Catnip0113
CT cruise lover
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2004
- Messages
- 445
Eastern Magic 4-17 for 3 of us - DAY 1
I traveled with my DH44, my DD12 and myself (44). We left home at 4am on Saturday to get to the airport 2 hrs early as they recommend (especially April vacation week). We left from Hartford, CT and flew non-stop to Orlando on Delta Song. This was our first flight on Song and it was very good. They provide headphones for 24 channel satellite TV (included in price of seats). There is a channel to watch details about the flight like where you are over a map, speed, altitude, outside temperature, etc. Another channel lets you play music trivia with other passengers. They have CNN, HGTV and a bunch of others.
We arrived in Orlando before 10am and were greeted by Disney Cruise line personnel just off the tram ride
to the main terminal. Once a good size group was there (only a few minutes) we were escorted down to
where the buses leave from. A CM with a big white Mickey hand in the air lead us out to the buses. The ride was about 50 minutes and they played a video of highlights of the cruise to come for us which passed the time. As you approach Port Canaveral you see the Magic and it is very exciting. There was another ship there as well from another cruise line. Once inside the terminal, CMs let you know where to go to check-in, the longer lines are for US citizens but they seemed to move fairly quickly. Then there was another line to board the ship which wasnt moving yet, but we had been given things to read (where lunch would be served and goings on for that day).
We boarded the ship by 12:30pm after getting our family photo taken at Embarkation. They announce your family name as you enter the main atrium on Deck 3. They had a band playing and people were
clapping for you. Lumieres doorway is magnificent right there and the atrium is 3 stories high with glass elevators. Very impressive first look at the ships interior. We proceeded to Deck 9 for lunch so we could get a look at the view from up there. My first impression was how clean it was and there were plenty of tables, CMs cleaned up trays so you dont have to worry about that. The crew are all around but quietly unobtrusive. Over the course of the week we marveled at how many different uniforms they have for every duty. Our server said he has around 14 uniforms for a week which he picks up on Saturday.
We were able to enter our stateroom at 1:30pm where we found two of our 5 bags. DD12s was not there so she was anxious. I told her they had until 6pm to bring the luggage up. I unpacked bags as they came, but by the time for the sailaway party at 4:30pm, hers had not come. She had a bathingsuit, but no shorts and she was very anxious. Luckily, after the party they all had come (by 5:15pm) and she could relax. We explored the ship a bit since we had the 8:30pm dinner seating.
Dinner was resort casual the first night in Lumieres (the LAPLAPL rotation). We had a table for 6 but we had no tablemates. Poor DD12 was so tired from getting up at 3:30am and traveling that she asked to leave before the main course. Our servers were very nice about her leaving and they gave us her dinner to take to the cabin later. We had Danny from Indonesia as our server and Noel from India was his assistant. We really liked them all week, they were friendly, asked about our days and gave us previews of the next day. They always asked after DD12 who only made it to the first Animators Palate (formal) and Parrot Cay nights. It was too late for her and too long to sit. She was pleased to get her dinner in the cabin later after she had gotten comfortable and was watching TV. We went to bed soon afterwards.
I traveled with my DH44, my DD12 and myself (44). We left home at 4am on Saturday to get to the airport 2 hrs early as they recommend (especially April vacation week). We left from Hartford, CT and flew non-stop to Orlando on Delta Song. This was our first flight on Song and it was very good. They provide headphones for 24 channel satellite TV (included in price of seats). There is a channel to watch details about the flight like where you are over a map, speed, altitude, outside temperature, etc. Another channel lets you play music trivia with other passengers. They have CNN, HGTV and a bunch of others.
We arrived in Orlando before 10am and were greeted by Disney Cruise line personnel just off the tram ride
to the main terminal. Once a good size group was there (only a few minutes) we were escorted down to
where the buses leave from. A CM with a big white Mickey hand in the air lead us out to the buses. The ride was about 50 minutes and they played a video of highlights of the cruise to come for us which passed the time. As you approach Port Canaveral you see the Magic and it is very exciting. There was another ship there as well from another cruise line. Once inside the terminal, CMs let you know where to go to check-in, the longer lines are for US citizens but they seemed to move fairly quickly. Then there was another line to board the ship which wasnt moving yet, but we had been given things to read (where lunch would be served and goings on for that day).
We boarded the ship by 12:30pm after getting our family photo taken at Embarkation. They announce your family name as you enter the main atrium on Deck 3. They had a band playing and people were
clapping for you. Lumieres doorway is magnificent right there and the atrium is 3 stories high with glass elevators. Very impressive first look at the ships interior. We proceeded to Deck 9 for lunch so we could get a look at the view from up there. My first impression was how clean it was and there were plenty of tables, CMs cleaned up trays so you dont have to worry about that. The crew are all around but quietly unobtrusive. Over the course of the week we marveled at how many different uniforms they have for every duty. Our server said he has around 14 uniforms for a week which he picks up on Saturday.
We were able to enter our stateroom at 1:30pm where we found two of our 5 bags. DD12s was not there so she was anxious. I told her they had until 6pm to bring the luggage up. I unpacked bags as they came, but by the time for the sailaway party at 4:30pm, hers had not come. She had a bathingsuit, but no shorts and she was very anxious. Luckily, after the party they all had come (by 5:15pm) and she could relax. We explored the ship a bit since we had the 8:30pm dinner seating.
Dinner was resort casual the first night in Lumieres (the LAPLAPL rotation). We had a table for 6 but we had no tablemates. Poor DD12 was so tired from getting up at 3:30am and traveling that she asked to leave before the main course. Our servers were very nice about her leaving and they gave us her dinner to take to the cabin later. We had Danny from Indonesia as our server and Noel from India was his assistant. We really liked them all week, they were friendly, asked about our days and gave us previews of the next day. They always asked after DD12 who only made it to the first Animators Palate (formal) and Parrot Cay nights. It was too late for her and too long to sit. She was pleased to get her dinner in the cabin later after she had gotten comfortable and was watching TV. We went to bed soon afterwards.
