Disney Dream is designed like a transatlantic ocean liner with contemporary details.
Disney Dream is one step closer to greeting guests in Florida now that Meyer Werft officially delivered the new vessel to Disney Cruise Line today in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Construction of Disney Dream started two years ago in Papenburg, Germany. Disney Dream measures 128,000 tons and has 1,250 staterooms with the capacity to accommodate 4,000 passengers. The largest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, Disney Dream has many innovations that will allow family cruisers to have the vacation experience of a lifetime. Perhaps my favorite innovation is the AquaDuck water coaster.
Check out the video. This is not just another water slide at sea. The AquaDuck looks really fast and should provide a lot of fun.
Other noteworthy features on Disney Dream include: Inside staterooms with virtual views, Enchanted Art that immerses guests in stories, and fine dining at Remy.
The shipboard experience remains focused on the legacy and heritage of The Walt Disney Company’s most valuable assets – master storytelling, world-class entertainment and legendary guest service.
Disney Dream is ready to welcome family cruisers on its maiden voyage, set for January 26, 2011, from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Mother-daughter cruise on Liberty of the Seas -- pictured in Labadee, Haiti
My 12-year old daughter and I took a mother-daughter cruise last month on Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas. Although the cruise was more work than pleasure for me, my daughter came along to keep me company and to make sure I would not have to pay the single supplement.
There are many diversions, entertainment options, and activities available on a family cruise. While onboard Liberty of the Seas, we set off to discover the 5 most popular activities for tweens and teens between the ages of 12 – 14.
Teens participating in Adventure Ocean programming experience freedom, opportunities to make new friends, and a chance to participate in a variety of non-stop activities.
Although the Adventure Ocean program is supervised, youth are permitted to check in and out of programs on their own. Try to establish a meeting point and a time to reconnect with your child. Since participants in Adventure Ocean are able to come and go as they please, this age group tends to migrate around the ship on their own between scheduled activities like: teen dodgeball, Scratch DJ Academy, teen soccer, Karaoke, and theme parties.
Adrenaline junkies get ready for fun. The FlowRider, on select Royal Caribbean cruise ships, is ready to give teens (and moms) the ride of their life. Teens have their own private time on the FlowRider or they can stop by with their parents during scheduled hours. The FlowRider simulates a real surfing or body boarding experience. 30,000 gallons of water per minute rush underneath the rider at 30 mph creating a five-foot ocean-like wave.
I really wanted to try the FlowRider, but I was not prepared with the right outfit. My advice here is to invest in some board shorts and a sunscreen shirt or rash-guard to wear on top. As a mother, you might not want to try the FlowRider in your bathing suit. Enough said.
Ice skating rink at sea
The most challenging thing about ice skating at sea is finding the ice rink. There is really only one entrance to Center Ice, ask for directions and plan to get lost. Once there, enjoy some recreational skating or take in an ice show performance.
Make sure to pack long pants and socks because they are required to skate on the ice. Besides “Encore!” the ice show on Liberty of the Seas, family cruisers can take advantage of open skate times. There is a maximum of 50 guests per session allowed at any one time.
State-of-the-art gaming center on Liberty of the Seas
For some reason, the arcade on Liberty of the Seas is quite a hot-spot. The games are not cheap, but for some lucky youth the sky is the limit.
Unsuspecting parents should realize that activating your child’s SeaPass card with a credit card to cover purchases onboard will allow access to the recharging station that issues gaming credits. Parents are responsible for all charges. My daughter, who does not have permission to charge, reported that one of her friends spent about $150 to “win” an electronic device.
Games take credits that are pre-purchased at the Recharge Station tied to your SeaPass account
The best pizza at sea?
A fun teen activity on Liberty of the Seas is walking through the indoor mall-like space called the Royal Promenade. A popular destination while window shopping is stopping for food or ice cream. Pizza in Sorrento’s Pizzeria is complimentary, while treats at Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Shop are available for a fee.
Read more about Royal Caribbean International’s family cruise ships:
Disney Dream in her home port of Port Canaveral, Fla.
Disney Dream is designed to reflect the glamour of the golden age of cruising during the 1930′s. With 1,250 staterooms, maximum capacity is 4,000 passengers. Spanning 14 decks, the 128,000-gross-ton Disney Dream is 1,115 feet long and carries 1,458 crew members.
Family cruisers familiar with Disney Magic and Disney Wonder will recognize the black hull with two funnels (only one is functional) and porthole windows. All Disney ships have the same exterior color palette as Mickey Mouse with black, white, red and yellow.
Family cruisers know they can count on Disney Cruise Line to offer memorable family vacations. In addition to award winning programming, Disney Dream is offering new venues and experiences that show off Disney’s wizardry.
AquaDuck watercoaster on Disney Dream
AquaDuck – the first water coaster at sea. A high-speed thrill ride that combines the ups and downs of a roller coaster with all the twists and turns of a water slide and a lazy river.
Magical Portholes – a “virtual window” to the world for inside staterooms, with a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras feed live video to each stateroom, and they reflect the scene outside. For example, if Disney Dream is in Bahamas, you see the Bahamas, real-time, in your porthole.
An inside cabin with a view. Disney Dream virtual porthole.
Enchanted Art – Throughout Disney Dream, guests will encounter Enchanted Art that immerses guests in Disney storytelling in a completely new way. Appearing as traditional framed art, Enchanted Art magically comes alive when guests pause to admire the artwork. Enchanted Art looks like other hanging art pieces around the ship, but is actually a framed LCD screen with technology that recognizes a guest is present. There are 22 pieces of Hidden Art on Disney Dream.
Enchanted Art on Disney Dream
Magic Playfloor – Young cruisers in Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab will enjoy the Magic Playfloor, a cruise industry first that blends the latest in gaming technology with Disney storytelling.
Magic PlayFloor is an interactive experience, a first on Disney Cruise Line.
Living Characters – In Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab youth areas, Disney characters will interact with children via a 103-inch plasma screen. Look for Crush, the animated sea turtle from the Disney Pixar motion picture “Finding Nemo,” or the animated alien Stitch to chat, play and joke with kids in what Disney Cruise Line promises to be “live, unrehearsed conversations.”
Entertainment - Disney Dream includes live musical productions shows, first-run films, Digital 3-D movies and fun-filled family deck parties.
The Mickey Pool on Disney Dream with AquaDuck in the background.
Pools – On Deck 11, cruisers will find three pools—one for kids, one for families, and one for adults only.
The District caters to adults in the evening
Nightclubs & Lounges – A new feature on Disney Dream is The District. This adults-only entertainment area offers five distinct lounges and nightclubs.
Fine Dining at Remy – this French inspired specialty restaurant is for adults only. The gourmet menu, created by Chef Arnaud Lallement from l’Assiette Champenoise — a Michelin 2-star restaurant just outside Reims, France — and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort will be a cruise highlight. Cost $75 per person for the nine-course menu.
Disney Dream will sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida. Calls on Nassau and Disney’s Castaway Cay are featured on all itineraries. In addition, some five-night departures feature a visit to Key West, Florida, Nassau, Bahamas and Disney’s Castaway Cay in the Bahamas.
Some five-night Disney Dream itineraries will feature a second call on Disney’s Castaway Cay. These non-consecutive days allow more time at this popular Disney themed family destination.
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