Our agent, Carrielyn Louie (from Seattle, WA)  is sharing her blog with us about what to expect on a Disney Cruise.  This is her fourth post in a series of seven where you’ll get an inside peek at what a 7-night Disney cruise is like. 

Day 4

After two glorious days at sea just relaxing and enjoying all the Disney Fantasy has to offer you awake on your first day at a port; St. Maarten! From your stateroom you spy St. Maarten off in the not too far distance, all sun and crystal blue water around you. It’s only 7am but you and your family have a Port Adventure planned for the afternoon but you want to get out and explore the pier area of St Maarten a bit before hand.

You wake the troops and rush them out the door to head up to Cabanas for the breakfast buffet. You eat a hearty breakfast because you’re going to be having a day full of sun soaked outdoor activities!

When you’ve all eaten your fill you head down to deck 1 to exit the boat. You’ve got your Key to the World cards for the whole family, handing them over to the crew member as you are on your way off the boat. You amble along, enjoying the sites, even walking along the nearby sandy beach, wandering out onto the pier. You wind your way to the shopping district, picking your way back and forth along the cobblestone alleys, picking up island trinkets here and there.

Time goes by too quickly and you realize it’s time to return to the ship so you can meet up with your Port Adventure group. You enter the boat, hand your Key to the World Cards back over to the crew member to check you back in and run your bags through the security check and head to the Walt Disney Theater where you’ll gather with the group before heading back off the boat. Back through the Tender Lobby and 5 minutes later you are all gathered in front of the 65-foot Golden Eagle Catamaran. You are about to set off on the Golden Eagle Catamaran Port Adventure, which starts with a 60 minute boat ride to the French side of St Maarten. At your destination, 50 feet offshore, you’re given a brief safety and snorkel demonstration before you don your snorkel gear and dive into the Caribbean water. You float around, observing the underwater wonders of tropical sea life, sponges, and corals. After snorkel time is up you swim to the beach for a relaxing time in the sun. After 90 minutes between the snorkeling and beach time you board the catamaran for snacks and the hour long sail back to the pier. You do your best to relax because you know when you return to the Fantasy you’ll have just enough time to clean yourselves up for dinner.

You’ve made it back to your stateroom and you’re donning your best pirate duds because tonight is Pirate night! Disney celebrates the spirit of the Pirates of the Caribbean by throwing the Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean party, followed by the fireworks celebration that is Buccaneer Blast.

Before all that though you need some good pirate grub so you head to the first restaurant in your dining rotation this trip, Royal Court. You’ve been told all three dining rooms will be serving the same pirate-themed menus. Your mouth waters as you read over the appetizers, trying to choose between the Black Beard’s Jumbo Crab Cake (with golden raisin-carrot and coconut slaw served with a spicy Calypso dressing) and the The Buccaneer’s Sun-Ripened Pineapple (fresh island pineapple with a coconut covered banana and orange glaze), among other things. You go with the former. On the soups and salads side you opt for the Jerk Chicken Salad (jerk-seasoned chicken strips over fresh crispy greens with a citrus dressing and plantain chips).

With nine main dishes to decide amongst, you struggle to make up your mind on whether you’re having the Treasures of the Seas Grilled Shrimp and Seared Scallops (served on strings of pasta and fresh creamy tomato sauce), Jack Sparrow’s Barbecue Marinated Beef Short Ribs (Rubbed beef short ribs with tamarind-barbecue sauce and served with onion red bliss mashed potatoes and plantain chip), or the Tiger Lilie’s Savory Pancakes (stuffed with tofu, spinach, and lashed to the deck on a pool of pepper coulis). Your server suggests the Barbecue Marinated Beef Short Ribs and you go with it. It was the right decision. So delicious!

Once again you find yourself beyond stuffed but you just can’t walk away from the Rum Soaked Chocolate Cake (with raspberry glaze and whipped cream) you see calling your name there on the dessert menu. It’s practically yelling and after all, it IS pirate night! Before you have a chance to slip into a food coma you all pick yourselves up and head up to the pool deck to participate in a Pirate Celebration with Captain Mickey Mouse and his famous Pirate Crew.

When the party is over you head to D Lounge for an hour and a half of pirate fun, starting with Pirate trivia, followed by family karaoke and finally the trivia game A Pirate’s Life for Me. Around 10:15 you head back up to deck 12 starboard, as an earlier tip told you this would be the best place to observe the show down below on deck 11 and the fireworks overhead. Your tip was dead on as your view of the fireworks show was perfect. You reflect on what an amazing vacation you are on, soaking in this magical moment with your family.

It’s hard to imagine that anything could smell so good after such a big dinner but you can smell the giant turkey legs down on the buffet tables that have been set up on deck 11 and as you make your way down to that deck you also spy tables laden with desserts. As you’re piling up a plate full of goodies you can only shake your head while simultaneously smiling. This is seriously the best vacation ever, and you’ve still got 3 full days ahead of you!

Full plates in hand you head back to the stateroom to eat your treasures in semi peace before heading to bed. In too few hours you’ll be waking up to get ready for your Port Adventure at St. Thomas/St. John!

If you have any questions about what to expect on day 3 please feel free to ask by contacting me.