By Mary Flanigan
Disney does it right. Our fabulous 7 night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise Line vacation was relaxing and easy, entertaining, clean and delicious! From beginning to end we had an excellent adventure that was truly worth every penny. I’m going through cruise withdrawal as I write this!
Relaxing and easy: Who doesn’t appreciate 7 straight days without cooking and cleaning? The service aspect of our cruise was outstanding. The room steward arrives twice a day to refresh the stateroom and even straighten your belongings – and they are always around in case you need anything at all – but never in your way. Our dining servers and guest service attendants went above and beyond to accommodate any needs and make our stay trouble-free. Disney seems to have thought of everything a traveler may need from beginning to end. Ports of call included St. Martin, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay , Disney’s private Bahamian island. We chose to do our own thing on the islands but the excursion choices were endless and seemed to have great reviews from my shipmates.
Entertaining: Each evening, we received the daily “Navigator” for the next day. This jam-packed itinerary was filled with child, adult and family activities from morning ‘til night. If sitting around by one of three pools isn’t your cup of tea – you could go to a character sighting, play Disney trivia, sit in the hot tub while watching Disney movies on a giant outdoor screen, go to an origami class, learn to make “flubber,” take a “Ratatouille” cooking session, attend a Broadway-like show or take in a band or comedian in the bar. The choices were endless and if you need a break you can retire to your spacious room for any one of 25 movies playing on your flat screen TV.
Clean: The Disney Magic is run by a crew of tireless employees that ensure that the ship is kept spotless and, most importantly, that germs have no chance of spreading. All guests are required to clean their hands with antiseptic wipes before entering the ship, prior to entering any dining situation and upon entering the kids clubs and most activities. All of the restrooms have signs encouraging you to grab a clean towel to open the door with and to discard it before you leave the bathroom.
Delicious: If you’ve cruised before, you know that you can pretty much get food and drinks at ANY time of day. I was impressed by the caliber of choices Disney provided from kid friendly food to gourmet selections. Throughout the day you can enjoy quick service food, buffets style breakfast and lunch and sit-down breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each cabin is provided with a scheduled sit-down character breakfast that’s delicious and entertaining. Dinner seatings are at 6:00pm or 8:15pm. We were scheduled for the 8:15 seating but requested the early session four times and were easily accommodated. There were a few days that late dinner just wasn’t in the stars for my children and the staff completely understood. My favorites included the vegetable ravioli with butternut squash puree, the pear, blue cheese and candied walnut salad, various risottos and of course, the variety of paninni’s served during the day at Goofy’s Galley. My husband preferred the lobster, filet mignon, giant shrimp and sinfully chocolate deserts. It’s also worth mentioning that the Castaway Cay Island buffet was delectable and included barbecued ribs, spiced mahi-mahi, sumptuous fresh fruit and all of the usual kid selections.
I strongly encourage you to check out the Disneycruise.com website. It provides a wealth of information for those who are just curious or those more seriously planning a vacation. You’ll find a wide variety of choices for every budget and taste. Warning: you’ll end up planning a great vacation that appeals to all family members!
About the Author: Mary Flanigan is a contributing reader.
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