If you’re new to cruising or Disney cruises, you may be wondering what to do on a cruise.
A few weeks ago, my friends and I set sail on a 4-night Bahamian voyage on the Disney Dream, so I wanted to share my experience on the Disney Dream, as an adult with no kids.
Although it was impossible to do everything in only four days, there were plenty of activities and attractions onboard and onshore to keep us entertained!
Here are the top things to do onboard the Disney Dream!
Eat at all the Disney-Themed Restaurants
Disney cruises have three rotational dining rooms, meaning you have dinner at a different restaurant every night.
Main Rotational Dining on the disney dream:
The Enchanted Garden – Inspired by the French gardens of Versailles
The Royale Palace – Simple and elegant Disney princess-themed restaurant
Animator’s Palate – Lots of animation references like sketches on the walls and pillars that look like pencils and paintbrushes. There is also a little dinner show where Crush from Finding Nemo takes turns visiting tables (screens are located near some of the tables) and talks to some of the guests.
Casual Dining on the disney dream:
Cabanas – Buffet-style restaurant and the largest restaurant on the ship (serves breakfast and lunch only)
Flo’s Cafe– Burgers, sandwiches, paninis, pizza, salads, and wraps
EyeScream – Free and unlimited soft-serve ice cream cones
There are also two elegant adult-only restaurants on the Disney Dream- Palo and Remy. These are an extra charge and require reservations, but so worth it if you have the budget!
If you love Italian food, eat at Palo. For French cuisine, make a reservation at Remy.
Experience the Live Stage Shows
Every evening there were live stage performances in the Walt Disney Theatre. The shows were heartfelt, had incredible performers, amazing costumes, and beautiful sets! They truly were Broadway-worthy shows!
Some of the shows were original Disney Cruise Line shows, and others were stage performances of Disney movies.
On the Disney Dream, we saw three musicals: “The Golden Mickeys,” “Disney’s Believe,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
For me, the lives shows were one of the top highlights form my cruise trip.
Check out my other blog post to read about my top favorites:
Top 5 Reasons Adults Should Take a Disney Cruise.
Meet & Greets with your Favorite Disney Characters
Before you sail, you’ll need to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to see all the daily activities onboard, including the character meet and greets to know the specific place and time for the daily meet and greets.
These were very popular, especially with the kids, so try to arrive early as the lines tend to form quickly.
There aren’t as many Disney Characters as you’d find at Disney World, but unlike the parks, the long lines that form go by rather quickly.
Explore Disney’s Private Island – Castaway Cay
astaway Cay (pronounced “key”) is Disney’s private island that no other cruise ship can access. This was my favorite stop during our voyage!
All the Disney cruises that sail to the Bahamas and the Caribbean include a stop at Castaway Cay, and only one ship will dock at a time, so it will not feel super crowded.
On the island, you’ll find shopping, a few places to grab food and drinks, and different beach areas.
There is a family beach area (geared toward families and kids) where you will find water activities like snorkeling, kayaking, water slides, and so much more.
There is also an adults-only beach known as Serenity Bay Beach. It’s further away from the ship and the family areas, so it’s a lot quieter. It’s a great place to relax from all the kiddos.
Stay Active
For those that want to stay active during their vacation, there is an adults-only fitness center and a sports desk filled with a miniature golf course, virtual sports simulators, a basketball court, a ping pong table, and more!
Sadly, Goofy’s sports deck was already sold out when I tried to book it prior to our trip, so I didn’t get to play mini-golf.
Get Pampered in the Senses Spa & Salon
This is a bit of a splurge because the salon services and spa treatments are not included in the cruise price and will cost you a pretty penny!
But if money is no object, then go ahead and treat yourself to a relaxing massage, facial, or any of the salon services onboard.
Book Port Excursions
Depending on the length and destination of your cruise, there are different ports of call (the places the ships stop during the voyage) on the cruise itinerary.
On the 4-night Bahamian cruise aboard the Disney Dream, we had a stop in Nassau, Bahamas, and a day in Disney’s Castaway Cay.
For an additional charge, you can book many fun adventures.
Castaway Cay: bike rentals, and numerous beach and water excursions like float and tube rentals, snorkel rentals, banana boats, fishing, stingray adventures, paddle boats, kayak rentals, and so much more!
Bahamas – Atlantis beach and water excursions like swimming with dolphins, VIP Blue Lagoon Island Beach day for adults only, scuba diving, and a lot more!
For the complete list of port adventures in each port of call, visit Disney.com.
Drink a Specialty Coffee at Cove Café
For the coffee lovers out there who need something more than the free basic drip coffee offered on the ship by the beverage stations, head over to the coffee bar for a specialty coffee!
Although the specialty coffees are an extra cost, they give you a rewards card at the coffee bar, and If you buy five coffees, you’ll get the sixth one free!
Enjoy the Drink of the Day
Every day on the Disney Dream had a different Drink of the Day, and there was an alcoholic and non-alcoholic option offered at a special price.
There was no way of knowing ahead of time what kind of drink it would be, but they were all delicious.
Have Brunch at Palo
If you love brunch food and love Italian food, then you have to try this place!
It was my favorite meal that I had on the cruise.
It costs an extra $45 per person, but it’s all-you-can-eat and includes a complimentary glass of mimosa. And worth it, in my opinion.
This Venice-themed restaurant is for adults only, so it’s a more relaxing atmosphere than the other dining areas onboard.
It is also an elegant restaurant with a dress code, so you will have to dress a bit nicer.
This is a very popular activity on the ship, especially on the days at sea, so make reservations well in advance because it will sell out!
Fun fact: Palo means “pole” in Italian, referring to the poles used by gondoliers to steer their boats in Venice.
Buy Souvenirs
There is a HUGE selection of items onboard to do some damage, I mean, shopping!
On the Disney Dream we had the following shops:
- Mickey’s Mainsail- tons of souvenirs and kids merchandise
- Sea Treasures– for exclusive Disney Cruise Line merchandise (I bought a Captain Mickey shirt here)
- White Caps– high end items like purses, jewelry, watches, perfumes, and much more
Important note: shops onboard are closed when the ships are in port, so keep that in mind if shopping is on your list.
Hang Out at the Adult-only Areas
There are many areas exclusively for adults on a Disney cruise. Adults can enjoy the adults-only pool and hot tub, fitness center, spa, coffee bar, and an entire area filled with bars, pubs, nightclubs, and lounges for late-night shenanigans.
In all honesty, I found the adults-only pool too small, and the hot tub was always way too crowded, but you do feel far away from all the noise.
My favorite areas were the Cove Café for my morning latte with Disney art and the Pink: Wine & Champagne Bar in the evenings for yummy drinks and music.
Buy a Tasty Treat from Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats
Visit the Wreck-It-Ralph-themed ice cream shop for tasty treats. Although they are an extra charge, they have delicious options.
They sell ice cream, gelatos, milkshakes, sundaes, candy, and baked goods.
If you have room in your suitcase for souvenirs, consider ordering the go-kart ice cream sundae because you get to keep the go-kart that the sundae is in.
You can keep it for yourself (no judging) or gift it to a kid in your life!
Grab a Drink at the Pink Bar
Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar is located in the adults-only part of the ship, known as The District.
Although it’s a bit small, it’s a super cute and cozy lounge. It’s a good spot to relax and enjoy a nice drink.
Eat the Famous Mickey Waffles
You just have to!
Go to a Silent DJ Disco Party
There is a plethora of activities to do on the Disney Dream cruise, for all ages. The one that I enjoyed the most was the Silent DJ Disco Party! It was a blast!
Sure, it’s a bit awkward at first since the lounge room is completely silent until you put your headphones on to hear the music.
But once you get into it, you will be entertained by everyone dancing to a different song and singing so out of key!!
Ride the AquaDuck
As soon as we boarded the ship, we knew we had to ride the water coaster! It was sooo much fun!
It goes up, down, around, and off the side of the ship!
My advice would be to not wait until the last day, like I did, to ride it. The wait on the last day, which was our day at sea, was 45 minutes, because everyone was on the ship and trying to ride it.
Watch a Movie on the Funnel Vision
Disney movies play on the Funnel Vision (the large screen) various times throughout the day. This was a nice added touch during the day when you’re laying out by the pool and in the evenings for watching movies under the stars.
Disney movies and TV shows were also available in the stateroom.
Order Room Service
24-room service is included in the cruise price!
My favorite (although not listed on the menu for some reason) was the Mickey Mouse ice cream bar.
Another yummy option is to order cookies and a glass of milk as a late-night snack.
Attend the Pirate Night Event
Pirate Night is a huge event where everyone dresses up as pirates for dinner, the dining rooms have a pirate-themed menu, and in the evening, there is a party with fireworks and a dance party on the deck!
All of the Disney characters dressed like pirates, and most people brought their pirate costumes onboard. Our stateroom attendant also left each of us a Disney pirate bandana.
So, you can go all out with your pirate costume or keep it simple. I just wore a regular dress with the bandana as my “pirate costume” because I didn’t want to bring extra clothes in my carry-on!
Watch a Fireworks Show!
Disney Cruise Line was the first ever cruise line to have a fireworks display in the middle of the ocean. After Disney, Norwegian Cruises started offering fireworks on some of their ships, but they are no longer doing this.
At the moment of writing this, Disney Cruise Line is now the only cruise line that produces a fireworks show!
On the Disney Dream, they incorporated the fireworks during the Pirate Night event, which made it even more magical!
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