To Dream or not to Dream...some questions

[daisy7113]

Hi! Some questions about the Dream. I am reading a lot of reviews, comments, posts, etc about this ship/staff. I read a lot where people are saying the staff was rude, dining room staff rude and also about being understaffed. Is this the case?

How is the ship overall? I know it is new but again, reading where people are having issues with sewage smell in their bathrooms.

 

As far as ports go, Roatan is one the ports. I read someone say that there are guards at the ports standing with M-16's. But yet I read others say that this is the most beautiful place and they loved it. Can you shed some light on this port please?

 

And, Cozumel, Belize and Costa Maya...what is there to do in these ports? Generally, DH and I like to have some beach time, just walk around and see the sights, usually near the port.

[MCC retired]

I'm a Carnival fan but I'm still holding off on booking the Dream.

I sort of feel sorry for the Carnival Dream.

She debuted the same time as the RCI Oasis .

While the Oasis continue to receive many positive reviews (and books up at top $$ ), the Dream continues to receive mixed reviews (that smell problem still pops up occasionaly in current rviews and comments).

 

Also what interests me is the Dream gets many comments about a crowded feeling with that extra deck of cabins that the Spirit Class doesn't have. The Oasis reviews seems to say they do not feel crowded at all?

 

A plus , the Cove Balconies seem to be a big hit on the Dream.

I can't believe that they are still going for such reasonable rates.

[WAHMto5]

We were just on the Dream the first week in October and loved it! I never found anyone to be rude. We had anytime dining and had different servers almost every night, all were nothing but super friendly. Our steward was also great!

As for the smell, there were certain times that you would get a whiff of something uck but that is about it.

We had a cove and also loved it, would for sure stay in one again.

I don't quite understand the Roatan comment as we did not experience that at all. We rented a truck for the day and traveled the island. We had a great time. We docked at Mahogany Bay which is a beautiful port and felt very safe the entire day.

[Lady_Jag]

Hi!

We cruised the Dream in May and had a BLAST! It was not a perfect cruise, but I have to say it was probably the best or one of the best ones we've had so far. :)

 

We encountered rude passengers, but friendly staff. The first night in the MDR seemed disorganized and chaotic, but we switched tables the second night and had the nicest wait team.

 

Roatan was lovely - we booked a private tour and had a wonderful adventure.

 

Lots to do in Cozumel. What you do depends on your taste: beaches, dolphins, shopping, cooking class, jeeps, atv, zipline, etc.

 

Costa Maya was sort of a relax and wander kind of port for us, since we weren't there long.

 

Belize was a tender port, and originally we planned to stay on the ship, but I'm glad we ventured out.

 

I really did love the Dream, as did my 4-year-old. It's our favorite ship so far!

[TheRejector]

When it comes to crusing I am a rookie! April was my first cruise and it was on the Dream. I had the best vacation of my life. I really don't have anything to compare the Dream to but from my own experience I can tell you I never smelled "the smell", the staff was always polite and the ship was wonderful. I have already booked the Dream for next May and can't wait for it to get here. I have read enough reviews and comments here to have no doubt that some have had bad experiences on the Dream, seems to be true of every ship. The Oasis sailed right along with us and is one heck of a big ship, too big perhaps! Looked like the balconies were tiny, a whole lot of cabins yet no one was standing on their balcony??????? I am going to steal a quote from several very wise cruisers on this site, " A cruise is what you make of it." Best of luck to you!

[jimbo5544]

We were on the Dream in August and had a wonderful time. I did not think she was any more crowded than any Conquest class ship we have been on. Take all the negative stuff with a grain of salt. ;)

[jimbo5544]

Roantan is a great port. We loved Mahogany Bay. Cozumel is my all time favorite port with tons to do, no matter what your tastes are. Belize is one where I would recommend either doing a ship based excursion or staying on the ship.

[astropilot]

We were just on the Dream the first week in October and loved it! I never found anyone to be rude. We had anytime dining and had different servers almost every night, all were nothing but super friendly. Our steward was also great!

As for the smell, there were certain times that you would get a whiff of something uck but that is about it.

We had a cove and also loved it, would for sure stay in one again.

I don't quite understand the Roatan comment as we did not experience that at all. We rented a truck for the day and traveled the island. We had a great time. We docked at Mahogany Bay which is a beautiful port and felt very safe the entire day.

 

 

Ditto!!. Can't say enough good things about the Dream or her crew. This will be our second trip on her this year.

[4me-itstheC]

Daisy,

My family & I just debarked the Dream on 10/9. She is a lovely ship & we all had a great time!!! I never once seen any staff be anything but nice & in the DR we had great service. We had a cove balcony & if you can I would book one!!! They are beyond amazing!!! Roatan was beautiful, this was the 2nd time we visited there & both times felt safe. I personally never smelled the infamous "smell" and supposedly it is most prevalent on deck 2 which is where our cabin was. I would go with an open mind & a good attitude & I'm sure you will have fun. I would book the Dream again in a heartbeat!!! Hope this helps.

 

 

Carmel

[maggieworkman]

We haven't been on the Dream yet. But we went to Roatan on the Legend. It was very beautiful. We went zip lining right there at the port. Then we went over to the beach there at Mahogany Bay. It was really beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

Maggie

[deborahjo]

Sailed the Dream in April. Great cruise but way to big IMHO. I just did not like standing in line on the Lido for 30 to 45 minutes for an omelete. Crew was great.

 

We started ordering off the kids menu with no trouble in the MDR at dinner. Banana Split is all I can say.

 

We loved Roatan and are returning in 2012 with our whole family.

[Pineapple Princess]

We were on the Dream in August. Beautiful ship!! Only croud issues we had were at the buffet during peek times. (But that's true of most ships) Staff was wonderful. We saw armed guards at Costa Maya but not Roatan. I will be booking the Dream again soon.

[dallas52]

read all that stuff and will be able to tell you more after 1/08/2011, am sure i will have a great time, alway have.

[wendymac]

We were on the Dream in May (Eastern) it was our first cruise,,, but we love loved loved it! The staff were fantastic, no complaints at all, honestly I came back and read a review a person wrote who was on the same cruise and I had to wonder if they were truly on the same sailing as I was.. I mean seriously what do people expect from the staff? Anyways I would sail on the Dream again in a heartbeat. If you go with a positive attitude you will have a great time! Enjoy!

[jrmende63]

We were on the Dream in September. We went on the Western route. We loved the Dream. Such nice crew members and the ship is awesome. We loved Roatan. I did not see any police officers with M-16s. I did see some port guards but nothing like you describe. We would go back to Roatan in a skinny minute! Belize is ok...it is pretty but we were taken through the run down part of town to get out on the highway to do the Raiders of the Lost Mayan Caves. I would just stay at the port if we went back to Belize. I would sail on the Dream again. We loved her!

[shelkate1]

We just debarked the Dream 10/16. I can honestly say we had a wonderful time!! I never smelled "the smell" any more than I ever smelled the sewer smell on any other ship I sailed on. They were a little short handed so we didn't get to interact with the staff as much as we like, but I didn't feel like it impacted the actual service. Just that we didn't get to learn about them like we have in the past.

Belize was one of the most beautiful ports we have cruised. Up until my recent trip to St. Thomas I would have considered it my favorite port. We did a Mayan Ruin private excursion that included a stop for an authentic Belizian lunch. Truly awesome.

So basically, yes I would recommend the Dream, yes I would recommend Belize, as well as the other ports of call.

Book and ENJOY!!!

[valancy1]

The Carnival Dream was probably our FAVORITE cruise, and Roatan was our favorite island so far. Absolutely paradise.

 

The "guards" at Mahogany Bay are basically security guards like you see in any port.

 

Take a Victor Bodden tour in Roatan. It is fully customizable to YOU and what YOU like to do with your own private driver. It is absolutely the best. The only cruddy part is that if you don't take a Carnival excursion in Roatan, you have to walk up a steep hill and then down the hill on the other side to get to ANY non-Carnival excursion. It's a Carnival thing. But even me, lugging around a lot of extra weight, was able to do it... WELL worth it.

 

Can't wait to visit Roatan... and if I do, it would be on the Dream. Love that ship!!!

[Katie John]

We just debarked the Dream 10/16. I can honestly say we had a wonderful time!! I never smelled "the smell" any more than I ever smelled the sewer smell on any other ship I sailed on. They were a little short handed so we didn't get to interact with the staff as much as we like, but I didn't feel like it impacted the actual service. Just that we didn't get to learn about them like we have in the past.

Belize was one of the most beautiful ports we have cruised. Up until my recent trip to St. Thomas I would have considered it my favorite port. We did a Mayan Ruin private excursion that included a stop for an authentic Belizian lunch. Truly awesome.

So basically, yes I would recommend the Dream, yes I would recommend Belize, as well as the other ports of call.

Book and ENJOY!!!

Sorry to hijack the thread but could you tell me which private excursion you took to the ruins. We will be on the Dream in Feb and want to see the ruins there. The authentic Belizian lunch sounds great. Thanks

[bcs819]

Hi! Some questions about the Dream. I am reading a lot of reviews, comments, posts, etc about this ship/staff. I read a lot where people are saying the staff was rude, dining room staff rude and also about being understaffed. Is this the case?.

 

We just returned from the Dream on 9/25, and we had the best wait team of all our cruises (see my long list below). We did not notice anything being understaffed except maybe the roving waiters on the upper pool decks. This was fine with us, and we were still able to get our own drinks. There were waiters, but not as many as we usually see, but maybe it's because we chose to lay two decks above the pool? We did not encounter a rude staff person anywhere, in fact, we found the service to be wonderful all over.

 

How is the ship overall? I know it is new but again, reading where people are having issues with sewage smell in their bathrooms.

 

It's a bathroom. You may occasionally have a smell if you put things in the toilet that don't belong there or over-use the Burrito Bar. Honestly, doesn't your bathroom occasionally smell at home? That being said, we did not have a problem the whole week we were on the Dream.

 

As far as ports go, Roatan is one the ports. I read someone say that there are guards at the ports standing with M-16's. But yet I read others say that this is the most beautiful place and they loved it. Can you shed some light on this port please?

 

Have you ever been to the Caribbean? Guards with guns is a common sight. I don't recall seeing any when we were in Roatan last month, but it wouldn't surprise me. I saw National Guardsmen with M16s the last time we were in LAX, so again, not really an issue to me.

 

And, Cozumel, Belize and Costa Maya...what is there to do in these ports? Generally, DH and I like to have some beach time, just walk around and see the sights, usually near the port.

 

FOr Cozumel, google Nachi Cocom beach club. Awesome and amazing time. For Belize, there is not much to do at the port, but plenty of fun excursions. For Csta Maya, there is a free infinity pool when you walk off the ship.

[misstopgun]

I was on the Dream on 10/2-10-9. I noticed no guards in Hondouras but I only went to the beach at the port. (Mahogany Bay). Cozumel is great for shopping. Belize depends on your physical ability. Lots of people go tubing and love it but my husband and I are older and not so physical. The zoo is wonderful but a bit over priced. We usually book fishing through an outside source prior to our trip. In Costa Maya our favorite thing to do is go to the beach. Just take the $3 taxi ride and it's 5 min. away. If shopping for souvineers, it is less expensive on the beach because most tourist stay in the village port. We always stop at the first bar on the beach called the Maya bar. A waiter named Carlos who calls himself "Charlie Brown" treats us like royalty every time we are there. Tell him "Big Daddy" says hi. Your cruise is what you make it. If you are looking for negetive you will find it. If someone seems to be rude, a compliment to them usually brings them around. I find many guest to be the issue rather than the staff. My only complaint about the Dream was room service was sooooo slow.

[butterflyfish]

I'm eyeing a Dream cruise for this winter so I appreciate all the comments.

[Nana & Poppa P]

We sailed her in May, we found a wonderful ship with a wonderful crew and had a BLAST. Try the Cove Balcony they are out of this world!

[sassy1ja]

I'm going on Dream in Feb so I can't comment there but wanted to say we did Roaton off the Glory last year and it was by far the best day we've had on an island (minus honeymoon in St Lucia) loved our tour guide and the island was beautiful.

[ilovetheislands]

Roantan is a great port. We loved Mahogany Bay. Cozumel is my all time favorite port with tons to do, no matter what your tastes are. Belize is one where I would recommend either doing a ship based excursion or staying on the ship.

 

 

I somewhat agree with this post. I like Cozumel alot as well. There is tons to do there. Belize is a little scary and I too recommend using the ship to book excursions. Everything that you will do in Belize seems to take hours to get to and is not right at the port like other places. I will be booking with an outside vendor in Belize for cave-tubing but for any other excursion, I would be using the ship's excursion desk.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Batch5]

We sailed the Dream this is pasted June the Dream in our opinion fell a little short. Please don't get me wrong the cruise was still great and had a wonderful time but our least favorite out of 10.

 

I think I got caught up with hype of a new ship like Oasis and the Epic I had high expiations for a brand new ship that just came out in 2009. I was surprised with the layout; it bottlenecked in certain areas on promenade deck (5) and always seemed crowded and dark to me. From inside the ship you did not see water in most public rooms the windows were covered and at times it just felt like a hotel rather then a ship. If you found a deck chair out by the pool on sea days you are subject to blaring music which we did not find relaxing. I Think it was just the little things that I never experienced on prior cruise's (Carnival, Celebrity, RCCI, Disney) that seemed to stick out . The service was great in the main dinning room but it seemed that the assistant waiter were spread a little thin ( I refilled the water glass for the table) no big deal. The food was good no complaints in the MDR and there were lines in the buffet during peak times but you had many great food choices. Only saw one show since you needed to be there an hour before it started in order to get a seat and that was on par with other at sea. Over all we had a great time, everyone was nice and friendly did not encounter any rude and obnoxious people or staff. Sorry I do not mean to offend anyone just stating my opinion. I will sail Carnival again but not the Dream nor the a Magic especially if they don't change the layout. We never made it to Roaton due to winds. Use Costa Maya as a Beach days, Belize would recommend a tour from the ship and we did the amazing race in Cozumel had a great time.