Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Dream Cruise Review
Jeff "Jamman" Maskall
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Sailing Date: March 27th, 2010
Age: 55
Occupation: Production Scheduling & Planning
Number of Cruises: 30
Itinerary: Port
Canaveral – Nassau – St. Thomas – St. Maarten – Port
Canaveral.
When I had to cancel our August 2009 cruise due to my job
being phased out, it meant that we wouldn’t be cruising at
all in 2009, which would be the first time in many years
that we didn’t cruise at least once in a year. Once things
settled down, and not wanting to wait a whole year until our
next booked cruise, I decided to book a cruise during Spring
Break on the Carnival Dream, knowing full well that it would
be crowded and chock full of kids. With Patti being a
teacher, and my boys in Middle school and High school, we
didn’t have much of a choice. I decided to drive down from
New Jersey four days prior to sailing taking my younger son
Ryan with me, and Patti and Kevin would fly down into
Orlando the night before. This worked out perfectly, since I
took all the luggage down with me and Patti wouldn’t have to
worry about checking in luggage (and paying the extra fees)
at the airport. We booked a whirlpool suite, (with cruise
parking), at the Port Canaveral Radisson, which I would
highly recommend, and signed up for the 12:30 shuttle to the
pier on Saturday. Here I was three days early and all the
earlier shuttles had booked already!! Ryan and I had three
great days together and spent the last day at Universal
until it was time to pick Patti and Kevin up at the airport.
This went quickly since they didn’t have luggage to wait
for. Back to the Radisson for a nice quiet evening together,
before boarding the Carnival Dream tomorrow.
Day 1 - Embarkation Day
The next morning was sunny and beautiful, and you could look
over and see the Carnival Dream sitting and waiting for us.
Our shuttle left right on time for the five minute ride over
to the ship. The Disney Magic was also in port today. After
getting off the shuttle, making sure our luggage made the
bins, and tipping the porters, we headed over to the VIP
line to check in. We breezed thru the boarding process in no
time, and were sitting at the Dream Atrium bar for our first
drinks a half hour after we left the Radisson. Patti and
Kevin picked up their soda cards for the week, (6.00/day for
adults, 4.50/day for kids, plus 15% gratuity). We next
headed up to our cabins to drop off our carry-ons. I had
booked a balcony cabin 8244 for Patti and I, and an inside
cabin 8246 for the boys. As it was our anniversary, I had
purchased cabin decorations, wine, fruit basket, and other
goodies beforehand unbeknownst to Patti. She was completely
shocked when she opened the cabin door!! We then went up to
the Gathering, which is the buffet on the Lido deck for some
lunch. There are so many choices here!! In addition to the
Grand Buffet, there is the Grille (hot dogs, burgers, steak
sandwiches, salads etc), the Mongolian Wok, Burrito Bar,
Fresh Pasta Bar, Indian Tandoor, The Deli, and of course the
24 hour Pizza. Top that off with the Desert Bar, and 24 hour
ice cream and yogurt, you can’t go hungry!! There is also a
sushi bar located on promenade Deck 5 mid ship which was
open from 5 -8:15 nightly. Also on sea days there was a BBQ
lunch served out on the Lanai on Deck 5 from 12-2:30. This
greatly helped disperse the lunch time crowds. Speaking of
crowds, this would be a good time to tell you that on this
cruise there were 4,500 pax. You couldn’t fit another person
on this ship. Of these, aprox. 1,700 were children under 18.
I can’t complain about that, since I brought two into that
mix. I must say that the vast majority were well behaved. If
I had any issues, it was with some of the adults, but I
would never let a few idiots ruin my vacation!! I was
expecting some lines, especially on sea days, but to tell
you the truth they weren’t bad at all. The worst were for
the made to order eggs station for breakfast, and the
Mongolian Wok at lunch. People, if waiting ten minutes in
line is to long for you, may I suggest the Dining room?
After lunch we spent time exploring the ship. In reality,
the Carnival Dream is a stretched and wider version of a
Conquest Class ship with the same you can’t get there from
here problems, but with enough added features to make it all
worthwhile. Serenity, the adults only area, located on decks
14 & 15 forward was Patti and I’s favorite area. Never had a
problem with getting loungers or finding room in one of the
two whirlpools. Only thing that could make this better would
be a small cool off pool. Maybe they can add that in the
next generation. The Waterworks was a favorite of the boys
and me!! The Twister and the Drainpipe were awesome. They
also had racing slides and smaller slides and spray areas
for the little ones. Carnival’s first 18 hole miniature golf
at sea was also a lot of fun, though on sea days was very
crowded. Another great new feature was the wrap around
outside promenade on deck 5 which allows you walk completely
around the ship. It also includes four whirlpools, (two on
each side). At 3:30 it was time for the Safety Briefing. No
more going back to your cabin for your life jackets. Just
report to your muster station, listen to the announcements,
and when it’s over you can head topside without having to
take life jackets back to the cabin.
Our muster station was in the
Encore theatre, so we were able to sit in comfort until it
was over. Perfect!! We hung out at the Sunset Pool for
sail-away, and after about an hour we headed back to the
cabins to unpack, chill out on the balcony, and get ready
for our first dinner. We chose traditional dining, and had a
table for 4 (#521) on the lower level of the Scarlet Dining
room at Late Sitting (8:15). Those choosing Any Time Dining
would go to the Crimson dining room. I’m not going to bore
you with telling you what we had to eat, since food is so
subjective, I’ll just say we were very, very happy with the
selections and quality the entire week. Our wait staff was
excellent and we never, even after 24 Carnival cruises, get
tired of the nightly entertainment. Bravo!!! After dinner,
the boys went to Circle C & Club O2, to make new friends and
hang out. Patti and I went to play some blackjack, (we held
our own), until it was time to crash. We would be in Nassau
tomorrow.
Day 2 - Nassau (8:30am –
2:00pm)
Being that this was such a short stop time wise, and because
we would be back here for a longer stop when we sail on the
Miracle in July, we didn’t plan any excursions for today.
Ryan and I decided to stay on board and partake of the
waterworks and mini golf while there weren’t any crowds.
Afterwards Ryan went to Circle C, and I went to Serenity and
lounged in the hot tubs with a nice cool drink. The Oasis of
the Seas, and the Majesty of the Seas were in port with us
today. Spent a lot of time checking out the Oasis, seeing
where the cabins we booked for August 2011 were located.
Looks like an awesome ship!! Patti and Kevin decided to get
off and do a little shopping. They rented a 2 person scooter
that looked like a lady bug for $45. For two hours and had a
blast driving around the island. They even went over the
bridge to Paradise Island twice!! After the ship sailed I
entered the first blackjack tournament with the free entry
that we got for being platinum members. I qualified for the
final table, but wound up finishing out of the money in
third place. At least I won some trinkets and a t-shirt that
doesn’t fit me!! The rest of the day we just hung out and
chilled until it was time for the first Elegant Dinner. I
was surprised that a lot of people actually got dressed up
for tonight. It was nice to see!! We had a nice lobster
dinner and then celebrated our anniversary with a cake that
I had pre ordered. Several tables around us joined the wait
staff in singing Happy Anniversary to us. Very Nice!!
Afterwards the boys went off to hang with their new found
friends, and we headed off to the Casino until it was time
to call it a night.
Day 3 – Sea Day
We all love our sea days because we all can relax and do
what we want!! After breakfast on the balcony, Ryan and I
teamed up for the bean bag toss in the lobby of the atrium,
and won a few rounds before we were eliminated. Patti went
to the shopping talk, then went looking for bargains in the
onboard shops. We met up for lunch at the Sunset Pool bar,
partaking of the nearby deli. The grilled sandwiches were to
die for!! Afterwards Patti and I went to the casino to enter
the first slot tournament. Neither of us qualified for the
finals, so we went up to Serenity for some R & R, until it
was time to go to the early comedy show, and then dinner.
Another nice feature on the Dream is the Comedy Club located
in the Burgundy lounge, deck 5 aft. They have two comedians
aboard doing two PG shows at 7:30 & 8:30, and three
uncensored shows for guests 18 or older at 9:45, 11:00, and
12:00. The boys went to the 7:30 show with us and had a
great time. The comedians were great and got the youngsters
involved. After dinner the boys disappeared to their
respective clubs, and Patti and I went to try our luck again
in the casino until it was time for the 12:00 uncensored
show. It was hilarious, but have to warn you that if you are
prudish in any way, don’t go!! Afterwards it was time to hit
the sack after a great sea day!!
Day 4 – St. Thomas (10:00am
– 8:00pm)
Another beautiful day in paradise!! After breakfast upstairs
at the Gathering we watched the Carnival Dream pull into St.
Thomas. It would be busy downtown today as there were six
ships in port. The Carnival Freedom, Royal Princess and us
were docked at Havensight, the Norwegian Pearl was anchored
in the bay, and the Oasis of the Seas and Costa Atlantica,
were docked over in Crown Bay. I had booked the Helmet dive
for Kevin, Ryan, and myself, and since Patti wanted no part
of that, she was going to spend the day shopping downtown
and at Havensight. The Helmet Dive takes place at Coral
World and was a fantastic experience!! After an orientation
you stand on the ladder up to your chest in water and don a
75 pound helmet that once you step down another rung and get
underwater feels like 10 pounds. Once you get down to the
bottom of the ladder you are around 15 feet deep. For the
next half hour you walk along a trail, (the weight of the
helmet holds you down), while many divers keep an eye on
you, show you and let you hold some of the docile aquatic
life, and take videos and photos of your experience. The
amount and variety of fish swimming around you was awesome!!
To soon it ended and we had to go back up. The flash drive
of videos and pictures was extra, but worth every penny.
Something I will always cherish!! It was already late
afternoon when we met back on the ship. Whenever we book a
Carnival cruise that has a Supper Club or Steakhouse as they
are now called, we always make a reservation for at least
one night. On the Dream it is called the Chef’s Art
Steakhouse and is located on Deck 12 aft. Tonight was the
night we chose to go, and just like every other time, it was
well worth the $30./pp surcharge. The menu hasn’t changed
much over the years, (why mess with success?), so as always
I had the 24 oz. Porterhouse which you can cut with a butter
knife, and Patti had the Lobster. You can’t go wrong with
any of the appetizers, entrees, or deserts. Add a bottle of
wine and enjoy the perfect dinner!! After dinner we went to
the seaside theatre to catch the 10:00 laser show which was
set to the music of Rush and Pink Floyd. Pretty neat!! Some
casino time, then it was time for bed. The boys came back
about the same time from their respective clubs. It was
another great day!!
Day 5 – St. Maarten (8:00am
– 6:00pm)
There were 7 ships in port today, and upon seeing that I
knew it wasn’t going to be pretty!! Along with us were the
Carnival Miracle, Celebrity Solstice, Emerald Princess, Sea
Princess, Oasis of the Seas, and the AidaVita. By my
calculations I figure that to be over 20,000 pax descending
on the island, and not even counting crew members with shore
time!! Patti got off as soon as the ship was cleared to
explore the port area, while the rest of us were going to
wait a couple of hours before heading off to Maho Beach
,(the beach where the jets fly over very low landing at the
airport),on our own. This turned out to be a big mistake. By
the time we went over to grab a cab, there where oceans of
people everywhere and chaos was king!! We were told to go
over here to catch a cab to Maho, only to find out after 15
minutes that the line for Maho was way over there!! After 45
minutes of this we finally were in the cab to Maho. Then it
gets worse. The traffic was so bad, that the usual 25 minute
trip took nearly an hour and a half. A half hour after
arriving, it poured, so we took refuge in the Sunset Bar,
had lunch and a few beers, then caught another cab back to
the ship. The ride back was only an hour. We were pretty
grumpy and spent by now, but once back on the ship we went
to Serenity and chilled out until after we sailed. The next
time we come here and there are a lot of ships in port that
day, we can do one of two things to avoid the
disappointments that we experienced today. One, book a ships
tour with the transportation included, or get off our butts
and grab a cab as soon as the ship is cleared!! Lesson
learned. After dinner we went to the casino to try our luck
again. Tonight was the deck party, but we chose not to
attend. Went to bed still disappointed on how things went in
St. Maarten today.
Days 6 & 7 – Sea Days
Nothing like 2 consecutive sea days on the way back to Port
Canaveral, to get back in the relaxation mode again. The
bean bag toss, waterworks, mini golf, Serenity, mudslides,
quiet balcony time, the second blackjack and slot
tournaments, and more mudslides were the order of each day.
In the evenings fantastic dinners, comedy shows, and casino
time (we finished ahead of the game!), were our favorite
things to do. When not playing with us, the boys hung out at
their respective clubs, the balance of each day. Too soon,
it was time to start packing for the journey home. As
Platinum members we were given zone 1 tags for debarkation.
This means we would be the first to debark the ship, after
the self assist people debarked. We sadly put our luggage
out in the hall, hung out on the balcony one last time, then
went to bed.
Day 8 – Debarkation Day
The ship docks back in Port Canaveral before 6:00am. The
self assist people began debarking at about 6:40 and at 7:05
they called zones 1 &2. We were off the ship, picked up our
luggage, breezed thru customs, and were on the first shuttle
back to the Radisson in no time at all!! We loaded up the
van, stopped for gas and snacks, and were on the road back
to New Jersey by 8:15!! This was by far the quickest and
most organized debarkations I have ever experienced in my
30+ cruises!! I hope everyone who cruises from Port
Canaveral on Carnival has as easy of embarkation and
debarkation as we did!! In summary, we all enjoyed our
cruise on the Carnival Dream very much. Great ship, great
crew, and overall a great time. We would sail on her again
in a heartbeat!! My pictures from this cruise, including
some from our helmet dive, can be found at: http://www.cruise-addicts.com/photopost/g571-jamman-27s-carnival-dream.html
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