Overall had a great time! Not as amazing as my first cruise on the Valor - but my worst day on a cruise is still better than any other regular day! Not sure I'll cruise the Dream again if given the choice between it and another carnival ship but still had a wonderful time!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth and easy! All the personel was informed and friendly! We were boarded in no time!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was good- maybe my expectations were a little high because our first cruise was so amazing. Main dining room was decent service was decent - nothing horrible but nothing exceptional either. Buffet was exactly what you expect a buffet to be. Room service was very good - room service ppl were very friendly and upbeat- Guys was yummy like always- Bonsai sushi was delicious and worth every penny- java cafe was delicious, service was slow - bar service was hit or miss all throughout the ship, which was disappointing as we paid for cheers pkg for us and bottomless bubbles for our teens and didn't take advantage as much as we would have liked due to the wait times- Steakhouse- where to start - I had the Steakhouse on the Valor and it was AWESOME- on the Dream - not so much - started when they didnt have any record of my dining reservations that I had prepaid for- food was mediocre- service was HORRIBLE- no bread - drink refills took forever- all of our foods came out at different times - so we had the choice to either finish at different times or eat cold food. Never again. I didn't let any of this ruin my vacation, just stating the way it was. Still had a great time and ate WAY too much!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Trivia games were fun- deck parties were fun - cruise director Gary was lively and entertaining- 80s show was amazing- America rocks - not so much - singing was off - half the songs weren't rock- still entertaining though. Teens loved the arcade and power hour were all games are half price- my son won a new iphone in one of the arcade games! Hot tubs were awful barely lukewarm, if that. Casino was fun- didnt win too much but had fun.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Everyone was friendly enough but didnt seem overly friendly- like I stated before maybe i just had an amazing experience on the valor but the staff just didnt seem as friendly.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Always clean - nice decor.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Basic cabin - clean- rarely saw our steward- when we did he was friendly- our room was always maintained well. No complaints.
Ship tip
Dont set your expectations too high- keep an open mind, a positive attitude and have a great time!
Mr.Sanchos was awesome! Great food, never ending drinks, great service! We did the guided snorkeling through sanchos- it was amazing- beautiful clear water- tons of fish. Teens loved the water park inflatables - Could not ask for more !
Did the mayapan ruins and lazy river swim with cenotes thru carnival- it was amazing- probably the highlight of my vacation & my teenagers agree- they absolutely loved this excursion. The guides were gun and informative, the sites were BEAUTIFUL! Lunch that was included with the excursion was delicious! Did a little shopping on our esu back to port.
It was kinda the same for us. First steakhouse meal on the Conquest had everything right. Others have had kind of hit or miss service - okay for the Sizzler, but far from premium steakhouse.
We had a nice cruise on the Dream in October. Not the best, but I'd go again
Yes you can definitely snorkel on your own - the tour is $35pp through shoreexcursioneer.com but they actually take you to 2 different locations in the middle of the ocean its really quite amazing. As to what didn't compare to the Valor - in all honesty all of it, again dont get me wrong it was still an amazing time, however the staff from cleaning crew to bartenders to entertainment were all just better - friendlier, more accommodating- and again this could all just be bias as my first cruise was the Valor and it was AMAZING- but the biggest difference was what I noted - the steakhouse- when I spend an extra $200 for 1 meal for me and my 2 teens I expect an amazing experience- not horrible service and untimely food delivery- also as I noted the bar service throughout was just not good - same as steakhouse- when I spend $600 for cheers pkgs and bottomless bubbles but it takes about 45 minutes to get a drink ots a little frustrating, me and my husband were willing to wait for our alcoholic beverages but my teens not so much - very glad I took 2 12 packs of sodas as that made it easier. But as I mentioned vacation is what you make of it- I still had an amazing relaxing time!
What a wonderful attitude you have. Glad you didn’t let the annoying things ruin your experience. Something about the Valor is special. It often gets more kudos than other Carnival ships.
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