The Dream was beautiful but a little bit chopped up. It takes awhile to find and remember where things are so pay attention on day one when you explore. And download the Carnival HUB app! It will help. If you are smoker, please know there are plenty of places for you to smoke so please don't do it on the balcony. I was hit by hot ashes from someone above me. Don't be that jerk. The ship has amazing pizza, and Guys burgers and bbq are so much better than expected. Guys bbq and the pasta place have weird hours so check ahead of time when they will be open. Don't miss out like I did several times, it's worth it. We had a really good time overall.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining room was great. Buffet was good. Specialty restaurants were so wonderful but they always seemed to be closed, that was annoying.
Sunset Bar
1 out of 5
I was repeatedly ignored while bartender helped people who approached him after me while I waited. Unfriendly service from that bar throughout the cruise. A different bartender that took orders from the pool chairs was very nice though.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools felt nice but were overly crowded due to their small size and it only had 2 pools for over 4,000 people. One of the two pools was closed for an entire day of a 5 day cruise. That sucked.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Stage shows were fun and the musicians and DJs were fun also.
Children's Programs
no kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Waiters in the main dining room were very nice. Room steward Pandita was beyond wonderful, one of the nicest people I have ever met. He was so nice that I even remember his name still. The other people at the main food areas, like the buffet, the pizza place, and Guy's hamburgers, were all very unfriendly and looked overworked and unhappy. Same with most of the bars, only one bartender seemed genuinely nice to me, I think that was at the Alchemy bar. Other guests even commented to me to avoid the pool bar in the back of the ship due to the staff.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship seemed very well maintained and clean at all times. Once you get past the beauty of the ship, and it is very beautiful, I quickly noticed that I was always walking through smoking areas anytime I went to another part of the ship. There are far too many smoking areas on this ship, it is hard to get away from it. I was also disappointed in the lack of sitting areas with direct views to the water. I know that sounds a little silly on a cruise ship, but most of the inside areas didn't have good view of water, and a lot of the outdoor areas had dirty plexiglass or solid walls that obstructed the view. I do appreciate the safety aspect of it, but feel like the design could incorporate more viewing space somehow.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was great and steward Pandita was excellent! Mattress was harder than a rock. If there is anything at all you can do to get slightly softer mattresses when these get replaced that would be much appreciated.
Ship tip
Download the Carnival HUB app, it makes things easier. Book beach excursions early so you are not in the last group in order to make sure you get a beach chair. Dining at the steakhouse is totally worth the money, but don't wear shorts or they wont't let you in.
Port is wonderful, lots to do in Galveston. Since we were leaving from Galveston, we didn't really do an excursion so I don't think this should count as a port of call.
Excursion was wonderful, Kokomo all-inclusive beach break, but port itself was stinky, ugly, and not relaxing to look at. The entire dock and port area smelled of engine exhaust.
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