DATE WITH DESTINY... AND MINNIE

Disney's seventh cruise ship delivers deck after deck of laughter and happy memories for JULIE DELAHAYE

- By Julie Delahaye

I'D barely been onboard the Disney Destiny for a few hours but I'd already seen Marvel villain Loki attempt to take command of the ship, eaten my weight in ice cream while looking out at sea, and searched out my go-to cocktail spot in the ship’s Cruella DeVil themed bar.

I was lucky enough to be one of the first people onboard Disney Cruise Line's seventh ship ahead of its sailings from Florida this month, and very quickly, it was obvious that it offers up a huge amount of fun for guests.

One of the biggest underrated perks of a Disney cruise is the character meet and greets. There are so many slots available throughout the day, and you can check the Disney Navigator App to see when and where your favourite characters will appear.

Just on a two-day sailing, I managed to meet Cruella DeVil, Maleficent, Belle, Mickey, Captain Hook and Smee, as well as getting a cheeky dance in with Mickey, Donald and Goofy at one of the onboard dance parties for families.

There's even a secret parlour where you can meet the Princess and the Frog’s Dr Facilier but be warned, only a handful of guests can get in, and they've all been asked to stay tight-lipped about what awaits!

It's the sort of character time that any Disney fan dreams of - but in the parks sometimes it can be tricky to fit them in among trying to get on all the rides too, so here it’s a much more relaxed way to have those magical moments.