Review of Dream out of NOLA 1/7/18-1/14/18

I am enjoying the review. Kudos to you for 11. I hope things got better for your trip as your review goes along. You are not giving me much hope for room service and the MDR. Will be on the Dream on April 15th.

 

 

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None of my little "complaints" ruined our trip. We had a fabulous time! We might have just caught people on an "off time" or something. The pluses far outweighed the minuses. Please don't think it will impact your trip. I'm sure you will have a great vacation!

On our first day at sea, it was about 70*, but there were 20 to 30 mph winds. I was still very comfortable in shorts and t-shirt, but I saw many people in pants, sweatshirts and coats. The Serenity adults-only deck is one of my favorite places on the ship (I love those clamshells) and I was disappointed when it was closed due to the high winds. The pools were closed as well (water was sloshing up over the sides), but the hot tubs were open (even though they were not “hot” ... more of a warm tub - and I’m a baby when it comes to water temperature). Eventually they opened the lower Serenity deck (there’s a Serenity section on both deck 14 and deck 15) in the late afternoon and I enjoyed reading my book in the sunshine. The wind was blowing like crazy, but the sunshine felt so good.

The seas settled down on the second day and the sun came out mid-day. As I sat in a comfy chair on the lower Serenity Deck and looked out to the sea, I could hear kids squealing and shrieking ... I then noticed that kids were trapezing through the Serenity section to get to the next section. Turns out, Serenity on deck 14 has water slides on both sides of it. I’m not sure who designed that, but I’m pretty sure “Serenity” does not include a cacophony of kids. It didn’t bug me at all, but I could tell it was irritating other people around me. On the plus side, there’s a towel station as well as a bar right there. I was able to snag a vacated clamshell and made myself comfortable with my slushie drink and a book. After about an hour, someone came around and asked me if I’d like another drink. It was then that realized this was the first time since we had boarded that someone had come to me (very different from our other cruise where I was frequently approached asking if I wanted a drink). I also realized that we didn’t have a designated “bartender” in the dining room. That’s probably why I only get my one drink.

My little was anxious to try out Club Ocean and I got him signed in without a problem. (He has to be dropped off and picked up by someone 18 years old or older. I get the being picked up part, but he can’t get dropped off by his 17 year old brother? Sigh.) I confirmed my three into Club O2, but weren’t sure how much they would use it as their cousin had turned 18 a few days prior and therefore was ineligible for the teen club. (They did try to “sneak” her in, but that was a no go.) They told me they stopped by the Club a few times, but each time, it was empty and looked deserted. My little loved Club Ocean so much that whenever I picked him up, he always asked to stay longer. I’d entice him with food or Waterworks, but then he’d always want to go back. All of the kids played on the water slides for several hours. The older kids said the big slides really hurt their backs, but the racer slides were fun. The little liked them all.

We’ve had various pictures taken since we first stood in line to board the ship and decided to go peek at them. Searching through the rows and rows of pictures was time consuming and frustrating. I’m surprised Carnival hasn’t come up with a better system by now. A picture card similar to Disney? Scanning our sign and sail card? Face recognition software? (Heck if facebook can recognize faces .... ) We only found a few before giving up. I went back a couple of days later and realized what a mistake I had made. All those pictures that were displayed on the walls? They had been removed to make room for the new pictures ... they had been relegated to a big bin. If you were possibly interested in any of those photos, you had to thumb through hundreds and hundreds of pictures until you found faces you recognized. Two hours later and I still hadn’t found them all. I was surrounded by frustrated and disgruntled people doing the same thing I was. Many simply gave up. Moral of the story: Go by the Pixel Gallery every night and find your photos ... put them on hold ... they’ll put them in an envelope for you with your cabin number ... then on the last day you can decide if and what you want. Big caveat: once the photos are in the envelope and you take them out ... you must either purchase them or throw them away ... they CANNOT go back in the envelope (so do not do as I did and tell your kids to go look at them and tell you which ones they like).

If you have time, I would recommend setting up an appointment with the Black and White Portrait Gallery. There is no sitting fee and you’re not obligated to buy anything. They do a surprisingly good job and get booked up quickly. After getting a regular family picture done with one of the many backdrops provided, the charming photographer we had befriended suggested we get a Black and White Portrait done. I knew nothing about it and when I inquired, I learned that no appointments were available. Turns out, our friendly photographer was roommates with the Black and White Portrait guy and “snuck” us in for a quick appt. Two poses, about ten quick shots (they usually do MUCH more than that). I only bought one photo for $50, but we all think it’s pretty cool (of course they have all sorts of spendy packages too).

I think we managed to try most of the dining options on the boat. The Pasta Bar was delicious. Upon entering the restaurant, the hostess handed us a table marker number and order forms. We were then able to choose from 3 different types of pasta, 5 or so different sauces, and many extras (chicken, sausage, shrimp, mushrooms, onions, etc.). We were also able to choose bread and/or caesar salad. The wait was longer than I expected, but the food was very good. Like most people have attested to, Guy’s Burgers are a hit, as are the fries. You just can’t go wrong there. I never did try Tandoor or the Pig and Anchor Smokehouse, but my kiddos did and said they were both good. I liked the Mongolian Grill ... I don’t mind a little spice, but found that the Thai Barbecue (mid-range) was still too spicy for me. I think the kids’ favorite is the pizza as that was a daily staple and I have to vote for the deli. The BLTs, the grilled cheese and the turkey on a pretzel roll have all been winners. We typically don’t try the extra fee restaurants, but we did try Bonsai Sushi. They have a VERY limited selection of sushi, but it was good (and reasonably priced). And it probably goes without saying that the soft serve ice cream is definitely a favorite amongst all of us.

We attended several of the shows offered. I was impressed with the caliber of shows they were able to put on ... the special effects, the props, the singers, the dancers, etc. I liked the 80’s Show, but I think I’m dating myself when I say that. I liked Flick, but my kids did not. We all enjoyed America Rocks. Karaoke proved to be entertaining and had a wide variety of music. I was surprised by how many different people had the guts to get up on stage ... they sang oldies, country, rock-n-roll, hard rock, current hits ... they sang it all. The teens liked the comedy shows, but for some reason, I never made it to one. The teens also made it to the dance parties and the movies by the pool. They clearly had way more energy than I did. Our favorite show/event was probably the Lip Sync Battle. One thing I’ll never understand is all the shopping and beauty “seminars” offered ... they just ooze scam to me. I also have absolutely no interest in the casino (but that could have something to do with the fact that I live in Nevada).

Thanks for the great review! Looking forward to the rest.

That is a fabulous family photo & a well spent $50! You have a beautiful family! Thank you for the tips about the photos/envelope/appts.

Port day - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

I had heard a lot of negative things about this port, specifically about the pushy “sales tactics.” I was also led to believe that safety would be a concern, especially for a single woman with children. Needless to say, I was a bit leery. We signed up for a Blue Hole Adventure and River Tubing tour with Liberty Tours. They emailed very detailed instructions and told us to get in line to disembark at 7:30am. They elevators wouldn’t even go to the 0 floor, so we went to the 1st floor and discovered a long line already formed. A crew member informed us that the ship had not yet received clearance and so we must wait. Approximately 15 minutes later, we were off the ship.

As per the emailed instructions, we spoke with a port official and told them who we were supposed to meet. In no time at all, we were on the road with Michelle. I’m gonna stop right here and say that we absolutely loved Michelle. She was warm and friendly, interesting and informative, sincere and genuine. As we drove, she told us about Jamaican culture and daily life. We peppered her with questions and she patiently answered each and every one of them. I cannot say enough good things about her.

On the drive to Blue Hole, my teens were amused by the fellows standing along the roadside selling “Happy Brownies,” “Irie Goal Brownies,” and “”No Problem Brownies.” Other street side vendors were also selling or renting water shoes for the Blue Hole adventure. The road was bumpy and narrow at spots, but nothing scary. It was odd seeing the steering wheel on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of the road.

Romaine (“like the Romaine lettuce,” he told us) met us at Blue Hole to be our guide there, while Michelle stayed at the bottom where we were able to keep all of our things locked in her car. Romaine had an abundance of enthusiasm and energy and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. He was helpful and kind, not only to our group, but to other people around us, always offering an outstretched hand. The Blue Hole was not blue today, unfortunately. Jamaica had a week of pounding rain, which had stirred up the rivers, so the Blue Hole looked like a murky brown cup of coffee with cream. The waterfall and the greenery was beautiful. The “climb” up to the jumping spot was a series of wide stairs made of rock, but not difficult at all (disclaimer: I did overhear other people state that it was much more strenuous than they anticipated and that some were unable to make it to the top ... I am very overweight and out of shape and while I was out of breath because of that, I would not have described the “climb” as challenging at all). My teens had no trouble jumping into the water below, even doing flips on their way down. On the other hand, my little and I were not so confident. My little decided he would go only if I would follow. What’s that ole saying ... if your friend jumps off a cliff, are you gonna follow? He jumped. I got to the edge and almost backed out, but I finally jumped too. It was exhilarating. The water was refreshing and despite the currents from the waterfall and river, people were easily able to swim to the side (there was a guide positioned to help folks if they needed it). All the kids went back for round #2 ... even my little. I stayed back and took pictures. We then walked a little ways down river to a rope swing in middle of the river. You grab on a metal pole with both hands, swing forward and let go. The kids then climbed the stairs to a lower jumping platform and made one last jump before we headed back to the car. If you get a choice of guides at the Blue Hole, you won’t go wrong with Romaine.

Michelle then drove us to where we would be river rafting. We each got life jackets (the old orange kind, with one strap that goes around your body) and inner tubes. The inner tubes had bottoms to them (plexi glass maybe?), which we found out came in very handy at several parts when the rocks were scraping that instead of our butts. We linked with each other like a big inner tube chain and we went down the river. There were several small “rapids” that we went through ... just enough to add a bit of excitement and splash some water on you ... or just enough to make a little cry and declare his hatred of tubing. We stopped for a “break” at Calypso Island ... really just a ploy to get you to buy some souvenirs. Then we continued on. We were then able to float on our own as single tubes and no longer be in a chain. The little decided maybe tubing wasn’t so bad after all and that next time we should just skip the first half.

Michelle was waiting for us when we got out of the river and had our towels and change of clothes in her car. As we were changing in the bathroom, it began to rain and I mean RAIN. It was coming down in buckets. We raced the 50 yards back to the car and were drenched. I couldn’t believe how much water was coming down. Michelle said this was the type of rain they had been getting all week. There were huge puddles of water already covering the roadways.

Rather than stop for lunch, we opted to shop instead. Michelle took us to the “Taj Mahal,” where there were several shops in sort of a square-shaped strip mall. We looked around, negotiated a bit, and left with some souvenirs. I was also able to sample a few different varieties of rum (the chocolate rum was my favorite). I purchased a couple of bottles of flavored Jamaican rum, which they delivered to the ship and I was able to get on the last night of the cruise. At one of the stores, we saw folks filling up water bottles with alcohol and I thought to myself, “Carnival stated that only food or drink we could bring OFF the ship was Carnival bottled water and we could bring NO food or drink back on the ship,” so there was no way that was going to work. I had brought several Carnival water bottles with us and we didn’t drink all of them so I figured we would just have to toss them. Imagine my surprise when we boarded the ship and no one even batted an eye. Our bags went through the x-ray machine and we walked through the metal detector and that was it. No one said a word about our water bottles, so I’m guessing water bottles filled with alcohol got through just as easy.

We wanted to see the beach and feel the water, so Michelle drove us to Mahogany Bay. The water here was a beautiful blue color and the sand was soft. We would have enjoyed ourselves immensely there as well, but we were super happy with what we chose. We had a great day. We were back on the ship by about 2:00 and more than ready for some lunch. The kids all had big plans for afternoon activities, but by the time I showered, they were ALL fast asleep.

We all LOVED our day in Jamaica and would have gladly spent more time there. (Having said that, we didn’t wander around on our own at all.)

Port Day - Grand Cayman

We boarded the tender quickly and easily. There were two or three other large cruise ships in port and the streets were bustling with people.

We had booked an excursion through Captain Marvin for 10:30 (Stingray/Starfish/Snorkeling) and were supposed to check-in by 10:00, but were confused by which time to go by. Was it ship time? Was it island time? And if it was island time, what time was that? We went and spoke to Guest Services on the ship who assured us that everything was on ship time. Yet we were still skeptical. We decided to check-in at 9:00 ship time and figured if we were early, we would just explore the area for an hour. Turns out, we were right on time! Island time is NOT ship time. We would have missed our tour had we listened to Guest Services.

We boarded the shuttle for a quick ten minute drive to the boat. Shoes were not allowed onboard, so we removed them at the dock and they were stowed away in a basket until we returned. Our first stop was the coral reef, but I actually thought it was the stingray stop because we saw so many stingrays. There were all sorts of fish and things to look at. We had brought our own mask/snorkel combo, but used their flippers. They also had masks and snorkels on board for anyone that needed them. The kids were mesmerized. I thought my little would be too scared to do much, but after about five minutes, he was off on his own.

The second stop was “Stingray City.” It was a shallow area of about three or four feet of beautiful blue water and soft sand. I’m not kidding, it looked like a postcard. Several other boats circled the area as well. One of the crew members caught a stingray and talked a little about them. We were then allowed to hold, pet and kiss the stingray. After everyone had a turn, the crew member then gave folks pieces of squid to feed the stingrays.

The last stop was the starfish stop. Again, the water was a beautiful shade of blue and the sand was soft underfoot (you couldn’t get much more beautiful). The water was shallow and we walked around observing many starfish in the sand under water. Once a starfish is exposed to air, it will die so we were given strict instructions to not pick them up out of the water ... we were allowed to touch them under the water though. I can’t help but feel like this wasn’t the starfishes’ real home and they were in some sort of relocation or secret witness protection program. My little thought it was great though. Everyone agreed that the best stop of the day was the first stop ... snorkeling above the coral reefs and seeing so many fish and stingrays. The teens really loved being able to touch and hold the stingrays at the second stop as well, but my little wanted nothing to do with that. He liked the mellow safe starfish, which the teens thought were kinda boring. If it weren’t for the little, the tour with the two snorkeling stops and the Stingray City stop would have been a better bet. But, everyone got a little something here. (They all expressed interest in the turtles as well, but we only had so much time.)

Port Day - Cozumel

We woke up this morning to find an explosion of towel animals. There were towel animals all over the Lido deck! They were circling the pool, sitting on deck chairs, hanging out at the bar, they were everywhere. It really was adorable.

We didn’t really have a plan for this port, other than beach time and possibly a little snorkeling. I had researched some all-inclusive resorts as well as some pay-as-you-go and heard many conflicting opinions. I certainly wasn’t swayed one way or another. I told the kids what I had heard about several different places including Mr. Sanchos, Paradise, Money Bar and Chankanaab. After talking about it and chatting with some other folks, we wound up at a place that wasn’t even on the my list ... Ocean Something Or Another. Cab fare for the six of us in a minivan was $30 one-way. Admission was $17 per person, which included the inflatables, snorkel gear rental, life jackets, beach chairs and umbrellas. There was a small shallow pool, but it felt great. There were a few little shops and the shop workers would walk up and down the beach selling their wares. I must have said “no thank you” at least fifty times. That part was exhausting. I hate being pestered to buy things ... it’s as bad as hearing “Mom, mom, mom, mom.” We had lounge chairs right next to the water with a couple of umbrellas. Things were snug as there were chairs everywhere. There was a bar and a restaurant ... frozen alcoholic drinks were $8 and beers were $4. Jose did a great job of checking on us and making sure we never got thirsty. It was a warm day and the breeze was appreciated, although it made for quite a few waves. I saw many kids and adults alike get knocked down by the waves. I ventured out into the water and was surprised by how rocky it was. It was so rocky that I returned to put water shoes on. There was lots of seaweed right on the shoreline but the water was clear just a few yards out. The kids played on the inflatables for hours. Turns out, Mr. Sanchos is right next door. We walked over and noticed that they had a couple of different inflatables, but everything seemed very similar. We figured the snorkeling would be horrible, but surprisingly, we saw a variety of fish and jellyfish right past the inflatables. There were all sorts of activities available right along this strip of beach ... jet skis, parasailing, banana boat, glass bottom boat/snorkeling, kayaks, etc. The constant sales pitch was annoying though. We decided they were just like door-to-door salesman, just with better scenery. We took a taxi back to port about 4:00 as there were still a few souvenirs we wanted to pick up. We had planned on meandering in and out of stores, but the in-your-face sales tactics were so off-putting that we finally just bought our things and returned to the ship.

We decided that this was our least favorite port, mostly due to the constant badgering to buy something. I had really wanted to take them to Rio Secreto (the Secret River), but I knew that there was no way I (and possibly a couple others) could manage the ferry ride over ... it is dubbed “the Vomit Comet.” Surprisingly, Jamaica turned out to be everyone’s favorite port, and that was the one I was worried about. We all agreed that the beautiful water in the Cayman Islands was the best though ... and we’d be thrilled to go back to either place.

Our last day on the ship was a sea day and it was cold. I mean COLD. It was 43 degrees and rainy and windy. The boat was rocking and swaying like crazy. Everyone was bundled up in warm clothes and still looked like they were freezing. My little enjoyed his last day at Club Ocean while the rest of us took in some shows (and I enjoyed some last minute peace and quiet reading a book).

We packed our luggage and left it outside our door by 11:00pm like instructed. For the quickest debarkation, you could take your luggage off the ship yourself but we were in no rush. They began allowing passengers to debark at about 7:15am, but only for those who were “self-assist” (those that carried their own luggage). We were out of our cabins by 8:00am and went and had breakfast. We heard our Zone called for debarkation, but figured there would be a long line, so we hung out for awhile. Eventually we headed out and were off the ship within about 30 minutes. I was surprised that we did not have to go through Customs or anything ... I was carrying a couple of bottles of rum (clearly marked “Jamaican RUM”) and no one said a word. We located our luggage with ease (I tied an orange bandana to each handle) and a porter took our abundance of luggage outside to the waiting area. We ubered to the airport in two cars ... costing approximately $27 per car. In comparison, a taxi to the airport costs $36 for 1-2 passengers, plus an additional $15 for each additional passenger. We would have required two taxis for a total of $102 (instead of $54 with Uber). We attempted to do curbside check-in at the airport, but discovered that you can only check-in four hours prior to your departure. That was a new one for me. We eventually got checked-in and made it home safe and sound.

All in all, it was a wonderful vacation and many treasured memories were made!

Thanks for the review.

Thank you for taking the time to review your trip! I'll be on the Dream in May and it's nice to read something current. Hopefully they get all the problems worked out! I'm taking first time cruisers and don't want them to be disappointed with poor service and cold food. Something I'm not used to experiencing! :D

Enjoyed your review :) We were on the Dream the first part of March in 17. We too found MDR experience to be very long. At least where we were seated. Everyone around us were all done much quicker than us. We almost hated going for dinner by the 3rd day, only knowing it was going to be over 2 hours. We opted out one night as we just wanted to have time to do something else in the evening. We traveled with our 7 yr old Granddaughter and like your experience she was done long before us and bored most nights. One night I took her to the kids club while waiting for our main course. (I was back at the table before they served it!) We too had (2) windy days the first 2 were pretty bad. We were in a Cove Balcony and the Granddaughter was a bit freaked being so close to the water with the waves. Unlike your experience with Jamaica and Cozumel, we loved Cozumel and have been to Jamaica twice and although we have had OK experiences there we really do not want to go back. We had heavy sales pitching there, and none in Cozumel, we really liked Cozumel, but we will see, we will be going there again this March, only we will be on the Magic this time. I am hoping to not deal with the sales pitch thing! ... time will tell. Thanks for your review!

Enjoyed your review :) We were on the Dream the first part of March in 17. We too found MDR experience to be very long. At least where we were seated. Everyone around us were all done much quicker than us. We almost hated going for dinner by the 3rd day, only knowing it was going to be over 2 hours. We opted out one night as we just wanted to have time to do something else in the evening. We traveled with our 7 yr old Granddaughter and like your experience she was done long before us and bored most nights. One night I took her to the kids club while waiting for our main course. (I was back at the table before they served it!) We too had (2) windy days the first 2 were pretty bad. We were in a Cove Balcony and the Granddaughter was a bit freaked being so close to the water with the waves. Unlike your experience with Jamaica and Cozumel, we loved Cozumel and have been to Jamaica twice and although we have had OK experiences there we really do not want to go back. We had heavy sales pitching there, and none in Cozumel, we really liked Cozumel, but we will see, we will be going there again this March, only we will be on the Magic this time. I am hoping to not deal with the sales pitch thing! ... time will tell. Thanks for your review!

The MDR Experience should be such a highlight of the cruise! Carnival needs to fix that pronto.

Did you take an excursion in Cozumel?

I had heard such negative things about Jamaica and so I was more than pleasantly surprised when we loved it so. Perhaps because we took an excursion, we were "sheltered" from the sales pitch stuff? I'm wondering if we would have liked Cozumel more if we would have taken an excursion? (Next time!)

I find it interesting how people can take the same cruise or same excursion and have such different experiences. For some, the Blue Hole and River Tubing was "the worst excursion ever." And for us, it was our favorite. I have also heard several negative things about the kids club and my kid couldn't get enough of it (for that I am very thankful).

Can you go to the Blue hole if docked at Montego Bay instead of Ocho Rios?

Can you go to the Blue hole if docked at Montego Bay instead of Ocho Rios?

We docked in Montego Bay last year and I'm pretty sure that the Blue Hole excursion was available through Carnival. We did the Dunns River Falls with a little time at a beach club afterward. It is about 25 miles closer than the Blue Hole so it is probably doable but you may not have much time there to enjoy it. It will be quite a long bus ride.

We are scheduled on Carnival Dream in March. I hope we do not have as much sea sickness as you experienced. You have raised some good questions for me. I am going to ask the doctor if I can have a prescription for the patch, and also ask if the patch is not sufficient, is it safe to combine it with dramamine and bonine as well. I also have a prescription for zofran, (which is not for motion sickness, but for nausea and vomiting). I will ask if it is safe to take it as well. I learned about zofran when going though chemo in 2010. It is amazing. I think everyone should have it in their medicine cabinet!

Your review also made me think it might be better to chose the "anytime" dining option, so we can go early on nights that we want to catch the show.

I am so inspired by your courage to take so many children. Inspirational!

Thank you for your review. Your family photos are lovely!

We were on the same cruise as your family. Sorry your MDR experience was so bad. Ours was just the opposite. We had awesome servers at the Crimson late dining.

I loved your review! You have a very beautiful family!

Very interesting review! We were on the ship a few weeks before you, funny how different it is week to week

Enjoying the review.

Keith

Beautifully written. Absolutely stunning formal pictures. Thank you for an entertaining review