Trip log, day three. Lookout Cay.
5-Night Bahamian Cruise on Disney Magic
June 1, 2025
Guests Ashore: 8:30 am Guests Onboard: 4:45 pm
Personal Navigator
Early morning today, Emily went to the gym and I headed to deck 4 to take in the our approach to Lookout Cay from one of my favorite spots on most the Magic & Dream Class ships, the deck 4 loungers, which have full-size cushions.
Today’s arrival is 6 days short of the Magic’s first call last year, and while I’ve only been here once, I can honestly say we are back to my favorite of Disney Cruise Line’s two private destinations. Last year, I spent the day walking all over trying to take in all the sights. This visit will be completely different – we are heading into Eleuthera on a port adventure. While the official name is Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, I am will be saving digital space and will refer to the Disney property as Lookout Cay.
However, before we head ashore I need some caffeine. I met Emily in Cove Cafe before returning to the stateroom to head out on our adventure. Yesterday, we received a notice in the Navigator app for Guests with disabilities needing additional assistance. The cruise line offers a shuttle service along the pier to Mabrika Cove where you may transfer to the tram stop that will take you to Goombay Cultural Center Tram Stop. Guests with a disability requiring assistance were invited to meet in Fathoms lounge from 8:00am until 10:30am. This service is available for Guests with a disability requiring assistance ONLY, and Disney kindly asks that other family members transit the pier on foot.
You can see the lineup of golf carts staged on the pier along with first come first serve wagons.
Another message we received earlier in the cruise recommends heading ashore 30-45 minutes prior to your meeting time off the ship for port adventures starting at Rocky Point.
Keep this in mind if you are on a tour that it takes time to walk over to the tram stop and ride the tram across the property. We had an 9:15 excursion meeting time and headed ashore at 8:30 to make sure we had enough time to get there which we did with 15 minutes to spare.
We even stopped at a temporary table selling water to take with us on our excursion and the First and Last Chance Stand where Isabelle purchased a visor after realizing that she forgot her hat in the stateroom before boarding the tram to the Goombay Cultural Center tram stop.
Donald, Goofy, and Minnie Junkanoo inspired character photo backgrounds look great, last June only the Mickey Mouse inspired backdrop was installed.
We made it to our meeting spot across the property at Rocky Point and checked in. By the way, bike rentals remain unavailable as of June 2025, and no one was willing to provide a guesstimate on when bikes will be available for guest use at Lookout Cay.
While we are on the subject of things still not yet available, no one was willing to say anything about the 5k and just essentially shrugged their shoulders when you reference the selection of Lookout Cay 5k merchandise available to purchase.
Our main event today is the South Eleuthera Eco & Historical Tour (LPT06) Port Adventure that will take us outside of the Disney property on a journey off the beaten path to discover South Eleuthera’s cultural history and natural beauty. Points of interest on this excursion include the Cathedral Caves, Boiling Hole, Ocean Hole, as well as some other areas along the way such as the schools and Rock Sound Airport. Below are some highlights, but check back soon for a separate port adventure review.
We boarded the air conditioned small tour bus for what turned out to be a private tour! Originally, we were waiting for another family, but they either no-showed or cancelled at the last minute. Anyway, our guide welcomed us to Eleuthera and we began our journey to the Lookout Cay guard gate and into South Eleuthera. As you can see, in the photo below, Disney built a paved road which was previously an uneven dirt road into the Lighthouse Point. There were a TON of land crabs scurrying about and some locals were even there catching them to eat!
Our first stop was the Boiling Hole and the Cathedral Caves which are located in the same area.
Boiling Hole is one of Eleuthera’s many blue holes, formed long ago when the island’s limestone bedrock eroded. It connects to an offshore hole about 1/4-mile to the west, via a network of underground caves. The Boiling Hole is not a geothermal pool, the feature gets its name from the bubbles that form as a result of the movement of ocean tides moving air and water through the caves.
Down a pathway from the Boiling Hole is the entrance to the Cathedral Caves. The Cathedral Caves, also referenced as Spider Caves on some websites, are a stunning natural wonder located in Rock Sound. The caves are an example of karst topography, which is formed through the dissolution of limestone in this instance. As we traversed the caves, we encountered tree roots cascading from the ceiling, some extending up to 60 feet to the surface. Skylights allow natural light to illuminate the interior, creating a magical atmosphere with dark regions where the bats were hanging out.
Our journey then brought us to Ocean Hole, another one of Eluthera’s blue holes. Ocean Hole is an inland blue hole renowned for its striking turquoise waters and vibrant marine ecosystem. This natural limestone sinkhole, estimated to be around 75 to 600 feet deep, is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through underground tunnels, causing its waters to rise and fall with the tides. Visitors can access the hole via steps and ladders, making it ideal for swimming, snorkeling, or cliff jumping from heights of 5 to 15 feet. Teeming with tropical fish like angelfish and sergeant majors, Ocean Hole is a protected area since 1970, where feeding fish is popular but fishing is prohibited. Local legend attributes healing powers to its brackish waters, adding to its allure as a must-visit natural wonder. Jacques Cousteau once attempted to map the underground tunnel system, but was unsuccessful adding to the overall mystery.
Our guide had some bread for us to feed the fish and the fish pounced on the scraps like guests heading to Cabanas for churro waffles.
Along our drive, there were numerous ‘Now Hiring” billboards for Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Our guide mentioned there are a number of new non-cruise related developments underway in Eleuthera, which will create even more opportunities for residents to work in the hospitality industry.
Our tour came to an end, and we returned to Lookout Cay. There, we found others enjoying the serene environment of the Serenity Bay Cabana, taking a nap.
Keeping with today’s excursion theme, we decided to check out a different type of blue hole, the Blue Hole Bar at the northern edge of Serenity Bay. Not going to lie, we are happy to see the menu (and more specifically the prices!) are unchanged since the destination opened last June!
It was nearly 1 o’clock when we ventured over Serenity Bay BBQ, but they did not have all the offerings, so we headed over to True True Too BBQ for lunch. Seemed odd, the adult only area offered less variety, but I’m sure it is based on guest demand.
The fans placed around the seating area did a great job at keeping the space cool and free of flies. The fans were a huge improvement offset by the downgrade of the food.
Unfortunately, this is becoming a trend, whether it is a new ship, a new private destination, or simply a new menu – out of the gate there are some great items, but over time become bland or eliminated. There is potential for excellence, but at some point the drive to excel fizzles for one reason or another. Food is not the reason I love to cruise, but it sure can impact the overall cruise experience.
Rather than taking graduation photos in the parking lot following graduation or hiring an expensive photographer for a photo session, Isabelle wanted a better background… So, she packed up her cap, gown, sashes, and ropes and headed to The Bahamas where we did our best to combat the sea breeze.
One major regret I’ve carried with me over the last year was not snorkeling at Lookout Cay. We grabbed our gear, and the required complimentary snorkeling vest and headed out into the water. When snorkeling, I highly recommend determining the flow of the current along the shore and walk down the beach against the current so that when you do enter the water to snorkel, you can go with the current and exit near the area on the beach you placed your belongings. Unlike the snorkeling lagoon at Castaway Cay, this is 100% natural beauty without any hidden Disney treasures. Be careful not to touch or stand on the coral as the water depth varies with the tides.
After our time in the water, we dried off and headed over to Disney T’ings to check out the merchandise. Aside from the Lookout Cay 5k merchandise, most of the offerings were unchanged from my not really a big merchandise kinda guy perspective. I did pick the white Polo that was out of stock in my size last year.
Back across the property on the tram, we took in the sites of the Disney Magic docked offshore…
While we looked over at Princess Cay and the cruise ship that was tendering guests ashore while we casually walked back to our floating home.
We sat outside on the verandah enjoying the view and sail away. If you look closely at the following Timelapse you can see this must be a popular spot to take pictures…
We cleaned up and headed out to Rapunzel’s Royal Table where we were served the Pirates in the Caribbean dinner menu. The galley did a great job with the Barbary Coast Falafel — it was extremely flavorful! Isabelle continues to enjoy the Treasure of the Seas pasta. The serving team once again did a great job moving things along and getting all of us out in a timely manner.
Trivia becomes more and more crowded each night as we progress through the decade; tonight was 90’s Music Trivia and while we did not win, we had a blast. Emily did order the Otoh Gunga which is essentially a margarita made with Grand Mariner and seasoned with paprika highlighted with a glow cube from the Fathom’s menu.
We moved the party over to Keys and just hung out enjoying the end of the musician’s set and tried to come up with a plan to pillage a few bottles of whiskey from the cart which I tried to explain would be totally acceptable because it is pirate night.
After a day of sightseeing, snorkeling, and laughing with friends, we returned to our stateroom, utterly swamped with exhaustion.
The seventh DCL Blog Group Cruise is set to set sail from Fort Lauderdale on the Disney Destiny. It’s a 5-Night Western Caribbean adventure that is scheduled to include two days at sea and stops at Cozumel and Castaway Cay!
Don’t miss out on this marvelous opportunity to assemble on the fleet’s newest cruise ship, book your spot now and to take advantage of opening week cruise pricing! All of our events will be exclusive to the DCL Blog Cruisers booked through Storybook Destinations, our travel partner. For more information, and to secure your stateroom, email DCLBlogCruise@StorybookDestinations.com to get a free, no-obligation quote or fill out a quote form over the DCL Blog Group Cruise page.
Complete Trip Log Index
- Day 1 – Port Canaveral, Florida
- Day 2 – At Sea
- Day 3 – Lookout Cay
- Day 4 – Nassau, Bahamas
- Day 5 – Castaway Cay