Disney Cruise Line Ship Spotlight: Disney Dream

The Disney Dream's introduction in 2011 heralded a new era for Disney Cruise Line. The 4,000-passenger ship is about 40 percent larger than the earlier ships and makes the most of the kind of high-tech wizardry and special effects only the Disney Imagineers could come up with. Nearly a whole deck is dedicated to kids' play spaces. From a first-at-sea watercoaster, AquaDuck (themed on Donald Duck and his mischievous nephews), and an expansive AquaLab water park (with all kinds of squirting devices) to animated characters you can actually talk to (including Crush from "Finding Nemo") and animated artwork that springs to life when you stop to look, the ship is one big wow. Attractively decorated with richly colored Art Deco influences (including a 24-carat gold and Swarovski crystal chandelier and golden friezes with Disney characters in the Atrium Lobby) and feeling a tad more upscale than the line's "classic" ships Magic and Wonder, the Disney Fantasy even has innovative inside cabins with Magical Portholes serving up virtual views.