allseastravel
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2002
We set sail May 25, on Disney's second Western Caribbean sailing, with our largest 7-night group ever. The group was made up of 72 families, for a total of 270 people. With a group that large, it was very difficult to find the time to meet and interact with everyone to the degree that we would have liked, but between cocktails, meals, excursions, and other shipboard activities we were able to interact to some extent with almost everyone in the group.
Hosting a group that large on any cruise line is work, but on Disney, it is not nearly the work one might think. On the first day of the trip, we gave everyone our room number, making ourselves available to assist with any problems and answer any questions. We ran into people who had questions throughout the day, but received only one phone call all week. No major problems were incurred by anyone in our group. The consensus on board was that the Western Caribbean itinerary was a big hit!
Our first stop was noon, Sunday, in Key West. We were only there for the afternoon and evening. People took this first stop with a very laid-back attitude, generally hopping aboard the Conch Train or Town Trolley for a brief tour or simply walking the streets. Many enjoyed the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, either before or after their dinner, according to which dining time they had been assigned. We were in a verandah, which is the most popular stateroom with our clients. We chose to relax by viewing the sunset from our balcony while sipping on a glass of wine.
Monday was a day at sea and Tuesday morning, bright and early, we pulled into Grand Cayman. Our family took a 3-hour, Stingray City/Snorkel Tour, one of the highlights of our trip. Upon returning to the ship, Stingray City was the topic of discussion among everyone, children and adults alike. It really turned out to be the highlight of everyone's trip. We all got a kick out of touching and holding the stingrays. Our excursion included two snorkeling stops, giving us an opportunity that others who took shorter tours did not have. We left Grand Cayman late Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday morning at 11:00AM, we docked at Cozumel. Kendall (our 13 year-old) had her heart set on a 4-hour horseback tour that left the ship at 1130AM. My wife, Janice, was not very excited about getting on a horse in Cozumel in the middle of the day, but Kendall does not make many requests, so Janice went along with it. The two of them actually had a very good time. Janice had a hard time dealing with spending a day in Cozumel (known worldwide, for its snorkeling/diving) without even getting into the water, but she really enjoyed the excursion.
Austin (our 11 year-old) and I had made arrangements for our own 4-hour excursion - a resort dive, our first real experience with Scuba. The trip, which we booked independently of Disney, was supposed to be limited to persons 12 years of age and older, but they made an exception, as the minimum age had just been raised from 10. There were six of us who took the course, which started with a 45 minute classroom presentation, followed by another 45 minutes to an hour in shallow water performing exercises.
On our dive, Austin and I shared one instructor while the other four people in our group (all adults) shared another. I was comforted by the patience the instructor had in dealing with Austin and the attention to detail and safety. When the instructors were satisfied that we were ready, they put us in a boat for a ride to the reef. The instructor assigned to Austin and me was excellent. I was very comfortable from the start, which gave our instructor a great deal of time to spend with Austin. He was right at Austin's side, interacting with him the whole time, while I was never more than ten yards away. Every so often I would motion that I was fine and he would continue to concentrate on working with Austin. With parents in the travel business, Austin has had many opportunities that other children don't. This excursion ranked up there with anything he has ever done! He now wants to get certified. I guess that's one more thing I'll have to get up for!
That evening, we had dinner on the ship and Janice and I got off after dinner to check out the shopping and night life in Cozumel. The shopping was not great, especially at 8:00PM. Just before getting back on the ship, we stopped at Carlos 'N Charlie's, the infamous, Cozumel Bar. Several couples from our group were on stage singing and dancing while their children were in the children's and teen's programs back on the ship. Kendall took the optional, 3-hour, teen catamaran excursion (which she loved!), while Austin stayed on the ship and ran around with several boys his age who were stuck together like glue all week.
As the ship prepared to leave Cozumel, I was very relieved to hear no names I recognized when they called for four or five couples who were still not properly checked back on board. I think they found everyone. The location where the Magic docks is great! It is a new pier, in the heart of town. In the only other berth was Celebrity's Century. Carnival's Fascination,
Sensation and Pride, and Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas were at the old docks, approximately two to three miles from town. The Magic was one of only three ships that remained at Cozumel into the evening to allow its guests to enjoy the night life.
Thursday was my kind of day, a day at sea! We went to a character breakfast in the morning. Lunch was a seafood buffet (unlimited stone crab claws!). I had such a relaxing day that time got away from me and I missed "Disney Dreams", Disney Cruise Line's signature production, for the first time EVER, in my sixteen trips on Disney.
Friday we were at Castaway Cay. That is always everyone's favorite day on a Disney Ship. We had breakfast delivered to the room at 730AM, so we will have no excuse not to get off the ship early to enjoy the day. We always spend the day at Castaway Cay on the beach as a family. The day lived up to expectations, with beautiful weather and excellent company as we interacted with other members of our group.
In summary, the trip was a huge success. Everyone in our group had nothing but praise for the trip and the new, Western Caribbean itinerary. A 7-night Disney Cruise is truly the perfect family vacation!
For those whose school years end or are winding down by the end of May, Memorial Day is the perfect time for a Disney Cruise. It is by far, the most reasonably priced week of the summer. We look forward to Memorial Day, 2003, when we will once again accompany a group on the Western Caribbean itinerary of the Magic. Who knows? Next year's group may top 100 staterooms!
Hosting a group that large on any cruise line is work, but on Disney, it is not nearly the work one might think. On the first day of the trip, we gave everyone our room number, making ourselves available to assist with any problems and answer any questions. We ran into people who had questions throughout the day, but received only one phone call all week. No major problems were incurred by anyone in our group. The consensus on board was that the Western Caribbean itinerary was a big hit!
Our first stop was noon, Sunday, in Key West. We were only there for the afternoon and evening. People took this first stop with a very laid-back attitude, generally hopping aboard the Conch Train or Town Trolley for a brief tour or simply walking the streets. Many enjoyed the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, either before or after their dinner, according to which dining time they had been assigned. We were in a verandah, which is the most popular stateroom with our clients. We chose to relax by viewing the sunset from our balcony while sipping on a glass of wine.
Monday was a day at sea and Tuesday morning, bright and early, we pulled into Grand Cayman. Our family took a 3-hour, Stingray City/Snorkel Tour, one of the highlights of our trip. Upon returning to the ship, Stingray City was the topic of discussion among everyone, children and adults alike. It really turned out to be the highlight of everyone's trip. We all got a kick out of touching and holding the stingrays. Our excursion included two snorkeling stops, giving us an opportunity that others who took shorter tours did not have. We left Grand Cayman late Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday morning at 11:00AM, we docked at Cozumel. Kendall (our 13 year-old) had her heart set on a 4-hour horseback tour that left the ship at 1130AM. My wife, Janice, was not very excited about getting on a horse in Cozumel in the middle of the day, but Kendall does not make many requests, so Janice went along with it. The two of them actually had a very good time. Janice had a hard time dealing with spending a day in Cozumel (known worldwide, for its snorkeling/diving) without even getting into the water, but she really enjoyed the excursion.
Austin (our 11 year-old) and I had made arrangements for our own 4-hour excursion - a resort dive, our first real experience with Scuba. The trip, which we booked independently of Disney, was supposed to be limited to persons 12 years of age and older, but they made an exception, as the minimum age had just been raised from 10. There were six of us who took the course, which started with a 45 minute classroom presentation, followed by another 45 minutes to an hour in shallow water performing exercises.
On our dive, Austin and I shared one instructor while the other four people in our group (all adults) shared another. I was comforted by the patience the instructor had in dealing with Austin and the attention to detail and safety. When the instructors were satisfied that we were ready, they put us in a boat for a ride to the reef. The instructor assigned to Austin and me was excellent. I was very comfortable from the start, which gave our instructor a great deal of time to spend with Austin. He was right at Austin's side, interacting with him the whole time, while I was never more than ten yards away. Every so often I would motion that I was fine and he would continue to concentrate on working with Austin. With parents in the travel business, Austin has had many opportunities that other children don't. This excursion ranked up there with anything he has ever done! He now wants to get certified. I guess that's one more thing I'll have to get up for!
That evening, we had dinner on the ship and Janice and I got off after dinner to check out the shopping and night life in Cozumel. The shopping was not great, especially at 8:00PM. Just before getting back on the ship, we stopped at Carlos 'N Charlie's, the infamous, Cozumel Bar. Several couples from our group were on stage singing and dancing while their children were in the children's and teen's programs back on the ship. Kendall took the optional, 3-hour, teen catamaran excursion (which she loved!), while Austin stayed on the ship and ran around with several boys his age who were stuck together like glue all week.
As the ship prepared to leave Cozumel, I was very relieved to hear no names I recognized when they called for four or five couples who were still not properly checked back on board. I think they found everyone. The location where the Magic docks is great! It is a new pier, in the heart of town. In the only other berth was Celebrity's Century. Carnival's Fascination,
Sensation and Pride, and Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas were at the old docks, approximately two to three miles from town. The Magic was one of only three ships that remained at Cozumel into the evening to allow its guests to enjoy the night life.
Thursday was my kind of day, a day at sea! We went to a character breakfast in the morning. Lunch was a seafood buffet (unlimited stone crab claws!). I had such a relaxing day that time got away from me and I missed "Disney Dreams", Disney Cruise Line's signature production, for the first time EVER, in my sixteen trips on Disney.
Friday we were at Castaway Cay. That is always everyone's favorite day on a Disney Ship. We had breakfast delivered to the room at 730AM, so we will have no excuse not to get off the ship early to enjoy the day. We always spend the day at Castaway Cay on the beach as a family. The day lived up to expectations, with beautiful weather and excellent company as we interacted with other members of our group.
In summary, the trip was a huge success. Everyone in our group had nothing but praise for the trip and the new, Western Caribbean itinerary. A 7-night Disney Cruise is truly the perfect family vacation!
For those whose school years end or are winding down by the end of May, Memorial Day is the perfect time for a Disney Cruise. It is by far, the most reasonably priced week of the summer. We look forward to Memorial Day, 2003, when we will once again accompany a group on the Western Caribbean itinerary of the Magic. Who knows? Next year's group may top 100 staterooms!
