Anyone just off the Dream

[tkabrk]

I am getting so excited to cruise (on the Dream) in a couple of months. Was wondering if anyone just got off the ship and can share their experience.

[sparkscruiser]

Well, I am not just off the ship, but sailed at the end of November. Ship is nice although I must say we prefer the smaller Spirit class. The Pasta Bar is fabulous! I recommend that option as often as you can. The Steakhouse was very good. Dining Room - our wait staff was just not cohesive - they may have just been put together, not sure as they did not interact with us at all. Some food items that I ordered never came. No great loss... as the food was only so-so. Disappointing as we have always had fantastic service and food in the dining room on past cruises. I am sure it was just an off week for them and I would certainly not base any decisions on food anyway - there is more than enough of the stuff! We cruised with friends and had a great time, did the Behind the Fun tour and that was wonderful. Guest Services staff was not at all helpful when I contacted them about a concern I had. Took 6 calls/visits if I remember correctly. But we still enjoyed ourselves very much and I am sure you will as well. Have a great cruise.

[TeresaJ]

Just got off a little over a week ago! Had a great trip!

[cardplayer]

Hi, We just sailed the dream Feb. 18 and had a nice time. I just read some not so good reviews of this cruise and while no cruise is perfect. I think they were a little harsh. We thought the food was good. The wait staff was not as personable as other cruises we've been on, in fact this is the first time I didn't leave an extra tip at the end of the cruise. I will say that I don't think it was the fault of the staff, they just had too many people to wait on, they were to use a server expression just keeping themselves out of the weeds. It can get conjested in the buffets at times, but just don't go at peak times. We never had a problem at breakfast but we tend to eat early. The pools are small, but lots of times they didn't have a lot of people in them. The entertainment was good, just be sure to go to the theatres 15-20 minutes before showtimes. I did save the fun times if you have specific questions. We had a family with grand parents (us) and our daughter son-inlaw and 2 teenages who had a great time. Myself and dh have been on 11 cruises, 3 HAL, 3 NCL, 3 RC and 2 carnival, so I think I'm a pretty good judge of what a cruise should be. I would give this cruise an solid 4 of 5 and the ship maybe just a 3, but the cove balcony we where in was awsome. It was our first balcony in all our cruises and I now may be spoiled. I try to answer any questions.

[TeresaJ]

Hi, We just sailed the dream Feb. 18 and had a nice time. I just read some not so good reviews of this cruise and while no cruise is perfect. I think they were a little harsh. We thought the food was good. The wait staff was not as personable as other cruises we've been on, in fact this is the first time I didn't leave an extra tip at the end of the cruise. I will say that I don't think it was the fault of the staff, they just had too many people to wait on, they were to use a server expression just keeping themselves out of the weeds. It can get conjested in the buffets at times, but just don't go at peak times. We never had a problem at breakfast but we tend to eat early. The pools are small, but lots of times they didn't have a lot of people in them. The entertainment was good, just be sure to go to the theatres 15-20 minutes before showtimes. I did save the fun times if you have specific questions. We had a family with grand parents (us) and our daughter son-inlaw and 2 teenages who had a great time. Myself and dh have been on 11 cruises, 3 HAL, 3 NCL, 3 RC and 2 carnival, so I think I'm a pretty good judge of what a cruise should be. I would give this cruise an solid 4 of 5 and the ship maybe just a 3, but the cove balcony we where in was awsome. It was our first balcony in all our cruises and I now may be spoiled. I try to answer any questions.

 

I was on the same sailing and we had a great time. I have been reading some negative reviews of this same sailing. People complain about the littlest things!

[WAHMto5]

Not just off but have sailed ont he Dream before and really enjoyed it. So much so, that we are going back on the Dream this September;)

[TeresaJ]

I am getting so excited to cruise (on the Dream) in a couple of months. Was wondering if anyone just got off the ship and can share their experience.

 

If you are interested, here is my posting after the Dream sailing 2/18:

 

 

Our family of four (my dh, ds11 and dd 7) cruised on the Dream the week of Feb. 18. There were a lot of families on board due to the President's day break from schools. I think they said about 900 kids on board.

 

We had a deluxe ocean view room with the two bathrooms. We were so spoiled. This came in handy. Two people could be showering in each of the bathrooms at the same time which sped up getting ready for dinner, etc. It will be hard to go back to a cabin with one bathroom :P

 

We had perfect, hot and sunny weather every day of the cruise. We are so blessed to not run into any bad weather. The kids loved the waterslides area. On the two sea days, you have to be up super early by 8 am or so to get loungers. It wasn't a problem for me as I like to get up early, go get coffee, and read up on the lido deck.

 

Food - we never had a bad meal. We did not do the steakhouse so I can't comment on that. We ate in the main dining room all but one night and everything was good. One night we ate in the main buffet. For lunches we did a lot of pizza, burgers, sandwiches. The kids loved the 24/7 ice cream - I lost count of how many bowls/cones of ice cream they had :) Our overall observation was food that was supposed to be hot was hot and food that was supposed to be cold was cold. Hint: if you want an omelete from the station go outside of the main lido buffet area by the waves pool area and they have a mini station set up - there are hardly any lines. Everyone else was waiting in the main buffet area and the lines were long. Pasta bar - my daughter loves pasta. It is only open during the lunch time and it can get very busy. The first time we went it wasn't much of a wait and the second time, we hit it at a peak time, so we waited close to a half an hour for her one plate of pasta which was a little frustrating. But not a big deal.

 

Elevators - yes, you have to wait. Our cabin was on deck 1 but if we were going to deck 3 or 4 we took the stairs as we are able to.

 

Ports - Here is what we did: Cozumel - Chankanaab Park (snorkeling, relaxing on the beach), Belize (Bannister Island Beach Break), Roatan (Maya Key Private Island), Costa Maya (Tropicante Beach Club). Overall, we were looking for relaxation on the beach and nothing too adventurous. All were nice and nothing to complain about here.

 

Shows - we were so tired at night after sun, drinks, and dinner so we did not stay out late. We saw two different comedy shows, a music variety show, and some of the music acts at varous bars. If you have kids, I highly recommend seeing Fun Force. They are an acrobatic, break dance troupe of 4 guys that are really good. The kids usually went to Camp Carnival a couple hours each day and they really liked it. A lot of activities for them.

 

Overall, I can't think of anything real negative to say about the ship and our experience. The staff is very friendly. Everyone greets you in the morning. It was a great vacation and we would definitely cruise on this ship again.

[chasinraynbowz]

I just woke up from a dream. Does that count??? :rolleyes:

 

Sorry... lol... could not resist!!

 

We are cruising in December and was picking either the Dream or the Conquest. After looking at airfare it was decided we would do the Conquest out of NOLA. I was really wanting to go on the Dream and try out their cove balconies.

[Cruzface]

We were on the 2/18 sailing as well. Great cruise. The food was as we expected...good. Mongolian wok was great. Kids loved the pasta bar. I didn't try the burito bar until the last sea day and wished I had tried it sooner. The lanai barbeque was ok. We didb't go back. I didn't notice significantly longer lines than on any of our other cruises.

 

The lazer show deck party was the best party of any cruise we had been on. The Dancin' in the Streets show was one of the best shows we have seen on a ship. The Past Guest party was great. I gave the waiter $5 which he didn't want to take and he brought me 3 dewars and soda. That's right, 3! Saved me lots of money that night.

The ports were terrific. Only rained on the morning of Roatan. Turned out to be the nicest day. Loved Costa Maya, but you have to leave the port area. Go to Mahaul (sp) beach. Great beach. Cheap to get there. $20 for 1/2 hr massage, $30 for 1/2 on jet ski.

Main pool area always crowded. Next time we will head to the aft pool, much more relaxed vibe.

Embarkation and debarkation were the smoothest of any cruise.

Enjoy your cruise. You will have a blast.

[cruisecrazyk]

Had a wonderful time and great weather except the day of the superbowl it rained. We took the Western Caribbean route and loved the ports. We had an excursion every port but Costa Maya. Do not miss Dancing in the Streets show. Fabulous! Get to the theater 20-25 minutes early to get a seat. Very easy to get to the port,,just right off I95. Crew was great and food was good. Loved the adults only serenity deck and the spa. Get the spa pass and enjoy the extra steam rooms and dry heated loungers. I want to take the Dream again to Eastern next time! :D

[jacksmom09]

I would also love some new reviews!;)

[vacation_junkie]

If you are interested, here is my posting after the Dream sailing 2/18:

 

 

Our family of four (my dh, ds11 and dd 7) cruised on the Dream the week of Feb. 18. There were a lot of families on board due to the President's day break from schools. I think they said about 900 kids on board.

 

We had a deluxe ocean view room with the two bathrooms. We were so spoiled. This came in handy. Two people could be showering in each of the bathrooms at the same time which sped up getting ready for dinner, etc. It will be hard to go back to a cabin with one bathroom :P

 

We had perfect, hot and sunny weather every day of the cruise. We are so blessed to not run into any bad weather. The kids loved the waterslides area. On the two sea days, you have to be up super early by 8 am or so to get loungers. It wasn't a problem for me as I like to get up early, go get coffee, and read up on the lido deck.

 

Food - we never had a bad meal. We did not do the steakhouse so I can't comment on that. We ate in the main dining room all but one night and everything was good. One night we ate in the main buffet. For lunches we did a lot of pizza, burgers, sandwiches. The kids loved the 24/7 ice cream - I lost count of how many bowls/cones of ice cream they had :) Our overall observation was food that was supposed to be hot was hot and food that was supposed to be cold was cold. Hint: if you want an omelete from the station go outside of the main lido buffet area by the waves pool area and they have a mini station set up - there are hardly any lines. Everyone else was waiting in the main buffet area and the lines were long. Pasta bar - my daughter loves pasta. It is only open during the lunch time and it can get very busy. The first time we went it wasn't much of a wait and the second time, we hit it at a peak time, so we waited close to a half an hour for her one plate of pasta which was a little frustrating. But not a big deal.

 

Elevators - yes, you have to wait. Our cabin was on deck 1 but if we were going to deck 3 or 4 we took the stairs as we are able to.

 

Ports - Here is what we did: Cozumel - Chankanaab Park (snorkeling, relaxing on the beach), Belize (Bannister Island Beach Break), Roatan (Maya Key Private Island), Costa Maya (Tropicante Beach Club). Overall, we were looking for relaxation on the beach and nothing too adventurous. All were nice and nothing to complain about here.

 

Shows - we were so tired at night after sun, drinks, and dinner so we did not stay out late. We saw two different comedy shows, a music variety show, and some of the music acts at varous bars. If you have kids, I highly recommend seeing Fun Force. They are an acrobatic, break dance troupe of 4 guys that are really good. The kids usually went to Camp Carnival a couple hours each day and they really liked it. A lot of activities for them.

 

Overall, I can't think of anything real negative to say about the ship and our experience. The staff is very friendly. Everyone greets you in the morning. It was a great vacation and we would definitely cruise on this ship again.

 

900 kids :eek: oh my !!!!

How did you find the Deluxe ocean view room?...we usually stay in a balcony on the Spa deck but since we are paying for the In-laws to come we are choosing a cheaper room... how big was the JR tub? What deck were you on?

[TeresaJ]

900 kids :eek: oh my !!!!

How did you find the Deluxe ocean view room?...we usually stay in a balcony on the Spa deck but since we are paying for the In-laws to come we are choosing a cheaper room... how big was the JR tub? What deck were you on?

 

We have only had interior rooms on our two other cruises, but the deluxe ov on the Dream seemed so much bigger! The JR tub is not big enough for an adult to take a bath in but big enough for my 7 year old daughter. It also had a shower spout so you can shower in it as well. Most nights getting ready for dinner, my son was in the shower in the main bath and my daughter was in the jr tub showering at the same time - so it worked great for us. The bathroom with the JR tub also had a sink so that was nice too. We were on deck 1 because that's all that was available when I booked it, but I think those cabins are on higher decks too.

[tiger belle]

we sailed on Dream in January...it is a beautiful ship, but almost a little too big for me, and we had some issues with the number of people on board; i.e., long waits for elevators, standing room only in the comedy clubs

 

the Dancin' in the Streets show was excellent--probably ties with The Big Easy show on Triumph for the best show I've seen on a cruise ship...the steakhouse was excellent, as was the pasta bar...not thrilled with the Lanai BBQ, but it was a change of pace...trivia and games were fun...didn't like the musical entertainment as much as on previous cruises, but there were a number of varieties of groups

 

we did the exotic Western itinerary--Coz, Belize, Roatan and Costa Maya...was surprised that my fav port of those 4 was Costa Maya

 

service was very good, as usual for Carnival...enjoyed the MDR, room service was prompt, loved the big screen on Lido

 

have a great cruise!

[cocoabob]

I am getting so excited to cruise (on the Dream) in a couple of months. Was wondering if anyone just got off the ship and can share their experience.

 

Just got off the Dream on Saturday. Had a deluxe OV on deck 1 directly in middle of ship. Did so because it has the least movement of any place on the ship, particularly in rough waters. Room was great and two bathrooms for two people was bonus. Dream has some of the largest OV cabins: 220 sq. ft. This was Eastern Carib itinerary. Second time on ship. MDR service was slower and food quality was not as good as prior cruise. Breakfast was really good on Lido deck and stunning water views. Love the Deck 5 where you can walk around the entire ship. Great exercise and plenty of deck lounge chairs. Wife loved Spa and I took several spinning classes. Every night went to the "Lanai Lounge" to hear the "Blackjacks": a great group doing classic rock, blues, and country. Took in only one show: "Legends" where passengers auditioned and with the help of the staff did a great and fun job of impersonating celebrities. Over 4200 on ship and part of fun was simply "watching" people and some of the most ridiculous bathing suits they were wearing.

 

Eastern Carib is my favorite itinerary as there are more days at sea and I just love walking the ship and viewing nothing but beautiful blue water!

 

Bought a Certificate on board for $100 where you receive an extra $100 on your next cruise.

 

Embarkation and disembarkation were flawless. We only booked three weeks prior and received military rates which Carnival is very gracious about granting to active and retired military personnel. Carnival also gives you good value for your money and the fact that we are only 15 minutes from Pt. Canaveral has allowed us to take advantage of their great values.

 

My brother who lived with us recently passed away after a liver transplant and the stress of the past several months were in part "washed" away by cruising and staring at the beauty of the sea.

 

We are going on the same cruise on April 7th but I think it will be slightly different as its Spring break so expect a lot more kids.

[moose1956]

We just got off Dream last Saturday and had a great time! Had a cove balcony (mid ship #2345) which was fantastic. Great location - close to steps, elevators, dining, etc. I certainly agree that many people really love to complain!!! Food was great. Never had a bad meal and tried almost everything. Really loved Anytime Dining. Went around 6pm and never had to wait. Only 1 evening we didn't get a table for 2, but dined with another couple who were really nice. Went to the Comedy Club for 3 Adult shows at 9:45pm and got in line around 9:15pm for great seats. Get to the Lido Deck pool by 8am if you want to save a lounge chair for the day, but there are plenty of other relaxing areas to get sun if you don't care about looking at the big screen TV or the few people who actually get in the pool! Did lots of walking around and hit the Gym every morning. Great facility! The SPA specials get better and better as the week goes by and I splurged with a 55 minute message for $79 on Friday. Best one I ever had! Spent alittle time in the casino, but the area is quite smokey and we weren't winning anything so didn't stay long. Yes - the ship seems alittle more rocky - but nothing a cheap generic Bonine every morning and night didn't take care of! I do get motion sickness, but Bonine works great for me and doesn't make me drowsy. Loved St. Thomas and St. Martin and would love to do the Eastern cruise again someday. If you enjoy drinks - don't miss the Past Guest Party (was from 5-5:45pm by invitation) and the Fun Farewell Party on the last night (also from 5-5:45pm). Neither Party was all that crowded and you can get all the free drinks you want!

Let me know if you have any specific questions - and don't get discouraged with negative comments - have fun. We sure did!!:)

[crusinfamof4]

We sailed in August on the Dream and LOVED it! We were on deck 7 (Empress) cabin 7340 (exactly midship). We were around a group of elevators and one night there were kids hanging around and being loud. I called guest services and they had someone there within 5 minutes to get the kids to move along. I found all of the staff to be very friendly. My DH and I sailed with out two sons 14 & 12 at the time. They loved Circle C and really enjoyed the girl working in there.

 

The Dream is so pretty on the inside. I love all the mosaic tile work throughout. Yes, we had to wait for the elevators, but I wanted to always take the elevators in the lobby, the ones that have glass you can see outside of. Any of the other elevators, didn't have to wait for.

 

We didn't eat in the steakhouse. We did eat in the MDR for 4 nights, we did not do elegant nights, nor the first night. The servers were excellent, always kept our drinks refilled (beer for my DH, soda for the kids and I). We had anytime dining. The only issue there, is my father in law was on the ship with us and when we went for dinner, we all had to be there, they would not seat us until my father in law and his wife were with us, but once they got there, we sat right down. I thought the food was very good and not cold.

 

I would love, and I mean love to sail the Dream again. We had Butch and Amy (6'3") as our CD and ACD. They are on the Legend now. But all the entertainment staff made it very fun.

 

What I didn't like, and this is no fault of Carnival, we were right behind Hurricane Irene coming back to port. Seas were very, very rough! To the point, I was in tears. I do not know how I was able to sleep that night, cause I was a nervous wreck. Another passenger fell and broke her arm, it was very rough. Of course all the kids loved it, they loved being in the pool while the water was rockin and rolling. I went shopping in the shops to take my mind off of things, I asked the girls in the shop if they were used to the motion, they told me they had never felt it like that before and both had worked on the Dream from the onset.

 

You will have a blast! Just make it what you make it. We did WC, the tender in Belize was less to be desired, but if you have to tender, you have to tender.

[mommiejaxx]

Hi, We just sailed the dream Feb. 18 and had a nice time. I just read some not so good reviews of this cruise and while no cruise is perfect. I think they were a little harsh. We thought the food was good. The wait staff was not as personable as other cruises we've been on, in fact this is the first time I didn't leave an extra tip at the end of the cruise. I will say that I don't think it was the fault of the staff, they just had too many people to wait on, they were to use a server expression just keeping themselves out of the weeds. It can get conjested in the buffets at times, but just don't go at peak times. We never had a problem at breakfast but we tend to eat early. The pools are small, but lots of times they didn't have a lot of people in them. The entertainment was good, just be sure to go to the theatres 15-20 minutes before showtimes. I did save the fun times if you have specific questions. We had a family with grand parents (us) and our daughter son-inlaw and 2 teenages who had a great time. Myself and dh have been on 11 cruises, 3 HAL, 3 NCL, 3 RC and 2 carnival, so I think I'm a pretty good judge of what a cruise should be. I would give this cruise an solid 4 of 5 and the ship maybe just a 3, but the cove balcony we where in was awsome. It was our first balcony in all our cruises and I now may be spoiled. I try to answer any questions.

 

We are also booked in a cove balcony in September. Any pics of yours? What room number were you in?

[jean0151]

just off 2/23-- I was somewhat disappointed in the food in the MDR. Last year on the Miracle the food wowed me. Now, this could be because it was president's week. Don't miss the pasta bar, and I liked the sushi. and of course the ny deli. You will have fun. It's just that this is my 10th carnival cruise and it seemed they were cutting back maybe on all ships. don't know.

[cruzlovr75]

I love reading all this great info about the Dream, it makes me so excited about our upcoming cruise!

[old crusier]

we just got off the Miracle on 3-1 . The food in the mdr was very bad compared to last year on the Miracle. Some apps. were good - the lamb shank was great every time I ordered fish it was over cooked and dry. out of 27 cruises this had to be the worst food hope they change quickly

[Sunnymom02]

Just got off the Dream on 3/3/12 and had a wonderful time! I really liked the layout of this ship and loved the deck 5 that went all around the ship. I also thought that the service in the dining room was lacking. Waiters didn't seem to talk to you much, but were not mean or rude. I felt that this ship had a lot of movement to it, but it could have been because of the winds that we were having. The first 1/2 of our cruise was a little rocky. Loved the Eastern side and would like to go back someday!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It was great it was our 4th time on here .

[hallmarkk]

900 kids :eek: oh my !!!!

How did you find the Deluxe ocean view room?...we usually stay in a balcony on the Spa deck but since we are paying for the In-laws to come we are choosing a cheaper room... how big was the JR tub? What deck were you on?

we were on the deluxe ocean view room on the main deck all I can say is AWESOME!!!!!!! hugh room two big windows love the 2 bathrooms table 2 chairs and a couch I took a bath every night, the flat screen on the wall was tiny...but I didn't go on a cruise to watch tv so not a problem we cruised 1/28 to 2/4 I love the Dream had atd and had the same waiter every night he was great food was good and if it wasn't I could of found something some where else:):)

[bobsfamily]

We have a cove balcony in Nov... looking forward to it... will be our 10th!