20050618 - June 18, 2005 - Magic to Mexico

[KelNottAt]

Could I be the first DISer to look for others on the June 18, 2005 magic cruise to Mexico?

We are: myself, DH, DS12, and DD10. Before sailing, we're spending a day at the Grand Californian on June 17. Can't wait!

Kelley

 

[tink1963]

Hello KelNottAt
My DH and I are also on the June 18th sailing. A thread was started a few months back, but it was lost when the board was revamped. We are in Santa Barbara so we will be going directly to the ship. This is our first ever cruise. DH was a little reluctent...afraid he will get sea sick. But since it's disney I was able to talk him into going. Do you have early or late seating?

We are counting the days till...
Venetia

 

[KelNottAt]

Hi Tink,
Too bad about the other thread. We have the early seating for dinner. You can let DH know that I've been seasick on 2 prior cruises, due to rough seas. It took about 4 hours to reach calm water, then, instantly, I was fine.

Counting down...
Kelley

 

[tink1963]

Hi KelNottAt,
It's nice to know at lease a couple of DISer will be on this sailing. The other thread that was started only had 2 or 3 others people going on this date. Maybe now that you have started a new place for us to post and as the clock continues to count down more people will find us.

We have late seating. We thought since early seems to be more popular with families, and it's just myself and DH, we would take the later seating.

Did you take anything for your seasickness or just ride it out? I would like to have something on hand just in case, but since this is our first time at sea I'm not sure what to bring.

Venetia

 

[vacationbug]

I see we got a new thread started!

Thanks Kelley. I like the way you spell your name --my SIL, who is going on the cruise with us spells her name Kelley too!

I can't believe those calendar count-downs! Wow! Time is really starting to move!

We're all still excited, but I am not making any airfare plans just yet! USScare is still questionable, and we're supposed to get Northwest (gee, I don't even know if NW goes to CA but thought it might) starting sometime in May, so I am holding back....

This is the last of our warm-spell today. Tonight it is going to get cold and hit hard...ugh. Now I'm gonna be dreaming about the cruise!

DD9 and DS13 are really getting excited. I have lots to do before May so that will help the count-down timers go faster!

 

[tink1963]

Hi vacationbug. Good to hear from you. We are also counting the days and dreaming of warm dry weather.

Both DH and I have been out of work all week since we commute between Ventura and Santa Barbara and the freeway we drive has been closed since the mud slide in La Conchita. I hope and pray the weather you will be experiencing will not be as devastating.

I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. You have remined me that I better get started on my plans as well. I'm just not sure where to start.

 

[vacationbug]

I have only cruised one other time (4- Wonder) and therefore am not a "veteran" but did worry about the seasickness thing prior to that cruise. I carried chewable Bonine and Sea-bands and candied ginger.

We all felt the slight motion as we were crossing the stream, so it was a bit rocky, but I passed around the candied ginger and we all felt well enough (i.e. stomaches were settled) to go to Palos for dinner (well, the four of us adults) and during dinner we relaxed and had so much enjoyment that we didn't notice the rocking as much.

I did notice the rocking still when we went to sleep, but by that time I was just tired from all the excitement and fun (we'd been to WDW just before the cruise) and so the rocking just lulled me to lala land (zzzzzzzzzzzz).

In the morning it had stopped and there was no further noticing of the rocking; only when I went ashore and I felt movement when there was none.

As I said, I am not a veteran and we sailed in early June (not September!) and so I really didn't experience "bad" seas. We didn't have great weather - it poured rain on our CC day, so the next day (a planned day at sea) the itinerary changed to repeat CC. Nice of DCL to do that!

 

[CruisingCA2005]

We're also on the June 18th cruise! There will be 8 of us on the cruise. DH, me, DS (8), & DD (3) in one cabin. My mom, aunt, & 2 twin cousins (12 year old girls) in the other cabin. We'll be on the late seating for dinner.

We live about 15-20 minutes away from the port.

We've cruised twice before...once on a 4 day wonder and once on a 3 day cruise to Ensenada Mexico. We didn't get sea sick at all on the Wonder but I felt a little queasy going to Mexico. Before you think that you'll be getting sick on the cruise, I was 3 months pregnant, suffering from morning sickness, and we were on the dinky little RCL Viking Serenade.

We've already made horseback riding arrangements in Mazatlan but haven't decided if we want to go on any excursions in Puerto Vallarta & Cabo.

I remember seeing 1 or 2 other DISers who were on the other thread.. I hope they check in here too!

 

[HockeyHeather]

Hello Everyone!

I posted on the first thread along with Vacationbug. My mom and I will be driving to California from Ohio. We are staying at the Grand Californian for four nights before the cruise. This cruise is a belated birthday present for my mom who turns 75 in March (also celebrating at WDW on her birthday during a spring break trip) and a birthday present to myself (June 20th) . We have cruised once before on the Magic in June of 2002 on the western cruise.

Is anyone interested in going on a tour with Mazatlan Frank? My mom and I would like to go on one of his tours, but he needs at least six people.

HockeyHeather

I believe in Bowling Green State University Falcon Hockey

 

[CruisingCA2005]

Hockey Heather: I'll check with my mom & aunt to see if they want to go on the tour with you. DH & I will be taking the kids horseback riding and both of them were NOT interested in going horseback riding. LOL.

Do you have any more details about the Mazatlan tour with Frank?

 

[tink1963]

Hockey Heather...I would also like to hear more details about the Mazatlan tour with Frank. :jumping4:
Thanks

 

[CruisingCA2005]

Has everyone seen the shore excursions posted on the Dreams Unlimited site? The prices for the Puerto Vallarta excursions aren't posted though.

Here's the link for the Mazatlan Frank tour that Heather posted: http://www.mazatlan-frank.com/COPALA.html

For more information & lots & lots of pictures of shore excursions in Puerto Vallarta, you can check out http://www.vallarta-adventures.com
They even have a sea lion encounter that looks pretty cool (Disney doesn't offer this excursion).

 

[KelNottAt]

Thanks for the tip about info on the DU site! Now I'm really psyched! As soon as the Eagles game is over I'm gonna show DH.

Kelley

 

[CruisingCA2005]

I've been going over those shore excursions since they came out! We still haven't made up our minds about Puerto Vallarta & Cabo but DS says he wants to try the Dolphin Encounter for kids and the canopy adventure looks pretty cool to me (look at http://www.vallarta-adventures.com for more information & pictures). I'm pretty sure we won't have enough time to do both so we'll probably end up doing the Dolphin encounter...anything to keep the kids happy!

On the cruisecritic board there were 2 users who are going on the June 18th cruise too. I'm not sure if they're DISers too & I didn't have a chance to reply to them yet cause I forgot my username/password combo. LOL.

 

[CruisingCA2005]

DH's cousin & her family who were originally scheduled to go on the 6 day July 17th cruise were able to change their booking. They're now coming on the cruise with us!

I posted this in the main DCL forum but I wanted to be sure that everyone here has this info:

I've started to make a list of various stores, etc. that you may find useful.

Shopping Malls:
Del Amo Fashion Center - a VERY big mall that is near to the 405 and 110 freeways in Torrance, CA (about 20 minutes from the pier). Near the corner of Hawthorne Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd.
http://delamofashioncenter.com
There is a Target and a Ralphs Grocery store right next to the Del Amo Mall.

South Bay Galleria (do not confuse with South Bay Pavillion). Near the corner of Hawthorne & Artesia Blvd off the 405 freeway.
http://www.southbaygalleria.com
There is a Ralphs grocery store right next to the South Bay Galleria.

Stores:
Target - 651 W. Sepulveda Blvd (right off of the 110 freeway) less than 10 minutes from the pier. There's another Target on 3433 Sepulveda Blvd (near the Del Amo Mall)

Super Kmart - 500 Carson Town Center (right off the 110 freeway and Torrance Blvd) about 10-15 minutes from pier.

Sam's Club
1399 Artesia Blvd (near the 110 freeway)

Trader Joe's
28901 South Western Avenue

Supermarket chains: Ralphs, Albertson's, Vons, Food4Less, Stater Brothers

 

[vacationbug]

Hi Gang,

I have a 13-er and I was wondering whether there are any other "young" teens traveling on our cruise. I have read some conflicting information in regard to the "Stack" but noticed on some newer navigators that there are now some group activities that are age-bracketed.

The little one (9 yrs) will be happy in the OL but I am worried about the teen. Last time we cruised DCL (2002) he was in OL and had a blast. I am worried that he'll be disapointed if there are no others his age (15-17 are on a different "level" of interests than 13-14s).

Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

 

[vacationbug]

I know that now that the excusions are posted on the DCL website, I am very excited! I am sad we are leaving Cabos so early! But!!! to go at all is so exciting!

Has anyone decided on any of the DCL excursions or doing their own? Just curious!

I am hoping that they do the Pirates celebration nite- sounds like a hoot! Plus then there's the evening pirate buffet. Now I'll have to take pirate-dancing lessons. Yoho Yoho....

My DD is going to be 9 & 3/4 years old at the time of the cruise. I noted that all horse-back riding has an age limit of 10. Is that a height-related type thing? She's in 4th grade and very tall for her age. She really wants to go Horseback riding, so I was wondering how strictly they'll stick to the age thing. I guess I'll have to call and find out....

Bump, bump...

 

[vacationbug]

Hey Gang! I have bumped this up, as Holly has now joined our cruise!
Welcome!

I'm in a party of 6 (2 cabins) myself, DH, DS (13) and DD (9) and MIL and SIL. We're really getting excited and starting to look at the excursions!
CruisinCA has given us lots of information and that is much appreciated from those of us on the East side of the nation!

 

[vacationbug]

How are you with the roads now? We've had clear weather the past few days -even sunshine now for 3 days!!! What a treasure to see the sun!
Your last message indicated that the mudslides blocked the road to your work...I hope that is all cleared up now for you!

All of Pittsburgh was (sad) about the Steelers. Oh well, they're all looking forward to the baseball season. It sure don't look good for the Ice Hockey team - Penguins! Oh well.

Hope everyone on the board is doing well and getting excited about the cruise. I know I am!

 

[CruisingCA2005]

The twin girls who will be joining us will be 13 the month after the cruise so I'm not sure if they'll want to be in the 10-12 kids club or with the teens.

It's pretty warm here in Southern California today with the highs in the upper 70s.

If you have any questions about this area, please feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer your questions.