JenLynn
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2004
- Messages
- 716
And to remind you .....
"Well, we are just back from our May 1st cruise on the Magic (Eastern itinerary) .... I took notes during the length of the cruise so i could share everything with everyone.
JenLynn (Me) - 31
Joe (DH) - 34
Teddy (DS) - 6
Madalyn (DD) - 4 (almost 5)
We also travelled with 2 other families:
Terri (DW), Chris (DH) and Jordan (DD)
Kristi (DW), Eric (DH) and Bradley (DS) and Adam (DS)"
We booked our cruise and transfers through allseastravel and were utterly and completely thrilled with both the prices and the service. I would definitely recommend using them to plan your vacation.
At about 7am, our telephone at the Sheraton rang and it was Cartier towncar service. We had booked with them transfers for the 11 of us from the Sheraton at MCO to the ship. We were set to get a towncar as well as a van. Our transfer was set to pick us up at 9am so that we would get to the port and be among the first in line. The lady on the phone tried to persuade me to move the pick-up time back until 11am or so. She said the cruise lines (and especially Disney) didn't allow anyone into the port area until after 11am and if we got there earlier the driver would basically just leave us on the side of the road with our luggage if the port was not yet open. Well, i had done my homework and had read many, many trip reports and posts here at DIS and knew we would be fine to arrive at the port at 10:30 or so. I politely thanked the towncar person and told her that i appreciated her concern and understood that the driver would leave us if the port was not yet open but i still wanted to be picked up at 9. She said ok and we hung up. (now, do you think the car service will really be picking us up at 9 or do you think they will be later???
)
My family ordered room service and ate breakfast while getting ready for the day. Our group met in the lobby a little before 9 to wait for the transfers. While we waited, Kristi and Terri both bought hairdryers that were available for purchase from the hotel (i told them the ones provided on the cruise were extremely weak). The towncar pulled up in front of the hotel and we moved all of our luggage out to the driveway while we waited for the van to arrive. The towncar driver was in communication with the van driver and told us the van was on its way (and apparently got a ticket speeding to come get us). When the van arrived, we loaded up all of the luggage. Kristi and Eric and their boys took the towncar because it had 2 car seats and their children are younger than the others. My family and Terri's family took the van. We finally got moving about 9:30 or so.
After a speedy drive to the port ... no, i mean seriously ... the driver must have been trying to make up lost time or he is a NASCAR driver during the week. We arrived to the port at about 10:15. The transfers were directed to a white tent in the middle of the parking lot. We exited the cars and piled all of our luggage. Shortly thereafter a CM came up to us to be sure all of our luggage was marked as needed. She told us to walk across to the building to check-in and she would take care of our luggage. (how wonderfully convenient!).
We crossed the street and entered the building ... there were 2 lines to use to proceed through security. The line to the right was very long and winding; the line to the left was at least half it's length. We got into the line to the left (and i am still kinda wondering why everyone else just stayed in that other line?). We proceeded quickly through security (metal detector and x-ray for carry-ons). Then we were directed up the escalator to the main area. We were finally here!!! We quickly joined the line that was waiting for the check-in process to begin. The lines opened up to check-in and moved pretty quickly. We probably finished checking-in and joined the line of people waiting to board at around 11:15. While waiting, the children walked around and looked at the model of the ship. Then a few characters came out for photos with the children. Also, we had been posting with other people here at DIS who were on our cruise and we started meeting some of them while waiting to board (Hydster, Three Circles, etc). Finally at about noon, the line started moving and boarding had begun.
Coming in part 2 of the day 1 report: getting Palo reservations, sail away celebration, our first evening on board ....
"Well, we are just back from our May 1st cruise on the Magic (Eastern itinerary) .... I took notes during the length of the cruise so i could share everything with everyone.
JenLynn (Me) - 31
Joe (DH) - 34
Teddy (DS) - 6
Madalyn (DD) - 4 (almost 5)
We also travelled with 2 other families:
Terri (DW), Chris (DH) and Jordan (DD)
Kristi (DW), Eric (DH) and Bradley (DS) and Adam (DS)"
We booked our cruise and transfers through allseastravel and were utterly and completely thrilled with both the prices and the service. I would definitely recommend using them to plan your vacation.
At about 7am, our telephone at the Sheraton rang and it was Cartier towncar service. We had booked with them transfers for the 11 of us from the Sheraton at MCO to the ship. We were set to get a towncar as well as a van. Our transfer was set to pick us up at 9am so that we would get to the port and be among the first in line. The lady on the phone tried to persuade me to move the pick-up time back until 11am or so. She said the cruise lines (and especially Disney) didn't allow anyone into the port area until after 11am and if we got there earlier the driver would basically just leave us on the side of the road with our luggage if the port was not yet open. Well, i had done my homework and had read many, many trip reports and posts here at DIS and knew we would be fine to arrive at the port at 10:30 or so. I politely thanked the towncar person and told her that i appreciated her concern and understood that the driver would leave us if the port was not yet open but i still wanted to be picked up at 9. She said ok and we hung up. (now, do you think the car service will really be picking us up at 9 or do you think they will be later???
)My family ordered room service and ate breakfast while getting ready for the day. Our group met in the lobby a little before 9 to wait for the transfers. While we waited, Kristi and Terri both bought hairdryers that were available for purchase from the hotel (i told them the ones provided on the cruise were extremely weak). The towncar pulled up in front of the hotel and we moved all of our luggage out to the driveway while we waited for the van to arrive. The towncar driver was in communication with the van driver and told us the van was on its way (and apparently got a ticket speeding to come get us). When the van arrived, we loaded up all of the luggage. Kristi and Eric and their boys took the towncar because it had 2 car seats and their children are younger than the others. My family and Terri's family took the van. We finally got moving about 9:30 or so.
After a speedy drive to the port ... no, i mean seriously ... the driver must have been trying to make up lost time or he is a NASCAR driver during the week. We arrived to the port at about 10:15. The transfers were directed to a white tent in the middle of the parking lot. We exited the cars and piled all of our luggage. Shortly thereafter a CM came up to us to be sure all of our luggage was marked as needed. She told us to walk across to the building to check-in and she would take care of our luggage. (how wonderfully convenient!).
We crossed the street and entered the building ... there were 2 lines to use to proceed through security. The line to the right was very long and winding; the line to the left was at least half it's length. We got into the line to the left (and i am still kinda wondering why everyone else just stayed in that other line?). We proceeded quickly through security (metal detector and x-ray for carry-ons). Then we were directed up the escalator to the main area. We were finally here!!! We quickly joined the line that was waiting for the check-in process to begin. The lines opened up to check-in and moved pretty quickly. We probably finished checking-in and joined the line of people waiting to board at around 11:15. While waiting, the children walked around and looked at the model of the ship. Then a few characters came out for photos with the children. Also, we had been posting with other people here at DIS who were on our cruise and we started meeting some of them while waiting to board (Hydster, Three Circles, etc). Finally at about noon, the line started moving and boarding had begun.
Coming in part 2 of the day 1 report: getting Palo reservations, sail away celebration, our first evening on board ....
