1/24/09 Western Voyage.

[kileybeth]

Awesome report, thanks for taking the time to write about it.

We will cruise for our 1st time on 9/5/2009 on the magic for a 7 nite western.


until then , living and learning viariously through all of those who have gone before. . .

 

[cindy18]

This is a great trip report. Thanks for writing in such detail. We leave on our 7-night Western in just a few weeks (and counting), so I'm loving reading your report and getting a feel. I have a few questions, if you don't mind:

Our daughters are 13 and 11, so they will be in Ocean's Quest. Did your 12-year old like it? Did she mostly go to the parties at night or did she do stuff there during the day? Did she feel that there was enough going on in that club to keep her busy?

Also, it seems like, from your dining experience, that formal night was on day 4, after the day at Grand Cayman. The word has been that formal night on the Western was day 3, the first at-sea day. Can you let me know if I'm reading your report right to see whether they've changed that? And you didn't mention Pirate Night on day 5. Did you skip that?

Thanks in advance for answering the questions!

 

[TimeforMe]

OK--I read the entire report but noticed you haven't posted since 2/13. You ARE planning on finishing this report, right???!!!!

 

[Chernabog66]

Thanks for reading guys. Yes, I do plan on posting the rest, I've just been busy with work and haven't had the time to devote to it all the way. It is mostly written, I just have a few details to finish. As far as the questions, I screwed up on the formal night, it was on day 3, my memories are getting jumbled . And I didn't mention much anything about pirate night because it wasn't a huge deal for us. It was cool, don't get me wrong, but the kids were kind of on their own, and Jen & I were pretty full from a great dinner at Palo. I gave my best effort, complete with hat & pirate shirt stolen directly from Prince's closet. Keely was super tired and we were trying to keep her interested. Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed, I had read about this attempted takeover of the ship and was expecting something a little more, I don't know, of a presentation, than a dance party. The fireworks were pretty cool though.

Regarding the Ocean Quest club, Anya thought it was nice but if you were there, she felt like you were forced to do the activities, rather than just hang out. She preferred being in the pool, hanging with new friends, doing what she wanted, when she wanted. She also thought the pool parties were a bit young for her. They were held at the Mickey pool and she was not interested in any pool but the Goofy pool, where she & her friends & cousins could hang & watch movies on the big screen.

Again, thanks for reading and I'll have the last day posted in a day or so

 

[WAHkoMom]

What a great report! I have to admit, I was a little overwhelmed when I saw your first post (or what I thought was your first post!), thinking that it was going to be too detailed. But I'm glad I stuck it out, because your writing style is fabulous and the information you shared was truly helpful. We leave for our Western cruise in 45 days, so this is adding to my excitement!

Good luck on getting this done!

 

[cindy18]

Regarding the Ocean Quest club, Anya thought it was nice but if you were there, she felt like you were forced to do the activities, rather than just hang out. She preferred being in the pool, hanging with new friends, doing what she wanted, when she wanted. She also thought the pool parties were a bit young for her. They were held at the Mickey pool and she was not interested in any pool but the Goofy pool, where she & her friends & cousins could hang & watch movies on the big screen.

Again, thanks for reading and I'll have the last day posted in a day or so

Thanks for sharing Anya's views on Ocean's Quest. I can see how some kids who might want a place to hang out might wind up feeling compelled to do the activities or the parties. I think my kids are mostly planning to be there at night, after dinner and the show, and not as much during the day, although that may change on the at sea days (we've only done 3-nights so we've never had those before). Looking forward to the rest of your report!

 

[Chernabog66]

Thanks for your patience. Here is the final section of the trip report. Thanks for all the encouragment.

I awoke to sunlight streaming through the blowing curtains leading to the veranda. The girls were already up and had gone outside to watch our approach to Castaway Cay. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, gave Jen a nudge and climbed out of bed. Navigating to the veranda is a tricky deal when the third bed is deployed in the room. It’s a murphy bed which folds down from the wall right next to the veranda door and blocks access to the deck unless you step over it. No big deal when you’re wide awake, but a bit tricky when you just awoke 45 seconds earlier. I stepped onto the veranda and was a bit disoriented for a moment. Since our cabin was on the starboard side of the ship, I expected to find us tied up to dock and a bustle of activity on the land below us. I saw just the opposite. Water was everywhere, and Castaway Cay just behind us. The ship had done another one of its 180 degree turns and was backing into the docking area. As I looked around, my eyesight gobbling up every visual treat, one of the first things that hits you is the Flying Dutchman. This is the ship that was used in the Pirates of the Caribbean films 2&3 and was Davey Jones’ vessel. The part of the ship visible from the Magic, however, gave away the ships real purpose, that of a movie prop. There were open areas that had been covered with plywood which I can only assume served as access for camera placement & crew access during filming. On the other side of the Flying Dutchman, the illusion is complete, as the hull of the ship is complete. On can safely assume that any shots of the vessel from the port side in the films, is done with a CGI matte.

The Magic slowly backed into its berth on the island and gave me plenty of time to look around the island, identifying things I’d read about, and trying to find things I knew were there, but couldn’t see. The beach was pristine and the water was the astounding Caribbean blue that had begun to spoil me on this trip. I felt the breeze pick up on the veranda and looked to my left, toward open ocean. I was a little curious as to what I was seeing. A few minutes earlier when I’d stepped on deck, the water was relatively calm and there was a mild breeze. Now the breeze was stiffening into a wind and there were whitecaps beginning to show up on the waves. “This doesn’t bode well” I said out loud, to no one in particular. Having spent nearly all of my summers on or near water, I knew what high winds meant for water based activities. I knew my brother & his family had scheduled some parasailing for this day and I hoped they would be able to do it. They had been looking forward to it for the entire cruise. Bathing suits were donned, suntan lotion was applied, we grabbed a quickie breakfast at topsiders and we were on our way.

As we made our way toward the beach, I fell behind a bit near the photo op area around the Flying Dutchman. I wanted some pictures and Grace decided she wanted to be in them as well. She stayed with me while I played shutterbug and we got some great shots while everyone else boarded the tram. While Grace & I walked, Jen & the rest of the girls went ahead and rented snorkel gear then got prime spots on the beach. After I found our spot, I decided I’d get some gear for myself. I walked over to the rental booth and encountered yet another couple of employees from the Philippines. I got into my story about how I was born there, and we had a very pleasant conversation about the island country, what it has become, and how it has changed over the last 20 years or so. I finally asked what I owed for the snorkel gear and the attendant, who’s name I can’t recall unfortunately, and he just shook his head and told me to have a good swim. I marveled to myself yet again how the little things can seem to go such a long way.

After grabbing one of the obligatory life vests (what a buzzkill those things are) I made my way into the water and attempted to find the rest of my family. I would’ve been better off trying to find gold. They were off in this giant lagoon somewhere and having a great time. “So be it”, I thought to myself, and proceeded to make my way into the lagoon. I noticed one thing immediately, the wind and waves were making the shallow water quite cloudy. The wind had kicked up something strong and although the sky was only partly cloudy, the wind was so strong, nearly everything was cancelled. No parasailing, wave runner trips, etc. Heck, even Castaway Ray’s stingray adventure was cancelled due to the likelihood of the waves pushing the stingrays into some of the feeding structure and injuring them. There were more than a few fish looking for some grub though. Apparently, many visitors keep the bread from dinner or breakfast and bring it into the water to feed the fish. I assumed that was the reason that when I reached into my pocket to check if my room key was still there, I found myself surrounded by fish. They lost interest quickly when they realized I was empty but that didn’t stop a few of them from following me around for the next 20 minutes.

I swam around checking out the sites and came to the realization that the farther I got & the deeper the water got, the clearer it became. The breakwater was keeping the worst of the current & the cloudy water closer to shore, nifty! I kept this up for a while longer then decided to head in to see if Jen & the kids were on the beach. Sure enough, there they were playing in the sand. I sat down and we discussed our individual snorkeling adventures. Everyone seemed to have had a great time. At this point, I decided that a nap was in order and what better place to do it than the beach. Before I could get settled, it was lunch time and we made our way to the pavilion almost right behind us for some of the barbecue that smelled delicious. As we ate, I took notice of two things. First, I kept having this feeling like I’ve been here before. It was a vague feeling, not an out & out déjà vu, but an odd sense that I was somehow familiar with my surroundings. Suddenly, it struck me, I was at a real life Typhoon Lagoon. There was no Miss Tillie of course, but the layouts of the fake lagoon & the real one were remarkably similar, all the way down to the concrete walkways. The other thing I noticed was how often you see the same faces turn up everywhere you look. I mean, with only 2,000 people traveling with you for a week, you’re going to see some of the same faces, but I kept seeing the same small group of faces everywhere. At dinner, at Palo, on board, on the beach, it struck me as odd. If you’ve ever experienced this, or do in the future, don’t worry, it apparently happens a good bit, my wife experienced the same phenomenon.

The lunch was pretty good and once it was done, Jen & the kids headed back to the beach while I made my way back to the ship to get some laundry done. I got a load started & immediately went back to the beach for a little more R&R. The kids were all building sand castles and swimming in the lagoon and having a general great time. When I returned, my mom & Larry were at our spot conversing with my wife. They had done the massages in the cabanas on the adult section of the beach. We never made it over there but no regrets. I still managed to catch a small nap. Picture it, cool breeze, sunshine, tropical paradise, man made or not, is going to relax a guy. All too soon, it was time to start heading back to the ship. I gathered up everyone’s snorkel gear and walked to the rental shack to return it, telling Jen & the girls I’d meet them at the gift shop. Little trinkets & pins had to be bought before we boarded. Some final pictures were taken from the photo spot in front of the Flying Dutchman and we boarded the ship for the last time.

Since we were on the early dinner schedule, there wasn’t much time to get ready for the final dinner of the cruise. While the ladies got ready, I mixed myself a drink and parked myself on the veranda to shoot some final pictures & video of Castaway Cay. The Magic began to pull away from the dock and I sadly watched as our private paradise faded slowly away. In front of us, a front was moving in and it seemed appropriate that the rain would hold off until we were underway on the final leg of our journey. The weather had been so fabulous that it felt that the rain moving in after it no longer mattered was sort of destiny. We had been looking forward to this cruise for over a year and it simply felt like it was pre-ordained to be perfect. Well, by my count, it already was. With that thought in mind, we made our way to Parrot Cay for our final dinner with the greatest serving crew ever.

Dinner was, as expected, awesome. Filet mignon was one choice, and a turkey dish was another. I joined the Madden All-Glutton team and ordered both. Hey, I passed on the appetizer to make room, so cut a guy some slack. Dessert was baked Alaska, one of my favorite desserts. The best one I had ever had was in a restaurant that sadly, no longer exists, Windows on the World at the top of the late great World Trade Center in New York. Now came a version that was presented with just as much flair and was absolutely delicious. Liam & Jason had a final trick for the kids up their sleeve involving toothpicks & water. It was great to watch, and more pictures were taken to remember these wonderful servers. The trip was simply incredible in so many ways and Liam, Jason, Michelle, and our room steward Suda, were a huge part of that. It was something I wasn’t expecting. I had skimmed over many of the threads by previous cruisers, looking for crew members from their previous trips. I now understand why you would make that effort. These people were incredibly special. To think that that so many others shared similar experiences with their own serving teams reiterates yet again, what an amazing operation the Disney folks are running with this cruise line. After dinner, we raided the gift shop on deck four in an effort to find some pins or other trinkets that we couldn’t live without. Upon our return to cabin number 8542, we found our final towel creature left for us by Suda. It was a little rabbit that was packed so tightly that it would take some effort to have it come apart. Grace made sure everyone saw it, and promptly put it in her bag. It sits on her nightstand to this day.

Packing was kind of a bummer, as packing after a great trip always is. The only bright spot was that we knew we were going to spend a couple of days at Disney World after we debarked. Once the packing was complete, and our bags were placed outdoors, it was time to get the kids in bed, as breakfast was going to be at 6:45 am. What an ugly hour to have to be coherent on vacation. We stepped out on the veranda and watched the lights of Freeport go by. Next stop, Port Canaveral.

We awoke 6:15 with the sound of Robin Williams’ character from “Good Morning Vietnam”, Adrian Cronauer ringing in my head, “It’s oh six hundred, what’s the oh stand for? Oh my god, it’s early”. We put on the clothes we left out for the morning and said goodbye to our home for the previous seven days as we wouldn’t be returning after breakfast. That in itself was sad enough, but to have to say final goodbyes to our shipboard friends was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Hugs were traded, best wishes were given, and we exited Parrot Cay with heavier hearts than we had walked in with just an hour before. As we walked through the magnificent lobby on deck three, I took one last moment to gaze at the Chihuly chandelier, and tried to memorize every detail I could. We departed the ship and made our way to the baggage area where we obtained a porter who got our bags and customs forms. He presented our forms to the customs agent and I made my way up, passports at the ready, expecting to be grilled. He saw that I had them and waved us through. I was semi-stunned. After all the warnings about the need for passports & birth certificates, I really never needed them. Of course, had I not brought them, I would’ve been hosed six ways to Sunday. We walked out into a bright sunny morning…with a temperature of 40 degrees. There I was in shorts & a thin shirt, expecting temps a bit warmer than what I was experiencing. Bummer. Never had there been a clearer sign that the vacation was over. I walked the luggage out to the curb while the kids waited inside and Jen went to get the van. I took one final picture of the Magic sitting in port, just as we had found her a week earlier.

Jen pulled up in the van and we began the loading process. Once everything was stored, we all piled in and drove out to the causeway. We all turned around and waved goodbye to what had been one of the most amazing vacations we had ever been on. I now struggle to find the words to wrap this tale up. I suppose that I could say that it was everything that we had come to expect from a Disney vacation…on steroids. Everything was simply fantastic. Every need was anticipated, every request was met with a smile, and the weather had cooperated in a most wonderful way. Without a doubt, one of the big stars of this trip was the Magic herself. What a magnificent craft she is. Beauty, style, elegance, and fun, rolled up into a floating funhouse. Having never taken a cruise prior to this, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What my family got was an unforgettable trip that brought a whole new level of enjoyment to our common experience. We got to reconnect with some members of our family that we don’t see very often, and we got to do it all in a way that allowed us to truly escape our lives and live the adventure, if only for a week. One of Disney’s greatest attributes is its ability to make you forget about being an adult and let the kid inside all of us come out & breathe. On a Disney cruise, you get to leave it all behind in a very literal sense, and that is something, that as a father,is utterly invaluable. My undying thanks go to Liam, Jason, Michelle, Suda, an especially my mom who was the mastermind and pocketbook behind this journey.

Thanks to everyone who read this TR and offered encouragement. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. To those who have trips coming up, I envy you, and if it’s your first Disney cruise, no matter how prepared you think you are, it’s still going to blow you away. Enjoy! The directions to get there are simple. It’s the second star to the right, and straight on till morning…

 

[cindy18]

OK, you're going to get A LOT of comments back to that last post, so let me just be the first to say WOW! Your feelings about that last day, and last evening, and final morning, came through so clearly with every sentence you wrote. It must have felt a bit like relieving it to write it out like that. I'm sitting here early on a cold morning in NY, with my first cup of coffee, and I'm feeling a little sad on your behalf. Our Western (our 2nd Disney cruise and first 7-nighter) departs in 2 weeks and 2 days, and your trip report made it even clearer to me what kind of time we were going to have and what it was going to feel like when it was over. Worth every minute (and, I daresay, every penny), but really hard to let go of when it's over. Thanks for sharing.

Can I ask, did it help to go to WDW when it was over rather than going straight home?

 

[kileybeth]

OMGosh! I can not believe this, I actually teared up as I finished reading this report!

I have been reading trip reports for a month or so now, LOTS of trip reports and this is the first time I feel like I understood a bit of the MAGIC, two fold meaning!

I have been trying to explain to my husband exactly why this cruise is so different but it always escapes my explanation, YOU CAPTURE IT beautifully.

Thank You again for reliving the Magic with us. I plan to print this one out and let my family read it as well. Maybe they will start to get what I am so hoping they will be able to experience first hand in 185 days!!

Curious to know if WDW for a bit after helped the let down as well?

ETA: 15 pages printed out and worth every piece of paper and speck of ink!

 

[allears]

I found your trip report while almost done writing my own (we were on the next western cruise after yours.) And I have struggled a little to put into words the Magic of the trip that we experience every time (which is why this was cruise number 8!) But your first time eyes and ears have managed to capture it all and put it in terms that are very moving. I am so glad you all had such a spectacular time on 'our' ship. We're happy to lend it out!

 

[Chernabog66]

Thank you so much for the positive feedback. It's a strange comfort that only a Disney fan can understand, to come here and encounter so many souls who share the same passions & feelings you have about the happiest place on earth (and at sea). To answer a question that has come up a couple of times, yes, going to Disney World did indeed help. Although a funny thing happened almost immediately. We checked into our hotel directly after leaving Port Canaveral and headed over to Downtown Disney. Walking around down there, I noticed that while I walked, I felt fine, but if I stopped suddenly, my head kept going for a moment. It was a little disorienting, but I quickly realized I had to get my "land legs" back. So used to the Magic's movement I had become, that I needed a day to get my head back together. It was a constant reminder that day of what we had left behind, and it made me a little sad. We had a great day though and the Magic Kingdom the next day was just what the doctor ordered. We were staying at the Marriott World Center that had a perfect view of both the Magic Kingdom & EPCOT fireworks. I'm a big fan of Reflections of earth and have the music on my iPod. The girls joined me on the deck on the 27th floor and I waited for the visual cue of the first sparkling firework, then started my ipod. The music synced perfectly with the show in the distance. We all loved it & clapped when it was over. On Tuesday, rain moved in and we decided to call it a vacation.

As I was finishing typing the report last night, I realized that the reliving of the trip I was doing through writing about it was now over too. I'll be honest with you, It was more than a little disappointing. But, it has filled me with a resolve that this an adventure we will definately go on again. There's a seven day Eastern trip that is calling our name. No telling when it will happen in this economy, but happen it will, and when it's over, I'll write about it again. Thanks again for reading.

 

[allears]

Yes, we need each other, especially if you have some naysayers in your midst at home! But at least we all 'get it'!

We find the leftover sea motion comforting, especially if it lasts until you try and fall asleep and you get a little rocking feeling in bed. This time our seas were so calm we found we didn't have and risidual motion at all. Very disappointing!

We also found that if you leave the ship and go to WDW - a trip on Mission Space will also 'reset' your equilibrium. One ride and the sensation of motion was strangely gone!

Again, really enjoyed your report. And I hope you get back onboard soon so we can read another!

 

[gofenmom]

Loved your report... it summarizes how so many of us feel about the cruise and the "Magic" that envelops us when we visit WDW or cruise. Thank you...

 

[wdwjan]

My husband & I just got back from our first cruise, the 7-night Magic Western cruise--same as yours. I discovered your TR last night after flying home to GR, and loved reading it. We're from Grand Rapids, too! And we met a family on board (hi, SplashMountainManiac!) who used to live on our street! Small world indeed. You were smart to go to WDW after the cruise. We're in reality-shock now. Thanks for your terrific trip report--hope to read one from your Eastern cruise some day!

 

[Disneydreamer5]

I am considering doing the Western Caibbean 7 nighter for Nov, Dec, or Jan, honeslty depends on whatever is the cheapest.
I am just concerned about the weather and the boat rocking.
I have vertigo so I will need to take something regardless of when we go but if the weather is not so great and the seas are extremly rough this time of year I can't even think about doing it.
Any insight would be a great help.
Thank you.

 

[Chernabog66]

Well, FWIW, I've experienced something odd as I've gotten older. My tolerance for motion sickness seems to be decreasing. I used to have an ironcast stomach. I went flying with the Northern Lights flight demonstration team and didn't get so much as slightly quesey back in 97. Now that I'm 42, things have changed for the worse. I can't even handle Space Mountain without feeling a bit nauseous. My answer? Dramamine. Pure & simple, the stuff works for me. Now I don't think the rocking of the Magic was enough to make me ill but I wasn't taking any chances. I took one when I got up, one in the afternoon after lunch, and one in the evening. No problems whatsoever. Now others on this site have reccommended a pill called Bonine. I have no experience with it so I can't offer a personal testimonial but many others have said it works for them. The other thing is, it's sort of a mental game. If you're convinced you're going to get sick, guess what.... If you take a pill, or better yet, see your doctor and see what he/she reccommends, I'm betting you'll have a vacation that you'll never forget. Good Luck and have fun!!

 

[cakesnjammom]

Enjoyed reading your report...you and my dh think alike...must be the engineer in you both...I knew he would love hearing about the boat doing its manuever away from the port in Key West...we will be watching out for it on our sailing! Loved your report......would love to see some of your pics...please post if you can! Thanks

 

[mommyofthreeboys]

We are thinking about the 7 day Western trip on the Magic in March so your report really interested me.

I just printed out your report...16 pages and I can't wait to read it!!! THANKS for sharing!!!

 

[frdeb1999]

Just found your TR today and enjoyed every min of reading.

 

[Granny Hawkins]

WOW....Just plain outright WOW!

We went on the 3 day last Summer and will be going on the 7 day in July.

LOVED hearing everything from YPOV.

Thank you.