August 1998 Table of Contents - Current Issue of The Abaco Journal - Abaco Bahamas' Home Page

DISNEY MAGIC

Disney Magic , the new flagship of Disney Cruise Line, left Italy on 1st July for a private cruise , then from Lisbon to Castaway Cay and Port Canaveral on 6th July carrying mostly Disney employees and invited guests.

The first visit to Castaway Cay took place on 14th July. The Disney Magic docked at 7.30 am and the Abaco Journal was on hand to see the first passengers disembark after clearing Customs and Immigration. This was necessary because Castaway Cay was the first port of call after leaving Europe. In future visits, these formalities will have been completed in Nassau.

Throughout the morning the beaches, bars and facilities filled up and by noon the beachfront resort was buzzing. As this was the first visit, there were deliveries of drinks and food, tee shirts and other items to stock the points of sale. At 11.30 an Abaco band from Treasure Cay started to entertain the visitors with island music while they cycled, canoed, swam and sunbathed. Kayla Lockhart Edwards and the National Dance Troupe also performed for the castaways, the preferred term for visitors. Meanwhile, the water barge Martha off-loaded water for future needs on the cay.

Disney Magic will be calling at Castaway Cay weekly. Besides the local jobs that Disney provides, the Bahamas government will be collecting a $15 departure tax on all visitors. Disney Magic is fully booked for the foreseeable future and will be bringing in 2,600 visitors each trip. The boat is 963 feet long and its rooms are one-third larger than normal. 75% of the rooms have sea views. There are three dining rooms with distinctly different culinary themes and a promenade deck that circles the vessel.

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