All the way from Japan to enjoy the WONDER of Disney--The Cruise

[mkluvsmickey]

Great picture of you with the drink - you look so happy and relaxed!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

That drink looks yummy, was it a Bahama Mama? I have read on the cruise boards that those are the drink of the day on the first day.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Yes that drink is a Bahama Mama and yes it was the drink of the day. That particular drink I'm holding is actually Kiyomis not mine. I would have one later. I would also have the drink of the day everyday. Most were nice, but one of them was way too strong. Let's not get ahead of ourselves though. I had boiled shrimp for lunch. I wish I would have eaten more, but at that moment the excitement of being on board outweighed the need for food. Junna had every kind of meat there was on the buffet. She not only scared the cows, but also the pigs and chickens.
After lunch we were off to see our room. When we got there none of us were surprised at the size. I had warned everyone beforehand that it would be small. My only complaint was there was no place to put our big suitcases. The room was clean and mine DDM's was nice and big and comfortable.
We had a race to see who would open the door. I made a wrong turn thinking it was a short cut, so DDJ got to open the door again. The girls were laying claim to the BIG bed when I arrived, but I quickly put a stop to that--no problem. I also liked the privacy curtain for DDM and I.
If you plan on spending any time in your room get one with a verandah or atleast a window. As it was we were on a budget and didn't plan to stay in the room. So I was quite satisfied with the Cat.12 we had. Next year when Kiyomi and I go back alone it will be perfect or who knows a balcony would be nice.
Well before we explore anything I wanted to put the signs that I had made for our door on.

Here are pictures

 

[Tanzanite]

Hi Tokyo disney dad i am loving your trip report we are going on a cruise the Magic Dec 1st looking forward to it i cant wait for when you catch up with Goofy . i love Tokyo lived in Akasaka for almost 4 months spent weekends enjoying Roppongi nightlife.Iwant to go again my eldest son wants to go to Nintendo World waiting next post Wendy

 

[Tanzanite]

Hi Tokyo disney dad i am loving your trip report we are going on a cruise the Magic Dec 1st looking forward to it i cant wait for when you catch up with Goofy . i love Tokyo lived in Akasaka for almost 4 months spent weekends enjoying Roppongi nightlife.Iwant to go again my eldest son wants to go to Nintendo World waiting next post Wendy

 

[CraftyMouse]

Love the trip report!

Did you know you were actually in a Category 11? There are no Category 12's that sleep 4 so you get an automatic upgrade to at least a Category 11. Cabin 6502 is listed as an 11 on the deck plans so here's a post-trip Congrats!

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Once I had the magnet signs in place it was off to explore the ship. First we went to Deck 10 and went all the way around the ship. It was a little after 3 at this time so we we went towards the Goofy pool area. We were supposed to meet some of the DIS group and introduce ourselves. We found the Goofy pool with not much of problem, but somehow missed the stairs to go down to deck 9. I see the group and sign and start trying to get the groups attention, but the music is blaring and nobody hears me. Sorry Guys I had really hoped to meet everyone, but then DDJ and DDA spotted the Loft and wanted to check it out.

FLASHBACK: Before the trip I had been talking and building up about the teen room. I had really wanted the girls to try, but they were scared to try because their English skills are not that good. I really thought it would be a great chance for them. More on this later.

Anyway when they wanted to go I didn't want to miss the chance. Plus the first day was the only day parents were allowed in the teen room and frankly I wanted to see it. So off we go.
It was really cool inside and I wished I was a teen again. We briefly talked to one of the CMS and expressed our concerns. He reassured me and I was not worried anymore. The girls however were not quite convinced yet.

By the time we left the teen room it was time to run back to our room and get our lifejackets for the safety drill. We got our life jackets and found our station. THis was also something I was a bit frantic about. We of course arrived first. Don't panic the drill is very simple. In our rush DDJ had layed the camera down in our room so we have no pics in our life vests. Frankly I'm relieved about that.

Next up time to party, say Bon voyage and finally you get that souvenir tip

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Love the trip report!

Did you know you were actually in a Category 11? There are no Category 12's that sleep 4 so you get an automatic upgrade to at least a Category 11. Cabin 6502 is listed as an 11 on the deck plans so here's a post-trip Congrats!

No I didn't. WOW I got an upgrade and I didn't even know it. See I told you the cruise was perfect
Our room was great for us.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Hi Tokyo disney dad i am loving your trip report we are going on a cruise the Magic Dec 1st looking forward to it i cant wait for when you catch up with Goofy . i love Tokyo lived in Akasaka for almost 4 months spent weekends enjoying Roppongi nightlife.Iwant to go again my eldest son wants to go to Nintendo World waiting next post Wendy

Welcome aboard Wendy--What did you do in Japan?

 

[LITTLEKID58]

Awesome report TFS(txs for sharing)

 

[winkers]

This is really making me want to take a cruise!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Awww man, no safety drill photos. I always enjoy those.

 

[CrazyZeus1]

Enjoying your post....can't wait for more!

 

[tokyodisneydad]

This is really making me want to take a cruise!

Awesome report TFS(txs for sharing)

Awww man, no safety drill photos. I always enjoy those.

Enjoying your post....can't wait for more!

I'm glad everyone is enjoying the trip. When I originally planned on writing this I didn't expect it would be in short installments.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Well it was time to say goodbye to Port Canaveral. Back at the GOOFY pool the party was getting started. Everyone was dancing and having FUN Fun FUN!!! At first we were standing on Deck 10 but we finally found the stairs and moved down to Deck 9 The characters were coming out on stage and we saw the same lady that had announced our arrival. I really wish I could remember her name. She was great and besides our server at dinner she was the girl's favorite crew member.
The party was going on, music playing and I now had a Bahama Mama in my hand I was dancing and so was Kiyomi. I was having the time of my life. The girls were smiling, but being Japanese they were a bit too shy to shake their teenage booty. Then some HighSchool Musical music came on and I snuck a peek at DDJ and DDA they were singing the words and I may have have even seen a little booty shaking

Here are some pictures:

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Ok everyone here is a tip for a free gift to give to your friends back home. This early in the cruise many people don't realize that once you buy that drink in the Hurricaine glass that the glass is yours to keep. Take it home!! Well any way after the party people started leaving their empty glasses on the tables and on the towel cabinets. One person even left their BIG beer glass. Now I wited to make sure that they actually were leaving it. The glasses were being left in groups, so we picked up about 6-8 of them and took them back to the room to rinse out. After the trip between the ones we collected and bought we had one of each color. Some we kept for display with pictures and some we put candy in and gave to friends.

Sorry this is in short installments, but I'm trying to remember every detail.

 

[mkluvsmickey]

Great updates! We missed the sailaway party on our February cruise but I wish we wouldn't have - it looks like tons of fun!

Great tip on the free glasses!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Cool idea about the glasses! I will have to remember that.

 

[disneyholic family]

i LOVE your door signs - what a great idea!!!!

our safety drill on our second cruise was a blast...our CM was the lead performer in the disney show, Hercules (the one who tells all the jokes in the show) - he was HYSTERICAL.....he kept cracking jokes non-stop and yelling at the other cruise ship across from us.....we couldn't breathe we were laughing so hard...

that's a great idea about the glasses...we only ordered the drink of the day once.....actually the kids did - without alcohol of course....you can always order the drink of the day with or without alcohol, which i thought was great...

we had a verandah and i would definitely recommend it if you can fit it into your budget next time....i spent a lot of time out on that verandah..

i love that big screen on deck...they didn't have that when we cruised...
by the way, our sailaway party was indoors due to the afternoon thunder and lightening show....it wasn't very much fun because there just was no room for anyone (held in the lobby)...
but they had another sailaway party in nassau and that more than made up for it...

as for the teen club - if i were to name the one greatest thing on both of our cruises, it was the teen club....it completely changed our son...
he was 15 and 17 on our two cruises...
up until the first cruise, he had been a very quiet, sort of introverted person...not with us, but with everyone else..
he stayed at home in front of his computer....
then came the first cruise....he and DH went to the teen club as soon as you could after boarding the ship....from the 411 meeting on, DS spent the rest of the cruise with the teen club (except for meals, which were with us)...
he LOVED the club, he LOVED the CMs....
and when we happened to see him together with the other teens, we realized he had somehow turned into this amazing social butterfly...
and this new persona stayed with him when he left the cruise..
when he got back to school that year, he suddenly turned into one of the school leaders - president of the class, head of the major activites, head of the local youth group and on and on...
i don't know what happened on that ship in the teen club, but it was miraculous...a completely new person was born..

and then on our second cruise, he again was so happy in that club...
he still quotes the CMs 3 years later....
when the cruise was over, when we were leaving the ship, other teens kept coming up to him to shake his hand or hug him goodbye....it was the sweetest thing i've ever seen....
and that new outgoing personality that came out on that first cruise continues to this day - he's 20 now....and a leader in what he's now involved in....

i've mentioned this to him....that i thought he changed on the cruises, and he says, yes, absolutely.....that they were the best thing that happened to him...

 

[Tanzanite]

Hi i worked for a shipping company one of the largest worldwide i got hired in London they had offices everywhere i was supposed to go to Canada after but went to London to work .I loved it in Japan got to see a ship launch lots of sites espiially loved Kamakura buddah the Shinkansen trains are awesome forgive me if i spelled places wrong .Inow have 3 darling children who i want to bring to Japan one day thank you for the tip on glasses my husband loves to collect freebies so i will put him to work look forward next post thanks so much Wendy