Hi all,
Since we were originally booked for this cruise, I thought I'd check in and let you know how our cruise went in case it helps anyone.
We just got off the Magic on Sunday Nov.16th.
This cruise was supposed to be Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Falmouth Jamaica, and
Castaway Cay. After 2 attempts, we did not dock in Castaway Cay and had a sea day instead. We also couldn't tender in Georgetown, but did tender in Spotts Bay. Disney gave us complementary passes for a bus in between, but we didn't use them as our tour picked us up and dropped us off at the tender dock. We didn't plan on shopping in Georgetown anyway.
My observations:
1. This was our 2nd cruise, with our first being on the Fantasy (Eastern Caribbean). I thought I might be disappointed with the Magic because it was older and didn't have things like the mid-ship detective agency, virtual port holes, etc, but it did NOT disappoint at all!
Even though I was told the ship was full at check-in, it never seemed as crowded as on the Fantasy. We never had a problem finding a spot at the pools to swim or watch funnel vision. Cabanas (breakfast/lunch) was busy, but we always found a table (for 5) with little effort.
I also like the fact that walking from Aft to Forward wasn't as much of a journey as it is on the bigger ships.
Even though there are less laundry rooms, we never really had a problem finding an available machine. The only day it was busy was the morning of the last sea day, but it cleared up by afternoon.
2. In Grand Cayman we did the Disney excursion that included an island tour (quick stop in "Hell" and a wonderful experience at the turtle farm) and also snorkel at Stingray city. What an amazing experience!
Stingray City: It was $30 cash to buy the photos (e-mailed to you). I don't have a waterproof camera, so the photos I took from the boat did not compare.
Turtle farm: The kids all got into a pool with some of the smaller turtles, got to hold them, and bigger ones in other tanks. The guide got us into the park, gave us an introductory talk, and then let us have 30 minutes to explore as we wished. It was the perfect amount of time.
3. In Jamaica, we did the "Green Grotto Caves" tour. There are mosquito's and bug repellant is recommended, but we didn't know ahead of time. Our tour guide there was so amazing with the kids, got them to go off together with a flashlight and really tried to both calm them yet keep them having a fun time.
Afterwards, we went to Chukka's private beach for an hour which included Jerk Chicken lunch. Such a beautiful beach with warm clear water. Wished we had more time there, but 1 hour was ok. Lots of dogs hanging around, but none bothered us.
4. We did not get off the ship at Cozumel, so I can't comment on that port. We did not get to get off at Castaway Cay, so I can't comment on that either.
5. It can be chilly in the theatres, so you may want to bring a sweater if you get cold easily. The "Dreams" show is outstanding.
Many times I saw lots of small kids dancing at the "Promenade lounge" area, so cute and unexpected.
Wash your children's hands on the way OUT of the kids clubs to help reduce the chances of catching something. We didn't do this and I think it may have made a difference in our kids getting sick on our last full day. We had to use hand wipes on our way in to all restaurants and to handle the tongs at Cabanas. On our last full day, in the afternoon, they would not let us self-serve the ice cream machines anymore, so I'm not sure if it was a sign that something was going around.
6. I was also worried about the plumbing on the ship since the drydock. We did not experience any issues in our cabins, but there was a strange odour in the hallway Deck 2 Aft portside. I also overheard staff calling for maintenance for toilet overflowing in at least 2 rooms elsewhere. I don't know if they flushed inappropriate items or if it was ship plumbing.
7. We had 2 minor maintenance issues with our rooms, probably due to age of the ship. They fixed both super quick. One of our rooms creaked a lot in rougher seas, but it didn't seem to affect our sleep. We all slept well, just not enough since we never went to bed before midnight. We made the most of our time
In closing, I want to say that we had an absolutely great time! I am sure you will enjoy your cruise too.
), but I'm not seeing links to the menus. Can you point me in the right direction?
So now we have to figure out what to do for that Sunday. Since we thought we would be staying in Ormond Beach, we are flying out of Daytona Beach instead of MCO. If I had known she would not be home I would have booked us out of MCO and we could have had more options for the day. I think we might stay in Daytona Beach for the night, not sure exactly what we will do. Anyone have any thoughts? I suppose we could drive to Orlando and back, it just seems like extra work, I dont know! Disney and Universal are out as its just too expensive for six of us for one day tickets only.
We are so looking forward to going back there and checking out some of the many things we missed!
