This article was originally published in the January 2021 issue of WDW Magazine. Whether Print or Digital, WDW Magazine brings the magic of Disney to you with articles like this each month. Learn more at https://www.wdw-magazine.com.

As we approached the main lobby of the Disney Fantasy, we could feel the excitement building in the crowd. The usually bright, multilevel atrium we’d come to recognize had been transformed. Long banners with Galactic insignia hung from above, and red light permeated the space. A familiar melody started to play—the Imperial March—as Stormtroopers armed with blasters lined up to announce the arrival of their leader. The iconic breathing echoed through the air as Darth Vader took his place front and center. “We have intercepted a transmission sent from this area by a rebel spy,” he warned. “Anyone with ties to the Rebel Alliance will be considered a traitor.” It was official. Imperial Troops had infiltrated our ship, and for the next 24 hours, they were on the hunt for rebel spies…

Storm Troopers on the hunt for rebel spies aboard the Disney Fantasy.

What is Star Wars Day at Sea?

While you can find magic on every Disney Cruise Line vacation, you can find select itineraries with extra offerings throughout the year. In 2021, we may see the return of Star Wars Day at Sea (SWDAS) sailings that include a day-long celebration of all things galactic.

For SWDAS, the Disney Cruise ship magically transforms overnight to celebrate the Force with unique character encounters, exciting live shows, out-of-this-world food, and Star Wars-themed activities for all ages. We booked this itinerary earlier this year and prepared with a Star Wars movie marathon at home to brush up on our fandom.

Galactic Experiences

Every night on a Disney Cruise, guests experience turndown service and receive a Daily Navigator detailing the next day’s schedule. For our turndown service the night before SWDAS, we received a keepsake bed banner, a Porg-shaped towel animal, and a special Navigator detailing all of the Star Wars fun ahead. There was a wide range of activities, including:

Star Wars 101

If you are new to the Star Wars universe, don’t worry. This interactive session gives you a quick rundown on everything from the Force to Wookies.

Star Wars Trivia

During the Padawan Mind Challenge trivia show, younglings can test their Star Wars knowledge while the “Superfan Challenge” pits adults against fellow fans.

Fun for Kids

There were plenty of events for young Jedis, such as:

Star Wars Resistance Base—a puzzle-solving challenge
Recruitment Effort with BB-8—a character encounter
Jedi Training: Trial of the Temple—a ticketed event in which younglings train in the ways of the Force and test their new skills
Other fun such as Build a Droid and Padawan Crafts

Costume Celebration

Join fellow fans in this cosplay event. You can wear anything from a simple Jedi robe to a full Trooper suit. Get creative!

Drawing Academy

Learn to draw Star Wars characters while instructed virtually by a Disney Animator.

Star Wars at Light Speed

Fans from the crowd reenact highlights from the films in a quick and fun manner.

BB-8 Races

Watch droid operators compete to see who is the best in the galaxy.

Porgs on Board Scavenger Hunt

Chewbacca needs help to find Porgs around the ship. Find them all and decipher the secret message.

Movie Marathon

Relive your favorite films from the saga and end with a late-night viewing of the latest chapter, Rise of Skywalker. (There were many Star Wars films shown throughout the whole week as well).

Epic Encounters and Photos

The SWDAS experience also included the following:

Themed Photos

This cruise offered some special photo opportunities throughout the week. A large SWDAS backdrop stood in the middle of the lobby, as well as an impressive Han Solo in carbonite display. Shutters added some Star Wars-themed photo frames on certain purchased pictures (whether printed or digital).

Galaxy Greets

Disney set up special character areas to meet Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Darth Vader with themed backdrops and professional photography. These greets required a reservation (which we made prior to sailing); you may still encounter a line even with a reserved time.

Star Wars Sightings

Throughout the day, be on the lookout for characters roaming the ship. You can encounter Boba Fett, Jawas, and First Order Stormtroopers, plus some of your favorites from Star Wars Rebels, including Sabine, Ezra, and Ahsoka Tano. We ran into plenty of Stormtroopers throughout the day and caught Rey inspecting some cargo on the pool deck too!

Exclusive Merchandise

While SWDAS is only one day, we found plenty of souvenirs available for purchase throughout the entire voyage. The onboard gift shops were stocked with Star Wars apparel, accessories, and toys. Many of the items were exclusively designed for SWDAS. There were even Jedi robes and lightsabers available to join in on the costume fun. We also found Star Wars collectibles elsewhere, such as refillable popcorn buckets at the theaters, cooler bags at the poolside bars, and character sippers at various locations.

The shops were stocked with plenty of Star Wars merchandise.

Out-of-This-World Dining

We encountered Star Wars-themed food throughout the day, such as Quick-Service sandwiches and Darth Vader cupcakes in the sweet shop. But the big event was our Star Wars-themed dinner. Upon arrival, everyone received a special menu and some green (yes, green) marbled bread with red pepper dip. Some themed drinks were available for purchase, including Galaxy in a Glass and the nonalcoholic Planetoid Punch. The menu was extensive with selections categorized by planet and named after many Star Wars characters. Here are the space-tacular items that were available:

Appetizers from the Planet Tatooine:

· Sand People Salad

· Bantha Steak Empanada

· Lars Homestead Garden Salad

· Mos Espa Grand Arena Tailgate Sandwich

Appetizers from the Planet Naboo:

· Marinated Opee Sea Killer

· Jar Jar Binks’ Nyork Chowder

· Padme Amidala Soufflé

· The Gungan City Dumpling Soup

Entrees from the Planet Coruscant:

· Qui-Gon’s Crisp Chicken

· Obi-Wan Shroom Steak

· Yoda’s Pappardelle Pasta

· Jedi Temple Salad

Entrees from the Death Star:

· Lord Vader’s Nerf Steak

· Sheev Palpatine Bowl

· Grilled Bounty Hunter Fish Fillet

· Grand Moff Tarkin’s Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Desserts from Cloud City:

· Calrissian Velvet Cake

· Cloud City Macarons

· Han Solo’s Frozen Carbonite Sundae

Desserts from Alderaan:

· Princess Leia’s Warm Apricot Pudding

· Galactic Senator Bail Organa Flan

· Queen Breha Organa Cake

While some menu items were pretty standard (albeit with a fun name!), some dishes looked quite alien (like the appetizer soufflé). We really enjoyed the fresh salads and empanadas to start. We tried some steak and fish, but Qui-Gon’s Crisp Chicken was hands down the favorite entrée of the night while the Cloud City Macarons were the favorite dessert of the entire trip. We appreciated the attention to detail, such as the tiny Han Solo added to the sundae. He was almost “too cool” to eat. (Almost.)

Epic Evening Entertainment

At nighttime, we had more to do onboard the ship than just try to spot Tatooine in the night sky. Some of the evening entertainment included:

Summon the Force Show

After dinner, crowds headed up to the pool deck for a nighttime performance. The “Summon the Force” stage show featured a combo of heroes and villains in action while the Funnel Vision screen above projected many of the saga’s most iconic moments. It felt like a live-action movie trailer montage. It was thrilling to witness favorite droids appear, Stormtroopers march, and lightsaber battles commence.

Special Fireworks

One of our favorite offerings on a Disney Cruise is seeing fireworks at sea. Pairing that experience with John Williams’ iconic score made for an epic finale to the stage show. Seeing the fireworks among the stars with Star Wars music playing was a highlight of the trip.

Galactic Dance Party

Anyone who wanted to continue feeling the Force could hang around the pool deck for a dance party. The DJ played lots of popular songs with some Star Wars beats mixed in. Is there any better way to end a night than dancing with fellow Jedis under the stars?

So what did we think of adding the power of the Force to our cruise? We have to admit while we have been longtime fans of Star Wars, we wouldn’t consider ourselves superfans. But we ended up finding this special sailing the perfect combo of Disney magic and Star Wars fandom.

A fun-filled day was the perfect amount of galactic fun while not taking away from the rest of our Caribbean vacation. (The one thing people may miss is there is no Pirate-themed dinner on this itinerary). We recommend this experience not only for superfans and Star Wars-obsessed kids, but also for fans of all levels and ages. Have fun sailing to a galaxy (or island) far, far away.