Disney's Castaway Cay

It's been 4 months since my last cruise! Imagine that being said with a whiny, lamenting tone. . . you get the idea. And, it only gets worse until I get to experience the high seas Disney style once again. I'm missing my little boat, well OK my multi-ton behemoth that caters to my every wish and whim.

We have been fortunate to sail with Disney on Disney Cruise Line three times. Two of those sailings, we made a stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. One of our itineraries was on the west coast, sailing the Pacific Ocean, and therefore it was not possible to stop at Castaway Cay.

A stop at Castaway Cay can be the highlight of any Disney Cruise and is typically scheduled on the last day of the itinerary. Unless you have an itinerary that includes more than one stop at Castaway Cay. Lucky ducks!

The photo above shows the view from Deck 9 of the Disney Magic as it pulls into Castaway Cay, makes a 180 degree turn, and backs into the pier. You can see the Ghost Ship has a permanent home here at Castaway Cay. Doesn't that sparkling blue water just beckon you? It does me!

Here we are on the Family Beach--there is also a Teen Beach and an adults only beach, Serenity Bay. We were here on New Year's Day, January 1, 2010, hence the hats. What a way to bring in the new year! It looks as if we are alone, except for the person taking the photo of course, as we were some of the first guests off the ship. It pays to get up early and enjoy as much of your day as you can on the island.

Even though it was technically winter, the water was warm and inviting. Rafts and tubes are available for rent on the island.

Does it get any better than this? We had adult beverages delivered to us while lounging in the beach chairs. The husband's was tall and sudsy, while mine was red and frothy.

There is so much to do on Castaway Cay. . . snorkeling, riding bikes, swimming, children's programming, boating, fishing, parasailing, feeding stingrays, and more. Click here to read about our adventure with the stingrays on Castaway Cay.

Oh, how many more months? It won't be long before we are sailing the high seas again, but this time it will be on Disney's newest ship, the Disney Dream, which will debut January 2011. Our next itinerary will take us to Nassau and Castaway Cay twice!