Disney Fantasy: Nassau, Lookout Cay & Castaway Cay

September 18–19

Brunswick, Daytona Beach and Chicago-Style Food

We drove toward Brunswick on Friday, then continued to the Daytona Beach area on Saturday. At Drunken Duck Brewing Company, we ordered a mixed flight of their beers and selections from other breweries. One of the most unusual was Mixtape, a peanut-butter-and-jelly beer from another brewery.

We stopped next at Dunes Brewing for a blonde ale. Prosti, located in the same building, supplied cheese curds with marinara and pretzel bites served with cold cheddar cheese and warm beer cheese.

After checking into the Beachside Hotel, we played in the ocean, swam in the pool, and played a round at Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf. Dinner at JoJo’s Tastes of Chicago in Port Orange included deep-dish pizza, a Chicago-style tamale, and a Chicago hot dog.

September 20

Manatees, Kennedy Space Center and Embarkation

On Sunday, we headed toward Port Canaveral, stopping at the Manatee Observation Deck and driving past Kennedy Space Center along the way. We had a 1:15 arrival time at the cruise terminal, and boarding Disney Fantasy was a quick process.

Once aboard, we visited our room, ate lunch, and met Mickey Mouse. Dinner included smoked salmon, pork tenderloin Wellington, and sticky apple toffee cake. The kid chose macaroni and cheese followed by a Mickey ice-cream bar. After a full travel and embarkation day, that was enough adventure for the evening.

September 21

Nassau and Halloween on the High Seas

In Nassau, we met Goofy and received a signed card, then met Daisy Duck. Room service gave us a relaxed meal of a cheese plate, wings, lamb, and hamburger pide. Mom and the kid headed for the pool and waterslide while I got off the ship and walked around Nassau. Prices were high, and it remains one of my less-favorite cruise stops.

Back aboard, the Halloween party and trick-or-treating transformed the evening. At dinner, the kid had pasta and another Mickey bar, while I ordered escargot, rack of lamb, and crème brûlée. Unfortunately, my order had been mixed up on both of the first two nights. We ended the evening afterward and went to bed.

September 22

Disney Lookout Cay and Pirate Night

We started with breakfast at the buffet before walking down Lookout Cay’s very long pier. Wagons were available for children, beach gear, or both, and a tram carried us onward to the main visitor area.

We spent most of the day between the splash pad, food, and beach. After returning to Disney Fantasy, we watched a magic show and dressed as pirates for Pirate Night. Dinner included crab cake, jerk chicken, and a macadamia-nut cheesecake tart. Fireworks at sea closed out one of the fullest days of the cruise.

September 23

A Sea Day of Characters, Frozen and Animator’s Palate

Breakfast in the dining room included corned beef hash and parfaits for me, Mickey waffles for my wife, and blueberry pancakes for the kid. Most of the day revolved around meeting Disney characters and taking photos around the ship.

At lunch, I had a very good chicken salad with pears and candied pecans. We followed lunch with more characters and photos before seeing the Frozen stage show.

Dinner was at Animator’s Palate, where the interactive Nemo-themed walls brought the room to life. I ordered black-truffle pasta pursiettes, teriyaki beef tenderloin with wasabi mashed potatoes, and apple-crumble rice pudding. The kid finished with a cookies-and-cream sundae before we returned to the room for the night.

September 24

A Rainy Start at Castaway Cay

The final full day began with rain, and we were not sure whether going to the beach at Castaway Cay would be worthwhile. We decided to go ashore, and the weather eventually cleared.

There was plenty of seaweed along the beach, but the island offered a children’s area, waterslide, chairs, umbrellas, and lunch beginning around 11:30. The menu included hamburgers, ribs, and chicken sandwiches. My hamburger was good, although we heard that some of the other choices were less impressive. We spent most of the day there before returning to the ship.

At 6:00, we watched Disney’s Believe. The show brought together many Disney characters and became one of the best performances of the cruise. For our final dinner, the lobster ravioli tasted too fishy and not enough like lobster, but the Corvina fish was good. I skipped dessert, while the kid had spaghetti and meatballs followed by ice cream.