There are some things in life that are so memorable that simple words do not do any justice. Seeing the Great Pyramids of Egypt for the first time or the Savannahs of the Sahara desert evoke emotions you have never felt before. This was why I was in absolute shock when these same feelings overwhelmed me when I went on the Disney Cruise line for a 4-day journey to their very own private Bahama’s island, Castaway Cay.
Disney Cruise Day 1
We had just finished the first part of our Endless Disney Magic experience and we were ready for some more fun. Waking up early, we headed down to Port Canaveral at Disney’s very own ferry terminal. Yes, they have their very own ferry terminal just for all of their own ships and passengers. That’s how big they are. Our Disney Cruise experience began here with a quick check-in and boarding before anyone else got on.
As part of a press trip, we had the chance to get on board earlier to roam around. We got the cameras out and saw all the facilities before the other customers hopped in. We were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the cruise ship and how many activities there were for both adults and kids. In fact, I was enviable of the kids as they have massive playrooms that are so well decked out.
If you are a parent, you will basically never see your kid as they will always be in these playrooms. Even if your child is a teen, there is a specially dedicated teen area where they can all hang out and do whatever it is that teens do. Our personal favourite section was the adult’s pool area, which you can get your alcoholic beverages and it’s a lot more peaceful than other parts of the boat. As lunch came around and the place filled up, you really got a good experience of how well run the boat is. The buffet is massive and has such a large range.
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The afternoon was to ourselves, which we spent enjoying the spa (chargeable), spacious room and checking out the sports zone on the cruise ship. We also managed to include a ride on the cruise ships’ very own water slide. This is also the first of its kind to have a waterslide that goes out over the ocean.
Taking a stroll on the main deck and it was great to see all the kids playing in the pool while watching Disney movies on the outdoor giant screen while their parents rest in deck chairs. I totally got the feeling that it was easy for parents to relax on one of these ships and combine it as family time.
For our evening plans, and for every night that we are on the cruise boat, we went to the theatre to watch the Disney classic production. This night, we went and saw ”A Night at the Mickeys”. This was a showcase into the world of Disney and all its characters. We ate a late dinner at Palo where we were treated to a classy dinner which came out in several different courses. We had to wear our smart casual and is a much more formal dinner on the boat.
Palo is one of the 2 fine dining restaurants on the boat where guests can pay an extra fee to get an upper-end dinner experience. This is perfect for a date night!
Disney Cruise Day 2
Waking up early to get a gym session in (yes the cruise has a fitness centre that is resembling of a quality gym anywhere in the world) and we skipped the scrumptious breakfast to get the day started quickly. Today was one of our days where the ship was boarded so we could spend the day in Nassau in the Bahamas 🇧🇸 As we woke, we could see from our own balcony the crystal white wearer of the surrounding beaches as well as the colours emanating from the city of Nassau. We packed all our photography equipment, slapped on the sunscreen, filled up our bottles of water and headed off to stroll around the city. After dodging all the vendors waiting at the gates for our US Dollars, we got to go out and explore all the colours of the streets. We headed out the opposite direction of the crowds to go and find the rarest pictures. Every building had bright colours and there were murals everywhere. We found a few coffee shops that had a different colour on every wall and gave us a chance to play around with the light and shots! It made the place look so vibrant and happy! After a bit more walking, we made it down to the recommended tourist beach. The beach itself was crystal clear blue water and white sands, which was so surprising since tourist places are usually run down due to numbers. But everything was exactly as beautiful as a postcard. Overall it was a great way to experience Nassau. After an exceptionally long day, we headed back to the boat, but not before collecting some souvenirs for the family from the local street vendors. We boarded back on the boat in time to catch the musical for the night; Beauty and the Beast. This was the most unbelievable theatre production we had ever seen and would certainly watch it again. Totally blown away at the quality. For dinner, we went to the Royal Palace where the chef put on an absolute treat for us. There was so much food that we had to be rolled back to our room!
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Disney Cruise Day 3
This day was one of my favourites on the trip. We got up very early to find that we had already docked at Castaway Cay, Disney’s very own private island in the Bahamas. We planned to run the Fun 5k race on the island, held every time a boat lands ashore. It is such a great initiative to encourage being active and we absolutely loved the idea.
It was a great way to get our fitness in for the morning. We both finished the race and Mitch finished top 10 which was an incredible effort considering how much he had not trained the last few months. We hustled back to the boat for breakfast, in which we ate way too much and went straight back to the island. The team had organised our group for our surprise meeting Mickey and Minnie on the beach. Even as a bunch of adults, we all melted into little kids when we saw them. After hundreds of pictures, we strolled to our next activity. The group then went for a bike tour around the island where we taught our good friend Hadeel how to ride a bike, which was a very rewarding experience in itself. She started slow but we got the hang of it and she was very good at the end of it all. After a ride, we relaxed at Serenity bay, which was for adults only. This is a great initiative as it gives the adults a chance to relax a bit. Disney is exceptional at looking after the whole family. They had such clear water that was a turquoise blue so you could see the bottom for hundreds of metres. After a filling of ribs and salads at the lunch area at Serenity Bay, we hopped back on the bikes and visited the island lookout and took plenty of films as we made our way very slowly back to the boat.
We certainly did not want to leave but alas, the cruise will wait for no person! As we have the last few nights, we went to the final Disney Production called “Believe.” After the show, our group was whisked away to our final dinner. One of the great things about the boat has been the service. When you stay on the cruise you eat at a different restaurant every night and the waiting staff follows you. This is great so they understand what you do and don’t like and can cater to all your food needs.
We had dinner at Animators Palace which was an interactive experience for sure. They had a talking turtle on the screen that actually spoke to us while we were eating asking about what we were doing. Another incredible Disney magical experience.
The worst thing about this trip is that it was so short. 4 days was great as we were just settling in but are now leaving wanting more, so much more. You can book a longer trip as well if you are up to it. Next time we come back, we are thinking that a 7-day cruise is a great number. In terms of service and personalization, no one does it better than Disney. I felt like everyone knew me and catered for me over the whole 3 days I was on the ship. I do not have a family, but if I did, this seemed to be like the ultimate holiday. Everyone was looked after so well and the attention to detail for each family is something that leaves a lifetime of memories.
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Disclaimer: This trip was part of a press trip organized by Disney. All of the opinions about our trip and tips are entirely ours. Thanks.
