Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream

Last year was a big one in my family, with my mom turning 80, my sister 50, and our nephew 16. We had high hopes to plan a big family trip to celebrate the three milestone birthdays, but conflicting calendars and work and school obligations thwarted that plan. So when the opportunity to sail the Mediterranean came around, I leapt at the chance to embark on a celebratory mother-and-daughters getaway.

Our first cruise together was more than 20 years ago, in the Caribbean. And I had more recently sailed with my nephew on a Disney Cruise Line ship. I knew the brand was great for kid-friendly trips, but would the Disney Dream suit us adults?

Spoiler alert: I shouldn’t have worried.

From the moment we were welcomed on board, the three of us felt right at home. After unpacking, we set out to explore the Disney Dream. We came across pools, a water coaster, shops, theaters, restaurants, and bars. What we didn’t see were many kids. As it turned out, our journey was one designated as a Disney Vacation Club Member cruise. That, plus the mid-May timing, meant that there were only a few hundred kids onboard—something of a rarity for the TK-cabin ship that can accommodate upwards of TK passengers.

While Disney Vacation Club has been offering sailings with Disney Cruise Line for more than 20 years, these trips remain a bit under the radar. In fact, our voyage was the first member cruise ever to operate in Europe. (Executives from the line told me they continue to assess new itineraries, like the 2025 member cruise, also aboard Disney Dream, that will be the first of its kind to hit Cozumel, Mexico, during a five-day Western Caribbean swing.)

In an effort to differentiate the Disney Vacation Club Member cruise from the other sailings offered throughout the year, Disney Cruise Line and Disney Vacation Club go all out, with enhanced entertainment offerings—we saw “Young Woman and the Sea” before it opened in theaters—as well as special performances and surprise guests. On my trip, that meant a performance by Disney Legends and Broadway stars, including Paige O’Hara (who voiced Belle in the original “Beauty and the Beast” film), Susan Egan (the original Belle on Broadway), Ashley Brown (Broadway’s original “Mary Poppins”), Michael James Scott (The Genie in “Aladdin” on Broadway), Kissy Simmons (Broadway’s longest-running Nala in “The Lion King”), and Josh Strickland (Broadway’s original “Tarzan”).

Aside from these exclusive experiences, we also had the run of all the other entertainment and fun aboard the ship. We would’ve loved for our nephew to join us—but we certainly had plenty of fun, just us adults. Here’s my review of Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream.

The Staterooms

Cabins on Disney Dream are ideal for families, with thoughtfully designed spaces. Some of the bigger staterooms feature a split bathroom: one portion has a toilet and sink, while the other has a combination tub-shower and sink.

There are 10 different room types, arranged in four categories. The smallest are inside and ocean view cabins, which range from 169 to 241 square feet, then rooms with private verandas that range from 246 to 306 square feet in the Concierge level.

The Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite with Verandah features a separate bedroom and two bathrooms across 622 square feet, while the Concierge Royal Suites with Verandah have the same, but in more than twice the size at 1,781 square feet; both sleep up to five.

At the top of the line is the 2,030-square-foot, duplex Concierge Dream Tower Suite that sleeps eight in two main bedrooms, a children’s bedroom with bunkbeds, and four and half bathrooms.

Restaurants and Bars

Open for breakfast and lunch, Cabanas is the main buffet-style dining room on Disney Dream. It may be casual, but it has plenty of choices: salads, burgers, pizza, plenty of vegetarian choices, seafood, and entrée-style options. My mom was particularly partial to the chocolate soft-serve ice cream.

Disney Cruise Line does things differently when it comes to dinner in that guests rotate through three themed restaurants alongside their waitstaff, making the rounds at Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, and Royal Palace.

Other dining choices include those at Flo’s Café, with pizza and grill items inspired by “Cars,” and desserts at Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats. Vista Café is open in the mornings for coffee and pastries, and Bon Voyage in the Atrium serves coffees and juices.

Two specialty, adults-only restaurants are also found onboard Disney Dream: Palo, featuring Northern Italian dishes, does dinner and brunch on most sea days. Remy, serving French fare for dinner, as well as a Champagne brunch and five-course dessert experience.

Throughout, the Disney Dream culinary team does an exceptional job in accommodating dietary restrictions. For example, my sister is dairy-intolerant; every evening as we neared the end of our meals our server would bring the next night’s menu to her so she could pre-select her dishes and the chefs could prepare them accordingly.

Disney Dream also has plenty of places to get a drink. D Lounge is a family-friendly space for karaoke, trivia, and dance parties. Adults-only options include Pub 687, with a sports bar vibe; the District Lounge piano bar; Pink Wine and Champagne Bar; and Evolution, a dance club with live entertainment. Cove Café, an adults-only coffee and tea bar by day, transforms into a lounge at night, serving cocktails, wine, and light bites.

Where Disney Dream Sails

Disney Dream operates a variety of cruises ranging from three days to 13. The ship sails in both the Caribbean and Europe—including places such as Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom—and it also offers Transatlantic repositioning voyages.

Disney Dream also hosts themed cruises throughout the year, including Marvel Day at Sea, Halloween on the High Seas, and Very Merrytime.

Shore Excursions

Disney Cruise Lines calls its excursions Port Adventures, and they range from signature tours that highlight the top spots in a destination to culinary tours to more active outings. During our cruise, we opted to join two, the first of which took us to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa before a walking tour of Florence.

Because It was my sister’s first time in Italy, we also signed up for an all-day Best of Rome tour so she could see the highlights, including the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Forum; we also went into the Colosseum and stopped by Vatican City.

In some locations, Disney Cruise Lines offers adults-only Port Adventures.

Amenities and Entertainment

It’s safe to say that boredom isn’t an option. From Broadway-style productions of beloved Disney classics to a movie theater showing the newest films, from live music and character meet-and-greets to deck parties and fireworks shows, this ship keeps guests entertained.

Beyond boutiques and shops to browse and pools to enjoy, the ship also features AquaDuck, a water coaster ride that rings the ship, and a sports deck with miniature golf, a basketball court, and shuffleboard.

While we weren’t traveling with kids, Disney Dream does have several special spaces created just for them. The “it’s a small world” nursery is set up for children 6 months to 3 years old, while Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are for kids between 3 and 10. Tweens have a place all their own in Edge, while teens can hang out in Vibe; both tweens and teens can enjoy a combined space in The Hideaway. All kids’ spaces are attended to by a dedicated staff of Disney counselors and childcare professionals.

In addition to the bars and restaurants highlighted above, adults-only spaces on Disney Dream include the fitness center, Senses Spa, the Quiet Cove Pool, and Satellite Falls and Sun Deck.

Family-friendly Offerings

It almost goes without saying that Disney Dream—and indeed all that Disney Cruise Line offers—is well-suited to families. Everything is designed to make all families feel right at home. What impressed me was the way that our family, traveling without kids this time, also felt welcome.

Accessibility

Disney Cruise Line makes several accommodations for guests, including on Disney Dream. Nearly every deck is accessible by an elevator, and accessible staterooms have doorways that are 32 inches wide, emergency call buttons, ramped bathroom thresholds, open bed frames, roll-in showers, and grab bars in bathrooms.

Select Port Adventures are designed to be accessible to those with limited mobility, with accessible vehicles, pathways that are easy to negotiate, and few to no stairs. Disney Cruise Line details other accessibility efforts in a special section on its website.