eye R.N.
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- Joined
- Feb 11, 2000
- Messages
- 1,252
7/5 Magic Western Trip Report: Embarkation
Day#3 this is magic
Your crew: Denise, 40 something, compulsive trip planner, member of the DIS boards. Andy also 40 something middle school administrator coming off a challenging year. Chelsea, 17, high school senior, is getting an early graduation present by cruising, also a member of the DIS board. Taylor, 14 high school sophomore. Hope 11 just starting into middle school.
It would surely be a shame to have paid for a whirlpool tub and not to have used it. So early in the morning, I kick out the rest of the inhabitants of the bedroom and spend a blissful half hour letting the water jets work out the kinks that two days in a car have placed in my back. A little bit of yoga and its time to get on with the day we have been waiting so long for. Breakfast is as cheap and easy as we can make it. Andy crosses the street to McDs and comes back with food. Everyone is dressed and ready; Taylor discovers that between mom and big sister we have managed to pack almost everything he had forgotten. We will have to find some type of sandals somewhere, high tops wont make it snorkeling.
Our plan calls for us to check out, have Andy drive us to the port, him to park the car and catch a shuttle back to the port while I check in. We go to the desk to ask where to park the car, find out we should have reserved a shuttle (eek!), again the desk reassures that one person with no luggage shouldnt be a problem. So off we go to the port. There is a line of cars since security precautions are now the rule. They let one car in from the parking lot and one from the drive up lane in turn. We watch as Shelley and co. are waved in from the lot. Here is where I make my first mistake. I give Andy all his documents, so he can get through security. He drops us and the luggage off and heads back to the hotel. The porter seems very grateful for the tip and assures me there will be no problem with the soft-sided cooler as long as there is no ice in it.
Unlike two years ago the metal detector is now right as you go into the terminal. There is a small hold up as forgotten by me; my great grandaunts silver evening bag gives the screeners too much metal to ignore. I go through every pocket of my briefcase before finding the offending item.
Up the stairs and into a relatively empty hall. Outside the wall of glass our ship awaits. Although we qualify for the Castaway club line, it looks longer than the others so I send the kids, complete with games to keep them happy off to the line to wait, while I stake out a place at check it. The cast starts drifting in; the Castaway Club lines are manned first. Now I know why that line was longer. It now occurs to me I dont have any of Andys documents and how am I going to check him in! Forty minutes in line and I discover I am in line with a WDW bus driver and his teacher wife and a family from my home state traveling with AAA like us. Our station is yet to be manned when I see Andy arrive. I ask the bus driver to save my space while I get my husband. The hall is now definitely too crowded and loud for him to hear me. We do eventually check in, although the line next to us never seems to get help and they merge into another line.
Here is the advantage of older kids. When I go to find them they are at the head of one of the lines, camped out with hand held games. Bless their hearts; I will be able to make that Palos ressie for 10 after all. The time in line passes quickly enough with one notable exception. Several people behind us is an irate guest. She demanded (of me) to know why the people with wheelchairs, make a wish and Cat 1,2,and 3 get on ahead of her. I guess she wasnt paying attention to ART and his very concise explanation given several minutes before. She had a bad ankle and she paid her money just like everyone else. Yes the thought went through my mind to tell her I personally was very thankful that I didnt need a wheelchair, have a terminally ill child or spend $5k a person for the Walt suite and she should be too, but I restrained myself. Andy and I discussed our rotation APLAPLA which was a surprise considering what we had last trip. It was all good as formal/semiformal night was in Luminers and tropical night at Parrot Cay. We decided the second A night was for Palo. Art did the countdown, as agreed on with the family that was at the head of the other line, both families walked on together.
While my family went looking for food, I was on a mission. Palo brunch for 10 was my responsibility. I beat it to Beat Street they were off to Parrot Cay. After getting a dinner ressie for two it was off to the brunch table where I let them know I was about to be the Guest from hell. They called over the manager and everything was arranged in about a minute. They would have a special table ready for us, perfect, mission accomplished.
Now off to the spa I share an elevator with another dedicated cruiser. We are both making for the spa. After convincing the spa folks we are not married we each make our respective ressies. It appears that the surial bath is now more popular as my first three choices were already taken my cons. Guest. While there, a spa employee was getting ready to start the tours. I asked if she needed a demo person for the message, she said no but she could use one for the endothermy detox. I remember this is the one with electric current and seaweed, not my favorite but hey, free is a very good thing. I agree to come back at one oclock to be the spa guinea pig.
I get to Parrot Cay just in time to find that the kids have eaten and are off to explore. Andy and I decide on the wine package, have a drink and start to take those big relaxing breaths that mean we have no worries for the next week. Andy gets more cold mango soup and we decide that there should be enough time to register Hope for her Club before I head back to the spa.
I meet my spa person and we go over the procedure. Folks are going to see my seaweed covered thigh using a tens unit to pulse the muscle. I just lay there looking relaxed. It now occurs to me that there may be lots of folks coming through the spa in the next two hours. Anywhere from 6-60 people. I am hoping for 6. One hour and half later, about seven spa tours and more people than I cared to count the treatment was over. She said I lost about 4 inches. I didnt see it but hey, all this cost me was time. The second advantage to being a spa guinea pig is that when I got to our room Andy and the kids had unpacked everything. I looked at our lifeboat muster stations. Yes! Animators palate, no standing in the hot sun for us this trip. The gift basket from Shirley had arrived and was everything I asked for. A bottle of Baileys to start our anniversary cruise was just perfect. The six-pack of Pepsi went over well with the kids. One of the advantages of AAA is that they give you soda mugs and the sticker for you card so you dont have to carry around the mug. We went off to get the mug thing settled before the lifeboat drill.
Soon enough it was time for the sail away party and time to meet all those folks Chelsea and I had been talking to for so long. We arrived at the designated spot. The weather was perfect and lo and behold folks were there. We decided on lime green Mickey heads as name tags, or lime green ribbons around drink glasses. I had made out note cards for the ten brunch folks with our date and time (Monday 10:30). This is going to sound crazy but the meeting was really a blur. Wendy and Doreen her mom where there from Scotland as was Ashley and his wife and older son from England. Jean, the originator of the cruise list and her family. Sandy and his family, Shelly and husband and their three kids. Lisa showed up with her family. Amy was there with husband and her two lovely boys. If I have forgotten anyone I am so sorry. We exchanged information on how our trips down had been and generally spent time getting to know each other as the ship pulled out. What was I ever worried about? Dolphins played near the harbors edge and we saw a sea turtle surface before the party broke up, as we got ready for the next activity.
As we had late seating, the Welcome Aboard Variety show was on the cards for us. It was enjoyable. I like Dan Riley more than I liked Bruce Block. I did like Bruces rabbit though. The older kids were no where to be found, so Hope and I went to Studio Sea for the Mickey Mania game show. Andy joined us, just in time for him to see Hope and I picked as contestants. We did great on trivia and what happens next, but the scrambled pictures put us into second place. So alas, no winners medals for the folks in the Goofy hats.
We did manage to find the kids in line for dinner. When we saw we had a table for seven we figured on dinning alone, but no there were Wendy and Doreen. This was a great surprise, for us. I was just hoping Wendy; a teacher would be able to put up three kids dining for a week. Shelly, John and their children were right next to us. Ferdinand and Leroy, our serving team introduced themselves and we settled in for the first of many lovely dinners.
After dinner the effects of a long day and a bottle of wine hit and we ambled down to our stateroom and a great nights sleep.
Day#3 this is magic
Your crew: Denise, 40 something, compulsive trip planner, member of the DIS boards. Andy also 40 something middle school administrator coming off a challenging year. Chelsea, 17, high school senior, is getting an early graduation present by cruising, also a member of the DIS board. Taylor, 14 high school sophomore. Hope 11 just starting into middle school.
It would surely be a shame to have paid for a whirlpool tub and not to have used it. So early in the morning, I kick out the rest of the inhabitants of the bedroom and spend a blissful half hour letting the water jets work out the kinks that two days in a car have placed in my back. A little bit of yoga and its time to get on with the day we have been waiting so long for. Breakfast is as cheap and easy as we can make it. Andy crosses the street to McDs and comes back with food. Everyone is dressed and ready; Taylor discovers that between mom and big sister we have managed to pack almost everything he had forgotten. We will have to find some type of sandals somewhere, high tops wont make it snorkeling.
Our plan calls for us to check out, have Andy drive us to the port, him to park the car and catch a shuttle back to the port while I check in. We go to the desk to ask where to park the car, find out we should have reserved a shuttle (eek!), again the desk reassures that one person with no luggage shouldnt be a problem. So off we go to the port. There is a line of cars since security precautions are now the rule. They let one car in from the parking lot and one from the drive up lane in turn. We watch as Shelley and co. are waved in from the lot. Here is where I make my first mistake. I give Andy all his documents, so he can get through security. He drops us and the luggage off and heads back to the hotel. The porter seems very grateful for the tip and assures me there will be no problem with the soft-sided cooler as long as there is no ice in it.
Unlike two years ago the metal detector is now right as you go into the terminal. There is a small hold up as forgotten by me; my great grandaunts silver evening bag gives the screeners too much metal to ignore. I go through every pocket of my briefcase before finding the offending item.
Up the stairs and into a relatively empty hall. Outside the wall of glass our ship awaits. Although we qualify for the Castaway club line, it looks longer than the others so I send the kids, complete with games to keep them happy off to the line to wait, while I stake out a place at check it. The cast starts drifting in; the Castaway Club lines are manned first. Now I know why that line was longer. It now occurs to me I dont have any of Andys documents and how am I going to check him in! Forty minutes in line and I discover I am in line with a WDW bus driver and his teacher wife and a family from my home state traveling with AAA like us. Our station is yet to be manned when I see Andy arrive. I ask the bus driver to save my space while I get my husband. The hall is now definitely too crowded and loud for him to hear me. We do eventually check in, although the line next to us never seems to get help and they merge into another line.
Here is the advantage of older kids. When I go to find them they are at the head of one of the lines, camped out with hand held games. Bless their hearts; I will be able to make that Palos ressie for 10 after all. The time in line passes quickly enough with one notable exception. Several people behind us is an irate guest. She demanded (of me) to know why the people with wheelchairs, make a wish and Cat 1,2,and 3 get on ahead of her. I guess she wasnt paying attention to ART and his very concise explanation given several minutes before. She had a bad ankle and she paid her money just like everyone else. Yes the thought went through my mind to tell her I personally was very thankful that I didnt need a wheelchair, have a terminally ill child or spend $5k a person for the Walt suite and she should be too, but I restrained myself. Andy and I discussed our rotation APLAPLA which was a surprise considering what we had last trip. It was all good as formal/semiformal night was in Luminers and tropical night at Parrot Cay. We decided the second A night was for Palo. Art did the countdown, as agreed on with the family that was at the head of the other line, both families walked on together.
While my family went looking for food, I was on a mission. Palo brunch for 10 was my responsibility. I beat it to Beat Street they were off to Parrot Cay. After getting a dinner ressie for two it was off to the brunch table where I let them know I was about to be the Guest from hell. They called over the manager and everything was arranged in about a minute. They would have a special table ready for us, perfect, mission accomplished.
Now off to the spa I share an elevator with another dedicated cruiser. We are both making for the spa. After convincing the spa folks we are not married we each make our respective ressies. It appears that the surial bath is now more popular as my first three choices were already taken my cons. Guest. While there, a spa employee was getting ready to start the tours. I asked if she needed a demo person for the message, she said no but she could use one for the endothermy detox. I remember this is the one with electric current and seaweed, not my favorite but hey, free is a very good thing. I agree to come back at one oclock to be the spa guinea pig.
I get to Parrot Cay just in time to find that the kids have eaten and are off to explore. Andy and I decide on the wine package, have a drink and start to take those big relaxing breaths that mean we have no worries for the next week. Andy gets more cold mango soup and we decide that there should be enough time to register Hope for her Club before I head back to the spa.
I meet my spa person and we go over the procedure. Folks are going to see my seaweed covered thigh using a tens unit to pulse the muscle. I just lay there looking relaxed. It now occurs to me that there may be lots of folks coming through the spa in the next two hours. Anywhere from 6-60 people. I am hoping for 6. One hour and half later, about seven spa tours and more people than I cared to count the treatment was over. She said I lost about 4 inches. I didnt see it but hey, all this cost me was time. The second advantage to being a spa guinea pig is that when I got to our room Andy and the kids had unpacked everything. I looked at our lifeboat muster stations. Yes! Animators palate, no standing in the hot sun for us this trip. The gift basket from Shirley had arrived and was everything I asked for. A bottle of Baileys to start our anniversary cruise was just perfect. The six-pack of Pepsi went over well with the kids. One of the advantages of AAA is that they give you soda mugs and the sticker for you card so you dont have to carry around the mug. We went off to get the mug thing settled before the lifeboat drill.
Soon enough it was time for the sail away party and time to meet all those folks Chelsea and I had been talking to for so long. We arrived at the designated spot. The weather was perfect and lo and behold folks were there. We decided on lime green Mickey heads as name tags, or lime green ribbons around drink glasses. I had made out note cards for the ten brunch folks with our date and time (Monday 10:30). This is going to sound crazy but the meeting was really a blur. Wendy and Doreen her mom where there from Scotland as was Ashley and his wife and older son from England. Jean, the originator of the cruise list and her family. Sandy and his family, Shelly and husband and their three kids. Lisa showed up with her family. Amy was there with husband and her two lovely boys. If I have forgotten anyone I am so sorry. We exchanged information on how our trips down had been and generally spent time getting to know each other as the ship pulled out. What was I ever worried about? Dolphins played near the harbors edge and we saw a sea turtle surface before the party broke up, as we got ready for the next activity.
As we had late seating, the Welcome Aboard Variety show was on the cards for us. It was enjoyable. I like Dan Riley more than I liked Bruce Block. I did like Bruces rabbit though. The older kids were no where to be found, so Hope and I went to Studio Sea for the Mickey Mania game show. Andy joined us, just in time for him to see Hope and I picked as contestants. We did great on trivia and what happens next, but the scrambled pictures put us into second place. So alas, no winners medals for the folks in the Goofy hats.
We did manage to find the kids in line for dinner. When we saw we had a table for seven we figured on dinning alone, but no there were Wendy and Doreen. This was a great surprise, for us. I was just hoping Wendy; a teacher would be able to put up three kids dining for a week. Shelly, John and their children were right next to us. Ferdinand and Leroy, our serving team introduced themselves and we settled in for the first of many lovely dinners.
After dinner the effects of a long day and a bottle of wine hit and we ambled down to our stateroom and a great nights sleep.
- my surgery is scheduled for next week. Wish me luck.
