Coming to you Live from the Dream

[sonicbuffalo]

We're cruising next month. Does anyone know who our CD will be?

[USA_Cruiser]

KLL Could you tell me what movies are playing we will be on the Dream next week. Thanks:D

[valancy1]

We haven't sailed Carnival since 2008 and I hope that everything I keep reading is just people being very picky. We have spent a large sum of money to sail on the Dream in April. Things are never perfect and if you expect them that way you will always be disappointed.

 

Please keep up the review I have been enjoying reading! Thanks

 

poohbear,

 

Don't worry... you are going to LOVE your cruise. Look at all the other positive comments in this thread alone... way outweighs the one negative one.

 

All will be well. All will be cool, fun and happiness :D

[LisaBi]

I did want to mention something that is “Good to Know” and that is luggage express. I have read and read about this but the specifics have often eluded me so without further ado :

 

It costs $20.00 per person. The participating airlines are American Airlines, Delta, AirTran, Continental Airlines, US Airways, United, Southwest, NWA, JetBlue, Air Canada and Alaska Airlines. You must be flying out of Orlando on the same day as debarkation in the case of Southwest, by 8PM. If you have a connection, it must have the same Airline and Booking Locator Number and only domestic flights qualify. The $20 includes priority debarkation. They take your luggage Friday night, deliver your boarding passes and valet tags Friday

night and your luggage is sent directly to your final destination airport..

 

Question: If you use Luggage Express, do you have to leave the ship early with "priority debarkation" or can you still get off a little later?

[cruiseguys2009]

poohbear,

 

Don't worry... you are going to LOVE your cruise. Look at all the other positive comments in this thread alone... way outweighs the one negative one.

 

All will be well. All will be cool, fun and happiness :D

 

You know, I always love when you post, it is like you always "Come to the Rescue"! I would love to cruise with you sometime, you remind me of my sister and I think you are truly fabulous!

[KLLund]

KLL Could you tell me what movies are playing we will be on the Dream next week. Thanks:D

 

I will check on that for you tomorrow or the next day (a sea day) and let you know. I do know that they had Monday Night Football on the big screen this week but I haven't paid attention other than one of our group said he watched The Blind Side.

[KLLund]

Question: If you use Luggage Express, do you have to leave the ship early with "priority debarkation" or can you still get off a little later?

 

This will have to wait until we get home on Saturday .. I am not going to brave the crowd at customer service if I don't have to and I didn't think to ask when we gave them the paperwork.

[KLLund]

I just want to say .. the service in the dining room tonight could not have been better. I mentioned earlier the slight problems that we and others with us noticed and they were in no way as severe as Smellywax is experiencing. It may just have taken out waiters a few days to get used to what we all wanted because tonight was excellent!

 

We aren't "spa people" so I can't comment on that aspect except to say I broke a nail today and I called at 6:45 and by 7:30 I had a nail that looked like new and they only charged $15.00 so I was very happy.

 

On to the day in St Maarten

 

Today we arrived in St Maarten at 11 AM and met Diane from the Random Wind for a day of sailing, snorkeling and overall FUN. The weather was absolutely perfect with lovely breezes and a few clouds for random shade.

We walked over to the boats (our group had reserved a sailboat and a catamaran for the day) which was the only low point of the entire day. It was a longer walk in the heat and with my bad feet than I had realized it would be. I made it, but just barely and immediately took the glass of ice water offered and poured it over my head!!

Bill and I were on the sailboat which had a lovely shady area. Trevor and Diane were the crew (and she is the owner) and they treated us fabulously. We sailed around past the famous airport where obliging planes were landing and taking off, always a fun sight, to a beautiful cove where we anchored for some snorkeling or swimming and one of the best meals of the cruise. Diane had prepared a wonderful curry chicken, potato salad, relish and green salad for us and served heaping plates. The fun part was when some of the people on the catamaran couldn’t get over to the sailboat for lunch so taking two plates at a time she swam them over to them!!

After lunch, Trevor rigged a “tarzan swing” and those that wished swung out over the water and dropped in. It was hilarious to watch all the middle aged people playing like kids. In fact it looked like so much fun I even had a go at it.

 

We had a shorter day than planned, but it was completely enjoyable. We sailed back to the dock and by now we had heard that there were water taxi’s available to get us back to the ship docks. I was all for that idea.

We asked where the taxi could be boarded, and an obliging young man on the dock yelled over to a taxi and it came to the dock we were standing on. Ten minutes later we were back at the entrance to the port. Much more enjoyable than the walk I can assure you.

I heartily recommend Diane and the Random Wind when in St Maarten. They have a web site and if you just google it you will find them and you can make arrangements easily.

 

[smellywax]

smellywax - Wow, I can't believe it took you 12 cruises to realize all of this! I personally have always found the staff to be very helpful and nice. Maybe it depends on how you treat them yourself? I enjoy the food for the most part and have never had a problem with hearing the neighbors. Actually, a lot of the things you mentioned have never been a problem for me but then again, I'm not very picky and don't expect everything to be perfect.....I always just enjoy myself!

 

OP - Enjoy the rest of your cruise!! :)

LOL, if I was picky I would not have sailed 11 other times. I treat the staff quite well as I used to work for the company and know the hard work that goes along with it. We are enjoying ourselves but that doesn't take away from the fact that service is terrible and we have screaming teens staying in the spa cabin next to us. I am so happy you have had such wonderful experiences....they obviously exceed your expectations but not mine.

[kcslim]

Kathy, I think I know where you are talking about. We did a pirate catamaran a couple of years ago, and that IS a long walk! And, I do remember the planes taking off and how beautiful an area it is. I SO wish I could have seen you swing "Tarzanette".. hope Bill got LOTS of photos of that! Keep enjoying yourself, and safe travels!

 

Karen

[KLLund]

Just a quick note this morning .. we are tied up in St Thomas and the Epic just arrived and tied up in back of us .. stern to stern .. and let me tell you I don't think I parallel park that close in my car!! These guys are amazing .. and that ship is .. um odd or at least square .. interesting all the styles of ships.

[Beverlyf]

Sounds like you had a fun time in St Maarten....

[pdcat21]

Kathy, thanks so much for your live review. I will be on the Dream eastern route in April (still so looong away:(). I have seen you on the fashion boards a lot and enjoy your posts. Can't wait to read how the rest of cruise goes.:) Have lots more fun for the rest of us.

[Sinjan]

I'm so torn as I read your review. Part of me is so glad you are having such a wonderful time. While another part of me wishes you would hurry up and get back so I can have my turn! lol

Seriously I hope you enjoy every minute of the time you have. :)

[scchasgal]

This is my 12th cruise with Carnival and probably my last. I was looking forward to a nice relaxing and fun cruise. Booked a Spa Cabin and it has been nothing but loud every night. The walls are paper thin and as mentioned before, I can hear the people talking next to us. Definitely use the provided slippers when in the cabin. I walked in my socks one night and they got filthy. They need to clean them. They feel wet and soiled. They don’t look it but they feel it. Service is horrible and I mean horrible. We are making the most out of the cruise because I know it’s what you make of it but I just can’t believe how bad it is. Staff never smile or say hello.We both mentioned this as well. They stand around and just watch the tables with dirty dishes/trays on them. We noticed this too.If you ask someone to do something they look at you like you are bothering them or pretend they don’t hear you and walk off. As mentioned by the original poster, you ask for something and they say okay and never come back. I spent enough in the casino to get free drinks but they never seem to come around and when they do, it takes forever to get your drink. Seats are dirty with food crumbs and they don’t clean them off. The Gathering was the worse for this.There is garbage all over the place stacked and not put away. Half fool glasses on the floors with food plates that sit there all day. The service was so bad in the dining room that we tried the Lido deck and it was even worse. I was on the Valor in January and they would have everything the dining room menu had…not the case…they pick a few selections and that is it and it’s not hot. Very limited selections for dinner on the buffet. Not much for salad stuff no salad bar.The only good things on this ship have been the speed of the internet connection compared to my other cruises…much faster, the made to order pasta at lunch (although don’t order the meat lasagna special of the day…they used roast beef instead of hamburger meat and spinach…it was awful) I had to laugh at this one this was our lunch on embarkation day and I don't particularly like pot roast as the meat in my lasagna…stick to picking the ingredients, the shows are great and I had the best hot stone massage ever. I have never been impressed with the Steiner onboard Spas Massages etc. They have always been okay at best and you get the same “This will get the toxens out of your body” speech every time. But the hot stone therapist on board named Tobego from South Africa was awesome! She told me that if I didn’t enjoy it, she would pay for it and it was better than any I have ever had and I have had a lot. I noticed people waiting for those of us with spa bands to open the locked doors to follow us in. I have yet to see them checking for bands. Also, they don’t give a key to the spa cabin people …you have to check one out each day which is an inconvenience when there are lines at a desk…but I can live with that. Service is the key to me and it’s just not there. As I type this in my cabin, the next door neighbor just came down the hall screaming, “What the F@&%, I want him, get out of hear.” Then they start yelling for another cabin to open the door. It’s 11:30 PM and some people are already sleeping and this is just a small taste of the passengers on board…but that Carnival can’t control…the service matches though!

 

See red comments from our Dream cruise last week. We still had a good cruise but noticed a lot of what the posters said. I don't know if it is just this crew onboard or if the Dream is just too big and not enough staff.

[KLLund]

A Sunny HOT day in St Thomas

Igor was not in evidence anywhere near St Thomas. It was just HOT there.

We tied up at Havensight about 7AM and shortly thereafter we saw the Oasis heading for the other dock (crown bay?) followed by the Epic which was pushed into the harbor by a tug boat. The Epic was docking in back of us and stern to stern. From our aft balcony, it seemed to come closer and closer and closer with no signs of stopping. As we were thinking we could shake hands with the people in the aft balconies on it, the thrusters kicked in and they went sideways to the dock. They left about 6 or 7 feet between the ships but it was amazing to me the way they handle these ships. Later in the morning, the Freedom of the Seas tied up in back of the Epic .. but that captain left a lot of room!

We met Godfrey’s Tours outside of the port and embarked on a day of shopping, sightseeing, banana daiquiris and beach time. We met our open air vehicle about 9 and Pete, our driver, immediately took us downtown for shopping, until 12:00 which was plenty of time to buy a ring and have it sized .. so far the day was looking good! Unfortunately it was pretty much downhill (or I should say up and down hill and around bends) from there. We were taken on a sightseeing tour, but we couldn’t understand a word of what was said over the loudspeaker so I have no details of what we saw. Mountaintop has burned down and the reconstruction is no yet complete, so we stopped at a botanical garden for banana daiquiris and then on to Megan’s Bay for the beach. When we arrived at Megan’s Bay they wanted $4.00 per person and we were only going to be there an hour.. we said no so Pete took us to Sapphire Beach. Both of these beaches were extremely crowded so some of the crowd stayed at the beach and the rest of us returned to the ship. It took almost an hour to get back through the traffic. It just was a day that never quite jelled into what we were expecting but hey I got that ring so it was not a total loss.

We returned to the ship, and by the way did you hear me mention anything about food in the above paragraph? No? That is because when we returned to the ship at around 4PM we hadn’t had any food all day so it was off to the buffet .. oh wait .. it isn’t open. So we got a piece of pizza (mushroom, roasted garlic and something else.. quite tasty ) and went back to the room to relax until time to get ready for dinner.

We left port late because we had to wait for the Epic to leave first. It managed to slide out between ships and sail away and then we were off. St Thomas was beautifully lit up as we sailed away.

Dinner was a mixed bag. One of the items on the menu was “Assorted Sea Food in Newburg Sauce” and the description said black tiger shrimp and scallops so I ordered that. I started with the Cream of Potato soup which was fantastic. Then they brought the Newburg and it had Mussel shells on top and was full of mussels which I truly dislike. So I sent it back and had a bowl of the potato soup for dinner. Those that like mussels said it was really good but I would not have enjoyed it.

After two days of sun and sun .. we were tired. After dinner, we sat outside of the Ocean Plaza and talked for awhile with our new friends and then called it a night.

Today was a sea day. I think I mentioned earlier that I love sea days. This is the part of vacation where I can sleep in and just relax. The weather was perfect, not to hot and a nice breeze. We just sat outside and enjoyed the rocking and rolling of the ship and it has been rocking and rolling a lot today.

Tomorrow I will try to post a wrap up and summary of the good and the so-so and the not so good on this cruise. We have had a great time!

 

 

I have a couple of things that I haven't forgotten about . the movies etc but if anyone else wants me to find out anything let me know and I will get you answers tomorrow if I can.

[manonreal]

A Sunny HOT day in St Thomas

 

Igor was not in evidence anywhere near St Thomas. It was just HOT there.

 

 

 

We tied up at Havensight about 7AM and shortly thereafter we saw the Oasis heading for the other dock (crown bay?) followed by the Epic which was pushed into the harbor by a tug boat. The Epic was docking in back of us and stern to stern. From our aft balcony, it seemed to come closer and closer and closer with no signs of stopping. As we were thinking we could shake hands with the people in the aft balconies on it, the thrusters kicked in and they went sideways to the dock. They left about 6 or 7 feet between the ships but it was amazing to me the way they handle these ships. Later in the morning, the Freedom of the Seas tied up in back of the Epic .. but that captain left a lot of room!

 

We met Godfrey’s Tours outside of the port and embarked on a day of shopping, sightseeing, banana daiquiris and beach time. We met our open air vehicle about 9 and Pete, our driver, immediately took us downtown for shopping, until 12:00 which was plenty of time to buy a ring and have it sized .. so far the day was looking good! Unfortunately it was pretty much downhill (or I should say up and down hill and around bends) from there. We were taken on a sightseeing tour, but we couldn’t understand a word of what was said over the loudspeaker so I have no details of what we saw. Mountaintop has burned down and the reconstruction is no yet complete, so we stopped at a botanical garden for banana daiquiris and then on to Megan’s Bay for the beach. When we arrived at Megan’s Bay they wanted $4.00 per person and we were only going to be there an hour.. we said no so Pete took us to Sapphire Beach. Both of these beaches were extremely crowded so some of the crowd stayed at the beach and the rest of us returned to the ship. It took almost an hour to get back through the traffic. It just was a day that never quite jelled into what we were expecting but hey I got that ring so it was not a total loss.

 

 

 

We returned to the ship, and by the way did you hear me mention anything about food in the above paragraph? No? That is because when we returned to the ship at around 4PM we hadn’t had any food all day so it was off to the buffet .. oh wait .. it isn’t open. So we got a piece of pizza (mushroom, roasted garlic and something else.. quite tasty ) and went back to the room to relax until time to get ready for dinner.

 

We left port late because we had to wait for the Epic to leave first. It managed to slide out between ships and sail away and then we were off. St Thomas was beautifully lit up as we sailed away.

 

Dinner was a mixed bag. One of the items on the menu was “Assorted Sea Food in Newburg Sauce” and the description said black tiger shrimp and scallops so I ordered that. I started with the Cream of Potato soup which was fantastic. Then they brought the Newburg and it had Mussel shells on top and was full of mussels which I truly dislike. So I sent it back and had a bowl of the potato soup for dinner. Those that like mussels said it was really good but I would not have enjoyed it.

 

 

After two days of sun and sun .. we were tired. After dinner, we sat outside of the Ocean Plaza and talked for awhile with our new friends and then called it a night.

 

Today was a sea day. I think I mentioned earlier that I love sea days. This is the part of vacation where I can sleep in and just relax. The weather was perfect, not to hot and a nice breeze. We just sat outside and enjoyed the rocking and rolling of the ship and it has been rocking and rolling a lot today.

 

 

Tomorrow I will try to post a wrap up and summary of the good and the so-so and the not so good on this cruise. We have had a great time!

 

 

I have a couple of things that I haven't forgotten about . the movies etc but if anyone else wants me to find out anything let me know and I will get you answers tomorrow if I can.

 

We had Godfrey himself doing our tour last February and love it. We definitely book with him again....

[KLLund]

We are home .. after a VERY long day of travel. Tomorrow, when I am more coherent I will post a full review;)

[mferris77]

I was on this sailing with you.. I didn't experience some of the complaints mentioned in this thread.. crowding wasn't too bad in my experience.. busy in the buffet? Yes, but our party of 5 never had a problem finding a seat. Most of the staff I encountered were pleasant.. sure, maybe some of them didn't look at me or smile but I think most of them did and if they didn't I didn't think much of it. I was also on the Godfrey tour and the first bus we were on did have a very muffled speaker system and I couldn't make out what he was talking about. On the 'pickup' at noon we were put on a different bus driven by a woman and it was very crisp and clear. I think there were three of Godfrey's buses altogether and we were the last one in the group. All in all we had a fantastic time.