In January of 2014, I took my 9 year old son, Braden, on a 4 day Bahamian cruise on the newly re-imagined Disney Magic. The Magic is Disney Cruise Line's first cruise ship and first sailed the high seas in 1998. Our cruise departed from sunny Port Canaveral, less than 60 miles from Orlando, FL and had Bahamian ports of call in Nassau and Castaway Cay plus one day at sea. New things we were excited to try were the new AquaDunk, a thrilling waterslide that jets out over the ocean after you plummet down 3 stories, and the gigantic Atlantis waterpark near Nassau. Old favorites we were looking forward to enjoying again were poolside movies, unlimited free ice cream, and the outstanding Disney onboard service.
Braden posing in the Mouse Ears entrance to board the Disney Magic
Right from the beginning, our 2nd Disney cruise did not disappoint us. In Disney's beautiful Port Canaveral cruise ship terminal, we got to jump in the much shorter Castaway Club line for past Disney cruisers, a nice perk for loyal guests. A short 20 minutes after being dropped off by the Disney Cruise Line bus, we were walking aboard the beautiful Disney Magic. We felt like royalty as our arrival was announced and the crew applauded in their Mickey Mouse hands.
Mickey Mouse in the ship's atrium
For me, the excited anticipation I feel upon walking on a new ship for the first time is hard to beat and I was anxious to start exploring our home for the next 4 days. We headed for our stateroom to drop off our bags and I was pleased it was ready and waiting for us. Braden threw on his swimsuit and we ventured out to try out the pool deck. Our stateroom attendant, Aldo, found us in the hall, introduced himself and I was impressed that he already knew our names. He also told us that he saw that our safe door was broken and had already ordered it to be repaired. He, of course, lived up to the legendary Disney service I, and so many others, have come to expect.
Goofy's Pool
The pool deck was crowded with other excited passengers ready to start their voyage. My son promptly hopped into the pool and swam his little heart out. He then worked up the nerve to try the AquaDunk, which he had been eyeing since it was first announced. I was so proud as I watched my brave boy march right up those stairs and then plunge straight down the clear tube as the floor literally dropped out from beneath his feet. He came out exhilarated and I stood there with a big stupid grin on my face, beaming with pride. He couldn't stop talking about how scary it was and I promptly chickened out, using the unusually chilly weather as my excuse.
The AquaDuck
After a great sail away party, Adventures Away, packed full of Disney fun and characters. It was time for dinner. Our first night's dinner was at the restaurant I anticipated most, the Animator's Palate, for it was the one we had had the most fun at on our first cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy. We had already had our safety drill at the Animator's Palate so I knew it looked virtually identical. We sat down with our table mates and found two other mothers traveling solo with their 9-year old's, one boy and one girl. I knew it was no coincidence and just another example of Disney's amazing attention to detail.
The great thing about Animator's Palate is that the animated art on the walls are actually high-definition flat screen tv's. This gives the impression of the artwork coming to life right before your eyes. Throughout the four course meal, different Disney animations were slowly drawn on the screens, giving the kids and adults an entertaining guessing game.
Animator's Palate Hallway
With the final course of dinner, came the emotional and dramatic close to our dinner show as the screens played touching and inspirational scenes from classic Disney movies. It was capped off by a surprise guest appearance by none other than the legend himself, Mickey Mouse!
Animator's Palate
I would be remiss not to mention our waiter, Bradford, and his assistant, April. Both were extremely accommodating and welcoming, as if we were all old friends. Upon hearing I was a vegetarian, Bradford rushed me a menu from tomorrow's dinner to make sure I would be happy with the choices available. I was pleasantly surprised to see 4 to 5 vegetarian entrees to choose from each night.
Keys Piano Bar
After dinner, my table-mate and newfriend, Bethany, and I dropped off our kids at the Oceaneer Lab to go enjoy a drink at one of the adults-only nightclubs. We chose Keys and ordered what turned out to be one of the best Limoncello drinks I have ever had. We chatted and I enjoyed the piano music and soloist who gave a terrific rendition of "Let it Go." And so ended a magical first day on board the Disney Magic.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading my entry from this Traveling Travel Agent's travels. I am a travel agent because I love to travel and I love helping other people discover our big beautiful world! Through strategic partnerships, I offer my clients preferred rates, complimentary upgrades and extra amenities. If you would like to receive weekly travel specials from my agency, Purple Palm Vacations,please sign up for ourExclusive Travel Specials.
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