CRUISING ON THE DISNEY DREAM: PT 1

Just a few weeks ago we were able to board the Disney Dream for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing! This was a trip we'd been planning for quite a while. Michael's three sisters, two of whom are married, and one of whom has two young children were able to join us; we had quite the travel group with nine of us in total. Our itinerary was a fun one, featuring stops in the British and US Virgin Islands, along with Castaway Cay, Disney's private Bahamian island.

Here it is - We had a phenomenal experience! I've been asked what surprised me the most, and honestly, it's how smoothly everything went! We all know that the best-planned trips can still have unexpected surprises. Everything was SO enjoyable and worry-free on this cruise! The staff, ship, and itinerary were all wonderful! You'll be spoiled along the way and might just have a hard time adjusting back to everyday life. Michael has a pretty strict diet due to allergies; I'll share our dining experiences in Pt. II of this post, so stay tuned.

Day 1: Boarding the Disney Dream

We flew into Miami Friday night and chose to stay nearby the airport. I'm so happy that we did this as it made for a very relaxed morning prior to boarding on Saturday. There was no worrying over day-of flight cancellations or delays. The boarding process was easy. From arriving at the port to being introduced on the ship was an hour. The process was very efficient and there really weren't any surprises.

This ship is beautiful! I was so very impressed by how well-maintained everything was. Staterooms, common areas, restaurants, and even restrooms remained spotless throughout our entire week. One thing that did surprise me was the muster (safety) drill. These are now back to being held in person. We were assigned to the 4th deck, and it just felt fairly chaotic with so many people being assembled in such a tight space. Instructions were given over a megaphone that I largely couldn't understand. So, not the most pleasant experience, but we were there less than 30 minutes overall.

Here's a quick tour of our room, but please excuse its imperfect appearance as I filmed this later in our first day aboard the ship. We were in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. We found this to be very spacious and comfortable. I would absolutely recommend a verandah room! We enjoyed this both on sailing days and port days. It's pretty exciting to wake up and watch from your verandah as the boat is arriving at each island. I also can't say enough good things about our room attendant. Harold truly went above and beyond, ensuring that our room was more than comfortable throughout our stay. Something to note is that, when utilizing the murphy, sofa, or upper berth bed, your housekeeper will both make and hide the beds in the morning and prepare them in the evenings. This makes daytime in your room more enjoyable without beds taking up much of the floor space.

We packed our swimsuits, daytime necessities, and a change of clothes in our carry-ons. This ended up being a good choice as our checked bags didn't arrive in our rooms for a number of hours. It didn't pose a huge inconvenience since we were prepared, but this is definitely a possibility to be aware of when packing.

Days 2 & 3: Days and Nights of Fun at Sea

The pool areas provided a lot of entertainment during our two days at sea. At the front of the pool deck is a large outdoor screen showing favorite Disney movies throughout the day and even into later hours. There are two smaller children's pools on the main deck with the AquaMouse waterslide running overhead. This slide is SO FUN and is definitely worth riding during the daytime and evening!

The way the deck lights up at night is really special. It's kind of unreal to be completely surrounded by sea, and yet feel so peaceful aboard this fun-filled ship. I have always loved Walt Disney World at night - the lights, the music, the overall vibe is just unbeatable in my book. It comes as no surprise that Disney Cruise Line imparts the same feelings once the sun sets. On certain nights the atmosphere calms as the lights overhead become brighter. Families watch classic cartoons and enjoy ice cream cones, anticipating the joys that are awaiting them on the next day's island paradise.

We had a great time just enjoying the ocean views during the day. There are a number of adult-only pools and hot tub areas. There is a large difference in activity levels between these areas. Guests were not particularly noisy in either area, but the movies playing in the family pool areas can be a bit loud at times. I honestly preferred the lively atmosphere of the family side. If swimming isn't your thing, you can venture to the aft of the ship for putt-putt golf, ping pong, or basketball. A few decks below are several shuffleboard courts where my husband and brother-in-law entertained themselves in the afternoons. I have to admit that the shade and gorgeous views did make it a pleasant spot to hang out. There is a walking/ jogging track on this same deck as well as some great napping loungers.

You'll be assigned a dining time (first or second) for your cruise. Every night your dinner will be at the same time and you'll have the chance to see the evening show either before or after dinner, depending on your dining time. Disney pioneered rotational dining, meaning that, throughout your cruise, you rotate through three dining locations and your servers follow along with you. Your table number also remains the same every night. The advantage is that your servers quickly learn your preferences and begin to automatically bring out your favorites at dinner. If you wish to skip your sit-down dinner one evening you can always order room service or visit a quick-service location instead.

We were all assigned to the early dining time, which is 5:45, with a chance to view the nightly show after our meal. Since we had a five and two-year-old with us, I think it was great that we chose this schedule. There were a couple of evenings that they elected to skip the show and head on to bed, so the flexibility of early dining was a big perk in our case. I have heard that the later dining can be a bit quieter and I can imagine the additional time being nice on port days. I think it depends on what your home schedule is like and how much you're willing to venture from that while traveling.

Our second night onboard was Formal Night. Disney Cruises that are 7 nights long have formal night. You'll see everything from formal beaded gowns and tuxedos to sundresses and khaki shorts. We went middle of the road with our dress. Next time I think it would be fun to don true formal attire because when else do you get the chance to wear your favorite floor-length gown?

Day 4: Tortola: Snorkeling and Sightseeing

After two full days of sailing, we arrived at Tortola, BVI! This gorgeous island is very small and is much less developed than some of the other Virgin Islands. Smuggler's Cove was our first stop on the island, and it happened to be everyone's favorite! We had the beach to ourselves for the first hour or so which was quite the treat. We each brought our own snorkel gear, so we had a great time exploring in the water. Waves here were very gentle making it a great intro for those who hadn't snorkeled before.

After leaving Smuggler's Cove we drove up the coast toward Cane Garden Bay. Along the way we stopped at Stoutt's Lookout Grill for lunch. While the lunch wasn't anything to write home about, the views of Cane Garden Bay were amazing. This is where the photo below was taken.

Our last stop of the day was Brewer's Bay. This location is known for snorkeling and diving. The highlight for many guests is Sea turtle and Stingray sightings. We weren't lucky enough to spot any of these, but the water was a bit cloudy while we were there. Maybe next time!

One of the most memorable parts of our day was the views we had while driving from place to place. Around every turn were gorgeous views of the water. The island has very steep winding roads, some are even single-lane, unpaved roads with no road signs. This definitely makes for an interesting day!

This is a fun little island to visit, offering great snorkeling, diving, and views. I think that this is a good fit for a port day. Given the size of the island and limited dining, accommodations, etc, I think it's a great day destination!

I'll stop here for now. Be sure to keep an eye out for Part II of this post that's coming soon. If you have any questions that I didn't answer, feel free to comment or contact me directly!