Disney Cruise: Boarding & Lunch

On a Disney cruise many beverages are included in the price of your vacation. Coffee, filtered water, teas, juice, ginger ale and soda are the drinks included with your vacation. If you would like to add on to these options a specialty coffee shop is located on the ship. The cruise line offers a wine package that can be added on at dinner. As always, they do have a drink of the day deal that includes a souvenir cup. I had been excited for dinner all day and it certainly did not disappoint. Dinner certainly was a great excuse to wear nautical attire. We dined at the lovely Enchanted Garden. For dinner, I enjoyed Marjoram scented roasted chicken, baked crushed sweet potatoes on buttered baby spinach with a thyme red wine reduction sauce. Every bite was delicious and very filling.

My first Disney Cruise was on the Disney Dream. Before boarding the ship, you have to check in. The check in process runs smoothly. When you enter the building, you will start by going through security. Once you are finished with security you enter the main building. They have a huge waiting area where you sit and wait for your group number to be called. While waiting you can look at the large replica of a Disney ship. When your group number is called you will go through the check in process.

I remember walking by the ship and being overwhelmed by its size and beauty. In all honesty, I was a little bit nervous about going on this cruise. Since this was my first cruise, I was worried about getting seasick and wondered if the cruise was really worth the money I had spent.

By looking around at this incredible ship, I was in this moment of pure awe! The deck, the exterior, and everything outdoors so stunning. And it was there, standing on the deck that the excitement, amazement, and wonder hit me all at the same time. I was ready to start this trip and see what adventures there were to be discovered.

All of the dining rooms on a Disney cruise are themed and each stateroom is assigned a specific table number. When you enter the dining room you will look for your assigned number as they seat you. Once you are seated, the wait staff will take your beverage order. You will have the same staff for all of your sit-down meals. This helps the wait staff understand your food preferences. My lunch was sliced roast beef sirloin, potatoes, green beans, with a thyme red wine reduction sauce. I had a Mickey ice cream bar for dessert.

A big part of the Disney Cruise experience is the dining. The food is excellent. From the moment you wake up till you go to sleep you can eat all day because the choices are nearly endless. There are so many options for a delicious breakfast. For a hearty breakfast you can eat eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, pancakes, and toast. For a lighter meal they have fruit, granola, yogurt, and pastries. Picky eaters will be happy to discover that the cruise offers cereal, milk, and Mickey waffles. You can find breakfast on the ship at Cabanas or the Enchanted Garden. After a morning of exploring the ship, it’s time to eat lunch. Lunch can be a quick bite or a sit-down experience. I choose the sit-down experience to enjoy everything that the Disney Dream had to offer. I ate at Animator’s Palate for lunch. It was refreshing to have a sit-down meal.

Whatever you eat on the Disney Cruise, I’m sure it will be delicious!

As you enter the ship you are announced by crew members. They are waiting to welcome you to your vacation. Once your family is announced, you walk down a red carpet and the crew members cheer you on and clap. I had not been expecting this, and it took me by surprise. Once I boarded the ship, I was completely surprised at the beautiful reception area I had walked into. The high ceilings and elaborate chandeliers soon made me forget I was on a ship. It felt like I had entered a grand hotel from years past. Beautiful artwork from classic movies lined the walls. My favorite was a stunning mosaic from ”Sleeping Beauty.” The amount of detail and thought put into every decoration is amazing.