5 nights on Disney Fantasy as first cruise?

[pixiedust33]

My husband, then 4.5 year old son, and I are thinking about booking a 5 night Bahamian cruise out of Port Canaveral in March 2026 on the Fantasy. What do you all think about this cruise for first timers who have concerns about motion sickness generally? I was leaning towards a three night cruise because of that fear but have also heard you should do a minimum of 5 nights to settle in. Do you all agree?

A few other specific questions I'd love insight on:

1. I was initially draw to the Pixar day at sea because my son loves Buzz Lightyear, but it seems it's only in early March and we had intended to go late March because of school break when we don't have childcare. I would love more information on what that involves exactly and if it's worth changing our intended dates for.
2. Is a 4.5 year old too young for midship detective agency with adult help? My kid LOVES a scavenger hunt and a mystery so I think would be very into the concept, but not sure if it would just frustrate him if it's meant for older kids who can read?
3. Highly unlikely my kid will go to the kids club except on day 1 when we can explore with him, which is fine with me bc we're used to hanging as a trio, but curious to hear about activities you all loved doing as a family with preschool age kids? All of the kid-specific reviews I've found seem to focus on the kids clubs but I'm sure there's other stuff
4. Is there any Marvel/superhero stuff on this ship/itinerary or would I be better off looking for a different cruise for my superhero obsessed kid? Buzz would also satisfy him in a pinch, but he really loves the avengers.
5. Can anyone confirm you can get a passport stamp if you disembark at the Bahamas and go to the customs building at the port and ask? Apparently very important to my husband.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

We did a five night on the Dream for our first cruise and loved it. Felt it was the perfect length of cruise, and we loved the Fantasy’s sister ship.

I can only recommend not staying in an aft room due to vibration issues on that class of ship.

 

[Skippyboo]

No one stamps your passport in the Bahamas. They don’t even stamp it when you get back to PC. It’s facial recognition.

For Midship Detective, you pick the case you want to solve from one of the stations on deck 2 or 5. You get a map, pencil and card. The card you hold in front of various paintings around the ship and it interacts with you giving you a clue. Lots of walking involved.

 

[pixiedust33]

No one stamps your passport in the Bahamas. They don’t even stamp it when you get back to PC. It’s facial recognition.

I understand that they don't stamp it as a matter of course, but I've seen online reports from within the last few years when I've googled it that there is a customs building on the dock that you can go to and request a stamp (as a souvenir, essentially, rather than a necessity - but it's a real stamp from the Bahamian government, not a novelty stamp). I was hoping someone could confirm if they've actually done that. I know you all are also anonymous internet people but I trust the people here to have good information more than the randoms on reddit

 

[sponica]

We did 4 nights as a first cruise with the kiddos.
A) My then 3 year old (now almost 5) is a terrible traveler and I didn't want to gamble on a 7 night and wishing we were off the ship after 4 nights.
B) My oldest who gets carsick all the time, never got motion sickness on the ship.

My 3 year old wasn't potty trained, so we spent A LOT of time in the splashpad and just meeting characters.

I think Thor might be kicking around on the Fantasy, my friends sailed on a Western Caribbean itinerary for Pixar Day at Sea and I know I saw pictures of Thor.

 

[pixiedust33]

We did a five night on the Dream for our first cruise and loved it. Felt it was the perfect length of cruise, and we loved the Fantasy’s sister ship.

I can only recommend not staying in an aft room due to vibration issues on that class of ship.

Ahh good tip, thank you! I think I am a little late at this point to book March so the options are a bit more limited so will have to make sure to confirm I can get a good room before I actually book I think.

 

[pixiedust33]

We did 4 nights as a first cruise with the kiddos.
A) My then 3 year old (now almost 5) is a terrible traveler and I didn't want to gamble on a 7 night and wishing we were off the ship after 4 nights.
B) My oldest who gets carsick all the time, never got motion sickness on the ship.

My 3 year old wasn't potty trained, so we spent A LOT of time in the splashpad and just meeting characters.

I think Thor might be kicking around on the Fantasy, my friends sailed on a Western Caribbean itinerary for Pixar Day at Sea and I know I saw pictures of Thor.

Very helpful intel! Thank you! Did you happen to notice if there is a height MAX for the splash pads? I just searched Disney's website and it just lists ages and not heights, but I noticed in our last trip to WDW that they were also enforcing a height max. My son LOVES a splash pad and will be only 4, but he's very tall so I'm worried he might get turned away.

 

[laurelew]

We did this exact cruise this past April. My son turned 4 at the end of February so he was newly 4 at the time.

My son enjoyed playing Midship Detective. We did the Muppets, which of course was the hardest one, but my son wasn't as invested in solving the mystery as he was with using the badge card to interact with the pictures. He was able to navigate a lot of it on his own or by asking for help from mom and dad. I solved the mystery on my own the last night after he lost interest.

My son absolutely loves the goofy golf! Did he play it correctly? Nope. But he was happy to hit the ball around and we would play 3-4 times in a row before I would force him to do some else.

My son also loved the AquaDuck, which he rode twice with his dad. He still talks about it. He also liked the Dory's Reef area and the yellow Mickey slide. At LP he loved the splash pad area and would have spent all day there. Junkanoo was excellent too.

Regarding Marvel, I remember they did magic pictures where you could hold Captain America's shield. There may have been other Marvel things as well but I do not recall.

Other things my son enjoyed: watching TV in the stateroom and having uncrustables and French fries from room service. Eating a Mickey ice cream bar for dessert at dinner each night. Also he loved the theater shows! And this is a kid who would not sit still long enough to watch a movie prior to the cruise. He really enjoyed the live entertainment though! Prior to the cruise I did make a point to watch Finding Nemo with him since Animator's Palate, Cabana's, and Dory's Reef uses that IP and I think he enjoyed recognizing some of the characters from that movie in the design of the ship.

 

[pixiedust33]

We did this exact cruise this past April. My son turned 4 at the end of February so he was newly 4 at the time.

My son enjoyed playing Midship Detective. We did the Muppets, which of course was the hardest one, but my son wasn't as invested in solving the mystery as he was with using the badge card to interact with the pictures. He was able to navigate a lot of it on his own or by asking for help from mom and dad. I solved the mystery on my own the last night after he lost interest.

My son absolutely loves the goofy golf! Did he play it correctly? Nope. But he was happy to hit the ball around and we would play 3-4 times in a row before I would force him to do some else.

My son also loved the AquaDuck, which he rode twice with his dad. He still talks about it. He also liked the Dory's Reef area and the yellow Mickey slide. At LP he loved the splash pad area and would have spent all day there. Junkanoo was excellent too.

Regarding Marvel, I remember they did magic pictures where you could hold Captain America's shield. There may have been other Marvel things as well but I do not recall.

Other things my son enjoyed: watching TV in the stateroom and having uncrustables and French fries from room service. Eating a Mickey ice cream bar for dessert at dinner each night. Also he loved the theater shows! And this is a kid who would not sit still long enough to watch a movie prior to the cruise. He really enjoyed the live entertainment though! Prior to the cruise I did make a point to watch Finding Nemo with him since Animator's Palate, Cabana's, and Dory's Reef uses that IP and I think he enjoyed recognizing some of the characters from that movie in the design of the ship.

Very helpful!! Thank you! I didn't realize there is goofy golf! (the Disney website is weirdly bad at listing all of the amenities??!) He would LOVE that. We were just at the beach and he basically only wanted to play mini golf and we played like 5 rounds over a weekend. I'm glad to hear your son enjoyed the live entertainment too! I was hoping that might be a possibility for him by the time we go, because he does love music and dancing but also struggles with sitting still for a whole movie. And good tip on Finding Nemo!

 

[Dug720]

Very helpful!! Thank you! I didn't realize there is goofy golf! (the Disney website is weirdly bad at listing all of the amenities??!) He would LOVE that. We were just at the beach and he basically only wanted to play mini golf and we played like 5 rounds over a weekend. I'm glad to hear your son enjoyed the live entertainment too! I was hoping that might be a possibility for him by the time we go, because he does love music and dancing but also struggles with sitting still for a whole movie. And good tip on Finding Nemo!

The shows are like 45 minutes. Not the length of a movie.

 

[laurelew]

Very helpful!! Thank you! I didn't realize there is goofy golf! (the Disney website is weirdly bad at listing all of the amenities??!) He would LOVE that. We were just at the beach and he basically only wanted to play mini golf and we played like 5 rounds over a weekend. I'm glad to hear your son enjoyed the live entertainment too! I was hoping that might be a possibility for him by the time we go, because he does love music and dancing but also struggles with sitting still for a whole movie. And good tip on Finding Nemo!

If he loves music and dancing he will likely enjoy the shows. My son kept calling them concerts since that was his only live entertainment experience to date, lol. All of the shows had lots of singing and dancing. Of the shows on the Fantasy I believe that Frozen and Aladdin are just over one hour in run time and Believe was shorter.

 

[sponica]

Very helpful intel! Thank you! Did you happen to notice if there is a height MAX for the splash pads? I just searched Disney's website and it just lists ages and not heights, but I noticed in our last trip to WDW that they were also enforcing a height max. My son LOVES a splash pad and will be only 4, but he's very tall so I'm worried he might get turned away.

No max height that I saw, just an age max.
I have to agree with PP, my kiddo loved getting a mickey bar with dinner every night....and all the ice cream she could manage to eat. And mickey waffles at breakfast...

 

[Girl of the South]

Most countries have phased out passport stamps. Which is sad. I kind of doubt they will still be around in March of 2026 . . .

Don’t EVER get a stamp that is not official put in your passport. It will invalidate your passport immediately. Get blank sticky note stamped or a journal.

 

[ddonner]

March 2026 is a bit far out so you might be surprised with your son and the kids club. I was! My super shy boy spent hours in the club and would only get out if it was to go to the pool area, which was one of his other passions on the ship! The Fantasy is our favorite ship, so I can't scream loud enough: GO FOR IT!

 

[DVC Deac]

I understand that they don't stamp it as a matter of course, but I've seen online reports from within the last few years when I've googled it that there is a customs building on the dock that you can go to and request a stamp (as a souvenir, essentially, rather than a necessity - but it's a real stamp from the Bahamian government, not a novelty stamp). I was hoping someone could confirm if they've actually done that. I know you all are also anonymous internet people but I trust the people here to have good information more than the randoms on reddit

It’s still there. We had it done two days ago.

 

[Peaseblossom36]

I would go with the 5 night. I get motion sick on everything - swings, cars, planes, etc. I book a room midship and use the patches and am completely fine. We just did a 5 night on the Fantasy in February, prior to that we did a 7 night on the Fantasy in 2019 and the vibration was MUCH better. I would talk with your doctor about patches at an appointment before the trip, I paid $70 out of pocket for an entire box and each one lasts a few days, so came home with most of the box left. (I needed it for flying both ways too). I also brought kids Dramamine just in case but we didn't need it.

My daughter turned 4 on our cruise and loved the midship detective agency, she still brings it up and asks about doing it again (we did all of them). I wasn't sure she would like the kids club, but she did. I only dropped her off if she asked or I knew she would like an activity they were doing. The only show we made it to was Frozen but she is also still talking about how Elsa made it snow FOR REAL inside. We also watched Muppet Treasure Island before the pirate show, which she also loved. There was also a super fun dance party in the atrium with Mickey and Friends one night that was a blast.

NOTE that there is a height requirement for the AquaDuck so don't mention it exists as an option until you know if he's tall enough. I had no idea about the height requirement until we went to get in line.

The Fantasy is also my favorite ship. We have a Wish cruise next year and while I'm excited, I would have picked the Fantasy again if it was just my choice.

 

[MrMagoo]

My husband, then 4.5 year old son, and I are thinking about booking a 5 night Bahamian cruise out of Port Canaveral in March 2026 on the Fantasy. What do you all think about this cruise for first timers who have concerns about motion sickness generally? I was leaning towards a three night cruise because of that fear but have also heard you should do a minimum of 5 nights to settle in. Do you all agree?

As for motion sickness, that is going to be hit or miss. That will all depend on the weather!!
Almost all of our cruises to the Bahamas have been smooth but you just never know.
We have just been lucky!!!
The ships do rock some but generally not too bad.
Just get dramamine before you leave as it is rather expensive on the ship.
And if the ship is really rocking, they will sell out real fast!!!
You could start taking it a day before your cruise to try to minimize any seasickness you may encounter.

Between a 3 or 5 night, we used to recommend 3 night for a first cruise but now recommend nothing less than 4.
A 5 night would be just about right.
With 3 nights, you just get on the ship and then it seems you are just getting off.
You don't have time to really explore what the ship has.
A 5 night cruise will give you much more time to explore the ship without feeling rushed.

 

[pixiedust33]

Most countries have phased out passport stamps. Which is sad. I kind of doubt they will still be around in March of 2026 . . .

Don’t EVER get a stamp that is not official put in your passport. It will invalidate your passport immediately. Get blank sticky note stamped or a journal.

Just to clarify for future reference if people read this, I was not talking about getting a fake passport stamp, which I have heard are also near port. I agree it's a terrible idea and could potentially invalidate your passport (I do know people who have done it in other locations and have still been able to travel as, realistically, someone is probably unlikely to spot it unless perhaps you're getting a visa for a notoriously picky country - but I also wouldn't personally risk it, nor would I waste passport space on a fake stamp). I had heard, and somewhere here below just confirmed that you can, on request, get an actual, official passport stamp at the Bahamian customs building right at the port. We've gotten passport stamps this way in other situations where they are not generally provided, but will accommodate you upon request (such as sometimes at land crossings in Europe).

It’s still there. We had it done two days ago.

Fantastic news!! Thank you so much! This is exactly what I was hoping to confirm.

NOTE that there is a height requirement for the AquaDuck so don't mention it exists as an option until you know if he's tall enough. I had no idea about the height requirement until we went to get in line.

Thank you for this! Just checked and it's 42 inches so we will be good! Our troubles to date have more been my son being tall enough for rides he's definitely not emotionally ready for, so probably will not be an issue for us!

 

[pixiedust33]

As for motion sickness, that is going to be hit or miss. That will all depend on the weather!!
Almost all of our cruises to the Bahamas have been smooth but you just never know.
We have just been lucky!!!
The ships do rock some but generally not too bad.
Just get dramamine before you leave as it is rather expensive on the ship.
And if the ship is really rocking, they will sell out real fast!!!
You could start taking it a day before your cruise to try to minimize any seasickness you may encounter.

Between a 3 or 5 night, we used to recommend 3 night for a first cruise but now recommend nothing less than 4.
A 5 night would be just about right.
With 3 nights, you just get on the ship and then it seems you are just getting off.
You don't have time to really explore what the ship has.
A 5 night cruise will give you much more time to explore the ship without feeling rushed.

Thank you for this! My only experience with a "cruise" was an overnight crossing from the UK to the Netherlands in a fairly small ship. It rocked very noticeably and I was queasy but not totally miserable. I was once violently sea sick on a car ferry crossing though, get motion sick on swings and many rides, but do NOT typically get carsick. My son and husband do get carsick though, but only if trying to read/watch an iPad on curvy roads. So none of us get super motion sick, but just seems like it would be miserable if we did! Will definitely look into bringing some preventative stuff!

 

[WinterSolider]

We've done 5 night Bahamas twice, 3 night Bahamas, 6 night Bermuda, and 7 night Mediterranean. 5 night Bahamas is our favorite itinerary.

It's the least "adventurous" itinerary, you just plop yourself on a pool/beach chair for 5 days and relax. 3 or 4 nights is too short to get comfortable with the ship in my opinion, and 7 nights is a bigger commitment of time and money.

My kids HATE the kids clubs (10, 7, and 5 now, we've been sailing since they were 7, 4, and 1) and cruising is still their favorite thing in the world. This is going to be very unpopular for me to say, but the kids in the clubs behave like maniacs and my kids don't have the mental patience for all that hyperactivity. They'd much rather spend time in the lounges doing family crafts or hanging out on the pool deck, and we like being all together. The only times they go to the clubs are for scheduled activities like slime-making or on our last day when Mom and Dad need to keep them occupied while we pack.

The only change I would make to your plan if I were to make what I consider the most-perfect first cruise would be to do the Magic first, as the smaller ships are extremely easy to digest and the larger ships slightly more overwhelming. But I think the Magic is in Galveston next spring and my preference isn't so strong that the ship should override the dates and itinerary you prefer.

Stay on the ship in Nassau. Nassau sucks.

ETA: On seasickness, I've never been affected but my wife puked her brains out going from New York to Bermuda in October, but she's always been perfectly fine in the Caribbean.