Katie: I think Disney provides great and very friendly service at their parks, so I expected nothing less on their ship and wasn't disappointed. The cabin (5A deluxe room with a private verandah) was beautiful with a split bath (one with a sink and toilet, the other with shower/tub and toilet) and comfy bed with high-quality bedding (I'm going to order a pillow I loved it so much!) and on-demand Disney movies on the TV. It was great to be able to step outside and get fresh air and look at the ocean. The kids loved the bunk beds!

Katie: Disney has cruise-casual rotational dining, so you go to a different restaurant each night and your servers move with you and you don't have to dress-up which was great with kids. We started out at the Enchanted Garden which slowly goes from day to evening over the course of your meal. It's very subtle, so you have to watch for changes. The second night we went to the Royal Palace which is centered around the Disney Princesses with little touches like Cinderella's Coach as your bread bowl and Bob had Wild Boar that he said was delicious. And the last night we went to Animator's Palate where Crush, from Disney/Pixar's "Finding Nemo" comes around and talks to guests via huge TV screens. This was by far our favorite restaurant, even though it was quite loud, but it's where I had my favorite dish, the Black Truffle Pasta Pursettes. Seriously, I can't stop thinking about how good it was!

The kids loved eating at "fancy" restaurants and Garrett loved that everytime she asked for ketchup, the servers poured it in the shape of Mickey Mouse! Seth liked that he was able to eat seafood (Bob and I are not big seafood fans) and he ordered from both the kids and adult menus, he even orded the pasta dish I raved about after trying mine. Like most cruise ships, servers are from all over the world, which, unfortunately, can lead to some things being lost in translation. Sometimes there were misunderstandings or items left off meals...like Garrett wanted the Mickey Waffle Breakfast (waffles, eggs, and silver-dollar pancakes) but because she simply asked for Mickey waffles, that's all she got. We learned you need to be very specific in what you want. They also have two adult-only restaurants, Palo and Remy, that have surcharges of $20 and $75, respectively, but we didn't eat there because we only had 3-nights and wanted to experience each of the regular dining rooms.

The crew is very friendly. Rarely did we pass a crew member who didn't say hello, ask us if we were enjoying ourselves, asking us if there was anything they could do for us or tell us to have a great day.

Dan: What was your favorite thing?

Katie: The kids would say the Oceaneers Club and Oceaneers Lab, the fireworks and the AquaDuck. The AquaDuck is the watercoaster ride that goes out over the ocean and around the top of the ship. Lines to ride the AquaDuck can sometimes be long (45-minutes to an hour) and the water is cold, but it was certainly fun!

Our favorite thing was our visit to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay (FYI: Cay is pronouced "key"). We also loved that we didn't need to carry cash just your Key to the World card, which is your room key and charge card. Each person gets a card and you can set who can charge on it and even have each card charge to a different credit card (great if you're traveling with friends or extended family).

There are staff that walk around the deck of the ship and the beach at Castaway Cay with trays of drinks (both alcoholic and non) and you simply give them your Key to the World card and you don't have to go anywhere to get a drink! Anything you want to buy on the ship or Castaway Cay, just give them your key card.

They also have an onboard game called "Midship Detective Agency" where you pick up a card with a QR code on it and visit "enchanted" art throughout the ship to get clues to help you solve one of two mysteries. The "enchanted' art are actually screens that are motion-activated and the art comes to life when you stand in front of it! When you hold the "Midship Detective Agency" card up to the art, it will provide you with a clue to help solve the mystery. It was fun to see what each "painting" did as it came to life and the kids enjoyed playing detective.

Dan: Your least favorite thing?

Katie: Our least favorite thing, well, they have photographers that come around at dinner and take pictures and that was kind of annoying. I know they are trying to capture memories, but unless you are planning on buying the pictures (we didn't because they are really expensive!) it was just an unwanted interuption, although we did look through the pictures at the Shutters Gallery and that was fun. Also, we thought the food was very hit-and-miss. We had some delicious dishes and some that were just okay. The pools are small and were very crowded and rarely could you find an empty deck chair by the family pools, but that didn't stop us from swimming.

Dan: Did you do any research before the cruise that was helpful?

Katie: Oh yes, I scoured the entire Disney Cruise Line website, and our favorite Disney-Go-To website, www.mousesavers.com, requested a DVD from Disney Cruise Line, and borrowed the Passporters and Birnbaum Disney Cruise Line guides from the library. Everything provided helpful information on what to expect, what to do and what not to do. I think we would've felt lost had I not done any research at all.

Dan: Would you cruise again?

Katie: Absolutely! And we'd definitely cruise with Disney again, especially if we were cruising with our kids. I liked that almost everything is taken care of before boarding. No need to worry about how much your room, food, entertainment, etc is going to cost because it's already paid for! Of course you have to pay extra for somethings, but I like that it's basically a "one-stop-shop." Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Dan: What about ports?

Katie: We had two ports, Nassau and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, both in the Bahamas. At Nassau we booked the "Sea and See" excursion where we went on a semi-submarine tour of some reefs and a bus-tour of Nassau. It was okay (the underwater tour made me seasick which, unfortunately, lasted most of the day, but the free dramamine available on the ship helped) but we wouldn't recommend it. There were other excursions available, but we thought they were way overpriced for what was offered. And unless shopping is your "thing" we'd recommend staying on the ship and enjoy some swimming and other onboard activities and skip Nassau altogether.

Castaway Cay is another story! Once again, Disney doesn't disappoint. I read that Disney shipped in the sand for the beaches and it's nearly perfect sand. They offer a tram to get you from the ship to the beaches (they have family, teens-only and adult-only beaches) but the walk along the boardwalk didn't take that long. We booked the "Extreme Getaway Package" which included feeding and snorkeling with sting-rays, snorkel equipment rental for the day, a 1-hr bike rental, and a tube or float rental for the day. However, the seas were rough that morning, so our sting-ray excursion was canceled (Disney refunded that portion of our package) and the snorkel reef was too far for the kids to swim to in the somewhat choppy water (Bob was the only one who went snorkeling and said it was very cool) and the water was very chilly so we didn't get much use of the tubes. The temperature, however, was in the 80's even though there was a storm coming in and the sun peaked out quite often. After some chilly swimming, we headed to lunch at Cookies BBQ where they had ribs, burgers, chicken, salads, dessert, drinks, and more all included in the price of the cruise. (There is also Cookies Too, near the adults-only beach, which offers the same meal.) After lunch we got our bike rentals (helmets are provided) and headed out on the bike path that takes you through the island foliage to a lookout where you can see the entire island. I think this was my favorite activity because it was very secluded yet you can hear the ocean in the background and it was as close to getting that "private island" feeling as I'll ever get. And even though our stay at Castaway Cay got cut short an hour as we had to leave early to avoid the storm that was coming in, our visit there was easily the highlight of the trip and they have so much to do and see that we didn't get to, so we definitely have to go back!

Dan: How about onboard entertainment & activities?

Katie: There is never a lack of something to do. Each evening, your stateroom host/hostess leaves a Navigator in your stateroom. The Navigator is a list of every activity and entainment being offered the next day. The front page lists the "highlights", the second page is broken out by Day Time and Evening and then separated by Main Events, Fun for All Ages, Just for Adults, Character Greetings, movies and Kid/Teens activities. This is a great tool for planning your day.

Bob and I went to each show and "Villians Tonight!", featuring Disney movie villians, was our favorite. The kids opted to stay in the kids area, the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, during two of the shows. Oh, let me tell you about the Oceaneers Club/Lab! After we booked our cruise, I did our registration online (saves you time at the Port Terminal!) and pre-registered the kids with the Oceaneer Club/Lab and at the terminal, they received a waterproof electronic-wristband that allowed them to go into the kids area. Once on board, we checked out the area and the kids were so excited. There are Disney themed rooms, games, guided-activities, character visits, crafts, a magic play floor, etc, etc. The kids absolutely loved it and everytime we went to get the kids they'd beg us to stay "just a little bit longer!" We knew the kids were being well-taken care of and that they were never going to be bored. If your kid is checked-in during meal times, they'll even take them up to Cabanas to eat! And they offer a similar program on Castaway Cay, called Scuttle's Cove, if you want to hang out on the adults-only side of the island (and Scuttle's Cove is not near the ocean but they do have a splash pad for kids to play in). Also, each stateroom is equiped with two "Wave Phones" that work like cell phones on board and at Castaway Cay. If your kids want to check-out of the Club or get something to eat, the staff at the Club simply sends you a text message. The Club/Lab are open from early morning until 1 am, so you can easily get some adult-only time in. And the coolest thing about the kids club was the handwashing station! The kids simply stick their hands into this machine that washes and sanitizes them automatically! The kids area was great because that allowed us some adult-only time to see shows or do some adult activities, like the Tequila and Margarita tasting. Delicious and educational!

Since our cruise was only 3-nights, we didn't get to see every club, but we did end up at the "D-Lounge" twice which is the family night club. We got to enjoy dancing and games and the kids got to participate in every activity. And every Carribean cruise has a "Pirates IN the Carribean" night. There are two deck parties, one in the early evening to set the Piratey mood, and another late-night party followed by dancing, midnight dessert buffet and fireworks!Disney is the only cruise line approved for fireworks at sea! From 3D movies, games, parties, swimming, shopping, eating, and Port Adventures, we were go, go, go from the moment we got up until the moment we climbed into bed around midnight.

Dan: Other thoughts or tips?

Katie: One thing we would do differently is switch to the 2nd dinner seating (8:15 pm) instead of the early (5:45 pm). We felt a little rushed with the early dinner and with the late seating, you can tell your servers you want to participate in the "dine and play" program where they'll serve the kids dinner at a faster pace and then the Oceaneers Club staff will come pick them up and take them to the Club and you can enjoy the rest of dinner at a more leisurely pace. Plus, we were often still full from lunch, that sometimes we weren't really ready for dinner so soon. We opted for a 3-night cruise because we weren't sure what to expect but now we know that we'd rather go on a 5-night cruise because it's the only one that has a "double-dip" (or two days) at Castaway Cay, although I'm sure we'd enjoy a longer cruise, too! We would've loved a day at sea since we traveled in the winter, we didn't really get to see the vast ocean as it was dark when we were at sea and we were at port quite early each day.

We'd skip Port Adventures in Nassau and stay on the ship. At Castaway Cay, we'd still like to feed the Sting-rays (although this is also an option at Nassau, it was sold out by the time we booked) but we'd skip the snorkeling and tube rentals, but we'd definitely do the bike ride again and hopefully make it to other parts of the island. Also, they offer Happy Hour buy-one-get-one-free drinks on Castaway Cay, so be sure to take advantage of that!

We were so glad to have a room at the aft (rear) part of the ship because we had some rough seas (we were told it was unusual for February) and you could definitely feel it in the forward part of the ship and it was not nearly as bad mid-ship or aft. And we were glad to be on Deck 10, just below Deck 11 where they had the 24-hr free beverage station and Cabanas, the buffet restaurant.

Speaking of dining, Cabanas was our preferred choice for breakfast and lunch. We ate breakfast once at the Royal Palace, where it's cooked to serve, and it was just okay but the second day we ate at Cabanas and it was much better. The last morning of your cruise, you eat breakfast at the restaurant where you ate dinner the night before, which in our case was Animator's Palate and it was good and Cabanas just offers a continental breakfast on debarkation day.

Also, on embarkation day, schedule yourself to arrive at the Port Terminal as early as possible (you schedule your arrival online and we got there at 12 pm) and get on ship as early as they'll allow (I think we boarded around 1 pm) and head straight up to Cabanas for lunch, then enjoy your time before the mandatory safety drill at 4:30 because once that's over, you'll be on the go until you fall into bed!

If you travel during winter months, bring some warmer clothes. It can be chilly on deck at night, especially with the ocean breeze. And we were glad we had coats because the morning of debarkation, it was absolutely freezing and there were so many people in shorts and tanktops that looked miserable!

And a big tip I got from research: don't forget to factor in tips and extras (drinks, excursions, some activities, and shopping) in your budget! It can easily be overlooked and, if you're not careful, can lead to a big surprise bill on your last evening!

Dan: Any final thoughts?

Katie: We preceeded our cruise with 4-days at DisneyWorld (plus a day at Kennedy Space Center and SeaWorld) and so we certainly had the vacation of our lives! I definitely wished we would've allowed for a down-day both before and after the cruise. We had a flight that left at 12:30 on disembarkation day and so we had to be at breakfast at 6:45 am. I would have preferred the 8:00 am breakfast and the extra sleep! We definitely learned a lot from our first cruise but were so happy with our vacation and Disney Cruise Line and felt like we got our money's worth. We will most definitely cruise again! Many thanks to you, Dan, for helping us book our cruise and for the Free Cruise Credit! It was the most magical vacation and we look forward to having your book our next Disney Cruise....maybe next time we'll try Disney's new ship, the Fantasy!

Dan: Other thoughts or tips?

Katie: One thing we would do differently is switch to the 2nd dinner seating (8:15 pm) instead of the early (5:45 pm). We felt a little rushed with the early dinner and with the late seating, you can tell your servers you want to participate in the "dine and play" program where they'll serve the kids dinner at a faster pace and then the Oceaneers Club staff will come pick them up and take them to the Club and you can enjoy the rest of dinner at a more leisurely pace. Plus, we were often still full from lunch, that sometimes we weren't really ready for dinner so soon. We opted for a 3-night cruise because we weren't sure what to expect but now we know that we'd rather go on a 5-night cruise because it's the only one that has a "double-dip" (or two days) at Castaway Cay, although I'm sure we'd enjoy a longer cruise, too! We would've loved a day at sea since we traveled in the winter, we didn't really get to see the vast ocean as it was dark when we were at sea and we were at port quite early each day.

We'd skip Port Adventures in Nassau and stay on the ship. At Castaway Cay, we'd still like to feed the Sting-rays (although this is also an option at Nassau, it was sold out by the time we booked) but we'd skip the snorkeling and tube rentals, but we'd definitely do the bike ride again and hopefully make it to other parts of the island. Also, they offer Happy Hour buy-one-get-one-free drinks on Castaway Cay, so be sure to take advantage of that!

We were so glad to have a room at the aft (rear) part of the ship because we had some rough seas (we were told it was unusual for February) and you could definitely feel it in the forward part of the ship and it was not nearly as bad mid-ship or aft. And we were glad to be on Deck 10, just below Deck 11 where they had the 24-hr free beverage station and Cabanas, the buffet restaurant.