VERY Belated Dream Cruise Review - With Spa Cabin, Cheers, and Christmas Carols!

[agp_mzk]

How has the weather been for you?

 

I took this cruise in December 2016, so I can't give a report on current weather in the Caribbean. However, it's been a VERY wet summer here in Alabama, especially this week, which brought us out of the drought but is now starting to wear out its welcome. The Birmingham area got hit pretty hard with some spin-up tornadoes this afternoon, but (so far) all we've had here is more rain.

 

On the cruise, our weather was lovely, except for the morning it rained on us pretty hard in Roatan. When we arrived back in New Orleans, though, it was pretty cold, damp, and miserable!

[NOSaints1]

We're on the dream in April 2018 we booked a spa balcony, we were supposed to go to those three ports but they also added costa maya so we lose a sea day but gained a port. We're in New Orleans three days before the cruise at the doubletree.

 

 

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[jingels]

Thanks so much for the review! Loved reading along and following your cruise journey as well as New Orleans. We are leaving for the Dream in five weeks and can hardly wait! You have heightened the anticipation even more!

[watermelonqueen99]

Great review! We're going on the Dream for the second time in late October, your review has me excited to sail her again!

[llfrazer]

I took this cruise in December 2016, so I can't give a report on current weather in the Caribbean. However, it's been a VERY wet summer here in Alabama, especially this week, which brought us out of the drought but is now starting to wear out its welcome. The Birmingham area got hit pretty hard with some spin-up tornadoes this afternoon, but (so far) all we've had here is more rain.

 

On the cruise, our weather was lovely, except for the morning it rained on us pretty hard in Roatan. When we arrived back in New Orleans, though, it was pretty cold, damp, and miserable!

 

Oops..... sorry meant to ask that on a different thread.... haha! I am enjoying your review though.... thanks

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[bigbny1]

nice job, thanks

 

 

B

[agp_mzk]

Thank you all! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Anyislandwilldo]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. We are going in 2019 and I'm reading everyone's review until them.:p

[crusinpsychRN]

Thanks for the great review.

 

I agree about the BBQ. The food was cold and the beans were just nasty.

 

The pic of the broken umbrellas made me laugh! Years ago I paid $1 for a Carnival poncho which I still have. I think they're $3 now. Still a deal.

 

I liked Mr. Sanchos a lot better than Nachi.

 

For future notice: anti social in psychiatry means criminal. Say socially shy or something else.

[debster11]

Day 2: At Sea

 

I'm a pretty boring person on sea days. I did discover on this day that cruise ships do not cater to early risers. If you wake up around 6:30 am, as I did most days on this trip, your only breakfast option is room service. When you're sharing an interior room with someone who likes to sleep in, this can be a logistical problem. On this first sea day, I wandered the ship for a while in search of food, had no luck, and went back to the room to order a BLT. For the remainder of the mornings, I knew to just go ahead and call room service as soon as I woke up. The servers did an excellent job of slipping in quietly with my food and disappearing just as stealthily after I signed the receipt. Not once did M wake up during my breakfast service!

 

I also discovered that the spa doesn't open first thing in the morning, either! After breakfast every morning, I would wander up to the thermal suite as soon as the spa opened, claiming one of the tile loungers to bask in the early morning sun and read, then cooling off in the relaxation room before heading down to wake M up to get the rest of the day started. FYI: It takes time for those tiled loungers to get warmed up in the morning. It was quite a shock on the first morning to stretch out on one while it was still cold! Nevertheless, this area was my happy place, for sure, and I'd be interested in buying a spa pass if I couldn't afford a spa balcony the next time I travel on a ship with a Cloud 9 Spa.

 

 

 

After rousing M from her slumbers, I drug her down to the sea day brunch. I love the steak and eggs! By this time, I'd been up for several hours, so second breakfast seemed acceptable. Throughout our sea days, we'd alternate between lounging around the Serenity or Lido Decks and playing trivia, sometimes together and sometimes separately.

 

 

A note here about cabin service: The Dream is one of the ships with the infamous "menu" of stateroom services. We wanted to receive twice daily service, an ice bucket, and robes (they weren't in the cabin when we boarded). For the first couple of days, our room was being serviced in the middle of the day, towel animal and all! We didn't even see our steward until the second sea day, when we were finally able to make our preferences known. After that, he was very friendly and attentive, but I spent the beginning of the cruise wondering if our cabin was being serviced by a ghost.

 

The first sea day was also the first elegant night on the cruise and our first night at our assigned late seating table. By this time, we had befriended some people from our meet and greet group, so we ended up requesting a table that could accommodate our new friends. The dining room manager was kind enough to help us out, and we never met our original table mates, but we had a blast with the group we had made for ourselves.

 

Next up: More of the same... :')

 

What is the drink you have here? It looks yummy!!

[kbklcamp]

Great review. You made the spa very appealing.

 

 

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[agp_mzk]

What is the drink you have here? It looks yummy!!

 

That is a Kiss on the Lips. It is my favorite Carnival drink, hands down!

[agp_mzk]

Great review. You made the spa very appealing.

 

Thank you!

[agp_mzk]

Thanks for the great review.

 

I agree about the BBQ. The food was cold and the beans were just nasty.

 

The pic of the broken umbrellas made me laugh! Years ago I paid $1 for a Carnival poncho which I still have. I think they're $3 now. Still a deal.

 

I liked Mr. Sanchos a lot better than Nachi.

 

For future notice: anti social in psychiatry means criminal. Say socially shy or something else.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the BBQ was probably the worst meal I've ever had on a cruise; hopefully what they are serving at the newer BBQ venues on other ships is much better!

 

I think that Carnival poncho will stay packed in my suitcase permanently. You never know when a poncho will come in handy! I don't have a great track record with umbrellas...

 

I haven't ever visited Mr. Sancho's, but I know a lot of people enjoy it. Nachi is (mostly) very quiet and peaceful, with few children, and I enjoy that quite a bit.

 

I've gone back and read through this entire thread twice now and can't find any reference to "anti social". Maybe you got mixed up with something that was in another post? :confused:

[debster11]

That is a Kiss on the Lips. It is my favorite Carnival drink, hands down!

 

I thought that was what it was. I've never had it but I think I am going to have to try it!!!