MAY 20TH WESTERN - 1ST CRUISE/ROY SUITE REPORT Updated with Pictures!

[crazypom]

Okay, here goes.....firstly, thank you to all those who post on these boards, the info I learned prior to our cruise helped make it a magical vacation. I will try to do a day by day report but bear with me as it may take a few days!!
(by the way, I am a talker so this will prob be really long :goodvibes )

Our cast includes me :goodvibes , DH, DD11, DS9, DD5, DS3, and DMIL. The kids and I are disney nuts, DH (aka Grumpy) tolerates my obsession as long as there is golf but "never wants to go on a cruise", and DMIL thinks I am nuts!!! (that's the reason for the Roy suite as not sure I can talk him into it again and if I can only go once I am going big!!! :cool1:

We started off from British Columbia on Sat May 13th bound for the Marriott grande Vista in Orlando. We were lucky enough to have a week before the cruise. The MGV was great!! The location was a 10-15 minute easy drive to the parks. We had a 2bdrm condo which was nicely decorated and clean. The kids loved the pool areas, grown-ups were happy with the bar area :banana: , and they had lots of activities for the kids. They did the animal show, some crafts, and the arcade. The pizza hut on site was awesome - for some reason we were all craving pizza this week!! Sun we just hung out and enjoyed the resort for mother's day. Monday we were off to Epcot, one of our favorite parks. (DH golfing) I always think it will be a short day but we end up there for a long time! Kids loved test track and mission space and we spent a lot of time in innoventions. Living seas was also a big hit. We did the world showcase and masks. DMIL and I enjoyed the wines of France, the beer in Germany, and the Margaritas in Mexico!!! (it was a very hot day :rotfl2: ). Didn't stay for the fireworks this time which was hard as we are usually open "til close people but trying not to obsess about seeing everything as not to wear out Gramma!! Having done 2 trips to DW and 3 to DL it was actually easier than I thought and quite enjoyable!!! The flower and garden festival was beautiful.

Tues we woke up to rain :guilty: so decided to enjoy the resort. Did make it to DTD and the Rainforest for dinner which was fun as always.
Wed we were off to Magic Kingdom. (DH golfing) I couldn't believe how busy it was!!!! Again, not being in obsessive mode was a good thing and we went around to all our favorites. Was impressed with the new small world as it was closed during our last visit. Sad to see pirates closed pirate: but looking forward to seeing the changes!! Note to self for next trip - do not forget the wipes when you have four kids and they eat mickey bars in 90 degree weather with no shade - enough said!!! Fun day had by all, everyone is still hanging in, no meltdowns etc!!! As a side note this was the first time I had rented a stroller as we usually bring one - they are much nicer to push than the umbrellas and the process was quick and convenient.

Thurs off to Animal Kingdom (DH here for the ride)- DD11 and DS 9 chomping at the bit to ride Expedition Everest. What a great ride!!!!!!!!! We did ride twice and it is now the kids favorite. Did Kali river rapids twice as just weren't quite soaked thru enough the first time :confused3 . It was also much busier that I expected but we had lots of fun.

Fri was laundry and packing day to get ready for the main event.............the
DISNEY CRUISE :banana: :Pinkbounc :cool1: :cheer2: We booked one year ago so the anticipation has been trememdous!!!!! I actually didn't mind laundry and packing 'cause it meant it was almost time!!!!!!

Couldn't sleep very well from all the excitement, up at 6am Sat to await our ride. Now, I actually have to go and accomplish some "real" work today so shall leave you hanging for DAY 1 OF THE CRUISE AND THE ROY SUITE!!!

[Surroundedbyboys]

Can't wait to hear about the Roy suite and the trip report! Hope you can post pictures of the room too? :)

[crazypom]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3463.jpg

[crazypom]

:confused3 HELP :confused3 I am a computer loser but finally figured out how to post some pics. How do I make them smaller?????????????? I though I was getting clever and finally figured out how to bold and underline my title but that didn't work right either :confused3

[crazypom]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3347.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3350.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3357.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3427.jpg

[pppiglet]

Great pictures!

[Surroundedbyboys]

Your pictures are great. I don't know how to resize them, but it doesn't really matter....they're fun to see.

[crazypom]

okay, the moment we have all been waiting for...............the Disney cruise!!!! We all start bouncing off the walls about 6am (not a good thing for 7 people in a condo :rotfl: ) and started in on our nutritious breakfast of Krispy cremes. I had made up my mind at that moment to let the kids eat pretty much what they want for the cruise as who needs to nag on a vacation!! Since I did discover $2.99 drinks from 10am-12, who was I to nag!!! Our ride was to pick us up at 9:30 so started hauling the bags down around 9:15 - all 12 of them, including a set of golf clubs!!! We did get some interesting looks as we waited with the luggage. A van pulled up and my DH starts freaking - there is no way this is going to fit in there! Then along came a white stretch limo who just happened to stop! The kids figured it must be for a movie star but it was a surprise for them! Again, not sure if I will get a repeat so going all out :cool1:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3487.jpg
After much cramming of luggage we were on our way. "Are we there yet" was the primary discussion on the way, but the trip was only about 50 minutes. As we came over the bridge you could see the ship :Pinkbounc I am sure the limo was tilting as seven of us leaned to one side, noses pressed to the glass to get the first look. The porters at the terminal were great, and didn't even bat an eye at the continuous stream of stuff pouring out of the limo (I actually thought I had packed light but had to buy 2 more duffle bags after DW!!)
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3497.jpg
Forgot to mention the large (60 can) cooler full of drinks. The look on DH face was priceless when we got to the security and there are signs everywhere saying no alcohol - "here, you take it" he says. I insisted that I had good souces that told me it would be ok and it was - a big money saver for sure! Off we go, forgot to fill out bahamas form so had to do that. I was surprised how many people were already at the terminal. Did our check in and waited in the concierge area, the kids colored and looked around. Now for the big moment.... there was a family with a w/c that went on first and then us, grinning from ear to ear. I hadn't told anyone else about how they announce your family so they think it was just for them!!! :lmao: Off to the concierge meet. It was nice to have the snacks and drinks and meet Richard and Arnaldo but we didn't really need anything as I had booked online. In hindsight we prob could have skipped this and gone straight to the pool. We did get the kids moved around in the clubs (dd5 to the 3/4 group and DS9 to the 10-12 group to be with their siblings) and the pager. They kept asking if we wanted anything booked but at that point I felt so overwhelmed by the options that we didn't want to commit to anything.
Off to the pool, the kids loved the water slide (even the big ones) and it was very uncrowded. The grownups got their beverages (thanks Beano for the tip on going straight to the bar for the best drinks!!) :cool1:
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3509.jpg
Grabbed lunch for kids at Pinnochio's and Pluto's and ours at Goofy's (which is where we got lunch most days) I thought the wraps were really good.
By now it is almost 2pm so off we go to the suite. Everyone was so excited to see it after waiting for a year. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!! :love: Can I live here???????? If you ever get a chance to stay in the Roy suite it is worth every penny. The decor is beautiful, there is lots of room for 7 or 8, 3 bathrooms, huge deck, 2 fridges, large dining area, great bath products, etc etc....We spent quite a bit of time in the room as it is just so beautiful and spacious. The only negative, and it is a big one, is we are now spoiled for anything else!!!!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3527.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3761.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3559.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3526.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3523.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3522.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3518.jpg

The pictures don't do it justice!
Got 2 huge sand pail baskets from Shirley(the perfect gift) which of course the kids thought were from Mickey :goodvibes They were quite costly (about $190) but had TONS of stuff, good quality beach toys, underwater cameras, and I added a lot extra. They were definately worth it and the kids enjoyed them all week. We did haul all the beach stuff home in the empty :goodvibes cooler!
Did a little unpacking but mostly just looked around the room at all the pictures and out the balcony. Time for the lifeboat drill, relatively painless procedure I thought but the kids kept asking "when do we get in the boats?" ah, hopefully never!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3531.jpg
Back to the room, off to check out the clubs and sailaway. The sailaway was lots of fun and really gets you in the mood for the trip. Note on pic DH really looks like he's not having fun (more on that later). Loved the mickey hands waving goodbye. We were on deck 10 starboard which was a great place to see the show and watch the ship sail out of port. We let out a big cheer once we got to the "open sea".
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3534.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3541.jpgWe had the 6pm LAP which was great, Lummiere's was our favorite. I can't imagine dinner any earlier than 6pm as we found it a rush to get there, esp on port days. That said, would not have wanted late with the kids. Our servers were Don and Beethoven, head server Alexsandra. They were great and we really enjoyed them all week. We thought the dinner was excellent, in fact thought so all week. There were plenty of choices, the portions were not too big, and the quality was excellent!!! And the very best part is NO COOKING OR CLEANING :cool1: Our meals usually lasted about 1hr45min but seemed to go by much more quickly than that.
Back to explore the clubs, you could leave your kids the first night after dinner if you wanted but we did stay for awhile. Our big kids had sign out privaleges and it worked out great. Toured the ship, did some unpacking, enjoyed a drink (or 2) on the balcony, and hit the sack around 11. We are all just blown away by the ship, the room and the service!
sorry this is so long winded but there is just so much to say!!!! I will try to tone it down for my next days report :goodvibes

[Surroundedbyboys]

Please don't tone it down! We love the reports & picture. Thanks! :sunny:

[Ker-Bear]

:bitelip: Do not tone it down :Pinkbounc

Looking forward to the rest of your trip report!

[Mishetta]

Hey crazypom ~ I took a picture of your stateroom door!! If I had known you were a Dis'er, I would have knocked & introduced myself!

Love your photos!! Keep the news coming & the photo's coming ~ love it!

[Kim&Chris]

Hi Cari!!

Can you believe it's over?? I can't. Chris and I had the BEST time, and can't wait 'til our next one ;).

I'm loving your report! If I knew how to upload pictures, I'd start one myself. I want to post pictures of Chris and I pre- and post- strawberry daiquiri spillage :rotfl2:

[lvstitch]

Great report and pictures, no need to tone it down. Waiting for more :teeth:

[crazypom]

thanks for the kind words :goodvibes

Yes Kim, it was sooo much fun, all I had hoped and more. I would love to see the pre/post spillage pics - feel free to put them on this thread if you are not doing a full report. Took my underwater cameras in today so hope I get some decent pics of the stingrays!! I found it really hard to look thru foggy goggles and then the little tiny square so just started holding the camera out and snapping :confused3 Prob lots of pics of nothing!!!!

Day 2 sun to come soon, I am (as mentioned) computer slow so the last post took about an hour!!! I could hear the little kids....."mom, we're hungry, mom are you done, mom, what are you doing" "Important work kids, done in a minute...sure you can have a fruit snack for breakfast! :rotfl2: "

[churchlady]

Hi Cari, I am so excited to see your report coming! I know Mallory misses Lauren already. I still haven't completely unpacked- there seems to be odds and ends everywhere! Seeing the Roy Suite was a highlight for us and Christie blowing $70 in the arcade is our trip's funniest story. "But it wasn't money, Mommy, it was only points." BTW, hello to your MIL- I really enjoyed her!

[Babs417]

Great report. My room 6056 was great I just cant think what yours was like so lucky more pictures. Thanks again.

[sejejoemmiev]

I am really enjoying your report. I cant wait to hear more. Makes me feel like I was there. (Almost) :)

[crazypom]

Hi Mishetta, you should have knocked!!!! We did get several door bell rings and no one there - just kids playing in the hall!

Hello Lee, it was sure great wasn't it?? It was so nice that Mallory and Lauren hit it off so well, I know that made the trip more fun for her :goodvibes That was very funny about the arcade $, we had a good laugh, unfortunately at your expense (literally!!) It was a fun get together in the suite, glad we had a chance to do that as it was such a busy week.

OK, day 2, Key West. DMIL and I had been to KW before, about 20 years ago so we were all looking forward to it. Woke up around 6:30, kids all excited..."can we go to the club now??" Got room service for breakfast, it ws nice as we had a more complete menu being in the suite. In fact, we did this every day except the last and character breakfast day. DH did go to Lumierre's for breakfast once and enjoyed it. Kids loved the chocolate pancakes and choc chip muffins. We put in a standing order for coffee everyday which was awesome to have out on the balcony. The room service guys were great, Alvin and can't remember the other guys name - very funny and always set things up so nicely.
Kids off to their clubs, they absolutely loved them :love: I had really, really hoped for this so we would enjoy some free time and it worked out great. DMIL and I off to concierge meet on deck 10 (read free drinks and appys) and DH wandering the ship. Enjoyed 2 bahama mamas and snacks and met the 3rd member of the concierge Crunch. She was really a lovely lady!
Grabbed some lunch to have in the room for all before we headed off to Key West. My kids loved the fries, hot dogs, and chicken fingers, did not like the pizza!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3558.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3563.jpg
Off we go to KW - can you say smokin hot! Didn't really have any set plans so just started walking. Found the aquarium shortly and needed a break from the heat so in we went. It was surprisingly good, didn't take too long, and had an informative tour. KIds enjoyed petting the nurse shark and DD5 found a "pet" she wanted to take home (no one else would touch the slimy, disgusting thing)
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3564.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3567.jpg
off we go again, DH really wants to see Margaritaville so we head off to Duval St. Had to stop in another block as it was so hot we needed ice cream (not a wise move in 90 degree heat and no shade to sit in!!)
Duval St was certainly a free education for the big kids, although not the kind you would want! I could hear the giggles and "oh, that's disgusting" as they peered in the shops. Whose idea was it to teach them to read?????
Came upon a rather large iguana and a sign saying "picture $10". Well, before I knew what was happening, the kids were on the bench, iguana, snake, 2 birds were on them and the guy is telling me $40 :furious: I don't think so......being the shrewd bargainer I am I got him down to $30 (can you say sucker) as by this point the kids are all screaming "get the picture". This guy was smooth - so he grabs my camera and starts snapping pictures as the iguana is inching ever closer to DS9's face! It all turned out ok, no animal injuries and a few cute pics!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3574.jpg
Next we meet the Key West Gold man (freaked me and DH out) but kids thought he was cool.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3582.jpg Dropped some more money in his jar and got a picture and suckers for the kids - I had those things out of their hands and in the garbage so fast they didn't know what hit them :guilty: The big kids understood the safety implications but try to explain that to a 3 & 5 yo whose sucker you have just snatched from their hands!! And did I say it was smokin hot!!!!!! So far we have gone 3 blocks, spent a total of $80, made 2 little kids cry, and educated the big kids!!!! Are we having fun yet???? Off we continue to Margaritaville for a drink - "that's it????" we say, expecting something much more grand. Can't go in for a drink unless we order lunch which we've already had! Ok, time to rethink this, little kids are melting and we look at a map and realize we've only come a very short distance. DH and small kids head back to ship to swim (best idea of the day) and DMIL, big kids and I head for Ripleys Believe it or not. Again, a good idea, it is cool in here! They really enjoyed this and we spent about an hour before heading back to the ship. Note to self - skip KW with kids or do an excursion. Just walking thru the town was not worth it, although made worse because it was soooo hot and muggy (we are west coast canadians after all!)
Meet up with DH and small kids at pool, time for the drink of the day :cool1:
Which, I must say, were all very good!
Got ready for dinner, "do I have to wear that (DS9)". Tonight is AP - we really enjoyed the show and it was a surprise as I was the only one that knew what would happen.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3601.jpg Food was excellent again, Don (our server) already knows to offer 3 of the kids chicken fingers, fingerlings of chicken, or fingered poulet!!!! Only DS3 ordered anything else all week and it was pizza. After we got home DD11 tells everyone they had the best food ever on the ship :confused3
Did
dd 11th birthday celebration, the servers sang and she got a delicious large cake and a pin.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3606.jpgKids off to clubs, me off to check out shutters. Very good pictures and I thought pretty well organized considering how many photos they must take!! Did end up with 2 8x10, 7 6x8, and a bunch of the small ones by the end of the week. Did not seem to find time to get a portrait done but did get the pirate night and ship background. (if you haven't already noticed I will hop all over the place!)
Picked up small kids around 9:30pm (they never sleep in so knew we had to get them to bed). Enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony and watched two very large grey fish (sharks I think) swim under the spotlight (very cool). DH and I had planned to go back to KW for a drink but were just too tired.
Now, you know you are getting old when your DD11 and DS9 stay out later than you!!!! :guilty: They went to the boys and girls chill until 1am!!!! I don't know the last time I saw 1am since nursing a baby!!!!!! :rotfl: Here is me, asleep on the couch (good parent that I am) waiting for their return. At least I did wait on the couch, unlike DH who just went to bed!!!
A great first full day on the cruise, I already want to live here!!! :love:
Will try to get day 3 day done tonight, it is actually fun as makes me relive the cruise. Just think, a week ago today we were at Castaway Cay :guilty: :guilty:

[lvstitch]

I am enjoying your report so much. Thanks for sharing all.

[Surroundedbyboys]

Your children are adorable. I love the picture with the snake, bird, lizard, etc. Your youngest daughter looks so tickled! :goodvibes

[jmatias]

Can't wait to read more! Your kids are too cute :sunny:

Jen

[crazypom]

a few more pics from yesterday
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3584.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3597.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3612.jpg

:goodvibes

[eeyoregon]

Hurry up already!! :lmao:

We went on our 1st Disney cruise in April...I can't believe it has been over a month already! I am re-living every moment through your post. WOW, that RD Suite is something else. I truly appreciate you sharing the photos as we will never see the inside of it in person!

Thanks for taking to the time to post and include photos!

[ds2Mom]

Great report! :thumbsup2

Was excited to see Don's picture! He was one of our servers on the first Panama Canal cruise last year. Great guy and was wonderful with our kids, too!

So glad you had a wonderful trip!

[DCL Repeaters]

Thank you for your awesome trip report! We've known Don since Sept. 2001 and he is the BEST server on the Magic.

[BethA]

We are in the Roy suite in 3 weeks, s I'm really enjoying your post. Who was the concierge team?

[DutchsMommy]

REally enjoying your posts so far - so much so that I was sad to come to the end - so hurry up already LOL, just kidding....I'm sure you are quite busy enough with your brood!! ;) I also really like the pic of the kiddos in KW - even though it was $30 (was that US or CDN?? - although with the exchange these days it's getting close to not mattering). Nice to see a fellow CDN :wave2:

[CRSNDSNY]

I'm really enjoying your report! Your kids are lovely!

[crazypom]

....this is the song (report) that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends........

Day 3, Monday at sea
after a very restful sleep, the bed in the Roy suite is the most comfortable bed DH and I have ever slept in, found myself wide awake at 5:30 am :eek:
(remember, the clocks went back last night) Decided around 6am to get up and head up on deck for a look around. I was surprised there were a few others and even one dad with his kids in the mickey pool!!! The crew were busy cleaning everywhere - wiping down every rail, hosing everything. We were all very impressed with the cleanliness of the ship and the efforts to stop the spread of germs (handwipes galore!) Wandered around with my coffee and took some pictures - it was so muggy that my camera fogged up but thought the pics were kinds cool. Very peaceful to wander deck 9 & 10 this early.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3615.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3616.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3618.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3621.jpg

Back to the palace, kids running amok and ready to go! Sorry guys, no kids clubs at 7:30 am!! Today was our character breakfast so hurried to get ready for that at 8:15. Kids enjoyed that, quick photo stops by the characters and the food was good.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3641.jpg

Big kids raced out of there at 9am as it was free time in the Stack for their group. They actually said they liked their club better as there is more to do. DD11 "when I am a teenager I will like it better 'cause I will just want to hang out" (great, something to look forward to!) Adults just had fruit as today was our Palo brunch at 11am. We did enjoy it and ate way too much. It was nice that you could order 1/2 size of the main courses. My favorite thing was the pizza, I thought it was excellent! That said, we did end up cancelling our dinner reservation for Thurs (I can hear the gasps of horror :rotfl: ) and decided to eat in regular dining room. Our servers were alot of fun and we just enjoyed the regular restaurants more (weird huh??? :confused3 )
Kids busy at their clubs today, kept checking on little ones as I was feeling slightly neglectful but they never wanted to leave!! (I did get over it quickly :goodvibes ) They stayed for lunch which they now serve right in the club which I liked. Big kids did juggling workshop, chip it golf (DD11 won a medal), basketball shootout (DS9 won a medal), and their club. Grown up enjoyed wandering the ship, laps on deck 4 (to wear off the brunch!), and reading on deck. By the way, I loved the wraps at Goofy's Galley! It really was a great, relaxing day. Had great intentions to do martini tasting, wine tasting, margarita tasting but didn't make it to a single one!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3645.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3659.jpg

Got everyone rounded up for dinner, tonight at Parrot Cay. Fun, colorful restaurant but prob my least favorite of the 3 (DH's was animators, DMIL liked them all!) All the kids anxious to leave at 7pm for activities in their clubs so we enjoyed dessert and after dinner drinks in peace! As a side note, the kids usually got their dinner when we got our appy's, dessert with our main course, and we took them to their clubs before dessert. Big kids had sign out privaleges which worked out really well, we used walkie talkies for them, and they could page us if needed. Once we established the ground rules I felt very comfortable with that, they took their responsibility very seriously!
(cause they knew sign out could be revoked!)
Didn't find it alot of time between dinner and the shows, just enough to look at a few pics, see a character or two, or check out the shops. Tonight was the Golden Mickeys so met up at the theatre at 8:15 (little kids wouldn't leave the clubs so didn't see a single show all week!!!) We all really enjoyed the show and the pre-show is very funny!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3671.jpg

Gathered up the little kids for bed, relaxed on the balcony with a book and a drink (can you tell I really like doing that! :goodvibes ) and hit the sack around 11pm.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3673.jpg

The kids kept every towel animal all week for "pets", thank goodness for the large area as they were starting to take over!

We have not made it out to a single late night adult activity!!!!!! Oh well, maybe tomorrow!!! Stay tuned, swimming with the stingrays is next! At this rate though, you will all still be reading next week! :goodvibes

[crazypom]

no, not day 4 yet :rotfl:
forgot to tell you BethA, concierge team was Crunch, Arnaldo, and Richard. They were very good (nothing to compare to but we thought they were great :rotfl: ) and we saw them usually twice a day to "check on us" and deliver goodies. They often called and left messages to remind us of things or check if we needed anything. Everyday we got a plate of goodie or appies delivered late afternoon (usually returned to find it in the suite) and they would stop by around 5-5:30 (they knew we would be getting ready for dinner) with something for the kids - coloring books & crayons, arcade cards, DCL fact sheets, popcorn for the movies, (can't remember what else at the moment). We also got a lovely "Ducky" Williams picture at the end, Snow White and the Prince on the ship (DD5 figures its for her as that is her favorite princess!)
We really were spoiled all week, they made it harder to return to reality!!! :love:

[CRSNDSNY]

[quote=crazypom}We have not made it out to a single late night adult activity!!!!!![/quote]
Don't worry....our first four cruises were without kids and we hardly made it out for the nightlife on any of them! :rotfl:

Great report! Can't wait for more!

[curlybop]

I am loving the report so far! Keep on going!! :teeth:

[crazypom]

I just spent over an hour on my post with lots of pics and "lost it" when the server was too busy :furious: :furious:

Will try again but now it will be the condensed version!!

Day 4 , Grand Cayman.

up early as we have to meet on the pier at 8:30 for our excursion - Reef, Rays, and Rum point with Nativeways. Breakfast from room service again, what a great thing :goodvibes The tender process was relatively painless - got to the theatre around 7:45, 10-15 min wait for the next tender, and on the pier at 8:30. (found out after that concierge would have taken us right to the tender boat!!) Met with our tour group and boarded the bus for the marina. We were fortunate to have our captain, Sheldon, give us a narrated tour on the way there. All aboard for a 15 min ride to the stingray sandbar. We have been really excited about this, and a little bit freaked out :scared1:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3677.jpg

took awhile for everyone to get in the water, as some had to work up the courage :rotfl: (DH "I thought they were in pens??") It was a little freaky to have a bunch of rather large stingrays with stingers intact brushing up against your legs! You are supposed to shuffle your feet but I actually completely forgot about that! Our guides were great and everyone had a chance to hold, pet, kiss, feed, and get a back rub. They even found a male who was much much smaller for the little kids. They are certainly attracted by the squid and are quite happy to push past you to get it!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3680.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/11830024.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/11830017.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/11830010.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/11820017.jpg

it was a bit tricky to get good pictures with kids wrapped around your head and neck! DS 3 lasted about 10 minutes. DMIL opted to stay on the boat, and the other kids got quite comfortable with the creatures and really enjoyed it! "The best sea experience ever" according to the big kids!

Next we are off to a reef to snorkel. Lots of fish (look, there's Dory!) and a rather large eel (don't worry they said, that's the small one :scared1: )
Had about a 1/2 hour to snorkel which was about right as it is a bit tiring.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/11840004.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/11820011.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3694.jpg

ordered our lunch for our arrival at Rum Point beach, lots of choices and included in the tour. Rum Point is absolutely beautiful!!! The water is amazing and the kid played in the sand and did some more snorkeling. Lunch was great, drinks at the bar were pricey but hey, we're on vacation!!! I think we were there about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3689.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3690.jpg

Got back to the ship just before 4pm and time to get ready for dinner. Major note to self.....reapply sunscreen to shoulders when snorkeling :guilty:

Kids all had early activities they wanted to go to so got dinner for them at Pluto's and enjoyed an adults dinner in Lumiere's. Went to twice charmed which we really enjoyed and big kids and I to Mickey Mania. Didn't get picked so DS9 off to arcade. DD11 really enjoyed it, so much so that she jumped up and blurted out an answer before the contestants - oops :rotfl:
ok, tonight I had great plans to go to 80's night with DH as this was the music of our "youth". Got back from Mickey Mania to find everyone asleep, including DH! Boy, that glass of wine on the balcony was great again!!! I vow to at least make the last pub night on Fri......ha ha

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3760.jpg

It was a great day had by all :goodvibes Would highly recommend the nativeways tour to anyone. The time at the 3 locations was fine, food was good, and the guides were excellent. They were great with the kids and the entire boat of people seemed to have a great time. Forgot to mention I finally met KimandChris (hi guys), another DISer! It is hard to find an excursion that suits all our age ranges but this certainly did. "Dad, can you get a job here :rotfl: "

this better post or I am going to cry...more to come later and I found more pics of the roy suite but will make you wait!!!!

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Awesome trip report- I really enjoyed it! Love the pictures too. :)

I wonder how come they served lunch in the club for your trip but then the next or so later they didn't for us? Every day they transitioned the kids somewhere to eat lunch (usually AP). I don't recall any day them eating in the club- I'll have to refer to my navigators (yes I saved them LOL) to see if that ever happened and I missed it. We had "issues" with always trying to get Rita out or take her in right during transition periods. LOL

[crazypom]

the lunch was for my kids that were in the 3/4 group as we moved DD5 down to be with her brother. It was great for the kids and I'm sure alot easier for the counsellors. They had a choice of 3 types of sandwich, chips, fruit and a juice box. My kids really enjoyed it!
not sure if the 5-7 group did that or not???

[lbgraves]

Loving the reports! :) On our 12/10 cruise they were only keeping the 3-4 yo group in the club for lunch. They went elsewhere for dinner however. The 5-7 yos did go out of the club area for lunch & dinner.

[lbgraves]

:lmao: The kids kept every towel animal all week for "pets", thank goodness for the large area as they were starting to take over!

My kids insisted on doing the exact same thing last time. Needless to say, we had no counter space in the stateroom by Thursday night since we were in a category 4. :)

[JimB.]

Great report. My room 6056 was great

HiYa Neighbor!!

We were in 6050!!

BTW, great trip report. Keep it coming.

[abitjaded]

More, more! I always made Word files of my TRs. I would print out a copy, too, so I could keep them. Make the file, then copy and paste it in on the DIS server. I don't want your condensed version! Give me every detail so I may vicariously stay in the Roy Suite. If you cut and paste, then get bumped out, all is not lost. And maybe it is just hand waving, but seems like if I click and hold down on the link a bit, I am less likely to get "Server busy".

Carla

[anty30]

Crazypom,

I am sorry we did not get to meet you. Your trip report and pics are great. We were in the theater for the 1st tender also, so I guess we crossed paths. We also used Nativeway that day for the Island Tour and Stingray City. They were great. I highly recommend them. :thumbsup2

[crazypom]

hello, I am back :goodvibes Life is just so busy so bear with my extended posting time. Thanks Carla for those good ideas, I was wanting to print this for my scrapbook so that will help.

Day 5, Cozumel

Up again to a beautiful day and coffee on the balcony. Enjoyed our room service again. We were anxious to get an early start and head for Paradise Beach. Had been unsure of what to do but after reading such great reviews had finally decided on that. Had been told by concierge to call when we were ready and met Crunch on deck 1 to board directly rather than wait in the theatre. It was a nice perk of concierge service, esp today as it was very wavy and the tender boats seemed to take a long time to load. They seemed to be having alot of trouble keeping the walkway stable. Ended up at the bottom of the tender boat which kinda freaked me a bit but ended up with not too bad a ride. Off the boat just before 10. We had been told to head for the red striped taxis which were easy to find and prices posted. I think it was $26 for a van out to PB which was about a 10 min drive. I think the driver thought we were nuts as I made sure everyone had a seatbelt and he had to fish several of them out of the seats - not sure they had ever been used before!!!
Turns out we made a great choice in Paradise Beach. Got a great bunch of seats in front of the iceberg and an excellent server for the day, Fredy. It was $8 for a bracelet to use all the water toys (free if you didn't) and they just ask that you buy food and drinks (ya, like that was a problem :rotfl: )
Kids had a ball playing in the sand and swimming out to the water tramp and iceberg. DH very proud that he made it to the top of the iceberg (note the smaller childrens heads I think he used as stepping stones!_)

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3723.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3722.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3726.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3728.jpg

We had figured to be out there until 1 or so but ended up staying until 3pm as we were having so much fun. The food was excellent, "the best chicken fingers ever" according to my kids. The fresh salsa and guac was awesome, as were the burritos. Prices were also reasonable we thought. The only thing I didn't like was the disappearing beer - I could have sworn we didn't drink 2 buckets and yet it was all gone!!!!! :cool1: DD11 got her whole head braided and DD5 got 5 braids. Both said it didn't hurt and they lasted a good 12 days. (prob could have left a bit longer but getting fuzzy on top)

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3744.jpg

No problem getting a taxi back, there were tons of them just waiting there. The fellow we rode with said right now he only gets about 3 fares per day so they do alot of waiting. Again, different van, same seatbelt issue! (this guy not so keen to dig them out as he would "drive carefully" - no thanks, find me the seatbelts!!!)

Tender back easier as not as rough. Got ready for dinner and into our pirate costumes. I had gotten costumes at halloween so we were all set except we somehow forgot DD11's really great costume :guilty: So... she gets my cool Pirates of the Carribean shirt and mom just gets a black tee :guilty: Oh well, we all still looked pretty good! I had bought a bunch of dollar store pirate stuff and decorated the table before dinner - "wow, Mickey sure likes us" though the kids! We had lots to share with some other kids around us and they really enjoyed it.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3751.jpg

ok, remember DH, the one that never wants to go on a cruise, thinks I'm disney obsessed, isn't going to have any fun????? When I showed him his pirate stuff before we left I got "there's no way I'm wearing that". Here is a pic of the DH who now thinks this is the best vacation ever and can't wait to go again!!!!!!! :woohoo: Thank goodness for that Mickey magic ::MickeyMo

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3752.jpg

aah, it is so difficult to know whats best all the time :rotfl: :rotfl:

Loved the pirate dinner, again we continue to be amazed by the food. Kids out by 7:30 to head off to their activities and we enjoy a peaceful dessert (not that dinner with 4 kids isn't "peaceful" but you know what I mean!) DH has discovered a few nights ago that he quite enjoys port with his dessert (more on that later when we discuss the final bill!)
DMIL crashes by 9pm, it is hard work lying in the sun and sipping margaritas!!
Little kids too pooped for pirate party and also crash. Big kids off doing their club stuff and DH crashes at 9:30. Guess where I am.....on the deck enjoying my glass of wine (surprise surprise). I am embarassed to say none of us made it to the pirate party :guilty: Big kids showed up just in time to watch the fireworks from our balcony. We had a pretty good view and I was impressed to have fireworks at sea. Now that I knew I was coming back I wasn't stressing about fitting everything in - hopefully we will catch that next time! We did have alot of fun dressing up and with our pirate tattoos and got lots of great compliments.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3782.jpg

(my favorite towel animal!) Another great day in paradise, fun had by all :cheer2: I would highly recommend Paradise beach when in cozumel.
Hopefully day 6 won't take quite as long to get to. I do still have more roy suite pics but may make you wait "til the summary!!!!

[Babs417]

Did you try the $1.00 MIN. messuage Im sorry I cant spell. but it was great. Loved the beach.

[BethA]

your pictures are great--thanks for the report

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Your trip report continues to be awesome! Enjoying it- pictures and all. Thanks for sharing your trip with us! :)

[churchlady]

Hi Crazypom,
My kids want to go back, too! I just don't know how to make this happen! Keep up the good work on the report! I wish I was still there! Leigh (aka Churchlady)

[Kim&Chris]

HI Cari,
I am SO enjoying reading your TR! Great job! Ahhhh, memories!

I HATED getting off the Magic on the 27th (In fact, I got a little weepy as we drove away...shh don't tell anyone! :rotfl2: ).

That cruise was the BEST vacation I ever had, and I am counting the days 'til our next one in May '07 (we're doing the Wonder this time). We'll do a few days in Disneyworld beforehand, then follow with a 4-day Wonder cruise. I'm definitely hooked :love:

Looking forward to your next entry!

PS...We just got our DVD from the Stingray City excursion. :happytv: You guys are like the STARS of the video!!

[crazypom]

Hi Kim :wave2: , I agree, it was the best vacation ever, my kids even liked it better than DW and DL!!!!! We did get our video from the Nativeways excursion - it is great! Really makes you feel like you are there, and makes you want to go back!! We have watched it 3 times and the big kids are going to take it to school so well worth the money.

ok, day 6, Thurday at sea

Nice to take it easy this am, nothing to rush for! Enjoyed a leisurely breakfast from room service and DH went to Lumiere's. Little kids off to their club by 9:30 and hardly saw them all day! I had gotten over the fact that they were quite happy to spend time in the club rather than with me :guilty: However, to drown my sorrows DMIL and I did discover happy hour drinks from 10am-12 up on deck!! What the heck, its noon somewhere :cool1: Big kids had a variety of things mapped out for the day including flubber, magic workshop, towel folding. They really enjoyed having their freedom and it worked out very well for us. They could page if needed (but didn't) and we had walkie talkies (which were more of an amusement than anything). We set certain ground rules and spending limits and had no problems whatsoever. I think it was a good experience to have some freedom as I am usually overprotective. The only page I got from the 3-4 club was to bring DD5's heffalump!!!!

The grownups enjoyed touring the ship, sunning, reading, drinking, and just generally relaxing! We had scheduled a get together in our suite for some of the people we had met - Kim&Chris, Churchlady and family, Shannon, and our deck mates Kitty, Johnathan & kids from next door. Concierge kindly provided some nice fruit and cheese platters. It was alot of fun and I'm glad we were able to get together as it was tough to schedule everyones activities (mostly Churchlady's who was very busy with wine tasting and other drinking activies ha ha) :rotfl: I am hoping someone that was there took pictures as I forgot!

Time to get everyone ready for celebrate the journey - a cute show with all the kids that have participated in the clubs. They got to keep a t-shirt and graduation Mickey ears which were very nice.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3774.jpg

Dinner was awesome again, tonight was supposed to be our Palo night but we cancelled in favor of our regular table. If I remember right this was the lobster night and it was amazing! DD5 crashed around 7pm at dinner and slept until 7:30 am!!!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3781.jpg

Tonight was Disney dreams which we really enjoyed, I thought the guy that plays Peter was excellent.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3785.jpg

up to wander on deck and take some night pictures and saw all the evacuation excitement going on. It was a bit freaky when the jet had buzzed by the ship. The helicopter had to circle many times before picking up the ill person and it really is an amazing feat to hover over the front of the boat. Never did hear how they made out so hopefully all went ok.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3790.jpg

Didn't even try to fool myself into thinking we would do any late night activities this time!!! :rotfl: Enjoyed a book and beverage on the balcony as usual and slept like a baby! Keeping this one shorter so I can actually get this report done!!!!!!

[crazypom]

the report that never ends is finally almost over!!!

Day 7, Friday, Castaway Cay

We have really been looking forward to this day as I have read so much about how this is often peoples favorite day (come on, its just a beach right???) Well, woke up and enjoyed my coffee as we pulled into Castaway Cay - wow, can you say paradise??? We were lucky enough to have a great view as we pulled in. It looked a little suspect and there was a slight chance of rain but ended up with great weather.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3795.jpg

We had booked the Seahorse catamaran and snorkel for DH, big kids, and myself while DMIL took the little kids to get a spot on the family beach. There were very few people on the tour and it was alot of fun. It was a little rough in the water but we saw many different kinds of fish. It was freaky to swim next to the edge of the reef with open sea (think sharks) around. The ride didn't take too long and was enjoyable. I was amazed how shallow it is in the area around Castaway Cay.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3800.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3801.jpg

We really enjoyed it and the big kids were very keen to snorkel after Grand Cayman but in hindsight I would not book it on my 1st trip to Castaway Cay. We didn't get to the family beach until almost noon and really would have loved more time there. Little kids had gone to their clubs so we settled in for a beverage (I had to try the famous Konk cooler at least once :banana: ) and some sun!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3811.jpg

We had a great lunch at Cookies BBQ (more konk coolers!) and big kids off to the water fight. Did a little shopping and found some cute souveneirs (had to get them since you can't get them anywhere else!!!) DH went to get the little kids for lunch and in my infinite wisdom I suggested bringing theirs along "just in case". Of course they did not want to leave scuttles cove so chomped a hot dog and cookies at the entrance and ran back to play!!! At least we fed them :rotfl:

DH and big kids had banana boat at 3pm and loved it. That was a good thing to do as it was reasonably priced and didn't take too much time.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3819.jpg

collected the little kids just before closing for some time on the beach. The beach really seemed to clear out around 3-3:30 however we hung on until 4:30 or so when they were cleaning and stacking chairs!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3821.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3829.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3831.jpg

we really, really didn't want this day to end!! It was a beautiful spot with so much to do. I can really see the appeal of a double dip as I felt we didn't see even a 1/4 of the island - just too much to see and too little time. It also could have had something to do with the need to sample the various tropical drinks but I don't think so!!! :cool1:
stopped along the way back for the pics, trying to drag it out as long as possible. The group photo is the my favorite of the whole trip and I now stare longingly at it on my desktop!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3832.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3833.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3837.jpg

I am feeling sad as I write this as I remember how sad we all were to head for our final dinner!! We loved the 'til we meet again show, I may even have had a small tear in the corner of my eye! Our servers, as I mentioned, were excellent. I have heard reports of never seeing your head server but we saw and talked with ours every night. It was a standing joke to try to get DH to eat his vegetables. The first night we asked about getting raw veggies and dip for the kids and every night had a beautiful platter awaiting us on our table.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3839.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3841.jpg

Kids off to their clubs again and grownups off for last minute shopping, shutters, and packing. DD5 sobbed her heart out at leaving the club. She really bonded with Clare and we have since mailed a letter and some pictures. I can't say enough about the counsellors our kids had (3-4 and 10-12). They really excelled at a job that must be very difficult at times!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3843.jpg

Just got our stuff in the hall as the clock struck 11pm, boy was that a chore!!! Tried really hard not to overpack but still did. The good news was that I had enough clothes for everyone so didn't have to do laundry!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3844.jpg

time for the last glass of wine on the balcony. Didn't want to go to bed but knew the 6am immigration call would be coming soon!! Had really hoped to make pub night but didn't finish packing on time (note to self - next time do some Thurs!!) So far 7 nights and no adult shows/activites at night!!! (but that balcony sure is peaceful at night :rotfl: ) Oh well, there's always next time. It was an amazing day, tied with Grand Cayman as our favorite of the holiday, but also sad as its the last one :guilty:

day 8, the day they force you off the ship, coming next. More Roy suite pics and the summary of thoughts, tips, and ramblings from a first-time (now expert of course) cruiser :goodvibes

[kimsue68]

Hi Cari, I am totally loving your trip report!! It sure does bring back memories!! In 2 of your pictures there was my son in one and my niece in another!! My ds in in the kids club graduation, he is the one wearing his black and white pirate costume pants, he would not take them off and wanted to wear the whole costume!! My niece is in the corner of one of your beach pics, she is in a pale blue bathingsuit also in that one I think that my dh is far in the background too!! I love seeing the pictures that everyone posts from our cruise and always look for us in them!! Is that wierd!! :blush:

[soothy]

:lmao:
My kids insisted on doing the exact same thing last time. Needless to say, we had no counter space in the stateroom by Thursday night since we were in a category 4. :)
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: I did the same thing on my curise ( we just got back last week). Room stewrd even tried to stump me by leaving me a bed size crock....He fit well on the back of the couch...the worse part is that it was me and my DH without the kids... :rotfl2:

[soothy]

I am loving the report. Can you tell me a few of the perks for the suites. We are staying in one next year and just wonder what will be diffrent

[mrstbalt]

Great report and pictures! Where did you sit for the deck party when leaving port canaveral?? Looks like you had a good spot!

[crazypom]

Hi Kimsue, no I don't think its weird to look for your group in the other pics - look what you found in just mine!

For the deck party we stood on deck 10 starboard side (at the recommendation of BeanoC!) and it was great. Had a good view of the party, dumbotron, and simply moved over to the rail to watch us sail away to open sea! There were even some deck chairs if you wanted to sit.

Let me see...suite perks....It is almost hard to know what we "got" over non suite guests as we have nothing to compare to. I will do my best to think of some things but feel free to ask specific questions if you think of them. Separate waiting area by the ears at the port with tables, chairs and coloring for the kids, 1st boarding, concierge meet with snacks/drinks to arrange any reservations etc you may need, a place to leave our carry-ons at the meet (very handy!), treats every day for grown-ups and kids, at least twice daily contact to see if we needed anything, could have done 2 character breakfasts but didn't, offered more than one dinner at Palo but we didn't even do any, late booking for excursions/tours, fruit/cheese plates for our get together (could have had much more but didn't really need it, as it was there was tons left over),ease of tendering - they would meet at deck one rather than wait in the theatre. They were a really nice group and it was nice to have someone available to call with (stupid) questions, esp for a first time cruiser.

Some things, such as the large birthday cake (saw some groups with much smaller ones) I'm not sure if that was because we were in the Roy suite or not. We were able to move DS9 to the 10-12 group and he was just 9 in Feb - not sure if this is norm or again a "perk". We always had weather reports and list of character times and places in our room each morning - norm or "perk"? We did ask for a bridge tour/play the horn. Richard did check and it was not allowed for security reasons. Hope that helps, it was a great experience and we were definately spoiled!

May as well add the other roy suite pics - had to keep 2 of them out as DD5 has a naked thing going on alot (thanks lbgraves for the heads up to screen my pics :goodvibes ) I am hopeful she outgrows this before kindergarten in Sept!!!!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3703.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3705.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3706.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3709.jpg

The final day, aka the day they throw you kicking and screaming from the ship :rotfl:

Up WAY too early for the 6am immigration thing. Not fun with 4 kids but what can you do? At least they had coffee, juice, and pastries to keep everyone happy. Took the kids in their jammies and the entire process took less than 1/2 hour. Decided to go for breakfast today at 7 since we were up and a last goodbye to our servers. Another perk of cat 1 was that we could have had a continental breakfast in our room this am. Back to the room to pack the carry-ons and get ready to go :sad1: The kids were trying to come up with all sorts of ways we could hide on the ship - in the closets, elevators, lifeboats......DS9 and I ran up on deck for "one last shot"

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3846.jpg

I must say, unless you have somewhere to go, don't rush off the ship!! There were very long lineups waiting to debark early but when we left at 8:45 there was no one! Took a few last photos, had a tear in my eye (unlike DD5 who sobbed like crazy) and off we went.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3847.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3848.jpg

Off to collect our luggage, thank goodness for the porters!! It takes a certain talent to balance 11 pieces of assorted luggage on one trolley :rotfl: Very organized process, again no one around so I'm sure that made it easier.
Waited a few minutes for our limo to take us to the Hyatt MCO and all had sad faces

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3852.jpg

Unfortunately we couldn't bet a flight out until 8am sunday so spent the day at the airport hotel. It was kinda funny - it is a lovely hotel and normally we would have thought WOW, but after getting off the cruise and the roy suite it was just ho-hum! They had a nice pool on the 6th floor roof which the kids enjoyed. After swimming for a while, DD5 says "where's the ice cream"? "They don't have any here" i say. "Well why not" says DD5 - the world should now run as it does on the ship!!!!! :rotfl: All in all not a bad place to spend the day, nice pool, lots of places to eat and shop, and fun to watch the planes. Everyone had an afternoon nap and we were early to bed for our early flight. Home in Vernon, BC, Canada by 4:00pm (our time). It took a few days for all of us not to be up at 4am!!!

It truly was a magical vacation and everything I had hoped for. I often wondered after reading these boards if it would live up to my (very) high expectations and I am pleased to say it surpassed them!!! Will be back with my final ramblings, thoughts and summary :goodvibes

[engineergirl2001]

how did you get those buckets with the beach toys? did you order them?

thanx.
lisa

[crazypom]

we ordered "gift baskets" from Shirley at the perfect gift. You will find lots of info about her on the boards. The kids, naturally, assumed they are from Mickey as he always has special treasures for them when we take a disney holiday. DS9 even commented during the first week of our holiday (at Marriott Grande vista) that he was surprised Mickey hadn't left anything special!!! I think he was a little hurt that Mickey forgot him!!
We got 2 of the large buckets filled with sand toys, snacks, drinks, toys, coloring, underwater cameras (a huge hit with the big kids), and a balloon. They were absolutely stuffed with things! The sand toys/buckets were of good quality, not the dollar store stuff and we brought it all home (I knew that empty cooler would be good for something!) Shirley will personalize whatever you want in the basket.
I thought they were worth the money and the kids loved them. Used our sand stuff in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and CC. Would definately do it again!
hope that helps :goodvibes

[joshua121301]

Did you have Shirley deliver the flowers in the suite or were they provided by the ship?

Brian

[crazypom]

the flowers were beautiful!!!! We had a gorgeous arrangement with orchids that just "came with the suite" and the roses were from our travel agent (who also gave a $200 shipboard credit that we didn't know about so that was a nice surprise). I imagine they order the DCL roses - they lasted all week and made our table look so nice!

[crazypom]

hooray, I am finally finished this rather long-winded report :cool1: Actually, it was fun to write/read and I enjoyed other peoples reports before I went so much that I figured I should do my part.

BTW, I have been thinking about this while toiling away.....shouldn't a very long report be the equivalent to 1000 posts (at least) in the tag fairy's eyes???????? Just thought I would throw that out there :goodvibes

The long and short of it (mostly long) is that it was our most amazing family vacation ever!! We usually do several each year and have done some great things but this took the cake. I think it is the combination of relaxation, activity for everyone, and 1st class service. Remember DH, the guy that never wants to go on a cruise, well he absolutely loved every minute of it and would love to go back - says 2008 but I may keep my eye open for a cancellation in 2007!!!

My summary and (not so humble) opinions: (all over the ice but I will just say what comes to mind!)

The Roy suite - what can I say, the pictures don't do it justice! It was absolutely amazing and we are forever spoiled. Our princess (DD11) does figue she could survive cat 2 - how nice of her :rotfl: There was so much room that even with 7 people it did not seem crowded. On that note, it would be worth rounding up a few family members to share the suite with you! When DH finally had the nerve to ask what it cost (I do all the finances thank goodness) he actually said "that's not too bad, I thought it was more". Obviously, he was won over and would like that suite again :woohoo:

The Western Ports - would skip Key West with young kids. We felt the trolley would be too long and there just wasn't enough to see walking around (or at least not suitable stuff!) They did enjoy the aquarium which was close to the ship. It is too bad it is the first day as I was not yet comfortable to leave them in the clubs - by the next day when I knew how much they loved it I could have done that. Loved Grand Cayman and would highly recommend the Nativeways Reef, Rays, and Rum point tour. We had no problems whatsoever booking our own excursion. Cozumel was fun at Paradise Beach, had a great day. Both these days were great for our rather wide range of ages. And lastly CC, I am only sorry we didn't have more time! Get your butt out of bed and to the beach early as there is just so much to do and see! As mentioned, would book such a long excursion for the first time on CC - although now that I know I'm going back it doesn't matter :Pinkbounc

The food - we all thought the food was absolutely delicious (brought home 4 extra pounds to prove it!) DH is fussy BTW. It was also very nice that they brought us veggies and dip - sometimes the platters were enough for 20 which kinda made me feel wasteful! We enjoyed the Palo brunch but skipped it for dinner. Only ate ate topsiders once for the seafood buffet lunch, otherwise lunch was at Goofy's. Big kids loved going to get their own food, drinks and ice cream whenever they liked. The little kids liked the lunch in the club. Room service was great and we had it for breakfast each morning except the character and the last. This was partly due to our expanded menu in the suite - I'm sure if it was only the continental we would have eaten out more. Didn't ever try the "all hand on deck platter - just no time! Pehaps with a late seating but we found we were still a bit rushed for the 6pm dinner. Had cookies and milk delivered but no mickey bars (they had those for dessert every night). We really enjoy the various platters left by concierge each day.
We did have the premium (I think thats what it was called) wine package. I (laughingly) said on the first night "do you really think we will drink all that wine"??? Had to order an extra bottle on Thursday and Friday :rotfl: It was worth it as we did save some money.

The service - maybe we lucked out but thought all the cast members we encountered were great - very friendly and helpful. This cannot be an easy job and they certainly seemed to work hard to make the guests happy. Our dining team of Alexsandra, Don, and Beethoven were alot of fun and great with the kids. Room steward was Geronimo and he was a sweetheart. There was ALOT of stuff in our room and it was always so neat and tidy - at least for the first few minutes after he was there. Our cooler was always filled with ice.

The entertainment - okay, we are lame and didn't make any evening entertainment other than the 3 disney shows which were great. We really did have great intentions but it just didn't work out! However, that said, we felt plenty busy and entertained.

The clubs - our kids loved them!!! I think it really helped to keep the kids together. Even thought they didn't always hang out or play together, it is just nice to know your sibling is there. It was a good move to put DD5 with the 3-4, she just turned 5 and the activities really suited her. DS9 did great with the 10-12s and I think would have been bored in the younger group. His card also allowed him in Ocean quest because of being in the 10-12 group and he enjoyed that. DD11 made a couple of penpals before we left and that also worked out great. She couldn't wait to meet them and spent alot of time with Churchlady's daughter. I spent alot of time before we went showing the little kids pictures of the club online and looking at old navigators to tell them some things they might do. This really helped them feel comfortable the first little while.

The ship - again, what can I say...it is beautiful. By far the "prettiest" (can you call a ship pretty?) we saw the entire time. It is so clean and CM are forever wiping and polishing. Hand wipes are everywhere! DH only complaint was that there was no hockey in the sports bar (I think they only had ESPN) and it would be nice to have bigger pools. That said, our kids only went in 2 or 3 times. Took me awhile to get my bearings but everything was well marked. The kids found their way much faster than the adults! We were amazed, with the exception of the mickey pool, that you didn't feel like you were on top of people all the time. That was DH and my biggest "fear" and we were pleasantly surprised.

the final bill (gulp) :guilty: we had not idea what to expect with this. We did tip above the recommended as we felt the service warranted it, alcohol, souveniers, CC snorkel and banana boat came to $1900. For 7 of us I didn't think it was too bad as we didn't deny ourselves along the way. I hope that is helpful to someone in their planning.

Must do's: bring a soft sided cooler - I got one at Costco on wheels that holds 60 cans. Even if you don't drink alcohol it would be great for water, juice boxes etc and made a handy extra bag coming home!

-best tip - wear your swim suits under so kids have a quiet mickey pool. Had several people ask how we got our luggage so fast :rotfl:

- try to find a pen-pal for your kids or keep siblings together. I really think that helped our kids have a magical vacation

-don't be afraid to book your own excursions. Cruisecritic was an excellent source of info and both recommendations I got from there were excellent.

-wear pirate stuff and get some fun pirate things from the dollar store. We had alot of fun that night

- get to the port early if you can - we got up the escalator around 11 and didn't have enough time to enjoy the terminal as we boarded by 11:45

-if you have a big group, price out a limo for your transport

-remember you don't have to do everything!!! This was hard for me as that is not in my nature but really did make for a relaxing holiday.

-do DW first, I can't imagine rushing off to the parks so was glad we did the hectic part first.

-don't stress about yours or anyone elses wardrobe. I can honestly say I didn't notice what anyone else was wearing and it certainly had no bearing on my enjoyment of anything- ok, except the one lady on formal night who was almost falling out of her dress!

Maybe it was first timers luck, good weather, nice people, the Roy suite, or who knows but we just didn't have any negative experiences to add to the report. It was truly magical and I thank everyone for their great tips. My obsessive overplanning in no way ruined the magic, in fact it only helped.

I think thats it (I know, you are shocked I have finally stopped :rotfl: ) We will be back in 2008, most likely for an eastern this time, although big kids want an 11 day southern! Will be keeping an eye open for any cancellations though, hey, you never know :goodvibes

[marcij]

A wonderful trip report! I felt like I was actually on the ship with you. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

[joshua121301]

That was great!! Thank you very much for taking time and allowing us to live through your experiences.

[churchlady]

Cari (is that spelled right?), You are a wonderful communicator and did such a great job of conveying what our Western week was like. Pure Magic! Travelling with 4 children, no one could have blamed you for being stressed out, but you weren't. You had so much pixie dust collected off these boards that you and your family were just covered in it for the whole week. Thanks for spreading your joy. I would love it if we could join you for an Eastern week in 2008. Can you say "extra day at sea"?

Your friend, Leigh (aka Churchlady)

[DutchsMommy]

Cari, thanks for the report - really enjoyed it.

Can you tell me if you checked out any of the board games or movies available to the concierge guests? If so, can do advise what was available. Was there a DVD player in the suite?

Thanks!

PS - Is your DH cheering for the Oilers? I suppose they are all we have left LOL :rolleyes:

[crazypom]

we are very reluctantly cheering for the oilers - as canuck fans it is hard to do!!! There was a binder in the suite that had a very long list of movies that you could borrow, something for everyone. There was a DVD player in the suite as well. Just didn't get time to watch a movie, not even in the theatre!!! There were several games in the cupboard but alas, no time for those either! I don't know where the time went but we seemed to be busy (in a good way) all the time.

Hi Leigh, I would love to cruise the same time in 2008, prob April or May for us. We will have to keep in touch, the girls would love it. I kinda wondered in my report if I was just forgetting any negative stuff but there just wasn't any, it really was a magical holiday :cloud9: Just think, if we have an extra day at sea I might actually make it to some of those activities I had planned to!!! :cheer2: Lauren sent Mallory some pics, did you see them?

feel free to ask if you have any questions, I am now an official Roy suite with 4 kids, DH, DMIL, western carribean, wine drinking, balcony loving expert - at least in my own mind :rotfl:

[wearegoingtoDisney]

You have a beautiful family. I so happen to think two girls and two boys is just a wonderful family...I just had my fourth so now I have the same mix as you. I love that my daughters have a sister and my sons have a brother.

Anyways, back to the point...Thank you for sharing so much of your family vacation with us all. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to do the cruise once this newest bundle of joy is 3. I would then have a 3,6,8 and 12 year old. You were so kind to share the amount of your bill on board but now I am going to be really pushy....how much was the actual Roy Disney Suite? Feel free to ignore the question if too nosy but just wondering if I could ever save enough to do it like you did. It just looks so amazing!! You could do advertising for DCL! Thanks again for posting your report.

[mmhouse]

Crazypom,

We will be in the Walt Disney Suite in 2 months. It is very difficult to get any concierge information! I really appreciate you taking the time to post such a great trip report!

What time and where was the concierge meeting on the first day?

Did you do anything there other than meet the conc. staff and make any res you haven't so far?

We've heard inconsistancies about the soft drinks and bottled water in cat 1.
Did they provide you with soft drinks and water or not?

What time did you have to be out of your cabin on the last day?

Thank you for all of the great information!!

[joshua121301]

mmhouse,

When will you be in the Walt Disney Suite? We will be in the Roy Disney in 2 months and 2 weeks.

[crazypom]

wearegoingtodisney - thanks, I think they are pretty cute too! Congrats on your 4th. I have concluded that after the 4th a person may as well have 5 or 6 as the parents are seriously outnumbered!!! Lots of fun though :goodvibes I don't mind your question, everyone does know it costs alot. It was $13,500 for the 7 of us (thank goodness the cdn $ improved!!!!) minus a $200 credit + our bill at the end, + airfare.....ok, I have to stop thinking about it :rotfl: For us it was worth adding an extra week in orlando since we came a long way and the airfare was costly. I don't know if the cat 1's vary much from season to season. Even though it is an awful lot of money we really felt it was worth it to us and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity.

mmhouse - concierge meet started as soon as we boarded in Sessions. They had some sandwiches, snacks, beverages and we met 2 of the three concierge staff. They went thru a list of information, most of which I knew from these boards. I had already booked brunch and dinner and signed the kids up online. At that point we really didn't want to book anything else until we got settled and thought about what we wanted to do. It is really hard to know that you want a galley tour on thurs at this point - at least for us! Did get the kids pager and clubs organized. It actually took longer than I would have liked as we had to wait for the counsellor and we were keen to get to the pool. I would actually skip it next time and go straight to the pool and head there later, it was "open" for quite awhile. We were able to add things later in the week with no trouble. We had a supply of water and various soft drinks throughout the week and they were replenished. If you were not an obsessive planner and reader of these boards like I am, the meet may have been more useful. But, like anything, it will depend on what you want to do during your cruise. Oh ya, they also had someone there from the spa if you wanted to book anything. They were very nice and welcoming and we were able to leave all our carry-ons there until later.
I think we had to be out of the cabin at 9am- we were out at 8:45 and Geronimo was ready to clean! His usual morning tidy took an hour he said and turn down 1/2 hour so I would bet a complete changeover takes awhile!
I am sure you will love it....what's not to love about being totally spoiled for a week :love:

[soothy]

I am now an official Roy suite with 4 kids, DH, DMIL, western carribean, wine drinking, balcony loving expert - at least in my own mind :rotfl:[/QUOTE]

You go girl you earned it :dance3:

[BethA]

I think it would be nice if they sent those in Cat1-3, a letter explaining the concierge service and introducing themselves. On RCL they had an actual lounge with beverages and snacks where you could take out movies and games and actually speak to the concierge in person if need be. We might have used it if there were windows, but there was no view and the concierge always seemed tied up with someone "important" who monopolized his time.

If you have booked everything you need on DCL the meeting does waste a lot of your time. On our previous cruise they did have a small get together one late afternoon with drinks and appetizers up on deck. I think many who travel are unaware of things the concierge can do for you. i have learned different things here-never from them--for instance the parties they have put together in the suites, and ordering Palo dessert.

you'll love the suite--2 weeks to the Roy suite for us. it's always so hard to have the cruise end. We left our suite around 9 ater having a full breakfast delivered the last day--a suite perk. We kept the room neat, so i didn't feel I was putting Sompop behind and we were very generous with our tip since there is so much more to clean.

[mmhouse]

Thanks Crazypom and BethA!

Thank you for the advice! I have already booked everything we want. I think we will skip that meeting because I don't want to do something that is going to take up too much time. The kids are always ready to get to the pool! We may stash our carry-ons there if we have too many! I'm hoping to not have too many carry-ons - but that never happens!

Are they still letting you in your cabin at 1:30?

Did anyone ever order a dinner from the restaurants delivered to your room? We have early seating and there is always one day when we are really pushing it to get to dinner on time! It may be nice to just eat in the cabin that day!

BethA did you order Palo dessert in your suite or at the regular restaurant?

joshua121301 - I miss typed we have 3 months! We will be there in September for our anniversary. I wish we were on at the same time, but I can't wait to hear about your trip!!

Thank you,
Beth

[TRANQUILWATERS]

Crazypom,
Wow, what a great report. Loved reading it, Thanks!
I have a question for you about the Hyatt Orlando. We are going on the Magic Double Dip June 24th. Flying in to Orlando on Thursday June 22nd. We booked this Hotel for the 2 nights, but the pool looks to tiny on the web pictures! Traveling with DH, and 4 kids DS16 ,DD16, DS10 ,DD2
Do you think this hotel would be ok? I also have the Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort booked, Just can't decide which to choose. We want a relaxing place to stay with a nice pool and convenient. Just a little leary on the Hyatt Olando Airport.
We are not planning on any activities precruise. After the cruise we are staying at the Portifino Universal for 4 nights. Would love your advise on this. Thanks

[crazypom]

we did not order anything other than breakfast and cookies/milk. By the time we were done dinner we were all so full that couldn't even think about a late night snack and seemed to have just enough time to make it to dinner. Would not have made it with the 5:30, 6pm was about right for us. I did have my travel agent request 6pm for us and that was what was assigned when we checked in.

the Hyatt MCO was a nice hotel, the pool was not too bad. There were prob about 10 kids in when we were there and there was plenty of room. It is bigger than it looks on the picture. We have an 18x36 pool and it was quite a bit bigger. That said, if I had 2 nights I would prob go elsewhere with more to do for the kids. Don't know anything about Hyatt Grand Cypress but if it is similar to our pre-stay at Marriott Grande Vista then I would definately choose that. At least at a resort there is prob an arcade, better pool area, perhaps activities for the kids.
I should add how nice they were at the Hyatt - we arrived around 10:00 off the cruise and our rooms were ready for check in by 11am. I hadn't even thought about our early arrival so it was great that they were so accomodating. (I believe check in is usually 3 or 4pm)

[Downrivermama]

Great trip report.

My dd and I will be going on the Western this coming February. I was wondering if Key West was still "racey"? I was there about 15 years ago and it was enough to make me blush! I was thinking of booking on our own the Old Town Trolley tour, so we could get off at the different sites. I thought it would be neat to get dd's picture at the Southern Most marker. Oh, well maybe I'll just have to put my hands over her tender eyes! LOL! :rotfl:

[crazypom]

let's just say there was lots of snickering and "come see this" between DD11 and DS9. Thankfully they weren't quite old enough to "get" the worst of it or recognize the drug paraphenelia (?sp). At least thats what I told myself :rotfl:

[BethA]

We ordered the Palos chocolate dessert in our room one night, but i have read of servers getting it for you at dinner. we never ordered from the dining room menu, just plenty from the room service menu

[wearegoingtoDisney]

Thanks for sharing the price information. Wow! I will really have to keep saving. For me I think it would have to be a lottery win!!! I can tell that you realize that your opportunity was a blessing and I hope you and your family are able to experience it again someday!

[Stepht5]

Loved the report!

We are in the Roy (on the Wonder) in just under 3 months.

I had to LOL about the *no hockey* comment! Hockey is the ONLY sport we watch in this house. Season ticket holders to the Dallas Stars.
GoSTARS. :goodvibes

[crazypom]

it was hard to imagine no hockey especially during playoffs!!!!!! However, that was our only complaint of the whole holiday so I guess we did ok :goodvibes
I used to be a HUGE Minnesota North Stars fan in the days of Dino, Bobby, an Neal!! I even liked them better than the Canucks!

Can't wait to hear about your southern cruise. We would like to do that but I would be so worried about the weather - isn't that right in the middle of hurricaine season?????

[eeyoregon]

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing the more personal side of your trip: $$$! Like your husband, I too was surprised at the actual cost (easy for me to say cause' I'm not paying the bill :rotfl: ).

It really wasn't as high as I imagined. To put it in perspective, we paid $2,400 for 3 of us in a category 9 (oceanview deck 2) stateroom plus $700 in on board charges (our biggest excursion was Castaway Ray's on CC) and virtually no alcohol bill for us. You had 4 more people, "bigger" shore excursions, wine package, tipping, amazing accomodations, etc. so I think you did pretty well and by your trip report, had the time of your life which is priceless! :thumbsup2

Thank you for your wonderful trip report. If you are interested in adopting me (35) and 2 more sons (13 and 10) just let me know - we will gladly share that suite with you :lmao:

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Loved the report!

We are in the Roy (on the Wonder) in just under 3 months.

I had to LOL about the *no hockey* comment! Hockey is the ONLY sport we watch in this house. Season ticket holders to the Dallas Stars.
GoSTARS. :goodvibes

Go stars!
Hey you're "kinda" my neighbor. Well you know how neighbors can live kinda far apart in Texas but since EVERYTHING is kinda far apart it doesn't feel that far for us, right? LOL I'm up in Arlington all the time. I was there a few weeks ago for a friend's wedding. Howdy neighbor! :)

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

wearegoingtodisney - thanks, I think they are pretty cute too! Congrats on your 4th. I have concluded that after the 4th a person may as well have 5 or 6 as the parents are seriously outnumbered!!! Lots of fun though :goodvibes I don't mind your question, everyone does know it costs alot. It was $13,500 for the 7 of us (thank goodness the cdn $ improved!!!!) minus a $200 credit + our bill at the end, + airfare.....ok, I have to stop thinking about it :rotfl: For us it was worth adding an extra week in orlando since we came a long way and the airfare was costly. I don't know if the cat 1's vary much from season to season. Even though it is an awful lot of money we really felt it was worth it to us and I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity.

mmhouse - concierge meet started as soon as we boarded in Sessions. They had some sandwiches, snacks, beverages and we met 2 of the three concierge staff. They went thru a list of information, most of which I knew from these boards. I had already booked brunch and dinner and signed the kids up online. At that point we really didn't want to book anything else until we got settled and thought about what we wanted to do. It is really hard to know that you want a galley tour on thurs at this point - at least for us! Did get the kids pager and clubs organized. It actually took longer than I would have liked as we had to wait for the counsellor and we were keen to get to the pool. I would actually skip it next time and go straight to the pool and head there later, it was "open" for quite awhile. We were able to add things later in the week with no trouble. We had a supply of water and various soft drinks throughout the week and they were replenished. If you were not an obsessive planner and reader of these boards like I am, the meet may have been more useful. But, like anything, it will depend on what you want to do during your cruise. Oh ya, they also had someone there from the spa if you wanted to book anything. They were very nice and welcoming and we were able to leave all our carry-ons there until later.
I think we had to be out of the cabin at 9am- we were out at 8:45 and Geronimo was ready to clean! His usual morning tidy took an hour he said and turn down 1/2 hour so I would bet a complete changeover takes awhile!
I am sure you will love it....what's not to love about being totally spoiled for a week :love:

Wow, that's really not as much as I thought that suite would be- it's really not all that high! When you consider that a cat 4 family stateroom (ie: very cramped in my opinion) is quite often over 10,000 (which is why we went with 2 cat 10 SPH rooms btw LOL) -what you paid isn't all that much more and you had a lot more room than a cat 4 and concierge/etc. Wow!

Oh and btw -earlier in the thread I read you mentioned your 9yr old with the 10-12yr olds and then again your "tips" mentioned keeping siblings together. Was your 9yr old almost 10? Or is that something they allow for anyone or just concierge guests? Just curious. Keeping our older two together probably would have been great our last cruise. He kept wanting to do the things she was doing in 10-12yr olds, NOT liking the stuff they were doing in his group (some of the time) and kept wanting to go to ocean quest and such. Plus if they'd been together, maybe they could have kept sign in/out privileges because of staying together if they did/etc.

[crazypom]

DS9 had just turned 9 in February so was no where near the "cut-off" we had heard mentioned of "within a month of turning 10". We asked at the concierge meet and it was arranged no problem. I really don't know if they cut us more slack because of being in the suite or not but they did seem very interested in doing what the parent thought best for their family. For us it made the decision to allow more freedom easier as they were together. I think they were more comfortable to go to activities at first as they knew they had each other there.
We also, as you prob read, moved DD5 down to the 3-4 group to be with DS3, again a smart move as they prob would not have gone as much and enjoyed it if not together.
I think it is always worth asking, they certainly seem willing to accomodate as best they can.

yikes, if we go again in 2008 as planned DD11 will be old enough for the teen group - I however, will not be ready for that!!!!! :rotfl: (DS who would be 11 would definately stay in the 10-12!)

[crazypom]

Thank you for your wonderful trip report. If you are interested in adopting me (35) and 2 more sons (13 and 10) just let me know - we will gladly share that suite with you :lmao:[/QUOTE]


eeyoregon - I will keep that in mind should I wish to add anymore family members. To do a repeat of the suite if may be worth considering!!! :rotfl:

[AC7179]

I LOVED your report!

It made me want to book a cruise asap....and, of course, stay in the Roy Suite!

[Mrs Mouse]

Fab Pics !! Your kids are so sweet. Glad to hear that you had a great time !! We are trying to cionvince my DH to go on a curise!!

XMrs MouseX

:sunny:

[Stepht5]

Can't wait to hear about your southern cruise. We would like to do that but I would be so worried about the weather - isn't that right in the middle of hurricaine season?????

Hurricane season is from June 1st to Nov 30...isn't it? Not worried since I know cruise ships go around them. ;)

Hopefully I'll be able to write a glowing report! :love:

[tinytink]

I think it would be nice if they sent those in Cat1-3, a letter explaining the concierge service and introducing themselves. On RCL they had an actual lounge with beverages and snacks where you could take out movies and games and actually speak to the concierge in person if need be. We might have used it if there were windows, but there was no view and the concierge always seemed tied up with someone "important" who monopolized his time.

If you have booked everything you need on DCL the meeting does waste a lot of your time. On our previous cruise they did have a small get together one late afternoon with drinks and appetizers up on deck. I think many who travel are unaware of things the concierge can do for you. i have learned different things here-never from them--for instance the parties they have put together in the suites, and ordering Palo dessert.

you'll love the suite--2 weeks to the Roy suite for us. it's always so hard to have the cruise end. We left our suite around 9 ater having a full breakfast delivered the last day--a suite perk. We kept the room neat, so i didn't feel I was putting Sompop behind and we were very generous with our tip since there is so much more to clean.
We loved Sampop when we cruised the Magic in 2004. We had Loel back in May of 2006 he was nice and did a great job but not as memorable as Sampop.

[tinytink]

Hi Mishetta, you should have knocked!!!! We did get several door bell rings and no one there - just kids playing in the hall!

Hello Lee, it was sure great wasn't it?? It was so nice that Mallory and Lauren hit it off so well, I know that made the trip more fun for her :goodvibes That was very funny about the arcade $, we had a good laugh, unfortunately at your expense (literally!!) It was a fun get together in the suite, glad we had a chance to do that as it was such a busy week.

OK, day 2, Key West. DMIL and I had been to KW before, about 20 years ago so we were all looking forward to it. Woke up around 6:30, kids all excited..."can we go to the club now??" Got room service for breakfast, it ws nice as we had a more complete menu being in the suite. In fact, we did this every day except the last and character breakfast day. DH did go to Lumierre's for breakfast once and enjoyed it. Kids loved the chocolate pancakes and choc chip muffins. We put in a standing order for coffee everyday which was awesome to have out on the balcony. The room service guys were great, Alvin and can't remember the other guys name - very funny and always set things up so nicely.
Kids off to their clubs, they absolutely loved them :love: I had really, really hoped for this so we would enjoy some free time and it worked out great. DMIL and I off to concierge meet on deck 10 (read free drinks and appys) and DH wandering the ship. Enjoyed 2 bahama mamas and snacks and met the 3rd member of the concierge Crunch. She was really a lovely lady!
Grabbed some lunch to have in the room for all before we headed off to Key West. My kids loved the fries, hot dogs, and chicken fingers, did not like the pizza!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3558.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3563.jpg
Off we go to KW - can you say smokin hot! Didn't really have any set plans so just started walking. Found the aquarium shortly and needed a break from the heat so in we went. It was surprisingly good, didn't take too long, and had an informative tour. KIds enjoyed petting the nurse shark and DD5 found a "pet" she wanted to take home (no one else would touch the slimy, disgusting thing)
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3564.jpg
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3567.jpg
off we go again, DH really wants to see Margaritaville so we head off to Duval St. Had to stop in another block as it was so hot we needed ice cream (not a wise move in 90 degree heat and no shade to sit in!!)
Duval St was certainly a free education for the big kids, although not the kind you would want! I could hear the giggles and "oh, that's disgusting" as they peered in the shops. Whose idea was it to teach them to read?????
Came upon a rather large iguana and a sign saying "picture $10". Well, before I knew what was happening, the kids were on the bench, iguana, snake, 2 birds were on them and the guy is telling me $40 :furious: I don't think so......being the shrewd bargainer I am I got him down to $30 (can you say sucker) as by this point the kids are all screaming "get the picture". This guy was smooth - so he grabs my camera and starts snapping pictures as the iguana is inching ever closer to DS9's face! It all turned out ok, no animal injuries and a few cute pics!
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3574.jpg
Next we meet the Key West Gold man (freaked me and DH out) but kids thought he was cool.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3582.jpg Dropped some more money in his jar and got a picture and suckers for the kids - I had those things out of their hands and in the garbage so fast they didn't know what hit them :guilty: The big kids understood the safety implications but try to explain that to a 3 & 5 yo whose sucker you have just snatched from their hands!! And did I say it was smokin hot!!!!!! So far we have gone 3 blocks, spent a total of $80, made 2 little kids cry, and educated the big kids!!!! Are we having fun yet???? Off we continue to Margaritaville for a drink - "that's it????" we say, expecting something much more grand. Can't go in for a drink unless we order lunch which we've already had! Ok, time to rethink this, little kids are melting and we look at a map and realize we've only come a very short distance. DH and small kids head back to ship to swim (best idea of the day) and DMIL, big kids and I head for Ripleys Believe it or not. Again, a good idea, it is cool in here! They really enjoyed this and we spent about an hour before heading back to the ship. Note to self - skip KW with kids or do an excursion. Just walking thru the town was not worth it, although made worse because it was soooo hot and muggy (we are west coast canadians after all!)
Meet up with DH and small kids at pool, time for the drink of the day :cool1:
Which, I must say, were all very good!
Got ready for dinner, "do I have to wear that (DS9)". Tonight is AP - we really enjoyed the show and it was a surprise as I was the only one that knew what would happen.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3601.jpg Food was excellent again, Don (our server) already knows to offer 3 of the kids chicken fingers, fingerlings of chicken, or fingered poulet!!!! Only DS3 ordered anything else all week and it was pizza. After we got home DD11 tells everyone they had the best food ever on the ship :confused3
Did
dd 11th birthday celebration, the servers sang and she got a delicious large cake and a pin.
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/crazypom/PICT3606.jpgKids off to clubs, me off to check out shutters. Very good pictures and I thought pretty well organized considering how many photos they must take!! Did end up with 2 8x10, 7 6x8, and a bunch of the small ones by the end of the week. Did not seem to find time to get a portrait done but did get the pirate night and ship background. (if you haven't already noticed I will hop all over the place!)
Picked up small kids around 9:30pm (they never sleep in so knew we had to get them to bed). Enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony and watched two very large grey fish (sharks I think) swim under the spotlight (very cool). DH and I had planned to go back to KW for a drink but were just too tired.
Now, you know you are getting old when your DD11 and DS9 stay out later than you!!!! :guilty: They went to the boys and girls chill until 1am!!!! I don't know the last time I saw 1am since nursing a baby!!!!!! :rotfl: Here is me, asleep on the couch (good parent that I am) waiting for their return. At least I did wait on the couch, unlike DH who just went to bed!!!
A great first full day on the cruise, I already want to live here!!! :love:
Will try to get day 3 day done tonight, it is actually fun as makes me relive the cruise. Just think, a week ago today we were at Castaway Cay :guilty: :guilty:
we had don as our server back in 2004 also. he was really good.

[mmhouse]

Crazypom,

Where was your lifeboat drill?

Thanks,
Beth