CCL Dream....should I or shouldn't I???

[Mommabear5]

I feel like I am going crazy over here. I have been searching and researching for months for the perfect cruise. I know I want to go to the Eastern Caribbean because we have done the Western and no need to revisit any of those islands at this time. I know I need a larger ship, or mega liner, because I am prone to seasickness:eek:!

I know what our price range in and when we are going to be able to sail. The problem, well mine anyway, is that for all these request I have, I keep coming back to the Dream. She is an amazing ship or at least appears to be from everything I have looked at and I really would love to try her out.

With that said I have read so much about poor stabilizers and the ship rocking really bad. Most of the reviews I have read are older from when the ship first came out so I am curious and any of these issues were resolved?

If there is anyone out there that has sailed her recently or can give me some insights about the Dream I would really appreciate it. I would love to hear from anyone that especially has motion sickness issues.

Also if there is anyone that can think of a ship that has newer and similar features but not the movement issues the Dream has that would be great.

[halos]

Have you tried Bonine??

No matter how large the ship, if you are in rough waters, you're going to have an issue. This has less to do with the ship and everything to do with sea conditions.

[CascaisCruiser]

We just got back yesterday from the Eastern itinerary. My husband is bothered by motion sickness. This was our 5th Carnival cruise and he didn’t think it rocked any more than any other ship we’ve been on (Freedom, Spirit, Inspiration, Fascination). He did take Bonine a few times which he thought helped. The movement I noticed on the ship is a shuddering movement. I don’t know how to describe it otherwise. Every once in a while, it just felt like the ship would shudder. It didn’t matter what deck I was on, it seemed like it felt the same everywhere. It would only last about 30 seconds. I also noticed it more the first few days and not so much at the end of the cruise. I didn’t find it bothersome at all, I just didn’t remember ever feeling it on another ship.

I will say we only had one, what I would call, rough day at sea. Rough might be exaggerating a bit. On the second sea day (Thursday) there was a lot of movement. The pools were sloshing pretty good and there were a few times walking around that were a little wobbly. I heard some people commenting that day but otherwise, I never heard anyone complain about movement.

[abitaturbodog]

Just take a Bonine every night, starting the evening BEFORE you board. I do this every time and am fine.

 

As for the Dream, personally I thought that it rocked less than other ships. We had some really rough seas and the ship didn't have excessive movement. Either way, if you take a Bonine each night, you will be fine--rough seas or not.

[TVMet]

It doesn't matter what ship or what has happened to you on previous cruises, if the weather is causing rough seas the ship will rock. If the seas are tranquil, the ship will not have movement. The weather and wind control it all. So, relax and have fun. Odds are you won't have a problem.

[RRLLAL]

As others have said, use bonine. We swear by it. We've been on the Dream and we didn't think it shook and more or less than others. But we did the Pride which is one of the Spirit class ships and it seemed to "cut" through the water better than others we have been on. Maybe others with more experience on the Spirit class ships can chime in.

[realmccoy]

We were on the Dream for 2 weeks in 2010 and never had a problem. We were also on Deck 11 in a Spa cabin that was near the front of the ship and never had a problem. Loved the ship and the ports...book it!

[LizzieTrowbridge]

We sailed the Dream last March and loved it. Choose a cabin in the center and on a lower deck to get the least movement.

 

I agree with the Bonine; it works!

[prncsscruiser]

If bonine doesnt work for you, you can always try something stronger. I use the rx patch scopolamine because bonine does not work for me. However, I have yet to get sick while using the patch. Just another option.

[RWolver672]

As you can see from my signature, we have always cruised on the larger ships. For us, the Dream had more movement than any of the others. Oddly enough, it seemed to be more side to side than front to back. We too noticed the "shuttering" a few times. None of it was enough to make anybody sick; it just reminded you that you were on a ship.

 

Our biggest complaint was the amount of passengers. On sea days, it's quite crowded. Never had any problems with lines. If you wanted a descent seat at the comedy club or Vegas type shows, you had to get there an hour before it started. Otherwise, it was SRO or you sat behind a pole.

 

The Dream is notorious for missing Roatan because of the wind when docking.

[crusinfamof4]

We sailed the Dream in August and would sail her again, plan to in August 2013 to Eastern.

 

I am get motion sickness very easily and I too was worried about the rocking as some of the reviews had said. They are not true! I hardly knew we were moving! One time, when we left Roatan, I would not have known at all we left port but I was playing a trivia contest and I looked up and said oh we are moving. We all looked around, we would not have known.

 

The only thing about the ship, which is not the Dreams fault at all, was we were right behind Hurricane Irene and the seas were rough, I mean rough. It was our last night and during dinner I had to send my husband to our cabin to get me a motion sickness pill. He did and I was fine physically after that, then it just got to a point I thought we were going to flip over, but the captain slowed down, trying to ease the impact. All in all, I think he did a great job considering.

 

I would def sail the Dream again. She is just so beautiful!

 

We sailed on the Disney Wonder in 2009. It is much smaller than the Dream. No troubles on that ship, until a passenger on one of the Carnival ships jumped overboard and we were stopped for 3 hours assisting with the rescue. Once we got the passenger onboard, the captain was going like 23 knots or something and man, we were being thrown all around. I could not sleep at all, I was sick as could be. We had a balcony and I could see the Carnival ship one second, then it would go away, then it would be back again. I assumed it was so bad as it was a smaller ship and we were going so fast.

 

I was nervous on the Dream going 23 knots, but I never felt anything when going that fast as I did on the Wonder.

 

Don't worry about it, Dream is a great ship! Oh yeh and I never smelled the alleged smell people talk about either.

[golfadj]

We have loved the Conquest class and will be taking our first cruise on the Dream in Sept.

 

Not worried about motion but do have a concern about crowding.

[EMc&DrS]

We were on the Dream last June in a deck 6 aft cabin and never felt any unusual movement. As a matter of fact, we thought it was the smoothest sailing we had ever experienced on a cruise. In the aft you do feel the vibrations from the thrusters as the ship is positioning to dock in port or as you are leaving port.

[jules815]

We sailed on Dream in 2010 and are scheduled to sail again in October. We really enjoyed the ship, and eastern itinerary is our favorite.

 

I also swear by taking Bonine. I read about it here on CC in 2006 before my very first cruise, and I always take it. I start taking it at the hotel the night before we sail, and at bedtime throughout the cruise. I don't notice any sleepy side affects, and I drink during the cruise.

 

Since I've always pre-medicated with Bonine, I don't even know if I would get sea sick on a cruise ship, but figure better to be safe than sorry.

[SkyMaster]

We too, have sailed "Dream" twice, and have another "Dreamy" cruise booked for June. We found no unusual motion at all, but I too suggest a cabin midship, and as low as possible. Also, I too highly recommend "Bonine" to be taken every day, whether you think you'll need it, or not. "Dream" is a great cruise, and with just a little bit of planning, and thought, you can avoid 99% of the big crowds that some folks complain about.

Have a GREAT cruise.

 

"SKY"

[tropicaledrink]

We did the Eastern run last year and had very favorable sea conditions at the end of May. I honestly felt this ship rocked much less than the Elation. We were in a Deck 8 forward inside cabin.

 

Be smart in where you book your cabin and keep your fingers crossed for calm seas!

[CanadianMommyof2]

We just returned from our third sailing on the Dream and it was a wonderful trip. I'm very prone to motion sickness, I can feel the ship's movements in rough and calm seas but on this past trip I made sure to take motion sickness meds a couple of days before getting on the ship and I was fine. Try to book a midship cabin which will also help.

[JKJG3]

Has anyone that has had success with Bonine had any issues with mixing it with alcohol?

 

I don't mean dangerous issues, but in the past my wife or I have used other motion sickness medication prevenatively, and noticed that combined with a few drinks its more of a sleeping pill!

[mitchpam]

We were on the Dream in Nov/Dec and were rocked about on the first day, but fine after that. There is a slight shudder type thing that happened from time to time, but no big deal. When we took the behind the scenes tour we were able to talk with the Captain and some of the crew. I asked a lot of them if they thought this ship had a lot of "motion" compared to other ships they have been on and they all replied emphatically with a "no!"... but they did say that sometimes going in and out of Port Canaveral they can experience motion, I guess due to the currents and the winds. She is a great ship!!

[Willbcruisin]

We sailed Dream this past New years. I have sailed other large ships on both CCL and RCL.

 

I did feel that Dream had much more "roll" to her. She has a narrow beam and is top heavy so rocks more side to side. It does not bother me but I for sure noticed it.

 

We are sailing her again this month for a wedding. If it were not for the wedding personally I would not choose her again due to the crowding. I have also sailed many peak times but Dream is just not laid out to manage the amount of passengers she can carry. This is only my opinion and comparison to other large ships I have sailed.

 

I will add though I would rather be on Dream than sitting here at work typing about her:p

 

Take you motion meds and enjoy your cruise!