We took a 4-night cruise on the Disney Dream to the Bahamas. It was magical — not only because it was Disney, but because we sailed over Christmas. Although I had been on several cruises with my parents when I was growing up, I hadn’t taken on a cruise as an adult. We traveled with our extended family of 15 people (9 adults and 6 children) ranging from 5 to 75 years old.
Itinerary
- Day 1 – Depart Port Canaveral, Florida
- Day 2 – Christmas Day at Sea
- Day 3 – Nassau, Bahamas
- Day 4 – Castaway Cay, Bahamas
- Day 5 – Disembark at 7 am
The Ship
Boarding at Port Canaveral was relatively smooth. Since we drove to Florida, we left our car in the parking deck. After going through security, checking in our luggage and signing our kids up for Edge (the tween club), we boarded the ship. A staff member announced our names when we entered the atrium lobby area on Deck 3.
Since we wore our bathing suits under our clothes, we headed up to the pool area on Deck 12. Most people had the same idea so we quickly got deck chairs. We all hopped into rafts at the Aqua Duck water coaster and snaked above Deck 12 and the family pool area before cantilevering 12 feet off the side of the boat!
Although I enjoyed hanging out with the family, I found the perfect spot to read a book by myself at the adults-only pool area. Glass panels protected the deck chairs from the wind since we were on the forward section of the boat. Not only did the ship offer the Quiet Cove Pool, but Satellite Falls which was a wading pool with a fountain.
The adults-only Deck Satellite Falls
Besides riding the Aqua Duck, the family enjoyed playing foosball on Deck 13 next to the basketball court. The younger children attended programs with the Oceaneer Club while my girls went to Edge where they went on a scavenger hunt, decorated cookies, played video games and hosted a tween dance.
Restaurants and Lounges
We rotated dining rooms each night of the cruise and the servers followed us. Disney assigned us to eat at Animator’s Palette on our first night where an animated Crush from “Finding Nemo” entertained us. On other nights, we ate at Enchanted Garden and Royal Palace. On Deck 11, Cabanna’s offered buffet-style dining and we ate most of our lunches either there or at the quick-serve restaurants near the pool like Flo’s Cafe or Luigi’s Pizza. Besides offering complimentary soda, water, tea and coffee, Disney provides complimentary soft-serve ice cream at Eye Scream.
Royal Palace Pub 687
After dinner, we either attended a live show like “Golden Mickeys” at the Walt Disney theatre or watched a movie at the 2-story Buena Vista Theatre. The Star Wars “The Force Awakens” opened the previous week and played multiple times on our cruise.
Some nights the adults met at one of the lounges to play trivia. Most nightspots were part of the District, an adults-only section on Deck 4 which included Pink, Pub 687, Skyline and D Lounge. My husband preferred the outdoor Currents Bar, overlooking the adult pool. My favorite bar was Meridian, where they hosted multiple beverage tastings.
Christmas Day
We woke up Christmas Day to blue sky and warm weather. In the lobby, Santa Claus posed for pictures and waiters served hot chocolate and cookies. Later, the Disney characters put on the Deck the Halls Holiday Party and Mrs. Claus reads a story.
Nassau, Bahamas
We didn’t sign up for an excursion to Nassau. Instead, we walked around the city. Nassau’s big Christmas celebration is called the Junkanoo Parade and lasts all hours of the night. We saw the remnants of the event with costumes and floats made from crepe paper and cardboard.
Reminiscent of New Orleans the day after Mardi Gras, the town was quiet. Most residents had the day (Boxing Day) off from work.
That night, we all dressed as pirates and attended the deck party with fireworks. For those not bringing pirate garb with them, the staff passed out pirate-themed bandanas.
Castaway Cay, Bahamas
Disney’s private Bahamian Island is Castaway Cay. After getting off the ship, we could walk or take the open-air tram to the beach area. Some members of our family rented snorkel equipment while others rented bicycles and rode around the island. Disney provided plenty of beach chairs, but you could rent private cabanas if desired. Serving a complimentary lunch to the island guests, Cookies BBQ was centrally located near the souvenir shops at the family beach. Just like being on the ship, sodas and ice cream were complimentary. Serenity Beach
Tips
- Bring a lanyard to hold your room key. This serves as your payment for any onboard activities so you don’t want to lose it. It also serves as the pass for the various kids’ clubs.
- Most room service items are free of charge except gratuities. Order the Mickey Ice Cream Bar for a special treat.
- Bring a bathing suit, sunscreen and change of clothes for dinner with you in your carry on bag instead of your checked luggage. I’m glad I did this as my checked bags didn’t show up in our stateroom until after dinner.
- A popular activity is to decorate your door with your family’s name on Disney themed magnets. This helps kids easily locate the stateroom too. Some people even bring a dry erase board so they can leave messages for each other.
- Disney provides two Wavephones per stateroom. While you can use these to call each other, we found them cumbersome and more trouble than they were worth.
- Be sure to check out purchasing a pass to the Rainforest Room at the Spa. Read post detailing this little known oasis.
- Alcohol is an extra charge. You can bring two bottles of wine per adult in your day bag (not checked luggage) and bring it to the restaurant for a corkage fee.
- Relax, have fun and let the Disney magic take over your trip!
