8 out of the 11 in our party were first time cruisers and we ranged in age from 2 - 75 years old. We selected the Dream based on value and there seems to be something for everyone.

My family of 4 (husband, 7 and 11 year old sons) flew into Orlando the day before, rented a car one-way from Budget for $30 and drove to Cape Canaveral. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in Cape Canaveral - nice hotel, very clean and close to the port. Free Wi-Fi (connection was spotty in our room, better in the dining room) and hot breakfast which made it easy for us. We were able to see the Carnival Dream docked from our hotel. On Saturday morning we woke up early, had breakfast and then spent sometime on Cocoa Beach while waiting for the rest of our family to arrive (they flew in the morning of the cruise - which was fine but exhausting as they had to wake up at 3am to catch their flight). The line up for the shuttle at Budget was crazy - we waited almost an hour for the shuttle to take us to the port.

The embarkation process was very easy and quick and we were on the ship and at the buffet on Lido deck by 1pm. Our luggage and rooms were ready by 1:30pm. Read more