Ropin' Some Magic In the Western Caribbean

[Piper]

Hi, everyone. This will be an unusual trip report (I hope.) It is my idea to have several of the posters from our cruise meet thread go together to give you a group trip report. Hopefully, we will be able to give you the perspective of several different families. We hope to offer lots of pictures (including pictures of rooms and activities.) Some of us will be doing different excursions or in my case staying on the ship!

I am Paula (Piper) and I am a "senior" so I am going to tell you about my experiences from my viewpoint. I also use an ECV on a daily basis and have a HC veranda room reserved. I will be travelling with my sister, Nancy who is 11 years my junior.

Here are some pictures to introduce my sister and I.Here I am

And here is my sister with her granddaughter (her first)

I am going to close for a few days to give other people a chance to introduce themselves. Hopefully, we'll soon have a variety!

 

[IlovemythreeC's]

It is so great to see you Looking forward to meeting you on the cruise. My family would like to participate also

Here is a recent picture of us

Jason, Tammy, Colby (16), Cassidy (12) and Caleb (6)

We are so excited about this cruise!!

We are Disney World addicts and go several times a year ~ we recently sailed for a 3 night preview of the Disney Fantasy (this was our first cruise ever) ~ it was an INCREDIBLE experience and left us wanting more!! We are so thrilled to be on this 7 night cruise~

My name is Tammy and this trip is especially exciting for me in that I will be finished with a 2 year internship for my license as a professional counselor the day before we sail. I have 3 beautiful children and a sweet husband that you can see pictured above. We also own a travel agency

My husband's name is Jason and he works in managment at AT&T. He loves travelling to Disney as much as I do He coaches our son's T-ball and is an avid golfer and pin collector.

My son, Colby, is 16 years old. He's a Junior at Evangel Christian Academy and plays basketball and baseball. He loves the Denver Broncos. He has big aspirations in life. A big pin trader and wants to be a Big Wig of the Magic Kingdom park. You will find him at the vibe, basketball courts, and wherever there is food.

My daughter, Cassidy, is 12 years old and a sweetheart!! She loves to sing, fix her hair, paint her nails, and is always looking for a fun time. You may be able to see her sing Karaoke in the evenings, draw at the Art of Animation, swim in the pool and she loves DISNEY TRIVIA!

Our sweet son, Caleb (6), is a joy to our family~ He loved hanging out at the Kids Club while on the Disney Fantasy. He also loved the Mickey Mouse waterside and hot tub. Our amazing server, Peter, brought him all the french fries he could eat last sailing and Caleb is counting on that for this cruise also. You will also probably find him getting ice cream throughout the day.

We are also so happy to have very special life long friends traveling with us. They are blessed with 6 precious children who are so excited to go on the cruise. We are looking forward to this time together!

We have not decided what excursions we will go on yet, but are looking at the Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. We are open to suggestions

Looking very forward to meet new friends on this sailing

 

[Belle6000]

This will be our 2nd Disney cruise. We took a 3 night Bahama cruise in 2009. It was great, but not nearly long enough!

Our perspective is a family with tweens/teens.

A little about us...

My DH just enjoys relaxing on the ship. Having a drink, soaking in the hot tub, etc. He's pretty laid back.

I like to see and do everything!! Sometimes my vacations are so exhausting I need another one just to recover! I love the shows onboard and watching movies in the theater. I, too, like the hot tub and a nice tropical drink. I'm going to bring workout clothes on this cruise so we'll see if I get around to going to the gym on board or not. As of right now, I have really good intentions!

My DS is 14 and will be hanging out in the teen area this time. He's very excited. He also likes the sports deck and is a very frequent visitor to the ice cream machine!

My DD is 9, almost 10. She'll be in the kids area. Last time we cruised she was 6 and was only in the oceaneer's club. From what I understand, they have changed things up a little and she will be able to go to either the club or the lab. She still likes meeting the characters and she loves to swim.

And we all LOVE the food!

Or plans for this cruise are:

Cozumel: We have booked the Cozumel Highlights and Ruins tour. It includes a tour of Mayan ruins, a tour of a tequila factory and some sightseeing.
If we aren't too tired in the afternoon, we may do a little shopping or visit the chocolate factory.

Costa Maya: We are just going to explore on our own... maybe some shopping or swimming in the pools, or maybe head down to the beach for a massage.

Grand Cayman: We are still trying to decide. I think we are going to explore on our own. Some of the things we might do include the car museum, the Tortuga rum cake factory, a semi sub tour or maybe the Grand Cayman museum. My DH would like to snorkel, but no one else wants to go so he probably won't do it by himself.

I'll be sure to post a review of whatever we end up doing.

 

[Phelpsie70]

Hello, I thought I would join in as well.

This will be our fourth Disney cruise, and our third on the Magic. We first went on the Magic in 2007, and so I have a soft spot for her. It will be myself (Michele), my husband Chris, and our son Connor (nearly 10) on this cruise. So I guess I will give the parents of an only child perspective. We love cruising Disney because while we can all be together, it also gives us the opportunity to do separate things. My son can play with other kids and not be stuck with his parents the whole time, and my husband and I get time alone as well.

Chris recently got his scuba certification, so he'll be doing scuba excursions on Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Connor and I just love being on the ship, so at least for Grand Cayman, we'll be spending the day together on board. We may get off at Cozumel and check out Paradise Beach. We are all doing a beach day at Costa Maya at the Almaplena Beach Resort.

Looking forward to the cruise and meeting everyone!

 

[TxMermaid1]

Hi, I am Jill and I will be traveling with a friend (Bev) I met on the EBTA last year. This will be our 4th cruise together. Amazing the friends you make on a DCL cruise! Hubby and I will be on the Galveston Inaugural Cruise leaving on Sept. 22. Bev is also on that cruise. She and I decided we needed another week so we are staying on for this cruise and doing a B2B. I live in Fort Worth and Bev lives in Ca.

The last few weeks I have been working on FE gifts. I am making them not only for me but for several of my family members that will be on the Inaugural cruise. We have 5 cabins on that cruise. This cruise will be more of a relaxing cruise for us.

DH and I are both scuba instructors so I have to pack my gear for the Inaugural cruise. I plan to send it back home with him and not dive on this cruise. I think we will just relax and do whatever we decide at the time.
I have 9 grandchildren and sure wish some of them were on the cruise with me. The pic below is a pic of my middle grand daughter and myself on the Panama Canal cruise last year. This will be my 9th Disney Cruise and yes, I am a Disneyholic. I have been to WDW, DL Euro-Disney & Tokyo Disney. I need to make it to China's Disney to make it complete.

Here's the pic of my grand daughter and I. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

 

[Piper]

I am so glad to see others posting on our group report!! We may even have some others join later.

I thought I would post a picture of my sister, brother and I when Nancy was a baby:

Nancy is a very busy lady. She runs my brother's business (he is retired) and has a very high stress job. She is really looking forward to relaxing on our trip. Her husband, Dan is going to dog sit with my service dog Lucy and their dog Pepper. I know Lucy will be a lot happier with Dan than in a kennel!

I am a retired teacher. I've been retired since the close of the 2009-10 school year. I have lived my whole life with challenges. I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 12. I also have Neurofibromatosis, type I, Lupus, Diabetes, and high blood pressure. My mobility has declined a lot during the last few years. I use a forearm crutch and have my own ECV that I use daily at home.

Lucy is my diabetes alert dog. I won't be bringing her on the cruise....I am not sure how she will do being separated form me. She takes her job very seriously! Here is her picture (she is in the basket of my ECV.)

I have been very busy making FE gifts. I will post pictures after we sail so they will be a surprise. I am also making a list of things not to forget to pack. Here is what I have so far:

power strip with extension (to charge ECV at night)
dollar bills for room service tips and five dollar bills for tips for luggage handlers
hangers with clips (for bathing suit drying)
phone & charging cord
Camera & charger
Kindle & charger
collapsing clothes hamper
quart zip lock bags
pashmina
sweater
Fish extenders
FE gifts

That is what I have right now--feel free to add your must packs to the thread.
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[Belle6000]

I have also started makinig my packing list. I have some of the same things as you Piper, but here are a few more...

beach bag
sunscreen
fanny pack
air/room freshener
my own box of nice, soft Kleenex
extra hangers (I bring cheap ones that come from the store. We never seem to have enough provided in the room when we travel.)
Wine & corkscrew
Laundry detergent
scissors (for cutting zip ties on luggage)
safety pins
fold up bag (that can be unfolded and used as a carry on the day we leave the ship)
insect repellant (I read that we are going to Cozumel during mosquito season!)
OTC medicine & bandaids
Empty water bottles & cups
over the door shoe organizer (for our shoes) and another pocket organizer that is smaller to hang on the inside of the bathroom door.

 

[jtanddolly]

I thought I would let you know I will be following your thread as I'm planning a cruise out of Galveston next year. I look forward to hearing all of your cruise tips and tricks and things you loved and maybe didn't love so much so that I can plan a wonderful trip for my family. Thanks for posting for those of us going on future trips out of Galveston!

One tip that I have seen that I will probably use is get one of those behind the door shoe organizers with pockets for shoes. Then you can hang it up in the bathroom (or some place in the cabin) to store all of your bathroom items, make up, etc. Also, take water bottles so that you can fill them up with water and sodas at the free drink stations on board.

 

[Piper]

I thought I would let you know I will be following your thread as I'm planning a cruise out of Galveston next year. I look forward to hearing all of your cruise tips and tricks and things you loved and maybe didn't love so much so that I can plan a wonderful trip for my family. Thanks for posting for those of us going on future trips out of Galveston!

One tip that I have seen that I will probably use is get one of those behind the door shoe organizers with pockets for shoes. Then you can hang it up in the bathroom (or some place in the cabin) to store all of your bathroom items, make up, etc. Also, take water bottles so that you can fill them up with water and sodas at the free drink stations on board.

Great! That is what I had hoped to do--provide a perspective for future cruisers. I hope that having several different views will be helpful. We're flying "blind" here because the previous cruisers will be disembarking when we're embarking--so no tips for us!

 

[Staceykins]

Hi! We are super excited for this cruise! It is our first cruise EVER and we are thrilled to be cruising Disney!


My name is Stacey, I am 28 yrs old. I am a SAHM. My husband is Jeremy and he is 29. He works at a large web hosting company here in San Antonio. Our daughter is Layla and she is 3 yrs old. She is super smart and has the best personality. She can be quiet and timid but she is so much fun and has the best manners.

Here is a recent photo of my family:

We are traveling with a group of friends from our playgroup.
In Grand Cayman we plan to snorkel, in CM we plan to do a beach day, and maybe do some shopping in Cozumel if we decide to get off the ship.

We are so excited that our cruise is just around the corner and we can't wait to meet everyone and just have the best time! I am sure Disney will live up to our expectations!

 

[Staceykins]

Here is a list I put together of things past cruisers wished they had packed:


Light up & waterproof watch
Journal
Bigger cups
Bathroom night light
Over-door shoe organizer
Sharpies
Command hooks
Zip-lock bags
Highlighters
Lanyard for card
Single $1’s
Power strip for room
Address labels for post cards
Business cards w/ personal info
Medicine
Clock for room w/ light up face
Clothespins
Bathroom air freshener
4-6 hangers
Scissors
Ponchos
Sanitizer
Shout wipes
Tissues
Zip ties
Dawn detergent sheets
Downy wrinkle releaser
Storage cube

 

[ukintheus]

I am so excited to see a TR for a Galveston departure! Thank you to everyone in advance! We are on the 10/13 sailing so I will be keeping up with you all to get the scoop!

Boarding process is a biggie for me as my Mum is 84 and so I'm interested to know how smoothly this goes, or if I will be needing to find a place for her to get settled for a while etc. Piper will be a great resource from her TR update for that.

Looking forward to hearing about all your pre-trip planning and post-trip thoughts. Plus, do any of us really need an excuse to be obsessive about planning our vacations?

 

[Belle6000]

We finally settled on what we are planning to do in each port.

Grand Cayman: Turtle farm (Boatswain Beach) I booked this online directly through them. It was a lot cheaper than doing it through disney. You get a 20% discount for booking online too and they have free shuttles that run from the port to the farm at 2 different times in the morning. They also run back to the port 2 different times in the afternoon. I beleive they are for people who have prebooked with them. http://www.turtle.ky/
And at least a couple of us will also be going to the car museum. http://www.caymanmotormuseum.com/new/

Costa Maya: We're going to Tropicante. I have never seen so many good reviews in my life!!! I've already emailed the guy and reserved our lounge chairs on the beach. Check them out here: http://www.sandalsandskis.com/massage_Tropicante.html
Trip Advisor also has several reviews of them...all great! I'm really excited about this one!!

Cozumel: We booked the Cozumel Highlights and Mayan ruins tour through Disney. I also hope to shop a little here and if there's time make it to the chocolate factory. http://www.chocolateskaokao.com/

So that is what we have planned. I will be sure to post a review of everything with pictures when we get back.

 

[Piper]

My cruise documents came today. That makes it seem more real. I booked on April 8, 2011, so it has been a long, long time in the planning! I've started putting things I will need on the cruise, but not use before in my carry-on bag. I also made sure to update my medical alert bracelet with current info.

I am thinking about taking Lucy to Galveston with me since I will be in a different room from my sister and Dan at the hotel. Then Dan can just take her back to Katy with him since he is dog sitting for me. She has a seat belt and just sits or lays down in the back seat, so she isn't any trouble to transport.

Actually, I'd even feel safer if I had her with me on the cruise, but I don't think that is an option right now. Plus, I am not sure how she would do physically on a ship--do dogs get sea sick?

 

[Piper]

I thought I would post pictures of my FE. I also made lanyards for Nancy and me.

I have been working on my gifts. I only have a few to finish. I am slow with my sewing lately because my arms have been going numb when I keep them raised to sew. It isn't a "biggie" but since I started early, I can take my time.

I have been going over my wardrobe--deciding what to take and what to leave. I already have 2 swimsuits and I think I will bring capris for during the day. I have 2 pair of bermuda shorts (or walking shorts) so I will probably stick those in also. My wardrobe is a little limited as I no longer work, but I still have plenty to choose from.

I will be dressing for formal and informal night as well as Pirate night--so that is taken care of! I am not sure if I am bringing 1 large or 2 smaller cases. Probably just the large one. I can check it at the port and just have my carry on bag that has meds, camera, kindle, phone and all the charging cords in it!

My list of "extras" that are not clothing items is longer than my list of clothes! Somehow, that just doesn't seem right. But it is what it is!!

 

[blessedmom4]

Hi Piper (and everyone else)!! SO excited that you are doing this PTR, THANK YOU for letting me know! My dream is to go on a cruise one day and a Disney Cruise would be the best! I am excited to read all the fun and live vicariously through you! Love your FE and lanyards!!

 

[Piper]

Judy, it is good to "see" you here. Even though I will be on this cruise, I am looking forward to reading everyone else's thoughts and adventures!

 

[Belle6000]

This is the first time we will be participating in the Fish Extender gift exchange. I'm very excited! Making and buying all the gifts was really fun! I can't wait to give them out and my kids will love finding stuff in their pockets, I'm sure. I'll post pics of the gifts that I gave after the cruise, but here's a pic of my FE...

[/IMG]

I do not sew so I was a little intimidated by this project at first, but I can do amazing things with a tube of E6000 glue!!

The pockets turned out a little small so I put a cute hook at the bottom so bigger stuff can hang off of it. I also added some red and yellow balloons around our name, but this picture was taken before that was done.

I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's FE's. I know there are lots of creative Disney folks out there!

 

[Piper]

This is the first time we will be participating in the Fish Extender gift exchange. I'm very excited! Making and buying all the gifts was really fun! I can't wait to give them out and my kids will love finding stuff in their pockets, I'm sure. I'll post pics of the gifts that I gave after the cruise, but here's a pic of my FE...

[/IMG]

I do not sew so I was a little intimidated by this project at first, but I can do amazing things with a tube of E6000 glue!!

The pockets turned out a little small so I put a cute hook at the bottom so bigger stuff can hang off of it. I also added some red and yellow balloons around our name, but this picture was taken before that was done.

I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's FE's. I know there are lots of creative Disney folks out there!

Cute FE! I am waiting to post pictures of the gifts I made until after the cruise, also. I leave for Galveston 2 weeks from tomorrow!!! excited!

I love E6000!

 

[Piper]

It is Monday morning and just 12 days until we sail!! It is only 10 days until I leave for Galveston. I am a little concerned about a few things--that I probably shouldn't worry about! My ECV is only 6 months old. I had my old one for 5 years and it was super simple to take apart. The batteries were self-contained..you just lifted up the container and that was it. The new one has to have the batteries disconnected to be taken apart. This worries me a little. I am afraid, I won't get it back together correctly!! And I can't walk more than 20-30 feet or stand comfortably for more than 3 or 4 minutes without a lot of "discomfort" as the doctors say. It is also a little heavier than the old one.

I am probably worrying about nothing and it will be fine. I am also a little worried that the hotel (The San Luis Resort) won't really have accessible transportation. They say they do, but I've encountered this before. When push comes to shove, they don't really have a way to load the ECV. I am staying there because that is where my sister and BIL's convention is. Worse case scenario is that we have to disassemble the ECV to load it (but since we have to do that to get it to Galveston, I should know what I am doing by then---right?)

On a happier note......I have set aside the clothes that I am going to wear on one side of my closet and gathered some of the "stuff" I am taking in my sewing room. The FE gifts are ready and a few "extras" for some of the children of people who joined our cruise thread late is ready. I didn't sew for them, but I do have some "Disney" stuff.

The closer it gets, the more I am looking forward to this!