Hello and I miss you all to my fellow Happy and Laid Back Cruisers...
My Happy and Laid Back Cruise Report...
In Stateroom 5622... Kim, (wife/mother), Donnie (hubby/dad) and Chandler (age 6 daughter)
In Stateroom 5634... Melanie (daughter of Donnie and wife/mother), Jeremy (Mel's husband/dad), Makenna (age 5, grand daughter/niece/daughter)
Confused much?
Both stateroom parties flew in to Orlando the am of Feb 3rd...
We used Elegance transportation... we had booked separate town cars (different arrival times) with a 15 minute store stop each to Publix. I felt like I was on that game show where you have to race through grocery store to keep the goods... however, i was able to grab cokes, beer, shampoo and conditioner (I forgot those) and was out in no time. A perk: As I mentioned we'd booked separate town cars due to arrival times... and we had upgraded to a limo on our return ... so we could all travel back to the airport together... it was surprise for the girls... and well anything to try and offset the end of cruise blues (we all suffered from greatly)...anyhow.. When we followed our driver out to the "town car" we had a limo waiting for us... they had all of the other towncars in use... so since we upgraded one way... they upgraded us both ways... that was a great way to start off the cruise week.. Mel and family also were picked up by limo... by the time they arrived... we were able to see them from our balcony pull up and we got to hollar and wave and communicate by cellphone.. As they made their way to the MAGIC...
We got to PC around 10:30... We were given group 8... Go figure... I was in a panic... somewhat... cause I still needed to book Palo and the marg tasting, the martini tasting and the beer tasting... so that was my job... as soon as we got onboard.. I went to make the reservations... while Donnie did whatever it was he and Chandler were going to do...
This was our 2nd cruise with DCL we did the land and sea in Jan of 2006 and of course got bit by the cruise bug... and the Wonder/Magic of it all... we were excited... so we got our Castaway Club perks.. I had done all of the registration on line and had all of the paperwork filled out. Beforehand... Chandler got banded for the Oceaneer Club... and we were soon announced on board...
I headed immediately to the Rockin D bar... ask the nearby cast members which way to go... you are already on the same deck... and there were cast members at tables for spa appts and 3 or 4 palo representatives... at 2 tables.. With pretty long lines ahead of me... wah! I was fearful... but, I stayed in line... Why does it seem like it takes everyone else in the world ten times longer than me to do a simple task? I was smiling outwardly... but, i really wanted to kinda smack this one lady two people up ahead of me in my line... even the cast member while smiling too and being every so courteous made eye contact with me.. I felt a bond of understanding...
Finally my turn... I was trying to get Palo brunch reservations for 4 and Palo dinner reservations for 4... No problem man... got the brunch reservations for the next day, Sunday... woot! Awesome! And Palo dinner for Thursday night... woot! Awesome! As it was an at sea day... so no hurry back from shore... to eat at Palo for us... Mommy did good!
Then I went to guest services, I'm really making the rounds... I'm a Mom on a Mission... and as soon as I can take care of business... I can then resume my happy and laid back demeanor... PLEASE NOTE: The martini tasting was not advertised... for some reason... maybe it was later on in the week... but, the first one was not... but, thanks to the DIS boards... I knew about it. Guest Services was not that busy... so i was able to get tickets for all 3 events... I mentioned the martini tasting and she said, sure thing... tickets now in purse... I went off to check on D and C... checked my cellphone clock... and thought to myself... well Mel and Crew should be landing...
This is where Donnie dropped the ball... I thought he comprehended his instructions... he and Chandler were to have headed up to deck 9 for lunch... where I was going to meet him.. But, instead he was hanging out on deck 5 in a chair, while Chan was running around like a little freak... waiting for our room to open up... he said, well they said our room would be open at 1:00 and it's only 10 minutes from now.. I was skeptical... but, I was easing myself in to the H and LB mode... so whatever... 1:00 rolls around and then another cast member comes out from behind the closed door and said, your room will be ready at 1:30.. (Of course I already knew this)...but, sometimes you just have to let "the man" think they are right... He was a little disgruntled... and I blew it off... well... no biggie lets go eat... (Gracious of me wasn't it)... so that's what we did... we went up for a lovely welcome aboard lunch at Topsiders... and sure enough... by the time we were finished our rooms were ready... and even several of our bags.. Thanks to SUPER Mario (our room steward). Mario rocks... btw... as we get really attached to him as the week continues...
THE PERFECT GIFT: Wow, Ms. Shirley... I have so many thank you emails and comment emails to make this week... But, she had outdone herself... I ordered a gift bag for Chandler to our stateroom and a gift bag to Makenna in her stateroom... I later joked with Melanie... that I had intended to get a little something for her and Jeremy too, but I went over budget on the girls... she took the news well.
So as each bag arrives, I unpack and make our "home"... while I have been able to meet some of the most creative and talented people on this board... I am not one of them... so... I'd purchased 2 Walt Disney character plastic place mats and some magnetic clips at Dollar tree... I had sharpied our names on ours and Mel and Crews names on theirs... and put them on our doors... I was pretty much impressed with the cheesiness of them... and well I thought well now... we are really going to be the most decorated in our area... but, then some people later that day... put out balloons and this huge cardboard flat palm tree and aloha decorations.. On their door (tidbit for future use)... however, I was still pleased with the cheesiness of it all...
The drawbridge had delayed Mel and Crews arrival... I kept glancing at the cell clock... we had talked a couple of times... they sounded excited... as this was their first cruise and we hadn't seen them in months (we live in Mississippi and the live in Texas) I/We wanted them to have a great time. We had bragged so much on the wonderful DCL cruise we had taken before and were so excited about our cruise... I wanted them to experience it all... and love it as much as we did/do.
I had a meeting scheduled at 3:00 with the other H and LB cruisers down at the Mickey Statue... it was getting close to that time.. I also knew we had the mandatory boat drill at 4:00 and I wanted to make sure Mel and Crew got lunch etc... So, I made a decision... to well not attend the 3:00 meeting... it was a hard decision as many of them I was really looking forward to meeting...
All aboard... Mel and crew seem to love their stateroom... and while we've always had the typical verandah room (I know 2 cruises and I come off sounding like a expert), they have a navigational one...and Donnie and I both agreed that we kinda like that better... the viewing hole is plenty big enough.. But, the furnishings are nicer on that one... with padded wood benches, a wooden table... and great wall decor... we really dug it... it somehow made their stateroom appear bigger... eventhough it's the same.. I recommend a navigational verandah which I believe is less expensive... and it rocked!
The safety drill didn't seem to last as long as the last time we were on board and was very painless...
Mario was hard at work... delivering suitcases to rooms and getting ice, making intros etc... I never, saw him without a smile... the entire cruise... he was everpresent in the halls...
It was very windy and chilly at our send off time... but, it wasn't raining... we all joined the deck party and we had bottles of bubbles... everyone on board was so excited and ready to get the party started.. Children were dancing and having a blast... parents were relaxing and getting in the mood of things... we were ready to go...
Our dinner wasn't till 8:30... Which worked out wonderful for us...? Our previous cruise we had early dinner... and we always felt so rushed. Also, we are the type to get our belly's full and then go to sleep... so we figured the later dinner would force us to stay awake...it was great for all of us..
Dinner as you know... is rotated between the 3 main dining rooms... and we get to keep the same servers as our servers for the entire cruise... Here I must comment on the wonderful Dennis and his lovely assistant Irenia (not sure about the spelling there)... they were attentive, fun and informative... Dennis is wonderful with the children... and he is top notch 5 star type of waiter. He does magic tricks... and kept us all laughing and happy during each dining experience...
We are headed East... the first night was wonderful... even though the wind was blustery as we left PC... the waters and first night passage was really smooth.. The ships rocking and swaying only encourages us to sleep better in our family so we awoke to a beautiful and WARM Sunday Morning... it was Super Bowl Sunday... and we had brunch at Palo's scheduled for 10:30..
I really loved this itinerary cause with months of planning and so many last minute details... it was going to be great to have 2 days at sea... to relax... and explore all of the many fun and exciting things to do on the ship.. Also, Mel and I had the martini tasting scheduled for 4:00 that day...
It was warm enough for the girls to play in the pool and Mel and I went up to deck 10 and chilled out... we both got sunburned a little... we think it was due mostly to the still high winds.. But, we lived and learned. And remembered the sunscreen for the rest of the trip...
Palo Brunch: Wow... and I mean wow... from our welcome glass of champagne on our way to our ocean view table... and then the tour and description of all foods available... we were all very excited about the whole Palo experience..even grumpy Donnie.
Of course I have to add my props to the famous Stolen or is it Stollon bread either way... eat it with fresh berries and whipped cream... yum... there were so many wonderful appetizers, and desserts and pizza and well everything.. Coffee rich and divine... we all got so full off of all of the wonderful selections we didn't even order from the hot menu... the marghrita pizza (sp) delish! Our server... Naomi (who we also had for dinner in Palo) excellent... a wonderful experience... and must do... will add pictures later...
The Martini Tasting: Fun times... I had only met one of my fellow H and LB cruisers previous to this event... there were several others in this event... but, while we thought we recognized one another we didn't confirm it til later on in the week... This was really fun and I highly recommend it... we all started out really quiet... but, by the time we've had 5 martinis... (They were small but, not minute) we were all quite chatty and giggly... we sat with a wonderful couple (just Mel and I attended) and we kept running into them the whole cruise... just something about drinking buddies.. You always seem to see them often...
So Sunday night was Super Bowl Sunday... we ran into some characters after dinner and stopped for pics and autographs... my husband went to the upper deck to find a table... he got one.. and held it... but, the wind was so bad... that he finally gave up and went to the room... so we all just watched it from our collective rooms..
Monday, we woke up to beautiful and warm weather... it was our morning for the character breakfast... I'd read on some thread that someone didn't care for the menu... but, the six of us loved it... and there were plenty of characters... the traditional disney.. Mickey and Minnie, Goofy and Pluto and Chip and Dale... the girls got autographs and pictures...there was dancing and lots of laughter... I must brag on Dennis our waiter... he is excellent...if you should be fortunate to have him as your server... you will understand.
I kept telling Melanie and Jeremy how wonderful the spa is... but, we never booked anything there... shame on us... because it is divine... Melanie and I had the tequila and margarita "seminar" at 4:00... And we went to a show... the Cinderella story with a twist... the girls played in the pool... tonight was formal night...
Formal night was wonderful... it was fun dressing up and our family pics actually turned out pretty good... especially the group of 6 ones.. I didn't buy any pictures and avoided it all together on our first cruise but, this time... I bought tons of them... so many opportunities and they took several shots... so usually at least one would turn out decent if not excellent... I just really hate getting my picture taken...
Tuesday is... we woke up to St Marteen docks... I really loved this cruise...the two days at sea were excellent... but, by this time we were all really excited about getting to explore a little.. Also, I remembered why I loved the location of our stateroom from the previous cruise... AFT rocks... we are close enough to the elevators, the kids clubs, the movie theater, which I've never been to a movie while on board... but, I love the location... as most deck refreshments are 9 AFT... and there is a way off the ship at 1 AFT... we didn't book our excursion with disney.. We did book a sailboat tour on the Lord Sheffield... loved it... when you first see the vessel... you are thinking omg... is this going to be as good as the reviews, the online brochure.. But, it is... we had the best time... great food, great fun, great drinks... great crew... CAUTION: if you are prone to seasickness or motion sickness... do NOT do this excursion... there were quite a few sickys onboard... our family thrives on ocean motion but, not on sickeys... the sickeys were quickly attended to and moved to the back of the ship... this is such a laid back activity... so much fun... so if you just want to hang.. Eat, drink, maybe do some light snorkeling or just float around on a noodle with a cool beer... this is a great excursion I would do it again and again... the girls had a blast.. And it's very easy to nap... on the way back in...
Jeremy volunteered to take the girls back to the ship once we got back to the dock... so me, hubby and mel went shopping... again, it was nice having the late dinner... and it was pirate night.. So we had time... you can walk to the Lord Sheffield dock and back from... the Magic... we did take a cab to the shopping area... Melanie and I both scored on an awesome deal for digital cameras there... i have a canon rebel but i've been wanting a smaller one... and also one with video capabilities... we bought them from a store that has a Miami store as well.. And we asked about the grade... of the camera and also for certified US warranties...
We bought a few other trinkets and rum... and headed back to the magic for Pirate night... all six of dressed out for pirate night... the girls and melanie and jeremy to the max... me, i was going for the ghetto pirate look and my husband did the eye patch, and a skull t shirt and the dcl provided bandana.. We had fun getting pictures... and then we came across Captain Jack Sparrow... he was awesome... and had the longest line I've ever had to wait in... His gestures, his speech, his looks... well, let me tell you... only Johnny Depp could have been better... he had all of the mom's and grandmom's a flutter... almost worth the trip himself..
We went up on deck... it was super crowded but fun... however, I have low tolerance for rude people... not any of the cast members but other "guests"... gah, they were pushing children out of the way.. And standing in front of children... maybe an earlier dinner group would not have had the problems we did... but, then again, we slept through the whole thing last year... with such an early dinner... so it's your call... i either had to leave.. Or start soap boxing... so i made a quiet exit... and watched what I could, which was still decent... of the fireworks... It didn't ruin my great night or my cruise... just... really saddened me... that people can be so rude...
My biggest regret about the whole day... was not having time to venture over to the french side of island... I was really intrigued by St. Marteen.
Also, what else I loved about our excursion on St Mart.. Was that it didn't start to 10:45...
Wed... St. Thomas and Immigration...
I'd read several posts where people were really irked about the whole immigration thing... as I really try to just go with the flow... even after my rude people tirade.. And the fact that we are morning people... and the fact that I realize I live in the US and every now there is a price to be paid to be a proud American... it didn't bother us... it was done very fast, very courteous, very orderly... very painfree... my daughter went down in her pj's.. munched on donuts... no biggie... and the crowd... was all very congenial...
We booked an excursion with Sunny Liston... i'd discussed our excursion plans in our meet board... and several other happy and laid back cruisers signed up.. It was the very best $25.00 per person thing I've ever done... it was so much fun... excellent time... from beginning to end... St. Thomas is gorgeous... Stunning...
You have a choice of being picked up at 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00... Depending on how much shopping you wanted to do... we chose 2 hours therefore 10:00... At noon we met back up with Sunny... and we went on a tour of the island... including Mountain top... we bought quite a bit at the various shops... while in town and on Mtn top... he stopped several times... on the way for photos etc.. We had fun... and yes, the banana daquari is that good at Mtn Top. After 2 hours of touring give or take... we went to coki beach... it was stunning... we had a blast... rent a lounger for 7 dollars and grab a bucket of beer... there are a couple of shops there and you can buy food.. All 6 of us enjoyed the beach, the views, the water everything. Then we were taken back to the ship... with 30 minutes to spare.
We had dinner in our room... between room service and the places to grab food on deck 9... We just noshed... I had finally met my Jackie... at the margarita tasting... and it was her 40th birthday on Wed... So several of us met at Sessions at 10:00... I was determined to make it... as I'd met TJ (Jackie) on the boards and since I'd missed the first meeting I was not going to miss this one... it was a lovely evening and it was wonderful to spend some time... with these great men and women... Happy Birthday Jackie.
Thursday, last day at Sea... we hung out a great amount... and it was perfect for after 2 days on land... we were ready to be at sea... we all just love the Magic so much... by now we are really bonding with our Mario and our Dennis.. And we keep running into acquaintances... it's just like the time stood still... but, in the back of mind was the evil reality that soon.. Our week in paradise would be ending... we ate from topsiders poolside, we never had a problem finding a lounger... when the girls were in the club we'd go to the adult pool area... and oh man... the cove... gotta get there for afternoon goodies.. They are awesome... i did frequent that place often...
We pigged out on peel and eat shrimp... wonderfully fresh... and crab claws...yummmmmmmm i was trying not to eat too much because we had Palo's at 6:30... For dinner.
Just mostly relaxed... and hung out... Mel, Jeremy and Donnie went to play bingo... the girls wanted to go to the club for a while and I went shopping... We got the girls for about 40 minutes... and then took them back to the club in time to eat dinner with their friends... and hang out... Chandler and Makenna had been befriended by two of the most awesome older girls... their names were Jentry and McKenna... (Spelling Im not sure of)... I must get their addresses from Mel... as Chandler will want to stay in contact with them... they were from Colorado... and two of the best young ladies.. That we'd ever met... they were so good to the girls... and we adults loved hanging with them too...
Dinner at Palo's... well i'm sorry and again I hope Mel got brunch pics... but, i have pics of everything from Palo... it was and is everything you have read about... divine... it was semi formal night anyway... so we were already prepared to be dressed up.. It was the Captains dinner... and all of the dining rooms including Palo's also got a lobster tail with their dinner... and this lobster was top notch... again, we had a table with an oceanview... and we had Naoime again sp? She remembered us... go figure...
We all went to bed... full and well satisfied... tomorrow would be Castaway Cay...
Castaway Cay... next time we book it will be a double dip... everyone in our party kept saying... we could just stay here on ship or otherwise for at least 1/2 the cruise if not the whole time... The girls were excited about the kids club... like last year, we'd plan to let them stay there till after lunch and then go get them... that way we had some down time... we nabbed a couple of hammocks and 4 lounge chairs and we were set.. We didn't plan any excursions, we'd thought about going to the adult beach... but, after so much rich and delish food the night before... Cookies sounded great... and it was... we ate so much... the salads, the ribs, the fruit... the cheeseburgers... everything wonderful... we did get a couple of floats... but, only the girls went into the water... we got the girls hair braided while there.. And the ladies that did it were awesome... i have pics... we all thought about stowing away on Castaway Cay... so what if the ship left us there... right?
Tons of fun... and it passed way to quickly... the whole week did... also, I must note... that on our way to Castaway Cay about 3/4 of mile out we passed a whale.. Or maybe the whale passed us... i tried to get great pics... but i do have one where you could see his spray... we got to see his back a few times... and his tail once... it was so exciting.. And I'd just read that morning... see I am an early riser... that from Feb to April... that the humpback whales migrate to the waters off of the Virgin Islands to have and uhhh make babies.. In the warmer waters... we kept looking for another one... as they usually travel/live together but, no such luck...
Disembarkment.. A breeze... so sad... we returned home and I'm talking we live in the South... to frigid weather... I had on my St Thomas Sweat shirt... clam diggers and sandels... so no dorothy we weren't in the tropics anymore..
So here I sit... with wonderful memories... 100's of pictures... and visions of what all I have experienced this last week... It's the memories... It's Disney... I'm so glad I was able to share this past week with new friends and some of our extended family...
Pictures will come next...
My Happy and Laid Back Cruise Report...
In Stateroom 5622... Kim, (wife/mother), Donnie (hubby/dad) and Chandler (age 6 daughter)
In Stateroom 5634... Melanie (daughter of Donnie and wife/mother), Jeremy (Mel's husband/dad), Makenna (age 5, grand daughter/niece/daughter)
Confused much?
Both stateroom parties flew in to Orlando the am of Feb 3rd...
We used Elegance transportation... we had booked separate town cars (different arrival times) with a 15 minute store stop each to Publix. I felt like I was on that game show where you have to race through grocery store to keep the goods... however, i was able to grab cokes, beer, shampoo and conditioner (I forgot those) and was out in no time. A perk: As I mentioned we'd booked separate town cars due to arrival times... and we had upgraded to a limo on our return ... so we could all travel back to the airport together... it was surprise for the girls... and well anything to try and offset the end of cruise blues (we all suffered from greatly)...anyhow.. When we followed our driver out to the "town car" we had a limo waiting for us... they had all of the other towncars in use... so since we upgraded one way... they upgraded us both ways... that was a great way to start off the cruise week.. Mel and family also were picked up by limo... by the time they arrived... we were able to see them from our balcony pull up and we got to hollar and wave and communicate by cellphone.. As they made their way to the MAGIC...
We got to PC around 10:30... We were given group 8... Go figure... I was in a panic... somewhat... cause I still needed to book Palo and the marg tasting, the martini tasting and the beer tasting... so that was my job... as soon as we got onboard.. I went to make the reservations... while Donnie did whatever it was he and Chandler were going to do...
This was our 2nd cruise with DCL we did the land and sea in Jan of 2006 and of course got bit by the cruise bug... and the Wonder/Magic of it all... we were excited... so we got our Castaway Club perks.. I had done all of the registration on line and had all of the paperwork filled out. Beforehand... Chandler got banded for the Oceaneer Club... and we were soon announced on board...
I headed immediately to the Rockin D bar... ask the nearby cast members which way to go... you are already on the same deck... and there were cast members at tables for spa appts and 3 or 4 palo representatives... at 2 tables.. With pretty long lines ahead of me... wah! I was fearful... but, I stayed in line... Why does it seem like it takes everyone else in the world ten times longer than me to do a simple task? I was smiling outwardly... but, i really wanted to kinda smack this one lady two people up ahead of me in my line... even the cast member while smiling too and being every so courteous made eye contact with me.. I felt a bond of understanding...
Finally my turn... I was trying to get Palo brunch reservations for 4 and Palo dinner reservations for 4... No problem man... got the brunch reservations for the next day, Sunday... woot! Awesome! And Palo dinner for Thursday night... woot! Awesome! As it was an at sea day... so no hurry back from shore... to eat at Palo for us... Mommy did good!
Then I went to guest services, I'm really making the rounds... I'm a Mom on a Mission... and as soon as I can take care of business... I can then resume my happy and laid back demeanor... PLEASE NOTE: The martini tasting was not advertised... for some reason... maybe it was later on in the week... but, the first one was not... but, thanks to the DIS boards... I knew about it. Guest Services was not that busy... so i was able to get tickets for all 3 events... I mentioned the martini tasting and she said, sure thing... tickets now in purse... I went off to check on D and C... checked my cellphone clock... and thought to myself... well Mel and Crew should be landing...
This is where Donnie dropped the ball... I thought he comprehended his instructions... he and Chandler were to have headed up to deck 9 for lunch... where I was going to meet him.. But, instead he was hanging out on deck 5 in a chair, while Chan was running around like a little freak... waiting for our room to open up... he said, well they said our room would be open at 1:00 and it's only 10 minutes from now.. I was skeptical... but, I was easing myself in to the H and LB mode... so whatever... 1:00 rolls around and then another cast member comes out from behind the closed door and said, your room will be ready at 1:30.. (Of course I already knew this)...but, sometimes you just have to let "the man" think they are right... He was a little disgruntled... and I blew it off... well... no biggie lets go eat... (Gracious of me wasn't it)... so that's what we did... we went up for a lovely welcome aboard lunch at Topsiders... and sure enough... by the time we were finished our rooms were ready... and even several of our bags.. Thanks to SUPER Mario (our room steward). Mario rocks... btw... as we get really attached to him as the week continues...
THE PERFECT GIFT: Wow, Ms. Shirley... I have so many thank you emails and comment emails to make this week... But, she had outdone herself... I ordered a gift bag for Chandler to our stateroom and a gift bag to Makenna in her stateroom... I later joked with Melanie... that I had intended to get a little something for her and Jeremy too, but I went over budget on the girls... she took the news well.
So as each bag arrives, I unpack and make our "home"... while I have been able to meet some of the most creative and talented people on this board... I am not one of them... so... I'd purchased 2 Walt Disney character plastic place mats and some magnetic clips at Dollar tree... I had sharpied our names on ours and Mel and Crews names on theirs... and put them on our doors... I was pretty much impressed with the cheesiness of them... and well I thought well now... we are really going to be the most decorated in our area... but, then some people later that day... put out balloons and this huge cardboard flat palm tree and aloha decorations.. On their door (tidbit for future use)... however, I was still pleased with the cheesiness of it all...
The drawbridge had delayed Mel and Crews arrival... I kept glancing at the cell clock... we had talked a couple of times... they sounded excited... as this was their first cruise and we hadn't seen them in months (we live in Mississippi and the live in Texas) I/We wanted them to have a great time. We had bragged so much on the wonderful DCL cruise we had taken before and were so excited about our cruise... I wanted them to experience it all... and love it as much as we did/do.
I had a meeting scheduled at 3:00 with the other H and LB cruisers down at the Mickey Statue... it was getting close to that time.. I also knew we had the mandatory boat drill at 4:00 and I wanted to make sure Mel and Crew got lunch etc... So, I made a decision... to well not attend the 3:00 meeting... it was a hard decision as many of them I was really looking forward to meeting...
All aboard... Mel and crew seem to love their stateroom... and while we've always had the typical verandah room (I know 2 cruises and I come off sounding like a expert), they have a navigational one...and Donnie and I both agreed that we kinda like that better... the viewing hole is plenty big enough.. But, the furnishings are nicer on that one... with padded wood benches, a wooden table... and great wall decor... we really dug it... it somehow made their stateroom appear bigger... eventhough it's the same.. I recommend a navigational verandah which I believe is less expensive... and it rocked!
The safety drill didn't seem to last as long as the last time we were on board and was very painless...
Mario was hard at work... delivering suitcases to rooms and getting ice, making intros etc... I never, saw him without a smile... the entire cruise... he was everpresent in the halls...
It was very windy and chilly at our send off time... but, it wasn't raining... we all joined the deck party and we had bottles of bubbles... everyone on board was so excited and ready to get the party started.. Children were dancing and having a blast... parents were relaxing and getting in the mood of things... we were ready to go...
Our dinner wasn't till 8:30... Which worked out wonderful for us...? Our previous cruise we had early dinner... and we always felt so rushed. Also, we are the type to get our belly's full and then go to sleep... so we figured the later dinner would force us to stay awake...it was great for all of us..
Dinner as you know... is rotated between the 3 main dining rooms... and we get to keep the same servers as our servers for the entire cruise... Here I must comment on the wonderful Dennis and his lovely assistant Irenia (not sure about the spelling there)... they were attentive, fun and informative... Dennis is wonderful with the children... and he is top notch 5 star type of waiter. He does magic tricks... and kept us all laughing and happy during each dining experience...
We are headed East... the first night was wonderful... even though the wind was blustery as we left PC... the waters and first night passage was really smooth.. The ships rocking and swaying only encourages us to sleep better in our family so we awoke to a beautiful and WARM Sunday Morning... it was Super Bowl Sunday... and we had brunch at Palo's scheduled for 10:30..
I really loved this itinerary cause with months of planning and so many last minute details... it was going to be great to have 2 days at sea... to relax... and explore all of the many fun and exciting things to do on the ship.. Also, Mel and I had the martini tasting scheduled for 4:00 that day...
It was warm enough for the girls to play in the pool and Mel and I went up to deck 10 and chilled out... we both got sunburned a little... we think it was due mostly to the still high winds.. But, we lived and learned. And remembered the sunscreen for the rest of the trip...
Palo Brunch: Wow... and I mean wow... from our welcome glass of champagne on our way to our ocean view table... and then the tour and description of all foods available... we were all very excited about the whole Palo experience..even grumpy Donnie.
Of course I have to add my props to the famous Stolen or is it Stollon bread either way... eat it with fresh berries and whipped cream... yum... there were so many wonderful appetizers, and desserts and pizza and well everything.. Coffee rich and divine... we all got so full off of all of the wonderful selections we didn't even order from the hot menu... the marghrita pizza (sp) delish! Our server... Naomi (who we also had for dinner in Palo) excellent... a wonderful experience... and must do... will add pictures later...
The Martini Tasting: Fun times... I had only met one of my fellow H and LB cruisers previous to this event... there were several others in this event... but, while we thought we recognized one another we didn't confirm it til later on in the week... This was really fun and I highly recommend it... we all started out really quiet... but, by the time we've had 5 martinis... (They were small but, not minute) we were all quite chatty and giggly... we sat with a wonderful couple (just Mel and I attended) and we kept running into them the whole cruise... just something about drinking buddies.. You always seem to see them often...
So Sunday night was Super Bowl Sunday... we ran into some characters after dinner and stopped for pics and autographs... my husband went to the upper deck to find a table... he got one.. and held it... but, the wind was so bad... that he finally gave up and went to the room... so we all just watched it from our collective rooms..
Monday, we woke up to beautiful and warm weather... it was our morning for the character breakfast... I'd read on some thread that someone didn't care for the menu... but, the six of us loved it... and there were plenty of characters... the traditional disney.. Mickey and Minnie, Goofy and Pluto and Chip and Dale... the girls got autographs and pictures...there was dancing and lots of laughter... I must brag on Dennis our waiter... he is excellent...if you should be fortunate to have him as your server... you will understand.
I kept telling Melanie and Jeremy how wonderful the spa is... but, we never booked anything there... shame on us... because it is divine... Melanie and I had the tequila and margarita "seminar" at 4:00... And we went to a show... the Cinderella story with a twist... the girls played in the pool... tonight was formal night...
Formal night was wonderful... it was fun dressing up and our family pics actually turned out pretty good... especially the group of 6 ones.. I didn't buy any pictures and avoided it all together on our first cruise but, this time... I bought tons of them... so many opportunities and they took several shots... so usually at least one would turn out decent if not excellent... I just really hate getting my picture taken...
Tuesday is... we woke up to St Marteen docks... I really loved this cruise...the two days at sea were excellent... but, by this time we were all really excited about getting to explore a little.. Also, I remembered why I loved the location of our stateroom from the previous cruise... AFT rocks... we are close enough to the elevators, the kids clubs, the movie theater, which I've never been to a movie while on board... but, I love the location... as most deck refreshments are 9 AFT... and there is a way off the ship at 1 AFT... we didn't book our excursion with disney.. We did book a sailboat tour on the Lord Sheffield... loved it... when you first see the vessel... you are thinking omg... is this going to be as good as the reviews, the online brochure.. But, it is... we had the best time... great food, great fun, great drinks... great crew... CAUTION: if you are prone to seasickness or motion sickness... do NOT do this excursion... there were quite a few sickys onboard... our family thrives on ocean motion but, not on sickeys... the sickeys were quickly attended to and moved to the back of the ship... this is such a laid back activity... so much fun... so if you just want to hang.. Eat, drink, maybe do some light snorkeling or just float around on a noodle with a cool beer... this is a great excursion I would do it again and again... the girls had a blast.. And it's very easy to nap... on the way back in...
Jeremy volunteered to take the girls back to the ship once we got back to the dock... so me, hubby and mel went shopping... again, it was nice having the late dinner... and it was pirate night.. So we had time... you can walk to the Lord Sheffield dock and back from... the Magic... we did take a cab to the shopping area... Melanie and I both scored on an awesome deal for digital cameras there... i have a canon rebel but i've been wanting a smaller one... and also one with video capabilities... we bought them from a store that has a Miami store as well.. And we asked about the grade... of the camera and also for certified US warranties...
We bought a few other trinkets and rum... and headed back to the magic for Pirate night... all six of dressed out for pirate night... the girls and melanie and jeremy to the max... me, i was going for the ghetto pirate look and my husband did the eye patch, and a skull t shirt and the dcl provided bandana.. We had fun getting pictures... and then we came across Captain Jack Sparrow... he was awesome... and had the longest line I've ever had to wait in... His gestures, his speech, his looks... well, let me tell you... only Johnny Depp could have been better... he had all of the mom's and grandmom's a flutter... almost worth the trip himself..
We went up on deck... it was super crowded but fun... however, I have low tolerance for rude people... not any of the cast members but other "guests"... gah, they were pushing children out of the way.. And standing in front of children... maybe an earlier dinner group would not have had the problems we did... but, then again, we slept through the whole thing last year... with such an early dinner... so it's your call... i either had to leave.. Or start soap boxing... so i made a quiet exit... and watched what I could, which was still decent... of the fireworks... It didn't ruin my great night or my cruise... just... really saddened me... that people can be so rude...
My biggest regret about the whole day... was not having time to venture over to the french side of island... I was really intrigued by St. Marteen.
Also, what else I loved about our excursion on St Mart.. Was that it didn't start to 10:45...
Wed... St. Thomas and Immigration...
I'd read several posts where people were really irked about the whole immigration thing... as I really try to just go with the flow... even after my rude people tirade.. And the fact that we are morning people... and the fact that I realize I live in the US and every now there is a price to be paid to be a proud American... it didn't bother us... it was done very fast, very courteous, very orderly... very painfree... my daughter went down in her pj's.. munched on donuts... no biggie... and the crowd... was all very congenial...
We booked an excursion with Sunny Liston... i'd discussed our excursion plans in our meet board... and several other happy and laid back cruisers signed up.. It was the very best $25.00 per person thing I've ever done... it was so much fun... excellent time... from beginning to end... St. Thomas is gorgeous... Stunning...
You have a choice of being picked up at 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00... Depending on how much shopping you wanted to do... we chose 2 hours therefore 10:00... At noon we met back up with Sunny... and we went on a tour of the island... including Mountain top... we bought quite a bit at the various shops... while in town and on Mtn top... he stopped several times... on the way for photos etc.. We had fun... and yes, the banana daquari is that good at Mtn Top. After 2 hours of touring give or take... we went to coki beach... it was stunning... we had a blast... rent a lounger for 7 dollars and grab a bucket of beer... there are a couple of shops there and you can buy food.. All 6 of us enjoyed the beach, the views, the water everything. Then we were taken back to the ship... with 30 minutes to spare.
We had dinner in our room... between room service and the places to grab food on deck 9... We just noshed... I had finally met my Jackie... at the margarita tasting... and it was her 40th birthday on Wed... So several of us met at Sessions at 10:00... I was determined to make it... as I'd met TJ (Jackie) on the boards and since I'd missed the first meeting I was not going to miss this one... it was a lovely evening and it was wonderful to spend some time... with these great men and women... Happy Birthday Jackie.
Thursday, last day at Sea... we hung out a great amount... and it was perfect for after 2 days on land... we were ready to be at sea... we all just love the Magic so much... by now we are really bonding with our Mario and our Dennis.. And we keep running into acquaintances... it's just like the time stood still... but, in the back of mind was the evil reality that soon.. Our week in paradise would be ending... we ate from topsiders poolside, we never had a problem finding a lounger... when the girls were in the club we'd go to the adult pool area... and oh man... the cove... gotta get there for afternoon goodies.. They are awesome... i did frequent that place often...
We pigged out on peel and eat shrimp... wonderfully fresh... and crab claws...yummmmmmmm i was trying not to eat too much because we had Palo's at 6:30... For dinner.
Just mostly relaxed... and hung out... Mel, Jeremy and Donnie went to play bingo... the girls wanted to go to the club for a while and I went shopping... We got the girls for about 40 minutes... and then took them back to the club in time to eat dinner with their friends... and hang out... Chandler and Makenna had been befriended by two of the most awesome older girls... their names were Jentry and McKenna... (Spelling Im not sure of)... I must get their addresses from Mel... as Chandler will want to stay in contact with them... they were from Colorado... and two of the best young ladies.. That we'd ever met... they were so good to the girls... and we adults loved hanging with them too...
Dinner at Palo's... well i'm sorry and again I hope Mel got brunch pics... but, i have pics of everything from Palo... it was and is everything you have read about... divine... it was semi formal night anyway... so we were already prepared to be dressed up.. It was the Captains dinner... and all of the dining rooms including Palo's also got a lobster tail with their dinner... and this lobster was top notch... again, we had a table with an oceanview... and we had Naoime again sp? She remembered us... go figure...
We all went to bed... full and well satisfied... tomorrow would be Castaway Cay...
Castaway Cay... next time we book it will be a double dip... everyone in our party kept saying... we could just stay here on ship or otherwise for at least 1/2 the cruise if not the whole time... The girls were excited about the kids club... like last year, we'd plan to let them stay there till after lunch and then go get them... that way we had some down time... we nabbed a couple of hammocks and 4 lounge chairs and we were set.. We didn't plan any excursions, we'd thought about going to the adult beach... but, after so much rich and delish food the night before... Cookies sounded great... and it was... we ate so much... the salads, the ribs, the fruit... the cheeseburgers... everything wonderful... we did get a couple of floats... but, only the girls went into the water... we got the girls hair braided while there.. And the ladies that did it were awesome... i have pics... we all thought about stowing away on Castaway Cay... so what if the ship left us there... right?
Tons of fun... and it passed way to quickly... the whole week did... also, I must note... that on our way to Castaway Cay about 3/4 of mile out we passed a whale.. Or maybe the whale passed us... i tried to get great pics... but i do have one where you could see his spray... we got to see his back a few times... and his tail once... it was so exciting.. And I'd just read that morning... see I am an early riser... that from Feb to April... that the humpback whales migrate to the waters off of the Virgin Islands to have and uhhh make babies.. In the warmer waters... we kept looking for another one... as they usually travel/live together but, no such luck...
Disembarkment.. A breeze... so sad... we returned home and I'm talking we live in the South... to frigid weather... I had on my St Thomas Sweat shirt... clam diggers and sandels... so no dorothy we weren't in the tropics anymore..
So here I sit... with wonderful memories... 100's of pictures... and visions of what all I have experienced this last week... It's the memories... It's Disney... I'm so glad I was able to share this past week with new friends and some of our extended family...
Pictures will come next...
I love reading trip reports and always learn so much from them. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip! Did you rebook? We're doing a DD next time too!
