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March 7, 2020

Are you ready to experience a dream within a dream available from Disney cruises? Welcome to Castaway Cay! Let’s discover it together with Cruising Journal…

Acquired in 1997 with a long term use agreement, today Castaway Cay is a private island located in the Bahamas reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line. All the Disney ships with itineraries cruising in the Bahamas, and most of itineraries that head to the Caribbean, include a day stopover in this small paradise that is great for all ages.

Just like on board their ships, on the island of Castaway Cay there are areas that are better suited to children and others reserved for adults. The island has two beaches dedicated to families, fittingly labeled “Family Beaches”, separated by the lively Heads Up Bar in the area closest to the dock. The Serenity Bay is instead a paradise reserved just for adults, reachable in about 20 minutes on foot or with the practical island Tram.

So let’s go ashore and start exploring!

As soon as you dock, immediately take a good look around. Chip and Dale, Captain Hook or some other Disney character may be in the vicinity and available for a souvenir photo, on this island you won’t easily forget, with the ship in the background. Among the first things you will encounter will be the Post Office, often frequented by Donald and Daisy, which marks the entrance to the pedestrian path. A terrace, right in front, offers another excellent opportunity for a photo in front of the ship!

A little further on you will find the Tram stop which takes you to the Pelican Point Tram Stop. Here you are already in the area which features most of the beaches, while if you intend to keep going on to Serenity Beach you need to wait here to catch another Tram headed there.

If instead you want to go on foot, which we highly recommend for enjoying every minute, you can spend the walk taking photos of this amazing island! You will arrive first to the Boat Beach, with canoes and boats to rent, on the left after the first Caribbean style little cabanas. Here you will find the Monster Point services and She Sells and Everything Else (Disney Shop). For kids and teens, there is Scuttle’s Cove, a kids’ entertainment area, and In-Da-Shade Games, with ping pong, foosball and other games. Those who have pre-booked the experience of swimming with stingrays will find the reserved stretch of beach a few meters ahead, called Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure. Instead, Gil’s Fins and Boats is the place to go if you want to rent snorkeling and kayaking equipment.

And now you are in an area with no shortage of opportunities for entertainment and refreshments, full of bars, beaches and two of the three buffet restaurants available on the island: Pop’s Props and Boat Repair and Dig In (with covered seating), Cookie’s BBQ (with excellent ribs!), Gumbo Limbo and the welcoming Conched Out Bar.

A very small peninsula divides one family beach from another, which has a cool bar with a terrace suspended over the sea (Heads Up Bar). The first beach is dedicated to snorkeling, while the second, with a deeper sea floor, has the Pelican Plunge (a slide into the sea).

Another area that is full of services is located in the immediate vicinity of the Tram stop. Here you will find Flippers and Floats, that rents swim gear, the Hideout (reserved for teenagers), the Bike Rentals Shop, a sports area (Beach Sports), and Spring-a-Leak with water games for kids. Irresistible souvenirs can be found at Buy the Seashore, while handmade Bahamas crafts and goods can be found at Bahamian Retail, where friendly staff will even braid your hair! The final part of the beach is an area reserved for the Cabanas, which are available to rent for the entire day.

Here as well there is no lack of snacks and refreshing drinks. At Summertime Freeze you can find shakes and slushies served in your choice of Disney cup. The Grouper offers places to sit just like the other buffet open for lunch, the Cookie’s Too BBQ. The Sand Bar, right on the beach, is specialized in cocktails, beer and smoothies.

Adults will never want to leave Serenity Bay, a corner of paradise on the other side of the island. It is reached with a two minute Tram ride, or on foot with a walk that is a continuation of the main path followed upon disembarking. Here you can find, like everywhere else, umbrellas and chaise-lounges that are free of charge, and a beach with crystal clear water and soft sand. A series of private Cabanas are available here as well, some that are set up for having massages, there is also a place to rent bikes and swim gear, The Windsock Hut. The Castaway Air Bar, open all day long, offers tables in the shade while the open buffet is open for lunch and offers something more in terms of food with respect to the others.

If you want to rent a bike, or go for a jog, you can reach the Observation Tower, located at the interior of the island, or participate in the 5K,a race that is held every morning for the guests of the island (book ahead of time on board if you want to participate).

Whatever your style of vacation, Castaway Cay represents an unforgettable pause during a Disney cruise: relax the whole day in the sun, treat yourself to some great BBQ, drink a cocktail while gazing at the sea, explore the marvelous depths underwater, swim with a stingray or with sea stars, get your photograph taken with your favorite Disney character… and what else? Nothing else… because a day on Castaway Cay will fly by and all that will be left is the great memories and a desire to return as soon as possible!

Don’t miss out as well on viewing the complete Album Photo, the Video of Castaway Cay and all the Reviews of the Disney Cruise Line fleet on Cruising Journal.

Gabriele Bassi

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