We also had responded to Nancy's earlier roll call. My husband, in-laws and I will be on this sailing as the first of a back-to-back on the Dream. We are in an 8th floor balcony which looks to be very similar to our 6th floor balcony on the Splendor.
We have sailed on Holland America (1x), Royal Caribbean (5x) and NCL (6x). This will be the first year that my daughter (now 22) will not be sailing with us. She has always been my shore excursion companion and guide. (She speaks fluent Spanish, so we never had a problem just getting off the ship and wandering around!) My husband never gets off the ship and my in-laws have mobility issues, so I'll be mostly on my own for shore excursions.
Of the ports, I like Nassau the least. We did the clear kayak excursion last year and it was freezing! (I live in Minnesota, so it takes a lot for me to find anyplace with beaches and palm trees to be "cold!") I probably will take a cab -- or maybe try public transportation -- over to Atlantis and wander around for a bit. My daughter and I did the butterfly farm someplace (can't remember where) last year and loved it. It was a beautiful day and we got some stunning pictures. (We both wore bright t-shirts which seemed to attract the butterflies as much as anything else.)
Over the years, all of the cruise lines have "declined" in the services they provide. But it is a terrific value for the money. My only "serious" complaint about the Splendor was that the public rooms were so cold, people were wearing the Carnival-provided bathrobes or bringing blankets to the shows. It sounds silly but I am packing my down vest on this cruise!
Sandy