I have been on multiple Disney cruises. I have also cruised Greece multiple times. This was my first time combining the two — nine nights on the Disney Dream through the Greek Isles and Malta. I am a Disney adult and a travel advisor who sells DCL, and I want to give you my honest take on what this experience was actually like.

In this episode I am covering:

• Getting to the port from Rome and what the check-in situation was actually like
• Why you should join the WhatsApp group and Facebook group for your specific DCL sailing before you go
• The Disney Dream — what it does well and where it feels dated compared to newer DCL ships
• The honest food take: rotational dining, why Palo is always the right call, and why the main dining room quality has declined
• The rainforest room add-on — approximately $200 per person for nine nights and worth every dollar
• The teenager situation: real, documented in the WhatsApp group, and something to know going in
• Two active volcanoes — Stromboli and Mount Etna — on the same morning before breakfast
• Churro Mickey waffle day and why guests plan their mornings around it
• The VAT refund process on DCL European sailings — do this the same day you make your purchases or you will regret it
• The honest verdict: who DCL in Europe is right for and who might want to look at alternatives

The ports — Chania, Mykonos, Corfu, and Valletta — are each getting their own episodes. This one is all about the ship.

If you are trying to figure out whether a European cruise is right for you, or which cruise line fits how you travel, reach out. This is exactly the kind of thing I love helping people think through.

Find me at kaylareneetravel.com and across all socials at Kayla Renee Travel.

Until next time — let's just go.

This entire trip to Europe started with one reason: my friend Hannah, who I met on the Disney College Program back in 2010, was getting married. In a castle. On Lake Garda. In Italy. She said she was only inviting people she knew would show up. I showed up.

In this episode I am talking about:

• Getting from Verona to Malcesine by private transfer — the beautiful drive, the narrow roads, and why you want someone else behind the wheel
• Last-minute shopping in Verona: Scout, OVS, and a pair of Birkenstocks I am pretty sure do not exist in the US
• Arriving in Malcesine and why it immediately felt like a fairy tale
• The Hugo spritz — what it is, why it is better than Aperol, and why I now have a bottle of St-Germain at home
• The castle wedding: a bilingual ceremony on a cliff above the lake, a 30-minute walk along the water to the reception, and a bride and groom who arrived by boat
• The best lasagna I ate in three weeks in Italy
• Being the only Americans at a very international wedding
• Getting up early and finding a grapevine terrace before the tour groups arrived — the quiet morning version of Malcesine is a completely different place

Next episode: the Disney Cruise Line Greek Isles itinerary — Mykonos, Corfu, Valletta, a sea day with an active volcano, and a septum piercing somewhere in the Aegean.

Find me across all socials and at kaylareneetravel.com — travel planning, blog posts on every destination from this trip, and TikTok videos of that harbor view that people genuinely cannot stop watching.

Until next time — let's just go.

Verona was never supposed to be a highlight. It was a logistical stop — the closest train connection to Lake Garda, where we were headed for a wedding. It turned into one of the best destinations of the entire three-week trip.

In this episode I am talking about:

• Getting from Venice to Verona by train (and why the 110-euro private water taxi to the station was worth it)
• Staying at the Moxy Verona — what the brand is actually like and who it is right for
• Terrazza Bar al Ponte: a river bar with a castle view, house wine, charcuterie, and a 35-euro bill
• Taking the funicular up to Castel San Pietro at sunset
• Asking our hotel bartender where to order delivery from — and why asking what they actually order is the question that matters
• A wine tour in the Valpolicella region: two wineries, Amarone, a great group of strangers, and drinks in a piazza after
• Dinner at Caffè Monte Baldo: Amarone risotto that I could have licked off the plate

If you have been on the fence about adding Verona to an Italy itinerary, this episode will make the decision for you.

Next episode: Lake Garda — a wedding in a castle, Hugo spritzes, and the discovery that completely changed what I order at bars.

Find me and all things Kayla Renee Travel at kaylareneetravel.com — travel planning, podcast episodes, and blogs going deeper on every destination from this trip.

Until next time — let's just go.