Disney Dream Vacation

 

The Disney Dream docked at Castaway Cay.

I hope to be able to take a major vacation every year. Most of the time, I expect I will be traveling alone because the kids are all getting to that point in their lives when vacation time is precious and they have adventures they want to have that don't include mom. Luckily, that time has not fully materialized just yet. 

In the summer of 2022, I took KC, Allie, and Riley down to Florida for a week's worth of Universal Studios. That meant my 2023 trip would be with Gage and Hallie. For some reason, I really wanted to do a cruise. A Disney cruise, specifically. 

Why Disney? Well, my cousin had taken her kids on a couple of Disney cruises over the years and she loved it. In fact, to this day, she says Royal Caribbean and Disney are her two favorite cruise lines. Knowing this and being a huge Disney fan myself, I was determined to spend the little bit extra (okay a lot more extra) and book with Disney. When I suggested this to the kids, they were open to the idea so we started browsing the options. 

We knew we needed to plan our vacation during their winter break from college.  When we spotted the voyage featuring a Marvel Day at Sea, we let our love of the Marvel Universe lead the way. We would visit Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, and Cozumel in the last week of February / first week of March. 

We loved the cruise. Loved it! 

Hallie, Gage, and Mom at the bar.

When you first walk on the boat, the employees announce your party's surname to the entire boat. I wasn't expecting that and, thinking back on it, imagine I was blushing quite a bit even as I laughed and smiled ear to ear. My face certainly felt hot!

Our room was cozy but we managed to stow away our luggage in the closets and under the bed. There was even a porthole big enough to sit in! The kids took the queen-sized bed and I took the couch, which folded down into a sleeping space big enough for one. It probably helped that I'm pretty much the same height as most ten-year-old children.

Me in my mouse ears.

It should also be noted that while there were a lot of kids on the boat, they were not everywhere. We were easily able to slip away from their chatter and high energy because Disney does an excellent job of creating adult-only spaces. There were entire sections of the ship where children were not allowed, sections we spent a lot of time frequenting. 

We were treated to live-action shows in the theatre. The first was The Golden Mickeys. It was cute. Fun. The second show, though, was beautiful and definitely was the theatre highlight for me. The cast recreated the magic of Beauty and the Beast with song, dance, and committed acting. We couldn't record in there or take pictures; they enforced that with surprising dedication, which is why Gage stopped me from being me. 

Our ports of call were Castaway Cay and Cozumel. We set sail on Monday and arrived bright and early on Castaway Cay Tuesday morning. 

In port at Castaway Cay.

My view from the beach.

 

Gage and Hallie relaxing for the five minutes Gage could sit still.

Cancelled activities due to high winds and big waves.

Oh, yeah. This happened.

Yep, both of my boys are getting married! We went for a little bike ride and found this picturesque overlook. Gage pulled out a ring - not the right ring because UPS delivered the true engagement ring to our house the day after we left on vacation - and Hallie said yes. The ring he had borrowed from me didn't fit, though, so she had to wait to get a proper stand-in on the boat. 

After the engagement, we went back to riding bikes and enjoying what time we had left on the island. Again, we stayed mostly in the 18-and-over areas. 

The next day was Marvel Day at Sea. We had several photos scheduled that day. 

They also put on a wonderful show at midship that night. It had all the superheroes, many of which we never had the opportunity to get photos with during the day. 

The next day we put into port at Cozumel. We couldn't rush off and explore, though. We had to stay on the ship until our excursion group was scheduled to meet up and leave for Chankanaab National Park. We had to follow the Sabastian sign.

Organizing People Disney Style

National Park in Cozumel

It was here that I got to cross off a bucket list item. I got to swim with a dolphin! I was so surprised by how soft she felt. Soft and smooth. Supple. Powerful. Yet, gentle, too.  Her name was Leia and I'm confident we could have been best friends if we'd only had more time to bond. 

Me and my bestie, Leia.

Gage making Leia work to reach his hand.

Hallie and Leia hands to fins.

Going for a ride with Leia.

Leia pushing Gage on a boogie board. Nose to foot.

Me, Gage, and Hallie at the Dolphin Discovery.

We made it back to the boat in plenty of time and pretty much spent the rest of the day relaxing. The kids went off and did their own thing for a while, leaving me alone to watch a free movie in the theater. I was excited to see Antman and the Wasp Quantumania on the schedule. I had been wanting to watch it and now I would get to on the big screen. By the way, I really enjoyed it. 

I also wandered up to the adult pool area with my tablet and took some daily notes to help me remember our trip. My memory is trash and I don't trust it!

That evening was Pirates themed. Of course, this meant standing in line to get a picture with Jack Sparrow. 

Pictures with the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow.

The evening entertainment also featured pirates. Only instead of it being a live Pirates of the Caribbean show featuring Jack, it was Captain Mickey vs. Captain Hook. 

Captain Mickey and his crew.

Our last full day on the ship was almost plan-free.  The only reservation I had made for us was the Skylight Lounge where we had a mixology class. Five mixed drinks in forty-five minutes. The mojito was our favorite. We even tried recreating it at home but we've yet to come close to the deliciousness we had in that room. 

Enjoying our mixology class in the Skylight Lounge.

As this was our last night, it was also our last dinner.  We had come full circle and were once again in the Royal Palace. Because we were quite fond of our server, we asked him if we could get a picture with him. He was kind enough to say yes. 

Us posing with Suartana. He was amazing! Disney should give him a raise.

I had prepaid all tips but he was such an amazing server I felt he deserved a lot more, so I gave more. I still don't think it was enough but it's what cash I had left on me after two ports of call. Seriously, he was the best server and made our dinners about more than just the amazing food the chefs were preparing. 

That night Gage and I watched Avatar the Way of Water in the theater. It was our last bit of entertainment on the ship because the next morning we were back in Miami and on our way to the hotel I had booked for the night. A hotel room we didn't really need because we were through Customs before noon. We could have easily caught a flight home later that afternoon. Live and learn, I guess. 

I must say this was a great vacation and I really enjoyed spending the week with my boy and his girl. Vacationing on the Disney Dream was magical. I'd definitely go again and I know the kids feel the same way. They're even talking about changing up their honeymoon plans and cruising with Disney instead.