Cruise News Disney’s Dream-Boat Comes In!
Disney Cruise Line launched their newest – and largest – ship at Port Canaveral in Florida in January with all the hoopla you would expect from a major Disney event. We were there for a first look at the ship on her christening day.
by Susan Veness F
lutes filled with sparkling cham- pagne, delicate nibbles nestled amid tropical flowers, and a buzz of anticipation created a delicious excitement – and that was before we even left the cruise port lobby. Passing through the iconic Mickey Ears
portal revealed a stage decked out in red-carpet style, and we had our first glimpse of the sleek new vessel that had stirred up a huge buzz of publicity for months in advance. The energy ratcheted into high gear as the air filled with retro-inspired perform- ers’ enthusiastic crises of: “Let’s make a Disney dream come true!” Blueprint images on twin screens assembled the ship deck by deck, its focal point a framed film clip of Walt Disney himself inviting guests to “share our latest and greatest dream.”
10 WORLD OF CRUISING I Spring 2011
Classic Disney characters spilled onto the stage, welcoming Disney President and CEO Bob Iger as he thanked those involved in continuing the grand seafaring tradition that began with the Magic and Wonder. He said: “We named our new ship the Disney Dream because she was created to make dreams come true for our guests. Naturally, we had to include a little nod to the ultimate dreamer, Sorcerer Mickey.” Out in the harbour, an enormous
champagne bottle emblazoned with Mickey’s famous silhouette appeared, with Sorcerer Mickey inviting us to ‘fill the champagne bottle’ with dreams of adventure, discovery, escape, fantasy, friendships, and romance. Cue the pirates and princesses! Sailing into the harbour in dramatic style, Captain Jack Sparrow waved from
the mast of his ‘commandeered’ pirate ship as cannons fired gold doubloons into the crowd, to the delight of those of us who enjoy receiving unexpected souve- nirs. Disney Princes and Princesses waltzed on to the stage to the strains of Once Upon a Dream, giant character puppets danced through the audience, Mickey did his best Michael Jackson bust-a-move, and the crowd – numbering several thousand – went wild! Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and
Resorts, Tom Staggs, praised his Cruise Line team, reminding us: “No-one is more deserving of our admiration, respect and gratitude than the incredible group of people that will take this spectacular ship to sea.” The Dream’s decks were lined with the entire crew, cheering so loudly we were able to hear them from shore. “Ladies and
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