Disney Cruise Report by Mike

I’ve just returned from a 4-night cruise aboard the Disney Magic. The Disney experience begins when we arrived at the Orlando airport. We were met by very a courteous Disney rep. who gave us a brief explanation of how our transportation to Port Canaveral was to take place. Because we had pre-purchased this transportation, we had placed special luggage tags that were provided in our documents on our bags before we left home. We didn’t see our bags again until they were in our stateroom aboard the ship! The ~45 minute bus ride to the port was very pleasant. On the ride, excitement grew by all the passengers, as the bus driver showed a video about the Disney Cruise.

Boarding the ship was very efficient and quick. Upon entry to the ship, we were met by a Disney representative who escorted us to our stateroom, and gave us a quick overview of the ship en route. The ship is over 80,000 gross tons and is the length of 3 football fields end to end. The ship is tastefully decorated throughout in the Grand 20’s style. There is original Disney artwork displayed at every turn.

Our stateroom was a category 6, which is about midway in Disney’s pricing scheme. It included a spacious veranda, a bath and ½ with tub (very unusual), a queen sized bed, a couch that converted into a single bed, another single bed that folded out of the wall, a television w/remote, and a mini-fridge.

Some unique things I observed on the cruise:

¨ ~ 40% of the passengers were families, there were a surprising number of couples without kids.
¨ There are 4 restaurants, 3 of which you rotate through for your evening meal, each with a different theme and menu. The fourth is Palo’s, a northern Italian, adult only restaurant that requires reservations.
¨ The children/teen programs exceeded my expectations. The facilities are fantastic! There is a computer lab, games….everything a kid today would enjoy. You can check your kids in and they can come and go as they please. For the younger ones, they are given a “hospital” style bracelet that identifies them. The parents are given a beeper, so when the kids are ready to be picked up, the counselors beep the adults.
¨ The Disney characters come out about 3 hours or so for photo-ops.
¨ There were 3 shows on board, all of which were very entertaining for the kids as well as the adults. It’s amazing how Disney can produce entertainment that is enjoyed by such different age ranges.
¨ There are 3 pools on the Disney Magic all for different age groups, which is nice since the adults w/o kids can enjoy the sun w/out kids in relative peace.
¨ There is a section of the ship that provides adult only entertainment and lounges.
¨ First run movies, some of which premier on the ship first, are shown throughout the cruise. They are of course, Disney owned movies.

Insider tips:

¨ If you have small children, don’t worry about lugging a stroller down. They are available on-board for free. (See the purser’s desk)
¨ For the stop in Nassau, if you choose not to go on a planned shore excursion, do not go to the Atlantis hotel on nearby Paradise Island if you are looking for a place to enjoy the beach. We did (big mistake) and we found out upon arrival, the hotel charges $25 per person (including kids) to use their beach. There are plenty of public beaches in Nassau, available by cab or public transport.
¨ An extensive menu is available for in-room dinning 24 hours a day at no-additional charge.

In summary:The cruise is very Disney, great for families and adult Disneyfile’s as well. The ship and staff exceeded my expectations.