On December 3rd, while the Disney Wish was docked in New Providence, a group of crew members including Captains Marco and Mickey visited foster children at the Ranfurly Homes for Children in Nassau, The Bahamas, to help bring holiday cheer.

The Ranfurly Homes for Children is a local non-profit foster care organization that provides comprehensive childcare services for displaced children in The Bahamas. Disney Cruise Line crew members spent the day with the children creating holiday ornaments, delivering gifts and surprising the kids with a special visit from Captain Mickey Mouse.

Among the crew members who visited the Ranfurly Homes for Children were LJM Maritime Academy Cadets Christina Adderley, from Eleuthera, and Emily Bain and Summer Lightbourn, from New Providence. In 2019, they were awarded a Disney Cruise Line maritime scholarship, which included two years of study at LJM Maritime Academy in Nassau and one year of service aboard Disney ships.

The maritime scholarship program is part of a larger collection of initiatives Disney Cruise Line has implemented to inspire future maritime professionals and support communities across The Bahamas.

“It’s heartwarming to see the impact Disney is making here in my community of Nassau,” said Lightbourn. “The Disney Cruise Line team made so many children smile today. This was an experience I will never forget,” Lightbourn added.

In addition to visiting with the children, Disney Cruise Line also donated $25,000 to the Ranfurly Homes for Children and gifted tablet devices and Bluetooth headphones to each child. “Disney Cruise Line is committed to giving back to the ports we call home,” said Joey Gaskins, Public Affairs Director, Disney Cruise Line. “We hope this donation can help make an impact and, in partnership with the team at the Ranfurly Homes for Children, help provide the kids with tools they need to succeed,” Gaskins added. 

“The work of the Ranfurly Homes for Children is great, and the need for support is even greater. The children who live here, they deserve so much love,” said Ingrid Deveaux, Administrator, Ranfurly Homes for Children. “This support from Disney will help us tremendously as we continue to provide care for these incredible children,” added Deveaux.

This special visit to the Ranfurly Homes for Children is a continuation of Disney Cruise Line’s ‘Wishes Set Sail’ campaign, an all-new initiative developed to support various youth activities in key port communities in celebration of the Disney Wish’s inaugural season.

The visit is one of many ways the cruise line is spreading holiday cheer this season throughout The Bahamas. Earlier this month, Disney Cruise Line donated Disney plush toys and books to more than 650 students in Abaco, near where Castaway Cay, a Disney destination, is located, as well as in Eleuthera, where Disney Cruise Line is developing a new experience at Lighthouse Point. Crew members also read to the students to share the gift of storytelling and encourage reading. These initiatives further Disney’s commitment to empower Bahamian students to be successful in school and in life.