A Terrible Year=A WONDERful Cruise! A Mexican Riviera TR

[rhinosbiggestfan]

Ok so first-bear with me as this is my first ever trip report....

NOW INTRODUCING....OUR FABULOUS CAST!

ME: I'm Kaylene, a 15 yr old sophomore from WI! I'm an avid Disney fan and I love everything about it! I'm also a dancer and a total geek about Harry Potter!

MOM: Also avid Disney fan, can't get enough Disney! We love planning vacations and getting our Disney fill throughout the year! (and taking a break from reality!) (THANK-YOU!)

DAD: Super-hard worker who pays for this cruise (THANK-YOU btw!) who also enjoys taking vacations.

BROTHER 1: (B1) Two years younger than me, likes Disney but would rather spend time playing video games.....and eating.......

SISTER 1 (S1): Turned 9 two days after we got back, LOVES princesses

BROTHER 2 (B2): COMPLETE AND TOTAL TOY STORY FAN. Probably one of the only things he has been looking forward to is seeing Toy Story the Musical. The first time we saw it, we got home afterwards and for WEEKS he would have his own TSM in our basement with literally EVERY song memorized.

BROTHER 3 (B3): 2 Years old, also toy story fan, will turn into B2 soon!



Now to explain the title:

Our terrible year started in December 2009, when...
1. I had to have brain surgery to remove a tumor
2. My grandpa had a terrible fall that paralyzed him

Now on to 2010:
1. Mom found out she had cancer and had to undergo surgery and treatment
2. Dad's job is hour and a half away so he is gone a lot
3. We are planning on moving.
3. My grandfather (see #2) passed away 2 days before Christmas

and that, ladies and gentlemen, was our terrible year.

So we felt that our annual January cruise was a break from reality.



Now the trip details:

We thought that a Mexican Riviera cruise would be great because we could experience an entirely different country while fullfilling our Disney needs! So we joined our meet group on the disboards and started planning! We would be driving to Minneapolis and taking a flight to Phoenix, then on to Ontario. From there we would rent a car and drive 45 minutes to an Embassy Suites. On the morning of boarding, we would drive 45 minutes to the port. We had heard that our Itinerary was changed to two Cabo days instead of Mazatlan because of a shooting but that was ok-it only meant:

1. Embarkation day
2. At Sea
3. Cabo san Lucas
4. Puerto Vallarta
5. At Sea
6. Cabo San Lucas
7. At Sea



Stay tuned for the rest of my trip report! (with pictures hopefully)!!

 

[wideeyedwonder]

Subscribing! (it will be interesting to get your thoughts on the MR, I think my DD(13) will be interested in reading this trip report as well!)

Also, so sorry about all that has happened to you and your family, but you have a great attitude, and things can only get better from here!

 

[princess aleya]

I'm so sorry for your loss and everything that has happend to your family over the past year. I know that must have been so hard on ya'll. I am glad to hear that you had a wonderful cruise though, and I'm looking forward to your review.

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Look forward to reading about your adventures ......

 

[Stinkerbe11]

Hello again. It's so great that someone else is doing a MR TR, I am excited to hear how the cruise went for your family. I also want to thank you for the wonderful FE gifts- we loved them!

 

[nsiordia]

I'm sorry about your awful year, but glad to hear you had a WONDERful trip! Can't wait to read about it.

 

[rhinosbiggestfan]

So now to start this trip report::

Friday, Jan. 28 we left our little town after school and dance for the 2 and a half hour drive to Minneapolis. There, we stayed at the Embassy Suites. I LOVE the Embassy Suites, the atrium is beautiful, the rooms are huge, and the free breakfast is very delicious! The next morning we had to leave the hotel around 8 to get to the airport. Getting our 13 suitcases checked on and passing through security was a breeze! Probably due to the fact that there was hardly anyone there! Our gate was right next to the play area, so we took some pics in there::

My sister and B1

B2 and B3

Okay-so our plane boarded at 11:00, then after 3 hours we stopped in Phoenix, then got on another flight to Ontario for an hour. So after we got off, it was only 2:00....due to time zone changes.... and were just glad to get off the plane!

Stay tuned!! The story of the cornflakes is up next!
I will try to get boarding tomorrow!!

 

[VickiHD]

Can't wait to read more about your WONDERful Vacation.

I'm sorry for all the challenges you and your family have had. I'm am so glad you had a great cruise!!!! You deserve it !!

 

[PizzieDuster]

I love your trip report! I love lots of pictures!

I am so impressed with you. I will think of you when I have my pity party about finances.

Can't wait to read more! After you finish your homework

 

[belle'ssister]

I'm enjoying your trip report....what a positive attitude you have and you and your brothers and sisters are adorable. I'm a dance teacher so it's fun to know you are a dancer, what kind of classes do you take?

 

[Diamondback01]

Looking forward to your upcoming reports. We leave in a few short weeks! Hope your family is back to full health!

 

[Mindyjoy]

Looking forward to your report!!!

 

[acpalmer]

So glad to see another MR trip report! Looking forward to reading more.

 

[rhinosbiggestfan]

Thanks to everyone who's reading! Also--I take an advanced ballet class, jazz, tap, modern, hip-hop, and I'm in a jazz company!


Now to continue:

After we landed in Ontario around 2:00, we picked up our 13 total suitcases (I know, it's a lot, we needed one whole suitcase just for the fish extender gifts!) we rented our minivan and headed off for our 45 minute drive to the hotel.

Story of the cornflakes:
As we were heading down the California highway, we are listening to and 80s station-and a song called "The Rain" comes on. I hear this line: "YOU GOT YOUR CORNFLAKES BUT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MILK!" and immediately burst out laughing-which is also how this became my saying throughout the ENTIRE cruise... to the point where it became predictable (me: you know what I need? someone else: milk for your cornflakes? me: aww.)


The rest of the day we enjoyed our California sunshine...while at that same moment the rest of WI was under a winter snow warning...

The next morning was boarding day! We all woke up bright and early (8, if you can call that early...) and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. We packed up the car and drove out to the port (45 mins) To be honest-I thought the port was kind of a downer. Port Canaveral is really pretty-Port of LA was filled with cranes and shipping boxes... But the Wonder really made it gorgous!!


Part 3 tomorrow because i have to find pictures....

Stay tuned!

 

[stitchy626]

You are off to a great start I can't wait for more.

 

[Diamondback01]

Look forward to more.....hopefully you were planning to include a little more about the check-in process. Did you have to wait long? Can you arrive before your assigned check-in time and still check-in? What are other families and smaller kids doing while waiting? Did you turn your rental car in at the port? Thanks!

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

I'm loving your TR so far. It's so nice when I see comments on here from young people who are obviously thoughtful and appreciative.

I'm so sorry to hear about the year you and your family have had- I hope things just continue to improve

 

[rhinosbiggestfan]

1st of all, thanks everyone for the compliments!

Now to the boarding process....

We left the hotel around 9:00, so that we could be relaxed and checked in by 10:00. We pulled around to the drop-off area and there was REALLY heavy traffic. Probably due to the 4 or 5 Hummer limos there were! (those are so cool!) but we finally squeezed into a space by the curb and had one of the baggage porters take our 13 pieces of luggage. We stepped up to the door to enter and had to have id and ticket things checked. Once we walked inside, we were handed a navigator (which was nice because usually you do not get one until once later) then we went up the elevator to the check-in area. For each stateroom we first had to fill out a health form, then headed over to the Castaway Club member line. The best part about this was that it was completely EMPTY. Like literally one or two families there! It was really nice we just walked up! Then we checked in, had our pictures taken for the KTTW card, and got our lanyards. Then we were directed to the security station. Now since we had a rental car, we had to return it, so when we got up to the security station, both of my parents got a number and they allowed to let my dad drop off the rental car and come back. We passes through the security ok and went to sit down. The waiting area was nice, with lots of seating, but it just did not have that Disney magic. My mom went and signed up the kids (there was a HUGE line! ) and we chilled out for a while... for the kids there is really nothing to do, except for a really large television screen that was playing Disney Channel.about an hour later, my dad joined us okay after dropping off the car, and we waited until 12 for boarding to start. We had a #5 boarding #, and when that # was called, we like, sprinted up there, we were so ready to board!! They scanned our cards and we headed up the (long) gangway to the ship! FINALLY! I absolutely LOVE when they call out your name to the entire ship!!

Boarding day part 2 coming soon!!
(hopefully with pictures if i can find them!)