Monday, January 10, 2011

Castaway Cay

Our favorite stop on our cruises is Castaway Cay! Reserved exclusively for Disney cruise Guests, Castaway Cay is a port-of-call paradise on Disney Cruise Line Bahamian and Caribbean cruise vacations, where you enjoy such tropical leisure as snorkeling, boating, swimming and old-fashioned sunbathing. Disney's private island in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas is 3.1 by 2.2 miles in size and features a post office with its own unique Castaway Cay postmark.

Things to Do and See
Castaway Cay visitors find an island completely outfitted for premium family leisure, evoking a "happily away from it all" mood. In addition to open-air BBQ dining, a gift shop featuring Castaway Cay gifts and souvenirs, and island music broadcast throughout the island, you enjoy:



  • The Snorkeling Lagoon, the Swimming Lagoon, sports and more at the all-ages Castaway Family Beach

  • Swimming, kayaking, sports and more at the private Teen Beach

  • Open-air massages with an ocean view, a yoga class and a bar at the secluded, adults-only beach, Serenity Bay

  • Biking, nature trails and organized walks and runs

  • Watercraft use such as kayaks and paddleboats in the Boat Harbor

  • Port Adventures for everyone in the family, including stingray interactions, glass-bottom boat tours, parasailing, fishing, jet ski tours and offshore snorkeling

  • Free childcare at Scuttle's Cove, an expansive child's area supervised by Disney counselors

  • Spring –A- Leak Wet Play Area

  • Disney Character Greetings, including a Dance Party with Lilo and Stitch



Past and Present
Formerly known as Gorda Cay, Castaway Cay is located amid the Abaco Islands in the northern Bahamas, an area first occupied in 1783 by European settlers in exile from the American Revolution. More than two centuries later, Disney purchased the island—used as a location in the classic 1984 Disney film Splash—to create a private paradise for Disney Cruise Line Guests. It took builders 18 months to perfect the rustic, "castaway" landscape and motif that lend the pristine scenery additional charm. Of the island's 1,000 acres, only 55 have been developed for Guest use, leaving the remaining land unspoiled and untamed.




Castaway Cay invites cruisers to enjoy balmy tropical weather and world-class recreation on a Bahamian oasis with signature Disney hospitality. You may use your Key to the World cards for retail transactions on the island, and can obtain beach towels after disembarking to Castaway Cay. While still on board, be sure to get the Castaway Cay-vents activities schedule from your stateroom so you know when and where to find all the unique island fun.





Fun Facts & Tips
Disney's Castaway Cay is reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line Guests.
Serenity Bay is reserved for Guests ages 18 and older.




Check out the exclusive beachwear, hats, souvenirs and collectible pins with Disney's Castaway Cay logo—all on sale at She Sells Sea Shells...and Everything Else!




From start to finish, your day at Castaway Cay is full of delightful discoveries. Be sure to bring along the Castaway Cay-vents schedule found in your stateroom. Here are just some of the noteworthy locales and activities:




Scuttle's Cove
The youngest cruisers will enjoy this sandy play spot supervised by Disney counselors from the ship. With organized activities, a playground featuring barrels and other diversions, and Monstro's Point, a giant whale-bone excavation site, kids will be delighted all day long. (A limited number of all-terrain wheelchairs can be obtained here.)


Marge's Barges & Sea Charter Dock
Charter a boat and then get on board for offshore recreation like snorkeling, fishing, parasailing and sightseeing in Castaway Cay's clear blue waters. Vessels include a glass-bottom boat, a fishing boat and a power catamaran.



Grouper Game Pavilion
Play all day in this fun-filled, shaded recreation area featuring complimentary foosball, ping-pong, pool, shuffleboard, basketball, golf wiffleball—even monster chess and checkerboards! Play classic sand sports at Goofy's Sand Lot nearby.



Sports Beach
Meet at the Sports Beach for beloved beach pastimes, including volleyball and tetherball.



Character Greetings
Throughout the day, meet and befriend some favorite Disney Characters at the Post Office, Gazebo, gangway and elsewhere on Castaway Cay. And don't forget: These are perfect moments for photo ops!



Gil's Fins and Boats
Rent snorkel gear for all family members, along with kayaks, paddleboats, aqua trikes and other water equipment for your day as a marine adventurer.


Snorkeling Lagoon
Snorkelers of all skill levels will be enchanted by the undersea realm of marine life off Castaway Family Beach. Novices can follow the Discover Trail, and more experienced snorkelers the Explorer Trail. Keep an eye out for the hidden Mickey.



She Sells Sea Shells...and Everything Else
Be sure to stock up at this gift shop featuring exclusive Disney Castaway Cay T-shirts, polo shirts, hats, pins, key chains, magnets and towels—and have Disney cruise staff deliver your purchases to the ship.




Dining on Castaway Cay offers an array of delectable dishes and is included in the price of your cruise package. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase by our Guests 21 years of age or older.




Cookie's BBQ
This delightful outdoor restaurant dishes up burgers and BBQ chicken and ribs, grilled island style. Situated steps from Castaway Family Beach, Cookie's BBQ and Cookie’s Too are ideal spot to grab a bite and get back to the fun in no time.



Take your delectable meal to any of these shaded outdoor areas:





  • Pop's Props and Boat Repair

  • Dig In

  • Gumbo Limbo

Bars
Find signature frozen drinks, cocktails and cold beer at these watering holes:





  • Conched Out Bar near the Gazebo


  • Castaway Air Bar at Serenity Bay


  • Heads Up Bar near Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure

The island has recently expanded to accommodate the new ships! You can either take the tram or walk to the family beach area with Cookies and She Sells Seashells and it continues on to a second stop where Cookies Too, Bike Riding, Cabanas, and the new slide area are located. If you are going to the Adult beach, you switch trams at this stop. The island is extremely accessible! There are also wagons and sand wheelchairs for you to use for free – first come first serve – to get about the island easily. I will include a map with the new locations and an idea of what activities are available. I also took some photos of the new enhancements!












































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