With the launch of our new website comes the relaunch of my blog (which has been dormant for far too long). For weeks now, I have been excited to share with everyone exactly how amazing my latest Disney adventure was. This time, I embarked on a 7-night cruise Fourth of July cruise on the Disney Fantasy.
So excited to head out! We have our Disney swag and we are ready to go!
In a word, it was AMAZING. As Disney Cruise Lines newest ship, the Fantasy is one I had never been on, and I couldn't wait to see it in action. Taking the shuttle from our Disney resort made the transition seamless, and I loved watching the onboard video, which really got us excited for the journey ahead. Check In was a smooth process, and before we knew it, we were onboard in our gorgeous stateroom. Now, if you have ever been on a cruise, you know that the staterooms/bathrooms can feel a little... cramped. I can honestly say this was the best stateroom experience I've ever had.
There were so many hidey-holes; it was super-easy to find a place for all of our stuff. And of course, having a balcony was fantastic. We definitely enjoyed room-service for breakfast most mornings here. I was even pleasantly surprised by the lifeboat drill, which was not nearly so chaotic as I anticipated.
Everything about the week was perfect -- food, entertainment, facilities -- everything! I could spend an entire post on each one, but for the purposes of this post, I'll give you a bird's eye view of the experience. The decor is quintessential Disney mixed with the beauty of the ships from the turn-of-the century. Even the deck chairs were inspired by those of the (dare I say...) Titanic! Yep, I sat on one for that very reason.
Everything was well-planned and well thought-out, from the theming to the technology, the kids' areas to the adult-only areas. And each area had use throughout the day - even the adult lounge areas. This part of the ship, Europa, was beautifully themed. By day, it hosts family activities, and by night, it turns into the nightclub area. The Tube is inspired by the London Underground, Skyline Lounge features a gorgeous changing skyline of 7 cities of the world, the Carousel (Italy) offers snacks and drinks, O'Gills Pub offers snack and drinks with an Irish flair, and there is also a French-inspired Champagne Bar, Ooh La La. On another note, the Skyline Lounge has hidden Jedis and Star Wars characters hidden!
And while we are on the topic of Europa, I have to give a shout-out to the bathrooms which were... amazing. Um yeah -- I took pics of the bathrooms. It's totally not weird. :)
One of the highlights of the cruise was definitely Pirate Night! This special night, featured on many of Disney Cruise Line's itineraries, has a special deck show, character appearances, and fireworks! Even the evening's dinner was pirate-themed!
I mentioned earlier that our cruise was over the 4th of July. There were special festivities and decorations for the event.
All throughout the ship were opportunities for fun and interaction -- even indoors! There are magical pictures, and there is a great scavenger hunt that is perfect for adults and kids alike!
Speaking of kids' areas... oh my goodness! Kids of all ages have a BLAST here! Since I'm not under the age of 17, I couldn't go into the clubs for pictures, but I will say that the children we traveled with absolutely loved going to the clubs. I even witnessed groups of teenagers lunching and exchanging contact info so they could keep in touch after the cruise!
For little ones, the ship featured Nemo's Reef, which is a great splash area for the tiniest of guests. Older kiddos could enjoy the AquaLab or the Mickey Pool. The was also an amazing sports deck (complete with mini golf), and even shuffleboard. Interestingly enough, a lot of kids were playing shuffleboard!
With so much to do, how on earth do you know where to go? Well, there's an app for that! No, seriously, there is! The Disney Cruise Line app has everything you want to know about your day at sea... and it works on the ship's WiFi. No need to purchase a special WiFi package, either. As long as you are on the app, you can use as much WiFi as you need. One tip: download it before you go! Also, there is a great text message feature embedded in the app, so everyone can communicate easily. This will require each person to have the app and have a unique email address assigned to their app, however, in order for it to work properly.
A word about the entertainment -- AMAZING. Seriously, the best I've seen at sea. No photos are allowed during the shows, but I would honestly pay to see any one of them on Broadway. Actually, Aladdin is already on Broadway...
This is just a quick overview of the fantastic offerings. I will do another segment featuring the dining aspects of the ship. As we all know, I am a huge foodie! Stay tuned!