Live Review Disney Dream 12/1 - 12/5 Lots of pictures and plenty of random thoughts.

[JodiandFrank]

Benny - Thanks for the report.  Our daughter and granddaughter (age 6) are going this week so I’ve got lots to share with them.

Next time you are in Miami go to Havana Harry’s (Coral Gables near Merrick Park) for far superior authentic Cuban Food.  Versailles is a tourist attraction at this point in time….

[gometros]

On 12/2/2022 at 3:57 PM, Hogladyrider said:

Wow now I understand why Disney cruise is pricey.  Ship is beautiful but too many kids for this old gal.

 

It depends on then you sail and the itinerary. Granted the Dream generally has shorter cruises, so there are more kids, but we've been on a transatlantic, Panama Canal and Hawaii cruise (all on the smaller Magic and Wonder) where there less than 120 kids. We ailed on the Dream last January and with the ship being half full and school in session, there was also a smaller contingent of children. Still, there are plenty of adult only areas that allow you to avoid them. 

[gometros]

On 12/5/2022 at 12:24 PM, BennyBrun said:

Day 3

 

Castaway Caye

 

I see that they took down Bob Chapek and got Bob Iger up there real fast 

 

Thoroughly enjoying your review. Having cruised 23 times with 3 on the Dream (and 3 more already planned), it's interesting to read about DCL from a first timer with cruise experience perspective. You mentioned the muster drill, which we haven't had to do since Covid, don't other cruise lines do one?

[gometros]

On 12/5/2022 at 11:31 PM, BennyBrun said:

I am sure it will be fun on the Celebration.  Will be back on Royal in February… doing Oasis / Harmony then Symphony…side by side or B3B or whatever the terminology is 😂 

 

Which Harmony cruise? We're on her on the February 18th.

[gometros]

On 12/6/2022 at 10:44 AM, FionaMG said:

 

OMG, that cartoon running in the background during dinner would drive me nuts! 😱

Food looks great, though.

 

It's interactive. Crush goes from screen to screen and interacts with the table. It's really a lot of fun.

[BennyBrun]

On 12/9/2022 at 6:09 PM, BelleEpoque said:

I’m IN LOVE with Mickey’s winter/Christmas sweater. I love the parks at Christmas time but looks like I should try cruising during that time.

Disney cruise gives you more time to interact with the characters and that “magical” moment than Disney Parks.  I really enjoy my “Christmas” time onboard the ship!

[BennyBrun]

On 12/11/2022 at 3:30 PM, JodiandFrank said:

Benny - Thanks for the report.  Our daughter and granddaughter (age 6) are going this week so I’ve got lots to share with them.

Next time you are in Miami go to Havana Harry’s (Coral Gables near Merrick Park) for far superior authentic Cuban Food.  Versailles is a tourist attraction at this point in time….

Wow!  Thanks so much!  I love food suggestions!  If I have time nect week that will be the place to go!

[BennyBrun]

On 12/12/2022 at 12:09 PM, gometros said:

 

I see that they took down Bob Chapek and got Bob Iger up there real fast 

 

Thoroughly enjoying your review. Having cruised 23 times with 3 on the Dream (and 3 more already planned), it's interesting to read about DCL from a first timer with cruise experience perspective. You mentioned the muster drill, which we haven't had to do since Covid, don't other cruise lines do one?

Thank you so much.  The other cruise line migrated over to e muster… so basically you go to the station they scan your card and ask if you want to see the life jacket demo again and then you are good to go.  You are supposed to watch the video in the room or on the mobile device before you check in.  They eliminated the standing around in a big group for 15 minutes.  Also Disney funneled the guests through the “crew” access area to get to the muster station.  The steps were different and seemed steeper to me.  A poor lady fell on day 1 enroute to the drill.

[BennyBrun]

On 12/12/2022 at 12:18 PM, gometros said:

 

Which Harmony cruise? We're on her on the February 18th.

I am in the Harmony on 2/26.  Oasis on 2/19 Symphony on 3/5.

[BennyBrun]

This is a virtual boarding call for the virtual cruise onboard the Celebration on Carnival.  Come along to see what’s new, what’s different on another Christmas cruise!

 

 

[LATTELOVE]

42 minutes ago, BennyBrun said:

This is a virtual boarding call for the virtual cruise onboard the Celebration on Carnival.  Come along to see what’s new, what’s different on another Christmas cruise!

 

 

Count me in please!!

[FionaMG]

2 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

This is a virtual boarding call for the virtual cruise onboard the Celebration on Carnival.  Come along to see what’s new, what’s different on another Christmas cruise!

 

 

And me. 😁

[gometros]

21 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

I am in the Harmony on 2/26.  Oasis on 2/19 Symphony on 3/5.

 

Nice. We'll wave to you as we disembark 😄

[gometros]

21 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

Thank you so much.  The other cruise line migrated over to e muster… so basically you go to the station they scan your card and ask if you want to see the life jacket demo again and then you are good to go.  You are supposed to watch the video in the room or on the mobile device before you check in.  They eliminated the standing around in a big group for 15 minutes.  Also Disney funneled the guests through the “crew” access area to get to the muster station.  The steps were different and seemed steeper to me.  A poor lady fell on day 1 enroute to the drill.

 

Yeah, that's how DCL did it before obviously switching back to live muster drills. Personally, I'm not sure why eDrills can't continue, but what do I know. For us, we get luoky since the staterooms we usually book, put us in an inside station where we can sit, like Animator's Palette or the Buena Vista Theater.

[perfect match]

Hi, Benny! Obviously I’m late to the party 🎈 but glad to have found my way over here. Disney Dream was our introduction to cruising. We fell in love with it and never looked back. It was great to see the Dream again, even more so through your eyes.

 

We haven’t sailed on Disney in quite a while, but have been talking about adding another Disney cruise back into our schedule. We actually tried to go in December 2021, but our cat sitters weren’t available when we wanted to book Disney. We ended up on Indy, but haven’t stopped thinking about Disney ever since. Seeing the Dream again, and Castaway Cay has me thinking that maybe it’s time…….

 

Thanks for your pictures and review! Wonderful, as always.

[ZZA6]

On 12/5/2022 at 11:32 AM, BennyBrun said:

Day 2

 

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast… amazing show … very popular… no reservations but that’s because they only have set time Dinning and NO BUFFET day night!  If you have late Dinning you see early show if you have early dinning you see late show.  You really are on their schedule at night if you want to sit down and dine!

Is it hard to get a seat  even though,there are set times?We have someone in a wheelchair that can not transfer to a seat.How far in advance do they open the doors?

[dbancroft]

On 1/20/2023 at 11:01 AM, ZZA6 said:

Is it hard to get a seat  even though,there are set times?We have someone in a wheelchair that can not transfer to a seat.How far in advance do they open the doors?

@ZZA6they have handicapped seating in the back of the theater.  Also an area for wheelchair 

[lastchamp64]

On 12/6/2022 at 5:33 PM, BennyBrun said:

I think everyone is different and tolerate / enjoy different things.  The technology is great but I was not a fan of the room dims and Crush started to play charade with the fish asking you to guess what it is… the kids were shouting out answers while you are trying to order dinner and trying to hear your server (who are wearing masks).  It was my least favorite place to dine.

Thank you for sharing at length your recent Disney cruise on the Dream. I enjoyed it immensely and will be certain to follow some of your other reports.  I was on the sailing just after you. It was my second Disney cruise. I have to agree with you about Animators Palate; It is my least favorite of the rotational dining. 

 

To be honest though for me, I must be some kind of a food snob because I was not a big fan on my first cruise on the Fantasy with the MDR food or service. But then again, perhaps since it was my first time with DCL my expectations were unrealistically high. We did love Palo and Remy though.

 

For this cruise on the Dream, it was just my wife and me and we ended up booking a concierge suite so that with it being only a 5-night cruise we booked Palo Dinner twice, Palo brunch once, and Remy twice. I did have an OBC from my TA and a bunch of reward points from my Disney Visa, so we did splurge. 

 

I see that you had a late flight out for the return home. The only bad part of our cruise was the return home. We had a 1:30 flight home from Miami with a connecting flight in Philadelphia to Cleveland. Our flight was 3 hours late departing from Miami, we missed our connection and were not able to get a flight home and were stuck in a horrible hotel that AA put us up in until the next morning. 

 

We did book another cruise with Disney in April 2024 on the Fantasy with my wife again and my 25-year-old daughter. She will be graduating from college this fall with a master's in finance and of all the things to do, she wants to go back on a Disney Cruise. Prior to that cruise though we will be leaving in less than three weeks on our first cruise with Regent Seven Seas on the Splendor out of Miami for 10 nights. 

 

Again, thanks for sharing your recent cruise with Disney. Here is a picture of the Dream we took from the cabana on Castaway Cay we were in. 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by lastchamp64

[sansterre]

On 12/5/2022 at 4:08 PM, BennyBrun said:

Day 3

 

Super crowded lots of pushing by the parents and lots parents trying to push their kids to have a good time… 

Oh my, this is not good IMO.  I would like to see the fireworks, but this is too big a crowd for us.  Is it possible to see the fireworks without watching the show.  

[sansterre]

On 12/6/2022 at 10:44 AM, FionaMG said:

 

OMG, that cartoon running in the background during dinner would drive me nuts! 😱

Food looks great, though.

Ditto!  Is there a way to turn the cartoon off or volume down at one's table?

[Dave Judy]

On 3/9/2023 at 10:26 AM, sansterre said:

Oh my, this is not good IMO.  I would like to see the fireworks, but this is too big a crowd for us.  Is it possible to see the fireworks without watching the show.  

Absolutely.   Just hang around at the Fringes of the crowd.  Fireworks don’t start until after the show. 

[dbancroft]

4 hours ago, Dave Judy said:

Absolutely.   Just hang around at the Fringes of the crowd.  Fireworks don’t start until after the show. 

@sansterre we waited outside on deck 4 and watched the fireworks from there. Hardly anyone there and very nice watching in peace.

Edited March 25, 2023 by dbancroft
changed @name

[Dave Judy]

16 hours ago, dbancroft said:

@sansterre we waited outside on deck 4 and watched the fireworks from there. Hardly anyone there and very nice watching in peace.

Perfect Idea !   Hang out right there on the railing - unobstructed view !

 

We always hang out on the fringes of the crowd so we can get to the Pirate 🏴‍☠️ Buffet in Cabanas after the Fireworks 💥 before the crowds hit. 

[Shmoo here]

On 3/25/2023 at 10:02 AM, Dave Judy said:

Perfect Idea !   Hang out right there on the railing - unobstructed view !

 

We always hang out on the fringes of the crowd so we can get to the Pirate 🏴‍☠️ Buffet in Cabanas after the Fireworks 💥 before the crowds hit. 

Well, you don't have worry about the buffet sice there's no Pirate Buffet in Cabanas currently (since COVID).  

 

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by Shmoo here