Some tips from 1-3-04 Magic (long)

[RKB]

Hello! Just got home today and I wanted to get out some quick tips while they are fresh in my mind. I will be doing a trip report very soon. The Cruise was awesome! Here goes: I brought address labels to put on the tags on the last day and it saved me from having to fill out 4 tags when I could be enjoying the ship, I had the tips precounted and separated into envelopes before the trip - it was so easy to move them into the Disney envelopes and add to them as needed on the last evening - you don't want to spend your time doing paperwork! If you are going to Chankanaab Park in Cozumel leave early. We had a dolphin swim scheduled for 1:00 so we left for the park at 12:00. The swim was postponed till 2:00 so we sat on the beach. Once we were done with the swim (I will post on this it was spectacular) time just flew and it was time to go. We didn't get to see much of the park and the sea lion and bird shows were before 12:30. The taxi ride to Chankanaab was $10.00 each way for four people. We had no problems - we took one of the red and white taxis. More tips - we were able to hide our suitcases under the bed (family of 3) we had plenty of room for everything - did not feel cramped. Be warned about the orange juice - it is some kind of mix sometimes it was really watery and sometimes it was too strong (was dissapointing), We definitely used a large trash bag for laundry - it really helped keep the room organized. The conch train in Key West ended up seeming too long - it was hard to hear the guide and it makes no stops. I would be inclined to take the trolley so you can get off and on. The deck always seemed windy - made me wonder if I would have enjoyed a verandah. I had a port hole and was happy with that. I know many people enjoy decks though. Captain Marvins was great - more about that later... My friend told me to avoid the cafe mocha at the coffee shop - she said it was terrible - I didn't try it myself. Definitely read the complete trip list on this site. I agree with taking less clothes - I did pack too many. I re-wore some shorts and jeans, etc... An extension cord is needed if you want something plugged in by your bedside other than that I don't think you will need it. You can plug in your blow dryer by the tv. I did bring extra hangers and I used them all. We definitely used our ziplock bags. I brought a padded photo mailer and cardboard and this came in very handy to store the photos that we bought. Hope this helps!!

 

[BAKAROMA]

You bet it does. Thanks. How windy was it? Too windy for ping pong and b-ball?

 

[jgalecpa]

We were on the 12/20 magic and I second the wind issue.

I would estimate on EXPOSED deck areas there was often a 20 knot wind blowing. It could vary considerably based on which side of the ship you were on.

People did seem to be always playing Bball, ping pong and even shuffle board as the first two especially seemed to be deliberately placed in wind-sheltered areas.

GREAT post, RKB.

Jim

 

[Surfergirl]

I look forwrd to your full report since we also have Capt. Marvins and the Dolphin swim booked.

 

[TinkerBellPixie4GOAL]

Thanks for the tips...I'll keep them in my book!

 

[alexandrew]

we've been taking our tips in separate envelopes since we've started cruising with DCL....also, on our upcoming cruise, we've packed the address labels...an excellent tip that alleviates the writers cramp from all of those luggage tags

 

[LVTravel]

Rena, yes it was windy wasn't it. Just wish I hadn't forgotten my mailing labels (I always take them too but forgot them this time).



For all the cruisers out there remember, if the ship is doing 17 knots into a 5 knot headwind that is 22 knots (25+ miles per hour) across the deck. There will always be wind across the deck unless the ship is going directly downwind at the same speed as the wind. Most "ball" areas are somewhat protected on deck 9.

 

[jrabbit]

Ping Pong while the ship is sailing into the wind is a trip. You can play singles (I mean by yourself) because sometimes you can hit the ball into the wind, have it bounce on the other side of the net and then it will come sailing back at you harder than if someone hit it If you are playing with someone you definatly want to be hitting into the wind. If you are hitting with the wind, every once in awhile you will get to tap the ball and see it go sailing 5 feet past the end of the table. My family spends hours on each cruise playing "wind ping pong". It's actually fun and very challenging.

It's never to windy to shoot hoops - 'nuf said. THere is a large wind screen infront of the "sports court" on deck 10 so the wind usually isn't much of an issue. Shooting baskets is a bit more challenging when the ship is rocking because the hoop isn't necessarily where it was when you shot the ball when the ball reaches the basket.

One of the "highlights" of the eastern cruise is going out infront of the wind screen as you are sailing at 20knts into a 25knt wind. THink of piglette in "the Blustry Day" (hey look at me, I'm a kite!) When I take my kids out there I have a "death grip" on their arms so they don't blow away. 3 Seconds out there and you don't have to worry about how your hair looks the rest of the day

 

[cjsmith]

Hey John~it was so great to meet you! Isn't it just awful to be off the Magic?!!! I was so envious of Brack and Annette being able to stay on for another week. Though after the high seas Wednesday night, I guess being on land isn't a bad thing after all.
I'll post our pictures from our meet soon.

To the topic of the wind on deck, while the wind is great up on the decks, we found our verandah to be great. I even ended up taking a nap out there Thursday afternoon. The fresh air felt wonderful since the seas were alittle higher than I would have liked. It was simply amazing to take a cat nap outside hearing the waves and seeing the beautiful blue water.