Fantastical Moments: Sailing the Fantasy Western Caribbean 10/25 – 11/1/2014!!!!

[SrisonS]

Day 1: Let the Fantastical Moments Begin

IMG_0463 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


Well… my DW got a cruise for her birthday!!!! Or course she knew about it; and even helped pay for it. But still.

So this is the 4th Disney Cruise for my wife (Mollie) and I (Scott); and the 2nd … Welcome to the Castaway Club!!!... for our DD (Samantha, age 4). I wrote a “thorough” trip report for our 2012 sailing (see sig); but there were a lot of new experiences and discoveries for us this time around. So it’ll be nice to touch some new bases here. And our destinations this trip are Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Castaway Cay. We’ve been to Cozumel before; were supposed to go to Grand Cayman that same trip; and have never been to Jamaica.


IMG_0568 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


To start off; we live in Orlando, and are Disney Annual Passholders. So this isn’t an extended Disney vacation (i.e. parks, then cruise), like some people are apt to do. And we can just easily drive to the port (1 hour away… $120 to park for the week); which is something that is quite nice.

Going into this trip, there were a couple of things we were looking to do. One small thing on my end, is that I would get a chance to meet a guy who’s been a Flickr Contact of mine for quite some time. I’ve recently been posting pictures from our cruise from 2 years ago; and had mentioned in the commentary that we would be sailing again this year. So Arthur (my Flickr friend) reached out to ask when the dates of our trip would be. Lo and behold, he and his family would be on the ship with us!!!! But on a bigger scale, we would also be taking part in a Fish Extender group (any more “White Rabbits” out there???). It was more my wife’s doing than anything. I helped out a tad bit. But she really spearheaded everything. The preparation got a little hectic and stressful at times; but she pulled it off. And being a part of the FE experience was definitely a highlight of our trip.

So getting over to Port Canaveral was pretty uneventful… which is good. There wasn’t any traffic. We didn’t take an early Exit by accident (like last time). And my wife had her pleasantly teary moment when first seeing the ship appear along the horizon. Upon arrival; one thing I noticed that didn’t seem to be there last time (or they might’ve been working on it), was an alternate security entrance. It was extended from the 3rd floor of the parking garage; and we could see a nice line of people waiting to get in. So when parking, we made a point to go the 3rd floor. And by the time we had gotten to the line, there wasn’t much of a line left. I can’t say if this was necessarily faster than going through the main lower entrance; but at least there was an alternative.


IMG_0339 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


Almost as soon as we got in line to check in; I saw my Flickr pal Arthur and his family. I’ve seen pictures of them beforehand; and I’ll just address the elephant in the room a little… 2 African-American guys trying to find each other wasn’t all that hard. Everything with the check-in process was a breeze. And of course; a 4 year old little girl seeing a lanyard that is hers… instant fashion accessory!!!! I’m just assuming that little girls think alike. Ours will jump at the chance to wear something new and “unique”. Whether it’s a hat, or sunglasses, or a necklace, or a mask, or a bracelet, or stickers… it’s going on!!! We then head over to register our DD for the Youth Activities. This was a pretty straightforward process as well. And she even got a cool Disney Cruise Line 2014 Magic Band, with Captain Mickey on it, that she wore for the ENTIRE week. “Entire” because you really couldn’t take it off without first cutting off a plastic zip-tie they put in place. The colored zip-tie thingy (I know there were black ones and red ones) served to notify the crew if your child had certain allergies and stuff though. So it was important to not disturb it. Plus, she didn’t seem to mind wearing all the time. I am very curious to know if we could link her Annual Pass to that Magic Band though (UPDATE: I was able to do it!!!!!). Heck; I wish they sold them for the adults, to eventually link passes to. I would’ve bought one in a second!!!!!

After that, it was just about time for us to board the ship. We skipped out on the pic with Mickey in the terminal, because my wife just wanted to get going. We were in Group 3 to board, and our number was just about to be called. Stepping into the Atrium to be introduced was definitely more pleasant than last time. Two years ago, our DD was already in a really cranky mood at this point; which also lasted the rest of the day. But luckily, she was in good spirits this time around. We were introduced my Anthony; and he made a point to tell us how much he REALLY liked the last name Smith. I don’t think he was bluffing either. He seemed really enthusiastic about it, and was like “ask anybody here”. Should’ve taken him up on that, just for curiosity’s sake.


Let's Go Cruisin' by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


IMG_0349 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


Our very first stop would be to the Port Adventures desk, on the 5th floor. This is where we would get a ticket for the Anna/Elsa meet, as well as one for the Princess Gathering. Kudos to my wife for perusing over tons of cruise info before this trip. Otherwise, there’s a possibility we could’ve overlooked doing this. And I highly recommend doing this for anyone else that wants to save time when it comes to meeting these characters. It was probably the only wait to meet Anna and Elsa. And although the Princesses would be out and about at various times, it was nice to meet 4 (Cinderella, Ariel, Tiana, & Jasmine) in one shot.

Next on our agenda was to get some lunch at Cabanas. So after stopping to take a picture with Sailor Goofy, we were on our way. Yes, it was nice to see that at least some character interaction started as soon as guests were allowed on the ship. But lunch was good. It was just as expected for the most part. Going in though, we were kind of expecting that Crew Members would be putting the food on your plate; to help ease the worry about germs spreading. That’s what my wife was hearing anyway. But in Cabanas, it did not happen at any point during the cruise.


IMG_0351 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

 

[packerbeth]

I am excited to read your report. We are sailing on our first DCL cruise on the Magic in three weeks!!

 

[Batgirl67]

Looking forward to more of this report. We will be heading out 11/30 on this same itinerary.

Thanks for the great tips so far with the princess meets and parking garage.

Love the smiles in your photos and the cute anchor outfit your daughter is wearing for day 1 is super cute.

Cheers!

Lisa

 

[SonyaShay]

I'm hear to enjoy the ride! Looking for a good detailed Western TR leading up to my cruise in June 2015.

 

[SrisonS]

I am excited to read your report. We are sailing on our first DCL cruise on the Magic in three weeks!!

Looking forward to more of this report. We will be heading out 11/30 on this same itinerary.

Thanks for the great tips so far with the princess meets and parking garage.

Love the smiles in your photos and the cute anchor outfit your daughter is wearing for day 1 is super cute.

Cheers!

Lisa

I'm hear to enjoy the ride! Looking for a good detailed Western TR leading up to my cruise in June 2015.

Thanks for following along!!!! And my wife will definitely enjoy the compliment on our DD's outfit.

 

[SrisonS]

IMG_0343 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


Afterwards, we decided to check out the Open House for the Oceaneer Club. We had plans to send our DD there for when we did brunch at Palo. And although we had been in there during the previous cruise, we wanted to check it out again anyway. On the way there, we noticed that one little shop was already open on the ship; Whozits & Whatzits. It’s the one located near the Deck 11 elevators at Midship. A lot of the items in there were mainly for the pool. But we were able to get an autograph book in there. And one of our main goals was to fill this book up!!! The “with who” wasn’t as important as just completing the task. But we know it would be fun either way. We’ve been doing yearly autograph books for our DD, for when we visit the parks. So it’s nice to throw some unique photo ops in there once in a while. Anyway…. the Oceaneer Club was cool. I feel like we looked things over a little more this time around. Not that we were worried or anything. But we kind of just took our time in there. And I don’t recall seeing the Monsters, Inc room in there before. I absolutely know it’s a possibility that I could’ve overlooked it. Or maybe because our DD wasn’t really into Monsters, Inc two years ago, we might’ve just passed through really fast (she absolutely loves Monsters University now though… as do I).


IMG_0344 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


IMG_0353 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr



While in there, we noticed it was just about time for the staterooms to be ready. So we headed up to our home for the week… Stateroom 9508!!!!! Last time, we stayed in stateroom 9510. We tried this time to book it again, but obviously it didn’t happen. It is located on the starboard side, and almost as far forward as you can go. It’s a pretty ideal location; because you’re not far from the elevators, and the laundry room is super close. And we (well…. I) ironed our clothes every day. So that proximity was quite helpful. Our stateroom also didn’t have a verandah; but still had a nice sized porthole, where we could get some good views.

Upon entering, we were greeted with a really nice surprise. It was a little Cruise Minnie Mouse for our DD, and a note saying “Have Fun Samantha! From Gavin”. Btw, Gavin is her little boyfriend. And yes, I’ll be signing up for Kung-Fu Master classes soon. But while we still had a cell signal, my wife had to get the scoop on this little discovery. To be honest, Gavin is a good kid; and we are good friends with his parents. So come to find out, his mom knows someone that basically works doing this; as in getting gifts to be placed aboard the ships. And it was a nice way to really help get our cruise kicked off.


IMG_0358 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

IMG_0355 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

IMG_0379 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


One thing I forgot to mention, that was done in preparation for this cruise; is that we would be doing door magnets!!!! This again was all my wife’s doing. But it was cool to give our entryway a little personality. And in her eyes, if we were gonna do it… we were gonna DO IT!!!! So there were plenty of magnets to be spread about. We also had these in one of our carry-ons. So as soon as my wife got off the phone, it was on to decorating. After the door was completed, my wife wanted to try to get some rest with our DD. We could already see some sleepiness setting in; and we definitely didn’t want a repeat of “Day 1” from our last cruise. But since I’m not one to nap or anything (I’m the textbook reason of why people need a rest after vacation), I decided to head out for a bit to get some pics of Port Canaveral, from the ship. But as soon as I walked out the door, I saw that every single one of our bags had arrived. And our luggage definitely had to be some of the first unloaded. Because looking down the hall, there were only about 6 other bags; and not all for one room… like our 6 checked bags (yes, our Fish Extender stuff had its own suitcase). So that put a little damper on my plans. We ended unpacking pretty much everything. We’re not ones to live out of a suitcase on such a long trip. So it was nice to at least get it over and done with.


IMG_0365 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

IMG_0374 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr



And speaking of Fish Extenders; before we able to completely finish unpacking, it was time to meet up with other FE participants. …… Set in crankiness. On our way down to Deck 4, our DD started repeating over and over how she wanted to go back to “her room” (that’s what she called it the entire cruise). I tried sitting down with her, to maybe calm this episode; but she wouldn’t give it a rest. And because I didn’t want us being “those people”, or her being “that kid”; I just went back to the room with her. Needless to say, my DW was VERY disappointed in our little one. She was looking forward to this meet and greet, and probably getting the chance to start some connections for this week. But it didn’t happen. My wife only stuck around for a little bit by herself. So when she got back to the room, it was time for everyone (except Joe Cool here) to just lie down and relax, and just get over this little bump.

A little while later, it was time to head out for the Emergency Drill. Last time, I remember that our group got to go to the Walt Disney Theatre for this. And I don’t know if something changed, or if just being one room over made a difference; but we had to be outside this time area (but I did see groups leaving that theatre after all was said and done). The drill was basically how it always is…. they check Keys to the World (one per room) to make sure everyone arrived, tell about where to report to, and they go over how to use the life vests. Although it was just as expected; there was a Fantastical Moment that happened here. Most of the areas were shaded by the lifeboats ahead. But of course, we get lined up in the space that’s basically between 2 lifeboats; and the sun is pretty much right on us. My wife and I pretty much had our faces blocked; but down below, and in front, our DD had it full blast. To our surprise, Sawek (from Thailand) noticed this. And for the entire drill, he stood blocking the sun for her. Before we left the drill, we made note of his name and where he was from, so that we could give him the proper recognition when the time came. After someone else did us a big favor in Cabanas (Benjamin, from India), we asked Guest Services on what we needed to do to let management know how much we appreciated these crew members. She gave us some paper and an envelope, and said to write a letter about our experience s with them. So on the final night, when we turned in the comment cards for our wait staff and room host, we submitted our letter as well. Here’s hoping they got the proper credit they deserve!!!!!!!!


Having Fun While Sailing Away by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


After the drill…. It’s Sailing Away Party Time!!!!!! We went straight up to Deck 11, and got a “good” spot for the party. There was only 1 row of people lined up for the very front; and a nice gentleman let our DD squeeze right up there. But I say “good”, because next to our daughter, an older was bullish on keeping her dead center spot. Not once did she look around to get a grasp of her surroundings. Because if she did, she would’ve seen a little 4 year old standing right next to her; instead of almost hitting her in the head with her camera. Her pushiness pretty much forced our DD to move back; thus forcing us to hold her, just so she could get a decent view. Heck, that woman even seemed to be pushy with the people she knew on the other side of her. No offense to anyone out there (besides the ones stated); but I don’t know what it is about blondes and their cameras, who are right up front. The same exact thing happened to our daughter during our last cruise (check sig for my trip report evidence!!!!!!). Both were Nikon users too. So there’s that working against them. Mad at the kid of the Canon user. Jealousy is such a disease. The woman this time around though seemed to be on some non-fun photographic mission during the cruise. I saw her a couple of other times as well. And each time, it looked like she was trying to document every little thing, and keeping a scowl on while doing so. But whatever. Just had to rant a little bit. That b…. Sorry. I’m done. And her freakin’ head is in almost all of my shots of the party. Of course, I shot blindly for most of them (just held the camera up and did ‘spray and pray’), but still. I’m already picky on the shots I show. And just to share one of the “better” ones, I had to crop it way more than I wanted to. Ugh!!!!!! Joe Cool, no more. The party was fun though!!!!!! And it’s great hearing the “When You Wish Upon A Star” ship horn, to start the week of adventure.


IMG_0417 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

 

[st37]

Scott,

First I want to tell your that I have been on the boards in one form or another for quite a while but never really post anything. Just sort of lurk around, gather info I need and go about enjoying myself at the parks. My family, like you and yours, are annual pass holders and are at the parks about every other weekend.

One person I always look for on the boards is you-especially your pics. I have been enjoying your pictures for years on here! I'm going on the same cruise in May of 2015 so I'm really interested in your report. I have a question for you-I live in Ocala, so time wise, what time did you guys leave to get to the port. I saw that you guys were group 3 so you got in pretty early. I'm trying to figure the best time for us to leave Ocala to get there and get on the ship early so we can start enjoying! I'm probably gonna pick your brain quite a bit since we are going in the same intinerary so please be patient!

Thanks in advance

 

[SrisonS]

Scott,

First I want to tell your that I have been on the boards in one form or another for quite a while but never really post anything. Just sort of lurk around, gather info I need and go about enjoying myself at the parks. My family, like you and yours, are annual pass holders and are at the parks about every other weekend.

One person I always look for on the boards is you-especially your pics. I have been enjoying your pictures for years on here! I'm going on the same cruise in May of 2015 so I'm really interested in your report. I have a question for you-I live in Ocala, so time wise, what time did you guys leave to get to the port. I saw that you guys were group 3 so you got in pretty early. I'm trying to figure the best time for us to leave Ocala to get there and get on the ship early so we can start enjoying! I'm probably gonna pick your brain quite a bit since we are going in the same intinerary so please be patient!

Thanks in advance

Thanks for the great compliments!!!!! We got there around 10:30. And it was only like a little over an hour drive (to be specific on where we live... we're right off Exit 90/Maitland Blvd of I-4). And please... ask away!!!! I don't have all the answers; but I'll do what I can.

 

[abitagirl916]

Scott, I'm also a big fan of your pictures and thoroughly enjoyed your previous trip report. My DD and I have been on 3 DCL cruises with another planned in Oct. 2015 (same itinerary as the one your are reporting here). Look forward to reading the rest of your trip report and see all of your beautiful pictures.

 

[SrisonS]

Scott, I'm also a big fan of your pictures and thoroughly enjoyed your previous trip report. My DD and I have been on 3 DCL cruises with another planned in Oct. 2015 (same itinerary as the one your are reporting here). Look forward to reading the rest of your trip report and see all of your beautiful pictures.

Thanks a lot!!!!

 

[Linda67]

Wonderful start to your TR
I hopped over from your Facebook post saying you had started
I'm a huge fan of your photos and can't wait to see and hear about your trip

 

[Benchley]

I'm here too in rainy uk, dreaming of our cruise in 2016!

 

[Divslp]

Wow, you guys were down the hall from me during our cruise! I remember seeing your FE on my many trips to the iron, lol.

 

[SrisonS]

Wow, you guys were down the hall from me during our cruise! I remember seeing your FE on my many trips to the iron, lol.

Ha ha!!!! Cool!!!!

 

[SrisonS]

Being that we had the earlier seating for dinner (5:45 PM), it was time to head back to our DD’s room to start getting ready. Of everything I look forward to about being on the ship; the 1st night of dinner is not really one of them. I’m not really the most sociable person (people who know me are shocked to see these trip reports), so meeting strangers is not in my comfort zone. I’m definitely polite and all; and I don’t mind talking. But I’m not a conversation starter. Never have been, for some reason. I wouldn’t mind if we had a table all to ourselves; but I know my wife kind of looks forward to seeing who we will be spending our dinners with. Besides the very first night of our very first cruise, our dinner mates have been quite pleasant (a just-married young couple, sitting with a dad and his 3 young daughters… not the best pairing… and we got moved the next night). We even still keep in touch with the family we were seated with 2 years ago. Heck, if they were on this cruise, we would’ve tried sitting with them. They’re doing one next year though. Anyway, the family this time was comprised of a couple and their 3 sons (ages 5, 7, and 10… I believe). They were from Newfoundland, Canada; and were nice tablemates. …. Hmmm… I’m wondering if my wife will chime in about anything I’m writing in this report?!?!? It’ll be interesting on how she might elaborate on some things. When it comes to breaking the ice and setting some form a bond with other families, kids can sometimes be the great equalizer. If they are about the same age, there is a lot that can be talked about and compared. And if can be fun doing so. But when the kids are of different ages (and sometimes gender), there isn’t much to initially grasp on to.



IMG_0451 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr



Dinner this night was in Animator’s Palate. Of all the restaurants, and even places, on the ship, this is one of my favorites. I’m in absolute love with the décor. And the screens, when they’re just cycling though a lot of concept art; I could watch that all day. I always mention to my wife that she needs to get rich so that we can get a room decked out like it. But for our entertainment on those screens tonight, it was Finding Nemo themed. So Crush was out talking to the guests, and the Moonfish were making all types of designs. And speaking of schools of fish; when we looked out of our window while still in Port Canaveral, we could see a school swimming around. Last time, we surprisingly saw a manatee in that same area (I even snapped a picture of it… see last trip report). But oh yeah…. this day was my wife’s birthday!!!! They completed surprised her by signing Happy Birthday and bringing out a piece of cake. And it was cool that they even had Disney Cruise Line birthday buttons to give out. So that was definitely a nice little unique keepsake. Just a note; I don’t have any pictures of food “you know what” this time around. And besides that most of the food items were great; I don’t have much to really add in that regard.



IMG_0455 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr



After dinner, it was time head to the Lobby Atrium, to hear the Story of the Pumpkin Tree!!!!!!! This was a great way to kick off the Halloween on the High Seas experience. Although the only other big Halloween event would be later in the week, there were still activities here and there where guests could get their Halloween fix. The story was nice, and was wonderfully told by the old groundskeeper (SPOILER ALERT!!! It was Anthony!!!!!). Afterwards, he came around to collect “seeds” from everyone, so that something special would happen to the tree (You got your “seeds” from tables that were in the atrium as well). And I believe that by the end of the next night, guests could see what came to fruition. I just happened to see the tree in all its glory when it first had an extra burst of life; but I’ll leave those little details for later.

Now that the storytelling was done, it was time for the 1st nighttime show of the cruise!!!! For the most part, we always look forward to doing these (I’ll also leave that “most part” explanation for later). They are wonderfully done; and it’s a great way to wind down the evening. Last cruise, we were unable to make it, because of DD’s behavior at dinner. My wife was even set to go by herself if our daughter was acting anything like she was earlier in the day. But since she was well behaved this time around, all cylinders were go!!!!! If anything, it was at least something new to look forward to. And if I remember correctly; when we did the Magic a while back, the 1st show introduced you to your Cruise Director, there was an actual Disney show part with characters, and some of the guest talent on the ship (comedians and such) gave a preview of what their main shows would entail. That format was great, because it gave you an idea on what types of shows to look forward; and get just a taste to see if it might be your speed or not. This show however, mainly just had a theatrical storyline. Yeah, our Cruise Director came out (Clayton!!!!); and a comedy duo (Buckets N Boards) did a little something. But I wish there were one or two more of the talent previews. The show, A Fantasy Come True, was good though. And it helped to spread the message of just enjoying yourself on vacation; and possibly leaving with great memories, and having an even stronger family bond. So definitely check it out if you get the chance.



IMG_0461 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr



During most nights of our cruises, we like to take advantage of the chance to grab some late night goodies. First, we hit Deck 11 and grab something from Luigi’s Pizza. And when we get back to the room, I usually make my way back out to see what La Piazza (Deck 4… in Europa) has to offer. Everyone makes their way past Luigi’s at some point, on most days. So they know what’s being served there… no, it doesn’t change at night. But some may not know of the fried foods (varies each night…. Coconut shrimp, fish nuggets, pot stickers, wings, etc…) and little delicious dessert bites at La Piazza. I was even presently surprised one night to see a dessert (a pistachio thing) that I had really enjoyed from our Palo Brunch. And Europa is basically just for adults at night. So that’s why I head over myself. Plus, they don’t put out their spread until 10:45; and our little one is usually sound asleep by then.

Tonight would be an exception though. Instead of hitting-the-sack at a normal time, we decided to pass out some of our Fish Extender gifts. I believe we only did 2 of the floors on our list. So it wasn’t too bad. And also, that Castaway Club bag that we got as a gift came in quite handy. We snuck around like ninjas, delivering everything. As it was cool to see other people being quick and sneaky while handing out their FE gifts as well. I will say though, you’ll never get a sense of how long the ship is, until you’re walking those halls; literally from end to end. It’s kinda funny; a few months ago, I had mentioned that I never got the sense that the ship was super super long. And that’s from me walking all over the place by myself, taking pictures of everything (mainly in the Atrium, and upper decks). But going to the lower levels and just walking past all the rooms, it seems to stretch forever!!!! I also got more of an appreciation for our room location; because some staterooms seem to be quite far from the elevators. So if you’re ever trying to rush around and do things; it could possibly quite a pain at times.
…… Oh!!!.... and when we got back to our room, we had some FE gifts waiting for us!!!!

And speaking of going on my own private photowalks; I was gonna do some picture taking this night. But I just felt like being “Mr. Family” this first night; so I went to bed along with everyone else.



IMG_0466 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr


IMG_0470 by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Great Pictures. Wonderful writing.

I was thinking of some other cruise for April 2016 but your pictures show what is lovely on the Disney ships.

 

[SrisonS]

Great Pictures. Wonderful writing. I was thinking of some other cruise for April 2016 but your pictures show what is lovely on the Disney ships.

I can't speak for other cruise lines; but there A LOT to love on the Disney ships. My pictures only capture so much.

 

[SteelersLover]

Hi. I remember reading your first Trip Report and enjoying it... beautiful photos again.. Your daughter is a pretty little princess. I've done 4 DCL cruises and love seeing great photos like yours

 

[Campbem]

Enjoying the read so far, Scott. Great reporting and love the photos, I'll definitely have to look back at your previous trip report. Cheers!

 

[SrisonS]

Hi. I remember reading your first Trip Report and enjoying it... beautiful photos again.. Your daughter is a pretty little princess. I've done 4 DCL cruises and love seeing great photos like yours

Enjoying the read so far, Scott. Great reporting and love the photos, I'll definitely have to look back at your previous trip report. Cheers!

Thank you both!!!!!