Magic_Fan_Bruce
20K Crewmate
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 257
Cast: Myself (Bruce-43), DW(Sandy-39), DD(Amanda-11), and DD(Jennifer-8).
Sunday night we left Key West under a cloudy sky and a good wind blowing. That night I awoke to some very extreme motion. It was about 2am and it felt like I was in a hammock that someone had started swinging. I looked out our porthole and when the bow went through a wave, the splash completely covered our window. I turned on the TV to the channel with The Report from the Bridge and it listed the seas at 20-24ft waves and the wind at full gale. The captain had also slowed the ship down to 7.5 knots to lessen the impact of the waves. I was very excited and wanted to go explore the ship, Im always impressed when this mass of steel the size of two city blocks and 10 stories high Moves just pulling out of port, Im really impressed when this floating resort with 3,000 people on it makes vertical moves higher than any NBA player can jump. I wanted to walk the halls and feel the effects of the storm in areas like the atrium, and I thought just an elevator ride would be fun. I also wanted to go on deck and experience the weather first-hand. But, it was 2am, I was still very sleepy, so I went back to bed (also, DW said I couldnt leave the cabin!). Anyway I thought the storm would still be there when I woke up in the morning, it wasnt.
The next morning by 7am the seas had calmed to 12 foot waves, which is a nice gentle sway on the Magic. I went up to deck 10 and it was very breezy but no rain, and the sky was overcast, but still light. I did notice everything on deck 10 was crusted over with salt, so the sea-spray had not only reached deck 10, but did so in good quantities over a good bit of time. The deckhands spent the next two days washing and rewashing everything on decks 9 & 10. I heard very few guests talk about the storm, so I guess most slept through it, good thing because Im sure many other areas of the ship would have had to be cleaned if we had those conditions during the day. Its strange how your body doesnt care about the motion when youre asleep.
The day at sea was overcast and cool (low 70s) but the waves calmed down to 8 feet by 10am and it made for an overall pleasant day. The girls and I did Team Trivia and the Mickey 200 in the morning (lost both) but we had an extremely fast carrot until the wheels feel off.
After lunch we went to the Matinee performance of The Golden Mickeys. While we were walking into the theater, a CM asked if our girls could help out for part of the show. They said yes, and all four of us followed the CM to reserved seats in the front two rows on the port side of the theater, with the kids (our two girls, and four others) in the front row, and the parents behind them. After the warm-up pre-show with the reporter on TV, the CM took the Helpers out the door on the side of the theater. The first scene of the show was Snow White and Dopey and six other Dwarfs entered the stage. The kids had on dwarf hats and beards and marched on stage holding hands and intermixed with Snow and the other performers the rest of the scene. Then they went back off stage, got out of their costumes, and rejoined us in the theater. The CM made a point for us to save seats for our kids so they wouldnt sit on the front row for the rest of the show. I just thought she was being thoughtful, but when Ursula from The Little Mermaid made her entrance, Im glad Jennifer wasnt sitting on the front row, (Ursula is BIG, and its a great effect).
The rest of the day was spent eating and resting, and we had formal night at Animators Palate. One note about our table, it was number 54 and almost center of each restaurant. It was also next to the serving station, which I know some people dont like, but we did. It kept our wait team close to us, and looking at how the dinning room is laid out, it seems that all the tables are very near (if not next to) a serving station, which makes since. That reminds me of another change from dry-dock I havent seen anyone mention before. At Topsiders on the outside aft deck seating area, the service station for the wait-team has been moved from the center of the area to the wing on the port side. I know its less obtrusive in its new location. But I think this is the one thing that was a mistake from dry-dock. The station is farther away from the tables that have to be cleaned, and its out in the weather where we saw the wind take the light trash up in the air and out to sea on many occasions. This also took away a great seating location for those of us that like to sit outside. Please dont think of this as a complaint, because Im sure I dont understand all the reasons that went in to the discussion to move the station, just an observation.
Next stop: Grand Cayman, and another impressive show from Mother Nature.
Bruce
Sunday night we left Key West under a cloudy sky and a good wind blowing. That night I awoke to some very extreme motion. It was about 2am and it felt like I was in a hammock that someone had started swinging. I looked out our porthole and when the bow went through a wave, the splash completely covered our window. I turned on the TV to the channel with The Report from the Bridge and it listed the seas at 20-24ft waves and the wind at full gale. The captain had also slowed the ship down to 7.5 knots to lessen the impact of the waves. I was very excited and wanted to go explore the ship, Im always impressed when this mass of steel the size of two city blocks and 10 stories high Moves just pulling out of port, Im really impressed when this floating resort with 3,000 people on it makes vertical moves higher than any NBA player can jump. I wanted to walk the halls and feel the effects of the storm in areas like the atrium, and I thought just an elevator ride would be fun. I also wanted to go on deck and experience the weather first-hand. But, it was 2am, I was still very sleepy, so I went back to bed (also, DW said I couldnt leave the cabin!). Anyway I thought the storm would still be there when I woke up in the morning, it wasnt.
The next morning by 7am the seas had calmed to 12 foot waves, which is a nice gentle sway on the Magic. I went up to deck 10 and it was very breezy but no rain, and the sky was overcast, but still light. I did notice everything on deck 10 was crusted over with salt, so the sea-spray had not only reached deck 10, but did so in good quantities over a good bit of time. The deckhands spent the next two days washing and rewashing everything on decks 9 & 10. I heard very few guests talk about the storm, so I guess most slept through it, good thing because Im sure many other areas of the ship would have had to be cleaned if we had those conditions during the day. Its strange how your body doesnt care about the motion when youre asleep.
The day at sea was overcast and cool (low 70s) but the waves calmed down to 8 feet by 10am and it made for an overall pleasant day. The girls and I did Team Trivia and the Mickey 200 in the morning (lost both) but we had an extremely fast carrot until the wheels feel off.
After lunch we went to the Matinee performance of The Golden Mickeys. While we were walking into the theater, a CM asked if our girls could help out for part of the show. They said yes, and all four of us followed the CM to reserved seats in the front two rows on the port side of the theater, with the kids (our two girls, and four others) in the front row, and the parents behind them. After the warm-up pre-show with the reporter on TV, the CM took the Helpers out the door on the side of the theater. The first scene of the show was Snow White and Dopey and six other Dwarfs entered the stage. The kids had on dwarf hats and beards and marched on stage holding hands and intermixed with Snow and the other performers the rest of the scene. Then they went back off stage, got out of their costumes, and rejoined us in the theater. The CM made a point for us to save seats for our kids so they wouldnt sit on the front row for the rest of the show. I just thought she was being thoughtful, but when Ursula from The Little Mermaid made her entrance, Im glad Jennifer wasnt sitting on the front row, (Ursula is BIG, and its a great effect).
The rest of the day was spent eating and resting, and we had formal night at Animators Palate. One note about our table, it was number 54 and almost center of each restaurant. It was also next to the serving station, which I know some people dont like, but we did. It kept our wait team close to us, and looking at how the dinning room is laid out, it seems that all the tables are very near (if not next to) a serving station, which makes since. That reminds me of another change from dry-dock I havent seen anyone mention before. At Topsiders on the outside aft deck seating area, the service station for the wait-team has been moved from the center of the area to the wing on the port side. I know its less obtrusive in its new location. But I think this is the one thing that was a mistake from dry-dock. The station is farther away from the tables that have to be cleaned, and its out in the weather where we saw the wind take the light trash up in the air and out to sea on many occasions. This also took away a great seating location for those of us that like to sit outside. Please dont think of this as a complaint, because Im sure I dont understand all the reasons that went in to the discussion to move the station, just an observation.
Next stop: Grand Cayman, and another impressive show from Mother Nature.
Bruce
