Today is our maiden voyage on a Disney cruise ship. While not our original plan for Summer vacation, it was simply a price that we couldn’t pass up.
We have cruised on both Royal Caribbean and Carnival in the past, so it is likely I will be comparing a lot of this vacation to them. I apologize in advance.
Today we woke up at home and finished packing, and ended up getting to the terminal a few hours later than we normally do, so we didn’t have the time to explore the ship like usual. But unlike RC and Carnival, our rooms were ready as soon as we got on board.
The first thing that I noticed about the ship, is its lack of wide open spaces. Most ships have large promenade areas, that are wide open to the decks above and below. The Disney magic is packed! Venues are squeezed into places you wouldn’t think that they would fit.
We had lunch at the Top Sider’s Buffet and headed to check out our rooms afterward. We had rooms next to each other, but not adjoining. Additionally, I was under the impression that all Disney staterooms had the tub and two sink combination, but this was not the case for our two rooms.
Our bags arrived at our rooms at about 5PM, just after the standard lifeboat drill. Just in time to get dressed for our early seating. Our first dinner in the restaurant rotation was Parrot Cay. Before dinner, we headed out to deck four to see the jetty as we pulled out of Port Canaveral.
After dinner, Brandon and Trevor both headed to their respective areas. The teen area was having a 10PM meet-and-greet and planning out their activities for the rest of the cruise.
Jennifer and I headed to the main show in the Walt Disney Theater, which was the “All Aboard! Let the Magic Begin” show. Also, two of the cabaret acts performed a teaser show.
Highlights of the Day
- The ship – While it has been in service since 1992, you would could never tell. It is by far the best looking and maintained ship I’ve ever been on.
- Stateroom – Missing that second sink didn’t hamper the quality of the room in any way. It was easily four feet longer, and a foot wider than the next largest cabin we’ve ever had.
