Serenity Bay At Castaway Cay
Disneys private island Castaway Cay has plenty of fun for everyone, and its the perfect place to have an adults-only beach day. Further away from the cruise pier, past the family beaches and shopping area, youll find another beach just for cruisers 18 and older. Its called Serenity Bay, and this relaxing oasis comes complete with cabanas, a bar, and its very own BBQ buffet with all of the same dishes that are offered at the family beach BBQs. If youre traveling as a group of adults and your voyage stops at this Bahamian island, Serenity Bay is the perfect spot to kick back and relax with a cocktail in hand.
Tip: If you enjoy running or want to start your Castaway Cay day bright and early, consider signing up for the Castaway Cay 5K. Its completely free, but spots fill up quickly so sign up as soon as you can on embarkation day. This is a family event, but for avid runners or those who just want a challenge, its a great way to get onto the island before the masses and get your heart pumping.
You Can Request The Best Seat In The House
Always dreamed of sitting stage side at Tianas Place or enjoying dinner in those gorgeous Enchanted Garden booths? Well, its not entirely luck of the draw for who ends up at each table. Nothing is guaranteed, but requests for a certain table can always be added to your Disney Cruise Line reservation, and they are worth the extra phone call.
Characters Have Their Own Cruise Wardrobe
Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Minnie wear special outfits for Pirate Night and on formal evenings, and they also tailor their outfits to where the cruise liner is headed that day. On Alaska sailings, expect to meet Mickey in fishermans overalls and Minnie in a fur-lined coat on trips through the Mediterranean sea, Goofy dons an Italy-inspired suit. Outfit changes are completely unannounced, so attend meet-and-greets often to see what the gang is sporting each day.
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No Were Tired Of Rescheduling
And finally, some guests either dont have new concerns due to Omicron or are just not willing to reschedule again. One reader noted, We are still planning on being there at the end of January. Ive never been away for this long and my heart misses Disney so bad. Weve already canceled and rescheduled our trip 3 times.
Pandora The World of Avatar
Top Things You Need To Know
Here are the most important things you need to be aware of as you prepare for your Disney Cruise Line vacation.
COVID-19 Vaccination
- Disney Cruise Line strongly encourages all eligible Guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before sailing. Guests who are fully vaccinated may choose to provide proof of vaccination in order to be exempt from pre-trip and Embarkation Day testing requirements and travel insurance requirements. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers people to be fully vaccinated 14 days after the final dose has been administered. To learn more about how to provide proof of your vaccination, please visit: Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.
COVID-19 Testing
Health Screenings
- Embarkation Day Health Questionnaire: Guests are required to complete a health questionnaire related to COVID-19 and gastrointestinal illnesses on Embarkation Day. Guests are also required to attest as to whether they have experienced or are currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or have been in contact with anyone suspected of or confirmed as having COVID-19 within the previous 14 days.
- Crew Members: All Crew Members will be screened for symptoms of illness before every shift. Crew Members showing any symptoms or feeling unwell will refrain from working.
Physical Distancing
Close-up interactions with Disney Characters have been paused, and youth activities are experienced in small group settings.
Face Coverings
All face coverings should:
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It’s Easy To Miss The Best Dinner Entertainment
The dinner show at Animators Palate is a highlight no matter which ship youre on, but its the second visit to that dining room that cant be skipped. Its called Animation Magic, and during it, guests get to draw their own characters and see them come to life mid-meal. The incredible display is only offered on longer sailings on the Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wonder, so be sure you dont grab a quick pizza or order room service during your second visit. Even better? Request that your rotation allows two visits to Animators Palate that dont overlap with Pirate Night to ensure you enjoy the show.
Taking A Look At The Safety Measures That Have Come To Disney Castaway Cay
Ive just had the chance to visit Disney Castaway Cay for the first time since the resumption of sailing, and I thought Id share with you some of the new safety measures that have come to the island. While the cruise that Im currently on was gifted by DCL, as always, we here at DCLFan will be open and honest about our experiences.
The changes begin first thing in the morning. Guests who are wanting to go ashore on Castaway Cay are asked to join a virtual queue via the DCL Navigator app. Remember when the Navigator app was simply something that was fun but ancillary? Those days are no more its imperative that you have the app downloaded because youll need to use it throughout each day of your cruise. Dining room menus, movie and stage show times, and literally everythingelse can now only be accessed via the app. I may have more to say in the days ahead about the app. Back to Castaway.
A push notification will be sent to your phone when its your turn to leave the ship. Thankfully, with the lower guest numbers currently being seen on the ships, the virtual queue wait times seem to be rather short. I wanted to leave the ship late morning, and received my notification that it was my turn instantaneously.
Distancing markers are found at the tram stops, as well as at cashier stands.
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The Kids Areas Arent Always Off
Activities at Marvels Avengers Academy and Star Wars: Millennium Falcon play areas are reserved for young ones, but all kids club spaces empty out for the open house,” when anyone can wander in and check out Vibes arcade games or OceaneerLabs high-tech designs. Dont skip out on Andys Room, either, which brings “Toy Story”to life while making for incredible Instagram snaps.
Can I Take A Baby On A Disney Cruise
What age can you take a baby on a cruise? P was 13 months old when we ventured out to sea, but Disney Cruise line welcomes babies at least 6 months old. There are some transatlantic cruises that require baby to be at least one year old, but most Disney cruises allow babies as young as 6 months old.
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The Most Memorable Character Experiences Wont Be At Meet
The lines to meet Mickey and Minnie are short on Disney Cruise Line, but favorites like Daisy Duck are known to freely wander the pool and jogging track decks, playfully surprising guests and often sharing elevator rides for a once-in-a-lifetime interaction. Dont miss the character dance parties either, which allow kids and adults to line dance with Goofy and shake it off with Donald Duck for an experience that goes beyond a hug and photograph.
Navigating Together: Disney Cruise Lines Enhanced Health & Safety Measures
Disney Cruise Lines approach brings together the following 5 elements to help promote health and safety for all Guests, Crew Members and Cast Members.
Health and Wellness
Enhanced Cleaning
- Enhanced Cleaning: Building on our existing standards, were increasing the frequency of cleaning with enhanced protocols. Extra attention will be given to high-touch surfaces, as well as childrens facilities and other common spaces.
- Modified Housekeeping: Staterooms will undergo enhanced treatments between voyages, in addition to twice-daily housekeeping service during each voyage. High-touch loose soft goodssuch as sofa pillows and paper stationeryhave been removed.
- Air Purification: All ships will be equipped with a new purification system that cleans both air and surface areas using a process called ionization. We are also increasing the circulation of fresh air on board our ships, and all HVAC air filters have been upgraded to MERV-13 high efficiency grade, which can remove very small particles. Additionally, each stateroom maintains singular air circulation, eliminating the need for air intake from adjacent common areas.
Innovative Technology
Crew Member Training
Working Together
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Grab Every Facebook Photo While The Clock Runs Out
Even if you skipped every character meet-and-greet, youll still be able to cram in a weeks worth of photos at “Til We Meet Again,” the goodbye show on the final night of each sailing. After a short heartwarming performance, loads of Disney characters, princesses, and theatre performers will disperse throughout the crowd, posing for photos on a first-come, first-serve basis. The onboard photographers will have already shut down, too, so you can snap as many iPhone pictures as youd like, making for a full album in one fell swoop.
Spend Time At The Quiet Cove Pool
Lets start our list of things for adults to do on a Disney Cruise with my favorite activity: spending time at the Quiet Cove Pool. This onboard adults-only oasis is home to a pool, whirlpool spas, and bar. The padded lounge chairs are perfect for reading a book, taking a nap, or just relaxing. If you skip a cruise port and stay on the boat, you can often have the Quiet Cove Pool all to yourself, like we did.
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Best Cruise Experience: Holland America
Courtesy of Holland America
- Ship Name: MS Koningsdam
- Itinerary: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta
Holland Americas mid-sized fleet offers a more sophisticated cruise experience than most mainstream vessels, and although not adults-only, the MS Koningsdam offers a musically-themed cruise voyage that appeals to an older demographic. In the evening, there are instrumental concerts at Lincoln Center Stage, the BB King Blues Club, the two-story World Stage to Music Walk, Rolling Stone Rock Room, and Billboard Onboard an interactive setting for rock music. The ship also focuses on food and drink with live cooking demonstrations in Americas Test Kitchen and at Blend, a hands-on cocktail class. The 2,650-passenger Koningsdam sails to several destinations from the U.S., including sun-filled itineraries to the Mexican Riviera.
Coffee Shops And Snack Shops
Whats interesting about a Disney Cruise is that the snacks and pastries youll see in the coffee shop or kiosk are all included, but the specialty coffee will cost a little extra.
Drink prices are roughly similar to Starbucks, if not a notch lower. Be sure and ask for the Cafe Fanatic card if youre a regular as your sixth drink will be free.
In addition to the included ice cream, your ship may have some shops with ice cream that costs extra. This can get confusing to kids, so I want to warn you a bit ahead of time. On the Dream youll find Vanellopes, which is stuffed with candies, gelato and ice cream all for an extra charge.
Theres a juice bar on the Dream and Fantasy, but know that it also costs extra.
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What Kind Of Food Is Served On A Disney Cruise
In addition, Disney has several casual dining options on the pool deck serving burgers, fries, sandwiches, fruit, salads, and pizza. On some ships, you can find other casual options including shawarma. Casual dining generally closes in the evening, with some options, like pizza, staying open for a late-night snack.
What Does Each Color Status Mean
One or more cases reported among the crew also puts a ship in the yellow status.
Orange status means the ship has reported cases of COVID-19, but is below the threshold for CDC investigation.
Just 16 ships the CDC tracks nationwide had a “green” status indication the ship has no reports of cases of COVID-19 or COVID-19-like illness. Fifteen of those are ships that are not currently sailing with passengers, and have only crews onboard. ResidenSea’s The World is the only cruise ship operating with passengers on the green list.
“Red” status means that a ship has sustained transmission of COVID-19 or that has the potential for COVID-19 cases to overwhelm onboard medical facilities. No ships are on red status at this time.
The CDC does not publicly disclose the specific number of cases on a ship, and Port Canaveral officials said they do not get the such details from the cruise lines, either.
The Port Canaveral lineup now includes Carnival’s Elation, Magic and Mardi Gras Disney’s Dream and Fantasy MSC’s Meraviglia Norwegian’s Escape and Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. Additionally, Carnival’s Liberty is scheduled to join the lineup on Jan. 24.
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No The Precautions Are Enough
For some guests, plans are staying solid even amid worries. For them, the precautions at Disney World are enough. One reader said, We checked with our doctor and other medical practitioners and they all said if we stay masked and follow the other precautions we should be fine. So we will be there tomorrow with all of our armor and as much good sense as we can apply.
Disney Springs
I definitely paused before purchasing my tickets, another noted, But Im vaccinated and boosted, am going during a quieter time of year, plan to wear a mask and wash my hands often, and am in desperate need of a vacation. I feel Im being as responsible as possible.
EPCOT!
Plenty of other responses echoed these sentiments. In fact, it was probably the most popular stance taken in written responses.
Disney Cruise Line Sets Date For Relaunch With New Safety Measures For All On Board
The Disney Dream continues the Disney Cruise Line tradition of blending the elegant grace of early … 20th century transatlantic ocean liners with contemporary design to create one of the most stylish and spectacular cruise ships afloat. The Disney Dream offers modern features, new innovations and unmistakable Disney touches.
David Roark, photographer
Disney Cruise Line has announced that the company will resume sailing on August 9, with the Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral. Like other cruise lines around the world, Disney Cruise Line halted sailings in March 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic surged around the world. The cruise line has had a bumpy road to resuming sailings, with its first test cruise being paused out of an abundance of caution due to seemingly positive coronavirus tests. Disney completed their test cruise starting July 17, with a two night voyage with Disney cast members and their guests.
The restart of Disney Cruise Line brings good news to The Walt Disney Companys Parks, Experiences and Products segment, which is still reeling from theme park closures last year. Currently, all Disney parks around the world are open with limited guest count and new health and safety measures. The same will happen on Disney Cruise Line for the first sailings out of Florida.
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What Are Safer Alternatives
Outside is much safer than inside, she said. We chatted about Blizzard Beach, one of Disney Worlds water parks, and Disney resort hotels and Kullar liked the idea of prioritizing pool time and outdoor dining. Its very low risk to catch Covid-19 in the pool.
But for the safest Disney trip you can book right now, Kullar said its probably the Private Adventures from Adventures by Disney, the Mickey-owned and operated tour guide company. That sounds like the safest with just you and your family, she said. And you know each others COVID practices. That sounds like the safest bet, keeping it private. I think thats the safest among those three options.
Hypotheticals aside, Kullar said the safest trip is one next year. Lets put that deposit for next year, she said. Lets just all hang on a little bit longer and save that money for next year where its going to be much safer. And theres a lot of Disney magic to look forward to and start planning for 2022, from the brand new Disney Wish cruise ship that sets sail in June to the 50th-anniversary celebration at Disney World that will run throughout the entire year at all four parks.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Prevented From Entering 2 Island Nations Due To Covid
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A Royal Caribbean cruise ship was denied entry into two island nations after 55 fully vaccinated crew members and passengers contracted COVID-19 only days after the ship had set sail from Fort Lauderdale, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
Odyssey of the Seas was barred from entering Curacao and Aruba, effectively remaining at sea until its planned return Dec. 26 to Fort Lauderdale, according to the Herald.
Health officials in Curacao refused to allow the ship to dock because the percentage of infected people on board was too high, the Curacao Chronicle reported.
There were 51 positive cases on board on Wednesday morning, according to Dr. Izzy Gerstenbluth, Curacao’s national epidemiologist.
“The day before yesterday, 18 crew members were positive, yesterday 36 and this morning there were 51. In addition, several crew members have not been quarantined, so there is a good chance that passengers have also been infected,” said Gerstenbluth.
“With these numbers of infections, that percentage has been exceeded and we are therefore not eager to receive these people on the island, especially not with the current figures on the island,” Gerstenbluth told the Chronicle.
According to Royal Caribbean, Odyssey of the Seas can accommodate up to 5,500 guests plus 1600 crew members. It wasn’t clear if the ship was fully occupied on this trip.
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