Live from the Magic, 2/4 to 2/11/2006

[steveandtonya]

Bill, Before I forget, thanks for the party you threw in your suite. It was nice meeting you and everyone else.
Steve

 

[Billinaz]

No problemo, well worth the 90 bucks... they came by that night with something for me to sign....



It was especially helpful for Melanie (6) who was always looking for her little friend (Carly) at the club....

 

[yachtsea]

I was thinking the same thing as some of you - just two weeks ago we were heading out on our great adventure.

Steve and Tonya - I am sorry that we did not get to know each other earlier. We really enjoyed talking with you both. It is chilly here is Charlotte, but not quite as cold as what you are dealing with. However, I am one of those weirdos that really enjoy a crisp winter day.

I am still getting quotes from various TAs regarding booking for next Feb. It is incredible the different prices that are out there. Hard to know which one is the best! Do any of you do the travel insurance part? I haven't before but I am thinking when you book one year out it might be a good idea.

As far as pictures go we did have some from the Sunday brunch. I need to take get them printed still. It takes a while to get them off the camera and edited a bit. I leave that all to Cal.

Did anyone get to see Glory Road while on board? I wish that we had seen that one. We saw the credits one night while waiting for a movie. It looked like it is pretty good.

Bill, how did you work out the whole princess thing? Also, any of you hear yet what the captain was talking about when he said they are changing the Castaway Club perk?

Debi

 

[nordicskidoodle]

Debi,
check with Dana out of Florida(she is very well known on this board), I probably can't say her company name on line. We did some pricing this week while considering going the same week next year. Her prices are close to the 10% off I was quoted on board. Of course we can kiss that $200 stateroom credit goodbye! Should have listened to my husband on this one!
Lisa

 

[yachtsea]

Is booking on board cheaper than what the DCL website shows? Cause I have found prices lower. Just wondered.

 

[Billinaz]

I am still getting quotes from various TAs regarding booking for next Feb. It is incredible the different prices that are out there. Hard to know which one is the best! Do any of you do the travel insurance part? I haven't before but I am thinking when you book one year out it might be a good idea.

Bill, how did you work out the whole princess thing? Also, any of you hear yet what the captain was talking about when he said they are changing the Castaway Club perk?

Debi

I asked the concierge if there was a way to do it, I knew they charged about $250 for 15 minutes but he got it arranged just beefore the princess meet and greet. He was tipped nicely for that.


I want to know the CC perk! We have the Wonder booked Feb 1 next year back to back so that means we get it twice! I had it booked long before we even boarded this time...

 

[Billinaz]

Is booking on board cheaper than what the DCL website shows? Cause I have found prices lower. Just wondered.

DEFINITELY. I also transferred it to DU and got more of a credit.

 

[mark_story]

Although Johnna has been representing the Story family on this thread, I wanted to add a couple of thoughts:

- Bill, thanks again for throwing the party. We were happy to contribute to it because it enabled us to match so many faces with names (and screen names), It was so nice to meet so many people before we even left the port.

- Steve, thanks for being the "Godfather" of our original thread. How was your drive back?

- Cal and Debi - it was a real pleasure watching the Super Bowl with you - I just wish that we had gotten to spend more time together aside from seeing you in the hallways. And I envy your childless experience.

- Lisa, with the perspective of two weeks behind us, I have come to realize that my complaining about my kids getting sick on the cruise pales in comparison to the challenges (and joys) that you face every single day loving and caring for a daughter with Downs Syndrome. Thanks for the reality check. And a quick note - my Uncle's 1:30 flight to Providence was overbooked they tried to convince the passengers to go on the 2:30 flight. He didn't take it because he was worried about the snow in Baltimore, but he almost ended up on the same flight as you.

- Susan, I am so sorry that you had a similar problem as us with you daughter. You were a delight to talk to during the brunch and I wish that we could have chatted more. But you're in Columbia, right? Maybe we'll cross paths soon.

- and Marcy - you are a trip. Your posts are as funny as your personality. I especially liked our Palo brunch discussion on sexual harassment seminars. Get my wife a job at your firm in Florida and we'll all move there (just for the Florida resident discount!).

I know that I have forgotten things and people, but you all were a delight to meet and spend time with. My post-cruise blues are fading a bit, but I wish that we all could re-book for the same time next year.

Mark

 

[D-Daddy]

Hi 2/4/06 Magic Cruisers! My DW and I discovered this forum just 2 weeks before we cruised on the Magic (2/4-2/11). We had not posted until now, but WOW did we learn a lot.

I think we read all 50+ pages of postings in the pre-cruise thread (started by SteveandTonya?) by Feb 2. We learned about over-the-door shoe hangers and door magnets and the importance of the embarkation shrimp feast and all sorts of stuff. And we've been following THIS thread since we arrived back home to find 4" (later 20 inches) of snow in Baltimore.

Our group included me, DW, DD-11, and DS-9. I've got a long write-up of "Good and Bad" on the Magic -- the "Bad" is pretty trivial compared to the good, but should I post it to this post-cruise thread? Or do it elsewhere?

Thanks!

-Jeff

 

[Johnna_Story]

Hi 2/4/06 Magic Cruisers! My DW and I discovered this forum just 2 weeks before we cruised on the Magic (2/4-2/11). We had not posted until now, but WOW did we learn a lot.

I think we read all 50+ pages of postings in the pre-cruise thread (started by SteveandTonya?) by Feb 2. We learned about over-the-door shoe hangers and door magnets and the importance of the embarkation shrimp feast and all sorts of stuff. And we've been following THIS thread since we arrived back home to find 4" (later 20 inches) of snow in Baltimore.

Our group included me, DW, DD-11, and DS-9. I've got a long write-up of "Good and Bad" on the Magic -- the "Bad" is pretty trivial compared to the good, but should I post it to this post-cruise thread? Or do it elsewhere?

Thanks!

-Jeff

Hey Jeff - please post here!!!! Welcome to our group - even though we haven't met you guys (at least knowingly) we have our vacation in common, so please share whatever you can.

BTW all - I haven't forgotten to post about our last day, it's just been too busy here. Will do so soon - I know you've all been holding your breath...

 

[yachtsea]

Johnna - I am waiting to hear the next report.

Our youngest daughter and her husband came over for dinner tonight. I pulled out their souvenirs and all our picture. Natalie especially thought her dad looked cute in his pirate bandana. It is my dream to be able to take them, along with our other daughter and SIL, on the Magic. I am hoping that we can do that in a couple of years. But...right now paying for six in three different cabins is a little more than we can pay. However, it is in the planning stage. I know they would love it.

Anyway, going through the pictures and telling the stories made me think of how much fun we had. It was one of our best trips ever. So... I do look forward to hearing from others and about what everyone got out of their experience.

Debi

 

[D-Daddy]

Hey Jeff - please post here!!!! Welcome to our group - even though we haven't met you guys (at least knowingly) we have our vacation in common, so please share whatever you can.

Thanks, Johnna! My Good/Bad list got kind of long, so I'll post them in two separate responses.

By the way, I really sympathize with those of you who had sick kids on the trip! We once had a weeklong family trip to WDW paid for by my wife's parents. The Polynesian! On the second day, my DD (then 7) came down with her 4th case of strep in just 4 months. A really bad vacation.

On the Magic, I saw one poor mom carrying her child (1 year old?) down the steps at the Disney Theater. Before the Disney Sea University graduation, I think? She was about 10 rows from the stage, getting ready to take a seat and BLAP!! -- her kid threw up all over her bare shoulder and down her back.

The poor woman was frozen there not knowing whether to stand still or move. Some CM's ran over, helped her out and cleaned up -- but that can really ruin your day.

Thanks again for all the great advice that my DW and I found in your threads!

-Jeff

 

[Billinaz]

My "bad" list is pretty short.


1.) The times we got rained on.

2.) The uncooperative conditions during the Golden Eagle Catamaran Snorkel .....


Other than that.... we had a great time.

 

[D-Daddy]

My DW, DD (11 years old), DS (9 years old) and I had an absolute blast on the Magic.

It was DW’s idea and as the time to go got closer, I was convinced that this was a very bad idea. But by the second day on the ship, I had forgotten about home projects, car repairs, kid’s schedules – I almost forgot where I worked. For a rare moment, my time was my own and suddenly this became the best vacation I have ever had.

I’ll write the “Bad” first, then follow with the Good.

The Bad:

1. Having to get off the boat. Wah!!!!!

2. They give you too much to eat! This cruise made my clothes shrink terribly!

3. We had the late dinner seating. My DD-11 is prone to migraines when she stays up late or isn't calm and quiet after 9PM. Our servers (Jesse and Martha) were great, but having my DD go to dinner at 8:30 and then staying up till midnight finally caused her to have a couple of attacks (followed by quick recovery).

4. The marionette guy was extremely talented, but that belonged on Ed Sullivan circa 1958. I liked the smart-mouth magician (Rick Puntura??) though!

5. When my DD was in pre-school, she loved the Disney princesses as much as any 3 or 4 yr old girl. And I was happy that she loved them. But my DS is 9 and DD is 11 and they get no big thrill out of Princess appearances and don't want to get autographs or pictures or anything. I was very happy to see all the little girls dressed up like their favorite princess and how excited they were, but I wish there was some equivalent for older kids -- like Rufus the naked mole rat from Kim Possible, the kids from the Incredibles?? or something like that??

6. If we went to St Thomas first and St Maarten second, wouldn't we avoid that ridiculous early immigration call in St Thomas?

7. If you don't enjoy other people's cigarette smoke, don't sit on Deck 5 near the doors. Within minutes, smokers will step onto the deck and move upwind, thus sharing their pungent enjoyment with as many people as possible.

8. The passenger ferry to the Anguilla Dolphin Excursion. Ugh. The dolphins were great and the beach was the best, but that boat ride…. UpDownUp……. Smash, back up again, down, up, down……. Up, splash! Back down….. I'd classify the ferry boat as an X-treme thrill ride. (DS-9, however, thought the insane boat ride was the highlight of the trip!)

9. The wind was unbearable up on Deck 9! People had to cover their food at Pluto's Doghouse so that entire hamburgers didn't blow away!

10. The sand on the Castaway Cay shoreline was murder! A billion sharp shells! My kids ended up playing on the sand bar near the boat rentals where there were NO shells -- only clean soft sand. I later noticed that in the 2005-2006 DCL Vacations brochure (p. 30), a family is shown playing happily on the sand. They’re playing on that same sand bar – not the beach! They had to have moved the boat rental stations to stage that photo!

11. The teeny tiny area on the comment card on which to write about someone who made your stay magical. I wrote about our Cabin Host, Calvin, but I had to scrawl in the margins and with 5 different arrows, etc. Gimme a little space to "sell" our Cabin Host! He deserves it!

12. I walked down toward rooms in the 2650 range. WOW!! Were they noisy!!! It sounded like every diesel engine on the ship was right under them!

13. Both my DS-9 and DD-11 had rolling suitcases that they really liked. Both suitcases were destroyed on the way off the boat.

Next: The Good!

-Jeff

 

[D-Daddy]

And now, The Good stuff!

1. Our cabin host, Calvin, was wonderful. He never got in our way, yet managed to make our stateroom look wonderful, despite our messiness. He would tell us how "splendid" we looked when we went to dinner and always wished us a "magical day." He twice scolded me in his Jamaican accent, "Your daughter. She is cruising. You should let her sleep til 3:00!" He was awesome.

2. The "small group" activities on the boat. We did the vegetable car race and my DD came in 2nd. The lecture on the making of the Magic with some of the crew (did you know that the navigator is prone to seasickness?). The galley tour (did you know that the bacon chef is the most critical member of the cooking staff?). The family drawing class (we did Mickey and Donald!). Missed the toad races and paper airplanes.

3. I loved spotting DD and DS being totally absorbed in their Oceaneer's Lab activities all over the boat -- they didn't even notice me spying on them. And the Disney University at Sea “graduation” was fantastic. A great chance to cheer for your kids just for being your kids! (My DS-9 was featured as “Most Relaxed.)

4. The beautiful Magic, itself. The other boats we saw in port looked so ordinary compared to ours.

5. Speaking of other boats, was anyone else out on deck in St Thomas when we left the port and Captain Thord BLASTED the RC Mariner of the Sea with our "When you wish upon a star" whistle!! A merciless sonic assault. My kids were SCREAMING, they thought it was so funny.

6. Goofy's Galley! My DD-11 will eat melon and pineapple faster than I can cut it up. Goofy's Galley -- with the freshly cut fruit each day -- was like an oasis in the desert! I was almost speechless when I asked for pineapple and grapes and honeydew and cantaloupe for my DD and they handed me a huge beautiful plate that was nearly spilling over. And for once, neither DW nor I had to cut it up. More fruit! More fruit!

7. The little self-serve ice cream cups. My DS-9 loved it. He would serve himself. Walk away while eating it. Finish it. Then he'd think for a moment, "I think I need some more…" Get some more. Walk away while eating it….

8. My DS-9 and DD-11 are old enough and (to me) responsible enough to be trusted to explore the ship by themselves. They just loved that freedom. They would often leave the room to "get some ice cream" or "look around". I think they really just liked being independent and responsible for their own activities. (No, my kids were NOT the ones chasing each other in the elevators.)

9. I was afraid that our windowless Cat 10 room would be claustrophobic and induce seasickness in all of us, but I was wrong. It was small, but had LOTS of storage space and was just wonderful. I almost had to chase the kids OUT of the room! They wanted to spend half the cruise eating food smuggled from Topsiders and watching TV (Wallace and Gromit!) in their bunk beds!

10. The ceiling fold-down bed in the Cat 10 room! My DS-9 would ask to be excused early from dinner each night so that he could race back to the room and claim the upper bunk. As if me or his sister or DW were going to take it from him!

11. After Castaway Cay, me, DD-11 and DS-9 got in Goofy's 84-degree pool and watched Little Mermaid on the mammoth Dumbotron. It was wonderful! And I loved the other parents who joined in scolding the un-chaperoned boys who were jumping in (despite the no-jumping signs).

12. Fireworks! On a boat! Moving at sea!

13. Shows! The Disney theater shows were great. Really professional and kept both my DD-11 and DS-9 entertained. Also the magician (Rich Puntura??) and the jugglers (the Gizmo Guys) were a riot.

14. Mustn't forget --- the calm seas! The ride could not have been smoother!

15. Best of all, stumbling across this DCL forum just 2 weeks before we cruised. We read all 50+ pages of postings and learned SO much. We got many compliments on our door magnets and made heavy use of our over-the-door shoe holders! We were really well prepared for this, our first cruise.

Thank you to all the DISBoarders who wrote such important and userful info!

-Jeff

 

[steveandtonya]

Debi,

Hey, Steve and I wish we would of meet you and cal sooner we enjoyed getting to know you. We are sitting here in the cold for the last two days it has below freezing and ice covered roads. The kids were suppose to be in school today but they are not!!!! We are now on day 3 of this and we are going to try and venture out just to get out of the house. I have to go for now the kids are needing breakfast so I will talk to ya soon.

Tonya

 

[steveandtonya]

Johnna,

I am trying to get a picture of my tatoo together. I will post it soon.
Tonya

 

[steveandtonya]

Marcy,

Sorry its taken me so long I got my tatoo in Orlando when we returned from the cruise so that I didn't have to worry about it during the cruise. I can get the name of the place if you would like to go next time!!!!

Tonya

 

[1stTimeDisneyCruiser]

On the Magic, I saw one poor mom carrying her child (1 year old?) down the steps at the Disney Theater. Before the Disney Sea University graduation, I think? She was about 10 rows from the stage, getting ready to take a seat and BLAP!! -- her kid threw up all over her bare shoulder and down her back.

-Jeff

I wonder how many others of us witnessed that. It was literally right behind me, I was sitting with my back to the stairs and I didn't dare turn around when I heard it because I wasn't sure how I'd handle it. My husband just gave me a play by play over my shoulder. Steve and Tonya and Tonya's family were also sitting right in front of us and also witnessed it. Amazing how quickly they clean things up and like it never happened!

Laura

 

[dlf246]

13. Both my DS-9 and DD-11 had rolling suitcases that they really liked. Both suitcases were destroyed on the way off the boat.

-Jeff

Jeff:
First, these are very useful observations and I suspect you were not able to write them all on the evaluation form. I would urge you to email or mail to DCL, as it seems they listen.

Second, we use the rolling suitcases for both regular and carry on, so am curious what damage they had and if you have suggestions for preventing.