"LIVE" from the Carnival DREAM Western Caribbean itinerary

[italian boater]

Thanks Steelermoose I will bring something to keep warm. The weater here in Fla is still cold but they say it will start warming up around mid week. enjoy reading you review.

Joya

[1 Cruise Fan]

Steelermoose-Thanks for taking time from your cruise to post to those of us who have what seems like an eternity before we have our chance to experiance it for ourselves......Can you please tell us what's included in the $249 spa package? & does this rate cover a couple?

Thanks,

Stacie:D

[CarolinaCruisePrincess]

Hah! You read about YOURSELF on another CruiseCritic's blog! Too funny!

 

For those who might not Know (I lurk more than post, really expensive while I'm out to sea...), I'm Autumn-Skye, of the "Carl and Autumn" fame. We're seated with Steeler Moose and his wife Dawn

 

Of course 1st thing I said was ugh, a Steeler's fan? With me being a Dallas gal and all....well, it could be worse.

 

Seriously we were afraid of being sat with LAME people and I can assure you, the stars were aligned, we are having the best time too! Great match up. Everyone is having so much fun!!!!

 

Don't believe much bad you read about this ship....a *few*things irritating, NOTHING that would keep me from ever coming again, knock on wood....so far, it's awesome. I will post my own review when I return on the review boards as well.

 

no chair hogs, but it was like 45 degrees this morning, tomorrow, well who knows!

 

We're doing Tulum in Mexico, then Xunanatitich in Belize, the Butterfly Park in Honduras and just shopping the last Mexico day. More to come

 

BTW, I'm known as CarolinaCruisePrincess and we're a few cabins away from Moose in #1404! And the over/under bunk is AMAZING! It folds up in the daytime and the room is square, NOT rectangular. More on that later too with pics!

 

CCQ

[sbcruisers]

How was Cozumel? What did you do there? Hope it warms up for you soon!

Enjoy!!!

[Steelermoose]

DAY 2 We awoke around 9 am and checked the weather. It was 44 degrees and overcast with intermittent showers. (the Captain really tried to maneuver around the weather but he was unable to get away from the elements) We then went to the Scarlet Dining room for breakfast. I had the pancakes w/ scrambled eggs and bacon, Dawn had the French toast with the same. Everything was hot and delicious. We were not seated with the most outgoing people, so no conversation to speak of.

After breakfast we went our own separate ways. Dawn went to the serenity deck to relax and listen to an audiobook on her Ipod, while I headed for the Casino to learn how to play craps. ---Sidenote--- Late last evening I left the Casino with $200 of their dollars, playing a combination of Blackjack and slots. I entered and played in a slots tournament which I did badly in, plus now have an incredibly sore forearm to show for it. (for those of you who have played in one or at least have seen it done, you KNOW what im talking about) J I then walked around the ship for a while taking pictures and stopping to talk with random people. I was asking people their opinions about the ship, their likes and dislikes. Most people were rather nice, but a few were quite rude and couldn’t believe some random person would dare ask them questions. I was a little taken back by this, but I just assumed they were New Yorkers (j/k) I think the thing most people thought was the worst part about the ship was the Lido deck setup. Major lines and congestion prevailed again today. (weather terrible) The pizza was good, the hot dogs and hamburgers were good, and the bucket-o-beers was especially good!! I sat outside on the Lido deck for a while and enjoyed watching the NFL playoff game on the HUGE HD LCD television. For your information…if you are cold while out on the Lido deck, they will give you warm blankets at the bar!!

At 4 pm I returned to the cabin and began getting ready for Cruise Elegant Night. I put on my Tux and Dawn was dressed to kill and we went to take pictures prior to dinner. At dinner we enjoyed the prime rib which was cooked to perfection!! I also tried the grilled chicken breast. And Dawn tried the Spaghetti carbonara which she said was UNBELIEVABLE!! Our tablemates had the Lobster tails and were truly impressed with them. I had my daily Chocolate melting cake, while everyone else tried something different. The service was impeccable! We have to have 2 of the best waiters on this ship, attentive, eager to please and the personal interaction that Carnival is known for. We enjoyed our tablemates, Autum and Carl's (CarolinaCruisePrincess) company so much we were the last people in the dining room and we finally just had to leave so Yotsa and Agung could reset the table for late seating.

We then headed to the casino for a little slots action, which Dawn won a progressive jackpot on the one cent slots for $45.00!! After a few fun minutes here we headed to the late Adult only comedy show in the Burgandy lounge. You definitely would want to get there early as the line starts forming early. We were in line 50 minutes ahead of time, and were the 3rd people in line. I did get a chance to speak to Jeff the Fun Dude. He was funny as the opener for the comedian, so im not sure what peoples complaints were about him on the reviews. We saw Will Marfori perform his act, and we could not stop laughing. If you are a prude or are easily offended, then try the PG show at 830 pm. This guy has cerebral palsy and is extremely self-depricating, he also makes fun of ANYTHING disabled. I was laughing so hard I was crying. By the way, try the Mango Swirl drink…unreal!!! The ship was REALLY rocking badly with the 45 km winds and the 15 foot seas we were sailing through. Several people I have talked to had family members who were seasick due to all the movement. I myself thought I would be sick at a few times, but I handled it just fine. We are pulling into Cozumel, Mexico in the morning. Will talk to y’all soon….

[Steelermoose]

Thanks for the review. I will be looking forward to the rest of it. Did you like the Aft Sunset Bar for your meet and greet? Was there enough room to get around at this location or with hind site would you have chosen a different place? We are looking for a good place to have ours. Thanks and have a wonderful cruise.

 

Hi Smarks...the Aft Sunset Bar is a great place to meet and greet, but it is on the starboard side which is the smoking side. We all met there but moved to the other side where there is more seating and no smoke.

[Steelermoose]

How was Cozumel? What did you do there? Hope it warms up for you soon!

Enjoy!!!

 

Hi SBCruisers...we are just now pulling in to Cozumel 930 am. We are going to do the jungle ATV adventure.

[sbcruisers]

Have fun! Do you know anything about Discover Mexico ? It is located about .5 miles from the pier.

[Simbanoodle]

Loving the review, hopefully it will be warmer in June when I cruise. :D

 

Question: What does the couples spa package get you?

[pe4all]

but it is on the starboard side which is the smoking side. We all met there but moved to the other side where there is more seating and no smoke.

 

Could you verify the port side is non-smoking? In about 3 hours I will be booking the Dream for next NYE. (looking at a cat. 8D balcony) We chose rooms on the starboard side, as we were told the port side is smoking!:eek: If this isn't true, I will need to re-examine the rooms available. Definitely want to be on the non-smoking side!

[jimbo5544]

Great review so far.......45 degrees is unbelievable:eek:

[Glassdog]

Hi Steelermoose, I am booked on Spring Break 3/20 Dream and have heard there are more non-smoking areas in the casino, is that so?? How smokey is it, I'm allergic to smoke and wondered if it is any better than other ships. Have a great day in Cozumel!!!:)

[HokieDeb]

Could you verify the port side is non-smoking? In about 3 hours I will be booking the Dream for next NYE. (looking at a cat. 8D balcony) We chose rooms on the starboard side, as we were told the port side is smoking!:eek: If this isn't true, I will need to re-examine the rooms available. Definitely want to be on the non-smoking side!

 

Thanks for the 'live' reviews. We'll be sailing on 1/23...can't wait. Yes, please verify which is the smoking side. Our TA told us that port-side is smoking. (Not to be a smart-a**, but a way for me to remember is that 'left' and 'port' have the same number of letters.)

 

Looking forward to reading more...

[Simbanoodle]

Are we talking about which side of the public area are smoking? Are there any non-smoking rooms? I don't smoke, just curious. :p

[smarks]

Hi Smarks...the Aft Sunset Bar is a great place to meet and greet, but it is on the starboard side which is the smoking side. We all met there but moved to the other side where there is more seating and no smoke.

Thank you so much for the response and I am loving your review. So gracious of you to do this while on your vacation. I will share this with our roll call. I to have always been told that the starboard side is the smoking side. So I'm booked on the port. Thanks again for the review.

[cruznlobo]

Starboard=smoking

Port=non-smoking

All cabins are smoking, except, the SPA cabins.

[pe4all]

Are we talking about which side of the public area are smoking? Are there any non-smoking rooms? I don't smoke, just curious. :p

Yes, I was asking if the public smoking area on (usually) Lido is on the port or starboard side of ship. And there are non-smoking rooms/balconies available on the Dream - they are Spa rooms - totally non-smoking.

[David-n-Rita]

Hah! You read about YOURSELF on another CruiseCritic's blog! Too funny!

 

We're doing Tulum in Mexico, then Xunanatitich in Belize, the Butterfly Park in Honduras and just shopping the last Mexico day. More to come

 

CCQ

 

Tulum has the best beach anywhere, the downside was that you couldn't actually climb the ruins in the big pyramids except one by the beach.

 

WARNING about Xunanatitich in Belize!!

It is a very Long bus ride almost to Guatemala (within 1/2 mile)

It is extremely poor country and you will see plenty of squalor.

The ferry across the river to the site is actually a log raft.

ALOT of walking and it is walking uphill to the site, quite a distance.

BRING TOILET PAPER WITH YOU!! The is none in Belize (even at the restaurant we stopped at)

Make sure it is the Carnival excursion because it is so long with the travel we got back a hour after the ship was suppose to leave (they waited because it was a Carnival excursion)

You will pick up an Army patrol that will follow the bus and come into the site with you. They will be armed and carrying automatic weapons. The do try to stay hidden in the foliage but you will see them accompanying you on the trip. Someone in our group finally approached one and asked. They are there for the protection of the tourist (you) due to renegade groups from Guatemala (1/2 mile away who pray on the tourists) At no time did we feel like they would not protect us, but it would be nice to know that there was enough danger to warrant such security. I'm not sure we would have wanted to be at the site while they used those automatic weapons to protect us. The site itself was great and you could climb all the pyramids. You get a guide and the only down thing was not enough time to see all the ruins.. They are spread out and there is alot of walking between the ruins. We stopped on the way back at a restaurant where we ate. (it was in a resort like complex in a jungle like area and very nice) We felt rather rushed on the trip that was 8 or 9 hours with the travel to and from the site (bus ride is about 2 hours 1 way so 4 hours is spent on the bus)

We are going to Belize with our next cruise and we are staying on the ship. You will love the ruins but we didn't really feel that the country was really safe for us, expecially going as far into the country as you have to go. Around the port in Belize seemed safer. We are an older couple and we work as Nurses in a Maximum security prison so we really don't scare that easily, but if we had young children with us, we never would take them with us so far into Belize.

[Steelermoose]

Starboard side is definitely the smoking side in all the outdoor public areas, but ONLY on decks 10 and 11. No smoking anywhere else except in your cabins if you choose.

[floatingaway2525]

Thanks for the 'live' reviews. We'll be sailing on 1/23...can't wait. Yes, please verify which is the smoking side. Our TA told us that port-side is smoking. (Not to be a smart-a**, but a way for me to remember is that 'left' and 'port' have the same number of letters.)

 

Looking forward to reading more...

 

Ummm, just want to say that when we were on Dream for the nine day that the smoking areas on Lido were on the port side, mid-ship and aft...and on the Promenade Lanai, port side was smoking too.....we remember well because it's always been starboard and we were confoozled!!! Had lots of laughs that first day, smokers and non alike, trading places LOL!!!

[Nickymjw1]

Steelermoose I hope the weather gets better for you!

 

Thank you so much for the great reviews. I am following you daily!

Enjoy Cozumel!

 

Nicky - your North Augusta neighbor

[stefo]

i am a beach and snorkling person. how are the beaches on your cruise. thanks for the reports.:rolleyes:

[Bugandi]

Love your review, thank you. We are on the Mar 6 cruise and I have been thinking about getting a spa pass, as DW would love it I'm sure. You said $249, is that per person or for a couple?:)

[Steelermoose]

Love your review, thank you. We are on the Mar 6 cruise and I have been thinking about getting a spa pass, as DW would love it I'm sure. You said $249, is that per person or for a couple?:)

 

couple...but you need to get it as soon as you get on the ship!!

[Steelermoose]

DAY 3 Cozumel- Awoke at 7 am and went to Scarlet dining room for breakfast. Again, we had no problems and were very happy with the quality of the food. We docked by 945 am and were off the gangway by 1000 am. The weather was much better as it was 71 degrees and sunny (some clouds) but the wind was blowing at a brisk 45 mphs!!! Many snorkeling and scuba excursions had to be canceled due to the conditions. We had booked an independent excursion through Wildtours for the ATV adventure through the jungle. Once you were away from the oceanfront the weather was absolutely perfect!!! We arrived at the location and were given a safety briefing along with instructions on how to drive these things (4-wheelers) My wife and I were with a group from Hotel Allegro (all-inclusive resort) We had an absolutely awesome time…we rode the trails for 2 1/2 hours stopping for brief Mayan cultural history lessons. We visited a 66 foot deep sinkhole that the locals actually drink water from, but we were advised that if we tried it we would be on the toilet for several straight weeks!! No thanks!! LOL We then visited some underground caves that the Mayans once used to escape hurricanes and present their virginal sacrifices to the Gods before tossing them into the sinkholes. Pretty interesting. The guides were remarkable. They were extremely passionate about their country and history and also about helping all of us understand how serious they are about the history. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour. This tour also could have had a beach break, but we chose to return to Puerta Maya and grab a bite and do some shopping. We found a few knick-knacks but ended up at Fat Tuesdays where the party was really starting!! We both enjoyed a LARGE Pina Colada daiquiri with Bacardi 151…strong but delicious!! We had a plate of Nachos, danced a bit, did a little sing-a-long and decided to head back to the ship.

We visited the Cloud 9 Spa to use the facilities and showered for dinner. We joined our wonderful tablemates and enjoyed the Jerk Pork Loin for dinner…Spectacular!! We originally had decided that we were going to go see the second comedian after dinner, but everyone wanted to nap due to being tired. My wife laid down and I decided to go for a walk. The lido deck seaside theater was showing Angels and Demons w/ Tom Hanks and quite a few people were outside watching as the weather was great…72 degrees. I decided to walk around the Lanai on deck 5…it is the only deck that does around the entire ship. I had a small flashlight with me which was great as I found the Stern of the ship was pitch black…Let me just give you a piece of advice hereàIf you are with your significant other on the cruise, take a moment from the wildness going on in the ship and head to the stern on deck 5. I returned to the cabin and woke up my wife from a sound sleep. She was at first not happy with me because I was trying to keep a secret from her, but she was soon very thankful. I also called Autumn and Carl (CarolinaCruisePrincess) and told them to get dressed and meet us in our room. I walked them all up on the 5th deck and took them to the stern. The sky was amazing, the stars were so unbelievably bright, and the few moments you stand out there and just hold each other while admiring God’s beautiful creation is something you will always remember. VERY romantic and spiritual too.

Tonight they had a LARGE deck party on the Lido deck by the theater at 1100 pm. It was very energetic and exciting…Go red team Go red team Go, Go red team Go red team Go!!! It was a blast and many people participated. Carnival fun crew had a winner here!! I decided it was time to head to sleep and as I began making my way through the ship, I ended up in the casino again…hmmmm…that was a good thing on this night as I won $275 playing craps. So far that’s $475 of the ships $$$ I have taken back. I like that!! Tomorrow is Isla Roatan, Honduras. I am so excited as we are doing a Victor Bodden Private tour and doing the Spa Ban Suerte lovers package with Swedish massages , reflexology foot massages, and chocolate Mousse body wraps. I will et you know how it all goes. Thanks for reading!!