Excellent cruise that for our family went trouble free. I had read prior reviews about this ship & Carnival prior to sailing and was a little worried. Prior to this trip we had only sailed with Royal Caribbean numerous times (Oasis, Explorer, Freedom, Majesty x2). Let me say right now that we were very impressed and pleased with the whole experience. Food was better, maybe it was the new menus. Service was A+ with everyone being super friendly. Ship was clean and problem free. No smells were noticed and the ship hardly rocked. Those were the two things I had read about prior to leaving. I will say that this ship takes a little getting used to as the "flow" of getting around is a little awkward at first. Pool area could have been a little bigger but we had no problem finding deck chairs. Activities were fun. Don't miss the Pub Crawl or Fun Force. We had a cove balcony near the front of the ship #2283. Best cabin on board! No long hallways to walk, excellent ocean view with shade to protect you from the sun plus. Get this cabin! Embark/Debart was smooth, no problems. We were on board by 11:30am. Cruise director, Butch, along with his staff were great. Our waiter (Rommel), bar person, and cabin steward were the best. Same level if not higher than RCI. We dodged a bullet with hurricane Irene. Weather was great! Still like RCI ships better but no complaints with Dream. You will have a blast.