The Disney Fantasy is the newest addition to Disney Cruise Lines' fleet of four luxury liners. With so many cruises and cruise lines to choose from, to make planning easier we've done all the research for cruise vacations. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on cruise ships, here is all the information you need to know about a cruise on the Disney Fantasy.
Great Destinations
The Disney Fantasy offers 7-night cruises, with both Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The Eastern Caribbean ports of call include St. Maarten or San Juan, Puerto Rico, plus St. Thomas/St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Western cruise stops at Grand Cayman, plus Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. Both itineraries include a stop at Disney's Castaway Cay - their private island in the Bahamas.
Grand Vessel
The sister ship to the Disney Dream, the Disney Fantasy has 14 that can house up to 4,000 passengers plus the over 1,450 cast and crew members. There are 1,250 staterooms that can all sleep a minimum of four passengers, and most feature the split bathroom with sink and toilet in one room, and a tub and shower plus a sink in the other. As with the rest of the DCL fleet, it is designed in the style of luxury ocean liners of days gone by, with opulent art nouveau decor and finishes.
Special Features
The Disney Fantasy is designed to have something that appeals to every passenger of every age, so The best cruises for kids keep them busy, and since the is a Disney property, the children's clubs are bright and fun. The well-trained staff to keep your little ones engaged and safe. The Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are play spaces with programs for kids aged 3-12 (little ones must be potty trained) and are included in your fare. The It's A Small World Nursery cares for little ones from 3 months to 3 years of age, for an additional fee of $6.00/hr. Reservations are recommended for the It's A Small World nursery, but walk-ins are usually accepted without issue if the ship is not at capacity. For the tween set, Edge is a lounge space located on Deck 13 where kids ages 11 through 14 can watch TV, listen to music, play videogames, and surf the Internet. Once the kids are ensconced in their own thing, the grown ups can enjoy the multitude of adult-only lounges or two adult pool areas, or unwind at the Senses Spa & Salon.
The entire family can enjoy the pools, waterslides and water fun areas, movie theater, and the shows at the Walt Disney Theatre on Decks 3 and 4.
Accommodations
As with the entire ship, the staterooms on the Disney Fantasy are well-appointed and nicely decorated with a nautical flair. Disney designed the 1,250 staterooms with families in mind - and there are options like private verandahs, deluxe rooms with expanded space, "magical portholes" - LCD flat-screen monitors with a stylized nautical frame disguised as a porthole for those without windows, as well as rooms with porthole views. All but the Standard Inside Staterooms offer Disney's signature "split bath". All staterooms are equipped with an LCD flat screen TV on swivel arm with remote-control,
an iPod Docking Station, full-length mirror, ample closet space, mini fridge, in-room safe, hair dryer, phone with voice-mail messaging, and individual climate controls.
Cost
Cruise prices can vary widely, depending on when you buy, itineraries, the time of year, off-ship excursions and your choice of stateroom. Cruisedirect.com lists prices for seven night Eastern Caribbean cruises departing from Port Canaveral starting at $1,344 for a balcony stateroom, going as high as $3,780 for the same room. Inside staterooms start at just over $1,000.
Excursions
If your itinerary takes you to the French/Dutch island of St. Maarten, port adventures include a bicycle tour through the historic capital of Phillipsburg, and many options for active exploration or beach relaxation. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, there's also the options of beach or bike, as well as shopping and catamaran options as well.
Dining Experience
Unique to Disney Cruise Line cruises, "rotational dining" is also a part of the Disney Fantasy dining experience. You eat in a different restaurant each night, but your serving staff follows you. There are three main dining rooms. The Enchanted Garden and Royal Court are more formally appointed, with fairytale-themed decor. The Animator's Palate, is a more casual atmosphere, with the amazing addition of watching a character of your design dance in Disney's classic animated films with Mickey Mouse and friends. Palo and Remy are Italian and French-themed adult-only dining experiences - usually for dinner but sometimes also brunch. Cabanas on Deck 11 is a varied buffet open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and quick meals and snacks are also available on Deck 11 at is Flo's Café. The 24hr beverage station is located beside Flo's. Room service is available 24 hours a day.
Maiden Voyage
The Disney Fantasy's Fairy Godmother is Mariah Carey, who christened the vessel in New York City in early March, 2012. After a number of media preview sailings, she started her maiden voyage on March 31, 2012, sailing from Port Canaveral in Florida. It is the sister ship to the Disney Dream, which also sails out of Port Canaveral and does three to five night Bahamian Cruises.
In The News
On May 29, 2012, the Disney Fantasy rescued four men who were adrift on a small raft off the coast of Florida. The four men were Cuban nationals, who were spotted signalling for help off of Key West, Florida.
