Embarkation day is filled with anticipation – but it can be a stressful day as well – so many moving parts.
Therefore, a lovely way to mark the official start of your cruise: Prima Notte at Palo. And if you like wine and food, it is just delicious.
I got to experience Prima Notte for the first time on our recent cruise on the Disney Fantasy.
Prima Notte at Palo is fairly exclusive – about a dozen people across an early and later seating. It is also an adults-only dining experience offered on the first night of Disney Cruise Line voyages.
- This is different from a Palo dinner.
- Instead, it is a curated tasting of Italian wines paired with bite-sized delicacies.
- A sommelier will guide you through each pairing, sharing highlights of the wine and why – offering insights about what kinds of foods and tastes would pair well with each particular wine.
- Prima Notte at Palo is available on all ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet.
Overview
Held exclusively on embarkation night, Prima Notte takes place at Palo, Disney Cruise Line’s renowned Italian restaurant.
- Prima Notte is $85/person (plus tax and gratuity) (at the time this was written).
Atmosphere
On the Disney Fantasy, Prima Notte was held in a semi-private dining space. They limit the number of guests to about a dozen, so it has a very intimate feel. Palo, located on Deck 12-Aft of the Disney Fantasy, already has an elegant feel. (Even the bathrooms are just lovely.)
- There were just two of us who did Prima Notte, so it was a good opportunity to meet fellow Disney cruisers, many of whom we saw throughout our journey.
Menu and Wine Pairings
The Prima Notte menu features a series of Italian-inspired bite-sized dishes, each expertly paired with premium wines.
- We got to enjoy five different wines and four different dishes.
Reservations
Reservations open with your booking window, and due to its popularity, this exclusive event fills up quickly.
Just a reminder that Disney Cruise Line activities are available based on your Castaway Club status:
- Concierge guests — 130 days before departure
- Pearl members — 123 days before departure
- Platinum members — 120 days before departure
- Gold members — 105 days before departure
- Silver members — 90 days before departure
- First-time guests — 75 days before departure
MY TAKE
- I like wine and food, so this was easy for me. But…
- If you are at least curious about wines and foods, I think it will be an enjoyable experience.
- It is a lovely way to start off your cruise.
BONUS
- You are given a Palo pin as part of the Prima Notte experience.
PRO-TIPS
- Book early if you are interested. Given the limited seating, it will go quickly.
- There are two seatings – early and late. You can pair it with a Palo dinner, but you would book them separately. For our cruise on the Disney Fantasy, we were on late dining, so we did the early Prima Notte and managed to make our 8:15p dining time.
- There were people in our group who had food allergies and Disney did take those considerations into account and adjusted the pairings accordingly.
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