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

[ccodcruzer]

OMG- take care and feel better soon!

[mississauga]

Alicia, you need to slow down and take it easier. I know we have all appreciated all your hard work with the review and wonderful photos. You probably overdid it in trying to please us and make it the fabulous review that it was. Plus you had your "real" job too.

 

I know I sound like a nagging mother but hey, I am one and you need someone to tell you to slow down. You may have gotten the meningitis from overdoing it and you really really need lots of rest now.

 

Latanya, if you are reading this, you need to take good care of her...lol

[tiffy0428]

Your writing style and pictures are great. Next year my partner and I are doing the Dream, this year it's Conquest in August. this gives me something to look for

[marygal]

Take care of yourself hope you feel better!

[SerenityDream]

Take Care.... We will wait for you to get well.

[Jeafl]

Although I have read (and LOVED!) this entire thread, this is my first post on it.

 

Like everyone else, I've truly enjoyed your review and pictures. I am so sorry to hear you have meningitis! My husband came down with meningitis shortly after a cruise as well, and it was very scary. Ironically, it was also after visiting the exact same ports that you visited. It really makes me wonder if there is some connection.

 

In any case, I hope you are feeling better soon, meningitis is nothing to mess around with.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Jeafl

[my2monkees]

I have not posted to the thread yet but have loved seeing your pictures. I hope you feel better soon. Take care

[barefoot cruiser]

Feel better soon

[italianfemmy]

Although I have read (and LOVED!) this entire thread, this is my first post on it.

 

Like everyone else, I've truly enjoyed your review and pictures. I am so sorry to hear you have meningitis! My husband came down with meningitis shortly after a cruise as well, and it was very scary. Ironically, it was also after visiting the exact same ports that you visited. It really makes me wonder if there is some connection.

 

In any case, I hope you are feeling better soon, meningitis is nothing to mess around with.

 

Since it was nearly a month after I was back home, I really don't think my cruise had anything to do with me getting the Meningitis. I don't want anyone to freak out and think this happened as a result of the cruise. :-)

 

I am getting better everyone, thank you for your well wishes. Today was my last dose of antibiotics and I am hoping to feel stronger over the next couple of days with more rest. It's hard to rest when you own a company and so much needs to be done. This has all made me really want to think about hiring an assistant that can take care of things when I am physically impossible to do so!

 

I promise to finish my review when I am well!

[gapearl]

Since it was nearly a month after I was back home, I really don't think my cruise had anything to do with me getting the Meningitis. I don't want anyone to freak out and think this happened as a result of the cruise. :-)

 

I am getting better everyone, thank you for your well wishes. Today was my last dose of antibiotics and I am hoping to feel stronger over the next couple of days with more rest. It's hard to rest when you own a company and so much needs to be done. This has all made me really want to think about hiring an assistant that can take care of things when I am physically impossible to do so!

 

I promise to finish my review when I am well!

 

Take care of yourself and feel better soon!

[ninneman]

Introduction

 

Hello everyone! I have gone back and forth on whether or not to do this review (mostly because of time constraints) but have decided to do so anyway. I will most likely only be able to review one day of the cruise at a time and there may be days between posts so please be patient with me, subscribe to this thread so you'll be notified of new posts and enjoy the ride! :D

 

I'm Alicia, 30, and live in Tampa, FL. My partner in life, Latanya, 32 and I sailed on the Dream together on 12/10/11 through 12/17/11. This sailing made my 14th or 15th sailing between CCL and RCL. Can you tell I love cruising? :-) I actually have a goal that I hope to reach which is 500 days at sea before I am no longer living. Hopefully I'll make it to see that 500th sea day! Latanya went on her first cruise with me when we first got together and the Dream made her 4th cruise. She's not as crazy about cruising as I am but she still quite enjoys them.

 

For me, cruising is a little about the ship, a little about the ports of call and a little of getting to know new people and discover new things. Together, all parts make the perfect recipe. I am a self proclaimed nitpicky individual and I tend to analyze everything and everyone despite my best efforts not to do so. But with that, you get honesty from me all the time and I don't really mince words. If I love something, I am vocal about it.. If I don't.. count on me to do the same. With that said, I am also very fair and point out the good with the bad and vice versa. I see things as a whole, not just as one facet.

 

Okay, next post will be Day 1 of our cruise. I am going to grab some lunch real quick while day 1's photos are uploading and will post shortly!

 

I love all of our pics, nice job. Not your typical photos, very visually appealing and interesting! :D

 

Can you please tell me how to import my pics into my thread.

 

Thanks

[willowbea]

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.

 

My prayers are with you. Hope you feel better soon. Sharon

[somoremoney]

I just found this review and would like to thank you for posting it. I just booked a cruise on Carnival Dream and reading your review has heightened my excitement of going on the cruise.

 

Hope you have a speedy recovery and I look forward to hearing more from you.

 

Doug

[somoremoney]

I forgot to mention what a wonderful artist you are with the camera. Your photos are breathtaking. Thanks for sharing.

[DREAMGIRL2012]

I hope you feel better soon.

[navybaby1113]

Feel better!

[AllyRae]

I was on the same sailing as you were, and I love love LOVE your review (especially all of the pictures!). I had my 3 young children with me (all who had a horrible experience at Camp Carnival. :( So, they ended up being with us the entire time)...so it was nice seeing the "grown up" areas of the ship. :)

 

1) We loved all of our animal encounters--and I think you guys were right after us with the baby tiger. I remember watching the tiger snuggling with you while we were waiting for our excursion to leave! We interacted with/held the dolphins, birds, bodden's monkeys, a boa constrictor, and the tiger.

 

2) Fun Force was awesome! :D

 

3) 10000% agree with you about Bodden Tours. It was a wonderful time!

 

And 4) You have some awesome pictures of the ship itself too...seriously, Carnival needs to buy them off of you for their site! :D

[italianfemmy]

I was on the same sailing as you were, and I love love LOVE your review (especially all of the pictures!). I had my 3 young children with me (all who had a horrible experience at Camp Carnival. :( So, they ended up being with us the entire time)...so it was nice seeing the "grown up" areas of the ship. :)

 

1) We loved all of our animal encounters--and I think you guys were right after us with the baby tiger. I remember watching the tiger snuggling with you while we were waiting for our excursion to leave! We interacted with/held the dolphins, birds, bodden's monkeys, a boa constrictor, and the tiger.

 

2) Fun Force was awesome! :D

 

3) 10000% agree with you about Bodden Tours. It was a wonderful time!

 

And 4) You have some awesome pictures of the ship itself too...seriously, Carnival needs to buy them off of you for their site! :D

 

Awww you're not the one that the tiger was screaming for, were you? Poor little guy was so cranky and tired by the end of the day! And I was freaking out that we were going to miss the ship if we kept waiting for our photo!

[PseudoJenn]

Alicia,

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and viewing your "food porn" Chef's Table post... and found your link to the Dream review through your sig.

 

It has been a wonderful trip down memory lane for me to remember the beauty of the Dream and the WONDERFUL staff onboard. It truly was an amazing experience. You have much the same positive attitude like I do.. and roll with the punches and don't let things get you down when things don't always go as originally planned. ;) Sometimes the best things and experiences comes from those that aren't planned!

 

You have amazing talent.. I went and visited your professional photog. website... amazing. (there has to be a better word than amazing!!) I love your style and you do create true art with your photog. skills, your vision, and then your ability to tweak and add that flair when you're post-processing your photos in PS.

 

Thank you so much for the reviews.. the pictures... sharing your experience with us. I hope you are on the mend and getting well.

 

I look forward to viewing your review of the Breeze later this year to get ramped up and excited for my trip in the New Year next year!!!! ;)

 

Oh... and my FAVE photo from all.. has to be the two young men sitting on the back of the truck.. that you took through the windshield. All of the aspects (incl. taking the pic through the windshield) the processing, the moment... speak volumes and honestly do evoke emotion and thought. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

[Cruiser_SG77]

Great review and FANTASTIC pictures! Thank you so much for taking the time to post it! :)

[OnTheBrink]

I had my 3 young children with me (all who had a horrible experience at Camp Carnival. :( So, they ended up being with us the entire time)...so it was nice seeing the "grown up" areas of the ship. :)

 

Uh oh! Can you share more about this? My kids will be 7 and 11 when we are on the Dream in July. My 3 year old niece will also be with us. (And 18 month old nephew and 16 year old nephew, neither of whom will use Camp Carnival.)

[TheSailinSOB]

 

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

 

 

.

 

AHAHAHA The weirdo in the window is priceless :D

[italianfemmy]

Uh oh! Can you share more about this? My kids will be 7 and 11 when we are on the Dream in July. My 3 year old niece will also be with us. (And 18 month old nephew and 16 year old nephew, neither of whom will use Camp Carnival.)

 

Guys, please keep this as short as you can... I don't want it to detract from the thread.. I know it's relevant information from someone elses experience that could help other parents.. Perhaps she has a review she's written that she can link you to for this information though? If not, that's cool.. just please don't let it get out of hand like other threads on CC :-)

[italianfemmy]

We left off on page 21. We had just finished the break dancing class with the Fun Force guys and rushed to our room to get ready for the 2nd formal night.

 

The first formal night, I dressed up really fancy in an adorable, beautiful dress that I went out and bought special for this cruise. Unfortunately, we didn't take any photos of me in it except for the ship photos which I hated and didn't purchase. I saw nice photos of other people but the ones of me were all bad angles and I didn't care for them.

 

We're also in the cruise video that night and I think I look great in the dress in the video. Would love to see if I can take a screenshot of the video so I can have a photo of me in it! lol.

 

So, this night I was more dressy casual than formal. We all decided to take some photos on the staircase with my camera. Steve and Kim joined us for dinner this night.

 

 

 

Latanya in a dress! RARE - 3rd time in the 6 years we've been together!

 

 

 

 

Then we headed into the Crimson dining room for dinner. I actually took a couple of food photos tonight and you'll see them soon!

 

P.S. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I am feeling much better today!

[jenseib]

fabulous photos