Discovering the Magic for the first time, Nov 14-21, 2009 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Discovering the Magic for the first time, Nov 14-21, 2009
Our First Disney Cruise (and first cruise ever!)
Going on our trip: Alan (46), Susan (45), Zach (11) and Bekah (9)
Left Nov 14, returned Nov 21 2009
Disney Magic, Room 8508
The following is a journal I kept on the highlights of our Disney Cruise.
We started by flying down to Florida two days before our cruise. We used a car company (Royal Transportation) to transport us from the airport to Cocoa Beach. (Cost us $80 for the four of us, plus a $20 tip.) It was seamless...they met us at baggage claim and the car was ready for us just outside the terminal!)
We stayed at the Radisson in Cocoa Beach. It was a very nice hotel, with a gorgeous pool. The first day we arrived (Thursday) it was unusually cool for Florida, and we couldn’t use the pool. Some familly members were all down in Florida at the same time and met us for supper. The kids had a great time with their cousins. It was great seeing them!
The next day the heat was back, and the kids really enjoyed the pool. It was nice to have a little down time before our cruise...so we wouldn’t have to start off exhausted by travel.

Day One...Boarding the Disney Magic
What a packed day this has been! And so exciting!
We got up at 7 a.m. to pack and get ready for our trip to the port. We had the car company (Royal Transportation) come and pick us up and drop us at the port. (The Radisson offered a free shuttle, but it seemed like such a zoo with everyone getting their luggage and counting heads, and since the car was only $16 for all four of us...we did that.) As soon as we exited the car, a porter came and took our bags, leaving us free to proceed to check in. I tipped the guy for taking our bags (He took 5 bags and I gave him $10)
There weren’t too many people there at 9:45, and the port opened at 10. We were checked through security and then went upstairs to the first desk for checking in. Then we got our pictures and keys to the world cards and checked the kids into the kid’s activities. We then waited in the terminal, relaxing and watching Disney movies until 12, when they started letting people in by groups. We were in group 3, so were admitted within minutes of opening the boarding. They announced us, and applauded as we entered, making us feel like VIP guests. Alan took the kids to Parrot Cay for lunch while I went to secure a Palo dinner and brunch and then joined them.

They were serving lunch buffet style. It was really good. After lunch we visited the kids’ areas and then came to our room (at 1:30 p.m.). It was so nice! Roomy and with a lovely balcony. Everything is so well fitted! Love, love the split bathrooms...it really does help in getting ready. There was plenty of storage in the room, including a nice sized chest with three deep shelves. We were able to unpack 6 suitcases and and not have anything in our way...everything stowed away nicely. (We stacked the two big suitcases lying flat on one side of the closet with the smaller ones stowed inside.)
After we settled in, we went to the pool and the kids swam while I checked out the spa. Alan got started on a tall beer and was feeling quite happy when I found him! Afterwards we got ready for the mandatory safety drill. It was hot with all those bodies packed together on a sunny deck! But it did not last too long, and then that was done and we felt like vacation had truly begun.
After the safety drill we went back to deck nine for the embarkation party! There was music and dancing and everyone letting loose. We waved goodbye to several boaters on the waterway! The kids had big grins plastered on their faces and we did too. It was really magical how everyone seemed suddenly to be in the vacation spirit...relaxed, happy, and no worries!
As we got out to sea, we definitely felt the movement. You didn’t see the ship pitching or anything like that...you just sort of felt it. It was a gentle rocking that was remarkably soothing to me. I was worried about sea sickness, but I found that I loved the movement. I think we had high seas pretty often during our cruise (probably from Hurricane Ida from the week before), as I often felt it, but it was not a problem for us. It did take awhile to get our our sea legs, and we saw several others who walked around like they were drunk. But it didn’t last long. The two places I most noticed it was in the theater and in bed at night. I liked the gentle rocking though. And I slept like a baby rocked in a cradle at night!
We were still exploring Deck 9 as we went to sea, and Alan and Zach played ping pong while Bekah and I went to the pool. Afterwards we got ready for the first show at 6:15...”Let the Magic Begin”.. .it was a great start! (Since we had second seating in the dining room each night, we went to the shows during the first seating.)
We dined at Lumiere’s the first night. The kids went to their camps first and we picked them up for dinner and then let them go back after dinner so we could do some of the adult shows.
After dinner I sat out on my balcony, thanking God for this. I felt the cool, fresh breeze...it was the perfect temperature. I was completely comfortable. I could hear the swoosh of the ocean waves as we plowed through the water. It was so quiet, so peaceful. It is a feeling I want to remember always...
At Lumiere’s the kids were thrilled to be able to order off the adult menu. Zach, our little adventurer, had escargot as his appetizer! The rest of us had a shrimp appetizer. Bekah ordered steak, and it was to die for. (We all had a taste.) Our server, Eve, cut the meat up for her...I didn’t have to lift a finger! I could get used to this! The kids were given a speedier service through the courses, so that they could go and play at their clubs and leave us to a quiet meal. Alan and I had Chilean sea bass and for dessert Alan had creme brulee and I had the brioche and pannetone pudding with toffee sauce. (Which was basically bread pudding in Americanese). Our other server brought us out a second dessert sampler, just in case we missed anything. We were told that the average weight gain on a cruise was 1-2 pounds PER DAY. I can believe it if they keep feeding us like this!
The kids were rarin' to get back to their kid’s clubs. Zach had won second place in a Mario tournament, and Bekah had fallen in love with several counselors in her room. Everyone was so helpful and bent over backwards to serve you. I felt like a princess. A cruise gives us “normal working folks” the chance to see how the other half lives...and let me tell you, it is good.
When we came back to our room after dinner, our room was ready for the night...the bunks made for the kids, our bed turned down, with chocolates on the bed and a towel sculpture, and the lights pleasantly dimmed. What a lovely surprise!
Day Two was at Castaway Cay.
This morning I had room service bring us our coffee. You put a card out on the door the night before with your order and time for delivery, and they bring it when requested. They even gave us a call to say when it was on its way! Alan and I sat out on our deck and watched the ship move into port at Castaway Cay as we drank our coffee. Before he joined me, I had a few minutes of quiet time with God. I had no words except for gratitude. Thank you, God...Thank you. It was just so lovely, so peaceful, so wonderful.
We put on suits and coverups and went down to Parrot Cay for a breakfast buffet. It was delicious. We could have ordered a la carte at Lumiere’s, but felt too beachy for that. After breakfast, we headed out to the island. It was a picture perfect island, as only Disney can do. We joked that it was better than a totally natural island...all the flowers and carefully planned walkways and buildings built it into a fantasy island getaway. We dropped the kids off at their beach camps and then headed to Serenity Bay...the adults only beach. We relaxed and had a drink for a little while...before being buzzed on our pager that Bekah wanted to be picked up. Normally we would have made her suck it up for a while so that we could have our time, but we knew she wanted to have some swimming time with us, so we went to get her. We picked up Zach too, and they had a great time playing in the warm gorgeous blue water. I took a dip myself. It was lovely, though a little chilly getting in at first! Zach remarked that “on our next cruise, we should take our cousins” He is already planning our next cruise. To tell the truth, I am too!
We had lunch at Cookies Barbeque, and then did a little shopping for tee-shirts and a few postcards and such. We then headed back to the ship so that I could do a load of laundry and rest. Alan took the kids to the pool until they could get checked in again to kids club that afternoon at 3. I was pleased to see that the laundry room on Deck 7 had plenty of washers and dryers, and every time I went during our cruise except for the last night, I never had to wait for a machine.
Afterwards I sat out on our deck, sipping an iced tea and munching on some cheese and crackers and fruit from room service, and thinking, “This is a good life!”
There was a sail away party on deck 9 as we left Castaway Cay. And there was a really good band. The lead singer was a girl with a great “rock” voice. They sang all the familiar songs that you just want to sing along to...La Bamba, Life is a Highway, the Beatle’s “I Saw Her Standing There”, Taking Care of Business, I Love Rock and Roll...etc. Pluto and Goofy and other characters were out mixing and dancing with the kids, and entertaining the rest of us. Everyone was relaxed and uninhibited, singing and dancing along. We are ALL on vacation, after all!
After this, the kids went to their clubs, and Alan and I had some quiet time on our veranda, sipping coffee and our snacks from room service. After awhile, Bekah had us paged. She knew there were several Princesses making appearances and was afraid I would forget her for those. So she and I went down and waited in line for our photo ops. She got to greet Cinderella, Snow White, and Belle through the course of the evening. The lines for pictures never lasted more than a few minutes. She also saw Sleeping Beauty in the corridor at one point and got to talk to her, but I didn’t have my camera then.
We saw a live ventriloquist show together and then had dinner together at Animator’s Palate. The whole restaurant is black and white, and the waiters are dressed in black and white. As the evening progresses, the pictures on the wall slowly come to life with color. At the end the whole rooms lights with colors and pictures and the entire wait staff marches in with colored vests to match. Tonight we also got the full show, with Mickey coming in dressed in his apprentice robes to dance for us. The kids were literally on the edge of their seats throughout the several course meal, watching for the changes. They both ordered mostly from the adult menu (they love doing that). The food was very good. I had a tomato and polenta appetizer and a fish with a delicious sauce for the main course. There was also a great salad course and the dessert was to die for...a double fudge chocolate cake with an orange sauce. It was truly the best cake I have ever tasted. Too bad I couldn’t finish it. Alan ate both his and the rest of mine...he thought it was as good as I did!
After the kids went back to their clubs, Alan decided to go to bed and I went to the adult show...a hypnotist. I got to participate and had a lot of fun.
Afterward I had to stay awake until it was time to get the kids. (Alan was already asleep!) It was after midnight, and I was pooped. But the next day was a sea day, and we planned to sleep in! We were all exhausted from having so much fun! There is always something to do, and somewhere to be...
Day 3
Another wonderful day...an at sea day. We spent it relaxing and getting pampered. We slept in and then took the kids down to the character breakfast in Parrot Cay. It was great...lots of pictures were taken with the characters. Then we dropped the kids off and Alan and I had a day in the fitness/spa. First we worked out and then I went into the rainforest room...ahhh, heaven! I sat in a heated stone lounge until I felt like a limp noodle. It looked like a roman bath with a fountain in the center and tile mosaics on the wall. There was a comfy robe provided. Then there were several saunas and steam rooms to choose from. I went into a “gentle” steam room and it was awesome! I then tried an aroma steam room. After a few minutes there I was no longer a limp noodle...I was downright cooked! It felt lovely. After a late lunch I had a mani/pedicure, which was great too. Alan enjoyed the fitness facilities and then the rainforest room as well. We both plan to go back! (We got a three day pass which turned out to be more than enough, since we only had 2 at sea days to enjoy it...there is just not much time to do it when you are in port if you have excursions planned.)
Tonight was formal night. We all dressed up and went to the Golden Mickeys live show. It was great. Sort of a montage tribute to all the Disney films. We felt rather spiffy and sophisticated in our best clothes, hobnobbing with others and getting our portraits done before dinner. There was a Captain’s reception, but we skipped that. They were giving out complimentary cocktails, so we sampled an apple martini, but only took a sip each. We are just not hard liquor types.
After the show was formal dining night. It was lovely as usual, with our great hosts, Eve from Australia and Deneval from Jamaica. They are really awesome and make you feel like they just love to take care of your every need. They were so attentive to the kids too.
We were stuffed to the gills after supper and I was exhausted. Alan took Bekah to the pool...she only got a half hour’s hot tub time that afternoon and didn’t get her fill. We told her the at sea days were for mommy and daddy so we didn’t attend to her all day but had her stay in the kids club for several hours. She really loves going to the Lab, but she also liked getting out for pool breaks!
Day 4 we were in Grand Cayman. We all woke up a little tired, but pushed ourselves to get to shore a bit early so that we could look around some before our excursion. We had to get to the island by tender, so had to allow more time for getting ashore. Disney is so organized about it though. We filed into one of the theaters to line up and sat in our seats and were dismissed in orderly rows for our turn to get on the tender.
Grand Cayman is lovely. It is a resort town, and mostly gets its income from tourism. You get out right in the heart of Georgetown and there are all kinds of shops. Both Bekah and Alan both got sunscreen in their eyes in the morning, so it was a little rough at first, as they were in pain with the sunscreen. But we walked around looking for a while and then went to get some lunch. We were going to buy a tee shirt, but no one seemed to find what they wanted. Grand Cayman is more about jewelry, watches, china and such. We found a small eatery and bought some wraps for lunch. Mine was shrimp with mango chutney sauce...very good. Our meal was rather pricey, and a little bit of a let down after the cruise fare!
At 12:15 we lined up for our bus ride to the Dolphin Adventure. We rode along Seven Mile Beach...miles of hotels, condos, shops and restaurants along the beach. It is a really beautiful place.
At our Dolphin adventure we first got an orientation on how to interact with the dolphins. We were instructed how to hold our hands to touch and to use various signals for the different encounters. We were taught not to touch around the face, except for the dolphin kiss, and to avoid the genital area when the dolphin passed by belly side up!
We got in the water and began. Our dolphin was the alpha male...Happy. He was so sweet! All of the dolphins there were Altantic Bottlenose dolphins and they seemed to have a perpetual smile on their faces. We got to hear their clicks and cute noises and to touch them as they swam by us. Their skin is very smooth but very strong feeling.
Each of us swam out to the middle of the pool and waited for two different rides. The first was a boogie board push. You lay on your tummy on the board with your legs straight out and locked behind you. The dolphin comes behind and chooses one of your feet and pushes you with his nose. I was surprised at how hard his nose was...and the strength of his push across the pool! It was exhilarating! But you did get a taste of the kind of power these animals have!
The next ride was the most wonderful. A belly swim. You wait in the water with one arm extended. The dolphin came along behind with his belly up and you grab one of his fins with the extended hand and then the other fin with your other hand. Once you had both fins, he takes off pulling you! I could have done that all day. It was awesome! We also got to shake hands and kiss the dolphin. For the kiss you hold your hands out one on top of the other and the dolphin comes up and gently rests his chin in your hands. You bend your cheek down for his nose to touch and then you turn and kiss him on the tip of his nose. That was really neat! For the hand shake, you hold your hands up, palms facing down and wait. He comes up and “stands” in front of you, flippers extended while you place your hands on the flippers.
We also got to swim out and let the dolphins swim with us. At one point we were told to spin in the water. When we did, our dolphin stood up and did the same with us! It was a truly unforgettable experience. There was such joy on everyone’s faces.
We didn’t buy the DVD as it cost $50, but we each bought a photo of our encounter, and they were $15 a piece.
After the Dolphin Experience, we walked across the street to the Sea Turtle farm. The kids loved it too, as they got to pick up and hold the younger turtles. The others were HUGE! We were rather amazed at the lack of “rules” of interaction with the turtles. They let the kids freely touch and hold. And they had several bars throughout the park selling beer. Definitely more laid back than American ecological parks!
After this we got our bus back and then took the last tender back to the ship. Zach went on to his kids’ club and Bekah came up with us to the room. We ordered her supper by room service and she watched Toy Story. I showered and did a load of laundry and then she and I went to see the live show, Cinderella...a twist on the original story. It was really good. Afterwards, I dropped her off at her club and then went to get ready for our date night at Palo. We got all dressed up and then went up to the top deck.
It was a really lovely experience. We had a great waiter and several courses of delicious northern Italian food. They started us with bread and antipasti. Proscuito, cheese, olives. Then we had soup or salad. I had a shrimp “salad” that was really shrimp with a bit of asparagus. Light and refreshing. I got a glass of Riesling as well. Then they brought out some fresh basil sorbet in a tiny dish to cleanse the palate. It was very yummy! For the main course I had the tenderloin and Alan got Monk fish. It was really, really good. And of course dessert and coffee. We both ordered the Amaretto Chocolate indulgence. It was to die for! Everything was beautifully presented as if it was a piece of art. Afterwards we finished with a small citrusy frozen beverage made with a bit of Absolut vodka. It was very very good...and I am not a hard liquor gal.
After dinner we strolled around the ship. Deck four is reminiscent of old luxury liners, and reminded us of some of the scenes from the Titanic! The Magic really is a lovely, classic ship.
We gained an extra hour of sleep by moving into another time zone...a much needed hour for us all.
Bekah’s group put on a talent show for the parents, but I was too wiped out to go, so Alan represented us there. He said it was cute. Zach came in at his usual 1 a.m. He loves being out late every night. (He is just a month shy of turning 12 years old.) They keep these kids quite busy and happy! We were originally dismayed when we found out that his age group (age 11-13 are allowed to check themselves in and out of the club...and we didn’t have the option to forbid it as they were not set up to monitor the movements of this age group as strictly. But we quickly felt safe doing this, and Zach was good about paging us to let us know his movements, and keeping to designated areas of the ship. He loved the independence, and we relaxed and enjoyed it too. We did however choose not to let Bekah have the same independence. (They strictly monitored her age group, and we chose to check her in and out with both a swipe of our key to the world card and a password. You were allowed to give permission for this age group to come and go at will, but we did not do this.)
Day 5 we were in Cozumel. We had a Discover Mexico and Chankaanab ecological park excursion planned. I can’t believe how fast the time was flying by!
We left the ship around 10 a.m. and started our excursion. They took us by taxi to Chankanaab Eco Park...which was gorgeous. There were beautiful plants, lagoons, and pools, and of course the ocean, with its gorgeous coral reef. We started with snorkeling, which the kids and I have never done. We all wore life jackets, so there was no fear of getting too tired and drowning. It was truly wonderful! To be able to float along, looking under the water, breathing. It was so serene and beautiful, and the water was crystal clear. I saw one harmless looking jelly fish, and all kinds of other fish. We saw a sting ray. I loved it, and the kids did too. Zach took right to it and went off on his own. Bekah took a little longer to warm up to it and never would try the breathing tube. She just used her mask and held her breath to look. When we left, we had to go back looking for Zach. (It was lifeguard protected and the snorkel area was large but contained, so you couldn’t float off to sea!)
Then, as we were getting dressed, Zach wandered off alone...thinking he’d told us he was going. We spent a panicked half hour looking for him. Our tour guide Astrid radioed the employees and he was quickly located...at the entrance, crying. He had the good sense to find an employee and to not leave the park at least. I was quite upset but very relieved to have my boy back.
After this we went on to ‘Discover Mexico’. This was a park and museum park. It had built to scale miniatures of the pyramids, temples and churches through Mexico’s history, and the museum had a film and artifacts. Astrid took us through, telling us stories along the way. They served us an authentic Mexican lunch, and we did some shopping for Mexican handmade crafts in the shop and then headed back to the ship. I stayed on the ship to shower and do some laundry and Alan took the kids back to shore for an hour to shop.
We then went to see A Christmas Carol in 3-D. It was very good, though I would not recommend it for small children. Too scary!
That night was pirate’s night. The menu was on a cool pirate map, and there was all kinds of Caribbean inspired foods on the menu. After supper we went up on Deck 10 to see the pirate show and party with fire works! It was so special...being out on the Caribbean, seeing fireworks going off. It made us feel very special...Disney is the only cruise ship who can do fireworks in the ocean. It just made the night seem extra special.
After that I was completely done in. We went back to our room (except Zach who ran off to join his club and stay out until one a.m. as usual. We missed the midnight chocolate buffet, though Zach went and hugely enjoyed it!). I slept hard...I didn’t know a thing until the next morning.
Day 6
At sea again...I loved those sea days. It was a low key, restful day--just what we needed. The weather was simply beautiful. Alan and I had brunch at Palos...it was unbelievably good. I had caviar and complimentary champagne (the first glass is complimentary anyway, and I only needed one!), wonderful berries and breads, crab, shrimp, and a great pasta dish. We were about to pop, but we made room for at least a taste of dessert...I got chocolate creme de pot, which is like a dark pudding or mousse. Afterwards we waddled off to do a little souvenir shopping. Then this afternoon I had a spa appointment...facial, scalp massage and hair style. It was very relaxing and my hair and face really do look good...very relaxed! Where is the camera! lol
After this I lounged in the stone chairs of the spa and then went to see the kids perform in a little show called “Friendship Rocks”. It was a short and sweet show, featuring the kids and their counselors. Then I came back to the room to sit on the balcony and write up this report and download some more pictures. It was almost sunset, and I was feeling nostalgic, realizing that tomorrow was our last full day. How I will miss this!
The weather was really perfect throughout our entire cruise. Hot enough to enjoy the water, but lovely cool breezes and low humidity. No rain at all. What a blessing the whole trip was to our family.
We went to the signature Disney live show (Disney Dreams) at 6:15 and it was spectacular. We were wowed by the music, special effects, and costumes. It even brought a tear to my eye toward the end. They sang many of the tunes made famous by Cinderella, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Lion King. It was quite a show and a highlight of the cruise for us. (In fact, they told us that it had been voted the number one show in the entire cruise industry for five years running!)
After the show it was off to dinner. The theme was The Captain’s Gala...and we all enjoyed Lobster for our main course! I knew I was so going to miss our servers Eve and Deneval. They have been so attentive, so good with the kids and so accommodating. I knew I would hate to say goodbye to them. They quickly began to feel like good friends. Eve showed Bekah how to fold several different napkins, and they both were quick to cut up meat and de-shell shrimp for the kids! They told stories about their own homelands and were so much fun!
Then after dinner Alan took the kids up to swim while I was catching up on my journal and pictures. I went to join him after awhile and took some more pics. The next day was to be our last full day on the ship, and we knew that Saturday we would disembark after breakfast. This vacation has truly been the best of my life!
Day 7 we went back to Castaway Cay. We had lovely weather...a coolish breeze and warm sun...perfect for both land and water activities. We got the getaway package that offers a float, snorkeling and bike rental. We started out snorkeling. The water is so clear here. We saw a few fish and some underwater “artifacts”. We also saw a few tiny, delicate jelly fish. After snorkeling, we swam and floated and then went to get lunch. Then we had a bike ride around the island. That was a simply lovely way to end the day. The island is perfectly flat, so riding is very easy. The paths are beautiful, with lush vegetation on every side, and beautiful views all around. We rode out to a coral beach overlook, and then along a path with an observatory tower where you can climb up and see the whole island. The weather was perfect...you didn’t feel the least bit hot, yet it was not cold...the water was great to swim in. I don’t know how you strike that perfect balance, yet there it was. In fact, it seemed the whole trip was like that ... idyllic weather.
I loved the smells of the island...feathery pine trees, palms, salty ocean breezes and other unidentifiable smells of flowers and vegetation. It made you want to park your permanent home there!
After a lovely day on the island we had to head back to the ship for the last few activities and for getting ready to leave. I did a load of laundry while the kids went to their clubs and Alan went to work out. (The laundry timing worked out fine...I only had to wait a couple of minutes for someone to finish theirs, but the laundry room was very busy on that last evening!) Then I packed most everything up. (We had to have our checked luggage out in the hall between 9 and 11 p.m, and only keep our hand luggage with us.)
There was a final show at 6:15...with tears of course since the show was a sort of recap of the cruise. After the show was dinner...with more goodbyes to our wonderful servers. They did a flag parade after dinner which brought out all the flags of the home countries of all the crew members...it was impressive how many flags there were.
After dinner the kids went off to their farewell activities and Alan and I finished final preparations. We were so tired from our island day that we weren’t up to any of the adult activities, and after the kids came in we went right to sleep.
Day 8...disembarking
In the morning we got up early, gathered our things and went down to breakfast and then to disembark the ship immediately after. I felt so melancholy. Once out of the Disney terminal you felt deflated...the magic over. But we had such a lovely time and the memories will last forever.
We hired Royal Transportation again to take us to Orlando. We decided to spend the night at the Hyatt Regency which is literally inside the airport. It is positively gorgeous...and the most luxurious hotel room I have ever stayed in. We got a junior suite, and it was huge! It had a balcony overlooking the atrium of the airport. (And the Orlando airport is really gorgeous...more like an upscale mall!) There were palms and fountains everywhere, and a simply drop dead gorgeous pool on the roof of the hotel. The kids and Alan really enjoyed that. It was nice spending the night there... it gave us a chance to rest and recoup before our flight out the next afternoon. We even got a late check out of 2 p.m. I highly recommend this hotel!
We spent the evening with family at a restaurant. It was great to see them, although I was feeling headachy and not up to par. But we always enjoy seeing them and wish we had more time with them!
Day 9
Homeward bound. We had a two part flight, with a 2 hour layover in Cleveland, so it was almost midnight before we walked in the door. But our own bed slept great, and it is good to be home with precious memories to keep forever!
Ok...I am not being successful in uploading pics. I tried to attach them, but when I put it in you had to click the attachment to see the pics. How do you upload pics from your computer to the page?
Thank you for the great detailed cruise description! We are taking our first cruise in a few weeks. We're only doing a 3-day cruise. Your trip story made me even more excited!!