Dream in 2 days...is it really that bad????

[Jabee]

Karaoke was great...don't forget karaoke!!!! :D

 

To the OP...

 

Please remember, the Dream is a new ship. The reviews are from people who sailed

on some of its first cruises. You will be onboard after she has been running for a

couple of months.

 

I suspect that the ship has improved...such as knowing when to expect long lines at the

buffet and pizza....crew getting to know each other, and hopefully being friendlier...

and any odors have probably been repaired....

 

I think you get to go at a great time, as you wil get the full blown real Dream that others

will enjoy in the future.

 

And...Linda...

 

I could not believed you had already posted twice and not mentioned Karaoke....I was getting worried....

 

Ok...now all it right with the world.....you may resume your Christmas Eve activities....

 

Come on Linda....Triumph on March 13.....the King and Queen together at last....

 

JB

[zqvol]

Heck, I paid a fortune for this New Years cruise, yet 90% of reviews seem horrendous....I always think any day on a cruise is better than a day at work etc...as long as the sun is shining, i can tan, relax etc is usually my "dream" but with a forecast of rain every day next week at the ports of call and the bad bad reviews, sewage smells, long lines.....getting a little concerned....do I need to be? pls reassure me ....:confused:

 

I can tell you that we were in the Caribbean last week, with a similar forecast and it only rained one night while we slept. As far as the other issues, I would not get on Dream if someone gave me the highest class suite available and paid the air and gratuities too. IMO it is simply too big.

[ryoku]

I like you was concerned about the reviews. After all we paid more for this cruise that we needed to considering we could have booked almost the same trip from Tampa on an older ship. We wanted to end our "just the 2 of us" vacations on the brand new ship. After thinking it over and talking with my DH, here are my thoughts.

 

Long lines-we typically don't eat meals at the traditional times. We tend to be late eaters due to my work schedule. I'm not concerned about this. Besides, there won't be any lines for dinner because we will go to the MDR and have late seating.

 

Smelly-I have a month to go and believe if not already repaired it will be soon.

 

Crowded areas-This one still bothers me but we will take our little highlighter to the capers and make sure we get to any shows quite early. We will bring a deck of cards to pass the time or possible look through the pics on my camera or have a drink and chat. *note* I think this only bothers me because on our last cruise we were unable to get to the lounge to see the adult comedy show because it was overflowing with people. This guy was hilarious and I really wanted to go, along with everyone else.

 

I think having all the facts/opinions will make my expectations realistic. I will expect some of this and will not be as upset as if I didn't know. I'm excited to read your review when you come back and see how you can compare all the negatives with your first hand experience. Have a great cruise!!!

[going2cruz]

I'd like to see more reviews of this ship from established CC members. (meaning someone who posted here, even if only a couple times, prior to their cruise) I understand that everyone is 'new' to CC at one point, but my trust factor is dwindling rapidly around here, sadly. The worst reviews are from brand new members, which leads me to believe that it's just an attempt to bash the ship/line.

It's not like I think Carnival is perfect (by any means) and I am not fond at all of their ship design or decor (you would think they'd 'get it' by now in the crowd-control department) but I think the competition between lines here on the boards is ridiculous. And if RCCL has 'Champions' to promote their line, what's to say there aren't people out there to talk trash about other lines in order to steer them away?

 

So, OP, we look forward to your review when you return.

 

 

Cruiser41051 wrote this STORY and I can't find one post by him....

 

 

 

That DREAMY Smell??

 

Before I attempt to sink the Dream, I should disclose that this is my first review on Cruise Critic and I have only been on two cruises: Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas and of course, the Carnival Dream. That being said, I feel I may be able to help future cruisers steer clear of this floating trainwreck.

 

My wife and I booked the Carnival Dream because we wanted to "try" Carnival and we thought this new ship would be the perfect opportunity to see how Carnival compares to Royal Caribbean. We didn't want to spend the additional money to cruise on RCI's new "Oasis of the Seas" so we thought the Dream would be a perfect compromise.

In reality, having the chance to cruise on this brand new ship was about the same as attending the grand opening of a Super Wal-Mart. Take thousands of cruisers walking around aimlessly, add hundreds of rude and untrained employees, sprinkle in some sort of mysterious odor, and you have one colossal floating Wal-Mart. Carnival is an appropriate name because it does attract quite a few carnies. All that was missing was cotton candy and circus music.

I'll try to hit on some major points that will be helpful to future cruisers. Here goes...

Stateroom: Our room was actually very impressive. We had a 9th floor balcony with a large bed. It was clean and spacious, and Carnival includes some nice samples of toothpaste and other toiletries, and the shower has a soap and shampoo dispenser which is very handy. The flat-screen television was also a nice touch. The stateroom was probably the only spot on the ship where I did not feel cramped or crowded. Note to Carnival: Add a sticker to the balcony doors which states "For Courtesy of Other Guests, Please Do Not Slam Door." This ship will not last long if guest continue to slam the balcony doors - you can literally feel the walls shaking. Besides that, the staterooms get an "A+". I'll give credit where credit is due.

Ship Layout: Pack a lunch if you plan to go from your stateroom to the dinner room. The journey often involves going up and down several decks in order to reach the dining room. You will get lost and frustrated. For such a large ship, it's very "segmented". Carnival truly did add a lot more cabins but not much open space. Expect lines everywhere you go. Your best bet for food? Grab as many boxes of cereal as you can and stuff them in your bag. Breakfast and lunch are a debacle. I am not a picky eater but the food was really bad, and that was when I was able to actually make it through the buffet lines.

As mentioned in other reviews, the pools are tiny but there are PLENTY of deckchairs so you'll be able to find a place to relax after a long day of getting lost on the Lido deck. But for such a huge ship, don't be surprised if you feel disoriented quite a bit. After five days, I still wasn't sure where I was going. Ship Layout gets a "D".

Service and Staff: The staff is mediocre. There are some bright spots. The bartenders at the main bar on the promenade are awesome. We visited Stella every night for a pre-dinner cocktail and we were never disappointed. Most of the waiters and room stewards are overwhelmed and it shows. They can be friendly, but very rarely do they go out of their way. I actually felt sorry for them because I think they are severly overworked. Service Desk and Excursions Desk staff are terrible. We had an excursion canceled due to "lack of participation" but the representative working the desk was rude and not the least bit sympathetic. We were basically handed a list of other excursions and told to pick one. The cruise director Todd and his sidekick James seemed bored and condescending. During the "Morning Show" which was televised, they looked more hungover than me. James spent most of the time coughing and picking his nose and ears. Not a good way to represent thousands of employees who look up to these guys to set the example. I think they were lost most of the time just like the rest of us. We also cracked up when Todd told the crowd his favorite place is Hawaii - just what you want to tell a bunch of cruisers going to the Caribbean. Todd and James have a third buddy named Jeff Shaw (Jeff the Fun Dude) running around and warming up the comedians at the comedy club. Out of the three, Jeff is the best by far, but his sarcasm goes beyond comedy and makes you feel uncomfortable. Definitely not the guy you would want to say hello to if you passed him in your hallway. Other examples: we were never offered a drink (except for water) at dinner until we asked, we ordered room service one day and it never arrived, I spent $8 on Dramamine only to find out the ship offers free samples in the doctor's office If you have ever cruised before and felt like the staff would bend over backwards for you, don't count on that when you come aboard the Dream. Overall, the service and staff gets a "C minus".

Entertainment: I've heard lots of gripes about the lines for the comedy club, but we had no trouble making most shows right after our late dining time. However, there were long lines winding through the ship for the next show and Jeff the Fun Dude had to kick us out to make room for the next shows. We didn't have a problem with this but some cruisers were not too happy about giving up their seats. The comedy club was great though - it truly has the feel of a small comedy club in NY or some other large city. Give Carnival credit for bringing some great comedians on board. The nightly shows were the highlight of the trip and one of the few bright spots. If you're not easily offended, I suggest checking out the R-rated shows each night. The other shows were generally entertaining as well. I have heard some reviews say that "Dancing in the Streets" was the best cruise show they have seen. I don't have much to compare it to but I was not that impressed - just campy versions of some rock songs with some dancing and cool costumes. Even some of the dancers don't look thrilled to be onboard the Dream. We didn't stay up late enough to catch the crew drinking in the bars and discos, but that would have increased the Entertainment grade. Still, the Comedy Club is enough to give the Dream an "A" for entertainment.

Intangibles: The Mini-Golf course is fantastic (18 great holes and it moves fast), and the water slides are a nice touch. They have a great selection of beers (more than Royal Caribbean) and the dinners had a few selections which were okay. The chocolate melting cake is a nice dessert, and the crab cakes were a great appetizer. The dining rooms look very cheap (the stairwell looks like it was framed with 2 X 4's and never finished), and if you get stuck in a corner you'll never see the waiters doing the song and dance routines. The big-screen on the pool deck is nice, but most of the time it doesn't show anything but canned footage of beaches and surfers. How about showing the NFL games on Sunday afternoon? The ship rocks like crazy - I've heard that can happen on winter cruises but wow, I felt nauseous for the first three days. I've heard complaints about kids but I think Carnival did a great job hiding them because I didn't see many getting in my way. Carnival really hypes this ship on it's website for all the different dining experiences, but in the end you'll eat whatever you can get without a long wait.

To summarize, I think it's impossible to have a "bad" cruise. My wife and I assumed that the Dream would not be as impressive as our first cruise on Royal Caribbean and we were correct. In hindsight, we definitely would have spent the additional money to go on the Oasis of the Seas. I think Carnival has a long way to go, and we won't book another cruise on Carnival. We will always remember the excursions, the nice cruisers and staff we met, the comedy club, and Jeff the Fun Dude's creepiness. But other than that, the negatives far outweigh the positives on the Carnival Dream.

And oh yeah, the POO SMELL! It is not a myth, it truly exists. From time to time, you will experience the "sewage issue" while onboard the Dream. I can't believe a brand-new ship smells like dirty diapers are being incinerated in the boiler room. Hopefully this is a "bug" that is being fixed, but just prepare yourself when the winds shift on the pool deck!

I would give it a "C-minus" for an overall grade. Spend a few extra bucks and go with Royal Caribbean - the negative reviews you are reading are mostly accurate. You can save money and go with the "Wal-Mart" priced cruise but you'll probably enjoy yourself more if you splurge on another cruise line with better reviews here on Cruise Critic. I see very few negative reviews for Royal's Oasis of the Seas and there is a reason for that!! You get what you pay for! Happy Holidays everybody. Sorry to be so long-winded but I really hope this helps steer you towards a better cruise experience.

[yakdaddy42]

I had my worst casino experience anywhere on the Carnival Dream. Dealers are very rude. Never got hit on my hands by the stickman with the stick before while choosing dice or about to roll them except on the Dream.

 

If that happen to me there would be one less cane on that ship to hit anyone with, and I would probably be shown the gangplank at the next port too.

 

Never hit the customer "ever".

[Casino Player]

Karaoke was great...don't forget karaoke!!!! :D

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO LHP: Since I usually don't go to Karaoke how would I know? Karaoke defined means tone deaf in Japanese.

[Casino Player]

If that happen to me there would be one less cane on that ship to hit anyone with, and I would probably be shown the gangplank at the next port too.

 

Never hit the customer "ever".

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO yakdaddy42: I agree, but, the next time that happens I will probably not be welcome on Carnival again since I will shove the stick up the dealers you know what.

[Steelermoose]

I can not wait to board MY Carnival Dream...I like to read the reviews so that i am aware of possible issues, and that I can try to avoid placing myself in a situation to have to deal with lines, crowding etc. I also like to think that out of the 10's of thousands of people who have now cruised the DREAM since it left drydock, we have 67 reviews, of which about 50 are not favorable...pretty good odds that my wife and I will enjoy our cruise!!

[sheilb4]

Thanks all of you for the varied comments etc...I shall board with an open mind, and will return with a very honest and hopefully very positive review for you all...just closing the luggage now, and loading up the car for the morning trip to Port Canveral. :D

[purpleblanket]

I can't wait for those reviews from those that sail this week! I hope you have a great time.

 

Debbie

[Sargent_Schultz]

I rarely had to wait for pizza and much prefer it fresh instead of something that had been sitting for a while.

 

Carnival ships have thrusters that are used when entering or leaving a port or whenever the ship is in tight quarters. They do their job and there are no issues with the ones on Dream or any other Carnival ship. You can hear and feel them if you are near the basement towards the front of the ship. It is normal.

[highame]

My wife and children just gat back from 7 days Xmas cruise on the Dream, our 5th on CCL. The kids are getting older now, teens and 20's so we were cruisin'! I expected a lot with all the houplah we heard and saw about this ship. Our conclusion: bigger isn't always better. The ship's bigger,but they crammed a lot more guests on board. 3646 guests and 1400 crew. So even though the ships larger, I felt the spaces got smaller. The atrium wasn't as awesome as the Triumph, the Balcony and interior staterooms were definetly smaller, the dinning rooms seem smaller even with more tables, you couldnt really maneuver in between. The dinner service suffered, the crew are way overworked on this ship, and we talked frankly to quite a few of them and we got the same story from all of them. They are expected to do way much more with so much less than other CCL ships. There were a LOT of unhappy guests literally screaming at the poor folks at guest services. And the last time we cruised, the midnight buffet was something to see, take it from a bonafide French trained certified executive Chef. This Christmas eve Midnight buffet was less impressive than most Lido deck lunch lines. Very disappointing.

We will certainly cruise on CCL again but probably not on this ship. Same with the Oasis of the seas on RCCL, which was shadowing us this cruise and seems even bigger.

You'll have a good time anyway, because in spite of all the inconveniences I mentioned, it's still a cruise!!!

[Nannymer]

We are also going on January 16th...so excited!

[gaylensgigi]

So funny, that 2 people can be on the same exact cruise,yet have such varied experiences.

I was on the day 12/3 sail.Yes there were several minor issues,the circuits blowing on mrning and some people getting stuck in the elevators.Now,I know it was not minor to those who got stuck, and I believe they were compensated.BUT,on this sailing, there was sort of a mob mentality,a LOT of grumpy peole who took others misfortunes on as their own and complained,complained,complained. Here are some of the absurd complaints I heard,just to give an idea

1)"Its just so hot"!..Hello,you booke a cruise to the Carribean, I assume to get away from winter?

2)"These hand dryers(bathrooms) are just to darn loud"..I cant think of an apprpriate comment

3)"Why is this music so loud"?..Well, it is a laser show featuring PINK FLOYD..by law it has to be loud..just sayin

4)"They served macaroni and cheese..just like some soup kitchen"..again, cant think of a thing to say except,I like Stouffers mac and cheese:D

5)"There is to long a line to get to dinner"..well again,if dinner is at 615,and all the scooter folks line up at 530...there will be a bottleneck, I just dont get it

 

And on and on.I had the best time on this cruise.The lines didnt bother me except for once, and I was at Mongolian grill at 12 noon...so I learned if I had waited a little longer,the line would not have been so bothersome.There were always deck chairs on many levels,service was great.I had the best steward and waitstaff ever.

There was an odor at times, if it had been in my stateroom, I would have been upset.So we missed San Juan.I dont think people realise that if the lifeboats had been damaged we would have all been flying home from San Juan, and that would be an entirely different thread here.

So,i hope you have a great time on your cruise.Enjoy the ports and the time with your family friends.

[Nannymer]

All sounds fabulous to me...two weeks and counting...cannot wait to board. Thanks for the good stuff....

[bob&france]

Vacation is a frame of mind, not a physical location. Weather you can't control so why worry about it...you've been on enough cruises to know that once you pull up to that ship your Dream will start.You will think nothing of the bad reviews you read, and you will seek to make every minute positive...now when I tap you three times on the shoulder you will wake up and start packing.....

 

Enjoy the darn cruise !...

 

Bob

[LHP]

 

Come on Linda....Triumph on March 13.....the King and Queen together at last....

 

JB

 

Wish I could....but I will be recouping from a major surgery .....

 

one day though....one day!!!!

[LHP]

Yes, there are the not so complimentary reviews of Oasis as well....

 

 

this was by a Travel Agent .....

 

 

------------------------------------------

 

To be sure, the Oasis of the Seas is something to behold. It is grand, and it stands on its own as an architectural and maritime achievement. But, amid all the pre-inaugural buzz out there, I feel there exists a great dearth of real -- read that to mean not PR scripted and stuffed down the throat -- news about the ship and the actual circumstances surrounding the launch and viability of the product RCCL claims is a 'game changer'.

 

Apparently, the product the vast majority of non-paying travel agents and media assembled for these junkets cruises prior to the December 1 inaugural saw was decidedly different from the one I was introduced to.

 

Not that I was not wowed. I was. Anyone should be, even the harshest critic. It is more that it seems the media, mostly consisting of bloggers and cruiseline oriented domain owners sprinkled with a small group of travel and business writers, were and are concerned with gaining future invitations to such events and perhaps -- in the desperate economic environment -- are even looking to RCCL as a future employer with their overtly effusive and criticism-lite coverage.

 

The fact that Royal Caribbean elected to charge for cupcakes and coffee ($8.27+ for a quad espresso) but to allow alcohol to flow free and liberally may also indicate something of a fix.

 

I was one of the first people to board Oasis after the ship was brought back to Port Everglades following the GMA broadcast on Friday, November 20. Before boarding, there were some pretty obvious hitches no one appears to have reported. Curiously so. (One, involving what appeared to be media as they had some expensive cameras in tow and I noted Kerry Sanders of NBC in the mix, was most troubling...but I am waiting on a friend at the CBS station in Miami to confirm what I saw and provide more specifics.)

 

Like, for example, parking. Upon arrival, in spite of most of the previous night's guests having been shuttled from the airport or local hotels, there was not a single space available in the one, remarkably small (given that this is the largest ship of its kind afloat) parking lot provided for Oasis guests. Given there were only 1,000 guests on this 'private concert with Rihanna' overnighter, and the ship holds 5400-6296 paying guests, this is a big hitch. Any overflow would be to parking, if available, shared with other cruiselines and a convention center. And involve transportation from one part of the port to the actual terminal.

 

Rimmed with curved black-spiked ironwork, it is rather unwelcoming and perplexing. Port Everglades is a secure facility -- no ID, not on a manifest, no entry. Inside, it is even less worthy of comment. Clearly, the budget for the required multilevel parking structure was nixed along with any creative whimsy for the terminal itself.

 

Boarding the ship, the first thing that hits you, in a nod to Arthur Frommer's criticism, is that you have no sense you have boarded a ship. To the contrary, you really do feel as though you've just left your car in the lot at your local mall and strolled -- albeit following a stressful two hour or so wait -- in.

 

This is a thread throughout the structure, as even the highly promoted loft suites feel entirely removed from the ocean. Inside, it seems more like being in a condo tower than being on a ship. And the most expensive cabin on the Oasis, flanked by these other suites, has a view of...the basketball courts. That 843 sq ft balcony is hardly a selling point given this entire lack of privacy and noisy element ringed with surveillance cameras. The ocean is so far away on the horizon it is a strain to even catch a glimpse beyond the uproar on the sports courts below.

 

Also, while very nice, it is far, far from being in the lead of what this segment of the market has available. And the loft concept leaves much to be desired -- namely, some privacy as the bedroom is open to below (no glass, not even a curtain to pull). According to the PR folks, it was designed with two couples in mind. When pushed, they insist it will only be sold to a maximum of four even when capacity is listed at six. Although, another common theme is that many cabins on the Oasis are capped at two passengers when on any other ship they would be quads or more.

 

Perhaps this is a nod to some real crowd control issues the line has already confronted in the design phase.

 

Which is going to be a substantial issue. Many 'reviewers' have noted that with "3200 agents and media" aboard the ship did not feel crowded 'but dining options were still limited' by that capacity.

 

Well folks, the Oasis of the Seas has yet to ever see 3200 guests.That number was floated by the PR staff to give the invited agents and others the idea they could envision the ship adequately providing a premium product at capacity. After all, double the number onboard on November 20 and you've overshot capacity. On November 20-22, there was plenty of available space.

 

That is because every pre-inaugural cruise was intentionally capped at approximately 1000 invitees plus their guests and crew. Something only lower level crew members, think cabin attendants, were reluctantly offering to those who queried by way of cabin assignments/occupancy. A good, reliable indicator. Add in as many stowaways as you want, and you are still way short of the actual capacity required for RCCL's revenue modeling to work.

 

Having been on the ship for this time, that is a troubling indicator. It is also vexing that we initially missed the entire gym/spa area because in the ship's "Live the Oasis" tour book it was somehow omitted. (The reports about this area are dead-on. It is a sad statement when such an expensive ship has a facility so sterile, so crew-like to present to the guest...And watch-out for that glass staircase in the spa. Seriously.)

 

Then, you have the entertainment issue. Oasis is debuting a true, Broadway show in Hairspray. Did I miss this? No one has talked about the entertainment because it was largely absent on this 'showcase' cruise. IF you saw the two signature shows RCCL is promoting for this ship or the one in the AquaTheater, please let us know about them as entertainment is a pretty essential part of the cruise experience.

 

On Oasis, it was largely AWOL. Save for the skating show, a holdover from the Voyager and Freedom classes. Which Tom Scallen and Willy Bietak did a great job on given the limitations. But it is hardly new or can it be cited as an innovation -- that was ten years ago RCCL.

 

Even boarding the ship and walking around, there was an entire lack of music/entertainment beyond the physical diversions built into the ship -- think FlowRider, Zipline, Merry-Go-Round, etc. Sure, "Central Park" -- like the entire ship -- is impressive, but...well, every time I walked through it I saw glasses and beer bottles in the planters and heard agents (mind you, this was a free cruise) rumbling about how off the price-points were for their market. Bottom-line, it takes more than what was being presented.

 

Of which, I must comment that it was crazy to hear RCCL's PR folks pushing the add-ons considering the already exceptionally high buy-in price on the Oasis and the current economy. One would think that common sense would have had them telling these agents of all the many things that Royal Caribbean decided to include in that cost.

 

Internet, however, is another story, contrary to some reports here and on other websites. There are, indeed, two smallish Internet facilities that are part of the design [not there for press only] on decks 7 and 9 forward plus various clusters in the conference areas, teen area, and others. In addition to the in-room set-up and WiFi, there is enough when coupled with the obvious belief the target consumer of this product will travel with his/her/their own laptop. No revenue loss there.

 

I know many of the cruiseline's top executives and their PR staff have embraced the idea of this ship being a "resort at sea". Likening it to a family-friendly Las Vegas or even a floating Walt Disney World. Of course, this begs the obvious question: if you are looking for a Las Vegas or a WDW, why not simply go there and avoid the potential problems this new market -- first time cruisers -- required by Oasis might well encounter?

 

For those who want to be at sea, and want to know they are afloat, there are opportunities for this. The solarium for one is worth mentioning as is the small but stunning Viking Crown Lounge. If you want to feel like you are Jack's "king of the world", this ship will not disappoint.

 

That said, what is clear is that you actually have to search out these locations as otherwise it is difficult to know you are anywhere but at a very pricey resort on land with many, many add-on costs. And to have to search out locations to feel as though you are on a ship is, by any reasonable evaluation, a substantial failure in the product.

 

It has been reported, as stoked by RCCL itself, that you will pay a 144% premium to book the Oasis right now. If that were only the case. The truth: RCCL is demanding a quixotic 300%-plus cost factor over its own Freedom Class for similar sailing dates.

 

Now I certainly agree this ship should command a premium over its competitors, but that moves beyond such a thing. By any interpretation, it is gouging. If you include the competition other lines present, the premium jumps to over 400%. Astounding.

 

Again though, this is one impressive ship. One impressive feat. But can it float?

 

The ship may not be an evolution to a maturing market, or a revolutionary twist on that market. The Oasis -- and the Allure -- may as one reporter noted, and RCCL's PR lackeys stunningly linked to, be dinosaurs of an arrogant era where bigger is better and damn the consequences.

 

I just wonder, after being on a ship where no one was paying and the booze was flowing more than the FlowRiders, if it is viable...? Or, when all the buzz quiets after the christening on November 30, it will be only a matter of time before the government of Finland or a savvy investor takes ownership for pennies on the dollar?

 

That would be sad. But, seeing the poor show RCCL put on in reality and not as disseminated by those who wrote with any eye toward future invites and/or employment, I think heads should roll over this one.

[gaylensgigi]

We saw the Oasis when we were in St Thomas,it was way over by the sub base,to big to dock by Havensight