Empress Room
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 15, 2007
- Messages
- 426
A little background: DW and I are Platinum DCL cruisers with (now) 16 cruises under our belts, seven on the Magic, seven on the Wonder and (now) two on the Dream, the latest being a back-to-back DVC four-day combined with a three-day that just disembarked this morning. A complete trip report is in order, but here are my initial bullet point thoughts on the Dream from a DCL veteran's perspective (in no particular order):
Cruising back-to-back is simple. We disembarked leg one at 9:00, immediately proceeded back into the terminal where they checked us in for leg two at 9:30. We waited in the Platinum/Concierge reserved area and were allowed back on the ship at 10:30. (No fanfare, embarkation pictures or name announcement, but the few hours we had on board before the crowds were heavenly). I would not hesitate to do it again.
The Dream is a beautiful ship with great architecture, design and technological innovations. It exceeds the classic ships in the theming, amenities and services provided. Having said that, it does many things well, it does many other things not-so-well.
I did not understand the criticism of having elevators spill into the middle of Cabanas prior to cruising the Dream. I understand now. It is senseless, a huge mental error in design and an egress and ingress nightmare. Not sure how it's fixed on the Fantasy, but I hope it is addressed.
Similarly, the adult pool area is equally baffling from a design aspect. Elevators spilling those under 18 into the area makes it a logistical nightmare to police for the crew and takes a lot of the exclusivity of that area (so important to those of us who cruise without children and are attracted to the 18 and over areas on the classic ships) away. I really hope that it is addressed on the Fantasy and redesigned on the Dream because the adult area simply cannot compare to the classic ships.
We attended a presentation on the making of the Dream. The crew member (and, in fact, all crew members we spoke to) giving the talk acknowledged the poorly designed pool areas in terms of guest flow and size. She indicated that the Fantasy would have another pool on Deck 13 Forward but was unsure whether it would be a concierge pool, an adult pool, or something else. She also indicated that the designers of the Fantasy were hoping to increase the size of the adult pool, the family pool and the Mickey pool. Let's hope.
Cabanas is light years better than either buffet on the classic ships. The variety of foods and the lack of an "institutional" feel to the buffet line is most welcomed. Food choices at Cabanas were plentiful and the food was very good. The experience there was first rate (save, of course, the fact that an elevator is in the middle of it!!)
Speaking of food, we found that the food in all three regular dining rooms was outstanding compared to our previous DCL cruises. I have noted in a past trip report on the classic ships that the food quality in the regular dining rooms was much improved, and this was very evident on the Dream. Our serving teams, Corrine and Dexter on the four-day and Kendell and Artha on the three-day, were more than efficient and friendly, and they catered to us on a very personal level. Service was, therefore, comparable to that of the classic ships.
Palo brunch and dinner were outstanding as always. Pietro, who we knew from the classic ships, is a great Palo manager and he is going to the Fantasy. Dragan, a former Palo server, will apparently be one of the new Palo managers after the transition. (As an aside, as beautiful and elegant as the new Palo is on the Dream, we preferred the ambiance of Palo on the classic ships. Lighter and more contemporary colors, and the room itself is laid out in a much nicer, open way, that just looks and feels nicer.)
Remy. If you are a foodie, this is something you should not pass up. It was memorably tremendous, on par with the best meals we have ever experienced in our travels. We opted for the American and French tasting menus married with the wine pairings. If you do the math, it's north of $400 for a couple at the end of the evening. If there is ever a $400 meal that is worth it, this is it. (You can opt for a much lesser $75 per person without wine and get out more cheaply...just saying.) In a word: wow!
There are no shortages of bars and interesting little nooks to have a cocktail or glass of wine on the Dream. I think that they made a conscious decision to make all of the venues in the District small so that the size of the ship is not overwhelming. It seems to work fairly well. We enjoyed Skyline a lot. District Lounge is nice, but it's very open and the hustle and bustle of those walking past takes away the ambiance. Did not make it into Pink, which is visually alluring, yet odd. Our favorite lounge was the Outlook on Deck 14 right above Edge. Only one midship elevator takes you there (or a small unmarked staircase that says "Edge" as the alternative). It is not publicized at all and only a few lucky folks find there way up there, perhaps by design. It has beautiful views of sunsets and it feels exclusive. Meridian, the bar between Palo and Remy, is a close second. Also very upscale in a great area of the ship with a nice outdoor deck.
We miss Sessions/Cadillac Lounge as the Dream has no comparable. There is no real piano bar on board. There is a piano player that plays in the lobby atrium and brings a portable keyboard to District Lounge for 45 minute sets now and then, but as he described it, it is a "filler" in between other entertainment (as also happens on Outlook on occasion) and not an event in and of itself. That is too bad, because the classic ships' piano bars are very alluring and classy.
Shopping on board was much more of an experience than on the classic ships. Bigger and more numerous shops, but not necessarily so much more variety than on the classic ships, but still an upgrade to the area.
The Dream has some other design flaws. Unlike the classic ships, where there were usually two ways to get to one place, the Dream has odd hallways that dead end, only one hallway accessing the Walt Disney Theatre on Deck 5 and strange twists and turns that seem not to make much sense. Perhaps it is intentional and it is forcing guests to explore all areas of the ship and, again, perhaps feel like they are on a smaller ship, but we aren't sure that it works perfectly.
The jury is out on the new Shutters concept. We both miss the sometimes intrusive ship photographers (they are on the Dream, but the numbers appeared a bit lower) and the endless number of photos plastered to the walls categorized by "Embarkation Day," "Animator's Palatte" and the like. Again, there is some of that, but half the fun of onboard ship photography is finding yourself on the wall and cringing at how badly you photograph...at least to us.
Animator's on The Dream is much improved over the classic ships and the classic ships should follow suit in their next dry docks. Enough said.
Crowds. Despite the horror stories, we didn't feel overwhelmed. There were times that we waited for an elevator a bit longer, and times that guests invariably lined up outside of dining rooms before they opened, but the crowds were not so unbearable as to affect the experience on board.
Senses Spa is beautiful, and the guest areas there and services provided are larger and more comprehensive than the Vista Spas on the classic ships. The workout area is also larger and light years ahead of the retrofitted ones on the classic ships.
The classic ships can learn from the Dream. The public areas that are dated or faded need a face lift and these areas should be reinvented with Dream-like technology. It will keep them fresh and justify their premium pricing.
The cabins on the Dream are indeed smaller than the classic ships, and it is noticeable and you have to ask yourself why. The Dream does a better job with storage under the beds and closets, but you can notice the shaving of that square footage from our Category 5A stateroom. In addition, we found it awkward that the split bathroom doors open out into the cabin on the Dream and not into the bathroom. That makes it difficult to walk past if the doors are open or to clear the steam from the full-size mirror mounted on the inside of the bathroom door (instead of on the cabin wall as in the classic ships). Light switches for the bathoom are between both doors in the middle, which, combined with the outward opening door, means illuminating the cabin in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. Not well planned.
The staff and crew on the Dream are extremely friendly and willing to serve and help. Great service and professionalism in our experience.
So where do I come out on a comparison between the classics and The Dream? It's probably not fair to judge quite yet. We have only cruised the Dream twice now in a four/three day itinerary which is clearly not as much fun as a longer, seven (or more) day itinerary. Perhaps if the Dream were doing an Eastern Caribbean seven-day itinerary, my experiences and views would change, and I clearly understand that my critique could be influenced by the history we have built with the classic ships, having logged more than 100 days between the two. But there are some systemic and design element flaws that cannot and will not be solved simply by repeat cruises, and we hope that we can sail on the Fantasy without some of these noted criticisms.
In short, it's a beautiful ship, it's still DCL and it raises the bar in terms of service and experiences as compared to the Carnivals and Norwegians of the world (who all look longingly at the Dream as it sits in ports-of-call). Having said that, we are really looking forward to returning to the Wonder next April for that 15-night Hawaii cruise and experiencing the (somewhat) dated design and technology circa 1999, all while listening to some live piano music in Cadillac Lounge. It will be as comfortable as that favorite pair of jeans we all own.
Cruising back-to-back is simple. We disembarked leg one at 9:00, immediately proceeded back into the terminal where they checked us in for leg two at 9:30. We waited in the Platinum/Concierge reserved area and were allowed back on the ship at 10:30. (No fanfare, embarkation pictures or name announcement, but the few hours we had on board before the crowds were heavenly). I would not hesitate to do it again.
The Dream is a beautiful ship with great architecture, design and technological innovations. It exceeds the classic ships in the theming, amenities and services provided. Having said that, it does many things well, it does many other things not-so-well.
I did not understand the criticism of having elevators spill into the middle of Cabanas prior to cruising the Dream. I understand now. It is senseless, a huge mental error in design and an egress and ingress nightmare. Not sure how it's fixed on the Fantasy, but I hope it is addressed.
Similarly, the adult pool area is equally baffling from a design aspect. Elevators spilling those under 18 into the area makes it a logistical nightmare to police for the crew and takes a lot of the exclusivity of that area (so important to those of us who cruise without children and are attracted to the 18 and over areas on the classic ships) away. I really hope that it is addressed on the Fantasy and redesigned on the Dream because the adult area simply cannot compare to the classic ships.
We attended a presentation on the making of the Dream. The crew member (and, in fact, all crew members we spoke to) giving the talk acknowledged the poorly designed pool areas in terms of guest flow and size. She indicated that the Fantasy would have another pool on Deck 13 Forward but was unsure whether it would be a concierge pool, an adult pool, or something else. She also indicated that the designers of the Fantasy were hoping to increase the size of the adult pool, the family pool and the Mickey pool. Let's hope.
Cabanas is light years better than either buffet on the classic ships. The variety of foods and the lack of an "institutional" feel to the buffet line is most welcomed. Food choices at Cabanas were plentiful and the food was very good. The experience there was first rate (save, of course, the fact that an elevator is in the middle of it!!)
Speaking of food, we found that the food in all three regular dining rooms was outstanding compared to our previous DCL cruises. I have noted in a past trip report on the classic ships that the food quality in the regular dining rooms was much improved, and this was very evident on the Dream. Our serving teams, Corrine and Dexter on the four-day and Kendell and Artha on the three-day, were more than efficient and friendly, and they catered to us on a very personal level. Service was, therefore, comparable to that of the classic ships.
Palo brunch and dinner were outstanding as always. Pietro, who we knew from the classic ships, is a great Palo manager and he is going to the Fantasy. Dragan, a former Palo server, will apparently be one of the new Palo managers after the transition. (As an aside, as beautiful and elegant as the new Palo is on the Dream, we preferred the ambiance of Palo on the classic ships. Lighter and more contemporary colors, and the room itself is laid out in a much nicer, open way, that just looks and feels nicer.)
Remy. If you are a foodie, this is something you should not pass up. It was memorably tremendous, on par with the best meals we have ever experienced in our travels. We opted for the American and French tasting menus married with the wine pairings. If you do the math, it's north of $400 for a couple at the end of the evening. If there is ever a $400 meal that is worth it, this is it. (You can opt for a much lesser $75 per person without wine and get out more cheaply...just saying.) In a word: wow!
There are no shortages of bars and interesting little nooks to have a cocktail or glass of wine on the Dream. I think that they made a conscious decision to make all of the venues in the District small so that the size of the ship is not overwhelming. It seems to work fairly well. We enjoyed Skyline a lot. District Lounge is nice, but it's very open and the hustle and bustle of those walking past takes away the ambiance. Did not make it into Pink, which is visually alluring, yet odd. Our favorite lounge was the Outlook on Deck 14 right above Edge. Only one midship elevator takes you there (or a small unmarked staircase that says "Edge" as the alternative). It is not publicized at all and only a few lucky folks find there way up there, perhaps by design. It has beautiful views of sunsets and it feels exclusive. Meridian, the bar between Palo and Remy, is a close second. Also very upscale in a great area of the ship with a nice outdoor deck.
We miss Sessions/Cadillac Lounge as the Dream has no comparable. There is no real piano bar on board. There is a piano player that plays in the lobby atrium and brings a portable keyboard to District Lounge for 45 minute sets now and then, but as he described it, it is a "filler" in between other entertainment (as also happens on Outlook on occasion) and not an event in and of itself. That is too bad, because the classic ships' piano bars are very alluring and classy.
Shopping on board was much more of an experience than on the classic ships. Bigger and more numerous shops, but not necessarily so much more variety than on the classic ships, but still an upgrade to the area.
The Dream has some other design flaws. Unlike the classic ships, where there were usually two ways to get to one place, the Dream has odd hallways that dead end, only one hallway accessing the Walt Disney Theatre on Deck 5 and strange twists and turns that seem not to make much sense. Perhaps it is intentional and it is forcing guests to explore all areas of the ship and, again, perhaps feel like they are on a smaller ship, but we aren't sure that it works perfectly.
The jury is out on the new Shutters concept. We both miss the sometimes intrusive ship photographers (they are on the Dream, but the numbers appeared a bit lower) and the endless number of photos plastered to the walls categorized by "Embarkation Day," "Animator's Palatte" and the like. Again, there is some of that, but half the fun of onboard ship photography is finding yourself on the wall and cringing at how badly you photograph...at least to us.
Animator's on The Dream is much improved over the classic ships and the classic ships should follow suit in their next dry docks. Enough said.
Crowds. Despite the horror stories, we didn't feel overwhelmed. There were times that we waited for an elevator a bit longer, and times that guests invariably lined up outside of dining rooms before they opened, but the crowds were not so unbearable as to affect the experience on board.
Senses Spa is beautiful, and the guest areas there and services provided are larger and more comprehensive than the Vista Spas on the classic ships. The workout area is also larger and light years ahead of the retrofitted ones on the classic ships.
The classic ships can learn from the Dream. The public areas that are dated or faded need a face lift and these areas should be reinvented with Dream-like technology. It will keep them fresh and justify their premium pricing.
The cabins on the Dream are indeed smaller than the classic ships, and it is noticeable and you have to ask yourself why. The Dream does a better job with storage under the beds and closets, but you can notice the shaving of that square footage from our Category 5A stateroom. In addition, we found it awkward that the split bathroom doors open out into the cabin on the Dream and not into the bathroom. That makes it difficult to walk past if the doors are open or to clear the steam from the full-size mirror mounted on the inside of the bathroom door (instead of on the cabin wall as in the classic ships). Light switches for the bathoom are between both doors in the middle, which, combined with the outward opening door, means illuminating the cabin in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. Not well planned.
The staff and crew on the Dream are extremely friendly and willing to serve and help. Great service and professionalism in our experience.
So where do I come out on a comparison between the classics and The Dream? It's probably not fair to judge quite yet. We have only cruised the Dream twice now in a four/three day itinerary which is clearly not as much fun as a longer, seven (or more) day itinerary. Perhaps if the Dream were doing an Eastern Caribbean seven-day itinerary, my experiences and views would change, and I clearly understand that my critique could be influenced by the history we have built with the classic ships, having logged more than 100 days between the two. But there are some systemic and design element flaws that cannot and will not be solved simply by repeat cruises, and we hope that we can sail on the Fantasy without some of these noted criticisms.
In short, it's a beautiful ship, it's still DCL and it raises the bar in terms of service and experiences as compared to the Carnivals and Norwegians of the world (who all look longingly at the Dream as it sits in ports-of-call). Having said that, we are really looking forward to returning to the Wonder next April for that 15-night Hawaii cruise and experiencing the (somewhat) dated design and technology circa 1999, all while listening to some live piano music in Cadillac Lounge. It will be as comfortable as that favorite pair of jeans we all own.
