Living in the UK, the moment we heard about the DVC Member Cruise to Europe, we knew we had to be onboard. With previous destinations based around North America, this was our opportunity to experience a Member Cruise closer to home.
For anyone unfamiliar with the concept of a Member Cruise, there’s a helpful overview here, but the key points are: These cruises happen once a year and are filled with free gifts and exclusive experiences. You have to be eligible for membership extras to book. You can pay with points or cash, but you must pay at the time of booking.
The Itinerary
The cruise itinerary looked fantastic. A week-long cruise starting and ending in Barcelona, with two sea days and stops at:
- Livorno, Italy – with options of visiting the famous leaning tower of Pisa, Florence, or Sorrento.
- Civitavecchia, Italy – the cruise port for Rome.
- Naples, Italy – a short walk into the city or options of visiting Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and the beautiful Amalfi coast.
- Palermo, Italy – on the beautiful island of Sicily.
Booking Day
Booking day was back in April 2023 (over a year before the cruise). I’d prepared myself for a stressful day of attempted phone calls as we tried to get through. The DVC Gods were smiling on us though; we got through to Member Services and booked within 20 minutes of the lines opening. Now the long countdown began!
Preparing For The Cruise
The benefit of having over a year to wait, was that it gave us a lot of time to prepare. There were so many things to think about: researching the ports of call, booking flights, getting a pre-cruise hotel, choosing a post-cruise tour of Barcelona, transportation to and from the port, and who could forget finding the right matching outfits (yes, we’re that Disney family). We had plenty of time to plan everything to precision, and it was really shaping up to be the trip of a lifetime.
Embarkation Day
Oh boy, was this an exciting day. We’d opted for Disney transfers from our Disney recommended Barcelona hotel to the Port, which made for a very easy morning. Disney picked up our luggage directly from our hotel room (we didn’t even have to be there). The next time we saw our bags they were outside our stateroom on the ship. The coach picked us up from our hotel at 11:30am, and we were quickly on our way to the port.
Anyone who’s been on a Disney Cruise will know that feeling when you first see the ship, pure elation. Somehow when it’s a Member Cruise you’re about to board, that moment is even better. Knowing you’re embarking on an exclusive adventure surrounded by some of the best people (fellow DVC members) is the best feeling.
As you’d expect, the cruise terminal was fully kitted out with DVC Member Cruise decorations and classic Disney tunes played throughout. Check-in was a breeze, and we were given our first gift before we even set foot on the ship, a member cruise lanyard! We knew these cruises were renowned for free gifts, but we definitely weren’t expecting them to start so soon.
Within 30 minutes of arriving at the port we were stepping onboard the Disney Dream. The long countdown was finally over, and we were here.
That first day of any cruise is always a blur with so much going on. This was no different on a Member Cruise, but we managed to squeeze in some character meets, lunch at Cabanas – the buffet restaurant onboard the Dream and swimming. Not forgetting the obligatory muster (safety) drill and the sail-away party!
The Cruise
The Disney Dream had been transformed into a full on ‘Member-Ship’ (excuse the pun). The crew had been busy beautifully decorating the main atrium with Member Cruise decals. Everywhere we went, there were some extra special DVC touches. They’d even replaced the main menu in each restaurant with a keepsake Member Cruise version, each detailing the special DVC ‘dish of the day’. I won’t go into each day in detail, but wow this cruise had the perfect balance of time at sea, exciting port stops, along with all the usual Disney fun and entertainment we’ve come to expect on a regular Disney cruise. Pirate night anyone?
We absolutely loved all the stops in Italy and really enjoyed the opportunity to visit a variety of different locations and of course, taste test the different types of pizza at each. My biggest ‘must-see’ had to be Pompeii, the ancient city buried in time 2,000 years ago, by an eruption from Mount Vesuvius. We did a family-friendly tour with our kids. Despite my worries they might find it boring, they were blown away seeing what life was like all those years ago.
The Swag
Member cruises are famous for the swag, or free gifts, given to everyone throughout the cruise. This cruise certainly did not disappoint. The gifts are per person, not per stateroom, so when they tell you to bring an empty suitcase to get it all home, they mean it!
There were three different types of gifts each day.
- A main gift, put in your stateroom during the day. These consisted of a backpack, Corkcicle drink bottle, waist pack, blanket, noise-cancelling headphones, wireless charging pad, and a wallet. All themed in the same deep blue, leather type material, with the member cruise logo. Together these make the perfect travel accessories for any DVC trip.
- A smaller gift, put in your stateroom during the evening turndown service. These included cruise magnets, drawn by Disney fine artist and voice of Mickey Mouse himself Bret Iwan. They usually pictured the port of call for the next day. In addition exclusive inside out 2 postcards and a silk screen poster collection of each magnet design. These were absolutely beautiful and we’ve already framed and put them up in our house!
- A gift available at the DVC member desk. These ranged from a baseball cap, to eye masks and luggage tags. They were available if you asked for them, but we could have easily missed them if we didn’t know.
There were also other gifts available at particular events. We were lucky to receive a Bluetooth speaker at a UK DVC member celebration and a member cruise pin at the DVC Member Celebration. Best of all, our boys were both given a signed copy of Ryan March and Bret Iwan’s new book ‘Camp Minnie Mickey – One Wild Summer’, something I know they’ll treasure forever!
The Entertainment
Member Cruises are also famous for the unbelievable entertainment offerings. Again, this cruise was no exception!
On top of the usual evening shows available on a normal Disney Cruise, there were exclusive evening performances. These included top Broadway stars including Susan Egan (Meg from Hercules) Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and Josh Strickland (Tarzan) just to name a few. We also had a very exciting appearance on our last night from Paige O’Hara, the actual voice of Belle from the animated movie!
During the sea days, there were insider shows with Disney icons including Imagineer Tony Baxter and Production Designer for Inside Out 2 Jason Deamer. Not to mention exclusive book readings with voice actors Bret Iwan (Mickey Mouse), Kaitlyn Robrock (Minnie Mouse) and Bill Farmer (Goofy). For those who still had the energy, later into the evening there were even opportunities to get closer to the stars with a range of trivia, games, and quizzes with them. It really did feel like attending a D23 expo at sea!
As if that wasn’t enough excitement, these Disney icons are also guests on the cruise with you. So be prepared to bump into Goofy at breakfast in Cabanas or share an elevator with Meg from Hercules!
Unexpected Perks
We boarded expecting some amazing perks, but we weren’t prepared for one in particular. How quiet the ship felt. Although fully booked, the number of people onboard, in particular children, was far lower than usual. Most staterooms only had two people in them, rather than the regular three or four on a family-filled cruise. It was definitely noticeable when walking around the ship. There was more space, more seats available and we loved how easy it felt to chat to and get to know the crew.
In addition the lines for character meets were shorter than we’ve experienced previously and the pool was often very quiet. So much so that my kids managed 150 rides on the AquaDuck in one week (that must be a record)! Normally the line to ride the AquaDuck is at least 30 minutes long, but they were able to go on 30 times in a single afternoon! The kids even received a special ‘Magical Moment’ certificate and some lovely gifts from the Lifeguards for their dedication to riding the AquaDuck!
Would I Book a Member Cruise Again?
In a word, YES!
It was such a surreal experience. It made us feel so valued as DVC members and completely part of the DVC family. Absolutely everyone we saw was so friendly and welcoming. From the crew onboard, the DVC cast members, the Disney icons, and of course our fellow cruisers!
The entire cruise gave us that exclusive feeling you get when you walk into the Epcot Member Lounge. It really was the trip of a lifetime, and I would book another member cruise in a heartbeat!
Were you on the DVC Member Cruise in Europe? If so did you enjoy it as much as we did? If you weren’t, have you ever been on a Member Cruise and which one was your favourite so far? Or are there any future destinations you’d love to see the DVC Member Cruise visit? Let me know in the comments below.
