La Rochelle Disney Cruise 2023: Vegan Food, Shows, & More

 

Disney Cruise Line celebrates its 25th anniverary

As Disney Cruise Line celebrates its 25th "Silver Anniversary at Sea", I embarked on one of the summer sailings from Southampton over to La Rochelle, France. With just one port and a new ship to experience - this being the Dream's first time in Europe - I experienced some real highlights AND a few lowlights for good measure.

Southampton port was familiar to me since my very first Disney cruise (and cruise full stop) was from here. Originally when we booked, the Dream was due to dock at the Horizon Cruise Terminal like last time. Luckily, I'd checked online a few days before to find that we'd been switched to the QE2 Terminal. This meant a slight alteration to plans since the hotel we stayed at the night before was within walking distance of Horizon. Not so much QE2. 

On the morning of the cruise, the taxi company warned us that heavy traffic was expected and advised us to get the tax an hour ahead of our PAT (port arrival time) at 12:15. There is no access to the terminal before PAT time, so when the taxi sped to the terminal within 10 minutes, I wasn't sure what to expect. 

We were quickly ushered into a holding line for our PAT which was very well managed. After some waiting, we were let through to the check-in area. I jealously watched people cruising in Concierge (maybe next time?) walk past us, although we didn't wait long at all before we were all checked in and ready to sail.

By the time we boarded, it was only a few minutes after our original PAT time. We were introduced by the crew and immediately I was in awe of the lobby. Not quite the same vast space as the Wish, but still a very stylish, traditional-looking atrium - of course with all the Disney flourishes. 

The large atrium on the Disney Dream is full of Disney details.

It wasn't long before we were on deck and ready for some lunch. These quick-service foot spots have historically been hit-and-miss for me as a vegan. This time it was easy. I ordered a vegan pizza from Flo's Cafe (advertised as an option at the counter). It had to be made to order, so I took a seat nearby. The pizza was good; a little bit plain tasting but perfect for a quick lunch.

Vegan pizza from Flo's Cafe on the Disney Dream.

At the beginning of each cruise, there's a location you can go to to change your Dining reservations for Palo or Remy. We took advantage of this so we could change our Palo booking to coincide with the duplicate MDR (main dining rotation) day. Since this was a 4-night cruise, Animator's Palate would be repeated on nights 2 and 3. The reservation was easily changed, and we toured the ship for a while, checking out some of the adult-only areas. 

Cove Cafe is by the adult-only pool, serving specialty drinks.

Currents bar sits above the adult-only area and offers great cocktails.

Staterooms tend to be ready from around 13:30, with luggage arriving a bit later. We booked a midship verandah room on deck 7; a good option for access to the rest of the ship and for avoiding sea sickness. The room reminded me very much of the Disney Magic, and one thing I noticed was how clean everything was. I met our stateroom host a bit later, and he really was excellent at his job. 

Staterooms on the Disney Dream reminded me of the Magic.

I loved the subtle touches around the room.

A verandah is well worth having if you like your own outdoor space.

As we were silver Castaway Club members (DCL's loyalty scheme), we were given a few freebies in the room including some fun lanyards.

Lanyard for silver Castaway Club members

We ended up arriving a little bit late for the "sail away party" on the top deck. That said, it wasn't hard to see what was happening on the large screen. DCL operates 2 sittings for dinner: either an early or a late. 20:15 was our assigned time, meaning our show time was 18:00 (while all the early diners are eating). The first restaurant to try was Royal Palace.

This is where things got a little bit difficult in terms of vegan food. Unfortunately, my server (and assistant server) didn't seem to have a good understanding of this. I wasn't proactively offered any options and it quickly became a struggle just to get basics like bread that I could eat. We'd also selected private dining, which although isn't guaranteed, we didn't get for the time on DCL. It would have been nice to know about this beforehand. That said, we lucked out with our table guests and couldn't have asked for nicer people. 

I was given a tofu/rice dish straight off the menu, which although was labeled "vegetarian", I was assured was vegan. My honest verdict was that it was pretty bland. On previous cruises I was offered a variety of options like flavourful curry, but this time it seemed only menu options were available. For this meal and throughout the cruise, I was somewhat doubtful if what I was given was genuinely plant-based.

My tofu and rice dish could have done with more seasoning.

Disney's Believe was the evening show, and I'd say it was my 2nd favourite of the 3 on offer. We returned to our stateroom and another gift was waiting; this time a commemorative, framed piece of art for the 25th anniversary. 

Castaway Club members received a commemorative print.

Day 2 began with an Elemis deep tissue massage at Senses Spa. I'd highly recommend this as a treatment to really loosen up muscle tension. I'd originally booked a Swedish massage, but was recommended this one instead after an assessment. 

Breakfast wasn't great this morning. Despite being pleased there were finally "plant-based" markers on the menu (well done Disney!), I ended up being served something with dairy yogurt. I only realized this after eating most of it, and I'm intolerant to dairy so this wasn't ideal. I do appreciate mistakes happen, but I think this is something that needs to be more closely monitored by all the dining staff.

Origami and trivia quizzes passed the rest of the day until it was time for a few pre-show cocktails at Skyline. I LOVED this place. The windows change to reflect 6 various cities around the world Definitely my vibe and the cocktails were incredible. 

Skyline had a sophisticated and relaxing feel to it.

Tonight's show was Beauty and the Beast, and by FAR this one stood out. The quality was well and truly of Broadway level, and I loved every minute. Animator's Palate was our next dining venue, this time featuring Crush, whereas on the Magic we experienced the drawing "magic" (which I won't spoil here). I assumed the drawing version would take place the following night, but have since heard that it didn't.

Sadly, the dining experience didn't improve from the previous evening. We weren't given menus or even bread for quite some time, and again I had no idea what I could eat even after repeatedly asking. What I was served wasn't too bad, especially the starter salad. Again, I had to trust the servers that it was vegan as it was ordered straight off the menu with no other options. 

The starter was a refreshing arugula salad, with chipotle cakes for the main. Dessert won this meal, but I'm not sure if that's just because I didn't have many sweet options to choose from on this cruise overall.

The starter salad tasted pretty good.

I enjoyed the chipotle cakes.

This was some form of chocolate tart and it was delicious.

The next day was our one and only port day in La Rochelle, and we were first off the ship (and first back on later!). We were so glad we hadn't booked the walking tour excursion after hearing some negative feedback about this. Instead, we did a DIY walk hitting some of the key tourist spots. We lucked out on weather and it was a very pleasant port that can be enjoyed without too much walking. The buses Disney laid on to ferry passengers to/from port were expertly run. 

Disney Dream moored up at La Rochelle.

Lots of hidden beauty spots.

Historic towers dominated the harbour.

The town hall looked like something from a period drama.

The beach was only a short walk from the town.

More hidden gems along from the beach.

What visit to France would be complete without macarons!

The buses were so efficient we were back on board for lunch, and decided to try room service this time. I was thrilled to see a plant-based chicken sandwich on the menu. After confirming it was vegan, I ordered this with the sweet potato fries. It was enjoyable, and all the more so being able to eat it on the verandah overlooking La Rochelle.

Vegan plant-based chicken sandwich on the room service menu.

The Disney Dream has a mini-golf course around the back of the ship, and it was a perfect opportunity to enjoy this with lower crowds. I imagine it can get a bit windy out there too while the ship is out at sea. This evening it was time for Palo, which has always been a hit with me on every Disney cruise. This time was no exception, and our server was outstanding. I was instantly shown everything I could and couldn't have, modified or non-modified with some off-menu options. I really wish the MDR experience had been like this.

Dessert was a winner.

I'd been craving pasta and this hit the spot.

the arancini tasted absolutely phenomenal.

It wasn't just the food that made the Palo experience so good, but also the pacing and relaxed atmosphere. Compared to MDR, it was more "worlds apart" than it should have been. A testimony to the skills and experience of the Palo team on the Dream. 

Instead of a show, tonight was designated a "movie night". We managed to get in Elemental and Haunted Mansion on this cruise. Without a doubt, Haunted Mansion was my favourite of the two and massively exceeded my expectations. Elemental had its moments, though. One thing I found quite surprising was how busy the movie theatre was for a start time of 10:30pm. For some reason, I thought this wouldn't be a popular time due to the late finish, but it was packed. 

It was also fireworks night. For over 18s, there's a great spot for viewing the fireworks right in front of Currents bar. It's MUCH quieter than the family area, but if you want the full atmosphere and experience I'd probably recommend staying there. 

Disney Cruise Line's fireworks turn into fish food!

Whilst we were on board, filming was taking place for a "This Morning" competition for ITV (UK). It wasn't too intrusive, but I did notice on our last day that a few guests were not too happy with some areas getting taken over by the filming crew.

I had brilliant service at Flo's Cafe again when I ordered a vegan burger (shown on a board at the counter). They brought it out to me and it tasted pretty good. The guy behind the counter was clear to state that the cheese was vegan and obviously knew his stuff. 

Our final dinner was at Enchanted Garden, and this was probably my favourite setting of the 3 MDR restaurants. The atmosphere and setting felt unique, whereas Animator's Palate and Royal Palace are slightly different versions of other restaurants I've experienced on the Wish and Magic. 

Enchanted Garden is a beautiful setting

Service was the same as it had been the last few nights, but at this point I'd almost given up. I was given a couple of dishes - again from the main menu - that were very plain and nothing to write home about. I'd also ordered a mushroom dish which was forgotten about. I was brought a cake that tasted delicious, but had the same lack of confidence that it was actually vegan.

Is it definitely vegan? You decide.

Golden Mickeys was the final show of the cruise, and turned out to be our least favourite. It had its moments, like the Cruella de Vil scene, but overall the narrative seemed OTT and a bit out of sorts. It didn't have the same appeal as Beauty and the Beast, for example, but I didn't hate it. 

The bitter-sweet part of any Disney cruise is the "See Ya Real Soon" show in the atrium. It was wonderful (if a little sad) to see all the characters coming on stage to say goodbye after a mostly fantastic cruise. We didn't manage to get a photo with the characters this time as we stood right at the top, but noted for next time. 

On embarkation morning, Cabanas continued the trend of the more "quick service" orientated dining spaces being better equipped for dietary requirements (Palo aside). I was able to request some vegan sausages (off menu) for breakfast, but as it turned out there were a fair few options I could have regardless. This hasn't been my experience with Cabanas before, so it was a pleasant surprise. 

Cabanas surprised me with easy vegan options.

Finding Nemo artwork in Cabanas

There are definitely lessons to be learned here for the MDR staff, but we didn't allow this to get in the way of an otherwise fantastic cruise. Cast members were exemplary at almost every turn, and it's no surprise that Disney Cruise Line remains as popular as ever. This is evidenced by the fact that we booked our placeholder (for a 10% discount on a future Disney cruise) while on board.