Pictures Added!!! 7/31/04 "Adventure" Trip Report for Western Cruise!

[jlawall]

Click on link below for pictures!!

This was our fourth DCL cruise on the Magic! Believe it or not...it was the best so far. We traveled as a family of five, my DH and I with our three DDs (20, 17, 14).

We arrived a day early and stayed at the Beach Club Villas in a 2 bedroom. It was huge and very nice. We were very tired from traveling so we just stayed at the pool all day.

On the morning of July 31st, we decided to go to Ron Jon's on our way to the ship. We shopped there about an hour. There was a major rain storm as we arrived at the port.

We checked right around 1:30pm so we were able to get our room right away. Again, the mango soup was amazing in the lunch buffet...it is a not to be missed choice!

We met a few DISers at the Goofy pool and then went off the the drill around 4pm. There were about 5 families at the DISmeet and we had arranged earlier to meet again at Captain Marvin's for the Stingray Excursion.

Fortunately, the weather cleared and we were able to sail off with an outdoor deck party. Que, Ang and Mona were the CMs leading the party. The band was the Charles Marshall band. Later on that night we met our tablemates, a family from Liverpool, England.

After dinner, we did go to Rockin' Bar D and we LOVED THE BAND. They are by far, THE BEST BAND WE HAVE SEEN ON THE MAGIC.

Tonight, we saw the show "Match Your Mate." This was hosted by DJ Darren. There was a charming couple who were married 50 years in the program. We saw this couple throughout the week participating in everything. They were youthful and energetic and inspiring. I hope my DH and I end up like that in another 20+ years!

My DDs headed up to The Stack and met up with the people that they knew they would see and starting meeting some new kids. Overall, I felt that the kids they were with this week were really nice kids. They did hang out each night on the top deck but things seemed to go well and we weren't too worried.

Ok, that's Day 1....more to follow!community.webshots.com/album/175675296WSnTcM?283

 

[LuvTravelToo]

jlawall,
Thanks for the report! We are set to sail in September and are looking forward to your posts!

Thanks,
Greg

 

[jlawall]

Ok, on Day 2 the adventure begins..................

We started out with breakfast at Topsiders. Then my DD20 and I did the Pilates class which was pretty good. It was a full class.

Then we played Bingo for the first time. Que and Ang were the Cruise staffers and they had an excellent rapport. Unfortunately, it was Ang's last week and she will be missed. She has great enthusiasm and energy.

Finally, it was time to get off at Key West. We had previously arranged to do the jet ski tour around the island. My DDs friend decided to join us which was pretty cool. Around 12:30 we headed to the Island Water Sports kiosk which was right off the ship. The young drivers took a safety test which took about 15 minutes and cost $3 each. Then we had about an hour to wait before the tour began. Did I mention how HOT it was yet?

So we decided to rent bikes from the same operator and tour Key West. We headed down to Duval Street and then made a right and headed to the southern most point. It took about 15 minutes to get there. There were alot of cars and bicyclists about, it was quite hectic. We passed many good stores like Fresh Produce, Coach, etc. so my girls would be excited later to check these out. We also saw where Margaritaville, Hard Rock Cafe and Sloppy Joes Bar were located just in case.....

After we put our feet in the water briefly, it was time to head back. When we arrived we were given instructions on the jet skis and it was time to begin our tour. I joked around that I would probably be at the end of the line (boy, was I right about that).

So we slowly left the harbor and began our journey. Immediately, everyone but me was a speck on the horizon. I thought.....ARE THEY REALLY GOING THAT FAST? After a LONG time, one of the tour guides came back and indicated that I was to follow him. He then became a speck on the horizon. I thought.....IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME?

Eventually, I caught up and the other guide shared some information about the island. This situation repeated itself several times and eventually I picked up my pace. Bottom line.......DO NOT DO THIS TOUR IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPEED! We did get off in a sand bar off the southern end of the island and swam alittle. We were soaked which felt great throughout the trip. Definitely bring sunglasses or goggles for the spray.

Overall, I would do it again. There were some scary, choppy parts but we did see the whole island and it was really beautiful in certain sections.

Then we were soaked to the skin and we decided to walk back to Margaritaville. It was great there (It took about 15 minutes to get there from the ship). We ordered a Cheeseburger in Paradise and margaritas which was perfect after our adventure. There is a nice gift shop next door. Then we shopped and headed back to the ship.

After another nice dinner we attended 60s night with DJ Darren. Then we enjoyed the Charles Marshall band for a while.

This was an EXCELLENT DAY!

 

[jlawall]

Day 3 .... At sea.....

Once again we went to Topsiders. Then my oldest DD and I went to a Fitball class (or something like that) with Fiona as the instructor. She was a delight. She had a great sense of humor and did a great job. It was a toning class.

Then off to Bingo....my DH WON! $221 How exciting!

We then headed to the Quiet Cove to relax. We weren't able to get a lounger on deck 9 so we moved up to deck 10 and joined our girls. This was the only day that we couldn't sit by the Quiet Cove pool. It wasn't crowded or stressful at all this time.

Up next....pool games with DJ Dazzler (Darren) and Que. They included collecting coins, scavenger hunt and a syncronized swimming event. Tips.....if you put the coins in your bathing suit....make sure they don't fall out! My DD20 WON the scavenger hunt so that was funny. The final challenge was to put Que in the pool! Then he joined the men for the syncronized swimming. Needless to say, the men won and it was really funny.

We cleaned up for Golden Mickeys. I had heard about this show on the boards and also from a CM in the shop and she told me....I had to see it so we did. The whole family went and we really enjoyed it. There are bar servers and snacks if you want them. The show was very popular so getting a seat early is a good idea.

This was formal night so for the first time, I made a reservation to have my hair done. Elani from South Africa was terrific and I loved it. We tried to get a portrait before dinner and the lines were moving slowly. We got more done after dinner. We were late to see the cabaret act after dinner. We had to go to Diversions (the new Sports bar) which had big screen TVs showing the magician. I wasn't happy about it, but Rockin' Bar D was totally full.

We were able to get back to RBD for the Golden Mickeys AfterParty which was a new event. This was hosted by Que and Jen and there were a few skits by cruisers which were cute. Then the Charles Marshall band came on and they were great.

More to follow.....

 

[natdencro]

What a great report.................so far! Almost like being there with you folks! SO glad you enjoyed your week on the Magic, although I hear CC was a bit damp! Cant wait to hear more about your adventures! Keep smiling. Nat

 

[jlawall]

Day 4.....the adventure continues.......


Today after breakfast we tendered to Grand Cayman around 9:30am. We had to wait a bit on the tender but overall it went pretty well.

Then we caught a cab to the Turtle Farm. Tips for the cab experience........they tried to combine parties and take people several places at once. You have to be careful b/c sometimes you get delayed while they are doing this. We had a reservation at 11:15am at Captain Marvins so we were worried about getting back on time. It was alittle stressful. However, if you had all day, it wouldn't be a problem. Our driver was excellent, he actually called Captain Marvins and arranged for us to meet the boat in the harbor instead of the office so we had more time to explore the turtle farm.

We liked the turtle farm. Evidently, it is being rebuilt. There was a strong tidal wave which came off the ocean and wiped out half of the turtles so they have moved the large tanks across the street and they are moving the whole facility there soon. We saw many sized turtles, held turtles and shopped in the gift store. Finally, it was time for the Stingray Excursion.

At the harbor, we met up with appink, Raygu, 5by5 and Scott and their families. Another family who went through the cab experience also joined us.

This was a phenomenal trip. They drove us out about 20-30 minutes to the sand bar where we found the stingrays. The stingrays immediately came to greet us. As our family huddled together squealing and screaming the STINGRAYS FOUND A WAY TO SLITHER THROUGH US. It was so funny. Then we got braver and the crew encouraged us to hold them and kiss them (no thanks!) The stingrays were very soft like a dolphin and it was pretty cool.

A videographer was there to record the group throughout the trip. Then we snorkeled and returned to the dock. This experience took about 3 hours from start to finish. In addition to the swimming, we all enjoyed sunning on the deck of the ship as we cruised across the bay.

Back near the tender dock, we went to Hard Rock Cafe for nachos and soda. It was amazing.

Tendering was a breeze on the way back. DCL provided water and punch at the dock which was nice.

On the ship, we sunned by the pool, did some shopping, played bingo and I attended Hercules. The performances by Hades two side kicks was spectacular. This is a funny show, but alittle disjointed and silly. After dinner, we went to the 80s night with Que and Ang and the rest of the cruise staff. There were many skits using cruisers and they were fun to watch.

We ended each evening with a stroll around the top deck (to check on our DDs!) It was beautiful as usual.

 

[jlawall]

Day 5....Cozumel Part I

....what can I say????

Once again the sun was blazing hot. We had breakfast and went to the gym. I walked the treadmill this time instead of taking a class in the fitness center.

We met for our excursion in Diversions................THE TROPICAL JEEP TOUR...........................................

Someone on this board led me to believe this was the most amazing experience ever..........

Let's get to it! At first we were all really excited. We were led out to the parking lot where they gave us instructions. The tour guides were Ernesto and Nain and they were very entertaining.

My family jumped into 2 jeeps (there are only 4 to a jeep) and we set off through the streets of Cozumel. Then we went to the PEE PEE STATION. That's what it is really called. You can shop there and pick up a soda or snacks if you want.

We continued down the road where there was very little to see and finally after about 30 minutes altogether we arrived at the "jungle/beach road". The bouncing began. We were still excited at this point although the sweat was pouring off our bodies.

We went through jungle vegetation with glimpses of a beautiful beach. At one point we saw some kind of ruins and a nice garden around it. We continued through the jungle. It was narrow road and the jeep was hit constantly with the vegetation. Then WE STOPPED for about 5-10 minutes. It turns out another tour was coming our way. Once we resumed our journey, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. Finally, we were on our way and IT HAPPENED AGAIN. Did I mention the BLAZING SUN YET??????? We did have water in the car BUT it was quite warm by then. IT HAPPENED ONE MORE TIME. At this point we asked the people we were passing if the beach was ahead.

THEY SAID.....NO......YOU ARE GOING TO MEXICAN RUINS......

We finally arrived at the ruins and honestly despite being soaked from the heat, Ernesto did a nice job explaining the significance of the ruins at this location and we all took pictures. They gave us a water bottle at this point. I believe this part of the excursion lasted about 1-2 hours.

Then we headed back to the beach. It was about 1/3 of the way back from ruins. We had been on this tour about 3 hours in the hot sun before we got to the beach. The guides told us that the water was rough today but we could go up to our knees.


Then they served us lunch which was very good. Fajitas, quesadillas, soda, water, fruit. Very well done considering that we were in the middle of nowhere.

At the beach, each party had their own umbrella and two blankets to sit on. The beach was SPECTACULAR. We had about an hour before we returned to the jeeps. There was a photographer there to take pictures while we were there.

It took another 45 minutes to get back to the PeePee Station again. This is where you bought the pics from the beach if you wanted to do so.

Finally, we arrived back in Cozumel at about 5pm. Needless to say, we were soaking wet from the heat again by then. We went back to the ship and cleaned up.

If you decided to partake in this excursion...................bring a cooler of cold drinks, wear a hat, bring sunscreen with SPF 50, and wear a white shirt with long sleeves if possible. Personally, I would just rent the jeep and go the beach for an hour on my own next time. JMO!

 

[jlawall]

Cozumel...Part II

After cleaning up on the ship we headed back to Cozumel around 5:30pm. We went to the back of the place where you can get drinks, snacks, etc. They also have great music playing. It was very quiet at this time but we still had fun dancing with some people from Miami. You always see entertaining things while in this area.

My youngest wanted to return to the ship so we headed back through the shopping mall area. We stopped in a silver shop and haggled for some jewelry. This was quite a thrill b/c the shopkeeper wouldn't budge until I spoke in my limited Spanish. Then he would relent and give us a better price for the silver. How cool is that????

DD14 went back to hang with friends on the ship and the rest of us returned to Cozumel. The DDs went to Senor Frogs and met friends from the ship. We returned to C&Cs and it had become much more crowded by then. The dance music continued to be a big hit and many cruisers from our ship were there having a blast! We also saw some of our favorite CMs like Shawn, SheShe, Que, Fiona and Jessica there as well.

We stayed until around 11pm. Fortunately, on this evening the ship all aboard was 1pm so there was no pressure to return early. We all got back in one piece and actually turned in earlier than normal.

What a night! If you enjoy this sort of thing, I highly recommend this experience. We saw some things we don't normally see but we really laughed and had fun. Unfortunately, we did miss our dinner in the dining room and the deck party which is always a fun night on the ship.

Another adventurous day!......

 

[jlawall]

Day 6, a restful day finally!

On this day, we took things slow and enjoyed our last day at sea. I don't need to tell you that this week was flying by. We couldn't believe it was almost over.

First we had our breakfast at Topsiders. We decided not to attend the character breakfast this year.

Then we had one of the highlights of the trip. We signed up for a day in the Tropical Rainforest in the Vista Spa. WOW! What a great day for this! It consists of several saunas in scented rooms and heated stone loungers. Each of us cost $15 for the day pass. It is well worth it. I highly recommend this even just for one day. It is a great experience after the week we just had! (Sore muscles, etc.)

After this we went to the Quiet Cove pool where it was amazingly quiet and we had no trouble finding loungers. We stayed there for several hours and played pool games again. This time we had Mona and Darren running things. We played the coin collection game again and then saw a "push the ping pong ball with your nose" contest. It was fun and entertaining. We went back to the Rainforest before cleaning up for Bingo.

My DH went to the Chip 'n Put Golf in the Atruim lobby while I purchased the final Bingo cards. I cannot say enough positive comments about Que as "Bingo King". He was fun and entertaining throughout the week. His assistants also did a super job and had us laughing at times especially Darren. Definitely give this a try while you are cruising!!

However, we didn't win. The payouts were much higher on the last games.

We then did some final shopping and prepared for Disney Dreams. This show is a delight and brightened our mood as the depression began to set in!

Dinner was lovely tonight. We enjoyed our dinner companions each evening and I'm glad we were put with "strangers". It was fun swapping stories each night about our activities.

We attended the cabaret act and then 70s night with Que. It was hysterical! We had so much fun and laughed our heads off! Not to be missed. It was also our favorite night with the Charles Marshall band.

One more day to go!

 

[appink]

jlawall,

It is so great reading your trip reports and living the cruise over again. We enjoyed the Charles Marshall band so much. What fun it is to dance the night away.

Sorry to hear the jeep trip was such a bust. We really enjoyed the sting ray city tour. Can't say enought about Captain Marvins for this.

It's really hard to be back to work today and concentrate on what I am doing.

It was nice to meet you and your family. Thank your husband again for me. If it wasn't for him I probably would not have pictures of the Sting Ray City tour. He will forever be my hero.

Patti

 

[jlawall]

Final full day at CC....

So for the first time this week, it was rainy and cloudy. Since we had so much sun, I really didn't mind at first. I had decided to splurge on the cabana massage at 10am that morning so I had to meet at the Vista Spa at 9:15am and leave with attendants. We were the first to get off the ship that morning. Soon after we disembarked, it started to really pour rain again. Fortunately, we were on the second tram by then.

When arrived at the Adult Beach Massage Huts it was still raining. There was really nowhere for us to wait out of the rain so we stood under palm trees until we were called to begin our massage. Usually, it looks like there are chairs set out for people to wait in. Finally, around 10am my person arrived and we got started. It was still raining so she had to close the window shutters which took away the beautiful view of Serenity Bay Beach. It really didn't matter because I wasn't looking out the window at that point. The massage lasted for about an hour and I was rained on at times due to the heavy rain.

Overall outstanding experience! It might have been alittle hot in there if it was later in the day or not raining but I'm really glad I did it - it was wonderful and a great way to spend a torrential rain storm in the tropics. By the time, it was over, the rain had stopped.

I tried to get some loungers in Serenity Bay for my DH and I but the rain came back so I left and returned to the family beach area. I met up with the family there and we stayed there for the day. Eventually the rain stopped and the sun came out. Many water excursions had been cancelled so we just hung out on the beach there. The girls went to the teen beach where they swam and played "sand soccer."

Later in the day, after lunch we did rent a raft and floated about. After shopping in the shops at CC, we returned to the ship around 4pm. CASTAWAY CAY WAS SO CHARMING AND ADORABLE. IT IS STILL THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CRUISE FOR US despite the inclemnent weather.

I was finally beat so we just relaxed and packed before dinner. After we said goodbye to our servers and tablemates we went to the Atrium Lobby. There is a final farewell with the characters which is sweet. I saw my old friend Shawn who is now an officer on the ship and we caught up. Then we went to Diversions. We had heard that there is a new farewell show with the cruise staff there. It was a British Pub Night. We saw our friends Geno and his wife there and we found out that they are cruising with us again next summer on the West Coast. How cool is that!!

Then the staff entertained us with songs and skits. It was a great ending to a wonderful trip. Believe it or not, this was THE BEST CRUISE YET WE'VE HAD ON DCL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OUR FOURTH!!

Things ended uneventfully. We disembarked by 9am the following morning and returned to our home in PA by 6pm that evening.

An overall AMAZING ADVENTURE and great trip. We are eagerly anticipating next summer's cruise.

There are some amazing pics coming.....just give me a few days to organize them. I will add them to this report.

Thanks for reading this!

JoAnn

 

[jlawall]

Pictures have been added - enjoy!

 

[appink]

JoAnn,

What great pictures!! We had such a wonderful time.

Hope to see you again sometime on another cruise.

Patti

 

[jlawall]

Thx Patti! I'm sure you were surprised to see yourself in our trip pics!!

 

[EmmasGrammy]

Great trip report!! Sounds like you all had a really great time!! I couldn't find the link to the pictures. Sorry

Thanks for taking the time to share your report!!!

Edited to add: DUH!! I found the link at the top for the photos! SORRY AGAIN!!!

 

[jlawall]

No problemo.....(practicing my Spanish for next summer!!)

 

[michpoit]

Great trip report! I wish I had a chance to meet you on the trip! It is hard to believe that 2 weeks ago we were on our way to Cozumel! Have a great trip next summer! We rebooked too for 2006!

 

[jlawall]

WTG! Michelle!

 

[jlawall]

bump

 

[jlawall]

Any questions from future cruisers on the Western??