Photo TR: A Very MerryTime Sailing on the Disney Dream

[jedimaster1227]

Just a few weeks ago I had the chance to sail once again aboard the beautiful Disney Dream, this time for my first four night sailing. Also unique to any sailing I had had previously was the Very MerryTime Sailing element of this cruise, with extra holiday entertainment, decor and food to make the cruise extra special!

There she is!

Our first stop on the cruise (seriously, we got to our room and got prepped for this) was Palo!

The BEST portobello mushroom dish ever is served with creamy polenta and a really amazing balsamic sauce.

The best potato gnocchi I've ever had.

Fun fact: The end-of-meal Calvados/Apple Brandy/Lemon Sorbet shot from Palo can be turned into a full frozen cocktail from the Palo bar, if requested! And it is heavenly!

Skipped out on my normal Palo Tenderloin in favor of the highly recommended Osso Bucco. This thing was hearty and super-filling, and the bone marrow was the best I've ever had!

Skipped the Chocolate Soufflé to try the Chocolate Amaretto

Still my favorite piece of art on the ship!

As one of the Very MerryTime Sailing features added for the cruise, a giant gingerbread house was assembled in one corner of the Atrium.

On the first and last nights of the sailing hot chocolate and cookies were available for guests to enjoy.

The Atrium really looks amazing with all of the holiday decor!

Just hanging out with Stitch...

Another new offering was Santa's Winter Wonderland Ball in the Atrium of the ship.

Do you want to build a snowman?

Santa even made an appearance!

And then it magically began to snow!

Donald was loving it!

The next morning we tried the Palo Champagne Brunch while at port in Nassau. Seriously amazing just how much food was there. This pile of scallops nearly had me crying tears of joy.

Bloody Mary Shrimp Shots!

DESSERT BONANZA!

I did well for the seafood and cheese side of the buffet.

The Palo Champagne Brunch also includes a selection of made to order entrees including eggs, pizzas and more. This open-faced frittata was one of the best I've ever had.

Oysters Rockefeller!

And this beauty... Easily the best Chicken Parmigiana I've ever had. And yes, that is CANDIED BASIL on top of the chicken. I was in heaven.

I went kind of crazy with dessert... As I often do.

This is the closest I've been to Atlantis in years... I rarely ever get off of the ship in Nassau.

One of my favorite pieces of Disney Animation concept art on the ship.

Proof that somewhere in this ship there is a hidden coaster waiting to be ridden.

Looks so nice!

Another addition for the Very MerryTime cruise was the Deck the Deck Tropical Holiday Party out on the upper deck.

Hi Elissa!

There was dancing...

And a conga line!

This Keyblade Cake (it's actually the symbol for Concierge on the ship) was delicious!

Best logo on the Seven Seas!

Dinner at Enchanted Garden began with the Mushroom and Bacon Tart served on a leek risotto. It was bliss.

And of course, the killer Avocado Tuna Tower for the sushi fan in me.

The Pan-Seared Sea Bass is the standout entree on the menu for sure!

And then this happened.

Some other holiday desserts available on the sailing...

A look inside the Oceaneer's Lab with the amazing interactive dance floor/game pad.

Our stateroom for those who wonder what a stateroom looks like.

Lunch at Cabanas always gives me my chance to fill up on fresh seafood!

Oceaneer Bands are available for the younger guests in the Oceaneer's Lab and Oceaneer's Club and they are compatible with MagicBand accessories.

Look! It's Peter Pan!

Then this happened.

And it was amazingly entertaining.

Time for more desserts.

Another favorite piece of Disney Animation concept art on the ship.

The in-room TVs even have a channel dedicated to those awesome Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts that have come out over the last few years. Seriously, they are hilarious and offer great little Easter Eggs for Disney fans, especially those from the parks.

Edited December 21, 2014 by jedimaster1227

[jedimaster1227]

(Continued)

My birthday cake from Enchanted Garden that night.

Cabanas has these amazing tile murals to enjoy.

Hi Elissa!

Next up was our day at Castaway Cay, which was dressed up for the holidays!

I have such fun taking photos on the island.

Get it?

Pelican Plunge is an awesome Whitewater slide complex that was added a few years ago in preparation for the arrival of the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy.

And it is so fun to watch as an observer too!

The enclosed slide practically throws adult guests out of it!

The snorkel lagoon at Castaway Cay is seriously the best.

I can never get enough photos of the ship from the island.

It is so cool to see the added touches for the holidays...

Haha!

Hiya Mickey!

Awesome!

The decor was simple but really a nice touch!

Pink, the ship's Champagne Bar has this awesome glass sculpture behind the bar.

I love how the AquaDuck frames the upper deck!

A water play area for the non-potty trained youngsters...

The AquaDuck is a really fun slide that you can't escape without being absolutely soaked...

The uphill water jets make sure of that.

It would be really neat to see some of the new Slideboarder lighting tech integrated into the tubes down the road.

A look at the island from the ship.

Bring me that horizon!

I never get tired of this view!

Or this...

The Quiet Cove Pool is my personal favorite of the pools on the ship.

A sign of quality.

The Vibe teen club has a private sun deck with two hot tubs.

Looking ahead...

I love this entryway...

The Atrium just looks so great!

Admiral Donald at the helm!

Such a fun place to hang out.

Next up was our first time dining at Remy, the ship's additional-charge French restaurant. First up was the Tomato Soup Cube. The soup is flash fried in a breeding cube and when you bite it warm soup is inside.

A table-side prepared Champagne Cocktail is made for each dining guest.

They brought over a huge white truffle to show off the main ingredient of their seasonal white truffle menu. The aroma filled the room when the glass was lifted for a brief moment.

Remy's Ratatouille had a unique preparation with all of the vegetables retaining their unique favors in a beautiful fashion. The dish was served with an awesome olive oil ice cream on top.

My first entree was a preparation of lobster that looked and tasted great.

The Tomato Tarte was available for those looking for more vegetable based entrees.

The Black Cod was tasty for sure.

I had to try this one... Just for the Halibut.

The duck was served quite rare for a really great flavor and consistency.

My most adventurous (and favorite) dish of the night was the Veal Sweetbreads, cooked to perfection!

The Kobe Beef was killer!

I was in cheese heaven this night!

And for dessert Chocolat au Framboise.

Every place we dined at found a fun way to celebrate my birthday!

And the famous Remy desserts to finish off the night...

We ended up taking a significant amount to go since we were stuffed from the rest of the meal.

[jedimaster1227]

(Continued)

I'd never noticed the hidden Remy in the restaurant in any of my previous walk-throughs.

They even send you off from Remy with a box of chocolates and a rose for the ladies.

Time for Pirates in the Caribbean!

Jack Sparrow steals the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos, thwarting the Avengers...

And points his almighty finger towards the sky to ignite the fireworks.

This would be a fun view to have!

It isn't often that you get to see all four Disney Cruise Line ships based in Florida...

Time for martini tasting... First up, a sour apple martini.

Next, Vodka Martini, shaken-not-stirred, dirty with an olive. My favorite of the four we had.

Chocolate Martini, my least favorite of the four.

Passion fruit martini came in second place.

Flo's V8 Cafe serves a fantastic Tomato, Bacon and Brie sandwich on the upper deck...

Which makes for great casual food to enjoy while watching a film on the Funnelvision screen.

In case you were craving any...

It's nearing time to say goodbye... To all our company...

But not before more food!

If you haven't been able to tell already, I really love food.

Royal Palace's Grand Marnier Soufflé is the best!

Hi Elissa!

He did the pose! He did the pose!!!

I can never take enough photos of this chandelier.

Or of this staircase...

It is a Very MerryTime sailing after all, so there had to be a Christmas Tree.

The star was really awesome when seen up close.

I can stare at this all day.

I APPROVE!

Just gorgeous!

My favorite Enchanted Artwork on the whole of the ship.

Calling me in for more drinks...

Pink is for champagne...

Skyline offers trendy martinis and cocktails in a really stunning environment!

The morning of debarkation I woke up in time to catch the Orion rocket launch from Cape Canaveral (we were docked in Port Canaveral).

Just an awesome thing to experience as a wrap up to the cruise...

Time for one last breakfast...

And the cruise was officially over!

[bert425]

I shouldn't read your reports!. . I always end up hungry

 

 

looks like a fantastic time, tho i don't know that I"d ever cruise Disney simply because of the amount of kids on the boat (tho they don't seem that noticeable in your pics except for the Pirates ones).

 

Is a Disney cruise comparable in cost to say Celebrity?. . or are they more expensive because they are Disney? (I've always wondered).

[Nrthwnd]

This is not right.

 

Too much amazing looking food!

 

Doggy bags for the rest of us Adam, next time please?

 

 

Really great report on everything you did....and ate.

[PKI Jizzman]

Wow, what a fantastic trip! They really gave great detail to celebrating the birthday, that's really cool. The food looks out of this world...must try a cruise one of these days.

[gisco]

Did you do anything besides eat?

[Guy T. Koepp]

Mmmmmmmmmmm! Food! Everything looks just wonderful! Did I mention food? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Food!

 

Great TR Adam!

[viking86]

Great trip report! All the food looks amazing. I would absolutely love to go on a proper cruise!

[rosscoe]

Adam, did you really do anything else but eat! The ship looks wonderful, plus the food.

[KI Kidd]

"flash fried in a breeding cube" - This sounds like a TPR sponsored activity for sure!

 

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing!

[Mr Stratosphere]

Thanks for sharing! The ship looks beautiful!

[Nrthwnd]

It all looks like a really nice way to spend a Disney-style cruise.

 

Gawds Bless The Disney Chefs. Tis' the Seasoning...

[DaMarkSta]

Awesome pics and really cool that you caught the Orion launch.

[cfc]

This is disturbing.

 

 

This is amazing.

 

 

Looks like a good balance of the two on this ship.

[TBpony414]

looks like a fantastic time, tho i don't know that I"d ever cruise Disney simply because of the amount of kids on the boat (tho they don't seem that noticeable in your pics except for the Pirates ones).

 

Is a Disney cruise comparable in cost to say Celebrity?. . or are they more expensive because they are Disney? (I've always wondered).

 

I'm also curious about the amount of kids and cost comparison. The food looks out of this world. Is it all included in the cost of the cruise, with the exception of Palo and Remy? The Christmas decorations are awesome!! Happy bday

[DJeXeL]

Disney cruise just went up a notch on my Bucket List. Fantastic report. Thanks for sharing!