Disney Cruise Line’s Best Destination

By Kimkinyona Fox Cully

There are many great destinations to choose from in the Caribbean.  Disney Cruise Line features ports of call at: Cozumel, the Cayman Islands, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Costa Maya.  But the best stop, featured on every Disney Caribbean voyage, is Castaway Cay (pronounced “Castaway Key”) in the Bahamas.

Mickey and Minnie at Disney’s Castaway Cay

I know, the Caribbean is full of little islands most would herald a tropical paradise.  How can the statement be made that Castaway Cay tops them all?  That’s easy.  I can sum it up in three words:  relaxation, excitement and convenience.

Relaxation.  The first reason Castaway Cay tops the list is because it is so relaxing.  There are separate areas on the island for kids, teens, adults and families.  If the kids want to go off to the children’s area, they will be safe under the supervision of the same counselors onboard the ship.  The counselors have hours and hours worth of fun, interactive activities that will keep you little ones engaged and entertained.  So where does that leave you?  All of a sudden, you are free to enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

Hammock Relaxation on Disney’s Castaway Cay

You can spend it riding bikes on multiple paths around the island or kicking back in a hammock.  Maybe one of those white lounge chairs has your name written all over it.  Your kids are safe and entertained and you have the afternoon to yourself.  Ahhhhhh!!!

When you have had your fill of basking in the sun, you may be ready for more invigorating fare.  The next reason Castaway Cay is the best Disney Cruise destination is the excitement.  There are all sorts of discoveries to be had around the island.  You can enjoy learning firsthand what a stingray feels like on one of the island excursions.

Snorkeling at Castaway Cay

Maybe you’d like to go kayaking or jet skiing to explore what lies beyond the sand.  One of my favorites is snorkeling for sunken treasure.

Hidden in the waters around the island are various artifacts, including a submarine and a ship.   The peak of the excitement, of course, is finding the hidden Mickeys….so keep your eyes peeled!

Sunken Mickey at Castaway Cay

Additionally, the kids experience water excitement in the brand new Pelican Plunge water slide feature and Spring-a-Leak water play areas.  Before the day is out, everyone will have had a good time at Castaway Cay.

After a couple of hours of snorkeling, you are sure to have worked up an appetite.  And that brings us to the third reason why Castaway Cay is the best port of call.  Convenience.  Right on the island, a short walk away from the beach, are 2 or 3 Disney restaurants.  A popular one is Cookie’s BBQ.

Cookie’s BBQ at Castaway Cay

As with all amenities, the food on Castaway Cay is included in the price of the cruise, so there is no extra charge for eating at Cookie’s BBQ.  It is a buffet of all the best BBQ you could ever want:  grilled chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, fruit, etc.  When you have eaten your fill, you can go back to enjoying other parts of the island or return to the ship.  Unlike most cruise lines, where you have to ride a tender boat to go onshore, Disney has built the island so that the ship can dock right on shore.  Getting on or off the ship is merely a matter of taking a few short steps!

Re-entering the Disney Cruise from Castaway Cay

This is especially convenient if you have small children because you can quickly take them on board for a midday nap, and then easily return on shore for a little more fun.

Castaway Cay is by far the best port of call.  It offers the tropical beauty of a Bahamian island, with the added amenities of uninterrupted hammock relaxation, the excitement of undersea treasure exploration and the convenience of food and ship access at your finger tips.  Castaway Cay is the best destination stop of the Disney Cruise Line.

To try it for yourself, book a cruise now at www.disneycruise.com.

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The Real Reason Disney is the Best Cruise Line

Cruise Tips –Part I – Mickey Ice Cream Bars

Cruise Tips – Part II – Spaghetti

Cruise Tips – Part III – Something New!

Cruise Tips – Disney Cruise Ship Food, Part III

By Kimkinyona Fox Cully

Here is the last in the series of three food tips for your next Disney Cruise sailing.  Tip #3:  The Butternut Squash Soup.  There are many great things about Disney Cruise ship food:   the Mickey Ice Cream Bars, dinner with the Disney characters, etc.  But a discovery we never expected was the Butternut Squash Soup.  It is the story of finding something you love in the most unexpected place.

I have to admit, I am a very conservative eater.  Standard fare such as chicken, steak, potatoes, rice, and carrots are pretty much my staples.  I shy away from things with foreign names like “cordon bleu” or “escargot”.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Even if the name is in English, I still may not try it.  Asparagus, cantaloupe, and even banana pudding do not rate high on my list.  If it is not common fare and I have never tried it, I am likely not to try it.  Like I said, I live firmly in the realm of meat and potatoes.

So when we arrived at one of the Disney Cruise restaurants, I began searching for something familiar on the menu.  “Mushroom Risotto” – nope, I am not going to have that.  “Pea Samosas” – What is that?  No, I am not going to eat that one.  “Chilled Gazpacho” – Uhh, I am not even sure what a Gazpacho is.  I can’t eat that.  Is that even a food group?  “Creamy Butternut Squash Soup” – Naaahhhh!  I don’t like squash, and I have never had a butternut one.  I was having trouble finding anything I could eat on this menu.

“Which way is Pinocchio’s Pizzeria?” I thought to myself.

I looked at my husband, puzzled about what I was going to eat for dinner.  It was our first night on the Disney Cruise.  Could we have made a mistake by choosing Disney? As a last resort, I flagged down our waiter.  “What would you recommend on the menu?”, I asked.  The waiter gleefully replied, “Oh, everything is good!”  “I am not sure I see anything I like”, I responded.  It was at that pivotal moment, the waiter said the words that would forever change our cruise dining experience.

“Try something.  If you don’t like it, you can always order something else.  We would be happy to exchange it for you.”

He had given me the green light.  There was little risk involved, because if I didn’t like the meal, I could always ask for another.  I decided to go out on a limb and try the (gulp!) Butternut Squash Soup and the Shere Khans Asian Marinated Beef Short Ribs.  How bad could it be?  It’s ribs, right?

A few minutes later, my soup came and I looked down at it tentatively.  It was a creamy, golden concoction, with little sprinkles of seasoning on top.

Butternut Squash Soup

It did not smell like anything I’ve ever had before, so I cannot say it was particularly appetizing.  I picked up my soup spoon, and got ever so little of the soup on the end of my utensil.  I pulled the spoon hesitantly to my mouth.  It smelled a little nicer as I got the warm buttery soup closer to me.  But I still feared it was going to taste terrible.  I stuck the tip of my tongue out to have as little as possible of this nauseating brew violate my mouth.  I brought my tongue back into my mouth and squished my face up in anticipated disgust…..only to find the soup was creamy— smooth, and slightly sweet.  As I blinked in astonishment, I started to taste the light seasoning.  It was WONDERFUL!  I immediately reached down to get a full spoonful of soup to confirm what my taste buds initially detected.  Yes, it was delicious!!  The soup tasted homemade.  Flavors that rich only come from fresh ingredients, not canned.  My husband, who also ordered the Butternut Squash Soup, found it delectable as well.  We both were marvelling and singing the praises of this amazing soup!

Soon the rest of my dinner arrived.  The ribs were superb.  The soup was fantastic.  The dessert, a piece of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, along with an additional Mickey Ice Cream bar, was incredible.  I left the dining room with my stomach stuffed and my palette extremely content.  Throughout our entire evening, I never needed to return a menu item and order something else.  I discovered the validity of what the waiter had originally commented when he said, “Oh, everything is good!”

That night, my husband and I learned some very important things about a Disney Cruise.  Firstly, while dining, try something new on the menu.  If you don’t like it, you can always order something else.  Secondly, the food in each dish is of extremely high quality.  Everything tastes delicious.  It’s the quality and freshness of the food that makes it taste that way.  Thirdly, there is a good chance you will find something on the menu that you LOVE!  We’ve become Butternut Squash Soup fans for life.  Thanks to our wonderful dining experience, we determined it was an excellent decision to vacation on a Disney Cruise.

Other recommended posts

The Real Reason Disney is the Best Cruise Line

Cruise Tips – Disney Cruise Ship Food, Part I

Cruise Tips – Disney Cruise Ship Food, Part II

Cruise Tips – Disney Cruise Ship Food, Part II

By Kimkinyona Fox Cully

This is the second installment of our three tip series on the Disney Cruise ship food.  Tip #2:  the Spaghetti.  When I asked my youngest child what he thought was best about the food on our Disney Cruise, he insisted it was the spaghetti.  When I thought about it, I can see why he thought so.   Yes, spaghetti is wonderful and filling in your tummy.  But on a ship with Mickey Mouse, they manage to make even a simple dish like this one, special.

According to my son, the spaghetti on the Disney Cruise has lots and lots of noodles.  The sauce is extra tomato-ey. (If that’s even possible.   If that’s even a word!)  You might as well say it is real spaghetti and they cook it well too.  It is heated up enough to be yummy, but not too hot that you can’t eat it.  It’s just right.

Warm, delicious spaghetti

And then there’s those wonderful hats.

An extraordinary thing happens at dinner on the Disney Cruise. The wait staff surprises everyone by making hats out of the dinner napkins.  Hats that look like RobinHood.  Hats that look like Captain Hook.  And more! 

Napkin Hat

 

They gently balance the hat on your head, as you eat your dinner.  The wait staff does not make hats just for the kids.  Even the adults get in on the act.  The “big kids” at your table get hats that look like Lady Marion or a pirate.  Everyone becomes one of the Disney characters by the time dinner is over.   So there you are, eating your just right spaghetti, with all of its warm noodles, oozing with spaghetti sauce, and you are eating in character, just like a real pirate.  Arrrrr!!!

 

Sometimes, while you are eating dinner a special guest arrives to join in on the fun.  It’s Mickey himself!  What a treat!!  He greets all of the people at the table with warm hugs and joy.  He is so excited to meet you and your entire family.  We all feel so special to have met him.  Before Mickey leaves, we get to take a picture with him, to commemorate the moment.  And sometimes, we even do the limbo with him!  It is all wonderful fun!  Dinner on a Disney Cruise ship is an adventure indeed.  An adventure complete with marvelous food, fanciful hats and a visit from a Disney character or two.

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Cruise Tips – Disney Cruise Ship Food, Part I

By Kimkinyona Fox Cully

Here is the first of three cruise tips for your next Disney Cruise sailing.  Tip #1:  the Mickey Ice Cream Bar.  There are many great things about cruising on a Disney ship:   the food, the service, and the Disney characters.  But in this series of blogs, we will focus on the food.  The Mickey Ice Cream tip is included here, but I would like to hear your tips as well.  Will you please add yours in the reply section below?

The first visible opportunity for a Mickey ice cream bar is on the children’s menu in any of the evening dining restaurants.  On the first night, our kids ordered one.  The ice cream arrived, in the shape of Mickey Mouse on a stick, covered entirely in frozen chocolate.  It is similar to a Dove Bar or an Eskimo Pie.  The ice cream looked good, but I thought it was just for kids, right?  I need to stick to the more mature fare.  Then the kids each bit off an ear of their ice cream.  Decadent vanilla ice cream appeared beneath the thick, chocolaty candy shell.  It looked like heaven.  The vanilla was creamy and smooth.  The chocolate smelled delightful, with its rich, tempting aroma. 

Mickey Ice Cream Bar

I had to have one!  I succumbed to the enticement and ordered a Mickey Ice Cream bar from the wait staff.

When my bar arrived, it tasted even better than it looked.  The premium vanilla ice cream was coated with smooth, rich Nestle milk chocolate.  It was the best thing since– I hate to say it but– sliced bread.  It was so good, my husband started ordering the adult dessert and the Mickey Ice Cream with dinner each night.  The bars are offered in a coating of plain chocolate or chocolate with candy sprinkles.

I also discovered that you don’t have to wait until the next dinner seating to get your Mickey Ice Cream fix.  These luscious ice cream bars, while not on the room service menu, can be requested at no-charge, for delivery straight to your stateroom.  We got so hooked on the ice cream bars, my husband and I ordered one from room service every night!

Alright, it’s your turn.  What’s your favorite food tip on the Disney Cruise Line?  Don’t be shy.  Please leave a tip in the reply section below.

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The Real Reason Disney is the Best Cruise Line

 

We had finally arrived in Orlando.  My family and I waited in line behind the other passengers to register and get onboard. They had probably scrimped and saved, penny by penny, as we did, to take this cruise.  I had been waiting for a year for this vacation and I knew that the Disney Cruise would be fun for the entire family.  As we stepped forward, I noticed that there were quite a few people waiting in the waiting area.   Kids looking bored, parents visibly tired.  This was not at all the fervor and excitement that I expected from people ready to take a week long cruise.  I know I was excited.  I was ready to go!  At least until I got to the front of the entry line.  It was on this cruise that I learned how Disney deals with negative situations.   Why Disney’s service differentiates them from the rest of the cruise industry.

When I got to the front counter, the attendant gave us the news.  It fell on us like a ton of bricks and dashed our hopes for an impending vacation.  Bad weather was delaying our ship, the Disney Magic, from returning to Port Canaveral.  The cruise ship was stuck at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.  How long will it be stuck there, I wondered.  How soon could it get back so that we could get onboard?  And then I remembered the contract.  That dog-gone, pesky contract.  The one I signed that says if there is an act of God or some other uncontrollable circumstance, that Disney is not responsible for any losses on the part of the passengers.  And I will be a monkey’s uncle if weather wasn’t one of those uncontrollable circumstances.  We were sunk, and had no way to get recompense for the missed cruise.  Now I know why those parents in the waiting area had that look on their faces.  It was on my face now too.

The Disney attendant tried to reassure us that the wait would only be a couple of hours.  The weather would probably pass through quickly and then the ship could return back to Port Canaveral.  She tried to smile, but I saw right through it.  That weak glimmer of hope she was trying to give us was just to pacify the masses.  To keep us from rioting and tearing up the terminal like loose animals from Planet of the Apes.  I knew there would be no boat.  Weather doesn’t pass through that fast.  But there was nothing I could do but sit in the waiting area like all of the other families.  It was not looking good for any of us.

The announcement over the loud speaker said it would be a two hour wait.  Time slowly droned on.  I had to keep telling my kids to behave. 

“Don’t run around.  Stop hitting your brother!”

Time crept on, minute, by slow minute. 

“Tie your shoes.  Keep your jacket on.  Don’t throw it around!”

 Then the announcer over the loud speaker said the weather had not cleared and that it would be 4 hours, rather than 2.  I groaned.   As I turned over in my chair, still uncomfortable from the previous hours of sitting there, all kinds of scenarios began to run through my mind.  If the cruise is cancelled, we will need to get a hotel for the night.  Will all of the local ones be full?  Where can we get something for the kids to eat?  Will we be able to get a flight back to California tomorrow or perhaps the next day?  Since we didn’t pay for the cruise insurance (darn!), we won’t be getting our money back for the cruise.  Will we be able to change the dates for the return flight home?  How much will those fees be? 

“Don’t jump around in that chair!   You, come back over here where I can see you!”

Time continued to creep on.  It felt like forever.  I was now thinking of how we were going to get lunch for the kids.  When it happened.

The Disney attendant gathered the parents in small separate groups and told everyone that they had a new plan.  It was determined that the Disney Magic was not going to be able to arrive until the next day.  As such, for those families who wanted to, Disney was going to shuttle everyone over to DisneyWorld for the rest of the day.  They would give each of us park hopper tickets, meal tickets for food and put us up in a 4-star hotel for the night.  Lastly, they would shuttle everyone back over, first thing in the morning, to get on the cruise ship.  Now that would mean, that the cruise would be 6 days, instead of 7, and we would stop at one fewer destinations, but if we were okay with this, we could spend our day at DisneyWorld rather than inside the terminal.

My husband and I took one look at each other, saw the excitement in the other’s face, and immediately agreed to go.  I had never been to DisneyWorld before.  Now we would be able to have two vacations in one! 

The day, night and food at DisneyWorld was fantastic.  But better than that, Disney had taken care of us. 

Walt Disneyworld, Orlando Florida

They didn’t have to–by all rights, given that the weather had delayed the sailing, we should have been just out of money and out of luck.  Any other cruise line might have put us up for the night in an inexpensive hotel. 

But only Disney could turn being stranded, into 4-star hotel accommodations and a vacation day at Disneyworld.  If you are going to be stranded somewhere, there is no better place in the world to be stranded than Disneyworld!  It’s not just that Disney has the resources to take their guests to such a wonderful park, it’s that they were willing to, free of charge, when Mother Nature changed our vacation plans.

Disney prides itself on extraordinary service.  And that’s just what they delivered.  We bragged about it to all of our friends when we got back from our cruise, and we are still bragging about it now.  Why is Disney the best cruise line?  It’s simple, their service.  If on your next cruise, you would like to experience phenomenal service, as only Disney can deliver, book your vacation at the Disney Cruise Line website.