Last year was our first experience on Disney Cruiselines. You can read all about it HERE. We had such a fantastic time that we wanted to go again, but for longer! So we booked a 7 night cruise on the Fantasy with port stops in Tortola BVI, Saint Thomas and Castaway Cay (Disney’s Island).
You can also find my cruise packing guide HERE.
Day 1: Arrival Day
We arrived at the port around 11:30, where Disney will take your luggage as soon as you arrive. We then went through the registration process and boarded the ship around 12:30. If you’re a first time cruiser with Disney, your boarding time will likely be early afternoon. We boarded the ship as soon as our letter was called so that we could get a head start on enjoying the ship!
TIP: Pack your swimsuit in a carry on because sometimes it can take as late as 4:30/5:00 before your luggage arrives to your room.
The Sail Away started around 5:00, so we headed up to the deck to join the party before our 5:45 dinner at Enchanted Palace.
Day 2 & 3 : Sea Day
We love sea days just as must as excursion days! You can see below that the boys like to use these days to sleep in!
I also wanted to share a view of our room and how well designed it is! Disney really optimized the space and the amount of storage extremely well on the Fantasy and Dream (sister ships) . Behind me was a toilet room, a shower room and 2 wardrobes with a set of drawers. We had no issues with storing all of our items for the week.
You’ll also see that the couch turns into a bottom bunk and a top bunk pulls down from the ceiling. Our host, Erich set this up every evening for us while we were at dinner and then put it back every morning.
Breakfast: We chose to dine in at the Royal Palace. It’s a nicer, sit down restaurant as opposed to the Cabanas buffet.
After breakfast we headed to deck 4 for a competitive game of shuffle board. The boys love this game and we love the space and quiet that deck 4 offers, as well as stunning views of the ocean.
Next up, mini golf. I think the boys played several games of mini golf daily!
Lunch: We ate a Cabanas for the lunch buffet, which offers everything from pizza, Mac n cheese, fresh crabs, shimp, salad, dessert and more! There is so much to choose from.
Show: We like to take a break from the sun by enjoying the afternoon shows. We caught Aladdin and it was absolutely incredible! The productions are all on par with Broadway shows, with captivating performances and amazing special technotronic effects that always leave us wanting more.
TIP: Be sure to get there about 15-20 minutes ahead of time for a front row seat!
2:00 – We dropped the boys off at the Kids Club for some time over in the adult section. My husband and I grabbed a few pre dinner drinks at the La Piazza bar, which is an Italian courtyard-like space that makes fantastic martinis!
5:45: Dinner at Royal Palace
The menu was French inspired cuisine. I opted for the bakde salmon, fried brie and escargot.
8:15 We grabbed our swimsuits and headed to the pool deck where the Aqua Duck water slide was lit up with flashing lights and completely line free!
We spend a lot of time playing shuffle board this trip!
If the line for the Aqua Duck water slide is too long during the day, go in the evening. It’s completely lit up and empty!! ..Zero lines.
Day 4: Destination Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Immediately when we got off the ship, Tortola greeted us with bright buildings, an outdoor bar, restaurants and a shopping experience. It was too early for much to be open, but I imagine it would be a great place to grab lunch and drinks before heading back to the ship!
We did the PM Jeep excursion and loved it! There were 5 groups of 4 and each family was assigned their own private Jeep. We followed our excursion host through the luscious green mountains and up the dirt roads of Tortola where we ended up on Smugglers Cove.
As we entered the cove, we came across Nigel’s Beach Bar. The bar is more like a beach shack, but definitely go out of your way to order the jerk chicken and a coconut drink!
Day 5: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
For St. Thomas we did the excursion to Drakes Point, Magen’s Bay and the the Skyride to Paradise Point. We loved Magen’s Bay but it was a busy beach. We walked all the way to the end of the beach for more space and quiet.
Magen’s Bay
This was our favorite stop in St. Thomas!
Pros:
- Rated as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world (and it lived up to the expectation!)
- it’s a long beach, so we were able to spread out, away from the crowded area at then entrance.
- Perfect temperature with crystal clear turquoise waters.
- There’s a beach bar and restaurant if you get hungry!
Cons
- Busy
- Beach chair rental area is busy. So we sat on towels (which Disney provides when you exit the ship)
TIP: I recommend just grabbing a taxi right off the ship and heading straight there where you can stay as long or as short as you’d like. We only had 2 hours to enjoy the beach with our excurion.
Drake’s Seat
This is the vantage point where Sir Francis Drake supposedly watched for enemy ships. The point is at the top of the island and includes panoramic views of surrounding islands. We took a safari bus up the mountain and gripped our seats tightly as we climbed higher and higher!
Drake’s Seat: Top of the island!
Magen’s Bay
Skyride to Paradise Point
We had mixed feelings about this part of the excursion. We rode a crammed gondola up the mountain so it was hard to really experience the ride and enjoy the views. Once we arrived at the top we decided to get lunch at the local bar and restaurant. The views were amazing, but that’s about where it stopped. The food was mediocre and the service was terrible! It felt like a bit of a tourist trap up there and after we were finished eating and taking a few pictures, we went right back down.
From the beach we headed back into the jeep for a drive up to the top of the mountain, where we parked at a lookout point for some amazing views of all of the neighboring islands. Describing it as serene and breathtaking is an understatement!
Day 6: Sea Day
From the beach we headed back into the jeep for a drive up to the top of the mountain, where we parked at a lookout point for some amazing views of all of the neighboring islands. Describing it as serene and breathtaking is an understatement!
Day 3 Sea Day was a relaxation day as we had been going nonstop the past 2 days in Tortola and St. Thomas. We laid by the pool while the boys went off on their own to play minigolf.
Show: After lunch we decided to get out of the sun and check out the show of the day, Disney’s Frozen! The boys weren’t thrilled to go, but once we were there they loved it! (There are no photos allowed during the production, so I took a few before each show started.)
Tip: If you’re purchasing popcorn, grab the $10 bucket and you get $.99 refills! We didn’t know this until day 3 and could’ve saved some money.
After the matinee show we checked the boys into the kids club and went off to the pool deck for some tasty drinks!
Day 7: Castaway Cay (Disney's Private Island in the Bahamas)
Castaway Cay is Disney’s exclusive port and island in the Bahamas. We arrived at the port around 10:30 and went straight to the beach. This was the most relaxing beach day we had and was a great way to spend the last day.
As we got off the ship, we were greeted with characters. Rather than getting pictures on the way off the ship, we opted to get on the tram and head to the 2nd beach because we thought it would be quieter than the first beach. We were wrong! It was a mad rush for chairs but we were able to find a spot to park for the day and relax.
Disney serves a BBQ lunch right on the island, which included hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled fish, island spiced chicken, fresh salads, ice cream, cookies and soft drinks.
About an hour before we needed to be on the ship we headed to Pelican Point, one of the several outdoor tiki bars on the island. The kids enjoyed their NA margaritas, while the adults ordered a few of Disney’s specialty drinks.
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