Jump to content

Dream Review - January 7


Sudilly
 Share

Recommended Posts

Pictures are coming after I figure out the best way to upload. We are a group of 29 family and friends from several different states. My husband and I stayed the two nights prior to the cruise at the Hilton Riverside. We went with St. Gregory's recommendations and booked with Hotwire. I messed up when I booked and used the criteria for the Hilton Convention Center instead of Riverside, I called Hotwire and promised the rep my first born if they would let me change reservations. She was actually very nice and canceled the convention center and booked the Riverside. We got an Avis rental car because we were traveling to visit relatives in Northern Louisiana before the cruise and there is an Avis/Budget rental car drop off at the hotel. Valet parking was $49 per night. Our room was nice but dated and small. (We stayed in a couple of different Holiday Inn Expresses prior to the Hilton and both were roomier.) We were on the 14th floor and had a nice view of the port and could see a couple of ships docked.

 

We got back to New Orleans around 8 pm. We had dinner at Dragos in the Hilton. I had a bowl of seafood gumbo and barbecued shrimp appetizers. They were both delicious. We hung out a little in Dragos and then went to bed early because we were exhausted from driving all over Louisiana for a couple of days. Saturday morning we got up early and met up with some of our group. We decided to go across the street to Harrahs Casino for breakfast. When we saw that it was $34 for brunch we decided to go to the food court at the Outlet Mall which was attached to the Hilton on one end and the port on the other. I had some really good fried catfish and red beans and rice at Mikes in the food court. We shopped a little and then went to the airport to pick up my son. We stopped at a supermarket and bought some granola bars for Sunday's breakfast.

 

Saturday night we ate at Mulate's which was a couple of blocks from the Hilton. We made reservations for a table for 12 at 7pm. The reservations were not needed, the place was half empty. The food was mediocre, but they did have live music. We then got an Uber for the French Quarter. It was very cold, around 28 degrees. We missed the first parade of Mardi Gras but did see the fireworks. There were a lot of people partying on the street.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

January 7 Embarkation Day:

 

We had purchased FTTF and had a 10 am check-in. We loaded up our rental car and drove a couple of blocks to the terminal. The traffic was crazy. We located a porter and dropped off our bags. We were back at the Hilton and dropped off our rental car at the Avis desk at 9:40 am. We then walked through the outlet mall to embark. I have arthritis in my knee and hip and the walk was easy for me, including the steps down to the port. It was annoying that Carnival snaked the line longer for more photo ops. Check-in was easy but then we had to wait in a section for about 30 minutes. I think that there might have been a problem with the disembarking group because we saw several NOLA uniformed deputies. Anyway, we were on board by 11:30. Our room was ready so we dropped off our carry-ons and went up to Guys Burgers. There was already a long line but I had read here earlier to check the other side of the line. Sure enough, there was almost nobody on that side.

 

We ate a leisurely lunch while we waited for the rest of our group to embark. We headed over to Lido for dessert and ran into our friend who flew in from Alaska. We visited some and then went back to our cabin to unpack. We were in 6286 balcony. Our luggage had arrived. We met our steward, Yuni who was wonderful. We gave her a $20 tip which she appreciated and requested twice a day service, extra pillows, and robes. Yuni took great care of us and was always very pleasant. She and her team had 37 cabins to tend. We gave her an additional $20 when we disembarked along with the prepaid gratuities.

 

Next was muster drill. It was short and painless in the dining room. I got in trouble for texting during the muster. After muster, we headed back to our cabin to finish unpacking. I did not even realize that the ship was moving until I looked out the window! It took several hours before we finished sailing down the Mississippi to the Gulf. We were on late dining and I was still in Sprint range at 9. Our group had 3 large tables in the upper Crimson dining room. Our head waiter was Westly. Westly was awesome. He and his staff took excellent care of us. Unfortunately, the menus were on the hub app and I can no longer access them. But I do remember the first night's food was outstanding.

 

All of the Carnival staff that I met was friendly and hard-working. Every single staffer that I encountered always smiled and greeted me. They were constantly cleaning. The ship seemed very clean. In the public restrooms, there were tissues over the door to hold when opening and small containers outside to toss them in.

 

After dinner, we went to the Punchliner for the comedy show. It was rated r and most definitely an R rating. Then it was back to our cabin. We could still see the occasional oil rig sail by. The bed was extremely comfortable and I slept very well the entire cruise. Of course, not having 2 dogs in bed with us helped! All of our group used the hub app. It wasn't great for messaging. We had to repeatedly add people to the app before we could get it to work properly. Messages were delayed, sometimes for hours, so we also resorted to calling cabins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fun Days at Sea:

 

Days 2 and 3 were Sea Days. We started our sea days in the dining room with sea day brunch. The filet mignon and eggs was really good, I think I ate it 3 times. We had a large group so we tended to meet up during the day at the various activities. Once we made it to the Caribbean the weather was nice and warm. The first formal night was Monday and featured lobster tails and creme brulee.

 

Guys Barbecue was only open for a few hours on sea days, I believe from 11 - 2:30. It wasn't the best barbecue that I have had, but considering they had to use electric smokers it was pretty good. I also enjoyed the side dishes. During the days, I tended to hang out in Ocean Plaza on deck 5. There was usually either live musicians or games. We had a great game of Trivial Pursuit going but had to end early because it ran over. I think our group got cheated -- we could have won!

 

We avoided the shopping seminars and all of the stuff Carnival was trying to sale. My son got chosen for the Hasbro game show. He won a pocket-size game. It was a fun activity. We also really enjoyed the Love and Marriage show. The couples were hilarious. Brandon, our cruise director was very entertaining. We saw the Punchliner comedian again at the family show and found him funnier with that group.

 

A couple of our group attended the Thriller dance class and were disappointed that the Thriller was not played as advertised during the 80s dance night. At the 80s dance, they threw out glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets. It was fun and energetic but very cold on the Lido deck.

 

On Tuesday, we attended the Cruise Critics meet and greet. It was very disappointing. About 11 people of our group and one other couple attended. It was in a hard-to-find reception room. They had cookies, pastries, tea and juice laid out on a side table. We pulled up chairs and sat in a circle for a bit. A waiter said that the cruise director and one of the ship's officers would drop in. Neither ever showed up. We just sat around for about half an hour eating cookies in a big empty room. I can see why there is such low turn out on these. I was kind of embarrassed that I encouraged people to attend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ocho Rios

 

Jamaica was our first port. We did not book any of the Carnival excursions. As we left the ship, we were bombarded with drivers trying to transport us. You could not walk 2 feet without somebody offering their services. We made arrangements to book a private van for 8 of us for $20 each. He drove us around the island and gave us interesting commentary. At one point, a Jamaican woman with the largest butt I had ever seen, she made Kim Kardashian look tiny, jumped in front of the bus and started shaking that booty. She wouldn't move until she got a tip. She was so hilarious, that we didn't even mind paying her off. A mile or so later a man dressed like a tree jumped in front of the bus. He didn't get a tip from us though. We got to see a lot of the area but the driver did seem to stop at "conveniently located" tourist stands. I bought a beaded necklace at one stand and hours later when I looked in the mirror I found that the dye on the beads had worn off and I had a purple ring on my chest. It looked like I had been beaten. We stopped at a good place for jerk chicken. It was really tasty, but the server was very surly. When we got back to port, my husband and I were the last 2 off the van. Everyone else had paid and tipped as they left. The driver claimed that someone shorted him $20. We didn't believe that but paid up to avoid any hassle. We think that he wasn't happy with his tip. We then hit up a couple of shops and headed back to the ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fun Days at Sea:

 

Days 2 and 3 were Sea Days. We started our sea days in the dining room with sea day brunch. The filet mignon and eggs was really good, I think I ate it 3 times. We had a large group so we tended to meet up during the day at the various activities. Once we made it to the Caribbean the weather was nice and warm. The first formal night was Monday and featured lobster tails and creme brulee.

 

Guys Barbecue was only open for a few hours on sea days, I believe from 11 - 2:30. It wasn't the best barbecue that I have had, but considering they had to use electric smokers it was pretty good. I also enjoyed the side dishes. During the days, I tended to hang out in Ocean Plaza on deck 5. There was usually either live musicians or games. We had a great game of Trivial Pursuit going but had to end early because it ran over. I think our group got cheated -- we could have won!

 

We avoided the shopping seminars and all of the stuff Carnival was trying to sale. My son got chosen for the Hasbro game show. He won a pocket-size game. It was a fun activity. We also really enjoyed the Love and Marriage show. The couples were hilarious. Brandon, our cruise director was very entertaining. We saw the Punchliner comedian again at the family show and found him funnier with that group.

 

A couple of our group attended the Thriller dance class and were disappointed that the Thriller was not played as advertised during the 80s dance night. At the 80s dance, they threw out glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets. It was fun and energetic but very cold on the Lido deck.

 

On Tuesday, we attended the Cruise Critics meet and greet. It was very disappointing. About 11 people of our group and one other couple attended. It was in a hard-to-find reception room. They had cookies, pastries, tea and juice laid out on a side table. We pulled up chairs and sat in a circle for a bit. A waiter said that the cruise director and one of the ship's officers would drop in. Neither ever showed up. We just sat around for about half an hour eating cookies in a big empty room. I can see why there is such low turn out on these. I was kind of embarrassed that I encouraged people to attend.

Oh no! We have nearly 100 people signed up. How many people actually signed up for yours? How were you notified? Did they really send a note to your cabin, or did you have to find it in the Fun Times. I've encouraged a lot of people too. I hope I don't end up embarrassed too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh no! We have nearly 100 people signed up. How many people actually signed up for yours? How were you notified? Did they really send a note to your cabin, or did you have to find it in the Fun Times. I've encouraged a lot of people too. I hope I don't end up embarrassed too.

 

I don't remember, but I think it was around 30. We got invitations sent to our cabin and it was in the paper Fun Times but not in the Hub Fun Times. The room was really hard to find. It was hidden on the 5th deck. Maybe others couldn't find it. If Carnival reps had shown up it probably would have been worthwhile. Other wise it was like being in a hotel conference room sitting around eating cookies waiting for someone to show up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grand Cayman

 

Most of my group went on the Pirate Ship with Open Bar Carnival excursion. They snorkeled and hoisted the masts. The open bar did not open until after the snorkeling. My sister-in-law had a difficult time getting back on the pirate ship. I can't review it as I wasn't there. I took a later tender over and met my husband at the terminal. We walked over to Margaritaville and later hit up a couple of shops. Then we went back to the ship and hit up the hot tub.

 

Cozumel

 

We took a taxi to the San Gervase ruins. I think we got ripped off, it cost us $25 each for the driver to wait for us and then take us to Money Bar, I was disappointed by the ruins. First, they charge $5 to enter a shopping area. It's another $4.50 to actually enter the ruins. Then they wanted $20 for the tour guide. We just paid the $4.50 since we were already there. To me, it was hot and boring. We walked through them in about 45 minutes. Then got in our cab and went to Money Bar. They give free access to their beach if you order anything to eat or drink. They have clean bathrooms and showers. The food was reasonably priced. I ordered nachos and they were the best that I have ever had. They were piled high with beef, chicken, shrimp etc. There was enough for 4 or 5 people. My friend ordered the steak tacos and they were also good. My son rented a moped while the rest of us hung out at the beach. I was nervous about him going off on his own, but he stayed in the area and had a great time. We then took a cab back to the terminal. We hit up a couple of shops and got back on board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tasting Menu -

 

My son went to the Steakhouse Tasting Menu and really enjoyed it. They gave him recipes too.

 

MDR:

 

We ate every night at the MDR. Most choices were excellent. The exceptions were the Port of Call menus. They were gross. The Jamaican menu featured jerk pork loin. It was tasteless pork with a little spice. Nothing like I had in Jamaica. The Cozumel was even worse. They had tortilla soup. It tasted like Campbell's tomato soup with some chili seasoning and shredded tortilla. The steak tacos were awful. They marinated beef in some type of peppery juice. If you want Mexican, stick to the Blue Iguana! All of the other food was great. On the last night, they served Baked Alaska. In the Hub menu, it said that they had a sugar-free version. However it wasn't on the menu so I asked my server and he said that you had to request it 24 hours in advance, I showed him the Hub and asked where does it show that. Anyway, after saying it wasn't available, they managed to find 2 slices for my diabetic husband.

 

Behind the Fun

 

My husband and son took the Behind the Fun tour. Both agreed it was the highlight of the cruise. They were given lots of swag -- hats, photos, lanyard, backpack, soap carved into a swan. And later chocolate covered strawberries and muffins were delivered to our cabin.

 

Carnival Photographers

 

We had a couple of really bad photographers. We tried to get group shots but the people on the end were cut off. Also, their lighting was off and people were in the shadows. We weren't able to get a good group shot.

 

Disembarkation

 

Disembarkation was very easy. We had FTTF. We ordered room service for breakfast. Then packed our last little bit. We just headed out the door, caught an elevator, walked the gangplank, got waved through customs and immediately caught our airport shuttle. We hung out at the NOLA airport for a couple of hours and then flew home to California.

 

Most of us got sick after we left the ship. My family has all had colds and I had diarrhea for 5 days. Other group members are reporting the same. The relatives that I visited in LA before the cruise all had some kind of viral flu. Luckily we didn't get that but we all had flu shots. I think Carnival does a good job on sanitation, but when you have 5000 people constantly touching elevator buttons etc, you do catch their germs. I was constantly washing my hands.

 

Overall

 

We all had a great cruise and would definitely do it again. We were very happy with Carnival and will cruise again. The best thing was seeing how much the first time cruisers loved sailing. The only really negative part was the Port of Call menu but there is plenty of other good food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you recall if the casino was open while you were going down the Mississippi River. We are sailing on the Dream at the end of February and my other half just asked if the casino was open right away or not until the second day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you recall if the casino was open while you were going down the Mississippi River. We are sailing on the Dream at the end of February and my other half just asked if the casino was open right away or not until the second day.

 

I don't remember exactly when it opened. It took hours before we got down the Mississippi. I did get lucky with one of the machines. It's the second slot from the right on the second row from the cashier. It's called Money Bags or something like that. The reels are different variations of US currency. It's a "penny" machine that actually costs either .75 or .80 to play. It had a win 6 free spins feature. After I played it a few minutes the first time, I kept getting the 6 free spins and got 48 free spins in a row! I cashed in and went back to that machine several times. I would always get the 6 free spins and another time I got 18 free spins in a row. I'm not much of a gambler but I did come out a head by about 50 bucks and did get enough casino points for the free cruise, which I did not win.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you recall if the casino was open while you were going down the Mississippi River. We are sailing on the Dream at the end of February and my other half just asked if the casino was open right away or not until the second day.

The casino and shops are closed while going down the mighty missisip.

 

Another thing to keep in mind on the return trip shops and casino close early as the ship enters the river and exits international waters.

 

Was on the dream in July ahead of hurricane harvey and will sail her again in 28 days!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...