Carnival Dream 2020 4-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 3 Part 1 January 4, 2020 Cozumel, Mexico
Scheduled Arrival: 9:00am Scheduled Departure: 5:00pm
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Day 3 Part 1 January 4, 2020 Cozumel, Mexico
Scheduled Arrival: 9:00am Scheduled Departure: 5:00pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
Morning Walk Around The Carnival Dream:
Once again, I woke up early before breakfast in order to have some time to walk around the ship before eating breakfast. I set my alarm for 6:00am and was out of my stateroom between 6:15 and 6:20am. I started my morning walk in the ship's atrium. The Christmas decorations were still out and illuminated, but later in the day would be packed up and removed while guests were off the ship.
Once again, I woke up early before breakfast in order to have some time to walk around the ship before eating breakfast. I set my alarm for 6:00am and was out of my stateroom between 6:15 and 6:20am. I started my morning walk in the ship's atrium. The Christmas decorations were still out and illuminated, but later in the day would be packed up and removed while guests were off the ship.
Atrium Lobby - Looking Towards Bar
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Christmas Tree & Menorah in the atrium lobby
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Seating Area & Guest Services In the Background
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After visiting the ship's atrium lobby on Deck 3 I headed up to the Lido Deck. I started at the back of the Lido Deck and looked out at the aft pool. The pool had a giant net over it because it was still closed. By the aft pool were two hottubs, but these were also still closed for the night. After looking outside I stepped into the Lido buffet. The continental breakfast buffet foods (pastries, cereal, and yogurt) were already out and available for guests to eat. The main Lido buffet lines were not yet serving food.
Lido Deck AFT Pool
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Lido Buffet: Tables & One Of The Drink Stations
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One of the Lido Buffet's walkways
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Towel Animals By The Main Lido Pool Area:
After walking through the Lido buffet I came to the main Lido pool area. The Carnival Dream's housekeeping department spent the morning setting up a towel animal display for guests to enjoy. Towel animals were in almost every deck chair around the pool as well as hanging from a rope above the pool. I enjoyed seeing the towel animal display. The Carnival Dream's housekeeping department did a great job setting this display up! Here are some pictures of the towel animal display:
After walking through the Lido buffet I came to the main Lido pool area. The Carnival Dream's housekeeping department spent the morning setting up a towel animal display for guests to enjoy. Towel animals were in almost every deck chair around the pool as well as hanging from a rope above the pool. I enjoyed seeing the towel animal display. The Carnival Dream's housekeeping department did a great job setting this display up! Here are some pictures of the towel animal display:
Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Large Towel Alligator By The Main Lido Pool
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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Lido Deck Main Pool Area - Towel Animals
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While I was outside, I saw the sunrise was beginning to appear above the clouds. I found a spot to take some sunrise pictures and then continued walking around the Carnival Dream's outside decks. While I was outside I went up to Deck 15. During this time of my walk I came across the Carnival Dream's ship coin. I will not directly reveal the location of the ship's coin on here because some people want to find it for themselves, but if you want to know the coin's exact location please feel free to message me on my contact us page (Click Here to contact me).
Sunrise - Starting To Rise Above The Clouds
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Sunrise
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Ship's Coin
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While I was outside on Decks 14 and 15, I was able to get a good view of the ship's WaterWorks and Serenity Adult Only Retreat. The WaterWorks was not yet open for the day. The Serenity Adults Only Retreat had several available seats and I do not think a single person was occupying any of the chairs.
View From Deck 14
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Entrance To WaterWorks' Racing Slides
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View From Deck 14
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Serenity Deck - Deck 15
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Serenity Deck - Deck 15
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Serenity Deck - Deck 15
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After walking around decks 14 and 15 at the front of the ship, I headed down to Deck 12 and went towards the back of the ship. I walked by the Carnival Dream's mini golf course. The mini golf course was not being used. On sea-days the mini golf course was a very popular attraction for both kids and adults.
Mini Golf Course
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Mini Golf Course
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Mini Golf Course
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Near the very back of Deck 12 is an outside stairwell that goes up to the Carnival Dream's basketball court. The basketball court is the only thing located in this little area and cannot be accessed via elevator. The gate to enter the actual basketball court was locked because the court was closed for the night, but here are a few pictures I managed to get:
Benches Located Next To The Basketball Court
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Basketball Court
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Basketball Court
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Since I was near the back of the ship, I began to head down to the Lido Deck. I was hungry and hoped that breakfast would start a few minutes early.
Looking Down At The Lido Deck & Back Of The Ship
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Sunrise In The Distance
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Lido Deck AFT Pool Area
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Breakfast:
One of the breakfast buffet lines opened shortly before the published time of 7:00am. I got in line for some french toast, but ended up also getting some bacon and a hash brown. Typically, bacon is served to guests by a crew member, but the crew member serving bacon had to step away so the utensils were left out for guests to self-serve bacon. This was nice, but I understand Carnival has a crew member normally serving bacon to try to prevent some food waste. The oatmeal and grits were still being served by a crew member.
The continental breakfast buffet line was open from 6:30am until 10:30am. The Blue Iguana Cantina and main Lido breakfast buffet lines were open from 7:30am until 10:30am. The late risers buffet line was open from 10:30am until 12:00pm. For guests that did not want to eat in the buffet, the Scarlet Dining Room was open for Breakfast Open Seating from 7:30am until 9:30am.
Here are some pictures from today's breakfast:
One of the breakfast buffet lines opened shortly before the published time of 7:00am. I got in line for some french toast, but ended up also getting some bacon and a hash brown. Typically, bacon is served to guests by a crew member, but the crew member serving bacon had to step away so the utensils were left out for guests to self-serve bacon. This was nice, but I understand Carnival has a crew member normally serving bacon to try to prevent some food waste. The oatmeal and grits were still being served by a crew member.
The continental breakfast buffet line was open from 6:30am until 10:30am. The Blue Iguana Cantina and main Lido breakfast buffet lines were open from 7:30am until 10:30am. The late risers buffet line was open from 10:30am until 12:00pm. For guests that did not want to eat in the buffet, the Scarlet Dining Room was open for Breakfast Open Seating from 7:30am until 9:30am.
Here are some pictures from today's breakfast:
Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Main Breakfast Line
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Lido Buffet - Milk & Yogurt
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Lido Buffet - Pastries
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Lido Buffet - Pastries
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Lido Buffet - Pastries
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Lido Buffet - Pastries
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Lido Buffet - Pastries
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Lido Buffet - Pastries
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Arrival In Cozumel:
After breakfast I realized we were getting very close to Cozumel because I could see land from the side of the ship. I watched our Cozumel arrival from Deck 9 at the very front of the ship. As we approached Cozumel, the ship was moving very slow. The weather was very nice and the water was very calm. At this time of the morning, the clouds were scattered and the sun was shining brightly!
As we got closer to Cozumel I was able to see the Enchantment of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas already docked. These ships were docked at the International Pier. The Enchantment of the Seas is the same ship that was docked by us in Galveston on the first day of the cruise.
Today the Carnival Dream was scheduled to dock at the Puerta Maya cruise complex. The Puerta Maya cruise complex is where most Carnival ships dock in Cozumel and has the ability to have three ships docked at once. On today's docking schedule the Carnival Fantasy was scheduled to dock with us. However, the Carnival Fantasy never made it to Cozumel because of a fog delay in its homeport of Mobile. This meant the Carnival Dream's guests could enjoy the Puerta Maya cruise complex without having to deal with the crowding that typically happens when multiple ships are docked. When we got closer to docking, the Carnival Dream turned around and docked backwards. As the ship turned around, I went to the Lido Deck's back area to look out.
After breakfast I realized we were getting very close to Cozumel because I could see land from the side of the ship. I watched our Cozumel arrival from Deck 9 at the very front of the ship. As we approached Cozumel, the ship was moving very slow. The weather was very nice and the water was very calm. At this time of the morning, the clouds were scattered and the sun was shining brightly!
As we got closer to Cozumel I was able to see the Enchantment of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas already docked. These ships were docked at the International Pier. The Enchantment of the Seas is the same ship that was docked by us in Galveston on the first day of the cruise.
Today the Carnival Dream was scheduled to dock at the Puerta Maya cruise complex. The Puerta Maya cruise complex is where most Carnival ships dock in Cozumel and has the ability to have three ships docked at once. On today's docking schedule the Carnival Fantasy was scheduled to dock with us. However, the Carnival Fantasy never made it to Cozumel because of a fog delay in its homeport of Mobile. This meant the Carnival Dream's guests could enjoy the Puerta Maya cruise complex without having to deal with the crowding that typically happens when multiple ships are docked. When we got closer to docking, the Carnival Dream turned around and docked backwards. As the ship turned around, I went to the Lido Deck's back area to look out.
View From The Front Of The Ship As We Slowly Approached Cozumel
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Pilot Boat Approaching The Carnival Dream
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Enchantment of the Seas & Brilliance of the Seas
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View Of Puerta Maya's Cruise Complex As We Docked
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View Of The Nearly Empty Pier
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View Of The International Pier's Complex In The Distance
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One of my family members wanted to get a yogurt parfait from the "Open Seating Breakfast" in the main dining room before going ashore to Cozumel. The yogurt parfait is only available in the main dining room at breakfast and is available on both the Sea Day Brunch and Breakfast Opening Seating dining menus. This parfait consists of a variety of nuts, granola, sometimes a piece of fruit or two, and yogurt. The line for the Scarlet Dining Room's Opening Seating breakfast was not long at all and we were helped by a waitstaff member quickly.
Looking Down At The Ship's Ropes
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Yogurt Parfait From Dining Room Breakfast
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Yogurt Parfait From Dining Room Breakfast
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Going Ashore To Cozumel:
We got off the ship approximately 30-45 minutes after the ship let guests off. When the ship first docked around 9:00am a long line formed along the stairwells because many guests were in a hurry to go on shore excursions. Around 9:45am, there was no line to get off the ship. If you do not have to hurry to get off the ship I recommend waiting at least 45 minutes after people start getting off to avoid waiting. This will allow you to have a leisure morning without the hassle of waiting in line. From the front elevator/stairwell area, we headed down to Deck 0. Normally Deck 0 is for crew members only, with the exception of guests that visit the ship's medical center. On Deck 0 a crew member was passing out shopping maps and coupons. We followed the crew member's instructions to get to the gangway. At the gangway there was no line and security scanned our Sail & Sign cards before we got off the ship. The ship's photographers were taking pictures on the gangway, but we declined. Here are some pictures I took after initially getting off the ship:
We got off the ship approximately 30-45 minutes after the ship let guests off. When the ship first docked around 9:00am a long line formed along the stairwells because many guests were in a hurry to go on shore excursions. Around 9:45am, there was no line to get off the ship. If you do not have to hurry to get off the ship I recommend waiting at least 45 minutes after people start getting off to avoid waiting. This will allow you to have a leisure morning without the hassle of waiting in line. From the front elevator/stairwell area, we headed down to Deck 0. Normally Deck 0 is for crew members only, with the exception of guests that visit the ship's medical center. On Deck 0 a crew member was passing out shopping maps and coupons. We followed the crew member's instructions to get to the gangway. At the gangway there was no line and security scanned our Sail & Sign cards before we got off the ship. The ship's photographers were taking pictures on the gangway, but we declined. Here are some pictures I took after initially getting off the ship:
View From The Pier After I Exited The Ship
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View Of The Ship's Side
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View Of The Ship's Side & Back From The Pier
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Carnival Dream
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Carnival Dream's Funnel & Lettering On The Ship's Side
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The Other Pier At Puerta Maya
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The walk along the pier was nice. I enjoyed looking at the blue water and turning around to take pictures of the Carnival Dream. After walking down the pier, it was time to enter the dreaded shopping building. On Puerta Maya's pier, the last part of the pier before getting to touch land is a long shop that all cruisers must walk through. Each cruise I strongly dislike this part of the pier and try to get through this area as quickly as possible. This shopping building sells a variety of different perfumes, jewelry, snacks, and souvenirs.
At the end of the pier, an agricultural inspection checkpoint was setup. People with bags, purses, or any type of item that could hold food were sent by local officials into an inspection line. Food sniffing dogs were present and each person had to set their bag on the floor. When food was found local officials confiscated it. I do not recommend attempting to bring food off the ship because you will very likely get caught!
TIP: Do not attempt to bring food off the ship. The food sniffing dogs did a good job and were catching people.
At the end of the pier, an agricultural inspection checkpoint was setup. People with bags, purses, or any type of item that could hold food were sent by local officials into an inspection line. Food sniffing dogs were present and each person had to set their bag on the floor. When food was found local officials confiscated it. I do not recommend attempting to bring food off the ship because you will very likely get caught!
TIP: Do not attempt to bring food off the ship. The food sniffing dogs did a good job and were catching people.
Looking At The Shoreline From The Pier
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Carnival Dream & Three Amigos Cozumel Sign
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Sign Welcoming The Carnival Dream
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At Puerta Maya along the shoreline is a nice beach area with several beach chairs and some shade from palm trees. I have never utilized this area as a beach, but each cruise I will stop in this area and take pictures of the ships that are docked. Since the Carnival Dream was the only ship docked at Puerta Maya today I stopped to find various angles to photograph the Carnival Dream. I was also able to get a view of the Royal Caribbean ships in the distance.
Umbrella Tables Along The Shoreline
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Start Of The Beach Area At Puerta Maya
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Carnival Dream
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Carnival Dream
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View Of The Enchantment of the Seas & Brilliance of the Seas
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Looking Towards Panchos Backyard at Puerta Maya
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End Of Puerta Maya's Beach Area
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Puerta Maya
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Large Floral Area At Puerta Maya
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Vehicles Parked
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Taxis Waiting For Cruisers
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Area As I Exited Puerta Maya
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After looking around Puerta Maya for a little while I wanted to leave the cruise complex and go across the street. A crossing guard was working directing traffic and pedestrians in order to allow cruisers to safely cross the street. When I got to the crossing I had to wait a few minutes, but the crossing guard stopped traffic once a few people were waiting to cross. Here are some pictures I took while outside of Puerta Maya:
Fountain
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Road Signage
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Looking Down A Side Street
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Looking Towards The International Cruise Terminal
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Walking Along The Street
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View Of A Shopping Area
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Taxi Driving Down The Street
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Shops
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Area Near The Puerta Maya Entrance
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I did not stay away from Puerta Maya too long and ended up going back after 30 minutes of walking around. Here are some pictures I took after I got back to Puerta Maya's cruise complex:
Shops At Puerta Maya
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Cozumel
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Puerta Maya
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Click Here For Our Facebook Page I will be sharing review updates, cruise tips, and more! Just For Fun Trivia #2:
How many Dream class ships, including the Carnival Dream, are in Carnival's fleet? The answer will be posted in Day 3 Part 2's review. Just For Fun Trivia Question #1 Answer: The answer to the question about how many hottubs are on the Carnival Dream's Lanai is 4. There are two on each side of the ship, which gives a total of 4 on the entire Lanai. Good job to those that were able to answer this correctly. |
Continue To Day 3 Part 2's Review!
Day 3 Part 2 contains more Cozumel pictures, getting back on the ship, lunch photos, an afternoon around the ship, bad weather, and dinner! Click Here To Continue To Day 3 Part 2 Click Here To Return To The Review's Main Page |