Disney Magic 7-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 2: November 8, 2025

As we begin our week sailing out of San Juan, we have a full day at sea to relax and enjoy the open ocean on our way to Aruba. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore the ship and, more importantly, to simply settle in and soak up the tranquility of being at sea.

As an early riser, I took advantage of the quiet morning hours to wander the decks and snap some photos while most of the ship was still asleep. Originally, I planned to use today’s post as a complete overview of the ship and its amenities, but I’ve decided instead to focus on one area each day — that way, we can really take our time and enjoy each space.

There’s an elephant onboard!

Before we dive in, let’s address what, for some, can be a major hang-up. For this sailing, we’re traveling childless. Due to school obligations, we opted to leave the tween home with the grandparents while we enjoy some quality time together. Yup — we’re Disney Adults!

To be fair, we were childless Gen X’ers at Walt Disney World long before the millennials came along and gave the rest of us a bad name. If that bothers you (and for some reason, it does for people?), you’re welcome to check out the rest of Scott’s reviews. But if you’d like some insight into how Disney can appeal to both adults and kids alike, stay tuned!

As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, we prefer a more laid-back style of cruising. We don’t care about having a casino. We don’t drink, and even in our younger years, we were never into the bar-hopping club scene. Give us Netflix and chill any day over shouting at each other in a crowded lounge just to have a conversation.

Obviously — Carnival need not apply! The level of service and entertainment Disney offers simply can’t be matched. We did experiment with MSC World America this summer and spent the entire week comparing it to Disney. As much as we wanted to enjoy our time, it just fell short in almost every category. For us, it’s as much about enjoying the atmosphere and knowing the level of excellence we’ve come to expect.

MSC vs. Disney Cruise Line: A Comparison from a Loyal DCL Family

When it comes to onboard activities on DCL, there are plenty geared toward adults. You’ll find an impressive lineup of tastings — beer, brandy, bourbon, champagne, cognac, rum, whiskey, chocolate and liquor pairings, mojito, tequila and margarita, and wine. Add in mixology classes, a few cooking demonstrations, trivia in just about every category imaginable, bingo with payouts up to $10K, and even towel-folding classes. In the evenings, various lounges host adult-oriented game shows and other fun programming.

Then there are the adults-only dining options for a quieter, more refined experience. Of course, there’s still plenty of Disney magic — constant character and princess meet-and-greets, and a steady flow of Disney movies playing on Funnel Vision. The kids’ clubs are fantastic if the little ones want to make some new friends while mom and dad find a sun lounger and enjoy some downtime.

There truly is something for everyone on a Disney cruise. The best advice I can give? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Concierge Amenities and Lounge

For today’s featured area of the ship, let’s talk about where I spent most of the day — the Concierge Lounge. As one of the key perks of staying in Concierge-level accommodations on Disney Cruise Line, the lounge truly serves as the hub. Here, you’ll not only find snacks available throughout the day, but the Concierge team is also there to meet your every need.

Have a request for a special occasion? Need to modify a specialty dining reservation or shore excursion? Sure, you could head down and wait in line at Guest Services, but this stellar team will have you taken care of faster than you can get an elevator to the lobby.

Our team this week consists of Diogo, Alys, Mary, and Evie. By the second day of the sailing, they already knew our names and greeted us instantly every time we walked in — a level of personalized service that really sets the Concierge experience apart.

The lounge itself can best be divided into three areas: the reception and buffet area, the bar and seating lounge, and the open-air patio. I hesitate to call it a sundeck since it’s enclosed on three sides and completely covered overhead, but it’s still a relaxing spot. There’s a variety of cushioned chairs and loveseats, along with a row of rocking chairs overlooking the Cove Pool area one deck below.

While I’ll admit that the Concierge sundecks on the Disney Dream, Fantasy, Wish, and Treasure get the nod for having more open space and sunshine, there’s something to be said for the coziness of the Magic’s lounge. The atmosphere feels more personal and inviting — the kind of place you can truly unwind. I can already tell that most of my sea days will be spent alternating between those rocking chairs and the loveseats, soaking in the calm.

The bar and lounge area offers an air-conditioned retreat with plenty of comfortable seating options, as well as a small space where younger cruisers can watch Mickey’s Playhouse. Each evening from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m., the bar serves complimentary cocktails — perfect for grabbing a pre-dinner drink or a dessert cocktail afterward. We like to enjoy a glass of Cloudem, a non-alcoholic sparkling cider you can’t find anywhere in the States. It’s light, refreshing, and adds a little sparkle to dinner or the evening show.

Of course, we can’t forget about the snack buffet counter. A delicious array of finger foods is always available and swapped out throughout the day. It’s worth stopping by periodically just to see what new treats have appeared.

Concierge Lounge Snack Schedule:

• Continental Breakfast: 7:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
• Lunch Snacks: 11:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
• Afternoon Tea: 2:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
• Dinner Snacks: 5:00 p.m. – 8:20 p.m.
• Dessert Offerings: 8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

If you’re craving your morning Americano or latte, you can help yourself to the cappuccino machines, or one of the Concierge hosts will gladly make it for you. A cooler is also stocked with bottled water, soft drinks, and juices — handy for saving a trip down to the pool deck for refills.

Other Concierge Amenities Include:

• Priority seating for Broadway-style shows onboard
• Complimentary popcorn for the duration of the cruise
• Complimentary Wi-Fi (length varies by stateroom category)
• Embarkation fruit basket in your stateroom
• Waters and soft drinks stocked in your stateroom mini-fridge
• Priority debarkation

Naturally, all of this comes at an added cost, and whether it’s worth it depends on your priorities. This is our third Concierge stay on Disney Cruise Line, and we obviously enjoy the experience. Will we splurge every time? Probably not — but each time we book, we carefully compare the options before committing. Personally, I think Concierge offers the most value on sailings of five nights or longer. On shorter cruises, there just isn’t enough time to take full advantage of all the added perks.

Dinner at Rapunzel’s Royal Table on Disney Magic

The second night of our dining rotation brought us to Rapunzel’s Royal Table. The dining room is absolutely beautiful, with floating lanterns adorning the ceiling and décor inspired by the Snuggly Duckling Pub. But this is more than just a meal — it’s dinner with a show! Between courses, guests are treated to a bit of dinner theater, featuring Hook-Hand and Attila as they enlist diners to help throw a surprise birthday party for the long-haired blonde herself. There’s plenty of humor, lively music, and sing-along moments that make the experience pure Disney fun from start to finish.

Speaking of the meal — this was our first time experiencing this particular Rapunzel’s Royal Table menu. It was a welcome change, as most of the menus on DCL we’ve had so many times we could probably order blindfolded. Don’t cry for our first-world problem — we’ll survive!

We went a little lighter tonight, each sticking to an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Our selections included a Grilled Knockwurst Sausage, Asparagus Spears, Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast, and King Frederic’s Grilled Sirloin.

The knockwurst was fine — it tasted like a classic Klement’s brat. The turkey was a comforting, early Thanksgiving-style dinner and remains a steadfast choice. The sirloin was tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare, though a bit on the thin side for my liking.

For dessert, I went with the White Chocolate Bread Pudding, while Angie chose the Red Velvet Cupcake. The bread pudding leaned more toward a soufflé in texture, with a rich custard base — and it was absolutely delicious!

Twice Charmed on Disney Magic

For our first Broadway-style show of the week, we saw an original twist on the classic Cinderella. The premise: Lady Tremaine enlists the help of the Wicked Fairy Godfather Franco to go back in time and make the glass slipper fit Anastasia instead of Cinderella — completely changing the sisters’ fates.

I’ll admit, Cinderella has never been one of my favorite Disney classics, so this one didn’t grab me right away. The storyline was fine — very much in line with today’s trend of “what if” re-imaginings. What did stand out, though, was the incredible talent of the cast. The vocals were outstanding, the choreography was tight, and the overall production quality was everything you’d expect from Disney.

While I’ll always be partial to Beauty and the Beast on the Disney Dream — and nothing quite touches Disney’s Believe — this version of Cinderella was definitely worthy of the Disney stage.

With an early start tomorrow for our Aruba excursion, it’s off to bed. Thanks for checking in for another day aboard the Disney Magic — we’ll see you in Aruba!

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