Grand 1 Yacht question

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Okay, I've been trying to figure out if it's possible to have a Wishes fireworks dessert party for the wedding. My MoH is in a wheelchair so I contacted the Grand Floridian Marina to ask them about it.

I spoke with the manager and he definitely thinks it's possible if one of us carried her onto the boat. He sent me a picture of the back of the boat (where you'd board) which is one of the pictures from Sea Ray's website.

I just have a few questions:

1) Where is the food normally served? Is is served on the first floor interior section?

2) He said people normally view the fireworks from the back deck (where you board), he said there's seating there where my MoH would be able to sit and view the fireworks. What is the upper floor used for?

3) Does anyone have pictures to share? I'm just really nervous about this being completely uncomfortable for her. I just can't visualize it. I *really* regret not doing a tour of the boat when I was there in December but I didn't know it was an option for us.

 

[disprincessatheart]

I'm getting married in April and using the Grand 1. I'll let you know then if you don't get answers sooner!

 

[Janet2k]

1) Where is the food normally served? Is is served on the first floor interior section?

It's really up to you and your captain. It honestly depends upon the size of your crowd and the weather.

When I was on the cruise, we enjoyed food & beverages inside the main cabin. We also took our beverages upstairs to the bridge so that we could enjoy them during the fireworks show. I understand that food can also be served outdoors on the aft deck (back of the boat).

Here's a photo from the cruise that I was on:

2) He said people normally view the fireworks from the back deck (where you board), he said there's seating there where my MoH would be able to sit and view the fireworks.

Yes, you can view them from there, and there is seating there.

When I was on the cruise, we viewed the fireworks from both the foredeck (front of the boat) and the bridge. There were 10 of us aboard. Here's a photo from our cruise:

What is the upper floor used for?

Mostly, the navigational bridge is up there (where the captain steers the boat from). There is also seating. Here's a photo from our cruise. It's not the best photo since I was standing next to the captain when I snapped it:

I was primarily trying to sneak a photo of my friend as she was kicking back & chatting with our captain. There were padded bench seats where she was sitting and also a place to put glassware (a.k.a., beverages). Behind the captain, I believe, was another seating area. I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of it but I was too busy having a good time.

3) Does anyone have pictures to share?

Since I did the cruise a year & a half ago and the Grand 1 was replaced last year, my photos won't help you much but here they are: click here.

According to Disney's official press release, the new boat is a 52-footer. My guess is the following floor plan might be either identical or very similar to the boat that Disney currently is using: click here.

I hope this helped.

 

[CutieBugNY]

Did you guys bring your own Pirate gear or did you arrange that ahead of time with the planner?

We are taking our very close family on this cruise the night before everyone really gets into town as a surprise and thank you gift, i like the idea of maybe doing a pirate theme

 

[Janet2k]

Did you guys bring your own Pirate gear or did you arrange that ahead of time with the planner?

One of the guests on our cruise was very creative. She's the one who gave everyone lanyards, hats, earrings, and other items. We're all big Pirates of the Caribbean buffs so she themed the items that way.

Here's a photo of my daughter wearing a pirate earring and a personalized pirate lanyard -- complete with mini-"parrot" -- that my friend had given to her. In the photo you'll also see the "pirate ghost" that my friend brought along as a prop for the cruise (she brought along several props):

My friend handed out the pirate gifts shortly before everyone boarded the Grand 1 yacht. It was a very fun surprise and really added to the festivity of our night. I highly recommend it.

You can certainly ask your FTW planner if she has any suggestions to make your cruise more personal. Remember, if you ask for personalized service, Disney is likely to provide it, but it does come at a cost. Hopefully, it will be at a cost that fits your budget.

For one of my private events (a non-FTW event), my Disney Event Manager suggested that picnic baskets be sent to my guests along with an invitation to my dinner party. I thought it was a wonderful suggestion and therefore gave the go-ahead for it. The following photo (screen shot, actually, from a guest's camcorder) shows what was delivered to their resort rooms:

It was a very personal touch that went over well with my guests.

Please keep us posted regarding what you decide to do.
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