Carnival Dream Surprises Good and Bad

Carnival Dream Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

BOTU

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 116

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 23, 2015

Ship: Carnival Dream

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

Carnival Dream exceed our expectations for the cuisine,which does not enjoy a great reputation, but it should. Entertainment was really good. Loved the comedy shows, but some shows were missed because we were at dinner. Service was great all around....except for the tour desk.

Since we booked this cruise based on the destinations and tours offered, we were extremely disappointed we were not permitted to book either Mayan tour in Belize because I have a mobility issue. I was willing to sign a disclaimer that I would not be walking around the actual sites, but could enjoy the rest of the tour. But I was treated as if my disability was mental, not physical. I know my limitations and I resented the tour desk staff's taking the decision out of my hands. I would have booked from a tour company at shore, but because of the distance and the possibility we could miss the ship leaving port, we did not go anywhere in Belize.

I realize this was only one day out of the entire cruise, but it has colored my opinion of our cruise. I don't know when or if we will ever return to Belize, so as far as I am concerned, this was a huge missed opportunity for us. I was not only disappointed, but I felt disrespected. And it will affect my future cruise choices with Carnival.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Food was excellent, plenty of choices, and many of the items at the specialty restaurant showed up on the regular menu.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Many children running around without adult or older sibling.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

"You can't get there from here." Annoying to have to go up or down from the 3rd deck to go from the theater to the dining room. Also, to avoid the smoke filled stinky casino, you had to do the same. Solution would be to put the casino at one end of the ship, and the same with the ship's galley. Since I use a scooter on board, I had to use the elevators to go from deck to deck, and that meant long waits most of the time unless I was lucky enough to park myself in front of an elevator that came quickly, and was not full. Of course, some of the delays I experienced was because of very rude fellow passengers. Thankfully, most of my fellow passengers were polite and helpful and acknowledged my being there before them.

Ship tip

Go to the talks about port shopping to get all the coupons available. Skip the specialty restaurants or upcharges from the regular menu. Special choices show up on the daily menu. If I paid extra , I would be upset seeing them available for no extra charge. Be patient.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5

Arrive a few days ahead of cruise, or plan to stay a few days after. This city is not to be missed. It was great, and we will return to NOLA again.

Thumbs Up 0

Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

3 out of 5

We took the bus tour around the island....Top Ten, but many were just drive-bys, or shopping stops. Only 3 real stops...iguana farm, cameo 'factory' and visit to original tribe, although story seemed mixed up, referred to Africa, but thought it was an original Caribe Indian tribe. Performers were bored, not a true village or family. Not what I expected.

Thumbs Up 2

Belize City, Belize

1 out of 5

ANGRY I WAS NOT ALLOWED ON MAYAN TOURS

Thumbs Up 1

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Been there, done that.

Thumbs Up 0