keith & co.
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2003
- Messages
- 101
Thanks to everyone on the board for the help in planning our trip and I hope this information and our upcoming trip report will help those sailing soon.
Disney Magic, Eastern, May 3-10, 2003
Doug, Barbara, Chelsea (10) and Shelby (4)
Third sailing on Disney Magic.
Rae has posted an excellent summary of the dinner theme nights, shows and movies on her post, so I will skip that part.
Overall a great cruise with wonderful people from the DIS boards, great weather and calm seas. Great kids programs, food improved overall, docked at Castaway Cay with no problems.
May 2001 cruise missed Castaway Cay due to weather.
We drove to the Radisson in PC and met up with other DIS members for a great pre night party. The names will be omitted to protect the very few innocent. The Radisson is perfect for a pre night with a great pool and reasonable drink prices. Be aware that you lock in your rate over the phone. They did not honor a room saver.com rate. I had the other rate locked in as a backup with Radisson central reservations.
We drove to the terminal to drop bags and park. They request photo IDs to get into the bag drop and you must pay the $70 parking with Cash / Credit after the bag drop.
Check in was slow in the Castaway Club line, even early and they ask you to fill out a SARS questionnaire with questions about travel to the Orient, Toronto and any significant time spent in Cleveland.
Embarkation began around Noon with Palo ressies for both brunch and dinner taken in Rockin Bar D.
When you go into RBD you have do give your KTTW card to the attendant and wait your turn for dinner ressies. While waiting move ahead to the brunch line and make brunch ressies. If you are lucky, you can get both done in a matter of minutes and be out. I also stopped by the change rotation / time desk and verified that we had the rotation we had planned on.
If you are a couple with young children you will most like get the ALPALPA rotation. If your kids are only go to have dinner with you one or two nights, you may want to consider changing to a less noisy rotation.
Our dining room servers were Orlan and Gabriella, there are excellent, especially if you have kids.
Dont miss Brunch at Palos. In my opinion, it is the best meal on the ship. Try to go twice if your pants will allow it.
Barbara went to the clubs and registered the girls, we had very little waiting and was done with everything and eating lunch by 12:30. After lunch, our cabin happened to be ready. Swimsuits on and in the Mickey pool by 1:30.
The safety drill came early at 3:30 and a DIS meet followed in the lounge on Deck 3. I would recommend having a DIS meet on Deck 9 just prior to the Sail Away party at 5:00.
Other planning notes of interest:
Hair Braiding Call guest services for the reservation number, begins on Sunday morning. DD 10 still has them in 11 days later.
Tea with Wendy Line forms early on Sunday morning for a 9:00 start outside Studio Sea. We got there at 9:00 and a long line was formed.
Character Breakfast / Palo Brunch We did this on the same day as a day that the kids would not be swimming and in the clubs. Be sure and skip breakfast with the kids for the brunch. See Dawn and Scotts trip report. We ended up with 5 DIS couples sitting all next to each other at the brunch. Unplanned but fun.
The wine tasting hosted by Matthew and his bride to be was a highlight to the trip and we all enjoyed it very much. Thank you.
I would plan on the day between St. Thomas and Castaway Cay as a down day with the kids in the clubs or resting. This was the part of the trip when everyone became tired and was ready to slow down. I will also admit that the skipping the sunscreen at St. Thomas was a grave tactical error. I was not going to spend that much time in the water.
St. Thomas and Castaway Cay The ship was ready to disembark earlier than the published times. Im glad that we were ready to go.
St. Thomas immigration Early, ..Dont forget your birth certificates and IDs. He let us go through without the Birth Certificates but asked us a few questions.
Try to work into your schedule
Opening the pools a couple of times less crowded, clean water.
Closing the pools once with dinner from Plutos and watching the sunset on St. Martin day.
Disney Dreams Matinee great performance, kids awake and alert.
Brunch at Palo with Andrew from South Africa.
Sessions-table by the window; ask Arul from India for a glass of the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay
Palo Dinner- ask for Marco and the Moscato wine from Italy.
Castaway Cay find Arul at the Conched Out Bar, let him know where you are and he will take care of you with Conch Koolers and fruit, excellent service. Tell him Mr. Douglas sent you.
ESPN Bar Lourdes from the Philippines is a wonderful bartender.
Lunch at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville on the way home. Thanks Andy.
The rest will be covered in the trip report, but I wanted to address some of the planning items in this thread.
I hope this helps, and somebody please tell me how to get the countdown clock for our next cruise.
Doug
Disney Magic, Eastern, May 3-10, 2003
Doug, Barbara, Chelsea (10) and Shelby (4)
Third sailing on Disney Magic.
Rae has posted an excellent summary of the dinner theme nights, shows and movies on her post, so I will skip that part.
Overall a great cruise with wonderful people from the DIS boards, great weather and calm seas. Great kids programs, food improved overall, docked at Castaway Cay with no problems.
May 2001 cruise missed Castaway Cay due to weather.
We drove to the Radisson in PC and met up with other DIS members for a great pre night party. The names will be omitted to protect the very few innocent. The Radisson is perfect for a pre night with a great pool and reasonable drink prices. Be aware that you lock in your rate over the phone. They did not honor a room saver.com rate. I had the other rate locked in as a backup with Radisson central reservations.
We drove to the terminal to drop bags and park. They request photo IDs to get into the bag drop and you must pay the $70 parking with Cash / Credit after the bag drop.
Check in was slow in the Castaway Club line, even early and they ask you to fill out a SARS questionnaire with questions about travel to the Orient, Toronto and any significant time spent in Cleveland.
Embarkation began around Noon with Palo ressies for both brunch and dinner taken in Rockin Bar D.
When you go into RBD you have do give your KTTW card to the attendant and wait your turn for dinner ressies. While waiting move ahead to the brunch line and make brunch ressies. If you are lucky, you can get both done in a matter of minutes and be out. I also stopped by the change rotation / time desk and verified that we had the rotation we had planned on.
If you are a couple with young children you will most like get the ALPALPA rotation. If your kids are only go to have dinner with you one or two nights, you may want to consider changing to a less noisy rotation.
Our dining room servers were Orlan and Gabriella, there are excellent, especially if you have kids.
Dont miss Brunch at Palos. In my opinion, it is the best meal on the ship. Try to go twice if your pants will allow it.
Barbara went to the clubs and registered the girls, we had very little waiting and was done with everything and eating lunch by 12:30. After lunch, our cabin happened to be ready. Swimsuits on and in the Mickey pool by 1:30.
The safety drill came early at 3:30 and a DIS meet followed in the lounge on Deck 3. I would recommend having a DIS meet on Deck 9 just prior to the Sail Away party at 5:00.
Other planning notes of interest:
Hair Braiding Call guest services for the reservation number, begins on Sunday morning. DD 10 still has them in 11 days later.
Tea with Wendy Line forms early on Sunday morning for a 9:00 start outside Studio Sea. We got there at 9:00 and a long line was formed.
Character Breakfast / Palo Brunch We did this on the same day as a day that the kids would not be swimming and in the clubs. Be sure and skip breakfast with the kids for the brunch. See Dawn and Scotts trip report. We ended up with 5 DIS couples sitting all next to each other at the brunch. Unplanned but fun.
The wine tasting hosted by Matthew and his bride to be was a highlight to the trip and we all enjoyed it very much. Thank you.
I would plan on the day between St. Thomas and Castaway Cay as a down day with the kids in the clubs or resting. This was the part of the trip when everyone became tired and was ready to slow down. I will also admit that the skipping the sunscreen at St. Thomas was a grave tactical error. I was not going to spend that much time in the water.
St. Thomas and Castaway Cay The ship was ready to disembark earlier than the published times. Im glad that we were ready to go.
St. Thomas immigration Early, ..Dont forget your birth certificates and IDs. He let us go through without the Birth Certificates but asked us a few questions.
Try to work into your schedule
Opening the pools a couple of times less crowded, clean water.
Closing the pools once with dinner from Plutos and watching the sunset on St. Martin day.
Disney Dreams Matinee great performance, kids awake and alert.
Brunch at Palo with Andrew from South Africa.
Sessions-table by the window; ask Arul from India for a glass of the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay
Palo Dinner- ask for Marco and the Moscato wine from Italy.
Castaway Cay find Arul at the Conched Out Bar, let him know where you are and he will take care of you with Conch Koolers and fruit, excellent service. Tell him Mr. Douglas sent you.
ESPN Bar Lourdes from the Philippines is a wonderful bartender.
Lunch at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville on the way home. Thanks Andy.
The rest will be covered in the trip report, but I wanted to address some of the planning items in this thread.
I hope this helps, and somebody please tell me how to get the countdown clock for our next cruise.
Doug
