You might find yourself wondering what activities there are to do aboard a Disney Cruise besides, well, cruising.

There are, in fact, a lot of activities, and Cruise Line Bingo is one that is actually more fun than you might expect!

Disney storytelling meets cruising luxury on Disney Dream.From restaurants that seamlessly blend animation with world-class food to full-scale stage productions of Beauty and the Beast and The Golden Mickeys at the Walt Disney Theater, Dream offers the kind of magical experience for children only Disney can provide.

While aboard the Disney Dream, compliments of the nice folks at Disney Media Relations, I got to play Cruise Line Bingo! I paid for the bingo cards myself and didn’t win any money (so sad, but not unexpected), but I still had a great time.

Does Disney Cruise Have A Casino

Disney Dream cruise ship pictures of the interior common areas of the ship, including the kid's areas, atrium lobby, theaters, spa, fitness center, and other places that make the Disney Dream a special ship. This is the first Disney Dream ship to sail the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef. Miami Club was originally known as Deckers Diner casino before being changed to Miami Club. The first Disney Dream ships arrive at this port in December 2016 on a small vessel.

Let’s take a look!

The bingo caller, on this cruise Timmy, is the master of ceremonies. He is accompanied by a handful of other Cast Members who help answer questions, check bingo cards for wins, etc.

Timmy kept everything moving along and made the game lots of fun. This is not your grandma’s bingo.

If you don’t believe me that it’s more fun than you might expect, check out the B11 dance video! The Bingo crew does this little ditty every time they call the number B11. Why? Because its fun!

When you enter the bingo room you select a package of bingo cards.

Electronic Bingo Machine

You can rent a red electronic machine preloaded with multiple cards. The machine checks the called numbers automatically and perfectly monitors more cards than you could monitor yourself. This may sound like it defeats the purpose of playing bingo (marking off the numbers you hear), but it is fun to see the machine keep track of the calls – especially as you get closer and closer to bingo.

Paper Bingo Cards

Most packages include traditional paper bingo. If you rent an electronic bingo machine, you will likely get a few bonus paper bingo cards as well.

When the caller reads a number, you can either push out the perforated number on the paper card or color it in with a marker. Don’t rip the number off completely – that will void the card.

Sometimes they play special games. On this night, we played an X game in honor of pirate night! Arrr….

Timmy the host confirms bingos digitally to make sure they are valid! A helper reads the serial number for the player’s card, and the bingo machine validates the win electronically.

While there aren’t any casinos onboard the Disney Cruise Ships, you can win real money at Bingo! However, make sure you call Bingo before the bingo caller moves on to the next number, or you won’t win. If you don’t call bing on the winning number, you have a “Bongo” – meaning no money!

Disney Cruise Line Bingo Questions and Answers

Here are some questions and answers you might want to keep in mind if you plan to play bingo during your cruise:

Question: Are the sessions crowded?

Answer: Most sessions are well attended, but I’ve never been to a session that was completely sold out or felt too overcrowded. Most sessions seem to take place in the Evolution Lounge in The District section of the ship on deck 4 aft. The last session of the cruise is often the most popular and well attended. It will likely take place in the Buena Vista Theater on deck 5. Check your Navigator paper guide or smartphone app for details on times and locations. Plan to show up a few minutes early, since you may need to wait in line, and you will need time to select and purchase a package of bingo cards.

Question: How much can you win?

Answer: The big prize jackpot seems to range from $5,000 to $10,000 and grows larger through the duration of the cruise. However, many of these jackpots will not be given away. For example, I played when there was a $5,000 jackpot available, but in order to win it, someone had to cover all their entire bingo board (25 slots) in less than 46 calls (I think those numbers are right). Nobody accomplished a bingo in 46 calls, so the host did not give away the $5,000. On a prior cruise the $10,000 prize jackpot was guaranteed during the last game, so someone did win that money – big money! Otherwise, the prizes were several hundred dollars per game and were sometimes split between more two or three winners.

Question: Does the game move quickly?

Answer: Yes it does. The host calls a new number every 10 seconds, so things move along and you need to pay attention to all your cards or you might miss marking off numbers on your cards.

Question: Is there a casino or other gambling on a Disney Cruise?

Answer: Nope. Disney Cruise Line ships do not have casinos. I suspect that would not be in line with Disney’s family-friendly image. Casinos are big moneymakers, so it may be a factor why Disney cruises are more expensive than other cruise lines. However, you can win real money playing Disney bingo, so technically, I think this is a type of gambling.

Question: Can kids play bingo on the Disney Cruise Line?

Answer: Yes, but they must be accompanied by an adult to win the money.

Question: Is the bingo called electronically?

Answer: During my cruise, the game was called by hosted by a live Disney Cast Member. He used a machine that electronically selected the numbers and displayed them on screens in the front of the room. There were no more round balls tumbling around. On the Disney Cruise Line, the bingo machine has a name: Bingo Betty. If you don’t like the numbers being called, you are encouraged to shout out “Shake it up, Betty!”

Question: Seriously, is bingo really fun? Isn’t is slow-moving and boring?

Answer: Normal bingo may be slow-moving and boring, but bingo on the Disney Cruise line is fun! The game moves quickly, the host makes fun (Disney appropriate) jokes and banters with his fellow Cast Members, and you need to pay attention to keep up with the pace of the game. Statistically, you probably won’t walk away winning money. You will probably come out a bit poorer than when you walked in after paying for bingo cards and a drink or two (if you want a drink or two). However, you might just be surprised by the amount of entertainment you get with those bingo cards. And who knows, you just might walk out with a few hundred – or even a few thousand – extra dollars in your pocket!

Have you played Bingo on Disney Cruise Line ships? Fun?

Disney Dream – A Trip Report

Ship Overview

Andrew (a fellow Dad Married to a Doctor) and his family recently returned from their first ever Disney Cruise Line (DCL) sailing. Andrew and his family are Disney Vacation Club owners and HUGE Disney fans. I am always excited to hear back from a fellow Disney fan after their first DCL vacation.
Disney Cruise Line has 4 ships broken into two classes, the larger of the two contains the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream, both are home ported out of Port Canaveral, Florida. The second, older and smaller class comprise of the Disney Wonder and the Disney Magic.
All four of the Disney ships are small by today’s mega-ship standards, but are jam packed with family friendly activities aboard each ship. While the current DCL ships offer less concierge and suite options than Royal Caribbean and NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line), Disney currently has 3 new ships on order and many industry insiders expect there to be many more premium or luxury categories on the yet to be names vessels.

• Gross Tonnage: 130,000 tons Length: 1,115 feet Beam: 121 feet Draft: 28 feet Height: 216 feet
• Speed – Cruising: 22 knots • Max: 23.5 knots
• Capacity – Passenger: 4000 • Crew: 1458
• Passenger Decks – 14
• Staterooms – Inside: 150 Outside – Verandah: 901 Ocean View: 199

Disney ships are known for their family friendly inclusions, all of which forego the on board casino in favor of expanded kids club space. In recent years the Disney Company has purchased the Marvel and Star Wars properties and characters from both have made their way to the Oceaneers Club on board each Disney Cruise Line in addition to other Disney and Pixar favorites.
Additionally, excellent kids programming, Disney inspired evening entertainment, deck parties and amazing water activities make the Disney Cruise Line stand out in an ever crowded family friendly cruise marketplace.

In addition to the well kept up ships, family friendly spaces and activities, possibly the most popular aspect of a Disney Cruise is the cruise line’s private island, Castaway Cay. The island is currently hands down the best private island experience in the Caribbean (Royal’s new CocoCay experience is looking to change the game once it opens Summer 2019) and Disney recently announced a second private island experience coming sometime after 2021.

The Review

Was there any special reason you and your family decided to take this trip?
We wanted a Disney escape for Spring Break
Whom did you travel with?
Just the immediate family. My wife and two high energy boys age 6 and 4.
How was your experience with embarkation/embarkation?
Embarkation was much smoother than I expected. We arrived at the terminal in the afternoon so perhaps we missed the rush, but the lines were short and we walked right onto the ship.
What were your first impressions of the ship?
The ship was beautiful and the Disney theme immediately made me happy. I guess it helps when you love all things Disney but it was a great start to the trip.
What were your overall impressions of your room? Layout? Upkeep?
For an interior room I was impressed with how comfortable and livable it was. We had plenty of storage. We have frequently booked larger suites on other cruise lines, however availability was low for this cruise due to our last minute plans.
What were your impressions of the kid/family offerings on this ship?
The kids clubs are the highlight of the Disney Cruise Line. Other cruises have to try and cater to all ages from Senior Citizens to little children but Disney really makes sure the kids have a magical vacation
How was your experience dining aboard the Dream?
Dining was good and the service was consistent. I enjoyed having our waitstaff follow us through the different dining rooms for our rotations.
Did you do any of the Adult only dining options?
We did not try any of the Adult only dining options on this cruise since we specifically wanted to see each of the dining rooms and it was a short cruise.
What advice would you offer to someone considering a DCL sailing? Prepare for the most comfortable mattress on any cruise ship or almost any hotel for that matter.
In your opinion what does DCL need to improve upon?
The only little thing that was frustrating was paying for popcorn when most other food is included. This felt annoying especially since popcorn is very cheap but kids really want it when going to movies and shows.
Would you recommend this ship to your friends and why?
Yes – there aren’t many DCL ships yet so I can’t say why this ship is better or worse than another, however DCL is a better experience, especially with kids, over other cruise lines.
Would you book another Disney Cruise?
Yes
What is your favorite memory from this trip?
When my boys were chosen to participate in one of the shows. For the Golden Mickeys show they select 7 kids from the audience to dress as Dwarfs and come out on stage during the first part of the show. They come around before the show to find the kids so if people wanted a good chance of their kids being selected they should get to the show early and sit toward the front.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the quality of service and why?
10
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the quality of food/dining?
8 (Adult only dining would probably be better but I am picky about food quality)
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the quality of public spaces?
10
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the experiences available for children?
10
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the quality of inclusions on board DCL?
9
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the experiences available for children?
10
On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the quality of inclusions on board DCL?
9

How to book?

Do Disney Cruise Have Casino

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Does Disney Cruise Ships Have A Casino