chrisn
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2000
Date: February 23-March 2, 2002
Ship: Disney Magic 7 Day Eastern Carribean
Cast:
David-38
Chris-33
Shyelynn-14
Nicholas-4
Radisson Resort at the Port:
We flew in the night before and stayed in the regular suite. AAA $99 a night. The hotel was nice and the kids loved the pool. I would stay here again. We rented a car from Avis at the airport and dropped it off at the Radisson. Very convenient.
Shuttle to Port:
We reserved the shuttle for 10:00 am the next morning through Radisson. We could have used Avis also. They told us that due to security issues, we could not get into the port until 11:00. Well we wanted to go anyways but about 3 different families squeezed themselves into our shuttle so we waited and I'm so glad we did because not only did we share a shuttle with the sweetest couple but it was pouring down rain. The first sight of our ship was truly magical and daughter and I fought back the tears. We ran from the parking lot where you drop your luggage straight into the port and by the time we ran through the doors. I was soaked to the skin. my hair was dripping wet and I looked like a drowned rat. It made for a lovely embarkation photo.
Check-in and Embarkation:
Check-in was quick and smooth. There was no line and it took all but a few minutes. We then got in line to board and were about the 15th family on board. They announced our names as we wandered into the ship in awe. She is so beautiful and classic. One thing I noticed when parked in port next to some of the other ships is that she may not be as large or grand but she sure has style. I purchased mugs for the kids on the way to the buffet at Parrot Cay and for us they were worth the price. They refilled them day in and day out all day long. Like an idiot I did forget my lime greens and did not attend the first meeting so I missed out on meeting the other disers. Sorry about that!
Ressie Scramble:
It really was not that bad. We went straight to Parrot Cay after boarding and after I got my plate I thought I better run up to Palo and Spa. I got everything I wanted on the day and time I wanted them. They do start taking ressies earlier than what the Navigator says so be prepared.
Sailaway:
Rained out! The first bummer. Our sailaway was moved to Studio Sea which turned out to be a lot of fun. We danced and sang and had great fun with the characters. The seas were a little rough going out. I think about 8-13 foot swells and we felt it. Daughter was very suseptible to queeziness. Next time I will get her the patch. I felt the most movement in our cabin, in the Walt Disney Theater and in Parrot Cay.
Cabin:
We had Secret Porthole stateroom 5020 which in my opinion probably offers the least amount of obstruction. We had no obstruction at all. A great perk for the price of a deluxe inside stateroom. We loved the room but felt a lot of movement. There is one drawback. At times during the cruise there is a crewman that is outside doing some type of maintainance work on the canisters so we did need to close the curtain while dressing when they were out there. I'm glad we had the porthole because I am under the impression that I might have felt a little gloomy with the deco and an inside stateroom.
Stateroom Attendant:
Livingstone from Jamaica. He was a living doll! Shy, sweet, polite. He made towel animals every night and cleaned up after my rugrats. He always made sure we were having a great time and took the time to ask us about our day. We tipped more than the recommended amount. He earned every penny of it and then some!
Ship and Crew:
What can I say except WOW! A real beauty. They take good care of her and it shows. They are constantly scrubbing, polishing, painting, buffing ect. Everywhere you go the crew is making sure she shines! The crew is courteous and polite. Everywhere we went someone was asking how we were, if we were having a good time, if there was anything we needed ect. Wow!
Dining Servers and Rotation:
The cruise Gods were smiling down on us with the PLAPLAP rotation. Our Server was Toto from Philipines and our Assistant Server was Julio from Chile. They were both wonderful! A little shy and reserved at first but we made them comfortable from the start and they warmed right up to us. Toto spent a lot of time doing magic tricks at our table for my 4 year old every night. Toto and he were best buddies from the first trick on. I almost cried when Nicholas asked me when Toto was going to bring our dinner when we were sitting at the table on the Voyager. They were a perfect fit and Toto's laugh was infectious. Julio was wonderful and totally charming. He was very handsome and had the kind of eyes that you look into and melt. Did I mention that I have a thing for handsome bald men? Sandra was our Head Server and stopped by our table every night but one and I think it's just because we left too soon. She was very gracious and professional. We tipped her the recommended amount and we tipped Toto and Julio above the recommended amount. They were fabulous!
Parrot Cay, Lumiere's, Animator's Palate:
Loved them all but we all liked Parrot Cay the best then Animators then Lumiere's. We like the fun atmosphere and did enjoy the food a little more at Parrot Cay and Animator's.
Palo:
We did the dinner and brunch. We had ressies for High Tea but missed them. Too many things, too little time. Brunch was first and hubby loved the crab legs. I think I had tenderloin but I remember it was wonderful. That Portabella Mushroom at dinner is the bomb! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The lava cake was to die for and our Server Krisijian (sp?) was very attentive. For dinner, we dined with our new friends we met on the Radisson Shuttle and had a great dinner. I prefered the dinner and hubby preferred the brunch. They were both outstanding!
Food:
We really are not hard to please and always found something good on the menu. The food was a little "exotic" for my 14 year old daughter and she always ate off the kids menu or pasta with white sauce. The food was good. I would rate it a 7 on a scale from 1-10 with the exception of Palo. The junkfood was very good. Pizza was tasty. Kids loved the chicken nuggets and other fast food from Plutos and the Fruit and Ice Cream Station. Every night I ordered a cheese and cracker plate from room service and then let in turn to fat as I slept. You think I'm kidding? I gained 5 pounds and feel like a blimp!
Shows:
All of them wonderful! Loved Disney Dreams the best but really enjoyed them all! Who wants to be a Mousekateer? Great Fun! Island Magic was cute and my four year old was enthralled with Morty the Magnificent. We never had a problem getting good seats showing up about 20 minutes early. It was a problem showing up 20 minutes early on Voyager. You were lucky to get a seat! We saw the premier of Return to Neverland. What a sweet show and how special to experience it as a premier on the Magic? The kids production at the end. How cute is that? my son was up at the front and it brought tears to my eyes. I did play final bingo but did not win. Wonderful stuff!
Spa:
We did the Surial Bath and the Rain Forest. The Surial was great fun and we did not have a problem with the steam or water. My skin felt great afterward. The Rain Forest room was quiet and relaxing. My favorite was the gentle steam. We bought the sea day pass. I think it was $30.
Ports and Excursions:
St. Maarten/St. Martin-Second bummer. We had pre reserved the 12 Meter Regatta but when we went to check in at Sessions they told us that there was no wind and it was like a mill pond out there. They gave us the option of still going and giving it a try but we might just end up sitting there. Trying a later tour or getting a refund. Well we did not want to end up spending $75 per person to just sit on a boat so we opted out and chose the refund. We were going to try later but ended up going to Orient Beach. It was a little overcast but the kids loved it. Daughter had her hair braided on the beach headband style for $20. We rented chair with umbrella and stayed for about 3 or 4 hours. Saw lots of boobs, butts and other uuhh-hhumm various body parts. It was fun and my kids were fine with it. We then went into town for some shopping and found the best deals here. We ended up buying a new cam corder and got a great deal!
St. Thomas/St. John-I'm so glad we did this on our own because I think Disney cancelled all the ship sponsored excursions to Trunk Bay due to Northern swells. They said the beach was washed up and the snorkel trail was closed. We wanted to go anyway. I did not travel all that way not to see it. We got off the ship and took a taxi to the ferry. Caught the 9:00 to St. John with a hitch hiking sea bird (weirdest thing I've ever seen) and I'm so glad we did. When be drove over the pass the first sight of that beauty took my breath away. The trail was closed and the waves were a little rough but it was truly stunning. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to see it. We ate lunch on the beach (expensive) and stayed until about 1:00. Took the ferry back to St. Thomas and had time to shop for about an hour before heading back to the ship. This is very easy to do on your own so don't hesitate if you are thinking of doing it. You get much more time on the beach.
Castaway Cay:
In a word Stunning! A true highlight. The morning looked a little threatening but it turned out to be a fabulously sunny day. I love the atmosphere on the island. It's just like the atmosphere on the ship and that is such a big plus. Daughter did the teen excursion with all her friends and loved it. Hubby snorkelled in the family beach and saw a 5 1/2 foot nurse shark. Yes in the netted off part! They did not believe him but him and another girl he was snorkelling with both saw it. I spent a mint on suvineers and drank myself to Conk Kooler bliss. Truly a wonderful day. My Nichloas loved the beach. Paradise!
Kids Club:
A darling club. My son loved the tree house but that is about it. There was a couple counselors I loved and a couple I did not care for. The activities are ok. This is Disney. I think they can do a better job here but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt since there was 900 children on board. My son was sorry to leave whenever I picked him up. He paged me a couple times and really was not attached to it like he was on Voyager. This is just my and my son's opinion and it is a comparison. Voyager did not have near as many children but IMHO Voyager's conselors are much better trained. Much more personable, and there club has way better and funner activities for the kids. The same child that was happy to leave the Disney Club I could not drag out of Voyager's Oceaneer Program. He absolutely loved it! I cannot speak highly enough of the wonderful counselors in RCCL's club. I was truly surprised by this. The activities are first rate and like I said the same child one week later on a different ship in a different club had a totally different opinion and experience and I noticed it first hand. Voyager get's the thumbs up here. A big thumbs up!
Teen Club:
On the other hand daughter loved Common Grounds or maybe it was just the friends she met but did not care for the teen club on Voyager. She said nobody was ever there or did anything. Go fugure.
$$$$:
This is always a big question but I think some people are aprehensive to ask so I will volunteer the information. We spent $1500 on both cruises NOT including tips or the Cam Corder. I spent what I want when I wanted. Drank when we wanted. Son and daughter spent a mint in the arcade. Didn't go overboard but were far from frugal. I didn't really spend a lot at shutters although I thought I would. I guess I am picky with my portraits. The ones I got though are very sweet. We had a grand time.
Final thoughts and tips:
We way overpacked play clothes. Only used about 1/3 of them. The shoe holder was great. Bring your own blow dryer and conditioner unless you only have 2 hairs on your head. I am a shoe finatic. Brought 8 pairs and used every one of them numerous times. If you see something and you want it buy it or you will regret it. The Wisk laundry tablets were great but they have a $1 laundry soap dispenser machine if you choose not to bring any. They also have a change machine so it's not necessary to bring quarters. The washer and dryers are $1 a piece. You'll need more than $1 for drying especially if they are heavy clothes like whites or levis. Don't try to do all your wash on Friday! Iron early on formal nights. Go to Palo! Do the Surial. We had a D7 Veranda on Voyager. Get the Veranda and if you can't then try for a secret porthole room. Reward great service. You'll definitely get it.
The Disney Magic was a dream come true and I feel so fortunate to have been able to experience her charms. The perfect name for the perfect ship. It was true Disney Magic and now I know why some go back again and again. We certainly will.
I'm glad to answer any questions. I hope I have been of help to some of you as I tried to repay in my report for all the great tips and advice I recieved here on the DIS board. Thank you all for helping to make this trip a spectacular one.
For those of you interested. I will post a Voyager trip report on Wednesday at www.cruisecritic.com My user name is the same chrisn. Here's to Magic, Wonder and Dreams on the high seas!
Ship: Disney Magic 7 Day Eastern Carribean
Cast:
David-38
Chris-33
Shyelynn-14
Nicholas-4
Radisson Resort at the Port:
We flew in the night before and stayed in the regular suite. AAA $99 a night. The hotel was nice and the kids loved the pool. I would stay here again. We rented a car from Avis at the airport and dropped it off at the Radisson. Very convenient.
Shuttle to Port:
We reserved the shuttle for 10:00 am the next morning through Radisson. We could have used Avis also. They told us that due to security issues, we could not get into the port until 11:00. Well we wanted to go anyways but about 3 different families squeezed themselves into our shuttle so we waited and I'm so glad we did because not only did we share a shuttle with the sweetest couple but it was pouring down rain. The first sight of our ship was truly magical and daughter and I fought back the tears. We ran from the parking lot where you drop your luggage straight into the port and by the time we ran through the doors. I was soaked to the skin. my hair was dripping wet and I looked like a drowned rat. It made for a lovely embarkation photo.
Check-in and Embarkation:
Check-in was quick and smooth. There was no line and it took all but a few minutes. We then got in line to board and were about the 15th family on board. They announced our names as we wandered into the ship in awe. She is so beautiful and classic. One thing I noticed when parked in port next to some of the other ships is that she may not be as large or grand but she sure has style. I purchased mugs for the kids on the way to the buffet at Parrot Cay and for us they were worth the price. They refilled them day in and day out all day long. Like an idiot I did forget my lime greens and did not attend the first meeting so I missed out on meeting the other disers. Sorry about that!
Ressie Scramble:
It really was not that bad. We went straight to Parrot Cay after boarding and after I got my plate I thought I better run up to Palo and Spa. I got everything I wanted on the day and time I wanted them. They do start taking ressies earlier than what the Navigator says so be prepared.
Sailaway:
Rained out! The first bummer. Our sailaway was moved to Studio Sea which turned out to be a lot of fun. We danced and sang and had great fun with the characters. The seas were a little rough going out. I think about 8-13 foot swells and we felt it. Daughter was very suseptible to queeziness. Next time I will get her the patch. I felt the most movement in our cabin, in the Walt Disney Theater and in Parrot Cay.
Cabin:
We had Secret Porthole stateroom 5020 which in my opinion probably offers the least amount of obstruction. We had no obstruction at all. A great perk for the price of a deluxe inside stateroom. We loved the room but felt a lot of movement. There is one drawback. At times during the cruise there is a crewman that is outside doing some type of maintainance work on the canisters so we did need to close the curtain while dressing when they were out there. I'm glad we had the porthole because I am under the impression that I might have felt a little gloomy with the deco and an inside stateroom.
Stateroom Attendant:
Livingstone from Jamaica. He was a living doll! Shy, sweet, polite. He made towel animals every night and cleaned up after my rugrats. He always made sure we were having a great time and took the time to ask us about our day. We tipped more than the recommended amount. He earned every penny of it and then some!
Ship and Crew:
What can I say except WOW! A real beauty. They take good care of her and it shows. They are constantly scrubbing, polishing, painting, buffing ect. Everywhere you go the crew is making sure she shines! The crew is courteous and polite. Everywhere we went someone was asking how we were, if we were having a good time, if there was anything we needed ect. Wow!
Dining Servers and Rotation:
The cruise Gods were smiling down on us with the PLAPLAP rotation. Our Server was Toto from Philipines and our Assistant Server was Julio from Chile. They were both wonderful! A little shy and reserved at first but we made them comfortable from the start and they warmed right up to us. Toto spent a lot of time doing magic tricks at our table for my 4 year old every night. Toto and he were best buddies from the first trick on. I almost cried when Nicholas asked me when Toto was going to bring our dinner when we were sitting at the table on the Voyager. They were a perfect fit and Toto's laugh was infectious. Julio was wonderful and totally charming. He was very handsome and had the kind of eyes that you look into and melt. Did I mention that I have a thing for handsome bald men? Sandra was our Head Server and stopped by our table every night but one and I think it's just because we left too soon. She was very gracious and professional. We tipped her the recommended amount and we tipped Toto and Julio above the recommended amount. They were fabulous!
Parrot Cay, Lumiere's, Animator's Palate:
Loved them all but we all liked Parrot Cay the best then Animators then Lumiere's. We like the fun atmosphere and did enjoy the food a little more at Parrot Cay and Animator's.
Palo:
We did the dinner and brunch. We had ressies for High Tea but missed them. Too many things, too little time. Brunch was first and hubby loved the crab legs. I think I had tenderloin but I remember it was wonderful. That Portabella Mushroom at dinner is the bomb! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The lava cake was to die for and our Server Krisijian (sp?) was very attentive. For dinner, we dined with our new friends we met on the Radisson Shuttle and had a great dinner. I prefered the dinner and hubby preferred the brunch. They were both outstanding!
Food:
We really are not hard to please and always found something good on the menu. The food was a little "exotic" for my 14 year old daughter and she always ate off the kids menu or pasta with white sauce. The food was good. I would rate it a 7 on a scale from 1-10 with the exception of Palo. The junkfood was very good. Pizza was tasty. Kids loved the chicken nuggets and other fast food from Plutos and the Fruit and Ice Cream Station. Every night I ordered a cheese and cracker plate from room service and then let in turn to fat as I slept. You think I'm kidding? I gained 5 pounds and feel like a blimp!
Shows:
All of them wonderful! Loved Disney Dreams the best but really enjoyed them all! Who wants to be a Mousekateer? Great Fun! Island Magic was cute and my four year old was enthralled with Morty the Magnificent. We never had a problem getting good seats showing up about 20 minutes early. It was a problem showing up 20 minutes early on Voyager. You were lucky to get a seat! We saw the premier of Return to Neverland. What a sweet show and how special to experience it as a premier on the Magic? The kids production at the end. How cute is that? my son was up at the front and it brought tears to my eyes. I did play final bingo but did not win. Wonderful stuff!
Spa:
We did the Surial Bath and the Rain Forest. The Surial was great fun and we did not have a problem with the steam or water. My skin felt great afterward. The Rain Forest room was quiet and relaxing. My favorite was the gentle steam. We bought the sea day pass. I think it was $30.
Ports and Excursions:
St. Maarten/St. Martin-Second bummer. We had pre reserved the 12 Meter Regatta but when we went to check in at Sessions they told us that there was no wind and it was like a mill pond out there. They gave us the option of still going and giving it a try but we might just end up sitting there. Trying a later tour or getting a refund. Well we did not want to end up spending $75 per person to just sit on a boat so we opted out and chose the refund. We were going to try later but ended up going to Orient Beach. It was a little overcast but the kids loved it. Daughter had her hair braided on the beach headband style for $20. We rented chair with umbrella and stayed for about 3 or 4 hours. Saw lots of boobs, butts and other uuhh-hhumm various body parts. It was fun and my kids were fine with it. We then went into town for some shopping and found the best deals here. We ended up buying a new cam corder and got a great deal!
St. Thomas/St. John-I'm so glad we did this on our own because I think Disney cancelled all the ship sponsored excursions to Trunk Bay due to Northern swells. They said the beach was washed up and the snorkel trail was closed. We wanted to go anyway. I did not travel all that way not to see it. We got off the ship and took a taxi to the ferry. Caught the 9:00 to St. John with a hitch hiking sea bird (weirdest thing I've ever seen) and I'm so glad we did. When be drove over the pass the first sight of that beauty took my breath away. The trail was closed and the waves were a little rough but it was truly stunning. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to see it. We ate lunch on the beach (expensive) and stayed until about 1:00. Took the ferry back to St. Thomas and had time to shop for about an hour before heading back to the ship. This is very easy to do on your own so don't hesitate if you are thinking of doing it. You get much more time on the beach.
Castaway Cay:
In a word Stunning! A true highlight. The morning looked a little threatening but it turned out to be a fabulously sunny day. I love the atmosphere on the island. It's just like the atmosphere on the ship and that is such a big plus. Daughter did the teen excursion with all her friends and loved it. Hubby snorkelled in the family beach and saw a 5 1/2 foot nurse shark. Yes in the netted off part! They did not believe him but him and another girl he was snorkelling with both saw it. I spent a mint on suvineers and drank myself to Conk Kooler bliss. Truly a wonderful day. My Nichloas loved the beach. Paradise!
Kids Club:
A darling club. My son loved the tree house but that is about it. There was a couple counselors I loved and a couple I did not care for. The activities are ok. This is Disney. I think they can do a better job here but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt since there was 900 children on board. My son was sorry to leave whenever I picked him up. He paged me a couple times and really was not attached to it like he was on Voyager. This is just my and my son's opinion and it is a comparison. Voyager did not have near as many children but IMHO Voyager's conselors are much better trained. Much more personable, and there club has way better and funner activities for the kids. The same child that was happy to leave the Disney Club I could not drag out of Voyager's Oceaneer Program. He absolutely loved it! I cannot speak highly enough of the wonderful counselors in RCCL's club. I was truly surprised by this. The activities are first rate and like I said the same child one week later on a different ship in a different club had a totally different opinion and experience and I noticed it first hand. Voyager get's the thumbs up here. A big thumbs up!
Teen Club:
On the other hand daughter loved Common Grounds or maybe it was just the friends she met but did not care for the teen club on Voyager. She said nobody was ever there or did anything. Go fugure.
$$$$:
This is always a big question but I think some people are aprehensive to ask so I will volunteer the information. We spent $1500 on both cruises NOT including tips or the Cam Corder. I spent what I want when I wanted. Drank when we wanted. Son and daughter spent a mint in the arcade. Didn't go overboard but were far from frugal. I didn't really spend a lot at shutters although I thought I would. I guess I am picky with my portraits. The ones I got though are very sweet. We had a grand time.
Final thoughts and tips:
We way overpacked play clothes. Only used about 1/3 of them. The shoe holder was great. Bring your own blow dryer and conditioner unless you only have 2 hairs on your head. I am a shoe finatic. Brought 8 pairs and used every one of them numerous times. If you see something and you want it buy it or you will regret it. The Wisk laundry tablets were great but they have a $1 laundry soap dispenser machine if you choose not to bring any. They also have a change machine so it's not necessary to bring quarters. The washer and dryers are $1 a piece. You'll need more than $1 for drying especially if they are heavy clothes like whites or levis. Don't try to do all your wash on Friday! Iron early on formal nights. Go to Palo! Do the Surial. We had a D7 Veranda on Voyager. Get the Veranda and if you can't then try for a secret porthole room. Reward great service. You'll definitely get it.
The Disney Magic was a dream come true and I feel so fortunate to have been able to experience her charms. The perfect name for the perfect ship. It was true Disney Magic and now I know why some go back again and again. We certainly will.
I'm glad to answer any questions. I hope I have been of help to some of you as I tried to repay in my report for all the great tips and advice I recieved here on the DIS board. Thank you all for helping to make this trip a spectacular one.
For those of you interested. I will post a Voyager trip report on Wednesday at www.cruisecritic.com My user name is the same chrisn. Here's to Magic, Wonder and Dreams on the high seas!
