Disney Destiny Eastern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 4: June 30, 2026

Once we made it past the castillo and rounded into the port, I figured it was a good time to grab breakfast while the crew got things tied off and the all-clear from the port authority. When I looked over the menu in the lounge, I was excited to see that Churro Mickey Waffles were being offered. While this has become a staple throughout the fleet, it is typically only served on the last sea day as a treat in the buffet. Getting a second offering of them was a delightful surprise.

Joining us in port were MSC World America and Carnival Vista, which made for a busy day out and about. With ashore times from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, this is one area where I’ll give MSC the advantage. They typically stay in port late into the evening, and seeing the city lit up at night as you leave port is stunning!

Another noticeable difference was the vibe between the two ships as passengers disembarked onto the pier together. Disney was rather subdued, with guests calmly making their way to town or meeting with their excursion hosts, while loudspeakers were set up at the base of the gangway of World America with music blaring. To each their own, I guess.

As we walked off, a family coming off MSC said hello and asked how our cruise was going. They mentioned that they usually sailed Disney but wanted to try something different and were somewhat regretting that choice. The father admitted that ship envy is real!

Fully fueled, it was time to get some steps in. The other must-do when exploring Old San Juan is checking out all the history while searching for cats. Yes, cats. This area is famous for the stray cat population. Local folk tales claim that some are descendants of colonial pets, while others cite a former mayor bringing them in to control the rat population, and of course, some were simply abandoned by their owners. Don’t be that person!

Whatever method led them here, they are a staple of local lore. A local nonprofit, Save a Gato, feeds, spays, and neuters the cats, while local residents often put dishes of food or water out on their stoops as well. Most are very friendly and will allow you to pet them as long as it doesn’t interfere with a nap.

I mentioned the history. It simply oozes out everywhere you look. The blue cobblestone streets. The Wall of Old San Juan. The castillos. The fountains and statues. Everywhere you look, something will catch your eye.

In the center of it all, you’ll find the Cathedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista. It is rumored, although disputed, to be the final resting place of Ponce de León. It is also, debatably, the oldest church in the New World, depending on how you count its beginning. The site was reportedly established in 1521, making it older than the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, whose congregation formed in 1565. The semantics involve the time between when the sites were used for worship compared to having an actual structure built. Since we’re in San Juan, we’ll give them the title for today.

If you’re looking simply to support the local economy, the place to be is Calle de la Fortaleza. Along this street, you’ll find every possible trinket shop, jewelry store, or spot to grab some local grub. It’s mere blocks from the port and a great spot whether you’re window shopping or in need of some local wares.

Oh, and what is one of the most popular stops for the crew? Walgreens can be found literally across the street from the pier. It may seem mundane, but for those who live on the ship for months at a time, it’s the purrfect resupply stop.

One of the things we noticed while walking around was that there were not only plenty of taxis waiting to take you back to the ship if the heat was getting to you, and it was north of 90 degrees, but also a new fleet of golf carts zipping around. We didn’t recall seeing these in past visits, and many seemed to be offering private tours around the area. We’ll definitely be looking into this on our next scheduled stop this winter.

Magician Eric Jones on Disney Destiny

Back on the ship, we opted to skip the movie that would be playing in the Walt Disney Theater. Some new release about talking toys? I think Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are in it?

In place of that, we went to see Eric Jones. We saw him a few years ago, and he’s been near the top of our list of favorites since. This being his adults-only show in Saga gave it that extra little pizzazz.

Once again, he put on a spellbinding display of card tricks and misdirection, topped off by solving a Rubik’s Cube in under 30 seconds, in his mouth! Always a solid way to spend the evening.

Dinner at Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King on Disney Destiny

Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King Dinner Menu B

Step into the Pride Lands for a first-of-its-kind musical dining experience where themed cuisine, live singers, musicians, and iconic songs from The Lion King bring Simba’s journey to life. Updated for 2026!

Available on: Disney Destiny

Small Plates

Kiara's Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Mathucha, Carrot-Green Mango Atchar, Toasted Tiger Bread

Pumbaa's Cocktail Ya Maturde

Passion Fruit, William Pear, Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Coconut, Guava, Coriander-Chili Bearss Lime Dressing

Curried Apricot Chicken Sosaties

Grilled Chicken Skewers, Tri-color Quinoa Pilaf, Red Chermoula

Peri-Peri Shrimp

Sauteed Chili-Garlic Shrimp, Creamy Boerenkaas Pap, Toasted Corn, Peri-Peri Sauce

Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Coconut Soup

Pumpernickel Croutons

Roasted Red Capsicum Soup

Toasted Pao Bread Crostini, Sun-dried Tomato Sofrito

Green Papaya Salad

Long Beans, Red Chili, Grape Tomatoes, Palm Sugar-Lime Dressing

Romaine Heart

Cucumber, Tomato, Purple Onion, Mint, Flat Parsley, Radish, Sumac-Yogurt Dressing, Crisp Pita Snippets

Mosbollettjes Bread, Soft White, Whole Wheat Rolls

Entrees

Cape Malay Shrimp Curry

Garam Masala, Turmeric, Cumin-Coconut Curry Sauce, Aromatic Basmati Rice, Cucumber Sambol, Butter Roti

Pan-seared Corvina

Yam Puree, Shiraz-braised Pulled Oxtail, Crisp Shallots

Pan-seared Berbere-spiced Roasted Chicken

Tomato-Red Pepper Rice, Fried Plantains, Blistered Tomatoes, Green Harissa Sauce

Ras el Hanout-spiced Tomato-braised Lamb Shank

Cracked Toasted Bulgur Wheat, Mint, Spinach, Summer Squash, Pomegranate Arils

Grilled Grain-fed Sirloin Steak

Oven-baked Potato, Asparagus

Vegetable Tagine

Slow-cooked Zucchini, Carrot, Garbanzo Beans, Eggplant, Potato, Olives, Dric l Cherries, Fragrant Tomato Broth, Toasted Pine Nut-Pomegranate Couscous, Roasted Lemon Mint Yogurt

Baked Mushroom and Lentil Bobotie

Masala Lentils, Forest Mushrooms, Souffle Topping, Fragrant Turmeric-Raisin Rice, Roasted Red Pepper Sambal

Roasted Prime Rib of Beef

Cheddar Cheese Loaded Baked Potato, Black Garlic Broccolini, Honey-glazed Carrots, Veal Jus, Horseradish

Sarabi's Roasted Flank Steak Salad

Grilled Halloumi Cheese, Lemon-marinated Artichoke Hearts, Caramelized Grape Tomatoes, Spiced Garbanzo Beans, Cucumber, Baby Spinach, Escaerole, Oakleaf, Green Onion, Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

Desserts

Warm Chocolate Malva Pudding

Decadent Chocolate Pudding, Apricot Jam, Warm Buttery Cream Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream

Creamsicle Cheesecake

Vanilla Cheesecake, Orange Mousse, Orange Segment Glaze, Chocolate Sauce

Milk Tart

Sweet Short Bread Crust, Cinnamon-spiced Custard, Roasted Pineapple Compote

Ice Cream Sundae

Zebra Sundae

Cookies n Cream Ice Cream, Chocolate Wafer Cookies, Chocolate Fudge Sauce, Whipped Cream

No Sugar Added Dessert

Coffee Creme Dome

Lacy Fingers, Kahlua Espresso, Mascarpone Cheese

---

It was back to the African savannah for dinner, or at least as close as you’ll get in the Caribbean. This was the show everyone comes to see on the Destiny. While our first night here offered the “Sounds of the Serengeti” drum demonstrations, that was actually something added exclusively for the two 7-night sailings and is not part of the normal rotation.

Tonight offered a campfire-style retelling of “The Cub That Would Be King,” a condensed version of The Lion King including a few of the signature songs. What better way to enjoy dinner?

The menu lineup was solid, with just enough variety to fill the tank. I got it started with Peri-Peri Shrimp, while Becca tried Pumbaa’s Fruit Cocktail. I’m going to say she liked it, as it was devoured in short time. The shrimp was very good as well, but I could say that about any shrimp.

For the main course, we all had an easy choice of Prime Rib, while I couldn’t live with myself if I passed on the Corvina as well. A perfect combo. The Prime Rib is hard to beat, and the Corvina offered a light, flaky whitefish with yam purée and fried onion crisps. Don’t hesitate with either of these dishes.

*Due to the show the lighting kept changing and getting decent pictures was a challenge.

For dessert, we had high hopes for the Coffee Crème Dome, which we hoped would be similar to the zebra domes at Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge. Alas, it was the same dessert that we had on the Disney Magic last month and was underwhelming for me, while it was the preferred option for Angie. Next up was the Milk Tart, a twist on a cinnamon roll with pastry crust in place of dough. It got a combined so-so from the girls.

The one I was most excited to try was the Chocolate Malva Pudding. As mofongo is to Puerto Rico, malva pudding is to South Africa. Again, it’s a dessert that is served in every restaurant and is a bit different in each. I had it no less than six times last year while doing the South Africa Adventures by Disney tour. I would describe it as similar to a rum cake and bread pudding combination in flavor and texture, although, as stated, it varied greatly in specific locales.

Whichever chef came up with this dessert needs to do a little more research. It was nothing more than a chocolate muffin with the top cut off. If you didn’t know any better, it wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t malva cake either.

As we are at the midway point of the cruise, the dinner service has leveled out. Better than night one, but mostly just going through the motions of taking orders, serving, and clearing plates. In most instances, this would be satisfactory. By Disney Cruise Line standards, it is subpar.

The one time our server actually tried to engage in conversation during this meal was right at the pinnacle of “Circle of Life,” as the show reached its culmination. Talk about lack of situational awareness.

After dinner, most of the ship seemed to be watching Toy Story 5, and there wasn’t much else going on. It seemed they, rightly, assumed it wouldn’t be worth scheduling anything in Saga in the way of theme shows or entertainment. I opted to spend some time in the Haunted Mansion Lounge, as it was surprisingly dead in there. With only about a dozen other guests enjoying the 45-minute looped “show,” I also got to converse a bit with one of the bartenders and add to our collection of Spirited Cola bottles.

Deciding it was time to head to bed, I grabbed my Hitchhiking Ghost and set off. Of course, on the way out, I was encouraged by Constance Hatchaway to “hurry baaaack.”

That’ll cap a fantastic day in San Juan. Tomorrow’s post will cover our next destination: St. Maarten. Thanks for checking in!

---

Disney Destiny Day 4 Daily Program

Personal Day-By-Day Disney Destiny Caribbean Cruise Review: