Disney Cruise to the Caribbean 2015

We haven't taken a real family vacation since the birth of baby T.  But now that he is almost 2, we decided to take a 7 day trip aboard the famed Disney Wonder to the Caribbean and boy, was it "magical" indeed.

T passed out before we boarded

Character Pictures
Some of the highlights were the meet and greets with the various characters.  Some required tickets and others just a short wait in line.  I brought along Lil P's Sleeping Beauty dress, but unfortunately Aurora wasn't one of the princesses on board.

Deck Parties

There were several deck parties like the Sail Away Party and the Pirates on the Caribbean Party.  Lil P absolutely loved dancing, especially when the kids were invited on stage.  Big L was happy to watch from afar. 

this picture is a true reflection of their divergent personalities

Cozumel, Mexico
Our first port of call was Cozumel, Mexico.  I booked a port adventure which included a narrated tour of the Mayan ruins, a trip to the Discover Mexico museum, and a chocolate making demonstration.

Mayan ruins

chocolate making demonstration

The Bahamas
Our second port of call was supposed to be the famed Castaway Cays, Disney's private island in the Bahamas, but high winds and rough current from a cold front diverted us instead to Nassau.  I was really looking forward to biking the island and snorkeling but we settled for some souvenir shopping in Nassau and then enjoying the rest of the day in the pool.  The kids loved the water slide and watching movies on a huge screen while lounging in the pool.  My parents enjoyed the adult only pool and hot tub where I imagine it was much more quiet and peaceful.

Fun Things to Do
While we spent a lot of family time together at the pool and watching the evening shows, the kids also loved hanging out at the Oceaneer Lab and Club where they participated in activities, crafts and games.  It also gave us time with just Baby T.  It made us chuckle at how easy it is with just 1 kid, when we're used to juggling all 3.

There was always something going on aboard the ship.  Even after the kids and I went to bed exhausted after a full day of playing hard, hubby would go play basketball, watch movies (including the premier of McFarland) and make friends, like he is so good at doing.  The family even bought into a round of Bingo. Unfortunately, we didn't win the $15,000 jackpot but it was a fun experience learning the Bingo lingo.

One night there was a Pirates on the Caribbean themed dinner.  They provided bandanas for all the guests.  I brought some pirate gear and ended up buying a few extra things for the kids.   

The last night the kids rehearsed and participated in a farewell Friendship show where they danced on stage with Mickey and Minnie. 

Food and Service
The food was also pretty good.  I appreciated all the fresh fruit and the kids loved the limitless ice cream. There was always food available somewhere anytime of day.  I'm pretty sure I gained 5 pounds which is better than our trip to the Bahamas where I gained 10 pounds!  Eating breakfast on deck was also memorable.

The service was amazing and the staff really catered to all our needs.  Our server would even cut up food for baby T.  Supposedly there were 1000 staff for the 2700 passengers.  That ratio was certainly visible.  My kids and I loved coming into the room at night to see what new animal our stateroom host had fashioned out of towels.  The kids loved the bunk beds too that our stateroom host would set up in the evening and put away in the morning.  It's really in the details that quality becomes apparent.

 

Tips:
In the months leading up to the trip, we did a lot of research online and talked to several veteran Disney cruisers to help us prepare.  Some tips I gathered:

1. On the first day bring a souvenir (new t-shirt, photo mat, pillow case, etc) with Sharpies to Guest Services and they will have the characters of your choice autograph it.  They will return it the last night of the cruise.  It makes for a unique souvenir.  I brought photo mats which I later framed photos of the kids with their favorite Disney character.
2. On the first day go to guest services for tickets to the special meet and greets because they are limited and will run out.  We were able to get tickets to see Elsa and Anna.
3. There is a pirate theme night.  They provide bandanas but many families get all decked out.  I suggest you stop by the dollar store to pick up accessories instead of paying the premium on board for eye patches and such.
4. Check the navigator and highlight (literally bring a highlighter) the events you want to participate in.  Or download the app on your phone, but I prefer the hard copy.  There are so many events that you won't want to miss.
5. On the first day sign up for Internet access and they will give you 50 mb free.
6. Take bubbles for the Sail Away Party.

We definitely want to go on another Disney cruise again, but once baby T is potty trained so he can go into the pools and go to the kids club.  Looking forward to the next cruise!