The Top 5 rang in the New Year on a Disney Cruise, and let me tell you, it is the way to go! Wow!  Disney knows how to do it up right!  My entire family went on the cruise to not only celebrate New Year’s but to commemorate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We were so excited and the cruise did not disappoint.

(Update: Disney Cruise Line New Destinations )

For every point of travel, from receiving our booking and sending us our tickets and pre-boarding information, to the ports of call and clearing customs, to the ship and cruise itself, Disney is impeccable.

Mickey Mouse greeting travelers in the boarding area of Port Canaveral

SwimmerJoe in our cabin

Top 5 editor Bess Auer and extended family members before setting sail. The VAB at NASA is visible just over our right shoulder.

The Disney Magic is a beautiful ship and its cleanliness, upkeep, and health of passengers was a top priority.  Before every meal, staff members would hand each diner a sanitary handwipe before we even entered the restaurant. And if anything was spilled or if dirt became apparent, cleaning crews worked round the clock to improve the ship. In each port, crew members were hanging over the sides cleaning and repainting areas of the hull, and their dedication to safety was obvious.  In ports like Castaway Cay, the crew would be running drills on lowering the life boats or reviewing water safety skills.

Crew members in a lifeboat during a drill

On the ship, there was plenty for people of all ages to do.  There were shows for the family (Broadway style with Disney characters that were kept to just an hour to accommodate little ones’ short attention spans), shows just for adults (think an edgy juggler with a wicked sense of humor), as well as things geared for teens.  Movies like Tron in 3-D were playing each night in the Buena Vista Theater!

For the hubby and me, we were quite content doing a variety of family and adult-only activities. There are even adult-only sections of the ship, where you feel like you are in a New York City piano lounge or a luxurious day spa versus being near anything Disneyfied!  We even attended an art auction, where we bid (and won) a great print from one of my favorite animated movies UP. The print is by Eric Tan, an artist who does art with a kind of modern, uber-groovy feel to it.

Setting for the art auction was in the main bay with the grand staircases

SwimmerJoe getting ready with his bidder’s number

The auction finally began and this was the print we won

And the dining was to die for! The ship has three sit-down restaurants and we rotated between them. Our two dedicated servers moved with us, and they learned our likes and preferences so they could begin to anticipate what we would ask for (like my English Breakfast hot tea after each meal or milk or Coca Cola for the different children).  The service was exemplary… truly!

My favorite restaurant was the Animator’s Palate, where the walls start off black and white, like a blank piece of paper.  As each course was served, the large paintbrush columns would change color, magically adding color to the walls… it was so cool!

The blank, colorless walls at the start of the meal

During each course of the meal, the paint brushes “add” colors to the walls

The end result is a dazzling, colorful display

And what kind of food was served? Only the absolute best! We had 4 courses offered each night, and everything was delicious. Although I’m not quite the food photographer Dafoodie is, here are some of our favorites:

Baked Maine lobster with Gulf Shrimp

Orange Roughy with crab meat

Creme brulee

So with food available 24-7 (literally!), SwimmerJoe about had a nervous breakdown worrying about his waistline! Fortunately he found plenty of ways to fit in some exercise.  The fitness center is open from 6 am to 10 pm and they offered yoga on the beach in each port.  And, at Castaway Cay, crew members even hosted a morning 5k run around the island. (Note: I did not run! But I did paddle a little bit when we went kayaking…oh and I also enjoyed our couples massage afterward!)

Running the 5k on Castaway Cay

Spin class

The view of the ocean from the treadmill

And there was so much to do while in port (other than exercise!) that we could have spent a week there and not have done it all. At Castaway Cay, we snorkeled, kayaked, biked, played with some stingrays, and even hung out at the adult-only Serenity Bay.

Serenity Bay… adult-only, uncrowded paradise!

Top 5 editor Bess Auer holding a star-studded new friend

Feeding stingrays

View of Castaway Cay from our balcony on the ship

Our other port of call was Nassau, where we got to play at Atlantis and then just missed the Junkanoo celebration, which got underway around 2 am and went all night and morning until around noon the next day. Bahamians know how to ring in the new year!

We pulled out of Nassau around 5 pm on New Year’s Eve, and got ready for the mother-ship of all celebrations!  I hit the dance floor with my hubby and son, nieces and nephews and partied until midnight, when fireworks signaled the start of 2011.

Dancing on New Year’s Eve

Counting down on the big screen

Top 5 editor Bess Auer and son celebrate 2011 with fireworks

And do you know what surprised me the most about the cruise? How many travelers had no children with them at all. There were tons of couples enjoying a top-quality cruise!  Honeymooners, groups of friends, and even seniors enjoying their retirement.  And, I got to travel with stars like Kenny Rogers. (I pointed out NASA and the VAB to his family while we were in Port Canaveral! They had no idea that was where the magic of the Space Shuttles happened!)

Disney is a quality brand that provides high class with safety.  As a parent, I felt completely safe with my son and nieces and nephews roaming the boat till all hours of the night, and in each port we felt very comfortable with how boarding and debarkation was easily and securely handled.

I have been on other cruise lines but felt this was the best quality for my money, so I will definitely cruise with Disney again.  And I am thankful that the ship goes out of Port Canaveral, just a hop, skip, and 50-minute drive away! What a blessing for Central Floridians!

With the new Disney Dreamstarting to call Port Canaveral home, we have lots of ships and tours from which to choose. In fact, one of the students I teach was on the Dream when it made its historic Trans-Atlantic crossing this month; I can’t wait to hear how he liked it!

The new Disney Dream in port at Castaway Cay

Check out the water slides on the Dream…how fun!

And, while I have tons of photos from our trip, my favorite souvenir is this purse my hubby got me… it’s adorable! Love it! (And I can’t believe I got him to spring for it!)

A special edition “Disney Cruise” Dooney-Bourke

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