November 2014 DREAM Review (long)

[marci4tony]

Prior to my vacation, I did a lot of research, had a lot of questions. So I wrote this hoping that it well help someone in the same boat (no pun intended!) Bon voyage!

 

 

 

This is not my first Rodeo; nor is it my first tequila. I most certainly won't be the last, either!

 

 

New Orleans, my friends, does it right! With the 2014 National Realtor Convention, the San Francisco 49'ers in town, and all that voo-doo that you do - I must admit that the Port or New Orleans does a dandy job! I could go on and on about our dreary stay at what I thought was an amazing B&B, or how the condo caught fire the night before departure for some of our other family members (thank you Red Cross for the blankets while sitting curb side), but this time is strictly about the Cruise.

 

 

A little information about my post - I have strayed. Yes, I admit. I chose not only one, but two other cruise lines since my last Carnival voyage. My name is Marci, and I have a cruising habit! (lol) So, after research, and planning, and saving, myself and 13 other brave individuals (whom we shall know as the "Almighty Aft-holes") embarked on the Carnival Dream out of the Big Easy.

 

 

Be advised - The cruise terminal along the water front is NOT that scary (for you future cruisers) – After you turn by the Museum, you will find the parking garage, and then the terminal. They let people through the turn-style to BOARD the ship at 10:00am. So, when deciding when to show up to the port - you have that information.

 

 

Through the turn-style - through the first ticket check (have fun passes and passports ready) and then it's up the escalator to vacation-ville! At the top of the escalator, you wind around as if you were in an amusement park. Then the second ticket check. This time, great care is taken in looking at passports, and the fun pass. Upon that checkpoint, you are directed to the security screening. Yup - not quite TSA style, but you empty your pockets, put your carry on on the conveyor belt blah blah blab. THEN...if you brought any soda or water with you, the very special table! Yes, they open the 12 packs and pull the sodas out. They inspect them for tampering. Yes, they open the shrink wrapped casing around the water and shake the bottles. If there is anything smuggled, they will find it. (And yes, they tape it back up if it checks out ok) We were ok - absolutely no issues. There were people in front of us that were not so lucky based on the pyramid of booty they had collected before us.

 

 

This is where we were separated - Priority Boarding vs Regular Boarding. We had a suite, so we were Priority. They hand us the health screening questionnaire, and took our fun pass. The waiting room was awesome - pastries, juice, coffee, comfy chairs! This is awesome - except we were so excited to get on board, we rushed straight through and into the 2nd waiting room. They call your name when they are ready for you. They take the credit card information, and take your photo for your Sign and Sail card. My poor husband had them in stitches - they thought he was a comedian on board! Have fun with these lovely ladies - yes, they are working and they see hundreds of people each day. But you can make it fun for them as well. I'm sure its very difficult to watch all thousands of people go on a vacation when you are just doing their 9-5.

 

 

We went directly from the waiting room to boarding the ship. We passed the turn-style about 11:15 and were on board around 12:15. The route to the ship wound back and forth and seemed to take eternity. But soon - we crossed the threshold of the mighty Carnival Dream.

 

 

Complaint #1 (I only have 5 complaints) - The elevator service. For crying out loud - every Carnival ship I have ever been on has had issues, but I must admit, this is the first time that I started to second guess my return to Carnival. Yes, it was worse than the "others" - We were headed to the Lido (deck 11) where we had arranged to meet the others. We selected an area by the pool - outdoors, in the shade, but centrally located. Then we disbursed to the food. This is the only opportunity I had to try the stir fry. There was no line. Just another lady and myself. And it still took 10 minutes. Flavors were ok; very weak. Needed soy (or salt). And the steak was full of gristle. But I tried it. 3 out of 5 stars, and at this point, I knew I didn't need to worry about coming back.

 

 

I started on my second DOD before we started seeing the other "aftholes" board - there must be something to say about priority boarding. So I was the "anchor" that watched everyones' carry-on's while they got food and explored. I have a couple of 14 year olds' and at that time - we turned them loose. They are well behaved, have manners, and I never had to worry about them.

 

 

At shortly before 1pm, we snuck our stuff into our cabin. We had 7358 - Oceanview Suite - Starboard. So we had the river side to view. Complaint #2 - The cigarette smoke from Deck 5 was unGodly. I realize we were at port and stationary. But Holy Moly - the stairwells (because the elevator service was horrid) were awful. (Once we started moving, the smoke dissipated) i suspect that being stationary made it worse; which I noticed the rest of the cruise)

 

 

Now, the Saints / 49ers game was on....and I would say, based on the Saints jerseys and beads, that half of those on the ship were football fans. But do you think we could find the game on anywhere? Laugh louder... The aft bar, deck 11 at the very back of the ship has a 24" tv screen and could only support about 30 drunk Saints fans. We were told the "Sports Bar" had all the games. The only problem with that - the "Sports Bar" is inside the Casino - which was also the source for the unGodly cigarette smoke. Now, I have been called a fanatic before, but not wishing stage 4 lung cancer just to watch a game was my choice. When we asked why they wouldn't put the game on the big screen on the Lido, we were told - not "everyone" likes football and we don't want to alienate anyone. Really? For a ship based in "Saints-Town"? I don't buy it. They weren't showing ANYTHING. Just some really loud (and not very good) music.

 

 

Muster was uneventful - a necessity, but uneventful. So, we expected sail off at 4; registration for Club 02 at 5. Well - there wasn't a sail off until nearly 5:20. So I figured we'd register the kids later on. The luggage came, uneventfully - and we unpacked. The Cabin review is below - no reason to duplicate it. Make sure and get you a deck plan because the first day, it helps get you oriented.

 

 

Dinner was absolutely amazing the first night - We had 14 people, and unfortunately had to bounce 2 tables the entire journey. But that just made it interesting, right? We had the most FANTASTIC wait staff. Vladin, Roni and I dont remember the third guys name I apologize were phenomenal! We looked forward to dinner service EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! Drink service was lame....Food was awesome! I am still a chilled soup fan - and the strawberry and mango were my favorites. I did try as many new things as I could. And I did not skimp on dessert! Chocolate melting cake 5 nights out of 7! We took our time - we laughed, we were rowdy, and the wine and jokes flowed like the ocean! I KNEW THEN I was happy to be back to Carnival.

 

 

Sea Days are sea days - I actually found myself in the gym on the first one. Yes, I know. Sad? No - I wanted to run, on the ship, in the middle of the ocean. And I did. Lots of exploring - lots of sun. The teenagers did not like the slides - one was too fast, and hurt their butts on the way down. The other one was too slow. The Serenity Deck was amazing - quiet - and amazing. After all, that's what Vacation is all about, right? Some of our group did take advantage of the spa treatments. Treatment for me was sitting on my balcony with my sodoku book breathing the fresh sea air.

 

 

JAMAICA - was our first stop. We booked a Carnival Excursion - Dolphin Swim and Dunns Falls. Because of the distance, we opted to go Carnival to ensure our safe and timely return to the ship. The drive through the Country was very informative - Thank you tour guide "MAMA" - she even sang for us. She explained the sights, told us stories, talked politics and education. She was awesome. Our driver belongs in Daytona giving lessons. Not many people own cars on the Island and its probably a good thing. All the horn honking and passing - driving on the "other side" of the road.... I never felt in danger, but nervous as heck on occasion.

 

 

The Dolphin swim was located in Ochos Rios - and we could see a couple other ships in port from the beach. The 14 year olds were the swimmers - we were the watchers. They were taken into an area for life vests and some training - we found a cold beer and some local shopping. Once they were in the water, they were quite a ways out there and a little difficult to watch. I have a 35mm with several lenses and managed to catch a couple of cool photos. We did not buy the video or photos. Lunch, included, was jerk chicken, rice, salad, and some other interesting items. It was very good. (Beware of the red sauce....put it on the side!) Once we had completed our lunch, we got back on the bus and headed over to Dunns Falls. (Almost across the street)

 

 

We pulled in the parking lot and they told us "water shoes and swimsuits only" - nothing else. Well, what about my camera? How am i going to get pictures? I left everything on the bus, by protest. But after it was all said and done, I understood. For those that don't know about Dunns falls - it is a work out. You are grouped together and assigned into groups. You are assigned 2 guides and a photographer. The area is nicely developed and paved. You will walk all the way down to the ocean - thats where the falls enters the sea. Then everyone holds hands - is meant to be a help (the person in the front is supposed to help the person behind) but it doesn't work perfectly. The water is cold and milky color and you will be walking up a river - against the current of water. Some areas you have to step down into an area you cannot see. My knees hurt, and I am a runner. My guess - it took all of 45 minutes to go up the river. Some areas they slow down to take pictures of you sitting under the falls, or falling backwards into a pool. The pace was a bit fast for my liking, but nevertheless, it worked out just fine. It was a beautiful experience - would I go back, probably not. Jamaica is a large island, with lots to do! The ride back to the ship was uneventful until we determined what time it was. We were running late, it was getting dark. But Mama assured us that Ship time and Jamaica time were an hour apart and we were fine. She was right!

 

 

Grand Cayman was beautiful - we tendered out without a hitch - and we booked a private full day charger from Island Martketing LTD. (Eco) The 14 of us were picked up near a church (just past the Harley Davidson store) and transported to the Marina where we met our Charter Captain for the day - He was phenomenal! We started at Starfish Point (there was NO ONE THERE BUT US) - no hoards of people; then we went on a leisure snorkel. We went to lunch at Rum Point, but because we couldn't dock, we anchored off shore and walked to the shore. That was an amazing experience! Fantastic food - fantastic beer - fantastic sun - fantastic company! The best lunch ever! Then we stopped at Stingray City for a very crowded and rough seas stop - but still very memorable! And lastly, another stop to just swim and play! What an amazing day - with not crowds of people - just our group. I guarantee it will be the most memorable stop for my party!

 

 

In Cozumel, we had a group of (4) that opted to do the beginners Scuba with Carnival. The rest of us went to Mr. Sanchos AI - Love Mr. Sanchos; have been there before and were very happy to be back. The food was amazing (the Guac, the cheviche) and the kids loved the quesidillas. I'm a pina coloda girl, but the new drink - the Miami Vice - Half Daiquiri, half coloda - seemed to be quite the hit as well. We loved the toys, the kayak, the beach, the water, and the sun! The Wi-fi, not so good. This is our favorite beach in Coz. I even got a photo of a water spout. Craziness!

 

 

 

 

Of course, the sea day home was a recovery day - and packing all of the crap we had purchased. Wow, we brought a whole lot of stuff. I dislike packing everything and leaving it outside the door of your cabin, but it is what it is. Its depressing as heck! That's exactly what it is.

 

 

My other complaints - #3. Karaoke was run by aliens. No personality, and very slow. We didn't go back. But my worse complaint - The loud banging noise, every morning, like clockwork - at 6am. LOUD. And no one could identify anything. Engineering said they would look into it. (Sounded like an old heat pipe!) The issue was acknowledged by our steward and customer service - but apologies were all that was done. No one seemed to care that it interrupted each and every morning. I'm on vacation and I have no desire to wake up that early. I was perturbed at the least, but no one seemed to care. What do you do? Some of the others in our party really pushed the issue, and got some future credit. That wasn't our desired result - we just wanted it to stop!

 

 

The midnight chocolate buffet is gone - but they had a midnight Mexican buffet on the second formal night. The chocolate buffet isn't at midnight, but was definitely excellent! My kids rather had ice cream, but my oh my - good chocolate!

 

 

They still do the "Legends" show - its the same show they have been doing for at least 5 years. Other passengers sing with the house band to Madonna, Aretha, Garth, etc etc. We didn't go to that show. They did karaoke to a live band the first night, but we had late night dining, and it wasn't possible. I was a little disappointed. The comedy shows were awesome! And some of the shows by the Carnival dancers and singers were very good. The kids never went to O2 – there weren’t very many teenagers on this cruise. And that was ok – they did ok on their own.

 

 

Debarkation stunk - simply because it was the end of the trip. I didn't find it disorganized or chaotic at all (until we tried to find an elevator!) Customs were easy. Getting a cab was easy. The cruise hangover...not so much.

 

 

Overall - I was very glad to be back with Carnival, and I guess I had to stray in order to remember why it was Carnival that I loved! There were issues - there always are. But my vacation was amazing. And I loved it! (And I didn't mind taking the stairs!)

[marci4tony]

Somehow, the cabin information got separated.

 

When you walk into the cabin, the bathroom is on the RIGHT HAND SIDE - There is a large closet and vanity with a nicely lighted mirror and AN OUTLET!! The bathroom was very large - jetted tub (yes, it was used!) Double sink, (another OUTLET) and lots of counter space. Again, when the ship is stationary, the "smell" was noticeable. Once we started moving - it was gone.

 

Outside the bathroom area - facing the balcony - The LEFT hand side was a desk, with the fridge/cooler, some drawers, and a bar set up. And...another outlet!! The couch was next - we pulled out our couch for a bed and never put it up the entire time. Movement in the cabin was a little tight, but it wasnt horrible!

 

Then the balcony - its the length of the cabin width, but not very deep. But it didnt bother me. I spent a lot of time on my balcony, and I never found it inadequate!

 

On the other side of the cabin is another dresser area that is perpendicular to the desk/bar. The nice flat screen tv is there, there is a safe, and again, more drawers. And in the corner, another closet.

 

The bed is very confy - love the bedding, love the lighting. There are lamps next to the bed that are great for a little local light.

[SmittyCo]

Thanks ... you said 5 complaints but listed 3. We always go to Mr. Sanchos! Love them. We are doing the same itinerary in spring, but on the Magic from Galveston.... we have been trying to decide what to do in Jamaica and Grand Caymans ... thanks for the info on those excursions.

[lstrong]

Thank you.. Lots of good info!

[caligirl323]

What nights were the elegant nights? We are leaving in January!!

[LREcruise02]

Yay a dream review! Do you happen to have fun times?? :)

 

 

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[bigreid07]

When you say they let you Board at 10, were you referring to getting on the ship, or just in the terminal? Last time I was in N.O. was Dream's first sailing out from there, and it was a bit crazy...they definitely werent used to having a ship that big with so many passengers coming and going. Thanks!

[cruiser fanatic]

Great review! Quick question about the boarding. When you say boarding at 10 do you mean getting on the ship or checking in? In most ports they don't begin check in until 10. My experience in New Orleans boarding has always started between 11:15 - 11:45. On the Dream in July boarding did not begin until 11:40.

Edited December 8, 2014 by cruiser fanatic

[marci4tony]

Clarification - (5) complaints - 1) elevator 2) large screen seaside not utilized as much as I think it can 3) SMOKE (worse when stationary) 4) Karaoke hosts and 5) LOUD BANGING NOISE - I stand corrected - borderline #6 was the lack of drink service - pretty lame; we started bringing in our own on the way TO DINNER!!! BUT....that being said....They have the COOLEST SHOT GLASSES! We have an entire collection!

 

I would NOT bat an eye at booking a private charter in Grand Cayman!

 

10:00 am for the "checking in process" - apologies. I dont know when they started boarding, but I can tell you with the PRIORITY BOARDING - we had our photos taken, they handed us our cards, and we walked on the ship. There was NO WAIT

 

And yes, I have dailies - I will try and get them scanned in this week.

 

Formal nights - First sea day and night 5

 

LOVED the DREAM; Looking at booking her cousin, Breeze, for next year!

Edited December 9, 2014 by marci4tony

[bigreid07]

I hate to hear that about the big screen; I felt the exact same way last April. I lot of times during the day, they ran silent advertisements about other Carnival Ships...that's cool to show on a stateroom TV, but not outside. If nothing else, they should just play concert footage, island music, or something.

Do you recall what movies they showed at night? The last lineup I saw in October on here was actually pretty good.

[LREcruise02]

Clarification - (5) complaints - 1) elevator 2) large screen seaside not utilized as much as I think it can 3) SMOKE (worse when stationary) 4) Karaoke hosts and 5) LOUD BANGING NOISE - I stand corrected - borderline #6 was the lack of drink service - pretty lame; we started bringing in our own on the way TO DINNER!!! BUT....that being said....They have the COOLEST SHOT GLASSES! We have an entire collection!

 

I would NOT bat an eye at booking a private charter in Grand Cayman!

 

10:00 am for the "checking in process" - apologies. I dont know when they started boarding, but I can tell you with the PRIORITY BOARDING - we had our photos taken, they handed us our cards, and we walked on the ship. There was NO WAIT

 

And yes, I have dailies - I will try and get them scanned in this week.

 

Formal nights - First sea day and night 5

 

LOVED the DREAM; Looking at booking her cousin, Breeze, for next year!

 

 

Hi there! Were you ever able to scan in the funtimes ? We are doing this itinerary in March and I would love to see them! Thank you!!

 

 

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