Just Back From the 11/23 Sailing of the Dream - Great Cruise!

Just got back from the 11/23 sailing out of New York of the Dream to Florida and the Bahamas and found the actual cruise one of the best we ever had. The weather was okay, 3 rainy days out of 8, not the best. The ports were nothing special, repeats for us, but the convenience of a new ship leaving New York won us over.

The ship was full, they indicated over 4000 passengers. The embarkation was relatively quick, about an hour from top to bottom. Rooms were ready when we boarded which is always nice.

The food variety and quality blew us away in the Lido but particularly in the Main Dining room. We had Your Time dining and our average wait for a table of 5 was about 5 minutes.

We sampled the deli, pizzeria, tandoori kitchen, pasta bar, grill, omelet station, and we ate breakfast and lunch every day in the Lido. The Lido was particularly busy on rainy days but we never waited more than 10 - 15 minutes on line. Getting a clean table could be a challenge but somehow we always found one and held it when others in our group waited on line. The Mongolian Wok always seemed busy but with the selection available, we never felt it was worth the wait.

The ship is beautiful, the entertainment was fantastic, particularly the production shows - the production features of the theater rival a broadway theater when it comes to lighting, special effects and sets.

There was music all over the ship, from the casino to the atrium and piano bar and also the Burgundy lounge and Ocean Plaza.

The staff were efficient and courteous throughout the ship and we couldn't ask for anything more in a cruise based on the very reasonable price we paid.

We had a balcony cabin on deck 8 and it was very quiet, efficiently layed out and pristine throughout.

We didn't use the spa, gym, hotubs or any of the children's facilities so I can't comment on those aspects but it looked like everyone who availed themselves those facilities were having a good time.

The casino was one of the largest at sea with a great bar and good entertainment (Papa John).

We took Carnival Excursions on each of the 3 ports and we were pleased with each of them.

Once the ship begins its Port Canaveral runs, I am sure any minor kinks will be worked out. If you are booked on this ship you won't be disappointed as long as you realize this is not The Yachts of Seabourn and not priced as such.

After 18 cruises, 8 on Carnival, this was one of the best as it related to the ship, staff, food, and entertainment. As I said before, we've had better weather, and more interesting ports, but the cruise itself was top notch.

If you have any questions I'll try to answer them.

nycruise-Thanks for your reveiw...We have what seems like an eternity before we board...We reserved a Balcony on Lido,we came to love this area after our Oct.Cruise...Did you & your group try the Steak House?Also,what nights were designated as Formal Nights?...Thanks in advance:)

Stacie,

Thanks for the review. Too bad about the rain, but at least you seemed to have a good time on board the ship itself. Did the ship feel crowded or was it spacious enough to feel like a smaller ship with less passengers?

One day I would like to try out the Dream.

nycruise-Thanks for your reveiw...We have what seems like an eternity before we board...We reserved a Balcony on Lido,we came to love this area after our Oct.Cruise...Did you & your group try the Steak House?Also,what nights were designated as Formal Nights?...Thanks in advance:)

Stacie,

We didn't try the Steak House, but there was plenty of beef on the regular menu in the dining room. Prime Rib, Chateaubriand, Flat Iron Steak, Strip Steak and Filet Mignon are the ones I remember and there were also beef dishes at the Lido.

The Lobster Tail (with 4 or 5 shrimp) was one of the bigger ones I can recall.

The quality, service and presentation of the food in the dining room was such that we felt the money was better spent in the casino.:D

This was a special 8 night itinerary so it will probably be different on your cruise, but as I recall, the 2nd night (sea day) and 7th night (sea day) were the Elegant Nights (no longer formal). Most men wore suits or sport jackets, very few tuxedos. About 75% seemed to wear ties.

We also booked a Balcony on the Lido on our 12 day Med cruise on the Freedom and loved it. Since we needed 3 cabins, our best selection was on deck 8. Based on the floor plans of the Dream, Lido Deck balconies are sandwiched between cabins above and below and to us that is the most important aspect of our cabin selection.

Thanks for the review. Too bad about the rain, but at least you seemed to have a good time on board the ship itself. Did the ship feel crowded or was it spacious enough to feel like a smaller ship with less passengers?

 

One day I would like to try out the Dream.

On sunny days the ship seemed similar to the Freedom, Destiny and Victory (large ships we've sailed). When everyone was restricted to the interior space on rainy days, the ship seemed crowded but that wasn't a suprise considering we sailed with over 4000 passengers.

The most crowded areas were the Lido deck and the casino at night and on rainy afternoons. But if you looked, you could always find a quiet space in unused bars and lounges.

The Encore Lounge always had plenty of room, even for the big production shows.

Thanks for the review. As an experienced cruiser (many cruises on many lines), I appreciate your feedback.