Disney Dream Review

4.0 / 5.0
783 reviews

Beyond amazing trip!

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Disney Dream
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iuptubaman
2-5 Cruises • Age 40s

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Sail Date: Jan 2018
Cabin: Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom
Traveled with children

My wife and I had previously traveled on the Bahamas Celebration and RC Grandeur of the Seas, but now wanted to take our kids on a Disney cruise. We booked the trip in July and waited a long six months for our trip. When we arrived at the port, we had a scheduled arrival time at 10:45am and ended up pulling in around 10:15am. There were very few cars and could pull right up to have our bags placed with the crew. Parking was easy and was a flat fee of $68 (paid before you enter). We collected or bags and went to the terminal. It was a VERY cold morning and had a short line for the DCL staff to check passports. We then went through security and headed up to the check-in area. It was a fast check-in and we had to wait until 11:30 before our group was called (we were in group 5). Going in they took our picture and we headed up the gangway. We ate lunch at Cabana’s on the 11th deck and the food was great! I love seafood and the crab claws and shrimp was a hit with me, and the panko-breaded cod was very tasty. The kids had lots of choices and my 6yo son really liked the pizza (I have had better, but he really liked it). Our rooms were ready at 1:30pm (the hallways are blocked until that time) and went to get everything setup. Since we arrived at the port early, our bags were pretty much there by 2pm. We had our 2yo son get a nap before the Sail Away party and we were good to go. The party was fun, but cold. Once we were out in the ocean, you could feel some movement, but nothing bad. We had the early dinner time for the trip and went to Enchanted Garden. The food was very good and the service was top-notch. Our waiters were very nice and wanted to go above and beyond. We were able to catch the evening show (Believe) and it was incredible! My 2yo sat through the whole show and was excited. The shops were open after going into open water, so we checked out a couple stores after the show. The stateroom was ready when we returned and the murphy bed was pulled down and the sofa bed was ready. The blackout curtains were very effective and loved having them the next morning.

Our next day was in Nassau and we planned to spend some time on the ship before walking around the stores in port. The water in the pools onboard were very warm, but the slides had cold water in them. Due to the cold snap during the previous week, the water cooled down quite a bit. We did to the Aquaduck and it was a blast, but just cold. My 2yo was not allowed in the pools (must be potty trained and no swim diapers). The Nemo area was fun for him and he spent some time there. We ended up going back to the room to get warm and went back to Cabana’s for lunch. Pretty much the same items, but they had crab legs that day. We went out to Nassau in the afternoon and it was what I expected – lots of people offering cab rides and trying to sell things. We did get to the main shopping area and checked out DelSol, but headed back after that. I do not think we will get off the ship next time, or at least not leave the pier. There ended up being four ship in port that day, but it did not seem overly crowded on the pier. For dinner, we were in Royal Palace and beef tenderloin was perfect the soufflé was my favorite dessert (I had two of them). We did the pirate party that night and met some more characters. The lines were long for some of them, but nothing like Disney World. We opted to head back to the room after the party so my wife could rest and the kids could get to bed. I went out to do some shopping and catch the end of Star Wars. They were doing Beauty and the Beast that night, but wanted to wait for Sunday so we could enjoy the pirate party.

The last full day was at Castaway Cay and the weather was perfect! The only issue was with the ocean temperature. The bridge report channel said the water was 79, but our guess is 69. It was very cold and not too many people were in the water. It was also very windy and most of the port adventures were cancelled. The lunch was tasty and we loved the Olaf and Sven cups with the non-alcoholic frozen drinks. Just be mindful there is a 7.5% VAT on all purchases. The gift shops had lots of neat items that were not available on the ship, so do not wait to get back on because most of the items will not be there. We learned if we saw something in any of the shops, it will probably the only place to find it (even on the ships). We headed back to the ship around 3pm and just enjoyed the nice weather. Our last meal was at Animator’s Palette and was tons of fun! The food did not disappoint once again and they are also very good with getting meals if the kids are picky. We finished up dinner and headed for some more shopping, but it was very busy since it was the last night. We went to the last show for Beauty and the Beast at 8:30pm, but there was a delay, and the cruise director came out around 8:45pm and said the lead characters all got seasick after the prior show and the understudies also go seasick, so they had to cancel the show. We did not think the ship was rocking that bad, but we did feel it as we moved to certain areas of the ship. The winds were in the 35mph range and the seas were pretty high (maybe 15ft). Our room on deck 8 was moving quite a bit, but we did not feel sick. There was some pretty major rocking around 4am, but again did not make us sick.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom

Cabin 08C

For our room, we had a Category 8C Deluxe Family Oceanview Room (8020) with the large porthole. No ceiling bed in this one. It was on the port side (we missed the views of Castaway Cay when docked). The split bathroom was a lifesaver and the water pressure in the shower was amazing!! We found there to be tons of storage, especially under the bed. There are no outlets in the bathroom, one by the left side of the bed, and three other outlets on the counter. The hairdryer has a dedicated outlet on the counter. Charging all of our devices was a fine balance, but we made it work. We were in the forward part of the ship, but we did not feel it made a major difference if we were in the aft or middle of the ship as we walked.

Port Reviews

Castaway Cay

WOW! Disney hit a homerun with this place! It is beautiful and lots to do. We made the mistake by waiting to change into bathing suits on the island. We did not find a restroom designed to change or any lockers available. They could be around, but we did not see any. Good food and a few areas for free soda/ice cream, but also other drink choices. Tons of room on the beach for everyone and a great variety of things to see!

Nassau

There is lots to do (for a price on shore), but it is a tourist trap in the are of the terminal. We will not be going out and about the next time.

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

The cruise terminal is nice with limited food choices. When you select your arrival time, stick with it. There are tons of boarding groups (maybe 50-60), so if you get there at 10:30am with a 2:30pm arrival time, you may be waiting a long time.

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