Carnival Dream Review
Rating by category
Additional details
My family and I were fortunate enough to take a spring break cruise on the beautiful Dream. Most people probably know that it's one of three ships in this class - the newest and largest ships in the Carnival fleet. The features, quality, and finishes on the ship are stellar. It still carries the "Farco" style decorations with plenty of glitz and glam, unlike the newer more subdued theme on the Breeze, for example. I have to admit that my kids and I are partial to the fun and funky style that Carnival has carried for so many years.
This was my 10th cruise, and I've been on Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian in the past. I'd like to think that my perspective is realistic and objective. In general, we were very impressed with the service, quality, food choices, and activities on this ship. We had an outside ocean view stateroom on the main deck. It was comfortable and ample. The beds were really great, and we appreciated the unobstructed view below the level of the lifeboats. Quite nice. The friendliness of the dining room staff and stateroom staff are unsurpassed in the industry. We got to know several of them quite well and are now facebook friends with our head waiter. Despite some other posts that I've seen, the food is fantastic! I'm not a super picky eater, but I truly don't know what other people are thinking if they rate the food anything less than "very good". There must be some spoiled snobs out there, or something like that. Not much more to say about that - good grief.
To be fair, the one major downside on this particular cruise (keeping in mind that it was spring break, of course) was the sense of crowding and too many people. It was difficult to find a lounge chair on the open decks on sea days. Venues were full, and lines at the buffet on Lido deck were typically long. The normal capacity of this ship is on the order of 3,600 people from what I understand. I will say that you can always find a quite space to sneak away for sure, so no worries there. One carnival employee confirmed for me that our particular sailing had over 4,500 hundred people. In my humble opinion, that's too many for this ship.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean View
Nice room for sure. It included a full bath and another small bath with a shower and a sink. It really streamlined things when the kids were getting ready for dinner, etc. The only noticeable downside of being on the first two decks in the aft part of the ship are the stern thrusters that are used on port days. I've never experienced the level of noise and vibration like this before due to the thrusters. Wow! The first day we thought something had gone terribly wrong and were genuinely worried. It will rattle you awake and roust you up from a solid sleep around 7 am or whenever port time is. I have no idea why it's that way, but others on the ship complained too. I'd recommend something mid-ship or on a higher deck for that reason. The room itself was ample and great though. The beds were super comfortable, and their was plenty of closet/storage space for the three of us.
Port Reviews
Freeport
Freeport is unusual because the ship docks in a very industrial area. Other than a few shops right by the ship, you must sign up for a tour or take a harrowing taxi/van ride to Port Lucaya or another location. We did enjoy the glass bottom boat tour (not booked through Carnival) and got to see numerous sharks in their natural environment.
Key West
We loved Key West and would like to go back again for sure. Duval Street is so fun and a one of kind place. We also took a very short taxi ride in the morning to one of the best beaches on the east side of the island. It was perfect. The water was so clear, and you could rent items right from the beach if needed. It was clean and inviting.
New Orleans
This was my second time to New Orleans. My general sense is that people either really love it or really don't. There doesn't seem to be a lot of gray area when it comes to opinions about this port. I fall into the camp of loving it for what it truly is. A unique location with tons of culture, history, great food, super music, and a scene like no other place I've been too. I find it particularly fascinating to be on the ship traveling on the mighty Mississippi River. It's something everyone should see.