This is long but it may be worth while for trip planners
Left from Chesapeake Beach in Southern Maryland at 7:24 am drove 887 miles and arrived at the Radisson hotel 1mile from the port at 8:41 PM driving between 70-80 mph. 13 hours and 17 minutes. The Kings Dominion tower in Virginia is 102 miles and 2 hours from my home.
This was with 4 stops, 2 for gas, snack and restroom stops the other 2 for restroom stops.
Next day hit the Cocoa beach Wal-Mart for snorkel gear spent $119 for 4 of us. Much less expensive than in MD. The cost of gear on Castaway Cay is $25 per person on excursions its included
Went to the Kennedy space center on Friday FREE PARKING $34.00 per adult $24.00 up to 12 years for the standard pass, liked the Imax movies, very informative. Be sure to check out the moon landing part at the far end of the Apollo rocket building. Expensive food there as you would expect. Was not able to do the entire complex and we spent 7 hours there! Nice gift shop where there are items you will only find there.
Checked out of hotel Sat 11am. Lobby was packed with cruisers The desk clerk told us you can wait here, or at the dock, because they will not let you board, or go have lunch at the pizza hut down the street, and return here in an hour or so and walk onto a shuttle and right onto the ship. We opted for #3 so we drove to the pizza hut down the road and had the buffet. We then arrived back at the hotel about 1p where the lobby was a lot less crowded got a shuttle to the ship and just walked on board. From the Radisson to our stateroom about 25 minutes total.
The $20 at Pizza hut may have been the best money I spent for a smooth transition to the ship
We were in a category 10 about 300 square feet 1 double bed with a curtain separating the rest of the room
And the bunk bed my kids slept in. A couch turned into a bed and another came out of the ceiling that the housekeeper took care of. We were on the 2nd deck 2601 but no matter what deck you are on the rooms are the same. Other cruisers told me the higher up you are the more you feel the ship rock. We had a toilet and sink room and a shower and sink room, which was nice.
Bought the soda $35 and the beer $10 package both well worth the money as sodas were 1.50 and a 16-oz beer is 2.50 but with the beer package you get a 22-oz for the same price as a 16-oz. I got a sticker for my Disney ID for the soda package but you can get a souvenir mug also. The beer package comes with a 22oz glass mug. If you can live without soda and beer there is a tea and coffee station on deck 9 at the Mickey pool. You can get these packages anywhere on the ship when you board.
1st day Key West could walk off the ship here.
Took the Conch train tour around the island - very informative about 2 hours $20 for 13 and up after finished tour walked Duvall Street from north to south. Found a pizza place on the right hand side walking south on a corner $2 for a huge slice and $1 for a canned soda, no name on it but it was all glass front with 4 tables inside looking out at the street. Did not want to spend a lot of money since the ship food was free but the kids were hungry and the deal was great.
The Key West aquarium is $9 per person and you can pet sharks, rays and learn about the life of fish around the island. Went to Mallory Square [actually where the ship is docked] to watch the sunset and the parade of crazy people who performDont miss the guy whom does the unicycle show.
Dinner on ship is on a rotating basis with the same waiters for the entire week. [1 gets drinks and busses your table the other is the actual server]
You rotate through 3 restaurants just remember your table number after your 1st dinner and you are set for the week. We had the early seating 6p then we would see the big show at 8:30.
The 8:30 dinner seating seemed to be more formal than the 6:00.
NO JEANS OR T-SHIRTS AT DINNER a jacket for the men would be great.
Day 2 at sea
The ship was at full capacity 960 crew and 2600 passengers but it never seemed crowded, as there was so much to do. Movies, bingo, kids clubs, show. If you wanted to eat between 10A and 11A there was really no food available as things shut for breakfast and got ready for lunch but there was always room service which we did not use because the room was too small to enjoy a meal.
Day 3 Grand Caymen. Had to take a small boat to this place
Lots of shopping here. We got a cab which are lined up at the dock $4 a person and went to the holiday inn beach [across from a holiday inn] the beach was beautiful so was the water. Lots of trees lining the back of the beach if you want shade, beach chairs $8 for the day Bring towels from the ship to use.
There is also a warm shower to wash off before heading back to ship [same dealtaxis lined up $4.]
Returning to the Magic from the taxi boat we witnessed a person loose his merchandise into the water as the ride was rough and his stuff spilled out as he was getting of the small boat to the Magic.
Day 4 Couzmel docked at port
Shopping heaven, junk everywhere, in you face sales
Found a nice duffel bag at Key west $40 the exact same bag here was $25 bartered down to $16 and bought if only to find it down the street for $12. Seemed the further away from the ship you got the less expensive things became.
The best place to shop was LAPINATA all prices were marked and you even got a receipt.
My daughter got her hair braided at one of the many places $25. Was sorry I let her do it as I saw the woman doing it put the comb she was using in her hair also instead of disinfectant.
Some cruisers went to the beach, same deal $4 there and $4 back.
Many snorkel excursions around $30 per person.
Midnight Christmas Catholic mass- very nice
Day 5 Christmas Day at sea
Plenty to do as first day at sea. All denomination mass 11am
Day 6 Castaway Cay docked at port
A beautiful place my kids favorite, large beach to tan and lagoon to swim in. Waiters on the beach lots of lounges and chairs
Lots of water sports, parasailing was $70. A teen only beach [supervised] parents are not even allowed on it. A supervisor greets you when you arrive. Also a beautiful adult beach and a family beach too.
Lunch was served on the island also a bar on the island and gift shops.
They also had a hair braiding station and used disinfectant.
Day 7
Had to be out of room by 8am. All luggage had to be out in front of the stateroom door Friday night by 11pm.
Some people went to breakfast we got donuts etc from topsiders 9th deck buffet and ate in room
At 7:45 we were in line to get off the ship. I figured by 10:30 am that we would be off the ship. I was amazed at the speed. About 50 families at a time were let off and we went to this huge room where our luggage was on the color-coded floor with our room number above the color-coded floor. We got our luggage walked to customs and we were even spot checked and were out in the street in 20 minutes.
We were then directed to our waiting place under a tent to wait for our shuttle back to the Radisson to get our truck. The shuttle was waiting for us with another shuttle behind it!!! We were driving home [but 1st a stop at the 7-11 for some real food] by 8:30.
SUGGESTIONS
1 bring an extension cord if you have a lot of things to plug in, a real cord not those double plug things with multiple outlets they do not fit
2 an over the door shoe holder is a must we did not have one and we had shoes everywhere.
3 Clothespins to hang laundry in bathroom tub. [clothes line provided]
4 Suit for the men
5 Black dress pants for ladies, goes with all tops
6 bring your beer or soda mug to the coffee-tea station the cups provided are only 10 oz
7 the stateroom with separate toilet room and shower room was very nice this gave us 2 sinks and 2 mirrors
8 come to dinner 5 minutes late you avoid the line that goes down the hall
9 make your kids go to all the live shows then let them go to their clubs
10 We liked the group called Escape
11 We liked the bar on deck 3 called Promenade
[helpfull hint we are middle aged white folks]
12 We liked the inside stateroom as it was $700 less and the room was dark so the kids slept longer especially after staying in their clubs till midnight [and we drank till midnight!!]
13 We had no reason to even use a cooler or pack a lunch maybe because we have older kids.
14 the safety meeting is a requirement but is also fun to watch.
your room supervisor takes your room number I guess if you don't go you are sent to the brig.
15 ALWAYS have your camera
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Left from Chesapeake Beach in Southern Maryland at 7:24 am drove 887 miles and arrived at the Radisson hotel 1mile from the port at 8:41 PM driving between 70-80 mph. 13 hours and 17 minutes. The Kings Dominion tower in Virginia is 102 miles and 2 hours from my home.
This was with 4 stops, 2 for gas, snack and restroom stops the other 2 for restroom stops.
Next day hit the Cocoa beach Wal-Mart for snorkel gear spent $119 for 4 of us. Much less expensive than in MD. The cost of gear on Castaway Cay is $25 per person on excursions its included
Went to the Kennedy space center on Friday FREE PARKING $34.00 per adult $24.00 up to 12 years for the standard pass, liked the Imax movies, very informative. Be sure to check out the moon landing part at the far end of the Apollo rocket building. Expensive food there as you would expect. Was not able to do the entire complex and we spent 7 hours there! Nice gift shop where there are items you will only find there.
Checked out of hotel Sat 11am. Lobby was packed with cruisers The desk clerk told us you can wait here, or at the dock, because they will not let you board, or go have lunch at the pizza hut down the street, and return here in an hour or so and walk onto a shuttle and right onto the ship. We opted for #3 so we drove to the pizza hut down the road and had the buffet. We then arrived back at the hotel about 1p where the lobby was a lot less crowded got a shuttle to the ship and just walked on board. From the Radisson to our stateroom about 25 minutes total.
The $20 at Pizza hut may have been the best money I spent for a smooth transition to the ship
We were in a category 10 about 300 square feet 1 double bed with a curtain separating the rest of the room
And the bunk bed my kids slept in. A couch turned into a bed and another came out of the ceiling that the housekeeper took care of. We were on the 2nd deck 2601 but no matter what deck you are on the rooms are the same. Other cruisers told me the higher up you are the more you feel the ship rock. We had a toilet and sink room and a shower and sink room, which was nice.
Bought the soda $35 and the beer $10 package both well worth the money as sodas were 1.50 and a 16-oz beer is 2.50 but with the beer package you get a 22-oz for the same price as a 16-oz. I got a sticker for my Disney ID for the soda package but you can get a souvenir mug also. The beer package comes with a 22oz glass mug. If you can live without soda and beer there is a tea and coffee station on deck 9 at the Mickey pool. You can get these packages anywhere on the ship when you board.
1st day Key West could walk off the ship here.
Took the Conch train tour around the island - very informative about 2 hours $20 for 13 and up after finished tour walked Duvall Street from north to south. Found a pizza place on the right hand side walking south on a corner $2 for a huge slice and $1 for a canned soda, no name on it but it was all glass front with 4 tables inside looking out at the street. Did not want to spend a lot of money since the ship food was free but the kids were hungry and the deal was great.
The Key West aquarium is $9 per person and you can pet sharks, rays and learn about the life of fish around the island. Went to Mallory Square [actually where the ship is docked] to watch the sunset and the parade of crazy people who performDont miss the guy whom does the unicycle show.
Dinner on ship is on a rotating basis with the same waiters for the entire week. [1 gets drinks and busses your table the other is the actual server]
You rotate through 3 restaurants just remember your table number after your 1st dinner and you are set for the week. We had the early seating 6p then we would see the big show at 8:30.
The 8:30 dinner seating seemed to be more formal than the 6:00.
NO JEANS OR T-SHIRTS AT DINNER a jacket for the men would be great.
Day 2 at sea
The ship was at full capacity 960 crew and 2600 passengers but it never seemed crowded, as there was so much to do. Movies, bingo, kids clubs, show. If you wanted to eat between 10A and 11A there was really no food available as things shut for breakfast and got ready for lunch but there was always room service which we did not use because the room was too small to enjoy a meal.
Day 3 Grand Caymen. Had to take a small boat to this place
Lots of shopping here. We got a cab which are lined up at the dock $4 a person and went to the holiday inn beach [across from a holiday inn] the beach was beautiful so was the water. Lots of trees lining the back of the beach if you want shade, beach chairs $8 for the day Bring towels from the ship to use.
There is also a warm shower to wash off before heading back to ship [same dealtaxis lined up $4.]
Returning to the Magic from the taxi boat we witnessed a person loose his merchandise into the water as the ride was rough and his stuff spilled out as he was getting of the small boat to the Magic.
Day 4 Couzmel docked at port
Shopping heaven, junk everywhere, in you face sales
Found a nice duffel bag at Key west $40 the exact same bag here was $25 bartered down to $16 and bought if only to find it down the street for $12. Seemed the further away from the ship you got the less expensive things became.
The best place to shop was LAPINATA all prices were marked and you even got a receipt.
My daughter got her hair braided at one of the many places $25. Was sorry I let her do it as I saw the woman doing it put the comb she was using in her hair also instead of disinfectant.
Some cruisers went to the beach, same deal $4 there and $4 back.
Many snorkel excursions around $30 per person.
Midnight Christmas Catholic mass- very nice
Day 5 Christmas Day at sea
Plenty to do as first day at sea. All denomination mass 11am
Day 6 Castaway Cay docked at port
A beautiful place my kids favorite, large beach to tan and lagoon to swim in. Waiters on the beach lots of lounges and chairs
Lots of water sports, parasailing was $70. A teen only beach [supervised] parents are not even allowed on it. A supervisor greets you when you arrive. Also a beautiful adult beach and a family beach too.
Lunch was served on the island also a bar on the island and gift shops.
They also had a hair braiding station and used disinfectant.
Day 7
Had to be out of room by 8am. All luggage had to be out in front of the stateroom door Friday night by 11pm.
Some people went to breakfast we got donuts etc from topsiders 9th deck buffet and ate in room
At 7:45 we were in line to get off the ship. I figured by 10:30 am that we would be off the ship. I was amazed at the speed. About 50 families at a time were let off and we went to this huge room where our luggage was on the color-coded floor with our room number above the color-coded floor. We got our luggage walked to customs and we were even spot checked and were out in the street in 20 minutes.
We were then directed to our waiting place under a tent to wait for our shuttle back to the Radisson to get our truck. The shuttle was waiting for us with another shuttle behind it!!! We were driving home [but 1st a stop at the 7-11 for some real food] by 8:30.
SUGGESTIONS
1 bring an extension cord if you have a lot of things to plug in, a real cord not those double plug things with multiple outlets they do not fit
2 an over the door shoe holder is a must we did not have one and we had shoes everywhere.
3 Clothespins to hang laundry in bathroom tub. [clothes line provided]
4 Suit for the men
5 Black dress pants for ladies, goes with all tops
6 bring your beer or soda mug to the coffee-tea station the cups provided are only 10 oz
7 the stateroom with separate toilet room and shower room was very nice this gave us 2 sinks and 2 mirrors
8 come to dinner 5 minutes late you avoid the line that goes down the hall
9 make your kids go to all the live shows then let them go to their clubs
10 We liked the group called Escape
11 We liked the bar on deck 3 called Promenade
[helpfull hint we are middle aged white folks]
12 We liked the inside stateroom as it was $700 less and the room was dark so the kids slept longer especially after staying in their clubs till midnight [and we drank till midnight!!]
13 We had no reason to even use a cooler or pack a lunch maybe because we have older kids.
14 the safety meeting is a requirement but is also fun to watch.
your room supervisor takes your room number I guess if you don't go you are sent to the brig.
15 ALWAYS have your camera
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