"Pros" of Our New Year's Cruise on the Disney Fantasy

We disembarked the Disney Fantasy on Saturday, January 2, 2016!  It was our 7^th Disney cruise and our second time on the Disney Fantasy and our second time as Gold Castaway Club Members.

There were pros and cons to our cruise and we were much more critical on our exit survey than we ever have been. 

Pros:

Category 8A stateroom—we appreciate the size and the location on Deck 5.  Only the “Dream Class” ships have this category.

The Edge—the boy enjoyed this club for tweens ages 11-14.  He closed down the place most nights, midnight or 1:00 am, found friends to interact with around the ship and at Castaway Cay, and even came back to the stateroom one night after 1:00 am and asked to go to something else.  I was sleeping so the husband had to reply and said “no.”  We had not envisioned our 13 year old requesting to go to an “after party.”  He loves the freedom he has on the ship and he has more with each cruise as he gets older.

Castaway Cay—we were among the first people to step foot on the island in 2016!  It was a beautiful day in paradise and we enjoyed every minute of it! 

The AquaDuck—it is still a thrill and this time, we have AquaDuck photos!

Speaking of photos, we are very grateful for the Shutters staff.  There were even some familiar faces—Ruben and Lee—who have helped us before on previous cruises.  We got quality photos and quantity, over 300, and now, the digital photos are on a USB which was delivered to our stateroom on the last night of cruise.  Talk about service!

Room service—we had breakfast delivered twice by placing our order on the outside door handle of our stateroom.  When we returned from our port adventure in Jamaica, the boy wanted room service and we wanted Cabanas.  So, the boy looked over the menu, called and placed the order, and we left him some singles for the tip.  He handled the rest on his own.

Cabanas—the self-serve restaurant on Deck 11 is definitely a pro.  Cabanas is not a buffet, but is a series of serving stations.  This is our favorite stop for breakfast and lunch.  My tip is to find a table and get your drinks first.  Then, walk all the way to the back of Cabanas looking over the selections as you go and then be ready to make your choices.  I have found that the best selections are found in the very back. 

Pomegranate lemonade—this delicious low-calorie drink is found in the drink stations and can be ordered in main dining rooms.  We discovered this yummy beverage while in the parks and are so glad it is on the ships.  Now. . . to find it outside of Disney!

Rebooking on board—still the best way to go with discounts, reduced deposits, and on board credits. 

The products in the bathroom—we brought home two gallon size Ziploc baggies full to keep us feeling like we’re still on our cruise. . . and smelling like we’re on a cruise too!

Broadway-style entertainment is definitely a pro.  We enjoy the shows in the Walt Disney Theater on the ship.

Movies on board—there’s something decadent about taking in a movie while on the ship and guys watched 3 of them:  The Good Dinosaur, Star Wars The Force Awakens, and Ant Man.  All of them in a state of the art theater and one was in 3D.

Stay tuned for the “cons”.