The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘castaway cay’

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

There are over 100 cruise ports to choose from in North America alone, providing a veritable buffet of culture, adventure and activities. Because there is no possible way for families to wade through all of those options efficiently, we’ve come up with what we consider the five best cruise ports for families and you just might find a surprise or two in the bunch.

1. Nassau, The Bahamas – Nassau, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, and the capital of The Bahamas is located on New Providence Island. We love that there are plenty of activities within walking distance or a short (inexpensive) taxi ride away. Walk to the British Colonial Hilton for a beach day or visit the Pirate Museum. Shopping and history abound in this very walkable city. A short taxi ride over to Paradise Island gives you access to Atlantis and their amazing waterpark, or you can hop on a ferry and head over to Blue Lagoon Island for a relaxing private island experience that also offers a dolphin swim. We also like that the port days are typically long, allowing ample time to enjoy the island. This really can be a great port stop when it isn’t too crowded.
2. Castaway Cay, The Bahamas - One of the most popular private retreats with families, Disney’s Castaway Cay has just completed a major upgrade to its facilities in order to accommodate the Disney Dream, scheduled to begin calling in January, 2011. The family beach has been expanded by 70% and Scuttle’s Cove (the kid’s area) now has a water splash zone. There are countless family activities. You can dig for whale bones, zoom down the waterslide or relax in one of the beach cabanas. Adults have their own private beach, while teens have a private hangout, making Castaway Cay the best private island experience for the entire family.
3. St. Thomas, USVI- With some of the best beaches in all of the Caribbean (like Magens Bay or Coki Point), easy access to nearby islands (like St. John, Jost van Dyke and Tortola) and an incredible variety of excursions, St. Thomas provides a full day of activities and then some. Within walking distance of the pier, you’ll also find the Skyride, soaring to 700 feet above the town and providing panoramic views of the harbor and beyond. You’ll also find Coral World, one of the most popular family attractions in the Caribbean. Whether you love water activities, island adventures or shopping and relaxation, St. Thomas is an excellent choice.
4. Juneau, Alaska - Alaska’s capital city is accessible only by air or sea, resulting in the majority of its visitors arriving by cruise ship. Despite its compact design and remote location, Juneau is a busy city with fun family adventures everywhere. Mendenhall Glacier is just a short ride from town. There you can hike, kayak near, float by or even walk on the glacier. Normally we don’t recommend culinary type tours to families, but the Alaskan Salmon Bake really is a great excursion for all members of the family. Add the potential of sightseeing in Glacier Bay, bear viewing on Admiralty Island or riding a zipline while taking in spectacular views and you have the perfect port for family adventure. Not that adventurous? Step off your ship and onto the Mount Robert’s Tramway located adjacent to the pier. There is actually so much to do in Juneau that you’ll wish you had more than just a day.
5. Labadee, Haiti – Another port that may not have made our list a year ago has now taken the number five spot. Royal Caribbean’s private retreat on the island of Hispaniola has made significant improvements aimed at making the port more family friendly. The second private island retreat to boast its own dock, Labadee provides the convenience of not having to tender, which has alone skyrocketed its family appeal. Add the floating aqua park, pirate themed splash park, zipline and an alpine coaster and you’ve got a family adventure in the making. The only problem you’ll likely encounter is that the kids won’t want to leave.

Looking for more information on family friendly ports? Watch for our new book coming out later this year. Inside, we’ll cover over 50 North American ports in detail, providing the family friendly scoop. Subscribe to our alerts to receive a special discount.

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

As our regular readers know, we’ve spent the better part of May sailing onboard the Carnival Sensation, Disney Wonder and Norwegian Jewel in search of the most family friendly cruise line.  Having sailed on 25 cruises before having kids, our perspective was just a bit different once we had little ones in tow.  Up until this point we had only sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and Celebrity’s Mercury with the kids, so we thought it might be time to broaden our horizons and see which cruise line really provides the best cruise experience for families.

It was an interesting journey, but we discovered lots along the way.  We’ve exposed the good, the bad and the downright ugly for each of the three cruise lines in our competition and in the end have chosen the best cruise line (among Carnival, Disney and NCL) in several different categories.  Now, on to the awards!

Most Family Friendly Dining Experience

Disney Cruise Line

Disney does an amazing job of not only entertaining kids during mealtimes, but the staff is attentive and are always available to assist with whatever you may need.  Disney provides sophisticated upscale choices for parents and simple but tasty foods for kids.  An excellent experience all around!

Best Children’s Program

Disney Cruise Line’s Oceaneer Club/Lab

Disney knows how to entertain kids!  With extensive, well equipped play areas, a nursery and a dedicated space on Castaway Cay, Disney goes beyond any other cruise line in offering a complete experience for your kids.  Professional, well-trained counselors are focused on making your child’s experience comfortable, fun and something that they will always remember.

Most Family Friendly Shipboard Amenities

Carnival Cruise Line’s Waterworks™ and Mini-Golf

Carnival has made a concerted effort to appeal to families.  This is obvious in their recent additions onboard, replacing underutilized public spaces with fun areas that have broad family appeal.  The ship never felt crowded and there were plenty of play areas for the kids as well as the family.  Two thumbs up for Carnival’s investment in families.

Best Embarkation and Disembarkation Process

Disney Cruise Line

You might ask why this is even an award category – well, if you’ve ever waited in long lines with screaming kids, you understand.  Disney has taken its well-developed process that it uses on land and transformed that into the best embarkation and disembarkation process at sea.  They will zip you on and off the ship without so much as a blink…and when you’re waiting, you’ll be well entertained.

Most Family Friendly Staterooms

Disney Cruise Line

This is a tough category to award because we’ve never really found a perfect cabin over the course of 30 cruises.  However, when it comes to families, Disney has made larger rooms with sitting areas and bathtubs standard.  An inexpensive upgrade will get you a deluxe cabin (214SF) with split bath and porthole mirror.  Disney was able to make our family of four comfortable in an inside cabin – that is an accomplishment!

Most Family Friendly Entertainment

Disney Cruise Line

I suppose to most that Disney was the obvious winner in this category; however, NCL with its Nickelodeon themed programming came close.  At the end of the day, Disney won out though because of its quality of entertainment.  Thank you Disney for understanding that quality is better than quantity.

Family Value Award

Carnival Cruise Line

The Family Value Award recognizes a cruise line for its appeal to families while creating an affordable experience for all to enjoy.  Carnival Cruise Line has made significant strides in creating a family friendly atmosphere while keeping fares low.  When cost is a limiting factor, Carnival is the cruise line of choice for family friendly cruising.

Most Family Friendly Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line

Disney has done a tremendous job of perfecting its product on land and now at sea.  Providing superior food quality, service, entertainment and activities, Disney Cruise Line is not only for families, but also for adults who like to have fun.  Once you’ve cruised Disney, you too will discover the Disney Difference!

For more information, please read our full reviews of the Carnival Sensation, Disney Wonder and Norwegian Jewel.

If you have enjoyed our tips, tricks and reviews, you’re sure to love our book that will be coming out this fall.  Focused on cruising with kids, this publication will take what we’ve done this month and expand it to cover all of the major cruise lines with a ship by ship recap of family friendly amenities and even more tips for selecting, reserving and sailing on your next family cruise.

Oh, and be sure to be on the lookout for our reviews of Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas and Celebrity Mercury coming soon!  Bon Voyage!

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

In our reviews, we will attempt to cover all aspects of the cruise in a fair, but candid manner, pointing out the good, the bad and the ugly.  Each category will earn a Rating from A+ through F; our overall score will reflect a weighting of each category score.  Each review and rating is done from a families point of view, so if you are single or a couple traveling without kids, your priorities may differ.  At the conclusion of our Cruise Views Marathon, we will crown the most family friendly cruise line (only Carnival, Disney and NCL are being evaluated) in several categories and then overall.  At some later date, we will be posting reviews from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that were not part of this event.  Now, on to the review.

Ever since our first child was born four years ago we’ve been on a quest to find the most family friendly cruise line.  Having sailed on 30 cruises (as of next week), we had a few ideas of where to start, but it would be an interesting journey.  This was our 4 year-old’s fourth cruise and our 19 month old’s third cruise.  None of us had sailed with Disney Cruise Line before, so we didn’t really know what to expect.

We’ve talked to lots of folks who have sailed on Disney before and their sentiment seems to be that DCL has gotten better with time.  With a new ship coming out next year, perhaps they’re right…Disney has perfected their model and is ready to expand.

Reservation/Documents

Rating:  A-

We reserved our 3-night Bahamas cruise through our normal online travel agency where we were able to get a $150 onboard credit as an incentive for booking.  We opted for a Category 12 – Inside Guarantee, which netted us an upgrade to Category 10 (cabin 2043  - a deluxe inside with split bath).  There were never any price reductions (we understand that Disney cruises only get more expensive as time passes – unless you live in Florida).  Our total cruise fare after discounts for a family of four was about $1,500.  If we had booked more than 4 months in advance, we could have saved a few hundred dollars.

The online check-in process is a bit cumbersome, as you have to login and enter your reservation number each time you visit and the layout was a bit disjointed.  We were able to register our kids for the kids programs, make babysitting reservations in the nursery and print all necessary documents prior to sailing.  We received a booklet in the mail that included our luggage tags about 30 days prior to sailing. 

Pier Check-in/Embarkation

Rating:  A

We were coming from the Carnival Sensation, so we took a taxi across the port to the Disney Wonder (it took all of 3 minutes).  We arrived at the terminal around 9:30AM; passengers were still disembarking.  That gave us a chance to speak with several families who were able to give us lots of great tips.  The landside staff then directed us to the proper location to wait for the porters to open the gates to start loading the luggage.  Luckily, around 10AM, a DCL staff member let us pass our luggage over the locked gate so that we could head into the terminal.  Once again, we gave him a small tip to make sure our luggage got where it was supposed to go (it arrived in our cabin around 2PM).

We were the first to get through security shortly after 10AM.  If you are a past passenger or booked in a suite, you can use a special dedicated line to check-in, which is a bit faster as the agents started checking in those passengers early.  The dedicated Disney Cruise Line terminal was huge and designed to entertain families.  There was plenty of comfortable seating, televisions playing cartoons and a model replica of the cruise ship.  All of these extras meant that waiting to board wouldn’t be difficult as the kids would be well entertained.  Oh, and of course, Mickey and Minnie showed up on cue around 11AM for photos.

It began to get a bit crowded around 10:30AM as we were checking in and by 11AM, there was little seating left.  Disney uses boarding groups to board, so the earlier you arrive, the lower the number you’ll receive.  After checking in, you can make your way to the Oceaneer Club/Lab registration area to pick-up your child’s bracelet and your pager.  If you didn’t pre-register online, you’ll have the opportunity to register here.

Boarding began around Noon and along with the 50 or so other passengers in our boarding group, we were onboard in no time.  As you board, the host or hostess will announce your family over the mic.  The young lady announcing us must have lots of practice because for once our name was pronounced correctly.

There is no option to divert to your cabin as they shuttle you to Parrott Cay or up to the Beach Blanket Buffet for lunch.  No worries, my scolding would come soon enough.

Accommodations

Cabin Rating:  B+     Cabin Service Rating:  B

On this sailing we opted for an inside cabin so that we could honestly review what it is like to sail in an inside cabin with kids (not to mention that it was a lot cheaper).  Disney’s standard cabins measure about 184 square feet, which allows for a queen-sized bed (or two twins), a desk, closet space, a small sofa, coffee table (that raises and lowers) and a rather large bathroom with bathtub.  Our deluxe room was a bit larger at 214 square feet.  In addition to having a slightly different configuration (and a steamer trunk for storage), it had a split bath (one with toilet and sink and one with tub and sink).

Each bathroom was small and we think that we may have preferred a single larger bathroom.  The cabin was also equipped with a small flat panel television (with tons of family friendly movies and cartoons), desk telephone (not kid friendly), basic toiletries, a safe, cooling box (ie refrigerator) and a hairdryer.  There is also a wall mirror in the deluxe inside cabins, which makes the cabin feel less confined.  There was more than adequate storage space for a 3-night cruise.

I do have to say at this point that the lack of natural light did cause us to sleep late each day.  If we were to sail again, we would either book an outside cabin or bring a natural light alarm clock.

All cabins on this ship are considered family friendly as every stateroom can accommodate at least 3 guests.  You’ll find the “secret porthole” cabins (priced as inside, but really obstructed view outside), deluxe verandah cabins (some with enclosed “navigator” balconies), a deluxe family verandah (sleeps 5 and a bit larger at 304SF), and mega suites that can accommodate up to 7 guests.  If you want to sail in a special cabin or a suite, you will need to reserve far in advance, as they are very popular.

Cabin service was a bit of a disappointment during our cruise.  Our cabin steward kept the room clean, however, he never seemed to clean at any predictable time.  He also scolded me on the first day for dropping off luggage before the 1:30PM “cabin availability” time (hey, I couldn’t lug around two kids, a stroller and 5 bags of varying sizes anymore) and hounded us on the last night about getting our luggage out (we easily made it before the 11PM deadline).  This was in stark contrast to our Carnival stewards accommodating attitude.

Food/Dining Service

Food Rating:  A-     Dining Service Rating:  A

The selection at the buffet for breakfast and lunch consisted of quality entrees, sides and desserts that catered to both adults and kids.  As a matter of fact, there was a special kids side to the buffet (that didn’t stop me from eating the goodies).  There was also Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, Pluto’s Dog House (a grill area that serves a half-dozen items like burgers, hot dogs and chicken) and Goofy’s Galley (deli and ice cream).  Goofy’s, Pinocchio’s and Pluto’s were all open in the evening for a fast-food dinner and sometimes a late night snack.  The selection was limited (especially the salad selection), however, the quality was excellent; the dessert selection was extensive and very good.  Another perk is that Disney offers free soda 24 hours a day, something that you would pay for on other cruise lines.

Disney offers two fixed seating dining choices (5:45PM and 8:15PM) and incorporates dining room rotation.  We chose the 5:45PM seating as we have young children; these families are assigned an APT rotation and your wait staff rotates with you, which is terrific.  The menu in both Animator’s Pallet (a modern restaurant that changes colors) and Parrott Cay (a Caribbean themed restaurant) yielded several delicious meals for everyone at our table.  However, the menu at Tritons (French themed and upscale) was a bit more limited, so I reluctantly chose beef for a third night in a row as the rest of the entrée choices were not appetizing to me.  Unfortunately, the beef wasn’t on par with earlier meals.  Other than this particular meal and a few so-so items from the buffet, the food was excellent.

The dining room service as well as the service at the buffet was also excellent.  At the buffet, there was always someone to help with your tray if you were struggling and the staff kept the tables clean and clear at all times.  In the dining room, the kids meals are served first, so kids aren’t kept waiting.  This is the first time in months that we actually got our 19 month old to sit in a high chair.  Of course, having another family with a child similar in age at our table also helped to keep everyone entertained.  Just before dessert, there was also a short bit of entertainment from the dining room staff that the kids really loved.  I’d say that Disney definitely gets it right when it comes to feeding and serving families.

Room service (24 hours) offers a basic continental breakfast, sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts.  In addition, late night snacks were also available in Route 66, except on Pirate Night when there was a buffet on deck.  The Pirates in the Caribbean buffet was just so-so, although there were some interesting items, such as the giant turkey legs!  There was also a dessert buffet, which was a bit disappointing; the desserts were not as good as those served at other times during the cruise.

Overall – a very enjoyable dining experience.

Activities/Entertainment

Rating:  A-

Okay, so here is where Disney really pulls ahead of the competition.  Somehow, Disney has managed to create activities and entertainment that is not only appealing to kids, but also adults.  Throughout the cruise, there were many family oriented activities that you could participate in together.  Our favorite was the family dance night, but there was also crab racing, Wii tournaments, frisbee making, family friendly trivia, family bingo, family karaoke and don’t forget “Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer?”.  This is in addition to a parent’s ability to participate in Oceaneer Club/Lab activities as well (discussed later).

Now, we’ve been to a family disco night before on another cruise line where the music was blaring and there was nothing fun about it.  On Disney, there was a singer who interacted with the kids and parents, the music was fun and upbeat and everyone was having a blast!  I’ll call this the Disney Difference (DD for short).

As far as evening entertainment, the first night was The Golden Mickey’s.  Admittedly, this production was a mix of Disney movies meets a typical cruise line song and dance production.  My 19 month old fell asleep, my wife and 4 year-old had ditched to go to the Oceaneer Lab and I bailed early because it was getting a bit boring and I was exhausted.  If it was only this show and the rest were just like it, I’d feel differently, however, the next two productions, Toy Story: The Musical and Disney Dreams managed to entertain the entire family.  On the four cruises we’ve been on with our kids, this is the first time we actually got through more than 5 minutes of a show, never mind the entire show.  Once again, it’s the DD.

This is on top of the Disney character appearances throughout the cruise.  There must have been at least 20 opportunities each day and there was always a line.  If you bring an autographs book, you can get them to sign along with taking a picture.  Don’t want to wait, no bother, drop off a white pillowcase, t-shirt or other item at the Guest Information desk and they will return it to your room signed by All-Stars, Princesses or both (limit one item per person).

Oh, and did I mention the fireworks display at sea?  Let me say it again – the DD.

Onboard Amenities/Features

Rating:  B+

Built in 1999, the Disney Wonder is probably due for a little expansion and renovation.  There are lots of great family spaces onboard, however, Mickey’s Splash Zone is too small to serve the number of children that cruise.  Equipped with a 3FT by 12FT (approx) water fountain “splash area” for those still in diapers, Mickey’s Slide (min 38” to participate) and a shallow one foot deep (I figure a bit more, but I didn’t measure) wading pool with “hot tubs” for kids, this is the center of the action.  This areas was packed every day, so I cannot imagine what it would be like during school holiday, so please take heed that overcrowding may e a serious problem during peak periods.

About 30 steps away is Goofy’s (Family) Pool, which can accommodate all ages (so long as they are potty trained).  With two hot tubs, this area was also hopping, but not as much as the Splash Zone.  There is also a gigantic aerial television above the pool area that shows movies throughout the day and night, so this is a great place for your tweens to hang out.

Take another 30 steps and you’ll find yourself in the Quiet Cove Pool area.  Boasting two hot tubs, a large pool, cozy loungers and shaded tables for hanging out, this is an oasis for childless adults.  We were able to get an hour to ourselves and this was our destination; we enjoyed every last moment.

For the entire family, there is also a large video arcade (best for tweens and teens), Diversions sports pub (over 18 only after 9PM) where you can watch sporting events during the day and deck sports such as basketball, ping-pong and shuffleboard.  There is no mini-golf course.

For mom and dad, there are several shops with the usual trinkets (Mickey’s Mates is geared toward kids), art gallery, a spa, gym and several adult only entertainment areas, such as Cadillacs (night club) and the Cove Cafe.

Overall, Disney has done a great job of putting together a ship full of popular amenities for families and they have done a great job of carving out quiet and secluded areas for adults as well.  However, the limited space at Mickey’s Pool is a concern.

Oceaneer Club/Lab

Rating:  A

Disney has undoubtedly worked on perfecting their kids program over the last ten years to get it the way it is today.  From 9AM until Midnight (or later), the youth staff has cool activities to keep the kids busy at all times.  Honestly, the clubs themselves are so cool, that I’m not sure they even need activities!  Read more about the programs.  They even offer the programs on the island at Castaway Cay!

Really, the best part is that Disney has disbanded the notion of age groups.  This allows younger kids to participate in Oceaneer Lab activities and older kids to participate in Oceaneer Club activities (although that is less common).  The upside is that two siblings who would normally be separated can now play together.  From what we’ve seen, it is working very well and was a smart move…should we say…another DD.

Another great feature of the program is that parents can participate in the activities or just hang around in the club while their child plays.  This is ideal if you have a shy or uneasy child who isn’t comfortable staying there alone.  You are also allowed to bring children under the age of 3 into the clubs so long as you stay to supervise.  Okay, this is a huge DD!

Don’t forget the Flounder’s Reef Nursery, where you can drop your infant or toddler for babysitting or play time.  You do need to reserve in advance and there is a fee ($6/hr), but it may be well worth it.  We were able to leave our 19 month-old twice, each time for an hour.

Security and safety was very good and we were very impressed with the youth staff overall.  They went out of their way to make kids feel comfortable and always had a great attitude and were very flexible.  Thanks to them, we were able to leave our 4 year-old for over an hour and sneak away to the Quiet Cove Pool.  He would have stayed longer – the counselors were great.

There were parents onboard who were not successful in getting their kids to participate in the program alone.  However, this is where Disney differs – on any other cruise line, the kids would be out of luck, as adults are not allowed.  On Disney, adults can participate as long as they wish with their child. While not ideal for adult alone time, it does keep your child entertained.  We loved being able to make Flubber and chocolate chip cookies!  Chocolate…Chocolate…Chocolate…chip…chip…chip.

Ports Of Call

Rating:  B

This 3-night sailing called at Nassau and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).  These  are two great stops for kids.  In Nassau, we stayed on ship to enjoy the pool and activities as did many other families.  We did venture out to Castaway Cay and found it to be a bit crowded.  You can read our article on Castaway Cay for a full review.  Stay tuned for articles on Nassau Excursions and Blue Lagoon Island coming up next week.

Getting on and off the ship was easy, there were no lines and the security staff was fast, efficient and pleasant.

Crew/Cleanliness

Crew Rating:  B+     Cleanliness Rating:  A-

In general, most of the crew that we encountered were friendly and many provided excellent service.  The only exception was our cabin steward who was a bit inflexible and inconsistent.  We always felt welcomed at Guest Information and the youth staff always gave 110%.

We found the ship to be very clean and sanitary.  There were no dirty dishes, food or other trash collecting in public areas and the ship overall was well maintained.  Some of the areas are becoming a little worn (pool area), but everything else was in tiptop shape.

Disembarkation

Rating:  A+

The disembarkation process was the best we’ve ever seen.  Although we thought it a bit inflexible at first, we understand the reasoning behind their method.  They strongly encourage you to eat breakfast in the dining room (only limited food available elsewhere) at your required time.  This is determined according to your rotation.  We ate last in Triton, so we would eat in Triton for breakfast on the last day at 7AM.  Times were staggered, so breakfast started at 6:30 in AP, 6:45 in PC and 7:00 in Triton.  Second seating was staggered 7:45, 8:00 and 8:15.  This worked out amazingly well.  After breakfast, we grabbed our bags from the room (don’t bring them with you if you have young kids – just put them out of the way of your cabin steward and collect them later) then headed off the ship.  There was nobody in line and getting our bags was a breeze.  A friendly porter met us at the elevator, whisked us through customs and into line to wait for the Budget shuttle.

I’ll say it one last time…what a DD!

Conclusion

Overall Rating:  A-

Positive – Spacious family friendly cabins, excellent food and service, extensive kids facilities and activities, family friendly evening entertainment, spacious adult-only areas.

Negative –Small Splash Zone area, inadequate beach chairs/space on Castaway Cay, inflexibility from our cabin steward, price.

Note:  Disney Wonder would have received an Overall Rating of “A” but for an inadequate amount of space at Mickey’s Pool and Splash Zone.  We understand that they have addressed this when designing the Disney Dream (debuting in 2011).

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

If you enjoyed these photos and would like to see more, visit Photo Friday at Deliciousbaby.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

If you’re cruising the Caribbean or Bahamas with Disney Cruise Line, you’ll probably be making a stop (or two) at their private retreat – Castaway Cay.  This beach like resort is absolutely huge and has an amazing amount of activities, but is bigger always better?  We’ll see as we take a critical look at what they’ve done right and what they could have done better.

As we docked at Disney’s private pier at Castaway Cay, the morning sun was quickly rising in the sky and the cool ocean breeze was disappearing, leading off what would be a hot and humid day in this secluded paradise.  We waited a bit to go ashore, which was a big mistake.  By 11AM, there was not one beach chair to be found, let alone an umbrella or any semblance of shade.

Upon disembarking, the first stop that you’ll want to make is to load up on some towels.  Take a couple, even if you don’t intend on swimming as you may need it to sit on the beach or wipe the sweat from your brow.  Shortly thereafter, you’ll come upon the Castaway Cay Post Office, where you can mail your postcards with the special Castaway Cay postmark.  They offer Bahamian stamps (50 cents to mail a postcard) and are open until 4PM.

Continuing down the path about 500 feet, you’ll have two options – take the tram that runs to Scuttle’s Cove or continue another 1/3 mile or so down the path to Scuttle’s Cove.  I recommend waiting for the tram because there is no shade along the route, although, there is a photo opportunity with a shipwreck in the distance.  If you’ve signed up for a boat charter, glass bottom boat tour or parasailing, the boat dock will be on your left before the tram station.

Update – The Flying Dutchman is being taken apart and removed due to deterioration. We have no information on plans to replace it.

In true Disney style, there is a full kids activity program on the island.  The Scuttle’s Cove Youth Activities Area offers lots of open space with plenty of sand toys and an enclosed play area with a walk-in playhouse, slide and other child sized plastic play-on toys.  There is also a family area called Monstro Point where you can participate together in a whale dig…not many takers on this particular day.  Staffed with the youth counselors from onboard the ship, the land based program provides continuity as well as security.

Unfortunately, although there is an attempt at providing some shaded areas (see photo) it is inadequate, especially in the blazing summer sun.  The restrooms have also been “under construction” for two years.  Although the staff has been promised they would open this summer, in the meantime, counselors have to walk the kids to the restroom outside of the secure area.  Disney definitely could have done a better job here.  On the upside, they are adding a water feature to the area that will open later this summer, so perhaps we can provide a better review the next time we visit.

Update – Both restrooms and the water park have been added, which results in a significant improvement to this area.

The main attraction on the island is clearly the Family Beach.  Located just past the Sports Beach, which offers water equipment rental as well as a volleyball and soccer area, are beach chairs and people for as far as the eye can see.  At 11AM, just 1 1/2 hours after docking, the beach was packed with families and there was not one chair to be found.  The first area that you’ll come to is reserved for snorkeling, which shrinks the area for swimming considerably.  There were nearly as many snorkelers as swimmers, so there wasn’t really any area to enjoy the water without bumping into other passengers.  Unfortunately, this limited (crowded) beach and swimming area (that had little shade) was another negative for Castaway Cay. Fortunately, this issue has been resolved – see our update below.

Update – The Family Beach has been expanded by incorporating the former Teen Beach, making space more plentiful for Magic and Wonder passengers, but still making it a bit crowded for Dream and Fantasy passengers.

The upside is that there is also an adults only beach called Serenity Bay.  Reached by another tram departing from the Palm Central Tram Station (a bit of a walk from the Scuttle’s Cove Station), Serenity Bay was quiet and serene, so if you’ve dropped the kids at Scuttle’s Cove, head to Serenity Bay and skip the other beaches.  You might even want to get a massage in one of the cabanas overlooking the beach.

There are no complimentary watersports, so you’ll have to pay a small fee if you’d like floats, tubes (each $6/day), bicycles ($6/hr) or snorkeling gear ($25 adult/$10 children 5-9) in addition to any excursions you reserved. The water slide is already open, but it is a bit of a hike, so I’m not sure that many families made it that far.

There are a couple of cool value priced tours.  Disney offers their very own stingray adventure, which is not only interesting for kids, but also a bit cheaper than those you’ll find elsewhere in the Bahamas ($35 adult/$29 children 5-9), so you may want to have a look.  There is also a teen only tour called The Wild Side that combines snorkeling, kayaking and a scenic bike ride for $35.  Also exclusively for teens is The Hangout, located inland a bit.  Castaway Cay is a great place for teens to hang out!

The family can come back together for lunch at Cookie’s BBQ.  Offering a good variety of grilled foods, ribs, ample drinks and even ice cream, this spread far surpasses that offered by other cruise lines on their private islands.  There is plenty of covered seating as well as picnic tables with umbrellas in the shade, so munching without roasting shouldn’t be much of a problem; although you don’t want to leave your tray unattended for too long as the sand flies or seagulls will have a feast.

You’ll also find three bars strategically placed around the island, live music, sun adult activities and plenty of time to relax.  After a long day in the salt air, you’ll find outdoor showers to help rinse off and cute gift shops with more of the same to stock up on souvenirs before heading back onboard.  Disney characters are also available throughout the day to pose for photos and the lines were shorter than on the ship.

Overall, Castaway Cay was a great stop for the kids.  There are certainly some improvements that can be made, but the additional enhancements made this summer have addressed most of the issues.  Live as a castaway for a day and enjoy!

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

If you enjoyed these photos and would like to see more, visit Photo Friday at Deliciousbaby.

Disclosure

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, serving kids aged 3-12 has to be one of the most comprehensive programs at sea. With few exceptions, there are activities from 9AM until Midnight each day and there are even activities when you’re out at Castaway Cay. With a nursery program for infants and toddlers under 3 years of age (they change diapers) and a teen program for the rest of the family, you’re likely to please just about everyone.

Recently, Disney announced the elimination of age groups in its Oceaneer program. From what I saw, this was a smart move. Kids aged 3-12 are welcomed in both clubs and therefore have a wider range of activities available to them. Parents can also accompany their kids to any activity. On top of that, the wee ones under 3 can also take advantage of these activities so long as they are supervised by an adult. Those features simply are not available on other cruise lines. Disney also accepts infants at 12 weeks old, again, not available on most cruise lines.

The Oceaneer Club is equipped with an arts and crafts room that also serves as the computer center for the younger kids. In the main area, there is a huge pirate slide, a stage with dance floor (also used for activities) and an area to the side with a smaller slide and other toys to climb on. Even the bathrooms are cool – pint sized sinks and toilets make kids feel more welcomed. There is lots of space to play, so if your child feels comfortable in a more confined environment, this may make them a bit nervous.

The Oceaneer Lab is high tech with more computers, lab workstations for the various experiments that they perform (like Flubber and making cookies) and plenty of activity space to hook up with friends. Off of the main area there are interactive video games with plenty of seating for spectators.

For the older kids there is Aloft, a cool nightclub type hangout in the funnel above Deck 10 and a video game arcade. For the youngest of sailors, there is Flounder’s Reef Nursery. With lots of ride-on and age appropriate (safe) toys to play with in addition to a napping area, Disney provides a fun and safe place for just $6/hr. Each family is limited to 10 hours in Flounder’s Nursery for a 3 day cruise.

You can register your kids in advance online, then pickup their high-tech bracelet and pager in the terminal or onboard. Flounder’s Reef also allows advanced reservation and they are highly recommended (you may adjust times once onboard). Security is tight, so your child will be scanned at each check-in and you’ll have to provide your cruise card and password at check-out. The clubs are well staffed, so individual attention is possible if you have a child with special needs. Amazingly, our 4 year-old son finally was able to remain in the Oceaneer Club alone on the third day of the cruise. This is a pretty big accomplishment and would not have been possible without the Disney staff.

In addition to the programs described above, Disney also gears many of its activities toward families too. The nightly shows are all kid friendly, there are also special family activities such as a dance party, game shows and family bingo. If you want to vacation on a cruise as a family, with family activities and a huge variety of kids activities, Disney is definitely the place.

You can read more about this topic, as well as many other family cruising topics, in our new book–Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. Visit our dedicated Cruising With Kids website for more details.

Disclosure