Wednesday

Ahoy Matey

One of the most fun events during a Disney Cruise is Pirates IN the Caribbean Night! This is usually Castaway Cay night on 3 and 4 night cruises but could be a different night on 7 day cruises. The festivities kick off before dinner when Mickey & Minnie come to their character meet and greet in their Pirate attire. Guests are also encouraged to dress up for the evening by donning their best pirate costume (eye patch anyone?). If you just can't summon your inner Jack Sparrow then no worries tropical attire works too! Characters around the ship this night include Jack Sparrow himself, Captain Hook, Smee and Peter Pan.

On the 4 or more night sailings the three main dining rooms all have the same Pirate Menus on Pirate night with some delicious seafood featured. After dinner the real party kicks off! They have a kid-friendly pirate party at 8pm at the pool deck. There will be some dancing, singing and special surprises awaiting for the littlest pirates. After the second seating dinner there is more action up by the pool. More dancing, singing, a short skit and fireworks! That's right..fireworks..right from the ship itself! Disney is the only cruise line to do a fireworks show from sea. And if you know Disney you know their fireworks shows are spectacular!

After the fireworks show there is a dessert buffet set up and more adult entertainment on the pool deck.

For guests sailing aboard the Disney Fantasy, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique transforms into the Pirate’s League on Pirate Night. Here swashbuckling boys, girls and grownups can get ready for the pirate life. Each guest gets an official pirate name then it’s off to Muster Station for applications of beards and bandanas, swords and scars, earrings and eye patches – all done with the savvy skill of a pirate master.

Get ready for swashbuckling good time!


Monday

Disney Cruise Rotational Dining

One of the unique things about Disney cruising is the Rotational Dining they use on the ships. Upon checking in each family is assigned a dining time (Main or Second Seating), a table number and a dining rotation. Your Key to the World Card will list a series of codes that tell you what dining room you are assigned to eat in on which night. This information will also be located on tickets waiting for you inside your stateroom. There are 3 main dining rooms on the ships and you will have the opportunity to eat in each dining room at least 1 time during your cruise. The unique thing is that your servers will rotate with you! You will meet your serving team at dinner on your first night. They will quickly learn about your family and will happily meet you in each dining room during your cruise. They will also make sure you know which dining room to go to the next evening and they will serve you breakfast on debarkation day.

Each dining room is very different both in the menu and decor. The rotational dining is a great opportunity to see different dining rooms and experience different menu options. It's wonderful to have the serving team follow you from dining room to dining room as well. They really take the effort to learn what your family likes and dislikes. You'll go home and really miss having that drink waiting for you at the table when you arrive for your dining time and having the "crumb comb" cleaning up after you each evening!

Tuesday

No Kids Allowed

My husband and I went on a Disney cruise this past September. We left our 4 kids at home. Yep..we, 2 adults, went on a Disney cruise without kids. By choice! When we told people what we were doing we got a lot of funny looks. Like people couldn't believe we were going on a Disney cruise WITHOUT kids. We absolutely loved it and in fact, booked another adult only cruise for this year!

Let's see if I can answer some common mis-understandings about traveling on a Disney cruise without kids:

Weren't there kids every where? I'm sure there was but honestly, we didn't notice. We sat at a dinner table with 6 other adults - 2 other couples and a pair of sisters that were traveling together. When we wanted to go to the pool we went to the adult only pool..where no kids are allowed. When we wanted to hang out after the shows we went to the adult only lounges. Again..there is strict monitoring to ensure that no kids are in those adult-only areas. At Castaway Cay - same thing..adult only beach! And the spa - heaven! And again..no kids allowed at the spa!

Isn't everything for kids on a Disney Cruise? Absolutely not! There is TONS of adult only entertainment. The ships have a fabulous cruise staff who puts on great programming for adults. From games at the pool to lively parties in the late evening there is always something going on.

What about those characters everywhere? While there are tons of opportunities to see Disney characters onboard we didn't seek out any characters so this wasn't a big deal to us. We occasionally would walk by a character meet & greet but we never stopped to say hi.

If you and your sweetie or girlfriends want to take an adult only trip I highly recommend a Disney cruise. It can be a very relaxing, peaceful and fun way to vacation! The service is unparalleled, the food amazing and the entertainment is fabulous!

Saturday

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique...for the Princess (or Pirate) at sea.

+We got a glimpse at the Fantasy's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique today! Here, your young cruiser can be transformed into a princess or pirate at sea by one of the boutique's Fairy Godmothers!
The salon is really fit for a princess, complete with comfortable "thrones" and full length mirrors.


With the purchase of a Castle Package, your princess can choose which princess she's like to become in the Boutique's dressing area...



















Pricing at the Boutique is as follows:
The Coach Package-includes choice of a hair style, shimmering makeup, face gem, cinch sack, and princess sash-$54.95

The Crown Package-All of The Coach Package plus nails-$59.95


The Castle Package-All of The Crown Package, plus choice of costume, coordinating wand, tiara and shoes-$184.85...choices shown below...
The Fantasy (exclusive to The Disney Fantasy)-All of the Crown Package plus tutu, sparkling t-shirt and head band-$119.95
Under The Sea (exclusive to Disney Fantasy)-your choice of swimsuit, cover up, vibrant sunblock application, floral clip, necklace and nail polish-$99.95


Boys and Girls can enjoy one of the Pirates League Packages-$34.95 for the basic, and $99.95 if you want a full costume.


If you've got a large budget and your child really wants to get into character, you can purchase The Royal Sea package. For just $595.00, your little princess will get a Rolling Royal Trunk, plus three makeover experiences including The Castle Package, Under The Sea package, and The Pirates League package. Plus she will receive a Boutique frame with a photo of the Fairy Godmother and a special invitation with a glass slipper necklace and a keepsake glass slipper.


As you can see, there is plenty of opportunity for kids to be pampered on The Disney Fantasy in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique...it's their own private spa! Be sure to make reservations, as appointment times fill up fast! Check back for new entries as we continue to explore the Fantasy! And don't forget to enter our giveaway...time is running out!

Friday

Disney Fantasy: First Look

Greetings from Port Canaveral! We just caught our first live look of the Fantasy. The Fantasy looks much like her sister, the Dream. Both are impressive in size and appearance!
The lobby is just as impressive as the other ships. I thought it would be hard to top the art deco style of the Disney Dream, but the Fantasy's art nouveau flair does not disappoint.





\A few guests had already found the pool deck, and were already relaxing by one of the Fantasy's pools before the Sail Away party! Check out the AquaDuck surrounding the pool deck!
Keep checking back for more photos and information from Disney's newest ship! And don't forget to "like" us on the left side of your screen and comment on some posts to qualify for our giveaway!

Thursday

We're leavin' on a cruise ship....

Don't know if we'll be back again!

Of course we'll be back, full of information and pictures to share, but for now, we're focused on going! We are so excited to have the chance to do a preview cruise on the Fantasy, and we want to be prepared. As we were packing and making preparations, we thought it would be fun to share some of our tips and tricks for getting ready for a Disney cruise! Although we could go on and on with tons of info on this topic, we'll keep it to the very important basics...for now! Although you can apply these packing tips to most of the cruise itineraries Disney has to offer, these are great tips especially for the 3, 4 and 5 night Bahamian itineraries. Obviously if you go to Alaska, you might pack a little differently, as you would for a 7-8 night cruise as well.

1. Clothes. Don't forget these. They are very important. When choosing what to wear on your cruise, think cool and comfortable. On deck, casual is great. For the dining room, Disney requests that guests do not wear shorts or swimsuits. No sleeveless shirts here guys. Jeans are fine unless it is "Dress-Up Night" in which case many men like to wear jackets and women kick it up a notch with dressier outfits as well. If you are dining at Remy, jackets are required for men and women should wear dresses or pantsuits. Also, do not forget your pirate attire if you want to get dressed up for "Pirate Night." Do not forget your underwear, swimsuits, cover ups, a waterproof jacket just in case in gets cooler in the night and/or rains, and any workout clothes you might want. Hats and visors come in mighty handy on these sunny vacations too!

***Attention Ladies: Although those short flowing skirts/sundresses can be totally super cute, unless you have on totally super cute underwear that you want everyone to see, you might want to avoid them. One gust of wind on deck, and you'll be pulling a Marilyn Monroe, which I don't recommend, unless of course, you actually LOOK like Marilyn Monroe. Personally, I will be sticking to the capri pants and non-flowing sundresses. ***

2. Toiletries. You know what you need here. Disney does provide H2O Plus Spa products, including shampoo, conditioner, lotion and facial soap in your stateroom. But some extras to think about might be anti-nausea aids and pain relievers...not to mention any other prescription or otc medicines you might need for the trip. I'll add sunblock here too-bring tons.

3. Electronic-type items. Cameras. Extra batteries and memory cards. Ipods, tablets, cell phones, laptops, chargers, etc. (There is an extra charge on board for internet connection, and you may want to check with your cell phone company before opting to use your phone at sea). You also might want to bring a sound machine if you need white noise to help you sleep. There is an Ipod docking station in the stateroom, but for you fellow Android users, you might want to throw in an auxiliary cable (or your own player).

4. Carry-On bag. This is very important, because once you board the ship, it may be a few hours before you see your luggage. It is a good idea to carry a swimsuit and a change of clothes that would be suitable for dinner, as well as your camera (there will be plenty of great photo ops before/as soon as you board, and you don't want to miss them). Carry on any medications you may need as well as some sunblock, sunglasses, and a hat. Snacks, water bottles, juice boxes, etc. are also a good idea. And although Disney does a great job of entertaining guests in the port while they're waiting to board, a little something to entertain the kiddos might not be a bad idea just in case. Your carry-on luggage is also where you will need to place any alcohol you want to bring on the ship. Disney allows you to bring your own (awesome money saver and perk for adults), but it has to be in your carry-on. All of your paperwork and documentation (listed below) must be with you as well.

5. Paperwork/Documentation: You will need your cruise documentation including your cruise confirmation number as well as your government issued ID. Although a passport is not required to board the ship (you can use your license and birth certificate instead), we always recommend that our clients have passports in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Well, that about covers the important basics (plus a little more). We have many many more tips and tricks to help make your cruise a great one, and if we shared them all here, we'd be out of blog material. Don't forget that in order to celebrate the inaugural sailing of the Disney Fantasy, we are doing our first Sail Disney giveaway! Click here to visit the giveaway blog and enter!

Monday

Sail Disney Giveaway: Help us Celebrate the Inaugural Sailing of the Fantasty!

We are so excited about the Disney Fantasy's Inaugural sailing this month that we want to share the joy with our very first give away! You can win your choice of Disney Cruise Vinylmation AND a $25 gift card or a TMC Travel voucher worth $50. See all the details in the link below.

We are thrilled to be sailing on a preview cruise on the Fantasy this Friday. As soon as we are on board we will be busy discovering all the newest ship in Disney's fleet has to offer. We will be updating this site with a lot of great information, and lots of great photos. Stay tuned!

You can enter our contest by liking us on Facebook, liking TMC Travel on Facebook, or commenting on / liking individual blog posts...or better yet, do it all so you can have multiple entries.

We will draw a winner on March 31st to celebrate the maiden voyage. So start clicking and keep clicking! And please share us with a friend!

a Rafflecopter giveaway