Solo Disney Dream 4 Night Southampton To Bilbao Spain Cruise 2023 Complete Final Thoughts

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Im just back from my second cruise, so time for the trip report.

I have a pre planning thread which can be found here Planning 2023 Disney Dream Southampton England to Bilbao Spain

I am a big Titanic fan , long before the movie, so Southampton has been a bucket list trip for a long time. I decided to fly in 2 days before the cruise and stay one night after the cruise in Southampton to do sightseeing.

My flights were Aer Lingus Regional operated by Emerald Air Dublin to Southampton Regional Airport.

I got the train from the airport to Southampton Central Train station and then walked to my hotel.

I stayed at IBIS Central Hotel, at West Quay.

I prebooked a taxi from my hotel to the cruise terminal on embarkation day and just joined the general Taxi queue on debarkation day.

Itinerary
Dublin To Southampton Day Monday 28 August
Southampton Sightseeing Day Tuesday 29 August
Embarkation Day Wednesday 30 August
First Day at Sea Thursday 31 August
Bilbao Port Day Friday 1 September
Second Day at Sea Saturday 2 September
Debarkation Day Sunday 3 September
Southampton to Dublin Day Monday 4 September
Final Thoughts

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Dublin To Southampton Day Monday 28 August

The day started early, arriving by taxi to Dublin airport at 4.30am for a 7am flight.

I booked the flights direct through Aer Lingus website in May. I chose Plus Fare which includes seat selection and 1 checked 20kg bag. I paid €219.60

The plane is a 72 seater propeller plane so the carry on bag weight and size is a lot smaller.
1 x 7kg Carry-on Bag Per Passenger

• Maximum weight: 7kg (15lb)
• Maximum Size;
• Height 48cm (18.5")
• Width 33cm (13")
• Depth 20cm (8")

1 x Small Personal Item Per Passenger
(small handbag, laptop bag, baby changing bag)

• Maximum Size;
• Height 25cm (10")
• Width 33cm (13")
• Depth 20cm (8")

I did online check at home and had my boarding pass on the Aer Lingus APP. At Dublin airport there are self check in kiosks for bag drop which is so much faster than the regular check in queue.

I arrived at the airport at 4.30am and by 4.45am was in the security line.

By 5.am I was through security and into the main Terminal 2 shopping and food concourse.

Theres a new food place opened up in the upper level beside Burger King. Theres a Starbucks and Butlers Coffee, as well as a sandwich place and the bar. I got coffee, a mushroom and cheese croissant and a tomato mozerella panni from Starbucks. Next I refilled my water bottle from the free water refill station and then bought 2 cheap water from the self service water stations. The bottles of water are in a stand and cost €1. However its coins only and you put the coins in the box. Most people forget to have coins and miss out on the cheap water.

I then decided to just go to my gate area. As the plane is the small propeller plane, the gate area is on the lower level of the airport and its a bit of a walk from the main shopping area.

When the flight was called, they called passengers forward by row number, the front of the plane first. We had to take a bus out from the terminal building to the plane. I had chosen a seat at the back of the plane, as I knew about the boarding system. This way I was last on the plane and first off. There is only one boarding door at the back of the plane.

The flight time was just over 1 hour. They did serve snack food but this had to be paid for. Aer Lingus is cashless, so it had to be a debit or credit payment. I had brought my Starbucks panni to eat during the flight.

Landing in Southampton , it was just a short walk to the terminal and then straight through to bag reclaim. There are no passport checks when arriving in The UK from Ireland. It is classed as a domestic flight as there is a Common Travel Agreement between Republic of Ireland and UK which was established when Ireland left The British Empire back in the 1920's.

After getting my bag, I followed the signs to the train station. It was just a short walk to the train station. I had prebooked my train ticket online in July. It cost me £4.70 for an Any Time Single Ticket. I just had to wait a few minutes for the next train to Southampton Central Train Station. It is only one stop so I didnt even bother getting a seat.

Arriving into Southampton Central Train Station I walked to my hotel Ibis Southampton Centre. You can see the hotel from the train station, so I just had to walk across the road. I booked the hotel in December 2022 and paid £201.60 for 2 nights with breakfast. I booked a double room with 1 double bed. Wifi is included.

I was too early to check in, which I expected but they have a luggage store area and told me to come back at 12pm for my room.

After leaving my bags, I then went to explore. I had done a lot of research about the local area and had marked many things on Google Maps. I had downloaded Google Maps to my phone so that I was able to use it without having cell service.

My hotel was beside a retail park and a very large shopping centre called West Quay. I went into West Quay Shopping just sat there until it was time to go back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel for 12pm and up to my room to change and freshen up. The room is basic but is fine for me. I have stayed at IBIS Hotels many times and know what to expect.



Then out again to my first Titanic sightseeing. I booked Walk the Secrets of the Titanic tour with Walsh Tours. This is a 2 hour walk through the old town of Southampton, visiting many of the Titanic memorials and places connected to the Titanic Crew. I paid £16 and is something I highly recommend. Bryan was hugely knowledgeable about not only Titanic but Southampton local history. The only thing I would note before booking this tour is that the actual quay / pier where Titanic docked is not accessible to the general public. Titanic was at Berth 44, which is still The White Star Line pier. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics uses that Berth for their cargo ships. Berth 44 is opposite Ocean Cruise Terminal, so you either need to be departing from Ocean Cruise Terminal or Queen Elizabeth II Terminal to see the actual place where Titanic was moored.

The walking tour ended at 4.30pm and I went back to West Quay Shopping Centre for my evening food. After getting food, I found the big ASDA grocery store. ASDA is owned by Walmart. I got 2 big bottles of water for my room.

By this stage I had been on the go over 12 hours and was exhausted, so I went back to my hotel for an early night.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Southampton Sightseeing Day Tuesday 29 August

Today started with buffet breakfast at my hotel. It was a typical UK / Irish breakfast buffet

• Cereals - cornflakes, rice crispies, muesli, wheatbix
• Toast, mini croissants, mini chocolate croissants
• Tea, coffee, apple juice, orange juice
• Yoghurt
• Mixed prepared fruit
• Slices of ham and cheese
• Sausages
• Fried Eggs
• Heinz Baked Beams
• Hash Browns
• Fried Mushrooms
• Fried Tomatoes

After breakfast I went over to West Quay Shopping Centre at 9.45am. When I was doing my research I noticed on the shopping centre website that there was a summer temporary roller rink called Roller Land at the shopping centre. When I check prices and times I found that they had a 30 minute Learn To Skate at 10am before they opened to the general public at 10.30am. This was ideal. I have skated before and bought skates in 2021 but I am not that confident. I paid £7 and it was so worth it. There was about 10 people there, all ages from a child with her dad to adults like me. The staff were amazing, they were in the rink with us, giving us tips and hints, and for those less confident like me, helped us when we fell. It was really great to be in a low crowd with beginners as everyone was the same.

By about 10.40 I was done. I left Roller Land and had another walk through West Quay Shopping Centre, this time, going out a different exit onto the main High Street area called Above Bar Street and had a wander through the shops.

At the top of Above Bar Street I found the old shopping centre called Marlands Shopping Centre. In this shopping centre I found an amazing old fashioned sweet shop called Fredricks and a really great shop called Cool Merchandise which had so many Disney Loungefly bags as well as tons of other Disney and Universal merchandise, band tshirts and so much more.

I walked through Marlands Shopping Centre and found myself at ASDA. I went back into ASDA and this time I bought wine for the ship and some sharing bags of chocolates to hand out as Pixie Dust.

I brought my shopping back to my room and decided that I was done for the day. McDonalds was beside my hotel so I just went there for my evening food and brought it back to my room.

I repacked my bags, transferring items that I needed for embarkation into my carry on bag and transferring items from my carryon bag into my big bag that I didnt need until later.

I had an early night as I wanted to wake up early to see The Dream Sail In

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Embarkation Day Wednesday 30 August

Today finally its Embarkation Day. I set my alarm to wake up early to watch the sail in on YouTube. Southampton Port has a few webcams, but the one which shows Queen Elizabeth II Terminal and the sail in is Netley Cam.

The Dream was on the Webcam from about 5.25am. It was so cool to see the sail in before sunrise with all the ships lights on. Once they docked at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal at about 6am I went back to sleep and got up at 7.30am.

I went for breakfast at 8.30am and then came back to my room until check out at 11am. I had Netly Cam on my Laptop , just watching the ship. The DCL Health Questionnaire popped up about 10am, so I did that.

I went down to the hotel lobby at 11.am and my taxi arrived at 11.10am. I had pre booked with Radio Taxis for 11.15am pickup. I paid cash for the journey but they do accept card. It was £10.

Arrival at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal was easy. The taxi was directed into a big covered warehouse area which was divided into different sections for taxi drop off and pick up.

The entrance building was at the the far end. There a big signs and lost of port staff so its organized and easy to find where to go. I was first directed to the luggage drop area. They checked I had the DCL luggage tag and then a porter took my bag. You do not tip the luggage porters in Southampton.

Then I was directed to the entrance queues. Port staff checked my PAT form and I was directed into the 12pm queue. It was now 11.35am.

At 11.40 our queue was allowed into the main check in hall and into the switch backs. It moved fast as there were alot of desks open. At the check in they checked my PAT form and my passport and that I had done the Health Questionnaire. I was given a wristband and then told to go up stairs. On the way to the next level was the DCL Embarkation Photo OP.

Up the escalator to the next level and I was in the final holding area before security and walking onto the ship. It was now about 11.50am and this area was crowded as they hadnt called Boarding Group 1 yet.

Boarding Group 1 was called at 11.55am and they moved quickly though and soon it was Group 11, my boarding group.
When the boarding group is called there a switchback to get to the security area. They have 3 security lanes, so they get through people fast. Just like at the airport, bags in the scanner, walk through the scanner.

And then finally I was walking through the glass walkway. Its a lot longer than in Dover, theres a few switchbacks. And then just like last year, I used the name Elizabeth Swan for my welcome announcment.

OMG, I'm on The Dream. I check the time, 12.15pm. Really good timing. Its a bit overwhelming but I don't stop to take photos, I head straight down to Enchanted Garden and to the dining team. I manage to get Palo Brunch for the first day at sea. I also get the length of cruise Rainforest Room pass which cost $99. The Spa lady gave me a sticker for my Key To The World card.

Next its lunch at Animators Palate. I'm sitting at the table at 12.45pm. I had

• Muffaletta Sandwich
• Golden Chicken Strips, Steak Fries, Vegetables and BBQ Sauce
• Carrot Cake

Service was a bit slow but that was fine. I left at 1.35pm and went straight to deck 8 as rooms were ready at 1.30pm.

My room was Starboard (Starfish) side, Forward, number 8515. I left a room review on The Dis / WDWINFO Review page

Once in my room I took photos and then put my magnets and Fish Extender on my door. My checked luggage bag arrived but I didnt unpack.

Once my door was done, I went to Vista Cafe and got a Caramel Fit Frappe. I had my full coffee card from last years cruise on The Magic , so I was able to get my Frappe free. I took my drink up to Satellite Falls to have some chill time.

The Muster Drill was at 4pm. This was new to me, as last year on The Magic it was still the virtual check in on the App. My Muster Station was H Starboard Forward on Deck 4 , beside Walt Disney Theater. I got there early and as a result, when they lined us up I was very near the door to the Forward Stairs and Elevators. The Muster Drill took a while as many people were late. But eventually we were done. I took the stairs and powered my way all the way to deck 13 and Currents Bar.

At Currents Bar I got the drink of the day in the DCL Souvenir glass which I had brought with me from last years cruise.

I went down to deck 12 Midship for the SailAway Party but it was far too crowded, so I went back to Satellite Falls. It was almost empty so I had a very chill sail away, compared to the madness of Midship.

I stayed on deck 13 for a good while, and finally went back to my at 5.30pm to change for dinner at 6pm.

My dinner tonight was at Animators Palate. I had requested my server from last year on The Magic and I got a great welcome back from her. I had also requested a private table. I was on table 129, just under a screen at the edge of the restaurant.

I had a great view of the restaurant and also the Crush Animation show. For my dinner I had

Tomato and Goats Cheese Tart
Sliced Serrano Ham with Manchego Cheese and Olive Tapenade
Herb Crusted Port Chop with Sundried Tomato Risotto
Lemon Tart

I left the restaurant about 7.15pm and went straight to the shops. It was heaving, which I expected but I managed to get The Dream of Europe 2023 Spirit Jersey which I wanted.

I bright my spirit jersey back to my room and found the 25th Anniversary framed print had been delivered during turn down service.

I had joined the magnet and ornament exchanges so I delivered them. I planned my route to the rooms well, as my last last delivery was Forward. I went down the stairs to Deck 4 and was in perfect time for The Golden Mickeys Show. I got a seat at the balcony area.

I had resisted watching it on YouTube so I only kinda knew what it was about. It was a fun show, as the name suggests its a Disney themed Award Show. I can see why its not peoples favourite.

After the show I went though the shops again and then headed to the Lobby Atrium for the 25th Anniversary Shimmer Soiree . It was very crowded, so I only stayed long enough to get the complimentary drink.

Even though I was early, I headed to The District Adult area and Evolution Bar and just chilled until the entertainment started. I didnt participate but it was great fun watching Snippets and Quest.

I didnt stay for the silent disco but decided to have some late night pizza, so it was off to Deck 11 pool deck.

I brought the pizza back to my room and finally it was time to unpack and sort out my room. I put my watch forward one hour and then it was time for bed.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

First Day at Sea Thursday 31 August

I set my alarm for 6.30am to see the sunrise, but when I woke and check the Magic Porthole it was very overcast, so I just decided to take my time getting ready.

My Palo Bruch was at 11.30am so I didnt want to go to the MDR for breakfast. I went to Cove Cafe and got a coffee and pastries for breakfast and just sat in the adult quiet area watching the sea.

By 8.15am I was heading to the Rainforest Room for the first time. It was such a nice way to start the day, I spent an hour rotating between the hot tub, heated stone recliner, the various showers and steam rooms.

Then I decided to try the adult pool and hot tub on Deck 11. It was now 9.30am and it was just me and 2 other people in the adult pool and just me in the hot tub.

When I was in the pool I went back to my room to get ready for my Palo brunch.

I was early to check in and spent about 20 minutes chilling in Meridian Bar watching the sea.

At Palo I had a lovely table by the window. It didnt seem too busy, which was surprising considering the high demand.

I had

• Mimosa ( Bucks Fizz)
• Bread Service
• Eggs Benedict
• Goats Cheese and Sundried Tomato Flatbread
• Veal Saltimbocca
• Limoncello Tort

By 1.30pm I was rolling out of Palo. I made a quick stop at my room and then I headed to The District area for my Chocolate and Liquor Tasting in Pink.

I was a bit early and so I sat in the District Lounge and got the end of Marvel Mask Making Craft session. So many screaming kids, I was glad of the quiet when we finally went into Pink.

The Chocolate and Liquor Tasting was hosted by Dani, the head Sommelier and it was really good. I loved all the back stories and history of the various alcohol and also the little things like holding the glass on the side and checking the various colours.

We had a glass of

• Taittinger Champagne
• Lasseter Chemin de Fer Red Wine
• Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Port
• Glenmorangie Signet

The chocolate was

• A piece of milk, white and dark chocolate
• Melted dark chocolate
• Melted white and milk chocolate together in the same glass

We also got a glass of cubed parmesan reggiano cheese and a can of Italian San Benedetto still water.

I know many have complained about the recent price increase, but to me the price for what you got was well worth it. Considering that the average price per bottle is approx $60 and the whiskey is over $200 a bottle, this was a great opportunity to taste some drinks I would never just order in bar.

I was glad though that I had been to Palo before the tasting, as I was a little tipsy when I left

The afternoon I spent doing Midship Detective Agency. I loved this game but didnt finish the Muppets game as a lot of people were also playing and at each photo location there was at queue of people waiting.

I also tried the self serve icream, I got banana and blueberry in a cup as I don't like the cones.

I brought the icecream back to the adult area and sat for a while watching the sea , as it was very busy and crowded in the main pool areas.

Then it was back to my room to freshen up for dinner. Tonight was the first of 2 nights in Enchanted Garden.

I had

• Lobster Ravioli
• Smoked Bacon and Wild Mushroom Tart
• Scallops with Roasted Asparagus, Sundried Tomato Cous Cous
• Warm Sticky Date Pudding

Tonights main show was Beauty and the Beast. I had a wander through the shops and saw that a queue was started so I joined the queue and managed to get a seat at the front of a section which meant I had no one in front of me. I had my refillable souvenir DCL glass in my bag, so as I was early for the show I decided to get the drink of the day from one of the drink servers who were walking around the theatre.

Wow, that show is just incredible. Its hard to believe we were in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, it felt like I was in London West End.

After the show I had a wander through the atrium and decided to have an early night, as our port day is tomorrow. I didnt go to any of the adult evening entertainment.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Bilbao Port Day Friday 1 September

I set my alarm for 5am but when I wake I see on the Magic Porthole that we are not in port and its still dark. I go back to sleep and get up at 6am.

I get ready for the day and at 7am I head to Cove Cafe for early morning coffee. I take my coffee up to deck 13 to watch the sail in and sunrise.

At 8am I go to breakfast at Royal Palace. Before going into the restaurant I take some photos of an empty atrium and the CM setting up the deck 3 gangway area.

For breakfast I had

• Pineapple, Mango, Yoghurt, Granola Parfait
• Eggs Benedict with sausage on the side
• Orange Juice

I was done with Breakfast by 8.45am so then it was time to explore Bilboa.

There was hardly anyone getting off the ship, so it was easy, I just scanned my Key To The World Card and then walked off the ship. Bilbao is a proper cruise terminal like at Southampton, so they had a similar big long glass corridor into the terminal building.

I just followed the people in front of me , down the escalator to the main exit.

At the bottom of the escalator port staff were handing out paper tourist maps of Bilbao. There were plenty of signs to the bus area.

There were two sections of buses. One side were numbered buses for the excursions. The other side were buses which had a sign that said Disney Dream Shuttle Bilbao Port Last Bus Pick Up 4pm.

I knew about these shuttle buses as I had phoned Bilbao Port a few weeks previously. I spoke to a lovely lady called Maria who told me about the shuttle bus and the drop off / pick up area. I also rang DCL but they did not have this information and could only tell me to get a taxi or the public transport Metro or bus from the port to the city centre.

The cruise port is at an area called Getxo which is about 30 minutes from Bilbao city centre.

Before my cruise I did a lot of research of things to do and see. I had starred them on Google Maps and then downloaded the map of Bilbao so that I could use it offline with cell service or Wifi.

Many people did not get off the ship. Some people only went to the nearby Getxo beach.

The bus drop off / pick up point in Bilbao for my cruise was outside the main entrance of Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao

I was off the bus by 9.15am and using my Google map on my phone it was off on my DIY walking tour.

The first part was down to the main shopping street which is called Gran Via de Don Diego Lopez de Haro.

Primark is at the end of this street. They have free Wifi and there is a low wall to sit on outside. I connected to the Wifi and when I checked my email I saw that the walking tour I had pre booked had been cancelled. Oh well, nevermind.

I continued down the street and across the bridge into the old town and sat for while outside Teatro Arriaga Theatre

From there I went over to a lovely little park by the river called Parque Del Arenal. San Nikolas Eliza Church is beside the park.

I walked through the park along the river to the next bridge which would bring me back to Gran Via de Don Diego Lopez de Haro.

I wandered in a zig zag fashion though the streets, using Google maps on my phone to keep in the right direction.

I found a Spanish / Basque supermarket called BM Supermercados on Barroeta Aldamar Kalea street where I bought some local chocolate.

After the supermarket I found another little park called Albiako Lorategiak which is beside the Courts of Justice. A wedding party were having a photo shoot as I walked by.

After the park I found a lovely traditional Basque coffee and pastry shop called Cafeteria Arrese Kafetegia which says its been there since 1852.

I bought a coffee and some pastries and took a seat by a window and just had a lovely time enjoying the atmosphere.

When I was done with my coffee I walked up the street and I was back on Gran Via de Don Diego Lopez de Haro.

Just retraced my route from the morning back to the bus pick up location outside The Museum of Fine Arts. On the way I found Starbucks and bought my Bilbao You Are Here mug to add to my collection.

I was back at the bus pick up area by 1.35pm. There was a queue of people so I joined the queue. Be aware that you just stand on the footpath and there is no shade.

I was prepared for the heat and burning sun. It was 32 c /89 f and humid. I dressed like I would for a day in LA, umbrella and good walking shoes. I did not have any Disney branded clothing and I hid my cruise lanyard under my clothes. My handbag was a cross body plain black bag. I had my passport and credit card in a money belt under my clothes. I had a small amount of Euros cash and coins in a purse in my handbag. I mainly used a pre paid currency card which was in Euros.

I was back at the ship by 2.15pm. Before getting back on the ship I walked to the end of the carpark to get some photos of the ship.

Getting back on the ship was easy, I just had to show my Key To The World card. Disney had set up a drinks station with cold plain water and cold lemon water before getting back on the ship.

I went straight to my room, and changed for The Rain Forest Room. The main pool deck was heaving, thats where everyone seemed to be.

I was in The Rain Forest Room by 3pm. It was almost empty and it was so cool to be in the hot tub with the amazing scenery. I had such a lovely afternoon chilling in the peace and quiet.

I left The Rain Forest Room around 4.15pm and went back to my room to change for Pirate night. When I went into the room I saw that the Pirate Bandana was on my bed.

I was ready by 5pm and went back up to deck 13 to watch the sail out from Bilbao.

My dinner tonight was in Enchanted Garden and before I went to the restaurant I went to the atrium to take some photos.

This was my first time having Pirate Menu. I had

• Deep Fried Calypso Crab Cake With Cajun Remoulade, Green Onion and Lemon
• Swanns Red and Yello Beetroot Carpaccio With Asparagus, Pickled Radishes, Cornichons and Mustard Dressing
• Chevalles Lamb Shank Rosemary Lamb Shank Slowly Braised in Red Wine Served with Buttered Green Beans and Parsnip Mash
• Bananas In Paradise Layered Banana Bread with Hazelnut Fudge filling served with a Banana Spice Purée

After dinner I went straight to Deck 11 Midship to get a place for Mickey's Pirates in the Caribbean deck party. Im not going to talk about that, you can find lots of video's on YouTube.

What I am going to talk about is the behavior of the passengers.

I was standing at the barrier near the entrance to the assistance area at the front of the stage on the port side of the ship. There were 2 cm's from the entertainment department organizing the assistance area. I am small so I got a good spot at the barrier leaning against one of the wooden storage bin containers. I watched the 2 cms's trying to wrangle that area. I saw them bringing chairs for those who needed it. I watched them arrange the wheelchairs and scooters so that everyone had a good view. A few minutes before the show started there were 2 maybe 3 groups of females, one group was older, one group younger who just barged in. They knew it was the assistance area but saw that it was a good space to see the show. The younger group were standing in front of me, blocking everyones view. I huushed them out of my view line, and they were not pleased that someone dared to question them being there and gave me an evil look. It was very obvious that the cm's were skilled enough to know who was genuine and who was taking advantage, but when they tried to move along the not genuine they were ignored. I watched how they tried to hide their frustrations at not being able to do their job and keep the assistance area organized and only for those who needed it.

Up until now I had stayed in the adult areas and had mainly done adult activities. This was the first time I had been among the masses for an extended period. It really made me start to take more notice of the passengers and their behavior.

As soon as the show ended, I left deck 11 as soon as I could and made my way down to Preludes to see Jack Sparrow meet and greet. By the time I got there the queue was really long, even though it was about 10 minutes before the start time. I just sat on the seats and watched. He was there for over 30 minutes and still going when I left. That was the only character meet that I went to but from passing through the Atrium during character meets, all were huge lines and many were chaotic as people were not happy at having to queue for over an hour.

After watching Jack Sparrow I went up to deck 12 to get a spot for fireworks. I managed to get a spot at the railings in front of the Aquaduct steps facing the stage. The little show was fun and then wow, the fireworks. It was a real pinch me moment, fireworks in the middle of the Bay of Biscay on a Disney cruise. To me it was a magical moment but I have heard since coming home that some passengers were complaining about the fireworks at guest services and wanting some sort of compensation as they were too short and not like the fireworks in World Disney World.

After the fireworks I had enough of the chavtasic masses and went back to my room.

When I got back to my room, the tip envelopes

I ordered some late night room service of Uncrustables and chicken tenders and just watched some tv before going to sleep.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Second Day at Sea Saturday 2 September

This morning started again with coffee from Cove Cafe at 7am. After getting my coffee I took a walk to the empty pool deck to take some photos and get the sun rise.

Then it was breakfast at 8am in Royal Garden.

I really love the peace and calm of early breakfast in the MDR, its a great way to start a sea day.

I had

• Apple Pastry
• Fruit Plate
• Eggs Benedict
• Orange Juice

While I was at breakfast, I saw that the Art of The Theme Show Tour was on at 9am. I was a bit early but I made my way up to Meridian Bar. There were a few people there already and Rebecca from Entertainment was just chatting and telling us a bit about herself.

A few more people turned up and then at 9am she started the tour. Its really interesting, learning about the design and thought process behind various places and things to do with the ship.

The tour started in Meridian, then into Palo. We were only allowed to go to the entrance area of Remy. Then we down to deck 5, first to Oceaners Lab and then out to the atrium balcony area.

After the tour I saw that Vibe had open house so I went there. This was another place I wanted to see, as on The Dream, Vibe is on deck 5 Forward. Its accessed by deck 4 forward and up the stairs. On The Magic this area is crew area and a crew pool but on The Dream the bow of the ship with the pool is a kids club. There was just one group of kids waiting to go in, no other adults doing open house, so it was cool to see it empty.

It was now 10.15am so I went back to my room to get changed into swim clothes and was in The Rainforest Room by 10.30am.

After The Rainforest Rom as I was already in swimclothes, I decided to go to the Aquadunk. Unfortunately as we were at sea and it was a bit windy, they were not allowing solo riders. I went to Flos to get a burger and chicken wrap for later, refilled my Tervis mug with Pepsi and then went back to my room and changed for another visit to The Rainforest Room.

I was back in my room by 11.15am and getting changed for afternoon activities. My next activity was Martini Tasting in Skybar at 12pm. Before I left my room I ate the burger and wrap as I didnt want to go to the tasting with an empty stomach. I brought my Tervis mug with Pepsi to the Martini tasting to have between drinks.

Martini Tasting was amazing. It was hosted by Gabriel from Argentina, who usually works in Meridian. He was great fun and very knowledgeable about the history of Martini cocktails and the design of Skybar. You could just tell he had a passion for the craft of bartending as he spoke about bar tending competitions.

The Martinis we had were

• Espresso Martini
• Cosmopolitan
• Classic Dry Martini
• A specialty Martini created by another Meridian bartender
• Brandy Alexander

After the Martini Tasting I went straight to Royal Palace for lunch. Again very few people here, which is amazing. The Atrium was very busy so I just went quickly into the resturant.

For lunch I had

• Seafood and Chicken Gumbo Soup
• Bucatini Carbonara
• Red Velvet Cake

Just as I was leaving Royal Palace Restaurant, Jack Jacks Diaper Dash was just starting right outside the restaurant entrance. I sat on the ground just at the rope barrier at the restaurant entrance and had a great view.

I managed to beat the atrium crowds by using the aft elevators and went up to deck 11. I went into Cabanas to take photos of the food and was so glad I had eaten in the MDR.

After taking photos in Cabanas I went back to my room for a bit. I checked the App and saw that Making of The Dream was starting soon in Bar 678. Rebecca the Cm who did the Art of the Theme Show Tour was also doing this. It was half video presentation on the screen in the bar and half a slide show presentation. Again I loved hearing about the design and how the ship was created.

I got the drink of the day in my reusable souvenir glass at Bar 678 and then went for a walk around the ship. The atrium was quiet as it was afternoon and no character meets. Everyone was at the pool deck.

I ended up back at my room and getting changed for dinner. I saw on the App that Oceaneers Club had Open House at 5.30pm. This was another of my must see areas, as on The Dream it has a Star Wars area. Its the inside of The Millennium Falcon. The cockpit section has a game version of the ride from Galaxys Edge and the other section is the chess table seating area.

It was a bit busy so I just took some photos and then headed to Royal Palace for dinner. I had

• Breaded Deep Fried Brie
• Red Wine Pear Salad
• Roast Duck Breast

I didnt have any desert.

After dinner I went back to my room to finish my packing. I had my big case out in the hall by 8.40pm and just made it to the theatre for the start of the last show Believe. I again went to deck 4 balcony area.

This show was a cute show, a mini compilation of various Disney films with a character going on a journey. The cast and production are amazing, but its a one and done show for me.

After the show I went for one last look at the shops and then went to guest services to settle my account.

I then went back to my room for the night. I found the guest survey and note about clocks going back had been left in room during the turn down service.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Debarkation Day Sunday 3 September

Early start today , I was up by 6am and doing the final packing and tidying of the room. I checked the Magic Porthole and saw that we were already in port, back at Southampton Queen Elizabeth II Terminal which we had left from.

As I had early seating MDR dinner, on debarkation day I was scheduled early breakfast. Embarkation day breakfast is scheduled in your last MDR dinner restaurant, so at 6.45am, with one final look around my room, I was off to breakfast at Royal Palace.

I brought my carry on luggage with me to breakfast. At the entrance to the restaurant, there was a place to put all the carry on bags as everyone had breakfast.

The debarkation breakfast is limited and not the full menu as on previous days. I had

• coffee
• orange juice
• Southern Hash Potatoes with fried eggs Chorizo sausage, Cilantro, Green Onions, and Peppers with melted Jack Cheese
• Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup

I was done with breakfast by 7.15am and said goodbye to my serving team.

I went for one last walk around the ship, taking the last photos and by 8am ended up in the adults area by Cove Cafe. I sat here in the quiet, enjoying the last moments on the ship.

My checked luggage tag Daisy was called around 8am, but I decided to wait for a while.

I finally decided it was time to leave the ship and at about 8.20am I headed to the Main Atrium. Holy gravy, it was heaving. I really don't think people understood the debarkation process of waiting until your luggage tag is called.

Anyways I just decided to dive right into the mess and just go with the flow and see how long it took to get off the ship.

I was off the ship at 8.34am and collecting my checked bag in the big luggage area. Other than the crowds, the process of getting of the ship was easy. I just scanned my Key To The World Card and walked out back through the glass walkway into the port building and then followed the signs to Luggage Claim and then Exit out of the building. Exiting the building you walk through a customs check area but there is no passport or customs check for everyone. The Port Authorities just do random spot checks, so like me, most people just walk straight out.

Walking out of the building I recognized that I was in the same big covered taxi area that I had arrived at, just on a different side. I saw the general taxi queue ahead of me, so I walked up and joined the queue.

I didnt pre book a taxi as my plans on this day were flexible. I was not flying back to Dublin, instead I had decided to stay another night in Southampton and fly home on Monday 4 September.

I again had booked IBIS Southampton Centre for one night with breakfast. As I knew I would be leaving the ship early in the morning I had paid £10 extra for early check in.

As a result I wasn't stressed about the long queue for taxis. That morning was exceptionally busy at Southampton Port. There were 5 cruise ships debarking passengers at the same time, which caused a huge strain on the local transportation options. I ended up waiting 40 minutes for a taxi. When I got to the top of the queue, the dispatch man was apologizing to everyone for the long wait. He said that its not normally like this, that usually by 9.20am the queue has eased. But when I looked back, the taxi queue was still the full length of the covered area, stretching right back to the door of the building. While I was waiting I talked to an English family who had train tickets for 9.15am, with connections to other routes back to their home city. Unfortunately at 9.15am we were all still in the taxi queue at the cruise port.

Eventually at 9.20am I was in a taxi and after a short 10 minute journey I was back at IBIS Southampton Centre. As I had paid for early check in I was able to go straight to my room.

Today I planned to visit my sister who lives in Wiltshire. I had bought an any time train ticket in advance online so I was not tied to a specific train time. I checked the time, it was now 10am, so I decided to go for the 10.15am train.

Train travel in The UK in 2022 and 2023 has been a bit chaotic. Many train companies and Unions have been on strike which really limits when people can travel. In The UK by law they have to give minimum 14 days notice of strikes. I only bought my train tickets to visit my sister after the strike dates for the end of August / start of September had been announced. I signed up to receive email notifications from the train company which operates the route from Southampton to where my sister lives.

Even though there were no strikes on the day I visited my sister, as it was a Sunday, the train company were doing planned engineering works on part of the route. This meant that I had to get a rail replacement bus service for part of the journey.

The rail replacement service is a bus service provided by the train company for train passengers. It is a round trip journey only, no stops in between. It leaves at the approx time the train would have been scheduled to leave.

For my journey to visit my sister, I took the rail replacement bus service from Southampton Train Station to Salisbury and then got on the train at Salisbury to where my sister lives. Travel time approx 2 hours, whereas it would have been 1 hour on the direct train.

I had a lovely afternoon with my sister and her family, telling them all about the cruise. Then in the evening I just reversed my journey back to Southampton. Train from where my sister lives to Salisbury and then rail replacement bus service back to Southampton Train Station.

It was about 7pm when I got back to Southampton. It was a long day, so I just got some food at Tesco supermarket at the train station and then went back to my hotel.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Southampton to Dublin Day Monday 4 September

My last day of the trip and I decided to have a sleep in and relaxing morning.

Check out time was 11am, so I decided to go for breakfast at 9am and bring the food back to the room. I had a lovely morning just chilling and watching tv. I also did online check in with my airline Air Lingus.

At 11am I brought my bags down to reception and put them in the hotel luggage store.

Then it was off to more Titanic sightseeing. This time to Sea City Museum. This is a Southampton and Titanic Museum in part of the Southampton Council Buildings. It took me about 10 minutes to walk there from my hotel.

I had pre booked a timed ticket for 12pm online but they also sell on the day tickets. I went to the ticket desk, showed my online print out and they gave me a blank souvenir ticket. It was a busy time when I arrived there but they didnt seem to be limiting people entering, so really theres no need to pre buy online in advance. The only advantage really to pre buying tickets online is that it helps with scheduling your plans for the day.

The ticket counter staff directed me upstairs to the Titanic exhibition.

The Titanic exhibition is located in half of the upstairs section. It is a self guided walk though. You can pay for optional extra audio guide which I didnt do. It focuses on the Titanic crew, both survivors and those who lost their lives. There are interactive sections, various pieces of personal items from the crew and lots of information panels on the walls.

The one section which I really enjoyed was a recreation of the court in London from the 1912 British Wreck Commissioner's inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic. This was something I havent seen in other Titanic exhibitions.

There is a second exhibition in the upstairs area. This is all about the geography of Southampton and about who the people of Southampton are and where they come from.

On the lower, entrance level, there is a third exhibition area. This is all about the maritime history of Southampton. There is also a cafe and a small gift shop.

Overall I was disappointed by Sea City Titanic Exhibition. None of the exhibition staff had any connection to Titanic or any real interest in Titanic, they were just council staff assigned to that part of the building. I get the feeling that while Titanic will forever be associated with Southampton, Southampton does not really want or care about the connection. It feels like the City Council are using their small Titanic exhibition to get people to go to their Southampton history and geography exhibitions. On their website Titanic is the main thing, but when you go there, its actually only 1 small section out of 3 sections.

The ticket counter staff were lovely, I spoke to them afterwards and when they realized I was a proper Titanic fan, they apologized for the small exhibition. They said that in 2012, for the 100 anniversary, the exhibition was a lot bigger, but after the 100 anniversary it was down sized. They do have a map of all the Titanic memorials around the city, and they were surprised that I had already been to them on a guided tour. I get the feeling that most tourists go to the Sea City Titanic Exhibition as their main Titanic place and like me are disappointed, so the museum staff created the map of the memorials for people to do. The ticket counter staff were also surprised that I knew about not being able to go to the pier where Titanic was and that I had photos of it from the cruise ship. Again I get the feeling that many tourists are disappointed by not being able to go to the place where Titanic was.

After leaving Sea City Museum I went back to Marlands Shopping Centre and got some sweets (candy) from Fredricks Old Fashioned Sweet Shop. I then walked through the shopping centre back out onto the main High Street shopping area called Above Bar Street.

I then walked down Above Bar Street to West Quay Shopping Centre and went to Pizza Hut for lunch.

Pizza Hut in the UK is cashless. I was brought to a table, and scanned the QR Code on the table to access the menu and online ordering. I was there about 2pm so I was in time for the unlimited buffet which ends at 3pm. On the online ordering system I chose the Unlimited Buffet with Salad Bar, Bottomless Drink and Ice-cream option. I paid online using my UK bank card. I had to do double authentication. Before the payment would go through I had to wait for a text message code to be send to my phone and I had to put this code into the Pizza Hut payment section. This is normal now in UK and Ireland for online payments, so I'm not sure how it would work with an American bank card and American cell phone.

Once the payment went through I was all set to go. I got up from my table and went to get some pizza. When I got back to my table, the staff had brought a knife and fork and a glass for my drink. So I went back and got some soda.
I went back to get more pizza and the staff had cleared the table from my first round and had brought a bowl and spoon for when I was ready for ice-cream.

After pizza hut I had a wander around the shops and was back at my hotel about 4.30pm.

I got my luggage from the hotel luggage store and took a few minutes to repack my bags for the flight.

Then I was ready to walk over to the train station.

I had an anytime train ticket so I wasnt tied to any specific train time. The airport is just one stop from the train station, so its on many train routes. I didnt bother getting a seat as it was just a 10 minute journey.

At the airport I just reversed my route from when I arrived, its sign posted and takes less than 10 minutes.

Southampton airport is a small local regional airport. There was just one person ahead of me at bag drop / check in. I was through security by 6pm which was perfect timing for my 8pm flight.

Even though its a small airport, that time of the evening was busy. There were about 10 flights leaving in the space of 2 hours, all to UK / Ireland destinations. Theres a WH Smith bookshop shop which sells prepackaged sandwiches, snacks, drinks, and a Costa Coffee shop.

My flight was on time and I landed in Dublin airport about 9.pm and headed for a taxi home.

 

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Final Thoughts and Extra Notes

Ive started a version of this multiple times, as I have a lot of thoughts about this cruise.

Ok, just going to start with, I love the Disney Cruise experience. Ive now been on 2 cruises on 2 different ships and been to 5 ports in 2 countries. I love the all inclusive food and activities, I love being on the ocean and I love having a Disney holiday without the go go go aspect of Disney parks.

Until I joined Disboards I did not even know Disney Cruise Line existed as it is not marketed in my country. People in my country still have the old fashioned idea of cruising from watching The Love Boat. That cruising is mainly for older retired people and its all formal. My view of cruising was formed in 1998 by watching a UK tv show called The Cruise, which followed the then MV Galaxy Ship , now Marella Explorer Ship on its Maiden Voyage. Between those 2 tv shows, I had decided that cruising was not something I would enjoy.

Anyways onto this cruise.

Things I Really Liked and Enjoyed

• The bigger ship overall
• The Rainforest Room - I loved having the outdoor view hot tubs
• The adult only areas
• My stateroom , 8515, forward, not connecting
• Having 2 locations for upcharge coffee - Vista Cafe and Cove Cafe
• The food
• The DCL App
• The DCL Customer service and just how amazing the staff in all departments are.
• The alcohol tastings
• Palo Brunch
• Early morning coffee watching the sunrise
• Midship Detective Agency

Things Which Are A One and Done

• Golden Mickey Show and Believe - I'm glad I went to them and saw them once. The production and cast are amazing, being able to do such high quality shows on a moving ship is highly impressive. However the script and theme of the shows were not something I found enjoyable enough to repeat on future cruises. I'm glad though that I didnt watch them on YouTube before the cruise and that I experienced them live in the the theatre the way they should be experienced.
• Mickeys Pirates Show - Again I'm glad I went and experienced it once. I was disappointed that Disney seem to be moving away from Pirates of The Caribbean film theming, even though they did have a Jack Sparrow Meet and Greet. I will keep a watch for my cruise next summer. If its still the same Mickeys Pirates Show I probably wont go.
• Adult Evening Entertainment in Evolution - I went on the first night for Snippets and Quest. It was great fun but I didnt feel the need to go to the other nights entertainment. Also on the ship I prefer to get up early for sunrise instead of staying up late in the bars.
• Self Serve Icecream - I know many people love this but I tried it for the first time on this cruise. I had banana and blueberry in a cup. It was nice and its a cool feature for it to be self serve and limitless but with so much other food available on the ship, its not something that I would consider a must do on future cruises.

Things Which I Didn't Get To Do But Are On The List For Next Year

• Aquaduct - I went there one morning after being in The Rainforest Room. However it was a day at sea and they were not allowing solo riders due to high winds. On my cruise next year I will keep a better watch on the opening times and go on it when the ship is in port.
• Watch a Funnel Vision film- I still havent found time to sit and watch a film
• Late night swim in the pool
• Watch a film in Buena Vista Theatre - I really wanted to see Haunted Mansion and Little Mermaid 2023 on the ship but I just didnt have time
• Be on deck for sunset

Things To Note For August 2024 Disney Dream Sailings From Southampton
Right Ok, here goes
This is more a warning and a Know Before You Go for anyone booked or thinking about booking the 3, 4, 5 night cruises from Southampton in 2024.

My cruise this year, the 4 Night to Bilbao Spain and the previous cruise the 4 Night to La Rochelle in France had a very different passenger group than Disney normally have. These 2 cruises in particular but also other cruises from Southampton had 90% UK people who were either first time Disney cruisers or had only been on the 2021 Disney Magic Staycation cruises. People were complaining about the crowds as their only experience of a Disney Cruise was on the 50% occupancy staycation cruise on The Magic. They got a shock with the full capacity bigger Disney Dream.

August is peak holiday time for UK families. Term time starts in September. UK school authorities are very strict about school attendance, parents get fined for unexplained absence like taking the kids out of school to go on holiday. This means that every family in the UK with children have to take their summer holidays at the same time. As a result passenger expectations were not the reality of a full capacity Disney Dream Cruise.

Queues for the shops on embarkation day were very long. People started queueing outside the shops after the Muster Drill and after The Sail Away Party. The shops opened at 6pm and some people were queuing from approx 4.30pm. Then when the shops opened it was carnage. The lack of access to official and exclusive Disney merchandise creates a huge demand from UK people on the ship.

Queues for character Meet and Greets were very long. The queues often started an hour before the listed appearance time for the character. On the LA Rochelle cruise, the queue for Stich was over 2 hours and it was chaos. Stich, Chip and Dale did not appear on my cruise. Stitch is a popular character as there is alot of marketing of this character. Primark an Irish / UK store similar to Forever 21 has a license for Stitch merchandise.
Character Meets in general are very popular with UK people, as going to a Disney Park is a huge financial outlay and usually only a once a year or once every few years holiday. So on a Disney Cruise filled with UK people, character meets will be high demand as people wont have a Disney Parks holiday planned.

There were many times kids were in the adult areas. I was at Satellite Falls at the front of the ship as we were sailing out of Southampton. There were multiple families in the area with young kids, not understanding or caring that it was an adults only area. I saw a Vlog where the adults were leaving Evolution about 11pm and they commented on the amount of kids in The District , which they could not believe. I have also seen online that people saw kids many times in Cove Cafe.

At the Pirates deck party I saw adults ignoring CM instructions to move along from the assistance area and obstructing the view of those outside the assistance area.

Things I have seen mentioned in various online communities

• People at Guest Services removing the automatic tips
• People at Guest Services complaining about the fireworks and wanting compensation as they were not like the ones in the park
• Lifeguards at the family pool on the port day having a hard time with unruly kids
• Plates from Flos Quick Service stolen and being sold online after the cruise
• Fish Extenders, Magnets and Pixie Dust items being stolen, one person was told by a room host that a woman and her kids were going from room to room taking things and not caring about being seen.
• Bullying in kids clubs and kids not wanting to go to the clubs due to being bullied
• People complaining about the American Food

P & O Cruise Line is a UK based company part of The Carnival Cruise Group. It is very popular with UK people as it has cheap fares, drinks packages, cheap alcohol, serves UK food and has UK entertainment. Many of the passengers on my cruise and on the LA Rochelle cruise expected The Dream to be the same as P & O. They were removing tips as they were not happy at having to pay $232 ( $14.50 x 4 nights x 4 people) when they had already paid so much for the cruise. They dont have that on P & O as tips are included in the fare price.

The majority of passengers stayed on the ship on the port day. Spain and France are major holiday destinations for UK people. There is a whole industry around cheap package holidays to Spain and parts of Spain have large year round communities of UK people. As a result, the majority of the UK people on The Dream have no interest in getting off the ship. The ship is a floating all inclusive hotel to them. I spoke to one family who didnt get off at Bilbao, they said if they wanted to see Spain they would do a cheap package holiday.

Overall passenger behavior on my cruise the 4 night to Bilbao and on the 4 night to La Rochelle France was not the normal Disney Cruise passenger behavior. It really shows how a high % of one nationality can impact a cruise on board experience for crew and other passengers. I had a very different experience in 2022 when there was a smaller % of kids and a bigger mix of different nationalities and not a high % of one nationality.

 

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Updated post number 3 Southampton Sightseeing Day Tuesday 29 August

 

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Updated Post Number 4 Embarkation Day Wednesday 30 August

 

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Updated Post Number 5 First Day at Sea Thursday 31 August

 

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Updated Bilbao Port Day Friday 1 September

 

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Updated 2nd Sea Day Saturday 2 September

 

[Twilightstar18]

Bilbao Port Day Friday 1 September


There were two sections of buses. One side were numbered buses for the excursions. The other side were buses which had a sign that said Disney Dream Shuttle Bilbao Port Last Bus Pick Up 4pm.

I knew about these shuttle buses as I had phoned Bilbao Port a few weeks previously. I spoke to a lovely lady called Maria who told me about the shuttle bus and the drop off / pick up area. I also rang DCL but they did not have this information and could only tell me to get a taxi or the public transport Metro or bus from the port to the city centre.

The cruise port is at an area called Getxo which is about 30 minutes from Bilbao city centre.

Thanks for your report! I always like to do my own research for ports as well. This is so interesting! I've never thought to contact the specific ports as the shuttles are organized by the cruise line. It's so lucky you spoke to Maria who clearly was knowledgable about the available transportation. Most cruises don't "advertise" these shuttles even if they are available. Did DCL announce this in any way the night before, just prior to Beauty and Beast? I was on the Northern Europe cruise in August and the port I worried about the most in terms of transportation was Zeebrugge and how to get to train station to get to Bruges. I had several options planned, but the easiest would have been if there was a shuttle to the town of Blankenberge. They announced at the show the night before there would be a shuttle to "town" but were not clear about which town or from where. Even getting off the ship, there were no signs, but I happened to see buses marked with "shuttle to Blankenberge" while on the shuttle to the port terminal entrance. The port staff were not aware of the shuttle, but when they asked the bus driver, he said there was one so we took the shuttle back to the ship to catch the other shuttle. It worked out perfectly in the end, but all this to say it would have been nice to know there was a shuttle in the first place- especially in Bilbao where you said the port was 30 min from the city centre? Thanks for sharing this!

 

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Updated Debarkation Day

 

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Thanks for your report! I always like to do my own research for ports as well. This is so interesting! I've never thought to contact the specific ports as the shuttles are organized by the cruise line. It's so lucky you spoke to Maria who clearly was knowledgable about the available transportation. Most cruises don't "advertise" these shuttles even if they are available. Did DCL announce this in any way the night before, just prior to Beauty and Beast?

Thanks for reading I can't remember for sure, but I think the cruise director did mention it, but its not something I was listening out for, as I already knew. Also I can't remember if the Spanish Siesta time in Bilbao was mentioned either. I'm sure some people got caught out with places closing at lunch time, but again I knew and expected this. I know there were many people wanting this information before the cruise and I'm sure some people missed out on going to Bilbao as they didnt realize the shuttle buses were there and that they were free.

I was on the Northern Europe cruise in August and the port I worried about the most in terms of transportation was Zeebrugge and how to get to train station to get to Bruges. I had several options planned, but the easiest would have been if there was a shuttle to the town of Blankenberge. They announced at the show the night before there would be a shuttle to "town" but were not clear about which town or from where. Even getting off the ship, there were no signs, but I happened to see buses marked with "shuttle to Blankenberge" while on the shuttle to the port terminal entrance. The port staff were not aware of the shuttle, but when they asked the bus driver, he said there was one so we took the shuttle back to the ship to catch the other shuttle. It worked out perfectly in the end, but all this to say it would have been nice to know there was a shuttle in the first place- especially in Bilbao where you said the port was 30 min from the city centre? Thanks for sharing this!

These a big difference between Zeebrugge and Bilbao. Zeebrugge is mainly a ferry and cargo port. Its a small village and theres not much there, its just really an access port for the area. Bilbao is a specific cruise port with a purpose built cruise ship building, so the shuttle bus infrastructure is already in place.

Every cruise port is different, even within the same country in Europe. Its not like Florida , the Caribbean or Bahamas where cruise ships are the main reasons the ports have good infrastructure, transport and excursion opportunities. Thats why its important to do your own independent research about the ports and not just rely on information from Disney. Many of the ports that Disney uses in Europe are not specific cruise ports but are industrial cargo ports. I know there have been many complaints about various European ports due to this. Also The Dream is bigger than The Magic, so places The Magic went to The Dream can't.

 

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Update Final Southampton Sightseeing Day

 

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Updated and Complete Final Thoughts