4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Fort Lauderdale (Inaugural Season)

We have arrived!

Always our first purchase. Who am I to mess up a 16-year-old's eleventy thousand-day Snap streak or a 20-year-old's quest to get the rare Pokemon. Thank goodness for business write-offs. Lowering my tax liability one Disney cruise at a time.

Pearl swag is AHHHMAZING. This plus an unlimited photo package. Let the fun begin!

Let's do this!

Cruise Director Trent says we are officially on vacation!!!!

By Michael

Early afternoon we met Cruella de Vil, and I got a cup of coffee with the Destiny logo drawn into the foam. Our stateroom, 11019, has a colorful mural of a red suspension bridge over the bed, and Lisa posed outside the stateroom doors before we went exploring. We found the bronze statue in the grand hall and the Minnie's Deli ice cream counter, and watched the Fort Lauderdale coastline from the ship in the late afternoon.

The kids had mac and cheese for dinner, and the grown-up menu was called 'A Menu Fit for a Hero.' Partway through, Cruella and a dalmatian put on a short show at the tables. Afterward we posed on the grand staircase with an older couple from the group, then found a Japan-styled photo backdrop with a small stuffed dragon. Kathy took a selfie under the glowing Mickey ears before we called it a night.

Michael

It's a Mickey waffles and Lookout Cay kind of day. High of 79 glorious degrees. Meanwhile, at home the wind chill is -20. I'll take a "feels like" temperature of 100 degrees warmer. This is why we cruise in January.

Wish you were here!

Current view.

Today's lunch at True-True 2 BBQ on the island.

By Michael

Back on the ship for the evening, we stopped at the villains photo backdrop, then found the Spiderman wall further along and struck a few poses. At dinner, a costumed Cruella De Vil put on a show near the tables. Later some of the group gathered around a bar table before we called it a night.

Michael

Last night's dining experience found us in Worlds of Marvel. While this dining room falls somewhere in the middle of my fleetwide ratings, last night's experience was exceptional. The Pym Donut Sundae is hands-down, my favorite dessert. Something about a donut on top of ice cream seems so wrong, yet so right. It is definitely right.

Today is Castaway Cay Day! While I appreciate the gorgeous powdery sand and culture that abounds at Lookout Cay, Castaway Cay will always be my favorite island. Today we will enjoy a private cabana experience. Lisa will be off with her cousins to play with the stingrays and participating in a free throw contest with her friends in 1820 Society. We haven't seen much of Thomas this cruise. He found a group of friends in Vibe and has been hanging out with them. That's the beauty of a Disney cruise. Everyone can vacation in their own way.

After our beach day, it's back to the ship for dinner at Palo Steakhouse, the adults-only specialty restaurant. Then we buckle up for a night of rollicking entertainment. There's the Frozen live performance in the Walt Disney Theater followed by Pirates In the Caribbean Deck show and ending with fireworks at sea. Disney is the only cruise line that does fireworks at sea. The materials that make up the shells of the fireworks are 100% biodegradable and become fish food when they hit the water.

Living that private island cabana life. Celebrating the nieces and nephew in their season of married/engaged life. They were 6, 3 and a newborn when I met them 24 years ago. I blinked and here we are.

OK. I could easily become a cabana person. Cabana beach on top and family beach on the bottom.

We miss you, Marco!

What a way to end the day. Fireworks at sea. Nobody does cruises like Disney.

By Michael

That evening was Pirate Night. I put on a full pirate costume, tricorn hat and all, and had portraits taken against the Pirates in the Caribbean backdrop, on my own at first, then with Lisa after we ran into a costumed Captain Jack Sparrow. We kept the costumes on through the grand staircase and a few more backdrops before the night wound down back where we started. Before bed, Lisa filled out a second ASL form, this one for a craft session the next afternoon.

Michael