Carnival Dream - Dining and Cuisine - The Gathering Lido Deck Buffet
Carnival Dream Dining (c) Linda Garrison
Although our cruise on the Carnival Dream was very short, I thought the food flavors and variety of cuisines offered at The Gathering were very good to excellent.
However, the wait time at The Gathering was sometimes an issue. For example, the line at the Mongolian wok was 30 minutes for lunch. The layout and flow of diners was also a little problematic, using traditional long buffet lines rather than "stations" like on some ships. Several buffet lines experienced longer lines than expected at breakfast and lunch.
The good news is that the wait was worth it, and I'm hoping this was a result of the short "cruise to nowhere" itinerary and horrible weather that kept everyone indoors eating rather than one of service or not enough staff.
However, the wait time at The Gathering was sometimes an issue. For example, the line at the Mongolian wok was 30 minutes for lunch. The layout and flow of diners was also a little problematic, using traditional long buffet lines rather than "stations" like on some ships. Several buffet lines experienced longer lines than expected at breakfast and lunch.
The good news is that the wait was worth it, and I'm hoping this was a result of the short "cruise to nowhere" itinerary and horrible weather that kept everyone indoors eating rather than one of service or not enough staff.
Carnival Dream - Dining - Main Dining Rooms
Carnival Dream Dining (c) Linda Garrison
The two main dining rooms on the Carnival have a "red" theme and are appropriately named "Crimson" and "Scarlet". They feature two traditional seatings at 6 pm and 8:15 pm as well as "Your Time" dining from 5:45 pm to 9:00 pm.
I was only on the Carnival Dream for three days, but found the selections to be excellent and the dinners to be delicious.
The Scarlet Restaurant was also open for breakfast and lunch with open seating. Unfortunately, the long lines of fellow passengers waiting at the Scarlet Restaurant to be seated for these meals sent me scurrying off to the buffet. Since this is not the experience I expected on Carnival, I'm attributing it to the unusual weather driving everyone inside for leisurely meals.
I was only on the Carnival Dream for three days, but found the selections to be excellent and the dinners to be delicious.
The Scarlet Restaurant was also open for breakfast and lunch with open seating. Unfortunately, the long lines of fellow passengers waiting at the Scarlet Restaurant to be seated for these meals sent me scurrying off to the buffet. Since this is not the experience I expected on Carnival, I'm attributing it to the unusual weather driving everyone inside for leisurely meals.
Carnival Dream - Summary
Carnival Dream Entertainment Courtesy of Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines
The Carnival Dream is a great addition to the Carnival fleet and a good value for cruise travelers. Family groups, couples, and singles who love big ships with lots of activities, excellent entertainment, and good, diverse cuisine will love the Carnival Dream. After all, it's a "fun" ship!
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As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
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