July 11 - 18 "Magic" Cruise to the Western Caribbean

[VacationKicks]

Got our cruise packets today! Anyone else?

Now to decide what excursions to take. It seems that there are more listed online then in the booklet they sent. I figure the online information is more current.

I started working on some shirts for the whole group today. I'm planning on making some magnets too.

Anyone know how dressed people get for formal night? I see there is a form for ordering a tux.

 

[patsal]

Got our cruise packets today! Anyone else?

Now to decide what excursions to take. It seems that there are more listed online then in the booklet they sent. I figure the online information is more current.

I started working on some shirts for the whole group today. I'm planning on making some magnets too.

Anyone know how dressed people get for formal night? I see there is a form for ordering a tux.

I got mine yesterday, but the materials are for a 4 day Wonder cruise--so the information is all wrong--I'm going to call my TA an dsee if she can have another, correct one sent to me--The paperwork was ok in the corner it said Magic, etc. but the booklet and stuff was totally all for the Wonder and Bahamas/CC. I hope everyone else got the right stuff!
We are not dressing DH and DS in a tux, though we gals will dress up!

 

[gofenmom]

Another SNOW DAY here in DE. They have canceled school for tomorrow (Tuesday)...so I can sleep in.
Friends of my DD & DSL decided they couldn't afford the cruise this year so it will be just the 5 of us. Received my cruise docs - changed DD and DSL's room to a cat 5 - they will be near the mid elevators and we are on the next deck up - by the elevators. I'm hoping this location will mean less walking for her. The Sept. after she graduated from college it was discovered that she had a bone tumor in her femur - it had eaten the entire inside of her bone and the outside of the bone was egg shell thin. Thanks to the prayers of family and friends it wasn't cancer. That did not save her from having a rod and plate with screws inside her leg and the inside of the bone filled with donated material. After 7 years, she has had two additional operations to remove scar tissue and lengthen something and to work on her knee - and always has pain if a storm is coming in or if she stands too long. Had them in a cat 7 - secret veranda room port side before the move. Is everyone digging out from the snow?


Georgiana

 

[5MouseFans]

Hi Everyone!!! We are on this cruise too! My husband, myself and our 3 children (DD is 13, DS will be 12 and DS will turn 4 on the cruise). We are traveling with 2 other families, each with 3 children (13, 9, 8, 8, 3, 3). We are all going to WDW before the cruise and staying at the BCV. We are all DVC members. This is our first cruise. One of the families has cruised with RCI before. The teens are really looking forward to the teen only area. I still have to book my flight and we have to decide on our excursions. I think we are going to book independently so we can take the 3 and 4 year olds on some more adventurous excursions other than a beach break. The boys in our group (13, 12, 9 and 8) are really excited about the basketball court too!! My DD (13) would love to meet some other girls.

 

[VacationKicks]

gofenmom - Snow Day here in CT today. I think we will have school tomorrow. We have state testing going on and another missed day will really mess up their schedule. We got about 14 inches of snow!

5MouseFans - Welcome aboard.

 

[patsal]

Hi Everyone!!! We are on this cruise too! My husband, myself and our 3 children (DD is 13, DS will be 12 and DS will turn 4 on the cruise). We are traveling with 2 other families, each with 3 children (13, 9, 8, 8, 3, 3). We are all going to WDW before the cruise and staying at the BCV. We are all DVC members. This is our first cruise. One of the families has cruised with RCI before. The teens are really looking forward to the teen only area. I still have to book my flight and we have to decide on our excursions. I think we are going to book independently so we can take the 3 and 4 year olds on some more adventurous excursions other than a beach break. The boys in our group (13, 12, 9 and 8) are really excited about the basketball court too!! My DD (13) would love to meet some other girls.

My DD is 13 now will be a just turned 14 when we cruise. She is always looking for others to go to the movies with, hang out during non planned family time, etc. Feel free to have your DD drop my DD an email via pm.

 

[gofenmom]

5MOUSEFANS - Welcome aboard...

VacationKicks - I'm enjoying the day off..Just have to go longer in June...Our state testing starts next week with two days and then 2 or 3 days (depending on the grade) the following week...

 

[Im_A_Princess]

Where did everyone go?

I am still lurking around-LOL

 

[VacationKicks]

Just reserved a spot with Nativeway Watersports for our Grand Cayman excursion! We decided on the Stingray and snorkel tour, we'll get to swim with the stingrays and see the island! Just a few more weeks until we can book Disney Excursions, of course that also means just a few more weeks to pay off the cruise.

-Kim

 

[gofenmom]

4 months and 4 days...until we sail..... We have to sit down and start picking out tours in the next week or two. I think in KW the kids are going to tour some local spots to sample the food..and drinks. I'll probably do the trolley and stop at some of the tourist places. DS and his DGF received the cruise information for the 3 day Wonder cruise instead of our cruise. DD, DSL and I received the 7 Day Western information. DD and DSL have their flights but DS and DGF need to wait because of their work. They both have off the week but would like to get off a few days before the cruise since DGF has never been to WDW. I'm doing the Autotrain. Weather was great here in DE...is spring here?

 

[mckster]

First time Disney cruise goer here from Orange, TX. Cruised once before with RCI.....just me and the wifey (40 and 37) for our 10 year. This time we'll be with our two boys (12 and 10). Now it's 15 years.

Not really sure what to expect but we have been to WDW and if it's anything like that it should be awesome.

Last cruise we took we commented on how much fun it would be to have other folks to meet up with so here I'll be watching this thread with excitement.

 

[gofenmom]

First time Disney cruise goer here from Orange, TX. Cruised once before with RCI.....just me and the wifey (40 and 37) for our 10 year. This time we'll be with our two boys (12 and 10). Now it's 15 years.

Not really sure what to expect but we have been to WDW and if it's anything like that it should be awesome.

Last cruise we took we commented on how much fun it would be to have other folks to meet up with so here I'll be watching this thread with excitement.

Welcome to the group... We are gathering more cruisers all the time. This is only my second cruise and the first cruise for DD,DSL, DS, and first Disney cruise for DS's GF. I had a wonderful time on my first cruise and have booked two cruises in 2010 - a Med cruise followed by the WB Repo cruise - 24 days on the Magic. Everyone is excited. about our July cruise... well DSL just doesn't understand the "Disney Magic" at WDW yet, but he loves all of us so he comes along and always has a great time. He loves the water and they have a boat in Ocean City, MD so he is looking forward to the cruise.

When I was planning my first cruise, I found the Disboards so informative - reading them each day. Didn't post too many questions because I always found the answers on the boards before I asked them. Are you guys coming down before the cruise?

Again "Welcome aboard"

 

[mckster]

Thanks for the Welcome.

We will be driving from Orange, TX (~900 miles) Friday and staying the night in Cocoa Beach. After the cruise were going to spend two days at Universal then drive to Pensecola (half way home) and stay for two days. We should be good and worn out by the time our vacation is over........at least Mom and Dad.

There is still a little time to plan but is it common for everyone to plan a get together with others from this thread?

 

[patsal]

First time Disney cruise goer here from Orange, TX. Cruised once before with RCI.....just me and the wifey (40 and 37) for our 10 year. This time we'll be with our two boys (12 and 10). Now it's 15 years.

Not really sure what to expect but we have been to WDW and if it's anything like that it should be awesome.

Last cruise we took we commented on how much fun it would be to have other folks to meet up with so here I'll be watching this thread with excitement.

Welcome, sounds like you are in for quite an adventure!

 

[gofenmom]

I went back to reread our thread trying to put together a list of our cruisers. I noticed that several of us are celebrating birthdays on the cruise. I turn too many candles a few days before the cruise and DS's DGF's birthday is on the 11th of July.

I am going to list the cruisers on our thread. Please let me know if there are any mistakes or additions when I post it.

Do we want to do a meet sometime during the cruise. ? Remember this is only my second cruise - so I've never organized a meet... any interest, suggestions for time and place? I noticed there are several large groups .... do any of those DFamily/DFriends want to join our thread or meet?

Do we want to exchange "Fish Extender" Gifts? We can also ask extended Dfamily/Dfriends to join our exchange if they are interested.

 

[gofenmom]

4 months until our Magical Cruise begins.....

 

[patsal]

I went back to reread our thread trying to put together a list of our cruisers. I noticed that several of us are celebrating birthdays on the cruise. I turn too many candles a few days before the cruise and DS's DGF's birthday is on the 11th of July.

I am going to list the cruisers on our thread. Please let me know if there are any mistakes or additions when I post it.

Do we want to do a meet sometime during the cruise. ? Remember this is only my second cruise - so I've never organized a meet... any interest, suggestions for time and place? I noticed there are several large groups .... do any of those DFamily/DFriends want to join our thread or meet?

Do we want to exchange "Fish Extender" Gifts? We can also ask extended Dfamily/Dfriends to join our exchange if they are interested.

Last cruise our dismeet was in the lounge area by the shops and theater just before the drill. Not many showed up and no one else was prepared with fish extenders--I'd be in if others want to participate.

 

[mckster]

Any ideas on which excursions are preferred for families with kids ages 10 and 12?

 

[VacationKicks]

mckster - Welcome!
I've been trying to come up with excursions for my family cruise ages: ds 14, dd 13, dd 11. The whole family wants to swim with the dolphins. And as I posted previously we booked with Native Way a Stingray City and Island Tour. We were going to do the rays, reef and rum tour with Native way but my dd 11 wants to see the turtles.

gofenmom - I think it would be fun to put faces to these names. I would join into a fish exchange but don't mind if there isn't one. I'm not sure about my extended dfamily, but I'd think not.

We will celebrate my dd's 13 birthday on July 12th, Key West Day.

 

[gofenmom]

Good morning - here in DE it is rainy and foggy...
A day that really has me longing for the afternoon when we board the Magic.
Well I got through the two weeks of state testing. During that time our governor presented his budget which included a total of a 10% decrease in state employee's salary in addition to an increase in health care costs. This hit our family hard because all of us work for the state. DD, DSL, DS, his DGF and I all work for the state - that totals a 20% decrease for their households...tough cuts. This is hitting education hard with 3 less in-service days and larger classes.. Not sure if all of the cuts will pass we will just have to wait and see. Still cruising though....

How is everyone doing? I'll try to work on the list of cruisers in the next few weeks...So far we have decided to do the following as far as excursions:

Key West: I'll be touring the historical sites. Want to see if there is a way to get to the fort in KW. As I said before the kids we be touring the other sites..ones that sell liquid refreshments. Don't think we will do Palo during our KW stop - just hope they make the ship.

Grand Cayman: Island Tour and Snorkeling with Stingrays

Cozumel: Fury Catamaran Sail, Snorkel, and Beach Party or Caverns Exploration and Beach Tour or Xcaret Eco Park

Castaway Cay: Extreme Getaway Package

Has anyone else decided on excursions? Picked a day for Palo? Favorite things to do on the ship? Favorite shows? Must dos?

Have a great Sunday.
Georgiana