My family and I are going on a Disney Cruise soon! I’m very excited! We booked a back-to-back cruise on the Disney Dream- that means we will be on the ship for 4 nights, and when we get back to Port Canaveral we just get off briefly and then right back on! (We have to physically disembark due to US regulations but we will be whisked back on as quickly as possible and we can leave our luggage and things on the ship.)
In addition to just the Dream herself (I have not been on this ship in more than seven years!), these are the top 5 things for my upcoming Disney Cruise.
5) The AquaDuck!
The AquaDuck is one of the best additions to a cruise ship in many years! Unlike the AquaDunk on the Disney Magic, which just drops the floor out from under you, the AquaDuck on the Dream and Fantasy is a nice relaxing coaster ride, with a float big enough for two people! This will be the first time my daughter is tall enough to ride it, and I’m not only looking forward to riding myself but to seeing it through her eyes.
4) Palo
Truly the best part of a cruise is the food! Palo is the adults only Italian restaurant on every Disney Cruise ship. I have eaten there on every Disney cruise I have been on, and this will be no exception. Since we are doing two cruises, we will be dining at Palo two times! This will be some great adult time while our daughter is in the Oceaneer’s Club. While all of the food at Palo is amazing, I am most looking forward to risotto, scallops, and chocolate soufflé (maybe two!).
3) Spa
Aah. The Senses Spa is one of the greatest parts of Disney Cruise Line! My husband and I will likely get a couples massage, and usually we get a day or two at the Rainforest Room as well. I do also enjoy fitness classes and gym time, so I might partake in a couple of those during the cruise too. I have always wanted to try a spinning class, and I might even try one of the yoga classes (if they aren’t offered too early!)
2) Verandah Stateroom
When I booked the cruise I booked a “verandah guarantee” for both legs of the cruise. This was a bit of a risk- just because you have a verandah doesn’t mean you have a good one! I could have been assigned a room with an obstruction or very small verandah, or been assigned two different staterooms on the two cruises. I got lucky though- we were just assigned a stateroom and we got a good one, and we will not have to move staterooms in the middle of our trip. We were assigned a 6B category, which has a “whitewall” verandah, but from the reviews I have read the whitewall is only about 6-8 inches high which will not affect us negatively at all! The room is near the aft of the ship which is also a location I prefer.
1) Castaway Cay
Readers will know by now that your Disney Park Princess all love Castaway Cay more than almost any other place on Earth! It’s one of the most beautiful and serene places in the Caribbean, and Disney has made it even better with cabanas, water activities, bike riding, and the most wonderful adults only beach!
Because both of our cruises have a stop at Castaway Cay, we get to go there twice! This is the most exciting part of the cruise to me! I can enjoy the wonders of the island for two days.
Usually at Castaway Cay we relax on the beach some, rent bikes and cruise down to the overlook area, eat at Cookie’s Barbecue, and just relax the day away. We might even do a kayak adventure or some light snorkeling. As a runner, I also love running on Castaway Cay. There is a 5k race on each trip to the island so I might do one (or both to work off all my chocolate soufflés!) I cannot wait to do this just a few days apart from each other!
When I return from my trip I will give the details on what I did and if any of these met or exceeded my expectations. I’m looking forward to a week away but I promise to give a detailed report when I return! I should start packing soon and make sure I have all of the items on my shopping list!
