Sharing a recap of our 7-night Mediterranean cruise (Italy and Greece) on the Disney Dream! This isn’t sponsored (I want, lol), however I’m excited to share our expertise.
They’ve a useful little trick while you’re on board a Disney cruise: you may have the choice to guide a placeholder for a future cruise at a slight low cost. This manner, while you get off the ship, it’s barely much less miserable as a result of you understand you’ll be on one other one quickly. We obtained off the Disney Dream in Rome a number of weeks in the past, and already, we will’t look forward to our subsequent Disney cruise.
This was Disney cruise #4 (we’ve accomplished Alaska, Bahamas, and Mexico), and it was our favourite one. It was a mix of the locations plus the bigger ship, which was a literal Dream.
(We additionally obtained to take pleasure in Rome on both aspect of our cruise! You may examine our Rome adventures right here.)
7-night Disney Dream European cruise
We arrived on the Civitavecchia port through a personal automobile that the lodge booked fo us, and it was the quickest and most seamless boarding expertise. By 1:30pm, we had been on the pool, watching the kiddos swim and ingesting cocktails with mates. (A professional tip from one among our good mates: pack your swim gear in a tote bag and verify every thing else. Your room received’t be prepared but, so you may head straight to the pool. It’s the least busy it will likely be for your complete journey and after a few hours, your room will likely be prepared with your entire baggage ready for you exterior the door.)
We had lunch from Cabanas (the buffet) and ate it by the pool, checked out our room, after which obtained modified for the Muster Drill, Sail-A-Wave celebration and dinner.
On Disney cruises, you’re on a eating rotation. You get the early (6pm) or late (8pm) seating, and alternate eating places every night. You may choose out of your extra formal eating to have a fast chunk or room service as an alternative, however it doesn’t matter what, your desk will likely be ready for you. You even have the identical server and assistant server every evening. We had the early seating, and dined at the entire main eating places. The menus had been all similar to earlier cruises and was the beautifully-plated Disney fare we love. 🙂
You too can order no matter you need. You may decide from their 4-course menu, or when you’d like, order two appetizers, two entrees, and many others. In a Disney Cruise Fb group, a suggestion was to ask the server to ask the cooks in the event that they’d thoughts making a family-style meal from their house nation. They mentioned they’ve had the perfect Indian meals and curries of their lives this fashion, together with naan and rice. We haven’t tried this but – I really feel unhealthy that we’d be inconveniencing them – however I’ve been interested in making an attempt it.
Our favourite is Animator’s Palate, which they’ve on the entire ships we’ve seen (Dream, Marvel, and Magic). You draw an individual in your placemat, and throughout the meal, they’ve a *present* by which all of animations come to life on massive screens all through the restaurant, dancing to the music, and added to well-known Disney scenes.
On this specific cruise, we stopped in Naples, Mykonos, Santorini, and Chania, and we had deliberate excursions in Naples and Mykonos. The remainder of the time we having fun with exploring the ports on our personal and residing our greatest cruise lives on the ship.
Tour 1: Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii
This was a few 10-hour tour, which was undoubtedly a protracted one for the kiddos, however so price it. Additionally, within the center, we had been handled to an epic 4-course meal with wine pairings, overlooking the ocean.
Positano
Positano is one among my favourite locations in your complete world, so in fact, I couldn’t wait to indicate the ladies. I solely want that we had extra time there! We had the prospect to get a chocolate croissant and occasional, put our toes within the ocean (it was so heat and beautiful), and perform a little little bit of purchasing. (Extremely advocate Luisa Positano! Liv and I every obtained clothes from there and so they’re so beautiful and distinctive.) It was in all probability factor that we had been on restricted time, as a result of I needed to purchase every thing. 😉
Sorrento
After Positano, we had been again on the bus for an extended cease in Sorrento. It was my first time in Sorrento and whereas it had the Positano really feel, it was a bit extra bustling, particularly on the primary road. We shopped and walked round, grabbed a gelato, after which met with our tour group for an Italian meal that I’ll always remember.
That is the place we had the well-known zucchini pasta, together with hen, salad, bread, and a chocolate hazelnut mousse dessert.
The meal was paired with glowing wine, white wine, purple wine, and a dessert wine. Just about everybody in our tour group snoozed for your complete trip to Pompeii.
Pompeii
Pompeii was SO cool. It was fascinating to see such a well-preserved historical metropolis, along with the varied facets of life in Pompeii, just like the bakery, bathhouses, and many others. By this level, the youngsters had been fairly drained, however they rallied! We discovered rather a lot throughout the guided tour, and from right here, it was solely 45 minutes again to the cruise ship.
Tour 2: Tremendous Paradise Seaside Day in Mykonos
This was our favourite tour. Tremendous Paradise Seaside is a personal seashore membership, with enjoyable loungers, umbrellas, a full menu, and a peaceable seashore with vibrant, turquoise waters. It’s additionally partially blocked from the extraordinary winds that may have an effect on Mykonos.
The humorous factor was that our Naples tour was so time-specific – we knew precisely once we wanted to be again on the bus or at a sure assembly point- and for this seashore tour, the information was like, “Eh. Have enjoyable and I’ll let you understand when we have to prepare to go away.” 
We ended up being there for about 3 hours, which was the proper period of time. All of us swam, the ladies performed within the sand and waves, and we proceeded to order half of the issues on the menu.
(My fave Vuori go well with)
A sandwich was included with our tour, however I’m petty positive our Greek mates would disown us if we ate a turkey sandwich of their homeland.
Earlier than we left, they gave us an inventory of every thing to order whereas we had been in Greece. The Pilot wrote down every thing phonetically so we’d be capable of pronounce it, like, “Gotta lotta booty yo.” I feel we made them proud; we tried nearly every thing they instructed between our time in Mykonos and Chania. The meals was out of this world unimaginable. So recent, vibrant, and scrumptious. I extremely, extremely advocate the pastitsio, which is sort of a spaghetti lasagna with tacky foam on high.
(We additionally had grilled octopus, salad, cooked garlicky greens, stuffed grape leaves, beef patties, and little doughnuts)
Santorini:
In Santorini, we didn’t find yourself doing a lot. It’s the place you may see the well-known white buildings with the blue domes in Oia, but it surely was so sizzling, and the youngsters had been melting. It’s sort of an uncommon port, too. You’re taking a smaller tender boat to the bottom of the port, the place you are taking a cable automobile up the steep hill to the city of Fira (a lot of purchasing and eating places). You too can stroll up stairs to the highest, however there are 400+, which will not be real looking for babies or these with mobility difficulties. Our plan was to take the cable automobile UP, however stroll down the steps on the finish of the day.
The cable automobile line tends to be extraordinarily lengthy, with out a lot shade. The road was simply 200+ once we obtained there and shifting very slowly. The ladies had been carrying their neck followers and we had been continuously pouring water on them, and so they had been too sizzling, so we ended up heading again.
Should you’re stopping in Santorini in mid-June or July, I’d advocate reserving an tour with motor coach switch so that you don’t need to take care of the cable automobile line. Or convey a lot of water + an umbrella, or courageous the steps!
(I had an iced tea on the cafe on the backside of the port. I discussed this in a earlier put up, however the iced tea in Greece is INSANE. Whether or not it’s brewed in-house, or in a can, it’s really one thing particular. Many flavors are infused with lemongrass, ginger, or fruit, like cherry, and frivolously candy and refreshing. Who knew I’d dream about Greece iced tea ceaselessly and ever??)
The proprietor additionally introduced us photographs of ouza with our invoice, ice lotions for everybody, and despatched us again to the ship with an enormous piece of baklava to-go.
Chania:
In Chania, we ended up exploring on our personal, which was preferrred. We adopted a tour information group into Previous City, which was lined with small retailers, kiosks, eating places, and a beautiful view of the bay.
We purchased souvenirs and jewellery, and had one other legendary lunch + extra of the perfect concept tea.
(The sardines had been SO zesty and flavorful)
Disney Cruise Dream eating and actions
On the ship, we loved the entire standard Disney cruise choices: the stay exhibits – Magnificence and the Beast was phenomenal – films, character greetings, Bingo, fitness center, child’s membership, swimming, limitless ice cream cones and Mickey bars, whiskey tastings, and the entire great eating places.
The perfect half was that we traveled with mates. The ladies had built-in buddies, and so did the adults 😉 It undoubtedly makes the expertise much more enjoyable!
Disney actually goes above and past with regards to visitor expertise, cleanliness, and meals high quality. Should you guys have any questions in regards to the Disney cruise expertise, please let me know!
(the perfect cruise ship magnets are on Etsy!)
So, inform me, mates: are you a cruise fan or not-so-much? Have you ever accomplished a Disney cruise??
Attempting to determine which one we should always do subsequent!!
xo
Gina
*The entire clothes on this put up are from Nuuly! I’ve had hit or miss experiences with them, however the clothes for this journey had been all nice