A very pleasant cruising experience

Carnival Dream Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

MikeH31408794

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 6

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Sail date: June 01, 2012

Ship: Carnival Dream

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 11 years ago

Review summary

Compared to our last cruise, which had around 2600 passengers, we were originally concerned that this sold-out cruise would be overwhelmingly busy. However, the entire family was pleasantly surprised! The reported number of guests on the ship was just over 4600, and much to our surprise, it didn't feel any 'busier' than the smaller ship we took a year ago. With the exception of one standing-room-only comedy show in the lounge, and a packed swimming pool a few days (the pools are way to small), we rarely waited in line for anything longer than 5-10 minutes. The adult area on one of the upper decks was nice to relax in, and had some great two-person hammocks to enjoy the breeze and night sky. Only complaint there is the area is not 'policed' properly by staff so after dark kids (teens) roam the area freely, which tends to chip away at the relaxation potential. Somewhat disappointed that Carnival (and others) have moved towards the 'pay extra' mindset with some of their restaurants. Want a good steak, eat it in the dining room. Want a GREAT steak... pay $30pp and have it in the reservation-only steak restaurant. I personally think cruises should remain all-inclusive, and I should get that GREAT steak in the main dining room without the extra charge. Kids complained that they could never get on the basketball court because it was always being used by the same people (first come, first served - no reservations or waitlist). One of the few issues related to the large crowd. Overall, great experience; pleasant, relaxing trip; HUGE ship, but perfect for catering to 4500+ people.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Wide variety of food. Quality was not outstanding\, but pretty good. As my experience has always been\, desserts commonly look better than they taste. 24-hour ice cream and hot chocolate were a favorite of the kids AND adults\, as was the 24-hour pizza/calzone bar. My kids have come to love and expect \"midnight calzones\" with dad while onboard. Chocolate melting cake is also a favorite and shouldn't be missed... it's a Carnival staple!

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Average. Dance group was pretty cool\, and juggler was great to watch. Especially appreciated the fact that the juggler hung around after the show to answer questions and speak one-on-one with audience members hanging out. Nice!

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

My kids (young teens) preferred to do their own thing\, so they avoided the kids clubs. But\, from what I could see (when I toured the options with them)\, areas and opportunities were age-appropriate\, and other kids appeared to be having a good time!

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Had a few issues with some 'snippy' staff this time around\, but it was the exception vs. the rule. Overall\, they were pretty good. Was disappointed to have a manager 'bark' at a very nice waitress that was engaging us in conversation - twice during the cruise. Management needs to understand that part of customer service is connecting with the customer. Staff engaging in conversations with guests is not slacking off\, it's providing good customer service.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Relatively new\, HUGE ship. Updated decor\, kept pretty clean (staff could do better by cleaning decks more often - our midnight walks in the adult area often revealed numerous glasses\, plates\, napkins\, etc. lying around). Layout isn't ideal (large dining rooms in the middle of a few of the upper floors so navigating from front to back sometimes required changing floors)\, but keep a map handy and you can make it work.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Comfortable\, up-to-date\, nice size. Dual bathrooms in outside staterooms is a nice touch.

Pros: Itinerary\, variety of food\, movies on deck\, size of ship

Cons: Size of pools\, adult area not properly 'policed'

A very pleasant cruising experience

Overall rating:

Review summary

Ship experiences

Recommends Carnival Dream? Yes!

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