6/5/08 3 Night Wonder Trip Report- with Navigators, 20 tips, and 100+ photos!!!

[mickeyluv]

TCD....absolutely loved reading your TR!!! I want to put it back up to the top so other's could see it and enjoy!! Have a great rest of the summer! We'll be on the Magic November 29th for our 2nd DCL cruise. Our 1st was a 4-niter and we couldn't believe how fast it went by so we rebooked onboard for the 7 night Magic Western itinerary. We rebooked along with our tablemates who are from England and we can't wait to meet back up again!!! Thanks for a GREAT TR!!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Hey Turkey!

As usual, Andrew, you tell a great story. I read the whole thing. War and Peace no longer worries me.

It was fun to read your references to our old 2005 Turkey Day Gang. That was a memorable cruise for the Miller Family. I still stay in touch with Lampy, Doogie, Rob, Priscilla, Chuck, Lisa, 5J's. Made some friends on that cruise that are very special. I count the TCD family among those. The girls are growing too fast, huh? I would never believe that my youngest DD(13) would outgrow the play area at Castaway Cay! My girls now prefer RCCL. Who'd a thunk it?

Your cartwheel in the atrium lobby reminds me of your pool competition and pirate dance competitions with Lampy. You would have smoked him had he not broke out with that Curley Shuffle. I always thought that was a little unfair of him. Good to see that you still can make the moves without back injury.

Stay in touch, buddy! Let me know if the TCD family sails again. Maybe I can get my bunch back on Disney.

Hey Willie- Great to hear from you! I am not sure that there will ever be as fun a group of Disboard members as we had on the 2005 Thanksgiving Magic Cruise! As I mentioned in my report, I couldn't even find a meets thread for this cruise, although I guess there was a small one. I tried my best to represent the Turkeys! I am sure you saw that I was able to be the Native American Village Person (although this was done at the sail away party), and that I won a gold medal. No pirate dance contest, though. I thought this would be my chance for redemption. With my luck, Lampy will probably be on my next cruise, and I will be second banana again!

I will be sure to let you know if we cruise again. As mentioned, this was a last minute deal for us, and it worked out great. The tentative plan for now is to be flexible next summer, and see if we can snag a Florida resident's deal.

Hope you and the family are all well. I believe that your oldest is heading off for college, right? We will be facing that next summer

TCD

Hey Willie-

Rob and Priscilla and Chuck and I are booked for the 2009 Thanksgiving Magic. It's an Eastern Itinerary. We would love for the Miller and TCD families to join in for a Turkey reunion!!!

Lisa

Lisa- Thanks for the invite. I would love to do another Thanksgiving cruise. We will have to see if it fits into our schedules and budget.

TCD

TCD....absolutely loved reading your TR!!! I want to put it back up to the top so other's could see it and enjoy!! Have a great rest of the summer! We'll be on the Magic November 29th for our 2nd DCL cruise. Our 1st was a 4-niter and we couldn't believe how fast it went by so we rebooked onboard for the 7 night Magic Western itinerary. We rebooked along with our tablemates who are from England and we can't wait to meet back up again!!! Thanks for a GREAT TR!!

You are copying me! We started with a 4 night, then took a 7 night Western for Thanksgiving 2005. So, next you have to try the three night!! You will love a 7 night cruise! I can't really comment on the Western itinerary, as we did not stop at either Grand Cayman or Cozumel on our cruise because of storms.

TCD

 

[mickeyluv]

You are copying me! We started with a 4 night, then took a 7 night Western for Thanksgiving 2005. So, next you have to try the three night!! You will love a 7 night cruise! I can't really comment on the Western itinerary, as we did not stop at either Grand Cayman or Cozumel on our cruise because of storms.

TCD[/QUOTE]


Gee, thanks!! I was thinking that the end of November there weren't usually many storms due to it being that late in the year but missing GC and Cozumel because of storms?! Guess anything is possible!! We are really excited though! thanks for the reply!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You are copying me! We started with a 4 night, then took a 7 night Western for Thanksgiving 2005. So, next you have to try the three night!! You will love a 7 night cruise! I can't really comment on the Western itinerary, as we did not stop at either Grand Cayman or Cozumel on our cruise because of storms.

TCD


Gee, thanks!! I was thinking that the end of November there weren't usually many storms due to it being that late in the year but missing GC and Cozumel because of storms?! Guess anything is possible!! We are really excited though! thanks for the reply!

If you remember, 2005 was the year that there were so many tropical storms that they ran out of names and started using Greek letters! We cruised Thanksgiving week, and there was a storm named Gamma in the Western Caribbean. When we arrived at Grand Cayman, the water was too rough to allow the use of the tenders, so we pulled anchor, and had a day at sea. We knew ahead of time that we would not be docking at Cozumel, as their pier had been damaged in an earlier storm. So we went to Costa Maya instead. Remember, Hurricane season does not officially end until November 30th! Despite these inconveniences, the cruise was great! So, don't let the possibility of storms worry you- if necessary, the Captain will change the itinerary, and steer clear of the storms.

TCD

 

[sfven]

Hi, Thanks for such in-depth report. We've been on two other cruises before, but we'll be going on our first (with the kids) Disney Cruise in Sept. Could you answer a few questions:

1)We brought our own adult beverages onto Royal and Carnival but put them into checked-in luggage. So Disney doesn't mind either, but it has to be carried on?

2)Does is matter whether you bring aboard bottled beer or does it have to be in cans?

3)You said the stateroom attendant kept your beer iced in your rolling cooler. Do you have to ask them daily to do that (we're thinking of keeping our son's milk in there as well)? And is the "cooler box" in the stateroom sufficient at keeping things cool if we put ziplock bags of ice in there?

4)My husband is embarrased about bringing a wheeled cooler, but it came in handy when you left the boat too for the wet stuff. What size did you use? (We have those square soft-sided ones that is on a wheeled cart)

5)We're deciding if we should bring bottled water. Does the water in the drink stations taste like tap water, or have no taste?

6)Lastly, do you remember if they had bikes with training wheels to rent on CC?

Thanks so much again for all your information. We're cruising with seven other families so this will answer everyone's questions. Only two more months!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Hi, Thanks for such in-depth report. We've been on two other cruises before, but we'll be going on our first (with the kids) Disney Cruise in Sept. Could you answer a few questions:

1)We brought our own adult beverages onto Royal and Carnival but put them into checked-in luggage. So Disney doesn't mind either, but it has to be carried on?

2)Does is matter whether you bring aboard bottled beer or does it have to be in cans?

3)You said the stateroom attendant kept your beer iced in your rolling cooler. Do you have to ask them daily to do that (we're thinking of keeping our son's milk in there as well)? And is the "cooler box" in the stateroom sufficient at keeping things cool if we put ziplock bags of ice in there?

4)My husband is embarrased about bringing a wheeled cooler, but it came in handy when you left the boat too for the wet stuff. What size did you use? (We have those square soft-sided ones that is on a wheeled cart)

5)We're deciding if we should bring bottled water. Does the water in the drink stations taste like tap water, or have no taste?

6)Lastly, do you remember if they had bikes with training wheels to rent on CC?

Thanks so much again for all your information. We're cruising with seven other families so this will answer everyone's questions. Only two more months!

I would be happy to answer all of your questions!

Here we go:

1)We brought our own adult beverages onto Royal and Carnival but put them into checked-in luggage. So Disney doesn't mind either, but it has to be carried on?

I recently read that they have asked for all liquids to be carried on. But, I did have a case of bottled water in a duffel bag, and the porter who took my bag asked me specifically if there were liquids in the bag. I told him yes, there was a case of bottled water in there. He took the bag without a problem. I can't tell you what the real policy is. The documents you will receive state very clearly that you cannot bring a cooler on board, but the security people do not stop anyone from bringing rolling coolers, and as I stated, the porter took my bag even though I told him that it contained a case of water.

2)Does is matter whether you bring aboard bottled beer or does it have to be in cans?

I brought glass bottles of Corona on board in the rolling cooler. These went through the x-ray machine as we entered the terminal. If you have a glass bottle out on deck, or on Castaway Cay, a castmember will quickly appear and ask you to pour your beer into a plastic cup. I actually appreciate this, as I would not want to step on broken glass.

3)You said the stateroom attendant kept your beer iced in your rolling cooler. Do you have to ask them daily to do that (we're thinking of keeping our son's milk in there as well)? And is the "cooler box" in the stateroom sufficient at keeping things cool if we put ziplock bags of ice in there?

I did ask the stateroom host to keep the cooler filled with ice. I should have mentioned that you should line the cooler with a trash bag before icing things down. These rolling coolers leak. IMHO the cooler box does not keep things cold enough. We did load our bottled water in there, and it cooled down eventually, but I wouldn't use it for milk or beer. If you put zip-lock bags of ice in there, it probably would work.

4)My husband is embarrassed about bringing a wheeled cooler, but it came in handy when you left the boat too for the wet stuff. What size did you use? (We have those square soft-sided ones that is on a wheeled cart)

I don't think I have a photo of mine, but I bought it online through the Disney shopping website. It is like a little nylon box on with a retractable handle. Sounds like what you are describing. Tell your DH to lighten up. I am not at all embarrassed about the rolling cooler, in fact I am proud to bring one on with me! I had mine right with me on Deck 9 that first day, and was cracking open the beers! And, after you polish of the beverages, it is the perfect thing to throw the wet suits in when leaving the ship.

5)We're deciding if we should bring bottled water. Does the water in the drink stations taste like tap water, or have no taste?

I thought that the water from the drink station (and from the taps in the cabin, too) was fine. You can make yourself a nice glass of ice water whenever you want. But, the bottled water is handy for excursions, and on Castaway Cay.

6)Lastly, do you remember if they had bikes with training wheels to rent on CC?

Yes, the definitely had bikes with training wheels (for the kids only).

TCD

Any other questions? Feel free to ask!

 

[sfven]

Thank you!! Our group is really excited about this cruise, as it is a first cruise for some, first Disney cruise for others, and first cruise with kids for all. (Which is why we need to bring the adult beverages with us We will definitely be bringing our rolling cooler then, and pack just a few water bottles for CC.

That's great to know they have training wheel bikes for the little ones. Should we reserve those in advance or can we just get one when we're on CC? Also, did your wife get the rainforest room day pass before? We're thinking of at least doing that, if not a massage.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

That's great to know they have training wheel bikes for the little ones. Should we reserve those in advance or can we just get one when we're on CC? Also, did your wife get the rainforest room day pass before? We're thinking of at least doing that, if not a massage.

I don't think that you can reserve bikes, or that there is a need to do so- they have a ton of bikes, and most folks only keep them out for an hour. I guess I should have mentioned that the whole bike ride thing might be a little much for a child still riding with training wheels. I remember seeing some abandoned bikes on one of my trips.

Can't help you with the Rainforest room- but I did take a look at it, and it looked pretty cool, if you are into that sort of thing. A massage is great- we have done them on other cruises- but never got around to it on DCL-too many other things to do!

TCD

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Subscribing!

Someone just sent me the link to this TR and the pictures! I'm so excited to read the whole thing over the weekend!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[TylerAggie]

I just read your entire trip report and absolutely loved it. Your family really looks like they know how to enjoy life. I noticed in one of the pictures your cruise was the first week in June, this is when we made our first trip to Disneyworld. We are now thinking about a cruise and after reading your trip report I am sold. Thank you for sharing your experiences, tips, and thoughts. You gave this stay at home Mom some enjoyment today. Can't wait to read about any of your future trips. Robin

 

[DisneyParkFan]

This was/is an excellent trip report with plenty of information and then some. I enjoy the photos and especially the Personal Navigators, it gives me an idea what to expect next year. I am going on my first Disney cruise one year after you and your family went on your cruise. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

I am in love with your trip report!
Thanks for sharing!

I am turning 15 this month and I am trying to get my parents to do the
disney cruise for my 16th birthday next year but they want to do a
carnival cruise instead. I find that boring

 

[HoosierFrog]

Bump

 

[iu97alum]

What a PHENOM TR! I loved EVERY minute of it!! Youshould do more writing!!

 

[jenseib]

Our Adventures in Nassau



.

The sad thing is that when we were last in the Bahamas in 2004, the building in which the Straw Market was housed had been destroyed by a hurricane. So, it was moved into this temporary structure. As I said that was in 2004. This was 2008. The old site is still just vacant ground. I guess they are still in the permitting process?

Anyway, I have to tell you that the old location wasn't that much nicer than this temporary location. I remember the first time we went and wondering what is the attraction of this place? And why is it called the Straw Market? It should be called the cheap t-shirt and fake purse market.


TCD

We were there in early spring 2003 and they told us the straw market had burned down and that was why it was in the tent. And of course it was being rebuilt. So either they have extremely slow builders or they arern't rebuilding. LOL!
I'm just on page 3, but love the report. You look like a really fun family!

 

[AGPrincess]

Just wanted to say how much I've LOVED your TR. My family's planning a 3-night cruise in January, and this has been so informative with the navigators and everything! Thank you!

 

[4happybogles]

You should write a book, this was well organized and a lot of fun to read. I must say you have made me very excited to go on my first cruise!!n Thank you Thank you!

 

[jenseib]

Love the TR. We are going on our first cruise in December.

I was curious if they sell the pirate mickey mouse ear hats onboard the ship or do I need to find them before the cruise? Thanks.


Oh and thanks for the TR.

I've been wondering this too. I'll read on to see if it was answered, but if not, does anyone know?

 

[bawsmom]

I've been wondering this too. I'll read on to see if it was answered, but if not, does anyone know?

we just got off the Wonder yesterday and i don't remember seeing the ears sold. not to say they aren't there. i just don't remember seeing them. i saw some people with them but not sure if they had bought them elsewhere or just brought from home.

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

Love Love Love this trip report! I have been combing it often. We are taking our first cruise in March...so excited! Reading this makes me feel like we're already there!

P.S. The Travel Channel is showing it's DCL show next week! Can't wait! (We gonna DVR it - wink!)