Our North Greenbush Branch Leader takes her family on a spooky season cruise vacation aboard the Disney Dream.
Our adventure began with a car ride to the port in Manhattan to board the Disney Dream heading to Bermuda. Once we arrived, we were greeted by the Disney Cruise Port Crew. They got us checked in and gave the children their wrist band. We got our first pictures as we embarked upon our exciting journey.
We explored the ship as they got our rooms ready. First, we decided to check out Cabanas, the buffet on board, to grab a bite after a long day. There were many stations to choose from. The kids had so much fun getting their drinks and picking out desserts complete with Mickey chocolates. Once our rooms were ready, we were surprised to see how nice they were. The kids enjoyed the big portholes and having the adjoining rooms, meaning they could go back and forth between the two staterooms. My husband and I appreciated the Deluxe Oceanview. After unpacking, were ready to say goodbye to NYC and to make waves towards our destination of Bermuda.
That night we got to meet our Waiter and Assistant Waiter who followed us every night to one of the three rotating restaurants – Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden and Royal Palace. Each restaurant had its own theme, and the food was very good. Rotational Dining is unique for Disney Cruise Line and allows guests to try out the different dining options as well as get to know their servers. Every time we arrived in one of the restaurants, the kids’ drinks and meals were there waiting for them. It was nice that while the kids were eating, we were able to make our choices and take our time with the courses. When the kids were done (and if they got restless), the Waiters entertained them. Talk about a magic moment – our waiter made origami animals with colored paper and the kids loved it!
We came back to our rooms to find that they had turned down our beds. The kids were so excited to see what our room attendant had created on our bed and to eat our chocolate. It was fun because every night we came back to a different creation. Some nights we did not even get to see it. This was because my grandson would get so eager that he would ruin it before we had a chance.
Every morning, we woke up and opened our Disney Cruise mobile app to see what was going on that day. There was always so much to do. We enjoyed meet and greets, dance parties with the characters, fun time projects, and drawing lessons. Seasonal activities were highly accessible, like trick-or-treating around the ship and Halloween films in the movie theater.
The ship’s pool area with the splashpad was great for the little ones; my two youngest grandkids loved splashing around and going on the little slides. Eventually, they worked themselves up to try the Mickey Mouse slide and had so much fun! With a lot of confidence, my granddaughter decided to join my older grandson on the main attraction, Aqua Duck. The elevated water coaster drops four decks and plunges into a lazy river at the end. My husband and I decided to join them and had a blast.
As a surprise for our Anniversary, my husband had booked me a massage at Senses Spa & Salon. Serene and relaxing, there was a juice bar, a gym, sauna and spa rooms for individual services. The spa menu offered many different types of massages. They also made it easy to book either ahead of time or during the cruise. I left the spa feeling very refreshed and renewed for the rest of the cruise.
That evening at sea was Halloween Night. Everyone donned their costumes and went trick-or -treating at Cabanas. Cast Members gave out candy as you walked through, and they even had special treats for guests with dietary restrictions. I can’t forget to mention that one of our favorite things about this Halloween-time cruise was the exclusive, limited-time character meet-and-greet with Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas.
After a night of spooks came our first day in Bermuda. Once at the beach at Horseshoe Bay, we were able to use the changing rooms to get into our swimsuits and purchase chairs and an umbrella. The beach was very nice with lots of rocks and areas to see fish and snails, and we spent most of the day there. Later, we took the bus to the middle of town where there were many souvenir shops and eateries. We took our time window shopping and then took the bus the rest of the way back to the port.
On our second day in Bermuda, we surprised our grandson by swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Quest in the National Museum of Bermuda. He was thrilled! Everyone was put in groups of six and taken to an area where there was a trainer and a dolphin. Each person got to interact with the dolphin, we got about an hour of total interaction, and there was even a professional photographer there taking pictures for you to purchase as you were leaving.
While we were there, the lead instructor had pulled us aside to say that our ship would be leaving dock tonight and that if we had any plans for tomorrow, we should try to do them now since there was a threat of Hurricane Tammy. After retrieving our pictures, our family decided that we would split up to do the things we wanted to do before we had to leave the port. Half of our group went to the Tobacco Bay Beach Club. My older grandson went back to the ship to go to Edge, the preteen club, to compete with other kids in computer games. My daughter and I did some souvenir shopping. The two of us have a tradition that when we go on a cruise, we must stop at Diamonds International and get their charm, so we did just that.
That night we got back to the room to find a Mickey pirate bandana…it was Pirate Night! We all got dressed up in our pirate garb and set out for dinner. Along the way we saw our favorite characters in theme; the kids loved this. After dinner, everyone went to the party on the top deck with bootlegging tunes and incredible fireworks.
We were never without something to do onboard. The next afternoon, the Oceaneer’s Club – a special place for kids with themed areas, activities and characters – had a party with Olaf from Frozen; my grandkids were so excited to see him. That same evening was Formal Night. We all got to put on our finest and fanciest clothes, and the characters did the same. Following dinner, we put the kids to bed, and my daughter and I went to Walt Disney Theatre to see the Broadway-caliber production of Beauty and the Beast. We enjoyed every minute of it.
The last day of our cruise, my granddaughter got her wish to be Rapunzel. We took her to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for the literal Royal Treatment. Kids love this activity because they get to transform from an everyday child to an enchanted princess or another favorite. Nora loved getting her hair, nails and makeup done, and there were many places to do “glamour shots” after the fact. The whole experience with BBB was just so amazing, and Nora was so happy that the smile didn’t leave her face.
The Disney Dream docked in Manhattan the next morning, marking the end of our Disney Cruise vacation. Sad to leave, we ate our last breakfast at Cabanas, and the grandkids said goodbye to the Mickey slide. With our luggage in hand, we reluctantly disembarked. What an adventure we had with memories that will last us a lifetime!
Lisa Smith is the AAA Hudson Valley Branch Leader at the North Greenbush office.
To book your next Disney Cruise Vacation with one of our AAA Authorized Disney Travel Planners, call 518-426-1000 or email booktravel@aaahv.com.
