mississaugamom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2003
- Messages
- 1,066
Same old cast Arlene (me), DH (Martin), DD7 (Lara), and DHs Aunt and Uncle
Mickey called us at 5:00 this morning! We had to shower and get dressed early since we are Canadian citizens and had to clear US Immigration at 6:00 in Rockin Bar D. Our passports were held for us onboard for the duration of the cruise, so we had to reclaim them and then meet an Immigration official. The line moved fairly quickly (there were only 200 non-Americans onboard this week) so we were back at our cabin by 6:30.
We picked up our carry-on bags, made a last check of the room, and headed down to Lumieres for breakfast. While walking along the hallway to the restaurant, we could see dolphins jumping alongside the ship! Lara was very excited to see them. Although breakfast was listed as 6:45, our server Claudio asked us to arrive a few minutes earlier if possible. Nadege (our head server) immediately offered to take our bags for us and kept them at the front of the restaurant while we had breakfast.
Claudio rushed over to say goodbye to us, but he was leaving the ship for his 2 month vacation at home in Italy today. He had to meet with Immigration himself, so Leasa took care of us on her own. Too soon, it was time for a final round of hugs. We got our bags and were near the front of the line for debarkation.
We easily found a porter and our bags. A second porter assisted with Auntie and Uncles luggage. They took us all the way to the tent where the Budget shuttle van was waiting. We were really surprised by this the $1 a bag tip quickly grew to $3 a bag as we felt guilty taking them so far away! After loading everything onto the shuttle van, we were off to pick up our Ford Explorer and were on the road to Disney World by 8:30 am.
How had a week gone so quickly???? We loved every moment on the ship and were all very sorry to leave. Even a week at Disney World wasnt cheering anyone up too much!
For Auntie and Uncle, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They are still talking about it constantly to anyone who will listen. In their minds, Disney is the only cruise line worth travelling on. They dont drink and enjoyed the family-style entertainment far more than Vegas style (although they have been there). They were regulars at Bingo, never missed a meal, attended the evening shows in the Walt Disney Theatre, did lots of shopping onboard, and loved Castaway Cay. They felt very comfortable on the ship, especially seeing so many multi-generational families travelling together. Of course they also loved spending so much time with Lara and having the chance to spoil her even more than they do at home! Uncle suffers from Parkinsons Disease, and it is progressing, so this may have been his last big trip. Ship life was very easy for him. Auntie still loves to travel and appreciated our company so that we were able to organize everything for them. She is in awe of the internet and how much I knew before ever going on a cruise. Thanks so much for all the great information everyone so generously shares on these boards!
As for Martin, Lara, and I we too are dreaming of a return to the Magic. Given Martins previous reluctance for cruising, I thought this may be a one-time opportunity for us as well. Since everyone had such a great time though, were certainly planning to do this again! One of our issues, though, is the 35-40% premium we pay converting our Canadian dollars to US (although our currency has improved lately) plus the high cost of airfare (typically over $1500 for the three of us). We discussed trying another cruise line next year which offers packages from Toronto (Carnival, Norwegian) but after talking to friends who cruise regularly, they think were more likely to be disappointed after such a great experience on Disney. Time to start saving up again!
Although we didnt rebook onboard, we are considering going again in early December, 2005. It would be nice to see the ship all decorated for the holidays and enjoy some holiday activities without giving up our Christmas at home with our families. Eastern or Western is the other consideration Martin isnt sure theres as much of interest to Lara on the Eastern. Im not sure; shes pretty adaptable and seems to enjoy anywhere she happens to be. I'll be looking for input on this from these boards.
Thanks to all who took the time to read these reports, and especially to my fellow cruisers Mamagriz, Plutospup, ThreeThings, Jbix00, KSJayhawks, Mailman028, and any screen names I may have forgotten. Meeting you people was a real treat it made the cruise feel as if we were travelling with a large group of friends. Thank you all so much!
Mickey called us at 5:00 this morning! We had to shower and get dressed early since we are Canadian citizens and had to clear US Immigration at 6:00 in Rockin Bar D. Our passports were held for us onboard for the duration of the cruise, so we had to reclaim them and then meet an Immigration official. The line moved fairly quickly (there were only 200 non-Americans onboard this week) so we were back at our cabin by 6:30.
We picked up our carry-on bags, made a last check of the room, and headed down to Lumieres for breakfast. While walking along the hallway to the restaurant, we could see dolphins jumping alongside the ship! Lara was very excited to see them. Although breakfast was listed as 6:45, our server Claudio asked us to arrive a few minutes earlier if possible. Nadege (our head server) immediately offered to take our bags for us and kept them at the front of the restaurant while we had breakfast.
Claudio rushed over to say goodbye to us, but he was leaving the ship for his 2 month vacation at home in Italy today. He had to meet with Immigration himself, so Leasa took care of us on her own. Too soon, it was time for a final round of hugs. We got our bags and were near the front of the line for debarkation.
We easily found a porter and our bags. A second porter assisted with Auntie and Uncles luggage. They took us all the way to the tent where the Budget shuttle van was waiting. We were really surprised by this the $1 a bag tip quickly grew to $3 a bag as we felt guilty taking them so far away! After loading everything onto the shuttle van, we were off to pick up our Ford Explorer and were on the road to Disney World by 8:30 am.
How had a week gone so quickly???? We loved every moment on the ship and were all very sorry to leave. Even a week at Disney World wasnt cheering anyone up too much!
For Auntie and Uncle, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They are still talking about it constantly to anyone who will listen. In their minds, Disney is the only cruise line worth travelling on. They dont drink and enjoyed the family-style entertainment far more than Vegas style (although they have been there). They were regulars at Bingo, never missed a meal, attended the evening shows in the Walt Disney Theatre, did lots of shopping onboard, and loved Castaway Cay. They felt very comfortable on the ship, especially seeing so many multi-generational families travelling together. Of course they also loved spending so much time with Lara and having the chance to spoil her even more than they do at home! Uncle suffers from Parkinsons Disease, and it is progressing, so this may have been his last big trip. Ship life was very easy for him. Auntie still loves to travel and appreciated our company so that we were able to organize everything for them. She is in awe of the internet and how much I knew before ever going on a cruise. Thanks so much for all the great information everyone so generously shares on these boards!
As for Martin, Lara, and I we too are dreaming of a return to the Magic. Given Martins previous reluctance for cruising, I thought this may be a one-time opportunity for us as well. Since everyone had such a great time though, were certainly planning to do this again! One of our issues, though, is the 35-40% premium we pay converting our Canadian dollars to US (although our currency has improved lately) plus the high cost of airfare (typically over $1500 for the three of us). We discussed trying another cruise line next year which offers packages from Toronto (Carnival, Norwegian) but after talking to friends who cruise regularly, they think were more likely to be disappointed after such a great experience on Disney. Time to start saving up again!
Although we didnt rebook onboard, we are considering going again in early December, 2005. It would be nice to see the ship all decorated for the holidays and enjoy some holiday activities without giving up our Christmas at home with our families. Eastern or Western is the other consideration Martin isnt sure theres as much of interest to Lara on the Eastern. Im not sure; shes pretty adaptable and seems to enjoy anywhere she happens to be. I'll be looking for input on this from these boards.
Thanks to all who took the time to read these reports, and especially to my fellow cruisers Mamagriz, Plutospup, ThreeThings, Jbix00, KSJayhawks, Mailman028, and any screen names I may have forgotten. Meeting you people was a real treat it made the cruise feel as if we were travelling with a large group of friends. Thank you all so much!
