Our trip to Tasmaina and Eden through Explorer Dream was amazing, would definitely do another trip with them again! From the moment we step onboard with complementary drinks and friendly faces, we felt welcomed. Checked into our cabins, very well presented, we were delighted to find out that we had an upgrade to level 11, mid ship. Every thing was accessible and convenient. Housekeeping had every minor detail down to a tee, with top ups of bottle water and complementary tea and coffee. With choices of 3 complementary dinning options as well as 11 paid eateries, we were spoiled for choice. We both enjoyed Dream dinning the best as the food and services was top notch, would have happily dinned there every day on this cruise breakfast , lunch and dinner. We both agree that the entertainment provided was enjoyable a mix for all ages, from the magic show with Vince Vignaud through to the staged productions like Rhythm Divine and Love Around the world they were all enthralling. Bands and music by Pianist Raz , Gold Dream duo, Major Impact Band and the Crossover Band were super entertaining. Must check October itinerary as Explorer Dream is coming back to Sydney then! Read Less

We chose this company solely on the price & sailed with them last November from Sydney to Gladstone, Mooloolaba, Brisbane back to Sydney. This time we sailed Sydney, Port Arthur, Hobart, Melbourne, Burnie back to Sydney. (Sydney Port Authority did not allow us to leave the harbour till the following evening due to VERY rough seas & bad storms, some passengers complained but I didn't, as a seasoned cruiser I appreciated it! We had smooth sailing from then on, the shows exceptional, it was our birthdays & they went above & beyond making us feel special! The staff remembered us from previous cruise & continued to give excellent service! We definitely will be back cruising with this company. We get to one port so they reimbursed us a considerable sum!! Never had this previously with ANYONE! Their cruise ship is amazing & staff fantastic, food was excellent too! We were inside cabin & found the room very clean, bathroom excellent, shower had A LOT of room. Read Less

We found the cruise prefect for our extended family of 9. We ranged in age from 10 to 80 and everyone found the cruise very enjoyable.The helpfulness and good humor of the onboard staff cannot be over emphasised. They were very friendly and never too busy to help out. The general mood on the cruise was very pleasant until we arrived in Auckland and a whole bunch of very complainy older Australians came onboard. Nothing the crew did seemed to be good enough for them and we were repeatedly embarrassed by their que jumping and general rudeness toward the onboard staff who continued to try to cater to thier needs. The variety of food onboard was very good and at all times, well prepared. We tried all of the onboard restaurants and found the food very nice in each. The quality of the onboard shows was extremely high and the performers were as good as any that can be seen anywhere in the world, most impressive. Generally a most enjoyable experience that we will be looking forward to repeating in the near future. Read Less

This was my first ever cruise at the age of 48 with my 2 girls, aged 10 & 18. Being from NZ it was nice to do a 7 night cruise around NZ. Stopping at Bay of Islands, Akaroa, Picton & Napier was nice. While I have been to most of these places with the exception of Akaroa it was nice to go there again as it has been some years to certain places and it was great to catch up with some family members in Picton & Napier that we don't get to see often. The ship was amazing, heaps of entertainment and activities so you could do as much or as little as you wanted. Food was amazing & I can honestly say that, myself and 1 of my daughters are Coeliac and we sure did not go hungry. The main place we ate at was The Lido and Min who was the Restaurant Manager was just amazing. The crew were just amazing and my 10 year old got lost on the 2nd day on board and she was looked after amazingly by the crew and the reception area, I was so thankful and appreciative of the way they cared for her and made her feel comfortable. Cabins while small have all that is needed. Having a balcony cabin was fantastic as it was nice to just relax in our room with the door open & be able to watch the water and have the fresh air. The biggest problem was the going into Port and having to get Tender boats, you would collect a ticket for the time that you wanted to go on the tender but those time tickets were never checked and it would often take over an hour from your chosen time to actually get to Port. I think people were ignoring the time they had selected and just going when they were ready so we started doing the same. There was also often a long wait to get from Port back to the Ship as everyone was heading back at the same sort of time. Along with this I do have to say that the crew getting you on and off the tender boat were amazing at safety and helping you on and off the boat, very reassuring. All in all my girls and myself had an amazing holiday and thank the crew on board for their wonderful service and help. The always available food and the fresh fruit was just incredible and I would go back again just for the food to be honest. Read Less

To be honest, we chose this ship for the price of the cruise (circumnavigating NZ) and the beautiful decor shown in photos. We were not disappointed! The decor is top quality - everything on the ship is the very best. Some may complain that some carpets were not replaced in the recent refurbishment but then some people have to find fault with everything! Best cruise we have ever experienced. Loved every minute and would go again tomorrow! We ate in the 'Dream Dining' room for every meal. Great food and the waiters very professional. All staff were great. There was a big choice of restaurants . The Zodiac theatre - huge! The entertainment, as good as any in Las Vegas. Huge casino! Embarkation and disembarkation quick and flawless. Fire drill well organized as was the organization of everything on the ship. Many spa pools and plus the large ones and a decent sized water slide. Bars and BBQ close by. We were able to walk around the entire outside of the ship - good for photos, especially in the 'Sounds'. I would give the cruise 91/2 out of 10. The other half taken off because of the lack of NZ news on the TV - all Australian (as is the currency used). Also, broadcasts were difficult to understand re the accents and sound volume. Daily newspapers were very informative. **If you have a bad back - take an inflatable support cushion as not one seat on the ship has anything but a straight back - with no support. The ship is fast at 25 knots full speed - to get around NZ in 7 nights, a lot of the shore excursions were necessarily quite short. For example if you can catch the first tender off at 9am (need to buy tender tickets the day before) the last tender leaves the shore at 12.30pm. It wasn't possible - apart from Bay of Islands stop to have time for a worthwhile paid excursion. People complain about the price of the drinks package. BYO - we did in our luggage - which was not checked at any stage! :) Strangely - being school holidays, there were very few children to be seen anywhere. We are two sisters on the wrong side of 50! Treat yourself to cruise on this beautiful ship. Read Less

This ship is an old Star Cruises ship ,but has just had a big make over. It has The Palace and normal classes.But do not let this put you off.We sailed normal class and it was good as any other ship We as seasoned cruisers enjoyed the ship and crew ,things done a little different than the normal western type of ship ship. We would rate the ship just below Princess over all, how ever the production shows are outstanding, the best we have seen at sea any where in the world .5 Star shows each night,do not miss any of them. They do many things very well , including letting you collect tender tickets the day before you need them so no rush on the day. Mixed crew even though the ship is mainly in the Chinese market , all try their best to please .Things can be lost in translation at times ,but they get things sorted in a happy way. There were many happy seasoned and first time cruisers on board and we look forward to our next cruise on Explorer Dream Read Less

we wanted a new experience and dream cruises deliver ,better main dining room food best shows and entertainment and above all the best crew. the shore tours are the usual prod a koala etc but my wife and i enjoyed a great day with the independent royaltouroz .com in Brisbane along with two other couples . the line is a little eccentric in some ways but great overall experience the mozzarella staff are wonderful . twice as nice and magician vincent world class the ship could do with a bar to hangout in ,specialty dining is way overpriced and was empty most nights .chef mark bests hamburger joint ,out of my price range . cakes are value drink packages are really cheap the themed evenings wonderful two dining rooms one western one asian are very good . if you want to have a great experience engage the staff in conversation ! this is far superior to other ships in australia . but the breakfast is hit and miss ,not bad just not quite there yet . Read Less

The destinations were numerous and interesting and the 14 days to relax after a 9 day tour of China was very inticing. The price was exceptional. On board the cruise staff were warm and welcoming. They did everything possible to make sure we had a happy and interesting time. Nothing was too much trouble. The dining options were numerous and varied. The food was beautifully presented and of a very high standard. The service was excellent provided by dining staff who did all they could to ensure we had a great experience. Our inside stateroom was very comfortable. We had tea and coffee making facilities along with a fridge. Our room was serviced daily and kept clean, with fresh towels and linen provided. We loved hanging out in the Palm Court, relaxing and enjoying a drink and a chat with the staff and other travellers. There were many inside and outside areas to visit and enjoy. The pool area was beautiful. We had many enjoyable experiences with cruise staff. We went to as many of the shows as possible. They were of the highest standard with world class acts. We also enjoyed the many other musical and other activities available. We had a wonderful time and would thoroughly recommend Explorer Dream to our friends and family. Read Less

I read many reviews and was really worried that our hard earned money was going to be wasted but found completely the opposite. The ship is new and very attractive everywhere. The cabin was clean and while a tad small had everything we needed or could possibly want. The crew were amazing, helpful, hard working and always ready to be making the whole experience wonderful. Plenty to do and we watched two amazing shows. Lots going on and the Zumba morning class was totally amazing. Lots of variety of things to do including bowling,games areas, climbing and lots of water fun things to do.Embarkation and disembarkation was easy and well managed. Both of us use a walking stick and at all times we felt acknowledged and "looked after" even though we were well able to manage independently. The lifts were plentiful and always available whereas on some cruises we have found many have been Priority use and so out of action. Each day we were in a different port and there was absolutely no hassle getting on or off the ship and that includes the one day we had to be tendered to shore.Food in the buffet was plentiful and nicely presented. A good range of cultures were catered for including Halal food. The other free restaurants were great and again not limited to Western or Asian tastes.We did not try the places requiring payment as there was no need. We are both fairly discerning eaters and seriously found no issues at all. The whole trip was total fun, very oriented to looking after the passengers, well organised and the ship itself is an absolute dream. Seriously I could not see what the issues I had read about were---we loved every second. Read Less

The experience first started when we arrived at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. There was a very long line of people waiting to check in and we thought we had to wait in the same line however I noticed a man holding a sign stating "The Palace guests" and I approached him. I told him I had booked a room called the Penthouse and without delay he escorted me and my family to a waiting area specially dedicated to The Palace guests. In that waiting area they had very delectable dim sums and an assortment of finger foods, along with fresh juices and water. The food and drinks were a very nice touch while checking in. We waited in that area for about 45 minutes and after that they had made an announcement that Palace guests could board the ship first. Boarding was a breeze as we were the first to board and I had no problems getting on the ship. The room I had booked was called the Penthouse, which is the second largest cabin on World Dream (the biggest being called Villa). I found my room to be very spacious and nice. The linens were very high quality and the bathroom was honestly the best part about the cabin. It was extremely spacious and the decor was very nice. Right after we were settled in our rooms, our butler came and introduced herself and gave us a fruit basket. She explained to us she could help us make reservations and book shore excursions among other things. She then proceeded to help us set up our free internet access on the ship. The Palace guests are entitled two devices for internet connection at standard speeds however if you need faster speeds you can purchase the premium plan. For me, the standard plan was more than enough as I averaged speeds at 15-20 mbps based on my tests. It was sufficient enough to stream Netflix and YouTube at 1080p rates. After helping us with our internet, she proceeded to give us a tour of the facilities that Palace guests could access. The Palace is different in the fact that it uses a concept called a ship within a ship. These facilities are not accessible to other guests who are not Palace guests. Facilities included a pool exclusive for Palace use, a sauna, a steam room and a gym. The pool almost always never had anyone so it was very peaceful. When it comes to dining, normal guests have access to 3 restaurants. The Dream Dining Lower, Dream Dining Upper and The Lido. The Lower is mainly Western food, Upper is mainly Chinese food and The Lido is an international buffet. For the Palace guests, We have access to a restaurant called The Palace restaurant. It serves very good quality food however the main differentiating factor is the service. There are many attentive waiters and waitresses that cater to whatever you want which is the main reason why most Palace guests only come to this restaurant instead of the other 3 included ones. Another reason why most Palace guests avoid the 3 other restaurants is due to the other guests. A lot of times you can struggle to get a table because there are many people eating at the same time which causes long wait times to get a table. In the Palace restaurant, I have never seen more than 30% of the place being filled. On top of the Palace restaurant, Palace guests also get one complimentary meal per day at any specialty restaurants on the ship. Personally my most favourite one had to be Umi Uma and the special pork they served. It was simply the best pork i have ever had, period. Also to note, Palace guests are entitled to a drinks package that covers all juices, soft drinks and a wide variety of beers and wines. Now when it came to the shows, we didn't have to make a reservation. The first five rows of the seats in the theatre was reserved for Palace guests which meant most the time the seats were not really filled. If anyone that was not a Palace guest tried to sit in the Palace area, staff would ask them to leave as they aren't entitled to the seats. I was particularly relieved the staff had asked them to leave as they were talking very loudly and were a nuisance. I couldn't care less if you were a Palace guest but being annoying was not welcome. For the excursions, the Palace guests have free excursions to Naha, where they showed the sights and shopping. when we arrived, there was a huge influx of passengers and it took some time to clear security. However once we entered the ship, the staff had reserved one elevator specifically for Palace guests which in my opinion was a very nice touch as the lines for the elevator were very long. After we came back from our long excursion, we were delighted to see a wide array of chocolates, fruits and biscuits presented beautifully on a multi level tray. It came coupled with a note from our butler which just made this experience even more personal and luxurious. The next day we were supposed to go to Miyakojima however the stop was canceled as the winds were just too strong for the tender boats so we were given on board credit to be spent at the souvenir shop on the ship. For disembarkation, we waited very briefly at the Silk Road restaurant before disembarking. Other passengers had to wait at the Zodiac Theatre and so we were the first ones to disembark. In summary, this was an amazing cruise made even better by the staff I had encountered. I would pay for it again if the quality of service and product was the same. Highly satisfied with everything on the cruise. Read Less

Went on 5 day cruise from HK to Philippines. Unfortunately, there were some changes to the itinerary prior to sailing ( Borocay closed by the government so went to Subic Bay instead, and Manila docking changed from 8am until 11am which was a bit annoying ). Embarkation in HK brilliant - mainly because so few people get on here, so no waiting time and pretty much straight on the ship. The downside to that is that you have a 3-4 hour wait in Nansha both ways to pick up and drop off the majority of the passengers, given this is an Asian ship catering for the Chinese market. We had an inside cabin and it suited us fine. It was spacious enough for 2 single beds, has fridge and safe and TV and kettle and all the things that you require in a cabin, apart from a view. Beds comfortable with nice pillows. Turn down service most nights, but no towel animals. As a vegan I always struggle on cruises. We ate in the Lido each meal and found a wonderful food manager, Burhan, who went out of his way to make sure that we had a hot vegan meal each night. The salads were some of the best I have seen on a cruise, with plenty of variety and although I struggled with breakfast only being able to eat fruit, there was ample choice for those that eat a full diet. The main dining rooms unfortunately offered very little in the way of vegetarian or vegan options. We did not eat at any of the speciality restaurants. Entertainment was once again great, with 3 different shows on our cruise, which you have to book once on board ( no charge ). The only issue we repeatedly find on this cruise line is the passengers come in late, stand in the aisle, talk and then leave before the show ends or the house lights come on. Staff did a good job trying to control this but they are fighting a losing battle. Cruise staff brilliant. Godie and his team on this cruise were fabulous and provided a variety of activities, with lots of fun and smiles. They really know how to make you feel welcome and how to get people involve and enjoying themselves. We did a Behind the Scenes tour, which is run by the cruise staff, and found this well worth doing and very interesting. There was dancing and a real party atmosphere most nights. The ship is lovely, and having also travelled on Genting, I liked this ship more. There are less poker machines and while the casino does spill out a bit, its not as bad as on Genting. The place is spotlessly cleaned, with staff constantly cleaning. Only issue is smoking is allowed on board in the casino, and the smoke does waft through the casino and the area around it. After 30 minutes sitting at a poker machine, which is a non smoking area, my clothes smelt of smoke. Although this is a ship designed and staffed for the Chinese market, we may have stood out but never felt left out as Westerners and everything we went to had both a Chinese and an English speaking staff member. We found all the English speaking staff very friendly and found more of the Chinese speaking staff making an effort on this cruise compared to previous cruises. Overall, we had a fabulous time on this cruise, mainly thanks to the cruise staff and how exceptionally nice they are and the generally nice Asian hospitality. Read Less

Just did a 6 days Hong Kong Vietnam Cruise, 2 adults with kids 9 and 11. It was our second cruise. Very glad we choose the PALACE SUITE upgrade, and this particular World Dream cruise-ship. The room is fantastic with a huge bathroom, much storage and an easy-to-fold down sleeper for the kids while the ship is less then a year old having cost almost a billion USD (build in Germany). The Palace VIP upgrade comes with many perks, e.g.: • Personal butler for your room available 6 x 15 hours. Can call her/him from anywhere on the ship to sort out small issues/make bookings/a lost bag/etc. • access to the VIP/PALACE area which covers about 1/3rd of the ship in the front. Economy class passengers do not have access to this area. The buffet restaurant (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper till 2am) is fantastic with great views/service/food. No need to queue here (while in economy obtaining a lobster requires strong elbows and immaculate timing Read Less

We cruised in a Palace Suite as the All Inclusive offer appealed to us and the cruise fare was not much more than a balcony cabin. The Palace is a private ship within a ship concept, complete with Butler service, drinks included, Palace speciality restaurant, free wifi and a chance to dine once at the other speciality restaurants on board We pretty much tried everything on board and loved the private Palace pool area which has a huge amount of loungers, mini cabanas etc all of which are hardly used so make for a nice peaceful sanctuary. There are 4 spa pools, two hot and two cold also in this area and there is no shortage of service around the pool area with drinks replenished on a regular basis. The Zook beach club is a neat area and they hold lively parties there at night, a bit like being in a top beach side night club. The ship is 2 years old but still has that brand new immaculate feel about as she is very well maintained. Try the water slides, they are a total rush with various speeds and hair raising drops for the adventurous Read Less