UPDATED 01/20/11 -January 2, 2010- First Timers Cruise on the Magic!- Tons of pics!

[mmackeymouse]

Sorry for the delay! We are planning a trip to the World oiver Labor Day, so it has consumed my Disney mind for the time being.

I don't have many pics of the Embarkation Buffet. I am sorry! I think we were all so exhausted from all the turmoil that had just occured that we just wanted to sit down and relax.

Finally made it down to Parrot Cay, and I walked right in. There were a few families there, but not many. Trust me, by the time we left, it was jam packed. We ordered drinks, and then went to get food! Luckily, we got there early enough that the lines the first time around were not bad at all. I should have taken pictures of my food plates, especially at the buffet, because when you are trying a little bit of everything, it is hard to remember everything you had! I will do my best.

Just a side note: as of this post, I have gone the way of vegetarianism. But, I feel pretty confident that I will be able to give a pretty accurate, objective few of the food, even the meats. Don’t get me wrong. When I think of my favorite meat dishes, my mouth still waters. And, I still remember the taste pretty correctly. So, I will do my best.

I do remember having some carved meats, definitely some roast beef and maybe some ham? I had some fresh veggies and some roasted potatoes as well. There was a little table off to the side with assorted breads and rolls. There was also a table set up, I think perhaps it may be referred to on here as the “kiddie” table. There were some hot dogs and spaghetti and the infamous strawberry soup. I know the chicken tenders are also a pretty popular item, but I did not see any.

I got the spaghetti, and it was really well cooked. I am a little on the picky side when it comes to how I like my pasta. For me, it has to be al dente. If it is overcooked or soggy, blech, no thanks. Anyway, the pasta was cooked perfectly, so no worries there.

I also had the strawberry soup, which in my opinion, was fantastic. I had read that they added mint to the soup, and they definitely did, if you can see from the pictures. That said, I think the mint gave it a really great flavor. And, the mint leaves were not as bothersome as many suggested. I almost went back for a second bowl. I wanted to save room for dessert. What is funny is that I don’t really remember what I had for dessert. It isn’t that they were BAD. Just similar to the other desserts I had over the course of the cruise. But, I definitely remember that strawberry soup. So, maybe I should have sprung for the second bowl.

What was left of my strawberry soup. YUM

I don’t know if I was just still so stuffed from the previous day or what, but I was not as ambitious at the buffet as I expected to be. To finish the meal, I got an assortment of desserts, but I probably only had a bite or two of each.

Jessie got a picture of the cheesecake.

Jessie's dessert selection. As you can see from the background, even by dessert, there were still plenty of free tables. We dawdled a bit while eating our dessert

Jess would kill me for posting this!

Interesting note: we had a star sighting on our cruise. While I was up for round two of the buffet, this guy walked in. He was pretty tall and very athletic looking. A bunch of the CM’s started slapping fives with him and patting him on the back. Then he got in line across from me and got his food. He was wearing a New York Yankees shirt. So, I thought to myself, Could this guy be a baseball player? I convinced myself otherwise, considering 1) I am a baseball (sports in general) fan, and if this guy was a baseball player, I’d recognize him and 2) If he WAS a baseball player, and was on an escape from it all, why would he wear his team gear on the ship? I just decided that the guy is probably just a repeat cruiser- which is partially true.

I went back and shared the encounter with the family. I explained what happened, and I was like, “I think someone famous is on our cruise.” I went back up for dessert, and he was right behind me getting fruit cobbler and vanilla sauce. We later found out that the mystery man was none other than Yankees Gold Glover Mark Teixeira, (pronounced Te-sherra) fresh off a World Series victory!

I want to make it perfectly clear that while I thought it was cool that someone so famous was on our cruise, I was in no way star struck. As I mentioned before, I am a baseball fan, but I root for the Cardinals, and am not, nor will I ever be a fan of the Yankees. I was not pulling for them in the World Series, and if they make it that far again, I would still cheer against them. That said, the thing that is so crazy, is I had watched this guy in games countless times. I had seen him in interviews and on ESPN, so I was pretty familiar with him. But, when he was standing right next to me, I did not recognize him at all (even with him wearing Yankees clothes).

Well, as I said earlier, by the time we were done with our meal, Parrot Cay was pretty busy. So, we gathered up our stuff and skedaddled. PC was the perfect choice for our embarkation brunch. I would not hesitate to come here again. I cannot offer an honest comparison between it and Topsiders, but we were happy with our choice. And, once we got out on deck and found out chilly and windy it was up there, it made the choice that much better!

We wandered around for a bit; on Deck 5, forward, there is a little sitting area, so about 1, we just met down there, and waited until we could go to our room. We never did hear the announcement; we also never saw anyone going by us to get to their staterooms. But, we saw it was around 1:35 pm, so we decided to just try the door anyway. Slid the KTTW in the lock, and……we’re in!

I made a couple of new friends while roaming the ship

 

[sdjen]

Really enjoying your report - keep it coming

 

[DMMarla07860]

Mark Teixeira was on your cruise, haha I just got jealous for a second, I'm a big Yankees fan.

 

[TheThomsLuvDisney]

Great update! We have cruised 5 times on the Magic and never even knew about the TS buffet until reading it here on the Disboards.

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Really enjoying reading about your adventures. The passport business was a bit near the knuckle though .. what a traumatic start. Home everything is plain sailing fro here on in. Love the food photos Looking forward to more !!

 

[zurekgirl]

keeeepppp those pictures and get descriptions coming

 

[dr&momto2boys]

Enjoying your TR and you've got me hooked! I hope you haven't given up! I know it's a lot of work! I've been working on mine for 4 months! Almost finished!

 

[farah]

What a great trip report so far. We are heading on the Magic in March and am loving all the tips and info...Can't wait to hear more about your exciting trip

 

[Goldeelox9]

Sounds wonderful so far!

 

[devonsmommy]

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[mmackeymouse]

Hey guys! I have not forgotten about you guys or the report! Thanks for sticking with me! Life gets in the way sometimes. I have not been on the DIS for a while; starting to get back into the swing of things. Between my sister's Mexican Riviera cruise and a Double Dip in 2012 that I am just dying to go on, and a possible trip to the World in September..gotta get back into the DIS spirit. It is hard to believe that one year ago to this day, we were all packed up and ready for our trip to the airport the next day. It feels like it was just yesterday.

I will have a couple of new posts up hopefully tonight, and will try to get things up to speed over the weekend.

 

[mmackeymouse]

We did the standard look-around, Dad turned on the television, and we all settled in for a bit of rest. My nap was not particularly long, but it was definitely a power nap and gave me the boost I needed for the rest of the day. By the time I woke up, our luggage was there!

Naptime

We were in room 5520, one of the Secret Porthole rooms, so a Cat 10. I feel safe to say that the storage was adequate for the four of us. One of the steamer trunks might have been nice, but Jessie and I were able to fit most of our clothes in the desk drawers. Mom and Dad used the actual dresser. The rest, we stored in the closet. I know you can get extra hangers, but we actually had just enough. I think the people ahead of us may have had extra hangers, because there were about 20 hangers in the closet, which I think may be more than usual? It worked out.

Some views of the room:

The Jonatha Brooke version of this tune is quite lovely. While I think the Dream looks AWESOME, one thing I was a bit disappointed about was that the headboards were pretty standard. I was hoping for something similarly whimsical, as I think things like this provide such a Disney touch.

I love this photo. If they would have had this photo for sale in the gift shops, I would have definitely bought it. Walt strolling on deck with a Mickey doll in his hand. It just makes me believe that he would have truly loved DCL. And that his presence is really felt all over the ship.

Here are some pictures to show you the views outside the Secret Porthole window of 5520. I've read that 5520 and its counterpart, 5020 have the best views of all the SPH rooms, so please do not take these pictures as definitive of what a SPH will look like.

Every little nook and cranny had a purpose. Mom brought along an over the door shoe organizer, which is one of this forums biggest tips. It actually turned out to be totally worth it. A great tip! We hung it outside one of the bathroom doors. I had some magnetic hooks that we attached to the back of the main door to hang our lanyards from. We made sure not to waste any space. The stateroom was actually a perfectly decent size for our purposes, considering we weren’t in there all that often, at least all of us at the same time. You always hear the nightmares about cruising in a closet, but this is nothing like that at all. The porthole really did help with the natural light. I think I would probably be okay in an inside room (especially with the Dream’s new faux portholes), but having that porthole there, even partially blocked, was a bonus. While I certainly would never turn down an upgrade, I cannot see myself splurging an exorbitant amount of money for a verandah.

While the others started to unpack their stuff, I got to decorating the door. I had spent quite an amount of time creating these little magnets. I had collected most of the backgrounds and clip art from over on the magnet thread. I also picked up some fonts on dafont.com. I just used standard Microsoft Publisher to make the magnets. Mom also cut out and magnetized the Home Depot Mickey heads. I probably only printed about half of the magnets I had made. It was enough.

Now, I had every intention of making some nice, fancy magnets. But, you know how December can be. It just flies by. I was swamped at work trying to get the office prepared for my absence. Then, trying to get all the last minute Christmas stuff done. It was probably the 26th before I even thought about getting the magnets done. It was too late to order magnetic paper from Amazon. So, I thought about going to someplace like Staples and Office Depot to get everything laminated. Unfortunately, being from a small town, that would mean a 45 minute-hour drive. It just was not worth it to me.

Ultimately, I went to Walmart and bought a roll of magnetic tape. It was about $3 maybe. We had some card stock, so I just printed the magnets on the card stock, figuring it would be a bit sturdier. Then I cut the magnetic tape into small pieces and attached it to the back of the magnets. It worked just fine. They probably were not as weather-proof and sturdy as they could have been, but aesthetically, they looked just fine. So, if you are not up for the magnetic paper or lamination, just invest in some card stock and magnetic tape. The card stock will definitely make it more travel friendly, less apt to rip, etc.

To tell you the truth, I did not even get the magnets finished and printed until the night before we took off for Indy. I got maybe two or three hours of sleep. I probably was not going to get much sleep from the excitement, anyway, so I was up till about 3:30-4 am, printing those magnets and attaching the magnetic tape. It was not a difficult task, but between the printing and cutting and magnetizing, it was just a long task. It was funny, because my sister asked me, “Do we win anything if we have the best door?” So funny. I explained, no, just for the fun of it. We did have some boys tell us they never got lost, because they always knew to look for our door.

After some lounging around and roaming the ship, it was just about time for the mandatory boat drill. I left my camera in the cabin, so I don’t have any pictures. Let me tell you, they pack you in like sardines! We were outside on Deck 4 (I believe group G) for our station. Our team leaders were Trevor and Luisa, both members of the entertainment staff. I know they tried to make it fun, but when you are as excited as I was, you just wanted it to be over, so we can get this trip started! Trevor was from California, I believe, so he was one of the few American CMs on board.

As we were waiting, we were facing the Carnival Dream, and we saw them set sail. No fanfare or anything. Bear in mind we were on Deck 4, so it seemed like the Dream was sooooo tall compared to us. Trevor and Luisa did call out some families names, but for most of us, they were able to look at our lifejackets and check us off. Soon enough, the muster drill was over, and we were on our way.

*Just a note: if you see any magnets you are interested in, let me know. I still have them all saved in Publisher format, and would be happy to email the files. If you have Publisher, you can just change the Names or Wording. Some of the fonts I used were custom fonts found online, so the fonts may not come out exactly right.

 

[iloverags2]

Wowsa! What an ordeal at the port...so glad everything was cleared up and you got on board finally.

I agree that the staterooms are not bad at all (of course this is coming from someone who sailed in a Royal Caribbean inside stateroom of 119 sq. ft. with 3 other adults...yes, four adults in that tiny, little stateroom!).

Oh yes...that strawberry soup is divine!!! Wishing I could have a bowl of it right now!

Looking forward to hearing more about your cruise!

 

[pamcarey]

Great update! Your door looks great, and I love your Christmas-y fish extender!!

 

[Señor DonDuck]

Awesome update. Thanks for the room decor pics.

 

[DundasDad]

Going on our first cruise on the Magic in March ... loving your descriptions of everything!

As a first-timer, I don't think I could ever be too prepared!

 

[Lauralooneyfordisney]

sub a dub

 

[mmackeymouse]

After dropping our life jackets back at the room, Jess and I decided to roam the ship for a bit before heading up to the Sailaway Party. Mom and Dad stayed in the room to finish unpacking. (Okay, let’s be real here. MOM unpacked while Dad relaxed and watched TV) When we got up to Deck 10, it was extremely windy! The Goofy pool had been covered, but at that point, it was not crowded at all on Deck 9. However, considering that was the “kiddie” area, I was worried that it would get a little too crazy, and thought Deck 10 would be safe for our tastes.

About 10 minutes before the Sail Away Party....not too crowded.

As of January, they were still handing out shimmery streamers. Ours were red and blue, and I think they had a gold color as well. We found a spot up on Deck 10 port side between a couple of little wooden things (I believe they are some sort of storage bin) It was a nice spot. I don’t think there are any “bad” spots at the Sailaway party, unless you are 5’1 (me) and standing behind someone about 6’4. But, luckily, I wasn’t. The cameras were filming the crowd and they panned around till everyone had their shot being seen on the Dumbotron. Looking back, because it was so windy, being down on Deck 9 might not have been so bad after all. By the time it started, it was not nearly as crowded down there as I had expected. The only thing, as I mentioned before is my short stature. I would have to be close to the front to be able to get a view.

Jessie with her streamer

Me and Jess

Mom and Jessie getting ready for some fun!

The view of the party from our spot

The party went along quite nicely. I worried that they would draaaaaag it out and that it would take forever. Not true! The characters came out pretty quickly. We saw Trevor down there getting into the act. I feel awful that I cannot remember the gal that MC’ed the event, as she was a hoot! I want to say her name was Jill but that is an honest to goodness shot in the dark. And, our cruise director for our sailing was……drum roll please….the one, the only……..BRENT!

Right in the middle of the photo was our MC for the party. Anyone know her name for sure?

CMs getting into the fun

I liked Brent a lot. Never had any personal interaction with him or anything. But, he seemed like a good guy that loves his job. And, you cannot beat the way he says, “Ladies and gentlemen, gehls and boys” That said, I am not super passionate about him as CD. I know on these boards, cruise directorship is a hot topic, and people go to war over who’s the best and why. Christian, Brent, Christian, Brent. I liked Brent a lot; I am sure I would have liked Christian a lot. And, well, that’s that.

Brent goofing around with the characters

The characters came out and danced around, and they played some cool music. Then, the countdown started. Like I said, they didn’t drag it out, which is a great thing. It was long enough to build momentum, but not so long that you lose interest. Anyway, the countdown started…..5……4…..3…..2…..1! The ship’s horn blared, and we were on our way.

Here is a link to our Countdown Video:
Countdown to Takeoff (Sort-of)

I headed over to the side, to see the CMs with the huge Mickey hands. Unfortunately, there weren’t any out there. So, I waited…..and waited…..and waited. No CMs and the ship was not moving. By then, the crowd had dispersed, and my family had split up. I never did see any CMs with big hands, and it was getting pretty chilly. I had some little itinerary cards to deliver, so I decided to go inside to do the deliveries. I took the cards with me, so I did not have to go back to my room.

Remember in my last post, I mentioned the Carnival Dream sailing away during the muster drill? Here is a picture from Deck 10 of her sailing away.

The Terminal (no big Mickey hands )

I definitely got to know the ship. I was constantly getting lost and backwards. Even though the staterooms are posted, WITH arrows, I was still getting all messed up. I would get going one way, then realize the numbers were going the wrong way, then have to turn around. So, here are some recommendations. Map the staterooms. Print off the deck plans and highlight the staterooms. I did not do this, because I thought as long as I followed the directions , I would be fine. Apparantly, when I got the boat, I became dyslexic (no offense intended to anyone who really is dyslexic.) Or at least, start at one end of the ship and work your way to the other end. I found that when I started midship, I was constantly going back and forth, back and forth.

The deliveries were not bad; we had about 10 staterooms to deliver to, so it was a great way to explore the ship. I was constantly greeted by CMs and just felt so welcome. One of the families on our FE list got moved due to flooding. That would be a nightmare to deal with, but if it resulted in an upgrade, it may be worth it. One gal I was passing, a passenger, not a CM, was about five feet away, and is like, “Hey Melissa!” I am not sure how she knew me. I doubt she could read my KTTW through my lanyard from that distance. I did introduce myself to a couple of families, so maybe she was in one of those rooms?

This brings me to just a huge difference between DCL (and any cruise I suppose) and WDW. I love WDW. It is very much a part of my past, present, and future. Stepping inside those parks brings me back to my youth in a way no other person or place ever can. That said, the cruise was a little different, obviously because it is on a much smaller scale, I am sure. With the cruise, it seemed very much like a camp or a college atmosphere. You won’t meet or see everyone on board. But, there WILL be certain families or people you see multiple times, even daily. Kind of like with college, when you hang out in certain places, you inevitably run into the same people. You may talk to these people, you may not. For me, even if I did not talk to them, I always wondered about them. What is their life at home like? I wonder what their story is. Are they frequent cruisers or first-timers like us? And again, even if you do not speak, it is like there is an unspoken but distinct bond that exists. For one week of your life, you were family. With WDW, unless you hang out around your resort a lot, you are very rarely going to run into the same people. Or, if you do, you are too busy to notice.

Moving on. While I was roaming the hallways, they made an announcement that we were waiting on some passengers, which was why departure was running late. Well, okay! Either they booked their transport with DCL or they had some friends in high places! Eventually, while I was down on Deck 1 or 2, I felt the teeniest jolt, followed by a humming. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that must be when we officially embarked on our journey.

 

[DMMarla07860]

the person who MC'd was Tisa prob, I saw her in a few pictures and had her as the host person back in 2009 and my back-2-back so just guessing that, great picture

 

[sdjen]

Thanks so much for posting again! I especially liked seeing the cabin pics. I am actually sailing in the same room in 3 weeks

keep it coming!