(Used to be) Live from the Magic - Christmas Cruise 2008 - now with pictures pg4

[nzdisneymom]

I decided to get some internet minutes and post our trip report "live" as a Christmas present to myself.

Cast:
Cindy D. (me)
Gary (DH)
Nathan (DS12)
Zachary (DS11)
from north Florida.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We booked this trip in February 2007 and decided to keep it as a surprise from the boys. Twenty-two and a half months later, we told the boys that we were going on a Disney Cruise TOMORROW!

We live in north Florida, so we drove down to Port Canaveral on Friday afternoon, arriving around 8 p.m. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites. When we checked in, we asked about a roll-away and ended up being upgraded (for free) to a suite, which was fabulous since we had so much luggage for the cruise and figured we were about to spend 7 nights in a shoebox. We really enjoyed the hotel, finding it clean and comfortable.

Saturday:
We woke up Saturday morning around 7 a.m. It’s cruise day! We could see the Carnival Glory from our hotel room. We had breakfast and were back in the room around 8:15, with plenty of time until our 10:30 shuttle time. It was the longest time to wait! But finally it was time to get a luggage cart – about 9:50 a.m. We went outside with our luggage to wait, but the shuttle driver asked if we were going to the Disney ship and if we were ready, she could take us right then. There was another couple ready to go, too, so she took us and dropped us off at the Port.

Drop off was easy; she dropped us in front, a porter came to help with our luggage, and pointed us in the direction of the terminal entrance. While we were waiting in line to enter the terminal, we met DianaLyn and her two girls; her DH had dropped them off and went to park their car. After we got into the terminal, I raced for the Castaway Cay line, failing to get my boarding card because the CMs were talking to someone else and I didn’t remember that I needed to get something from them. While waiting in line, we met dbxad, xsjackson and her family, and alikat and her family. It was fun to meet fellow-DISers that we’ve been getting to know via the Meet thread.

Check-in was a breeze. The CM told me to “find a friend” to board with, but I went back to get a boarding card just-in-case (we got #6). While I was putting my papers and such away, Tinkerbell_29 saw us, so she came over with her mom and brother (ChefMickeyMousse) and we got reacquainted. They had boarding card #4 so they adopted us for boarding purposes. We passed the time catching up and also some of us getting our pictures made with Mickey and Minnie.

We boarded around noon and went straight for Deck 9 where DS11 was first-in-line at Pluto’s for his traditional first-lunch hot dog. I joined him by getting a hamburger, while DS12 went straight for the ice-cream machine. DH went through the buffet line at Topsiders where it was not busy at all. We got a table inside, and I saw the salad station so I got a delicious freshly made Caesar salad. Mmm…. When the boys finished lunch, they went to get a Navigator for us so we could see what programming there was today.

One of the things I wanted to see on the ship was the area where the captain and crew can stand out to the side of the ship to see for docking, so DH took me to see it. Then we took the boys to check out Ocean Quest. It is a perfect solution for my 11 and 12 year old boys and they both spent quite a bit of time there already. We talked with Darren, one of the counselors, who explained how OQ works, and then we went to the Lab and picked up a pager.

We all went our own way and met back up just in time to enter the cabin at 1:30. Our luggage came pretty quickly so we were able to get unpacked without any effort. I read the navigator and accompanying papers in great detail, noting some things I wanted to do like the gingerbread house decorating class on Thursday. I was fortunate to get tickets to the 2:00 session, so we have something else to look forward to.

3:00 and time for the DIS Meet. Nearly everyone from the thread who had been active was there, full of travel-tales that made us remark several times how glad we are that we live in north Florida and didn’t have to worry with travel woes. Thankfully everyone made it to the ship (we think). It was great fun to put names and faces together.

Time for the safety drill, so off we went with life preservers and sunglasses – only we didn’t need them because we’re port-side and had the shade! Yay! Safety drill went pretty quickly, and then the boys got their Dramamine. I remembered to give it early because on our last trip, I didn’t give it til dinner and we were already a bit past gone. by taking it early, that has seemed to help tremendously. The boys skidaddled back to OQ with instructions to meet us at the Adventures Away party or at dinner.

The Adventures Away party was fun, and everyone there that we saw was in good spirits and not crowding, pushing, trying to be in front. It was really nice. DS11 and I went on the deck 9 floor and enjoyed being a part of the crowd. Then we met DH up on Deck 10 and crossed over to starboard side to watch what the captain and crew were going to do. But it was about 5:15 and we still hadn’t cast off, so I went back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. DS11 went back to OQ.

I had read a recent thread about a duo Calypso Magic performing, so when I saw they were playing tonight before dinner, I made sure to go to the Promenade Lounge early. I left instructions with DH to meet me there in time for our dinner at 6:00. I really enjoyed them and went up to tell them that I had read about them on DIS Boards and had also enjoyed reading their blog.

I saw Tinkerbell_29 without her family, so she sat with me in the Promenade Lounge until they got there. Her mother is celebrating her birthday this trip. so they had given her a pink feathered hat which she graciously brought with her. I pointed out to the Calypso Magic duo that it was her birthday, so they sang a song especially for her that he made up on the fly. And she took a picture. It was fun. They gave a good shout-out to the DISBoards, too!

Our dinner rotation is PLALAPL which is nice because that means we had 6 p.m. seating rather than 5:30 or 5:45. And it also means that first night is crème brulee cheesecake for dessert! The boys met us in time for dinner, and we were shown to our table. We are at a 4-top, so we are by ourselves which is really how we prefer it (or should I say how I prefer it because it means that DH will eat with me in the dining rooms so I won’t have to eat alone). DS12 didn’t stay long at all (two bites of a roll and off he went to OQ), but DS11 stayed for a quick dinner of mac-and-cheese. Our servers are Fernando and Gary (assistant server) and Fitz (head server). Our service tonight was quick and attentive which we really appreciated. Fernando said that they try especially hard on the first night to get things out quickly because everyone is tired and cranky and ready to eat and go. LOL. We are not planning to go to the dining room for formal night which is tomorrow, so we made sure to let them know that. Dessert was the yummy crème brulee cheesecake which was as good as I remembered. Mmmm…..

After dinner, we went to King Triton’s tree lighting which was sweet, and now the decorated ship is all it up. We saw the gingerbread house earlier which was phenomenal even though some of it has been broken off, probably by the busy-hands of children.

DCL is offering special pins that are “free with purchase” so after the tree lighting, we went to Mickey’s Mates where I found two mugs for $5 each (on sale). The boys have been drinking hot chocolate at home so I figured that they will enjoy the mugs. And I got my free pin. It was busy in there, though – we should’ve waited til the evening show started.

I delivered a few FE gifts and then DH and I went for a walk to the ice cream machine to see if DS12 had left anything there. He had – so we got some ice cream. DS11 was doing the Guitar Hero in OQ which was an organized event. DS12 came back to the cabin to order a Mickey Ice Cream bar, so we had him get cookies and milk while he was at it for later.

I’m typing this trip report as we go, but as often happens on vacation, I don’t remember everything chronologically.

The flat screen tvs in the rooms are really nice.

(if you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I'll try to answer or find out.)

 

[Sophie_2003]

Lucky you!!!

Can you find out if there is any kind of baking/crafting with food that replaces gingerbread houses in January, like cookie decorating or something? DD loves that stuff!
tks!

 

[giljr]

When you go to Palo, can you find out if Marco is still there? My wife is asking me every day if I have heard anything about him from the DISboards.

Thanks!

 

[CastleCreations]

Who is your cruise director....is Christiaan still on board, or did Brent come back?

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

Who is your cruise director....is Christiaan still on board, or did Brent come back?

Just got off the ship today and Christian was there with us all week.

 

[frdeb1999]

So glad that you are enjoying your trip! Our dd loved the gingerbread making!! It was one of the biggest highlights for her!

 

[DMMarla07860]

hope you enjoy your trip, what cruise staff is on the cruise? if David is find out when he is getting off the ship if you have time if not no big deal, wish I could go this time of year

 

[anetnmike]

can't wait to follow along with you!

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Who is your cruise director....is Christiaan still on board, or did Brent come back?

you really do have a one track mind

 

[nzdisneymom]

Lucky you!!!

We really are! And we realize how lucky we are and are so thankful that we have been able to make this trip!

Can you find out if there is any kind of baking/crafting with food that replaces gingerbread houses in January, like cookie decorating or something? DD loves that stuff!
tks!

I will definitely ask.

When you go to Palo, can you find out if Marco is still there? My wife is asking me every day if I have heard anything about him from the DISboards.

We don't have Palo reservations, but I will see if I can find out. Several other DISers are going to Palo throughout the week.

Who is your cruise director....is Christiaan still on board, or did Brent come back?

Christiaan is our cruise director.

hope you enjoy your trip, what cruise staff is on the cruise? if David is find out when he is getting off the ship if you have time if not no big deal, wish I could go this time of year

So far I know Jen and Marc as cruise staff that I can remember their names. And DJ Mike. I am trying to remember CM names this trip so I can put them on the comment forms. Oh, Jay is also on - DH ran into him (LOL - pun intended) at this morning's 5K.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Saturday evening:

The boys wanted to see Mickey Mania in Studio Sea at 9:45, so I told them I would meet them there. There weren’t many guests there when I arrived about 9:35, so I got a nice spot up-front. The boys each came in from OQ and we got situated for the game. DS12 and DS11 both really wanted to play, so when they were choosing teams for the game, I had to pick one to try to play with. I picked DS12 with a promise to DS11 that next game onboard that I would choose him. We were selected last to be the Purple Plutos. Mickey Mania was hosted by Jen from the Cruise Staff who did a great job. The game is a series of questions where the contestants answer one question and the audience answers the next question with the option to give their points to whichever team they wanted to. We had a great time playing, and when we got to round three, DS12 really rocked by answering nearly all of the “Name that Toon” questions. We won the game and got a Mickey Mania button with a red champion ribbon on it! One of the audience members, a sweet little girl named Anastasia, had answered an audience question and given us her 50 points, which is how much we won by. She wanted to meet us after the game so we made a really big deal about her helping us so much! She was so sweet.

DS11 and I walked through Shutters to see our Mickey and Minnie pictures and then up to Pinnochio’s so he could get some late-night pizza. Back to the room for showers, and then off to bed. DH was watching Fred Claus on the television. I fell asleep before it was over, but not before I read Sunday’s Navigator from cover-to-cover, making our list of things to do. Because when we wake up on Sunday morning, we’ll be at the first of two stops at Castaway Cay!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Sunday:

I woke up around 4:30 a.m. wondering where we were. I looked out and saw lights on nearby land, so I checked out the television for the channel where it shows where we are – we were just sailing by Freeport, Nassau. Back to sleep until I woke up at 8:15 to the sound of DH heading out the door to run.

DH said he saw the CM Jay who organizes runs on the ship and on Castaway Cay, so he talked to him about a run on Friday on the island which they are going to do. The boys and I got up and had breakfast at Topsiders. It was busy, but not too bad, so we found a table and the boys ate quickly and headed out to Ocean Quest for the early morning time. I told them to be back in the Cabin by 9:30 so we could be ready to go to Castaway Cay.

DH got back from running around 9:15 so he still had to have breakfast and get ready to go, but the boys wanted to do the Search for Atlantis with OQ at 10:15, so I took them and one of our walkie-talkies so that DH could call me when he got onto the island.

I took the boys to Grouper’s Pavilion where they met CM Jacyln who is one of the OQ staff. I loved that she said hi to them by name! DS11 was wearing his D-Sea-U shirt from a previous cruise, so she told me how the shirts have changed and said she might be able to hook us up with the new ones for the boys if they want them. I left the boys with instructions to meet me on the Sports Beach, found a chair, and had got situated, waiting for DH.

DH called on the walkie-talkie; I told him where to meet me, and about 15 minutes he was there. Aaahhh… it was so nice to be kid-free and in one of my favorite places! We saw Tinksmom and her DD who had just finished Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure and were getting floats for the day.

The OQ group came by and DS12 decided to stay with us while DS11 went to finish their adventure and have lunch. Tinksmom let DS12 try out the float while they were not using it which was so sweet. DS12 enjoyed it, and we ended up with our chairs at the edge of the water just enjoying the sun and water. Our DHs met out in the water and were talking for quite a while before they came back to shore around noon. Then DH, DS12, and I went up to Grouper Pavilion to wait for DS11. While there, DS12 played foosball with one of the cruise staff Marc, and DH shot pool and basketball. I just relaxed under the shade and enjoyed the cool breeze.

Lunch was at Cookies’ BBQ – same fare as usual – ribs, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, pineapple upside down cake. Today they also had vanilla snickers ice cream, so I had a cone of it for dessert.

We stopped by First Aid to take DS11 in because on each of our other stops at Castaway Cay, he has needed First Aid attention, so we knew it would not be a complete trip to Castaway Cay without at least saying hello to the First Aid staff 

On our last trip to CC, the boys and DH had rented a paddleboat and had a great time, so I had told them that on our next trip, I would do it with them. It was a beautiful afternoon to do it, without much water movement – unlike the choppy water they had previously. We were able to get pretty close to the Flying Dutchman which was so very cool to see. The boys did all the work, too, as DH and I enjoyed a leisurely boat-ride around the area. We told them if the weather is cooperative on Friday that we’ll do the work and let them ride. That’s fair enough, don’t you think?

We have several more things we want to do today, including a nap for DH, so we headed back on board, ready for a shower. It’s been a beautiful day at Castaway Cay, and as I’m writing this, I hear the joyful sounds of guests who are coming in from a full day on the island!

 

[DMMarla07860]

Oh, Jay is also on - DH ran into him (LOL - pun intended) at this morning's 5K.

glad to hear that

and from reading sound like a great trip so far

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Loving your live TR!!!! Wish I were on the Magic right now too!!!

 

[nzdisneymom]

Sunday continued:

After DH’s nap, we delivered a few more FE gifts on our way to the DVC Members Celebrations where we saw several DISers. Unfortunately none of us had our names drawn for either a prize or the $200 on-board credit. But DISer Deb T. gave me a tip on a previous cruise – be sure to attend the Group Presentations to increase your chances of winning something. And the DVC lady today said to be sure to come because they always like to have Members there. The on-board incentives are pretty good, but as much as we’d like to add on, we can’t right now. DH was glad to get his DVC cap since we forgot to pack a cap for him, and as he says “I’m not 20 any more – I have way less hair than before.”

Next we went to the Promenade Lounge to get some chips and salsa (they put them out every afternoon at 5 p.m.) and listen to Calypso Magic. By the way, they said “hello” to the CT gang! They remembered us from yesterday which was really fun and even made up a song for us. It’s a nice way to relax before dinner and just enjoy some fun tunes. They are really good and we have enjoyed them. Tinkerbell_29 and her family came by all decked out in their formalwear, so we hung out for bit til it was time for their dinner.

Tonight is formal night, but DH didn’t want to get dressed up, and I’ve always wanted to try Topsiders for dinner, so this was a great opportunity to make everyone happy  Because they don’t open until 6:30 for dinner, we walked through the shops. They are having a special where on Saturday, Monday, and Thursday you can get a free collectible pin if you purchase anything in the shops onboard. So I was making my list for tomorrow morning when they open at 9 a.m. They have t-shirts at 40% off and all 2008 DCL stuff is 50% off. Time to get the boys a new DCL t-shirt – they have the 10th anniversary ones that are nice.

Dinner at Topsiders was enjoyable. It was not very busy as I guess most folks either went to formal night or Palo or room service or Pluto’s or…. We had a table by the window. We ordered Caesar salad (are you seeing a theme here?), and then DH got the jumbo shrimp and pasta while I had the Porterhouse Steak (something I’ve never had before). Our server was Allan from the Philippines and he was really great. The boys ate dinner in the room from Deck 9 and then went back to Ocean Quest. DS11 said he was the two-time champ of the Disney Wii game “Think Fast” which we nearly bought them for Christmas. Their uncle asked what to get them, so maybe we’ll suggest that!

We stopped by the launderette on Deck 6 to see if there was any availability of a washer / dryer. Nearly all of them were empty, so we raced back to the cabin to get our laundry. It was a perfect time to do it. The washers are new since we last sailed on the Magic. Wash is 25 minutes for $1.00, and drying is 45 minutes for $1. We checked the time to see when to return to change the laundry out and then just enjoyed the peace and quiet while the boys were still out.

 

[podsnel]

Oh, I'm so happy for you- it sounds like you're having a magical time! I just posted pics of Fitz in my TR- he was our head server, too- he really is ALL THAT in his pirate hat on pirate night!!

Thanks for taking the time to post for us!

Ellen

 

[nzdisneymom]

Sunday, continued.

Our laundry finished up quickly, and it was nice to not have anyone else in the launderette, so I was able to get everything folded *and* ironed what needed ironing all at the same time!

We ordered room service for a BLT and some cookies. We got both oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip, plus milk for the kids. I like the oatmeal raisin cookies the best, so I think we’ll be getting a plate of those each evening.

DS11 wanted to go to Disney Karaoke at 10:15, so he met me in the cabin at 10 and we walked down together. By the time we got there, he decided he wanted to just go back to OQ, so I went to meet Tinkerbell_29 in Rockin’ Bar D for the cabaret performance by Ricky Kalmon, hypnotist. He’s doing the main show on Monday night. I enjoyed the show that he did, but will skip the Walt Disney Theater performance as I want to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua in the Buena Vista. Because we were surprising the boys with this trip, we had not gone to see several Disney movies that have been recently released because we knew we’d be able to see them onboard!

After the show in RBD, there were snacks set up, so we got a few things and went to the Promenade Lounge to eat and relax a few minutes. Calypso Magic was finishing up their last set for the night. They, and all the bands on board, work hard as well as all the cruise staff to keep us entertained. Oh yeah, someone had asked if David is on board – he sure is! He is the host for the RBD this voyage.

~~~~~
Thanks so much for following along with us! If you have any questions or whatever, please be sure to ask. The internet connection has not been bad at all. I'm working wirelessly from our stateroom.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Monday – a Day at Sea

I woke up around 6:30 which is my usual time to get up on a weekday. I hate how my body didn’t realize it was on vacation, so I was awake for a bit. The sun had not yet risen, but I sat out on the verandah for a bit as we sailed along. The water was smooth and peaceful. Then I got smart and went back to sleep 

I woke up at 8:45, and as I got up, so did the rest of my family. The boys were out the door to OQ by 9 a.m. I went for a walk on Deck 9 to the Cove Café where I had a small pastry with my Diet Coke for breakfast. Cove Café is a really nice, quiet area. There was a woman who had headphones on watching CNN. She started to tell me something that she had just seen but I really didn’t want to know – I’m on vacation, don’t you know?

Our DIS-Meet group was having an ornament exchange at 9:30 in the Promenade Lounge. Oops – it was already booked with Disney Playhouse activity for the little kids. But we took over one end of the lounge. We had 17 DISers participating. Each of us brought an ornament, and then BearFan (who coordinated it) put a sticky-note on each one as it came in, and then when it was time for the exchange, we each got to draw a number. It turned out we were one ornament short at the end, but when BearFan called to find out if someone had gotten one that hadn’t brought one, another guest sheepishly brought hers back -- she wasn’t part of the group. oops. What was funny was that Tinkerbell_29 drew the number for the ornament we brought, and I drew the number for the ornament she brought!

Then BearFan passed out the Digital Scavenger Hunt list. She and her DH put together a list of 30 items to get a picture of from around the ship. Some are pretty easy, some are open to interpretation, and some are a bit more of a challenge. The bonus is adorable – a little girls in a princess outfit getting an autograph from the same princess.

We got a group photo done in the atrium. Tinkerbell_29’s brother took it from Deck 4’s lookover as we were on the steps by Lumiere’s. It looks like it turned out really well. Many of us wore our Meet shirts today. Someone said they heard a comment about how many of us there were in that family (LOL).

I went back to the cabin just as DH was heading to breakfast, so I joined him for a light breakfast at Topsiders. I always like to have fresh pineapple at breakfast on the ship… mmmmm….

The Castaway Club meeting was at 11:00. There are between 1,100 and 1,200 returning guests this cruise. Captain Tom was there and talked about the 2010 itineraries. I found out that our assistant cruise director is Darren. I also found that I can carry four bottles of Evian and four Mickey-shaped rice krispie treats up three floors and down the length of the ship without dropping them!

Today was another day to get a free collectible pin with purchase, so I went by Mickey’s Mates and got another mug for DH and t-shirts for the boys (Tenth Anniversary ones). Then off to the DVC Group presentation to take a chance on winning an onboard credit (didn’t happen).

Back to the cabin around 1:40 where I met DH on his way out to lunch. Good thing he went when he did as they stopped serving at 2 p.m. We went to Topsiders where they were having Italian buffet. I skipped the Italian buffet in favor of chicken tenders from Plutos. Here’s a trivia question… how many chicken tenders are cooked each day onboard the Magic? Answer: All of them – they don’t serve raw chicken (LOL). But for those wanting numbers, it’s about 3,500.

One of the things I wanted to do this trip was do some things I’ve not done before, so I took my invitation and went to the Art Auction. It was really interesting to see how it worked, and the woman next to me bought something. Actually several people did. They were all out of my league, but it was an enjoyable hour and I learned some things. (oh no – learning on a vacation!) They had a raffle at the end and I won a free stock picture of the Magic from Shutters, so I chose the one with the Mickey and Goofy shaped clouds. We also each got to pick up a free art-work, and we can get $30 off the iso-something treatment in the spa (the thing that makes you lose inches without effort).

I went back to the cabin and found DH and DS12 watching Kung Fu Panda. DS11 was in OQ still, although I had seen him earlier with some friends doing the Ultimate Scavenger Hunt that they had in OQ. We noticed that the ship had started rocking a bit more – we haven’t had much until today. We are going slowly by Cuba as we have been for much of the day.

We had a knock at the door, and Tinkerbell_29 and her mom and brother greeted us with a plate of desserts from their Tea at Palo. They said it was really good and were so sweet to share some of the desserts with us.

Tonight is Pirate night which makes DH happy because it means jeans in the dining room. It makes me happy because it means fajitas and crepes on Deck 9 tonight!

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Monday – a Day at Sea

I woke up around 6:30 which is my usual time to get up on a weekday. I hate how my body didn’t realize it was on vacation, so I was awake for a bit. The sun had not yet risen, but I sat out on the verandah for a bit as we sailed along. The water was smooth and peaceful. Then I got smart and went back to sleep 

I woke up at 8:45, and as I got up, so did the rest of my family. The boys were out the door to OQ by 9 a.m. I went for a walk on Deck 9 to the Cove Café where I had a small pastry with my Diet Coke for breakfast. Cove Café is a really nice, quiet area. There was a woman who had headphones on watching CNN. She started to tell me something that she had just seen but I really didn’t want to know – I’m on vacation, don’t you know?

Our DIS-Meet group was having an ornament exchange at 9:30 in the Promenade Lounge. Oops – it was already booked with Disney Playhouse activity for the little kids. But we took over one end of the lounge. We had 17 DISers participating. Each of us brought an ornament, and then BearFan (who coordinated it) put a sticky-note on each one as it came in, and then when it was time for the exchange, we each got to draw a number. It turned out we were one ornament short at the end, but when BearFan called to find out if someone had gotten one that hadn’t brought one, another guest sheepishly brought hers back -- she wasn’t part of the group. oops. What was funny was that Tinkerbell_29 drew the number for the ornament we brought, and I drew the number for the ornament she brought!

Then BearFan passed out the Digital Scavenger Hunt list. She and her DH put together a list of 30 items to get a picture of from around the ship. Some are pretty easy, some are open to interpretation, and some are a bit more of a challenge. The bonus is adorable – a little girls in a princess outfit getting an autograph from the same princess.

We got a group photo done in the atrium. Tinkerbell_29’s brother took it from Deck 4’s lookover as we were on the steps by Lumiere’s. It looks like it turned out really well. Many of us wore our Meet shirts today. Someone said they heard a comment about how many of us there were in that family (LOL).

I went back to the cabin just as DH was heading to breakfast, so I joined him for a light breakfast at Topsiders. I always like to have fresh pineapple at breakfast on the ship… mmmmm….

The Castaway Club meeting was at 11:00. There are between 1,100 and 1,200 returning guests this cruise. Captain Tom was there and talked about the 2010 itineraries. I found out that our assistant cruise director is Darren. I also found that I can carry four bottles of Evian and four Mickey-shaped rice krispie treats up three floors and down the length of the ship without dropping them!

Today was another day to get a free collectible pin with purchase, so I went by Mickey’s Mates and got another mug for DH and t-shirts for the boys (Tenth Anniversary ones). Then off to the DVC Group presentation to take a chance on winning an onboard credit (didn’t happen).

Back to the cabin around 1:40 where I met DH on his way out to lunch. Good thing he went when he did as they stopped serving at 2 p.m. We went to Topsiders where they were having Italian buffet. I skipped the Italian buffet in favor of chicken tenders from Plutos. Here’s a trivia question… how many chicken tenders are cooked each day onboard the Magic? Answer: All of them – they don’t serve raw chicken (LOL). But for those wanting numbers, it’s about 3,500.

One of the things I wanted to do this trip was do some things I’ve not done before, so I took my invitation and went to the Art Auction. It was really interesting to see how it worked, and the woman next to me bought something. Actually several people did. They were all out of my league, but it was an enjoyable hour and I learned some things. (oh no – learning on a vacation!) They had a raffle at the end and I won a free stock picture of the Magic from Shutters, so I chose the one with the Mickey and Goofy shaped clouds. We also each got to pick up a free art-work, and we can get $30 off the iso-something treatment in the spa (the thing that makes you lose inches without effort).

I went back to the cabin and found DH and DS12 watching Kung Fu Panda. DS11 was in OQ still, although I had seen him earlier with some friends doing the Ultimate Scavenger Hunt that they had in OQ. We noticed that the ship had started rocking a bit more – we haven’t had much until today. We are going slowly by Cuba as we have been for much of the day.

We had a knock at the door, and Tinkerbell_29 and her mom and brother greeted us with a plate of desserts from their Tea at Palo. They said it was really good and were so sweet to share some of the desserts with us.

Tonight is Pirate night which makes DH happy because it means jeans in the dining room. It makes me happy because it means fajitas and crepes on Deck 9 tonight!

Sounds like you are having a wonderful sea day! Enjoy your evening!

 

[Queenofthecastle]

Thanks for letting us vacation vicariously through your live trip report! We are stuck here in 10" of snow in Portland, Oregon without any relief in sight, so thank you! Looking forward to reading more soon! Enjoy the Magic!