Looking for a luxurious and fun family trip that Mom and Dad can enjoy, too? Sail away on a Disney cruise for these five reasons.
1. Disney’s clean and green.
Luxury Cruise News recently named it one of the eco-friendliest cruise lines, citing its plastic-free initiatives and recycled water program (condensation from the shipboard air-conditioning units is collected and reused to wash the decks, saving more than 30 million gallons of water each year).
Also, germophobes have nothing to fear: In a recent Centers for Disease Control inspection, Disney got a perfect score for maintaining proper sanitation. In fact, the moment you enter one of the restaurants, you are greeted by a staff member and a swoosh — the sound of a hand wipe coming out of its container.
2. Fine dining: no lines or whines.
Because of its innovative rotational dining experience — each night you and your personal waitstaff will rotate to one of the three themed restaurants — you won’t have to stress about missing out on one of them or having to get there early to get a table. Each of the main restaurants offer magical touches: The Enchanted Garden (inspired by the gardens of Versailles), Animator’s Palate, and Royal Palace (chandeliers made of glass slippers).
Most fun of all are the dining cast members, who represent, on average, 86 different nationalities. They are talented (magic tricks!) and pay attention to details, from allergies, to nicknames, to the last menu items consumed.
3. It’s really big — but navigable.
Although the Disney Dream is longer than the Chrysler Building is high, weighs 130,000 gross tons, has a crew of 1,458, contains 14 decks and 1,250 staterooms, and can carry 4,000 passengers, you won’t find yourself getting lost. Bonus:
There are different Disney animated films featured in artwork on each deck.
4. It’s not just for kids.
Yes, of course there’s tons for the children, including character greetings, water slides, three youth areas (the Oceaneer’s Club, for ages 3-12, features Marvel and Star Wars-themed fun, too), plus a teen club and a tween club, but there are 15 adult areas.
Don’t miss Pink: Wine and Champagne bar and Satellite Falls, an almost hidden spot on the 13th deck at the ship’s bow, where you can relax in a lounge chair without a child in sight or earshot.
5. It’s Disney.
Which pretty much means they do it big, and they do it right. Nearly 90% of the staterooms have an ocean view; first-run movies are shown in the Buena Vista Theatre, and Broadway-style shows (like Beauty and the Beast) are performed in the 1,340-seat Walt Disney Theatre.
A fun experience: Pirate Night with a deck party, fireworks, and outdoor screening of Pirates of the Caribbean. One of the stops on the Bahamas vacation is the cruise line’s own private 1,000-acre island.