May 12, 2007 -- Taking the Magic to the Mediterranean -- 14 day Repo Cruise! Part 2

[tig82174]

Erik -- I don't have time to explain, but we are having what we call "Snack Night," it's my pick for the movie, so we are about to watch HSM!

Lori

WOO HOO!!! You better work! You'll be singing the songs for days, I promise!!!

"you know the world can see us....in a way that's different from who we are................we're soarin, flyin'....there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach...."


Erik

 

[tig82174]

Oh yeah....I forgot to mention in my last post....did I tell everyone what Jason found out yesterday? Well....to start the story I have to tell you that in addition to dancing and gymnastics and cheering and all that as a kid and teen....I was also a figure skater.....so Jason found out that in January of 2008...."High School Musical on Ice" is coming to Rochester.....you can imagine the unadulterated GLEE I felt at such news. Maybe Hadley and Rio should plan one of their trips through Rochester for that night and we can all go together!


Erik

 

[Michelle2]

Hey Gydell, now you don't have to worry about me pushing you off of the dock! Guess its just Scott, Lynn and us in the early AM.

I'll be there too. Have no fear! We will not be going for an upgrade, I still like to be in the first boarding groups---that's just how I am...always have been the first ones in the terminal! Unless you are talking early early, then we won't be there....lol

 

[NHdisneylover]

Even if we end up deciding not to try for any upgrade we will be there early as well. Once I am in that terminal I start to feel all my stress melt away.

Erik-We may make a field trip to see HSM on ice with you! But, that 7 hour drive can be much longer and more treacherous in January. Perhaps we'll have to settle for seeing it in Manchester (assuming it makes it there).

Lori--I hope you're enjoying the movie about now.

 

[Michelle2]

Here's my answers:


1. Which restaurant is your favorite? Why?
Ummm...Palo...duh! Because it rocks, that's why!

2. Which dessert is your favorite?
Alright I know it's not special....but I'm SUCH a sucker for softserve ice cream so I love the softserve ice cream up on deck by the pools....often Jason will have to remind me that it's time to stop getting ice cream or I'll go get one and then send him for one a little later for me so the CM's behind the counter don't know what a hog I am!

3. What's your favorite onboard activity?
The shows.....although Jason and I love playing ping pong on deck, too....although I have high hopes we're gonna get to play in the Oceaneer's club this time around and then that may trump it all!!

4. What's your favorite port? (not Castaway Cay! )
We''ve only been to Castaway Cay and Nassau....and I"m not a huge Nassau fan, honestly.

5. What's been your favorite excursion?
Parasailing in Castaway Cay....even though the driver of the boat was kind of rude to us...but the experience of the parasailing itself was just amazing!

6. What is the BEST thing about Castaway Cay?
I love the BBQ at Castaway and I also love the snorkeling there.

7. What category room did you stay in? Would you stay in this category again?
I've stayed in 12, 10, and 5.....this time we're going to be in a 4.....I'd never book lower than a 6 or 7 again.....I'm totally addicted to having a sliding glass door and access to the sea air now.

8. Have you ever been upgraded?
We paid for an upgrade to a category 5 on our last cruise.

9. What's your favorite live show onboard?
Golden Mickeys. Hands down.

10. What's the absolute BEST thing about a DISNEY cruise? Something that makes DISNEY stand out from the rest, even if you have nothing to compare it to!
All the kids and family friendly activities and the fact that the ENTIRE boat doesn't turn into one giant singles bar or nightclub or casino. Jason and I are nonsmokers and nondrinkers....and we don't mind a good time or other adults who do....but the one other non DCL cruise we went on was just a little TOO adult oriented for our tastes. WE LOVE DISNEY!!!


Erik

We could be twins....honestly! My answers are similiar to yours, and we are non drinkers, non smokers too. We love DCL for this reason as well as no casino!

I am so impressed!! I LOVE figure skating! Is there anything that you cannot do?????

 

[misseulalie]

We just got 2136!!! From a GTY 12 to a Cat. 9 AFT!!!!!


I couldn't be happier!!!

please, please, please don't move me!!!!!!!!

 

[Michelle2]

We just got 2136!!! From a GTY 12 to a Cat. 9 AFT!!!!!


I couldn't be happier!!!

please, please, please don't move me!!!!!!!!

Congrats!!

 

[disneycruising]

I just have to commnet on the phones. I do realize many of you are leaving behind children, pets, etc. and do have to saty in touch. We are having the opposite problem amd HOPING we manage to sneak away before work manages to realize they'll only get hold of David if they force him to take the blackberry. One of my favourtie parts of a cruise is being unaccessible to the "real" world.

I totally agree!

Normally, on the cruise is the only time I can get Mike away from everything. Unfortunatley, this time he will have to check in at work a few times during the 2 weeks.

 

[AuntyBrat]

We are bringing the cell phones so we can say good-bye and then we are going to email home while we are at sea. Then call home with a phone card from each port. Our TA and good friend will be tracking our flights online so that she can lets our families know if we are delayed/deverted/etc...Then we will phone home when we hit Atlanta.

We are leaving the TAs number with everyone. We figure if we get them to send any 'emergency' calls through the TA she can decide if it is worth calling us on the ship (we all go back 20 some years and we have run interference for each other before. we used to work for the same company before she went into the TA business) or if we need someone to break the news to us. Also if it really is a holy fat flying flaming monkeys get me on the next flight out, she can do all of that BEFORE we get called. My mom would call over something I couldn't do anything about and leave me worrying about how to fix it for the rest of my vacation.

Laura

 

[Hoagie Pie]

Hello everyone - I just wanted to let you know that I have not been on in a couple of days because my dad is going through a rough divorce (and I talked him into taking the cruise today!), but anyway, after a stressful day, it is so nice to relax with a cup of tea and read what everyone has been up to - thanks! Here are my quiz answers:

1. Parrot Cay is our favorite restaurant
2. My favorite dessert is the Bourban Pecan Pie
3. My favorite onboard activity is ANY of the family games or couple games
4. My favorite port is St. Thomas because of that beautiful restaurant my husband takes me to up on the hill.
5. My favorite excursion is the catamaran at St. Maarten
6. My favorite thing about Castaway is that there is something for couples, families and alone time. It is so relaxing and fun.
7. We have been in Category 7 & 6
8. We have been upgraded for FREE but only on our first cruise.
9. I agree with Michelle2 about the welcome and farewell shows, I cry too, but txaggie94gigem is right when she says the crew show at Diversions on the last night. I laugh for hours!
10. Disney is so special - the people, the staff, the entertainment - I have been on a RC before and it doesn't compare. My girlfriend always goes Holland American and has a great time (with 3 kids under 6) and swears by no other cruise line, but when she tells me her stories, I think to myself, "if you think that is great, you should try Disney." Stories don't even compare! Also, I like the no casino and no crazy drinking crowd - I think that is why nobody jumps off the deck!

Tomorrow we are going to lunch and planning our door signs and also taking Erik's packing advice and starting on that - loved it It is so much fun to plan ahead! Thanks again guys for making my week a little more bearable! And still no mail!!!

 

[roserae]

we are a party of 4 and got upgraded to a cat 10...i wonder why they would upgrade the parties of 1 and 2 people to the larger cabins with windows instead of the parties with 3 or 4 people which could use a little more room? i was wondering how IC determined which people got which cabin....i thought maybe they did it based on when we converted to a cat12 GTY....maybe they had a list in order of when we signed up for cat 12 and gave away the better cabins first to those who had been GTY the longest???

i am happy with our room (although gydell i am STILL JEALOUS!!!!)...but part of me was wishing for a window......

Yes, being first time cruisers AND late bookers I was surprised to get upgraded to a cat. 9. However, we are a party of 3 (not sure why that should matter) and we are DVC members. Maybe that has something to do with it. They KNOW we will be repeat customers somewhere on property even though this is our first cruise? Who knows.

 

[AuntyBrat]

Hello everyone - I just wanted to let you know that I have not been on in a couple of days because my dad is going through a rough divorce (and I talked him into taking the cruise today!), but anyway, after a stressful day, it is so nice to relax with a cup of tea and read what everyone has been up to - thanks! Here are my quiz answers:

1. Parrot Cay is our favorite restaurant
2. My favorite dessert is the Bourban Pecan Pie
3. My favorite onboard activity is ANY of the family games or couple games
4. My favorite port is St. Thomas because of that beautiful restaurant my husband takes me to up on the hill.
5. My favorite excursion is the catamaran at St. Maarten
6. My favorite thing about Castaway is that there is something for couples, families and alone time. It is so relaxing and fun.
7. We have been in Category 7 & 6
8. We have been upgraded for FREE but only on our first cruise.
9. I agree with Michelle2 about the welcome and farewell shows, I cry too, but txaggie94gigem is right when she says the crew show at Diversions on the last night. I laugh for hours!
10. Disney is so special - the people, the staff, the entertainment - I have been on a RC before and it doesn't compare. My girlfriend always goes Holland American and has a great time (with 3 kids under 6) and swears by no other cruise line, but when she tells me her stories, I think to myself, "if you think that is great, you should try Disney." Stories don't even compare! Also, I like the no casino and no crazy drinking crowd - I think that is why nobody jumps off the deck!

Tomorrow we are going to lunch and planning our door signs and also taking Erik's packing advice and starting on that - loved it It is so much fun to plan ahead! Thanks again guys for making my week a little more bearable! And still no mail!!!

Sorry to hear about your dad!! Divorce is really mentally exhausting. Glad you talked him into this cruise and getting away from it all. Hopefully he will just be able to let go.

Oh and neither we nor our TA has gotten any surprises from DCL...

 

[cquick]

We just got back from playing Bunko at the neighbors house.....it's so nice our younger son (28) was home to keep an eye on his brother! Just us grownups! But we didn't act like grownups! Oh, well, that's half the fun! Didn't win anything, but had a great time with friends! night night all!

 

[Kissimmee]

We just got 2136!!! From a GTY 12 to a Cat. 9 AFT!!!!!


I couldn't be happier!!!

please, please, please don't move me!!!!!!!!

2141-2143 just across the hall.

 

[eller]

Well, let me just say that any movie that makes me smile and is all about creme brulae (okay, as I've said, I'm not a speller) just has to be wonderful!

Now, just a minute about snack night. It started many years ago on an evening just like the start of HSM, New Years Eve. DH is the cook, he makes hot, spicey shrimp and a hot onion dip that is to die for. The kids get chicken strips, meat balls. It goes all together with cheese and crackers and ships and pretzels. We have dinner while watching a movie. It's great fun!

I'll have to catch up with this tread in the morning, because, unlike Scott, I do require sleep. As I was gone most of the day, I have not read everything. I don't know how those who work do it!

Lori

 

[Hoagie Pie]

Thank you AuntyBrat - you made me smile!

 

[NoWorriesMate]

1. Which restaurant is your favorite? Why? Animators Palate - we just love the magic of it!

2. Which dessert is your favorite? chocolate lava cake or the choc souffle...

3. What's your favorite onboard activity? relaxing and watching the water go by

4. What's your favorite port? probably key west

5. What's been your favorite excursion? we always travel with small kids so haven't really done much yet

6. What is the BEST thing about Castaway Cay? clear warm water, clean beaches and as Chris would say eating a big plate of BBQ on the beach

7. What category room did you stay in? 6,5 and now 4 and so far we have loved them all.

8. Have you ever been upgraded? no

9. What's your favorite live show onboard? we love the sail away party

10. What's the absolute BEST thing about a DISNEY cruise? it's a family cruise, no casino, no real drunks, great kids clubs and the cast members are just so fabulous.

michelle

 

[disneycruising]

1. Which restaurant is your favorite? Why? Palo, great food! Plus, I love have an evening or a morning for omly us adults.

2. Which dessert is your favorite? Chocolate Souffle & Cheese Cake

3. What's your favorite onboard activity? Everything! We alway find something new to do

4. What's your favorite port? (not Castaway Cay! ) St Martin

5. What's been your favorite excursion? We have only done one DCL excursion.

6. What is the BEST thing about Castaway Cay? Just enjoying the day on the beach with the kids.

7. What category room did you stay in? Would you stay in this category again? Cat 2, 5, 9 & 10...I think. I would love to stay in a Cat 2 again. But, I am willing to stay anywhere to just be on the ship!!

8. Have you ever been upgraded? Yes!

9. What's your favorite live show onboard? Disney Dreams.

10. What's the absolute BEST thing about a DISNEY cruise? Something that makes DISNEY stand out from the rest, even if you have nothing to compare it to! We have never cruise on another ship. We cruise with DCL because they are excellent with my boys life threatening food allergies!!

 

[Michelle2]

Lots of people have been mentioning door signs...I was wondering what everyone is using for them?? Are you making your own graphics or is there something out there already you are using? I am just not knowing much what to do since it is an inaugural cruise, and need some ideas....

 

[Scoobypop]

They have cooking classes!!! Oh I am all over this one!! I just love to cook and of course eat what I cook but that is another story. OK I have to know how I sign up for these.


Pat

Hi Pat, You don't have to actually sign up for them at all. You will see it listed in the Navigator, it should be under a category called The Art Of Entertaining. They have chefs from their fine WDW restaurants aboard and give little classes, kind of like you're watching a cooking show. Plus you get a small sample at the end. On our 7 day cruises, they had an appetizer class, an entree, and a dessert, as well as a class on "mixology" in which they shows how to prepare 5 of their specialty drinks. After making each one, they'd ask a trivia question and the winner would get the drink! So just keep an eye on the Navigator, then just show up! It was in Studio Sea for our cruises. They're lots of fun!
Chris