Our amazing 7-night eastern cruise - 9/26/09

[Crystal_27]

In DH’s view, no Disney vacation is complete without a Tonga Toast fix. With that in mind, we couldn’t resist taking our last breakfast before the cruise at Kona Café. As an added bonus, we had scheduled to meet-up with some of our DIS friends that were also cruising with us, “K” and her DH, kiddos, and sister. Even though we had a late night at the party the night before, we thought that a 9:00 a.m. ADR at Kona would allow us enough sleep-in time. With that in mind, we set our wake-up call to 8:00 a.m. with the plan to take showers and get to Kona well before our ADR time. Unfortunately, when our wake-up call came a-ringing, none of us were ready to leave our beds, so we didn’t end up making it to Kona until around 9:15 a.m. Our DIS buds were already seated when we rolled in, but we had the good fortune of being seated close to them, so we got to chat with them a little bit during breakfast. Unbeknownst to them, “K” and her family were also our Secret Mickey recipients, so I was excited to actually be able to meet them before the Secret Mickey game actually started.

After breakfast, we decided that we would try and hit some outlets in order to find The Big a formal dress. We also had to go to the bank and get some cash (another errand that was forgotten due to the hectic week before our cruise). We set out with the best of intentions and, after driving for about 45 minutes, realized that we were not anywhere close to either the outlet malls or a Wachovia, so we busted out the trusty cell phone, went online, and quickly found that the nearest bank was about 20 minutes away. On the way to the bank, we also passed the outlet mall that we were searching for, but I didn’t really see a store that I thought would have a child’s formal dress. So, it was at this point that I decided that The Big would just have to be underdressed and that I was done devoting any more time to this issue.

After making it to the bank and completing our withdrawal, we decided that we should go ahead and head to the Port. So, we popped the Port’s address into our cell phone and off we went.

During our March trip, we actually had the uber-bright idea to buy a Florida Sunpass card, so we didn’t have to stop and pay for any tolls along the way which was wonderful!! Before we knew it, we were pulling up to the Port. I had forgotten how breathtaking the cruise ships are, especially when you know that one of them contains a stateroom with your name on it for the next 7 days. Check-in was painless and, because we were Castaway Club members, we had the good fortune of breezing through the line and had our Keys to the World (um…Ship??) in our hands before we knew it.

Since we knew that we weren’t buying any of the pictures, we bypassed the photographers, and were announced over the loudspeaker within minutes. Given that we had just eaten, oh, 3 hours ago, we were starving and decided that our first trip would be to the Topsider Buffet to begin our partaking in Disney cruise food. The food was as good as I remember (I think The Big ate her weight in shrimp), but I was disappointed that they had removed one of the desserts I had fallen in love with during our last trip - - a chocolate pie-type thing. Still, after sampling all of the desserts, we found a suitable replacement.

Since it was nearing 1:30 p.m. at that point, we decided to go ahead and check out our room. We had booked one of the “secret verandah” rooms (6634) so we got a full (although partially obscured) verandah for a Cat. 7 price. We didn’t have any complaints with our room, and hung out there for a little while, just chilling and relaxing, and being super happy to be on vacation.

That's it for now. I'm sorry for the lack of pictures...I don't know why I wasn't snapping away as usual. I promise I will have lots more pictures in my future installments.

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

Is Secret Mickey like a FE exchange?
Did you like the cat7 location? We have two connecting ones booked on the Wonder next month-- they won't have the plexiglass like yours but still some extra room for us.

 

[missjudit]

Crystal,

Can't believe I found you again. When I was new to the Boards I followed your cruise report, but I did not know that I could actually subscribe (at least then I would have been able to check on other postings). All I could remember was The Big and how well you wrote and your wonderful pictures. Boy was I surprised to find you today, 4weeks, minus one day before we leave on a Magic Eastern itinerary over Thanksgiving. Can't wait to read more.

Judi

 

[Crystal_27]

Is Secret Mickey like a FE exchange?
Did you like the cat7 location? We have two connecting ones booked on the Wonder next month-- they won't have the plexiglass like yours but still some extra room for us.

The Secret Mickey was actually in addition to the FE exchange. It's more like a Secret Santa where all participants received a name (chosen at random) and a list of likes and dislikes. We purchased gifts for our people, and secretly gave them their gifts. Just another way to add a little bit of magic to the trip. It was great fun!!

And, yes, our room was wonderful. The verandah (although partially obscured) still gave us a terrific view of everything. Stil, all total, we probably only spent about 3 hours out on the verandah for the entire trip, so we're going to try out an inside stateroom for our next cruise and see if we can deal with that and save the money.

Crystal,

Can't believe I found you again. When I was new to the Boards I followed your cruise report, but I did not know that I could actually subscribe (at least then I would have been able to check on other postings). All I could remember was The Big and how well you wrote and your wonderful pictures. Boy was I surprised to find you today, 4weeks, minus one day before we leave on a Magic Eastern itinerary over Thanksgiving. Can't wait to read more.

Judi

Awwwww, I'm so glad that you found me again. And, how exciting about being on the Magic for Thanksgiving!! I'm sure you'll have a great time.

For our 2011 cruise, we are actually debating on a back-to-back (3/4) with the Dream ship or go back on the Magic for Thanksgiving. We really loved the Eastern itinerary, and would love to do it again (and, as an added bonus, if we did the Eastern again, The Big would probably be old enough to do the ATVs in St. Maarten - - I know that she would have loved them). Anyway, I'm anxiously waiting for the DVC point charts to be released for the Dream to see if it's even possible for us to swing. If not, I know we'll be thrilled to be back on the Magic again.

 

[BigDogHU75]

I am soooo looking forward to your report about the Magic. I have never been on it. One day soon, I hope.

Your daughter is a cutie.

I love your pictures. What camera do you have, if you don't mind me asking. I am hoping to get a camera as a Christmas gift.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

For our 2011 cruise, we are actually debating on a back-to-back (3/4) with the Dream ship or go back on the Magic for Thanksgiving. We really loved the Eastern itinerary, and would love to do it again (and, as an added bonus, if we did the Eastern again, The Big would probably be old enough to do the ATVs in St. Maarten - - I know that she would have loved them). Anyway, I'm anxiously waiting for the DVC point charts to be released for the Dream to see if it's even possible for us to swing. If not, I know we'll be thrilled to be back on the Magic again.

When do the charts come out anyway? Same time as the regular prices? Remember I read somewhere that there are different point charts for rebooking onboard. IF -always a big if, with me - I did remember that correctly, might be worth asking around if you could have them chance the money discount you've got booked know changed into a points rebooking onboard. Don't know if that's even a possibility with it being 2 different companies involved, but heay! I'm Dutch and thus looking for the best deal for anybody.


Your last post makes me realise again how quick after another we got on board. Found it pretty funny you guys were a bit late at KC. Sounds just like how we know and love you all.

Can't wait for your next installment, finally some good old memories of the great weather, great cruise and great folks. We need that with the current nasty weather. I know, I could spend hours watching my own pics but that's not the same.

 

[Crystal_27]

I am soooo looking forward to your report about the Magic. I have never been on it. One day soon, I hope.

Your daughter is a cutie.

I love your pictures. What camera do you have, if you don't mind me asking. I am hoping to get a camera as a Christmas gift.

Well hello, there! Glad that you are joining my trip report!

To answer your question, I have an Olympus E-520, which is a digital SLR. I've always shot with Olympus cameras - they just work well for me. However, the dSLR camera technology is really incredible, and I don't think that there are any brands that you could go wrong with. It's all about how much you want to spend, what options are most important, and what camera feels best to you. I love talking about cameras, so ask away if you have any questions.

When do the charts come out anyway? Same time as the regular prices? Remember I read somewhere that there are different point charts for rebooking onboard. IF -always a big if, with me - I did remember that correctly, might be worth asking around if you could have them chance the money discount you've got booked know changed into a points rebooking onboard. Don't know if that's even a possibility with it being 2 different companies involved, but heay! I'm Dutch and thus looking for the best deal for anybody.

It's anyone's guess, really, DCL is supposed to be having a big announcement on the 29th, so I'm hopeful that they will be announcing Dream pricing and itineraries. I'm really curious to see how much the Dream cruises will cost...hopefully not too outrageous or we'll be doing another Magic cruise (which wouldn't break my heart either). Still, it would be nice to try out the new ships and see what they have in store. But, as to any discount, since I've already cancelled the Alaskan cruise I booked onboard, I can't get any discounts. Still, with my DVC points, our 2011 cruise will be free (or close to), so I'm not complaining either way.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

It's anyone's guess, really, DCL is supposed to be having a big announcement on the 29th, so I'm hopeful that they will be announcing Dream pricing and itineraries.

Hoping along with you, but very doubtfull. The last ones I followed they always first made a big blast out of the destinations. Than 2 weeks or so nothing before you would be able to book and/or know prices.

I'm really curious to see how much the Dream cruises will cost...hopefully not too outrageous or we'll be doing another Magic cruise (which wouldn't break my heart either).

Oh what a problem to have, right? But, the Magic is going to be in Europe during the summer. Or are you planning on an eastern around fall/winter when TB has a week off?

But, as to any discount, since I've already cancelled the Alaskan cruise I booked onboard, I can't get any discounts. Still, with my DVC points, our 2011 cruise will be free (or close to), so I'm not complaining either way.

What? We haven't even back home a month and you already go and do this things and I don't know? You're a quick kinda girl indeed. Oh well, guess I'm not one to talk with having 2 booked and not even knowing if either one will be kept.

 

[Disney Nana 4]

Hey Crystal, we're Tonga Toast junkies, too! We fell in love with it in the 90's on a family vacation to the Polonesian. Now when we go to our place in Florida we go to the Kona several times just for Tonga. They tried to remove it from the menu once, but there was a huge protest, and it was brought back. The only thing now, is my hubby and I can't each eat one, so we share and have a fruit plate to share. I wish my tummy looked smaller!

 

[Crystal_27]

We had a DIS meet scheduled for 3:00 p.m., so, after chillin’ in our room for a while, decided to head out and meet all the wonderful DIS-ers that we had been chatting with for so long.

On the way, though, we had to check out *fun central* of the ship:

Of course, the meet was a blast, and it was so much fun to finally put faces with so many “screen names.” Lots of hugs and kind words were exchanged, and I got to meet my buddy “A” and her DH and her adorable kiddos. “A”’s son is actually the same age as The Big, so, of course, the kids hit it off immediately, and, because “A”’s DH and mine were likewise hitting it off, I was hopeful that we’d see “A” and her family many more times during the cruise.

As we were headed back to our room, I was fortunate to run into another one of the DIS-ers that I had been talking to for a year, my buddy “J.” We actually linked our dinner reservations with “J” and her friend, so it was already a given that we were going to adore our tablemates at dinner.

Speaking of dinner, we had Lumiere’s that night and, after the safety drill and the sailaway party, I was ready to eat…again. So, we took our showers, and headed down to Lumiere’s.

Our server (Leo) and assistant server (Cindy) were wonderful. The Big really made a connection with Leo and he seemed determined to do whatever he could to make her happy. One thing we noticed right away, though, was that The Big wasn’t going to be able to survive on the kid’s menu for the entire trip. She loves to eat a variety of foods, and was already turning her nose up at the thought of pizza, chicken fingers, and hamburgers for an entire week. Another minor complaint we had was that The Big’s food was brought out almost immediately after she ordered, and, given that she typically has no problem sitting down for a 2-hour meal, I made a mental note to ask at dinner tomorrow if (i) The Big could order off the adult menu; and (ii) if not, if her food could be held until our entrees arrived.

As expected, we had a great time chatting with our DIS bud “J” and her friend. I just can’t say enough about how many great friendships I made onboard, and being able to have dinner each night with someone who was already a friend was such a wonderful experience. I don’t think that there was a break in the conversation during any of our meals – LOL.

And, for what it’s worth, although I had been worried about the menu changes, I had no problems finding something good to eat each day. Of the first night, the most memorable item I ate was the tomato basil soup, which was out of this world. DH and I both had the tenderloin and they were good. We also each had the dessert trio and, although the offerings were good, we both decided that we would order one full-size dessert instead of three smaller ones for our future meals. At dessert time, Leo ordered a huge ice cream sundae for The Big, further solidifying him into her good graces. Before our dessert arrived, however, The Big informed me that she had to go potty. So, I took her to the restroom outside of the restaurant and, upon my return into Lumiere’s, got completely lost and could not find our table. I probably wandered for a good 5 minutes before finally asking someone where “Table 55” was located. And, during the course of my wanderings all over Lumiere’s with The Big in tow, she turned suddenly and knocked her head into the corner of one of the chairs and, only after we were back at our table, did I realize that she actually hit the corner of her eye - - she was already developing a purple lump on the corner of her eye. My poor baby!!! Of course, since our desserts were waiting for us, she was quickly mollified, but, I just kept asking myself how much more is my poor kiddo going to have to take? After dinner, we asked The Big if she wanted to attend the show (which was a variety show) but, because she had been itching to get to the Oceaneer’s Club/Lab since we got on board, she opted out. So, we took her to the Club and DH and I headed to the show. The “main” feature of the show was two comedians (whom DH and I found to be laugh-out-loud funny), but the show was a bit discombobulated in that, in between the comedians there was another mini-show, which was also broken up several times by the Cruise Director, who had lots to say about the ship.

Still, we enjoyed it, and, when we were through, decided to “rescue” The Big from the Club. I say “rescue” in that she was already having a blast in the Club, and I could tell that she was disappointed that we were picking her up so soon. We promised her that she could return as often as she liked, so she was happy about that.

When we got back to the room, we weren’t quite ready to settle down for the night, so we decided to go ahead and distribute our Fish Extender gifts to our DIS peeps. We had a great DIS group on this trip, and had close to 40 cabins that actually participated in the Fish Extender gifting. Unfortunately, I highly under-estimated how much time it was going to take to deliver our gifts, and, by the last deck, The Big was dragging and ready to call it a night. Also, during the course of our Fish Extender gift distribution, I stopped by Guest Relations and asked them to deliver our Secret Mickey gifts to “K” and her family, and I was absolutely floored when the CM at the counter offered to wrap the gifts for us. The result was amazing, and I was just stunned at the lengths that Disney goes to in order to make its guests happy. At Guest Relations we also booked for The Big our highly-anticipated Tea With Alice adventure for the next day.

Also, when we returned to our room, we saw that our DIS bud “J” had left us an awesome surprise: a bottle of champagne with two glasses!! We were too tired to uncork it that night, but DH and I were very much looking forward to having a little champagne celebration in the next day or two. Again, though, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude for making such wonderful friends.

All in all (The Big’s black eye aside), we all had a great first day on the ship, and were very much looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

Well, that's it for now. Next installment will bring tales about Palo Brunch, Tea With Alice, and the Golden Mickeys. Thanks for reading.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

What in the world are you doing up at this time of day??

*is off to actually read the update*

 

[Crystal_27]

Hey Crystal, we're Tonga Toast junkies, too! We fell in love with it in the 90's on a family vacation to the Polonesian. Now when we go to our place in Florida we go to the Kona several times just for Tonga. They tried to remove it from the menu once, but there was a huge protest, and it was brought back. The only thing now, is my hubby and I can't each eat one, so we share and have a fruit plate to share. I wish my tummy looked smaller!

I'm sorry - I must have missed your post, Hon.

DH and The Big are huge Tonga Toast junkies, but I'm not at all a fan. , right? DH always jokes with me that my DIS card is going to be revoked when the higher ups find out I don't like it. Still, I can very well imagine the outcry if it was removed - - it truly is a Disney icon.

 

[Crystal_27]

What in the world are you doing up at this time of day??

*is off to actually read the update*

I know....it's SATURDAY...the day that's supposed to be for sleeping in.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

We had a DIS meet scheduled for 3:00 p.m., so, after chillin’ in our room for a while, decided to head out and meet all the wonderful DIS-ers that we had been chatting with for so long.

Still regret we didn't have time to make this one, and sounds like it was worth the regret.

As expected, we had a great time chatting with our DIS bud “J” and her friend. I just can’t say enough about how many great friendships I made onboard, and being able to have dinner each night with someone who was already a friend was such a wonderful experience. I don’t think that there was a break in the conversation during any of our meals – LOL.

To give folks the real picture; yes there was silence. Right about 2 seconds after we'ld put food in our mouths. Same feeling here, hun. TB was so cute, she almost made me reconsider getting kids myself.

And the tomato basil, yum!! Could get myself some right now.


Did you get a pic of TB's eye, by the way? Never seen a black eye look so much like eyeshadow in my life. She sure solidified her image of being tough with that one.

When we got back to the room, we weren’t quite ready to settle down for the night, so we decided to go ahead and distribute our Fish Extender gifts to our DIS peeps. We had a great DIS group on this trip, and had close to 40 cabins that actually participated in the Fish Extender gifting. Unfortunately, I highly under-estimated how much time it was going to take to deliver our gifts, and, by the last deck, The Big was dragging and ready to call it a night.

You did them all in one run?! Wow.

Well, that's it for now. Next installment will bring tales about Palo Brunch, Tea With Alice, and the Golden Mickeys. Thanks for reading.

Woohoo, let's dream away with that memory. Droolllllllllll.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

I know....it's SATURDAY...the day that's supposed to be for sleeping in.

Hun, it's like 5.20 am if I'm not mistaken. That's like not even close to morning if you ask me.

 

[lochbox]

Learned lots. Thanks!

 

[praisehisname]

I can't believe no kids were in the pools before the sailaway party! Every time we've been, the pools have been packed on that first afternoon.

Love the report so far!

Denise

 

[Crystal_27]

Did you get a pic of TB's eye, by the way? Never seen a black eye look so much like eyeshadow in my life. She sure solidified her image of being tough with that one.

Yeah, I did - I'm still so surprised it didn't swell any more than it was. She definitely is a tough chick...which she definitely doesn't get from me.

Learned lots. Thanks!

I'm glad you're enjoying. Stay tuned - the next couple installments will have some great stuff.

I can't believe no kids were in the pools before the sailaway party! Every time we've been, the pools have been packed on that first afternoon.

Love the report so far!

Denise

Denise, okay you caught me - LOLOLOLOL. I actually took those pool pictures early one morning when I was out and about. I thought, though, that they would fit better in this installment rather than a later one. I try and avoid at all costs taking pictures with other people in them (other than my people - LOL). Trying to Photoshop other people out is just too much trouble.

Glad you're enjoying. More fun to come soon, I promise.

 

[Crystal_27]

Sometime during the night, The Big had crawled into bed with us, so I woke up the next day in one of the best ways possible – snuggling to my little girl. I hate to think about the fact that sometime in the very near future my baby is going to be too grown up to snuggle with me, so I really do treasure these little moments with her.

Since DH was still in full sleep mode, The Big and I went out to the balcony to chat about our upcoming day.

Given that this cruise has 3 sea days, and because we really wanted to maximize our time this cruise, going into our first sea day, I was very much looking forward to filling it with fun activities. First off, The Big was beside herself with excitement about making Flubber!! Also, DH and I had scheduled Palo Brunch at 10:30 a.m. (and, as an added bonus, since our DIS bud “A” and her DH also had the same seating, we had made plans with them to sit together at Palo) and then, at 2:00 p.m., we had scheduled Tea with Alice for all three of us. Finally, we had Animator’s Palate for our formal dinner (provided The Big’s lack of a formal dress didn’t get us banned from the dining room) and, after dinner, we were planning on seeing The Golden Mickeys.

When DH woke up, we headed to Topsiders for breakfast, and dropped The Big off for her Flubber-making-fun. DH and I then headed up to Palo for our Brunch.

I have to tell you guys that it doesn’t take much for me to start feeling awkward about “fine” dining. I don’t drink wine, I hate fish and seafood, I hate funky cheeses, and, given the choice, would happily eat steak for every meal. That said, it was my goal this cruise to try and go outside my comfort food and try new things. Also, adding to my awkward feelings about “fine” dining was the fact that we were dining with another couple. After we sat down, though, I immediately knew that we were in great company with “A” and her DH and, in no time, we were all laughing about a variety of things. Our server, Dobi, was absolutely wonderful. She had a great sense of humor and we shared many laughs with her throughout Brunch. She also patiently explained the offerings (both on the buffet and those to-order), and just generally attended to our every need. Because I was set on trying new things, I did try the caviar and found it (unsurprisingly, to me) BLECH. After satisfying the requisite “trying new things” task with the caviar, I set to eating those things that I knew I would love: shrimp (my small exception to my “hating seafood” rule), cheese, bread, pastries, flatbreads, and some incredible desserts. All in all, it was a wonderful meal, made even better by our dining companions (and the other DISers who stopped by for a chat).

As we were leaving, for a laugh, “A” and I decided that we would see if there were any slots available for High Tea (we had very low expectations because all of the High Teas had been unavailable since 12:45 a.m. on the 90th day). Sure enough, there were openings. Since our husbands had no interest, we booked the High Tea for the last sea day of our trip and planned to make it a girls’ afternoon. DH, of course, took the opportunity to laugh at me about how worked up I had been about the Tea since I couldn’t book it on Day 90. For all the good things about The DIS, I do think that sometimes there is an artificial panic created by its members about certain things.

Anyway, since it had been a couple hours since we’d seen our child, we decided to pick her up from the Club and head to the pool until it was time for our Tea with Alice.

And, as an aside, the Flubber was…not exactly what I had been expecting. Although The Big said it was great fun to make, the end result was very disappointing. It never really seemed to “gel” and wasn’t really any fun to play with at all. Still, The Big had fun making it, so that’s all that matters.

Well, that's it for now. Up next: Tea With Alice and The Golden Mickeys

 

[praisehisname]

Glad you enjoyed brunch! I think it's better than dinner, even though the dinner is fabulous!