Live From the May Repositioning Cruise

[WDWLVR]

Great CC gift. Wonder if the August cruisers will get the same thing since there is no date on it.

Also, was the gift basket ordered through the Disney gift site -- or is it from a local vendor?

My guess is that basket came for Shirley's shop "The Perfect Gift". Shirley does great gift baskets.

 

[Timon]

Thanks SO MUCH for posting all those great pics!! Now we can all cruise vicariously on the 14 day through you!!!!!!!

I am not a jealous person, but ok, I will admit it....

I am SOOOOOOO freakin' JEALOUS right now!!!!!

Have a fabulous trip!!!!!!!

 

[winotracy]

Also, was the gift basket ordered through the Disney gift site -- or is it from a local vendor?

It was from The Perfect Gift. Shirley, you did a great job! Thanks!

Tracy

 

[Lisa F]

The Castaway Club gift is a blanket, kind of like the one they gave away for Puerto Rico and Antigua last year.

Tracy

My cats are already looking forward to getting fur all over it! Thanks for taking the time to post and answer questions.

 

[winotracy]

Tracy---

You are awesome! Thanks for making sure we are all kept up to date! Tell me you are not going to do this for two weeks! Jen and Peter will have to return the favor for you in August!

Thanks for the hard work in keeping us homebound folks (god, I hated typing that!) in the "it is almost like we are there" loop!!!

Jill,

There is no way I can keep up this pace for two weeks Actually, they may not have service after they leave the port, but will get it back in Acapulco. I better get some time off of work then

Tracy

 

[MomsGoneGoofy]

Great pictures, thanks for posting have a great time!

 

[natsmom125]

THESE PIX ARE KILLING ME...............

I searched the ORL paper on line, the ORL tv web sites I have and found an article on the sailing in the coast paper. There may be an article in the Sentinel today, but it's not online. DH is in ORL and he'll bring the papers when he comes home tomorrow and I'll seach more. Or something could be
in tomorrow's about the sailing today.

Go to FLORIDATODAY.COM and scroll down to MAGIC SAILING WEST. If somebody could cut and paste that article, I'm sure todays cruisers would like to have it for their scrapbooks. I'd do it but I don't know how....Andy,
Lampy, Barb...somebody????????

And a favor.....somebody making pictures....could you please make a pix of PJ and the gang in Palo for me??????

OK...I have to leave now. I can't stand it any longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phyllis

 

[Verandah Man]

I printed off a copy of the Florida Today article about the Magic Heading West from the newspapers website.

Here is the link: http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050514/BUSINESS/505140309/1003

 

[sandysplayhouse]

http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050514/BUSINESS/505140309/1003Here is the article

 

[eye R.N.]

Shirley, great basket as usual, you are the best!!!!

Love the castaway gift. Now I'll have matching red and blue throws along with a towel.

I so owe you guys.

This has been a tough day and the pics are just what the doctor ordered. Thanks so much Peter and Tracy. Can't wait to see more. Please do the mandatory silly looking photo with life preservers.


wishing you fair winds and a following sea.
Dee

 

[sandysplayhouse]

http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050514/BUSINESS/505140309/1003Here is the article:
[font=Times New Roman,Serif]May 14, 2005[/font]

<!-- HEADLINE --><!-- ARTICLE HEADLINE -->[font=Times New Roman, serif]Magic heading west[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Serif]Ship leaving port today for California[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, serif]

BY DONNA BALANCIA
FLORIDA TODAY [/font]<!-- SIDEBAR --><!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><TABLE cellPadding=4 width=250 align=right border=0><!-- MAIN PHOTO --><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>[font=arial,helvetica]
Disney Magic. Spectators watch as the Disney Magic heads out from Port Canaveral in 2003. The Magic leaves today on a 14-day cruise to Los Angeles. It will remain on the West Coast until September. FLORIDA TODAY file
Enlarge this image
[/font]


</TD></TR><!-- MAIN FACT BOX --><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle bgColor=#004f93>[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bon voyage viewing of Magic[/font] </TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#e1e4f3>[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Disney Magic is schedule to leave Port Canaveral at 5 p.m. today. on a 14-day Trans-Panama Canal cruise to Los Angeles. Magic will be in California during the summer and will sail a 14-day repositioning cruise back to Port Canaveral in September. Some places on the south side of Port Canaveral where you can watch the Magic sail away: Freddie Patrick Park
Jetty Park
Port's End Park [/font]
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top></TD></TR><!-- ADDITIONAL PHOTOS --><TR><TD vAlign=top>[font=arial,helvetica]

Enlarge this image
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- ARTICLE BODY TEXT --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->[font=Times New Roman, serif]Travel agent Keith Anderson has been busy.

Anderson, who owns Mouseketrips, a Utah travel agency that specializes in booking Disney destinations and vacations, has been making reservations for his customers aboard the 14-day Trans-Panama Canal cruise to Los Angeles aboard the Disney Magic that leaves Port Canaveral at 5 p.m. today.

"That ship is sailing full from Port Canaveral," Anderson said. "It's been sold out for months."

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., the Magic will cruise to Los Angeles, then sail seven-day trips from the Port of Los Angeles to various destinations in Mexico. It will sail a 14-day repositioning cruise back to Port Canaveral in September.

Bob Liljenquist of Salt Lake City is not about to miss the boat.

"My son is the one who got us to go, but he had to drop out," Liljenquist said. "He's somewhat of a 'Disneyphile,' but he's not a kid at 38. He and his wife found out they're having a baby and, well, he's happy, but he really wanted to go on the cruise."

Liljenquist admits that, at 65, he is a veteran Disney fan, but he's never been on a Mickey cruise.

"This will be our first Disney cruise," said Liljenquist, who was vacationing at Walt Disney World before the cruise. "The 14 days will be enough time to make us feel like we really got away from everything."

Anderson said most of the cruisers on the 14-day journey are repeat customers.

"There's even a waiting list," he said. "It's very special. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and people are really looking forward to it."

Anderson said while the return trip also is booking well, his reservations for the seven-day Mexican Rivera cruises are average.

"Those are booking about the same as the regular East Coast Disney trips," Anderson said. "But it's successful."

The 2,400-passenger Magic has carried an average of 10,935 passengers a month on seven-night cruises to the Caribbean in the current Port Canaveral fiscal year.

Its sister ship, the 2,400-passenger Disney Wonder -- which remains at Port Canaveral and will continue to offer three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas -- has carried 20,934 a month this fiscal year.

"We've been on all the 'first' cruises," said Carolyn Litwin of Lake Mary in Seminole County, who will take the 14-day cruise from Port Canaveral to California, then take the seven-day cruise to Mexico. "We were on the inaugural voyage of the Magic, we were on the inaugural voyage of the Wonder and we did the first 10-day cruise over Christmas last year on the Magic."

Litwin, who said she has cruised with Disney "at least 23 times," said the cruise appeals to everyone.

"I think the service on Disney is top-notch," she said. "We don't usually travel with children. There are designated areas for adults, so you don't have to see the kids if you don't want to. But, really, I can't wait to see what Disney has in store for us, because they have to keep us entertained for 14 days."

The 14-day cruise runs in the neighborhood of $10,000 to $11,000 for two people.

Rosamond Parker of Melbourne said she and her grandchildren have been on Disney cruises before, and have always enjoyed themselves.

"What we really love is the way they alternate dining areas," Parker said.

"But you couldn't pay me to go on a 14-day cruise. I don't care how great it is," she said. "After a three-day cruise, the kids leave wanting more. With 14 days, you want to jump overboard. There just isn't enough to do for them -- Disney or not."

Travel agents in Brevard County said bookings by local residents have been slim for the cruise to California, and one travel expert speculated the repositioning cruise may have more value to those from out of the area.

"Our kids are in school here, so not many Floridians are booking this trip," said Valorie Steinbaugh, manager of Jolene's Travel Bureau Inc. of Cocoa Beach.

"I know people flew from L.A. to come here, and with the 50th anniversary of Disneyland, it's really a bigger deal for the California people," Steinbaugh said. "Also, they have year-round school in California, and probably more families are able to go" because of the staggered vacation periods for year-round schools.

"One thing I know is May is a beautiful time to take a cruise," Steinbaugh said.

Georgene Clark of Suntree said she and her husband couldn't be swayed to take a Disney cruise.

"We're fans of Holland America Line," she said. "Disney is really more for the children."

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[kpgclark]

Thanks for posting pix! We can't wait to sail in August. Can you tell us about the wine packages? Are the packages all for 14 bottles?

 

[Verandah Man]

Looks like it's party time on the Two Palms cam this afternoon. I wonder how people are there to watch the Magic sail away today?

 

[MousseauMob]

This did it for me, the excitement is bubbling over. I’ve kept my excitement in check for so long. With all the problems we had with my husbands passport and the stress that generated I’ve been trying SO hard to maintain some level of calm. Even the doc dance was subdued. But, this thread has made me lose my cool and it’s bubbling all over. My DH thinks I’m crazy! Only me and my 2 year old DD a dancing around the house because “our ship” is on the way! We’re on the second (June 4th) sailing and we can’t wait! Thanks so much for the great pictures and for opening the flood gates!

 

[dizneyusa]

USUALLY, DCL - Castaway Club gives ONE GIFT per cabin even though there might be different cruise guests sharing a cabin (that might be a little messy)......hope each individual guest that is a return cruiser (like sharing a cabin one from the east coast friend and one from the west coast friend) each deserves to receive a gift.........this way everyone can start off the trip still with alot of PIXIE DUST!!!!! I really hope it works out

I understand about a cabin per famiy rule, but if there are
2 friends sharing a cabin then they each deserve a return gift.... JMO


Dana
dizneyusa
beanie-babies@att.net

 

[Disneyfan37]

We are so jealous!We wish we could be there too.

Hope you all have a great time!

Maria

 

[mississaugamom]

This thread with "Live" pictures is just fantastic! Thanks SO MUCH for keeping us with you!

Arlene

 

[natsmom125]

I knew y'all computer knowledgable people could post that article.....

Now everybody can read it................

Phyllis

 

[mark & sandra]

Het Peter, don't forget you promised to get some "special" shots for us too. You can send them directly to me if you think they're TOO risque...Mark

 

[Verandah Man]

I hear Peter had to charge up his phone (you think?). I also heard more photos will be on the way later on. It's 4pm and time for the Safety Drill!!!