Dreeeeeammm, Dream, Dream, Dream (updated with 1st eve. and Castaway Cay) 1/30/11

[poohfriend]

Okay, I have photos (a ton) that I will attempt to publish later. But I thought if I didn't get started on my trip report that I'd never finish it -- and that would be a shame because the Dream is one beautiful ship and deserves a full reporting!

This first post is filled with initial thoughts of our first afternoon onboard. And it is so long! I'm going to reserve some space for additional comments and pictures too.

The Terminal
I was disappointed that the snack area is gone. Concierge lounge and check-in are there instead. A foretaste of how concierge guest and spaces have a big portion of the new ship and new perks to go along with it. I guess Disney considered how much they made off the snacks when they made the change…but anyone planning an early arrival should also plan to have snacks in the day bag now! (along with the swimsuit for the Aquaduck!)
Waiting was long and tedious. Evidently the MV folks were slow to debark – making it later for us to get into the terminal.

Glad to finally get aboard.
Finally!
Made us stop for pictures. Before I always slipped by…..but they were adamant. We were quickly introduced and a crew member stepped along side us to tell us to go to Cabanas.

My very first thought was how “comfortable” the ship felt to me. It was like I had been there before – not because of how many pictures I’d viewed online, but because even though she is grander than the Wonder and the Magic, the Dream feels much like the Sister ships. It was not difficult to find my way around. But more on that later.

We went straight to dining changes in D-lounge. Arrived about 12:20 and was scheduled to open at 1:00. Waited because a trip to Palo was a big wish for the cruise. Met some lovely cruisers there that “lurk” on the Disboards. They opened it a few minutes early and there was a line for Remy and one for Palo. Many more people in the Palo line. As I sat down, I heard Pietro mention that there was only one brunch reservation left…I’d heard the girls in line say that’s what they wanted, so I only made a dinner reservation. (Found out later a little pixie dust had come to them and the reservation for Palo brunch was already in the system.) So, I could have had brunch too…but not if I’d shown up any later in line! If a PALO brunch is a big wish for you and you were not able to secure online reservations, PLEASE go directly to D-Lounge!

This wait time did cost me as far as touring the ship with few passengers. For me the trade-off was worth it. More on my Palo experience later.

Sail Away
Ship pulled out of Port Canaveral on time. I can’t decide if I like all these different horns the ship has. I do really like the “When You Wish Upon a Star” horn the best. We watched so many people on the docks waving good-bye to the Dream from the verandah. I don’t remember seeing so many people on the shore during previous cruises. Made us wonder if folks really just wanted to see the Disney Dream and had camped out. Saw many RVers etc. Waving to them was fun. Maybe they have always been there in droves and I just never before noticed.

After we pulled away from land, the sun began to set. So beautiful to see the varied colors of reds contrast against the blue and purple sky and reflect across the water. Oh what a fabulous trip beginning.

We hear there are only 2700 people on the ship and I’m surprised they didn’t discount some of the rooms to fill. Perhaps this cruise was a chance for the crew to recover from the Maiden Voyage and the chaos of the last month.

First Impressions of Public Space on Deck 11
Nemo’s Reef is a delightful area for your little ones. I was flabbergasted to see how much larger this toddler area was than on the Wonder and Magic. It is set away in a nook area behind one of the mid-ship show stages. It is in an area where you’d have to be set-out to go. Not just anyone will accidently walk in. Nice place for toddlers to roam. I have read on other trip reports and blogs that it’s a little too slippery. Hopefully Disney will have this worked out soon with mats or something in slick spots. It looks adorable and I can only imagine the fun a toddler could have there.

TWO drink stations at mid-ship (one on each side of the ship) and the flow is much better than the Round configuration on the Wonder and Magic. There could still be improvement, but overall I think it works better than the space on the earlier ships. In particular on the Dream, I will never understand why they can’t make the flow from left to right. In my mind it should be Cup Dispensers, Ice, Drinks, Lid Dispensers. Instead it is Ice, Drinks, Cup Dispensers, Lid Dispensers. Since there are also insulted cups for coffee, I think moving the cold drink cups over would be no big deal.

Food on Deck 11 – cute menus and nice to see some other Disney characters “get a little love” on the ship. I enjoyed a tuna wrap, some sweet watermelon, and some pineapple during sail away. I also chose to get some French Fries. These spaces flow together (with a shared kitchen area). I think from an employee stand-point it is an improvement from the other ships. I know this sailing was not full, but it wasn’t ever more congested than the Magic or Wonder in my experience. So Score a big one on re-design for Disney!

The Mickey Pool still has the big guy, but gone are the circular shaped swimming areas. And I guess with them the diaper “ear.” Toddlers yet to potty train must be limited to Nemo’s Reef. Still a nice shallow pool where parents can watch little ones from the side without many issues. Because the Ears don’t take up as much room, I think the swimming space here is larger. The slide still looks fabulous and the kids coming down it were giggling away.

The other pools on deck 11 seem SMALLER to me. Is that possible? I know we as other guests asked for bigger pools. Must not be a good engineering move, but there are more people on board and the pools seem smaller. This cannot be a good thing long-term.

The Aqua Duck looks amazing. WOW. I thought it would detract from the magnificent lines of the ship. I was so wrong! It looks great – and even sleek. And to see it lit up at night only adds to the atmosphere!

Cabanas – the flow here is much better than in Beach Blanket or Topsiders. And food taste better when you can just get what you want and head to your seats. I found many people were confused with the “half-service” here. They seated you, but not much else. We were expected to get our own drinks. Who knew? To me, it was very much like my first experience with Coronado Springs food court – the wait staff knew what was expected of them, but I didn’t! It is also more than a little strange to get off at the aft elevators and be in the middle of the restaurant! If you don’t want to visit the restaurant, I think I’d walk to the mid-ship elevators on your deck. Another reason to love a mid-ship location for a stateroom.


Thoughts on Stateroom
We were on a deck 8, Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah. We were very close to the elevators and NEVER HEARD A THING! Smaller than Wonder and Magic. No storage trunk. I miss that. There is a storage ottoman (which is used to hold blankets by the stateroom host) and a good amount of storage in the desk and closet area. Although it was no issue for 2 adults, I think it would be challenging for a family of 4.

The bathroom though similar to the Wonder and Magic was more thoughtfully planned. More shelfs space a rounded shower curtain, and maybe even a few more inches in each room. Still, for those over 6-foot, the showers will continue to be a challenge (even if you can adjust the height of the showerhead.)
Our Stateroom was 8574 – and had the queen bed, the couch fold down bed, and a ceiling bed. Our stateroom host told us that cots were also available and took up the ENTIRE floor space in front of the verandah once the beds were all out.

Our stateroom host was very helpful. He took the time to show us the features of the stateroom including the Wave Phone, the hair dryer, room phone, outlets, alarm clock etc. He asked about how we wanted the beds arranged too. The wave phones were a neat addition to the cruise. Because my family was not onboard, we didn’t use these much. But we did test them from the teen area to a public area just to see if they worked – they did. The hair dryer is an improvement. I have very thick hair and still wished for my own dryer, but think it would work for most folks. The alarm clock looked nice. But the functionality is HORRIBLE. It has an ipod dock (nice touch). But it is hard to set the alarm. And for our unit, the only way to get the alarm to stop sounding was to unplug the entire unit. Disney got the bad end of a deal on this contraption! They will have to replace this (AND PLEASE DO NOT REPEAT this purchase for the Fantasy!) The room phone was nice looking, but there were no pre-programed buttons. Really like to press one button for guest services, room service, and WAKE UP CALL. There is no automated Wake-up call. Oh for the days at WDW when Mickey greets you!

The TV system is a step-up. Like so much on the ship, it’s the latest technology. I heard several people comment on using the DVR-type setting to watch a portion of a movie and resume where they left off the next night.

The view and weather on the verandah were lovely. However, there is (in my personal opinion) less privacy than on the Wonder and Magic. I like that the design allows for connecting cabins to also have connecting verandah’s. The downside is that the verandah privacy panel is not as deep to allow a place for the “door” to fold back. You can look over the notch and see verandahs on your entire deck. Also, there has been much talk about the deck 5 (or is it deck 6) verandahs that would be “double deep.” Well that’s all well and good, but everyone on the decks above yours can see the majority of your verandah – uhhh not private!
Smoking continues to be an issue for me. Evidently smoking will continue to be allowed on verandahs. Unfortunately for those of us with sensitivity, allergies or asthma, you can smell the smoke anywhere close to your own verandah. More than once, I had to leave the verandah and shut the door to get away from the smoking. The same can be said for noise on the verandah especially during the afternoon and evening. The only way to escape a neighbor’s boisterous conversation is to leave your own verandah! I think for my family’s money, I’m perfectly content with an oceanview room – there just aren’t many!

Eventhough there are few oceanview rooms, there may be more demand for the inside staterooms. And they are COOL! I have always enjoyed an inside stateroom not only for the price, but also for the placement of the bed on the far wall which makes it feel more spacious. My family also enjoys the dark room which just aids in a little extra sleep aboard the cruise. To this point, it has always been easy to get an inside stateroom – but Disney just changed the game.
Those virtual portholes are so cute. I got to tour one and enjoyed the view. We had a view of the port we were in. And yes, characters danced across the screen – but not nearly as often as I would have liked! REALLY Cute…but worth paying more than an oceanview room for? No. And before you laugh, that’s what’s happening on many cruises. Folks are so excited about these virtual portholes that they are booking up before the oceanview. And more times than not, a deluxe inside stateroom with virtual porthole and split bath is significantly more than the deluxe ocean view stateroom. Save your money and get an oceanview and hope that a neighbor onboard the cruise will show off the virtual porthole to you.

 

[poohfriend]

Lunch. We did lunch in Enchanted Garden. I thought the buffet was very similar to the Wonder and the Magic. The stuff my kids like was not out—corn dogs, strawberry soup. I had some VERY good sliced roast beef and some veggies. The real treat to me was GELATO. There must have been 10 flavors. I tried both Strawberry and Chocolate. Both were very good. We were able to sit at one of those high-back booths in so many of the Disney pictures and it was comfortable. The wait staff pretty much forgot about us and we had to flag someone down to get drinks. (I think this was just working out the kinks of having regular guests onboard…most of the wait staff still has maps of the table numbers…eventually none of them will need a map to seat you at a particular table.) This restaurant does remind me of spring in a gated garden. It has a lovely atmosphere. I’ll admit, I expected more…but since this is the first day and it’s lunch, I decide to wait until our Enchanted Garden meal.

Late Afternoon: I’ve already discussed sail-away. The families on deck seemed to have a fabulous time with the beginning of the cruise. I spent the few minutes we had remaining before dinner unpacking . I found the closet to have plenty of hanging space and a good number of shelves. Our safe would not lock and we called guest services and they sent someone up to fix it. (Took maybe 3 minutes.) We had the late seating and the 7pm show.

Golden Mickey’s. I have always enjoyed this show. I thought the newly reworked show was fabulous! I don’t remember enjoying the show any more than I enjoyed this one. I cannot wait for my kids to enjoy it. There is a fabulous set of Broadway-quality actors and it was a delightful show to start the cruise. The basic premise is the same as previous versions, it just has a few updates.
Waiting for Dinner. Our Dining Rotation was Animator’s, Enchanted, Royal (Pirate night) and Royal repeated the 4th night. We had about 30 minutes between the show and our dinner seating. We used that time to begin exploring the adult only areas. We thought each had a completely different feel. Even the bathrooms were unusual! I think my personal favorite was PINK. A fairly small space, but I loved how quiet it was and the “bubbles” everywhere made it feel fun. A unique experience. I cannot imagine that my husband would care for it, however. He’d like 687 (the ship’s designation at the ship builder’s—nice touch Disney) or Evolution more.

We arrived outside Animator’s Palate to a huge line. I really do like the staggered dining times as folks are seated in segments rather than all at once. Really though, Animator’s was the only night this was an issue. Animator’s is a vibrant atmosphere. I think kids will expect something to happen from the time they sit down. Our table was removed enough from the screens that I was very disappointed in the show. I could not hear Crush well over the dining room noise. I did see some tables in an alcove actually get kids up and dance and sing with Crush at one point. Those kids looked like they were having fun. Although I am a Disney fan and really wanted to like this new show…the “show” was lost on me and it wasn’t much different than being at a sports bar where you weren’t really sure which team was winning the game on one of the smaller screens. Our food was good. Everyone seemed to enjoy their selections. I rarely get steak at home and enjoyed the sliced tenderloin. I am a huge fan of desserts, but found the dessert menu to be a ho-hum for me. But remember I had gelato earlier in the day, so skipping dessert was no real loss.

By the time we finished dinner, it was 10:30. We took a quick peak in the stores on board…but two very early mornings in a row, and another scheduled for our Nassau day meant that we needed to settle down for the evening. Our room had been turned down. The couch bed flipped open and the mickey pillow flipped over to the “a dream is a wish your heart makes” side. Such a nice touch. We had a towel animal too. The queen bed was very comfortable. And I didn’t feel any rocking as we went to sleep. (I kind of missed the rocking, but I suspect that those of you new to cruising won’t miss it at all!)

 

[poohfriend]

Nassau Day

 

[poohfriend]

Castaway Cay Day
Wow, I’ve had tough days on private islands, and our December 2009 Castaway Cay day was truly cold. But Feb 2 was fabulous! I’d guess we were high 70s or low 80s. Pure Sunshine with some beautiful clouds. Just walking off the ship was a delight! (Part of that is not having to take a tender to get to the island.)

We meandered for a few minutes taking pictures and enjoying the sunshine. We walked Mount Rustmore (always love the character shots there). Also passed the wagons, wheelchairs and stroller area (first come first serve). By the way, we were carrying our red mesh bags with our towels in it. But later did find some towels on Castaway Cay.

Our Travel Agent Trainers had arranged for us to view a Cabana. Now at our local water park, a cabana is little more than a sunshade and rents for about $100 a day, so my expectations were not high…I just assumed the $499 price tag was “Disney Pricing.” Boy was I wrong. I can so totally see the Cabanas as being worth the expense for my tender-skinned family. I know there have already been families posting pictures, but I’ll be glad to share mine with you when I get the uploaded. Here’s what I liked about the Cabana’s:

These are more like a little house – with the shutters being propped open to allow the ocean breeze through. There is a real door on the walking-path side and as you walk up to your Cabana it has your family name on a sign, and a welcome mat in front of the door. Inside there is seating for 10 – some is bench seating, but I could see a multi-generational family enjoying the couches, chairs, and benches.
Fridge stocked with soft drinks and water plus cooled towels. Other items available: Sunscreen, Beach Toys, Snack items, Safe, Towels – fluffy towels. Float, Bike and Snorkel equipment is included. A golf cart will take you back to the tram stops. Cookie’s Too is only a few steps away from the Cabana area.

Outside on the Front Porch are two heavily padded recliners, a hammock, and a personal outdoor shower. Beach access is limited to those families with Cabanas. So much quieter than the family beach.
There is a yellow button for you to push if you need anything. This is essentially Concierge service for the day. Very nice splurge for your family. We will definitely take advantage of this on our next trip (provided there is one available.) I was skeptical, but am definitely sold on the Castaway Cay Family Cabana.

In all my trips to Castaway Cay, I’d never walked along the runway to Serenity Bay Adult-only beach. Because I’d left my kids at home, Serenity Bay was a priority for me on this trip. I found the beach to be crowded and wondered how much of that had to do with the 170 travel agents onboard. It was definatley quieter than the family beach. The sand in the water was rocky and I think water shoes would be a must to anyone going out to snorkel. Was flabbergasted to see a woman pick up a star fish, get her picture made and then stuff it in her beach bag! (I have to admit hoping it made her luggage stink like rotten eggs, because that is just such a stinky thing to do!) As I write this, I wish I’d been bold enough to mention to her were were told to “take only memories” from Castaway Cay.

I over heard some other travel agents who are not DIsney nuts saying Castaway Cay was nothing special -- just another private island. I disagree. This Island was designed with the Disney cruiser in mind and every space is intentionally used. Everything from the kids club areas on the beach to the stingray areas are well thought out. I loved the new water fountain play areas, Pelican's Plunge, the Cabanas, the addition of another food service area and other improvements. Disney does do things differently. But maybe the well-planned areas make it so easy to be on Castaway Cay that you don't notice how this island differs from say RCCL's.

When there was a “rumbly in our tumbly” we headed over to the Serenity Bay buffet. The fare was similar to Cookie’s BBQ – only no screaming kids.
After lunch we toured the family beach and Scuttles Cove area. I headed back to the ship a little early. Honestly, a Disney Cruise is something I have always enjoyed with my family in the past and Castaway Cay was the hardest place for me to be without them. My roommate took time to talk with the Stingray adventure personnel and the motorized water sports cast members. She learned a TON about each.

Once back onboard, I enjoyed the quiet view from the verandah – Castaway Cay from the verandah is lovely. I also ran to the laundry facility on deck 8 and washed a load of clothes. There were 4 washers and 2 dryers and you just about need an engineering degree to figure out how to work the automated system. (It is different than the Wonder and Magic but you still charge your Key to the World Card.) For me, one wash cycle and one dryer took care of the whole load. (That was a nice surprise as I thought I’d end up with two drying cycles.) $2 to wash, $2 to dry (both about 45 minutes). While washing and folding clothes, I ran into two B2B travelers who expressed some frustration with some aspect of their cruise. One story was particularly bad and I hope that Disney was able to restore some of the magic for that family. There was also an iron in the laundry area and it was a nice heavy iron that worked well.

We had an early PALO dinner planned, so getting cleaned up and clothes ready after our day in the sun was a good thing.
We waited in Meridian for our name to be called to Palo. What a nice, quiet bar with many navigational/map elements in the décor. Those waiting for Remy were also in Meridian. For those of you interested one of the side-decks was a smoking deck and there was a selection of cigars in Meridian. Our Palo server said that for Brunch they will sometimes open the other deck area for seating on good weather days.
Our waiter in PALO was Mate. He was very knowledgeable. I was surprised to find he was a new hire. I guess I tend to think of Palo as the cream of all the servers and a position of prestige that you’d have to earn. He had friends on the Wonder and the Magic that expressed jealousy over his plum assignment. He seemed to know wine well and was pleasant. I was busy comparing what I’d experienced on the Wonder and the Magic. I think the dining room is more elegant and doesn’t feel as cramped. I like that the tables further from the window are on a platform so you still have a clear view of the water. Our 6pm seating ended up giving us a great view of the sunset. A baby grand piano was just in front of us, but our server told us that guest on previous cruises said it was too loud. (Wonder what will happen to the baby grand?) We had a freshly made pizza. (My half was asparagus and shrimp.) I love Palo pizza. I also enjoyed a beef tenderloin and a chocolate soufflé. The food was comparable to the Magic or the Wonder. The view and the décor were better!
Believe it or not, after dinner, we went to our regular late seating to enjoy the company of our table mates. It was pirate night and we wanted to get a feel for the restaurants on that specialty night. We could not eat another bite though! The big hit that night was the meringue dessert. Next cruise I will give it a try!

We missed the first half of the divided pirate deck party. But enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean themed 2nd party/show. I have seen several fireworks at sea displays before, this one came across as the most “Disney” to me. The re-worked show really does tell a story that involved the fireworks more than before. I loved it! Jack Sparrow was fun and the fireworks were fabulous. (Yes, I missed Mickey on the Zip Line, but it wouldn’t have fit in the new storyline – and the firework presentation really was much better.)

I thought the dessert buffet was mediocre. It was held in Cabanas rather than on deck. That was much better for flow once you got into Cabanas…but they could have used more people directing you to Cabanas. It was a madhouse on deck. I still think on these grand oceanliners, that there should be some thow-back to the traditional midnight buffet. (an ice-sculpture perhaps!) I did drink a cup of hot chocolate while watching people mill around in Cabanas. And once again was amazed that the aft elevators dump folks out in the middle of a restaurant!

I was worn out after the sunny day at Castaway Cay and made my way to the stateroom for some sleep!

 

[poohfriend]

information regarding our day at sea

 

[poohfriend]

getting off the ship and heading home

 

[LoriABil]

Wow! Great report so far! I've never been on any cruise before, but it's interesting to read how the Dream compares to the other ships.

I have a question. How early did you arrive at port? It is definitely good to know about the snack situation. I have a 7 year old son who is hungry all of the time!

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[MomsOf2boys]

Subbing

 

[poohfriend]

Wow! Great report so far! I've never been on any cruise before, but it's interesting to read how the Dream compares to the other ships.

I have a question. How early did you arrive at port? It is definitely good to know about the snack situation. I have a 7 year old son who is hungry all of the time!

Looking forward to reading more!

and we arrived at the port VERY early. But were not allowed off the buses until after 10 am. Maybe even closer to 10:30. The wait to check-in was already backed up at that point.

We never sat down. We stood in line for check-in, talked with some other cruisers,a nd then it was time to board. (We had boarding group 7)

 

[alldiz]

Thanks for the review.....

Sorry to hear about less private balconies.....I guess I will REALLY miss the navigators balcony

 

[lillylynnb]

Cant wait to hear more! I want to now it all so to be ready for our Nov trip!!!

 

[verygfy]

Great report so far!! Can't wait to hear more

 

[JulieL0616]

 

[hezzie]

Thanks for the great report!! Just curious what issues the B2B cruisers experienced?

 

[poohfriend]

For the most part, the issues they experienced were the same ones others were frustrated by like internet connections inconsistent, slow wait staff in the restaurants. One had a allergy food concern and had trouble getting the wiat staff to help -- eventhough it had been noted on her original reservation. (Try 8 nights of not having anything but one or two items to choose from.) Because they were repeat cruiser, they knew how well these issues were handled on the Magic and the Wonder.

The only complaint that I would consider truly part of being a B2B cruiser was thier room was not cleaned for the 2nd cruise. (Evidently the cabin steward ran behind and didn't clean their room.) they were dissapointed by that.

If you have a B2B scheduled, I would not let this stop you! They'll get everything humming soon!

 

[jessrose18]

thanks for the report! can't wait for more.....

 

[dbarker]

Can't wait to hear the rest of the story.

 

[Brancaneve]

Subbing