Just back from the Dream! (Updated with pictures!!!)

[maminnie]

tink2300:

Thank you so much for your pictures and comments re the Dream.

It really is a beautiful and elegant ship. Having been on the Magic and Wonder, I love how they kept the Dream similar in look but bigger and with some new options. I have to say I am initially disappointed though in the family pool area. In pictures and reports thus far, it just seems too small to me to handle more people on sea days. Hoping that this is not the case as people begin to experience it for the first time. Maybe people will be more spread out and it won't be an issue.

Wish we were going on the Dream....maybe someday. To all travelling on the Dream, enjoy!!

 

[Tink2300]

So do you have the same restaurant on the 1st and last night on a 4-night cruise? I just booked Palo's for my daughter the first night in hopes that we did have 2 nights at 1 restaurant and also hoping that it is the same one on the 1st and last night. Thanks for your help.

Yes, you are correct! That aspect is just like the old ships! And you still have breakfast the morning you disembark at the restaurant you ate at the night before, just like the others as well.

 

[Tink2300]

tink2300:

Thank you so much for your pictures and comments re the Dream.

It really is a beautiful ship. Wish we were going on it....maybe someday.

To all travelling on the Dream, enjoy!!

Thank you!! If you have any other questions, just let me know! I was very lucky to be able to go on this preview cruise and I loved every single second of it!

 

[MrsJobba1]

Thank you so much taking the time I'm really excited about our August trip!

A quick ? What kind of food did they serve at cabanas ? Did each station serve different or did they repeat?

 

[Tink2300]

Thanks for your review and pictures! Everything looks amazing. What did you think of the food? Which was your favorite restaurant for that?

Palo was obviously amazing, but I like the choices at Animator's better than at the Enchanted Garden. I am a bit of a meat and potatoes girl and I don't venture too far outside the box. The Enchanted Garden really didn't have too much for me to choose from. The beef tenderloin with the barbeque reduction, potato soup (and I forgot what else I had at Animator's) were ALL excellent!

 

[Tink2300]

Thank you so much taking the time I'm really excited about our August trip!

A quick ? What kind of food did they serve at cabanas ? Did each station serve different or did they repeat?

Cabanas was absolutely amazing! I think the first day I had (don't judge me here, I usually eat very healthy but went out on a limb with this cruise - haha!) a piece of Hawaiian pizza, some pasta with marinara, a chicken tender, some garlic grilled chicken, mashed potatoes... I mean they really had everything. Everything from fries to pasta to burgers to pizza to salads to fruit to a carving station... it seemed like there was a station for it all!

And breakfast there was great as well. They had an egg station (it was called Surfin' US Eggs - ha), a cereal/oatmeal/museli station, a muffin/bread station, a yogurt and fresh fruit station, a hot station with pancakes and waffles (no Mickey waffles though) and bacon and hashbrown and Mexican pizzas and an omelet station, etc... once again, if you can think of it, they had it. Very impressive.

 

[dahuffy]

Palo was obviously amazing, but I like the choices at Animator's better than at the Enchanted Garden. I am a bit of a meat and potatoes girl and I don't venture too far outside the box. The Enchanted Garden really didn't have too much for me to choose from. The beef tenderloin with the barbeque reduction, potato soup (and I forgot what else I had at Animator's) were ALL excellent!

You sound like me!

 

[rivercountry4all]

My initial thoughts from the cruise...

I also did not see ONE big chocolate chip cookie ANYWHERE on the ship! Those are our favorite, and they weren't at the buffets or in any of the quick service places.

Do you know if they have chocolate chip cookes on the ship at all? On the Wonder, we would order warm cookies and milk at night before bedtime - I was looking forward to that on the Dream as well![/FONT

And finally, the Aqua Duck was the best water slide I have ever been on! I was so amazed at how hi-tech that ride was.

Question for you - how do the rafts get back up to the top of the slide? Do riders have to carry them up the stairs? Just curious..

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT INFO! We are looking forward to cruising 2/17!

 

[tink too]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and photos of the Dream - she looks great!

Makes me wonder what the people on deck 4 see when they look up!

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[Tink2300]

My initial thoughts from the cruise...

I also did not see ONE big chocolate chip cookie ANYWHERE on the ship! Those are our favorite, and they weren't at the buffets or in any of the quick service places.

Do you know if they have chocolate chip cookes on the ship at all? On the Wonder, we would order warm cookies and milk at night before bedtime - I was looking forward to that on the Dream as well![/FONT

And finally, the Aqua Duck was the best water slide I have ever been on! I was so amazed at how hi-tech that ride was.

Question for you - how do the rafts get back up to the top of the slide? Do riders have to carry them up the stairs? Just curious..

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT INFO! We are looking forward to cruising 2/17!

Although I didn't see any cookies, I may have just missed them. You can always get them from room service if you can't find them anywhere else. I just always remember them at the ice cream station and on the buffets, etc, but they weren't on this cruise! I missed my big cookies!

The rafts are propelled up to the top via this big hi-tech machine. It is very cool how it all works! The person at the bottom just puts the rafts into this machine and it lifts it to the top, where the person takes it out and puts it down in the conveyor belt for the next riders. It really truly is state-of-the-art!

 

[JohnO]

Hey thanks for sharing the info and pics!

John

 

[december]

The quick service area is right outside the adults area, while the drink stations are by the kid's area (right there outside the door to Cabanas and by the kid's pool). We were wondering why they were so far away from each other, but we think it is so each area wouldn't get too congested. There were two drink stations, so maybe that will help. It would be like walking on the Magic and Wonder from the adult area to the kid's area.

Our first cruise will be on the Dream in July of 2012, so I don't know anything but what I read on here! Is there a charge for the "fastfood" places, or are they included for free. I know I've read that the drink stations are included, but there are places that charge scattered around, and you have to pay for room service. What other charges should we be aware of (know about tipping, pictures, etc.)

 

[tchrrx]

Are there Mickey waffles anywhere on the ship? That's the one thing DH is actually looking forward to!

 

[Cliffside]

You are correct! Makes me so sad though... there is nothing to really host in the adult areas any more.. all the lounges and bars run themselves, you know? So he really wasn't around those areas much that I saw except the first night when he was greeting people. I'm not sure what all he does now... I did see him hosting the crab races on Castaway though. We talked to him for awhile... he is one of my favorite cast members ever!

I am a little confused.....the cruise staff does not host adult activities any more? We love going to Rockin Bar D for the adult entertainment and interacting with the cruise staff. What about shows like Match your Mate that is always one of the funniest shows on the ship. I also have fond memories of singing with my sister -in-law in a towel to We got the Beat for 80's night.

 

[wdw_girl_18]

Are there Mickey waffles anywhere on the ship? That's the one thing DH is actually looking forward to!

Me too! I was hoping they would have them for breakfast with room service!

OP- your pictures are amazing!! It's getting me excited about our cruise in march

 

[KingRichard]

Thank you so much.

 

[DMMarla07860]

I am a little confused.....the cruise staff does not host adult activities any more? We love going to Rockin Bar D for the adult entertainment and interacting with the cruise staff. What about shows like Match your Mate that is always one of the funniest shows on the ship. I also have fond memories of singing with my sister -in-law in a towel to We got the Beat for 80's night.

I'm thinking maybe since it was a preview cruise they didn't do all the normal stuff, I could be totally wrong though. I messaged a friend of mine that is part of the cruise staff and asked about it, hopefully I'll hear back.

 

[Tink2300]

Our first cruise will be on the Dream in July of 2012, so I don't know anything but what I read on here! Is there a charge for the "fastfood" places, or are they included for free. I know I've read that the drink stations are included, but there are places that charge scattered around, and you have to pay for room service. What other charges should we be aware of (know about tipping, pictures, etc.)

All of the quick service stations on board are included as well... the only things you should have to pay for are: Palo and Remy, there is a smoothie station right next to the quick service stations that does charge for special-made smoothies now (this is new), any coffees you get in the coffee bars (the Cove Cafe right next to the adult pool and the coffee bar that overlooks the main lobby on deck 5 across from Shutters), any alcoholic drinks you get on board (you can bring your own on board though. My group brought wine on board), any spa services, any internet usage, merchandise in he gift shops, shore excursions... and I think that might be it! Room service is actually included as well, but there might be a couple items you have to pay for (if you order sodas they do charge you to bring it to your room, so I suggest going to get it yourself for free on the deck!). Pictures are extra too, but you can always give your camera to the photo person and they will take the very same photo for you on your camera. Tipping is automatically included on bar tabs, tips in Palo are optional (although I always leave 5-10 additional at least) and DCL will tell you what the suggested tipping rates are for your head server, assistant server, main server and stateroom host/hostess. Just be sure to account for those tips before you leave, because they can add up. Parking at the port is also $!5 per day, and we always give the luggage guys at a the port a few dollars as well for handling our bags.

That might sound like a lot, but when it comes down to it, if you don't buy pictures, bring your own alcohol or don't drink at all, stay out of the spa and don't eat at Palo or Remy (the regular dining rooms are fantastic, don't worry), then you don't have to worry about a big bill at all. I actually did a cruise once where I went to Palo (back when it was $10) and I had one drink and that's all I bought and my grand total for the cruise was $30. We split the parking 4 ways among friends and that was about $10 each. Not too shabby. Of course, my bills seem to be going up and up and up the more I cruise (this was #9)!

 

[Tink2300]

Me too! I was hoping they would have them for breakfast with room service!

OP- your pictures are amazing!! It's getting me excited about our cruise in march

Thanks!

We didn't see Mickey waffles at any breakfast, but that doesn't mean they don't have them... maybe they just didn't make them since this was a preview cruise, but they weren't on any breakfast buffet that I was at, sadly enough!

 

[Tink2300]

I am a little confused.....the cruise staff does not host adult activities any more? We love going to Rockin Bar D for the adult entertainment and interacting with the cruise staff. What about shows like Match your Mate that is always one of the funniest shows on the ship. I also have fond memories of singing with my sister -in-law in a towel to We got the Beat for 80's night.

Well, they just do things so differently now... like the adult comedian show was in the Lake Buena Vista theatre this time, not in the D-Lounge (which would be the equivalent to Rockin Bar D)... and there were no "shows" or anything at all in any of the adult areas that I ever saw. I did see Match your Mate on the navigator, but there was only one show and it was at 7:45, not at 10:30 like usual. The only night show they had the 3 nights we were there was the comedian, and like I said, that was in a different part of the ship even though it was an adults-only show. I'm sure the cruise staff hosted that. I was confused at what the cruise staff really do on this ship, I saw Ponce, who was very involved in the Med cruise I was on this summer, only twice - once walking around the top deck and once greeting people for the Believe show. I only saw David once greeting people outside Evolution and then again hosting the crab races on Castaway. But then again, I agree and think that maybe things will change once the regular cruises get underway. It was just different because The District is such a popular place to go now that I'm not sure how much they will need night adult shows any more - and if they did, how many people would skip The District to go there. I am very interested to see how it eventually works itself out. Anyhow, if there was one thing we were disappointed in, it's that we didn't really get to know any Cast Members outside of our stateroom host and servers. Usually we know the whole cruise staff by the ends of our cruises and we just didn't see them this time.