Carnival Dream 10/5/2014 - 10/12/2014, Review and Pictures

[ch27088]

Day 6 Continued

 

Here's a picture of us in the clam shell

 

It was so hot that day, so we decided to have some drinks. Another Miami Vice for me, and a rum and coke for DH. As we sat in the Serenity area, it was just so relaxing. I counted about about 8 people including us up on the deck. Now remember that everyone was out in Cozumel, so it was nice to have this quiet time together.

 

 

Look at how blue the water is in Cozumel, just beautiful.

 

Although it looked like it might rain, it never did. After sitting on the Serenity Deck for a few hours, it was time for lunch. Wanna guess what we had...I had a cheeseburger, and DH had a hot dog.

 

DH at lunch

 

Me at lunch on the Lido Deck

 

While in port, there were two other cruise ships. Royal Caribbean had two of her ships in port with us. I could actually look over at one of the ships and see the rock wall.

 

Royal Caribbean and her sister ship. The first ship is the Allure of the Seas.

 

While we were sitting on the Lido Deck, I took a picture of the large movie screen. We never got a chance to watch any movies outside, but I heard it was actually pretty fun. They have free popcorn and blankets as it gets chilly out on the deck at night. I think it's a wonderful idea and hope they continue to do this.

 

The large movie screen

 

In the second picture taken in Cozumel, it looks like they are doing a lot of construction. I think they are building another dock and port. Not sure who will be docked there, but it's something to find that they continue to build. I heard there is a Subway shop, Burger King and other American fast food restaurants in Cozumel!

 

More to come...

Edited October 17, 2014 by ch27088

[RTravisW]

Love your review. I'll be boarding the Dream in about 3 weeks, Nov. 9. I liked your OCD binder. I make one for every trip. I take all my confirmation emails, registrations, flight data etc. I'm just as bad.

 

Regarding the movies you missed, my wife and I were on the Liberty about a year and a half ago and the movies were one of my favorite parts. So I'm looking forward to the movies at night under the stars and lounging on deck. Reminds me of drive-ins.

[ch27088]

Love your review. I'll be boarding the Dream in about 3 weeks, Nov. 9. I liked your OCD binder. I make one for every trip. I take all my confirmation emails, registrations, flight data etc. I'm just as bad.

 

Regarding the movies you missed, my wife and I were on the Liberty about a year and a half ago and the movies were one of my favorite parts. So I'm looking forward to the movies at night under the stars and lounging on deck. Reminds me of drive-ins.

 

RtravisW, my binder is the only way I can keep things together. Confirmations, hotel information, cruise information, it makes life so much easier.

 

Thanks for reading and following.

[ch27088]

Day 6 Continued

We really just chilled while everyone was in port. I wanted to go swimming, but after my first attempt of freezing cold water in the pool, I decided that I would just walk around the ship with DH.

 

I don't remember what time everyone was suppose to be back on the ship to leave, but soon after we left dock, it was time to decide what to do for dinner. I had wanted to try the Steak House as I heard good reviews. However, DH is not really big on steak like I am, so it was back to the main dining room for dinner. The wait staff put on another show for us, which was awesome. They do such a wonderful job, and not once was anything out of order.

 

Note: Earlier in the review, I mentioned how rude some of the kids and teens were, well here is another incident that happened. After dinner, DH and I got into an elevator with several other people. They were mainly senior citizens, and one person was walking with a cane. We were going from the 3rd floor where the dining was, and when we came to a stop at one of the floors about 6 - 8 pre-teens "rushed" into the elevator, being loud and just pushed their way in. Now the elevators really don't hold a lot of people, and I was afraid that the way they rushed into the elevator, someone was going to get hurt. DH tried stopping them, but I told him to leave it alone. Unless someone (senior citizens) got hurt, or we were hurt, those are someone else's kids, leave it be. The teens did scare some of the seniors that was on the elevator, but no one was hurt. For the life of me, I just don't know what is going on with these kids. I know they kids and want to have fun, but for a group of kids to rush into a crowded elevator, that was just wrong. I know I've mentioned it quite a few times during this review, but I'm hoping that some parents will take note and make sure they keep an eye on their kids. If someone had gotten hurt, the kids would be the first one saying "it was just an accident".

 

That evening we hit the Casino and I won about $450, on a slot machine. After that we walked around, got some ice cream and hit the bed. This cruise was winding down, and it was time to start thinking about packing some things.

 

Day 7

Today is Saturday, a day at sea, and the last day of our cruise! Even though we didn't do a lot, I had a wonderful and relaxing time. To be honest, I would go on the Dream again, but I would think twice about leaving from New Orleans. If they could get themselves together and get more organized, I wouldn't mind leaving out of New Orleans on a future cruise. Or, I would just think about leaving out of Florida, which isn't too far from where we live.

 

We did hit some of the Fun Shops again to pick up a few more gifts. I found the staff to be friendly and very helpful. Now since my last cruise, "Cherry On Top" was added to the Fun Shops, and I actually like the idea of having a candy store. I like to snack, especially at night, so I got some of my favorite jelly beans to snack on. My only suggestion for the candy shop would be to check on the freshness of the candy each day (no more to say on that).

 

Our table mates at dinner

 

Another couple that sat with us at dinner. It was so refreshing to find such nice people to talk with!

 

Me and DH at dinner

 

Our last couple that sat with us at dinner. This was a good group and we truly enjoyed each other's company. As you see, Serhy (our waiter), tried to photobomb the picture and succeeded

 

A group picture of our table.

]

 

My overall personal thoughts about the cruise:

1. To much confusion at the NOLA Port Terminal. No one there to direct the passengers as they were leaving and arriving at the terminal. Passengers standing directly in front of the terminal door, so arriving passengers had to weave in and out trying to enter the building. No signage directing Taxi's where to pick up and drop off passengers. Like I said earlier, it was a HOT MESS!

 

2. Carnival Agents at the terminal not helpful. Either they were not willing to put forth the effort to help, or those that did help were just too busy. I cannot stress how important it is for companies to teach their employee's the value of customer service. Even just a warm smile with a "hello" can go a long way. I'm not sure who to reach out to on this, but they truly need a lot of work in this department. The baggage porters, the agents, and even the port police, need to come together and find a common solution to help ease the traffic congestion, and direct pedestrian traffic as well, and just overall customer service!

 

3. Although Carnival cannot really do anything about the kids/teens acting up on the ship, maybe a note in the "Fun Times" on the first day of the cruise explaining to parents that if their children/teens are acting up and security is called, their kids will need to remain with the parents for the duration of the cruise. I don't know...but something needs to be done.

 

4. I enjoyed the food in the main dining room and the buffet, and had no complaints. The wait staff we had was excellent, and I truly give them high marks on service.

 

5. Our cabin steward was excellent as well. I had requested a blanket and a Sharps Container on the first day of the cruise. Everything was there for us when we came back from muster drill. Ice was always in the bucket, even though we didn't request it. He was very friendly and outgoing.

 

6. The staff on the Dream was great. Every time we passed someone, they always spoke to us and asked if we needed anything. I've read some recent reviews on other ships, where people said the staff was mean and just outright rude. Not here, never experienced it at all.

 

Overall an excellent cruise, and I'm already planning another one for next year. This time I am planning for late November to help avoid the Fall Break at the different schools.

 

Post-Cruise

Leaving the ship is always hard to do. I wanted to stay on and even see if I could stow away in one of the life boats (LOL)! DH and I waited with several others in the Casino until our number was called to leave the ship. Wasn't too long of a process and off we went. We collected our bags, and then on through Customs, which we just walked through. The agent didn't even look at our passports!

 

Once we got outside, it was a sea of confusion yet again. We had no idea of where to stand to get a taxi, and I to finally call over one of the police officers and ask him where. He told us that we were in the right spot, and actually got a cab for us. Then back to La Quinta we went. Now I have no problem with La Quinta and actually don't mind staying there, but we had a problem yet again with customer service. When we got to the hotel, a lady went to the restroom in the lobby and came out saying to the clerk at the desk that the paper towel container was empty. I waited a few minutes to see if she would fill it because I needed to use it. I gave her plenty of time to fill it, waited until she was done with the customers, and she proceeded to go back to the table she was sitting at talking with another employee. So, I went and used the restroom...when I came out, I said "no paper towels". She acted like it was so hard for her to into the back room and get paper towels for the bathroom. I think what really got me, was that she didn't even fill it. She came back with a small stack of paper towels. We got checked in and went to the room. As always, I wipe down counters, phones, table tops, and then tackle the bathroom. What pissed me off and just had my stomach turning was the hair on the floor (sorry if this grosses you out). Now, I should have called the front desk right away, but I was heated, I was mad. When I'm that mad, it's not a good idea to talk to me for a while. I just made notes, and said that I would call the customer service number when I got home. Hair in the sink, on the floor, it was every where. Once I had disinfected everything, I washed my hands, and DH and I went and had lunch at a local eatery. We then walked over to the store and got a few snacks, because there were storm clouds overhead and it looked like it was going to rain. We wanted to head back to the hotel and just relax for the night.

 

The next morning, we were up at 5:00 AM, got dressed and called the front desk to call a cab for us. He must have been right down the street, because five minutes later we got a call that the cab was ready. We were at the train station at 6:00 AM and checked in with no problems. We were told that they would start boarding at 6:30 AM. Amtrak has their stuff together. They tell you in advance where to line up to get on the train. They also had plenty of employee's directing you to where you needed to go. The train left New Orleans on time, and we were in Birmingham maybe 5 - 10 minutes late. Not too bad.

 

All in all, it was a good trip. I just can't believe that it's over already. I have a few more random pictures to post on the cruise and train ride home. Hope you enjoyed it and remember feel free to ask questions.

 

Thanks for reading and following.

 

Serhy made a "napkin man" and had us laughing the last night.

[ch27088]

Post Cruise continued

 

Our last towel animal on Saturday night

 

I told DH to give me a "sad" face since this was our last breakfast on board. He really gave me a "sad" face, right? LOL

 

This picture was taken as we were cruising home on the Mississippi. Can you see the oil rig in the background. It was my first time seeing an oil rig out in the ocean.

 

 

Here are a few pictures of our cabin. I guess I did this backwards, but that's okay!

 

 

 

 

[ch27088]

Random pictures

 

As you see in the picture, I had to bring a "power Strip". I had to charge my cell phone, my blue tooth, and camera. Make sure you bring one because there's only one outlet in the bathroom, and one in the main cabin.

 

 

 

 

The safe worked just fine with a code.

 

 

We never used the mini frig. In fact, I think we opened it just once during the whole trip.

 

[sungifts]

Thanks for the great review! We leave on her this Sunday!!

 

Game day had never even crossed my mind (and we live in Louisiana!). Thanks to your review, I have checked and there is not a home game this weekend!

 

I hate that some people do not control their children! It gives a bad rap to the ones that are controlled. We always cruise with our son (turning 11 on this cruise). He is never allowed to roam by himself and certainly not allowed to bother other passengers! He was taught to be respectful in all circumstances.

[lstrong]

Thank you for a wonderful review. You were so helpful to those of us crushing on the dream soon! Hoping port issues clear up by February!

[DSSoccerMom]

Great review! We were on the Dream July 2014 and booked again for July 2015

[MrsPhoenix91]

Thank you for reviewing the breakfast options...I truly hope Carnival will include turkey breakfast sausage as a pork-free option in 2015. Chicken sausage is truly a 'hit-or-miss' alternative!

[americanmama]

Really good review! thanks for taking the time to do it...DH and I are booked in May next year, will be here before we know it!..You mentioned booking again for next year in late November..you want to be careful not to book around Thanksgiving, some schools are out the week before and the week after...and that means lot of kids on cruise!

[ch27088]

Thanks for the great review! We leave on her this Sunday!!

 

Game day had never even crossed my mind (and we live in Louisiana!). Thanks to your review, I have checked and there is not a home game this weekend!

 

I hate that some people do not control their children! It gives a bad rap to the ones that are controlled. We always cruise with our son (turning 11 on this cruise). He is never allowed to roam by himself and certainly not allowed to bother other passengers! He was taught to be respectful in all circumstances.

 

Hey there sungifts. Just be prepared at the terminal. Hopefully because it isn't a game day, it won't be as crowded. Try and get there early, then get on the ship and have fun. You might not have as many kids/teens as we did because it was Fall Break from what I understand. Please have a good time and let us know how your trip went.

 

Thanks for reading and following.

[ch27088]

Really good review! thanks for taking the time to do it...DH and I are booked in May next year, will be here before we know it!..You mentioned booking again for next year in late November..you want to be careful not to book around Thanksgiving, some schools are out the week before and the week after...and that means lot of kids on cruise!

 

Thanks americanmama, yes I did check and November 29th is the day we are looking at. I'm hoping that there won't be as many kids since the Thanksgiving break would be over. It's just sad that parents have allowed their kids to go "buck wild", and now I don't want to be bothered with them.

 

Thanks for reading and following.

[ch27088]

We were on the same cruise! Looking forward to your review...and contemplating doing my 1st review as well!

 

Emamasa, please do a review. Would love to read a review for the same cruise I took to compare!!!

[ch27088]

One last note

If you have the time take the train. As I mentioned, it took seven hours, but it would have taken us the same time driving. They were helpful and kind, and you can get up and move around. There was a dining car if you wanted to purchase a meal, and also a lounge car to buy snacks and drinks.

 

I purchased our tickets back in February and got a great price. I went online and check the discounts (AARP, AAA, Military), so you might want to do the same thing. The only problem (not really a problem), is that you have to get a cab to wherever you want to go once you arrive, but it was fine.

 

I'm telling you the train is way better than flying!

[WiCruiseDreamer]

A follow up comment on Amtrak. If you have purchased your tickets and the rate goes down, you can get the difference refunded.

[carib1]

One last note

 

If you have the time take the train. As I mentioned, it took seven hours, but it would have taken us the same time driving. They were helpful and kind, and you can get up and move around. There was a dining car if you wanted to purchase a meal, and also a lounge car to buy snacks and drinks.

 

I purchased our tickets back in February and got a great price. I went online and check the discounts (AARP, AAA, Military), so you might want to do the same thing. The only problem (not really a problem), is that you have to get a cab to wherever you want to go once you arrive, but it was fine.

 

I'm telling you the train is way better than flying!

 

 

Thanks for your review! Even thou we had some hiccups, it was still a great cruise.:)

 

We also took the Amtrak, but from Champaign, Illinois. It was supposed to be 17 hrs, but with freight delays it was about 19 hrs. It is a very relaxing way to get to NOLA without having to worry about driving or going thru all the security at the airports. You can also get a discount on Amtrak if you are traveling to get on a Carnival Cruise, you have to call to make your reservations, but it was a 20% discount.

[WiCruiseDreamer]

We have taken the train from WI to Nola each of the last 3 years and love it. 2 out of the 3 years a discount was offered for taking a cruise.

[carib1]

We have taken the train from WI to Nola each of the last 3 years and love it. 2 out of the 3 years a discount was offered for taking a cruise.

 

Its a great discount! I had to fight for it thou, had to call 3 times until I got ahold of someone who knew what I was talking about. But well worth it. :D It's not something they advertise, in fact I found out about it in the Port of Call section under New Orleans.

 

I would take the train again in a heartbeat.

[LUVMYGSDOG]

Great review and pictures! Thank you for taking the time to write this.

 

Had a big laugh over the towel monkey flipping you off!😄

 

Kim

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[dkc1973]

CH 27088- wonderful review!! We are going in the Dream on Nov 2 and this was very helpful!!

 

You're right about the port too. I cruised on the Elation from there last year and it was a mess! No direction, staff not helpful. Just awful. If you ever get to go out if Galveston it's totally different. Their staff is awesome!!!

 

I hope you get some more pictures of the two of you together next time. I'm usually too shy to ask people to take pics for me but I know there are people who are happy to help.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[ch27088]

A follow up comment on Amtrak. If you have purchased your tickets and the rate goes down, you can get the difference refunded.

 

Thanks for the information WiCrfuiseDreamer, I really didn't know you can get the price difference with Amtrak. I'll keep my eyes open on that.

[ch27088]

CH 27088- wonderful review!! We are going in the Dream on Nov 2 and this was very helpful!!

 

You're right about the port too. I cruised on the Elation from there last year and it was a mess! No direction, staff not helpful. Just awful. If you ever get to go out if Galveston it's totally different. Their staff is awesome!!!

 

I hope you get some more pictures of the two of you together next time. I'm usually too shy to ask people to take pics for me but I know there are people who are happy to help.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Thank you dkc1973, yeah looking at the pictures looks like DH was the only one the cruise (lol). I'm a little nervous asking people, because some are just so rude, but I think I'll try and step out of my comfort zone and ask. I'm in about three or four pictures and that was it (lol).

 

New Orleans terminal just gave me the hives...I'm prepared for next year if we go out of there again. First I'm going to find a hotel closer to the port, and then get there as early as I can.

 

Thanks for reading and following.

[ch27088]

Great review and pictures! Thank you for taking the time to write this.

 

Had a big laugh over the towel monkey flipping you off!😄

 

Kim

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Crazy monkey...walked in and he was there flipping us off, what did we do to him (lol).

 

Thanks for reading and following!

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the nice review and great photo's of your cruise. Glad you had a good time.