Disney Cruise Trip Report from Port of Miami

My family and I spent 5 days aboard the Magic during a Very Merrytime Christmas cruise. We sailed to the Western Caribbean and to the Bahamas on this fun packed vacation.

In this Disney cruise trip report, I will walk you through our holiday vacation and provide tips for your upcoming trip with Disney Cruise Line. If you haven’t booked your Disney cruise yet, this trip review can help you decide if a Disney cruise is right for your family.

Reading DCL trip reports is what ultimately enticed me to book my family’s first cruise several years ago. So, continue reading my Disney Cruise Line trip report below, and maybe you will feel inspired! I will try to be as specific and as detailed as possible, but feel free to comment with any questions you have!

(Some of the links in my posts are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Pre-Cruise Planning

I debated for a while about which Disney cruise itinerary to choose for my family’s vacation. My two options for this trip were:

• 4-night Bahamian Cruise– This cruise sailed out of Port Canaveral on the Disney Dream. It stopped at Nassau and Castaway Cay, and it offered one day at sea.
• 5-night Western Caribbean Cruise– This cruise sailed out of Miami on the Disney Magic. It stopped in Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay, and it had two days at sea.

I was drawn to sailing on the Disney Dream because it seemed like the easier option. Flying into Orlando to sail out of Port Canaveral is a super simple process, even with little kids.

The Disney Dream also has a great toddler splash pad, Nemo’s Reef, that I knew my younger daughter would love. On the other hand, the Disney Magic stopped in Grand Cayman, which is a place I’ve been longing to visit.

The Magic also offered an extra day at sea making it a 5-night cruise instead of the 4-night cruise on the Dream for basically the same price. In the end, I decided to book the 5-night cruise on the Disney Magic because I just couldn’t pass on its amazing itinerary!

Transportation to Disney Cruise Port

I was comfortable with flying into Orlando to sail on the Disney Dream because DCL makes cruising out of Port Canaveral so easy. Even with my two young kids in tow, the pre-cruise hotel stay and ground transportation in Orlando are both super convenient. The Hyatt is located right inside the Orlando International Airport, so you don’t even need to leave the premises.

Disney Cruise Line ground transportation also picks you up directly at the airport, and these motor coaches don’t require car seats. I was really nervous about sailing out of Miami on the Disney Magic because the ground transportation there seemed so much more complex.

Taxis and Ubers are readily available in Miami, but my six-year-old and one year old both needed car seats. In order to use a taxi or Uber, I knew I needed to either bring our own car seats or find a taxi that supplied its own. Both of those options seemed like major travel headaches to me.

I ultimately decided to book a hotel and ground transportation through Disney Cruise Line because it appeared to be the less stressful option. If you have older kids who do not need car seats, you could totally get by with a taxi during your trip. If your kids are young like mine, I definitely recommend the Disney cruise ground transfers!

Hotels near Disney Cruise Port in Miami

Disney had two options available for hotels the night before our cruise: EB Hotel near the airport and the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Miami. Since the Four Seasons offered the easier option for transporting us to the cruise port, I went with it. We had never stayed at a Four Seasons before, and all I can say is WOW!

The hotel, staff, and amenities were all top-notch! We also had never visited Miami, and I really liked the location of this hotel.

It is in the financial district, and everything around it seemed clean and safe. The morning of our cruise, we put our Disney Cruise Line luggage tags on our larger bags and set them by our hotel room door. The bellman at the Four Seasons came to our room at 9:30 to take our luggage down to the main floor of the hotel.

We kept a couple bags with us so that we would have access to some of our essential things during the day. These embarkation day bags held things like important documents, prescription medications, and other necessities. Our larger luggage wouldn’t be available again until later that evening on the ship!

Day 1 – Boarding in Miami

Our Disney cruise motor coach left the Four Seasons at around 11:10 on embarkation day, which is the first day of the cruise. The Port of Miami was only a few miles away from the hotel, but the drive took us at least 15 minutes due to traffic.

The weather in Miami was perfect, even for our December sail date. The high that day was supposed to be in the upper 70’s. I was prepared for the morning to be a bit cool, but this wasn’t the case at all. The sun was shining, and we were all comfortable in summer clothes.

Port of Miami

Our bus pulled up to the Disney Cruise Line terminal just before 11:30. (Note that we were not assigned a Port Arrival Time since we used DCL transportation.) It looked really crowded and crazy from the motor coach window.

Once we were off the bus, I realized that the port was really organized despite the swarms of people around. A porter took our bags from our bus driver, so we didn’t even have to handle them at the port. After thanking and tipping the porter, we walked a few steps to the main entrance of the terminal.

Security and Check-in Process

** Note that the boarding process for Disney Cruise Line has changed from my family’s experience below. You can find the updated procedures in my post about Disney Cruise embarkation day.

There was a line for security that backed up outside, but it moved swiftly. Much like the airport, the security at the cruise port asked us to put our carry on bags on the conveyor belt to go through the X-Ray machine.

We also had to remove all metal and electronic devices. We weren’t required to remove our shoes, though. Within five minutes, we were out of the security line and walking to the check-in desks at the Miami terminal.

We were handed a health form on the way to our check in line. I was kicking myself for forgetting to put a pen in my embarkation day bag. So, make sure to put a pen in your bag so you can fill out the form WHILE waiting in line.

The line moved really quickly though. Within five minutes, we were guided to a spot at the check in counter. Once at the counter, I handed over our identification documents and Port Arrival Form. I also filled out the super short health survey.

The employee behind the counter took a photo of my family and asked me to sign a couple forms. She then handed me our Key to the World cards and our lanyards. (If you have previously sailed with Disney Cruise Line, they give you lanyards to hold your Key cards.)

Boarding

At check in, we were given a boarding card with our Key to the World cards. Initially our boarding group number was 2, but this number changed after I upgraded our stateroom at the port. I’ll explain more about upgrading below.

Since we ended up upgrading to Concierge Level, our Key to the World cards were changed from blue to gold in color. We were also given a new boarding number of 1 since Concierge guests are permitted to board the ship first.

DCL Personal Navigator

The cast member checking us in gave me the Voyage Navigator for our trip. This Personal Navigator served as a wealth of information, and I referred to it often. The stateroom hosts used to put the Navigator for the next day on your bed each night. Disney Cruise Line no longer does this. Instead, the information is readily available on the Disney Cruise Line App.

I still find the paper versions easier to read, so I tried to grab a copy at Guest Services each day. You do not have to wait in line to get a Navigator from Guest Services. They have them out on the counter for cruisers to freely grab.

Stateroom Upgrade

I had originally booked a Deluxe Inside Stateroom on the Disney Magic. The ship had staterooms with windows (aka portholes) available when I was booking, but they were a few hundred dollars more than the interior cabins. Since the square footage of the porthole rooms was the same as that in an inside stateroom, I decided it wasn’t worth it to spend hundreds of dollars just to get a window.

DCL had a lot of oceanview staterooms with verandahs available too; however, these rooms were over a thousand dollars more than my inside stateroom. Since we weren’t sure a verandah was worth that much to us, my husband and I agreed to stick with our inside room for the time being. We decided we would ask about an available stateroom with a verandah at the port on embarkation day.

Although upgrades aren’t always available when you check in at the terminal, it doesn’t hurt to ask. I knew that if a room with a verandah was available, it would be far cheaper than it had been to book it ahead of time. My hope was that a room with a verandah would be available for a few hundred dollars. Then, we would have our balcony without shoveling out a thousand dollars.

We were also prepared to keep our inside stateroom. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, and I knew our chances of getting an upgrade weren’t going to be great. So, after the DCL cast member finished checking us in at the terminal in Miami, I asked if any stateroom upgrades were available. Surprisingly, she said that she thought there were and guided us to the supervisor’s desk next to the Concierge check in counter.

Concierge

The supervisor at the counter informed us that she had a few Concierge Level staterooms available for an upgrade. She used a chart to guide her as to what our upgrade price would be. Since we had booked an inside stateroom, our price to upgrade to a Concierge room was more than that of someone who had booked a verandah room to begin with.

Our quote for the Concierge Level room was about half of what it would have cost me to upgrade my room prior to embarkation day. Initially, we declined because we weren’t sure we wanted to spend the extra money.

But then we decided that we would be getting our verandah PLUS all of the special perks that Concierge includes. These perks seemed really appealing since we had a one-year-old with us. So, we decided to accept the upgrade since we may never be so lucky as to sail Concierge with Disney Cruise Line again.

After the supervisor made new Key to the World cards for us, she informed us that we were able to board the ship. Rather than spending any time in the Miami terminal, we headed straight to the gangway to board the Disney Magic!

Afternoon Activities

After we upgraded to Concierge at the port, the supervisor handed us a letter with information about a special Concierge lunch. Instead of eating at Cabanas or on the pool deck like we usually do, we walked to Rapunzel’s Royal Table where we met with the Concierge Team.

This dining room is really beautiful with lanterns hanging from the ceiling. I was eager to eat dinner here, so we could watch the dinner show! As we were eating our lunch, one of the Concierge hosts came over to our table to introduce herself.

She asked if we had any special requests, and I mentioned that I wanted to borrow a stroller from Guest Services. The Concierge host assured me that she would bring a stroller to us right away, so there was no need to go to Guest Services. This was such a relief since the lines at Guest Services on embarkation day can be crazy!

Disney Magic Concierge Stateroom

Once we finished eating lunch in the dining room, we headed to our stateroom. Normally, your room isn’t ready until 1:30. However, one of the perks with Concierge is that your room is available immediately after boarding.

The entrances to the stateroom halls were blocked off with signs saying not to enter until 1:30, so I wasn’t really sure how to get to our room. Luckily our room host passed by, and I was able to ask him if it was okay to sneak under the rope.

He assured me that it was, and he even escorted us to our stateroom with a welcoming gift. I was very pleased with our stateroom as we had plenty of space for storage and for moving around. The verandah was perfect, and we were immediately so happy that we had upgraded.

Pools

Since we were cruising with a toddler who needed to take a nap, I stayed in our stateroom with her while my husband took our older daughter to the pool deck. The Disney Magic has several pools and water play areas for kids. The AquaDunk is one of the main water slides on the ship.

Because it has a height requirement of 48 inches, my daughter was too short to ride it this time. She did enjoy the Twist ‘n’ Spout slide, though, and rode it over and over again. In addition, Goofy’s Pool was one of her favorite places to spend time on the pool deck.

Organizing

As our one-year-old slept, I unpacked the items from our embarkation bags. Our large suitcases arrived around this time, so I was able to start organizing our stateroom too. (You can find everything I pack in this post: Disney Cruise Line Packing List.)

Since we had upgraded to a more spacious room, I didn’t actually need all of the extra storage items I had packed. I was glad that I had our packing cubes; though, because they always make the process of unpacking and organizing so much easier!

If you don’t use packing cubes when vacationing, you are really missing out. They help us stay so organized, and I don’t know what we would do without them! You can see the packing cubes we use here! (Amazon Affiliate Link) It was around 3:30 by the time I finished unpacking, and the Muster Drill announcements had started.

Lifeboat Drill

The mandatory Guest Assembly Drill was scheduled for 4:00, but announcements about the drill started about half an hour before this. My husband and older daughter came back to the stateroom before the drill, so we could all walk down together.

We headed to our station, which was on Deck 4, about ten minutes before it was supposed to begin. Once we were on Deck 4, we could easily see each of the safety stations labeled.

Our Key to the World card showed that we were assigned to station “P”. Once we arrived there, a Disney cast member swiped our cards to check us in for the drill. He then asked us to line up shortest to tallest beside a family who was already there.

My toddler is obviously the shortest member of my family, but I was allowed to hold her throughout the entire drill. As the drill began, the cast member overseeing our station gave all the parents a heads up to cover the ears of our small kids. The alarm was really loud, but it didn’t last long. My kids didn’t seem to mind it. The captain came over the loud speaker with some safety instructions.

Then the cast members at each station provided more directions for what to do in case of an emergency, including how to properly put on your life vest. Note that life vests are stored inside your stateroom closet. You DO NOT need to take them to the drill with you.

Even though the safety drill isn’t the most fun part of your cruise, it only takes about 20 minutes. The cast members do a great job of trying to entertain you during the waiting too!

Sail-A-Wave Party

Once the Guest Assembly Drill concluded, we headed up to the pool deck to watch the Sail-A-Wave Party. Most of the other passengers on the ship were doing the same thing, so we just followed the crowds.

We like to use the stairs to get to the pool deck at this time because the elevators are always backed up. We chose to grab a spot against the balcony on Deck 10 to watch the party from above.

If you decide to watch on Deck 9, you may get to see some of the characters up close as they dance in the crowd at the end of the party. There were a lot of ships waiting to leave Port of Miami at the same time, so we didn’t really sail away at the end of the party.

We did get to watch some of the other ships sail by, and this was really cool. The Symphony of the Seas passed us and looked enormous! I’m hoping to sail on it soon!

Evening Activities

We walked down to our stateroom after the Sail-A-Wave Party so that we could change for dinner. On our last cruise, I was really cold at dinner and at the shows each night. So, I packed jeans and a cardigan to change into for dinner.

I didn’t find the Disney Magic to be cold; though, and I ended up not needing the cardigan. Since we had a verandah, we were able to watch our ship sail away from the shore as we freshened up for dinner.

Concierge Lounge

Once we were all ready, we walked up to the Concierge Lounge on Deck 10. The bartender in the lounge poured my husband and I each a glass of wine to take to dinner.

The lounge had small appetizers and desserts available as well. My kids really enjoyed the chocolate covered marshmallows because who doesn’t like eating treats before dinner while on vacation?!

Dining Requests

Dinner our first night was at Lumiere’s, which is an elegant French themed dining room that is inspired by Beauty and the Beast. We had the main dinner seating that was at 5:45. This dining time had originally been full when I booked our cruise, so I called before the cruise to ask to be added to a waiting list.

About 30 days before our trip, I logged on to the Disney Cruise Navigator App and saw that the earlier time was available. I was relieved we got into main dining because there’s no way my kids could handle eating during the second seating at 8:15.

In addition to my early dining time request, I had also called DCL before our trip to request a private table. It has been my experience that Disney Cruise Line will grant this request. Since we had upgraded to the Concierge Level, we were automatically assigned a table for just the four of us.

Lumiere’s Dining Room

Once we were seated, our assistant server came over to introduce himself and to take our drink orders. Our main server arrived shortly after to greet us and give us recommendations on what to order. The servers are usually really knowledgeable about what to order, so make sure you ask for their advice if you are unsure.

They are also really accommodating with any special requests you may have. My kids both love broccoli, and our servers were able to substitute it as a side each night at dinner. The servers bring out bread and drinks right away. They also bring the kids’ food out early so the little ones can get started on their meals.

Overall, dinner at Lumiere’s lasted about one hour and fifteen minutes. Once we finished dinner, my family and I explored the Disney Magic cruise ship and enjoyed some onboard fun.

Mickey’s Tree Lighting Magic

Since we were on a Merrytime Cruise, DCL had organized some special Christmas activities and entertainment. One of these was a tree lighting ceremony in the atrium at 7:30. We grabbed spots on the balcony to watch the show from above. Mickey’s Tree Lighting Magic began with live performers singing Christmas songs.

Then Mickey and friends made their way onto the stage in their Christmas apparel. At the end, there was a countdown before the ginormous tree in the atrium was lit with Christmas lights.

Onboard Shopping

We had some time to kill after the Tree Lighting Ceremony and before the evening entertainment started. Since my kids had received Disney gift cards as Christmas gifts from a couple of our relatives, we browsed around the stores for a bit. Inside the shops on the Disney Magic, you will find tons of themed merchandise.

The shops sell clothing, Christmas souvenirs, and toys just to name a few. If you make a purchase in one of the shops, the cast member behind the check out desk will swipe your Key to the World Card. Your purchase will then show up on your onboard account.

Magic, Balloons, and Comedy Show

Since we had had a jammed packed day, I decided to skip the live evening entertainment. The show this first night was a family comedy show, and I didn’t think my toddler would sit through it. So, I took her back to our stateroom and put her down for the night. My husband and older daughter stopped by the Concierge Lounge on their way to the show.

They were able to grab popcorn, Gummy Bears, and drinks to take with them to the theater. This was one of the perks of Concierge that we took full advantage of each night. The next morning, my six-year-old told me she loved the show. She thought the comedian, John Cassidy, was really funny. My husband also said it was really entertaining, so I am hoping I get to catch it on our next cruise!

Day 2 – Sea Day

Day 2 of our trip was a day at sea in the middle of the Caribbean. The stateroom hosts no longer put the paper versions of these Personal Navigators on your stateroom bed each night. Instead, you can use the official Disney Cruise Line Navigator App to find activity schedules and information. You can also grab a copy of the paper version at Guest Services like I did.

My one-year-old typically wakes up at around 5:30 AM, but I wanted my six-year-old to sleep in during our vacation. So, each morning I walked the jogging track on Deck 4 with my toddler. I made a habit of swinging by Guest Services on our stroll each morning to pick up the paper Navigator, which was just sitting out for guests to freely grab.

Morning Activities

As mentioned above, I borrowed a stroller from Disney Cruise Line for this trip. I had planned to visit Guest Services once onboard the ship to get a stroller. I believe they charge your account somewhere around $250 when you pick up the stroller. 

Then DCL takes off the charge when you return it on your last day. Disney Cruise Line provides the same type of stroller that I have rented numerous times at Walt Disney World: City Mini Baby Jogger. 

Although I had to fold up the stroller to get it through our stateroom door, the City Mini is super easy to collapse with one hand. It’s also really compact and easy to store in the stateroom closet. We had plenty of room under the stateroom bed to keep it there as well. 

My husband and I ended up purchasing our own City Mini Stroller because we love the size and convenience of it. You can see the City Mini Baby Jogger Stroller we have here! (Amazon Affiliate Link) The City Mini also reclines so that your baby or toddler can nap more comfortably. I had hoped that the reclined seat and the morning stroll would help my one-year-old fall back to sleep on our morning strolls, but unfortunately this was never the case.

Quick Breakfast

After walking along the jogging path on Deck 4, my toddler and I headed up to Daisy’s De-lites on the Disney Magic pool deck. This quick service dining option opened at 6:30 each day, and it was a great spot to grab breakfast items and snacks. 

Daisy’s De-lites provided things like fresh fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, and pastries. My toddler and I sat at one of the tables on the pool deck to eat an early breakfast, and it was always so peaceful during this time!

After we ate, I walked over to the beverage station nearby to grab a couple cups of coffee to take down to our stateroom. Since we had a stroller with us, my toddler and I took the elevator down to our room. Even though our cabin was located fairly close to the stairwell and elevators, we never had an issue with noise.

Also, since we were up so early in the morning, the elevators were never busy during the daily stroll with my toddler. If you are trying to use an elevator during peak times like the Muster Drill, you will have to wait a while to ride.

My family and I typically use the stairs any time we don’t have a stroller to walk around the ship. Even if you need to go up or down several decks, one of my favorite tips for first time Disney cruisers is to use the stairs because they are usually faster than waiting on an elevator.

Cabanas Buffet

Once back in the stateroom, my husband and I enjoyed our coffee on the verandah while our two kids played with the toys they had bought in one of the ship’s stores the previous night. Then, I changed the girls out of their pajamas so that we could head up to Cabanas for breakfast. 

Insider Tip- I saw lots of kids in pajamas throughout our cruise. My toddler wore her pj’s each morning on our walk and during morning snack time. She also wore them during the nightly shows. We arrived at Cabanas around 8:00 AM and washed our hands at the sanitizing station. Then I grabbed a table with the kids while my husband grabbed drinks and food for everyone. 

Cabanas truly has something for everyone. Both of my girls are picky eaters, but we were able to find lots of fruit and different styles of eggs for each of them. My husband eats vegan and gluten free foods only, and he was also able to find enough options for breakfast as well.

We all enjoyed our breakfast and then headed out just as Cabanas was starting to get busy. I made a note that a line had formed to wash hands and enter Cabanas at around 8:45 when we left. So, the earlier you go on a sea day the better!

Day at Sea Disney Cruise Activities

Even if you are sailing with a toddler or a baby, you should be able to find plenty of fun activities on a sea day. To read about our favorite things to do on a sea day, you can check out our post on the best Disney cruise activities for kids.

Frozen Meet and Greet

We had reservations for a character meet and greet with Anna and Elsa at 9:00 in Animator’s Palate. I signed up for this time during my online check-in for the cruise. Disney Cruise Line did not provide tickets for this event the way they used to. Once we arrived at the meet and greet, we just told the cast member our room number, and he checked that we were on his list. 

We stood in line for about 15 minutes before it was our turn. The cast member at the front of the line asked for our stateroom number for the photographer. They do this so they know which room to file your photos under in case you want to purchase them on board. 

Swimming Pools

After our meet and greet, we headed back to the room to change into our swimsuits. Before our trip, I had wondered if we would be able to swim in the mornings or if the December weather would feel too chilly. 

We lucked out because it was sunny and in the 70’s even in the morning! My husband took our one-year-old to Nephews’ Splash Zone because this is the only water play area for kids who are under 3 years old and in swim diapers. 

I went with our six year old to ride the Twist ‘n Spout waterslide. We stood in line for about 15-20 minutes, but my daughter loved the slide so she didn’t mind the wait. Then, we walked over to Goofy’s Pool to swim. Even though it was heated, this pool felt far too cold for me, so I sat on the side to watch. 

My six-year-old wasn’t fazed by the chilly water, and she enjoyed herself. After playing on the pool deck for a while, we grabbed a table and chairs for lunch. We ate at the quick service counters on the pool deck since they had so many options. Then, we all treated ourselves to soft serve ice cream after lunch!

Formal Night

We headed back to our stateroom after our fun-filled morning on the pool deck. I put our toddler down for a nap, and the rest of us enjoyed the view from our verandah. We were sailing passed (I think) Cuba, and it was really neat to see the mountainous terrain. 

My husband and I had a discussion about how much we enjoyed the verandah in our stateroom and how we would strive to book a cabin with a balcony from here on out. We really like having downtime in our stateroom, and the verandah made it so much more enjoyable!

Once our one-year-old woke up from her nap, we all took turns showering and got ready for our evening activities. This night was designated as an optional dress up night. We typically don’t wear formal attire on cruises, but I had packed my kids’ Christmas dresses for this trip.

I have to admit that I did feel a bit silly dressed up in wintery Christmas clothes when it was 85 degrees outside. Luckily my kids didn’t complain, and I got some cute photos of them by the holiday decorations on the ship! Once we finished taking photos around the ship, we headed to the Concierge Lounge on Deck 10. 

Each evening, the lounge hosted a happy hour where Concierge Level guests could grab small snacks and beverages for free. My two girls loved the appetizers and sweets that were offered. My husband and I enjoyed getting glasses of wine from the lounge to take to dinner with us. 

Evening Activities

Dinner our second night was at Animator’s Palate. Just as had been our experience the first night, our servers were exceptional at dinner! My one-year-old lasts about half an hour at the dinner table, so she struggled a bit toward the end of the meal. Our servers were great at trying to entertain her, but I eventually had to take her out of the dining room to run around. 

Animator’s Palate has a really entertaining show with Sorcerer Mickey toward dessert time. So, my toddler and I walked back to the table just in time to watch the performance. Mickey’s presence plus dessert kept our her entertained until we had all finished our meals. 

Disney Cruise Shows (Twice Charmed)

We usually spend time meeting characters after dinner and before the nightly show. On this Optional Dress Up night, the characters were all dressed in their formal Christmas attire. The lines for characters seem to start forming about 10-15 minutes before the character is scheduled to appear. 

We are never in line that early, though. Typically we get in line five minutes before the meet and greet begins or even right after it starts. The lines move quickly, and you normally don’t wait longer than 15 minutes. The exception to this is the Santa Claus meet and greet, but I will get into that later in the trip report. 

After meeting a couple characters, we walked back up to the Concierge Lounge.  My older daughter grabbed popcorn, gummies, and bottled water to take to the evening show with her. 

My toddler and I skipped the show again because I wasn’t sure she would sit through Twice Charmed. She isn’t familiar with Cinderella or the songs in the show, so I didn’t trust her to sit nicely throughout the production. My six-year-old LOVED this show though! In fact, it was her favorite out of all the nightly entertainment on the cruise. 

I took our one-year-old back to our room to put her to bed since we had plans to go to the beach at Grand Cayman the following day. 

Day 3 – Grand Cayman and Pirate Night

We didn’t book a shore excursion in Grand Cayman because we planned to visit a beach on our own. The Concierge hosts suggested that we grab a taxi at the port and spend the day at Royal Palms. While we had an incredible time on the beautiful beach in Grand Cayman, our day didn’t really go as planned.

You can read our entire experience of visiting the beach on our Disney cruise to Grand Cayman here. In that post, we explain the tender process and describe the beaches in the Cayman Islands. We also include some super helpful tips on finding a taxi at the port, so you don’t make the same mistakes we did!

After spending the morning and early afternoon on the beach in Grand Cayman, we decided to head back to the ship. We ate lunch at Cabanas, and then I took our one year old to the room for a bath and nap. My husband and six-year-old spent a little time at the pool enjoying the water slide before coming down to the room too.

We were really grateful for our balcony again because we enjoyed sitting on it this afternoon in Grand Cayman. My six-year-old was exhausted from the beach and liked relaxing on the verandah with us.

Once our one year old woke from her nap, we all took time to get ready for Pirate Night. Our stateroom host had left Mickey pirate bandanas on our bed for us to wear on Pirate Night. My husband and I don’t typically dress up on Pirate Night other than the black and white outfits I pack.

For this trip, a friend of mine made my girls pirate Elsa and Anna dresses that were really cute. You will notice that some people go all-out in their pirate outfits, some are more low key, and some don’t dress up at all. So, no matter how you and your family choose to dress on Pirate Night, you won’t look out of place.

Pirate Night Dinner

Once we were dressed and ready for Pirate Night, we had time to meet a few characters in their special pirate gear. Then we walked up to the Concierge Lounge to grab our “free” glasses of wine for dinner. Our meal on this third night was at Animator’s Palate again.

We had seen the special Sorcerer Mickey show the previous night at Animator’s Palate, so on Pirate Night we had different entertainment. The servers came out to dance and sing in a pirate themed show toward the end of our meal. They also got the kids excited by letting them get up to dance around the dining room with them.

Pirate Show and Fireworks

Later in the night, the Disney Cruise Line crew members put on a pirate show on the pool deck. I was sound asleep by the time the show started, but my husband and older daughter went to watch. Basically the entertainment crew and characters dance and sing on the stage on the pool deck.

This isn’t the best photo from the show, but hopefully you get the gist. Notice that people bring glow sticks and glow jewelry to this show. The show then ends with a fireworks display that my daughter really enjoyed!

**Quick Tip- It is MUCH cheaper to buy your glow sticks before your cruise and pack them in your luggage rather than buying them on

More About Our Disney Cruise from Miami

You can read the remainder of our Disney Cruise from Miami trip report here – Disney Magic Cruise Reviews. That article follows my family and I on the remainder of our trip where we spend Day 4 enjoying Christmas activities at sea. Then, on Day 5, we visit Disney’s amazing private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.