Let me begin by saying that we REALLY ENJOYED THIS CRUISE!!! My family and I (me, wife, and four daughters) have cruised with Carnival six times, and this was definitely the best cruise yet (prior sailings were on the Victory, Conquest, Glory, Fantasy, and Liberty). We were a little worried prior to our sailing, based on some of the Member Reviews (concerning "the smell," so-so staff, etc.), but all of our worries were put to bed once we got onboard. The Carnival Dream was fabulous!
ARRIVAL AND EMBARKATION
We arrived in Orlando on Friday and rented a full-size passenger van from Budget (you do not travel light with four daughters). ? We spent time with friends and family on Friday afternoon and Friday evening and woke up on Saturday ready for our cruise adventure. We swung by the cruise terminal around 11:00 am and dropped off our luggage and then drove the van over to the Budget office in Cape Canaveral (about a 5 minute drive from the cruise terminal). We rode the Budget courtesy van back to the cruise terminal. NOTE: Both Budget and Hertz are conveniently located to the cruise terminal. This is a good option if you want to fly down a day or two early.