I’d like to explain what my family and I did each day while enjoying our family vacation aboard the Disney Magic;
Day 1; We arrived at the port of Copenhagen, Denmark, around 1:00 pm, although you can board from 11:00 am We gave ourselves 3 hours to board (the ship leaves at 4:00 pm) so we could explore Copenhagen before leaving holidays. This day included us exploring the ship and signing up for kids’ clubs. One of the amazing things about Disney is their kids’ clubs. They have rooms for children of different ages to hang out, participate in activities and make new friends. This gives parents the opportunity to spend some alone time and know that their children are safe and having fun. After exploring the ship, everyone gathered on deck 9 to set sail and have fun during “Mickey’s Boating Party.” During this, everyone greets the passengers staying in Copenhagen and dances along with Mickey and his friends on the stage. With this done, we headed to the 6:30 pm theater show. Depending on the dinner time you request (6:00 PM or 8:30 PM), you will see the theater show at 6:30 PM or 8:30 PM, the opposite time of dinner. I love shows. Disney does an amazing job coming up with themes and special acts to entertain their audience.
Day 2 was a “Day at Sea” meaning we didn’t stop anywhere. We enjoyed our day watching Disney movies at the Buena Vista Theatre, playing games at Vibe (a teen club), eating lunch at Cabanas (the buffet on deck 9), enjoying another theater show, and dining at one of the three rotaries . restaurants for dinner (Lumiere’s, Animators Palate or Cariocas). Depending on your room card, you will rotate between these three different delicious restaurants. This evening included Formal Dinner. This means that we were encouraged to dress up (such as dresses and skirts or men’s suits). The days at sea are, in my opinion, some of the best days on the boat. Disney offers guests a choice of Cabanas (the buffet on Deck 9), Lumiere’s (one of 3 rotating restaurants), or one of the quick-service restaurants on Deck 9. Quick-service restaurants include Daisy’s Delights (a sandwich, salad, fruit and cookie stand), Pete’s Boiler Bites (a hamburger stand, hot dogs, tacos, etc… type of American food) and Pinocchio’s Pizza (a pizza stand where you can prepare the pizza of your choice) . Magia does a fantastic job creating A-grade food all day long and making sure to cook the food in a fast manner, but keeping the amazing flavor. Now, food isn’t the only reason I love days at sea. While the food is a key factor, Disney also provides its guests with a nightly news article, allowing them to see what activities are lined up for them the next day (you also have the option of using their Disney Cruise Line app to see activities and menus for each day.) This activity sheet is always packed with karaoke, newly released movies, training games and more during days at sea. Disney makes sure that their guests always have something fun and new to do on the ship, knowing that some may get bored with not having a place to dock.
On day 3 we stopped in Tallinn, Estonia. We arrived and toured Tallinn Old Town which gave us a real insight into their culture. We also explored the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the Estonian Maritime Museum (a former prison), and Fat Margarets Tower (a large building next to the ship). As most of you know, Northern Europe has a very irregular climate. Knowing this, I packed a variety of different clothes and layers. Tallinn stayed in the 60 degree F area for most of our visit, which was awesome. I wore leggings (lululemon), a tank top (lululemon), a long sweater (Madewell) and sneakers (New Balance). My dad and brother could only wear shorts and a t-shirt so it really depends on your tolerance. for cool weather. I’m a little girl so the wind was a bit chilly for me which explains the long sweater.
On the 4th we stopped in Saint Petersburg, Russia. On that day, we decided to hire a bus driver and a tour guide (Alla Tours). St. Petersburg had several churches (Church on Spilled Blood, for example) and palaces (Catherine Palace), so we needed someone to help us find our way around. I recommend that you find a tour guide that you trust (like Alla Tours), because during our visit to the Catherine Palace (and some other monuments in the city), the line wrapped around the building to get in, but our tour guide found a way to skip the line and sneak in, in just 15 minutes. Like Tallinn, the weather in Saint Petersburg was very strange. The morning was cold and forced me to wear a scarf (Madewell) and a thick jacket (Madewell), but later the temperature rose (maybe 67 degrees F) which allowed me to wear only a light rain jacket (Spice) , because St. Petersburg tended to spray from time to time. There was no theater performance that night due to everyone on board being 11:30 p.m. This means you had the choice of staying in Russia until 11:30 p.m. or arriving early and having dinner, but not showing up.
On the 5th we stopped in Helsinki, Finland. This day was a bit shorter because everyone on board was around 5pm. We decided to ride a carousel to see the city and take a boat ride to explore a small island with history about Finland (Suomenlinna). We didn’t realize how big and historic Suomenlinna was, so we didn’t get to see all of its rich history. . I recommend spending several hours here, if you decide to visit this place in Finland. This evening included the Semi Formal Dinner. This means that we had to dress a little better than usual for our dinner, to take pictures. Disney does not require you to dress up on any cruise night, but on these special nights, it is strongly recommended. I wore a miniskirt (Abercrombie & Fitch), tank top (American Eagle) and sandals (Tory Burch).
On the 6th we stopped in Stockholm, Sweden. This day was even shorter because all on board it was 3:30 pm We decided to visit the Armory and the Royal Palace next door. If you travel with a boy or man, I recommend you visit the Armory. It was great for my brother and father to see all the military armor, weaponry, and royal carriages. We also bought tickets for the Hop on Hop off bus, but it was very busy and overcrowded (because of all the ships docked in Stockholm that day), I would not recommend buying a ticket for this bus in this city. Tonight Disney included “Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Deck Party” which meant we all went up to deck 9 before dinner to watch the Frozen characters dance and sing on stage. Disney also changed their theater show tonight. Unlike your normal Broadway style show, they gave us a comedy show.
Day 7 was our last day, which means it was another “Day at Sea”. This day was much like Day 2, except the cruise included activities like scrap booking all your memories and the jack jack diaper race (a race between babies who can crawl). Usually my family and I prefer to eat lunch at Cabanas (the unlimited buffet is always good), but that day my dad and I decided to try Lumieres for lunch. I had the cuban sandwich and the beef parmigiana with pasta (two entrees were a must on this day) and my dad had the shrimp and pad thai noodles. Both meals were fantastic! Disney once again found a way to blow us away. As the day drew to a close, we enjoyed the final show (Disney Dreams) and dinner at Animators Palate (one of three rotating restaurants). After it was all over, the cruise concluded the day with a “See ya.” Coming Soon” in the Atrium Lobby on Deck 3. This show included a farewell wave to all characters on board and a pin-trading session (all guests on board came together to trade their Disney pins).
Day 8 was our last morning on the ship, which meant you either went to have breakfast where you had dinner the night before or ate at Cabanas (the buffet on deck 9). My family and I ate at Animators Palate once. plus. After eating the final meal on the ship, everyone disembarked and headed to the airport to fly home. Disney allows all of their guests to eat and explore the ship before leaving, which was nice because we didn’t feel pressured to get off the ship and let the new guests start their vacation.