My Dream Review...and I took LOTS of pics!

[bluejay555]

LFK had some really beautiful grounds....

 

 

 

 

[bluejay555]

And they have a small zoo that is very clean and well-kept. I was impressed.

 

 

 

It seemed a little cruel to have a lion in such a small enclosure until I read the story of him. He was rescued from a terrible situation and nursed back to health and is very happy now.

 

[bluejay555]

Ahh but all good things must come to an end, and we finally had to say goodbye to this paradise. There was a boat waiting to take us back to Frenchy's 44, where we would be shuttled back to the port (on the way back, they take you all the way to the shopping area...you don't have to walk down that street again)

 

as we got on the little boat, a man was giving each of the kids a Honduran dollar. Neat souvenir!

 

 

And one more story about LFK....we were standing around one of those round tables that was in the water, and we noticed a strange looking little crab, about the size of a silver dollar, clinging to the post of the table. A while later we went to check on the little guy, but he was gone. Fast forward to back on the ship. We immediately went out to the balcony to shake the sand out of our swim suits, and draped them over the chairs for a bit. Well the next morning, guess who we found on the balcony floor??? Wondering which one of our suits he hitched a ride in!! Gives me the willies thinking about that thing crawling up my swimsuit! Too bad the poor fella was dead by the time we found him. Guess he got all dried out.

 

So to conclude my review of LFK: I highly recommend visiting this gorgeous place. My pictures do not do it justice. The staff went out of their way to make sure we had a great experience. It wasn't too crowded, and there was plenty to do (I didn't mention this earlier, but you can also swim with a jaguar, or ride horses in the water--both for a fee, and you can use snorkel equipment for free I think).

[Mistyhon]

Ahh but all good things must come to an end,

 

 

 

So to conclude my review of LFK: I highly recommend visiting this gorgeous place. My pictures do not do it justice. The staff went out of their way to make sure we had a great experience. It wasn't too crowded, and there was plenty to do (I didn't mention this earlier, but you can also swim with a jaguar, or ride horses in the water--both for a fee, and you can use snorkel equipment for free I think).

 

 

Any idea how much it cost to hang with the Jaguar? I saw photos from our FB group after our stop there and we put it on the short list for next time. The photos were gorgeous!!!

[bluejay555]

Any idea how much it cost to hang with the Jaguar? I saw photos from our FB group after our stop there and we put it on the short list for next time. The photos were gorgeous!!!

 

I don't know. Sorry! I checked their website and it doesn't list the individual price for that, just that it's part of the VIP package.

[oceanbums]

I hope you don't mind if I chime in. We were also there last week and I remember reading there was a $35 fee for swimming with the jaguar. I did see some people asking if they could take their children's pic with the jaguar and don't believe he charged for that but not sure if that is what he had planned or if they assumed it was ok. It was interesting to watch, the jaguar loves the water and kept jumping off the table as soon as the pic was taken-she couldn't wait to get back in.

[steveknj]

Great review. We are leaving tomorrow for NOLA from NJ (flying) and will be on the Sunday Dream Cruise (Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel itinerary). Everything looks good so far. One question, for Room Service, which we've never done, do you tip right after food is delivered (and how much) or do you just roll that in with the tips at the end of the cruise as well? We plan to do Room Service at least once this time around.

[bluejay555]

I hope you don't mind if I chime in. We were also there last week and I remember reading there was a $35 fee for swimming with the jaguar. I did see some people asking if they could take their children's pic with the jaguar and don't believe he charged for that but not sure if that is what he had planned or if they assumed it was ok. It was interesting to watch, the jaguar loves the water and kept jumping off the table as soon as the pic was taken-she couldn't wait to get back in.

 

Good info, thanks! We saw the jaguar but he was in his cage. They said they were getting it out later, but we never saw him out. At one point someone announced they were getting some monkeys out that we could pet, but we just couldn't drag ourselves away from the beach area.

[bluejay555]

Great review. We are leaving tomorrow for NOLA from NJ (flying) and will be on the Sunday Dream Cruise (Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel itinerary). Everything looks good so far. One question, for Room Service, which we've never done, do you tip right after food is delivered (and how much) or do you just roll that in with the tips at the end of the cruise as well? We plan to do Room Service at least once this time around.

 

I hope you have a great trip and good weather :) I'm sure any tip you give will be appreciated. A couple bucks would be sufficient. I would not roll it in, but hand it to them when the food is delivered.

[ryoku]

Loving your review so far! Can't wait to be there in November.

[bluejay555]

Loving your review so far! Can't wait to be there in November.

 

Thank you! November will be here before you know it!

 

OK so up next is Belize and I will give my review of Starfish Island (formerly known as Bannister Island). I have lots to say about that place and lots of pictures! Off to go resize my pics, then I will start the review. Thanks for following along :)

[marshhawk]

Thank you for your review, I am loving all the information-the Dream isn't even on my to do right now list, but I love the ports you went to, so cant wait for your next entry! And I would love that cove balcony, so-with the door closed, could you still hear the waves at night? That is my favorite sound.

 

 

More please!

[bluejay555]

Thank you for your review, I am loving all the information-the Dream isn't even on my to do right now list, but I love the ports you went to, so cant wait for your next entry! And I would love that cove balcony, so-with the door closed, could you still hear the waves at night? That is my favorite sound.

 

 

More please!

 

Thank you for reading along! The cove balconies are amazing. This was our second time in a cove. We didn't really hear the waves, though...I don't think. We'd stay on the balcony until bed, then come in and fall asleep the moment we hit the sheets.

 

Which speaking of sheets...it was too hot in our cabin to cover up with the blankets at night. We had the thermostat turned down as low as it would go but it was uncomfortably warm in there. If my husband would have been with us, he would have been miserable. He likes to turn the room into an igloo lol A little fan would have worked wonders.

[marshhawk]

I always pack a battery operated fan with me, and have never used it-but I have never cruised when it was warm. I will take it with me in September. I hate the fact that my job this afternoon will not allow me on CC, so I will be back tomorrow. Thanks again!

[bluejay555]

BELIZE TIME!!!

 

We woke up to it pouring down rain. It was so foggy outside we could barely see anything. I was just sure they would cancel the tenders, but they didn't. And there were people going to the mainland in droves. It stopped raining in time for our excursion, luckily, but it stayed overcast all day long. That was probably a good thing because we were all burnt to a crisp from our sunny day at LFK. We applied and reapplied sunscreen but it's just never enough for our fair skin. We manage to burn every cruise. Guess we didn't think to spray our hands though !

[bluejay555]

I always pack a battery operated fan with me, and have never used it-but I have never cruised when it was warm. I will take it with me in September. I hate the fact that my job this afternoon will not allow me on CC, so I will be back tomorrow. Thanks again!

 

Good idea, I will be packing a fan next time. See you tomorrow! (I can't get on cc at work either, but I'm off for the summer!)

[bluejay555]

This is what we woke up to in Belize. Not looking good out there

 

but after a couple hours, the rain let up and there was a lot of activity out there. We did hear people say their early morning excursions were canceled, so I guess it just depended on what you were doing, and when. We were a little disappointed our excursion didn't start until 11:30, but actually it worked out perfectly with the weather. It was a good thing we had to wait!

 

[bluejay555]

I had a hard time deciding on what to do in Belize. We all love the beach, so I searched and searched, and although there were lots of negative reviews of starfish Island, it's the place we felt safest going. With that long tender to the mainland, we just felt like we needed to book through Carnival, and liked the idea that our excursion left from the ship rather than from the mainland.

 

So we met up at 11:15 in the theater and about 11:35 we were escorted down to the tender that was waiting for us. The water was so choppy, it was scary getting into the boat. There were people on both sides grabbing our arms and throwing us in! The ride took about 10 or 15 min and was like a speed boat, so there wasn't any bobbing around for people to start feeling sick...yet (nobody in my group gets seasick but others were commenting that they do)

 

[bluejay555]

Now, I think if you go into this knowing what to expect, you'll be happier. This is not a 5 star resort, not even close. It had an amazing beach though, with lots of little shells and hermit crabs, and a "touch pool" (that's what I'm going to call it) where you could pick up starfish, conch shells, and a couple clawless lobsters, there was a bar, and you are served lunch. The whole island had a very thin layer of sand over concrete, so it was obviously manmade, but this made it much easier to walk, so I didn't mind one bit. (entry into the water had much more sand) It was fine for what it was. Just fine.

 

First thing we did was go find the starfish. The girls were excited to see them. I knew they would not be lining the beach, but I didn't realize they were corralled into a fenced in pool. That part is so gimmicky. Like, they put some starfish in a cage and call the place starfish island? Oh well, it was a neat experience for the kids.

 

 

 

[Janet Foster]

Enjoying your review!

[bluejay555]

Enjoying your review!

 

Thank you Janet!

[tandemcruzr]

First thing we did was go find the starfish. The girls were excited to see them. I knew they would not be lining the beach, but I didn't realize they were corralled into a fenced in pool. That part is so gimmicky. Like, they put some starfish in a cage and call the place starfish island? Oh well, it was a neat experience for the kids.

 

We saw lots of starfish along the dock away from the little pen you saw and also along the water where the hammocks were. Didn't go out to try to pick them up. Really enjoyed our day there.

[Foxycourt95]

Great pictures, following!

[bluejay555]

We saw lots of starfish along the dock away from the little pen you saw and also along the water where the hammocks were. Didn't go out to try to pick them up. Really enjoyed our day there.

 

Aw, I wish I would have known that! The water was so murky from the storms that we wouldn't have been able to see them if the water was deeper than a foot, though.

[mabones]

I can't wait to read more. We have the same Itinerary in December. Have already made arrangements with LFK at the beginning of the year. Just have to decide which package.