Disney Cruise Line {Palo Brunch, Palo Dinner + Meridian Lounge}

On our Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Member Cruise this summer, Honey and I were treated to both brunch and dinner in Palo, the Disney Cruise Line signature specialty restaurant.  

Breathtaking ocean views, rich décor and epicurean excellence create the setting for a romantic escape. Named after the colorful poles that line the canals of Venice, Palo serves Northern Italian cuisine in an upscale atmosphere reserved exclusively for adults. Every seat offers beautiful ocean vistas, providing guests with an unforgettable dining experience at sea. (below photo: Matt Stroshane)

Palo Champagne Brunch on Disney Cruise Line

Palo is such a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the cruise ship.  The setting is beautiful, the ocean views sweeping, the service spectacular and the food delicious.

Brunch starts with a complimentary champagne toast.

The meal then moves to a first course of pastries, meats cheeses and a huge selection of  fine Italian cuisine.

As the first course winds down, it is time to order appetizers and main courses.  We chose soups and a flatbread to start.

And then four different pasta dishes to share between the two of us.  Everything was delicious!

Brunch wraps up with a visit to the dessert buffet.

Brunch is served only while the ship is out at sea during 4-night and longer Cruises.  Reservations are required and I highly recommend doing so in advance.  I, of course, handle doing this for my cruise clients.  This specialty meal incurs an additional $30 dining charge per person.  To preserve the elegant ambiance of this restaurant, you are asked to adhere to a dress code when dining at Palo. Disney recommends dress pants or slacks and a collared shirt for men, and a dress, skirt or pants and a blouse for women. Jeans may also be worn if in good condition (no holes).

Palo Dinner on Disney Cruise Line

On Pirate Night, we slipped away from the kids (who were happily involved in their respective kids club activities) to enjoy a spectacular dinner at Palo.  This meal started with bread and an antipasti cart that your server rolls right up to your table.  This was ahhhh-mazing!  We absolutely could have made an entire dinner of just this, but we somehow managed to restrain ourselves.

For our appetizers, we chose calamari and a caprese salad.  Both were delicious and perfectly prepared.

After a lemon sorbet palate cleanser, we were on to the main course.

Honey chose the Dover Sole,filleted tableside and served with nut-brown butter capers, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, carrots, and thyme potatoes. It was absolutely amazing and I wish I had picked the same.  Not because mine wasn’t delicious, but just because his was SO good.

I ordered the butternut agnolotti, served with a sage butter sauce and buffalo mozzarella. I can never not order this dish when its on a menu.  It was very, very good as well.

Dinner is an event, lasting about two hours on average.  I think that 6:00 PM was the perfect seating time as we watched the sun set right from our table as we dined.  It was spectacular and memorable.  <3

You will order your dessert with your main course, because it takes a while to prepare.  There are a few options, but you’re doing it wrong if you don’t choose the chocolate souffle.  It is divine and I’m still thinking about it two months later.  ha!  Honey ordered the other special souffle, but it was entirely unmemorable compared to the chocolate.

Reservations are required and can be made online or onboard the ship, but I highly recommend doing so in advance to ensure a reservation at an ideal time for you.  (Again, I do this for my clients.) Note that when dining for dinner at Palo, you will skip the regularly scheduled, rotational Main Dining restaurant. Like brunch, this premium dining experience is available at a fee and is not included in the price of your cruise.

  • Dinner: $30 dining charge per person
  • Wine Pairing with Dinner: $59 charge per person, in addition to the $30 dining charge for dinner (total $89 per person)

To preserve the elegant ambiance of this restaurant, you are asked to adhere to a dress code when dining at Palo. Disney recommends dress pants or slacks and a collared shirt for men, and a dress, skirt or pants and a blouse for women. Jeans may also be worn if in good condition (no holes).

Which to pick: Palo Brunch or Palo Dinner on Disney Cruise Line?

I do have a few thoughts on whether brunch or dinner is best on Disney Cruise Line.

If it is your first Disney cruise and you are on a 3- or 4- night sailing, I would pick brunch on sea day.  All of the main dining restaurants are an experience and I would hate to have you miss one.  What complicates it even more is that you don’t get your rotation until you are boarding the ship.  So… you can’t know in advance that you don’t want to go to Enchanted Garden, or whatever, and pick Palo for that particular night.

If you have sailed on a Disney Cruise before and already experienced the main rotation restaurants, then do a dinner for SURE!  It is such an incredible way to end a day.

If you are on a 7-night cruise, consider both.  :-)

Meridian Lounge

Meridian Lounge is the biggest hidden gem on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, as far as Honey and I are concerned.  It is a lounge located between Remy and Palo, the two adult only signature restaurants.  It is almost never crowded, as many cruisers don’t even realize it is up here.

We absolutely LOVE the sommelier bin that is exclusive to Meridian.  You choose a a red, white or sparkling and the sommelier surprises you with a glass for $10.  The beauty of this is that we have gotten some good glasses of wine here for that $10!  Think about it… the guests paying to dine in Remy and Palo are ordering particularly expensive glasses of wine.  They only stay good for so long, so many make their way to this sommelier bin.  It’s a win win!

Just off of the lounge is a wonderfully quiet deck that we love.  You can just step right out and take a seat here for a spectacular night sailing the high seas.

Have a magical Monday!  I am working like a dog this week to prepare to be off on our next Disney adventure.  This time it is just pure vacation – not a blog trip or work trip – and I cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We have a split stay with the first half of the week being just the four of us, and the second half of the week with some family friends!

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