jellybungsters
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2004
- Messages
- 88
Cast: Me (42, cast member), DW42, DD12, DS4
Warning: This is a really long report. We had such a great time on the cruise and were trying to re-live every single moment of the entire trip by writing this report.
Day 1, Saturday, 8/7/04, Embarkation Day
Travel: We missed our 3:05 pm flight out of LAX the previous day but were able to catch a 10:05 pm flight and arrived in Orlando at 6 am EST. Got our Budget rental car and checked-in at the Renaissance hotel which we had reserved for the previous night and was able to catch 3 hours of sleep. Left the hotel around 10am, dropped off the rental car at the Budget office and took the shuttle to the terminal.
Check-In: Since we had GTY staterooms, we didnt know our room assignments when we dropped off our luggage with the porters. Fortunately, they had a manifest list and we found out our room numbers before we even checked in. We had a Cat 6 room on deck 6 and a Cat 10 room on deck 2. We had to book two cabins because I availed of the cast member space available rate (which I cannot discuss publicly) and those were the only available categories at time of booking. At check-in, the DCL rep told us to check with customer service to see if they can give us cabins which are closer together. The best one they had available was a Cat 11 on deck 7 so we decided to downgrade our deck 2 Cat 10 to this one to be closer to each other. We ended up with 6086 and 7541 which were about a dozen rooms and one flight of stairs apart. This was not a problem at all because we intended to all sleep together in the verandah room and use the other room for bathroom and getting dressed for me and DS.
Upon entering the atrium for the first time, someone made an announcement welcoming our family. I realized later after going to deck 9 that this announcement is actually broadcast throughout the entire ship. We were also greeted at the atrium by servers offering drinks. We headed aft to get some lunch. A CM tried to direct us to deck 9 (Topsider Buffet) but I read in this board that you can go to Parrot Cay instead. We told the CM that wed rather go to there and were promptly seated. The lunch buffet was excellent. In fact, I thought it was the best lunch buffet served during the entire trip.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the ship and our rooms. We stopped by Oceaneers Club to fill out paperwork for our DS. We watched the sail-away party from deck 10, had ice cream at deck 9 aft verandah, and watched Port Canaveral disappear from the horizon. Probably the only unpleasant thing in the entire cruise was the boat drill but we had to attend it at 4 pm and was over in about 15 minutes. We watched the Welcome Aboard variety show featuring juggler David Dimuzio and ventriloquist Taylor Mason at 6:30. They were both hilarious. All 6:30 shows finished around 7:30 so we had time to take a short nap and get dressed for our first dinner.
Our dining rotation was PLAPLAP, late seating (CMs are automatically assigned late seating). We met our server Zaldy and his assistant Al. We were seated on a table for 8 with other CMs (DCL always seats CMs together). The food was outstanding and the service beyond exceptional. We all went to bed in 6086 right after dinner. Although the room only sleeps 3, we all managed to fit in with DW, DD, DS on the queen bed and I on the sofa bed.
Day 2, Sunday, 8/8/04, At Sea
I woke up at 7 am while the rest of the family slept in. I grabbed a glass of O.J. at Topsider and took a walk around deck 10 and around the promenade in deck 4. I discovered that the jogging track is on the deck 4 promenade and that jogging went in a certain direction around the deck (I dont remember which direction). I went to the inter-denominational service at 8:30 am in the Buena Vista Theatre just to thank the Lord we were able to get on that flight the day before and was able to get on the ship in time. After that, I caught a golf chipping tournament at the atrium but didnt do very well. I went back to the cabin to wake up the rest of the family for our first breakfast at Topsider.
DD and I did the family team trivia in the Promenade Lounge at 10:30am and did ok. We then had lunch at Topsider which was serving Italian buffet menu. We took a short dip at the Goofy pool and a short nap in the afternoon. We went to the Golden Mickeys show which was like a Golden Globe awards night featuring Disney characters at 6:30pm but DS fell asleep halfway through the show and I had to carry him back to the cabin. DW and DD stayed for the rest of the show and said it was a very nice show.
The atrium in front of Lumieres was really crowded during our first formal dinner night. There were long lines for the backdrop photos and by the Captain Mickey statue. The dinner however, was excellent. Our server Zaldy noticed that I was torn between the lamb shank and the tenderloin so he gave me both. I couldnt even finish one course and he wanted me to eat two! My family ended up sampling portions of each course. After dinner, the lines for the photo backdrops were much shorter. We waited maybe a couple of minutes for our turn. We had a couple of shots taken with ship as the background.
After dinner, DW and I left the kids in our cabin to catch the 11pm show by ventriloquist Taylor Mason at Rockin Bar D. This was an adult show so the kids couldnt come. To say that the bar was packed that night was an understatement. We stood by the entryway the entire time but still enjoyed the show tremendously.
Day 3, Monday, 8/9/04, At Sea
After breakfast at Topsider, we went to a line dancing class in Rockin Bar D at 9:45am. The class was not really on country and western line dancing but rather on the Disney line dance that they perform during the sail-away party. It was fun nonetheless and we learned a few dance steps.
After the class, I took DS to the Oceaneers club to see how he would like it. He doesnt like being away from us so I stayed by the door until they were taken to Animators Palate for lunch. I then joined DW and DD for bingo at Rockin Bar D. After about 15 minutes, I got a page on my beeper saying DS wants to be picked up. I rushed over to Animators Palate to find him almost in tears. I signed him out and we never tried leaving him again at the club. I guess he just didnt feel comfortable with other kids that he didnt know. DD and I tried the golf putting contest in Diversions at 12:30pm and I almost won. We went to Topsider for lunch which was serving an Asian buffet menu. DW went to the plate decorating class at 2pm and then dragged me to a Latin dance class in Promenade Lounge at 4:30pm. The dance class actually turned out to be a lot of fun. The kids and I went to the pool after that and then went to the Family Magic Quest game in Studio Sea at 7:45pm. The game works like a scavenger hunt wherein the announcer asks for certain things like credit card, Mickey watch, belt, etc. and you have to bring it up onstage within a certain amount of time to score a point. DD did all the running to the stage and incredibly enough, we won! We each got a medal which we wore to dinner. By the way, these medals come off the straps real easily but all you had to do was take them to guest services to get a replacement. They probably had thousands of these for all the games they were running throughout the ship.
This was our first dinner night at Animators Palate. I was expecting the walls to change colors but it was actually the pictures of Disney characters in the wall that change colors. It was still pretty cool. I asked for the vegetarian curry with chicken breast added (which made it non-vegetarian) and it came out perfectly. You know, if you really wanted to act like a brat and order anything you want even if its not on the menu, I get the feeling theyll make it for you. We went straight to bed after that having had too much to eat.
Day 4, Tuesday, 8/10/04, St. Thomas
We woke up around 8 am and the ship was already docked in St. Thomas. The Magic was the first ship docked with the Caribbean Princess and Carnival Glory behind us plus a Celebrity ship in the harbor tendering passengers to the port. We tried breakfast at Parrot Cay this time and thought afterwards it seemed less crowded and more relaxed atmosphere than Topsider.
Weve already planned in advance that we were going to do our own excursion to Magens Bay. We also planned on bringing along a portable cooler stocked with drinks and food from room service. But we figured we should back on the ship for lunch so we scrapped that idea. We then boarded a taxi for Magens Bay. The fare costs $6 per person one way, adult or child. The taxi wasnt a private one - they waited until the capacity of 14 passengers were filled before we left port. After about a half hour ride, we arrived at Magens Bay around 10:30 am. We were asked what time we wanted to be picked up and we said in about 2 hours. This wasnt really necessary. You dont need to wait for the one that took you there - there were plenty of taxis waiting to take you back to port. You just pay the same $6 per person fare. The beach at Magens bay was a little crowded that day since there were 4 ships at port. Most passengers were dropped off on the right side of the beach so that area is more crowded. We walked the length of the beach afterwards and discovered that the left area is less crowded since it is a longer walk from the vehicle area. The water at Magens Bay was beautiful. On the less crowded areas, it was clear blue and warm. After using the beach, please be aware that the showers on Magens Bay use salt water. I learned this when I tried to rinse my mouth while using the shower facilities. The taxi ride back to the ship stopped at a couple of spots where we had a chance to take scenic photos of Magens Bay.
After lunch, DW wanted to go to downtown Charlotte Amalie for some shopping. We borrowed a stroller from guest services for DS. The stroller was free you just leave a $100 deposit on your shipboard account that gets removed after you return the stroller. The fare to downtown was only $3 per person this time. It was about a 3 mile ride. Upon arriving downtown, I quickly realized there was no way I can maneuver the stroller around the shopping stalls. I bought a few souvenir shirts and told DW that we are heading back to the ship. DW, being the ever diligent shopper, decided to stay behind and continue spending money.
Our 2nd dinner night at Parrot Cay was Pirates of the Caribbean night and suggested evening attire was Caribbean style. The menu was rolled into a paper scroll and red bandanas were provided for the guests to wear. Someone told me that this was the first Pirates night ever on the Magic. I dont know if that was true or not. The menu was Caribbean themed and there was a Pirates In The Caribbean party on deck 9 from 9:45-11:30 pm. The party was a little loud so we just passed by and had some desserts.
Day 5, Wednesday, 8/11/04, San Juan, Puerto Rico
DW decided we should take the 8:30 AM New and Old San Juan City Tour because the 12:30 PM might be too hot. DW woke us up at 6 AM and sent DD down to guest services to book the tour. Fortunately, they still had spots for 4 people. We ate breakfast at Topsider and assembled at 8 AM in the Walt Disney theatre. The tour itself didnt turn out that great. It lasts about 3 hours and stopped for 10 minutes at two beaches, Isla Verde and another one closer to the city. We visited the fort for about 30 minutes. DW felt the fort visit was way too short. Final stop was shopping district. We had the option of getting off at the shopping district and walk about 5 blocks back to the ship or take the bus back to the ship. DW loves to shop and decided to get off the bus, while the rest of us thought walking/shopping in 90 degree weather was not that appealing and stayed on the bus back to the ship.
While DW was out shopping in San Juan, the kids and I decided wed try room service for lunch that day. DD had the tuna sandwich, DS had the pepperoni pizza, while I ordered the turkey sandwich with a bowl of chili and a couple of sodas for everyone. We found out the room service sodas come in cans and were being charged to our account. Next time, well just run up to the drink station in deck 9.
My lasting memory of San Juan was during the sail-away. I went to deck 10 to watch the ship leave port. Right outside the terminal were a bunch of people, mostly children, lined up about 20 deep waiting to catch a view of our ship sailing away. I found out later that these people had been waiting for at least an hour. When the ship blew its When You Wish Upon A Star horn, they started cheering and waving goodbye to us. Some people told me later that perhaps it was because this was the first time DCL stopped in San Juan. Personally, I think it was because they were just excited to see a beautiful ship with the Mickey ears on it and hear the ships horn.
During the evening, we played the family Pictionary game in the promenade lounge at 6:30pm and then caught the Freddy Fusion magic and comedy show in Rockin Bar D, which was very funny and entertaining. The movie premiere of Princess Diaries 2 was also showing at the Walt Disney theatre at the same time.
Our 2nd dining night at Lumieres featured the Around The World menu. I had the scallop stir-fry for appetizer and the paella for the main course. The paella was called Mediterranean Seafood Stew on the menu. As usual, dinner was excellent.
Day 6, Thursday, 8/12/04, At Sea
We went to the line dancing class again at 9:15am in Rockin Bar D. This time, there was only one other family taking the class so it felt like a private lesson. We learned a few more steps from instructor Ange, who was on her last cruise with DCL. It was seafood buffet day and the lunch at Parrot Cay was excellent. I had a lot of baked mussels and there was also a sushi bar (which I dont eat). If you love seafood, make sure you eat at Parrot Cay on this day.
DW decided she wanted to go on the galley tour after lunch but we didnt realize the ticket distribution was done earlier and all the tickets were gone. We waited until the last group was admitted and told the CM we didnt have tickets but wanted to go on the tour. She said no problem and we proceeded to join the last group. The galley was between Lumieres and Parrot Cay and our tour guide was one of the chefs at Palo. He gave us a walking tour of the galley and explained how most of the food was prepared. We also got to see some of the Disney character desserts that were going to be served that evening.
Gratuities: We got our gratuity envelopes to be given out the following evening. Because we used the cast member rate, tips are included in the cost of the cruise. Vouchers were already printed out in the amounts of $25.75 for our server, $18.75 for asst. server, $6.50 for head server, and $25.25 for the cabin steward, per person. So for our family of 4, that came out to a total of $305.00. For passengers that have to pay for this on top of the cost of the cruise, that may seem steep. We actually think it is not enough and ended up giving them more. I would just like to mention that the people who receive these tips only make $50 a month and rely solely on gratuities for their livelihood. They work a minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 7 straight months and bend over backwards to make sure we get the best service they can humanly provide. Ive heard from some crew members that some passengers do not bother leaving gratuities at all, which is absolutely unforgivable. Enough said.
DW had set up an appointment with the Disney Vacation Club rep at 5pm. I guess we had such a great time on this trip that the DVC rep convinced us in buying 160 pts at Saratoga Springs. DVC was running a $10 per point discount during the cruise coupled with my CM discount of 15% so the final price came out to $70.75 per point. So we decided what the hell lets do it.
We went to see the Disney Dreams show at 6:30. This was the best show of the cruise. It was a musical featuring a lot of Disney characters. We particularly liked the special effect of pixie dust being sprinkled on the entire ship.
Our 2nd formal dinner was at Animators Palate and it was lobster night. Pretty much everyone in our table ordered lobster that night. After dinner, we went to Treasure Ketch do some souvenir shopping and then called it a night.
Day 7, Friday, 8/13/04, Castaway Cay
We arrived around 9 AM so most people got to watch the ship dock while eating breakfast at Topsider. Weather was a little windy so some excursions were cancelled. We headed out around 10 AM with our beach outfits. Didnt need to bring down towels - they were being handed out as you leave the ship. The walk to the family beach took about 10 minutes and would have been shorter had we taken the tram. All the hammocks on the beach were already taken but there were still a lot of beach chairs with umbrellas available. We rented one tube and one flat float ($6 apiece) and spent about an hour in the water. The water was warm and beautiful. We spent another hour lounging under our beach umbrella. DW ordered a couple of sodas from a server walking around the beach. We got charged by ordering from the server not knowing we couldve walked about 50 yards to the drink station and gotten our sodas for free. Live and learn, I guess. We proceeded to the barbecue area around noon for lunch. They had the usual hamburger, hot dogs and chicken menu, plus a salad station, a fresh fruit station and an ice-cream dispenser. After lunch, we did some shopping for souvenirs, took some photos and headed back to the ship. This time, we took the tram. Right outside the ship was a shower area where you can wash off any leftover sand from the beach.
We spent most of the afternoon at the pool. DS found a new friend at the Mickey pool and stayed there for a couple of hours. Around 5 pm, we headed back to the rooms to start packing. DW and DD went to the Farewell Variety show featuring Gary Delena and Freddy Fusion at 6:30 while DS and I continued packing and took a short nap before dinner.
During our last dining night at Parrot Cay, the servers marched around carrying flags of all the different crew nationalities to the tune of Its A Small World. The seafood fettuccini I had that night was probably the best meal I had during the cruise. So, just to maintain the pattern for the entire week, I ate too much again. After dinner, we gave our servers the gratuity envelopes and expressed hope that we would see them again on our next cruise. We went right to our rooms after dinner to finish packing our suitcases which were to be left outside our cabin doors at 11pm. I realized later that there was no need to hurry. The stewards were still going around the hallways at midnight picking up luggage. We went to bed that night expecting bad weather because of hurricane Charley.
Day 8, Saturday, Debarkation
This is probably the least enjoyable day of the cruise since were leaving the ship and also because of hurricane Charley. I have a separate post on this if you havent had enough already.
Warning: This is a really long report. We had such a great time on the cruise and were trying to re-live every single moment of the entire trip by writing this report.
Day 1, Saturday, 8/7/04, Embarkation Day
Travel: We missed our 3:05 pm flight out of LAX the previous day but were able to catch a 10:05 pm flight and arrived in Orlando at 6 am EST. Got our Budget rental car and checked-in at the Renaissance hotel which we had reserved for the previous night and was able to catch 3 hours of sleep. Left the hotel around 10am, dropped off the rental car at the Budget office and took the shuttle to the terminal.
Check-In: Since we had GTY staterooms, we didnt know our room assignments when we dropped off our luggage with the porters. Fortunately, they had a manifest list and we found out our room numbers before we even checked in. We had a Cat 6 room on deck 6 and a Cat 10 room on deck 2. We had to book two cabins because I availed of the cast member space available rate (which I cannot discuss publicly) and those were the only available categories at time of booking. At check-in, the DCL rep told us to check with customer service to see if they can give us cabins which are closer together. The best one they had available was a Cat 11 on deck 7 so we decided to downgrade our deck 2 Cat 10 to this one to be closer to each other. We ended up with 6086 and 7541 which were about a dozen rooms and one flight of stairs apart. This was not a problem at all because we intended to all sleep together in the verandah room and use the other room for bathroom and getting dressed for me and DS.
Upon entering the atrium for the first time, someone made an announcement welcoming our family. I realized later after going to deck 9 that this announcement is actually broadcast throughout the entire ship. We were also greeted at the atrium by servers offering drinks. We headed aft to get some lunch. A CM tried to direct us to deck 9 (Topsider Buffet) but I read in this board that you can go to Parrot Cay instead. We told the CM that wed rather go to there and were promptly seated. The lunch buffet was excellent. In fact, I thought it was the best lunch buffet served during the entire trip.
The rest of the day was spent exploring the ship and our rooms. We stopped by Oceaneers Club to fill out paperwork for our DS. We watched the sail-away party from deck 10, had ice cream at deck 9 aft verandah, and watched Port Canaveral disappear from the horizon. Probably the only unpleasant thing in the entire cruise was the boat drill but we had to attend it at 4 pm and was over in about 15 minutes. We watched the Welcome Aboard variety show featuring juggler David Dimuzio and ventriloquist Taylor Mason at 6:30. They were both hilarious. All 6:30 shows finished around 7:30 so we had time to take a short nap and get dressed for our first dinner.
Our dining rotation was PLAPLAP, late seating (CMs are automatically assigned late seating). We met our server Zaldy and his assistant Al. We were seated on a table for 8 with other CMs (DCL always seats CMs together). The food was outstanding and the service beyond exceptional. We all went to bed in 6086 right after dinner. Although the room only sleeps 3, we all managed to fit in with DW, DD, DS on the queen bed and I on the sofa bed.
Day 2, Sunday, 8/8/04, At Sea
I woke up at 7 am while the rest of the family slept in. I grabbed a glass of O.J. at Topsider and took a walk around deck 10 and around the promenade in deck 4. I discovered that the jogging track is on the deck 4 promenade and that jogging went in a certain direction around the deck (I dont remember which direction). I went to the inter-denominational service at 8:30 am in the Buena Vista Theatre just to thank the Lord we were able to get on that flight the day before and was able to get on the ship in time. After that, I caught a golf chipping tournament at the atrium but didnt do very well. I went back to the cabin to wake up the rest of the family for our first breakfast at Topsider.
DD and I did the family team trivia in the Promenade Lounge at 10:30am and did ok. We then had lunch at Topsider which was serving Italian buffet menu. We took a short dip at the Goofy pool and a short nap in the afternoon. We went to the Golden Mickeys show which was like a Golden Globe awards night featuring Disney characters at 6:30pm but DS fell asleep halfway through the show and I had to carry him back to the cabin. DW and DD stayed for the rest of the show and said it was a very nice show.
The atrium in front of Lumieres was really crowded during our first formal dinner night. There were long lines for the backdrop photos and by the Captain Mickey statue. The dinner however, was excellent. Our server Zaldy noticed that I was torn between the lamb shank and the tenderloin so he gave me both. I couldnt even finish one course and he wanted me to eat two! My family ended up sampling portions of each course. After dinner, the lines for the photo backdrops were much shorter. We waited maybe a couple of minutes for our turn. We had a couple of shots taken with ship as the background.
After dinner, DW and I left the kids in our cabin to catch the 11pm show by ventriloquist Taylor Mason at Rockin Bar D. This was an adult show so the kids couldnt come. To say that the bar was packed that night was an understatement. We stood by the entryway the entire time but still enjoyed the show tremendously.
Day 3, Monday, 8/9/04, At Sea
After breakfast at Topsider, we went to a line dancing class in Rockin Bar D at 9:45am. The class was not really on country and western line dancing but rather on the Disney line dance that they perform during the sail-away party. It was fun nonetheless and we learned a few dance steps.
After the class, I took DS to the Oceaneers club to see how he would like it. He doesnt like being away from us so I stayed by the door until they were taken to Animators Palate for lunch. I then joined DW and DD for bingo at Rockin Bar D. After about 15 minutes, I got a page on my beeper saying DS wants to be picked up. I rushed over to Animators Palate to find him almost in tears. I signed him out and we never tried leaving him again at the club. I guess he just didnt feel comfortable with other kids that he didnt know. DD and I tried the golf putting contest in Diversions at 12:30pm and I almost won. We went to Topsider for lunch which was serving an Asian buffet menu. DW went to the plate decorating class at 2pm and then dragged me to a Latin dance class in Promenade Lounge at 4:30pm. The dance class actually turned out to be a lot of fun. The kids and I went to the pool after that and then went to the Family Magic Quest game in Studio Sea at 7:45pm. The game works like a scavenger hunt wherein the announcer asks for certain things like credit card, Mickey watch, belt, etc. and you have to bring it up onstage within a certain amount of time to score a point. DD did all the running to the stage and incredibly enough, we won! We each got a medal which we wore to dinner. By the way, these medals come off the straps real easily but all you had to do was take them to guest services to get a replacement. They probably had thousands of these for all the games they were running throughout the ship.
This was our first dinner night at Animators Palate. I was expecting the walls to change colors but it was actually the pictures of Disney characters in the wall that change colors. It was still pretty cool. I asked for the vegetarian curry with chicken breast added (which made it non-vegetarian) and it came out perfectly. You know, if you really wanted to act like a brat and order anything you want even if its not on the menu, I get the feeling theyll make it for you. We went straight to bed after that having had too much to eat.
Day 4, Tuesday, 8/10/04, St. Thomas
We woke up around 8 am and the ship was already docked in St. Thomas. The Magic was the first ship docked with the Caribbean Princess and Carnival Glory behind us plus a Celebrity ship in the harbor tendering passengers to the port. We tried breakfast at Parrot Cay this time and thought afterwards it seemed less crowded and more relaxed atmosphere than Topsider.
Weve already planned in advance that we were going to do our own excursion to Magens Bay. We also planned on bringing along a portable cooler stocked with drinks and food from room service. But we figured we should back on the ship for lunch so we scrapped that idea. We then boarded a taxi for Magens Bay. The fare costs $6 per person one way, adult or child. The taxi wasnt a private one - they waited until the capacity of 14 passengers were filled before we left port. After about a half hour ride, we arrived at Magens Bay around 10:30 am. We were asked what time we wanted to be picked up and we said in about 2 hours. This wasnt really necessary. You dont need to wait for the one that took you there - there were plenty of taxis waiting to take you back to port. You just pay the same $6 per person fare. The beach at Magens bay was a little crowded that day since there were 4 ships at port. Most passengers were dropped off on the right side of the beach so that area is more crowded. We walked the length of the beach afterwards and discovered that the left area is less crowded since it is a longer walk from the vehicle area. The water at Magens Bay was beautiful. On the less crowded areas, it was clear blue and warm. After using the beach, please be aware that the showers on Magens Bay use salt water. I learned this when I tried to rinse my mouth while using the shower facilities. The taxi ride back to the ship stopped at a couple of spots where we had a chance to take scenic photos of Magens Bay.
After lunch, DW wanted to go to downtown Charlotte Amalie for some shopping. We borrowed a stroller from guest services for DS. The stroller was free you just leave a $100 deposit on your shipboard account that gets removed after you return the stroller. The fare to downtown was only $3 per person this time. It was about a 3 mile ride. Upon arriving downtown, I quickly realized there was no way I can maneuver the stroller around the shopping stalls. I bought a few souvenir shirts and told DW that we are heading back to the ship. DW, being the ever diligent shopper, decided to stay behind and continue spending money.
Our 2nd dinner night at Parrot Cay was Pirates of the Caribbean night and suggested evening attire was Caribbean style. The menu was rolled into a paper scroll and red bandanas were provided for the guests to wear. Someone told me that this was the first Pirates night ever on the Magic. I dont know if that was true or not. The menu was Caribbean themed and there was a Pirates In The Caribbean party on deck 9 from 9:45-11:30 pm. The party was a little loud so we just passed by and had some desserts.
Day 5, Wednesday, 8/11/04, San Juan, Puerto Rico
DW decided we should take the 8:30 AM New and Old San Juan City Tour because the 12:30 PM might be too hot. DW woke us up at 6 AM and sent DD down to guest services to book the tour. Fortunately, they still had spots for 4 people. We ate breakfast at Topsider and assembled at 8 AM in the Walt Disney theatre. The tour itself didnt turn out that great. It lasts about 3 hours and stopped for 10 minutes at two beaches, Isla Verde and another one closer to the city. We visited the fort for about 30 minutes. DW felt the fort visit was way too short. Final stop was shopping district. We had the option of getting off at the shopping district and walk about 5 blocks back to the ship or take the bus back to the ship. DW loves to shop and decided to get off the bus, while the rest of us thought walking/shopping in 90 degree weather was not that appealing and stayed on the bus back to the ship.
While DW was out shopping in San Juan, the kids and I decided wed try room service for lunch that day. DD had the tuna sandwich, DS had the pepperoni pizza, while I ordered the turkey sandwich with a bowl of chili and a couple of sodas for everyone. We found out the room service sodas come in cans and were being charged to our account. Next time, well just run up to the drink station in deck 9.
My lasting memory of San Juan was during the sail-away. I went to deck 10 to watch the ship leave port. Right outside the terminal were a bunch of people, mostly children, lined up about 20 deep waiting to catch a view of our ship sailing away. I found out later that these people had been waiting for at least an hour. When the ship blew its When You Wish Upon A Star horn, they started cheering and waving goodbye to us. Some people told me later that perhaps it was because this was the first time DCL stopped in San Juan. Personally, I think it was because they were just excited to see a beautiful ship with the Mickey ears on it and hear the ships horn.
During the evening, we played the family Pictionary game in the promenade lounge at 6:30pm and then caught the Freddy Fusion magic and comedy show in Rockin Bar D, which was very funny and entertaining. The movie premiere of Princess Diaries 2 was also showing at the Walt Disney theatre at the same time.
Our 2nd dining night at Lumieres featured the Around The World menu. I had the scallop stir-fry for appetizer and the paella for the main course. The paella was called Mediterranean Seafood Stew on the menu. As usual, dinner was excellent.
Day 6, Thursday, 8/12/04, At Sea
We went to the line dancing class again at 9:15am in Rockin Bar D. This time, there was only one other family taking the class so it felt like a private lesson. We learned a few more steps from instructor Ange, who was on her last cruise with DCL. It was seafood buffet day and the lunch at Parrot Cay was excellent. I had a lot of baked mussels and there was also a sushi bar (which I dont eat). If you love seafood, make sure you eat at Parrot Cay on this day.
DW decided she wanted to go on the galley tour after lunch but we didnt realize the ticket distribution was done earlier and all the tickets were gone. We waited until the last group was admitted and told the CM we didnt have tickets but wanted to go on the tour. She said no problem and we proceeded to join the last group. The galley was between Lumieres and Parrot Cay and our tour guide was one of the chefs at Palo. He gave us a walking tour of the galley and explained how most of the food was prepared. We also got to see some of the Disney character desserts that were going to be served that evening.
Gratuities: We got our gratuity envelopes to be given out the following evening. Because we used the cast member rate, tips are included in the cost of the cruise. Vouchers were already printed out in the amounts of $25.75 for our server, $18.75 for asst. server, $6.50 for head server, and $25.25 for the cabin steward, per person. So for our family of 4, that came out to a total of $305.00. For passengers that have to pay for this on top of the cost of the cruise, that may seem steep. We actually think it is not enough and ended up giving them more. I would just like to mention that the people who receive these tips only make $50 a month and rely solely on gratuities for their livelihood. They work a minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 7 straight months and bend over backwards to make sure we get the best service they can humanly provide. Ive heard from some crew members that some passengers do not bother leaving gratuities at all, which is absolutely unforgivable. Enough said.
DW had set up an appointment with the Disney Vacation Club rep at 5pm. I guess we had such a great time on this trip that the DVC rep convinced us in buying 160 pts at Saratoga Springs. DVC was running a $10 per point discount during the cruise coupled with my CM discount of 15% so the final price came out to $70.75 per point. So we decided what the hell lets do it.
We went to see the Disney Dreams show at 6:30. This was the best show of the cruise. It was a musical featuring a lot of Disney characters. We particularly liked the special effect of pixie dust being sprinkled on the entire ship.
Our 2nd formal dinner was at Animators Palate and it was lobster night. Pretty much everyone in our table ordered lobster that night. After dinner, we went to Treasure Ketch do some souvenir shopping and then called it a night.
Day 7, Friday, 8/13/04, Castaway Cay
We arrived around 9 AM so most people got to watch the ship dock while eating breakfast at Topsider. Weather was a little windy so some excursions were cancelled. We headed out around 10 AM with our beach outfits. Didnt need to bring down towels - they were being handed out as you leave the ship. The walk to the family beach took about 10 minutes and would have been shorter had we taken the tram. All the hammocks on the beach were already taken but there were still a lot of beach chairs with umbrellas available. We rented one tube and one flat float ($6 apiece) and spent about an hour in the water. The water was warm and beautiful. We spent another hour lounging under our beach umbrella. DW ordered a couple of sodas from a server walking around the beach. We got charged by ordering from the server not knowing we couldve walked about 50 yards to the drink station and gotten our sodas for free. Live and learn, I guess. We proceeded to the barbecue area around noon for lunch. They had the usual hamburger, hot dogs and chicken menu, plus a salad station, a fresh fruit station and an ice-cream dispenser. After lunch, we did some shopping for souvenirs, took some photos and headed back to the ship. This time, we took the tram. Right outside the ship was a shower area where you can wash off any leftover sand from the beach.
We spent most of the afternoon at the pool. DS found a new friend at the Mickey pool and stayed there for a couple of hours. Around 5 pm, we headed back to the rooms to start packing. DW and DD went to the Farewell Variety show featuring Gary Delena and Freddy Fusion at 6:30 while DS and I continued packing and took a short nap before dinner.
During our last dining night at Parrot Cay, the servers marched around carrying flags of all the different crew nationalities to the tune of Its A Small World. The seafood fettuccini I had that night was probably the best meal I had during the cruise. So, just to maintain the pattern for the entire week, I ate too much again. After dinner, we gave our servers the gratuity envelopes and expressed hope that we would see them again on our next cruise. We went right to our rooms after dinner to finish packing our suitcases which were to be left outside our cabin doors at 11pm. I realized later that there was no need to hurry. The stewards were still going around the hallways at midnight picking up luggage. We went to bed that night expecting bad weather because of hurricane Charley.
Day 8, Saturday, Debarkation
This is probably the least enjoyable day of the cruise since were leaving the ship and also because of hurricane Charley. I have a separate post on this if you havent had enough already.
