Writer Lisa Costantino based this independent review on her 7-day Western Caribbean cruise departing from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Norwegian Dream’s user-friendly offerings cater to the casual and laid-back cruiser. In service since 1992, this midsize vessel underwent a “stretch” in 1998, with a 130-foot section inserted midship. Along with the extra space came confusion, as few decks can be walked from stem to stern without a detour to another deck. Nevertheless, Dream offers good times in an attractive setting, with a palette of rose, rust, and shades of blue, mirrored surfaces, plentiful artwork, and a seemingly endless supply of lounges. The crew provides expert service with attitudes that vary from polite to effervescent, and the freestyle philosophy carries over to the clientele Dream tends to attract -- cruisers looking to relax, have fun, and take any ship shortcomings in stride.

Heard on the deck: “I don’t care if it’s only one deck down, I’m on vacation. I’m taking the elevator.”

Why Norwegian Dream?

• Freestyle foraging: Laidback dining includes open hours, tables for two, optional formal nights, and a variety of restaurants to choose from.
• Taking a load off: With outdoor deck chairs and indoor armchairs at every turn, Dream just may have the highest capacity of places to park your butt and kick back on the seas.
• Good sports: On our cruise, the comfy, versatile Sports Bar drew March Madness fanatics to its multiple TVs like bees to a soda can. The sports memorabilia collection is impressive for a cruise ship.

Who should go
Dream is for people who like parties, wacky contests, barbecues, drinking, and having a good time. All ages are welcome, but families with young children and the senior set should be wary of sailing during spring break and New Year’s, when the party machine cranks up to high, drunken 20-somethings flaunt their stuff, and revelers returning to their cabins in the wee hours can be downright infuriating.

Who shouldn’t go
Dream is not for the staid and the sedate, the easily shocked, and those looking for a quiet atmosphere. Sophisticates expecting anything resembling luxury and refinement will also be disappointed.

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The “PG-18” Liars Club, a ribald word-game show featuring guest comedians and the cruise directors, got the best laughs onboard.
• Best part of the ship: Sun Deck -- for madcap activities, daily barbecues, nightly dancing (in season), and people-watching.
• Best experience: Dining in Le Bistro specialty restaurant brought superb service and cuisine well worth the $15 outlay.
• Best shipboard activities: The “sexy man” contests include sexy legs, a drag show, and crew members emulating Chippendales. If you like that kind of thing, they’re a hoot.
• Needs improvement: The smoking policy and the ventilation system both favor the smoker, whose designated areas seem to include every public space save for the show lounge and indoor restaurants.
• Activities to skip: The daily art auctions were inexplicably well attended, given the annoying presentation and questionable artwork.

How to meet the captain
Attend the Captain’s Champagne Party on the first formal night. Be forewarned: The hordes of cruisers hoping for a photo with the captain make the enterprise one that merits a lot of patience. At least the bubbly and canapés are free. Latitudes members (past NCL cruisers) can meet the man in charge at a members-only reception.

Tips:

• Disembarkation from Dream is a snap. Get your luggage into the hallway at 2 AM the night before, hang out in your cabin while waiting to be called, and enjoy a fast and painless exit from the ship.
• A $10 per day gratuity ($5 for children) is automatically added to your account, and 15 percent is added to each bar and spa bill. Tip further only if you wish to reward outstanding service.
• Pack well or pay. There are no laundry facilities onboard, and cleaning and pressing services aren’t cheap (though there may be a half-price special on express pressing on the first formal night).

Norwegian’s Freestyle Cruising is best evidenced by the dining experience. Here assigned tables give over to restaurant-style seating. You may still share a table if you wish or if the dining room is packed, but a plethora of tables for two makes it easy for those who want to be alone. Dining hours are generous: Show up when you want, but be advised that the traditional lunch and dinner hours see the restaurants fill up fast, and waiting in line is common. Although formal wear is optional (the dress code throughout the cruise is resort casual), many still adhere to the “dress to the nines” tradition on formal nights.

Four Seasons Restaurant
Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the sun, starlight, and sea into this main dining room, where tables of all sizes cluster comfortably, bathed in mellow shades of blue, rose, and gold. The menus aren’t the most creative you’ll see at sea, but one welcome feature is daily Cooking Light recipes, such as eggs Sardou for breakfast, pasta Caprese for lunch, and Mediterranean chicken for dinner. Best executed are salads, soups (wonderful wild mushroom bisque), and desserts, but most entrées came out well, with dishes such as garlicky leg of lamb and crouton-crusted grouper winning favor with many, and the pan-fried vegetable skewers pleasing the vegetarians. Service is pleasant and efficient. Four Seasons is a no-fee restaurant.

The Terrace
Tiers of tables (mostly for two or four) stair-step down to windows overlooking the aft pool in this secondary dining room, where an expansive undersea mural decorates the back wall. The Terrace offers the same menu as Four Seasons, and is also no-fee.

Le Bistro
Dinner at this softly lit, intimate specialty restaurant costs $15, but it’s worth it. The unchanging menu features a trio of appetizers, salads, and soups, plus five entrées. Service is superb, as are the dishes, including escargot in garlic butter, filet mignon with a choice of sauces, salmon in sorrel cream sauce, grouper with tomato concasse, and a quartet of vegetable creations. Also for your pleasure: Pan-seared fois gras (add $8) and surf and turf (add $5). Desserts are appropriately decadent: Chocolate fondue, lemon tart, chocolate cake, and a flambé du jour.

Trattoria
Similar to The Terrace in configuration and view (and often confused with the other), the smaller and somewhat more casual Trattoria offers a varied but unchanging menu (varied enough to enjoy dining here several times during the course of a cruise). Along with a small selection of starters like bruschetta, minestrone, and calamari, Trattoria offers such entrées as osso bucco, beef alla arrabiata, pollo al forno, and a well-prepared fish of the day (halibut, tilipia, grouper). No dining fee.

Other dining options

• Sports Bar & Grill: This quick and easy buffet includes a limited salad bar; basic entrées like meat lasagna, chicken enchiladas, and macaroni and beef; an “ethnic bar” with made-to-order Oriental soup and a two-entrée (one meat, one veg) Indian curry bar; and an Asian buffet with two kinds of fried rice, sweet and sour vegetables, broccoli and beef, and pork hoisin. This is also the place for very Americanized afternoon tea, with scones, tea cakes, sandwiches, cookies, and mini-eclairs; plus burgers, franks, pizza, and French fries.
• Pizzeria/Omelet Bar: This cramped buffet area by the Sun Deck pool has a limited number of breakfast and lunch selections. A made-to-order omelet bar lurks just outside.
• BBQs: Nearly every afternoon, and at most sailaways, Sun Deck becomes barbecue central, with a half-dozen grills and food stations. A few warming trays of sides accompany massive amounts of grilled meats, like burgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs, and sausages.
• Room Service: It may be available 24 hours a day, but the menu is tiny. Breakfasts are limited to cold items, with basic snacks offered the rest of the day (no ordering off the main dining room menu). Room service is free, but items purchased from the “special occasion” menu (including canapés and caviar) will cost you $16 to $30 each. Service is fairly prompt.

Best dining

• Dish: Le Bistro’s surf and turf -- at $20, it’s not a bargain, but the combo of broiled lobster tail and filet mignon in béarnaise sauce pleased many a refined palette.
• Dessert: Le Bistro’s decadent chocolate fondue -- served with fresh fruits for dunking.
• Restaurant: Le Bistro, of course, for superior dining.
• Food seminar: The wine tasting seminar -- five glasses of international reds and whites, cheese and crackers for cleansing the palate, and a step-by-step guide on how to sip, sample, and savor -- all for $10.

How to…

• Get a table for two: No need to make special arrangements -- all of Dream’s restaurants offer a number of tables for two.
• Celebrate a birthday or anniversary: A word with the maître d’ will get you a small cake and a serenade of either “Happy Birthday” or “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Want more? Purchase a celebration package, which range from $79 to $229 and feature all kinds of romantic treats. Want less? A package with streamers, confetti, balloons, and cake will cost you $30.
• Change seating: Again, no worries. With freestyle dining, there are no assigned seats.
• Dress for formal night: Simply put, dress nice. Formal wear was in abundance on our cruise, but pockets of more simply attired folks were also seen. Tux rentals are available.
• Dress for casual night: Anything goes except jeans, shorts, and scruffy Ts or tank tops.

Tips:

• Hours for most restaurants vary depending on time in port, and occasionally you’ll find one unexpectedly closed for lunch, so consult the Freestyle Daily newsletter.
• Reservations can be made for the Four Seasons (recommended on formal nights), and are essential for dining in Le Bistro (a cancellation made after 5 PM tacks $5 per person onto your account).
• Le Bistro hosts a lunchtime sushi buffet on the first at-sea day. All you can eat, $10.
• The Coffee Bar, located between the two main restaurants, serves up tasty coffee drinks (with and without alcohol) and cocktails. Armchairs and tables are in abundance, but nonsmokers beware -- at times, the area can be quite hazy.
• The ice cream “parlor,” a walk-up window on Sun Deck, dishes up a dozen or so flavors of ice cream and sherbet each afternoon. Go early -- the best flavors run out quickly.
• Attend the final formal night in Four Seasons or the Terrace for a free glass of wine.
• Oenophiles: Buy five bottles of wine in any of the ship’s restaurants and receive a sixth one free.

Dream’s standard cabins are of modest size (152 square feet) and pleasantly appointed, providing a comfortable respite from the frenzy of activities. Blue fabrics and golden-toned wood veneers reflect the sun and sea outside (if you’re fortunate enough to have a window); Oceanview cabins outrank insides 4 to 1, but some views consist of lifeboat interiors. Balcony cabins are few and far between. The beds are topped with duvets, flanked by tiny nightstands, and have plenty of space below for luggage. A loveseat, ottoman, and cocktail table adorn the small sitting area, as do a cabinet with shelves and drawers (good for souvenirs, not clothing) and a small TV. Reception and channel selection is fair, but the movie channels play an endless loop of mostly grade B flicks.

Also limited is surface space. The “desk” below the vanity mirror barely holds a few bottles of makeup and a hairbrush, let alone a laptop. There are no drawers but plenty of shelves in the closet, though less flexible cruisers may have trouble reaching them. Shelves are also in abundance in the bathroom, as is sink space, but the shower requires creative standing (or possibly even holding your breath -- they're that tiny). Amenities include a hair dryer, shampoo, soap, lotion, and shower cap. The 18 suites add living rooms, refrigerators, bathtubs, and stereos with CDs. But no matter what the category, the stewards and their assistants provide excellent and unobtrusive service, turndown chocolates, and, best of all, a new towel animal to greet you each night.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Dream’s wheelchair accessibility ranks high in special-needs ratings. Thirteen accessible cabins are roomy and feature large, roll-in showers with grab bars. Under-pillow vibrating alarms are available to hearing-impaired guests, and guide dogs are permitted.

Tips:

• Choose your cabin carefully if you can: The oceanview cabins on Norway and Promenade decks may feature large windows, but some on Norway are blocked by lifeboats and some on Promenade look out on the walking/jogging track. Some cabins on Atlantic Deck sit under the track and can also be noisy.
• If you want to stay up on current events, order from a list of newspapers and one will be delivered to your cabin for $3.95 per day. Order a paper for five or more days and receive 15 free minutes in the Internet Café.
• Beach blanket beware: Return your beach towel after returning from port or it’ll cost you $25.

With bars, dance floors, and armchairs at every turn, Dream could practically be called a floating lounge, with numerous choices of where to plant yourself for coffee, drinks, a chat, or a game of cards. With a little legwork, you can find an unoccupied, cozy nook at just about any time of day (though some with secondhand smoke). Décor pleases the eye with its emphasis on blues, mirrored accents, and artwork that alternates between color-splashed landscapes, vintage architectural drawings, and sports photography. (Maddeningly, none of the pieces are labeled.) The ship’s interior flow is filled with interruptions, thanks to its 1998 stretch. Activities are frequent and well-attended, with many taking place on Sun Deck (during sunny weather). While bawdy contests cater to the party crowd, those not part of the Speedo-and-bikini brigade can engage in basketball, ping-pong, shuffleboard, and golf-putting tourneys. Indoors, the ubiquitous bingo mania and art auctions compete with trivia games, lectures, beauty seminars, dance lessons, and crafts.

Bars, lounges, and casino
On hot nights in the Caribbean, the most popular place to be is not within walls but by the pool for drinking, dance lessons, and entertainment. As the night wears on, party people head to the Observatory Lounge for late-night disco dancing and karaoke. Elsewhere, more sedate sailors cluster in the Rendezvous Bar for drinks and old-style crooning courtesy of Romeo Irabagon. The smallish Dazzles bar sees ballroom dance fans take turns on the dance floor early on and disco as the morning beckons. Nearby, Lucky’s bar serves the martini set. The Monte Carlo Casino is situated such that it requires cruisers to pass through if they want to reach the forward section of Star Deck (another byproduct of the stretch). Otherwise, the setup is symmetrically pleasing: Two largish areas for slots surround a raised platform that harbors a dozen tables offering the standard casino games. Tournaments are frequent, but most gamers are content to stay glued to one of the 161 slot machines. Lucky (or not) for them, most nights offer all-night slots. Late-night canapés and desserts are serves in both the casino and Lucky’s.

Heard on the deck (from a man losing endless “Krack-It” scratch-card games): “I’m not taking a cruise, I’m getting a bruise.”

Swimming pools
Two smallish but inviting pools -- one midship on the ever-crowded Sun Deck, the other located aft of International Deck -- provide cooling-off time but not enough length for serious laps. Both feature shallow shelves that lead to a center reaching six feet deep. The two hot tubs on Sports Deck (kids must be at least 12 unless with an adult) were heavily used the length of our spring cruise. The swim-up wet bar with 15 stools was a veritable zoo.

Shows
The two-tier Stardust Lounge delights show-goers with plush armchairs, quality acoustics and lighting, a proscenium stage, and decent sight lines (slender poles obstruct some views). During the day, you’ll find bingo and the occasional movie (with popcorn!). At night, the show lounge comes alive with the ship’s featured entertainment. Of the Jean Ann Ryan Company production numbers (earnestly performed but a bit amateurish), most popular are Country Gold and Rock This Town (which, incidentally, has nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll). Guest entertainers come and go, but if you can catch Pete Matthews’s frenzied comic juggling act, do so -- he was our personal favorite.

Shore excursions
Good news for procrastinators: Shore excursions on Dream come without the deadlines of some other ships. They do, however, sell out, at least the more popular ones, so it’s still best to book as soon as you’re sure of the excursions you wish to take. Booking online is available but confusing; pre-cruise, faxing or snail-mailing the forms that come with your cruise documents is best. On the ship, visit the shore excursion desk during open hours or use the 24-hour drop box. Cancel your tour 24 hours before arrival in port and you won’t be charged. No refunds are given on the day of the tour.

Wedding and vow renewals
There is no chapel aboard Dream (church services are held in a conference room), but you wouldn’t want to wed or renew your vows onboard anyway. Instead, contact NCL’s wedding planner, The Wedding Experience, before your departure date to arrange in-port nuptials with all the trimmings. Honeymoon cruisers should look into the various romance and celebration packages on offer.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: A handful of deck chairs on the covered aft section of Norway Deck offer refuge for those who would rather devour a good book than sweat amidst a sea of skin.
• Liveliest spot: Sun Deck, hands-down -- on a warm day, you have to look hard for an empty chair. And during the Caribbean Deck Party, just try to reach the tropical fruit buffet through the throngs of drinkers, dancers, and bartenders demonstrating their cocktail-making chops.
• Best view: Great views can be had along the railing of the top three decks. For views away from the elements, head to the Observatory Lounge.
• Best drink: For cooling off, try the creamy piña coladas. For perking up, go for the Colombian Godfather coffee cocktail, with Chivas Regal, amaretto, coffee, and whipped cream.
• Best show: For unrehearsed laughs and unexpected gaffes, don’t miss the Newlywed/Not So Newlywed Game and the late-night Liars Club. Though the latter is billed as “PG-18” (and rightly so), we saw a number of children in attendance, but not to worry: Nearly every kid observed seemed bored with the adult material.
• Best activity: Don’t miss your chance to drool over the bounty of chocolate goodies at the late-night Chocoholic Buffet.

Heard on the deck: “Ahhh. That was the best piña colada I’ve had in recent memory.”

Tips:

• The 24-hour Internet café features eight stations with flat-screen monitors and an attendant who helps with the log-in process. Packages are available, or pay as you go (75¢ per minute). There’s a one-time activation fee of $3.95; printouts are 50¢ each. Wireless cards can be rented for $10/day, laptops for $20/day. Café happy hours feature half-off prices and long lines (times vary). If you’re considering buying a package, do so on embarkation night and receive 15 minutes free.
• The library, a wall of books that leads into the Internet Café, keeps its tomes behind locked glass doors. Arrange checkouts through the library attendant (not the computer attendant), who’s only available a few hours a day. The plethora of board games opposite the books are unattended. The adjacent lounge area fills with Scrabble and Yahtzee fans during lull hours.
• During the day, the piano in Lucky’s is open to all comers for do-it-yourself karaoke.
• Attend (some may say endure) one of the 90-minute art auctions and receive a free glass of champagne, plus a poster of one of the featured artworks.
• Take a free lesson in any of the casino’s table games on embarkation day and the first at-sea day and receive a free $5 match-play coupon (to go with your free “spin to win” coupon from your itinerary packet).
• Bingo junkies should show up bright and early in the Stardust Lounge on the first at-sea day for a free $5 bingo card.
• Even if you don’t like the shows, try to catch the Norwegian Dream Showband during their Big Band Tribute, or when they’re grooving on jazz. Their musicianship and senses of humor are both top-notch.
• Souvenir glasses abound and are actually a good deal: Pay for the glass and drink and get refills throughout the cruise at $1 off.
• Popular with the rowdies is the “buy five beers, get the sixth one free” deal. Pay $5 extra and get them in a yellow souvenir football helmet.

Spa and salon
While many spas at sea play up the exotic mysticism of the pampering experience, Dream’s modest Mandara Spa and Salon seems entrenched in the practical. It’s limited to a reception area, a handful of massage/treatment rooms, and gender-specific locker rooms with minimal amenities and a tiny sauna and steam room. The massage rooms lack mood-enhancing music or aromatics, and tables consist of two chairs and a flat surface, all padded and admittedly quite comfortable. Treatments are relaxing (unless it’s practice time in the Stardust Lounge below), but don’t quite measure up to their exotic names: Frangipani body wrap, coconut rub and milk ritual wrap, pro-collagen marine facial, and the like. The staff is efficient and friendly. The salon offers a convivial atmosphere amidst slightly cramped quarters. We paid a collective five visits to the spa and salon and never caught a whiff of a sales pitch.

Fitness areas
Two small but well-equipped fitness areas flank the spa reception area, one furnished with eight weight machines and an array of free weights; the other, a dozen-plus cardio machines including treadmills, ellipticals, stair-steppers, and stationary bikes. If you plan to work out, choose your times carefully: The cardio room stays packed at all hours (except when in port). But they are open 24 hours, and limited to passengers 16 and older. Exercise classes are held on the nearby Observatory Lounge’s dance floor. Most are free, but yoga and Pilates require a pass ($30 for three classes). Two to three classes are held each day; times vary, so double check in the fitness center.

Tips:

• Sky Deck offers a basketball/volleyball court, shuffleboard, ping-pong tables, and a golf driving net. The jogging/walking track on Promenade Deck gets busy pre-meal hours and joggers can be aggressive.
• The spa/salon offers port-day specials on many of their treatments and services. They’re not cheap, but cheaper. Also on offer are “spa taster” packages, combining shorter versions of several treatments so you can sample services.
• If you cancel your spa appointment less than 24 hours before the scheduled time you will pay a 50 percent charge.
• Teeth-whitening treatments are hawked daily at seminars; book one session and receive 40 percent off the second.

Heard on the deck (from a spa masseuse on the invasive sounds from the show lounge): “If they ever need a replacement, I know all the words by heart.”

Dream’s Galleria shopping arcade is casual, with luxury items far outweighed by kitsch and $10 gifts. Wares include jewelry (with an emphasis on amber), name-brand watches and sunglasses, perfume, scarves, handbags, kid stuff, candy, a limited selection of booze and cigs, practical clothing, and destination-oriented souvenirs. There’s also an art gallery where you can preview the pieces up for auction. The arcade suffers from the overflow of smoke wafting over from the casino, making the shopping experience less than ideal. However, there are daily half-price sales on just about every category of goods, making the stale air tolerable long enough to whip out your cruise account card.

Tips:

• Looking for something special to buy? Attend a diamond and gem seminar or jewelry trunk show, have a glass of free champagne, and enter raffles to win free jewelry.
• Dream’s partners in port offer deals such as a free tote bag with any $10 purchase, for maybe a free diamond charm bracelet. Look for coupons in your Freestyle Daily newsletter.

Activities for children center around Kids Korner and the Youth Center. The kids’ programs are well-organized and full of fun things to do. Parents should attend registration and orientation on the eve of embarkation to meet the counselors and get the skinny on activities. Kids are separated into age groups of 2-5, 6-9, and 10-12. Activities include crafts, face painting, beach and pajama parties, story hour, word games, and pirate dress-up. On the last full day of the cruise, the kids host an afternoon talent show in Dazzles, which was very well attended on our cruise. Teens (13-17) enjoy sports, dancing to music from the jukebox, movies on the 45" TV, bingo, and games such as “battle of the sexes.” Rooms tend to be a bit small and dark, but the kids don’t seem to mind.

Tips:

• Security is a top priority for the Kid’s Crew. Children 2-12 wear ID wristbands at all times, and only adult family members may sign them out after presenting proper identification.
• Parents with children of diaper age are issued beepers that will notify them of changing or other matters requiring their attention.
• Adjacent to the Youth Center is the ship’s 24-hour video arcade, with 14 game machines.
• Group babysitting by the Kid’s Crew counselors is available for children ages 2-12. The fee is $5 per child, per hour. Hours are 10 PM to 1 AM, plus 9 AM to 5 PM on port days (sign-up must be completed by 8 PM the night before).
• Keep your kids buzzing with energy by purchasing a Kid’s Crew all-you-can-drink soda program: 3 days for $8, 4 days for $10, 7 days for $16, or 10 days for $22.
• The Teen Passport gives teens tickets for 20 beverages (including smoothies and virgin cocktails), and entrance into two pizza parties with deejay, all for $34.50.
• Kid’s Crew Value Packages gives kids a backpack, T-shirt, baseball cap, and the beverage program. The cost is $33 for 4 days or $39.50 for 7 days.
• The main restaurants offer kids’ menus for both lunch and dinner, though children are always welcome to order off the more interesting adult menu.

Norwegian Dream basks in the Caribbean sunshine October through April, then cools off amid the glacial splendor of Alaska May through September. Single repositioning cruises in May and September visit the Panama Canal and the Pacific Coast to round out Dream’s 2005-2006 calendar.

• Former name - Dreamward
• Type of cruise - Resort-Casual
• Total cabins - 866
• Private balcony cabins - 74
• Decks - 10
• Total crew - 700
• Ship size - Large
• Passenger capacity - 1748
• Tonnage - 50760
• Officers nationality - Scandinavian/International
• Registry - Bahamas
• Year entered service - 1992
• Ship length - 754