MrsSmalls
dreaming of the next cruise
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- Jul 25, 2016
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I started this in word, and wow , it got long. Moderators, fell free to move this if it belongs somewhere else. 
5 night cruise recap… Our first Disney Cruise
We did the Western Caribbean on the Magic with our 3 kids – Kayleigh who is 11, Liam who is 10 and Connor, our 7 year old. We did the deluxe family stateroom on deck 8, mid-ship. This was the perfect location, and I’d definitely pay a little more to be here again. One of the things that really impressed me on both the ship and Castaway was how CLEAN everything was. I get a little wigged out when things are dirty, so I was skeptical about 2,000 people in a small space, but Disney lives up to its name and everything was immaculate.
A few thoughts before I get into the nuts and bolts. I over packed. I took every suggestion and packed like I was going on a faraway African safari with no lifeline to civilization. LOL, so next time, I’ll be packing less for sure. But there were a few things that I was super glad I brought:
I packed too many dressy items. I thought we’d all be Love Boat style and looking chic walking the teak decks. No way. The cruise was much more relaxed and with the exception of optional dress night and Palo, we were really casual. My kids polo shirts and dressier bottoms only made their way out of the room once. I packed too many pairs of long pants and sweatshirts. I should have trusted the weather forecast and just packed one pair for everyone. Sneakers only got worn at the airports, we were in flip flops (good quality ones) most of the time. I did use the cup that I brought, but everyone else just used the available cups on the deck. I won’t pack these again. (I’ll only pack mine to fill with wine) 10 Cans/tubes of sunscreen in all forms and levels. What was I thinking? We did not drink a lot at all on the ship. All the thought that went into “does buying the beer mug make sense?” and “should I get the souvenir hurricane glass” was a waste. I like to drink, and I drink wine, beer and liquor. Bourbon is my friend. But there was so much going on and between lunch at Palo and the mixology class, we just didn’t drink a lot other than that. The wine and beer did us fine. (Well, hubs got a few more beers, I was fine J )
Things I was glad I brought? The small white board was handy to leave notes for our Stateroom attendant. The two bottles of wine and six pack of beer. I got a small safe from Amazon to attach to the Castaway Cay umbrella stand. That things was great. I left my cell phone and our Key to The World cards in it without worry of them being lost. Pirate Gear. Lots of folks dressed up and I was glad we did. Fish Extender. The kids loved getting gifts, and so many were useful things that were used right away (sunglass case, small tote, movie night kits). Strong magnets. Like the heavy duty ones from Staples/Office Depot. They held our excursion tickets, navigators, tip money, dinner ticket all on the back of the cabin door. Super helpful and it kept us organized. The doors are magnetic, but you’ll need stronger magnets. Washeze sheets. I love these things. You can order them straight from the manufacturer. They are like dryer sheets, but also have detergent in them. They can’t spill in your bag, they are not liquid and you can cut a piece off a sheet to do a small sink wash. https://washeze.com/
We didn’t try to do everything on the ship. In fact, there are parts of the ship that we didn’t even make it to. And you know what? It’s all good. We relaxed, had fun and I felt like the trip was worth every penny we spent.
We used the paper navigators, but to be honest, we used the app a whole lot more. If your kids have smart technology the app is an awesome way to keep tabs on them.
Day 1 – Miami, boarding the boat
The process was pretty good and easy. I was glad I did the online check in, got an early PAT time and brought the signed contract with me. This saved a lot of time. We used Uber to get to the port and it worked out really well. I highly recommend it. We skipped the kids activities line and just registered them on ship on day 2. (The line at port was huge and the next day it only took 5 minutes onboard.)
Getting onto the ship – we had a 12:00 PAT time and got on the ship right about that time. We went right up to Cabanas and has a leisurely lunch outside in the sunshine. The buffet is amazing and delicious. We sat and are till about 1:00 and then went up to deck 10 to look out over the port, and look at all the things that deck 10 (sports deck) and deck 9 (pools and food) had to offer. By this time, the rooms were open and we went down to deck 8. We rarely used the elevators on ship, the stairs are spacious and easier to use than the elevators.
I had the room decorated with the Finding Dory theme and a cheese platter delivered. It was worth the money. The decorations were great and my little guy LOVED the blanket. My daughter loves cheese and was really impressed with the cheese platter (crackers, cheese, fruit and real honeycomb). It really gave the first couple hours an extra feel of luxury. We relaxed in the room, looked over the navigator, sat on the veranda, unpacked and just absorbed it all until it was about time for muster.
Muster was fast and easy, but the folks that showed up late definitely got the stink-eye.
After that we went to deck 9 for the sail away party. We moseyed and next time I will be sure to get there quicker so we can get a better spot. The deck 9 railing overlooking the family pool/stage seems the best, but you have to get right up there to get a good spot.
I don’t think any other cruise line would be as good at getting the kids excited to go. It made me rally happy that we did Disney. The music was new, lively and kid friendly (in a pop music way, not a wheels on the bus way) The deck party was about 30-45 minutes and set the tone for a GREAT start for the vacation.
Liam cam down with a head cold, so we headed to guest services to get some cold medicine. (stores aren’t open until you leave port) Guest Services must have one of everything in that back room.
We did first seating at 5:45. I can’t imagine doing late seating with the kids. We are East Coasters, so 5:45 ship time is our normal dinnertime. It also left lots of time after dinner to play. Our first restaurant was Carioca’s. It was good, but not my favorite. The 10 and 11 year old ordered from both the kids menu and the regular menu. I liked that they felt free to try things without feeling like they had to eat all of it if they didn’t like it. (I pretty much waived all dinner rules for the cruise.) My daughter liked the “small plates” section of the menu, which was plainer, smaller plates that were perfect for her tween taste buds. Items were things like grilled salmon, grilled steak, shrimp farmhouse salad, ect. The servers were WONDERFUL. They cut the 7 year old’s food so I didn’t have to get up, gave the kids brainteasers and did origami with their paper menus.
After dinner we went to the variety show. I highly recommend it. It gave us a taste of all the shows that would be offered and also let the kids decide what they wanted to see. Each entertainer/show did a 10 minute preview.
Day 2 – Day at Sea
We used room service breakfast a lot. I got a stack of ones and used a strong magnet to hold several at a time on the back of the cabin door for tips. Having pastry, fruit and coffee brought to the room let everyone get up and ready without anyone being hangry. And eating on the veranda was just plain luxurious.
We took a few minutes to start handing out our FE gifts.
We signed into the kids club (desk set up on deck 5 overlooking the atrium) and Kayleigh checked out the Edge. We did a little swim time and then went to Cabanas for lunch. After lunch and more swimming we checked the 7 and 10 year old into the Oceaneers Club, the 11 year old went to the Edge and we went to Mixology Class. Holy hell this was fun! If you get a chance, go to Keys and do a class or tasting. The class was fun, informative and the host was hysterical. We had a Facebook group and set up a private class. There was about 40 of us and it was $20 each. Yup, $20 for 5 cocktails and entertainment, can’t go wrong.
The 7 year old liked the Oceaneers Club, but our laid back 10 year old thought it was way too chaotic. Our 11 year old met a few kids in the Edge and fell in love with the freedom that she had on the ship and with the club. Before the trip, I thought that I wouldn’t let the kids go off on their own Um… Yeah… they went off on their own. The Magic is perfect for the 10 and 11 year old to find their way around. They have iPhone, so we used the Navigator App to keep tabs on where they were. I was surprised at how comfortable I was with letting them roam. I am that mom that put her kids in those leash-backpacks when they were preschoolers. I gave them walkie talkies just to go play in the neighborhood. I am a risk manager and over think everything by nature.
Liam was tired from his cold, so he stayed in the room to nap, Connor went to do Marvel Avengers Training and Kayleigh was off to Marshmallow Olympics in the Edge. With no kids to watch, we went to the quiet cove, got a latte and sipped them on the overstuffed deck chairs spending time with each other.
By 5:00 Liam was up, Connor was ready to be picked up and we headed to the cabin to get washed up for dinner. It was optional dress up night. (Lesson – get down to dinner early on dress up night. There are 3 photographers stations set up, but EVERYONE wants pictures. It’s a good time to get a professional shot of the family lookin’ good)
Dinner was at Lumier’s. I like the menu and had a hard time choosing what to eat, I ended up with 2 desserts and two appetizers (one of which my daughter ate). We had a table to ourselves since we had 5 people in our group. Again the service was great and food delicious. Connor got a tad queasy. We put on his Sea Bands and within 5 minutes he was right as rain. The dining rooms were the only place we really felt the ship move and even then it was very slight.
That night we did not do a show. The 7 and 10 year old wanted to watch a movie on Funnel Vision and Kayleigh wanted to go back to the Edge and on the water slides with her friends. So we hung out on deck, ate lots of ice cream, watched movies and just spent time together.
Day 3 – Grand Cayman
My kids are early risers. Always. So it was a no brainer that I booked a morning excursion, right? Um, not so much. Liam had been up with his head cold, Kayleigh wanted to sleep in and there was no way Connor was leaving the comfort of his Finding Dory blanket at 8:00 am. So we scrapped our plan for the day and took our time getting off the ship. (Lesson - even if your family gets up early, the ship tends to keep you up late, and you might not be up as early as you are at home or on other vacations)
We got off the ship at about 10:30 ish. When we got off there were lots of tour guides offering tours around the Island. We got in a tour van with other folks (a licensed tour guise with a posted license with picture) and for $20 each took a tour of the Island. The kids got to see Hell, the Dolphins, the Rum Cake factory and the beach. It was cheap and fun. At the end of the tour the kids wanted back on the ship, so we grabbed some wine at the port shop and tendered back to ship. Next trip I will plan an afternoon excursion for island stops. At Cayman, you have to tender, which means that the boat stays in the harbor and smaller boats take you to shore and back. Leave some extra time for this, on the way back we were first on the boat. That means we had to wait for the boat to fill and then we were last off, This takes a while when everyone is checking back in with their Key to the World cards and running their bags through the xray machine.
We got back on the ship and had lunch, I did a couple loads of laundry, Jeff took a nap in the cabin, Kayleigh took off with her friends and I explored the ship with the boys.
At 4:45 we met up at the room to get into our pirate gear. Lots of people were dressed up. There were a lot of folks in costume and this time we got down in plenty of time for pictures. I heard that the pirate night menu wasn’t great, but I found it to be really yummy. We were in Lumiere’s again, but the menu was Caribbean inspired foods with Piratey names. The servers did a little show and the kids all got to get up and limbo, it was a really fun night.
After dinner we went back up to the deck for the Pirate show. You’d think that I learned from the deck party to get up there early, but clearly I am a slow learner. WE managed to find a decent spot, but next time, wi8ll make sure to get up there sooner. If your kids are the type that like to get into the action, go to deck 8, there is a kid stage and the cast members get them to dance in a kids only area. If your kids are watchers, get to deck 9 early and get a spot right on the railing so they can see the action. There are fireworks after the show, and if you ask your server, or a cast member, they will let you know where to go to get the best view of the fireworks.
After the pirate show, we went to the cabin so I could –de-pirate and then we went down to the Magic Show. Kayleigh went to the Edge instead since they were doing an activity that she was looking forward to.
The magic show was wonderful, and the popcorn was surprisingly cheap at $3.50 a pop. We brought drinks from the deck and got some cheap popcorn. After the show, we browsed the gift shops.
After the show and shops, we tracked down our 11 year old, went back to the cabin, watched some Fantastic Beasts and crashed.
Day 4 – Day at Sea
By now we had a our groove down. Coffee was there at 8:30. We were out of the cabin at 9:30 and up on deck. Jeff booked a spa service and after eating and relaxing at the pool, he headed to the spa. Kayleigh caught up with her friends and the boys and I relaxed.
We had a brunch reservation at Palo, so the boys ate lunch in their club and Kayleigh went to Cabanas with their friends. She loved being able to “go out to eat” with her friends and no adults. After lunch, Connor stayed in the club, but Liam checked himself out and caught up with his sister on the sports deck to play some games with the other kids on the ship.
Palo was so worth it and I am sooooo happy that we did the brunch. It was a yummy quiet oasis and the offerings were high quality and varied. I loved the aged cheeses and prosciutto. I hate to admit it but I can’t even remember all the delicious things I ate! Grilled fennel, shrimp, Alaskan crab, pastry, breads, cheeses, olives, marinated onion, and that was all before we ordered lunch from the menu! The server took us an a great tour of the buffet and explained all the offering, where they came from and details about them. Knowing about the food added an extra layer of enjoyment. For the main course, I had tomato and basil soup and veal. (Explained to me that it was humanely raised veal) and then I had cannoli, fruit with champagne gelatin and lemon meringue bites for dessert.
This could not be more worth the mere $30 per person upcharge.
After brunch we got Connor from the club, caught up with Liam and went back to the deck for some sun. (After all, I ate enough to be classified as a beached whale)
Dinner was at Animators Palate. I was most looking forward to this and I wasn’t let down. Our table was in the back and out of the way at Lumier’s, but at AP it was front and center to the entertainment (mickey’ s visit). If you have to miss out on a dining room, don’t skip this one!
Did I mention that the servers are a wealth of knowledge? Each night they gave us a heads up on what entertainment was being offered after dinner, hints on how to best experience it and what was coming up the next day. They were servers, entertainment, cruise directors and tour guides all in one.
After dinner we went to Tangled, The Musical. One of our FE gifts was a Movie Night Kit, so we brought it along and had a great time at the show. The 11 year old was dubious, but she loved it! The 10 year old was surprised that at times he couldn’t tell what was a special effect and what was real. The 7 year old was just plain awed. The acting and singing was top notch. I recommend hitting the musical shows, they are spectacular!
The kids loved the pool and Funnel Vision so much that we were back on deck after Tangled. And of course the 11 year old was back in “her club”. By 10:30 we were in the room hitting the hay and excited for Castaway Cay.
That night we also sorted out the tips. That morning you’ll get a perforated sheet that tears into 4 sections for the head server, server, assistant server and stateroom attendant. (I may have the exact tiles wrong here) It will be left in your cabin by your stateroom attendant. You tear the sheet into the strips that are pre-printed with your cast members name, title and tip amount. The slip goes into the envelope. If you want to give them a little extra, you can do that at guest services. Bring the dining room slips, in the enveloped to dinner with you the last night. (There are directions on the back of the sheet)
Day 5 – Castaway Cay (or as we call it, Heaven on Earth)
Oh My Goodness! Waking up and seeing that beautiful island from the Veranda (with delivered coffee and pastry of course) was enough to make us all giddy.
We didn’t book and excursion and I am so glad we didn’t. We did rent the snorkels tubes and bikes. This I do regret. When we do it again, I will just to walk up rentals. We only used one tube, two snorkeling sets and two bikes. We rented 5 of each. They do walk up rentals and it would have cost less in the long run to just get what we needed. I carried my cup full of wine and ice off the ship. It was Moscato so I felt perfectly fine with icing that down and drinking it more like a cooler than wine. I normally drink red wine, but that just didn’t jive with the beach.
This is where that little safe came in handy. There was PLENTY of room on the beach to find a cozy spot for the family to claim for the day. I’m not sure how it works with the Dream or Fantasy, but with the Magic being full and unloading there were plenty of empty chairs and hammocks. There are 3 restaurants for lunch buffet, so no lines really. There is soft serve ice cream and drink stations nearby. So food, drinks and ice cream were all eaten with great delight. The food is barbeque, but upscale barbeque with lots of options.
Liam and Jeff went snorkeling, There were Cast Members from the kids club there to help everyone get into their gear and get started snorkeling, which was great for us newbies. Connor and I got biked and rode around the Island. He still isn’t great on a bike and we got one with training wheels for him to jet around on. The kids wear mandatory helmets that are provided and the adults can get one if they’d like. We toured the whole island and saw much more of it than the rest of the family. There were lots of cold, refreshing water stops provided along the way, so don’t worry about bringing water with you.
There is a kids island that they can swim to, like a jungle gym in the water. The kids loved this, and wouldn’t leave to try the water slides.
After the biking and snorkeling and eating we went back to the ship at 3:30ish, maybe it was 4:00. Either way we were content and tired. That day we bought our souvenirs, got a placeholder for the next cruise, went to shutters to do our order, (see more below on this) and pack. At Dinner our 7 year old realized that it was the last night and started crying. He has never cried at the end of a vacation, so although I felt bad for the little dude, it sure did show how much he loved it. We said goodbye to the servers, gave them their tips, and took pictures with them.
That night we were going to go to the show, but skipped it to relaxed one more time doing random stuff that we had enjoyed.
Suitcases went outside the door at 10:00 for pickup.
Day 6 – Debarkation
There is no room service this day – gasp! Our breakfast time was 7:00 and it is at the same restaurant that your last dinner was served in. We packed the suitcases and left them out the night before thinking that we only has a few things for the day bag. Lesson learned – holy crap I had a lot of crap still left on the room. Try to get everything but clothes and toiletries into those packed cases!
We ate breakfast and by then the boat cleared customs and they had called the “daisy luggage tags” to go to baggage claim. Getting off the ship and getting luggage was super easy. We Ubered again and was glad we did so. So many people had transportation show up late.
We took one more day in Miami. We got a rental car and hotel rooms by the airport. After checking in early, we used the rental to go to lunch in The Flatts and then went to Wynwood Arts district to see the Wynwood Walls and have a snack at the bakery there. The kids loved walking around and seeing all the art. http://www.thewynwoodwalls.com/
So all in all. We are going on another cruise. Someone gave the great advice of trying not to do everything and just go with the flow. Whoever told me this.. THANK YOU. Best advice ever. Now we are relaxed, excited to go on another cruise and still have so much more to explore on castaway and the Magic. Too many vacations we end up more stressed at the end than relaxed. This vacation seemed much longer and much more like a getway.
17498977_1890023021269160_560760481831058315_n by Denise Smallidge, on Flickr
5 night cruise recap… Our first Disney Cruise
We did the Western Caribbean on the Magic with our 3 kids – Kayleigh who is 11, Liam who is 10 and Connor, our 7 year old. We did the deluxe family stateroom on deck 8, mid-ship. This was the perfect location, and I’d definitely pay a little more to be here again. One of the things that really impressed me on both the ship and Castaway was how CLEAN everything was. I get a little wigged out when things are dirty, so I was skeptical about 2,000 people in a small space, but Disney lives up to its name and everything was immaculate.
A few thoughts before I get into the nuts and bolts. I over packed. I took every suggestion and packed like I was going on a faraway African safari with no lifeline to civilization. LOL, so next time, I’ll be packing less for sure. But there were a few things that I was super glad I brought:
I packed too many dressy items. I thought we’d all be Love Boat style and looking chic walking the teak decks. No way. The cruise was much more relaxed and with the exception of optional dress night and Palo, we were really casual. My kids polo shirts and dressier bottoms only made their way out of the room once. I packed too many pairs of long pants and sweatshirts. I should have trusted the weather forecast and just packed one pair for everyone. Sneakers only got worn at the airports, we were in flip flops (good quality ones) most of the time. I did use the cup that I brought, but everyone else just used the available cups on the deck. I won’t pack these again. (I’ll only pack mine to fill with wine) 10 Cans/tubes of sunscreen in all forms and levels. What was I thinking? We did not drink a lot at all on the ship. All the thought that went into “does buying the beer mug make sense?” and “should I get the souvenir hurricane glass” was a waste. I like to drink, and I drink wine, beer and liquor. Bourbon is my friend. But there was so much going on and between lunch at Palo and the mixology class, we just didn’t drink a lot other than that. The wine and beer did us fine. (Well, hubs got a few more beers, I was fine J )
Things I was glad I brought? The small white board was handy to leave notes for our Stateroom attendant. The two bottles of wine and six pack of beer. I got a small safe from Amazon to attach to the Castaway Cay umbrella stand. That things was great. I left my cell phone and our Key to The World cards in it without worry of them being lost. Pirate Gear. Lots of folks dressed up and I was glad we did. Fish Extender. The kids loved getting gifts, and so many were useful things that were used right away (sunglass case, small tote, movie night kits). Strong magnets. Like the heavy duty ones from Staples/Office Depot. They held our excursion tickets, navigators, tip money, dinner ticket all on the back of the cabin door. Super helpful and it kept us organized. The doors are magnetic, but you’ll need stronger magnets. Washeze sheets. I love these things. You can order them straight from the manufacturer. They are like dryer sheets, but also have detergent in them. They can’t spill in your bag, they are not liquid and you can cut a piece off a sheet to do a small sink wash. https://washeze.com/
We didn’t try to do everything on the ship. In fact, there are parts of the ship that we didn’t even make it to. And you know what? It’s all good. We relaxed, had fun and I felt like the trip was worth every penny we spent.
We used the paper navigators, but to be honest, we used the app a whole lot more. If your kids have smart technology the app is an awesome way to keep tabs on them.
Day 1 – Miami, boarding the boat
The process was pretty good and easy. I was glad I did the online check in, got an early PAT time and brought the signed contract with me. This saved a lot of time. We used Uber to get to the port and it worked out really well. I highly recommend it. We skipped the kids activities line and just registered them on ship on day 2. (The line at port was huge and the next day it only took 5 minutes onboard.)
Getting onto the ship – we had a 12:00 PAT time and got on the ship right about that time. We went right up to Cabanas and has a leisurely lunch outside in the sunshine. The buffet is amazing and delicious. We sat and are till about 1:00 and then went up to deck 10 to look out over the port, and look at all the things that deck 10 (sports deck) and deck 9 (pools and food) had to offer. By this time, the rooms were open and we went down to deck 8. We rarely used the elevators on ship, the stairs are spacious and easier to use than the elevators.
I had the room decorated with the Finding Dory theme and a cheese platter delivered. It was worth the money. The decorations were great and my little guy LOVED the blanket. My daughter loves cheese and was really impressed with the cheese platter (crackers, cheese, fruit and real honeycomb). It really gave the first couple hours an extra feel of luxury. We relaxed in the room, looked over the navigator, sat on the veranda, unpacked and just absorbed it all until it was about time for muster.
Muster was fast and easy, but the folks that showed up late definitely got the stink-eye.
After that we went to deck 9 for the sail away party. We moseyed and next time I will be sure to get there quicker so we can get a better spot. The deck 9 railing overlooking the family pool/stage seems the best, but you have to get right up there to get a good spot.
I don’t think any other cruise line would be as good at getting the kids excited to go. It made me rally happy that we did Disney. The music was new, lively and kid friendly (in a pop music way, not a wheels on the bus way) The deck party was about 30-45 minutes and set the tone for a GREAT start for the vacation.
Liam cam down with a head cold, so we headed to guest services to get some cold medicine. (stores aren’t open until you leave port) Guest Services must have one of everything in that back room.
We did first seating at 5:45. I can’t imagine doing late seating with the kids. We are East Coasters, so 5:45 ship time is our normal dinnertime. It also left lots of time after dinner to play. Our first restaurant was Carioca’s. It was good, but not my favorite. The 10 and 11 year old ordered from both the kids menu and the regular menu. I liked that they felt free to try things without feeling like they had to eat all of it if they didn’t like it. (I pretty much waived all dinner rules for the cruise.) My daughter liked the “small plates” section of the menu, which was plainer, smaller plates that were perfect for her tween taste buds. Items were things like grilled salmon, grilled steak, shrimp farmhouse salad, ect. The servers were WONDERFUL. They cut the 7 year old’s food so I didn’t have to get up, gave the kids brainteasers and did origami with their paper menus.
After dinner we went to the variety show. I highly recommend it. It gave us a taste of all the shows that would be offered and also let the kids decide what they wanted to see. Each entertainer/show did a 10 minute preview.
Day 2 – Day at Sea
We used room service breakfast a lot. I got a stack of ones and used a strong magnet to hold several at a time on the back of the cabin door for tips. Having pastry, fruit and coffee brought to the room let everyone get up and ready without anyone being hangry. And eating on the veranda was just plain luxurious.
We took a few minutes to start handing out our FE gifts.
We signed into the kids club (desk set up on deck 5 overlooking the atrium) and Kayleigh checked out the Edge. We did a little swim time and then went to Cabanas for lunch. After lunch and more swimming we checked the 7 and 10 year old into the Oceaneers Club, the 11 year old went to the Edge and we went to Mixology Class. Holy hell this was fun! If you get a chance, go to Keys and do a class or tasting. The class was fun, informative and the host was hysterical. We had a Facebook group and set up a private class. There was about 40 of us and it was $20 each. Yup, $20 for 5 cocktails and entertainment, can’t go wrong.
The 7 year old liked the Oceaneers Club, but our laid back 10 year old thought it was way too chaotic. Our 11 year old met a few kids in the Edge and fell in love with the freedom that she had on the ship and with the club. Before the trip, I thought that I wouldn’t let the kids go off on their own Um… Yeah… they went off on their own. The Magic is perfect for the 10 and 11 year old to find their way around. They have iPhone, so we used the Navigator App to keep tabs on where they were. I was surprised at how comfortable I was with letting them roam. I am that mom that put her kids in those leash-backpacks when they were preschoolers. I gave them walkie talkies just to go play in the neighborhood. I am a risk manager and over think everything by nature.
Liam was tired from his cold, so he stayed in the room to nap, Connor went to do Marvel Avengers Training and Kayleigh was off to Marshmallow Olympics in the Edge. With no kids to watch, we went to the quiet cove, got a latte and sipped them on the overstuffed deck chairs spending time with each other.
By 5:00 Liam was up, Connor was ready to be picked up and we headed to the cabin to get washed up for dinner. It was optional dress up night. (Lesson – get down to dinner early on dress up night. There are 3 photographers stations set up, but EVERYONE wants pictures. It’s a good time to get a professional shot of the family lookin’ good)
Dinner was at Lumier’s. I like the menu and had a hard time choosing what to eat, I ended up with 2 desserts and two appetizers (one of which my daughter ate). We had a table to ourselves since we had 5 people in our group. Again the service was great and food delicious. Connor got a tad queasy. We put on his Sea Bands and within 5 minutes he was right as rain. The dining rooms were the only place we really felt the ship move and even then it was very slight.
That night we did not do a show. The 7 and 10 year old wanted to watch a movie on Funnel Vision and Kayleigh wanted to go back to the Edge and on the water slides with her friends. So we hung out on deck, ate lots of ice cream, watched movies and just spent time together.
Day 3 – Grand Cayman
My kids are early risers. Always. So it was a no brainer that I booked a morning excursion, right? Um, not so much. Liam had been up with his head cold, Kayleigh wanted to sleep in and there was no way Connor was leaving the comfort of his Finding Dory blanket at 8:00 am. So we scrapped our plan for the day and took our time getting off the ship. (Lesson - even if your family gets up early, the ship tends to keep you up late, and you might not be up as early as you are at home or on other vacations)
We got off the ship at about 10:30 ish. When we got off there were lots of tour guides offering tours around the Island. We got in a tour van with other folks (a licensed tour guise with a posted license with picture) and for $20 each took a tour of the Island. The kids got to see Hell, the Dolphins, the Rum Cake factory and the beach. It was cheap and fun. At the end of the tour the kids wanted back on the ship, so we grabbed some wine at the port shop and tendered back to ship. Next trip I will plan an afternoon excursion for island stops. At Cayman, you have to tender, which means that the boat stays in the harbor and smaller boats take you to shore and back. Leave some extra time for this, on the way back we were first on the boat. That means we had to wait for the boat to fill and then we were last off, This takes a while when everyone is checking back in with their Key to the World cards and running their bags through the xray machine.
We got back on the ship and had lunch, I did a couple loads of laundry, Jeff took a nap in the cabin, Kayleigh took off with her friends and I explored the ship with the boys.
At 4:45 we met up at the room to get into our pirate gear. Lots of people were dressed up. There were a lot of folks in costume and this time we got down in plenty of time for pictures. I heard that the pirate night menu wasn’t great, but I found it to be really yummy. We were in Lumiere’s again, but the menu was Caribbean inspired foods with Piratey names. The servers did a little show and the kids all got to get up and limbo, it was a really fun night.
After dinner we went back up to the deck for the Pirate show. You’d think that I learned from the deck party to get up there early, but clearly I am a slow learner. WE managed to find a decent spot, but next time, wi8ll make sure to get up there sooner. If your kids are the type that like to get into the action, go to deck 8, there is a kid stage and the cast members get them to dance in a kids only area. If your kids are watchers, get to deck 9 early and get a spot right on the railing so they can see the action. There are fireworks after the show, and if you ask your server, or a cast member, they will let you know where to go to get the best view of the fireworks.
After the pirate show, we went to the cabin so I could –de-pirate and then we went down to the Magic Show. Kayleigh went to the Edge instead since they were doing an activity that she was looking forward to.
The magic show was wonderful, and the popcorn was surprisingly cheap at $3.50 a pop. We brought drinks from the deck and got some cheap popcorn. After the show, we browsed the gift shops.
After the show and shops, we tracked down our 11 year old, went back to the cabin, watched some Fantastic Beasts and crashed.
Day 4 – Day at Sea
By now we had a our groove down. Coffee was there at 8:30. We were out of the cabin at 9:30 and up on deck. Jeff booked a spa service and after eating and relaxing at the pool, he headed to the spa. Kayleigh caught up with her friends and the boys and I relaxed.
We had a brunch reservation at Palo, so the boys ate lunch in their club and Kayleigh went to Cabanas with their friends. She loved being able to “go out to eat” with her friends and no adults. After lunch, Connor stayed in the club, but Liam checked himself out and caught up with his sister on the sports deck to play some games with the other kids on the ship.
Palo was so worth it and I am sooooo happy that we did the brunch. It was a yummy quiet oasis and the offerings were high quality and varied. I loved the aged cheeses and prosciutto. I hate to admit it but I can’t even remember all the delicious things I ate! Grilled fennel, shrimp, Alaskan crab, pastry, breads, cheeses, olives, marinated onion, and that was all before we ordered lunch from the menu! The server took us an a great tour of the buffet and explained all the offering, where they came from and details about them. Knowing about the food added an extra layer of enjoyment. For the main course, I had tomato and basil soup and veal. (Explained to me that it was humanely raised veal) and then I had cannoli, fruit with champagne gelatin and lemon meringue bites for dessert.
This could not be more worth the mere $30 per person upcharge.
After brunch we got Connor from the club, caught up with Liam and went back to the deck for some sun. (After all, I ate enough to be classified as a beached whale)
Dinner was at Animators Palate. I was most looking forward to this and I wasn’t let down. Our table was in the back and out of the way at Lumier’s, but at AP it was front and center to the entertainment (mickey’ s visit). If you have to miss out on a dining room, don’t skip this one!
Did I mention that the servers are a wealth of knowledge? Each night they gave us a heads up on what entertainment was being offered after dinner, hints on how to best experience it and what was coming up the next day. They were servers, entertainment, cruise directors and tour guides all in one.
After dinner we went to Tangled, The Musical. One of our FE gifts was a Movie Night Kit, so we brought it along and had a great time at the show. The 11 year old was dubious, but she loved it! The 10 year old was surprised that at times he couldn’t tell what was a special effect and what was real. The 7 year old was just plain awed. The acting and singing was top notch. I recommend hitting the musical shows, they are spectacular!
The kids loved the pool and Funnel Vision so much that we were back on deck after Tangled. And of course the 11 year old was back in “her club”. By 10:30 we were in the room hitting the hay and excited for Castaway Cay.
That night we also sorted out the tips. That morning you’ll get a perforated sheet that tears into 4 sections for the head server, server, assistant server and stateroom attendant. (I may have the exact tiles wrong here) It will be left in your cabin by your stateroom attendant. You tear the sheet into the strips that are pre-printed with your cast members name, title and tip amount. The slip goes into the envelope. If you want to give them a little extra, you can do that at guest services. Bring the dining room slips, in the enveloped to dinner with you the last night. (There are directions on the back of the sheet)
Day 5 – Castaway Cay (or as we call it, Heaven on Earth)
Oh My Goodness! Waking up and seeing that beautiful island from the Veranda (with delivered coffee and pastry of course) was enough to make us all giddy.
We didn’t book and excursion and I am so glad we didn’t. We did rent the snorkels tubes and bikes. This I do regret. When we do it again, I will just to walk up rentals. We only used one tube, two snorkeling sets and two bikes. We rented 5 of each. They do walk up rentals and it would have cost less in the long run to just get what we needed. I carried my cup full of wine and ice off the ship. It was Moscato so I felt perfectly fine with icing that down and drinking it more like a cooler than wine. I normally drink red wine, but that just didn’t jive with the beach.
This is where that little safe came in handy. There was PLENTY of room on the beach to find a cozy spot for the family to claim for the day. I’m not sure how it works with the Dream or Fantasy, but with the Magic being full and unloading there were plenty of empty chairs and hammocks. There are 3 restaurants for lunch buffet, so no lines really. There is soft serve ice cream and drink stations nearby. So food, drinks and ice cream were all eaten with great delight. The food is barbeque, but upscale barbeque with lots of options.
Liam and Jeff went snorkeling, There were Cast Members from the kids club there to help everyone get into their gear and get started snorkeling, which was great for us newbies. Connor and I got biked and rode around the Island. He still isn’t great on a bike and we got one with training wheels for him to jet around on. The kids wear mandatory helmets that are provided and the adults can get one if they’d like. We toured the whole island and saw much more of it than the rest of the family. There were lots of cold, refreshing water stops provided along the way, so don’t worry about bringing water with you.
There is a kids island that they can swim to, like a jungle gym in the water. The kids loved this, and wouldn’t leave to try the water slides.
After the biking and snorkeling and eating we went back to the ship at 3:30ish, maybe it was 4:00. Either way we were content and tired. That day we bought our souvenirs, got a placeholder for the next cruise, went to shutters to do our order, (see more below on this) and pack. At Dinner our 7 year old realized that it was the last night and started crying. He has never cried at the end of a vacation, so although I felt bad for the little dude, it sure did show how much he loved it. We said goodbye to the servers, gave them their tips, and took pictures with them.
That night we were going to go to the show, but skipped it to relaxed one more time doing random stuff that we had enjoyed.
Suitcases went outside the door at 10:00 for pickup.
Day 6 – Debarkation
There is no room service this day – gasp! Our breakfast time was 7:00 and it is at the same restaurant that your last dinner was served in. We packed the suitcases and left them out the night before thinking that we only has a few things for the day bag. Lesson learned – holy crap I had a lot of crap still left on the room. Try to get everything but clothes and toiletries into those packed cases!
We ate breakfast and by then the boat cleared customs and they had called the “daisy luggage tags” to go to baggage claim. Getting off the ship and getting luggage was super easy. We Ubered again and was glad we did so. So many people had transportation show up late.
We took one more day in Miami. We got a rental car and hotel rooms by the airport. After checking in early, we used the rental to go to lunch in The Flatts and then went to Wynwood Arts district to see the Wynwood Walls and have a snack at the bakery there. The kids loved walking around and seeing all the art. http://www.thewynwoodwalls.com/
So all in all. We are going on another cruise. Someone gave the great advice of trying not to do everything and just go with the flow. Whoever told me this.. THANK YOU. Best advice ever. Now we are relaxed, excited to go on another cruise and still have so much more to explore on castaway and the Magic. Too many vacations we end up more stressed at the end than relaxed. This vacation seemed much longer and much more like a getway.
17498977_1890023021269160_560760481831058315_n by Denise Smallidge, on Flickr
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. I did the same thing on our first cruise. I learned my lesson!
