58 DAYS TO GO . . .

      THURSDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2011

      THE STATEROOMS ON THE NEW DISNEY DREAM.  AS OF RIGHT NOW DISNEY HAS 9 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF STATEROOM LISTED FOR THE NEW DISNEY DREAM.  I SAY "AS OF RIGHT NOW" BECAUSE SOME STATEROOMS ARE SOMETIMES RECLASSIFIED BECAUSE OF VIEWS OR BALCONIES OR LAYOUTS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT HAS USUALLY BEEN COMPLAINED ABOUT TO FORCE A CHANGE OF SOME KIND.
     WE'LL START WITH THE LOWEST CATEGORY AND WORK OUR WAY UP TO THE RIDICULOUS (IN PRICE ANYWAY).  FIRST IS THE STANDARD INSIDE STATEROOM WHICH SLEEPS 3-4 AND HAS 169 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE.  IT HAS A QUEEN SIZE BED, A SINGLE CONVERTIBLE SOFA BED AND SOME HAVE A SINGLE PULL DOWN BERTH (BED).  THE PULL DOWN IS LITERALLY A SINGLE BED THAT CAN BE PULLED OUT OF THE CEILING AT BED TIME WHEN YOU HAVE THE 3 OR 4 THAT NEED TO SLEEP SEPARATELY.  IT FUNCTIONS AS A BUNK BED THAT HAS A LADDER FOR IT STORED IN YOUR CLOSET.  IT ALSO HAS AMPLE CLOSET SPACE, A CHAIR AND DESK WITH DRAWERS AND SHELVES, A STORAGE OTTOMAN THAT CAN FUNCTION AS A COFFEE TABLE, 22" LCD FLAT-SCREEN TV, IPOD DOCKING STATION ALARM CLOCK, REFRIGERATOR, IN-ROOM SAFE, VOICE MAIL PHONE, INDIVIDUAL CLIMATE CONTROL AND PRIVACY CURTAIN TO SEPARATE THE COUCH AREA FROM THE BED IF NEEDED.  THE BEDS ARE ELEVATED TO PROVIDE STORAGE UNDERNEATH AND WALL SHELVING ELIMINATES THE SPACE TAKEN UP BY NIGHT STANDS.  THERE IS A SHOWER/TUB WITH SINK AND TOILET AND ALL LINENS, TOWELS, WASHCLOTHS AND TOILETRIES ARE PROVIDED.
     THE NEW SURPRISE IN THESE ROOMS IS THE NEWEST CRUISE LINE INNOVATION, THE VIRTUAL PORTHOLE.  THE BED LIES AT THE END OF THE ROOM AS YOU WALK IN, BECAUSE IN AN INSIDE ROOM IT'S NOT BLOCKING ACCESS TO ANY VERANDAH (DECK OR PORCH).  OVER THE BED IS A PORTHOLE, ALTHOUGH THIS ONE ISN'T REAL.  IT'S AN LCD FLAT SCREEN MONITOR DISGUISED AS A PORTHOLE THAT SHOWS A REAL TIME VIEW OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE SHIP THAT REFLECTS THE ACTUAL STATEROOMS LOCATION ON THE SHIP, VIA CAMERAS ON MOUNTED AROUND THE SHIPS EXTERIOR.  THE REAL HIGHLIGHT AND INNOVATION HERE IS THAT NOT ONLY CAN YOU, FOR THE FIRST TIME, SEE THE OUTSIDE FROM AN INSIDE STATEROOM, BUT INTERMITTENTLY MANY DIFFERENT ANIMATED DISNEY CHARACTERS APPEAR ON OR IN YOUR PORTHOLE.  PLUS AT NIGHT IF YOU LIKE, YOU CAN SIMPLY TURN IT OFF.  COOL HUH?  THIS WOULD BE A SMALL ROOM FOR 4 PEOPLE I BELIEVE, BUT YOU'RE RARELY IN YOUR STATEROOM ON A CRUISE OTHER THAN BEDTIME.
     THE NEXT STEP UP IS THE DELUXE INSIDE STATEROOM.  THIS ROOM HAS A SLIGHTLY BIGGER DESK AND SHELVING UNIT AND A SLIGHTLY BIGGER CLOSET AS WELL.  THESE FIT IN EASIER AS THERE IS 204 SQUARE FEET IN THE DELUXE, SOME 35 SQUARE FEET BIGGER THAN THE STANDARD.  THE MAIN REASON IS TO FIT DISNEY'S CRUISE LINE EXCLUSIVE "SPLIT BATHROOM".  THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FAMILY'S HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY RAVING ABOUT.  THERE ARE, FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES, TWO BATHROOMS.  THE ONE CLOSEST TO YOUR HALLWAY DOOR HAS A SINK AND TOILET, WHILE THE SECOND, RIGHT NEXT TO IT, HAS A SHOWER & TUB WITH A SECOND SINK.  SO WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE GETTING READY AT A TIME, THIS CAN BE A HUGE TIME AND SPACE SAVER.  GENIUS.  MOST OF THE EXTRA SQUARE FOOTAGE IS USED NEAR THE BATHROOMS, CLOSET AND COUCH.  MY SON HAD TO HAVE THE VIRTUAL PORTHOLE, SO SINCE FIRST BOOKING THE STANDARD, I UPGRADED TO THE DELUXE FIGURING IF I'M NOT GETTING A BALCONY, I CAN AT LEAST GET A LITTLE MORE ROOM.
     THE DELUXE OCEANVIEW STATEROOM IS NEXT IN LINE.  THERE IS ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DELUXE OCEANVIEW STATEROOM AND THE DELUXE INSIDE STATEROOM OTHER THAN THE LAYOUT.  THE CONVERTIBLE COUCH AND DESK ARE AT THE END OF THE ROOM BECAUSE NOW THERE IS AN ACTUAL 5 FOOT WIDE PORTHOLE LOOKING OUT OVER THE OCEAN, SO YOU CAN SIT ON THE COUCH AND SEE OUT.  THE BED IS NOW PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROOM DOOR INSTEAD OF FACING IT, LIKE IN MOST ROOMS. 
     NEXT UP IS THE DELUXE FAMILY OCEANVIEW STATEROOM.  THIS IS A 241 SQUARE FOOT SPACE THAT SLEEPS 3-5.  SOME HAVE THE UPPER BIRTH PULL DOWN BED, BUT MOST HAVE A WALL PULL DOWN BED (OR MURPHY BED) ALONG WITH THE QUEEN SIZE BED AND CONVERTIBLE COUCH.  IT STILL HAS THE SPLIT BATHROOMS, BUT NOW THE SECOND HAS A ROUND TUB WITH A BUILT-IN SEAT, A RAIN STYLE SHOWER HEAD AND A HAND-HELD SHOWERHEAD.  THERE ARE TWO CLOSETS AND A LONGER DESK AREA WITH A SECOND CHAIR AS WELL AS A BUILT-IN CUSHIONED PORTHOLE WINDOW SEAT.  MUCH EASIER TO FIT MORE PEOPLE INTO THIS ROOM AND SIT COMFORTABLY AS WELL.
     THE DELUXE OCEANVIEW STATEROOM WITH VERANDAH  HAS ALMOST THE SAME SQUARE FEET AS THE DELUXE FAMILY OCEANVIEW STATEROOM EXCEPT THE 246 SQUARE FEET HERE INCLUDES THE VERANDAH.  THE ROOM, INCLUDING THE BATHROOMS, IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE DELUXE OCEANVIEW STATEROOM, EXCEPT NOW THERE ARE SLIDING DOORS OPENING UP TO YOUR PRIVATE BALCONY. THE VERANDAH IS APPROXIMATELY 4 OR 5 FEET DEEP AND 10 FEET WIDE, DEPENDING ON THE ROOM AND IT'S LOCATION ON THE SHIP.
     THE DELUXE FAMILY OCEANVIEW STATEROOM WITH VERANDAH IS A MUCH BIGGER 299 SQUARE FEET THAT SLEEPS 4 OR 5 WITH THE DELUXE ROUND SHOWER SECOND BATH, THE QUEEN SIZE BED, CONVERTIBLE SOFA, UPPER BERTH PULL-DOWN BED, AND MOST HAVE THE WALL PULL DOWN BED AS WELL.  THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS A DELUXE FAMILY OCEANVIEW STATEROOM THAT NOW HAS A 5 FOOT DEEP BY 10 FOOT WIDE OR SO PRIVATE BALCONY. 
     THE CONCIERGE FAMILY OCEANVIEW STATEROOM WITH VERANDAH HAS 306 SQUARE FEET AND SLEEPS 5.  IT HAS A QUEEN SIZE BED, A DOUBLE CONVERTIBLE SOFA COMPARED TO THE SINGLE IN ALL OTHERS, AND AN UPPER BERTH PULL-DOWN BED.  THE BIG DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT THIS ROOM INCLUDES DISNEY'S SIGNATURE CONCIERGE SERVICE.  GUESTS CAN PRE-RESERVE ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES 120 DAYS PRIOR TO SAILING WITH A DEDICATED CONCIERGE SPECIALIST AND GET ACCESS TO THE SHIPS CONCIERGE SPECIAL SERVICES AND HAVE EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO DEDICATED AREAS INCLUDING SUN DECKS AND LOUNGES.  THE ROOMS ARE APPOINTED IN A MUCH MORE HIGH END STYLE AS WELL.
     LASTLY ARE THE CONCIERGE SUITES, FIRST OF WHICH IS THE CONCIERGE ONE BEDROOM SUITE WITH VERANDAH.  WITH 622 SQUARE FEET, A SEPARATE BEDROOM, A LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM, FULL SIZE WHIRLPOOL TUB IN ONE OF TWO BATHROOMS, WALK-IN CLOSET, HUGE DECK PLUS ALL THE CONCIERGE SERVICES, THIS IS ONE SERIOUSLY (EXPENSIVE) NICE SPACE.
     NOW JUST IMAGINE THE 1781 SQUARE FOOT ROYAL SUITE.  THERE'S NO WAY TO GET IT ALL INTO PERSPECTIVE WITHOUT JUST SAYING, TAKE A LOOK.  (www.disneycruise.disney.go.com/.../dream-fantasy/suites/concierge-royal-suite-with-verandah)
    EACH STATEROOM IS ASSIGNED A NUMBER, LIKE AN 11 FOR AN INSIDE STATEROOM, BUT THEN IT GETS A NUMBER BASED ON THE DECK IT'S ON OR FORWARD OR AFT. (11A, 11B, 11C)  AND YOU'LL NOTICE EACH ONE HAS A DIFFERENT PRICE POINT BASED ON IT'S LOCATION, SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS AND PRICES, BUT THAT MAKES FOR MORE CHOICES FOR EACH AND EVERY PERSON TO SUIT EACH AND EVERY NEED AND BUDGET.  SO GET LOOKIN!
     SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº