Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

While the Oslofjord isn't as impressive as other fjords once you get into western Norway, it is still pretty scenic.  The best way to see it is on the water.  We recommend taking a 2 hour cruise, which will allow you to relax while viewing the fjord.  Even though blankets are provided, be sure to dress warm as it can get chilly out on the fjord.  Our boat was pretty empty for our cruise, so there is no need to book ahead.  You also can get a 15% discount with the Oslo Pass, so be sure to take advantage of that.

Disney Cruise Line: Parasailing on Castaway Cay

Parasailing on Castaway Cay is an amazing experience.  For those who have never been parasailing before, let me assure you that it is quite a calm experience and there really is nothing to be scared of.  You'll take a ride out a bit from the island and then take turns, either solo or in tandem, going up in the air.  

Your guide will safely strap you in to the parasail and gently send you into the air.  Once up high, you'll get an amazing view of the island, the ocean and of course your Disney cruise ship.  It feels wonderful being up in the sky like that and it will create a memory you'll never forget.  After about 7 minutes, you'll be slowly brought back onto the boat, and at no time will you land in the water (unless you specially request it).

We'd definitely recommend anyone going on a Disney Cruise in the Caribbean to take advantage of this experience and we promise you won't be sorry.

Disney Cruise Line: Restaurants on the Disney Magic

On the Disney Magic, as with the other Disney Cruise Line ships, there are three restaurants that families enjoy through the Disney rotational dining. There is also Palo on the Disney Magic (and the other Disney ships), which is the adult-only restaurant, and does cost a little extra and definitely requires a reservation.

On the Disney Magic, the three rotation dining rooms are Animator's Palate, Lumiere's and Parrot Cay, all of which are themed in only a way Disney can.

Lumiere's has a much more subdued decor than the other two restaurants, but some of my favorite foods. If you look into the chandeliers, you can see a rose with a few petals that have fallen off, like the one in Beast's castle from Beauty and the Beast. Lumiere's is also open for breakfast or brunch every morning, if you have time for a full service, sit down breakfast. (Definitely have the Eggs Benedict - delicious!)


Parrot Cay has a rainforest theme - dark woods surround the restaurant, parrots look down from the ceiling and flora and greens surround you while you dine. We had the pleasure of eating here during Pirate's Night - the perfect setting for this swashbuckling evening!


Animator's Palate is probably everyone's favorite restaurant. The entire restaurant is black and white when you first enter. The walls are covered in drawings of some of your favorite Disney characters in small pictures and larger frames. As your dinner progresses, characters in the frames gain color slowly and by the end of dinner, the entire room is filled with color, with the help of a special guest. Definitely bring a video camera for your first night here, its quite a show!

Palo, the adult only restaurant on Disney Magic, is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your significant other or the adults in your party. Make reservations in advance online or you can make reservations when you first board the ship. Try the osso buco - it was melt in your mouth delicious. Also, when your waiter asks if you want the chocolate souffle, say yes. There is no other place on the ship where you can get this dessert, and it is warm, yummy, and delicious. You need to order it with your entree because it takes a while to cook, but do it, you'll be glad you did.

Disney Cruise Line: Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Magic

A fantastic getaway, even for couples sans kiddos, is the Disney Cruise Line 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. With three days at sea during your cruise and three ports of call, it's a great balance of time on board to enjoy all the ship itself has to offer as well as enjoying the best of the Caribbean.

We opted for a higher end room, on the Disney Magic stateroom level 5C - a standard size room on deck 5 with a veranda. The room was tight compared to a hotel room, but we didn't spend a ton of time in the room anyway. The veranda was our favorite area of the room. Of the time we spent in the room, more than half of the time was spent out there. We had room service deliver breakfast one morning and the attendant placed the tray right out on the veranda for us.

The other beauty of this room was the split bathrooms. I could be showering and getting ready for the day while in the other bathroom, you could use the toilet, brush your teeth, do your hair, etc. while the two bathrooms were small, having the two rooms and a sink in each room made getting ready in the morning a breeze!

On 7-night cruises, there is a formal night. On the Disney Cruise Line website it says the attire for the night, "formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress." However, the degrees of formal for the evening is as varied as the people on the cruise. We did a formal cocktail dress and shirt and tie (above). Others did full suits, some women packed ball gowns and went to the on board salon to get their hair done. There is also a semi formal night where we did a similar style and some people wore less formal attire than that.

I also want to give some space to the onboard Vista Spa. The spa area is another adults only area on the ship and on the Magic the doors near the spa lead outdoors to the Quiet Cove pool, the adults only pool. We thoroughly enjoyed the Rainforest Room, which we purchased entrance to on the days we were at sea. Sauna rooms ranging from hot to cool as well as very unique lounge chairs that heat up. This room is incredibly relaxing (so much so that people would fall asleep in those lounge chairs!). This is definitely a must-do for adults who want to relax but don't really want to spend the big bucks on massages and facials on board.

Steamboat Natchez

The Steamboat Natchez is the only true steamboat left in New Orleans for passengers to take a cruise on.  The cruise leaves from the Riverfront area of New Orleans for an approximately 1-mile trip north of the port. They run multiple cruises throughout the day, but we decided to take the night time dinner cruise.  During this cruise, you have two options for the time to eat dinner.  You can eat at either 6 PM while the ship is still docked, or at 7:15 PM while the ship is at sail.  We opted for the early dinner to allow us to enjoy the actual cruise more.  The dinner food was decent, but nothing special.

During the cruise, you get a nice view of the New Orleans skyline from the Mississippi River.  In addition, you get to enjoy the music of Dukes of Dixieland, who were phenomenal.  This is a great way to experience New Orleans' Jazz and River history all in one.