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Disney Dream

A dream come true., onboard fun.

There’s an almost endless amount of one-of-a-kind entertainment, recreation and dining offerings on the Disney Dream to keep the entire family smiling from sun-up to well after sundown.

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Entertainment

Laugh and cheer during original Disney musicals, watch a fireworks show under the stars or catch the newest Disney films. View More

Imaginative play in vivid settings for the kids, adults-only hotspots, 3 pools—around every corner, there’s fun for everyone. View More

Hungry for something different? Feast on gourmet delights and made-to-order casual fare at magically themed restaurants. View More

FIREWORKS AT SEA

Character greetings, first-run movies, daily activities.

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FOR THE ADULTS

Youth clubs, sports and fitness.

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MAIN DINING

Casual dining, adult-exclusive dining.

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SPOTLIGHT AT SEA

Set your sights on some of the newest onboard enhancements and must-see experiences designed to stir your family’s imagination and create memories to last a lifetime.

Animator’s Palate

Be drawn into the magic of Disney animation at this restaurant that serves up a unique dinner show starring Disney characters.

Marvel Day at Sea

Join some of Marvel’s mightiest heroes for a super day-long celebration—available on select cruises.

Star Wars : Millenium Falcon

Inside Disney’s Oceaneer Club, young rebels are invited to pilot Han Solo’s legendary spaceship through the Star Wars universe.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Step inside this enchanted beauty salon that offers magical, head-to-toe makeovers for young princesses, pirates and knights.

Beauty and the Beast

Fall in love—all over again! Belle, Beast and the enchanted kingdom comes alive in an amazing stage show that’ll have our Guests singing along.

Indulge in tantalizing French-gourmet fare at this adult-exclusive restaurant boasting sweeping sea views and a chic ambience.

Stay in a stateroom to fit your family’s need for style and comfort—from cozy private lodgings with extra space to grand and richly appointed suites boasting sweeping views.

Luxurious and spacious beyond compare, Concierge staterooms feature separate bedrooms, top-notch amenities and unparalleled service.

Breathe in the ocean air from these richly appointed accommodations designed for families of 3 to 5—featuring a private balcony and sweeping sea views.

Relax in roomy quarters bedecked in a charming nautical motif with Art Deco flourishes—plus one or 2 portholes for admiring the scenery.

Sail away in a spacious stateroom fitted with a Magical Porthole for real-time sea views—and surprise sightings of animated Disney characters! 

PORTS OF CALL

Chart a course for unforgettable adventure with the Disney Dream as your guide and drop anchor in some of the world’s most magical places, including the Bahamas and Disney’s very own Castaway Cay.

Castaway Cay

Lose yourself to swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and boating on this island paradise reserved for Disney Cruise Line Guests.

Tropical weather blankets this sun-kissed paradise, where the recreation is renowned and the landscapes are breathtaking.

Royal palaces, expansive museums and sumptuous gardens make this wondrous region beloved by all who visit.

Accommodations

Theme parks, disney cruise line – what you need to know, cruise line ships, disney private islands, recent walt disney world, recent disneyland, disney world reviews, other park reviews, recent reviews, allears style, newsletter home, ultimate guide to cruising on the disney dream.

They don’t call it the Disney DREAM for nothin’…

The Disney Dream was the third ship to join the ever-expanding Disney Cruise Line fleet. (Seriously… have you heard that the NEW Disney Destiny was just announced ??) The Disney Dream introduced a new class of ships to the line — the Dream Class, of course! And if it’s YOUR dream to sail on this magical ship, then we hope you’ll join us as we explore everything you and your traveling crew need to know about cruising on the Disney Dream!

Disney Dream Overview

The Disney Dream took its Maiden Voyage with passengers on January 26, 2011. The Disney Fantasy, which followed with its first sailing in 2012, is the sister ship to the Disney Dream.

So, in both its size and structure (with 14 Decks and 1,250 Staterooms) and passenger capacity (a whopping 4,000!), it is similar to the Disney Fantasy. That said, each ship boasts some of their own distinguishing features.

These start right in the ship’s Art deco-inspired Atrium, where a golden statue of Admiral Donald Duck himself welcomes you aboard!

Of course, among additional varied features, the ship’s itineraries differ as well…

Disney Dream Destinations

The Disney Dream primarily offers Bahamian cruises departing from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida .

However, the summer of 2024 holds something very unique in store for passengers on the Dream, as the ship is destined for Europe following a Transatlantic voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona ! Sailings over the summer include Mediterranean (including the Greek Isles), British Isles, Western Europe, and Norwegian Fjords (with one sailing including Iceland) cruises.

When the Dream returns stateside, she’ll depart again from Fort Lauderdale to offer Bahamian and Caribbean cruises, and select sailings will include a stop at Disney Cruise Line’s NEW island destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (and, of course, Disney Cruise Line’s beloved Castaway Cay )!

Check out Disney Cruise Line’s itineraries for Summer 2025 here!

Disney dream entertainment.

Unique Disney Cruise Line entertainment kicks things off RIGHT AWAY as your cruise starts with a Sailing Away Deck Party!

When I say “unique” that’s because the pals joining you in the entertainment throughout the voyage are none other than Disney characters!

Select sailings also present Disney Cruise Line’s famous Pirate Night (complete with FIREWORKS at sea!). And don’t forget: your CREW is invited to don all the Pirate-y garb you can pack in yer suitcase, matey!

When it comes to entertainment options, Disney Cruise Line is best known for its Broadway-style productions — presented in the Walt Disney Theatre — that tie in characters, beloved stories, and treasured music from the Disney films.

The three shows that guests can enjoy on the Disney Dream are Beauty and the Beast , The Golden Mickeys, and Disney’s Believe.

Currently exclusive to the Disney Dream, Beauty and the Beast brings the “Tale As Old As Time” to you live on stage!

In addition to seeing the characters and hearing the songs you already know and love from the animated film, this production also includes two new pieces written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice from the live-action film.

While Beauty and the Beast puts the focus on one Disney film, Disney’s Believe and The Golden Mickeys bring together oodles and oodles of Disney stories, characters, and signature songs!  In Disney’s Believe , which Disney shares is a “spellbinding musical about a workaholic father who reconnects with his daughter through a little Disney magic,” you’ll see familiar friends from Peter Pan, Aladdin, Cinderella, The Lion King , and The Princess and the Frog.

The Golden Mickeys is “a dazzling tribute to the enchanting movies of Walt Disney” (and it includes a red carpet pre-show!). Featured Disney films include — but aren’t limited to — Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Toy Story 2.

P.S. You can pay a visit to Preludes before the show to pick up some popcorn (or perhaps a cocktail) to enjoy in the theatre!

Disney Dream Water Features

Passengers of all ages can make a BIG SPLASH on Deck 11 (and even a bit higher…) of the Disney Dream! Let’s start with that part that’s “a bit higher…”

We’re talking about the Aqua Duck , the water coaster that made its debut on the Dream!

To ride, guests enter on Deck 12. From here? As the Disney Cruise Line website shares, you’ll take a 2-person raft on “a wet and wild journey up, down, around and off the side of the ship, through the Forward Funnel—on a daredevil 4-deck drop.”

Be aware, though, that there is a height requirement of 42 inches or taller to ride (and single riders must be at least 54 inches).

Water areas for all ages include Donald’s Pool on Deck 11, as well as a wading pool on Deck 12.

Specifically for the kiddos is Mickey’s Pool , and Nemo’s Reef in particular is a splash area for those 8 and under.

Mickeys Slide , however, can be enjoyed by passengers ages 4 to 14.

The Quiet Cove Pool is reserved for guests over 18 years of age only, as is the Satellite Falls wading pool, complete with a cooling rain curtain. In the same area, adult guests can enjoy a cocktail at the Currents pool bar (the Waves bar is another option), or step inside the Cove Café for a specialty coffee.

Disney Dream Staterooms

The Disney Dream offers four categories of staterooms: Inside, Oceanview, Verandah, and Concierge. Many of the rooms feature Disney’s innovative split bathroom which allows more guests in a cabin the chance to get ready at one time.

While each category boasts amenities such as premium mattresses and linens, a 22″ LCD flat-screen TV, a refrigerator, and a surprising amount of storage space, there are many more details to explore among the varying categories, so we’ve dedicated a page to those options here .

Looking for ALL the Stateroom details for the Disney Dream? Click HERE!

Disney dream dining.

As with all the other ships in the fleet, the Disney Dream presents a wide array of options, starting with a Disney Cruise Line signature: Rotational Dining!

Rotational Dining means that guests have the chance to enjoy dinner at ALL THREE of the ships main dining rooms, each with their own theme and specialty menus on select nights. The best part is that, as you move to a different restaurant each evening, so do your servers! They “rotate” right along with you so they can get to know your group’s dining preferences.

The three Rotational Dining restaurants on the Disney Dream are Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden , and Royal Palace.

Animator’s Palate is an innovative restaurant where the show is drawings coming to life on screens all around you. Undersea Magic immerses diners in the world of  Finding Nemo .

Dinner at the Royal Palace features French and continental cuisine in the opulence of the classic Disney fairytales Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.

At Enchanted Garden, guests enjoy their meal as the restaurant changes as flowers bloom and the “sky” fades from day to night.

Be aware that Royal Palace and Enchanted Garden may also serve breakfast and lunch during a sailing, offering guests a full service option if they prefer not to dine buffet or quick service style.

A number of options are available throughout the day, as well. Cabanas hosts a massive buffet for both breakfast and lunch. Help yourself!

Also on Deck 11, several Quick Service options serve classics like burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips and fries, pizza, and healthier fare like salads and sandwiches. These are all available at Flo’s Cafe , which is divided into three different stations: Luigi’s Pizza, Tow Mater’s Grill, and Fillmore’s Favorites.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow up any and all of that with some soft-serve ice cream at Eye Scream Treats!

Additional treats — including scoops from a Gelato Bar —  are available for extra purchase at Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats , a charming spot themed to Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph .

And did you know that ROOM SERVICE is available for breakfast or snacks 24 HOURS A DAY??  The vast majority of items are INCLUDED in the cruise price!

Disney Dream Adult Spaces

In addition to the Quiet Cove mentioned earlier, the Disney Dream offers more areas reserved just for grown-ups. These include the fine dining restaurant, Palo , which may be booked for dinner for an additional charge per adult.

Additionally, the famous Palo Brunch is available for booking during sea days! This option is incredibly popular, so advance booking through your Disney Cruise Line account is recommended.

Be aware, as well, that Palo does have a dress code. The Disney Cruise Line website states: “Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Also permitted is dress-casual attire with a polished look, such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts, dressy tops and lifestyle shoes. For brunch at Palo and Palo Steakhouse, dress shorts are acceptable. Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear and sports attire are not permitted.”

The Disney Dream is also home to Remy, another adults only option that adheres to a slightly more strict dress code than Palo: Jackets for men (or collared shirt for brunch) are required and no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sneakers, or open toed shoes.

The cuisine is exceptional French fare and reservations are required.

By the way, before or after your special meal, you might stop at Meridian , a lounge overlooking the back of the ship!

Ready to relax with a drink, or maybe even do a little dancing? Adults can pay a visit to The District , featuring several lounges, each with their own distinct style and atmosphere. District Lounge , for instance, is a relaxing piano bar, while Evolution presents late-night entertainment like dancing, games, karaoke, and comedy shows.

Pink is a Wine and Champagne Bar, while Skyline Lounge immerses you in a “sleek sky bar” boasting views of some of the world’s most iconic skylines!

Meanwhile, sports fans can catch a game at Pub 687. 

Adults might also opt to participate in a Mixology Class or Beverage Tasting Seminar for an extra fee. Featured liqueur and cocktail options include — but aren’t limited to — rum, tequila and margaritas, whiskey, champagne tastings, and more!

Advance booking is highly recommended for these fun and VERY popular opportunities!

The Senses Spa & Salon offers a wide array of services and treatments. (And the Rainforest Room provides an especially relaxing oasis!) Select experiences are available for pre-booking, and you can stop by Senses to inquire about prices for the Rainforest Room and other treatments during your cruise. And the Fitness Center offers workout machines and classes.

And though this is not limited to adults, keep in mind that if you’d like to get a jog or two in, Deck 4 hosts a walking track!

Disney Dream Kids Clubs and Experiences

But what about the kids? Oh, don’t you worry… there are specific areas on the ship dedicated to children, offering experiences tailored for ages from infants to teens!

The It’s a Small World Nursery is available for ages 6 months to 3 years old (save for the Transatlantic cruise, during which the nursery welcomes ages 1 to 3 years old).

Be aware that the Disney Cruise Line website states that “Reservations can be made on a first-come, first-served basis during the open house on Embarkation Day or anytime throughout your cruise. Childcare at “it’s a small world” nursery! is available at an additional fee.” Disney also emphasizes that space is limited.

Meanwhile, Disney’s Oceaneer Club AND Disney’s Oceaneer Lab are available for children ages 3 to 10. The Oceaneer Lab specializes in learning while having FUN!

The Oceaneer Club features activities such as character experiences, storytime, and play areas. (There are also specific guided activities for the littlest ones, ages 3 and 4.)

On the Dream, the Oceaneer Club features the following playful spaces: Andy’s Room (that’s Andy from Toy Story ), the Disney Infinity Game Room, Pixie Hollow , and Star Wars : Millennium Falcon.

Keep in mind that Youth Activities counselors are present at all times in these spaces. Parents will want to know that spaces for your child can be pre-registered via your Disney Cruise Line account, and registration may also take place onboard the ship.

Tweens (ages 11 to 14) can gather at the Edge to hang out, watch movies, play games and make friends during group activities with fun Disney counselors and more. And you want to know something really cool? Edge is located in the ship’s Forward Funnel on Deck 13!

Vibe offers cruisers ages 14 to 17 similar activities geared to their age group, or simply a place to chill. It even boasts its own sun deck on the Dream.

We’ve got one more thing to mention, though it’s not a club, per se. For an extra fee, your little Prince or Princess age 3 to 12 can get a makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique .

Disney Princess, knight, and sea captain-themed packages are available… and there’s an exclusive makeover for Pirate Party Nights!

But we’re STILL not done… because children ages 3-12 can partake in a special tea party with Disney characters. Children get gifts including a jewelry box, tiara, bracelet, necklace, a Cinderella doll, and autograph book. Alternatively they can opt for a package including a cinch bag, sword, shield, pins, Duffy plush, and autograph book. The Disney Cruise Line site will have pricing information available when you book via your Disney Cruise Line account in advance.

Disney Dream Activities

Still want MORE to do 😉 ? That’s good, because the Disney Dream has GOT MORE! D Lounge, for example, is the place to be for family fun with events like game shows and trivia, dance parties,  and more.

Catch a movie on the big screen at the Buena Vista Theatre ! You might choose to watch a Disney animated classic, or maybe a Star Wars or Marvel flick. You never know… your sailing just might feature a first-run Disney feature film at sea! “Funnel Vision” on the pool deck shows movies on the big screen, too.

You can find basketball courts and ping-pong tables on Goofy’s Sports Deck. (My personal favorite option here? It’s 9-hole MINI GOLF!)

Want to explore all sorts of areas on the ship while SOLVING A MYSTERY, to boot? Then get ready to play Midship Detective Agency.  You and your fellow detectives will interact with “enchanted art” in locations all over the ship to gather clues and crack a case wide open! In fact, there are 3 cases to solve (including, but not limited to a MUPPETS-themed caper), so you can play several times — on your own or with your crew — if you like!

And let’s not forget that throughout your cruise, you can meet, hug, get autographs from and pose for pictures with your favorite DISNEY PALS!

Sailing with you are the Fab Five (that’s Mickey and the gang), Disney Princesses, friends from Frozen , and more! Be aware that, while all Character Greetings are included with your cruise, select Greeting times may require advance booking.

Seasonal Sailings

Depending on the time of year, you may find that a special seasonal cruise is in store! For instance, select sailings on the Dream offer a Marvel Day at Sea !

And all ships in the fleet present Halloween on the High Seas in September and October, while Very Merrytime Cruises sail in November and December.

Disney Cruise Line Navigator App

Whew! As you can tell, there’s a LOT happening on the Disney Dream! To keep track of what’s happening when and where, be sure to download the free Disney Cruise Line Navigator app before your cruise.

This is where you can easily find ALL of the activities mentioned throughout this post, book select experiences, check out menus for the ship’s dining locations, and MUCH more!

Join the AllEars.net Newsletter  to get the free list of 50 tips for going on a Disney Cruise! Click here to get started!

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Carnival Dream

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About Carnival Dream

Live the dream on Carnival Cruise Line's 130,000-ton, 3,690-guest Carnival Dream. Exciting amenities and activities, a host of enticing dining choices and spacious accommodations make her a perfect choice for a multigenerational cruise vacation. Stroll along the promenade, a 20-foot wide outdoor walkway with an outdoor seating area that opens up to one of the ship's highlights — Ocean Plaza, filled with live music, dancing, bars, and a variety of food venues.

Highlights also include the adults-only, outdoor two-level Serenity area for a delightful retreat where you can melt your cares away. Start the day with a dip in the Thalassotherapy pool followed by a massage at the Cloud 9 Spa that will leave you feeling new and rejuvenated. Find a favorite souvenir at the boutiques and browse the duty-free shops. Soak up the sun at three swimming pools and delight your senses in whirlpools that extend over the side of the ship providing unforgettable views. Thrills galore away at the WaterWorks aqua park with an exhilarating four-deck spiral slide.

Family-friendly throughout, Carnival Dream offers Camp Ocean, where kids ages 2 to 11 are kept busy with lots of fun ocean-themed activities and entertainment designed just for them according to age. "Seuss at Sea" and the character parade will give ear to ear smiles.

Bring your appetite because out-of-this-world cuisine is served on Carnival Dream, which boasts a myriad of fabulous dining choices , including casual, formal and al fresco options. International dishes and American favorites are served at the two-level main dining rooms, Crimson and Scarlet, where you can dine in beautiful settings. Head to the popular Lido restaurant called The Gathering, which features pizza, burrito and pasta stations, a New York-style deli, Indian Tandoor, Mongolian Wok and more. Classic steakhouse fare is offered at The Chef's Art and savory delicious sushi is offered at Wasabi. Convenient room service is also available 24/7.

Make yourself at home in spacious and comfortable accommodations — many with ocean views and balconies. Special "cove balcony" staterooms offer "up-close" sea views and more interior space. Guests in Cloud 9 Spa staterooms and suites have additional in-room, spa-related amenities, as well as a soothing and relaxing spa theme.

Enjoy conversation and your favorite drink with friends at various fun lounges and watering holes, such as the popular RedFrog Rum Bar, where you can try Carnival's very own ThristyFrog Red Beer. Other chic venues include the always popular BlueIguana Tequila Bar and Sam's Piano Bar where you can hear your favorite tunes. Dance at the popular Liquid Nightclub and watch a show at Ovation, the main lounge. Try your luck at the aptly named Jackpot Casino. You will be dancing in your seat at Playlist Productions and watch a movie outdoors at the huge screen at the Carnival Seaside Theater. Sing your heart out at The Song Karaoke bar and settle in for a delightful night under the stars at Dive-in Movies where blockbuster films are shown on an immense poolside screen. Let your dreams come true on the Carnival Dream.

Carnival Dream cruises to the Caribbean.

Grand Suite

A Grand Suite aboard Carnival Dream features even more space than the standard suite — plenty of room in your room! This stateroom is loaded for an unparalleled experience: VIP check-in, a huge balcony, and even a convenient dressing area with vanity.

Cloud 9 Spa Suite

A Cloud 9 Spa Suite is the ultimate in both stateroom and spa accommodations. There's room for you and your things — with a large room and balcony — and a walk-in closet. The soothing in-room whirlpool tub will help you stay relaxed after your relaxing spa treatment. And like all suites, a Cloud 9 Spa Suite features VIP check-in, which lets you easily get right up to your amazing stateroom.

Ocean Suite

A Carnival Dream suite is the ultimate way to cruise. With more space for stretching out indoors, plus a large balcony for kicking back outdoors, try an Ocean Suite to experience private, luxurious relaxation. Ocean Suites also include VIP check-in, walk-in closet and bathroom with whirlpool tub.

Junior Suite

As you step into a Junior Suite aboard Carnival Dream, you can't help but feel that you're stepping into full-size luxury in a smaller package. Featuring a standard-size balcony, in a Carnival Dream Junior Suite you'll find everything else there is to love about a suite, including VIP check-in, a walk-in closet; and even a whirlpool tub for relaxing.

Premium Vista Balcony

Premium Vista Balcony staterooms were designed to wrap around the aft corners of Carnival Dream, giving you a unique vantage point from which to enjoy luxuriously panoramic views of the sky and the sea — and yes, take in even more of that sunshine.

Cloud 9 Spa Balcony

Whether you're warming up for your spa appointment or winding down after your treatment, there's no better place to do it than on your Cloud 9 Spa Balcony. Breathing is important — take the ocean breeze in, then let it out — you're already getting the hang of the whole spa thing!

Aft-View Extended Balcony

Aft-View Extended Balcony staterooms feature a larger balcony for more lounge-around room, more kick-back space; not to even mention some of the best stern-side views you'll find anywhere. Get ready to relax as you gaze upon Carnival Dream's gentle wake from your spacious balcony.

Balcony Stateroom

Balcony staterooms were designed for maximum sea breeze and the most stunning views, so look to a balcony if you're looking to cruise aboard Carnival Dream. Any time you're in your room, you're just steps away from your own personal outdoor oasis, featuring the sort of sea view you can also feel.

Cove Balcony

Love the sea? Carnival Dream's Cove Balcony staterooms are the best way to see the sea — these rooms get you close to the waterline, and feature balconies that let you make the most of your location. Enjoy things from a whole new perspective: one amazing up-close view of the wake and seafoam as the ship cruises along.

Cloud 9 Spa Oceanview (walkway view)

The best way to enjoy the relaxing, invigorating Cloud 9 Spa while on a cruise is in a spa stateroom, and this one fits the bill, providing comfy accommodations and convenient, priority access to treatments and services at the Cloud 9 Spa. (Note that rooms of this type have obstructed views.)

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

On Carnival Dream, Deluxe Ocean View staterooms are a great choice for families who want to let the sun shine in as they sail. Rooms of this type feature great views, a full bathroom — plus a separate washroom — and while stateroom configurations vary, certain Deluxe Ocean View rooms have space to sleep up to five cruisers.

Deluxe Ocean View

Oceanview Stateroom

A picture window gives you views of scenery you won’t find anywhere on land, all from the comfort of your stateroom.Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control.

Cloud Spa 9 Interior

We've taken the warm essence of our Cloud 9 Spa and infused it into your room, plus you’ll get exclusive spa perks for maximum relaxation. Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control.

Interior with Picture Window

Your picture window gives you a view beyond your stateroom, to the observation deck outside, including a great sky view. Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control.

A pair of round windows in your room give you the classic seafarer’s view times two, a view of the ocean without breaking the budget.Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control.

Interior Stateroom

This is an affordable way to cruise without leaving out the comfort or convenience! Great for curling up after a long day of fun.Dedicated stateroom attendant, Soft, cozy linens, Plenty of closet and drawer space, In-room safe for valuables, Television, Stateroom climate control.

Interior Upper/Lower Stateroom

These staterooms are great for a pair of cruisers on a budget, creatively maximizing space with a different layout — featuring one Twin bed, and either an upper Pullman or sofa bed.

View Deck Plan

Scarlet Restaurant

Decks: 3 Lobby 4 Atlantic

Scarlet Restaurant.

The Crimson Restaurant

Decks: 4 Atlantic 3 Lobby

Feast on culinary pleasures and choose to your heart’s delight, as well as your palate’s.

The Gathering Lido Restaurant

Deck: 10 Lido

Deck: 5 Promenade

Plaza cafe.

The Chef's Art Steakhouse

Deck: 12 Spa

Turn your special vacation in the direction of delicious — book a table for an unforgettably delectable evening at the Steakhouse. Our menu features mouthwatering premium cuts of beef cooked to your exact specifications, as well as a fantastic selection of seafood, entrées, gourmet appetizers and an extensive wine list. The atmosphere pairs remarkably well with — and perhaps even enhances — the culinary creations of our gourmet chefs.

Pizzeria Del Capitano

On Carnival ships, the captain tends to be kind of a big deal — almost a celebrity. On a few select ships, they’ve even got their own pizza kitchen. The best part? Pizzeria del Capitano is open to everyone, 24 hours a day! And since our captains tend to be Italian, you know the quality of the ingredients truly pass muster. (Sorry, nautical pun.) Hand-tossed dough, made from imported Italian flour, plus fresh mozzarella form a solid base, and a choice of toppings put the finishing touches on this piping hot, fresh-from-the-oven mealtime — or anytime — classic. (Also, try our caesar salad

Grand Buffet

Grand Buffet.

Mongolian Wok

Chow down on some delicious Asian goodness. First, select your noodles and veggies. Then tell one of our chefs which sauce and meat you want in the wok. Will it be mussels and Szechuan? Beef and Thai barbecue? Chicken and black bean? Don’t worry, the decision doesn’t have to be final — you can come back to Mongolian Wok and try all the combos your heart desires!

Blue Iguana Cantina

Nobody knows Mexican dining like a blue iguana. Well, our blue iguana, at least. That’s why it should come as no surprise that the BlueIguana Cantina features freshly made tacos and burritos stuffed specially for your enjoyment. Throw our homemade tortillas and salsa into the mix, and you have a casual dining experience that will make you say “mmmm” (which is actually Iguanese for “more, please”).

Guys Burger Joint

We went looking for someone to help us grill up the best burgers at sea, and we found just the guy. Carnival has teamed up with best-selling author, restaurateur and Food Network personality Guy Fieri to bring all the authentic appeal of a roadside burger shack to Guy’s Burger Joint, the cool poolside spot for hot burgers and hand-cut fries. Try a fresh-off-the-grill burger Guy’s way, or take it off-road to our toppings bar and truly make it your own.

Bonsai Sushi

So maybe you’ve had sushi on a cruise before, but you’ve never had it like Bonsai Sushi, our onboard seafood-and-soy-sauce spot. Dine amidst expertly-pruned bonsai trees while enjoying sit-down service and an affordable menu of delectable sushi and sashimi… plus rolls, soups, sides, sakes and desserts. So the next time you’re taking an onboard stroll, stop at Bonsai Sushi for a little something satisfying.

Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse

Seafood Shack

Seafood Shack.

Deck: 3 Lobby

The Gathering

Deck: 11 Panorama

The Gathering.

Crimson Lounge1 & 2 Restaurant Annex

Traveling in a group? Reserve this space as your own private dining room.

Encore Main Lounge

Decks: 4 Atlantic 3 Lobby 5 Promenade

Encore Main Lounge.

Jackpot Casino Non Smoking

Jackpot Casino Non Smoking.

The Page Turner Library

Deck: 4 Atlantic

With wall-to-wall activities, most people wouldn’t think of their cruise vacation as a great time to read a book, but you’ll find the bibliophilic faithful stretched out on deck chairs, enjoying the sun, sea breeze… and a page-turner

Carnival Waterworks

Carnival Waterworks.

Sunset Pool

Sunset Pool.

Think palm trees, a cool breeze and relaxing with your favorite drink in your hand. Now make that a reality and head on over to our new Resort-Style Pool -- Swim or just chill out.

Carnival's Seaside Theatre

Carnival's Seaside Theatre.

Art Gallery

Art Gallery.

Upper Dream Street Promenade

Upper Dream Street Promenade.

The Photo Gallery

The Photo Gallery.

Shore Excursions

The best way to fill your day on shore is to explore our vacation destination's hot spots.

Your parents deserve a nice vacation… but then again, so do you. So let’s let them go do their thing while you do yours. Where to? Club O2. Hang out and do stuff like watch movies, listen to music from this decade, play sports and video games, join karaoke jam sessions… maybe even have a pool party or two, all with other high schoolers ages of 15 to 17.

The Warehouse Video Arcade

If you love to play video games, you’re in luck. Our video arcade boasts a huge array of games, and is open to players of all ages, all night and all day. So get some tokens from the vending machine and let the fun times begin. Challenge your friends to a game, or just see if you can beat the top score. After all, with the video arcade open 24 hours and an entire cruise ahead of you, you have plenty of time to try.

Decks: 15 Sky 11 Panorama 10 Lido 5 Promenade

Cloud 9 Spa staff are masters (or, maybe more like artists) trained in the craft of simply helping you chill. What’s their secret? Massages, facials, body wraps, thermal suites and more — plus, on certain ships, the amazing Thalassotherapy Pool — these are the tools of the trade. And the trade is ultimate relaxation.

Ocean Plaza

Ocean Plaza.

Sam's Piano Bar

Sam's Piano Bar.

Burgundy Aft Lounge

Burgundy Aft Lounge.

Rendezvous Club Lounge

Rendezvous Club Lounge.

The Lanai Promenade

Breathe in the salty sea air as you relax in the jacuzzi, stroll along the half-mile-long promenade and get spoiled by views, each more intoxicating than the last.

The Dream Atrium

Decks: 11 Panorama 10 Lido 9 Vista 8 Verandah 7 Empress 6 Upper 4 Atlantic 5 Promenade

The Dream Atrium.

The Dream Lobby

The Dream Lobby.

Dream Team Basketball Court

Deck: 14 Sun

Dream Team Basketball Court.

Fitness Studio

Fitness Studio.

A trip to the salon is an opportunity to relax, to chat with others, to focus on yourself. It’s about more than just getting your hair or nails done… but it’s definitely about getting your hair or nails done! Even though you’re on vacation, you won’t have to settle for anything less than the salon style you’re used to back on land. And these good looks go beyond the usual — we even offer services like teeth whitening… great for taking those ‘I’m on vacation and I’m looking great!’ smiles to the next level.

Treatments Room

Jogging Track

Jogging may not immediately come to mind when you think of things to do at sea, but it probably should. You don’t have to walk on water, you just have to get on a Carnival cruise. After all, if you’re going to jog, you’d be hard-pressed to find a place to do it with a more scenic view, or a more refreshing breeze — both of these are available in abundance when you go for an open-air jog on the upper-deck. Jogging tracks are available on all Carnival ships, and are even padded for long-distance comfort.

Relax Lounge

Thermal Suite Tepidarium

Thermal Suite Tepidarium.

Hydrotherapy Pool

Hydrotherapy Pool.

Camp Ocean.

Blue Iguana Tequila bar

BlueIguana Tequila Bar is the onboard spot to chill and enjoy a slushy tequila drink or an ice-cold Mexican cerveza. The menu offers up Mexican favorites, including several brands of tequila and a slew of Mexican brews. There’s a lineup of frozen concoctions, cocktails and margaritas served by the glass or by the pitcher, and even a special Mexican beer cocktail (yes, really). Where can you find this little slice of Mexican paradise? Next to the pool, of course. So stay cool and take in the bar’s vacation vibe while you kick back on your cruise – that’s what official bar mascot Blue the Iguana would tell you.

Redfrog Rum Bar

Guests have told us we hit on something special with the cool Caribbean chill of the RedFrog Pub. We've taken the best parts and brought them poolside with the RedFrog Rum Bar, where the frog keeps the fun hopping day and night with all the island flava you know and love. Join the party at this poolside bar featuring a great selection of frog-approved Caribbean rum-based concoctions available by the glass or pitcher, plus plenty of Carnival’s signature private-label draft beer, ThirstyFrog Red.

Decks: 5 Promenade 4 Atlantic 3 Lobby

The Song Jazz Lounge

The Song Jazz Lounge.

Caliente Dance Club

Alchemy Bar

Alchemy Bar.

Dance Floor

Decks: 5 Promenade 3 Lobby

Dance Floor.

Jackpot Bar

Cherry On Top

A cruise is the perfect time to treat yourself to something sweet, and Cherry On Top happens to be the perfect place. You'll find this well-stocked candy-and-more-store not only great for enjoying some of your confectionery favorites, but the place to pick up food and apparel gifts for that special someone, even if — admit it — that someone happens to be you!

The Fun Shops

The Fun Shops.

Guest Services

Criental steam Bath

Criental steam Bath.

Coed Sauna.

Aroma Steam Bath

Aroma Steam Bath.

Decks: 14 Sun 15 Sky

Lower Dream Street Promenade

Lower Dream Street Promenade.

Aft Atrium.

Carnival Adventures

Jackpot Casino

Jackpot Casino.

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• Food & Drink
• How to Plan
• Shore Excursions
• Onboard Activities
• What to Expect

Ultimate Guide to Carnival Dream

By Carnival Cruise Line

Swimming, playing, feasting and laughing. Celebrating the sunrise and toasting the sunset. These are all just part of the experience of cruising on Carnival Dream™ , a ship so magnificent it inspired two more Carnival ships to follow in its wake.

If you’re looking forward to a family cruise, romantic getaway or fun time with friends on Carnival Dream, know that the onboard experience promises to be just as exciting as any destination. Pinch yourself if you have to, but there’s no denying your cruise vacation will feel like a dream!

While a family cruise on Carnival Dream means tons of fun in the sun, the ship boasts some amazing attractions to entice you indoors as well. Do not miss the chance to catch a Broadway-worthy show by Playlist Productions .

These spectacular stage shows—with themes ranging from vintage pop to epic rock—feature singers and dancers who dazzle the audience with their talents.

For a different kind of live entertainment, take a seat at the Punchliner Comedy Club . You’ll laugh your socks (or sandals!) off when the comedy pros take to the stage, with both family-friendly and adults-only shows on the schedule.

When you want to take a break from all the action, you can really make the most of your cruise by booking a beauty or wellness treatment at Cloud 9 Spa . Perhaps a massage to soothe your muscles after a super-active shore excursion? Or a facial to revitalize your skin after days under the Caribbean sun.

Remember though, you don’t really need a reason for some relaxation—you’re on vacation!

Another great spot for a break onboard is  Carnival Dream’s Casino , where you can try your luck at the slots or table games . Whether you have a legendary poker face or you’re a high-roller at the blackjack table, there are so many exciting opportunities to win big.

Of course, Carnival Dream has lots of indoor fun for kids too. All ages enjoy the gaming action the Video Arcade , which is open 24 hours a day. And for the youngest passengers we have our Seuss At Sea programs inspired by the colorful, whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.

They can eat green eggs and ham for breakfast with the Cat in the Hat, create Seuss-themed arts and crafts and catch the wonderful character parade that always puts a smile on everyone’s face.

Outdoor Fun

When you’re cruising from Galveston to the Caribbean on Carnival Dream, you’ll have plenty of time for outdoor fun in the sun. Options range from non-stop action at the WaterWorks onboard water park to the ultimate in relaxation at the Serenity Adult Only Retreat .

For all the splashing, swimming, dunking and soaring fun you can imagine, head to the Twister Waterslide and ride from the sky to the splash-down zone as many times as you desire.

Prefer to keep your feet on the deck? Putt around the Mini Golf course and aim for a hole in one. Another delightful attraction for the whole family is Carnival Dream’s schedule of Dive-in Movies . Take a seat or lounge chair by the pool and take in a blockbuster movie under the stars.

Along with the big screen and show, we provide popcorn and blankets to make this a movie night you’ll never forget.

What goes better with a tropical cruise vacation than your favorite drink? Whether it’s a frosty beer, fruity cocktail or perfect glass of wine to sip while watching the sunset over the ocean, the great bars on Carnival Dream have you covered. Each bar has its own theme, vibe and array of signature drinks, in addition to a full menu of classics.

RedFrog Rum Bar , which you’ll find right next to the pool, has drinks at the ready to get you in the mood for exploring Caribbean destinations. Its special rum-based cocktails are available by the glass (including a souvenir glass option) or pitcher, and among them mojitos, frozen daiquiris and original creations too.

It also offers Carnival’s custom brew, ThirstyFrog Red™, as do all the bars on Carnival Dream.

If tequila’s more your thing, grab a seat at BlueIguana Tequila Bar where margaritas, Micheladas and more evoke the vibe of Mexico. Or, have the master mixologists at Alchemy Bar create a custom cocktail just for you. Vintage drinks are also a specialty at this pharmacy-themed bar.

Delicious Dining

With all the unforgettable indoor and outdoor fun, entertainment, cool drinks and relaxation time, you’re sure to work up a big appetite while cruising on Carnival Dream. Luckily there’s no shortage of delicious dining options on board.

You might be cruising from Galveston to the Caribbean, but your taste buds can take a side trip to New England simply by feasting at the Seafood Shack . Lobster rolls, clam chowder, crab creations and the catch of the day are available for lunch and dinner, every day.

How about a sojourn to Mexico? Dine on your favorite Mexican cuisine at BlueIguana Cantina , where you can customize tacos and burritos with all your favorite toppings. They’re all made fresh to order.

And you won’t want to disembark until you’ve eaten at Guy’s Burger Joint , the on-board brainchild of celebrity chef Guy Fieri. This top-notch restaurant features a toppings bar so you can load up those fresh-off-the-grill burgers with a side of hand-cut fries, any way you want them.

Ready to Wake Up on Carnival Dream?

Carnival Dream is without a doubt the perfect ship for a dream vacation to the Caribbean. With so many activities on board you can spend all day having fun or enjoy hours on end doing nothing at all. Add to this all the great dining and drinking options, and it’s clear that there’s no dreamier way to take a vacation.

Related articles

What to expect.

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships.aspx

Disney Dream cruise ship review: Mostly magic with a bit of mayhem

TPG's Erica Silverstein accepted a free trip from Disney Cruise Line to cruise on Disney Dream. The opinions expressed below are entirely hers and weren't subject to review by the line.

A Disney Dream cruise is not just for families with young children who love Mickey Mouse and princesses. Disney lovers of all ages, including many couples who choose to get married on board or on the cruise line's private island, will appreciate setting sail in an immersive Disney atmosphere.

A Disney Dream sailing is also attractive to travelers who love a good show, as the ship offers stellar musicals, captivating deck parties and all the movies you can watch from the many Disney-owned production companies (Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and more). Cruisers seeking a more midsize ship, with attentive service and plenty of activities geared toward both kids and adults, will not be disappointed.

Unsurprisingly, Disney Cruise Line does themed sailings well. My five-night Western Caribbean cruise was a Very Merrytime sailing, complete with holiday decorations throughout the ship, seasonal shows and activities, and visits from Santa. Mickey and friends, as well as my fellow passengers, were sporting red and green attire, too. The ship gets equally passionate about Halloween and Marvel-themed sailings.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

A Disney cruise might be a magical experience for some, but Disney Dream isn't perfect. On my cruise, dining venues were crowded and loud, and the lobby atrium and pool deck did not have enough space for all the cruisers who wanted to watch the signature shows. Cruisers looking for varied nightlife might be disappointed that many adults are tied up with childcare at night and unable to venture out to the adults-only bars and lounges.

A cruise aboard Disney Dream is pricey, especially when compared with family-friendly lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line . Make sure that Disney Dream is the ship for you by learning everything you need to know about the ship — from its cabins to its restaurants, attractions and activities — as well as my take on where the ship excels and where it misses the mark.

Overview of Disney Dream

The 130,000-ton Disney Dream contains 1,250 cabins and can carry 2,500 passengers at double occupancy and 4,000 at maximum capacity. That makes it small for a family ship when comparing it to Royal Caribbean's family favorite Oasis Class ships. The biggest Oasis Class ship, Wonder of the Seas , for example, measures 236,857 tons — 82% bigger than Disney Dream — and carries 5,734 passengers at double occupancy or 6,988 passengers when full.

The ship also stands apart from competitors in that it defies categorization. The ship would be considered mass-market because it offers a range of cabins from windowless insides through suites, appeals to families, does not focus on gourmet food or high-end finishings, and does not offer all-inclusive fares.

Yet Disney Dream's sailings are priced higher than most family-friendly cruise ships because the Disney brand commands a premium. Plus, you could argue that the service levels are higher and the entertainment is of a higher quality than on Royal Caribbean, Carnival or Norwegian Cruise Line ships.

Related: 5 best cruise lines for families

So who's on board? Obviously, families with young children make up a large fraction of Disney Dream's passenger base. You'll find babies, kids and teens, as well as three-generation groups and extended family or friend groups. Yet the ship also attracts adults who are Disney fans or appreciate Disney's entertainment and service. It is common for couples to plan onboard weddings or take their honeymoon on a Disney cruise.

Because Disney cruise fares are so high, most Disney Dream passengers are willing to spend money, either because they have a high vacation budget or have saved up for a special trip where they will pull out all the stops. I was surprised how many passengers were paying extra for princess makeovers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, high-priced Disney paraphernalia from the onboard shops, and souvenir drink and popcorn containers.

The other thing to recognize about Disney Dream is that the kid activities are central and the adult amenities peripheral. The pool deck features several bars, but they are tucked away at the ends of the deck, not set out by the main pool. The sports pub, nightclub and other themed bars are hidden at the back end of Deck 4 in a warren of interconnected rooms that aren't always easy to find, and the adults-only specialty restaurants are relegated to a quiet corner at the top of the ship. There is no casino on board.

Because so many of the adults on board are traveling with children, not all are free to go out at night. So, some adult venues and evening activities can be sparsely populated. (Others generate a larger crowd, though.) On the upside, I did not encounter obviously inebriated folks on this cruise — though that could be because I, like so many adults, was traveling with a child and not often in the adult spaces.

What I loved about Disney Dream

The crew and waiters.

Every cruise line promotes the attentiveness of its crew, but the Disney Dream crew really shined, especially our waiters, who traveled with us from restaurant to restaurant. They quickly learned our preferences, bringing us our preferred drinks as we sat down, giving us butter in addition to the day's dip for the bread and remembering our tea preferences.

Our main waiter, Richard, always had a riddle or magic trick for the kids in his section, and Afandi, our assistant waiter, made origami for the kids each night. They would patiently listen as our 7-year-old companion told them jokes and stories, even though they were busy delivering meals and clearing plates.

Our room steward, Panca, left us towel animals every day and always inquired if there was anything we needed. The kids club counselors were always welcoming and ready to answer any parent questions. The entertainment staff did a great job involving as many kids as possible in the activities and were friendly and patient.

I love a good Broadway show, but the song-and-dance revues featured on so many cruise lines often fall flat. The singing ranges from great to mediocre, and while the costume changes and high-tech effects are cool, the shows don't always have a strong thread connecting the various numbers.

Disney Cruise Line takes a different approach — a more Disney approach, if you will. Disney Dream offers three featured musicals, all with a clear story to tell. Adults can appreciate the strong performances and creative use of costumes and scenery, and kids enjoy seeing some of their favorite characters and stories come to life on stage.

This was especially true of the ship's version of "Beauty and the Beast," an abridged version of the story based on the live-action movie. Kids and adults alike were riveted in their seats for an hour and a half, and the performances were stellar, with some of the actors even hailing from Broadway.

The only downside to the shows being so good is that you never want to miss one. That meant my friend and I never sent her daughter to the kids club after dinner, which would have allowed us to enjoy one of the ship's bars and an after-dinner cocktail together.

Related: The ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line ships and itineraries

Palo brunch

I'd heard from many people that brunch at Palo was amazing, and the experience did not disappoint. If you can sneak away for a couple hours, it's a lovely way to enjoy a relaxed, quiet, kid-free meal without missing one of the featured rotational restaurants. It's also good value, leading some people to claim it's the best $50 you can spend on a Disney cruise .

Our waiter, Victor, was as handsome and charming as any Disney prince. He brought us passionfruit mimosas when my friend said she didn't care for orange juice. We started the meal with a bread basket, and the almond croissants were the best I'd ever had, warm and flaky with a delicious almond filling that elevated the pastry.

The menu is so varied that it's hard to choose. Winners included poached eggs with spinach, asparagus and mornay sauce and the goat cheese flatbread. The mushroom ravioli fell flat, but that was OK because I was getting pretty full by then. The chocolate hazelnut dessert was thankfully small because I only had room for a few delectable bites.

My tip: Book an early brunch, and don't eat anything beforehand. You will definitely want to arrive hungry and with a very empty stomach.

Family-friendly cabins

Disney really thought about what families need in a living space when it designed the cabins on its ships, including Disney Dream. As a mom who has cruised with kids since they were babies, I understand the unique challenges families face when sharing a small cabin together. Disney does, too, and has created cabins to eliminate some of those challenges.

It starts with the split bathrooms, one with sink and toilet and the other with sink and shower. That means two can brush their teeth at once, and if a little person suddenly has to go potty when Daddy is in the shower, it's not a problem.

The cabins have plentiful storage space with lots of drawers because little kid clothing does not fit on grown-up hangers. Our cabin host even left a kid-size bathrobe in the closet, along with the two adult-size ones.

There's a dim light on the ceiling of the room's living area where kids will sleep in sofabeds and pulldown bunks to serve as a nightlight. A floor-to-ceiling curtain can extend across the entire room to separate the kids' sleeping areas from the adults. This way, adults can have the lights on in their section of the room after bedtime.

Even the balconies have childproof locks high up on the door, so you can prevent kiddos from sneaking onto the veranda without adult supervision.

What I didn't love about Disney Dream

Crowds and queues.

Disney does not get everything magically right, unfortunately. One way its ships resemble its parks is in the crowds and wait times for nearly everything.

I was dismayed at how much time we spent on this cruise waiting around. Sometimes, it was waiting in the always-long lines for a meet-and-greet and photo opp with characters or to drop off or pick up kids at the Oceaneer Club. I waited 40 minutes on a sea-day afternoon to ride the AquaDuck, and there was no entertainment in that line, as there might be at a Disney park water attraction.

Any show we wanted to see involved arriving early to get seats, occasionally waiting in line to enter the theater. Show up late to one of the Pirate Night shows or any of the events in the atrium lobby, and you will have terrible sightlines and be unable to see much of the show.

The ship also felt small for the number of people it carried, possibly because of bad design and passenger flow. Unless you go very early or late, the pool deck and its two pools are insanely crowded. Even the dining rooms felt like tables were pushed extremely close together, and it was so loud that I often had to raise my voice or lean across the table to converse with my tablemates. Walking through crowded areas was also tricky since kids would veer unpredictably while ambling slowly, so it was hard to get by; both parents and kids would block stairwells or corridors.

The crowding did make the adult areas feel like a respite. Still, the Quiet Cove sun deck and pool area fill up.

Nightlife district

The majority of Disney Dream's indoor bars and adult lounge areas are grouped together in a warren of interconnected rooms at the back of Deck 4. The District is meant to be a happening nightlife area, but I found it to be more of a dark, confusing afterthought.

I liked the vibe in the pub, with comfy seating and windows to the outside, and the whimsical Champagne bar Pink with its bubbles and corset theming. But the other bars were dark and not necessarily inviting. There was one bar, Skyline, that I could not find until I got turned around in a stairwell and happened upon it.

Related: 5 reasons why Disney cruises aren't just for kids

A member of the ship's entertainment team told me that evening adult events were hit or miss as far as attendance goes. It makes sense — I found that by the time I ate dinner and attended the show, it was time to put my friend's kid to bed. I could have ditched them to hang out in a bar on my own, but that wasn't an attractive option.

Disney Dream cabins and suites

The cabins and suites on Disney Dream were designed with families in mind, more so than on nearly every other cruise ship afloat. Cabins come in various categories, with many that can sleep families of three or four. Most have a split bathroom design, with two half baths; one contains a toilet and sink, the other a sink and shower (or shower-tub combo).

My cabin was a balcony room that could accommodate three, with a queen-size bed and a sofa that flips into a twin bed. I was dismayed to discover that, unlike every other ocean-going cruise ship I've sailed, the queen bed did not split into two twins. This forced my friend and I to share a bed. (Cabins that can sleep four will have a pull-down bunk above the sofa bed.)

The room is split in two by a floor-to-ceiling height, full-width blackout curtain, so we could put my friend's daughter to bed on the couch, turn off the lights on her side of the room and then read in bed with the lights on. One downside of this arrangement is that the small flat-screen TV is in the living area, not the bedroom, so we couldn't watch a late-night movie. Another downside: The blackout curtains effectively turned the adult sleeping area into an inside cabin with no natural light.

In addition to the sofa bed, the cabin's living area features a desk with two 110V and one 220V outlets, three deep drawers (perfect for storing kid clothing), a minifridge, the aforementioned TV, an open cabinet with two narrow shelves, a closed cabinet with two tall shelves and a mirror. One of the many light switches by the desk turns on a dim overhead light that can be used as a nightlight. A low-backed chair can be positioned at the desk or turned around to face the coffee table when dining in your cabin.

The master bed is flanked by two small nightstands, each with one drawer, and reading lamps. Only one side of the bed has a 110V and 220V outlet; the other has the cabin's phone. The closet is divided into two sections, both with hanging space and some open shelves. Adjacent is a shelving unit with three deep drawers and a tall two-shelf open cabinet above. The bed is high enough for suitcases, or your small child, to fit underneath.

I found the storage perfectly adequate for two adults and a child on a five-night cruise, and the room could likely handle belongings for a seven-night or longer cruise, as well.

The narrow balcony features two metal and mesh upright chairs and a round metal drinks table. It has a childproof lock you can choose to use to prevent little cruisers from venturing out on the balcony unattended.

The bathroom with the toilet and sink offers three small glass shelves for storing toiletries; the shower room has two. Our bathroom had a tub/shower combo, and at 6 feet tall, I came close to hitting my head on the ceiling; I could not wash my hair without removing the wand showerhead from its holder and reaching it up as far its cord would go.

Each bathroom comes with a refillable hand soap dispenser; the shower room also offers bar soap and refillable containers of Disney brand shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in the tub. You'll find tissue dispensers in each. The shower room has a full-length mirror on the back of the door, which is useful, but this means there are no hooks on the door to hang extra items. There are, however, two retractable clotheslines in the shower and two large hooks on the wall between the bathroom and the sleeping area.

Less expensive cabins are either windowless insides with "magical portholes" (round video screens set in a window frame that display images from outside the ship with some cameos from animated characters) or ocean-view rooms with a round porthole window that does not open.

Higher-tier cabins include Concierge-level cabins and suites that grant you access to the exclusive Concierge lounge and sun deck on decks 12 and 13, respectively. These rooms come in three styles: a balcony cabin, a one-bedroom suite and a Royal Suite, all with private verandas. They come with upgraded amenities and privileges, such as included Wi-Fi, a pillow menu, feather duvets and priority for check-in and debarkation, tendering and reservations.

Wheelchair-accessible cabins come in nearly every cabin category except the Royal Suite.

Related: The 3 types of Disney Cruise Line ships, explained

Disney Dream restaurants and bars

The Disney dining experience is a bit different than what you might have experienced on other cruise ships . The line employs a "rotational dining" system in which you choose early or late seating (5:45 and 8:15 p.m. on my sailing). Then, each night, you are assigned to one of three restaurants each evening. You "rotate" through all the options during the course of your cruise, and your waiters move with you. This way, you can build a rapport, and they can get to know your dining preferences.

Disney Dream does not offer a buffet alternative at dinner, though you can order room service or pick up burgers and chicken tenders at Tow Mater's Grill on the pool deck. If you choose these options or if the adults in your party make a reservation at the adults-only specialty restaurants, Palo and Remy, you might miss out on one of the themed main dining room experiences.

Restaurants

Overall, the food on Disney is fine, but the emphasis is less on impressive food and more on creating an experience that children will enjoy. The waiters work hard, not only taking orders and serving food, but cutting up food for kids or entertaining them with riddles and origami.

Each of the three main restaurants serves its own menu, but on some nights, each menu will serve the same menu, such as the "welcome aboard" menu on night one and a Caribbean-themed menu on pirate night. Every menu is divided into appetizers, soups and salads, main courses, vegetarian options, lighter options and dessert (which always includes an ice cream sundae and a sugar-free option).

The kids menu varies nightly, but is the same at each restaurant on any given day. It's divided into appetizers (a different soup each night and a garden salad), mains (macaroni and cheese, mini burgers, pizza and a changing option such as kid-sized surf and turf) and Disney Check Meals (combo dinners served with a main such as baked cod or penne pasta, a vegetable and fruit).

Mickey ice cream bars are the favorite dessert here; ice cream is also available, as well as a changing dessert such as a chocolate brownie with ice cream or white chocolate cheesecake.

Related: Disney cruise tips, tricks, secrets and extra magic to unlock when setting sail with Mickey

Unlike the venues on Disney's newer ships, the three main restaurants on Disney Dream have less of a theatrical aspect to them, though all are themed.

The design of the Enchanted Garden restaurant on Deck 2 was inspired by the Gardens of Versailles, and its menu claims to be market-style and international. Try the ahi tuna and avocado tower as a starter and the scallops or the prime rib for your main. The signature pecan tart was a nod to Thanksgiving on a Christmas-themed cruise.

Right above the Enchanted Garden on Deck 3 is the Royal Palace, inspired by four princesses — Cinderella, Snow White, Belle and Aurora (Sleeping Beauty). See if you can find iconic images from their stories around the dining room. Dinner here is the perfect time to wear your princess dress to dinner or dress up a little.

The menu is French, with starters like escargot and baked brie. Mains include duck breast, rack of lamb and Chateaubriand-roasted steak. For dessert, consider the grand marnier souffle or the apple tart tartin.

Royal Palace was also the sit-down option for breakfast and lunch on our cruise. Breakfast offers a nice selection of fruit and yogurt, breakfast pastries and egg and griddle options. A kids menu features fun-sized versions of eggs, pancakes, Mickey waffles and yogurt with fruit. Signature adult breakfasts include a savory power crepe, a plant-based hot breakfast for the vegans among us, southern hash and brioche French toast.

Most families stick to casual options for lunch, but if you want a sit-down, multicourse meal, the Royal Palace is there for you. The lunch menu is split into a choice of soups and salads, small plates (such as beef satay skewers or tomato and mozzarella bruschetta), chef's recommendations (churrasco steak, spiced cod fillet), burgers (including a turkey burger and Impossible burger), pasta, a handful of kid-friendly options and dessert (typically one is a sundae). Sit-down lunch is a great option on embarkation day when you don't want to drag your bags around a crowded buffet.

Animator's Palate, on Deck 3 aft (essentially behind the Royal Palace), is the night to experience dinner with a show. Video screens around the animation-themed restaurant come to life with characters from "Finding Nemo" and "Finding Dory," with a surprising interactive element. I enjoyed the butternut squash soup, ginger-teriyaki beef tenderloin and the cookies and cream sundae for dessert.

I generally found the three main restaurants loud, with tables spaced extremely close together. (At Animator's Palate, our table was separated from the next by the width of the ice bucket for our bottle of Prosecco.) Dinners are not relaxing events, even though the waiters are outstanding, keeping the kids entertained with riddles, magic tricks and origami.

Perhaps that is why Disney Dream's two specialty restaurants are exclusive to adults over 18. They offer a nice break for the grown-ups in the group to have a quieter, more upscale meal in a less crowded setting. Both the French Remy and Italian Palo are on Deck 12, separated by the Meridian Bar.

Palo is open for brunch on sea days and dinner daily, both for $50 per person. Brunch is a highlight and a great value for all the food they give you. The meal starts with a complimentary Prosecco or mimosa and a bread basket that includes not-to-be-missed warm almond croissants.

Then you can choose as many breakfast or lunch entrees as you'd like; the poached eggs with spinach, asparagus and mornay sauce and the goat cheese flatbread (pizza) were standouts from our brunch. You can also select from frittatas, waffles and pancakes, and mains like lasagna Bolognese, sirloin steak, veal and parmesan-crusted chicken breast.

After you've completely stuffed yourself, the waiters have the audacity to offer dessert. We sampled the warm amaretto chocolate fondant and the limoncello torte; while tasty, they were definitely not necessary to complete your meal.

For dinner in Palo, choose from the $50 fixed-price menu (a four-course meal with limited options for each), upgrade to the wine-paired menu or order a la carte from the full menu. The chocolate souffle dessert is the signature sweet and should be ordered at the beginning of the meal.

Remy is one of the most expensive specialty restaurants at sea, with menus by acclaimed chefs Scott Hunnel (from Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World Resort) and Arnaud Lallement (of Michelin star fame). Disney Dream offers two set menus, one by each chef, for $135 per person, with wine and Champagne pairings for an additional $120 and $160, respectively. You can also order a la carte.

For casual dining, Disney Dream does offer a buffet option on the Deck 11 pool deck. Cabanas serves breakfast and lunch only. In the morning, you'll find all the staples: eggs, breakfast meat, pastries, cereal, yogurt, fruit, pancakes and the famous Mickey waffles. An omelet station is tucked away at the back.

At lunch, you can find pizza and burgers, an array of hot entrees, soup, premade salads, a huge stash of shrimp and crab legs, pasta, deli meat and desserts (including ice cream). Look for themed sections that change daily.

I found Cabanas to have a nice variety of dishes (and the creamiest steam tray scrambled eggs I've had on a cruise to date). However, the layout is awful. The buffet is all one line, rather than station-based, and there is not a lot of room to walk around the venue. The result is that lines are long, and it's tricky to navigate through (say, if you're walking from the beverage station back to your table). This is especially true if you get stuck behind slow-moving, unpredictable small children who are somehow impossible to get around.

Related: Cruise ship buffet taboos: 10 things you should never do at mealtime

Unlike other mass-market cruise ships, Disney Dream offers free soda with meals and from beverage stations along the pool deck sides and in Cabanas (where you'll also find water, juice, coffee, tea and hot chocolate). Bring your own refillable drink containers to avoid waste because the poolside stations only offer paper cups, not reusable glasses and mugs.

For a snack or simpler meal, a trio of food counters, collectively known as Flo's Cafe, on the opposite end of the pool deck from Cabanas offers all the kid favorites. Luigi's Pizza serves up five types of pie daily; Tow-Mater's Grill cooks up burgers, chicken, hot dogs and sausages, plus chicken tenders and French fries; and Fillmore's Favorites serves a range of paninis, wraps, salads and fruit bowls. Be aware that while these venues are open all afternoon, only Tow-Mater's is open for dinner; Luigi's Pizza opens again at 9 p.m. for late-night snacks.

Poolside treats include the Eye Scream station with three soft-serve machines pumping out multiple flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, banana and strawberry. Frozone Treats next door offers extra-fee smoothies and refreshing drinks with and without alcohol (such as Dole Whip with a shot of rum).

Room service is complimentary on Disney Dream. You can order continental breakfast items by marking off your selections on a tag and hanging it outside your door before bed. All-day room service is available for order via phone; the menu is on the Navigator app. Selections include soups, salads, American fare (buffalo wings, burgers, chicken tenders), pizza and pasta and dessert. Mickey bars are not on the official room service menu, but can be ordered to your cabin.

If the free treats on this ship aren't enough (which is a concept that's difficult to grasp), you can splurge at Vanellope's Sweet Treats. Indulge with extra-fee ice cream and gelato, crazy sundaes, cupcakes and other baked goods and candy.

Outside the Walt Disney Theatre on Deck 3 is Preludes, where you can buy snacks (popcorn, candy) and drinks to bring into the theater. A secondary outpost of Preludes is outside the Buena Vista Theater on Deck 4.

Parents, be prepared: The pervasive smell of popcorn will have your littles desperate for a snack, and the only way to access popcorn is by purchasing a souvenir popcorn bucket on the first night. The buckets range from $8 to more than $20, but refills are only $1.50.

On a ship where sodas and ice cream bars are complimentary, I was surprised the line charged for popcorn.

On a ship full of kids, it's understandable that adults might need a grown-up beverage or two. Disney Dream accommodates, but the bars are less front and center than perhaps you'd find on other cruise ships.

On Deck 3, the Bon Voyage bar is tucked to one side of the midship elevator banks, between the Grand Lobby and the shopping area. It's in a crowded thoroughfare, so it lacks ambience.

Tucked into a corner on Deck 4 is the Vista Cafe for all your coffee drinks, regular or spiked. It also has a small case of snacks to go with your latte or mocha.

Related: Best cruise ship bars

The District, on Deck 4 aft, is the adult nightlife area, though it's used during the day to host events such as trivia. Grouped together are Pink, a wine and Champagne bar; Evolution, the nightclub and event space; Pub 687, the sports and game bar; Skyline, for bougie martinis with a changing cityscape behind the bar; and the District Lounge for hanging out, sometimes with live music. The District is a dark warren of interconnected rooms, so I only found the Skyline bar halfway through my cruise.

You won't find crowds here, as many adults will be at the family activities in the evening or stuck in their cabins after their kids go to sleep. Fun competitive games, trivia contests, and karaoke in Evolution did get a good-sized audience, but you'll rarely need to search for a seat at any of the venues.

If you're interested in Disney Dream nightlife and are traveling with younger kids, I recommend cruising with extended family or friends; this way, each adult can take turns staying with sleeping children while the others go out. Alternatively, put your kids in Oceaneer Club after dinner and the show, but not every child wants to stay up that late or leave their family for the club.

A buffet of finger foods is put out for an hour each evening to help soak up all that alcohol.

On the upper decks, the Cove Cafe is half coffee shop, half bar by the Quiet Cove adult pool. Grownups don't have to get out of the water to order drinks at the swim-up Cove Bar adjacent to the pool. Forward of the adults area, a juice bar in the Senses Spa will kick start your day or refresh you after a workout with fresh juice blends.

Additional pool bars include the Waves Bar on Deck 12 and the Currents Bar on Deck 13.

Also on Deck 12, the Meridian bar is the perfect place for a pre-dinner cocktail before a meal in the adjacent Remy or Palo. It has both indoor and outdoor seating and is a lovely getaway from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship. Passengers booked into Concierge-level cabins can also get drinks at their exclusive Concierge Lounge also on Deck 12.

Disney Dream activities

Disney cruise ships offer a mix of typical and unique-to-Disney activities. Perhaps the most Disney thing you can do on Disney Dream is meet your favorite Disney characters and princesses.

Families have three options: You can sign up for free Royal Gatherings, where you can meet multiple princesses at one time, or extra-fee events, such as the Royal Court Royal Tea. You can look up on the Navigator app when characters will be making appearances and line up for a photo opp and to get an autograph. You'll often find the characters posing in the Grand Lobby or on the balcony just above. Or, you can serendipitously run into a character wandering about the ship.

Even your kids who think they're too cool for Mickey or princess photos will likely become starstruck when they see the characters around the ship and ultimately want a photo or two.

Most kid-friendly activities occur in the multiple Disney cruise kids clubs on board. Most are clustered on Deck 4, where you'll find the It's a Small World Nursery for baby and toddler (up to age 3) daycare for an hourly rate. The Oceaneer Club and Lab offer complimentary drop-off activities for kids ages 3-10. Kids will love flying the Millennium Falcon, playing in Andy's Room, competing in Magic PlayFloor challenges and making crafts in Tinkerbell's Fairy Hollow.

Also on Deck 4 is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where families can pay for a range of princess, prince and pirate makeovers for young cruisers. If you decide to splurge, choose your salon times wisely. You might not want to get makeup and an updo at 9 a.m. and then be unable to go into the pool for the rest of the day.

Tweens (ages 11-14) have their own hangout called Edge with video games, movies, crafts and group activities in the fake forward funnel on Deck 13. Teens (14-17) can enjoy an indoor lounge with snack bar, video game and movie space, plus a teen-only outdoor sun deck with a plunge pool and hot tub. Vibe, as it's called, is all the way forward on Deck 5, with a secret entrance from the Deck 4 outdoor promenade.

A range of family activities, from crafts to karaoke and dance parties, take place in the D Lounge on Deck 4. (Don't confuse it with the District Lounge next door, which is a bar in the adults-only area.) Some activities are held in the atrium lobby, including the hilarious Jack Jack's Diaper Dash (ie, crawling baby races). Evolution is the destination for evening adult activities, such as trivia, interactive competitions and karaoke.

The other major family-focused destination is, of course, the pool deck. Disney Dream has options for all ages and interests. Deck 11 midship is the main pool area with Mickey's pool and slide (the latter meant for ages 3-14) and the Goofy pool. Life jackets are available for kids who aren't strong swimmers.

A giant poolside screen shows Disney movies during both daytime and evening. Pools are open late so you can watch the evening film from the water. The pool area stage is where the welcome/sailaway show and Pirate's Night shows take place.

The Nemo's Reef splash area is intended for supervised splashing for junior cruisers in swim diapers, though youngsters of all ages are welcome. There is a hot tub by the kids pool, but it's generally full of kids.

Don't worry, Mom and Dad: Adults have their own pool deck, forward on Deck 11. The Quiet Cove pool and hot tub are exclusive to adults over 18 and are surrounded by a swim-up bar, adults-only coffee shop and lounge spaces.

Two decks up, the Satellite Falls pool and sun deck provides additional sunbathing space and a wading pool with a circular rain curtain under the ship's satellite transmitter. A sun deck exclusive to Concierge-level guests is also found on Deck 13.

Between the two on Deck 12 forward is a small family area with the Funnel Puddle plunge pool.

The pool area's other main attraction is the AquaDuck two-person raft slide that circles the entire pool deck. You must be 42 inches to ride and 54 inches to ride alone or with a smaller person. The ride has some thrills but is fairly tame. Sea-day afternoon wait times can be long (upward of 40 minutes). Ride after dark, and you'll hardly wait at all.

The entrance and exit from the AquaDuck are adjacent to each other on Deck 12, right above Nemo's Reef. I say this so you won't loop the decks multiple times looking for it.

On the opposite side of the ship on Deck 13 is Goofy's Sports Deck for all your athletic or competitive pursuits. A central sports court with basketball hoops is surrounded by a wacky minigolf course, ping pong tables and foosball.

Your running and walking track, however, will be the Deck 4 promenade. You'll find padded wooden lounge chairs here, as well as shuffleboard courts.

If you need some serious pamper time, head to the Senses Spa and Salon on Deck 11 forward. A salon offers mani-pedis and hair styling, or you can book a massage or facial in one of the spa treatment rooms. Couples treatments include various massages as well as time in one of two couples' villas, and teen services are also available.

A fitness center is stocked with resistance machines, free weights, yoga mats and cardio machines with ocean views, plus group class space for spin and core classes. You can also book a pass to the Rainforest Room thermal suite for access to relaxing saunas and steam rooms.

If retail therapy is more your style, you'll find an array of shops on decks 3 and 4, selling all kinds of character-based souvenirs and toys, Disney Cruise Line logo items, fine jewelry and sundries. The Whozits and Whatzits shop on Deck 11 sells swim and beach items in case you forgot something at home. If you plan on splurging, consider packing a foldable duffle that you can fill with all your souvenirs for the trip home.

Related: Tricks to save money on a Disney cruise

Disney Dream shows

Disney Cruise Line is known for its original Broadway-style musical shows. Disney Dream's trio of original productions include "The Golden Mickeys," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Disney's Believe." These are performed in the Walt Disney Theatre on decks 3 and 4. Your showtime is opposite your mealtime; if you have an early dinner, you'll see the late show and vice versa.

"The Golden Mickeys" is a Disney's version of an awards show, honoring the bravest heroes and the most dastardly villains. The show combines video clips with live performances of favorite songs from Disney movies.

"Disney Believe" is another original musical featuring a single dad who goes on a journey to regain his belief in magic. Along the way, he encounters characters from a wide selection of Disney movies, who guide him on his journey with song and dance.

The ship's marquee show, which runs 1 and 1/2 hours rather than an hour, is a stage adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast," based on the live-action movie. The show employs creative use of puppetry and high-tech scenery, and the performers are stellar. (Some even have Broadway backgrounds.) On our sailing, this show also has a matinee performance to accommodate more guests.

The Walt Disney Theatre has both orchestra and balcony seating. Be careful of poles and railings that can block views from the balcony. Sit in the front section of the orchestra if you want confetti to rain down on you during certain performances.

Disney Dream does not have just one theater. The Buena Vista Theatre on decks 4 and 5 is the ship's movie cinema, showing first-run movies from Disney-owned production studios. That means if the film is currently showing in the movie theaters on land, you can watch it for free while you're at sea.

Disney Cruise Line is also famous for its Pirate Night, a shipwide pirate-themed party, complete with pirate-themed games, trivia and kids activities; a special pirate-themed, island-inspired dinner menu in every restaurant; and two pirate shows on the pool deck stage. The early show stars Pirate Mickey and friends and is geared for younger cruisers; the later, all-ages show features Jack Sparrow and culminates in a fireworks display.

Nearly everyone on board, from babies to grandparents, gets into the pirate spirit, dressing up in looks ranging from simple DIY outfits with a few accessories to head-to-toe professional costumes, complete with wigs. Even if your kids think they're too cool, pack some pirate attire because you will feel left out of the fun if you're not in costume.

Another hot tip: The pool deck cannot handle the number of people who turn out for these shows. Arrive a good half hour early to stake out a spot with decent sightlines, and be prepared to potentially hold your child up the entire time if you're standing in the back. Also, plan for an afternoon nap, if your young kid wants to see fireworks. The show starts after 10 p.m.

On our five-night cruise, Pirate Night took place on a night when a performance one of the three musicals was not occurring. On that night, the main stage screened the newest Disney movie, so more people could watch. On the remaining night, a guest magician performed.

If you like shows, keep an eye out for short performances listed in the daily schedule on the app. Early in the sailing, Mickey and friends did a Christmas tree lighting event, complete with a Santa visit. One evening, the Broadway actor who plays Gaston in the ship's theater did a half-hour one-man show, performing numbers from the Disney songbook.

Disney Dream itineraries and pricing

Disney Dream will offer a series of three-, four- and five-night Bahamas and Caribbean cruises out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, through early May 2024. Ports of call in the Bahamas include Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney's longtime private island. Caribbean cruises include Grand Cayman or Cozumel, Mexico.

The ship then crosses the Atlantic for a summer season in Europe. From May through mid-July, it will offer five- to 11-night Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona and Civitavecchia (the port for Rome), Italy.

It will then reposition to Southampton, England (near London), where it will sail two Scandinavian fjords cruises; several three- to seven-night Europe Coastal and southern Europe cruises to ports in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands; and one British Isles cruise before crossing the Atlantic back to Florida.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Disney Cruise Line ship

The ship returns to Fort Lauderdale from October 2024 through May 2025, again offering three- to five-night Caribbean and Bahamas sailings. This time, certain itineraries include Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Disney's new private destination on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

Fares vary by season, cruise destination and theme, as well as cabin category. Expect the least expensive windowless inside cabins to start at more than $200 per person, per night, based on double occupancy.

On Disney's website, three-night Bahamas cruises start from $1,733 for a couple. Five-night Western Caribbean cruises start at $2,437 per couple, and a seven-night Western Europe cruise starts at $4,427 per couple. Fares increase from there for cabins with balconies or suites, as well as for adding additional guests sharing the cabin.

A family of four would pay upward of $5,859 for a Concierge-level cabin on a three-night Bahamas cruise, for example.

Related: I saved every receipt — here's how much it actually costs to go on a Disney cruise

What to know before you go

Required documents.

U.S. citizens sailing Disney Dream from Port Canaveral will need either a passport or a government-issued photo ID and an original birth certificate. Children can sail with either a passport or a birth certificate. However, for Disney Dream's summer European sailings, including the transatlantic crossings, everyone traveling (including babies) will need a passport.

If you're sailing with a child who is not your own, you will need to fill out a form certifying that you have permission from their parents to travel with them. Passports, when required, must be valid for at least six months. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Related: Tips for getting a child's passport

Disney Cruise Line charges a crew gratuity of $14.50 per person (including babies and children) per day for most cruisers and $15.50 per person for Concierge-level cabins and suites.

You can prepay this amount, or it will be added to your onboard bill. If you have not prepaid, you can adjust the amount up or down at guest services or give additional tips in cash. The hardworking crew relies on these gratuities; even if you have service snafus, we strongly encourage you to pay the full amount and express your dissatisfaction in another fashion.

To give an idea of the cost, a four-person family on a five-night cruise in a standard cabin would pay $290 in recommended tips. The amount is split among your team of dining room servers who kept your kids entertained at dinner and your cabin host who cleaned up your mess each day.

An 18% gratuity is added to onboard spa, bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs. You can always add an additional gratuity for any of your services or servers.

While room service is free, it's customary to add a few dollars of tip when you sign the "bill."

A gratuity is added to bills at Palo and Remy because those servers are not included in the automatic gratuity. Leave an additional tip if you enjoyed the service. If you stay in a Concierge-level room or suite, it is customary to tip the Concierge Lounge hosts $8 per person, per day, at the end of your cruise.

Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on cruise ships

Disney Dream offers various Wi-Fi packages for a fee.

On my sailing, you could choose from three Wi-Fi packages and pay per 24 hours or per voyage. The Stay Connected package gives access to just Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. It costs $18 for 24 hours for one device or $16/day for the full voyage (so $80 for a five-night sailing like mine).

The Classic Surf package gives access to the entire web, email and audio calling. The 24-hour price for one device is $28; the full-cruise cost is $24/day ($120 for a five-night sailing).

The Premium Surf package gives the same access as the Classic but with the addition of streaming services like YouTube, Snapchat and video calling. It costs $42 for 24 hours on one device or $34/day for the voyage ($170 for a five-night cruise).

For any of the plans, you can purchase full-cruise packages for up to four devices, with a 20% discount for each additional device. There is no discount for a multiple-device package for 24 hours. You can purchase a full-cruise package in the middle of your vacation, and the price will be prorated for the number of days left.

If you're deciding how many devices to add to your package, know that you can switch your plan from device to device throughout the cruise. For example, if you purchase a one-device plan, you can switch the service from your phone to your tablet then back to your phone. However, if you need a connection on your tablet and phone at the same time, you will need a two-device plan.

On my Caribbean cruise, I had no problems using the Navigator app or texting, and my travel companions made several Wi-Fi calls using our Premium Surf package. However, loading webpages and uploading photos on my laptop was often slow.

Carry-on drinks policy

Each passenger 21 years and older can bring a maximum of two bottles of unopened wine or Champagne (no larger than 750 milliliters) or six beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board both at the beginning of the cruise and at each port of call. Not every cruise line allows you to bring drinks back from port without confiscating them, so take advantage of this generous alcohol policy .

On embarkation day, beverages must be packed in your carry-on (not checked) bags. You can keep drinks chilled in the small fridge in your cabin or ask your stateroom host for ice.

If you wish to consume wine or Champagne that you've brought on board in one of the dining rooms, you must pay a $26 corkage fee per bottle.

Smoking policy

Smoking is permitted in the following onboard locations only:

• The portside outdoor area of the Meridian Lounge on Deck 12
• The portside deck area on Deck 13 aft by the Currents Bar
• The aft port side of the Deck 4 outdoor promenade, but only from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Passengers caught smoking in their cabins or on their cabin balconies will be charged a $250 cleaning fee.

Disney Dream offers 24-hour, self-service guest laundry facilities on Decks 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. They are not marked on the deck plans on the app, but they are shown on each floor's deck plan by the stairwell and signs in the cabin hallways point the way. On most decks, they are located all the way forward or aft.

Use your Key to the World cruise card to pay to operate the washers and dryers, as well as buy any detergent or dryer sheets you need. Laundry rooms are also stocked with irons and ironing boards for complimentary use; they are the only place on board where you're allowed to use an iron.

If you really don't want to do chores on your vacation, you can send out your dirty laundry for washing, pressing or dry cleaning for an additional fee. Use the laundry bag and form in your cabin and your cabin attendant will pick up and return your clothes.

Electrical outlets

All cabins are equipped with 110-volt outlets, which are standard in the U.S. and Canada, and 220-volt (European) outlets by the desk and on one side of the bed. A shaver-only outlet is located on the ceiling of the bathroom.

The currency on Disney Cruise Line ships is the U.S. dollar.

When you are on the ship, you will not need cash or a credit card — all incidentals, purchases and services will be charged to your cabin folio. Your Key to the World card serves as your onboard payment method. The only exception is if you want to tip a crew member in cash.

You will want to have some cash or a credit card for purchases in port. The exception is Castaway Cay, where cruisers can pay for all purchases at the shops and bars with their cruise cards; cash and credit cards are not accepted on Disney's private island.

Drinking age

The drinking age on board Disney Dream is 21. However, if you're sailing on one of Dream's round-trip cruises within Europe, where the drinking age is lower, parents and guardians can sign a form to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to drink on board when in the presence of an adult in their traveling party.

Daytime dress is casual; shorts, T-shirts and casual sundresses are the norm on Bahamas and Caribbean sailings. Many of your shipmates will be dressed in Mickey ears, Disney-themed attire, princess dresses or group T-shirts at all times.

During the evenings, dining attire in the three main dining restaurants is "cruise casual," meaning no swimwear or tank tops, but you don't have to dress up in anything fancy. That said, many guests do dress up in the evening, but it's not required unless you are dining in Palo or Remy. (Palo also asks that diners dress up a bit for brunch, so come prepared.)

Our five-night cruise had one optional dress-up night, and we were also told that it's fun to change into something a bit fancier (or perhaps a princess costume) when dining at the Royal Palace restaurant.

The dress code on Pirate Night is, of course, pirate casual. Bring your bandanas and eye patches, but leave your swords and pistols at home.

On Halloween and Very Merrytime Christmas cruises, costumes and holiday attire are encouraged — and make for great photos.

Related: The ultimate Disney cruise packing list

Bottom line

Disney Dream offers an amazing experience for families with children and Disney lovers of all ages. The ship stands out for its family-friendly cabins, attentive crew and stellar musical shows. You will be able to meet many of your favorite Disney characters and immerse yourself in the world of Disney.

However, you need to be prepared for crowds and queues, loud dinners, other people's children and myriad extra-fee events, treats and souvenirs that will tempt everyone in your travel party. Come with the right mindset, and you'll have a magical trip your family will remember fondly.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
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Disney Cruise Line

Beginners Guide to the Disney Dream Cruise Ship

by Elyssa Esposito , Digital Integration Specialist

I’m so excited to pass along the next pocket guide in the  Disney Cruise Line  series, the Disney Dream! The  Dream  joined the fleet in 2011 with 14 decks of onboard activities for the whole family to enjoy. Here are some of the offerings you’ll find onboard the first ship in the Dream Class:

1. Welcome Aboard 

As you embark on your Disney Dream adventure, crew members will greet your party by name, and you’ll be welcomed into the atrium by a bronze-sculpted Admiral Donald Duck. Be sure to look up as you won’t want to miss the one-of-a-kind Art Deco chandelier embellished with crystals.

2. Signature Dining

Rotational dining ensures that guests can enjoy all three themed dining experiences while on board. Your party and service team will rotate to a different table service restaurant each night. As part of your rotational dining experience on the Disney Dream, you’ll savor flavors from around the world at  Enchanted Garden , dine in the center of a classic Disney fairytale at  Royal Palace , and embrace your inner artist at  Animator’s Palate !

3. Broadway-Style Entertainment

It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that the  Walt Disney Theatre  proudly presents a musical production of the Disney classic  Beauty and the Beast  on board the Disney Dream. You can also catch a showing of  Disney’s Believe , a heartwarming story of a family who comes together through the power of Disney magic, or attend “ The Golden Mickeys ,” a Hollywood-style award show featuring dazzling performances that pay homage to the magic of Disney storytelling. 

4. Adult-Exclusives 

If you’re an avid Disney cruiser, you may be familiar with the exquisite Italian cuisine at  Palo . But did you know that the Disney Dream is home to two adult-exclusive dining experiences? Indulge in a luxurious evening at  Remy  and treat your tastebuds to carefully crafted French-inspired fare surrounded by elegant, “Ratatouille”-inspired décor. 

For late-night drinks, dancing and entertainment, visit The District. This adults-only area is home to a collection of lounges and nightclubs for every taste and mood, featuring  District Lounge ,  Evolution ,  Skyline ,  Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar , and  Pub 687 . 

5. Just for Kids

While adults take advantage of the nightlife on board, there are several themed spaces for the rest of your crew to enjoy age-appropriate, supervised fun. For an imaginative experience that is exclusive to the Disney Dream, Jedis-in-training can learn to pilot the  Star Wars : Millennium Falcon at  The Oceaneer Club !

To learn more about additional offerings and planDisney tips, be sure to swipe through our planDisney Pocket Guide:

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You can also download a copy of the Disney Dream planDisney Pocket Guide here .

Stay tuned for more planDisney pocket guides as we explore all the Disney Cruise Line ships, and don’t forget to check out our past editions on the  Disney Magic  and  Disney Wonder . Complete your pocket guide collection with the  Disney Resort hotel pocket guides to help you plan your next vacation ashore! For more fun tips and great advice for planning your next Disney vacation stop by @planDisneyPanel on Instagram, @planDisney on Twitter, or planDisney.com . We look forward to answering your planning questions.

Panelists receive compensation for their participation on planDisney.

Destinations: Disney Cruise Line

Topics: planDisney

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Disney Dream Cruise Ship: Complete Guide

When the Disney Dream Cruise Ship began sailing in 2011, it became the third ship in the fleet and the first of what would be known as Disney’s “Dream class” ships. Let’s take a deep dive into all the guest rooms, dining, activities and entertainment onboard this amazing floating resort.

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In This Guide:

• Ship Overview
• Rotational Dining
• Adult-Exclusive Dining
• Casual Dining
• Lounges, Bars & Snacks
• Room Service
• Pools & Splash Pads
• Oceaneer Club
• Oceaneer Lab
• Broadway-Style Shows
• Pirate Night / Fireworks

Midship Detective Agency

• Spa & Salons
• Itineraries & Ports
• Deck-By-Deck Guide
• How To Book

Disney Dream Ship Overview

Image © Disney

The arrival of the Disney Dream in 2011 marked the first expansion of Disney Cruise Line’s fleet since its initial two ships in the late 1990s. It had been about 12 years since the launch of the Disney Wonder, and the Dream’s launch was highly anticipated — not just because of pent-up demand but also because Disney had an additional decade of experience and technological advances under its belt. Still no casinos onboard , but lots of new innovations such as a sort of water coaster called the AquaDuck, interactive artwork that springs to life as you pass by, and much more.

As you step onto the ship, your arrival is announced over the atrium loudspeakers as if you were arriving at a state dinner — the crew and your fellow passengers applaud to welcome you aboard, and your vacation has officially begun!

Inside the grand atrium of the ship which towers three decks in height, you might stop to gawk at the impressive overhead light fixture (22 feet in diameter and 13 feet tall, bedazzled with more than 88,000 Swarovski crystals and 24-carat gold plating).

There are plenty of photo spots here, from the grand staircase to the selfie-worthy statue of Admiral Donald [Duck]. Glass elevators zip up and down, ferrying passengers between 14 passenger decks, each waiting to be explored. Where will you head first?

How Does Disney Dream Compare to Other Disney Cruise Ships?

The Disney Dream is a sister ship to the Disney Fantasy , meaning the two are relatively equal in terms of construction (although similar areas on each ship are usually themed differently from one another). The Dream is significantly larger than the two original ships ( Disney Magic and Disney Wonder ) but is slightly smaller than the Disney Wish .

Based on the expected design of the remaining Disney Cruise ships currently being built , the Disney Dream should settle in as one of the “mid-sized” ships in the Disney Cruise fleet — larger than the classic ships, but well below the gigantic ship that Disney is planning to launch in Singapore in 2025.

As to onboard experiences, the Disney Dream is one of only two ships in the fleet to offer the AquaDuck water coaster, the Remy adult-exclusive fine dining restaurant, and virtual portholes (with live camera views of the outside) for its inside staterooms.

How Does the Dream’s Size Affect the Onboard Experience?

There are pros and cons to both types of ships — larger and smaller — but it really depends on your personal preference.

The smaller ships such as the Magic and Wonder are certainly easier to navigate on foot – you’re just a short walk away from virtually anything onboard. My wife and I tend to prefer the smaller ships for this very reason — but the difference is certainly not significant enough to be a dealbreaker. As a matter of fact, Katie and I have sailed onboard the Disney Dream more than any other Disney Cruise Ship despite generally preferring the smaller ones.

We at MagicGuides also tend to recommend smaller ships for first-time cruisers as they might feel a bit cozier when you’re trying to get your feel of the world of cruising — but again, it’s not a major consideration. My first Disney Cruise (and my first cruise ever, for that matter) was on the Disney Dream; I never felt overwhelmed during my maiden voyage and you likely won’t either.

Larger ships such as the Dream might not be able to dock in smaller ports; this is  usually not a concern thanks to savvy itinerary planning on Disney’s part, but some ports are so small that almost every cruise ship has to rely on tenders (smaller boats to ferry you between the ship and shore).

A bigger ship means more passengers, so you’ll find that all of the onboard venues are larger, too. Expect larger restaurants, larger theaters, and larger pools. Fortunately, the additional passengers are well absorbed by these so it rarely feels crowded. And thanks to clever design such as the use of forced perspective, there are still plenty of cozy spots onboard so you never really feel like you’re in a giant cavernous gymnasium.

Jump To: Overview   |  Staterooms   |  Dining   |  Water Fun   |  Kids Clubs   |  Entertainment   |  Spa & Salons   |  Itineraries & Ports   |  Deck-by-Deck   |  Fact Sheet   |  How To Book

Disney Dream Staterooms

One of the biggest decisions to make for your cruise is your own private room onboard the ship. Your stateroom (passenger cabin) serves as your hotel room at sea.

The Disney Dream has 1,250 staterooms, most of which offer an outside view via either a porthole window or a verandah balcony. There are four primary types of staterooms on the ship; each of those four types is further divided into multiple categories and subcategories. Your choice of stateroom is one of the biggest factors in the how much a Disney Cruise costs , because the per-person cost can increase depending on the stateroom category.

Here is a consolidated list of the room types offered onboard. They’re listed here generally from least expensive to most expensive, though there may be some price overlap. For a more in-depth look at each of these room types, see the descriptions and photos posted in our Disney Cruise Staterooms article.

Inside Staterooms on Disney Dream

Inside Staterooms are the smallest Guest rooms on the ship, but are still larger than those found on some other cruise lines. And thanks to some smart design, there’s still plenty of room for everyone and their luggage.

These staterooms have no porthole window and no balcony, but on this ship they do have so-called “magical portholes.” These are circular video screens which offer live video views of the outside, along with occasional character sightings.

Inside staterooms are offered in standard and deluxe versions, with standard being the smaller of the two. The standard version is also the only regular stateroom category on the ship which does not feature a split bathroom configuration; a split bathroom has a toilet/sink in a separate room from the shower/sink, allowing two people to get ready at the same time.

• 11C:   Deck 2
• 11B:   Decks 5, 6, 7
• 11A:   Decks 8, 9, 10
• 10A:   Decks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Oceanview Staterooms on Disney Dream

Oceanview staterooms offer an outside view through a porthole window which does not open.

There are two major choices within this category: a  Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom which is similar in layout to many other staterooms on the ship, and a  Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom  which is larger (holding more people) and offers many additional features geared toward larger families.

• 9D (obstructed porthole with limited ocean view) :   Decks 6, 7, 8
• 9C (obstructed porthole) :   Decks 7, 8
• 9B:   Deck 2
• 9A:   Decks 5, 6, 7, 8
• 8C: Decks 5, 6
• 8B: Decks 7, 8, 9
• 8A: Decks 5, 6

A giant porthole with padded cushion, found in some Family Staterooms | Image © Disney

Verandah Staterooms on Disney Dream

A typical stateroom verandah layout | Image © Disney

Verandah staterooms offer a private outside balcony which can be accessed through sliding glass doors. Most verandahs have see-through railings (with clear plexiglass for safety), but a few categories have solid metal partitions or are otherwise somewhat obstructed.

• 7A:   Decks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• 6B: Decks 5, 6, 7
• 6A:   Decks 8, 9
• 5C:   Decks 6
• 5B:   Decks 7, 8
• 5A:   Decks 9, 10
• 4E (oversized verandah, some with whitewall) :   Deck 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• 4C:   Deck 6
• 4B: Decks 7, 8
• 4A:   Decks 9, 10

Category 7A Enclosed Navigator’s Verandah | Image © Disney

Concierge Staterooms on Disney Dream

Concierge Family Stateroom | Image © Disney

Concierge staterooms offer additional personalized services , concierge staff, and access to an exclusive Concierge Lounge and sun deck.

• 3A:   Decks 11, 12
• 2B:   Decks 11, 12
• 2A:   Deck 12
• 1A:   Deck 12

Concierge One-Bedroom Suite | Image © Disney

Concierge Royal Suite | Image © Disney

Need Help Picking a Stateroom?

For free, personalized guidance on the different stateroom options offered by Disney Cruise Line, trust the Disney Cruise experts at The Vacationeer ! As an Earmarked Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner ,  The Vacationeer has helped thousands of families just like yours make their Disney Cruise plans.

When you contact The Vacationeer , you’ll be connected with a single, dedicated travel planner — no waiting on hold to speak to someone at a gigantic call center! Your Vacationeer will take the time to get to know your family’s needs to make sure that you find the perfect stateroom at the best possible price  so you get your money’s worth .

They’ll walk you through all the options, answer your questions, make your reservations for you, and share money-saving tips for Disney Cruises . The Vacationeer can even help you set up a zero-interest payment plan ; you’ll often be able to book with just a preliminary deposit, then pay over time .

They even offer a generous onboard credit that can be used toward your purchases on the ship. And best of all, their planning services are free !

So take advantage of free booking help from a Disney Cruise expert — contact The Vacationeer today for a free, no-obligation quote on your dream Disney Cruise!

Disney Dream Dining and Lounges

It’s generally well-known that food is a big part of the cruise experience , and the Disney Dream is no exception. With three sensational main dining restaurants, two elegant adult-only dining options, multiple lounges/nightclubs, and plenty of places to grab a quick meal or a snack on the go, you certainly won’t go hungry onboard this ship.

Rotational Dining Restaurants on Disney Dream

Like all Disney Cruise Ships, the Disney Dream offers rotational dining during the nightly dinner service. This Disney Cruise Line dining innovation pre-schedules you to visit a different restaurant on each night of the cruise. You’ll have the same servers each night, so they’ll get to know you and your food preferences.

Dinner at these three restaurants is included in the cost of your Disney Cruise .

Animator’s Palate

Animator’s Palate is the flagship dining experience on the first four Disney ships, including Disney Dream. Animator’s Palate offers a fan-favorite menu along with a taste of the magic of animation.

Menu items are inspired by Asian, Pacific, and Californian cuisine. Some examples of items you’ll find include black truffle pasta purseittes (a favorite of repeat DCL passengers), butternut squash soup, wild mushroom risotto, polenta cake with tomato and mushroom, lemon-thyme marinated chicken, beef tenderloin, and many more.

Your dinner also includes a tribute to animation – Undersea Magic features interactive digital animation of the Finding Nemo characters in a show that’s reminiscent of EPCOT’s Turtle Talk with Crush. It’s a fun digital twist on the usual concept of dining with Disney characters .

• Enchanted Garden

The use of “enchanted” in this restaurant’s name is no mistake: the atmosphere of this French countryside conservatory magically changes from daytime to sunset to nighttime during the course of your dinner, while light fixtures transform and flowers “bloom.”

Enchanted Garden offers farm-fresh continental cuisine; menu options may include lobster ravioli, an Ahi tuna and avocado tower, curried carrot & apple soup, sea bass, marjoram-scented chicken, and pork tenderloin. Round out the meal with a tempting dessert of steamed lemon buttermilk pudding, banana sundaes, chocolate tortes, and almond meringue cake.

Outside of dinner service, Enchanted Garden is also an alternate option (versus the primary onboard buffet Cabanas ) for breakfast and lunch on most days. You’ll find a less ambitious menu during those meal periods: the usual sausage, bacon, eggs, and hash browns for breakfast; salads, soups, burgers, grilled items, and pizza at lunch.

• Royal Palace

You’re invited to a royal banquet at this elegant restaurant inspired by the ballroom scene in Disney’s Cinderella and other animated classics: beautiful marble floors with a royal design, tiara-topped porthole windows, and hand-painted portraits of Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White.

Your four-course royal feast includes options such as pomegranate-glazed duck breast, jumbo shrimp, spinach soufflé, avocado citrus salad, French onion soup, angus grilled beef tenderloin, roasted wild boar, lobster medallions, and Dijon-crusted rack of lamb. For dessert, indulge in the famed crème brûlée or enjoy a peanut butter mousse.

Adult-Exclusive Dining on the Disney Dream

Disney cruises are certainly family-friendly, but adults don’t need to worry that there’s nothing for them onboard. One of the great things on the Disney Dream that’s available exclusively to adults is a pair of elegant adult-exclusive restaurants . So send the kids off to the youth clubs, put on some nice duds, and enjoy a lovely kid-free date night at Palo or Remy!

Reserve a table at Palo for a delightful meal featuring memorable Italian cuisine. The stunning venue includes giant windows overlooking the ocean, providing a perfect backdrop for your meal.

Dinner menu items include seared sea scallops, tableside-fileted dover sole, butternut agnolotti, tiramisu, and a signature chocolate soufflé that’s considered one of the most popular items across the entire Disney Cruise fleet. On sea days, a tremendously-popular brunch service is typically offered.

Dining here requires an upcharge and space is usually in high demand; book as early as your onboard booking window allows.

The finest onboard dining experience is at Remy. Named after the diminutive chef in Ratatouille , this restaurant transports you to the heart of Paris for a gastronomic experience like no other. You might be seated in the main room, or perhaps in the 900-bottle wine room. Or opt for ultimate luxury: the private Gusteau room (complete with a custom multi-course menu).

Dinner begins with a signature champagne cocktail prepared at your table. Then, it’s a gourmet culinary adventure designed in part by Chef Scott Hunnel (of Disney World’s Victoria & Albert’s) and Chef Arnaud Lallement (recipient of three Michelin stars and voted by  other Michelin-starred chefs as one of the 10 best chefs in the entire world). A gourmet cheese trolley and selections such as duck, elk, Kobe beef, langoustine, and sablefish are hallmarks of the menu.

On certain cruises, there’s also a highly-demanded champagne brunch as well as a 5-course dessert experience.

Dining here requires an upcharge. You’ll want to book as early as possible to have the best chance of securing a spot.

Casual Dining on the Disney Dream Cruise Ship

Cabanas | Image © Disney

Breakfast and lunch are casual meal periods onboard the Disney Dream. So come as you are (just cover up any swimsuits) and grab a bite at Cabanas.

This restaurant offers a mix of American, Asian, and European favorites in an all-you-care-to-eat breakfast and lunch buffet served from nearly a dozen food stations.

Breakfast is exactly what you’d expect from an American perspective – custom-made omelets, bacon & sausage, Mickey Waffles, hash browns, and the like. There are also some international offerings such as rice and miso soup. For me, this is always a great chance to expand my culinary horizons with things I can’t normally get at home. My usual morning fare on the ship includes a giant healthy bowl of fresh muesli with dried fruits and nuts — admittedly usually with a few Mickey Waffles and bacon on the side (it’s all about the balance, you know).

Lunch at Cabanas is a constantly-changing mix of jumbo iced shrimp & crab claws, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza, freshly-grilled meats, veggies, and much more.

Cabanas also offers an alternative dinner service most nights. It’s not buffet style at night; a server will present you with a menu and bring your food to you, and it’s usually a rather quiet meal. My spouse and I will sometimes plan to have dinner here on formal night if we don’t feel like packing dress clothes for the cruise.

Lounges, Bars, and Snacks on the Disney Dream

There’s always a place to grab a quick bite or a refreshing drink onboard. Whether you’re looking for a nibble, just want a soda, or are seeking something with a bit of alcohol , you’ll easily find it onboard. Here are just a few highlights:

• Beverage Station

There’s no need to purchase a separate drink package on a Disney Cruise, as most non-alcoholic drinks are included at no additional cost (a rarity in the cruise industry). This self-service beverage station located near the pool offers unlimited refills of sodas, teas, coffees, and other non-specialty beverages.

An adults-only retreat that focuses on specialty coffees and teas during the day, with cocktails in the evening.

A compelling open-air bar on Deck 13 offering expansive views and delightful cocktails. Adults only.

This family-friendly venue hosts interactive events for all ages. Karaoke, trivia, game shows, and even dance parties can be found here on a daily basis.

• District Lounge

A relaxed piano bar offering cocktails and nightly entertainment. Non-alcohol options are also available for those who want to enjoy the live music in a “drier” way.

Evolution lives up to its name. During the day, it welcomes cruisers of all ages for games, activities, and dance classes. At night, it evolves into a vibrant adults-only nightclub with a lively bar scene.

Evolution | Image © Disney

Eye Scream Treats and Frozone Treats

Cool down with all-you-can eat soft-serve ice cream cones (included in the cost of your cruise!), or spend a bit extra to enjoy a specialty smoothie.

Flo’s Cafe: Fillmore’s Favorites, Luigi’s Pizza, and Tow Mater’s Grill

For a quick grab-and-go snack poolside, check out these quick service windows. You’ll find pizza, chicken tenders, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and more.

Meridian Lounge

Supplement your elegant meal at Remy or Palo by having cocktails at this upscale travel-themed lounge conveniently located directly between those two fine dining establishments. Cigars are also offered for purchase.

A serene lounge on Deck 14 in the forward funnel (red smokestack). This spot is often overlooked due to its secluded location, so it’s a quiet retreat with compelling views (and a great wedding venue, too!).

This Champagne and Wine bar pays tribute to all things bubbly, featuring a private-label Tattinger champagne created and bottled exclusively for this spot. Tip: look closely enough at the bubbles along the wall and you can spot pink elephants here even without having a drink!

Pink Wine & Champagne Bar (Disney Dream)

This contemporary sports bar offers live matches via satellite (when available) and comfortable lush seating. Open to everyone during the day, and adults only at night. The pub’s name is a nod to the ship’s hull number at the shipyard where it was created.

• Senses Juice Bar

Enjoy a healthy quaff at this retreat near Senses Spa and Salon. Fresh fruit and vegetables give their all for these nutritious protein- and vitamin-packed beverages.

This adults-only bar provides scenic views of iconic city skylines around the world. Thanks to a little Disney magic, the view out the “window” changes to a different city every fifteen minutes.

• Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats

Purchase hand-scooped gelato, baked goods, and candy in this shop inspired by  Wreck-It Ralph . Fees apply.

Room Service on Disney Dream

Almost all of the Disney Dream’s Room Service menu is offered at no additional charge – you’ll only have to pay for a few specialty items and to tip the crew member who delivers the food to your room.

The standard room service menu typically includes soups & salads, chicken tenders, burgers & dogs, sandwiches & wraps, and hot wings.  You’ll also typically find a few flatbreads or pizzas and perhaps some pasta. Dessert — usually cookies, cake, or pie — is also offered.

A favorite among repeat cruisers is the All Hands on Deck , a plate of assorted cheese, fruit, and crackers. Kids (both actual and adult) will be pleased to know you can also request a Mickey’s Premium ice cream bar – the same kind found in the theme parks.

If you don’t mind paying a bit extra, you can add on specialty items such as beer, wine, canned soft drinks, deluxe coffees, juices, and pre-packaged snacks such as candies.

Best Bets for Each Meal on Disney Dream

Below we list each of the main meal periods onboard the ship, and your best options for each.

• Primary option: Cabanas is the number one breakfast spot onboard thanks to its long hours, expansive options, and all-you-care-to-eat service style. Mornings can be rather hectic here, but there’s rarely difficulty in finding a seat.
• Secondary option: One of the three rotational restaurants (typically Enchanted Garden) usually offers a table-service breakfast, complete with a server who will bring your food and keep your drinks refilled. The menu is a bit more limited than at Cabanas, but it’s usually a much quieter option to start your day.
• Other options: Room service is available, but there are two things to know. First, you’ll need to order in advance via a menu card that you hang on your doorknob the night before. Second, know that the breakfast menu is extremely limited. There’s no “hot breakfast” (no bacon, eggs, sausage, or oatmeal); instead, it’s a continental sort of menu with juices, coffees, pastries, and cold cereals. I personally find the room service breakfast to be too limited, though I’ll admit there’s a certain charm to coffee and a light pastry while enjoying the sunrise from my verandah.
• Primary option: Like at breakfast, Cabanas is the best lunch option thanks to its wide selection. Iced jumbo shrimp and crab claws are a signature menu item most days and I usually eat my fill of them at least once during the cruise; you’ll also find freshly grilled meats, a wide variety of side items, some interesting international selections, and lots of tempting desserts.
• Secondary option: Spending the afternoon by the pool? There’s no need to dry off and head inside when you get a rumbly in your tumbly. Drip dry and head over to the food service windows at Flo’s Café for burgers, dogs, sandwiches, and unlimited ice cream cones. These windows often offer extended hours, which makes them a good failsafe for folks who miss lunch hours at Cabanas or get hungry before their late dinner service.
• Other options : Enchanted Garden typically serves lunch with open seating. Room Service is another good option, though there’s sometimes a lunch rush which can delay your food’s arrival a bit. The cloche-covered dishes sometimes mean that fried items such as wings might not arrive quite as crispy as you’d like.
• Primary option: Your assigned rotational dining restaurant is the heart of Disney Cruise dining and shouldn’t be missed. Your dedicated service team follows you all voyage long and will likely become your favorite Crew Members onboard the ship (my wife and I made such a connection with our servers on a 2019 cruise that we still remember their names to this day!). Add in special themed menus and other thoughtful touches, and you’ll quickly see why this is a highlight of each day onboard.
• Secondary option: As an alternative to your pre-scheduled rotational dining restaurant, you might opt to experience Cabanas in a totally new way. Dinner at Cabanas is an entirely different experience than the free-for-all buffet-style offerings that are the mainstay of breakfast and lunch. A host seats you at your table, and a server presents you a menu featuring some of the most popular selections onboard.
• Other options: Many cruisers enjoy dedicating at least one night of their cruise to an adult-exclusive meal at Palo or Remy. Otherwise, you can always grab something from the quick-service windows on the pool deck, or order room service.

Off-Hours Eating and Snacking

• Primary option: For cravings outside the main meal periods, your best bet is Flo’s Café on the pool deck. Their generous hours and snack-friendly offerings make them a great choice to tide you over between meals. Individual portions tend to be “snack sized” (perhaps 2 or 3 chicken tenders and a few fries), so you won’t spoil your dinner unless you want to by asking for a larger portion.
• Secondary option: Room Service is available 24/7, up until about 1:30 AM on the last morning of your cruise. It’s the only option for overnight snacking. I’ll occasionally order a few warm cookies and some milk at bedtime, but you can also order 1:00 AM buffalo wings if your antacid game is strong.

Book Through The Vacationeer and Get Free Spending Money To Use Onboard

Disney Dream Pools and Water Slides

The AquaDuck is the premier water attraction onboard the Disney Dream. This first-of-its kind (water coaster on a cruise ship) attraction takes its guests on a wild adventure high above the upper decks of the ship.

Guests board a raft and are propelled by jets of water through 765 feet of tubes and open-air slide segments; along the way, you’ll experience a 4-deck drop, a careening curve over the edge of the ship, and a journey through one of the iconic red smokestack funnels.

There’s no additional charge to ride the AquaDuck, but you will have to wait in line. There is no FastPass, Lightning Lane, or Genie+ onboard the ship. Lines tend to be longest on Sea Days and shorter when the ship is in port. Riding earlier or later can also help avoid crowds – just don’t forget to check the operating hours each day in the Navigator app.

To ride solo, Guests must be at least 54″ tall and at least 7 years of age. Children under the age of 7 who are at least 42″ tall and toilet-trained may ride with a companion who is at least 14 years of age.

Pools and Splash Pads

• Donald’s Pool

This pool offers a shallow wading area with a deeper center. This is a perfect place to enjoy Disney movies on the giant 24′ x 14′ FunnelVision screen nearby. This pool is sometimes closed during special on-deck events, covered with a retractable floor to offer more deck space.

Donald’s Pool | Image © Disney

Funnel Puddle

A shallow (approximately 1-foot deep) family friendly pool that’s far removed from the raucousness of the Donald’s and Mickey’s pools. This is the closest thing you’ll find onboard to a “quiet pool” that’s still open to all ages; but there’s still a small water fountain feature in the middle that kids love to splash in.

• Mickey’s Pool & Slide

The shape alone clearly communicates this is designed for kids; The deeper zones of this still-shallow pool are shaped like the friendly face of everyone’s favorite pal, Mickey Mouse. Meanwhile, one of Mickey’s signature white gloves supports a bright yellow waterslide for kids aged 4 to 14 / height 38″ to 64″. May be closed during deck parties.

Mickey’s Pool | Image © Disney

• Nemo’s Reef

This toddler-friendly splash zone features PIXAR characters spraying water, a child-sized Mr. Ray waterslide, and more — all in a shaded, enclosed, and “accidental tumble”-friendly soft surfaced area. Ages 3 years or younger; swim diapers are required.

• Quiet Cove Pool

A serene oasis for those 18 and up to get away from the kids for some quiet time. There’s a three-circled pool of varying depths, lounge-style seating in the shallowest segment, a whirlpool spa, and of course plenty of adult beverages nearby.

Satellite Falls Pool

One of the most unique water spaces onboard, Satellite Falls is an adults-only wading pool that features a cascading (ok, rapidly dripping) waterfall directly underneath one of the giant satellite domes on the ship’s upper deck.

Satellite Falls | Image © Disney

Disney Dream Kids Clubs and Teen Clubs

Much of Deck 5 on the Disney Dream is dedicated to spaces especially designed for younger passengers, and there are plenty of other youth-friendly spaces onboard. Here’s a preview.

• Disney’s Oceaneer Club

The Oceaneer Club is the primary kids activity onboard the ship. It’s the place where your kids will probably spend most of their time onboard. For some families, it’s not uncommon for the kids and adults to part ways at breakfast and regroup at dinner, with the Kids Club filling the gap between.

This secure facility is accessible only to kids aged 3-10 and trained youth activities staff — but there are pre-scheduled open houses to allow parents and kids to tour the location together. Inside there are tons of kid-friendly spaces and activities, and it’s all included in the cost of your Disney cruise! This amazing kids club is one of the reasons we consider Disney to be the best cruise line for children .

Andy’s Room

Kids are immersed in the world of Disney·Pixar’s Toy Story movies in this play area.

Disney Infinity Game Room

Enjoy interactive video games and activities in this high-tech space.

Disney’s Once Upon a Time

Disney characters come to life in this bookmaking and story time experience.

Jedi Training: Experience the Force

Learn the ways of the Force with this interactive training experience.

Pixie Hollow

This forest-themed area is the perfect place for storytelling, playing dress-up, and arts & crafts.

Puzzle Playtime with Mickey

Mickey and pals drop in for fun and games.

Star Wars: Millennium Falcon

The “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” is ready for adventure! Hop into the cockpit and zoom through the stars, the forests of Endor, and more.

• Disney’s Oceaneer Lab

A partner facility to the Oceaneer Club, the Oceaneer Lab offers lots of hands-on activities and experiences for kids ages 3-10.

Animator’s Studio

Learn how to draw your favorite Disney characters – or just entertain your own creative instincts.

Anyone Can Cook

Learn how to measure and mix ingredients and bake a batch of fresh chocolate-chip cookies.

Craft Studio

A spot perfectly prepared to indulge creative urges with hands-on creations.

Get the Hook!

A 3-day search through multiple crime scenes to find Captain Hook’s… well, you know.

Disney movies, video games, and occasional structured activities are the order of the day here.

Piston Cup Challenge

Bars of soap form the chassis of your custom-made race car in this fun, hands-on race.

Put on battle gear and join forces with The Avengers to take on super villains.

Super Sloppy Science with Professor Make-O-Mess

Meet a world-famous scientist with a penchant for unashamedly messy experiments.

The Wheelhouse

Home of  Tides of Fortune , a multi-player Pirates of the Caribbean game that can only be found on a Disney Cruise. A major component is piloting your pirate ship through the Caribbean Sea via video simulation.

Tweens and young teens (ages 11 to 14) have a space all to themselves onboard the Disney Dream, and it’s in one of the coolest spots on the entire ship: inside the iconic red smokestack funnel on Deck 13! Edge is the perfect place to relax as tweens see fit — a huge video wall, a dance floor, karaoke machines, a game room, and photo booths. The furniture can even be moved around so Guests can make the space their own. A mix of planned activities and unstructured free time keeps things interesting.

Those aged 14 to 17 have a unique indoor/outdoor space made just for them, complete with a super secret entrance! Indoors, teens will find plenty of TVs, video games, and tablets, plus dance parties, karaoke sessions, and group activities. Or, they can head outside to a private sundeck at the bow of the ship to enjoy deck games, splash pools, and sunbathing.

Vibe outdoor sundeck

it’s a small world nursery!

Tiny cruisers are well cared for in it’s a small world nursery! , an onboard babysitting service for infants and toddlers aged three and younger.

Disney youth counselors watch over the tykes, playing with them, feeding them, and handling diaper duty.

Nominal fees apply, charged by the half-hour (with a one-hour minimum), and there are discounts for multiple children in the same family. Advanced reservations are strongly recommended. Note that there are no in-room babysitting services onboard.

Need Answers But Don’t Want To Wait On Hold?

Disney Dream Entertainment and Activities

Disney is an entertainment company at heart, so it’s no surprise that the shows and experiences onboard the Disney Dream are top notch.

Broadway-Style Shows in the Walt Disney Theatre

Each night of your cruise, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a live show in the beautiful Walt Disney Theatre. This includes at least three Broadway-style shows during your cruise, along with other additions (such as family-friendly comedians, magicians, and hypnotists) on longer voyages.

Show times are opposite your dinner time onboard. So if you have early dining, you’ll see the late show — and vice versa.

Beauty and the Beast

This show brings a tale as old as time to the stage. Innovative puppetry and stunning special effects combine with skilled actors and memorable music to bring you an unforgettable evening.

Disney’s Believe

A true stage spectacular, featuring 300+ costumes, 200+ scenic elements, and a cast of characters assembled to help a daughter provide her hard-working father a bit of perspective on what’s truly important in life.

The Golden Mickeys

It’s awards night onboard the Disney Dream! Experience all the glitz and glamor of the red carpet as the crowd clamors to guess who will win the coveted titles of “Most Romantic” and “Most Heroic.” Meanwhile, there’s a problem… the emcee is missing! Fear not — these things usually have a way of solving themselves. This fan-favorite musical features songs from about a dozen different Disney films.

Mickey’s Color Spin Dance Party

This offering, presented on select cruises, features a 90s throwback themed dance party on deck. Start the show off with a group sing-along of Into the Unknown , then spin the color wheel to reveal a series of high-energy performances and easy-to-learn dances and group actions. Mickey, Minnie, and even Max are along for the party.

Pirate Night / Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party with Fireworks

Pirate night starts with the delivery of pirate bandanas to your stateroom – then the party moves to your scheduled dining location for the evening, where a special themed menu awaits. Then, head up to the pool deck for a raucous show with high-flying pirates including favorite Disney characters. Finally, the grand finale (and another Disney innovation) – fireworks at sea!

Note: not every itinerary offers a pirate night, and fireworks may be canceled due to weather.

Sailing Away Deck Party

The official start to your Disney Dream cruise — your vacation begins when the ship’s horn plays those familiar notes and confetti rains down from the upper decks. Captain Mickey and all his pals are there to join the fun to ensure your trip gets off to a great, high-energy start.

Disney Movies in the Buena Vista Theatre

First-run and classic favorite Disney, Marvel, PIXAR, and LucasFilm movies are shown throughout the day in the Buena Vista Theatre. No need for a ticket — it’s completely free so all you need to do is find a seat at showtime.

Sailing during the premiere of a highly-anticipated Disney film? It’ll be shown repeatedly in the Buena Vista Theatre, likely after a huge “PremEAR at Sea” showing in the Walt Disney Theatre.

Goofy Golf and Sports Deck

If you prefer your entertainment to be a bit more active, there’s plenty of great recreation to be had on Goofy’s Sports Deck , located on Deck 13 aft.

Enjoy a delightfully ludicrous mini-golf course with nine fun-filled, pun-filled holes. It’s completely free and no tee times are required. Just grab a putter and a goofball, er, golf ball — and perhaps a scorecard/pencil if you insist on keeping things official (I don’t bother, as I see no reason to put my lies in writing).

This is one of my absolute favorite things to do onboard the Disney Dream. I just love enjoying a game of mini-golf out on the open ocean, and the sight gags just add to it. Vewy sewious mini-golfers will appreciate that each hole offers two tee locations — one just for fun and one for a slightly more challenging experience.

Elsewhere on the sports deck, you’ll find other, more mainstream pursuits, such as a basketball court and even a digital sports simulator (fees apply).

Down on deck 4, you’ll also find shuffleboard courts — a classic cruise activity.

Here’s a great way to explore the ship: sleuthing out a crime! Start your adventure at the agency kiosk on Deck 5 — pick up a badge and deck plan / casebook — and suddenly, the game is afoot!

This extensive adventure will send you all over the ship looking for more than 20 interactive artwork displays, where a series of random events and “choose your own adventure” dilemmas make sure that you can play over and over without getting bored.

Depending on the agency’s caseload, you might help Mickey and pals recover some stolen paintings, try to find 99 missing Dalmatians, or follow Pepe the King Prawn’s clues to solve a zany Muppet mystery.

Not only is this a fun adventure, it’s also an astounding way to orient yourself to everything on the ship! I highly recommend it for first-timers. And because your detective badge tracks your progress, you can play at your own pace, starting and stopping as you like.

Disney Dream Spas and Salons

Disney Dream offers a full-service spa onboard the ship, featuring many other health and wellness services.

Senses Spa and Salon

Pamper yourself with spa treatments, salon services, and rejuvenation procedures at this restful retreat. Services offered at Senses Spa include Swedish massages, aroma stone therapy, deep tissue massage, acupuncture, facials, teeth whitening, shampoo/cut/style, manicures, pedicures, and more. Even those who aren’t into spa treatments may enjoy the Rainforest Room with its various themed shower settings. Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, showers, lockers, sandals, and robes round out the offerings.

Exclusively for guests aged 13-17, this special area of Senses offers treatments to teens. A parent or guardian must accompany the teen for the duration of the treatment ( solo and combined treatments are offered as an option).

• Fitness Center

Perhaps you’re a regular exerciser, or maybe you just want to offset several days of all-you-can-eat meals. Either way, you can stay in shape with the offerings at the Disney Dream’s onboard fitness center. Whatever your preferred equipment — weight machines, cardio equipment, ellipticals, treadmills, and others — you’re likely to find it here. If you prefer a group experience you can join a yoga, Pilates, or aerobics class. Or, opt for personalized one-on-one training and analysis with a professional trainer.

• Walking/Jogging Track

If, like me, you’re not keen on a major workout but do enjoy a nice walk after dinner, you’ll be happy to know that the Disney Dream offers an open-air walking/jogging track on Deck 4. I like that it’s low enough on the ship to offer some close-up ocean views — especially handy if you’re lucky enough to see wildlife such as dolphins playing alongside the ship. A leisurely stroll is perfectly fine, but jogging is also fair game here if you don’t want to miss your daily run while onboard.

Get Free Credit Toward Spa Treatments When You Book With The Vacationeer

Disney Dream Itineraries and Home Ports

You can board the Disney Dream from several places around the US and in Europe.

Disney Dream has a busy schedule of cruises in 2024 .

• January through end of April: Caribbean cruises and Bahamian cruises from Fort Lauderdale
• Early- to mid-May: Transatlantic voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona
• Late May to mid-September: Various European itineraries from Barcelona, Civitavecchia (Rome), and Southampton
• Mid-September to mid-October: Not yet announced
• Late October: Transatlantic voyage from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale
• November to end of year: Bahamian cruises and Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale

Here’s an overview of Disney Dream’s schedule of cruises in 2025  so far.

• January through end of September: Bahamian and Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale
• October and beyond: Not yet released

Find a Cruise Near You and Secure the Best Possible Rate

Disney Dream Deck-by-Deck

Here’s a look at what’s located on each deck of the Disney Dream.

• Health Center
• Tender Lobbies (ship exit at ports of call)
• Public Restrooms
• Self-Service Laundry
• Vista Gallery
• Category 9B
• Category 11C
• Walt Disney Theatre (main level)
• Animator’s Palate
• Guest Services
• Mickey’s Mainsail
• Sea Treasures
• Lobby Atrium
• Buena Vista Theatre (main level)
• Walt Disney Theatre (balcony level)
• Pink Wine & Champagne Bar
• Port Shopping Desk
• Shutters Photo
• Tiffany & Co.
• Vacation Planning Desk
• Atrium (overlook)
• Buena Vista Theatre (balcony level)
• “it’s a small world” nursery
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Port Adventures Desk
• Category 4E
• Category 6B
• Category 7A
• Category 8A
• Category 8C
• Category 9A
• Category 10A
• Category 11B
• Category 4C
• Category 5C
• Category 9D
• Category 4B
• Category 5B
• Category 8B
• Category 9C
• Category 6A
• Category 11A
• Category 4A
• Category 5A
• Funnel Vision
• Eye Scream Treats
• Filmore’s Favorites
• Luigi’s Pizza
• Tow Mater’s Grill
• Frozone Treats
• Rainforest Room
• Treatment Salons
• Whozits & Whatzits
• Category 2B
• Category 3A
• AquaDuck Entrance
• Funnel Puddle Pool
• Concierge Lounge
• Senses Spa (additional treatment rooms)
• Category 1A
• Category 2A
• Sports Courts
• Sports Simulator
• Satellite Falls
• Currents Bar
• Concierge Private Sun Deck

Disney Dream Fact Sheet

Shipyard (ship’s birthplace).

Meyer Werft – Papenburg, Germany

Maiden voyage

January 26, 2011

Varies by time of year — see Itineraries & Ports above

Ship’s Registry

Approximately 130,000 gross tons

22 knots cruising speed

23.5 knots maximum speed

Diesel-based electric

Crew Members

Maximum capacity.

4,000 passengers

1,250 staterooms

• 901 verandah staterooms (includes 21 suites)
• 199 oceanview staterooms
• 150 inside staterooms (12%)

How To Book a Cruise on the Disney Dream

While there are many ways to book Disney Cruise Line vacations , we believe the best way to secure your spot on the Disney Dream (or any other Disney Cruise ship ) is to work with one of the Disney Cruise experts at our official travel agency partner The Vacationeer .

This Earmarked Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner , offers absolutely free help planning and booking your cruise . Their group of Disney fanatic travel agents can help you make all the right choices, picking the right ship for your family and helping you choose between a Disney Cruise and other cruise lines such as Princess , Carnival , Norwegian , and Royal Caribbean (they book them all!).

Your cruise won’t cost more than if you’d booked it yourself — it might even cost less ! Their genius-level knowledge of money-saving discounts is one of the many reasons to book with a Disney travel agent .

Another reason? The Vacationeer offers Onboard Credit — free spending money that you can use toward purchases you make while you’re onboard the ship! Use it towards specialty dining, souvenirs, spa treatments, shore excursions , gratuities , and more! Booking through The Vacationeer can earn you up to $1,000 in onboard credit .

And finally, there’s The Vacationeer’s personalized service . You’ll be assigned a single, dedicated agent who’ll handle your cruise arrangements from start to finish . Imagine — never having to wait on hold to speak to yet another agent in a giant call center! Good luck finding that level of service with a nationwide wholesaler !

So what’re you waiting for? It’s time to take a Disney Cruise — and  Vacationeers are ready to help!

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Disney Dream Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide

Disney Cruise Line

In a cruise industry that loves "newest and biggest" headlines, Disney Cruise Line has been a quieter player with just five ships: the  Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish. The Disney Dream debuted in 2011 and features terrific kids programs, teen lounges, Flounder's Reef nursery, top quality live shows, a private Caribbean island, Castaway Cay , a combo of Disney World/ cruise vacations, and, of course, Disney quality and imaginative touches.

If you're planning a trip on the Disney Dream, here are 14 features to discover.

AquaDuck Water Coaster

The most prominent new feature on the Disney Dream is the AquaDuck Water Coaster: an impressive sight on the ship's upper decks. The AquaDuck water coaster has turns, drops, an uphill section, and river rapids: riders zoom along in two-person rubber rafts. The ride extends for 765 feet, starting on Deck 16 with a drop and then a swing-out loop that extends 13 feet beyond the side of the ship, 150 feet above the ocean below. Read details of all the drops, twists, and turns of the AquaDuck water coaster, ending with a splashdown on Deck 12.

Kids must be 48 inches tall to ride the AquaDuck!

Virtual Porthole in Cabins

Neat idea! And an industry "first", on the Disney Dream . The inner cabin pictured above is transformed by a high-tech "Virtual Porthole" that displays a real-time view of the sea outside the ship. High-definition cameras feed live video to each Virtual Porthole. Fancy technology ensures that, for each cabin, that Porthole's view is consistent with the motion felt in that part of the ship. Guests might also see an animated character visit at the window: such as Peach the starfish, above, a character from the "Finding Nemo" movie.

It's a Small World Nursery

Like the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic (which each have a nursery called Flounder's Reef), the Disney Dream cruise ship has a nursery for infants and tots age 3 months to 3 years. Parents can check on their kids through one-way window into the nursery's main play area. The nursery has a naptime area too. As with Flounder's Reef nursery, parents will need to book in advance for the nursery and pay an extra charge. (Other kids programs are all-included in the cruise.) On the plus side, kids under three sail free on Disney cruises.

Oceaneer Club

Kids age 3 to 10 can have fun at the Oceaneer Club, on the Disney Dream . Above is a central hub area with a Peter Pan "Never Land" theme: a place for storytelling, Disney character meet'n'greets, and for performances starring -- the kids themselves. Also in this area is a giant screen, for watching movies and for interacting with Crush the Turtle.

Turtle Talk with Crush

Guests who've been to Disney World may already have met Crush the Turtle... (Hey, remember, dudes? He's the turtle that actually talks, like really talks, to kids, and they talk back - awesome, totally.) Using similar technology, Crush will also make appearances on the giant screen in the Never Land area of the Oceaneer Club, on the Disney Dream ship.

Andy's Room, in the Oceaneer Club

Andy's Room, familiar to kids from the Toy Story movies, offers places to climb; computers integrated into the walls, for games; costumes and props for make-believe.

Pixie Hollow, in the Oceaneer Club

In this themed play area -- depicting the forest home of Tinkerbell and fairy friends-- kids can make crafts or play dress-up. Other play areas in the Oceaneer Club are Explorer Pod , with a submarine surfacing in the center of the room, and computer game stations; and Monster's Academy , with play structure for climbing, computers integrated into the walls for games, and monster costumes and props.

Oceaneer Lab

The Oceaneer Lab is another area on the Disney Dream for kids age three to ten, and it's connected to the Oceaneer Club by two Workshops. The main hall, above, has a celestial map overhead; a stage for kids' performances and storytelling; a screen for watching movies, and for visits by famous animated character Stitch (using the same technology as Turtle Talk with Crush.) The Oceaneer Club also has an Animator's Studio, and a Sound Studio with song-making and recording software. The two Workshops, meanwhile, are used for hands-on fun, such as science labs, art projects, or trying out some culinary skills.

Animator's Studio

In this part of the Oceaneer Lab on the Disney Dream , kids will find everything a creative animator needs: maquettes (3D character models), light box table, drawing tools, computer stations... Kids can create their own art or sketch favorite Disney characters

Vibe Teen Club

On Deck 5 of the Disney Dream , teens age 14 to 17 have 9000 sq. feet of their own indoor and outdoor space. A "teen-only" swipe card gets them into an area with fountain bar, cushy chairs, media room... Kids can try out video editing technology, social media apps, WiFi laptops, and lots more.

Tween Club, Edge

The Vibe teen club -- for ages 14 to 17-- extends to an outdoor area, with lounge chairs, wading pools, water fountains and jets, and games such as foosball and ping-pong. Tween Club - Edge Meanwhile, kids age 11 to 13 can hang out at the Edge lounge, a loft-type space with notebook computers for games and social media; massive video wall for gaming or movies (used as one giant screen, or smaller screens); a lighted dance floor; and view of the AquaDuck water coaster as it passes through the forward funnel of the ship where the Edge is located.

Atrium Lobby

Click the photo above to see a larger image: a 5-foot tall bronze statue of Admiral Donald Duck will survey this three-deck lobby, from the base of the grand staircase.

Enchanted Garden and Other Restaurants

The Enchanted Garden Restaurant , shown above, is styled as an airy conservatory, with a "sky" that transforms from day to sunset to night-time, while guests dine. For other family dining choices: those who've sailed on the Disney Magic or Wonder will be happy to find a recurrence of the Animator's Palate , a signature restaurant decorated with black-and-white sketches that turn into color during the course of the meal. The Royal Palace restaurant, meanwhile, is inspired by classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. Read more about the restaurants on the Disney Dream.

The District Adults-Only Area

Where will the family sleep, during the cruise? Guests on the Disney Dream have a range of choices, from 898 sq. ft. of space in a "Royal Suite with Verandah", to Standard Inside Staterooms with 169 sq. feet. Remember that these inside staterooms have virtual portholes, which transform the experience of an inside cabin; they can sleep three to four people, with a queen-size bed, a converible sofa, a privacy divider and (in some units) a pull down bed. Several types of cabins on the Disney Dream cruise ship can sleep a family of five. Read about the many cabin options, at this Disney Dream Staterooms Fact Sheet. The District - Adults-Only Area The District, on Deck 4 of the Disney Dream , is a zone for ages 18 and up, with a piano lounge, several bars including the Skyline bar with changing views of famous city skylines; a pub with giant tv; a club for comedy acts, dancing, live performances. Also in The District: Senses Spa & Salon spans two decks, with 17 treatment rooms, steam bath, sauna, rain showers; and -- for that extra pampering-- two spa villas with treatment suite, and private verandah with whirlpool hot tub. The Disney Dream also has a gym with ocean views; the Quiet Cove adult pool, and Cove Cafe (with wiFi); and grownups-only dining at Palo restaurant (the high-end Italian restaurant, familiar from the other two Disney ships.)

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Disney Dream Interiors and Indoor Common Areas

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A Theme Park Fan's Guide to the Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship

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• CruiseMapper
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Disney Dream

Cruise line Disney Cruise Line

• Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida)
• Southampton (England)

Disney Dream current position

Disney Dream current location is at West Mediterranean (coordinates 43.55263 N / 10.29426 E) cruising en route to Barcelona. The AIS position was reported 2 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Disney Dream

Disney Dream current cruise is 7 days, round-trip Mediterranean Cruise From Barcelona . Prices start from USD 4001 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 25 May, 2024 and ends on 01 Jun, 2024 .

Specifications of Disney Dream

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Disney Dream Itineraries

Disney dream review, review of disney dream.

The 2010-built MS Disney Dream cruise ship is Walt Disney 's third (Dream-class) liner with sistership Disney Fantasy (2012).

The vessel (IMO number 9434254) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 311042900) and registered in Nassau .

History - construction and ownership

DCL-Disney Cruise Line is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (shipowner). The company was incorporated in 1996 as "Magical Cruise Company Ltd". Walt Disney also owns the Bahamian private island Castaway Cay (exclusive port of call - for Disney ships only) and an exclusive Cruise Terminal at Port Canaveral (Orlando Florida) . Disney cruises are marketed as "family vacations" and feature unique and exclusive activities, such as costumed Disney Characters, adults-only deck areas, dedicated facilities for teens, kids and infants-toddlers, signature (trademarked) shipboard facilities and activities, themed live entertainment.

The 4000-passenger ship Disney Dream is among industry's best cruise liners for families with small kids (younger than 8). MS Disney Dream is almost 50% larger, 2-deck taller and with 44% bigger passenger capacity in comparison to the older fleet mates Magic and Wonder . The ship design is inspired by traditional 1920s ocean liners. The vessel features a navy blue hull, 2 bright red funnels, elegant Art Deco decorations and some of the most innovative technologies and fun ideas at sea, including:

• 22 pieces of "Enchanted Art" adorning the walls of hallways - paintings and pictures that are actually framed LCD screens with a technology to recognize guests present and proceeding with one of several animations;
• wave phones in every stateroom (used to call or text other guests) and effectively replacing the old onboard beeper system (now the counselors' messages come directly to the parents' phones);
• the Magical Portholes on the walls of all Disney Dream Inside cabins (LED screens showing a real-time view of the ship).

The CLIENTELE consists almost entirely of North American travelers (the USA and Canada). The new Disney Lines approach to teens and young couples (by age-related activities and limited access onboard venues) adds a really strong appeal for multi-generational cruisers.

The DRESS CODE is similar to that of the Disney luxury resorts - day casual and evening resort casual (men - jackets (no ties) and pants, women - summer dresses). All Disney Dream sailings include one pirate and one semi-formal night. On 3-day Disney Dream cruises, one night is casual, 4-day sailings are with 2 casual evenings and on 5-day voyages 3 nights are casual.

Disney Dream TIPS (totaling the US $12 PP per day) are given to waiters (including the assistant waiters) and to cabin attendants. Additionally, a 15% gratuity on all drinks is automatically charged to guests' shipboard accounts.

Decks and Cabins

Most Disney Dream staterooms (1250 total, in 28 grades) are 205-255-ft2 Balconies. The ship has 21 Suites, 887 Balcony, 199 Oceanview and 150 Inside cabins. The largest accommodations are the Concierge Royal Suites (900 ft2 / 84 m2 plus 885 ft2 / 82 m2 terrace).

Disney Dream ship cabins are very well planned and equipped. Like on all Disney ships, Disney Dream staterooms are some of the industry's largest standard cabins, most of them designed to easily accommodate four passengers. Some of the best Disney cabins features are the ample closet space, the normal-sized living space and the split bathrooms (1 room with shower-bathtub-sink and a separate toilet and sink).

Beds on Dream are raised to allow storing 2 medium-sized suitcases underneath, staterooms also got 2 vanities, a 22-inches smart HDTV, an iPod docking station and 2 rechargeable "Wave Phones" to be used ship-wide. The Disney Dream Inside cabin has a most innovative feature (and the industry's first, for that matter) - the Magical Portholes, which are LCD screens (above the beds) in the shape of portholes, projecting a real-time view outside the ship (provided by cameras). Veranda cabins feature 2 chairs and a small table on the balcony. The Disney Dream suites. Concierge Suites and Concierge Family Cabins (Deck 11-12) are new for the line, offering direct access to the ship's concierge facilities (1 small lounge, a private sun deck area with chairs, free food and drinks).

Most 1-bedroom suites are with connecting doors (1 queen bed a sitting area with a double convertible sofa, 1 pull-down bed in the living rooms, a walk-in closet, 2 bathrooms (one with a hot-tub). The largest Disney Dream stateroom, the Royal Suite, adds to all previously mentioned a living room, a wet bar, a kitchenette, media library and a Jacuzzi on the balcony.

The boat has 14 decks , of which 9 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The Disney Dream three themed main restaurants are called "Animator's Palate", "Enchanted Garden" and "Royal Palace". There are 2 adults-only specialty restaurants - "Remy" (named after the "Ratatouille" movie star, French cuisine) and "Palo" (Italian cuisine) as alternative dining options. The line's Rotational Dining system allows you to rotate to each of the three main restaurants each night while your servers follow you. The Animator's Palate has screens showing animated Disney characters and themes from "Finding Nemo" movie. The Enchanted Garden is a Versailles-inspired room, featuring lighting effects, transforming day into night. The Royal Palace is princesses-themed with numerous portraits of "Cinderella" and the "Sleeping Beauty" movie characters (even the bread baskets are shaped as Cinderella's coach). The food quality is very good, the service staff is amicable and timely.

The Remy specialty restaurant is a classy place to be on any special occasion, offering a marvelous French menu and charging serious prices - a service fee of $75 PP (reservations are required, along with the formal dress code), drinks and wine are additional. The Palo restaurant is an Italian (Mediterranean) eatery with $20 cover PP (serves dinner and on selected days - Champagne brunch). Superb fish and seafood entrees, a cold buffet (meats, cheese, shrimp, salads and desserts) and several hot made-to-order items. The "Cabanas" casual dining complex on Deck 11 has several food and drink stations for hot and cold buffet items (including made-to-order omelets and sandwiches). The "Flo's Cafe" offers burgers, chicken fingers, wraps, pizza, salads.

Follows the complete list of Disney Dream restaurants and food bars.

• Enchanted Garden Restaurant (696-seat forward Dining Room, inspired by the gardens of Versailles; serves as a buffet for breakfast and lunch, full service for dinner 5:45-8:15 p.m.)
• Royal Palace Restaurant (696-seat forward Dining Room, offers complimentary French cuisine; specialty coffees and drinks are extra)
• Animator's Palate Restaurant (696- seat aft Dining Room, animator's studio design, features favorite Disney-character dinner shows; serves complimentary drinks; Rotational Dining with two fixed Dinner seatings - at 5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.)
• Flo's Cafe (quick service restaurant with 3 food stations: "Fillmore's Favorites" (lite lunch, complimentary), "Tow Mater's Grill" (burgers bar, complimentary) and "Luigi"s Pizza")
• Cabanas (self-service complimentary restaurant with American cuisine, pasta, sushi)
• Remy (reservations-only, adults-only French specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner; aft location, bookings via the Internet or onboard)
• Palo (144-seat Italian specialty restaurant; adults-only, reservation-only; aft location; bookings via the Internet or on board).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Disney Dream kids cruise fun clubs are the main reason for the line's high loyalty passengers ratio. Besides all the Disney characters and most innovative technologies and fun attractions on ships, the Disney children counselors are a pretty big reason many families to repeat their visits. Always smiling and friendly, they are hugely experienced, all college educated, attentive and downright. The Oceaneer's "Club" and "Lab" facilities (ages 3-10) are connected, thus doubling the fun space. The "Oceaneer's Club" features the "Andy's Room" (with oversized Disney characters for kids to climb on) and the "Laugh Floor" (with its "laugh-o-meter" and Mike and Sully of "Monsters Inc"). The "Oceaneer's Lab" is maritime-themed, featuring an Animator's Studio and a small Sound Studio. The new Disney approach allows all kids ages 3-10 to access the same clubs with separate rooms and age-related activities.

The ship's children club is called "Edge" (ages 11-13) properly secluded on Deck 13 in the funnel. The best attractions here are the 18 ft (5,5 m) tall LCD wall, the video karaoke, and numerous interconnected PCs. The teen-only "Vibe" club (ages 14-17) is of 9,000 sq. foot (836 m2), with a fountain bar and its own sun deck and pools.

The list with adults-only entertainment venues includes a dozen different lounges and bars (cocktail places), like the "Pink's Champagne Bar", the "687" sports bar, the "Evolution" nightclub, the top-deck "Meridien" wine bar (between Palo and Remy). Public spaces are decorated in deep blue and red, with numerous "Mickeys" just about everywhere (cabin, artwork, dinnerware, railings). One of the ship's most memorable places is the 3-deck high Atrium lobby with its golden hue, the wide royalty-style winding staircase, and the Donald Duck bronze statue. The Dream Atrium is a hub area connecting restaurants, theaters, and shops. You may check emails in the Internet cafe, but there's also Wi-Fi coverage throughout the ship. Like all Disney ships, Dream has no casino.

• Fun activities on board

All Disney stage shows feature intricate sets and Disney-themed captivating performances, and the big place for grand entertainment is the Disney Theater with goldies like the "Golden Mickeys" and "Villains Tonight", new amazing stage productions, like the "Disney's Believe" (directed by Gordon Greenberg) and all the best Disney movies in 3D. The themed Disney characters onboard have always been the greatest sensation of all, and there are countless opportunities to meet and greet Mickey and company around the ship - in contrast to Disneyland, here they all are accessible and will always stop for a hug and a photo with you. Another big success is the "Pirates in the Caribbean" kids party divided into two programs - the sing-along called "Mickey's Pirates in the Caribbean" followed by the "Club Pirate" (with many special effects) and great Disney fireworks between the shows.

• SPA and FITNESS, pools, waterslide, technology

The "Senses" Spa & Salon offers all the usual treatments (haircuts, manicures) and more exotic choices (hot-stone massages, mud baths). The "Chill" is a teen-only Spa within the facility. The Fitness Center along with the usual equipment offers at additional fee Yoga and Pilates classes. The Sports Deck has a small sports court, a mini-golf course, Ping-Pong tables, a walking/jogging track.

The pool deck has a large area for family fun water activities, featuring 2 hot tubs and 2 kids pools - "Donald's" (5 ft deep) and "Mickey's" (with a spiral slide). A big attraction here is the big LED screen mounted on the funnel. There's a toddler splash area (Nemo themed) located in the center on Deck 11 with huge glass panes for parents to monitor their kids.

The AquaDuck waterslide - the ever first water-coaster at sea is located atop the ship, featuring a 765 ft (233 m) long 4-decks high transparent tube, reaching the incredible 150 ft (46 m) above the ocean (there's a 42-inch (107 cm) height requirement). The "Nemo's Reef" is a small kids waterpark. And while speaking of water and pools - the adults-only "Quiet Cove" pool area is a great place to hide from all the little angels and devils around the ship.

Follows the complete list of Disney Dream lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Walt Disney Dream Theatre (1340-seat, offers live shows, aerial acrobatics performances, grand-style productions, 3D movies; with two evening shows - at 6:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.)
• Dream's Atrium (3-deck high central ship area, featuring marble-carpet flooring, grand staircase, and panoramic glass elevators)
• Mickey's Mainsail (Disney brand logo shop for postcards, souvenirs, DVDs, toys, clothes, games)
• Sea Treasures (duty-free crystal, brand jewelry, watches, precious stones, Disney merchandise, underwear, sport, and swimming apparel)
• Whitecaps (duty-free brand jewelry, perfumes, liquor, and tobaccos)
• Bon Voyage Bar (adults-only, serving wine, beer, and cocktails)
• Buena Vista Theatre (399-seat 4D cinema, features 3D movies, Dolby Surround 7.1 and Dolby 3D movie technology)
• Preludes Bar (quick wait-service snacks & beverages bar)
• Shutters PhotoShop (photo packages, accessories, photographic services)
• Vista Cafe (atrium bar for specialty coffees and teas, dinner cocktails, complimentary snacks, and pastries; Wi-Fi spot)
• D Lounge Bar & Nightclub; Evolution Disco & Nightclub; Vista Gallery
• The District (adults only area including the District Lounge, Evolution night club, Pink Champagne Bar, 687 Sports Bar, Skyline Bar)
• Pink (adults-only champagne bar; chocolate and alcohol tasting classes)
• Skyline Lounge (adults only cocktails bar, with glass walls and 7 LED screens)
• Vibe Disco & Club Lounge (teens only)
• It's A Small World Nursery (for 3 months to 3 yo infants and toddlers; reservations required)
• Dream's Oceaneer Club (kids 3-12 yo; with four play areas with themes from Disney films); Dream's Oceaneer Lab (play area for kids 3-12 yo)
• Senses Spa & Fitness Complex (with 17 treatment rooms; 1 Whirlpool; "Rainforest Room"; "Relax Room"; Fitness Centre /health and wellbeing seminars; Beauty Salon)
• Luxurious Spa Villas (two private suites with own hot tub, private verandah, Roman bed with canopy, open-air shower)
• Quiet Cove Pool (adults only pool, served by Cove Bar; with 2 Whirlpools)
• Chill Spa (teens only spa with separate relaxation area and treatment rooms)
• Cove Cafe (adult-only, with big TV screen; Wi-Fi spot)
• Eye Scream Treats Bar (complimentary ice cream, poolside)
• Frozone Treats (iced fruit smoothies bar, poolside)
• Whozits & Whatzits (pool shop for AquaDuck related stuff)
• Donald's Pool; Mickey's Pool
• Nemo's Reef (waterplay kids zone; features characters meetings and greetings)
• Arr-cade (kids/teens video games arcade)
• Waves Bar (family poolside bar)
• Outdoor LED movie screen (24x14 ft)
• Meridian Lounge & Bar (adults-only venue for dinner cocktails)
• Currents Bar (outdoor bar for cold drinks, refreshments, cocktails)
• Edge Lounge (11-14 yo teens-only club area, with a giant video wall, interactive games, Internet)
• Goofy's Sports Deck (Walking Track, Jogging Track, 9-hole Mini Golf Course, Virtual sport games simulators, combined sports court, Ping Pong/Foosball tables)
• Radio Studio (live radio programs for Disney Dream itinerary-related news and onboard events)
• Outlook Bar (retreat area with a piano and full bar; hosts weddings receptions).

Itineraries

Between 2011-2022, Disney Dream's itinerary program was based on short-breaks (3-night and 4-night) roundtrips to The Bahamas departing from Port Canaveral/Orlando Florida . Call port destinations included Castaway Cay (DCL's private Bahamian island) and Nassau .

The ship's last voyage from Port Canaveral was on June 3, 2022 (3-day to Castaway Cay), while the last departure from Port Canaveral was on June 6st, leaving for the new homeport Miami . The first voyage from PortMiami departed on June 7th (4-day maiden voyage). Out of Miami, Disney Dream offers two itineraries: 4-day "Bahamian Cruise" (Nassau and Castaway Cay) and 5-day "Western Caribbean Cruise" ( Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay). Select 7-day Western Caribbean voyages visit Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman, Falmouth Jamaica).

In Port Canaveral, Disney Dream was replaced by the new Disney Wish , starting on July 22, 2022.

In 2023, Disney Dream will be homeported (for the first time) in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale (Florida USA) . The new homeporting (beginning November 2023) follows the European deployment (Mediterranean from Barcelona and Civitavecchia-Rome, and UK-Baltic from Southampton). The new 4- and 5-night itineraries visit ports in The Bahamas (Castaway Cay, Nassau) and Western Caribbean (Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman).

Disney Dream - user reviews and comments

Photos of disney dream.

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Other Disney Cruise Line cruise ships

• Disney Adventure
• Disney Destiny
• Disney Fantasy
• Disney Magic
• Disney Treasure
• Disney Wish
• Disney Wonder

Disney Dream Wiki

The Walt Disney ship Dream is company's third liner, with sistership Disney Fantasy . Each vessel is 40% larger in size than the oldest Disney ships ( Magic and Wonder ). While its capacity (at double occupancy) is 2500, the Dream-y ship of Disney can accommodate up to 4000 passengers at full/max occupancy (all berths).

The vessel (Mayer Neptun yard/hull number 687) is powered by MAN B&W marine diesel engines (3x 12-cyl, 2x 14-cyl) plus diesel generators (3x 14,4 MW, 2x 16,8 MW) with total power output 76,8 MW. The propulsion system is electric (based on two converteam propulsion motors) with total power output 26 MW, plus two FPPs (5-blade Fixed-Pitch Propellers/inward-turning).

The vessel was ordered on February 22, 2007. The design was announced on Oct 29, 2009. Vessel's construction started with the keel-laying ceremony on August 19, 2009. The exterior (hull and superstructure) was completed on June 1, 2010. The ship was launched (floated out from drydock) on October 30, 2010, and paid in full by the shipowner Walt Disney Company on December 8, 2010. Liner's first cruise/maiden voyage was on January 26, 2011. The Bahamian itinerary from homeport Canaveral-Orlando (Florida) visited Nassau and Castaway Island .

The Disney ship Dream has company's classic "ocean liner" design inspired by the 1920s-30s' passenger ships. The hull is painted in navy blue, both funnels are in bright red. The Art Deco-styled Atrium Lobby looks jazzy and elegant, with a huge glass chandelier and the bronze statue of Donald Duck - standing right in front of the marble stairway. Walt Disney's most famous character - Mickey Mouse - can be seen everywhere - in staterooms, artworks, on dinnerware, on railings. The swimming pools are small, but the AquaDuck has the craziest waterslide at sea, with a transparent tube spinning over the ocean. The ship provides numerous regularly scheduled activities for families, kids, teens and adults, and plenty of dining and entertainment options.

On November 6, 2017, on MS Disney Dream was the premiere of the "Beauty and the Beast" musical developed as an exclusive evening production show.

The vessel's last drydock (for regularly scheduled maintenance works) was in 2020 (at Damen Shiprepair Yard in Brest France ).

Understanding Ship in Dreams: Symbols, Emotions, and Personal Journeys

Brenda Jackson

Table of Contents

• Dreams about ships hold significant symbolism and can provide valuable insights into our emotions, journeys, and personal growth.
• The symbolism of different ship types varies, with cruise ships symbolizing good times and luxury while fishing boats represent hard work and determination.
• Ship dreams can be interpreted differently based on culture and religion, with Western culture associating ships with life journeys and Christianity viewing ships as symbols of the soul’s passage through life.
• Ship dreams can also have psychological and emotional implications, reflecting our current emotional state, impacting our thoughts and behaviors, and serving as a platform for emotional healing and guidance in navigating life’s challenges.

Dreaming about ships can hold a lot of significance and symbolism. Each type of ship represents different aspects of our lives and can provide insights into our emotions, journeys, and personal growth. In this article, we will explore the various types of ships that can appear in dreams and their meanings.

Symbolism and Meaning of Different Ship Types

1. Interpretation of Dreams About Cruise Ships

Cruise ships are often associated with luxury, relaxation, and enjoyment. Dreaming about a cruise ship signifies good times ahead and the finer things in life. It can represent the pleasure we seek and the need to indulge in self-care and fun experiences. The dream may be a reminder to take a break, unwind, and enjoy the good things life has to offer.

2. Significance of Dreams About Fishing Boats

Fishing boats in dreams typically symbolize hard work and determination. They represent the need to be patient in order to achieve our goals. Just as fishermen wait patiently for their catch, this dream suggests that success and fulfillment require perseverance and a willingness to put in the necessary effort. It reminds us that we can reap the rewards of our labor if we stay focused and determined.

3. Meaning of Sailing Ship in Dreams

A sailing ship represents the journey of life, both its ups and downs. It signifies our ability to navigate through challenges and weather storms. Just as sailors need to adjust their sails and steer their ship, this dream suggests that we have the power to steer our own lives and overcome obstacles. It’s a reminder to stay resilient and steadfast in the face of adversity, knowing that we can emerge stronger and wiser.

4. Importance of Cargo, Container, and Tankers in Dreams

Cargo ships, container ships, and tankers are all symbols of emotions and the transfer of thoughts and feelings. They represent the baggage we carry and the emotions we hold within us. A dream featuring these ships can suggest the need to explore and address our emotional well-being. It may indicate that we are carrying a heavy emotional burden or that we need to release and process our emotions in order to move forward.

5. Interpretation of Dreams About Rowboats and Canoes

Rowboats and canoes in dreams symbolize the challenges we face in life. Just as we need to row and navigate to reach our destination, these dreams suggest that we must actively face and overcome the obstacles in our path. Rowboats and canoes represent our strength, determination, and ability to adapt to difficult situations. They remind us to stay flexible, resilient, and focused on reaching our goals.

6. Other Types of Ships in Dreams

There are many other types of ships that may appear in dreams, each with its own unique symbolism and meaning. From battleships representing the need for protection and defense, to naval ships signifying control and power, these ships can offer insights into different aspects of our lives. Exploring these dreams can give us a better understanding of our relationships, ambitions, and emotional state.

Common Dream Scenarios Related to Ships

Dreaming of ships can be both intriguing and insightful. These dreams often carry symbolic meanings that can provide valuable insights into your own emotions and experiences. Here are some common dream scenarios related to ships and their potential interpretations:

1. Dreaming of Traveling on a Ship

When you dream of traveling on a ship, it represents your journey through life. The ship symbolizes your life path, while the crew and passengers on board represent different aspects of your personality. If the ship is sailing smoothly in the dream, it signifies that you are making good progress in achieving your goals. However, if the ship is encountering rough seas, it indicates that you are facing challenges and obstacles in life. Your mental state or well-being can also be reflected in the condition of the ship. A strong and sturdy ship represents a positive outlook, while a weak and frail ship signifies a negative outlook.

2. The Significance of Dreaming About Ship Conditions

The condition of the ship in your dream can provide further insight into your emotional state. If you dream of a ship in good condition, it suggests that you are feeling stable and secure in your life. On the other hand, if the ship is damaged or sinking, it implies that you are experiencing emotional turmoil or feeling overwhelmed by certain situations in your waking life. Pay attention to the specific details of the ship in your dream, such as whether it is a luxurious cruise ship or a small fishing boat, as these can offer additional clues about your emotional well-being.

3. Interpreting Dreams of a Fire on a Ship

Dreams of a fire on a ship often symbolize intense emotions or conflicts in your waking life. The fire represents passion, desire, and intense emotions, while the ship represents your emotional state. If you dream of a ship on fire, it suggests that you are facing conflicts or challenges that are creating emotional turmoil. It may be a reminder to address these issues and find a resolution before they escalate further. Additionally, the dream may indicate an impending danger or crisis in your life that needs immediate attention.

4. Meaning of Dreams About a Sinking Ship

Dreams of a sinking ship can be unsettling, but they often carry a positive interpretation. A sinking ship in a dream suggests that you are letting go of old patterns or past issues that are no longer serving you. It represents a process of transformation and release. It may also indicate that you are facing difficulties or obstacles in your life, but you have the strength and resilience to overcome them. The sinking ship encourages you to embrace change and move forward with confidence.

5. Dreams of Seeing Ships Depart

When you dream of watching a ship depart, it signifies new beginnings and positive changes in your life. The ship leaving symbolizes the start of a new phase or journey. It may indicate that you are ready to let go of the past and embrace new opportunities. The dream suggests that good things are on the horizon, and you should be open to the possibilities that lie ahead.

Different Cultural and Religious Interpretations

Dreams about ships have long intrigued people from different cultures and religions around the world. Ships hold deep symbolic meaning and can represent various aspects of our lives and spiritual journeys. In this article, we will explore the different interpretations of ship dreams from Western culture, religious perspectives, Chinese and Asian cultures, Native American interpretations, and more. So let’s set sail and dive into the fascinating world of ship dream symbolism!

1. Western Cultural Interpretations

In Western culture, ships in dreams often represent our journey through life. They can symbolize adventure, exploration, and the pursuit of new opportunities. Seeing a ship sailing smoothly on calm waters can indicate a sense of contentment and stability in your life. On the other hand, a ship in rough seas or sinking can suggest that you are facing challenges or emotional turmoil.

2. Religious Symbolism of Ships in Dreams

Religion plays a significant role in dream interpretation. In Christianity, for example, ships can symbolize the spiritual journey or the soul’s passage through life. It represents faith, hope, and the presence of God guiding you through difficult times. In other religious traditions, such as Islam and Hinduism, ships can symbolize crossing over from the earthly realm to the spiritual realm.

3. Chinese and Asian Cultural Interpretations

In Chinese and Asian cultures, ships are often seen as symbols of wealth, success, and prosperity. Dreaming of a ship can indicate that you are on the right path to achieving your goals and finding financial abundance. It can also represent good fortune and happiness in your life. In Chinese culture, the ship’s shape and color can hold specific meanings. For example, a red ship may symbolize celebration and joy, while a golden ship represents wealth and longevity.

4. Native American Interpretations

In Native American cultures, ships may have different interpretations based on the specific tribe and its beliefs. However, in general, ships in dreams can symbolize a journey of self-discovery, exploration, or reconnecting with one’s roots. It can also represent the need to navigate through challenges and overcome obstacles in order to progress in life. Ships are seen as vessels of transformation, carrying the dreamer to new horizons and opportunities.

5. Other Cultural Interpretations

Different cultures around the world have their own unique interpretations of ship dreams. In African culture, ships can represent ancestral connections and the importance of cultural heritage. In Polynesian cultures, ships are associated with navigation, exploration, and the spirit of adventure. They embody the spirit of exploration and discovering new lands.

Psychological and Emotional Analysis

Dreams about ships can hold significant psychological and emotional meaning. They can provide insight into our subconscious thoughts, emotions, and desires. In this section, we will explore the different psychological and emotional aspects of ship dreams, including psychoanalytical interpretations, the role of emotions in ship dreams, the psychological impact of these dreams, and their practical implications.

1. Psychoanalytical Interpretations of Ship Dreams

From a psychoanalytical perspective, ship dreams represent our inner emotions and desires. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams acted as a gateway to our unconscious mind, revealing hidden thoughts and feelings. In this context, ships symbolize our emotional journey through life, navigating the highs and lows of our experiences.

2. Role of Emotions in Dreaming About Ships

Emotions play a crucial role in ship dreams, as they often reflect our current emotional state. For example, a calm and smoothly sailing ship represents stability and contentment in our lives. On the other hand, a ship encountering stormy waters signifies challenges and turmoil, reflecting feelings of uncertainty and unrest.

3. Psychological Impact of Ship Dreams

Ship dreams can have a profound psychological impact on us, influencing our thoughts and behaviors. They can provide guidance and insight into our current life situation, helping us navigate challenges and make important decisions. Ship dreams can also serve as a source of inspiration and motivation, encouraging us to pursue our goals and ambitions.

4. Practical Implications of Ship Dreams

Understanding the practical implications of ship dreams can help us make sense of their symbolic meaning in our waking lives. For example, if we dream of a sinking ship, it may be a sign that we need to let go of something in our lives that is no longer serving us. Similarly, dreaming of traveling on a ship can signify progress and movement towards our goals and aspirations.

5. Emotional Healing Through Ship Dreams

Ship dreams can also serve as a platform for emotional healing. By exploring the symbolism and meaning behind these dreams, we can gain insight into our emotional state and work towards resolving any emotional issues we may be facing. Engaging in journaling or self-reflection exercises can help us uncover the deeper meaning behind our ship dreams and promote emotional healing.

6. Navigating Life’s Challenges

One of the key lessons we can learn from ship dreams is the importance of navigating life’s challenges. Just as ships must weather storms and overcome obstacles to reach their destination, so too must we face and overcome our own challenges. Ship dreams remind us of our inner strength and resilience, encouraging us to stay the course and emerge stronger on the other side.

What your ship dream means is ultimately up to you. Take the time to reflect on the emotions and symbolism present in your dream, and consider how they may apply to your current life situation. Whether you interpret a ship as representing a physical journey, spiritual growth, or emotional healing, trust in your own inner wisdom to guide you towards greater self-awareness and personal growth. And remember, no matter what obstacles you may encounter along the way, you have the strength and determination to navigate the waters of life with grace and resilience.

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Cruise Ship Dream

Have you recently had a dream about a cruise ship? Maybe you were lounging on the deck or perhaps navigating stormy seas.

Either way, such a dream can symbolize the future fulfillment of a long-held wish, stepping out of comfort zones, or even the anticipation of romance.

Join me in this post as I navigate through ten powerful interpretations of a cruise ship dream, offering you insights that can unravel the mysteries of your subconscious.

Table Of Contents

1. Preparing for a Significant Life Change

When you have a dream about a cruise ship, it often signifies preparing for a significant life change.

Picture yourself on the deck of a cruise ship; it’s a symbol of transition, moving from one place to another, and setting sail towards the unknown.

Imagine how you might feel as the ship pulls away from the dock. There’s anticipation, perhaps a touch of nervousness, but also the thrill of something new on the horizon.

In this context, the cruise ship dream reflects a forthcoming shift in your life. It could be anything – a new job, a big move, even the addition of a family member.

This dream of a cruise ship might also remind you of the preparations before embarking on a journey. The packing, the planning, the goodbyes.

These activities mirror the emotional and mental preparation you might be undergoing in real life, as you brace yourself for a significant change.

Remember, even if the seas are rough at times, the journey ultimately leads to a destination, a new phase in your life.

2. Breaking Away from Routine

Another dream about cruise ship meaning might suggest a desire to break away from routine.

Consider the typical cruise ship experience: the break from daily life, the fresh ocean air, the freedom to spend your day as you wish.

This is a far cry from the monotonous routine many of us find ourselves in. So, when you dream of a cruise ship, it’s as though your subconscious is giving you a signal: it’s time for a change of scenery.

Imagine shaking up your daily schedule, trying something new, or even stepping out of your professional domain. Think of it as a call to inject some variety into your life.

Just as the cruise ship docks at diverse ports of call, you too should embrace the diversity life has to offer. This dream signifies your soul’s longing to break free from the monotony and venture into the new and exciting.

3. Bountiful Opportunities Ahead

The cruise ship dream meaning could be the indication of bountiful opportunities ahead. In a dream of a cruise ship, the vast ocean represents endless possibilities, and the ship symbolizes your journey through the sea of life.

It’s an exciting thought, isn’t it? Embarking on a journey where countless opportunities await you.

Imagine making progress work, discovering a promising new hobby, or meeting people who open doors to fantastic experiences.

These are all examples of opportunities that might come your way. Just like a cruise ship, you’re navigating through the vast ocean of life, ready to seize every promising opportunity that comes your way.

4. Finding Balance in Life

The fourth interpretation revolves around dreams about cruise ship suggesting a quest for balance in life. Think about it: a cruise ship, despite the waves and storms it might face, always strives to stay balanced.

This concept can be a reflection of your personal life. You might be seeking that equilibrium between your work and personal life, or between your responsibilities and your leisure time.

Picture yourself juggling work projects while also making time for your loved ones or your personal interests. The quest for balance might not be easy, but it’s worth it.

This dream symbolizes your subconscious mind’s desire for a well-rounded, harmonious life.

5. Impending Joyful News

A dream about a cruise ship might also symbolize impending joyful news. Imagine standing on the ship’s deck, seeing a delightful sight, or receiving a piece of exciting news. This is often the essence of a cruise ship dream.

The joyful news could take any form. Maybe you’ll hear about a friend’s engagement, receive a long-awaited news, or discover a pleasant surprise waiting for you.

Whatever it may be, this dream of a cruise ship heralds a wave of joy coming your way, filling your life with happiness and satisfaction.

6. Fulfillment of a Long-Held Wish

Picture the breathtaking moments on a cruise ship in a dream; perhaps a particular scene that takes your breath away or a thrilling experience you’ve always wished for.

This imagery can symbolize the fulfillment of a long-held wish in your life. Your cruise ship dream might be a manifestation of a deep-rooted desire coming to fruition in the future.

This could range from finally being able to afford a home, progress at work you’ve worked hard for, or even a journey you’ve been meaning to take.

Like the breathtaking moments you experience during a cruise, your long-awaited wish will bring immense joy and satisfaction, making all the anticipation worthwhile.

7. Reward for Hard Work

A dream about a cruise ship could symbolize the reward for hard work coming your way.

Just like the luxury and relaxation that a cruise ship vacation offers after months of hard work, your dream suggests a similar pattern in your life.

Imagine putting in long hours for a project at work or consistently working on a personal goal. Your hard work is about to pay off in the form of rewards, recognition, or success.

Like the anticipation of a well-deserved cruise ship vacation, your dreaming about a cruise ship signals that the time to reap the benefits of your hard work is nearing.

8. Anticipation of Romance

When it comes to love, a dream of a cruise ship can indicate the anticipation of romance. A cruise ship often brings with it the aura of romance; stunning sunsets, candlelit dinners, and walking under the stars.

This romantic setting in your dream about cruise ship could be a hint of a budding romantic relationship or a deepening of an existing one in your life.

It might be a new colleague who catches your eye, or your long-term partner surprising you with a romantic gesture.

The dream represents your heart’s anticipation of these romantic moments, promising an exciting time ahead in your love life.

9. Yearning for a Grand Escape

Ever had those moments where you just want to get away from it all? A dream of a cruise ship might symbolize this yearning for a grand escape.

The sea represents freedom, and a cruise ship allows us to explore this freedom. Just as you might long for the boundless ocean in a cruise ship in dream, you might also be yearning for a grand escape in your life.

This escape could be as simple as a vacation you’re planning or a drastic change like shifting to a new city.

Regardless, the yearning for change, the longing for an escape from your current circumstances, is what this dream is all about. It’s a signal that you are ready for a refreshing change in your life.

10. Stepping out of Comfort Zones

Finally, a dreaming about cruise ship can often represent stepping out of your comfort zones. A cruise ship, after all, takes you to new and unfamiliar destinations.

Similarly, your dream may suggest that you’ll soon be venturing outside your usual routine or comfort zone.

This could be something as mundane as taking on a new project at work or something as thrilling as trying an adventure sport.

The key is to embrace the unfamiliar, much like how a traveler embraces the new destinations a cruise ship takes them to.

It might be a bit daunting at first, but the rewards and experiences gained from stepping out of your comfort zone can be truly enriching.

💎 Important Questions

1. What was the condition of the sea or ocean while you were on the cruise ship in your dream?

If the sea was calm and serene, it could represent a period of tranquility and harmony that’s about to grace your life.

This might mean that you’re going to enjoy a phase at work where everything runs smoothly, with few conflicts or challenges.

On the other hand, if the sea was stormy or turbulent, it could mean that you are about to face challenges, but fear not, these challenges will ultimately lead to rewarding outcomes, similar to the storm leading you to a beautiful sunrise.

2. What was the size of the cruise ship in your dream?

If the cruise ship was grand and massive, it could symbolize that an opportunity of significant magnitude is on the horizon, perhaps something like making progress at work or an important project landing in your lap.

Conversely, if the cruise ship was smaller or modest, it might indicate an intimate and deeply personal journey ahead, perhaps finding love or connecting on a deeper level with someone close to you.

3. Were you alone or with others on the cruise ship in your dream?

If you were alone on the cruise ship, it might imply that you’re heading towards a period of self-discovery, perhaps gaining a better understanding of your capabilities at work or realizing your strengths in personal matters.

If you were with others, it might suggest that you will soon embark on a shared journey or a joint project with colleagues or friends that will deepen your bond with them.

4.  What was the destination of the cruise ship in your dream?

If the destination was a tropical island, it could indicate an upcoming period of relaxation and enjoyment in your life, like taking a break from your busy schedule and spending some quality time with loved ones.

If the destination was unknown or unclear, it could mean that an unexpected turn of events is about to happen in your life, like an unexpected promotion or a surprise party by friends.

5. Did the cruise ship dock successfully in your dream ?

If the ship docked successfully, it could represent the successful completion of a project or task you’re currently working on.

But if the ship didn’t dock or faced issues, it could mean that there might be some hurdles in your current task but remember, overcoming these will lead to personal satisfaction and recognition.

6. What time of the day was it in your dream on the cruise ship?

If it was daytime with clear skies, it could mean a period of clarity and insight is coming your way, helping you in making key decisions at work or home.

If it was nighttime, it could suggest that you’re about to discover something previously hidden or overlooked.

7. What were you doing on the cruise ship in your dream?

If you were enjoying and having fun, it could suggest a forthcoming period of joy and happiness in your life, perhaps a family celebration or a successful project completion.

If you were working or busy on the ship, it might suggest that your efforts at work will soon bear fruit.

8. Were there any unique or distinctive features about the cruise ship in your dream?

If the cruise ship had unique or distinctive features, like a particular color or design, it could mean that something unique or distinctive is about to happen in your life.

For instance, a cruise ship with gold detailing might suggest you’ll soon be rewarded for your efforts, just like gold represents reward and recognition.

🧬 Related Dreams

Dream about cruise ship sinking.

A sinking cruise ship in your dream might evoke fear, but in dream interpretation, it can suggest a transformation that’s on the horizon.

Just like how a sinking ship descends into the depths, you might be plunged into an entirely new situation or environment.

This could be a sudden project at work that requires you to develop new skills or perhaps a surprise relocation that will open up new possibilities.

The sinking ship symbolizes this deep dive into something new. So, when you dream about a sinking cruise ship, it can hint towards an upcoming challenging task, but one that will also unlock new opportunities.

Dream About Cruise Ship Flipping Over

Dreaming about a cruise ship flipping over can be dramatic and intense. This dream could indicate a shift or turnaround in your life, akin to how the cruise ship flips over.

For instance, you might be in line for a complete career switch or a drastic change in your daily routine. The flipping over is a sign of this 180-degree turn.

The dream of cruise ship meaning in this case is not suggesting that your life will turn chaotic, but instead, it hints that you’re about to experience a remarkable change that can lead to interesting opportunities.

Dream About Cruise Ship in Storm

Seeing a cruise ship in a storm during a dream can appear daunting but it might signify that you’re headed for a period of challenges that will eventually lead to growth.

Just as a storm tests the strength of a ship, you may find yourself facing obstacles that will test your resilience.

For example, you might encounter a difficult project at work or a complicated situation in your personal life. But remember, it’s often after weathering the storm that we reach calm waters.

This dream about a cruise ship in a storm suggests that although you might have to navigate through some rough patches, these will ultimately lead to a phase of peace and success.

Dream Cruise Ship Carnival

Carnival in a dream often represents celebration, joy, and social connections. Therefore, seeing a carnival on a cruise ship in your dream may suggest that you’re headed towards a period of social gatherings or communal success.

Just as a carnival on a cruise ship brings together diverse individuals, you might soon be part of a successful team project at work or a community event that fosters strong bonds.

This dream cruise ship carnival symbolizes the joy that comes from shared victories and collective celebrations, indicating a promising future full of camaraderie and shared achievements.

Dream of Cruise Ship Docking

When you dream of a cruise ship docking, it could imply that you’re about to complete a significant phase or project in your life.

Just as a cruise ship docks signifying the end of a journey, you might be reaching the conclusion of a significant task or period in your life.

This might be wrapping up a major project at work or achieving a long-term goal. The dream about a cruise ship docking signifies this end, but it also highlights that every end is a new beginning.

This could mean the initiation of an even more exciting phase in your life.

Dream of Cruise Ship Departing

Seeing a cruise ship departing in your dream can signify the beginning of a new journey. Just like the cruise ship sets sail towards a new destination, you may be about to embark on a new venture in your life.

This could be anything from starting a new job, launching a new project, or stepping into a new role.

The dream of a cruise ship departing is a metaphor for this new beginning, promising a future filled with new experiences and learnings.

Dream of Being Left Behind by a Cruise Ship

The feeling of being left behind can be disheartening, especially when it comes in the form of a dream about a cruise ship leaving without you.

However, such a dream might be hinting that you are about to break free from the regular, and venture into unexplored territories.

Much like the feeling of seeing a cruise ship sail away, you might find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone at work, taking up tasks that were once considered unconventional for you.

It might be nerve-wracking initially, but soon you will discover a new side to your skills and potential.

Dream of Seeing a Cruise Ship from a Distance

The sight of a cruise ship from a distance in your dream might suggest that you’re on the verge of embarking on a significant journey.

Similar to watching a cruise ship from afar, you could be looking at an upcoming project or opportunity that promises to be significant and impactful.

This dream about a cruise ship is a sign that you’re heading towards something big, like a game-changing project at work or a transformative life experience.

Dream of Being on a Luxurious Cruise Ship

The luxury and comfort that a dream of being on a luxurious cruise ship brings can indicate an upcoming period of success and prosperity in your life.

This might translate to receiving recognition at work or experiencing a significant improvement in your lifestyle.

The luxurious cruise ship symbolizes this journey towards achievement and abundance, suggesting that you might be on the brink of a great period.

Dreaming of a Cruise Ship at Night

A cruise ship at night in your dream may imply that you’re about to uncover some unknown aspects of your life.

Just like the darkness that the night brings, there might be a situation or an opportunity that isn’t clear to you right now.

This dream about a cruise ship at night can suggest that this uncertainty will soon clear up, leading to a revelation or insight that can be life-changing.

Dream of Cruise Ship Sailing Smoothly

When you dream of a cruise ship sailing smoothly, it can suggest that your life is about to enter a period of tranquility and smooth sailing.

Much like the calm waters through which the cruise ship sails, you might be heading towards a phase of peace and calm in your life. This could translate into a harmonious work environment or a phase of personal stability.

The dream about a cruise ship sailing smoothly symbolizes this transition into a peaceful and harmonious phase.

Dream of Being Lost on a Cruise Ship

Feeling lost on a cruise ship in your dream might symbolize that you’re on the verge of discovering a new direction or path.

Just as being lost prompts you to find a way, you might soon find yourself uncovering new goals or aspirations.

This dream of being lost on a cruise ship hints at this self-discovery, pointing towards an exciting future filled with new ambitions and directions.

Dream of a Cruise Ship in a Storm

Dreaming about cruise ship battling a storm, it could be an indication that you’re going to confront some turbulence in your life.

Yet, just like a ship steering its way through a storm, you will also weather through your difficulties.

It might be a challenging deadline at work or a test of your problem-solving skills, but this dream signifies that you’re set to overcome these hurdles and reach calmer waters.

Dream of a Cruise Ship Docking

Dreaming about cruise ship docking  might signify that you’re about to reach a significant milestone.

The dream about cruise ship docking could be hinting at an upcoming achievement, like the completion of a major project at work or reaching a long-term goal.

It’s an indication that, just like a ship reaching its port, you too are nearing a significant milestone in your life.

Dream of Being the Captain of a Cruise Ship

The responsibility that comes with being the captain of a cruise ship in your dream suggests you’re set to take up a leadership role.

The dream of cruise ship captain could signify an upcoming promotion or an opportunity at work where your leadership skills will be put to the test.

Just like a captain steering the ship, you’ll find yourself navigating your team towards success.

💬 Reader’s Dreams

Dream of a party on a cruise ship.

“I dreamt that I was at a lavish party on a magnificent cruise ship. Everyone was having a good time, and the atmosphere was lively and energetic. People were dancing, and I was part of the crowd, laughing and enjoying the festivities”.

Meaning : The dream hints that you are going to experience a joyous event or celebration in the near future.

Just like the party on the ship, it might be a social gathering, a get-together, or a celebration at work that would lead to a good time and foster a sense of community.

You might not be aware of it yet, but the preparations are already under way.

Dream of a Cruise Ship in Calm Waters

“In my dream, I saw a cruise ship sailing calmly on a vast, serene sea. The sky was clear, the sun was shining brightly, and the overall scene was peaceful and tranquil”.

Meaning : Such a dream could be suggesting that you are about to enter a period of calm and tranquility in your life.

The calm waters represent peace, much like the calm conditions in your dream.

It might mean that a stressful project at work will be concluded successfully or that a personal situation causing you stress will be resolved, leading to a period of peace and tranquility”.

Dream of Getting Lost on a Cruise Ship

“I had a dream where I was wandering aimlessly on a gigantic cruise ship. It felt like I was lost, and no matter where I turned, I couldn’t find my way back”.

Meaning : This dream could be indicating that you will encounter a challenging situation that will require you to seek help or advice.

Just as you were lost on the ship, you may find yourself in a situation at work or in your personal life that leaves you feeling a bit lost.

However, the dream suggests that you will eventually find the help you need to navigate through this situation.

Dream of a Cruise Ship at Night

“I dreamt of a well-lit cruise ship sailing smoothly in the darkness of the night. The ship was a beacon of light amidst the surrounding darkness, and I felt drawn to it”.

Meaning : This dream suggests that you will soon become a source of inspiration or support for someone in your life.

Just as the ship was a beacon of light in the dark, you might find yourself providing guidance or support to a colleague at work or a friend in need. Your actions will make a significant difference to them.

Dream of Watching a Cruise Ship from the Shore

“In my dream, I was standing on the shore, watching a magnificent cruise ship sail away. I felt a mix of emotions as I watched it drift further and further away”.

Meaning : The dream could indicate that you are about to let go of a long-held belief or a familiar situation. Just like the ship sailing away, you may find yourself moving away from a mindset or a situation that has served its purpose in your life.

It might be an outdated work practice or a habit that you will decide to let go of, paving the way for new beginnings.

I hope my post helped you understand the meaning of your cruise ship dream. If you have any questions- feel free to comment below. Thank you for reading!

Meet Betty Brown - the heart and soul behind BettyDreams. At 67 years young, Betty has a special talent - the gift to interpret dreams and spiritual events.

If you have a dream that has been haunting you, or a strange experience that you can't explain, Betty is the person to turn to.

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Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever

Seven agonizing nights aboard the Icon of the Seas

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Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET on April 6, 2024.

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MY FIRST GLIMPSE of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, from the window of an approaching Miami cab, brings on a feeling of vertigo, nausea, amazement, and distress. I shut my eyes in defense, as my brain tells my optic nerve to try again.

The ship makes no sense, vertically or horizontally. It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots. Vibrant, oversignifying colors are stacked upon other such colors, decks perched over still more decks; the only comfort is a row of lifeboats ringing its perimeter. There is no imposed order, no cogent thought, and, for those who do not harbor a totalitarian sense of gigantomania, no visual mercy. This is the biggest cruise ship ever built, and I have been tasked with witnessing its inaugural voyage.

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“Author embarks on their first cruise-ship voyage” has been a staple of American essay writing for almost three decades, beginning with David Foster Wallace’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” which was first published in 1996 under the title “Shipping Out.” Since then, many admirable writers have widened and diversified the genre. Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel. I am 51, old and tired, having seen much of the world as a former travel journalist, and mostly what I do in both life and prose is shrug while muttering to my imaginary dachshund, “This too shall pass.” But the Icon of the Seas will not countenance a shrug. The Icon of the Seas is the Linda Loman of cruise ships, exclaiming that attention must be paid. And here I am in late January with my one piece of luggage and useless gray winter jacket and passport, zipping through the Port of Miami en route to the gangway that will separate me from the bulk of North America for more than seven days, ready to pay it in full.

The aforementioned gangway opens up directly onto a thriving mall (I will soon learn it is imperiously called the “Royal Promenade”), presently filled with yapping passengers beneath a ceiling studded with balloons ready to drop. Crew members from every part of the global South, as well as a few Balkans, are shepherding us along while pressing flutes of champagne into our hands. By a humming Starbucks, I drink as many of these as I can and prepare to find my cabin. I show my blue Suite Sky SeaPass Card (more on this later, much more) to a smiling woman from the Philippines, and she tells me to go “aft.” Which is where, now? As someone who has rarely sailed on a vessel grander than the Staten Island Ferry, I am confused. It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD , or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship. I trust that you have enjoyed this nautical lesson.

I ascend via elevator to my suite on Deck 11. This is where I encounter my first terrible surprise. My suite windows and balcony do not face the ocean. Instead, they look out onto another shopping mall. This mall is the one that’s called Central Park, perhaps in homage to the Olmsted-designed bit of greenery in the middle of my hometown. Although on land I would be delighted to own a suite with Central Park views, here I am deeply depressed. To sail on a ship and not wake up to a vast blue carpet of ocean? Unthinkable.

Allow me a brief preamble here. The story you are reading was commissioned at a moment when most staterooms on the Icon were sold out. In fact, so enthralled by the prospect of this voyage were hard-core mariners that the ship’s entire inventory of guest rooms (the Icon can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers, but its inaugural journey was reduced to 5,000 or so for a less crowded experience) was almost immediately sold out. Hence, this publication was faced with the shocking prospect of paying nearly $19,000 to procure for this solitary passenger an entire suite—not including drinking expenses—all for the privilege of bringing you this article. But the suite in question doesn’t even have a view of the ocean! I sit down hard on my soft bed. Nineteen thousand dollars for this .

The viewless suite does have its pluses. In addition to all the Malin+Goetz products in my dual bathrooms, I am granted use of a dedicated Suite Deck lounge; access to Coastal Kitchen, a superior restaurant for Suites passengers; complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream (“the fastest Internet at Sea”) “for one device per person for the whole cruise duration”; a pair of bathrobes (one of which comes prestained with what looks like a large expectoration by the greenest lizard on Earth); and use of the Grove Suite Sun, an area on Decks 18 and 19 with food and deck chairs reserved exclusively for Suite passengers. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz , an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations. The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them.

In preparation for sailing, I have “priced in,” as they say on Wall Street, the possibility that I may come from a somewhat different monde than many of the other cruisers. Without falling into stereotypes or preconceptions, I prepare myself for a friendly outspokenness on the part of my fellow seafarers that may not comply with modern DEI standards. I believe in meeting people halfway, and so the day before flying down to Miami, I visited what remains of Little Italy to purchase a popular T-shirt that reads DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL across the breast in the colors of the Italian flag. My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. “Oh, and who is your ‘daddy’?” some might ask upon seeing it. “And how long have you been his ‘little meatball’?” And so on.

I put on my meatball T-shirt and head for one of the dining rooms to get a late lunch. In the elevator, I stick out my chest for all to read the funny legend upon it, but soon I realize that despite its burnished tricolor letters, no one takes note. More to the point, no one takes note of me. Despite my attempts at bridge building, the very sight of me (small, ethnic, without a cap bearing the name of a football team) elicits no reaction from other passengers. Most often, they will small-talk over me as if I don’t exist. This brings to mind the travails of David Foster Wallace , who felt so ostracized by his fellow passengers that he retreated to his cabin for much of his voyage. And Wallace was raised primarily in the Midwest and was a much larger, more American-looking meatball than I am. If he couldn’t talk to these people, how will I? What if I leave this ship without making any friends at all, despite my T-shirt? I am a social creature, and the prospect of seven days alone and apart is saddening. Wallace’s stateroom, at least, had a view of the ocean, a kind of cheap eternity.

Worse awaits me in the dining room. This is a large, multichandeliered room where I attended my safety training (I was shown how to put on a flotation vest; it is a very simple procedure). But the maître d’ politely refuses me entry in an English that seems to verge on another language. “I’m sorry, this is only for pendejos ,” he seems to be saying. I push back politely and he repeats himself. Pendejos ? Piranhas? There’s some kind of P-word to which I am not attuned. Meanwhile elderly passengers stream right past, powered by their limbs, walkers, and electric wheelchairs. “It is only pendejo dining today, sir.” “But I have a suite!” I say, already starting to catch on to the ship’s class system. He examines my card again. “But you are not a pendejo ,” he confirms. I am wearing a DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL T-shirt, I want to say to him. I am the essence of pendejo .

Eventually, I give up and head to the plebeian buffet on Deck 15, which has an aquatic-styled name I have now forgotten. Before gaining entry to this endless cornucopia of reheated food, one passes a washing station of many sinks and soap dispensers, and perhaps the most intriguing character on the entire ship. He is Mr. Washy Washy—or, according to his name tag, Nielbert of the Philippines—and he is dressed as a taco (on other occasions, I’ll see him dressed as a burger). Mr. Washy Washy performs an eponymous song in spirited, indeed flamboyant English: “Washy, washy, wash your hands, WASHY WASHY!” The dangers of norovirus and COVID on a cruise ship this size (a giant fellow ship was stricken with the former right after my voyage) makes Mr. Washy Washy an essential member of the crew. The problem lies with the food at the end of Washy’s rainbow. The buffet is groaning with what sounds like sophisticated dishes—marinated octopus, boiled egg with anchovy, chorizo, lobster claws—but every animal tastes tragically the same, as if there was only one creature available at the market, a “cruisipus” bred specifically for Royal Caribbean dining. The “vegetables” are no better. I pick up a tomato slice and look right through it. It tastes like cellophane. I sit alone, apart from the couples and parents with gaggles of children, as “We Are Family” echoes across the buffet space.

I may have failed to mention that all this time, the Icon of the Seas has not left port. As the fiery mango of the subtropical setting sun makes Miami’s condo skyline even more apocalyptic, the ship shoves off beneath a perfunctory display of fireworks. After the sun sets, in the far, dark distance, another circus-lit cruise ship ruptures the waves before us. We glance at it with pity, because it is by definition a smaller ship than our own. I am on Deck 15, outside the buffet and overlooking a bunch of pools (the Icon has seven of them), drinking a frilly drink that I got from one of the bars (the Icon has 15 of them), still too shy to speak to anyone, despite Sister Sledge’s assertion that all on the ship are somehow related.

Kim Brooks: On failing the family vacation

The ship’s passage away from Ron DeSantis’s Florida provides no frisson, no sense of developing “sea legs,” as the ship is too large to register the presence of waves unless a mighty wind adds significant chop. It is time for me to register the presence of the 5,000 passengers around me, even if they refuse to register mine. My fellow travelers have prepared for this trip with personally decorated T-shirts celebrating the importance of this voyage. The simplest ones say ICON INAUGURAL ’24 on the back and the family name on the front. Others attest to an over-the-top love of cruise ships: WARNING! MAY START TALKING ABOUT CRUISING . Still others are artisanally designed and celebrate lifetimes spent married while cruising (on ships, of course). A couple possibly in their 90s are wearing shirts whose backs feature a drawing of a cruise liner, two flamingos with ostensibly male and female characteristics, and the legend “ HUSBAND AND WIFE Cruising Partners FOR LIFE WE MAY NOT HAVE IT All Together BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE IT ALL .” (The words not in all caps have been written in cursive.) A real journalist or a more intrepid conversationalist would have gone up to the couple and asked them to explain the longevity of their marriage vis-à-vis their love of cruising. But instead I head to my mall suite, take off my meatball T-shirt, and allow the first tears of the cruise to roll down my cheeks slowly enough that I briefly fall asleep amid the moisture and salt.

I WAKE UP with a hangover. Oh God. Right. I cannot believe all of that happened last night. A name floats into my cobwebbed, nauseated brain: “Ayn Rand.” Jesus Christ.

I breakfast alone at the Coastal Kitchen. The coffee tastes fine and the eggs came out of a bird. The ship rolls slightly this morning; I can feel it in my thighs and my schlong, the parts of me that are most receptive to danger.

I had a dangerous conversation last night. After the sun set and we were at least 50 miles from shore (most modern cruise ships sail at about 23 miles an hour), I lay in bed softly hiccupping, my arms stretched out exactly like Jesus on the cross, the sound of the distant waves missing from my mall-facing suite, replaced by the hum of air-conditioning and children shouting in Spanish through the vents of my two bathrooms. I decided this passivity was unacceptable. As an immigrant, I feel duty-bound to complete the tasks I am paid for, which means reaching out and trying to understand my fellow cruisers. So I put on a normal James Perse T-shirt and headed for one of the bars on the Royal Promenade—the Schooner Bar, it was called, if memory serves correctly.

I sat at the bar for a martini and two Negronis. An old man with thick, hairy forearms drank next to me, very silent and Hemingwaylike, while a dreadlocked piano player tinkled out a series of excellent Elton John covers. To my right, a young white couple—he in floral shorts, she in a light, summery miniskirt with a fearsome diamond ring, neither of them in football regalia—chatted with an elderly couple. Do it , I commanded myself. Open your mouth. Speak! Speak without being spoken to. Initiate. A sentence fragment caught my ear from the young woman, “Cherry Hill.” This is a suburb of Philadelphia in New Jersey, and I had once been there for a reading at a synagogue. “Excuse me,” I said gently to her. “Did you just mention Cherry Hill? It’s a lovely place.”

As it turned out, the couple now lived in Fort Lauderdale (the number of Floridians on the cruise surprised me, given that Southern Florida is itself a kind of cruise ship, albeit one slowly sinking), but soon they were talking with me exclusively—the man potbellied, with a chin like a hard-boiled egg; the woman as svelte as if she were one of the many Ukrainian members of the crew—the elderly couple next to them forgotten. This felt as groundbreaking as the first time I dared to address an American in his native tongue, as a child on a bus in Queens (“On my foot you are standing, Mister”).

“I don’t want to talk politics,” the man said. “But they’re going to eighty-six Biden and put Michelle in.”

I considered the contradictions of his opening conversational gambit, but decided to play along. “People like Michelle,” I said, testing the waters. The husband sneered, but the wife charitably put forward that the former first lady was “more personable” than Joe Biden. “They’re gonna eighty-six Biden,” the husband repeated. “He can’t put a sentence together.”

After I mentioned that I was a writer—though I presented myself as a writer of teleplays instead of novels and articles such as this one—the husband told me his favorite writer was Ayn Rand. “Ayn Rand, she came here with nothing,” the husband said. “I work with a lot of Cubans, so …” I wondered if I should mention what I usually do to ingratiate myself with Republicans or libertarians: the fact that my finances improved after pass-through corporations were taxed differently under Donald Trump. Instead, I ordered another drink and the couple did the same, and I told him that Rand and I were born in the same city, St. Petersburg/Leningrad, and that my family also came here with nothing. Now the bonding and drinking began in earnest, and several more rounds appeared. Until it all fell apart.

Read: Gary Shteyngart on watching Russian television for five days straight

My new friend, whom I will refer to as Ayn, called out to a buddy of his across the bar, and suddenly a young couple, both covered in tattoos, appeared next to us. “He fucking punked me,” Ayn’s frat-boy-like friend called out as he put his arm around Ayn, while his sizable partner sizzled up to Mrs. Rand. Both of them had a look I have never seen on land—their eyes projecting absence and enmity in equal measure. In the ’90s, I drank with Russian soldiers fresh from Chechnya and wandered the streets of wartime Zagreb, but I have never seen such undisguised hostility toward both me and perhaps the universe at large. I was briefly introduced to this psychopathic pair, but neither of them wanted to have anything to do with me, and the tattooed woman would not even reveal her Christian name to me (she pretended to have the same first name as Mrs. Rand). To impress his tattooed friends, Ayn made fun of the fact that as a television writer, I’d worked on the series Succession (which, it would turn out, practically nobody on the ship had watched), instead of the far more palatable, in his eyes, zombie drama of last year. And then my new friends drifted away from me into an angry private conversation—“He punked me!”—as I ordered another drink for myself, scared of the dead-eyed arrivals whose gaze never registered in the dim wattage of the Schooner Bar, whose terrifying voices and hollow laughs grated like unoiled gears against the crooning of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

But today is a new day for me and my hangover. After breakfast, I explore the ship’s so-called neighborhoods . There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000. There’s the aforementioned Royal Promenade, where I had drunk with the Rands, and where a pair of dueling pianos duel well into the night. There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself. Thrill Island refers to the collection of tubes that clutter the ass of the ship and offer passengers six waterslides and a surfing simulation. There’s the Hideaway, an adult zone that plays music from a vomit-slathered, Brit-filled Alicante nightclub circa 1996 and proves a big favorite with groups of young Latin American customers. And, most hurtfully, there’s the Suite Neighborhood.

I say hurtfully because as a Suite passenger I should be here, though my particular suite is far from the others. Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private. There is a quiet splendor to the Suite Neighborhood. I see fewer stickers and signs and drawings than in my own neighborhood—for example, MIKE AND DIANA PROUDLY SERVED U.S. MARINE CORPS RETIRED . No one here needs to announce their branch of service or rank; they are simply Suites, and this is where they belong. Once again, despite my hard work and perseverance, I have been disallowed from the true American elite. Once again, I am “Not our class, dear.” I am reminded of watching The Love Boat on my grandmother’s Zenith, which either was given to her or we found in the trash (I get our many malfunctioning Zeniths confused) and whose tube got so hot, I would put little chunks of government cheese on a thin tissue atop it to give our welfare treat a pleasant, Reagan-era gooeyness. I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad. Still, this ship, this plenty—every few steps, there are complimentary nachos or milkshakes or gyros on offer—was the fatty fuel of my childhood dreams. If only I had remained a child.

I walk around the outdoor decks looking for company. There is a middle-aged African American couple who always seem to be asleep in each other’s arms, probably exhausted from the late capitalism they regularly encounter on land. There is far more diversity on this ship than I expected. Many couples are a testament to Loving v. Virginia , and there is a large group of folks whose T-shirts read MELANIN AT SEA / IT’S THE MELANIN FOR ME . I smile when I see them, but then some young kids from the group makes Mr. Washy Washy do a cruel, caricatured “Burger Dance” (today he is in his burger getup), and I think, Well, so much for intersectionality .

At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. I am proved correct! Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station.

“Everyone is here for a different reason,” one of them tells me. She and her ex-husband last sailed together four years ago to prove to themselves that their marriage was truly over. Her 15-year-old son lost his virginity to “an Irish young lady” while their ship was moored in Ravenna, Italy. The gaggle of old-timers competes to tell me their favorite cruising stories and tips. “A guy proposed in Central Park a couple of years ago”—many Royal Caribbean ships apparently have this ridiculous communal area—“and she ran away screaming!” “If you’re diamond-class, you get four drinks for free.” “A different kind of passenger sails out of Bayonne.” (This, perhaps, is racially coded.) “Sometimes, if you tip the bartender $5, your next drink will be free.”

“Everyone’s here for a different reason,” the woman whose marriage ended on a cruise tells me again. “Some people are here for bad reasons—the drinkers and the gamblers. Some people are here for medical reasons.” I have seen more than a few oxygen tanks and at least one woman clearly undergoing very serious chemo. Some T-shirts celebrate good news about a cancer diagnosis. This might be someone’s last cruise or week on Earth. For these women, who have spent months, if not years, at sea, cruising is a ritual as well as a life cycle: first love, last love, marriage, divorce, death.

Read: The last place on Earth any tourist should go

I have talked with these women for so long, tonight I promise myself that after a sad solitary dinner I will not try to seek out company at the bars in the mall or the adult-themed Hideaway. I have enough material to fulfill my duties to this publication. As I approach my orphaned suite, I run into the aggro young people who stole Mr. and Mrs. Rand away from me the night before. The tattooed apparitions pass me without a glance. She is singing something violent about “Stuttering Stanley” (a character in a popular horror movie, as I discover with my complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream Internet at Sea) and he’s loudly shouting about “all the money I’ve lost,” presumably at the casino in the bowels of the ship.

So these bent psychos out of a Cormac McCarthy novel are angrily inhabiting my deck. As I mewl myself to sleep, I envision a limited series for HBO or some other streamer, a kind of low-rent White Lotus , where several aggressive couples conspire to throw a shy intellectual interloper overboard. I type the scenario into my phone. As I fall asleep, I think of what the woman who recently divorced her husband and whose son became a man through the good offices of the Irish Republic told me while I was hoisting myself out of the infinity pool. “I’m here because I’m an explorer. I’m here because I’m trying something new.” What if I allowed myself to believe in her fantasy?

“YOU REALLY STARTED AT THE TOP,” they tell me. I’m at the Coastal Kitchen for my eggs and corned-beef hash, and the maître d’ has slotted me in between two couples. Fueled by coffee or perhaps intrigued by my relative youth, they strike up a conversation with me. As always, people are shocked that this is my first cruise. They contrast the Icon favorably with all the preceding liners in the Royal Caribbean fleet, usually commenting on the efficiency of the elevators that hurl us from deck to deck (as in many large corporate buildings, the elevators ask you to choose a floor and then direct you to one of many lifts). The couple to my right, from Palo Alto—he refers to his “porn mustache” and calls his wife “my cougar” because she is two years older—tell me they are “Pandemic Pinnacles.”

This is the day that my eyes will be opened. Pinnacles , it is explained to me over translucent cantaloupe, have sailed with Royal Caribbean for 700 ungodly nights. Pandemic Pinnacles took advantage of the two-for-one accrual rate of Pinnacle points during the pandemic, when sailing on a cruise ship was even more ill-advised, to catapult themselves into Pinnacle status.

Because of the importance of the inaugural voyage of the world’s largest cruise liner, more than 200 Pinnacles are on this ship, a startling number, it seems. Mrs. Palo Alto takes out a golden badge that I have seen affixed over many a breast, which reads CROWN AND ANCHOR SOCIETY along with her name. This is the coveted badge of the Pinnacle. “You should hear all the whining in Guest Services,” her husband tells me. Apparently, the Pinnacles who are not also Suites like us are all trying to use their status to get into Coastal Kitchen, our elite restaurant. Even a Pinnacle needs to be a Suite to access this level of corned-beef hash.

“We’re just baby Pinnacles,” Mrs. Palo Alto tells me, describing a kind of internal class struggle among the Pinnacle elite for ever higher status.

And now I understand what the maître d’ was saying to me on the first day of my cruise. He wasn’t saying “ pendejo .” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters.

And now I understand something else: This whole thing is a cult. And like most cults, it can’t help but mirror the endless American fight for status. Like Keith Raniere’s NXIVM, where different-colored sashes were given out to connote rank among Raniere’s branded acolytes, this is an endless competition among Pinnacles, Suites, Diamond-Plusers, and facing-the-mall, no-balcony purple SeaPass Card peasants, not to mention the many distinctions within each category. The more you cruise, the higher your status. No wonder a section of the Royal Promenade is devoted to getting passengers to book their next cruise during the one they should be enjoying now. No wonder desperate Royal Caribbean offers (“FINAL HOURS”) crowded my email account weeks before I set sail. No wonder the ship’s jewelry store, the Royal Bling, is selling a $100,000 golden chalice that will entitle its owner to drink free on Royal Caribbean cruises for life. (One passenger was already gaming out whether her 28-year-old son was young enough to “just about earn out” on the chalice or if that ship had sailed.) No wonder this ship was sold out months before departure , and we had to pay $19,000 for a horrid suite away from the Suite Neighborhood. No wonder the most mythical hero of Royal Caribbean lore is someone named Super Mario, who has cruised so often, he now has his own working desk on many ships. This whole experience is part cult, part nautical pyramid scheme.

From the June 2014 issue: Ship of wonks

“The toilets are amazing,” the Palo Altos are telling me. “One flush and you’re done.” “They don’t understand how energy-efficient these ships are,” the husband of the other couple is telling me. “They got the LNG”—liquefied natural gas, which is supposed to make the Icon a boon to the environment (a concept widely disputed and sometimes ridiculed by environmentalists).

But I’m thinking along a different line of attack as I spear my last pallid slice of melon. For my streaming limited series, a Pinnacle would have to get killed by either an outright peasant or a Suite without an ocean view. I tell my breakfast companions my idea.

“Oh, for sure a Pinnacle would have to be killed,” Mr. Palo Alto, the Pandemic Pinnacle, says, touching his porn mustache thoughtfully as his wife nods.

“THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S your time, buddy!” Hubert, my fun-loving Panamanian cabin attendant, shouts as I step out of my suite in a robe. “Take it easy, buddy!”

I have come up with a new dressing strategy. Instead of trying to impress with my choice of T-shirts, I have decided to start wearing a robe, as one does at a resort property on land, with a proper spa and hammam. The response among my fellow cruisers has been ecstatic. “Look at you in the robe!” Mr. Rand cries out as we pass each other by the Thrill Island aqua park. “You’re living the cruise life! You know, you really drank me under the table that night.” I laugh as we part ways, but my soul cries out, Please spend more time with me, Mr. and Mrs. Rand; I so need the company .

In my white robe, I am a stately presence, a refugee from a better limited series, a one-man crossover episode. (Only Suites are granted these robes to begin with.) Today, I will try many of the activities these ships have on offer to provide their clientele with a sense of never-ceasing motion. Because I am already at Thrill Island, I decide to climb the staircase to what looks like a mast on an old-fashioned ship (terrified, because I am afraid of heights) to try a ride called “Storm Chasers,” which is part of the “Category 6” water park, named in honor of one of the storms that may someday do away with the Port of Miami entirely. Storm Chasers consists of falling from the “mast” down a long, twisting neon tube filled with water, like being the camera inside your own colonoscopy, as you hold on to the handles of a mat, hoping not to die. The tube then flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism. It both knocks my breath out and makes me sad.

In keeping with the aquatic theme, I attend a show at the AquaDome. To the sound of “Live and Let Die,” a man in a harness gyrates to and fro in the sultry air. I saw something very similar in the back rooms of the famed Berghain club in early-aughts Berlin. Soon another harnessed man is gyrating next to the first. Ja , I think to myself, I know how this ends. Now will come the fisting , natürlich . But the show soon devolves into the usual Marvel-film-grade nonsense, with too much light and sound signifying nichts . If any fisting is happening, it is probably in the Suite Neighborhood, inside a cabin marked with an upside-down pineapple, which I understand means a couple are ready to swing, and I will see none of it.

I go to the ice show, which is a kind of homage—if that’s possible—to the periodic table, done with the style and pomp and masterful precision that would please the likes of Kim Jong Un, if only he could afford Royal Caribbean talent. At one point, the dancers skate to the theme song of Succession . “See that!” I want to say to my fellow Suites—at “cultural” events, we have a special section reserved for us away from the commoners—“ Succession ! It’s even better than the zombie show! Open your minds!”

Finally, I visit a comedy revue in an enormous and too brightly lit version of an “intimate,” per Royal Caribbean literature, “Manhattan comedy club.” Many of the jokes are about the cruising life. “I’ve lived on ships for 20 years,” one of the middle-aged comedians says. “I can only see so many Filipino homosexuals dressed as a taco.” He pauses while the audience laughs. “I am so fired tonight,” he says. He segues into a Trump impression and then Biden falling asleep at the microphone, which gets the most laughs. “Anyone here from Fort Leonard Wood?” another comedian asks. Half the crowd seems to cheer. As I fall asleep that night, I realize another connection I have failed to make, and one that may explain some of the diversity on this vessel—many of its passengers have served in the military.

As a coddled passenger with a suite, I feel like I am starting to understand what it means to have a rank and be constantly reminded of it. There are many espresso makers , I think as I look across the expanse of my officer-grade quarters before closing my eyes, but this one is mine .

A shocking sight greets me beyond the pools of Deck 17 as I saunter over to the Coastal Kitchen for my morning intake of slightly sour Americanos. A tiny city beneath a series of perfectly pressed green mountains. Land! We have docked for a brief respite in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. I wolf down my egg scramble to be one of the first passengers off the ship. Once past the gangway, I barely refrain from kissing the ground. I rush into the sights and sounds of this scruffy island city, sampling incredible conch curry and buckets of non-Starbucks coffee. How wonderful it is to be where God intended humans to be: on land. After all, I am neither a fish nor a mall rat. This is my natural environment. Basseterre may not be Havana, but there are signs of human ingenuity and desire everywhere you look. The Black Table Grill Has been Relocated to Soho Village, Market Street, Directly Behind of, Gary’s Fruits and Flower Shop. Signed. THE PORK MAN reads a sign stuck to a wall. Now, that is how you write a sign. A real sign, not the come-ons for overpriced Rolexes that blink across the screens of the Royal Promenade.

“Hey, tie your shoestring!” a pair of laughing ladies shout to me across the street.

“Thank you!” I shout back. Shoestring! “Thank you very much.”

A man in Independence Square Park comes by and asks if I want to play with his monkey. I haven’t heard that pickup line since the Penn Station of the 1980s. But then he pulls a real monkey out of a bag. The monkey is wearing a diaper and looks insane. Wonderful , I think, just wonderful! There is so much life here. I email my editor asking if I can remain on St. Kitts and allow the Icon to sail off into the horizon without me. I have even priced a flight home at less than $300, and I have enough material from the first four days on the cruise to write the entire story. “It would be funny …” my editor replies. “Now get on the boat.”

As I slink back to the ship after my brief jailbreak, the locals stand under umbrellas to gaze at and photograph the boat that towers over their small capital city. The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway. St. Kitts, I’ve been told, is one of the few islands that would allow a ship of this size to dock.

“We hear about all the waterslides,” a sweet young server in one of the cafés told me. “We wish we could go on the ship, but we have to work.”

“I want to stay on your island,” I replied. “I love it here.”

But she didn’t understand how I could possibly mean that.

“WASHY, WASHY, so you don’t get stinky, stinky!” kids are singing outside the AquaDome, while their adult minders look on in disapproval, perhaps worried that Mr. Washy Washy is grooming them into a life of gayness. I heard a southern couple skip the buffet entirely out of fear of Mr. Washy Washy.

Meanwhile, I have found a new watering hole for myself, the Swim & Tonic, the biggest swim-up bar on any cruise ship in the world. Drinking next to full-size, nearly naked Americans takes away one’s own self-consciousness. The men have curvaceous mom bodies. The women are equally un-shy about their sprawling physiques.

Today I’ve befriended a bald man with many children who tells me that all of the little trinkets that Royal Caribbean has left us in our staterooms and suites are worth a fortune on eBay. “Eighty dollars for the water bottle, 60 for the lanyard,” the man says. “This is a cult.”

“Tell me about it,” I say. There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. For a large middle-class family (he works in “supply chains”), seven days in a lower-tier cabin—which starts at $1,800 a person—allow the parents to drop off their children in Surfside, where I imagine many young Filipina crew members will take care of them, while the parents are free to get drunk at a swim-up bar and maybe even get intimate in their cabin. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care.

There is another man I would like to befriend at the Swim & Tonic, a tall, bald fellow who is perpetually inebriated and who wears a necklace studded with little rubber duckies in sunglasses, which, I am told, is a sort of secret handshake for cruise aficionados. Tomorrow, I will spend more time with him, but first the ship docks at St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is more charming in name than in presence, but I still all but jump off the ship to score a juicy oxtail and plantains at the well-known Petite Pump Room, overlooking the harbor. From one of the highest points in the small city, the Icon of the Seas appears bigger than the surrounding hills.

I usually tan very evenly, but something about the discombobulation of life at sea makes me forget the regular application of sunscreen. As I walk down the streets of Charlotte Amalie in my fluorescent Icon of the Seas cap, an old Rastafarian stares me down. “Redneck,” he hisses.

“No,” I want to tell him, as I bring a hand up to my red neck, “that’s not who I am at all. On my island, Mannahatta, as Whitman would have it, I am an interesting person living within an engaging artistic milieu. I do not wish to use the Caribbean as a dumping ground for the cruise-ship industry. I love the work of Derek Walcott. You don’t understand. I am not a redneck. And if I am, they did this to me.” They meaning Royal Caribbean? Its passengers? The Rands?

“They did this to me!”

Back on the Icon, some older matrons are muttering about a run-in with passengers from the Celebrity cruise ship docked next to us, the Celebrity Apex. Although Celebrity Cruises is also owned by Royal Caribbean, I am made to understand that there is a deep fratricidal beef between passengers of the two lines. “We met a woman from the Apex,” one matron says, “and she says it was a small ship and there was nothing to do. Her face was as tight as a 19-year-old’s, she had so much surgery.” With those words, and beneath a cloudy sky, humidity shrouding our weathered faces and red necks, we set sail once again, hopefully in the direction of home.

THERE ARE BARELY 48 HOURS LEFT to the cruise, and the Icon of the Seas’ passengers are salty. They know how to work the elevators. They know the Washy Washy song by heart. They understand that the chicken gyro at “Feta Mediterranean,” in the AquaDome Market, is the least problematic form of chicken on the ship.

The passengers have shed their INAUGURAL CRUISE T-shirts and are now starting to evince political opinions. There are caps pledging to make America great again and T-shirts that celebrate words sometimes attributed to Patrick Henry: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” With their preponderance of FAMILY FLAG FAITH FRIENDS FIREARMS T-shirts, the tables by the crepe station sometimes resemble the Capitol Rotunda on January 6. The Real Anthony Fauci , by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears to be a popular form of literature, especially among young men with very complicated versions of the American flag on their T-shirts. Other opinions blend the personal and the political. “Someone needs to kill Washy guy, right?” a well-dressed man in the elevator tells me, his gray eyes radiating nothing. “Just beat him to death. Am I right?” I overhear the male member of a young couple whisper, “There goes that freak” as I saunter by in my white spa robe, and I decide to retire it for the rest of the cruise.

I visit the Royal Bling to see up close the $100,000 golden chalice that entitles you to free drinks on Royal Caribbean forever. The pleasant Serbian saleslady explains that the chalice is actually gold-plated and covered in white zirconia instead of diamonds, as it would otherwise cost $1 million. “If you already have everything,” she explains, “this is one more thing you can get.”

I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship. They already speak English better than most of the passengers and, per the Serbian lady’s sales pitch above, better understand what America is as well. Crew members like my Panamanian cabin attendant seem to work 24 hours a day. A waiter from New Delhi tells me that his contract is six months and three weeks long. After a cruise ends, he says, “in a few hours, we start again for the next cruise.” At the end of the half a year at sea, he is allowed a two-to-three-month stay at home with his family. As of 2019, the median income for crew members was somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000, according to a major business publication. Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice.

And because most of the Icon’s hyper-sanitized spaces are just a frittata away from being a Delta lounge, one forgets that there are actual sailors on this ship, charged with the herculean task of docking it in port. “Having driven 100,000-ton aircraft carriers throughout my career,” retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, writes to me, “I’m not sure I would even know where to begin with trying to control a sea monster like this one nearly three times the size.” (I first met Stavridis while touring Army bases in Germany more than a decade ago.)

Today, I decide to head to the hot tub near Swim & Tonic, where some of the ship’s drunkest reprobates seem to gather (the other tubs are filled with families and couples). The talk here, like everywhere else on the ship, concerns football, a sport about which I know nothing. It is apparent that four teams have recently competed in some kind of finals for the year, and that two of them will now face off in the championship. Often when people on the Icon speak, I will try to repeat the last thing they said with a laugh or a nod of disbelief. “Yes, 20-yard line! Ha!” “Oh my God, of course, scrimmage.”

Soon we are joined in the hot tub by the late-middle-age drunk guy with the duck necklace. He is wearing a bucket hat with the legend HAWKEYES , which, I soon gather, is yet another football team. “All right, who turned me in?” Duck Necklace says as he plops into the tub beside us. “I get a call in the morning,” he says. “It’s security. Can you come down to the dining room by 10 a.m.? You need to stay away from the members of this religious family.” Apparently, the gregarious Duck Necklace had photobombed the wrong people. There are several families who present as evangelical Christians or practicing Muslims on the ship. One man, evidently, was not happy that Duck Necklace had made contact with his relatives. “It’s because of religious stuff; he was offended. I put my arm around 20 people a day.”

Everyone laughs. “They asked me three times if I needed medication,” he says of the security people who apparently interrogated him in full view of others having breakfast.

Another hot-tub denizen suggests that he should have asked for fentanyl. After a few more drinks, Duck Necklace begins to muse about what it would be like to fall off the ship. “I’m 62 and I’m ready to go,” he says. “I just don’t want a shark to eat me. I’m a huge God guy. I’m a Bible guy. There’s some Mayan theory squaring science stuff with religion. There is so much more to life on Earth.” We all nod into our Red Stripes.

“I never get off the ship when we dock,” he says. He tells us he lost $6,000 in the casino the other day. Later, I look him up, and it appears that on land, he’s a financial adviser in a crisp gray suit, probably a pillar of his North Chicago community.

THE OCEAN IS TEEMING with fascinating life, but on the surface it has little to teach us. The waves come and go. The horizon remains ever far away.

I am constantly told by my fellow passengers that “everybody here has a story.” Yes, I want to reply, but everybody everywhere has a story. You, the reader of this essay, have a story, and yet you’re not inclined to jump on a cruise ship and, like Duck Necklace, tell your story to others at great pitch and volume. Maybe what they’re saying is that everybody on this ship wants to have a bigger, more coherent, more interesting story than the one they’ve been given. Maybe that’s why there’s so much signage on the doors around me attesting to marriages spent on the sea. Maybe that’s why the Royal Caribbean newsletter slipped under my door tells me that “this isn’t a vacation day spent—it’s bragging rights earned.” Maybe that’s why I’m so lonely.

Today is a big day for Icon passengers. Today the ship docks at Royal Caribbean’s own Bahamian island, the Perfect Day at CocoCay. (This appears to be the actual name of the island.) A comedian at the nightclub opined on what his perfect day at CocoCay would look like—receiving oral sex while learning that his ex-wife had been killed in a car crash (big laughter). But the reality of the island is far less humorous than that.

One of the ethnic tristate ladies in the infinity pool told me that she loved CocoCay because it had exactly the same things that could be found on the ship itself. This proves to be correct. It is like the Icon, but with sand. The same tired burgers, the same colorful tubes conveying children and water from Point A to B. The same swim-up bar at its Hideaway ($140 for admittance, no children allowed; Royal Caribbean must be printing money off its clientele). “There was almost a fight at The Wizard of Oz ,” I overhear an elderly woman tell her companion on a chaise lounge. Apparently one of the passengers began recording Royal Caribbean’s intellectual property and “three guys came after him.”

I walk down a pathway to the center of the island, where a sign reads DO NOT ENTER: YOU HAVE REACHED THE BOUNDARY OF ADVENTURE . I hear an animal scampering in the bushes. A Royal Caribbean worker in an enormous golf cart soon chases me down and takes me back to the Hideaway, where I run into Mrs. Rand in a bikini. She becomes livid telling me about an altercation she had the other day with a woman over a towel and a deck chair. We Suites have special towel privileges; we do not have to hand over our SeaPass Card to score a towel. But the Rands are not Suites. “People are so entitled here,” Mrs. Rand says. “It’s like the airport with all its classes.” “You see,” I want to say, “this is where your husband’s love of Ayn Rand runs into the cruelties and arbitrary indignities of unbridled capitalism.” Instead we make plans to meet for a final drink in the Schooner Bar tonight (the Rands will stand me up).

Back on the ship, I try to do laps, but the pool (the largest on any cruise ship, naturally) is fully trashed with the detritus of American life: candy wrappers, a slowly dissolving tortilla chip, napkins. I take an extra-long shower in my suite, then walk around the perimeter of the ship on a kind of exercise track, past all the alluring lifeboats in their yellow-and-white livery. Maybe there is a dystopian angle to the HBO series that I will surely end up pitching, one with shades of WALL-E or Snowpiercer . In a collapsed world, a Royal Caribbean–like cruise liner sails from port to port, collecting new shipmates and supplies in exchange for the precious energy it has on board. (The actual Icon features a new technology that converts passengers’ poop into enough energy to power the waterslides . In the series, this shitty technology would be greatly expanded.) A very young woman (18? 19?), smart and lonely, who has only known life on the ship, walks along the same track as I do now, contemplating jumping off into the surf left by its wake. I picture reusing Duck Necklace’s words in the opening shot of the pilot. The girl is walking around the track, her eyes on the horizon; maybe she’s highborn—a Suite—and we hear the voice-over: “I’m 19 and I’m ready to go. I just don’t want a shark to eat me.”

Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines. He is a sweet, gentle man, and I thank him for the earworm of a song he has given me and for keeping us safe from the dreaded norovirus. “This is very important to me, getting people to wash their hands,” he tells me in his burger getup. He has dreams, as an artist and a performer, but they are limited in scope. One day he wants to dress up as a piece of bacon for the morning shift.

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE TITANIC (the Icon of the Seas is five times as large as that doomed vessel) at least offered its passengers an exciting ending to their cruise, but when I wake up on the eighth day, all I see are the gray ghosts that populate Miami’s condo skyline. Throughout my voyage, my writer friends wrote in to commiserate with me. Sloane Crosley, who once covered a three-day spa mini-cruise for Vogue , tells me she felt “so very alone … I found it very untethering.” Gideon Lewis-Kraus writes in an Instagram comment: “When Gary is done I think it’s time this genre was taken out back and shot.” And he is right. To badly paraphrase Adorno: After this, no more cruise stories. It is unfair to put a thinking person on a cruise ship. Writers typically have difficult childhoods, and it is cruel to remind them of the inherent loneliness that drove them to writing in the first place. It is also unseemly to write about the kind of people who go on cruises. Our country does not provide the education and upbringing that allow its citizens an interior life. For the creative class to point fingers at the large, breasty gentlemen adrift in tortilla-chip-laden pools of water is to gather a sour harvest of low-hanging fruit.

A day or two before I got off the ship, I decided to make use of my balcony, which I had avoided because I thought the view would only depress me further. What I found shocked me. My suite did not look out on Central Park after all. This entire time, I had been living in the ship’s Disneyland, Surfside, the neighborhood full of screaming toddlers consuming milkshakes and candy. And as I leaned out over my balcony, I beheld a slight vista of the sea and surf that I thought I had been missing. It had been there all along. The sea was frothy and infinite and blue-green beneath the span of a seagull’s wing. And though it had been trod hard by the world’s largest cruise ship, it remained.

This article appears in the May 2024 print edition with the headline “A Meatball at Sea.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

Defunct 1950s-era cruise ship takes on water and leaks pollutants in California river delta

S TOCKTON, Calif. (AP) — A containment boom has been placed around a defunct 1950s-era cruise ship that began sinking and leaking pollution in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, authorities said.

The 294-foot (90-meter) ship permanently moored in Little Potato Slough northwest of the city of Stockton began to sink in 13 feet (4 meters) of water on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

A sheen was observed on the water, and containment booms were deployed around the vessel and the city's water intake pump station, the Coast Guard said. Photographs show the stern low in the water next to the slough's grassy embankment.

It was not immediately clear what was leaking. The Coast Guard said the vessel recently changed ownership, so details about what pollutants were on board were unknown. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said the ship was leaking diesel fuel and oil.

A wildlife care organization was notified, but no oiled wildlife had been observed, the Coast Guard said.

The ship, currently known as the MV Aurora, was built in Germany in 1955 and formerly named Wappen von Hamburg. The ship moved around the world and ended up in the delta when a California man bought it in 2008 with dreams of restoring it as a shoreline attraction.

He fell ill on a cruise. Before he boarded the rescue boat, they handed him the bill

Vincent Wasney was billed $2,500 by the ship's medical center.

This is a KFF Health News story .

Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, had never visited the ocean. They'd never even been on a plane. But when they bought their first home in Saginaw, Michigan, in 2018, their real estate agent gifted them tickets for a Royal Caribbean cruise.

After two years of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, they set sail in December 2022.

The couple chose a cruise destined for the Bahamas in part because it included a trip to CocoCay, a private island accessible to Royal Caribbean passengers that featured a water park, balloon rides, and an excursion swimming with pigs.

It was on that day on CocoCay when Wasney, 31, started feeling off, he said.

MORE: Without Medicare Part B's shield, patient's family owes $81,000 for a single air-ambulance flight

The next morning, as the couple made plans in their cabin for the last full day of the trip, Wasney made a pained noise. Eberlein saw him having a seizure in bed, with blood coming out of his mouth from biting his tongue. She opened their door to find help and happened upon another guest, who roused his wife, an emergency room physician.

Wasney was able to climb into a wheelchair brought by the ship's medical crew to take him down to the medical facility, where he was given anticonvulsants and fluids and monitored before being released.

Wasney had had seizures in the past, starting about 10 years ago, but it had been a while since his last one. Imaging back then showed no tumors, and doctors concluded he was likely epileptic, he said. He took medicine initially, but after two years without another seizure, he said, his doctors took him off the medicine to avoid liver damage.

Wasney had a second seizure on the ship a few hours later, back in his cabin. This time he stopped breathing, and Eberlein remembered his lips being so purple, they almost looked black. Again, she ran to find help but, in her haste, locked herself out. By the time the ship's medical team got into the cabin, Wasney was breathing again but had broken blood vessels along his chest and neck that he later said resembled tiger stripes.

Wasney was in the ship's medical center when he had a third seizure -- a grand mal, which typically causes a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. By then, the ship was close enough to port that Wasney could be evacuated by rescue boat. He was put on a stretcher to be lowered by ropes off the side of the ship, with Eberlein climbing down a rope ladder to join him.

But before they disembarked, the bill came.

The Patient: Vincent Wasney, 31, who was uninsured at the time.

Medical Services: General and enhanced observation, a blood test, anticonvulsant medicine, and a fee for services performed outside the medical facility.

Service Provider: Independence of the Seas Medical Center, the on-ship medical facility on the   cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International .

Total Bill: $2,500.22.

What Gives: As part of Royal Caribbean's guest terms , cruise passengers "agree to pay in full" all expenses incurred on board by the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care. In addition, Royal Caribbean   does not accept   "land-based" health insurance plans.

Wasney said he was surprised to learn that, along with other charges like wireless internet, Royal Caribbean required he pay his medical bills before exiting the ship -- even though he was being evacuated urgently.

"Are we being held hostage at this point?" Eberlein remembered asking. "Because, obviously, if he's had three seizures in 10 hours, it's an issue."

MORE: Surprise medical bills are on the rise, study finds

Wasney said he has little memory of being on the ship after his first seizure -- seizures often leave victims groggy and disoriented for a few hours afterward.

But he certainly remembers being shown a bill, the bulk of which was the $2,500.22 in medical charges, while waiting for the rescue boat.

Still groggy, Wasney recalled saying he couldn't afford that and a cruise employee responding: "How much can you pay?"

They drained their bank accounts, including money saved for their next house payment, and maxed out Wasney's credit card but were still about $1,000 short, he said.

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Ultimately, they were allowed to leave the ship. He later learned his card was overdrafted to cover the shortfall, he said.

Royal Caribbean International did not respond to multiple inquiries from KFF Health News.

Once on land, in Florida, Wasney was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he incurred thousands of dollars more in medical expenses.

He still isn't entirely sure what caused the seizures.

On the ship he was told it could have been extreme dehydration -- and he said he does remember being extra thirsty on CocoCay. He also has mused whether trying escargot for the first time the night before could have played a role. Eberlein's mother is convinced the episode was connected to swimming with pigs, he said. And not to be discounted, Eberlein accidentally broke a pocket mirror three days before their trip.

Wasney, who works in a stone shop, was uninsured when they set sail. He said that one month before they embarked on their voyage, he finally felt he could afford the health plan offered through his employer and signed up, but the plan didn't start until January 2023, after their return.

MORE: Democrats and Republicans come together to end surprise medical bills

They also lacked travel insurance. As inexperienced travelers, Wasney said, they thought it was for lost luggage and canceled trips, not unexpected medical expenses. And because the cruise was a gift, they were never prompted to buy coverage, which often happens when tickets are purchased.

The Resolution: Wasney said the couple returned to Saginaw with essentially no money in their bank account, several thousand dollars of medical debt, and no idea how they would cover their mortgage payment. Because he was uninsured at the time of the cruise, Wasney did not try to collect reimbursement for the cruise bill from his new health plan when his coverage began weeks later.

The couple set up payment plans to cover the medical bills for Wasney's care after leaving the ship: one each with two doctors he saw at Broward Health, who billed separately from the hospital, and one with the ambulance company. He also made payments on a bill with Broward Health itself. Those plans do not charge interest.

But Broward Health said Wasney missed two payments to the hospital, and that bill was ultimately sent to collections.

In a statement, Broward Health spokesperson Nina Levine said Wasney's bill was reduced by 73% because he was uninsured.

"We do everything in our power to provide the best care with the least financial impact, but also cannot stress enough the importance of taking advantage of private and Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, as well as travel insurance, to lower risks associated with unplanned medical issues," she said.

The couple was able to make their house payment with $2,690 they raised through a   GoFundMe campaign   that Wasney set up. Wasney said a lot of that help came from family as well as friends he met playing disc golf, a sport he picked up during the pandemic.

"A bunch of people came through for us," Wasney said, still moved to tears by the generosity. "But there's still the hospital bill."

The Takeaway: Billing practices differ by cruise line, but Joe Scott, chair of the cruise ship medicine section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said medical charges are typically added to a cruise passenger's onboard account, which must be paid before leaving the ship. Individuals can then submit receipts to their insurers for possible reimbursement.

He recommended that those planning to take a cruise purchase travel insurance that specifically covers their trips. "This will facilitate reimbursement if they do incur charges and potentially cover a costly medical evacuation if needed," Scott said.

MORE: People in these 5 states are more likely to see a surprise bill for out-of-network care

Royal Caribbean suggests that passengers who receive onboard care submit their paid bills to their health insurer for possible reimbursement. Many health plans do not cover medical services received on cruise ships, however; Medicare will sometimes cover medically necessary health care services on cruise ships, but not if the ship is more than six hours away from a U.S. port.

Travel insurance can be designed to address lots of out-of-town mishaps , like lost baggage or even transportation and lodging for a loved one to visit if a traveler is hospitalized.

Travel medical insurance, as well as plans that offer "emergency evacuation and repatriation," are two types that can specifically assist with medical emergencies. Such plans can be purchased individually. Credit cards may offer travel medical insurance among their benefits, as well.

But travel insurance plans come with limitations. For instance, they may not cover care associated with preexisting conditions or what the plans consider "risky" activities, such as rock climbing. Some plans also require that travelers file first with their primary health insurance before seeking reimbursement from travel insurance.

As with other insurance, be sure to read the fine print and understand how reimbursement works.

Wasney said that's what they plan to do before their next Royal Caribbean cruise. They'd like to go back to the Bahamas on basically the same trip, he said -- there's a lot about CocoCay they didn't get to explore.

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He fell ill on a cruise. Before he boarded the rescue boat, they handed him the bill.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Updated on: May 27, 2024 / 9:41 AM EDT / KFF Health News

Vincent Wasney and his fiancée, Sarah Eberlein, had never visited the ocean. They'd never even been on a plane. But when they bought their first home in Saginaw, Michigan, in 2018, their real estate agent gifted them tickets for a Royal Caribbean cruise.

After two years of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, they set sail in December 2022.

The couple chose a cruise destined for the Bahamas in part because it included a trip to CocoCay, a private island accessible to Royal Caribbean passengers that featured a water park, balloon rides and an excursion swimming with pigs.

It was on that day on CocoCay when Wasney, 31, started feeling off, he said.

The next morning, as the couple made plans in their cabin for the last full day of the trip, Wasney made a pained noise. Eberlein saw him having a seizure in bed, with blood coming out of his mouth from biting his tongue. She opened their door to find help and happened upon another guest, who roused his wife, an emergency room physician.

Wasney was able to climb into a wheelchair brought by the ship's medical crew to take him down to the medical facility, where he was given anticonvulsants and fluids and monitored before being released.

Wasney had had seizures in the past, starting about 10 years ago, but it had been a while since his last one. Imaging back then showed no tumors, and doctors concluded he was likely epileptic, he said. He took medicine initially, but after two years without another seizure, he said, his doctors took him off the medicine to avoid liver damage.

Wasney had a second seizure on the ship a few hours later, back in his cabin. This time he stopped breathing, and Eberlein remembered his lips being so purple, they almost looked black. Again, she ran to find help but, in her haste, locked herself out. By the time the ship's medical team got into the cabin, Wasney was breathing again but had broken blood vessels along his chest and neck that he later said resembled tiger stripes.

Wasney was in the ship's medical center when he had a third seizure — a grand mal, which typically causes a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. By then, the ship was close enough to port that Wasney could be evacuated by rescue boat. He was put on a stretcher to be lowered by ropes off the side of the ship, with Eberlein climbing down a rope ladder to join him.

But before they disembarked, the bill came.

The Patient: Vincent Wasney, 31, who was uninsured at the time.

Medical Services: General and enhanced observation, a blood test, anticonvulsant medicine, and a fee for services performed outside the medical facility.

Service Provider: Independence of the Seas Medical Center, the on-ship medical facility on the cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International .

Total Bill: $2,500.22.

What Gives: As part of Royal Caribbean's guest terms , cruise passengers "agree to pay in full" all expenses incurred on board by the end of the cruise, including those related to medical care. In addition, Royal Caribbean does not accept "land-based" health insurance plans.

Wasney said he was surprised to learn that, along with other charges like wireless internet, Royal Caribbean required he pay his medical bills before exiting the ship — even though he was being evacuated urgently.

"Are we being held hostage at this point?" Eberlein remembered asking. "Because, obviously, if he's had three seizures in 10 hours, it's an issue."

Wasney said he has little memory of being on the ship after his first seizure — seizures often leave victims groggy and disoriented for a few hours afterward.

But he certainly remembers being shown a bill, the bulk of which was the $2,500.22 in medical charges, while waiting for the rescue boat.

Still groggy, Wasney recalled saying he couldn't afford that and a cruise employee responding: "How much can you pay?"

They drained their bank accounts, including money saved for their next house payment, and maxed out Wasney's credit card but were still about $1,000 short, he said.

Ultimately, they were allowed to leave the ship. He later learned his card was overdrafted to cover the shortfall, he said. Once on land, in Florida, Wasney was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where he incurred thousands of dollars more in medical expenses.

He still isn't entirely sure what caused the seizures.

On the ship he was told it could have been extreme dehydration — and he said he does remember being extra thirsty on CocoCay. He also has mused whether trying escargot for the first time the night before could have played a role. Eberlein's mother is convinced the episode was connected to swimming with pigs, he said. And not to be discounted, Eberlein accidentally broke a pocket mirror three days before their trip.

Wasney, who works in a stone shop, was uninsured when they set sail. He said that one month before they embarked on their voyage, he finally felt he could afford the health plan offered through his employer and signed up, but the plan didn't start until January 2023, after their return.

They also lacked travel insurance. As inexperienced travelers, Wasney said, they thought it was for lost luggage and canceled trips, not unexpected medical expenses. And because the cruise was a gift, they were never prompted to buy coverage, which often happens when tickets are purchased.

The Resolution: Wasney said the couple returned to Saginaw with essentially no money in their bank account, several thousand dollars of medical debt, and no idea how they would cover their mortgage payment. Because he was uninsured at the time of the cruise, Wasney did not try to collect reimbursement for the cruise bill from his new health plan when his coverage began weeks later.

The couple set up payment plans to cover the medical bills for Wasney's care after leaving the ship: one each with two doctors he saw at Broward Health, who billed separately from the hospital, and one with the ambulance company. He also made payments on a bill with Broward Health itself. Those plans do not charge interest.

But Broward Health said Wasney missed two payments to the hospital, and that bill was ultimately sent to collections.

In a statement, Broward Health spokesperson Nina Levine said Wasney's bill was reduced by 73% because he was uninsured.

"We do everything in our power to provide the best care with the least financial impact, but also cannot stress enough the importance of taking advantage of private and Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, as well as travel insurance, to lower risks associated with unplanned medical issues," she said.

The couple was able to make their house payment with $2,690 they raised through a GoFundMe campaign that Wasney set up. Wasney said a lot of that help came from family as well as friends he met playing disc golf, a sport he picked up during the pandemic.

"A bunch of people came through for us," Wasney said, still moved to tears by the generosity. "But there's still the hospital bill."

The Takeaway: Billing practices differ by cruise line, but Joe Scott , chair of the cruise ship medicine section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said medical charges are typically added to a cruise passenger's onboard account, which must be paid before leaving the ship. Individuals can then submit receipts to their insurers for possible reimbursement.

He recommended that those planning to take a cruise purchase travel insurance that specifically covers their trips. "This will facilitate reimbursement if they do incur charges and potentially cover a costly medical evacuation if needed," Scott said.

Royal Caribbean suggests that passengers who receive onboard care submit their paid bills to their health insurer for possible reimbursement. Many health plans do not cover medical services received on cruise ships, however. Medicare will sometimes cover medically necessary health care services on cruise ships, but not if the ship is more than six hours away from a U.S. port.

Travel insurance can be designed to address lots of out-of-town mishaps , like lost baggage or even transportation and lodging for a loved one to visit if a traveler is hospitalized.

Travel medical insurance, as well as plans that offer "emergency evacuation and repatriation," are two types that can specifically assist with medical emergencies. Such plans can be purchased individually. Credit cards may offer travel medical insurance among their benefits, as well.

But travel insurance plans come with limitations. For instance, they may not cover care associated with preexisting conditions or what the plans consider "risky" activities, such as rock climbing. Some plans also require that travelers file first with their primary health insurance before seeking reimbursement from travel insurance.

As with other insurance, be sure to read the fine print and understand how reimbursement works.

Wasney said that's what they plan to do before their next Royal Caribbean cruise. They'd like to go back to the Bahamas on basically the same trip, he said — there's a lot about CocoCay they didn't get to explore.

Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by KFF Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. 

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