Whiskey Tasting on the Disney Dream

Editor's Note:  Guest post written by the husband about his experience with a Whiskey tasting event held for guests 21 and over on the Disney Dream.  He read about the event in the Navigator and called Guest Services to reserve his spot.

The Williams Family always seeks to indulge in the many activities that DCL offers that falls within our current budget. One of the best deals I discovered on our last cruise was whiskey sampling. I called Guest Services and they told me that it was only $20 but limited capacity. So I signed up. The place, the Meridian Lounge, on Deck 13 right between Palo & Remy. There were only 20 spots available and I felt lucky to get my reservation.

I walk in at the Meridian Lounge at 9:55 pm and found this nice upscale lounge vacant with the exception of one other customer, the bartender, and a waitress. I was told that the wine, beer, & margarita sessions are almost always full where the whiskey and cognac was anybody’s guess.

Now to be honest with you some of the details get a little fuzzy at this point. 1. Since there were only two of us we got to sample more whiskey. 2. The quantity was a little more. Normally recipients receive 6 half shots of various whiskies. Steve, the other guy, and I had 8 shots a little more than 2 thirds full. 3. Been a few years since I had whiskey. Don’t worry I didn’t do anything that would sully this fine blog.

As we were sampling, the bartender, was giving us a history of whiskey throughout the ages. We learned about the Guild of Surgeon Barbers, malt whiskies, grain whiskies, blended whiskies, the importance of oak barrels, & the successful distillers of whiskey. I had sipped Jack Daniels, Maker’s Mark, Johnnie Walker – Blue, Jameson, a Swedish whiskey that smelled like a pleasant wood smoke, & some out of this world Irish whiskies.

This took about 45 minutes. Bob, the bartender, had to set up for the cognac tasting. He did leave us with a joke. A man walks into a bar and joins his fellow office workers. There are eight in this party. The man starts buying drinks for his group several times but keeps checking his wallet. The bartender asks if the man can pay. The man pulls out a money clip thick with hundreds and says yes I can pay. The bartender apologizes and commented about the man checking his wallet. The man says that there is a picture of his wife in there. The man then says he knows he has had enough to drink when his wife starts looking good.

I would like to say my wife looks great all the time.