Late but worth the wait! EASTERN MAGIC 1/6-1/13 WOOOHOOOO!!!

[Jennifer48]

More trippie please!

 

[supercalidisgirl]

Tuesday 1/9, St. Martin

If not for Anastasia yelling at us to get out of bed in the morning (per parental unit request), we might have slept all day every day. But this was the first day with someplace to be other than the ship, so we managed to get out at a reasonable time (10am-ish). Upon leaving, I noticed our crew was repainting the Magic while other ships remained rusty and dirty. Disney RULES. We are elite.

We immediately caught a cab to the French side to do some shopping and to follow tips from certain CMs on scoring authentic designer eyewear at shamelessly low prices. Afterward, we wanted to find a great beach. A French vendor directed us to a beach that she claimed to be the most beautiful in the world (Grand Caase). After Mom mistook two African-American tourists for locals and asked them for directions, we found Gilbert the cab driver. Mom decided to stay behind on the Dutch side, so the boys and I agreed with Gilbert on a price and got in his cab. Gilbert said that the French vendor was wrong and that he would take us to a better beach. We shrugged and thought, “Whatever. Sure.”

Some time had passed and we were in the middle of nowhere, constantly swerving to avoid Kamikaze goats, dogs, and horses. The roads were extremely narrow and full of crazy cab drivers that seem to play “chicken” when passing each other. We thought, “Oh dear. What have we done?” Then a glimpse of turquoise water and white sand caught our attention.

Gibert finally dropped us off at Kaoke Beach in Orient Bay, saying he’d pick us up at 3pm and take us back to the ship for the same price (which he did). We love Gilbert. The beach was uhhhh-maze-ING: crystal clear warm water, beautiful sand, not many people, and an outdoor tropical bar with a very generous bar tender. We had to rent beach lounges, but they were already set up, and had cushions and umbrellas.

Orient Bay

As Nathan runs into the water like Bo Derek, Benn prefers the upside-down approach...

What more do three twenty-somethings need other than beach, rum, and speedo?

Apparently it was supposed to rain that day, which was why the beach was not crowded. It did pick up a bit later in the afternoon. There were some peddlers, but they left us alone when we made it clear we didn’t want to be bothered. Also, we did encounter some nudie patooties. So if you’re reading this and you would be offended at the sight of saggy body parts flopping about freely, stay on the port side when you visit St. Martin.

Nathan took a "brief" (ha ha) opportunity to pose "clothing optional"


TIP: The DCL excursion to Orient Bay is $57/each. Gilbert got us there and back for $14/person ($7 each way). Lunch is included if you go with DCL, but there are plenty of restaurants and bars for purchasing refreshments on your own. I’m not sure if DCL provides beach lounges…we had to rent them. You can also find inexpensive prices for jet skis and parasailing.

Meanwhile, the rest of our family explored the Dutch side and they were not impressed. The boys and I, however, had a marvelous time at Orient Bay…perhaps the best for me on the cruise. And all because we put our trust into a local toothless cabby named Gilbert.

Oooohhh…and I got upgraded to a higher category stateroom! A room all by myself! With a verandah! And no boys! Sadly, I lost my Anastasia. But I still enjoyed the benefits of having her around…she remained hostess to the rest of the family, whose towel animals starting sporting sunglasses and resembling our pets at home. That’s what happens when you show pics of your pets to people.

And three cheers for PIRATE NIGHT!!! Argh! Arrgghh! Arrrrrrggghhhh!!! SO much fun! We brought pirate-wear aboard with us in anticipation of this event, as apparently did others. I think the non-participant minority felt foolish among the throngs of eye patches and hooks…kind of like the one house on the block of a festive neighborhood that doesn’t put up decorations during the holidays. We pirates scoffed at them, as clearly it was much cooler to be a pirate than not.

This is the result of mixing parents, pirates, and rum.

The pirate party ROCKED. Great dance music, fireworks, everything! I thought, “Hmmm. I’m dressed as a pirate, dancing to Cher, and I’m on a boat somewhere in the Caribbean. Weird.”

We ended that night with DJ Mike from Scotland and Karaoke at Rockin’ Bar D.

Free shots to karaoke participants, courtesy of DJ Mike.

DJ Mike, from Scotland.

Highs:
St. Martin/Kaoke Beach
Gilbert
Pirate Night
Upgrade

Lows:
DJ Mike turning off the microphone during my rendition of Cabaret, a la Liza Minnelli

 

[greatwhite]

Awesome TR.....keep it coming.

 

[Tinkerbell's Mom]

And HOW did you get upgraded to a room all to yourself???????

 

[supercalidisgirl]

And HOW did you get upgraded to a room all to yourself???????

Weeeellllll, it goes like this:
We thought three people would be fine in a room, but we were wrong. I was getting REALLY grumpy because I'm a neat freak and I like personal space and Benn and Nathan are the opposite. Because we're nosy and observant, we noticed that a room down the hall wasn't occupied. First a persistent Nathan started going to guest services several times a day asking for the upgrade until they told him they had to wait until St. Martin because they might be picking up passengers. In the end, I don't know how it happened...whether it was my dad who ended up sealing the deal or what...all I know is that when I got back onto the ship after our St. Martin beach day, my dad said he had a surprise for me and handed me the new room key. Nathan and Benn were a little urked at first that I got moved and they had to stay in the inside stateroom, but I'm a Disney Princess with VIP status, so they just had to deal.

 

[Jennifer48]

Jodie,

I'm loving your trip report. You and your friends seem to have had a wicked awesome time

Thanks for sharing the cab price over to Orient Bay. Sounds like a better deal than going thru Disney's excursion.

Congrats on that cool upgrade! Can't wait to hear more!

 

[disneymom7851]

I like your report. Just enough info to keep me interested. Glad you liked Twice Charmed . . . but people say I'm prejudiced - I saw it all 3 times on the 2/10 Western

 

[supercalidisgirl]

I'm loving your trip report. You and your friends seem to have had a wicked awesome time

Thanks for sharing the cab price over to Orient Bay. Sounds like a better deal than going thru Disney's excursion.

A totally wicked awesome time! DCL is really an adult-friendly vacation. When I told my friends I was taking a Disney cruise, they were skeptical...like why on EARTH would you want to vacation on a boat full of screaming kids? But we never felt overwhelmed...DCL does SUCH a good job catering to the adults.

And yes...about taking cabs...just make sure you agree on a price and make double sure that cabs are always available to get back to the ship...you don't want to get stranded.

I'm feeling totally ADD right now...I completely just checked out staring at the dancing banana in the smiley section to the right of the "reply" box. For like five minutes.

Whoa.

 

[supercalidisgirl]

I like your report. Just enough info to keep me interested. Glad you liked Twice Charmed . . . but people say I'm prejudiced - I saw it all 3 times on the 2/10 Western

Hi disneymom7851! Thanks for reading!

Wait...you saw the show three times? I thought they only play 2xs each?

 

[supercalidisgirl]

Hey guys...check out my other thread...it's fun!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1344568

 

[disneymom7851]

They have a matinee on the Western Cruise. I think it is determined by where they are and how many people are on the ship. So yes, I saw it 3 times but like I said i have a vested interest in Cinderella

 

[supercalidisgirl]

They have a matinee on the Western Cruise. I think it is determined by where they are and how many people are on the ship. So yes, I saw it 3 times but like I said i have a vested interest in Cinderella

Being a musical theatre kid with my own set of biased parents, I think I know where you're going with that! If Cindy happened to be on the Eastern Magic 1/6-1/13...she rocked. I know I can't belt an "E" vowel like that!

 

[disneymom7851]

that was her, been on the boat for 4 months, 2 months to go

 

[supercalidisgirl]

Wednesday 1/10, St. Thomas

I vaguely remember having to wake up before dawn for some customs thing. Did that really happen? Was it a dream? I vaguely remember…the presence of jumpy children (I guess they DO exist)…and tired parents…trudging through a long line with travel documents. In my dream, I was in pajamas while everyone else was in beach attire. I remember…walking through a line…then taking a detour on my way out…not off the ship with everyone else, but instead up the elevator and back to my stateroom where an abandoned bed awaited my return.

Weird dream…

Anyway, we all woke up (again) and had breakfast together at Parrot Cay. General Rule for Breakfast Dining: Don’t order pancakes…they are not made fresh and taste like frozen Eggo. But everything else was fab as usual.

We left the ship and Benn insisted we take the sky cab up to Paradise Point. He had been to this port many times and wanted to share a special moment with us. We arrived at the ticket booth and scoffed at the roundtrip price of $18/each…not that we’re cheap, but we were anxious to get to the beach. But our determined navigator Benn convinced us by sponsoring the excursion. Paradise Point is nice. Not $18 nice, but nice. A gondola takes you up to a point that overlooks the port. It was neat to see all of the ships lined up, the Disney Magic being BY FAR the most beautiful. Again with the elitist attitude.

For those of you who thought I made up the third sibling, Jon, there he is.

Happy parents with the Magic in the distance...

On to Magens Bay. After our glorious mellow day on St. Martin, we were disappointed to see so many people. I’m sure it’s a lovely beach, but with 7 ships at port and most of the passengers going to the same beach, my cohorts and I were a bit grumpy at the sight. I immediately regretted not going to St. John and Trunk Bay (which I heard was gorgeous). But we had spent the $$ to get to Magens and the whole family was present this time, so we adopted a spoon-full-of-sugar attitude and walked to the empty far end of the bay.

Egads! What are all of these people doing on my beach???!!!

TIP: The DCL excursion to Magens Bay is $44/person. We spent $19/person ($8 each way plus a $3 beach fee) by taking a trolley cab. Water is included if you book with DCL, but there is an eatery and bar to purchase refreshments on your own.

It actually turned out to be a great day. The beach was really beautiful, but a different type of beautiful than Orient Bay. There was more sea life, and although the water was still perfectly clear, it was a bit darker and cooler. We swam, sunbathed, and watched pelicans dive-bomb their lunch (and sometimes swimmers-by). Those pelicans do NOT mess around. At one point, Nathan advised us all that pelicans equal sharks, because they eat the same food. Because Nathan is from Vancouver with little to no contact with either pelicans or sharks, he should not be considered a knowledgeable resource. However, he did manage to increase our awareness. Good times.

Why isn't anyone in the water with Mom? Perhaps she was the only brave enough to be in the water with all of those pelicans around...

Siblings

Things lurking in Magens Bay

After a full beach day, we headed back to the ship to order pizzas and chicken tenders from room service before a long nap and dinner at Palo.

Dinner at Palo is a must-do. Good Lord. Can we talk? Oy. General Rule when dining at Palo: TAKE YOUR TIME. TRY EVERYTHING. TAKE MORE TIME. YOU DESERVE IT.

The gang at Palos

Benn, Nathan, and I celebrated the day’s end in the jacuzzi at Quiet Cove with Courvoisier and some cigars we picked up on the island. (wink, wink!)

A GREAT DAY.
Although, next time I will do Trunk Bay at St. John.

Highs:
Beach day with family and pelicans
Palo dinner
Quiet Cove festivities at day’s end

Lows:
Crowded beach

 

[Tink rules]

Finally!!!

We get to see the Brother!!! You should let him out more often!!!

Great TR!!! Keep it coming!!!

 

[supercalidisgirl]

Finally!!!

We get to see the Brother!!! You should let him out more often!!!

Great TR!!! Keep it coming!!!

I told you I wasn't lying!
But doesn't he just look miserable to be out with us?

 

[disneypoor]

Can you share the tips offered to you by the CM's on how to score the cheap eyewear? I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to score some of those! Also, we were considering doing an island tour and then possibly go to the beach in the afternoon. Do you think we should just skip the tour and do the beach for the day? We have two kids ages 11 and 8, and they LOVE the water. Was there a water trampoline? That's what they are most excited about.

 

[supercalidisgirl]

Can you share the tips offered to you by the CM's on how to score the cheap eyewear? I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to score some of those! Also, we were considering doing an island tour and then possibly go to the beach in the afternoon. Do you think we should just skip the tour and do the beach for the day? We have two kids ages 11 and 8, and they LOVE the water. Was there a water trampoline? That's what they are most excited about.

On the French side, there is a mall with some sunglass shops...You can find Prada, Armani, Gucci (didn't see any Chanel) eyewear starting at like $80 and up...most are around $150. I know some people reading this might think that isn't "shamelessly low", but around here you're looking at at LEAST $250 for those designers in LA or San Diego. As well, you can talk them way down...prices don't seem to be set. I didn't question the authenticity...I was pretty confident, but when buying designer ANYTHING, request a certificate or guarantee before the purchase is made.

The rest of the shopping consisted of outdoor vendors...kinda like a swapmeet or farmers market. Alot of the same stuff...beaded jewerly, tourist stuff (mugs, beachbags, etc.), hair braiders, and beachwear (sarongs and such). If you're like me, you'll get the idea and experience in the first half hour and then want to head to the beach.

Orient Bay...yes...I saw three or four water trampolines out in the water...I'm not sure how much it costs to rent one. At least I think they were water trampolines...huge, round, yellow floatie things with people on them. You can rent a jetski for like $30/hr and parasailing was WAY less expensive than on Castaway Cay. But remember there are Nudie McNudes out on the beach (topless only).

We were happy spending most of the day at the beach. It was an amazing day and we were in the water for most of it!

 

[supercalidisgirl]

Thursday 1/11, Sea Day

Apparently stuffing our faces at Palo the night before wasn’t enough gluttony for one family. So we booked brunch for the next morning. As we walked into Palo (again), PJ offered us complimentary champagne cocktails mixed with Blue Curacao. Marco, another server, recognized my parents from last year. He remembered their names and hometown. Crazy.

Our server, Carmen, insisted on giving us a tour of the goods, which awakened the same impatient hungry predators that waited at the terminal prior to boarding the ship.

I could not BELIEVE the spread. I can’t even talk about it. Just book the brunch and find out for yourself. Be sure to try the Bloody Mary Shrimp Shooters, the bacon-wrapped scallops, the Gorgonzola pizza with grapes, the Eggs Benedict (or Florentine, or Julia), the lemon meringue…oh hell…just try it all.

After brunch, I was back at Day #3, zorked on sea sick meds in my stateroom with Mulan. Apparently, the sea was especially rough (at some point during the week we were at 15-20 ft swells) and there were even CMs down for the count. I had to close the drapes of my verandah to avoid the sight and sound of the treacherous monster (aka ocean) that was doing this to me. I even had to take the extra hangers down from my closet because they were swinging back and forth, reminding me of the motion. People kept telling me to go outside and get fresh air, which made me feel worse. I felt best lying horizontally in the comfort of my stateroom. Walking around made me woozy. I never actually got sick to my stomach (thank goodness). My motion sickness attacked with headaches, inner earaches, and nausea.

At one point I managed to get up and stagger to the Walt Disney Theatre to see the show, Dreams. It was a review of Disney songs and characters coming together to show that the magic of Disney can make dreams come true. Can you take it? Ugh. I loved it.

I missed semi formal night and lobster (my favorite) because of motion sickness. I received a phone call from downstairs asking if I wanted some delivered to my room. But quite honestly, I didn’t want anything to do with the ocean or things that lived in it. It was chicken tenders and the cheese/cracker plate from room service for me that night, which was fine. It was scrumptious. I always requested Jerome from Trinidad to deliver my loot. He knew just what to do…where to put everything, how I liked it arranged, that I left my door propped open with the deadbolt so I didn’t have to get up to let him in…

General Rule for Room Service: Your servers work hard and deserve to be tipped well. And you will be treated especially well in return. In regards to gratuity, remember that TIP means To Insure Promptness. When room service says to expect your order in 30 minutes, you might just get it in 15 if you’ve been nice…

I'm sorry this is a short blog...but really, I have nothing else to report. Next time I will come better prepared to fight motion sickness...perhaps stronger preventative measures.

Highs:
Palo Bruch
Dreams

Lows:
The sight, sound, and smell of the ocean

 

[pppiglet]

Nice report. Short and sweet is just perfect sometimes!