Our amazing Dream cruise--photo and trivia review!

[alexeikovei]

Thank you. Loved the story. Can't wait to take our cruise on the Dream on November 26th, 2011 to celebrate my Sisters 40th birthday. :p

[morleystanwood]

Holy Buckets - what a review!

 

In celebration of my mom's retirement this fall, she is treating my family (6) and my brother's family (5) to our first cruise in December. We are sailing out of PC on the Dream on her 65th Birthday on Dec. 17th. We found out about the trip in August and I have been searching Cruise Critic daily for any tidbits of info we can gather. Not sure why it took so long for me to find your review (as I'm always searching for stuff on the Dream), but it is hands-down the best review I've seen to date. Just wish you had taken the Eastern Itinerary!!

 

Awesome pics, very easy to read and love the highlights in red.

 

You should be getting some kickback$ for all of the people booking cruises, and especially the Western excursions! Ha! I know where I would be booking if we had the Western Itinerary.

 

Awesome!

[EMc&DrS]

Holy Buckets - what a review!

 

In celebration of my mom's retirement this fall, she is treating my family (6) and my brother's family (5) to our first cruise in December. We are sailing out of PC on the Dream on her 65th Birthday on Dec. 17th. We found out about the trip in August and I have been searching Cruise Critic daily for any tidbits of info we can gather. Not sure why it took so long for me to find your review (as I'm always searching for stuff on the Dream), but it is hands-down the best review I've seen to date. Just wish you had taken the Eastern Itinerary!!

 

Awesome pics, very easy to read and love the highlights in red.

 

You should be getting some kickback$ for all of the people booking cruises, and especially the Western excursions! Ha! I know where I would be booking if we had the Western Itinerary.

 

Awesome!

 

What a great retirement party for your mom! You guys will have a blast. Don't worry about the Eastern itinerary vs. Western. We've done the Eastern route twice on Princess and enjoyed those ports a lot. Plus you get three days at sea--which is always relaxing.

[brazilgirl]

What a marvelous review! We are taking a trip on the Dream in January with a group of extended family and friends and your review heightens the anticipation!

 

I would love it if you could send me the spreadsheet! My e mail is kial@uol.com.br

 

Thanks!

 

Kim

[EMc&DrS]

What a marvelous review! We are taking a trip on the Dream in January with a group of extended family and friends and your review heightens the anticipation!

 

I would love it if you could send me the spreadsheet! My e mail is kial@uol.com.br

 

Thanks!

 

Kim

 

Thanks Kim. I sent you an e-mail.

 

Ed

[Sangali]

After 3 hours of walking and a big Italian lunch, we were ready for some R & R. Of course, being the dreaded “last day” of the cruise, we wanted to do it all while doing nothing at all. We decided what we wanted to do most was enjoy our amazing deck one more time, so my wife grabbed her Kindle and I put in my earbuds and we hung out on the deck in the sun and the breeze for a couple of hours.

 

 

 

 

We couldn’t let the day end without one more visit to Serenity and to say goodbye to Alena, so we headed out for the front of the ship around 4 PM.

 

 

 

(The aft pool on the last afternoon)

 

 

Much to our disappointment, Serenity was crowded and all of our favorite seats were taken. We wandered around for a while, but as luck would have it, a corner couch opened up and we grabbed it. Alena was as friendly as ever, and when our drinks arrived, she had turned my wife’s straw wrapper into a flower sticking out of the end of the straw.

 

 

(This is a repeat picture, but you can see the straw paper flower in the drink)

 

 

 

On Monday Alena had mentioned that she likes it when she gets some time off while the ship is stopped in Cozumel because she loves a certain brand of Mexican chips that she can only find there. As we said our goodbyes, we gave her a nice tip for being so good to us all week and told her to buy a good supply of chips the next time she has some time off in Cozumel. The thing was, she wasn’t looking for a tip. She, like all the others, works so hard all day, 6 days a week, but she likes her job. I think it meant as much to her that two guests learned her name the first day and sought her out as much as it meant to us that out of yet another 4000 guests on board, she immediately learned our name and made it a priority to take good care of us.

 

At about 5:15, we decided to check out the Farewell Party in the Burgundy Lounge on deck 5. I had read several posts on CC that this party gets very little mention in any of the Fun Times, but that it is one of the few times when guests are given free drinks. Sure enough, the lounge was maybe half full, and the wait staff was loaded down with trays of free drinks.

 

 

 

(Plenty of empty seats)

 

 

After an afternoon of sun, I was really in the mood for a cold beer, and they had plenty. My wife didn’t want to mix, so she requested another Long Island Ice Tea, and our server was happy to go retrieve a complimentary one for her from the bar even though it wasn’t one of the featured free drinks. There was a band and two excellent singers performing, and we stayed until the party ended at 6 PM.

 

 

 

 

The time had come to head back to the room to get ready for dinner and begin the dreaded packing process. Usually, the cruise feels like it’s over when you pull the suitcases out from under the bed, so I had decided back in January to save one last surprise for the last evening: a visit to the Steakhouse. As with the other surprises, I didn’t tell my wife about it until we were getting ready for the tour of the ship earlier in the day. I had almost canceled the reservation twice during the cruise. After having dinner with the chef, I was afraid that a visit to the Steakhouse might be a letdown, and the topic of the Steakhouse had come up twice during the cruise, and both times my wife said, “Why would anyone pay extra to eat dinner when you can go to the dining room?” In the end, we were glad that I didn’t cancel the reservation.

Thank you so much for your review. It took me two days to read but I really enjoyed it. We may not be able to do as many tours as you did but I've already tried to submit a reservation for Maya Chan. Hopefully, it's not too late-my cruise is in two weeks! Because of your reviews, I'm looking forward to our cruise more than ever now! I can't wait!!! Thank you once again!!

[Cruisecrzy3]

Awesome review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it in such detail. I've been on the Dream's eastern course and can't wait to head west in Feb. I, like many others here have already sent my reservation request for Maya Chan as it sounds heavenly! DH & I are in cabin 6490 as it was as close to the aft wrap that I could get...lol. This will be DH's second cruise (the first being the Carnival Sensation & Hurricane Irene) and we're hoping he isn't sick this time (he had the patch & bonine, lots of passengers/crew were ill)!! If he is, I'm going to be looking for a new cruise partner because I'm addicted and don't think I'll be able to give it up! ;)

 

Thanks again for your review! I'm even more excited now!!

[EMc&DrS]

Awesome review! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it in such detail. I've been on the Dream's eastern course and can't wait to head west in Feb. I, like many others here have already sent my reservation request for Maya Chan as it sounds heavenly! DH & I are in cabin 6490 as it was as close to the aft wrap that I could get...lol. This will be DH's second cruise (the first being the Carnival Sensation & Hurricane Irene) and we're hoping he isn't sick this time (he had the patch & bonine, lots of passengers/crew were ill)!! If he is, I'm going to be looking for a new cruise partner because I'm addicted and don't think I'll be able to give it up! ;)

 

Thanks again for your review! I'm even more excited now!!

 

6490 is a great cabin with a huge deck. You'll also have a perfect view of every port. You can watch all the pier runners returning to the ship each afternoon! Also, there won't be any hurricanes in February, so you should be good!

 

Here's a photo that shows your cabin--one floor up from the man and then just to the left of the divider at the end of the aft wrap:

 

[LadyTenorJD]

Now that we've cruised out of PC, my wife isn't too interested in driving all the way down to Ft Lauderdale any more.

 

I understand this! I live in Brevard County (moved after being born and raised in NY).

 

Never cruised as a child; growing up, I always had friends who would fly to Florida with their families to cruise. Now, I understand there are more options for cruising from up north, but imagine when I moved to Brevard County and discovered Port Canaveral is right in my county! DH and I cruised from Port Canaveral in June (Monarch of the Seas to the Bahamas--our first cruise). I'm headed on the Miracle on 12/20 from Ft. Lauderdale. My husband did ask why we can't leave out of Canaveral, since it is closer, and I explained that this particular itinerary is not available there.

 

I'm always thinking ahead, and I have a list of about 15 possible cruises for us to take in the summer of 2012 and again for Christmas 2012. Well, Carnival Dream is on my list, and after having read your review, I'm hooked! I am looking at the May 26th sailing of the Dream, or possibly one later into the summer.

 

Thanks for your fabulous review!

 

p.s. I drove from Florida to Atlanta to meet up with relatives in July 2010. I met the WORST traffic in life, and I'm from NY! Worse than any NYC traffic! I much prefer the "ship traffic" you photographed. :D

 

And congrats to your wife on her doctorate; a Ph.D of English is on my bucket list. :)

[EMc&DrS]

I understand this! I live in Brevard County (moved after being born and raised in NY).

 

Never cruised as a child; growing up, I always had friends who would fly to Florida with their families to cruise. Now, I understand there are more options for cruising from up north, but imagine when I moved to Brevard County and discovered Port Canaveral is right in my county! DH and I cruised from Port Canaveral in June (Monarch of the Seas to the Bahamas--our first cruise). I'm headed on the Miracle on 12/20 from Ft. Lauderdale. My husband did ask why we can't leave out of Canaveral, since it is closer, and I explained that this particular itinerary is not available there.

 

I'm always thinking ahead, and I have a list of about 15 possible cruises for us to take in the summer of 2012 and again for Christmas 2012. Well, Carnival Dream is on my list, and after having read your review, I'm hooked! I am looking at the May 26th sailing of the Dream, or possibly one later into the summer.

 

Thanks for your fabulous review!

 

p.s. I drove from Florida to Atlanta to meet up with relatives in July 2010. I met the WORST traffic in life, and I'm from NY! Worse than any NYC traffic! I much prefer the "ship traffic" you photographed. :D

 

And congrats to your wife on her doctorate; a Ph.D of English is on my bucket list. :)

 

Thanks for your comments. You're not kidding about the traffic in ATL! My wife spends as much as 4 hours a day commuting to and from her office 45 min away from our house. Gets old fast.

 

As far as your Dream cruise, I'd go with the May cruise instead of later in the summer. It will be cheaper...and fewer kids.

[NeuroQueen]

Great, great review!!! I've read it twice. We have booked LaQuinta, park and cruise, and the steakhouse the first night. Now if we were only going western instead of eastern. We are going on November 19 and can't wait. Could you please tell me the web site address for the steakhouse again, so I can request YOUR table. Thanks in advance and happy cruising!!!

[EMc&DrS]

Great, great review!!! I've read it twice. We have booked LaQuinta, park and cruise, and the steakhouse the first night. Now if we were only going western instead of eastern. We are going on November 19 and can't wait. Could you please tell me the web site address for the steakhouse again, so I can request YOUR table. Thanks in advance and happy cruising!!!

 

Glad you enjoyed the review. Here's that e-mail address:

DRSTEAKHOUSE@carnival.com

[Cruisecrzy3]

6490 is a great cabin with a huge deck. You'll also have a perfect view of every port. You can watch all the pier runners returning to the ship each afternoon! Also, there won't be any hurricanes in February, so you should be good!

 

Here's a photo that shows your cabin--one floor up from the man and then just to the left of the divider at the end of the aft wrap:

 

 

Love it! Thanks for the pic of "our" cabin! We've reserved our palapa with Mark at Maya Chan thanks to you!

 

Thanks again for your review, will definitely be watching for more from you! ;)

[tweety33]

Thank you for the best review ever. I look forward to sailing the dream in March. You helped me with some tour decisions.

[Mike&Shell]

What a great review... We can't wait to sail her in a few weeks

[beebold]

Great review! In July, I booked this itinerary aboard the Dream for our first cruise. We depart May 26th and we can't wait. It's me, DH, & DDs 18, 17, & 11 (age on the cruise). We booked connecting cove balconies 2407 & 2409.

 

I've booked one excursion. Care to guess which one? Maya Chan! LOL So excited. Your description and pictures were PERFECT.

 

Thank you for such a great report!

 

If you don't mind, please send me the document of all your information. My email is my screen name (at) gmail (dot) com.

 

Thanks again!

[EMc&DrS]

Great review! In July, I booked this itinerary aboard the Dream for our first cruise. We depart May 26th and we can't wait. It's me, DH, & DDs 18, 17, & 11 (age on the cruise). We booked connecting cove balconies 2407 & 2409.

 

I've booked one excursion. Care to guess which one? Maya Chan! LOL So excited. Your description and pictures were PERFECT.

 

Thank you for such a great report!

 

If you don't mind, please send me the document of all your information. My email is my screen name (at) gmail (dot) com.

 

Thanks again!

 

E-mail is on the way.:)

[mkluvs2cruise]

I just came up on your review as we are going on the dream in March 2012. I truly enjoyed it!! Could you please send me a copy of the spreadsheet as well? kpuente930 @ yahoo . com Am definitely considering Maya Chan. Where would you recommend zip line and cave tubing? Thanks in advance!!

[PlanningToCruise]

What a fantastic review, thank you for taking the time to do such a great one. WE're on the Dream in Feb for our 25th Anniv and can't wait, now seeing your review makes me realize we made the right choice for sure. If you could send me the spreadsheet I'd really appreciate it :) you can send it to LindaPeterson87 @ aol dot com

thanks

[EMc&DrS]

I just came up on your review as we are going on the dream in March 2012. I truly enjoyed it!! Could you please send me a copy of the spreadsheet as well? kpuente930 @ yahoo . com Am definitely considering Maya Chan. Where would you recommend zip line and cave tubing? Thanks in advance!!

 

What a fantastic review, thank you for taking the time to do such a great one. WE're on the Dream in Feb for our 25th Anniv and can't wait, now seeing your review makes me realize we made the right choice for sure. If you could send me the spreadsheet I'd really appreciate it :) you can send it to LindaPeterson87 @ aol dot com

thanks

 

Glad you both enjoyed the review. I've been swamped this week at work, but I'll send you the tip sheet over the weekend.

 

As far as zip line and cave tubing, we didn't do either, but I think Roatan was the place for zip line and Belize for cave tubing. I know the private company we used for our excursion in Roatan, Victor Bodden, offers a popular zip lining excursion. As far as the choices for cave tubing, I have a Cruise Critic friend who arranged a group excursion for cave tubing in Belize for our roll call, but I couldn't convince my wife to participate. He wrote a great review with pictures: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1433269

[LadyTenorJD]

Great review! In July, I booked this itinerary aboard the Dream for our first cruise. We depart May 26th and we can't wait. It's me, DH, & DDs 18, 17, & 11 (age on the cruise). We booked connecting cove balconies 2407 & 2409.

 

I am thinking of booking this cruise for the same dates! We will see...I want to see what incentives I'll be offered if I book while I'm aboard the Miracle in December.

[Sangali]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Your postings about your trip have been a HUGE inspiration and help to me. We're cruising the Dream on 10/29/11, same itinerary and because of this posting right here, we also have a reservation for Maya Chan. Because the cruise was 3 weeks away, I was on pins and needles awaiting a response that our reservation was confirmed. I am so excited and cannot wait to experience Maya Chan. Unfortunately we don't have the same accommodations as you and your wife (although I asked about a waiting list for a hut in case somebody canceled) but I know it will still be a great (and incredibly inexpensive-how do they do it?) and unforgettable time. I am also going to book the "Behind the Fun" Tour for us as well. I think I've read your posts at least 3 times, making sure I don't forget anything. I will try to post when we return, although I'm still trying to get accustomed to this forum and posting. Once again, thank you for posting your opinion and recommendations! I KNOW you have already enhanced our upcoming (1 week to go!) Dream experience.

[EMc&DrS]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Your postings about your trip have been a HUGE inspiration and help to me. We're cruising the Dream on 10/29/11, same itinerary and because of this posting right here, we also have a reservation for Maya Chan. Because the cruise was 3 weeks away, I was on pins and needles awaiting a response that our reservation was confirmed. I am so excited and cannot wait to experience Maya Chan. Unfortunately we don't have the same accommodations as you and your wife (although I asked about a waiting list for a hut in case somebody canceled) but I know it will still be a great (and incredibly inexpensive-how do they do it?) and unforgettable time. I am also going to book the "Behind the Fun" Tour for us as well. I think I've read your posts at least 3 times, making sure I don't forget anything. I will try to post when we return, although I'm still trying to get accustomed to this forum and posting. Once again, thank you for posting your opinion and recommendations! I KNOW you have already enhanced our upcoming (1 week to go!) Dream experience.

 

Fantastic! Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad I helped. I think researching and planning makes for a much better cruise. I hope you have a great time. If you don't write a review, at least post a reply here and let us know what you think.

[flcraigs5]

Thanks for the review. We have this trip planned over New Years and your review just makes me more excited :) If you dont mind I would also love your spreadsheet of information. my email is kcraig@mail.barry.edu

Thanks again for the great review!!!!

[EMc&DrS]

Thanks for the review. We have this trip planned over New Years and your review just makes me more excited :) If you dont mind I would also love your spreadsheet of information. my email is kcraig@mail.barry.edu

Thanks again for the great review!!!!

 

E-mail is on its way. Good luck with your trip planning!:)