We are a family of 4 who have cruised 5 times prior to this one (2 Disney, 3 Carnival). The reviews of the Dream almost kept us from going on the ship for 8/6 Western tour. Being a last minute cruise and a tight schedule the Dream wound up being the best option of 2. We were hesitant about the Dream because of the reviews about too many people, long lines, etc. DON'T BELIEVE THEM!!!

Okay...slight rant...skip to next paragraph if all you care about is the ship. To be clear, there were lines...get a clue people...in prime time this ship has 4,500 people on it (even though the description says 3,600 double occupancy...in prime time you are getting those families of 4). Think about any event you go to with 4,500 people...all wanting to do the same thing at the same time. You are going to wait at least some of the time. Carnival provides a good product FOR THE PRICE. You will find tons of reviews about better cruises, shorter lines, etc. on other lines but you WILL pay more in almost every case. We have sailed Disney twice and man was it nice. But you know what - we waited in lines there too and it was twice as much! While it is not cheap to cruise, Carnival lets you do it reasonably if you don't have drink like a fish, don't take every excursion, and can avoid buying all that art. It is amazing seeing the reviews of people from the same trip we took that bashed the ship. If you are looking to have a lap pool - go to a resort. If you are looking to avoid kids - book Silver Seas - great cruise line with no kids and only about 4 times the price. If you want shorter lines, take a smaller ship and also give up a lot of the options the bigger ship gets you. Want 5 star dinning every night - again Disney, Silver Star, or just stay home and go to the local 5 star restaurant. Carnival is about options people. There is more to do on their ships, and especially the Dream, than one can do. No, it is not the top of the line cruise line but if you want that, pony up the money. End of rant...

We read about Park and Cruise online and took a chance. Good choice. Do it people! We paid $6 a night and the only cost was a 10 minute shuttle ride back to the port (drop your bags off first and then go park). On the return, the shuttle was there in 10 minutes and we were on our way. The savings paid for my son's soda card. Read more