#NotDreamy
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Carnival Dream Review
Long story short, our cruise on the Carnival Dream wasn’t totally a nightmare but it was enough of a drag that I was sorely disappointed. For more details, please read on.
Embarkation was easy enough. Because I have issues with mobility and use a cane, and sometimes a walker, I was directed to the “Special Assistance” sections and lines which moved us along rapidly onto the ship. A word of warning, though: if you have trouble with distance walking like I do, get a wheelchair. I wish I would’ve not been so proud and had gotten one for myself. I paid heavily for it in terms of pain later on that first evening.
I did have a “modified” stateroom - 6207 - and it’s an 8A class balcony room that is starboard and forward, at the front right side of the ship. This presented a problem in that it was quite a haul sometimes to the elevator, but that would be an issue for me on most big ships. The room is quiet from a people-noise standpoint but of course, being forward, pitches and rolls quite a bit in anything other than calm seas, and the wind sounds are very strong at times. I enjoyed that sound, but some might not. Our steward was ace and kept us flush with towels although the room was serviced only once a day which I found odd.
Here’s a view from the door, and pardon the bed. My husband had already rolled around all over it when I took pics! It was much more nicely made when we arrived. To the left, just out of view, is a light, mirror and shelf, and some wall hooks and to the right, just out of view, is the door to the bathroom.
Here’s a view from the balcony door looking toward the stateroom door. Closets and desk area are on the right, just out of view, and the bed and chairs/table are on the left, just out of view. Bathroom door is on the left past the bed, across from the mirror/shelf/light on the right. On one hook there is a door tag for “Cruisin’” or “Snoozin’” to let your steward know when you’re open for room cleaning. Blank room service requests also hang here until you fill them in and put them on the outside door handle.
The stateroom was spacious enough for me and my husband but we travel light so others might find the storage (4 drawers) and closet space (two floor to ceiling) somewhat lacking. The fridge had no shelves and kept our bottled water cool but not cold. The hair dryer was okay but had a short cord and could not be used standing up. There is a bag to send out laundry but we did not take advantage of that service. The safe is small but usable for items like phones, wallets, jewelry. (Sorry, some pics are upside down and I can’t get them to flip!)
The bed and pillows were comfy, the linens were clean and smelled fresh, but they were worn, and I did notice holes in the room curtains. The nightstands have no drawers and not much surface space for things like books or glasses but there is storage underneath. There is a table and two chairs to the right of the bed. If you’re in a wheelchair and need that space for access, these can be easily relocated to the entry area under the mirror.
The balcony was adequate but I can’t envision a wheelchair being easily maneuvered out there, although there is a small ramp to allow for such. The deck chairs are narrow so unless you’re a skinny, good luck being comfy. Previous reviews from several years ago said that this was an obstructed balcony due to it being a steel bulkhead but that is not the case now. The plexiglass (or whatever is it) made for great views through the window and door. The curtains work well to keep out heat and sunlight as needed.
The bathroom was large and had plenty of hand rails. The sink is low and a wheelchair would fit there and its occupant be able to see into the mirror and use the sink, and there is an adjustable shaving/tweezing mirror. The shower is a roll in. There is a fold down seat, a rubber mat on the shower floor, and there are dispensers of shower gel and shampoo. I was not inclined to use those but my husband did and found them satisfactory, but this is a man who would bathe with a stick and straight lye so I don’t count his review as worthy. It might be good stuff but I didn’t try it out. I did use the bar soap provided and it was fair. My biggest issue with the bathroom: Mold. It smelled mildew-y and there was soap scum on the walls and mold under the mat. Other problems: the seat under the sink had three of four leg bases missing and, even with the shower curtain closed, the floor gets soaked and is extremely slippery which is a big safety issue for those of us with poor balance on dry land, much less in standing water on tile. You’ll need extra towels to keep yourself upright. (Note that these pics were post-cruise. Normally the bathroom was loaded with clean towels, hand towels, and washcloths.)
Now to the rest of it.
I’m from New Orleans and I know I’m a food snob because we having amazing cuisine but the Dream’s food didn’t even meet an overall standard of mediocre. The buffet was particularly obnoxious with the exception of the Mongolian Wok, which was okay. The seated dinner was fair but meats were routinely overcooked and group table diners were awkwardly served at different times, meaning your table mate got to watch you eat dinner while they waited for theirs. There was too much of a time lapse between serving for the normal “wait until all are served” rule. Room service was timely and friendly but breakfast items other than cereal were either stale or tasted off. The sandwiches got a pass from husband. I didn’t care for them. Overall the food gets an F grade and because eating is such an integral part of daily living, it really affected our trip in a negative way.
Teenagers and kids abound on the Dream, and I expected that, but what I didn’t expect was the lack of monitoring to keep them out of the adults-only Serenity area. At one point some under-21s were shouting and cursing - fuck this, fuck that, fuck you - and it got to the point that I stood up and pulled a grumpy granny act and told them to shut it. I then told the two very timid but sweet ladies behind the bar to step it up and either check IDs or call security. If you plan to be in a public area other than Serenity, expect tons of screaming, loud pop music, kids and teens, and all that comes with them (trash, crying, diapers, etc).
The spa was lovely. We got a Cloud 9 couples pass to the thalassotherapy pool and steam/sauna rooms and it was well worth the price. The pool in particular was amazing and we enjoyed it a lot. It was never too crowded for us to have a roomy spot. Spa prices were ridiculous for services but that’s a given on any cruise, and deals were forthcoming throughout our time on board. Staff was friendly, towels were abundant, areas were clean. The spa was the best part of the ship, hands down.
Our ports of call were Costa Maya and Cozumel. Both were way too tourist-y and of course that is expected, but Cozumel was flat-out ridiculous with the gauntlet of pushy people selling alcohol, cigs and diamonds that has to be traversed before getting to the actual areas where one can walk around freely and meet their excursion hosts, etc. We had a delicious meal and drinks at Three Amigos so that is recommended.
My biggest concern of the whole trip was the lack of cleaning in the public areas, as in, I didn’t see much of it happening. Also, while I did see hand sanitizer dispensers scattered here and there, their use was not encouraged and I saw maybe one of every 20 people use the hand sanitizer. Norovirus is a huge concern on any vessel holding thousands of people and I did not once see a crew member wiping down handrails, elevator doors and buttons, or anything else for that matter. I did see some haphazard table wiping in the dining area but otherwise, nada. I saw dining staff sneeze, cough, and touch faces and noses, and then touch tabletops and dishes. This alone made the trip a huge fail for me.
Disembarking was not well organized. There was supposedly an instructional flyer with details but I never could find one and the steward was clueless. We did get a customs declaration form and some luggage tags with a number on them stuck into our room’s “mailbox” but only from previous cruising experience did I know that those were for our luggage to be zoned by number and to have the bags out the night before port arrival so they could be picked up and placed into our zone. We eventually discovered a channel on the TV that had the very sweet “Emily the Unicorn” discussing disembarking procedure and that was helpful. Still, it took us 3+ hours to get off the ship. We chose to have our bags picked up the night before so we expected a wait, but not that much of one. We got kicked out of our room about halfway through the wait time and hid in the library (in comfy seats) while we waited for our zone number to be called. Again, if distance walking is an issue, go to Special Assistance and request a wheelchair. Due to long lines and standing, I was in tears by the time I got to our ride’s vehicle.
In summary, I wanted to like our time on the Dream. I really did. It was a five-day getaway for me and my husband for which we’d had much anticipation. His vacation time is extremely limited and even though we enjoyed the spa and were able to relax a bit, I feel like his time was wasted on a subpar experience. I have only ever been on the QM2 and perhaps that has me terribly spoiled but the total sum of negatives didn’t allow the Dream to be a dream for me. I won’t be repeating the experience.
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