Greetings from the Magic!

[cruisin4disney]

OK, this is not cruisin4disney - it's her DH. I got into the Internet cafe so that I could check work issues and could not resist posting. I've been looking over her shoulder for months, so here goes....

It's Monday night and on our way (Western) to Cayman. So far, everything has been excellent. According to Cruise Director Rick (OK, my only whine - he sounds a little like a "National Public Radio" announcer during the ship announcements!), there are 2700 passengers. Is that close to full? My son said the captain says the ship can handle 4000. Is that including crew? Anyway, here's what I have seen so far..

1) Strict enforcement of the "potty training" issue re: pools.
2) Mickey pool is deliberately kept "low" on water. The ears have about 1 inch of water in them. Of course, no kids play there, because it's barely even wet. That's probably the plan.
3) Sickness issues have not risen. They are diligent with "hand washing" recomendations posted just about everywhere, but nothing seems to have happened yet. The only thing I have seen is that sometimes they will have someone serve from the desserty buffet at Topsiders, but not always. Also, you'll see those germicidal handwipes in some places. I think we're OK so far.

4) Calm seas and great weather. Knock wood, it's been gorgeous.

5) TONS to do for the kids. We can't keep up with everything. In fact, we stayed on board during port call in Key West. FYI: we have DS - 9, DD - 7, DD - 4 and DS 18 months. They have not been wanting for activities. We don't take advantage of Flounders, but they have a neat "playtime" when you can take your toddler there and hang out with him/her. We had fun and it's a great way to introduce your small one to the place with you there. This reduces anxiety for both child and parent, I'm sure.

6) Great family shows. Don't miss the comedy/magic of Rick Papurra (spelling?). Every night at 7:45pm is family show time at Rockin'BarD. Saw the comedy/music show there this evening. It started off with a bang. Dragged a little for the kids midway through, but had all the parents singing. It picked up again at the end - kids enjoyed it.

7) Our encounters with staff have been all very positive. All kidding of Cruise Director Rick aside, he recognizes you if you see him more than once - pretty amazing with so many guests. King of the Servers Christofe is also personable, professional and pays attention to detail. We asked to change to main dining when we arrived. He personally called to let us know it worked out and seems to stop by every table each night to chat with all the dining guests. When we skipped formal night tonight (in order to see Hercules the Muse-i-cal early), we found a message on our voice mail from him asking if all was OK. Very classy guy.

8) We're taking the Atlantis sub excursion tomorrow morning. For anyone interested, I'll let you know what I think.

Goodnight from the Disney Magic....

 

[Vivig]

Thanks very much for your report. Sounds like you are all having a great time! I can't wait until your excursion report..since we are booked on the same one 2 weeks from you! I had received a very high recommendation from a friend who lives on the island that this is one of the best excursions! Hope you enjoy it!

Have a Magical evening on the Magic!

Can't wait for your excursion report
Vivig

 

[dianedisney]

Are Fidelo & Jeff still doing Dueling Pianos in the Off Beat Club?

 

[mmouse37]

Is Robin back from vacation....short Aussie with a great sense of humor on the cruise staff....he usually runs Bingo!!

We heard conflicting reports that he was gone for vacation and gone for good....hope it was the former!!! He is a hoot!!

Here is pic of him....the one on the left.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/61027011/61029658OqgUDY

MJ

 

[thedisneymom]

Thank you so much for lifting my spirits today. We need more trip reports and plenty of pictures. I think you should write your own trip report , and give us two different views. I enjoyed your post tremendously!

 

[rae519]

dianedisney - you stole my question!!!!!

Yes, please tell us about Dueling Pianos!!!!

My son (7) began piano lessons because of Fidelio!!! Honestly!!

We have a picture of them two that I'm going to ask Fidelio to autograph on our 5/3 cruise - hope he's still there!


Is the coffee bar now open or is there still someone serving?
Same with the buffet - can we serve ourselves or is there a server there?


Glad for your great weather - keep enjoying it!!

Rae

 

[cruisin4disney]

Thanks to the way the Internet Cafe computer works, I can't review your questions as I write a response. I'm

 

[cruisin4disney]

Just wrote lengthy reply to questions and lost it all.... so here's the short version.

1) YES, dueling pianos are going strong. Still haven't had a chance to go since we have been doing other family shows at RockinBarD. We are hoping to hit it soon.

2) Buffet is serve yourself at this point. Also, the coffee, milk, lemonade station outside of Topsiders near the Mickey pool is all self-serve and unmanned (Is that the coffee bar you are referring to?)

3) Weather is still great. Seas are a little rougher today 4-8ft (moderate), but I can't tell.

4) I'll post about Atlantis excursion on a new thread tomorrow - short answer is very positive with a few caveats.

5) Walked past BINGO today and heard a guy speaking on the microphone - definitely NOT Aussie. I'll ask around about Robin but it does not look good at first glance.

Time for an adult beverage after watching my earlier typing go up in proverbial computer smoke!

Goodnight from the Magic...

 

[rae519]

Thanks for everything!!!
Rae

 

[jlawall]

Thx for sharing, have a great sail!

 

[bffttsiu]

Need the scoop on the ESPN bar. Is it going to be moved or are the doing away with it.

I hope it's being moved because I'll be on during football season.

 

[Dragon Lady]

We are on the next western cruise (26 April). I am getting so excited, and I am driving my co-workers nutz!

Did you make it into Grand Cayman??

Have a blast!

Thanks so much,
Dragon Lady

 

[dianedisney]

Ditto to Bffttsiu question on the ESPN Sports Bar. When I cruised in January Fidelio was talking about a rumor that they were going to move the ESPN Sport Bar to where the Beat Street Lounge is located, doing away with Dueling Piano's and turning the present ESPN Bar into a teen club with dancing. Have you heard anything about these rumors? Thanks.....and by the way.....I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous you are there and I am here.

 

[cruisin4disney]

Hello,everyone!! This is cruisin4disney and DH. Older three kids are in the kids clubs and we are taking a quick e-mail break.

Dragon Lady-DH and 3 older kids did the Atlantis Submarine Expedition thru Disney. Kids all enjoyed it very much! We are in Cozumel today as scheduled-weather is wonderful! We went to Playa del Sol this morning-arrived around 11:15. Kids loved playing in the sand. There really didn't seem to be that much "sand play" space. There were chairs (nearly all taken), a small amount of sand (it's a short beach to the ocean) and lots of people. Overall, the place is nice - it's got everything you could ask for. There is a decent pool, restaurant, ATM (dispensing local currency) lots of water floats (inner tubes and foam rafts). For those who want to spend the $$$, you can also ride a banana boat (connected to a fast rowboat with a BIG motor), parasail, jetski, snorkel and I think scuba. Still, it's a change of pace from the "Disney" experience. I have been trying to put my finger on it all day. They have everything you could imagine doing, just not "Disney" style. More younger couples w/o kids, more older couples w/o grandkids - just a different group than what you experience on board ship. For example, I left my DS-9 and DD-4 in the theatre watching SpyKids2 while I went to pick up other DD-7 from Oceaneer's club. I wouldn't do that anywhere else, but felt comfortable enough knowing there were plenty of other "eyes" there that would see if they needed help. Didn't get that feeling at Playa del Sol.

On the way, went past Chankanaab, Playa San Francisco, Playa del Corona. Playa del Corona (dropped some people off there who shared our cab) looked more like a snorkeling reef. Didn't see much of any beach there and amenities were slim. Playa San Francisco looked very nice but we didn't stop.

Yesterday, at Grand Cayman, they announced when we arrived that we were welcoming aboard 14 passengers for the first time. Don't have any idea why they were boarding late and why they didn't board on Sunday at Key West... Will try to unravel the mystery....

New since our last cruise, there is a board in the atrium with the scheduled appearances of the Disney characters. If you're quick, on-time and savvy you can get three pix in before early seating!

Speaking of pix, Shutters offers a package of 10 pix for $85 vs. the standard 9.95 per photo. At first we weren't too interested because there's never a guarantee of getting 10 excellent photos worth buying. But, we were told that if you don't get all ten photos, you can get the $85 refunded and then purchase the pix at the $9.95 price. So we got it. They give you a little card and each time you "buy" a photo, they mark off one of the 10 numbers on the card. If you find you're getting more, you can upgrade at any time to a 15 or 20 photo package. Here's the only catch: DON'T LOSE THE CARD! They don't keep a record of how many photos you have gotten along the way - the card is the ONLY record of how many pix you have already gotten.

Just checked on Robin, the Aussie. Had it confirmed from two people that he is gone and not going to return. Sorry for the bad news.

Also, just checked on ESPN club plans during drydock. Got the standard answer: "We have not been informed of any plans to move or remove the ESPN club".

We have seen 3 movies so far with the kids-Spy Kids2, Jungle Book 2, and Atlantis. Also showing were Harry Potter, Chicago, Bringing Down the House, Piglet's Big Movie-can't recall at the moment what else.

We have been swimming some each day with the kids. Have seen quite a few toddlers who were not potty trained in the Mickey pool. It's seems to be a "don't wear, don't ask" policy. If the staff sees a child with diapers, they say something. Otherwise, they don't, even if it appears obvious the child is too young to be out of diapers. At least two children that sat near us at dinner were wearing diapers. The parents just took the diapers off for the pool. Our DS-19 months sat near the pool with buckets and shovels to keep busy for a while yesterday. It's really about two things: 1) honesty and 2) that rules that inconvenience some people can be broken. Put simply, the policy does reduce the number of kids in the pool who can potentially be a problem. But it doesn't address everyone....

Atlantis excursion info will be posted late this evening when everyone is in bed - I promise.

For now, good day from the Disney Magic!

 

[mmouse37]

So glad you guys are having a great time....sorry to hear Robin won't be returning...he really was a gem! So that makes two of the fine cruise staff not returning..Ian and Robin!!!

Oh well....I am sure DCL will replace them with wonderful CM's as well!!

MJ

 

[Vivig]

HI There

I am REALLY enjoying your trip reports. We will be on the Western Cruise April 26, 2003 and I CANNOT wait any longer!
How are the children's programs? We have a DS 5 1/2 and I am hoping he will enjoy the club's activities

My DH and I are very curious as to how the Atlantis Subamrine excursion went..from the sounds of it the children really enjoyed themselves.

One last question..after all you are on holidays and I do not wish to impose...is the Internet cafe very crowded or is it managable?

Sounds like you are all having a wonderful time on the cruise, so I just wanted to thank you both for taking the time and letting us all daydream in even more anticipation on all our upcoming cruises.

Have a Gr8 evening

 

[ThreeCircles]

Hello Cruisin4disney!

Just a quick question if you happen to find out. You mentioned that Cruise Director Rick was onboard the Magic. On both of our previous trips on the Magic we've had Cruise Director Jacqui. Do you know if she is on vacation? When she might return?

Thanks for all the postings and have a Magical Thursday and Friday!

 

[mmouse37]

Three Circles....when we sailed this past January Jacqui said she was moving to the Wonder for awhile. Don't know how long her and Rick and be switching places.

We are sailing 5/17 on the Magic and was wondering by then who will be cruise director!!

MJ

 

[MickeyB426]

Vivig, I can tell you from being on the 3/29 Mystery Cruise that I never found the internet Cafe to be crowded to the point where you had to wait for a computer. There always seemed to be one available.

 

[cruisin4disney]

It's DH again - this time waiting for DS-7 to finish up with the "Goofy Pajama Party" at Oceaneer's club. Everyone else is asleep - it's been quite a day.

1) Spoke with Guest Services re: Rick and Jacqui. First, my compliments to Barb and Tony - they are a legend here among staff. According to guest services, Jacqui works "swing" between the Magic and Wonder. Her job is to fill in when Rick and Jim(?) take holiday. I am assuming that she will not be on the Magic for a few months since she was here in January. Never met her as we have always had Rick. Never met Jim - we've always been on the Magic.

Right after this post, I'll get my daughter to bed and then post a new thread re: the Atlantis trip.

2) Vivig: In response to your queries about kid's programs. My daughter (currently up WAY past bedtime given the time change) is in the same group as your son (5 - 7 year old). They have made "flubber" with a "mad scientist". This is one to be careful with, however. The "mad scientist" that was with DD's group played the part a little too well. Looked creepy (makeup, strange clothes) and my daughter paged us because she was scared. She's not normally freaked by things - this guy spooked her. My DS-9 made flubber with a "normal type" person. No problem.

The Goofy party looked fun. It runs from 8:30pm to 10:45pm when you are still on Central Time. This may or may not be appropriate for you. Our kids don't handle late nights well, so this is a real exception for us, especially with the 1 hour time difference. Just checked on my DD and she didn't want to leave. Kids go dressed in their PJs and play games, etc. Goofy comes by around 9:30pm and sees all the kids. He bolts around 9:45pm.

There's also some activities up on the sports deck. Great opportunity for serious running around. They play all sorts of games. It gets close to getting out of hand sometimes, but they always manage to get the kids onto the next activity.

This brings me to the counselors. They are hard working and have to manage kids, parents and the whims of "I want my mommy" using the pagers. Not only that, they move all over the ship and also feed the kids as well. Needless to say, they have a really tough job. They are young and enthusiastic - but they are not experienced parents or long-term elementary school teachers who are real pros at keeping the kids in line. My long-winded point is, don't expect perfection - you'll see a few kids in there who take advantage of the situation. Most don't. I still double-check on my kids on a regular basis for my own comfort. We spend only a couple of hours a day in kids activities - some kids are there all day and late into the evening.

Movies are also a great activity. As mentioned before, we have seen a couple with our kids. A correction - it's "Treasure Planet" that's being shown, not "Atlantis". Other features on board not metioned in previous post: "The Recruit" and "Sweet Home Alabama". You'll have plenty to mull over in your Navigator.

3) Weather is still (as Rick points out) "Picture Perfect". Still slight seas and sunny days every day.

4) For anyone who has a cellphone- I have AT&T. It worked perfectly in Cayman Islands - could receive calls and direct dialed calls to the US. Just like being home! Cozumel also worked well. Received calls perfectly. When trying to dial, I kept getting some message in Spanish (obviously). Was waiting for something in English to follow (ugly American), but it never came. FYI: Dial 001 then area code and number and it will work. Have no idea what it costs!

Well, time to get my daughter to bed.

Goodnight from the Disney Magic.