Williams Family: Our 4th of July!

The 4th of July is the quintessential patriotic American holiday in the middle of the summer and is typically marked by BBQs, beverages, beach visits, fireworks, and family.  Our plan for the 4th of July, 2019, many items from the list. . . just in The Bahamas!

When we booked our July 2019 "double dip" Disney Cruise on the Disney Dream, we knew the first stop at Castaway Cay was going to be the 4th of July.  We had been on the ship on the 4th before--in 2017, also a "double dip" and were excited about the possibilities!

Comfy chairs on Deck 4

The morning began with room service delivering coffee, juice, fruit, toast--enough to get us up and moving.  We got dressed and headed to Cabanas on Deck 11 for breakfast part 2, a more hearty sustenance and to watch the view as the ship backed into Castaway Cay.  Soon, we found a spot on Deck 4 and waited for the all clear announcement that signaled that we could leave the ship.

After scanning our Key to the World cards and making sure that the husband and I, as we are 18 or over, had picture ID's we gathered towels from the Cast Members handing them to guests on the pier and made our way further onto the island.

We did make a stop for pictures taken by ship photographers already set up to capture smiles!

We waited just a few minutes for the tram at the tram stop to take us to Pelican Point, the second stop for the tram.  The first stop is for the Family Beach and shops.  We prefer Pelican Point which is another family beach.

After finding a home base for towels and our bag, it was time to play in the warm water and on the sandy beach.

The boy built a sand fort and the guys took off on a bicycle ride on the island.I relaxed in a chair near the water's edge.

The boys returned from their bike ride it was just in time to take some pictures with one of the ship's photographers.  Yes, they come to you on the beach!  The boy took some time to rest, too.

There are three locations on the island to get lunch and the menu is almost the same in all of the locations.  Lunch on Serenity Bay offers a few different selections.  We dined at Cookies, Too which is near Pelican Point.  Guests get a tray with a plate, silverware, and cloth napkin to go through the line for BBQ selections.  The boy's favorite is ribs!  During one of our cruises, he had to forgo the corn on the cob due to his braces, but not this time! 

After lunch, we returned to Pelican Point.  We secured a float and the husband ordered a beer.  Adult beverages get delivered to you right on the beach!  Notice the clouds forming?  Keep an eye on the clouds in the upcoming pictures.

Our port adventure, also known as excursion was scheduled to leave Marge's Barges at 1:30, so shortly after 1:00 we made our way to the tram stop to take the tram back towards the ship.

Marge's Barges is located near the ship pier on Castaway Cay and we arrived, checked in for our excursion, signed necessary releases, and waited. 

We were called to head to Roval's boat for our Sandbar excursion.  We were in life jackets in the boat, waiting for the word as to whether we would proceed due to the weather.  Roval got permission to go!  I asked Roval to take us to the sunshine!

Within minutes we went from cloudy and stormy to sunshine!  We were on our way to the Sandbar!

The boy spotted some dolphins playing so Roval slowed the boat and we watched the dolphins play.  I did my best to get pictures.  The dolphins swam on both sides and even dove under the boat.

Very soon, we could see the sandbar in the distance!  Roval pulled the boat around and soon we were off the boat and on the sand!

The feeling of being isolated on a strip of sand in the middle of the ocean is incredible.  The warm sand and warm water and the colors. ..  I want to bottle the colors and take them home.  The closest I can come is to take photos.

The boy explored and found two conch shells, both with live beings.  We looked and he placed them back in the water.

Roval cranked up the stereo on the boat and there was a dance party on the sand!

All too soon, it was time to leave the sandbar, gather on the boat, and return to Castway Cay.  We could still see and hear the storm in the distance.

Note:  The Bahamas has its independence holiday on July 10.

Once back on the ship, we cleaned up and got ready to celebrate 4th of July.  There was time for photos with characters and with our family.

The patriotic leis were left over from another 4th of July, so I brought them along to help us celebrate.

After pictures and dinner, the boy headed off to his club--Vibe.  The husband and I had a rum tasting in Cove Cafe.  We hadn't been in Cove Cafe in all of our cruises, so the location along with the subject matter was intriguing.

We got to taste several rums and learn about the history and economics of rum making. There were some I liked better than others, so the husband definitely was the winner of the event.

Since it was 4th of July, Disney Cruise Line had planned fireworks for the occasion. (Our cruise had fireworks on two of the four nights--4th of July and Pirate Night!)

After the rum tasting, we made our way from Deck 11, which is where the adult pool is located in the pool above to Deck 12 for a better view of the fireworks.  See the round porthole windows in the photo above?  That is the location of Cove Cafe.  It was very convenient to exit, head up the stairs, and be in a great spot for fireworks viewing!

The firework blasts were a fitting end to our great day in paradise!  We had avoided the storm, enjoyed a great day on the island, and made some terrific memories as a family!

Note:  This was our third time enjoying the Sandbar adventure with Roval and his team.  Here are more links if you would like to read more.

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

Williams Family: We Did The Castaway Cay Sandbar Beach Excursion AGAIN!