You might recall the precious Hall family who won our Unfrozen Winner contest earlier this year. Check out their adorable snowman submission!
Air Engineers Service Experts sent the Halls on a Disney Cruise and paid for airfare for four. Mom and Dad (Rebecca and Bradley) took their two oldest children, 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 magnificent the whole experience was,” wrote Rebecca. “It was a getaway we could have never made happen on our own. Disney does cruising right!”
The Hall parents were sweet enough to show us their itinerary and some photos 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 vacation.
Monday
We were on the ship for two days (Saturday and Sunday) and then landed in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. We booked a Catamaran and went out with a few other families for the day. It was my kids’ first time snorkeling and they loved it. We spotted turtles and stingrays – it was probably the most fun experience of the entire trip!
Tuesday
We traveled 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 actually that turquoise blue that you see in movies – truly incredible.
Thursday
We were on the ship all day Wednesday and then ported at Castaway Cay, Disney’s Private Island. The water was very blue and had clear visibility below, so of course that meant more snorkeling! They placed a bunch of Mickey Mouses you could find underwater, which was nice because there weren’t as many fish. They also have an 18 and older beach which we took advantage of while Korbin and Brooke played with other kids. Castaway Cay had employees everywhere to help take care of the kids so we (Bradley and Rebecca) relaxed and had a daiquiri. It was just like a floating Disneyland!
Aboard
We get goosebumps remembering everything on the ship – it was all so fun and extraordinary! They have a “Midship Detective Agency” where you pick the mystery you want to solve and the cruise gives you a card so you can keep track of all your clues. When you put the card up to a painting, the painting comes to life – it speaks to the group, tells you about the mystery you are working to solve, and gives you hints and directions. One mystery lasted two hours because we were chasing clues all over the cruise ship.
They are constantly showing first-run movies out around the pool so we got to watch Alice Through the Looking Glass, Jungle Book, and Big Friendly Giant. We also got to experience the Aqua Duct, which is a huge slide that shoots you up and down and swings you out above the boat!
We went Goofy Golfing and the cruise also has games like basketball, fooseball, and a Tween Club called Edge with events like scavenger hunts and more.
It’s very easy to meet characters on the cruise – you only have to wait three or four minutes versus 30 or 40 at Disneyland. We got to see about two per day, and one day we met five in a row! They also have several versions of the characters, including Captain Mickey, Traditional Mickey, etc.
The room was awesome! We had an ocean view room with a large porthole and window seat. The room was a really good size and all four of us were comfortable and never felt smothered.
Dining
You alternate three restaurants. Enchanted Garden has cool flower lights on the ceiling that open and close and the colors change on the ceiling throughout your meal and Royal Court was very elegant and made me think of Cinderella. The food is very gourmet and they have a great medley. My oldest tried everything, including 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 sketch a figure. They provide a tutorial on how to draw a figure, then they pick up the drawings and at the end of your dinner, they animate your drawings on big screens. It’s completely unexpected! They put them to music and put them in Disney clips. Brooke is our artist so she put a lot of effort into hers and was elated – the rest of us weren’t quite as accomplished
“We cannot thank Service Experts enough for this once in a lifetime experience,” Rebecca said after they returned from their cruise. “I tear up when I think about the experience as a whole. Submitting an entry I never thought would go anywhere, learning we were a finalist, the nail-biting voting phase, the big announcement, planning and choosing which cruise, the anticipation of going and finally experiencing an unbelievable adventure. It was such a fun time living it all. We are forever grateful!”
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