My family and I just returned from a quick weekend aboard Disney’s newest ship, the Disney Dream.  If you’re traveling with children, or are a Disney fan of any age, then I know you’re going to love the Dream!

While the ship is 40% larger than the other ships in Disney’s fleet (Magic and Wonder), it’s still about half the size of the Allure of the Seas.  That being said, I want to note that three days is still not enough time to really experience everything the ship has to offer!

While I could go on and on about all the great things on this ship, I’m going to highlight the features of the Disney Dream that really make it unique among cruise ships.    

To begin with, you know your cruise is going to be different when the ship doesn't even have a "regular" horn blast at sail away...

Aside from all of this, there is a Mickey waterslide for the kids, a mini-golf course, basketball and sports courts, two family pools, a giant LCD screen by the pool for watching movies, and a 3D movie theater with first-run films (we saw Cars 2 and The Help).

Service was first-rate, the entertainment was fun (and suitable for the whole family!), and the food was pretty good too!  So, what did we like the best?

The Adults' Favorites: 

• Palo, one of 2 adults-only specialty restaurants
  
• unique interactive experiences like Animator’s Palate and enchanted art
  
• friendly and attentive staff
  
• AquaDuck (it's not just for kids!)

The "Big Kids" Favorites (ages 7 and 10):

• AquaDuck
  
• Oceaneer Lab
  
• Midship Detective Agency
  

The "Little Kids" Favorites (ages 2 and 3):

• evening shows, especially “The Golden Mickeys”
• seeing characters around the ship
• Mickey Ice Cream Bars for dessert!

Stay tuned for a series of posts that compare the Allure of the Seas to the Disney Dream when it comes to kids programs, private islands, dining, and more!

I just returned from an amazing week onboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.  Now, there are a lot of people out there who feel that a week on ANY cruise is an amazing experience…and I won’t argue that.  But this ship is so unique, so different.  I don't think you can even compare it to other “cruises”.

Because once you have a huge Central Park, with live trees and foliage, pathways lined with boutiques and cafes; a real Boardwalk, complete with fun house mirrors, a hot dog stand, a carousel, and a clown doing face painting; sports activities like a 40+ foot high rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, 2 surfing simulators, mini-golf course, and a zip line… it hardly feels like you are on a cruise ship!

For my family, the cruise was a perfect match.  If you don’t already know, we have 4 children, ages 2, 3, 7, and 10.  Choosing a cruise requires a little extra attention – for example, we need one room that will accommodate all of us (a real rarity, but several choices on the Allure of the Seas!) or two connecting rooms.  We also prefer a cruise with childcare options for our youngest child so we could see a show, have a quiet dinner, or explore the ship.  And as far as the kids go, we needed something that would entertain the little ones as well as the older ones.  The Allure of the Seas (or her sister, the Oasis) is perfect for this.  In fact, I would whole-heartedly recommend this ship for any family traveling together, from babies up to grandparents.  There is really something for everyone here.

There are many reviews all over the internet, so I will just focus here on our favorites, which happened to be geared towards the more "active".  But trust me, even if you are not interested in these sorts of activities, there is still so much to see and experience on this ship; my experience is merely one perspective, but I can honestly say I wish I had another week onboard to try to do EVERYTHING!  If you have any questions to ask about the Allure or Oasis of the Seas, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

My favorites: 

• boogie boarding and stand-up surfing on the Flow Rider
  
• amazing lamb chops (and entire meal for that matter!) at Giovanni’s Table specialty restaurant
  
• the sheer amount of “fun” available to experience onboard the ship