What is Castaway Cay Like After Dorian?

[71 Truck]

Has anyone heard what excursions might no longer be available?

My wife and I do not do any of the excursions. This was the first time in the last few years they did not have a announcement board board out filled with cancellations. If I remember correctly the only thin I saw that may have been canceled were the jet skis.
We did see they were doing parasailing.

 

[jtntx34]

I was at Castaway Cay on Dec 11th. I can not compare it to previous years as this was my first visit. Also, I was not out there long. I went to Serenity Bay to see friends for a few minutes. The beach looked about like it did in pictures posted here. Seemed a fairly short distance to the water. They had chairs out. I didn’t notice loungers.

I only saw one cancellation on the activity board. I don’t remember which it was. There were plenty of people out, and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. I heard no complaints, so I am sure whatever differences were there, it did not hinder people’s day of fun.

Personally, I’m not a big beach person. I LOVED the almost empty ship. Got laundry done, took pictures, and just wandered around mostly empty hallways. If I went again, I would not bother to go out at all.

 

[jtntx34]

Ok, I just looked at the pics I took on CC, and there were loungers out at Serenity Bay.

 

[TheMandalorians2ndCousin]

Looking forward to it!

 

[Quellman]

Were there umbrellas? Was it hideously crowded? No loungers really stinks. We are on a double dip (that was super expensive) and at this point we are debating even bothering to get off the ship. I don't need to feel like I'm at a tropical Jersey Shore (where I live).

On my double dip experience, It seems like most people did the island the first day. The second day, they ended up closing one side of each cookies in order to return servers to the ship to help with the load on cabanas.

 

[CastawayCayLover]

Here are photos from SB on 12/11, as well as the cancellations board.

The beach at SB is still really narrow as you first enter but once your past the lifeguard stand it’s much wider.

 

[FigmentSpark]

That's quite a list of cancellations. Was there weather that day or did you get the impression those cancellations are a regular thing?

 

[CastawayCayLover]

That's quite a list of cancellations. Was there weather that day or did you get the impression those cancellations are a regular thing?

It was a little windy, water was a little choppy, but I didn’t think it was so bad that it would force that many cancellations.

 

[Quellman]

That's quite a list of cancellations. Was there weather that day or did you get the impression those cancellations are a regular thing?

That is a weather cancellation board. The only thing that was cancelled on our visit in November was the morning sing ray. I didn't see if they cancelled the afternoon one also.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Oh, good. Then hopefully anything that we're able to sign up for will have a chance of being available, weather permitting.

 

[Starwind]

We just got back from a B2B2B on the Dream. The first two sailings we had great weather and no cancelations. The third there were a number of cancelations due to wind -- the board listed the few things that were still happening, everything else canceled.

As for the beaches, you could definitely tell the difference from our last cruise two years ago. We took a lot of pictures and will post some when I get the chance.

One thing that was notable: on the third cruise, the wait list for a cabana on Castaway Cay came through for us, and we got a family cabana (#15). Some things we noticed:

- in the morning, which was a higher tide, there was quite a drop-off in the water just a short ways in
- the water in the lagoon was largely deep and the lagoon was much larger than it was when we last had a cabana there
- the last two cabanas (grand and the one beside it) did not appear to be in use by guests -- the grand cabana still didn't have new stairs down to the beach and its sunshade was not installed, the two beside it had clearly new stairs down to the beach, but there was quite a drop form the bottom stair to the sand [we estimated at least a foot drop for the one beside the grand cabana].
- the one beside the grand cabana [the one with the foot drop] appeared to be being used by the lifeguards
- they have erected a temporary physical barrier at the end of the in-use cabanas [wee picture below]

- the angle of the slope of the beach is much steeper than we remember it.

BY the end of the afternoon when the tide went out it became clear where all the sand from the beach had gone There was a new huge sand island out in the water and under the lifeguard station !

We also took a walk along Serenity Bay's beach. The changes were noticeable there as well, particularly the depth of the beach being shorter and the much greater slope. For the adult cabanas, they have fashioned a sand "ramp" for the cabana guests to be able to get down to the beach, but along front of the cabanas themseves you can really see how much of a drop there is to beach level. In the water, people were able to walk out in the water quite a distance and still be less than waist deep.

SW

last two cabanas on family beach - not in use, note no sunshade; stairs; etc; also temporary barrier



end of day -- presumably this is where the beach's sand went !!

 

[kathi]

I was on the Fantasy Double Dip over Christmas. The weather was 15-20 mph winds and all boat excursions were cancelled for safety reasons. The Wild Side teen adventure was modified to not have the boat ride and we got a refund of some of the cost of the excursion. The water was cool and it was partly clouds with intermittent rain both days. The good news is that the family beach water was deep enough to swim. We went onto the island after 2 each day, so had no trouble getting a lounger. Serenity Bay was just too narrow and shallow for us to even bother. I hope they do some dredging and beach replenishment soon.

 

[Love Ft Wilderness]

With the Disney Dream getting ready to resume cruises next month, I'm curious to know if they used the shutdown time to replenish Serenity Bay's beach. Anybody going that can report back? Thanks!