Honeymooning on the Fantasy SWDAS *COMPLETED 3/7*

[Araminta18]

Ok, that tub looks amazing, especially for a cruise ship!

 

[FSU Girl]

That looks remarkably like the Hulk-themed bread on Marvel Day at Sea.

I could totally see them using the same type of food for these themed days so I wouldn't be surprised if that is the same bread.

I just realized we had the same dinner rotation on our cruise as yours!(our cruise was the week after yours). I was also bummed that they don't do anything more in AP for dinner. I'm guessing they don't because if they did, everyone would request the rotation that would get them to eat there on SW night.

That's a fun coincidence. And I could totally see that being a reason why, but it still seems like a missed opportunity to do something fun.

I had gotten the cheese souffle also, and agree with you about it.

Right? It was awful. How do you mess up cheese and souffle? Both wonderful things.

As I've read your report I've seen that you and I order a lot of the same food, so funny. I have a notebook that I write stuff in that I want to remember about when we go on a cruise. I have a list of food that you've tried and said is good that I haven't tried yet that I'm going to try on our next cruise. I always get the same stuff and want to try some new stuff from now on. I'll still always get the black truffle pasta in AP and the pork chop there, both are so good!

That is funny. I've noticed that the food has been pretty consistently the same from on my three Disney cruises so I'm learning what to expect. That is a good idea to take notes on what you like and don't like. I always try to go for something new every cruise. The nice thing with cruises is you can order a lot and be a little more adventurous because if you don't like it you aren't stuck with that meal. The black truffle pasta is awesome. I don't think I've tried the pork chop, maybe next time.

I was wondering about the showers in your cabin, I've seen videos of them and thought they look small. I love the round showers with the rainforest shower heads that they have in the family size cabins.

They are a little on the small size. I've only been in the one-bedroom suite and the normal verandah room, not the bigger family verandah so I don't know the difference in shower sizes. The one on our first cruise was probably a little smaller than the concierge one. But it was a really nice shower with amazing water pressure. When I go to WDW the one-bedroom villas have the rain shower head and the water pressure can be awful. I think that's what I kept comparing when I would shower. I really liked that there were two so when we'd get back from the pool we could both shower immediately.

I didn't know about the facts on the app, I'll have to remember to look at it next time.

Ya there were a lot, I only took one screenshot. There was some interesting facts in it.

Sorry you started to feel ill.

Thanks, it sucked that I got a cold. I think I figured out a plan to prevent it for next time where I will be eating all food with a fork and knife and nothing with my hands. People seemed to cough on me a lot on the cruise too when I couldn't escape like in the theater or in an elevator.

 

[FSU Girl]

Ok, that tub looks amazing, especially for a cruise ship!

It was amazing. It really was like a hot tub with the jets and with the TV in the mirror you could just relax in the tub and watch a movie.

 

[buzzrelly]

I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of the bathroom yet, so I went around doing that.

Holy, moly! Nice bathroom

This is the second bathroom that is located near the front door.

Two bathrooms??!!

That stinks that you weren't feeling well. There's been so many nasty viruses going around this year

 

[lklgoodman]

People seemed to cough on me a lot on the cruise too when I couldn't escape like in the theater or in an elevator.

I HATE when that^^ happens! On our cruise I was walking along a hallway and the lady in front of me started coughing and sneezing a lot WITHOUT covering her face. I was right behind her and held my breath. She was walking in the middle of the hall and I couldn't get around her. I thought I would pass out from trying to hold my breath for so long!! She didn't just cough/sneeze once, it was for a good couple of minutes. I finally nudge my way pass her and nearly ran ahead to get a breath of fresh non-contaminated air. I figured she was rude for not covering her face, so I shouldn't feel bad about rushing past her. I thought for sure I would get sick, thankfully I didn't. Last year my dh, dd, and I all got the flu(even after getting the vax) about 3 weeks before our cruise. I was so happy because I always worry we'll get it right before our cruise and will have to cancel. We all got the tamiflu and only felt bad for about 2 days. I just got back from picking up my dd from school and she just told me 2 of her friends were out today with strep, GREAT!

I know to hit reply when you want to highlight a complete post. If you just want to respond to part of a post do you click on the quote and then highlight it to get it to show up on your responding post? I just copied and pasted what you said because I wasn't sure how to do it.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Got super far behind while I was at WDW and on my own cruise! Loved it so much I booked a SWDAS for next February, with the same itinerary as you guys! So I'm also scouring your TR to make sure I don't miss any good tips!

 

[FSU Girl]

Holy, moly! Nice bathroom

The bathroom is pretty amazing and even more amazing that its on a cruise ship where things are usually super tiny.

Two bathrooms??!!

I love that about this room.

That stinks that you weren't feeling well. There's been so many nasty viruses going around this year

Ya I was really mad I ended up getting sick. Thankfully it wasn't anything too terrible, mostly a head cold with a cough.

I HATE when that^^ happens! On our cruise I was walking along a hallway and the lady in front of me started coughing and sneezing a lot WITHOUT covering her face. I was right behind her and held my breath. She was walking in the middle of the hall and I couldn't get around her. I thought I would pass out from trying to hold my breath for so long!! She didn't just cough/sneeze once, it was for a good couple of minutes. I finally nudge my way pass her and nearly ran ahead to get a breath of fresh non-contaminated air. I figured she was rude for not covering her face, so I shouldn't feel bad about rushing past her. I thought for sure I would get sick, thankfully I didn't.

Ugh that sounds like it was a nightmare. It amazed me how many people coughed without covering their mouth.

Last year my dh, dd, and I all got the flu(even after getting the vax) about 3 weeks before our cruise. I was so happy because I always worry we'll get it right before our cruise and will have to cancel. We all got the tamiflu and only felt bad for about 2 days. I just got back from picking up my dd from school and she just told me 2 of her friends were out today with strep, GREAT!

The Flu is awful, that's good you didn't have it for very long. I've never gotten the shot, I'm nervous to because my mom had a really bad allergic reaction so I don't know if I would too or not. Strep is not good, hopefully no one else at school gets it. I forget how it's caught, but I know when I was a kid my brother had it and I never ended up getting it so maybe it's not super contagious?

I know to hit reply when you want to highlight a complete post. If you just want to respond to part of a post do you click on the quote and then highlight it to get it to show up on your responding post? I just copied and pasted what you said because I wasn't sure how to do it.

If you want to respond to just a part of what is written you highlight it and then click reply. It will copy the highlighted portion down into the response box and you can type underneath it to reply to them. I'm not really sure how to use the quote option, when I click on it nothing happens.

Got super far behind while I was at WDW and on my own cruise! Loved it so much I booked a SWDAS for next February, with the same itinerary as you guys! So I'm also scouring your TR to make sure I don't miss any good tips!

That sounds like a fantastic trip! Are you going to write a trip report for it? You're going to have a great time next year on this cruise too.

 

[iivye]

Now I'm dying to go on a Star Wars cruise! Loving your trip report.

 

[Lesley Wake]

That sounds like a fantastic trip! Are you going to write a trip report for it? You're going to have a great time next year on this cruise too

I’m definitely planning on it! Just need to finish my DLP TR from June! And I still need to get cracking on my Dec WDW TR! So many trips, so many TRs, only so much time!

 

[FSU Girl]

Now I'm dying to go on a Star Wars cruise! Loving your trip report.

Thank you! The Star Wars aspect of the cruise was a lot of fun I would definitely recommend this cruise.

I’m definitely planning on it! Just need to finish my DLP TR from June! And I still need to get cracking on my Dec WDW TR! So many trips, so many TRs, only so much time!

That is a good problem to have lol!

 

[FSU Girl]

January 11th - Castaway Cay

I love Castaway Cay, but I'm always a little sad when we are here because that means the cruise is almost over. I woke up feeling a little worse than I had before and loaded up on some medicine I bought in the gift shop the night before. I was a little concerned about being sick and having an excursion where we'd be in the cold water.



My favorite part about having a Starboard cabin is the view of Castaway Cay,



The weather looked perfect and the water was super blue. It wasn't really warm out, in the low 70s I think and the water was wayyyy to cold for this Florida girl even if I hadn't been sick.

I had some time to relax in the cabin and sleep a little longer since DH was running the 5k. He loves doing this, does it every time. I am not a runner, barely a walker lol. So I don't partake. I made our excursion for 11am to give us enough time for him to run and return to the cabin, change and head down to the island. It was plenty of time and we didn't need to rush.

The excursion we did was: Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure (C13)

The description for the excursion on Disney Cruises website:



We originally were going to go to Stingray City in Grand Cayman, but I got nervous about them being wild stingrays with their barbs. If you aren't aware, Steve Irwin died by having a stingray's barb go into his heart. Ever since that happened I've been nervous about being near any wild ones. I know it's a popular location and the stingrays are probably used to people, but it just takes one to be in a bad mood and something happen I'd rather not risk it.

The nice thing with Disney's excursion is they are not wild stingrays. Their barbs have been cut. This does not hurt them, it's like having a fingernail trimmed. They go to stingray school and once they've graduated they are allowed to interact with people.





It was easy to find the location on the island, you just take the tram one stop and follow the signs down the beach. Be sure to bring the excursion tickets with you that they leave in your cabin.

When we arrived they told us we were too early and to check back 15 minutes before 11am. We weren't wearing any watches so we found some beach chairs at the edge of the beach nearby where we could see the swimming area for the stingrays to keep track of time.



All my pictures on the island were taken with my waterproof camera. I bought it for my first Disney cruise two years prior for a snorkeling excursion. I hadn't turned it on since, but after charging it up it worked perfectly.



Hanging out at the Family Beach. I've never been over to this part of the island before, we usually go to the Adult Only beach Serenity Bay.



To give you an idea of the crowding at 10 something in the morning. It was crowded, but there were chairs to be found.



We could see people checking in for our excursion and the earlier group leaving so we walked back over. It was an easy process to check in, just gave them our tickets. There was a large wooden structure where they told us to wait in. They have a wall to put your belongings and then benches for everyone to sit on. The wall had pictures of all the different types of stingrays. They did tell us that only the first one on the far left were found here though.



A view of the Fantasy from the beach.

Continued next post...​

 

[FSU Girl]

January 11th - Castaway Cay



There are two parts to this excursion. First they have you split up into groups and you get to feed the stingrays. Then you get to snorkel with them. Before going out here they give you some safety instructions and hand out the snorkeling gear. We were in group two.

That water was FREEZING I don't know if I would book a water excursion in January again, it was just so cold.



These stingrays are special. They are the only ones in the entire world that have been trained to eat off Mickey shaped plates.



They have a bucket of food for the stingrays and hold it out for you to pick one. The stingrays have been trained to swim up the ramp and eat the food off the plates and then swim down the other ramp. You can put the food on the plate, or hold it in your hand so they eat off of it.



There were a lot of stingrays swimming around. They warned us that they are like cats and will rub up against our legs and like to be pet.



Our first stingray swimming up the ramp.



It's been a while now so I might be miss remembering, but I believe almost every stingray they have are females and there is only one male and he's the smallest of the bunch.



They encouraged us to pet them as they swim by.





There were a lot of fish swimming around us hoping some food would be dropped for them.



Continued next post...​

 

[FSU Girl]

January 11th - Castaway Cay



Now it was time to snorkel. I just plunged myself into the water to get over the cold, I couldn't go in gradually or I wouldn't have made it. I took a picture of the ship from the snorkeling area. It was a large fenced in area where all the stingrays could swim about. They had some really large ones that stayed farther out and it got pretty deep in those parts.





It was really fun swimming with them. I'd float along about some, some were buried in the sand and would suddenly appear.





One thing I really love about snorkeling is how quiet everything gets when your head is under water. It's really peaceful, like I was alone in the ocean with these stingrays.



My foot with the stingray.



When a stingray is resting they will bury themselves in the sand to camouflage themselves.



Some birds were hanging out, probably hoping for some food too



They reminded me of something other birds you might be familiar with:



Continued next post...​

 

[FSU Girl]

January 11th - Castaway Cay

The total time for the excursion is an hour. After they let you go snorkeling you are basically allowed to swim around until they tell you its time to get out. Since the water was so cold I think we got out a little before the time was up. Some people were still snorkeling, but many had already left.



I took a ridiculous amount of stingray pictures, so here's just one more. I had a lot of fun doing this excursion and would definitely do it again. I do wish the water was a little warmer though, but that's my only complaint.

Oh I forgot to mention, the lady who led the safety instructions who worked there was wearing a sweater she was that cold.



We thought about staying on the island, but I was hungry and not a fan of the BBQ food they offer on the island. It was also cold so there was no way I was getting back into the water.



I love the back of the Disney ships. Each one is unique and so cute. I love this one.



We went up to the pool deck to have some pizza. We hung out there for a while and watched the movie playing on the funnel vision. Then went back to the room to shower and rest.

Up next the rest of our last day on board the Fantasy...​

 

[Geomom]

I enjoyed reading about your stingray excursion. If we ever make it to Castaway Cay (not sure when that'll be...we've done Alaska, Northern Europe, and hoping for a Norway one), DD14 would LOVE to do this. She loves stingrays--she's been to a couple sting ray touch tanks at aquariums and loves that. (Lol, one of them freaked me out...it missed my hand, so it turned around and came back to be petted...which I was totally not expecting!)

 

[Lesley Wake]

The Stingray excursion seemed fun! For some reason, it was cancelled on the day we were there. Pretty much every excursion was cancelled (most for wind, but I don't know why that would have affected the stingrays?). We weren't doing it though.

I thought the water at the family beach was freezing (this was mid-February). My mom dipped her feet in the Serenity Bay beach and said it was nice and warm though!

 

[FSU Girl]

I enjoyed reading about your stingray excursion. If we ever make it to Castaway Cay (not sure when that'll be...we've done Alaska, Northern Europe, and hoping for a Norway one), DD14 would LOVE to do this. She loves stingrays--she's been to a couple sting ray touch tanks at aquariums and loves that. (Lol, one of them freaked me out...it missed my hand, so it turned around and came back to be petted...which I was totally not expecting!)

They really do act like cats wanting to be pet. They would brush up against our legs and continue to swim by for attention it was cute. Those are great cruises! We go to the Caribbean and Bahamas a lot just because it's so easy to jump on a cruise since we live near the ports. Out of all the islands Castaway Cay is definitely my favorite.

The Stingray excursion seemed fun! For some reason, it was cancelled on the day we were there. Pretty much every excursion was cancelled (most for wind, but I don't know why that would have affected the stingrays?). We weren't doing it though.

I thought the water at the family beach was freezing (this was mid-February). My mom dipped her feet in the Serenity Bay beach and said it was nice and warm though!

It might be because they have those floating food booths for the rays and in strong winds I could imagine the water isn't very calm. It could also make snorkeling dangerous. The excursion was a lot of fun I would totally do it again, but only if we go during the summer or something. That water was awful. I'm also the girl who will take a scolding hot shower lol so cold water is not my favorite. I could see Serenity Bay having a little warmer water, it's a lot shallower so the sun would make that water heat up quicker.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

FYI on the Sting Rays. We did a private tour to Sting Ray City on our EBPC cruise and our guide gave us the rundown on the barbs. The barbs are way down near the base of the sting rays tail. They can't shoot the barbs, so unless you're swimming right on top of them, the barbs won't even touch you. I was fine just shuffling along the sand bar and holding them in my arms. Regardless, we had fun interacting with them both at Castaway Cay and Sting Ray City.

 

[FSU Girl]

FYI on the Sting Rays. We did a private tour to Sting Ray City on our EBPC cruise and our guide gave us the rundown on the barbs. The barbs are way down near the base of the sting rays tail. They can't shoot the barbs, so unless you're swimming right on top of them, the barbs won't even touch you. I was fine just shuffling along the sand bar and holding them in my arms. Regardless, we had fun interacting with them both at Castaway Cay and Sting Ray City.

I didn't know that about the barbs, just that one killed Steve Irwin. That's good to know Thanks!

 

[FSU Girl]

January 11th - Last Day of Cruise

We've finally reached the end of the cruise. It was so much fun I didn't want it to end.



DH got me some soft served ice cream. I love this stuff and that it's free. Definitely ate way too many ice creams throughout the cruise.



It was time to head to dinner. We were in the Enchanted Garden tonight and it was actually our first time going to the restaurant on the cruise since we skipped the first night to go to Palo.



Going to this restaurant makes me a little claustrophobic. I'm not sure if the ceilings are lower on the 2nd floor or it just appear that way, but with everyone walking into dinner I feel very confined.





Our table was next to a window, which was nice, but it was already dark out so we didn't see much out it.







I wasn't loving the food choices on the menu tonight.





Continued next post...​