As our car service approached the port, we got our first glimpse of the Carnival Dream. It was certainly large (as it was parked next to the Disney Magic and the RCL Monarch of the Seas) but looked very inviting. We pulled up to the drop off line, and they were ready for us, took our bags, and instructed us where to go. A very pleasant surprise - the entire embarkation process took about 40 minutes (and this is arriving at 12 PM among many other guests). We boarded the boat and were told we could grab some lunch (as the rooms would not be ready until 1:30 PM)

The good: The quality of the lunch buffet was outstanding (at least the stations.) People would line up and take advantage of the burrito bar, the pasta station, the deli station, and the tandoori station. All were surprisingly very good, and I honestly spent very little time at the rest of the standard buffet. The children all swore by their cheeseburgers, as this became their daily lunch treat. The pizza however, was better on other lines.

The water slides were the best we have seen at sea. Kids and adults lined up to ride the racers, the drainpipe, and the twister all day. The kids loved the fact that the slides were fresh water, and although they did have lines build up, they were certainly manageable. We never waited more than 10 minutes (and that was only for the twister). Read more