Carnival Dream Dining Question(s)

Hi all,

I am looking for book Carnival Dream for April 20th. I am doing alot of research and want to ask the community about dining on the Dream. I had read mixed reviews on dining so maybe the community can clarify them for me.

For nightly dining in the main dining room, is it required that you dress up every single night (or is it just one night that requires formal dressing)?

Can I eat at the main dining room every night? If not I read that the buffet was so-so, what about the Sushi Bar, Indian Bar, and Pasta Bar?

How much is the soda card?

How much is beer (I heard mixed and cocktail drinks are pricey, how pricey?)?

Can I bring milk for my 1 year old? Need probably packaged whole milk for him.

Can I bring a 24pk bottle water or do they have that available for free?

Thanks in advance!

HI wip328.

Welcome to cruise critic. I can't answer all your questions as I haven’t been on the Dream yet. But it is approaching rapidly.

In General:

On a 7 night cruise, there are usually 2 “formal” nights. Most people will dress up for these nights. The reminder of the nights are for “smart causal”. On those nights, I just wear nice, clean cloths appropriate to the cruise (wear more layers in Alaska than I do in the Caribbean).

If you choice not to eat in the dining room, there are other options. The buffet, pasta bar, pizza bar and room service are just a few of them. I have found the buffet to be a hit or miss, but I have never gone hungry on a cruise ship.

Milk is offered in the dining room, on the buffet and room service. Whole, skim, 2% and even chocolate. It’s all for free. I usual stick a few in my fridge for cookies :D.

Bottle water is not free but you can bring your own. The ships filter their own water and I’ve never had a problem drinking it. But we do generally take a bottle or 2 with us on shore excursions.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for the response magictam, but my son has some weird tongue, will not drink certain types whole milk, he only drinks some organic kind that my wife gets. Forgot to ask, when are you going?

I think the soda card is $4.50/day + 15% gratuity for kids; $6.00/day + 15% for adults.

On our first cruise, we only ate dinner in the MDR a couple of times. Since then, we've made a point to have MDR dinner almost every night - the personal service is one of the things we love about cruising.

Milk is offered in the dining room, on the buffet and room service. Whole, skim, 2% and even chocolate. It’s all for free. I usual stick a few in my fridge for cookies :D.!

I would only put enough in the fridge to get your through a few hours. These mini fridges are more like coolers and not cold enough to keep milk from spoiling.

You can also order milk using room service so there really is no reason to stock up on milk

Thank you everyone for answering my questions!

No sushi bar on the Dream. MDR food is excellent. And if you don't like that night's selections, there are several items that are offered every night like flat-iron steak and salmon. We never ate in the buffet for dinner. We like the personal service you get in the MDR at dinner.

Pasta bar, pizza and deli are outstanding for lunch...Pizza is always available, along with room service.

No sushi bar on the Dream. MDR food is excellent. And if you don't like that night's selections, there are several items that are offered every night like flat-iron steak and salmon. We never ate in the buffet for dinner. We like the personal service you get in the MDR at dinner.

 

Pasta bar, pizza and deli are outstanding for lunch...Pizza is always available, along with room service.

What happened to the Wasabi just past the Ocena Plaza on th eway to the piano bar?

Hey Crewsweeper - It looks like it was replaced with the Taste Bar. We are repeating the Dream in July - trying out the new Itinerary... :D

I'm sad that Dream (again) got short changed in the 2.0 upgrades - she is the red headed stepchild in the Dream Fleet. (wish they'd take out 9 holes of mini golf and add the SportsSquare!)

I was all excited when I read that it had the Blue Iguana but not the Cantina - caveat - Bar only :mad:

I liked the Sushi bar too. It looks like they took out the complimentary sushi but did not replace it with the Bonsai either.

Glad they at least got to keep their Indian - I think they maybe the few ships with the Tandoor.

http://www.cruisecurrents.com/2012/09/20/carnival-dream-nears-completion-of-fun-ship-2-0-drydock/

Hi all,

 

I am looking for book Carnival Dream for April 20th. I am doing alot of research and want to ask the community about dining on the Dream. I had read mixed reviews on dining so maybe the community can clarify them for me.

 

For nightly dining in the main dining room, is it required that you dress up every single night (or is it just one night that requires formal dressing)?

 

Can I eat at the main dining room every night? If not I read that the buffet was so-so, what about the Sushi Bar, Indian Bar, and Pasta Bar?

 

How much is the soda card?

 

How much is beer (I heard mixed and cocktail drinks are pricey, how pricey?)?

 

Can I bring milk for my 1 year old? Need probably packaged whole milk for him.

 

Can I bring a 24pk bottle water or do they have that available for free?

 

Thanks in advance!

We have been on Dream six times, so I hope I can answer some of your questions.

It is NOT necessary to dress up 5 out of 7 nights on Dream. By that I mean shorts on men/women are fine, but tank tops, sleeveless shirts on men are not allowed. If you go to the Carnival website, and perhaps someone has posted the website, you can get all your info re dress code.

It's your choice to eat in the dining room every night or go to the buffet. The dining room has more choices than the buffet, but here again, it's your choice. If you prefer to eat at different times, choose ATD, anytime dining, so you can go when you want. There are positives and negatives to this as you can read if you do a search on here.

I think that the soda card is about $7 a day for adults, plus gratuity, but here again, if you go to Carnival.com you can get that info. The cost means no sharing, so if you and your wife want cards, you each need to buy them.

I think most beers are about 5.25 plus 15% gratuity. I am not a beer drinker, so can't be more definite, but if you do a search on here, I am sure you will get your answer.

As far as bringing milk for your baby, my guess is that it would have to be the packaged kind, not that in a plastic container. I have only seem low fat milk on a cruise so I don't know if whole milk is even available. If your cabin has a cooler, and I say that as opposed to a refrig, because it is really not cold, just cool, there is no way to hold a week's worth of whole milk as there is barely room for a few bottles of water.

You can bring a 24 pack of water as there are two of you drinking it. I think, here again, if you look at the Carnival website, you will find the restrictions. We bring a 12 pack of 24 oz bottles with no problem. Other than water from a faucet, ie bathroom, or from a machine on Lido, meals in the dining room, there is no free water. Bottled water is available in the cabin and I think it's 1 1/2 liter for $3.95. Not worth it to me, but might be to others who don't bring their own.

I hope I have helped and that you enjoy any cruise you book.

Katiel53, since you have been on the Carnival Dream 6 times, perhaps you could help with when the Wasabi Sushi Bar was removed?

Apparently Carnival itself deams it unnecessary to alter their website in at least two places referencing the Wasabi Sushi Bar...in a search on Carnival.com for Wasabi Sushi Bar, and in the Carnival.com Carnival Dream Deck Plan PDF (Deck 5 Promenade Deck)...note it may be necessary for you to enlarge the PDF by holding down the control key while you use the scroller on your mouse (forward).

Also Cruise Critic itself has not updated their Carnival Dream Deck Plan for the Deck 5 Promenade Deck as the Wasabi Sushi Bar is still shown.

At least 3 other major non-agent cruise ship deck plan sites also show the Wasabi Sushi Bar on their Carnival Dream Deck Plans Deck 5 Promenade Deck.

Basically Carnival is saying on their site that they have the Wasabi Sushi Bar, and in so doing, selling a part of their product that does not exist...false advertising?

It appears that the best place to find out accurate information is the Cruise Critic forums. The Red Face in the title above is intended for Carnival itself.

Katiel53, since you have been on the Carnival Dream 6 times, perhaps you could help with when the Wasabi Sushi Bar was removed?

 

Apparently Carnival itself deams it unnecessary to alter their website in at least two places referencing the Wasabi Sushi Bar...in a search on Carnival.com for Wasabi Sushi Bar, and in the Carnival.com Carnival Dream Deck Plan PDF (Deck 5 Promenade Deck)...note it may be necessary for you to enlarge the PDF by holding down the control key while you use the scroller on your mouse (forward).

 

Also Cruise Critic itself has not updated their Carnival Dream Deck Plan for the Deck 5 Promenade Deck as the Wasabi Sushi Bar is still shown.

 

At least 3 other major non-agent cruise ship deck plan sites also show the Wasabi Sushi Bar on their Carnival Dream Deck Plans Deck 5 Promenade Deck.

 

Basically Carnival is saying on their site that they have the Wasabi Sushi Bar, and in so doing, selling a part of their product that does not exist...false advertising?

 

It appears that the best place to find out accurate information is the Cruise Critic forums. The Red Face in the title above is intended for Carnival itself.

In my researching, I too have found many inconsitencies on the website, that CC members have corrected me on.

Although I don't think it is false advertising and it's not like the CEO of Carnival would update the site himself. But I do think they should get their website person to update information more often.

But after seeing this type of thing on many large corporation websites and cruiseline sites, it may be a case of they just have scheduled dates that they update their sites. Because the flip side of that is, the amount of changes that take place, can you see the posts now complaining the website is always down for maintenance?

Advice to OP, read the first couple of pages of the board to get an overall of what may not be right on the website. And if the search function is working on CC (as it has been off and on the last couple of weeks), that is a valuable tool as well.

Thanks for answering my questions.

Thats perfect as my wife will bring a box of 12 organic whole milk that we get at BJs.

My party has 8 people so I will probably bring 2 X 24 bottles of water.

We have been on Dream six times, so I hope I can answer some of your questions.

 

It is NOT necessary to dress up 5 out of 7 nights on Dream. By that I mean shorts on men/women are fine, but tank tops, sleeveless shirts on men are not allowed. If you go to the Carnival website, and perhaps someone has posted the website, you can get all your info re dress code.

 

 

It's your choice to eat in the dining room every night or go to the buffet. The dining room has more choices than the buffet, but here again, it's your choice. If you prefer to eat at different times, choose ATD, anytime dining, so you can go when you want. There are positives and negatives to this as you can read if you do a search on here.

 

I think that the soda card is about $7 a day for adults, plus gratuity, but here again, if you go to Carnival.com you can get that info. The cost means no sharing, so if you and your wife want cards, you each need to buy them.

 

I think most beers are about 5.25 plus 15% gratuity. I am not a beer drinker, so can't be more definite, but if you do a search on here, I am sure you will get your answer.

 

As far as bringing milk for your baby, my guess is that it would have to be the packaged kind, not that in a plastic container. I have only seem low fat milk on a cruise so I don't know if whole milk is even available. If your cabin has a cooler, and I say that as opposed to a refrig, because it is really not cold, just cool, there is no way to hold a week's worth of whole milk as there is barely room for a few bottles of water.

 

You can bring a 24 pack of water as there are two of you drinking it. I think, here again, if you look at the Carnival website, you will find the restrictions. We bring a 12 pack of 24 oz bottles with no problem. Other than water from a faucet, ie bathroom, or from a machine on Lido, meals in the dining room, there is no free water. Bottled water is available in the cabin and I think it's 1 1/2 liter for $3.95. Not worth it to me, but might be to others who don't bring their own.

 

I hope I have helped and that you enjoy any cruise you book.

They replaced the Sushi bar with a Taste Bar. No Bonsai Sushi restaurant, either. Wish they had a sushi bar as an alternative dining experience.

But the food in the MDR was really good. Only item I didn't like all week was the Caesar's salad.

There is sushi nightly at the buffet. Not the same I know, but it is still served, just not the sushi bar as in the past.