You might recall the sweet Hall family who won our Unfrozen Winter contest earlier this year by submitting a picture of their creative snowman. Check it out!
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 kids, Korbin and Brooke, on their Disney Cruise earlier this summer. Korbin and Brooke had never been on a cruise before and Rebecca and Bradley hadn’t been in about 10 years.
“I cannot begin to explain all the fun we had and how seriously amazing the whole experience was,” wrote Rebecca. “It was a getaway we could have never taken on our own. Disney does cruising right!”
The Halls were sweet enough to send over their itinerary and some pictures from their incredible trip. If you’re interested in taking a Disney Cruise, or just curious what it’s all about, read on to see the highlights from the Hall’s experience.
Monday
We sailed for 2 days (Saturday and Sunday) and then docked in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. We scheduled a Catamaran and went out with four different families for several hours. It was my kids’ first time snorkeling and they loved it. We got to see turtles and stingrays – it was quite possibly the best experience of the entire trip!
Tuesday
We went from Tortola to St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands, where we got to do more snorkeling, got to swim, and hung out on the beach. The water was truly that turquoise blue you always see in pictures – truly perfect.
Thursday
We were on the ship all day Wednesday and then ported at Castaway Cay, Disney’s Cruise Line Guest-Only Island. The water was very blue and had clear visibility below, so of course - more snorkeling! They hid Mickey Mouses you could find underwater, which made up for not having as many fish. They also had an adults-only beach which we lounged around on while the kids played with other kids. Castaway Cay had people everywhere to help take care of the kids so we (Mom and Dad) hung out and had a daiquiri. It’s like a floating Disneyland!
Aboard
We get goosebumps thinking about everything on the boat – it was so much fun and amazing! Disney Cruise Line has a “Midship Detective Agency” where you select the mystery you want to solve and Disney gives you a card so you can keep track of all your clues. When you put the card up to a painting, the painting springs to life – it speaks to the group, tells you about the mystery you are solving, and gives you clues and directions. One mystery went on for two hours because we were chasing clues all over the cruise ship.
They are constantly showing first-run movies out by the pool so we got to enjoy Jungle Book. We also got to experience the Aqua Duct, which is a big slide that takes you up and down and swings you out above the boat!
All of us went Goofy Golfing and Disney Cruises also have games like basketball, fooseball, and a Tween Club called Edge with events like scavenger hunts and more.
It’s very easy to see characters on the ship – you only have to wait a couple minutes versus a half-hour or more at Disneyland. We met about two each day, and one day we got five in a row! They also have multiple versions of the characters, like Captain Mickey, Traditional Mickey, etc.
The room was awesome! We had an ocean view room with a large porthole and window seat. Our stateroom was a really good size and all four of us were cozy and never felt smushed.
Dining
You go between three restaurants. Enchanted Garden has neat flower lights on the ceiling that open and close and the colors change on the ceiling throughout your meal and Royal Court was really elegant and reminded me of Cinderella. The meals are very gourmet and they have an awesome selection. My son tried everything, even escargot at the Royal Court. (He thought it tasted like dirt!)
Animators Palette is animation-themed and they give you markers on your table so you can draw a figure. They give you instructions on how to draw a figure, then they collect the drawings and at the end of your meal, they animate your drawings on the wall. You have no warning! They choreograph them to music and position them in Disney films. Our daughter 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
“Our family cannot thank Service Experts enough for this incredible opportunity,” Rebecca said after they returned from the trip. “I get teary-eyed when I think about the whole experience. Submitting our picture to a contest I never thought would go anywhere, hearing we were a finalist, the stressful voting phase, the big announcement, reading about and selecting which cruise, the elation of going and finally experiencing an incredible trip. It was such an amazing time living it all. We are so grateful!”
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