I began 2020 aboard the Disney Dream, tagging along with my sister-in-law on her Disney Marathon-a-thon, 5 races in 7 days. The cruise was headed to the last of the races. This was my maiden voyage and we toasted with a bottle of Vueve Cliquot as our ship embarked from Port Canaveral in Florida. With ports of call to Nassau Bahamas and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private resort island where the last race was being held), I looked forward to a relaxing adventure to places I had never visited.

Our room was comfortable and included all the amenities of a 5-star hotel, with a balcony overlooking the wide expanse of sea before us. The staff were friendly and attentive, although the information desk could have been more informative. Nonetheless, I would not dock any stars from this world class affair.

Shopping and dining opportunities aboard were plenty. The Tiffany’s boutique offered flutes of botttomless champagne and an assortment of chocolate truffles while you shopped. Or just perused. There was an abundance of all day, all you can eat breakfast and lunch options, and communal dinners were rotated nightly at each of the four themed dining rooms. Along with a couple cocktail lounges and bars on deck, there were also adult-exclusive restaurants. One evening, we decided to skip our scheduled communal dining and instead made reservations for a private dinner at Remy, one of two adults only restaurants on the ship. An elegant art nouveau decor, impeccable service, and a menu created by a chef from a Michelin three-star restaurant made for a decadently delicious and memorable evening. A different wine pairing was served with every course and a beautiful presentation of desserts capped off our meal.

Every sunset was epic out in the open sea. We spent a full day at each port and a full day at sea on the way back. Our first port was Nassau. It was bustling with tourists from every cruise ship that docked for the day. Naturally, the streets were crammed with vendors hawking every imaginable souvenir to commemorate your visit. I purchased a baseball hat to add to my collection. The beach was crowded, as were the bars and restaurants. I walked further, a few blocks away from the main hub, where people were fewer. I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the historic colonial town. I chatted with some friendly locals. I annoyed one gentleman when my request to take his photo turned into a full blown photoshoot. He kindly asked to be done and rode away on his motorbike. The sun was giving me a beat down and after a few hours I was ready to head back to the cool comfort of the Disney Dream.

Early the next morning, I watched the sunrise from our balcony slowly reveal Castaway Cay. Our ship had pulled into port in the middle of the night. The island was still and empty of people.

Shortly after breakfast we disembarked, joining the other passengers headed to populate the beach. We basked on lounge chairs under a sun shading umbrella. We waded into the cool ocean for respite from the heat. A delicious barbecue buffet was served for lunch and we helped ourselves to all the soft-serve ice cream we could eat all day.

Between ports, there was plenty of time for deck lounging and water activities. I shot through the AquaDuck twice, a 750-foot long transparent tube water coaster that circled the ship. There were 3 different pools but I stayed out of all of them. Because kids. But I did purchase a 3-day pass for the adults only spa, where I lounged on a heated tile bed, soaked in a whirlpool hot tub, and sweat in a sauna with a view looking out over the ocean. I topped that off by spending time in each of the four aromatherapy showers that offered–in true Disney style–a rainforest, a waterfall, a tropical thunder, and a cold fog theme.

With every Disney experience, entertainment is always a main attraction. The movie theater where I watched The Lion King (CGI version) and Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker had plush seats and could comfortably fit 1/3 of all the passengers at full capacity and popcorn served in a refillable souvenir bucket. No movie-going experience is complete without popcorn. On our last evening at sea, every guest was gifted a souvenir pirate bandana to wear at the pirate themed costume party on the lido deck. There was also a live pirate show that ended with a spectacular fireworks display. It was magnificent!

Despite being surrounded for a week by all manner of mini Disney Princesses dressed in full regalia, along with their equally Disney obsessed adult chaperones donning mouse ears in every style (ODD is a thing, look it up), and despite the occasional awkward encounter with iconic Disney characters (do I hug them, do I shake their hand, take a selfie?) I would get onboard again in a heartbeat.