The Disney Magic has been plying the world’s waterways since 1998. By today’s standards, the Disney Cruise Line’s first-ever ocean liner is getting up in years.
Yes, today’s newer ships – including DCL’s recently christened Disney Wish – have more to offer the adventurous guest, everything from rock climbing to zip-lining to Aqua-Ducking.
But what the Disney Magic exudes is a refined, stately elegance. Even when it sailed off on its maiden voyage 24 years ago, there was a classic, 1930s charm to the ship. And like fine wine, that charm has only gotten better with age.
We’ve had a long and enjoyable history aboard the Disney Magic. Trips to the Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, Fla., and a cruise to Eastern Canada starting from New York City. And we’ve experienced memorable voyages on the Mediterranean in 2010, as well our first trans-Atlantic sailing in 2015 [both of which started off from Barcelona, Spain].
Our most recent sailing on the Disney Magic lasted from Sept. 18-30. It was filled with – as Disney is fond of saying – memories that will last a lifetime. We were joined by a small army of friends [a total of seven couples] to make the journey that much more enjoyable.
We flew from Newark Liberty International Airport to London, England, on Sept. 12 … and smack into the middle of the somber ceremonies surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s 10-day state funeral proceedings.
Pre-planned trips to Westminster and Buckingham palaces had to be called off. Indeed, the ever-present site of the seemingly endless queue of mourners, mostly along the Thames River, will be forever etched in our memories.
Still, we managed to take in some of London’s lesser known, but no less intriguing sites, thanks to our friend and native Londoner Julian Robinson.
Our last day in London saw us touring the legendary heart of the city, motoring on a double-decker bus through Pickadilly Circus, dodging large crowds on our way to Trafalgar Square, walking along the Union Jack-lined Mall, then over Waterloo Bridge to witness a picturesque Waterloo sunset, dinner at a riverside pizza place, and finally a trip into the Waterloo Underground tube station.
On the morning of our Sept. 18 departure , the boarding process – usually smooth and efficient at Disney Cruise Line’s home port in Florida – was somewhat disjointed. Indeed, the staff on hand at the port – while all dressed in DCL blazers and wearing Disney-like name badges – weren’t Disney cast members, but Dover port employees.
But the frustrating boarding process was all but forgotten when we walked onto the ship, had our names announced while entering the atrium, and headed to Fathoms, one of the adult lounges, to hook up to the ship’s WiFi system. We were ably assisted by Ally, who it turns out was one of the ship’s talented entertainment staff members and one of the featured performers during the signature “Disney Dreams” production.
We also got to meet the crew members who helped elevate our experience from special to downright magical: Room attendant Putu, dining room server Mark, beverage attendant Rodrigo and dining room supervisor Ralph.
Disney Cruise Line has always had a very favorable reputation when it comes to its Port Adventures … excursions taken by guests when DCL’s ships make port calls. And this cruise was no exception.
After a night sailing on the English Channel, our first stop was Le Havre, France, the starting point for an extraordinary 11-hour day bus tour to the hallowed grounds of Normandy, site of the pivotal World War II D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944.
We first toured the beach and museum at Arromanches, where we learned of the monumental engineering task of building floating roadways, which allowed Allied troops to offload supplies and equipment from scores of ships anchored at sea.
After a short bus ride, we walked the grounds of the Utah landing site, with steep cliffs; massive, still-intact bomb craters; and several concrete German gun turrets, pock-marked with bullet holes and rimmed with barbed wire.
Walking through the cramped turrets gave everyone a true sense of the horrific battle that took place on the now-placid cliffs.
Our final stop was the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, a stunning and solemn tribute to fallen U.S. soldiers laid to rest there.
The following day saw us dock at Weymouth, England, which was a last-minute itinerary change to take on additional fuel. But it did give us the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing day strolling through the quaint seaside village and visit a D-Day Museum dedicated to the American soldiers who used Weymouth as a launching point for the invasion.
After our Vigo port call, the Magic sailed away from Europe bound for five days at sea. During the first day, as we approached the Azores island chain, the captain made two important announcements:
The first was to alert us about a course correction: We’d be sailing farther south to steer clear of a meandering tropical storm. The second was to advise us that a passenger needed to be taken from the ship to receive emergency medical attention at a hospital in the Azores. A helicopter hovered over the ship at around 4 a.m. to airlift the ailing passenger.
Once past the Azores, we headed into open waters, bound for Bermuda. During those relaxing days, we attended entertaining presentations by retired Disney cast member Bruce Kimbrell, who regaled a packed audience in the Buena Vista Theater each day with tales of Disney history, and in particular, stories about Walt Disney himself, as well as many of the talented and Legendary cast members who helped bring Walt’s visions to life [more on Kimbrell’s talks in a future blog].
To pass the time during the five sea days, we took advantage of the Magic’s ample exercise facilities in the spa; watched a boatload of Disney movies in the Buena Vista Theater; relaxed by the pool; participated in the wide variety of entertainment options available throughout the cruise in the ship’s adult lounges, and enjoyed a tasty brunch at Palo, the Magic’s upscale restaurant.
Speaking of dining, we were impressed by the quality and variety of food offered each night in the ship’s three main dining rooms.
The room is decorated in a Tangled theme, with glowing wish lanterns on the ceiling and drawings on the walls. There’s also a small stage to one side of the room, where the King and Queen of Corona invite everyone to take part in a festive [and sometimes boisterous] celebration of Rapunzel’s birthday and the anniversary of her return to the kingdom.
After dinner each night, we always made it a point to make our way to the Walt Disney Theater. There were three Broadway-quality shows during the cruise, as well as a variety of magicians, comedians and singers to keep us entertained.
Most of the members of our group opted not to get off the ship when it docked in Bermuda on Sept. 28, despite the fact that each passenger was required by the Bermuda government to pay a $40 fee regardless of whether you disembarked or not.
Passengers were required by Bermuda to take a Covid-19 test two days prior to the port call. Judging by the sudden uptick in food trays placed outside cabins, we’re guessing a few folks failed the test and needed to quarantine for the rest of the trip.
We docked on Sept. 30 at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on a cool, crisp fall morning … but one that was filled with warm memories of a MAGIC-al trip to England, France, Spain and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Chuck Schmidt is an award-winning journalist who has covered all things Disney since 1984 in both print and on-line. He has authored or co-authored seven books on Disney, including his latest, The Beat Goes On, for Theme Park Press. He also has written a regular blog for AllEars.Net, called Still Goofy About Disney, since 2015.
Great Write up Chuck. It like I was there!!!