Disney Cruise Line's latest ship, the Disney Fantasy, is a fabulous space that is an improvement on the already wonderful Disney Dream. As previously reported on MousePlanet, one of the features of the Fantasy is Europa, a group of bars and lounges on deck 4 aft themed to different European countries. At night, this space is an adults-only playground with spaces that will appeal to almost every taste—whether you enjoy energetic dance music, or an intimately subdued atmosphere.
Entering through the main corridor into Europa, the first space you encounter is La Piazza, whose bar is designed to resemble an Italian carousel. La Piazza also features a Vespa scooter and sidecar, providing a fun photo opportunity and conversation piece. Pressing the accelerator on the scooter generates a revving motor sound, which was recorded from an actual Vespa owned by one of the designers.
On the night we enjoyed the lounge there was a jazz trio playing on a small performance space that occupies one side of the room. Around the edge of the room are small round booths with plush banquette seating that allow couples to sit close together. The space isn't conducive to large group gatherings due to its limited seating, although there are also small low tables that could be grouped together in addition to the seating around the bar.
The Fine Whines Jazz Trio entertain the patrons of La Piazza. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
From the La Piazza cocktail menu, I chose the Escalus cocktail, due to a recent interest in bourbon drinks; the drink contains Maker's Mark bourbon, Campari, limoncello, fresh ginger, orange juice, and freshly muddled mint leaves. I found it slightly more bitter than I prefer; most likely due to the Campari and limoncello, and don't think I'd order it again—but I'm sure it would appeal to some palates.
The La Piazza cocktail menu highlights the flavors of Italy. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
The Escalus cocktail is one of five featured cocktails at La Piazza. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
Directly off of La Piazza lie the wooden doors of O'Gill's Pub, and the more subtle entrance of Ooh La La. O'Gill's has the rich woods and green tones of an Irish pub, and is the place to be if you want to view a live sporting event while onboard. During our cruise there was a large crowd gathered inside to watch the NCAA basketball tournament. The seating contains a mixture of high top tables, stools along the wooden bar, and banquette seating at either end of the room. These banquette areas are well suited to large groups; there are low stools that hide under the coffee tables to provide additional seating.
The music here, as in all the lounges, is carefully selected to remain with the theme; O'Gill's music features rock songs from Irish artists. The beer selection features a few Irish beers, including their own O'Gill's beer on tap. They also carry a selection of Irish whiskeys as well as scotch, and a house Irish cream liqueur. The specialty drinks include the Royal Velvet, a Guinness and champagne cocktail; the Celtic Twilight, containing Jameson Irish Whiskey, Pernod anise, Noilly Prat vermouth, and Angostura bitters; and (for those with a sweet tooth) the Chilled Leprechaun, with O'Gills Irish cream liqueur, Kahlua coffee liqueur, Ketel One vodka, and vanilla ice cream. I tried the Celtic Twilight, and found it to have an interesting taste, although the licorice notes of the anise might not appeal to everyone. Disney is banking on the popularity of this venue, selling souvenir t-shirts, beer mugs, and special-label liquors in the Fantasy's gift shops.
No need to sneak one out in your purse, O'Gill's Pub mugs are for sale in the gift shop. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
The other lounge off of La Piazza is Ooh La La, a French champagne lounge. The atmosphere inside is dark and atmospheric, with a French soundtrack to match. The walls are upholstered with a subdued mauve fabric that adds to the comfortable, plush feel of the space, evoking a French boudoir. There are several seating areas with velvet couches and chaise lounges for larger groups to gather or couples to get close. The quieter music also makes this lounge one of the better ones for conversation.
A bubble sculpture behind the bar sways with the ship's movement. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
As expected, the cocktail menu features drinks made with Taittinger champagne. I chose The Legend, made with cognac, white sugar, Angostura aromatic bitters, and champagne. This drink was one of my favorites of the cruise, and is a good choice for someone looking for an alternative to the other sweet, fruit-heavy options on the menu.
Just up the hall from Ooh La La is The Tube, a bar and dance club themed to the London Underground. The decor is reminiscent of the Sixties mod style, with eye-catching Aarnio-style ball chairs placed around the illuminated dance floor. Bubble light fixtures overhead change color along with the music to liven the atmosphere, while several red phone booths near the dance floor can be occupied by more adventurous dancers who want a bit of the spotlight. The bar area is set up a few steps from the lower seating and dance area, with benches, poles, and hand straps along the subway-tiled walls designed to look like a subway seating.
The Tube's drink menu resembles a subway map. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
The 1863 is one of The Tube's signature cocktails. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
As one would expect from a dance club, the music is very loud in The Tube, and varies depending on what is being featured at the time; it can range from British Invasion-era to modern Top 40 fare. This bar is not the place to go if you want to have a nice chat with friends, but it's a great place to get energized and burn off some calories on the dance floor. One clever innovation being put to use in this loud space is a small button on the menu boards that changes the background from white to red, signalling the server that you'd like to order. It comes in very handy in a space where words aren't easily heard. I ordered the 1863, which although it contained bitters, turned out to be rather sweet. However, it was refreshing, and would make a good drink to cool off after dancing.
The final bar in Europa is Skyline, which—like its sister on the Dream—features a large cityscape on one wall. The Fantasy's images rotate among seven different European cities: London, Paris, Budapest, Barcelona, Athens, St. Petersburg, and Florence. These cityscapes were captured as still images, framed specifically for the space in the Skyline lounge, then digitally animated to come alive with cars, people, and twinkling lights. This lounge is the quietest of all, and the seating area was expanded on the Fantasy to accommodate more people due to its popularity on the Dream. There are several groups of leather chairs and couches filling the space, and the lighting is low so that attention is drawn to lights of the image wall.
The drinks on the menu are themed to each of the featured cities. Having an affinity for pear and ginger cocktails, I chose PEARfection from the London portion of the cocktail menu. It contains Absolut pears, King's ginger (a British ginger liqueur), and lavender citrus tea. The drink was flavorful without being excessively sweet, and I would definitely recommend it.
Skyline's PEARfection with a cityscape behind. Photo by Stephanie Wien.
The five bars of Europa, along with the additional seating areas in between, make up a great space for adults to spend late-night free time on the week-long Fantasy sailings. The varied music, decor, atmosphere, and drink offerings mean that there is something for every mood, from high-energy dancing at The Tube to quiet conversation at Ooh La La. A lot of care went into making each of the spaces unique, and that attention to detail results in lounges that transport you to another place without having to leave the ship. Make sure to visit Europa, as well as the other bars on the ship, to experience all that the Fantasy has to offer.
