Welcome aboard
A Disney Cruise Blog
Without the pixie dust
Honest stories, real reviews, and port adventures — from two empty nesters and one very opinionated toy giraffe, who has been known to tell a sea story or two.
Disney Cruises Have No Casino. It Has Something Better.
0945 Underway, DISNEY MAGIC, 10NM NW of Ketchikan, AK. Sea state 2. Mostly sunny. 1000 Bingo Pre-sale for $7,500 Jackpot begin. 1030 Bingo has started. Betty has been encouraged to shake it up. J.J., Captain, TNM Disney Cruise Line has never had a casino and isn’t getting one. If that’s a dealbreaker, this is useful…
The USB Situation on Older Ships Is Not a Rumor
The Disney Magic is a great ship. She’s also been sailing since 1998, and the stateroom outlets reflect that era. Standard US outlets are there, and there’s typically one or two USB ports worked into the setup near the vanity or nightstand.
Disney Alaska Cruise – Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel Review
The Fairmont Vancouver Airport sits directly above the USA Departure terminal, connected by elevator to the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation pickup. No shuttle, no downtown traffic, no hauling bags through the rain. Here’s why we’d book it again.
Pixie Dusting on a Disney Cruise? The Magical Upgrade
When we started planning our first Disney cruise on the Wonder, I did what any responsible First Mate does, I fell into a three day YouTube rabbit hole at 11pm on a Friday night and finished somewhere around 9pm that Sunday. Between then and the actual sailing there was easily another 40 hours of Disney…
Don’t Over-Extend Yourself with Fish Extenders
There is a moment that happens to almost every first-time Disney cruiser who stumbles into the Fish Extender world. You find your sailing’s Facebook group and read a pinned post about the Fish Extender exchange. Somewhere you think, “oh, how fun, I’ll do this.” Then, approximately forty-five minutes later, you are deep in an Etsy…
Why the San Diego to Vancouver Repositioning Cruise Deserves Your Attention
There is a particular kind of Disney Cruise Line guest who will read the words “four nights, all sea days, no port visits” and feel a quiet thrill rather than mild panic. If that’s you, welcome. You’ve found your people. We sailed on the Disney Wonder from San Diego to Vancouver in mid-May 2025, just…
Get the next dispatch
New posts, Captain J.J.’s latest ratings, and the occasional strongly-worded opinion about sea day scheduling — straight to your inbox.
No spam. No sponsored fluff. Unsubscribe anytime. Captain J.J. will not take it personally. (He will take it personally.)




