Dream DETAILED Western Review, 5/29/10: Auditory, Olfactory, and Common Senses

[ChaylaT]

Thank you for this great review! I am traveling with my in-laws and 3 kids in July!!! My youngest is 5 so I think your daughter is SO cute!!!!!:)

[templed]

Great review.... I'm especially interested in how your daughter did on the cruise... especially your impressions of Camp Carnival. This will be my son's first cruise (he's 4...).

 

Regarding the Mega mall... I'm wondering if there is any relation to the mall that I encountered in Russia...

 

 

(that says... Ашан is "Auchan" and гупермаркет is "Supermarket" and Мега is "Mega")

 

... I remember someone telling me that they had chains in Mexico ... that's why I ask.

[Lady_Jag]

Before I begin my recap of Roatan, let’s play a little game called “Can you guess what I ate for lunch while in Roatan?” Was it:

Chicken?

Beef?

 

Iguana?

Turkey?

Venison?

Strange Rabbit?

[neatokimmo]

Iguana! It tastes like chicken! :D

[Lady_Jag]

Our room service alarm clock was timely, as usual, but the order we received was a little…uh…off. Today we received 2 covered plates – one had Alyssa’s muffins, and one was completely empty, save a couple of tablespoons of jelly in a little cup. Wha...? I called it the made-you-look special. LOL! No biggie – our breakfast was waiting for us on the Lido deck, anyway.

We arrived in Roatan earlier than expected on this beautiful hot sunny day. Several months ago, I booked us a private tour with Rony Bennett, so we gathered our “port supplies” from our rooms – camera, wheelchair, car seat, dry cereal, etc. – and boarded an elevator to take us to deck 0 and the new Carnival pier.

Mahogany Bay was beautiful! Alex was actually disappointed that we weren’t going to the beach via flying chairs, but I think after a few minutes of high-90s temperatures, he was happy to have an air condition vehicle waiting for us. Problem was, it was waiting for us up a very steep hill.

(The "before" shot...all smiles!)

Now, many reviewers have reported that Carnival does not allow independent tour guides into the Mahogany Bay area unless they are dropping off passengers. That is 100% true and very annoying! I pushed my mom off the ship and up a rather large incline through the port area to the cab area, where only Carnival-contracted tour guides were waiting to pick up passengers. I was pretty well spent, so I asked Alex to take over. Boy, was I glad I did!

I thought the worst of the climb was over, but when I turned the corner, I realized it had just begun! Leading out of the Mahogany Bay area was a HUGE hill leading up to the security gate. Yikes! So Alex (my hero) started pushing my mom up the hill in her wheelchair, (and nearly slid back down at the halfway point).

Meanwhile, Alyssa took all of 5 steps on her own and decided that she needed me to carry her the rest of the way. Joann said nothing as she climbed, but I think I caught her sneaking a few snapshots of our motley crew trudging up this concrete mountain. LOL!

("After"... waiting for our tour van.)

 

Finally to the top, we told one of the checkpoint guards that we were taking a tour, and he called for Rony. We all rested on the side of the road for a few minutes until Rony showed up and introduced us to his brother, Jonathan, our guide for the day and our driver, Dave. We loaded up the wheelchair, strapped Alyssa into her booster seat, and piled into the van.

Jonathan and Dave were very nice and knowledgeable, and we enjoyed learning a little about the island and its history. By the way, I asked if the shipwrecks were real, and Jonathan said they were – one happened in the 1950s, and another ten years later in the late 60s. The wind can be brutal on ships in Roatan!

 

Our first stop was the iguana farm. Alyssa was thrilled to be around so many creatures that didn’t run away from her when she tried to touch them, and she laughed ecstatically when one of the employees handed her some leaves to feed them with. Boy, were they hungry!

 

On one side of the farm were some macaws in cages. Beautiful birds, but I didn’t get too close. I’ve become wary of any feathered animals over the years, because birds just despise me for some reason. (In the past I’ve been attacked and threatened by ducks, chickens, peacocks, turkey vultures, pigeons, hawks and storks.) “Hola!” said one macaw, then when I didn’t answer, “Hello!” I think the other macaw said something like “I kill you,” but that could have been the heat playing tricks on me.

After the iguana farm, we made a quick stop at a pretty overlook. There were a few merchant stands here, with mostly jewelry and mahogany items. I bought a huge lidded mahogany bowl for $25, while Alex hunted down a Diet Coke…sorry…Coke Light… for $2.

We were all thirsty, so we took Dave up on his offer to take us to a supermarket called “Sun,” and stocked up on some bottled water and a couple of Coke Lights. My mom change was about $1 worth of the local currency, and so we learned that they do not have coins in Roatan, only paper money. Awesome!

[Lady_Jag]

Our next stop brought us up close and personal with (gasp!) birds and monkeys…a little too personal, actually. The place wasn’t very crowded, so we took our time looking around and petting the monkeys. In one of the cages, we were all petting and holding these adorable little monkeys, when one little fellow decided to run up my arm…then poop down my arm! Ew! Thank goodness it just sort of rolled right off onto the ground, but yuck! Alyssa thought this was grossly funny… and she was right. I just chuckled and told the monkey, “well, I see what YOU had for breakfast!”

(Aw! What a little stinker...and he's holding a monkey!)

 

Then we got to visit with some Roatan rabbits, and Alyssa was just dying to pet one! I felt a little sorry for the “bunnies,” though, because when they tried to hide from Alyssa in these hollowed out ½-logs in their cage, the guide would flip the log over to expose them. I finally managed to get Alyssa to move on to the next area – some deer. Very friendly deer who licked Alyssa’s hands and arms.

(A dear and a deer)

“What’s that?” Joann asked, pointing to a fruit that had fallen out of the tree behind the deer.

“That’s a cashew fruit,” our guide told us, “very sweet.”

Then Jonathan explained that the nut from the fruit is dried and smoked to become the cashew nuts we eat, and that the fruit itself is edible, or could be made into cashew wine.

“Would you like to try it?” asked our guide, handing me the yellow fruit.

“Ummm…ok,” I said and took a bit. It was very juicy and very sweet. I offered some to Alex, who just wanted a taste, then seeing the deer eyeing it, I asked if it was ok to feed the deer. The deer ate the fruit in record time, and spit the nut out, which made Alyssa giggle some more.

(I felt safe with my nemesis behind bars.)

 

Time to move on, but first a bathroom stop to wash our hands and arms. Dave and Jonathan took us to another place to shop and admire the view, and on the way he told us more about the island. We went to the castle to look at cameos, and while there were some beautiful ones I really liked at a decent price, I just couldn’t justify the purchase. There were some neat things, though!

We also stopped at the local primary school to drop off some school supplies we had brought with us. The kids seemed happy to see us. The kids in the hallways started showing off and wrestling around, and when we passed by the open door of one of the classrooms, a little girl sitting by the door broke out into a huge smile and waved emphatically at us.

(Joann in the school library)

[Lady_Jag]

Time for lunch. I asked what was good that didn’t include seafood, since I’m allergic to shellfish. Jonathan named off a few places, and then said his mom had a restaurant, and he could take us there if we would like to try it. Sure, why not?

The restaurant was a small waterfront establishment, but had a great covered patio where we could eat and enjoy the breeze. We invited Dave and Jonathan to join us, and Jonathan did, but since there wasn’t enough room around the table for all 7 of us, Dave sat inside at the bar.

I ordered a Monkey Lala, which is a very tasty kahlua-based frozen drink that reminded me a little of a mudslide. I shared with Alex, and still felt a little lightheaded from just the one drink! Guess I needed to eat something.

(Monkey Lala - Made with Kahlua, but packs a punch!)

Jonathan’s mom came out and introduced herself. She told us that a few items on the menu were unavailable, because this was her last day of business for a while. I didn’t catch the whole story, but it had to do with the fact that RCI was supposed to fix one of the piers so that more than 1 ship would visit the island (the Dream was the only ship in port today), but that the repairs would take about 6 months.

Today’s specials were a lobster dish, a hamburger, and iguana. There were a few other items still available from the menu, but Alex and I decided to share the iguana special, per Jonathan’s recommendation. (So if you guessed “Iguana” on my trivia question above, you’re absolutely correct!) Jonathan also said that if we wanted to try the iguana eggs, he would see if there were any left for us. Ummmm…sure, why not?

(Gallo pinto is the rice dish in the back, and the plantains are in the foreground. The round yellow orb in the center is the "red" iguana egg. Our iguana is on the right. Not shown, the "white" iguana egg.)

Our iguana special came with gallo pinto (a beans and rice dish), yummy plantains, and two iguana eggs – a “red” egg and a “white” egg. Let’s start with the iguana. Does it taste like chicken? Well, sort of. It was definitely a flavor of its own, though. I’d say it was milder than chicken and actually pretty good! Alex and I ate nearly all of it. There were a LOT of tiny bones to work around, though, which didn’t bother me at all. What DID bother me was the speckled, scaly skin, which Jonathan said was edible! Sorry, but I just wasn’t THAT adventurous….it was just a little too creepy. Alex gave it a try, but didn’t care for it.

(Iguana....the other, other white meat!)

So on to the iguana eggs. The “red” egg tasted like the yolk of a chicken egg. Not bad. The white egg…well, you’re supposed to be able to eat the whole thing, outside and inside, but the outside part was really rubbery – like trying to eat a hard boiled egg wrapped in a latex balloon. Blech! I picked out some of the inside of the egg, which did have a little of the hard boiled egg flavor, then decided I had enough “exotic” food for one meal, and just ate the gallo pinto.

(Jonathan gave everyone fresh mangos to try after our meal.)

We lingered after our meal and enjoyed the breeze and the view from the restaurant and chatted with Dave, Jonathan and his mom. We were joined by Rony’s son, who was not too much older than Alyssa, and the two of them became instant friends. They played a sort of strange peek-a-boo game by the fence until we decided it was time to move on.

Because of the heat, and in the interest of time, we chose to skip the butterfly farm and botanical gardens. Instead, we rode around sightseeing and getting a little more history before heading back to the pier. We passed an area where a bunch of children were sitting at desks under a tree on the side of the road, and Jonathan explained that sometimes a school would move the classes outside to the shade, because it was cooler than being in a concrete building with no AC. Yikes!

 

On our return, Dave was able to drive us past the security check point and down the steep hill. We thanked them, paid and tipped them, then made our way back through Mahogany Bay. The power was out, so the bathrooms and some of the merchant stalls were rather dark, but it didn’t stay out for very long. We perused the shops a bit, but only Alex bought anything (a couple of Christmas gifts for his dad), and then made the long walk back to the ship.

(Everyone say, "iguana!")

[neatokimmo]

Alex and I decided to share the iguana special, per Jonathan’s recommendation. (So if you guessed “Iguana” on my trivia question above, you’re absolutely correct!)

 

Oh dear lord I was just kidding. I don't think I could eat one of those lol

[Lady_Jag]

(One of the vendors in Mahogany Bay)

 

(A view from the entrance of Mahogany Bay)

 

(A view from the restaurant)

 

It was around 5:00 when we got back to our cabins. I dressed quickly and told the group I would meet them at dinner. I wanted to check out the future cruise certificate desk. Sadly, it wasn’t open when I got there, so I noted the times for later. I walked into the dining room just after the doors opened, and sat down at our table to wait…and wait…and wait for the rest of the group to arrive. They showed up 20 minutes later! (Alex said they thought they could walk through the Crimson dining room on deck 3, but weren’t allowed to do so. So they had to wait for an elevator to take them to another deck and then walk to the aft and wait for a second elevator to bring them back to deck 3.)

Dinner was good, as usual. Alex ordered the snapper and asked Alyssa if she would like to try it. “Will it hurt my tongue?” she asked. I laughed. I guess the snapper was good though, because Little Miss Picky wound up eating half of it!

Tonight’s show was “Dancing In The Streets,” and after reading so many rave reviews about it, I was going to be sure to see it! We changed Alyssa into her PJs beforehand, just in case she fell asleep during the show. (She didn’t want to go to Camp Carnival tonight.)

I though the first part of the show was enjoyable enough, but nothing spectacular. Both the lead male and female singers sounded a little off, and Alyssa was getting bored and starting to act up. Alex took her out of the lounge for a little “talk,” and then brought Alyssa back in some time later after she had settled down and agreed to behave. Towards the last 1/3 of the performance or so, the show got really, REALLY good…good enough to live up to all the raves. I won’t reveal any of the details, but even Alyssa, who was close to dozing on Alex’s shoulder, perked up and started really getting into it!

(Alyssa brought her friend, Hallie, to the show...and I just noticed that I busted someone fixing a wedgie or scratching a bootie in the background! LOL!)

After the show, I put Alyssa to bed while Alex went to the Pink Floyd laser show. He said this laser show was MUCH better than the first night’s, and that there were plenty of pool lounge chairs in the middle of the deck that provided a spectacular vantage point. Alex said it was really cool to lie there and watch all the laser overhead. I guess I’ll have to check it out next time.

(Tonight's towel animal was a lazy bunny.)

 

Tomorrow, a day at Belize.

[Lady_Jag]

Your little girl is so cute!

 

Thank you! She always makes me smile and is my favorite subject to photograph. (Can you tell? LOL!)

 

Thank you for this great review! I am traveling with my in-laws and 3 kids in July!!! My youngest is 5 so I think your daughter is SO cute!!!!!:)

 

Thank you! 3 kids? Wow! I have a hard enough time keeping up with just one! ;)

 

Great review.... I'm especially interested in how your daughter did on the cruise... especially your impressions of Camp Carnival. This will be my son's first cruise (he's 4...).

 

Regarding the Mega mall... I'm wondering if there is any relation to the mall that I encountered in Russia...

 

 

(that says... Ашан is "Auchan" and гупермаркет is "Supermarket" and Мега is "Mega")

 

... I remember someone telling me that they had chains in Mexico ... that's why I ask.

 

Yep! That looks very much like the Mega mart in Cozumel. I bet it is the same chain.

 

Re: Camp Carnival, I've always been a huge fan of the program! This is my daughter's 3rd cruise (her first was on the Glory last year when she was 3), and the counsellors are always great with her.

 

My daughter has a speech impairment that has required weekly speech therapy since the age of 2. On our last 2 cruises, both my hubby and I noticed a marked improvement in her speech by the end of the week, thanks for the most part to Camp Carnival.

 

This cruise, however, Alyssa didn't want to go to Camp Carnival except for 2 days out of the week. She experienced some serious separation anxiety when we tried to check her in other days, so we didn't push her. I guess she was just having too much fun with Mommy and Daddy to want to leave us. ;)

 

On the days Alyssa did go to Camp Carnival, she was reluctant at first, but we promised her that she could just look around a little while and see what was going on. We would stand there for a few minutes until she made her decision, and she usually got distracted by the activity that she would barely even say goodbye to us.

 

The last night of the cruise, however, Alyssa did NOT want us to leave! I think she was over tired because she seemed extra clingy that night. We didn't force her to stay, so she wound up walking out with us, then she regretted missing out on the "mystery bag" activity a little while later.

[Lady_Jag]

Iguana! It tastes like chicken! :D

 

Oh dear lord I was just kidding. I don't think I could eat one of those lol

 

LOL! You know, I am usually a very picky eater when I'm not on a cruise. But I guess I become a little more daring and open to trying new dishes once we set sail....plus, the Monkey Lala probably helped! ;)

[Britbrie]

You are very brave to eat iguana! I've eaten alligator before, and that is as exotic as I will go! haha.

 

Great report so far!

[kjunea]

When I read Iguana as a choice, I knew that had to be it! One of my friends went to Machu Pichu and she ate Guinea Pig at a restaurant!

 

You are braver than I am!

[crewsweeper]

Lady Jag, Love your review so far...Alyssa looks like she's having a ball!

 

Yep the "hill" in Roatan, isn't the one from the pier to the shops. It's the one from the taxis to the gate:eek: I got a T shirt in St Thomas that says on th eback "Iguana take you sailing" You need one that says "Iguana take you to lunch":D Did you see the coffee kiosk in Mahogany Bay? Great coffee.

 

Waiting for Belize and CM.

 

Crew

[RedRam99V8]

Hey the photos are getting better... Of course the wedgie that is :) :D. Very good so far. Yes roatan was OMG hot. We didn't stay for the ocean or pool at the Monkeys and Pirates thing we just came straight back we were so sweaty. YOU had to walk up that hill ugh :eek:. I commented to Bridie about wow look how far out and up this hill the independent tours are. Yea i didn't care much for the singers either. Now some of the dancing girls on the other hand :D. Enjoying this review.

[templed]

Thanks for the reply!

 

and thanks again for the review!

[FlyboyUSA]

Hey lady jag! awesome cruise review, i loved reading about it!! I cant wait to sail on the dream in sept!! Glad you and your family had a great time!!!

[CBTwi]

Haha Iguana! I dont think I could ever eat that! Super adventurous! The most adventurous I've ever been was eating gator 8-)

[Zack Adams]

Cool review! Really enjoying it :)

[aubreysmom]

Laura, I am loving your review! I can't believe we have been home almost a week! I am sorry you encountered some very rude people. We were lucky this time - or maybe didn't notice it because we were having such a fun time with our "kids." The only horrible behavior we encountered was trying to leave the show one night. The people coming in surged on top of us and we could barely get out. It was the night of a big bingo game or something - LOL.

 

We pretty much avoided the lido area for dining - especially at lunch time. We ate in the MDR 99% of the time. We ate in the lido dining area on the last sea day - and it was a zoo! The staff were great about moving people through the lines quickly, but there were just so darn many people.

 

We did notice the sewer smell on the open upper decks and once or twice in our cove balcony rooms. It was not really a big deal to me. It was fairly mild and didn't stick around long.

 

We Florida folks were shocked by the heat and humidity as well - especially when climbing the Xuanantunich ruins in Belize.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review!!!

Charlotte:D

[kimba9615]

I am loving your review. We are cruising with our 5 year old in August and it's nice to read a review by somebody cruising with their child. I look forward to reading the rest of it!

[jules815]

I've enjoyed your review and pictures! We sail Saturday on Dream. :D

[rts62001]

Excellent review, with great pics. Wondering how you were able to get the trophy,and medal for your daughter. We are cruising in November, and my two dbs, 5 and 3 would love to get a knock on the door.

[Time2CruiseAgain]

Great Review!! We were the Western Itin right before yours on the Dream! We had such a great time!

 

I am particularly interested in your review as we are taking our then to be 6 yo granddaughter and 2 1/2 yo granddaughter - so glad to see your 6 yo had such a great time!!

 

Thanks for an awesome review!

[Sevencruiser]

So far great review, thanks, as this is one ship considering for next June.

Also considering Dream in June 2011. Thanks for the review. ibm, i think were on Destiny together June 2010.