During our recent August 2018 sailing on the Disney Fantasy, we made sure to visit both of the upscale coffee shops on board. The first is the Cove Cafe, located on Deck 11 forward in the adult section. It is located right beside the main adult pool. The Cove Cafe serves espresso drinks, with and without alcohol, for an additional charge (the drinks are not included in your cruise fare). I won’t say the complementary coffee served onboard the Disney ships is bad, but if you like strong coffee (or have an addiction to Starbucks type drinks), you will want to visit the Cove Cafe during your cruise at some point.
The Cove Cafe is composed of a long bar surrounded by a large number of comfortable sitting areas. You can order from the bar or from the chairs. While I’ve never tried, I’m sure you could order a regular drink in here as well.
Each of the sitting areas has a nice porthole to let in light and to allow the patrons to look out. Some of them face out towards the adult pool while others face towards the side of the ship (giving you a slightly obstructed view of the ocean.) You can also get your drinks and take them outside to enjoy.
There is also a small display case with various snack items in it – sometimes these are savory, like meats and cheeses, and other times the display case will contain sweet items such as breads or small pastries.
These snack items are included in the cost of your cruise. You will just need to ask one of the crew members working in the Cove Cafe for the items you would like. I’m particularly fond of the chocolate orange muffins.
The Vista Cafe is located mid ship in the atrium on Deck 4, making it accessible to guests under the age of 18 with charging privileges. It features the same menu as the Cove Cafe. There are seats at the small bar as well as various seats throughout the atrium where you can enjoy your beverage.
The Vista Cafe has a snack display case as well, with the same requirement that a crew member retrieve the items for you.
Both the cafes offer a “frequent customer” card. For each drink you purchase, they will mark your card. Once you receive five marks, your next drink will be free. I don’t know what the official rule is, but we bring our cards back between cruises and use them again.
Next time you find yourself on a Disney cruise, make sure you take some time to enjoy a beverage from one of the cafes!
If you have enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Line information page, which has useful hints as well as our cruise trip reports!