St. Maarten: This tropical has about 16 excursions to fill your day with fun and leave you with more than enough memories to take home and share with your friends. One thing that I should warn you of regarding St. Maarten is that many of the beaches here follow the European fashion; which is to say that clothing is optional.

• See and Sea Island Tour – This 3 ½ hour sea and land tour will give you a chance to see a large variety of what the island has to offer; from land to underwater. Enjoy a short narrated bus tour, followed by a semi-submarine vessel tour, and end with shopping and sightseeing in the town of Marigot.

• Certified Scuba Dive – This 4 hour diving excursion is for certified divers only, but if you are certified plan on spending these 4 hours looking at some of the best underwater sights St. Maarten has to offer. NOTE: In order to go you must present your certification card and have completed at least one dive in the past year.

• Shipwreck Cove Snorkel Tour – This 3 ½ hour water excursion is for anyone, but not recommended for non-swimmers; all equipment is provided. Learn to snorkel, and then enjoy the underwater life. While observing the sunken ships and coral you will be able to hand feed the fish.

St. Thomas/St. John: Between these two islands there are 17 shore excursions to choose from. With an entire day, you may be able to fit 2 excursions into your schedule.

• Golf at Mahogany Run – This 6 hour golfing excursion is for the golf enthusiast in your family. The 18-hole, par 70 course features some of the most beautiful views of any course in the Caribbean. Clubs are available for rent at an additional cost.

• Coral World Ocean Park & Island Drive – This 3 ½ hour excursion will leave you panting for more. Featuring a visit to one of the worlds few underwater observatories, this tour will let you pet a live shark and touch a living starfish, all without getting wet. Plan to have fun on this trip.

Castaway Cay: With a minimum of 13 excursions on this private Disney island, you will leave looking for an application to work there.

• Castaway Cay Bottom Fishing – While on this 3 hour fishing expedition, you will have a chance to do some fishing off the side of a boat. You must be 6 years or over, and all equipment is included. Catch and release only.

• Parasailing – Enjoy this 45 minute unique excursion like no other. Strap yourself into a parachute and enjoy the sights from 600 – 1000 feet in the air, while you are pulled behind a boat. Actual time in the air is 5-7 minutes and there are weight limitations.

• The Wild Side – This 4 hour excursion is reserved for teens only. Your teens will enjoy an afternoon filled with snorkeling, biking, and sea kayaking. More than enough to keep them occupied while you head over to Serenity Bay, the adults only beach.

This concludes my listing of shore excursions; this is by no means a complete list – simply a sampling. Shore excursions can be reserved in advance of your cruise by calling (877) 566-0968, or you may make reservations while on the ship at the Shore Excursions Desk on Deck 3, Midship. Remember that these are first come first serve, and some may fill up quickly. Another thing to note is that with the exception of Castaway Cay these are all operated by companies outside of Disney’s realm of influence.

So, now you have heard my ramblings of why DCL is the best, you’ve seen what there is to do on and off the ship, and you’ve gotten your taste buds excited by the thought of all that free food. By now you’ve decided that you want to take a cruise, and you’ve decided that you want it to be a Disney Cruise, I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering where you are going to lay your head after a full day of exhausting fun and excitement. Well wait no longer, I’m here to satisfy your curiosity.

Disney Cruise Line has a great selection of stateroom sizes and prices. Let me fill you in on a little secret, I’m mildly Closter-phobic. So you might think that would be a problem, but it wasn’t. My wife and I have stayed in the smallest (and cheapest) staterooms on the ship, and they are still fairly large. Granted they are not huge, but you have to consider how little time you will actually be spending in your room (unless it’s your honeymoon, but this is a family website and there is no need to get into that). Let’s take a quick look at the different staterooms.

There are different kinds of staterooms, which are broken down into Categories, and each deck has a few of each type.

The smallest, and least expensive, is the Standard Inside Stateroom, which is category 11 and 12. These sleep 3 or 4 people, though I wouldn’t recommend it for 4 adults. These staterooms are about 184 sq. feet, and as the name implies, has no window. Another thing about these staterooms is that they do not have the split bathroom as the others do. Other than those two things these are basically the same as the other staterooms. There is a couch, TV, cooler, climate control, phone with voice mail, safe, and ample closet space. Having taken a Disney Cruise on a very tight budget I can say that this is a great way to save some money, and still enjoy your trip.

The next size up is the Deluxe Inside Stateroom, which is category 10. These staterooms sleep 3 or 4 comfortably, as they are 214 sq. feet. Again these staterooms have no windows, but they DO have the split bathrooms. You will have one room with the toilet and sink, and another room with the bath and sink. The amenities included are the same as for the Standard Inside. These are nice rooms too.

The next stateroom, and probably the most popular, is the Deluxe Ocean-view Stateroom. These category 8 or 9 staterooms are basically identical to the Deluxe Insides, with the exception of the added window. The size and amenities are the same, as is the number of people that it sleeps. If you can afford it, I would recommend this stateroom for your first cruise. I cannot describe how wonderful it is to wake up in the morning to the beauty of the sunrise over the vast expanse of the ocean. This is the stateroom we choose when we took my parents with us, it held all 4 of us comfortably.

The Deluxe Stateroom with Navigator's Verandah is similar to the Deluxe Ocean-view, with the main exception of the added verandah, or balcony. This 268 sq. feet, category 7 stateroom, sleeps three, and features decorations more nautical in nature.

Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah is basically the same as the previous Navigators Stateroom. This category 5 or 6 stateroom sleeps 3 or 4, and differs in decoration with the previous one. If you can afford this, and want a slightly more opulent stateroom, then this is a good way to go.

The Deluxe Family Stateroom with Verandah is a larger version of the previous stateroom. At 304 sq. feet this category 4 stateroom sleeps 4 or 5 people.

The last few categories are reserved for the suites. There are 1 and 2 bedroom suites with verandahs. These suites range from 614 – 945 sq. feet, and sleep up to 5 people comfortably. The amenities are a bit nicer for these higher-end staterooms as well. Guests staying here will enjoy TV/VCR combinations, walk-in closets, whirlpool tubs, and even a wet bar. It wouldn’t seem like it could get any better than this, but Disney took it to a whole new level with the next category.

Category 1 is reserved for the 1,029 sq. feet Royal Suites, other wise known as the Roy Disney and Walt Disney Suites. These luxurious suites are often reserved up to a year in advance and cost up to $3,000 per person for a 4-night cruise. These suites sleep 7 comfortably and are decorated with actual pictures of the Disney family. Expect to relax in the lap of luxury with TVs, VCRs, and CD players, whirlpool tubs, a dining room, wet bar, pantry, media library, and your own personal concierge service. This is the way to go if you have the money to spend. I should note that President Bush and his family went on a cruise a couple years ago and stayed in one of these rooms.

Ok, well that is that. I think this pretty well covers it all. As I have said, this is by no means the be all and end all of information about the Disney Cruise, just a lot of my opinions, and a rewording of the facts I found on the website. If you want more information see your travel agent, or better click on over to www.disneycruise.com and check out all the great information there. You can even make your reservations there, or get an accurate quote. If you have any questions that can’t be answered by the site or the FAQs there feel free to call the 1-800 number you find on the site. I can tell you from experience that the operators there are kind and courteous and always willing to go the extra mile to make your trip as great as you hope it might be.

If you look on the site, you will find a link to a page where you can order a free video which is choked full of useful information. Actually seeing the ship and the ports is a great way to win over your skeptical spouse or family member. Believe me, it worked on my father, now that he’s been on one he’s hooked. Your family will be too!

That’s it for this article. Feel free to drop me a line if you want to make any comments, or have any questions. I’ve already gotten a few emails, and I really appreciate the feedback you’ve given me.

Look for Shaun Finnie’s article in “The Disney Diary,” here on mickeynews.com for some breaking news concerning the Disney Cruise Line. He promises me it’ll have all kinds of juicy secrets and bits of news that will keep us all wanting more.

Well that’s an earful – until next time, I’m Scott Short