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Wells Watch
Special: 2002 Designer's Showhouse

Captain Hook and Mr. Smee (right), characters from Peter Pan, lead children along the beach at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas. -- Special

Completely in character

Disney experience exactly what you would expect -- and more

By Belinda Hulin
Times-Union staff writer

Vacations, like movies, literature and other diversions, come in genres. Certainly there are folks who notch their travel diaries with photos of the world's great landmarks. But for aficionados of skiing, camping, beach retreats, spas, cruising and theme park hopping, the quality and resonance of their preferred leisure activity is much more important than the destination.

Disney Cruise Line outings blend two travel genres -- namely the Disney-branded vacation and moderate-priced cruising -- so thoroughly that it's impossible to extricate one realm from the other. That means you've got to love both cruising and Disney's heavy-on-the-window-dressing style of hospitality to want to sign on.

If swimming pools shaped like mouse ears and chipmunks mugging with your children at breakfast don't compel you to grab a camera, consider shipping out with another line. Likewise, if you're claustrophobic or can only tolerate crowds for short periods, better to get your Disney fix in Orlando.

That said, a Disney cruise is perfect for high seas-loving families with children. Everything, right down to the Plexiglas-lined balcony rails, wading pools, packs of mingling Disney characters and round-the-clock kids movies shown in plush, old-fashioned theaters, is geared to keeping the pre-school and elementary school set safe and enchanted. Teen club rooms and scheduled after-hours teen activites (not to mention a bottomless-soda-cup program and lunch-to-late-night pizza) keeps too-cool-for-Disney middle and high schoolers happy. In addition, there's a well-stocked and staffed nursery where weary parents can reserve baby-sitting time for infants and toddlers.

You can slide into the Mickey pool on a Disney cruise. -- Special

Disney's twin ships, the Wonder and the Magic, both sail out of Port Canaveral. The Wonder takes guests on three- and four-night trips to the Bahamas. The Magic offers seven-night itineraries, alternating between eastern and western Caribbean ports of call. All sailings include a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island facility in the Bahamas. Of the lines that sail out of Port Canaveral, all of which have some small island refuge, Disney's is by far the best manicured and best equipped. Castaway Cay has a deepwater dock so the ships can pull up to the island (rather than having guests ferried by tender), plus lush trails, well-groomed swimming and snorkeling facilities, bicycles to rent, an outdoor barbecue kitchen and dining pavilion and a tiny post office. Guests can select excursions like parasailing, or opt for a massage in beach-view huts nestled in a secluded tropical grove.

Onboard, first-run movies are part of the Disney Cruise entertainment lineup, as well as several live-action shows featuring Disney characters. In addition, Disney animators and executives often turn up to give lively lectures on behind-the-scenes movie-making and theme-park design.

Cruise ships are known for offering large quantities of food, and the Disney ships are no different. However, unlike other ships, Disney vessels give guests a rotating schedule of three restaurants in which to dine, plus the option of a casual buffet. That eliminates some of the dinner-time ennui that can set in, particularly on longer cruises. Some dishes, like the Braised Lamb Shank with Portobello Polenta served at Lumiere and Animator's Palate's Pan-fried Veal Chop are outstanding, while others are merely good. Each restaurant menu offers selected California wines by the glass or bottle, as well as "frou-frou" cocktails made with sweet liqueurs. Nightly children's menus -- complete with crayons for coloring -- include mixed fresh fruits, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese and the ever-popular french fries, among other things. Desserts a la Disney are -- as with all ships -- elaborate affairs. Unlike the European-inspired desserts on other vessels, Disney's meal-enders tend to appeal to the sweeter-sweets preferences of American diners.

An aerial view of Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. Of the cruise lines that sail out of Port Canaveral, all of which have some small island refuge, Disney's is by far the best manicured and best equipped. -- Special

The adults-only Palo restaurant requires reservations and offers an outstanding Northern Italian menu, including beautifully-prepared greens and risottos. It's a quiet, beautifully-appointed place that makes for a nice "night out" for parents while the kids dine on pizza with similar-age friends or spend a couple of hours at the nursery.

Animator's Palate, a restaurant aboard Disney Magic. -- Special

Casual attire is the rule, and family groups are seated together at separate tables, rather than forced to socialize with strangers. Since most Disney traveling groups include small children, this makes dinner time much less tense. Another bonus -- the staff is more than happy to pack up meals and send desserts up to the room, making it easier to duck out with cranky or impatient toddlers.

Most Disney Cruise Line cabins face outside, and while they're not spacious, they are serviceable, with queen beds for parents and bunks that convert to a couch for the kids. Lighted balconies with chairs make rooms less claustrophic and allow passengers to fully enjoy time at sea. Self-service laundry rooms mean you can pack light, even for longer trips.

Rates vary depending on season and accommodations. Three-night cruises to the Bahamas start at $379 for adults and $199 for children over 3. Although summer time means hot weather in all of Disney's ports of call, most islands aren't appreciably hotter than Jacksonville in the summertime, and the sea breezes make things tolerable. Nights on the ocean are always fairly cool.

Belinda Hulin can be reached at (904) 359-4520 or via e-mail at bhulinjacksonville.com.