Setting Sail for Seven Swash buckling Nights of Tropical Paradise

Tiffini HensleyJuly 14, 2016What do beaches, sea turtles, volcanoes, zip lines and tropical rainforests have in common? They were all excursions we experienced on the seven night southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Disney Wonder.Our cruise set sail out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and spent seven glorious nights visiting islands such as Grenada, Barbados, Martinique, Antigua and St. Kitt’s, while still getting one full relaxing day at sea to enjoy some sunshine on the boat.When you sail on one of the ships of the Disney Cruise Line, you aren’t just another traveler getting on a ship - you are a star who is welcomed aboard complete with applause.The following is how we enjoyed each wonderful day of our cruise:Day 1- San Juan, Puerto RicoSince we had arrived the evening before setting sail, we were able to grab some breakfast and check out the scenery around the port, all before our check in time of 11 am.Upon arrival at the port we checked in our bags, turned in our documents and grabbed a sail away photo with Minnie Mouse. We had a few minutes before our group was able to board the ship, so we went ahead and registered our son for the Oceaneer Club and Lab. They got him fitted with his Magic Band, and he was ready to go have some fun!Once on the ship, we had an hour until our room was ready, which meant it was the perfect time to grab some lunch. We opted for Beach Blanket Buffet, since this offers some great views and a wide variety to eat. At 1 pm, our stateroom (Room 7112) was ready!!That evening my husband and I had reservations for Palo, while our son played the night away in the Oceaneer Club. Palo was one of the best meals we have ever had on vacation. The atmosphere was romantic and the food excellent. I highly recommend the chocolate soufflé for dessert!Day 2- At SeaDuring our day at sea, my husband and I indulged with a couples massage, while our son went to join in on the flubber activity at the Oceaneer Lab. We had a relaxing time and he got to work off some energy; it was a win-win!That evening was the Captain’s Gala, which is a formal dress night, where you can meet and get to know the Captain and his crew. We had a great time taking pictures with the Captain and all of the characters who dressed up for the occasion. Cocktails were complimentary, delicious and abundant. For the little ones, there were plenty of Shirley Temples to go around. After a delicious lobster dinner, we made sure to make it to the stunning performance of the Golden Mickeys in the Walt Disney Theater.Day 3 – St. George’s, GrenadaFor our day in Grenada, we had a pre-planned Port Adventure booked for the Tropical Beach Tour. The tour included not only a few hours at the beautiful beach where waves abounded, but also a tour of Fort George, where we were able to take some fantastic pictures of the Caribbean Sea.When we got back from our relaxing time at the beach, my husband and I made our way to a beer tasting class, while our son had fun cooking in the Oceaneer Lab. My husband had a blast trying to guess which beer was which, and learning the history behind different types of beers. That night was the magic show starring Michael Harrison. He was hilarious!Day 4 – Bridgetown, BarbadosIn Barbados, we couldn’t pass up the chance to snorkel in the crystal clear waters, so we chose the Tiami Sail and Snorkel Port Adventure. This adventure started with an exhilarating trip on a catamaran to a cove where sea turtles are known to frequent. We donned our snorkeling gear and sure enough, within a few minutes we were surrounded by sea turtles.When we got back to the ship, we decided to go take a quick swim, and grab some ice cream. They always have delicious and unique flavors available, and that day it was blueberry. It was very refreshing and yummy!Day 5 – Fort-de-France, MartiniqueMartinique was the only location we had not pre-scheduled a Port Adventure. Knowing this, we decided to get breakfast at Triton’s, since this would be our only chance to enjoy this full service restaurant for breakfast. I chose the stuffed French toast with pineapple. It was phenomenal!After breakfast, we took off to explore Martinique. After a quick walk over to the nearby fort, we decided to hire a taxi driver to drive us around the island, and to take us to a few of Martinique’s famous sites, such as Sacré Coeur de Balata, Depaz rum distillery, the rainforest (where we were able to sample raw sugar cane) and Mount Pelée. We had such an adventurous day and learned so much about the island.When we got back on the ship, it was time to get ready for pirate night! We met so many of our favorite characters all dressed for a swash-buckling evening, including Captain Jack Sparrow. There were so many pirate themed activities and games set up for the evening, we had a hard time deciding what all to do! We ended up playing “A Pirate’s Life for Me”, and having a blast. Of course, no pirate night is complete without the Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party, complete with fireworks at sea!Day 6 – St. John’s, AntiguaMy husband and son had been looking so forward to our day in Antigua, that I think they were out of bed and ready before we even docked! They were excited because we had set up a Port Adventure to go zip-lining through the rainforest.Needless to say this ended up being a true adventure of a lifetime! The views were beyond beautiful and the entire experience was larger than life.By the time we got back to the boat that afternoon, my son thought there was no possible way to make the day better. That night the show in the Walt Disney Theater was Buckets N Boards. If you’ve never seen these guys perform, you’re missing out! They are hilarious, and a very talented duo made up of a drummer and a tap dancer. We were enjoying the routine so much that when they came out to the audience to ask a child to drum with them, my son was already jumping up and down. My son has played the drums since he was five years old, and was itching to get up on that stage and play. When they came over and chose my son, I thought he was going to fall over! He had so much fun up on that stage drumming with a professional, that I think he will remember it forever. When we were heading back to the room, it made my heart happy to hear him say, “Mom, this is by far the best day of my life!”Day 7 – Basseterre, St. Kitt’sOur day in St. Kitt’s brought me the ability to cross off one of my bucket list items, hiking through a tropical rainforest.Our tour started out at Romney Manor, which started its life back in 1626 as a distillery. It now houses Batik art and beautiful gardens. From here, we hiked into the rainforest itself, where we saw hanging vines (think Tarzan), raw almonds (they were tasty), huge Cyprus trees, Banyan trees  and monkeys. The whole experience was fascinating, and I hope that everyone gets to encounter hiking through a rainforest in their lifetime.Back on the ship, my husband and I enjoyed a mixology class, while our son went to hang out at the Oceaneer Club to say good bye to all of his new friends. We then made sure to make it to Disney Dreams, an Enchanted Classic before dinner. We ended our night by attending the ‘Till We Meet Again Farewell Show, to see all of our favorite characters and performers one last time, before debarking the ship the following morning in Puerto Rico.So was this the trip of a lifetime? Absolutely! Besides getting to do things that we would never be able to do anywhere else, we also got to enjoy each other in a way we are never able to unless we are on a Disney vacation!There are many more pictures of our wonderful cruise on my FaceBook page, Wishes Family Travel – Tiffini Hensley. I would love to help you plan your next vacation! Contact Tiffini@wishesfamilytravel.com for more information about any of the vacation options Disney has to offer.