You may recall the sweet Hall family who were the winners of our Unfrozen Winner contest earlier this year. They won by submitting this precious snowman photo:
Rob's Albertan Service Experts sent the family on a Disney Cruise and paid for airfare for four. Bradley and Rebecca took their two oldest youngsters, Korbin and Brooke, on their Disney Cruise during mid-summer. This was the first cruise for Korbin and Brooke and the first in about 10 years for Rebecca and Bradley.
“I can’t even begin to describe all the fun we had and how truly unbelievable everything was,” wrote Rebecca. “It was a getaway we could have never taken on our own. Disney does cruising right!”
The Hall family was kind enough to give us their itinerary and some snapshots from their incredible trip. If you want to a Disney Cruise, or just want to find out what it’s all about, keeping reading for the highlights from the Hall’s experience.
Monday
We were on the ship for two days (Saturday and Sunday) and then docked in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. We booked a Catamaran and went out with 4 other families for several hours. It was Korbin and Brooke’s first time snorkeling and they had a blast. We saw turtles and stingrays – it was probably the best experience of the entire cruise!
Tuesday
We sailed from Tortola to St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands, where we were able to snorkel some more, went swimming, and bummed around on the beach. The water was truly that turquoise blue that you see in movies – truly picture perfect.
Thursday
We were on the ship all day Wednesday and then ported at Castaway Cay, Disney’s Exclusive Island. The water was incredibly blue and had perfect visibility underneath, so of course that meant more snorkeling! They hid Mickey Mouses you could find underwater, which was nice because there weren’t as many fish. They also have an adults-only beach which we took advantage of while the kids played with other kids. They had staff everywhere to keep an eye on the kids so we (Mom and Dad) hung out and drank a daiquiri. It’s like a floating Disneyland!
Aboard
It gives me goosebumps thinking about everything on the cruise ship – everything was so much fun and extraordinary! They have a “Midship Detective Agency” where you pick the mystery you want to solve and they give you a card so you can keep track of all your clues. When you put the card up to a painting, it actually springs to life – it speaks to you, tells you about the mystery you are working to solve, and gives you signals and directions. One mystery went on for two hours because we were chasing clues all over the cruise ship.
They are constantly running first-run movies out near the pool so we got to see Finding Dory, Big Friendly Giant, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Jungle Book. We also got to experience the Aqua Duct, which is a big slide that shoots you up and down and swings you out above the boat!
All of us went Goofy Golfing and they also have games like foosball, basketball, and a Tween Club called Edge with events like scavenger hunts, ice breakers, and more.
It’s really easy to find characters on the boat – you only have to wait a few minutes versus 30 or 40 at Disneyland. We got to see about two each day, and one day we met five in a row! They also have multiple versions of the characters, such as Captain Mickey, Traditional Mickey, etc.
The stateroom was incredible! Ours came with an ocean view room with a large porthole and window seat. Our room was a really great size and all four of us were cozy and never felt smothered.
Dining
You go between three restaurants. Enchanted Garden has cool flower lights on the ceiling that open and close and the colors on the ceiling change throughout your meal and Royal Court was extremely elegant and put me in mind of Cinderella. The menu is very gourmet and they have a great selection. Korbin tried everything, even escargot at the Royal Court. (He said it tasted like dirt!)
Animators Palette is animation-themed and they give you markers on your table so you can draw a figure. They give you a tutorial on how to draw a figure, then they pick up the drawings and at the end of your meal, they animate your drawings on big screens. You have no warning! They put them to music and position them in Disney movies. Our daughter is our artist so she put a lot of effort into hers and was so excited – the rest of us weren’t quite as accomplished
“We can't thank Service Experts enough for this once in a lifetime trip,” Rebecca told us after they returned home. “I tear up when I think about it all. Submitting an entry I never thought would go anywhere, hearing we were a finalist, the stressful voting stage, the big announcement, planning and choosing which cruise, the excitement of going and finally experiencing a sensational adventure. It was such a wonderful time living it all. We are forever grateful!”
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