Carnival Dream Picture Review, December 10th-17th, 2011

[crewsweeper]

And that trip is an 8 day instead of 7! AND it's the first sailing in the U.S. (excluding the 2 day one).

 

So...

 

a.) everyone will be wanting to read reviews for it which will motivate me.

b.) I'll be geeking out to be on a brand new ship with new places I've never seen on a cruise ship (all the 2.0 updates). Which will entice me to take even more photos.

 

c.) I'll remember how much everyone loved and appreciated this review and it will make me want to discover more things to tell stories about with my review and photos.

 

a) Her fellow CC cruisers will be chiming in instead of doing their own revews (speaking soley for myself):p

b) This should be a blast! Can you take a 5D photo? Which I think is really 3D glasses with the '80s era aroma-surround and all the rice and spritzer bottles leftover from the midnight shows of Rocky Horror Picture Show. ;)

c) And I'm sure there will be stories, Can't wait for them.:)

 

Now what about Costa Maya?:confused:

[ccodcruzer]

I want to cruise with you guys because you seem like so much fun- the photos would be a extra bonus :)

 

I've so gotta do the baby tiger, if they have one! How do you book the Chef's table? I'm still working on trying to convince my husband, but just the behind the scenes specialness of it is enough to convince me :D.

Maybe I can talk a few from my roll call into it ?

[italianfemmy]

a) Her fellow CC cruisers will be chiming in instead of doing their own revews (speaking soley for myself):p

b) This should be a blast! Can you take a 5D photo? Which I think is really 3D glasses with the '80s era aroma-surround and all the rice and spritzer bottles leftover from the midnight shows of Rocky Horror Picture Show. ;)

c) And I'm sure there will be stories, Can't wait for them.:)

 

Now what about Costa Maya?:confused:

 

I already reviewed Costa Maya. Go back in time. Sorry all the chitter chatter makes it hard to keep up with review posts. :-).

[zabnee]

It's also inspired me to want to write again! So thank ALL OF YOU SO MUCH for putting a daily grin on my face and for inspiring me.

 

After having read your story and how you got into photography, I think this statement here is the BEST part of all your posts on this thread so far.

 

You are a gifted and talented writer AND photographer. and I bet you could start off, by publishing a travel photo book, staring your ver y own Dream cruise photos! (Hey.. they're already edited! :D)

Edited January 12, 2012 by zabnee

[steven93921]

It's also inspired me to want to write again! So thank ALL OF YOU SO MUCH for putting a daily grin on my face and for inspiring me.

 

After having read your story and how you got into photography, I think this statement here is the BEST part of all your posts on this thread so far.

 

My thoughts exaclty!

[italianfemmy]

My thoughts exaclty!

 

exaclty? Is that a word? That's what you get for that Bean Burrito comment ... lol. And don't even blame it on auto correct on your phone because you still have the ability to proof your post before submitting :D

[crewsweeper]

I already reviewed Costa Maya. Go back in time. Sorry all the chitter chatter makes it hard to keep up with review posts. :-).

Ah, I found it! Actually at Pez Quadro, you weren't a mile from Tropicante maybe 3 blocks. But that could have felt like 3 miles to you:( You did walk too far, it's easy to miss Tropicante because its a "store front" and every other place has loungers next to it, hard to distinguish. Sorry you missed Steve's hospitality. DW loved those colorful houses too. I told here they were US$400,000 on House Hunters International:D. Really havent' a clue as to the cost.

 

I would imagine that baby tiger isn't a cute cuddly baby any more, though. Or won't be in a few months.

[sjn911]

I am sooo playing hookie..(sp) for when you should be working...your review and photos and all just say happiy cruise, yopur 3 reasons true to why I do too. I like you love to see the pros and cons and get honesty..but love the joy..your room area idea is great plan and just the positive good vibes here making my day...i am only on day three....

 

I really, really really love dolphions..can not beleive how long it has been since I did a long week with wild ones in Kona...so want to do dolphin and ray experiences cruising..and a spa every day cruise as soon as possible..your reporting is so refreshing, style infectious, and empathic emotion capturing in the photos..wow..and I would love a photoshop in a similar style suit against the sea..LOL..that was great..somewhere I have said hi before I think...but wow thanks soooo much for today...sarah

[italianfemmy]

We left off with us rushing back to the ship from Costa Maya.

 

Latanya and I immediately went to our stateroom to shower off and you probably think we went straight to the spa. Haha. Not this time.

 

This time, we'd decided to attend the Past Guest party which was being hosted in the Encore Theatre. I've been skipping past guest parties for my last few cruises because the last one I went to (years ago) was in a piano bar on the ship and about 40 people showed up and they served nasty champagne. (I don't drink but the person I was with did.) Nothing else was included other than that champagne. It was boring and not worth my time.

 

With the one on the Dream being held in the Encore, I decided to go but warned Latanya that she probably would only have access to some nasty cheap champagne. We figured since it was in the Encore, perhaps they had some kind of performance set up for us or something.

 

As we made our way into the theatre, we noticed all of the tables had napkins and empty plates sitting on them. Interesting and different (again it's been years since I went to one so this may be the norm now.). Several waitstaff members were bustling around and serving drinks (Not just champagne but all kinds of mixed drinks.) A favorite amongst the crowd were the Whiskey Sour drinks. They also had a delicious virgin punch drink that they were serving which I was very happy with. I'd brought a soda with me from my room that I carried on the ship and didn't have to drink it.

 

They brought out an assortment of cheeses, crackers, some yummy chicken salad roll thingy ma bobs (delicious), thin cripsy bread sticks and an assortment of olives (I ate a ton of black olives). Almost all of the food was very good as well.

 

The captain came out and made some announcements and thanked us all for our loyalty. And I want to say there was some kind of a little dance number although I really cannot recall. They did let guests go up on the stage and dance to music which was pretty cool.

 

There were hundreds of people in there. It was amazing to me. They had TWO past guest parties this day because they had to be able to fit everyone in (and again, this was in the huge theatre.) Ours was at 4:30-5:15. The next one was at 5:30, I think. Overall, it was nice and a decent surprise. Latanya was able to get 3 or 4 drinks during the 45 minutes and I got 2 punch drinks. The food was plenty to hold me over for dinner too which was great!

 

 

 

 

[italianfemmy]

After the past guest party, Latanya and I headed Aft to Caliente night club. They were finishing up an art auction and then the Fun Force dancers came in to teach the breakdancing class we'd been waiting for.

 

I mostly took videos on my 5D MK II and I haven't even tried to figure out how to edit them yet (that'll have to wait for another time.) I did snap a couple of photos though. I didn't dance because I was shooting videos. Latanya did dance but she was all the way at the back and I didn't have my long lens with me so I didn't take pictures of her. Not that I was there to take photos of her anyway. (Haha.. sorry honey!).

 

The Fun Force guys, as I've mentioned already are a FABULOUS addition to the Dream. They all have great personalities. They bring something new and fresh and hip to the cruise line atmosphere. SO MUCH BETTER than another line dance to the same 3 songs on every cruise. :D

 

 

 

 

At the end, they all posed for photos for all of the people that wanted their photo taken with them.

 

 

And I told them to all do something cool for Latanya's photo. I waited for everyone else to leave before asking for this so that everyone wouldn't make them do it. :-)

 

 

It's formal night again and we have to go back to our room and start getting ready for dinner. See you all later!

 

 

.

[steven93921]

exaclty? Is that a word? That's what you get for that Bean Burrito comment ... lol. And don't even blame it on auto correct on your phone because you still have the ability to proof your post before submitting :D

 

WOW! Really?!? You're gonna bust my chops when I'm saying something NICE about you? hmmmph!! How do you know I'm not dyslexic miss-smarty-pants??

 

:cool:

[italianfemmy]

WOW! Really?!? You're gonna bust my chops when I'm saying something NICE about you? hmmmph!! How do you know I'm not dyslexic miss-smarty-pants??

 

:cool:

 

Because I know your stubby fingers hit the wrong buttons all the time when we chat. :-D I still luvs ya though! Okay, we should stop hijacking my thread and making it grow with our nonsense. Haha

[steven93921]

 

 

 

If I had know this was going on, I would have made sure to be the knucklehead in the window... but then you might have had to blurr me out of the shot or something :cool:

[MrsZee]

If I had know this was going on, I would have made sure to be the knucklehead in the window... but then you might have had to blurr me out of the shot or something :cool:

 

 

HAHAHA, before you said that I didn't see the guy photo bombing her in the background. LOL

[gapearl]

Don't leave us hanging! We wanna hear about day 7 and see more pictures! :)

[tiger belle]

I sympathize with the ankle/feet swelling because I always have that on cruises also. This past September we cruised on Freedom of the Seas and by day 3 I could barely wear flip-flops my feet were so swollen!

 

 

I had the same problem on the Dream last week...I wonder what it is that makes ankles and fee swell on cruise ships?

 

btw...love the baby tiger photos! I wish I had seen that opportunity last week while in Costa Maya because I would have paid to cuddle that baby tiger as well :)

[SerenityDream]

I found some info. about ankles and feet swelling while cruising ......

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/6952532/Why-do-my-feet-and-ankles-swell-when-Im-on-a-ships-cruise.html

 

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk

[tiger belle]

thanks, Serenity...that article brought up some good points...that is the one thing I was theorizing; i.e., the salt content of the food...I have been off the ship since Saturday, and the swelling still hasn't totally gone down...I guess it takes a while sometimes to get all of the salt out of your system :confused: I think I better start drinking some more water to help

[jenseib]

Hi, I am new to your review, well I've been reading up on it for the past few days...but finally posting..

I love it! I have never sailed Carnival, but we are considering it for the future. I have sailed the "dream" but not Carnivals....Disney's. and will be sailing her again this year.

 

I love your style of writing and your pictures. I too am one who would love to pick your brain. I dabble with photography (I have a canon 50D)....but I am very amateur. I also edit with photoshop (CS3) but I only know some basics....very basics. I would love to just sit and watch you edit for a full day!

 

Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

[italianfemmy]

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about the review. I've been in the hospital with Meningitis and fighting getting over it for the past few days. I had to shoot a wedding yesterday because we couldn't replace me. I'm slowly getting better it seems. I'll post more when I'm back in good health.

[rtfnl]

Alicia, I hope that you get well soon. Tell Latanya she better take good care of you.

Edited January 17, 2012 by rtfnl

[zabnee]

I hope you feel better soon, Alicia!

[jenseib]

oh my goodness...get well soon

[beebold]

Many well wishes for your speedy recovery!

[SenatorsFan]

Take care and feel better soon.

Heather