You might recall the charming Hall family who were the winners of our Unfrozen Winner contest earlier this year. They won by submitting this precious snowman photo:
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning sent the winners on a Disney Cruise and provided airfare for four. Mom and Dad (Rebecca and Bradley) took their two oldest children, Korbin and Brooke, on their Disney Cruise earlier this 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 tell you all the fun we had and how seriously unbelievable the whole experience was,” wrote Rebecca. “It was a vacation we could have never taken on our own. Disney does cruising right!”
The Hall family was kind enough to show us their itinerary and some pictures from their incredible trip. If you’re thinking about going on a Disney Cruise, or just curious what it’s all about, check out the highlights from the Hall’s trip.
Monday
We were on the water for two days (Saturday and Sunday) and then ported in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. We reserved a Catamaran and went out with a few other families for several hours. It was my children’s first time snorkeling and they loved it. We got to see turtles and stingrays – it was probably the most fun experience of the whole trip!
Tuesday
We sailed from Tortola to St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands, where we got to do more snorkeling, swam, and laid out on the beach. The water was really that turquoise blue that they show on TV – truly perfect.
Thursday
We sailed all day Wednesday and then docked at Castaway Cay, Disney’s Private Island. The water was very blue and had amazing visibility below, so of course - more snorkeling! They placed a bunch of Mickey Mouses you could look for underwater, which made up for not having as many fish. They also include an 18+ beach which we enjoyed while our children played with other kids. They had people everywhere to watch 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 boat – it was all so fun and unforgettable! The cruise has a “Midship Detective Agency” where you pick the mystery you want to solve and Disney gives you a card so you can keep track of all your clues. When you hold the card up to a painting, it comes to life – it talks to you, tells you about the mystery you are trying to solve, and gives you hints and directions. One mystery went on for two hours because we were running all over the boat.
They are always playing first-run movies out around the pool so we got to watch Big Friendly Giant, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Jungle Book, and Finding Dory. We also got to ride the Aqua Duct, which is a big slide that zooms you up and down and swings you out over the boat!
All of us went Goofy Golfing and the cruise also has games like basketball, fooseball, and a Tween Club called Edge with events like scavenger hunts, get to you know you games, and more.
It’s so easy to find characters on the boat – you only have to wait a few minutes versus a half-hour or more at Disneyland. We got to see about two per day, and one day we hit five in a row! They also have different versions of the characters, including Captain Mickey, Traditional Mickey, etc.
The actual room was awesome! Ours came with an ocean view room with a large porthole and window seat. Our room was a really good size and all four of us were comfy and never felt smushed.
Dining
You alternate three restaurants. Enchanted Garden has cool flower lights on the ceiling that open and close and the colors on the ceiling change while you eat and Royal Court was really elegant and made me think of Cinderella. The menu is very gourmet and they have an awesome selection. My son tried everything, even escargot at the Royal Court. (He told us it tasted like dirt!)
Animators Palette is animation-themed and they put markers on your table so you can draw a figure. They give you instructions on how to draw a figure, then they pick up the drawings and at the end of your dinner, they animate your drawings on the wall. 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 so excited – the rest of us weren’t quite as proud
“We cannot thank Service Experts enough for this incredible trip,” Rebecca wrote after they returned from their cruise. “I get emotional when I think about it all. Submitting our picture to a contest I never thought would go anywhere, finding out we were a finalist, the anxious voting phase, the big announcement, planning and choosing which cruise, the excitement of going and finally experiencing an unbelievable trip. It was such a wonderful time living it all. We are so grateful!”
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