DCL Western, WDW, SW, and DC December '08 - with photos! (Pre trip and POST trip up!)
- Thread starter Stinasmom
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Stinasmom
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Really enjoying your report. We are going on our first 7 day Westernin June and love seeing your pictures and hearing all about your adventures.
Thanks! I had no idea how much time this really takes, but I am enjoying reliving the trip as I go... when I finish, I can finally start scrapbooking!
_________________________________
We have been looking forward to Grand Cayman since first booking a "western" itinerary... Heard the snorkeling was amazing!
We are not new to snorkeling... have gone lots of times in Hawaii, were it was, well, amazing!!! So really looking forward to this day.
Before our excursion, which I booked for noon hoping to capture the warmth of the day, we walked around town. You do have to tender in which is the best way to get pictures of our beautiful ship.
The shopping here is easy but we were hearing the better deals were at Cozumel, so we didn't get much.
This is as close as we got to seeing the famed "blue iguanas." I could easily enjoy a vacation just at the Cayman Islands. Much to do and see.
We booked the "Stingray City Reef Sail & Snorkel" and this is how Disney describes it:
"Set sail on an enchanting journey through the translucent blue waters before immersing yourself in a snorkel adventure awash with stingrays, tropical fish and unique coral."
Actually this was pretty accurate. The catamaran we "set sail" on was really nice, fairly new. They motor out of the harbor area where you board (on the other side of the island, so you get a 20 minute bus ride tour to there), until clear to cut the motors and reach the destination by sail! I think this was my favorite part! It is so peaceful to sail, and, yes, the waters are truly a "translucent blue!"
When we got to the reef, they explained that this isn't the "Sting Ray City" that everyone else goes to... we would be the only ones here versus the hundreds that visit the other one daily. It was 10 feet deep, so no standing. They attract the sting rays by feeding them squid. Sure enough about a dozen of them came ranging in size from a serving tray to BIG! Ahead of where we anchored was a reef to snorkel at.
Here are some pictures:
Then issue you snorkel gear and give lessons to those who haven't used it before.
Just look at the color of that water. I could hardly get over it. That is one of the rays in the middle being held up by a crew member (one without snorkel gear). For those of us who don't like to dive with snorkels, they would go down and scoop up a ray and bring it to the surface. Sometimes they came up on their own, you never knew and had to watch out for them NO, they are not dangerous in any way.
Actually you had to watch out for the other swimmers the most.
The reef fish were great but nothing like we had hoped. The sting rays were the attraction here. If you want a real coral reef experience, pick a different excursion.
The wind was VERY strong and we had a current to watch out for as well.
On the bus (small shuttle type bus) over and back it was obvious just how flat this island is. You could see how a hurricane could really sweep over and do some major damage. But many of the buildings are very nice... hotels and especially banks and seem to have withstood recent storms fine.
We got back to the ship just in time. They say "all aboard" time is 4pm, that was an early enough time that I wasn't taking any chances and so booked the excursion through Disney. There were a few tenders still bring people over until almost 4:30, but I wouldn't count on that!
That night was "Twiced Charmed" in the theater. This is a really cute original story that we did see back in 2005 on the Magic. Good show. No theme to dinner and again no real draw to the adult evening entertainment.
Same cover band at the Rockin' D bar
, same piano player at the Cadillac
Got some more sleep instead.
Tomorrow: Cozumel, Mexico! Pirates IN the Carribean, and BOLT 3-D!
Stinasmom
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We made no real plans for our day at Cozumel... at one point we thought some friends of ours would be there on the same day from a different cruiseline, but they went the week prior.
I am not sure what Cozumel would look like if not for it's cruise passenger business. They even have two port areas about 3 miles apart that supposedly have almost the same shopping.
We had three major ships at our port and there were at least that many at the other one we could see in the distance. Someone once posted that they have been there when 11 ship were in port on the same day!
I hear the beaches here are terrific and you can find very good snorkeling, but since we were in the water a lot the day before an Grand Cayman, and nothing beats a day at the beach at Castaway Cay, we decided to just be tourists and wander around, having never been to Cozumel.
Before we could get off we watched another ship coming up toward us... Ah heck, they were going to park right next to us blocking our water view from the verandah.
Ha! Look at them admiring our beautiful ship. Once they tied up, we could practically pass drinks between ships!
Except that there were very few balcony rooms on that ship. Sorry!
We tried to get off before the mad rush of the Carnival cruisers... just barely making it. However, once off you realize that Cozumel is pretty use to this much traffic and can absorb it... except for the bars at Carlos & Charlies, Margaritaville, etc... those places became mad houses once the Carnival cruisers disembarked!!
Here is a view back from the first shopping structure that separates the town from the cruiseline areas:
And here is the main shopping area for our part of town:
As typical of Mexico (and other poorer countries that rely on tourist dollars) the "barkers" outside all of the shops in this "mall" were quite aggressive. No one touches you but they ALL try to talk you in. Funny though, there was one restaurant that looked interesting so I actually asked the guy out front a question about it and it turns out he didn't know anything... he was just there to lure you in. Wonder if they get paid by the head?
Our mistake was to keep thinking that the next street would reveal something more enticing as we were looking for somewhere to eat lunch. Unfortunately, with all four of us together, no one could really agree and we were getting hungry and grumpy. The decision was made to just walk back to the ship, save the $60+ and eat at Topsiders! They were offering TexMex for lunch and Margaritas could certainly be found aboard... with no fear of the water.
The boys had no interest in actually shopping but DD and I had seen MANY shops along the way to and from our failed attempt to find a restaurant of our liking. (Later I found that you should ask a crew member where to eat at Cozumel, they often get time of at this port and many know it well.)
So, we happily went back ashore to check it all out. The "barkers" were apparently on siesta or else they figure everyone from the ships who would come ashore has done so already. It was actually pleasant to wander without the shouting!
We found shirts and other gifts for family and friends, but our best score was at the duty free you can walk through just before going back to the ship... in fact, you can only shop here if you are going back to a ship.
From back at EPCOT, DD had been checking out the fancy fragrances... all the big name designers like Hermes, Givenche, and Bvlgari along with the Estee Lauders, etc. Prices were highest at EPOCT, followed by the shop on the Magic, but definitely cheapest for the very same thing at this duty free. She scored some JLo stuff that she'd had her eye... or nose on!
I got some Clinique eye cream for about half the price.
As we headed back I caught two more pics of our ship:
This one confused me until I remembered tonight was Pirate Night!
Is that a noose hanging there?
So much for walking the plank
Back on ship the decks were pretty deserted. Port day is the day to hang by the pool for sun as you are not moving so wind is minimal and it is not crowded. Here is the Quiet Cove Pool:
Up Next: Pirate Night and all that ensues....
I am not sure what Cozumel would look like if not for it's cruise passenger business. They even have two port areas about 3 miles apart that supposedly have almost the same shopping.
We had three major ships at our port and there were at least that many at the other one we could see in the distance. Someone once posted that they have been there when 11 ship were in port on the same day!
I hear the beaches here are terrific and you can find very good snorkeling, but since we were in the water a lot the day before an Grand Cayman, and nothing beats a day at the beach at Castaway Cay, we decided to just be tourists and wander around, having never been to Cozumel.
Before we could get off we watched another ship coming up toward us... Ah heck, they were going to park right next to us blocking our water view from the verandah.
Ha! Look at them admiring our beautiful ship. Once they tied up, we could practically pass drinks between ships!
Except that there were very few balcony rooms on that ship. Sorry!
We tried to get off before the mad rush of the Carnival cruisers... just barely making it. However, once off you realize that Cozumel is pretty use to this much traffic and can absorb it... except for the bars at Carlos & Charlies, Margaritaville, etc... those places became mad houses once the Carnival cruisers disembarked!!
Here is a view back from the first shopping structure that separates the town from the cruiseline areas:
And here is the main shopping area for our part of town:
As typical of Mexico (and other poorer countries that rely on tourist dollars) the "barkers" outside all of the shops in this "mall" were quite aggressive. No one touches you but they ALL try to talk you in. Funny though, there was one restaurant that looked interesting so I actually asked the guy out front a question about it and it turns out he didn't know anything... he was just there to lure you in. Wonder if they get paid by the head?
Our mistake was to keep thinking that the next street would reveal something more enticing as we were looking for somewhere to eat lunch. Unfortunately, with all four of us together, no one could really agree and we were getting hungry and grumpy. The decision was made to just walk back to the ship, save the $60+ and eat at Topsiders! They were offering TexMex for lunch and Margaritas could certainly be found aboard... with no fear of the water.
The boys had no interest in actually shopping but DD and I had seen MANY shops along the way to and from our failed attempt to find a restaurant of our liking. (Later I found that you should ask a crew member where to eat at Cozumel, they often get time of at this port and many know it well.)
So, we happily went back ashore to check it all out. The "barkers" were apparently on siesta or else they figure everyone from the ships who would come ashore has done so already. It was actually pleasant to wander without the shouting!
We found shirts and other gifts for family and friends, but our best score was at the duty free you can walk through just before going back to the ship... in fact, you can only shop here if you are going back to a ship.
From back at EPCOT, DD had been checking out the fancy fragrances... all the big name designers like Hermes, Givenche, and Bvlgari along with the Estee Lauders, etc. Prices were highest at EPOCT, followed by the shop on the Magic, but definitely cheapest for the very same thing at this duty free. She scored some JLo stuff that she'd had her eye... or nose on!
I got some Clinique eye cream for about half the price.
As we headed back I caught two more pics of our ship:
This one confused me until I remembered tonight was Pirate Night!
Is that a noose hanging there?
So much for walking the plank
Back on ship the decks were pretty deserted. Port day is the day to hang by the pool for sun as you are not moving so wind is minimal and it is not crowded. Here is the Quiet Cove Pool:
Up Next: Pirate Night and all that ensues....
Stinasmom
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Fortunately one looked like this:
"It was a pleasure, Love," he said as I thanked him for the picture.
I took an old pirate outfit my DD wore for Halloween a few years back, made it fit me and packed it... No one else in the family had the spirit, but the servers got into the act:
We enjoyed our dinner... even if we were at Lumerier's!(which seemed odd for casual Pirate night)
Along with some fruity drink of the night here:
But we didn't attempt the actual Pirate Party. Did that once. Good but lasts too long and is way too crowded. We did get to see the fireworks from our verandah! Made sure to be on the correct (and right - starboard that is) side of the ship to have the best view. Oops, didn't take pictures.
AH! Forgot to mention that we booked a spa visit for the morning we hit Cozumel...
"Exotic Rasul
Experience this pure retreat for two. Pamper each other in the privacy of a secluded chamber and steam room. Indulge yourselves with body mud, aromatherapy massage oils, a host of fabulous facial care products and more."
Now, I had read about "naughty mud love," where the spa products they give you to use are in plastic bowls and all resemble body muds. But, this was actually surprisingly different. The room you get (alone... and that is the real draw to this one
after sharing a hotel room and/or stateroom with the kids for several days or longer. 
The room was kind of two rooms actually... one that was dry with a bench (all tile like the rainforest room) and a shower cove at one end. There was also another room separated by a glass door where there were 3 shower type alcoves that had built in benches and a center fountain structure with 4 bowls and spouts of cold water. Sufficed to say there was lots of water to play with along with the products...
The products!! Wow! A whole tray of what seemed like one of everything they had. Creams, washes, oils, muds, exfoliants, you name it. It was tough to keep track of what you've tried and in what order to use things.
What I couldn't decide was how seriously to take this skin care opportunity! After all that wasn't exactly our motivation for booking this "treatment!"
Another special thing we got to do on this trip happened this evening, before all the pirate dinner stuff... Bolt in 3-D!
The movie was recently released in theaters but they had the 3-D version for us and showed it at the big Walt Disney Theater. It was good enough. We all enjoyed it.
Tomorrow: another Sea Day... need to trek the entire length of the Caribbean by Friday morning!
"It was a pleasure, Love," he said as I thanked him for the picture.
I took an old pirate outfit my DD wore for Halloween a few years back, made it fit me and packed it... No one else in the family had the spirit, but the servers got into the act:
We enjoyed our dinner... even if we were at Lumerier's!(which seemed odd for casual Pirate night)
Along with some fruity drink of the night here:
But we didn't attempt the actual Pirate Party. Did that once. Good but lasts too long and is way too crowded. We did get to see the fireworks from our verandah! Made sure to be on the correct (and right - starboard that is) side of the ship to have the best view. Oops, didn't take pictures.
AH! Forgot to mention that we booked a spa visit for the morning we hit Cozumel...
"Exotic Rasul
Experience this pure retreat for two. Pamper each other in the privacy of a secluded chamber and steam room. Indulge yourselves with body mud, aromatherapy massage oils, a host of fabulous facial care products and more."
Now, I had read about "naughty mud love," where the spa products they give you to use are in plastic bowls and all resemble body muds. But, this was actually surprisingly different. The room you get (alone... and that is the real draw to this one
after sharing a hotel room and/or stateroom with the kids for several days or longer. The room was kind of two rooms actually... one that was dry with a bench (all tile like the rainforest room) and a shower cove at one end. There was also another room separated by a glass door where there were 3 shower type alcoves that had built in benches and a center fountain structure with 4 bowls and spouts of cold water. Sufficed to say there was lots of water to play with along with the products...
The products!! Wow! A whole tray of what seemed like one of everything they had. Creams, washes, oils, muds, exfoliants, you name it. It was tough to keep track of what you've tried and in what order to use things.
What I couldn't decide was how seriously to take this skin care opportunity! After all that wasn't exactly our motivation for booking this "treatment!"
Another special thing we got to do on this trip happened this evening, before all the pirate dinner stuff... Bolt in 3-D!
The movie was recently released in theaters but they had the 3-D version for us and showed it at the big Walt Disney Theater. It was good enough. We all enjoyed it.
Tomorrow: another Sea Day... need to trek the entire length of the Caribbean by Friday morning!
Stinasmom
DIS Veteran
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- Oct 18, 2004
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We started off the day, actually, with Brunch at Palo. This is not to be missed. The spread is beautiful and, of course, delicious! The offerings are quite varied... so much so that I could say there was plenty I wasn't interested in so I could focus on what I did like and not get too stuffed.
I did try the caviar with the complimentary glass of champagne:
and DH enjoyed his caviar too (more than me):
That football shaped pizza there was actually not that good. We didn't eat more than a bite. There is just too much wonderful goodness to fill up on... skip the pizza.
BTW, the refill on the champagne (first one comes with your cover charge) was only $4.00... maybe the best deal on the ship!
Not a bad view:
I think I would enjoy sea days more if the ship could stay still, but that would defeat the purpose of cruising, I suppose. After brunch, I attempted to catch some sun again on deck but the wind is sooooo strong! Oh well, I was still on the Disney Magic and not home where the snow was piling up! Overlooked the Goofy pool this time and watched DJ Mike getting the kids on the stage below the Jumbotron screen to dance the Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, and the like. It was really cute when the conga line marched from deck 9 up to deck 10 right past our deck chairs. I prefer this over the "steel pan sounds of Calypso Magic" of whatever that husband/wife team who just bang along to tracks are calling themselves over by the not-so-Quite Cove Pool.
Instead of being subjected to another rendition of Margaritaville, I signed up for the afternoon's Margarita tasting and this time got DH to join me...
Me sipping this one:
It was really more of an education about tequila... now I know the difference between Blanco, Resposado, and Anejo. I did like the "Patron XO Cafe" which is coffee flavored tequila! And I am not a coffee drinker!
Also to watch out for Mescal, which is not made exclusively from BLUE agave... unless you are trying to save $$ and aren't worried about the next morning
Tonight is semi formal night and the Disney Dreams show. But with a little extra time before all that, and after being primed by the Margarita tasting, DH and I set out to find a place to enjoy a drink and the Cuban Cigar he purchased in Cozumel.
Now, we are not smokers and don't like to be around smokers and appreciate that Disney has restricted smoking to deck nine, forward, starboard, but that is only 5 tables.... all occupied by the habitual types. You can no longer smoke cigars outside the Cove Cafe or at the Signals bar. So, what was left? Deck 10, I suppose, but it is so windy up there that you cannot keep a match lit. We ended up back at our verandah.
Glad we upgraded. Still it was so windy that we could hardly keep the cigar lit. Will have to plan this better next time. We did manage to enjoy our drinks and another sunset.
Since DS didn't want to go to the Disney Dreams show, I agreed to stay back and watch it on the stateroom TV instead. The production they show is not live but is the same show anyway. DD is really getting into these stage shows, she has stage experience and is looking forward to all the more she can get!
Semi Formal dinner was also lobster night. I don't like lobster, but everyone else sure enjoyed it!
I was more about the dessert... Lava cake!
And DH splurged on a bottle of the Fairy Tale Cuvee exclusive to Disney, yum!! (sparkling wine)
I delivered our FE gifts this day too. That was fun to tour around the hallways all stealth-like! Hope everyone liked what they got... we sure had fun with all the gifts we found in our FE everyday!
That evening I wanted to go to the "Who wants to be a Mouseketeer" quiz game at the Studio Sea... no other takers so I went alone. I didn't get called up but between contestants, the callout other random Disney trivia. I got the answer right to Mickey Mouse's birthday (November 18, 1928) and got pin for my lanyard. I am not a pin trader, but I have some interesting ones that I have earned or won, so I guess I am a collector.
Off to sleep! Tomorrow is Castaway Cay!! Saving the best for last!
I did try the caviar with the complimentary glass of champagne:
and DH enjoyed his caviar too (more than me):
That football shaped pizza there was actually not that good. We didn't eat more than a bite. There is just too much wonderful goodness to fill up on... skip the pizza.
BTW, the refill on the champagne (first one comes with your cover charge) was only $4.00... maybe the best deal on the ship!
Not a bad view:
I think I would enjoy sea days more if the ship could stay still, but that would defeat the purpose of cruising, I suppose. After brunch, I attempted to catch some sun again on deck but the wind is sooooo strong! Oh well, I was still on the Disney Magic and not home where the snow was piling up! Overlooked the Goofy pool this time and watched DJ Mike getting the kids on the stage below the Jumbotron screen to dance the Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, and the like. It was really cute when the conga line marched from deck 9 up to deck 10 right past our deck chairs. I prefer this over the "steel pan sounds of Calypso Magic" of whatever that husband/wife team who just bang along to tracks are calling themselves over by the not-so-Quite Cove Pool.
Instead of being subjected to another rendition of Margaritaville, I signed up for the afternoon's Margarita tasting and this time got DH to join me...
Me sipping this one:
It was really more of an education about tequila... now I know the difference between Blanco, Resposado, and Anejo. I did like the "Patron XO Cafe" which is coffee flavored tequila! And I am not a coffee drinker!
Also to watch out for Mescal, which is not made exclusively from BLUE agave... unless you are trying to save $$ and aren't worried about the next morning
Tonight is semi formal night and the Disney Dreams show. But with a little extra time before all that, and after being primed by the Margarita tasting, DH and I set out to find a place to enjoy a drink and the Cuban Cigar he purchased in Cozumel.
Now, we are not smokers and don't like to be around smokers and appreciate that Disney has restricted smoking to deck nine, forward, starboard, but that is only 5 tables.... all occupied by the habitual types. You can no longer smoke cigars outside the Cove Cafe or at the Signals bar. So, what was left? Deck 10, I suppose, but it is so windy up there that you cannot keep a match lit. We ended up back at our verandah.
Glad we upgraded. Still it was so windy that we could hardly keep the cigar lit. Will have to plan this better next time. We did manage to enjoy our drinks and another sunset.
Since DS didn't want to go to the Disney Dreams show, I agreed to stay back and watch it on the stateroom TV instead. The production they show is not live but is the same show anyway. DD is really getting into these stage shows, she has stage experience and is looking forward to all the more she can get!
Semi Formal dinner was also lobster night. I don't like lobster, but everyone else sure enjoyed it!
I was more about the dessert... Lava cake!
And DH splurged on a bottle of the Fairy Tale Cuvee exclusive to Disney, yum!! (sparkling wine)
I delivered our FE gifts this day too. That was fun to tour around the hallways all stealth-like! Hope everyone liked what they got... we sure had fun with all the gifts we found in our FE everyday!
That evening I wanted to go to the "Who wants to be a Mouseketeer" quiz game at the Studio Sea... no other takers so I went alone. I didn't get called up but between contestants, the callout other random Disney trivia. I got the answer right to Mickey Mouse's birthday (November 18, 1928) and got pin for my lanyard. I am not a pin trader, but I have some interesting ones that I have earned or won, so I guess I am a collector.
Off to sleep! Tomorrow is Castaway Cay!! Saving the best for last!
Stinasmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,425
This is where Disney Cruise Line really shines.... not that they were slacking in any other area! Our last cruise ended up being a "double dip" where we went to Castaway Cay twice due to the weather the first day. It was a 4 nighter and usually the last day is "at sea" but they an use it as a second or back up day to the island. Our cruise before that was out here on the west coast to Mexico. No private island there (yet???), but we didn't know what we were missing.
Here is the view from our balcony as we approached the island:
We didn't, however, book any excursions last time... this time, oh yeah!
The boys went bottom fishing... how many 7 year olds can say they've been fishing in the Bahamas!
Here are pictures of where they left from:
There are no pictures of actual fish.... just some really great video!!
DS caught the first fish and several after. He was the first to identify everyone else's fish too... with the captain chuckling and confirming that he was right every time.
Meanwhile, DD and I went on the "Eco tour" otherwise known as JET SKIING! I first rode a jet ski when Kawasaki first sent them to the US... late 1970's, because my dad was a Honda/Kawasaki dealer at the time. I was about 9 years old. So, jet skiing is in the blood and I like to go FAST!
Well, they start you out in a nice line, follow the leader style keeping 25 feet between you and the ski in front of you. They do say that if you want to pass, flag down a guide and signal, wait for a response. It only took 5 minutes of frustration before I waved down a guide and swung my arm around to motion that I wanted to jet a head. Thumbs up from him and we were off full throttle!!
Here are some pictures, they are fuzzy because I was using the "underwater" or waterproof camera as we took it on the ride with us:
We did stop to hear a 2 minute spiel on the geology of the Bahamian Islands...
Upon departing our first stop, one of the guides started out and pointed at me to follow him! Yeah! I could go FAST!
DD had to really hang on as we caught lots of air and waves. The water was absolutely gorgeous, clear, you could see if you were on a reef or sandy bottom no matter how deep it was.
We stopped again on the other side of the island, away from the beaches. Here is a view back to the ship:
On the way back got a close up pic of the Flying Dutchman from the water...
I will definitely do this excursion again!!!
So much more to come!
Here is the view from our balcony as we approached the island:
We didn't, however, book any excursions last time... this time, oh yeah!
The boys went bottom fishing... how many 7 year olds can say they've been fishing in the Bahamas!
Here are pictures of where they left from:
There are no pictures of actual fish.... just some really great video!!
DS caught the first fish and several after. He was the first to identify everyone else's fish too... with the captain chuckling and confirming that he was right every time.
Meanwhile, DD and I went on the "Eco tour" otherwise known as JET SKIING!
I first rode a jet ski when Kawasaki first sent them to the US... late 1970's, because my dad was a Honda/Kawasaki dealer at the time. I was about 9 years old. So, jet skiing is in the blood and I like to go FAST! Well, they start you out in a nice line, follow the leader style keeping 25 feet between you and the ski in front of you. They do say that if you want to pass, flag down a guide and signal, wait for a response. It only took 5 minutes of frustration before I waved down a guide and swung my arm around to motion that I wanted to jet a head. Thumbs up from him and we were off full throttle!!
Here are some pictures, they are fuzzy because I was using the "underwater" or waterproof camera as we took it on the ride with us:
We did stop to hear a 2 minute spiel on the geology of the Bahamian Islands...
Upon departing our first stop, one of the guides started out and pointed at me to follow him! Yeah! I could go FAST!
DD had to really hang on as we caught lots of air and waves. The water was absolutely gorgeous, clear, you could see if you were on a reef or sandy bottom no matter how deep it was.
We stopped again on the other side of the island, away from the beaches. Here is a view back to the ship:
On the way back got a close up pic of the Flying Dutchman from the water...
I will definitely do this excursion again!!!
So much more to come!
Stinasmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
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- 1,425
Aww... Chip and Dale look so cute in their tropical/Christmas print shirts!
Once we all met up again after fishing and jet skiing, we ate lunch at Cookies BBQ. We hadn't done this before, not sure why. With the ship right there, you can eat aboard too. But, Cookies was fine. The line is a bit slow, some choices didn't look that great, but I stuck with the BBQ'd stuff like baby back ribs and chicken.The couscous is good. There is a drink station here too as well as ice cream (all included).
Found Jack again!
Also got some pics earlier in the day before jet skiing... before getting all wet and salty! Went and shopped first thing. Love getting that Castaway Cay merchandise! Can't get it any where else!
I made sure all four of us got off the ship at the same time so we could get this shot. I used it for our Christmas card, which Shutters printed up and had ready early the next morning:
Other shots:
and my favorite Disney Dog:
Here are some shots of the Christmas touches on the island:
I don't know anyone in this photo, hard to get a clear shot! If you recognize yourself, say "HI!"
One of the friends DD made also had a brother age 7, we luckily met up with them and left DD & DS to head to Serenity Bay.
Gotta love this place. Although I have no pictures... sorry! We did find a hammock... getting two people into one of those is tricky!
We had floats too, ah nice. December isn't really the warmest, however. Even in the Bahamas. It was nice, but with the sun low in the sky I didn't even use sun screen.
After our away time at the adult beach and after we'd used up all the "serenity now, Jerry!" jokes, we headed back to find the kids. This part could have been planned better! Ever tried scour the family beach for your kids? Oh well, we did find them eventually. It was time to get back on board, boy, to they let you know too... announcements and not so subtle stacking of chairs all around you!
We all love the beach but it does feel good to get a shower and get dressed in dry clothes!
Time to start packing too...
It was nice that we weren't catching a plane right after getting off the ship, didn't have to worry about weight distribution with the bags. I am good at packing but apparently a bit rough. I made this trip a bit more expensive than planned by breaking off 2 of the 4 prongs on my wedding ring holding the diamond in place.
I didn't discover this until dinner later that evening. This is the second time I have done this... not meant to have diamonds I guess. 
I went back to the room to look for it, and did check & recheck the bag I was packing when I *think* it happened. No luck. Fortunately it was not a big diamond by any means. And I have no intention of replacing this one. I will stay with a basic gold band!We didn't go to the last show "Till we meet again." But dinner was very good.
DS, our hot dog boy, had another adventurous meal of Sashimi Tuna with sesame seeds and black caviar, seaweed wakame salad, lobster and crawfish bisque, seafood linguine (shrimp, lobster, clams, & scallops ---whatever was left over apparently!!), and topped it all off with a Mickey Bar!
So, disembarkation went as smoothly as always. We were in no hurry, just getting a rental car and spending on more day/night in Orlando.
I have some final thoughts about this cruise... much of this I actually wrote the night before we got off:
Adult entertainment really lacking. What happened to 80's night?? I even packed my 1984 Madonna outfit!
It is often bantered about whether adults can cruise Disney and not feel overwhelmed by the kids... I have kids and was overwhelmed by other people’s kids on this trip. Crying on the verandas, in the halls, screaming at parents, parents screaming at the kids, running around the restaurants... ah, hello, it is a RESTAURANT! Control the toddlers.
Deck 9 adult areas have kids walking through constantly. Even Serenity Bay had some kids with parents. There really are not enough boundaries. I would never choose Disney for a romantic vacation with my spouse.
What is it about the bathrooms having that smell by the last night? Like the bilge needs to be pumped out. Probably does. Guess it’s good they don’t dump in the ocean, but yuck, the smell is unpleasant by the seventh night. What do they do on a longer cruise?
Music on this cruise was very average. They seem to be appealing to the lowest common deminator. The same 2 groups performed all week. The cover band was good at first but were like the slightly tacky group at a wedding , gets old after one evening. The duo who also did covers by the quiet cove pool and in the Promenade lounge were really bad. They sounded OK if you like Margaritaville and every other song you’ve heard that can be sung along with over and over. They looked like a parody from an SNL skit. When I heard their rendition of Le Freak, I had to physically pick up my jaw off the floor with my hand. Ack!
So much is awesome about DCL. Especially the service. They are almost overboard trying to do as much as possible for you. Those of us who are not use to having domestic help of any kind aren’t really sure how to keep thanking them for all they do. Too bad we can’t afford to tip double the recommmended amount... they deserve it.
Did we rebook onboard? YEP!
They let us book two rooms with all the discounts and intend on having one set of grandparents join us...maybe other family too? We will not likely sail anytime soon, however. I am sort of hoping to get on one of the new ships in 2011 or 2012. Last day: Swan/Dolphin!
Stinasmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,425
We chose to stay one more day in Orlando, post-cruise, so we didn't have to fly home on a red-eye, or stay overnight in Seattle... oh, wait, that ended up happening anyway.... see POST#16
The DIS podcast has hyped up the Swan/Dolphin so much that we chose to spend our last night here and check it out. THEY ARE RIGHT! This place is really great. Just beautiful. And especially at Christmas.
The pool at the Dolphin (where we were) was cold but really pretty. These are the only pictures I have for some reason... taken with the remainder of the underwater camera:
I think one reason I didn't take more pictures while here was that we only had one day and wanted to do and see so much! The location of this resort is really optimal too... except for the bus system. We had our rental car and really should have driven to Downtown Disney, but going to DTD wasn't where DD and I were intending to go at first. We waited at the bus stop in front of the Dolphin for 40 minutes of our precious last day hoping for a bus to the Magic Kingdom. Finally we hopped onto a DTD bus and decided to get our shopping done instead. Man, if I spent a week waiting for and riding on these buses , I would have gone mad.
This bus then proceeded to stop at ALL the Epcot resorts before heading to its destination. Won't do that again.
DH and DS were smarter. They walked to the International Gateway of Epcot and wandered a few countries. This surprised me, I thought DH was really sick of all the WDW stuff. Well, after today, I certainly was getting there.
Somehow, we managed to wander the Boardwalk, eat at the brewery there, swim in the pool, shop at DTD, and restaurant hop back at the Swan/Dolphin all in one day. Except for the whole bus thing and not ever making it to MK,
it was a great "taster" of an onsite resort experience.
This time packing meant proper weight distribution. After a great night sleep in the heavenly beds, we drove back to the airport and were ottta there ("wheels up") by 8:30am arriving in Seattle by 11:30am - west coast time that is. We weren't quite home yet, however... (post #16 will explain!)
_______________________________________
So, what did we do right on this trip?
*Rental cars worked out pretty well. We picked up the first one upon arrival at MCO and turned it back in at Cape Canaveral driving ourselves to the port. Not that it was perfect, but I really did like not feeling rushed or crazed when leaving the resort to get to the port. Last time we returned our car to MCO and took Disney transportation to the port, this was fine too, good pictures of the bus and all, but then you're on their time, not yours.
We then got another rental at Cape Canaveral after the cruise and drove to the Swan/Dolphin... on our time. Since Magical express doesn't serve the Swan/Dolphin, the rental was the least expensive option. Our flight left early enough the last morning that we were happy to drive ourselves and not get up Super early to wait for a bus.
*Horizon's By Marriott - This resort really fit our needs. Great location for everything (miles to WDW but easy freeway access). It's newer, well kept, huge rooms, well appointed. Great pool areas, especially for families, and a lake to fish at! Oh, yeah, DD and I loved the free WiFi!
*Discovery Cove! Worth every penny!
*The cruise... and the Western Itinerary. These ports are great, I could see going to them again, but with other plans. And the cruise, well, heck... hard to top a week on the Magic.
*Our kids... we really packed in a lot in these two weeks. Both kids were real troopers, even when things didn't go smoothly. I am extremely proud of them and how they behaved in varying situations and how they got along with each other as well as us (parents). They were a joy to travel with.
Here is how easy DS was on the way home:
_________________________________
What didn't go so well?
*Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. Waste of money.
*Crowd levels at the WDW parks... guess there is no "down" time anymore.
*Bus system from the Dolphin
*Music and lack of adult entertainment on the cruise.
Hmmm... that' enough. Hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure!
Ask any questions! But, now, I get to scrapbook...
The DIS podcast has hyped up the Swan/Dolphin so much that we chose to spend our last night here and check it out. THEY ARE RIGHT! This place is really great. Just beautiful. And especially at Christmas.
The pool at the Dolphin (where we were) was cold but really pretty. These are the only pictures I have for some reason... taken with the remainder of the underwater camera:
I think one reason I didn't take more pictures while here was that we only had one day and wanted to do and see so much! The location of this resort is really optimal too... except for the bus system. We had our rental car and really should have driven to Downtown Disney, but going to DTD wasn't where DD and I were intending to go at first. We waited at the bus stop in front of the Dolphin for 40 minutes of our precious last day hoping for a bus to the Magic Kingdom. Finally we hopped onto a DTD bus and decided to get our shopping done instead. Man, if I spent a week waiting for and riding on these buses
, I would have gone mad. This bus then proceeded to stop at ALL the Epcot resorts before heading to its destination. Won't do that again.DH and DS were smarter. They walked to the International Gateway of Epcot and wandered a few countries. This surprised me, I thought DH was really sick of all the WDW stuff. Well, after today, I certainly was getting there.
Somehow, we managed to wander the Boardwalk, eat at the brewery there, swim in the pool, shop at DTD, and restaurant hop back at the Swan/Dolphin all in one day. Except for the whole bus thing and not ever making it to MK,
it was a great "taster" of an onsite resort experience.
This time packing meant proper weight distribution. After a great night sleep in the heavenly beds, we drove back to the airport and were ottta there ("wheels up") by 8:30am arriving in Seattle by 11:30am - west coast time that is. We weren't quite home yet, however... (post #16 will explain!)
_______________________________________
So, what did we do right on this trip?
*Rental cars worked out pretty well. We picked up the first one upon arrival at MCO and turned it back in at Cape Canaveral driving ourselves to the port. Not that it was perfect, but I really did like not feeling rushed or crazed when leaving the resort to get to the port. Last time we returned our car to MCO and took Disney transportation to the port, this was fine too, good pictures of the bus and all, but then you're on their time, not yours.
We then got another rental at Cape Canaveral after the cruise and drove to the Swan/Dolphin... on our time. Since Magical express doesn't serve the Swan/Dolphin, the rental was the least expensive option. Our flight left early enough the last morning that we were happy to drive ourselves and not get up Super early to wait for a bus.
*Horizon's By Marriott - This resort really fit our needs. Great location for everything (miles to WDW but easy freeway access). It's newer, well kept, huge rooms, well appointed. Great pool areas, especially for families, and a lake to fish at! Oh, yeah, DD and I loved the free WiFi!
*Discovery Cove! Worth every penny!
*The cruise... and the Western Itinerary. These ports are great, I could see going to them again, but with other plans. And the cruise, well, heck... hard to top a week on the Magic.
*Our kids... we really packed in a lot in these two weeks. Both kids were real troopers, even when things didn't go smoothly. I am extremely proud of them and how they behaved in varying situations and how they got along with each other as well as us (parents). They were a joy to travel with.
Here is how easy DS was on the way home:
_________________________________
What didn't go so well?
*Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. Waste of money.
*Crowd levels at the WDW parks... guess there is no "down" time anymore.
*Bus system from the Dolphin
*Music and lack of adult entertainment on the cruise.
Hmmm... that' enough. Hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure!
Ask any questions! But, now, I get to scrapbook...
I have read 
along anxiously and escaped from this terribly cold winter to each destination with you. We will be doing our first cruise on June 27 with our two DS (12& 13). It was an unexpected surprise we gave to them on Christmas morning while we were spending Xmas Mickey. We can't wait to go and since it's a 7 day Western I was captivated with your report. Excellent job, beautiful family............thank you for sharing it with us.
along anxiously and escaped from this terribly cold winter to each destination with you. We will be doing our first cruise on June 27 with our two DS (12& 13). It was an unexpected surprise we gave to them on Christmas morning while we were spending Xmas Mickey. We can't wait to go and since it's a 7 day Western I was captivated with your report. Excellent job, beautiful family............thank you for sharing it with us.
Stinasmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,425
Hey all! Thanks for the "thanks!" I remember reading trip reports before our first cruise, building up the anticipation so much that when I saw the ship for the first time in person I couldn't help but cry!
I did manage to finish my DCL scrapbook! Still working on WDW and Discovery Cove stuff.
Not sure how well these pictures will turn out, but here's what I have:
What a fun way to drag out vacation memories! As I put all this together, the kids keep asking when we'll be going back... unfortunately the answer is in years not months...
Thanks all for joining me on this voyage!
Marcy
I did manage to finish my DCL scrapbook! Still working on WDW and Discovery Cove stuff.
Not sure how well these pictures will turn out, but here's what I have:
What a fun way to drag out vacation memories! As I put all this together, the kids keep asking when we'll be going back... unfortunately the answer is in years not months...
Thanks all for joining me on this voyage!
Marcy
Pooh's-Honey-Pot
DVC owner since 2020 - VGF, BLT and SSR
- Joined
- May 31, 2007
- Messages
- 3,668
Loved your report! You are getting me very excited!!
Stinasmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 1,425
Yep, they have "kits" in one of the stores on the ship. They run about $15 and are the only place you are going to get anything specific to Disney Cruise Line.
We have been on board on December the last two times so I got the dated kit for half price. As if saving $7.50 made all that much difference! This hobby is rather expensive and tricky as I have to get all my supplies out of town or online.
Thanks everyone for the nice comments!
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