Adult exclusive hang-outs aboard the Disney Dream offer fun entertainment and gorgeous drinks. Sail away on the Disney Cruise Line with my good friend and guest author Julie Brontman!

So many people think that a Disney cruise is just for the little ones in your family, but they’re missing a whole different part of the experience! I recently went on a cruise aboard the Disney Dream with a friend and we had a great time as two adults on a “kid cruise.”

One of the best ways to explore that adult side of a cruise is to visit the bars and nighttime entertainment area, known as “The District.” There are many different spots, all tailored to whatever possible mood you might be in.

Evolution

Considered to be the “dance club” of the ship, Evolution has a special entertainment offering each night, such as variety show, game show, or comedy act. Afterward, there were dancers from the stage show, but in a whole different style of dance. We were honestly a little surprised to see dancers from a family entertainment show doing some risqué style dancing. But that’s a cruise for you I guess! Those Cast Members work in multiple roles every day to bring the Dream’s entertainment offerings to life.

Drink offerings at Evolution are themed around the idea of a butterfly, as is the entire club. There’s everything from your standard martini to something sweet and chocolatey. The first we tasted was the Mariposa, with No3 London Dry Gin, Martini Rosso Sweet Vermouth, Strawberry Puree, Passion Fruit Juice, and Fresh Muddled Basil Leaves. The strawberry/basil combo drew me to it, but this was way too sweet for my taste. It was like liquid candy. It was very dark inside, so this is pretty much all you can actually see of the drink.

The next cocktail we had was the Parnassus Apollo, made with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Frangelico, Baileys, Kahlua, and Honey. This one was certainly sweet too, but in a rich, chocolatey way instead of the sickly sweet Mariposa. Anytime you put Baileys and Kahlua together you know it’s a good time! I’d recommend this drink to anyone with a sweet tooth.

Pink

The Dream’s Champagne lounge, Pink, is absolutely serene and perfect

!

Everything is themed around Champagne. The entrance is inside a large cream-colored bubble, and then everything inside suggests the same effervescence and luxury. The décor is a combination of pink and cream, with soft plush furniture and bubble accents up the walls. Behind the bar is an entire wall and lighting fixture featuring hundreds of hand-blown glass bubbles, as if you are truly sitting inside a Champagne bottle. I could have sat in there all night.

The Champagne is equally as opulent. There are specialty cocktails and regular wine offerings, but we chose from the impressive Champagne list and both selected the Taittinger Prestige Rose. The menu said it was served with a verrine [Editor’s Note: a verrine here is meant to be a small dessert], but we never got one. Normally I would have asked where the food was, but we were too caught up in the Champagne. It was perfectly light, not too dry, and just a hint of sweetness from the rosé style. The glass will set you back a steep $19, but it was worth every penny if you like Champagne.

Skyline

One of The Dream’s martini bars, called Skyline, features drinks from around the world. Every 10-15 minutes or so, the image behind the bar changes and the music will switch, alerting guests that they’ve moved between the cities of Chicago, New York, Rio, Paris, and Hong Kong. What look like windows behind the bar are giant flat screens with city images projected onto them. The entire atmosphere is reserved and sophisticated, with drinks to match.

We tried two samplings from around the world- the Ooh La La from Paris and the Zen-Chanted from Hong Kong. The Ooh La La featured Bacardi White Rum, Elderflower Liqueur, Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice, Mint Leaves, and Soda Water. The flavors were delicate but well balanced. It was especially enjoyable after some of the large meals you have on the ship (after Palo that night, we could only handle some lighter beverages). [Editor’s Note: The Ooh La La may be replaced by the Paris 75 on your cruise.]

The Zen-Chanted was recommended by the bartender when I ordered another drink that she thought was too ordinary. The Zen-Chanted featured 3Vodka (made from the soy plant), Zen Green Tea Liqueur, Cointreau, Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice, Guava Juice, Sugared Rim, and a Souvenir Glow Cube. This was a little on the sweet side as well, but in a tolerable way. In fact the more I drank of it the more I liked it! The lime juice balanced the guava perfectly, and the green tea liqueur was unexpected and fun. I would definitely drink either of these martinis again!

But beware if the boat is rocking a bit- they fill those drinks high and we all know how easy it is to spill with a martini glass 😉

Beverage Seminars

A very unique adult offering on the cruise is the option to sign up for a beverage seminar. These can range from scotch tastings to wine and chocolate pairings. We signed up for the Mixology seminar, and at only $16, this was an amazing value! The bartender taught us how to make four drinks- a Mojito, Tequila Sunrise, Cosmo, and B52 shot.

We signed up for the day when the ship was docked at Nassau, so there were very few people onboard, and even fewer in our class. There were only four people in total! The bartender “raffled off” one of her full sized drinks each time, but with only 4 people for 4 beverages, each of us got all of our mini drinks plus one full drink from her. Needless to say, the alcohol was flowing.

The seminar took place in Skyview Lounge, where we even got to stand behind the bar to make one of the cocktails. We began with the Mojito, one of my favorite drinks for its refreshing combo of lime and mint. Every step and technique was covered, from the proper way to crush the ice and muddle the ingredients, to how many seconds to hold the pour of each alcohol. We also got to customize the flavor, so I chose to add a touch of Chambord.

After the Mojito, we moved on to a Tequila Sunrise. This drink packs a punch (oh tequila… *sigh*), and if it’s a rough day at sea, I’d suggest taking it easy on the tequila. But the expert bartender will teach you how much tequila to pour, how much OJ, and the exact angle to hold your glass at to make the grenadine slide to the bottom and form that perfect sunrise look. The drink is beautiful, but I’m not a huge fan of so much orange juice in my cocktails, so it’s not my favorite.

On to drink number three- it was time for a Cosmo! We were taught how to make them and then made our own in these tiny glasses- good thing the boat was docked, because a wave would have splashed the drink over the side of the martini glass. But seriously, look at these baby martini glasses! Are they not the cutest? I’m on the hunt for them now. As always, a Cosmo is that perfect balance of sweet cranberry with a hint of tart lime- classic and perfect.

The final drink was a B-52 shot, and this was delicious! She wanted us to finish on a real dessert kind of drink, so we started in on creating the delicately layered shot. The Kahlua goes in first, and then we very carefully poured Baileys on top. Finally, we added Grand Marnier, pouring it slowly over a spoon to make sure it would sit on top of the other two layers and not cause them to mix.

If you’re going to make this for your own party, be prepared to spend some time carefully composing them. But it’s absolutely worth it! This was like a delicious chocolate covered orange almost. She also said you could use another liquor instead of Grand Marnier (peppermint schnapps anyone?).

Surprisingly, after all of that, we were not feeling too under-the-influence. I would highly suggest going to lunch right before. A quick stop at Cabanas to fill us up was exactly what we needed before this seminar.

Huge props also go to the bartender. She was incredible, fun, and knowledgeable. As always with Disney, it’s the Cast Members who take an experience from good to great! The cruises are especially important examples of that. These Cast Members work seven days a week, multiple roles a day, making your vacation amazing. The bartenders at all locations were especially wonderful and took such great care of us!

Overall

There are several other lounges and bars throughout the ship, but these were our favorite stops. As you’re passing through The District at night, don’t forget to stop by the snack bar for a little nibble. Happy drinking, cruisers!

Share your favorite adult lounges and tasty beverages on the Disney ship in the comments below!