The Sea Witch Stole My Voice! Our Two Week Land and Sea Adventure! COMPLETE 4/12

[englishrose47]

Oops Lessa I missed the update some how !!! But I will take one of each of the entrees and two of each dessrt!!!:rotfl2:Great pix of your servers and tablemates !!!:thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Oops Lessa I missed the update some how !!! But I will take one of each of the entrees and two of each dessrt!!!:rotfl2:Great pix of your servers and tablemates !!!:thumbsup2

:laughing: I probably won't get another update out until Sunday evening. I have an Anatomy test tomorrow then I work Saturday and on Sunday I am supposedly going shopping in the States.

[englishrose47]

:laughing: I probably won't get another update out until Sunday evening. I have an Anatomy test tomorrow then I work Saturday and on Sunday I am supposedly going shopping in the States.

No tests for me but between now and Monday night I am working 49 hours !!!!:scared1::scared1:

[jordanyosh]

No tests for me but between now and Monday night I am working 49 hours !!!!:scared1::scared1:

Mo money for WDW.

[englishrose47]

Mo money for WDW.

You got it !!!!!:thumbsup2

[cannp123165]

Hi! I have just caught up on the whole of your Trip report and have really enjoyed reading it. Your photos have made me want to go on a Disney cruise even more - it looks amazing! :)

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hi! I have just caught up on the whole of your Trip report and have really enjoyed reading it. Your photos have made me want to go on a Disney cruise even more - it looks amazing! :)

:laughing: That must have taken awhile! Glad you enjoyed it!

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Lessa! I'm all caught up now. Sorry you had so much rain. I'm glad you made the best of it. Did you think Quiet Cove was cold? I stepped in there once, and didn't even stay to look around it was so cold - I'll bet about 50 deg F. When I hear someone say they went to Quiet Cove, I just shiver at the thought. I'm getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it! :lmao:

Your last dinner looks really good. Your dress was really cute - love your pic with Minnie!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hi Lessa! I'm all caught up now. Sorry you had so much rain. I'm glad you made the best of it. Did you think Quiet Cove was cold? I stepped in there once, and didn't even stay to look around it was so cold - I'll bet about 50 deg F. When I hear someone say they went to Quiet Cove, I just shiver at the thought. I'm getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it! :lmao:

Your last dinner looks really good. Your dress was really cute - love your pic with Minnie!

I didn't have a problem with the pool. Two of the sea days the water was perfect and then one of the days it was a bit cold. The day it was cold was the day that it was sunny all day and super hot. :confused3 Didn't make sense to me as you would figure the sea day where it rained in the morning would have the colder water.

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

After dinner instead of following the usual routine of going to bed I decided to make the most of my last night on the ship. Mom went back to the room and I made my way to one of the overlooks in the atrium to watch Till We Meet Again. Till We Meet Again is a final character gathering that occurs on the last night of the cruise in the atrium. It is one last chance to get that character picture you were hoping for and is also a rare photo opportunity as all the characters will line up along the staircase to bid farewell to the cruisers.

I was hoping to get a spot on one of the lower overlooks but they were already packed by the time I arrived. I also did not want to be down in the crowd on the main atrium level. I had to settle with my spot on deck 5.

The early crowd

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14298.jpg

First all the characters were announced and came down the stairs.

I apologize for the dark/blurry pictures, I was having difficulties that night.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14303.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14305.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14306.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14307.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14308.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14309.jpg

After all the characters had arrived they spread our around the atrium and deck 4 for some informal photo ops. There were no photographers there or anything like that, it was very informal.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14310.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14311.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14313.jpg

Chip and Dale were being very playful and hiding behind the curtains.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14315.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14316.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14318.jpg

The atrium chandelier

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14322.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14324.jpg

After about 15 minutes all the characters took their places on the stairs for the final farewell.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14326.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14327.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14328.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14329.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14330.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14333.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14335.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14336.jpg

Click here to continue (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36127218&postcount=2794)

[cannp123165]

Great update! How nice to have all those characters together. :)

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Great update! How nice to have all those characters together. :)

It was a nice magical ending to the cruise. I also liked that if I had missed a character picture I wanted for some reason I could have got it there. :thumbsup2

[UGAFan0829]

Ahhh, the saddest part of the cruise! We missed the "Til We Meet Again" on this past cruise, but I remember how emotional it was the time we did see it. Something about all the characters being there and knowing that it's the last night gets to me. I have to say though, I love your tip about catching it from up above. I've only seen it from the atrium level, but I think I'm gonna try for one of the upper levels next time.

I can't believe your report is almost over. I sure hope you have another trip planned for very soon so that I won't go into withdrawals for too long!

[FauntleroyFAN07]

sounds sad, but also alot of fun, cause it is still a disney "show"
and those are always good.

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Ahhh, the saddest part of the cruise! We missed the "Til We Meet Again" on this past cruise, but I remember how emotional it was the time we did see it. Something about all the characters being there and knowing that it's the last night gets to me. I have to say though, I love your tip about catching it from up above. I've only seen it from the atrium level, but I think I'm gonna try for one of the upper levels next time.

I can't believe your report is almost over. I sure hope you have another trip planned for very soon so that I won't go into withdrawals for too long!

Sadly we don't have another Disney trip planned until May 2011 and we are considering canceling that and just putting the money towards our two week Orlando extravaganza in June 2012. We have other little trips that we will be going on but no Disney. :sad1:

sounds sad, but also alot of fun, cause it is still a disney "show"
and those are always good.

Yep, it is sad but fun at the same time. :thumbsup2

[jordanyosh]

I feel like I'm on the cruise again and it's my last night...I am actually kind of sad right now...I know that feeling all too well...

At least you were making the most of your last night.

[UGAFan0829]

Sadly we don't have another Disney trip planned until May 2011 and we are considering canceling that and just putting the money towards our two week Orlando extravaganza in June 2012. We have other little trips that we will be going on but no Disney. :sad1:


Awww, no! I can't wait that long for another TR!:scared1: You're just gonna have to do something about this!! By the way, it's not the Dream cruise that you're thinking of cancelling, is it??

[carissanboys]

What a neat way to end the last night! Must have been cool to see all of the characters together like that and I love that it was on the staircase. :goodvibes

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I feel like I'm on the cruise again and it's my last night...I am actually kind of sad right now...I know that feeling all too well...

At least you were making the most of your last night.

I am sad to be reliving the end of my cruise and also sad to be ending the TR. Although the TR has been dwindling lately so I think it is about time! :laughing:

Awww, no! I can't wait that long for another TR!:scared1: You're just gonna have to do something about this!! By the way, it's not the Dream cruise that you're thinking of cancelling, is it??

Yep, the Dream cruise. Nothing is for sure yet, just something that is being considered.

What a neat way to end the last night! Must have been cool to see all of the characters together like that and I love that it was on the staircase. :goodvibes

It was a very nice touch to the last night of the cruise. I too liked that it took place in the atrium and on the staircase. :thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Awww, no! I can't wait that long for another TR!:scared1: You're just gonna have to do something about this!! By the way, it's not the Dream cruise that you're thinking of cancelling, is it??

I may do a really really early TR for 2012 and do mini-TR's. :rolleyes1:laughing: We'll see though, don't know if anybody would even want to read something like that so far out.

[jordanyosh]

I will be a loyal follower.....

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I will be a loyal follower.....

:laughing: Good to know, you will be part of the trip though so I assumed you would read. ;)

[jordanyosh]

:laughing: Good to know, you will be part of the trip though so I assumed you would read. ;)

oh THAT trip...:rotfl2::rotfl2:

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

oh THAT trip...:rotfl2::rotfl2:

:rotfl:

[englishrose47]

I will be a loyal follower.....


:laughing: Good to know, you will be part of the trip though so I assumed you would read. ;)

oh THAT trip...:rotfl2::rotfl2:

I will also be a loyal follwer !! Oh that's right I am gonna be there too!!!:lmao:

Oh Lessa just think of the fun we will have coming up with "special missions" that include Jordan and The Bros !!!!:rotfl2::rotfl2:

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I will also be a loyal follwer !! Oh that's right I am gonna be there too!!!:lmao:

Oh Lessa just think of the fun we will have coming up with "special missions" that include Jordan and The Bros !!!!:rotfl2::rotfl2:

I don't know if Alek and Erich would go along with that. They are very resistant when it comes to "Dis" stuff and they don't like to plan their crazy antics, they are always spontaneous.

[UGAFan0829]

I may do a really really early TR for 2012 and do mini-TR's. :rolleyes1:laughing: We'll see though, don't know if anybody would even want to read something like that so far out.

Are you kidding me? You're like a star when it comes to trip reports!:flower3:

[FauntleroyFAN07]

i would read

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Are you kidding me? You're like a star when it comes to trip reports!:flower3:

Thanks :cutie:

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Hi Lessa!! I have been so busy at home the past two months! No time to get on here at all! So, I caught myself all up...but sadly your pictures are not showing up! :sad2: I am hoping they come back so that I can see them soon! I am going to get back to my TR this week also (after I catch up on reading others') if you are still interrested in reading!!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hi Lessa!! I have been so busy at home the past two months! No time to get on here at all! So, I caught myself all up...but sadly your pictures are not showing up! :sad2: I am hoping they come back so that I can see them soon! I am going to get back to my TR this week also (after I catch up on reading others') if you are still interrested in reading!!

I just saw that the pictures are down. Haven't had that happen in months! They should be up and working again in two days.

I am definitely interested in reading your report! :goodvibes

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

i would read

Thanks Dan. :goodvibes

[englishrose47]

Hi Lessa !!!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Pictures are back up!

I won't be updating this weekend since it is Easter. I figure that nobody will mind as weekends are always quiet anyways. Look for the update on Monday and this report should be finished by the end of the week!

[UGAFan0829]

Pictures are back up!

I won't be updating this weekend since it is Easter. I figure that nobody will mind as weekends are always quiet anyways. Look for the update on Monday and this report should be finished by the end of the week!

NOOOOOOO, we don't want it to be over!:sad2::sad1::sad:

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

NOOOOOOO, we don't want it to be over!:sad2::sad1::sad:

:goodvibes

[englishrose47]

Pictures are back up!

I won't be updating this weekend since it is Easter. I figure that nobody will mind as weekends are always quiet anyways. Look for the update on Monday and this report should be finished by the end of the week!

Awwww!! But thyen you will have more time to post on mine:rotfl2::rotfl2:

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Awwww!! But thyen you will have more time to post on mine:rotfl2::rotfl2:

:rolleyes:

[jordanyosh]

Have a great weekend.

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Have a great weekend.

It has been good so far. Beautiful sunny weather and very warm temperatures. :thumbsup2 I'm working a lot this weekend too so $$$! ;)

[englishrose47]

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh275/karebearlv/Easter/HappyEaster-19.gif

[OhMari]

Sort of glad Easter is over.
I've been to WDW 3 times over Easter, and it is hard being home,
even though I keep telling myself Easter is so crowded.

We are looking into a Disney Cruise to Alaska, but probably not till 2012.

The tipping thing sort of threw me off. I didn't mind paying for our person that cleaned our room, I always tip. But Royal Caribbean, price sheet was really high, plus the suggested tip prices was per person. Me and my dd's sort of got into a huge fight, because they felt our main waiter didn't deserve the whole tip, neither did our head waiter, just the water waiter. So our last evening, was a tad tense for all of us. Plus it was awkard giving our tip envelopes. We put the tips in one envelope, instead of 2 and they seemed a little peeved too that we did it that way. I explained that the tip was from all 4 of us, not just me. I just felt the whole thing was cheesy, and then watching them awkwardly putting their envelope in their pockets. I wish there was some other way.

Are you going to have final thoughts to end your TR?

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

We are looking into a Disney Cruise to Alaska, but probably not till 2012.

Hopefully Disney will be returning to Alaska that year so you can go on your cruise. :thumbsup2

The tipping thing sort of threw me off. I didn't mind paying for our person that cleaned our room, I always tip. But Royal Caribbean, price sheet was really high, plus the suggested tip prices was per person. Me and my dd's sort of got into a huge fight, because they felt our main waiter didn't deserve the whole tip, neither did our head waiter, just the water waiter. So our last evening, was a tad tense for all of us. Plus it was awkard giving our tip envelopes. We put the tips in one envelope, instead of 2 and they seemed a little peeved too that we did it that way. I explained that the tip was from all 4 of us, not just me. I just felt the whole thing was cheesy, and then watching them awkwardly putting their envelope in their pockets. I wish there was some other way.

I always feel a bit awkward handing tips directly to the person. :confused3 It is especially hard though when you give a low tip due to poor service, I'm always afraid that the person is going to come chasing after us to demand why they got a low tip. :eek:

Are you going to have final thoughts to end your TR?

Definitely! I still have two more regular updates to finish off the TR and then I will do a final thoughts post and answer any questions anybody may have about the cruise. :thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

After saying a final farewell to the characters I made my way back to the room. Mom had already set the bags out in the hallway and they had been taken away. Each stateroom is given colour/character coded luggage tags.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/IMG_7889.jpg

On the back you write your name and address and the number of bags ( 1 of 2, etc.) You put your bags out in the hall on the last night and then the stateroom hosts take them away and you collect them once you get off the ship in the morning. They are identified by the colour of luggage tag and that is how you find them the next day, you just go to the correctly coloured section. Of course you don't have to do this but it make disembarking much easier in the morning.

Our last towel animal of the trip...

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14337.jpg

Let me tell you, those little chocolates they give you are yummy! We didn't eat any of them while on the trip, I simply threw them into my purse and forgot about them. A week after getting back I "discovered" them and they were an unexpected and yummy surprise. :goodvibes

I wasn't ready to head to bed so I decided to make one last trip to the gift shops and take one last walk around the ship.

I ran into our "stalker" down by the gift shop so we got to say our goodbyes. He was a very nice man and it was always funny running into him around the ship.

During my last trip to the gift shop I picked up a super cute stuffed Minnie in a sailor outfit. It was hard deciding which stuffed character to get, they were all so cute! I also picked up a Nurse Minnie pin. Pictures to come in my final thoughts post. ;)

After my last minute shopping I went up to decks 9 and 10 to walk around and take it all in one last time.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14338.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14339.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2029th%20-%20Castaway%20Cay/D14340.jpg

I was sad that the trip was coming to an end but when I woke up in the morning I realized that it was a good thing that we were headed home...

Here are the navigators from that last day.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29001.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29002.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29003.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29004.jpg

Click here to continue (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36151547&postcount=2806)

[k_reile]

Caleb has the sailer mickey and minnie. My aunt brought them home from their DCL cruise as their gift to him when he was born! But I don;t want him playing with them! LOL! I want to keep them as nice for as long as possible...but someday he will realize they are there! LOL!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Caleb has the sailer mickey and minnie. My aunt brought them home from their DCL cruise as their gift to him when he was born! But I don;t want him playing with them! LOL! I want to keep them as nice for as long as possible...but someday he will realize they are there! LOL!

It was so hard to choose! They had a bundle pack with all of them for $50 but they were all smaller versions. I was very tempted to buy it but ultimately I decided I would prefer the bigger Minnie for less money over a bunch of small ones.

You need to go on a cruise and buy another set! One to play with and one to look at! ;)

[OhMari]

Love the nite shots.
Disney thinks of everything for the luggage slips. We just had a yellow slab of paper. I was a little nervous, putting our luggage outside our door.

Did Disney have any sales in the shops the last day. I ended up buying a bunch of t-shirts. In the shops, the t-shirts were $45 a piece, but on the last day, you could get 2 for $30. Then outside by the pool, they had a table sale, where you could get 2 t-shirts for $15. Those shirts looked liked knock-offs from a store on one of the islands. Otherwise, there was nothing nice to buy on the ship, unless you wanted over priced jewelry. I almost forgot, you could buy silver or gold chains by the inch. I think it was $1.00 an inch. I saw a lot of people walking around with new gold/silver necklaces, especially men.

[carissanboys]

Chocolate surprises from the cruise once you were home is very cool. :thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Love the nite shots.
Disney thinks of everything for the luggage slips. We just had a yellow slab of paper. I was a little nervous, putting our luggage outside our door.

Did Disney have any sales in the shops the last day. I ended up buying a bunch of t-shirts. In the shops, the t-shirts were $45 a piece, but on the last day, you could get 2 for $30. Then outside by the pool, they had a table sale, where you could get 2 t-shirts for $15. Those shirts looked liked knock-offs from a store on one of the islands. Otherwise, there was nothing nice to buy on the ship, unless you wanted over priced jewelry. I almost forgot, you could buy silver or gold chains by the inch. I think it was $1.00 an inch. I saw a lot of people walking around with new gold/silver necklaces, especially men.

They did have a sale but not on the last day, it was on one of our sea days.

Chocolate surprises from the cruise once you were home is very cool. :thumbsup2

:thumbsup2

[englishrose47]

Great Last evening update Lessa !!!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Great Last evening update Lessa !!!

Thanks Rosie. :goodvibes

[Mysteria]

Everything looks so peaceful for your last walk around the ship.

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Everything looks so peaceful for your last walk around the ship.

It was so quiet up on deck, everybody was probably scrambling to get their bags packed. :rotfl:

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I love how DCL lights there ships at night so much beater the the others.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3629/3362569425_f4576c7c56_d.jpg
A caravel cruise ship lit up at night. Doesn't it look like they have Christmas lites up?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3558/3362570535_d2f8a9583c_d.jpg
And the magic in her glory at night. (I took this one without a flash

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I love how DCL lights there ships at night so much beater the the others.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3629/3362569425_f4576c7c56_d.jpg
A caravel cruise ship lit up at night. Doesn't it look like they have Christmas lites up?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3558/3362570535_d2f8a9583c_d.jpg
And the magic in her glory at night. (I took this one without a flash

Very nice :thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

For some reason my body naturally woke up at 5:30 on that final morning. No way I was getting out of bed yet so I rolled over and went back to sleep. About an hour later I was woken up by a loud bang! crash! and the ship was shaking. A pretty frightening way to wake up! Visions of the Magic sinking were running through my head. Of course nothing like that happened. :laughing: Whoever was directing the ship to the dock was not doing a very good job as instead of gliding smoothly in it banged right against the side thus jerking us all awake. I bet that person got a good talking too. :rolleyes1 I'm curious if there was any damage done as it was a pretty big jolt we felt.

There was no point going back to sleep at that point so I rolled on out of bed. Now we finally get to the story behind my TR title. That final morning when I woke up I had almost completely lost my voice! The most I could manage was a whisper and even when I did that I sounded like an old lady. On top of that I was so congested and achy. Yuck! You will remember how I was sick on our port day in Tortola? Well I guess it did not go away after all but just went into hibernation. I had been experiencing a somewhat sore throat for the few days in between but nothing that was very alarming. That morning though was horrible. I told Mom that hopefully nobody at customs or the airport would want to speak directly with me or they would not be able to understand a word I said. So I wonder when it was that the Sea Witch put her curse on me to steal my voice? Was it when we saw her at Hollywood Studios in the rain? Was it during the Golden Mickey's on that cool and rainy sea day? Or did she sneak up on me when I was splashing around in the water on one of the port days? Unfortunately for me I did not land a handsome and rich prince out of the deal like Ariel did, just a lot of mucus. ;):laughing:

There was still some time before we could get off the ship so we sat out on our balcony eating some breakfast (we had snagged some fruit from the buffets the night before) and I sucked on some cough drops. Even though the ship was docked in port they still had to unload all the luggage so that takes awhile. It was a beautiful morning and we got to savor our last few minutes of vacation watching a beautiful golden sunrise with dolphins swimming around in the water right next to us. :cloud9:

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6838.jpg

Carnival ship coming in behind us

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6840.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6842.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6845.jpg

This is the only picture I could get of the dolphins, they are fast!

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6846.jpg

Just after 7am we decided to make our way down to the lobby. We gathered up all our belongings, triple checked the room to make sure we had everything and then bid farewell to our lovely stateroom. :sad1:

There were a lot of people in the lobby waiting to get off early so we were not the only ones skipping the farewell breakfast in the restaurant.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6849.jpg

A family standing near us was having a heated argument about their stateroom bill. I guess somebody went a little too crazy with the onboard spending. :rolleyes1 They slip your final bill under your door at some point overnight. It is always a good idea to look over and make sure that you were not accidentally charged for something that another stateroom purchased. Mom and I kept up with this throughout the trip so we only had to give the bill a quick glance.

Right around 7:30 they released this banner and opened the doors so we could start heading off the ship.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6853.jpg

You cross over the gangway and down into the lower level of the DCL terminal. Down there they have all your bags assorted in group colours and then once you find yours you proceed to Customs and Immigration. The whole process took MAYBE 5 minutes. It was very fast and quick. I couldn't get a picture of the area as they have Security there who will yell at you if they see your camera out. :rolleyes1

The Budget rental shuttle was waiting for us as we exited the cruise terminal and so we were off to pick up our car in no time at all.

We were on the road by 8am. So total time from leaving the ship atrium to the time it took to hit the road with our rental was 30 minutes.

45 minutes later we were at the Orlando airport.

JetBlue made us check in at an automated kiosk to get our boarding passes and then we had to get in line to get our checked bags tagged. That was a bit weird as we had always just done both at once by going to the desk, guess you can't do that at MCO anymore.

We had lots of time to spare so we wandered the shops just browsing, no lines at Security so that was a breeze.

At our gate there was a lady who was trying to fly with her dog. She had gone on the JetBlue website to make sure that her pet carrier was the correct measurements, the size had been approved when she checked in for her flight and now the flight attendant was telling her that she could not bring her dog on as the carrier was too big! Well naturally she put up a bit of a fuss as she had been very careful about making sure it was the right size and it had already been approved that day by JetBlue staff. Well eventually the flight attendant relented and told her "this time they would let it go but she would not be able to do it again". :rolleyes: Seemed to me that the flight attendant was the one who made a mistake and didn't know what she was talking about. The dog was very calm through this whole thing, didn't make a sound and was so well behaved!

Soon after we were all boarded onto our flight and were making our way back to Syracuse. It was an uneventful flight and passed quickly.

We made our traditional stop at the grocery store before crossing the border to pick up some stuff we can but in Canada (junk food) and then we made our way home.

The border crossing was really east and thankfully nobody that day at both customs stops or at the airport needed to talk to me. :rotfl:

Almost home!

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6855.jpg

It's not the Caribbean but it is not too shabby! ;)

The temperature difference was huge in New York and Canada compared to Florida. I was shivering in my shorts and tank top.

When we got home this is what we were greeted with...

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_6857.jpg

It was great to be home, I may have felt differently if I wasn't sick... It took me over a week to sound normal again and two weeks to be completely recovered from whatever the heck I had caught.

It was a fantastic trip even with all the rain and I had so much fun sharing it with you. Don't go away as I still have my final thoughts/souvenir post and a possible link to my next PTR!

Also I am happy to answer any questions people may have about the cruise or the trip in general. So feel free to ask away!

[FauntleroyFAN07]

sounds like a smooth trip home.

those are some really good sunrise pics, and the dolphine one still turned out good.
:thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

sounds like a smooth trip home.

those are some really good sunrise pics, and the dolphine one still turned out good.
:thumbsup2

The sunrise was gorgeous! I loved how the sky and water were a lovely golden red colour.

[englishrose47]

Wonderful conclusion to the trip Lessa !!! When will you be starting a PTR for Peepfest!!!

[k_reile]

yes Cananda is not the Carribbean but I choose to vacation every year in Canada. My grandparents have 2 cabins on an island at Whitefish Falls, ON (about a half hour from Espanola if you know where that is) and I loved going there every summer of my youth. Unfortunately I have only been back 2 times since I graduated high school and that will have been 12 yrs this summer. My DH family also goes to Horwood Lake every summer which is about an hour away from Timmons,ON. We will be going with DH family again...and let me tell you that is a haul from NW ohio! LOL!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Wonderful conclusion to the trip Lessa !!! When will you be starting a PTR for Peepfest!!!

Don't you think I should do a TR for the upcoming cruise first? ;):laughing:
yes Cananda is not the Carribbean but I choose to vacation every year in Canada. My grandparents have 2 cabins on an island at Whitefish Falls, ON (about a half hour from Espanola if you know where that is) and I loved going there every summer of my youth. Unfortunately I have only been back 2 times since I graduated high school and that will have been 12 yrs this summer. My DH family also goes to Horwood Lake every summer which is about an hour away from Timmons,ON. We will be going with DH family again...and let me tell you that is a haul from NW ohio! LOL!

:laughing: I have no idea where those places are but I'm assuming they are probably in cottage country north of Toronto. :laughing: It is a bit of a shame that I don't know the geography of Ontario. I can name of the big cities and where they are but that is about it.

[jordanyosh]

Ahhh..that last morning is always kinda sad....I love the DCL's disembarking process...it's so much easier than any other cruise line.

I would've loved to be greeted by your brothers!:rotfl2:

[Mysteria]

Sorry your illness got that much worse. :sad2:

What a beautiful sunrise with dolphins for a final send off!!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I would've loved to be greeted by your brothers!:rotfl2:

:laughing: The house was still intact so that was a good thing. ;)

Sorry your illness got that much worse. :sad2:

What a beautiful sunrise with dolphins for a final send off!!

It really sucked coming home sick but it could have been worse, it could have worsened earlier in the trip. I didn't it let me slow me down though. I went back to work the next day and answered the phone croaking like an old lady. :rotfl:

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

I was able to look back at the pix that were not showing before...very nice!! Loved all the characters together like that!!! I can't wait to hear about your plans for your next trip!! We are planning a trip back next March and I think we are going on a 3 night cruise before the parks. So, since you said to ask...I think my biggest question is about the attire on the ship. What exactly is appropriate for the restaurants?? (For adults and children) I am sure I read somewhere that men had to wear pants...no shorts or jeans ever?? I have plenty of dresses and so does my daughter. My husband and boys are more of cargo shorts kind of guys!! So, I definitely want to be prepared ahead of time. I think that's all for now!! Thanks!

[UGAFan0829]

I got chills when I saw the pics of the sunrise, and it brought back the sad feeling I had on the last morning of our cruise. I have soooo enjoyed your report. I'm excited to read your final thoughts and see all the souvies you snagged, but most of all I can't wait for your next TR!

By the way, I hate to hear that you woke up sick that last morning, but I'm glad it waited to hit until then. It would have really stunk if you'd been that way during the whole cruise!

[jordanyosh]

:laughing: The house was still intact so that was a good thing. ;)


:rotfl2::rotfl2:

It wasn't burnt to the ground?

[emmaca]

[QUOTE=Lifelong_Dreamer;36163556]:laughing: The house was still intact so that was a good thing. ;)/QUOTE]

Are you sure Lessa???, don't you remember Alek's post :rotfl2::rotfl2:" See link on this thread for May 20-"Alek interrupts this trip report... "or type in http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=32729465&postcount=817.

[carissanboys]

Your pictures of the sun were gorgeous! :goodvibes I love to watch dolphins. Almost every time we go to the beach here we see them.

Sorry you ended your trip sick, but at least the worst of it held off until the end.

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

I was able to look back at the pix that were not showing before...very nice!! Loved all the characters together like that!!! I can't wait to hear about your plans for your next trip!! We are planning a trip back next March and I think we are going on a 3 night cruise before the parks. So, since you said to ask...I think my biggest question is about the attire on the ship. What exactly is appropriate for the restaurants?? (For adults and children) I am sure I read somewhere that men had to wear pants...no shorts or jeans ever?? I have plenty of dresses and so does my daughter. My husband and boys are more of cargo shorts kind of guys!! So, I definitely want to be prepared ahead of time. I think that's all for now!! Thanks!

Attire: With Disney the guidelines say no shorts or jeans but they do not really enforce that. If the boys really like their cargo shorts just make sure they are paired with a nice shirt or polo and they should be good. We saw a wide range of attire in the dining rooms ranging from the super casual shorts and t-shirt to the very formal. If you want to stay in the guidelines you could get them some cheap but nice looking khaki pants to wear to dinner and then they can change right after. One of our male tablemates wore shorts almost ever night and several of the nights he wore a t-shirt. On our last night you could can see in the picture that Mom and one of our tablemates were wearing sweatshirts, and two were wearing t-shirts. The only place where the dress code is mandatory is Palo which is the adults only restaurant and now the newly announced Remy which is a new restaurant on the Dream. So just go with what is comfortable for your family but still looks nice and you should be fine. :thumbsup2

I got chills when I saw the pics of the sunrise, and it brought back the sad feeling I had on the last morning of our cruise. I have soooo enjoyed your report. I'm excited to read your final thoughts and see all the souvies you snagged, but most of all I can't wait for your next TR!

By the way, I hate to hear that you woke up sick that last morning, but I'm glad it waited to hit until then. It would have really stunk if you'd been that way during the whole cruise!

It was great having you read along and it was fun to compare our cruise experiences. :thumbsup2

You are right, better to get sick at the end, wouldn't have wanted to get quarantined to my room! :laughing:

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

It wasn't burnt to the ground?

Thankfully not, I can only imagine the chaos that would have occurred if we all had to move into Alek's tiny apartment. :laughing:

Your pictures of the sun were gorgeous! :goodvibes I love to watch dolphins. Almost every time we go to the beach here we see them.

Sorry you ended your trip sick, but at least the worst of it held off until the end.

It was such a beautiful sunrise, I am glad that we got to see it.

Isn't it fun seeing the dolphins at the beach?! I used to love that too. :thumbsup2

[jordanyosh]

How old are your brothers now?

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

How old are your brothers now?

24 and almost 21

[jordanyosh]

24 and almost 21


wow

[Mysteria]

24 and almost 21

One of my nephews is in between your bros. I just had an I feel old moment. :laughing:

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

wow

Did you think they were older or younger than that?

One of my nephews is in between your bros. I just had an I feel old moment. :laughing:

:laughing:

[DisneyJo]

Beautiful sunrise photos Lessa and wow you got off the ship very fast!

Sorry about your voice and I'm even more sorry that you didn't get a gorgeous Prince :rotfl:

[englishrose47]

Okay Lessa and Beth we know how old the Bros. are !!!! How old to they act!!!!:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Beautiful sunrise photos Lessa and wow you got off the ship very fast!

Sorry about your voice and I'm even more sorry that you didn't get a gorgeous Prince :rotfl:

:rotfl:

Yes, Mom and I wanted to make sure that we allowed plenty of time to get to the airport as we were not sure how long the whole luggage/customs process would take and then picking up the rental.

Okay Lessa and Beth we know how old the Bros. are !!!! How old to they act!!!!:rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:

Depends on the situation. :rolleyes1

[englishrose47]

:rotfl:

Yes, Mom and I wanted to make sure that we allowed plenty of time to get to the airport as we were not sure how long the whole luggage/customs process would take and then picking up the rental.



Depends on the situation. :rolleyes1


Good answer !!!:lmao::lmao:

[princess_momma]

I'm SO SAD this trip is over!! Can you move your next cruise up so I can have a new tr from you to read? They are the best!! :rotfl: Or you could just start a ptr now and re-live this cruise AGAIN for us...:rotfl2: I'm just kidding...but seriously...

[jillianml]

My daughter and I love reading your reports!You are a great writer and hilarious!

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Good answer !!!:lmao::lmao:

;)

I'm SO SAD this trip is over!! Can you move your next cruise up so I can have a new tr from you to read? They are the best!! :rotfl: Or you could just start a ptr now and re-live this cruise AGAIN for us...:rotfl2: I'm just kidding...but seriously...

:laughing: Well I plan on finishing this report tonight and hopefully starting a PTR. I have lots of little trips that I can write about in the PTR while waiting for next summer to get here. ;) In fact, I am headed on a non-Disney trip at the end of the month with some friends to celebrate the end of the school year. ;)

My daughter and I love reading your reports!You are a great writer and hilarious!
Thank You! I am so glad that you both enjoyed my reports. :goodvibes

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Here we are at the end of a journey. I want to thank you all for taking this ten month journey with me as I relived my fantastic two-week land and sea adventure.

The Highlights

Walt Disney World
The Mammoth May Meet - It was so much fun getting to meet so many Disers all at once. The addition of our own personal photopass photographer and the addition of Aurora in our pictures was just icing on the cake and a perfect example of excellent guest service. Disney did not charge us a cent for this basically private photography service and it made our day and trip very magical.

Meeting Rosie - It was fantastic getting to meet fellow Focker Rosie and I will always remember the time we spent with her in the park, especially our wonderful encounter with Pooh and friends.

Characters - We had some wonderful character interactions including Pooh and the gang, Belle, Tink, Caspian. They were all fantastic and interacted with us a great deal.

Chefs de France - The food here was so delicious and having Remy visit the table was a magical touch.

The Plaza - A lovely restaurant tucked away on the side of Main St. It is not a big restaurant nor one of the high-demand restaurants but it hits the spot. The food is simple and delicious and the prices are very reasonable!

Flower and Garden Festival - I was so happy that we got to visit Disney while this was going on. The flowers and displays were beautiful and I loved seeing that extra splash of colour added to the already beautiful Epcot.

Star Wars Weekends - As a big Star Wars fan this was lots of fun for me. I would never plan a trip down solely for this event but I was very excited to find out that it would be opening while we were there.

World Showcase Players - It was fantastic seeing Mom get picked to play the role of Edna in the Players production of Romeo and Edna. Completely hilarious!

The Cruise

All the ports we visited were simply amazing. It would be very difficult for me to chose a favourite, they were all so fantastic.

The Baths were completely gorgeous and unique. An adventurous beach excursion that is a definite must-see for any who visit the BVI.

Trunk Bay - Simply gorgeous. That white sand beach and beautiful blue water is the stuff dreams are made of. It is hard to imagine a more perfect place.

Castaway Cay - Paradise! My only regret is that we did not get more time on the island.

The stateroom - Our room was fantastic. It was nice and spacious and comfortable and it was great having our own verandah. The split bathrooms were a great feature.

The restaurants - The food was great and so was the service. I loved that our servers followed us each night to the different restaurants.

The shows - They were all magical and well-produced. They definitely lived up to the quality entertainment that I have come to expect from Disney.

The ship itself was beautiful and you would have never know that it was filled to capacity.

The Not So Good

Obviously the weather was a big factor during bother parts of the trip. It was pretty depressing to get rained on for pretty much the whole two weeks. There were only 4 days out of the whole two weeks where it did not rain and even on those days the weather was not perfect. We tried to make the best of it and did not let it ruin the trip but I would be lying if I said we were not disappointed.

Getting sick was also a downer. Luckily other than that one hour while at The Baths I was fine until the last day.

My feet. This was entirely my own fault thanks to my poor footwear choice. I learned my lesson and it is just too bad my feet suffered for most of the trip.

Other than that there were not really any cons to the trip. Overall it was a fantastic time and I would definitely do it again.

Here's the fun stuff I picked up on the trip.

My Sailor Minnie and the Tink pillow that Mom bought me as an early birthday present.

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7887.jpg

Lots of pins

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7897.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7898.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7899.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7900.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7901.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7902.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7906.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7913.jpg

The little Mineral tree I got at the T-Rex Cafe

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7907.jpg

My new piano book

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7908.jpg

Our light-up Pirate Night cups

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7909.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7910.jpg

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/ll421/polnickyhunt/Disney%20May%202009/May%2030th%20-%20Departure/IMG_7911.jpg

Thanks once again and feel free to follow me to my new PTR! A Dream of a Dream (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=36232239#post36232239)

[jordanyosh]

so sad it's over, but you have another one going so I guess I'm okay!!!!

[UGAFan0829]

Wow, I can't believe that it's over. I just have to say once again, that I have very much enjoyed reading along the entire way. You are a great writer, and it was so much fun learning about your adventures. I can't wait for the next one. Thanks for taking the time to share all of this with us...I know how time consuming writing a report can be, so thanks!!:thumbsup2

[carissanboys]

You came home with some great loot! :thumbsup2 Can you get the cruise pins anywhere else or just on the ship?

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, Lessa! :goodvibes

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

so sad it's over, but you have another one going so I guess I'm okay!!!!

Thanks for reading Jordan, I always look forward to your comments. :goodvibes

Wow, I can't believe that it's over. I just have to say once again, that I have very much enjoyed reading along the entire way. You are a great writer, and it was so much fun learning about your adventures. I can't wait for the next one. Thanks for taking the time to share all of this with us...I know how time consuming writing a report can be, so thanks!!:thumbsup2

I love writing the reports, I see it as a fun and relaxing activity and would much rather write my TR than work on school papers. :rolleyes::laughing:

You came home with some great loot! :thumbsup2 Can you get the cruise pins anywhere else or just on the ship?

Thanks for sharing your trip with us, Lessa! :goodvibes

The pins are only for sale on the ship, or ebay! :laughing:

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Great end Lessa!! Love the souvies!!!! That shirt is sooo cute! From Tren-D??

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Great end Lessa!! Love the souvies!!!! That shirt is sooo cute! From Tren-D??

Yep, it is from Tren-D. Mom bought it as a goal shirt for herself and I have confiscated it in the meantime. :laughing:

[FauntleroyFAN07]

well being a lover of disney pins, i have to say those are my favorites, and you scored most of those for free didnt you?

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

well being a lover of disney pins, i have to say those are my favorites, and you scored most of those for free didnt you?

Nope, you have to buy them. Some of them were really cheap though and come as a set.

[cannp123165]

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us! Looking forward to the next one. :)

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us! Looking forward to the next one. :)

Thank you for reading! It was lots of fun writing about and sharing the trip with you all. :goodvibes

[Mysteria]

Love the Tink pillow!!

So sad it's over. Going to have to follow along on the ptr until it's tr. :thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Love the Tink pillow!!



Isn't it pretty?! :lovestruc

[DisneyJo]

The Tink cushion is so cute and wow you got a lot of new pins :)

Thanks for a great TR as usual Lessa :thumbsup2

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

The Tink cushion is so cute and wow you got a lot of new pins :)

Thanks for a great TR as usual Lessa :thumbsup2

I couldn't resist the Sailor Minnie and Nurse Minnie pins and Mom bought the others. They had some good deals on their pins though, some of them were 3 for $10.

[charming23]

Excellent trip report, I am sad to see it end.

Loved all your souvieners especially the Tink pillow, too cute.

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Excellent trip report, I am sad to see it end.

Loved all your souvieners especially the Tink pillow, too cute.

Thanks! It was so much fun to write and it is always nice to hear that people read and enjoyed it. :goodvibes

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Just realized that I forgot to post the navigators for the Castaway Cay day so here they are.


http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29001.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29002.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29003.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x292/cndnlesser/May29004.jpg

[englishrose47]

Hi Lessa !!!