The Magic of the Sea Day - March 13/10 Eastern

[papertraveller]

Formal and Semi-Formal

Formal night fell on Sunday. We got dressed up – I wore a black mid-calf length dress, DH wore a suit and tie, and DD wore a sundress and pashmina. I would wager that the majority of people we saw were in their fancy duds. There were a few women in full-length dresses, but most were in very smart and beautiful outfits. The majority of men were in suits and ties, but those in tuxedos certainly weren’t a lonely bunch. The kids were in a variety of different outfits, but everyone really did look so nice! The lineup for formal photographs was extremely long. (That’s my one regret, that we didn’t end up getting even an informal shot of the three of us all cleaned up.)

Semi-formal was actually more dressy than I had expected. I’d love to know where a lot of our fellow cruisers shop, because they had some great outfits! Many women were wearing what I’d call cocktail dresses – pretty, knee-length, swish! Many men were still in jackets, but had lost the ties.

 

[papertraveller]

Pirate Night

Our planning for this big night started almost at the moment we booked. Thankfully, this was before Hallowe’en, and the dollar stores were full of pirate gear. I picked up bandanas and headbands, some glow in the dark necklaces, and even found some funky skull and crossbones tights that DD fell in love with.

DD wore those tights, a skirt and a t-shirt. On top, she wore a vest that DH found for her on sale after Christmas, to which I had added a skull and crossbones glitter transfer that I’d found at Michael’s. She added a headband, and her glowing pirate necklace. And then that night at the party, I gave her an armful of glowing bracelets that she shared with other kids.

DH and I weren’t that dressed up. We had our bandanas (plus the ones distributed at dinner) and our necklaces. He bought a pirate t-shirt in St. Maarten. It was a beautiful warm evening, so we stuck with our shorts and just added the pirate accessories.
The meal was pirate themed, but regular fare. The party was fun – the dance crew did an excellent job of getting the kids bopping along in front of the stage. DD put herself front and centre for the whole show and really enjoyed it. But by the time Mickey swept down on the zipline to save us all, I was ready for bed. The other two stayed up to sample a few of the goodies from the buffet and followed me down soon after.

 

[papertraveller]

Fish Extenders

This was just such a fun and enjoyable experience. I loved making our FE, and then planning all of the goodies we’d share with our fellow DISers. And oh the goods received in return! A towel embroidered with our cruise name and date, loads of candies, pirate gear, St. Patrick’s Day items, cruise souvenirs including a luggage tag and key chain, cute magnets the kids had made and more.

We gave all of the kids a small Mickey figure that we’d found in a party shop in Buffalo after Christmas (told you I was a planner!). We added some Disney crayons, small notepads, some Disney fruit snacks that I found at Target, and then topped it up with some chocolate. For the grown-ups I found some clear plastic frames and applied a sticker commemorating the cruise, along with a few small images of Disney characters. And chocolate, of course!

Next time: definitely participate in the FE, but try to pick up the goodies when we’re in the Orlando area, rather than lugging it through customs etc.

 

[2littlegirls]

Your TR has gotten me so excited...I might book a cruise earlier then the dream! thanks for sharing your memories with us.

 

[Señor DonDuck]

Lovin' these updates. Kudos.

 

[papertraveller]

Your TR has gotten me so excited...I might book a cruise earlier then the dream! thanks for sharing your memories with us.

It is exciting, though I'm finding now that it's a bit of a welcome break to think about our next trip to WDW ... and then I'll drift off and find that restful 'sea day' spot in my mind!

Lovin' these updates. Kudos.

Thanks ever so much. Had to take a break there for the spring school play. Don't kids do a marvellous job on stage? It's amazing really how confident they seem up there.

 

[papertraveller]

Castaway Cay

We had been fighting the weather and a strong current on the journey from St. Thomas north, and were warned the night before that we would be later-than-usual docking in Castaway Cay. However, we were also told we would have a later departure.

Docking proved to be a considerable challenge, but I suspect that the collective efforts were helped by more than a thousand people crossing their fingers and wishing for pixie dust. (The week before, we learned, the ship had not been able to get in.) We were alongside the pier by 11 (bow in) and people were leaving the ship soon after, picking up their towels onshore and heading for the beach.

I must say that this was the first and only time when I was overwhelmed by the crowds – I took a look at all the people who had already staked out their turf on the beach and couldn’t quite believe it. We kept walking away from the ship until reaching some available chairs and umbrellas, but before long we were surrounded by our fellow passengers. We were near the waterslide, which was convenient, and not too far from the stationary structure on the main family beach. The wind was stiff and the water was cool, but DD and DH still took a few runs down the waterslide. The enclosed of the two slides is much quicker than the other, they reported.

It seemed no time at all before we headed for lunch – around 1:30, and again, the lineups were ridiculous. The staff was extremely efficient at clearing places at the tables so there was no problem finding somewhere to sit, but just getting the food took a ridiculous length of time. This was also a meal that wasn’t that great – salads were tasty, the hamburgers and hot dogs were just aging before my eyes, the corn on the cob was tasteless. The ribs were yummy, however, and those chocolate chip cookies can help forgive a multitude of other culinary sins!

The afternoon was lovely as the sun warmed up the air, the wind died down and DD found a friend from the Lab and happily played nearby. Only regrets: should have taken that two-for-one Bahama Mama when it came by! We didn’t venture far at all, and next time we’d like to see more of what the island has to offer.

 

[okwminnie]

Great report - so enjoying it! We were on the Western in March and want to take the Eastern in 2 years.

By the way, you can purchase the Alfred and Seymour DVD by going to their website, alfredandseymour.us

 

[papertraveller]

Great report - so enjoying it! We were on the Western in March and want to take the Eastern in 2 years.

By the way, you can purchase the Alfred and Seymour DVD by going to their website, alfredandseymour.us

Thank you so much! I know just who I'm getting the DVD for!

I would love to know which excursions you took on the Western, and whether you felt they were worth it.

 

[papertraveller]

The Magic of Hidden Delights

So sometimes Magic really does happen. DD lost a tooth a few weeks before the cruise, and decided that she’d like to leave it under her pillow while she was on vacation. So first, she left a note under her pillow saying she hoped that she wasn’t inconveniencing the tooth fairy with this delay.

Then lo and behold, on the cruise she loses the matching the tooth. I raced to the gift shop at the earliest possibility and bought a Tink pin. When I was asked if I wanted a bag for it, I explained the circumstances and that I needed to tuck it into my pocket to spirit it back downstairs.
The pin, of course, was a big hit the next morning. But little did we know the Magic that would arrive a few days later, when a certificate appeared in our Fish Extender (along with a limited edition pin) wishing DD congratulations on her big moment.

It really is the little things that make big things, that make a difference, isn’t it?

 

[okwminnie]

I would love to know which excursions you took on the Western, and whether you felt they were worth it.[/QUOTE]

On our Western Cruise, we did not do an excursion in Cozumel, but did some shopping near the pier. On Grand Cayman, we did the bus tour that included Hell and the turtle farm. Although the bus was comfortable and our driver was great (very informative narrative as we travelled around) I would not do it again.

 

[papertraveller]

The After Cruise

We were among the last people to leave the ship, thanks to being on late dining. This was fine, since many people had a chance to clear out before we even hit the gangplank. We waited a long time for the Budget shuttle as a result, and then also had to wait for a car. The manager is most capable at juggling all of the car dropoffs of outgoing cruisers with all of the incoming (sad-faced) returning cruisers.

The plan was to go to Orlando, stay two nights at the Marriott World Center, do a bit of shopping, and make our first visit to Universal. It was a beautiful day, which proved to be a blessing because it was the last one we saw! Our room was ready at the hotel, so DD and I went up to do a quick unpack while DH parked the car. The resort is huge, and clearly caters to a business clientele. There were at least two big conventions on when we were there, but they were easy enough to sidestep. Parking is so far away that they offer a shuttle – either that, or it’s a good 10-minute walk through the convention wing to the parking garage. Let’s just say that if you know this going in, and you’re reasonably fit, it’s not a big deal.

Our room overlooked the pool, which was lovely. DH and I found a shady spot at the café while DD made herself at home on the waterslide, returning every three or four trips down to see if her salad was on the table. We enjoyed a very relaxing afternoon, and since we were late getting established some of the lounge chairs opened up. (The next day, amidst lots and lots of rain, we tried the indoor pool. It’s a good size, and was great fun for DD to burn off some more energy.)

We shopped at the Prime Outlets, snagging some Disney souvenirs (who knew there were some we hadn’t got already!) and picking up a few bargains elsewhere. The selection of shops is top notch and the prices were good. For some reason traffic was dreadful on the service road to the outlets, however, and it took forever to get back to the hotel with one hungry, cranky kid in the backseat.

On the Sunday night we made an evening trip to DTD, eating at Fulton’s Crab House. Gotta say that it’s a nice feature to have free parking there. We had an excellent meal (and enjoyed the DVC Members’ discount) and then wandered around the entertainment area, which we hadn’t explored on previous visits. The street entertainers were great, and the evening was just comfortable enough to make it a relaxing end to the day.

This was unfortunate, in the end, because the next day we went to Universal. I was trying not to have much in the way of high expectations, and just let it happen. It was easy to get to, and handy to park in the garage. Walking through to the park areas was also okay, though it lacked the DTD ambience and funkiness – it just seemed more crassly commercial. (I guess Disney at least charms the dollars out of our pockets …!)

It probably doesn’t help that I’m not a roller coaster person, and so that limited our ride experiences a bit. But we tried everything we could, from Men in Black to the trained animal show to Shrek to Jaws to, ahem, Twister. Now fortunately that came at the end, after we’d been on the Simpson’s ride twice. But really, what on Earth are they thinking in keeping that attraction around? It’s really an embarrassment.

It also didn’t help that the weather was cool and windy (thank goodness I ran back to the hotel to get jackets, because we really needed them). We grabbed three burgers (for just over $30, as I recall) and pretty much decided we’d had enough.

 

[canabrits2]

Walking through to the park areas was also okay, though it lacked the DTD ambience and funkiness – it just seemed more crassly commercial. (I guess Disney at least charms the dollars out of our pockets …!)

It probably doesn’t help that I’m not a roller coaster person, and so that limited our ride experiences a bit. But we tried everything we could, from Men in Black to the trained animal show to Shrek to Jaws to, ahem, Twister. Now fortunately that came at the end, after we’d been on the Simpson’s ride twice. But really, what on Earth are they thinking in keeping that attraction around? It’s really an embarrassment.

Yeah, I found Universal to be cheap and tacky....quite a few rides were embarassingly dated and cheesy.

If you had to do one non-Disney park, Islands of Adventure is awesome. Universal owns it too but it's head and shoulders above US. Now, it does have a few more rollercoasters but ambience is really nice.

 

[MomlvsGoofy]

Enjoying your TR. We are taking our first Cruise in December. Can't wait!

 

[papertraveller]

Enjoying your TR. We are taking our first Cruise in December. Can't wait!

Thanks!

The magnificent thing about this trip planning is that the cruise truly will meet -- and I hope exceed -- your expectations. It certainly did for us!