No Disney Caribbean cruise is complete without a visit to Disney’s private island – Castaway Cay.  Disney has a 99 year lease from The Bahamas to improve and use this island as a destination for the cruise line. 

Please note although the island has no permanent residents (there is a small cadre of people who remain on the island for several months at a time to maintain the island), it is part of the Bahamas and therefore you are visiting another country.  Identification is required, but your Key to the Wortis all you need.  Also realize that there is a country imposed tax on the island, so things are a bit more expensive on Castaway Cay then on the ship.

I love this port of call.  It is by far the most relaxing stop.  There are no natives trying to braid your hair or sell you illicit drugs.  Just a piece of paradise exclusively for cruisers to enjoy.

Castaway Cay has 3 beach areas:  one for families, one for teens, and one for adults.  Ever since the kids came along we’ve just stayed in the family beach, but there was a time when we used to enjoy the adult beach.  The beaches offer serenity with their yellow sand and turquoise water.

Castaway cay has a floating platform with 2 water slides.  One has an open top giving the rider a fun twist and turn ride to the sea below, while the other is enclosed with a pretty fast pace to the bottom.  It’s best if the participants are good swimmers.  The platform requires a bit of swimming to get to and from the shore.  The lines get pretty long as the day goes by, so you might want to go early to avoid the wait.
    

In the middle of the family beach area is the Heads Up Bar.  It tends to have few patrons because it’s off the beaten path, but it has great views of the lagoon.

  

  
Can you spot the fake palm tree in the picture above?  It’s designed to hide the cell tower that provides service to the wave phones (the ships phone service) which extends to the island when the ship is in port.  Also, all of the bars and services on the island are tied into the ship’s system so that you can charge all your purchases back to the ship.  Castaway cay is truly an extension of the ship. 

 

  
Another platform available for kids to play on when the tide is in.

Our spot on the island is a location with a couple of hammocks in the shade.  When we are allowed off the ship after docking, my job is to race to this location and secure this spot. Castaway Cay could have a few more hammocks for its guests, but so far it hasn’t been a problem for us.

   

A collection of photos for your enjoyment. 

                     

You can send post cards from the island with a special Castaway Cay, The Bahamas Postmark.  Just remember to take cash, the post office is not tied to the ship.  You will most likely be back from your vacation before your mail arrives, but it’s still a cool unique place to receive mail from.

   

Disney definitely knows how to give its guests the “kiss goodbye” and Castaway Cay is definitely the cruise line’s way of saying thank you to their guests.