On our first full day onboard the Disney Dream, I woke up just after 6:00am ready for our Marvel Day at Sea – one of the main reasons why we had booked this exact cruise! We already knew that it was going to be a very long day ahead but we also knew that we wanted to see and do as much as we possibly could so we had also set an alarm to make sure that we did not sleep in that morning – and the trouble with Disney Cruise Line beds is that they are so comfortable, that you do not want to move!

We had a great and unexpected surprise when opening the curtains to discover a Marvel Day at Sea decal on our verandah door and it was a very windy day outside (there was a definite roll on the ship) but compared to the previous day, it had also turned very hot and humid as we sailed towards our first port of Grand Cayman. After going up to Deck 11 to get some much needed caffeine to start our day (and seeing that the Marvel Day at Sea banner was already showing on Funnel Vision as well as Marvel music playing in the hallways and throughout the ship), we sat in bed and refreshed the Personal Navigator on the Disney Cruise Line app and went over our game plan for the rest of the day.

When sailing on a Marvel Day at Sea cruise, there is so much happening onboard the ship throughout the entire day and the most important thing to know beforehand is that it is impossible to do absolutely everything scheduled and if you want a relaxing day, this will definitely not be it! However if you want to make the most of your Marvel Day at Sea and see and do as much as you possibly can, then you need to have a plan especially when it comes to meeting all of the characters as you might struggle to fit everything in otherwise. Make sure to study the Personal Navigator and pay attention to all of the times and locations listed so you always know what your next stop will be. However sometimes you will simply be in the right place at the right time and bump into a superhero when you least expect it!

The best advice I can give for Marvel Day at Sea is to make an early start and make your way to the very first character meet of the day before heading straight to the next one and so on and that way (as we found) you can easily see the majority of characters that have scheduled meet and greets whilst most of the other people onboard are still in bed or at breakfast. We found that by approaching the day this way, our morning was actually very sane with short lines and as we had met all of the superheroes by lunchtime, it gave us some downtime in the afternoon ready for the late night ahead.

After having a shower and getting dressed (I had bought a Marvel themed t-shirt just for this day), we walked down to Evolution on Deck 4 to meet Captain America Sam Wilson who was the first scheduled meet and greet of the day at 8:00am. The ship was completely empty at this time and there was only a handful of people already waiting when we arrived so it only took a few minutes to meet him once the doors opened. We then walked straight to Preludes outside of the Walt Disney Theatre on Deck 3 to meet Black Panther T’Challa at 8:15am. The line was a little longer but it moved reasonably quickly and we met him just after 8:30am.

The ship was still very quiet when we walked back to Evolution where we were first in line to meet Captain Marvel at 9:00am and we then walked back to Preludes to meet Blank Panther Shuri at 9:15am where there was only five other people waiting in line. Our plan was working well and we had met four characters in just over an hour which was incredible. The majority of the scheduled meet and greets on Marvel Day at Sea were either in Evolution on Deck 4, Preludes on Deck 3 or in the Lobby Atrium making it very easy and simple to go from one to the other very quickly.

The only thing that was proving difficult so far was the temperature inside the Disney Dream as it was so hot onboard – we had noticed it the night before at Animator’s Palate during dinner. Thankfully it did get cooler throughout the day but it was very noticeable during the whole cruise that the air conditioning was not running as cold as it usually does.

We grabbed a cold drink from the drinks station to help cool down and rehydrate and as we took the elevator back down to Deck 3 an announcement was made throughout the ship for Thor to let him know that his “carry on has arrived and no one else is able to lift it!” Our next character of the morning was Shang-Chi at 9:45am and we were second in line to meet him in the Vestibule on the starboard side of the lobby atrium.

Our original plan was to meet Captain America Steve Rogers at 10:00am but there was already a huge line when we arrived at Evolution (he is definitely one of the two most popular characters to meet during Marvel Day at Sea – the other being Mickey – and it was one of the longest lines we saw that day) as a lot more people were starting to move around the ship so we decided to use this time wisely and go for a late breakfast in Cabanas as he had another meet and greet scheduled at lunchtime that day. Cabanas was still very busy at this time so we took our plates outside to one of the tables close to Flo’s V8 Cafe where it was so much quieter and I also got a coffee from Cove Cafe to enjoy as we sat there and ate our breakfast.

Once we had finished our breakfast we walked down to Animator’s Palate on Deck 3 ready for Heroic Encounters: Asgard at 11:00am. This was one of the three character experiences – the other two are Heroic Encounters: HQ (Iron Man and Spiderman) and Heroic Encounters: Guardians – that you can pre-book thirty days ahead of the cruise and the booking window opens at the same time for everyone onboard regardless of Castaway Club status. Even though the website says that you can only book one of these meet and greets, you can actually book all three and they also take place on other days during the cruise as well so we had booked different days for each of them so we were not rushing to do everything on this one day.

We arrived at Animator’s Palate about fifteen minutes early and we were first in line to meet both Thor as well as Mighty Thor. At certain times you might meet Loki instead as specific characters are not guaranteed but he was nowhere to be seen and obviously off causing mischief somewhere around the ship!

As we had some spare time, we decided to walk a few laps of Deck 4 to get some fresh air. It was such a beautiful day outside (albeit very, very windy) with sunshine and blue skies and as we were walking around, we randomly bumped into Ant Man and the Wasp.

As the earlier line had been so long for Captain America Steve Rogers, we arrived at Evolution at 11:35am – twenty five minutes ahead of time – and there was already a short line of people waiting to meet him. Our plan of meeting all the characters as early as possible when it was quiet had definitely paid off and as we had sailed on the Dream before, it also felt like we had a huge advantage throughout the entire day as we knew our way around the ship and could get to each of the venues very quickly – we saw so many people looking completely lost that day or looking for venues on the wrong decks.

Another top tip if you are sailing on a Marvel Day at Sea cruise is that there are a lot of characters roaming the ship throughout the entire day as well – and there is a good chance you will see them on Deck 4 (as well as around the lobby atrium) so make sure to look outside whenever you are passing. As we had a few minutes before the Warriors of Wakanda show at 12:30pm, we quickly checked both sides of a near empty Deck 4 and met Dr Strange who was walking around all by himself – you really never know who you might bump into.

Warriors of Wakanda was scheduled three times during our Marvel Day at Sea and it was extremely quiet in the lobby atrium for the 12:30pm performance as everyone was either already at lunch or at the pool as it had turned so hot and sunny outside. The show lasted about ten minutes and features Okoye who teaches everyone what it takes to train alongside the Dora Milaje.

Once the show had finished, we quickly joined the very short line to meet Ms Marvel who was meeting in the Vestibule at 12:45pm and was the last of our scheduled super hero meet and greets of the day. Even though I still have not watched the Ms Marvel series, we talked about her helping to save the day onboard the Disney Wish and she said that she had begged Sam Wilson to ride the AquaMouse with her and that he had refused.

If anyone is wondering, I found it very easy to talk to the characters during Marvel Day at Sea and even though you do not need to have seen any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies to be able to enjoy it, it will definitely enhance your experience if you are a Marvel fan as you will be able to understand a lot more of the references. If you are not sure what to say, simply ask them how they’re enjoying their cruise as they have all been invited onboard the ship especially for the Stark Expo that evening – the whole day on the ship builds up to the Heroes Unite finale.

Shang-Chi talked about doing some karaoke during the cruise, Captain America Steve Rogers mentioned that the Super-Soldier Serum was hidden in the ice cream machines, T’Challa said that his little sister Shuri was cleverer that Tony Stark but to not mention it to him, Ms Marvel said she would be live streaming the Stark Expo event that evening whilst Ant Man said he had flown Marie Ant-oinette around and over the ship that morning for fun.

It was just before 1:00pm and as we had been awake for nearly seven hours and had already done so much that morning, we were both already feeling very tired. As we knew it was going to be a late night as Heroes Unite did not start until 10:15pm and as we had nothing scheduled until later that afternoon, a nap was very much needed so we could avoid burning out too early in the day so we headed back up to our stateroom.

We found that this was truly the best way for us personally to experience Marvel Day at Sea and even though you do want to see and do everything, something will have to give so we decided to miss the Strange Academy: A Spellbinding Spectacular show in the Walt Disney Theatre that afternoon. You will need some downtime as it is such a long and full on day (which we knew it would be) and we were both so happy that we were able to accomplish as much as we did that morning especially as neither of us were sure if it would be possible to meet that many characters after reading reports of huge lines on previous cruises but it was absolutely doable with just a little effort and planning. We really wanted to enjoy the rest of the activities, character appearances and entertainment later that day and we were so looking forward to watching Heroes Unite that evening so a little bit of rest was essential so we could really enjoy it.

We made sure to set an alarm for an hour later so we did not oversleep and once we were awake, we headed up to Cabanas just after 2:00pm for a late lunch. Compared to our last cruise on the Disney Dream, there was so much choice and there were even Marvel themed desserts so of course we had to try them!

After we had finished our lunch, we got a cup of tea and walked around Decks 12 and 13. The pool areas were very busy and they had to close the Aquaduck due to it being so windy that day – it was near impossible to even stand at the front of Deck 13 as the wind was so strong.

We walked down to Deck 4 to sit for a little while as we wanted to make sure that we could relax in the peace and quiet and enjoy a few minutes of our day at sea as we knew that the rest of the day would be full-on. It was great to just watch the world go by and it was also perfect timing as Captain America Steve Rogers was walking around at this time and we watched as a giant wave crashed against the side of the ship and onto the deck behind him.

The next part of our Marvel Day at Sea was the Marvel Costume Celebration at 4:30pm in the lobby atrium and Black Widow, Hawkeye and Kate Bishop made an appearance just before the event began. We had seen so many people in different costumes walking around the ship the entire day – my favourite was the guy dressed as Fat Thor – and this was their time to shine and have their moment in the spotlight.

At the end of the celebration Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto turned up to show off their Marvel costumes to everyone and it was so good to see all of them once more after only seeing them from a distance on the “Marvel Morning at Sea” on our Disney Magic at Sea staycation cruises from Southampton and Tilbury.

Mickey was dressed as Captain America, Minnie as Ghost Spider, Goofy as Iron Man, Donald as the Incredible Hulk, Daisy as Black Widow, Pluto was wearing an Avengers bandana whilst Chip and Dale were Thor and Loki – simply the perfect characters for the pair of them to be and I love that their hats are shaped like acorns!

The characters spread out across the lobby atrium and after a relatively calm day, the next hour or so was absolute carnage as the lines to meet Mickey and the gang were incredibly long and very slow moving – as it was only the second day onboard, everyone was still collecting autographs. We managed to meet Chip and Dale, Minnie, Donald and Daisy in this time but not Mickey as the line to meet him was like nothing else I have ever seen onboard.

Before the cruise we had already decided that we would skip dinner in the main dining room on this night as we knew that we would not be able to do everything that we wanted to do that evening otherwise and having deck food instead of a full sit down meal allowed us not to have to rush everywhere and it also meant that we were not constantly looking at the time. The Marvel Day at Sea menu was also very similar to the Worlds of Marvel menu onboard the Disney Wish (which we sailed on last year) so we did not feel like we were missing out at any time.

After meeting the characters, we made our way up to Tow Mater’s Grill where we grabbed a burger and fries each for dinner before we walked up to Deck 12 and grabbed our spot ready for the Mickey and Minnie’s Super Hero Celebration deck party at 7:30pm. It was so windy up on deck as we were waiting and we were wondering if the deck parties would even go ahead that night as we were even getting sea spray on the top decks! Thankfully despite the weather, the motion of the ship was nowhere near as bad as it could have been.

Mickey and Minnie’s Super Hero Celebration is a dance party which takes place on the Deck 11 stage between the two dinner seatings featuring the characters as they celebrate Marvel Day at Sea and what it takes to be a true super hero. As each of them arrive on stage, they explain what they have in common with the super hero they are dressed as along with a dance move inspired by each one.

Mickey as Captain America represents “Honor” which means standing up for those in need and always staying true to yourself – his move was to throw his shield and shout “Zing!”

Minnie as Ghost Spider represents “Responsibility” meaning to always be someone others can count on – her move was to shoot webs and shout “Thwip!”

Donald as the Incredible Hulk represents “Strength” which can be physical as well as mental and knowing when not to let it all out – his move was to flex his muscles and shout “Smash!”

Daisy as Black Widow represents “Determination” which is believing you can do anything you set your mind to and to not let anything stand in your way – her move was to pump her fists whilst running and shout “Zoom!”

Goofy as Iron Man represents “The Future” which is making the world a better place whether that be through cool inventions or just being cool – his move was to lean to the left and then to the right and shout “Whoosh!”

Chip as Thor represents “Worthiness” which is having trust and power and always doing the right thing – his move was to swing Mjölnir to the sky and shout “Crack!”

Dale as Loki represents “Cleverness” which means using your brain to solve problems – his move was to hit his sceptre on the ground and shout “Slam!”

Pluto is the last character to arrive wearing his Avengers bandana representing “Teamwork” as he is loyal and will stand by his friends to do what is right – his move was to lead everyone on the stage in an heroic pose and shout “Avengers Assemble!”

The party finished with Mickey and the gang dancing to Super Hero from Disney Junior whilst explaining that being a true super hero means knowing right from wrong, being there when someone needs help, standing up for a friend in need, helping around the house, believing in yourself and following your heart to do the right thing. It was such a cute and fun show and I could not stop smiling throughout the entire thing and I would definitely recommend watching it if you are sailing on a Marvel Day at Sea cruise.

We had a few minutes to head straight down to Evolution on Deck 4 to grab a seat ready for the amazing Star-Spangled USO Show at 8:00pm. The show is inspired by the scene from the original Captain America movie and features the songs Anything Goes, Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me), Begin the Beguine, Moonlight Serenade, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, In the Mood, Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) before finishing with Star-Spangled Man With a Plan and an appearance from Captain America himself.

I had been looking forward to this show all day and I absolutely loved every minute of it as the singers were incredible and skipping dinner allowed us to be able to see this, meet as many characters as we wanted as well as grab good spots out on deck to watch both Mickey and Minnie’s Super Hero Celebration and Heroes Unite that evening.

After the show had finished we walked towards the lobby atrium which was very busy due to the number of Marvel characters that were roaming around but sadly we got there just as Loki (the one character that we really wanted to meet) disappeared but we were hoping to see him later in the cruise instead. We knew that we wanted to grab a space up on deck early ready for Heroes Unite so our plan was to get in line to be one of the first to meet Mickey as Captain America at 9:00pm.

Thankfully we got there at the right time and we were fourth in line and once again a huge line formed behind us that went all the way back past the elevators and this was twenty five minutes before he was due out. This was our last and only chance to see him as Captain America so we did not mind waiting and he arrived five minutes early and it was so good to finally meet him.

After meeting Mickey just before 9:00pm, we headed straight up to Deck 12 to grab our spot ready for Heroes Unite which was due to start at 10:15pm. This is one of the best and most popular shows that you will see on Disney Cruise Line and the epic finale to Marvel Day at Sea so if you want to watch the show from a certain spot then you will need to get there as early as you possibly can especially as certain areas of the decks are closed off – it is definitely worth the wait!

We had already worked out in advance that the best place to stand was the starboard side of Deck 12 to be able to get a good view of absolutely everything as so much of the action takes place across the whole of Decks 11 and 12 (as well as above them) during the show that an unobstructed view is essential. It was also still very windy out on deck at this time but there was a small respite just before the show started as the ship slowed down and turned into the wind which would allow the fireworks to go ahead.

You will get notifications and reminders about this show all day on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app so it will get very busy. All of the spots along the rails of Deck 12 as well as all of the spots close to the stage on Deck 11 were taken about fifty minutes before the show started and all of the other spaces quickly filled up with about twenty five minutes to go meaning anyone else who turned up after that struggled to get an unobstructed view. Some people even arrived at the very last minute and then tried to unsuccessfully push their way to the front which was never going to happen when everyone else got there early and patiently waited to ensure that they got the spot they wanted.

The story behind Heroes Unite is that you are attending the Stark Expo which is being held onboard the Disney Dream where Tony will be unveiling his latest technology but predictably things do not go to plan! The show jumps between different multiverses and features all of the Marvel super heroes that you have met throughout the day as well as more than a few villains! If you do not want to know any spoilers then stop reading now!

To kick off the proceedings in the best and most perfect way possible, Tony blasts Thunderstruck by AC/DC to warm up the crowd before news reporter Amber Anderson from the Daily Bugle in Fort Lauderdale interviews some of the waiting crowd. She is then interrupted by a special announcement direct from the bridge and Stan Lee himself appears as the Captain of the ship on the Funnel Vision to a huge cheer from the audience. Excelsior!

The inside scoop is that the Stark Expo will feature technology that will allow us to see into other multiverses so America Chavez and Sorcerer Supreme Wong who are live from Kamar-Taj explain that there are millions of multiverses out there (some similar and some very different) all existing at the exact same time and that it is possible that a multiverse exists where people similar to us are getting ready to watch the same event but with some slight variants.

Once the Stark Expo was underway, Iron Man arrived on stage and introduced Ant Man and the Wasp as well as Captain America Sam Wilson before presenting “The Ultimate Multiverser” which uses Pym Technology and knowledge of the Quantum Realm with Tony Stark’s expertise on time variables and outcomes to bend time and space to experience infinite multiverses.

However Sam Wilson thinks that the Multiverser is not a good idea which is proved correct when the Tracksuit Mafia arrive to steal it. Kate Bishop ziplines in from Deck 12 to Deck 11 and a battle begins across the ship as we watch the heroes team up to defeat the bad guys. Spiderman then arrives by ziplining in from the top of the aft funnel to help Ant Man and the Wasp just as the Multiverser gets dropped and activates.

As we enter an alternate multiverse, the Stark Expo opens once again but this time Iron Man introduces Ms Marvel, Shang-Chi and Black Panther T’Challa who drops in from the top of the forward funnel. When the Ultimate Multiverser is about to be announced again, Spiderman realises that something is up and tells them what is happening in the other multiverse and lets them know that the Tracksuit Mafia will soon arrive but the Task Force and Taskmaster arrive instead. Alma Anderson from the Daily Bugle in Miami (speaking in Spanish) reports on the latest developments as once again a battle ensues across the entire ship. Spiderman then tries to use the Multiverser to get back to his world but you can guess what happens next!

In the next multiverse we are at the Wakandan Design Expo hosted by Black Panther Shuri who introduces the Guardians of the Galaxy (Star Lord, Gamora and Groot) before Loki shows up at the top of the stairs next to the Aquaduck – and I loved that all of the lights on the Aquaduck turned green at this time. Thor and Mighty Thor quickly arrive to fight Loki just as Nebula and some Chitauri soldiers also arrive to steal the Multiverser. Spiderman drops in once again as Andrew Anderson from the Daily Bugle in Fort Lauderdale reports as yet another battle breaks out across the ship – and I could not stop laughing at Gamora reassuring Groot that he could ride the “duck thing” afterwards.

Loki steals the multiverser from Spiderman and reveals that it is actually the Scarlet Witch who wants it and in return, she will let Loki rule the Nine Realms in any multiverse of his choosing. Doctor Strange then appears on the top of the forward funnel after tracking down the Scarlet Witch (with the help of America Chavez) who is standing opposite him on the top of the aft funnel whilst Spiderman snatches the Multiverser back when all of the multiverses collide.

Iron Man reappears next to Spiderman on the stage and Captain America Sam Wilson, Ant Man and the Wasp, Kate Bishop, Shang-Chi, Black Panther T’Challa, Ms Marvel, Hawkeye and Captain America Steve Rogers arrive to team up with Thor, Mighty Thor, Black Panther Shuri, Star Lord, Gamora, Groot and Doctor Strange against the Scarlet Witch, Loki, Nebula, the Chitauri soldiers, Taskmaster, the Task Force and the Tracksuit Mafia.

It was an epic battle of good versus evil with so many characters everywhere you looked around you. It was truly like Avengers: Endgame at Sea with the same music from the jaw-dropping Portals scene from the movie and the moment that Sam Wilson shouted Avengers Assemble was the single best moment of the entire cruise – you cannot describe that moment with the incredible music and the loud cheering from everyone onboard.

The biggest battle yet breaks out across the entire ship as the Scarlet Witch flies between the funnels. However the most touching moment was the reunion of Black Panther T’Challa and his little sister Black Panther Shuri before they both take on the Task Force and the Tracksuit Mafia. Wakanda forever!

Spiderman whilst climbing up the side of the funnel (yes you read that right!) works out how to use the Multiverser to send all of the villains back to where they came from. His plan works and all of the villains except for the Scarlet Witch start to disappear from the ship. Iron Man realises that the Scarlet Witch cannot have the Multiverser if it does not exist so he gets Doctor Strange to keep her occupied – he sets off some fireworks – whilst Thor and Mighty Thor destroy the Multiverser using Mjölnir and Stormbreaker.

The Scarlet Witch and Loki leave and just when you think it’s all over, it is discovered that several Kree ships have entered the earth’s atmosphere and the only person who can help is Captain Marvel who ziplines in from the top of the aft funnel and the fireworks once again light up the sky as she destroys the Kree Armada with the help of Iron Man as well as Star Lord and Groot in the Benatar.

Heroes Unite ends with reporter Andrew Anderson asking all of the Avengers for a group photo so make sure to have your camera ready before Shuri gets the party started by playing “Don’t Stop The Party” by Pitbull.

Heroes Unite was simply one of the best, coolest and most spectacular shows I have ever seen onboard – I knew that it was going to be good but it truly was on another level and the absolute highlight of our Marvel Day at Sea cruise. As someone who had never seen a single Marvel movie until four years ago and once knew nothing about any of the characters, I loved every minute of it and was truly geeking out the entire time. It was truly incredible and all of the stunts and pyrotechnics went ahead as planned with no changes or alterations despite the weather that night which was simply amazing.

The show finished just after 11:00pm and we waited a few minutes to let the crowds rush off which did not take long as it was so late and I think everyone onboard was so tired. We were a little hungry so walked down one deck to Luigi’s Pizza for something quick and easy to eat. We then headed down to Deck 3 and the entire Disney Dream felt like a ghost ship as there was no one in sight anywhere. Our Cruise Director Anthony had told us that we had to go to Evolution for the Ravagers Club but at that point we were both so tired after the long day – I had never felt tiredness like it – and all we wanted to do was to go to bed instead.

A towel Mjölnir was waiting for us on the bed when we got back to our stateroom and after a quick shower to wash all the sea spray off that had been blowing across the top decks that night, I fell into bed but at that point I was so overtired that it took me forever to fall asleep and I was so grateful that we had no alarm clock the next morning.

It had been such a long and exhausting day (even though we had thankfully made time for a nap that afternoon) but I had truly loved every minute of our Marvel Day at Sea. We did so much onboard, saw the most characters I think I have ever seen in one day and yet there was still so much that we never had time to do such as taking an animation class, going to Marvel trivia, reading the comic books from the Marvel Comic Academy or watching any of the movies or television series that were playing in the Buena Vista Theatre or on Funnel Vision – and Avengers: Endgame was playing at 11:15pm if you could stay awake that late! It really is a dream day from start to finish for any Marvel fans and you will definitely not be bored and the whole experience will leave you wanting more!

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