Castaway Cay Wind Concern!

[ThatDisneyGal]

So excited for our first Disney cruise this weekend but a bit concerned about the weather forecast specifically the wind situation, especially at Castaway Cay. I’ve seen reports of not being able to port there because of wind. I know it’s early and things can easily change (we go to Disney almost every year so we are used to this kind of forecast) but with 3 kids I would like to be able to prepare them ahead of time and manage their expectations on whether we are likely going to be able to have a beach day or not! Any information from past similar experiences would be much appreciated. It is only a 3 night wish cruise and we will not be going off the boat otherwise. Thank you so much!!!

 

[happycamper47]

Is CC your first stop? If so and no other ship is there they may switch it. We did that in 2022 on the Dream.

 

[71 Truck]

Over the years, out of the 14 cruises we have done with Disney, we have only missed Castaway Cay once due to weather and it was because of wind. This was back in may 2001, our first Disney Cruise.

Since then we have sailed in spring time and winter time and have not missed being able to dock on the island so far, but that can always change.

As a side note our first cruise on NCL that was back in February of 2020 and we could not dock on their island due to wind.

Over the years that we have been to Castaway Cay, at times we noticed certain activity's being canceled because of the weather so this is also something to think about.

 

[Mags2002]

The Captain will do everything they can to get that ship into port but sometimes it’s just not possible. There really is no way to know in advance whether this will happen or not. I have been a CM for years and this has only happened to me a handful of times. It’s more likely that you’ll be able to dock but it won’t be beach weather or other activities will be cancelled.
And like @happycamper47 said, if they can switch the schedule then they’ll try and do that too

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Wind and tide. No predictions, but manage expectations

 

[Erica1016]

Depending on the ages of your kids, could you just explain that you're hoping to get to a really cool beach, but it will depend on the weather. That it is a really large ship and sometimes it can be hard?

If they're too little to understand that, maybe don't mention the beach at all and it will be a great surprise if it all works out?

I imagine that since your trip is this weekend, you may have already discussed Castaway. I think just manage the expectations by explaining that it's not a guarantee.

While I know that there are plenty of times that Castaway gets missed, I know they really try to get there. Hopefully, it all works out on your trip!

 

[onesam319]

Good luck! We have never missed docking at Castaway Cay in 6 cruises. Our last cruise in early December 2023 had no trouble docking, but by the afternoon the wind caused Serenity Bay to be closed. The family beach was open all day. It has a nice sea wall for protection. Have fun. We have to wait for over a year until our next cruise!

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

We've been to CC 18 times and only missed once due to weather. It happens, but it's unusual in our experience

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We've done 6 DCL cruises that had CC as a port and never missed it yet.

 

[Lorana]

We've sailed 8 times, and we missed Castaway Cay once, in January 2023, due to high winds. The biggest disappointment was really for my SIL and her family -- it was the first, and likely only, Disney cruise, as it was a special treat from us as they cannot usually afford it. We were originally supposed to sail Nov 2020, so there was a LOT of managing expectations with the kids as things got canceled and rebooked again and again, and then by the time we went, the twins were 11 and not as into the kids club as we knew they would have been were they 8 as intended when we first planned it! We still had a lovely time, however!

 

[auntlynne]

(Slightly/ seriously tongue in cheek) Promise your children nothing. Even on the ship. No “we’re going to the beach tomorrow.” There will be enough broken promises in their futures.

Otherwise, if you already leaked the plans, it’s “if the weather is okay, we go to the beach.”

Let yourself be the one who knows the plans and faces the heartbreak of shattered dreams.

I wish you were laughing with me right now. But I am serious. Children don’t neeed built-up enthusiasm. They enjoy simple things - like the box from the expensive gift.

…We have never missed Castaway Cay due to weather.

 

[holula]

I’ve never missed CC due to weather (9/9) but I’ve had a couple of trips where it wasn’t pleasant to be on the beach due to the wind. So even if you dock it might be too windy to enjoy it.

 

[ThatDisneyGal]

Thank you all so much! We are still so excited for our first cruise and VERY thankful that we booked Yacht Club for 2 days after our cruise this weekend. The weather still looks bad for our actual cruise but great for our time at Yacht Club so I’m just glad my little ones will still have some sand/“beach time” regardless! In the meantime, we will keep our expectations in check and hope for the best!!

 

[kiford]

The weather still looks bad for our actual cruise

Just be prepared with alternate plans, go with the flow, and remember that the weather can be very changeable. On our cruise last September, I checked the forecast on the day before the cruise for every single port. It said to expect rain every day, including heavy rains (25-30 mm) on one day. It was absolutely some of the most beautiful weather we'd ever had on a cruise. It seemed like the bad weather was always there the day before we arrived.

 

[MrMagoo]

We had 1 time we almost didn't get to dock at CC. It was a very windy day but the captain kept trying and finally
docked about 10am. All activities were cancelled because it was still very windy and due to the late docking.
We went to serenity bay and didn't notice much wind. On our return back to the ship at 3:30 we found the wind. The family beach was empty and there was a LOT of sand flying around. There were even sand drifts on the walkways!!!
And because the crew did not have enough time to set up the BBQ lunch, we only had sandwiches that had been prepared on the ship.

So even if it is windy, the captain may still try to dock but don't expect many activities.

 

[gmang]

We have never missed due to any kind of weather.

 

[Dug720]

I have technically made it every time, but once was touch and go and had it been anyone other than Commodore Tom helming the ship we would have skipped it and once was one half of a double dip where we technically made it but due to a storm that did not move like everything said it would we never got off.

Manage expectations as others have said. If they cannot port, the cruise director and staff will pull out extra activities.

 

[stardust190]

We were unable to dock at Castaway Cay in January 2016, but have been 2 other times (October and March) without issue. We were very bummed when we couldn't dock as it was our first cruise and we had been looking forward to it. Looking back on it we had a blast on the trip. Sure it was a bummer we didn't make it there, but there was so much to do and we got over it. Just enjoy the trip - things come up you can't control.

 

[Cruisinonlydisney]

We are 11 out of 12. We missed once because of high winds. The captain tried 3 times to park, with the final time being at noon. You don’t know how frustrating it is when you are standing on the top deck, on a perfectly sunny day, watching them trying to dock this huge ship. You are so close that just want to jump off and swim the rest of the way in! We were of course disappointed, but I felt worse for the people that wanted to experience it for their very first time. One more reason for them to book again!! We totally understood, safety first. So pleased that the captain did not give up and multiple attempts.

 

[RedHead0186]

Keep in mind it's not just the wind, but the current (both speed and direction) that affect docking at CC. So even if the wind isn't that bad, the current could be 'wrong' for docking. So you really never know for sure until you're there. Best to keep expectations low and be (hopefully) pleasantly surprised that things work out. And if you can't dock, you'll have an awesome sea day. We couldn't dock on the Wish last April (mostly due to mechanical issues) and the cast members 'swapped' to have more activities, etc. on the ship. So you'll have a great experience either way.