A magical Mediterranean vacation COMPLETED - Page 4 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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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.
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I would have had tears in my eyes too after the ordeal of getting there and then finding the special gifts left in the room. So sweet of Sara! I have been eagerly waiting for your pictures of the ship to start because as of July 24, Luke and I are booked on board the Magic for a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise in December. Our room will not be too far from where yours was as it is room 6080. The Senses Spa looks fabulous and I'm really hoping they have a first day deal on our cruise as that may be the only way I can talk Luke in to something.
Oh wow - congrats!
Don't hold your breath for a deal on your first day on board. On every other cruise, we've seen really good deals, but not this time. However, do keep your eye on your daily Navigator, as there was a really good deal offered later in this cruise that I took up.
Saturday 5 July – part seven: are we ever going to sail away?
When we came out of Senses Spa, we were both hungry, although I wasn’t that hungry, so I just grabbed an ice cream, which I figured would do me. I think Mark got a kebab, although I’m not sure, as tiredness suddenly really hit me, and that was it for me, I needed to get back to the room, so that’s where we headed back to.
While there, we sampled our chocolate and alcohol ( :thank: you again Sara! )…
….. and waited for both our luggage to turn up (no joy) and the mandatory boat drill. As I knew it was outside, I wanted to get down there early to a) find somewhere out of the sun and b) to sit down if possible, as I was just too shattered to stand for a long period of time. We were one of the first there, when we arrived at 3:45pm, and I lucked out and managed to get a seat. Phew!
Honestly, maybe I’m being unfair here, especially as we did go down early, but I just felt as if it dragged and dragged on, and there were a couple of kids who were struggling to pay attention. I think we were eventually released at maybe 4:15pm, as we were back in our room a few moments later. I managed to snag a photo of a lifeboat on the way back, as one was open…
I’d decided not to do the sailaway party, as I always find them rammed with almost everyone who’s on the boat, and it’s just too much for me. I much prefer to sail out from our own room. After all, isn’t that what a veranda is for?
Well, let’s just say that the sailaway party may have started at 4:30pm, but we did not leave at that time. First, we heard an announcement, only made in Spanish, but I could understand enough that we were missing a passenger…
Then finally, after no sign of movement, the captain came on at around 5:10pm to tell us that we wouldn’t be departing until 5:30pm or 5:45pm. Now given that we’d seen the tugs getting ready earlier, and we were pretty sure they were for us, our guess is that the passenger delayed us and we missed our departure time…
The AquaDunk was right above our heads…
Finally, our cases made it just before 5:30pm, but only after Mark collared a Cast Member. It’s the latest we’ve ever received our luggage, and not overly impressive.
While we were still unpacking, we started to move out of port, and Mark suggested we head up to the decks to see us sail away, so we did. This wasn’t much after 5:30pm. Remember that – it will become important later on…
We headed up to deck 10, from where you could see Venice in the distance…
Slowly, we began to do an impressive 360 degree turn in the port…
… so we wandered from the forward to the aft, getting some photos on the way…
… and finally we were facing towards Venice. We’d be going out past it!
What an ordeal to get to the port. I always get anxious going to unfamiliar places and that would've made me a bit panicky.
Seeing the ship decks gave a pang to my heart....I just love walking around on top and I had that wonderful feeling.....I guess I need another cruise!!!
I have been working on my spa pictures recently and we took a lot of the same types of pictures too. I enjoy walking around there on the first day and taking it all in.
That did seem like a long time to get your luggage.
Sailing away! I'm with you on skipping the Sail-away party. Too many people and too loud for me. The ship looks beautiful. I love the Magic.
It's interesting - I heard so many people say how the Magic is their favourite. Honestly, I came back from this trip feeling as if I like it, but it's definitely not my favourite. There were quite a few things on board that were showing their age, shall we say, which I found disappointing, given the recent work they've done on her.
What an ordeal to get to the port. I always get anxious going to unfamiliar places and that would've made me a bit panicky.
Seeing the ship decks gave a pang to my heart....I just love walking around on top and I had that wonderful feeling.....I guess I need another cruise!!!
Well, you know what the solution to that particular problem is...
It's interesting - I heard so many people say how the Magic is their favourite. Honestly, I came back from this trip feeling as if I like it, but it's definitely not my favourite. There were quite a few things on board that were showing their age, shall we say, which I found disappointing, given the recent work they've done on her.
That's too bad... I hoped that the re-imagining would have spruced things up. I haven't been on the Magic since 2008, and she was looking very good then! The Wonder is my favorite, though, because I love the big Cove Cafe with the great views. I haven't sailed on the Fantasy or Dream and have no desire to do so unless they ever leave the Caribbean.
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That's too bad... I hoped that the re-imagining would have spruced things up. I haven't been on the Magic since 2008, and she was looking very good then! The Wonder is my favorite, though, because I love the big Cove Cafe with the great views. I haven't sailed on the Fantasy or Dream and have no desire to do so unless they ever leave the Caribbean.
Don't get me wrong, the new parts look really good, but I was expecting everything to have been spruced up. There were just bits that hadn't been and it's a shame, as it would've taken so little effort to do them as well.
I hope the Dream and the Fantasy do leave the Caribbean one day and you get the chance to try them.
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I have been eagerly waiting for your pictures of the ship to start because as of July 24, Luke and I are booked on board the Magic for a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise in December. Our room will not be too far from where yours was as it is room 6080. The Senses Spa looks fabulous and I'm really hoping they have a first day deal on our cruise as that may be the only way I can talk Luke in to something. 
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First, we heard an announcement, only made in Spanish, but I could understand enough that we were missing a passenger… 
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