My First Disney Cruise and Eating Vegan Onboard: Day 1

I've wanted to do a Disney Cruise for longer than I remember, but always had reservations about cruises. These were worries like being seasick, and whether it would be easy to eat vegan on the ship. We booked because our WDW trip got cancelled for the 3rd time, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do the UK sailings on the Disney Magic.

We originally just booked a 2 night cruise, but then added on another 2 nights as a back-to-back. I'm so glad we did!

On embarkation day from Southampton, I was 50/50 nervous and excited. We'd stayed at the Ibis the night before. Although the hotel was dated, it had on-site parking included in our package covering up to 8 days. Best of all, when I opened up the curtains in the morning, there was the Disney Magic right in front of us! The Horizon Cruise Terminal was just a stone's throw away. We pre-booked an Uber as we had some heavy bags, and it turned up earlier than expected.

The Disney Magic was at the terminal outside the hotel

When we pulled up in the Uber, we gave the lady our port arrival time (we were 15 mins early) and were quite shocked when she said we would have to walk into town and come back later. We got out and spoke to her again — she had misheard us and thought we said our PAT time was 14:00. That was just as well, as had we started walking into town it would have taken 15 mins just to get out of the port area anyway! 

We went straight into testing, and it all happened so quickly. The Prenetics staff scanned our QR codes proving we are fully vaccinated and handed us our DIY covid test kits. Just 5 turns in each nostril... you get the idea. I think we're all used to these tests by now! Following this, we were escorted for our anxious wait in the holding area. Despite avoiding everyone in the lead-up to the trip, it still makes for a nerve-wracking wait...

The Prenetics covid test holding area at Horizon Cruise Terminal

The negative test confirmation came in via email within about 10 minutes, and with a sense of relief, it was time to proceed through security to the main terminal! We flashed our DVC member cards, and were shown through the "priority" lane, but since the terminal was empty at this early stage it didn't make a difference. The only hold-up was a CM telling us we needed the paper copy of our PAT to board which was incorrect — another CM accepted our digital QR codes and we walked on. I think it took about 45mins from port arrival to getting on the ship. 

We only spent around 45 minutes at the terminal before boarding

Due to the current circumstances, there is no more sail away party to help manage the crowds. Instead, we were escorted to a spot in the atrium to watch a welcome show with Mickey and Minnie, and it was very well organised. Things are a little different now, and masks are required by all adult guests indoors as well as distancing from other parties. I can honestly say that these measures made no difference to our experience, although we had nothing to compare it to. In fact, I think some of the measures like physical distancing and reduced capacity made for a more tranquil and personalised cruise.

It was an emotional moment seeing Mickey and Minnie

After the fabulous intro from Mickey and Minnie and a few happy tears, we headed to Cabanas for some food. I immediately told the CM at the door I was vegan and the head chef came out to chat to me. He offered me vegan sausage and veggies and it was delicious.

The head chef provided me with vegan sausages and veggies

After some exploring and meeting Ariel, our stateroom was ready. We went in to refresh and unpack, and it was much more spacious than we'd envisioned. The verandah balcony was lovely. We paid for a full one, although one side was slightly obstructed by a curved wall. It didn't bother us at all, but I know next time to ask for a cabin that's not on the end of a section. We could still see out just as well.

Our stateroom was bigger than I thought it would be

The Disney Cruise Navigator App is the best way to keep abreast of what is happening onboard. We spotted it was happy hour at Signals bar in the adults-only section of the ship — what better time to try it out! It was lovely and peaceful to be sat having a gin cocktail after the excitement of boarding, with the only interruption being the mandatory safety video we all had to watch. 

We took advantage of happy hour!

The shops open at 6pm so we decided to get in the queue as I'd heard stock was limited. Luckily we managed to get almost everything we wanted, including spirit jerseys and DCL branded Helly Hansen coats.

I was so happy they had the Helly Hansen coats in stock

You certainly don't need to be ruthlessly hunting down characters on the ship for a photo. They popped up everywhere! I noticed Minnie waving down at me from the balcony, and we had a professional photo taken in the atrium. We had prepaid for the package of 6 photos, and at this early stage we were wondering if it was worth it (spoiler alert: it was!). 

Characters popped up everywhere onboard the ship

While in the shop, I had asked what time we were sailing away. The immensely helpful cast member called through to someone to confirm it was 18:30. We climbed to the top deck in the hope of hearing that famous Disney Magic horn! We certainly weren't disappointed. As the shop gracefully pushed away from the dock, we jumped out of our skin when the horn sounded When you Wish Upon a Star. It was LOUD!

We weren't disappointed by the ship's horn

Next up we did the Disney Tunes Quiz in O'Gill's before dinner. We did much better than we anticipated, and came in at 2nd place! No coveted medal for us, but it was very enjoyable.

We came a close 2nd in the quiz

We'd been assigned 20:40 dinner, which at first I had reservations about eating so late but it turned out to be the best decision. Lumiere's was our assigned restaurant, and we were greeted by princesses on the way in. It's a beautiful dining venue, and one of the more "cruise-traditional" options. 

We received a royal welcome!

Lumiere's was the more traditional dining venue

I had a refreshing avocado gazpacho for a starter, mixed veggies in a curry sauce for my main, and a chocolate dessert. The main was a bit hot so I didn't finish all of it, but I did enjoy it. The dessert was delicious and I wish I had room for a 2nd!

The avocado gazpacho was chilled and refreshing

My curried vegetable main was delicious, but hot

I loved the chocolate dessert and wish I could have eaten more!

I felt the ship rocking a bit during dinner, but my Seabands seemed to do the trick, as well as facing the windows. I managed to get through the first day without any Dramamine. On returning to the stateroom, we saw our first towel animal of the trip alongside some (non-vegan) chocolates. I thought it was a lobster, but my other half thought it was a manta ray. You decide!

Lobster or manta ray?

On the way back to the room we met our lovely stateroom host Ami, who asked if we needed anything. All the cast members really do take care of you and seem to genuinely want you to have an incredible cruise. There was time for a quick chill out before heading up to the top deck for the last showing of the aptly named Freezing the Night Away show. Again, this was well organised with no need to worry about crowding. Each party was separated and stood on a dedicated viewing marker on the ground. It was a fun show, but I was so glad we'd purchased those warm Helly Hansen coats! It was great to see Olaf and the Frozen gang after so long.

It was wonderful to see Disney characters again

It was a cold night but well worth seeing the show

What a fabulous first day we had! Most concerns I had about cruising had already dissipated by this point. It felt amazing to be back in the Disney bubble after 2 difficult years. 

Day 2 coming soon!