Insider Tips & Advice (Carnival Dream)

[bananatami]

Hello Cruise fam.

 

I will be heading out for my 3rd ever cruise in April on the Dream (first was in 1993, i was 10- on a cruise line that is no longer in business since the 90s- I don't remember much.....; 2nd was in 2004, I was 21-on Carnival Destiny- now the Sunshine I believe don't remember much 😆🤪 )

 

I have read a few tips/tricks/advice other places and for whatever reason did not write any down.

 

I think i read somewhere that lunch is free in the steakhouse on debarkation? (or something like that)

 

And something about not missing a tour/gathering of some sort, as they give away a lot of prizes on night one or 2?   Anyone know what that is?

 

Any other tips for a seemlingly new cruiser (My son and Husband have never cruised either.  Son is 15)

 

Thank you all in advance!!

 

Oh- Ports of calls if you want to input on those as well------  Costa Maya, Cozumel, Belize City

 

❤️Tami

 

 

 

[famof4togo]

No free lunch in the steakhouse, but a free house bottle of wine if you dine in the steakhouse the first night.  

 

I suggest you strongly recommend your 15yr old go to his "club" the first night.  That night no one knows each other and they "cliche" off together quickly....after the first night its harder to meet people etc....I have had to bribe my child with arcade $ to go in the past but he always is glad he went afterwards.  We always require our son joins us for dinner (or we would never see him).

 

The Spa will have a tour/raffle the first day with prizes that might have been what you heard about.

 

 

[nlktx49]

Steakhouse is never free, $38 per person, only open at night. It's worth the money! The Spa has a tour on the first night where they give away treatments. There's a Sail Away party on the first night on deck 10 when the ship leaves port.

 

So much has changed, just in the last 6 months. I think the biggest change is the HUB. This is an app you download and almost everything is on it. You need to make reservations for dinner and breakfast on it, your daily activities are on it, menus, your account charges, all kinds of info, so be prepared to always have your cell phone with you.

 

Get on Carnival's website and click on "Explore" then click on Dream. Look at the deck plans so you'll know where everything is located. Then go to Onboard Activities, then Dining.  On deck 10, the Lido, try Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina for tacos, burritos, and taco salad, and the Deli for Southwestern Chicken Wrap, then the Mongolian Wok for some great stir-fry, and then the regular buffet items.

 

Also check out the info at the very top of the website to get the info you need on vaccinations and testing as well as any restrictions in force. Check out other info such as what you are allowed to bring onboard. Be sure to have your passport, your vaccination card, your test results, and your boarding pass. Mark on your calendar what date you can get your boarding time - if you show up before your time, you have to wait. After your time, no problem.

 

You can get other info on this site under First Time Cruisers, since you basically are one!

 

Everyone's experience on a cruise is different based on what you like to do, but no matter what, I think you and your family will have a great time. Our cruise next month will be our 25th - cruising is our favorite way to get away from it all and relax, and have fun!  Enjoy!!!!

[bananatami]

19 minutes ago, nlktx49 said:

Steakhouse is never free, $38 per person, only open at night. It's worth the money! The Spa has a tour on the first night where they give away treatments. There's a Sail Away party on the first night on deck 10 when the ship leaves port.

 

So much has changed, just in the last 6 months. I think the biggest change is the HUB. This is an app you download and almost everything is on it. You need to make reservations for dinner and breakfast on it, your daily activities are on it, menus, your account charges, all kinds of info, so be prepared to always have your cell phone with you.

 

Get on Carnival's website and click on "Explore" then click on Dream. Look at the deck plans so you'll know where everything is located. Then go to Onboard Activities, then Dining.  On deck 10, the Lido, try Guy's Burgers, Blue Iguana Cantina for tacos, burritos, and taco salad, and the Deli for Southwestern Chicken Wrap, then the Mongolian Wok for some great stir-fry, and then the regular buffet items.

 

Also check out the info at the very top of the website to get the info you need on vaccinations and testing as well as any restrictions in force. Check out other info such as what you are allowed to bring onboard. Be sure to have your passport, your vaccination card, your test results, and your boarding pass. Mark on your calendar what date you can get your boarding time - if you show up before your time, you have to wait. After your time, no problem.

 

You can get other info on this site under First Time Cruisers, since you basically are one!

 

Everyone's experience on a cruise is different based on what you like to do, but no matter what, I think you and your family will have a great time. Our cruise next month will be our 25th - cruising is our favorite way to get away from it all and relax, and have fun!  Enjoy!!!!

 

Wow, thank you so much for the information.  Very much appreciated.

 

My Husband and I just did our first All Inclusive adults only resort in November, and, although he is excited about the cruise, he is a little skeptical. (he was the same before the trip to Jamaica) he hears ONE bad thing and 1 million good things, the one bad sticks with him......

 

But everyone in person he has talked to said how much they love cruising , so i think hes getting a little more excited.

 

My son, I'm not sure how hes feeling really.  I know he is nervous to fly (never has) and i showed him a YouTube walk through of the ship to try and amp him up, but he still seems a bit Blah......

[bananatami]

1 hour ago, famof4togo said:

 

 

I suggest you strongly recommend your 15yr old go to his "club" the first night.  That night no one knows each other and they "cliche" off together quickly....after the first night its harder to meet people etc....I have had to bribe my child with arcade $ to go in the past but he always is glad he went afterwards.  We always require our son joins us for dinner (or we would never see him).

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for this tip.  This will definately help me (him) as he is already a bit socially awkward, so him going first night will hopefully work at him making a friend or 2.

(hes a quiet gamer kid)

[Indytraveler83]

For the Dream and Dream class ships:

 

This is one of the most crowded center lido decks in the fleet, and it feels oddly enclosed.  The Serenity retreat is also very windy and a bit sub-par compared to others.

 

That said, the aft spaces on deck 11 (one above lido) are usually the least crowded, and the back corners have wonderful oceanviews.  Much of deck 11 tends to be quieter and better for relaxing time in the sun, if you don't have to be right by the pool.

 

The spas on the Dream class are some of the best in the fleet, and well worth the spa pass for just the heated pool.  My favorite trip on the Dream was when we had spa balconies!

[famof4togo]

10 minutes ago, bananatami said:

Thank you so much for this tip.  This will definately help me (him) as he is already a bit socially awkward, so him going first night will hopefully work at him making a friend or 2.

(hes a quiet gamer kid)

They have gaming systems in the clubs LOL....

 

The very first time I took my son (he was probably 6-7ish) I had to LITERALLY drag him, like physically...but that very first night we can back 10 minutes before the place closed and he insisted we wait until it closed....since that moment he goes happily and loves it.   

 

Your son should have no problem meeting other kids his age with similar interests.  ENJOY!

[bananatami]

22 minutes ago, Indytraveler83 said:

The spas on the Dream class are some of the best in the fleet, and well worth the spa pass for just the heated pool.  My favorite trip on the Dream was when we had spa balconies!

 

How do you get a spa pass??

 

I have read some very mixed reviews regarding the Dream.

I had origanally booked on the Magic and an hour after I booked, found out my friend from HS and her family were on this cruise, so I switched. Just hoping i made the better decision.

[Indytraveler83]

26 minutes ago, bananatami said:

 

How do you get a spa pass??

 

I have read some very mixed reviews regarding the Dream.

I had origanally booked on the Magic and an hour after I booked, found out my friend from HS and her family were on this cruise, so I switched. Just hoping i made the better decision.

You can buy one on embarkation day at rh spa if you don't have spa rooms.  I think they around $50/day, so not cheap.

 

The Dream and Magic are very similar ships.  I'll admit I haven't been on either in several years, so I'm unsure of the condition, but I know the layout is essentially identical.

 

The thing with this class of ship IMO, is that the common spaces like lido and the buffet can get unusually crowded.  It's my least favorite lido deck in the fleet.  However, the lanai, deck 11 and many other spots offer great, uncrowded private spaces.  You just have to explore the ship and find your favorite spots, as they will likely be different.  

 

I did enjoy my cruises on the Dream class ships overall, so I wouldn't overly worry about it.  

[Dadofsix]

4 hours ago, bananatami said:

 

How do you get a spa pass??

 

I have read some very mixed reviews regarding the Dream.

I had origanally booked on the Magic and an hour after I booked, found out my friend from HS and her family were on this cruise, so I switched. Just hoping i made the better decision.

We were on the Dream in October with two teenagers, one in middle school one in high school. We told them to just go down and check it out on the first night and test the water so to speak. After that we hardly ever saw them apart from their "new friends" . The staff working those clubs are OUTSTANDING and that is coming from my kids. The entire crew of the Dream is really outstanding and go out of their way to make it your best cruise. If you happen to run into a bar waiter named "Skinny" on the Lido deck you have found probably the best server on the ship. Not only will he remember your name for the entire cruise, what your drink, but he will also remember everyone in your party including your kids and give you updates if he sees them throughout his day.

[nlktx49]

I forgot to mention one change, probably the best, is how the muster drill is done now.

 

Instead of everyone having to gather on the deck or in the dining room, waiting for everyone to show up, now you go to your muster station - it's shown on your boarding pass - and do a small drill, about 5 minutes. Very few people as there is no set time to do this, just has to be done before the ship sails.

 

We do it as soon as we board to get it out of the way.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

We were on the Dream's first post-lockdown sailing last September. There's a link to my review (with pics) in my signature below. 

 

Something I really enjoyed was sitting on the couches on the middle deck in the Atrium and listening to live music in the evenings. Also, don't miss Seaday Brunch in the MDR on the sea days. Oh, and Pasta Bella is a made-to-order pasta restaurant on the second floor of the buffet. It's really just a section of the upper buffet seating area, and it's hard to tell what it is if you don't know. That's where we had lunch on embarkation day. I recommend giving it a try.

[bananatami]

4 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

We were on the Dream's first post-lockdown sailing last September. There's a link to my review (with pics) in my signature below. 

 

Something I really enjoyed was sitting on the couches on the middle deck in the Atrium and listening to live music in the evenings. Also, don't miss Seaday Brunch in the MDR on the sea days. Oh, and Pasta Bella is a made-to-order pasta restaurant on the second floor of the buffet. It's really just a section of the upper buffet seating area, and it's hard to tell what it is if you don't know. That's where we had lunch on embarkation day. I recommend giving it a try.

PERFECT thank you so much!!!

[bananatami]

5 hours ago, nlktx49 said:

I forgot to mention one change, probably the best, is how the muster drill is done now.

 

Instead of everyone having to gather on the deck or in the dining room, waiting for everyone to show up, now you go to your muster station - it's shown on your boarding pass - and do a small drill, about 5 minutes. Very few people as there is no set time to do this, just has to be done before the ship sails.

 

We do it as soon as we board to get it out of the way.

Oh man! That is great!  One thing i DO now remember (and try to forget cause once its done you pretty much forget) is that meeting and just sitting and waiting for everyone to show.  I was dreading that (and trying not to think about it)

Also just the line in general to board.

 

With so much to see/do/explore, what would you recommend the first series of events be?

Board, go to room to drop luggage/see where it is then:

-Muster drill station?

-????

-???

[bananatami]

On 3/8/2022 at 3:20 PM, Indytraveler83 said:

You can buy one on embarkation day at rh spa if you don't have spa rooms.  I think they around $50/day, so not cheap.

 

 

If you buy the pass, do you have to buy it for the whole length of the cruise, like the Cheers package, or can I just buy a single day?

[lennythenose]

Another comment about the teen clubs. I always made going to the club the first night non-negotiable but after that it was completely up to my sons. As others have said I didn’t see much of them after that. Also, we prefer assigned dining but if you do that make sure to request early dining. The club activities all start before late dinner is done. 
 

My boys are both still in contact with people they met on cruises several years ago. 

[nlktx49]

24 minutes ago, lennythenose said:

Another comment about the teen clubs. I always made going to the club the first night non-negotiable but after that it was completely up to my sons. As others have said I didn’t see much of them after that. Also, we prefer assigned dining but if you do that make sure to request early dining. The club activities all start before late dinner is done. 
 

My boys are both still in contact with people they met on cruises several years ago. 

On the Breeze last month we saw lots of kids in the teen clubs having fun, sometimes sitting on the benches out on the hall way just goofing off and having a good time. 

[TravelGirlinDallas]

1 hour ago, bananatami said:

Board, go to room to drop luggage/see where it is then:

-Muster drill station?

-???? LUNCH

-???  See if bags have arrived, then unpack

 

[Indytraveler83]

1 hour ago, bananatami said:

If you buy the pass, do you have to buy it for the whole length of the cruise, like the Cheers package, or can I just buy a single day?

Looks like you can buy both.  I do know the passes are fairly limited and sell out quickly.