A Magical Fairy Tale Honeymoon!! Updated 8/7 - The last 3 Installments - COMPLETE - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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A Magical Fairy Tale Honeymoon!! Updated 8/7 - The last 3 Installments - COMPLETE
A Magical Fairy Tale Honeymoon
Who –
Me – DrDolphin – 39 years young
Marine Biologist & Lover of all things Disney
DVC Member
6th Disney Cruise
DH!!! (ok he will be by the time we take the trip)– Chris (known on the boards as Crick85.. don’t look for him too often – he doesn’t post…) – 42 years younger
Pharmacist and learning to love Disney
2nd Disney cruise
What – Our MAGICAL Honeymoon on the Disney Magic’s Eastbound TransAtlantic Relocation from Port Canaveral to Barcelona, Spain.
Sail Dates – April 10 – April 24
Travel Dates – April 10 – April 25
The Back Story – Chris and I met in June of 2008, dated for nine months, got engaged in March of 2009 and are planning on a March 28, 2010 wedding. Before we got engaged – Chris and I were looking at possible vacations… and Disney released a slew of new cruise options in the Mediterranean and northern Europe. I was in love with the idea of a northern European cruise. I contacted our dear travel agent Sara and asked her to look at costs. She came back with an expensive estimate and we decided that we could not do it. About an hour later… I got an email from Sara saying that “There are some great deals on the 14-night westbound transatlantic!” (I know she meant eastbound….). I looked at Chris and said “HONEY…..” and it was all over (Evil travel agent..... I emailed Sara back, had her book a Category 7 navigator’s veranda for us on the eastbound transatlantic relocation cruise.
Fast forward to Sunday March 15, 2009. I was in Washington DC for work (for three weeks) and Chris came up to join me for the weekend. On Sunday morning, we got up and headed on a tour of the monuments before Chris had to leave to return to Jacksonville. Our first stop was the Lincoln Memorial – and after some time looking at Abe and his memorial, as we prepared to leave – Chris stopped me on the top step of the Lincoln Memorial and told me he wanted someone to take our picture. We found a woman walking up the stairs, and she took photos with my camera, then Chris decided he wanted photos taken with his HUGE camera – so he went over to her, told her how to use it, came back to me.
She took a couple of photos (and kept taking photos) and Chris turned to me and said “the last nine months have been the happiest of my life, I can’t imagine my life without you in it”. He dropped to his knee… (I was shaking at this point) and said “Will you marry me”.
I was sobbing something like “What did you do??” And “Yes” at the same time while trying to get my left glove off my cold hand and hold my hand still enough to put the ring on. He had to help.
The woman continued to take photos – and we have 18 photos of our engagement. Come to find out – When Chris was telling her how to use the camera – he said “Don’t stop taking pictures, I am going to ask her to marry me”. After congratulations from our photographer, we left the memorial and walked to the Korean and Vietnam War memorials while trying to get in touch with family to let them know we were engaged.
And I am happy to report – he fell in LOVE with cruising. So – the more detailed planning began in August 2010, and we locked in excursions, Palo and spa appointments as soon as the gold castaway club online booking access opened up! I should note that while we were on the Magic in July – we saw that Disney had a GREAT on-ship booking bonus… so since we were in Key West – we called Sara and told her we wanted to rebook onboard and then we would transfer the booking back to her – but we would have a $200.00 on board credit and an additional 10% off the price of the cruise. Ok – works for all of us! We also upgraded cabins from a Navigator’s verandah to a regular verandah after Chris saw my parent’s cabin (we had a cheap cat 10 for the July cruise).
During all of our planning, I kept trying to find decent airfare from Barcelona back to Jacksonville. I was only finding $1,300 one way per person. OUCH!! At some point – Sara contacted me to let me know that Disney was booking group packages from Barcelona back to Orlando and it would cost right about $650 for each of us - $1,300 total. The only challenge was that the flight would only go to Orlando (sneaky Disney). Well – MCO is 2.5 hours from my house. We opted to rent a car from MCO and drive it home – that was MUCH cheaper than buying separate airfare (by about $1,250). Also – when Sara sent the airline confirmation info – we found out that we land in Orlando at like 930pm on the 24th. We decided that after a long day of travel – and that since we would still be on Europe time (230am…) – we would get a hotel on Saturday night, and drive home on Sunday morning. It just happens that I had a free night certificate at any Hilton family property… so we have a free night on the 24th at the Embassy Suites Orlando airport. We will get our rental car after we land, drive to the hotel – sleep in, have breakfast at the hotel – and then drive home to Jacksonville on Sunday. Sometimes traveling for work is not a bad thing. There can be small benefits.
So – our plans… Of course – we have the wedding on Sunday March 28, 2010. We both have to work the two weeks between the wedding and our honeymoon, and I may even have to travel…. We shall see.
Itinerary –
Friday April 9 – Go to the Jacksonville airport and get our rental car to drive to Canaveral. Finish all packing, prepping, shopping, etc.
Saturday April 10 – out of the house by 8am. If we decide we want to stop for a good breakfast on the way down – we have to leave by 7am. This should allow us to be at Port Canaveral right about 1030am. We will drop off the rental car and take the shuttle back to the Port terminal. Sail away.
Sunday April 11 – Castaway Cay - Eco Watercraft Tour (Lesley did this excursion when we were on the Panama Canal Cruise and it has great reviews in the Passporter Cruise Guide).
Monday April 12 – At Sea
Tuesday April 13 – At Sea
Wednesday April 14 – At Sea – Palo Brunch
Thursday April 15 – At Sea – Palo Dinner (we may change this or add a second depending on schedule of events when we see the cruise navigator).
Friday April 16 – At Sea – Couples Choice Spa villa
Saturday April 17 – At Sea
Sunday April 18 – Maderia, Portugal – Canyoning Excursion. Get ready for the experience of a lifetime as you go canyoning in the mountains of Madeira. Canyoning consists of walking along narrow, winding gorges in the forest, swimming in pure crisp natural pools and passing through waterfalls using basic rope techniques such as abseiling (rappelling).
Monday April 19 – At Sea
Tuesday April 20 – Cadiz, Spain – La Brena Park Bike Adventure Excursion. Enjoy a leisurely cycle ride through the stunning Pine Forest at La Breña Natural Park! This active tour is the best way to experience the beautiful and flourishing landscapes of Andalusia
Wednesday April 21 – Gibraltar – Walking Tour Excursion. Soar high in a cable car above the city, explore St. Michael's Cave and visit the world-famous Barbary Monkeys before touring the labyrinthine Great Siege Tunnels
Thursday April 22 – At Sea – Rasul Spa treatment
Friday April 23 – Barcelona, Spain – Monserrat All Day Excursion. On this full-day excursion you will ascend the towering Montserrat Mountain range via railway and tour the world-famous monastery before returning to sea level and taking a panoramic drive through Barcelona. Lunch included. Free time for souvenir shopping.
Saturday April 24 – Barcelona, Spain – Debark and head to airport for flight to Philadelphia and then Orlando. Spend night at Orlando Embassy Suites.
Sunday April 25 – Drive to Jacksonville, return rental car to JAX.
We may add additional things, esp the Galley Tour, various adult enrichment classes, etc (I loved those on the Panama Canal cruise). I also expect that this will be a low kid cruise since most kiddos are still in school in the middle of April and parents can’t take them out for two solid weeks.
Well – those are the honeymoon plans. Now to get done with the wedding!!!
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Congratulations!!!! What an awesome proposal!! We will be on your cruise also, I can't wait for all of those sea days!!! i am taking my little one out of school but they have a vaction week so it wont be too bad - he's only in kindergarten. I figure I get 8 sea days and he gets Disney kids club! We live on Cape Cod in the same town as Woods Hole Oceanagraphic and MBL, but I bet being a marine Biologist in FL is a blast...and a lot warmer!!!
Good luck with the final details of your upcoming wedding and best wishes!!!!!
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wow. it has been almost a year since the proposal...i can't wait to hear about this cruise. spain is on my bucket list...your itinerary is to die for....i would love to do this cruise and will be wanting to hear how you and chris love it! miss you two crazy kids!
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. I emailed Sara back, had her book a Category 7 navigator’s veranda for us on the eastbound transatlantic relocation cruise. 
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