"10/23/2010 Seven Days of Magic Sailing to the Saints Looking for Serenity Now!"

[Sand]

Both the threads and making the magnets

Hi Lois! I wish I had that sewing talent too!! The lady that made the FE for us has the fancy sewing machine that can scan an image then sew it. Pretty snazzy! Since we live in Massachussetts and the Magic is our first cruise we choose, what I call, the Glouster Mickey. Gordon's fish sticks comes from there.

Hope you having a great weekend!
Sandy

 

[Sand]

Is there already a FE exchange started for this cruise? I just hopped on this thread recently, and haven't yet gotten through all the page

No, not yet. Brenda said she would post a list closer to the cruise. I don't know how this all works but is it possible to start putting together some groups, just so I know what age groups to buy for? Is this list going on page 1 or 2 for all to reference?

 

[sunshine1259]

I'm back from spending 3 days at Disneyland with my DH. We had a great time. I will respond to our new group members after we return from church later today.

But in the meantime, Welcome Aboard to our new cruisers!!!

 

[CarrianneB]

I'm back from spending 3 days at Disneyland with my DH. We had a great time. I will respond to our new group members after we return from church later today.

But in the meantime, Welcome Aboard to our new cruisers!!!

Sunshine - how was it? Was anything closed? We are headed to DL for a long weekend on Thursday!

 

[sunshine1259]

Hi all!

this will be the first time on a Disney Cruise, or any cruise!
we have 7 people in our party, my family: me, DH, DS-25 DS-6 (who will turn 7 on the 29th the day we dock in cast away cay!, yes my kids are 19 years apart!!) and then: my brother, his wife and their 8 year old daughter. we are staying in 2 connecting cabims on deck 1 cat 10s, it was all that was available at the time . what are upgrades? what are the chances of getting connecting cabin upgrades? What is Fish Exchange, it seems like some type of gift exchange between passengers left at their door, I am sure the 2 little ones cruising would love that, what do I need to do/know? what types of gifts?
what does the cruise line do for birthdays. should I try and request anything??
anyone know anything about deck 1, is it really bad? most post one here seem to be cats 5 or 6!!

by the way, love, love the to do list in the beginning of the thread, just great!! especially for a newbie, thanks Brenda!!

Hi, detiveaux. Welcome Aboard. I am finally caught up a bit here. I was going to answer some of your questions, but I see that the rest of the crew here has just right in and answered them.

As far as birthdays goes, I am going to assume that they treat them the same as they do annniversaries. Let DCL or your TA annotate it on your reservations and they will bring you a birthday cake to your table. Also, you can order a birthday package which comes with a cake and room decorations. They will have the room all decorated when you come on board and you can request when and where you want to have the cake, either in your cabin or at dinner.

I did this for our anniversary and we ended up with two cakes, one that we order and the one that DCL did for us.

Now, the FE gift exchange has been explained I noticed, so I will just say that if you would like to participate let me know and I will add you to the list. We will most likely split the group up because we have quite a few signed up already. But, we will probably have to start earlier than I thought because of the big group. That is to make sure that we all have our gifts ready to go.

Anyway, just stay posted, and I am sure that all of your questions will be answered.

So, again, Welcome Aboard!!!

 

[sunshine1259]

Can't believe we're down to less than a year - )). I"ve started with my magnets!! Did I see that there's going to be an exchange on board? I have never done that would love to know more about it and what to do.

Hi, Angela. Yes, we are going to be doing an FE exchange. And I am starting to think that we may need to start on it now since so many folks are asking about it. I think what I will do is do a poll to see what folks what to do.

 

[sunshine1259]

We stayed on deck 1 - once. I wouldn't hesitate doing so again. There seems to be 'A THING' about staying on this deck. I admit being a little ‘uneasy’ when we booked – got over it very quickly. Guess it's a thought of being the first deck...or...so close to the water line. Rest assured...there are 3 (A, B & C) decks below this one. The letter decks are for crew and mechanical needs. Some of the crew also bunk on deck 1, so you will have a lot of crewmember interaction. On port days…deck 1 is where you disembark. So…it’s very handy not waiting on an elevator.
Elevators…on deck 1 can be a little bit of a pain…this will require some extra time and patience. We did not have any problems getting an elevator…just took a long time to get to the upper decks. Took the stairs most of the time. During the busier times (shows – diner – etc) it felt like we stopped at ever floor.


Well…that might be a challenge. I agree with an earlier post – and others on the main boards that connecting cabins receive limited ‘fairy dust’ upgrades.
You might have a chance for a paid upgrade. I’d suggest contacting DCL and request to be ‘waitlisted’ for any openings within your paid category or agreeing to pay the difference if one above yours becomes available. If you don’t hear back from DCL…make a follow up call the morning we are 89 days out (day after cruise is required to be paid in full). Rooms that are not paid for….*should* be available to book.
There is always the option of arriving at port very early on the day we sail. During check in – you can request to speak with the Port Manager to see the cost of changing.

Personally…I was really-really surprised to see our sailing fill up so quickly. So…am going to assume upgrades are going to be limited – if even available.



Birthdays are pretty ‘low-key’ on the ship. As already suggested…inform your servers and remind them on the day you want them to sing – deliver a cake. I’d also suggest…speaking with the Dining Room Maitre d’. When we last cruised…the Maitre d’ were the only ones that had special pins/buttons to give out. We have a couple – there nice. Worth asking for.

Hi, Kevin. Thanks for providing some insight into the lower deck phobia. I am on deck six simply because I want a balcony for a 7-day trip. I noticed on the 3-4 day cruises that I have take with a balcony, that I actually do spend some time out there. And I especially love it on CC day. Hopefully, they will continue to back into the port there. Wee always have a starboard room.

 

[sunshine1259]

Appears some are getting busy with excursion plans. I'll pass my .02 - and toss in some info on the island. I found some info I had sent to a friend going on an Eastern cruise. Thought I’d post it here hoping someone could find some benefit from our experiences.

In our past 5 DCL sailings...we've only taken two Disney excursions - Atlantis Sub on a Western and boat tour of Nassau with a visit to The Dig in the Atlantis hotel on a Bahamas sailing (the last excursion was a disaster - maybe a discussion for another time). Plus a few others with 'brand x' cruise lines. I have nothing against the wonderful options they offer...just don't like being 'one - in a herd'. You go to the appointed meeting spot to wait (mainly waiting for 'inconsiderate cruisers' that show up late to very late)...then you walk off the ship in a line like school children going to lunch...to be turned over to a 3rd party that hosts your tour (a representative from DCL may/may not attend the entire tour). It was our experience...that when we got some where special and wanted a little more time...it was time to go. I know my words sound harsh - wasn't meant that way. You can be assured...if anything goes wrong with a 'Disney purchased tour'...they will take full responsibility - a solid PLUS. We've been very successful arranging tours at each island or by calling ahead. A short walk from port you will find a taxi stand were you can describe to someone what you are interested in and negotiate pricing, attractions and amount of time your tour will last. Some have mentioned tour groups that are highly praised on these boards (Bernard & Joyce Prince tours to name two). Planning our own excursions has worked well for us...your mileage may vary.

Sint Maarten (Dutch) / Saint-Martin (French)...a dual named island that five years ago was too confusing for our DD's. So...one of them renamed this island to Saint Marty. For us...Saint Marty it is. Since Saint Marty has a dual government…the island appears to be a little ‘disjointed’. If you reside on the Dutch side…have a Dutch phone courier…and make a call from the French side…it’s a long distance call. Uhm…this island is not that large…it’s only 34 square miles. To put this in perspective…Walt Disney World…has more land mass. Anyhoo…I digress.

If we are blessed with decent or better weather, I highly recommend being on the upper decks at O'dark-thirty (just before sunrise) to watch the Magic pull into the harbor. The morning sun is fantastic for photos and you are treated to a wonderful view of the island. I promise...you'll have time for breakfast and to get ready while the ship clears customs. Most want to wait till we are leaving...but get too busy trying to get ready for dinner/shows and completely miss this sight. We will most likely tie up on the Dutch side - in the city of Philipsburg.

Both sides of the island offer numerous boutiques - taking US credit cards and dollars at the exchange rate of 1 for 1. This is not the best rate for us - but convenient so we don't need to carry two additional kinds of currency - Euros (French side) & Gilders (Dutch). Duty free shopping is the biggest draw with designer labels almost half price of shops in the US. Liquor is really-really cheep. Keep in mind...you can always buy top shelf spirits on the ship...for sometimes a dollar or two more a bottle. The ship will also wrap and box your purchases. For us...bringing back liquor is no longer an option. With the fees the airlines charge for additional weight/bags...it just does not make cents. But...if you want to keep a bottle of wine or another form of 'adult beverage' in your room...this is really a cost effective way to limit your on-board alcohol purchases.

For us...being landlocked...any chance to get to a beach...we are there. FYI - governments of both islands have claimed the beachfronts to be 'community property'...not 'commercial property'. So...you are welcome to enjoy the beach that fronts ANY hotel - Ritz Carlton/Four Seasons etc. These businesses have 'rights' to the grounds and any amenities they own (umbrellas, chair/lounges, wave runners, water trampolines etc.) - but not the beach in front of them. Basically…they can’t ‘kick you out’ if you are not a member or guest of that property.

From our past trips...at any beach, you will experience persons wanting to sell you something - anything. We've been approached for; hair braiding, seashell 'creations', necklaces, t-shirts and even CD's. If you are interested...you can bargain for a lower price ---- or let them know you are not interested and they have politely moved on. The elaborate hotel or simple shack with a thatch covered bar will have umbrellas and chairs/chase lounges for you to 'rent' - prob $3 to $4 per item.

When DD's were small, we spent time at Little Bay beach and have enjoyed Orient Beach - twice. Little Bay is pretty much directly across from the dock. The waves are incredibly gentle and great for small children. If you're looking for a quiet place to build sand castles and relax the day away - it's very nice. It would be a long walk...so...you'd prob need a short and inexpensive taxi ride.

My bride calls Orient Beach...the place with the 'fluffy sand'. The beach has beautiful pure white sand that is very fine and soft to walk through. I can’t fairly describe the feel of walking through this sand…it kind of…scrunches. The water is a ‘jaw dropping’ blue color, then it turns green then it’s a blue/green or is it a green/blue color. Regardless of your interpretation of its color…I call it ‘breathtakingly beautiful’. Waves are gentle toward the shoreline but further out we did experience some undertow so keep this in mind if you have little ones. We rented a couple of lounge chairs and umbrella on the family beach. We’ve had such a fantastic time there – I can’t wait to return. Yes...this is on the French side and a clothing optional beach. So discuss amongst yourselves if you’re ready to have this conversation with your DD/S. During our last visit, our DD's were 4, 7 & 10 and we had a long talk with them about the cultural differences before we left the ship. Yes...they did point, giggle and whisper with each other. Their ‘shock’ lasted a whole 20 seconds – maybe less. Most of the time...they were engaged in swimming and looking for shells on the beach to even notice the poor souls that could not afford proper attire. A small barrier separates this beach where one half is considered 'family' and the other 'adult' (clothing optional). The 'adult' side is directly in front of a large hotel that I believe is also clothing optional. Frankly...we really did not see that many people with out swim suits (we never saw anyone bottomless - however, your mileage may be different). Most of the people we saw on the family beach...were able to fund both a top and bottom to their swimsuit. We did see one person that was topless on the ‘family’ beach. And…uhm…er…she was….(dare I say it) a DIS’r. I recommend you search on the main boards for others experiences – make the best decision for you and your family.

Maho beach is a very interesting - one-of-a-kind location. Imagine if you can (and...my poor written communication skills will allow) beautiful turquoise water that ends in a very short beach area – then a fence - a narrow two lane road - another fence - a narrow strip of grass - then...a runway. I wish I could offer a good estimate of distance from the end of the water to the start of the runway...I’m guessing...100 yards. Planes...not just small or medium sized...full size 747’s land directly over beach goers. On the fences...there are warning signs about the blasts from the jet engines. Am sure a lot of sand gets kicked up when the big planes come in. I’ve never spent time on this beach – did get some photo’s and details from a fellow Dis’er who spent the afternoon here and when we toured the island and stopped on the road between the fences for 3-5 minutes to see if a plane would land/take off. Regretfully...we did not get lucky.

Other than beaches…Saint Marty has shopping areas that offers….EVERYTHING. You can walk from port to some however a majority of the Phillipsburg (Dutch) shopping is a good distance away. You might consider taking a taxi to drop you off at the end of the shopping district and use your time walking back. The other area is in Marigot (French) and would require transportation. Marigot has a small mall and an open area that would resemble a flea or straw market. IMHO…unless you’re taking a tour of the island…and want a full experience…I would avoid Marigot. To be brutally honest – persons we encountered were really snotty – even to our kids…even when we were spending money with them. Again…this was our experience…yours…will hopefully differ.

Another attraction near Marigot is ‘The Butterfly Farm’. This would require transportation, as it’s a good distance away from port. I can’t remember the cost – some where around $8 per person. This would remind you of a reasonable sized back yard that is completely enclosed by mesh fencing. There are pools, fountains, flowers and planted/potted trees throughout. All around you are hundreds of butterflies in all stages of growth. You get a short tour and some facts about butterflies. If this interests you &/or you have younger children…this might be something to add to you list. However, you might want to do some research…as Saint Thomas has added a farm that I believe is in walking distance.

[/IMG]
This is a photo of my lovely DD's in 2005.

There are numerous ‘look out’ areas that offer up to 360-degree views of the island. One that I remember specifically…is called Fort Louis. This was an actual fort that the jail and a few canons have survived. However…the view of this location are wonderful. Be advised…some walking and climbing of ‘stairs’ is required. If we are blessed with a clear day…and you are making a ‘self tour’ with a driver…I’d highly recommend a 15-20 minute pause here.

well...my .02 prob turned into $1.50...excuse me for getting long winded. Hope this is useful. K

WOW!!!! I have to let my DH see this!!! I just have to remember not to go anywhere near this beach. I don't care how many times they have landind there, I don't want to be that close on the ground to an incoming 747.!!

But, Kevin, thank you for all of this info on St. Marty. I really have planned any excursions yet except for DH's SCUBA diving in St. Thomas. Nothing is really jumping out at me yet. All I want to do is relax in a spa or under an umbrella on the beach.

 

[sunshine1259]

Come on guys were on page 2 again...

Thanks for all the info Kevin!! Also is that woman topless in your jet over the beach shot??? If so, I thought this was a family thread....

I was wondering the same thing, Dave !

 

[sunshine1259]

Welcome Aboard! First time cruiser here as well. Haha, all the info can be overwhelming. You are in the right place!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607
Here is more info on the "FE" (Fish Extenders). They are basically a row of pockets that hang vertically from a metal fish outside your cabin. Every cabin has a fish - ship decor. Instructions to make your own (no sew) is also on this thread. I had a lady from eaby (also a DISer) make ours. She also embroiders pillow cases.

Here is a pic of ours. I need to paint the balls on the dowel.

[/IMG]

I have read it is best to attach the FE to the fish with a zip tie to prevent theft, leaving yourself a little room to be able to cut the tie after our cruise.

Thanks, Sandy for posting this info for the FE. I think that have directions on making on. I am so glad that I don't have to do one this time. I am going to use the one that we have from our first anniversary.

Let me see if I can find the directions and I will post those here as well.

 

[sunshine1259]

Very Nice FE. Really wish I had talent like that.

For those that are new just keep coming back to this thread. Ask any question you may have. Those of us who have cruised before will be more than happy to share our experence. At least I know I will be it is half the fun of planning another cruyise is sharing my past.

There are many other threads to ask and get answers as well. This site is very addictive. Welcome all.

I hear you, Lois. This site is very addicting. Thanks for helping to keep the thread on track.

 

[sunshine1259]

Here's a link to the magnate thread. You can have personal art work done and print them on magnetic paper to decorate your cabin door. Hope this helps.

We had some made up. Here is what we have so far.

Darn!! I keep forgetting that I can't see most pictures posted here from work. Have to wait to check out your magnets when I am at home.

 

[sunshine1259]

NICE DAVE!! I need to ask Jordak for the shadow box. I am so addicted to them. I like to digital scrapbook, so many of them wil be in the cruise photobook. I have also rotated a few thru my desktop background.

Just wanted to add in some pointers:
Please don't feel obligated to make magnets. This is just something fun to do, especially for the kids and helps adults find their room after one too many . If you see a "DISign" you like, simply ask the person who made and personalizes the design to make one for you. This will probably will be Milliepie, Jordak or BevToy. Give them names, dates or the necessary info for that design. Keep in mind, it make take them a day or two or three.

A shortcut to go thru 100+ pages is to go straight to their photobucket, then give them the name of the disign you like. These can be used not only for magnets but also have many other uses, for instance: making your own tshirts, fun stickers, bag tags, etc.

Milliepie: http://www.4shared.com/dir/19077581/4fa6c900/sharing.html

Jordak: http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee285/jordak67/?newest=1

Stateroom Mickey Ears and Hats: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2172891


On the Creative Disign Forum: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=105

Kellybell: http://www.4shared.com/dir/9621140/f80e177b/sharing.html

Im Too Excited To Sleep for personalized badges Cast Members where: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=105



Just one more note - THEY ARE TERRIBLY ADDICTING!

Although, I have an FE and other magnets, I forgot that I will need some magnets especially for this cruise! YIKES, I had better get on the ball with that.

 

[sunshine1259]

Is there already a FE exchange started for this cruise? I just hopped on this thread recently, and haven't yet gotten through all the page

Hi, Carrianne. As noted there will be and FE exchange for this cruise. We are just still in the planning process for it right now. If you wish to participate, let me know and I will you all to the list.

 

[sunshine1259]

No, not yet. Brenda said she would post a list closer to the cruise. I don't know how this all works but is it possible to start putting together some groups, just so I know what age groups to buy for? Is this list going on page 1 or 2 for all to reference?

Yes, Sandy, you are correct. I was thinking of holding off for a while to see about how many folks actually join. But, now I am thinking that we may need to start sooner because there are so many folks. Any ideas on how to break the groups up? But the more important question is when to start this? I wanted to give all a chance to participate. But what about the late comers? And for that matter what would constitute an late comer? Just some of my questions.

Oh, and the list will not be posted on the thread, it will be emailed as some folks like limited disclosures of their names and/or staterooms.

 

[sunshine1259]

Sunshine - how was it? Was anything closed? We are headed to DL for a long weekend on Thursday!

Okay, now I think that I am caught up.

Disneyland was great. Everyone kept predicting rain, but DH and I decided that as long as we had an umbrella with us, there would be no rain while we were at the parks. And there was none!!!

I will have to remember to go to DL in February more often. The lines are much shorter because of fewer people (still crowded, just not as bad). And the weather was great. Not to hot, not to cold, just right.

We went to DL on Thursday and the longest line that we had to wait in was Indiana Jones which was 30 minutes. We were going to do a fast pass for there but decided that the 30 minute wait was not to long.

In fact the only fast passes that we got were for Space Mountain on Thursday and Saturday, and Soarin' on Friday at CA.

Most of the rides were 10 minutes or less of a wait with most of the time spent actually walking from the entrance of the ride to the boarding of it.

Because we are both pretty familiar with DL and CA, we were able to see and do everything that we wanted and then some. I thought that if we rode Star Tours one more time I was just going to go bonkers. But, DH loves it, so what the heck. We also did Buzz Lightyear several times. Rode Pirates and it's a small world a couple of times as well.

We have decided that after about 7:30-8:00 is the best time to try to ride rides multiple of times. It seems that folks start lining up for either the evening parade or the firework show around that time, which makes for some relatively short lines.

I think we rode almost everything that we could in Fantasyland and tomorrowland that we wanted to ride. I don't know why, but Peter Pan seems to ALWAYS be crowded.

The rides that were down that I remember were the Matterhorn and the Riverboat. I know there were a couple of others, but those were the ones that we wanted to ride, but they were closed.

I even was able to catch Princess Tiana's Celebration. That was very nice and Princess Tiana was beautiful as was that dress. Makes me want to go out and have one made just for me ! We saw Cinderella over at CA and my DH commented that she looks just like a mannequin, especially when she was posing for picture. Moving, she looked a little more alive and real.

Everyone must catch the Aladdin show over at CA. This is a wonderful show and full of laughs.

As for food, we ate at the Plaza Inn the first night and split our dinner, which was perfect. The food was tasty, about what you would expect for that type of place. We also split a meal at Taste Pilot Grill. Those ribs were delicious. I am sure my DH wished he could have had my as well as his.

We ate, for the first time, at Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland hotel. That was a very upscaled restaraunt. The food was great if a tad bit pricey. But as long as DH was happy, that is all that really mattered to me.

And of course, we had to stop in a the Blue Bayou. That was just as we remembered.

I highly recommend making reservations and arriving a few minutes before your reservations time. That makes all the difference. We were seating within minutes of our arrival which was a few minutes before our scheduled time.

I can go on and on, but I will stop for now. If anyone have any other questions, just let me knw.

 

[Evad]

I asked this on the DCL POTD thread but thought I would ask it here as well


Will I have need for my tripod on our upcoming cruise?? Or would it better to just to bring some fast glass and handhold all the shots.

Your opinions please.

Thank you

 

[d'Isigny]

I asked this on the DCL POTD thread but thought I would ask it here as well


Will I have need for my tripod on our upcoming cruise?? Or would it better to just to bring some fast glass and handhold all the shots.

Your opinions please.

Thank you

Hey Dave - hope things are going well for you. I'll take a 'wack at this one'. For me...there has only be one time...I wished I would have brought a tripod (brand X cruise lines...pulling into Vancouver an hour before the sun woke up - night lights from the city that reflected on the water - just beautiful). When I flew and carried all of my SLR gear...I never took one.

this reminds me of what I saw...

Unless you have a very compact tripod...am not sure it's worth the bulk in your luggage. Now...if you plan on bringing a photography back pack (lowenpro type - or other) and that has room for one...sure.

However...if you're going to WDW and plan on shooting video of...parades, fireworks, shows --- yes...bring one. There is nothing worse...than struggling to watch vacation video where you almost get motion sickness.

hope this helps.....k

 

[Evad]

Thanks for that Kevin. And yes everything great up here as long as you just ignore the blizzard that's going on outside.

I am concerned if the movement and the vibrations of the boat would make it hard to use a tripod. I would like to go out one night on the ship just for night photography. As for WDW I always bring it. You can often find me lugging around both my camera backpack full of gear and my tripod bag.

Last November while shooting in Epcot many people had mistaken me for a photopass photographer. I think it's the tripod that was confusing them. You should see the looks on their faces when I tell them I'm not...lol Just a photo geek with a tripod.....

 

[sunshine1259]

Well, I see we are on page 2 again. That simply will not do.