First Timers and so many questions

[RicoMari]

I have lurked here for quite some time and am so appreciative of the wonderful information this community provides! I have so many questions and am second guessing pretty much every plan I've made - here is the deal:

My BF and I are booked on the Dream on July 3. Neither of us have ever cruised. My BF has some dear friends that always cruise Carnival and always go the week of July 4 - we booked to go with them last summer, but both of us started new jobs and had to change our plans, so we are going this summer. Our friends always get a lower, mid-ship interior which they swear by and say that they are never in the cabin anyway, and would prefer to spend their money on other things (like photos - do not even get me started! These lovely folks could have stayed in the most expensive suite available for what they spend on photos, but to each his own). Anyway, my point being they were not much help in choosing a cabin. BF and I were both pretty set on a balcony. I wanted an aft-wrap, but it was not available -so I booked the L-shape, bigger balcony next to the wrap (6477) and it is a category 8A.

Booked ES many months ago and paid what I think is ALOT (like $1300 each, give or take). I know prices have gone up and this year's July 4 cruise turns out to be a LIVE! cruise with Trace Adkins...anyway, we paid a lot and we are at the "top" of the category, so there is no where to go to upgrade unless we pay more. Here are my concerns - the L-shape cabin does not even have a couch or a chair, so there is no where to sit but on the bed; we are right over the Burgundy Lounge so it is going to be loud and thumping late at night; Deck 6 overlooks nothing but the Promenade Deck 5 and people meandering, so my ocean views are not what I imagined....overall, I am experiencing tremendous buyer's remorse and don't know what, if any options I have to remedy the situation except to try for an "upgrade" and shell out more money.

I swear I read and researched these issues and I still screwed it up. I am afraid that we are going to hate it and I don't want to go into my vacation with this poor attitude! Can anyone please help me adjust my perspective or offer input?

Also - we bought FTTF, but then got the earliest boarding time, so I am not sure we need it, plus (and ya'll are going to roast me when I tell you this - we are flying in to NO from Nashville on the day we embark, but it is an 8:00 a.m. flight that gets us to NO at like 9:30 - but we had no choice, due to the Essence Festival (google it, if you don't know) - there were no rooms in or near NO for less than $500 the night before our cruise....I'm just overwhelmed and I know that this experienced community of lovely people can please HELP!!!:confused:

[Hog Rider]

I have lurked here for quite some time and am so appreciative of the wonderful information this community provides! I have so many questions and am second guessing pretty much every plan I've made - here is the deal:

My BF and I are booked on the Dream on July 3. Neither of us have ever cruised. My BF has some dear friends that always cruise Carnival and always go the week of July 4 - we booked to go with them last summer, but both of us started new jobs and had to change our plans, so we are going this summer. Our friends always get a lower, mid-ship interior which they swear by and say that they are never in the cabin anyway, and would prefer to spend their money on other things (like photos - do not even get me started! These lovely folks could have stayed in the most expensive suite available for what they spend on photos, but to each his own). Anyway, my point being they were not much help in choosing a cabin. BF and I were both pretty set on a balcony. I wanted an aft-wrap, but it was not available -so I booked the L-shape, bigger balcony next to the wrap (6477) and it is a category 8A.

Booked ES many months ago and paid what I think is ALOT (like $1300 each, give or take). I know prices have gone up and this year's July 4 cruise turns out to be a LIVE! cruise with Trace Adkins...anyway, we paid a lot and we are at the "top" of the category, so there is no where to go to upgrade unless we pay more. Here are my concerns - the L-shape cabin does not even have a couch or a chair, so there is no where to sit but on the bed; we are right over the Burgundy Lounge so it is going to be loud and thumping late at night; Deck 6 overlooks nothing but the Promenade Deck 5 and people meandering, so my ocean views are not what I imagined....overall, I am experiencing tremendous buyer's remorse and don't know what, if any options I have to remedy the situation except to try for an "upgrade" and shell out more money.

I swear I read and researched these issues and I still screwed it up. I am afraid that we are going to hate it and I don't want to go into my vacation with this poor attitude! Can anyone please help me adjust my perspective or offer input?

Also - we bought FTTF, but then got the earliest boarding time, so I am not sure we need it, plus (and ya'll are going to roast me when I tell you this - we are flying in to NO from Nashville on the day we embark, but it is an 8:00 a.m. flight that gets us to NO at like 9:30 - but we had no choice, due to the Essence Festival (google it, if you don't know) - there were no rooms in or near NO for less than $500 the night before our cruise....I'm just overwhelmed and I know that this experienced community of lovely people can please HELP!!!:confused:

 

All aft cabins are great. Some are very noisy.

[islacruzer]

I have lurked here for quite some time and am so appreciative of the wonderful information this community provides! I have so many questions and am second guessing pretty much every plan I've made - here is the deal:

My BF and I are booked on the Dream on July 3. Neither of us have ever cruised. My BF has some dear friends that always cruise Carnival and always go the week of July 4 - we booked to go with them last summer, but both of us started new jobs and had to change our plans, so we are going this summer. Our friends always get a lower, mid-ship interior which they swear by and say that they are never in the cabin anyway, and would prefer to spend their money on other things (like photos - do not even get me started! These lovely folks could have stayed in the most expensive suite available for what they spend on photos, but to each his own). Anyway, my point being they were not much help in choosing a cabin. BF and I were both pretty set on a balcony. I wanted an aft-wrap, but it was not available -so I booked the L-shape, bigger balcony next to the wrap (6477) and it is a category 8A.

Booked ES many months ago and paid what I think is ALOT (like $1300 each, give or take). I know prices have gone up and this year's July 4 cruise turns out to be a LIVE! cruise with Trace Adkins...anyway, we paid a lot and we are at the "top" of the category, so there is no where to go to upgrade unless we pay more. Here are my concerns - the L-shape cabin does not even have a couch or a chair, so there is no where to sit but on the bed; we are right over the Burgundy Lounge so it is going to be loud and thumping late at night; Deck 6 overlooks nothing but the Promenade Deck 5 and people meandering, so my ocean views are not what I imagined....overall, I am experiencing tremendous buyer's remorse and don't know what, if any options I have to remedy the situation except to try for an "upgrade" and shell out more money.

I swear I read and researched these issues and I still screwed it up. I am afraid that we are going to hate it and I don't want to go into my vacation with this poor attitude! Can anyone please help me adjust my perspective or offer input?

Also - we bought FTTF, but then got the earliest boarding time, so I am not sure we need it, plus (and ya'll are going to roast me when I tell you this - we are flying in to NO from Nashville on the day we embark, but it is an 8:00 a.m. flight that gets us to NO at like 9:30 - but we had no choice, due to the Essence Festival (google it, if you don't know) - there were no rooms in or near NO for less than $500 the night before our cruise....I'm just overwhelmed and I know that this experienced community of lovely people can please HELP!!!:confused:

 

Did you call carnival and ask if you can switch to a different room with a different view?

[RicoMari]

No, I haven't called, because I don't really know what view/cabin to ask for - any suggestions....if you were in an 8A, what would you recommend switching to?

[islacruzer]

No, I haven't called, because I don't really know what view/cabin to ask for - any suggestions....if you were in an 8A, what would you recommend switching to?

 

Why don't you try calling them darlin, sounds to me like you know what you want.. and no one else knows the ship more than cruisers or the folks at Carnival.

 

Forewarning though: If you have to give up something, you may need to settle for credit on a new cruise or change the date of your cruise. For instance, if you want a balcony, you might get one cheaper but the excess might go on an account for a future cruise or maybe towards an excursion, who knows.

[bakersdozen12]

Have you considered a cove balcony? My husband and I stayed in one last year on the Dream and we loved it. Private, and close to the ocean, which is so relaxing.

 

Can't comment on an L shaped balcony, but I have one booked on the Conquest for my 4th of July cruise this year. There are no coves on Conquest-class ships, so this is what we settled on. I do like the thought of having a longer balcony, and the fact that it has two windows. Love the sunlight! I'm not worried about not having a sofa. We didn't use it much anyway.

 

As far as FTTF is concerned, we had it last year and I will always get it if available. What makes it worth it for me is that our cabin is ready when we board. I loved being able to drop out stuff off and then being able to head to the lido for lunch without having to carry our stuff. It was great. That convenience alone is worth it for me. Plus there's priority tendering (if you have a tender port; not sure on your itinerary).

 

Btw, the 2nd leg of our B2B July cruise is also a Carnival LIVE cruise with Trace Adkins! Our concert is on 7/8. I can't wait for that!

 

Anyway, whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited April 5, 2016 by bakersdozen12

[scottsgal]

We had the L shaped cabin on deck 6 for the 10 day Dream journey cruise and LOVED it. It's not noisy, we never heard noise from the burgundy lounge. The promenade deck 5 narrows towards the back of the ship so you have more of an ocean view then cabins further forward. The balcony is great - it's nice and long plus you can see around the aft of the ship to the back and there's a nice lounge chair to use. We loved the room layout - not having a couch was no big deal and loved the bed looking out the large picture windows to outside.

 

We would book that cabin again in a heartbeat - we had no negatives with it at all.

[coevan]

"Why don't you try calling them darlin" seriously? I can tell you my wife would correct you in a nano second if you used and endearment to a professional business woman.

[naz022292]

Oh, you remind me so much of myself!!! I plan, plan, plan and then convince myself that I made a mistake. Before you know it... it feels like it is a life and death mistake!!! Unless you are a very light sleeper, you shouldn't have any problems with noise. I've read endless topics on this forum talking about noise near the elevators... we have been on 4 cruises and have intentionally booked the closest cabins to the elevators on three cruises and have NEVER had it impact our sleep. As a matter of fact, I've never even heard the elevators at all. We have also been under the night club on one cruise and we never heard almost anything from that. Ok, if it was really quiet, you could hear very faint music, but it really was nothing. You could also pick up a couple pairs of cheap little ear plugs 'just in case'!

 

You will love your beautiful balcony room. As for some place to sit, that's what your balcony is for. Don't psych yourself out over this. People are in every cabin, every cruise. The premium balcony you choose is a popular choice because of the views and the size of the balcony. You'll enjoy having friends out there with you for an afternoon drink!

 

We went on our first cruise in August of 2014! We are going on our 5th in October, so we obviously loved it! You really can't go wrong. Do your research to know what's available, etc... but then, once on the cruise, take it one day at a time.

[Crusin Karen]

Have been in an L shaped balcony a bunch of times and LOVE LOVE LOVE those cabins! I would book it again in a heartbeat!

[flyawayca]

I think you're way overthinking things :)

 

I've never been in that room so I can't speak to it specifically but it looks like a good one to me. If you want to sit down somewhere on your balcony is where you are going to want to do it. I don't know if I've ever sat on a chair in my room. It's the bed, the balcony, or I'm not anywhere near my room.

 

As for the noise, I've never had a problem with noise from anything below my room. I think it's easier to hear things when it is above you, not below you. And even then I haven't had a bad experience. Only once I had a bad experience and it was with my neighbors next to me deciding to get drunk and have nightly verbal arguments with one another :rolleyes:

 

Enjoy your cruise, you're going to love it!

[ladygal4.4]

A spa balcony is nice, And there is a couch inside

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ledelstein]

As far as flying in the day of your cruise...

 

On our first cruise, we flew into Houston the morning of and took a Carnival transport to Galveston. Everything went just as I had planned.

 

Don't worry too much...everything will fall into place and I hope you have a great cruise.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[dacsmom]

"Why don't you try calling them darlin" seriously? I can tell you my wife would correct you in a nano second if you used and endearment to a professional business woman.

 

I am a professional business woman from the South and I am frequently called darlin'. I am also a grandmother and am often called ma'am too. It all depends on where you are from. I am sure it was not an intentional put down, we talk like that down here. Besides this is not a business forum either, just people helping others so I think it was entirely appropriate unless the OP is male, then that may be awkward :)

 

To the OP, it sounds like you picked a good cabin to me for your first cruise. Stop second guessing yourself and have a great time.

[springs741]

"...and we are at the "top" of the category, so there is no where to go to upgrade unless we pay more. "

 

Not exactly sure what you mean by this? Just FYI, 7C are cove balconies. The rest of the balconies are "8's" The letter has to do with the location desirability. (as determined by Carnival, not all of us agree with their ranking). So your 8A really isn't , again by Carnivals definition, the top of the line. But you are correct , to "upgrade" will cost you more. I guess the question would be how much more?

 

I second the suggestion, call Carnival, see what is available and at what cost. You should be anticipation with joy your upcoming cruise not worrying about the room choice. Fix it now if it can and if not you will still have a great cruise and be a little bit wiser next time. And there will be a next time. Wishing you a memorable cruise.

[Crusin Karen]

One of my favorite sayings: "I have had a great many troubles, some of which actually happened." Go on your cruise and ENJOY. You are gonna LOVE that L shaped cabin with that amazing balcony. KEEP CALM AND CRUISE ON. Come back after your cruise and tell us how right we all were!!! :D:eek::cool:;):p

[islacruzer]

No, I haven't called, because I don't really know what view/cabin to ask for - any suggestions....if you were in an 8A, what would you recommend switching to?

 

 

Try going on dailymotion.com, and search for an episode of hogan knows best, season 3 episode 2. It has a scene of what your room would look like, overlooking promenade. In that scene, their room over looked the pool area. Although you might be set on an ocean view, this would at least give you an idea of what you'd be exchanging your room for.

 

If you have your heart set on an ocean view, just about any balcony would work, but I agree with one of the earlier forumers, you can still upgrade to one with a spa balcony or better. Good luck hon.

[bury me at sea]

The cabins have slight differences. If you're in a sitting down sort of mood, sitting on that lovely balcony will be preferable to sitting on a couch all day long.

 

The balconies on all the decks above you also look directly down on a deck. You will have a terrific view all around you.

 

Enjoy!

[Avril]

I wanted an aft-wrap, but it was not available -so I booked the L-shape, bigger balcony next to the wrap (6477) and it is a category 8A.

Booked ES many months ago and paid what I think is ALOT (like $1300 each, give or take). I know prices have gone up and this year's July 4 cruise turns out to be a LIVE! cruise with Trace Adkins...anyway, we paid a lot and we are at the "top" of the category, so there is no where to go to upgrade unless we pay more. Here are my concerns - the L-shape cabin does not even have a couch or a chair, so there is no where to sit but on the bed; we are right over the Burgundy Lounge so it is going to be loud and thumping late at night; Deck 6 overlooks nothing but the Promenade Deck 5 and people meandering, so my ocean views are not what I imagined....overall, I am experiencing tremendous buyer's remorse and don't know what, if any options I have to remedy the situation except to try for an "upgrade" and shell out more money.

 

I had exactly the same cabin on the Breeze (which is a sister ship to the Dream) this past December/January and it was awesome!! :D Ours was cabin number 6499 but is in exactly the same spot as yours. We did have a chair to sit on and the large balcony was great. We never heard a thing from the lounge down below, it was very quiet in the cabin. I'd book it again anytime!! :D Keep the cabin, go and have a blast on the cruise, you will be hooked like the rest of us!! :D

[RicoMari]

I have been known to overthink things from time to time...lol. I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond and I feel better already about the whole thing. I will definately keep you posted with our thoughts and a review as carnival newbies! And no offense taken by the "darlin" reference. In Nashville, that's just a respectful term of endearment! Not to be confused with bless you heart...:D

[Raxter54]

I am a professional business woman from the South and I am frequently called darlin'. I am also a grandmother and am often called ma'am too. It all depends on where you are from. I am sure it was not an intentional put down, we talk like that down here. Besides this is not a business forum either, just people helping others so I think it was entirely appropriate unless the OP is male, then that may be awkward :).

 

 

Even as a male, I've been called darlin' many times while traveling in the South. Also 'sugah', 'punkin', 'sweety', 'honey' [emoji1]

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

[Crusin Karen]

I have been known to overthink things from time to time...lol. I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond and I feel better already about the whole thing. I will definately keep you posted with our thoughts and a review as carnival newbies! And no offense taken by the "darlin" reference. In Nashville, that's just a respectful term of endearment! Not to be confused with bless you heart...:D

Look at all the cruises I have been lucky enough to have gone on in my signature. I obsess about a DOZEN things EVERY SINGLE TIME we go. Be it the weather, the room, clothes, jewelry, the excursions I booked, etc etc...and every single cruise has turned out ALMOST perfect, because of course, nothing in life is absolutely perfect! :rolleyes: And I have lived to tell about all the catastrophes and problems that I imagined. :o We have all been there, done that, but we all want to reassure you so you can have the best first cruise experience you can! Many of us didn't have these great websites/forums when we first started sailing the high seas. BE CALM AND CRUISE ON and BON VOYAGE! :p:D

[Crusin Karen]

OP, I found pictures of your cabin on ********************. Click on Carnival Dream, then upper deck and your cabin # is there. Now that I remember, there is a chair and a small round table in the corner of the cabin. I believe our steward brought us another one too. Straight ahead as you walk in against the balcony wall. You will LOVE this cabin. :cool:

[dave_k58]

Have you considered a cove balcony? My husband and I stayed in one last year on the Dream and we loved it. Private, and close to the ocean, which is so relaxing.

 

Can't comment on an L shaped balcony, but I have one booked on the Conquest for my 4th of July cruise this year. There are no coves on Conquest-class ships, so this is what we settled on. I do like the thought of having a longer balcony, and the fact that it has two windows. Love the sunlight! I'm not worried about not having a sofa. We didn't use it much anyway.

 

As far as FTTF is concerned, we had it last year and I will always get it if available. What makes it worth it for me is that our cabin is ready when we board. I loved being able to drop out stuff off and then being able to head to the lido for lunch without having to carry our stuff. It was great. That convenience alone is worth it for me. Plus there's priority tendering (if you have a tender port; not sure on your itinerary).

 

Btw, the 2nd leg of our B2B July cruise is also a Carnival LIVE cruise with Trace Adkins! Our concert is on 7/8. I can't wait for that!

 

Anyway, whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I second the idea of a Cove Balcony - just make sure its not under the galley.

[dave_k58]

I have lurked here for quite some time and am so appreciative of the wonderful information this community provides! I have so many questions and am second guessing pretty much every plan I've made - here is the deal:

My BF and I are booked on the Dream on July 3. Neither of us have ever cruised. My BF has some dear friends that always cruise Carnival and always go the week of July 4 - we booked to go with them last summer, but both of us started new jobs and had to change our plans, so we are going this summer. Our friends always get a lower, mid-ship interior which they swear by and say that they are never in the cabin anyway, and would prefer to spend their money on other things (like photos - do not even get me started! These lovely folks could have stayed in the most expensive suite available for what they spend on photos, but to each his own). Anyway, my point being they were not much help in choosing a cabin. BF and I were both pretty set on a balcony. I wanted an aft-wrap, but it was not available -so I booked the L-shape, bigger balcony next to the wrap (6477) and it is a category 8A.

Booked ES many months ago and paid what I think is ALOT (like $1300 each, give or take). I know prices have gone up and this year's July 4 cruise turns out to be a LIVE! cruise with Trace Adkins...anyway, we paid a lot and we are at the "top" of the category, so there is no where to go to upgrade unless we pay more. Here are my concerns - the L-shape cabin does not even have a couch or a chair, so there is no where to sit but on the bed; we are right over the Burgundy Lounge so it is going to be loud and thumping late at night; Deck 6 overlooks nothing but the Promenade Deck 5 and people meandering, so my ocean views are not what I imagined....overall, I am experiencing tremendous buyer's remorse and don't know what, if any options I have to remedy the situation except to try for an "upgrade" and shell out more money.

I swear I read and researched these issues and I still screwed it up. I am afraid that we are going to hate it and I don't want to go into my vacation with this poor attitude! Can anyone please help me adjust my perspective or offer input?

Also - we bought FTTF, but then got the earliest boarding time, so I am not sure we need it, plus (and ya'll are going to roast me when I tell you this - we are flying in to NO from Nashville on the day we embark, but it is an 8:00 a.m. flight that gets us to NO at like 9:30 - but we had no choice, due to the Essence Festival (google it, if you don't know) - there were no rooms in or near NO for less than $500 the night before our cruise....I'm just overwhelmed and I know that this experienced community of lovely people can please HELP!!!:confused:

 

Just checked the prices for balconies for 2 people on your cruise on the carnival website

8S $2428.00 8P $2388.00 8N $2308.00 8M $2288.00 8G $2268.00 8F $2248.00 8E $2228.00 8D $2208.00 8C $2168.00 8B $2138.00 8A $2138.00 7C $1998.00

Edited April 6, 2016 by dave_k58