Trip Report fr 10 y/o on 5/11 cruise pt 1

[Mjasp]

Hi!!! My name is Amanda (mjasp's dd 10) and I would like to write a trip report. So here I go...

Cast: Dad, Mom, sister Samantha 6, friends, and me 10.

When: May 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

DAY 1 RADISSON:
I got up that morning so EXCITED!!! I ate breakfast, got ready, and brushed mt stuffed animal and put a bow in her hair. Then i WAITED and WAITED and WAITED until finally Dad said to get in the car. We flew to MCO and when we got there we rented a car and drove to the Radisson. We ate dinner (mozzarella sticks for me) and met our friends at the pool. Two are my age so we hung out, swam under the waterfall, and jumped in. It was fun. By then it was late so we went back to the room so we could try to sleep. We were SO excited!!!

DAY 2 EMBARKATION:
We woke up and ate breakfast in our bs & cover-ups & we immediately went in the pool afterwards. When our friends were done eating we went swimming again then hurried to the room and put on dry bs under our clothes to get on the ship. We got our luggage and took a shuttle to Disney's terminal at Port Canaveral. After at least an hour of watching cartoons we got to board!!! Once we were on the Magic we ate lunch at Topsiders Buffet and we went swimming in the Mickey Pool plus we were some of the first people on the Mickey Slide. We had casual dinner at Lumieres that night and I had chicken noodle soup and cheese pizza for dinner and a Mickey bar for dessert (which I had every night for dessert). That night I went to the O'Lab and went to sleep on the bottom bunk.

ANY ONE WANT MORE? JUST POST.

Amanda

 

[cruisnfamily]

My DD10, also named Amanda, will be in the lab on our cruise in September. She will be in the 10-12 group in the lab and we want lots of details! When there weren't specific activities planned, was it just computers and stuff? She wouldn't like that. Is there play equipment in there like there is in the Club? Tell us absolutely everything you did in the lab! Did you sign yourself out? How did it work? Thanks for taking the time to tell us all about the lab!

 

[we3luvdisney]

What a wonderful post! Keep it coming! We3 will be leaving in 28 days. I showed our DD (8 1/2 years) your post and she was really excited about the pool at the Radisson. I hope she can make some friends before we leave for our cruise?

 

[Mjasp]

Sonya: We played board games with & without the counselers during free time which was fun & the organized activities were fun too. I'm sure Amanda will like it even if she doesn't like free time.

We3luvdisney: I'm sure your dd will make plenty of friends in the lab.

DAY 3 KEY WEST: We woke up & ate breakfast at Topsiders Buffet so we could swim (something I LOVED to do) afterwards. We weren't at Key West yet so we swam till lunch time ate lunch & then got off the ship and on to Key West. I was very surprised & a bit dissapointed that Key West wasn't tropical, but we shopped and went to Margaritaville. I got a necklace with a dolphin charm on the bottom & my name on a piece of rice inside the charm. We went back on the ship for dinner (I had fruit cocktail but I don't remember my entree) and saw the sunset on deck 4. I went to boyz and girlz chill in the lab where we painted our nails, did our hair, and played dress up, then right after we had ice cream. My dad picked me up & we went to the Goofy Pool for a while & then we went to sleep. I was on the top bunk that night.

WHO WANTS MORE? ANY QUESTIONS? JUST POST. THANKS FOR THE NICE REPLIES SONYA AND WE3LUVDISNEY.

Amanda

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Hi Amanda - thanks for taking the time to post. We're cruising with our 10yr son in Nov. How were the meals? movies? Did you sign yourself in/out of the Lab? Did you use the lab alot? What was your favorite pool? Were they crowded? Did you use the arcade? Thanks for any and all info.

 

[Mjasp]

imgoingtodisney: The meals were pretty good, but I only ate off the kid menu. I saw the show Disney Dreams. It was a really really good show. I didn't sign myslf in and out but my mom, my dad, or one of my friend's mom signed me out. I went to the lab every night and once during the day. I liked the Goofy Pool best because it wasn't as crowded as the Mickey Pool and it was deeper but the Mickey Slide was real fun. The Mickey Pool was usually crowded in the afternoon and the line for the slide was long then too. I didn't use the arcade because I was so busy with everything else.

DAY 4 1ST DAY AT SEA:
I woke up & that morning we had the character breakfast. It was cute but I'm not so into the characters anymore so it wasn,t spectacular. Basically we ate ice cream & swam in the pools all day and I think I went to the lab that afternoon but I'm not sure. That night we had formal dinner at Parrot Cay and I went to the lab like I did every single night. I don't remember what we did that night in the lab. Right after we went to the pool for a while & then I went to sleep on the bottom bunk again for the second time.

WHO WANTS MORE? ANYONE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? JUST POST.

Amanda

 

[snelsonbrown]

Amanda,
First I want to compliment you on how well you have put together this trip report - you have done a beautiful job and I am sure many children around your age will appreciate all that you had to say -
Now as for Key West not looking very tropical - I do agree with you - at one time Key West was very tropical looking - with coconut trees - lots and lots of tropical fruit trees - unfortunalty with progress swimming pools took the place of all the tropical looks - land was filled in to build hotels, motels, restaurants and so on - when I was your age WOW that was about 56 years ago - we were known to wear caribbean type clothes - the women in our families would wear flowers behind their ears - it was realy great back then - someday you will look back and see progress in the places you remembered at your age.
Thank you for letting me tell you a little about KW so long ago.
Take care sweetie and just maybe you should think about doing something with your great gift in writing.
Always
Shirley

 

[Mjasp]

Shirley...Thanks so much for the wonderful compliment, Amanda called me right over to read it with the widest smile on her face.

Both girls loved the pails/ baskets, excellent work. Thanks!

Sorry I missed u at the Radisson. The cruise was awesome, after some kinks were worked out on board. All about that in my trip report. When I get the chance to sit and write it.

Joanna

 

[angelaj]

Amanda, I too would like to compliment you on your trip reports. I don't have any kids, but I was interested in seeing the cruise from a 10-year-old's point of view. You're doing a great job! I hope to see more!

 

[luv2kids]

Hi Amanda,

I have a question for you about the age groups you were with.
My 10 year old is now finishing up the fourth grade and so is his friend that is cruising with us. His friend will be 10 in early September. Did they divide the groups into 8-9 years, and 10-12 years or was it 7-8 year and 9-10 years. He's kind of worried that he will not be with his friend that is traveling with us.
Your report is great! It's nice to see the trip through a 10 year olds eyes!

Keep up the good work!

Beth

 

[Mjasp]

snelsonbrown: Thank you so so so much for those compliments.

angelaj: I'd also like to thank you so so so much for your nice compliments.

luv2kids: The lab groups are 8-9s & 10-12s but my friend was 9 and she was put into the 10-12s with me because her mother asked for her to be with her friends.

DAY 5 GRAND CAYMAN:
I woke up and had a sit down breakfast at Lumieres and then we took a tender to Grand Cayman. We took a taxi to seven mile beach and met our friends there. We swam, caught waves, and played in the sand for a while and then we went to a pool. It was fun at Grand Cayman. Then we took another taxi back to the tenders and took a tender back to the ship. Us kids had dinner at Topsiders Buffet because the grownups were having dinner at Palos the adult only restaurant so we had to eat first. Afterwards we went to the lab and I don't remember what we did that night but we were there for a while. Afterwards we went back to our stateroom to go to sleep.

ANYONE WANT MORE? ANY QUESTIONS? JUST POST AND THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE NICE RESPONSES YOU GAVE TO ME. I HAVE A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE RIGHT NOW.

Amanda

 

[luv2kids]

Thanks for the info!

Beth

 

[we3luvdisney]

Amanda,

First of all I would like to commend you on the wonderful job you are doing with your trip report. Reading your posts have allowed me the opportunity to see the child's point of view, which will help me with our DD.

As indicated in my previous post, my DD is 8 1/2 years old. This is our first cruise ever, so we3 are a bit excited. We have been to Disneyland and Disneyworld a number of times and do the parks til they close. When are DD was much younger she could not "hang" and would fall asleep in the stroller. I remember once she fell asleep at the Magic Kingdom, we picked her up from the stroller for the bus ride back to the Boardwalk, got back to the room, undressed her, gave her a bath and put her to bed. The amazing thing is that she NEVER woke up.

Presently, she does not have a problem staying up late. On the weekends we allow her to stay up late, however on school nights she is in bed by 8 - 8:30 PM. Do you think she will have a problem staying up with all the activities? We would like to take her to the deck parties, etc. We are on the 4-day Wonder, with a stop in Freeport. We really do not have any desire to get off the ship, with the exception of Castaway Cay. We have talked about getting off at Nassau and touring the Pirate museum, shop at the straw market and maybe a trip to Atlantis, but that's it. What time did you usually go to bed each night? Where you tired when you did go to bed? What time did you usually get up in the morning? Where you tired the next day?

We3 really do appreciate the time and effort you are taking answering ours/everyones questions. You are doing an OUTSTANDING job!

 

[Mjasp]

we3luvdisney: It depends how late she could stay awake. I could stay awake till 3 in the morning so I had no problem staying up. I went to bed between 11 and 1 each night and woke up around 8 each morning. I only had a problem on the disembarkation breakfast because I went to sleep at 12 and had to wake up at 6 because we had the early breakfast. It was my first cruise too and you won't be sorry.

DAY 6 COZUMEL, MEXICO:
I woke up and ate breakfast at Topsiders Buffet again and we got off the ship and on to Cozumel. We went to Chaankanaab Park to the "pool" which was really a salt water pond. Then our friends went snorkelling and we went to the sea lion encounter show. It was funny and cute and I got a little wet. Then we went to the market where I got a t-shirt that says COZUMEL, MEXICO and I waited 30 to 40 minutes for my sister to get her hair braided headband style for tropical night dinner. Then we went back to the ship and got dressed for tropical night dinner. I wore a pink tropical dress. We got leis that night. Then we went to the lab to go to the Walt Disney Theatre to watch The Rookie. It was a pretty good movie but the theatre was pretty cold. Then we went to the off beat club for a glow in the dark party but my dad picked me up before we got started. Then we went to the pool for a while and then we went back to the room and went to bed.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? WHO WANTS MORE? JUST POST.

Amanda

 

[Mjasp]

DAY 7 2ND DAY AT SEA:
I woke up and had breakfast at Topsiders Buffet. Then we went swimming for a while. Every once and a while I would go to Scoops the ice cream place, have a cone or a bowl of ice cream. Then start swimming again. I did that 2-3 times that day. I had lunch at Topsiders Buffet some time in between there. I liked that Topsiders Buffet was right near the pool so I could eat then swim. I went back to the room after a while because I needed to take a shower so I could get my hair braided. I got it done in cornrows which is like headband style but it didn't stop at the headband it went all the way down to the bottom. It was semiformal night so I got in my semiformal dress and when my family was ready we went to dinner at Parrot Cay. Then we got are semiformal pictures done and then we went to the lab. I don't remember what we did that night either but I remember it was fun. After a while my mom and dad picked us up and we went to the pool for a while and then went to the room to go to bed.

WHO WANTS MORE? ANY ONE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? JUST POST.

Amanda

 

[Samsma]

Hi Amanda,

My DS will be 10 when we cruise next summer. He is kind of shy when meeting new people, but has a good time once he makes a friend or two. Do the counselors at the Lab encourage others to play with the shy ones. Did you notice anyone "not" having a good time. I don't want my kids to be unhappy while I have a good time somewhere else, but I also need some "Mommy" time every two or three years!!!

 

[Credit Man]

Great report, Amanda. Keep them comming.

 

[Mjasp]

samsma: The counselors don't encourage playing with each other unless you need a partner. Though the first night they were playing human bingo and they found a partner for me. Plus the conselors play some of the games so you can play with them. Every one I think had a great time and the parents get a pager when you sign them in for the first time if they don't have signing out privaleges and they could page their parent(s) or if they have signing out priveleges they could sign themselves out.

Credit Man: Thanks alot I will keep writing.

DAY 8 CASTAWAY CAY (BAHAMAS):
I woke up and ate breakfast with my moms friends and thier dd4 at Topsiders Buffet. After a couple of minutes Captain Henry Anderson came on the loud speaker and said "Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen. Good news we found Castaway Cay." I was so so so excited. Then we went back to the room got ready and got off the ship. It was so so so hot out there. We took a walk to the Castaway Family Beach. It didn't take too long. My mom put sunscreen on my sister and I and then my dad, my sister, and I went to the float rental station. We got 2 mat floats and 2 tubes. Then we went back and we went to the fort which is a fort in the middle of the water where you go across a rope and then you fall into the water if you let go. The water there is so so so salty if you go under your eyes burn so so so bad. So then we went back to the beach and we played in the water and on the sand for a while. We even saw Goofy!!! Then we went to Cookies B-B-Q. It was the best B-B-Q I ever had. Then we played on the beach again for a while. Soon we went to a store and I got a shirt that said Disney's Castaway Cay Bahamas. Then we got on a tram and on to the ship again. I got a sunburn that day.

I'LL FINISH DAY 8 TOMORROW
Amanda

 

[Mjasp]

DAY 8 CASTAWAY CAY BAHAMAS CONTINUED:
Then I went to the lab for Discover the Magic the show the kids put on on the last day. Then we ate dinner at Lumieres and went to Shutters which is the picture store and Mickeys Mates the cruise stuff store. Then we went to the lab for the countdown party and then we went to free time at the lab and then we went back to the room to go to bed for the last night on the bottom bunk.

I'LL FINISH THE REPORT TOMORROW. ANY QUESTIONS?

Amanda

 

[strawberryblonde]

I haven't posted earlier as I just registered today. Interesting to read a 10 year old's take on the cruise. My son will be 7 when we plan to cruise and my daughter 4. Great job on your report, looking forward to the ending