What can I say it was terrific. We travelled with our 9yr old daughter and 12 yr old son as well as 2 other couples. Our cabin was on the Verandah deck mid ship and couldn't have been a better choice. I loved having the balcony and being up higher in the middle of the boat there was minimal motion. We stayed at the Radisson Hotel in Port Canaveral prior to embarkation. Forgot to pre-book the shuttle over to the Port and was offered a 2pm time slot that morning to head over (shuttle is free of charge). Great hotel. We had also rented a car from Hertz which is located almost next door to the hotel and they could take us free of charge over to the boat at 11am. Was on the boat heading for the lunch buffet by 11:30am. I have to say that both the Embarkation and Debarkation were well organized and a breeze to get through. Hats off to everyone who worked so hard to make this an easy process - our luggage was off the boat and waiting for us by 8:30am (we were given an 8:40am time slot). The only time I felt the boat was crowded had to be the initial lunch buffet when everyone arrived as we could not get to our rooms until 1pm. The room was great. Comfortable beds and plenty of storage for the 4 of us. The only complaint would be the hair dryer which had a short cord and one had to hold the button to keep it running (bring your own!). They provided soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors. No conditioner. Bring a bungee cord to hold the balcony door open at night to enjoy a nice breeze in the cabin. Entertainment - I would have to say that if you are ever bored it is not for lack of trying on Carnival's part. There is always something going on and a different band playing somewhere. I enjoyed lounging on the deck and listening to the band all day. Before dinner we would head to the Ocean Plaza or the Atrium to listen to the various singers. A nightly visit to the piano bar as well as the Burgundy lounge to catch the latest comedian are a must. The piano bar does allow smoking but closer to the piano there is no smoking and is not too bad if you are a non smoker - worth it just to catch some great tunes. Get to the burgundy lounge early for the comedians especially at the beginning of the week as it fills up fast. The shows in the Encore Theatre we ok but definitely not a favorite thing for our group. I thought the Carnival Glory shows were much better. The kids had a great time at the camp activities. We never saw our daughter who had met another girl her age and they were off to all of the activities including the hip hop dance instruction and the All Night Party that went until 3am. They played capture the flag, hide and seek, scavenger hunt and ate pizza and ice cream. What an awesome time they had. As far as the kids go don't miss the initial meet and greet on the first day - this is important as they tend to meet someone they will hang out with for the rest of the cruise. There were 800 kids on our ship and the only way I knew that was when they told us on the last day. I would never have guessed that. The water slides were a lot of fun - very fast. Now for the food - everything tasted great. Pros - the many choices they offer and the fact that you can eat almost continuously. Cons - You have to pick and choose your times for things - my husband always went for the shortest line and didn't want to wait for anything while my son wanted to make sure he tried everything so I found the family often ate separately when it came to lunch. The omelette stations weren't too long of a line and worth a little wait. The Mongolian wok needs to figure out the line issue. We waited for almost an hour one day and only 20 min the 2nd time. We lined up before it opened to be first in line that day. They need to offer numbers that you can take and come back when your number is called. The pasta bar was interesting. When you go up you fill out a menu checklist and hand it in to the cooks. You are given a number which you can take to your table and wait for a server to deliver your pasta to you. Very good. The burger line although it looked long moved quickly. They were always waiting for the fries which I was glad to do without. The deli sandwiches were a favorite. We always went the night before a shore day and picked up a few sandwiches to take on shore. I had sandwich bags and a small cooler bag as well as a container that I filled with ice for the day. On our shore days we headed to the beach and it was great to have our sandwiches and fresh fruit to enjoy along with some cookies or whatever treat we picked up at the late night buffet. Finally I have to say that the staff are wonderful. They work very hard to see that we have whatever we need. I know initial reviews of the dinning were not good but I believe the kinks are getting worked out. We were at the late night seating and although it did take a while to get the food out we enjoyed everything. I think I would choose early seating next time when traveling with the kids. Our daughter ate at 6pm with the camp carnival group while our son ate with us. There were activities after the kids dinner that the kids could attend while we had supper with our friends. The Coke card at $6.50 per day seemed a bit expensive and not sure it is worth it depending on how much you will drink. I enjoyed the lemonade and ice tea. I had brought a water bottle along and always had a full bottle in the room fridge. Overall the Dream was our dream vacation and we enjoyed every minute thanks to the wonderful Carnival staff and their hard work.