WONDERful New Years with President Carter

[gscott8075]

This was our fourth DCL cruise and our fifth is booked for June.

We - by chance - were the first in line so my dd's got to do the countdown. The kids received a 100 Years of Magic Magical Moment certificate. We booked very late (two weeks ago!) and were right under Wavebands in an inside. We were given an upgrade to a Cat 9 which was right under Barrel of Laughs. I was able to sing along with the dueling pianos from my room. No complaints! Our new assignment was next to Chip Carter's family.

New Years is the perfect holiday for cruising - you want to party and not worry about driving - and Disney went all out. The festivities were awesome - they had a special dinner with souvenir menus, Happy New Year (plastic) champagne flutes for all, a special folio with a New Year's print for each room. The confetti and balloons were dropped from the atrium. It was awesome! For those wondering, the $99 certificates were not part of the numerous items in the room.

President Carter and his family were on board and we had the same dining rotation. He and Rosalynn were very gracious. He gave a 30 minute talk and the WD theater was packed to capacity - at 3pm on Freeport day. He signed books afterwards. My wife and I ran into them - and the secret service - several times. On the debark buffet, we were in Beach Blanket and he actually came up to our table and wished us farewell. I am a poli sci major and I took several courses on the presidency. I was on a high the entire trip.

I think Disney security and the Secret Service did an admirable job ensuring their privacy while not infringing on the other guests. At the welcome deck party, they blocked off the area above the bar on Deck 10. For New Years, they shut the doors on one side of Deck 4 on the atrium for the family. But, during dining, they sat with all of us. For the shows, they reserved three rows about 10 rows from the front.

More on that later...

We met disneykids - a very nice family! She was a contestant on Mouseketeer.

We looked for kamgen and could not find them!

We put the kids with the kids program on Castaway for part of the day and went to the adult beach. Four hours there was a total break from reality. It is so underused - DIS'ers - make going there a #1 priority! You will not regret it.

Someone was left behind in Freeport - they went back and got him. I never could tell the ship turned around!

We were able to eat at Palo's twice after someone cancelled on the last night. Ohh la la! Two racks of lamb, two souffles - I gained more on this cruise than on the Magic this summer!

Anyway - it exceeded my expectations. It is amazing that DCL can do it trip after trip - it keeps getting better and better!

 

[CathyCanada]

Thanks for the update! I heard yesterday that Pres. Carter had recently sailed and wondered how his privacy could be maintained, nice to read your post about it.

I have to agree that after 7 cruises, each one just gets better and May can't come soon enough for #8!!
Cathy

 

[Chattyaholic]

I would have loved being on that cruise with you, to see President Carter!! Lucky You!! I was on a bus tour a few years ago, and we toured Plains, Georgia, President Carter's home town. It was really interesting. We got to drive slowly by his home, and at first the step-on guide (who had been Miss Lillian's personal secretary) said that no one was there. But the bus backed up and we did see a man in the secret service building by the driveway so then she said Rosalyn must be at the house, as Jimmy was out of the country. Drove by his church and it was interesting to learn that Jimmy still took his turn at cutting the grass there, and he still taught Sunday school. I always thought he was a really "down to earth" President, and would have loved seeing him on your cruise!! I hope you got pictures!!

 

[gscott8075]

After he was finished eating at Triton's, he walked by our table and I asked him for a picture. He graciously agreed. Then, my wife could not get the digital to work!

He said, "I don't see a flash, I don't see a flash. " But he sttod with me for about a minute and my wife managed to get off a shot - it is a great picture!

 

[Annie_has_4]

which contestant was disneykins? I was one of the panelists!!! We ran into Carter several times. On NYE we were in the Cadillac Lounge having a drink and didn't have enough chairs, he and his wife and two others were right across from us, my dh had to ask him for a chair!! he looked at him for a moment, and then told him he could have 1!!! we were lol! we had the private room at Palos the first night. Our head server told us that the carters had the room for one of the other nights.

the nye parties were great, they really went all out.

 

[Michelle]

Thanks so much for the details, gscott, what an amazing cruise that must have been! I too would have loved to have sailed and met Mr. Carter. Sounds like you all had a blast!

 

[1 Disney Lovin' Mom]

gscott8075,

Thanks for sharing such wonderful info about your trip. You are soooo lucky to have gotten to cruise with President Carter. Each and every trip report that I read makes me more and more anxious to cruise.

1 Disney Lovin' Mom

 

[gscott8075]

Annie - How does one get the private room?

The Carters ate there the last night. The bathrooms were out of order and dw thought it was because the SS shut them down since he was there.

Anyway, she was coming out of the restroom and he came walking by.

He asked her.."Are the bathrooms working?"

She responded. "No, Sir, they are not."

That was the most amusing exchange we had with them.

Another Presidential Moment courtesy of DIS.

 

[gscott8075]

Disneykins was the second to the last contestant at the 8:30 show. She is blond with glasses and wound up with $80 credit.

 

[rloveman]

We were right near the Carter family during the New Year's Eve party, and I got a huge kick out of seeing him wearing one of those silly paper hats, tossing streamers out into the atrium with everyone else.

 

[Annie_has_4]

I don't know how we got the private room. MIL made the reservations. I imagine it had to do with the number in our party.

 

[disneykins]

Just got back today. We are Canadian and it was a big thrill for us to be on board with President Carter and his family. He stopped by our table at Beach Blanket Buffet at lunchtime and asked if we were getting enough to eat. We answered yes, its great and wondered after if he would have got us something if we said no. He stayed in 8600 and or 8602. We used the aft deck 7 on day 1 and when we tried on day 2 it was locked because it was right below his cabin. Walked by his cabin a few times and Secret Service would pop out into the hall and nod as we walked by. We saw someone holding the elevator near there one day and tried to board until we saw his earpiece and realized why he was holding it. They held up Disney Dreams on the last night for about 5 minutes until the President and Rosalynn arrived and I actually heard people complain about it! That was the only imposition they made on the cruise, if you could call it that. We also saw them bicycling together on Castaway Cay with the Secret Service bicycling about 30 yards behind. It was a great cruise and what a thrill to share it with such a down to earth and distinguished man.
Tony and Debbie

 

[tiggermania]

Just curious, What category rooms did the Carter's have?

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by tiggermania

What category rooms did the Carter's have?

Originally posted by disneykins

He stayed in 8600 and or 8602.

That would make it a Category 3.

 

[Tluvs2talk]

Very Interesting, I figured the Carter's would have roomed in The Walt Disney, Or Roy O Suite.

 

[gscott8075]

They had 22 or 23 members of their family with them + secret service follks.

One of the sons was in a Cat 9 on Deck 2 - they could sing along with the dueling pianos like I could!

 

[Cruise]

Originally posted by Tluvs2talk
Very Interesting, I figured the Carter's would have roomed in The Walt Disney, Or Roy O Suite.

Yeah, but these are the handicap accessible Cat 3's which are bigger to begin with and also located as far Aft as possible. Probably more attractive for security reasons... less cabins surrounding it.

 

[kamgen]

gscott,

we were there!! Sorry we never saw you!
If you were in Wavebands at all during any of the nights, we were there...always dancing. We were there until 4:30am on NYE!!!
We sang karaoke too. We had the best time and plan to do the NYE cruise this year too!

Talk to you soon!
Kamy