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Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Dream Cruise Review
7 Day Western Caribbean
Jan
Age: 60
Occupation: Executive Assistant
Number of Cruises: 3
Sailing Date: January 21st, 2006
My husband and I and three other couples specifically chose the Norwegian Wind
departing from New Orleans for its itinerary. We had all cruised before and
wanted to discover new ports. Due to Hurricane Katrina, our departure relocated
to Houston on the Norwegian Dream. We booked our cruise one year before
departure and were notified of the New Orleans/Houston change about a month
after the Katrina storm. Our original itinerary included Cozumel, Roatan, Belize
City and Playa del Carmen. The change of port to Houston also involved swapping
Playa del Carmen for Cancun. We were compensated with on-board credit of $50 per
person for the New Orleans/Houston change.
After our final payment date—we were then notified by a voicemail at home that
there had been an itinerary change and that we would no longer be docking in
Cancun…we were compensated a whopping $12.81 per person on-board credit. This
created another day at sea, generating many dollars for the casino, lounges and
shops on board!
Having been on other cruises, not only our group of 8, but many other passengers
indicated displeasure with the “freestyle” cruise type. On previous cruises we
were able to develop a relationship with our servers, stewards and other ship
personnel that made the cruise more enjoyable. The automatic tipping structure
of freestyle promotes mediocre, average service. I’m a good tipper, and those
that deserve it would get it. If the rest of the crew is not part of the tipping
structure…then the cruise line should pay them more.
Since there were 8 of us traveling and the four women were celebrating the same
age birthdays all in one month, we wanted this trip to be memorable. We could
not be seated in any restaurant without the majority of our group being present,
even though we all ate together every morning and every night at a designated
time. Our dining experiences in the Terraces restaurant, as well as the Le
Bistro were the best on board the ship. The Terraces had a variety of
well-prepared, tasty food. Le Bistro had a somewhat limited menu, but the food,
presentation and service was superb. If you happen to be eating there, ask to be
placed at Ro Ro’s table. She was outstanding. The down side of Le Bistro is a
$15 cover charge per person and if you choose Surf and Turf, an additional $5 is
added to your bill. My take on this is that EVERY restaurant should provide
special service and certainly NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE should be incurred.
The prepaid beverage package for soda was a good deal for my husband and me. It
was a worthwhile purchase. The alcoholic beverages we purchased were expensive
and weak. Average price for a “specialty drink” was $7.00. Came with a free
glass. A basic cocktail is $5.50. Although you are told that you can save a
dollar by not getting the free glass, I did some measuring and you get about the
same amount of liquid in either one. Why not get one souvenir glass and refill
it with basic cocktails! And please note that an “auto gratuity” is added to
each bar tab, so tipping IS automatic there, whether a server takes your order
or you walk up to the bar yourself. Unless exceptional service is encountered,
that 15% gratuity should be sufficient. You may not bring liquor on board at the
beginning of your cruise, and bottles of liquor purchased in the duty-free shops
on board and in port are confiscated until you are ready to disembark.
Coffee. If you ask for it in a place other than a restaurant, be prepared
to pay $2.50 for it. On the Dream, there is a bar called “COFFEE BAR,” however,
because it is also a liquor bar, you have to pay for the coffee! How does THAT
happen???
Other restaurants provided a variety of food, but nothing was exceptional. On
previous cruises, unbelievable buffets were available all over the ship, all day
and night with foods to make your mouth water. Anyone can serve pizza and
hamburgers on deck.
We had a stateroom with a balcony. Got a notice that the top of the railing on
our deck would be varnished the next day and if that was a problem to contact
the Reception Desk. I did that and specifically asked that they not varnish our
railing for the remainder of the cruise. Didn’t want the smell or the
inconvenience of not using the deck. When we retuned to our cabin the next day,
there was a sign on the railing…”wet varnish.”
Our stop in Cozumel was disappointing due to rain all day. Although we planned a
tour of Cozumel and snorkeling, the snorkeling didn’t happen. Can’t predict the
weather.
Jolly Roger Catamaran and Gumbalimba Park excursion in Roatan was wonderful.
Great, very capable boat Captain, delicious lunch (better than most on ship) and
beautiful snorkeling.
At 7:00 in the evening, prior to our Belize arrival, we were notified by a piece
of paper left on our turned down bed, that due to flooding, our Rainforest ATV
excursion for the next day had been canceled. The excursion desk was closed and
if you wanted to look into another excursion, you had to show up at 7:00 the
next morning in the Stardust Lounge to book another excursion…if space was
available. Although this was the excursion the eight of us most looked forward
to, and we understand that the weather cannot be predicted, the availability of
the staff was unacceptable. The Reception Desk could not help us even though
they were open. Disappointing to say the least.
The Cruise Director – Very pleasant, vivacious, entertaining, talented
and knowledgeable, however, when she says she is in charge of
entertainment…believe her. That’s all she stakes her claim to. Everyone found
out about the cancellations of the excursions in Roatan due to flooding at about
7:00 pm. During the show at the Stardust later that evening, NOTHING was
mentioned. Some people had been out of their rooms for a while and had not yet
received the notice of the cancellations. After the show we talked to her and
mentioned our disappointment and frustration. She said she had just heard about
it earlier (BEFORE she spoke to the crowd) and there was nothing they could do
about the weather. When we questioned her further, she stopped us and said, “I’m
sorry, I’m just the Entertainment Director.” How about a little compassion and
willingness to get to the bottom of it and accommodate the inconvenienced
passengers by having the excursion desk open? Oh, sorry. She is in charge of
entertainment! Guess excursions aren’t entertainment.
In summary, there are many cruise lines out there, and we’ve taken NCL out of
the mix. To highlight the best parts, RoRo in Le Bistro, food in Terraces and Le
Bistro, beverage (soda) package, our room with a balcony and, of course, the
best part was spending time with our friends.
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