My family recently sailed on the Carnival Dream. Included were two of my adult children and my sister. We had two balcony cabins next to each other with my son and myself in one and my sister and daughter in the other. I have cruised frequently , having sailed on Disney, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean.

The Ship: The Dream and it's sister ships (Magic and Breeze) are the newest, largest and nicest ships in the Carnival fleet. They have several unique features that set them apart. One is the lovely adult's only area called Serenity high up on the very front of the ship. Views from up there are breathtaking. Another area that is different is the wide outdoor promenade on Deck 5 that entirely circles the ship. It features 2 hot tubs on either side. However, one drawback to this promenade is that the balcony cabins above it look directly down on it. Frankly, I want my balcony to look directly down on the ocean, not on several people in a hot tub. Also on deck 5 is the attractive and functional meeting and entertainment area called the Ocean Plaza. Almost all of the entertainment on the ship other than in the large theater lounge is located in this area. Another unique feature of thie ship are the cove balcony cabins, located on Deck 2 (or just 2 decks above the water). You get a totally different perspectivethan from the cabins above them.

In general, the ship is nicely laid out with a beautiful atrium and plenty of upper deck space to roam around and relax and view the passing ocean. It is the most tastefully decorated Carnival ship that I have been on. There are plenty of deck chairs spread around on both the top decks and the promenade if you don't feel the need to hang around the pool areas. The two pools are the problem. Though nice, they are too small for a ship carrying 3600 passengers and always overcrowded from midmorning to late afternoon. I feel that both Royal Caribbean and Princess have better pool areas. Other than that the Dream is a beautiful ship. Read more