There is something for everyone on Disney Cruise
Put into service in the late 1990s, the Disney Cruise Line includes two sister ships, The Disney Magic® which sails alternating Eastern and Western seven-night Caribbean trips, and The Disney Wonder® which handles three- and four-day trips to the Bahamas.
Both ships stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. Passengers can optionally include a land-based stay at a Walt Disney World resort as part of their trip.
The Disney Magic is scheduled for return to Europe in 2010, where it first went during the summer of 2007. The ship will embark on Continental, Western Mediterranean and Northern European cruises out of various ports.
Disney has introduced a number of innovative features not found on ships in other lines. Disney Cruise Line ships feature cabins with a bath-and-a-half, rotating dining room schedules that allow passengers to eat at three different restaurants and free sodas in the restaurants and at the pool deck self-service beverage station.
Other cruise lines usually outfit their ships with casinos and libraries. The Disney Cruise Line offers neither.
Plans for two new ships are in the making, each somewhat larger than The Disney Magic and The Disney Wonder. The new ships will have passenger counts of somewhere around 3,750 as opposed to the existing ships’ count of 2,400.
Disney Cruise Line ships are designed to be family-centric with sophisticated live and media entertainment features like Walt Disney Theater, Buena Vista Cinema and Studio Sea. Disney Digital 3-D, a cinema experience that uses lasers and light effects along with fog and other effects will debut in late 2008 on both ships.
Disney Cruise Line ships each have three pools, including the main family pool, a pool for younger kids with a water-slide and a small sprinkler tub for toddlers, and an adults-only pool. Water sports activities are plentiful.
Adults have plenty of options to explore onboard. Palo restaurant is extremely popular, offering Mediterranean and Northern Italian cuisine and many other dining options exist for adult taste buds. The spa is also adults-only and features a rain forest steam room. Beat Street on the Magic and Route 66 on the Wonder are adult-only nightclub areas each with a piano bar, dance club, sports bar and other features.
Cabin accommodations range from family affairs that hold six. Disney’s somewhat roomier-than-average staterooms can handle at least four. All come with television, bathtubs, mini-bars and safes.
Children’s programs and activities are extensive, well supervised and thoughtfully executed with something for every age group. Onboard childcare is available at very reasonable hourly rates. Children are automatically signed up in the children’s programs on Castaway Cay. Disney characters add excitement throughout the day onboard and on the island by popping up at unexpected moments.
All in all, Disney provides great family and group fun with plenty of variety and entertainment at reasonable prices and a nice selection of itineraries. Bookings for 2009 trips are being currently offered with additional incentives at the end of 2008 so anyone considering this kind of cruise is advised to check the details soon to obtain the best deals.