CARNIVAL DREAM, with Pictures, September 28th, 2013

[galawdog]

OUR TRIP ON THE CARNIVAL DREAM, September 28—October 5, 2013

 

Who: This was our eighth cruise together, and the sixth with Carnival. DW and I are in our early fifties. She is earlier than am I. This was our fourth September “Cheat the Hurricane” cruise, and we were indeed successful in cheating the weather again. Although we have cruised several times with Dearest Daughters, we are now empty nesters.

 

We enjoy reading reviews, and feel an obligation to share our experience with others. I have never posted pictures before, but will attempt to do so this time. Fingers crossed.

 

This pic was taken on the beautiful "other" side of Cozumel on our Cozumel Bar Hop tour. More details about it later.

[lilmizz]

OUR TRIP ON THE CARNIVAL DREAM, September 28—October 5, 2013

 

Who: This was our eighth cruise together, and the sixth with Carnival. DW and I are in our early fifties. She is earlier than am I. This was our fourth September “Cheat the Hurricane” cruise, and we were indeed successful in cheating the weather again. Although we have cruised several times with Dearest Daughters, we are now empty nesters.

 

We enjoy reading reviews, and feel an obligation to share our experience with others. I have never posted pictures before, but will attempt to do so this time. Fingers crossed.

 

This pic was taken on the beautiful "other" side of Cozumel on our Cozumel Bar Hop tour. More details about it later.

 

Aweee Love the picture! you two look SOOOO happy!, Hope you post lotsa pics! Ive never been on the Dream before. Going on Jan 18th 2014! So excited!!! Tell me everything!!! lol. Well almost!

[FloridaMomma]

So looking forward to reading your review and seeing your pictures! We're taking our boys on the Dream for spring break!

[galawdog]

(I think I have figured out how to downsize the pictures. Still a work in progress. I promise not to divide this review into 50 separate pieces once I become more comfortable with the photos.)

 

PRE-CRUISE ARRANGEMENTS: We have always been happy with Hampton Inns and the Park/Cruise package they offered in Tampa for our last two voyages on the Legend, so we were happy to stay in Cocoa Beach at the Hampton. It was an excellent choice. It’s just a short walk from the beach, so we had a couple of hours of beach time on Friday, with a nice balcony view. Our rate was $137.00 for the package. Not bad for hotel, breakfast, parking and shuttle service to and from the port. (I was amazed at how many passengers did not know that these packages exist. They obviously don’t read Cruise Critic!)

 

This is our view from the balcony.

 

DRIVING TIP: Most computer mapping services suggest driving through Orlando, its congestion and its toll roads to get from I-75 to Port Canaveral. We live in North Georgia, and have found it is just as quick, and less stressful to travel I-10 east to Jacksonville, and then down I-95. No toll roads, either.

[Chileancruiser]

DRIVING TIP: Most computer mapping services suggest driving through Orlando, its congestion and its toll roads to get from I-75 to Port Canaveral. We live in North Georgia, and have found it is just as quick, and less stressful to travel I-10 east to Jacksonville, and then down I-95. No toll roads, either.

 

 

Now that's a great tip!

[samzgirl84]

Looking forward to your review. We'll be aboard the Dream Feb. 1, 2014 (7th cruise--1st on the Dream). Please include any tips you can think of. Thanks!

[mrpayroll]

Looking forward to your comments. Will be on Dream Nov. 2nd for the second time....:)

[cruzkitty]

galadog-We loved our cruise on the Dream! Good start so far! Your wife looks so familiar to me-tell me, did she or ya'll ever live/work in Chattanooga?

[iloverags2]

Looking forward to hearing about your cruise!

[MRVEGAS711]

Yes...this should be a good one! Keep it coming.

[galawdog]

The Hampton Inn doesn't have a bar, but it shares a parking lot with a Courtyard by Marriott, which does. Hampton does have complimentary cookies, though. In fact, as I was biting into an oatmeal-raisin, it said "Nice Shirt, Dave."

 

Although we arrived early the day before embarkation, we were told that the first shuttle was booked with a wedding party. However, on Saturday morning, an alert hotel clerk counted noses and hustled us onto the first bus. Thank you, Hampton!

 

 

The obligatory First WhaleTail spotting picture. Actually, we saw it first through very fogged windows on the bus from the Hampton Inn. The bus was full of a hot, sweaty wedding party and clingers-on. They were excited, and we volunteered to join the family if we could board along with them....

 

 

EMBARKATION: I expected great things from Port Canaveral based upon Cruise Critic reviews, and we were not disappointed. We were dropped curbside at 10:25, had porters fighting over our luggage immediately, and were fully checked in with Sail&Sign cards by 10:50. We enjoy people-watching, and we passed the short wait by watching the wedding parties, FirstToTheFun and the Cubic Zirconium passengers board. However, we were sipping boat drinks by 11:30.

OUR COVE BALCONY: We booked Cabin 2315, which is directly under the Crimson Dining Room. It was the quietest cabin we have ever booked. These cabins are only on the Magic, Dream and Breeze. The balconies are built into the superstructure of the ship. If you are a sun-goddess, don't book these, because they are shielded by lifeboats hanging from Deck 4. We loved being so very close to the water. We could feel some spray when the ship sailed through some choppy water. The partitions separating the balconies are much heavier than on the upper decks, and we never heard noise. There were no nearby smokers, although smoke doesn't particularly bother us. We liked the Cove so much that we will definitely select a Dream-class ship in the future just for that reason. Plus, we were so close to the lobby and the Crimson Dining room.

 

 

The Cove balcony actually has several more square feet than a regular balcony, along with a metal shelf to prop one's feet and frosty beverage. We liked the shade provided by the lifeboat hanging above the cabin. You can see a lifeboat in this picture.

[boaterette]

Loving your review and your humor.:D

[sc4125]

We were on this cruise with you and also with you on the Bar Hop Bus in Cozumel - we were the ones sitting in the back (my daughter Jordan (27), my niece Tracy (41) my sister Gail and me. Waiting anxiously to hear your opinion of that tour.

[ch27088]

DH and I will be going on the Dream next October, so we hope to be cheating the hurricanes as well. Nice picture of you two. Thanks for sharing your review with us, and can't wait to read it and see the photos.

[becky11111]

Subscribing! Can't wait to see more. I'm sailing on the Breeze in 2 weeks, but would love to go on the Dream hopefully in the near future :0)

[Orpheo]

Great pictures and review! Love your signature:D, so funny!

[TravelE]

OUR TRIP ON THE CARNIVAL DREAM, September 28—October 5, 2013

 

Who: This was our eighth cruise together, and the sixth with Carnival. DW and I are in our early fifties. She is earlier than am I. This was our fourth September “Cheat the Hurricane” cruise, and we were indeed successful in cheating the weather again. Although we have cruised several times with Dearest Daughters, we are now empty nesters.

 

We enjoy reading reviews, and feel an obligation to share our experience with others. I have never posted pictures before, but will attempt to do so this time. Fingers crossed.

 

This pic was taken on the beautiful "other" side of Cozumel on our Cozumel Bar Hop tour. More details about it later.

 

Great picture and Go Jackets!

[JaniceB]

Thanks for taking the time to write a Dream review can't wait to read the rest.

 

How soon can you book the shuttle when you stay at the Hampton? Do you have to wait until you arrive or can you do it ahead of time?

[galawdog]

GENERAL IMPRESSION OF THE SHIP:

 

The Dream is much larger than the Fantasy-class and the Legend (Spirit-class). I was apprehensive after reading previous reviews that it would feel extremely crowded. And it did---for two hours. The logistics of embarkation day force more people onto the lido deck and the Buffet than any other time of the entire week. The casino isn't open, no one is off the ship for an excursion, and only a small fraction of passengers have access to their cabins. For that small slice of time, the ship is loud and crowded. Unfortunately, I believe many people form their opinions of the entire ship in those first few hours.

 

We have become more patient travelers, and we know that until 1:30 on embarkation day we will have a hard time finding a table. Lines are indeed long in the buffet, because we must pile on enough food to last for an entire week, mustn't we? After that, we were always able to find a table, and the lines were tolerable for everything. Mongolian Wok lines are going to be long on any ship. I'm willing to wait, because it's a process that cannot be hurried. I prefer not to eat shrimp sushi. More on food later.

 

DINING: We love Your Time Dining, and don't mind being seated with random people. It's a great way to meet new folks without having to tell one's entire life's story. After the first night, we were so impressed with our wait-staff that we requested Ronaldo's area most nights. I have seen many comments that people complained about being handed a pager. We experienced that only on the first elegant night, and it's because we went at 7:00--prime time. Even then, we waited ten minutes to get a pager, and only five minutes after that.

 

The main dining room was very good. Nothing to rave about, but very good. It's usually under-seasoned for our tastes, but I'd much rather add a little salt and pepper than feel like I'm licking a salt-block.

 

We found the service to be quite prompt and friendly every night except the first elegant evening. Ronald and his staff were exceedingly polite, but service was a little slow.

 

I admire the talent and tact of the ladies who seat the passengers in the dining rooms. Although we do like to join other diners most evenings, we were exhausted after Cozumel day. Before I could request a table for two, the kind assistant said "Mr. David, you and Ms. Paige look like you would enjoy a table for two tonight." She was right.

 

The Tandoori and deli stations are outside near the aft pool. I love good Indian food, and I must say that this was some of the best Indian food I have ever eaten. Instead of these trays of food being cooked in the central kitchen, Punjab was busy making fresh pans to put in the oven. He always cooked naan fresh for each passenger.

 

The pizza was better on the Dream than on any other ship we have sailed. It is indeed a treat to wake up at 2:00 in the morning and go to the Lido deck for a fresh Margherita pizza. Yum.

 

Room service was always timely, both for evening snacks and breakfast.

 

More to come, with pictures: Cozumel Bar Hop and Belizean Cave Tubing.

[nchikk]

The Tandoori and deli stations are outside near the aft pool. I love good Indian food, and I must say that this was some of the best Indian food I have ever eaten.

 

 

Agreed!

[galawdog]

OUR DAY IN COZUMEL: It sounds like such a first-world problem to say "I'm tired of Cozumel," but we do not enjoy the shopping and crowds in town. Therefore, we booked the Cozumel Bar Hop tour (again). This tour is not offered by Carnival, but is booked online.

 

Sometimes, one needs to splurge on a massage before the tortures of the Bar Hop tour. $30 on the beach as opposed to $139 on the ship? Yes, please. The best massage I have ever had. In this picture, DW thought I was asking Serena "Will you have my babies?" In fact, I was asking "Do the cats have rabies?" I swear.

 

 

The website is cozumel bar hop dot com, with no spaces. Check the reviews at Trip Advisor. The current price is $57USD, with $27 being paid by credit card in advance. This includes a tee-shirt. A week before one embarks on the ship, Tom sends an email with instructions such as this: "Catch a cab downtown and meet me on the sidewalk outside Carlos & Charlies. Bring $30 cash, and we'll hop on the bus." It sounds shady, but it is exactly as advertised. If Tom has 15 or fewer people, he uses a Mercedes shortbus. 16 or more, he uses a large, comfy tourbus. We had 16 people, so there was plenty of room to spread out in the bus.

 

Bring cash. There are no credit card machines on the east side! The scenery, however, is gorgeous.

 

This photo was taken at Punta Morena, the first stop on the tour. The sophisticated filter in this picture is my sunglass lens. The beach is beautiful here, and it's nice to walk 30 steps from the bar into the blue water. Or you can hang out at this little pool area pictured here.

 

Former Hoppers (otherwise known as FoHos) receive a special FoHo shirt and a coozie. The tour takes you to four bars on the east, undeveloped, side of the island. Each bar welcomes you with its unique shotglass of rum punch, Iguana, teequila slammer, etc. There is no electricity. The frozen concoction that helps you hang on is powered by solar generators. Beer is cheap, the food is good, but it helps to know the exchange rate. Our friends were hit with a $51USD bill, and ours was $26USD, for not a whole lot less food.

 

 

This is a 360 degree video of Playa Bonita, the third stop. CLICK THE PHOTO.

[wrigley80]

I'm loving your review.... We are booked on the 9-day repositioning cruise on the Carnival Dream in April. I'm excited to see more pics

[Surrealistic]

Really like your style of review! May I ask, how long do you stay at each beach during the bar hop tour? Scenery looks spectacular.

[inlinesick]

Enjoying your review, but i kindly disagree being tired of Cozumel;)

[ripjerry95]

Thanks for your review so far. Can't wait to read more!