We recently came back from a four-night cruise on the Disney Destiny (with stops at both Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay) and had a fantastic time! Here’s a run down on everything we loved (and a couple things we didn’t) about Disney’s newest cruise ship.
Some quick info: we are two adult cruisers, and we’ve been on the Dream and Fantasy before this. This was our first time on a Wish-class ship. We chose late dining because, frankly, in our experience, early dining has a lot, lot, lot more kids and the servers are really busy getting their food out to them quickly before they get to the adults. It makes sense, but the service for us was too rushed. We like the pace of late dining better, but it really is late: our seating time was 8:15.
Day 1
So, I should start off by admitting that we have the good luck to live just a half-hour away from Port Everglades, which is where the Disney Destiny sails from. So for us, it’s just a quick drive over to the port that morning and, even better, when the cruise is done, just a short drive home. We really love not having to worry about flights or timing; we took a ride-share rather than park at the port but could have easily done so. If you don’t live nearby, I know there are a lot more moving parts.
We sailed concierge so we had the earliest Port Arrival Time of 10:45. In fact, we were the first ones in line to enter the terminal:
Once they started check-in, we were through fairly quickly. We took some pictures with the photographers they have and went up to the concierge waiting room. I do have to say, it’s a little disappointing. There’s places to sit, and that’s about it. The concierge hosts do come in and introduce themselves, talking a little bit about concierge perks for the cruise, but otherwise it’s just a waiting room. Soon enough we were announced in the atrium, though, and we were on board!
Concierge guests are invited to a sit-down lunch when they first board the ship. To be frank, after attending it the first time, we’ve opted to skip it. It’s a very nice lunch, but it took away from enjoying the ship before it filled up. I’m also generally not hungry for that large of a meal right off the bat. We opted instead to pop into the concierge lounge to speak to the hosts there about a couple of things and then get a quick lunch at Marceline Market. There were tons of options and the food was good. Once that was done our room was ready, and soon our luggage was delivered. We unpacked, settled in, and headed out to look around.
While the ship is still in port, the stores are not open and some of the other venues are closed as well. But there were character meets right away, and we got in a line to meet Cruella De Vil early — and boy was it worth it. She was a HOOT. My ensemble was far too “busy” for her and she advised me to focus on black, white, and red color themes in the future.
Then we took part in a trivia game in the Sanctum and went to the sail away party, which is always fun. Next we popped over to the adult-only pool area, which I’d heard less than enthusiastic things about compared to the Dream-class ships. But I found those criticisms to be unfounded. The infinity-style pool is nice and not that small, and has nice benches to rest on. I did find the small seating area to the side, where only your feet are in the water and there’s a tiny bit of water running behind your back, to be mostly useless. But the pool itself was nice.
For our first night, we took advantage of a concierge perk and got early seating for the cruise’s first show, Disney Seas the Adventure. We showed up where we’d been told to go about a half-hour early and were led into the theatre via a different door, then allowed to choose any seat we wanted on the first floor. We sat in the same spot for other shows, too, just before the aisle break. Our view was great and the show was a lot of fun. Plus, we got free popcorn. After the show, my husband got a shave at Hook’s Barbery — something he pre-booked for the trip, and really enjoyed. Then we headed to dinner, which for our rotation was 1923. The theming is low-key and, depending on where you’re seated, not always noticeable, but the food was good. We also got to meet our serving team, Shantol and Jean Carlos. As you may know, Disney’s rotational dining system is unique in that your servers rotate through the restaurants with you.
After dinner we visited the Haunted Mansion bar, which is adults-only in the evenings. We were able to get a table fairly quickly and each ordered a specialty drink. It’s worth staying in the bar for about 15-20 minutes so that you can see all the different effects. My favorite was the aquarium with skeleton fish.
Back to our room for the night. For this trip we were staying in a one-bedroom suite in concierge. It was very nice and the bed was incredibly comfortable. I liked the layout of the one-bedroom on the Dream a bit better, I will confess. This version has no flow. I constantly found myself backtracking to get from the main area to the bathroom and then having to go back, passing through the bedroom each time. On the Dream, it all goes in a circle and is more connected.
Day 2
Our first full day was a stop at Lighthouse Point at Lookout Cay, and this was our first time visiting the island. But before that, we got up very, very early and got in line to meet Spider-Man. I think we got there a full hour before his listed time of 8:30 AM, and we were third in line. I can’t recommend this enough. Yes, you wait a long time until the character meet starts. But then you get in right away and have, I think, a better interaction. You’re going to wait for a long time either way — either before the character meet time or after; I personally would rather do it before. Anyhow, Spider-Man was a priority for me; I’m an enormous Marvel fan. It was a great interaction.
Because I have a disability, we signed up for assistance off the ship by meeting in Saga. This was a simple process and they take you out to the tram stop on a golf cart, but keep in mind you are only allowed to bring one other guest with you. That was fine for us, but a larger family will need to split up. The pier is quite long, no matter what anyone tries to tell you. I noticed that there are wagons available for parents of small children, and many families were using them.
We had a cabana on Serenity Beach, Cabana A, and it was gorgeous, huge, and expensive. Budget for this if you want it; it’s not cheap. It’s also difficult to get, at least lately: unless you’re Pearl or sailing concierge, it’s tough to get a cabana on either island. But we were exceedingly glad we had it, because there were a few rain showers throughout the day and in the cabana it’s easy to wait them out. The cabanas are close to Serenity Bay BBQ (lines get long: either get there before it starts or wait until it thins out) and just a few steps over a little bridge to the beach.
It’s a beautiful beach. The sand is powder-soft, and the water is crystal clear. In this respect, Lookout beats Castaway: the beach itself is nicer. We had a wonderful time before heading back to the ship. But because Disney has chosen to focus more on Bahamian culture on Lookout, there isn’t really as much theming, and we didn’t find it quite as “fun.” So, better beach, but less Disney.
I’m going to insert a little warning here: remember I said it rained a bit? It wasn’t enough to ruin the day or anything, but apparently that kind of sprinkle of rain can bring out insects. I don’t know what bit me, but later that evening I had about a dozen insect bites from our time on Lookout. It wasn’t good times. So don’t be me, and don’t forget the bug spray.
We skipped the show that night because it was Frozen, A Musical Spectacular, and we see the Frozen Singalong Show ALL the time at Disney World. No, it’s not the same show at all, I know that. But there’s only so much Frozen a non-toddler wants in their life. 🙂 So instead we took that time and went to the De Vil’s, the Cruella-themed piano bar on the Destiny. De Vil’s is always an adults-only venue, and there are concerts throughout the day, but at certain times you can see Cruella herself there and take part in a fun singalong/songwriting experience. Line up early for this one; they only have so many seats, and even though we got there with time to spare, we still barely made it in.
For dinner on Day 2, we were in Worlds of Marvel. Obviously, Marvel dork that I am, I really enjoyed the theming. There’s a fun trivia game that goes on via the screens throughout the evening, and you answer via a device on your table. I sort of wish they’d made it a competition, but it’s just for fun. I enjoyed the food at World of Marvel very much. After dinner we met Captain Minnie, whose line wasn’t very long at all, and did some all-important shopping.
Overall, I’ve always found the stores on the cruise ships to be lacking, compared to the stores at Disney World. There’s not a ton of selection. It’s mostly clothes, with only a handful of collectibles. The only must-do for me is the Pandora store, to get those charms you can’t get anywhere else. I got a three-charm Destiny set, a separate charm for the Destiny with Mickey featured, and a Lookout Cay charm to fill out my cruise bracelet. I’d saved my pennies in anticipation of buying these because you can’t buy Pandora Disney Cruise charms anywhere else but right there on the ship.
Day 3
Day 3 was Castaway Cay! We’d been looking forward to this one. The weather prediction had been miserable all week and we were prepared to be rained out. As the day dawned, though, it turned out to be sunny, clear, and hot. It can’t be said often enough: weather in The Bahamas (and in South Florida, where I’m from, for that matter) turns on a dime. You can barely predict anything. So just because it says rain, don’t despair.
Castaway is such a fun island. There are character meets, fun things to see and snorkel, the honor-system 5K to run if you like (we didn’t do it but we saw a LOT of people doing it), activities and excursions to book if that’s your thing. The beach is nice and the water is too, though it’s not quite as stunning as Lookout. Overall, though, having seen them both now, I generally prefer Castaway.
We lined up at the aft exit to get off the ship as early as possible and then waited a few brief minutes for a character meet with my husband’s favorite, Donald Duck, at the Castaway Post Office (which I have never seen open). Donald is always a blast. Then we boarded a tram for Serenity Beach.
With that great weather, we had a terrific time in the water all morning. Serenity Beach is secluded and quiet, but there’s plenty of fun to be had chatting in the ocean and then stopping in for some barbecue at Serenity BBQ around lunchtime. Once again, I was a little concerned about the addition of the Mickey & Minnie cabanas next door, but there was no cause for worry: because of the island’s layout, Serenity Beach is still its own little island of peace. For what it’s worth, the Mickey & Minnie beach looked fun and the cabanas looked delightful; if I was traveling with a family and children, I’d be sure to spend some time there.
We had something a little surprising happen on Castaway Cay, though. We spent the morning in the ocean and then came in for lunch, fully intending to head back out into the water for the afternoon. When we did, though, we found that even if we went out all the way to the buoys (which is as far as you can go), what was previously chest-deep water was now, at best, mid-calf high. And as the afternoon went on, it only got shallower. Apparently, at this time of year and on that particular day, on Castaway Cay, low tide took place at about noon. It was a little bit of a bummer and far too hot to stay on the beach without being able to swim — a lot of people went back to the boat early — but what can you do? Even Disney can’t control the tides. Might be a smart thing to look into before your cruise, though.
Still, there was plenty of fun to be had the rest of the day as it was Pirate Night! We came back to pirate bandanas waiting in our room, so we put those on and changed into the pirate shirts we’d bought specially for the trip. These were great for taking pictures with Captain Hook and Smee:
And definitely with Pirate Mickey:
As we were meeting nearby, I hit up Cafe Merida while we were waiting for these meet and greets — and wished I’d done so earlier in the trip! Delicious coffees, and they can make anything decaf if you ask (it was getting a little late in the day for caffeine, for me at least!). I enjoyed the Bannock Latte, which had butterscotch, but I liked the Salted Caramel Coconut Latte even more.
There are two pirate deck parties on Pirate Night. The earlier one, Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean, features Mickey and all his friends, as well as Captain Hook of course. The later one, Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party, has Captain Jack Sparrow and a rock band. They’re both fun, of course. And go to both if you want! But we prefer Mickey’s pirate show, to be honest.
It’s more Disney-themed, and it’s just fun to see the show. Keep in mind, though, that you might want to go to the later party if you want to be sure to get a good spot for the fireworks that follow. Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line authorized and equipped to regularly launch fireworks at sea. We had a room on the port side (port equals left — they both have four letters, that’s an easy way to remember — and starboard equals right), though, and that’s the side you can see fireworks from, so we chose to watch from our verandah.
So remember: if you want to watch fireworks from your room, port is the side you want.
Day 4
This was our day at sea, which I think of as a free day to do everything on the ship I haven’t gotten to yet. We started with a bite to eat in the concierge lounge because later we had brunch booked at Palo. Palo is an adult-only fine dining restaurant that serves both dinner and brunch. We’ve done dinner and it’s very nice, but we like the easy pace of brunch. We had a wonderful time and the view is amazing:
Over the course of the afternoon we bopped around the ship and enjoyed a number of activities: we met Dr. Facilier, we learned how to draw BB-8, we did Star Wars trivia, we took a class on pairing chocolate and liquor, and we went to a special session of magic shots in the Haunted Mansion bar. It was fun to have one activity after another to go to, and there were tons of other choices all afternoon — you can’t do everything, there’s so much going on.
We headed back to our deck and stopped in the concierge lounge for a special visit from Daisy. I haven’t said much about the concierge lounge; all of our experiences there were very nice and we found the concierge hosts to be super helpful. I visited the concierge sun deck a couple of times and loved how calm and peaceful it was — I wish I’d had more time there. Early access to the shows was probably our favorite perk, but we also liked being able to go there for any requests and concerns, and not have to go down to guest services. We’re not big drinkers, but happy hour in the concierge lounge sure did seem to be popular.
On our last evening, we began with Disney Hercules, something I’d been looking forward to since we first began planning this cruise. It was every bit as good as I’d heard and I’d hoped it would be. The Muses did NOT disappoint, for sure.
Our final dinner was at Pride Lands. I’ll start with the only bad: the food wasn’t really something I enjoyed, but I’m not a very adventurous eater. The show, however, was lovely. The Lion King often moves me to tears, as it does many of you I’m sure, and this was no exception. It was nice to end the trip with this amazing show, and we were sorry as we always have been on other cruises to say goodbye to our serving team.
And before we knew it, it was our last night on the ship and time to pack up our luggage for pickup.
It was a terrific cruise. Nothing’s ever perfect: there were a few things I didn’t get to do that I’d wanted to. I really wanted to meet both Black Panther and Loki and didn’t realize they’d only have meets at the beginning of the cruise, and so I missed them. I also didn’t catch With Great Power: A Marvel Comedy Show, the adult-only comedy show I’ve heard such great things about.
We also prepaid for length of cruise passes to the Rainforest Room (about $239 each) and they were really not worth having, especially since we had access to the concierge sun deck. The spa was inconveniently located for us, and the Rainforest showers on the Destiny were no where near as nice as the ones on the Fantasy/Dream, which had an aromatherapy component. The heated loungers weren’t at all private and instead were in a heavily-trafficked area. Lastly, the hard sell of services we got when we checked in the first day was very distasteful. I’m not having a “non-surgical cosmetic enhancement” on a cruise ship, and unless I ask, I don’t want someone trying to aggressively sell me services. It was a disappointing experience and we didn’t really go back.
But some other things went really well. I didn’t choose to join a fish extender group because I didn’t want the responsibility, but I decided to do a bit of pixie dusting instead. I made friendship bracelets that said Destiny, I brought a bunch of knick knacks and doodads that were Disney related, I regifted a few Disney things I had duplicates of, and I generally enjoyed doing all of that. It was fun sharing gifts without the stress of HAVING to share gifts, and I don’t really need to receive any stuff in return. If fish extender trades are your thing, that’s great. And if you aren’t interested in participating at all, that’s okay too. But pixie dusting is also a fun way to join in without the pressure of committing to something specific.
I also want to mention that I’ve been prone to seasickness/landsickness in the past so I came prepared. I brought EVERYTHING. They do sell some things on the ship, but it’s important to know that the shops aren’t open whenever you’re in port, prices are hugely marked up, and they don’t have everything. I brought Bonine, Pepto Bismal (not available on the ship!), Tums, sea bands, ginger chews, an aromatic for nausea, and a prescription for Zofran. I wore the sea bands from the first day and left them on for pretty much the entire cruise; I don’t know if they helped, but I know I wasn’t nauseated during the cruise. Back home, I did have a little landsickness, but much less so than other times. So a good experience overall, and I felt good about being prepared for anything.
And on that note…
Day 5: Disembarkation Day
If you’ve been on a cruise before you already know this, but if you haven’t: the last day of your cruise is about disembarking and nothing else. There’s no activities or character meets on that day, and you are basically encouraged to get ready to get off the ship, and not much else. That’s totally understandable because in just a few hours an entirely new group of people, who are already on their way to the port, are going to be starting their cruise, and the crew has a lot to do to get everything ready.
So look back on your cruise, take a last look around, and remember: it’s not goodbye, it’s see you real soon.
