September 5th 2016, 4 Night Dream Cruise

[RRB]

better grab it!

 

[RRB]

So far, DH is giving me a 'Definitely Maybe' for this sailing date. Fingers crossed.

tic tock, tic tock.... Oh just do it!

 

[Captainkate]

Awwww He has changed his mind and opted for the cruise out of Galveston, Texas in November! Oh well, a Disney Cruise is a Disney Cruise. All of them are great! Bon Voyage to the September 5 group!

 

[RRB]

Have a great time on your November cruise! We'll catch you next time.

 

[FantasyElf16]

Hi everyone! I am new to DID Boards but not to new to cruising. I am 14 but turning 15 on the 9/5 Disney Dream cruise and I am super excited! I have 2 younger brothers the oldest is 13 at the time of cruise date and the youngest is 7. My grandma will be going on her first disney cruise so she is also super excited for the 5th.

 

[FantasyElf16]

DIS*

 

[RRB]

Hi FantasyElf, welcome to the DIS boards! Have you cruised on Disney before? If not, you will love it. Which cruise lines have you done?

 

[FantasyElf16]

I have only cruised disney and I absolutely love it. I've been on the Wonder and the Fantasy so I'm excited to go on the Dream. My parents have been on the Magic and one of my Disney goals is to go on all the boats even though there isn't much difference.

 

[FantasyElf16]

Have you done the Fish Extenders before? If so do you mind telling me your experience giving out gifts and being one of the "secret santas" on the ship?

 

[RRB]

I have only cruised disney and I absolutely love it. I've been on the Wonder and the Fantasy so I'm excited to go on the Dream. My parents have been on the Magic and one of my Disney goals is to go on all the boats even though there isn't much difference.

We have been on the Magic, Wonder and Dream. The Magic and Wonder are great but the Dream is awesome! We are going on the Fantasy next. Tell us about your previous Disney cruises

 

[FantasyElf16]

My first cruise was on the Wonder and I thought that was absolutely spectacular. The restaurants, kids clubs, Castaway Cay, it all seemed amazing to me. The second cruise I had a goal to decorate the door better, do a few character meet and greets, eat a lot lol and really relax. I am super excited for this upcoming cruise so then I can relax, eat, have fun and repeat. What's one of your favorite things to do on and/or off the boat?

 

[RRB]

My first cruise was on the Wonder and I thought that was absolutely spectacular. The restaurants, kids clubs, Castaway Cay, it all seemed amazing to me. The second cruise I had a goal to decorate the door better, do a few character meet and greets, eat a lot lol and really relax. I am super excited for this upcoming cruise so then I can relax, eat, have fun and repeat. What's one of your favorite things to do on and/or off the boat?

You are exactly right.... relax, eat, have fun, repeat. We love Castaway Cay and having a cabana. Sooooo relaxing. We love meeting new friends on our cruises. We have met so many great people, it is amazing. Friends for life. Door decorations...YES. Costume party's ....YES By the way, did I mention that our cruise is a Halloween Cruise????? Yes it is. So much fun. BRING A COSTUME

 

[FantasyElf16]

I read that comment earlier. How much is the cabanas and how do you like them? My parents were thinking of getting one for this trip because our first cruise we were lucky and got off early and we were able to get a good spot but that was a smaller boat, the bigger one showed us that it can get crowded. Plus when will a good time be for getting one?

 

[RRB]

I read that comment earlier. How much is the cabanas and how do you like them? My parents were thinking of getting one for this trip because our first cruise we were lucky and got off early and we were able to get a good spot but that was a smaller boat, the bigger one showed us that it can get crowded. Plus when will a good time be for getting one?

The cabanas are pricey but they are really nice. The time to reserve a cabana is ASAP. They are very popular and get reserved quick. Call DCL and ask about them. They will help you out.

 

[FantasyElf16]

Ok good to know. Thank you for that info, my mom will be pleased to know and will get that done.

 

[RRB]

If you’ve been lucky enough to score a cabana on Castaway Cay when your Disney Cruise Line vacation stops at their little slice of paradise in the Bahamas, you can skip this blog post and go on to the next one. I’m betting you know how amazing they are and already know everything I’m about to say. If, however, you are on the fence about getting one, this post is for you!

First I’ll give you the bad news. The cabanas are expensive! $549 for 6 guests at the family beach and $399 for four guests at the adult beach, Serenity Bay. You can add 4 more guests at the family beach, or two at the adult beach. Each additional guest will cost $50. If that didn’t scare you off, here’s more bad news. They’re almost impossible to get! Concierge guests usually snatch these up before most guests ever get a shot at them. That should tell you something about how awesome they are though! They do show up for everyone else from time to time though! People cancel their cruise, change their minds on cabanas, etc. So if you want one, keep trying! And here are some reasons why you should.

1. Privacy on a Busy Island – A cabana is a private little oasis on a beautiful island. The cabanas are fairly close to each other, but angled in ways that make you feel like you are alone. It’s amazing how secluded you feel when you’re inside. One side of the cabana is open to the beach. There are shutter type doors you can close if you want even more privacy, and a changing curtain you can close to change in and out of your swimsuit if you like.

2. Private Beach for the Cabanas on the Family Beach – The guests in cabanas on the family beach share a private beach. It’s a big enough beach that you’ll pretty much feel like you’ve got the beach to yourself. With a fairly packed beach just a few feet away, it’s heaven to float and swim alone. And no need to stake out the best beach chairs early – you’ve already got the best chairs! We love to pull our chairs down to the water and relax with our toes in the ocean and sit in quiet and peace. I’m telling you, that right there is worth some dough to me.

3. Equipment is Included – If you normally rent any equipment on Castaway Cay, the price of a cabana becomes even more reasonable. The price includes snorkeling equipment, floats and bike rental. Those three things total $49 a person these days. If you have 6 people in your cabana that’s a $294 value. Not bad, right? FYI, currently snorkeling equipment is not included with the Serenity Bay cabanas.

4. Drinks and Snacks – Every cabana also has a refrigerator stocked with cans of Coke products and Evian water. If you’re a soda lover like me who gets tired of slightly watered down tap soda on the ship, a day with cold cans of Coke is heavenly. For those of you that like portable, cold water, well they have that too. And not that there is any shortage of food on a Disney cruise, but each cabana also has fresh fruit and snack bars or bags of chips of some kind.

5. Shelter from Rain – I hate to say it, but Castaway Cay does occasionally experience some bad weather in the form of rain or wind. When those times do happen, having somewhere to “hide out” while it passes is a great thing. I’ve been one of the couple of hundred people huddled under the game pavilion, and trust me, this is better.

6. Shelter from the Sun – My people are a fair-skinned, freckly-skin, skin-cancer prone people. Hanging out in the sun all day is not good for us. The ability to camp out in the shade for part of the day is a huge plus for us, and lets us enjoy the island a lot longer. There’s also a ceiling fan if it gets too hot! Nobody else sitting out on the island has that!

7. Sunscreen – Speaking of skin cancer – each cabana also comes with bottles of sunscreen. #winning

8. Chairs and Hammocks – The chairs in the cabana are cushioned! There’s a sofa, chairs, and chaise lounges in your cabana and on the deck outside. On the family beach there are also plenty of regular beach chairs and loungers down on the beach as I referenced above. All cabanas have a hammock outside to relax and/or take naps in, whatever helps you relax.

9. And More – There are several more extras in your cabana. There’s a safe to store your valuables if you’re concerned about them. There are upgraded towels to use as you please. There are magazines to read if you are lacking in reading material. There’s a fresh water shower outside the cabana to wash off all of that irritating sand. There are even sand toys for the little ones on the family beach!

10. Cabana Boy on Call – There are cabana boys! Okay cabana men. And cabana women. There’s a handy little button inside your cabana to push whenever you need assistance. They can restock anything you run out of in the cabana, bring you drinks from the bar (regular bar prices apply), or give you a ride on a golf cart somewhere if you should need it. Our cabana hosts checked on us a few times during the day to see if there was anything they could do. You really will feel pampered! By the way, if you have food allergies, you’ll get an extra level of service. Your server will usually take your lunch order the night before and a cabana host will deliver it right to your cabana at lunch time!

 

[FantasyElf16]

Where on the island are the cabanas? My brothers love the Pelican Plunge so it would be good to know if we'll be close to the floating slide or if it'll be a little ways away.

 

[OhioWDWDuo]

If you’ve been lucky enough to score a cabana on Castaway Cay when your Disney Cruise Line vacation stops at their little slice of paradise in the Bahamas, you can skip this blog post and go on to the next one. I’m betting you know how amazing they are and already know everything I’m about to say. If, however, you are on the fence about getting one, this post is for you!

First I’ll give you the bad news. The cabanas are expensive! $549 for 6 guests at the family beach and $399 for four guests at the adult beach, Serenity Bay. You can add 4 more guests at the family beach, or two at the adult beach. Each additional guest will cost $50. If that didn’t scare you off, here’s more bad news. They’re almost impossible to get! Concierge guests usually snatch these up before most guests ever get a shot at them. That should tell you something about how awesome they are though! They do show up for everyone else from time to time though! People cancel their cruise, change their minds on cabanas, etc. So if you want one, keep trying! And here are some reasons why you should.

1. Privacy on a Busy Island – A cabana is a private little oasis on a beautiful island. The cabanas are fairly close to each other, but angled in ways that make you feel like you are alone. It’s amazing how secluded you feel when you’re inside. One side of the cabana is open to the beach. There are shutter type doors you can close if you want even more privacy, and a changing curtain you can close to change in and out of your swimsuit if you like.

2. Private Beach for the Cabanas on the Family Beach – The guests in cabanas on the family beach share a private beach. It’s a big enough beach that you’ll pretty much feel like you’ve got the beach to yourself. With a fairly packed beach just a few feet away, it’s heaven to float and swim alone. And no need to stake out the best beach chairs early – you’ve already got the best chairs! We love to pull our chairs down to the water and relax with our toes in the ocean and sit in quiet and peace. I’m telling you, that right there is worth some dough to me.

3. Equipment is Included – If you normally rent any equipment on Castaway Cay, the price of a cabana becomes even more reasonable. The price includes snorkeling equipment, floats and bike rental. Those three things total $49 a person these days. If you have 6 people in your cabana that’s a $294 value. Not bad, right? FYI, currently snorkeling equipment is not included with the Serenity Bay cabanas.

4. Drinks and Snacks – Every cabana also has a refrigerator stocked with cans of Coke products and Evian water. If you’re a soda lover like me who gets tired of slightly watered down tap soda on the ship, a day with cold cans of Coke is heavenly. For those of you that like portable, cold water, well they have that too. And not that there is any shortage of food on a Disney cruise, but each cabana also has fresh fruit and snack bars or bags of chips of some kind.

5. Shelter from Rain – I hate to say it, but Castaway Cay does occasionally experience some bad weather in the form of rain or wind. When those times do happen, having somewhere to “hide out” while it passes is a great thing. I’ve been one of the couple of hundred people huddled under the game pavilion, and trust me, this is better.

6. Shelter from the Sun – My people are a fair-skinned, freckly-skin, skin-cancer prone people. Hanging out in the sun all day is not good for us. The ability to camp out in the shade for part of the day is a huge plus for us, and lets us enjoy the island a lot longer. There’s also a ceiling fan if it gets too hot! Nobody else sitting out on the island has that!

7. Sunscreen – Speaking of skin cancer – each cabana also comes with bottles of sunscreen. #winning

8. Chairs and Hammocks – The chairs in the cabana are cushioned! There’s a sofa, chairs, and chaise lounges in your cabana and on the deck outside. On the family beach there are also plenty of regular beach chairs and loungers down on the beach as I referenced above. All cabanas have a hammock outside to relax and/or take naps in, whatever helps you relax.

9. And More – There are several more extras in your cabana. There’s a safe to store your valuables if you’re concerned about them. There are upgraded towels to use as you please. There are magazines to read if you are lacking in reading material. There’s a fresh water shower outside the cabana to wash off all of that irritating sand. There are even sand toys for the little ones on the family beach!

10. Cabana Boy on Call – There are cabana boys! Okay cabana men. And cabana women. There’s a handy little button inside your cabana to push whenever you need assistance. They can restock anything you run out of in the cabana, bring you drinks from the bar (regular bar prices apply), or give you a ride on a golf cart somewhere if you should need it. Our cabana hosts checked on us a few times during the day to see if there was anything they could do. You really will feel pampered! By the way, if you have food allergies, you’ll get an extra level of service. Your server will usually take your lunch order the night before and a cabana host will deliver it right to your cabana at lunch time!

Thank you so much! This is one of the most informative and helpful posts!!! We already have a cabana reserved, but your post just made me more excited (if that's even possible)!

 

[RRB]

Where on the island are the cabanas? My brothers love the Pelican Plunge so it would be good to know if we'll be close to the floating slide or if it'll be a little ways away.

The family cabanas are located on the main beach (middle of the map). There are also cabanas for the adult beach (on the left side of the map). There are cabanas close to Pelican Plunge

 

[RRB]