Disney Cruise Q+A

Hi, friends! I am pumped to finally be sharing our recent Disney Cruise with you! I received so many awesome questions about our planning and experience on this trip. This was our second Disney Cruise, and you can take a look at our first cruise on my 2018 blog post HERE.

Having older babes, and a previous idea of what to expect made this trip pretty seamless for us. Be sure to check out my “Disney Cruise” highlight on Instagram for a more close-up peak of our trip. Let’s get started on answering your questions.

Q: What cruise did you go on?

We sailed aboard the Disney Dream, on a 3-Night Bahamian Cruise to Nassau, Bahamas and Disney’s private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay. We sailed out of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Q: Why a Disney Cruise?

We sailed a luxury 7-day cruise around Europe before we had children, and had an amazing time…but we still prefer to sail with Disney. Why? Because you literally can’t beat the magic and level of service. Every single detail is considered, and they do everything they can to make every part of your trip quite literally magical. If you haven’t noticed by now, magical memories fuel my heart. Disney is typically more expensive than other cruise lines, but the ships and experiences are also high end. It feels like 4 days of being in a dream. We are also huge Disney fans, even at home. We save up to alternate between the Disney cruises and vacationing at Walt Disney World each year. We may consider a different cruise line one day, when our girls are out of the house, but until then its all about the Mouse!

Q: How much did the cruise cost?

This really depends on the length of the cruise, and what time of the year you go. I will say that we paid significantly less for this cruise (March) than we did during our late August sailing date (same length) in 2018. We also were fortunate to take advantage of a special military rate. You can find out more about military rates HERE.

Q: What is included in the cost of the cruise?

“Your cruise price includes almost every part of your onboard experience, such as:

• Your stateroom along with all applicable taxes and port fees
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Soft drinks served at meals and at each ship’s beverage station
• Snacks and ice cream throughout the ship
• Disney Character Meet & Greets
• Entertainment including live Broadway-style productions at the Walt Disney Theatre as well as Disney movie classics and current first-run films at the Buena Vista Theatre

While you’re sailing, there are a few optional services and activities that do require an additional charge, including Port Adventures excursions, spa and salon services, babysitting in our ship’s nurseries, onboard photography service, phone calls, video games, alcoholic beverages, and our adults-only dining venues, Palo (aboard all ships) and Remy (aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy).” – disneycruise.disney.go.com

Q: What did you pack?

This was an early Spring trip, so I knew we would need to bring layers. I pack for myself and both girls, and I always pack by the day. I will share links and a downloadable packing list below for those of you have been asking! For embarkation day I packed matching personalized Disney tees and crop denim pants for all of us. Day 2 we arrived in Nassau, so I packed maxi dresses and denim jackets for us girls. That evening we changed into our pirate gear for Pirate Night. This is totally optional. I saw some families with pirate tees, some with full costumes, and some with nothing extra at all. Day 3 was Castaway Cay day, so we spent the majority of the day in swimwear, and then the girls wore the cutest ruffle rompers. Day 4 was debarkation, so we all work comfy clothes (Disney tees and joggers) in preparation for the drive home.

I also packed matching Disney pajamas, swimsuits, coverups, a pair of wet-to-dry sandals, and sneakers for the girls. (They ended up never wearing their sneakers.) In addition to their normal clothes, and pirate costumes, I packed several of their costume Disney princess dresses from home, and sequin Minnie Mouse ears (HERE) that we’ve had forever. They wore these for their princess gatherings on the ship, and sometimes for no reason at all.

Check out a more comprehensive packing list HERE according to what destination you choose.

Our matching family shirts are from The House of Mouse (HERE) The owner was phenomenal at getting them to us on time, and they use a printing process called sublimation. This is MUCH more long lasting than vinyl shirts, and they’ve already proven themselves after several washes. I am VERY specific about things like this, so I want to tell you I did the research, and you will love this small shop.

You can snag the girls’ adorable looks by clicking directly on the photos below.

The girls’ adorable mini suitcases are Olli Ella, and you can grab yours HERE. Their sweet little handcrafted Mickey wands are from Kiss You Co, and you can order yours HERE. Their wet-to-dry sandals are my FAVORITE because they’re so sturdy, designed by podiatrists, and are perfect for the beach and any other outside play. Find our specific style HERE.

Pro Tip: When you check in, your main luggage will be taken to your stateroom, and you’ll get to bring whatever personal bags on with you. PACK YOUR SWIMSUIT WITH YOU. You won’t have immediate access to your stateroom upon boarding, and if you already have your swim gear, you can head to the pool and waterslides early.

Q: What kind of stateroom did you stay in?

We stayed in a deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. If you can, for sure book a stateroom with a verandah. My husband and I LOVE having a balcony room. It is beautiful taking in the ocean sounds and views, hanging out and having coffee in the mornings, and it makes the space feel fresh and open. My girls both napped to the sound of the waves crashing outside. The girls slept in bunked beds, and my husband and I slept (so comfortably) in our own bed, separated by a pull-back blackout curtain. Your room host will covert the beds into a normal sofa for you during the day.

I also want to note that the stateroom bathrooms have BATHTUBS! That is unheard of on most ships. The bathrooms are spacious, and you can actually put your small children in a bubble bath after a long sandy day at the beach. I really love that, and I know other moms will too.

We also did something special with our stateroom that we didn’t do last time. We decorated it with special personalized magnets! We had seen this done before, and really wanted to get on board this trip. I ordered Mickey and Minnie magnets for us from Grayson Tags and More (HERE). Next time we go, we will get a new main magnet, and an extra little Mickey for baby boy.

We also purchased a fabric hanging organizer, and a few packages of Disney magnets so that we could participate in Fish Extenders and Pixie Dusting while on the ship.

Q: What are Fish Extenders and Pixie Dust Gifts?

Each stateroom on the ship has a little fish above the room number. It is the place where you will find notes from the crew, or reminders for special dinner reservations. It is also where you can hang a little mailbox (or extender) for gifts from other people on the ship. You can order or make your own version of these. There are no rules, and we saw some really cool intricate ones. My plan is to jazz up our fish extender ($8 HERE) with each of the kids’ names and favorite Disney character next time we sail.
We had no idea about any of this our first cruise, but here is the basic concept:

Once you book your cruise, go search Facebook for your cruise group (i.e. Disney Dream March 6th). There you’ll find information about fish extender groups. From my understanding, this is usually a cluster of neighboring staterooms (about 10 families) that sign up to bring aboard gifts for one another. You’ll get names and ages of each person in your fish extender group, so that you can plan accordingly. The gifts are usually really nice, and are dropped off in the pockets of your fish extender.

We didn’t participate in fish extender groups this time, just because my pregnant mom brain didn’t want to commit to something that I hadn’t planned much for. I am a go all out type, and I didn’t have the energy for that this time. I still love the idea behind this room-to-room fun, and wanted to spread some magic of our own. Often times families will bring along smaller gifts to spread around to other passengers as random acts of kindness or pixie dust. There really isn’t a specific way to do pixie dusting, you let your heart decide. This concept really rang true to me, because it’s important to my husband and I that we teach the girls to give. Especially girls who are fortunate enough to be on their second Disney cruise vacation at the ages of 4 and 2. I want to teach them that they too can BE THE MAGIC to others.

I thought back to our first Disney cruise, we had a completely bare door, as we didn’t know about any of this stuff. Why not pixie dust other staterooms with a little door magnet that they could take home as a little souvenir? We would pay special attention to the doors that didn’t have any magnets, and show them a little extra love this trip. I purchased some super cute wooden Disney refrigerator magnets from Amazon (HERE and HERE), and printed personalized Tinkerbell notes that we stuck to the doors with our magnets.

Each $8 package came with 20 magnets, so we were able to pixie dust about 50 families (we kept some of the magnets to decorate our own door) for about $25 bucks. So many of our fellow passengers wrote notes, or wrote in our Facebook group about how much joy they got from these simple pixie dust gifts. The best part was the girls were OVERJOYED to deliver them. I have some fun footage of this in my Instagram highlight. Raegan quite literally left this cruise believing that she had pixie dust in her blood. I love that. I am totally here for the magic.

We also did 6 special larger pixie dust gifts (above) to hand our for pirate night. I ordered a special package of Disney character bags, and we stuffed them with Pirates Booty popcorn, chocolate gold coins, and other candy.

We were the recipients of so many kind pixie dust gifts. From notes, candy, snacks, coloring sheets, pirate eye patches, and even night lights. Checking our fish extender each time we returned to our room was a highlight of the trip. Our girls went wild when the magic appeared each time.

Q: What did you do onboard the ship?

There are SO many wonderful things to do on the ship. Let me tell you…we do A LOT and there are always a couple of things we still wish we had gotten to. With that being said, I am TOTALLY going to try and go for a longer cruise next time we get to go.

First of all, if you have ever been to the Disney Parks then you know how much of an adventure it is finding characters and getting to meet them up close. There are SO many opportunities to meet (hug, pose with, etc.) numerous Disney characters. Your children will absolutely leave having met all of their favorites!

Disney ships offer world class live show performances. Miss Zarie ended up being such a HUGE fan of the live shows. She isn’t big on watching many movies in their entirety, but she was totally into both Beauty and the Beast and Disney’s Believe. They also play the newest Disney films onboard the ship–typically before they hit or while they’re still in theaters.

There are quite a few age-based kids clubs aboard the ship, that do a phenomenal job at keeping the kids engaged with different activities. Learn more about the different kids club and nursery options aboard HERE.

There are several pools, waterslides, bars, shops, lounges, and nightclubs aboard; plus top notch spa and fitness options. There is also a Pirate Night aboard the ship where you actually get to watch a fireworks show while you’re sailing in the middle of the ocean.

Last cruise we got custom tees made, but this round my husband really wanted to go all out. He put himself in charge of Pirate Night and found us some really fun and inexpensive costumes. Even if you don’t plan to dress up, you’ll find super cute (complimentary) Mickey Mouse pirate bandanas on your bed on pirate night, after turndown service.

My Costume (HERE)
Daddy’s Costume (HERE)
Raegan + Zarie’s Costume (HERE)

Pro Tip: The fireworks on this cruise let off on the starboard (right) side of the ship. Remember this so you can select the best spot for viewing.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is open for fairytale makeovers, though we’ve never taken the girls to do this. I know the appointments book quickly, and we saw several little girls on the ship with their glittery hair buns and make up done to fairy godmother standards. Learn more HERE.

Q: Did you use the onboard childcare?

We spent the majority of our time together as a family, but we did let the girls go into the younger kids club a few times, like for the One Upon a Time story time with Princess Belle and Princess Tiana, and while we went on a mini date night. Check out my Instagram highlight for the sweetest video of story time. Parents aren’t typically allowed in the kids clubs, but we got to sneak a peek during the first day aboard, as this was a family open house. I am a helicopter mom and have rarely let my children away from me, but Disney does a phenomenal job with safety, communication, and letting you and your children get acclimated to the spaces. They also go above and beyond when it comes to food allergies. You can read more about my experience with the onboard childcare on #7 of my 10 Things You Should Know When Planning a Disney Cruise with Toddlers blog post.

Q: They have adult only fun?

Yep! Plenty of it! There is an adults only area of the ship that has it’s own pool, bars, coffee shop, and hot tubs! You’ll also find quite a few adult themed happy hours and events onboard. My hubby and I also always try and make it to Pub 687 for their trivia. It’s a swanky little bar where we can put our feet up and have some adult time.

There are also two 18+ fine dining restaurants on the ship, that you can reserve for a date night (#6 on 10 Things You Should Know When Planning a Disney Cruise with Toddlers) . I highly recommend this experience. The food, service, and views are phenomenal.

Q: How is the food?

Exquisite. I’m not exaggerating. Disney truly goes above and beyond when it comes to their food. They are the only cruise line to feature their “rotational dining” which means that you get to enjoy THREE different themed dining experiences while onboard. The Royal Palace is my absolute favorite, but honestly every meal we were served was delicious. Don’t worry picky eaters, you have a number of delicious options to choose from each meal. There are also some quick service restaurants (i.e. chicken tenders, burgers, pizza, etc.) that are always open as an option.

They also offer a kids menu, and are extremely attentive when it comes to food allergies. They always triple checked the girls’ food choices, which we really appreciated. Most kids get a Mickey Mouse bar for dessert, and while my girls can’t have dairy, our AMAZING host made sure they have coconut ice cream each night. They went above and beyond with making the girls feel special. They even showed them a few fun magic tricks.

My husband and I decided to not bring our phones to family meals, so I’ve failed you when it comes to photographs of our dining experience…but I promise this is something you will not be disappointed with. We loved every bite of seafood, pasta, steak, etc. Plus, who can forget the unlimited ice cream cones right by the pool. Our room was on deck 10, and the pool/ice cream shop is on deck 11. Let’s just say that baby boy in my belly had more than his fair share of ice cream cones!

Also, there is a 24/7 room service option, that is totally FREE! Each morning we ordered in hot coffee, fruit, and a couple pastries to tied the girls over until we set out to go get our sit-down breakfast. Plus, what parent, on a Disney cruise doesn’t need coffee delivered to their door first thing in the morning? It was amazing. There are a few speciality coffee and dessert shops, that aren’t included in the cost of the cruise. We snagged Mickey lattes (hello, espresso) on our last morning of the cruise, and those were charged to our account.

Q: How were the islands you visited?

Nassau:

If I am being totally transparent, Nassau was pretty underwhelming for us. My husband and I have visited 18 countries together, and tried out our fair share of beaches—Nassau is not a favorite. On our last cruise, we bought all of our beach gear off the ship and set up on shop at Junkanoo beach. The water was gorgeous, and the weather was perfect. We enjoyed our time there, but there didn’t seem to be much to the city itself–at least not for a family with small children. I can’t speak personally, but I bet all of the water excursions there are amazing. The infamous Atlantis Resort is in Nassau, and many families make plans to spend their time there.

Knowing that this go round, we planned ahead to spend our Nassau port day mostly on the boat. We scheduled our princess gatherings for that morning and enjoyed our on-boat amenities. We did decided to go in country to explore for a few hours—that’s just the kinds of people we are. We want our girls to experience as much of this world as they can. We danced in the street to some fun music and let the girls check out all of the street vendors. I love how colorful everything is.

Castaway Cay:

Man, do we love Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Just like the parks, and ship, they have thought of everything when it comes to this beautiful island. The beaches are breathtaking, plentiful, and convenient to get to. They offer plenty to do: water slide, bike rentals, excursions, a snorkeling lagoon, on island childcare, etc. They even offer a free 5K first thing each morning! My husband ran it (while the girls and I devoured Mickey Mouse waffles), and came back with the cutest medal! Learn more about those offerings HERE.

When we ported in Castaway Cay, conditions were super windy. This made for very choppy waves, and our glass bottomed boat tour excursion ended up being cancelled. Thankfully, the day was saved when the sun came right out, and we set up our gear for a day in the sunshine. We like to setup on the shallow end of the sandbar, since our girls are not good swimmers yet.

We made sandcastles, ordered fresh smoothies from our beach chairs, and soaked in every bit of that beautiful Bahamian view. We also enjoyed a hefty BBQ lunch while on the island. This is provided as a part of your onboard meals. There is also an unlimited ice cream station, which I, of course, enjoyed plenty of!

Q: Anything you didn’t like?

Leaving the last day haha.

Thank you for stopping by for a glimpse into our Spring Break cruise. My hope is that it gave you a smile, and/or welcome distraction from the uncertainty of these last weeks. File it under posts to look back on once we are all safe, and can think of family vacations again.

If you have a question that you didn’t see answered here, feel free to leave a comment below, and I promise to answer!

xo
Shakira