Carnival Dream

This was probably my best cruise yet! I let some fabulous people and the staff was great! The ship didn't seem to be packed with kiddos. Everything was paced just perfectly for the week. Although, when we first sailed out of NOLA, the weather wasn't cooperating. It rained the first two days, but they kept the entertainment going on the inside.Alex, the cruise director was awesome. I stayed in stateroom 2300. I had issues with sewage/drain backing up in the shower and the hole behind the toilet. You could hear it gurgling. Guest services was very apologetic, although it wasn't their fault. But tried to accommodate as best as they could.The Alchemy Bar was the meetup spot when they opened at 5:00pm. Maria was very nice. In the beginning. She overheard me talking to another guest on how they wipe down their bottles at the end of the day (use the same towel, wipe the tip and then the rest of the bottle, where the hands hold the bottle, then on to the next bottle without rinsing the towel off). She responded by saying "it is what it is". First off, I wasn't talking to you. When she heard me say, oh, that remark will go I. My survey, she then tried to be extra friendly. I would highly recommend the Carnival Dream. The layout is very easy to learn and the decor/theme is Marie Gras.

This was my first cruise, so take this review for what it is. This was not, however, my first vacation. If you're on the fence about booking this cruise, just go for it! It's worth the money to have room, food, entertainment, activities, and several destinations in a one stop shop and reasonably priced. Pros:-Awesome ports of call (Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel)-Many diverse food options (Mongolian, Indian, Italian, burgers, pizza, bbq, etc)-24/7 food-Nightly shows/Entertainment -Excellent customer service -Clean room-Clean ship (people were always cleaning and wiping)-Easy embarkation/debarkation-Daily ship agenda outlining all of the activities -Carnival hub app (offers tips, weather, ability to book excursions with a click) -Chef's table, 100% worth the extra cost-Staff takes the time to learn names, making the cruise more personal-Didn't feel overcrowded-Gym and running/walking track on board-Ocean Views (so relaxing from the balcony every night)-Adults only deck-Hard working cruise director (involved in everything)Cons:-The best food was open limited hours (12pm-2:30pm)-Steak House (paid extra and food and service was lacking) -The spa is expensive! Double what you would pay on landThere was honestly so much to do that we didn't even have time to get to the arcade, mini golf, comedy shows, water slide, and piano bar. I'm looking forward to our next cruise so we can explore different destinations and participate in more ship activities.

Just got back from a 7 day trip to Key West and the Bahamas out of New Orleans and I am big time missing my cabin no. 1353 :-( I went with my children, Sweets and almost all of my best friends and it was some of the best times I have ever had! I have done quite a few cruises over the years on different carriers but whenever friends and family are along, it could be just a ferry ride and it would be awesome. In this case, it was all of our first time on the Dream and there are very few complaints. The staff was all awesome. For the value, this cruise line cant be beat!! Very hard to anyways other than winning a free trip. The boarding process is so much better. Staggered boarding like airlines do helped that immensely. Even disembarkation was faster!! From the time to have to exit our cabin at 830 am , we were off the ship by 940 and home at 955!!!The food highlights was the Guy Fieri burger bar. All joking aside, those were same damn good burgers!! The pizza at the rear of the boat was really really good. Also the point of first complaint. The poor fellas that work that 24 hour station need some serious help because that line is always long. The onboard entertainment is awesome. My children had a great time and so did I. We traveled at the peak season..aka $$$$ but thats how its gotta be with kids in school when they get older. The cruise director, Lee, was on point. All the staff were just awesome. I cant stress how much of a great time we had. I am on cloud 9 still over it.

First of all, this is my 3rd cruise with Carnival and so far I have been so happy with the company and how they treat their customers. I have always been blown away by each staffs genuine kindness and hospitality, whether it's the person refilling the juice machines in the morning or the fun squad running trivia to start off a jam packed 10 or 14 hour shift. You've probably seen this all over the news, but Carnival has been under fire for a few incidences with the most recent being the malfunctioning water pipe which (as many news companies put it), "looked like a scene from the titanic". This line broke on mid ship deck 9, and my cabin was directly under them on deck 8. From what I've heard, it happened around 6pm on Thursday, May 3rd when I was at dinner. I remember leaving the dining room on the fifth floor and seeing a few cast members laying out a few towels and yellow caution "beware of wet floor" sandwich boards in the atrium (you could see all the the at up to the 11th floor from here). I carried on with the rest of my night and nothing was out of the ordinary. I remember seeing a sign blocking off some of the 9th floor state rooms while I was on the mid-ship stair case, and heard there was a water leak, but again didn't make much of it.The next morning at trivia, I had heard that OUR cruise ship, the Carnival Dream, was all over the news and my mom even said it was on Good Morning America! I was blown away that this was such a big deal and was shocked when I saw the video footage of how much water there was and what the leak looked like (there was a lot of pressure in the pipe that leaked). I saw a video of carnival workers and passengers forming a like of buckets to get the water out of the hallways (about shin deep) even with smiles on their faces. THIS guys, is what Carnival is all about. Team work and having fun even when something goes wrong. I bet you 100% those customers didn't skip a beat to help because they trusted the company and wanted to be a Good Samaritan, I don't think any of them felt that they were in any danger or they wouldn't have helped out. What amazed me most was how Carnival responded to the whole situation. I heard so many rumors floating around the boat but got most of them cleared up at a question and answer session with the cruise director, and a few other very important individuals that headed the customer service department. They were very transparent and informed us that about 48 cabins were affected (their carpets had to be changed and furniture replaced)- much of which happened overnight. But those individuals were given 100% compensation for their cruise, plus 50% off their next. They were offered a free hotel and flight home at the next port (Cozumel) if they wished to leave the ship, which only 2 people ultimately decided to do. The rest stayed one more night in the ships Adult Spa and were looked after very well, from what I've heard. After the q&a session, the individuals who ran the whole ordeal received a standing ovation from everyone, some of whom were staying on the 9th floor and were directly effected.This is the longest review I've ever written because I truly am satisfied with how Carnival handled the situation. This was something out of their control and I believe they stood true to their values and never tried to diminish anything/hide information from cruisers to avoid backlash in media. I never felt in danger and am happy to be cruising with Carnival.

#400 Had to be something special!This was our 13th cruise on Carnival. We've been on many ships on different itineraries. TL:DR - Price it out. A cruise can be a great deal when you consider all you can eat food, included entertainment, activities for kids, and you can check out different destinations and unpack/pack once.This ship didn't have Guy's burger joint which we really enjoyed on our last cruise. The Dream will be getting a 2.0 upgrade that will add Guy's. The ship did have the Blue Iguana bar!DR. Seuss characters were around for the kids and the not so young kids. Dr Seuss book readings also for kids. 2 movies every night on the deck's Jumbo screen. This ship did have 2 hot tubs on each side of the ship on deck 5. I haven't seen that before.Grilled food on starboard side deck 5. Good food, no lines!I tried the tandoor grill, tasty! Pizza & soft serve 24/7!See you on board!

Rookie cruisers living the DREAM. The ship is tremendous in size, we payed for FTTF, so we were in it very quickly. Once inside the atrium, you're free to start what you've worked hard for.Of course a few drinks were in order, then we strolled to get lunch. Tacos at the blue iguana cantina became a regular thing, which also had the best breakfast on the ship.Sitting by the windows to watch the U.S shrink behind us with every bite was enjoyable.Our room was very clean & the steward knew us by name & took care of us daily. We stayed on the 7th floor because it was centrally located. We chose a inner room because its cheaper. Yes its small with no view, but it served its purpose well.At dinner, the dining staff waited on us with a smile & aimed to please, trying something new & not finishing it was never a problem. I think the portions are purposely small with that in mind.Several times we ordered 3 different orders of appetizers, entrees & desserts.If buffet style dinner is your thing, they had more than enough options, a deli that closed late & a 24 hr. pizza place. I never felt like I couldnt find something good to eat.Getting around onboard was funny & a little confusing, wear comfy shoes because its big & you will put in some miles for sure.Use the hub app! It allowed us to pre-choose activities, make the dining room on time & find entertaining live music everyday.(without having to carry a big FUN TIMES sheet)At night it was comedy shows, the Encore! Performance's, photo ops & hot tubbing. The ship was full of stuff to do & if doing nothing was on your list, more than enough space. But if you wanted a Serenity dome, come early because thats what they didn't have enough of.Getting off at port was organized as long as you cooperated, wether tendering(water shuttle) or docking there were was always a guide to help make sure you were at the right spot.Do your homework so you have proper dress, shoes, bug spray, etc. for your excursions.Overall we had a blast, my advice is dont dwell on the hickups along the trip. Bring tip $ because every person involved from servers, bartenders, drivers & guides are working to make sure your vacation is memorable.This was our first cruise & not one month back home & we are already discussing when to go next.

We left from Galveston Tx port. We went on a 5 day cruise to Mexico and had a great time at both ports! The ship itself was nice I didn't see anything that was too outdated and the staff of course was excellent! The food was the same as any other carnival cruise we been on. If you go to Progresso Port do the All Inclusive Private Beach Experience!!! It's one of the best excursion my family has went on if your looking to relax!! Great food and drinks and the beach is waist deep!

ProsBeautiful ship (Carnival Dream) Lots of food (some days were better than others) Great port stops with fun excursions (Jamaica, Cozumel, Grand Cayman Islands) Hard working professional staff (Stewards, Cooks, Cruise Director) Great musicals and other onboard entertainment ConsLots of people (Expected) Lots of people with bad hygiene (You don't want the details) Lots of people in line (Buffet, Gym, Embark, Debark) Sick people (Coughing, Sneezing, Weezing) Rude people (Impatient, Drunk, Ignorant) Lots of people not covering their bodies when they know they should be (YIKES!) Overall it was a good experience going on a 7 days day cruise. One more thing scratched off the bucket list.

Enjoyed the cruise until my last night. Went to the hair salon for a trim and style. My stylist was from India. Had no idea he had no hair experience. My hair was so botched up. I had to get a professional on my return . Totally unacceptable !

Carnival dream? More like Carnival nightmare. They shouldve stuck with this name instead. It was just as that- a complete mess. The most disorganized ship weve been on. Day 1 on ship, no ac working in cabin at all. It was super hot and there was no air flow whatsoever. Our family members down the hall had excellent air flow to where we walked into theirs to compare and the room was freezing. We overheard our neighbors next door and two doors down that had a similar problem. We complained to guest services and were told somebody would come to look at it. Nobody came the first night. We didnt get any sleep it was that hot. Second day we complained once again and this time were given a box fan. A technician came and all he did was "read the air temp" with some device and then said maintenance will come later. We waited and nobody else came so we followed up once again with guest services. Then they sent maintenance. He came out with an air temp reader device once again only to say that carnivals standard is 72-74 f degrees, however, our family members ac down the hall begs to differ. Their room felt like 66 f degrees. He was about to leave and we quickly told him there is no air flow. No air flow coming out of the vent and no return air flow either. He took the covers out of the vents and tweaked something in the exposed sensors. Then quickly said its carnivals standard and just left. He left the covers off the ac vents and left the two gaping holes exposed throughout the rest of our cruise. Nobody else came back to fix it. We kept complaining only to be told that its carnivals standards and nothing can be done about it. At this point the temp was basically the same as it was outside. We couldve just slept outside instead since it was the "STANDARD". This is completely unacceptable for a spa suite located at the 12th deck for 3k. We complained again until they told us that the best they can do is give us a cheap bottle of wine. We looked it up, $10 bottle. Are you kidding me??? AGAIN if i wanted this bottle of wine i can just go buy it at the store myself. They DID NOT accomodate or refund or anything. Not even a discount for the trouble. A measly $10 bottle of wine is all. We did not touch that bottle, go crazy with it carnival! I hope it was worth all this madness. It definitely shows how MUCH they care about you. The box fan only helped a little because it circulated warm air and it was loud and obnoxious kept us up as well. It sounded like a vacuum cleaner was on all night. We even worried our neighbors would hear it and get mad. We have plenty of gripes this isnt all of it. Because we got the spa suite, we have the spa saunas included and the hot tub. The saunas sucked so much. Half the heated chairs didnt work and the sauna rooms were tiny. We paid extra for a spa suite only to be let down by the spa. We took a drone on board and even took them down on all of the ports EXCEPT the last port- 3 days before we returned from the cruise. We got off of nassau and returned to the ship only for "security" to confiscate the drone. They told us we couldnt even have one on board that it had to be checked in/out by them. Now tell me, how is it possible that we had the drone and get off and on with it on every port with nobody questioning it? It would even go through the security x ray and it always passed. They waited until the very last of the cruise to take it??? How does that make any sense?? The friday before we returned to land, the captain announced that we were nearing rough waters. All day, we did not leave our room. The ship was rocking back and forth so hard, even at deck 12th, we were so nauseous and throwing up that we couldnt even stand. We spent all day lying down in bed. This was the second elegant night. We didnt even get to go to it. A lot of people on the ship felt the same. Truly a horrible horrible experience. We had also purchased faster to the fun and it is a complete waste of money. We saw this firsthand on the second port we got off. Theres a shuttle to get onto the island, because we are faster to the fun we thought we would be on first. BIGGEST LIE EVER. We got mixed in with everybody else. What was the point of it?? And then we were told that although we have faster to the fun, we dont have priority getting back from the island. The same when getting off the ship and returning from the cruise. We were not priority and got mixed in with the rest. The food throughout the cruise was mediocre. OH and to top it off with the cherry on top....they broke my suit case. They mustve played football with it or something because the whole bottom is cracked open. It couldnt even stand anymore. We complained to the agents there and they told us to return back. Yes thats right. GO BACK into incoming streams of people trying to leave. This is so unnacceptable we expected better from you carnival. We are severely disappointed.