MS Norwegian Dream

The Norwegian Dream departing Galveston Bay.
Career
Name:	1993—1998: Dreamward 1998—present: Norwegian Dream
Owner:	1993—2004: Norwegian Cruise Line[1] 2004 onwards: Star Cruises[2][3]
Operator:	Norwegian Cruise Line[1]:1993—2008
Port of registry:	Nassau,  Bahamas[1][4]
Builder:	Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France
Cost:	$240 million[5]
Yard number:	C30[1]
Laid down:	6 March 1991[6]
Launched:	24 February 1992[1]
Christened:	5 December 1992[1]
Acquired:	4 November 1992[1]
In service:	6 December 1992[1]
Identification:	IMO 9008419[1]
Status:	Currently not in active service
General characteristics (as built)[1]
Class and type:	Dreamward class cruise ship
Tonnage:	39,172 GRT
Displacement:	5,589 metric tons deadweight (DWT)
Length:	190.04 m (623 ft 6 in)
Beam:	28.80 m (94 ft 6 in)
Draught:	6.80 m (22 ft 4 in)
Ice class:	1 C[4]
Installed power:	2 × 8-cylinder, 2 × 6-cylinder MAN-B&W diesels combined 18,638 kW
Propulsion:	Two propellers[7]
Speed:	21 kn (38.89 km/h)
Capacity:	1246 passengers (all berths)[7]
General characteristics (after 1998 refit)[8]
Tonnage:	50,764 GT (gross tonnage)
Displacement:	6,731 DWT
Length:	229.84 m (754 ft 1 in)
Beam:	32.10 m (105 ft 4 in)
Draught:	7.00 m (23 ft 0 in)
Depth:	17.83 m (58 ft 6 in)
Decks:	10 (passenger accessible)[5]
Capacity:	1,750 passengers (lower berths) 2,156 passengers (all berths)[5]
Crew:	700[5]

MS Norwegian Dream is a cruise ship owned by Star Cruises.^[1][3] She was built in 1992 by the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France as MS Dreamward for traffic with Norwegian Cruise Line. In 1998 she was lengthened at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany and received her current name.^[1]

Concept and construction

The Dreamward was the first in a pair of two identical cruise ships ordered by Kloster Cruise for Norwegian Cruise Line from Chantiers de l'Atlantique. The sisters were planned with a gross register tonnage of approximately 40,000, and maximum passenger capacity of 1246 persons.^[1][7] However, they were also designed from the start with the concept of lengthening in mind, making it possible for the company to easily expand their capacity without having to order entirely new ships.^[9]

The lengthening was eventually carried out in March—May 1998 at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany, where the ship was cut in half and a new 40 m (131 ft 3 in) midsection was inserted. In addition to the lengthening, the ship's funnel and radar mast were adapted so that they could be folded down, allowing her to pass under the bridges of the Kiel Canal.^[1][5][10] Coinciding with the lengthening the Dreamward was renamed Norwegian Dream.^[1] She re-emerged at 50,764 GT (gross tonnage)^[8] and with maximum passenger capacity of 2,156.^[5]

Service history

The Dreamward was delivered on 4 November 1992. She named on 5 December 1992 at Port Everglades, and started on her first cruise to Bermuda the following day.^[1] Subsequently the ship was used for cruising from New York to the Bahamas and Florida to the Caribbean.^[7] Her sister was a year later as Windward.^[11] Originally both the Dreamward and Windward carried the early-90s Norwegian Cruise Line livery with a white funnel and red & blue decorative stripes on the hull.^[7][12] Sometime before 1998 they received the new NCL livery with a dark blue funnel and an all-white hull.^[10]

Norwegian Dream off Playa del Carmen

Following the lengthening and name-change in 1998, the Norwegian Dream was also used for cruising around Europe.^[10] On 24 August 1999, the Norwegian Dream was involved in a collision with the container ship Ever Decent while en-route from Zeebrügge, Belgium to Dover, England. Although her bow was damaged, the Norwegian Dream continued to Dover under her own power. Damages to the Ever Decent were minimal.^[1] The power on the Ever Decent was off due to a fire that occurred, and there was dense fog in the area causing the Norwegian Dream to be unable to see it and run into it.^{[citation needed]} Although there were no fatalities, the accident raised some criticism of the lack of oversight and the safety of non-United States -registered cruise vessels.^[13] Following the accident, the Norwegian Dream was repaired at Lloyd Werft.^[1]

In 2004 the ownerships of the Norwegian Dream was transferred to NCL's parent company Star Cruises, in preparation for possible sale or transfer to the Star Cruises fleet.^[2] On 10 December 2007, the Norwegian Dream was involved in a further collision with a barge whilst leaving the port of Montevideo, Uruguay. The collision caused some damage above the waterline which did not appear to be serious. The collision caused several cars and five containers to fall off the barge, which closed the port for some time.^[14]

On April 23, 2008 Star Cruises entered an agreement to sell the Norwegian Dream, as well as her fleetmate Norwegian Majesty, to the Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines, who were reportedly willing to pay $218 million for the ship.^[3][15] International Shipping Partners were also interested in the Norwegian Dream.^[16] Louis was supposed to pay the entire $218 million upon the ships delivery,^[15] but by 29 September 2008, when the ship should have been delivered to Louis, they canceled the deal due to "technical issues relating to the vessel".^[17] The deal for the Norwegian Majesty, however, was completed in July.^[15] From of November 2008, the Norwegian Dream is laid up in Freeport, Bahamas awaiting a buyer.^{[citation needed]}. The ship had a brief spell in the port of Piraeus, before relocating to Kalamata on June 13, 2011 for inspection by Louis Cruise Lines and Pullmantur Cruises. Shortly after she returned to the anchor point off Piraeus. On the move yet again Norwegian Dream was sighted at anchor in Singapore Harbour in June 2011 . Star Cruises confirmed that the vessel was in Singapore for a technical dry-dock.

View from the Sports Bar at the aft of the ship while traversing the Kiel Canal

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Asklander, Micke. "M/S Dreamward (1992)" (in in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/dreamward_1992.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-08. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Newman, Doug (2008-04-15). "Lloyd’s List: Three NCL Ships Nearly Sold". At Sea with Doug Newman. http://dougnewmanatsea.com/2008/04/15/lloyds-list-three-ncl-ships-nearly-sold/. Retrieved 2008-04-16. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Louis acquires Norwegian Dream and Majesty". Cruise Business Review. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. 2008-04-23. http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080423140950. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Vessel info: Norwegian Dream: Summary". DNV Exchange. Det Norske Veritas. https://exchange.dnv.com/Exchange/Main.aspx?EXTool=Vessel&VesselID=21462. Retrieved 2008-04-07. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Ward, Douglas (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. pp. 436–437. ISBN 981-246-739-4. 
6. ^ "Vessel info: Norwegian Dream: Yard". DNV Exchange. Det Norske Veritas. https://exchange.dnv.com/exchange/main.aspx?extool=vessel&subview=yard&vesselid=21462. Retrieved 2008-04-07. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d e} Miller, William H. Jr. (1995). The Pictorial Encycpedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994. Mineola: Dover Publications. p. 40. ISBN 0-486-28437-X. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Vessel info: Norwegian Dream: Dimensions". DNV Exchange. Det Norske Veritas. https://exchange.dnv.com/exchange/main.aspx?extool=vessel&subview=dimensions&vesselid=21462. Retrieved 2008-04-07. 
9. ^ Ward (2006). p. 440
10. ^ ^{a b c} "Norwegian Cruise Line - Page 3: The New Fleet Livery". Simplon Postcards. http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/NCLPCs3.html. Retrieved 2008-04-08. 
11. ^ Asklander, Micke. "M/S Windward (1993)" (in in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/windward_1993.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-08. 
12. ^ "Norwegian Cruise Line - Page 2: Second Generation Ships". Simplon Postcards. http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/NCLPCs2.html. Retrieved 2008-04-08. 
13. ^ "Foreign-Flag Cruise Industry Beset By Casualties". American Maritime Officer. http://www.amo-union.org/Newspaper/Morgue/10-1999/Sections/News/cruise.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-26. 
14. ^ "Cruise ship, barge collide in Montevideo". Reuters. 2007-12-10. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN10448469. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
15. ^ ^{a b c} Hand, Marcus (2008-09-30). "Star Cruises $218m Norwegian Dream sale fails". Lloyd's List. http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/star-cruises-218m-norwegian-dream-sale-fails/20017575692.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-30. ^{[dead link]}
16. ^ Newman, Doug (2008-04-18). "Seatrade: Pride of America Not Sold". At Sea with Doug Newman. http://dougnewmanatsea.com/2008/04/18/seatrade-pride-of-america-not-sold/. Retrieved 2008-04-19. 
17. ^ "No Dream for Louis Cruises". Cruise Business Review. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. 2008-09-30. http://www.cruisebusiness.com/cbr_old/news.php?u=20080930102316. Retrieved 2008-09-30. 

External links

• NCL Website
• CruiseCritic.com review
• Collision photos
• Collision photos