Crossing the Vincent St. Thomas Bridge, on a sweltering day during a heat wave, my daughter Judy, exclaimed from her vantage point behind me, ”Mom, the Disney Cruise ship is underneath us!” I quickly glanced in the direction where the cruise ships berth and sure enough, there was the distinctive Disney logo on the red smoke stacks of Magic, the flag ship of Disney’s cruise line, serving the West Coast this summer with trips to Mexico.

A few weekends later, I was back crossing the bridge but this time as chaffeur to my best friend Andrea and her family.  They were going to sail on that beautiful ship and I was delivering them to it for a wonderful vacation on the Mexican Riviera.

After leaving them at the cruise terminal, I thought it would be fun to get my niece Fiona, for some company and watch their ship set forth. We fittingly ended up at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, to watch Magic, maneuver its way into the channel. I called Andrea, at this point, to let her know we were there to wish her a “Bon Voyage”.

There was a crowd, on the patio of the museum, watching with us and when they realized I was speaking to someone on board, I was bombarded with questions regarding cruising with Disney. Luckily, since Andrea traveled with them last summer to Europe, I was able to impart some of her knowledge.

“Cruising on a Disney ship isn’t just for children, it’s for the whole family,” Andrea said. “Since they have so many acitivities for the children to do, it frees the parents up to enjoy the cruise as well.”

Comparatively to other cruise lines though, sailing with Disney is not cheap.  For a double occupancy, economy class cabin for the 7 day cruise to Mexico, it’s just under $1,500 dollars per adult but a little cheaper for a child’s fare. This is much higher than any other cruise ship for the same voyage. However, Andrea said, “It’s the attention to detail that Disney provides which makes it worth the cost.”  She also pointed out, “You get the same access to everything on board, that you would get, even if you were in a more expensive cabin.”

The ship has the usual amenities for adults such as a spa, gym and plenty of alcohol. However, if a couple wants to spend a romantic evening out, there is a high end restaurant available but better yet a unique babysitting situation which is not available with any other cruise line. Instead of having to endure the usual tears a child has when the sitter shows up, these lucky kids are enthusiastic about getting to have a “pajama party sleep-over” with a slew of Disney characters. What could be better than that?

Not only do the children love the ship but even teenagers become devoted fans. Andrea’s teenage son Kalani, who doesn’t care for Disneyland, has become a devoted sailor with Disney’s cruise line. With their well chaperoned “teen club”, Disney provides a safe haven for them to socialize without the prying eyes of their parents. “We hardly saw Kalani, when we were sailing!” exclaimed Andrea.

One of the patrons at the museum commented to me, “it seems the ship is a Disneyland at sea.” But Andrea said, “It’s so much better.’ ‘There are no lines and everyone is relaxed.’ ‘They’re in the cruisin’ mood.”

Along with the typical shopping in port, there are some unique activities for the family to enjoy such as swimming with dolphins, surfing and zip-lining over the jungle. So, if you have a family and you want to take them on a fun filled vacation, consider cruising with Disney!

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