8 Night Disney Magic Mediterranean Cruise – Day 1 Embarkation

It’s embarkation day! We woke up nice and early to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel (and chatted with some nice Texans who had just gotten off their own cruise!), then we checked out and headed to the Rome Termini station.

From there, we boarded the train to Civitavecchia which is where the cruise terminal is located. Disney offers transfers to the cruise terminal from the airport, but since we were already in the city we decided to just take the train. It was about a 45 minute ride, but definitely make sure you give yourself lots of time to get to Termini if you also decide to take the train from Rome since the departure platform can change at almost any time!

When we arrived at the Civitavecchia station, we needed to make our way to the cruise terminal. We decided to walk the 1 mile to the cruise terminal (technically the parking lot where we then boarded a complimentary bus to the actual cruise terminal), but Disney does offer a shuttle service for 6 euro from the Civitavecchia train station to the cruise terminal which would be great for families or those with large luggage. It was a decent walk with our luggage, but not impossible. I was happy we did it because it allowed us to see a gorgeous view of the Disney Magic!

We were so happy to finally arrive at the cruise terminal. We dropped off our luggage at the designated area, then proceeded through security and onto the check-in desks!

Disney Cruise Line allows you to bring up to two wine bottles or 6 beers per adult passenger, but you have to carry it onboard (can’t pack it in your luggage). We brought 4 bottles of wine onboard and carried it on in a black and white Mickey tote (thanks Mom!).

Checking in went by pretty quickly! We are Silver Castaway Club so we got through the line and just needed to present our boarding document. We were given our boarding group (#10!) and then proceeded to the waiting area.

We were also given the Voyage Navigator, which detailed the cruise itinerary and nightly entertainment on the ship.

After a 30 minute wait, we were finally called to board! We were thrilled to hear the cast members announce our name and get to board the Disney Magic!

Welcome to the Disney Magic atrium!

We grabbed a quick pic in the atrium before heading up to Cabanas for lunch!

Cabanas is a buffet-style restaurant located on Deck 9 Aft which opens for lunch on embarkation day and then for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of the cruise. It’s a great place to grab a quick bite, and I love the Finding Nemo decor you can find around the walls and furniture.

After we ate, it was time to explore the ship! Justin and I have sailed on the Disney Fantasy before, but this was our first time on the Disney Magic. We found many similarities between the ships, but also had a lot of fun noticing the differences and small touches that made the Disney Magic, well, magical!

First we stopped by the Oceaneer Lab: a youth club for kids aged 3-12. Embarkation day is one of the only times when the youth clubs are “open house”, so people of any age can go check them out.

Making some crafts for Mickey’s Sail-A-Wave Party.

Once we were done exploring the Lab, we adventured through a “secret” hallway (!!!) to arrive at the Oceaneer Youth Club!

The Oceaneer Club is a separate club (also for ages 3-12) that features fun areas like the MARVEL Superhero Academy!

I was geeking out pretty hard when I saw these! Cap’s shield and Thor’s hammer!

Then we got to see Andy’s Room! The extremely nice cast members at the Oceaneer Club even said we could go down the Slinky Dog Slide and well…we couldn’t refuse.

We also visited the Edge Youth Club for youths ages 11-14. The magic portholes in the wall gave a true submarine-like vibe, but it was a little more crowded in this area than the other youth clubs so we didn’t stay too long!

There was one place in particular that I was so excited to go see. Rapunzel’s Royal Table! This restaurant is only on the Disney Magic and even though we would be dining there the next night, I wanted to get a sneak peek before then!

I absolutely loved all the detail in this restaurant. With the purple and gold chairs, the hanging lantern lights, and the 3 Pascals hidden all around the restaurant, I felt so immersed in the magic of Rapunzel and couldn’t wait to experience dinner there during the cruise!

Before we knew it, it was time for the Sail-A-Wave Party! We stayed close to the railing so we could look out as the ship departed, but also stayed close enough to Midship so we could sing and dance along to the party.

After we set sail, we headed to our cabin to get settled and ready for dinner! We dined at Animator’s Palate that night and were seated with 2 other couples and 2 women on a girls’ trip together. It was great to talk over dinner about where everyone was from and what each of us had planned over the course of the cruise. We were all about the same age but came from many different states across the U.S.A. It was especially fun learning that one couple at our table was on their honeymoon, so we planned to serenade them the following night at dinner!

Back in our cabin after dinner, we found a surprise waiting for us on the bed!

I honestly do not know what this is…Yoda, maybe? If anyone has any other guesses, let me know!

There two chocolates waiting for us as well as reminder notes about our Palo brunch and dinner reservations coming up! Palo is an adults-only restaurant that serves Northern Italian cuisine with a modern twist. Palo brunch and dinner can be reserved prior or during the cruise for an extra charge ($40 per person for each).

We headed to the Walt Disney Theatre to watch the Be Our Guest Welcome Show and it was spectacular! It was the perfect ending to our amazing first day on the cruise. Read on to find out about our adventures in the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii on Day 2 of our Mediterranean cruise.