They said self assist got to get off the ship somewhere around 7 am. Just thought I would pass this on. Good job Carnival!

The Carnival Dream was on its first embark from Port Canaveral and went out full, Dec. 3, on a 9 night a Eastern Caribbean itinerary.  The ship goes to 7 night caribbean sailings effective Dec. 12.

Here is a video I made a few months ago on dismebarkation… enjoy!

The folks aboard the 9 nt. journey on Carnival’s Dream won’t be making the stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico today.

Apparently the life boats hang very low on the ship and the way the pier is set up, the life boats would hit the pier causing an issue in docking.

A passenger who was on the deck of the Dream said “when they built these piers years ago, they weren’t designed for these size ships.”

The ships captain tried to put the Dream at a couple other piers in the port but was unsuccessful.  The ship now sails onward to the Grand Turks.

The Carnival Dream is on its very first embarkation sailing out of Port Canaveral, Fla.,  and is set to return from it’s 9 nt. journey on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Today was the very first embarkation day for the Dream out of Port Canaveral.  Carnival was very prepared too, with a lot of extra staff out of their Miami based headquarters to assist. 

One thing that really got to me when I was waiting to go through security was the fact that the passengers were just not prepared to go through the security detectors.   Granted I know a lot of people don’t travel all that often and security has been really tight after September 2001 but seriously?

Have the following items ready to go:

• Have your Passport/State Issued ID/ Birth Certificate available
• Boarding pass issued by the cruise line
• Make sure your laptop is out of the case
• Wallets, Watches, Rings, Bracelets,  Phones, Keys, .. etc, ready to be placed in the receptacle
• If you are asked to remove jewelery, step aside and be courteous to other folks

That is my little rant for the day. If you have any other advice for security embarkation please feel free to let me know!

Carnival Dream on the first embarkation day- Port Canaveral, Fla.

Frequent cruiser Scott Lara, chats with us about his cruising adventures and his latest cruise aboard Royal Caribbeans ‘Monarch of the Seas’.

In cruise news we talk about our visit down to Port Canaveral, Florida to spend the day aboard the Carnival Dream.

Thank you so much for making our cruise radio show such a tremendous success.  If you have not signed up for our weekly newsletter we invite you to do so.

Powered by Podbean.com

We were talking last night about technology on cruise ships these days and how much it has changed over the years. If you think about sailing ten years ago, it was almost unheard of to have cell phone service on deck one of a cruise ship or wi-fi internet accesss though-out the whole ship.  I was making mention that now days you can use your cell phone at sea, internet, and about Carnivals new interactive social networking portal on the ship called ’Fun Hub.’ 

That’s when the question came up: What is a Fun Hub?

Carnival Cruise Lines is taking seagoing technology to new levels with their first ever, on board social network. Picture it like a face book page but with unrestricted access for 3,000 passengers.

Let’s go into more detail…. There are 36 ‘fun hub’ terminals throughout the Carnival Dream, which are nothing but computer terminals (Decks 3,4,5, and 12).

These hubs will provide the guest with free access to the ships happenings through a ship specific intranet portal (access through you laptop is also allowed too).

If you don’t have a laptop and don’t feel like waiting for a terminal, laptop note books are available for free when you buy certain internet packages.

So whats the hype?

Guest are allowed to create a personal profile, create and receive messages with other passengers, talk in the onboard forums, invite friends to attend shows, and a few more bells and whistles…. all to meet folks onboard.  When I was on the ship the other day, I got to use it. I thought it was very easy to use and even if you are not that internet techie.. you shouldn’t have a problem.

It’s not only for social networking though…..

The portal will also be used for weather updates, info on the next port of call, ship announcements, biographies of ships key staff, 3-D ship maps, interactive polls, and a FAQ section. I think its brilliant to implement this on board social networking feature, I couldn’t begin to tell you how many times I have wondering if someone on the ship had the same interests as me.

Sometimes it’s great to step outside your normal crowd. What are your thoughts?

(photo credit: Andy Newman)

The Gathering

The first dining room that we stumbled upon was a place located just behind the aqua theater called “The Gathering.”  It was not your typical cruise fare. Located in the gathering was a Mongolian wok station with custom made stir fries, international fare, NY deli, salad bar, frozen yogurt, a typical buffet, and a pizzeria. Needless to say when I walked in, I was in heaven! Carnival by far has the best food at sea.

Wasabi

This was a sushi bar on the promenade deck with complementary sushi. It wasn’t the best sushi I have ever eaten (that was in NY), but it was close.  I also saw sake there, pretty sure there is a charge for that though.

Formal Dining

If formal dining is your thing, there is the Scarlet and Crimson main dining rooms. These dining rooms are two levels and absolutely gorgeous.  You will find your traditional fare here: steaks, chicken, vegetarian choices, and children’s menus.   

The Ultimate Dining Experiance at the Chef’s Art Steakhouse

This is one place that I didn’t get to eat but I am a big fan of steaks so I will when I make my sailing.  This is for someone seeking a little more of an intimate dining experience.  Its located on deck 12 and only seats 139 guests.  There is a charge of $30 per person but it looks well worth it.

The menu:

• Nine ounce filet
• 14 ounce strips
• 18 ounce grilled prime rib chop
• 24 ounce Porterhouse
• Lobster tail
• Sea bass
• Lobster Ravioli
• Creamed spinach
• Wasabi mashed potatoes
• …….. and more!!

More to come!

Be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter and subscribe to our podcast!

Powered by Podbean.com

All these numbers are on their typical 7 night sailing. 

They use:

• 3,660 pounds of prime rib
• 7,840 pounds of chicken
• 3,870 steaks
• 28,730 shrimp
• 6,780 hot dogs
• 8,900 hamburgers

Breakfast lover?

• 54,800 eggs
• 1,210 gallons of fruit juice
• 73,180 bacon slices
• 2,540 pounds of coffee
• 1,420 gallons of milk
• 3,930 bagels
• 8,100 individual cereal boxes
• 27,250 slices of white bread
• 39,325 danish pastries
• 5,800 slices of french toast
• 6,300 pancakes

Fruits and Veggies?

• 20,870 tomatoes
• 23,600 potatoes
• 10,160 heads of lettuce
• 8,400 bananas
• 4,670 apples
• 1,875 cantaloupes
• 2,025 fresh pineapples

Thirsty?

• 34,360 cans of soft drinks
• 1,210 gallons of bar fountain
• 1,575 gallons of ice tea

I am curious to know how many cans/bottles of beer are drank on a journey like that!

Thank you Carnival for these figures.

Anne Campbell will weigh in on our weekly series helping us pick the perfect cruise ship.

With so much food on the cruise ship and calories around every corner, fitness blogger Meghann will give her advice on how to avoid packing on those pounds.

In cruise news, two big ships were delivered last week, don’t miss cruise news to find out all about the Oasis of the Seas and the Carnival Dream.

Be sure to check out our special episode LIVE from the Carnival Dream!

Powered by Podbean.com

Be sure to subscribe to our weekly podcast!

The Carnival Dream will be in Port Canaveral next month, permanently. Take a listen to the all the amenities this ship has to offer! I would love to know your thoughts.

Dont forget to subscribe to our weekly podcasts!