Pirates IN the Caribbean

Brandon has noticed something interesting on the TV channel that shows our current position – we are just off of Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, which is our destination tomorrow!

Wow. I knew we’d left Nassau at 7:00, while we were having dinner in Triton’s, but I always thought that the ship took it’s time getting to the next stop – but we’re already here, more or less. Hey, maybe that’s why Disney is the only cruise line with permission to shoot off fireworks at sea – they are able to make it to their private island for the show.

Brandon leaves to go out to the Pirates In The Caribbean deck party, and Becky, Benjamin and I follow not too long afterwards.

Deck 9 is packed with people, and the music is loud!! Any time Becky or I need to say something to each other, we have to scream into the other’s ear!

It’s awesome.

The tunes are all recognizable, but of course family-safe, dance tunes. I quickly notice that each song is actually shortened quite a bit, quite the opposite of extended-length “dance remixes.” There's just about two minutes of each song before it changes to the next tune. It adds a lot of energy to the party, because the songs never have a chance of getting old.

Becky and I look for Brandon in the crowd, but can’t spot him. I’m sure he’s in the mass of people right in front of the stage. Benjamin decides he wants to view the party from above, on Deck 10. Becky’s looking for Brandon, still, and I wander over to the food table. It’s not open yet – it will at 11 – but it holds a huge spread of desserts.

It's a visually appealing feast, but I’m not at all hungry for any of it.

I climb the stairs to Deck 10 and find Benjamin by the rail, bopping to the music. I sneak a couple of pictures before announcing my presence.

Goofy, Minnie, Chip and Dale are out now leading the dancing, both onstage and in the crowd. The music almost never lets up! Becky finds us at the rail, never having found Brandon. We’re not worried, though – I’d be more surprised if she did find him.

Captain Hook and a band of CM pirates, along with Smee and Pirate Stitch, interrupt the party and take over the stage. I try to spot Suzanne, our emcee from the trivia contest earlier today. I think I can tell which pirate she is, but like Stitch, they never hold still, so I can’t be sure.

The music still goes full blast, but with the pirates leading the dancing. Ooookay. It would be more in character to have them pillaging or fighting the audience, but that might not be very fun for the guests.

Even so, the party needs to be “rescued” from the pirates, and who else would you expect to do that but Mickey! He shows up on Deck 10, on the opposite side from us, dressed in an older-style blue Captain’s coat, and announces that now we’re going to have a party in the sky!!

Fireworks!