Hey All,
We got off the Dream yesterday and I've just got to share some things. Sorry about the length but I can't stop sharing... LOL
The shopping talk was full of information. The first time I went to Nassau - I was completely turned off by the condition of the island and the barrage of hair braiders and taxi drivers all wanting/needing your business. Some would even follow us for a few minutes trying to convince us to take their tour of the island. It was a little intimidating for me on my first visit - but this time I was more prepared. It truly is a gauntlet to get through but I didn't feel that we were in any danger - just a plethora of "no thank you's".
I had originally thought I wouldn't bother getting off the ship but then went to the shopping talk just before Muster. First let me say that I am sure a particular set of stores/shops pay a fee in order to be promoted on board the Dream. I am not so naive to believe otherwise. That being said, most of these shops offered a free "something" just to get you in the door. They had a detailed map of stores which were numbered so you could find your way around and they very ''gingerly" talked about what areas/streets to avoid. (I got the impression they were not safe - but one could interpret it as simply as the direction away from the stores that they were paid to promote).
My ears and eyes perked up when they brought up tanzanite. It has become my new obsession over the last 5-7 years. So - I stayed focused on those stores. I sent the teens off with the map and a list of the free things they could collect as souvenirs for their friends and extended family members if they wanted. The jewelers at DIamonds International were nice. I stayed within my budget and then the pressure was ON. I left feeling good about sticking to budget but a little beat up with the end of sale pressure to "upgrade" my purchase.
The jewelers at TI International were much better. By the time I got to their store - I had wished I had went there first. If you shop in the stores promoted by the Dream - you may leave your purchases at the stores and pick them up on the ship that evening before dinner. I took advantage of this option as I felt I would be a walking target if I were to carry those bags through Nassau. Both stores had free drinks while you shop....
We opted for water due to the heat but I saw Mai Tai's and sodas being handed out to the others shoppers.
The shopping talk will give you special VIP cards to take with you but I didn't find much use for them. Just keep name dropping "Kyle & Hannah" and they will get the picture. I'm guessing they rely on Kyle and Hannah to keep sending people their way so they seemed to pay closer attention to us.
Other Nassau :
We stopped at the Rum Cake Factory - Tortuga. DH is a HUGE rum cake fan so it was a must. The ladies in there were not personable but helpful nonetheless. We keep forgetting that not everyone is a cast member...
We wrapped up Nassau with a stop at the Hard Rock for the traditional Hard Rock glasses with Nassau, Bahamas on them. Food was good, service was better than the Rum Cake Factory but still nothing compared to what we could get on our ship. We were back on board around 2PM which was plenty of time for room service while we showered and then off to top deck for drinks and socializing.
MUSTER:
Our muster station was in one of the theaters. This was VERY fortunate for us. Some of our party was out on the deck - packed in like sardines and it was HOT outside. We went early and were afforded an actual seat which helped with DH's nerve pain and DVT issue in his leg. We were very grateful for the seats and air conditioning. Our only hold up was "the Davis Family" who apparently never showed up. We sat in there for what seemed like forever while they kept trying to locate them on the ship. PLEASE go to muster when you're supposed to - it holds up everything when someone doesn't show up on time.
Shopping:
The shops on board are only open when the boat is not in port. SO - if there is something you want or need (sunscreen) or that DOONEY that I never bought - get it while at sea.
Drinks:
I did not find the alcohol to be diluted or light handed in anyway. They did a very good job with the drinks and the prices were no more than you'd find in a local pub.
Other Tips:
We never went to dinner before our seating time. In fact, we generally showed up about 5 minutes late and usually walked right in or waited on one other party in front of us.
BE READY TO Wait - If you are looking for photo's with all the characters possible - be ready to wait. Lines form before the characters even get there. Some of the dads in our party complained that their entire cruise felt like one waiting line after another. Our kids are older and were able to wait in their own lines...
BRING A WATCH! - waterproof preferably. We purposely shut our cell phones down and locked them up once we boarded the ship to prevent them from being misplaced, water/sand damaged...etc. There is not a single clock to be found ANYWHERE on the ship besides your stateroom. We spent DAYS not knowing what time it is... LOL. The problem you ask????? Everything on the boat is on a schedule. meals, character spots, shows, games.... everything is on schedule and they are not messing around...
Brush up on your '80's music! We played the most fun game EVer in Evolutions. (probably because of our age) It was '80's music challenge or something similar to that. It was similar to "name that tune" but done in a bar - team setting. SUCH FUN! One of the challenges was one man from each team (1/2 of the bar was team and the other 1/2 was the other team) had to come up and do their best Tom Cruise / Risky Business impersonation. Wouldn't ya know it...... but each of those guys stripped down to their "under WEAR" (leaving their shirts on) and just about nailed it.... (except the first guy wiped out and quickly struck a pose on the floor)... it was hilarious and so much fun!!! The host of the game couldn't even talk he was laughing so hard.... SUCH GOOD FUN! (After this game Mike Super did a more intimate and "adult" magic show for a much smaller crowd than the theater filled with our children) This magic show was much better
Dining:
The food was superb. We are kind of "beer and pizza" people and some of the food we didn't even recognize. We just told our servers that we were a little lost in the menus and they were happy to "dumb it down" for us
We also watched "Match Your Mate" in Evolutions. Similar to "Newlywed Game" it was fun to see how the hubby's answered and it was clear who was going to sleep on their verandah that night...
We skipped Golden Mickeys but watched Villains and Believe (I preferred Believe to Villains - but both were Grade A)
The magic show with Mike Super was LAVENOUS.... (you'll understand that word if/when you go to the show)
To summarize ~ the ship is BEAUTIFUL. Some (like me) will never get bored just strolling the decks (with a fabulous drink) and looking at the art, the views, the details in the ironworks.... it's just an awesome work of art made to carry a LOT of Disney lovers.
Sorry for the novel but it's so fresh in my mind.... Castaway Cay is whole other NOVEL .. LOL
If there is anything more specific you'd like to know - let me know... if I experienced it, I'm glad to help.
