How It Feels When Your Disney Castaway Cay Day Is Canceled

[JJZMgailey]

The DCL Fan team is currently sailing onboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship on a 5-night Bahamian sailing. We have a glorious itinerary for this cruise – we spent yesterday at Nassau, which is essentially an “at-sea day” for most of us as we’ve all experienced much of what there is to do there, with today being a Castaway Cay day, tomorrow is our Lookout Cay day, and the last day is another day at sea.

Read the rest of the article here https://dclfan.com/disney-cruise-ships/how-it-feels-when-your-disney-castaway-cay-day-is-canceled/

 

[Dug720]

While disappointing, I'd rather miss it all together than what happened to me on the first stop of a Double Dip. The sky looked ominous as we were docking, but all weather forecasts said it was a small squall which would pass quickly so we docked. Crew members got off and a few passengers got off - only to have to take shelter in bathrooms until they could be retrieved and taken back to the ship. The gangway was closed, but I think a combo of the forecasts still indicated it would pass and it would have been risky to try and move off-island.

Well, the "small" squall did NOT pass - it stayed ALL. DAY. LONG. So we were docked, sometimes being able to look at the island (sometimes the rain was so dense we couldn't see it) at the island but unable to get off of it.

The crew got a lot of extra stuff going on, but it was not super fun to be docked and unable to go anywhere. If they had decided to wait for it to pass to dock, we might have had a chance of at least sailing to where we could be outside.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd hate to miss CC!!! Such a beautiful island. Hope you consoled yourselves with brunch at Palo.

 

[Dug720]

Hope you consoled yourselves with brunch at Palo.

That is one thing I don't think they can add spur of the moment...

 

[hardcorestitch]

Sucks that your Castaway Cay visit got Cast-awayed by the winds. Maybe Madame Leota cursed the island?

 

[71 Truck]

On our very first Disney cruise way back in 2001 we were unable to dock due to the weather. It was a windy morning and even though the captain made several attempts when the condition looked like they were getting better they never did and he decided for safety reasons we would not dock.

With that said me having grown up on the Jersey shore I was never a beach person anyway so for me it was not a big deal, for others not being able to go to the island was a big disappointment.
Over the years the main reason I get off the ship on Cast Away Cay is to do the 5k.

On a side note, on our very first NCL cruise the same exact thing happened we could not go to the island due to bad weather.
Once again for me it wasn't a big deal but again I am sure there were a lot of disappointed people.

 

[Dug720]

I will add that days like the one in the article where it's clearly stormy are the easier ones to be skipped for the crew because (most) people understand why.

When it's hard is when it is due to super strong currents that can't be seen on a beautiful, apparently calm day since they aren't always accompanied by winds. Passengers see blue sky, bright sun, feel low winds and don't understand that below the surface the currents are too much for the ship to be able to safely dock. And complain much more - and with more volume - about it since they don't "see" why.

 

[AnnaS]

I would be extremely disappointed but know this can happen with any port/stop.

 

[MalvernPa]

Does Disney provide any comp for missing the CC stop? Especially if the cruise is suppose go to both private ports. Those itineraries seem to be expensive because of demand. Or at least refund port taxes?

 

[Drfate102]

Honestly, unless we were planning something on the island, we don't even get off the ship at Castaway. On the Wish and Treasure the BBQ is better on the ship and on any of the ships having the adult pool area all to yourself is amazing.

 

[firstwdw]

On the Fantasy in January the forecast was for strong winds and the captain got us to Castaway in 4 hours after leaving Nassau-docked around 9:30-10pm and all was well the next day for our day on the island. It was still a windy day and all water activities were cancelled but we got to go to Castaway.

 

[Mags2002]

It’s just as much a disappointment for the crew as it is the Guests

 

[Dug720]

Does Disney provide any comp for missing the CC stop? Especially if the cruise is suppose go to both private ports. Those itineraries seem to be expensive because of demand. Or at least refund port taxes?

Port taxes would be refunded. Excursions would not be charged.

To be fair, I didn't haunt Guest Services the day that we docked but due to a squall were not able to get off, so I don't know if people complained and demanded something. But they didn't do anything blanket for everyone.

 

[brentm77]

It’s just as much a disappointment for the crew as it is the Guests

Out of curiosity - even the crew working on the island? It seems like a lot of extra work, often in high heat, but maybe it's a nice variation from the norm?

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm not a big beach person, so I don't mind staying on the ship

 

[DonnerB]

Almost had this happen to us on a 7 night western on the Fantasy in October, due to Hurricane Milton. Our Grand Cayman day was canceled, which I was fully prepared for. 2 days before we were supposed to be at Castaway, the captain came on to announce we would be altering our course to avoid the hurricane and the forecast showed conditions would be too dangerous to dock. Somehow that one hit harder...

Long story short, the next afternoon while enjoying Remy brunch, we were alerted that Milton had moved more quickly than expected and we would *try* to dock. The cheering all around was a special memory. We did make it, and even though there was no swimming allowed at Serenity Bay, it was a great day.

Then it was a waiting game to see whether the Port would reopen in time for us to disembark (it did).

Definitely a first world problem compared the destruction those in the Southeast were dealing with after Helene and Milton, but I will never be cruising the Caribbean during hurricane season again if I can help it (travel companions wanted to do a Halloween cruise, now that I've seen it I don't need to see it again)! Hope y'all are still enjoying your time together

 

[Mags2002]

Out of curiosity - even the crew working on the island? It seems like a lot of extra work, often in high heat, but maybe it's a nice variation from the norm?

Trust me, you don’t know heat until you have been a character performer in the sun on an island in the Bahamas. It is intense!!
But you’re right, it is a change from the norm. We also like it because if we have time off we can get free food and spend the day at the beach.
Some departments definitely work harder than others on a Castaway day, but for the Cast it is often more chill

 

[Riss]

We had our Castaway day canceled when we went on a cruise back in December 2023. It was too windy for them to dock. If I remember correctly, the wind might have been around 40 knots. We were close enough to see the island, but it was just too windy. While disappointed, we made the best of our extra sea day. We definitely appreciated how fast the cast members pivoted as it was called that morning that we wouldn't be docked. They definitely do a terrific job!

 

[dreamer17555]

I do think that how many on Disboards feel about missing Castaway is not going to mimic the same level of disappointment a new DCL cruiser might feel who has saved for years to sail and might not be able to return. A lot of us can shrug and say it sucks, but for many of us we have been able to experience it and will have opportunities to return- this is not true across the board and I would never begrudge a guest for being upset about it as long as they don't take it out on the crew.

 

[FastPasser.]

Out of curiosity - even the crew working on the island? It seems like a lot of extra work, often in high heat, but maybe it's a nice variation from the norm?

Having been to CC as a Guest many times during the hotter months and having experienced WDW in the summer as a front line CM spanning over two decades, for me, I’d rather be at CC.