Zzz Posted May 26, 2013 Man, the interior! So TLC just pretends not to know how to do it right in almost all other themes? Great review, Oky! I love your pun at the end. Judging by the looks of the minifig I wouldn't trust any of these guys to steer such a behemoth, though. Might not be a coincidence that we get new coast guard sets soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oky Posted May 26, 2013 For me, this is without a doubt the best Friends set ever released. I don't see any aspect that is disappointing in this set, and I pretty much agree with your ratings. I agree! It's even more beautiful, playable, and useful than the previous flagship sets! you're right it would fit city easy......though there is too much detailing for regular city sets eh ? Now we have two female and one male figures - two single beds.....or are they doubles.....? Hehe, true. As for the beds, I guess the boy can sleep on the couch. Indeed, as Oky said they aren't quite out anywhere just yet, we arranged for Oky to receive this early, hence the box from TLG. And I am really thankful for that! I do have one criticism of the review: you forgot the all-important photo of one of the dolphins on the waterskis! Seems like a rather odd request to me, but alright, here you go! Water Skiing Dolphins by Oky - Space Ranger, on Flickr Its hard to tell from the pictures but does this contain anything that could be considered a map? (I am trying to collect every LEGO map ever made) Well, there is the sonar which I guess could count as a map of the sea, but there is no actual map piece. Great review, but one thing: the skis were introduced in Series 2 Minifigures, with the Skier, and later used on the Downhill Skier from Series 8, and also the Advent Calendar. What I meant was that it was exclusive in that azure color. Sorry for the confusion. I remember noticing that Peter from last year had larger arms than the females. This boy seems not to. It would be interesting to have a side-to-side comparison. Yeah, but unfortunately I don't have Peter, so I can't do that comparison, sorry. I don't know what went wrong , but the computer decided all my tekst must be striked though. Thank you for the nice review. I hope you had a nice holiday. Thanks! By the sound of it, I think I know who was responsible... (This is not making me look any more manly, is it? ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aanchir Posted May 26, 2013 (edited) Man, the interior! So TLC just pretends not to know how to do it right in almost all other themes? Great review, Oky! I love your pun at the end. Judging by the looks of the minifig I wouldn't trust any of these guys to steer such a behemoth, though. Might not be a coincidence that we get new coast guard sets soon. Keep in mind that though LEGO Friends figs and minifigures are similar in size, LEGO Friends scale tends to be quite a lot larger than the typical modern-day LEGO City scale just on account of the amount of extra detail. LEGO Friends sets are closer to the modular buildings in this respect. A cabin cruiser like this in LEGO City would be much smaller (probably like this one or this classic from my childhood) since the kids buying it (mostly boys) might not be interested in spending so much money on details like kitchens, beds, and bathrooms. Instead, they'd likely expect to see more vehicles and more minifigures if they're paying this kind of price. Thus, the footprint of a typical LEGO Friends building is easily twice the size it might be in LEGO City, and the same applies to the Dolphin Cruiser. Water Skiing Dolphins by Oky - Space Ranger, on Flickr Thanks; this made my day! Edited May 26, 2013 by Aanchir Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8BrickMario Posted May 26, 2013 (edited) Peters arms aren't as angled and are thicker than Andrew's: Edited May 26, 2013 by 8BrickMario Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Pascale Posted May 27, 2013 The whole review was well done and informative, I agree about the mirror and doors! the end of the review was funny as heck! They Just Wanted To Be FRIENDS!!! lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick Posted May 27, 2013 Thanks for the informative review Oky. I'm impressed with the detailed interior and the attention to detail, like the smartphone dock. As you say, there are some... oddities though. I've been wondering about why they didn't reverse the transparent panels (below deck), moved them one stud further back and included one extra panel on each side to place behind the white slope at the front. It'd avoid the sloped gap there. I'm not sure if that would interfere with some of the interior though. And just for fun, here's a comparison to my Friend Ship. They look quite similar, don't they? Either Lego stole my idea or I'm really good at predicting sets! Yours looks a little chubby in comparison. The official set could do with a more 'pointy' and smooth bow, but I imagine that's hard to achieve with the current LEGO piece selection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamweb Posted May 27, 2013 That's a very nice review and a very nice set, I might get it when it comes out. I find one thing strange though. The first thing that came to mind when looking at this water slide was - so after sliding they fall into the water, right where the ship's propeller is supposed to be. Ouch! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wolvarie Posted May 27, 2013 My youngest daughter is counting down the days until her birthday in July when this excellent set will dock at our house. Keep em coming Lego. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aanchir Posted May 27, 2013 That's a very nice review and a very nice set, I might get it when it comes out. I find one thing strange though. The first thing that came to mind when looking at this water slide was - so after sliding they fall into the water, right where the ship's propeller is supposed to be. Ouch! Yeah, I found that a bit peculiar as well. But then again it's a bit silly to think they'd be using the waterslide while the ship is moving. They're more responsible than that, right? :unsure: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8BrickMario Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) ^ Well, they're high-schoolers who are learning to drive and pilot, so they're sure to wreck some parts of the city. It's LEGO, so the lazy little minidolls can watch us rebuild after their accidents without an apology! And if they got hurt (taken apart), I'd probably leave the Friends in pieces and rebuild an unfortunate minifigure who got on the boat! (to some unsafe fate, I'm sure) I think the Friends would be just as careless if it were the Shark Cruiser! "Yeeees, Maya. Suuuuure it's safe to go on the slide..." Basically, what I'm trying to say, as a guy, is that the sets are good, with concepts that are far better than City, but I'd wind up giving the minidolls to some little girl who appreciates them. Long live minifigs! Edited May 28, 2013 by 8BrickMario Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TWP Posted May 27, 2013 Good and funny review oky! I can see a use of those dolfins, I think they can fit perfectly among my Clone Wars minifigs! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8BrickMario Posted May 28, 2013 (edited) ^This. Freakish eyes rule! Now I know that the hedgehog can be Anakin's pet. They can stare at each other creepily for hours.... Edited May 28, 2013 by 8BrickMario Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ajax Posted May 28, 2013 great review, great ship, can't wait to get it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legogal Posted May 28, 2013 Thanks! What a lovely ship and review! Great to have new mini figs, especially a Boy!!! Now the Friends can add a name to the boy of their dreams. Excellent design of ship with outstanding recommendations for adding windows, cabinets, ... Saw this in a toy shop in Old Town Zurich last week, and can't wait to buy it when it docks in the States.....woweeeeee! Nice comparison to your Friends' cruiser, Oky! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
badbob001 Posted May 28, 2013 (edited) Can you confirm that the boy's hair is not a new mold but the same mold as this one? Now imagine the "uproar" if the boy was dressed similar to the minifigure above. Of course, the lack of a shirt would greatly limit his use to just water scenarios and decorative purposes. Edited May 28, 2013 by badbob001 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Minifig Lecturer Posted May 28, 2013 Good review. Seems this is one of the better Friends sets. As usual some nice parts and useful colours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8BrickMario Posted May 28, 2013 Can you confirm that the boy's hair is not a new mold but the same mold as this one? *snip* Now imagine the "uproar" if the boy was dressed similar to the minifigure above. Of course, the lack of a shirt would greatly limit his use to just water scenarios and decorative purposes. The guys in the Friends theme get no new molds. As all hairpieces are cross-compatible between Friends and other LEGO, Andrew's hair is the same as the Surfers. Maybe if Andrew was shirtless, Oky would be more appealing to the Friends! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Laura Beinbrech Posted May 29, 2013 This is only $70?! I could have sworn, based on earlier pics that this was going to be another $100 ship (since that seems to be the usual going price for ships that use those Pirate hull pieces)... I want it more than ever now. Heck, I might even eventually get two (probably not). I like the boat parts and overall color scheme, and this would do nicely (once I re-arrange the interior a bit) as a cruise ship (although since this will be going in with my general setting, I guarantee that it will essentially be an armed merchant cruiser :D). I do have a sneaking suspicion that my wife may try and abscond with the dolphins, though..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferrik Posted May 30, 2013 Excellent review, Oky! The cruiser looks great with a nice choice of colours and looks quite sleek. The interior looks well-detailed to me and it's interesting to see all the furniture included. And the new dolphins look nice... This seems like an above average Friends set to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oky Posted June 1, 2013 Thanks again everybody! Thanks; this made my day! Glad you like it! Peters arms aren't as angled and are thicker than Andrew's: Ah, thanks for that comparison! Yes, it seems Andrew has a more girly figure than Peter. Maybe that's also why the Friends like him better than me? I've been wondering about why they didn't reverse the transparent panels (below deck), moved them one stud further back and included one extra panel on each side to place behind the white slope at the front. It'd avoid the sloped gap there. I'm not sure if that would interfere with some of the interior though. Yes, that would definitely be an easy way to solve that issue. The only downside would be that you can't put anything on the window ledge, but I don't think that would be much of a loss. Yours looks a little chubby in comparison. The official set could do with a more 'pointy' and smooth bow, but I imagine that's hard to achieve with the current LEGO piece selection. True, but that's kind of what I was going for since I wanted it to look cute. I find one thing strange though. The first thing that came to mind when looking at this water slide was - so after sliding they fall into the water, right where the ship's propeller is supposed to be. Ouch! Maybe the propeller is supposed to be hidden under that platform? But yeah, it does seem a bit unsafe... Next in the Friends theme: Heartlake Hospital! Can you confirm that the boy's hair is not a new mold but the same mold as this one? Yes, it definitely is the same mold and color. That's why I said he has Surfer hair. Maybe if Andrew was shirtless, Oky would be more appealing to the Friends! Wouldn't that make Andrew more appealing? This is only $70?! I could have sworn, based on earlier pics that this was going to be another $100 ship (since that seems to be the usual going price for ships that use those Pirate hull pieces)... Hm, good point. Compared to sets like Brickbeard's Bounty or the Black Pearl, it certainly seems like a much better deal. Maybe it's because the Pirate ships have more large pieces like masts and sails, plus a lot more minifigs? Who knows, but you definitely get your moneys worth with this set! I wonder why some people voted this set as "poor"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WhiteFang Posted June 1, 2013 Finally found the time to read up this informative review! Thank you Oky. It is definitely regarded as a very nice set to play with especially with so many useful playing features in the lower deck. It is certainly a fun looking cruise to be at. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8BrickMario Posted June 6, 2013 Wouldn't that make Andrew more appealing? Depends. Judging by his torso mold, he doesn't look too athletic, so I'm not sure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bonaparte Posted June 11, 2013 I just couldn't resist buying this set after seeing in this review how great if really is. Amazing set with a huge playability level. Thanks for making the review! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starstreak Posted June 13, 2013 If I squint really hard, this almost looks like the MP ship in Black Ops II. lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canada_7 Posted June 17, 2013 Even though I'm not collecting the friends line, this set is quite impressive. Though I'm guessing this set is gonna be around $90 or more in Canada. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
