Disney Fantasy, Day 1 Embarkation! Join us for a 5 night sailing aboard the amazing Disney Fantasy!
We are so excited to share this series of vlogs. The Fantasy will always be near and dear to our hearts as it was the first Disney ship we sailed (way back in 2013!). We absolutely love the Fantasy!
One of the highlights of Port Canaveral cruising is getting that first glimpse of the ship from the road. The closer and closer the ship gets, the more excitement builds. We were able to get an early port arrival time and before long we were headed onto the ship. The words "Disney Fantasy, welcome aboard the Duke family!" signal the start of vacation. Goofy was up above waving at us in the atrium!
We made our way to Animator's Palate for lunch. As we mentioned, Cabana's is also an option on embarkation day. One of our very favorite appetizers, the beef empanada, is on the lunch menu. This has become a Duke Family tradition and we definitely recommend the appetizer. We had a nice lunch of pennette pasta, chicken caesar salad, and mac and cheese before setting out to explore. Service was fantastic and lunch was very relaxed.
The Oceaneer's Club and Lab on deck 5 is an incredible space for cruisers ages 3-12. There are multiple themed areas for kids to explore. We love the Marvel and Star Wars spaces. The Toy Story room is adorable. From the magic play floor to the creative space in Pixie Hollow there are plenty of options for kids in the Club. The Lab is connected which makes for easy access. The Lab has games and art as well as fun interactive experiences like cookie decorating and slime making. Our kids have always enjoyed the youth spaces. Also on deck 5 is the Nursery for the youngest of cruisers.
Edge is up on deck 13 and this youth space is for cruisers age 11-14. We were able to sign a waiver to allow Brielle to attend Edge at 10 years old but this is cruise-dependent. Edge has video games and game tables as well as some art space. It's a cool hang out for teens and the kids spent plenty of time there throughout the cruise. Vibe is on deck 5 and this space is for the older teens (14-17). We are a bit envious of the teen space as they have a private pool deck and a smoothie bar!
For this sailing, we booked an inside stateroom. This was our very first time with an interior room and we were pleasantly surprised! We enjoyed the magic porthole and liked the room layout. The split bathroom is always convenient too. We never felt like we missed out without having an ocean view or verandah and will definitely book an inside room again in the future.
The Sail Away Party is always a day 1 highlight for our family. We were so thrilled to discover the party was back. Mickey, Minnie, and the gang are all on deck and the dancing and singing are so much fun. We definitely recommend making it to the deck party!
We had second seating for dinner which means the first showtime. Moonshot, an acapella group, was the entertainment for the evening and they were incredible! We were amazed at what they could do with their voices!
Dinner was at Royal Court and we were certainly hungry. The bread service was delicious and we did not recall having the carrot loaf before. Tim had the chicken appetizer which he enjoyed. Brielle had the mango chilled soup which she gave a mixed review of but Keagan enjoyed. Cheree tried the prosciutto and mozzarella which was delicious. Moving on to main courses the kids both had the penne pasta though Brielle's had garlic shrimp. The pasta was a hit. We ordered the same dish, the grilled strip loin with asparagus and cheddar cheese and onion smashed baked potato. The sides were the winners for this entree as the strip loin was lacking in flavor. Dessert is always done well on Disney cruises. Tim ordered the signature dessert, the mango cheesecake which was just ok. Keagan had the mint chocolate chip sundae which he gave two thumbs up. The girls had the warm sticky fig pecan pudding which was incredible! Service was on the slow side but that is not unusual for night one. Overall the meal was delicious.
We made our way back to the stateroom to call it a night. Our towel animal was waiting with our nightly chocolates. Day 1 was very full and ever so fun.
We certainly hope you enjoyed the vlog as we enjoyed sharing our day with you! Onward to our next adventure!
