Escape to Disney’s island
Damon Smith explores the Bahamas with Mickey Mouse
Moments of spontaneous joy are seamlessly woven into the fabric of a threenight Bahamian adventure with Disney Cruise Line: the personalised guard of honour as I board the ship, which leads to a resplendently nautical Mickey and Minnie; the first seven notes of When You Wish Upon A Star used as a horn signal to mark the ship’s departure from Port Canaveral in Florida; the marine life towel sculptures on turned-down beds each night in the 1,250 staterooms. In the Oceaneer Club, for ages
3-12, bright young things can take flight in a high-tech replica of the Millennium Falcon cockpit, dodge jail time in Andy’s Room from the Toy Story films, and explore a forest where Tinker Bell sprinkles pixie dust over storytelling sessions. Rotational dining in Animator’s Palate and the other signature themed restaurants, Enchanted Garden and Royal Palace, pairs a team of servers to guests for the duration of the voyage, allowing for running jokes and comforting familiarity at the dinner table.
The Disney Dream also offers two
adults-only specialty options on Deck 12 for an additional charge, where a refined dress code complements gourmet cuisine: a contemporary twist on northern Italian cooking at Palo, named after gondoliers’ long poles, and an artfully curated French-inspired menu at Remy, co-conceived by three-michelin-starred chef Arnaud Lallement.
Gluttony is quietly encouraged on board with snacks and salads in bountiful supply until late from Luigi’s Pizza, Tow Mater’s Grill and Fillmore’s Favorites on Deck 11. Five lounges and nightclubs, clustered in the adultsonly District area at the stern on Deck 4, include a cosmopolitan Skyline bar where hand-crafted cocktails are sipped to expansive computer-generated cityscapes that change every 15 minutes.
A risqué adults-only Mr & Mrs relationship quiz in the nearby Evolution nightclub, which serves artisanal cocktails from an extended circular bar, is part of the ship’s bewildering array of free entertainment.
Programmes change daily on the free-to-download Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, accessed via temperamental onboard Wifi, beginning around 8.30am with character greetings around the main atrium. Trivia quizzes, delivered slickly by Powerpoint, contrast with a rambunctious silent DJ disco with competing soundtracks on three colour-coded channels. A karaoke night in D-lounge is a crowdpleasing triumph of bravado over pitch-perfect harmonies.
The 1,340-seat Walt Disney Theatre, which spans three decks with orchestra and balcony seating, is home to the liner’s theatrical productions including the awardwinning Beauty And The Beast stage show.
Disney Cruise Line uses special biodegradable pyrotechnics that marine life can eat in the only fireworks display at sea, choreographed to music from animated films including Peter Pan and Moana.
Our serving team tips us off to a prime viewing location on Deck 12 starboard, unobstructed by the Aquaduck water coaster that propels two-person inflatable rafts along 765 feet of a snaking transparent tube, which illuminates after dark.
During the day, guests are free to explore tropical ports of call at leisure and curated shore excursions can be booked for an additional charge through Port Adventures, on Deck 5.
Castaway Cay, Disney’s 1,000-acre private island in the Bahamas, boasts a rich make-believe history involving pirates and bootleggers and more instances of spontaneous joy, such as the witty wordplay of neighbouring gift shops She Sells Seashells and Buy The Seashore. Sun-scorched skin cools deliciously beneath the watery cascade of the giant “bucket dump” on a 2,400-square-foot floating platform close to one of the family beaches. An enclosed corkscrew slide and 140-foot-long open slide elicit similar whoops of delight.
How to plan your trip
Disneycruise.co.uk offers threeto seven-night cruises on Disney Dream from Florida, from £2,116 for two adults and two children.