Atlantis, Paradise Island in Nassau is an adventure onto itself and deserves a vacation on its own to truly appreciate the magnificence the resort embodies! A one day port adventure day is simply a teaser of what you can fully experience but it was neat to visit nonetheless! Atlantis, Paradise Island is the mythical ocean paradise of the lost city but now is the most incredible vacation destination in the world tempting you with indulgent luxuries, opulent surroundings and breathtaking architecture.

Atlantis is home to the world's largest open air marine habitat, with 14 exhibit lagoons where you can see a variety of ocean predators, vibrant fish, turtles, stingrays, sharks, dolphin encounters. Walk through The Dig, which is a mysterious series of intricate tunnels that bring you into the lost civilization of Atlantis and walk through the shark tunnel where you can see them up close and personal. Or, with the Aquaventure Pass, you can ride a tube slide through the marine areas and feel like you are swimming with the sharks!  

Aquaventure is Atlantis' one of a kind water park with 141 acres of non-stop thrills! The Mayan Temple Water Slides and Pool is one of the most popular and favourite pool areas for kids and families. Choose between the Leap of Faith, a 60 foot near vertical drop, or the Serpent Slide, dropping five stories into complete darkness and emerging into a shark lagoon! You can race each other in the Challenger Slide or ride though a safari slide in the Jungle Slide. Adjacent to the water slides is the Mayan pool, where you can dance to the beat of a live DJ. 

The Royal Baths is a low key pool area where you can enjoy the scenery and iconic view of the Royal Towers. 

Head across the Royal Towers into the Paradise Lagoon area where you can enjoy the Paradise Lagoon Beach private beach or the Atlantis beach.

We didn't quite make it to the rest of Aquaventure where the Power Tower is located, the Rapids River, Dolphin Cay area or the other towers. (It's a huge resort!). In the Dolphin Cay area, you can play with the sea lions, choose a shallow water dolphin interaction experience or the deep water swim experience where you can glide alongside the dolphins in the water. For an amazing stingray experience, guests can enjoy ahd hands on experience in the water to feed and swim along side them. There is also an "Ultimate Trainer for a Day" and "Junior Ultimate Trainer for a Day" experience where you can interact with all the exotic marine animals onsite, and work with a trainer to go behind the scenes on how to care for all of them. Last but not least, you can choose to snorkel the Ruins of Atlantis, and discouer the underwater lost city of Atlantis and swim along the colorful tropical fish and marine animals. 

WHERE TO STAY:

Atlantis offers a variety of accommodation levels to suite every budget and style. Staying at any Atlantis accommodation choice will provide complimentary access to all of the available amenities, services and attractions at Atlantis - Aquaventure, beaches, pool, the Dig, etc...

The value option and introductory price point would be The Beach Tower, a casual and relaxed tropical vacation paradise. It is also located the furthest from the main areas of Atlantis.
For moderate choice, The Coral Towers offer a modern and contemporary Bahamaian feel to your accommodations. 
For larger families and those looking for more spacious accommodations, the Harborside Resort provides one, two and three bedroom villas that can accommodate up to nine guests in one villa. Villas include fill kitchetns with microwave, refrigerator and dishwasher, perfect for the home away from home. 
The iconic Royal Towers are located in the center of paradise and is central to all things Atlantis and is the deluxe option for your stay.
For those looking for a luxury experience, The Cove Atlantis offers sophistication, luxury, seclusion and privacy, away from the hustle and bustle of the main Atlantis areas. Suites offer floor to ceiling breathtaking ocean views, with a private beach area only accessible to guests staying at The Cove, and The Reef Atlantis. 
The Reef Atlantis is residential luxury, featuring spacious residential-style studio suites, and one and two bedroom suites. 
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WHAT TO DO:

Beyond the Marine Habitat, Aquaventure, The Dig, Dolphin Cay, Atlantis beaches, there is also a variety of other activities to enjoy! For kids, there is a CRUSH club for teens (ages 13 - 17 years) or the Atlantis Kids Adventures for kids ages 3-12. Over 21 restaurants and 19 bars/lounges will have your dining needs covered, including celebrity chef restaurants, Aura Nightclub and Atlantis Casino, the largest casino in the Caribbean. 

DINING:  

Atlantis, Paradise Island is not all-inclusive, however optional dining plans are available to add-on to your stay to make it as all-inclusive as possible. The "Two Course Value Dining Plan" provides two meals a day at quick service and family restaurants. The "Three Course Atlantis Dining Plan" provides an additional sit down mea, including dining experiences at two celebrity chef restaurants. For the ultimate dining plan, the "Three Course Reef/Cove Dining Plan" is available to the guests staying at the Reef Atlantis and The Cove. Taxes and gratuities are already included in the price of the dining plan. Guests in the same room must purchase the same dining plan for the duration of the stay, with a two night minimum stay. Children 6 and under eat free when dining with a parent on the dining plan but they must choose from children's menu. 

With lots of available dining options at Atlantis, everything from quick service, international buffet to high end fine dining cuisine experiences, there is something for everyone, include two Starbucks locations onsite!

Note: Atlantis is a cashless resort and does not accept cash onsite. All charges are to your room, if staying at the resort, or to a credit card, if visiting for the day. 

Two different Starbucks locations to get your Starbucks fix! 

Not just in Nassau, Atlantis will be coming to Oahu, Hawaii with a 2 billion dollar price tag, the most expensive hotel in the world! Rivalling only the Atlantis the Palms in Dubai, Atlantis in Hawaii will be located in the beautiful Ko Olina area, next to Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa and the Ko Olina Beach Villas Resort. With over 15 acres of land to be developed, the new Atlantis resot will have 800 guest rooms and 500 villas and 26.3 acres of marinate habitat, interactive aquarium and Aquaventure waterpark. It will an exciting future for the Ko Olina area! 

I can't wait to book you and your family to Atlantis. It really is Paradise Island and it is just  waiting for you to come! Contact me today to get your vacation booked! ​

What would be the perfect Christmas gift this year?? Why not the gift of travel?! The opportunities for travel are plenty and I am forever grateful and blessed to travel as much as I can, with my kids in tow to experience all the wonders of travel. And especially as a Disney Vacation Specialist, we have been fortunate enough to visit Disneyland in March, Walt Disney World in August, and a Disney cruise in December. That's a whole lot of Disney vacations in one year! And because of these awesome opportunities, we have had some pretty amazing vacations that my kids will remember for years to come, instead of more "stuff", which we have way too much of anyway! 

So, here is a quick overview of our recent Disney cruise experience to the Bahamas, aboard the upgraded and newly refurbished Disney Wonder! The Disney Wonder came out of dry dock in November and began her new season sailing out of Galveston, Texas to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, which was the perfect opportunity for me to explore the updates on the Wonder, explore Castaway Cay, Disney's private island, and visit Atlantis, Paradise Island at Nassau for potential future vacations for clients. 

Where to stay in Galveston:

Disney partner hotels for cruises departing out of Galveston include the Marriott at George Bush International Airport in Houston, or the San Luis Resort in Galveston. If you book your pre or post hotel stay with Disney, you can arrange shuttle transportation with Disney to get you from the airport to the port and back. If you book your hotel stay elsewhere, then you will need to make your own arrangements for transportation to the port. The shuttle from Disney is great as the shuttle ride is about 1.5 hours from George Bush International Airport to Galveston, but there is Wi-Fi onboard, and you can watch Disney movies the whole time so it doesn't feel long at all. If you don't book with Disney, a great shuttle option is with Galveston Express, which has pre-booked shuttle times or private transfer options for small groups. 

The San Luis Resort Spa & Conference Center in Galveston Island is where we stayed for our pre-cruise night. It is a beautiful resort that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. 

Other highly recommended hotels to stay in Galveston include the Hilton Galveston Island and the Holiday Inn Galveston, both which are located on either side of the San Luis Resort and all are a part of the same overall management group. Another popular and highly recommended hotel is the Hotel Galvez and Spa, which is located closer to the port so you get a great view of the incoming ships! Complimentary shuttle transportation to the port is available from all these hotels. Many offer cruise and park stays to park a car, or you can park at the cruise terminal, with savings if you prepurchase your cruise terminal parking.  

Our cruise departs at 4:00pm with a sail away party and heads off to sea for the next 36 hours. This is the perfect opportunity to explore the ship, and get to know your surroundings. It wouldn't be a very Merrytime cruise without Christmas decor! 

While at sea, the first full night onboard is usually formal night. This is a fantastic opportunity to get dressed up and there are plenty of opportunities onboard for family photos in your best attire! With the theme of the Golden Mickeys, it's Disney's red carpet affair celebrating the history and highlights in Disney animation and cinema, with an impressive live theatre musical show. 

First stop, Key West, Florida!
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It's a cute little town, perfect for walking around and exploring the sights. Mallory Square is full of trinket and souvenir shopping, conch sea shells, pirate gear and Take bicycle tour of the city, visit Ernest Hemingway museum or the Little White House of President Truman and make sure you try some key lime pie! Plus, don't forget to visit the Southernmost point of the continental USA, where you are only 90 miles from Cuba. 

Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas and the highlight of most tropical Disney cruises!! It is a beautiful private island and the most enjoyable day of the whole cruise!

Castaway Cay 5K
One of the optional "excursions" (although it is not really an excursion) is the Castaway Cay 5K! It's not an excursion you can pre-book, but you can head straight to port adventures or guest services as soon as your board to register for the race. It is a fun way to enjoy the island and the 5K is open to all guests 10 and older, although I saw a few little kids running the 5K as well! Everyone who registers for the race receives the Castaway Cay 5K medal so kids younger than 10 can certainly run or walk the 5K but they won't receive the medal. It is not a timed race so you can walk or run the distance on your own time. (But it is hot!)

The island has something for everyone, including an onsite kids club, Scuttles Cove, for the little kids if you want to drop them off. There are family beach areas, snorkeling lagoons, the Pelican Plunge water slide area and water play areas for younger kids. Optional excursions you can book include stingray adventures, tubes and float rentals, bicycle rentals, or head to the adults only area at Serenity Beach for a tranquil beach experience. Private cabanas are also available to rent. There is also a post office on the island where you can send mail from Castaway Cay to where you want to send mail but be warned, it will be sent on Bahamian time! 

Lunch is served on the island with a BBQ and an all you can eat ice cream station for dessert. There are a couple of shops on the island with unique apparel and souvenirs that are only found on the island itself so if you want a Castaway Cay souvenir of some kind, you can only find it at the shops on the island. 

Your Castaway Cay beach day ends with a pirate party, Mickey's Pirates in the Caribbean Party! Feast on a pirate themed menu, and join the deck party onboard with all the characters in their pirate gear, finishing off with fireworks in the sky! It's a fun event where many guests get all dressed up in pirate gear, and although it is not mandatory to dress up, it's so much fun! 

Our third port was Nassau, Bahamas and our excursion was to visit Atlantis, Paradise Island! There are lots of varying excursions you can choose for Atlantis, including swimming with dolphins, stingray adventures, Aquaventure access (includes access to their waterparks), aquarium and marine tour or spend a day at the Atlantis beach. 

Atlantis, Paradise Island is such a huge resort and we were only able to explore about half the resort! There is so much to do there that it deserves its own post! (coming soon!) 

And it's not everyday you get to see two Disney ships docked at the same port! There were 5 ships docked in Nassau that day, including both the Disney Wonder and the Disney Dream. When docked beside each other, you can clearly see the size difference between the two ships! 

After three port days exploring Key West, Florida, Castaway Cay, and Nassau, we had two full days at sea to relax, enjoy the ship activites, all the great shows onboard and take it easy. Enjoy some spa time at the Senses Spa, or take in the pilates and yoga classes offered at the fitness center, which really helped with my tight muscles after the 5K and bike ride on Castaway Cay! 

One of our most favourite things to do is watch movies and there are plenty of opportunities to watch first run movies in the theatre onboard. Usually after dinner (we had the late seating so dinner was at 8:15pm), we would got catch some characters for photos and autgraphs and then go get popcorn in our refillable popcorn bucket for refill, head to deck 9 to get some drinks and ice cream and head back to our stateroom for movies in our room or head to the movie theatre for a late night movie. All Disney first run movies play onboard the ship! 

One of our highlights for this cruise was to attend the midnight premiere of Star Wars Rogue One! Any new Disney movie that premieres on land, will premiere on the ship at one minute past midnight on the premiere date! So we were lucky and stayed up to watch Star Wars Rogue One the night before we disembarked the cruise and it was absolutely worth it! 

Our Disney cruise was a jam packed, kickass vacation that felt like more than 7 days! But it is full of so many memories for me and my kids that they will have forever. It's one of the many things we love about Disney and Disney vacations and it is why I choose to help people plan such amazing and memorable vacations. If you want help in planning your next vacation, let me know! I would love the opportunity to help! 

When the opportunity arose to go on another Disney cruise adventure, it was one I could not pass up! After our first cruise a couple of years ago aboard the Disney Wonder to Alaska, I figured my next cruise would like be a south cruise aboard the Disney Dream or Fantasy, or possibly the Magic, which is the sister ship to the Wonder. But the Disney Wonder went into dry dock earlier this year for extensive upgrades and changes, her debut into the world reimagined offered an opportunity to visit her again to see all her in her shiny new enhancements! Her reimagined look debuted onto the seas with the November 18, 2016 sailing from Galveston, Texas and we were lucky enough to be on the new sailing in her new digs!  

The former Route 66 area has now been transformed into an upscale adults only area, After Hours, with redesigned lounges and nightclubs. Diversions is now the Crown & Fin pub, a proper English-style pub and the Wave lounge is now the Azure Lounge, a posh and modern lounge area for many of the day time shows for families, and becomes an adult only nightclub after 9:00pm. The buffet restaurant on Deck 9, formerly Beach Blanket, has been expanded and is now Cabanas. 

The Oceaneer's Club and Oceaneer's Lab Kids clubs area for kids ages 3 to 12 located on Deck 5, also got a facelift with new additions including the Marvel Superhero Academy, Frozen Adventures and Wandering Oaken's Trading Post, Andy's room playroom, just to name a few. The many youth activities happening in the kids clubs will entertain your kids no matter what their interests are. 

The kids clubs are a completely contained area where kids can roam freely between the lab and the club to enjoy the different themed areas in each. The kids clubs are open daily from 9:00am until midnight each day. Parents have the option to check in and check out their kids, or kids can check themselves in and out themselves if you give them that permission. Lunch and dinner can also be served in the kids clubs so you don't need to worry about feeding them if they are in the kids clubs. Another great option is to have your kids join you at your regular dinner seating but the kids meals can be served first and the youth couselors can take them back to the kids club so you can enjoy the rest of you dinner. 

Kids outside the ages of 3 to 12 need not fret. There is the Edge Club for kids ages 11 to 14, and the Vibe Club, for teens ages 14 to 17 to hang out. Under the age of 3, there is a nursery onboard that can look after your kids (with additional fee), at the "It's a Small World Nursery" (formerly, the Flounder's Reef Nursery).

Some other new additions include a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique onboard, a place where little girls get get a princess makeover or little boys can be turned into dashing knights or fierce pirates! Dory's Reef is a new toddler water play area that is safe and self contained so the little ones can enjoy water activities safely and comfortably in their own little area. 

One of the unique features of a Disney cruise is the rotational dining experience. There are three main dining restaurants and guests rotate between the three restaurants, while the serving team remains with the table and moves with guests each night for dinner. Each restaurant has a unique themed menu based on the restaurant specialty so you get to try three different menus each. Then for the menu changes for the rest of the nights so that a menu is never repeated and you will have a unique menu for each night you dine. On the Disney Wonder, the three main restaurants are Animator's Palate, Triton's and Tiana's Place (replaces the former Parrot Cay). 

One of the biggest changes and most exciting ones is the new restaurant, Tiana's Place, a complete recreation of the restaurant from the Princess and the Frog, with Tiana and Lewis, the jazz playing alligator in attendance. The restaurant features a live band with jazz, wing and blues music as you enjoy your Louisiana-inspired menu. The decor and ambiance resemble a New Orleans, French Quarter atmosphere and the must have favourite of the dining experience is Tiana's Buttermilk Beignets! 

Animator's Palate remains a dining favourite among many, and the menu, decor and animated shows never disappoint! Sorceror Mickey joins you as a part of the dinner show, and then there is also a new interactive animation show, where your own creations become a part of the show! 

These was my animation drawing before dinner. Each person draws their own character and they take the drawings and they come alive on the screen in the after dinner interactive animation show. It's really neat to see everyone's drawings come alive! And if you hear the chuckle in the video, my drawing was Ariel, with no arms and a mermaid tail and it was hilarious to see Ariel walking around in her mermaid legs! 

The entertainment onboard is one of the best in the industry and the shows are always a must do! Taking place in the Walt Disney Theatre, the Broadway-style shows, and the secondary entertainment, including magicians, ventriloquist acts, comedians  are perfect for the whole family! "The Golden Mickeys" provide a perfect red carpet experience for formal night onboard, and the "Disney Dreams: Enchanted Classics" show, reminds us that a little faith, trust and pixie dust, all of our dreams can come true if we believe in ourselves. New to the Wonder and replacing the "Toy Story Musical", is "Frozen, a Musical Spectacular", a live theatre production of the popular animated movie and definitely lives up to the hype, even for non-Frozen fans. 

With all the new updates onboard the Disney Wonder, she is renewed, refreshed and ready for guests to enjoy for many years to come! Disney continues to update, renew and adapt to the ever changing needs of the guests and continues to amaze us all with new experiences that exceed our expectations every single time.

If you have never been on a Disney cruise, it is truly a vacation of a lifetime and a unique experience that must be enjoyed at least once in your lifetime! Let me know if you would like any assistance with your vacation as I would love the opportunity to help you create those magical memories for you and your family!

If you have been on one before, please feel to connect with me and share your experiences! I would love to hear your thoughts!  

When most people first hear the words "Disney cruise", images of kids overtaking the ship and frantic parents abound trying to appease high energy kids are very common! One might  think, Disney cruises are best for kids and families. Which... it is true. Disney Cruise Line is definitely highly recommended and recognized to be a cruise line option for families. But what about adults? Disney is not JUST for kids!! There are plenty of adult-only activities on a Disney cruise that will fill your time WITHOUT the kids!! 

One of the most attractive benefits of going on a Disney cruise is that you can bring your own alcohol on board! Check with Disney Cruise Line for per person limits regarding what you can bring but you certainly as long as you bring it with you in your carry on baggage. Alcohol is not permitted in checked baggage. So whether you want to bring a flat of beer, several bottles of wine or your choice of whiskey, vodka and/or other hard liqueurs, the choice is absolutely yours to choose! (But remember that you do have to carry it with you in your carry on baggage!) Wine packages are available for purchase onboard so I wouldn't suggest wine unless you are very particular about your wine choices, but the onboard options are usually pretty good. Beer packages are also available onboard and are really heavy to bring on board so it wouldn't be my first choice to bring onboard either. Where you can get the most "bang" for your buck is to bring a bottle of whiskey or vodka onboard. The drink station on the top deck offers unlimited pop, coffee and tea so it's easy to get your mix from the beverage station and add your own choice of alcoholic beverage to create your own beverage of choice! 

Though you can bring alcohol onboard to enjoy, please note that you can only enjoy the beverages in your stateroom. You are not permitted to drink in public areas unless they are purchased directly from the lounge or restaurant where you are hanging out. So, you can only enjoy your beverages in the comfort of your stateroom. But who says you can't have a little party in your cabin? 

Throughout your cruise days, there are several classes you can sign up for with a nominal fee (anywhere between $15 to $35 to help cover the beverage cost) - wine tastings, champagne tastings, beer tastings, chocolate and liquer tastings, mixology classes, port tastings, etc....the choices are pretty numerous and they offer them several times during the duration of the cruise. Beverage experts run the classes and offer some first hand knowledge with the beverages and you get to learn about drinks, and enjoy them too! Make sure you are properly prepared before these classes as you do walk way from them pretty tipsy! The nominal fee is that - nominal....and you get your money's worth in the class! There are a limited number of spots available in each class and they do fill up quickly! So if you are interested in signing up for any of these classes, go to Guest Services when you first board to sign up! 

We enjoyed the wine tasting and the mixology class! I took notes during the mixology class of the drinks we made and just found them on my phone! So here are my notes from the class -  though, I didn't include all the measurements so if you do decide to try them, you'll have to use your own judgement as to the amount to use but that's part of the fun, isn't it?! 

Mixology Class Drinks! 

Signature cocktail (Pomo Passions)
Pomegranate liquer, splash of passion fruit juice (orange, guava, passion fruit), prosecco or champagne, Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Martini (El Diablo)
Fill glass with ice, 1 oz tequila, splash triple sec, splash of Grand Marnier, splash sugar syrup, splash sweet lime juice, splash of orange juice. Garnish with lime. 

Mojito
Three slices of lime and mint leaves, sugar syrup, rum, ice, club soda, stir and garnish with lime wedge or mint.

Yellow Bird (Chicken)
Fill with ice, 1 oz rum, splash of creme de banana, Galliano, pineapple juice, equal amounts of orange juice.
Shake well without ice. Pour over ice. Garnish with lime, orange or cherry. 

Cast Away (Melon ball)
Fill with ice, Malibu pineapple, splash of midori on top. It's a build up drink so no garnish is needed.

Long Island
Vodka, gin, tequila, rum, triple sec. Tp with lime juice or sour juice with sugar syrup. Splash of Coca Cola. Garnish with lemon or lime.
If drink is made with Coke = Long Island
If drink is made with cranberry = Long Beach
If drink is made with Curacao = Blue Lagoon

Bahama Mama
1 oz rum, 1 oz creme de banana, equal parts orange juice and pineapple juice, splash of grenadine. Shake well, garnish with orange or cherry. 

Tequila Sunrise
Grenadine splash, tequila, orange juice

Bay Breeze
Fill with ice, 1 oz vodka,  equal parts cranberry juice, pineapple juice

B52
Grand Marnier, Baileys, Kahlua (pour backwards)
If made with Grand Marnier = Baby Guiness

So as you are going through the list....yes, we enjoyed every single one of these drinks in our mixology class!! It was a lot of fun!! Lots of laughs, lots of great company, and lots of great information! 

Who would have thought that going on a Disney cruise would be so educational??!! Just another reason to go on a Disney cruise! 

Dining on Disney cruises is definitely a culinary experience unlike any other cruise line! Their unique rotational dining experience allows you to try a different themed restaurant (and menu) each night while your serving team stays with you as you move. Onboard the Disney Wonder, the three main dining restaurants are Tritons, Parrot Cay and Animator's Palate. 

Triton's is named after Ariel's father (from The Little Mermaid) and offers fine dining "under the sea". Available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the food is American style with a slight French flair. 

Parrot Cay is a relaxed, carefree and colourful Caribbean restaurant. It's a great place for breakfast and lunch offering buffet style dining. Dinner is focused on food from the islands. 

Animator's Palate is inspired by creativity! The drawings of the cartoons and the creativity of the cuisine create an enjoyable and magical dining experience with contemporary American food and Pacific Rim cuisine.

On a 7 day cruise, guests have the opportunity to dine in each restaurant twice to experience the different food offerings. On theme nights, all guests share the same "themed" menu regardless of the restaurant they are dining in. Some of the themed evening meals we experienced were the "Golden Mickeys" theme on the formal evening. Passengers have the option to get all dressed up, take part of the "Red Carpet" on your way to the "Golden Mickeys" show and watch them hand out "awards for the evening. On the Pixar Pals Party theme night, we enjoyed a Toy Story themed menu with a live production Broadway-style show of "Toy Story". Our third themed evening was "Taste of Alaska", all things Alaska! All you can eat King Crab legs, lobster, Baked Alaska, etc.....a truly Alaskan culinary feast!  

Room service is always available in your cabin if you don't feel like venturing out to the rest of the ship.
Beach Blanket is another fantastic buffet-style option located on deck 9 for breakfast and lunch (serves the same food as Parrot Cay buffet). In the evening, the restaurant serves main dining specialties in a casual but elegant setting. 

Poolside options offer healthy and tasty quick service sandwiches and snacks. Pluto's Dog House provides classic American fare including hot dogs, hamburgers, and french fries. Pinocchio's Pizzeria serves up tasty slices of pizza and Goofy's Galley offers healthy salads, sandwiches and fresh fruit. Don't miss the unlimited ice ream treats and frozen yogurt there too! 

Cove Cafe is a quiet, adult-only coffee bar where guests can enjoy some peace and tranquility among and endless choice of gourmet coffee and teas. It can be a necessary retreat from some of the other crazy energetic areas of the ship! 

PALO
Palo is an absolute fine dining treat and a must do on any Disney cruise! For $25 a person, guests can supper or brunch on Deck 10 for scenic ocean views, exemplary service and high end Italian speciality cuisine! For the $25, it is an experience like none other and well worth it! Palo is only open on sea days and reservations are required. A dress code is also in effect and the restaurant is only open to adults 18 and older. 

That was supper. Brunch was no different and comparably just as wonderful of an experience! The choice, the presentation, the food....absolutely exquisite! 

If you asked me if I preferred supper or brunch, I don't have an answer for you. Both experiences were uniquely enjoyable and different from each other so it's like comparing night and day. It really depends on personal preferences and if you have the time to enjoy both, I would suggest doing both for the experience! On our cruise, our supper was with a large group of us where we were in the private room and we could all enjoy the food, the company and the drinks. The environment, the scenery and the service made the meal one of the highlights of our trip! Brunch was a more quite, intimate Sunday brunch experience but the endless choice of offerings made it extremely difficult to choose! This was one brunch where I seriously wanted to eat everything!! Including caviar....

Palo was an unforgettable culinary experience! For the extra $25/person to dine at Palo, the price is a bargain for the complete experience offered at Palo! I recommend it to anyone going on their first cruise to ensure they make reservations at Palo and I know it will be a must do on anyone's Disney cruise experience! 

Let me know if you've been to Palo and your thoughts on the food and the experience! 

After recently returning from our Disney cruise over the summer,  and helping others plan their first Disney cruise, I'm often asked about the "Must Do's" and "Don't Misses" on a Disney cruise. So, in no particular order, here are some highlights of things that I would recommend to include on your first Disney cruise vacation! 

1. Don't miss the shows! Enjoy all the live theatre shows, especially the award-winning Broadway-style live theatre shows. Disney knows how to entertain and I highly encourage you to check them all out! 

2. Bring a re-useable mug to use. The drink stations offer unlimited beverages (coffee, tea, water, pop, etc...) so you can enjoy beverages at your own leisure. It's handy to have your own mugs to refill and walk round the ship. 

3. Order milk and cookies from room service and they will deliver it as a bedtime snack. (You can even specify "warm" milk and cookies, the cookies will be delivered warm!)

4. Don't miss out on character photo ops! Take as many photos with characters as you can. There are lots of character opportunities throughout the week on the ship and the line ups are never as long as the parks! Character appearances are included in your personal navigator so you can plan out your schedule and see which characters you want to meet! Characters are always roaming throughout the ship and will stop to take photos with you if you ask. You can get photos taken by the Disney photographers, but make sure you take some with your own camera too! 

6.  Soft serve ice cream EVERY DAY. Soft serve ice cream + pop at the beverage station = ice cream float! Mmmm...

7. At dinner, order whatever you feel like eating. You can order more than one appetizer or entree if you cannot decide! Most nights, we ordered 1 or 2 appetizers and usually 2 entrees. 

8. Use the Kids Clubs!! No need to feel guilty about dropping off your kids at the different kids clubs onboard! Kids enjoy specialty programming and entertainment while being supervised by highly trained youth counsellors. Safety and security is a high priority so parents do not have to worry about leaving their kids there. Most kids don't want to leave! 

9. DANCE! Disney puts on fantastic dance parties with the characters so enjoy the music, get dancing with all your favourite characters and have some fun! From their legendary sail away parties, "Til We Meet Again" ending and the Pixar Pals Party, get out and dance! 

10. If you want a keepsake with Disney character signatures, bring a pillow case, tote bag, t-shirt or photo matte, etc. and drop it off at Guest Services at the beginning of your cruise in a plastic bag with your stateroom number. They will have the characters autograph it and then will return it to your cabin before your cruise ends. 

11. If you're a coffee fanatic and regular coffee won't do, there is a specialty coffee shop onboard. Coffee at the beverage station is free, however there is an additional cost for coffee from the specialty cafe. Make sure you get obtain a coffee card so that your 6th coffee is free! 

12. PALO. Palo is an adult-only restaurant where for a nominal charge, guests can enjoy a unique fine dining cuisine experience in an intimate and relaxing environment with attentive service and unbelievable views! Palo is only open on sea days and is available for both dinner and brunch. Both are equally recommended and completely different dining experiences! Definitely a MUST DO in my books! 

13. Bring your own alcohol. Disney Cruise Line permits guests to bring along their own alcohol onboard as long as it is brought on with their carry on a baggage. With unlimited access to fountain pop and coffee at the beverage station, you can create and enjoy your own beverages in the comfort of your stateroom. 

14. Eat, eat and eat! Don't miss out on any opportunity to eat! The cuisine on Disney cruises is high quality from the main dining cuisine to all their quick service restaurants as well. The food is always fresh, tasty and incredibly satisfying! Pizza from Pinocchio's Pizzeria, hot dogs and burgers from Pluto's Dog House and sandwiches from Goofy's Galley are all delicious afternoon snacks for a quick service meal! 

15. Enjoy a first run movie at the Walt Disney Theatre! If you happen to be on a Disney cruise when Disney releases a new movie in theatres, guests can enjoy the release at the same time the movie is released elsewhere in North America. Watch a first run movie onboard and enjoy other Disney classics during the week as well! If you don't feel like leaving your stateroom, you can enjoy a variety of Disney movies and shows from the comfort of your room. 

16. Join a Fish Extender group if you want to meet new people online or onboard your ship! There are lots of online communities dedicated to the sail week so it's fun to meet with others who will be planning and enjoying the same vacation as you! 

17. Enjoy some adult only time.  Drop off the kids at the kids clubs and take the opportunity to enjoy the numerous adult only areas and activities! Go for a dip in the Quiet Cove Pool, enjoy a gourmet coffee and/or cigar in the Cove Cafe, or take part in different wine, liquor and champagne tastings (for a nominal fee) and learn about spirits and beverages from experts in the field! These workshops are incredibly informative about the topics and who doesn't enjoy a little buzz when learning! 

18. Enjoy a movie on the top deck by the pools on the smokestack screen! It's nice to cuddle up on the lounge chairs with snacks and watch a Disney movie on the Funnel Vision large screen. It's kind of like being at the drive-in but on a ship! 

19. Book your next cruise onboard! If you've enjoyed your cruise so much and can't wait until your next cruise, book you're next cruise onboard before your first one ends to get a 10% discount off current rates with a reduced deposit (10% deposit) to secure the reservation. If you use a travel agent for your vacations, no problem! Just include your travel agent's name and they can take over the reservation immediately after you book! 

20. Don't try to do it all. There are ultimately too many choices and activities that you simply cannot do it all in one trip. Relax and enjoy your vacation! 

Our big summer vacation for 2014 was a 7 night Disney cruise from Vancouver to Alaska, aboard the Disney Wonder. Originally, Alaska may not seem like a common destination for summer travel. Most people generally prefer warm, tropical destinations. Especially for those of us in Alberta and living so close to the Rocky Mountains, Alaska and its surroundings may seem to be very similar to our Canadian picturesque view of the mountains and landscapes. But having been to Alaska and its natural untouched beauty, it is a destination I would highly recommend and definitely go back if given the opportunity to return!

The cruise season to Alaska begins in May and ends mid-September. Several cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America and Princess Cruises are simply a few operators that offer sailings to Alaska. 

TRACY ARM
One of our first visits was to Tracy Arm, a fjord located near Juneau with a narrow passage that provides an up close and scenic view of the natural beauty of Alaska. As you pass through the fjord, the waters are calm and the breathtaking views of large glaciers and floating icebergs are surrounded by rugged mountains and forest terrain. Wildlife including black and brown bears, deer, wolves, harbour seals, bald eagles and other birds can be visible as you cruise through the fjord. 

Our next stop was our first port, in Skagway, a sleepy town that appears to be frozen in time as it was the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1880's. Its history is largely steeped in the days of the Klondike Gold Rush, beginning around 1880 and ending in 1899. Gold was first discovered along the nearby Klondike River, which brought forth people from all over in the hopes of finding gold. 

In Skagway, we opted to enjoy the "Klondike Experience" which included Dog Sledding and Mushing experiences combined with Gold Panning. Dog mushing originally was a common form of transportation of goods and communication during the Klondike Gold Rush. Over time, the use of dog mushers was reduced as modern technologies for transportation was introduced to the area. To keep the legacy and spirit of dog mushing to Alaska's roots, the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth was created. Originally created as a one-time event, the event has grown to epic proportions with a race running each year. Sled dog teams train all year from everywhere to participate in the gruelling race, in blizzard, white-out conditions, sub-zero temperatures, gale-force winds creating wind chills of -100F (-73'C), for the shot at the title of champion. The race runs in early March from Anchorage down to Nome and teams consist of one musher and 6 to 16 dogs on the team. The race is usually completed in 9 to 15 days. The Iditarod keeps the legacy of dog mushing alive and central to Alaska's state identity. 

We were then introduced to Gold Mining and Gold Panning adventures. We get to look for gold! We were able to collect about $44 in gold that day! 

JUNEAU
Juneau is the state capital of Alaska and is only accessible by air 
or ship. Our port adventure was whale watching and we were 
able to witness natural feeding habits, also known as bubble 
net feeding, of humpback whales. It was a rare and amazing 
sight to witness and I know that the term, "bubble net feeding" 
has not been lost on my kids! I cannot describe into 
words the experience but here is a great article that 
captured the experience from nature's perspective 
(with much better photos from a closer angle). 

Mendenhall Glacier is also visible from the catamaran and you get a close up view of the beautiful glacier. 

KETCHIKAN
Ketchikan is a quaint little fishing town, famously known as the salmon capital of the world! Fishing and tourism are the staple industries in the area and many people come to Ketchikan to fish! Ketchikan is also home to the largest collection of totem poles. 

We took the opportunity to check out the "Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show", a live action packed family fun show showcasing the raw strength and power of lumberjacks! 

As the ship is docked, you can take a closer look at the beauty of the Disney Wonder ship! So much care and detail is placed on the appearance of the ship both inside and outside. As we docked in Skagway, maintenance workers were around the ship, washing it down, painting the sides and painting touch ups to the Captain Mickey on the front! Again the attention to detail that Disney places is beyond anyone's expectations. 

Alaska is a beautiful destination. Not one I would have expected to be so mesmerized by. The natural untouched beauty and history of the land gives me a new appreciation for life and for nature and its beauty. I'll admit, I never would have thought that Alaska would have been this interesting! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to experience it and I would definitely recommend the Alaskan cruise experience for a unique vacation! 

For more photos, please check out my Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/ReneeTsangTravel. 

Fish Extender Update!
If you read my earlier post about all the extra fun activities that go into Disney cruise vacation planning, here is a quick summary of how things turned out! All the extras are certainly not required to do on a Disney cruise but it is a fun way to meet and interact with other people who are on the same cruise week so you can share ideas, stories and fun. As well, the fish extender groups help spread a little pixie dust onboard the ship and makes the trip extra magical! If you have a Disney cruise booked, look for your ship and sail date on www.disboards.com or search for the group on Facebook. It's a great way to meet new people! 

We decorated our cabin door with homemade magnets and our fish extender so it made our "home" easily recognizable for the next 7 days. It was so exciting to come back to our cabin and receive surprises in our fish extender! 

We enjoyed all of our fish extender gifts including mugs, photo frames, t-shirts, games, keychains, sanitizer, bottle openers and much of it was handmade so we appreciate the time and energy that went into creating these wonderful keepsakes of our vacation! One of my favourite aspects of Disney Cruise Line is that you can bring your own alcohol onboard so we were STOKED to receive this in our fish extender! 

One of my handmade exclusive fish extender gifts were keychains for the adults in the cabins. On one side, it reads "I'll be your Minnie" and has the name of the female adult. On the other side, it reads "I'll be your Mickey" with the name of the male adult in the cabin. 

If you would like autographed souvenirs, you can drop off an item (photo frame matte, t-shirts, pillowcases, etc) at Guest Services and they will have your items autographed by the characters and delivered to your stateroom by the end of the cruise. There is a limit of 2 items per stateroom. I chose to personalize a fabric tote and dropped it off at Guest Services for autographs. It's a great service Disney provides so you can get all the autographs you want, without having to carry your item with you all week long. 

First time cruisers do not receive lanyards for the cruise. Once you are on your second cruise (or sixth, or eleventh), you become a Castaway Club member signifying your status as a repeat Disney cruiser. Silver Castaway Club members (2 to 5 cruises) receive a silver lanyard to wear, Gold Castaway Club members (5-10 cruises) receive a gold lanyard, and Platinum (10+ cruises) receive a Platinum lanyard. Disney Cruise Line has the highest number of repeat cruisers than any other cruise line and members wear their lanyards with pride! 

As first time cruisers, we didn't receive any lanyards so I ordered some online 
for my group. These lanyards are unique and one of a kind! (A Renee Tsang Travel exclusive! :) So when Cast Members onboard commented on our unique lanyards, 
it was a a nice surprise that our lanyards are being recognized! One of the 
random questions we encountered was "Are you guys travelling in a large 
group? Because I've seen quote a few people wearing these lanyards!" 

We proudly wore our exclusive lanyards all week long!

To have the opportunity to go on a Disney cruise is the ultimate in family vacation! It really feels like the trip of a lifetime and once you've sailed with Disney Cruise Line (DCL), you will promise yourself that you will definitely be back at some point in your life! I've been on a cruise before although it was only a 3 night cruise, it sure felt like decadence on a ship! With Disney, the decadence, the service, the attention to detail, the dining, the entertainment, the activities, the staterooms and there is so much more! There is truly something for everyone on a Disney cruise and regardless of age, I guarantee you will find entertainment and enjoyment on a Disney cruise! 

The Disney Wonder is one of 4 ships that Disney sails - Disney Magic, sister ship to the Wonder, and the Disney Dream and Fantasy round out the 4 ships available. Disney sails to many exciting destinations including The Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean. On the 7 night cruise to Alaska, we spent 2 days at sea, visited the fjords at Tracy Arm to view glaciers, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan before departing and arriving at Vancouver, BC. 

The moment you enter the ship, your family is warmly greeted with a cheerful welcome from the crew, and an announcement is made over the microphone: "The Disney Wonder welcomes .......the Tsang Family!" and all the crew members applaud and give you the grandest entrance onto the ship! You instantly feel the magic of Disney and the feeling never leaves you, even a week after you get off the ship! 

SAIL AWAY PARTY!
As the ship gets ready to sail off from Vancouver, there is a "Sail Away" Party on Deck 9 to get everyone in sailing mood! Disney Cast members and characters come out for a huge dance party on the top deck to celebrate as we head to sea! 

ROTATIONAL DINING
The dining on Disney Cruise Line is unique from other cruise lines with its rotational dining experience. You dine at a different restaurant each night (3 main dining restaurants rotated throughout the cruise) but your service team moves with you each night. So you have the same servers who get to know your preferences, allergies and other food sensitivity concerns but dine in a different themed restaurant each night. 

Animator's Palate
Creativity is abound at Animator's Palate! The restaurant is based on an artist's studio theme, where the creation of animated characters begin. And the food takes on an American and Pacific Rim cuisine menu. 

(Video courtesy of DixielandMomReviews on YouTube)

Parrot Cay
Parrot Cay is a Caribbean-themed restaurant that brings the colourful and relaxed atmosphere of the Caribbean. It's the perfect place for buffet style meals for breakfast, lunch and is one of the three main dining restaurants. 

Triton's
Triton's is named for Ariel's father in the The Little Mermaid and offers fine dining "under the sea". Triton's offers a la carte breakfast and lunch, and dinner options include a slight French flair. 

Other dining options include The Beach Blanket buffet on Deck 9, which is a buffet style restaurant serving meals all day long. Quick service restaurants on deck 9 are also available to serve food whenever the hunger strikes! Goofy's Galley offers unlimited free ice cream (one of our favourite stops!) and lots of healthy food options include fresh fruit, salads, wraps and sandwiches. Head across the pool to Pluto's Dog House for hot dogs and burgers, or Pinocchio's Pizzeria for fresh pizza slices all day long. 

For those looking for a quiet dining alternative, there are several adult 
only (18+) areas on the ship that caters to adults only for a relaxing and
quiet experience onboard the ship. Palo, is an adult only restaurant, 
open only on sea days featuring high end Italian cuisine. Located on 
deck 10, adults can enjoy a fine dining experience with outstanding service, gorgeous views, Italian specialties in a cozy and intimate atmosphere. 
Palo is available for supper and brunch and is an experience that is not 
to be missed upon a Disney cruise! 

The Cove Cafe is an adult only cafe where guests can enjoy specialty coffees, cocktails and cigars in a quiet, relaxing cafe overlooking the gorgeous ocean views. Coffee at the beverage station is included with your cabin fare however the Cove Cafe serves specialty coffees including cappuccinos, espressos, and the like. 

[DCL Travel Tip: Make sure you obtain a coffee card when you purchase coffees at the Cove Cafe as you will receive the 6th drink free! ]

ACCOMMODATIONS
Disney Cruises have a variety of different stateroom options to suit all ages and family sizes. Beginning with inside staterooms, rooms include a queen size bed, single convertible sofa and a pull out bed upper berth (in some). Standard inside staterooms (184 sq ft) do not include windows and can sleep 3-4 people. Deluxe inside staterooms offer an extra 30 sq ft for a more comfortable fit for a family of 4, with rooms at 214 sq ft. The layout is similar however it does include a split bath with tub and shower. 

Oceanview rooms include the following: 
- Deluxe ocean view staterooms (204 sq ft, sleeps 3-4)
- Deluxe family ocean view staterooms (241 sq ft, sleeps 3-5)
- Deluxe ocean view stateroom with verandah (246 sq ft, including verandah, sleeps 3-4)
- Deluxe family ocean view state room with verandah (299 sq ft including verandah, sleeps 4-5)

[DCL Travel Tip: If you're celebrating a special occasion during your cruise, make sure you let Disney know and they will help make it extra special for you!] They will decorate your door and/or cabin to welcome you when you first arrive! Repeat cruisers will also receive special Disney gifts when they arrive as well! 

ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES

You may wonder, "What is there to do on the ship? We're at sea for a couple of those days, what do you do? Will I get bored?" 

The answer is an unequivocal "NO!!" 

If you have ever been to Disneyland Resort in California, or Walt Disney World in Orlando, you may be familiar with the "busyness" and "so much to do!" aspect in the parks! Disney has designed their parks with so many offerings, and options  that you simply cannot do everything you want to to do, and when you want, thereby securing a future visit to do the things you didn't get to do. Well, on a Disney cruise, they have succeeded to offer the same with their activities and entertainment. On a 7 day cruise, there were so many things to do that we did not get the chance to do even half of what we had originally planned! And there truly is something for everyone on a Disney cruise! 

Character Fun
You can't go on any Disney vacation without meeting any Disney characters! The beauty of a Disney cruise is that there are plenty of opportunities to meet with Disney characters and the line ups are not very long!! So many photo opportunities are abound and sometimes you may even "bump" into characters as they stroll the ship! Here are only "some" of our character meet and greets!

And of course you can't forget about Mickey and Minnie! Mickey and Minnie are present on the ship as Sorcerer Mickey, Alaska Mickey and Minnie, Captain Mickey and Minnie and formal night themed "Golden" Mickey and Minnie! 

The biggest bonus of this cruise was the opportunity to meet Anna and Elsa from Frozen! After getting a scheduled  meeting time with Anna and Elsa, the wait time was MAYBE 5 minutes before you got to meet the princesses! FIVE MINUTES!! That's it!! Compared to 2 to 3 hour line ups in the Disney parks?? Well worth the cruise! My daughter is the biggest Frozen fan (as is almost any child these days, boys included!) and I couldn't help but skip a beat when I met the princesses themselves! Here is one of my favourite photos from our meet and greet - you can't help but feel the Disney magic and the memories they create with that GRIN! 

Kids Clubs
Disney cruises are designed for kids and for families. They have different clubs for different age groups to ensure that there is something for everyone. Parents can register their children for the kids clubs, which include plenty of scheduled programs to keep kids busy and entertained. Once the kids are dropped off, parents can enjoy the cruise activities however they wish! 

Flounder's Reef Nursery is an area for babies and toddlers, ages 3 months to 3 years. Children are cared for by trained counsellors to tend to young babies and toddlers. For kids ages 3 to 12, the Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer Club are 2 different areas for kids to play, learn and have adventures. Themed programs are offered daily so kids will never be bored! Edge, is a tween-inspired play space for kids ages 11 to 14 where kids can interact with other tweens, lounge in a high-tech environment and sing karaoke, go on scavenger hunts and so much more. Activities designed for the tween age group! Vibe, is the next club up for ages 14 to 17 with similar themed activities in a lounge area that is designed for this age group as well. Teens can watch TV, play video games and make new friends in the Vibe! 

There is an additional cost to use Flounder's Reef Nursery. There is no additional cost to use the other kids club programs and facilities. They are all included in the basic cabin fare. Kids clubs are open all day until midnight, and there is no limit on how often you utilize the kids clubs. All the Youth counsellors are properly trained to look after and entertain your children so parents can freely enjoy some free time without the kids! 

Families who choose the second dining seating can opt to utilize the "Dine and Play" Program. Servers will serve the kids meals first and once they are finished their meals, Youth Counsellors from the kids clubs can take the kids to the clubs and entertain them while the adults can enjoy their dinner quietly and comfortably without kids, if they so choose. 

Adult Only
Without having to entertain kids on vacation, adults have plenty of opportunities to enjoy some adult only time in many adult only activities and spaces. Diversion and Cadillac Lounge are 2 adult only lounges where adults can enjoy drinks and cocktails, music and entertainment. The Quiet Cove Pool is a pool area for aunts only where they can enjoy pool areas and activities in a relaxing and quiet atmosphere. 

There are many activities for adults to enjoy without the kids including wine tasting, champagne tastings, whisky tastings, chocolate and liquor tastings, cocktails, etc. If you don't drink, you can choose to participate in other activities including animation classes and game show trivia activities that don't include kids. If you want to participate in these activities as a family, they also have family friendly options so kids don't miss out if you want to participate together! 

Family Friendly Areas
Family vacations are all about spending time with the family and there are lots of areas and activities for families of all ages and sizes to go and take part in. Wavebands and Studio Sea are two lounge areas that often have activities for trivia games, dance parties, and other family friendly entertainment. 

Route 66

Of course you can't forget the pools! Mickey's Pool and Mickey's Slide is perfect for kids of all ages. Mickey's Splash Zone is for infants and toddlers who are not potty trained. Goofy's Pool is for kids and adults who want to be within visual distance of their kids, but yet not within splashing zone! 

Theatre and Broadway-style Shows
While on a Disney cruise, it is imperative to take in all the entertainment and shows options they put on each day. Each night, a Personal Navigator is delivered to your stateroom (and can also be accessed on the DCL app if you download to your phone), which outlines all the daily activities scheduled for your enjoyment. On a 7 night cruise, there are three Broadway-style shows not to be missed! All shows are in the Walt Disney Theatre, a grand theatre that provides an impressive setting for their shows and movie experiences. There is also the Buena Vista theatre that shows movies throughout the day if you wish to get away from the busyness of the cruise activities. 

Shows included the "Welcome Aboard" show which was an amusing welcoming show for the cruise experience. The Golden Mickeys was our formal evening, and showcased the Mickey awards to the strengths of what Disney has brought us in movies and theatre. Toy Story: The Musical was a live on stage reproduction of the movie for the Pixar-themed evening. And Enchanted Dreams was the closing Broadway-style show, which showcased that if you believe, you can make your dreams come true! The music, the choreography and talent of the performers made the shows an unforgettable live theatre experience! 

If you like movies, there is an endless supply of Disney movies you can watch. In the comfort of your stateroom, there are Disney movies playing in different channels throughout the day. Order some room service and enjoy movies in your cabin! Movies also play in the Buena Vista Theatre and the Walt Disney Theatre. Check the Personal Navigator for movies and showtimes. If there is a new Disney movie that is being released while you are onboard, you get the opportunity to watch the movie at the release time! On our cruise, the movie "Guardians of the Galaxy" was being released so it was offered to us on the cruise and playing at the same time the movie was released in Los Angeles! 

Why cruise with Disney? 

- There is really something for everyone. It is the perfect vacation for families of all ages, multi-generational families, kids and adults alike. 
- Unique dining experiences with themes and unforgettable cuisine
- Outstanding and excellent customer service. Once you've been pampered by the service of Disney crew, other cruise ship experiences will not compare. 
- Cleanliness - the attention to detail for cleanliness completely exceeds even the most cautious micro-germophobe! Sanitizing stations are abound everywhere and sanitizing wipes are required before any entry into a restaurant or foodservice area. Attendants are present in or outside the public washroom to clean and sanitize the washrooms after customer use. The food buffet counter areas and the beverage counter areas were always wiped down and there is never a drop of food or drink on the counters. Supplies were always stocked and trash bins were never overflowing. The amount of attention paid to cleanliness is one of the primary reasons people and families sail with Disney. 
- Most of the ship's activities, food and beverages are included in the cabin fare so there is no "extra" to pay when you board. Disney also permits guests to bring their own alcohol onboard (as long as it is in their carry on and not checked in) so you are free to drink your own alcohol (in your stateroom). Alcoholic beverages are additional cost if purchased onboard. 
- Organization - everything is organized to the last minute detail. The embarking and disembarking process was a breeze! On another cruise, I remember the disembarking process taking hours and was incredibly frustrating, but a part of the process. Disney had all guests disembarked by 9:00am on the day of arrival and getting ready for the next wave of guests beginning to embark by 11:00am. If that is not efficiency and productivity, I'm not sure what is! 


Year after year Disney Cruise Line continues to win numerous awards for vacation experiences. Disney has one of the highest repeat cruisers than any other cruise line. Once you've sailed with Disney, you will know why! :) With the next cruise you take, Disney will have little gifts to give you for being a loyal customer and you join they Castaway Club the minute you book your second cruise with them. Castaway Club members receive lanyards indicating their status in the club. Silver members have been on 2 to 5 cruises, Gold members are in the 5 to 10 cruise category and Platinum members have silted with Disney 10 or more cruises! They offer fantastic bounce back offers if you book your next cruise with them before you disembark.

If you have any questions regarding Disney cruises or Disney vacations, please contact me! There is so much information that it is difficult to include it all in one blog post but there will be more to come so please stay tuned! Also, there are lots of photos on my Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ReneeTsangTravel) so please feel free to check it out and give me a quick "like" to stay updated! 

Half the fun of the Disney cruise vacation has been in the planning and preparations for the trip! Not only was I coordinating the travel details for a group of 25 people, I was immersed in Disney Cruise Line culture as I discovered there is a whole underground civilization of Disney Cruise addicts with activities and groups that are found only with Disney Cruise participants! In my "research" of Disney cruise vacation planning, there are all these extra "activities" and suggested "must do's" to make your vacation planning even more fun and magical for the trip! So out comes the creative juices of my brain to maximize the fun factor for our vacation...


What is a Fish Extender?? If you go online and look, you will find a plethora of Disney cruise forums, groups and lots of online communities devoted to Disney and Disney Cruises. There are specific online communities dedicated to each Disney cruise, specific to the location and the week of sail. You can find your sail date cruise on www.disboards.com and on Facebook if you search your cruise for the week and destination. Find your cruise and join the online community and you can interact with others who will be sailing with you on the same cruise. It's a great way to meet new people onboard and have fun interacting with each other before your trip! A Fish Extender group takes this a step further where participants can "opt in" and participate in a Fish Extender Gift Exchange with whoever wishes to participate. Usually someone will volunteer to organize and arrange the group details. You submit your cabin number (if known) and the names and ages of those in the cabin. For those who have chosen to participate in Fish Extender group, everyone buys or makes little gifts or crafts for those in the cabin. It's kind of like a "Secret Santa" exchange for all the participants. The gifts themselves do not have to be anything extravagant. There are lots of great ideas on Pinterest and Etsy for ideas. Crafty individuals make little souvenir items like key chains, hand sanitizer, personalized gifts or gifts with the cruise dates, etc. 

The Fish Extender itself is a tool you hang outside your cabin door on the fish hook, hence the name "Fish Extender". Each Fish Extender is personalized with individual pouches for each member in the cabin room so people can leave little gifts for each person in the cabin. It's fun to go and check out different decks as you deliver your gifts secretly so as not to be discovered by other members! And it's a lot of fun as you return to your cabin and find little treats or gifts in your pouches! There are lots of fantastic ideas and really pretty Fish Extenders found on Pinterest and Etsy for the really crafty individuals. I don't sew, so I had to get creative with my Fish Extender! 

Another fun activity to help with the Fish Extender groups is to personalize your cabin door! The cabin will be your home for the duration of the cruise (7 nights in our case) so you might as well make it yours for the week! By personalizing your cabin door, it makes it easier to find your cabin, for yourselves and for those who will be dropping off Fish Extender gifts. If you have young kids, it's also much easier for them to find the cabin when it's personalized as opposed to trying to remember the cabin number amongst  long hallways of continuous plain cabin doors on both sides. The cabin doors are magnetic so it's easy to create some magnets to decorate your door while making it much easier to find! I also created magnetic photos of our family Disney vacations to decorate our door and personalize with our Disney family memories too! 

Because we are travelling as a large group and central to any Disney vacation with a group is .... MATCHING T-SHIRTS!! 

Another MUST DO activity is to collect autographs from all the characters onboard! You can either purchase or create your own autograph book or use a blank white pillowcase to collect autographs as a fantastic souvenir of the trip! If you don't want to run around all week on board collecting autographs, you can simply drop off your autograph book/item at Guest Services (with markers) at the beginning of your cruise then pick it up at the end of the cruise and your item will have all the character autographs on it without having to chase down characters all week! I chose to personalize a fabric tote as our souvenir and plan on collecting character autographs for it for our Disney Cruise souvenir item! I think it will look awesome! (Check back after the cruise and I will post the final outcome so you can see what it looks like!) 

One of the unique activities on the Disney Wonder to Alaska is the Pixar Pals Party. It's a fun and interactive dance party with all the Pixar characters present and everyone is encouraged to dress up as their favourite Pixar characters! (Or a Disney character will also suffice!) Dress up, join the dance party and have some fun on deck! 

We have decided to go as "The Incredibles" family and have created our costumes for our upcoming party! 

I've still got lots of little things to do before our cruise including assembling all my Fish Extender gifts for other families in my Fish Extender group, (which I won't post so as not to spoil the surprise!). But it has been such a fun process along the way! Stay tuned for more details about the cruise in its complete glory as we  set sail in a couple of weeks! Let me know if you've been on a Disney cruise and have any additional tips and tricks so we don't miss out on anything!