PhotoLisa
Disney Cruizin Is 4 Me
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2003
- Messages
- 1,514
Friday 2/16 departure day from New Orleans
We didnt remember until late afternoon that we needed to check in online for Southwest Airlines so when we did, we received boarding pass B. The flight was oversold and nobody was volunteering to give up his or her seats. Boy was I glad Courtney mentioned the seating for our flight and we checked in before getting to the airport! Several families were unable to secure seats together. Courtney and Kelli volunteered their two seats so that a mom and her two children could sit together on the plane. We arrived in Orlando and gathered our luggage while the Florida tours driver waited for us. We made our way to the Radisson at the Port and arrived around midnight.
Saturday 2/17 Embarkation Day Port Canaveral
As tired as I was, I woke up around 6 AM. We ate breakfast at the Radissons buffet and then got a cab to take us to the Publix to pick up film and wine. We were booked for the 11:30 shuttle which was painless. When we were dropped off at the port, our luggage was unloaded and given to the porters as we made our way to the first checkpoint. Once we were checked against the passenger list, we headed for the security check. There was no line at all. We went straight in, were screened, and headed up the escalator with boarding pass number 11. Online check in was a dream! There were hardly any people waiting in the lines but were glad to have Castaway member status as there was less wait there than the regular lines. While we were checking in, boarding began and they announced the Johnson family as the Family of the Day. Shortly thereafter, group 1 and 2 boarding began. Around 12:35, group 11 was finally called and we were on our way! It was just a few minutes and we were inside the ship and were hearing our name being announced.
The first order of business was to report to Guest Services to get our wine tasting tickets for Monday and Thursday, verify our shipboard credits, and get additional keys for our two staterooms. Next, we were off to Rockin Bar D to change Pams Palo reservation for 4 guests instead of 2 and to have our dining rotation changed from LAP to PLA. After those tasks were accomplished, we headed to Parrot Cay to have lunch. This was the first time we dined inside on embarkation day rather than outside at Topsiders.
We had a disboard meet planned for 3 PM near the Mickey pool. We met Kkashner, Michigan Mouse, cadburysmom, stuffed w/fluff, cristinou, cdnstitch, Sue w/3boys, and dgaston. I know I must be leaving a few people out but it isnt on purpose. Many of the disboarders were either upgraded or purchased upgrades at the port. The pricing for upgrades were: 1) from an inside cabin to a cabin with a view was $284, 2) from an inside to a verandah was $800. We didnt attempt to upgrade since we were happy with a Cat 6 and Cat 11.
Our weather was cool in the 60s but it was comfortable enough to be in a tshirt.
We had the usual muster drills that went smoothly and then were on deck for the sailaway party. High Frequency provided the music. By the time the party started, most of the luggage on our floor was delivered. Our sailing was delayed a bit as last minute cruisers arrived on the ship.
We decided to skip the shows as weve seen them many times. We relaxed in our stateroom and on our verandah and witnessed the first sunset of the cruise. When we went to dinner, we were greeted by our server, Liam from Jamaica, assistant server, Marco, and dining room manager, Christophe. Marco will be leaving soon for his vacation as is Rodolpho, our stateroom host.
We decided to check out the 60s show in Rockin Bar D after dinner and were pleasantly entertained by the cruise staff Pikey included and High Frequency. I felt the band was good while playing music within the genre (mostly Beatles songs) although they were playing to an almost non-existent crowd.
Day 2 Sea Day
During the night, we had to get up to shut our bathroom doors. The boat was a rockin and a rollin with the 13-20 foot swells. The seas would continue all day and night.
We started out our morning waiting for our 10:30 Palo brunch time to arrive. DH went to the health club during our wait. We were supposed to set our clocks ahead one hour but we did the opposite so we arrived at Palo at 12:30!!!! Short morning suddenly! We headed off to Parrot Cay for lunch on the International Buffet and Pasta Station. The pasta station was great!
We had a 2 PM wine tasting in Sessions and when we arrived, we joined Christine and her dh, Donna and her dh, and Mariah. It was nice to have people attending that we already knew. We had 7 wines to taste three white wines, two reds, 1 dessert wine (raspberry) and 1 sparkling wine. It was very informative as well as entertaining.
After the wine tasting, we took advantage of our starboard side verandah and napped until it was time to get ready for dinner.
Tonight is our formal night. Prior to dinner, we decided to attend the Family Cabaret with Aaron Radatz, an illusionist. The kids all sat on the floor upfront and center. This was our first time seeing this entertainer and it was a welcome change.
Dinner tonight was from the French menu. The girls decided not to attend and ordered mac & cheese from room service. Ed and I had the escargot, and Normandy salad. Eds entrée was scalloped in a crème sauce and I selected the lamb, which fell off the bone and was very tender. Dessert for me was crème brulee; Ed chose the sugar-free chocolate cake. We noticed several empty tables at dinner tonight we assume it is because those cruisers chose not to dress up for formal night. The attire that we saw ranged from tuxes and long gowns to Sunday best.
Tonights adult cabaret entertainment in Rockin Bar D was Wilde and Haines, a comedic show with juggling. Sue, Pam, Donna and their dhs were in attendance. This comedic pair was awesome. We stayed around for the 70s party afterward but like day 1, the audience was empty.
Day 3 Sea Day
Seas are not quite as bad this morning. We woke to partly cloudy skies and 72 degree temps. Room service was delivered promptly at 8 AM. We ate light since well go to our Palo brunch today since we missed it yesterday!
Brunch was fabulous! The choices were numerous and very upscale. There were plenty of seafood choices Oysters Rockefeller, Jumbo boiled shrimp, smoked salmon, smoked trout cheeses, breads, desserts. The entrée items were numerous as well a few different kinds of pizza, eggs benedict, eggs Florentine, and another eggs something or other. There was a lamb dish and pasta dishes. The desserts were plentiful as well.
Our server was Mladen from Croatia who told us about the Mardi Gras celebrations in his hometown and also shared that he was in New Orleans in the spring of 2000 for 10 days while working on one of the Celebrity ships.
We ran into Christine and Bill at Palos brunch as well!
Its amazing how many disboard people you run into all over the place. Being the first time I attended the disboard meet, I didnt realize how much it helps you to enjoy your entire cruise. You continually meet up with those members and feel a kinship with them.
This afternoon is our Spa Villa. Thanks to the tip on the board, I WILL be wearing my swimsuit in the hot tub! Hehe!!
Ok my opinion of the Spa Villa Couples Retreat is favorable. As usual, when you arrive at the Vista Spa, you fill out paperwork regarding your health, medications, concerns, etc. Afterwards, Mercy and Andri introduced themselves to us as our masseuse pair. They took us into spa villa #2. The reviewed our paperwork with us and then instructed us to put on our spa robes and go out onto the deck, one of us sitting on the chair and the other on the couch with our feet in a foot soak bowl of warm water and soap. After a few minutes, Mercy and Andri joined us and cleaned our feet and then used an exfoliant on our feet and lower legs. Once they were finished with the exfoliation, they left us alone for 20 25 minutes so that we could enjoy the Jacuzzi. When our jets turned off after 20 minutes, we exited the Jacuzzi and rinsed with the shower on the deck. We had a few minutes to spend on the double couch alone. We then moved into the massage room to begin our wrap. They spred a green paste on our backs, arms and legs and wrapped us in foil then covered us with blankets. As our wrap was processing, they gave us an awesome head massage and foot massage. We were helped off the massage tables and went outside on the deck to shower off the paste. Once completed, we returned to the massage tables to have our massage. Once our massage was done, we were again left alone outside on the double couch for more alone time. We had fresh fruit and tea to enjoy. What was supposed to be a 130 minute spa villa appointment turned into 150 minutes. We never felt rushed or that they were watching a clock.
When we left the spa, we were very relaxed. We returned to the room to prepare for dinner. Dinner was in Animators Palette. My appetizer was a caesar salad and my entrée was the crusted veal that the serving size was too big for me. It was very tasty and tender. My dessert was the Boston Crème Pie.
After dinner, we went to check out the piano bar (Sessions) for a few minutes. We switched to Rockin Bar D and met up with more disboarders. We enjoyed the adult cabaret of Aaron Radatz. I had just told Sue, Dave, Christine and Bill that one of us would end up on stage as it always happens to those that sit on the front row. Little did I know I would be that person. I volunteered my ring on the request of Aaron Radatz and was brought onstage. He joined my ring with 2 other rings that were offered for use by other audience members. He then unlinked them.
After the cabaret, Ed and I stayed in Rockin Bar D listening to music and dancing. Trent was wildly entertaining like he usually is. There were a few karaoke songs performed by the few people that were still in the bar. We ended up closing down the bar at 2 AM.
Day 4 St. Maarten Day
We took a taxi to Orient Beach and settled on chairs, umbrellas and drinks at LeString. Our taxi would be waiting when we would go back to the ship. Taxi pricing to Orient Beach ranges from $8 per person one way to $6 per person. The more people, the cheaper the per person rate. The chairs/umbrella/1 drink at LeString was $8 for each chair.
The beach was clean. The water was turquoise. Even though there were topless women and nude men on the beach, it wasnt bad. Topless/nude were in the minority.
Courtney and Kelli were able to talk down the jetski people down from $50 for 30 minutes to $40. They said they enjoyed the ride much more than when were at home on jetskis due to the wave action.
Tonight is Pirate Night.
Pirate Night:
We dined in Parrots Cay tonight and as usual, the festivities were terrific. Our assistant server, Marco, was ill and his replacement for the evening was Jason from the Philippines. Jason did not miss a beat. Although he was unfamiliar with the guests that he was serving, he was extremely friendly and was very quick and efficient. I was extremely impressed with Jason he seemed to have it. I would say that there will be a place soon for him on the regular dining teams as he is currently assigned to the galley.
When dinner was completed, we walked outside only to find rain showers falling on our Pirate Party. Plan B was having the party in the atrium on deck 3. The area was filled with eager guests with the staff performers and characters on the Lumieres landing and staircases. Guests also lined the banisters on deck 4 and 5. The entertainment was terrific and although guests were inside rather than outside, enthusiasm was abound.
After the Pirate Party, we went to Rockin Bar D for Crazy Karaoke but left after a short time since we would have an early morning wakeup call for immigration the next day.
Day 5 St Thomas
Immigration forced an early morning wakeup call for everyone. Since we had an early morning excursion (non-Disney), we elected to arrive for immigration at 6:45! It was truly painless. Three of the four of us had passports and zipped right through. Kellis (minor on the trip) birth certificate was examined a bit closer. There was no line and as quickly as you entered the WD Theatre, you were out.
All US Citizens follow the guidelines by proceeding to the Walt Disney Theatre deck 4 forward.
Guests on Morning Shore Excursions 6:45
Guests on Decks 1 and 2 7:00 to 7:15
Guests on Decks 5 and 6 7:15 to 7:30
Guests on Decks 7 and 8 7:30 to 7:45
Guests who do not wish to go ashore 7:45 to 8:00
All guests must pass through Inspection by 8:30 am
All family members are present for inspection.
All guests must present a Passport or Birth Certificate (accompanied with Photo ID [for adults])
Even if you are not going ashore, you are still required to pass through inspection.
Tips for Tendering in St. Thomas:
If you are going ashore (especially on a non-Disney excursion), have your family ready (KTTW cards, towels, etc) and report to the Buena Vista Theatre no later than 7:30.
There were no towels at the gangway! Get your towels from the pool area before going to BVT.
We were on the first tender out and were onshore around 8 AM. Be sure to wear shoes that grip as the exit ramp from the tender was extremely steep.
Our excursion was booked through Rumbaba Charters (http://www.rumbabacharters.com). We met Capt Bobby and 1st Mate Karen at the American Yacht Harbor at Red Hook for our 9:15 am meet. They used a dingy to get us to their sailboat. Upon arrival on the sailboat, Karen had freshly made banana bread for us to eat for breakfast. Although it was raining when we woke up this morning and it rained shortly after we set sail for St. John, the weather turned out to be very sunny. We sailed around near St. John for quite a while as Capt. Bobby pointed out different islands to us. We were treated to a view of Michael Jordans estate on St. John as well as a view of Johnny Depps private island that is right off of St. John. We went to Christmas Bay, the location that Christopher Columbus spent Christmas on his second journey. We anchored and snorkeled there. The coral was great and the fish were numerous. This area provided three spectacular areas to snorkel. Capt. Bobby and Karen prepared our lunch during the snorkeling. Our choices for main course were mahi mahi, ahi tuna, filet mignon, or chicken breast. The meat selections were marinated and then grilled via propane burner to perfection! We had fresh baked bread, salad, star fruit, and pasta salad to accompany our meat selection. Prior to the main meal, we feasted on baby carrots, celery sticks, crouton type bread, and spiced shrimp with a mango-type dip and another homemade dip. The mango-dip was awesome and matched up well with the spiced shrimp.
After eating lunch, we had the choice to return to the water for swimming and/or snorkeling before venturing back to St. Thomas.
Courtney complimented Karen saying that the food we had on the sailboat was the best she had eaten since we boarded the Magic! I had to agree that the food was to die for!
We arrived back to the tender location in the nick of time time to board the final tender back to the ship. We set sail shortly after we were back on board the Magic.
Dinner tonight was to be semi-formal and we elected to dine in Palo. Our server was Sylvester from Croatia who gave us excellent service.
Ed and I both selected the Portobello mushroom with polenta as an appetizer. Sylvester also brought us warm shrimp to sample as well. Our entrees were sea bass baked in a thin paper and the rack of lamb. Again, Sylvester brought us extras -- tortellini stuffed with cheese and seafood risotto. Dessert was the chocolate soufflé along with a custard with fresh fruit. We chose an excellent bottle of Cello wine. It was a smooth and dry wine from Italy that went down easily.
We decided to call it a night after Palo since we had been in the sun all day. Sleep came quite easily. During the night, I woke several times due to the rocking of the ship. When I checked the TV, it noted that we were in 13-20 foot seas. It was announced on Thursday that around 3 AM, we had a medical evacuation by helicopter. A cruiser was taken to Puerto Rico for an unspecified medical emergency.
With St. Thomas Day brings the switching out of entertainers. Onboard now are Gary DeLena and Freddy Fusion.
Day 6 Sea Day
Today we awoke to clear skies and calmer seas about 5 foot swells max. We had 10:30 Palo reservations for brunch and elected to sleep in until it was time to prepare for our feast. Our server today was Marco from Italy. I can say that we have not had a bad server in Palo were 3 for 3! I chose the frittata for my entrée and was quite delighted. I also had Marco secure a pepperoni pizza to take to Courtney after we finished our feast. Courtney commented that it wasnt like the typical pepperoni pizza on deck 9 and I was sure she was correct.
This afternoon, we have the Stem to Stern Wine Tasting at Sessions 2 PM.
We didnt remember until late afternoon that we needed to check in online for Southwest Airlines so when we did, we received boarding pass B. The flight was oversold and nobody was volunteering to give up his or her seats. Boy was I glad Courtney mentioned the seating for our flight and we checked in before getting to the airport! Several families were unable to secure seats together. Courtney and Kelli volunteered their two seats so that a mom and her two children could sit together on the plane. We arrived in Orlando and gathered our luggage while the Florida tours driver waited for us. We made our way to the Radisson at the Port and arrived around midnight.
Saturday 2/17 Embarkation Day Port Canaveral
As tired as I was, I woke up around 6 AM. We ate breakfast at the Radissons buffet and then got a cab to take us to the Publix to pick up film and wine. We were booked for the 11:30 shuttle which was painless. When we were dropped off at the port, our luggage was unloaded and given to the porters as we made our way to the first checkpoint. Once we were checked against the passenger list, we headed for the security check. There was no line at all. We went straight in, were screened, and headed up the escalator with boarding pass number 11. Online check in was a dream! There were hardly any people waiting in the lines but were glad to have Castaway member status as there was less wait there than the regular lines. While we were checking in, boarding began and they announced the Johnson family as the Family of the Day. Shortly thereafter, group 1 and 2 boarding began. Around 12:35, group 11 was finally called and we were on our way! It was just a few minutes and we were inside the ship and were hearing our name being announced.
The first order of business was to report to Guest Services to get our wine tasting tickets for Monday and Thursday, verify our shipboard credits, and get additional keys for our two staterooms. Next, we were off to Rockin Bar D to change Pams Palo reservation for 4 guests instead of 2 and to have our dining rotation changed from LAP to PLA. After those tasks were accomplished, we headed to Parrot Cay to have lunch. This was the first time we dined inside on embarkation day rather than outside at Topsiders.
We had a disboard meet planned for 3 PM near the Mickey pool. We met Kkashner, Michigan Mouse, cadburysmom, stuffed w/fluff, cristinou, cdnstitch, Sue w/3boys, and dgaston. I know I must be leaving a few people out but it isnt on purpose. Many of the disboarders were either upgraded or purchased upgrades at the port. The pricing for upgrades were: 1) from an inside cabin to a cabin with a view was $284, 2) from an inside to a verandah was $800. We didnt attempt to upgrade since we were happy with a Cat 6 and Cat 11.
Our weather was cool in the 60s but it was comfortable enough to be in a tshirt.
We had the usual muster drills that went smoothly and then were on deck for the sailaway party. High Frequency provided the music. By the time the party started, most of the luggage on our floor was delivered. Our sailing was delayed a bit as last minute cruisers arrived on the ship.
We decided to skip the shows as weve seen them many times. We relaxed in our stateroom and on our verandah and witnessed the first sunset of the cruise. When we went to dinner, we were greeted by our server, Liam from Jamaica, assistant server, Marco, and dining room manager, Christophe. Marco will be leaving soon for his vacation as is Rodolpho, our stateroom host.
We decided to check out the 60s show in Rockin Bar D after dinner and were pleasantly entertained by the cruise staff Pikey included and High Frequency. I felt the band was good while playing music within the genre (mostly Beatles songs) although they were playing to an almost non-existent crowd.
Day 2 Sea Day
During the night, we had to get up to shut our bathroom doors. The boat was a rockin and a rollin with the 13-20 foot swells. The seas would continue all day and night.
We started out our morning waiting for our 10:30 Palo brunch time to arrive. DH went to the health club during our wait. We were supposed to set our clocks ahead one hour but we did the opposite so we arrived at Palo at 12:30!!!! Short morning suddenly! We headed off to Parrot Cay for lunch on the International Buffet and Pasta Station. The pasta station was great!
We had a 2 PM wine tasting in Sessions and when we arrived, we joined Christine and her dh, Donna and her dh, and Mariah. It was nice to have people attending that we already knew. We had 7 wines to taste three white wines, two reds, 1 dessert wine (raspberry) and 1 sparkling wine. It was very informative as well as entertaining.
After the wine tasting, we took advantage of our starboard side verandah and napped until it was time to get ready for dinner.
Tonight is our formal night. Prior to dinner, we decided to attend the Family Cabaret with Aaron Radatz, an illusionist. The kids all sat on the floor upfront and center. This was our first time seeing this entertainer and it was a welcome change.
Dinner tonight was from the French menu. The girls decided not to attend and ordered mac & cheese from room service. Ed and I had the escargot, and Normandy salad. Eds entrée was scalloped in a crème sauce and I selected the lamb, which fell off the bone and was very tender. Dessert for me was crème brulee; Ed chose the sugar-free chocolate cake. We noticed several empty tables at dinner tonight we assume it is because those cruisers chose not to dress up for formal night. The attire that we saw ranged from tuxes and long gowns to Sunday best.
Tonights adult cabaret entertainment in Rockin Bar D was Wilde and Haines, a comedic show with juggling. Sue, Pam, Donna and their dhs were in attendance. This comedic pair was awesome. We stayed around for the 70s party afterward but like day 1, the audience was empty.
Day 3 Sea Day
Seas are not quite as bad this morning. We woke to partly cloudy skies and 72 degree temps. Room service was delivered promptly at 8 AM. We ate light since well go to our Palo brunch today since we missed it yesterday!
Brunch was fabulous! The choices were numerous and very upscale. There were plenty of seafood choices Oysters Rockefeller, Jumbo boiled shrimp, smoked salmon, smoked trout cheeses, breads, desserts. The entrée items were numerous as well a few different kinds of pizza, eggs benedict, eggs Florentine, and another eggs something or other. There was a lamb dish and pasta dishes. The desserts were plentiful as well.
Our server was Mladen from Croatia who told us about the Mardi Gras celebrations in his hometown and also shared that he was in New Orleans in the spring of 2000 for 10 days while working on one of the Celebrity ships.
We ran into Christine and Bill at Palos brunch as well!
Its amazing how many disboard people you run into all over the place. Being the first time I attended the disboard meet, I didnt realize how much it helps you to enjoy your entire cruise. You continually meet up with those members and feel a kinship with them.
This afternoon is our Spa Villa. Thanks to the tip on the board, I WILL be wearing my swimsuit in the hot tub! Hehe!!
Ok my opinion of the Spa Villa Couples Retreat is favorable. As usual, when you arrive at the Vista Spa, you fill out paperwork regarding your health, medications, concerns, etc. Afterwards, Mercy and Andri introduced themselves to us as our masseuse pair. They took us into spa villa #2. The reviewed our paperwork with us and then instructed us to put on our spa robes and go out onto the deck, one of us sitting on the chair and the other on the couch with our feet in a foot soak bowl of warm water and soap. After a few minutes, Mercy and Andri joined us and cleaned our feet and then used an exfoliant on our feet and lower legs. Once they were finished with the exfoliation, they left us alone for 20 25 minutes so that we could enjoy the Jacuzzi. When our jets turned off after 20 minutes, we exited the Jacuzzi and rinsed with the shower on the deck. We had a few minutes to spend on the double couch alone. We then moved into the massage room to begin our wrap. They spred a green paste on our backs, arms and legs and wrapped us in foil then covered us with blankets. As our wrap was processing, they gave us an awesome head massage and foot massage. We were helped off the massage tables and went outside on the deck to shower off the paste. Once completed, we returned to the massage tables to have our massage. Once our massage was done, we were again left alone outside on the double couch for more alone time. We had fresh fruit and tea to enjoy. What was supposed to be a 130 minute spa villa appointment turned into 150 minutes. We never felt rushed or that they were watching a clock.
When we left the spa, we were very relaxed. We returned to the room to prepare for dinner. Dinner was in Animators Palette. My appetizer was a caesar salad and my entrée was the crusted veal that the serving size was too big for me. It was very tasty and tender. My dessert was the Boston Crème Pie.
After dinner, we went to check out the piano bar (Sessions) for a few minutes. We switched to Rockin Bar D and met up with more disboarders. We enjoyed the adult cabaret of Aaron Radatz. I had just told Sue, Dave, Christine and Bill that one of us would end up on stage as it always happens to those that sit on the front row. Little did I know I would be that person. I volunteered my ring on the request of Aaron Radatz and was brought onstage. He joined my ring with 2 other rings that were offered for use by other audience members. He then unlinked them.
After the cabaret, Ed and I stayed in Rockin Bar D listening to music and dancing. Trent was wildly entertaining like he usually is. There were a few karaoke songs performed by the few people that were still in the bar. We ended up closing down the bar at 2 AM.
Day 4 St. Maarten Day
We took a taxi to Orient Beach and settled on chairs, umbrellas and drinks at LeString. Our taxi would be waiting when we would go back to the ship. Taxi pricing to Orient Beach ranges from $8 per person one way to $6 per person. The more people, the cheaper the per person rate. The chairs/umbrella/1 drink at LeString was $8 for each chair.
The beach was clean. The water was turquoise. Even though there were topless women and nude men on the beach, it wasnt bad. Topless/nude were in the minority.
Courtney and Kelli were able to talk down the jetski people down from $50 for 30 minutes to $40. They said they enjoyed the ride much more than when were at home on jetskis due to the wave action.
Tonight is Pirate Night.
Pirate Night:
We dined in Parrots Cay tonight and as usual, the festivities were terrific. Our assistant server, Marco, was ill and his replacement for the evening was Jason from the Philippines. Jason did not miss a beat. Although he was unfamiliar with the guests that he was serving, he was extremely friendly and was very quick and efficient. I was extremely impressed with Jason he seemed to have it. I would say that there will be a place soon for him on the regular dining teams as he is currently assigned to the galley.
When dinner was completed, we walked outside only to find rain showers falling on our Pirate Party. Plan B was having the party in the atrium on deck 3. The area was filled with eager guests with the staff performers and characters on the Lumieres landing and staircases. Guests also lined the banisters on deck 4 and 5. The entertainment was terrific and although guests were inside rather than outside, enthusiasm was abound.
After the Pirate Party, we went to Rockin Bar D for Crazy Karaoke but left after a short time since we would have an early morning wakeup call for immigration the next day.
Day 5 St Thomas
Immigration forced an early morning wakeup call for everyone. Since we had an early morning excursion (non-Disney), we elected to arrive for immigration at 6:45! It was truly painless. Three of the four of us had passports and zipped right through. Kellis (minor on the trip) birth certificate was examined a bit closer. There was no line and as quickly as you entered the WD Theatre, you were out.
All US Citizens follow the guidelines by proceeding to the Walt Disney Theatre deck 4 forward.
Guests on Morning Shore Excursions 6:45
Guests on Decks 1 and 2 7:00 to 7:15
Guests on Decks 5 and 6 7:15 to 7:30
Guests on Decks 7 and 8 7:30 to 7:45
Guests who do not wish to go ashore 7:45 to 8:00
All guests must pass through Inspection by 8:30 am
All family members are present for inspection.
All guests must present a Passport or Birth Certificate (accompanied with Photo ID [for adults])
Even if you are not going ashore, you are still required to pass through inspection.
Tips for Tendering in St. Thomas:
If you are going ashore (especially on a non-Disney excursion), have your family ready (KTTW cards, towels, etc) and report to the Buena Vista Theatre no later than 7:30.
There were no towels at the gangway! Get your towels from the pool area before going to BVT.
We were on the first tender out and were onshore around 8 AM. Be sure to wear shoes that grip as the exit ramp from the tender was extremely steep.
Our excursion was booked through Rumbaba Charters (http://www.rumbabacharters.com). We met Capt Bobby and 1st Mate Karen at the American Yacht Harbor at Red Hook for our 9:15 am meet. They used a dingy to get us to their sailboat. Upon arrival on the sailboat, Karen had freshly made banana bread for us to eat for breakfast. Although it was raining when we woke up this morning and it rained shortly after we set sail for St. John, the weather turned out to be very sunny. We sailed around near St. John for quite a while as Capt. Bobby pointed out different islands to us. We were treated to a view of Michael Jordans estate on St. John as well as a view of Johnny Depps private island that is right off of St. John. We went to Christmas Bay, the location that Christopher Columbus spent Christmas on his second journey. We anchored and snorkeled there. The coral was great and the fish were numerous. This area provided three spectacular areas to snorkel. Capt. Bobby and Karen prepared our lunch during the snorkeling. Our choices for main course were mahi mahi, ahi tuna, filet mignon, or chicken breast. The meat selections were marinated and then grilled via propane burner to perfection! We had fresh baked bread, salad, star fruit, and pasta salad to accompany our meat selection. Prior to the main meal, we feasted on baby carrots, celery sticks, crouton type bread, and spiced shrimp with a mango-type dip and another homemade dip. The mango-dip was awesome and matched up well with the spiced shrimp.
After eating lunch, we had the choice to return to the water for swimming and/or snorkeling before venturing back to St. Thomas.
Courtney complimented Karen saying that the food we had on the sailboat was the best she had eaten since we boarded the Magic! I had to agree that the food was to die for!
We arrived back to the tender location in the nick of time time to board the final tender back to the ship. We set sail shortly after we were back on board the Magic.
Dinner tonight was to be semi-formal and we elected to dine in Palo. Our server was Sylvester from Croatia who gave us excellent service.
Ed and I both selected the Portobello mushroom with polenta as an appetizer. Sylvester also brought us warm shrimp to sample as well. Our entrees were sea bass baked in a thin paper and the rack of lamb. Again, Sylvester brought us extras -- tortellini stuffed with cheese and seafood risotto. Dessert was the chocolate soufflé along with a custard with fresh fruit. We chose an excellent bottle of Cello wine. It was a smooth and dry wine from Italy that went down easily.
We decided to call it a night after Palo since we had been in the sun all day. Sleep came quite easily. During the night, I woke several times due to the rocking of the ship. When I checked the TV, it noted that we were in 13-20 foot seas. It was announced on Thursday that around 3 AM, we had a medical evacuation by helicopter. A cruiser was taken to Puerto Rico for an unspecified medical emergency.
With St. Thomas Day brings the switching out of entertainers. Onboard now are Gary DeLena and Freddy Fusion.
Day 6 Sea Day
Today we awoke to clear skies and calmer seas about 5 foot swells max. We had 10:30 Palo reservations for brunch and elected to sleep in until it was time to prepare for our feast. Our server today was Marco from Italy. I can say that we have not had a bad server in Palo were 3 for 3! I chose the frittata for my entrée and was quite delighted. I also had Marco secure a pepperoni pizza to take to Courtney after we finished our feast. Courtney commented that it wasnt like the typical pepperoni pizza on deck 9 and I was sure she was correct.
This afternoon, we have the Stem to Stern Wine Tasting at Sessions 2 PM.
