3 months can change a lot.... 7-night eastern caribbean w/ Tortola Trip Report

[Carterfam]

We took our sons on their first cruise when they were exactly 3 months old. It was a trial for this upcoming cruise. We had booked this 7-nighter way back in August of 2008, even before we knew we were expecting two bundles of joy, and did not want to cancel. Especially since finding out we were having twins, we had not done anything Disney since December 2008, and was hoping to get a little glimpse of Disney in 2009. We were presented with the opportunity to give it a trial in August and actually loved it. We could work around the babies schedule, it was relaxing, and we got to get away. I definitely was not missing out on this cruise.

Instead of giving you a play by play of our adventure, I thought I would highlight our activities, what we loved and the problems that arise with travelling with such little ones.

I should also note for this trip we did have four extra hands (and we sure needed it). DH sister and husband joined us for the trip, which I was delighted for consider she did give us the 3-nighter in August, so I was glad to return the favor.

Let’s start….

 

[Carterfam]

As soon as we arrived home from our August trip, we found out that DH had received a project from work that would take us to sunny LA. It was just supposed to be temporary (14 weeks) but they liked him so much he is now in charge of the sector, which means we would be moving permanently to LA, which had its pros and cons. I get to be a stay-at-home mom, but instead of living 12 hours away (or just a car ride), we now live 36 hours away (definitely not a car ride) from my favorite place in the world.

The organizer that I am

• The nice thing about traveling by car, anything that we did not need for the cruise could stay in the car, while when you travel by airplane, everything that you bring needs to follow you for the whole trip. For example, on our first cruise I did not bring the boys car seats, or stroller because it was not a necessity. This time the car seats could not stay in the car because we were renting a car, and they are getting heavy. They have both gained about 5 lbs since our last trip, and that a lot of weight for my little arms. Also this was seven-day trip not a 3-day trip which meant more clothes, diapers, food etc.
o The solution: DH and I got one suitcase, and the boys shared a suitcase. We had 4 carry-on bags, two were with the boys toys to entertain them on the flight (on the last trip we did not have to worry, they were entertained with a bottle or cuddling). My carry-on had diapers, formula, food & extra clothing for the boys for our flight down, and DH had all the important stuff that I did not trust to in our suitcases and our change of clothes (just in case something happened).
o We did use the Baby on Board from Baby Travel Lite for food and diapers. It is a little on the expensive side, but for us it was worth while. I did not do it directly through Disney since you can only order packages, but did it through their home website. I ordered two 7 day diaper packages which gave me 140 diapers for the week, four packs of travel wipes, two packs of full packaged wipes, 140 diapers sacks (to throw out diapers) and 20 disposable changing pads. We also got formula and food for the boys (this gave us bottle cleaner, dishwashing detergent, utensils, bowls, disposable bibs (we brought our own) and wet ones. You have to order the food separately from the bundle, but they have tons of options to chose from
 This was a life saver for us; it gets delivered right to your room. It was there when we arrived. It saved so much room in our suitcases. I will admit those it would have been easier if they were still just on the bottle, even though I did enjoy not having to run around to get their bottles heat up this time. No microwave in your room. Remember those you have to still bring your own bottles. I do recommend it for parents. We are definitely using the diaper portion on our Trans-Atlantic Cruise, I would need a whole suitcase full of diapers.


The trip down to Port Canaveral (Airplanes my oh my).

• DH company deals a lot in the Travel Sector, so he was able to get us really cheap tickets down to Orlando, I am talking about $500 for all 4 of us, round trip, but this came at a cost. We left LAX at 6:00 AM in the morning (59 degrees) to Denver. We had 45 min. to switch flights (no big deal) but it was 5 degrees outside. Then we arrived at MCO to fog. While at least we made it by 5:00 PM. It was definitely not comfy having a six-month old sit on my lap through this whole experience either. I would not recommend it to anyone, and we are especially not doing it again, when we go down in March. The boys are definitely getting their own seat, just so mommy and daddy have extra room to breathe and actually sit together. Did you know that two babies on laps cannot sit in the same row, it was a really quite flight.
o It was the boys’ first flight, and I think they did quite well.We did not use anything to ease ear popping, or vomiting, because I did not know how they would react, and did not want to give them something just in case. There was no screaming and hollering. Kyran slept through the take-off on both flights (DH got the lucky end of deal). Ryder was awake but he definitely, did not complain. He was happy playing with his caterpillar toy we brought him. They both mostly slept through both flights. If not there was a lot of toys to chose from. Mommy overpacked the toy bags.

Car Rental

• We used Budget for our car rental both ways. It was really reasonable we were able to get a midsize car for $100 both ways. Meaning we picked it up at MCO dropped off in Cape Canaveral, DH took free shuttle to Port, then on return free shuttle again, pick up Cape Canaveral and drop-off MCO. If you do have young children in car seats, I do recommend bringing your own. It is very expensive to rent a carseat. Budget will actually store your Car seats for you if you like, we found those on the ship that if we wanted to do something that overlapped into feeding or nap time, it was easier to use the car seats then the stroller. Also we ended up using the car seats a lot during dinner time since the high chairs are wooded kind, and not very comfy.To transport them on the plane, we just bought two carseat bags. They are also very helpful; our server actually helped us connect our car seats into the car, since I ended up having to feed the boys while DH got all the paperwork and car organized.


Hotel

• We stayed at the Residence Inn in Port Canaveral. This would have been our first time ever staying in Port Canaveral, and I loved it. All the rooms there are suites. You get fully equipped kitchens as well as a separate living and dining room area. It also has free hot breakfast, and complimentary high-speed internet access. When we booked it I read all about it, but didn’t really believe it all until I got there. I loved it so much that I would love to come and spend a weekend there. When I saw that the kitchen was fully equipped I actually cancelled eating out that night, and we just ordered a pizza and ate it in the room. DSIL also stayed here, they were coming from Orlando, so they drove down to meet us. I highly recommend this hotel for families, especially families with young kids.
• I should note that if you do not want to keep your rental car overnight they do have a shuttle that costs $3 or $6 round trip. We did not use it because of our crazy luggage situation, but you just sign-up when you check-in and it leaves around 10 AM.

While we did not do much else after we got to the hotel. We put the boys to bed around 8:30 PM, stayed up and chatted for awhile, but we all departed and went to bed early. We had our first-fun filled day tomorrow.

 

[Carterfam]

Our day stars every morning now at 6 AM, while my day starts then. The boys are on more of a routine now, and with DH working crazy hours at his job. The boys’ routine lets me actually shower and get ready for the day. The boys wake at about 7 AM every morning; they are on a half an hour time difference for feeding so it reflects their sleeping patterns.

Complimentary Breakfast at the Residence Inn
While you know how much I loved the suites in this hotel. Their complimentary breakfast is outstanding. There was waffles, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, etc. etc. etc. I can’t believe it is all FREE!!! The food staff preps were very efficient in replenishing the food too if it was low, so no one missed out on anything. I should note those that seating in very limited, so get down early to get a place in the immediate dining area. There is an overflow area in the room next to the front entrance, or you can eat outside.

Arriving at Port
Our goal was to arrive at the port around 11 AM. They usually open the terminal between 10 AM and 10:30 AM. This opposed our first problem of the day. The boys’ second bottle of the day is at 9:30 / 10:00 AM, and they go down for a nap right after that and wake up around 11:30 / 12 PM for their lunch. My fear was that with all the commotion they would not sleep. While I was right, after the boys were fed we headed to the port. Check-out time at Residence is 12 PM, so we were really in no rush. While I fed the boys DH packed the car, and we were off for are 1.2 mile trip. We arrived right on time, the boys were asleep until we took them out of the car, and then the crying started, they did not want to be in those car seats anymore, and they were awake and wanted lunch. While DH had to take the car back, DSIL and her hubby graciously helped me with the boys and the carry-on bags. We made it through security scan (with screaming boys), and up the elevator to check-in. I did not even bother getting into the check-in line yet. I just went and found a seat and started feeding the boys, DSIL stayed with me since I had to feed two boys at once and not one after the other. Her DH check-in and he took over feeding Ryder and I went to check-in the gang. DH returned shortly after.

Two-important things about Arriving at port:

• Disney Cruise Line is Terminal #8; you really can not miss it
• Have all your luggage tags attached to your check-in items
• Have all your paper work ready (forms are on-line).

Once you make your way through the line, check-in takes approximately 10 minutes.

Boarding the Ship
Embarkation usually begins around 12:00 PM, but every time we have gone it has always been slightly earlier. They started calling boarding numbers around 11:45 AM, just as we were finishing up feeding the boys, some delicious bananas (Yummy!!). Captain Mickey and Minnie were out getting autographs but we did not try to get pictures. There are many opportunities on the ship. When they called our number we walked through the Mickey-ears and presented our Key to the World Cards, they got swiped and returned. Then we got our Mandatory photo. It did not turn out again. What a surprise, and headed to Topsider Buffet for adult lunch.

Random Pictures of the Cruise Terminal:

 

[Carterfam]

Topsider Buffet
We originally planned to eat at Parrot Cay because it is a sit down meal, and it would give us a chance to feed them while we waited for our meals, but because they were nicely fed and awake when we boarded we quickly changed our plans and headed to Topsiders Buffet. They are really too many options to choose from at this buffet. DH and I had a variety of options including Sweet & Sour Pork, Fried Rice, Mac & Cheese, Corn Dog Nuggets, Ham & Cheese Salad, Peach Cobbler, and Apple Cake. This was all I could remember when I sat down to write in my journal that night. The boys even had their first taste of cheese sauce during lunch.
Topsider is on Deck 9, just take the elevators up.

After lunch we just walked around the ship, until our stateroom was ready at 1:30 PM.

Castaway Club Gifts
Arriving in our room we were welcomed to a whole bunch of gifts. Our first being the Castaway Club bag with flip flop rice krispie treats, a keychain shaped like a ship wheel, and metal water bottles. Love the metal water bottles; I actually used them a lot on the trip for excursions. The boys received two gift baskets from their aunt, which had sand toys and a mickey stuffed animal. (Love her)

Walking Ship Tour
While DH and I fed and put our sons down for an afternoon nap (this will be an issue again). DSIL and her DH went on the Walking Ship Tour. For regular cruisers like us, it is not as interesting, but if it is your 1st cruise I highly recommend it. It gives you all the points of interest on the ship, and helps you get orientated. DSIL says she likes it because every time, she goes she learns one more new fact about the ship she did not know before, and it was a nice 45 min. walk around andsomething to do when the weather is no so nice.

Mandatory Boat Drill
This happened to be between the boys naptime, what a surprise??? I liked it better when they would fall asleep wherever they are, but that is not the case anymore. Our meet place was Walt Disney Theatre, since the boys were sleeping ever so nicely, we put our lifejackets on and carried the boys lifejackets up. It did not matter those they woke up and nap was over, and they were hungry again. What can I say they are boys they like to eat? While at least the boat drill did not last long, and I had some yummy food in my carry-on that I brought with me. DH and DBIL nicely brought our life jackets back to our room and DSIL and I with the crying boys headed to Deck 10 to feed them.

Adventures Away
When we took our 3 day cruise in August, we decided to hang out in our room to watch the ship leave from our stateroom. I was hoping to be a little closer to the action this time. While we were closer to the action this time, but we did not see a lot of the action because we were feeding the boys their yum, yums. The horn blasted right at 5:00 PM and we were off. Next time, I promise we will see and hear the whole thing. DSIL got some nice pictures of the event so that helped a little. The party was actually over before we even finished feeding Kyran, but we were off on our magical journey.

 

[Carterfam]

Dinner: Parrot Cay
Dinnertime is the most important for us on any Disney Cruise Trip. I personally think missing out on dinner to get a Hot Dog at Pluto’s means you are missing some of the magic. Also, how many times in a week do you honestly get served a 5 course meal, every night on a Disney Ship?

We had early dining, during this cruise, so that we could put the boys to bed at their schedule time of 8:30 PM, since they do so while with transitions right now if they are sleeping. We actually brought them along each night for dinner, but the opposed a challenge with it self. The high chairs are wooden, meaning they are not that comfortable the boys would not last over an hour in them, even if they were being entertained. Therefore, from this night forward we actually just asked the server to pull up to chairs, and we put their car seats on them, or we held them in our laps.

The food was delicious and our servers were fantastic. We also, had a table of six to ourselves which was nice, not that we mind meeting new people. It just gave us a chance to catch up even more. Dinner for us lasted on average an hour and 15 mins.

Appetizers:

Soups:

Main Course:

Dessert:

After Dinner: Partytime with Midtown
After Dinner we decided to head to the Promenade Lounge which is also on Deck 3, along with Parrot Cay, for an after meal drink. It is a family lounge so even children are invited to join their parents. We all ordered the Drink of the day Bay Breeze and the boys had their first bottle (with milk) in a bar. You also can have complimentary hors d’oeuvres of nachos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream dips. We were too full from dinner those.
The duo Midtown, were really good. They provided a relaxing atmosphere where you were still able to talk to everyone. It was also very nice music to dance too, which I even got a long overdue with my hubby.

Bedtime
The boys go to bed around 8:30 PM DSIL actually offered to help me, so I told the boys they could hang around the lounge or go to the sports deck if they liked. While, they ended up at the All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin at the Walt Disney Theatre.

All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin
I am not surprised the men ended up going to see the show. Another thing we do love about Disney is the entertainment they provide, because it reaches out to every age range. The nice thing about the first show on the 7 day cruise is that you get to see some highlights of some of the entertainment on the ship. On our particular cruise, DH and DBIL got to see Michael Harrison (comedian and ventriloquist) and Alfred and Seymour (comedy team), on top of the Disney Character skits. I am sorry I missed it but the boy’s beauty rest is more important at this stage of game. Maybe I will get to see it next year.

The Party Continues
The boys returned around 9:45 PM to the room. The boys were fast asleep in their pack n’ plays. While the men decided they were tired, the girls decided they should go check out some of the late night parties on the ship. While we ended up at Studio Seas jamming to Disney All-Star Channel Dance Party, not a place where you would fine two mid-20 year olds dancing. It was nice to actually go dance to some real pop music of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Borthers, and not the stuff they play in the bars today. It was actually nice to have some girl time with my favorite DSIL (there are 3 of them in total).

We finally made it back to the room around 10:45 PM, and crashed. All that dancing made us tired.

 

[Lucille1963]

What a wonderful report! I love all the pictures and how detailed you are.

It took me a while to get through the report because I kept going back and forth to Baby Travel Lite!

More! More! More!

 

[Carterfam]

What a wonderful report! I love all the pictures and how detailed you are.

It took me a while to get through the report because I kept going back and forth to Baby Travel Lite!

More! More! More!

Thank you )

Here is the Website for Baby Travel Lite, if anyone is interested : Baby Travel Lite

Also, if you do have anymore questions I would be happy to answer them.

 

[Carterfam]

I have the most amazing DH in the world. With us girls partying out to Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers last night, it was too early to get up at 6 AM to get ready for the day. Wait a minute I am on vacation, which means relaxing, and sleeping in. Unfortunately for my baby boys they do not understand that yet and were ready to eat and play at 7 AM. DH got up with them, and fed them their bottle. I finally got up when Room Service arrived at 7:30 am.

Room Service – Breakfast
The best way to start a morning! Before you go to bed at night, you fill out the menu with the time you want the food to arrive (30 minute time frame), and leave it on your door at night. We usually order chocolate milk (my fave), coffee, croissants and bagels, food that was quick and easy to eat while the boys had their bottles.

DSIL and her DH were still sleeping by the time we were ready to venture out of the room around 8:30 AM. We thought we would check to see what was being offered at Topsider to eat.

I should note that if you are on Concierge Level you do have the option to order a full breakfast meal to your room. We have not done it in over a year, so I do not know if the menu has changed or not.

Topsider Buffet
We stopped by Topsiders for a quick Mickey Waffle treat, and some bacon, they do have a full range of breakfast items to eat including Made-to order omelets, pancakes and scrambled eggs. It is buffet style, but they do have indoor / outdoor seating. It was a fast trip for us since we wanted to make it down to Deck 3 to checkout the Playhouse Disney Dance Party.

Playhouse Disney Dance (Promenade Lounge)
I will be the first one to admit that our boys are still to young to watch TV, and we hardly do, but every once in a while I do not mind sitting back with them to watch Little Einstein’s, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Winnie the Pooh. It is the perfect way to relax but their attention span is still too short. While I was glad to see that there was an activity geared toward young children on the ship.

The boys loved this activity. They loved hearing some of their favorite songs from the shows. Right now they are so amazed by movement and sound, they loved watching the cast members sing and dance, and mommy and daddy loved to see their smiles and giggles.

It was the perfect length to only 30 minutes, which is the perfect length for a child at an activity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------After it was over, we decided to head back to our room, to see if DSIL and DBIL were awake, they were and ready to start the day. They were headed out to try their had at some Animation drawing. Unfortunately one of us had to stay stateroom bound. The boys had to go down for a nap, and Kyran still needed to be fed. Since DH got up with them this morning. I had no problem, relaxing in the stateroom for a while. So DH joined his sister and brother in-law for some lunch and an animation. I got to watch the Polar Express on TV (The perfect movie to get you in the Christmas Spirit).

 

[Carterfam]

Family Animation
DSIL loves to draw, and I think she is amazing drawer. We actually have a drawing she made for us of the boys when they were born, It is amazing. So they joined in at Animator’s Palate to learn how to draw Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Hers of course turned out amazing, and she gave them to the boys, which I have framed and put in their rooms. DH turned out okay, Mickey’s ears are a little lopsided, so he must not of inherited the drawing gene. I will admit if I was there mine would have been ten times worse, while it was fun to say the least, and a nice relaxing activity according to my DH.

Goofy’s Galley
They went to Goofy’s Galley for lunch; it is a quick service up on Deck 9 next to Mickey’s Pool. They have some very healthy options here including wraps, sandwiches, Panini, salad and fresh fruit. While DH and family sat next to the pool to enjoy the meal, they did return with a wrap and cookie for me.

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The boys woke up around noon, just as DH returned to the room. It was great since then he could help me feed the boys, so we could try to make it to the Character Dance Party in the Lobby Atrium

Character Dance Party
Another perfect activity perfect for young kids (even those there was many kids there of different ages), Mickey Mouse and all his friends come to the Lobby and dance with kids / adults while music plays over the loud speaker. I loved the smile on the boy’s faces as they met Mickey Mouse and Goofy. They were not scared at all. I think they are still a little young for that phase, but I was glad there was no crying, only smiles and laughter.

Looking back at some of the pictures (and I apologize the pictures are on my digital scrapbooking computer right now and that computer has no internet access, I will try to post soon, if time allows), from our August cruise the boys are mostly sleeping when we met the characters, whereas now they are smiling and actually looking at the camera, or reaching out to the characters.

This is another short event, so if they are hosting it on your cruise. I recommend going early to make sure you get to see all the characters.

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From here our afternoon, was pretty quite. DH decided he would like to nap, DSIL and DBIL were off at the Adult Pool, so I decided for the boys and I we would just go hang out in our stateroom, and play a little, and watch some of the Muppets Christmas Carol, until the boys went down for a nap around 2 PM.

DH and I were just relaxing on the verandah when DSIL and her DH returned. DSIL and I decided maybe to go check out some of the bingo that was happening at 3 o’clock, while the boys just hung out in the room.

 

[Carterfam]

Bingo
First of all I should say Bingo, is very expensive. For our session which was 5 games (4 cash prizes and a Spa Visit Giveaway), I paid $75.00 for an electronic machine / 6 paper cards. It was so much more then bingo, the caller was actually entertaining and not so mundane, he actually had some of the kids in the audience dancing, it was magical. I loved it, even those I did not win anything. It would not be on my top of my list of activities, since so many activities on the ship are free, but it was definitely something to check out, if you are willing to pay that kind of money. I should note DSIL did not win anything either.

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Tonight, was our Formal Night so after Bingo, we headed back to our room to get ready for the evening. I was so excited to see my little Boys in their tiny tuxs, and of course my hubby too.

We left a little early because I wanted to get family photos before the evening in the Lobby. They turned out perfect, the boys were smiling and everything, and then it was time to head to Lumiere’s for our Golden Mickey Dinner.

Dinner: Golden Mickey
I love having formal night in Lumiere’s, just because of the atmosphere and the décor just suits the evening so perfectly. We did not order as much food as we did the first night, the boys were a little fussier then usual, so we try to make dinner as quick as possible, under an hour. Our servers were happy to accommodate us, and we were served fast and efficiently. Food is delicious as always, not a complaint.

Appetizer

Entrees

Dessert

Michael Harrison: Family Caberet
After Dinner, we checked our navigators and noticed that Michael Harrison was performing in Rockin’ Bar D. It was in the family entertainment section, so we thought it would be okay for the boys to join us. Rockin’ Bar D usually becomes adult entertainment bar in the evening, but he was doing his family show so everyone was welcomed. Michael Harrison is an amazing ventriloquist. The two parts that amaze me are the puppets that he does not hold on to but the mouth moves anyway and his last act where he picked a kid from the audience to become a human puppet, amazing, worth it to check out.

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We fed the boys their bottle during the show, so after the show it was time to head up to the room to put them to bed. DH and I took them upstairs, and then I insisted that he go join his sister for the Golden Mickey’s Show. Our agreement was he could do the show and DSIL would do the after party and maybe some Karaoke, along with her DH of course.

 

[Carterfam]

Golden Mickeys
As you walk down the red carpet, you might just get a chance to be interviewed by Rona Rivers, it is mostly children she interviews and it is broadcasted into the Walt Disney Theater in real-time.

The Golden Mickeys is an awards show in which Disney movie Characters are nominated in several categories, including heroism and romance. As the awards ceremony is set to begin, the Master of Ceremonies fails to appear, leaving a shy stage manager to host the big event. During the course of the show, the stage manager learns—through spectacular musical and dance numbers starring some of your favorite Disney Characters—the valuable lesson that anything is possible and dreams really can come true & when you believe.

The show is absolutely fabulous, and I am sorry I missed it, but there is always next cruise.

The Golden Mickey’s After Party & Family Karaoke
Shortly after, the show was over DH showed up, did a quick kiss and swap places. I headed to Studio Seas where the After Party was being held. It is just a big dance party, playing some if Disney favorite hits, it only last about 45 minutes until karaoke starts. If you miss the after party you were not missing much, but I had to say we did have some amazing singers on our cruise (young & old). It was a good way to end the evening.

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DH was already sleeping when the 3 of us returned around 11:30, it was another sea day tomorrow, and could not wait.

 

[beccawes7471]

Loving your report so far. We have a 7 month old so I love reading your baby info so far

 

[Carterfam]

Loving your report so far. We have a 7 month old so I love reading your baby info so far

Thank you

If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them for you.

 

[Carterfam]

Unfortunately due, to Cmputer Virus, I will not have any pictures to post today. Using DH laptop, but have not updated in a while, so I will do my best.

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This day started exactly like yesterday. My wonderful DH got up with the boys again for their morning formula. I actually woke a little early, since Room Service was a little bit earlier then yesterday (Remember you book in half an hour blocks). We enjoyed our bagels and chocolate milk and got ready for the day.

We stopped by Topsiders again for the wonderful Mickey waffle, bacon and more chocolate milk. Yum, Yum.

We actually had more time on our hands this morning so we enjoyed our Sea side Breakfast for heading to our first event.

Playhouse Disney Party – Promenade Lounge
This is basically the same event we went to yesterday, just one or two songs different. I love this event for young children; I wish they would provide more throughout the day. See my review from yesterday if you would like to learn more.

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We headed back to the room after, to feed the boys and put them down for a nap. DH and I enjoyed some time out on the verandah, wishing that we could live at sea, and leave all our worries behind.

Around 11 o’clock I ran to Goofy Galley to get some wraps for us to eat, and fill-up our mugs and the fountain station. Then enjoyed our meal on the verandah, we must of spent a good hour and a half out there, until the boys woke again.

We had not seen or heard from DSIL all morning, they must of woke and snuck o while we were at the Disney Party this morning, and did not return until we got back.

After the boys had their lunch, we decided we would go try out Goofy’s Pool with the boys. Goofy’s Pool is the Family Pool, so we could all go in and splash around for a little while, while we were not in the pool very long until, a cast member and DJ Mike, came to play games and music at the pool.

Fun in the Sun – Goofy’s Pool
We stayed and listened to some of music DJ Mike was playing, and just chill near poolside, with a nice cool drink. I did not pay attention to any of the games they were playing in the pool, because of the boys. I know for a fact those, our family is still too young to play the pool games. They were friendly games, and everyone that participated won a prize. It only lasts about 45 minutes, then everyone can go back swimming.

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After our drinks, I wanted to head to the store to see what they had to offer, and then put the boys down for a nap. DH definitely did not want to shop, so he took the boys to the room, while I went to shopping. I did not purchase anything too special, I just bought, a sweater for myself, and two cute short for the boys, and two stuffed Mickey Mouse’s (one for each boy).. I also received a free bingo card to play during Game 3 of ga Jackpot Bingo. I definitely would not miss out.

When I returned back to the room, everyone was there. Our artist DSIL and her DH, along with my DH decided to try their hand at paper folding, with the Origami Activity. While I fed the boys, and put them for a nap, then sat down to watch the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

 

[Carterfam]

Origami Animals – Promenade Lounge
DH can’t remember the last time, origami required scissors, it was definitely different, and not really an activity that a beginner could really accomplish. He said it was fun, trying to actually accomplish the task, because it definitely not working in his favor. DSIL also said it was difficult. I am glad I missed it then, and definitely content with the Grinch.

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They returned around 3 PM, DSIL and I headed off to Bingo, and the Men stayed behind to watch Iron-Man

Mega Jackpot Bingo
This is probably the biggest Bingo game on the ship, but unless you are willing to gamble a lot of money to play. It is really not worth it. See review from yesterday. This one has one big jackpot of $5000 and you are trying to cover your card in 46 number or less. Of course, Disney puts their little touch of Magic into the game, to make it excited, but not really worth it, at the end of the day. The game only lasted 45 minutes and we were headed back to the room. I should mention that kids are allowed to play, but they do need an adult present just in case to claim the prize.

Just so you know at home I never play bingo, so I really don’t know what it is about Disney Bingo that drives me to play. I never win, and I always spend to much money. on it, maybe because it is different. I really do not have an answer for you.

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We headed back to our room, a whole lot poorer, but still in high spirits, to relax, and get ready for dinner. We had Animator’s Palate for dinner tonight. I was kind of excited to watch the boys, as the show plays, since they are so intrigued right now of moving lights and unfamiliar sounds.

Animator’s Palate

I should mention that we have been snacking / eating more then I have been telling you, so our menu tonight is going to look very small, but I do swear you can not starve on a Disney cruise.

We did not have an appetizer / soup that night.

Our Entrees were:
Penne Pasta (delicious)
Lemon-Thyme Chicken Breast (ok)

Dessert:
Animator’s Sweet Temptations (delicious)
Buckle Warm Apple Crumble (delicious)

Kids Menu:
We ordered the boys some Macaroni and Cheese – DH ate most of it but the boys love that cheese sauce.

The boys were really good in the dining room tonight. They enjoyed the show, you could see their crystal blue-eyes trying to make sense of it all. A very sweet memory I will have forever.

 

[Carterfam]

We headed to the Promenade Lounge for our after dinner drink. Tonight Drink special was High Tide, not bad but not my favourite drink of the day.

Rock Star in Training with Midtown
This was the activity going on in the lounge when we arrived. It is an interactive set, where they help train participates to become rock stars, with music and whole group activities. I really enjoy listening to Midtown on the ship, there music really appeals to everyone, and are always entertaining.

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DH and I opted to skip tonight’s show together, to put the boys to bed. DSIL and her hubby went, they did not mind he show. One of my favorite parts of the evening is tucking my babies in at night, I have done it everyday since they were born, and I am just not ready to give up a day yet.

Twice Charmed
From previous experiences, Twice Charmed would be one of my least favorite Disney Productions on the ship. If you have ever seen Cinderella 3, it basically follows that storyline. The actors, songs, and sets are wonderful, it is the basic storyline, that really does not appeal to me. If you have never seen it before, I recommend seeing it at least once.

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DSIL returned to the room, and decided they were going to turn in for the night. We asked them if they would mind watching the boys while DH and I went to see Who wants to be a Mouseketeer?

Who Wants to Be a Mouseketeer?
Everyone that enters Studio Seas is given a number, and if your number is called you have a chance to sit in the hot seat, and answer Disney related questions to win Limited Edition Disney Prizes. It is really fun to watch, I don’t think I could ever do the hot seat (I always give my number to DH). It is just like who wants to be a Millionaire but Disney themed. DH and I enjoyed the show, and being baby free for an hour, was nice.

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It was 11 o’clock when we returned to our room, it was our first Port Day Tomorrow (Tortola), and the boys first Disney Excursion.

 

[Carterfam]

My computer still has not been fixed, but would love to get the report done before we leave for our first trip to WDW resorts, as a family. Wish me luck, and here is an update, of course with no pictures, because they are on the broken computer.

Early Morning / Goofy’s Galley
This morning was a little different then any morning I have experienced since the birth of my babies, my DH and I were both up even before the boys got up, and I am not just saying by a little bit, I am saying by a whole hour. We were raring to go at 6:30 AM, which is odd since we are both late sleepers. We actually decided that we would head down to Goofy’s Galley this morning and feed the boys, and have a nice family breakfast. DH cancelled room service, and I quickly changed the boys, but kept them in their sleepers, and was off for our first family breakfast where the boys and us actually ate together. It was fun but it also came with challenges, I started feeding Ryder while DH got the food, and Kyran got his bottle when DH returned, but when they were finished their bottles they did not want to go back into their carriers, even those they were both on a chair at a level where they could see everything, so Mommy and Daddy needed to eat their whole meal one-handed, it will be something to remember.

Walking Around
After breakfast, we headed back to our stateroom to get the boys ready for the day, this was when I really noticed the boys were really ancy, meaning they were in the mood to do their own thing, and not really go with the flow. Did they finally realize that were not at home, and something was different. Kyran did not even want to get changed, for the day, he fought DH and cried. I know transitions have been a little tough these days, but this was something definitely new, and had me concerned since we had our first Disney Cruise Line excursions.

While, our solution was to take a walk around the ship, we did not put them in their car seats or use the stroller, we just walked. This seemed to calm them down quite a bit. We ended up somehow on Deck 2, and actually got a glimpse of the Disney Quest the teen clubhouse on the ship. Never really experiencing it before it was quite neat. They have everything a teenager could desire, like a computer lab, flat screen TV, video games, and really, really comfy couches. If you ever get a chance to sneek a peek I definitely would..

We headed back to the room, around 9:15 AM, to feed the boys, and relax before our big excursion.

After the boys were fed and asleep, DSIL and DH had returned. We got our day bag ready for our excursion. DH went and brought us back some lunch from Goofy’s Galley. I was hoping this would be a good experience for all of us.

Ryder woke up around 11:30 AM, I could already tell he was in a better mood. I fed him some of that delicious baby food, and let him have some tummy time, while I fed Kyran. After Kyran was fed we had to hurry to meet our group for the Island Drive and Beach Tour Excursion

 

[Carterfam]

Island Drive and Beach Tour Excursion:
Our meet time was 12:45 PM at Rockin’ D Bar. We decided that it would be in our best interest bring the stroller since if I had timed this properly, the boys would be ready for a bottle and nap by the time we hit the beach.

It was a great tour for our family, first and foremost because we got to do it as a family, and not leave the boys in the nursery, second of all because we actually got to see some of Tortola, nothing to adventurous but lovely none the less.

The boat docks in Road Town, and you gather on an Air Conditioned bus right by the docking area, not a long walk at all. The tour takes you up Fort Hill along Ridge Road, passed local villages of Long Trench and Fahmie Hill on your way to Sky World. The tour guide provides fabulous commentary along the way, with great points of interest and cool facts.

When you arrive at Sky World, you can actually get off the bus, and you have about 30 minutes to shop and check out the observation deck. The souvenir shop was very small, we got two shirt for the boys, but nothing to really to appealing for the adults. The view was magnificent from the observation deck, you could see basically all of Virgin Islands, in my opinion, I don’t know how many there are but the view was spectacular.

After debarking Sky World, we headed down Ross path to Cane Garden Bay. You have 1 hour to swim or relax. Everyone on the tour gets a beach chair, but you do need to rent an umbrella if you desire. I recommend wearing your swim suit under your clothes if you plan to swim (it will save time). The beach was beautiful, I think when we do our WB Transatlantic we will do this on our own; an hour just was not enough time. DSIL and her DH enjoy the water, they said it was not to bad. I intended to feed the boys and put them in their stroller to sleep, so we could enjoy some water, but DH kindly reminded me that if we put them in there they would just wake up when we had to head back to the bus. Kyran got to enjoy some of the water, because he eats a little later then Ryder, Ryder slept through it all, and mama was content relaxing in the sun, with her little boy on top of her.

Once back on the bus, the tour is not over yet, you get to travel the north shore of the island and over the Zion Hills to Sir Francis Drake Highway back to Road Town, and back to the ship.

We returned around 4:15 PM, and the ship departs around 5:00 PM. It was the perfect afternoon, comparing to our shaky morning.

I highly recommend this tour if you do not want to leave their kids in the nursery, but our not really mobile yet. I don’t think I could take toddlers on this tour, there is too much sitting and looking, and not a lot of doing.

The boys were just waking up when we returned to the ship, so we thought it would be best just to head back to the room, and get washed up for dinner.

 

[Carterfam]

Before Dinner / Dinner
We got the boys changed into their pirate gear; they looked just like little buccaneers and fed them, their dinner. They must have been hungry, especially Kyran he ate his whole meal in 15 minutes.

I decided we should load up and slowly walk toward Parrot Cay for dinner. As we got up to Deck 3, and passed the Promenade Lounge we could hear music coming out of the Promenade Lounge, so we decided to check it out.

They were Pirate Line Dancing… I am a Nashville girl, so I love to line dance. We all took turns joining in it was so much fun, I felt like a kid again. Needless, to say we were late for dinner, not by much, but it actually worked in our benefit. It did not take long to be seated.

We had the Pirates In the Caribbean menu, in Parrot Cay. Didn’t I tell you we had the best dining rotation, I highly recommend PLA dining rotation, you hit the appropriate dining rooms on the perfect night.

We were tired so we did not eat as much., as we usually would.

Appetizers

I had the Bucanneer’s Sun-Ripened Pineapple – I love pineapple so this was a splendid treat.
DH had Black beard’s Jumbo Crab cake – he says because they are named after someone they have to be good, overall not bad were his words.

Main Course

I had Jack Sparrow’s Musked Smoked Pork Shank – It was delicious, so the name thing applies.
DH had Treasure of the Sea Grilled Shrimp and Seared Scallops. It was delicious, according to him. I should note those that your server will take of the skin and shells of the shrimp and scallops at the table. It will look like she is trying to enjoy your meal with her own fork and knife, but that is what she is doing.

Dessert

We shared the trio selection which I did not write down, but remember we had it, so it must be good, but can’t tell you anymore about it.

We finished dinner around 7:15 PM, and opted to just go back to the room and relax. The boys were headed to Flounder’s Nursery Tonight, since we all wanted to take in the festivities, so we wanted them fed and pj’s before we headed down there.

 

[Carterfam]

Flounder’s Nursery
I love Flounder’s Nursery, the staffs there are amazing. We used them a lot on our first trip, but not so much on the second, due to DH wanting to spend some quality time with the boys. On our last trip we stayed with the boys until the boys fell asleep every night. I was not planning on that this trip. My goal was to be able to leave without them crying.

Since it was our first trip there, we did have to do a little paperwork, and get our pager. We said goodbye to the boys, before we even started. One of the staff members took them already, it was a quite night in the nursery, and since ratios our 1:4, my boys always seem to have their own worker. She immediately started playing with them, I said in a little while to try putting them to sleep; I had an extra bottle ready if there was a problem.

I did not hear them cry as we finished up and left, and I knew they were in good hands, because they were smiling as I left. The cast member told us they fell asleep around 8:45 – 9:00 PM, they had to give Ryder the extra bottle, but Kyran was fine. We were a little off schedule but I was not worried.

Movie Special: Christmas Carol 3-D
We headed to the Walt Disney Theatre to enjoy Disney’s Christmas Carol. I am a movie buff, and glad that the movie special was one I had not really one I had seen.

My overall opinion: It was not quite as festive as I expected, it is defiantly the darker version of Scrooge ( Jim Carrey those was the perfect Scrooge, his mannerism and voice were a great effect and never overplaying the role, as you would expect from him). It was greatly executed those with many of the scenes look like the Victorian illustrations from the novel.

I definitely would not take my kids to see it those, too gruesome in some parts.

After the movie we headed to the Pirate Party at Goofy’s Pool

Pirate In the Caribbean Deck Party
Since our movie ended around 9:30, just as the festive were starting to happen around the pool, we knew we would not be right down in the festivities but a gradual observer from afar, and we were fine with that. The Pirate in the Caribbean Deck Party is just a big dance party, topped with fireworks and a buffet. Nothing much had changed from our previous cruises, so DH and I decided to depart the festivities and DSIL and DH, for some alone time.

We went back to our stateroom, changed into our bathing suits and headed to the adult pool (Quite Cove). There were just a few people there, but it was so relaxing, we enjoyed the hot tub the most, and watched the Fireworks from there, it is a spectacular view, for any adults that want to skip the fest ivies but want to see the fireworks.

After the fireworks, we headed back to the party and met up with DSIL and DH for a late night snack at the buffet. There was everything you could think of, turkey legs, fajitas, stir fry, there was a crepe station and ice cream sundae stations and about a ba-zillion cakes.

The party was over around 10:45 PM, after we finished our food we went to pick up the boys, who of course woke up, and decided they would rather play then sleep when we got back to the room, and decided to cry at the top of their lungs when we try to put them in their cribs, needless to say this was the last time we used the nursery this trip, even if it was amazing to say the least, I got approximately 4 hours of sleep that night. At least we were on a cruise, and we could set our own pace . . St. Thomas was going to be interesting.