An Outdated trip report but hopefully helpul . . . 2007 Med Transatlantic

[disneytwins1530]

I know this Trip Report is out of date, but I would love to share it with you. I am a Disney Fanatic, I have been to Disney World numerous times with my children, but had never heard of the DISboards until now.

I know many people will be taking the 2010 Med Transatlantic Cruise and since you probably have a number of question it. We will be on the Sept. Transatlantic cruise and it will be our third. We will actually be taking our first 7-day cruise this year. We hope we don't get the feeling that it is too short.

My family includes me Ayden, DH Jeff, DS Ryder and Kyran, DD Emersyn and Kynzie (they were 5 and 1 at the time of this cruise). Also joining us on this my DM Donalda.

I hope even those this is outdated. I hope it helps fellow cruisers in the future, especially parents travelling with young kids.

 

[disneytwins1530]

To start this adventure, it begins at approximately 7:00 AM in the morning, when I hit the snooze button, but then quickly realize today is the day, today is the day our adventure across the ocean, to the magic of disney begins. I literaly jumped out of bed, then could not decide what to first.

Our flight did not depart till four o'clock that day. Grandma was going to come over around noon, and we all were going for brunch before heading to the airport.

Everyone was up by 8:00 AM, it must of been the excitment. The boyz changed their disney counter to zero, ate breakfast, and decided to be a big help by packing their carry-on bags. I bought the kids all backpacks that would fit nicely under their seats on the plane. They could pack any toys they would like but had to fit in the backpack. I packed the girls for them, with a little help of course. They were finally in our luggage pile which included 6 large size wheeled luggage pieces, and 6 carry-on bags (DH and I also had carry-on my included basically diapers, snacks, bottles, and a few of my good books, DH included the camera, and change of clothes for the kids, etc.) This did not include my DM stuff yet. Also, in this pile was the girls strollers. We will need a UHAUL to move all this stuff.

DM got to the house around 11 AM, and we started loading up the van with all the stuff, and were ready to roll around Noon. We stop for a quick lunch at TGIF, then headed to the airport.

My DF drove us to the airport, due to the kids carseats, because we did not want to bring them. He was a great help with his grandkids while we checked our luggage in. This would be the first time any of our kids had been on a plane so we were quite nervous, but everything went quite smoothly.

*NOTE*: When going through security, all your kids have to walk through the metal detector individually. Have one adult go through first, then send the kids through and tell them to walk to mommy or daddy.

We sent Ryder through first. and he thought he could walk back and forth. He liked the beeping sound, and since the girls are still getting their balance Kynzie took like 5 steps and crawled the rest of the way. Security was excellent those, and we were off.

The kids got to look at some of planes up close through a window and we boarded around 3:30 and departed at 3:50 PM.

*NOTE*: When booking a flight for children under 2 you have option of seat or lap. We choose seats for this one because it was such a long flight.

We went from Minneapolis to Chicago to London to Barcelona. We had a two hour layover in chicago so we grabbed something to eat and fed the girls. We then put the girls in their Pyjamas, hoping they would sleep through most of the next flight. The Boys did not get into their until we boarded and the seat belt signs were off.

We had no major issues with the flight, I was quite impressed. We did get a meal on the Chicago to London flight and London to Barcelona flight which was nice. We had no issues at customs either. They were really not that scary. Maybe it is the cute kids. The girls slept off and on throughout the flight, if they were not sleeping they played, more or less on the floor. It was nice because we had the front (aisle 1) of economy class, therefore we had more leg room. The boys liked watching the cartoons and movies, but slept most of the trip. What can I say, there boys.

We arrived in London at 9:30 the next day. It was an 8 hour flight. We had another two hour layover, we changed our clothes, freshed up a little bit, and had breakfast. Then were ready to board again. Arrived in Barcelona around 2:30 in the afternoon.

Next Up: Barcelona

 

[disneytwins1530]

As I said before we arrived in Barcelona, Spain at 2:30 PM, we we able to find our luggage, and grab two taxi and find our hotel by 4:00 PM. I thought that was pretty good considering we were travelling with 4 kids. No Car Seats and taxis were not a problem surprisingly. I did research on that before I left home and found out this wasn't a big deal.

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Hotel Hesperia Presidente, on the Avenue Diagonal. It was one of the five hotels that Disney Recommended. It was a great choice for tourists because it is fairly close to bus, subway, and tourist sites. For a family with young kids, i would not recommend it. It has the feeling of a business class hotel. There is no pool, for the kids. We went to the restaurant for dinner, it is called Essence and served Mediterranean-style dishes. The servers and hostess were very nice in welcoming the kids, and it was actually a very nice meal. We did not wonder far from our hotel. Shortly, after dinner we got the kids ready for bed, and followed shortly thereafter. After a very busy day and very little sleep.

 

[jedijill]

Please continue your report! Its always better late than never. Enjoying it very much so far.

Jill in CO

 

[MagicMe]

Can't wait to read more. This will help fill the time between Noe and next year in sept!

 

[Candy Apple]

A lot of us on next year's WBTA are eagerly awaiting more details!!

 

[TotallyAngelic]

oooooh this is really good - we are transtlantic cruising in 2010 and I am really looking forward to reading all about your experiences on the earlier TA cruise. Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[Perdie]

Looking forward to reliving the memories! DH and I were on the Med Cruise-July 28th, 2007-and we stayed at the Hesperia Presidente too!!

 

[disneytwins1530]

I was up by 6:00 AM this morning, the kids slowly followed, and we were all up by 7:00 AM. I finished packing our carry-on bags and properly labeled our other bags for pick-up at 8:00 AM. They were picked up promptly on time.

I can’t remember what we did for breakfast that morning (didn’t write it down). Must have had a quick meal in the restaurant (I do have four young kids) , and made it to the lobby by 10:15 AM. Our bus was scheduled for pick-up at 11:30 AM. Surprisingly, everyone was there and checked-in so we departed early waving goodbye as we set off to port.

We got to the port, had a very short wait in line. Which was excellent because the girls were getting squirmy, so we sat down I gave the kids goldfish and fruit snacks, while we waited for our Boarding Number to be called. Our boarding Number was called around 1:00 PM. We got our picture taken, handed over our Key to the World cards, and boarded the Magic for our first Transatlantic voyage.

But wait…

My Key to the World Card did not work , they had to go rekey it or something again before I could board. (It would only happen to me, HONESTLY!!!!)

Take two... and boarded the Magic for our first Transatlantic voyage.

We boarded on Deck One and then whisked up to Deck Nine for our grand introductions. We then made our way down to Topsiders and grabbed a bite to eat. (See we must have had something to eat because there is no way the kids would have gone without food this long ).

This was perfect because our rooms would be ready at 1:30 PM, just in time for the girls afternoon nap. So we had lunch at Topsiders and then made our way to our staterooms, we had two category six adjoining staterooms on deck 6, about halfway between forward and midship on the port side. Except today starboard was closest to the port . . . does that make sense never mind.

The reason we got two rooms at category six level, with having young kids we would be spending a lot more time, in the room because of nap schedule with the girls. We got two rooms also because we wanted the space, for the boys to play and sleep. The boys shared the main bed in one room, while each of the girls slept in a Pack ‘n Play (Play Pen) in the same room (It was really squished, it became the sleeping and storage room ). DH propped the doors open with the luggage bags, and we brought along a baby monitor just to be on the safe side (I know they are one, but I wanted to be prepared). The verandah was a must also, we had many sea days and did not want to miss all the sights, and it was a nice place to relax while the kids napped.

The décor of our stateroom had a picture of Walt and Lillie on Deck, the POC artwork above the steamer trunk, and the bar of music above the bed. We had two navigators waiting for us. The usual daily navigator, and a “Voyage Personal Navigator”, which have an overview of the entertainment, plus deck parties, and lecture series.

 

[disneytwins1530]

As the girls napped, in their new cribs and the boys watched Fantasia 2000 on the TV, I checked out what was in store for us today. No shops were open since we were in port, and Shutters did not open until after the Lifeboat Drill. I thought our best option was to check out the Walking Ship Tour.

The girls woke up in time, they woke up around 2:30, and approx. 45 min. sleep. Not bad for their first trial in their new digs. So we decided to head to Preludes for the Ship Tour.

3:00 PM: Walking Ship Tour
Pros: Got to meet some of the Disney Cruise staff, which was nice. Nice to get orientated with the Boat, and to see where everything is
Cons: Not ideal, for young children, most of what the cruise staff was talking about the kids did not understand.

The tour ended about 3:45 PM, so we thought this would be a good time to go register the boys at the Oceaneer Club. The Club is like heaven, for kids , the cast members are so friendly. They set us up with a pager, and placed handsome wristbands on them (they were not thrilled ), but we made up for it by allowing them to go down the slide a couple of times, we told them it was their ticket to be a board Captain Hook’s ship, and without it they would have to walk the plank. They actually believed us and those wristbands stayed on all two weeks.

We had booked the girls into Flounder’s Reef Nursery for at least an hour everyday. For every hour we booked we had to pay $5.00. We were able to book 10 hours in advance, and we booked approx. 8 more hours when we boarded, just so they could have a little more experience being away from mommy and daddy.

We got back our Room around 4:30 PM, and noticed our luggage had arrived. All our luggage had arrived safely. (We had 6 large suitcases in total). I was just about to start unpacking when DH reminded me we had the Mandatory Boat Drill at 5:00 PM. (I can't believe I almost forgot . . reminder it is MANDATORY) .

5:00 PM: Mandatory Boat Drill (Deck 4)
Pro: It goes by very fast, they scheduled it for 45 min. but we were done and back in our room. By 5:20 PM.
Con: Young children get different life vest then adults; they actually zip up and have a belt that goes through the legs (so it does not fall off).

If you have one year olds that don’t understand why they have to wear this thing, like my little Avery , who cried while putting it on, and until we took it off of her, even those everyone was wearing one. Don’t make them wear it, the cast member will ask you if you know how to put it on in an emergency, say yes, and they won’t mind. Bring it with you to the drill those.

 

[disneytwins1530]

We had early seating for Dinner, so right after the drill we got ready for dinner. Our first dinner was at Parrot Cay @ 6:00 PM, our Dinner Menu was “Let the Magic Begin” our server Hermant and assistant server Gigi. Hermant was great to talk to and quickly learned our preferences. Whoever gets them next is lucky.

We never did have table companions, it helped move dinner along quickly, and all four kids joined us that night for dinner (and did most nights). There were always high chairs at the table when we arrived and the kid’s menus with activities for the boys. It was nice.

That night for supper I had:
Cold Tomato filled with Cucumber and Ricotta cheese with Jerez Vinegar Coulis
Sangria Bisque chilled Fruit Puree lightly flavored with Red Wine
Oven-Roasted Duckling with Braised Figs and Sangria Sauce with Buttered Daikon and Sweet Potatoes
Crème Catalana Anis Seed and Saffron-infused Custard served caramelized

DH had:
Crispy Filo Pastry Envelope stuffed with Spinach and Feta Cheese, served with Red Bell Pepper Coulis
Broccoli and Maytag Blue Cheese Soup blended together with Cream, topped with crushed Walnuts
Rack of New Zealand Lamb with a Djon Mustard Crust
“Leaning Tower of Pisa” Honeycomb Turtles filled with Pistachio and Expresso Mousse with Chocolate Sauce and Cherry Compote.

The Kids:
Appetizer: Honeydew Melon Boat
Entree: Mickey shaped Pasta with Marinara sauce (steak fries and coleslaw).
Dessert: Banana Caramel Bliss Mint Chocolate Ice Cream with slice of Banana, Pecan Brittle, and Rum Caramel Sauce.

The way we worked dinner was that we all received our appetizer together; we asked the servers if they could cut up the appetizers for the girls like finger foods, which they were happy to oblige. Usually by the time they were actually done eating / playing we were already on our soup / salad.

We always let them bring one toy in with them or activity book (magic erase activity books work marvelous) to keep them entertained. We always had entrees served together also. This was a little more challenging seeing that is the girls still need a little help without making a mess, but we always brought bibs, and wipes with us, and to the best of our abilities let them try to practice their independent eating, was important goal for us. They did not do too badly (Depending on what it was).

Dessert was also together, the girls usually split a dessert together, but the boys were always eager to try a new kind of ice cream. We usually hand fed the girls their dessert (Just a little hard if you can’t work a spoon yet).

The food altogether was absolutely delicious. They were quick with the service, and it helped that we were the only ones at the table. We were out of there by 7:30 PM.

From there, DH and the boys went to shutters, to look at the pictures from boarding the ship. They purchased a photo plan (We know it is a ridiculous price to pay but how many times in your life are you going to cross the Atlantic Ocean ).

I took the girls back up to our room to change them into their PJs, because we wanted to see the show, but was not sure if they would make it, and trying to get them into pajamas when they are already sleeping is a nightmare and a half. Also, they are 1 yr. old, who really cares what they wear, and when.

The show for the evening was “All Aboard”

8:30 PM: All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin @ Walt Disney Theatre
It was a really good show; it featured the Disney Magic Performers, Local Folkloric Dancers & Michael Harrison (Magician & Comedy Act). Michael Harrison even picked a kid out of the audience, in a very hilarious way. (It is hard to explain, but he was really neat).

The girls, stayed up for the whole show, I was quite surprised. They did not get fussy or squirmy or anything. So I would give it three thumbs up, because it entertained the kids for a whole hour. The show was over at 9:30 PM.

From, there we thought it would be best if the kids got some sleep, it was way passed their bedtime. They would not get settled those, and we could not understand why. I needed some sleep. Maybe, it was the close proximity. The girls were dancing in their beds, the boys were fighting, and everything we did just did not make it right. We tried separating them, but then one complained it was not fair, that one of them gets to sleep with mom & dad. The girls would not lie down. We use to do the sheet over the crib, when they had to lie close together, when they were younger, but since they can stand now they just take it off. In my last attempt, I moved everyone out of room, and up to Goofy’s Pool.

Reasons:
First, I was not going to have four kids in my bed, and second if we are not going to sleep we might as well, do something exciting, like get fresh air. Wait, a minute didn’t we have enough of that already, supposedly not enough to make us sleepy.

At Goofy’s Pool they were doing a Premiere of the new High School Musical 2, so we found some lounge chair’s and hung out.

The first part was called Feel the Vibe @ 9:45 PM we had missed it, except the tail end, but the Disney Cruise Staff and DJ Mike did songs and dances from the first movie to supposable set the scene for the Premiere of the sequel.

10:30 PM: Movie Special: High School Musical 2:
All four kids fell asleep during the movie, I didn’t care. DH and I stayed through the whole movie, I was in my bliss, and I did not care. They were happy now, and so was I. Who cares, if they were going to be a little sleep deprived, or take extra long naps, we were on holidays, and had too many sea days to count.

I have to say, the movie was way better then the first, and the songs and storyline were way better. I’m glad we did not miss it.

We had to wake up the boys up @ midnight when the movie was over , I think they kind of sleep walked back to the room, because there were no qualms or fussing to get into bed. They went to bed no problems; I quickly wrote in my Journal and was in bed by 1:00 AM.

The adventure is just beginning . . .

 

[MagicMe]

Sounds like a great first day! I love reading TRs and they make me a little nostalgic for trips past and make me look forward to my upcoming trip. Now I know it's weird but knowing I'm going on the WBTA and reading your trip report is really making me excited - and we still have >year!!!

 

[disneytwins1530]

August 19th (Day 2) – Barcelona.

Wait a minute you were in Barcelona yesterday and aren’t you on a cruise (it should be moving). Yes, that is very much true, but we were lucky because we got to spend two glorious days in Barcelona , which means an excursion for us. I think it was to help people coming from overseas if they could not catch a proper flight to make it for the cruise. (Timing is everything people).

Well, I woke this morning around 6 AM, yes; I only had 5 hours of sleep. I can tell you that I am not a morning person, but when you have four young kids you do what you have to do. I quickly went to check on the kids, sleeping like all little angels, and then I went to have a shower. It was so peaceful that morning ; you would have never guessed there were four kids in that room. I woke DH up after my shower, so he could have a shower also. It was nice to have the split bathroom, because I could continue to get ready well, DH showered, or vice versa. I did not want to wake the kids up too early, but we did have an excursion today, that I was hoping to attend.

When DH was done his shower, he offered to run down to Topsiders and bring up some fruit, bagels and juice for breakfast. The kids slowly started waking up thereafter, except for Ryder. We had to wake him up, poor thing, but we just moved him to the couch to watch TV, and he slowly woke up. They had breakfast in their PJs, and then slowly got them changed and ready to go. It was a really slow morning, but somehow, we made it to our excursion group at Sessions for 8:45 PM.

Just to let you know, I still had not unpacked our suitcases, we were so busy yesterday, they had lied open on the floor, and I just did the grab and go method for PJs, and other important things we needed last night. I did the same thing this morning.

The two carry-ons that we had were backpacks, and I each had 3 zipper compartments. They were big. I brought with us, the diapers, juice, snacks, camera, sunscreen / bug spray, wallets (which had all the important cards). We had placed passports and documents we needed in the safe in the room.

I should tell you that it was a really foggy day; we looked like we were dressed for fall, hoodies and long pants. The kids had their raincoats on. (For longer cruises, I would plan for a rainy day), which was a good thing because it started raining even heavier out. Disney did give us ponchos to wear which I thought was rather nice, and they were really sturdy, not the cheap plastic kind.

So our Excursion was the Aquarium and Park Guell. When I was planning on what we were doing everyday (especially excursion days). I did want to get off the boat with the kids, and see some sights. There were a lot of good excursions, in Barcelona but not for young kids. All of them were tour things, and one we would have loved to gone on was to Montserrat, it was just not an option. The Aquarium and Park were nice because we could go at our own speed, and not follow a guide, just make sure we were back on the bus. Our other option in Barcelona was the Science Museum and Maze, except it was guided, and our girls were just beginning to walk. I should note also, we did not have a stroller for the girls; it was just too much to carry over to Europe, so weight lifting it was.

 

[disneytwins1530]

Aquarium and Park Guell
We met our excursion group at Sessions at 8:45 AM where we then were directed to our tour bus, which would take us to the L’Aquarium de Barcelona. Our tour guide was quite good, as we drove to the Aquarium he pointed out different areas, like the Columbus Monument, the Museu Maritim and the Port Olimpic. The boys sat by the windows, and the girls sat on one our laps, so they had a better view then us.

We had about an hour visit at the aquarium, and the kids just loved it, there are approx. 35 tanks. There were all kinds of fish, including eels. They loved putting their faces right up against the tanks. The girl’s eyes just gleamed the whole time we were there. For the shark tank you travel on an escalator through an underwater tunnel, and it was massive, before heading to the next section. The kids wished they could stay longer, but we did not want to miss our bus.

We then had a 45-mnute drive to Park Guell; the kids snacked and had juice through this trip. I was glad they were having a good time, and were not crabby for the lack of sleep they had the other day. Now Park Guell, was designed by Spain’s renowned architect Antoni Gaudi, an artist highly influenced by organic shapes in nature. At the park’s entrance you are greeted with this dragon fountain decorated with beautiful tiles. The boys just loved it. All the walkways are supported by twisting rock pillars that seem to be growing out of the ground like tree trunks. It is really neat; you got to see it to believe it. When you reach the top of Park Guell you are in for a stunning view of Barcelona, very magnificent. Just to let you know that you have to walk up approx. 100 stairs to reach it, it is not for the faint at heart. When we reached the top (I don’t know how), I took a nice long break on a bench, which I had not noticed at the time, traced the spine of a sea serpent.

We then had to board the bus and made a stop at Mirador del Alcalde which had gorgeous fountains and views of the city before we were back at the pier by 1:15 PM.

This was good timing. We had lunch and then it was time for the girl’s naps. We had lunch at Pluto’s Dog House (all of us had hot dogs, fries & juice) for lunch. Then we headed back to our stateroom.

It was about 1:45 PM, when I laid the girls down, I thought the boys would lie down also, but they were just not interested, and I was not going to force them either. DH offered to take them to the Clubs. He said he would hang out for a while, until they were comfortable then come back, while he was back by 2:15 PM, and said there were no issues.

At the Club, the boys participated in activities called:

Energy Outburst:
I don’t know how either of them had any energy left, but they sang songs and learned dances from selected Disney Movies / Shows.
Memory Wall:
A whole wall, in the club is created into this matching game onboard, and all the kids take turn trying to match Disney characters in a matching game. I caught the end of it, it was nice to see there were no teams, or eliminations, kids would take turns and find matching pieces.

 

[disneytwins1530]

While the boys played, the girls napped, we decided that it would be the best if we tackled the suitcases, and put something away. Then my wonderful DH got us a drink (Drink of the Day: Bon Voyage) and decided have it on the verandah. By that time, the girls woke up, and I thought I should go check on the boys. They were having fun, but I could see that they were getting tired, so I suggested we head back to the room. They talked all about what they did back to the room, I think my ears could have fallen off, and asked if they could go back later. Of course, I said YES!!!!. The girls actually had their first two hour appointment at Flounder’s tonight, so I thought it would be great to have some alone time.

It was about 3:30 PM, when we got back to the room, we decided we were just going to hang out. It was raining still very hard. The kids ended up watching more TV, it was the Tigger Movie, which they absolutely enjoy. The Adventures Away Party started at 4:30 PM, but we were really exhausted that we did not even attempt to get the kids ready to go.

They actually, had to move the sail away party to the lobby on Deck 3 because of all the rain. Instead, of joining in at the party at 5:15 PM, we watched us sail away from Barcelona at 5:30 PM from the verandah. WE WERE FINALLY STARTING OUR CRUISE!!!!

From there, we decided that the boys could go back to the club during Dinner, because they would have two activities they would really enjoy. The girls’ nursery appointment was at 8:15 PM – 10:15 PM. So, we went up to Pinocchio’s Pizzeria for some Cheese Pizza, we even had to taste of it. It not bad pizza, but not great a little too saucy for me.

We dropped the boys off at the Wide World of Sports Deck at 5:45 PM. They were participating in an activity called:

Sport Deck Fun
They were going to play some running games, which they would have trouble in the Club, up in Sport Area.

They also participated in:

Gases in Action:
They did an experiment that taught the kids about the three states of matter (gas, liquid, & solid). I tried to get the boys to explain it to me, but they couldn’t. It was really hands on and they talked all about it, but I just could not figure it out

 

[disneytwins1530]

We had dinner at Lumieres tonight, the French Dinner:

I had:

Ratatouille with Piperade Vinaigrette with Cold Version of this Famed Dish!
Normandy Salad Iceberg lettuce, diced papaya, hearts of Palm, and Julienne of Red Cabbage with Citrus Shallot Vinaigrette
Duck Fricassee Bordelaise Duckling Braised in Cabernet and Porcini Sauce served with Green Beans, Turnips and Buttered Noodles.
Creme Brulee

DH had:

Shrimp Medley Jumbo Shrimp on a Baby Shrimp Salad with Cocktail Sauce
Mixed Garden Salad tossed with Red Wine Vinaigrette and topped with Goat Cheese Croutons
Coquilles St Jacques sautéed Scallops, Mushrooms and Shallots baked in a Mornay Sauce
Montelimar Nougat and Pistachio Cream Sauce served Frozen filled with Nuts and Candied Fruits in a Honey Mousse

The Girls:

Appetizer: Fruit Salad Cup
Entrée: Spaghetti and Meatballs no sides
Dessert: Ice Cream Sundae served with Vanilla Ice Cream, Cherry Blondie, and Brandied Cherries.

No complaints what so ever. It was all delicious.

After dinner, about 7:30 PM, we headed back to the stateroom, changed the girls into their pajamas, and I packed a bag with their blanket, favorite stuffed animal, diapers, juice, crackers, and we slowly made it up to Flounder’s Nursery.

It is the perfect nursery, I didn’t want to leave. I knew the girls were going to have so much fun. They have TV, walkers, swings, toys for the kids. There are also cribs, if the child falls asleep well in their care. One thing, I did not do is label their Sippy cups, and snack with their names, so I had to do that. They gave us another pager for the girls also, because the Clubs and the Nursery are not connected, so we knew where to go if we got paged.

We actually let the girls walk down the hallway, when we were close to the Nursery. They are getting too big too fast. I want my babies back!!! They looked so adorable , but I did it. I was able to leave them, they looked so happy. I am glad we had no problems, and the cast members were just as wonderful as the rest. This meant I was child free.

Wait. . .

A pager is going off. The boys were calling, we were off to Oceaneer Lab ( Gases in Action was held in there, not the Club, make sure to check the Navigator). Kyran, had asked one of the cast members if he could go see his Dad. Therefore, they paged right away, no questioned asked. He was just a little tired. Cast Members will not hesitate to call you, unless you ask or say I have a reservation, etc. to page you if the child wants to leave.

Ryder decided to join us also, and we all went to see Phil Keller the entertainment for the evening.

 

[disneytwins1530]

Phil Keller
He is a French Comedic Magician. He was okay, but nothing like what we saw last night at All Aboard. I could see the boys were bored, but good none the less, but half way through the show DH slipped out with them and took them back to the club. They were just having some fun on the Pirate Ship (It was called Sliding Fun), in the Club and he came back to join me.

We never, sit to close to the stage just in case, we do have to exit, girls get fussy, boys have to go to the bathroom, etc.

The show was good for adults, I did not mind it. He was fairly impressive, except for one “Levitation” Act. DH thought his assistant was great looking. His ending act was a routine featuring four people from the audience which required no magic, just physics. FUNNY!!!

After the show, we had about 45 min. before we could pick-up the girls. We went to check on the boys, they were fine but knew they were restless and just needed mommy and daddy time. We went to Studio Seas, and saw the “Name that Tune”, between the four of us, we did okay. Some of the questions were difficult those. It was nice just to spend some time with the boys; it was a rare treasured moment.

From there, we all had to go to the Nursery, because the girls would probably be sleeping, and it would take four hands to carry them back upstairs. BINGO!!! I was right, they were sleeping like little angels. The cast members said they fell asleep around 9 and had been out since, but they were good, had their snack and watched a little TV, and fell asleep.

We all headed back to the room. The boys got ready for bed, and all the kids were out by 10:45 PM. Not a sound was to be heard. I got ready for bed and followed shortly after.

Our first sea day . . .

 

[jedijill]

Great report! I can't wait to do a TransAtlantic cruise some of these days.

Jill in CO

 

[disneytwins1530]

August 20th (Day 3) – Sea Day

I was thinking on how to approach the Sea days in this report. When I took my notes, I wrote it all down in point form, with activity headings, so I thought that would be the best scenario here. Our sea days, were very relaxing . . . well as relaxing as it can be with four kids!!! So here it goes.

8:00 AM We were all awake and raring to go. NOT. It was a slow morning, and when I say slow morning it was slow.
9:15 AM Topsider Buffet for Breakfast. Had the usual (bagels, juice & fruit) with a side order of Mickey Waffles. It was the first time the kids had tried the Mickey Waffle, and it was four thumps up. A Priceless Moment, what can I say.
10:00 AM Boat Build Challenge @ Promenade Challenge. This was a creative competition where from the materials they provided, you had to create a floating boat. The girls and I were the cheerleaders, while the boys went to work. There were some wonderful designs. We didn’t win, but it was fun none the less. We actually still have the boat. The boat is sometimes, used as a bath toy. What can I say it floats?
10:30 AM Animation Antics (Oceaneer Lab): The boys went to the lab to put some of their drawing skills to work. They learned simple animation techniques, and drew wonderful pictures of Mickey Mouse, for Mommy and Daddy. They were pretty impressive I do say so myself.
10:30 AM The rest of us went to hang out in the stateroom and let the girls play for a little bit in there. They also, needed to be changed so it was the perfect time to relax. We watched a little bit of Fantasia 2000. Again!!! (There really was not much choice and I knew the girls enjoyed it).
11:45 AM Went to pick the boys up from the lab, and decided to grab some lunch at Goofy’s Galley. We all had Hamburgers, Fries, and a Drink. The girls had a cut up hot dog with ketchup, and apple juice.
12:45 PM The boys decided they wanted to go back to the Clubs, so DH brought them there. It was time for the girls nap, so I brought them back to the stateroom for a nap.

Flubber (Oceaneer Lab): *NOTE: That Flubber activity always starts 15 min. prior then stated on the Navigator, if they want to participate in the prep. They learn about solid, liquids & gases, and make a Flubber like goo. It is really interesting, and the boys played with it most of the trip. It just needs to be placed in a seal-tight container for storage. It actually almost represents the Flubber in the movie. This is one of the boys’ favorite movies.

2:00 PM DH was craving ice cream, and the girls were still napping, so he went to the clubs to check on the boys, and to see if they wanted some ice cream. They went to Goofy’s Galley for some delicious soft serve ice cream. The boys wanted to go back to the club, so DH took them back there, and brought me back a drink called the Calm Voyage, which it was totally. He is so sweet. By the time he arrived back in the stateroom the girls had woken, and we were all enjoying the view on the Verandah.

 

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2:30 PM Aloha Luau Party (Oceaneer Club): the boys made flowered lai’s, learned how to do the luau (which they tried to teach the girls, with great difficulty), and did the limbo.

We decided to take the girls for a walk around the ship, let them use their legs a little. We went to the Goofy’s Pool to watch some of the kids swim. They were showing something called Sound Waves on the Ariel View Television. It was a music game show; we did not stay around long to see the whole thing, or to really understand it. We slowly made it to the Oceaneer Club by 3:30 PM, where the boys were doing the luau, they tried to get the girls to participate, but it was a no go. I think they were in awe with the room itself.

3:30 PM Chip-It Golf @ Lobby Atrium If there is any chance that my DH could have the opportunity to practice his golf he would. The family all headed down to the Atrium to participate. They set-up the Atrium as a golfing green, and they provide everyone with a club and ball, and you can take turns trying to get the ball in the hole. The boys really enjoyed golfing with their dad. I even had a turn, but I think I need a little bit more practice. The girls liked chasing the balls, more then swinging at them.

4:00 PM The boys went back to the clubs (DH brought them), and the girls started to get ready for formal night.

4:15 PM Incredible Time (Oceaneer Club) They brought out a big trunk of superhero caps and masks and the kids could pretend to be superheroes. Weapons were not aloud, just to let you know.

This was a good time for all of to shower and start getting ready for formal night. I showered first, then we bathed the girls, then DH had a shower. Well the girls, played I did my hair and make-up. Then when DH was done his shower, I went to pick-up the boys from the club, so they could have a bath.

It was only on formal night that we actually used the bathroom in the kid’s room to shower and stuff. The boys like having separate baths, so it just made it more efficient. We were all dressed and ready, the girls in their dresses and the boys in their tuxes. We made our way down to Animator’s Palate for the Golden Mickey’s Dinner. I made sure I also had the girls evening bag for the Nursery with us, because we would not have time to go in between this evenings affairs.