ELEUTHÉRA, BAHAMAS — Shaking cowbells and banging sheepskin drums, a dozen Bahamians paraded through the Disney Cruise Line’s Cruise Center, colorful crepe paper fluttering like feathers around the edges of their costumes. New private destinations.
Unlike Castaway Cay, a private island focused on fiction and Disney themes, Disney Cruise Line’s newest destination, Lighthouse Point Lookout, embraces the culture of its residents by showcasing their unique music, art and design, as well as their annual national celebration, the Junkanoo Festival.
This cultural expression is found throughout Lookout Cay. Sometimes, it manifests itself through architectural structures inspired by Bahamian shells. In another case, the design of the Rush Out Gush Out water play area was inspired by the shanties where locals designed their Junkanoo parade costumes and wore them in the early hours of Christmas and New Year’s Day.
“I take great pride in knowing that the millions of visitors to Lookout Island will be able to experience Bahamian culture,” said Warren Andrew Pinder, chairman of the National Junkanoo Committee, which plays a major role in the development of Junkanoo recreation.
But Lookout Island wouldn’t be a Disney property without its iconic cast of characters. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck all took part in the parade in bold Junkanoo sun costumes designed by Bahamian fashion designer Theodore Elyett.
“People went crazy for Daisy,” Ellett said. “She looked like a Bahamian girl from head to toe.”
I took the first cruise of a three-day trip from Fort Lauderdale aboard the Disney Magic, the first ship under the Disney umbrella, to Lighthouse Point Lookout Reef, on the southern tip of Eleuthera. The Magic was 78% full, with travel advisors, media and paying customers on board, and just 300 children.
Castaway Island vs.
Disney is working with local vendors to offer tours of Eleuthera, which is different from Disney’s own island, Castaway Island. The consultant told me that Lookout Island’s natural beauty is also more beautiful than Castaway Island. Along with Junkanoo Island, one of the most talked-about features of this destination is the soft sand dotted with pink spots and the pristine waters in multiple shades of blue. The consultant said it looks like it belongs in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The destination will have a nature trail leading to the small lighthouse at Lighthouse Point. The trail will have QR codes that will provide information about plants and animals through characters such as Queenie the Queen Conch. There will also be a bike path in the area.
Travel advisors told me that the main thing they liked about Lookout was the authenticity of Bahamian culture, which was in stark contrast to the Disney-centric Castaway.
The question is whether die-hard fans, accustomed to traditional Disney magic, will accept a port of call so rooted in reality.
Elyssa Antonelle, Mickey’s Travels A senior manager at Windermere, Florida, said that while Castaway focuses more on Disney characters and Lookout focuses more on cultural and natural elements and is more entertaining, customers can choose itineraries that stop at both destinations.
“It’s not an either/or question,” she said, “it’s a combination of both.”
Dock issues
Lookout Island has a long pier designed to minimize impact on the underwater environment. The long and hard road Under the hot Bahamian sun in June, it can be very stressful, especially for families with young children or people with medical conditions.
Nearly every agent or guest I spoke with complained that the dock walk, which I measured a little over half a mile, had no shade or places to rest. A cruise line spokesman said benches were being installed but there were no immediate plans for shade awnings.
My guest, a mother of two children under the age of 7, was in agony holding her almost 5-year-old son (who has autism) who was frantic from the heat. The spokeswoman said a cart could be requested from guest services to get him to the island, but she stressed that the cruise line expects most guests to be able to walk. The cart drivers will look for people who have trouble walking on the way back to the ship and offer to transport them.
One consultant, who has a back problem, said it would be fine to walk to the island, but he would need a carriage to get back to the ship. Another consultant said he couldn’t imagine his parents walking to the island.
MEI-TourismBeci Mahnken of Lookout Cay, who loves the beach there, said the marina is a factor she considers if a customer chooses an itinerary that only stops at a private destination.
“During the consultation process there has to be some thought and consideration for those who might find access to the tram bridge difficult, at least until they find a solution to make the journey more comfortable,” she said.
