Last week, my wife and I took our first ever cruise. It was a four-day jaunt aboard the Disney Dream with a stop in Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay, the Disney island.
Our first stop was Nassau, with an excursion to the aquarium at the Atlantis Resort. The aquarium had been designed to resemble an archeological dig, chock full of artifacts from the lost city of Atlantis. It was cheesy. Our guide was very knowledgeable regarding fish. She had the fictional details of the Atlantian history committed to memory, but her delivery was very wooden and unconvincing as if she were just reading from a script.
Our second stop was Castaway Cay. There was a ton to do there. You could parasail, windsurf, ride a jet ski, ride in a glass-bottom boat, snorkel, swim with the manta rays, bike or just lay on the beach. They even had an adult beach which excluded anyone under 18 to provide a break for people like me whose children were already grown.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew going in that a Disney cruise would have kids so I’m not complaining about children being around. But, it was nice to have the option to hang out in an area that was … quieter.
The Dream was a huge ship, though I really don’t have anything to compare it to. The last time I was aboard any type of seagoing vessel was in the early 70s. My older brother was stationed aboard the USS Dewey DLG-14 and they did a one-day family cruise out of Newport, RI. I thought the Dewey was big but the Dream dwarfed the destroyer.
Of course, all things are relative. In Nassau, we were docked next to the Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. That’s a big ship. It’s the largest cruise ship in the world – two inches (or so) longer then her sister ship, Oasis of the Seas. The Allure looked to be at least 25% bigger than the Dream.
There was plenty to do aboard the Dream. Live shows, swimming, eating and the piece de resistance, the AquaDuck water slide. The AquaDuckwas 765 feet of water ridin’ twists and turns. It was awesome.
For the money, I think a cruise is a great deal. Lots of food, lots of things to do; if you walk away bored or hungry you’ve only yourself to blame. Any dissenting opinions?
I want to try a cruise but Pattie doesn't think they are any fun. When she gets home, I'm going to send her this link and tell her "Woman, I command you - we will do this!" :)
ReplyDeleteBernie.
Guess your monologue is handy for everyday. I can't vouch for other cruise lines but I do know that if you like Disney yoou'll enjoy the Dream.
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