We've been back from sailing on the Disney Wish to celebrate a dear friend's wedding for over a month and a half, so now is as good as ever to finally recap the trip right? As I recap the trip below, I'm also including cruise tips as well as Disney Cruise tips which are bolded to stand out.
We love to cruise, but this was only our 2nd time on a Disney Cruise since they are much more expensive than other cruise lines (think Royal Caribbean, Princess, Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, etc...) To put it in perspective this 3 night cruise on the Disney Wish cost more than our 10 night cruise on the Emerald Princess last year. Granted the Emerald was an older ship compared to the Wish, but you're paying a lot more for that magical Disney experience.
There are definitely areas where I see why we pay more, but I still don't see why it's about 3x's as much as other cruise lines (just my opinion). The attention to detail is outstanding, the ships are absolutely stunning, Lil' Miss was over the moon about the kids club, and you can't beat the fireworks show at sea during the pirate party on the top deck. I also love that each room has 2 bathrooms. 1 is a sink and a toilet, and the other is a sink and tub with shower combo. Being able to shower while someone is using the toilet is a game changer, plus when we sailed on the Disney Fantasy in 2019 Lil' Miss was only 2 and 1/2 so we loved being able to give her a bath in the tub instead of a shower.
I say it every time we get back from a cruise - cruising is hands down my favorite way to travel. No flights needed (when leaving from a port in Florida), unpack once and wake up at a new island most mornings, and SO much to do on board from the entertainment, spa services, and all the amazing restaurants. It's literally a floating resort. Plus, so much is included (there are a la carte activities and specialty dining options, but everything included is more than enough for us) like fitness classes, Broadway style shows, room service, all your meals, the fabulous pools and waterslides, etc...
Disney Cruise Tip: the character greetings are much more prevalent than at the theme parks. There are some lines, but nothing like standing in the heat at Disney World or Disneyland. They happen throughout the day, on the private island (Castaway Cay) and you will also bump into them around the ship when you least expect it like when Lil' Miss ran into Pluto while we were exploring the ship on the first day.
Ready for the pools, Aqua Mouse slide, and the sail away party. But first, one must stop and take a picture with the Cinderella statue in the ship's atrium. The hidden details behind her statue are Lucifer with the tea cup trying to catch Jaq and Gus-Gus who are hiding under her dress.
All of the characters came out for the sail away party which kicks off the vacation, and the ship horn blows the tune "When You Wish Upon a Star" as we begin to set sail towards the Bahamas.
We bumped into some of our friends who were also on board for the wedding before going to get ready for dinner. The first evening we were seated in the Marvel dining room where Lil' Miss and the other kiddos got to meet Spiderman during dessert.
After dinner it was time for a very special reservation at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Lil' Miss. Disney Cruise Tip: If you are traveling with a little girl who wants to get a princess makeover, pack your own princess dress which will save you $100 at the boutique. They have different package options, and we went with the Deluxe Carriage package for $99 which included hair styling, shimmering makeup and face gem, princess sash, a mini backpack, nail polish, and a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique t-shirt. All of which she got to keep.
After the princess makeover, Lil' Miss was begging to go to the kids club. We dropped her off, and headed to meet up with some friends at the Star Wars bar Hyperspace Lounge. We were transported to a galaxy far far away while sipping on stellar libations before having a night cap up at the Beauty and the Beast inspired cocktail lounge called The Rose. Such a pretty spot that I sadly didn't take any pictures of.
The next morning called for Mickey waffles with a view of The Atlantis Resort while docked in Nassau. Most of us stayed on board to swim and enjoy the pools and waterslides before getting ready for the wedding.
Her eyes are always wayyyyy bigger than her stomach at the breakfast buffet, but she definitely enjoyed the chocolate chip pancakes hence the chocolatey smile. And of course I chose Stich as my latte artwork for my morning coffee.
Pool and water slide time before getting ready for the main event that afternoon - the wedding in the Bayou. Yes, Tiana's bayou! Such a beautiful space.
Group selfie with the groom!
Cruising Tip - Always book a balcony room over an inside room. You have a lot more space, and a private outdoor area to enjoy room service breakfast (always free) and watch as the ship pulls into a new port each morning. It's usually not that much more expensive to upgrade, and SO worth it. We also enjoy sitting on the balcony while getting ready for dinner to watch the sunsets.
Playing with her new makeup and backpack she got at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique as she gets ready for Pirate Night. Core memory captured.
Dinner the 2nd night was in the Arendelle Dining Room complete with a Frozen show. My favorite photo from the whole cruise is of Lil' Miss meeting Queen Elsa.
The last full day was spent in their private island: Castaway Cay. This is where I see a big difference compared to other cruise lines. We've been to Great Stirrup Cay, Virgin's private area in Bimini, Half Moon Cay, and Princess Cays and none of them even come close to Castaway Cay. Ample loungers with umbrellas not super close to the water, plenty of space in between, and the BBQ lunch is much better than on other private islands. Lil' Miss also loves the water slides and the obstacle course in the water not far from the beach.
First thing I did once we dropped our stuff at the loungers in Castaway Cay was run the Castaway Cay 5k. Well when I say "run" I really mean jogged/power walked. But, I did it in style wearing new pieces from TU (The Uniform Activewear). If you're looking for athleisure pieces that will take you from morning drop offs to zoom calls, running errands, workouts, and happy hour drinks - these buttery soft pieces are IT. Same quality and material as lululemon, but for a fraction of the price. A former co-worker owns this line, and I can't rave about it enough. Always support small businesses over giant corporations when possible. The owners do a little happy dance every time a sale comes in!
Dinner on the last evening was in 1923, and by far my favorite menu. We celebrated H's birthday, and he and I donned matching Aperol Spritz resort pieces which will definitely be packed for all upcoming vacations until further notice. Our waiter even brought in a s'mores dessert that I had been thinking about since the night before in a different dining room. Yes please!
On Monday, I recapped the Emerald Princess ship we recently sailed on for 10 nights to 6 islands in the Southern Caribbean (our favorite itinerary yet!). Today, I wanted to recap the islands we stopped at (4 of which were new to us - always exciting).
Princess Cays, Bahamas
We woke up on first morning in the Bahamas. After Lil' Miss got her hair cut, we grabbed some bottled water from the bar and headed down to the gangway. Last year, we were on the Carnival Spirit and docked in Half Moon Cay which was also beautiful. However, it was really hard to find loungers on the beach. Plus, the beach was pretty small and not that deep. We were pleasantly surprised to find plenty of available loungers in Princess Cays and lots more space for Lil' Miss to set up her beach buckets for digging in the sand.
Since this island is owned by the cruise line our drink package worked ashore, and a BBQ lunch was also included. It was nice not to have to open our wallets while we were enjoying the beautiful island.
St. Thomas, USVI
After a day at sea, we woke up while pulling into port in St. Thomas. We enjoyed a room service breakfast (always free!) on the balcony as we watched the ship dock. H and I had been to this port several times, so we decided not to book an excursion and explore on our own. We decided to take the ferry over to St. John to enjoy the beach and have lunch which turned out to be the perfect afternoon. It was sunny and beautiful in St. John, and we could see rain clouds over St. Thomas in the distance.
I mentioned in my recap of the ship that we only got off to explore Dominica for a little bit since we had been there several years ago. We have amazing memories of going up into the rain forest to see waterfalls and go river tubing, but the bus ride up the windy mountain gave H motion sickness. So, it was a one and done experience for us. We walked around the marketplace in the port, and enjoyed the rest of the day onboard in the pool.
This was our first time in St. Lucia, so we booked an excursion on a catamaran to go see the Pitons. Originally, we wanted to climb the Pitons but the excursions included a long drive to the other side of the island. A catamaran that picks you up right where the ship docks? Yes please! We stopped at a beach for swimming, and then sailed towards the Pitons. It was a little cloudy and rainy so the Gros Piton was partly covered by clouds, but still magnificent.
Fort de France, Martinique
Martinique was another new-to-us island, and ended up being one of our favorite stops. We loved the French influence, and felt like we were in a European village. We booked another excursion that took us to the other side of the island with a stop at the infamous bat cave and then over to a beach to see sea turtles and go swimming.
This was Lil' Miss' favorite island because she won't stop talking about how she got to drive the boat back to the port. She sat in the driver seat for a good 10-15 minutes on the way back, and was absolutely giddy over it. Priceless memories.
St. Johns, Antigua
Our final stop on the cruise was in St. Johns, Antigua which was also new-to-us. We had planned to take a cab over to the beach and relax for the day which ended up being the perfect decision. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous, and we were dropped off right next to the Sandals resort and soaked up the sun and crystal clear water.
Lil' Miss and I wore another set of matching bathing suits (her fav!) and she was excited to break out her beach buckets again. The morning started off cloudy, and then cleared up to reveal the beach in all it's natural beauty. Photos don't do it justice.
