Disney Christmas Cruise 2011

Are you dreaming of a Disney Christmas Cruise for 2011? The Holidays are a particularly magical time to spend on the Disney Wonder, Magic or the newest addition to the fleet, the Disney Dream. Disney cruises offers a number of itineraries to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Mexican Riviera for Christmas 2011. New for 2011 are shorter itineraries offering 3, 4 and 5 day cruises on the Disney Dream.

Disney Dream Holiday Cruises 2011

The Disney Dream Christmas 2011 Holiday schedule offers 3 shorter itinerary Christmas and New Year cruises for 2011.

Castaway Cay - Christmas wreath on the sand

The Disney Dream Sets sail on 22nd December 2011 for a fabulous 4 night Bahamian Christmas cruise.

Thursday Port Canaveral Florida
Friday Nassau
Saturday Castaway Cay
Sunday At Sea for Christmas Day
Monday Port Canaveral Florida

The Disney Dream sails on 26th December 2011 on a 3 Night Bahamian Cruise

Monday Port Canaveral Florida
Tuesday Nassau
Wednesday Castaway Cay
Thursday Port Canaveral Florida

5 Night Disney Dream Bahamian Cruise is sailing 29th December 2011

Sunday Port Canaveral Florida
Monday Castaway Cay
Tuesday Nassau
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Castaway Cay
Friday Port Canaveral Florida

Disney Magic Holiday Cruises 2011

The Disney Magic Sails on 24th December 2011 for this special 6 Night Western Caribbean Holiday Cruise

Saturday Port Canaveral Florida
Sunday At Sea
Monday Cozumel Mexico
Tuesday At Sea
Wednesday Key West Florida
Thursday Castaway Cay
Friday Port Canaveral Florida

Disney Wonder Mexican Riviera Holiday Cruises 2011

Set sail on a Disney Wonder Christmas cruise on 18th December 2011 on this 8 night itinerary

Sunday Los Angeles California
Monday At Sea
Tuesday At Sea
Wednesday Mazanillo Mexico
Thursday Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Friday Mazatlan Mexico
Saturday Cabo San Lucas Mexico
Sunday At Sea on Christmas Day
Monday Los Angeles California

The Disney Wonder sails on 26th December 2011 for a 7 Night Disney Mexican New Year Cruise.

Monday Los Angeles California
Tuesday At Sea
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Friday Mazatlan Mexico
Saturday Cabo San Lucas Mexico
Sunday Los Angeles California

With special Christmas and Holiday shows, character appearances, dining and entertainment a Disney cruise offers a fun way to spend the most magical time of the year for both adults and children. The Bahamian and Caribbean Christmas and New Year cruises all visit Castaway Cay in 2011. Only Disney could offer such a Christmas themed tropical island – it even snows!

At EverythingMouse Travel we know the ships inside out so if you are thinking about a Disney Christmas Cruise in 2011 then you can Contact Us for a free no obligation quote. We will find the very best options for your Disney Cruise.

Photos by Peter E Lee

Disney Dream Cruise Special Offers

Disney Cruise line is offering a very generous onboard credit of $200 for select sailings on the new Disney Dream cruise ship for January and February 2011 for all guests who book through a travel agent. The $200 onboard credit is for new bookings on 3-night Bahamian cruises departing Feb. 3 or Feb. 10, 2011, and 4-night Bahamian cruises departing Jan. 30 or Feb. 6, 2011, on the new Disney Dream.

To be eligible you must book between 21st December and February 9th 2011 for any of these exciting Disney Dream itineraries:

3-night cruise departing Feb. 3 or Feb. 10, 2011
4-night cruise departing Jan. 30 or Feb. 6, 2011

It is always a great idea to book with the help of a travel agent, particularly one who specializes in Disney cruises as they will assist you to find the best deals, staterooms and to plan your complete Disney cruise experience.

Photo by Disney Cruise Lines

Disney Dream Rotational Dining Restaurants

As excitement builds prior to the launch of the Disney Dream in January 2011 Disney is releasing more details of what the ship actually looks like inside. The picture shows the final stages of creating the Enchanted Garden Restaurant. This magical garden which is located on Deck 2 was inspired by the Gardens of the Palace of Versailles. The light in the restaurant will magically transform from day to night.

This latest video takes you on a tour of the Disney Dream restaurants.

As with the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic there will be three rotational dining restaurants on the Dream. Rotational dining is very much a Disney cruise concept. Guests dine in a set rotation around the 3 restaurants during their cruise, but there wait staff come with them. This has the great advantage that your waiters will know your dining preferences. So if you want a slice of lemon in your water they will know and anticipate your requests. It is all part of the Disney difference.

Animators Palate has been redesigned for the Dream. The concept is still the same as on the other Disney ships. Diners will experience a colorful change of scene as well as enjoying sights from the popular Disney movies.

Royal Palace is new on the Disney Dream. It takes it’s inspiration as the name would suggest from the Disney Princesses and their palaces. It promises a royal dining experience.

Disney Cruise Kids Choose Activities

One of the great features of the Disney Cruise line youth activities is that children can customize their own experience. Disney cruises are unique in that they let children have a great degree of choice over what activities they want to do, and do not split them into restricted age groups as most other cruise lines do.

Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are open to children age 3 to 12 on the Disney Wonder and age 3 to 10 on the Disney Magic and Disney Dream.

Disney allows kids to choose the activities which interest them the most. The Disney Kids Counsellors will guide and recommend activities for certain ages groups, but it is up to the individual child and their parents to decide which to participate in. This means that children can join in activities with friends and family regardless of age. As a parent of a child who just plain refused to go into a kids club on another cruise line because he couldn’t be with his brother, the Disney approach just makes perfect sense to me.

As you would expect from Disney the quality and choice of activities is exceptional. This is the happiest place at sea! Kids can choose from over 100 activities including Toy Story Boot Camp, Cinderella’s Royal Ball, So You Want to be a Pirate, Ratatouille Cooking School, and the Piston Cup Challenge.

Another great feature of the Youth Activities onboard a Disney Cruise is the Dine and Play feature. Families can enjoy dinner together at the second seating and then check any children aged 3 to 12 into the Youth Activities in the dining room, rather than having to check them in at the Oceaneer’s Clubs. The grown ups can enjoy some time together knowing that the kids are happy and well cared for. The most difficult thing may be getting your kids to leave the Oceaneer’s Clubs!

Image Disney Concept Art

Disney Dream Christmas 2011

Ever wished that Disney cruises offered short itineraries for the Holidays? Now is your chance to book a 3 to 5 night Disney cruise over Christmas and New Year 2011. The new Disney Dream cruise ship has these great choices over the 2011 Holiday season.

Photo by Peter E Lee

4 Night Disney Dream Bahamas Christmas Cruise

The Disney Dream cruise ship sets sail on 22nd December 2011

Thursday Port Canaveral
Friday Nassau
Saturday Castaway Cay
Sunday At Sea
Monday Port Canaveral Florida

The Disney Dream sets sail on 26th December 2011 for a 3 Night Disney Dream Bahamas Christmas Cruise

Monday Port Canaveral
Tuesday Nassau
Wednesday Castaway Cay
Thursday Port Canaveral

5 Night Disney Dream Bahamian Cruise

Sailing 29th December 2011

Sunday Port Canaveral Florida
Monday Castaway Cay
Tuesday Nassau
Wednesday At Sea
Thursday Castaway Cay
Friday Port Canaveral Florida

A Disney Cruise is a wonderful experience at any time of year but during the Holidays it is particularly magical. There are special decorations, dining and entertainment.

Traditionally the sailings over the Holidays had been 8 nights and upwards so it is good to see the option of some shorter cruises – not everyone wants to or can afford the time to sail for a long time over the Holidays. So the Disney Dream Holiday cruises are highly likely to be very sought after. Book as early as you can to make sure you get the best choice of staterooms and prices.

Disney Dream Cruise Entertainment

Disney cruises are always known for their spectacular stage shows and of course the Dream has some magical shows onboard including a guest favorite Golden Mickey’s: A Timeless Tribute. The popular Villains Tonight (which premiered on Disney Magic in 2010) and the all new Believe will feature in the 1340 seat Walt Disney Theater on the Disney Dream.

It is great to see that the Disney Dream will show Golden Mickey’s. The show has been re-imagined with the addition of more songs including one from Disney’s new movie Tangled. Interesting that they did not pick Toy Story The Musical instead of Villains Tonight as for many this has to be the stronger show.

The Disney Dream will also feature a re-imagined Pirates evening to enhance the entertainment options available for all ages. The experience has been part of the Disney cruise experience since 2004 and has always been one of the highlights.

For the younger children the evening starts with Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean. For the older children and adults Captain Jack Sparrow will appear in the Club Pirate part of the experience. And of course the evening will end to a new spectacular fireworks at sea display Buccaneer Blast.

Disney Dream Cruise Staterooms

The new Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy cruise ships have a lot of interesting innovations which make it an excellent choice for a family cruise. The Disney Dream staterooms combine space, attention to detail and convenience which is perfect for families. Which stateroom should you choose? This really is very much a matter of personal taste and budget. The best advice is to choose a stateroom to fit comfortably into your budget. Choose the very best stateroom that you feel that you can afford.

The Disney Dream Cruise Ship is all set to be launched in January 2011 and the Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship 2012 itineraries have just been announced. You will want to make sure that you make the very best choice of stateroom on these exciting new Disney ships.

Some guests do feel that as they do not spend much time in their stateroom then it is only necessary to spend the least amount of money on it. Whilst this may work for some people it certainly won’t for others. The right choice of stateroom is really important.

Disney really has been a leader of stateroom design. The staterooms on the Disney Wonder and Magic are up to 25% larger than industry standard. Disney cruise lines was also the first to offer the “split bath” design which has proved so popular with families. The split bath concept allows more than one person to use the bathroom facilities at the same time. The full bathroom includes a vanity, sink and tub/shower, while the half bath has a vanity, sink and toilet. The split bathroom is standard on all Disney cruise staterooms except the Standard Inside Staterooms.

One major innovation which is causing a lot of interest is the Magical Porthole. These will allow those in inside staterooms on the Disney Dream and Fantasy to have a whole new window on the outside world. Disney has outdoor live feed cameras on the exterior of the ship which will project live images onto a porthole screen in the interior staterooms. You can expect some surprises too. Perhaps you will even find Nemo swimming past your stateroom.

Another great feature of the Disney Dream and Fantasy is that they offer a great choice of staterooms for up to 5 guests. As a mother with 3 children I know that on most other cruise lines there really aren’t that many choices for a family of 5 to stay in one stateroom. The choice is usually paying for 2 staterooms or booking a suite. Disney cruise lines is very family oriented and has realized that there is a huge demand for staterooms sleeping up to 5 guests.

So what do the different categories of the staterooms on the Disney Dream offer? All staterooms have as standard a flat screen television, desk, refrigerator and iPod dock.

There are 9 different categories of stateroom on the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy.

Inside Stateroom

This is 169 square feet and sleeps 3 or 4 guests. It has 2 twins beds convertible to a Queen. The stateroom has a single convertible sofa and some have a pull down bunk. The inside staterooms feature the innovative Magic Porthole. There is a separate small living area with desk and television. There is a bathroom with a bath tub and a shower.

These can be found on Decks 2,5,6,7,8.9 and 10.

Deluxe Inside Stateroom

The deluxe staterooms are the same basic design as the inside staterooms but offer quite a bit more space at 204 square feet. They have a Queen bed and a single convertible sofa. Some have an additional pull down bunk to sleep up to 4 guests. There is a separate seating area with flat screen television and refrigerator. There is a large curtain as a privacy screen between the living and sleeping areas. The Deluxe Inside Staterooms have the split bath feature with a tub and shower.

They are located on Decks 5,6,7,8 and 9.

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

These sleep 3 or 4 guests and give 204 square feet of space. Essentially they are the same design as the deluxe inside stateroom except of course they have one or two portholes giving a real view of the outside.

Deluxe Oceanview Family Stateroom

These are excellent staterooms for larger families as they offer good value for up to 5 guests. The 241 square feet of space has a Queen bed with single sleeper sofa and a pull down bunk. Some also offer an upper berth pull down bed so that the stateroom can accommodate 5 guests. Another nice touch is that the porthole has a built in seating area. There is a privacy curtain to separate the living and sleeping area. As is standard there is a desk, television and refrigerator. This stateroom features the split bath. This is an excellent option for families needing space for 5.

Deluxe Oceanview Family Staterooms are located on Decks 5,6,7,8 and 9.

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

These 246 square feet cabins sleep 3 or 4 guests. The square footage includes the Verandah. The wonderful feature of course is the verandah. If your budget will allow you to have a Verandah stateroom then always make that choice – you will not regret it. There is nothing quite like watching the world go by from your own balcony.

There is a Queen bed, a single sleeper sofa and in some a pull down bunk to sleep up to 4.

These are located on Decks 5 – 10

Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

If you want more space then this stateroom offers 299 square feet with a Queen bed, single sleeper and up to 2 extra pull down berths to accommodate up to 5 guests. All of course with a wonderful Verandah.

Located on Decks 6,7,8,9 and 10.

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

Want some extra luxury? This stateroom has 306 square feet of space and accommodates up to 5 guests. Guests of these staterooms enjoy concierge service and upgraded stateroom amenities. You even have access to exclusive Concierge areas on the ship. The Concierge Lounge is on Deck 12 and includes the concierge guest only exclusive sun deck. One very valuable feature is that you can book onboard activities and services up to 120 days ahead of sailing – so you get the first choice. This is particularly useful for bookings for the exclusive restaurants Palo and Remy.

These staterooms are located on Decks 11 and 12.

Disney Dream Suites

Disney Dream and Fantasy Suites

Concierge One Bedroom Suite

Offering 622 square feet of space and sleeping up to 5 guests. The stateroom has a separate bedroom with queen-size bed, living area with double convertible sofa, single wall pull-down bed in the living room, walk-in closet, whirlpool in the master bathroom, 2 bathrooms with rain shower. Of course there are upgraded amenities and concierge service.

Royal Suite

If you are looking for the ultimate in luxury on the Disney Fantasy then these 1781 square feet one bedroom two bathroom suites are the very best on board. They are located on Deck 12 Forward giving the best stateroom location on the ship.

The Royal Suites on the Disney Dream and fantasy offer one master bedroom with queen size bed, one wall pull-down double bed and 1 wall pull-down single bed in the living room. The suite has 2 bathrooms including a master bath with double sinks, rain shower and whirlpool tubs. There is a living room, media library, open dining salon, pantry, wet bar and walk-in closets. And don’t forget the huge Verandah with whirlpool tub.

Whichever Disney cruise stateroom you like EverythingMouse Travel can help you with the expert advice. Just Contact Us for a free no obligation quote.

Disney Dream Ship Virtual Portholes

One of the many innovations on the new Disney Dream ship launching in January 2011 is the virtual porthole. Often on cruises the inside staterooms offer great value but of course the disadvantage is that you cannot see the ocean passing by or the view of the ports as you approach. Disney cruises has solved this problem in a very innovative way on the Disney Dream – virtual portholes.

Each inside stateroom will have a video screen in the wall which will project images from a live camera feed on the outside of the ship. But this being Disney of course it will be a little more interesting than that! So you can expect to see Disney characters appearing on your virtual window. Kids and adults alike are going to enjoy watching Mickey Mouse, Nemo and many other Disney friends floating past their eyes on their virtual porthole brining a whole new dimension to an inside stateroom. Disney Cruise Line is even reporting that guests are refusing upgrades because they are so keen to see what this new technology offers.

Interested in a Disney Dream Cruise? Contact us at EverythingMouse to get all the inside information and the very best choices.

Photo by Disney Concept Art

Disney Cruise Line New Ships

Disney Cruise Line began construction on two new ships this week and held a  steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg Germany. The new ships, which will be similar in design to Disney Wonder and Disney Magic are due to be launched in 2011 and 2012.  The first piece of steel to be cut this week was in the shape of Mickey Mouse and will be used to decorate the bow of each new ship.
Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will weigh 128,000 tons.  Each new Disney cruise ship will carry 4,000 passengers, significantly more than the 2,700 capacity of the Magic and Wonder.

There is still a lot of speculation about where the new Disney ships home port will be, but the current opinion is focusing on the West Coast ports of San Diego and LA’s San Pedro.  The West Coast and European itineraries have been a huge success for Disney and have sold out very quickly. So it seems they are looking towards setting up a permanent port in California. This would of course fit in well with cruise guests having a land and sea vacation at Disneyland.

The San Diego port district is preparing to build a $28 million cruise-ship terminal to upgrade the exisitng facility. Having traveled from San Diego port last month I can certainly confirm that it needs an upgrade! It would be a fantastic opportunity for the port of San Diego if Disney decided to award it the contract.

No one at Disney will yet confirm the new itineraries but it is thought that there may some news later this month.  There is some speculation that Disney will send the new ships to Florida and move Disney Wonder and Magic elsewhere. If I had to guess? The West Coast will get Wonder or Magic, a European port will get a new ship, and 2 will have Florida as the home port.

Also on the subject of cruise lines I just spent some time saving almost 25% on a cruise to Alaska I have already booked – not with Disney unforuntately, I am still hoping they add an Alaska itinerary but am not too hopeful they will given their demographic. I had booked the cruise a while ago and was happy with the rate for 2 connecting balcony cabins (we need 2 cabins as we have 3 kids – Disney of course has family cabins). I was checking online to see if I could get a better deal and found that prices had dropped a lot. So I called my agent and got the cost reduced. So always remember to keep checking prices for any changes. I just saved a lot of money for the price of a phone call and some time spent on research.

Wherever Disney’s new ships go I am definitely aiming to be on one of the first cruises.  I travel with other cruise lines too but there really is nothing quite like Disney.

Photos used under Creative Commons from lemoncat1

EverythingMouse is not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company.