Disney Magic: May, 2014 EBTA, Port Canaveral to Barcelona

I'm loving your report and all your pictures! :thumbsup2

I REALLY want to do one of these longer cruises........maybe when the kids are older. :rolleyes: Was Natalie your CD? She has been onboard all 3 of our cruises and was the CD on 2. We really enjoy her witty personality.


I love the eggs benedict. I had them every chance I got on our last cruise. I'm really wishing that I had tried them during Palo brunch....maybe next time.

Brent was our CD, but Natalie was on board the entire time. There was a Cruise Director morning show in the Promenade Lounge every morning, and Natalie and Brent were there. I believe I heard someone say that Natalie was preparing for the Med. cruises (?? not sure), but that's what I heard. Natalie was in the Crew Talent show, and it was pretty funny. She danced with one of the WD Theater cast members, and at the end, the dancers held up signs, with each letter of Natalie's name.

A few times during the cruise, after dinner we would go to O'Gill's and play trivia. We didn't win, but it was a lot of fun...
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O'Gill's...
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That evening in the WD Theater, there was a Beatle's tribute band....
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I don't normally take pictures in the WD Theater, but there were less people tonight, so I took this one. These guys were great. They all played their own instruments, and during songs, they stayed in character when they spoke to the audience. (think of the Beatles accent, and say...) "Hey John, Let's do that song you wrote in 1962".....
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Next up, Pirate Party on the top deck.....
 
What a wonderful trip report!! I love all the detail and the photos. Thank you for sharing. :)
 
Later that evening, we went to the Pirates of the Caribbean deck party....
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Minnie and Goofy were there....
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I took a picture of the tv screen....
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The pirates crashed the party....
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My favorite part of the show is when Mr. Smee dances to MC Hammer's "Can't touch this"!...
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Pirate Mickey drops down to save the day (I mean night!)...
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If you're on the right side (starboard) of the ship, you have a better view of the fireworks. The fireworks are just another example of "the Disney Difference". They shoot off a lot of fireworks, for being at sea....
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We finished off the night at Fathoms, watching Krazy Karaoke...
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On our 6th day at sea, I went to Cabana's for breakfast. They had one of my favorites, sausage gravy. (Hey, I'm from the South) It was nice to have something a little different at Cabana's....
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At 10:30, I went to Chuck Richardson's presentation on Funchal. That was our next stop, so I thought it would be interesting, and it was....
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At 11:15, there was a port and shopping presentation in the Buena Vista Theater. (I go for the free stuff:lmao:) There was one (or two) recommended stores at each port, and they didn't have any free gifts, so I left within about 15 minutes. I'm use to the Caribbean Cruises where there are a lot of stores that are recommended, but not on this cruise....
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We had some maps of Funchal & Malaga that were left in our room by our cabin steward. You opened them up, and they had a map, and told about the "points of interest" in each city. In 15 Disney cruises, this was the first time we've received something like this in our room, regarding a port of call.
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The map shows that we are almost at Funchal....
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Dinner at Carioca's (regular menu) up next....
 


Kid's menu at Carioca's....
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Appetizers....
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Beef Empanadas was good. The Red Chimichurri was very, very spicy!!!
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The rest of the appetizer menu....(soups and salads)
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I thought the Black Bean soup was excellent....
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I got the Cuban Salad, and it was okay. Nothing special. Strong cider vinegar taste. Pineapple was good, and the croutons were good.
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Tomato soup was okay, but the jalapeno made it a little to spicy for my taste..
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Dinner menu....
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BBQ chicken on creamy grits was excellent. One of the best dishes I had on the cruise. I didn't order it for myself, I think my daughter ordered it and I tried it. I liked it so much, that I ordered it for myself on the night we dined at Lumiere's (regular menu night).....
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I ordered the Lobster, Shrimp & Salmon skewer. I'm not a huge fan of Lobster and Salmon, but I wanted to get something new, and different. The lobster was delicious, and the salmon and shrimp were great. Another very good dish!
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Ribeye....
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We wanted to try the Jose Carioca (skewers), so we ordered this, and everyone at our table sampled it. We all agreed, that the lamb and tenderloin were overcooked (too dry), but the sausage was good. Big shrimp was good, along with the rice....
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Vegetarian menu....
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Small corn tortillas. This was another dish we ordered, so we could sample it. The refried beans were good, but the other 2 dishes we didn't like. My daughter and Niece took the tortillas, and put refried beans and rice (from the Jose Carioca plate) on them, and they liked it....
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Dessert menu....
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Sundae...
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Absolutely the best dessert I had on my cruise. I loved the Coconut Tres Leches cake. Warm, moist cake, that was sitting in warm caramel sauce. Not to mention a little whipped cream, strawberry and melted sugar crisp" :worship:
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Near the end of the meal, a couple of girls came out, and they made a short announcement (I don't remember what they said), and then some music started to play, and then it stopped. So they stood there a few seconds, and then they left the restaurant. We were all confused, so we asked our server, "what happened?". He said there were some technical difficulties, and there was supposed to be some music, and maybe dancing. Anyway, it was kind of weird, but it didn't take away from a great meal at our first time at Carioca's. I do miss Parrot Cay, but Carioca's is great....
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After dinner, the Beatles did another show on the top deck. Once again, they did a great job. I amazes me what kind of talent that Disney has on the cruises, and these guys had a lot of talent....
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Beautiful conditions once again.....
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That evening in the WD Theater, was Walt Disney: The Dream Goes On
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The show was okay. Not one of the better DCL shows....
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Next up is Funchal, Madeira
 
The next morning we had breakfast outside at Cabana's, overlooking Funchal...
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We took a taxi from the ship to the cable car. It was $10 for a taxi. Some people were walking, but if you were going to the cable car, it was going to be a loooooong walk....
We got on the cable car, and I snapped this picture as the car left the station (looking back where we boarded)....
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This one was looking forward as soon as we boarded....
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Almost at the top...
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This is the station at the top....
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Once we got off the cable car, we took a left and walked toward the toboggan ride. Notice the sign, in the bottom, right corner (Tobogan)
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Once you go left, you immediately walk by the botanical gardens. They looked really neat, but we just didn't have time to stop....
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Once we got to the toboggan ride, we took a right, walked up the street a few yards, and took a left up the steps that led to the church at Monte. I walked up the steps to the church, and took this picture....
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We walked in the church, and when we exited the church, we took a left and walked up some narrow steps that led to the top of the church. We were tired when we got to the top, but as you can see, the view was worth it. (check out the Disney Magic in the distance)
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When we got back down to the street, some of the guys that operated the toboggan ride, were playing cards....
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Me and my wife got on a toboggan. It was $30 for both of us. (plus a tip at the end of the ride)...
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At one point, a car passed us. This was so much fun. We loved it....
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There was only one time when we slowed down, and the guys pulled us. They pulled us for about 20 or 30 yards, and we took off again....
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I took a picture of my ticket for the cable car....
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At the end of the toboggan ride, a guy approached us and tried to sell us a picture that was taken of us during the toboggan ride. He said it would be 15 euro. We said "no thanks". He then said "10 euro". Again, we said "no thanks". Finally he said "5 euro", but we still didn't want it. When we got back to the cruise ship, we spoke with another couple who did the toboggan ride, and they said no to the 15 euro picture, and they said the guy just turned around and walked away. So not everyone was offered a lower price for their picture. The toboggan ride ends near the intersection of Livramento. We took a right, and there were some cabs waiting. A guy approached me and asked where we were going, and I said "the Market". He said that would be 20 euro. I said no, and another guy said he would take us for 15 euro. Again I said no, and then another guy approached us and said he would do it for 10 euro. So we loaded up in the cab and headed to the Market (Mercado)......
 
Neat photos! I'm planning to take the WBTA in 2015 and Funchal is one of the ports. :)
 
Neat photos! I'm planning to take the WBTA in 2015 and Funchal is one of the ports. :)

We booked the WBTA 2015 cruise, while we were on this cruise....jonathan

Once we were dropped off at the Mercado, we walked toward the far end, and that is where the fish market is located....the smells are wonderful :crazy2:
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On the left, you can see people that are on the main level, and viewing the fish area....
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After we left the fish area, we walked up the steps to the second level.
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There were fruits I had never saw before....
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On the second level, there were many vendors offering free samples. The samples were great, but there was a lot of pressure afterwards to buy....
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Another view from the second level....
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We walked out the back, by the fish market, and then took a right and walked along the side of the market. We walked by a bakery, and I took a picture of it....
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Once we got back to the street, where the Mercado is located, I took this picture looking back toward the waterfront. The Mercado was directly behind me, and you can see the Disney Magic in the distance....
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Picture of the front of the Mercado....
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After we left the market, we walked directly across the road....
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The ladies went in a department type store, and I sat outside, and enjoyed the beautiful day. Right beside where I was sitting, there were a couple of people selling some fruit....
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We walked past the Cathedral, and I turned around and took this picture....
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We (I mean the ladies) walked in several shops along the way. There was a big variety of shops along this street. My daughter wanted to go to Blandy's Wine Lodge. She checked on a tour, while I relaxed in the courtyard area. It was shaded, and cool, and they had a clean bathroom. It ended up being a great break....
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We walked out the side entrance....
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And directly into the Municipal Gardens....
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The gardens were a nice, quiet place to visit in the middle of town....
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We walked out the front of the gardens (toward the waterfront) and took a right. We then took another right, and walked around the outer perimeter of the gardens. We walked down another street, that had a lot of shops, and restaurants
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Funchal was a beautiful place. Very interesting place to explore....
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We walked back to the ship, and on our way back, they had these for transportation (tuk-tuks). At this point, I had spent enough on cabs, so we just walked. Not sure how much they were, but they would also take you on a city tour in a tuk-tuk...
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As we walked back to the ship, I took this picture....
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Another view....
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Almost back at the ship. You can see the taxi cabs ahead....
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This boat looked cool, so I took a picture of it....
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Once we got back on the ship, we went to Cabana's for lunch....
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After lunch, we got our bathing suits on, and went to the pool. I took this picture looking toward Funchal....
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Looking down the pier....
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More views of Funchal from the ship....
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Look in the center of this photo, and move slightly left, and you will see the church at Monte that we visited. It has a tower on each side....
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While relaxing on deck 10, I took this picture (near the adult pool)....
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On our way back to the ship, we passed this building....
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At this place was a gift shop, but more importantly, they had free WiFi. My daughter and Niece used it to contact (facetime) family back home. The gift shop is located in the center, on the bottom level....
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At dinner that night, we were at Lumiere's for the regular menu....
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We started off with some Deep Fried Brie...it was good!
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I'm not to crazy about the onion soup....
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The Leek and Potato soup was good....
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Roasted chicken off the Lighter Notes menu....
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Filet Steak....
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I ordered the Chicken dish off the Carioca's menu (I loved it!)
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During our dinner, our ship was leaving Funchal. So after I ordered dessert, I went to the top deck, to take in the view....
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Dessert menu....
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Peanut Butter Mousse
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Love the Grand Marnier Souffle....
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Can't go wrong with the Crème Brulee...
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At the end of dinner, Belle and the Beast came out and danced....
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I've been following along with your trip report for a week or so now and loving all the updates. Thanks so much.....looking forward to the rest.

Is it usual for Beauty and the Beast to appear at Lumiere's? I don't think i've notice that in a report before :confused3
 
I've been following along with your trip report for a week or so now and loving all the updates. Thanks so much.....looking forward to the rest.

Is it usual for Beauty and the Beast to appear at Lumiere's? I don't think i've notice that in a report before :confused3

They took away our Character Breakfast, and we were told there were going to be more "Character Experiences" on this cruise. So I have a feeling that this was one of the "replacements"......jonathan
 
After dinner, I went back up to the top deck to take in the view. We went by a couple of islands off of Madeira. (Desertas).....
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Leaving Funchal.....
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In the WD Theater, Lost Locos Ole did a show. They played their guitars and did some comedy. It was an odd show. My wife and daughter left the show. I thought about it, but I stayed, hoping it would get better. At the end, there were some people that stood up and clapped for these guys. Not my kind of show though. Later at Fathoms, Max Winfrey did an adult show and it was good....
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The juggling is neat, but when he gets the crowd involved, the show gets better....
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He got a guy on stage, and told him to stand against the board, and he would throw knives at him. He then told the guy that may be to dangerous, so he made an outline of the guy. He then drew a picture of a parrot on the guys shoulder, and said "you can be a pirate". He then threw some real knives and hit the guy (drawing) in some "personal" areas....
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Midtown was performing in the Promenade Lounge. This lady was definitely "high energy". She always looked like she was having a good time...
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Day at Sea (getting close to the Straits of Gibraltar)
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Tonight was a little different. Everyone got the same appetizer....
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Here it is....(well, at least some of it!!)
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Here's the mac & cheese soup....(same for everyone)
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Regular menu....
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Parmesan Chicken....
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Pork Tenderloin was delicious....
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Sweet Temptations...
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Cheesecake.....
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Double Chocolate cake....(mmmmm-gooooood!)
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Before the meal, everyone got a special piece of paper, and you were supposed to draw a person on it, and it would be animated at the end of the meal.....
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The figures we drew danced across the screens....
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You signed your name to your picture, and your name appeared on the screen also....
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Me and my wife got up at 2:30am, because we were going thru the Straits of Gibraltar. We could see the Rock of Gibraltar, because the lights of the town were behind it, so we could see the outline. This picture was taken looking South toward Morocco. We could see the lights along the coastline....
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For some reason, the doors to Palo were open, so I took a picture....
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As we went thru the Straits of Gibraltar, the ship was barely moving, and there were a handful of people out on the top deck, and it was very peaceful and relaxing up on deck. I would have loved to go thru during the day, but it was still a cool experience....
 

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