Dream Review: Western Caribbean 8/21

[ostrrich]

(I will post this as a formal review after my wife adds her comments)

Here is my review of the Carnival Dream (8/21-8/28 Western Caribbean). We are a family of 5 (45, 43, 14, 9 & 9). This was my 3rd Carnival Cruise (4th overall), my Wife’s 2nd (3rd overall) and my kid’s first cruise. Our most recent cruise was in June on Royal Caribbean and neither of us had cruised on carnival in about 10 years. In simple words: It was GREAT. (To be more exact: The Staff: Great, The Ship: Great, The Shows: Great, The Food: Great, The Itinerary: Great) Yes I have a few complaints/suggestions, but that is just because there is always room for improvement.

My overall thoughts:

Pre-Cruise/Embarkation: We flew into Orlando very late Thursday night and stayed at the Embassy Suites near the airport. We rented a car from Avis Friday morning and spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center and around Cocoa Beach. Friday night we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Cocoa Beach. While not as close as the Raddisson hotel, the path to the beach and proximity to Avis made it a great choice for my family (not to mention, I am a Diamond Hilton member). We dropped our car off at Avis just before 10 am and were inside the terminal by 10:30am. Our luggage went right from the Avis shuttle into the metal cruise bins. As we were entering the terminal there was some confusion with some guests who were attending an onboard wedding (but not cruising). One Carnival staffer had them merge into the line which caused some confusion and raised eyebrows among the other crusiers. A senior staffer came over, looked at the original staffer and said ‘I am not happy about this’ and proceeded to clear thing up and help people inside for about 5 minutes. I was amazed at how quickly they addressed what was actually a minor issue. While we spent only about 15 minutes in the terminal (zone 4) , I found the seat rows to be way to tight. The seats were filled up from 1st to last so that each person had to squeeze past every person who sat down before them. While this is a very minor complaint, it was our first impression of the cruise and luckily was not at all indicative of the great times ahead.

Once on the ship, we were met with some initial madness. Many people have complained about the elevators in past reviews. This was especially true on the first day. Everyone had their carry-on luggage with them and the aft elevators were being used for checked luggage I believe. So the available elevators were a mess. Later in the week, the elevators were not as crowed and I often even rode them to go only 2 or 3 floors. Two suggestions for Carnival: It would be nice if they linked the glass elevators with the main elevators so you didn’t have to press two buttons every time you needed an elevator. Also, I am not sure if it was just my eyes, but the lights above the elevators need to stand out better. I must have missed 5-10 elevators that stopped, just because I couldn’t figure out which door opened.

The Gathering/ Lanai BBQ/ Salad bar: After getting on the ship, we went straight to ‘The Gathering’. My kids stopped for hot dogs and burgers, while I went right to the Pasta Bar. I was order #2 for the day. The past bar was great as everyone has previously commented. Throughout the week, I tried just about every other station and really enjoyed the variety. The Tandori bar was flavorful as expected. I never found the lines to be too bad. On the few occasions where the lines got long, I just went further back into the gathering and found a shorter line. I just have one comment to all the cruisers out there: I know the food is free, but can you avoid wasting so much food. I can’t believe how many people walked away from the buffet with plates that contained more than they could ever eat (12 year olds with 3 hot dogs, 2 hamburgers and 4 pieces of cake). The BBQ on the Lanai and Salad Bar (at Wasabi’s) were great as well (only on Sea days). My only complaint was I couldn’t find any Lemon-Aid or Iced Tea on deck 5.

Main Dinning Rooms: Although we were originally wait listed for ‘your time dining’, we were informed that we good to go when we first started the embarkation. As a family of five, we sat at the same table most nights by ourselves. We never had to wait and thought the hostess was extremely friendly (Crimson upper level). Our waited quickly realized that my son would order the chicken nuggets with ketchup and honey mustard every night. On the last night, we were able to have two of my kid’s friends join us for dinner. This worked out great as they were also ‘your time dining’. The food was great and varied.

Chef’s Table: This was one of the highlight’s of the trip. I won’t go into details here as you can easily get more information elsewhere. However, I highly recommend it. Just don’t eat lunch that day.

Excursions: In Cozumel we went on the Carnival Excursion: ‘Everybody Loves Rays’. My kids loved all the time with the rays and even stayed to jump on the water trampoline. Kudos to the staff. We rented an underwater camera that was mounted to a snorkel mask on the ship. We were able to film and take pictures underwater, while keeping our hands free.

We stayed on the ship in Belize until just after noon then took the tender to walk around the port for a few hours. For us, this was an added bonus ‘sea day’. Before booking this cruise we had a hard time deciding between 3 or 4 stops on a seven day cruise. By booking this cruise and not spending much time in Belize, we had our own little ‘secret 3rd sea day’.

We booked the Victor Bodden private tour in Roatan. Our driver Marty was great as he took the time to tell us a lot about his country and show us the real Roatan. Four of us went on the zip lines while my wife played with the monkeys. After we all spent some time with the monkeys, we went to a west end beach. We arrived back at the port in time to spend about 1 hour at Mahogany Bay beach. The beach was crowded and loud and made me glad I had spent my day with Victor Bodden (Note: If you are into the Jersey Shore Scene or into the whole Booze Cruise theme, ignore what I said as you will love Mahogany Bay Beach)

We went to Maya Chan Day Resort in Costa Maya. The drive was a bit longer than I expected and extremely bumpy. The resort itself was beautiful given it’s size and the staff was friendly. The water was somewhat cloudy and the turtle grass was everywhere. The staff did a good job of clearing the first few yards of shore line. My wife and I both enjoyed a beach massage and my kids spent time in the kayaks and playing in the sand.

Shows: They were Excellent, especially the big one (I forget it’s name). During our performance they had a minor set issue, which caused a delay. This actually worked to our advantage as my wife had to run out to register my daughter for a spa event during the delay. The comedy shows were also entertaining. Of the 4 comedians, we really enjoyed 3 of them. We saw all 4 R rated shows and 1 PG show.

Butch: Our cruse director, Butch, was full of energy and often set the tone for any given event. I can clearly see why people are so dependant on a good cruise director, and butch was great.

The Ship: I very much enjoyed the size of the ship. Yes the ceilings were a bit too low, but I am not short. The cabin size was great. (we had two ajoining deck 9 rooms). The Sea-view theater is a nice touch. We had no trouble getting a lounge chair if we wanted one. I have read some complaints about the noise on the Serenity Deck from the water works area. I think these people are just nick picking. Most of the serenity deck is away from the water works. Even those sections right near the edge, are shielded by the wind. As everything is outside, even a slight wind helps to isolate any given area. The ship was kept clean and I often spotted crew members cleaning up minor stains in the wee hours of the night or before dawn.

Kids Clubs: My kids had a great time. We actually had to bride them to spend any time with us at all. I will let them post their own comments.

A Few Minor Complaints: The photo prices are way too high and should provide for some sort of package deal to encourage you to buy more prints. The spa staff tried to convince my 9 year old daughter she needed $50 in creams and lotions after her manicure. (Sorry, but I can buy that stuff in Bath & Body Works for a fraction of the cost). There are not enough washing machines onboard. My wife could not ‘friend’ my daughter on ‘funville’. (They restrict adults from friending children unless they are in the same cabin, my wife was technically in an ajoining cabin with one of my other children).

[peachhead11]

Enjoying your review. I will be on the Dream in Dec. & also staying at the Hampton Inn. Any tips about the hotel would be appreciated. Thanks.

[mystone99]

Good job on the review. DW and I are going on the dream next.

What did they show on the Seaside Theatre and did you keep the fun times from the cruise?

 

Thanks

[ostrrich]

On the seaview screen at night they showed movies (it's complicated, avatar, the greenzone (i think), and others)

 

One morning they showed The Frog & The Princess

 

They ahd short shows like a Beyonce show and something about the Jonas brothers.

 

They also had an inhouse show that was like Regis and KathyLee that starred the Cruise Director (Butch) and another staff member (George)

 

Yes I have all my fun times, circle C agendas, camp carneval angedas and varies inserts

[ostrrich]

Parking is a little tough there. Bring a flashlight if you want to go to the beach at night as the path is dark. The management staff also owns the marriott next door, so you can use there hot tub and restaurant. Like all Hampton Inns, free cookies at about 5pm. My son stepped on a bee neer the pool and was stung, so be careful.

 

 

 

Enjoying your review. I will be on the Dream in Dec. & also staying at the Hampton Inn. Any tips about the hotel would be appreciated. Thanks.

[ostrrich]

 

This is a view from the front of the ship on deck 9. You can see my duaghetr on the balcony of a room. (9231)

[ostrrich]

I just pulled out my fun times

 

the movies were:

Sat: Alicia keys, the spy next door & the welcome aboard laser show

Sun: Morning show, celine dion, It's complicated

Mon: Jonas Bros, Princes & the frog, the blind side, Paul McCartney

Tues: Randy Travis, Pink Floyd/Rush laser show, Old Dogs

Wed: Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Ameilia, Sherlock Homes, Latin laser show

Thurs: Jonas Bros, Miles Davis, Alecia keys, Avatar

Fri: Morning show, Celine Dion, princess & the frog, up in the air

 

Personally I liked the idea of the seaside theater. I just wish they had a morning show every day.

[jimbo5544]

(I will post this as a formal review after my wife adds her comments)

 

Here is my review of the Carnival Dream (8/21-8/28 Western Caribbean). We are a family of 5 (45, 43, 14, 9 & 9). This was my 3rd Carnival Cruise (4th overall), my Wife’s 2nd (3rd overall) and my kid’s first cruise. Our most recent cruise was in June on Royal Caribbean and neither of us had cruised on carnival in about 10 years. In simple words: It was GREAT. (To be more exact: The Staff: Great, The Ship: Great, The Shows: Great, The Food: Great, The Itinerary: Great) Yes I have a few complaints/suggestions, but that is just because there is always room for improvement.

 

My overall thoughts:

 

Pre-Cruise/Embarkation: We flew into Orlando very late Thursday night and stayed at the Embassy Suites near the airport. We rented a car from Avis Friday morning and spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center and around Cocoa Beach. Friday night we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Cocoa Beach. While not as close as the Raddisson hotel, the path to the beach and proximity to Avis made it a great choice for my family (not to mention, I am a Diamond Hilton member). We dropped our car off at Avis just before 10 am and were inside the terminal by 10:30am. Our luggage went right from the Avis shuttle into the metal cruise bins. As we were entering the terminal there was some confusion with some guests who were attending an onboard wedding (but not cruising). One Carnival staffer had them merge into the line which caused some confusion and raised eyebrows among the other crusiers. A senior staffer came over, looked at the original staffer and said ‘I am not happy about this’ and proceeded to clear thing up and help people inside for about 5 minutes. I was amazed at how quickly they addressed what was actually a minor issue. While we spent only about 15 minutes in the terminal (zone 4) , I found the seat rows to be way to tight. The seats were filled up from 1st to last so that each person had to squeeze past every person who sat down before them. While this is a very minor complaint, it was our first impression of the cruise and luckily was not at all indicative of the great times ahead.

 

Once on the ship, we were met with some initial madness. Many people have complained about the elevators in past reviews. This was especially true on the first day. Everyone had their carry-on luggage with them and the aft elevators were being used for checked luggage I believe. So the available elevators were a mess. Later in the week, the elevators were not as crowed and I often even rode them to go only 2 or 3 floors. Two suggestions for Carnival: It would be nice if they linked the glass elevators with the main elevators so you didn’t have to press two buttons every time you needed an elevator. Also, I am not sure if it was just my eyes, but the lights above the elevators need to stand out better. I must have missed 5-10 elevators that stopped, just because I couldn’t figure out which door opened.

 

The Gathering/ Lanai BBQ/ Salad bar: After getting on the ship, we went straight to ‘The Gathering’. My kids stopped for hot dogs and burgers, while I went right to the Pasta Bar. I was order #2 for the day. The past bar was great as everyone has previously commented. Throughout the week, I tried just about every other station and really enjoyed the variety. The Tandori bar was flavorful as expected. I never found the lines to be too bad. On the few occasions where the lines got long, I just went further back into the gathering and found a shorter line. I just have one comment to all the cruisers out there: I know the food is free, but can you avoid wasting so much food. I can’t believe how many people walked away from the buffet with plates that contained more than they could ever eat (12 year olds with 3 hot dogs, 2 hamburgers and 4 pieces of cake). The BBQ on the Lanai and Salad Bar (at Wasabi’s) were great as well (only on Sea days). My only complaint was I couldn’t find any Lemon-Aid or Iced Tea on deck 5.

 

Main Dinning Rooms: Although we were originally wait listed for ‘your time dining’, we were informed that we good to go when we first started the embarkation. As a family of five, we sat at the same table most nights by ourselves. We never had to wait and thought the hostess was extremely friendly (Crimson upper level). Our waited quickly realized that my son would order the chicken nuggets with ketchup and honey mustard every night. On the last night, we were able to have two of my kid’s friends join us for dinner. This worked out great as they were also ‘your time dining’. The food was great and varied.

 

Chef’s Table: This was one of the highlight’s of the trip. I won’t go into details here as you can easily get more information elsewhere. However, I highly recommend it. Just don’t eat lunch that day.

 

Excursions: In Cozumel we went on the Carnival Excursion: ‘Everybody Loves Rays’. My kids loved all the time with the rays and even stayed to jump on the water trampoline. Kudos to the staff. We rented an underwater camera that was mounted to a snorkel mask on the ship. We were able to film and take pictures underwater, while keeping our hands free.

 

We stayed on the ship in Belize until just after noon then took the tender to walk around the port for a few hours. For us, this was an added bonus ‘sea day’. Before booking this cruise we had a hard time deciding between 3 or 4 stops on a seven day cruise. By booking this cruise and not spending much time in Belize, we had our own little ‘secret 3rd sea day’.

 

We booked the Victor Bodden private tour in Roatan. Our driver Marty was great as he took the time to tell us a lot about his country and show us the real Roatan. Four of us went on the zip lines while my wife played with the monkeys. After we all spent some time with the monkeys, we went to a west end beach. We arrived back at the port in time to spend about 1 hour at Mahogany Bay beach. The beach was crowded and loud and made me glad I had spent my day with Victor Bodden (Note: If you are into the Jersey Shore Scene or into the whole Booze Cruise theme, ignore what I said as you will love Mahogany Bay Beach)

 

We went to Maya Chan Day Resort in Costa Maya. The drive was a bit longer than I expected and extremely bumpy. The resort itself was beautiful given it’s size and the staff was friendly. The water was somewhat cloudy and the turtle grass was everywhere. The staff did a good job of clearing the first few yards of shore line. My wife and I both enjoyed a beach massage and my kids spent time in the kayaks and playing in the sand.

 

Shows: They were Excellent, especially the big one (I forget it’s name). During our performance they had a minor set issue, which caused a delay. This actually worked to our advantage as my wife had to run out to register my daughter for a spa event during the delay.The comedy shows were also entertaining. Of the 4 comedians, we really enjoyed 3 of them. We saw all 4 R rated shows and 1 PG show.

 

Butch:Our cruse director, Butch, was full of energy and often set the tone for any given event. I can clearly see why people are so dependant on a good cruise director, and butch was great.

 

The Ship: I very much enjoyed the size of the ship. Yes the ceilings were a bit too low, but I am not short. The cabin size was great. (we had two ajoining deck 9 rooms). The Sea-view theater is a nice touch. We had no trouble getting a lounge chair if we wanted one. I have read some complaints about the noise on the Serenity Deck from the water works area. I think these people are just nick picking. Most of the serenity deck is away from the water works. Even those sections right near the edge, are shielded by the wind. As everything is outside, even a slight wind helps to isolate any given area. The ship was kept clean and I often spotted crew members cleaning up minor stains in the wee hours of the night or before dawn.

 

Kids Clubs: My kids had a great time. We actually had to bride them to spend any time with us at all. I will let them post their own comments.

 

A Few Minor Complaints: The photo prices are way too high and should provide for some sort of package deal to encourage you to buy more prints. The spa staff tried to convince my 9 year old daughter she needed $50 in creams and lotions after her manicure. (Sorry, but I can buy that stuff in Bath & Body Works for a fraction of the cost). There are not enough washing machines onboard. My wife could not ‘friend’ my daughter on ‘funville’. (They restrict adults from friending children unless they are in the same cabin, my wife was technically in an ajoining cabin with one of my other children).

 

Nice review, nice to meet you at the meet and greet as well. The big show was "dancin in the streets". I raised your point regarding the "friending" concern you mention to CCL brass. If I hear back soon I will post it here.

 

Jim

[peachhead11]

Thanks for the hotel tips. I always carry a small flashlight with me & use water shoes at the beach, so should be ok.

[dvan68]

Which evening was the Chef's Table for the west itinerary?

 

Thank you!