13 First-Time Disney Cruisers leaving Galveston, TX on Friday, January 13th, 2017

RockyMtns

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
A little background on me: this is my 9th cruise, but my first with Disney. I have made 10 trips to WDW plus a summer as a Cast Member in the College Program. I'm planning my 4th trip to Disneyland this summer.

The other 12: my DD (6); my mother and father; my sister, BIL, and niece (3); a family friend with her husband and two DD (3, 2); her father and step-mother. They all booked balconies, and I had an inside cabin with my DD on deck 7, aft.

We (I) started planning this trip around Christmas 2015, right after my daughter developed a phobia of flying, and we had to cancel our trip to Mexico. At the time, my sister and her family lived in TX (they moved to Washington last summer), and the Wonder sailed to Castaway Cay, so this is the cruise we decided to book.
 
Pre-planning: thank goodness for this board and the many who have posted their experiences on here. It helped so much!


Since we had a year before the cruise, I wanted us to do something over the year to get ready for the cruise and keep us excited. I read about people decorating their doors and someone posted they did perler bead projects. I loved this idea! We could create characters over the year, glue magnets on the back, and decorate our door. Spoiler alert: this did not go over well once we got on the cruise. At home (in CO), I didn't have any issues with the magnets sticking to my refrigerator, but most of them did not stay long on the cabin door. Anyway, my daughter's first pick: Megara. (This turns out to be a great pick!)
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I was thankful for reading about the tickets beforehand. At our 60-day mark, we got tickets for the Princess Gathering, the Frozen Meet and Greet, and the Disney Jr breakfast. We also got BBB appts for the girls before our Princess Gathering tickets.

After reading about fish extenders, I decided against it, especially since we were first-timers. Instead, Tinker Bell left the girls "Pixie Dust" gifts like I did for our WDW trips.
 
Thursday, Jan 12th

After two and a half days of driving from Colorado, we arrived in Galveston, Texas. From reading another trip report, I decided to book the Harbor House on the pier. This was the view:IMG_2160_opt.jpg

When we reserved our room, they recommended eating dinner at the Fisherman's Wharf, which was right there. Our reservation was at 6pm, so we had one hour of "happy hour" while we were there. We just had to go to the bar to get our drinks. We ate outside and had a great view. It was a great place for kids and a nice start to our vacation. But, as the night progressed, some fog started to appear...
 


Following along, we were also on this cruise, can't wait to see your report. We also stayed at the Harbor House, your view looks very similar to ours, your room must've been close!
 
Friday Jan 13th


Even though I was on Mountain time, I still woke up at 5am Central because I was so excited to see the ship. I pulled open the curtains and you couldn't even see across the harbor - there was fog everywhere.


Thank goodness my sister had us join a Facebook group specifically for our cruise. This is how we got all our information about the delays. We booked with Cruises-N-More for the onboard discount; this was a mistake. I recommend booking with an agent that specifically knows about Disney cruises. We weren't even given our luggage tags before the cruise, and when I asked about it, he said Disney didn't mail them out (ok, then why was everyone posting about receiving them...)


Anyway, we had some decisions to make (shuttle, luggage, where to spend our wait). We had to check-out at noon. So, all morning we just hung out in our rooms and around the hotel, which was nice. We ended up spending the next four hours at Willie G's. Eventually, we saw the Wonder.
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During our wait, we cancelled the shuttle and my father shuttled over our large suitcases in his car. Around 4pm, we walked to the terminal with the kids. But, for the next two hours and fifteen minutes, we waited in line at the port...with young children who had not taken a nap. It was stressful and difficult to stay positive.

We did get a great embarkation photo, which we almost didn't even take. But we had on matching Mickey shirts and had purchased the photo package, so I told our family we were taking the photo.

We had early seating so our dinner had started 30 minutes ago. We decided to go to our cabins, drop off our carry-on luggage, and head to Animators. I was disappointed. I had heard such amazing praises about the show, and I'm pretty sure we had the rushed version so everyone could make it to the 8pm muster drill. But, the food was great (Serrano Ham, Baked Potato Soup, Pasta Purseittes, and the just ok cheesecake) and the kids caught a glimpse of Mickey Mouse before he was gone.

After muster drill, we decided to register the kids for the Kids Club/get the bands. I had read that the line was long at port (it was) and to wait and register on the ship. It was 8:30 and there was a line. Finally, we got the bands and my daughter wanted to go to the Kids Club that night. It was late, but she really wanted to go, so I agreed.

It seemed very chaotic in there - I think that comes from kids not being able to board the ship and waiting in lines. It gave me time to unpack. I picked her up, and we went to bed. We had a time change and tomorrow is princess day.
 


Before moving to Day 2, I want to back up a bit. For the pre-planning stages, I cannot count the number of times I read past Navigators of our sailing out of Galveston on disneycruiselineblog dot com. I have my Navigators, so I will send them to Scott if he doesn't have them. But, I have to post a picture of our first day Navigator.
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We were expecting to introduce the girls to the Kids Club during Open House, so the younger ones would be fine with drop-off later. Obviously, didn't happen. We had never been on a Disney cruise ship, so we were wanting to just wander around and check out where things were. We saw the atrium, our cabin, AP, and the Kids Club. I had everyone download the app so we could text each other while on the cruise. We didn't realize each person had a specific number you needed to input into the phone (you couldn't just search a name and add to your contacts), so it took us another day to link up with everyone.

And, when I say I was disappointed with the AP dinner, it was only because it was so rushed. It was no one's fault, just bad luck.

Our room at the Harbor House was spacious and the bathroom was very nice. The location was perfect. The breakfast was lacking, but I guess they assume you're headed on a cruise where food is plentiful. Although, we weren't that first day. We ended up just parking here for the week, which also worked out nicely.

Tinker Bell did show up that first morning so the girls would have autograph books. Thanks to the Creative DISigns section - we received compliments on the books.
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Ok, moving on to princess day...
 
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Our cabin was 7119 - great location to the aft staircase. (I ended up taking the stairs the whole cruise, no elevator). But, because of the delay, the first night I just kept hearing all of the suitcases being unloaded next to me.


Usually I get seasick, so I brought PSI bands with me. Usually I wear them at night, but I was so exhausted I forgot to wear them. When we saw our family in the morning, I commented that I hadn't felt seasick all night, and my BIL informed me we just left the port - HA! We were in an inside cabin so didn't realize we hadn't left.


Saturday Jan 14th

Tinker Bell left my daughter princess gifts: a lanyard (for her pins), Princess themed necklace, magic pen book, and a tiny toy camera.
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Snacks: if you have kids, I recommend bringing snacks with you (must be in packaging). These came in handy for the lines, ferry, and the fig bars were great for a small breakfast, which is what my daughter ate before our BBB appointment at 9:15am.


The girls were meeting the princesses at noon, but those repeat cruisers snagged all the mid-morning appointments, so the girls had appointments around 9am-10am. After the unexpected late night and the time change, it would have been nice to have them a little later.


We walked up to the 10th floor:
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On our last trip to WDW, a friend convinced me to book a BBB appointment. It ended up being one of my daughter's favorite things we did! Our fairy godmother-in-training was an older woman, and she was incredible. My daughter also did the special photo shoot afterwards. The cruise experience was a lot different. It just didn't feel as magical. The ladies were nice enough, but they weren't as "involved" as our other FGIT. To be fair, my daughter was probably tired. She still enjoyed it, but the win goes to WDW.

Afterwards, my daughter and I were both hungry, so we went to Cabanas (along with everyone else that was just waking up for breakfast). Ugh - another long line, and this was just for food. It moved pretty quickly. We ate and got out of there. We were walking towards the atrium where I saw my sister in line for Goofy. The very end of the line. The cast member knew we were coming so he let us join her, but he was having to turn away a lot of people. Another difference from WDW - usually, you just wait for the next Goofy to come out. On the cruise, you miss the character, he/she might show up a couple of days later, but it might be the last time that character is available.
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We were already in the atrium, and the Princess Gathering was coming up, so we decided to just hang out on the soft cushioned seats of deck 4 and wait. While looking over the railing, I noticed there were only three princesses: Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana. Ariel was not there. The girls didn't know who was going to be there, so I just made a big deal about the three that were there.

We went down to deck 3 and stood in line for 20 minutes, with tickets. And, we saw even more people turned away because they would get in line but didn't have tickets. Who spends thousands of dollars for a vacation and doesn't research the princesses if you have young children?

We had a FP+ for Ariel in WDW. We waited two minutes, and she spent a good deal of time with my daughter because she knew we used FP+. Now, Tiana is a win for the cruise. In 2010, I went to WDW and tried to meet her, but we were on the wrong side of the entrance, it was late, and we missed the cut-off. In 2013, we checked the line but it was too long. In 2015, we checked the line three different days (first time she was sick, and the other two were well over an hour wait). And since this is the first time meeting Tiana, I don't know how the others are, but this one was top notch. She was great all three times we saw her on the cruise.

If your kids are going to meet the characters, I recommend autograph books.

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Our cabin was nearby. 7230. We also took the aft stairs a number of times up to Cabanas. I found it a bit awkward to arrive that way, but it was super convenient to return to the cabin afterwards. Of course I am referring to the far rear staircases that are really meant for muster but are open during the cruise.
 
Our cabin was nearby. 7230. We also took the aft stairs a number of times up to Cabanas. I found it a bit awkward to arrive that way, but it was super convenient to return to the cabin afterwards. Of course I am referring to the far rear staircases that are really meant for muster but are open during the cruise.
I didn't even know about that staircase until you posted it in your report. We always took the staircase that was at the entrance of Cabanas. I loved our location. Except, as my father pointed out repeatedly, we were too far from Crown & Fin - HA!
 
My daughter wanted to swim, so we headed to the pool area. Just like previous reviews had mentioned, it was packed. We went into the pool briefly and then the hot tub (ended up being the only time we did). My daughter is 6, and I was with her, but there were several kids around my daughter's age with no adult. And even younger children with no adult. After a couple of minutes of the hot tub, I notice all the kids getting out of the pool. I ask a boy what is happening, and he said the lifeguard told them they needed to clean the pool. Yup, just like I read about - accidental release. It happened multiple times over the course of the cruise. This is on the guests.
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We grabbed my daughter a hot dog from Pete's (which was nice and quick) and she took a quick bath in our room. I looked at the Navigator and her favorite fab character, Pluto, was meeting at 2:30. We got in line and met him.
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My daughter wanted to go to the Kids Club again, so off we went. My niece was already in there, so I met my family in Crown & Fin for a drink. Afterwards, we went to check on the kids. My niece was ready to leave, but my daughter was in the Secret Agent activity with Black Widow - she loved it. This is a win for the cruise. I was prepared for my daughter not to like it, just in case, because I had read reviews where kids either loved it or they didn't. My daughter has sensory issues, so I figured it might be overwhelming for her. The Kids Club was one of her favorite things of the whole vacation, but she would only stay for an hour to an hour and a half.

It was time to get ready for formal night. We got ready early so we could take formal pictures as an entire family. Good plan because we had a little bit of a wait, but the wait later was a lot longer. They were walking around the atrium with drinks, but that doesn't help the kids! We then headed to the Promenade Lounge before dinner at Tiana's Place. The girls loved dancing at the Promenade!
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This is not the best picture, but I wanted to show where we were sitting from the stage. We were at the edge. I had read about the noise. It was fine for me, but it was too loud for my daughter. The other girls loved it and went up to the stage to dance the night away. Tiana came around to the tables (our second meeting with her!) and so did Louis. Because of the noise, my daughter didn't want to meet him, but she decided to go give him a hug. (Thank goodness because I knew she would be sad if she didn't get to meet him).
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Once again, dinner was delicious. It was the Prince and Princess Menu. I tried the Duck Terraine (not my favorite but others at the table enjoyed it). I also had the Coronation of Mixed Leaves and the New York Sirloin Steak. For dessert, Tiana's Place Sundae.
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Then, it was time for bed. We had a Frozen morning planned...
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Sunday, Jan 15th

Pixie dust gifts from Tinker Bell are Frozen-themed, including a wand and a snowgie.
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Instead of dealing with the crowd at Cabanas, I ordered room service. It was nice to eat in our room as we were getting ready, but you miss out on protein, so we only did it this day.

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Ice sparkles!
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The Frozen Meet and Greet was in Animator's Palate. They transformed the restaurant and really made it seem magical. Plus, you met all three characters at one time (it was her first meeting with Olaf). They all had some great interaction with my daughter. From my pictures, we only had a 10 minute wait with our tickets. I know I'm not posting the Shutters pictures, but in this lighting, their pictures are so much better.

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The plan was to go on a glass bottom boat tour in Key West, but because of the fog delay, we missed that port (Disney did refund the port fees when we returned home). Instead, we went back to our room to relax because there was another character coming out that we had to meet (I had brought the costume and the wings) - Tinker Bell.

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My mother wanted to have a sit down lunch so we went to Triton's. My father, mother, and I all ordered a steak kabob with couscous. It tasted great, except for my father's dish. Same as ours, but his tasted awful. Not sure how that happens.
 
My daughter wanted to go to the Kids Club, and they were having crafts soon, so off she went. I browsed the shops, and found this:
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I was pretty sure my daughter would pick this as her ship souvenir (which she did). The other adults were in the hot tub at the Cove Pool area, but I knew I wouldn't have time to join them. Instead, I ordered myself a mojito and did this:
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Normally, this is one of my favorite things to do on a cruise: just sit and watch the ocean. So I enjoyed my alone time.


Pretty soon it was time to get ready for dinner at Tritons. My sister and her husband were going to Palo later that evening, so they just stopped by to say they were taking their daughter to get dinner at Cabanas. My daughter really wanted to go with them instead of having the long dinner at Tritons. Win win for both of us: I enjoyed my meal (brie, potato soup, filet, and a MM ice cream bar) and she enjoyed hers. After dinner we were taking the girls back to the Promenade Lounge for some dancing and someone tapped me on the shoulder: Captain Hook! He pointed to my daughter, who was dressed as Tinker Bell, and let her take a picture. Big win for the cruise.
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My sister and BIL recommend Palo and said it was worth the extra charge. The food was amazing and the service was impeccable.

Next up: Castaway Cay

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Sitting and staring at the ocean is one of my favorite things to do as well. Having an adult drink in hand while doing so makes it even better. ;)
 
Monday, Jan 16th


Tinker Bell left the girls Pirate items: map, treasure chest, gold coins, tattoos, and a compass.
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We knew that we would be arriving later than scheduled, so we went to Cabanas for a leisurely breakfast. It was fun to watch the ship dock on Castaway Cay. Then, we packed up all our beach gear and headed off the ship.

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I had heard so many wonderful things about CC; I wondered if it would live up to the hype. It did. Win for the cruise - glad we made it to this port and got to experience the island. There was a bit of a line to get off the ship and then we walked into port. We took a picture with the Wonder in the background (a picture that was not in either of our USB drives, but Shutters did end up finding it after my sister emailed them) and headed for the beach. It is January, so the water was ok to wade around about waist deep, but I wouldn't have wanted to put my head under for swimming. I packed several sand toy items - worth it if you have kids. They had a blast playing in the sand.

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(Side note: there was a Shutters photographer on the island, but he wasn't taking pictures of all the kids. I had to flag him down to take a picture of my daughter. It did end up a good picture).

We headed over to Cookies for the BBQ lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meal. I had a hamburger and there were several good side dishes. Then, we watched a little of the dance party. (The only characters we saw that day - both girls were over the lines)

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At this point, my mother, my sister, BIL, and niece all headed back to the ship while my father, my daughter, and I stayed at the beach. There were a lot less people in the afternoon as most of the families with kids seemed to head back to the ship. We enjoyed ourselves for a couple more hours and starting walking back around 3pm. I should mention that two people in our group did the fishing excursion and loved it.
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After we got dressed up as pirates, we went to my parents' balcony for a happy hour. My father was yelling at the "scalawags" to board the ship. He had the girls shouting "arrrggghhh" to everyone down below. It was hilarious.

During all of the relaxation, I forgot to feed my daughter some afternoon snacks. So, there was a little bit of a meltdown during pictures and at dinner. But, there was also some more fun dancing at the Promenade Lounge. The food at dinner was another success (samosa, wedge salad, falafel, and Mickey bar).

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Dinner had been a little rough so I wasn't sure if we should go to the party. I decided we would go, but we should go upstairs where it wasn't as crowded. It was crowded everywhere. But, we found a little section in the back where the girls could dance - they could have cared less about the show. Mickey ended up not zip-lining (not sure why) and it seemed like quite a while before the fireworks began. But, when they did, everyone enjoyed the show. Another highlight of the cruise.

Back to the room to get ready for Nassau the next morning...
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Tuesday, Jan 17th


Nassau seems to be a hot topic on all of the cruise boards. Is it safe? Should you stay on the ship? And, like most ports, which excursion should we book? I had a lot of time to research and knew we wanted a beach day. The Hilton had received good reviews, but more recent reviews were not rating it as highly. I came across a video of the Blue Lagoon. Perfect. And, Disney listed it as one of their excursions and was only $5 more. With young kids, perfect again.


Tinker Bell left beach-themed gifts: Dory ball, Nemo stickers, sea shell necklace

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Our excursion met in the D Lounge - I believe at 9am. Oh, this is why I never book excursions with the ships - all the crowds, waiting, etc. It was hectic with so many groups in the lounge and too loud for my daughter. Plus, you travel like cattle down to deck one and leave the ship in a large mass. We waited until someone finally directed us towards the ferry - I looked at one of our ferry pictures, and we weren't on it until a little before 10:30am. It was great from then on out. Once again, the girls just played in the sand and enjoyed every minute of it. Now, there weren't palapas like CC and it was more crowded because of all the ships in port, but we still enjoyed ourselves. I thought the lunch was fine (hamburger/hot dog choices), but other members of my family didn't care for the meal. There were two ferries back, and we decided to take the earlier one. We meandered through the stalls, waited for my father to finish his beer, and then boarded the ship. Shutters was not by the port sign taking photos.

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After getting ready, I took my daughter to Mike's Eye Scream. She decided she did not want to go to dinner and guess what? On Disney cruise ships, you can take your kids to the Kids Club, and they can eat there. This is what we should have been doing so she wasn't suffering through the long meals, but I could still enjoy it! Plus, Jessie was going to be there for a scavenger hunt/look for gold activity. So, I had a talk with her and told her that she would stay for Jessie and for dinner, and she said that is what she wanted to do.

I went to Crown and Fin for a pre-dinner beverage (or two) while my parents, sister, and BIL were finishing up the Brainteaser's Trivia. We all headed to Tiana's Place. I didn't think Tiana would be there since she was there the other evening, but she was greeting people at the door (third sighting!)

For my appetizer, I decided to try the Boudin Sausage Fritters. Our server - are you sure? Yes, I'm sure. I enjoyed them. For my next course, I chose the Iceberg Wedge. And, for my main dish, I ordered Eudora's Artichoke Ravioli - it was delicious. My niece was enjoying the Mardi Gras party that was happening. About that time, I was paged that my daughter was ready to leave the Kids Club. I decided to just bring her back to the restaurant for dessert. She had a Mickey bar, and I ate the Beignets. And, there was more dancing at the Promenade after dinner before heading to bed.
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Next up, Disney Junior breakfast....
 

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