Disney Fantasy Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We were looking for a tropical get away over the December holidays for our family of four (12 yr old boy and 11 yr old girl). Reading the reviews we expected that Disney had the best full family experience...ample activites for the kids and adults. We expected that we could find adult entertainment free of Disney "kiddie" fluff, and that our pre-teens would be happy with the tween activities, which might periodically include familiar Disney characters or theatrics.
I preface the rest of this review by pointing out we are not Disney fanatics, nor particularly loyal to any brands (cruise lines, sports teams, car manufacturers, etc.). Since we are not into Disney (parents or adults) we would NOT recomment this cruise line to similarly minded families. The adult entertainment focused on Disney brand movies (Star Wars, Marvel - Dr Strange, FInding Dory), but other acts were slim. We did manage to find two 45 minute shows (one comedy and one magic), but the remainder of evening enteratinment was broadway type theatrics with Disney characters (think Mickey and Pluto dancing about with adult over-actors) or singers who sing vocals for Disney animated movies. As a result we had more than a normal amount of time free to relax by the adult pool.
The kids enjoyed the kids club about as much as other cruise lines we've sailed. The pro was that there were many more kids on the ship that matched up with their ages. The con was that there were many more kids on the ship. so they they didn't form as close a relationship as they have on previous cruises that had fewer kids. The kids didn't hate the cruise, but didn't seem to like it any better (other than that there were more movies and shows on the in-cabin TV and continually blasting over the pool).
Cabin Review
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
Our state room was comparable to other staterooms of similar ships we've sailed. There did appear to be a few more outlets for charging electronics than normal and the bathroom was split into two (a toilet and sink room and a shower and sink room). This was unnecessary for us, but might work better for some families.
Our state room was on the 9th level, forward section of the ship. It was always quiet and vibration free, but had a little more side to side motion with slightly more up and down motion. Nothing different than a similarly sized ship in similar seas. We typically shoot for a mid-ship, middle-deck, stateroom to balance reduced motion with reduced engine vibration and ease of access to the rest of the ship...something we seek on all voyages.
Port Reviews
Castaway Cay
High winds and strong current delayed our stop at Castaway Cay...as a result all excursions were cancelled and no food was available during our visit.
There is more than an ample amount of beach chairs and room to spread out and relax, so people running to get spots was funny in retrospect.