Eating on ship while at Castaway Cay

[dtk07]

I've been looking over the limited menu for lunch on Castaway Cay and wondering if we are better off going on the boat if we are looking for something other grilled hot dogs and chicken? Nothing wrong with that kind of stuff but it really isn't too unique compared to an average summer cookout at home.

Would the offerings at Cabana's be limited or changed due to the offerings on the island?
How are the logistics of coming from the family beach, onto the boat, eat, & back off?
Would it take much time to go back and forth?

 

[gotomu212]

I wouldn’t get back on board just for lunch. If you were combining it with taking a break from the sun, kid nap time then maybe it’s worth it. You basically would take a tram (depending on which end of family beach), then walk a little distance to the dock, wait to get on the ship, then walk to Cabanas- that can take a fair amount of time when the Castaway buffet is right there.

The Cabanas menu will have different things but none of it is going to be spectacular in my opinion. The Castaway buffet has grilled mahi, chicken, burgers, a few sides and slaws-it’s not my favorite but it’s okay for the few hours we are there.

 

[PlutoDisney]

We are not huge fans of the food selection on Castaway Cay. We have eaten it before but on our last cruise we skipped it and ate at Cabanas. We are not huge beach people so don't mind less time on the beach. On our last cruise we did the 5K then back on board showered and ate lunch at Cabanas then back to Castaway Cay for some beach/snorkel time. If you know that's what you want to do just be off the boat in good time to have a decent time at the beach then return for lunch and back out afterwards. The tram doesn't take all that long and you can walk if you didn't want to wait for the tram. Cabanas was really quiet, plenty of tables and food well stocked. We ate a far better selection of food there than we would have done on Castaway. We plan to do the same again on our cruise in December.

 

[mousefan73]

We are not huge fans of the food selection on Castaway Cay. We have eaten it before but on our last cruise we skipped it and ate at Cabanas. We are not huge beach people so don't mind less time on the beach. On our last cruise we did the 5K then back on board showered and ate lunch at Cabanas then back to Castaway Cay for some beach/snorkel time. If you know that's what you want to do just be off the boat in good time to have a decent time at the beach then return for lunch and back out afterwards. The tram doesn't take all that long and you can walk if you didn't want to wait for the tram. Cabanas was really quiet, plenty of tables and food well stocked. We ate a far better selection of food there than we would have done on Castaway. We plan to do the same again on our cruise in December.

How much “travel” time did it take from beach to cabanas. I have been tossing this idea in my head too.

 

[Marc D]

How much “travel” time did it take from beach to cabanas. I have been tossing this idea in my head too.

It depends on how fast you walk and where you a starting from, but I would guess around 20-30 min from the beach chair to entering Cabanas.

 

[dtk07]

It depends on how fast you walk and where you a starting from, but I would guess around 20-30 min from the beach chair to entering Cabanas.

Not too terrible

 

[Chemist]

I think it would eat up an insane amount of your day.
Probably 20-30 minutes EACH direction. That's an hour round trip!

I suspect that by the time you haul yourself back to the ship, intertia will set in and you won't go back.

 

[bumbershoot]

I suspect that by the time you haul yourself back to the ship, intertia will set in and you won't go back.

That almost certainly would happen to us. It's why we won't take swim breaks when at the parks.

I get off the ship and do the ~5K, and I like going back to the ship to shower, sunscreen, and suit up AND meet with DH and DS who sleep in, and we're successful getting off the ship in the morning like that, but if I did it in the afternoon and ate? Nope. And since I really really like the Cay, and want to be there and not on the ship, I stay on the island once I've retrieved the family.

 

[Partyof4LA]

The food is nothing special. It is decent enough that I don't feel unsatisfied after we eat. But the convenience of having it right off the beach (and the fact that I don't have to pay anything extra or carry cash with me) is part of what I like most about castaway cay.
To us, food is often one of the hardest logistics on the other ports. We truck back to the ship to have a late lunch those days and by the time we are back onboard, never want to go back out. So I appreciate the extra time we can spend on the beach at castaway without having to do that.
With kids in tow, grabbing bags and other belongings from the beach, then walking at even a moderate rate, going back for lunch will eat a good bit of your day.

 

[MUN]

I've been looking over the limited menu for lunch on Castaway Cay and wondering if we are better off going on the boat if we are looking for something other grilled hot dogs and chicken? Nothing wrong with that kind of stuff but it really isn't too unique compared to an average summer cookout at home.

Would the offerings at Cabana's be limited or changed due to the offerings on the island?
How are the logistics of coming from the family beach, onto the boat, eat, & back off?
Would it take much time to go back and forth?

What kind of food are you looking for?

 

[darnheather]

I find the food a nice change from Cabanas for the day. I love the bbq ribs and potato salad. My kids like having hot dogs or burgers which they usually don't have on the ship. The desserts are also fun.

If I didn't like the food I'd go to the beach a bit late and get back on the ship early rather than try to split my day.

 

[Uncleromulus]

WE eat lunch at Cabanas each CC day. They have a "full" menu--last lunch there on CC day I had pizza, Chicken Pot Pie, Mango Grouper, and Pork Schnitzle!!

Should note there were a lot of crew members eating there that day--no doubt since most passengers were on shore...

 

[Trera]

We are beach people and usually get a cabana, so the time it would take to go back to the ship, eat, and get back to the beach isn't worth it to us. CC is the highlight of our trip many times.

 

[jcriket]

It’s so convenient to stay and eat the barbecue. The food isn’t that bad. With all the sides we always find enough to satisfy. And for desert get two of those big island cookies and put some self serve ice cream between them. If you like the beach I would stay

 

[cruiser21]

I think it would eat up an insane amount of your day.
Probably 20-30 minutes EACH direction. That's an hour round trip!

I suspect that by the time you haul yourself back to the ship, intertia will set in and you won't go back.

Seriously, do you crawl? It's a 10 minute walk at most. It's not even a mile probably not even a half mile. I could walk to the adult beach on the other side of the island in 30 minutes.

 

[MSPeeler]

Seriously, do you crawl? It's a 10 minute walk at most. It's not even a mile.

Well, OP didn't say who they are traveling with, but in my experience if you have kids/babies or even elderly (my in-laws) with you... it can take longer than 10 minutes. I guarantee that!

 

[Shanti]

How much “travel” time did it take from beach to cabanas. I have been tossing this idea in my head too.

It's a not short walk from the beach to the ship, then you have to go through security, then go up to Cabanas. I'd allow 30 minutes for that- aka an hour round trip. Not worth it if you plan on spending most of your day on the island.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Depends on how you want to spend your day. We love the island, but some do not love it, or can't take the sun, have little ones etc. It is a bunch of time back and forth. I don't know, I find the menu a nice change from main dinning and well themed as to being on an island. I am pretty fussy (not a hot dog/hamburger eater) and always manage to find something to eat. The tomato salad is especially good. Have fun on your cruise!

 

[Chemist]

Seriously, do you crawl? It's a 10 minute walk at most. It's not even a mile probably not even a half mile. I could walk to the adult beach on the other side of the island in 30 minutes.

Children. Small-ish ones with short legs.
Who are hot. And hungry. And grumpy about walking away from the beach.

 

[MariaJ]

I don't eat meat and find the lunch selection disappointing on CC. I have also toyed with the idea of going back to the ship to eat at Cabanas. I'll decide that day. Last year during the Christmas cruise, we had to wait to dock so time was very limited on the island. This year's is a double dip so we'll see. The question is a valid one!