Carnival Dream Review
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Additional details
We chose this cruise because it was listed as one of the Players' Club Premier Cruise choices, and we had really enjoyed our March 2016 cruise on the Dream.
First, I will address the different facets of our initial Players' Club Premier Cruise and then move onto my review of the actual cruise. As part of the package, we were given Priority Boarding. We, also, purchased FTTF because we wanted access to our stateroom as soon as we boarded, as well as, access to the priority line at guest services, which you do not get with Premier's Priority Boarding. Waiting in our stateroom were Players' Club-branded steel water bottles and lanyards holding our "drinks on us" cards, a Players' Club Exclusive Activity Schedule, and an invitation to the Premier Players' Club Welcome Reception. The reception, held at 5pm, was very nice. It took place in the Burgundy Lounge, and the appetizers and drinks were flowing. We were introduced to members of the casino staff, and there was a cash give-a-way. There were numerous drawings/give-a-ways/contests in the casino throughout the week, but unfortunately, our names were never drawn to participate in any of them. Each day, we received something from the casino - chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, duffle bag, plastic water bottle, dinner for two in the steakhouse (review on that later), and a "bounce back" offer for our next cruise. The slots in the casino were very tight. I spent many, many hours in the casino and only saw one cash payout, which really surprised me since I had seen a good number of them on previous cruises. Although, Nosizo and Adrian were excellent casino hosts - friendly, professional and very welcoming, I really don't think that I'm too interested in participating in another Premier Players Club cruise. I spent so much time in the casino waiting on drawings and contests to take place that I did not get to enjoy as many of the other cruise activities as I normally do.
Embarkation was a very efficient process. We arrived at 10am and were waiting in the boarding lounge by 10:10am. By 11:15am, we were in our cabin putting away our things. We talked to Raphael, our cabin steward, and completed the questionnaire requesting cabin service each morning and evening, which was performed flawlessly. We prepaid our gratuities, but Raphael got extra at the end of the cruise for his excellent service.
Cabin Review
Balcony
We had a balcony cabin on the Upper Deck (6), and we spent a great deal of time on the balcony. Several of the mornings, we ordered early room service and enjoyed a small bite to eat while watching the morning come to life. The cabin was clean, spacious and had plenty of storage. The beds could not have been more comfortable. We slept like babies. Our only real complaint about the cabin was the lack of outlets. We brought an extension cord for my husband's CPAP machine, but with the cord stretched across the floor each evening, it could be a bit of a hazard if you needed to get up during the night. The location was great for us. Very easy access to the Casino, Scarlet Dining Room, and Burgundy Lounge for the Punchliner Comedy Shows. Our Cabin Steward, Rafael, was excellent.
Port Reviews
New Orleans
New Orleans is a great city. Embarkation was excellent.
Roatan
Since the beach at Mahogany Bay is so nice, we did not book an excursion for Roatan. We played in the water, relaxed in the lounge chairs, and walked through the shops. A very relaxing day.