Disney Cruise (Part 2)

This is part 2 of my Disney Cruise review and it will focus on entertainment, events and staff, which are a HUGE part of this wonderful experience.  I think the Disney magic did something very special to our cruise experience and I'm really glad we picked this one to be our first cruise. 

The Disney Cruise is a great vacation for all families and people of all ages, but when you have little kids the whole thing is that much more special.. and it was for us! 

Here are a few other aspects to review:

  Character Spotting: It's character's galore at the Disney cruise.. and I really mean it.. they are EVERYWHERE... Not only are they super easy to access (although some of them do have crazy lines), but they also have the cutest costumes that are exclusive to the cruise.  Character spotting is incredibly organized; they show up at specific spots and designated times, which makes it very easy to plan your day and you picture snapping sessions.  We were able to see all of the main characters in different attires and the girls were thrilled to take advantage of this opportunity. By the time the last night rolled around, they were "charactered out", which proves my theory of "characters galore".  If you don't like characters (although this would be hard to imagine), you can always avoid them and skip this activity.

Events and Entertainment: I know cruises are supposed to be relaxing, but honestly there were so many things to do on this Disney Cruise that relaxing was not on my priority list (although I did get to sleep in and such). The cruise agenda is jammed packed with fun activities, shows, parties and all sorts of entertainment.  On the first day, there is the "Adventure's Away" party, which is a wonderful way to start your vacation.  There are also several plays, movie showings, musicals, etc...

But the most important of all events is probably the "Pirates IN the Caribbean" party, which is pirate themed party that takes over the whole ship.  It is so much fun to see everyone wearing their pirate outfits and enjoying great music and a crazy dessert buffet.  All the characters are dressed up in their pirate outfits too and the whole thing ends with Mickey zip lining down to the party and a great display of fireworks at sea.  Definitely one of the highlights of the cruise; it was one of the best nights and portions of our cruise.  

The girls with Nadia- from Ukraine

  Service & Staff: I can say with confidence that the Disney company is simply GENIUS when it comes to service and staff and of course this cruise was not the exception.  To say that I was "wowed" by the friendliness and effectiveness of our cruise staff would be a serious understatement; the way they do things is simply marvelous...
According to our cruise director, there were over 1,000 crew members on the ship, all of them extremely attentive and cordial. Everyone from the entertainers, to the hosts, bar tenders, restaurant attendants, etc...they were just awesome.
The room service was spectacular; our stateroom was serviced at least twice a day and that included cozy blankets, funny towel animals and the whole nine yards...
Then there are the servers and dinner staff.. Wow... All servers and assistants rotate with the guests among the different restaurants so we got to be served by the same people every night.  I would be lying if I said we didn't get attached to Nadia and Fabio (our servers); they were so amazing.. by the time our cruise ended, they knew exactly our tastes and likes.. it was awesome.. I almost cried when it was time to say good bye to these wonderful people... Disney, you get an A+ for service and staff! :)

Amenities: As you can expect, the ship was not short on amenities...it basically had everything you may need or not need in your life.
There were tons of bars, lounges, stores, restaurants, theaters, a beautiful gym, etc.  But the best amenity of all was probably the "Oceaneer Club", a fun place for the kids to play and spend all they if they wanted to.  This club features daily events and activities geared to children 3-12 years old (there are also clubs for older kids and a nursery for younger ones). The club has a secure check-in system, which gives parents peace of mind; each kids is given a special "Mickey Band", which they keep on throughout the cruise; this band is scanned every time they kids go to the club and the parents assign a password to their account, in which they can designate the people who will be allowed to retrieve the children (it is also water proof, so they can go in the pool with it too!)The girls absolutely LOVED their time at the club and even got attached to some of the youth counselors that worked there... What a great feature!

Olivia at Pluto's PJ party (one of the Oceaneer Club activities)

This is a picture of the amazing gym, located on Deck 9 (right by the SPA).  Look at the treadmills looking to the water!  Even I wanted to exercise! What a great place!

I hope you have enjoyed reading Part 2 of my Disney Cruise review.  There are still some things left to review, which I will complete on Part 3 of this series.  

If you're not convinced you'd like to take this cruise some day, you need to read the last part of the review... and if you are convinced...you need to read it too! ;)

Happy Blogging!