Disney Dream 4 night Bahamian Cruise Review – The Short One

I realized there is so much I want to say and share about our Disney Dream Cruise that it may take weeks to write so I decided to do a short review instead and then go into more detail later.

Dining on the Disney Dream

Food Rating:  A-    Dining Service Rating:  A+

There are 3 dining rooms on the Disney Dream as well as several fast food and buffet options on Deck 11.

There was a wide selection of foods at the buffet (Cabanas on Deck 11) for breakfast and lunch during our cruise and our servers were very accommodating at dinner if we needed to make any substitutions to our meals.

The food quality and service was excellent. Nothing too hot, cold or burnt and the wait staff was always smiling and eager to help or offer suggestions.

Palo was the one adult only restaurant we booked in advance (decided to leave Remy for the next cruise) and was by far the best meal my husband and I had the entire cruise. Full review coming soon.

Room service is available 24 hours a day on the Disney Dream (no extra charge except for tip) and offers breakfast, sandwiches, salads and desserts. We didn’t make use of room service except for ordering Mickey Bars and cake of the day. Pretty awesome though to be able to have a Mickey Bar at midnight!

Inside Stateroom

Cabin Rating:  A  Cabin Service Rating:  A+

Disney’s standard inside stateroom cabins measure about 169 square feet and our cabin had a queen sized bed, a small sofa which converted to a twin bed which our 4 year old slept on, a desk area, closet and a bathroom with bathtub.

Our 1 year old slept in a play yard which we requested when we booked the cruise with our agent.

On the Disney Dream, inside cabins have a Magical Porthole (a screen above the bed that streams footage of whatever is going on outside) and because of it the room felt more spacious than other inside cabins we stayed in on previous cruises.

Cabin service by our stateroom host was excellent! Our stateroom host was very attentive and always left cute towel animals and chocolates for the kids while we were at dinner.

Activities & Entertainment

Rating:  A

There were many activities that families could participate in together on the Disney Dream.

Mid-ship Detective Agency (an interactive game which solving a mystery using artwork around the ship – you can see a short video of how it works on AllEars.net) , family karaoke, character meets and variety of activities at the kids’ clubs kept everyone busy during non port days.

The kids clubs are extremely well run and organized. While our children didn’t participate in any activities on their own at the clubs, we did hear a lot of positive feedback from parents who had children that did.

The fireworks show on Pirate Night was amazing and many kids stayed up to watch it although ours did not. Many cruisers and crew members really got into the spirit of Pirate Night and were dressed head to toe (including accessories like eye patches, plastic swords) in pirate garb.

The Disney Dream is known for the Aquaduck – the first water coaster  at sea – but also boasts 4 pools (1 of which is adults only) and a splash area for non potty trained kids.

Nightly entertainment (lounge, shows and movies) were a lot of fun although from what we saw the majority of parents went to bed the same time their kids did. The lounges and club areas were quite empty when we walked by.

Ports Of Call

Rating:  A

Our four night cruise had two ports – Nassau and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).

We decided to stay on board to enjoy the pool and water play areas as did many other families when we ported in Nassau. My in laws booked an excursion in Nassau and said it was good.

Castaway Cay was the highlight of the cruise for our kids and both very upset to leave after a full day at the beach. Stay tuned for a full review on Castaway Cay in the next few weeks.

Overall Rating: A

If you are a fan of Disney (which most cruisers we spoke to are) Disney Cruise Lines is definitely worth researching.

If you are someone who wants to dress up each night for dinner or likes to spend time at the casino the Disney Dream is not for you. This boat has a more relaxed dress code and does not have a casino.

Dining options, stateroom service, and the variety of activities and entertainment on and off the ship were all fantastic.

Cleanliness and hygiene also get top marks. The crew was constantly cleaning dusting vacuuming and as noted previously wipes were given out every time we entered a food area or dining room. The public areas and washrooms were spotless and any messes left by others in dining areas were immediately cleaned up.

Embarkation and disembarkation at the Port Canaveral terminal and ports were organized and very efficient. Wait time was minimal at all times – something we haven’t experienced often especially on ships this size – 4000 guests.

Disney cruises are a bit pricier compared to other cruise lines but considering what you get in terms of service and activities, it is worth the price difference.

Our first family cruise experience was a very enjoyable and memorable one  – our four year old hasn’t stopped talking about it since we returned over a month ago!