DluvsDisney
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
- Messages
- 10
I enjoyed reading details and trip reports so much prior to this cruise, that I only thought it fair I came back and posted my own report for others...so here goes.
Cruise - Disney Magic, 7 day / Western
April 9-16, 2005
Viewpoint - Married couple, no children. Second cruise experience
last cruise taken was also Disney, 7 day Eastern in 2001.
Stateroom - 6th floor / Deluxe Oceanview - Porthole.
Forward, Starboard side (6518).
This is an adjoining door cabin I DO NOT recommend them, unless you know the people next door and want to use the connecting doors. We heard everything the neighbors said, and as a result we stayed very quiet as much as possible. The location of the cabin was great, especially for two adults who spent more time on the forward end of the ship (Adult pool, spa, etc)
Worth sharing:
* yes, travel the day before whenever possible. We did the first cruise, enjoying 2 days at Disney World. This time we traveled same day, we made it, but had one or two moments where I was holding my breath. It is just not worth the worry and stress, go the day before.
* research your trip and excursions - we did (thanks to here and other sites), but other people didn't and they seemed surprised by things that they should have easily figured out. (ie: hot/sun at Tulum, waves at Stingray City, etc)
* keep your smile on - it's vacation, some people forgot to pack their Disney attitudes, and it is really annoying to those of us who are trying to relax to listen to other people mumble all day.
* Disney Cruise lines seemed to have the best docking and the longest visits at ports - we were in before and stayed long after most of the other lines that were at the same ports with us !!! YEAH Disney.
Arrival day - as I mentioned before this will be the only time we travel same day, we booked everything through Disney and were a bit disappointed to find that we had connecting flights, when there are many inexpensive direct flights from our home city to MCO daily. The connection went ok, but almost had a major hurdle as our original plane had issues and the replacement plane was smaller, leaving 40 people now without seats for the flight.
All of the travel craziness left us tired and wanting a nap - we didn't even go on deck for leaving dock.
Key West - Started the day with Brunch at Palo's had a great view as we pulled into Key West. We enjoyed the Conch Train excursion to see the major highlights quickly and comfortably. We then spent our afternoon along Duval Street where most of the shopping is, and sipped away an hour or two with some Margarittas. We enjoyed the sunset from Deck 10, and were surprised as we were the only ship still there at sunset, the others (who arrived after us) had already pulled off. We were there until 12:30am - allowing some of the crew time ashore I believe...but many passengers enjoyed the added time as well.
Day at Sea - we rested and enjoyed lounge time on deck. Saw the FINAL showing of Hercules - the Muse-ical. I am certain the replacement show will be equally wonderful, entertaining, and humourous. Had a pleasant evening with Formal night...though it does seem less and less people get into the dress up spirit.
Grand Cayman - we had a full day excursion planned here. Tendering into the island was quick and easy. We took the Island Tour and Snorkel with StingRays. The island is still recovering from Hurricane Ivan and there is construction all over the place. We visited the Turtle Farm - its nice to see and hold the turtles, we then moved on to Hell and to visit 7 mile beach.
All of these were nice to see if you have never been to Grand Cayman, we've seen them now and doubt we would need to return - worth it as part of an overall excursion, not necessary to plan a special trip to though !!
The highlight of course to the excursion is the Sting Rays. We boarded a boat and took the 30 minute or so ride out to the sandbar. The water was rough so there were waves making things a little more challenging - but we had a great time holding, feeding, and getting back rubs by the sting rays.
Boat ride back to the island - and we had to wait for our bus, as apparently it broke down or something. A new bus arrived and returned us to the Tender docks. We headed back to the ship, others hit the shops quickly.
Cozumel - we had another busy day planned. We signed up for the Tulum Ruins tour, meaning we had to go to mainland Mexico. We met our excursion group in the Theater - about 100 of us, then boarded a Ferry that took us to the mainland/Playa del Carmen. Well the waters were still rough like yesterday and the ferry boat ride was very rocky - many of the children were utilizing the little purple bags handed out by ferry staff.
Once we arrived we boarded a bus for another hour drive to Tulum. Along the way we stopped at a market for a bathroom break, where they also handed us our Subway Sandwhich bags.
We then arrived at Tulum - had about 2 hours there partially directed by our tour guide who tried very hard to give us history and other data about Tulum and the Mayan people, he then set us loose to explore on our own and to hit the small beach below the cliff.
*here is were I caution all to check into their excursions - we knew going in this would be a long day and that Tulum is an anxient place with no shade in hot Mexico - planning accordingly we dressed appropriately, brought along lots of bottled water, camera, and sunscreen. Others on the tour were miserable the minute we arrived exclaiming "there is no shade anywhere" and "I'm not doing Disney again" - well afraid Disney has nothing to do with the Tulum ruins, they were built many many many years ago by the Mayan people...ok...so please check into things ahead of time, some of these excursions (like this one) are NOT good for children under 10 (Disney had warned this one was best for 8 and over) and not good for people who are out of shape or perhaps older individuals. The terrain is all rocky, the sun is hot, and it is a long day of walking, buses, boats, etc. This one is about history and ruins, not much about the beach.
The ferry ride back was much better and let us off on the pier in Cozumel, we took a few minutes to walk around the shops there - and then headed back to our ship. There were other ships in port that all pulled out by 6pm - again Disney was there longer until 10pm !!!
That evening was Pirates of the Carribean night - a fun menu at all restaurants and everyone had on their Disney provided Red Pirate Bandanas. The evening show and party on deck was fun - and kicked off just prior to our being able to get outside (we had 8:30 dinner seating). But - the dinner staff are aware of this and get things moving quickly for this dinner, including taking our dessert orders early. We were outside in plenty of time for the main show and the fireworks, which were very nice - as we pulled away from Cozumel.
Day at Sea - we slept in, my husband brought be breakfast from Topsiders which I enjoyed in bed and then slept some more. We lounged a bit more and then hit the matinee of Disney Dreams show. I attended a couple of other things in the afternoon (including and introduction to upcoming Disney Vacation options that sound great) and he hit the arcade for a short time.
We then enjoyed Semi-formal night dinner and 70's night (my husband on our first cruise got very involved in this day at sea being the winner of the Belly Flop contest at the adult pool in the afternoon and then at 70's night being a part of the John Travolta competition - if you enjoy this stuff it is a good laugh !! This time he stayed on the side lines)
Castaway Cay - wow the week has flown by, and again we are haunted by somewhat rough waters. Several of the excursions are canceled for the morning, those involving boats mainly. We are booked for the nature walk and kayaking - our tour guide Ricky meets us at the ship and our group of ten set off on a walk that takes us to the other side of the island from where the ship is docked (out past Serenity Beach/adult side). We get a lesson about the Bahama islands along the way from Ricky and his assistants, as well as about some birds we spot.
We get to the Kayak Launch area and the water is very rough, being told it will be a difficult trip back, we all still agree to give it a try.
We set off down a creek and see fish and learn about the mangroves, then we head back INTO the tide and waves - it is a challenge, but a fun one and everyone seemed to do ok. Ricky assisted those that struggled a bit.
We were use to our last experience on Castaway where the water was calm and clear as glass - so this time with choppy waves on the adult side it was not as much fun. The family beaches are protected by jetty's - so they seemed to have a better time of things.
We enjoyed lunch and an ice cream and then headed back to the ship a bit ahead of the 4pm crowd.
The final night was low key - until the waves hit.
This was the roughest sea ride I've imagined on a cruise ship, I don't think any of us on the ship got sleep that night. We were lucky to NOT be the Norwegian Cruise Line ship "Dawn" that experienced a swell and damage - but the seas were definately rough out there. We got back in one piece and then headed out for our flights home.
Admit that I was a little traveled out from our many boats and planes and buses on the trip.
Overall - we needed to get away very badly and the week found me in somewhat of a daze. We had a nice time and enjoyed a good mix of resting days and active excursions. We are not big shoppers, but others seemed to enjoy the deals they found along the way.
Our restaurant servers were a bit low key and quiet - comparing them to our first DCL cruise where the 2 servers were wonderful, entertaining, and memorable - these two were very quick with their service, but quiet and did not really do much to bring our table together (we were a table mix of couples, that did get along fine but could have been more upbeat if our servers had been)
I'd be happy to answer questions if there are any.
We would sail Disney again for sure !!!
Cruise - Disney Magic, 7 day / Western
April 9-16, 2005
Viewpoint - Married couple, no children. Second cruise experience
last cruise taken was also Disney, 7 day Eastern in 2001.
Stateroom - 6th floor / Deluxe Oceanview - Porthole.
Forward, Starboard side (6518).
This is an adjoining door cabin I DO NOT recommend them, unless you know the people next door and want to use the connecting doors. We heard everything the neighbors said, and as a result we stayed very quiet as much as possible. The location of the cabin was great, especially for two adults who spent more time on the forward end of the ship (Adult pool, spa, etc)
Worth sharing:
* yes, travel the day before whenever possible. We did the first cruise, enjoying 2 days at Disney World. This time we traveled same day, we made it, but had one or two moments where I was holding my breath. It is just not worth the worry and stress, go the day before.
* research your trip and excursions - we did (thanks to here and other sites), but other people didn't and they seemed surprised by things that they should have easily figured out. (ie: hot/sun at Tulum, waves at Stingray City, etc)
* keep your smile on - it's vacation, some people forgot to pack their Disney attitudes, and it is really annoying to those of us who are trying to relax to listen to other people mumble all day.
* Disney Cruise lines seemed to have the best docking and the longest visits at ports - we were in before and stayed long after most of the other lines that were at the same ports with us !!! YEAH Disney.
Arrival day - as I mentioned before this will be the only time we travel same day, we booked everything through Disney and were a bit disappointed to find that we had connecting flights, when there are many inexpensive direct flights from our home city to MCO daily. The connection went ok, but almost had a major hurdle as our original plane had issues and the replacement plane was smaller, leaving 40 people now without seats for the flight.
All of the travel craziness left us tired and wanting a nap - we didn't even go on deck for leaving dock.
Key West - Started the day with Brunch at Palo's had a great view as we pulled into Key West. We enjoyed the Conch Train excursion to see the major highlights quickly and comfortably. We then spent our afternoon along Duval Street where most of the shopping is, and sipped away an hour or two with some Margarittas. We enjoyed the sunset from Deck 10, and were surprised as we were the only ship still there at sunset, the others (who arrived after us) had already pulled off. We were there until 12:30am - allowing some of the crew time ashore I believe...but many passengers enjoyed the added time as well.
Day at Sea - we rested and enjoyed lounge time on deck. Saw the FINAL showing of Hercules - the Muse-ical. I am certain the replacement show will be equally wonderful, entertaining, and humourous. Had a pleasant evening with Formal night...though it does seem less and less people get into the dress up spirit.
Grand Cayman - we had a full day excursion planned here. Tendering into the island was quick and easy. We took the Island Tour and Snorkel with StingRays. The island is still recovering from Hurricane Ivan and there is construction all over the place. We visited the Turtle Farm - its nice to see and hold the turtles, we then moved on to Hell and to visit 7 mile beach.
All of these were nice to see if you have never been to Grand Cayman, we've seen them now and doubt we would need to return - worth it as part of an overall excursion, not necessary to plan a special trip to though !!
The highlight of course to the excursion is the Sting Rays. We boarded a boat and took the 30 minute or so ride out to the sandbar. The water was rough so there were waves making things a little more challenging - but we had a great time holding, feeding, and getting back rubs by the sting rays.
Boat ride back to the island - and we had to wait for our bus, as apparently it broke down or something. A new bus arrived and returned us to the Tender docks. We headed back to the ship, others hit the shops quickly.
Cozumel - we had another busy day planned. We signed up for the Tulum Ruins tour, meaning we had to go to mainland Mexico. We met our excursion group in the Theater - about 100 of us, then boarded a Ferry that took us to the mainland/Playa del Carmen. Well the waters were still rough like yesterday and the ferry boat ride was very rocky - many of the children were utilizing the little purple bags handed out by ferry staff.
Once we arrived we boarded a bus for another hour drive to Tulum. Along the way we stopped at a market for a bathroom break, where they also handed us our Subway Sandwhich bags.
We then arrived at Tulum - had about 2 hours there partially directed by our tour guide who tried very hard to give us history and other data about Tulum and the Mayan people, he then set us loose to explore on our own and to hit the small beach below the cliff.
*here is were I caution all to check into their excursions - we knew going in this would be a long day and that Tulum is an anxient place with no shade in hot Mexico - planning accordingly we dressed appropriately, brought along lots of bottled water, camera, and sunscreen. Others on the tour were miserable the minute we arrived exclaiming "there is no shade anywhere" and "I'm not doing Disney again" - well afraid Disney has nothing to do with the Tulum ruins, they were built many many many years ago by the Mayan people...ok...so please check into things ahead of time, some of these excursions (like this one) are NOT good for children under 10 (Disney had warned this one was best for 8 and over) and not good for people who are out of shape or perhaps older individuals. The terrain is all rocky, the sun is hot, and it is a long day of walking, buses, boats, etc. This one is about history and ruins, not much about the beach.
The ferry ride back was much better and let us off on the pier in Cozumel, we took a few minutes to walk around the shops there - and then headed back to our ship. There were other ships in port that all pulled out by 6pm - again Disney was there longer until 10pm !!!
That evening was Pirates of the Carribean night - a fun menu at all restaurants and everyone had on their Disney provided Red Pirate Bandanas. The evening show and party on deck was fun - and kicked off just prior to our being able to get outside (we had 8:30 dinner seating). But - the dinner staff are aware of this and get things moving quickly for this dinner, including taking our dessert orders early. We were outside in plenty of time for the main show and the fireworks, which were very nice - as we pulled away from Cozumel.
Day at Sea - we slept in, my husband brought be breakfast from Topsiders which I enjoyed in bed and then slept some more. We lounged a bit more and then hit the matinee of Disney Dreams show. I attended a couple of other things in the afternoon (including and introduction to upcoming Disney Vacation options that sound great) and he hit the arcade for a short time.
We then enjoyed Semi-formal night dinner and 70's night (my husband on our first cruise got very involved in this day at sea being the winner of the Belly Flop contest at the adult pool in the afternoon and then at 70's night being a part of the John Travolta competition - if you enjoy this stuff it is a good laugh !! This time he stayed on the side lines)
Castaway Cay - wow the week has flown by, and again we are haunted by somewhat rough waters. Several of the excursions are canceled for the morning, those involving boats mainly. We are booked for the nature walk and kayaking - our tour guide Ricky meets us at the ship and our group of ten set off on a walk that takes us to the other side of the island from where the ship is docked (out past Serenity Beach/adult side). We get a lesson about the Bahama islands along the way from Ricky and his assistants, as well as about some birds we spot.
We get to the Kayak Launch area and the water is very rough, being told it will be a difficult trip back, we all still agree to give it a try.
We set off down a creek and see fish and learn about the mangroves, then we head back INTO the tide and waves - it is a challenge, but a fun one and everyone seemed to do ok. Ricky assisted those that struggled a bit.
We were use to our last experience on Castaway where the water was calm and clear as glass - so this time with choppy waves on the adult side it was not as much fun. The family beaches are protected by jetty's - so they seemed to have a better time of things.
We enjoyed lunch and an ice cream and then headed back to the ship a bit ahead of the 4pm crowd.
The final night was low key - until the waves hit.
This was the roughest sea ride I've imagined on a cruise ship, I don't think any of us on the ship got sleep that night. We were lucky to NOT be the Norwegian Cruise Line ship "Dawn" that experienced a swell and damage - but the seas were definately rough out there. We got back in one piece and then headed out for our flights home.
Admit that I was a little traveled out from our many boats and planes and buses on the trip.
Overall - we needed to get away very badly and the week found me in somewhat of a daze. We had a nice time and enjoyed a good mix of resting days and active excursions. We are not big shoppers, but others seemed to enjoy the deals they found along the way.
Our restaurant servers were a bit low key and quiet - comparing them to our first DCL cruise where the 2 servers were wonderful, entertaining, and memorable - these two were very quick with their service, but quiet and did not really do much to bring our table together (we were a table mix of couples, that did get along fine but could have been more upbeat if our servers had been)
I'd be happy to answer questions if there are any.
We would sail Disney again for sure !!!
Then when the waves kicked up we were glad to already be settled into our stateroom for the night.
