Ashley Curry & Missi Wilson, Disney Cruise Line

Which DCL ship(s) have you sailed with and when?:
 
AC: Disney Wonder, December 2011
 
MW: Disney Dream, February 2015

What ports did you go to/what was the duration?:   
 
AC: 7-Night sailing to the Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles.  We stopped in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.  It also included multiple “At Sea” days that allowed for ship exploration. 
 
MW: 3-Night sailing to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral, where we visited Nassau and Disney’s private island Castaway Cay.

Describe what the ship was like:
 
AC: It was smaller and more intimate than I would’ve imagined.  There were clearly designated sections for all sorts of experiences.  For example, the children’s clubs were together in their own section.  The adult’s only quiet pool and part of the ship was separate from the children’s clubs.  The Family pool and outdoor decks were centrally located so it made it very simple for people to gather and then split into their own worlds whenever the wanted.  The dining rooms were fairytale detailed.  When you walked into Animator’s Palate, you felt like you were transported into the mind and imagination of an animator.  When you walked into Parrot Cay, you were transported to the Caribbean rainforest village that was very colorful and full of life…

MW: Disney Dream was much more luxurious than I thought it would be. From the moment my husband and I walked on board all we could see was gold trimmings with small Disney touches (characters and quotes), beautiful Disney artwork, this incredibly elaborate chandelier hanging from the ceiling and gorgeous carpeting throughout. We had a balcony stateroom that was by far the largest room we’ve had on a cruise ship. One of the unique features our room had was a split bathroom that made it so much easier for us to get for a day at the beach or prep for dinner. The lido deck was our favorite place to hang out as we could lounge on the deck while watching Disney movies on the large screen TV, or go for a slide on the Aquaduck that goes around the entire top part of the ship. When we wanted to be away from kids, we were able to have a drink in the adults-only area and relax together. It’s an incredible ship!

What did you enjoy most about DCL?:
 
AC: Disney is famous for its ability to tell a story with the unsurpassed attention to details that pertain to that story.  This was evident in places one would not expect, from the Nautical touches (though not obvious or overwhelming) in the Navigator’s Balcony Stateroom I had, to the seemingly insignificant pictures and paintings sporadically placed throughout the hallways that would magically come to life.  Service is never a question when you’re in Disney’s hands.  They remembered your name, your preferred beverage, and that you disliked mushrooms after the first meal.  They never said “no” with unusual requests in the dining room or by the pool.  Something small that I feel everyone (especially parents with children who tend to go to bed early), is that the evening’s Broadway-style shows were played on the TV in your stateroom.  If you did not feel like getting dressed and going to diner in the main room or going to the show, you were not missing anything as it would play in your room. This is the attention to detail and level of service one expects and will surprise you with Disney.

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MW: Aside from the incredible Disney touches that any Disney fanatic would love, the customer service was just unreal. When we walked on the ship we didn't feel like just another cruiser, we felt like we were part of a family joining the crew. As we walked in we heard "Please welcome the Wilson family!" and a large crowd of Cast Members clapped and cheered as we stepped into the lobby. The Cast Members knew my husband and I were there for our honeymoon and they never missed a chance to tell us "Congratulations!" or bring special treats to our room and table at dinner. It made the occasion so special for us because we felt valued.

What else stood out to you about DCL?:

AC: I went during Christmas time and I was fortunate enough to see the MASSIVE gingerbread house (a real gingerbread house, similar to the ones they bake and put up in the parks) as it was created right on the ship by the master bakers and pastry chefs.  It made ALL of the public areas smell so amazing.  One of the magical things they did was autographs and presentations with the head chef and concept artist for the gingerbread house. I’ll never forget how much work and imagination goes into something that’s not even a permanent fixture on board.  So fun.

MW: There were two things that stuck out to me that I'll always remember. The first being the horn on the ship. Normally you just hear a loud "BERRRRM" when you pull into port, but instead we heard the tune of "When You Wish Upon A Star" and "It's A Small World". My husband and I looked at each other like we were little kids again! The second thing that will always stand out is while we were snorkeling at Castaway Cay. We were pretty far out in the water and when we looked down we saw Mickey at the ocean floor. I mean come on, how often do you get to snorkel with Mickey? It was incredible.