Ready, Set, Disney Cruise #4 - Fantasy Western Caribbean: Travel Day + Embarkation Day

For our 2018 family vacation, we chose to go on our 4th (3rd for C) Disney Cruise on the Fantasy (one of its larger ships) to the Western Caribbean. It's important to know that our first three cruises were on the Magic or Wonder, which are both smaller ships.

School let out on May 24th and embarkation day was May 26 (S's actual birthday) so we flew down to Orlando on the afternoon of May 25th. We stayed at the Hyatt right in the airport and enjoyed a dinner at their hotel restaurant before swimming and bed time.


Embarkation day is always exciting (and especially exciting this year for S's birthday!) but we were able to have a pretty relaxed morning - J got a workout in while the girls and I walked to Starbucks in the airport for some breakfast to bring to the room. Disney came by and picked up our bags around 8:45 from the room and we headed down to the Disney transportation by around 9:30am. We were assigned to the Pluto bus and were off and away fairly quickly.



After an uneventful 45 minute ride to the Port, we easily navigated security and check in - we were given Boarding Group 2 and waited less than 10 minutes before we boarded the ship. We headed straight to Enchanted Garden for the sit down lunch and then walked the ship a bit before heading to our room and setting out to swim. The Fantasy pool areas seemed much larger to me with some cool things for C to do.




Next up....the mandatory safety drill....where S made friends with some people around us and then we went out and about before dinner. We had quick visits with Pluto and Minnie.







Our first dinner was at Animator's Palate- S asked if I could make her birthday dinner be here so I called Disney and requested this dining rotation and they delivered. Our server was Saul and assistant was Esmerelda - they were great and the girls both adored Esmerelda by the end of the week.



S wanted to head to the club for some fun after dinner so we dropped her off while C chose to stay with us. C and I headed to the welcome show, but she fell asleep so I stayed just a bit longer and then left with her. Funny story.....J came in and sat just a row ahead of me but I was so into the show I totally didnt see him.  I went and picked up S from the kids club and then off to bed to rest before our first full day.