Trying something new: our first Disney cruise is booked...

[earlymorning]

...and there are a lot of questions, I feel this is the best board to get some answers.

We wanted to book a cruise with the possibility to spend time at the beach, so what have we found? A cruise on the Disney Dream going to both private islands. The reviews and videos we have seen of the islands led us to the decision to try DCL for the first time.

We are a couple, did some cruises in the past. What we liked the most was Princess and Oceania, so very different to DCL.
While we understand that a Disney ship ambiance might be the opposite of a relaxed cruise, we thought why not just trying one with Disney.
I have heard so many good things about DCL.

Are there some quiet spots, a lounge or a bar, that is less loud and hectic, where we can have a cocktail after dinner?

Where can we find out about our dining rotation? We want to skip Animators Palate, so I already booked Remy (this will be a surprise!) and Palo for dinner to hopefully cover the evening when we are set for Animators Palate. It has the least appeal from what I have seen, and it seems more loud than the others.

We have a lower deck aft balcony, would you upgrade for 200$ to get one of the big aft balconies on deck 7? It is a 4 night cruise, I think we will not have much time to spend on the balcony, but I then I saw a review of these cabins with huge balconies. Ours is already large, but deck 7 aft is tempting.

Where can we enjoy a good breakfast other than in the buffet, is one of the restaurants open for breakfast?

Maybe the most important questions, are Dole Whips available somewhere?

We are looking forward to this cruise

 

[JoeFromSeoul]

Tastes vary, personally, I love Animator’s Palate. The Dream and Fantasy have a lounge area called The District on deck 4. There are other bars, lounges, and coffee shops around the ship. After hours, The District becomes adults only. The bars can be lively at times with different entertainment, but finding a place for a quiet drink doesn’t take a lot of effort.

Your dining rotation will be announced very close to sailing, we usually don’t know until we board. You can call DCL, or better yet, have your TA make the call for you ( if you are using one) and request a rotation that puts Animator’s Palate on a specific night. You can also go to guest services on boarding day and they can sometimes make an adjustment, though advance requests can be easier to accomodate.

Have fun!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Are there some quiet spots, a lounge or a bar, that is less loud and hectic, where we can have a cocktail after dinner?

Plenty. Because the adults areas are all clumped together, it's easy to find a quite spot. Also, the bar outside of Palo and Remy is a sleeper hit for a nice, quiet evening since most folks aren't up there unless they have dining reservations.

Where can we find out about our dining rotation? We want to skip Animators Palate, so I already booked Remy (this will be a surprise!) and Palo for dinner to hopefully cover the evening when we are set for Animators Palate. It has the least appeal from what I have seen, and it seems more loud than the others.

While the atmosphere at Animators may be the most energetic, it's one of my favorite menus, for what it's worth. That said, you or your TA can call Disney and put in a request to be in Animators on a specific night. These requests are usually honored when made in advance since not that many people take the time to request a specific rotation.

Where can we enjoy a good breakfast other than in the buffet, is one of the restaurants open for breakfast?

Yes, one restaurant will open for seated breakfast and seated lunch each day, in addition to the buffet being available. On our Dream cruise this month it was Royal Palace, but you'll see it in the navigator app once you board.

Maybe the most important questions, are Dole Whips available somewhere?

Frozone treats usually has them, if I remember correctly, for an upcharge. It's on the pool deck by the soft serve station.

 

[Flossbolna]

I assume that this is a cruise with less than 6 nights? Then you could request a rotation that has Animators only once and on either your Remy or Palo day. We are not fans of AP either, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t miss it. I understand why it’s a don’t miss place for some, but your reason for not being interested is totally valid.

I would recommend to go and have your boarding day lunch there though as it is a very pretty space with lots of little things to look at. That’s the only time you can eat there outside of an assigned dinner.

Royal Court (or is it Royal Palace on the Deeam?) is open for breakfast and lunch for table service meals. The Cove Café also has small breakfast pastries as well as warm croissants (these are a bit hidden, you need to ask for them).

The most laid back bar on the Dream is probably Skyline. I have never seen it busy. Meridian (the bar between Remy and Palo) can be very quiet, but I have also seen it quite busy at times. All in all I have never seen any of the bars on DCL hopping with loud people.

I think for beach time you chose a great cruise. I would not pay more for a larger verandah as you might be more interested in taking part in the events the ship offers than on other cruises. After all that’s part of what you pay for on DCL. I can highly recommend to do one of the guided tours they do about the design of the ship for example. But you might also enjoy to meet a couple of characters, go to the shows etc.

 

[cruisehopeful]

One of the sit down restaurants will have breakfast every day. It has a menu and you can order as many entrees as you want. My husband and I do that and only eat at the buffet as a last resort. We buy a coffee on the way since the restaurant coffee tastes like hot water.

I haven't been on the Dream in over a decade so I can't remember specifically where the quiet bars are, but there will be a piano bar. I frequent the Cove Cafe on the smaller ships, not just for coffee, but for a cocktail. There are nice places to sit both inside and outside there. Great space for reading.

Regarding the balcony upgrade, that's your call. I don't spend much time in the room at all and a balcony isn't important to me. My husband spends enough time on the balcony that it's worth it to him. I would have no use for a larger one, but if I did, $200 would be worth it to me.

 

[Chrispy97]

With a 4 night cruise and 2 days at Disney islands, there won't be a lot of time to spend on a larger balcony. Maybe 1 sea day if its also docking at Nassau. And you're 50/50 on whether your balcony will be facing the private island or the ocean at Lookout. I'd lean toward using that extra $$ on activities or think of Palo/Remy as the sub for a larger balcony, but that's me.

Others have mentioned the deck 4 adult lounge area. Should have varying levels of activity in those lounges, although some will close briefly midday or late afternoon for paid alcohol tastings. Always another available though.