2 weeks on board the "Magic"!!!

[natdencro]

What can be better than a week on board the "Magic"? Yes, the answer is TWO weeks! We joined the ship on the 1st February and had an absolutely "magical" time over the following two weeks. The weather was glorious, the sea was calm, and the hospitality was second to none. Our favourite place?......... Well, it has to be the trip to St. John. We took the trip from St. Thomas, and it was wonderful. Not to be missed. We preferred the Eastern Caribbean trip personally, as we like the extra day at sea to relax, and the islands are more picturesque. However, Key West was really nice. Not much to do and see in Grand Cayman, so we would advise anyone to take one of the organized trips. Cozumel is lively and fun.......... especially if you visit Carlos and Charlies!!! (Watch out for those drinks! They are lethal!)
The ship, of course, was fabulous.......... the food was wonderful......... and SO MUCH OF IT! Cant fault anything......... everyone should have the opportunity of going.......... we feel so relaxed now. Of course, I cant neglect to mention the staff on board............... they are lovely, and the servers need a medal. They work extremely long hours, but continue to smile throughout. We also were lucky enough to meet up with some fellow Dis board members.......... it was great. Cant wait to go again............... Just need to win the Lottery! Happy sailing! Nat xx

 

[cruisinpenguin]

Hi Nat....we were on the 2/1 western cruise (our 4th disney cruise) it certainly was a "Magic"al cruise!! We had fantastic weather!! and we were so spoiled that we froze when we got home to Massachusetts and with 15" of snow on the ground!! Anyhow, this was one of the best cruises we had with very calm seas and excellent weather...I wish we could go back now one could get use to all the pampering!! How nice to do 2 cruise in a row. I have to agree, we enjoyed the Eastern cruise better having more time at sea is enjoyable! Sorry we didn't get to meet on this cruise maybe sometime in the future!!
Enjoy, Laurie

 

[Annie12345]

Hi Natasha - Thanks so much for the trip report. It was great meeting up with you at breakfast (it really is a small world after all...) We would really like to do the back to back cruises as well... I can't think of a better way to spend two weeks than onboard the MAGIC...
Take care,
Annie

 

[jlawall]

Sounds way to good, thx for sharing...did you have any evening activities highlights...or....shore excursions memories that you would like to share?.....

 

[Ottawacruiser]

What happens after the first week when you are on a two week cruise. Are you made to get off the ship and re-board, or are you allowed to stay on board?

If you stay on-board, what was your experience doing that (i.e. what goes on)?

Also, were you able to stay in the same stateroom for both weeks?

It sounds like you had a great time!!

Regards,
Ottawacruiser

 

[rae519]

Now that is the way to take a cruise! EXCELLENT!

Rae

 

[natdencro]

Hi there! Yes, its wonderful to have had 2 weeks on board the Disney Magic. We booked our weeks separately (one at the last minute) so we couldnt keep the same stateroom. If you are booking 2 weeks together, then you will be able to have the same cabin for the full vacation. If you wish to disembark for a couple of hours (like we did) the you have to be off the ship by 10.00am and cannot board again until the rest of the guests are boarding. We took a taxi to Walmarts on Merritt Island, and stocked up with new clothes............... didnt want to do any laundry on holiday! Taxi fare approx $40 return trip and takes about 15mins to get to Walmarts. There is also a super mall on Merritt Island, for those who wish to avoid Walmarts! We dont have them in England, so it was great for us!

As for tips/hints: Our favourite place on the Western cruise, was Key West. Take the conch train tour, but DONT book with Disney. You can go anytime on the tour, which takes over an hour. Tickets can be purchased near the harbour. We dont recommend this trip for young children though, its more for adults as its basically a history tour of KW.

Grand Cayman has little to offer, so go on the Swim with Stingray trip if you are interested.

Cozumel is noisy, but fun. Carlos and Charlies is a must, but again not for young children.

Castaway Cay is Paradise. Take the bike ride trail......... its worth it, and not too taxing!
Peddle Boats are also good fun, and inexpensive.

On the Eastern Carib. Cruise, St, Maarten is pretty, but make a trip over to the French side. Its much cleaner and more fun.

St. Thomas offers a large range of shops, but we took the trip to St. John Island, and without a doubt is the prettiest place we have ever seen. DONT MISS IT.

As for on-board hints: Watch the sun go down from the aft of the ship, with a drink in your hand. Its fabulous, and hardly anyone ever sits there at that time of day. Approx 6.00pm.

The cinema is worth a try too........ we saw Chicago, Signs and The Recruit.

Bingo was fun, but cant say I would do it again. Probably cause we didnt win, and its quite expensive.

The shows are good, but Disney Dreams is the only one to rave about.
All the food on board is wonderful and the staff are too!

The cabins are clean and spacious enough. But as you arent in them much, an inside cabin is the cheaper option and not really dark. We had room 1048 on the first week, which was outside cabin with portholes. Second week, we have upgrade to verandah cabin 7130, which is very near the secret deck at the back of the ship. Both cabins were lovely, but in 1048 we didnt feel the boat rock as much as on deck 7.

If you go to Palos............. dont eat for 12 hrs before! We had champagne brunch, but couldnt do it justice as it was only 10.30am and we just were not hungry enough! You will only get a nice view of the ocean from Palos in the am and afternoon tea. After that, its dark, so not much point going there in the evening!

Marks out of 10 for the whole thing? 10, naturally!!! Happy cruising. Nat. x

 

[rae519]

natdencro - well, this was a very wonderful report and your tone sounded so happy and relaxed! Glad to have your tips and recommendations especially on where NOT to take the youngesters!!

Thank you for taking your time to post and very glad you enjoyed your cruise!!!

Rae

 

[Annie12345]

We just booked our second week!!!! We will be on the January 31st western and the February 7th eastern. We were able to get the same stateroom for both weeks and booked a category 6.... We are sooo excited!!!
- Annie

 

[rae519]

Now that is really wonderful news!!! Congrats! And enjoy every second of it!!!

Rae

 

[Hopkins]

I really enjoyed your reports from the Magic. It's interesting that you liked the eastern over the western, but noted Key West as a nice port. The eastern ports are definitely more scenic and mountainous, but I enjoyed both eastern/western the same, though we did them different years. Key West is a fun port!, and it's part of Florida. It doesn't look like the US, but some caribbean port.

Tina

 

[natdencro]

Hey Annie, well done for booking the two weeks! You will be doing the same two weeks as we did this year, and the weather was just wonderful. The sea was very calm, and everything was perfect. In fact, if my daughter continues working on the "Magic", we we definately be going again - probably the same time as yourselves! Nat.

 

[jlawall]

Hey Nat!

Does your daughter like working on the Magic? Do you get a discount when you sail with her? I'll have to get one of my daughters to audition for the shows!

 

[rae519]

Wow!
A daughter working on the Magic - now that's exciting!
I've taken to "adopting" some of the workers, but that's not quite the same.

I bet she can tell you some stories!!!

Rae

 

[natdencro]

Yes, my daughter has had a wonderful time working on the MAGIC. She has been a server on board for almost 3 years, and worked at EPCOT before that for 1 year. She has made hundreds of wonderful friends during this time: they are all like one big family. The servers work terribly long hours, but it has been a fantastic opportunity to travel and meet life long friends. Her diary is packed with addresses from fellow crew members, and there are many plans in the pipeline for them to visit each other when they are back in their home lands. Yes, we also get a fabulous discount on all things Disney while she is working for them. The discount on the cruise was excellent, so hey - we couldnt resist!
Disney have been great to work for, and the magic never really wears off the workers! (Except at 1.00am when they finish their shifts after Midnight Dessert Buffet!). For any single person who fancies working hard, but having fun - its a wonderful opportunity.
If I could turn the clock back 30 years, I would have applied!Nat

 

[rae519]

Ditto here! But thankfully your daughter made the decision and was selected! Great honor in being one of the best!
Congrats!
Rae

 

[Annie12345]

Hi Nat - we confirmed our two weeks (Jan. 31st and Feb. 8)... we have the same cabin for both weeks and we splurged on a category 6... It would be so great if you went back at the same time as us... I think Gary and Gail are going to join us for the first week, too. We'll have to keep in touch!!
Annie

 

[jlawall]

Hey Nat! thx for the update....I have a 18 year old daughter who had the incredible fortune to be invited to be the Maid of Honor for an English friend who was married last summer! So we are completely enamored with anyone who is British! Thx! She is also a GREAT performing arts student! I hope that one day she pursues her DREAM! of performing. Best wishes to you and your family.....I'm glad your daughter is performing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kurry]

natdencro,

Can I ask how your daughter came to work on the Magic? Did she just apply or did she have previous experience working on a Cruise Ship? I'm asking because I would love to travel and work on a Cruise Ship at the same time.

Thanks.

 

[trobert]

natdencro, just curious which excursion you took to St. John. Trying to decide whether to take the 5-star aboard the Leylon Sneed or go with the one that takes you to Trunk Bay via boat and then bus? Your thoughts? How do you apply to work at Disney or the Wonder/Magic. My son is 18 and starting college in the fall and might enjoy this during the summers.