DisneyWhirled
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2003
Cast & Crew:
DH-John
Me-Karen
DS-Colby (10)
DD-Kaylee (7)
Being that I learned so much from these boards and everyones trip reports, I thought it important that I pay it forward and do a trip report as well.
In an effort to make our report interesting, I thought I would start out with a list Perrons Top 9 Tips of 09. Then, as the report progresses, I will go more into detail. I have included pictures, too, choosing the ones that best fit the story. I had 300 to choose from!! I hope you enjoy!!
1. DONT OVERPACK!!!! Yes, youve read this 100+ times here before and each person posting it was right!!! We did a combination of WDW and the Cruise and wanted to make sure that we had enough clothes to be able to change in the very hot weather. We had time on the day at sea to do laundry as well as at our WDW hotel. We could have brought half our luggage and have had plenty. I told DH that we have to cruise again really soon so that I can practice packing the right way!
2. Bring an LED alarm clock and a nightlight. Another great tip from the DIS boards. The only clock in the room did not light up.
3. If you are not bringing water onboard, sign up for the water package. We purchased the small package and this worked great for bringing to CC and our Nassau excursion.
4. If you are putting your tips on your room charge, do it early. I went down to Guest Services on CC day in the late afternoon and settled everything with no lines at all. We then gave the servers/stateroom host their tips on the last night of the trip. They were all very grateful. Additionally, get to know the crew. Peter the CD was awesome and was everywhere!! He was kind enough to pose for a photo with the kids and me. Our servers Plamen and Stevan were gracious and Arturo, our stateroom host was so friendly. Finally, the entertainment staff is so talented and energetic. I dont know how they stay so happy. We especially loved Chance, Lucy, Steve & Pikey. And we cannot forget Leslie (heard during bingo .I have an I can you say I-eee).
5. Decorate your door and partake in a Fish Extender swap. We got so many compliments on our door and the kids had a blast putting the magnets up. They were also thrilled to find treats in our FE when we returned.
6. See the shows! They were phenomenal. My DD marveled at the Disney Dreams show when it was over. She looked right at me and said, That was awesome!!
7. Have your camera and autograph book with you at all times! The character interaction on the ship is great! Goofy gave us pepper at our first lunch at Parrot Cay. There are so many characters around and photo opportunities.
8. Another DIS Board tip, but worth repeating. Buy your photo package early on. We purchased our package on the first night and then spent the rest of the trip browsing the photos to determine what we wanted. The people at Shutters were so friendly and helpful, we were not rushed at all to make a selection.
9. Re-book on the cruise. And, a tip for those of you who are DVC members (I found this out too late). You can re-book on cash during the cruise (pay the deposit) and then anytime before you make your final payment, move it to points through DVC. Your deposit will be credited back to you and any on board credit will be applied as a point credit.
Day 1
We began our vacation with two days at WDW (AKL Kidani) and hired Happy Limo to bring us from WDW to Port Canaveral. They picked us up at 10:00AM to get us to the port for 11:30. I sat up front so I could get a pic of the first sight of the ship. I was so excited to see the beautiful ship as we made our way over the bridge. It is huge and gorgeous!! Thankfully, our driver did not think I was nuts and gave me hints on when to take a picture. We arrived at the Port and walked right up to check-in. How excited I was to get APPT for our rotation!! This meant that we would not miss any of the restaurants when we went to Palo on the third night. From check-in we made it over to get our pictures and check the kids into the clubs. After, we had some time to take a picture with Mickey. Before we knew it, we were being called to board. We didnt have a low boarding number, but we did not wait very long to get on the ship and didnt feel rushed.
After having the obligatory photo (which we did buy, of course) we walked on the ship and they announced our name. DH and kids thought that was really neat, as I did try to keep a few things a surprise. The staff was directing passengers to lunch, so I told them that we would like to eat at Parrot Cay. They directed us right to the restaurant.
The buffet was scrumptious and we ate WAAAYYY too much!! I tried to be good as I knew that we had the main dinner seating. Personally, my favorite dishes at this buffet were the coleslaw, potato salad, cold pasta & tomato salad and the peel and eat shrimp. The dessert bar was very well presented, so of course we had to induldge!! Yes, the pic below that is Goofy putting pepper on Colby's food!
We finished lunch around 1:00 or so and then made our way to check out the pools. There were plenty of passengers sunning and swimming because it was VERY hot on deck. As we were walking, I spotted MandyMouse and her hubby and greeted them both. My DH was surprised that I recognized Mandy from her pics on the meet thread. One thing I LOVED about cruising is that you often see the same people several times, even if it is just to say hello or to recognize a face. It kind of made me feel we all lived in the same community. Isnt that weird?? Even the entertainment staff, we would see them everywhere and a few days into the ship we had our favs. Oh, sorry, I completely just went off topic!!
We opted not to swim but instead to head to deck 7 to see our stateroom. We did not wait long at all and they let down the ropes so we ran to our room. Our stateroom was 7010 and it was just as we pictured. Arturo, our Stateroom Host was in the process of bringing in our luggage (poor guy!) He was very welcoming.
I had noted that we were celebrating our anniversary and purchased the REAS package. Arturo had everything waiting for us. We were all excited for the treats. I quickly snapped photos of everything, before they were tore into.
After a little unpacking, including all the FE stuff and door signs, I gave in and let the kiddos decorate the door however they would like. We also hung the FE. Our door looked so festive!!! The kids enjoyed this whole project. They saw me working on them through the winter and wanted to be part of it!
I wanted to check out the Nassau shopping show at 2:30 (I think it was) so the gang followed me to the Buena Vista Theater. We had a 3:00 DIS meet, so DH reminded me that I couldnt stay for the whole seminar. I wasnt planning on shopping in Nassau, but, I was interested in what they had to say.
At 3:10 or so, we made our way to the Promenade Lounge to meet with our DIS group. We had a nice visit and before we knew it, it was off to the Mustard Drill. Yes, I typed Mustard as that was what my daughter kept referring to it as. We donned our orange vests and quickly snapped a photo in our room, and then made our way to deck 4. Boy was it hot out there!! We were thankful that everyone had on deodorant on, because you have to stand so close that the vertically challenged could easily be fumigated
. Thanks to one of the crew members for taking this photo!
While waiting, we struck up a wonderful conversation with a family also on their first Disney cruise. They were so friendly. I wished that we would have had more time to chat. The mustard drill went well and before we knew it we were off to bring our life jackets back and get ready for the sail away party. In case you are wondering, my family all listened to the crew and DID NOT unbuckle the jackets until we were safely in our room. That wasnt the case for everyone ..
Right when we got out to the deck, there was a girl selling drinks in the fancy DCL cups. I purchased a non-alcoholic drink for the kids and I to share. I didnt realize until we got home that I never got another, so I only have one. Guess I have to go cruising again to get a match. Sorry, I digressed again! The sail away party was the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The staff has so much energy and made it very exciting. They did not let the buckets of sweat dripping off of their foreheads stop them and they put on a fantastic show. How cool it was to see ourselves on the jumbotron. I had tears in my eyes as we set out to sea (or was it sweat??). Seriously, all I could think of was how lucky and blessed we are/were to be travelling and enjoying such a wonderful time.
Seems like we are hurrying a lot, but really, we did not feel rushed. After the sail away party, we had our dinner, so we went back to the room to get changed. I thought that this was formal night oops! Oh well, we dressed up every night anyway. Colby had given me a really hard time about wearing Dockers and a button down shirt (what he calls dressing up) when I packed everything, but tonight he didnt squawk. And, he looked so handsome! Kaylee had had her hair done at the Bibbety Bobbity Boutique in MK, so all we had to do was put her in a dress. She got SO MANY compliments on her hair from passengers and staff.
Tonight we met Plamen and Stevan. They were very professional and cordial. By the end of the trip, I was ready to take them home!! Plamen liked Kaylee, I think, as he joked with her quite a bit. The kids got a kick out of the ketchup Mickey that Stevan made for them, and I was thrilled that I didnt have to cut up anyones food. Although the food was good throughout the cruise, DH and I did not think that it was great. I had chicken the first two nights, as I couldnt find anything that I liked on the menu. I was hoping for a simple pasta dish (penne, ziti, etc), but there was nothing like it to choose from.
AP was awesome and the kids were awed at the show. After eating, we made our way to Shutters to purchase our photo package and look at the first sets of pics, then we headed over to the Walt Disney Theater. We were a little early arriving, so we shopped a bit and then took our seat. We met a few more very friendly passengers and had nice conversations. Then the show began!
Disney Dreams was stunning. Kaylee looked at me after the show with eyes wide open and declared, Mom, that was awesome!!. It was then and there that I realized that I have my new little Broadway Buddy to take to shows back home.
We then went back to our room to change and decided that we would go to Mickey Mania. While there, we saw one of our DIS meet friends (Keever), when she and her son got chosen to go on stage. It was a fun game great for the whole family.
We then decided that it was time for b-i-beddy by, so we returned to our stateroom for the night. The kids were so suprised that they got to sleep in bunk beds, that there was a little tiff on who would get the top. We agreed that since it was a 4-night cruise, they could each have the top bunk for two nights. Thank goodness that was solved! We also had this little fella when we came back to the room.
I was so grateful that no one in the family was ill on our cruise, but the ship was rocking a bit that night and I had a hard time going to sleep. The motion of the ocean rocked everyone else to sleep, though.
Next up: Day 2 (Nassau) and Blue Lagood Dolphin Encounter!
DH-John
Me-Karen
DS-Colby (10)
DD-Kaylee (7)
Being that I learned so much from these boards and everyones trip reports, I thought it important that I pay it forward and do a trip report as well.
In an effort to make our report interesting, I thought I would start out with a list Perrons Top 9 Tips of 09. Then, as the report progresses, I will go more into detail. I have included pictures, too, choosing the ones that best fit the story. I had 300 to choose from!! I hope you enjoy!!
1. DONT OVERPACK!!!! Yes, youve read this 100+ times here before and each person posting it was right!!! We did a combination of WDW and the Cruise and wanted to make sure that we had enough clothes to be able to change in the very hot weather. We had time on the day at sea to do laundry as well as at our WDW hotel. We could have brought half our luggage and have had plenty. I told DH that we have to cruise again really soon so that I can practice packing the right way!
2. Bring an LED alarm clock and a nightlight. Another great tip from the DIS boards. The only clock in the room did not light up.
3. If you are not bringing water onboard, sign up for the water package. We purchased the small package and this worked great for bringing to CC and our Nassau excursion.
4. If you are putting your tips on your room charge, do it early. I went down to Guest Services on CC day in the late afternoon and settled everything with no lines at all. We then gave the servers/stateroom host their tips on the last night of the trip. They were all very grateful. Additionally, get to know the crew. Peter the CD was awesome and was everywhere!! He was kind enough to pose for a photo with the kids and me. Our servers Plamen and Stevan were gracious and Arturo, our stateroom host was so friendly. Finally, the entertainment staff is so talented and energetic. I dont know how they stay so happy. We especially loved Chance, Lucy, Steve & Pikey. And we cannot forget Leslie (heard during bingo .I have an I can you say I-eee).
5. Decorate your door and partake in a Fish Extender swap. We got so many compliments on our door and the kids had a blast putting the magnets up. They were also thrilled to find treats in our FE when we returned.
6. See the shows! They were phenomenal. My DD marveled at the Disney Dreams show when it was over. She looked right at me and said, That was awesome!!
7. Have your camera and autograph book with you at all times! The character interaction on the ship is great! Goofy gave us pepper at our first lunch at Parrot Cay. There are so many characters around and photo opportunities.
8. Another DIS Board tip, but worth repeating. Buy your photo package early on. We purchased our package on the first night and then spent the rest of the trip browsing the photos to determine what we wanted. The people at Shutters were so friendly and helpful, we were not rushed at all to make a selection.
9. Re-book on the cruise. And, a tip for those of you who are DVC members (I found this out too late). You can re-book on cash during the cruise (pay the deposit) and then anytime before you make your final payment, move it to points through DVC. Your deposit will be credited back to you and any on board credit will be applied as a point credit.
Day 1
We began our vacation with two days at WDW (AKL Kidani) and hired Happy Limo to bring us from WDW to Port Canaveral. They picked us up at 10:00AM to get us to the port for 11:30. I sat up front so I could get a pic of the first sight of the ship. I was so excited to see the beautiful ship as we made our way over the bridge. It is huge and gorgeous!! Thankfully, our driver did not think I was nuts and gave me hints on when to take a picture. We arrived at the Port and walked right up to check-in. How excited I was to get APPT for our rotation!! This meant that we would not miss any of the restaurants when we went to Palo on the third night. From check-in we made it over to get our pictures and check the kids into the clubs. After, we had some time to take a picture with Mickey. Before we knew it, we were being called to board. We didnt have a low boarding number, but we did not wait very long to get on the ship and didnt feel rushed.
After having the obligatory photo (which we did buy, of course) we walked on the ship and they announced our name. DH and kids thought that was really neat, as I did try to keep a few things a surprise. The staff was directing passengers to lunch, so I told them that we would like to eat at Parrot Cay. They directed us right to the restaurant.
The buffet was scrumptious and we ate WAAAYYY too much!! I tried to be good as I knew that we had the main dinner seating. Personally, my favorite dishes at this buffet were the coleslaw, potato salad, cold pasta & tomato salad and the peel and eat shrimp. The dessert bar was very well presented, so of course we had to induldge!! Yes, the pic below that is Goofy putting pepper on Colby's food!
We finished lunch around 1:00 or so and then made our way to check out the pools. There were plenty of passengers sunning and swimming because it was VERY hot on deck. As we were walking, I spotted MandyMouse and her hubby and greeted them both. My DH was surprised that I recognized Mandy from her pics on the meet thread. One thing I LOVED about cruising is that you often see the same people several times, even if it is just to say hello or to recognize a face. It kind of made me feel we all lived in the same community. Isnt that weird?? Even the entertainment staff, we would see them everywhere and a few days into the ship we had our favs. Oh, sorry, I completely just went off topic!!
We opted not to swim but instead to head to deck 7 to see our stateroom. We did not wait long at all and they let down the ropes so we ran to our room. Our stateroom was 7010 and it was just as we pictured. Arturo, our Stateroom Host was in the process of bringing in our luggage (poor guy!) He was very welcoming.
I had noted that we were celebrating our anniversary and purchased the REAS package. Arturo had everything waiting for us. We were all excited for the treats. I quickly snapped photos of everything, before they were tore into.
After a little unpacking, including all the FE stuff and door signs, I gave in and let the kiddos decorate the door however they would like. We also hung the FE. Our door looked so festive!!! The kids enjoyed this whole project. They saw me working on them through the winter and wanted to be part of it!
I wanted to check out the Nassau shopping show at 2:30 (I think it was) so the gang followed me to the Buena Vista Theater. We had a 3:00 DIS meet, so DH reminded me that I couldnt stay for the whole seminar. I wasnt planning on shopping in Nassau, but, I was interested in what they had to say.
At 3:10 or so, we made our way to the Promenade Lounge to meet with our DIS group. We had a nice visit and before we knew it, it was off to the Mustard Drill. Yes, I typed Mustard as that was what my daughter kept referring to it as. We donned our orange vests and quickly snapped a photo in our room, and then made our way to deck 4. Boy was it hot out there!! We were thankful that everyone had on deodorant on, because you have to stand so close that the vertically challenged could easily be fumigated
. Thanks to one of the crew members for taking this photo!
While waiting, we struck up a wonderful conversation with a family also on their first Disney cruise. They were so friendly. I wished that we would have had more time to chat. The mustard drill went well and before we knew it we were off to bring our life jackets back and get ready for the sail away party. In case you are wondering, my family all listened to the crew and DID NOT unbuckle the jackets until we were safely in our room. That wasnt the case for everyone ..
Right when we got out to the deck, there was a girl selling drinks in the fancy DCL cups. I purchased a non-alcoholic drink for the kids and I to share. I didnt realize until we got home that I never got another, so I only have one. Guess I have to go cruising again to get a match. Sorry, I digressed again! The sail away party was the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The staff has so much energy and made it very exciting. They did not let the buckets of sweat dripping off of their foreheads stop them and they put on a fantastic show. How cool it was to see ourselves on the jumbotron. I had tears in my eyes as we set out to sea (or was it sweat??). Seriously, all I could think of was how lucky and blessed we are/were to be travelling and enjoying such a wonderful time.
Seems like we are hurrying a lot, but really, we did not feel rushed. After the sail away party, we had our dinner, so we went back to the room to get changed. I thought that this was formal night oops! Oh well, we dressed up every night anyway. Colby had given me a really hard time about wearing Dockers and a button down shirt (what he calls dressing up) when I packed everything, but tonight he didnt squawk. And, he looked so handsome! Kaylee had had her hair done at the Bibbety Bobbity Boutique in MK, so all we had to do was put her in a dress. She got SO MANY compliments on her hair from passengers and staff.
Tonight we met Plamen and Stevan. They were very professional and cordial. By the end of the trip, I was ready to take them home!! Plamen liked Kaylee, I think, as he joked with her quite a bit. The kids got a kick out of the ketchup Mickey that Stevan made for them, and I was thrilled that I didnt have to cut up anyones food. Although the food was good throughout the cruise, DH and I did not think that it was great. I had chicken the first two nights, as I couldnt find anything that I liked on the menu. I was hoping for a simple pasta dish (penne, ziti, etc), but there was nothing like it to choose from.
AP was awesome and the kids were awed at the show. After eating, we made our way to Shutters to purchase our photo package and look at the first sets of pics, then we headed over to the Walt Disney Theater. We were a little early arriving, so we shopped a bit and then took our seat. We met a few more very friendly passengers and had nice conversations. Then the show began!
Disney Dreams was stunning. Kaylee looked at me after the show with eyes wide open and declared, Mom, that was awesome!!. It was then and there that I realized that I have my new little Broadway Buddy to take to shows back home.
We then went back to our room to change and decided that we would go to Mickey Mania. While there, we saw one of our DIS meet friends (Keever), when she and her son got chosen to go on stage. It was a fun game great for the whole family.
We then decided that it was time for b-i-beddy by, so we returned to our stateroom for the night. The kids were so suprised that they got to sleep in bunk beds, that there was a little tiff on who would get the top. We agreed that since it was a 4-night cruise, they could each have the top bunk for two nights. Thank goodness that was solved! We also had this little fella when we came back to the room.
I was so grateful that no one in the family was ill on our cruise, but the ship was rocking a bit that night and I had a hard time going to sleep. The motion of the ocean rocked everyone else to sleep, though.
Next up: Day 2 (Nassau) and Blue Lagood Dolphin Encounter!
I am so glad you had a great time Karen! You are making me so excited for our trip in 66 more days
Love all of the pictures! Your decorations for your door look great-your prep work really paid off!Love the matching T shirts! Can't wait to hear more!
We are leaning toward doing the 4 day next year since we recently had to cancel the 7 day we had planned.
That was awesome!Can't wait to hear more!
