Sail away with Disney

All aboard the Fantasyship, as Disney cruises prepare to launch from the UK

Why go?

Our seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the glorious Disney Fantasy Ship set sail from Port Canaveral in Florida, USA, which is just over an hour’s drive from Orlando.

The journey started with a huge welcome as we boarded the ship and, for a super-magical touch, the horn even played out the notes to When You Wish Upon A Star as we left the port.

There are Disney characters at every turn on the ship, and we seemed to bump into one just around every corner, which was wonderful. We never had to queue too long for a photo.

We stayed in an Oceanview Veranda cabin, which was very spacious and can comfortably sleep a family of four. The cabin has a sofa bed, which was transformed into bunkbeds every evening whilst we were at dinner. There is plenty of storage and the separate shower and toilet areas make life much easier for families.

The most magical time!

The cruise involved a mix of days at sea and included two port visits to the Virgin Islands of Tortola and St Thomas. Excursions can be booked via the app, but they do fill up fast – so be quick! We loved our beach morning in Tortola, and at St Thomas we took the cable car up to Paradise Point for amazing views of the island.

But you don’t have to be off the ship during the day. We popped back early once and it was very peaceful – a great time to enjoy the facilities. There is a giant poolside screen showing Disney movies during the day and the popular Aqua Duck waterslide! The Kids Clubs on board are spectacular and even teens will want to go with their own cool hangout.

There are a couple of themed evenings to enjoy too. The Pirate Deck Party was brilliant fun, which involved fancy dress and dancing and singing along. It all ended with an incredible fireworks display – what more could you ask for?

Showtime & fun food!

There is also various entertainment during the evenings, and our favourite was the Broadway style musicals. They are shown twice a night and we truly loved the special effects and amazing singers and dancers. We watched Frozen, A Musical Spectacular and Aladdin, which we absolutely adored, and on our last night there was hardly a dry eye in the Buena Vista Theatre watching Disney’s Believe.

There are three main restaurants – Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace and Animator’s Palette – offering rotational dining where you swap restaurants every night, but your waiters move with you, so they really get to know what you like to drink and eat. All the restaurants were great, but Animator’s Palette stands out with its playful interactions. We recommend booking the Hey Howdy breakfast at Animator’s Palette with Woody and his Toy Story friends – it’s so much fun and everybody is encouraged to join in and sing along to the catchy tunes!

Not just for kids

It’s no surprise to us just how many people go on a Disney cruise without kids because the standard is so high and there is so much to do from wine tasting to signature dining and the relaxing Senses Spa.

There are two adults-only restaurants on board. Brunch at Palo is not to be missed. Our favourite dinner on the trip was the adult-exclusive Remy’s. It’s inspired by Ratatouille and is out of this world! The five-course tasting menu is $125 extra per person, but trust us, you will not be disappointed, and the service is exceptional.

The dress code is casual on board, although we did notice guests dressed up for the adult restaurants.

The Quiet Cove pool has a swim-up bar, there are hot tubs looking out to the ocean and plenty of sunbeds and we can recommend trying the cocktail of the day! In the evening, we headed to the adults-only bars, and especially loved the French décor in the Ooh La La champagne bar.

Disney’s private beach

Our last stop on the trip was Castaway Cay and they saved the best to last! This beautiful island in the Bahamas is for Disney cruise ship guests only, and just one ship docks each day. The turquoise water is crystal clear and warm, and the beaches have perfect white sands. The island is split into a family area and Serenity Bay, the adult beach.

There is lots to do on the island, they have their own 5K track, which you can run or walk, and everyone gets a medal although we recommend completing it early in the day as because it gets incredibly hot. The snorkelling is spectacular, there is a dedicated area and we saw lots of brightly coloured fish swimming around us.

A tasty barbecue buffet lunch and soft drinks are all included, just like on the ship. The day flew by and we only wished we could have stayed longer.

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Words: Carly Honeyfield