As a self-confessed Disneyphile, I have long wanted to sail with Disney Cruise Lines (DCL) from Port Canaveral, but aligning timings for when I have been in Florida has not happened yet. So when DCL announced a series of ex UK summer Staycations for 2021 and offered Liverpool departures (only an hour from home), it was a no brainer.

You can find more photos from my trip on my Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/gocruiseandtravelbyhelenworthington

From the first announcement of the cruises DCL have been clear, concise and unwavering in terms of how these cruises would operate: double jabs for over 18 year olds, pre cruise PCR tests for under 18 year olds and complimentary testing, for all, at the port pre embarkation. It was stressed that the famed Disney character ‘Meet & Greet’ would be different (socially distanced selfie photo opportunities or taken by the official photographers only), there would be no customary fireworks (although these don’t always happen on all European itineraries anyway), no Sail-Away celebrations or Pirates Nights and guests would have to wear masks in the gym (actually this was relaxed on board) There was a very accommodating (full refund) cancellation policy put in place, as well as a reduction of 2% on on board accounts to compensate for the exchange rate charged by banks as the currency used on board remained in dollars.

The down side has been that prices were not released until the booking period actually opened (although DCL did state that prices would be comparable with those of sailings from the USA). Reservations have not been particularly easy to make or service due to excessively long phone queues and there have been issues with IT functionality and receipt of tickets (I am still waiting for mine).

‘Disney Magic at Sea’ Staycations have featured a range of 2, 3 and 4 night sailings departing from Southampton, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tilbury. With no ports of call, the experience has been pure Disney.

Check in took about 2 hours (car drop off to ship) and whilst appreciating the necessity for additional COVID checks, these could have been communicated and handled better. Road works along the Liverpool sea front didn’t help either- I could have walked quicker from the Arena & Convention Centre where the COVID testing and check in took place, to the ship, but of course had to remain in my ‘bubble’.

‘Disney Magic’ is quintessentially Disney - a classy art deco inspired 83,000 tonne ship with a nautical theme and the traditional ‘hidden’ Mickeys (even found on wallpaper and lamp shades on board). She is actually an ocean liner (like Cunard’s Queen Mary 2) rather than a cruise ship and the oldest ship in the DCL fleet, launched in 1998 at a cost of $400 million. There are 11 public decks, accommodating 2700 passengers (1750 at double occupancy, but COVID restrictions brought the total number of guests down to 1300 on my cruise) in 875 staterooms. With the silhouette of Mickey’s ears on each of the 2 funnels and the black, red and white hull, it took a waiver of international maritime rules to truly make this ship resplendent in the Mickey Mouse colours of red, white, black and yellow – with ‘Disney Magic’ allowed to carry 20 yellow lifeboats, rather than traditional orange ones. A 10’ high painting of Sorcerer Mickey adorns the bow of the ship, along with other characters, also picked out in gold, whilst at the stern a 20’ tall Goofy appears to be finishing off a paint job. I assume he had already completed the 13000 kg anchor (the weight of 3 elephants).

As you might expect the Disney experience at sea is a huge attraction for families and this is borne out in the cabin sizes and specs on offer. There are 6 different cabin layouts, but the overriding factor in all of them is practicality and space efficiency. Although irrelevant on the Staycation cruises: accommodation for WDW vacations involving both a cruise and a park hotel stay are linked together, so the standard of accommodation is the same on both parts of the holiday. Most cabins can sleep 4 people. There are 12 categories of accommodation, all with reputedly 25% more space than the industry standard. 73% of the cabins have an ocean view. All cabins have a nautical theme, with an Italianesque blue tile mosaic pattern in the bathrooms and sleep from 2 – 7 people, depending on the category. There are no dedicated single cabins. Inside cabins (Categories 10 - 12) start from 184 sq ft, ocean view cabins (Categories 8 & 9) are 214 sq ft. There are 388 balcony/verandah cabins (Categories 5-7), which sleep 4+ people and are 268 sq ft (including the balcony). They have 3 seater convertible sofas, a privacy curtain divider (effecting close to a mini suite on other cruise lines) and split use bathroom facilities: toilet and washbasin in one room, shower alone or shower over a small bath (4’ long & about 1’ deep, effectively a large shower tray) and washbasin in the other. Category 7 balcony cabins have an enclosed ‘Navigator Veranda’ – very similar to the sheltered balconies on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. Categories 4 – 1 are for larger family groups (5-7 people) and include Pullman style beds as well. There are 2.5 bathrooms in the larger suites (Categories 1 & 2).

All cabins and suites have large illuminated closets (with at least 25 coat hangers) and lots of chest and drawer space. The TV has 25 channels ranging from Disney films, videos, TV series, music videos and recordings of shows in the theatre, to BBC World News and ESPN sports channels, as well as ship based information channels.

The traditional Disney embarkation ritual – of being announced as a family, upon entry into the 3 deck high art deco Atrium (adorned with stainless steel/pewter detailing on the balustrades, coving and hand rails) was dumbed down a bit by COVID. You are announced in groups, then stand socially distanced in the Atrium to await the arrival of Mickey and Minnie, who parade down a set of stairs to welcome you on board. The closest you can get to Mickey for a picture is to drape your arms round his 6’ bronze statue, posed as a helmsman, situated in the Atrium.

The mandatory lifeboat drill was a little different as well – you had to physically go to your lifeboat station on deck 4 (muster station ‘L’ in our case), take a picture of it via the App and then watch a video on your cabin TV – so much better than having to grab and don a life jacket from your cabin, walk to your station and then stand in line while you were ticked off the list, as being present!

Another unique feature of a Disney cruise is the way guests rotate round each of the 3 main restaurants in a set way, for dinner, along with their waiting staff. Each of the restaurants seat 400 people and offer different styles of cuisine and experiences: ‘Lumiere’s’ features French dishes like Gaston’s Escargot Gratinee, French onion soup and Apple Tart Tatin and has a pianist. The main wall fresco opposite the entrance is of the Beast’s Castle with Cogsworth, Lumiere and Mrs Potts watching Belle and The Beast dancing, whilst there is a single red rose on the waiter’s shirts and in each of the chandeliers down the centre of the room.

‘Rapunzel’s Royal Table’ features a story from ‘Tangled!’ albeit a less immersive COVID restricted version, celebrating Rapunzel’s birthday, by baking a cake, with Hook Hand, Flynn Rider and accomplices. The action is restricted solely to the stage, apart from a lantern procession by the waiters at the end. In true Disney style the theming in the restaurant extends throughout including the lanterns, serviettes, crockery and serving dishes, with the purple general décor reaching as far as the waiter’s waistcoats. The food is described as American fare with international twists and dishes include a Flynn Rider Platter (pork cuts served with red cabbage and potato dumplings), Tangled Pasta (with sea scallops – and I can testify it was definitely tangled!) and Rapunzel’s Fry Pan Sweet Bread

However, the piece de resistance in terms of mealtime entertainment is probably the ‘Animator’s Palate’ situated at the stern of the ship, where electronic art and food meet in a mesmerising dinner show. The restaurant celebrates the art of storytelling through animation: the walls start off as black and white, as if at the beginning of a cartoon cell drawing. The Maitre’D’s wear black and white check jackets and the waiters white shirts with black cartoon characters. As the meal progresses LED screens around the walls light up, revealing the history of Disney animation through clips from Disney and Pixar movies. The waiters used to wear waistcoats that lit up as the meal progressed as well, but this has been changed and now the culmination of the meal is a musical animation compilation featuring figures drawn by guests at the beginning of the meal. I never thought I would ever see my name listed as an animator! ‘Animator’s Palate’ serves dishes from the Pacific Rim like Ginger Teriyaki dusted Angus Beef Tenderloin, Arugula leaves, red beets and orange and Grilled Pacific Black Cod.

Whilst I enjoyed the ‘Animators Palate’ experience the most, I preferred the food in ‘Lumiere’s’

Each restaurant offers the following choice at dinner and guests are allocated Main (5.30 pm) or Second sitting (8.00pm), but with staggered times to aid social distancing when being seated: 4 starters/appetizers, 2 salads, 2 different soups, 5 main courses (including fish), 2 vegetarian options, 4 Lighter Notes (plain cooked steak, chicken and salmon served with rice or jacket potato and vegetables is available on every menu, every night. There is also an additional, usually fish dish, which alters daily), 4 desserts, 1 signature dessert (usually paying some sort of homage to the theme of the restaurant) and a low sugar option,  as well as 3 cocktails, 4 specialty coffees and 3 specialty martinis. The menus have keys indicating the suitability of specific dishes for other dietary considerations like vegan, diabetic, gluten free and allergies. As with most cruise lines DCL advise guests requiring special diets to contact them before the cruise +/- arrange a meeting with a Maitre D upon boarding. Needless to say there is a separate, extensive Kids Menu and children can pick and choose across all dishes on offer. Kids of all ages can ask for extra items and large or small portions without fear of being refused.

The buffet restaurant ‘Cabanas’ didn’t open for dinner on our cruise (part of the COVID restrictions). But it was open for breakfast and lunch with the area split into 5 stations, each serving the same food. You were asked to sit in a specific section of the restaurant and use the closest food station. You chose what you wanted to eat from the station and it was plated up and passed to you – fairly similar to what happens on more luxury cruise lines, like Seabourn, in non COVID times, for the first few days of a cruise, where the intention is to reduce the spread of any gastrointestinal type illness unwittingly brought on board by guests.  In addition to these food stations there were other stations – 2 for drinks, one for yogurt, parfaits and cold cuts, another for granola, cereals and fresh fruit (breakfast) and one for fruit, desserts and cookies (at lunch). Due to the restrictions it was not possible to eat freshly cooked egg dishes, omelettes or Mickey Waffles in ‘Cabanas’, at breakfast, although they were available to order in both of the main dining rooms (usually ‘Lumieres’ and ‘Rapunzel’s Royal Table’).

Lunch items also varied depending on which eating area you were in – the menus were different in ‘Cabanas’ and ‘Lumiere’s’. Similarly ‘Cabanas’ did not serve burgers or pizzas, as these were available on deck at fast food eateries ‘Duck in Diner’ and ‘Pinocchio’s Pizza’ respectively.

‘Palo’ is the 140 seater, adult only restaurant on deck 10 and has 270 degree views over the sea. It has a slightly more formal vibe than the other restaurants, where ‘resort casual’ is usually the dress code – even shorts and t shirts are allowed in the restaurants, although most gentlemen did wear long chino style trousers or jeans and collared shirts at dinner. On longer DCL cruises there can be combinations of formal, semi-formal and Pirate Nights. During the day things are very casual: Marvel costumes can be seen on ‘Marvel Day at Sea’ (Tuesday on our cruise), while Mouse Ears (all ages) and Princess costumes are common sights. Back in ‘Palo’ though shorts are not accepted and jackets can be worn. On the Seacations ‘Palo’ offered brunch and dinner reservations, both priced at $45 pp. The dinner menu was more of what I had anticipated from a speciality restaurant with authentic Italian cuisine, whereas you could get pancakes and waffles at brunch.

Completing the venues on board where you can get food and (non) alcoholic drinks, all on deck 9, are ‘Cove Café’ adult only coffee shop (at additional charge) situated at the entrance to ‘Quiet Cove’, ‘Pinocchio’s Pizzeria’, ‘Daisy’s De-Lites’ serving healthy options like paninis, wraps, soup, build your own salads and fresh fruit, ‘Eye Scream’ and ‘Frozone’ (offering exactly what their homonyms suggests) and the ‘Duck In Diner’ for hot dogs, burgers, fried chicken, tacos and French fries options. There is also a self-service drinks station on deck 9, just outside ‘Cabanas’ (usually 24 hours, but in these COVID times, closing at midnight and with served drinks only). Finally there is Disney’s famed Room Service. Many items available on the Room Service menu are complimentary, but it is customary to tip whoever brings your order in dollars (you can however have a tip added to your on board account). Hot drinks arrive in flasks which as there are no kettles in the cabins, provides the facility for a hot early morning cuppa the next day.

‘Disney Magic’ has 6 bars and lounges:  the Promenade lounge and D Lounge are open to all guests, with live music in the former (including Anna Bachkalova, a violinist). It is a rather old-fashioned lounge in design and definitely harks back to the 1990s. The latter is dedicated more to family game shows like Disney Trivia (music, TV and general), ‘Frozen Phrases’, Family Animation (similar to drawing Disney characters in Disney Quest, Florida) ‘Sarge Says’ (Simon Says but with Carl Combat toys) and ‘Mouseketeer Madness’ (Disney meets ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire). There is also an adult evening show – ‘Match Your Mate’ (based on ‘Mr & Mrs’). D Lounge is also home to the Marvel shows and events. Although there is no casino on any of the DCL ships, you can have a flutter at the popular family Bingo, which is at an additional charge as are the pre bookable wine, beer, whiskey, champagne, martini etc tasting sessions, for over 18s only.

The ‘After Hours’ area (forward on deck 3) is the venue for ‘Keys’ (a sophisticated, yet relaxed Art Deco piano bar featuring Tim Moss, a very accomplished and personable pianist and an interesting drinks service: our drinks were delivered on a wooden trolley, with the red wine allowed to breathe by swirling it through a loose ammonite shaped decanter before being poured into elegant black stemmed glasses reputedly costing $60 each). Next door is ‘O’Gills’ an Irish themed pub/sports bar with booths and TV screens showing ESPN sports coverage and serving speciality ciders and then ‘Fathoms’: an ocean inspired room with a large cockle shell shaped ceiling, conch shell type illuminated booths round the outside and a stage, doubling as a general entertainment area during the day, but an adult only nightclub by night. Completing the set is ‘Signals’ bar - outside on deck 9, in the ‘Quiet Cove’ adult only area.

In the bars the QR code on each table directs you to the App and appropriate bar menu: in Fathom’s only cocktails appear to be available, whereas the D Lounge seems to be the only place to get frozen cocktails from – according to the drinks menu. This is not actually the case as you can order any drink, in any bar, but knowing this requires a bit of insight into how cruise ship bars work. Prices are competitive: lager & beer costs $6+ each, cider $9+, a glass of wine $8+ (although you can buy bottles too), G&T’s are $9+ (depending on your gin of choice), sparkling wine $9+ and cocktails from $6.50 (virgin cocktail), $9 (frozen cocktails) and $13+ (regular cocktails).

There are 2 theatres on board – the larger Walt Disney Theatre, seats 977 people (pre COVID). It has 3 stages but does not utilise live music. The Broadway style show available on 2 days of the cruise (extra times were added to accommodate everyone) was ‘Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic’. Groups were seated in the theatre at least 1 seat apart from the next group and all adults were asked to wear masks throughout the show. It was an excellent production with great singers, featuring flying actors telling the story of Anne Marie striving to believe (she can fly). Encouraged by Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, as well as ‘hourly’ segments with characters from Aladdin, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast and finally The Lion King, Anne Marie is reminded of the power of dreams and positive thinking – you can guess the finale! Although this show debuted at the launch of ‘Disney Magic’, it has been constantly updated over the years and now features a Frozen set, whilst Hercules and Snow White segments have been dropped. No food or drinks were allowed in the theatre (not even waiter service), hence ‘Preludes’ bar, situated just mid ships of the Walt Disney Theatre and more of a concession stand/pre show area, selling popcorn, sweets, drinks and cocktails to take into shows was closed for the duration of the cruise.

The 2nd theatre is the Buena Vista Theatre which features Disney films – both new releases and old favourites. On the first night of the cruise I was one of only 7 people watching ‘Cruella’. The other film on offer was the new Marvel film ‘Black Widow’.

A lot of time within Disney parks is spent looking for and being photographed with characters (or getting their autographs). COVID has changed this! Disney’s equivalent of ‘the big 5’ – Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald were seen walking about the ship, we bumped into Daisy & Donald whilst doing laps of the Promenade deck (deck 4). Characters still operated ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions in the Atrium, even popping into the finale of some game shows, whilst Snow White, Rapunzel, Tiana and Cinderella (amongst the Princesses) tended to stand on the staircase between 2 floors in the Atrium in an ‘Appear and Wave’ scenario.

Children also got to see characters from the Marvel and Toy Story franchises in the Kids Clubs, which take up a large part of deck 5. The Oceaneer Club is for 3- 12 year olds and features a series of areas linked to Disney characters like Toy Story (with visits from Woody), Marvel characters and Pixie Hollow. Additionally, 8-12 year olds can get involved in wacky inventions and explorations in the Oceaneer Lab, also on deck 5. The forward funnel houses the teen’s area: Edge (11-14 year olds) and Vibe (14- 17 year olds).

The weather was fabulous on our cruise – I have never seen the Irish Sea so flat, calm enough for sightings of seals, dolphins and lots of seabirds. It was a real suntrap up on decks 9 & 10 where the pools and sunbathing areas are. The adults only area is ‘Quiet Cove’, set towards the front of the ship, with a pool (larger than the family one), 2 whirlpools and ‘Signals’ bar. There are 58 sun loungers on deck 9, over 100 more on the deck above and not a child in sight (‘adults only’ space is strictly enforced on DCL). Further aft there are 2 family pool areas: Goofy’s Family Pool for families and The Nephews Splash Zone with the Aqua Lab, areas for younger children and non potty trained toddlers. Goofy’s Pool is the main pool area with a family friendly swimming pool and two hot tubs that children can also use. ‘Funnel Vision’ (a 24’ x 14’ LED screen on the back of the forward funnel, showing movies and shows) separates Goofy’s Pool from the ‘Quiet Cove’. There is a stage area here where we saw ‘Freezing the Night Away’, a typical Disney song and dance style production based on ‘Frozen’, including videos and fake snow. During such events (as well as Pirates Parties and Sail-Aways, when permitted) the pool itself is covered over by an automated sliding floor, enhancing the useable space.

Emptying out at the side of Goofy’s Pool area is Aqua Dunk – accessed by a trapdoor on deck 10, riders (at least 4’ tall and less than 21 stone in weight) plummet 40’ down a transparent water slide, extending in an 18’ curve over the side of the ship.

The Aqua Lab features Huey, Dewey and Louie (Donald Duck’s 3 nephews). It is an 1800 sq ft area aft on deck 9, with a pool and beach area with spraying geysers, rotating spraying paint cans, wheels and levers, leaky pipes and a faulty boiler. A similar but smaller area, with skittle style effigies of the nephews is a splash zone available for toddlers and under 3s, who must wear swim nappies. The Aqua Lab is also home to Twist ‘n’ Spout, a 250’ long waterslide for guests 38” and taller.

Unfortunately the Wide World of Sports area was closed on the cruise, due to the restrictions, as were the table tennis tables & shuffleboard sets, but the spa and gym on deck 9 were open and the wide teak deck 4, the Promenade deck, not only offered sun loungers and benches to sit and sunbathe on, but the opportunity to walk round it 3 times to cover 1 mile.

The Senses Spa is an area of 10700 sq ft and has 11 rooms. In non COVID times it offers massages and body therapies, acupuncture, hair, nail and dental services as well. The gym has a full range of cardiovascular equipment and free weights and guests had to book timed slots rather than just turn up and jump on a treadmill. This was to allow for effective deep cleans in between sessions.

Everyone was encouraged to download the Disney Navigator App – used initially for cruise count down, making payments, adding special requests, booking activities (30 days prior to departure), checking in and completion of the pre cruise health questionnaire. On board, it also acted as the conduit for information like Daily Activities, restaurant menus, deck plans and shore excursions (when available). There was a useful Onboard Chat function which also allowed you to connect with other people in your party. Schedules for the day were updated constantly and you could ‘heart’ things that you wanted to do, with a reminder notification sent 15 minutes before the start of the event. Like most applications, it was not without its gremlins and was difficult for older guests to use (assuming they have a smartphone). However, it was possible for guests to ask for paper copies of menus so they didn’t have to scroll through the app to make a food choice.

Booked activities like the wine, beer, champagne etc tastings, the ‘Disney Dreams’ show, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique sessions and The Royal Tea slots sold out very quickly (according to the App). Sometimes additional times became available but it was very much a case of continually checking back for availability. This was also true of booking a slot to swim in the family pools on board (reduced capacity in the water due to COVID social distancing restrictions), where initially both virtual and actual queues were operating and reportedly resulted in some guests only actually spending 10 minutes (as opposed to an hour) in the water. There were no such issues in the adult only pool, where the COVID restriction of 13 people in the pool at any one time, was self-policed.

Thankfully, as the COVD rules have been released on land, so to on ‘Disney Magic’ with no bookings required now for the Walt Disney theatre show or the family pools – it seems to be working!

Life on board a Disney ship is an effective blend of Disney bling: including Disney logo on towels, serviettes and glass covers, shops selling nothing but Disney memorabilia, as well as the traditional magnets and cabin door decorations (presumably started initially to help younger guests find their cabins). This is set alongside a more refined cruising ambience in the form of high ceilinged public areas, seats in quiet nooks and crannies, including those set into the large porthole windows on decks 3 and 4 and exemplary service from a fully attentive crew. Traditional cruising experiences like the 12pm Captain’s briefing from the bridge is even given a Disney twist as all announcements are preceded by the first line of ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ (6 ponderous notes that are also played on the horn at Sail-Aways  (you get a longer rendition and other Disney classics from Disney Dream and Disney Wonder). There is even a self-service launderette.

For the duration of our cruise, guests followed COVID rules to the letter – mask wearing for adults inside the ship (apart from in your cabin or sat at a table in the restaurants or bars) and only 1 person or family in a lift at one time. The slightly quirky ‘Fish Extender’ groups – really a Secret Santa style swopping of small gifts, via the fish cabin door place holders and organised by guests pre and during the cruise to meet each other, was also suspended. Children (mainly little girls) had to wear masks in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Princess makeup and hair sessions) but nowhere else. This make up session is often traditionally twinned with the much sought after (and usually booked up pre cruise) Royal Court Tea – afternoon tea in either ‘Lumiere’s’ or ‘Rapunzel’s Royal Table’ with appearances from Disney Princesses. At least one adult has to accompany a child (and pay). It’s not really about the actual tea, but the character interaction, which with COVID rules in place, may not be quite as interactive as hoped for.

A Disney cruise is not cheap:                                                                                                                                                  

Does it represent value for money – I calculated that my cabin was at a broadly similar cost per person, to a full day in The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Florida, eating in the park and staying in a 4* Disney resort (without any of the discount packages available).

Was it worth it – on balance ‘Yes’.                                                                                                                                                      

For past cruisers and Disney experts, neither experience was as complete as pre COVID, but under the circumstances it was ‘……. pretty good and why wouldn’t it be?’ (Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean).