Disney Dream for Adults?

[mevelandry]

Hi!

Ok so let me explain:

-DH and I are childfree.

-We just booked a 3 nights-Bahamas cruise on the Dream for April 2015 (Wheeee!!!!)

Although we are not bothered by the presence of children, we were told the cruises can get crowded and thought the "adults only" attractions could feel a bit more quiet. So we plan on taking advantage of it sometimes.

So my question is:

-Which activities/spots are adults only?

-which ones are worth it?

-How much to "upgrade" our dining to Palo?

Thanks in advance!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi!

Ok so let me explain:

-DH and I are childfree.

-We just booked a 3 nights-Bahamas cruise on the Dream for April 2015 (Wheeee!!!!)

Although we are not bothered by the presence of children, we were told the cruises can get crowded and thought the "adults only" attractions could feel a bit more quiet. So we plan on taking advantage of it sometimes.

So my question is:

-Which activities/spots are adults only? Quiet Cove pool/Cove Café forward deck 11. Some of the bars/lounges on deck 4 aft are adult only, some are adult only after 9:00 pm (check the Navigator for which). Palo & Remy - adult dining venues. Palo dinner & brunch $25 per person extra for each meal. Remy $75 pp for dinner, $50 pp for brunch.

-which ones are worth it? Personally, I like Palo brunch. But I also enjoy the MDRs (yes there are kids in there). Late seating for dinner may have fewer kids. Haven't tried Remy (too pricy for me) but others love it.

-How much to "upgrade" our dining to Palo? see above answer

Thanks in advance!

My responses in red

 

[Dug720]

Hi!

Ok so let me explain:

-DH and I are childfree.

-We just booked a 3 nights-Bahamas cruise on the Dream for April 2015 (Wheeee!!!!)

Although we are not bothered by the presence of children, we were told the cruises can get crowded and thought the "adults only" attractions could feel a bit more quiet. So we plan on taking advantage of it sometimes.

So my question is:

-Which activities/spots are adults only?
The front section on the upper decks is adults only - there is a pool, a bar, and the Quiet Cove Cafe as well as the forward sun deck. Also the bars are adult only after either 8 or 9 (I don't really do the bar thing, so I never paid attention). There are also beverage seminars like Mixology, Wine Tasting, etc. that are adult only. I've done Mixology and it was fun.

-which ones are worth it?
See above.

-How much to "upgrade" our dining to Palo?
You are allowed to book ONE Palo dinner subject to availability prior to your cruise (if it's your first that would be at the 75-day out mark, also known as your Paid in Full date). That is $25 per person extra - not counting wine or other alcoholic beverages. Once on board, you can check to see if additional dining times can be booked at Palo, but there is no guarantee on that. There are some reports that they have been trying a Palo brunch on the three night I believe on Nassau day - that also could be booked in advance (subject to availability) or you can check for availability once on board. You cannot just "upgrade" your dining to Palo. The MDRs are actually nice - I personally don't care for the menu at Enchanted Garden, but a lot of people love it.

Thanks in advance!

Answers in red.

Shmoo beat me to it!

 

[mevelandry]

Wow, thanks a lot!

What is the Navigator? (I've got a lot to learn and I'm just getting started!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Wow, thanks a lot!

What is the Navigator? (I've got a lot to learn and I'm just getting started!

The daily activities newsletter that you receive every day.

Here's a link to past Navigators you can see what sorts of things are available and the hours.

http://disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators/

 

[gumbypee]

Also "art of theme ship" tour. Well I don't know if it is on dream.

There were adult only activities like towel folding, animator classes etc. there are also "family" versions so check navigators for adult only.

I had fun at some family events too and movies and shows

 

[k3chantal]

Hi!

Ok so let me explain:

-DH and I are childfree.

-We just booked a 3 nights-Bahamas cruise on the Dream for April 2015 (Wheeee!!!!)

Although we are not bothered by the presence of children, we were told the cruises can get crowded and thought the "adults only" attractions could feel a bit more quiet. So we plan on taking advantage of it sometimes.

So my question is:

-Which activities/spots are adults only?

-which ones are worth it?

-How much to "upgrade" our dining to Palo?

Thanks in advance!

We found an early evening on the Fantasy that the adult only pool was completely empty. It was like having our own private LARGE yacht despite being on a cruise with 4000+ people. I am not sure where everyone else was but it was heavenly.

I been to both Remy and Palo. With Palo, we have had both the dinner and the brunch. Out of all three, we preferred the Palo brunch. Though Remy was special, it can get quite expensive past the 75.00 dollar a person. We bought the wine pairing and my husband really liked one of the wines so he wanted another glass. The only way he could get another glass was to buy the entire bottle. So, for 600 dollars we had quite an experience. An experience that was lovely but we see no reason to do that again.

Have fun!

 

[SnowWhite2]

A three night cruise won't have as many adult activities like towel folding, cooking classes, etc as there is no sea day.

I'll second the Art of the Theme tour. It is approx 1 hr and explains some of the design elements of the ship. We've done it on all of the ships, some several times. Each tour is different and depends on the leader and their knowledge of the ship. Some of the questions they answer: Why is the sports bar named "687"? How was the color scheme for Palo determined? Why does Remy have a little stool next to each table? What color is the bottom of the ship? (It isn't black)

Evolution is the nightclub and where the fun adult stuff happens. MagicQuest and Match your Mate are great games. Cove Cafe is adults only and has great coffees for a fee (think Starbucks) and free finger food in the case. Take it out to the thick lounge chairs around the adult pool and chill.

We just got off of a 4 night Dream with just DH and I. It was great.

 

[Starwind]

I also recommend the art of the theme ship tour. We just took it on the Fantasy and loved it. Ours lasted about 1.5 hours.

We also found the adult pool to be empty of humans during early evening (i.e. during early dining). And watching sunrise from the Satellite Falls area was stunning )well, as long as the high winds did not both you ;-))

We would often get food from the "quick service" area on Deck 11 and then bring it to the adult side of the barrier, which cut down quite a bit on the noise level and had more comfy seats.

The Rainforest spa was also really nice. Early on the first day We got a couples pass (sister and I) and used it every day of the cruise, sometimes only to just relax (or read, or fall asleep on...) on the heated loungers. Also had nice sunset views form there.

I also enjoyed walking around in the early hours of the morning, either overnight or 5 or 6ish. The place is deserted except for a few crew members. Great time to take pictures all over the place (e.g. main atrium with no people in the pictures). Around about 5:30 or 6 am you start to see the odd passenger come out of the woodwork, usually either to get morning coffee on deck 11, to run/walk around deck 4, or to go to the smoking area on deck 12.

we did a family scrapbooking class, which was lots of fun -- who says adults can't enjoy glitter glue ??? We also did a gingerbread house making session (our cruise was one of the Merrytime Holiday cruises), which was also lots of fun.

And we did lots of character greets and photography sessions (we bought the all digital photos CD before the cruise, so took advantage of photo sessions).

We rode AquaDuck one evening with no waits at all (again, during early dinner). Lots of fun

SW

 

[mevelandry]

We found an early evening on the Fantasy that the adult only pool was completely empty. It was like having our own private LARGE yacht despite being on a cruise with 4000+ people. I am not sure where everyone else was but it was heavenly.

I been to both Remy and Palo. With Palo, we have had both the dinner and the brunch. Out of all three, we preferred the Palo brunch. Though Remy was special, it can get quite expensive past the 75.00 dollar a person. We bought the wine pairing and my husband really liked one of the wines so he wanted another glass. The only way he could get another glass was to buy the entire bottle. So, for 600 dollars we had quite an experience. An experience that was lovely but we see no reason to do that again.

Have fun!

Thanks. My husband And I went to eat at Jiko one night and it cost us 130$ For a meal he thought was just okay. He's still pissed about it. Palo is way more affordable and from the reviews I heard/read, it seems to be the best choice out of the two.

 

[mevelandry]

I also recommend the art of the theme ship tour. We just took it on the Fantasy and loved it. Ours lasted about 1.5 hours.

We also found the adult pool to be empty of humans during early evening (i.e. during early dining). And watching sunrise from the Satellite Falls area was stunning )well, as long as the high winds did not both you ;-))

We would often get food from the "quick service" area on Deck 11 and then bring it to the adult side of the barrier, which cut down quite a bit on the noise level and had more comfy seats.

The Rainforest spa was also really nice. Early on the first day We got a couples pass (sister and I) and used it every day of the cruise, sometimes only to just relax (or read, or fall asleep on...) on the heated loungers. Also had nice sunset views form there.

I also enjoyed walking around in the early hours of the morning, either overnight or 5 or 6ish. The place is deserted except for a few crew members. Great time to take pictures all over the place (e.g. main atrium with no people in the pictures). Around about 5:30 or 6 am you start to see the odd passenger come out of the woodwork, usually either to get morning coffee on deck 11, to run/walk around deck 4, or to go to the smoking area on deck 12.

we did a family scrapbooking class, which was lots of fun -- who says adults can't enjoy glitter glue ??? We also did a gingerbread house making session (our cruise was one of the Merrytime Holiday cruises), which was also lots of fun.

And we did lots of character greets and photography sessions (we bought the all digital photos CD before the cruise, so took advantage of photo sessions).

We rode AquaDuck one evening with no waits at all (again, during early dinner). Lots of fun

SW

While you talk about it... How does it work for the spa? How much does it cost?

Do they have hot tubs on the Dream?

DH and I love to walk. I heard there was some lind of a trek on the boat?

Do they offer a tour of the boat itself?

You are talking about scrapbooking classes... It reminds me how I go to Disney Quest when we're in Disney just so we can take the drawing class. Do you know if they offer something like that on the boat?

Can you do the same thing as photopass in WDW: taking a lot of pictures then buying the ones you like?

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Savikins]

I just wanted to pop in and thank all the posters who have recommended the Art of the Theme Ship tour - My boyfriend and I are definitely going to try it on our upcoming cruise! I saw it on the navigator on my last cruise but it didn't strike me as something that I should bother to try, but now I really want to see what it's all about.

As for my boyfriend and I, we've really enjoyed hanging out at the Cove Cafe on our past cruises.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

While you talk about it... How does it work for the spa? How much does it cost?

Do they have hot tubs on the Dream?

DH and I love to walk.

Do they offer a tour of the boat itself?

You are talking about scrapbooking classes... It reminds me how I go to Disney Quest when we're in Disney just so we can take the drawing class. Do you know if they offer something like that on the boat?

Thanks for all the info!

Information about the Spa & services:
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/dream/fitness-spa/senses-spa-salon/

There is a hot tub (well, called a whirlpool tub) in the Quiet Cove:

The Art of the Theme ship tour is a tour of the public spaces pointing out the Disney touches in the design of the ship's interiors.

There are no Behind the Scenes tours, like on other cruise lines. Sometimes they do offer a Galley tour, but you have to ask at Guest Services if one is being offered.

 

[Castaway April]

You can either buy a rainforest pass when you board or you can buy a single day pass in advance by going to the in room gifts link on DCL. You fill out the form and fax or email it in. I like the 1 day pass because it's only $18. Quite a deal for $18 to get to use the sauna, showers, whirlpool and heated chairs. LOVE it. It's like a small taste without doing a treatment. Note though that if you wait until you board you have to buy the full length of the cruise pass. I find I don't use it on Port days (except Nassau).

 

[SarahKate]

We just got back a few weeks ago from the Dream and I keep thinking that an adults only cruise would be lovely. We took our DD12 and her friend and it felt like we couldn't get rid of them to have adult time! They didn't care for Edge (mainly because of some rude boys who were there) and by nighttime we were exhausted and didn't get to any of the bars. I think I would LOVE to go back on the Dream with just DH and I. It is definitely a place where you'll see tons of kids but it is possible to find ways to get away from them.

The adults only pool area was very nice. However, there were times when there were kids there. They weren't disruptive, but it was definitely noticed at times and the rules not enforced.

But there were times of day, as others noted, when it was VERY quiet there, especially early evening.

We didn't use the spa, but I used the showers there! That was a GREAT tip that I got from the Dis. You don't have to use their services to use the showers. And the showers are HUGE. Nothing like the tiny ones in the staterooms. In the mornings, I would get up nice and early and walk around the ship (it was empty), take my shower caddy and head to the showers. It was heavenly. Just a little peace and quiet so early in the morning.

Deck 4 has the walking track and I did that one morning. This is a GREAT place to get some quiet because there aren't many kids hanging around. Lots of lounge chairs and you can just curl up on one and relax.

When we first got off the ship we were thinking that we weren't really "cruise people" (it was our 1st). But as I reminisce, we really did have some wonderful experiences but I feel like an adults-only cruise would be amazing because there's a lot that we didn't get to do.

 

[mevelandry]

You can either buy a rainforest pass when you board or you can buy a single day pass in advance by going to the in room gifts link on DCL. You fill out the form and fax or email it in. I like the 1 day pass because it's only $18. Quite a deal for $18 to get to use the sauna, showers, whirlpool and heated chairs. LOVE it. It's like a small taste without doing a treatment. Note though that if you wait until you board you have to buy the full length of the cruise pass. I find I don't use it on Port days (except Nassau).

Wow. Not gonna lie, if there is a length of stay pass, we might buy it. You had me at whirlpool, showers and heated chairs. Lol

 

[gumbypee]

Yes I did drawing class on magic. But it was seven night cruise (still not long enough) but someone said not as many classes offered on three night.

 

[mevelandry]

At the moment, I'm looking at all the stuff we can do on the boat and we are wondering if we'll have the time to do everything we want to do.

 

[kiford]

We spent a lot of time in Meridian, the lounge between Remy and Palo's. They have an outside deck that is usually deserted. We'd go and get a drink and sit out there for a couple of hours - great views especially when you're just leaving a port.

We also spent a lot of time in the Cove Cafe getting a "coffee" and just sitting and reading or talking.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

At the moment, I'm looking at all the stuff we can do on the boat and we are wondering if we'll have the time to do everything we want to do.

No, you won't. My #1 rule for cruising is "don't try to do everything, you can't". Just plan on that next cruise to pick up some of the things you didn't do before.