Home from our first cruise Feb 9-13...

[LynneT]

We just returned home from our first ever cruise! We cruised on the 4 day Wonder from Feb 9-13. The weather was great, and we did not back into Castaway Cay!!
Traveling together was myself, Dh and DD 4 1/2. We stayed in a cat 11 handicapped cabin (6647) and it was huge!! DD is in a wheelchair. Cabin was very quiet, and dark.
We overpacked! The weather was great, in the 80's, except for the sail away party from florida.... VERY cold!!!
We got to see plenty of characters, took lots of photos, bought lots of photos, ate until we were tired of eating! All the meals were great! We tried scoops, and the chicken strips... both yummy! Swam in the goofy pool, didn't do any of the adult stuff as we went as a family and no where to leave DD. DD did the magic show, and the councelors were GREAT!!!
Elevators were the pits... since we had the wheelchair we could NOT take the stairs and some people were very rude. When we first boarded we waited about 1/2 hour for an elevator until a cast member pulled some people off for us to get on!
We used the disney transfers this time, but will rent a car next time. Saw all the stage shows and one movie, went into Nausau, but stayed onboard in Freeport.
We did the Dolphin encounter in Nausau and it was well worth the money and we would definately do it again! They took lots of time with DD and took lots of video and still photos of the whole family and they were all very good. We got the album and were told it would have about 15 photos in it for $100. We got 28 photos in it and they were all very good. We also got the video for $48. If you plan on taking your own photos or video you will be facing the encounter participants backs, so be forewarned!
In this package you also get the beach and lunch included and the beach was great, and very clean. The lunch was also very good. The boat ride there and back were very entertaining, they had a band play tropical music!
Castaway cay was wonderful and we got DD hair braided there. It was $2 a braid. I had mine done too, but I had a continous headache afterwards for 2 days so I finally took them out... I think that it all has to do with how sensitive your scalp is.
Question away!!!
LynneT

 

[taswira]

Thanks for the report, Lynne! I'm glad you had a nice cruise.

I am trying to compile a list of <I>really great</I> servers for both the Wonder and the Magic. Who were your servers, where were they from, and how was the service?

Also, is Goofy leading exercise sessions on Castaway Cay again yet?

Thanks,
Shari

 

[LynneT]

Our servers were:
I Gusti
Sasa
Gurkan
And our stateroom host was:
Roger
They were all very good and entertaining! I Gusti just doted on our DD 4 1/2, (cerebal Palsy) he was always so concerned about her comfort and if she had enough to eat or not!
LynneT

 

[taswira]

Thanks, Lynne! Which Sasa did you have? Do you know his last name (would be on the tip voucher stub)? There are several. I was particularly impressed with the one who started there last February. I had him one day for lunch in May. Oh - my! That isn't what I meant! Anyway, he was really attentive. GREAT service and very nice. We talked a lot.

 

[LynneT]

Sasa Ferenci...
He was great, and very talkitive! I have to say that on our first nite there we ate in the Annimators Palate and we had a couple that were terrible....! She didn't want any sauces or seasonings or any foods put on the same plates, no red meats, not batters, no pork... She was horrible to Gurkan, and he bent over backwards for her! Needless to say, thank goodness, we never had the (gulp) pleasure of dining with them again! I do remember that nite that she ate plain maccaroni, yuck! Our other tablemates were fun! They too, had a child about the same age as ours and he was too cute!
LynneT

 

[taswira]

I have seen so many outrageously particular guests be downright <I>unkind</I> (if not outright <I>mean</I>) to their servers. Some passengers seem to think they are the only important people on the ship (forget the guests at the servers other tables)! This year I am taking a close look at the true scope of a server's job. What they do, and the hours they work, amazes me. A select few are far better at it than others, but the only servers I have no respect for are those who do not <I>try</I> to please at all. DCL has VERY FEW of those, thankfully.

 

[lisa70]

I enjoyed reading your report!! I have a question about the dolphin encounter. Was the water cold during the dolphin encounter? We will be cruising 12/17/03 and I was a little concerned about cold water. Do they give you a wet suit to wear? If so, does it keep you warm.

 

[LynneT]

The water was in the mid-seventies but, because the encounter area is shaded the water was a bit chilly, but, you only enter to just above your knees. Once the dolphins were introduced we forgot all about the chillines of the water and didn't want to get out!
LynneT

 

[tanfl89]

We are going on the Wonder next month and also have a child in a wheelchair so i was happy to get your info.My son got a Make-A-Wish so that is why we are going.

He is really looking forward to the cruise and always wants to go online and look at pictures on Disney.

Were there many things you could do on the islands with a chair?We also have two other small children so it should be fun for all.

Glad you all had a good time.

Toni

 

[LynneT]

In Nassau you could use the wheel chair to get around, but at the dolphin encounter you could not get around in the chair at all and there was no where to leave the chair, so we had to carry Nikki. We did not stay in Naussa long because we were carring her and she is fairly heavy! We did not get off the ship in Freeport, because we did not want to hassle with a taxi and the chair. In castaway cay we took our chair even though they have sand wheel chairs, we got around fine even in the sand with our chair by tipping it on its rear wheels we decided against the sand wheel chair because we did not know if it reclined or not, but as we were leaving the island we thought that they probably did recline enough to support her. As for the ship it is totally accessable, but the doorways to the outside decks can be tricky as the thresholds are uneven. Try to take the front and aft elevators as they are less crowded, and stay away from the lobby elevators as they are smaller and always tend to be crowded. When are you going? You will definately have fun! We did!
LynneT

 

[tanfl89]

Thanks for the info Lynne. We are going March 23rd.

I just talked to Make-a-Wish and they did not book us a handicapp room So we are going to have to rent a wheelchair that will fold up to go in our room.

Logan walks with crutches most of the time but with so much to do we need his chair so he won't get so tired.

Did you have a big room? I hope everything goes ok.

Also i wanted to ask more about the Dolphin Encounter.

Did Nikki do it? I want to make sure it is worth the money.I know it would be a neat experience for Logan.

I hope the room thing goes ok.We are in room 8580 right now and it looks nice on the web site.

Toni

 

[LynneT]

Yes, Nikki got into the water and interacted with the dolphins! It was amazing because she has CP and is very involved and while near the dolphin she was soo relaxed, she even opened her eyes up wider than we have ever noticed before! It was well worth the money. If you do the encounter, I would highly reccomend you purchasing the photo album or video or both from the encounter people, but let them know that you plan to do so ahead of time as they will take the best photos and video and get alot of the whole family in it! If you plan to take video or photos yourself, you will mostly get photos of the back of your family as that is where they sit you, behind the tanks....
LynneT

 

[tanfl89]

That sounds so cool! My son has CP also and that is why we are going on Make a Wish.

Has Nikki ever got a make a wish?I never thought CP kids were able to get a wish but found out last year that they do.

How old is Nikki? Logan is 12. You have to be under 18 to get a wish.



Thanks for info on dolphin encounter it sounds like something we would do.


If you want info on make a wish just e-mail me. tanfla89@aol.com

Toni