Carnival Dream 2014 7-Day Bahamas Cruise Review
Day 2 June 16, 2014 Fun Day At Sea
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Day 2 June 16, 2014 Fun Day At Sea
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Enjoy Day 2's Review! If you missed Day 1: Click Here For Day 1 Part 1 and Click Here For Day 1 Part 2
Breakfast in The Gathering:
Today was my first breakfast onboard the Carnival Dream. Breakfast was scheduled to start in The Gathering (lido buffet) at 7:30am. Continental breakfast (pastries, juices, and fruits) opened at 6:30am. The breakfast buffet lines opened earlier than their scheduled times. One of my favorite dishes to eat at breakfast on a cruise ship is an omelet. Most other Carnival ships have omelet stations that are a part of the breakfast buffet lines, but the Carnival Dream had omelet stations that were separate from the breakfast buffet lines. There are omelet stations where the Burrito Bar and Mongolian Wok are located. The breakfast buffet lines moved very quickly, even though the lines appeared long. The crew members were very good about restocking food that was running low. The bacon was served from behind the buffet counter in order to prevent food waste. The server will give you as much bacon as you would like, but they start by giving you two pieces and you must then request more. After eating my food from the general breakfast buffet line, I got into the omelet station line. This was about a 15-20 minute wait, but it was worth it for an omelet. The omelet was very good and had all of the toppings available on it. Overall, the food at breakfast was very good and a great way to start the day.
Today was my first breakfast onboard the Carnival Dream. Breakfast was scheduled to start in The Gathering (lido buffet) at 7:30am. Continental breakfast (pastries, juices, and fruits) opened at 6:30am. The breakfast buffet lines opened earlier than their scheduled times. One of my favorite dishes to eat at breakfast on a cruise ship is an omelet. Most other Carnival ships have omelet stations that are a part of the breakfast buffet lines, but the Carnival Dream had omelet stations that were separate from the breakfast buffet lines. There are omelet stations where the Burrito Bar and Mongolian Wok are located. The breakfast buffet lines moved very quickly, even though the lines appeared long. The crew members were very good about restocking food that was running low. The bacon was served from behind the buffet counter in order to prevent food waste. The server will give you as much bacon as you would like, but they start by giving you two pieces and you must then request more. After eating my food from the general breakfast buffet line, I got into the omelet station line. This was about a 15-20 minute wait, but it was worth it for an omelet. The omelet was very good and had all of the toppings available on it. Overall, the food at breakfast was very good and a great way to start the day.
Sausage, Eggs, and Bacon At Breakfast
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Fruit, Cheese, and Ham Served At Breakfast
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Omelet & Apple Pastry
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Brunch was also being served in the Scarlett Dining Room from 8:30am - 1:00pm. I never attended the brunch and therefore I cannot review this aspect of the cruise. After breakfast, I walked around the ship to look at the very blue water. The water is colored very different when compared to the Mississippi River or any Texas beaches.
Carnival Dream Aft Pool
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AFT Pool & Waves From The Back of The Ship
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Deck 12 Jogging Track & Looking Below
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Looking Below At The Lido Deck Pool
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SeaSide Theatre & Jogging Track
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Main Lido Pool
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The Carnival Dream's WaterWorks did not open until 9:00am on this day, but the crew members were preparing to open the slides. I did not try the water-slides until the very last day of the cruise and I will review the slides in a later day's review. When I walked by the water-slides at this time they were still closed, but getting chlorinated. There were very few people in this area and I was able to get some good pictures of the Waterworks.
Looking Towards The Back of The Ship
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WaterWorks - Not Yet Open For The Day
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Racing Slides At the WaterWorks - Not Yet Open
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Area Right By The WaterWorks
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WaterWorks
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Deck Chairs on the SPA Deck
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On Deck 12 - Looking Back
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Looking At The WaterWorks
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WaterWorks Racing Slide Entrance
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The next six pictures are of the Carnival Dream's Serenity Adults Only Retreat. This is an area where adults that are 21 and older can go. There are some hot tubs and deck chairs in this area. The Serenity is on two different decks and there are multiple entrances. You can find the Serenity on Decks 14 and 15 at the front of the ship. I noticed that there were some crew members keeping an eye on the entrance of the Serenity. I guess this was to help enforce the age restrictions as this is a place where adults can get away from children.
Entrance to the Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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Serenity Deck Chairs
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Serenity Deck On the Carnival Dream
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Another Serenity Deck Entrance
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Deck Chairs in the Serenity
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Looking Below At the Serenity's Lower Level
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The next picture on the row below is of the stairwell that leads up to the Drainpipe and Twister water-slide. When cruisers get to the top they can choose which of the two they prefer to go down. When I was in this area the water-slides were still closed. The other two pictures on the row below are of the WaterWorks.
Entrance to the Twister & Drainpipe Waterslides
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Looking Towards The Back of The Ship
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Curve on The Twister Waterslide
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The Carnival Dream's atrium was not busy in the morning. The atrium has many different tables to sit at. Also in the atrium there is a bar that guests can pay for drinks. Guest Services and the Shore Excursions Desk are located in the atrium on the Deck 3 (Lobby) level. The layout of the Dream's atrium bottom was very similar to the Spirit Class vessels with a few features from the Conquest Class.
The Atrium Bar
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Atrium Elevators - There were 4 total.
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The very bottom of the atrium by the bar.
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The next three pictures you will see are some that I took while I was on my way to Sam's Piano Bar for activities. These pictures are of the Ocean Plaza area. The Ocean Plaza had many different activities going on throughout the day also. I cut across the Ocean Plaza on Deck 5 and continued to the back area of Deck 5 to get to Sam's Piano Bar.
Tables and Chairs at the Ocean Plaza
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Booths & Tables at the Ocean Plaza
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Walkway in Carnival Dream's Ocean Plaza
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Old Sushi Bar & Stairwell Area Down to Deck 4
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Promenade Seating Near the Back
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Art Gallery (The Collection) Entrance
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Sam's Piano Bar is located on Deck 5 near the back. You will find Sam's Piano Bar right next to the Burgundy Lounge. You can also find the Future Cruise Desk & Destination Shopping Desk right next to Sam's Piano Bar. Here are some pictures of Sam's Piano Bar:
Future Cruise Desk & Shopping Desk Outside of Sam's Piano Bar
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Sam's Piano Bar
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Bar Area at Sam's Piano Bar
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Sam's Piano Bar
Morning Activities at Sam's Piano Bar:
At 9:30am was an activity called "Win, Lose, or Draw". This game was a team game where a team's person would go up and get a card with something written on it. Then the person would have to draw pictures that would help their team guess what the word(s) on their card are. The team of the person would only have a limited amount of seconds to guess. If that team didn't get the correct answer the other team would get a chance to steal. This game was a lot of fun, but some of the words to draw can be hard.
After "Win, Lose, or Draw" was Charades at Sam's Piano Bar. This took place at 10:00am.This game was also a team game where a team's player would be given a card and they would have to act out their card to their team. Their team would have to guess what was on their card. If they didn't get it, the other teams would have a chance to steal for the points.
At 9:30am was an activity called "Win, Lose, or Draw". This game was a team game where a team's person would go up and get a card with something written on it. Then the person would have to draw pictures that would help their team guess what the word(s) on their card are. The team of the person would only have a limited amount of seconds to guess. If that team didn't get the correct answer the other team would get a chance to steal. This game was a lot of fun, but some of the words to draw can be hard.
After "Win, Lose, or Draw" was Charades at Sam's Piano Bar. This took place at 10:00am.This game was also a team game where a team's player would be given a card and they would have to act out their card to their team. Their team would have to guess what was on their card. If they didn't get it, the other teams would have a chance to steal for the points.
Charades ended around 10:30am and I had some time to look around the Promenade Deck a little more. The three pictures you will find below were taken on Deck 5 (Promenade) near Sam's Piano Bar in the middle of the Promenade walkway.
Deck 5 Promenade - Looking Towards Art Gallery
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Looking Towards the Back of the Promenade
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This old sushi bar served some salads and turkey wraps on sea days.
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The Lanai is also on Deck 5 and I wanted to go outside and get another look at the very blue ocean. Here are some pictures I took while walking around the Lanai:
Waves At the Back of The Ship
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Lanai at the Back of the Ship
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AFT Balconies - View from the Lanai
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View of the blue water
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Water in Gulf & Lanai
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Different view of the ship's waves at the back
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Deck Chairs on the Lanai
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Comfortable Chairs on the Lanai - Near the Back
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Front of the Lanai - Bridge is Up Above
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I really like being at the front of the ship because of the view. There are some stairs at the front on each deck that give passengers an opportunity to walk upstairs to the next deck. Here are some pictures I took on Decks 5, 6, and 7 at the very front of the ship:
Front of the Ship & Blue Water
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Looking Up Towards the Navigational Bridge
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Stairwell From Deck 5's Front to Deck 6's front area
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Deck 6 Front Area
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Deck 7 Front Area
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Looking From Deck 7 To the Front of the Ship
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I also wanted to walk upstairs to the Vista Deck (Deck 9) to go to the observation deck above the navigational bridge. The front area of Deck 8 is not accessible to passengers because this is a secure area where the navigational bridge is. However, Deck 9 is above the bridge and offers a great view of the front and the sides of the ship. Here are some pictures I took while on Deck 9:
View From Deck 9 On the Port Side of the Ship
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Front of the Ship - View From Deck 9
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View From Deck 9 of the Starboard Side of the Ship
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BBQ on the Lanai Menu - Click to Make Bigger
BBQ On The Lanai:
Before the cruise started I learned that BBQ is served on the Dream's Lanai on sea-days. The BBQ line will open on a sea-day if the weather is nice. This buffet line is completely outside and can be found on Deck 5 at the back on the starboard side of the ship. When the buffet line is closed the line is removed to keep the deck space open.
There are a variety of different choices that were served at the Lanai BBQ. You can find tacos, quesadillas, sliders (mini-hamburgers), and chips & salsa on the Lanai BBQ.
The line for the Lanai BBQ was very long. All of the grilling for the Lanai BBQ is done outside and the smoke typically blew towards the back of the ship. My clothes smelt like BBQ after I waited in line because the smoke was blowing directly on me and everybody else that was waiting.
I have a photo of my food plate posted later in today's review, but I wanted to share pictures of all of the selections that could be found on this day at the Lanai BBQ. I really enjoyed the sliders as the meat patty was very tasty.
Before the cruise started I learned that BBQ is served on the Dream's Lanai on sea-days. The BBQ line will open on a sea-day if the weather is nice. This buffet line is completely outside and can be found on Deck 5 at the back on the starboard side of the ship. When the buffet line is closed the line is removed to keep the deck space open.
There are a variety of different choices that were served at the Lanai BBQ. You can find tacos, quesadillas, sliders (mini-hamburgers), and chips & salsa on the Lanai BBQ.
The line for the Lanai BBQ was very long. All of the grilling for the Lanai BBQ is done outside and the smoke typically blew towards the back of the ship. My clothes smelt like BBQ after I waited in line because the smoke was blowing directly on me and everybody else that was waiting.
I have a photo of my food plate posted later in today's review, but I wanted to share pictures of all of the selections that could be found on this day at the Lanai BBQ. I really enjoyed the sliders as the meat patty was very tasty.
Lanai BBQ Serving Station
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Lanai BBQ Plates & Napkins
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Lanai BBQ - Sliders & Toppings
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Lanai BBQ - Toppings For the Sliders
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Quesadillas & Tacos
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Salsa Station By The Lanai BBQ
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Carnival Dream Lanai BBQ Salsa Station
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Lanai BBQ Salsa Station And Chips
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Outside Condiment Station
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I brought my food from the Lanai BBQ to The Gathering to eat there. The first picture on the next row is of my plate from the Lanai BBQ.
Lunch in The Gathering (Lido Buffet):
Today was the 2nd time lunch was served in The Gathering to the people on my cruise. Today's Taste of the Nations buffet line served American food. Most of the lunch buffet lines opened around 12:00pm. Here are some various lunch food photos that I took:
Lunch in The Gathering (Lido Buffet):
Today was the 2nd time lunch was served in The Gathering to the people on my cruise. Today's Taste of the Nations buffet line served American food. Most of the lunch buffet lines opened around 12:00pm. Here are some various lunch food photos that I took:
My Plate of Lanai BBQ - Chips, Slider, & Quesadilla
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American Food From Buffet Lines
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Salad From The Gathering's Salad Bar
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Another Salad From The Salad Bar
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Pizza from the Pizzeria
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Key Lime Pie (My Favorite Lido Dessert) & Cookies
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After lunch I walked around a little, but spent most of the afternoon indoors playing different trivia games. I do not have very many pictures from this afternoon. The three photos you will see below are all of my afternoon pictures that I will be sharing.
Transport Materials For Lanai BBQ
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Carnival Dream Lanai
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Bell at the Front of the Ship
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Formal Night & Captain's Celebration:
Tonight was formal night and the Captain's Celebration. The Captain's Celebration took place at the Ocean Plaza from 5:00pm - 8:00pm and the senior officers would be present at select times in the evening. The photo gallery staff had many different photo backgrounds set up and the bar staff were serving discounted cocktails.
Tonight was formal night and the Captain's Celebration. The Captain's Celebration took place at the Ocean Plaza from 5:00pm - 8:00pm and the senior officers would be present at select times in the evening. The photo gallery staff had many different photo backgrounds set up and the bar staff were serving discounted cocktails.
Water and cups at the Taste Bar in the Ocean Plaza
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Closed Food Station Where Salad Was Served Earlier
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Formal Night Dinner:
The line for the dining room was much longer tonight. Dinner started prompty at 5:45pm and we requested the same waitstaff from the night before. We had Kanya, Luisito, and I Ketut at table 218 again. They remembered our drink preferences and names from the night before. Tonight was lobster night (one my favorite dining room nights). The dining room got crowded very early in the evening and there were very few empty tables.
The menu for tonight can be found below, but it may be a little hard to read. There were many people crowded around the menu and I am lucky I got the pictures that I could.
The line for the dining room was much longer tonight. Dinner started prompty at 5:45pm and we requested the same waitstaff from the night before. We had Kanya, Luisito, and I Ketut at table 218 again. They remembered our drink preferences and names from the night before. Tonight was lobster night (one my favorite dining room nights). The dining room got crowded very early in the evening and there were very few empty tables.
The menu for tonight can be found below, but it may be a little hard to read. There were many people crowded around the menu and I am lucky I got the pictures that I could.
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Plate and Napkin
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Bread Basket
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Appetizer - "Didja Ever..." Alligator Fritters
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Appetizer - Shrimp Cocktail
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Appetizer - Strawberry Bisque Before Sauce
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Appetizer - Strawberry Bisque After Sauce
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Appetizer - Caesar Salad
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Main Course - Lobster
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Side Dish - Baked Potato
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I was asked if I wanted another plate of lobster and I asked if I could only have shrimp. The first picture on the row below is of the plate of shrimp that I got brought. The 2nd picture on the row below is of a Banana Split. This menu item is not on the regular dessert menu, but is on the children's menu. Anybody in the dining room can order this any night of the cruise, regardless of age. It was very tasty.
Extra Plate of Jumbo Grilled Shrimp
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Banana Split From The Children's Menu
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Dessert - Butter Pecan Ice Cream
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Dessert - Chocolate Ice Cream
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Dessert - Cherries Jubilee
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Stateroom Nightly Turn-down:
After arriving back from dinner my room was cleaned for the night and a new towel animal was left. The steward never introduced himself and I never saw him today.
On my table in the room was a ship on a stick and plate of chocolate covered strawberries compliments of Mr. John Heald (Senior Cruise Director & Brand Ambassador) and Mr. Troy Linton (Carnival Dream's Cruise Director). This was a pleasant surprise and made the evening even more enjoyable.
After arriving back from dinner my room was cleaned for the night and a new towel animal was left. The steward never introduced himself and I never saw him today.
On my table in the room was a ship on a stick and plate of chocolate covered strawberries compliments of Mr. John Heald (Senior Cruise Director & Brand Ambassador) and Mr. Troy Linton (Carnival Dream's Cruise Director). This was a pleasant surprise and made the evening even more enjoyable.
Ship on A Stick & Chocolate Strawberries
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Towel Animal Elephant
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Beds Turned Down For the Night
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Revue Show: " 8 More Seconds"
Tonight's production show in the Encore Theater was a show called "8 More Seconds". This show featured country music, fiddle playing, and was a very good show. However, this show is exactly identical to Carnival's old show that was called "X-treme Country". Before this cruise I thought that "X-treme Country" was no longer offered on any ships, but now I know that it has just been renamed to "8 More Seconds". The show was great and brought back many previous cruise memories from the Carnival Ecstasy.
The show was offered at 7:00pm for Late Seating Dinner and at 8:45pm for Early Seating Dinner. I recommend this show, especially if you enjoy country music.
After the show it was time to walk around on the Lanai after dark to burn dinner off. Here are a few photos:
Tonight's production show in the Encore Theater was a show called "8 More Seconds". This show featured country music, fiddle playing, and was a very good show. However, this show is exactly identical to Carnival's old show that was called "X-treme Country". Before this cruise I thought that "X-treme Country" was no longer offered on any ships, but now I know that it has just been renamed to "8 More Seconds". The show was great and brought back many previous cruise memories from the Carnival Ecstasy.
The show was offered at 7:00pm for Late Seating Dinner and at 8:45pm for Early Seating Dinner. I recommend this show, especially if you enjoy country music.
After the show it was time to walk around on the Lanai after dark to burn dinner off. Here are a few photos:
Carnival Dream Lanai At Night
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Area on Lanai Outside Of The Ocean Plaza
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Tables and Chairs on the Lanai
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Lanai At Night - Walking Towards the Back of the Ship
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Carnival Dream Lanai
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Entrance Closed
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Area On Lanai - Near The Front of the Ship
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Front of the Ship After Dark
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After walking around some I was thirsty for some water & hot chocolate and I went up to The Gathering for a drink. Here are some pictures that I took while in The Gathering. There were no buffet lines open at this time, but the Pizzeria and Deli were still open.
Standing Near AFT Pool - Looking Up
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Buffet is Closed And Empty
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Buffet Closed
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Hot Chocolate
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Buffet Has Nobody In It
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Continue to Day 3: Key West, Florida!
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