This was my first cruise and I was very impressed with the whole experience. We spent 3 days in Cocoa Beach before the cruise and stayed at the Country Inn and Suites. We had a 2 queen suite and it was adequate for the 5 of us. The staff was great and the free breakfast was fabulous. I got a great deal directly from their website because we were staying 3 nights so I felt it was worth every penny. They provided a shuttle from the hotel to the port for what I think was free. I wasn't charged, but I did hear them tell another family that the shuttle was $4 pp, still worth the money in my opinion. We took the shuttle at 11:30 and was at the port in less than 10 min. Because we had printed our fun pass we were able to go into a much shorter line and was on the boat in less than 30 min. Our first stop was lunch at the pasta bar which was not busy at all yet. It was good, but not what I would say was great. We didn't eat there again only because there were so many other choices. At 1:30 we went to our room which was wonderful. It was spacious and comfortable. Our steward Noelan was the best ever! He was so accommodating and friendly. The towel animals he created each night were a hit with all of us. We will miss him taking care of us. The ship is HUGE! I don't think I even saw all of it. Yes, there were a lot of people, yes there could be long lines, yes, the pools are small, but to be honest, it was nothing that spoiled any part of my vacation. The food was good on the lido deck. There was a pizza bar, a tandoori grill (great hummus!), a deli (great sandwiches), and the buffet. I thought the line was the longest at all times at the grill area (hamburgers, hot dogs and fries)so I chose not to eat there. The 24 hour pizza and ice cream machine was the favorite of my kids. They did like to order room service as well. My favorite food was in the dinning room. Everything we had was great. If it was supposed to be hot, it was. I didn't experience long waits or poor service either. Luis was the best waiter and worked so hard. He was great with all of the kids, too. The lobster on the first formal night was to die for!! The shows were not for us. We just aren't show people. We did see Dancing in the Streets though and it was good. I thought 3 out of the 4 comedians were outstanding! The PG and the R rated shows were great and it was nice to see 4 different styles. I wish they had one every night! Gambling in the casino was not so good. We just happened to lose. I wasn't expecting a huge payout, but it is nice to win once in a while to keep playing for longer than 20 min. Camp Carnival was overall a hit with my kids. My 10 yr old like some of the activities but not others. She loved the scavenger hunts, the late night party, and the crafts. She did meet some other girls and they were able to hang out together all week so she stayed occupied and had a great time. My older 2 girls were in Circle C and once the found a group of friends to hang with we hardly saw them except at dinner. I think the staff was very good about helping them find a group of kids to be with and provided supervision as well. I can't think of anything that I really consider negative about this ship or the staff. For a first time cruiser, I didn't know what to expect and given all the negative reviews I was a little nervous. I had a great time and am glad I had the opportunity to share this experience with my kids and some great friends. I would recommend the Dream to anyone looking for a busy, fun filled vacation that really does cater to families.