Disney Cruise on the Dream
Disney Cruise Line is my most booked cruise line. My clients continue to come back to the service, quality, and experience that is Disney. I thought it was time I experience the Disney magic first hand. I booked a 3 night Bahamas cruise on the Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral, Florida.
I booked a guaranteed Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. A guaranteed room means that I do not get to pick my room location. The cruise line does it for me a few weeks before departure. I scored a great location on deck 6 near the stairs and elevators.
One of the smartest room features is the split bathrooms (in most rooms). A split bathroom means there essentially two bathrooms, one has a sink and toilet, and the other has a sink and tub/shower. This is perfect for families as they get ready for the day or baths at night. Check out my quick room tour.
We had just one stop on this quick three night itinerary. Our only stop was to Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. Our ship had the entire island to itself. The island has tons of activities
We had rainy and stormy weather almost the entire trip. We made the best of it . We spent most of our time in the adults only pool and the adults only bar area of the ship for trivia, seminars, drinks, and food. Pink Champagne Bar and Pub 687 was our go to spots.
While dining aboard Disney cruise line, guests rotate through each main dining room. Each night of your cruise, you and your personal wait staff will "rotate" to one of the three themed restaurants on board the ship, ensuring you enjoy a delicious meal catered to your liking in a unique setting nightly. The Dream’s three main dining rooms are the Animator’s Palate, Royal Palace, and the Enchanted Garden and offer totally different experience and entertainment.
The wait staff was amazing during the cruise ensuring dietary needs were met and making substitutions when requested. They will even let you order off a different dining menu if you want or pack up your dessert to take back to your room.
I was so impressed with the dining experience and quality fo the food. I left each night stuffed and content. Here is a peak at some of my favorite dishes: Mickey Waffles, filet, scallops, tuna stack, asparagus soup with crab (who knew), and lobster ravioli.
Because I booked so close to departure I was unable to get a reservations at adults only Palo or Remy, the specialty dining restaurants on board. There is an additional cost but my clients love it and say it is well worth it. I recommend you make reservations for brunch during a sea day to ensure you don’t miss one of the main dining room experiences.
The Senses Spa & Salon provides tranquility, pampering, and relaxation with a multitude of spa and beauty treatments. There are rainforest-themed aromatherapy steam rooms, a dry sauna fashioned after a Roman bath, private luxury villas and so much more. Consider booking a day pass to experience these extra amenities.
Since it was just Tim and I on this cruise, we didn’t need to use any of the kid friendly amenities…other than ordering Mickey ice cream ears after dinner. I was impressed with how many character meet and greets there were through out the day. It seems like there was one every half hour, all day long. Every time we walked through Deck 3 there were characters and princesses waiting to meet you. They even had parades on Castaway Cay. While we didn’t wait in line to for any of the meet and greets we did see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Belle, Jasmine, and Ariel.
Disney’s Oceaneer Club has character-driven performances, special storytelling sessions, larger-than-life play areas, dress-up opportunities and cool interactive activities. Toys and games, an open seating area for arts and crafts, and ongoing Disney movies mean there’s never a dull moment. Children 3 to 12 years old can interact with Disney characters—and each other—as they explore multi-themed magical lands. On select days, children are welcome to enjoy lunch and dinner at Disney’s Oceaneer Club. This gives parents plenty of time to spend relaxing on their own. The ship also has a family friendly pool with a Finding Nemo splash pad for the non swimmers on board.
Things are a bit different cruising with Disney right now. The ship was at about 50% occupancy so we never felt over crowded. Crew kept the ship clean and sanitized throughout the day. Crew and guests wore masks indoors. Buffets were assisted by crew. The restaurants had empty tables between guests. There were plenty of character meet and greets while keeping social distance. I felt safer on the ship when I do here at my local grocery store.
I now understand the reason my clients keep coming back to Disney Cruise Line. The entertainment, service, food, and all around magic will make all ages happy.
