Swashbuckling Fun in the Caribbean
March 16, 2005
The Disney cruise ships are being overrun by pirates! Don't worry, though---no one will be forced to walk the plank. The famous "Pirates of the Caribbean," a highly popular attraction at the Disney land resorts, has been tweaked slightly and put onboard the Disney cruise ships. Now called "Pirates in the Caribbean," the attraction is yet another Disney treasure that passengers will love uncovering.
The fun starts off with a pirate-themed dinner party in which the Disney staff, dressed in pirate garb, serves the passengers Caribbean-themed cuisine such as Black beard's Jumbo Crab Cake and Spicy Gumbo Soup. Chances are good that you'll see Goofy or Donald strolling about the dining room.
Afterwards, the party heads up onto a higher deck, where buoyant Caribbean music plays and Disney characters dressed like buccaneers entertain and interact with the crowd with limbo competitions, dancing, and general silliness.
After some time, however, the atmosphere of the party changes from light-hearted to one more ominous (Disney ominous, not "Silence of the Lambs" ominous) as a gang of pirates led by none other than Captain Hook crashes the party. Will Mickey save the day? Throughout it all, the state-of-the-art special effects onboard will enhance the action by creating the illusion of a calm sailing turning into one assaulted by lighting, thunderstorms, and turbulent waters.
An integral part of those special effects will be the work of Wildfire Lighting and Visual Effects, a company that has become a leader in ultraviolet visual effects for entertainment based venues. They will provide an ultraviolet sensitive mural, which transforms the image of a peaceful vessel into one of a tattered pirate ship.
"We're delighted to be working with Disney Cruise Lines to enhance the Pirates in the Caribbean experience, and help bring a sense of adventure to life for party guests," stated John Berardi, VP of the California-based company. Berardi states that the job was challenging because of the "extraordinary stressors of the sea," but that the company learned a lot and was extremely please with the results.
No doubt the guests onboard will be pleased too. The atmosphere of "Pirates in the Caribbean" is not one in which the guests sit on the sidelines; the passengers get to interact with the pirates, actually becoming pirates themselves. "Guests love our deck parties," states Jim Urry, Disney Cruise Line director of entertainment, "and this one allows them to step into the action, experience buccaneer traditions, and actually become a pirate."
Currently, Disney Magic's 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, which visit ports of call like St. Maarten, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, are the only ones featuring "Pirates in the Caribbean." Soon though, Magic's sister ship, Wonder, will also be taken over by these friendly outlaws of the sea on 3- and 4-night Caribbean adventures.
Michael Gloss, JrBook your cruise online
