I had never been on a cruise before. Heck, I had never been out of the contiguous United States! The Carnival Dream was a lovely first experience. I had booked this trip because my boyfriend has cruised numerous times before and really enjoys it. This was his birthday present.

There was always plenty of fun stuff to do on the ship each day. We could have easily enjoyed the trip without doing any excursions off the ship! The food was absolutely delicious. Most nights we ate in the Crimson Dining room. Our waitstaff, Nigel and I Komang, were wonderful. We looked forward to seeing them every night. I loved how Nigel got so into the staff's dance performances!

We enjoyed the buffet as well, including Pasta Bella and the coffee shop. Hennie the Cruise Director was a stitch. We saw him in the Love & Marriage show. We enjoyed a couple of the shows, several raffles, and took advantage of the shopping available on the ship. We attended the art auction preview. I attended club Caliente on ladies' night. We also toured the spa facilities. I was never bored and there was so much to do we simply couldn't do it all! Read more