The Dream: Sailed 1/23/10-1/30/10 WITH PICS...I hope! :)

[Kristi Williamson]

Pics of BEAUTIFUL Altun Ha!! We've also been to Tulum, and while I loved it, I believe we preferred Altun Ha. There's just something about them being in the middle of the jungle like that! Loved it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

See those really handsome men on top waving at me? Those are mine! lol

 

 

 

 

This is Jake, in the courtyard of the "A" section of the ruins. The only other group there is in the background of this pick. It wasn't crowded at all that day.

 

 

 

 

 

It's about 40 minutes back to Belize City, where we were dropped off right at the door to the Tourist Village. We jumped the 4:45 tender and were back in time for dinner. This excursion is a very tiring one, though, so be forewarned. If you do this one, you WILL be tired at the end of the day. We began at 8:45 and ended around 4:30.

 

We ate in the lido this night and hit the sack early. We did go to the lanai and have some drinks and listen to some music. Nothing strenuous, but we were still in the bed by 11:00pm. Slept like a baby this night!! The ocean was really rolling, but we love that. :D

[Kristi Williamson]

Kristi,

 

You said you have been to Cozumel before & wanted to try Nachi Cocum this time. I will be sailing in September on the Dream with 3 kids & was debating between Nachi Cocum & Paradise Beach. Have you taken your kids to Paradise Beach? If so, please give me some feedback on how the kids enjoyed each place & which one would be better. Thanks & Glad to hear you had a great cruise.

 

We've never been to PB, but reviewed it heavily. There's tons of good feedback on it, but it's not our thing really. It's heavily crowded and the between the food and entrance cost, isn't that much cheaper than Nachi Cocum. (for us, anyway...remember there's 6 of us even without my mom)

 

Our kids LOVED Nachi and weren't ready to leave. They received lots of attention from the waiters and loved the pool. They also liked the beach, but there aren't any toys in the water and the sand is quite course. If you love beach toys and don't mind crowds, PB is probably the best choice. If your like quiet time with your family, great food and privacy, then NC is the better choice for you.

[Kristi Williamson]

Kristi-Thank you for the Review and pictures of the Dream! Can't wait to sail on her in Sept. We also went to Nachi last time in Coz, and had a great time!

 

 

You're very welcome! It's almost like re-living it. lol I hope your cruise is as awesome as our experience was!

[Kristi Williamson]

Last stop: Costa Maya....kind of.

 

As others have reported, due to weather, we missed this port. We were a touch disappointed, but safety is first and we get that. This is probably one of the few ports in the W.Carib. that we haven't stopped at, so that's where the disappoint came from. Oh well, just another reason to take another one, right? :D;):p

 

We ended up with 2 last days at sea. We lounged around, ate great food and just enjoyed one anothers company. We watched Michael Jackson's "This is It" one night, and it was actually really good. As a child of the 80's, it's odd knowing he's dead.

 

The movies for this cruise were The Proposal, Up, This is It, State of Play, and lots of others. We only watched two of them, so I can't really say what was good and what wasn't. It's a neat option though for people who just want to relax and hang out by the pool or take a few easy hours during the day in their rooms.

 

I finally tried A Kiss on the Lips and here's my review: This is the best drink on the planet!!! That's about it for that. lol I'm craving one as I write that. You've gotta try this drink if you even remotely like Peach Snappes. Good stuff!

 

We played Bingo and it's still a racket, but fun. We don't shop on-board, but all the typical shops are there. We always go to the Supper Club at least one night and this one was just as good as the one on the Glory. It's laid out much better, and the food was simply outstanding. Our server here was in training and she did a wonderful job. I think she was relieved when we told her we'd been and there was no need to do the food "presentation". lol I can't say as I blame her! ;)

 

Here's a few random pics and then I'll do my wrap up:

 

 

 

Kids show in the Encore theater on the last day. They got to "perform" with the Fun Force break dancers.

 

[Kristi Williamson]

Sunken ship at Roatan

 

 

 

 

Carnival's best waterpark, in our opinion.

 

 

 

Palapas at Nachi

 

 

 

 

Kids show with Fun Force Dancers on the last sea day.

 

[kf657]

Tank you soo Much for the great photos and review...We are so excited to be sailing on the Dream in July!

[InHeavenOnEarth4]

Wow great review, thanks again!

 

Just had to say, we're spending the day at Mahongany Bay and also doing Altun Ha and River Wallace tour! How funny is that? :D Quick question about Altun Ha, should you definitely wear sneakers on this tour? I hate sneakers and was hoping to get away with some almost fully closed sandals, haha. What do you think?

 

That is a bummer that you missed out on Costa Maya! I know how you feel, last cruise, we missed out on Grand Cayman, I was so disappointed! Out of curiosity, what were you planning on doing in Costa Maya? We're planning on doing the Jungle Beach Break.

 

Thanks again! I'm so excited for our cruise, hopefully this next month goes by quickly!!

[outerbks]

We were on the Dream in December and were told that many of th entertainers and staff would be chning after ther holidays. Is the pop/rock band Voodoo still onboard? I hope not. Thanks!:cool:

[Kristi Williamson]

Final wrap up:

 

Food: I would rate food an A- on the Dream. We found it to be really good and obviously, it's a cruise, so it's plentiful. I didn't cook it, serve it and I didn't clean up afterwards, so this could have affected my ability to discern if it wasn't as good as I thought it was! :D;)

 

The Chef's Art was outstanding by anyone's standards. When you can cut a Filet Mignon with a fork, it's exceptional.

 

Layout: The layout gets an A, also. I do agree that the lido could be laid out a little better. It's not as bad as we'd feared, but there can be a little longer line than normal at peak times. Nothing over the top, though. We never really had any problems.

 

We LOVE Deck 5 and think it should be a must on all ships from now on. The layout here was WONDERFUL!! Love that lanai!

 

Cabins: As usual, these receive an A+. They are larger, well laid out and in excellent condition. The bedding is also the best at sea, in out opinions.

 

Service: OK...here's where I'll agree with some others. This was hit or miss. Our room steward, Jalene, ROCKED. She was one of the best we've ever had. Our waiter, Nathanial, was wonderful. However, we did meet some staff that were just rude. Here's the two or three instances that immediately comes to mind:

 

1. As previously mentioned, we do not have casinos where we live and therefore are unfamiliar with casino etiquette. So, when we wanted to sign up for the slot tournaments, we did have the kids with us. We are rarely without them and all we wanted to do was sign the paper, NOT actually play in the casino. We do get that kids can't be in there while parents actually play, duh! right? lol

 

So, the lady doing the sign ups, Laurie, said, "You can't have them in here". My DH immediately says, "So sorry", and took them to stand in the "road" through the casino. No problems, right?

 

I signed us up, along with my mom, and then went to stand just to the side. We were out of Laurie's line of sight when she began to say this to her helper, a young man, "Can you believe how STUPID some people are!?" "God, how RETARDED do you have to be to bring your kids in here to gamble!" This went on for about 45 seconds until he spotted my mother and myself standing just out of Laurie's sight. We then turned and went over to my husband. His and her mouths almost hit the ground. They KNEW they were busted.

 

I was very offended. She knows nothing about my family. She had no way to know that we gamble approximately 13 days a year. That's when we're on a ship, twice a year for seven day cruises. I had NO intention of staying in there with my children, only to sign a slip of paper for a time at least thirty minutes ahead and then leave with them. I simply did not know that this was considered wrong. I later found the info in the capers, but had never looked for it before as we would never "play" with them there. Just a really hurtful thing to happen to us.

 

2. One sea day my mom agreed to get dessert for the whole family on a larger plate so that we wouldn't all have to stand in line, nor clog the line with so many family members. After receiving a slice of cheesecake, she explained what she was doing and asked for 1 more slice. The server turned her back on my mom and forced her to ask again. She then replied, "I heard you the first time". It was still another 30 seconds and an awkward moment before whe received her second slice of cake that wasn't even for herself. This, also, really hurt my mom's feelings. It just seemed really mean.

 

3. My DH smokes and one night we were stepping out onto the smoking side of the lanai to smoke. The bartender comes behind and LOCKS US OUT! He then points to the end of the ship and says we'll have to come in there. The casino exit was also locked and the piano bar was PACKED as this was the only place left to smoke except the lido and we couldn't reach it from outside deck 5. He said he didn't want his napkins blowing around. So you lock passengers out on a ship that already has limited areas to smoke? My husband did lose his temper and explained to the bartender that he would just have to put his napkins off the bar and demanded to be let back inside the ship.

 

He did unlock the door and let us in. The two men who were already outside behind us, braved the winds and went through another exit much farther down the ship. We saw them later and they were also LIVID. They said that they had returned later for another cigar only to find crew standing around smoking and laughing at the passengers who couldn't get back in after smoking. (they unlocked it for one another, but NOT passengers!!!) They actually witnessed this happen. This, to me, is just unacceptable.

 

I COMPLETELY understand smoker's being put into their own section. People who choose NOT to smoke should NOT have to smell the cigarettes of those that do choose to smoke. However, to be locked out of the ship just so that a bartender won't have to do his job, is NOT OK. Especially, when they don't have a problem letting their own back in. We EXPERIENCED this, so please no saying that this didn't happen. It DID and it was very upsetting. However, we moved on and that was that.

 

The ship is lovely, and the maintenance crew is always in full swing. They polished, worked and cleaned all week. We tipped our room steward extra, as well as the Camp Carnival staff. We only use their services some evenings, but they are excellent at what they do and our kids always have a marvelous time!!!! This gave us ample opportunities to enjoy one another and to visit with my mom. Both of which, were important to me.

 

As an overall, this cruise was just wonderful. This, in part, was due to the company I had, the wonderful excursions, as well as Carnival. We enjoyed the new ship and saw very little that truly needed tweeking. I can only hope that others enjoy themselves as much as we did. Despite a few service hiccups, I'd rate the overall cruise with a big fat..... A!

 

We are currently getting ready to book out of Charleston, since we only live three hours away, as well as deciding when's the best time to book the Spirit out of Alaska. That's our next "biggie" and we're REALLY looking forward to it.

 

Bon Voyage, guys and I hope your next cruise is as relaxing and lovely as ours was! :)

[Kristi Williamson]

We were on the Dream in December and were told that many of th entertainers and staff would be chning after ther holidays. Is the pop/rock band Voodoo still onboard? I hope not. Thanks!:cool:

 

 

We didn't see them personally, but I'm almost positive I saw that name in the capers!! That's not my kind of thing so I would have just skimmed over it. Again, I'd swear I saw that name in the capers!

 

Sorry, for the disappointment. lol Hopefully, they'll be gone next time you're on board.

[da brickhouse]

Kristi,

 

You said you have been to Cozumel before & wanted to try Nachi Cocum this time. I will be sailing in September on the Dream with 3 kids & was debating between Nachi Cocum & Paradise Beach. Have you taken your kids to Paradise Beach? If so, please give me some feedback on how the kids enjoyed each place & which one would be better. Thanks & Glad to hear you had a great cruise.

 

My family has been to both paradise beach and Nachi Cocum, the $10 at paradise beach only pays for use of the water toys and beach chairs, food and drinks are additional. The beach can get very crowded if there is more than one ship in port.

 

Nachi Cocum was divine, adults and kids, both enjoyed it. We didn't do jet skis this time but did get on the banana boat as a family and it was great. The best part is the limit the number of guests allowed on the property each day.

[Kristi Williamson]

Wow great review, thanks again!

 

Just had to say, we're spending the day at Mahongany Bay and also doing Altun Ha and River Wallace tour! How funny is that? :D Quick question about Altun Ha, should you definitely wear sneakers on this tour? I hate sneakers and was hoping to get away with some almost fully closed sandals, haha. What do you think?

 

That is a bummer that you missed out on Costa Maya! I know how you feel, last cruise, we missed out on Grand Cayman, I was so disappointed! Out of curiosity, what were you planning on doing in Costa Maya? We're planning on doing the Jungle Beach Break.

 

Thanks again! I'm so excited for our cruise, hopefully this next month goes by quickly!!

 

 

lol That's too funny! :D

 

Well, make sure they aren't floppy sandals. They'd need to be sturdy and they should be fine. The ruins are well manicured, at least on the tourist trails that you walk through while there. The courtyard is very well kept and as long as you stick to these you'll be good. Climbing the stairs to get to the top could be a little tricky. They are "cut" out and not at all what we have now. They are pretty steep, also. You'd need to be very careful, but there is a handrail that's been put up, to help with balance.

 

We were just heading into town in Costa Maya. My daughter is a huge beach lover and we wanted her to have one more beach day before heading home. We played in the water park and by the pool all day, though. So, it was fine.

 

I really hope you have an incredible time!!

[Kristi Williamson]

OMG!!! How lucky you 2 are!!!! How sweet was that proposal!!! Awwwww. I am sooooo loving your pictoral review. And I pray that your Moms cancer has NOT returned. I know you created many special memories. I lost my Dad last May after a long battle w/ cancer. What an ugly word...cancer. Anyway..thanks for sharing your trip and looking forward to the rest.

 

I have to admit, I saved your reply for the last one! Thank you so much for your kind words.

 

I'll wax a little poetic here and say that my DH is one of the biggest blessings in my life. Not only is he my best pal EVER, the father of my kids and a great DH, but he's just a wonderful man all around. He's romantic and loving and his request to re-marry him this year was a big YES, all around. I'd still choose him, even if we hadn't been married all this time. I think I'm probably the luckiest woman I know. And I mean that with all sincerity.

 

After knowing him since I was 13 years old, dating him in high school and being married into our second decade now...I'd say that qualifies me as genuinely blessed.

 

I'm so glad you're enjoying the review. Hope everyone has great sailings!!!

[Kristi Williamson]

One last funny thing:

 

As I said previously, we're from SC. We almost never get snow. While we were gone, it snowed over 6 inches in our area. We crawled home last night at about 20 miles an hour on a THICK layer of ice, after driving over 8 hours. Quite a change from those nice tropical temps! lol

 

AND, it's supposed to snow again on Thursday. It's too funny to be typing and posting pics of the Carib., while looking out the window at layers of snow and ice...in the SOUTH! :eek::D

[jolyroger]

Wow such great pics!!! We'll be on the Dream Come 75 more days!!! Your pics and review just add to the excitement!! And how great was that, that you're hubby Proposed...again!!..Congrats!...oh and congrats on the great win in the Casino!!!

[Suntanz]

Kristi,

 

You may have convinced me to go to Nachi Cocum instead of Paradise Beach. Do you book this ahead of time or just take a taxi? How much is the taxi ride?

[azkcruizers]

Thank you so much for your review. I really enjoyed it...especially seeing we will be on the Dream in three weeks :). We will also be travelling with our children and my parents and are so excited.

I'm glad that you had such a wonderful time and the few negatives you posted didn't put a big damper on your trip.

We are currently booked on a captain your own riverboat tour on the river and mangroves with an outside tour company but have been looking at the altun ha riverboat tour through Carnival. I was wondering if you knew now what it was like if you would have still taken your kids? Did they really enjoy it? I am worried that mine may get a bit bored and tired and hot :D They are 9, 11, and 13 and would probably be happy staying on the ship, but I have never been to Belize and am afraid I might be sorry if I don't get off.

I'm glad you spent some nice time with your Mom and wish her the best. It just hit me that you posted pics of everyone except yourself!

Once again thanks for taking the time to share your trip with us:)

[dbrucern]

One last funny thing:

 

As I said previously, we're from SC. We almost never get snow. While we were gone, it snowed over 6 inches in our area. We crawled home last night at about 20 miles an hour on a THICK layer of ice, after driving over 8 hours. Quite a change from those nice tropical temps! lol

 

AND, it's supposed to snow again on Thursday. It's too funny to be typing and posting pics of the Carib., while looking out the window at layers of snow and ice...in the SOUTH! :eek::D

 

Need your help, we are considerate smokers and would like to know where the smoking areas are on the Dream.

[azkcruizers]

;)Forgot to ask...are you spending the winnings on another cruise??

[Time2CruiseAgain]

Kristi,

 

You said you have been to Cozumel before & wanted to try Nachi Cocum this time. I will be sailing in September on the Dream with 3 kids & was debating between Nachi Cocum & Paradise Beach. Have you taken your kids to Paradise Beach? If so, please give me some feedback on how the kids enjoyed each place & which one would be better. Thanks & Glad to hear you had a great cruise.

 

Hey Suntanz - if I may interject - we have been to Paradise Beach and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! In fact, we will be going back there in May! They have lots of blow up things in the water for the kids, including a slide, a trampoline - they have snorkeling, beach massages, jet skis. We love it! It's not all inclusive like Nachi Cocom, though. Hope that helps!

[Time2CruiseAgain]

Hey Kristi! Thank you so much for your absolutely FABULOUS review - one of the best I have read! We will be embarking on the Dream in May and I know that after the cruise will post a review just to relive the Dream!

 

Your review has inspired me to look into going on the River Wallace/Altun Ha excursion - been kinda playin around with the it, but you have convinced me!

 

Again, thanks so much!

[meme2manthajoe]

First port: COZUMEL

 

Since we had been to Cozumel 2 other times, we really wanted to do something different and we settled on Nachi Cocum. I can't say enough good things about this place!!!

 

After a 15 minute taxi ride, we arrived at Nachi Cocum. At first, it doesn't look like much, but we're pretty easy going and were really looking forward to this, so we weren't even fazed. After having our pictures made in the obligatory sombreros, we walked around the partition....and paradise was waiting...

 

 

 

 

 

 

DH and youngest daughter getting ready for lunch and youngest son LOVING the virgin pina colada "smoothies" that he drank ALL DAY! lol This really IS an all inclusive place. LOVE IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mom and oldest DS starting lunch. Bottled water, food, soda and alcohol are all included in the price of Nachi Cocum. We had our own palapas, our own personal waiter, who was AWESOME, and gorgeous weather.

 

 

 

 

 

Hubby and oldest DS, jet skiiing. It was 60 dollars for both of them and they were out there almost one hour. They had a blast!

 

 

I can't begin to say enough good things about Nachi Cocum. We just loved the place. There were MAYBE 30 people there all day. It felt like our own personal paradise. We couldn't eat anywhere close to the amount of food that's included in the price. My mom was the only one who even ordered dessert because we were all so full! The drinks were great and the swim up bar very convenient. The bathrooms were clean and they had GREAT outdoor showers to rinse off in. With two little girls who love the sand, these were heaven sent for us!

 

At one point, my mom asked our waiter if you could actually drink straight from a coconut, or was there some "trick" to that. We all laughed, but he said, "Ma'am, I will let you see for yourself!". SO...he gets one of the crew to climb up the tree, he whacks off the top, and sticks a straw in it for her. She loved the coconut milk, and I was so thrilled that my mom got to experience that kind of service.

 

Thank you Manuel, for taking such good care of us. We tipped him, and regretfully, started back around 4:45 or so. We shopped just a few minutes and then was on-board just in time to shower and run to dinner for the early seating time. We were wiped out! lol But, the night was still young! :D

 

 

We love Nachi too and can't wait for our turn in April!

[mississauga]

Thanks Kristi for the great review! Hope you get good news about your mom. You sound like a wonderful daughter.

[johnlo81]

Kristi! Loved your review... We are going to be on the Dream the next time it sails the Western itinerary AKA 6 DAYS!

 

Two small questions... How was the overall weather at the ports? Warm enough for shorts every day and sandals? Just tweaking my packing! I do have long sleeve shirts for at night on the ship... Also did you try the BBQ on the Lanai? We are on deck 6 and cannot wait to be able to walk down one flight and hang out on the Lanai!

 

So glad you had a wonderful time...

[Kristi Williamson]

Kristi,

 

You may have convinced me to go to Nachi Cocum instead of Paradise Beach. Do you book this ahead of time or just take a taxi? How much is the taxi ride?

 

We did book ahead of time. You can go to here to book them: http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/CozumelBeachBreak.htm

 

The taxi ride was 32.00 each way for us. Again, keep in mind we have a large family, even without my mom. If there's only four of you, you can take a cab and not a van. This would be 20.00 each way. Cozumel taxi fares are set and there's no crazy high prices like St. Thomas. (or to me they're crazy high! lol)