private beach paradise of Castaway Cay. The accommodations are all a cut
above, with extra thought given to the bed and bathroom layout (the beds are that bit higher, so all luggage can be safely stowed underneath, while the split shower and W/C arrangement is eminently more prac- tical than most), and some subtle touches in design that do not overwhelm you with overt Disneyana. Inside cabins even come with a ‘magical
porthole,’ a virtual window onto the outside world that offers real-time exterior views, as well as the occasional Disney character.
D
ining is a real joy with the three main restaurants forming a rotational system – pioneered on
the first two ships and enhanced here – that provides a different experience each evening. All three venues, the Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace and Animator’s Palette, afford an eye-catching as well as stomach-pleasing array and, while it may take a few months for the staff to be fully in sync, it’s hard to fault their eager-to- please, personable approach. Venues like the Skyline Bar – a brilliant piece of creativity, with picture ‘windows’ that provide a realistic cityscape panora- mas of the likes of New York, Hong Kong and Rio, changing every 15 minutes – the blissful Senses Spa, with its couples suites, the superb Walt Disney Theatre and cine- ma-style Buena Vista Theatre all combine to provide a genuinely elegant experience. True, it continues to lack a proper ob-
servation lounge and the open deck space in the adults-only Cove Pool area is rather tiny, while it may be difficult to escape long queues – and squeals of delight – at the fea- ture AquaDuck. The Atrium is also a touch sterile and vacant when not being used for the many character meet-and-greets that are a Disney signature touch. Not everyone will be tempted by the cuisine of Remy’s, with
its $75/head cover charge.
But these are all pretty minor quibbles with a ship that shows the combination of Disney smarts and German engineer- ing (the Dream and Fantasy both come from the Meyer-Werft yard in Papenburg that has also given us the superb Solstice class vessels of Celebrity Cruises) is a truly powerful and eye-pleasing one. Then, as the ship’s tour de force, you
have their entertainment package, and a line-up of shows and activities that even the mega-ships of Royal Caribbean and NCL will struggle to beat. The Walt Disney Theatre showcases three original big-stage productions, the on-deck parties offer more Disney show- how – including a one-of-a-kind fireworks- at-sea display that underscores their Buccaneer Bash pirate event – and the array of high-quality live music runs the gamut from cool jazz to lively disco, with comedy and cabaret thrown in for good measure in The District. In fact, the only real drawback I can
see on the Dream for her maiden year or two is trying to fit everything in to just 3, 4 or 5 days. This is a ship that could easily entertain for a week or more without ever doubling up on its entertainment array, and some passengers may disembark com- pletely exhausted if they DO try to ‘do it all’ on a typical short-haul voyage. So, one of the year’s most exciting new cruise-going prospects is now fully under way, Donald Duck and all. But don’t let anyone tell you it is just a Mickey Mouse experience!
Disney Dream FACTFILE
Maiden Voyage: January, 2011 Tonnage: 128,000 Length: 1,115ft Beam: 125ft Draft: 26ft Speed: 22 knots Passengers: 4,000 Crew: 1,458 Space Ratio: 32.00 Passenger Decks: 14 Registry: Bahamas
ITINERARIES: year-round 3, 4 and 5-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral in Florida.
MORE INFO: In the UK, call 0870 24 24 900, or visit www.disneycruise.
disney.go.com.
Spring 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING
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