ThreeCircles
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- Joined
- Sep 29, 2002
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August 16th Disney Magic Trip Report
August 21st Enjoy A Day At Sea (II)
[It seems that I have waited too long to finish up these trip reports and my memory is failing me on many details of our trip! I will try to do my best to recall everything but the final two days of the trip report may not be as detailed as the prior days.]
During our three previous trips on the Disney Magic, Travis and I had tried to secure a reservation for the Surial Chamber. We had always been quite unsuccessful. Actually, on our November 2002 cruise we did indeed manage to get the reservation but, the day before our scheduled time, we received a call on our stateroom phone explaining that the machinery associated with the chamber had become broken and could not be fixed until they returned to Port Canaveral. So, we were quite excited that we were finally going to experience the spa treatment today.
We ended up sleeping in late and didnt have time to catch breakfast before our time-slot for the Surial. I didnt bother showering since I would soon be slathering myself in mud and it just didnt seem to make any sense to do so! We threw on shorts and t-shirts and headed toward the Vista Spa.
This was really our first experience with the spa and we were quite excited. Its really hard to believe that youre still on a ship in the middle of the ocean as you wander through the beautifully tiled halls of the spa. Even if you dont consider yourself a spa buff, I would recommend attending the walking tour of the facility that they offer on embarkation day just so you can see the place. It is quite amazing! After filling out the brief allergy form we were introduced to our spa attendant. She was very pleasant, although I cant for the life of me recall her name, and showed us to the mens changing room. (Even the changing rooms are exceptionally decorated!) We changed out of our clothes, locked them up, and slipped into the provided robes. We met our attendant in the hall and she showed us to the chamber.
Once inside the Surial Chamber the attendant illustrated how to apply the various muds on the various parts of the body, how to operate all of the shower heads, and talked a little bit about the Elimis products that they had placed on a small table inside the chamber for use. She said that she would knock on the door when ten minutes were left in the session and then took leave of us.
Well, all I can say is that the steam room gets HOT! I had never really experienced a steam room so I wasnt quite sure what to expect. I had to constantly use the cool down shower heads to splash the cool water over myself! At several points we opened the glass door separating the steam area of the chamber from the shower area so that the entire chamber would cool down a bit. Applying the muds was a lot of fun. They seemed to be lightly scented with various herbs and such and also helped to keep the body somewhat cool in light of the tremendous heat emanating from the steam column.
During the treatment Travis and I also tried most of the Elimis products on the table. (I was a little bit worried about these items because I do not use any products that are tested on animals or use animal products. However, I should have known that Disney would select a product line that does neither.) I cant really recall anything specific about any of the items but there was a mist used as an aroma therapy type of product. I believe it was a mint scent and it smelled wonderful. I also tried their body lotions, shampoo, and foot scrub!
After letting the mud sit for about twenty minutes we washed off and just relaxed in the steam area of the chamber. I dont know how much time had passed buyt we eventually got up and showered in the adjoining shower area. We then sat on the heated tile bench and relaxed as the steam continued to swirl around us. It seemed as if we had been in the room for much longer than an hour and we finally decided to leave. As it turns out, our attendant evidently forgot about us because we had been in the chamber for an hour and forty minutes! (I dont even know if this is healthy!
We headed back to the stateroom to change into some fresh clothes and check on our options for lunch. By this point we were famished (like one could really be famished on Disney Cruise Line) and decided on lunch at Topsiders for the Seafood Buffet. Travis only nibbled on a few things, as he is not one to enjoy food that come from the ocean, and we later grabbed some pizza and fries for him. I have to say that the Seafood Buffet is really good. They have a large variety of things to choose from and they also offer non-seafood items for the Travis of the world.
After lunch we headed up to Deck 10 and watched the ice carving demonstration. Youll have to forgive me, but I also forget the name of this wonderfully talented gentleman who turned a huge block of ice into a Blue Heron in under twenty minutes. (As Floridians, Travis and I recognized the type of bird early on and were amused as other people in the crowd were certain that the bird was an eagle or a toucan.) The crowd grew quite large as the demonstration proceeded and I was glad that we decided to watch from Deck 10 instead of Deck 9. Throughout the carving, Trevor acted as host and spoke of lots of interesting facts and statistics relating to ice, vegetable, and fruit carving onboard.
With the ice carving finished, we decided to hit the work of the cruise. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it was time to see Donna, the certified Disney Cruise Line Grief Counselor. The depression and sadness usually starts to set in, at least somewhat, on Disney Dreams day. Its then that you realize that more of your cruise is behind you than in front of you. Its very had to cope at times like these and one must take action in order to lessen the effects of the terrible blues setting in. We headed down to Deck 4 and signed up to speak with Donna. It was about fifteen minutes until three and we figured this would be plenty of time to make the reservations for our next cruise before High Tea at 3:30. Well, we figured wrong. At 3:20 we told Donna that we had reservations for High Tea and had to run. She assured us that she would be there for the rest of the evening and would see us afterwards.
We ran back to the stateroom to change into something more appropriate for Palo (button down dress shirts and khaki pants) and made it back upstairs just after 3:30. Palo High Tea was another event that Travis and I had attempted to get reservations for but had been unable to secure on our past cruises. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) It was amazing to see that aside from us, only three other tables were filled! I couldnt believe it. Im not sure if they only book a few tables for this event or if people just didnt show up. As a note, I cant imagine that they book the whole restaurant because that would mean 90% of the people werent showing up. We also noticed that during this time the Final Jackpot Bingo was going on so that could have played into the sparsely attended High Tea.
I would definitely attend High Tea again. The food is great and not too heavy just before dinner and the tea is scrumptious. I had the Black Currant and Travis had the California Fields, as recommended by Erika. Traviss tea was really wonderful and I ended up having a cup of his choice as well. Very fruity and sweet, even without added sugar! This was my first experience with a true scone and it was quite good! The finger sandwiches are not to be missed as well. I didnt try an English Trifle but Ill be sure not to miss that on our next cruise.
After High Tea we headed back down to the stateroom, changed into more comfortable clothes, and headed back to see Donna. We waited perhaps 45 minutes and then were able to talk to her. After checking out all of the offers, we decided on the September 4th cruise to San Juan. We explained that we hoped to do back-to-backs but wanted to see if we could get Florida Resident rates as we had been able to do for this cruise. Donna said that they usually do offer those rates during that time of year because it is traditionally back-to-school time for much of the country. As it stands, we still hope to get the $599 rates for the August 28th cruise and spend a whole two weeks on the Magic! Talking to Donna really helped our mood. Although we were still somewhat sad, we were pleased that we had one reservation for next year under our belt. It gave us something to look forward to and something to plan for!
Disney Dreams is so much more than one could ever put into words. I think that is one thing that really sets Disney apart as an entertainer and as a company. They really know how to tune into your emotions and Disney Dreams is a great example of that. I dont think Ill ever tire of seeing it.
After the show we changed into our suits and walked down to Treasure Ketch and Mickeys Mates before we headed to Palo for dinner. We ended up having a few Character Pictures taken, purchasing a few things in the shops, and then heading upstairs for dinner.
Palo was wonderful as usual and Erika made the evening one to be remembered. I had the Eggplant salad and the lobster. Both were wonderful and the new menu seemed to improve, if thats possible, on the previous one. For dessert Erkia made sure we each had the traditional Palo Soufflé and then brought out some extra desserts. We spoke with her for quite some time over coffee (for me) and California Fields (for Travis) and then said goodbye. It was the first goodbye of this cruise and Erika demanded a hug from us both. (I am always amazed at how connected I feel towards the Cast of the Magic! Again, I think this is a prime example of Disney tapping into emotion.)
After dinner we caught the end of Dueling Pianos and then lounged on Deck 4 for quite some time. We also strolled along Deck 9 and Deck 10 and talked about Castaway Cay. Although the end of the cruise was drawing closer with each passing hour, we were excited, as always, to be visiting Disneys island tomorrow. It was genius of them to position this paradise as the last visit on their cruises. Then again, I think Castaway Cay would fit nicely anywhere in the itinerary.
August 21st Enjoy A Day At Sea (II)
[It seems that I have waited too long to finish up these trip reports and my memory is failing me on many details of our trip! I will try to do my best to recall everything but the final two days of the trip report may not be as detailed as the prior days.]
During our three previous trips on the Disney Magic, Travis and I had tried to secure a reservation for the Surial Chamber. We had always been quite unsuccessful. Actually, on our November 2002 cruise we did indeed manage to get the reservation but, the day before our scheduled time, we received a call on our stateroom phone explaining that the machinery associated with the chamber had become broken and could not be fixed until they returned to Port Canaveral. So, we were quite excited that we were finally going to experience the spa treatment today.
We ended up sleeping in late and didnt have time to catch breakfast before our time-slot for the Surial. I didnt bother showering since I would soon be slathering myself in mud and it just didnt seem to make any sense to do so! We threw on shorts and t-shirts and headed toward the Vista Spa.
This was really our first experience with the spa and we were quite excited. Its really hard to believe that youre still on a ship in the middle of the ocean as you wander through the beautifully tiled halls of the spa. Even if you dont consider yourself a spa buff, I would recommend attending the walking tour of the facility that they offer on embarkation day just so you can see the place. It is quite amazing! After filling out the brief allergy form we were introduced to our spa attendant. She was very pleasant, although I cant for the life of me recall her name, and showed us to the mens changing room. (Even the changing rooms are exceptionally decorated!) We changed out of our clothes, locked them up, and slipped into the provided robes. We met our attendant in the hall and she showed us to the chamber.
Once inside the Surial Chamber the attendant illustrated how to apply the various muds on the various parts of the body, how to operate all of the shower heads, and talked a little bit about the Elimis products that they had placed on a small table inside the chamber for use. She said that she would knock on the door when ten minutes were left in the session and then took leave of us.
Well, all I can say is that the steam room gets HOT! I had never really experienced a steam room so I wasnt quite sure what to expect. I had to constantly use the cool down shower heads to splash the cool water over myself! At several points we opened the glass door separating the steam area of the chamber from the shower area so that the entire chamber would cool down a bit. Applying the muds was a lot of fun. They seemed to be lightly scented with various herbs and such and also helped to keep the body somewhat cool in light of the tremendous heat emanating from the steam column.
During the treatment Travis and I also tried most of the Elimis products on the table. (I was a little bit worried about these items because I do not use any products that are tested on animals or use animal products. However, I should have known that Disney would select a product line that does neither.) I cant really recall anything specific about any of the items but there was a mist used as an aroma therapy type of product. I believe it was a mint scent and it smelled wonderful. I also tried their body lotions, shampoo, and foot scrub!
After letting the mud sit for about twenty minutes we washed off and just relaxed in the steam area of the chamber. I dont know how much time had passed buyt we eventually got up and showered in the adjoining shower area. We then sat on the heated tile bench and relaxed as the steam continued to swirl around us. It seemed as if we had been in the room for much longer than an hour and we finally decided to leave. As it turns out, our attendant evidently forgot about us because we had been in the chamber for an hour and forty minutes! (I dont even know if this is healthy!
We headed back to the stateroom to change into some fresh clothes and check on our options for lunch. By this point we were famished (like one could really be famished on Disney Cruise Line) and decided on lunch at Topsiders for the Seafood Buffet. Travis only nibbled on a few things, as he is not one to enjoy food that come from the ocean, and we later grabbed some pizza and fries for him. I have to say that the Seafood Buffet is really good. They have a large variety of things to choose from and they also offer non-seafood items for the Travis of the world.
After lunch we headed up to Deck 10 and watched the ice carving demonstration. Youll have to forgive me, but I also forget the name of this wonderfully talented gentleman who turned a huge block of ice into a Blue Heron in under twenty minutes. (As Floridians, Travis and I recognized the type of bird early on and were amused as other people in the crowd were certain that the bird was an eagle or a toucan.) The crowd grew quite large as the demonstration proceeded and I was glad that we decided to watch from Deck 10 instead of Deck 9. Throughout the carving, Trevor acted as host and spoke of lots of interesting facts and statistics relating to ice, vegetable, and fruit carving onboard.
With the ice carving finished, we decided to hit the work of the cruise. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it was time to see Donna, the certified Disney Cruise Line Grief Counselor. The depression and sadness usually starts to set in, at least somewhat, on Disney Dreams day. Its then that you realize that more of your cruise is behind you than in front of you. Its very had to cope at times like these and one must take action in order to lessen the effects of the terrible blues setting in. We headed down to Deck 4 and signed up to speak with Donna. It was about fifteen minutes until three and we figured this would be plenty of time to make the reservations for our next cruise before High Tea at 3:30. Well, we figured wrong. At 3:20 we told Donna that we had reservations for High Tea and had to run. She assured us that she would be there for the rest of the evening and would see us afterwards.
We ran back to the stateroom to change into something more appropriate for Palo (button down dress shirts and khaki pants) and made it back upstairs just after 3:30. Palo High Tea was another event that Travis and I had attempted to get reservations for but had been unable to secure on our past cruises. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) It was amazing to see that aside from us, only three other tables were filled! I couldnt believe it. Im not sure if they only book a few tables for this event or if people just didnt show up. As a note, I cant imagine that they book the whole restaurant because that would mean 90% of the people werent showing up. We also noticed that during this time the Final Jackpot Bingo was going on so that could have played into the sparsely attended High Tea.
I would definitely attend High Tea again. The food is great and not too heavy just before dinner and the tea is scrumptious. I had the Black Currant and Travis had the California Fields, as recommended by Erika. Traviss tea was really wonderful and I ended up having a cup of his choice as well. Very fruity and sweet, even without added sugar! This was my first experience with a true scone and it was quite good! The finger sandwiches are not to be missed as well. I didnt try an English Trifle but Ill be sure not to miss that on our next cruise.
After High Tea we headed back down to the stateroom, changed into more comfortable clothes, and headed back to see Donna. We waited perhaps 45 minutes and then were able to talk to her. After checking out all of the offers, we decided on the September 4th cruise to San Juan. We explained that we hoped to do back-to-backs but wanted to see if we could get Florida Resident rates as we had been able to do for this cruise. Donna said that they usually do offer those rates during that time of year because it is traditionally back-to-school time for much of the country. As it stands, we still hope to get the $599 rates for the August 28th cruise and spend a whole two weeks on the Magic! Talking to Donna really helped our mood. Although we were still somewhat sad, we were pleased that we had one reservation for next year under our belt. It gave us something to look forward to and something to plan for!
Disney Dreams is so much more than one could ever put into words. I think that is one thing that really sets Disney apart as an entertainer and as a company. They really know how to tune into your emotions and Disney Dreams is a great example of that. I dont think Ill ever tire of seeing it.
After the show we changed into our suits and walked down to Treasure Ketch and Mickeys Mates before we headed to Palo for dinner. We ended up having a few Character Pictures taken, purchasing a few things in the shops, and then heading upstairs for dinner.
Palo was wonderful as usual and Erika made the evening one to be remembered. I had the Eggplant salad and the lobster. Both were wonderful and the new menu seemed to improve, if thats possible, on the previous one. For dessert Erkia made sure we each had the traditional Palo Soufflé and then brought out some extra desserts. We spoke with her for quite some time over coffee (for me) and California Fields (for Travis) and then said goodbye. It was the first goodbye of this cruise and Erika demanded a hug from us both. (I am always amazed at how connected I feel towards the Cast of the Magic! Again, I think this is a prime example of Disney tapping into emotion.)
After dinner we caught the end of Dueling Pianos and then lounged on Deck 4 for quite some time. We also strolled along Deck 9 and Deck 10 and talked about Castaway Cay. Although the end of the cruise was drawing closer with each passing hour, we were excited, as always, to be visiting Disneys island tomorrow. It was genius of them to position this paradise as the last visit on their cruises. Then again, I think Castaway Cay would fit nicely anywhere in the itinerary.
It seems that we always have to decide between two (or more) things that we want to do but can't experience both of them because of time! Anyway, it's a great excuse to keep booking more cruises on 
