A Little Trans-Atlantic Magic - The (somewhat) LIVE TR! -updated 07/03/13 - Page 30 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Madeira looks wonderful! I love the cobbled mosaic sidewalks! It's nice that you had some time to explore on your own and also do the whale-watch cruise. Those seas really looked choppy after a while-- I've never seen the water in the pools slop around like that, but then, any time the seas are rough you won't find me on deck!
They definitely got choppy when we got close to land. And I can understand why you wouldn't want to be on deck with choppy seas! We really had a nice day in Madeira, and it was nice to be able to do both exploring on our own AND do the catamaran.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disney_duke
I had to plot Madeira to see where it was, and it's closer to Morocco. Cool! I don't think you can ever have too many pictures. And they are all picturesque! Your wandering around the town sounded just lovely. Nice to be on land for a few moments. And what fun on the catamaran! I had a heck of a time trying to get photos of dolphins off the coast of Mexico too. But you got 2!
The character party looked like fun too. Donald!! Isn't it funny that crossing the entire Atlantic didn't give you nearly as bad of waves as you just got that night?! And apparantly more to come too?!
We commented on the very same thing. Crossing the Atlantic was like being on a lake... and then by land, we were rockin and rollin! It looks like if we'd left just two days later, though, we'd have hit nasty waters... from what I could gather when they showed the weather on the big map, there was lots of rain and storms in the Atlantic and that would have likely whirled up the water a bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
What a nice day - and, you even saw whales!
Love the dancing pics, and especially the one with the pool almost splashing out (although, I imagine it wasn't so comfortable for those of you on the boat).
The whales were awesome! And the rocking was a strange sensation. I didn't get sea sick but it did randomly mess with my equillibrium!
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I'm going to knock out another day's update, because it's really short, and not very photo-heavy, and tomorrow is going to be kind of busy so I'm not sure I'll have time to get it done. Don't worry, though, there's still a little less than two more weeks of this trip!!! So we're not quite halfway done yet!!!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Meri came into my bed somewhere in the middle of the night, because the rocking was just really irritating her. Ultimately, mom ended up going into Meri’s bed, because there’s just not really room for three of us in the bed – especially when one is a bed hog like Meri. So it was a night of Musical Beds for us! We got up somewhere around 10am finally, even though none of us really WANTED to get up and going… but we were getting hungry.
Our location on the map
We headed up to Parrot Cay where we all ate a bit.
My usual...
We were all tired and a little off-kilter from all of the movement, so after breakfast, we went right back down to the cabin. I wasn't sick, but it really messed with my head. Every now and then, I'd feel a big rocking motion and it would completely mess me up for a few minutes. It was very disconcerting.
After about an hour and a half in the cabin, Meri got bored and decided she wanted to look around, so we headed up to the shop because Meri’s remaining $16 was burning a hole in her pocket! We browsed the shop for probably close to half hour before Meri settled finally on a Disney characters cruise play set. Funny little kid. Meanwhile I bought a photo frame, a cute outfit for my cousin’s daughter who is turning 1, an ornament and a magnet.
Meri didn’t believe me that the pools would most likely be closed – she had to see for herself – so we headed up to deck 9. Once she realized the pools really were closed, she was in a dead panic that the Duck Derby would be canceled. Sure enough, it was postponed until Friday (and hopefully calmer seas).
She decided she wanted something else to eat, so we went over to Topsiders, where she got some shrimp and cookies (weird combination if you ask me) and I got some pasta. We ran into Suzanne, Christian and Kiersten in the buffet line and all sat together, and then Kadek and Taner came up and surprised us! It was fun to get to see them, and catch up, and then Suzanne and I talked while the kids amused themselves.
During lunch, Christian decided to head over to where his Grandpa was, so he left us. Then Meri asked if she and Kiersten could go to the arcade. Now here’s where I’m a complete and utter moron. I handed Meri my room key and told her she and Kiersten could play a few games. I didn’t know that they had to purchase a game card first, and use that! *doh* I thought that they'd just swipe the card in each game, and it would deduct a buck or something. Go ahead and say it. “ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!” Yes, yes I am. And you know what’s coming, right? Yes, Meri purchased a FIFTY DOLLAR arcade card. Seriously. Fifty freakin bucks.
When I found out what she’d done, her fun was over. She’d only used one credit (a dollar) on the above motorcycle game when I showed up and figured it out. Needless to say, we hauled our behinds straight to Guest Services, where I explained the situation, and asked if there was ANY way we could possibly have a credit. I told them I understood if they couldn’t, and it was my own fault, but if they could help, that would be awesome. The guy had to take all of the information plus a photocopy of my arcade card, and leave it for a supervisor that would be on at 5pm.
I'll go ahead and tell you now that no, there was nothing they could do. The game card machines are run by an outside company and the outside company wouldn't refund the money. *shrug* They were SO sweet about it and really apologetic, asking if there was anything they could do to make up for this, and I said nope, it wasn't their fault, it was 100% mine. I think they were shocked that I so readily took the blame, honestly. I imagine most people would have a fit, but seriously, it was my fault. I was the idiot. To further tick me off, we lost the stupid arcade card, so we couldn't even use it up on Friday like I had planned. LOL!
We popped over to see the comfy windows... (I loved these)
After that, we took a photo of the unveiling of the new mural that the guests and crew worked on, which will go to a children’s hospital in Barcelona! Awesome, right?? This was something that we had wanted to work on, but it was the day we overslept, and regrettably we missed it.
The template
The artist, signing his work
I forget who he was, but he was someone important to this also, so he got to sign it.
Then it was back to the room for a few more hours of relaxation. Meri was complaining that her head wasn’t feeling right, so I gave her a Kids Dramamine, and she laid on the couch and watched cartoons while I took a snooze. Then at 4:15pm, mom took Meri to the club to go see Storytime with Belle. It was open-house so an adult had to stay, and that was NOT going to be me… I was way comfy!
Doing some arts and crafts first
Mom said this was a little disjointed. First they had Belle set up in a chair on the floor...
And then for some reason they moved her to another part of the floor, and then finally to the stage. She couldn't figure out why they moved her so many times, but whatever. That's Meri in the front (of course) in the pink sweater.
While they were gone, I took a shower and got a head start on getting ready for our second Formal Night. They were back exactly at 5pm, and then mom took a shower while I got Meri’s hair done in two little buns on top of her head. Apparently when they left the kids club, Belle asked Meri if she could walk with her a bit. Mom thought that was charming!
Finally it was time for dinner, so we headed up to Animator’s for our last meal there! *tear* It was the Captains Gala menu
My shrimp app
Meri's dinner - branching out again into pasta
Mom's app - I forget what it was, though... lol. Looks interesting!
My soup
All four kids
My lobster - YUMMY!
Mom's dinner, which I think was turkey
Timothy bought Meri a really cute doll keychain in Madeira, and she was showing it off...
We really enjoyed dinner, and then Suzanne took all four kids up to the club at 6:50pm for the Royal Ball up there!
You can see that Kadek knew me VERY well... every night at dinner he would bring me extra sugar. Sometimes I'd look down and see that he left me something like this before serving my coffee...
My creme brulee - YUMMY!
Mom's chocolate something or another...
I have to admit it was fabulous to have all of the kids gone so early! We sat and laughed and talked, and then talked with Taner for about 15 minutes about Gibraltar, Madeira, Turkey, and then veered off into history! He made the entire table laugh when we called him “young” and he said he was actually quite old – almost 30! LOL! What a goof!
After dinner, mom and I headed down to the room, where we had our tip papers laid out on the bed. We went through and adjusted the amounts (we didn’t have cash on us at all) because we really wanted to give everyone extra – especially the servers because they have just gone so far above and beyond for us, and particularly for Meri. They’ve made her little critters and things out of her kids menu almost every night, and they’ve gone out of their way to make her happy. We gave a little extra for Tina, too, because she creates a different towel animal for us every single evening, and is always so sweet!
Speaking of towel animals...
We just love everyone we’ve encountered, and so we want to make sure they know how appreciated they are!
Anyway, at one point, I looked at the wave phone and realized I missed a CALL from the Club – about half hour prior. They NEVER call unless there’s an issue. Then I saw I had a text, and it asked us to call the Club immediately. Uh oh! Mom called up, and it turned out that with all of the boat rocking, Meri fell and knocked into a locker (or something) and got a bruise. They iced it and she was fine. I went up to get her, and when I got there, she looked at me and wanted to know why I was there. Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me! She walked me into the other room and showed me that Belle was in there, reading a story to a bunch of girls in princess dresses! I asked Meri if she wanted to stay and she said, “No, just showing you!” Guess she’s so inured to the princesses and characters at this point that it was no big deal! Too funny!
After we got back to the cabin, she took a bath, and then I stuffed her into bed somewhere around 10:15pm, because we had to be up and out very early! Meanwhile I set the alarm for 6:45am (ugh), and then curled up in bed and read a book instead of sleeping, which I should have been doing! Oops!! Oh well!
Up Next: Our insane, exhausting day in Gibraltar - where we walked off everything we ate during the entire cruise...
Uhmmmm, I have no words!!! Uhmmm........... AMAZE BALLS!!!
The catamaran looked so awesome, but we can't do that because of Andre. I did look at some other excursions for us, however my FIL won't stop with the " Madeira, Madeira...a bottle of wine My Dear-a, My Dear-a" WTH??? Never heard of this saying, but this old Dutch man wants us to bring home some wine for sure!!!
The rocking in the pools were nuts!!! How could you even stand still with waves like that?
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You're so lucky that all you felt from the motion was "off kilter". I'm sure some people were having a tough time! The arcade fiasco is such a pain. I think they should limit charging to $25 per time. How awful to waste that money and lose the card on top of it! I love that they made that mural to donate to the hospital. I think the artist is Don "Ducky" Williams-- hard to tell, but it sure looks like him signing the artwork. Did he give any talks on board? Sometimes the special speakers join the cruise at different points, so maybe he came on board at Madeira?
Uhmmmm, I have no words!!! Uhmmm........... AMAZE BALLS!!!
The catamaran looked so awesome, but we can't do that because of Andre. I did look at some other excursions for us, however my FIL won't stop with the " Madeira, Madeira...a bottle of wine My Dear-a, My Dear-a" WTH??? Never heard of this saying, but this old Dutch man wants us to bring home some wine for sure!!!
The rocking in the pools were nuts!!! How could you even stand still with waves like that?
What an awesome day, and such great memories!!!
LOL that's hilarious about that little saying... never heard of it before but Madeira is known for its wine so it makes sense!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
You're so lucky that all you felt from the motion was "off kilter". I'm sure some people were having a tough time! The arcade fiasco is such a pain. I think they should limit charging to $25 per time. How awful to waste that money and lose the card on top of it! I love that they made that mural to donate to the hospital. I think the artist is Don "Ducky" Williams-- hard to tell, but it sure looks like him signing the artwork. Did he give any talks on board? Sometimes the special speakers join the cruise at different points, so maybe he came on board at Madeira?
There were definitely people who were miserable, and I felt so bad for them. I rarely get sea sick (it has to be really bad for a very long time) and I'm grateful for it! At worst I just feel "off" but not miserable. Phew.
I'll look at my navigators and will see who the artist was. I'm quite sure it's in there!
Great updates! Your pictures continue to amaze me! And, I would have been one of the miserable ones. I've learned that I must have the patch. It gets confusing when the seas are so calm. I get too much of the meds and they make me very "twitchie". Bouncing off the walls kind of feeling. But without them when the seas get rough is not a pretty sight!
I am getting so hacked off with our Internet at the moment. Only a few photos are showing now and it only seems to do it with your report. I don't know what the problem is, but hopefully I'll be able to log on later and see all of them.
Great updates! Your pictures continue to amaze me! And, I would have been one of the miserable ones. I've learned that I must have the patch. It gets confusing when the seas are so calm. I get too much of the meds and they make me very "twitchie". Bouncing off the walls kind of feeling. But without them when the seas get rough is not a pretty sight!
Keep it coming please.
That's got to be hard when the seas are calm, to have that feeling, but I know it's worth it to counteract when the seas are rocky!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I am getting so hacked off with our Internet at the moment. Only a few photos are showing now and it only seems to do it with your report. I don't know what the problem is, but hopefully I'll be able to log on later and see all of them.
I really hope it sorts itself out quickly! So sorry to hear that it's not liking my pictures. I'm using Shutterfly for the photos so I'm wondering if your internet doesn't like Shutterfly, lol! I'll try not to take it personally! But that internet better sort itself out soon!!
I really hope it sorts itself out quickly! So sorry to hear that it's not liking my pictures. I'm using Shutterfly for the photos so I'm wondering if your internet doesn't like Shutterfly, lol! I'll try not to take it personally! But that internet better sort itself out soon!!
Don't worry - it's not you, it's us with the Internet connection. Thankfully all the photos loaded fine, so I got to admire Madeira, which looks beautiful. It's definitely on the list of places to see... one day!
Oh my goodness, I cannot believe the photos of the "wave pool" swimming pool. Obviously we'd talked about it and I read your description, but that is definitely a case where a picture tells a story all on its own.
You've been busy updating!! I'm surprised that the CM's don't gather the smaller kids on the floor in front of the princesses for the curtesy lesson. I'm also thinking that at our tea with Alice, the CM in charge offered up 2 tables up front sort of off to the sides for small kids to sit at. It does seem that some adults need a lessons in manners, maybe Mary Poppins could make an appearance on the next cruise
There are some great photos of you and Meri in these latest installments.
I love the one where Meri is giving you the stink eye on the boat
Don't worry - it's not you, it's us with the Internet connection. Thankfully all the photos loaded fine, so I got to admire Madeira, which looks beautiful. It's definitely on the list of places to see... one day!
Oh my goodness, I cannot believe the photos of the "wave pool" swimming pool. Obviously we'd talked about it and I read your description, but that is definitely a case where a picture tells a story all on its own.
I'm so glad that you could finally see the pix. Yeah, the pool pictures were definitely a good representation of the seas that evening!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rlb38
You've been busy updating!! I'm surprised that the CM's don't gather the smaller kids on the floor in front of the princesses for the curtesy lesson. I'm also thinking that at our tea with Alice, the CM in charge offered up 2 tables up front sort of off to the sides for small kids to sit at. It does seem that some adults need a lessons in manners, maybe Mary Poppins could make an appearance on the next cruise
There are some great photos of you and Meri in these latest installments.
I love the one where Meri is giving you the stink eye on the boat
That would have been a great idea about some small tables for the kids for the Alice tea... would have made more sense to me! Yeah, that stink-eye picture still tickles me...
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Sounds like a fabulous day in Madeira! It looks like a beautiful place, and I can see why you'd want to return to explore a bit more. I'm intrigued by the restaurant with the cliff hugging elevator.
Still love the dagger eyes Meri shot at you on the catamaran! You'd never expect it from such a cutie (but I know ALL about that - my DD's dimples charm everyone, but she can give me a look that could slay a dragon!).
Lousy about the arcade expense! And then to add insult to injury, not even being able to use the card later....
I don't even know where to begin, but I'm all caught up. You're right, the pictures of brunch were amazing.
I can't believe how rude those adults were at the princess gathering. Good thing the wife finally made her husband move. I think I would have had to say something and I'm not typically a person who deals with confrontation.
What a wonderful day on Maderia! The excursion looked like a lot of fun, but I think I would have just enjoyed the exploring you did before hand. Oh my goodness, I'm not sure what I think about the elevator on the cliff!
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I don't know what the problem is, but hopefully I'll be able to log on later and see all of them. 
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