What continues to intrigue about a cruise aboard Disney Magic is that it blends the traditional elegance of a vintage
ocean liner with a kid-friendly environment. Entering on deck three, adults' eyes go right toward the massive chandelier-esque
glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly in the three-story atrium, while kids are more interested in being welcomed by Goofy or Pluto,
who wait at the door to say hello. Huge portholes line walkways through common areas on decks three, four and five. Lovely
fabrics, inlaid wood, and marble are used to great effect. In fact, my first impression on entering the ship was, "It's too
nice for kids!"
Disney Magic's biggest attribute is its ability to please families of all ages and backgrounds, no easy task. One of the
most joyful sail-away parties I've ever experienced involved Goofy and Pluto "getting down" to "Y-M-C-A." Absurdly comical
and strangely moving, parents and kids, from three year-olds swinging in dads' arms to too-cool-for-words teens, all danced
together, mouthing the words and wildly outlining the letters.
Easily the most popular scheduled "events" were character appearances (autograph and photo opportunities) by Mickey, Minnie
and the gang, generally held before and after dinner in the Atrium. Another popular photo op was the five-foot high bronze
statue of Mickey. Be prepared to spend money at Shutters (the onboard photographers) and opt for one of their packages!
Since the 83,000-ton ship was launched in 1998 to tremendous criticism that Magic offered little enticement for cruisers
who happened to be child-free, Disney has attempted to highlight existing and new offerings with middling success. There is,
of course, the ship's adult-only Beat Street, an evening entertainment district with clubs offering country music and karaoke,
cigars and cognac, and comedy.
We met very few couples who were sailing without kids except our dinner tablemates, admitted Disney fans, who were celebrating
their 25th anniversary. They were disappointed with the lack of quality activities although Disney has attempted to add more
traditional onboard fare, such as bingo, skin care clinics, fitness workouts, volleyball games and belly flop contests.
On our 7-night western Caribbean cruise, Castaway Cay was the trip's biggest hit. Castaway Cay, Disney's private, 1,000-acre
Bahamian island has its own dock (you just walk off the ship) and passengers head for beaches (adults only and family), underwater
snorkeling trails, open-air massages and rental sailboats, bicycles, kayaks and paddle boats. Outdoor bars, most designed
to look like Caribbean shacks, abound. Barbecue lunch is served. Scuttle's Cove is the outdoor version of the Oceaneer Club
and Oceaneer Lab; while teens can participate in dedicated shore excursions.
A highlight of the cruise was Disney's unique rotation dining scheme. Cruisers are assigned to a table number (with the
same tablemates and wait-staff) and then revolve around the ship's three dining rooms, all different in style and, supposedly,
cuisine, although everything seemed to taste alike. Lumiere's is the most elegant but a trifle boring. In Animator's Palate,
conversation comes to a complete halt as diners watch the walls, which feature portraits of Disney characters and cartoon
sketches of famous scenes, change from black and white to color. At the end of the evening, the waiters parade around the
room, having changed from black and white vests to colored ones -- and the audience applauded. It was the first time on a
cruise that the audience cheered for the decor.
Our favorite was Parrot Cay, a Caribbean-themed restaurant that was colorful and casual. If you are on a four-night cruise,
you eat twice at the last restaurant but all passengers, whether they're in Lumiere's or Animator's Palate or Parrot Cay,
order off the same menu. One night was a Mexican theme night, another had an international theme. We found the food in the
dining rooms to be quite good and better than we were expecting. There's a great kid's menu and crayons/activities are provided
while they wait.
Our wait-staff was very good, particularly in entertaining children, performing magic tricks, making hats, making Mickey
faces with the ketchup and keeping them happy so the adults had an enjoyable meal.
During the day, there were plenty of choices, from the Topsiders Buffet, which opened at 6:30 a.m. and nearly always had
lines and is unfortunately feels very cramped inside, to poolside options like Pinocchio's Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House and
Scoops, an ice cream bar. Two of the restaurants were open for breakfast and lunch. Lumiere's offered traditional cruise menus
and formality (eggs Benedict, etc.) while Parrot Cay offered a buffet with beverage table service.
Palo's, the adults-only alternative dining restaurant is elegant and quiet, serving Italian/Mediterranean cuisine and fine
wines. We enjoyed both a delightful champagne brunch and a romantic dinner for two. But with room for only 80 at a time, only
a small handful of passengers -- those who go in person for reservations immediately after getting on board -- can be accommodated.
Try high tea if you can't get a brunch reservation. You might also ask about cancellations. A $10 per person service charge
for brunch and $5 for dinner will be added to your bill.
Aside from the Deck 3 Atrium, which was used mostly for captain's parties and character appearances, the Magic had a
wide variety of lounges from themed bars to theaters. We loved The Walt Disney Theater -- just like Broadway.
Before dinner, it was fun to sip an aperitif in the Promenade Lounge, amid ships, where a duo played popular tunes and
kids and adults danced. ESPN Skybox "sports now, all the time," tucked into one of two (this one cosmetic) smokestacks, featured
two big screen televisions surrounded by a dozen smaller ones. It was never crowded but wasn't terribly pleasant -- the continual
sports-on-television was too loud to foster any kind of conversation and the cigarette smoke was unpleasant. Sessions, an
adult-only bar on Beat Street, was a lovely and elegant hideaway with deep purple armchairs tucked next to oversized portholes.
One warning: wines by the glass were expensive, by cruise standards, with the cheapest starting at about $7.
Two big omissions for traditional cruisers: no casino, or library. It's very difficult to find a quiet space anywhere on
deck to read without constant Disney music being piped in. Disney has added a cybercafe.
Charming, comfortable, decorated in a classy nautical/art deco, detailed with sleek fixtures, the standard outside cabin
(with or without balcony) is clearly designed with families in mind. First you notice the "bath-and-a-half" concept; two rooms,
one with a toilet and sink, the other a small tub and sink. Very convenient, though they do take up more space than the typical
cruise bathroom. The only cabins that don't have the dual bathrooms are the cheapest inside accommodations.
Beds convert from twins to queen and are cloistered in the middle section by a curtain that divides the bedroom area from
the sitting area, which is particularly useful at night, after the kids are asleep. In the sitting area, there's a sleep sofa,
coffee table, desk and color television, which features mostly Disney channels and CNN. Verandahs, pretty plentiful at 44
percent of outside staterooms, are equipped with two plastic chairs and a small table. We splurged for a family outside cabin
with balcony, which had plenty of room for our family of four and can comfortably sleep five.
You expect more from Disney -- and by and large it delivers. The highlight of each night was the theatrical production.
We enjoyed the Hercules musical, although there were brief scenes that were a little too scary for younger children (particularly
when a leering devil rose from beneath the stage in a puff of smoke). Younger kids will enjoy Disney Dreams, a more traditional-style
production about famous characters (Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules) that teach a young girl life's lessons. Our
kids also really liked the ventriloquist, magician, and the "Who Wants to be a Mousecateer?" show.
The adult entertainment was particularly weak because, it seemed, the different performance venues were trying to please
all passengers all the time. In Sessions, the sophisticated wine and cigar bar, a pianist usually played show tunes, which
was lovely, but every once in a while would launch, jarringly, into a 1970s pop tune. Studio Sea featured more game show type
entertainment geared towards the kids, however, there was a fun dueling pianos bar.
Disney's onboard cinema, the Buena Vista Theater, is a big plus and features first-run movies such as Chicago onboard for
all of the studios Disney owns -- not just Disney animated classics -- which are released on the ship the same day they are
released nationwide.
The 8,000 square foot spa offers massage/beauty facilities and a relatively small exercise area with glass wall with
a view of the working bridge, located a deck below. The spa is off-limits to youngsters but fitness enthusiasts rued the small
workout room.
Three main pools are found on Sports Deck, the Mickey pool with a lengthy slide tube into the pool for kids, Goofy's pool
for families and the one adult pool, the "Quiet Cove," offers nouvelle jazz and classical music instead of Disney tunes, however,
it's hardly quiet, being in close proximity to the other pools. Mickey's and Goofy's pools are disappointingly too small for
the large number of children onboard who wanted to go in the pools.
More traditional onboard fare, such as bingo, skin care clinics, fitness workouts, volleyball games and belly flop contests
are available each day. A full promenade deck is designated for jogging and walking and additional activities include a batting
and driving range and basketball court.
The children's program is organized and run by dozens of caring youth counselors, along with scheduled character visits
throughout the day. Spanning nearly an entire deck, Disney's Oceaneer Club is a supervised program for children aged 3-7,
split into age groups of 3-4 and kids 5-7. In the Oceaneer Lab; split into groups for kids aged 8-9 and kids 10-12, they will
experience high-tech interactive programs, hands-on science experiments, and ship-wide treasure hunts. All of the kids from
3-12 had time scheduled in the Oceaneer Lab, which they seemed to enjoy. Kids 11-12 can compete in a marine biology knowledge
quest game show and send digital postcards to friends. Teens (13-17) have their own private club, Common Grounds, a New York-style
coffee house plus competitive sports and nighttime activities. Children's facilities are open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
We traveled with a three and seven year old. The seven-year-old had a blast, the three-year-old was a tad on the young
side, however; she would have done better with a smaller kid to counselor ratio. For the 3-4 year olds there are 15 kids per
counselor, which we felt was too many for that age when some of them need a bit more individual attention in a large group
setting. I saw some tears from three-year-old kids left on their own in the bathroom who needed help. The 8-10 year old program
seemed good; however, we talked to teens who were bored and felt they were left too much on their own.
The inclusion of a brand-new nursery, Flounder's Reef, fills a void for parents looking for childcare for their infants
through age three. Flounder's Reef Nursery is for the infant set, with afternoon and nightly hours available on a first-come,
first-served basis according to babysitter availability. Rates are $6.00 per hour for the first child ($5.00 for additional
children).
Parents are issued beepers which we thought was great. Our kids could have us beeped if they wanted to leave for any reason
or if a problem arose. Keep in mind that kid's area at Castaway Cay is very sunny.
This is family ship; most passengers are traveling with children of various ages. Adults range from 20s to 40s while
children's ages range from three months to teens.
The attire in Animator's Palate and Parrot Cay is casual. In Lumiere's, suggested attire is a jacket for men and dresses
or pantsuits for women. No shorts, T-shirts or jeans are acceptable in any of the restaurants in the evening. The seven-night
Caribbean cruises include one semi-formal and one formal "black-tie optional" night.
Disney's brochure recommends a per person, per cruise tipping amount of $32.50 for a three-night cruise, $43.75 for a
four-night sailing, and $76.75 for a seven-night cruise.
Copyright 2004, The Independent Traveler, Inc. All rights reserved.
Passengers: 2400
