Disney Dream (Dec 2014)

Disney Dream

Disney Dream

3-Night Bahamas

12/12/2014: Cape Canaveral, Florida (Port Canaveral)
12/13/2014: Castaway Cay, Bahamas (Cruiseline Private Island)
12/14/2014: Nassau, Bahamas
12/15/2014: Cape Canaveral, Florida (Port Canaveral)


"Disney World via Ship"

FINALLY! Our first ever Disney Cruise! We always wanted to cruise with Disney for a very long time but never did due to not thinking it would be worth the price. This was a surprise for me (Patrick) for a birthday gift from my wife (Christine). Well as you remember on our last cruise (MSC Divina) that was a birthday cruise that I got myself, which happened to be the same week. So this cruise was another birthday cruise. What a surprise it was when I first found out, can't explain the excitement about the cruise. If only my wife took my picture of the ear to ear smile I had on my face.

Leading up to the cruise we did a bit of research to see what was it like on board without spoiling too much of the cruise. Did not see to many negative reviews of this ship, one or two here and there but all the complaints were little ones. We did have some friends of ours joining us for our trip as well, so that was a lot of fun!

Now on to the check-in. We drove up to Port Canaveral the morning of the cruise, a short 2 1/2 hour ride from Ft Lauderdale. I say short because we normally always drive the same distance to Disney World a lot so the trip is nothing to us. Getting to the port we parked across in the garage and headed to the terminal. Which by the way the morning lows were in the 40s, okay you Canadian's think that's summer weather for you but us South Floridians get really cold, really quick. A bit of confusion once we headed to the terminal, never saw the porters taking any luggage. Nor did anyone ask, so we just headed to check in. The terminal itself is massive and it was completely packed! Lot's of decorations and a few characters taking pictures. No need to wait to take pictures you will have plenty of chances once on board.The process itself was very quick and pretty smooth. We were on the ship by 12pm.

Once on board the Disney Dream was a very elegant and classy style ship. Not a bad room on the entire ship. The layout was very easy and not at all confusing. Weather was perfect, the weather did get warmer as the days went on. Food at the buffet and main dining rooms were good. Close to MSC Divina, so pretty good compared to the other lines.

The entertainment on board was mostly catered to children. Lot's of character appearances and not much for adults to do during the day but relax. We did think it was since we had nothing but port days and usually the port days nothing is going on at all on the ship. The production shows again much like MSC Divina were very different from the other lines. They had their own "Disney Magic" to them.

Back to the dining really quick. There is a lot of confusion on how the dining works every night. It's very simple. On your "Key to the World" card you will see a series of letters containing A, E & R. Standing for the main dining rooms. The dining rooms are the Animator's Palate (A), Enchanted Garden (E) and Royal Palace (R). We had the sequence of ERA, so the first night was at Enchanted Garden, second night in Royal Palace and the last night in the Animator's Palate. Don't feel like you have to do this rotation, you can opt out and head on to Cabanas, Remy, Palo or just sit in and have room service. Now on the last morning of the cruise you have two seatings for breakfast. Breakfast is served on the last morning in the dining room that you had (or would have had if you didn't attend) the last night of the cruise. So for our ERA we would have had dinner on the Animator's Palate. Or head to the buffet which many people did not even talk about. Okay hopefully you're not confused yet, it really is super simple and easy. Your waiters stay with your for your entire service in the dining rooms. We had an amazing team, they were both very friendly. Anything we wanted they gave us. I even could order off the kids menu. One thing we did notice was that coffee wasn't given with dinner, not too sure why.

So one main question we got, was there a lot of kids? Honestly we had tons of kids, but the were very well behaved. Didn't mind them at all. Afterall your are on a Disney Cruise.

Speaking of being on a Disney Cruise, was it like going to Disney World? Yes and no, for me personally. It did have a lot of Disney features around the ship but still stayed true to being something different and most important making your feel like you were on a cruise. It's Disney without feeling too childish.

So overall this was a really great cruise for being our first time on Disney. Much like going to Disney World it would get old after a while only being able to sail on four ships and seeing a limited number of shows it will get old really fast. So we will probably end up on another Disney Cruise but not for a little while. It is for Disney lovers and we do recommend it to everyone. Keep in mind for adults we didn't find too much to do besides drink, go to the spa or hit up the pool. If you're into that then go for it. If you don't have a love already for Disney then don't go.

Now time to check out some of the areas onboard the beautiful Disney Dream along with our stops!

Enjoy



Pros
- Food was really good, no complaints.
- Service was great.
- Shows were really good.
- Character interactions around the ship was awesome.
- Fireworks were really cool. Hint, stay on the Starboard (right) side of the ship to get a great view.
- Virtual porthole was really neat.
- Our stateroom was spacious.
- Wide variety of in cabin movies.
- Very lenient on formal night, feel free to dress up or down.
- Layout of the ship.
- Disembarkment was quick and easy.
- Soft drinks for free.
- Allowed to bring any beverage you want onboard and as much as you can carry on. We did a small selection of Vodka and Whiskey.
- In cabin Wave Phones. So this is a great feature on the ship. We had two in our cabin and they are portable so you can take them all around the ship and use them to call anyone you want, which makes it easier then playing phone tag for hours. Not sure if you can use them at port or not. Still a great thing to have.


Cons
- Room Service menu was very limited.
- More things to do for adults. Not much activities.
- No coffee for dinner.
- No lobster night.
- No Disney Dream or Castaway Cay shot glasses.



Animator's Palate
Our final meal was here. Throughout dinner service Nemo and his friends (and enemies) were floating around from screen to screen. Also some interactive parts with some of the tables. The decor here was very bright and fun, our favorite dining room.
















(Corndog from the kids menu)





Atrium
The atrium everyday had photo ops with the many characters. Each floor had someone around all the time. The first night of the cruise we had a chance to see the tree lighting, really cool part of the cruise. Well done on decor for the holidays.




















Bon Voyage Bar
Right off the atrium here is one of the several bars on the Disney Dream.








Buena Vista Theatre
First run Disney Movies and other favorites were played in this theatre. Now keep in mind this is not the main show lounge, despite it's large size. This is on of the only ships we know of with a second theatre for movies that was this large. Too bad nothing we liked was playing. Other lines need to jump on this, always packed with people. Even the concession stand out front was always busy.











Cabanas Buffet
The buffet was a repeat on both sides and sometimes on the same side. Staff would encourage to cut and not stay in line, their way of doing it is having the same options at several different areas. Also so you don't have to stay in a line if another part is empty. Another tip is to get your soda fill here, every where else you have to pay for soft drinks.













Castaway Cay, Bahamas (Cruiseline Private Island)
Another stunning private island. Though the weather was making the water quiet cool it was still a very enjoyable visit. We took the tram around to some parts of the island, they come often. Also adults have their own section to relax away from the kids. Ton's of excursions to try. Our friends rented some bikes and just rode around enjoying every bit of the island. We walked around for a bit and just enjoyed hanging around.












(One of the best shots I ever taken)





















Current's Bar
Above the Quiet Cove Pool & Bar is the Current's Bar. Never too many people here, so grabbing a drink is quick and easy.







D Lounge
This lounge held tons of events, more family orientated. Check out the daily guides below to get an idea of what to expect here.













Oceaneer Club & Lab
For children 3 to 12. 






Edge
For tweens 11 - 14.





Enchanted Garden
Our first dining room was here in the Enchanted Garden. This was something right out of a fairy tale. Again excellent service and excellent food. None of the dining rooms felt too cramped and too loud from tons of guests all dining at once. Being the first night of the cruise we did have tons of people coming in at all times much like the first day of school.













Fantasy, Magic & Wonder Conference Rooms
Here are the conference rooms onboard the Disney Dream.















Flo's Cafe
Located right off of the pool Flo's Cafe has a decent range of food choices. Never a long line and always open (check our daily guide). Also make sure to check the daily specials, the Chicken Sandwich was great!













Guest Services
Located off of the atrium is Guest Services, never too long of a line here, that we saw anyway.







It's A Small World Nursery
A nursery for little ones under the age of 3.





Main Pool Deck
Only ship we ever been on that the pool during the day was open and at night during the parties and fireworks that it was closed off completely as a giant floor. Another big attraction here was the AquaDuck, which is a first for cruising. A water coaster at sea and this is the first ever ship to have it! Had a lot of fun on it, also you will get wet! Disney did a really nice job with the pool deck. Most lines do not have life guards available. However Disney does and it is a good thing to have. Like I said before, the children were all well behaved and no issues at all compared to some other times. The guards were very strict on the rules for the pools. My complaint to the pools was first, they were very small and two some of them had rough edges in them. So if you jumped the wrong way it was not be a good thing. Lifeguards are always a plus on a cruise.























Meridian
Here are some shots from Meridian, one of the many areas to lounge around on the Disney Dream.











Nassau, Bahamas
Usually we just stay on the ship here and we were up until the morning of port. So the morning we got in and were ready to leave we ended up just walking off and heading over to the main shopping area (across from the straw market). So we ended up, okay my wife ended up making out good with some new purses. In my defense she did offer to get me a watch, but I couldn't find any. Also usually this is one of those ports that the locals will hound you left and right, since our first time and here and as our other visits the locals have gotten much calmer and much nicer to us. It was actually a pleasure to come. Never thought I'd hear my self saying that I can't wait to come back!















Nemo's Reef
A area just for the little ones.







Outlook
Located on the higher decks this area is a great place to sit and take a glimpse of the amazing views out to the ocean. 









Palo
One of the specialty restaurants onboard the Disney Dream. 













Port Adventures (Shore Excursions)
Need help picking a shore excursion, stop by and talk to the professionals.





Port Canaveral (Cape Canaveral, Florida) (Homeport)
This was our second time at this port. It was a cool brisk morning here. We drove up the morning of the cruise, which took us about two and a half hours. Check in was somewhat quick, it can get confusing. Much like looking for the porters to take our luggage. We didn't spend too much time we just ended up taking them ourselves. We were in boarding zone 6 and we were on by noon. The terminal was very large and a lot of people were in when we got in. A few characters were around taking pictures. Also make sure to check out the model ship that have on presentation, it is very impressive. Also I want to mention that the last morning of the cruise was a breeze. We ate at the buffet and got packed and went in line. Once the line started moving we were off and through customs in no time! 









Quiet Cove Cafe, Pool & Bar
Should have took advantage of this pool. It was heated and never ever packed. Also a walkup bar! Can't forget about the little cafe inside.

















Remy
Another specialty dining restaurant onboard the Disney Dream.















Royal Palace
Our second dining room was in the Royal Palace. Again great food and great service.

















Senses Spa & Salon
I got a short tour from the amazing staff of the Senses Spa. It was actually really cool. Make sure to stop by and grab a tour, they will be more than happy.





















Shopping
The Disney Dream had three main shops in this area, White Caps, Sea Treasures and Mickey's Mainsail. Lot's of Disney items here, you may go a bit crazy! We almost did, almost!















Shutters
Take as many photos as you like from the amazing photography team onboard. Also they offer a few kiosks so you can stop by whenever and check out your photos.









Sports Area
Here are some shots of the Sports Area on the Disney Dream.









Stateroom 7521 (Interior Cabin)
Our cabin was excellent, okay it's not a balcony or even an oceanview but who needs that when you have a virtual porthole?!? It took a few calls to guest services and a few hours later but once it was on it was really neat. It's a real time view of the outside with a bit of Disney magic. During the nighttime it was just a nightlight, all you see was darkness. Back to the room, we had plenty of space in here. Under the bed had great space also the ottoman opened up for even more storage. Bathroom was a good size as well, really no complaints. Also like I mentioned above the cabin also had Wave Phones, which are portable phones that can be taken and used anywhere on the ship (possibly port, you have to check on that). It is a perfect addition and I think the other lines need to start doing the same.























Sun Deck
A great place to hang out at during the night to watch the stars in the sky. Also to check out the fireworks.









The District
Broken up into several sections the District is for adults and a place just for them to come and get away from the Disney kid experience. 



































Vibe
Ages 14 to 17, here is the place for them.







Vista Cafe
A cafe for you coffee drinkers. You notice in the first picture people standing around. That is the line to meet the characters which are always around.





Vista Gallery
Loved the many unique Disney pieces they offer here. Lot's of Mickey. So if you love Disney and Mickey this is a great place for you.













Walt Disney Theatre
This had to be one of the smallest theatres we ever been to. However despite it's size every seat was perfect for viewing. Also never 100% full. The shows were not the typical Broadway or Vegas style. The shows were all Disney with pyro and magic. The only type of magic you can find on a Disney cruise. They are a bit childish but everyone has a child in them. Also outside the theatre they have Preludes which offers candies, popcorn and sodas for a charge. Also a few crew will be walking around inside selling the same. Feel free to bring your own and save your money.













Waves Bar
Above the Cove Bar is the Waves Bar which at night was a great place to grab a drink. Even a good place to check out the fireworks.







Whozits & Whatzits
Right before the pool is this little area which we never once saw open. So if you like to window shop make sure to check it out!






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