3-Night Disney Cruise

I missed posting earlier this week because we were gone on a Disney cruise! It was so great to get some sunshine and relaxation, we had a great time. This was the first cruise we have done so wanted to do a short one to see how everyone did with it – motion sickness and just the overall feel of a cruise. Well, it was a hit! Everyone was sad it was over so quick and left wondering when we can go again. Disney did not disappoint.

We opted for the Disney transportation to the ship so when we flew into the Orlando MCO airport they picked up our luggage for us from the baggage claim and we went straight to the Disney buses. They were ready and waiting! It was a 50 minute drive to Port Canaveral and the kids were so excited to not only be on a big comfy bus but to get to watch The Lion King as we drove to the ship.

Once we got to Port Canaveral it was a little bit of a process to get all checked in but the staff could not have been friendlier. The cabin was ready for us but we didn’t get our luggage for several hours. I had read this would probably happen so had our carry-on backpacks packed with plenty of extra diapers, extra kids clothes and their swim suits in case they wanted to use the splash pad or pool.

When the ship got underway they did a really fun and energetic “Sailing Away” party with music and dancing. Several of the main Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy and Pluto came out to join in the fun. They had an area right up front that was designated for kids so they could be right up in the action and see everything that was going on.

We were all pretty tired from the day of traveling so went to the cabin a little early to get unpacked and settled in. Our cabin had a verandah, which we will always opt for. The railing is nice and high and secure and the slider door has a lock up high out of the kids reach if you want to secure it closed. It was so nice to be able to look over the water and get the fresh air. We will remember to bring binoculars next time.

There were several options for sleeping arrangements in our room surprisingly. We had a full/queen size bed, a couch that made into a twin bed, a twin murphy bed and pull down twin bunk beds. We found using the couch and then a pack n’ play for the baby – which they provided – was the best arrangement for us at this time. There is a heavy light blocking curtain you can pull between the bed area and the area with the couch and that was helpful as our two youngest went to bed earlier than our son and us and helped block noise/light.

The cabin also has a surprisingly large amount of storage space. Several drawers, cabinets and a nice size closet are available so I was able to unpack our suitcases and then stow them out of the way under the queen bed. We also had a double umbrella stroller we used to get through the airport and onto the boat that we collapsed and stowed under the bed. The best thing I bought for the cabin was heavy duty magnetic hooks for the walls. Apparently most ship cabins are constructed of metal walls and so the hooks provide a really helpful means of organizing more of your things – such as a place to dry wet swimsuits or hang your sun hats.

For bathrooms they have a water closet with the toilet and a sink and then another bathroom with a sink and the tub/shower combo. It was nice to have multiple places for people to get ready.

Overnight the boat traveled to Nassau, Bahamas and we arrived there around 8:30am. There are plenty of excursions you could do such as visiting Atlantis but since our kids are quite young – 4, 2.5 & 11 months – our options were pretty limited so we opted to just stay on the boat. Since quite a few people got off the boat it wasn’t as crowded which was nice. We spent most of the day at the splash pad, which is completely shaded and fun for all of our kids. The two kids pools ( in the shape of Mickey Mouse) are only a few feet deep so our son could easily stand in it. They do have lifejackets readily available by the pool areas if needed.

That night was pirate night which we were prepared for with costumes for the kids. Our girls were a bit overtired and grumpy that evening so Josh took Jacob to dinner (in costume) while I stayed back with the girls. The waiters at dinner asked Josh where we were and after hearing why we didn’t all come, was quick to help Josh pick items from the menu to have sent to the cabin for me. It was so thoughtful and really made my night better! While all the food on the ship was excellent, the dinners were the best so I was happy not to miss out.

Again we traveled overnight and when we woke up we were arriving at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. When we disembarked the ship they had staff handing out beach towels and coolers for beverages to take with you for the day. We also got to see Daisy and Donald Duck in their island attire and the kids were excited to see them – but to shy to say hello.

We rode the tram and got off at the second stop for the family beach. Again, there are excursions you can opt to do but our kids are to young for most of them. They were more than happy to play in the sand and water and so were we. There were tons of beach chairs and umbrellas so shade was not an issue. The beach was surrounded by a rocky coral barrier making it somewhat like a cove so the water was calm and stayed shallow for a little ways. Lifeguards were on duty and they did have some rope barriers to keep people from straying to far.

After lunch on the beach we took the kids back to the cabin for naps and then hung out on the boat the rest of the day and that night we traveled back to Port Canaveral.

There were so many activities on the boat any age group could be busy all day if they wanted to. The Disney cruise app keeps you updated on the daily schedules and lets you message each other as well. We had no cell service on the boat and wifi is pricey so the messaging system is handy. They also have 2 portable phones in each cabin you can take with you to keep in touch.

I took Jacob to see the show Beauty and the Beast one night and it was Broadway quality. There were lots of kids there so him talking and asking me questions throughout was no problem and he loved it so much, it was special to share that with him.

For food, they have a large buffet with almost endless yummy options for any dietary preferences/needs. We did the buffet for breakfast and lunch. For dinner you can go to the buffet again or everyone is assigned a dining time and rotates between the 3 main dining rooms each night. Also, there is the option for room service which we used a couple of times when the kids were just worn out. They even have “Jewish Sabbath dining hours” at the buffet Friday night – opening it for 30 minutes or so to eat before Sabbath begins. Each room has a mini fridge so you could keep some food in it if you needed to.

I can’t say enough good things about the staff on the ship. They were all so friendly and attentive to us and the kids, engaging them in conversation and entertaining them. At breakfast we had “Willy” make the kids origami ducks from the cloth napkins, “Frank” at dinner made mickey mouse out of ketchup on their plates to dip fries in and “Jermaine” dropped off chocolates every night when he checked in to see if we needed anything. It was a great experience and I don’t think there is any other type of vacation that would be easier with young kids.

We are all looking forward to going again!!