After hearing rave reviews and tons of tips from friends and co-workers, James suggested trying a Disney Cruise this summer and I have to admit that I was not immediately on board (no pun intended).
I had only been on one cruise in my life and suffice it to say, it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, the things I most vividly recall when I think back to that “other cruise” is claustrophobia, anxiety and horrible cafeteria food. Bleh!
So before we booked anything, I spent the next week researching all. the. things…
…and after I could research no more, I finally agreed to give cruising another try.
And you guys? I am SO glad I did.
It’s been one week since our vacation on the Disney Fantasy Cruise ship and I am already dreaming about our next (which we booked on board because of the awesome discounted rates and on-board credits!)
One peek at our recap video below and you’ll know exactly why!
To quote a great review by Cruise Critic:
what’s amazing about Disney cruises is that they bring magic to everyone onboard, from solo cruisers and adult couples to families, without shoving it down anyone’s throat. There’s a delightful balance of kid- and family-focused activities and adults-only pursuits that ensures the little ones and even the most kid-phobic of travelers will have a great time.
Disney is so in tune with their guests needs and interests, they created separate clubs that appealed for every age – toddler through tween –and adult (I’ll get to that in a minute).
Since we were traveling with little ones, upon boarding the Disney Fantasy, our kids had to register for the Oceaneers Club/Lab and were given wristbands to check in and out of the highly secured kids club. These wristbands are able to track your kids anywhere on the ship!
Each guest room was supplied with 2 on-board wave phones that your kids (and their counselors) can use to connect on board at any time. All of this was a huge sigh of relief for this slightly neurotic concerned Mom.
Surrounding the party area there were several themed rooms that make kids feel like they are living out their favorite Disney movies.
My little girly girl loved dressing up in Pixie Hallow. There were dozens of great Disney dress up clothes to choose from and being a big Monster’s Inc. fan, the Scare Factory was my personal favorite.
I loved that thee Oceaneers club and Oceaneers lab are connected. It allowed my little one who mostly spent her time playing pretend and crafting in the Oceaneers club to visit her big brother gaming in the lab.
Although I didn’t have kids in the tween and teen clubs, the teens and tweens that I saw always looked like they were having fun, busy doing their thing. Never saw anyone looking bored– and that is the goal, yes?
As much as we love traveling as a family, there is no denying that sometimes traveling with kids leaves you with exhaustion that begs a vacation from your vacation– but the Disney Cruise gives parents the perfect balance of family time and relaxation time.
There is a whole section of the ship dedicated for adults only and thanks to all the kids entertainment, we were able to schedule multiple date nights!
You do need to make reservations for both of these restaurants and I recommend making these reservations well ahead of your trip because just like dining at Disney World- these restaurants book up quickly!
James and I dined at Palo. The food was delicious and the view from the top of the ship? Breathtaking.
After dinner, there was an area made up of several different bars and lounges. One of my favorite lounges had walls of TV screens that looked like you were looking out into different European cities. The videos on the screen were so detailed that if you looked closely, you could even see moving traffic and people in windows– and then every few minutes pixie dust would come down the screen and poof! the city would change.
80% of the Disney Fantasy has a balcony view!
When we booked, we booked our stateroom at the VGT level– which basically means we took a risk of getting a {gasp} partial view and paid less for a deluxe suite with bunk beds for the kids. In the end our room had a gorgeous view, and I loved having split bathrooms (one with at toilet and sink, the other with shower/tub and sink).
All of the food was amazing and freshly cooked. Even at their all day buffet by the pool where they served fresh wraps and sandwiches.
For dinner, Disney Cruise line has what they call “rotation dining”. Which means like other cruises you always have the same table number and servers but unlike other cruises- you are always experiencing a new atmosphere.
Every night there are amazing Broadway-level type shows being put on. We went to and loved ALL of them. But above all- the Pirate show was our favorite.
Disney’s private island, Cast Away Cay was the highlight of the trip for all of us. It is the ultimate vacation island. It’s not over crowded. No one is chasing you down trying to make a deal over tanzanite earrings (Yes, that happened in Cozumel)
Just like the Disney cruise ship , the island is kept immaculate.
My son is still talking about his time snorkeling where he not only saw tropical fish (or as we call them Nemo-fish), but hidden Disney gems on the ocean floor, such as a Mickey Statue and a “shipwreck”.
For lunch, you are treated to a beachside BBQ, chock-filled with burgers, corn on the cob, mahi-mahi and soft serve ice cream!
It was such a nice relaxing day with the family. My only wish for this cruise was that we could have had just *one* more day at Castaway Cay.
If Castaway Cay, The Oceaneers Club and the onboard Aquaduck were the highlights of our Disney Cruise for the kids, it was only rivaled with Pepe’s Door.
What’s Pepe’s Door you ask?
It is an on-board interactive mystery game with the Midship Detective Agency. The game allows youu solve mysteries through interactive pictures located all over the ship.
Sometimes it’s the little things!
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