We’re off to sea Mickey...
JON LIVESEY feels the Disney Magic on a ship of a lifetime
STEPPING aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship, it’s impossible not to feel special. A suited and booted MC, mic in hand, joyously announces our arrival, prompting rapturous applause from crew members before the feel-good music kicks in.
On the staircase in the ship’s lobby, ‘Captain’ Mickey Mouse and his sweetheart Minnie wave and blow kisses as they do a celebratory dance. My four-year-old son, Rafferty, is wide-eyed and open-mouthed – totally awestruck. The look on my face is almost certainly embarrassingly similar.
The most remarkable thing, though, is that this bombastic welcome isn’t reserved for the elite few. Every single passenger is treated to the same grand gesture.
It’s a small taste of what’s to come and the first of many personal touches designed to make every guest, young and old, feel like a star.
We – Rafferty and I – boarded the ship at Southampton for a twonight Staycation Sailing break off the south coast.
The vessel itself is a magnificent beast, stretching 984ft, which is almost as long as three football pitches. Its atrium lobby, which spans three decks, is the central showpiece of an Art Deco labyrinth (picture The Shining’s Overlook Hotel minus any creepiness).
Once I’d managed to drag Rafferty away from his new anthropomorphic mouse chums, we headed off in search of lunch while our room was being prepared.
With a tick list of things to see and do as long as Pinocchio’s nose, there was little chance of getting him to sit down and wait, so we opted for Cabanas, the ship’s always-open buffet.
It had everything from kids’ mac and cheese to steak and salads, so we were both catered for, although one of us was markedly more interested in the view from the outdoor dining area nine decks up – and we hadn’t even left the port.
If, like mine, your children prefer to eat on the go between breakfast and dinner, the ship’s three poolside snack bars – the Duck-In Diner, Pinocchio’s Pizzeria and Daisy’s De-Lites – are good options. Open all day, they serve a variety of fast food. Snacks, as well as all meals, are included in the full-board package. More importantly, though, there’s unlimited – and muchneeded – coffee for grown-ups.
On board there’s pretty much always some form of entertainment happening.
Walking to our cabin after lunch we bumped into Chip ’n’ Dale and popped into a theatre for a meet and greet with Goofy.
There shouldn’t be any danger of hearing those dreaded words “I’m bored”.
Our cabin alone – a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah – could have kept us entertained for an hour at least.
From scanning the ocean for dolphins, and sea monsters, of course, to watching a Disney classic on the TV, it gave us plenty of fun.
Tracking the ship on the TV as it sailed past Dorset towards Cornwall was also great.
And Rafferty was immeasurably impressed with the sofa that transformed into his bed, while I was just as happy with my comfy double. But having already spied the pools, water slides and splash zone, he had only one item on his pre-dinner menu – a dip.
Thankfully, the heated pools were warm enough to make stripping down to shorts outdoors on a cloudy day just about bearable.
And it was worth it to see his mind blown by the reality of watching Ratatouille on an enormous boat’s outdoor cinema screen while swimming.
Incredibly, the day’s best was yet to come. Dinner, served at the perfectly child-friendly time of 5.50pm, was in the Animator’s Palate restaurant. The food was excellent, but the entertainment was on another level.
Moments after taking our seats we were handed pens and told to turn the basic outline of a character into our own unique creation, and sign our work.
The sheets were then taken away and we enjoyed our meal while Mickey and other characters were projected on to the windowless restaurant’s walls.
Shortly, thanks to ridiculously quick and impressive digital wizardry, our creations appeared on the walls, dancing to music, with our names in the credits.
The wide eyes and open mouths swiftly returned. And they weren’t going anywhere during the must-see Frozen-themed Freezing the Night Away live show of singing and dancing out on deck. Exhausted, we skipped the later West Endstyle show and retired at 8.30pm with fake snow on
our heads and Let it Go ringing in our ears.
At breakfast the following morning in the Beauty and the Beast-themed Lumiere’s, our server Rick was already familiar and friendly.
The cruise operates a rotational dining system where guests eat in different restaurants, but always with the same servers.
Not only is it yet another personal touch, but it also creates a reassuring routine for kids amid the frenzy of fun.
Over the next few hours, that fun included meeting SpiderMan, a ‘Sarge Says’ game show with the Toy Story soldiers, more swimming and a laugh-out-loud Tangled show in Rapunzel’s restaurant during dinner.
Full disclosure – I did get a break for an hour or two while Rafferty went to the Oceaneer Club, where he had a great time playing games.
Kids who attend get a special wristband. In a stroke of genius, I convinced Rafferty it was really a telecommunications device and means of speaking to Mickey. He’s yet to take it off.
Yes, it’s full-on. Yes, it’s tiring. But yes, it’s worth every mad dash from deck four to deck nine and every shiver while queuing for the pool just to see the elation on your children’s faces.
We enjoyed ourselves so much that the Covid rules, such as masks indoors and social distancing, were hardly noticeable. If you’re still uneasy about foreign travel but are desperate to give the kids a fun-packed holiday, a Disney Magic cruise is the perfect option.
It’s certainly no Mickey Mouse operation. Actually...
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