Contrary to his nature, Nigel was up EARLY on our day at sea.  He and I snuck out of the stateroom for some early morning roaming, fuseball, photos,

and pre-breakfast snack.  (We take sunscreen seriously.)

Around 8 AM he and I ducked into the theater to catch a DisneyNature film called Bears.  It worked out so well that pretty much the majority of family entertainment was on Deck 5, as our staterooms were Deck 5.  I sat with him a while then decided I’d go back to the room and see what everyone else was up to.  John was finished up his shower and the older girls were dressed.  I walked them to the theater and sat them in with Nigel (and the maybe 6 other people taking in an early morning movie), and I headed back to the stateroom to help get Katriel and Johanna up.  Stewart was sound asleep.  Around 9 A.M. I headed back to the theater to check on the kids and I saw the second Princess Gathering gathering.  This one was a mob scene.  Golly I’m glad we went on Tuesday. 

By 9:30 the movie was over and I helped John herd everyone to, yup, Cabanas for breakfast.  All but Stewart.  I dawned on me that he might be tired… but that he would be really disappointed if he slept through the last full cruise day.  At 9:44 A.M. I told him he was welcome to continue sleeping but I wanted him to know that it was 9:44.  He SHOT out of bed and moved rapidly on his own.  He did NOT want to miss any more of his day.  When he learned that Nigel had already watched an entire movie he was in disbelief!

We didn’t take a lot of photos this day.  I was busy doing “stuff”.  The kids visited in and out of their clubs and swam.  We grabbed lunch from all kinds of the on board food areas.  Sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, pizza, etc.  Later, I hung out with the little girls on Deck 9 while John and the kids went back to the theater to watch the Muppet movie once more.  John had left early the last time with Katriel.  Johanna opted to play in her club and Katriel opted to play with her shoes.  Actually – Katriel made friends EVERYWHERE we went.  The Cast Members (staff) at Disney parks have always been quick to engage children while parents eat, shop, etc., and it was no different on the ship. 

Nan, Kelly, Katriel, Johanna, and I took a walk all the way around Deck 4.  It was so cool to see ocean EVERYWHERE as far as the eyes could see. 

There was a “dance party” in the Atrium that confounded Johanna.  She didn’t want to dance with the characters.  She really wanted to hug them.  When she realized there would be no one-on-one bonding, she was done. 

We swam some more…

And headed to our room before the show to dress for dinner.
Of the four evenings at sea, three nights had stage productions and one had a comedian.  We skipped the first stage production because of the content (Villains), and we skipped the comedian.  The other two shows, “Twice Charmed,” (a twist on the Cinderella story), and “Disney Dreams,” were both nice productions.  I found them O.K. but the kids all liked them to varying degrees.  They did do some cool special effects and it is no high school production.  It was very upscale.  I’m just not that into Disney.  (Really.)

After the show we did our nightly torture privilege of taking photos. 

Including the sisters who didn’t want to pose because she wasn’t on the bottom step.

Katriel walked right up to these officers and just stood there facing them at first waiting to be picked up.  She does this with a lot of people.  They came down to her level instead. 

The non-Butler on the left was our Main Server, Genesis.  Yup, that is REALLY his name and he is a Christian.   He is from the Philippines.  On the right is Sorin, from Romania.  He was our Head Server.  (Over the whole dining room.)

This time on the right it is Joe.  He is from India.  He was our Assistant Server.  (He gets drinks, and helps clear, etc.)

Two desserts baby.  TWO. 

Like mother, like daughter! ♥

This was a shot of the empty theater. 

There was some melancholy this night… … …

Tomorrow we had to get off. 

Yup – that it was.  The best day of the cruise, anyway.

Like most cruise lines, Disney has a private island.  Most of the sailings that depart from east and gulf coast ports make at least one stop there.  John and I had nothing but amazing memories from our stop there in 2001.  We held Castaway Cay (pronounced key) dear in our hearts, but both acknowledged we had forgotten more about the island than we remembered. 

Again, I woke early and headed up on deck for a few photos.   

I loved getting shots of the empty decks.  They call that big movie screen “Funnel Vision” and even in the height of sunlight it was clear as can be.

I walked the long way to meet up with John and the kids for breakfast so I could take some shots as we were approaching the island.  As we began to dock I was mesmerized.  It was so pretty and inviting.  My mind clicked back that I needed to hurry up and eat so we could disembark as soon as they gave permission. 

Breakfast in Cabanas.  Again.  Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

We were off the ship pretty early, but I have no idea what time, really.  8:30? 8:45?

This. 

I felt like a kid in a candy shop.  I was just happy.  Very, very happy.  So glad to share this sand and sunshine and warmth with my favorite people.  We took the tram out to the more distant family beach.

We grabbed a complimentary wagon and a sand-friendlier-than-most stroller. 
John and the big four enjoyed Pelican Plunge.  Actually, Stewart, Nigel and Marie spent the most time out there. 

We had no trouble finding lounge chairs and Nan, Kelly, the little girls and I went to the beach/play area.  It felt a little more crowded than I had hoped.  None of us were interested in swimming per se so it didn’t really bother me. 

After a while we left John and the big three at Pelican Plunge and the rest of us went to check out the splash area. 

We splashed. 

We decided to explore a little bit and moseyed back toward the first family beach.

This was empty decidedly less crowded.  We seriously made ourselves at home in this area. 

Somewhere in here we took a break for lunch at Cookies.  They have two identical buffets set up on the island which are included in cruise fare.  They were delicious and we found the same attention to detail with food allergies there as we did on board.  They also had free standing beverage stations and soft-serve stations just like on board. 

At some point we decided to check out more of the island.  We did not rent bikes, or do the 5K, or parasail. 

We did rent these water trikes and took turns. 

Okay – truth be told John did all the escorting except for once when Marie and I went out.  God alone got us back to shore as my gams are pretty wimpy and Marie could barely reach the pedals.  I trust that they wouldn’t let us float out to sea.

Then more swimming. 

And a nap.

At 4:15 P.M. they announced that it was, well, 4:15 P.M.  And seeing as how they wanted all aboard at 4:45 P.M. we thought it wise to get moving out. 

We were not the LAST people to board.  But I know we were in the last 10%.  5%?

 

Saying good-bye was hard.  I positioned myself on deck as we were pulling away.  And I was sad.  Yup – another confession.  For a minute I did want to cry.  Then I grew up.  The ship had backed into place so we truly did pull away.  As I watched the island get smaller and smaller I just thanked God.  Over and over and over.  Nothing terribly meaningful at all.  Just genuine thanksgiving and awe that He had allowed that day to happen.  There is so much going on on His world.  And for reasons I will never deserve, He allowed our family this amazingly awesome day on this GORGEOUS ISLAND.  I accepted at that moment that I could very likely never see that island again ever, ever, ever.  And that just prompted me to thank Him some more. 

And you know what is SO good to remember?  That GORGEOUS, AMAZING ISLAND will look like gum on the bottom of my sandal compared to HEAVEN.  And Heaven?  I get to live there, FOREVER and EVER and EVER.  And I won’t be looking to any sun to warm me.  The SON will be life-giving FOREVER and EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As the island disappeared from sight (ships move much more quickly than I imagined) I headed back into our staterooms to pass out our pirate gear.  We’d worked all winter assembling our ensembles from stuff we picked up at Goodwill and WalMart.  They do a whole Pirates IN the Caribbean theme on most of their cruises. 

Before supper we stopped to dance for a few minutes.

This was my least favorite dinner.  I tried something new, which was good.  But I didn’t love it.  So there you go. 

Being a parrot is exhausting.

You HAVE to watch this short video…

UGH – YouTube is being ornery… I’ll post later

 

Stewart had another safe dessert. 

She never woke until the next morning.

She slept through the deck party.  (Tab was beat, too.)

And she slept through the fireworks.  THROUGH FIREWORKS.

Oceans make you tired. 

I didn’t take photos of the fireworks.  I was way too much enjoying FIREWORKS WHILE IN THE OCEAN.

You most likely will not see each of our individual characters, but we were delighted to see them come to LIFE.  That’s some amazing software.  It got done while we ate our dinner!

5/6/14

I heard the baby making some noise around 6:10 A.M.  I grabbed some clothes and my iPhone and scurried out of the stateroom with her.

Although this photo truly could have been taken any number of places in the world, it is a favorite of mine b/c it was so spontaneously taken and ended up just so beautiful. 

I did love those early A.M. moments on the ship.  I love that time of day as it is, but with the sea all around us I was just in awe.
Jeremiah 31:35 — Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name:

I grabbed her a whole milk at the drink station and found myself a cup of hot chocolate.

The cup wasn’t her style so we poked our heads back in our stateroom without waking anyone and went back to hang out on deck 10 for a bit while we waited for the others to rise.

By breakfast I was a little spent, to be honest.  I remember sitting down and saying to John, “I could never do this for two-weeks,” referring to a Panama Canal cruise we’d considered.  At that moment I was just plain flustered at getting shoes and hats found, sunscreening peoples, and watching the clock to not miss anything.  The kids LOVED eating in Cabanas.  We ended up doing it almost every morning.  It is a buffet with stations, which basically means a buffet that repeats itself over and over so you can enter/exit at any point.  Then it also had a few other special areas with fruit, beverages, featured items, etc.  To be sure, it confused some guests who gave you a look like you were a bad person for cutting in line, until they got down the way a bit and realized it was the same pattern of food over again.  It’s okay cruise-pal.  I forgive you for that nasty look you gave my 11-year-old.  Not everyone reads the Dis-Boards (but they should).

I had the girls down in the Atrium by 8:40 A.M. so that we would be in a great place for the Princess Gathering.  Sailing with us on the Magic that week were Rapunzel, Cinderella, Tiana, and Belle. 

I’m so glad we went through the hassle of going to the Princess Gathering got to meet the sweet Princesses so early in our trip.

They really do stop and chat, and do not rush you through at all. 

There was a second Princess Gathering later in the week, that was a mob scene.  I think a lot of travelers hadn’t quite gotten the groove of planning their days as the first Gathering was so smooth.

Rapunzel is like totally MY favorite.  She just is.  Maybe because when we met her in 2011 she dazzled us. 

Maybe it is because she wears purple.  Marie thinks it is because she is so energetic.

After some frantic searching miscommunication in which our party got separated, we finally got off the ship in Nassau.

Our plan was to walk to the Pirate Museum of the Bahamas.  After politely refusing the help of the locals 30 or 50 times, we headed out through the town.  The weather was exceptional.  It was very warm and continued to get warmer as we missed our turn and ended up at Junkanoo Beach.  I’d read about it and knew it was a free beach that was very friendly to visitors.  There WERE people there hawking things, but it wasn’t over-the-top.  The kids were roasting and the beach looked so inviting.  It didn’t take long before one of them suggested getting their feet wet.  And someone else suggesting some knee deep wading.  And someone then suggesting an impromptu swim.

These might be my favorite photos of the trip.

Check out my editing… not the best – but watch her disappear….

We finally made it to the Pirate Museum.  Much to my pleasure it was NOT a museum glorifying pirates.  It was very factual and pointed out the wickedness of their ways.  A Real Live Pirate came out to talk with us and he was very well-scripted and did a great job from an educational standpoint.  I don’t know what else to say; it was just good. 

We headed back to the ship and grabbed lunch and then dispersed.  John took Katriel back to the staterooms to nap while he read and relaxed.  The big four hit the pools, hot tubs, and slides.  I found Johanna an ice cream cone she seriously enjoyed. 

At 3:45 P.M. the girls and I did some open house programming in the Oceaneer Club.  We made chocolate chip cookies.  Frankly, it was a lot bit contrived.  But we got to do it together, so it was fun. 

Afterward the girls stayed in their space for a while and I found the boys playing dodgeball on Deck 10 with their group. 

John and Katriel hung out of Deck 9.

When I went to pick up the girls for live theater, we met Tiana in the hallway.  She was coming back from a single princess meet and greet session.  She stopped and talked to the girls for some time.  We’ve not, nor will we, see “her” movie.  But she was so friendly to talk to and she really wowwed the girls. 

We watched the musical, Twice Charmed.  A new-fangled version of Cinderella.  It was good. 

We dressed for dinner, snapped some shots and headed to Animator’s Palate.  This was my favorite restaurant. 

Our dinners didn’t START until 8:15 P.M.  The little girls did GREAT, though.
In Animator’s Palate they just started doing this amazing show.  Each person is given a matte that they are to draw a character on.  Then, while we ate, they brought it all to life.  Stewart video recorded the end result.  And somehow, I deleted it.  I’m trying not to be angry with myself.  And they are trying not to be angry with me.  ‘Nuff said.

We went to bed “early” a/k/a around 10 P.M. because we had a big day planned for the next day. 
While I am mentioning bed, I must share that the beds were unbelievably comfortable. 

Monday, May 5th ~ CRUISE DAY.
We’d booked our trip March 2nd, 2013 – some 15 months earlier. 
We’d counted down daily on our calendar from Christmas time.
We woke up Monday morning more than a little excited.

There was a bit of anxiety, too.  Packing for a vacation within a vacation was a bit hairy.  I’d spent 90 minutes after we’d gotten in on Saturday night ironing our formal clothes.  That tote from the back of our car had been filled with shoes and swim gear.  We needed to find room in our bags to pack all that stuff as a tote isn’t exactly considered luggage by baggage handlers.  After emptying out some of the kids’ back packs we had a plan. 

Our Port Arrival Time (PAT) was 11 A.M. – the earlier allowed (not that I set my alarm and got up at midnight 90 days prior or anything).  So around 9:30 A.M. we snapped a photo (or 8) and loaded into the car.   (Yes, John has a fanny pack. I had one too until I found a different kind of bag recently. We are NEVER far from Epi-pens!)

Now, I could pretend to be all mature and sophisticated and act casual about the whole experience, but my kids would blow me in that wouldn’t honor God.  I must be truthful. 

I was giddy.

And even though I’d seen a few You Tube videos of other people’s reactions, I’m here to confess that as we drove over the causeway

and our ship came into view

I had a hard time deciding if I should snap photos or reach for the Kleenex.

It was totally a WOW moment.  W.O.W. 
Disbelief and elation at the same time. 
I am not too cool to admit I was probably more excited than my kiddos.

John dropped us off and parked our van.  We took some photos and waited for him before heading into the terminal.  The whole thing felt surreal; it was like an out-of-body experience for me.  The Disney terminal staff was unbelievably nice and worked to get our two staterooms 100% synced.  This took a few more minutes than I had planned, but it worked out GREAT.  We were given the boarding number of group 5, which was being welcomed aboard just as we were finishing up our check-in. 

Honestly, I am surprised I managed to get any shots at this point, because, once again, I was crying.  🙂

As you get on the ship they take your photo and then announce you.  Nan got on right before us and took our photo.  But I don’t have it yet. 
But at this point just imagine me softly sniffling and the kids with eyes the size of saucers as they look around the Atrium of the ship. 

We sought directions to Carioca’s, the restaurant I wanted to have lunch in, and began our vacation…

The girls piled their plates HIGH with shrimp and Nigel headed right for the roast beef.  Stewart had his first of many personalized desserts.

Somewhere in the midst of lunch I realized this was all Really Happening and I endeavored to savor every moment…
Staterooms are unavailable until 1:30 P.M. so we headed up to the deck.  It was “only” 80 degrees for the most part of our vacation, but in the direct sunlight it felt much warmer.  Honestly, the weather was perfect the entire cruise. 

The big four ducked into a bathroom and changed into their swim gear (we had in a carry-on). They headed directly to the Aquadunk.

My rule for when the four of them go together for a waterslide is brother-sister-sister-brother.  This way the boys are bookends for the girls at the top and bottom of the slides.  Nigel went first. 

Then Marie.

Then my sweet 8-trying-to-be-13 year old.

And finally Stewart. 

I spotted Nan exploring deck 9, and then found Pluto as I worked my way back to John and little girls.  Turns out Nan had taken Johanna to meet him!

At 1:30 P.M. I headed to our stateroom to get some pictures before we disheveled the place and to dump our carry-on. 

Our category 10A rooms are technically “Deluxe Inside Staterooms” but really are rooms with portholes. Because the portholes are obscured with doodads they can’t charge full outside stateroom fare.  WE DIDN’T KNOW THIS WHEN WE BOOKED THEM!  I had simply looked for adjoining rooms in our price range.  This was a special treat from Jesus, I am certain.  They are dubbed SPH (Secret Porthole) rooms.  We were hardly EVER in our staterooms, but it was nice to see the water when we were in them. 

We had a split bath, which means shower/tub and sink in one room, and toilet and sink in the other.  Tiny, but clean.
The boys, Katriel and I had this stateroom.  John and the three other girls had a mirror image one.  There were two small differences.  His shower had awesome water pressure and mine was ridiculous.  And he had a refrigerator and I had a cooler.

While the stateroom is SMALL, you can see there is storage EVERYWHERE, including under the bed.  I argue there are too many places to put things as evidenced by how many drawers, doors, cupboards, etc., we had to look in to find all our stuff to pack on disembarkation day. 

This is the adult pool – “Quite Cove.”  I walked through it a few times during our trip but never hung out there. 

Back on deck, the kids took to swimming and I took Johanna to change into her swim suit. She wasn’t interested in anything but the toddler splash area. It made it very easy to watch her!

We visited the drink station on Deck 9 more times than I can count.  They also had coffee, many teas, hot chocolate, milk, and juices. 

We checked out the staterooms as a family.

And then went to the open house in the Oceaneer Club, & Oceaneer Lab.

And then we went on deck for the mandatory muster drill. (We haven’t even set sail yet!)

We decorated our doors

We attended the Casting Off Deck Party (no pictures – just goofy iPhone video that doesn’t make sense out of context).

Visited the boys’ space, The Edge.

Then we took in a movie in the Buena Vista Theater.  We watched Muppets: Most Wanted.  I was able to read the PluggedIn online review before we lost cellular reception and the review was favorable.  We LOVED it. 

Okay – Katriel got bored and Hanny got scared, so John and Nan left with them. 

After the movie we had just enough time to dress for dinner and pose for some pictures.

Our first (and fourth) night of rotational dining was in Lumiere’s.  I’ll have photos to share later.  Our serving team was made up of Genesis, our main server from the Philippines, and Joe, our assistant server, from India.  We also have photos of them from later in the cruise.  The head server, Sorin, also helped us out with Stewart’s food allergies.  I WISH I had taken photos of the food.  It was excellent.  Folks who cruise all the lines frequently will readily report that DCL has less wonderful food than her maritime counterparts.  If that is the case, I don’t think I could handle the other lines.  We found our food out of this world yummy.  I will admit that other than ice cream it is hard to find desserts during the day.  So – quite often in the evening… I would order TWO!

On a trip out to the rest room, Johanna got to meet Minnie Mouse.

After dinner we took the little girls up to bed, and let the big kids change back into casual clothes.  Despite the fact it was 9:30 or so, the big four were allowed to go back to their spaces (a/k/a clubs) to have some fun.  We picked the girls up at 10:45 P.M. and the boys were back by 11:05 P.M.

THAT WAS JUST THE FIRST DAY!