My family of 5 cruised for the first time on the Carnival Dream in Jan 2017 and loved it! We decided to try a different cruiseline and went with Norwegian who was offering free drink package, plus two kids free... what a deal!

FOOD: First of all, the alcohol drinks were in small cups and very weak. I didn’t get buzzed once and I’m a lightweight. The bars and buffet were way over crowded. The buffet food was gross. The bar is always open, offering the exact same menu. Then there are three restaurants, who also have the same menu as one another, changing up a few things each night. By day 7 I couldn’t stomach any food on the ship. We always had amazing customer service at the restaurants, but the bars and bar food service workers were unbelievably rude. They acted annoyed and like they hated their lives. I tried the Cafe 3 times in desperate need of a good Americano and tossed every one made. I craved snacks and candy which their Sandbar had a slim selection! Norwegian wants you to purchase their expensive bottled waters. After trying to stomach sink water, I ended up getting a few at $6.60 each.

Entertainment: My kids were so excited to swim, but the tiny pool was over packed. They got some slide time and that was about it. By the end of the second day at sea, they ran out of things to do and were “bored.” We were so excited for the shows, but disappointed most of them took place in the Atrium with little to no seating. On our Carnival cruise, ALL shows were in the giant theater that sat everyone comfortably. Carnival offered all genres dancing entertainment, magic show, etc VERY entertaining. My family isn’t into salsa (Burn the Floor) or Jazz. We tried to do the Escape the Big Top which was a joke! Not a single group in the room solved the puzzle. The Comedy shows were amazing, but you have to pay for childcare if your wanting to view an 18+ show which was worth it. Read more