Our first full day aboard the Disney Dream started exactly the way I wanted it to: slowly. We weren’t scheduled to arrive in Cartagena until after lunch, so there was absolutely no reason to set an alarm. After three very full days with Adventures by Disney, followed by embarkation day, having an entire morning with nowhere we needed to be felt glorious.
We slept in and ordered room service breakfast to enjoy on our verandah. There are few things more delightful than Mickey waffles and copious amounts of coffee on a verandah somewhere in the Mediterranean. I could get VERY used to that kind of morning.
Spain with Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise Line
Day 1: Arriving in Barcelona & Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Gothic Quarter, Park Güell & La Sagrada Família
Day 3: Montserrat, Flamenco & Viva Espana!
Day 4: Farewell Barcelona, Hello Disney Dream
Day 5: Cartagena
Day 6: Malaga & Granada
Day 7: At Sea
Day 8: Santiago de Compostela
Day 9: Betanzos and A Coruña
Day 10 & 11: At Sea
A Slow Morning on the Disney Dream
After breakfast, Honey and I headed to the Royal Gathering to meet the princesses. Yes, I still went to meet the princesses. It never does get old.
While the guys worked out, I also found time for a little solitaire mahjong. After several days of sightseeing from morning until night, it was nice to have a few hours when our biggest decisions involved which princess to visit and whether we needed another cup of coffee.
This was one of the things I had come to love most about cruising in Europe. We could have a slow morning aboard the ship without feeling like we were sacrificing precious time in a destination. By early afternoon, we were pulling into Cartagena and ready for an entirely different kind of experience.
Our First Port of Call: Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena was our first port of call, and for the afternoon I had booked Disney Cruise Line’s The World of Spanish Horses Port Adventure.
This was a mild, roughly three to three and a half hour excursion into the Spanish countryside to see purebred Spanish horses, sample local food and experience flamenco. On paper, it sounded like a lovely afternoon. In reality, it ended up being one of those experiences that was so much more special than I expected.
We left Cartagena behind and headed into the countryside, where we were welcomed onto a family owned property by the people who lived and worked there. They could not have been more gracious about sharing their home, horses and traditions with us, and that personal connection was what made the afternoon so memorable.
The World of Spanish Horses
And then there were the horses. The beautiful Spanish horses would have been enough to make the excursion special, but we also met a foal who was only seven days old and was every bit as adorable as you are imagining.
We watched the horses run together in a stampede across the property, and seeing these magnificent animals in the Spanish countryside was spectacular. Disney describes the excursion as an opportunity to see Spanish purebred horses in their natural environment, and that was exactly what made it feel so different from simply attending a horse show.
The family also shared the flavors of their property with us. We sampled wine made from grapes grown in their vineyard and olive oil produced from their own trees. Both were delicious, and naturally some of that olive oil had to come home with us.
We snacked on Spanish tortilla, which we had quickly learned was nothing like the tortilla we think of at home. The traditional Spanish version is more like a thick omelet made with eggs and potatoes, and it became another favorite taste of Spain.
Then came the flamenco. After seeing flamenco at our Adventures by Disney farewell dinner the night before, I loved experiencing it again in such a completely different setting. Disney’s description of the Port Adventure includes both expertly trained horses and flamenco dancers, and the combination of the horses, music, dancing, food and setting made for a truly spectacular afternoon.
What struck me most was how personal the whole experience felt. We weren’t simply getting off the ship, seeing a famous landmark and getting back onboard. We were spending the afternoon in the Spanish countryside with a family who was sharing a little piece of their life and culture with us. Those are the experiences I remember most when I travel.
Back Home on the Disney Dream
After our afternoon in Cartagena, we returned to the Disney Dream and settled right back into ship life.
We headed to the Concierge Lounge for happy hour and cards, then made our way to the Concierge sun deck for sail away. Watching another Spanish port disappear behind us from the hot tub was quickly becoming one of my favorite routines of the cruise.
And this was when I started to realize just how much I loved the balance of this itinerary.
That morning we had slept in, eaten Mickey waffles on our verandah and spent a few leisurely hours enjoying the ship. That afternoon we had been in the Spanish countryside meeting horses, holding our breath over a seven day old foal, tasting wine and olive oil from the property and watching flamenco. A few hours later, we were back aboard the Disney Dream in the hot tub watching the coast of Spain slip away.
We didn’t have to choose between an immersive European vacation and a relaxing cruise. We were getting both.
Dinner and a Movie in Our Suite
We kept the relaxed pace going that evening and ordered dinner from the main dining room to enjoy in our suite.
This is one of my favorite Concierge perks on the Disney Dream. Instead of getting dressed and heading to the dining room, we could enjoy our rotational dining menu right in our suite. After such a special afternoon ashore, staying in sounded perfect.
We ate dinner, put on a movie and settled in for a quiet night as the Dream carried us toward our next destination.
It wasn’t a day filled from morning until night, and that was exactly why I loved it.
Why I Love Disney Cruise Line in Europe
After experiencing Disney Cruise Line in Europe more than once, I realized that my favorite part wasn’t simply the destinations. It was the balance.
A European land vacation can be incredible, but it can also be exhausting. There are hotels to change, trains or transportation to navigate, bags to move and decisions to make every single day. Cruising allowed us to unpack once and let the Disney Dream take us from one destination to the next.
More importantly, it gave us room to breathe between all of those experiences.
We could spend an afternoon immersed in the Spanish countryside and still come back to a ship we knew and loved. We could have Mickey waffles for breakfast, Spanish tortilla and local wine in Cartagena, and dinner from our Disney dining room that night.
For our family, that combination worked beautifully.
Planning a Disney Cruise in Europe?
By the time we took this trip, I had sailed with Disney Cruise Line 21 times, on every Disney ship at least twice and in Concierge on every ship. I had experienced Disney cruises in the Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, including Italy, Greece and Spain.
That firsthand experience matters when I’m helping my clients because there isn’t one Disney ship, itinerary or stateroom that’s best for everyone. The right choice depends on how your family likes to travel, what you want to experience and where you want to spend your vacation dollars.
I can help you compare itineraries, choose the right ship and stateroom, decide whether Concierge makes sense for your family and sort through Port Adventures before your booking window opens. My planning services are complimentary when you book your Disney cruise with me.
If a Disney cruise through Europe is on your family’s bucket list, I’d love to help you plan it.
Up next: Málaga, Granada and one of the most spectacular places we visited in Spain.
