Many of the cruise lines have purchased private islands in the Bahamas or Caribbean. Disney is no different, just their island is!
Most of the Disney ships sailing the Bahamas and the Caribbean include a visit to Castaway Island. What makes the island different? All of the same magic you experience on board the ships or at Disney Theme Parks can be felt ashore with an island twist!
The island itself is 3 miles long. The ships dock right at the island so you don’t need to tender into port. You’ll pick up your towels and either take the trail and walk to the beaches or take the tram waiting for you. There are 2 beaches: the Family Beach and Serenity Bay (adults only). Taking the tram may not be the best option because exploring the island and discovering all of the Disney touches along the trail is something to experience. There are Easter eggs everywhere, so if you are a Disney fan, you know I am not talking about colored eggs!
Castaway Family Beach is closest to the ship and it’s where you’ll find most of the activities. It does get crowded so if you are going to spend most of your time here, arrive early and stake claim on your spot! Part of Family Beach is Teen Beach and you guessed it, it is geared towards teens. It can be used by any age group, but this is where you’ll find beach volleyball, tetherball, and many other beachside activities. There is also Pelican Plunge which is the floating water slide and play platform located in the ocean. It has two water slides, a giant “bucket dump” of water, and water cannons that you can use to shoot targets. Also near the Family Beach is the Spring-a-Leak water play area for kids. Water sprays from “broken pipes” and things on a splash pad that young children can enjoy. Scuttle’s Cove is another area for kids, which offers youth activities that are supervised by Disney counselors from the ship.
Then there is Serenity Bay for adults only, the most distant beach from the ship. This is where you want to head if you want peace and quiet and to just relax by the sea. If lying on a beach chair all day doesn’t interest you, maybe spend the morning at the Family Beach and then move to Serenity Bay when the family areas get crowded.
There are 3 BBQ areas on the island to serve the guests lunch. Although you can eat on the ship if you want, there’s no reason to head back to the ship just to eat! There is one BBQ station at the one end of Family Beach and another at the far end. There is also a BBQ at Serenity Beach and rumor has it that since it is adults only, the selection might be slightly better! In fact, guests have rumored that they have had lobster here!
There are also Character Meet & Greets that take place on the island. Lines are short in the morning. Captain Jack Sparrow will be at Serenity Bay which is why I will head there!
Did you know that you can take part in a Castaway Cay 5k? It’s a great way to see the island quickly. It is fun and not too challenging. You can walk it too! The best part about it is that you get a medal and it is absolutely free! You don’t have to register for it ahead of your cruise. Just once you get on board, head to Guest Services and let them know you want to register. They will take care of it for you.
There are many tours and activities to enjoy at an added cost. If you are interested in boat rentals, head to “Marge’s Barges & Sea Charter Dock” where you can enjoy, aqua bikes, glass-bottom boat tours, a power catamaran tour, parasailing, fishing tours, and more. At “Gil’s Fins and Boats and Flippers & Floats,” you can rent snorkel equipment to use in the “Snorkeling Lagoon”, plus other smaller-scale aquatic rentals like inner tubes, paddleboats, and kayaks. You can snorkel for free in the lagoon, just make sure you have your own equipment. Guests need to wear vests so if you have one, bring it or they may or may not charge you to use one of theirs. There are many cool Disney “hidden treasures” beneath the surface, so snorkeling is highly recommended!!
Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure is a popular tour where you can swim with about 40 stingrays, similar to the experience in Grand Cayman, just on a smaller scale. This is an additional cost activity.
Of course there is shopping on the island! There are two primary spots to buy things on the island: “She Sells Sea Shells…and Everything Else” and “Buy the Sea Shore.” When visiting the island, you’ll want to bring home a souvenir… Castaway Cay logo items are only available on Castaway Cay, and cannot be purchased on the ship, so keep that in mind! When you are shopping, pick up a postcard to mail to someone back home. There is a post office on the island, close to the ship, that has their own special Disney postmark. Send one to yourself and you’ll have a souvenir waiting for you at home!
When your Disney cruise ship docks at Castaway Cay, it will be a visit you’ll always treasure! So don’t keep Minnie waiting, book your Disney Cruise today!!
Happy travels! And Sail-on! ~Laurie
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215-435-4151 LaurieFiveStarTravel@gmail.com
Laurie at Five Star Travel Group 