Our first Transatlantic… Boston to Barcelona to Miami updated 2/19/2016 - Page 8 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
Moving forward now as one
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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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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!
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No, it can't be almost over already.... it feels as if this trip report has just whizzed by!
I bet when you were posting this that, given the temperatures you've got right now (insane! ) the hot tub sounded pretty good to you. We stayed aboard the last time we visited Castaway Cay and you're right, you have the ship to yourself, which is very neat.
Sadly we are coming to the end but there's always next time. Our weather here has been bizarre at best. Wind chills of 47 below one day and 53 degrees the next. So strange. BTW back to cold again. Lol!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Sounds like a nice relaxing day! But did I read right that the goodwill gesture was a bottle of bad wine?!
You read correctly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Wow, can't believe it's almost over. What a nice, relaxing last day on the Magic!
Well I can't believe it but this is the end. My last post.
September 30th…
We awoke to find that we were pulling into port. I did another last minute check and we were out the door and headed for breakfast. We met up with Kris and Larry, grabbing a quick bite. Our time to disembark had not been called as of yet so it was all about the waiting. Oddly enough disembarkation was on the other side of the ship and we decided to jump into line whether we were called or not. Pulling into port
The Miami Terminal
Somewhere up ahead the line stalled. It would seem that someone had fallen and was injured thus halting the disembarkation. We were finally allowed to leave and made our way through the terminal to find our luggage. We waited and watched and waited some more. In the meantime Kris and Larry retrieved their bags so I went over to say goodbye and wish them well. As soon as they left, our bags appeared and we were on our way. While in line we somehow caught up to our friends when I noticed a young woman being led away in handcuffs by security with a man following close behind. What went on, on that ship??? The line seemed to go on forever but soon we were at the customs window and breezed right through. We had made prior arrangements for a ride to the Fort Lauderdale Airport for our trip home (Southwest does not fly out of Miami) and finding the van was no problem. One more goodbye and we boarded the van. No one home
Goodbye Magic
The first part of our flight would take us to Maryland. It was quiet and uneventful which I was grateful but by the size of the peanuts we were served we really needed something more by the time we landed. I remembered when we used to drive down the East coast and how we always stopped at one of the MD hospitality centers. I would get my Pecan Caramel Cinnabon and a drink but one time we stopped at Phillip’s Seafood and found it quite enjoyable, so it was nice to see one here at the airport. We easily got a table and just ordered an appetizer plater to share and some chowder. Quite enough. View from above
Wine and teeny weeny pack of peanuts
Lobster Bisque
Seafood Sampler
Our flight home was quiet and oh so short. We landed in Providence and our driver was there to greet us. An hour later we were home and I started to plan our next vacation. Hey no time like the present. Getting dark out there
All in all it was a great vacation. I will never forget our first international flight and Barcelona. We hope to return someday though sadly we would not be staying at the wonderful Hotel Montecarlo. We heard later that the hotel was closing. The owners sold it and all those wonderful people are now out of a job.
Cruising with someone that we knew was fantastic. Dining with friends is much more fun than dining alone not to mention tours and such. Dan is working on improving his cribbage skills for another match next time.
I did however contact DCL with my grievances after a day or two or sorting things out in my head. This is not me. I’m not a complainer but there was just so many things going wrong. I did receive an answer as well as a personal phone call from Joel, a DCL representative. We were given 25% off our next cruise as well as an additional $150 OBC on top of the $200 we have. To think all I really wanted was a sincere apology not a snide remark from a junior officer.
When I unpacked I realized my swimsuit was missing. Our bag was opened in customs so did I lose it there or did I leave it on the ship? Guess I’ll never know. Oh well I wanted a new one anyway.
To those of you that may have wondered all that food packed on a whopping 12 lbs. of extra weight on me and around 15 on Dan. Despite the Winter I have been dieting and have lost that and more. Dan’s doing even better. Hate him! Lol!
I want to thank you all for joining me on our journey and look forward to the next. At the time I was writing this my scanner was having a fight with my Windows 10 upgrade so I couldn’t scan our shots from Shutters. Strangely enough I almost bought the prepackage deal with Shutters thinking of all the wonderful pictures I would get to choose from but this time I only managed to find 5 photos. Where were the photographers??? Lol!
Until next time…Have a magical day! Embarkation Photo
Formal Night
Semi-Formal
Palo Dinner – Dan barely finished his antipasti when he had oil on his brand new Mickey tie that I bought him just for tonight’s dinner. So he went gangster for the rest of the evening. Lol!
Great finish. I'm glad they compensated you a little for all the little things that went wrong. I hear you on an honest apology. That can go a long ways. Here's to your next trip!
Thanks so much for taking us along on a wonderful trip. I'm glad you followed up with Disney on what happened and they at least gave you something as compensation.
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) the hot tub sounded pretty good to you. 
We stayed aboard the last time we visited Castaway Cay and you're right, you have the ship to yourself, which is very neat. 
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