Cruising the Dream on our 1st cruise ever!!! (5 Night Double Dip)

[ProudMommyof2]

Great TR!! Did you think the Birthday decorations were worth it? My son will have his birthday on the cruise and I was thinking of ordering it.

 

[Pinkocto]

Loving your trip report! We will be cruising for the first time ever this June so your report and pictures are getting me REALLY excited for our "Dream" cruise!

Welcome! Thank you so much you are going to LOVE it!!!!

 

[Pinkocto]

Great TR!! Did you think the Birthday decorations were worth it? My son will have his birthday on the cruise and I was thinking of ordering it.

Welcome! Thank you

Absolutely, they added such a festive touch. Im really glad I ordered them. And then we were able to take them with us which was great. I'm thinking I'll do the same thing next year since its around her birthday again we liked them so much.

 

[luvslikepi]

What category was your stateroom?

 

[Pinkocto]

What category was your stateroom?

It was a 5E.

 

[dgbg100106]

Exactly, we did the same. I hated having to choose and miss something. Another excellent reason for taking longer cruises. I'm sure they offer things more times. We really wanted to do the salsa dancing class but it was only offered once.

So I have to tell you that dance classes on the ships are a trip literally... David and I have done them several times and it is fun, now I have gone sober and not so sober, and I swear that I can handle the waves better trying to dance, when I am not completely sober. Not saying drunk but a drink in me helps me walk better on the wave days!

 

[dgbg100106]

Wonderful pictures so far! I don't mind if they aren't quite properly centered and stuff, it's better than having no idea what the place looks like! Loving the detail. Can't wait to hear more!



That's an awesome idea! I'll have to remember that for our cruise! I've already planned out most of it based on the Navigators that I've seen online and while things change, it seems that on the same itinerary, they offer most of the same things at slightly different times each day so I'm all ready and it's not even six months away!

Remember that I have 13 cruises under my belt, so please ask questions and I will help as much as I can.

 

[dgbg100106]

I like the pictures too and TR is coming along nicely! Great job!

 

[Marianne4021]

Great trip report!

 

[Pinkocto]

I like the pictures too and TR is coming along nicely! Great job!

Thank you

Next cruise we'll definitely be doing some dance classes. It was high on the list but we just got so tired by the time they started we decided to skip them.

 

[franandaj]

Remember that I have 13 cruises under my belt, so please ask questions and I will help as much as I can.

When I come back from WDW, I'll change my tickers and start a PTR for the cruise, by then I will think of all kinds of questions for you. Luckily, it will be like your last cruise, only a twenty or so minute drive to the port!

 

[Pinkocto]

I'm sorry, I just realized I never told the itinerary for the cruise.

Day 1 - Port Canaveral until 5pm.
Day 2 - Nassau
Day 3 - Castaway Cay
Day 4 - At Sea
Day 5 - Castaway Cay

So after sitting and enjoying the delicious cake we headed out for the DVC presentation. It was nice not having all our bags with us, so unencumbered we headed to Evolution which we had just toured so knew where to go which was nice. My camera had zero batteries left so it stayed in the room to charge and I took the phone.

Shuffleboard was on the list to do the whole cruise and I was never able to cross it off. We just never had enough free time for it. Both of these pictures are on the jogging track on Deck 4. Two and a half laps equal a mile if you're so inclined.

At the entrance to Evolution they asked our room# and checked us off a list. They also gave us each a new DVC ballcap and reusable bag. Quite a few people attended. We were each told to fill out a card and put it in a bag for potential winnings. The big prize of the night was $300. Of course mine was one of the few names that didn't get drawn. They gave out free drinks, I remember one was a mimosa. You could have as many as you'd like. What I really wanted was a diet coke and even though they had to go to one of the other bars they happily brought me one. It was quite fun. Our hosts were Amile who has been with DVC for 20 years, and Hubert who has been with DVC for 15 years. Very fun guys. They presented Aulani and Kidani Village which is what they were selling at the moment. I have been wanting to buy Aulani points since last year when I first saw a Samantha Brown video when they were still making it, but for financial reasons have had to wait. I have been able to convince myself that waiting until 2013 was the smartest thing to do and would buy more points next Spring. So was just enjoying the presentations and jealously seeing everybody else win things. They would pull somebody's name out of the bag and ask them a general question before giving them a prize. They were little prizes, like DVC beach bags, water bottles, travel size empty bottles, and paper organizers. Well mom happened to answer a question they asked everyone and got a paper organizer. (this would come back to bite me) Well almost to the end of the meeting, it was scheduled for 2:30-3:30 they presented the big deal that was happening with DVC. Since it was DVC's 20th Birthday for every 100 points you bought Disney would give you 20 more for the lifetime of your membership. I inwardly groaned and shook my head in worry. Could I control myself from buying more points. Amile then said the first 5 families that came to talk about purchasing, not actually purchasing just talking, would get a special gift they hadn't shown yet. Well, mom was over making an appointment before I could decide either way. Too funny. So with our appointment made for 5:30 that same evening we headed to the room to drop off our goodies and then head to the Lifeboat Drill.

On the way to the room we started chatting with a family who had been in the meeting also and had won the travel size bottles I had been eyeing which they didn't like at all. So I offered to trade the organizer mom had won and they readily accepted, they had been eyeing it themselves. Perfect trade I thought. So when we parted ways mom sadly asked why I gave away her prize. Oh my, not good. I seriously wasn't thinking and promised to make it up to her. When we dropped off our DVC goodies at the room one of our bags had arrived so we brought that in, and quickly headed to station D which was in the Walt Disney Theater. It was nice to have chairs because it lasted much longer than I thought it would. People kept coming when I thought for certain they were very late.

I thought even the wall paper was beautiful.

Finally everybody arrived and we were allowed on our way. They did scan a keycard from each party to know we had been there.

We headed up to Deck 11 where the party would be taking place and first got some food to tide us over until dinner. It was about 4:15 at this point.

We had fries, tomato and pesto paninis, Greek wraps, grapes, and the most wonderful pineapple I've ever tasted in my life. And of course diet cokes to wash down everything.

 

[pooksma]

Thank you for such great pics. We are planning our first Disney cruise on the Dream. This has been very helpful

 

[dgbg100106]

When I come back from WDW, I'll change my tickers and start a PTR for the cruise, by then I will think of all kinds of questions for you. Luckily, it will be like your last cruise, only a twenty or so minute drive to the port!

Awesome... 20 minutes to the port is awesome...

 

[tokyodisneydad]

subbing in

 

[Linda67]

I am really enjoying your TR

We will soon be on our first cruise as DVC members so I'm not sure if we should attend the DVC meet or not

We have a DIS Meet at 3pm so I think that will clash

 

[nancynymomof3]

was on this cruise!

 

[Pinkocto]

subbing in

Welcome I remember seeing you on another TR

 

[Pinkocto]

I am really enjoying your TR

We will soon be on our first cruise as DVC members so I'm not sure if we should attend the DVC meet or not

We have a DIS Meet at 3pm so I think that will clash

My DIS meet clashed also but I skipped it. Im glad I did because we never would have known to check in at the DVC podium every day to get free goodies.

 

[Pinkocto]

was on this cruise!

Wasn't it fabulous!!!! We had such a wonderful time! Thanks for joining