Just back from the Magic 7 day - No Fun

[Mickbee]

OF COURSE I AM KIDDING!!!!!!!!


We just returned from the Eastern 7 day from 6/29-7/6... All I can say for now is UNREAL!!!!

We had a blast yet did so little in the scope of things.


We were Newbies prior to this sail so fire away with any questions you may have. We had a lot of fun. My wife was ready to throw me and the video camera over board but now she is glad I carried it with me.

Fire away with any questions. This was our first time cruising but certainly will NOT be our last!!!

Also, for those that were on the Cat "Castaway Girl" @ St. Thomas returning approximately noon let me know, we took some great photos from the 10th deck. I would be glad to email them to you as soon as I find the camera.

Again, fire away with the questions. Tomorrow the fog may have lifted and the thoughts may be collected...

We-R-Hook'D

Thanks to All for the words of wisdom prior to sailing. The tips were key to our trip. When we boarded the ship I felt like a baby sea turtle flapping for a place that I did not know. We wandered the ship muttering words such like the Rainman such as "Bahama Mama, yes please one more", "Palos", "Spa", "Lab", "Must order cookies and coffee", and "shoe hanger". Though we didn't know why at the time, we took the advise and it certainly paid off.

Thanks 2 ALL!!!

 

[PiperG]

What did you do on St. Maarten?

 

[4nana]

Saw your post that it was No Fun and my heart skipped a beat!
Glad you enjoyed your first cruise and hope you do a trip report

 

[Mickbee]

Ahhhh good question;

Answer: not much. We didn't plan anything prior because we wanted to walk and explore a bit on our own. We found out (for us) that this was a mistake. Every 5 feet we were hit up by hair braiders, taxi drivers, and time share people. A simple "No thanks" was always given, but never accepted. Therefore, it got old. We spent a little time shopping and then headed back to the boat to have fun on board. Other newbies took the french side tours and really enjoyed them. I think next time that is what we will do and plan it prior.

Castaway Cay was UNREAL!!!! We really wish we had more time there.

 

[Mickbee]

I knew the "No Fun" part would cause a few beats to be skipped.

We can't wait to go again. It was everything we were told it would be and more.

 

[PiperG]

Yep. . . . .Isn't it AWSOME!!! When Disney does stuff, they really do it right, huh???

I am going to be watching this tread and looking for questions from other Eastern cruisers. We did a land-and-sea deal in Dec '01 and loved the cruise portion we booked a 7-day Eastern before we even got off the boat. Glad to hear it was GREAT.

 

[@GoofyNut]

I almost had a heart attack when I saw NO FUN!

Just wondering, have you cruised with other lines and how does disney compare?

Taking our 4th or is it 5th Disney Cruise - 9-28-02!

 

[Mickbee]

Sorry for the heart attach!

This was our first cruise ever. The only regret we have is that we didn't do this years ago.

We are about to plan our next one for next year but the wait will be a killer. We can't wait because now we feel like we can understand things a little bit better and don't have to learn the ship and our way round.

Several times we kept heading in the wrong direction or to the wrong deck. It was pretty funny.

I just had to cut the jungle/grass. I am hoping to add further details soon.

 

[lotsofboys]

Mickbee, we were there too! And your post is exactly what I would have written: 1st time cruisers, felt much better having been on these boards before embarking, and the Rainman reference LOL my kids came running in to see why I was laughing so loud (we did the same exact thing!).

I think Disney should just skip St Maarten & St Thomas and spend three days at Castaway Cay. We rented a van in St Maarten (because there were 7 of us and it was only $55) and went straight to Orient Beach, beautiful but windy, no snorkeling that day. Next just shopped for a few hours in St Thomas and returned to boat as well. Spent all day at Castaway Cay, kids snorkelled for hours saw bat rays and sea turtles as well as hundreds of fish.

We had such a fabulous time we rebooked for Feb 2004!

Anyone can email me questions also if you wish.

 

[ldb1030]

What movies were playing??

 

[nigellong]

We were there too (I think I saw you returning your green van, 'lotsofboys'). We rented a car and our DS6 enjoyed being bowled over by the waves at Orient Beach but we all saw a bit too much sun that day. So instead of getting over to St John when we in St Thomas the next day we rested and then took a taxi over to Coki Beach and did a couple of hours snorkling (even when it is windy that beach seems to be protected from heavy waves - at least at the aquarium end).
Being on the Magic is so much fun perhaps Disney could operate 7 day cruises with stops at Castaway Cay on days 3 and 5 for everyone that wants a couple of great beach experiences. I think it takes the first couple of days to get into cruise mode and find your way around but I don't know how much everyone values the stops in St Martin and St Thomas - they are interesting breaks but add some additional water excursions at Castaway Cay and I think a lot of people would enjoy extra time on the ship even more. Perhaps Disney could reduce prices a little from the savings in fuel and dock fees....

 

[lotsofboys]

The Count of Monte Cristo
Return to Never-Land
Harry Potter
Bad Company
Lord of the Rings
Snow Dogs
Monsters Inc
Big Trouble
Lilo & Stitch
The Rookie

 

[bennett]

We arrived back home from the Magic a few weeks ago-I never felt like we were attacked by sales people on St. Maarten-a few approached us but we just kept on walking-we had a blast there-I can't wait to go again and St. Maarten is one of the reasons why-I would be upset if Disney did away with St. Maarten--

 

[Mickbee]

I think one of the main reasons for the high number of approaches was because the Magic was the only boat in port at the time, therefore all of the local folks only had one boat to sell to. One of the crew members told us that tidbit. They also said the advantage of one boat is better bargains.

We also asked the question of Castaway Cay for multiple days. We were told that later in the day, as the humidity decreases the island becomes Jurassic Park-like with the swarms of mesquite. They said they will eat you alive. We thought it was odd that they sold Off bug repellant. Our wonderful server at Palos told us all about it.

Speaking of Palos; If I could pass on one HUGE recommendation, be sure NOT to miss brunch at Palos. It was excellent. Be sure to go hungry. The food was outstanding and so many things to eat. I am drooling on my keyboard as I type this. Zita was our server at Palos and she was great. We went to brunch there twice, high tea, and dinner. On the final night, as we dined at our window seat looking out over the stern of the boat with the sun setting (hear the music?), we sighed and looked out the window dreading the reality of Monday's return to reality and the end of fun, we saw a school of dolphins swimming and playing in the prop wash of the ship. Of course I was more interested in holding my fork than the video camera. With the 30 lbs of food I had just consumed slowed the cat-like reflexes and they were too far for a good shot by the time I fumbled with the camera.

Lotsofboys,

We probably bumped into each other. You must have been the one holding the Bahama Mama on the Embarkation party. Or was that me? Or was it EVERYONE on the ship. My wife had one too many before the ship left the dock and the juice made her stomach upset. Uh-huh (I'm dead when she reads this!)

Our stateroom was 2590. We asked about an upgrade but was laughed at because the ship was fully booked. Our cabin was listed as one of Dave's noisy rooms. The room was quiet and peaceful until the night we left St. Thomas, then it got a bit noisy. We could hear a sound breaking glass and something that sounded like a trash compactor. Nothing to keep us awake. We would get the cabin again. We liked it because it was fairly close to mid ship. The bridge said we had rough(8-13 ft. seas) for two days. During the Hercules show, we could feel the ship rocking with the quartering sea, but when we returned to our cabin, we could barely feel any motion. It was pretty cool to look out the window and see the white caps on the waves.

The Art of Entertainment shows were really cool. The shows were funny, we got to taste the food and a little belt of wine.

We purchased the premium wine package and were glad we did. All of the wines we drank were outstanding. We didn't purchase it until our third night. As I mentioned earlier, I was a bit on the slow side when it came to a few decisions. I am glad we purchased late because we took three bottles home with us. We chose to take home wines which were exclusive to Disney. We chose the "Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvee(2) and Fess Parker Chardonnay". Both were made exclusively for Disney for the 100th year.

AS time goes on, more will pop into my head.

One not so shiny note:
Earlier today when I was unpacking, I came across the summer 2003 rate sheet that I received on-board. I am a bit bothered because the quote we received for booking on board was much higher than the price should have been. Here is what happened: I swung by the desk and picked up a rate sheet which When she gave me the price I thought it was a bit high but not 100% sure because I didn't add up the two adult and child rate, just ball-parked it. After receiving the quote, we felt it was a better deal to book with our DVC points because the rate wasn't that great. When I rechecked the sheet as I was unpacking today, I totaled up the cost and it was $840.00 less than the quote she gave us. The exact amount of the savings indicated on the sheet. In other words, she quoted us the full rate. If she had quoted me the correct price, I would have booked our next trip AND received the $200.00 on-board credit

If anyone has any advice on how to handle this, it would be much appreciated.

Have fun!!

Steve

 

[evamelissa]

Hey Mickbee...

My husband and I were sitting behind you at Palo's on the last night for dinner...I felt like I was reading a post I had just written....you got me when you mentioned the dolphins.....I am wishing for the food right now...and Zita...we can truely say that we left with a new friend...she made our whole trip...we are going to try and keep in touch with her!!
I am much too tired to write a report so soon, but I swear you just wrote it for me....What a wonderful time we had.....so glad to see you comment so soon.....it was so sad to see it end!!!

Melissa and Chris

 

[Mickbee]

Melissa and Chris,

Great to hear that you were able to see that as well. Where were you sitting that night? We were bummed that we didn't get Zita's email address or a way to keep in touch. She mentioned that this was her last contract. If you have her email address and could pass it on to us or give her ours, it would be great.

I just recalled a funny thing that happened that night after dinner. Upon returning to our cabin, the phone was ringing and it was Zita. She was calling to let us know that my wife forgot her purse. I was the chosen one to run back up to get it. On my way back to the room, I decided to walk deck 6 to see the locations and the cabins not to get. I could not figure out why people were looking at me sort of strange until is dawned on me that I was carrying a small beaded/glittery purse. I am not sure if they were looking at me strangely because the fact I was carrying it or because it didn't match my shoes...

I am getting a good chuckle out of that now!

 

[evamelissa]

Mickbee.....

We gave Zita our email address, and during the commotion of saying goodbye, we overlooked the fact that we never got her address....sniff sniff....she had a winnie the pooh book that she let us write our addresses in, so if she does ever email, I will forward you her address....We were sitting along a "couch" at a table for two that was toward the pizza oven, at first I was facing the windows, and then during the dinner my husband and I switched seats...(the chair was a little uncomfortable for him)and I had my back to the windows...I had turned around at one point and caught a glimpse of the dolphins....what a great touch for our last dinner there...I am sure disney had nothing to do with it.....
We had champagne brunch at Palo, and two dinners....I wish we could've eaten there every night.......

Melissa

 

[Mickbee]

Melissa and Chris,

That is so funny because we figured out who you were. I believe we saw you at brunch on Sunday as well. Ahh, using the old "the chair is uncomfortable line". It works every time... We had seen dolphins from our cabin when we were leaving St. Thomas. I did a double take when one popped up right outside the window.

Did you try the chocolate soufflé at Palos?

What deck was your stateroom on? We are undecided if we will stay on deck 2 or go for the veranda next cruise. We really liked being able to sit on the couch in the coolness of the A/C while watching out the window.

For dinner we were in the first seating with the PLA rotation. Our servers were Erasmo and Antonija. They were awesome as well. We followed their recommendations for dinner every night.

Our stateroom host was Marlon from Costa Rica. He was hilarious. He kept laughing at me because I made so many trips to the room for one forgotten item or another. The towel animals were so funny. We had the monkey hanging in the room for days. I told him I was going to take him home and he told said "go ahead mun, shhhhh". The lobster made out of the blanket and towel was my favorite.

We also went to the wine tasting which was really great. I am too big of a chicken to try opening the champagne with a knife. With my luck I would kill the cat with the cork.

When we look through the photos of the cruise, we will be sure to look for you. If we do come across any, we will be sure to email them to you.

Have fun,

Andrea & Steve

 

[evamelissa]

Andrea and Steve,

First day back to work...wait...my bed wasn't made for me when I returned...oops, I forgot...reality.
We did brunch on Monday...so I am not sure if we are who you think we are..lol....We didn't see any dolphins until dinner Friday night...I thought we would see more.
We had a cat 6 (6094) verandah stateroom, I AM NOW SPOILED. Last year I cruised with my two sons, 8 and 12 at the time, and we had a cat 8 on deck 6 (6022) We absolutely loved that room too...but that verandah....do it next time. This was our honeymoon, so we figured we would splurge a bit.
We had the LAP rotation...this was our one little sticking point on the whole cruise....we had requested a table of 4 but no bigger than a table of 6...got a table of 8. Not as intimate as we had hoped...consequently we ended up only dining with them the first 3 nights....ate at Topsiders 2 times and Palo's the other 2..We were pretty happy with all the meals, but our dining room servers were not shining stars by any means....Last year we had a wonderful girl from Irealand, Janet, but she did not come back we were told.....
Our stateroom host was Arya, and he was always running and working so hard...such a sweet man....he was always chuckling at us, we always ended up at our room when he was cleaning it.
We also did the winetasting...the first one at 3 on Suday I believe...we had a greeat time..Yes...Chris wants to try the chanpagne thing...lol...we loved the Iron Horse Cuvee.....
We want to re book eventually...and bring 3 of our Children along next time...I missed them terribly, kept remembering what they liked the year before...oh well....

I haven't heard from Zita...hopefully she will write soon...Oh, I have one question...Did you guys get an anniversary cake at Palo's on the last night? Let me know....

Have a great day...

Melissa and Chris

 

[Mickbee]

Melissa & Chris,

That is so funny about you wanting a table for four. Originally we were assigned to a table for eight. On the first night we ate dinner with two of the most unfriendly rude people we ever DIDN'T meet. I say this because they wouldn't even so much as look at us, forget about talking! It was soooo uncomfortable! If that wasn't bad enough they were extremely rude to the wait staff because they didn't like their multiple starters and entrees. The poor server was so nice to them and very patient. His efforts however were fruitless and there was no pleasing them. We spoke with the head of serving the next day and explained how these people made us uncomfortable and we wanted to enjoy our dinners and requested a new seating assignment. He was very nice and told us that he would leave us a voice mail in our cabin with the details. When we arrived at the Lumiere's that evening, we were seated at a table for four (our 9 yr old son and us). We were originally in the late seating but they changed us to the early because there wasn't any seating available. We were very pleased we did.

We think we know who you are.... we remembered that you switched seats during dinner and by your description of where you said you were located. Does Chris have a goatee and you have short brown hair? It would be really funny if we sent you a photo of people that you had no idea who they were!!! We were not the couple that got cake that night. The couple that had a cake was behind us(or were we behind them???). They were married that day at Castaway Cay we think. We saw them in their wedding attire riding around on the back of a golf cart on the island. We have a picture of their cake being made from when we took the galley tour. We celebrated our 12 year anniversary on the ship on the second night. If you are the before mentioned people, we have a picture that we can email to you. We were taking pictures of Palos and you are in the foreground. Toooo funny! Congratulations on recent wedding! Let us know your email and we would be happy to send you the photo. We probably have photos of 80% of the people of the ship.

We also loved the Iron Horse. We brought home 2 bottles of it along with the other exclusive Disney wine, the Fess Parker Chardonnay. It was also very good. We figured we could always search the internet and find any of the others that we enjoyed after we got home.

We are also missing the special touches of the ship. Coming back to a nice neat room, the bed turned down with a surprise towel animal and chocolates on the bed awaiting our arrival back from dinner (be sure to find all of the chocolates before retiring you will have a heart attach in the morning!), fresh towels, and a nice hot pot of coffee every morning(sniff... sniff). It's sad to be back here in the real world isn't it? It really lived up to it's name... Magic!

Have fun!

Andrea & Steve