Carnival Dream - too crowded?

[mrsaries_md]

Hello,

 

My husband and I will be taking our first Carnival cruise in August. We decided to book on the Dream and originally I was super excited but now I am starting to wonder if we made a poor choice. I have read through hundreds of reviews about the Dream and the one thing that seems to be consistent is that the ship is too crowded. If you have sailed on the Dream can you give me your personal opinion on this and any tips to possibly avoid some of the crowds. Also is it true we will need to be up super early in order to get a lounger by the pool?

 

TIA :)

[RuthlessBoss]

You've read "hundreds" of Dream reviews? :eek:

[mary80]

We were never worried about being by the pool, so i can't speak for that, but we were never unable to find a deck chair or a place to sit down and eat. We did have a balcony, so we weren't on deck as much as usual, but when we were out to eat lunch, or lounge around, or for a dive in movie, we always found a spot. It never felt crowded to us. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[CJinFLA00]

We sailed the Dream twice and this is probably my favorite ship. We didn't feel any more crowded on this ship compared to others. I would book this ship again in a heart beat. We miss it in Fla and would like it back!

 

We love deck five outside where you can walk around the entire ship (sometimes windy on sea days).

[cccer]

We were on the Dream last July. The pool was really crowded and you would have to get up early to get a lounger by the pool, but that has been the way it is on all of my cruises. Besides the pool, I thought it did not seem very crowded. Lines moved and always could find a seat at the lido.

[Topo Gigio]

It's a known fact that most Carnival ships are crowded.

[tandemcruzr]

Been on the Dream 3 times. Did not feel "too" crowded to us.

[Davey Wavey]

While onboard, the big ships didn't seem any more crowded than any other. There were lines for buffet and restaurants during traditional meal times, but no more so than the other ships. The first night in the main dining room felt like a huge crowd (maybe 20 minutes after the doors open to get everyone settled), but following nights were very quick (like 5 minutes). The crowds are more noticeable during boarding and leaving the ship. The big ships took 1.5 hours longer to call all zones than the smaller ships.

[RuthlessBoss]

It's a known fact that most Carnival ships are crowded.

 

They are "Funships", right? People are out and about more. I don't think they are anymore crowded than others although Sunshine might be the exception.

[love my grandkids]

Been on the Dream twice and thought it handled the crowds well.

[cruzeluver]

If you have sailed on other lines then Carnival ships do feel more crowded.

 

Having said that, it has never been bad enough to truly impact our vacation. Loungers right by the pool are a challenge. I mean, how many can there be? And with a few thousand other folks on board yes, you would need to be out bright and early to get something right by the pool. We have never had a problem finding loungers elsewhere.

[mrsaries_md]

Thanks everyone for the comments. I really appreciate all the information. We are excited to cruise on a "fun ship".

[YubaSutter]

The only big crowd I experienced in the dream was at the Punchliner comedy for the first couple of nights.

[katiel53]

I have been on Dream six times from Pt Canaveral and now have 2 more trips on Dream booked. I have to say I don't sit out b;y the pool as I had a house with a pool in FL, so didn't need that and now, I know I still don't find sitting out in the sun for long hours is good for me as I have had skin cancer twice.

 

So, my husband and I loved spending time on our balcony on the cruise without all the noise of the Lido deck. I did find a line when we wanted to go to a comedy show, but that is to be expected.

 

We didn't go to breakfast at 8, usually later. We didn't go to lunch at 12, usually later and we had ATD so we went to dinner around 7. If you go to the Lido or other places for meals that are not prime time, you won't have a long wait in line. If you choose lunch at 12 or breakfast at 10, sure there will be lines. Many people choose to eat at the regular times and that's what creates the problems.

 

I like the Dream and don't feel that I am crowded. I guess maybe my lifestyle is different from that of others, but I would not give a second thought to sailing on her. If you worry about crowds, don't even think of sailing on Sunshine.

[day-day]

The buffet was a little crowded one port day when we went for breakfast with port arrival time of 8am. This was expected since this schedule would jam up the breakfast times for most guests.

 

One day we tried to eat a "quick" lunch in between a couple of ship activities but it happened to be pretty much right at 12 noon. Lunch took a little longer than planned but not bad.

 

I think the set up around the main pool is pretty poor and limits the number of lounge chairs that are out in the sun with a somewhat easy access to the pool. I've seen better layouts on other ships so that the loungers can listen to pool music and also get to the pool for a quick cooling, even if its a stairway or two down. The lounge chairs were saved early and I did not see Carnival employees marking them to see if users were back within 40 minutes as posted.

 

These are minor complaints and not unexpected; especially the 1st two.

 

My only true complaint: Many of the ship activities including trivia games were held in the Ocean Plaza, midship deck 5. This was dissappointing because there were not enough places to sit and there was constant foot traffic through the venue.

 

We enjoyed the cruise and had an overall positive experience.

Edited May 27, 2015 by day-day

[mary80]

 

 

 

My only true complaint: Many of the ship activities including trivia games were held in the Ocean Plaza, midship deck 5. This was dissappointing because there were not enough places to sit and there was constant foot traffic through the venue.

 

 

Very true.

[Topo Gigio]

I was on the Dream during Thanks Giving and it was soo crowded. It wasn't even funny. 1300 kids on the ship. I think if you don't cruise during vacation time, you should be ok.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Topo Gigio

[BigB0882]

I agree about the Ocean Plaza! It really is not big enough to hold all the trivias and some other activities. We only ended up doing one trivia all week because every time we tried to get there, there were no seats left. The place is just not big enough and no one is going to want to stand and try to write down their answers. I don't know why it couldn't be done during the day in the Burgundy Lounge where the comedy is usually held. Plus, the Ocean Plaza is right by the casino so there is a lot of foot traffic and you can still smell the smoke from the casino.

 

As to crowding in general, I was on the Dream during Spring Break and it wasn't that bad. Yeah, it was crowded but then again I didn't spend my time all week sitting by the pool. If that is your main activity, just get out there early to get a good spot. We found tons of places to lounge on the other decks, didn't have to be by a pool for us and we used the Serenity as well (although the Serenity area is surrounded by a very high plastic barrier so there is not much of a breeze, it gets hot up there very quickly).

 

I really think you will enjoy the Dream. Just go in knowing that you will possibly be sailing while some people are out of school so it could be full but do some exploring and I promise you can find a place to enjoy yourself without huge crowds. Also, try eating at off times to avoid the craziness at lunch or dinner. If you eat in the MDR and have anytime dining, don't go right after a show lets out. Many people go straight from the early show to dinner so there can be quite a line. Go earlier (and see the late show) or wait a little and the line disappears very quickly.

Edited May 27, 2015 by BigB0882

[jerseyjjs]

I was on the Dream during Thanks Giving and it was soo crowded. It wasn't even funny. 1300 kids on the ship. I think if you don't cruise during vacation time, you should be ok.

 

 

 

Were you on the November 2009 New York City sailing? Man, that WAS a crowded cruise. And miserable weather to boot.

[k2excursion]

First of all, Carnival ships are typically more crowded than other cruiselines. That's just how it is. However, by comparison to places like Sea World, Universal Studios, waterparks in the summer, Dallas highways, etc, Carnival ships will feel totally empty by comparison. It's not bad at all.

 

Another thing to consider with the Dream (and the Dream's 2 sister ships) is that she has a lot of extra berths: 3rd/4th/5th beds in rooms. More-so than other Carnival classes of ships. During peak cruising times, most of these will be filled. During the off-season, many more of them will not be filled. This leads to a wide range of "crowded" results. Cruising during peak season may feel quite crowded, while cruising off-season will feel incredibly un-crowded. The 3 Dream class ships experience this wider range of results compared to other Carnival ships. If you are cruising in late August, you are in the off season. If you are in early August, well, you know what that means. More families during the peak season, in addition to those extra berths being used, means an overall younger crowd (younger adults as well), which means more people are out and about longer.

 

I have sailed the Dream 3 times, and she is by far my favorite ship. I have only sailed Dream in the off-season, however, 1 of those times, the week fell on fall break for the Northeast part of the country, and the ship had almost every bed filled. Even with that, it did not feel very crowded. Food lines were short, even when eating at peak times, such as noon-1:00. I couldn't believe how short the lines always were. The only long lines we had was that very first day for embarkation buffet lunch. We just did the pasta bar, which is a great lunch spot, and it's not usually crowded the first day, since many people don't know about it yet.

 

The comedy club will be crowded, always is on every ship. Dream's comedy club is actually larger than the ones on her sister ships. Elevators will be slammed at peak times: before/after dining, before/after shows, getting off/on the ship in ports. But that's true of all ships. Plan accordingly & find alternate routes, or if you have a deck 1 or 2 room, just use the stairs during those times. The pools can get crowded, and the waterslide line can sometimes be long. The slide line tends to be shorter when it first opens & typically for most of the 3:00-6:00 time.

 

It has never been hard to find lounge chairs on the ship. For those that insist on having a chair right up next to the main pool, they may say you can't ever get a chair unless you're there at 6am. But if you don't HAVE to have a chair next to the pool, there will be plenty of chairs elsewhere on the lido deck or up on deck 12 overlooking the main pool area. If you are a group of 20, that might be difficult. If you are just 1 or 2 people, it will be much easier. There are also chairs in the aft & on the deck 5 lanai, if you want to be away from the noise & activities. Enjoy your cruise!

[JWGrayson]

Here is a blurb from my webpage on an upcoming Journey's cruise on the Dream.

 

This will only be our second time on the Dream. The first cruise was in April 2012, just 7 days after Linda retired. We were pretty green cruiser and were surprised that the ship had over 900 kids on board as we made the mistake of booking during spring break. Kids were everywhere! We even saw some diving into a Serenity hot tub.

 

We were not impressed with the Dream as we felt that they had simply made a ship that holds more people without providing additional public space. They have made some changes to the Dream since we were on her. She was one of the first ships to receive the Funship 2.0 upgrades, but only got a few due to limited deck space. I have not been able to get a definitive list of what was added, but I have read that they did not include Guy’s Burger Joint and the Blue Iguana Cantina. We have spent 27 days on the Breeze, the Dream's newer sister, so we are curious to see what we will think of her after 3.5 years.

 

I am glad to see that others were happy with their time on the Dream. Just to be fair, we really liked our OV cabin!! John

[mrsaries_md]

I agree about the Ocean Plaza! It really is not big enough to hold all the trivias and some other activities. We only ended up doing one trivia all week because every time we tried to get there, there were no seats left. The place is just not big enough and no one is going to want to stand and try to write down their answers. I don't know why it couldn't be done during the day in the Burgundy Lounge where the comedy is usually held. Plus, the Ocean Plaza is right by the casino so there is a lot of foot traffic and you can still smell the smoke from the casino.

 

As to crowding in general, I was on the Dream during Spring Break and it wasn't that bad. Yeah, it was crowded but then again I didn't spend my time all week sitting by the pool. If that is your main activity, just get out there early to get a good spot. We found tons of places to lounge on the other decks, didn't have to be by a pool for us and we used the Serenity as well (although the Serenity area is surrounded by a very high plastic barrier so there is not much of a breeze, it gets hot up there very quickly).

 

I really think you will enjoy the Dream. Just go in knowing that you will possibly be sailing while some people are out of school so it could be full but do some exploring and I promise you can find a place to enjoy yourself without huge crowds. Also, try eating at off times to avoid the craziness at lunch or dinner. If you eat in the MDR and have anytime dining, don't go right after a show lets out. Many people go straight from the early show to dinner so there can be quite a line. Go earlier (and see the late show) or wait a little and the line disappears very quickly.

 

 

Thank you! I was hoping to hear there are other places where we can lounge quietly. The information given is helpful.

[mrsaries_md]

First of all, Carnival ships are typically more crowded than other cruiselines. That's just how it is. However, by comparison to places like Sea World, Universal Studios, waterparks in the summer, Dallas highways, etc, Carnival ships will feel totally empty by comparison. It's not bad at all.

 

Another thing to consider with the Dream (and the Dream's 2 sister ships) is that she has a lot of extra berths: 3rd/4th/5th beds in rooms. More-so than other Carnival classes of ships. During peak cruising times, most of these will be filled. During the off-season, many more of them will not be filled. This leads to a wide range of "crowded" results. Cruising during peak season may feel quite crowded, while cruising off-season will feel incredibly un-crowded. The 3 Dream class ships experience this wider range of results compared to other Carnival ships. If you are cruising in late August, you are in the off season. If you are in early August, well, you know what that means. More families during the peak season, in addition to those extra berths being used, means an overall younger crowd (younger adults as well), which means more people are out and about longer.

 

I have sailed the Dream 3 times, and she is by far my favorite ship. I have only sailed Dream in the off-season, however, 1 of those times, the week fell on fall break for the Northeast part of the country, and the ship had almost every bed filled. Even with that, it did not feel very crowded. Food lines were short, even when eating at peak times, such as noon-1:00. I couldn't believe how short the lines always were. The only long lines we had was that very first day for embarkation buffet lunch. We just did the pasta bar, which is a great lunch spot, and it's not usually crowded the first day, since many people don't know about it yet.

 

The comedy club will be crowded, always is on every ship. Dream's comedy club is actually larger than the ones on her sister ships. Elevators will be slammed at peak times: before/after dining, before/after shows, getting off/on the ship in ports. But that's true of all ships. Plan accordingly & find alternate routes, or if you have a deck 1 or 2 room, just use the stairs during those times. The pools can get crowded, and the waterslide line can sometimes be long. The slide line tends to be shorter when it first opens & typically for most of the 3:00-6:00 time.

 

It has never been hard to find lounge chairs on the ship. For those that insist on having a chair right up next to the main pool, they may say you can't ever get a chair unless you're there at 6am. But if you don't HAVE to have a chair next to the pool, there will be plenty of chairs elsewhere on the lido deck or up on deck 12 overlooking the main pool area. If you are a group of 20, that might be difficult. If you are just 1 or 2 people, it will be much easier. There are also chairs in the aft & on the deck 5 lanai, if you want to be away from the noise & activities. Enjoy your cruise!

 

My husband and I are cruising in early August so we are prepared for lots of youth/young adults. This is the only time we could go since we're leaving our three kids at home with grandparents to enjoy this time away for our anniversary. I truly appreciate all the information you have provided. I will remember to check for chairs in the areas mentioned as we don't need to be right at the pool.:)

[marlstone]

My wife and I sailed the Dream on May 3rd - 10th. The ship is big indeed. So big that with the exception of Chef Art's steakhouse where the food is cooked when ordered, we didn't really get a "hot" meal at any time in the main dining room; just too many people getting fed at the same time.

We encountered long lines at the omelet station, the mongolian station, and most buffet lines. When at sea I would definitely recommend going to the Scarlett aft dining room for the sea day brunch. It is open for dining from 8am to 1pm. They will try to seat you with other passengers so if you want to eat privately then you will have to tell so.

Unless you are a platinum or diamond cruiser you will encounter long lines to embark the ship in New Orleans. I would definitely recommend going to the shore excursion portion of the manage my cruise and look for the excursion called "faster to the fun'. For $49.95 for everyone in the cabin you get head of the line on embarkation and debarkation, and a special line at the information desk.

Hope some of this information helps

[Carol1560]

I don't know, the really long line that I stood in was for the Stir Fry on the lido deck and it wasn't even that good

 

I have been on 17 cruises outta NOLA and have heard and seen mixed reviews on the FFTF passes. Sometimes there is nobody there when you board and other times, lines lines.

 

I will be on the Dream again in September and that should be after when most schools have restarted for the new year. The Dream is a big ship and you can learn how to get around and get what you want without long lines.

 

I believe that on the lido deck there is like 6 omlet lines and I never stood in one longer than 10 minutes and I always get an omlet for myself and my hubby. I definitely would do the at sea brunches, they are super yummy.

There is not assigned seating for the brunches, it is family style. So they basically will serve you in the order that you arrive.

 

Don't forget about the Indian Fare or the Pasta

And the BBQ on Deck 5