We went to the villas for a chill-out session! I had forgotten how relaxing it was, and was pleasantly surprised on returning. I can’t wait to get back each year because nobody seems to mind how late I get up or if I swim all day! Mum and Dad just read books and sunbathed and Grandpa tried to push us in the pool! My Auntie Dawn celebrated her birthday at the villa, which was convenient for us as we could have used the clean and spacious kitchen to prepare her birthday tea. In the end, however, my mum and auntie couldn’t be bothered (after a “hard day’s sunbathing”!) and we travelled 15 minutes down the road to a restaurant, Boston Lobster Feast. It was really fun and the All-You-Can-Eat Seafood Buffet was the best! We embarrassed Auntie Dawn by making her wear the stupid lobster hat that came with the meal and we can still embarrass her by pulling out the photo from time to time!
But the next week saw us packing up our belongings and driving back to Orlando Airport. This time we were all buzzing with excitement - as second-time sailors we knew what to expect. We were about to have the time of our lives on the Disney Cruise! When I first went on the Cruise, I thought it was going to be boring, and I would spend it feeling seasick in my cabin. How wrong was I? The sea was as flat as glass, and a beautiful tropical turquoise, and if you looked very carefully, you could just see the flying fish or dolphins leaping above the white crested waves, as if to welcome us to their incredible land.
The sun shone every day for us, and it was so hot that I lived at the ice cream bar! They also provided a free fruit bar and had water dispensers situated around the pools, so that lazy ol’ me didn’t need to dry off and go back inside to eat or drink. They had a buffet, themed with a different nationality’s food every day and perfect for a light lunch before going swimming. There were several other places to eat: from burger bar to posh restaurants, so that you had a good choice of where to go.
As for being boring, the Cruise was definitely not! The adults didn’t have much to worry about, because my sister Laura, and cousins Thomas and Mary would usually be found in the pool, and Emily and I would either be in the youth club, Common Grounds or with our friends. That way, the adults could sunbathe by the main pool or enjoy a Jacuzzi in the ‘adults only’ pool, knowing that we were safe and not very far away.
There was so much else to do too! Laura, Thomas and Mary would go to their club in the afternoons and in the evenings they would play a game of shuffleboard and then go back to their cabins, shattered after another day of fun. Every evening, there was a different show in the Walt Disney theatre - brilliant! After the evening meal though, my cousin Emily and I would usually meet our friends and go late-night swimming or go and watch a film at the cinema.
As if we didn’t have enough to do, there were also shore excursions! We went on four in total. My favourite expedition was the snorkelling and sailing trip to Buck Island, where I could see beautiful tropical fish swimming around a shipwreck. Apparently, there was a barracuda where my parents were, but I didn't get back from the shipwreck in time to see it. We went to St. Martin, St. Thomas, Cozumel and Castaway Cay, Disney’s own island! It was a beautiful island with long white beaches, one of which was completely reserved for teenagers- excellent! You could also hire diving equipment to explore a hidden coral reef. The sea was warm and brilliantly clear. We spent a lovely time on Castaway Cay and we all have amazing memories of it. Best of all, on the last night of the Cruise, there was an amazing disco. We danced till two in the morning!
Finally, we went back to the villas to kick back for a bit. I definitely needed to because my hectic social life had left me half-dead! I enjoyed staying at the villas before the flight back to England as it relaxed me and made sure none of us were too exhausted when we got home. I loved this holiday as the Cruise and the Villa were a perfect combination!