TRAVEL LOG: Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream – Day 2

Day two of our Very Merrytime Cruise was a busy day spent exploring the Disney Dream and everything she has to offer. While it was a port day since we have visited Nassau a few times before we were very content to stay on the ship and enjoy the activities with fewer people! Keep reading to learn more about the Disney Dream!

1 – Youth Activity Locations

Like all Disney Cruise Line ships, the Disney Dream has five youth locations. it’s a small world nursery, Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Lab, Edge for tweens, and Vibe for teens. We got a tour of these locations from a Disney cast member and learned so much about the spaces. Needless to say, we wish we were kids again. There are so many incredible themed areas from Pixie Hollow, to the Millennium Falcon, to game rooms—that kids would certainly never get bored while enjoying the programming. We’ll have a full write up out soon describing the children’s programming.

2 – A Closer Look at the Disney Cruise Line Merchandise

No Disney vacation is complete without shopping for some merchandise, right? On Deck 3 of the Disney Dream, you’ll find three stores: Mickey’s Mainsails, Sea Treasures, and White Caps retail shops. Disney Cruise Line offers a wide variety of items with different themes to guests. The Nautical Navy line is the current color theme and has some fantastic items to choose from, including a spirit jersey. I was most looking forward to seeing the Very Merrytime Cruise merchandise items, and I wasn’t disappointed. For the holiday season, they created a small holiday shop. Disney Dream’s Merchandise Manager told us that this was the first year they had dedicated store for the holiday items. You’ll find some items from the parks, but many items are exclusive to the Disney Cruise Line. One difference between shopping on your cruise and shopping at Walt Disney World is that on the ship, they are limited in how much inventory they are able to store. When something sells out, it will not be restocked during your cruise. So, if you see something you like early in your cruise, best get it then. Disney Cruise Line takes Disney Gift Cards. Disney Vacation Club members receive a 10% discount.

Click here to get a look at the exclusive holiday merchandise on the Very Merrytime Cruises.

3 – Food & Beverage on the Disney Dream

One of the things we love about Disney cruises is the food is so good. From the casual dining options all the way to fine dining at Palo and Remy’s, there is something for everyone. For the main dining, Disney Cruise Line developed an innovative rotational dining concept that remains exclusive to the Disney fleet. While guests enjoy different restaurants for dinner each night, their servers accompany them. Thus, guests enjoy a variety of dining experiences with friendly, familiar, personalized service. The main dining rooms that guests visit are Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, and Royal Palace.

Other dining options include Cabanas buffet, a free-flow casual dining restaurant featuring a variety of food and beverage stations. Guests looking for a quick bite to eat can visit Flo’s Café, located near Donald’s Pool on Deck 11. Themed to popular characters from the Disney•Pixar film “Cars” —Luigi’s Pizza, Tow Mater’s Grill, and Fillmore’s Favorites—this quick-service option serves snacks such as burgers, chicken tenders, pizza, fresh fruit, salads, and sandwich wraps.

For sweet treats, the Eye Scream Treats is the very popular self-serve ice cream station. Handmade gelato and ice cream, an assortment of candy, and delectable novelty treats are available for purchase on Deck 11 aboard the Disney Dream at Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats.

Two specialty dining restaurants are on the Disney Dream: Palo and Remy. With gourmet cuisine by two award-winning chefs and a unique approach to wine service, Remy melds classic and contemporary styles in a sophisticated new dining concept exclusively for guests age 18 and older. Named after the colorful poles that line the canals of Venice, Palo offers an excellent dining experience in a sophisticated atmosphere reserved exclusively for adults. At this elegant restaurant, guests are invited to indulge in a menu of delectable modern Italian cuisine, classic reserve wines, and superior service. We are so excited to have brunch at Palo later in the cruise and will share more about Palo then.

4 – Pool Deck Fun

In the afternoon, we enjoyed the many different pools and activities on Deck 11. The very popular AquaDuck is something you’ll want to experience. Disney Cruise Line debuted the cruise industry’s first-ever shipboard water coaster – AquaDuck – on the Disney Dream. Guests have the opportunity to get swept away on an exhilarating flume ride above the upper decks of the ship – and even out over the ocean.

Mickey’s Pool for children continues a Disney Cruise Line favorite feature. An oversized version of Mickey’s hand supports a yellow winding slide that splashes down near the pool.

Children discover oceans of fun at Nemo’s Reef, a water-play area featuring colorful, interactive figures that move and spray water, including Nemo, Dory, Marlin, and a pint-sized water slide shaped like Mr. Ray.

Donald’s Pool is a place where families gather to enjoy all of the activities up on deck. Overlooking Donald’s Pool, the giant Funnel Vision LED screen—more than 30 feet wide and 18 feet high—shows Disney films, television shows, and live broadcast events.

There are two Adult only options. Quiet Cove Pool and Cove Bar are retreats exclusively for adults to sunbathe and swim, indulge in a cool drink or enjoy a relaxing dip in a nearby hot tub overlooking the ocean.

Satellite Sun Deck includes a water feature called Satellite Falls, a circular splash pool with benches and a gently falling rain curtain that provides cool comfort. Around this upper deck, adult guests can soak up the sun in loungers or relax in the shade under a canopy.

Finally, you’ll also find Goofy’s Sports Deck. This area features full-court basketball, table tennis, and foosball tables. The fun tees off with Goofy’s Golf—a nine-hole miniature golf course where “lessons” featuring Goofy and his son, Max, lead guests through nine themed holes of wacky fun. Also, two digital sports simulators offer virtual game experiences where guests participate in high-action sports, such as golf, hockey, soccer, rugby, baseball, and football.

5 – Beauty and the Beast

Our evening show on Day 2 was “Beauty and the Beast.” This show brings Belle’s enchanting adventure to the Walt Disney Theatre stage in a whole new way by incorporating imaginative elements from the live-action film and the classic animated feature. If you’re tempted to skip the show, don’t! Disney Cruise Line presents this tale as old as time like never before. You do not want to miss this award-winning show while on the Disney Dream.

This unique retelling features beloved classics like “Something There” and “Beauty and the Beast,” with “Be Our Guest” being completely reimagined to include stunning visual effects and impressive choreography. New musical masterpieces are also introduced to the stage for the first time, as guests will recognize “How Does a Moment Last Forever” and “Days in the Sun” from the live-action film.

In this new interpretation of “Beauty and the Beast,” guests are transported to Belle’s provincial town and Beast’s magnificent castle through a combination of high-definition projections, dynamic scenery and a little bit of Disney magic. Beloved characters like Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth are realized in an unprecedented way, using innovative puppetry and elaborate costumes to bring these characters to life in their true scale.

The production of the show was outstanding. The talent is amazing. The theater lept to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of our show. It was everything we come to expect about the productions on the Disney Cruise Line.

Read more about this amazing show by clicking here.

6 – Dinner at the Enchanted Garden

After the show, we enjoyed dinner at the Enchanted Garden. The restaurant is beautiful and is inspired by the gardens of Versailles. With the rotational dining, our servers stayed with us and continued to offer us fantastic service.

7 – Evening Fun for Adults Only

On the Disney Dream, adults can step into a domain that’s all their own at The District—an extraordinary adult-exclusive nighttime entertainment neighborhood that features trendy and sophisticated bars and lounges. Offerings include The District Lounge, Skyline, Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar, Evolution, and Pub 687.

The District Lounge is an ideal gathering place for guests to meet before beginning their journey into The District. Guests can unwind with their favorite cocktail from the full-service bar and enjoy live piano music and entertainment before moving further through The District.

Skyline is an ever-changing venue that celebrates some of the world’s most famous cities. Skyline’s “windows to the world” are ever-changing as the spectacular city skylines transform from day to night. Signature cocktails, inspired by the city of the day, are offered at the full-service bar designed with inlaid onyx.

Elegant and upscale, Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar is an intimate cocktail bar serving top-shelf wines and liquor as well as the bubbly beverage of choice … champagne. The premier venue in The District and the main club for adult guests, Evolution brings a piece of big-city nightlife to the high seas. Evolution is the primary venue for large-scale evening events such as comedy acts, cabaret shows, themed dance parties, live musical performances and other entertainment just for adults.

Adjacent to The District, Pub 687 is a warm and welcoming environment – a modern interpretation of a traditional pub. “687″ is a reference to the “block number” of the Disney Dream – the vessel number assigned by the shipyard and denoted on every block, every piece of steel used to build the Disney Dream. The casual setting is perfect for guests to kick back and watch live sports and major broadcast events on one of several flat-screen televisions, including a 103-inch large-screen TV with digital surround sound. A friendly pub master serves as host and leads guests in a variety of games and activities.

We had a fantastic day exploring the Disney Dream. There is so much to do and experience that you’ll never get bored!

For lots of photos and videos from Day 2, click here for our Instagram Story highlight.

More Cruise Coverage:

Packing for Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream

Click here for our Day 1 Travel Log from Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream.

For a ton of photos and videos from Day 1, check out our Instagram Story highlight by clicking here.

Click here for our Day 2 Travel Log from Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream.

For lots of photos and videos from Day 2, click here for our Instagram Story highlight.

Click here for our Day 3 Travel Log from Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream.

Check out our Day 3 Instagram Story highlight for lots of photos and videos from our day!

Click here for our Day 4 Travel Log from Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream.

See lots of photos and video from Day 4 by clicking here for our Instagram Story highlight.

Click here for our Day 5 Travel Log from Our Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Dream.

Editor’s Note: Walt Disney Parks & Resorts provided us a complimentary Very Merrytime Cruise and special media-specific events during the cruise. However, as always, the thoughts and opinions contained in this article are entirely our own.