kdsandburg
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 17, 2004
- Messages
- 6
Cast: MIL, FIL, DM, DF, DH (33), DS (8), DS (4) & me (33)
Overall, a fabulous cruise. I would do it again in a heartbeat and now understand how people become addicts.
Pre-embarkation
We flew in the night before and stayed at the Renaissance near the airport. We had booked the Disney transfers from the airport to the ship the next day. The Renaissance was very nice and we got it for $45 through priceline.com.
Embarkation
DH took care of the transfers. At first, I was disappointed thinking we certainly could have saved money by booking independently than with Disney for $400 round trip. But it worked out rather well. We took the shuttle from our hotel at 8:30 a.m. and were the second group of people at the airport to wait for the 9:30 a.m. bus. We had a video to keep us entertained the whole time it was all about the cruise, so it heightened the excitement. Plus, we were within the first 50 people in line to board the ship. The hour+ wait really went fast. This gave me time to organize our ressie scramble. None of us booked the REAS, so I was on a mission to get the reservations we needed. I ordered FIL to get the Palo reservations. DH was to get the jet ski excursions. DM was to check on seats for the shows for the legally blind. MIL and I went to get spa reservations. And FIL was told to take the kids to the Mickey pool, where wed all meet. I told everyone, I would get a drink and chill once the scramble was over.
AND IT WORKED OUT GREAT! MIL and I were second in line for the spa. DH was first in line for the jet ski reservation. FIL was second in line for Palo. The kids were the first in the pool and second to go down the slide. If you can wait on lunch, the Mickey pool was great. For 45 minutes, there were a total of six kids in the pool.
Ship activities
Shuffleboard since they have replaced the dangerous waxed, teak boards with rubber inlaid boards, the disks do not glide easily. You really have to put muscle into it. So this may be one to skip.
Chip-it Golf DH and FIL participated. It seemed fun, but I think their egos were bruised that a 12 year-old won it.
Napkin folding very informative. They give you a hand-out so you can do it at home.
Bingo FIL, DF and I went first night. Seemed pretty o.k. DF went Sunday alone, said they were getting too silly for him. I went alone Monday before my spa appt. Silly doesnt begin to describe the hosts. Ill be the first to admit my sense of humor is more on the dry side. They had someone dressed like a bear. Maybe it was funny for the five kids in the room, but I think it got old. At one point the bear asked if we wanted to hear another joke and we all said NO!. It took over 1 hour to get through five bingo rounds. I was late to my spa appt and ended up giving my neighbor my last bingo card. None of us went the rest of the trip.
Movies I was so excited to have day care on sight and be able to go to adult movies. I was so disappointed with the selection. I never went. Some of our family went to the Alamo, Finding Nemo and Around the World in 80 days.
Shows GREAT! I got goosebumps and moist eyes watching the Golden Mickeys. I am such a sucker for the underdog. And this was so inspirational. And Tarzan! We were in the second row and were amazed. Hercules and Disney Dreams were wonderful also. Now the bad part. My mother is legally blind. She had asked if she could get seated in the first row so she could see better. Surprisingly, the answer that she got was that she would have to get in line early. And to make matters worse, she did get there early but when the doors opened, it was a free-for-all, very dark for her and people zoomed past her. We always got in the second row which was great, but we expected more from Disney.
Spa Relaxing. I am a spa junkie at home and am a little nervous trying someone new. I just got a well being massage and it was what I expected. I think I was still so excited about the cruise that I couldnt sleep. I could hear the basketball above me, but it wasnt enough to ruin my session. Only got one thing suggested to me and when I said Ill think about it, the pitch was over. MIL, out of curiosity, asked how much a tiny bottle cost - $130!
Excursions
St. Maarten
Golden Eagle Catamaran - DM, DF, DS (8) & me. This was a very nice excursion. But if you are prone to sea sickness, take something before you leave. The ride to the beach is about an hour and about 10 minutes before we got there, heads were hanging from the motion. The beach was great. The bluest, clearest water Ive ever seen. There werent a lot of sea creatures, but I had a great time bonding with my eldest. We did see a full frontal of a man in thigh-high water. But this just gave DS and I something to laugh about and tell the rest when we got back to the ship. They served rum punch and sandwiches on the way home. And ladies, if you want some champagne, be prepared for a little dousing.
Under Two Flags Island Tour MIL, FIL, DH, DS (4). I will preface this by saying with the exception of DM and the boys, all of us have lived overseas in one fashion or another. And we all love learning about culture and history. But the report back is that instead of educating the tourists on the history of the islands (ie. slave trading, revolts, pirates, ship wrecks, etc.), they focused more on who famous lives in what houses and stopping so they could shop. No one really cared for this excursion, but at least it was on an air-conditioned bus (see St. John report below.)
Shopping After our excursion, DM and I went shopping. We are not big into jewelry, so werent sure what to expect. We were on the Dutch side. I was very disappointed. Instead of having a European touch, it seemed down-trodden. It reminded me of Chinatown. How each shop has the exact same souvenirs, how people were standing outside trying to talk you into coming into their shops and we didnt find any real deals. Later I heard our stateroom attendant telling someone that there are no deals in St. Maarten. I do like to visit Catholic churches of different countries, so this was probably the highlight for me. It really humbles you.
St. Thomas
Golf at Mahogany Run DH & FIL. They said the views were fantastic. The greens themselves could have been improved. Overall, they were satisfied and were glad they did it, but wouldnt feel the need to do it again.
St. John Island tour AWFUL. This bus was not air-conditioned. It seems like they overbooked and I had to hold my sweaty four-year-old on my lap the whole time. We did learn a little bit of history. I thought we would see the last standing plantation. Instead we saw rubble. And there was no guided tour through the rubble to give us insight into what plantation life was like. I did get the best tasting mango smoothie Ive ever had on one of the stops. But we were all jealous of the people at Trunk Bay when we drove past. If we do this again, thats definitely what well do.
Shopping Again, since were not big into jewelry and dont really drink a lot, we opted to enjoy the ship and not get hassled.
Castaway Cay
Parasailing DS (8) & me. We did this tandem. It was breathtaking. Seemed way to short, but cest la vie.
Jet ski (Waverunner really) tour DH, DS (8), MIL, FIL & me. Words cant describe. It was awesome. And honestly, we got the most history/education out of this tour. For the five of us, this was our favorite excursion.
Beaches MIL and FIL said adult beach was very shallow. So be prepared. DS (4) spent all day playing in the water. He slept well that night.
Dining
Our servers were great. We had Simon, Prudence and Paola. DS (8) loved his first nights cheesecake and every night after, Prudence would have one ready. She would hug the kids and squat down to talk to them face to face. She made them feel special.
I thought the food was fine. For as many people as they have to serve. DF is strictly a meat and potatoes guy. And the steaks cannot be tough. He was the only one that didnt care for the food. Most of the time he ordered from the kids menu. MIL is a strict Sugar busters dieter and loved the sugar-free desserts. FIL and DS (8) had the escargot, which was fun. The only thing wed change is that they serve the kids about 10 minutes before us. So the kids were done and whining about leaving when we were just getting started. My favorite was the strawberry dessert on the last night. I am a chocoholic, but whatever that was melted in my mouth. I ate half of DS also.
We laughed about the excellent response from the beginning, so it wasnt tense at all the rest of the time.
Palo this was so nice. No children. Beautiful scenery. We had Andrew as our server. He was very good. He told us all he ordered us the soufflé, whether we wanted it or not. DH liked the filet so well, he ordered another for dessert. Our parents were happily surprised with the $20 bill each.
Stateroom
We had room 6601. It was very clean and everything worked. I cant remember our hosts name, but he did a fabulous job. He picked up our clutter and made our bed up to three times a day. The towel animals were great. We rotated the boys and whose cabin they slept in. He was always very accommodating for preparing their beds. I loved sleeping to the lull of the sea. For those of you who may get this room, if you are a light sleeper, be prepared. The Buena Vista theatre is right below this room. I could tell when loud action scenes were playing b/c of the vibration. But this wasnt enough to deter my sleeping.
Oceaneer Club/Lab
My sons were pretty timid about going to the clubs. There was absolutely nothing wrong with them. I had horrible visions from some posts, but the staff was great. And I didnt see any demonic children either. We did make them go a few times. They whined and fussed, but when we came to pick them up, they were glad they went. DS (4) got to spend time with Snow White, Goofy, Alice and the White Rabbit just from being in the clubs.
Well, this is long enough. Here is a wrap:
Things Im glad we did/brought:
Over the door shoe holder
Wide brimmed hat
Safe Sea (DM got bit by something at Castaway Cay and used this rest of time)
Jet ski excursion
Parasailing
Palo
Disney transfers
All the Disney shows
Eating at sit down vs. buffet (I wanted someone to serve me for a change)
Roamed the floors this was a great way to run into characters without having to wait in line
Things we or Disney might do differently
Be more accommodating to the legally blind
Better selection of movies
Have pay-per-view or DVD rentals (for a female, if I didnt have my book while my son napped, I would have been bored to tears TV programs cater to men and children)
Skip the island tours & shopping
Reduce the antics in bingo
One more comment that I never saw mentioned on the boards gum. I like to chew gum after meals. I brought two packs. But when I ran out, the ship did not have any. We stayed on the Disney property for three days after our cruise. None of the parks had it, our hotel didnt have any and the Orlando airport didnt have any. So you may want to bring extra gum.
I know this is long, but I feel the boards helped me to prepare so much, that I want to give back. Feel free to ask any questions.
Overall, a fabulous cruise. I would do it again in a heartbeat and now understand how people become addicts.
Pre-embarkation
We flew in the night before and stayed at the Renaissance near the airport. We had booked the Disney transfers from the airport to the ship the next day. The Renaissance was very nice and we got it for $45 through priceline.com.
Embarkation
DH took care of the transfers. At first, I was disappointed thinking we certainly could have saved money by booking independently than with Disney for $400 round trip. But it worked out rather well. We took the shuttle from our hotel at 8:30 a.m. and were the second group of people at the airport to wait for the 9:30 a.m. bus. We had a video to keep us entertained the whole time it was all about the cruise, so it heightened the excitement. Plus, we were within the first 50 people in line to board the ship. The hour+ wait really went fast. This gave me time to organize our ressie scramble. None of us booked the REAS, so I was on a mission to get the reservations we needed. I ordered FIL to get the Palo reservations. DH was to get the jet ski excursions. DM was to check on seats for the shows for the legally blind. MIL and I went to get spa reservations. And FIL was told to take the kids to the Mickey pool, where wed all meet. I told everyone, I would get a drink and chill once the scramble was over.
AND IT WORKED OUT GREAT! MIL and I were second in line for the spa. DH was first in line for the jet ski reservation. FIL was second in line for Palo. The kids were the first in the pool and second to go down the slide. If you can wait on lunch, the Mickey pool was great. For 45 minutes, there were a total of six kids in the pool.
Ship activities
Shuffleboard since they have replaced the dangerous waxed, teak boards with rubber inlaid boards, the disks do not glide easily. You really have to put muscle into it. So this may be one to skip.
Chip-it Golf DH and FIL participated. It seemed fun, but I think their egos were bruised that a 12 year-old won it.
Napkin folding very informative. They give you a hand-out so you can do it at home.
Bingo FIL, DF and I went first night. Seemed pretty o.k. DF went Sunday alone, said they were getting too silly for him. I went alone Monday before my spa appt. Silly doesnt begin to describe the hosts. Ill be the first to admit my sense of humor is more on the dry side. They had someone dressed like a bear. Maybe it was funny for the five kids in the room, but I think it got old. At one point the bear asked if we wanted to hear another joke and we all said NO!. It took over 1 hour to get through five bingo rounds. I was late to my spa appt and ended up giving my neighbor my last bingo card. None of us went the rest of the trip.
Movies I was so excited to have day care on sight and be able to go to adult movies. I was so disappointed with the selection. I never went. Some of our family went to the Alamo, Finding Nemo and Around the World in 80 days.
Shows GREAT! I got goosebumps and moist eyes watching the Golden Mickeys. I am such a sucker for the underdog. And this was so inspirational. And Tarzan! We were in the second row and were amazed. Hercules and Disney Dreams were wonderful also. Now the bad part. My mother is legally blind. She had asked if she could get seated in the first row so she could see better. Surprisingly, the answer that she got was that she would have to get in line early. And to make matters worse, she did get there early but when the doors opened, it was a free-for-all, very dark for her and people zoomed past her. We always got in the second row which was great, but we expected more from Disney.
Spa Relaxing. I am a spa junkie at home and am a little nervous trying someone new. I just got a well being massage and it was what I expected. I think I was still so excited about the cruise that I couldnt sleep. I could hear the basketball above me, but it wasnt enough to ruin my session. Only got one thing suggested to me and when I said Ill think about it, the pitch was over. MIL, out of curiosity, asked how much a tiny bottle cost - $130!
Excursions
St. Maarten
Golden Eagle Catamaran - DM, DF, DS (8) & me. This was a very nice excursion. But if you are prone to sea sickness, take something before you leave. The ride to the beach is about an hour and about 10 minutes before we got there, heads were hanging from the motion. The beach was great. The bluest, clearest water Ive ever seen. There werent a lot of sea creatures, but I had a great time bonding with my eldest. We did see a full frontal of a man in thigh-high water. But this just gave DS and I something to laugh about and tell the rest when we got back to the ship. They served rum punch and sandwiches on the way home. And ladies, if you want some champagne, be prepared for a little dousing.
Under Two Flags Island Tour MIL, FIL, DH, DS (4). I will preface this by saying with the exception of DM and the boys, all of us have lived overseas in one fashion or another. And we all love learning about culture and history. But the report back is that instead of educating the tourists on the history of the islands (ie. slave trading, revolts, pirates, ship wrecks, etc.), they focused more on who famous lives in what houses and stopping so they could shop. No one really cared for this excursion, but at least it was on an air-conditioned bus (see St. John report below.)
Shopping After our excursion, DM and I went shopping. We are not big into jewelry, so werent sure what to expect. We were on the Dutch side. I was very disappointed. Instead of having a European touch, it seemed down-trodden. It reminded me of Chinatown. How each shop has the exact same souvenirs, how people were standing outside trying to talk you into coming into their shops and we didnt find any real deals. Later I heard our stateroom attendant telling someone that there are no deals in St. Maarten. I do like to visit Catholic churches of different countries, so this was probably the highlight for me. It really humbles you.
St. Thomas
Golf at Mahogany Run DH & FIL. They said the views were fantastic. The greens themselves could have been improved. Overall, they were satisfied and were glad they did it, but wouldnt feel the need to do it again.
St. John Island tour AWFUL. This bus was not air-conditioned. It seems like they overbooked and I had to hold my sweaty four-year-old on my lap the whole time. We did learn a little bit of history. I thought we would see the last standing plantation. Instead we saw rubble. And there was no guided tour through the rubble to give us insight into what plantation life was like. I did get the best tasting mango smoothie Ive ever had on one of the stops. But we were all jealous of the people at Trunk Bay when we drove past. If we do this again, thats definitely what well do.
Shopping Again, since were not big into jewelry and dont really drink a lot, we opted to enjoy the ship and not get hassled.
Castaway Cay
Parasailing DS (8) & me. We did this tandem. It was breathtaking. Seemed way to short, but cest la vie.
Jet ski (Waverunner really) tour DH, DS (8), MIL, FIL & me. Words cant describe. It was awesome. And honestly, we got the most history/education out of this tour. For the five of us, this was our favorite excursion.
Beaches MIL and FIL said adult beach was very shallow. So be prepared. DS (4) spent all day playing in the water. He slept well that night.
Dining
Our servers were great. We had Simon, Prudence and Paola. DS (8) loved his first nights cheesecake and every night after, Prudence would have one ready. She would hug the kids and squat down to talk to them face to face. She made them feel special.
I thought the food was fine. For as many people as they have to serve. DF is strictly a meat and potatoes guy. And the steaks cannot be tough. He was the only one that didnt care for the food. Most of the time he ordered from the kids menu. MIL is a strict Sugar busters dieter and loved the sugar-free desserts. FIL and DS (8) had the escargot, which was fun. The only thing wed change is that they serve the kids about 10 minutes before us. So the kids were done and whining about leaving when we were just getting started. My favorite was the strawberry dessert on the last night. I am a chocoholic, but whatever that was melted in my mouth. I ate half of DS also.
We laughed about the excellent response from the beginning, so it wasnt tense at all the rest of the time.
Palo this was so nice. No children. Beautiful scenery. We had Andrew as our server. He was very good. He told us all he ordered us the soufflé, whether we wanted it or not. DH liked the filet so well, he ordered another for dessert. Our parents were happily surprised with the $20 bill each.
Stateroom
We had room 6601. It was very clean and everything worked. I cant remember our hosts name, but he did a fabulous job. He picked up our clutter and made our bed up to three times a day. The towel animals were great. We rotated the boys and whose cabin they slept in. He was always very accommodating for preparing their beds. I loved sleeping to the lull of the sea. For those of you who may get this room, if you are a light sleeper, be prepared. The Buena Vista theatre is right below this room. I could tell when loud action scenes were playing b/c of the vibration. But this wasnt enough to deter my sleeping.
Oceaneer Club/Lab
My sons were pretty timid about going to the clubs. There was absolutely nothing wrong with them. I had horrible visions from some posts, but the staff was great. And I didnt see any demonic children either. We did make them go a few times. They whined and fussed, but when we came to pick them up, they were glad they went. DS (4) got to spend time with Snow White, Goofy, Alice and the White Rabbit just from being in the clubs.
Well, this is long enough. Here is a wrap:
Things Im glad we did/brought:
Over the door shoe holder
Wide brimmed hat
Safe Sea (DM got bit by something at Castaway Cay and used this rest of time)
Jet ski excursion
Parasailing
Palo
Disney transfers
All the Disney shows
Eating at sit down vs. buffet (I wanted someone to serve me for a change)
Roamed the floors this was a great way to run into characters without having to wait in line
Things we or Disney might do differently
Be more accommodating to the legally blind
Better selection of movies
Have pay-per-view or DVD rentals (for a female, if I didnt have my book while my son napped, I would have been bored to tears TV programs cater to men and children)
Skip the island tours & shopping
Reduce the antics in bingo
One more comment that I never saw mentioned on the boards gum. I like to chew gum after meals. I brought two packs. But when I ran out, the ship did not have any. We stayed on the Disney property for three days after our cruise. None of the parks had it, our hotel didnt have any and the Orlando airport didnt have any. So you may want to bring extra gum.
I know this is long, but I feel the boards helped me to prepare so much, that I want to give back. Feel free to ask any questions.
