Disney Fantasy 7-night Western Caribbean Star Wars Day at Sea 1-7-2017

[jaybo22]

This is a trip report for the Disney Fantasy 7-night Western Caribbean Star Wars Day at Sea cruise departing on January 7, 2017.

This was my second Disney cruise, also on the second cruise on the Fantasy. You can check out my trip report for that cruise for a lot of my original experience and lessons learned. I’ll be adding to it in this report.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/fa...-lessons-learned.3113447/page-3#post-50045610


For this cruise, I (man 41) sailed with my wife (woman) and kids, Boy 8 and Girl 5. Since we loved our first cruise so much, we brought along my brother’s family (Niece 6) and my parents for a grand family adventure..


Itinerary:

Day - Destination - Attire

Day 1: Embarkation. Cruise Casual.

Day 2: Sea Day. Formal Night.

Day 3: Cozumel, Mexico. Pirate Night.

Day 4: Grand Cayman. Cruise Casual.

Day 5: Falmouth, Jamaica. Cruise Casual.

Day 6: Star Wars Day at Sea. Cruise Casual.

Day 7: Castaway Cay: Cruise Casual.

Day 8: Debark.



Booking:

Tip: Use a Travel Agent to at least get a shipboard credit.

We used the travel agency who sponsors the Disboards. Overall, the value-add of using the TA over is primarily to get the shipboard credit. There room inventory and costs are the same as on the DCL website and there was minimal “insider” advice, etc. The company was easy to work with in requestings a quote, booking, changing reservations, and making final payments using Disney Rewards Card (the card you get from redeeming Disney Chase Visa points). They sent us a very thoughtful gift basket as well.


Pre-Cruise:

Tip: Pay attention to all the dates to pay and sign-up for things the first minute you can.
Tip: This includes reserving your boarding time which you can only do once your completed all of your online paperwork.

I stayed up late the book at 12:00 am on the night I was able to reserve on-board activities, meals, and excursions. You can change it later, but some things will sell out so jump on it. Being our second cruise, we could book a little earlier than first timers. The only thing that was unavailable when we booked were Cabanas on Castaway Cay. We booked Princess Tea, Bibbity Boppity Boutique, Frozen Character Meet, Character Breakfast, a shore excursion, and Remy Reservations.

Travel:

We drove down from NC again and had a few days at the parks in Orlando before the cruise. We left around 9:45 am from Orlando and went to the port. We took the toll road which cost about $5-6 total. Crowd levels in the parks were a 10 out of 10 the week following New Years leading up to the Disney Marathon weekend.

Room:

Tip: If you have a group, booking adjoining balcony rooms can give you a nice place to hang out.
Tip: Bring an air freshener for the bathroom.

We booked three adjoining staterooms, 9226-9628-9630, which are Category 04A - Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. Aside from cost, this is a great class of room. We were able to have our balconies opened up that so that we could all hang out before dinner and walk between rooms. Two rooms shared an inside door we could open up as well. Overall, I liked the location of the room. Deck 9 is just two quick floors down from Cabanas and the pool deck. We were located midway between Midship and Aft on the starboard side. In a perfect world may have liked to have been closer to Midship for convenience, but not a major issue. Our room steward was Chart. He did a great job of working around our schedule and overlooking our clutter.

Bathrooms can have a bit of a “sewer” smell coming from the plumbing. We brought an air freshener to leave on the shelf and it did help a little. Luckily, you have a separate room for the shower. Both have a sink, so you can save toothbrushing for the shower room.

Packing / Attire:
Tip: Don’t ignore formal night, but don’t sweat it either.
Tip: Give yourself some room in your suitcase to bring back all your booty.

This time around I went a bit simpler in what I packed. One jacket (formal night and Remy), two dress shirts, 5 collared cruise casual shirts, 2 slacks, 1 pair jeans, shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits. One pair leather shoes, one pair casual shoes, one pair of flip-flops. No tie for formal night or Remy, the jacket was just fine.. By the end I was willing to swap the pants for shorts at dinner.

We had some collared shirts for my son as well as a blazer for formal night. We had a ton of dresses for my daughter. That’s her thing and what better place to bring out all of the princess gear she has. Since it was January, we all had a fleece or sweater which did get work at least once or twice.

We did have a dedicated suitcase that was taken up primarily by Fish Extender gifts. I’ll address that later on…

Pirate Night Attire: you see the range from nothing to full costume attire. We had pirate outfits for the kids (halloween costume / pirate t-shirt). DCL hooks everyone up with a pirate bandana so everyone gets into it a little.

Star Wars Day at Sea Attire: we had Jedi robes for my son to wear for pictures and Star Wars t-shirts for the rest of us to wear during the day. Being that it was a full-day, it was mostly casual. We did see a handful of costumes in the evening.

Dining:

We had the Main (early) seating at 5:30-45 pm. Our main dining room (MDR) order was ERAERRA which I really liked. With a group of 9, we had a large table to ourselves. Rectangular tables, with 4 a side a 1 at the head of the table. Space on the table does get tight. The whole family ate in the MDR every night except when one couple had Remy reservations.

2nd Night - Formal.
3rd Night - Pirates.
4th Night Captain’s Gala Dinner (Lobster Night) - Free Drinks before dinner in the atrium.
5th Night - Star Wars Menu & Late Night Buffet

Tip: If you can’t decide, choose both! You can get two appetizers or desserts to try/share if you can’t decide.

Animators Palate
Tip: Don’t miss Animator’s Palace. Reschedule your Remy reservations around it if you have to.

We had table 66 which had a great location in AP near the wall and video screens. On the first night you go to AP, they have an interactive experience with Crush the Sea Turtle. We were very lucky based on our table location to have Crush talk directly to my 5 yr old daughter and ask her some questions. This is truly some Disney magic that they pull off to hear a child’s voice over the crowd noise and have personalized responses.

The second night you get to have your own stick figure drawings come to life as they use the Disney magic to animate them and have them dance around the restaurant. A truly one-of-a-kinds experience.

Enchanted Garden:
Tip: Don’t miss watching the ceiling turn colors as the dinner progresses. They flower shaped lamps “bloom” as well.

Allergies:
Tip: Communicate your allergies and needs and DCL with work with you to get you the best experience possible.

My son had serious allergies (epi-pen) to Shellfish and Tree Nuts and a mild allergy to Dairy. Overall, DCL does a really great job handling allergies. Every night we were able to view the menu for the main dining room for the next night and put in our request. We kept it simple focusing on proteins / sides that worked for us. The dessert options improved this time around. Cabanas had several non-dairy options (multiple flavors of rice-dream ice cream, sorbet, and allergen free cookies) available upon request. In the main dining room, our server arranged for an different allergen-free dessert each night. My son really appreciated that he wasn’t relegated to just plain vanilla every night and excited to get his special dessert.

Drinks:
Tip: The “Drink of the Day” is a fruity mixed drink that costs a couple bucks less than other drinks. The variety is kind of quirky with drinks like the “Yellow Bird”, not your typical boat drinks..
Tip: Pack a beer koozie in your beach bag for Castaway Cay in case you get bucket of cold-ones.

I also got the Beer Mug special where you buy the souvenir mug for $17 and get 22 oz for the price of 16 every time you use it. You can trade it in for a card so you don’t have to carry it around and clean it. I don’t think I’d do it again because I don’t think I drank enough to “pay for it” and I didn’t really need another piece of souvenir drinkware. I kept the token card in hopes of using it again in the future.

Entertainment

Since we had early seating, we had shows scheduled at 8-8:30 pm. We ended up watching two stage shows in the Walt Disney Theater and well as Rogue One on Star Wars Day in that time slot.

A Fantasy Come True - first night show was part DCL pep rally and part variety show. You get a taste of the stage shows as well as the magician playing on the ship that week. Entertaining but not memorable.

Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular- great show that the whole family enjoyed. The Genie was very funny.

As time went on, the kids wanted to spend time in the Oceaneer Club after they finished dinner. As a result, we didn’t watch the other stage shows.

Being a Star Wars cruise,they did play all of the movies in the theater at least once. Not all times were convenient. It was fun to watch Empire Strikes Back on the big screen. I was surprised that Rogue One wasn’t a packed house since it was still a new release in theaters. They did play in both Walt Disney (3D) and Buena Vista theaters at the same time.

I was also about to catch a late night showing of Dr. Strange (3D) and it was very full for a 10:30 pm show.

Tip: the entertainment cast also have day jobs as handlers for the characters. If you pay attention during the show, you can see them around the ship.

...more to come. I'm posting this not to give me motivation to write up a few more thoughts. Happy to answer any questions.

 

[cindianne320]

Thanks! We sail next June with an 8, 5 and 3 year old! What shore excursions did you do?

 

[jaybo22]

Cindianne, thanks for reading!


Excursions:


Having traveled to the islands pre-kids, we were in more of a mood to relax than do hard-core sightseeing.


Cozumel, Mexico.
Tip: A full-service beach club is a great way to spend the day in Cozumel.

For our first port, we wanted to get some beach time. Cozumel has several beach clubs within a reasonable drive from the port. We chose:

Paradise Beach Club - Highly Recommended!
http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/

We did this on our own, outside of the ship. We got off the boat early and headed right there. We took a large van taxi that was available at the port terminal without reservation. We just walked up and got right in, all 9 of us. It cost about $40 USD each way. Taxis were stationed at the club for our return without any reservation as well.

At the club, we were greeted by a host and taken to beach chairs for the whole family. They charge $3/person for chairs and an expectation of $10/each food/drink. They also offer a fun pass for $18 which allows access to a bunch of water activities like slides / large inflatables anchored out in the water. We did not partake of the Fun Pass since our kids were too young.

This place was exactly what we were looking for. It was a great value and provided resort-level amenities without any headache. The wait staff was very attentive but pushy. The frozen drinks hit the spot. Food ordered from the waiters was good quality as well and delivered to your chair. They also had a taco foodtruck on the grounds for walk-up service. Prices were US equivalent. There also have a large pool area (water was chilly in January) and the bathrooms were clean.

Back at port, you have to walk through a large shopping mall to get back to the ship. A few blocks down from the port is a Mexican version of a Target/Wal-mart. We decided to go there and grab some supplies and look for some unique Mexican treats. They make you check your bags up front. But they take USD at the register and show the prices in both pesos and USD as well. Very easy.

Grand Cayman

Cayman is famous for snorkeling and swimming with stingrays, but knowing our kids we wanted keep things a bit more tame. In the spirit of undersea adventure, we chose:

Nautilus Undersea Tour - Recommended!

We arranged this through the ship. As a cruise excursion, you meet up at the ship and they transport you right there in minibuses.
The Nautilus dock is actually very close to the ship. We ended up walking back to the ship instead of getting back in a van.

The concept of the Nautilus is that it is glass-bottom boat that gives you a submarine like experience without submerging. All passenger go fully below-deck and sit on benches 2-to-a-side, each with large window to view the undersea sights. We saw coral, fishes and an shipwreck on the tour. A crew member in snuba gear jumped in to feed the fishes and give the passengers some great views of fish up close. Overall, we all had a great time on this excursion and it scratched the itch of seeing fish and coral.

Afterwards, we walked back toward the ship and did some shopping at the touristy places (Del Sol, Cariloha, etc.). We grabbed some Tortuga Rum Cakes at the shop right by the port. Always delicious. There is a Margaritaville restaurant that has a small pool with waterslide inside for kids.

Falmouth, Jamaica.
Tip: Negotiate for better deals at the port shops
Tip: Get some Sangster’s Rum Cream!

We did not doing any real shore excursion in Jamaica. We planned a few activities on board (like Princess Tea / Character Breakfast / Frozen Meet n’ Greet). We did get off the boat to explore the market at the port. Mostly touristy stuff. Feel free to haggle here. At least ask to get something small thrown in along with a larger purchase. In January, you could get some good deals on Christmas related items.

I did stop by the liquor store to get some Sangsters Rum Cream. This is a unique rum-cream alcohol similar to Bailey’s or Rum Chata that you can’t get easily in the States so I picked up a couple bottles. They had several flavors including coconut and coffee. So delicious.

It’s worth noting that I got a lot more scrutiny when returning to the ship in Jamaica. The security checkpoint was run by the Jamaica local port staff, not Disney. They ran the bags through the scanner as usual then opened them up and poked around. The inspector pulled out my bottle of water and sunscreen and scrutinized them, I suspect looking for alcohol being smuggled on. After getting through security I had to turn over my alcohol purchase to the cruise staff for “safe keeping” until we debarked the boat at Port Canaveral.

Castaway Cay
Tip: Don’t hog the hammocks!

I can’t say enough good things about Castaway Cay. It’s a highlight of the trip.
We got off the boat as soon as we could and proceeded right to set up our camp. The line for the tram was empty, so we got on and went to the first stop. We had our pick of prime beach chairs without any trouble.

In January, the Castaway Cay air temps were warm and it was sunny and beautiful. The water cool but still enjoyable. We didn’t have any trouble with sand lice this time around. We rented two foam mats for $11-12/each to float around. I saw a bunch of the rental tubes blow/float away, so be careful with those. The water is so still, you can peacefully float without floating away. That is unless the kids steal the mat…

Speaking of kids, they did take advantage of playing at the Oceaneer’s Club on Castaway Cay. Checkin / pickup works the same way as on the boat and the the same staff comes on shore. The kids had fun digging for “whale teeth” fossils as one of the activities.

A few more tips:

• The slide in the water was fun for our 5-6-8 year olds. Just choose the right size life jacket.
• Photographers use facial recognition, so you don’t need to give them your key
• Get your last ice cream cone early, the crew starts packing up after lunch.
• The gift shops on Castaway Cay have unique stuff you can’t get on the ship.
• You don’t have to lug your mats / tubes back to the rental booth. There was no one there to receive them.
• Bring a koozie for your bucket o’ beers

Before the cruise, we did think about getting a Cabana. We even considered if it was worth Concierge to get a chance to reserve one. Looking back, we had a great, relaxing time, did all we wanted, and did not miss a cabana at all.

Rant: I’m going to call out a pet peeve. There are tons of beach chairs to go around, so throwing your stuff down and staking your claim is to be expected. There are not, however, very many hammocks. It’s not cool to throw a shirt on a hammock and head off to do other things. Either use it or free it up for others to enjoy during this short time at CC.

 

[TestingH2O]

A few blocks down from the port is a Mexican version of a Target/Wal-mart.

Do you remember what it is called and do you think they'd have kinder eggs?

There are not, however, very many hammocks. It’s not cool to throw a shirt on a hammock and head off to do other things.

I'm most sad about not having the cabana hammock. I loved my naps in that thing the last two times.

 

[jaybo22]

Do you remember what it is called and do you think they'd have kinder eggs?



I'm most sad about not having the cabana hammock. I loved my naps in that thing the last two times.

Yes, they have Kinder Eggs! I know because we got some! You can also get water, Mexican Coke, juice boxes (mango, peach, etc.)
The sign says it's called MEGA.
I think this is the place:
https://goo.gl/maps/XDjrZKDzHyu

 

[TestingH2O]

Yes, they have Kinder Eggs! I know because we got some! You can also get water, Mexican Coke, juice boxes (mango, peach, etc.)
The sign says it's called MEGA.
I think this is the place:
https://goo.gl/maps/XDjrZKDzHyu

Thank you!

 

[jaybo22]

Fish Extenders

Tip: Think flat for FE gifts! Door Magnets are my suggestion.
Tip: Be careful bringing food as an FE gift.

We did Fish Extenders (FE) again on this cruise. We had an active Facebook group with a great admin who organized FE groups on a Google Spreadsheet. She kept groups to 10 rooms max and opened new ones as needed. There was also an adults only group. Each of our three families signed up for a different group. There were probably 6-7 FE groups from the FB group. We also joined the Disboards FE group, but it only had one small group.

My wife led the charge on FE and had fun planning and making gifts. We gave personalized water bottles and jumbo pens for kids. Pencil packs for tweens. Star Wars koozie for adult men. Hand-sewn chapstick holder keychains for the ladies. It was fun to plan the deliveries, check out the Fish Extenders, and drop off the gifts.

Now, packing space is a definite consideration for FE gifts. We had an entire 22-in suitcase that was mostly packed with FE gifts. As drivers, we could manage that. If I was flying and paying $25 for a checked bag, I’d think twice. We ended up using that same space to pack home the stuff that we got. I really think that many FE gifts do get tossed or thinned out on the final night of the cruise as people have the tough chore of packing all their dirty clothes, their souvenirs, and their FE gifts in a mad rush to get the bags out on time.

My brother had a tough time with his FE gifts. He had the thoughtful and creative idea to bring packages for gourmet popcorn from Garrett’s, a special treat from Chicago. Unfortunately, these packages aren’t “factory sealed” which Disney says is required for food brought on board. So, upon research and taking precaution to not lose his whole FE gift at the port, he had to scrap that idea (after spending considerable $ buying all that popcorn) and scramble to find another last-minute gift. Who knows if they would have turned them away or not. It was a risk he didn’t want to take. That left a sour taste in his mouth about the whole FE thing. I recommend being very careful with bringing food for FE gifts.

Things we received: door magnets, games (DIY Yahtzee, card games), sundae toppings, water bottles, bookmarks, disney pins, pirates night themed gifts, temp tattoos, tree ornament, tote bag, crayons/pencils, and coloring books. We really appreciated the creativity in the thoughtful and hand-made gifts!

Speaking for myself only, even the most creative and thoughtful gifts can be hit or miss. Especially for a well-prepared cruiser. For example, it’s a great tip to bring a mug or bottle to fill up at drink stations and take with you around the ship. We brought refillable mugs for ourselves, gave bottles as gifts and received bottles as gifts. In the end, we were over-burdened with bottles and mugs everywhere. Same with another great FE gift, sundae toppings. They don’t have them on the ship, so bringing your own is a great pro-tip, but it also a great FE idea. You can take a gamble to see if you get them as a gift, or bring your own and have tons of sprinkles. Everyone puts so much time and effort into FE that it’s sad to think of things going to waste. Of course, there is the idea of pixie-dusting / regifting your extra stuff.

Suggestion: Door Magnets Only!
If I were to do FE again, I would seriously consider forming a Door Magnets only FE group. Here’s why:

• Door Magnets are flat and can easily be packed in and out.
  
• They can be ultimately personalized based on the names/interests of the recipients and/or the givers.
  
• They can also be used immediately upon receipt.
• They can be re-useable from cruise to cruise.
• You can bring them home and stick them on your fridge.
  
• And finally, the more you get the more fun and unique your stateroom becomes throughout the cruise.

An alternative would be to agree as a group that all gifts you bring in total can fit in one 10 x 13 inch envelope. This would at least set the expectation that you can pack them in and out easily.

 

[jaybo22]

Star Wars Day at Sea

We did not book this cruise because of the SWDAS, but we were certainly excited that it was part of our cruise. We've seen the movies, played the video games and done the rides at Hollywood Studios. Others in our party weren't big SW fans and used this day as an opportunity to do other things on the boat / dinner at Remy.

Some observations:

• They did play all of the movies at least once during the cruise.
  
• It was a lot of fun to watch a classic like Empire Strikes Back on the big screen in the Buena Vista Theater next to my dad, my brother and my son.
• Prior to the day itself, they gave each room a “ballot” to submit a ranking of a SWDAS activity that you prefer. They had character meets and Jedi Academy for kids. Then you received a ticket for an activity if you were selected.
• We got the Jedi Academy for both of my kids which was our top choice. If you’ve been to Hollywood Studios, it is very similar to the experience there. A Jedi Master takes a group of Padawan through light saber training followed by a duel against Darth Vader or the Seventh Sister Sith. The kids get a certificate of completion at the end.
• My daughter (5) was not allowed to participate in the Jedi Academy because she was not wearing close toed shoes. I dashed back to the room to get new shoes, but we lost our window for her. No Disney magic there. They did offer a wait list for a later time, but I declined.
  
• We did a few Star Wars related crafts in D-Lounge: drawing Yoda. making paper bag puppets.
  
• The characters on the SWDAS are classic Star Wars characters, typically in masks. I saw Storm Troopers, Boba Fett, Sand People, Bounty Hunters, Jawas, Imperial Guard, Imperial Officers as well as Ezra and Sabine from Star Wars Rebels roaming around.
  
• The roaming characters will have some fun with you. The Jawas would trade for "shiny objects". The sand people might steal your phone. The female bounty hunter will give a serious evil eye.
  
• There is a fun "Pool Patrol" in which the Imperial officers come on the Funnel Vision saying that they're looking for rebels and send out the Storm Troopers to patrol the pool deck. Funny to see everyone running around in bathing suits with Storm Trooper patrolling. Boba Fett comes out at the end.
  
• The night time stage show on the pool deck had many more of the major characters in a "run through all the highlights" style show followed by fireworks.
• The only "midnight buffet" of the cruise was after the night time spectacular.
• At dinner they had a special menu with Star Wars themed titles and descriptions. The servers all had Imperial style uniforms which was a great touch.
• The gift shop has a lot of unique Stars Wars Day at Sea gear. One very unique item is a custom name tag engraved with your name written in "galactic characters" along with a title of your choice like Jedi, Captain, or a home planet.
• Instead of a stage show, they played Rogue One in 3D in the Walt Disney Theater. They played it in non-3D at the same time in Buena Vista on the SWDAS.
  
• For photo opps, they have a big SWDAS backdrop to take pictures in front of as well as a life size version of Rey's speeder bike.
  
• I would recommend to Disney to have classic Disney characters like Mickey, Donald, Goofy in Star Wars costumes. That'd be a lot of fun for the young kids and very unique.

 

[TestingH2O]

I would recommend to Disney to have classic Disney characters like Mickey, Donald, Goofy in Star Wars costumes. That'd be a lot of fun for the young kids and very unique.

I had hoped this would be added for this year and was disappointed it wasn't. Still looking forward to it though.

 

[maryandtyson]

Thanks jaybo22 for the detailed posts! Very informative in helping plan!

 

[adg06]

I did stop by the liquor store to get some Sangsters Rum Cream. This is a unique rum-cream alcohol similar to Bailey’s or Rum Chata that you can’t get easily in the States so I picked up a couple bottles. They had several flavors including coconut and coffee. So delicious.

Were you able to buy the rum cream inside the secured port area, or did you wander outside on your own?

Also, your details on what you did at each port are extremely helpful! We will be on this same itinerary in October, and with kids 9 & 4, we'll be sticking to tame excursions too!

 

[RENThead09]

I had hoped this would be added for this year and was disappointed it wasn't. Still looking forward to it though.

I believe this is no longer allowed. there was some issue with Lucas/Disney and the mixing of the 2 IPs.