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Sailing the Dream - 10/22-10/28

GTO-Girl

By GTO-Girl,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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Just got off the Dream yesterday and boy did we have a great time!! Weather was PERFECT and seas were calm.

 

Precruise: We stayed at the Radisson and really enjoyed it. We knew to ask for a "renovated room" and were lucky enough to be assigned one near the pool. We also knew to schedule our shuttle time "when we made our resv" so we had the 10:30 shuttle. We actually went to the lobby about 9:55 and they had a couple of no-shows for the 10:00am shuttle so we were able to leave on that one.....YEAH!!!! Arrived at the port, checked our bag, went inside, up the escalators, checked-in and was in a seat waiting by 10:30. At 11:15 we started boarding and were onboard by 11:30. Best check-in time we have ever had.....:D

 

On The Day You Board: Please understand that there are 4,000 of your fellow passengers also boarding, so have patience and know that the crowding problem does get better. During the time they are loading luggage many of the elevators are shut down, so know that you won't be going anywhere in a hurry until this process is over. Doesn't bother us, but then again we know what to expect and go with the flow.

 

Also there are other places besides the buffet to eat when you first board. We went to the back of ship and got sandwiches, but could have gone to the pasta bar (which is very good) or even to the Scarlet Dining room. Trust me you won't go hungry......LOL

 

Sunday - Nassau: Can't help you here too much as we usually don't get off the ship. It was nice having a quiet time to go and explore the vessel. This ship is just beautiful and very well maintained and it was fun checking out all the different areas.

 

This was "Elegant" night but if you don't want to go all out don't worry about it. My hubby wore his khakis and a golf shirt and no one batted an eye. On this night they had lobster tails and grilled shrimp and they were delicious!!!!

 

Monday - Sea Day: We used this day to catch up on some reading and napping so we would be ready when the sun went down to go, go go...:D

 

Tuesday - St Thomas: Since we were saving our beach day for St Martin we got off the ship and shopped for a little while. I bought a neat Olympus camera and by comparing prices from a couple of stores was able to save about $50 over what the first guy had quoted. YEAH!!!!

 

Wednesday - St Martin: Because we have done the Eastern so many times before this was the only port we did a tour. We once again chose Bernard Tours and had a fabulous time!!! We did about 2 hrs at Orient, then on to Marigot for about 30 min of shopping and then to Maho Beach to watch the jets come in.....WOW what fun!!! With Bernard you get totally professional drivers, in nice well maintained vehicles who are knowledgable about their island. They provide free cokes, diet cokes, sprite, water, beer and rum punch all day.

 

But most importantly you do not have to worry about getting back to the ship on time. The traffic and road construction here can be bad!! Sadly we saw a young couple that got left by the Oasis of the Seas. They returned to the dock about 20 min after she left. The girl was so upset she fainted. I'm not sure what happend but they put them in a van and drove them back into town.

 

For all you First Time Cruisers take heed.....THE SHIP WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU......SO HAVE YOUR BUTT BACK ON TIME.......:D!!!!!

 

Thursday/Friday - Sea Days: We used these two days to try and recover for all the fun we were having. We are not young anymore so it was necessary for us to take naps just to keep up.......:D

 

*****Note on the last night they have a "Farewell Party" from 5:00pm to 6:00pm in the Burgundy Lounge. In the Fun Times this is all it says... but you should know they have FREE DRINKS during this time. It was obvious that most people on the ship do not know this......:D******

 

The Dream is a beautiful ship. We did not smell any smells as some have reported. We found the food in the dining room to be very good and ate many of our meals there (breakfast, lunch & dinner). We tried the buffet a couple of times but were disappointed as we could tell most of the cost cutting measures have been made here. They did not have nearly as many food choices and what they did have didn't always appeal to me. The amount of desserts have been reduced too. But I am not a "foodie" so as long as I have something filling I'm pretty much okay. But is was definately something I noticed.

 

The entertainment on this ship is very good and of good variety. All the shows we attended we enjoyed very much. Also the singers in the different areas of the ship were all very talented. Don't miss the Fun Force dancers in the atrium they are awesome!!

 

On Friday morning we went down to Guest Services to pay off our Sail and Sign account (we don't like anything charged to our credit card) and because we had a long drive home we asked if it would be a problem for us to get earlier zone tags for our departure the next day. We received Zone 2 tags with no questions asked. That meant we would be getting off right after they finished with the self-assist people. (we originally were given Zone 10 tags....:eek:) We were off the ship about 7:30 as opposed to 8:30-9:00.....so it never hurts to ask especially if you do it early in the day.

 

We liked this ship so much that we have booked again for April. I'm sure I have left off a lot.....but if anyone has questions I'll be happy to try and answer. Happy Sailing everyone!!!!

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luv2trvlnow

luv2trvlnow

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We will be going on the Dream on Saturday. We also have a tour with Bernard scheduled. I have a question about the tour. How long did it take you to get back to the ship? Was there any time left for shopping? Last time we were to St Thomas we went to St John and didn't have any time left for shopping by the time we got back.

Sharon

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smc0320

smc0320

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Nice Review.....we are on her in 6 short weeks!!!

 

So you pretty much had B-L-D in the MDR almost every meal? Was that the first time for you? We've never really had or been aware of that option until last month so I'm glad to know the MDR is an every day option for all meals, because I'm nervous of the crowds in Lodi buffet....but did you feel restricted in any way by doing MDR instead of buffet? Did it take too much time, were the hours convenient, was the menu full of variety?

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KEG0722

KEG0722

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I just got off the Dream as well and I have to agree it was a WONDERFUL cruise! Everything was great...do not miss the Fun Force show! I was amazed at their talent. I found the food in the MDR to be really good. I can't wait to book my next Dream cruise!

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nzdisneymom

nzdisneymom

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Thanks for posting your trip report, and especially mentioning the boarding day lunch options. We will be on the Dream for the first time and are new to Carnival so knowing what options there are ahead of time can help us avoid a logjam of people vying for the same space with carryon bags in tow.

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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We will be going on the Dream on Saturday. We also have a tour with Bernard scheduled. I have a question about the tour. How long did it take you to get back to the ship? Was there any time left for shopping? Last time we were to St Thomas we went to St John and didn't have any time left for shopping by the time we got back.

 

Sharon

 

When returning from the tour the driver gives anyone who wants to shop the option of being dropped off downtown. You will have plenty of time to shop because we were back on board at 3:00pm (we did not get off downtown) but did not have to be back to the ship until 5:30pm.....

 

Hope this helps....

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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Nice Review.....we are on her in 6 short weeks!!!

 

So you pretty much had B-L-D in the MDR almost every meal? Was that the first time for you? We've never really had or been aware of that option until last month so I'm glad to know the MDR is an every day option for all meals, because I'm nervous of the crowds in Lodi buffet....but did you feel restricted in any way by doing MDR instead of buffet? Did it take too much time, were the hours convenient, was the menu full of variety?

 

You can have every meal in the dining room if you wish. For breakfast and lunch they only have the Scarlett Dining room open. We did not feel restricted in anyway. In fact we always requested a table for two and they did not have a problem accomodating us. In my opinon the food was much better in the dining room.

 

We had Any Time dining for dinner and were assigned the Crimson Dining room on Deck 4....

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katiel53

katiel53

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You can have every meal in the dining room if you wish. For breakfast and lunch they only have the Scarlett Dining room open. We did not feel restricted in anyway. In fact we always requested a table for two and they did not have a problem accomodating us. In my opinon the food was much better in the dining room.

 

We had Any Time dining for dinner and were assigned the Crimson Dining room on Deck 4....

 

When we were on Dream in April, the dining room was NOT open for lunch on port days. Is it now open on those days? My understanding is that the dining room is closed those lunch times so the crew can get some time off.

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BeachyBrowns

BeachyBrowns

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When returning from the tour the driver gives anyone who wants to shop the option of being dropped off downtown. You will have plenty of time to shop because we were back on board at 3:00pm (we did not get off downtown) but did not have to be back to the ship until 5:30pm.....

 

Hope this helps....

 

Concur. We got dropped off downtown, walked down Front St. and Back St. and stopped several places, walked back to the ship, and were still an hour early and had time to knock back a couple of those frozen drinks they sell right at the pier. You won't have 5 hours to shop, but you will have enough time, IMO.

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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When we were on Dream in April, the dining room was NOT open for lunch on port days. Is it now open on those days? My understanding is that the dining room is closed those lunch times so the crew can get some time off.

 

You know....you are probably right now that I think about it. We didn't go there at lunch on port days (too busy.....:D).

 

Thanks for catching my "boo-boo"......:D

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Tropical Moon

Tropical Moon

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Was on the same cruise. I have to agree with your review, was very concerned with all the negative comments on the Dream. Was very happy. I never smelled any smells, my cabin was on deck 1. The crowds can be avoided on Lido Buffet by going a little off time to meals. Had a group of 10 and tables not hard to find, including Pasta Bar. So all out there with any concerns, put them aside, you will have a great time.

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Lidolounger

Lidolounger

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We did a B2B this past Jan on the Dream. I learned a long time ago that we all have differing perspectives. I take the totality of the reviews read and gain a general idea of what to expect. Reviews were horrible before we left - our two weeks were wonderful. We thought the ship decor was very nice. Liked the hot tubs on the Lanai Deck, used the Serenity area quite a bit, and loved the Punchliners Comedy Club.

 

Only negative that did affect our trip - drink service in the dining room was very inconsistant from night to night. We learned to get our drinks first and then bring them with us to dinner.

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AmberTeka

AmberTeka

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We were on this cruise and totally agree. ONE AREA not mentioned..is The Casino. If I were to sail the Dream again...I would not set foot in there. The slot machines are so tight...that you don't even win enough money to keep playing for a little while. Really Bad.Worst I have ever experience. I go to penny slots..take a certain amt...usually play for couple of hours. Then..usually..money gone.I spent about what I would spend on a Movie and dinner. No quilt. BUT I don't expect to win in a casino. They are set up to MAKE money..not GIVE it away. But Still...bad bad experience.

THAT SAID...the ship is lovely as the reviewer wrote. The Food..it is impossible to go hungry. The Sandwich Deli...WOW! Pizza...WOW! Lattes in the Coffee Bar....WOW! The chocolate chip cookies on the Lido Buffet Dessert stations..The Salad Bar Fixings..the Ranch and Blue Cheese Sal.dressing..WOW! The Home made Bread..WOW! The CLEAN..Ice Cream Station..WOW! Stage Productions..I saw all Three..WOW! TRivia..Activities WOW!

 

OK...You get my drift. The WOW!! factor..was all over that ship.

I would sail it again in a heartbeat...but I would not set foot in the casino.

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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We were on this cruise and totally agree. ONE AREA not mentioned..is The Casino. If I were to sail the Dream again...I would not set foot in there. The slot machines are so tight...that you don't even win enough money to keep playing for a little while. Really Bad.Worst I have ever experience. I go to penny slots..take a certain amt...usually play for couple of hours. Then..usually..money gone.I spent about what I would spend on a Movie and dinner. No quilt. BUT I don't expect to win in a casino. They are set up to MAKE money..not GIVE it away. But Still...bad bad experience.

THAT SAID...the ship is lovely as the reviewer wrote. The Food..it is impossible to go hungry. The Sandwich Deli...WOW! Pizza...WOW! Lattes in the Coffee Bar....WOW! The chocolate chip cookies on the Lido Buffet Dessert stations..The Salad Bar Fixings..the Ranch and Blue Cheese Sal.dressing..WOW! The Home made Bread..WOW! The CLEAN..Ice Cream Station..WOW! Stage Productions..I saw all Three..WOW! TRivia..Activities WOW!

 

OK...You get my drift. The WOW!! factor..was all over that ship.

I would sail it again in a heartbeat...but I would not set foot in the casino.

 

 

LOL......then I better not tell you I only spent $1.50 in a slot machine and won $75.......:D.

 

Since I am not the gambling type I immediately cashed out and walked away........;)

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