Just Got Confirmation!! Some quick questions..

[LissafromSJ]

Hi all - Just booked our very first cruise for Nov 12-19th, 2005 on the Magic Eastern. Just wondering if anyone has had room 8526 and what they thought. Also, we have late seating for dinner, which I at first wanted to change. Now I'm thinking it might be okay. We have three kids (10, 10, and 9) and we eat around 7:30 at home anyway, plus with big lunches I can't imagine we'd be hungry at 6:00. What do you prefer and why?
Also, what spa treatments are good? We aren't really experienced with many spa treatments, but my husband would love a massage. I'd like to surprise him with one!
I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but I'd appreciate any feedback from you pros - thank you! Melissa

 

[jrabbit]

We've started going to the late seating and it seems to work out for us. Don't know about your room - never stayed on deck 8. Same with the spa - never have gone there.

But dinner seatings...

This isn't a complete list by any means, but here it goes...

Dinner Seating: Early vs. Late
Early Pros:
>Ready for the late night desserts
>Won’t go to bed stuffed
>Kids club schedules better timed with early seating
>“You’ve got the whole evening before you”

Early Cons:
>On port days, gotta get back on board to clean up and be at dinner by 6
>Need to make a choice: go to the family cabaret shows and then sit farther back for the main show in the Walt Disney Theater or skip the family cabaret shows
>Stuffed from dinner – hard to stay awake in the nice and cozy darkened theater for the main shows
>Disembarkation Day: breakfast at 6:45am vs. 8am for Late seating

Late Pros:
>Have an extra 1/2 hour to get cleaned up after a busy day onshore (or onboard)
>Don’t have to be at the main show until 6:30 and you don’t even have to be “dressed up”
>If you do get dressed up for the 6:30 show, you can go to the family cabaret without feeling rushed (you’ve got a reserved seat for dinner)
>Won’t feel like snacking (as much) late at night on the desserts (maybe this is a con)
>Overall, you’re not as rushed (getting ready for dinner and at dinner)
>Less children (if that’s important to you)
>Time to snack at scoops/plutos/Pinocchio's in the afternoon w/o spoiling dinner
>More time to "sleep in" on last day - Breakfast at 8am vs 6:45am

Late Cons:
>If your dinner runs long, you’ll miss the “adult” cabaret shows and the sail away parties
>If you’re tired, I’m too stuffed from dinner to go to bed for quite a while
>Interferes with evening kids and teen activities

 

[allears]

We are a family of 5 and on three of our four cruises we've been in a Cat 4 on deck 8. We have always been thrilled and there is plenty of room, even with a teenaged daughter. You should be very happy with it. Plus you're only one deck from Topsiders and the pools.

We have always chosen late seating and on our first cruise our youngest was only 4. Pretty much for all of the great reasons listed by jrabbit. We just find it much lessed rushed and relaxing. We like to linger at the table and chat with table mates or cast members and they don't have to rush you out for the next seating. We also like the later seating for breakfast on debarkation day. By the time you're done breakfast, the crowds have cleared and you walk right off the ship.

By the way where in South Jersey are you from?

 

[ivanova]

if you want to surprise DH with a massage, consider booking the Romantic Escape at Sea (REAS) package for $339. It includes an 1 hour couples massage.

 

[webray]

Just keep in mind..with late seating dinner..you start at 8, probably don't finish up until about 10pm. There is no rushing.

If you want to keep late dinner for you and hubby..you can always let the kids eat at the buffet or one of the quick service spots, instead of dressing for dinner. Then let them play while you are at dinner. Probably more fun for them anyway.

As far as spa treatments. We have tried several and what we like best is the well being massages, and a weeks pass to the rain forest.

 

[LissafromSJ]

Thank you everyone! I think I have more to base things on now, so I'm very appreciative. Seems like we'll stay with the late seating, because three girls (well, me included!) take forever getting ready from a day of fun to go to dinner. I also hate being rushed. I'll have to check into the spa thing. The weeklong pass to the rainforest - what exactly does this include and cost?
Thank you everyone!!! (And did I mention I'm very excited? I just hung a poster in our kitchen from the TA and watched the video. Geez. Whatever will I do for the next nine months?)
PS: Allears - We're from Laurel Springs, a teeny little town sandwiched between Stratford and Blackwood. Know it?
Melissa

 

[allears]

Lisa,

The rain forrest room is way cool. I think the full weeks pass is $80 or $85 per person and allows for unlimited use of this fabulous room. It is a large room with soft lights, spa music, a fountain in the middle and delightful aromas. There are four contured, tiled lounging couches, heated to body temp. There is also a bench like that. There is a light steam room, aruoma therapy room, spa and a couple of special showers. Very, very relaxing! One of my favorite parts of the ship. You can also go daily, for $15 or $8 the same day you have a spa treatment. I think they also have a partial week package, which my wife and I are going to look into when we get back on board this week.

I have done the spa taster and well being massage, both awesome. The spa taster is a great introduction to spa treatments and majorly relaxing!

I sure do know where Laurel Springs is, I drive through it every day. I live in Mt. Ephraim and work in Atco. I come down the White Horse Pike most every morning. So it really is a small world after all.

Let me know if you have any more questions. You'll love the cruise. We can't believe that (God willing) we'll be back on board in a couple of days.

 

[LissafromSJ]

Thanks for the info, Allears. Wow-can't believe your trip is almost here. Good for you - I would be insanely excited if I were leaving soon, I wish you and your wife a wonderful trip! Please post a trip report, because I hang on every word off those things and there aren't enough of them on there for fanatics like me. Happy cruisin!

 

[allears]

We are now getting really excited. Usually we have a much longer lead time before cruises, but we were just there a few short months ago. And the holidays took most of our attention. Now that it is almost here, we can't wait. I am planning on a trip report this time. I know what you mean, we don't know what we would do with out the boards when we're getting ready for a cruise. The information in here is by far the best anywhere. You can be an expert even on your first cruise with this tool.

 

[TammiMcMan]

We've stayed in stateroom 8022 and 8532, both are in relatively the same area as what your describing. You will get some deck noise when you're out on the verandah. You can hear people walking around because of the way deck 9 juts out. Inside your room, you might hear some chairs being moved overhead, but nothing that really bothered us at all.

If you're kids are in the clubs, they can have dinner early with them and eat again with you. Our 8 year old ate dinner twice every night. That first seating time just comes up awfully quick and you can always snack if you get hungry earlier. Dinner might not finish up till after 10pm though. I love staying there and lingering and the kids can always go back to the club for fun.

We just came off a pampering cruise and DH did a few sessions with the chakra capsule. In 25 minutes, you're supposed to get the benefit of 2 1/2 hours sleep. I had a facial done, seaweed detox and a salon appointment. Everything was wonderful. If you're looking for something for your DH, you might want to consider a deep tissue sports massage or the aromastone therapy, which is heat and massage. Your other option is the week long rainforest pass as others have mentioned. If he's into the whole sauna, steam, spa thing, he might enjoy this more. It was very relaxing.

Tammi

 

[Babs417]

AllEars First time. From Somerdale Question when do you fly to Fla? Same day or da befor? What time? Thanks

 

[allears]

AllEars First time. From Somerdale Question when do you fly to Fla? Same day or da befor? What time? Thanks

Hey there, wow Somerdale! I ride by you everyday to.

We have done both. Our first cruise was land and see, so we were in Disney World before the crusie. The next two 7 night cruises, we left on a 6 am flight out of Philly. We were lucky both times, no problems and were in Fl by 9 AM, greeted by a cruise rep and by 10 or 10:30 on the bus to the port. Makes for a bit of a long day.

Last time we flew down the day before, the plan was to stay at the air port Hyatt and have a good nights sleep. It was a good thing we did go down before because Hurricane Jeanne hit and we were hold up in a resort in Orlando. I don't think we would have had much chance of getting a flight out Monday.

This time we're trying the plan again. We fly out early Friday morning, pre-checking in at the Hyatt and planning on spending the day at the Magic Kingdom. We should be on an early bus Saturday to the port.

Depending on the time of year, I would strongly advise leaving the night before, give yourself as much wiggle room as possible. That being said, if you book your air through Disney, unless you book the hotel stay the night before through them, you will be flown down the same day. The advantage is if there are delays or problems, they will either hold the ship or get you to it's next port some how. Where as on your own, your on your own. The disadvantage is you don't get to pick your flight times.

Let me know if you have any other questions, love to help and I'll wave to you as I go down the White Horse Pike in the morning.

 

[tadsdaddy]

Hi all - Just booked our very first cruise for Nov 12-19th, 2005 on the Magic Eastern. Just wondering if anyone has had room 8526 and what they thought. Also, we have late seating for dinner, which I at first wanted to change. Now I'm thinking it might be okay. We have three kids (10, 10, and 9) and we eat around 7:30 at home anyway, plus with big lunches I can't imagine we'd be hungry at 6:00. What do you prefer and why?
Also, what spa treatments are good? We aren't really experienced with many spa treatments, but my husband would love a massage. I'd like to surprise him with one!
I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but I'd appreciate any feedback from you pros - thank you! Melissa

Hi Melissa,
We had 8526 on the Wonder and we (DW, DD10, DD9, DS8) loved it. My foremost impression was how everything exceeded expectations. It seemed quiet enough for us and the service was great. (e.g., the bed that partially obstructs the verandah door was put back in the wall as soon as we left the room, if not sooner) We'd love that room again, since it seemed like a low traffic area maybe from being about equal distance from two elevators.

We had early dinner, but are going to have late dinner on our next cruise so we don't have to hustle back from shore. We didn't use the spa, but we are planning for that next time, too.

Have fun!