Disney Magic Cruise

It was with a small amount of anxiety that I woke to board my very first Disney cruise. As a seasoned cruiser, I was eager to get back on the water. But not really knowing much about Disney I wasn’t too sure what to expect.

I was travelling solo but joining a group of industry professionals from various countries, all embarking on this Disney adventure onboard Disney Magic. Research told me Magic was the first and remains the smallest of the Disney fleet with a capacity of 2,700 passengers. There are now 5 in the fleet including the newest, Disney Wish which I heard a lot about and sounds amazing.

Boarding was very quick and easy in Copenhagen so within minutes of arrival at the port I was being welcomed on board with cheering and clapping whilst my case was being delivered separately to my stateroom. What a lovely welcome aboard that was, immediately highlighting that this cruise line is different from the others. My stateroom was a verandah, midship which was ideal for me as I do like to open the door and sit outside in the fresh air. There are several options depending on budget and personal choice including accessible cabins and 2-bedroom suites. The accommodation is a good standard with all the amenities you may need, with plenty of storage space and power sockets. There is a mini fridge and in the higher category suites there is a stocked bar, however, room service is 24/7 with no service charges and, both hot and cold soft drinks are freely available in dedicated places around the ship. Imagine your kids on free-flow soda! And ice cream!

So, I am imagining you want to know about two main things - food and entertainment. Let’s start with food.

Disney operates a rotational dining plan. So, each day your dinner will be in one of three main dining areas unless you are opt-out to a premium restaurant or to a more casual option. Restaurants are semi-formal/smart casual, and whilst we did have a formal evening on board, it was a personal choice how formal to be. I won’t spoil them for you, but each of the restaurants has a couple of different ’shows’ so you will always see something new at dinner. And honestly, I was completely mesmerized by some of them. Nice touch with this style of dining - you always retain the same table number. And the same service team who rotates with you, so they get to know you and your preferences which is lovely. By our second meal, they knew everyone’s name. There is an excellent selection to choose from and the menu does change. Breakfast and lunch also have a variety of options for diners with no reservation required. Mickey waffles seem to be the most popular dish as I saw almost every plate at breakfast had Mickey's face on it. In addition to the readily available soft drinks, ice cream and cookies are also included to the delight of many kids and adults.

Entertainment. Well - it’s impressive. We used an onboard app which showed the daily schedule which was absolutely jam-packed with things to do. It was easy to highlight the things I liked the look of and then the app would send me reminders so I didn’t forget to go. Quizzes, karaoke, films (indoor and out) which may if you are lucky include a Disney premiere not yet out in the cinema. Dance classes, cooking classes, fitness and wellbeing classes, sports events, parties..you name it - Disney does it. Like with most cruise lines there is an evening ’show’ and there are two timings, so you get to see it regardless of your dinner time.

The quality of this entertainment is fabulous. Not only the Disney classic performances but also specially hired for the sailing entertainers, such as magicians and comedians. They also have ‘After Hours’ which is an adults-only area in the evening with entertainment that may not be suitable for the youngsters and adults can relax without them. There are a few adult areas on board including a restaurant and pool. What surprised me is how many adults there are onboard travelling without the children. It seems Disney really is ‘for all ages.’ Disney characters are around the ship to meet and greet guests and have photo shoots all through the day. Small queues do form for the popular cast members but they are short.

The first time I found myself in a queue I felt guilty about taking up a space a child should have had. I soon got over that when I saw a half of the line was adults and they are every bit as welcome to get involved. So get involved I did, loving wandering around to see the characters - and check out their extensive wardrobe as they always seemed to be wearing something new. This is a real treat and something that you don’t get to do anywhere else. Even staying at Disney theme park you may have to pay and queue for long periods to get close to these famous characters.

If you don’t want to be amongst the characters you don’t need to. There are plenty of safe spaces around to avoid the full-on Disney theme and as I have already mentioned, adults-only areas too. Much of the theming is actually hidden. Disney fans love searching for ‘hidden Mickey’ but if you aren’t looking for it you just won’t see it. Or head to the tranquillity of the onboard spa which really is something special.

So would I go back on board? IN A HEARTBEAT. Disney cruise is fun for everyone. But it’s just that little bit better for the Disney fans. ’That’s the Disney Magic!'