CC Dream group cruise review 2/2/2013 with pics

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After returning from an eastern Caribbean cruise on the Freedom with my husband and daughters, I was dreaming of another cruise. I saw a post here on Cruise Critic and it was a B2B cruise. I knew I couldn't afford 2 cruises but the first leg of the B2B cruise really sparked my interest. It was 2/2/2013, which at the time I was looking at this cruise was almost 2 yrs away. I told my husband about it, a super bowl cruise on the Carnival Dream. He said no. He didn't want to go on another cruise...What? are you nuts??? I kept asking him about it, after all it had a $25 deposit , can't get better than that! He refused and was getting mad about me asking. So I thought about it and he likes to hunt and spends hours hunting, so why can't I cruise? I asked my sister if she wanted to go and she said yes. Her husband told her no to cruising for many years. My sister Janet has never cruised and wanted to go . So, we booked the cruise. I told my husband I was cruising with my sister and although he wasn't thrilled, it was going to happen. Sisters Janet and Jenny was cruising without our husbands. So we planned this trip for almost 2 yrs and I had it paid off and bought my airfare 10 months before the cruise.

I booked the group cruise with my sister and several people at work after hearing me go on about my last cruise wanted info on this cruise and by the time we left on our cruise we had a total of 12 people going from Iowa.

We flew in to Orlando a few days before the cruise and stayed at the Hampton inn in Cocoa Beach. We really liked this hotel. I would recommend this hotel. We spent Friday in Cocoa Beach shopping and enjoying warm weather. We went to Cocoa Village, had lunch there and found a cute really tasty bakery there. I love bakeries. I decorate cakes as a hobby so I always love to check the bakery out. We had coffee and some cookies and chatted with a couple who are snow birds and just loved the bakery too. We went to Ron Jons and ate at the shark pit next door. It was ok, average food, but the tank with sharks swimming was really cool. My 3 yr old grandson really enjoyed the tank.

We used Coco beach shuttle service to take us to our hotel. And to get to the ship we used the hotel shuttle service.

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We had an inside cabin on the 2nd floor. We decorated our door with a pirate sitting on a toilet, it said welcome to the poop deck. We put out necklace's and plastic coins, and eye patches. My sister was like why are you doing that. I told her people will take them. She couldn't believe they would. People did and the kids loved them. We ate lunch once we boarded and went to the muster drill. My daughter Amanda, 3 yr old grandson Micah and her friend Michelle was in a inside cabin on deck 6 near the front of the ship. We went to deck 6 for the sail away and seen manatees playing in the water as the ship was leaving. Deck six was awesome for viewing the sail away.

[bluemarie2]

Great review so far, can't wait to read more. Love the door decoration idea.

How was the shuttle from the Hampton Inn to the port? Last time I went on the Dream, we stayed at the Courtyard and the lobby was a zoo with people waiting for a shuttle.

[ljslight]

I went with my daughter to the Camp Carnival meeting and just explored the ship. We ate in the dining room and everyone enjoyed the food.

We also went to the CC meet and greet.

This was my 3rd cruise, but the first time to have an inside cabin. I was trying to save money was this was the cheapest option. I missed the balcony, but it wasn't all that bad. I will say if you like a nap in the middle of the day it is nice and dark in the cabin and great for a nap.

 

I will post pictures but am having trouble doing so.

[KirkNC]

Good job so far. Glad you found someone to cruise with you.

[ljslight]

The shuttle from the hotel as a huge bus and went real smooth. We booked the first one and we had no problems at all.

[ljslight]

One of the things that really drew mw to this cruise was the super bowl. Most super bowls we get with family and watch the commercials and munch away. I though "how sweet to be on a WARM cruise watching the super bowl with as much food as you want!" The day we left Iowa the wind chill was -10 below zero. So Just being in the warm weather was a awesome! My daughter bought a raffle ticket and won, so the first quarter we had front row seats and someone to get us drinks and food free. That was pretty cool. The crew handed out pom poms and noise makers so it was really fun.

 

We watched the super bowl but ended up going to the dining room, don't know why we were not hungry at all. But we would meet up with everyone from Iowa there at dinner.

[ljslight]

Super Bowl party

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pom poms that was given out

inside cabin

 

 

Our decorated

cabin door

 

 

I was trying to watch my money so we didn't do an excursion on Cozumel. We walked through the port area and then took a taxi to town. I learned real quick to not give them the first price they offer. I wanted a dress and they wanted to charge me $35. I said no thank you and then they would go down. I think I got the dress for $12.00. We ate lunch at Margaretville, and shopped some more.

 

pulling into port

 

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at the port

 

in town, we took a taxi into town

 

menu in pesos at margaritaville

 

 

seen this on a back of a bus

[sbnuggie]

pom poms that was given out

inside cabin

 

 

Our decorated

cabin door

 

 

I was trying to watch my money so we didn't do an excursion on Cozumel. We walked through the port area and then took a taxi to town. I learned real quick to not give them the first price they offer. I wanted a dress and they wanted to charge me $35. I said no thank you and then they would go down. I think I got the dress for $12.00. We ate lunch at Margaretville, and shopped some more.

 

pulling into port

 

 

How did you affix your decoration to the door? Do you know if the door is the "metal" type so magnets will work did you just use some tape or the putty type of magic adhesive stuff.