DISNEY CRUISE

Last year, Disney invited my then 19-month-old son and I to check out the Disney Dream, one of their brand new character-clad vessels.  When I showed my son a picture of the ship, I was not greeted with shouts of DISNEYLAND! I simply got a “Momas” (meaning Thomas?). Not a good sign. And while I’m a bit nostalgic about anything Disney, I am not really a “cruising” person (in more ways than just vacation preferences), so the invite started to look a little less appealing. But then again, I had heard that cruises could be pretty toddler-friendly: everything in one place, pools built just for him and me, and spoon-fed entertainment around every corner. So we decided to go for it, well, I did and dragged my son along, with all 10 of his Thomas friends and a set of tracks:

Here is a peek at how our “Once upon a time” went if you’re thinking a cruise might be on your list of Disney to-dos.

The flight out was brutal (San Francisco to Orlando with no direct flights, except on Virgin at 4pm, um, no), but Grant was a champ thanks to my iPad, which I preloaded with shows, books, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider app, my attempt at quality screen time.

It was really long and our trip too short, so if you live on the West Coast plan on booking a 5-Day cruise or staying in Florida for a few days with a cruise in-between. The rooms were small (no surprise), but nicely done with plush bedding and a nautical vibe. We stayed in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with a Verandah, which was great because Grant could sleep, while I sipped wine or read on the balcony without waking him up. Depending on how claustrophobic you are a family of four could comfortably manage in this room. If you prefer two rooms, you can get connecting staterooms, which would be a great option if you’ve got older kids. You won’t spend a lot of time in your room, though, so don’t worry about it too much.

The rooms might be small, but the ship is huge. In fact, it is one of the biggest cruise ships in the world! You could spend the entire trip checking out all the activities, shows, or simply lounging by one of the ship’s three pools. There are also two water slides and a darling Nemo wading pool/splash for the little ones. With lavish décor, think Tiffany’s meets classic Disney and cozy nooks throughout, you’ll feel like you are staying in a boutique hotel, well, until Daffy Duck or Goofy walks by. 

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We decided to try the ship's Small World Nursery (3 months to 3 years), so I could sneak in some emails and a little me time. I didn’t even get a “BA-BYE!” from the little sailor, it was that cool. If you’ve got older kids, you can check them into the Oceaneer's Club and Lab, a gigantic play area for kids 3-10. There are a ton of activities, including video games, arts and crafts, dress-up, even a stage for them to perform on. 

While Grant was living it up in Small World Nursery, I checked out the District, the adult-only area. A bit skeptic of anything coined adult-only on a cruise ship, I was pleasantly surprised. It was not filled with slot machines or a cheesy bar. My favorite spot was the Pink Cocktail Lounge, which boasted an impressive selection of bubbly and wine’s from all over the globe. They named it after a scene in Dumbo, you know the one where Dumbo drinks out of the wrong barrel and then completely wigs out. Disney even served its own branded champagne made by Tattigner. Not bad Disney, not bad.

The food was pretty good, the service even better. Your servers’ stay with you the whole trip, which is really fun because they get to know the family going above and beyond to have things like fresh veggies (not overcooked!) ready for my son before we even got there. My daily menu included your typical options like pastas and steaks, my favorite being the Tuna Tartar, but the kid’s menu was created with health first, fun second, from veggie and fish options to not-too-cheesy pizza. Nothing to write home about, but yummy enough and satisfying. 

We weren’t on your typical cruise, so we only got to dock once at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas: Castaway Cay. It wasn’t much different than the ship, except for surf and sand, but it was nice to get some fresh air.

The two family beaches were a nice size, but I would recommend getting off the ship early so you can secure a shady spot. Hint: pack sand toys, which they don’t have on-hand unless you purchase them ($20 later), and some water shoes to keep toes safe from the rocky water’s edge.

Even the onboard hospital is something to write home about. Grant had to get treated for an asthma attack the last night of the cruise, but it wasn’t a bad experience (except for when I was crying and wishing more than ever we had stayed home). There were no lines, it was clean, and the doctors took really good care of him, plus we got to watch Wall-E while Grant got his breathing treatment. Good times!

Thanks to our altered itinerary, we didn’t take advantage of all the ship’s offerings, but you can bet we’ll be booking a 5-Day trip in the next year or two. Much more relaxing than a trip to the park, this is a vacation for both parents and kids.  You’ve only got a tiny window of time to bring on the Disney magic with your kids, so try and fit this cruise in at least once.

Thanks so much to Disney for showing us the magic at sea. Check out the Disney Cruise line website for more info on how to book your cruise on the Disney Dream.

Thank you Disney for inviting us on this fabulous press trip!