Adventure Series | My Disney Cruise Vacation

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE CRUISING: and this 7 night Disney Cruise vacation aboard the Disney Fantasy did not disappoint! I attribute my affinity for Disney cruises to my mother, who took me on the maiden voyage of Disney’s VERY first ship, the Magic, when it made it’s way from Portugal (where it was built) to Port Canaveral, around 20 years ago. I still have so many cherished memories from that vacation!

I will give you this fair warning, if you are looking for a cruise with a heavy party atmosphere and NO children, this is not the cruise line for you. It is predominantly kids and families, and if that is something that makes you want to pop your eyeballs out, then I would reconsider 🙂 However, there are some VERY nice adult-only areas aboard the ship that I will mention, if you are a solo adult traveler or traveling as a couple.

Disclaimer: None of this is sponsored (I wish), just a first hand account of what I enjoyed on board, and what I think you’ll love too!

Satellite Falls – Located in the front of the ship, this adult only area provides both shaded and open sky lounge areas with a lovely bar right around the corner. The cascading waterfall is enjoyable even if you’re not wading in the actual pool. If you need a break from the kids pool areas, and just want to relax quietly, I’d recommend this area or Quiet Cove Pool which is one deck below. And if you do decide you want to venture back over to the general population, they most likely have a movie playing for you to enjoy!

Lounging in the covered parts of the deck. I was clearly hungry as my sunglasses became a snack.

Catamaran cruise in St. Thomas with snorkeling & champagne – If you’re on the itinerary that I was, it should include a stop in St. Thomas. If you have the opportunity to do a catamaran excursion, DO IT! I cannot speak to other cruise ships, but the group that was associated with this excursion with Disney was spectacular.

I was aboard the Dancing Dolphin (follow them on Facebook HERE), and Brandon, Val and Jordan were the crew members. Val was the female captain and you know how much I loved that 🙂 Chocolate, cheeses, champagne and spiked tropical drinks were flowing, and the energy was SO happy and positive! There were families with children on board so it was fun for both kids and adults alike.

Castaway Cay – This private island is rented by Disney and is reserved exclusively for their Guests on Bahamian and Caribbean cruises. There is a family section and an adult section (Serenity Bay), and cabanas are available for rent if you’d like to expand your privacy. Now, this is Disney, boys and girls.. so “adult” beach simply means 18 and older. Simmer down. There’s a yummy barbecue lunch that is available at Cookie’s and Cookie’s Too and PRO TIP – you do not have to leave Serenity Bay to get lunch. Somehow, despite this being my 4th time on the island, I completely forgot this detail and ventured back 15 minutes to the family dining area.
Castaway Cay 5k – Even if you’re not a runner, walking the 5k is a great way to see parts of the island you may not have ventured towards otherwise! Just remember to stay hydrated! (my bottle of choice is the 24 oz Lilly Pulitzer Swell Bottle, because it can hold wine OR water, hehe)

Shop these Lilly Pulitzer Dahlia shorts HERE!

Snag a Swell bottle HERE! (Non Lilly brand)

Sea Days – Sea Days were some of my most favorite days, because they allowed for optimal relaxation and ship exploration. Try to book an itinerary that has a few of these! I was able to make it through two books in one day – I highly recommend the author Meik Wiking and his “Little Book of Lykke” (photo below) – available on Amazon HERE!

Click here to buy this book on amazon!

Brunch in Palo – If you’re not a fan of brunch, I mean… I just…. I don’t know about you. But really though, if you have some extra money in your vacation/travel budget, save it for these dining experiences. Brunch in Palo was INCREDIBLE! You are free to order off of the menu if you choose, but the best part of the whole experience is the buffet, specifically the desserts! Unlike your rotational dining, this experience requires you to book a reservation so be sure to do that prior to departure or visit Guest Services to see if there are any openings (there usually is).

Dinner in Remy – I will start this by saying Remy is NOT cheap. It is the nicest dining experience they have on board and you most definitely pay for the service (which is amazing.) The food is so packed full of flavor and the atmosphere is truly exquisite. If you do not like the kind of establishment that offers you a $95 bottle of WATER for purchase (yes, really), then perhaps skip this experience. I encourage you to try it at least once, though 🙂
Breakfast in Cabanas – Unless you really enjoy the opportunity to sit down at a table and have someone serve you in the mornings (totally normal if you do!), I would recommend skipping your rotational breakfast options in the dining rooms and hightail it straight to Cabanas where the breakfast smörgåsbord awaits.
In-room movies and latest Disney releases in-theater – I managed to power through the entire collection of marvel movies in my state-room ( no really like.. 10 movies), AND added on Avengers Infinity War and Solo: A Star Wars story in the on-board theater. I have never watched that many movies, in that amount of time, in my entire life. If your vacation falls around the time new Disney feature films will be released, hold off and watch them on the ship!
Free soft serve ice cream! – The ice cream station is always my go-to spot when on board. Before lunch, after lunch, during lunch, pre-dinner snack, just-because-I-felt-like-it snack. It’s the BEST. They even offer you antibacterial hand wipes to use when grasping the lever because #KidsAreGross #AndSoAreAdultsToo.
Bring an outfit for pirate night – Pirate Night is super fun, and there is a really great fireworks show on-board! If you want to get into the spirit, I would suggest bringing your best pirate gear with you. You can find fun pirate outfits right on amazon here, here & here.
Purchase a matted frame and drop it off at Guest Services at the start of your cruise – Similar to this. I’m not sure if I’m even saying that correctly, but basically just buy any frame that has room to write around the edges. Upon your arrival, drop it off at Guest Services (with assorted sharpie colors if you have time to buy some of those too) and you just might end up with a pretty neat surprise at the end of your trip 🙂

I could honestly go on and on but this post would carry on forever! I am by no means a cruise expert, but I definitely love them, and just wanted to give you a little glimpse into some of the great parts about it!

If you have cruised with Disney and have other favorite elements, leave them in the comments below!

Also for anyone who is curious, these were some of the Lilly Pulitzer items that made an appearance on this trip! Click the links below to snag them online!

Lilly Pulitzer | Women’s Dahlia Short (in assorted patterns)

Lilly Pulitzer Womens Isle Lattice One-Piece Swimsuit

Lilly Pulitzer | Fiesta One Piece