Williams Family: Plans Are In Ship Shape For Our 7-night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise

 

As seasoned Disney Cruise Line travelers, we're Platinum Castaway Club members, we are gearing up for our first 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary on board the Disney Fantasy.  The "new" in the previous sentence is Eastern Caribbean.

Our itinerary includes stops at Tortola, British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and our personal favorite, Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line's island in The Bahamas.  We will also experience three at-sea days to explore and enjoy the ship. 

Part of the planning fun is selecting Port Adventures, sometimes knowns as excursions.  The husband selected our Port Adventure for Tortola, a forest hike and beach visit.  It also includes a stop for a beverage at Mountain View Restaurant in Sage Mountain National Park. 

On this adventure you will… 

•  Board an open-air safari bus for the approximately 20-minute ascent high above the harbor to Belle Vue. Drive along the scenic Ridge Road to Sage Mountain National Park, rising 1,716 feet above sea level, for a one-mile guided hike through a semitropical rainforest. 
•  Enjoy some of the island's best views and the significantly cooler temperatures as your guide leads you along the trail pointing out a variety of flora and fauna. 
•  After your hike, enjoy a beverage at the Mountain View Restaurant before reboarding the bus for the drive back down the mountain. 
•  Upon your arrival at Cane Garden Bay, your guide will escort you to a beach chair reserved especially for you. Then, relax and unwind with 90 minutes to explore the white-sand beach and swim in the stunning azure waters. 
•  Conclude your tour taking in the sights of Tortola during the 30-minute drive back to the pier.

In St. Thomas, our second port stop, we have selected the Flyboard and Beach Adventure. . . for one of us!  The boy will experience the 400 pounds of pressure to make him fly like Ironman.

The husband and I have selected the Flyboard and Beach Adventure Observer option.

Voted “Best Water Sport” in St. Thomas, flyboarding is a thrilling and unique experience. 

On this adventure you will… 

• Board your taxi safari for a scenic drive to Emerald Beach. 
• Receive one-on-one training from certified flyboarding instructors for the safest, most enjoyable experience possible. 
• Get on your board and feel the rush of soaring above the beautiful waters and sand of Emerald Beach. 
• Spend about 2 hours swimming, sunbathing or just relaxing on the sand. 
• Those not interested in flyboarding can watch participating family and friends on the Observer version of this adventure (ST63). 
• Your tour includes flyboarding and beach time. Amenities such as kayaks and paddleboards are available for an additional cost.

At our favorite port, Castaway Cay, we selected Parasailing.

On this adventure you will...

• Make your way to Marges Barges, located just 100 yards from the ship's gangway - the starting point for your parasailing adventure.
• After a short safety briefing, Guests will be divided into groups and escorted to a waiting boat.
• Meet your friendly captain and mate and head out into open water to soar high in the sky while harnessed to a parachute tethered to the boat.
• Enjoy the unforgettable beauty and serenity as you parasail for approximately 5 to 7 minutes at heights of 600 to 800 feet over the waves before returning gently to the boat.

When selecting parasailing, guests have to select an available time.  We chose 9:00 am, first thing.  The last time we did this was eleven years ago, so it will be fun to do it again!  Click here to read about our first parasailing adventure. 

Other onboard fun on our agenda includes Mixology, and beverage tastings. We also have some spa treatments booked and both brunch and dinner at Palo, one of two adult only fine dining restaurants on board. 

We will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary and retirement!

We are also looking forward to an extended verandah stateroom and sailing the during the boy's college "late summer break" at the end of August. 

Castaway Cay Sandbar Beach Excursion--"Rum, Sun, Sand, and Stories"

Disney Cruise #8 took us to Disney Cruise Line's private island Castaway Cay twice!  This was our third time on the beautiful Disney Dream and the third time on this itinerary--Port Canaveral, Nassau, two stops at Castaway Cay, and a day at sea.  We have decided that this is our favorite itinerary, but that is another story.

Waiting at Marge's Barges just as the rain let up.

With two stops at Castaway Cay, we booked a port adventure also known as excursion for our first day; our first afternoon.

After reviewing several port adventures on the Disney Cruise Line website, we decided on the Sandbar Beach Excursion for ages 8 and up.  We received the tickets to the excursion in our stateroom when we arrived and were looking forward to our new adventure.

The tickets said to meet at Marge's Barges, the small pier located near the ship on the island, at 1:30 pm.  At about 12:30, it looked like it was going to pour so we gathered our gear and headed to the tram stop.  Just as we stepped under the cover of the tram stop, the skies opened up and it rained. . . hard!  Good thing we were already at the tram stop as other guests were running for cover.  After a dash to get on the tram, we made our way back towards the ship and got off at the last stop, walking to Marge's Barges.  The rain was letting up at this point, but there were more guests headed to the ship than from the ship. As we checked it, we inquired if the excursion was still on and were given an affirmative.  A little rain is an inconvenience but not dangerous, like lightning.  As we waited for our boat and crew, the rain moved on and eventually cleared the area.  There were moments we debated just heading to the ship, but boy are we glad we didn't!

The boy ready to take the speed boat to the sandbar.

We left our shoes on the dock, donned life jackets, and climbed aboard our speed boat.  Seven passengers--the three of us, a couple celebrating their anniversary, and a dad and his young daughter--and a crew of three.  

Yes, we know he isn't strapped in correctly!  Gotta love him!

The boy waved at the guests on the ship who darted out of the rain.  It wasn't raining now!

Around the bow of the ship and headed out into the open sea!  Took my visor off so it didn't blow away.  Ah, the air, the sea spray, and the view!

We could see the sandbar as we approached.  The waves seemed to crash mid-ocean.  The water turned different colors.  I had never seen anything like it.  No land!

Soon the boat was up on the sand and anchored.  We were off the boat and enjoying the shallow water on the sandbar.  It was high tide otherwise the sandbar would have been even more exposed.

Can you see the Disney dream behind the boy?

After football fun, the snorkeling gear came out and the boy decided to take advantage.  The snorkeling gear was included in the excursion. 

One of our crew took a mask and dove into the deep water, just off the sandbar.  He said it was 14-18 feet deep at that point and he was looking for conch.  Not just the shell, but the snail like creature that lives inside as it makes a tasty snack--cooked like they serve in the Keys or raw!

The land in the distance is Castaway Cay.  There was a bit of land off in the other direction, too.  We were told it was Abaco Island, a populated area in The Bahamas.

Did you hear the ocean in the middle of the ocean?

A conch shell on the sandbar.

I think I took so many pictures because I was amazed by the colors.  All the greens and blues swirling in the water and sky.  Never had I experienced being in the middle of the ocean surrounded by water and enjoy walking, laughing, and floating.

As the subtitle of the excursion suggestions, soon the rum came out for the adults.  The crew delivered it to us from the boat to where we were on the sandbar.  The choices were pineapple and coconut.  We had to try both flavors.  The crew kept them coming and we enjoyed every sip!

There was also bottled water available for any of the guests along with snacks.  Our three member crew took good care of us. 

The sandbar was teaming with life other than humans even though we didn't get any good shots.  There was a small sand shark that swam through the shallow water and a school of small fish darting various directions.  The boy was enthralled and snorkeled for a long time.  So long that he got a sunburn on his back between the top of his trunks and the bottom of his rash guard, and the back of his upper arms.

The captain and crew told us about the history in The Bahamas.  Did you know that Disney Cruise Line leased Castaway Cay for 99 years for $1.  Yep, one whole dollar.  The boost to the local economy was worth it as many of the locals boat or jet-ski to t he island and provide services and excursions.

Tug-o-war on the sandbar!

These photos were taken in different directions on the sandbar.  You can see the Disney Dream behind me in the distance in the photo below.  I was walking along the edge of the sandbar where the waves crash.  It was like walking on water.

After more football fun, it was time to get back in the boat and make our way back to Castaway Cay.

Satisfied and so glad he didn't give up on the weather and waited it out, we climbed aboard.  The boy and the husband had taken off their life vests and had to put them back on again for the boat ride.

Soon, the beautiful Disney Dream was in our sights.  It was amazing what bits of paradise were just a few miles away.

One of the crew offered to snap out photo as we came around capturing the ship in the background.

The view of the Disney Dream from Marge's Barges.

When we look back on our cruise, this excursion was a highlight.  The boy said that this was even better than parasailing--and he got to go up twice!  Click here to read about parasailing on Castaway Cay.

Hints and tips for this excursion:

• Sunscreen!  And rash guards and sunscreen!
• Waterproof camera.  We were the only ones taking pictures and the other guests wanted to capture the beauty, too.
• Sunglasses.
• We were able to bring our bag on board with towels, sunscreen, etc. 
• Know that it is okay to leave your life vest on throughout the excursion.
• It was easy to climb in and out of the boat, even when the boat is in the water.
• It was sand under our feet all the time.  I have a thing about muddy bottoms of lakes, rivers, ponds, and this excursion felt good between my toes the whole time.
• Our shoes were right where we left them on the dock when we returned to the pier.
• Bring money for a tip.

The last bullet is the one we hadn't planned for.  The island is cashless--all services get charged to Key to the World Cards, so there is no need for money, except to pay cash for stamps at the post office.  Thankfully, we were stopping at Castaway Cay another day.  I took the crew's name and brought cash with us on the second day.  Luckily, the crew had just pulled in at the pier and I was able to hand-deliver the tip to the crew.  If I hadn't been able to hand deliver, the money was in an envelope with their names and I would have left it at the check-in area at Marge's Barges.

We would add "fun" to the subtitle of the excursion, as we had a blast!  

Click here to read the top 10 reasons we love Castaway Cay!

I mentioned the post office on Castaway Cay--click here to read about it.

Tubing On The Martha Brae River in Falmouth, Jamaica

It was our second time in Falmouth, Jamaica.  We wanted to do something different than we had last time, so we booked the Chukka Jungle River Tubing Safari through the Disney Cruise Line Port Adventures. 

The gathering time on the ship was early, 7:45 am.  The excursion is advertised as 3 to 3 ½ hours.  There were about 40 guests on our port adventure.

After everyone had checked in on the ship, we made our way off the ship and through the port area in Falmouth to the bus.  Our bus was a reconditioned mass transit bus from an Asian country based on the signs throughout the bus.  Our driver provided some Jamaican history on our way to Good Hope Estates.

Upon exiting the bus, we were directed into a small gift shops and explained that no personal belongings could go with us so lockers were mandatory.  While there were no signs directing us to where/how to purchase lockers, I hoped that I was in the right line and the people in front of me knew where they were going.  The fee for the locker was $5.  I had brought small bills, including a $5 which seemed to make the lady handling the locker rental happy.  Those that had brought credit/debit cards were met with a scoff. 

Bathrooms were just to the right of the locker rental counter and could be used for changing into swimsuits.  We were already in our swimsuits and had water shoes on, too.

After placing our bag, including towels, in the locker and securing the key to the lock on a wrist, we then loaded into an open air vehicle.  In fact, the entire group loaded into two open air vehicles. 

We then took a bumpy ride across beautiful country side and eventually down a hill to where we would begin our tubing journey on the Martha Brae River.

Guests needed to select a life vest that was hung on a wooden railing of a small bridge over the path that led to the river.  We tried to select ones with the least amount of mold and mildew. 

After donning our life jackets, the lead tour guide grouped us into groups of 10 as the tubes were in groups of 10. 

We then stepped down 2-3 steps and sat into our tubes one at a time.  Once everyone in the group of 10 was in a tube, a leader was assigned to our group and off we went.  The husband, boy, and I were in the last three tubes of the 10.

Everyone shouted to introduce themselves and introductions started in the back, so the husband went first.  It was difficult to hear some of the names from the tubes in front of us.

We were on the river about 30 minutes.  We went through three shallow rapids areas.  The river varied in depth from 30 feet to inches.  We didn’t see any fish, but we did see lots of beautiful foliage.  The guide shared more history of how the Martha Brae was used to transport sugar cane for the Good Hope Estates plantation.  We learned about how the river rises during the rainy season and how there would be about 500 people on the river that day.

When our tubing journey ended, we exited our tubes and climbed into the open air vehicles again for a quick jaunt up a hill and across a road to the Good Hope Estates where our journey began.  As we exited the river, a photographer took a photo of the three of us.  We did not view or purchase the photo.  And, as we got out of the open air vehicle, the guides took our life jackets.  They repeated that they would be right there if we wanted to “comment” which was code for tip.

We retrieved items from our locker and returned the key and lock to the lady at the counter who, the husband said, seemed genuinely surprised that we returned them.  We then used some of our small bills to tip our guide as we walked past him on the way to the bus.

Showers and changing areas were available, along with snacks and souvenirs for purchase.  Had we wanted to view or purchase the photo taken of us, this would have been the time.

We climbed back into a bus that would return us to the port area.  We were back on the ship by 11:30 am.

In the description of the port adventure, it said that water shoes were required.  We noticed that was not the case, although, we were sure glad we had ours on.  We also had waterproof watches and a waterproof camera. 

It was funny that it took the bus 25 minutes to get us to the port adventure, but only 15 to get us back to the port and that included a several minute security stop at the port area entrance.

Will we do this port adventure again?  No.  But we are glad we did it once and appreciated the experience.