Onboard the Newly Re-Imagined Disney Magic Day 4 - At Sea

From My 4-Night Bahamian Disney Cruise - Jan 2014

Once again I started out the day with high hopes that the weather would finally turn for the better.  I mean this is the Bahamas where it's around 80 degrees almost every day. We can't have 4 days in a row of chilly 60's, can we?  It turns out we can and this day turned out to be colder than the last. Little did I know as I frolicked in the water at Castaway Cay, it would be the last time I or Braden donned a swimsuit. During our first Disney Cruise, my son lived in the pool.  What were we going to do during a day at sea with no pool time?  

Day 1 - Leaving Port Canaveral

Day 2 - Nassau, Bahamas

Day 3- Castaway Cay, Bahamas

No sun in sight on this chilly day at sea.

Luckily, we had waited until our day at sea to see Frozen, which was playing daily in 3D in the Buena Vista theater. After a lazy morning of TV in our room, we headed down to deck 4, made a quick stop at Whitecaps (a gift shop) to get my Castaway Cay print signed by the captain and anxiously awaited our movie.  This was our 3rd time seeing Frozen (my new all time favorite Disney movie, replacing The Little Mermaid) and I was just as excited to see it on the ship in 3D as I was the first time seeing it.  

The beautiful Buena Vista Theater

I was expecting to see a great movie in a beautiful theater on a cruise ship (which I happen to think is really cool) but what I wasn't expcecting was to hear people laugh harder and longer at Olaf's jokes than they did in Denver.  It wasn't the stifled chuckle of busy people who barely have time to have fun, it was the long, let-it-all-loose laugh of the carefree and happy.  When the child behind me accidentally pushed his Buzz Lightyear toy to make it talk, there was more laughter.  I have to admit the sound of the toy annoyed me, but hearing the audience's approval quickly turned my sour thoughts. What a world we would live in if everyone lived life as though they were on a cruise! 

We also enjoyed family fun in the D Lounge

After the movie, I naively thought we could try to swim.  One step out onto the windy pool deck and I knew we would not be swimming that day.  We retreated to the warmth of our room for more TV then ventured out again to meet our friends at the indoor arcade.

Characters coming down for the Farewell Party in the Atrium.

Next it was time for our pre-dinner show, Dreams, in the Walt Disney Theater.  We had enjoyed Villians the night before, narrated by Hades from the movie Hercules with guest appearances by popular Disney villians such as Maleficent, Captain Hook and my favorite, Ursula.  I was delighted to watch the actress who played her nail, "Poor Unfortunate Souls."  

I was even more excited to see the award winning best show at sea, Dreams.  With a name like that, it was sure to be full of the Disney inspiration that I know and love.  It did not disappoint.  All of the actors were top notch and the scenes from favorite movies, like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin came to life right there on the stage. The highlight for me was watching Ariel sing "Part of Your World" but the highlight for my son and friend, Kylee, was when it snowed during the performance right on us!  It was actually tiny bubbles but it was pure magic to watch all of those kids in the theater look up with their hands reaching up and wonder in their eyes.  It's magic moments like these that will keep me cruising with Disney long after my boy is grown.

No matter what the weather, I had quality fun time with my son, Braden.

When I look back on this cruise, it was not the fun in the sun that I imagined spending with my son in the Bahamas.  I pictured our days filled with swimming in the Goofy pool with classic Disney movies playing on the Funnel Vision (the outdoor big screen), taking thrilling plunges down waterslides at Atlantis and the AquaDunk, and soaking up the warm rays of the sun.  I never did try the AquaDunk and Braden only went the one time.  But there were still so many great memories created on this cruise, from new friends to shared laughter with my son, that I will treasure forever and I found out that if the weather is not going to cooperate, then a Disney Cruise has plenty of fun to be had inside the ship. 

Goofy shows off his dance moves in the Promenade Lounge.

I think the one striking memory that I will take to my grave was walking out of dinner one night, through a family lounge and seeing Goofy out on the dance floor showing off his best moves.  It was like spotting an unexpected rock star.  To me, that scene epitomizes what a Disney Cruise is all about.  

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 our Exclusive Travel Specials.

Onboard the Newly Re-Imagined Disney Magic Day 3 - Castaway Cay

From my 4 Night Bahamian Disney Cruise - Jan 2014

Earlier this year I took my 9 year old son, Braden, on a 4 Night Bahamian cruise on the newly re-imagined Disney Magic. The Disney Magic is Disney Cruise Line's first cruise ship, having first set sail in 1998.  Our cruise departed from sunny Port Canaveral, FL and had stops in Nassau, and Castaway Cay plus one day at sea.  Our first 2 days were full of Disney magic as one would expect but the weather didn't get the memo and insisted on giving us clouds, wind and rain.  Would Disney's private island paradise, Castaway Cay, show us some much desired sunshine?  Read on to find out!

Day 1 - Leaving Port Canaveral

Day 2 - Nassau, Bahamas

My son, Braden, and I on Castaway Cay.

You can probably see by the picture above that despite our best efforts in hoping, wishing and praying, we did not see typical sunny Bahamian weather at Castaway Cay either. Braden and I had been to Castaway Cay once before on our first Disney Cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy and we were very excited to return to this island paradise.  We both love the beach and Castaway Cay has two perfect white sand beaches for kids and families to play in the sand, swim, snorkel, and relax.

Braden and his step-sister, Courtney, on our 1st visit to Castaway Cay.

Braden in the water on our 2nd visit to Castaway Cay

This day on Castaway Cay was in stark contrast to our first visit, when the skies were blue and went on forever in a perfect blend with the clear blue-green water.  This time we saw clouds, clouds and more clouds, but once in a while the sun would taunt us by pretending it was about to make a guest appearance.  It didn't, but we didn't let this stop us from having fun. I let the weather spoil my fun in Nassau, and I wasn't going to let that happen on my favorite, and still beautiful even when chilly, Bahamian island.  Plus, there were positives for the tough minded such as ourselves.  

After a wonderful BBQ lunch, at no extra charge, most people headed back to the ship. Not I, not Braden, and not our new friends, Bethany and Kylee.  Braden and Kylee, being only 9 years old, were practically impervious to the cold.  They jumped right into the water and swam until their hearts were content.  I hate being cold with a passion but some magical force took over me that day and I took off my sweatshirt (which I had to buy on the island because I had not come prepared for cold weather) and bravely stepped into the water.  I'm not going to lie, it was cold, but I didn't turn back.  I kept on walking and I took the plunge and jumped right into that chilly water!  I knew I needed to keep moving to stay warm so I did and we ended up having a blast while almost having the entire island to ourselves. 

Castaway Cay is beautiful no matter what the weather is like.

And so a day that could have been a disappointment, had I let the weather win, turned out to be one of the best days of my life. It was a day I snorkeled with my only son without worrying about kicking anyone.  It was a day I forgot my cares and instead enjoyed exhilarating waterslide races with Braden, while Kylee raced her mom.  It was a day that I got to enjoy one of my favorite activities in water all to ourselves. I swam, swam and swam some more and I have never felt so alive.  

Pelican Plunge was the site of our waterslide races

We were the only four crazies in the water and it was wonderful.  I'm sure the lifeguards wondered what planet we were from but this will always be one of the most special memories that I will share with my son and it will always be the day we had our own private island paradise in the Bahamas:).  

Nobody else was crazy enough to swim!

The conclusion to a fun day on the island was Pirate Night on the ship, always a Disney Cruise fan favorite. For the dinner attire, you have your choice of either Pirate or Cruise Casual. At least half the guests, including adults, do indeed dress up as pirates.  I love how effortlessly Disney can pull out the inner child, which gets stifled in everyday life, out of adults. It's fun for me to see the costumes, as the grown-ups enjoy turning into big kids for one evening. 

Mickey in his pirate costume.

After the nightly dinner and show on Pirate Night, there is a Pirate show out on the pool deck stage with Disney characters and crew members. In our show, the characters were having a pirate dance party when Captain Hook tries to steal the show. There was no need to fear, however, as Mickey zip lines across the ship and saves the day.  Then right on queue, fireworks explode over the Caribbean Sea in a grand finale.  It was a fun and fitting ending to a great day! 

Stay tuned for Day 4 next week!

Despite the cold, we had a great day on Castaway Cay!

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 our Exclusive Travel Specials.