We enjoyed our trip but will make some different decisions on excursions for our next one.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Such an easy process! There were 2 ships in port that day but the traffic and lines went quickly. We had an 11am board time and were onboard by 1115am.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food quality has definitely gone down over the last few years. We attempted to eat in the MDR but the food was consistently mediocre so we sought out other options. The Lido buffet usually had similar items on it as the MDR menu and was a quicker process.
We ate at the Steakhouse the 1st night to get our free bottle of wine. The sides weren’t great but the steak and lobster were amazing! Make sure to save room for the awesome cheesecake for dessert.
Several night we had dinner at Bonsai Sushi and it is fresh and delicious. I do not eat sushi but they have a great noodle salad, green salad and miso soup that I loved. They also offer free edamame with each meal.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The Serenity area is very large on the Dream and has several different types of seating options. We spent a good amount of time here relaxing. We also visited the spa for the Thalassotherapy pool and saunas. They were never super crowded but the Thalassotherapy pool on the Dream was MUCH hotter than the one on the Breeze. You couldn’t spend a long time in there.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I am not a huge fan of MarQ but the rest of his Fun Squad were the best I’ve ever sailed with. Judy and Loopie were so genuine and fun. Their energy just made you smile. I personally felt like MarQ wasn’t as engaged as most other Cruise Directors that we’ve had. There were 4 big production shows and we saw 3 of the 4. There are some very talented singers and dancers in this group. The Flicks show was my favorite! Make sure to see the Dream Rock band and the Caribbean musician throughout the ship. The Ocean Duo made my ears hurt……maybe just not my kind of sound. The violinists are wonderful too!
Make sure to spend some time in the Ocean Plaza playing trivia or several of the other fun games that the Fun Square put on!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
This is the biggest thing the Dream has going for them! The staff is top notch and really seem to care. They take a lot of pride in their work and the service they provide. Our room steward, Abdul, was one of the best we’ve had. The MDR staff seems short staff but our head waiter Maryono was incredible. He was always anticipating our needs. Overall you can tell that they are short staffed all over the ship so bring your patience and kindness. They are truly working very hard to provide the best service they can.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Very clean and maintained. She definitely shows her age with the outdated style but still a comfortable ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Good location and clean room. Loved the secondary bathroom with the shower/tub combo! If you are sensitive to sound, please know that there is a lot of engine noise near this room. I loved it as called it my white noise. I could barely hear people outside in the halls. We used a small fan at night and it made for a great sleep with the noises combined.
Ship tip
If you’re a drinker….make sure to try the Alchemy bar. Their drinks are stronger than anywhere else on the ship. The bartenders there love to get creative and will make you special concoctions.
We didn’t plan an excursion here and just took some time to visit the shops in the port. There isn’t much to do and nothing is walkable outside of the port area. The people of Freeport were lovely. Most of the shops carried similar items but you can find a few with some unique wares. There are some yummy food trucks if you want to catch a bite to eat of some local food. I highly recommend the flavored corn on the cob!
We had planned on spending the day on foot and exploring. We quickly realized that this was not a very safe option. You are hassled around every corner and it made it quite an uncomfortable experience. We finally made the walk down to the Margaritaville resort to check it out. It was small too but we’ll maintained. We decided to not get a day pass once we saw the people on the beach being harassed by vendors. Not my idea of relaxing. I certainly understand that things have been tough for many people, but I just don’t respond well to the aggressiveness of the people we encountered. The shining point of our Nassau adventure was running across a gentleman painting pictures on a curb not far from the port entrance. He told us that he’s been in the same spot painting for 25 years. He does beautiful work and we happily bought one of his paintings. Those are my favorite kind of souvenirs.
Easy tender ride to the port and you can see the ship from the beach! We rented a clam shells and just relaxed staring into the gorgeous blue waters. Wait staff will come to you to take drink orders but there is also a pirate ship styled bar that you can visit. Don’t miss the opportunity to walk one of the beautiful nature paths along the island and then grab a free lunch before catching the tender back to the ship. We didn’t shop but I did notice that there were a few shows there.
Since it was our first time here, we wanted to explore! We rented a golf cart and drove all over town. It was beautiful weather and we had a blast visiting the sights.
Wonderful review! Sailing the Dream in June so I appreciate all of the useful information. We decided we are going to stay on the ship in Nassau. We have never done that. Sounds like Nassau is a good one to skip.😆
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