It was a last minute whim; a trip to the beach for a week or a cruise. Easy choice, the cruise! We cruised out of New Orleans to Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. Embarkation was not too bad. We arrived about 11:30 am amongst a fairly heavy crowd. Once we reached the top of the escalator and entered the line for Platinum and Diamond passengers (not being snotty, just saying it is a perk after 17 cruises on Carnival), it was a quick check-in and we were headed for the ship. The Dream is not decorated as "Vegasy" as some of the earlier ships. The atrium is beautiful and eleven stories high. We went to our room, a Cove Balcony, and dropped off our carry-ons and checked out the balcony. We have had balconies on decks 10 and 11 before, but decided to try a Cove. We loved it! It is much closer to the water, it is protected from the sun's heat, and is more private. We totally enjoyed sitting out there for our morning coffee and evening wine. The cabin was the same as all other balcony cabins. Our steward, Gusti, was friendly and efficient. He kept the cabin spotless and the ice bucket full. The ship was dry-docked in January and it showed; new carpet in the cabin, fresh paint in many places, and an overall spruced up look. The new restaurants, Guy's Burgers, the Blue Iguana Cantina and the Pig & Anchor BBQ were all good. The burgers were quite good and could be dressed with about twenty condiments and sauces. The Iguana Cantina had great burritos and could be dressed with most any addition one could want. The Pig & Anchor barbeque was a nice addition to choices for lunch. It was not the best BBQ that I have ever had; but it was definitely worth waiting in line for; even in a light rain.

Unfortunately, it is only open on sea days and for only a few hours. We ate breakfast in the buffet most mornings and the variety was plentiful; the made to order omelets were great. I have read reviews that berated the food in the buffet; wondering if these people create such a variety at home or eat at white table cloth restaurants for every meal. As for the food in the dining room, we had no complaints; the nights of the lobster and prime rib were excellent and the remainder offered very good entrees and sides. As for the desserts, I love the Chocolate Melting Cake but tried some of the other offerings. They were actually quite tasty! Now that I have reviewed the room and the food, I shall go to the pool areas. We try to get on the upper deck to catch the most sun, relax and read. There were usually available sun beds available and we were able to take the stairs down to the pool when we needed to cool down a bit. As always, to get in the main pool means to stand around the edge or bob up and down in the middle. We drifted to the aft pool about the third day and enjoyed the view of the wake, the mostly adult crowd, the nearness of a bar, and a close restroom. There are also two hot tubs in the area; that attracted the youth. The remainder of the public areas had been spruced up and looked like almost new. The jewelry shop had a new offering: prior owned Rolex watches that had been restored to like new. The prices seemed decent; especially since there was not tax! If you have an interest, get some prices for a new model that may interest you; then you can tell if it is a good deal. Now to the entertainment. We attended only a few of the shows and those we did attend were very well done. The most delightful show was the one-man performance by the Cruise Director Chris, the Flying Scotsman. I had read that he was quite extroverted and full of energy. That was spot on! He was out and about on the pool deck and very friendly. On Elegant Night, he was lined up with the senior officers to greet the passengers and post for pictures. While the officers were dressed in their formal uniforms, Chris was dressed in his full dress Scot attire; include a kilt and the remainder of the expected attire. The captain seemed to truly enjoy meeting and greeting passengers and posed for many photos with the cruisers. Other entertainment that was exceptional was a trio of violinists that played in the atrium in the evening. It was a nice classy addition to the experience.

The ports: Cozumel has decent shopping at the port without too much hassle. If you haven't been to Cozumel before, take an excursion or take a taxi to Paradise Beach or to town. There are many choices to choose from. If you stay in the port area, wander over to Poncho's Backyard. The margaritas are cold and soothing. Add a meal or just an appetizer and relax. It is a nice retreat from the shopping. Belize has a shopping area with the usual offerings. To see any of the country, an excursion is necessary. The country is poor but the citizens are friendly and quite ready to spend time conversing. In Roatan, one can stay in port and either shop or go to the attached beach. The beach has a swimming area that is nice. If you want to snorkel and see any fish, head to the far end of the beach near the pier. There is a bar and a restaurant; the drinks are cold and the food is good. We've not traveled out of the port area, but an excursion to other parts of the island have good reviews from fellow passengers. The debarkation was fairly quick and painless. If you want to get through Customs and Immigration without standing in a long line, get a porter to haul your luggage. They move through the C&I much quicker and it is worth having them to take your cases to the pick-up area. I hope I have covered all that may be interesting and hope it may assist you with your cruise. We will most likely be on the Dream in about six months. Bon Voyage, Fair winds and smooth seas. Read more