If you have the choice, do not go on the Carnival Dream. We just got home from a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise (Dec 12 - Dec 19) and the experience was terrible. Nobody likes long story-like reviews so I will summarize all the knocks against this ship as briefly as I can:

- The ship cannot handle the number of guests. Everywhere we went felt like Macy's the day before Christmas. We were ~400 guests below capacity and yet the over-crowding was terrible.

- Long lines for everything! If you wanted to see a comedy show you better had lined up 30 minutes before to get in the room. Also, It was impossible to get food without waiting in a 20 minute line. That is completely unacceptable. Read more