Castaway Cay, Bahamas
Karen Knowlton
Disney’s private
island, is a delight. Its biggest advantage is probably the dock – every
other private island requires tendering, but not this one! Disney touches
are everywhere. In keeping with the “castaway” theme, the buildings on the
island all look rundown and weathered, though they are really in fine
shape. Building materials appear to be corrugated metal (roofs), weathered
wood and plain-jane fixtures, as if they were built of flotsam. There are
shops, 4 sets of restrooms, several bars, and a set of large shelters for
the picnic that is served on the island. Activities aplenty include
parasailing, banana boats, snorkeling, tube & float rentals, bike riding,
paddleboat rentals, etc. The children’s area has planned activities,
including a treasure hunt and an “archeological dig.” Teens have a
separate area of the beach with a game room; Serenity Bay is an
adults-only area quite a distance from the family and teen beaches, but
there is a tram that runs between all the sections of the island. The
white-sand beach is very clean, with lots of shade trees and umbrellas,
plenty of lounge chairs and a few hammocks (get there early if you want
the latter!) The island picnic, brought off the ship, was tasty, if not
gourmet; our favorite part was the fresh papaya and mango! (The lobster
burgers were pretty good too.) Between banana boats, Disney character
greetings, bike rides, and enjoying the beach and the water, our day there
went much too fast.