Welcome aboard, Laura!
Your best beach day will be
Castaway Cay, by far! The ship pulls right up to the dock on Disney's private island, where guests disembark and either take the short walk or quick tram ride to the two Family Beach stops and further on to the Serenity Bay stop (the Adult Exclusive beach). Everything is included for your day at the beach here, even lunch at one of a few barbecue spots! Of all of the beaches you visit, Castaway Cay will be the best one, and the one where it's easiest to simply disembark the ship and enjoy a carefree day at the beach. There are also plenty of activities already included in the cost of your cruise to experience at Castaway Cay. A family whale dig event, character dance parties, Pelican Plunge waterslides, Spring-A-Leak splash park, Scuttle's Cove Youth Club for ages 3-12, and so much more! Plus, for a few dollars extra, guests can rent bikes to explore the island or snorkel gear to dive into the snorkel lagoon. I love Castaway Cay!
Key West and Nassau have beaches that you could walk to, not terribly far from the ship, like Junkanoo Beach in Nassau. However, nothing is included, so you'd be paying for chair rentals and more, and the beaches in Key West are a bit rocky. So, save your big beach day for Castaway Cay! If you are looking to book just one excursion on your trip, I recommend picking a
Port Adventure in Nassau, as there are so many options! In Key West, it's a great place to take the tram from the ship into the center of the downtown area, for free, and then do some exploring on your own! There is so much shopping in town, and you can even pop into fun museums like the Pirate Museum for a small charge. The tram ride into town is a fun trip in itself for the kids!
Have fun on your exciting and magical adventure, Laura!
Marcy