- I've been on eight Disney cruises and always book a cruise that stops at Castaway Cay.
- Castaway Cay is the company's private island and I love its adults-only beach area.
- On the island, you can purchase exclusive merchandise and see Disney characters in special themed costumes.
Cruise bookings are expected to reach record highs this year, but not all itineraries are created equal. Especially if you're considering a cruise on Disney Cruise Line.
Over the past 10 years, I have been on Disney Cruises 8 times with family and friends. When making your reservation, be sure to check that Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas, is a port of call.
Here's why you might want to do the same too.
I like that there are no tenders involved as the ship docks directly on the island
One of the biggest perks of Castaway Cay is that your boat docks right next to the island.
Other cruise lines' private islands, such as Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay, don't have docks, so cruise ships must use tender ships to reach the islands.
This is a big bonus for me as I hate being on tender ships and it can feel like a waste of time.
Free trams make getting around the island easy
Castaway Cay is approximately 1,000 acres, but not all of it is developed. Therefore, it can take some time to travel from the boat to various spots on the island.
Luckily, the island has a free tram, which I always use to get around the island.
The tram will take cruisers from a station near the ship to two other tram stops for family beaches and one tram stop for adults-only beaches.
This makes it easy to get around the island with all your beach gear.
Speaking of equipment, Castaway Cay allows cruise passengers to borrow complimentary towels as soon as they disembark the ship. There are many towel return stations on the island, so you don't have to carry wet, sandy towels back to the ship.
I always stop to see Disney characters in cute beachwear
Seeing Disney characters on the ship is fun, but I love seeing Mickey and his friends on Castaway Cay even more.
Characters typically meet in the morning from around 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., but you can always check the exact time on the Disney Cruise Line app.
The best thing about seeing the characters is that the line to take a photo with them is never long. On a recent sailing trip, he saw Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto all within 30 minutes. That would never happen at a Disney park.
And if you're a fellow character hunter like me, Mickey and his friends are all dressed up in exclusive Castaway Cay costumes, which makes for a super adorable family photo.
I always take the chance to play at the adults-only beach
One of my favorite things about Disney Cruise Line and Castaway Cay is that there are a lot of adult-only spaces where kids are strictly prohibited. That part of the island is Serenity Bay Beach.
This secluded chair-lined beach is a secluded spot away from the family beaches, where you can sit and enjoy the view or take your chair to the water's edge and enjoy the waves.
Plus, just off Serenity Bay Beach, there's a fun beachside bar serving drinks and snacks.
There's also an adults-only lunch spot, and I always enjoy a barbecue by the beach. My favorites on the lunch menu are the ribs and macaroni salad.
Send a postcard from the island and check out special merchandise before returning to the ship
I always try to stop by the various shops near Family Beach and look at Castaway Cay merchandise. On a recent trip, the Spirit store had everything from his jerseys and T-shirts to Christmas decorations and swimsuits.
Then, before returning to the ship, stop at the post office at Postaway Cay to send a postcard home.
The postcards I use are in a desk drawer in my Disney Cruise Line stateroom and I am free to take them with me. If you don't want to send cute postcards, you can also keep them as souvenirs.