Enjoying the Family Beach at Disney's Castaway Cay

One of our favorite things about a Disney Cruise has always been stopping at Castaway Cay, the Disney Cruise Line’s private Bahamas island. On our recent cruise, we actually stopped there not once, but twice. And yes, it was still every bit as good as before, even with being there two times in one cruise.

Yes, we did have some dark clouds to contend with, and even though the sun was out at least enough to make some shadows of the palm trees in this photo, it never was a completely sunny day on either of our stops there. No big deal, however, because it was still lots of fun.

What is it that makes Castaway Cay so fun? I suppose to me it represents the ideal life: Sitting on the beach in a tropical setting all day, enjoying the water if you want to, just sitting in the shade if you prefer. If you get hungry, lunch is already prepared and you just go and pick it up and eat it. No real cares or worries, no real responsibility. Just you and the beach.

Of course, there are in fact cares and responsibilities. You have a responsibility to make sure that you put on sunscreen if the sun comes out, so that you do not quickly get burned by a crisp. Castaway Cay is a little closer to the Equator than most of us are used to, and the sun’s rays are a bit more direct there. They don’t automatically spray you with sunscreen when you walk off the ship, either. Wouldn’t that be cool? You just walk past a misting fan, except that the mist is actually sunscreen. Just make sure you close your eyes and your mouth first. But since they don’t do that, proper sun protection is up to you, not to them.

And then there is the care about the fact that the ship does leave at the end of the day. You wouldn’t want to be left behind there, would you? Wait, is that a trick question? Being left behind at Castaway Cay does not seem like it would actually be a bad thing. Surely those who live there permanently to keep things operating wouldn’t mind taking you in and sharing just a little bit of your food, would they? Maybe they would, and they would probably be absolutely certain that you were on the next ship that arrived. And they probably would not be too happy with you, either. So it is probably in your best interest to make sure that you are on the ship when it leaves at the end of the day.

But if those are your main cares and responsibilities, that really makes for a pleasant day. And those are definitely terms that I can live with.

Maybe one of the reasons that we enjoy Castaway Cay so much is that our first visit there way back in 2003 was just about perfect. Jaylin was at home with his grandparents, so it was just the two of us. We went to Serenity Bay, the adults-only beach, and spent the entire day just lounging there. The weather was just perfect. Lunch was delicious. Rays swam up in the water to greet us. Seriously. And all the while back at home they were having a big storm with 100-mile-per-hour winds (nicknamed Hurricane Elvis), but we were oblivious to it all, enjoying a perfect day in paradise.

Maybe each time we cruise we are trying to recreate that perfect day, even if we do not go back to Serenity Bay because we have someone under 18 in our group. But actually, we just enjoy it because it is such a delightful place, in a setting that we consider to be ideal.

Whether it is a cloudy day or a sunny day, we always look forward to a day at Castaway Cay.

P.S. Cay is pronounced “kee,” like a car key. Just so you know, and in case you want to sound like a regular to others who have been there. Don’t ask why. Just go with it.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. - Revelation 2:7

About the Photos

These photos were taken relatively close together in both distance and time. Although the second photo looks to be much more cloudy than the first, that just shows how quickly the weather was changing that day. It would swing back and forth from one to the other quite often, actually. For the photo processing here, I did add in a little bit of warmth to both photos, because overcast skies can make everything seem rather blue or gray. To me, the golden tones look happier, so I lightened everything up just a bit with some extra yellow.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: June 10, 2017
Location: Castaway Cay, Bahamas