Share a recap of our Disney Cruise #5 on Wish! Unfortunately this post is not sponsored or sponsored in any way. just sharing my thoughts!
Hello friends! How’s the day going? I hope you had a wonderful afternoon. I’m here between client appointments and getting ready for the second part of the day. Picking up the kids and taking them to after school activities and home is like a whole day in itself.
So let’s switch to vacation mode! Today, I’m sharing a recap of our recent Disney cruise. It was P’s birthday and the timing ended up matching up perfectly with my trip to RHS in Orlando, so we thought we’d turn it into a birthday celebration with some Disney World fun (on the pilot’s birthday!) and cruise time.
We are so happy that the pilot’s sister and niece were able to join us, in addition to some of our closest friends and travel buddies. We are officially obsessed with Disney cruising. It’s the perfect combination of family time, adults, delicious food, shows, a variety of ports, and Disney’s cleanliness and service that make it stand out. It was our 5th Disney cruise and as of now, we have no desire to try another cruise line lol.
Disney Wish (Castaway Cay and Bahamas)
Disney Wish Review
Wish is one of Disney’s newest ships and was absolutely gorgeous. One of the most exciting locations was the patio, which has a lighted Cinderella skirt chandelier and was decorated for Halloween while we were there. (It was a Halloween cruise on the High Seas.)
We definitely had to get used to the layout of the ship, since everything was new to us. The restaurants were different, and the kids were PUMPED to check out the kids club. Our cruise was only three nights, but we had plenty of time to explore and take advantage of the amenities and entertainment.
Advantages:
– Children’s Club. The kids club was SO cool. The kids clubs on the other Disney ships are absolutely amazing, but this was next level. I can’t even fully explain it. you must watch this video. P and Nylah especially loved designing their own roller coaster and getting into the kids club.
– The performances! I feel the talent and entertainment on this ship was the best we have experienced. This is saying a lot because Disney puts a lot of emphasis on high production quality. The shows were excellent and I was particularly impressed with the Pirate Deck party and the Sail A Wave party right as we were leaving the harbor. The music and dancing were upbeat and everyone cheered when the characters came out to dance on stage – it was so cute.
– The Aqua Mouse. The kids rode the Aqua Mouse slide at least 15 times while we were on the cruise. It has a Disney short that you will watch in the tunnel on your double tube (no single riders) and then you will be pushed towards the main water slide which is incredible. P and I did it three times in a row since it was Castaway Cay day and there was no line!
– Quick bites. They have new quick bite areas on the pool deck and they were SO good. BBQ pork, chicken, brisket and all the sides, and a build-your-own taco, bowl and burrito canteen.
There’s also the usual pizza place and the “American food” place with nuggets, pizza and mac and cheese and all-you-can-eat ice cream.
– Ports of call. We stopped at Castaway Cay – Disney’s private island – where we swam, snorkeled and rented bikes.
We also stopped in Nassau where we took a day trip to Atlantis. Atlantis was amazing. We are planning to take a family trip there so we have more time to explore. The kids did all the water slides (including this one) and we also enjoyed the beach and bay.
– Additional holiday themed activities. They had an Oogie Boogie bash on the ship, the characters were in their Halloween costumes and there were also Halloween decorations and themed desserts in the candy store.
Disadvantages:
– Main dining room rotation food. We were not blown away by the main dining room food this time. The best was in Arendale, which had live performances. The interactive experience at Worlds of Marvel was fun, but the food was incredible.
– Gift shop! We felt the gift shop was on the smaller side and didn’t have a lot of wish-specific merchandise.
– Too short! We all agreed that cruises should be at least 5 nights 😉
All in all, it was another magical trip and more fun cruise memories with family and friends!
Disney Cruise Tips
Some of my top tips for a Disney cruise:
– Prepare a swimming bag and keep it with you when you check in. (You will leave the rest of your luggage and it will be delivered to your room when it is ready.) The pools and hot tub are open and will be the least crowded for the entire cruise. Ride the water slide and take advantage of the food and ice cream! Try to check in as early as possible for pool and lunch time.
– Decorate your door with door magnets. They have so many on Etsy!
– I also recommend taking magnetic hooks for the room (the walls are magnetic) to hang swimsuits to dry or anything else you need to hang.
– I like to have water shoes for the kids, especially if you have a day trip or beach trip.
– Pack your own collapsible beach toys – much cheaper – and you can repackage or donate to another family.
– Be strategic about your time on board. The kids wanted extra time in the pool, and a great opportunity is when everyone else gets away from the ship. We had already been to Castaway Cay so we stayed on the boat and did laundry while the kids rode the slide several times because it was empty. We had lunch and then went down to Castaway Cay as a ton of people were returning to the ship. Castaway was much less crowded!
– Pack a pop-up hamper and laundry containers if you plan to do laundry. I always like to do laundry on the last day. Unpacking clean clothes is a little less stressful after a trip.
– Everything is in the Disney cruise app, including daily navigator meal changes, excursion registrations and extra activities. You can also message your party members from the app!
– Room service. You can get room service anytime, and it’s included. it’s enough to give a tip. Nothing like getting a piece of the “cake of the day” or some Mickey ice cream bars for the kids. If you pick up a carafe of coffee in the evening, it’s still hot and perfect when you wake up! I also love the coffee shops on board (not included but worth it for a decaffeinated almond milk latte with Moana printed on the foam haha).
– Bring motion sickness supplies just in case. I always have one little dramamine and motion sickness zones in my backpack if we need it.
– One of my biggest trips is using Amex Platinum. We use it for free lounge access when we travel, in addition to hotel rooms and perks. We’ll often get early check-ins, late check-outs, room upgrades when available, and sometimes hotel dining credits. It was amazing. Check it out with my referral link here!
So tell me, friends: are you a cruise fan? What’s next on your holiday bucket list??
xoxo
Gina
More:
Disney Wonder Baja Cruise
Disney Magic Bahamas and Castaway Cay
Disney Wonder Alaska Cruise
Disney Dream Italy and Greece Mediterranean cruise
