The W family on the new Disney Dream

Ah, the memories of Disney. We have all been there. For some reason, Disney has a knack for creating experiences that defy the imagination and turn even the oldest adult into a kid again.  Well, not to be outdone, Disney has introduced its first new ship in over a decade, the Disney Dream.

Seeing is believing with Disney and one of our clients, The W family, just returned from a voyage on the Disney Dream. They were kind enough to share some of their photos for this post, so rather than the normal “canned corporate shots”, we have included some of their photos to show you what the Disney Dream is all about.

As blogs are meant to share bite sized information rather than diatribes, I am providing this link to the Disney site so you can see the cool features for yourself. http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/dream/

Thanks to the wonderful feedback from them we have pictures and the highlights (according to them) of their trip.

How cool is it to have Crush the turtle interact with you while you dine?

Dining — The dining is something you would only expect from Disney. Your wait staff rotates dining rooms with you so even though you have a different dining experience every night, you have the comfort of a consistent supporting cast. There is now virtual entertainment whereby animated Disney characters actually interact with you via big video walls throughout the restaurant. This technology has been used at EPCOT Center for years, but they brought it to a much more intimate setting…your dinner table.

Entertainment — There is much more to do on a cruise than just eat (although eating is still fun as noted above). The Disney theatre offers THREE live performances a day in one on the most sophisticated entertainment venues at sea, plus there is a movie theatre on board that always offers the latest Disney movies. This is a huge departure from normal cruise lines that offer two night time shows and MAYBE a movie during the day. Also, there is a big outdoor movie theater by the pool.

“The kids favorite parts of the ship were Goofy Sport Deck and the Swimming Pool.  The swimming pool was crowded but none of the kids seem to even notice.  There is a movie running above the pool constantly…we watched Wall-E and Up while swimming. Very fun!  Goofy Golf is a miniature golf set up that we must have played 50 times…seriously 50.  They also have foos ball and ping pong.  It is a very cool set up.” – Mom

Disney owns it's own private Caribbean island and once onshore there is something for everyone

Water – Both onboard and onshore, Disney offers a truly magical experience that involves both sun AND water.

Screaming down the AquaDUCK. Is this really a cruise ship?

Dominating the outdoor pool area is the AquaDUCK. It stretches 765 feet in length and is more than 4 stories tall. This water slide pushes you along the clear acrylic tubes via powerful jets.

Disney owns its own private Caribbean island. So, once on shore you can play in the big pirate water park, swim with the dolphins OR even enjoy a private adults only section while your child partakes in the kids activities.

“Castaway Cay is amazing…so much to do.  We did a snorkel excursion and swam with the Sting Rays and still had time to eat the BBQ lunch, see characters, play at the beach and just sit….awesome!” – Mom

The W family makes new friends on their shore excursion in the Bahamas!

Children’s programs — Child care is provided, this is Disney after all so they are expecting a few children. They have a nursery for infants up to three year olds, Disney Oceaneer club for ages 3 – 10, the Edge Tween club offers games and video entertainment for ages 11 – 13 and finally a full fledged teen club called The Vibe which includes hot tubs, a dance floor and media entertainment rooms for children ages 14 – 17.

Staterooms – All staterooms include LCD flat screen TV’s, two wave phones to use onboard so that families can communicate with each other while they are out and about. If you need a little peace and quiet in your room they offer iPod docking stations, a mini refrigerator, queen sized pillows and Frette linens.  You may never want to come out. By day there is a couch so the family can sit and relax, but by night the sofa turns into a bunk bed so your children can sleep comfortably and not take up too much space.

Sofa by day and Bunk Bed by night, this space saver is also a cool addition for children.

We invite you to email us at info@theviaggiogroup.com to learn more about Disney cruises and determine if it is right for you and your family.

Anguilla is a quiet island that you can really lose your sense of time on. It is separated from St. Martin to the south by the Anguilla Channel. At a mere 16 miles long by 3 miles wide, you can rest assured that you will not be overwhelmed by the activities on the island. While not easy to get to, once here it is truly a paradise like no other. Below is one of the top resorts on the island.

The beaches at CuisianArt Resort

CuisinArt Resort and Spa- Junior Suite starts at $2,600 for 5 nights.

Amenity Highlights:

• The lobby of the CuisinArt Resort & Spa frames a postcard vista. Looming in the foreground is a large swimming pool featuring an infinity edge surrounded by a terra-cotta tile sundeck, white umbrellas, and blue wrought-iron lounge chairs with butter-yellow cushions. Next comes a series of reflecting pools terraced down a gently sloping lawn and punctuated at the end by a broad white umbrella shading a beach bar. Beyond are the turquoise Caribbean Sea and the mountains of neighboring Saint Maarten/St. Martin. The beach is a two-mile stretch of sand fine as sugar and nearly as white rimming Rendezvous Bay. Lounge chairs and white umbrellas await sunbathers.

We are in constant contact with the Scrub Island sales force, so be sure to check with us for the latest deals and specials.

Adventures — Now you can do a lot on the island OR nothing at all. For those that want to get out of their beach chairs, there is a fitness center, Scuba Diving, boat charters, fishing, tours of Tortola (nearby island) or a sunset cruise. You choose the pace and Scrub Island will move accordingly.

One bedroom suite on Scrub Island

Accommodations – There are a range of guest rooms, suite types and villas to choose from on the island, but by far the BEST VALUE is the one bedroom suite that has a sleeper sofa in the main room, a private bedroom and a full kitchen. During the summer these run about $350 a night, when you factor in the fact it has a balcony and kitchen, that is a HECK of a deal.  There is a store on the island where you can buy your own breakfast, snacks, lunch items. Yes you could cook your own dinner, but again you are on vacation. This is an incredibly affordable way to experience the island.

One of three private beaches on Scrub Island

Beaches — There are three beaches on the island: North beach is the biggest beach that has a bar and grill and a pool, for those that need a break from the sand. Pavillion Beach is right by the marina and requires no real effort to reach it. You can watch the yachts go in and out of the harbor, while you bask in the sun, with a Painkiller in your hand. But, the best part about the island is Honeymoon beach. Accessible only by boat, this beach is set up to accommodate the couples who want to enjoy total relaxation and just watch the world go by. We will drop you off with some refreshments of your choice and an island Phone just in case you need something.

The Stay — Waldorf Astoria – The actual hotel was AWESOME. They had a great pool and hot tub outside to relax after a hard day on the slopes. The trick — heated concrete.  While it was 30 degrees outside, your feet were nice and toasty as you trekked outside. The rooms were HUGE and service second to none. However, there was one drawback. it was a bit stuffy (surprise I know) and there was only one restaurant on property. The restaurant was WAY TOO FANCY for these ski bums.  Next time I would stay in a condo in Deer Valley or the Marriott in downtown Park City.

Park City Mountain Resort — Shelly had never skied before in her life. We lucked out and found a half day ski school for beginners (the Never Evers). The deal couldn’t have been better. It was $79 for the half day lesson AND it included her skis. She had a blast and it was a great way to get acquainted with the mountain. However, there wasn’t a ton of other Green slopes for beginners. So, while we loved the ski school and I had a blast skiing on my own while Shelly was learning, it presented a challenge for what to do for the second day. so, we moved on to Deer Valley.

Deer Valley – What a DREAM this place was.  It doesn’t look like much from the base, but there is a whole other city half way up the mountain and it was incredible skiing.  Even better, NO SNOWBOARDERS at Deer Valley. Shelly didn’t like having the snow boarders to dodge while she was learning and this was a perfect place for her to hit the real slopes. Plus, they had a variety of greens for her to ski (including the final run called Success, which should have been a blue). Check out Deer Valley here.

Park City is located 30 minutes from Salt Lake City, which made it easy to get away. We highly encourage any family that has a mixture of ski talents to check out this great set of resorts.

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As I remember, there was no menu. The waiter just kept bringing food and it literally kept coming until we had to tell them to stop. All courses were well represented and the wait staff were having a BALL.  Normally, I HATE fix price menus, but this was one experience I can’t forget. So, if you are ever there, you should stop by for a meal you won’t regret.

If you want to partake at home, their website has recipes for you to try at home. But don’t fool yourself, you can never replicate an original.

Royal Babies and Tots Nursery Program where English nannies will care for children as young at 6 months, allowing parents of young children to take advantage of the ships dining, activities and entertainment.  As a mother to 3 year old twin boys, we opted not to take them on a cruise under the age of two because most cruise ships will not accept children under the age of 2 or 3 in their children’s program.  We decided that having two toddlers in tow 24/7 was not our idea of a vacation. But, now that problem has been solved.

Hollywood and Broadway Characters – Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon are common and can be found in onboard parades, character breakfasts and shows.

Endless Dining Options – The Allure of the Seas has 26 different dining options ranging from Samba Grill (A Brazilian Steakhouse), to fine dining at 150 Central Park.  Even the most discriminating Foodies will be amazed at all of the culinary options onboard.   Over half of the restaurants on the ship are complimentary with a menu that changes daily.

Healthy Vacations – As a personal trainer and spin instructor, I love the state of the art fitness center that allows us all to work off the wonderful meals from the night before as well as keep up with our normal fitness routines.  The fitness facility features classes ranging from yoga and aerobics to spinning.  Also the ships restaurants feature an amazing line of healthy spa cuisine.  These healthy options prove you don’t have to gain a lot of weight on your vacation.  Also, did I mention the size of the ship?  16 passenger decks and 1,187 feet in length will lend itself to a lot of walking.

Balconies Overlooking Central Park or Boardwalk Balconies –  For those looking to get away from the action, The Allure of the Seas features balconies that overlook the quiet Central Park area of the ship.  The view from these balconies entails lots of greenery, tropical plants and the serenity of an open air park.  Passengers looking for a more lively experience can select a balcony overlooking the Boardwalk, the hub of activity including nightly parades, a carousel, and a zip line across the top of the neighborhood.

Featuring the Gourmet Inclusive® concept, epicurean offerings include candlelight dining on the beach, a fresh fish fry and butler service to the canopied beach beds. There’s an all-lobster menu, 24-hour room service and over 30 tequilas in the tequila lounge.

This intimate 90-suite hotel has unveiled a collection of new suite categories that are ideal for families and couples! With the new renovations, each spacious suite at  Beach Hotel is available as a swim-up and connects to a lazy pool, offering guests another way to foster togetherness and extending accommodations to embrace the outdoors. Another impressive addition includes the Azulitos Kids Club, which is open from 9AM to 9PM and has daily activity programs for the young ones!

The Azulitos Kids Club consists of :

• Fisher Price^® Toy Room
• Lego Corner
• My Gym Equipment and Area
• Doll corner
• Video Games (Xbox, WII, Kinect)
• And play area

Sample Activities at the Azul Beach Club Resort

1) When in Rome… – sometimes hotels don’t do a location justice and Europe (Italy especially) are best seen from a resident’s perspective. It requires you to do things that you wouldn’t normally do if you were confined to a hotel room. For instance, it allows you to visit local markets and buy fresh groceries and interact with the shop keepers. Sure it is a bit difficult to order .5 kilo of salami if you don’t know Italian, but that is part of the fun. Memories are best made when you do something that most people haven’t.

2) Not all villas/apartments are created equal – As you probably have experienced first hand, pictures can lie. Don’t be fooled by a villa that seems too good to be true.  Be meticulous and remember…you get what you pay for. We have had the luck of having 3 incredible villas in Italy, but it was because we knew what we wanted and refused to compromise. The way we got what we wanted on two of our trips was to invite like minded friends/family with us so we could share the cost. Email us and we will send you a link with pictures from our villas in Italy and apartment in Paris.

3) Don’t stay near a city…stay near several cities - Picking one city to stay near is a mistake as you WILL get bored. Therefore, if you stay in a central location say in Tuscany, you will have access to multiple cities such as Cortona, Montepulciano, Montalcino, etc. Now you can have relaxing day trips to each city and can take in what each has to offer instead of spending your entire time driving around the countryside (which isn’t a bad way to spend time, don’t get me wrong). In addition, you might want to narrow your scope in terms of a radius to draw from your villa or apartment. Mileage isn’t a good way to budget TIME to get you where you want to go as what appears to be 40 miles can take 2 hours if the roads are small, winding Italian roads.

4) Take your time – My wife is the queen of “Let’s see it all”. I remember a wine trip to Napa where we saw 7 wineries a  DAY for three day. But, as the phrase goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Take heed. Relax, enjoy sitting in a piazza, sipping a glass of wine and simply watching the day go by. This is extremely difficult in big cities like Rome, Paris or Florence, but the smaller towns make is oh, so easy.

5) Use Auto Europe for your car rental. – Trust me, you want a car company that is there for you. Because when you are in a country where you don’t speak the language and something happens, you can feel all alone. Auto Europe rents more vehicles in Europe than Hertz, Avis, etc. but most importantly they have the support desk to help you 24 hours a day and in English. They provide a 800 number that calls the US collect so you can speak to an American when things go wrong. We were trapped in Paris for an extra day as the Italian airports were closed. We simply called Auto Europe for our options and they changed our reservation to pick up in a different city and didn’t charge us a nickel more. WE LOVE THESE GUYS.

Email us to talk to us about your next European Villa or apartment vacation. We would be glad to help.

1) Not all inclusives are created equal. There are only a few, true luxury all inclusives. Everyone can have pretty pictures on the Internet, but when you arrive it might not be what you thought at all. Some feel like a party atmosphere when in reality you were expecting to relax and be left alone. No matter what their websites say, SIZE MATTERS. What I mean is that some of the insanely large properties such as the Iberostar collage of properties in Cancun are way to big to really be relaxing. You have to take a golf cart around the property and the volume of people can make it seem like you are at Disney World. In addition, some of the middle of the road properties do have all inclusive pricing, but they serve wWatered down drinks and put out less than scrumptious buffets. Don’t forget, there is a reason why the price is so low.

2) Each has a unique theme – so pick what suits your personality. Many times all-inclusive resorts aren’t located near ANYTHING else. So you want to ensure you want to stay here for most, or all of, your stay. Some have a relaxing spa like atmosphere such as Secrets. Others, like the Zoetry want to teach you something about yourself. Teenagers and kids will indeed have a ball at properties such as the  Dreams Cancun that has dolphin swimming AT the resort.

3) Use a Travel Agent — OK, I know that we are one so it seems like a self-serving comment, but if you go it alone you may be just that… ALONE.  Especially if you choose a smaller, boutique hotel, if something goes wrong with your hotel or your room, you have no recourse for any kind of help. However, as agents we only deal with companies that will work with us in these situations. More than once, we have had to send a car to pick up our client to change hotels for various reasons (most times there wasn’t anything wrong with the resort, but it just wasn’t what they expected). It is a great backup plan to have.

4) Avoid Holiday Periods All together – Mexico gets COLD (as hard as it is to believe). Been there, done that. While I may be a wuss coming from Texas, nothing is appealing about spending the Christmas holidays in a climate where the high might not reach above 80. This may be GREAT for someone from Minnesota, just be prepared, Mexico and the Caribbean are anything but Equatorial in their weather patterns. Do your homework or ask a travel professional (like yours truly) for some help in planning a winter beach vacation.

5) Don’t Just Pick the Big Names – Sure there are the Sandals and Club Med’s of the world. But don’t be lulled into a sense of complacency with the big guys. There are a TON of smaller, boutique all inclusive resorts that service a variety of markets. There is fierce competition among resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean and rest assured there is always something new and  unique. Think of it as Vegas where everyone is trying to do something different and stand out from the crowd.

Email us to see a few examples of our Caribbean and Mexico all-inclusive resort.

1) The Westin is in the PERFECT location- 7 Mile Beach is really 7 miles long. But, there is a stretch at the far end by the Governors Mansion that is the best part and maybe the best in the world.  Between the Ritz Carlton and Governors Beach, is the calmest, quietest, and largest part of the beach. It is far enough from the hustle and bustle that the Cruise people usually don’t find it, yet close enough to few key places (read on) where it is a slice of heaven on earth. And you guessed it, the Westin is smack dab in the middle of it.

2) The Island is perfect – Between the laid back, out of the way places like Rum Point, the traditional (Calico Jacks) and new outdoor beach bars (Tiki Beach) and and the fact that the island has a 35 MPH speed limit, you can’t pick a better place to get away from it all and relax.

3) 5th Floor of the Westin is SWEET – Whether you want to watch the sunrise or enjoy the afternoon as you are out of the sun for sunset, this is a slice of heaven on Earth. And to boot, the hotel isn’t crowded or “resorty, which is hard given it’s perfect location. We have stayed at the Ritz Carlton a few doors down and like the Westin better. While it isn’t perfect as it is a bit of an older hotel, the staff and clientle this resort attracts makes you feel right at home.

4) Perfect for families- Yes, those are our kids on the cover of this post. After visiting Rosemary Beach in Florida the year before, it was great to get back to a place that has no waves, an awesome shaded pool (not even the Rtiz is shaded) and a variety of things to do while on the island. Needless to say, they had a BLAST on their most recent stay. We went during September (dodging Hurricanes but it is worth it as NO ONE was down there. We were one of 20 rooms being used at this 200 room resort. There weren’t enough kids to have them open the Westin Kids Club, but we have many friends that have put their kids in the program and loved it. Plus you can hit the turtle farm which is just up the road, rent a kayak, drive around the island, etc.

5) Hidden Gems - Across the street from the Westin is the Sunshine Resort. OK, it is across the street from the beach and maybe not the ideal place to stay but, their restaurant is AWESOME. It has the most incredible island food and a perfect replica of the island drink from Jost Van Dyke, in the Carribean..the Painkiller. Fosters Grocery Store is just down the road and it makes it affordable to have snacks and alcohol in the room. And finally, being from Texas, we always visit the Texas Bar and Grill (which is owned by a Texan). They have free wireless so we can Skype and visit with the kids and family back home.

Email us to chat about booking your next vacation in Grand Cayman.