I Finally Went on My First Disney Cruise! Here’s What I Thought

Posted:  Cruises Disney Cruise Line Trip Reports

So, I finally went on my first-ever cruise! 

David’s Vacation Club Rentals team member Elyse poses with a big smile and a soft-serve ice cream cone onboard her first Disney Cruise.

I was fortunate enough to set sail on the Disney Destiny with a great group of colleagues! Going in, I was over-the-moon excited, but of course, a bit nervous (for potential sea sickness, especially!)

The words “Let’s Set Sail” are displayed on the Disney Destiny’s funnel screen during the Sail Away Deck Party under a sunny sky as guests gather below.

 I am proud to say that I now completely understand the hype of cruising and have already started saving for my next adventure. And, I thankfully had no sea sickness! I had the absolute best time, and now that I’ve taken some time to sit and reflect, here are my honest opinions!

The white and blue exterior of the Disney Destiny is seen docked under a hazy sky.

Firstly, walking onto the ship for the first time was so magical, I can’t even explain it. I loved walking into the Grand Hall and being transported into the world of Wakanda. As a big Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, I just couldn’t believe all the little details that can be found in the carpet, the balconies, and the gorgeous chandelier right in the middle of the hall. Did you know Imagineers designed this chandelier to look like a Vibranium-bearing meteorite, the very same one that created and powers the world of Wakanda and Black Panther?

The Grand Hall on the Disney Destiny is seen from an upper deck. The space is lit up with purple and gold effects.

The Black Panther-inspired details in the Grand Hall décor and carpeting as well as it’s statue as the ship’s icon are seen on the Disney Destiny.

Now, on the topic of the MCU, I have to talk about the first flop of the cruise. Thankfully, it was one of the only things I was disappointed by, but Worlds of Marvel was probably my least-favorite meal from our rotational dining experience. We dined at Worlds of Marvel on our very last day of the cruise, and I thought, “Amazing, saving the best for last for this Marvel fan!” But I have to say, this was a bit of a disappointing experience overall. Firstly, compared to the previous night when we dined in 1923 (seriously, that might have been the best Disney food I’ve ever had), the food wasn’t my favorite. 

The entry to the Worlds of Marvel dining room on the Disney Destiny is seen. On the left wall the name of the restaurant is displayed in red and gray across a large silver globe design, and the “A” design of the Avengers logo is displayed on the steel entry door.

My appetizer was the Steamed Bao Bun with Seared Orange Pork Belly, which was just fine – nothing special or memorable. My entree was also a bit disappointing – I wasn’t really too keen on even finishing it. I got the Golden Mystic Pasta with Caramelized Scallops, Angel Hair Pasta, Chardonnay Lemon Saffron Cream, Roasted Vine Tomatoes, and Malabar Spinach. It was the angel hair pasta that ruined the dish for me, and the lemon saffron cream wasn’t very flavorful. The scallops with the tomatoes and spinach were delicious, but overall, I was not impressed with the dish. 

The Golden Mystic Pasta is served in a white dish in the Worlds of Marvel dining room aboard the Disney Destiny.

I’d also seen that this restaurant on other ships has had Marvel characters present at dinner. Because Spiderman is featured on the Disney Destiny, I was so excited to potentially get a glimpse of our friendly neighbourhood hero. Unfortunately, there was no hero in sight, and no characters visited the dining room during our meal. Don’t get me wrong, it was great to see the video clips of Groot and Rocket, and the music here was a total vibe. Still, overall, I was left wanting more as a foodie and a Marvel fan!

The place settings of the tables and décor in the Worlds of Marvel restaurant are seen as the dining room is lit with purple, blue, and orange lighting.

Now, back to the positives! Another amazing highlight of this cruise was finally visiting Disney Castaway Cay for the first time. This island was truly paradise, and I am so glad I got to explore, soak in all the vibes, and even take a moment for myself to relax and enjoy the sun and sandy beaches. As my lovely teammates told me, we were absolutely spoiled by a lighter crowd on our sailing, and the island was not very busy at all. The bright, blue waters were the perfect temperature, and renting bikes (at an additional fee) to explore the island was also a great experience. 

Empty white lounge chairs line the beach at Disney Castaway Cay under a blue sky.

Yellow and teal bicycles are seen parked in the sand ready for rental at Disney Castaway Cay.

The Disney Destiny cruise ship is seen from across the beach under a blue sky as it’s docked at Disney Castaway Cay.

Another highlight I could go on and on about is the shows onboard! The Destiny features 3 different shows, and the obvious stand-out for me is Hercules. Now, this is one of my top favorite Disney movies, so this was the show I was the most excited to see, and it absolutely did not disappoint. Firstly, the cast was so incredibly talented, and everyone was so perfectly cast. Hades, especially, was out of this world. Secondly, the costumes and set design were outstanding.

“Disney Hercules” is seen displayed in white and gold writing in the middle of a pink and blue circle above a display of a golden coin on stage ahead of the stage production on the Disney Destiny.

The other two shows (Frozen, A Musical Spectacular, and Disney Seas the Adventure) were also a lot of fun and so well done. If you’re setting sail on one of the Disney cruise ships, I would highly recommend making the time to see these amazing productions.

The title “Frozen” is displayed on screen along with a drawing of a white castle as the stage is set for the live production onboard the Disney Destiny.

Finally, the last thing I want to talk about that made this trip even more special were the Cast Members and character experiences! Our dining room server team, Jeff and Meleissa, were the absolute BEST company for our cruise! They really went out of their way to make our sailing that much more special. They quickly became like friends to us, and you may even see them in a future DVCR TikTok as a little treat! 

David’s Vacation Club Rentals team members pose with smiles with two dining team Cast Members in the Worlds of Marvel restaurant aboard the Disney Destiny.

David’s Vacation Club Rentals team member Elyse interacts with Marvel character Loki as he walks around the Disney Destiny cruise ship.

To top it all off, the character interactions onboard were truly out of this world. I was able to meet both Loki (whom I swooned over, I won’t lie) and Black Panther, with both experiences being so incredibly special. We also saw Cruella, Dr. Facilier, Belle, and Maleficent! It seemed like everywhere we looked there was some special character roaming about. Plus, I have to give an extra special shout-out to Zayah and Gamble, the official storytellers of the Disney Destiny. They were such a fun duo, and it was always so exciting when they showed up to any activities or events onboard. 

The Disney Destiny’s storyteller character duo Zayah and Gamble pose in their pirate night outfits in the ship’s Grand Hall.

David’s Vacation Club Rentals team members Elyse and Stacy pose with Belle in the ship’s Grand Hall.

I seriously can’t wait to experience another Disney cruise, as it was such a memorable trip. I am so thankful for the opportunity to set sail and can’t wait for the next adventure!

The white and navy-blue exterior of the Disney Destiny cruise ship is seen from the ground up under a sunny blue sky. The ship’s name is written in yellow on the side.

~Elyse

Guests gather in front of the Disney Destiny’s funnel screen and stage under a night sky as the ship’s logo is displayed.

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