I will preface this by saying that we were unsure what to expect out of this ship after reading months of reviews. We went on this cruise to enjoy the weeks vacation and make the best of it and not get uptight about the little things. Some of the reviews were just too picky.

With 8 in our party, and some not having cruised before, we all set out a day early by staying at the Radisson about mile from the port. It was nice and comfortable and we had prearranged pickup form the hotel to the dock with a cab company for $4/person. The hotel offers free shuttle but they didn't start as early as we were hoping . Also to note, that most staying at the hotel Friday nights, are cruise passengers and not just for the Dream. There is the Disney Magic, with lots of kids(lots of kids), that leaves on Sat. also. All those people waiting for the free shuttle in the morning , with their luggage. Exactly why we got our own transportation ahead of time.

Embarkation: Some call it a breeze but by getting there at 10am along with 1000 other folks and Carnival not letting you get on the ship till 11am meant being herded like cattle to some seating with a number which they call and move your section onto the boat. Some call that smooth. I feel for the people that came at 11am and had no seats and had to wait for long time till they got on. Anyway once on the ship we navigated it to the Lido deck for some food and watch passengers really have to wait for food and find tables till there rooms were ready. From that moment on we truly enjoyed our cruise and the months of waiting and preparation was over. Read more