A Magical Trip Onboard Disney Dream
Iglu's Product Manager, Esther Collas, went to visit the Disney Dream earlier in the month and has come back filled with Disney magic following the experience, here's what she thought of the experience.
Having just returned from a Disney cruise in the Caribbean, there are only two words to describe the trip — absolutely, incredible!
I had a lot of ill perceived notions about Disney, and luckily for me, they were all wrong. I thought by the end of it I would want be bored of Mickey, and every other Disney character, because I would be fed up of seeing them everywhere I went. Not only was I not bored of seeing them, but I was actively seeking them out to have my pictures taken with them by the end of the cruise!
I thought the cruise would all be about families and it wasn’t. In the evenings, the bars are open for adults only after 8pm. Pink is the girly pink champagne bar, Skyline is a cocktail bar with ever-changing sky lines — one minute you can be in New York, the next Hong Kong — or 687, which is an American sports bar. Evolution, Disney Dream's nightclub, is where the evening entertainment definitely becomes adult-only, with games such as Mr & Mrs — where you discover just how well people know their partners.
I thought that the ship would be very bright, colourful and in your face, despite seeing photos beforehand where it clearly wasn't! In actual fact, Disney Dream is one of the most beautiful ships I have had the pleasure to be on. The detailing throughout the ship really makes it. When you first walk onto the ship and arrive in the lobby there are carvings of all the Disney characters. There is also a bronze statue of Admiral Donald which everyone — child or adult — has their picture taken with.
The food was fantastic. In the day we mainly went to Cabanas — the buffet restaurant on deck 11. There was so much choice and they served the biggest, freshest prawns I have eaten in a long time. On the first evening we ate in the Enchanted Garden, which is a beautiful restaurant, very fresh and elegant. On the second night we went to the Royal Palace, inspired by Disney Classics such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. If you ever want to feel like a princess that is where you want to be, it is stunning.
On the third night we dined in Palo — one of Disney’s adult-only restaurants. The cover charge is $20 and it's worth every penny. The food is an amazing Italian culinary delight. For the final night we ate at the Animator's Palate, which really topped the cruise off for me. This restaurant really does come alive. All around the outside of the room are large screens, and as you are sitting there the light changes and you are made to feel like you are underwater. All of a sudden there is Crush (from Finding Nemo) and he swims up to one of the screens and starts having a conversation with diners and interacts completely with the room. It will make you leave wondering and asking yourself how do they do that. It was amazing.
Every evening we went to the theatre to see the shows — and they were spectacular. The first night we saw a show called The Golden Mickey's, which is an award show in which Disney characters win awards for such things as heroism. People know the songs and sing along — it's fantastic. The second night we saw a show called Villains Tonight. It is very funny and definitely a must see! On the final night we saw Disney’s Believe — which starts with a father no longer believing in magic and being so busy he forgets all about his daughter's birthday. Trust me when I say they really did save the best until last.
In the day if you want some quiet time you can find this on Deck 11 or 12, near the quiet cove pool in the adult-only area section. We never saw any children and were able to relax. There was always a reason to check out the rest of the swimming areas though, and, as a fully grown child I wanted to play on the slide. The AquaDuck is a 765 ft long water coaster, that at one point takes you out over the side of the ship, and the view is stunning!
We spent a morning in Nassau snorkelling, which was a lot of fun! The second day we went to Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, and there are no words that I could use to describe this that would do it justice. We spent most of the day at the adult-only part of the beach and it was just stunning. It was like something you see on a postcard or poster and you don’t really believe it exists — but trust me it does.
As much as I have mentioned the adult-only sections of the ship it is a very much family-focused ship, but you can choose to take part in the fun and frivolity or stick to the adult-only sections. Whatever you choose to do, believe me when I say you will have the most incredible time.