- My family and I took a six-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard Disney Cruise Line's Fantasy.
- Our cabin featured plenty of beds and storage space, a split bath, and a verandah.
My family and I are on a quest to sail on every Disney cruise ship. After canceling our trip on the Disney Wish because of Hurricane Ian, we received 20% off two voyagers' fares on our next cruise.
We decided to book a trip on the Disney Fantasy, paying roughly $5,000 for four adults. This rate did not include gratuity or add-ons like drink packages, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, or excursions.
The four of us shared the largest of the non-suite verandah staterooms, the deluxe family oceanview stateroom. We were told that this room could sleep four to five people, but I don't think there is any way a fifth adult could have fit in the cabin.
The location of the balcony stateroom was convenient but noisy
Our cabin was a quick walk to the areas we frequented most, like the Senses Spa and the adults-only Quiet Cove Pool.
However, we were located just below the Cabanas buffet and frequently heard noise even when the buffet was closed.
The stateroom was generously sized
The stateroom featured a long hallway with a split bathroom and two closets.
The hall opened to a perfectly rectangular space with a queen bed on the left flanked by two small nightstands, each with one drawer and shelf.
Beyond that, separated by a heavy privacy curtain, was a seating area with an armchair, an oval coffee table, and a full-size sofa that opened to a twin bed.
There was also a desk with cabinets for additional storage.
The room featured a 27-inch wall-mounted flat-screen television that swiveled. Amenities included a mini refrigerator, a stainless steel ice bucket, four drinking glasses, and a hairdryer.
The cabin had plenty of storage space
The stateroom included both a full-size and half-size closet.
The full-size, reach-in closet had plenty of hangers, shelves, and a drawer safe, which was big enough to fit my 13.6-inch MacBook Air and all our other valuables.
As the name suggests, this stateroom was designed for families
Sailing with more than two passengers in a cabin can be tricky on most cruise lines, but Disney makes it comfortable with thoughtful room layouts. In fact, the 299-square-foot cabin was similar in size to my studio apartment.
Multiple bed options also meant no one had to share a bed unless they wanted to.
The split bathroom made sailing with a family stress-free
The "split bath" concept was genius, providing voyagers with 1 ½ baths in the non-accessible staterooms.
The half bathroom had a toilet, vanity, and sink, while the full bath included a vanity, sink, and a round tub with a shower. Both bathroom vanities had a bottom shelf for extra storage space.
The tub/shower combination was a thoughtful feature, particularly for families with little ones
The tub was round, making it too small for an adult to stretch out in the bath, but it seemed perfect for toddlers and children.
The shower's diameter was generous enough that the shower curtain never touched me. There was also a large ledge that could serve as a seat or a perch for shaving legs.
The water pressure was some of the strongest I've seen on any cruise ship, with five different settings.
The stateroom had some downsides
Most staterooms in our category had a wall pull-down bed, but a few included an upper-berth pull-down bed like ours.
Although children may find it exciting to sleep suspended in the air, adults may not like it, especially if they're tall. I'm 5-foot-3, and my toes were grazing the edge of the bed.
I also wish we had more outlets available. As four adults with a variety of electronics, we definitely didn't have enough places to plug in our gear.
Both type B and type C plugs were available next to the queen bed, and the desk also had two of each plug type. Fortunately, we packed a travel power bank with built-in chargers.
The verandah was small and didn't offer enough space to lounge
We weren't in the room often enough to justify the extra cost of a balcony, which was about 40 square feet. We were able to enjoy the verandah together, but there was not enough seating for everyone.
When we did use the verandah, we brought out the armchair and desk chair to the balcony, which made it feel cramped.
There was plenty of Disney magic in the room
Even if you're not a Disney fan, a big delight of this cruise is in the Disney details. The nightly turndown service featured an elaborate towel animal and Dove chocolates.
When the upper-berth bed was pulled down, it revealed a starry Peter Pan mural. Plus, the television was packed with Disney entertainment.
Extra doses of Disney magic were steps away
Disney ships like Fantasy are packed with entertainment from bow to stern.
We spent days soaking in the whirlpools of the Rainforest thermal suite in Senses Spa and took advantage of photo ops with our favorite Disney characters.
Between the nightly entertainment in the adults-only Europa, five European-inspired nightclubs, lounges, and bars on Deck 4, I hardly had any desire to spend much time in my stateroom.