In 2012 we experienced our 1st ever Disney Cruise… when we got home we wrote a review about how, when it comes to big/mainstream Cruise ships, Disney stands out as offering some of the friendliest service, most delicious food & best entertainment that we’ve experienced on a big ship in quite a while.
You can check out that blog post/review here & learn 3 additional reasons why we think Disney is one of the best mainstream/big-ship lines out there.
Well, back in December, 2013 before getting on a Cruise with Azamara Club Cruises (if you’re interested in small ship Cruising check this out!) we couldn’t help ourselves & we did two back to back Disney Cruises on the Disney Magic… a 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise & a 4 Night Bahamas Cruise… check out our pictures & videos here. They “WOW”ed us again with the charm only a Disney Themed Cruise can! 🙂
Our stay onboard the “Disney Magic” (the sister ship to the Wonder that we sailed on in 2012) was even more special because she was “re-imagined” with Millions of dollars in upgrades & nice additions added just weeks earlier.
Some of the highlights being:
- The AquaDunk where you get to plummet 40 feet down a waterslide that swings out over the side of the 11 deck ship!
- The Aqua Lab is a water playground where the entire family can play in the pool and have fun traversing the cool kiddy twist and spout slide! (see below)
- The Oceaneer Club open to children between the ages of 3 and 12 has today’s popular fairies, super heroes, larger than life toys, and a club fit for a Mouse! There is also a new slide, but we will leave that as a surprise!
- The Adult Nightlife area has a new theme called “After Hours”. It’s an adult nighttime entertainment district that has a relaxing piano bar, an entertainment & dance club AND an Irish pub and Sports bar… lots of choices!
- The rotational Restaurants have exciting changes. Parrot Cay has been renamed Carioca’s and has cool flickering lanterns at night & a Rio de Janeiro theme. Plus, Animator’s Palate has an updated HD video screen and sound system that enhances the high-spirited dinner show.
Now beyond the highlights of the re-furbished “Disney Magic” we again enjoyed Disney’s unique features that we 1st experienced last year like:
1. Rotational Dining- This is lots of fun compared to how you dine on other big ships as Disney has 3 main restaurants with different themes & each night you dine in a different one but your servers stay with you so you get the same great service the whole time!
2. Onboard they have a real Movie Theatre with first run movies… one of the perks of owning the movies! 🙂 We saw “Frozen” for example on this trip. As well, they have about a dozen movie channels in your room compared to the 1 or 2 most lines have & they also feature a huge outdoor movie screen to watch your favorite flick under the Caribbean sun or stars at night.
3. As we stated in our review from last year, it’s a given Disney is great for kids but for us childless adults it’s great too as they have LOTS of Adult Only areas like the Cove Pool, The Cove Cafe, the Spa & Gym, the 3 Bars in “After Hours” and the Adult Only Restaurant, Palo
4. The Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party highlighted by fireworks was another great Memory… although 1 other Cruiseline has since started doing fireworks on a couple of their ships, there’s nothing like experiencing it to Disney’s Music & Characters… it’s like watching Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom vs Six Flags, it’s a non-competition!
5. Character Greetings… seeing the kids eyes light up (and ours :-)) every time Mickey & the gang came around is priceless & something that never grows old! 🙂
6. Shopping at Disney’s Art Gallery & Souvenir shops… All Disney lovers enjoy having some memorabilia around their house of their great Disney memories so having time to explore their offerings in depth during Sea Days & evenings, and getting to buy it tax free, is a great perk of sailing with Disney!
7. For sure not the # 1 highlight but for those of you who Cruise often, you know there’s nothing more frustrating then spending good money to take a Cruise and then the cruiseline not allowing you to bring on an adult beverage or two to enjoy in your room… well, with Disney bringing Booze onboard is okay… as long as it fits in your carry-on bag, you’re good to go!
8. Castaway Cay- During these 2 cruises we visited Grand Cayman, Key West & Cozumel which you can do with any Cruiseline but our visit to Castaway Cay is exclusive to Disney & unique because the Island was much bigger & nicer then any of the other Cruiseline’s Private Bahamian Islands we’ve visited. Below is a small sampling of what she has to offer…
3 Tips To Make Your Disney Cruise More Special and Save Money:
1. Buy the spa’s Rainforest Relaxation area pass (we highly recommend enjoying a day or two in here) in advance and save $$. Onboard a day pass will cost $27, but you can get it through the gift order form before you get onboard for just $16.
2. Book your next Disney Cruise onboard… they have great benefits- too good to pass up! Get 10% off the price of the Cruise plus an Onboard Credit AND reduced deposit. Not bad!
3. Wave Phones. Using them onboard will keep the entire family informed on where everyone is at all times. A little added piece of mind.
Disney certainly is a Great Cruise line for families & the young at heart!!
When you’re ready to start planning your 1st, or next, Disney Cruise contact Shawn as he’ll be Happy to share more of our experience with you and help you get that perfect Disney Cruise Vacation planned & booked.
We appreciate you!
Nancy & Shawn
Your Trusted Cruise Experts!