Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Joan Curto
Email: Jcurto@ix.netcom.com
Age: 40
Occupation: Sales Manager
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: 1-3-99
Itinerary: S. Carribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 15 Jan 1999
Time: 16:54:55
Remote Name: 205.188.196.32
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I have been on several cruises with Celebrity and loved them. We wanted to take our three
teenage boys with us to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. The Travel agent recommended NCL Dream and I read
the reviews on this board and was nervous about this boat. I truly do not know what the complaints are about.
This ship, while a little smaller and with a few less bells and whisltes, is a great vacation.

The cabins are the largest I've stayed in and we had an outside deluxe . There is plenty of storage for two people
and the extra seating area was nice. Big queen size bed, great sleeping. The boat is in great shape having just
been stretched, and while you ran into the occasional line, it is no different than any other ship.

The cruise staff is excellent, lot's of fun lots of variety of activity. We even convinced our boys to play bingo, and
they wanted to go back again. There is truly something for everyone. The port talks were replayed on the cabin TV
so it was very convenient to learn about each port.

We love the Southern Carribean and were not dissapointed in any of the ports. Antigua was our favorite, but all
were great. Much better than having Maritnique as one of the stops.

The food was mostly good. The option to eat in their alternative restaurant Le Bistro is great. The food is better
there, nice ambiance, but make sure to make a reservation as it is small. The Sports Bar offers burgers and
pizza as well as the outside lower deck. Never made it to a midnite buffet(not our bag), but judging from the rest
of the food, I'm sure it was just fine. Food is not the reason we like cruises, so for us it's not of paramount
importance. The lobster was great though.

The staff was very good. Friendly and accomodating. I was impressed particularly with the cruise staff. They
made it alot of fun.

I am not sure other people who submitted some of the reviews for Dream were on the same ship. My kids had a
great time, met lots of friends and my husband and I did as well. Happy Sailing!

Name: Marsha Malane
Email: marjack@ameritech.net
Age: 41
Occupation: Production Control Manager
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: 2/21/99
Itinerary: Southern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 78
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Mar 1999
Time: 12:34:54
Remote Name: dyn1-tnt6-197.detroit.mi.ameritech.net
Remote User:

Comments

We had a terrible waiter. He was not friendly at all, hardly ever smiled. He also got at least one of our orders wrong
every night. Our bus boy, however, worked very hard and was always smiling. One of the wine stewards told us
that if we gave the waiter a bad review on our comment card that is turned in at the end of the cruise that the bus
boy would be punished along with the waiter. We did not think this was fair. How are we supposed to get across to
NCL that the waiter was bad and the bus boy excellent? The pool area was quite crowded on 'at sea' days. We had
a very smooth cruise. Most of the time you couldn't tell we were moving. The lounge entertainment needed more
variety. Most of the lounges had piano music that was old and mellow. The disco was the only place with modern
music, and the DJ seemed to have a limited number of songs (we heard the same ones every night). We tried to
make requests but 90% of the time he did not have the song we requested. The calypso band at poolside was very
good - we even bought their CD in the gift shop. We loved Aruba - Baby Beach is a ways from town (rent a
jeep-taxi's wouldn't take us there). It is not crowded and the snorkling is wonderful. Lots of shopping in Curacao - if
you are brave, go to the aquarium and feed the sharks. Tortola is beautiful - go to Cane Garden Bay. It was our
third time to St. Thomas. Instead of Megan's Bay, we went on a ship called the Doubloon and they took us to a
private beach on Water Island for snorkling and sun. It ended up raining but it was still a fun day. The crew of the
Doubloon were very entertaining (and there was free rum punch) Overall, it was a very good cruise - too bad we
had such a bad waiter.

Name: Kathy Berlin
Email: kberlin@pillsbury.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Business Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: Feb28, 1999
Itinerary: Southern Caribean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Mar 1999
Time: 12:11:57
Remote Name: gate3.grandmet.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise and our family is DEFINITELY going to do this again. It was an excellent, very relaxing
vacation.

We travelled as couple with child (3 years old) and two grandparents in two cabins (outside with obstructed view).

First of all, we were very pleasantly surprised by the size of the cabin. We had heard that a cabin for three (two
adults and one child) could be very cramped. but, the NCL cabins were just great. The flip out futon couch was
very comfortable for our child and we even took naps on it and found it just fine. The king-size bed was great. The
bathroom was small and probably should only hold one person in there at a time. But, we were able to help our
child with baths in their just fine. Also the storage space was just great...we had just enough space to put
everything away for all three of us (and that was three changes of clothes per day, one beachwear, one
casualwear and then evening clothes.

In terms of service, the Dream had great wait staff. We had an excellent waiter (Danny) and he and the busboy did
everything possible to make the dining experience elegant and fun. They accomodated our every wish. We were
extremely impressed. Some people complained about the language barrier they had with their waiters. My personal
opinion is that if you try to communicate with them and are not intimidated by their accent...they will try very hard to
understand you and get it right. We need to be more open about people of different cultures and assume they
want to make this a success for you too.

The shows were also very good. The On Broadway show which is on formal night is actually MUCH better than
42nd Street which is the one most billed in the brochure. But, in all, all shows were fun and just about the right
length (1 hour) we took our son to 3 shows and he really liked them. Because the shows are so good, you might
want to get their early to get a seat.

Not so good things...

The food was kinda average. We're VERY picky eaters and we thought the food could have been a little more
dressed up. If you're not picky, this is probably just enough of the fancy food thing for you. We did hear of some
passengers who thought the food was too fancy for them. But, for frequent cruisers, the NCL food was average.
This was sad considering how hard the wait staff tries to make the experience elegant for you.

Would we cruise again? Definitely, We can't wait to go next year!

Would we cruise NCL...probably...but, we would also like to try other ships and cruise lines just to get a different
vantage point.

Overall, this was the most relaxing vacation I've taken in a long time and I LOVED IT. Thanks NCL!

Name: Barbara Boyer
Email: dbboyer@juno.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Computer Programmer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: 3/14/99
Itinerary: Exotic Southern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 99
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 99
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 89
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Mar 1999
Time: 19:13:54
Remote Name: async03-115.qni.com
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I decided to take a second honeymoon, which became this cruise. Since this was our first cruise
(although probably not our last!), we were only prepared to have a good time. What we got was a GREAT time! We
generally take vacation only once a year, so we try to make the most of it. Our cruise was most likely the best
vacation we've ever taken.

Our only complaint was related to actually getting to the ship (the airline), which in all fairness, is a very busy time
of the year for airlines (spring break). We booked the air/sea program, and found ourselves on TWA. For you folks
who do use this service, I can't stress strongly enough the importance of arriving at the airport early. Our flight left
a 7:55 a.m., and we were at the ticket counter around 5:30 a.m. Our seats had already been assigned (without
boarding passes and not necessarily to our liking), but we prefer to sit in the exit row if at all possible, so we
requested them at the airport. We got exit row for two legs of the trip (we had a connection in St. Louis). We saw
people in St. Louis 30 minutes before the flight scrambling to get seat assignments. Since boarding began about
20 minutes before departure, there were a lot of panicking people. Don't put yourself in this predicament! The flight
was overbooked (aren't they all), and one family nearly got separated until a good Samaritan gave up his seat for
the last straggler.

We were rather disappointed that there was no information concerning connecting gate (in St. Louis) or baggage
claim location (in San Juan) announced on the plane before our arrival. We had to rely on gate agents and
monitors. We were not at all impressed with the San Juan airport (maybe we're a little spoiled). The NCL
representatives were nowhere to be found at our arrival gate, so we wandered (and I do mean wandered) until we
found the baggage carousels. At last, an NCL rep. We spoke to the representative and confirmed that we must first
claim our bags and then take them outside of the airport where we were to be met by a driver to take us to the
ship. After waiting at the wrong carousel for bags (it was labeled for TWA, too) for half an hour, we were told that
the bags would be arriving at the carousel right behind us. We headed over to the correct carousel, where we
waited another 45 minutes for bags to arrive. I can't imagine what was taking so long. While we were waiting, three
more planes arrived. Needless to say, it was quite an unpleasant experience. We were determined to remain in
good spirits and boarded the bus for the ship. We heard some complaints that others had a little trouble finding the
NCL bus, but we had no trouble at all.

At the pier, we waited a total of about 5 minutes, directed to the photographer, and boarded the ship. That part
was easy. There were NCL staff waiting for us, and we got directions to our cabin, which was very easy to find.
(Biscayne deck, forward)

We knew ahead of time that cabins on cruise lines are notoriously small, and we were pleasantly surprised. Don't
get me wrong, this isn't a room at the Ritz Carlton, but it large enough for two people easily. It had three narrow
closets, two for hanging clothes, and one containing shelf. We figured out how to operate the safe and settled in
for a few minutes and drank champagne our travel was kind enough to provide for us.

The food on the ship was most certainly acceptable, and often times quite good. Lobster was served on our
second formal night. Sorry, I can't really rate the lobster. I enjoyed it, but very seldom eat it when we're out. We
didn't have a table assignment, so we requested one from the maitre d' the day after arrival on the ship. We were
assigned got an excellent table for four, right by the window. We took early seating, figuring if we wanted to attend
midnight buffets, we would at least be hungry enough to enjoy them. We found we really enjoyed watching
departure from each port while at dinner, so it turned out to be a good choice for us. I must commend our maitre d',
Plunkett, for making sure he assigned another young couple to our table. We enjoyed their company immensely.
Our waiter, Polak, provided the finest service we have ever had anywhere. We'd read about those awful Lido
burgers, so we avoided them, but our dinner companions did not, and told us they were absolutely awful.

There were several activities to keep people busy while on the ship. We were surprised that there were scheduled
activities even while we were in port. There were two navigational tours scheduled, both around 3:30, but we never
made it. Our favorite ship activities were the art auctions and our visits to the casino. We don't ever go at home,
and it was fun to play a little while on board. For you gamblers out there, the games consisted on blackjack,
Caribbean stud poker, roulette, and craps. There were plenty of slot machines, and I never saw all of them
occupied. The cheapest tables were a $5 minimum, and there were a couple of $10 tables that were seldom
occupied. There was a brief lecture on our first day about the casino rules, as well as programs on the cabin
television teaching the rules. The dealers were very pleasant. Some tables were designated non-smoking.

The pool band, Roots Link, was absolutely terrific. Don't miss a chance to hear them! We didn't find the band in the
Observation Lounge quite as entertaining. We found the staff very accommodating. Nearly every staff member we
encountered greeted us and they were always willing to lend assistance.

Our ports of call were St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. We enjoyed all of them, in particular
St. Kitts.

In St. Lucia, we booked the catamaran through the shore excursion desk to Soufriere, which evidently was the best
way to go. The taxis in St. Lucia are rather cramped and old, and we heard the drive was rather difficult for those
who get carsick (lots of twisting mountain roads). We saw the pitons from the boat, and boarded a taxi to the
botanical garden and a visit to a dormant volcano. The volcano was easily the highlight of this excursion. You
actually walk inside the caldera. We saw sulfur rising from the crater, and the boiling pools were fascinating. Our
guide, Simon, was excellent. Once we visited these two sites, we were sent back to the catamaran. We stopped in a
cove for swimming and snorkeling (if you brought gear) before returning to the ship. We felt this tour was a little
long for our tastes, but we enjoyed it just the same. Think twice before visiting Soufriere by the land tour, everyone
we spoke to who had taken this trip said St. Lucia was probably very nice, but they felt they'd taken the wrong tour.
If we go again, I think we'll just take a taxi to the beach for a few hours.

Antigua is stunningly beautiful. If you're a beach lover, this is the place for you! We booked the Jolly Roger
excursion, aka the booze cruise. It was an absolute blast! If you're not travelling with children and feel like a party,
take this excursion! The boat is a replica of a pirate ship. You can drink all the free rum punch you want, and as I
recall, there was beer there too. After a 20-minute sail, the boat anchored about a hundred yards from the shore.
A ferry took anyone who wanted to go to the beach. It ran about every 20 minutes for about an hour and half, so
you could go to the beach and spend some time on the boat. My husband swung on the rope swing into the ocean,
and you could jump from a plank too. When it was time to return to the ship, the party really got started. Calypso
music was turned on full blast, a conga line formed, and the whole ship was dancing. The crew was absolutely
terrific. This was definitely one of the greatest shore excursions we took. If you take this trip, don't forget that you
will return to a ship that will be rocking underneath your feet. I wonder how many people from the boat missed
dinner that night.

St. Kitts was our favorite stop. The island is very green and beautiful. We decided that we didn't care for the cattle
car atmosphere of the ship's shore excursions, and went this one on our own. Taxis are available from the pier. We
went with our dinner companions to Brimstone Hill, and old fort in the mountains. The view from the top of the fort is
breathtaking, with the ocean and neighboring islands clearly visible. We went to the Carribelle Boutique, which sells
batik clothing made in the store. We saw a 350 year-old Saman tree on the way, and a group of vervet monkeys.
Without a doubt, this was our favorite stop on the cruise. I think that taxi tour was just $11 per person.

In St. Croix, we docked at Fredericksted. The town was very clean and we did a little shopping. If you're a
shopaholic, you should probably go the Christiansted. We're not, so we were quite happy shopping in town for
about an hour. There was a beach right next to the pier, easily within walking distance. This was a very pleasant
stop. If you want to call home, it's cheaper in St. Croix and St. Thomas since they are in the US Virgin Islands. We
took it easy on this day, so we didn't do a whole lot at this stop.

We had never been to St. Thomas, but were prepared for a large crowd, since virtually every cruise ship doing
Eastern and Southern routes stops there. This day we counted four ships at the pier. We took the Atlantis
submarine tour. If you want to take this tour and don't book it through the ship, you can book it at the Atlantis
Submarine store in town. We found that the admission was the same as the ship charged for the excursion, but we
were able to get a discount anyway. The submarine dived at least 70 feet. We enjoyed this tour very much, it was
very relaxing. We got a lot of great pictures. People who enjoy shopping should save their money for this stop.
There are stores for blocks and blocks right by the terminal.

Our debarkation began a little late, but since we had booked a shore excursion, we were one of the first groups off
the ship. We took the tour to El Yunque. We toured the San Cristobal fort in Old San Juan first. We explored the
fort for 20 minutes. It was fun to look at the ocean and the ship from the top of the fort. We re-boarded our bus for
the 45-minute drive to the rainforest. We enjoyed the tour. Our driver, Luis Raoul, was good, but narrated the
entire drive. We felt it was a pleasant way to kill time until our flight left at 4:25.

Our flight home was very much like our flight to San Juan, packed to the gills and it seemed to take forever. I spent
the entire flight wishing the trip hadn't ended so soon.

Overall, this trip was tremendous, and I hope we can cruise again soon. Bon voyage!

Name: Linda O'Brien
Email: Lindacobrien@prodigy.net
Age: 36
Occupation: VP Real Estate Development
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: March 7, 1999
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Apr 1999
Time: 19:07:59
Remote Name: lsvgb102-05.splitrock.net
Remote User:

Comments

Our trip began with a midnight flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta. Our flight was very full and therefore there were no
empty seats to lie down and sleep. Luckily, we arrived early in Atlanta and were able to catch an earlier flight to
San Juan. (no layover! WOW)

We arrived in San Juan around 11:00am. NCL was wonderful about the fact that our luggage would arrive on a
later flight and they arranged for the transport.

We boarded a bus quickly and arrived at the dock shortly after noon. Being a Lattitudes member, we were the
second couple to be processed and we were able to board the ship immediately. (another WOW).

My husband and I splurged and booked a cabin with a private balcony. The room was not large but did have a
queen bed, a very small sitting area and the private balcony. The only dissapointment was the fact that we found
the closet space to be exceptionally small compared to other ships. Having a balcony, however, was fantastic. We
spent each day at sea out there enjoying the fresh air and quiet time.

With this class of cabin, a private concierge service was also included. Prior to sailing, we did not fully realize the
true benefits this would offer. Our concierge, was fantastic. She arranged all our excursions (no lines), answered
any of our questions, provided additional information about ports of call and escorted all passengers with this
service off the ship on debarkation day prior to general debarkation (no waiting for your color tag to be called).

We also had the distinct pleasure of being invited to the Captain's table for dinner on our first formal night. A
personal invitation is brought to your cabin for which you must RSVP. Prior to dinner, we were invited to a private
cocktail reception with the Captain and Staff Captain along with the other dinner companions. The dinner was
lovely and all persons at the table were interesting dinner companions.

Please note I rated most of the food an 80 (average) as well as the service. I would not include the Captain's
dinner in the above. It was very good. We felt most of the food was average. Please understand, however, that my
husband is an Executive Chef in Las Vegas and therefore we probably have very high standards.

We enjoyed the ports of call. My husband played golf twice. The course in Aruba is very windy and he would not
play it again. He really enjoyed the course in St. Thomas.

While in Aruba, I took a boating/snorkling excursion. The water is beautiful and the marine life was abundant. The
sand is also very clean and soft. By contrast, we didn't find much excitement on land.

In Curacao, we ventured out on our own. We had a fabulous lunch at castle just a 10 minute cab ride from the ship.
It is located on a hill with outstanding views of the entire area. The ambience, food and service were superb. Plan
on spending at least $100 for lunch for two, however.

In Tortola, we took the excursion to Virgin Gorda. If I were to do it again, I would take the ferry only and then catch
a taxi to a deserted beach. The water is fabulous and I would have preferred some quiet time instead of being on a
small beach with 50+ other persons.

In St. Thomas, I took a hike/snorkel excursion. The hike was great. We walked for about 1 1/2 hours in St. John
and then we went snorkling in a secluded cove. I found the snorkling dissapointing compared to Aruba.

Overall, we had a very nice time. As you can see from our review, we did not spend much time in busy, public
areas so I cannot comment on the lounges, discos, etc..

We have decided that for our next cruise, we would prefer spending more time at sea. We are definetly hooked on
a private balcony. We are also considering upgrading to a more expensive cruise line with a more sophisticated
menu. For a price comparison, this trip costs us the equivalent of traveling on the Windstar. (of course that would
have been a totally different kind of ship).

Name: George W. Klee
Email: GWKlee@worldnet.att.net
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: May 2, 1999
Itinerary: France, Ireland, Scotland, GB
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 70
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 70
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Jun 1999
Time: 14:37:33
Remote Name: 233.kansas-city-11-12rs.mo.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:

Comments

This cruise should have been a real winner, however due to some very poor advance planning it was not.

The stops in France and the tours we took in France were PATHIC. The guides we had spoke limited
broken english, and had a terrible time explaining anything. France was having its usual holidays on the
days we were in port. Shops and eating places were closed, and with the school kids on holiday the
Omaha Beach Museum was totally overrun. And the Museum has very limited Rest Room Facilities.

The Stops in Ireland and Scotland were SUPER. It is a shame that more time was not available in Scotland
and Ireland. Without those stops this would have been the WORST cruise we have ever been on.

We joined the ship in Dover England. Along with what must have been most of the Staff.

The Chef must have thought all the passengers were from France. The food was doused in all kinds of
sauces and the complaints were very loud and pointed. In all fairness, the food was quite good when you
insisted that you wanted it without the sauces, which we did. Our Waiter did his very best to be helpful and
after the first few days things were better.

Our cabin was nice, and the Cabin Steward was outstanding. Probably the best we have had on any of our
cruises.

Overall we would rate this cruise only in the FAIR to GOOD Classification, due to the very poor planning
on the stops and tours in France, the terrible guides and the horrible sauces on the food.

The increased length of the ship did not help the passenger flow. It only helps the cruise lines pocket
book. There is a lack of available Rest Rooms, in the common areas, in particular at entrances off of the
boat deck.

In the evening, we like to find a nice quiet cornor where we can enjoy a drink and talk. In the common area
bars the music was so loud that you had to shout to make yourself heard. Requests to lower the volumn
were met with "we do not have area contols, the entire room is at the same level"

We have scheduled another cruise with Norwegian on the "Sky", hopefully it will be better.

Name: John and Karen Stoneley
Email: joka@btinternet.com
Age: 55 and 51
Occupation: Attorney and General Manager
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: NCL-Dreamward
SailingDate: 13th June 1999
Itinerary: Norwegian Coast and North Cape+++++++
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 75
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 50
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Jun 1999
Time: 09:00:52
Remote Name: host5-171-224-155.btinternet.com
Remote User:

Comments

We thought it might be useful for you to have a European view of the cruise we have just taken on
Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Dream sailing out of Dover, across the North Sea to the Land of the
Midnight Sun.

This was our first cruise and we did not know what to expect nor whether we would enjoy the experience.
We debated whether to use the coastal express (the Norwegian sea-bus service from Bergen to Kirkenes)
or this cruise, as our main objective was to see the Norwegian coast and the midnight sun. Having opted
for the cruise ship we decided to take the cheapest option for accommodation and were pleasantly
surprised by the standard of furnishing and the spaciousness of the cabin.

The most disappointing aspect of the holiday for us (but one which might appeal to many of your readers)
is that boat, although Norwegian in name, is in fact American. The Captain and the senior officers were
Norwegian but seemed to be the boat's only link with Norway. Everything else about the boat was
American, from the currency used, the entertainment provided, to the food and drink on board. On this
cruise we estimated that over half of the guests were American but even so we had not expected the
ambiance to have lost its Norwegian flavour. This was not solely our view, it was expressed by practically
all the other Britons we encountered on the boat. The line would be more aptly named
Norwegian-American Line.

This did have its plus points, as the organisation and service were to the high standards provided in the
US and the boat was exceptionally clean and tidy. The waiters and cabin staff were outstanding. The main
downside so far as we were concerned was the bland and totally un-Norwegian food. It was presented well
enough and in prodigious quantities (you could eat around the clock) but it was, almost without exception,
tasteless and prepared to suit the American palate. Even when they ventured into Europeanised cookery
it was strangely wide of the mark, for example with Southampton fishcake which was a fish pie and English
bread and butter pudding which bore little, if any, resemblance to anything available in England.

We used the alternative dining facility of Le Bistro almost every evening. The food was very much the
same as that on offer in the main dining rooms but it was individually prepared and therefore hotter. The
Bistro menu remained the same every night of the cruise, except for the small special menu which
changed daily, containing an item from each course on offer in the main dining rooms. It was certainly
better and worth the small tip that you were expected to leave. It was mainly filled with Europeans.

The boat spent too long at sea for our taste. This was particularly disappointing as the on-board
entertainment was not to our liking. Very little above the level of bingo, gambling and 'showtime' was
offered. The few enrichment lectures offered every day were ill-timed for those who are late risers and
were not repeated. No serious music was available and the library was small and not open as frequently
as might be convenient. Some games were available to play such as Cluedo and Monopoly. The
organised bridge was, I understand, chaotic and not very satisfactory (and that from an American critic.)

We would have welcomed more opportunity to spend time on shore. We suspect that the boat was
somewhat too large to visit places that other boats could reach. This had the advantage of greater stability
when the weather worsened. We were not troubled by the pitching and rolling that other reviewers had
experienced in the Caribbean, despite rough weather coming down from North Cape. The Captain
reduced speed for the comfort of the passengers which did mean that we lost our afternoon in Trondheim
as extra steaming was necessary to reach Bergen for a full day stop.

If all this sounds like a long catalogue of complaints which clearly means that we would never sail NCL
again - this is not necessarily so. The cruise represented terrific value for money. It is also clear that NCL
provide substantial loyalty bonuses which will, in the future, make them even more cost competitive. There
are certain places in the world we would like to see but would be reluctant to stay in for hygiene or security
reasons. If an NCL ship was cruising to such ports we would very seriously consider going again.

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