Miami now has its own Disney cruise. The entertainment giant takes the Disney Dream, with a capacity of 4,000 passengers, for a first summer season in the northern hemisphere, departing from the city’s port starting this month.
The Disney Dream boarding previously took place at Port Canaveral, about an hour from Disney World but 352 km north of Miami. The change of place comes thanks to the arrival of a younger brother at Port Canaveral, the main departure point for Disney Cruise Line cruises.
The company’s bet is to take its three-in-one (the mix of Disney park, beach and cruise, which is how Disney Cruise Line itself defines the experience on its ships) to this new destination, especially popular among Brazilian tourists.
The basic three-night package starts at US$1,160 (about R$5,540) and is available via tour operators.
Inside the ship, the experience on the high seas is really reminiscent of that of the parks. There is no shortage of musical shows (“Beauty and the Beast” on board impresses not only for the scenic quality but also for the twirls and agility on a stage that, in addition to everything, swings), fireworks shows, shops or photo sessions with the characters, who wave and take pictures with due distance from the times of Covid.
Everything screams Disney, yes, but in other modulations. It’s a nostalgic trip not only to the deco-inspired interior of the ship but also to its repertoire—there’s ambient music in the rooms, where it can be turned off, and in the hallways, and it’s almost whispering that you hear hits from older movies, like “Mary Poppins”.
In order not to despair mothers, fathers, other guardians and people who embarked without children on the adventure of a Disney ship, the boat has an area restricted to those over 18 years old. There, in Quiet Cove (“quiet cove”), music shifts from Disney hits to jazz and bossa nova, and drinks are more plentiful.
Meanwhile, children between the ages of three and 12 can also relax from their parents in the “kids spaces”, themed rooms with games, games and monitors. For teenagers, the ship has two clubs: Edge (11 to 14 years old) and Vibe (14 to 17 years old).
Despite the change of port of departure to Miami, the basic itinerary in the Bahamas remains the same as for ships departing from Port Canaveral: Nassau and Castaway Cay.
Not that it is mandatory or even necessary to disembark. A part of the tourists choose to stay on the ship precisely to enjoy it more empty, when the Aquaduck waterslide queue decreases and the pools allow wider movements.
The ship docks first in Nassau, where there is an option to hire tour services to nearby islands. In general, the cruise itself already sells the extra package, which ranges from a day at the beach on the Blue Lagoon island (US$ 94, but there is a promotion for those who buy on the cruises) to programs such as swimming with dolphins (US$ 150) or visiting sea ​​lions ($144).
There are waves of small boats that leave the port for pre-determined spaces on strips of sand about 20 minutes away.
It is not an unmissable experience to take this extra tour. But, in them, it is worth looking for good surprises in the beach areas reserved for silence (there are “quiet coves” demarcated there too).
Among the stones and signs that indicate that this is a space where noise is not welcome, entire schools of fish are displayed in the warm waters of the Bahamas. In the noisiest area, close to the movement of boats, the little fish end up giving way to the dark smoke of arrivals and departures that follow one another throughout the day.
At Disney’s Castaway Cay, the experience is much more controlled. The tour, at no extra cost, does not require a change: you stop right there, right after a Mickey who welcomes you wearing a flowered shirt.
With umbrellas evenly distributed, lounge chairs and beach chairs at ease, buoys that can be rented at kiosks and food service included, it’s practically an extension of the ship itself with a little more sand.
Back on the ship, eat at a rotational restaurant schedule, so that travelers can discover the options on offer: Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace and Animator’s Palate. There are also options outside the basic menu, paid separately, at Remy ($125 per person) and Palo restaurants.
At night, in addition to the musical in the ship’s theater, there are bars and clubs for adults and teenagers. Moving from one activity to another and from one environment to another very easily, and getting lost between bow and stern ends up being another item of in-flight entertainment.
The “frictionless” experience is taken seriously, and from the beach towel to the after-beach refreshing towelette, everything is at hand.
The friction is only for the end of the trip, which can have queues at the time of settling the accounts to disembark and return to dry land.
