All aboard! We’ve been waiting for this day for so long, and it’s finally here. We’re embarking on Disney’s newest cruise ship, the Disney Adventure.

This is the first Disney Cruise Line ship to sail from Singapore’s Marina Bay Cruise Centre and throughout Southeast Asia. We are on the ship’s maiden voyage out of Singapore, and we’re here to see and do it all! It’s a tall order, but we are excited to share with you a closer look at this new ship. Come along with us as we explore everything on the Disney Adventure!

Entering the Ship

When it was time to board the Disney Adventure, our arrival experience was unlike any other Disney cruise ship! Starting at the port, we recommend having your documents downloaded and easily accessible. Make sure that the version of the port arrival form you have shows your boarding time.

Going through security, we were asked to carry our water bottle and neck pillow with us instead of leaving them with our checked bags, so that was a change from other Disney cruises.

Once we were at the port, we could connect to the Disney cruise ship wifi, which was actually quite speedy. They didn’t have the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app up and running yet.

We were also able to join a boarding group an hour before our boarding time and get on the ship early. Usually, Disney says NOT to arrive early, so this might have just been the case for our sailing.

But the major changes started when we actually boarded the Adventure! They don’t scan your documents until you’re physically on the ship, instead of in the pre-boarding area. There are multiple gangways available — we boarded near an elevator bay. There’s no “grand atrium” arrival here like other Disney cruise ships, and sadly, they don’t announce your name as you board.

However, we did have several Cast Members lined up to cheer and welcome us aboard, and Captain Minnie was roaming around the area to say hello to guests. It still felt special in its own way!

Atmosphere

After boarding, one of the big things we noticed is that the vibes here are? SO DIFFERENT. First of all, the elevator bays are massive, with about 10 elevators each. And there are escalators in various spaces throughout the ship. That makes it easier to navigate between decks without having to take the stairs all the time.

The muster drill was a little bit different than other Disney cruises. More of the stations seemed to be in indoor locations, and after going through the safety briefing, they did a phased dismissal. They’ll come over the intercom and dismiss people from the drill by calling out stations individually — this helps keep the crowds from flooding the ship all at once.

Unlike other Disney cruises, there are no MagicBands on board this ship. You won’t be able to use them to unlock your doors or do other things around the boat. No need to pack that MagicBand+!

One big thing to note is that pretty much everything here is in English! English is one of the official languages of Singapore, and all the Cast Members on board speak English. The shows are also in English. So if you’re traveling from the U.S. to board this ship, you shouldn’t have any language barriers.

Our first impression of this boat is that it’s seriously awesome. It’s very cool to explore! Whereas other Disney ships feel more like a contained experience, this boat has given in more to the sense of “discovery” — you’ll never know what you may find just around the next corner. There are hidden details everywhere, and the attention to detail feels on par with the theme parks. Much more intricate than other Disney ships!

There are quite a few outdoor courtyard spaces, and during our sailing, it’s rather warm! We would definitely recommend wearing your sunscreen, bringing a hat, and having a portable fan on hand, because you might be standing in the sun to watch some of the outdoor entertainment.

Speaking of the different spaces on the boat, there are seven different themed areas on the Disney Adventure. Disney Imagination Garden is the closest thing you get to the grand atrium onboard this ship, with a large open space, a stage, and a stunning castle at the forefront.

Other areas include Town Square, San Fransokyo Street, Marvel Landing, Disney Discovery Reef, Wayfinder Bay, and Toy Story Place. Check back for updates on those spots throughout our sailing.

Entertainment

Of course, every Disney cruise starts with a sailaway party! On the Disney Adventure, there are multiple showings of the sailaway party because it’s hosted in the Disney Imagination Garden, which is not as spacious as the pool decks of the other ships (where the party is usually hosted).

You can’t really see the ship sailing away from this area, but the show included several characters — Genie, Captain Mickey, Captain Minnie, Elsa, Cinderella, Tiana, Miss Marvel, Spider-Man, and more. Of course, the sailaway party also features the iconic Disney Cruise Line horn sendoff!

With much of the entertainment onboard, there are three showings, including for the major theatre shows at night. This helps accommodate the crowds more easily.

We’ll keep updating you on entertainment as we see more shows. Keep following along throughout our sailing!

Dining

When we boarded the ship, we started with some quick service dining. There are several small, quick service spots on the ship that fill the gap between pool service, rotational dining, and buffet. It’s important to note that reservations may be required to experience some of these dining options. Making the reservations was as simple as getting our Key to the World card scanned, but we did see folks turned away at some of the more popular spots.

For the smaller quick service spots, dining is done similarly to Chipotle, where you walk up to the counter and tell the Cast Member what you’d like to include in your meal. They’ll have sauces set out at the end, and each spot comes with themed seating inside, as well as some themed seating outside the restaurant. We already tried Gramma Tala’s Kitchen, Mowgli’s Eatery, Stitch’s Ohana Grill, and Cosmic Kebabs, and we thoroughly enjoyed each spot. We felt the food was a cut above typical Disney Cruise Line fare, and there’s no extra charge to eat at these places.

We’ll update you with thoughts from our rotational dining spots and other eateries as we make our way around the ship.

Shopping

Of course, it wouldn’t be a vacation without some shopping! During our first day onboard, we got notified that World of Disney, World of Disney Too, and Duffy and Friends shops would all require reservations for shopping in the evening to help mitigate crowds and lines.

There’s no guarantee that this will happen on your sailing, but it’s important to have notifications on for the Navigator app just in case.

Room Tours

There are so many different rooms available on this ship, including inside rooms, oceanview rooms, verandah rooms, concierge rooms, and royal suites, so there’s really something here for everyone. Here’s a first look at our Deluxe Garden View Stateroom with Verandah.

This offers a balcony view into the middle of the ship. On this boat, you can get balconies facing inward or out to sea. We’ll be sharing a full room tour soon, so stay tuned.

NOTE: We’ll be on the Disney Adventure for the next few days and updating this post throughout that time, so keep coming back! Subscribe to our newsletter and our YouTube channel for more, and follow us on social media.

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What are you most excited to see from the Disney Adventure ship? Tell us in the comments below!