I won't go into the ship's features since that has already been done at length. I will just hit our likes and dislikes about this ship. And I want to comment on our cabin, #2456, because prior to departure, I could find no info on it. We left Port Canaveral on a week-long Thanksgiving cruise to the Caribbean with 38 family members. This was not a ship or an itinerary we would ordinarily have chosen, but we went to be with our family, and it was wonderful in that regard. The Dream is huge, but it did not feel unmanageable, save for the horribly frenetic cafeteria, and the fact that debarking at ports was harried and, particularly at St. Thomas, disorganized.

We booked our own air in and out of Orlando, but used Carnival's shuttles to/from port. That was seamless, and well worth the money. I would never bother renting a car. Not worth it. The port was pretty well organized, but not smooth like, say, Baltimore, which is incredible. Much better than the other Florida ports. (Disclosure: I have not used Miami.)

Overview: The Dream, basically, is the gigantic Ramada Inn of cruise ships. It is clean and serves its purpose. Everything was tidy and well-maintained. I would not call the ship beautiful or ritzy, but it is functional and not gaudy, which in the cruise industry, says a lot. Except for a horrid Thanksgiving Day meal, where the food was terrible and our entrees and deserts were reportedly "stolen by another waiter," the food in the main dining room was good. Carnival always surprises me with this fact. Service was a shoddy circus, but honestly, the staff was worked within an inch of their lives and spread way, way too thin. Shame on Carnival. The outdoor cookout area was amazing. Best. Ribs. Ever. That was the consensus of every guy in our group. The cafeteria stuff was the usual; not great, not bad. The Indian buffet was decent and pretty authentic, but I never saw any curries or tikka masala. Hamburgers were so-so, hot dogs were synthetic yuck. Pasta bar was a joke. Somewhere, a gang of Italian chefs is rolling on the floor with laughter. Read more