Carnival Dream - Will I be disappointed....?

[blissfulgirl]

Perhaps if you posted a little more detail, people wouldn't be so quick to jump on your post.

 

 

 

Why are you concerned about being disappointed?

 

What did you like about your other cruise?

 

What are the ages of your boys - are they active? do they like the kids clubs? are they social or generally stick with mom and dad?

 

What kind of cabin are you looking to book?

 

Is there anything you're really interested in (shows, food, port stops, day time activities, pool and water features, other active stuff, other less active stuff)?

 

 

 

If you book the Dream and expect bumper cars and ziplines and flow riders - then yes you will be disappointed because that ship doesn't have those things.

 

 

 

If you're looking for a decent amount of space, good food and a variety, waterslides, fun activities for both kids and adults, comfortable beds and good ports - then I'd say you probably won't be disappointed.

 

 

 

It's difficult to provide advice if we don't know anything about your likes or dislikes.

 

 

 

You are correct.

 

My boys will be 15 and almost 14 at time of cruising. Very different likes. One is out going and active while the other is not so active. One is social and has no issues making friends while the other is a little shy. While each of us have been on a cruise before, this would be the first family cruise.

 

Not looking for bumper cars, zip lines or rock walls as we do feel boy would enjoy the water activities Carnival has to offer, but also looking and other positives they have for these ages. So if you know of another ship, cruise line etc that might work out better we are open to it.

[Saint Greg]

Why do you feel asking this question, so I can get others opinion on if this ship would be of interest for a family vacation or a disappointment over another cruise line or another Carnival ship, is so wrong.......

 

I think if you would've said "I sailed on Oasis last year. I'm looking at the Dream this year. Will I be disappointed?" You wouldn't have received those responses. Let us know what you're trying to compare it to.

[honestguy]

Been on both and the Dream is no where near the Oasis. Not saying it is bad, just not in the same ballpark.

Oasis class is also going to cost a lot more. Almost double in some cases for a family of 4.

[blissfulgirl]

I think if you would've said "I sailed on Oasis last year. I'm looking at the Dream this year. Will I be disappointed?" You wouldn't have received those responses. Let us know what you're trying to compare it to.

 

 

 

Thats the thing I am not trying to compare to the Oasis.

[Saint Greg]

Thats the thing I am not trying to compare to the Oasis.

 

It stays pretty full and prices are only going up...so I guess people like it. It's a tough question to answer when people don't know what you're looking for.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Saint Greg

[easy1969]

I am considering booking a cruise for July 2018 on the Carnival Dream, will I be disappointed with this ship?

 

You could post the question " What is the absolute worst ship to take a cruise on? "

The replies you would get would add up to a list of pretty much every ship. At the end of the day the experience on a carnival ship is pretty much the same across the board.

[code_d]

About to go on her for a third time this month. So far one of the best we have been on for service, food, and activities. It is the same ship as the Breeze (Dream Class with same layout- like the awesome deck 5 wrap around with hot tubs!) minus the Italian Restaurant, ropes course, and a slightly smaller sports area. Otherwise has a large water park and many slides, Steakhouse, sushi, BBQ, Nathans hot dog stand, Guys, Red Frog Pup, Alchemy, Blue Iguana, Seaside Theater, and more. Plus New Orleans is easy Port to get to (Just not easy to get in and out of).

[blissfulgirl]

About to go on her for a third time this month. So far one of the best we have been on for service, food, and activities. It is the same ship as the Breeze (Dream Class with same layout- like the awesome deck 5 wrap around with hot tubs!) minus the Italian Restaurant, ropes course, and a slightly smaller sports area. Otherwise has a large water park and many slides, Steakhouse, sushi, BBQ, Nathans hot dog stand, Guys, Red Frog Pup, Alchemy, Blue Iguana, Seaside Theater, and more. Plus New Orleans is easy Port to get to (Just not easy to get in and out of).

 

 

 

Thx for the info!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mexicobob]

With that attitude yes. Why would you ask this question?

I agree. We sailed on The Dream in March and loved the ship.

[DisneyDreamn]

We just got back from our second cruise on the Dream. So far she is our favorite Carnival ship. Great crew and food. We are planning on taking our kids back on her in the fall. I think as long as you are realistic about what the Dream has compared to the Oasis you won't be disappointed.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[tef43]

I am considering booking a cruise for July 2018 on the Carnival Dream, will I be disappointed with this ship?

If you have set the expectation that you would be disappointed, then you probably will be.

[dd likes to cruise]

Just a question here. Is Oasis really that much more? A couple months ago I booked it for this coming November and the Oasis class ships were all running cheaper than the other Royal ships. Might have been a sale, I guess. I also got third and forth guest sale free. But can't remember if that was under age twelve or not. Booked for us and the grands.

[bUU]

Just a question here. Is Oasis really that much more?

True apples-to-applies comparisons are practically impossible. Having said that, one comparable cabin comparison between Oasis OTS and Carnival Dream, picking a specific itinerary and a specific week in 2019, shows Oasis OTS more expensive by $195. YMMV.

[NewKansasKruiser]

We were just on the Dream and it was wonderful. Lots of food options that are good (Guys Burgers, BBQ and the Burrito place are fun for kids). It has the water slide options that are good. It had a kid disco/dance/meet area (we walked through it and there were some teens there, but we didn't spend time there. The ship was booked full, but it didn't FEEL full at all. There were always empty hot tubs (just research and know where they all are...I think it was deck 5 there were always empty ones). The adult area was nice and always had empty clam shells available. The cruise director (I hope he's there if you book!) was the Flying Scottsman and he is awesome. He had the kids going and having a great time at the deck party at he's a blast at all the shows (board game show, one man show, etc..). He is everywhere and fun! It has the movies at the pool. The Dream was very nice!

[MissMarmalade]

Do your homework before you even book a cruise. The deck plans for both dream and oasis are totally different. There's your answer there

[Yvonne]

We were on the Dream in January, before she went into dry dock. I was not disappointed in the ship, it was a nice ship and we enjoyed the shows (they were the "old" shows with full orchestra, lots of singers/dancers and props where now they have switched to the Playlist Production shows and we don't think they are as nice as they no longer have an orchestra, fewer singers/dancers and they tend to use video as "backdrops" instead of actual props), loved the Comedy Club, loved deck 5 "the lanai", enjoyed the Seaday Brunch, enjoyed some of the singers in the various venues, etc.

 

My only real disappointment was the quality of the food, but that varies so much from person to person. You may find it's just fine, as many others do. I enjoyed some of the food in the main dining room (we had anytime dining) but a lot of it was just okay, and some I didn't care for at all. The buffet was extremely disappointing with not many choices that appealed to me and lots of repetition. Didn't enjoy the deli at all either. But now they have Guy's Burgers (we had one on the Freedom I think it was and loved it!) so that's a great addition. The BBQ on the lanai on sea days was nice too.

 

I think you just need to do your research on the ship, check out the deck plans, Fun Times (do a search), read other people's reviews, etc. and then make your own decision. Good luck!

[SuiteTraveler]

Not high maintenance, not hard to please just want to make sure it would be a good ship for a family vacation with teenage boys. Or is there a better ship you would recommend?

 

I do think that there are better ships. I was on Dream last year and it was in poor condition and the MDR food was not good - we ate in the steakhouse every night except the night we went to the MDR and the night we did the chef's table. Also the entertainment was ...meh. Here are the ships I would suggest instead:

 

Carnival Magic

Carnival Breeze

Carnival Vista

 

NCL:

EPIC

Getaway

Breakaway

Escape

Bliss

 

RCCL:

Oasis Class

Freedom Class

Quantum Class

 

MSC:

Seaside

 

These ships are all LOADED with amenities your teens will appreciate and have lots of great amenities for mom and dad, too. If you sail in the Yacht Club on MSC, it becomes an all-inclusive experience. NCL suites in The Haven are also more inclusive, though not as much as on MSC, but better than on RCCL.

[blissfulgirl]

We were just on the Dream and it was wonderful. Lots of food options that are good (Guys Burgers, BBQ and the Burrito place are fun for kids). It has the water slide options that are good. It had a kid disco/dance/meet area (we walked through it and there were some teens there, but we didn't spend time there. The ship was booked full, but it didn't FEEL full at all. There were always empty hot tubs (just research and know where they all are...I think it was deck 5 there were always empty ones). The adult area was nice and always had empty clam shells available. The cruise director (I hope he's there if you book!) was the Flying Scottsman and he is awesome. He had the kids going and having a great time at the deck party at he's a blast at all the shows (board game show, one man show, etc..). He is everywhere and fun! It has the movies at the pool. The Dream was very nice!

 

 

 

Thx !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[blissfulgirl]

We were on the Dream in January, before she went into dry dock. I was not disappointed in the ship, it was a nice ship and we enjoyed the shows (they were the "old" shows with full orchestra, lots of singers/dancers and props where now they have switched to the Playlist Production shows and we don't think they are as nice as they no longer have an orchestra, fewer singers/dancers and they tend to use video as "backdrops" instead of actual props), loved the Comedy Club, loved deck 5 "the lanai", enjoyed the Seaday Brunch, enjoyed some of the singers in the various venues, etc.

 

 

 

My only real disappointment was the quality of the food, but that varies so much from person to person. You may find it's just fine, as many others do. I enjoyed some of the food in the main dining room (we had anytime dining) but a lot of it was just okay, and some I didn't care for at all. The buffet was extremely disappointing with not many choices that appealed to me and lots of repetition. Didn't enjoy the deli at all either. But now they have Guy's Burgers (we had one on the Freedom I think it was and loved it!) so that's a great addition. The BBQ on the lanai on sea days was nice too.

 

 

 

I think you just need to do your research on the ship, check out the deck plans, Fun Times (do a search), read other people's reviews, etc. and then make your own decision. Good luck!

 

 

 

Thx! Lots of info in your post.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[blissfulgirl]

I do think that there are better ships. I was on Dream last year and it was in poor condition and the MDR food was not good - we ate in the steakhouse every night except the night we went to the MDR and the night we did the chef's table. Also the entertainment was ...meh. Here are the ships I would suggest instead:

 

 

 

Carnival Magic

 

Carnival Breeze

 

Carnival Vista

 

 

 

NCL:

 

EPIC

 

Getaway

 

Breakaway

 

Escape

 

Bliss

 

 

 

RCCL:

 

Oasis Class

 

Freedom Class

 

Quantum Class

 

 

 

MSC:

 

Seaside

 

 

 

These ships are all LOADED with amenities your teens will appreciate and have lots of great amenities for mom and dad, too. If you sail in the Yacht Club on MSC, it becomes an all-inclusive experience. NCL suites in The Haven are also more inclusive, though not as much as on MSC, but better than on RCCL.

 

 

 

Thx for your post!! Opinions like this is exactly what I have been looking for someone to post. Thx for your help!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Moonarino]

Not high maintenance, not hard to please just want to make sure it would be a good ship for a family vacation with teenage boys. Or is there a better ship you would recommend?

 

First and foremost, I would recommend Breeze over Dream. I'm sure the port of departure is at least mildly important to you, but Galveston (Breeze) and NOLA (Dream) aren't all that far apart.

 

I sailed Oasis just last year, for the second time, and also Dream 2-3 years ago for the second time. To be frank, I was disappointed in both ships the second time around. But Dream has had a facelift/upgrade since then, so maybe they took care of the disappointments I experienced on Dream.

 

But those disappointments were mostly in just two areas. First, our cabin on Dream was great. But our disappointments were in decor -- for one thing, they had replaced some deck furniture with what seemed like leftovers from Breeze and some other ship -- and dining. I didn't think the MDR was all that great.

 

But somebody mentioned Deck 5, where you can walk around the entire ship. I love Deck 5 on the Dream-class ships, which includes Breeze and Magic. For me it's the Great Escape when I get tired of feeling corraled in.

 

Oasis is nice for the "wow" factor, but after my last experience on her, that no longer means anything at all to me.

 

I've sailed Carnival seven times (soon to be eight) and RC Oasis-class three times. I can say unequivocally that I'll put CCL up against RCI any day of the week.

 

I believe there's a good chance your teens will enjoy Dream very much. But again as to your last question, I would strongly recommend Breeze over Dream.

[BNBR]

Carnival has nothing that can compare to Oasis. That said, we did Oasis last year then an older Carnival ship - Glory - shortly after. We had a great time on both. I prefer Oasis class and booked Harmony this year. Royal has much better ships, and depending on what you like to do, that may or may not really matter. Carnival will have a large ship with lots to do, plenty of food, casino, bars, comedy shows, pools, waterslides, etc. etc. etc. And I tend to prefer Carnival's itinerary. So we'll do a Carnival ship again in the future I'm sure. Usually for us it's short notice/cheapest option - let's do Carnival. If I'm planning a cruise as my one and only for the year well ahead of time, honestly, I'm going Oasis class.

 

I would put it this way. If you are really big into the shows, central park, royal promenade, boardwalk, flowrider, rock wall - then you may want to stick with Oasis class ships. If the shows are not that big of a deal to you and you didn't fall in love with the central park/boardwalk/royal promenade - then you will find the Carnival ship to be perfectly fine. Also note that Carnival doesn't have a Solarium.

 

If you are really in to more stops and doing excursions, then you may prefer Carnival. The overall food, service, cabin quality is essentially the same between the two lines.

 

Vista will be the same cost as Oasis, if not more.... depending on sales.

[blissfulgirl]

Carnival has nothing that can compare to Oasis. That said, we did Oasis last year then an older Carnival ship - Glory - shortly after. We had a great time on both. I prefer Oasis class and booked Harmony this year. Royal has much better ships, and depending on what you like to do, that may or may not really matter. Carnival will have a large ship with lots to do, plenty of food, casino, bars, comedy shows, pools, waterslides, etc. etc. etc. And I tend to prefer Carnival's itinerary. So we'll do a Carnival ship again in the future I'm sure. Usually for us it's short notice/cheapest option - let's do Carnival. If I'm planning a cruise as my one and only for the year well ahead of time, honestly, I'm going Oasis class.

 

I would put it this way. If you are really big into the shows, central park, royal promenade, boardwalk, flowrider, rock wall - then you may want to stick with Oasis class ships. If the shows are not that big of a deal to you and you didn't fall in love with the central park/boardwalk/royal promenade - then you will find the Carnival ship to be perfectly fine. Also note that Carnival doesn't have a Solarium.

 

If you are really in to more stops and doing excursions, then you may prefer Carnival. The overall food, service, cabin quality is essentially the same between the two lines.

 

Vista will be the same cost as Oasis, if not more.... depending on sales.

 

 

Great post!! Thx

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums