Our Disney Dream Cruise

We have just returned from our three night cruise on the new Disney Dream, which visited Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. It was me, my husband, our 8 year old son, his friend, our 22 month old and grandma on this trip. I have to start by saying that Disney has really done it right with this ship, although there were a few small things that were not so magical for me. (The elevators are slow and seemed to pass our floor a number of times. The guest services desk always seemed to be a bit understaffed at times where it was busy.)

I thought the embarkation process was a bit slow, and we have traveled on larger ships. We had to wait in two lines to get into the terminal, then another to check in, and then wait again for our “boarding number” to be called. Seemed a bit much. Then you wait in line again to get onto the ship.

This ship is beautiful, inside and out. It looks like a true ocean liner … and it is big! We booked two inside guarantee staterooms, because we really wanted to see the virtual porthole that Disney has done with this ship. Well, being a “guarantee” stateroom, we were just that, guaranteed a room. We ended up in an ocean view stateroom, and surprisingly, we had connecting staterooms. We were in Category 8, Deluxe Ocean View Staterooms, which can accommodate up to 5 guests and the rooms are 241 square feet. These rooms were amazing. Lots of space and Disney really has it right with their split bathroom. One room contains the toilet and a sink, while the other contains a tub with shower and a sink. Now, if anyone has ever tried to give a 22 month old a shower in a typical cruise ship bathroom with a shower curtain, you know what a challenge it can be and a tub is really appreciated! The only thing I did not like about the room was we were all the way up front on deck 7. We felt more motion than other areas of the ship, and it was a little loud when the ship was docking.


The interior of this ship is true Disney, everywhere you turn. From hidden Mickey’s everywhere, to the magical artwork that moves, to the Disney theme music playing in the public areas and the halls. This ship is a kid’s dream come true. Even with everything Disney, it is still a very classy looking ship. The children’s’ programs are outstanding. There is way too much to do in so little time! The Oceaneer Club and the Oceaneer Lab are huge! Themed rooms, such as Andy’s Room and Monsters Academy can keep a kid busy for hours! Then there is the Oceaneer Lab where kids can do projects and there are all sorts of supervised activities. These areas are for kids 3 – 10. This ship has no casino, and they couldn’t fit one with the kids’ programs! The space is huge! There is also a nursery on board for kids 3 months to 3 years old. There is a charge for this program (currently $6.00 per hour), but it is worth it! We dropped our little one off a couple of times which allowed us to really explore the ship, and yes, it gave us some quiet time! The Nursery can accommodate 70 children. Reservations are required, and space does go. So it is wise to book your nursery time online prior to your cruise.


Kids, kids, and more kids! Yes, they are everywhere! And having two of my own, I do love kids. But, I think even I was feeling a little bombarded by them! With that said, there are adults’ only areas, which on our trip we noticed were surprisingly quiet, and to be honest … empty! There is a pool area, bars and lounges as well just for adults. We did not take advantage of these areas, except for the Skyline Bar in The District area. But yes, you can escape the kiddies on board if you would like to!

Characters are very accessible. This was a nice feature. If you have been to Disney World, you know you have to wait in a seemingly endless line to get a photo with Mickey. Although there will still be a line, it is small. And they have characters scheduled throughout the day as well as special events. You will even find them on Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, which is beautiful (we didn’t get to stay long as the weather did not cooperate). There is also a Pirate theme night, where the characters are dressed up as pirates and perform a show. After that, providing the weather is good, there is actually a firework show in the middle of the sea! Only Disney does this, and it was a sight to see! The only thing is I cannot seem to get “Yo Ho Yo Ho a Pirates Life for Me” out of my head!


The food was quite good; we ate at the buffet for breakfast and in the dining room for dinner. For lunch, we just picked around. I could be wrong, but we didn’t seem to be able to find the abundance of food around, which was a bit inconvenient for us. We had the second seating for dinner, as the early seating was booked. And eating at 8:30 with a 22 month old is challenging. We tried to find her food that she would eat earlier, but didn’t have much luck.

Our service was wonderful! Our Head Server, Murat and Assistant Server, Ana were absolutely fantastic. And they were so good with the kids. Our little one was not so happy one night, and they handed her crayons, cleared the space in front of her and told her to color on the cloth tablecloth! If we decide to go on the Dream again, and I am pretty sure we will since our little Princess thought it was the best thing ever, we will request to be seated with them for dinner.

The entertainment is non-stop and never ending. Oh, we even rode the AquaDuck, which is Disney’s water coaster at sea (check out our YouTube Video). Yes, our inner kids came out on this trip (I will admit I was very excited to have a photo opportunity with Pluto, my favorite Disney character). It is impossible to see and do even half of what is listed in the daily programs. This is definitely a trip for kids, and even adults that are Disney fans.


The disembarkation process was a bit annoying as well. There was the famous Disney zig zag of rope to get to customs. We could have been there is a quarter of the time if we didn’t have to walk from one end to another around the rope! But, we made it. Do you have any questions about the Disney Dream? Ready to go? Give us a call anytime at 888-882-5793. You can also check out rates on our site at www.kfreer.cruiseone.com. This one sells out fast! But no fear, the Disney Fantasy will be arriving next year as well!