The Disney Cruise Line takes the magical feeling of a Disney park and the sense of adventure you get from a cruise. The combination of these two makes the Disney Dream one of the best vacations you’ve ever taken. Here are some of the reasons why I loved the Disney Dream Cruise.
Vibe
For me, the best part of the Disney Dream cruise is Vibe, the onboard teen club for ages 14 to 17. It’s the perfect place for teens like me to get away from their family and connect with other kids their age. Vibe has it’s own private deck with its own pool and lounging area, as well as deck games. The counselors are really cool and welcoming to everyone. Although our counsellors were technically our “chaperones,” it felt like they were just hanging out with us.
At the coffee bar, food and drinks such as chips and smoothies are served. There are a lot of things to do from watching movies to chatting with the counselors and playing foosball with them. Every so often, we would start playing a game that involved everyone, such as Crown the Couch Potato. To ensure that only teens can get in, you have to present a special Key to the World at the secret entrance.
Castaway Cay
Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas that serves as a port for all of the Disney Cruise Line ships. Since it’s privately owned by Disney, it’s not crowded and you don’t have to wait in lines for long. The water is very clear and beautiful, which makes it very refreshing and a nice change from the pools on the ship. There’s a variety of activities from snorkeling to going down a water slide. I didn’t have time to visit it, but there’s a teen area called Hide Out for ages 14 to 17. My favorite activity is the Stingray Adventure where you get to learn about stingrays, feed them, and snorkel with them.
The Staff
The cast members were extremely friendly and made me feel like I was part of this huge Disney family. We got the same two servers who catered to our dinner needs every night. On the first night at dinner, I got extremely seasick and our servers checked up on me constantly, trying to help me feel better. Although I was okay for the rest of the trip, they continued to check on me and make sure that I wasn’t feeling sick. And the counselors at Vibe felt more like friends than chaperones. I was extremely sad to say goodbye to everyone.
The Food/Restaurants
For dinner each night, you rotate through one of three different restaurants – Animator’s Palate, Royal Palace, and Enchanted Garden each having their own theme and menu. The food options were a lot better than I expected and tasted AMAZING! My favorite restaurant is Animator’s Palate, which is designed like an animator’s studio and its walls are covered with sketches of beloved Disney characters. Although Animator’s Palate was my favorite restaurant, my favorite menu was Royal Palace’s french cuisine. I ordered the best duck I’ve ever tasted and I even got to try escargot.
The Shows
The entertainment was fantastic and made me feel like I was 6 years old again. In the Walt Disney Theater, there was a different show every night. I only had the chance to go to 2 out 3 of the shows, the Golden Mickeys and Disney’s Believe, both of which were very magical. My favorite was Disney’s Believe which got me to tear up at the end and made me never want to grow up. There are also shows and parties on the 11th deck each day, the first of which was the Sail Away Celebration. One of the deck parties, Pirates in the Caribbean, ended in an awesome fireworks display.
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stray with rae 