Dream x3: A Semi-LIVE report from the Carnival Dream

Hey all,

I have been a long-time lurker of Cruise Critic since I booked my first cruise as an adult, and I love reading reviews and live reports. I gave a short review of my first Carnival Cruise in 2013, but have slacked on my past few, but this time, I am going to try my best to do a semi-LIVE review of my trip on the Dream.

Here's a shot of me on my first trip on the Dream, contemplating how great vacation will be.

A bit about me, and my cruising history to start. I am Adam. I am 30 years old, and live in Northern Virginia. My cruising history dates back to 1999, when my family took a 4 Night Baja California cruise aboard RCCL's Viking Serenade (I was 12 at the time, so I didn't do the booking, haha). We left from Los Angeles, and visited the ports of San Diego, Catalina Island, and Ensenada, Mexico. My sisters and I had a blast, which is funny because I learned years later my parents were horrified when they saw the Viking Serenade. She was in her final years of service for RCCL, and was actually previously a ferry that was converted to a cruise ship. They were used to nicer ships at the time, but were happy that we didn't care at all!

I didn't get back to the cruising until 2013. My parents preferred all-inclusive resorts to cruising, so that took up most of our family vacations. In 2013, I cruised with a group of 15 on the Carnival Dream for the first time. She was based in Port Canaveral at the time, and we visited Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. I fell in love with cruising as an adult, and really enjoyed the Carnival Cruise experience. I also decided that St. Maarten was my favorite cruise port.

As life does, it took until March 2016 to cruise again. Vacation time and dollars were quickly booked up by weddings, as they tend to do. I received an offer from the Hollywood Casino in PA for a free Carnival Cruise, and made the few hour trek to pick up the voucher. I ended up booking an 8 day cruise on the Carnival Sunshine that visited St. Maarten, St. Kitts, San Juan, and Grand Turk. I was happy to try the refurbished Sunshine with all of the 2.0 upgrades, and looked forward to a return to St. Maarten, and 3 new ports. I traveled solo for this cruise, and was a little hesitant, but enjoyed myself, and met a ton of people on that cruise. Also, Grand Turk claimed the prize of my favorite port.

Luckily, it didn't take all that long to get back to cruising. Taking advantage of a Casino bounce back offer, I booked a September 2016 cruise on the Dream out of New Orleans, visiting Cozumel, Belize, and Roatan. I booked with a few friends I met on the Sunshine! As luck would have it, I also had friends that decided to get married on the Carnival Breeze, so I booked that cruise as well, as part of a group of about 50 of us, and went to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

In January 2017, I booked my second bounce back offer from my second Dream cruise, and booked another cruise with my Sunshine Casino Crew on the Carnival Glory, visiting Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk. I was excited to make my return to Grand Turk, and had heard so much about Half Moon Cay as well, so I was really excited to add that to my list of ports. Unfortunately, weather had other ideas, and forced us to miss both of those ports. It was a bummer for sure, but we were compensated with 25% off a future cruise. It was also a rare cruise where we never hit foreign soil, so we were able to just walk off the ship in Miami!

I received a bounce back offer, and after a tough deliberation on the cruises I had available, decided to cruise on the Carnival Dream again, this being the first time after she received the rest of the 2.0 upgrades (it was rough that one trip on the Dream without Guy's Burgers, haha). The 5/28 sailing leaves from New Orleans, and visits Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. You may be saying "didn't you JUST see these ports last Halloween?" You'd be correct! But, my friends' wedding took place on port day in Montego Bay, so I didn't get off the ship that day. Grand Cayman was the day after the wedding, and I was nursing a rare cruise hangover, so decided to just lounge on Lido all day and get back to life. The only port I made it off the ship at was Cozumel, doing our planned group excursion.

So, here's some information on the cruise:

I'll be staying in an interior room on Deck 9. I've always opted to book an interior cabin. I rarely am in the room, and when I am, I enjoy the pitch black atmosphere which provides amazing sleep. Also, the money can be spent better elsewhere.

Here's a rundown of what I plan to do in each port.

Montego Bay: All-Inclusive Day Pass at the Hilton Rose Hall through Resortforaday. I actually visited this resort back in 2001 with my family, and we LOVED it. We had planned to visit again for my 30th Birthday in October, but they had half the resort closed for renovations, so we selected a different resort. Looking forward to checking out the resort 16 years later!

Grand Cayman: I am planning of taking advantage of the buses to go do a tour at the Caybrew Brewery, and then over to a beach club on 7 mile beach most likely. I am up in the air on this one, so we'll see how it goes.

Cozumel: Finally trying out Mr. Sancho's. I've read so much about it, so it's time to try it out for myself.

As for on ship, I can usually be found between the Lido Deck, Serenity Deck, the Casino, the Piano Bar, the Comedy Club, and Trivia. If you are interested in any of these activities, I can answer most any question you have. If you've got any other questions about the Dream, feel free to ask as well!

I plan on having the internet plan, and will do my best to update the board on what shenanigans I'll be taking part in. This will all be at the mercy of how the internet access is. I'm looking forward to reporting to whoever wants to read, but won't let the frustration of the internet being spotty to ruin my vacation. Nevertheless, I will certainly come back with a report when I return at the latest.

Well, I need to be heading to the airport in about 3 hours, so I best get some shut eye.

Looking forward to your live updates. Enjoy your cruise!

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Ready to rock to the airport!

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Quick breakfast at DCA while I track where the ship is haha.

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Have a great cruise! Cannot wait to read more.:D

I grew up cruising with my parents (when cruising wasn't even widely available) and then didn't really cruise again as a married couple for our 20th wedding anniversary. Of course during the 20 years my husband was active duty military so we traveled the world through our moves. Now hubby and I cruise and our girls love cruising too! It does become a family affair for sure! Our oldest just got off a cruise with her fried who'd never been on one and she fell in love with cruising! Enjoy! We were on the Dream in 2015 and haven't been back out on her as we got onto the NCL bandwagon and really enjoy that cruise line now!

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Have a great time Adam! Will be on Dream for B2B Premier cruises in August. Would be interested to know who the Casino Hosts are.

Have a great time Adam! Will be on Dream for B2B Premier cruises in August. Would be interested to know who the Casino Hosts are.

That I can do. I intend to meet them today!

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Flight number 1 is complete. Short layover in Nashville before I continue on to New Orleans. Southwest didn't take my free drink voucher so we've got our first "free" drink of the trip, a Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. Waiting to board flight 2 now.

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Quick pit stop in the French market to cool off!

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I can't wait to hear more! We board the Dream in 2 weeks! Have a great cruise!!

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Can't wait to hear how the new CD does. This should be his 1st week as Dream CD with Flying Scotsman headed home for vacation.

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Looking forward to your review. Not much pictures since the recent refurb.

Made it on board! Security took about 35 minutes to make it through.

No line for one of these though

First guy's burger on the dream (and it won't be the last...)

I believe Chris is still on this sailing so we'll have two CDs.

It is sweltering hot. Might need to take a dip before muster...

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A short nap in the shade helped cool down. Muster drill time in the encore theater...

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following

Following too! Dream in 448 days!!! lol

Where do they do the muster drills? On the valor it was outside

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I'm definitely following this...this is my ship and ports for July 16th out of New Orleans...Have a blast man!

Definitely the fastest I've ever got my luggage on the ship. We're currently sailing down the Mississippi.

This was drink number one, a ting mojito.

Here's a Jameson with ginger ale, a fine pre-dinner drink.

About to hit the crimson dining room for any time dinner.

Muster Drill was inside, in the theater and restaurants.

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Looking forward to the rest of your review. Have a good cruise. :)

Looking forward to reading this! We are headed out on the same itinerary in November - and it will also be a changeover cruise for the CD Chris. Would love to know what you think of him and how the whole "having two CDs" goes. Thanks!!!

Thanks for sharing.

That's hilarious about you kids loving the same ship that horrified your parents. So true. Kids don't care about the glamour. As long as they have a pool and soda and no chores or homework...

I am looking forward to reading your report, we are thinking about going on the Dream next year. Have a great cruise!!