SHHHHH!!! This time it's the Anniversary

[Linda67]

Great start to your TR

Looks like you had a great first day on The Magic

Staying tuned for more

 

[OceanLvr]

I like the bar!

Great start!

Jill in CO

Ahhh The Bar...Thanks, we try to keep it simple, however it never ends up that way...Here was our initial bar list -

Smirnoff Cosmopolitan Ready to drink
Jack Daniels
Malibu Banana Rum
Malibu Mango Rum
Poggio Il Castellare Brunello Montacino (Awesome Red)
Joy Riesling Auslese 2009 (Great Desert Wine, sweet)
Dom Perignon

I say initial because we sometimes add to it while onboard with wine purchases. Although this trip we had some glasses with dinner and only ordered 1 bottle. I'll fill you in when we get to Palo.

So who's ready for Day 3 in Key West????

 

[OceanLvr]

Or is it Day 2? You figure it out...

Before I forget, Let me back up to last night before we "turned in for the night." When we got back to our room, we of course found our first of many "Towel Animals" on our bed, with an assortment of what I call "Mail."

Orlando, was always trying to keep us guessing as to what was coming next. I really enjoyed the shirt. One that we had never seen before. OUr Navigator was there with all of the info for a fun day in Key West. The other bit of mail, was a Welcome Back letter for Platinum guests...I was sure that it was the "same stuff" we had been offered before. Ah, NO!!! There was something different and before I could get it out of my mouth I was on my way down to Guest Services. IN addition to the usual food items or sparkling wine (guess which one we picked) there were 2 tour opportunities. On our Dream cruise in May we had the option of an Engine Room tour or a Walt Disney Theater Tour. We skipped both. However, this cruise, they offered the Engine Room or THE BRIDGE!!!! Hello, no brainer here, I wanna see the BRIDGE!!!

Off like lightening to Guest Services and a sprint up to the desk. I would have knocked people out of the way if there were any there...I asked the CM about the bridge tour and here was the answer..."I don't know if we offer that?" Are you F---ing kidding me? It's right here in black and white...Were you sleeping during your morning meeting? Find the Guest Services manager or I'll choke the life out of you. I'm kidding of course, I wouldn't choke him, just beat him beyond recognition. You are not going to steal this from me...But, alas, after clearing up the confusion, it was only scheduled for our day in Cozumel and of course, during our Ruins Tour. Damn!!! What a let down. Oh well, my DW really wants to see the ruins, I'll go (kicking and screaming).

So, Key West - a place to enjoy WITHOUT CHILDREN!!! Oh it has it's assortment of T-Shirt shops and restaurants. But, what I found amusing and jaw dropping, would not be suitable for my kids. As you can imagine I was thrilled to find out you can "drink on the streets." Well that will make life easy and not tie us up at a bar for the day.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, warm, sunny and not to humid. We were up early because we were scheduled for our Character Breakfast - Mickey's Island Jam in Parrot Cay. We arrived for breakfast at about 8:00 and met up with our tablemates. We had a great time getting to know each other better and talking about the days events. As the characters moved about the room, each one made a stop at the tables. It was a lot of fun watching the kids faces and even more fun watching the adults act like children. Including us...

After breakfast we watched from our room as we pulled into Key West. Truly beautiful.

And unexpectedly we were cleared early by customs so it was off the ship at about 11:30 or so. After the usual barrage of people trying to get you to join a tour or rent a scooter or jet ski, we made our way to Mallory Square...

Now remember, I am in Key West for one particular reason - The Jimmy Buffett Tour!!! I have found the first of many references in his music. After a quick stop for a sun hat for my wife we were off and running to see the sites. Like I said before, tons of shops, selling just about everything you could imagine. Some of the sayings on the t-shirts were hysterical. I can't repeat them here...Just know they were adult in nature...Turned right and headed down Duval Street -

Once again a step closer to Jimmy...Actually my list was short - Sloppy Joe's

Captain Tony's

And of course The Original Margaritaville

We found them all. And had a nice lunch at Margaritaville. Yes I ordered a Cheeseburger in Paradise and had a Margarita. I was in heaven.

More to come....

 

[OceanLvr]

I forgot to warn you all that there are well over 600 photos in our album so get ready for a few more...

I have to admit, although Key West is technically part of Florida, it was miles away from city life and very relaxing for me...As we strolled through the streets and headed toward the "Southern Most Point" in the USA, I couldn't help but imagine this place 100 years ago or even longer. It was fun today, but can you believe the place with drunken pirates running around? Instead of just drunken tourists?

We found one of the many Key Lime Pie shops, lets have dessert. Frozen, chocolate covered Key Lime Pie...Yummy!!!

We made it to the Southern Point and surprise, we had to wait in line to get close. Now, what made it worse is that there were "out of state tourists" that had no concept of lines or waiting your turn. No worries, I enjoyed watching the chickens and roosters run around the street and in and out of the tourists.

So here we are 90 miles from Cuba...Hello Fidel -

As you can see it really was a beautiful day in Key West. Got a little hot towards mid-day but we needed to head back to the ship so that we could enjoy some pool time and THE PATRIOTS WERE PLAYING ON ARIEL VISION!!! First, being the Navy Man I am a quick photo by the Truman Annex...

While we walked back to the ship we noticed a few things were missed on the first walk-by...We found this "shop" along the way, you have to look closely, but I'm pretty sure it was some sort of "adult fun house."

My DW loved the art history in Key West and we stopped to take some photos of the statues in front of the museum.

If you can stand it...Part 3 of Day 3...

 

[OceanLvr]

We stopped one last time on our way to the ship for a photo...

Given her age, the Magic is still a very classy ship. Happily back on board with our shopping complete (yes, my DW is one of the only people in the world who can travel to Key West and buy Coach purses). Oh well, she told me we were on vacation...just relax. After a quick change it was off to the pool for a dip. Now, I am a big N.E. Patriots fan and with the game on Ariel Vision, I had to watch. The toss up is do I sit at Quiet Cove and run back and forth or sit at Goofy Pool and try to relax. Hmmm decisions, decisions...Ok Quiet Cove it is. I'll walk back and forth. The extra 200 feet of walking will be good for me, right? The only drawback to being in Key West with the game on is that they couldn't broadcast the audio. Something about noise restrictions in Key West. Are you kidding me, have you been to the bars and on the street? I didn't see anyone whispering down there. Ok, I'll deal with no audio, just subtitles...Back and forth I went until the last play...Thank God they won, may have put a damper on the rest of the trip...But back to relaxing in the pool...

Dinner tonight was in Parrot Cay, limbo lines and Island Dinner...One of my favorite places...While my Dw was busy getting ready to see the early show, I snuck up to deck 10 aft to see if I could catch that famous Key West Sunset that Jimmy sang about often. As you will see, it was one of the most awe inspiring events I had ever seen in my life. I was slack jawed and stunned...Here are just a few shots...

And it was gone...It was truly beautiful...

Our show tonight was with Jason Bishop. An amazing illusionist that blew my mind and I'm sure a few of the other people in the audience. His hands moved so fast at times it looked like he had tentacles. We made it a point to make sure we saw him again in the Late Night Cabaret show.

After the show, we made a quick trip back to our stateroom to drop off some things and grab the camera...the view of Key West at night is as beautiful as during the day...

Dinner was as expected, nothing new, just some old favorites. After dinner it was back to Rockin' Bar D for the cabaret show featuring Buckets N Boards. They were even better than in the first show. Of course there is a little latitude when you only have adults in the room, but we enjoyed them thoroughly. Just an FYI they have a website if you are interested in seeing what they do. They are a percussion group, along the lines of Blue Man Group. Very talented and gifted. After the show we headed back to our room to relax and prepare for our first Day at Sea!!!

Good Night!!!

 

[OceanLvr]

Are you bored yet?

For some reason I have extra time today so I think I'll keep writing. Come on along if you're not sleeping already.

So as we left our intrepid travelers we had turned in for the night. For one reason alone. Tomorrow would be our first day at sea. And for those who have ever been onboard for a sea day you know what's coming.

Up early (yes, I remember, I'm on vacation) but sea days have many challenges associated with them. It's difficult when you travel with children and somewhat more difficult traveling without. I strolled onto deck 9 at about 7:15, with barely a sunrise poking it's head above the horizon. And, guess what? I wasn't the first person there...Oh, yes I was all by myself, seated amongst the scattered assortment of bags, shirts, sandals, books, suntan lotion, hats, etc., etc., etc. Do you get the picture? Here's where I start one of my pet peeve rants.

It clearly states on the last page of your Navigator -

No Reserved Seat Policy
As a courtesy to all Guests we kindly advise that the saving of seats is not permitted in the Walt Disney Theater, and the saving of the sun loungers is not permitted on Decl 9 and 10. Items left unattended will be returned to lost and found at Guest Services Deck 3 Midship"​

Now, I will say, this is one of the Disney "Policies" that I have never seen enforced. I could have loaded a laundry cart of stuff left "unattended" and brought it to Guest Services myself. So, first request, please STOP holding seats if your A-- isn't in it. I make it a point to obey the rule. I didn't get up until my DW showed up after 8 and went and got us both breakfast.

My rant was short lived, since we would only be spending a short time at the pool. We had an 11 o'clock couples massage scheduled. We arrived at the Spa and checked in, no problem. They brought us to our respective locker rooms. Yes, I know my way around I was here this morning. Anyway, all changed and relaxing on the lounger in the locker room I head a quiet voice call my name. Hmmmm, how much have I had to drink already, am I hallucinating? That doesn't sound like my wife. I got up from my comfortable chair and peeked around the corner, that's when I met Denice one of the pair of young ladies who did our massage. Denice and Jenny were fabulous and I was even more relaxed after our massage. It was a nice way to spend some time with my wife and enjoy peace and quiet. After we finished, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of heavy sales push for spa products. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the high pressure sales pitch, I was just shocked that it wasn't even attempted. After our enjoyable massage, we booked another couples massage for our Castaway Cay day in the Cabanas. Oh boy something else to look forward too...

After our massage it was up to Topsiders for some lunch. I was just a little hungry and feeling like a big pile of mush, I needed to eat. Lunch was short and sweet, the food was great, lots of choices. So, back to the pool to try and find a seat...Ha that's a joke. But, try we did. We ended up on Decl 10 which isn't all that bad, I guess.After a couple of hours of sitting in the sun we decided to seek shelter from the heat and relax in our room. Well at least that was the idea. Instead, it ended up being nap time. This was the first real moment of being totally relaxed on vacation. I can't remember the last time we even thought about taking a nap in the middle of the day.

Up and about to get ready for dinner and see the first of the "Disney Shows -Twice Charmed" as well as prepare for Formal Night. I had rented a tux from Cruiseline Formal Wear. Easy, a little pricy, but well worth it. I called them directly since I am not able to buy suits off the rack, I needed a somewhat custom fit. With the exception of the jacket, they were pretty damn close. My chest, shoulders and arms are bigger than my belly (thank God) so I need a bigger jacket but that means there is more room in the front. It didn't look all that bad. My DW on the other hand looked like someone who had stepped out of a Disney Fairytale -

As for the show, I am a Disneyfile, therefore it would be assumed that I would love ALL things Disney, right? Well, after all the hype that this show was originally written for Broadway - I'm glad it never went. I really didn't care for it. Maybe it was that lack of storyline, or the "Franco" character that detracted from the story. I could have done without seeing it. And yes, I did note that on my survey. After the show we headed to the lobby, for some professional photos. After all we pre-purchased a photo package, we needed to kill some credits. This was also the time to get some pictures with Captain John and enjoy the cocktail reception.

As usual it was a madhouse in the lobby, but we managed to get some photos done. Our photos with the Captain really didn't come out as well as we'd hoped, so we didn't purchase them. The others were better so we picked one -

Dinner tonight was at Lumiere's which was perfect since it was formal night and it's the most "elegant" of the three restaurants. Kelli and Mic had Palo reservations so they didn't join us for dinner. But we enjoyed Valeria and Andrea's company. After dinner the 4 of us headed to Rockin' Bar D to see Jason Bishop's adult show. He was incredible once again. And being so close I thought it would be easier to see him perform the tricks, oh I was WRONG!!! After dinner we walked around the ship with our friends for a bit. We asked if they had Palo reservations and they said no. Being of Italian decent, I appreciate the value of food. So, we offered to bring them dessert from Palo tomorrow night. Plans made, we said good night and headed for our stateroom. Tomorrow we would be in Grand Cayman...

 

[Tink rules]

Ahhh The Bar...Thanks, we try to keep it simple, however it never ends up that way...Here was our initial bar list -

Smirnoff Cosmopolitan Ready to drink
Jack Daniels
Malibu Banana Rum
Malibu Mango Rum
Poggio Il Castellare Brunello Montacino (Awesome Red)
Joy Riesling Auslese 2009 (Great Desert Wine, sweet)
Dom Perignon

I say initial because we sometimes add to it while onboard with wine purchases. Although this trip we had some glasses with dinner and only ordered 1 bottle. I'll fill you in when we get to Palo.

So who's ready for Day 3 in Key West????

Yeah... I was gonna call the box on the top left of that bar...

 

[OceanLvr]

Before I get writer block, I think I should keep going...

Welcome to George Town, Grand Cayman, BWI. Since there is no pier in Grand Cayman, today is tender day. Not a big deal, more of an adventure. We had a leisurely breakfast up at Topsiders and enjoyed the nice slow pace. After finishing up, we headed to the Buena Vista Theater to wait for a tender. In my opinion this is a great process that reduces the congestion at the gangways. Now for rant #2. Ok folks, we boarded the Magic in the United States. It is loaded with fruits, vegetables and other foods from the US. And just as in the US other countries don't want to risk there own environments by introducing foreign products that aren't inspected by their agriculture departments. So why would you think it's ok to bring this stuff off the ship? It was shameful to see the volume of fresh fruits being thrown into a garbage bag. Obviously Disney will not reuse this so it all goes to waste. I'm guessing they would perhaps recycle it somehow. But, it was insane to see the volume of stuff. Again, do you people not read? Or did you check your intelligence at the door when they called your name upon boarding the ship?

Ok, all done...

Grand Cayman is a beautiful island paradise. But, we were in for a SHOCK!!! As the naive island travelers that we are, we expected to find bargains, bargains, bargains on the island. That was NOT the case. In most instances, the prices were higher than back in the States. We stopped in a few shops along the way, purchased a few t-shirts and headed for some lunch...Can you guess where?

Yep, the second of the "Holy Trinity" of Margaritaville Cafe's.

This one had a unique twist. As the original cafe was very small by comparison this one was huge. And even had a surprise when we got upstairs...

Yep the Seven Fathoms Rumbar complete with slide and pool. But no time to swim, we needed to eat and drink. We ordered Conch Fritters and a Margarita (surprise). The Conch Fritters were awesome, just spicy enough and very filling. The bartender must have liked us because I could only drink one Margarita. It was potent!!! Anymore of those and my poor DW would have had to carry me back to the ship.

After lunch we just took in some sights on our way back to the Magic...

Tendering also gives you the unique opportunity to see the ship from a different angle. Like standing beside her while at the pier, approaching from a smaller craft is awe inspiring.

Grand Cayman is a very busy port as you can see by all the cruise ships dotting the harbor...

So safely back "home" it was time to get ready to see the show - Villains Tonight and my favorite...Dinner at Palo.

 

[OceanLvr]

Yeah... I was gonna call the box on the top left of that bar...

Yes that is the one...We opened it on Tuesday Night before we went to Palo...I'll explain in the next post.

 

[Tink rules]

Hey Joel...

sorry for the break in your report... but I have to discuss something VERY serious with you... sorry if this sends chills through you...

PATRIOTS FAN??????????


(GIANT'S FAN.... )

 

[OceanLvr]

Hey Joel...

sorry for the break in your report... but I have to discuss something VERY serious with you... sorry if this sends chills through you...

PATRIOTS FAN??????????


(GIANT'S FAN.... )

I'm ok if you're a Giants fan Tink. We'll still get along...

 

[Tink rules]

May the best team win!!!

Wings, pizza or chinese??? I'm still undecided since it will just me and mom here upstate... the rest of the family is down in Jersey...

 

[Linda67]

Wow, lots of wonderful updates

I love the photos of you both on formal night

 

[OceanLvr]

Wow, lots of wonderful updates

I love the photos of you both on formal night

Thank You...My DW says I clean up well. Not really sure what she means by that.

I hope everyone that's popping in is enjoying the TR so far. Unfortunately for some, we are without the kids, so I can't report on the Kid's Activities or Clubs. But, for us, this trip has offered us opportunities to try new things and explore new places. I can sympathize with parents who try to "drag" their children around hot, foreign ports when there is a big beautiful ship sitting there with lots of fun things to do. It was much easier to do these sans kids. Don't get me wrong, we missed the kids and called often. Including twice from sea. It was hard to keep a straight face when my youngest asked "are you on Mickey's Ship?" I couldn't lie, and didn't get the response I was expecting. Seems he was fine with that...

Anyway, more to come. Tuesday Night's Show and Dinner at Palo...

 

[Tink rules]

On the PC cruise they let us in one night to play in the kids clubs... we had to wait until they went to bed though!!!

 

[OceanLvr]

So, where was I? Oh yes...Cleaning up for the show and dinner. Tonight is one of those nights I have been waiting for since we booked our trip - Palo!!!

For us it's one of those "must do's" while we are on board. Although we have enjoyed Palo on all 3 current ships, we enjoy the smaller more intimate surroundings of the "Classic Ships" more so than on the Dream. The food is awesome in each restaurant, just a different atmosphere. More on Palo in a few...

Before we headed for the theater, it was time to "Pop" the champagne, since we were celebrating our first of 2 anniversary dinners tonight. I forgot to mention that last night in Lumiere's our serving team presented us with an anniversary dessert and buttons commemorating the event. It was special -

Not a great photo, but you get the idea.

Tonight's Show, another Disney event - Villains Tonight! I do love the story and the characters are great. My only thing is that I wish they would bring back Hercules The Muse-ical it is my all time favorite show. Villains is a close second. And this cast and performance did not disappoint. The story doesn't get old and the ability of the lead to ad-lib is always a riot.

Our reservation was for 8:00, so we had some time to kill before we head up to Deck 10 and some great food. So, back to the professionals for some photos...Since the monkey suit pictures came out alright we sought out the same photographer...and here's what we got -

Not too bad and you can finally see that we have spent some time worshiping the sun god - hot as hell...So far the weather has cooperated without a struggle. And we are really appreciating that.

After our photos it was just about time to head up to Palo. If we were early, we'd just wait it out in the bar area. When we arrived I was surprised at the amount of empty seats. Throughout dinner the restaurant never filled up. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind a less crowed dinning experience. It was much quieter than it could have been.

We were seated immediately upon our arrival. At a table for four. Damn, if we had know that we would have adjusted our reservation and invited Valeria and Andrea to join us. After a quick moment to enjoy and take in the atmosphere and breathe in the aromas of the food cooking, our server was by our side. Her name is Andreja (Andrea on her name tag) from Croatia. As it turns out, our all-time favorite server at Palo is Coralia from Croatia. And yes, they do know each other. Coralia has since left the Disney team and is enjoying life in Central Florida raising her 2 children (I can't believe it). She is married to one of the officers (dinning related) who is now stationed shore side in Celebration. Andreja proved to be a wonderful addition to the Palo team. She is friendly, knowledgable and prompt. The experience in Palo is one not to be missed.

Sadly as we went through the first portion of the menu, those famous pizzas are gone. A weak substitute is the bread selection that has something like "pizza bread" without all the sauce and cheese. The food as usal was outstanding. We shared the lobster ravioli that was probably the best thing I had eaten at Palo. It was so good, I asked for the recipe. We ordered a bottle of wine with dinner - Amarone della Valpolicella Sartori Veneto, Italy - it's a little on the pricy side, but one that we have enjoyed on each of our cruises. Works well, especially with the filet served at Palo.

As our meal was winding down, we ordered our dessert. Before she capped off our meal with wonderful sweetness, she brought over our "special plate" -

Now it was time to order dessert. Panna Cotta for my DW, Chocolate Souffle for me and oh yes, 1 to go please. Andreja delivered one right out of the oven just prior to us leaving. She was wonderful. We would see her again (although at the time we didn't know it). Before leaving, since we were going to be in Cozumel in the morning, we asked where the crew likes to eat and drink on the island. Without missing a step she said "Carlos and Charlies." Hmm sounds like a fun place, might have to check that out.

We met up with our friends in the atrium and delivered the goods...The were very happy and from what we could tell they enjoyed it very much. I only wish we had known about the table beforehand. Frustrating.

We were so full, we decided to skip the adult nightlife and get ready for our tour of the Mayan Ruins tomorrow in Cozumel.

Nighty Night -

 

[OceanLvr]

I can't believe that 2 weeks have gone by already since we boarded the Magic. And, as most of us do, I am suffering from DCL withdrawal. And, aside from our forums, I can't find a local support group.

Anyway, when I get more than 5 minutes, I'll continue along with our adventure. If anyone has questions along the way, please ask, I'd be happy to help...

 

[Tink rules]

"Hi... my name is Joel... and I'm addicted to good wine and DCL..."

"Hi Joel..."....

 

[DVC Jen]

Wait! That's it? I have been sitting here for hours and I mean HOURS! I started with this TR - when I immediately saw there was another - before this - your wedding.. I skipped to that one - read the ENTIRE thing in one sitting.. came back here - have been reading and reading and then.. without warning.. nothing!



Guess I am just going to have to be patient and wait for you to find time to for another addition.

BTW - your wedding trip report was AWESOME! The acronym from your Fathers wife - well I was thinking Broom Hilda - when I read what it really stood for I got a good chuckle.. and had to go back and check for myself.

 

[Debbie]

Wait! That's it? I have been sitting here for hours and I mean HOURS! I started with this TR - when I immediately saw there was another - before this - your wedding.. I skipped to that one - read the ENTIRE thing in one sitting.. came back here - have been reading and reading and then.. without warning.. nothing!



Guess I am just going to have to be patient and wait for you to find time to for another addition.

BTW - your wedding trip report was AWESOME! The acronym from your Fathers wife - well I was thinking Broom Hilda - when I read what it really stood for I got a good chuckle.. and had to go back and check for myself.

LOL I did the wedding one yesterday/last night, and caught up here today. Congratulations to you both, Joel! More pics, please....from someone who hasn't been on a cruise yet!