Thursday, January 27, 2011

Disney Booze Cruise?

So, we are planning a vacation for James’ Birthday and I think we have decided on a Disney Cruise.  While doing research for it, I was pleasantly surprised to find the new ship Disney Dream serves alcohol and found this really great article below.  I figured this would be a dry cruise given Disney’s stance on Alcohol in the Parks (basically you are SOL unless you are a member of Club 33), so this could be fun.

Has any of our readers ever been on a Disney Cruise?  Jeremy, I am looking at you…you are my Disney Expert.

Cheers, Sante, Prost, Kampai Aboard the Disney Dream

Rest and relaxation is reason enough for a grown-up cruise getaway, and whether sipping a cocktail or enjoying a glass of Champagne or wine, there’s a buzz about the Disney Dream’s innovative spirits and knockout wine lists.

Taittinger Champagne label for the Disney Dream’s inaugural year

Taittinger has created a Champagne label just for the inaugural year of the newest Disney Cruise Line vessel. Aboard the ship, it’s served in all the lounges, but the most fun place to sip is Pink, an intimate cocktail bar in The District (the nighttime entertainment area with five adults-only venues), where a special Taittinger Prestige Rose is the signature sparkling “pink.” Guests also may purchase bottles of the special Taittinger Champagne to take home with them, exclusively on the Disney Dream.

Clovis Taittinger in Pink, the intimate cocktail bar on the Disney Dream

Our favorite spot for handcrafted cocktails is upscale Skyline, also in The District, where the bar backdrop is a virtual skyline that changes from Paris to Rio, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong on seven 65-inch LCD screens. As the view changes, the ambient music also stays in sync with each city.

Skyline on the Disney Dream

Drinks, too, are themed to each of the cities, such as the Paris 75, the Eco-Tini for Rio, Zen-Chanted for Hong Kong, Metropolitan for New York, and the Blues for Chicago.

Paris 75 (Paris)Eco-Tini (Rio)Zen-Chanted (Hong Kong)


 Metropolitan (New York)Blues (Chicago)

Also within The District, 687 is more of a pub than a lounge (“687” refers to the vessel number assigned by the shipyard to the Disney Dream). The boisterous pub features an exclusive “687” red lager, malty and slightly sweet, made with Noble hops grown in central Europe.

Special attention was given to the wine lists at Remy – there are two, one with nearly 200 wines from around the globe (mostly French), and a second, Remy’s Vault, with just 22 exclusive wines presented tableside in an elegant velvet box by a white-gloved sommelier. The list includes a 1947 Château Cheval Blanc in a nod to the Disney∙Pixar film “Ratatouille” (it’s the wine requested by the movie’s prickly food critic). Considered one of the best vintages in the world, a single bottle retails for $25,000! The list also includes a most notable 1961 Château Latour (in the film, Skinner offers Linguini a bottle of this exceptional vintage in hopes of learning his cooking secrets).

The Wine Room within Remy on the Disne

After-dinner libations include Rémy Martin Louis XIII Rare Cask, one of the most sought-after cognacs for connoisseurs, aged in centuries-old casks and served from an elegant Baccarat crystal decanter.

Across from Remy is Palo, where a sparkling prosecco and a lush red Barolo were both exclusively bottled for the upscale, Italian-inspired restaurant. Palo’s signature “Balsamic Grande” cocktail features vodka, a splash of five-year-old balsamic vinegar and fresh muddled strawberries. For a special after-dinner wow, grappa is served from a jeroboam bottle.

For guests who prefer no alcohol (and younger guests), mixologists have created new non-alcoholic cocktails. Many are made with “better for you” ingredients such as organic spirits, fresh fruits and herbs, and lower calorie no-sugar-added fruit purees. For instance, the purple basil lemonade mixes cranberry juice, sparkling water, lime and fresh basil; the mint tea punch is English breakfast tea, cranberry and pineapple juices, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and a splash of sparkling water.

2 comments:

  1. Don't be silly, of course there is booze on the cruise, it's not a Jehovah's Witness cruiseship. [Which doesn't do so well since nobody books to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries.]

    Unless something has changed, you can get alcohol in all the parks except Magic Kingdom (anyplace built after Walt died), and technically you can get it in the castle restaurant with dinner, although I realize that's not what you mean.

    I'm not saying you can get a hurricane in a giant plastic cup and carry it around with you like it's Mardi Gras, but you could get beer and wine there last time I tried.

    NOT having beer and wine would be like telling 40% of the northern hemisphere to go to hell and stop coming to our parks.

    So, the bad news is, I don't know much about the cruises. The only people I've met who've been on them were employees (who can go at half price and stay in horrible cabins by the engines or underneath nightclub dance floors). Based on what those employees [college kids] said:
    --It sounds like what you would expect from any other cruise (plus Disney)
    --It made me want to go on one, if I ever decided to go on one
    --If I had to plan a vacation with a kid, I wouldn't hesitate
    --That info predates 9/11, so take it with a grain of salt. Haven't talked to anybody about a cruise since then.

    Goodbye-Walt-hello-corporate Disney sucks in so many ways, but they are still masters of entertaining people. Even though periodically their board votes whether they should get rid of the parks because they are way more expensive than just manufacturing straight-to-DVD videos and toys.

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  2. Thanks J - I know I could count on you

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