I wanted to share about our adventure on the newest Disney ship, the Disney Wish. This was my son’s and my fourth Disney Cruise, and my parents’ first. We went last month in June, taking off for Florida the day after school got out. I booked our cruise on the Costco Travel website. I received a Costco Shop card for $255 for booking the cruise through them. The card is sent digitally and you receive it in your email after you return home from your cruise.
We flew to Orlando and stayed overnight at the Hyatt inside the Orlando airport, which was super convenient. Disney picks up passengers from the Hyatt with their shuttle buses, and the process is smooth and well-organized. People are divided into departure groups based on their level in the Castaway Club, Disney Cruise Line’s loyalty program that you join after your first cruise. The shuttles whisk you to the port, where you wait for your turn to board the ship. The cost for the Disney shuttle is $45/person, but it’s better than getting an uber or rental car. Plus, when you book the shuttle, you usually are advanced in boarding time since you arrived via Disney transportation, and get to board earlier than if you arrived on your own with a scheduled boarding time.
We had connecting cabins with my parents, which made communication easier. Our cabins had balconies, which aren’t essential, but if you’re a bit claustrophobic and need a breath of fresh air in a hurry, they’re a lifesaver. On a three-night cruise, though, there’s hardly time to become one with your balcony. I love to sit out there early in the morning with my coffee. Since room service is included in the cost of the cruise, I request a pot of coffee, donuts, pastries, and other goodies the night before to be delivered bright and early. It’s the perfect start to a day at sea! I just remember to have $5 and $1 dollar bills for tips.
The breakfast buffet is fantastic, though I did manage to miss it one morning—clearly, I wasn’t awake enough to find the food. On the day we departed, we enjoyed a lovely sit-down breakfast with our original servers. It was great to bid them a final farewell. Our servers were truly amazing.
My son and I decided to head to Baha Mar Resort for our port adventure in Nassau, Bahamas. We’d already checked Atlantis Resort off our list on a previous Disney Cruise, so it was time for something new. The beach was lovely, but we mostly floated around the lazy river, living up to its name and our mood. Our port adventure included lunch, which was tasty, but the concession stand was seriously understaffed, and we waited about 45 minutes for our meal. One parent even offered up a free hotdog because he couldn’t wait any longer and abandoned his pager for the taking. Sadly, my son isn’t into water slide (except on the ship), so our only other stop was the wave machine pool. It was a nice port adventure, but if you asked me to choose between Baha Mar and Atlantis, I’d pick Atlantis again. Atlantis to me felt more welcoming and wasn’t so spread out. Baha Mar is a huge resort and we didn’t explore most of it. I’m sure there is a lot more to like at Baha Mar, but you need more than just 6 hours there to fully enjoy it.
Don’t be like me and forget to put your phone’s in the waterproof phone protectors. I bought them ahead of time on Amazon, yet I forgot to put them on my phones before we left for our trip to Baha Mar. I ended up spending an extra $40 for not having the ones I bought from Amazon. Duh!! This is the link to the ones I bought on Amazon: Universal Waterproof Case. They are only $13.99 for a set of 2.
My parents chose to go on a short tour of Nassau for their port adventure. Their tour included a small meal which they said was more like appetizers. They did not want to go to Baha Mar with us because they aren’t into water slides and swimming. The $199/person fee to go to Baha Mar is not a bargain either. It includes transportation and a full lunch, but still pricey after paying for the Disney Cruise.
On our third day, we decided to stay onboard and enjoy all the ship had to offer. Having already visited Castaway Cay on a previous Disney Cruise, I wasn’t too disappointed when my parents and my son opted out of going. My parents grew up on an island (Oahu), so islands don’t really excite them that much lol. My son loves shrimp and crab, so he got to indulge in the buffet, feasting on as much as he wanted. He also wanted to ride the Aqua Mouse, the big waterslide on the ship. There was no line because almost everyone was on the island. My dad bravely agreed to go with him once but had a hard time getting back up, so the lifeguards had to assist him. After that, I went on the Aqua Mouse with my son about five more times. It was fun, and it made him happy, so I was perfectly fine with it.
There are many choices of food on the cruise. They have a Pizza stand that serves pizza all day and closes at midnight. They also have a barbecue stand which has great tasty ribs and macaroni and cheese. The soft serve is an awesome treat too. I must have had about 10 haha. The issue with short 3 day cruises is you don’t have a lot of time to enjoy the food. When you are on a longer cruise there are more opportunities to eat because there are a couple days of just being at sea.
The nightly Broadway-style Disney shows were fantastic as usual. We went to the earlier show because we had the second dinner seating. Our dinner servers were amazing, and we enjoyed every appetizer, entrée, and dessert. The entertainment during dinner was a blast, too.
Our first dinner was at the restaurant 1923. The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923 and the restaurant also celebrates the golden age of animation. It was elegant with no characters, but still very charming. The second night, we dined at Worlds of Marvel, where Spider-Man swung by to take pictures with the kids. The third night was at Arendelle, which was my favorite. All the characters from Frozen performed and included audience participation, and the staff even did a parade. It was truly magical!
I’ve sailed with Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival. Disney is my favorite, but it’s also the most expensive—worth every penny, though! We’ve already booked our next Disney Cruise for next year, and it’s our first trip to Europe. I’m over the moon! Now, I’m just praying I can get the time off work. Even though I’ve been a nurse for a company for 22 years, I’m second from the bottom in my group’s seniority list. That means I get the scraps when it comes to vacation time. It’s tough being at the bottom, especially after working there for so long.
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