I can’t believe we are approaching the last few days of our cruise! I am typing this on Saturday - and Mom is almost completely packed. :o(
Anywho, Friday was kind of my yuckiest day - especially at dinner, I could eat very little (heartburn? Indigestion? Whatever it was, I just felt bluchy - )
We got up and went to the last installment of Desperate Shipmates to figure out Who Dunnit. I guessed the motive and where it was hidden, but not the correct suspect. After that, we had lunch at Lumiere’s, and then walked around ship for a bit. There was a huge line for the Ally and AJ autograph session! Next, we headed to the Buena Vista Theater (the movie theater) for the afternoon showing of National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
Dinner tonight was in Lumiere’s - here is a sad thought - this is our last dinner in Lumiere’s! The dinner theme was Pirate’s IN the Caribbean - as it was the night for the big Pirates Deck Party. Dinner was tasty, I was told, although I didn’t eat much. I had the pineapple/banana appetizer which was good, and soup - although I can’t remember what it was. I couldn’t touch my shrimp and scallop pasta - which made me feel really guilty. Grant had Sirloin, Bobby had Chicken, and mom had Mahi Mahi.
We went to the family cabaret at 7:30 and saw a magician, and then headed to the Walt Disney Theater for the main show - The Crew Talent Show and Dancing with the Officers. It was actually a pretty good show! Then we headed up to starboard, deck 10, for the Pirates IN the Caribbean party - which was awesome - complete with repelling pirates, Mickey on a Zip Line, and topped off with fireworks - the only cruise line that does fireworks at sea! I had heard that the fireworks were weak and not very good - but I thought they were awesome and was not at all disappointed - on the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased by the show!
We enjoyed a bit of the buffet - they had turkey legs like in the park and Grant got one of the last ones. I had a red apple. Yum! (hee hee) Then we headed up to bed.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Disney Magic - Thursday - Aruba
This morning we got up and had brunch on the ship before heading to our Snorkeling excursion - which was probably our favorite excursion so far. The catamaran was nice, and the beverage service was excellent. We stopped at a reef - about 8 - 15 feet in depth - and snorkeled for about a half an hour. Then we headed out to the Antilla, the best wreck in the Caribbean to snorkel. The boat sunk in only about 60 feet of water, and part of it rises above the water. This was SO COOL! Grant and I had never snorkeled a wreck before - the water was so clear and you could see everything . The ship sunk in the 40’s. It was really awesome. Also this was mom and Bobby’s first snorkeling experience. Bobby was a little unsure but Mom really loved it!
We got back and took showers and then got ready for dinner. Tonight’s menu was International. I had a crab and sushi rice roll, a Greek salad, a lobster bisque, and Hawaiian curry scallops. (Way too much curry - I didn’t eat much of it.) Other things that were enjoyed - chicken drumettes prepared Mongolian style, Prime rib, and desserts - butter pecan sundaes, chocolate torte, and bread pudding.
Still tired from earlier, we headed back to our staterooms. A movie, Music and Lyrics, was just starting and we decided to watch it. We had decided earlier that we were going to skip the show tonight anyway - it was Aj and Aly, this hugely popular group among the preteens, and the shows were so full that they were stamping people’s hands to make sure they didn’t try to see both shows. We figured that there were SO many people that wanted to see it, and we didn’t really care, so we’d just sort of watch from the back for a few minutes and then take off. As it turns out, we just watched the movie and didn’t go to the concert at all.
At ten, we headed up to the Goofy Pool, where we watched National Treasure from lounge chairs on the Ariel view screen. It was cool - like being at a drive through, only all of the food and drinks were free. It was a nice evening, warm but not too hot or humid. Now we are pulling out of Aruba! Good night!
We got back and took showers and then got ready for dinner. Tonight’s menu was International. I had a crab and sushi rice roll, a Greek salad, a lobster bisque, and Hawaiian curry scallops. (Way too much curry - I didn’t eat much of it.) Other things that were enjoyed - chicken drumettes prepared Mongolian style, Prime rib, and desserts - butter pecan sundaes, chocolate torte, and bread pudding.
Still tired from earlier, we headed back to our staterooms. A movie, Music and Lyrics, was just starting and we decided to watch it. We had decided earlier that we were going to skip the show tonight anyway - it was Aj and Aly, this hugely popular group among the preteens, and the shows were so full that they were stamping people’s hands to make sure they didn’t try to see both shows. We figured that there were SO many people that wanted to see it, and we didn’t really care, so we’d just sort of watch from the back for a few minutes and then take off. As it turns out, we just watched the movie and didn’t go to the concert at all.
At ten, we headed up to the Goofy Pool, where we watched National Treasure from lounge chairs on the Ariel view screen. It was cool - like being at a drive through, only all of the food and drinks were free. It was a nice evening, warm but not too hot or humid. Now we are pulling out of Aruba! Good night!
Disney Magic - Wednesday - Day at Sea
We started our day by going to the next “Who Dunnit” event, where we met with a detective and made a list of questions to ask our suspects later in the week. That was cool because we got some interesting clues from other people’s questions, but really not a whole lot of information. After lunch (Asian themed,) we headed down to the promenade deck, found four chairs together, and lazed away the afternoon - reading, snoozing, playing ds, playing sudoku, and watching the crystal blue ocean.
Dinner tonight was the Master Chef Menu. What was really funny is that Grant and I were looking at our menus, and Bobby starts talking about what dishes he wants , and Grant and I are like…. “huh?” Turns out, Adrian had accidentally given us two different menus - they had the same covers, but different food. So we played a trick on Dennis - Mom, Grant, and I ordered off of the correct menu, and then Bobby ordered off of the incorrect menu - first Dennis nods and starts to write it down, and then Dennis gets this quizzical look on his face and walks over to look at the menu - we were laughing so hard!
The show tonight was “Siegfried and Roy present Darren Romeo: The Voice of Magic.” This was a magician that sang while he did magic. It was an interesting combination, but the problem with it, in my opinion, was that doing the songs took up time so he didn’t do as much magic. However, it was a good show - and we really enjoyed it!
After the show, we watched a few rounds of “Who Wants to be a Mousketeer,” before heading down to Rockin Bar D to watch Heath Hyche do stand up for the adult cabaret before heading up to bed.
Dinner tonight was the Master Chef Menu. What was really funny is that Grant and I were looking at our menus, and Bobby starts talking about what dishes he wants , and Grant and I are like…. “huh?” Turns out, Adrian had accidentally given us two different menus - they had the same covers, but different food. So we played a trick on Dennis - Mom, Grant, and I ordered off of the correct menu, and then Bobby ordered off of the incorrect menu - first Dennis nods and starts to write it down, and then Dennis gets this quizzical look on his face and walks over to look at the menu - we were laughing so hard!
The show tonight was “Siegfried and Roy present Darren Romeo: The Voice of Magic.” This was a magician that sang while he did magic. It was an interesting combination, but the problem with it, in my opinion, was that doing the songs took up time so he didn’t do as much magic. However, it was a good show - and we really enjoyed it!
After the show, we watched a few rounds of “Who Wants to be a Mousketeer,” before heading down to Rockin Bar D to watch Heath Hyche do stand up for the adult cabaret before heading up to bed.
Disney Magic - Tuesday - Cartegena, Columbia
Cartegena was not at all what I expected. I guess I expected old, run down - I don’t know - like Progresso, Mexico. Instead, Much of Cartegena is actually very nice - it feels colonial, and reminded me a lot of Macau or Fredricksted in St. Croix, or like a combination of an old European town and a Caribbean town. It was very pretty!
We started our tour at the pier and headed through town into the walled part of the city where we did a walking tour for about an hour and a half/ 2 hours. Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew a lot about the history of his country and of the city. We looked at many of the residences and government buildings, and of course, their beautiful balconies (every year they have a contest to see which balcony is the most beautiful!), we learned about their important figures, such as saints, and visited some of their churches.
Our tour guide spoke English very well - the only thing I had trouble understanding was names. But the saint the talked about most was called “the slave of slaves.” This man would store food and supplies and meet every incoming slave ship. Slaves coming to Cartegena were often afraid that they were going to be eaten - a rumor that was persistent. So this saint would always reassure them - by telling them they were not going to be eaten, but that they would have to work very very hard, and that he would do what he could to help them. He would give them food and clothing and whatever else he could.
There were vendors on the streets everywhere that would walk up to you and try to sell you stuff - which was rather annoying, but I know not uncommon.
Next we got back on the bus and headed to some shopping centers (two of them - boring!!!!) Then we drove to the fortress and took pictures in front of the statue of the “half man,” another Cartegena hero, who was 14 when he had lost a leg, and by the end of his life, also lost an eye and the use of one of his arms, but still managed to lead troops and father 17 children. Half man indeed.
Finally, we drove up to the tallest point in the city, “la Popa,” which had a great view of the city and the port, and also another church. On the way up the hill, there were many poorer shacks - I guess more what I was expecting. Quite a range of lifestyles in this city.
Our tour guide, Duran Duran, (no joke), talked a lot about the new president, and how Columbia was really becoming a safer place to visit. He acknowledged the drug problem and showed us on a map where it was being grown. He mentioned (while we were pulling into port and groaning about the long line to get back on the ship because the Columbian guards were searching our bags) that while Columbia has a long way to go, with out demand, there would be no supply, etc. All in all, I think that I felt pretty safe and was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my visit.
Back on the ship, we showered and went down to dinner in Lumiere’s, where we had the Taste of the Caribbean menu. The show tonight was “Disney on Broadway,” with Sarah Litzsinger, the longest running Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and David Devries, who played Lumiere on Broadway and in several national and international productions. They performed a concert - lots of Disney of course, but also Wicked (as David Devries is currently staring in LA in Wicked - we saw him in June…) Evita (Sarah Litzsinger had recently starred as Eva Peron,) and a few others. They also shared thoughts and memories of being on stage together. In all honesty, I would have preferred more singing and less talking, but - eh - what can you do? The concert was great - they were fabulous - and seriously - Broadway? Right up my alley!
Next we headed up to the Tropicalifragilisticexpialidocious Deck Party and watched the characters come out and dance. Then we went back to the quiet cove pool where another band was playing - before finally heading off to bed. Tonight, we turned our clocks forward one last time, so we are officially on eastern time.
We started our tour at the pier and headed through town into the walled part of the city where we did a walking tour for about an hour and a half/ 2 hours. Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew a lot about the history of his country and of the city. We looked at many of the residences and government buildings, and of course, their beautiful balconies (every year they have a contest to see which balcony is the most beautiful!), we learned about their important figures, such as saints, and visited some of their churches.
Our tour guide spoke English very well - the only thing I had trouble understanding was names. But the saint the talked about most was called “the slave of slaves.” This man would store food and supplies and meet every incoming slave ship. Slaves coming to Cartegena were often afraid that they were going to be eaten - a rumor that was persistent. So this saint would always reassure them - by telling them they were not going to be eaten, but that they would have to work very very hard, and that he would do what he could to help them. He would give them food and clothing and whatever else he could.
There were vendors on the streets everywhere that would walk up to you and try to sell you stuff - which was rather annoying, but I know not uncommon.
Next we got back on the bus and headed to some shopping centers (two of them - boring!!!!) Then we drove to the fortress and took pictures in front of the statue of the “half man,” another Cartegena hero, who was 14 when he had lost a leg, and by the end of his life, also lost an eye and the use of one of his arms, but still managed to lead troops and father 17 children. Half man indeed.
Finally, we drove up to the tallest point in the city, “la Popa,” which had a great view of the city and the port, and also another church. On the way up the hill, there were many poorer shacks - I guess more what I was expecting. Quite a range of lifestyles in this city.
Our tour guide, Duran Duran, (no joke), talked a lot about the new president, and how Columbia was really becoming a safer place to visit. He acknowledged the drug problem and showed us on a map where it was being grown. He mentioned (while we were pulling into port and groaning about the long line to get back on the ship because the Columbian guards were searching our bags) that while Columbia has a long way to go, with out demand, there would be no supply, etc. All in all, I think that I felt pretty safe and was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my visit.
Back on the ship, we showered and went down to dinner in Lumiere’s, where we had the Taste of the Caribbean menu. The show tonight was “Disney on Broadway,” with Sarah Litzsinger, the longest running Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and David Devries, who played Lumiere on Broadway and in several national and international productions. They performed a concert - lots of Disney of course, but also Wicked (as David Devries is currently staring in LA in Wicked - we saw him in June…) Evita (Sarah Litzsinger had recently starred as Eva Peron,) and a few others. They also shared thoughts and memories of being on stage together. In all honesty, I would have preferred more singing and less talking, but - eh - what can you do? The concert was great - they were fabulous - and seriously - Broadway? Right up my alley!
Next we headed up to the Tropicalifragilisticexpialidocious Deck Party and watched the characters come out and dance. Then we went back to the quiet cove pool where another band was playing - before finally heading off to bed. Tonight, we turned our clocks forward one last time, so we are officially on eastern time.
Disney Magic - Monday - Panama Canal!
Well, today was the big day - the day we traveled through the Panama Canal! Our pilot got aboard at about 6:30, and we passed under the Bridge of the Americas at about 7:00. Going through the locks was fun. We had a container ship next to us, and it was fun waving to the workers on the ground and on the other ship. Up on deck 6 on the balcony, it was hard to really tell when we were moving up (and later, down) in the locks, because we were so high up.
After the first set of locks, we went up to eat at the deck bbq. It was HOT AND HUMID. The bbq was really tasty, though. Passing through Gatun lake was really neat - you could hear (from our balcony - not up on deck) the sounds of the jungle - the chirping and tweeting. It was neat. Then, a huge thunderstorm moved in. We got to watch lightening all around us and then the rain moved in right over us and came down in torrents!
The last set of locks (the Gatun locks) had a bit of a back up. Our dining time was moved to 6:00 PM to accommodate the planned timing of the locks, but we just barely moved into the first lock by 6 (we were supposed to be through much earlier.) We decided to go to dinner anyway, which was cool, because you could really see from the windows in Parrot Cay (which is down on deck 3) when we were moving down and when we were sliding into the next set of locks. Plus, we had a crab leg appetizer and a lobster entrée which was freaking awesome!
So we did it! We passed through the Panama Canal! What an awesome, amazing experience!
Getting up so early, we were pretty tired. There was no show tonight - instead, they showed Wall-e in the big theater. Grant and I opted out and instead, just walked around the upper decks of the ship and did some shopping. Mom and Bobby did go, but slept through a lot of it.
Now I am back in the room, blogging. As we flipped channels on the teeny tiny tv (yeah, big complaint - the tv in our stateroom is 13 inches. Which sucks because they have great programming!) we found a channel playing - more clues for our Who Dunnit! So we watched the loop and too some notes - good thing we caught it!
Tomorrow - Cartagena, Columbia! After tomorrow, I can officially say that I have been to South America!
After the first set of locks, we went up to eat at the deck bbq. It was HOT AND HUMID. The bbq was really tasty, though. Passing through Gatun lake was really neat - you could hear (from our balcony - not up on deck) the sounds of the jungle - the chirping and tweeting. It was neat. Then, a huge thunderstorm moved in. We got to watch lightening all around us and then the rain moved in right over us and came down in torrents!
The last set of locks (the Gatun locks) had a bit of a back up. Our dining time was moved to 6:00 PM to accommodate the planned timing of the locks, but we just barely moved into the first lock by 6 (we were supposed to be through much earlier.) We decided to go to dinner anyway, which was cool, because you could really see from the windows in Parrot Cay (which is down on deck 3) when we were moving down and when we were sliding into the next set of locks. Plus, we had a crab leg appetizer and a lobster entrée which was freaking awesome!
So we did it! We passed through the Panama Canal! What an awesome, amazing experience!
Getting up so early, we were pretty tired. There was no show tonight - instead, they showed Wall-e in the big theater. Grant and I opted out and instead, just walked around the upper decks of the ship and did some shopping. Mom and Bobby did go, but slept through a lot of it.
Now I am back in the room, blogging. As we flipped channels on the teeny tiny tv (yeah, big complaint - the tv in our stateroom is 13 inches. Which sucks because they have great programming!) we found a channel playing - more clues for our Who Dunnit! So we watched the loop and too some notes - good thing we caught it!
Tomorrow - Cartagena, Columbia! After tomorrow, I can officially say that I have been to South America!
Disney Magic - Sunday - At Sea
One thing I wanted to share - I don’t remember if I mentioned it, so if I did, well, skip this paragraph. When we were coming back to the ship from our tour in Acapulco, Minnie Mouse was up on the deck waving. Now, this was very neat, because yes, it is always neat to see the characters, but Minnie was out on deck waving to the Mexican families who were walking by - the little kids were just so happy to really see Minnie Mouse in person! It was such a nice touch. Mickey was out today (Monday), too, when we were going through Panama Canal.
Observations about the ship - in the hallways and stairwells, there is a constant soundtrack of Disney songs playing - the neat thing, though, is that the play list is so extensive, I rarely, if ever, hear the same song twice - and I’ve been aboard the ship for over a week! They play songs from all of the animated movies, of course, songs from the musical movies (Summer Magic, Parent Trap, etc.) and songs from the parks - like the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. Very cool.
Also, it is neat that there are always characters out and about. Mostly, you see them in the atrium posing for pictures. Also, certain dinners have cool show moments that involve visiting characters. However, they’ll pop up in crazy places, too - for example, when we were waiting in line for our Galley tour, Peter Pan ran up and said, “Let’s go, folks! I’m ready to take you on the tour!” The host said, “But Peter, do you even know your way around the galley?” and Peter said, “Of course I do! Tink and I fly in there every once in a while and get some cupcakes! Speaking of which, I better go find her - see you later!” And he took off down the hall. Another time, it was like 9:00 at night, and the four of us were sitting in some lounge chairs outside of the Buena Vista theater, feeling tired and trying to decide what to do next. Next thing we know, Cinderella comes walking by, all by herself. Now, you know she’s walking to take her break, so we expected a quick little hello, but she came over and had a short little conversation with us! She could have just said, you know, “Hello, have a lovely evening!” as she passed, but instead she stopped and backtracked and asked us how we were doing and if we were enjoying ourselves. It was really nice! Mom says it is almost like all of these characters are just cruising with us - you see them walking as if they are heading back to their cabins. So cool! Also, there are quite a variety of characters aboard!
Also, the casts for the shows are quite large - like, I expect that they do a bunch of costume changes and one actor plays several characters, and I am sure that happens to some extent, but it is really amazing how at the end, during he curtain call, how many of the characters come out - meaning that their casts are quite large!
Ok - so Sunday - This morning, we started our day with brunch at Palo. What a spread! I loved the crab legs, of course, and just snacking on the cheese and bread. They also had this dish called “Stolen Bread” which is this sweet bread that you top with whipped cream and fresh berries - so good! There was a lot of sea food - salmon mouse, etc. We had a blue cheese and grape pizza, and an Italian sausage pizza, eggs benedict, eggs Julia, and this amazing chicken parmigiana. Just so yummy!
After that, we went to see the matinee of “Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story.” This was a stage musical with the step mother and the step sisters meeting their evil fairy godfather, who helped them go back in time and steal Cinderella’s glass slipper. It had new music, a good story, and amazing sets - amazing how they keep all of these sets on the ship! Also, I love that they do matinees of their big production shows, because it frees up the evenings to do other things.
After the matinee, we had to head to a few different places on the ship to watch scenarios and gather clues for our Who Dunnit? At sea. We saw a scenario with Francie and Urie in the Promenade lounge, and a scenario with Storme and Trixie at the forward elevators on deck 9.
Then we met Mom and Bobby back at the cabin to compare clues (they had gone to the same scenarios, but to split up the large group, they presented the scenarios at various times, so we went to different “performances” to see what clues we picked up on.
The menu for dinner was Prince and Princess. My favorite things were the crispy ravioli and the blue cheese and apple salad.
After dinner, we headed to Diversions. Bobby and Grant played a game of wii golf, while mom and I played Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary. Then we all played a game of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Game of Life.
At 10:30, we went to the adult hypnotist show. The participants were hilarious and much more into it this time, and the show was really great. After that, we went to bed - because tomorrow we had to get p early for the Panama Canal!!!!!
Observations about the ship - in the hallways and stairwells, there is a constant soundtrack of Disney songs playing - the neat thing, though, is that the play list is so extensive, I rarely, if ever, hear the same song twice - and I’ve been aboard the ship for over a week! They play songs from all of the animated movies, of course, songs from the musical movies (Summer Magic, Parent Trap, etc.) and songs from the parks - like the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. Very cool.
Also, it is neat that there are always characters out and about. Mostly, you see them in the atrium posing for pictures. Also, certain dinners have cool show moments that involve visiting characters. However, they’ll pop up in crazy places, too - for example, when we were waiting in line for our Galley tour, Peter Pan ran up and said, “Let’s go, folks! I’m ready to take you on the tour!” The host said, “But Peter, do you even know your way around the galley?” and Peter said, “Of course I do! Tink and I fly in there every once in a while and get some cupcakes! Speaking of which, I better go find her - see you later!” And he took off down the hall. Another time, it was like 9:00 at night, and the four of us were sitting in some lounge chairs outside of the Buena Vista theater, feeling tired and trying to decide what to do next. Next thing we know, Cinderella comes walking by, all by herself. Now, you know she’s walking to take her break, so we expected a quick little hello, but she came over and had a short little conversation with us! She could have just said, you know, “Hello, have a lovely evening!” as she passed, but instead she stopped and backtracked and asked us how we were doing and if we were enjoying ourselves. It was really nice! Mom says it is almost like all of these characters are just cruising with us - you see them walking as if they are heading back to their cabins. So cool! Also, there are quite a variety of characters aboard!
Also, the casts for the shows are quite large - like, I expect that they do a bunch of costume changes and one actor plays several characters, and I am sure that happens to some extent, but it is really amazing how at the end, during he curtain call, how many of the characters come out - meaning that their casts are quite large!
Ok - so Sunday - This morning, we started our day with brunch at Palo. What a spread! I loved the crab legs, of course, and just snacking on the cheese and bread. They also had this dish called “Stolen Bread” which is this sweet bread that you top with whipped cream and fresh berries - so good! There was a lot of sea food - salmon mouse, etc. We had a blue cheese and grape pizza, and an Italian sausage pizza, eggs benedict, eggs Julia, and this amazing chicken parmigiana. Just so yummy!
After that, we went to see the matinee of “Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story.” This was a stage musical with the step mother and the step sisters meeting their evil fairy godfather, who helped them go back in time and steal Cinderella’s glass slipper. It had new music, a good story, and amazing sets - amazing how they keep all of these sets on the ship! Also, I love that they do matinees of their big production shows, because it frees up the evenings to do other things.
After the matinee, we had to head to a few different places on the ship to watch scenarios and gather clues for our Who Dunnit? At sea. We saw a scenario with Francie and Urie in the Promenade lounge, and a scenario with Storme and Trixie at the forward elevators on deck 9.
Then we met Mom and Bobby back at the cabin to compare clues (they had gone to the same scenarios, but to split up the large group, they presented the scenarios at various times, so we went to different “performances” to see what clues we picked up on.
The menu for dinner was Prince and Princess. My favorite things were the crispy ravioli and the blue cheese and apple salad.
After dinner, we headed to Diversions. Bobby and Grant played a game of wii golf, while mom and I played Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary. Then we all played a game of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Game of Life.
At 10:30, we went to the adult hypnotist show. The participants were hilarious and much more into it this time, and the show was really great. After that, we went to bed - because tomorrow we had to get p early for the Panama Canal!!!!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Panama Canal Transit Information:
Check out our updated FLICKR photos from our cruise: Flickr
As we write this, we are at 7 degrees north lattitude...the closest to the equator either of us has been. To give you an idea how close to the equator we are, sunrise is at 5:54AM and sunset is at 6:14PM!
This is our tentative schedule, but it may change. Please not that the time is equivalent to CST - 2 hours ahead of Pacific, 1 hour behind Eastern.
7:00AM - Passing under the Bridge of the Americas
8:40AM - Arriving at Miraflores locks
10:20AM - Departing Miraflores locks
10:50AM - Arriving Pedro Miguel locks
11:50AM - Departing Pedro Miguel locks
1:00PM - Passing Gamboa
3:00PM - Arriving Gatun Locks
5:20 - Departing Gatun Locks
You can check the Panama Canal Website for webcams to watch us go through. If you know how to catch a screenshot (alt - prt scrn) please do so and email to us.
Website for Panama
www.pancanal.com
Go to multimedia /webcams
Panama Canal Webcams
As we write this, we are at 7 degrees north lattitude...the closest to the equator either of us has been. To give you an idea how close to the equator we are, sunrise is at 5:54AM and sunset is at 6:14PM!
This is our tentative schedule, but it may change. Please not that the time is equivalent to CST - 2 hours ahead of Pacific, 1 hour behind Eastern.
7:00AM - Passing under the Bridge of the Americas
8:40AM - Arriving at Miraflores locks
10:20AM - Departing Miraflores locks
10:50AM - Arriving Pedro Miguel locks
11:50AM - Departing Pedro Miguel locks
1:00PM - Passing Gamboa
3:00PM - Arriving Gatun Locks
5:20 - Departing Gatun Locks
You can check the Panama Canal Website for webcams to watch us go through. If you know how to catch a screenshot (alt - prt scrn) please do so and email to us.
Website for Panama
www.pancanal.com
Go to multimedia /webcams
Panama Canal Webcams
Disney Magic - Saturday - Sea Day
Thank goodness it was a sea day, because Saturday I did not feel very well all day long. Heartburn, headache, just kinda yucky.
We started our morning by going to see the kick off of “Desperate Shipmates,” which is a multi-day Who Dunnit? at sea. We got clue notebooks and saw the drama play out as we were introduced to our main characters - Francie, Yuri, Storme, and Trixie.
Next we went to pick up our specialty merchandise that we ordered - Grant and I got ours first and we got a complete set of pins, plus a couple of doubles that we wanted, plus we got one of the 55 ornaments! I was so excited - and kind of nervous, because the lady next to us didn’t get the ornament she ordered, so I thought maybe we wouldn’t, either. Then, I got nervous that Mo and Bobby wouldn’t get one - but they did, as well! They got a full set of pins, and an ornament. We didn’t get the painting that we wanted, but that’s okay! There were only ten of those. But we were very happy.
Next, we watched a little bit of the art auction, before heading through the galley tour. Our galley tour started in Lumiere’s galley and headed straight through to Parrot Cay’s galley. A nice touch is that they gave us chocolate chip cookies towards the end of the tour.
After that, we went up to the Buena Vista theater and watched a movie called “College Road Trip,” which was a cute movie about a father having to accept that his daughter is growing up. The movie was very cute and very funny - Raven and Martin Lawrence stared as the father and daughter, and Donny Osmond was hilarious as the annoying family they meet along the way.
We had to get dressed pretty quickly for dinner - the French menu in Lumiere’s. During dinner, Belle and Beast came out and danced for us! It was so neat! I ate lightly- having escargot, tomato basil soup, and a salad (but no entrée), and crème brulee for dessert. Mom had a shrimp appetizer, the tomato basil soup, and the duck entrée, with an apple and pear tart. Bobby had the tomato basil soup, duck appetizer, and the beef tenderloin for dinner, and the crepe suzette for dessert. Grant had duck appetizer, as well as sharing an escargot with mom and Bobby, a salad, and the duck entrée, with crème brulee for dessert.
We went up to see “Think you know your Family?” which is like the newlywed game, but with asking questions to kids and parents. Then we went to the show, which was Ricky Kalmon, a hypnotist. That was pretty funny!
We were going to swim in the goofy pool and watch National Treasure, but due to a conflict with the kids club camp out under the stars, the movie was canceled. (We’ve had a few conflicts and misprints, probably due to the unusual itinerary.) So instead, we went to swim in the Quiet Cove pool for a while, before heading back to our rooms to order a midnight snack from room service and going to bed.
We started our morning by going to see the kick off of “Desperate Shipmates,” which is a multi-day Who Dunnit? at sea. We got clue notebooks and saw the drama play out as we were introduced to our main characters - Francie, Yuri, Storme, and Trixie.
Next we went to pick up our specialty merchandise that we ordered - Grant and I got ours first and we got a complete set of pins, plus a couple of doubles that we wanted, plus we got one of the 55 ornaments! I was so excited - and kind of nervous, because the lady next to us didn’t get the ornament she ordered, so I thought maybe we wouldn’t, either. Then, I got nervous that Mo and Bobby wouldn’t get one - but they did, as well! They got a full set of pins, and an ornament. We didn’t get the painting that we wanted, but that’s okay! There were only ten of those. But we were very happy.
Next, we watched a little bit of the art auction, before heading through the galley tour. Our galley tour started in Lumiere’s galley and headed straight through to Parrot Cay’s galley. A nice touch is that they gave us chocolate chip cookies towards the end of the tour.
After that, we went up to the Buena Vista theater and watched a movie called “College Road Trip,” which was a cute movie about a father having to accept that his daughter is growing up. The movie was very cute and very funny - Raven and Martin Lawrence stared as the father and daughter, and Donny Osmond was hilarious as the annoying family they meet along the way.
We had to get dressed pretty quickly for dinner - the French menu in Lumiere’s. During dinner, Belle and Beast came out and danced for us! It was so neat! I ate lightly- having escargot, tomato basil soup, and a salad (but no entrée), and crème brulee for dessert. Mom had a shrimp appetizer, the tomato basil soup, and the duck entrée, with an apple and pear tart. Bobby had the tomato basil soup, duck appetizer, and the beef tenderloin for dinner, and the crepe suzette for dessert. Grant had duck appetizer, as well as sharing an escargot with mom and Bobby, a salad, and the duck entrée, with crème brulee for dessert.
We went up to see “Think you know your Family?” which is like the newlywed game, but with asking questions to kids and parents. Then we went to the show, which was Ricky Kalmon, a hypnotist. That was pretty funny!
We were going to swim in the goofy pool and watch National Treasure, but due to a conflict with the kids club camp out under the stars, the movie was canceled. (We’ve had a few conflicts and misprints, probably due to the unusual itinerary.) So instead, we went to swim in the Quiet Cove pool for a while, before heading back to our rooms to order a midnight snack from room service and going to bed.
Disney Magic - Friday - Acapulco
Disney Magic - Friday - Acapulco
This morning, we got up early (well, early for us anyway) in order to meet at 8:00 for our city tour of Acapulco. The ship left Acapulco at 1:00, in order to book it to the Panama Canal, so it was a quick stop.
Acapulco is split up into three areas - the first part is Old Acapulco, which is, well, old - more run down, compact, and congested. The next area is the product of the first wave of tourists brought on by celebrities who would vacation here - Hotels in this area were built in the 40’s 50;s and 60’s to accommodate the wealthy American tourists and celebrities coming to visit who did not own their own homes. This place now has a real “Spring Break” feel, with fast food (Mc D’s, Pizza Hut, etc.) bars, and discos lining the streets around the beaches. The third area is the newest part to be built up, with newer celebrity homes, and newer resort hotels with golf courses, etc. You can see a real evolution of how the city has grown and changed.
Also as part of our tour, we stopped at the famous hotel to watch the cliff divers do their thing (in the pouring rain!) as well as at a market that was built specifically to get money from us tourists. We were the first cruise ship of the season, as ships do not usually stop there until September, which is when their rainy season ends.
Back on board at 1:00, it was time to find a place to eat - as was everyone else. Unfortunately, because it was raining, many of the outside areas were closed We went to Parrot Cay for their buffet, and we really didn’t have to wait too long. (One major complaint I do have about the cruise is that their buffet hours are way to short. For example, the buffet is only opened from 12 - 2 for lunch. This limit’s the amount of time you can get something other than pizza and burgers, and also makes the area really congested during that time. Also, it takes a bit away from that casual - do what you want, when you want cruise feel because you have to really plan around lunch, too - and if there are activities you want to do during that time, it limits what you can eat and when.)
After lunch, we went up to our balconies to watch the sail away out of Acapulco, and then went to see the matinee of Disney Dreams, another fantastic production show that is only shown on special voyages. (Besides these two Panama Canal cruises in May and and now, it has only been performed on the repo cruises to Europe last summer.)
Next, we went out to promenade deck 4 and read and played shuffleboard - Bobby and Grant were really good! That was fun.
We had dinner at 7:00 at Palo, so we went back to our rooms to shower and change. Palo is the adults only specialty dining venue. Tonight worked well because the dinner menu was Mexican, which Grant hates, so the Italian menu at Palo was awesome. We shared an appetizer pizza (cheese, tomato, and proscuitto), got different salads to share (tuna, shrimp, eggplant, and calamari) and then got different pastas and entrees - beef tenderloin, chicken, veal, and lamb. Everything was excellent. Dessert was the yummy chocolate soufflé, which was delicious! He also brought out a mascarpone and berry dessert for us to taste. Dinner was excellent - it took about 3 hours. From our table we could watch the sun set. It was a nice evening.
Afterwards, we walked out to look at Minnie’s Grand Fiesta Deck party, where they had all sorts of activities going on, from pin the tail on the donkey to kids dressing up and plaint with different Mexican instruments. Also, Quiet Cove had been transformed into a “pool lounge” area, meaning they put some cloths up as a back drop, set put a bunch of fake candles and had a do playing music. Really though, it did make the atmosphere feel cozy.
We wanted to change out of our dinner clothes, so we headed back to the cabin, I think with the intention of going back out to watch karaoke, but I fell asleep! I think everyone else stayed in, too.
Tomorrow - Sea Day!
This morning, we got up early (well, early for us anyway) in order to meet at 8:00 for our city tour of Acapulco. The ship left Acapulco at 1:00, in order to book it to the Panama Canal, so it was a quick stop.
Acapulco is split up into three areas - the first part is Old Acapulco, which is, well, old - more run down, compact, and congested. The next area is the product of the first wave of tourists brought on by celebrities who would vacation here - Hotels in this area were built in the 40’s 50;s and 60’s to accommodate the wealthy American tourists and celebrities coming to visit who did not own their own homes. This place now has a real “Spring Break” feel, with fast food (Mc D’s, Pizza Hut, etc.) bars, and discos lining the streets around the beaches. The third area is the newest part to be built up, with newer celebrity homes, and newer resort hotels with golf courses, etc. You can see a real evolution of how the city has grown and changed.
Also as part of our tour, we stopped at the famous hotel to watch the cliff divers do their thing (in the pouring rain!) as well as at a market that was built specifically to get money from us tourists. We were the first cruise ship of the season, as ships do not usually stop there until September, which is when their rainy season ends.
Back on board at 1:00, it was time to find a place to eat - as was everyone else. Unfortunately, because it was raining, many of the outside areas were closed We went to Parrot Cay for their buffet, and we really didn’t have to wait too long. (One major complaint I do have about the cruise is that their buffet hours are way to short. For example, the buffet is only opened from 12 - 2 for lunch. This limit’s the amount of time you can get something other than pizza and burgers, and also makes the area really congested during that time. Also, it takes a bit away from that casual - do what you want, when you want cruise feel because you have to really plan around lunch, too - and if there are activities you want to do during that time, it limits what you can eat and when.)
After lunch, we went up to our balconies to watch the sail away out of Acapulco, and then went to see the matinee of Disney Dreams, another fantastic production show that is only shown on special voyages. (Besides these two Panama Canal cruises in May and and now, it has only been performed on the repo cruises to Europe last summer.)
Next, we went out to promenade deck 4 and read and played shuffleboard - Bobby and Grant were really good! That was fun.
We had dinner at 7:00 at Palo, so we went back to our rooms to shower and change. Palo is the adults only specialty dining venue. Tonight worked well because the dinner menu was Mexican, which Grant hates, so the Italian menu at Palo was awesome. We shared an appetizer pizza (cheese, tomato, and proscuitto), got different salads to share (tuna, shrimp, eggplant, and calamari) and then got different pastas and entrees - beef tenderloin, chicken, veal, and lamb. Everything was excellent. Dessert was the yummy chocolate soufflé, which was delicious! He also brought out a mascarpone and berry dessert for us to taste. Dinner was excellent - it took about 3 hours. From our table we could watch the sun set. It was a nice evening.
Afterwards, we walked out to look at Minnie’s Grand Fiesta Deck party, where they had all sorts of activities going on, from pin the tail on the donkey to kids dressing up and plaint with different Mexican instruments. Also, Quiet Cove had been transformed into a “pool lounge” area, meaning they put some cloths up as a back drop, set put a bunch of fake candles and had a do playing music. Really though, it did make the atmosphere feel cozy.
We wanted to change out of our dinner clothes, so we headed back to the cabin, I think with the intention of going back out to watch karaoke, but I fell asleep! I think everyone else stayed in, too.
Tomorrow - Sea Day!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Disney Magic - Thursday - Day at Sea
This morning - after eating at Topsider’s, we went to a presentation on crossing the Panama Canal by Captain Ken Puckett, 16 year Senior Pilot and Port Captain on the panama canal. He has transited the Panama Canal almost 2,000 times. We learned that the Disney Magic would be paying the most tolls any ship has ever paid to cross the canal - almost $340,000 - the highest fees paid previously was also by the Disney Magic in May, when it crossed on the westbound repo. The lowest toll that was ever paid was 36 cents, paid by a man who swam through the canal. The tolls have gotten really high because American tax payers no longer pay for the canal. Our ship is also one of the largest that can travel through - we’ll have about 2 feet of clearance on each side.
Next, Grant and I went to do the “Art of the Theme” ship tour. This was cool because it showed us a lot of those little hidden details that were interspersed throughout the ship areas. I love knowing those little details...
After that, it was time to get ready for dinner. Dinner tonight was the Island dinner in the Parrot Cay. After dinner, we went to see the show - which was Ron Lucas, the ventriloquist we had seen the night before. I was very disappointed, because over half of his show was a repeat of the night before. Seriously? No new material?
We went to bed early because we had to get up early for our Acapulco city tour.
Next, Grant and I went to do the “Art of the Theme” ship tour. This was cool because it showed us a lot of those little hidden details that were interspersed throughout the ship areas. I love knowing those little details...
After that, it was time to get ready for dinner. Dinner tonight was the Island dinner in the Parrot Cay. After dinner, we went to see the show - which was Ron Lucas, the ventriloquist we had seen the night before. I was very disappointed, because over half of his show was a repeat of the night before. Seriously? No new material?
We went to bed early because we had to get up early for our Acapulco city tour.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Disney Magic - Wednesday - Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta was hot (but not as hot as Cabo), overcast, humid, and rainy. We were still tired (and pretty burnt) from Cabo, so we took it easy. We got off the ship and walked over to Walmart and Sam’s Club. Crossing the street was much less stressful thanks to a new crossing signal with a timer and a police officer that hung out in the middle of the intersection. At walmart, in the sunscreen aisle, there were ladies that actually worked for the sun screen brands pimping their products! Mom and Bobby walked over to the Port village to mail some postcards.
Back on boards, we looked at the shore excursions that were available for Acapulco and Cartegena, and booked city tours in both. Not knowing when or if we’d ever be back to these ports, we thought basic city tours were the best way to go. Since we leave Acapulco at 1:00 in the afternoon, and Cartegena is in Columbia, we figured the safest thing to do (for time and because, well, Cartegena is in Columbia) was to book through Disney. The prices weren’t too awfully bad.
In the lobby, Bobby played around of chip golf. Then we headed up to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Pretty much every night (except for the two formal nights) are casual. We dressed up a bit to get some pictures, though.
Tonight’s dinner was a Taste of California menu in Lumiere’s. Highlights included the butternut squash soup with Dungeness crab (the crab was so sweet and delicious), prime rib, seared ahi, halibut on potatoes, and the flourless chocolate cake. The presentation is really awesome, as well.
After dinner, we took some pictures with Goofy dressed in Mexican garb, the Three Caballeros, and one with a Disney Magic backdrop. Then we went to see the show, Mexico Foclorico. It was a 7 piece Mariachi band with 4 dancers - and the show was beautiful and entertaining.
Afterwards, we braved the humidity and rain and headed back out to take some pictures of the Magic at night. (The ship did not leave until 1:00 AM!) Then we went back in and headed to Rockin’ Bar D to get seats for Ronn Lucas’s cabaret show. When the introduced him, they played this intro on the video screens with reels of his most impressive gigs - the White House, the London Palladium, David Letterman, etc. While we were watching, this guy standing next to us said, “Man, that’s a lot of hype - this guy better be good.” To be honest, I was thinking the same thing, but thought it was ballsy for someone to say it out loud - until they introduced Ronn Lucas, and the guy standing behind us who said that trotted down on stage - it was Ronn Lucas himself!
His show was hilarious - he is a famous ventriloquist from Las Vegas and he was really, really good! He could throw his voice and everything!
Finally, we headed back to the staterooms. We played a game of word yacht and then watched the ship pull away from Puerto Vallarta. Grant has this neat application for his iPhone that uses GPS to keep track of our path. You can see the path our ship took out of Puerto Vallarta here: You can see that we backed out of the harbor and then turned around. The track ends where he lost cell phone reception! Adios!
Back on boards, we looked at the shore excursions that were available for Acapulco and Cartegena, and booked city tours in both. Not knowing when or if we’d ever be back to these ports, we thought basic city tours were the best way to go. Since we leave Acapulco at 1:00 in the afternoon, and Cartegena is in Columbia, we figured the safest thing to do (for time and because, well, Cartegena is in Columbia) was to book through Disney. The prices weren’t too awfully bad.
In the lobby, Bobby played around of chip golf. Then we headed up to the cabin to get ready for dinner. Pretty much every night (except for the two formal nights) are casual. We dressed up a bit to get some pictures, though.
Tonight’s dinner was a Taste of California menu in Lumiere’s. Highlights included the butternut squash soup with Dungeness crab (the crab was so sweet and delicious), prime rib, seared ahi, halibut on potatoes, and the flourless chocolate cake. The presentation is really awesome, as well.
After dinner, we took some pictures with Goofy dressed in Mexican garb, the Three Caballeros, and one with a Disney Magic backdrop. Then we went to see the show, Mexico Foclorico. It was a 7 piece Mariachi band with 4 dancers - and the show was beautiful and entertaining.
Afterwards, we braved the humidity and rain and headed back out to take some pictures of the Magic at night. (The ship did not leave until 1:00 AM!) Then we went back in and headed to Rockin’ Bar D to get seats for Ronn Lucas’s cabaret show. When the introduced him, they played this intro on the video screens with reels of his most impressive gigs - the White House, the London Palladium, David Letterman, etc. While we were watching, this guy standing next to us said, “Man, that’s a lot of hype - this guy better be good.” To be honest, I was thinking the same thing, but thought it was ballsy for someone to say it out loud - until they introduced Ronn Lucas, and the guy standing behind us who said that trotted down on stage - it was Ronn Lucas himself!
His show was hilarious - he is a famous ventriloquist from Las Vegas and he was really, really good! He could throw his voice and everything!
Finally, we headed back to the staterooms. We played a game of word yacht and then watched the ship pull away from Puerto Vallarta. Grant has this neat application for his iPhone that uses GPS to keep track of our path. You can see the path our ship took out of Puerto Vallarta here: You can see that we backed out of the harbor and then turned around. The track ends where he lost cell phone reception! Adios!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Disney Magic - Tuesday - Cabo San Lucas
This morning we got up and had a quick breakfast at Topsider’s buffet. After breakfast, grabbed a tender and headed towards Cabo. Once there, Grant negotiated a water taxi for the four of us to take over to Lover’s Cove. The trip there (and back) was cool, because we saw marlins and manta rays jumping out of the water. We spend the afternoon in the water - it was clean and the perfect temperature - thank goodness, because it was HOT outside! We took the same water taxi back to the tender docks, browsed the shops, and then took a tender back to the ship.
We headed up to Goofy’s Galley/Pinocchio's Pizzeria/Pluto’s Dog House and grabbed a snack/late lunch. Then we went to our cabins and showered and rested and read and filled out postcards and just chilled.
Dinner tonight was in Parrot Cay, the tropical theme restaurant. I had a Crab and cheese dip, sweet onion soup, and Gnocchi au Gratin, with mango sorbet for dessert. Grant had ceviche, onion soup and steak, and crème brulee cheesecake. Mom had the same crab that I did, a fruit salad, steak, and a chocolate cake with caramel banana dessert. Bobby had a tropical chicken appitizer, salad, island sampler, and Smore’s cake.
After dinner we saw the comedian - Ron Pearson, who was pretty funny. Then we walked a bit around deck 4 and went to watch Disney Karaoke, which was mostly kids…who sucked! After Disney Karaoke, Bobby and Patty went to see “21“ in the movie theatre and Bobbi and Grant went to eat pizza and watch the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the pool deck.
We headed up to Goofy’s Galley/Pinocchio's Pizzeria/Pluto’s Dog House and grabbed a snack/late lunch. Then we went to our cabins and showered and rested and read and filled out postcards and just chilled.
Dinner tonight was in Parrot Cay, the tropical theme restaurant. I had a Crab and cheese dip, sweet onion soup, and Gnocchi au Gratin, with mango sorbet for dessert. Grant had ceviche, onion soup and steak, and crème brulee cheesecake. Mom had the same crab that I did, a fruit salad, steak, and a chocolate cake with caramel banana dessert. Bobby had a tropical chicken appitizer, salad, island sampler, and Smore’s cake.
After dinner we saw the comedian - Ron Pearson, who was pretty funny. Then we walked a bit around deck 4 and went to watch Disney Karaoke, which was mostly kids…who sucked! After Disney Karaoke, Bobby and Patty went to see “21“ in the movie theatre and Bobbi and Grant went to eat pizza and watch the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the pool deck.
Disney Magic - Monday - At Sea
We've uploaded more pictures to our Flickr page:
Today was a day at sea, which meant we got to relax and get to know the ship. We slept in, and then headed for brunch at Lumiere’s.
After brunch, Mom and Bobby went to do their Rasul while Grant and I dropped off our rsp form. (Because this is a specialty cruise, there are limited edition items available - mainly pins. Some things have very limited runs, like the ornament, which there are only 55 of. So, the rsp forms enter you into a random system to try to be able to purchase these items. There are enough pins for each cabin, so basically, every cabin is guaranteed a complete set if they want one. There are 55 ornaments and 10 logo artworks, however. If you are interested in the merchandise, forms had to be turned in by tomorrow (Tuesday). Then Grant and I hung out on deck.
We met Mom and Bobby at 2:00 in the theater for the matinee performance of “The Golden Mickey’s,” which was the stage production for the evening. The show was very similar to “The Golden Mickey’s” at Hong Kong Disneyland. Some of the acts were identical, and the theme was definitely the same. It was fun to see! The shows, sets, and performers are so good on the cruise! I mean, top notch Disney Theme park caliber productions!
After the show, we did some shopping and then headed up to the pool deck to watch the end of “High School Musical” on the Ariel Screen. Then it was back to our cabins to get ready for Formal night.
Dinner tonight was in Animator’s Palate - however they did not do their neat show, because it was formal night. The dining room is neat, though. We had the Golden Mickey Menu. Highlights included Grant’s Golden Mickey Chocolate Chocolate dessert, the broccoli and blue cheese soup, rack of lamb, and a bunch of other yummy stuff that I don’t remember.
After dinner, we went to the Buena Vista theater (the movie theater) to watch “Kung Fu Panda,” which was cute and funny. Next we went to the atrium to watch the Golden Mickey Balloon drop. Finally, we headed to Beat Street to see the comedian’s adult show. However, Rockin’ Bar D was full, so they also broadcast his show in the sports lounge, Diversions. So we headed in there and got a nice booth. While waiting for the show to begin, we played a game of Jenga. The show was pretty funny, and we had a good time even being next door to the actual show. After the show, we played a few rounds of Taboo before heading up to bed!
Today was a day at sea, which meant we got to relax and get to know the ship. We slept in, and then headed for brunch at Lumiere’s.
After brunch, Mom and Bobby went to do their Rasul while Grant and I dropped off our rsp form. (Because this is a specialty cruise, there are limited edition items available - mainly pins. Some things have very limited runs, like the ornament, which there are only 55 of. So, the rsp forms enter you into a random system to try to be able to purchase these items. There are enough pins for each cabin, so basically, every cabin is guaranteed a complete set if they want one. There are 55 ornaments and 10 logo artworks, however. If you are interested in the merchandise, forms had to be turned in by tomorrow (Tuesday). Then Grant and I hung out on deck.
We met Mom and Bobby at 2:00 in the theater for the matinee performance of “The Golden Mickey’s,” which was the stage production for the evening. The show was very similar to “The Golden Mickey’s” at Hong Kong Disneyland. Some of the acts were identical, and the theme was definitely the same. It was fun to see! The shows, sets, and performers are so good on the cruise! I mean, top notch Disney Theme park caliber productions!
After the show, we did some shopping and then headed up to the pool deck to watch the end of “High School Musical” on the Ariel Screen. Then it was back to our cabins to get ready for Formal night.
Dinner tonight was in Animator’s Palate - however they did not do their neat show, because it was formal night. The dining room is neat, though. We had the Golden Mickey Menu. Highlights included Grant’s Golden Mickey Chocolate Chocolate dessert, the broccoli and blue cheese soup, rack of lamb, and a bunch of other yummy stuff that I don’t remember.
After dinner, we went to the Buena Vista theater (the movie theater) to watch “Kung Fu Panda,” which was cute and funny. Next we went to the atrium to watch the Golden Mickey Balloon drop. Finally, we headed to Beat Street to see the comedian’s adult show. However, Rockin’ Bar D was full, so they also broadcast his show in the sports lounge, Diversions. So we headed in there and got a nice booth. While waiting for the show to begin, we played a game of Jenga. The show was pretty funny, and we had a good time even being next door to the actual show. After the show, we played a few rounds of Taboo before heading up to bed!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Disney Magic Repo Cruise - Day #1
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Disney Magic Eastbound Repositioning Cruise
LA to Port Canaveral, via the Panama Canal
Go here to see pictures that Grant uploaded from today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8286915@N06/
Today was the the day we've been waiting for for over a year and a half since we booked it. This cruise has been sold out since six hours after it went on sale. Seriously, like 95% of the people on this cruise are repeat Disney cruisers!!!
We got to the port at about 12:30. Checking in was a breeze, since we had checked in online. Next, we moved to the other part of the terminal, passing Goofy along the way, and got an embarkation number – we were 23, and they were calling group 14. I had heard about this boarding process, but frankly, it was quite a bit of a wait – we didn't get aboard the ship until 1:45! There was a band playing and we did see characters walking by – but still....
Once on board, Mom and Bobby went up to our cabins to drop off our carry ons, while Grant and I went to Rockin' Bar D. Grant ensured that we had a four person table (no strangers to sit with and make idle chit chat for 15 days!) while I made a reservation for Friday at Palo's for dinner – unfortunately, the brunch was booked, so we currently are on the wait list for that.
We met Mom and Bobby at our cabins (6112 and 6114, connecting cabins) and then went to lunch at Topsider's buffet. The buffet is kind of small, however, the food was good. The ship also has several a few other “counter service” food places, such as Pinocchio's Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House (grill – hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, etc.) and Goofy's Galley, with wraps and panini's and such.
We had our muster drill at 3:30, and then headed up to the Adventure's Away party – scoring a rail spot on the tenth deck in the shade over looking the stage. The show was good, but it was interesting that it took place an hour before sail away. The ship's horn, which, instead of the single toned or two toned blast, plays “When you wish upon a star...” and it is really loud, and very, very cool.
We did a tour of the spa, and Mom and Bobby booked a rasul (waaah – I can't do it because of the steam room – too hot!).
Time for dinner! We went to Lumière's, our first restaurant. Our waiter's name is Dennis, from the Philippines, and our assistant waiter is Adrian, from New Zealand. We are seated towards the center of the dining room. Dinner was yummy. Every night, they give you a bread and a different dipping sauce – tonight's was a cilantro cumin sauce. For dinner, I had calamari, crab and seafood chowder, the vegetable pastry, and Kahlua creme brullee for dessert. Grant had a pepper tuna roll, heart of palm salad, seared ahi and sweet potatoes, and a pistachio chocolate tower. Bobby had the pepper tuna roll also, a salad, a chipotle steak, and the pistachio chocolate tower. Mom had scallops, watermelon mint soup, seafood curry, and a fruit tart for dessert. Yum!!!
We did some unpacking and then headed to the Walt Disney Theater to watch the Welcome Aboard show, which was honestly the best welcome aboard show I've ever seen! Similar to any other, you had a combo of a taste of some of the acts (comedians/musicians) that we would see throughout the cruise, intermixed with numbers from the Magic's singers and dancers. But these acts were so cool – with really good singers, and a bunch of Disney character... I felt like I was watching a theme park show! It even ended with bubbles, fireworks, and confetti!
Even though it was only 9:30 we were pretty tired – plus, traveling East - we would be losing hours every few days, starting tonight. Back in the room, we finished unpacking, and just lounged – watching TV, chatting, snoozing, blogging...
P.S. Grant forgot his dress shoes. Sigh. Well, it is better than his underwear, this time, right?
Tomorrow: Sea Day and the Golden Mickeys!
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