Carnival Dream 2014 7-Day Bahamas Cruise Review
Day 1 Part 1 June 15, 2014 New Orleans, LA Departure: 4:00PM
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Day 1 Part 1 June 15, 2014 New Orleans, LA Departure: 4:00PM
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View of The Ship As We Entered The Parking Garage
Arriving at the Cruise Terminal and Parking:
I arrived at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal around 9:30am. The cruise terminal's parking garage was already allowing embarking passengers to park their cars. Parking rates may vary slightly, but at the time of my cruise parking was about $16 per car per day. The parking attendants were very friendly & efficient. After paying and getting a tag to put in the car's windshield we were directed to go up a spiral ramp to enter the terminal's parking garage. The cruise terminal's parking garage area is located on top of the areas where cruise embarkation & disembarkation takes place. After entering the parking garage we were stopped by a porter that took our luggage from the trunk of our car. After getting our bags the porter told us we could continue and park our car.
I arrived at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal around 9:30am. The cruise terminal's parking garage was already allowing embarking passengers to park their cars. Parking rates may vary slightly, but at the time of my cruise parking was about $16 per car per day. The parking attendants were very friendly & efficient. After paying and getting a tag to put in the car's windshield we were directed to go up a spiral ramp to enter the terminal's parking garage. The cruise terminal's parking garage area is located on top of the areas where cruise embarkation & disembarkation takes place. After entering the parking garage we were stopped by a porter that took our luggage from the trunk of our car. After getting our bags the porter told us we could continue and park our car.
Check-In and Embarkation:
After parking we were directed to the ground floor of the terminal to start the check in process. The check in process was different this time because the terminal has been renovated. First, our boarding passes and passports were checked and then we were directed to the next floor to go through security. We then checked in, got our Sail & Sign cards, and got our photo taken for security purposes.
Between 11:00am and 11:15am the boarding process started. Platinum & Diamond guests were allowed to board first and then Faster to the Fun guests. After those groups got to board the ship assigned zone numbers were called. Guests that had Faster to the Fun paid extra money for priority boarding and luggage delivery. Please enjoy some pictures I took as I boarded the ship:
After parking we were directed to the ground floor of the terminal to start the check in process. The check in process was different this time because the terminal has been renovated. First, our boarding passes and passports were checked and then we were directed to the next floor to go through security. We then checked in, got our Sail & Sign cards, and got our photo taken for security purposes.
Between 11:00am and 11:15am the boarding process started. Platinum & Diamond guests were allowed to board first and then Faster to the Fun guests. After those groups got to board the ship assigned zone numbers were called. Guests that had Faster to the Fun paid extra money for priority boarding and luggage delivery. Please enjoy some pictures I took as I boarded the ship:
Sign Pointing To The Gangway
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View of the Terminal From the Gangway To The Ship
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View of the Front of The Ship From The Gangway
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Looking Towards The Back Of the Ship
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Finally Onboard The Ship!
The gangway led guests to enter the ship on Deck 3 (Lobby Deck) at the bottom of the Carnival Dream's atrium. There were two open lines for getting Sail & Sign cards scanned for security purposes. These lines moved fast because security was taking the cards from guests, scanning them, and then giving them back. The bottom floor of the atrium was setup with youth counselors giving information about the various kid's clubs and SPA workers trying to advertise their SPA packages. One of the first things I did on the Carnival Dream was I rode in the atrium's glass elevator to the Lido Deck. The ride up was very nice and the elevator only had me and four other people. Here are some photos that I took on my walk to the buffet. The first picture on the top row was taken on the Deck 10 level of the atrium looking down towards the bottom of the atrium. The other five pictures in this next section were taken on the outside part of the Lido Deck as I walked towards The Gathering (Lido Buffet). |
Atrium - Looking Down From Deck 10 to Deck 3
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Carnival Dream Lido Deck Pool Area
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Looking Towards Red Frog Rum Bar & Starboard Side
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Up Close View of the Lido Pool
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Looking Up Towards the Waterworks
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Lunch: The crew members in the lido buffet were extremely friendly. I was one of the first guests to enter the buffet and every crew member greeted me. I had to walk to the back part of the buffet because I was going to eat the Pasta Bar for lunch. Before I cruised, I read that this area of the ship gets crowded once people know it exists. I will share my lunch photos and review of the lunch further down in this review. Here are some pictures that I took of The Gathering before the crowds of people arrived on the Carnival Dream:
The Gathering - FWD Buffet Lines
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The Gathering - Mid Ship Buffet Lines
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The Gathering - Mid Ship Dessert Station & Stairwell
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Burrito Bar on Carnival Dream
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Starboard Side Seating in The Gathering
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AFT Stairwell Area on the Lido Deck
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Carnival Dream's Pasta Bar: The Carnival Dream's Pasta Bar is located on the upper floor of The Gathering on Deck 11. There is a one way stairwell by the mid-ship dessert station that is only for guests wanting to go from Deck 11 to Deck 10. To go up to the Pasta Bar go to the Deck 10 aft stairwell/elevator area and go up one deck to Deck 11. The entrance is on the port side of the ship. There is a hostess deck that guests can grab an order form. The order forms have little boxes that can be checked if you want a particular item in your pasta bowl. Caesar salad and garlic bread is also available on the order form.
Looking Down From Deck 11 to Deck 10
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Deck 11 Area of the Gathering
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The order process was very easy for the Pasta Bar and when I was done making my selection a hostess brought it to the kitchen. The food took no longer than 10 minutes to prepare. Each person is given a number to display on their table. When the food is ready a hostess brings the food to the person with that number. My pasta bar dish was not good, but only because I didn't make a good selection. I had samples of other family member's pastas and they had really good dishes prepared for them. The garlic bread was very good and the Caesar Salad was good, but could have used more dressing. Each table on the upper floor with the Pasta bar has a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.
Pasta Bar - Plate of Pasta
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Pasta Bar - Garlic Bread and Pasta
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Pasta Bar - Caesar Salad
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Here are some non-pasta bar food pictures that are from various lines in the lido buffet. The main buffet lines were serving Italian food because this was the Taste of the Nations for the day. The buffet also has a salad bar, Burrito Bar, Mongolian Wok, Tandoori, Deli, Pizzeria, and grill. The food from the other places on the lido was good and I will be reviewing some of these other places in more detail in later parts of my cruise review.
Food From The Salad Bar
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Mongolian Wok & Italian Food (Taste of Nations)
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Pastrami on Rye Sandwich From Deli
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Assorted Food From The Buffet
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Burrito Bar Food - Burrito, Chips, & Salsa
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After lunch it was time to walk around the ship and explore. The Carnival Dream is the biggest ship I have ever sailed on. Here are some pictures that I took during my walk around the ship:
AFT Pool - Looking Towards Back of the Ship
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AFT Pool & New Orleans in Background
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Aft Pool Area & Mississippi River in the Background
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Next you will see some pictures of the Carnival Dream's deli. There are a variety of hot and cold sandwich choices. There are no potato chips available from the deli, but if you order a sandwich from room service you can request chips.
Looking At The Carnival Dream's Deli
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Carnival Dream Deli Menu & Utensils
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Carnival Dream Deli Counter
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Time to continue my walk around the ship:
Carnival Dream's Aft Pool (Sunset Pool)
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Area on the Back of Deck 11
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Looking Towards the Julia Street Cruise Terminal
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Old Gangway At The Julia Street Cruise Terminal
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Erato Street Cruise Terminal
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Deck 11 & Erato Cruise Terminal in Background
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Julia Street Cruise Terminal & New Orleans Skyline
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Deck 12 Jogging Track
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The mini golf course on the Carnival Dream was the nicest mini golf course that I have seen on a cruise ship. Since this golf course is located in the middle of the ship there is less wind to interfere with a game. However, the best time to play is when the ship is docked in a port. The clubs and golf balls are self serve and located at the mini golf course. The mini golf course had 18 holes, instead of 9 (like most ships).
Right by the mini golf course is the jogging track. 7 laps around the jogging track equaled one mile. The jogging track has guiding arrows that indicate it is a one way track, but most people never paid attention and went wherever they wanted to go.
Right by the mini golf course is the jogging track. 7 laps around the jogging track equaled one mile. The jogging track has guiding arrows that indicate it is a one way track, but most people never paid attention and went wherever they wanted to go.
Mini Golf Course & Jogging Track on the Carnival Dream
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Carnival Dream Mini Golf Course View
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Mini Golf Course on Deck 12 - Looking Towards Front
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Looking Back Towards Golf Course & Ship's Funnel
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Mini Golf Course - Looking Towards Port Side of the Ship
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Balls & Clubs For The Golf Course Were Self Serve
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The weather was nice and the temperature was very hot on this first day. Closer to sail-a-way (4:00PM) there was cloud coverage in the area, but it did not rain. I continued my walk on Deck 12 to the front area of the ship to take a look at the Lido pools below and the Carnival Waterworks on Deck 12.
Carnival Dream's Pool Area Below & Looking Towards Waterworks and Bridge in Background
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Zoomed in View of the Carnival Dream Waterworks
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Looking Back Towards Lido Pool Area, Funnel, & the Seaside Theatre
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Carnival Dream Waterworks Area
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Carnival Dream Waterworks Racing Slides' Landings
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Carnival Dream Twister Waterslide Landing Area
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Racing Slide and Drainpipe Waterslide
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Wooden Thing to Sit on At Carnival Dream Waterworks
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First Look At My Stateroom on the Carnival Dream
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Stateroom:
My stateroom was a Deluxe Ocean View. A Deluxe Ocean View is a standard Ocean View stateroom, but it has two bathrooms. One of the bathrooms has a shower and toilet, while the other has a bathtub that can be also used as a shower. Both bathrooms had a sink. Staterooms for Diamond, Platinum, and Faster to the Fun guests were ready when boarding began, but for everyone else staterooms were not ready until 1:30PM. The firewalls were closed to all of the hallways, but for those that have the perk of being able to access their room early, they are allowed to open the firewall to get into their room. My stateroom was very clean and well kept. However, my stateroom steward made no attempt to introduce himself and I never saw him until the middle of the cruise when he was in my room cleaning. After that I did see him a few times and he attempted to call us by name, but he never got our names right. Here are some pictures of the stateroom and of the bathrooms in the stateroom: |
Beds In The Stateroom & Luggage Mat on Bed
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Toilet & Sink Area of Stateroom Bathroom
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Shower in Stateroom Bathroom
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Bathroom #2 with a Bathtub
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Bathroom #2 can also be used as a shower.
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View of Bridge Outside of Stateroom Window
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After sitting in the stateroom for a little bit of time it was time to go walking around the lower decks of the ship. First, I went to guest services to get my Sail & Sign card punched with a hole for my lanyard. Then I made my way to Deck 4 to take some pictures. The next two pictures are of the upper level of the Crimson dining room. The Crimson Dining room is located on Deck 3 and Deck 4. Each person is given a specific dinner time on their sail & sign card and the level they are seating depends on their dining assignment.
Walking Outside The Crimson Dining Room Upper Level
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Crimson Dining Room Upper Level
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On Deck 4 in the middle-aft area of the ship you will find Circle C. Circle C is the youth program for 12-14 yr. olds. I posted a copy of the Circle C activities sheet to the handouts section on the main page of the review. The Circle C lounge was open and I went inside to get a few pictures:
Side View of Carnival Dream Circle C Lounge
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Circle C Dance Floor & Sitting Area
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Circle C's Dance Floor
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Right past Circle C was Club 02. Club 02 is the youth program for 15-17 yr. olds. The Club 02 lounge was very big and nice. There was a large dance floor and many different areas of seating. The third picture, in the row below, is of one of the little seating areas that branches off of the main part of Club 02.
Dance Floor in Club 02
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Club 02 Dance Floor & Side Area
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Little Area in Club 02 With Seats
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Also on Deck 4 is an area called The Warehouse. The Warehouse is the ship's arcade. This is not a free amenity and does cost extra. Here are a few pictures that I took in the arcade while it was empty:
Video Games in Carnival Dream Arcade
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Video Games in Carnival Dream Arcade
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Video Games in the Carnival Dream Arcade
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Next, I walked upstairs to Deck 5. Deck 5 (Promenade Deck) contains many of the ship's lounges, nightclubs, bars, and the casino. The first picture on the next row is of the Burgundy Lounge. The Burgundy Lounge was used as the Punchliner Comedy Club and for karaoke. The last two pictures on the next row are of an area called the Ocean Plaza. The Ocean Plaza is a central spot on the Promenade Deck and is where many different activities occur. There is a mini stage and many seats for people in this area. Although not pictured in this part of the review, the Ocean Plaza is home to the Taste Bar, a bar, and a pay extra coffee bar.
Burgundy Lounge - Looking Towards Stage
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Ocean Plaza - Walking Towards the Front of the Ship
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Ocean Plaza - Dance Floor, Seating, and Stage
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The next pictures were taken in the Lanai area of Deck 5. The Lanai is an area that extends around the perimeter of Deck 5. This is an outside area. The Lanai has many hot tubs and deck chairs. According to on board signage, 2.5 times around the Lanai is equal to a mile. The Lanai primarily has tall window like rails that are taller than most people. The very front and back areas of the Lanai have normal deck rails. The people with balcony staterooms can look down at the Lanai and the people on the Lanai can look up at the people on their balconies. There are many doors from the insides of Deck 5 to go out to the Lanai. Here are some photos that I took while exploring the Lanai part of the Promenade Deck.
Lanai outside of The Ocean Plaza Area
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Stairs up to a hottub on the Lanai
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Carnival Dream Lanai Hottub
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BBQ Serving Line on Lanai - only open on sea days
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Comfortable Chairs on the Lanai
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Lanai Deck Chairs
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Tables and Chairs on the Lanai
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Julia Street Cruise Terminal & Ship's Ropes Tied Up
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Julia Street Cruise Terminal Gangway
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Looking Down At the Pier
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Looking Down at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal
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Erato Street Cruise Terminal Pier and Gangway
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View From the Front of the Ship
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View of the Other Side of the Mississippi River
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Are you enjoying the review? Here Is What Part 2 Will Include:
Day 1 is not over yet, but due to the large number of pictures I am posting I am going to have to create a second page for Day 1. Part 2 will include more photos around the ship, sail-a-way photos, dinner food photos, and some evening photos taken around the ship. |
Day 1 Review Is Not Over Yet! Here Is Part 2 of Day 1!
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