Carnival Dream--First Time Family Questions

[TexasRon]

We're headed out on the Dream 7/30...since my family has never cruised before, we have all kinds of questions. I'll post the ones here and also keep reading the board looking for answers. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Five of us traveling...two adults, 19 & 14 yo daughters, 14 yo son. One "Ocean Suite" and one inside room...

 

Wife's b-day is on fourth day of cruise. I have chartered a sailboat for the day since we'll be in St Thomas.

 

Okay...round one of the questions...

 

How much do folks average on daily spending with a few drinks, modest shopping, and a little casino action?

 

How many folks dress for the Captain's dinner?

 

Best bets for excursions in Bahamas? I am concerned about the short time in this port...

 

How about St Maarten?

 

Thanks again!!

[BearJim]

In St Maarten we went to Orient beach. The excursion included lunch & 1 drink. We had a great time. The beach is beautiful & the waves were rolling in pretty good. Good day for body surfing.

 

I haven't cruised since 09' but the "drinks of the day" were usually around 6-8$. So it depends on what you call a "few" drinks. To me that is 4-5.

 

You can usually get some good deals shopping on & off the boat. Look for sales & don't buy much on the boat early in the cruise. Things that aren't selling well will usually get marked down.

 

I hope this helps & have a great cruise? Hopefully it's the 1st of many for you & your family.

[floatingaway2525]

Welcome to CC Ron:D The time you have to wait for your cruise will go fast now that you will be addicted to researching here;)

The Dream is a fabulous ship and wow for first timers it will be even more so!! Couple suggestions....

Explore explore explore this ship, deck by deck, a little each day, she's amazing, and there's a lot to see!! Don't miss going all the way forward on Lido to the front decks!!

You are sailing at peak time so don't let the crowds on Lido discourage you, go to eat a little off peak times and there will be lines but nothing horrendous. You can order continental breakfasts to your cabins in the morning also it's included and 24/7.

At lunch on sea days, go down to the Lanai outside on deck 5 starboard, there is a bbq with some really good ribs from noon to 2 or 3...

Make sure your teens go the first day to check out the teen club on deck 4.

For the ports, go back to the main board here and look for the Ports of Call section, there is a place for each port where cruisers post experiences with different activities and excursions. In St Maarten Phillipsburg is fun for first time visitors and it's right where the ship docks, a short water taxi and you're there!!

Also in St Maarten, you can take a taxi to Maho Beach where the big planes land, you will never forget that sight, search Maho on youtube for a preview!! There is a beach there too, a little on the rough side sometimes though for swimming...St Maarten is one of my favorite ports!!

Nassau is too short to do much if you ask me, you can get off the ship and walk around the port area to see a bit of the town or you can stay onboard and enjoy that empty ship!!

Have a great sail!!!:D

[speechgirl]

We went on the Dream in January on the same itinerary. In Nassau, we walked around the town, and took a water taxi over to the Atlantis area in Paradise Island (when get off ship and go through the little mall area, water taxis are down the street on the right.) I have heard that a day pass is available at the Sheraton for $25.00 per person, which includes rentals. Your teenagers might enjoy this, and when we go back to Nassau, we will probably take advantage of the day pass. In St. Maartin, we took a Carnival excursion, which was a bus tour with several gorgeous stops for photos, and went over to the French side for 1 1/2 hours. The waterfront was incredible, and the outdoor market on the French side had beautiful jewelry, artwork, and clothing. We came back on the Dutch side and walked around the downtown area, and sat on the beach for a while. I highly recommend this excursion. The first time we went to St. Maartin, we shopped downtown and then spent the rest of the day on the beach. Jet skis are also for rental. It is also a very nice walk from the cruise ship to the downtown/beach area. St. Maartin is our favorite island!!

[speechgirl]

The Dream is an incredible cruise ship. Take advantage of all the activites onboard. The cruise director, Butch, does a great job of creating high energy and fun. The shows in the theater every night are lots of fun, and we also really enjoyed going to the Comedy Club several nights. Dining in the main dining rooms is an experience every night, and the staff not only serves you, but provides entertainment most nights! There is a band (Blackjack). that plays in the lounge in the center of the ship. This band plays and sings such a variety of music from 70s, 80s, country, etc. Don't miss them. Also take advantage of the Entertainment Staff's activities around the ship.

[SnowWhiteNYC]

In Nassau...I would highly rec. Blackbeard's Cay...you can do it on your own for about 30 pp. The boat over is right by the pier and it is a great day...perfect for the short time in port. Your kids should love it.

 

We've been to St. Martin 3x now and rented a car each time. St. Martin is an easy island to navigate and you can get a car right at the pier. Drive around the island clockwise...that way you go thru Phillipsburg early...you'll hit Marigot and then Grand Case (sp?) stop in Grand Case for lunch (awesome places on the water....) Then you can continue driving around stopping at a beach or two (we loved orient)

 

Don't miss Butch's dance class and the dance-athon!!!!! Loved the Dream! Would sail her again in a heartbeat!!!!!!

 

Snow

[TexasRon]

Thanks for the responses so far...I'll keep reading other threads and trying to get as much information as I can before we depart...

[Texarribean Chick]

Hi Ron (neighbor) - what kind of things are you interested in doing in the ports? Are y'all tour type folks or beach people, or super partiers, or athletic types? I have been to all of these port many times and can offer lots of suggestions, with a little more info from you. Who did you book you private day sail with in St. Thomas? I will be on the Dream a couple of weeks before you - I promise I won't drink everything and win all the money in the casino, LOL ;).

[TexasRon]

Hi Ron (neighbor) - what kind of things are you interested in doing in the ports? Are y'all tour type folks or beach people, or super partiers, or athletic types? I have been to all of these port many times and can offer lots of suggestions, with a little more info from you. Who did you book you private day sail with in St. Thomas? I will be on the Dream a couple of weeks before you - I promise I won't drink everything and win all the money in the casino, LOL ;).

 

We booked with Treazzure Sailing Charter...they have a very good rating on TripAdvisor...

 

As far as "type"...I'd say we like to see beaches and maybe some shopping. The port time in the Bahamas is pretty short; too short to spend the money on Atlantis based on what I can see. Since it is our first cruise, I am not quite sure what we will actually like...I guess that is part of the adventure!!

 

Please win a lot but leave some money in the casino for me!!

[serene56]

You want to read the port of calls board for stuff that may interest you.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

 

Spending is subjective- depends on what you want to drink and how much you want to gamble.

here is a bar menu:

http://www.zydecocruiser.com/Carnival-Bar-Menu/CarnivalCruiseBarMenu.htm

 

For a july cruise maybe you can be purchasing funship dollars. I Get a 25.00 one each pay- and they add up quickly- I have 300. towards my cruise in Janaury so far- good for everything onboard including the casino

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=giftcertificates&pid=FSD

[Frank12]

As far as drinking and gambling I average about $100.00 to $150.00 a day. (That is on a sea day where we do not leave the ship) It depends on your habits and your expendable income.

 

I also recommend going to Maho Beach in St. Maarten to watch the planes land. It is pretty awesome. You can go to the ports of call boards and find tours that incorporate this stop into the tour, or you can do it on your own in a cab. (DW and I will be doing the cab thing in just 8 short days!:D)

 

DW and I still dress up (Dress, Suit & Tie) for the "Cruise Elegant" evenings, even though some no longer do. If you dress up you will not be alone. Especially on a longer cruise.

[crewsweeper]

We're headed out on the Dream 7/30...since my family has never cruised before, we have all kinds of questions. I'll post the ones here and also keep reading the board looking for answers. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Five of us traveling...two adults, 19 & 14 yo daughters, 14 yo son. One "Ocean Suite" and one inside room...

 

Wife's b-day is on fourth day of cruise. I have chartered a sailboat for the day since we'll be in St Thomas.

 

Okay...round one of the questions...

 

How much do folks average on daily spending with a few drinks, modest shopping, and a little casino action?

 

How many folks dress for the Captain's dinner?

 

Best bets for excursions in Bahamas? I am concerned about the short time in this port...

 

How about St Maarten?

 

Thanks again!!

TXRon..(exTex and "seasoned" Dream cruiser here). You have to take advantage of the SPA. The Thalasso Pool, the steam rooms, the heated loungers, the "tea" room (relaxation lounge) and the men's shower (give your wife more time in the suite's facility to get ready:)). Just be aware of the priced services--massages are okay, but the "beauty" stuff and "nutritional" stuff will eat up your S&S card quicker than a rip-roaring drunk and leave you with an empty wallet:eek:.

 

You mentioned Captain's dinner. There's no such thing on Carnival. You'll have two "elegant" nights, Sunday and Thursday. Dress codes are listed on the Carnival site, not formal, think Business attire. There is a Chef's Table at $75 pp and the Steakhouse @ $30 pp. similar dress code.

 

Otherwise, I second everything Floaty says. Do the Comedy club in the Burgundy lounge at least the PG shows (the "adult" shows are an experience in carpet "F" bombing).

 

Which sailboat did you charter out of St Thomas? If you got an all day, make sure you do at least two stops not just Buck Island.

 

In Nassau, lots of crusiers head for Atlantis. They used to have day passes but I think you either do an excursion or can only walk around and not use the facilities now. The aquarium is interesting if you've never been. But you can also take a cab to Awak City (Fish Fry) where there are several places with excellent conch fritters. Ask for a Sands not a Kalik, if you like craft beer/microbrews.

 

On St Maarten, Maho would be fun for the teens (planes land in afternoon), and you can check out the TriSports kayaking at Simpson's Bay nearby. If you follow the Travel Channel, Anthony Bourdain's favortie lolo for local cusine is Hilma's Windosr Castle and it's just before Maho, a rusty pink/white trailer next to a bank, but get there early before she runs out of food. There are good spots to go at Orient Beach, but there are topless beach areas there and some restaurants get snottynose at Americans in terms of service. For a better beach try Dawn Beach, just before Orient.

 

But the main thing is to RELAX and ENJOY yourself. Early Happy to your DW (take here to the Steakhouse.

[Texarribean Chick]

We booked with Treazzure Sailing Charter...they have a very good rating on TripAdvisor...

 

As far as "type"...I'd say we like to see beaches and maybe some shopping. The port time in the Bahamas is pretty short; too short to spend the money on Atlantis based on what I can see. Since it is our first cruise, I am not quite sure what we will actually like...I guess that is part of the adventure!!

 

Please win a lot but leave some money in the casino for me!!

 

In Nassau, we typically just shop briefly at the straw market, which is located right as you exit the ship. Lots of purse knock offs, wind chimes, souveniry stuff. Then we might hit Senor Frogs (located next to straw market) and then back on board. We have taken a cab to Atlantis before; but did not have access to the facilities. We only walked around and viewed the resort. Not worth my time in the cab - IMHO. This year, we actually plan to stay on board the vessel and take advantage of a pool day/slide day without so many crowds on board.

 

St. Thomas is your first port for shopping - especially if you are in the market for jewelry. Lots to see and do and spend money on. You are doing the day sail and I am not familiar with Treazzure; but I'm sure you won't be dissappointed - especially if you are going to St. John. I would also recommend the Skyride to Paradise Point. Its located right at Havensight Pier and great fun! The view at the top is spectacular and so is the banana drink they serve ;).

 

St. Maarten is also another shopping port (not quite as big as St. Thomas, IMO). We always go to Orient Bay after a little shopping in Phillipsburg. It's one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever been to with plenty of loungers, service (if you know what I mean) and food. A little pricey and of course there is the topless portion of the beach that some would not enjoy; but DH and self never miss an opportunity to go there.

 

Good luck to you and have an awesome cruise.

 

Chick.