Your Favorite Time of Day for Castaway Cay?

[Shanti]

What part of the day do you prefer to spend on Castaway Cay, and why? We're going in 2 weeks and I'm trying to decide how to structure our day.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We didn't rush out of bed or anything, but we were there before lunch and had lunch on the island. DH and DS14 went on an excursion, so they didn't even get to the island. I took DS12 to the stingray exhibit after lunch and then to the beach. He loved the water and I loved napping on the lounger.

 

[MickeyD]

We don't rush out there. We usually have room service deliver breakfast and eat on our veranda, then head on to the island about 10? We stay there until about 2:30 or 3 and then go enjoy a relatively empty ship. I prefer to let the crowds disperse onto the island before I emerge. LOL

 

[phinz]

None. I like the empty boat and find Castaway Cay boring. I might go ashore to shop and grab a bite to eat, but the last two cruises I haven't even bothered with that.

 

[bumbershoot]

I “rush” because I do the ~5k. Then I head back to the ship to clean up and meet the fam. Then we go back to the island and relax.

 

[hcox31]

We all have very fair skin so we tried to avoid the early afternoon sun the first time we went. Got off the ship after breakfast, played with the kids on the beach until lunch, played a bit in the shade after lunch and went back aboard around 1:30

 

[gary in florida]

We like to go early, not as crowded, not as hot, when it does start we go back ,clean up, relax, have room service hit the uncrowded pool

 

[poggs]

hmm.

No option for. "Dont bother going at all as its simply too crowded so spend the day on board?"

Thats when we've done the last couple of times after repeated poor experiences on Castaway Cay due to vast overcrowding.

ie. absolutely no space on the beach. 2 hours waits for the slide. massive lines for the bbq. Long waits for the bus to take you to the beach etc.

Castaway cay is the only part of the cruise that I'm not fussed for.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We love it there. My mind just relaxes. We run, swim, bike, snorkel, read, nap, maybe a cocktail. Or nothing at all... I can't get enough time there.

 

[Shanti]

Thats when we've done the last couple of times after repeated poor experiences on Castaway Cay due to vast overcrowding.

ie. absolutely no space on the beach. 2 hours waits for the slide.

That sounds like a bit of hyperbole. I've been to CC off the Fantasy in perfect weather during holiday season (i.e. lots and lots of families onboard & on the beach), and never had an issue finding a chair on the beach, even arriving midday. There are just so many places to sit. And I've stood in long Pelican Plunge lines, but they move quickly & I've never stood in line there for over 30 minutes. A 2-hour line wouldn't fit on the platform.

 

[gary in florida]

hmm.

No option for. "Dont bother going at all as its simply too crowded so spend the day on board?"

Thats when we've done the last couple of times after repeated poor experiences on Castaway Cay due to vast overcrowding.

ie. absolutely no space on the beach. 2 hours waits for the slide. massive lines for the bbq. Long waits for the bus to take you to the beach etc.

Castaway cay is the only part of the cruise that I'm not fussed for.

We did not experience any of these problems. According to our Cabin Host there were 3300 the cruise. Had no problems with over crowding. Lots of room on the beach, our GD went on the side with no wait. On the bbq we walked right in NO lines no problem finding a table, we walked to the beach and saw trams going by about 75% full, on the way back to the ship, at about 2:30 tram was waiting, only about 50% full, driver & helper assisted us because of scooter. Only real problem was the scooter & sand, no match sand wins

 

[poggs]

everyone's experiences are different. Ours have always been poor.

been on 3 cruises. tried castaway cay each time. each time the same. Have a leisurely breakfast and head off about 10.30am.

Make our way to the bus stop and wait about 20 minutes for the bus to take us to the beach. There are never 4 loungers together for our family. regardless of where we look. So we go for lunch. massive queues and no free tables. wait in the queue for about 30 minutes to get food. Stand around looking for a table. Whenever one appears one of the other 20 or so families standing around beats us to it. give up as the food is now cold so chuck it in the bin. no cast members anywhere.

Back to the beach and look for the other bus, but cant get on it as we have kids and the other beach is only for adults.

kids try and get to the raft for the slide. wait times posted at 2 hours. stuck at 2 hours for the whole time we endured castaway cay. Now gently cooking in the sun. no shade anywhere as all the lounges are occupied and no space in the BBQ tents.

Walked to the 2nd beach nearby. no loungers there either. The other BBQ is also rammed. no tables. big queues. Back to the other beach. Still rammed. again no free tables at BBQ. queue still 25 minutes. Give up and return to the ship about 1pm and go to the pool side eateries. The ship is always lovely and quiet on that day so we just spend it by the pool.

3 times we've tried castaway cay. Experiences have been consistent. Not for us next time. love the ship, cant get on with castaway. way too busy.

 

[Minnie - Not the Mouse]

hmm.

No option for. "Dont bother going at all as its simply too crowded so spend the day on board?"

Thats when we've done the last couple of times after repeated poor experiences on Castaway Cay due to vast overcrowding.

ie. absolutely no space on the beach. 2 hours waits for the slide. massive lines for the bbq. Long waits for the bus to take you to the beach etc.

Castaway cay is the only part of the cruise that I'm not fussed for.

I am slightly worried about this. We have gone on the Magic twice with no issues with crowds but the Fantasy holds so many more people so I wonder how crowded it might me. My travel agent says she can't tell a difference between the smaller and larger ships on Castaway so here's hoping

 

[Shanti]

I am slightly worried about this. We have gone on the Magic twice with no issues with crowds but the Fantasy holds so many more people so I wonder how crowded it might me. My travel agent says she can't tell a difference between the smaller and larger ships on Castaway so here's hoping

We had a fine time there when sailing on the Fantasy. I'm sure you will, too.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thats when we've done the last couple of times after repeated poor experiences on Castaway Cay due to vast overcrowding.

ie. absolutely no space on the beach. 2 hours waits for the slide. massive lines for the bbq. Long waits for the bus to take you to the beach etc.

Weird.

I’ve been there February, October, and January, only on Dream, and I’ve never had those issues.

If you don’t see 4 chairs in a row, drag some over. Or realize that unless all of you are going to use them at once you don’t need 4. We never get more than 2 for the 3 of us bc we are never all using them at once.

Not sure I’ve ever taken the bus from the ship. Back to the ship, sure. But I walk to the beach. And we almost always just go to the second one and ignore the first. I feel like you’ve been doing things in exactly the wrong order. I feel like getting off the ship at 10:30 and trying to be on the first beach you come to isn’t the best strategy; continue on right then and there.

Don’t try to eat at the picnic tables if you know it’s taking ages; head back to the beach area. DH is awesome and tends to go get us all food and bring it to us. Then he gets his own, and by the time he’s back again DS is done and DH can sit to eat.

kids try and get to the raft for the slide.

Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but a raft to the slide? I thought Dh and ds just swam out.



Castaway is where this California girl (but northern, so I’m not used to overly HOT beaches) remembered that’s she does in fact like a beach. I’ve never encountered any of those issues. But then we get off the ship a bit earlier and go straight to the end of the first beach or to the second one.

 

[Shanti]

Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but a raft to the slide? I thought Dh and ds just swam out.

I noticed that comment, too. There is no raft to Pelican Plunge. You have to swim to the platform. There is also no sign listing wait times for the slides.

 

[tlprice]

I am slightly worried about this. We have gone on the Magic twice with no issues with crowds but the Fantasy holds so many more people so I wonder how crowded it might me. My travel agent says she can't tell a difference between the smaller and larger ships on Castaway so here's hoping

We've been there on both the Dream and the Fantasy with full ships. We never had a wait for anything except a small wait for characters closer to the ship for pictures. We never tried to get loungers together, but we like to float around out in the water or pull a chair up to the water so we can stick our feet in and play in the sand. My only complaint is that they close down the soft serve ice cream around 2:00 (I think)--whenever it is, it's too early!

 

[poggs]

I noticed that comment, too. There is no raft to Pelican Plunge. You have to swim to the platform. There is also no sign listing wait times for the slides.

Sorry. What you are calling a platform, I called a raft. the big floating thing that the slide sits on. I was calling a raft.

Each time I was there there was a cast member on the beach preventing people swimming out to the platform as it was too busy. The CM told us to come back in 2 hours as that was how long it was taking to get to slide.

My kids were disappointed, I accept that my strategy was flawed, but the fact remains. Our experience of castaway cay has on 3 separate occasions been very poor. Whereas the rest of the disney cruise experience was truly exceptional.

Either I need to accept that Castaway Cay is not the relaxing gentle go with the flow experience that its portrayed to be, but must be planned like a day at magic kingdom, right down to being at rope drop and reserving excursions and cabanas, or not bother going.

Currently for our next visit in march, were are leaning to having an on ship day and not even bothering to try.

Again I accept we are probably the exception.

Just telling it as we found it!

 

[Shanti]

Sorry. What you are calling a platform, I called a raft. the big floating thing that the slide sits on. I was calling a raft.

Each time I was there there was a cast member on the beach preventing people swimming out to the platform as it was too busy. The CM told us to come back in 2 hours as that was how long it was taking to get to slide.

My kids were disappointed, I accept that my strategy was flawed, but the fact remains. Our experience of castaway cay has on 3 separate occasions been very poor. Whereas the rest of the disney cruise experience was truly exceptional.

Either I need to accept that Castaway Cay is not the relaxing gentle go with the flow experience that its portrayed to be, but must be planned like a day at magic kingdom, right down to being at rope drop and reserving excursions and cabanas, or not bother going.

Currently for our next visit in march, were are leaning to having an on ship day and not even bothering to try.

Again I accept we are probably the exception.

Just telling it as we found it!

Thanks for sharing your experience and I'm sorry it wasn't better for you.

 

[MickeyD]

I am slightly worried about this. We have gone on the Magic twice with no issues with crowds but the Fantasy holds so many more people so I wonder how crowded it might me. My travel agent says she can't tell a difference between the smaller and larger ships on Castaway so here's hoping

We have been there twice with the Fantasy and even though we spend most our time at Serenity Bay, we did not notice a significant difference between then and all our times arriving via the Magic. I think there is enough space on CC for people to spread out and not be so cloistered into one spot like it can sometimes seem when everyone is in the atrium on ship. I find that more crowded...and the pool area, then I have ever found CC, and I have been there 12 times! (we have done two double dips there)