Can't Believe It...Finally 50!!!

[inkkognito]

I absolutely can't believe it...we live on Disney cruise #50 on Saturday! It feels like not so long ago we were in the preview center at WDW, watching the promo video on the new cruise line (anyone else remember Mickey and his friend Crystal Ball?) and thinking, "Hmmmm, that might be something fun to try." Our first sailing was the 11th voyage of the Magic, over Labor Day weekend (we had to switch from Memorial Day because of the delay in the ship's construction).

It was traumatic when we switched most of our cruises from the Magic to the Wonder when the Magic went to 7-day cruises, but we soon learned to consider the Wonder our "home" at sea. But now we're heading back to where it all began for the big 5-0! Quite fitting that it's a double Castaway Cay cruise. :banana: :cool1: :banana:

Barb

[Verandah Man]

Congrats on DCL cruise #50 Barb and Tony, have a MAGICal week!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :goodvibes

[DisneyDiva4ever]

Congrats on the big 5-0! I raise my virtual Pina Colada to you! Have a Magical voyage & don't forget to tell us all about it when you get home.

I'm going to go sulk now..........(sigh). Why did I plan my next cruise in FEBRUARY?!!!

:wave:

[inkkognito]

You'll know why when February comes and you fly far, far away from all that cold and snow. ;)

Barb

[lbgraves]

Can't wait to read your trip report!!! :) Have a great cruise!!! :) :) :) Can't wait to see how the DDs are going to work. :)

[mickeymo]

:cool1: And she's sailing with us!!! The few, the proud, the blabbermouths!! :cool1:

[captchris]

Did you get the Barb and Tony Suite???

[slindamood]

Have a great cruise!!

Always love your trip reports - started reading them with number 13 before our first cruise and was impressed - how could anyone go on 13 cruises;). Now I understand how easy it would be.:goodvibes

Bon Voyage!!!

[inkkognito]

Yes, we're in good ol' 5650! :teeth: :teeth: :teeth:

[abitjaded]

Congrats! I hope this is the one you get upgraded to the Walt or Roy Suite! DCL should do this for you, you earned it! Your site has helped all of us who looked for information long before the Passporter, Deb's and even the DIS. If they cannot give you the Suite, I hope your spa package is all gratis! Or how about a free Magic Cruise the week of October 21st? I have always wanted to meet the folks who have done more to promote DCL than DCL. Barring that, tons of Pixie Dust to you both. pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust:

Carla

[inkkognito]

Awwwww, we're just going to miss you by a week! We sail on Oct. 15!
DCL could never comp our spa bill because of the impact on profits and the resulting uprising of shareholders. I hate to admit it, but at times our spa bill has exceeded the cost of our cruise! We've got two spa villa appointments lined up, but of course I can justify it for once. It's only because this is #50, not because I'm addicted to the spa!

Barb

[princess22]

Yes, we're in good ol' 5650! :teeth: :teeth: :teeth:


You are staying in 5650? I'm across the way in 5150! (Same cruise!)

I hope you have fun!

Maybe one day I will get to 50 cruises!

[snelsonbrown]

CONGRATULATIONS Barb and Tony,
Wasn't it the number 11th or 20th that we sent Tony the football? - Barb your email keeps coming back to me sweetie so if you have the chance, drop me a note with the right email address.
anyhow hope you and Tony have a ''GREAT'' 50th.
Luv ya
always
Shirley and Norm

[BuzzBoyMom]

Barb, have a great time!! Can't wait to hear all the details.

Here's wishing you a MAGICal time! pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust:

[MrsJobba1]

wow 50 cruises. :thumbsup2
Congratulations
I really hope you have a super time and I'm only a little bit jealous ;)

[wltdsnyfan]

;) Congrats! Have a great time. :thumbsup2

[erikthewise]

I absolutely can't believe it...we live on Disney cruise #50 on Saturday! Barb

Sorry Barb but I can't resist teasing this "Freudian slip". We all know you two "live" on DCL! :rotfl2:

Although we all wish we had a few more cruises under our belt, it's impossible to be jealous when you are so generous sharing your experiences and love of DCL. Congratulations!!!

[castlegazer]

HAVE A BLAST!!!!!

HAPPY 50TH CRUISE!

http://www.churonwinery.com/toasting.jpg

[DutchsMommy]

Wishing you a Magical Cruise and looking forward to your TR. :wizard: :grouphug:

[inkkognito]

Hey, Shirley, I remember that basket! It was awesome! Tony still has the little Chicago Bear statue on his desk. And remember the cool treasure chest you did for our friend? For anyone looking for a cruise basket, Shirley's work is the BEST!!! (But everyone probably already knows that from all the raves here on DIS :goodvibes ). I can't find your email address so please drop me a line at disneycruise@gmail.com so I will have it. I lost a lot of addresses when Mailblocks went out of business.

Princess, yes, you are in the mirror image of our room! You will love the quiet location, which has a near total absence of hallway traffice and nice, close proximity to the "secret" back staircase. Just be prepared for the vibration when docking; the thrusters serve as our wake-up call, although I'm so used to them now that I just sleep right through. In my opinion, deck 5 aft is the best location on the ship! :thumbsup2

Barb

[cristit14]

Have a great trip Barb!!!!!!!
Wish I were going too..... I still have over 18months... :sad2:
Have a drink for me... :thumbsup2

[geffric]

Have a WONDERFUL trip...http://adisneycruise.disney.go.com/media/dcl_v0204/en_US/media/home/FirstTimeThumbA.jpg (http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/cruiseExp/newCruiser?name=FirstTimeCruiserLandingPage)

[pppiglet]

Does DCL know this is your 50th cruise with them? They REALLY should do something special for you! Have a great trip!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

CONGRATS!!!! :thumbsup2

50 is AWESOME!!!


Have a magical cruise :cloud9:

I will be looking for a trip report!!!!

mom x4,grandma x4

[mommasita]

HOW DID I MISS THIS???????/


Have your most Magical time.... :grouphug:

[MommyMouse]

May this be your best cruise ever! Happy 50th and cheers to you and Tony pixiedust:

[mattmommy]

50? Wow. I hope you have a great time and some great reports. I remember when they unveiled the plans at the Disneyana Convention. Showing my age I guess.

[inkkognito]

I'm just about to crawl into bed, with visions of the Magic dancing in my head. Last year when we sailed on the Magic, I was a little sad because I consider the Wonder my home, but the "senior ship" totally wowed me! I can hardly wait to see "Twice Charmed" again, and Tony even had special TC t-shirts made. I've stopped trying to figure out which cruise is best because we've had sooooo many special ones. :sunny: But I know this one is going to be a blast, if for no other reason than two Castaway Cay stops. :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

Barb

[CNB1124]

What is the address for Barb and Tony's website?

[tomspixie]

Congratulations!!! I hope to someday live up to the example you have set!!!

Enjoy your trip and the memories you will make together!

[MagicMe]

50 Disney Cruises??? WOW! :cool1: Looking forward to my second!
Wishing you the most magical of trips!!!!

[Pluto,]

congrats on number 50 thats amazing

[CRSNDSNY]

Have a great time Barb and Tony! BON VOYAGE!
Can't wait to read all about it!

[inkkognito]

Thanks for the kind wishes, everyone!
We boarded and found the door to 5650 decorated to the hilt! Streamers and Disney characters everywhere! It is just adorable! :goodvibes
And gold Mickey ears from Disneyland were waiting for us inside (the big "50" is just perfect, hee hee).
We've already had spa treatments and have lots more planned, and we are SO looking forward to the CC double dip! We may not even get off in Cozumel, but you can rest assured that we're going to take advantage of every minute on the island.

Barb

[Verandah Man]

And there goes Barb and Tony sailing away on their 50th DCL cruise!!!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a118/VerandahMan/5-27-06.jpg

[cruisnfamily]

We boarded and found the door to 5650 decorated to the hilt! Streamers and Disney characters everywhere! It is just adorable! :goodvibes
And gold Mickey ears from Disneyland were waiting for us inside (the big "50" is just perfect, hee hee).Who did this for you? DCL? Or DISers?

[sap1227]

I just saw this~~WOW 50 cruises I am so jealous!!! I hope you have a great time and I can not wait to hear all about it!
Christy

[Hygiene99]

Thanks for the kind wishes, everyone!
We boarded and found the door to 5650 decorated to the hilt! Streamers and Disney characters everywhere! It is just adorable! :goodvibes
And gold Mickey ears from Disneyland were waiting for us inside (the big "50" is just perfect, hee hee).
We've already had spa treatments and have lots more planned, and we are SO looking forward to the CC double dip! We may not even get off in Cozumel, but you can rest assured that we're going to take advantage of every minute on the island.

Barb


Could not happen to nicer People.. :wizard: :wizard: :wizard:

[mom2of2]

Barb's site is:
cast away club dot com

have a great trip

[SQUIGGLE]

Now the Captain will have to change his remarks at the Castaway Club Cocktail Party. On the May 13 cruise Captain Tom mentioned "one couple who has sailed with us over 40 times". Of course all the DIS folks knew who he meant!
Have a Magical cruise!! :cheer2:
fran

[inkkognito]

DCL did the door...it is just amazing! They have been making it such a magical cruise! :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes

Tony, however, was in the doghouse last night. In honor of cruise #50, we were contestants on "Match Your Mate" last night. We know how much more fun the show is when there are "wild" contestants, but I wasn't planning to be one myself. Tony, however, had other ideas (and most of a bottle of champagne in him from dinner!). He zinged me with two answers that I wanted to throttle him for! He thought it was a riot, but I must have been as red as a beet. Actually, I sort of suspected one of the answers he would come up with, but I never thought he'd say it. I must learn not to underestimate him when he's got a few drinks in him!

I couldn't hold a grudge this morning, as it's much too gorgeous of a day. We had a wonderful morning on the island and are looking forward to a spa villa treatment this afternoon. I just wish I could slow down the clock...seems like we were just packing, and here the first full day is half over already. But I can already see that this is going to be an unforgettable one...truly magic! :thumbsup2

Barb

[wltdsnyfan]

DCL did the door...it is just amazing! They have been making it such a magical cruise! :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes
Barb
;) That was sweet of them. :thumbsup2 Take pictures so we could see it. :)
Enjoy your time. :goodvibes You are right it goes by to fast :wave:

[inkkognito]

Tony got some good shots of the door (it was a challenge to get it all in because you can't back far enough away).

And today in the spa villa, we had a really magical experience. In all of our cruises, we've never seen dolphins. There we are, out in the hot tub, and right there in the ocean in front of us were dolphins jumping in the water! They were gorgeous! The timing could not have been better. It was a truly magical moment.

There was a baby barracuda in the shallow water at the adult beach today, too; I missed him, but Tony saw him.

Barb

[DonnettaR]

:cheer2: :Pinkbounc :cheer2: Congrats!!!! I am eagerly awaiting trip report #50

[mindy327]

Hey Barb and Tony,
I think I can say this for all of us, But we are soooo jealous of you right now and thinking we could celebrate right there with you. Say hi to Captain Mickey for us and enjoy the wonderful spa treaments in your spa villa. We'll all be looking for that trip report everyone keeps talking about when you get back.!!! Keep Having Fun. Mindy. :sunny:

[Kimmielee]

Congrats Barb and Tony!!!! Have an awesome cruise - from the sounds of it you are off to a great start! The Dolphins were ordered by all of your DIS fans to make your voyage extra special!

Can't wait to read about your trip when you return! Happy Sailing! :wave:

[dgaston]

You've been such a help to so many of us in planning cruises. :tink: Best wishes for a wonderful, magical trip!

[inkkognito]

Congrats Barb and Tony!!!! Have an awesome cruise - from the sounds of it you are off to a great start! The Dolphins were ordered by all of your DIS fans to make your voyage extra special!
LOL! When Tony saw them, he said, "Wow! I didn't know they had come this far with audioanimatronics!" It was totally like they came on cue.

I was also sooooo happy to discover that Don Williams is the guest speaker on this cruise. I just love his art, and we have very happy memories of seeing him on a Magic cruise several years back. We attended his first talk today and plan on going to his Thurs. presentation, too.

And Palo brunch was better than ever...they made changes to it, all for the better (as if perfection needs changing!). I am usually more of a high tea fan, but I was very impressed.

I am so spoiled rotten already that I don't think I am going to adapt well to life back on land!

Barb

[mmouse37]

Hey Barb....I hope the Captain makes a special announcement for you guys at the CC party (I did not read the whole thread so sorry if that was posted already!!).

Have a great cruise!!

[inkkognito]

I suspect he will, as several DISers have reported that he has mentioned our 50th coming up at previous CC parties. We're going to wear our gold 50th Disneyland ears to the party. I remember the days when there was NO Castaway Club party, and then when the number of officers used to outnumber guests. Sort of makes me feel old! ;)

Barb

[taeja71]

:cool1: CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 50TH CRUISE! :cheer2:

[lbgraves]

I suspect he will, as several DISers have reported that he has mentioned our 50th coming up at previous CC parties. We're going to wear our gold 50th Disneyland ears to the party. I remember the days when there was NO Castaway Club party, and then when the number of officers used to outnumber guests. Sort of makes me feel old! ;)

Barb

It is great that they are making this cruise so special for you! :cool1:

[GritsGirl]

"Don Williams is the guest speaker on this cruise"

This information isn't helping my jealousy issues!!! :rotfl:

I am SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! You guys are my cruising mentors and I better get busy catching up!


I hope things continue to be VERY MAGICAL! :thumbsup2

Grits

[westjones]

Barb,
I'm so excited for you. It was from your many posts and all the wonderful information you shared that got us 'hooked' on DCL. I hope you have a wonderful time. Honestly, I think they should have given you an upgrade to a Suite! You deserve it! I know that 6 of our cruises are in large part to your reports! I am sure you have inspired others to sail as well.

Hope this is the best curise ever!
DJ

[LAMPSKIES]

The BIG 50 already Barb??? We are only 45 behind! :rotfl2: Have a magical trip....

[DutchsMommy]

Hope the rest of your trip is Magical. I noticed you are listed on the repo as well - can't wait to read that TR too!! :wizard:

[faireygod mother]

Barb, Please fill us in on Costa Maya today. Did you use the tourist transportation? If so what is it like? Is the cost still 3.00 We are booked with the Native Choice in Nov. and want to know what to expect.

Have a great cruise and I will be in touch when you get to work.

[NurseChell]

WOW!!! 50 cruises, that's amazing!
We just got off our 1st Disney Cruise last week
while you were preparing to board the same day.
How long have you been cruising and how many a year?
Have a GREAT time!
Looking forward to the reports!

[GrayFal]

Barb, just found this thread, I was wondering where you were!

Congrats to you and Tony on the
:woohoo: ...BIG 50... :woohoo:

...and looking forward to sailing :boat: with you on the Repo :grouphug:

[inkkognito]

In Costa Maya, they have the tram to take you from the dock to the tourist area, which is free. We did the horseback riding excursion, which we had done before. Last time, it was all walking, but this time we were allowed to trot and canter if we wanted to. Oddly enough, they call trotting cantering and cantering galloping. I've owned horses for 25 years, so I know the difference between a trot and a canter! (One is bone jarring and the other is smooth, without getting into the mechanics.) I had a nice, cooperative horse and had lots of fun, although my butt paid the price the next day!

We didn't disembark in Cozumel. We hung out at the spa having treatments and lying around in the Rainforest. We've spent quite a bit of time there this trip. My only regret is that I've been crashing into bed early so I've missed most of the later shows. I stayed on "real time" rather than move my watch back and forward, so that made it seem later. It's easier for me than the transition, though.

We had an amazing meal at Palo. There is a new Italian chef, and he is so good! They had a special sea bass cooked in a bag that was soooooo tender! They do the sorbet and the after-dinner drink here, unlike the Wonder, so that was something new.

I felt like a real goof at the Castaway Club party, which was held by the Goofy Pool because so many people are repeaters on this trip. They called us up to the stage and gave us a Golden Mickey for our 50th cruise! The captain gave us the microphone, and usually I am a very verbose person, but all I could say about our cruise was something like, "I love it," and Tony said, "Yes, excellent." I thought they would just have us stand up there, not give us an award and put us on Dumbotron! It was fun though!

Today we have a spa villa appointment in the evening. Other than that, we're taking it easy and lazy. The trip is going by much too fast, and it has been so magical! When we return to the Wonder in Sept., it's going to feel waaaaay too short.

Barb

[captchris]

I have heard about the Dolphins following the ship when it departs Port Canaveral. Where is a good place to watch them and observe them? I would love to see them, and so would my kids.

[Verandah Man]

Congrats on receiving a Golden Mickey!!!

[lbgraves]

I have heard about the Dolphins following the ship when it departs Port Canaveral. Where is a good place to watch them and observe them? I would love to see them, and so would my kids.

First two cruises we stayed on the dance floor so didn't see any. Last cruise we ran up to deck 10 when the characters left so that the kids could wave to the CMs at the terminal with their own Mickey gloves as we were pulling away from the pier. :) While waving at everyone along the channel we saw several dolphins jumping alongside the ship following us out. We were on the Starboard side...not sure if it matters.

[Ker-Bear]

Barb,

We will be there with you on the Wonder in Sept. I already know that it will go by too fast!

[faireygod mother]

COngrat Barb. See you on the repo

[inkkognito]

I can't believe that it's almost over...and I can't believe it was so wonderful and magical! :woohoo:
We topped it off with another perfect day at Castaway Cay. The weather was gorgeous; Tony went on the snorkeling trip and loved it. We were among the very last people off the adult beach. We got our picture taken with the ship in the background, even though we have many copies of that pose, because they frame 'em with a really cute Stitch frame now. I really like the new Shutters images that they add to the pics. I think we have enough photos to start a whole new album from this trip alone!
I will, of course, be doing a whole trip report once we return to land. I just hope that I can remember everything. Number 50 has been a very memorable trip, and I HIGHLY recommend the double Castaway cruises. Starting and ending on CC is the only way to cruise!
Barb

[Verandah Man]

Starting and ending on CC is the only way to cruise!


:wizard: Gee, maybe DCL will start doing this more often!!! :wizard:

:wizard: Happy to hear your 50th DCL cruise has been wonderful and magical!!! :wizard:

[Towncrier]

Congrats on your 50th cruise. I have a feeling that it won't be too long before we are congratulating you on your 100th. You guys rock. :cheer2:

[CRSNDSNY]

:wizard: Gee, maybe DCL will start doing this more often!!! :wizard:
That would be so awesome.

Barb and Tony -- Sounds like you had a really memorable cruise. I cannot wait to read your report. I'll have to watch out on your site for it.

Hope we get to see some pictures, too!

[2angelsinheaven]

Tony and Barb, congrats on #50, how awesome! Next time you cruise be sure to come say hello if you see me in the terminal, It would be neat to greet DCL royality!