisely and congenially. He will forever be a part of the great memories I have of this trip and all room stewards after him will have a very high standard to live up to.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It took me most of the trip to figure out everything below the Lido deck but I found everything to be clean and maintained. I tripped over one metal gizmo (designed to hold open a door) at the back of a meeting room. This was the only malfunction I noted. The wall designs in the halls where roaring twenties deco figures from the turn of the century which made them amusing and my daughter and I collected snaps of them. All of the lavatory facilities I noted were tidy and ship-shape.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was perhaps my favorite part of the cruise. I was at the far forward end of the ship at the end of the hall next to the door leading right out on to the deck which became my morning ritual coffee spot to see the sunrise. First morning I saw 3 rainbows. That would be right after Irma mind you. Our cabin was sort of triangular, pretty roomy to my admittedly inexperienced eye. When we first arrived, the first question from Habib our room steward was: How do you like your room? I think he must be used to getting lots of accolades. In any case, he did a great job of keeping us in clean sheets and linens, towel animals, soap and hot water. The shower was excellent and never ran out of hot water. I liked it that the room was very quiet. Also it was on the Lido deck which I thought was very convenient for getting early morning coffee, etc. I had heard that the Lido deck was rather loud but as I was down at the far end from all the activity, that was not the case. The first night (9/10) we woke up to some ship rolling (due to Irma) but had been pre-warned by the Captain so we were not too concerned and fell back asleep. I liked the gentle rocking motion which I mostly only noticed at night and I found it very easy to sleep at all times. In fact, that was the highlight of our trip. Naps, Naps. Naps. We did do a few other things including excursions but I suppose I've been nap deprived for years because I never take them as a rule but I took daily ones onboard the Dream. In the sun, in the room. Off and on. Excellent!
Ship tip
To see the trip as an adventure so that any difficulties or long lines become just surface details woven into the fabric of the tale you tell in days to come and, this too, onboard a ship called the Dream, you should most likely enjoy naps!
I love NOLA. Our ship was rerouted to avoid Hurricane Irma so we did excursions in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Missed Ochos Rios but did visit the town for a nice walk around. The excursion at Cozumel was to visit the Mayan Ruins and we had an excellent tour guide and a nice cool a/c bus. Our tour guide entertained us on the way and was schooled with lots of historical background on the ruins. We were also on a tour to visit Hell (town) and see the island. We enjoyed the bus tour and the short visit to Hell including sending ourselves post cards from ... The 'beach break' was not so great. Although it granted access to a beach area and included a bar and changing area, it didn't feel comfortable to us and we went back early to the ship.
We used the Easy Fast Exit plan and didn't check any bags. Were packed and ready to go quite early. We staged ourselves 1 flight up from the exit area in a set of easy chairs and when they called our floor to line up, we walked down one flight instead of trying to wait for the elevators. I had listened to the exit advice talk that was posted on the television the night before and it went exactly as predicted. We walked directly out, stopped very briefly to speak to Customs and were on the street in no time flat (before 8 a.m.) Less than 20 minutes from when we walked downstairs. Our shuttle was ready to go and we were back at the Fulton St. parking garage in a few swift minutes.
mpgt - hope your last sentence comes true. Very nice sentiment from you. Glad you had a safe, enjoyable cruise. May you have many more cruises, with calmer seas.
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