Our Very Merry USO, DCL and WDW Christmas Break!

Your door looks great!! I was sorry to hear the tour wasn't that great, I wish it had been more.
@ariane37 helped us pick an excellent location for our rooms!
:goodvibes
Our MerryTime Cruise dry erase boards were from our most wonderful TA!! Jimmy liked leaving messages on Grandma and Grandpa's board, especially!
Glad you guys liked them and made use of them!
 
How did you hang your wreath? It is so cute!
Thanks :) It is my absolute favorite piece of Christmas decor for traveling!! It's inflatable (obviously), so super easy to just deflate and pack flat in the suitcase. We've done several WDW trips over Christmas, and this is the one thing that always goes with us, so I was SO excited to use it for our cruise door, too.

It has a little hole on the back attached to a flap for hanging. I have a piece of yarn attached to it because when we stay at Pop Century, I usually tape the yarn to the top of the window and let the wreath hang down. For the cruise, I just used that same piece of yarn but hung it over the door. We used magnetic hooks for hanging up christmas lights in the room (no tape allowed!), so I just hooked the other end of the yarn a little further down the back of the door and the wreath hung perfectly on the front :)
 
A good start to your cruise! Glad your DS got over his crankiness and enjoyed the sail away party. We did a Disney cruise many, many years ago - when it was called the Big Red Boat. I envisioned our boys spending a lot of time in the kids club. They went for a few events but were more comfortable being with us - which was fine. I was happy for you to hear he loved the club!
 


A good start to your cruise! Glad your DS got over his crankiness and enjoyed the sail away party. We did a Disney cruise many, many years ago - when it was called the Big Red Boat. I envisioned our boys spending a lot of time in the kids club. They went for a few events but were more comfortable being with us - which was fine. I was happy for you to hear he loved the club!
It really would have been fine with us if he didn't like the club, but he ended up having such a great time there! He loved the luau with Stitch, and had me checking the Navigator for the entire cruise to see if that event would pop up again. He was SO excited that they finally offered it again on our last day! :) The only thing I wish is that they provided pictures of him participating in the activities. It sounded like he had such fun interactions with some characters. Pics would have been awesome to have!
 
We had the first seating for dinner, which felt a little early, but was honestly for the best having Jimmy with us. Some meals were lengthier than others, and I imagine finishing up so late would have left us with an incredibly cranky ten year old on our hands (not that he wasn't crabby enough on his own!!)

We let Jimmy check out the kids club for the first event he had spotted on the Navigator, Luau with Stitch. He didn't get to stay long before we were grabbing him to go to dinner, but we promised him he could go back. One of my favorite parts (and the boys' least favorite!!!) was taking family pictures before/after dinner. You will notice their faces tell the story of their delight with the whole process 🤣 😂

As we were heading toward the Connect at Sea desk, on our way to pre-dinner pics, we noticed a line was forming. (We needed a little help getting my Mom set up for her free 50MB to access the internet for the four days. Everyone qualifies, as long as you set it up before midnight on the first night of the cruise.) I had Rob take a look at the front of the line, and it was Captain Mickey!! Even though we would be cutting it kind of close to being late for dinner, which we weren't sure was a big deal or not, we got in line.

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Also, can I just brag about my awesome deal on that dress I'm wearing!! I found it at Five Below, on the clearance rack, so it cost me a whopping $2.50!!!

Dinner tonight was in the Enchanted Garden, which was lovely and beautiful, and I took zero pictures. Oops. We were running a little late due to our wait to meet Captain Mickey, so there was no crowd as we entered the restaurant. Many of the servers were standing alongside the walkway, and the maitre d' saluted Jimmy (who insisted on wearing his Captain hat everywhere on this cruise!), and yelled, "El capitan!!" To which every server standing there did the same. Jimmy felt SO important, LOL. He strolled in like he owned the place, as we were led to our table.

One downside to our tables on this cruise was for some reason we were seated at the furthest back corner, almost tucked out of the way from everything. We didn't get a real view or good feel for Enchanted Garden or Royal Palace. Our table was better at Animator's Palate, but it was the first table by the door, so again, lots of people wandering around our table and just not the greatest ambiance.

Anyway, when we arrived at our table, we were met by our table mates for the cruise, a Mom and her two young sons. One was about Jimmy's age, and the other was about six, I'd guess. He was mildly autistic, but incredibly social. I had been a little nervous about whether we would be sitting with another family, and whether that would be awkward. Conversation didn't always flow smoothly, and the younger son had a couple of mild meltdowns, but in all honesty, it was pleasant enough chatting with them. The boys took an immediate liking to Jimmy, and spent a lot of time talking with him and asking questions. (Spoiler: one night, we let Jimmy stay in the kids club for dinner, and they pouted through the entire meal because "they missed him.)

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I have no idea what I was thinking on this trip, but I didn't take any pictures of the food we ate....good thing it isn't a dining report, eh?! One thing I do remember clearly is that for some reason, a lot of vegetarian dishes sounded really good to me, so that's what I ended up ordering most nights. I looked up the menu, and remembered that on this night, I had the pearl barley cakes with shallots, leaks, and rosemary. Do I remember if I enjoyed this meal? Nope. But, one thing that's for sure, I did order a Miller Lite with dinner and was pleased it was an aluminum pint.

After dinner, we had some more pictures taken before we all went to see the Golden Mickeys.
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My Mom and I enjoyed the Golden Mickeys, even though it's a totally disjointed "story." It was just fun to see some favorite characters on our first night at sea. I actually got a little nervous as we sat in the theater waiting for the show to start. The seas were a little rough, and it was really noticeable here, since the theater is at the front of the ship. The curtain was really swaying back and forth, and I worried for the first time that I might suffer from some sea-sickness. (My Mom had a literal drugstore in her cabin to combat any seasick feelings of any kind, so I knew I'd be covered if this happened...but hoped it wasn't the case!)

After the show, we headed out to the atrium for the first Christmas specific event of our Merrytime Cruise, Mickey's Tree Lighting Magic. There was a roped off area for the kids again, which was really nice, so we never had to worry about finding a spot for Jimmy to be able to see, and although we got squished by other adults, the kids area was never crowded to that extent.

We took a few pictures by the Christmas tree before the carols began and we were joined by some of our favorite characters for the official tree lighting! Even Santa popped by with Mrs. Claus and reported that poor Stitch was still on the naughty list, and hoped he would straighten out by Christmas! I hadn't realized it was going to snow, so that was a really magical moment for me, and of course I was crying because it was all so magical!
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Following the tree lighting, it was character mayhem, and SO much magical fun! My Mom and Dad headed back to their room because it was a little too much for them at the end of a long day. Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Chip and Dale dispersed through the crowd and were dancing and having a blast! There were no lines being formed, but they would pose for pictures if you could get them to notice you and give a quick pose. This probably lasted about 10-15 minutes before they all said goodbye, but Jimmy was bound and determined to see them all. I just tried to keep up with him! He was giving them all hugs and getting a little dance in with each of them, too. This was one of the very best moments of the day.

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On our way back to our cabin, we bumped into Stephen, our cruise director on the stairs. Jimmy asked if he would mind posing for a picture. Stephen asked about our first few hours on the ship and told Jimmy he hoped to see him around, and to let him know if we needed anything at all. He was so incredibly friendly, and funny! We enjoyed watching his daily video updates and seeing him before each of the stage shows on our sailing.
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When we got back to our room, Jimmy was really excited to see our first towel creation on the bed, along with some chocolates and our navigator for the next day. He already wanted to check out what would be happening at the kids club, and was ecstatic to see that Jericho, our stateroom host, who we hadn't actually seen yet, had set up the bunk bed according to the note Jimmy had left for him earlier in the evening.
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And we all got ready for bed, interested to see how we'd all sleep on our first night at sea, and excited for tomorrow, Christmas Eve in Nassau, the Bahamas.
 
Great pics with Captain Mickey!

Love your dress- what a great deal!

The Christmas tree lighting sounds so fun! The characters look so festive!

Sounds like a great first day/night on board!
 


I've caught up over here! So excited to read about a Disney Cruise! I've definitely been thinking a lot about doing one of these so I'm loving how you are being as detailed as you can. It looks so much fun despite of all the boarding procedures. Also, that character dance party looks like exactly what I need in my life once this quarantine is over.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your cruise! :mickeyjum
 
Great pics with Captain Mickey!

Love your dress- what a great deal!

The Christmas tree lighting sounds so fun! The characters look so festive!

Sounds like a great first day/night on board!
He was totally worth the wait, and that was definitely the longest we waited for any characters on the trip...well, besides Santa. Does he count as a character? :)

Thanks for appreciating my good deal, LOL. My husband didn't care!

I loved the Christmas tree lighting!! It was such an exciting event, especially the first night when the whole trip was still ahead of us. It just made me misty-eyed at how magical it felt!

I've caught up over here! So excited to read about a Disney Cruise! I've definitely been thinking a lot about doing one of these so I'm loving how you are being as detailed as you can. It looks so much fun despite of all the boarding procedures. Also, that character dance party looks like exactly what I need in my life once this quarantine is over.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your cruise! :mickeyjum

Welcome aboard, Timmy! 🛳:sail: See what I did there?!

I'm glad to have you here!! I went on my first cruise in 2000.....yikes, just typing that I realize it was TWENTY years ago, and it was so awesome, but this time, going with my family and seeing some of the magic through Jimmy's eyes made it even more amazing. You would LOVE a Disney cruise!
 
It truly makes me happy to see all your photos and smiles! And it makes me truly wish we'd been able to take our cruise on the Dream last month. But plenty of time for that :) All the "extra" Merrytime merriment really seems worth it!
 
December 24, 2020

I was pleasantly surprised at how comfy our bed was, and after the busy day we'd had, I expected to sleep soundly, ...but I didn't, for two reasons. 1) It was actually kind of choppy and I was having some trouble getting used to the motion. 2) because...

https://tenor.com/view/too-excited-to-sleep-disney-gif-5726179
I couldn't figure out what time it was since I had plugged my phone in on the desk instead of at the nightstand (there are lots of USB outlets throughout the cabin, so plenty for charging up our phones, Jimmy's iPad, the video camera, etc.), so I crept out of bed, moving the privacy curtain that separated us from Jimmy's bunk, and peeked out onto the verandah. It was so beautiful and peaceful looking, so I grabbed my phone and my blanket and quietly slid the door open to sit outside.

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We hadn't bumped into our stateroom host yet, so our verandah divider was still in place. I peeked around the corner and saw that my Mom had had the same idea as me this morning! (Note, she had her blanket, too! #LikeMotherLikeDaughter)

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Today, the ship would be docking in Nassau, but before we could even think of doing anything else, we had plans! When our booking window opened for cruise experiences, I stayed up til midnight to be sure we wouldn't miss some events we had our eyes on. Two of those would take place bright and early this morning, The Princess Gathering and The Frozen Gathering. Yes, I know he's a ten year old boy, but this guy loves his Princesses, and so gather, we must!

On our way through the atrium, we happened upon this lost boy who was very excited to talk with Jimmy about today's plans for adventure!!
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After a quick pic, and a promise to fill Peter in on the fun we had next time we bumped into him, we were on our way to Animator's Palate for our appointed time.

I was hoping the Frozen Gathering would include another character along with Anna and Elsa, but it ended up being just the sisters. That was fine, but Jimmy really wanted to give Olaf a warm hug while wearing the shirt he picked especially for today!

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Apparently, he did not feel the same about hugging Anna and Elsa 🤣

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Our Princess Gathering ticket time was exactly 15 minutes after our Frozen time, which worked out perfectly, as the visit with the sisters was very quick. We made our way back to the atrium to see Jimmy's favorite girl and friends (and Grandma's favorite, too!)

Jimmy was a little less "into" meeting the princesses this time around, but I think he was just cranky from his late night and getting up early. Plus, we hadn't gotten any breakfast yet. Which makes for some awkward pics! So, I give you the following gallery, which I've titled, "Ten year old skinny legs and his beautiful Princess friends, standing next to each other!"
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Though, he was a little crabby, it's hard to say no when your favorite girl comes in for a hug :lovestruc:hug: and just look at THAT smile!
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The Princess Gathering also made my Mom really happy because there is no one she loves more than Princess Tiana! (She rivals your fandom, @PlutosRHM55 !!) Her favorite place in the whole wide world is New Orleans, so she just loves talking all things NOLA with Tiana, gumbo, beignets, etc!
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And Grandma's favorite girl gets away with a hug, too!
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After meeting the Princesses, we made our way to Cabanas, and it was HECTIC. By now, it was just after 9:00, so it was prime breakfast time and there were lots of people trying to find a table to sit at and waiting in lines at the buffets. Now, Cabanas is HUGE, so there really were plenty of seats, it was just a matter of making it through the lines of people to be able to see where you could fit your group. We found seats and eventually made our way through the buffet lines to get our breakfast on. I have exactly zero pictures from this breakfast, so shame on me!

We docked at Nassau at some point during all of the excitement of our morning, so after breakfast we'd be able to go ashore. Truth be told, I didn't really have a great desire to go ashore at Nassau, based on my previous experience, but my Mom and Dad really wanted to check things out. In 2000 and 2006, when I had cruised previously, we spent a very short time in Nassau, checking out the straw market and walking on Bay Street. When you get off the cruise boats docked there, you walk through the festival center and are immediately met with throngs of locals offering to take you on a tour, give you a ride, braid your hair, etc. Though I'm sure they mean no harm, they come off kind of aggressive, and it's just a vastly different experience from typical tourist spots I'm used to, and a bit out of my comfort zone.

Originally, we had thought we would like to walk over to the straw market and perhaps to the Pirate Museum, which though it gets mixed reviews, sounded like our kind of kitschy activity! Though lots of cruisers, in my research, talk about the beautiful beaches just a short walk away, and other spots of interest, including food and beverage spots, I just couldn't shake this uneasy feeling, and it was way worse because Jimmy was with us. When we were walking off the boat launches into the festival center, it was even more crowded with locals trying to sell their wares than I remember from previous trips. I was holding onto his hand like a vice! I know it probably makes me sound super closed-minded, but I just didn't feel comfortable going too far from the ship.

So, we braved the crowds of people and insane Bahamian traffic to get across the street. My Dad checked out the Harley store, and ladies on the street tried to sell Rob and I Cuban cigars! We walked up the street a little ways and did a very quick walk through a few aisles of the straw market. The locals here are incredibly friendly, but very eager to get you to buy. Every person offered to make a deal with us on anything we might want to buy. The booths all started to look very much the same, and we exited there pretty quickly, too.

Once we made it to Bay Street, I relaxed a little, as there were far less people crowding the sidewalks, and there were actual shops here. There was also a police officer controlling traffic and allowing pedestrians to cross back and forth, so I definitely felt a bit safer, so I could loosen up on poor Jimmy's hand!

My Mom and I found a Christmas shop and each got a little Bahamian straw bag ornament. Then, we spotted the Pandora store across the street, LOL. I really couldn't believe that with the poor state of affairs on most of the island you come to as you exit the ship, there is actually this beautiful store selling expensive charms and jewlery! We had a hard time deciding, but both ended up adding the Bahamas exclusive charm with their flag on one side, and "Always Island Time," printed on the other.

That store was insanely packed inside, so while we waited to make our purchase, the boys waited outside. My Mom and I could hear music, sounded like a marching band, and saw some colorfully costumed men walking across the street. When we came outside, my Dad told us one of the local men had told them they were having rehearsals for the Junkanoo Festival. It had started to rain while we were in the store, so they had all run for cover. I was bummed we'd missed that because of course, Rob and my Dad didn't think to take any pictures!

(For anyone who is interested, I found this info about the festival:

Junkanoo is a street festival of West African origins held during Christmas time here in Nassau. A large portion of our African ancestors arrived in The Bahamas in the 1780s following the American Revolutionary War as slaves of the United Loyalists, while others arrived after the abolition of the slave trade in 1807 as Liberated Africans, freed from illegal slave ships and escaped from other Caribbean Islands. During this period, Junkanoo was celebrated over the three-day holiday granted by slave owners at Christmas time. Throughout the ages, Junkanoo has been a vibrant, colourful movement that demonstrates both family and wider community bonds.)

We decided to head back to the ship and hopefully take advantage of a less crowded pool and AquaDuck while many of our shipmates would hopefully be on excursions and enjoying Port Adventures. On our way, we stopped to take a picture with the Christmas tree in Parliament Square.
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Jimmy is standing on the bleachers set up for the festival events we would just be missing! (I find myself wishing I had done a little research about things that might be going on while we were docked in Nassau. Maybe our time there would have allowed us to see some actual festival events take place.)

One picture I really wanted to take on this trip was of Jimmy in front of the statue of Queen Victoria. I have a picture of myself there from my first cruise in 2000. There was a lot of scaffolding up around this area, and much of the rest of Nassau near the pier, from the hurricane that devastated so much of the area. There was a little walkway though, where you could get through to see the statue, so we snuck in for a quick pic!
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We made our way back to the boat crossing through the insane traffic and crowds of people still around the festival center. My Mom had wanted to get her passport stamped, but she, like me, felt like it was just time to get back to the boat. There was a huge line of people waiting to take their picture in front of this sign, but I just pulled my fam over to the side, and used my selfie skills to get our pics with no wait time at all! (@ariane37 a tip for Mr. Selfie!)
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Once back within sight of the Disney Dream, I felt fully back in relax-mode! We decided to snap some pictures of our beautiful vessel and walked all the way down to the end of the dock. She really is magnificent!
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We headed back to the gang plank, sanitized our hands, scanned our Key to the World cards and made our way through security and back onto the ship. The plan was to get in some pool time! And Jimmy was begging to get back to the Kids Club!
 
It truly makes me happy to see all your photos and smiles! And it makes me truly wish we'd been able to take our cruise on the Dream last month. But plenty of time for that :) All the "extra" Merrytime merriment really seems worth it!
I wish you had been able to take your cruise, too!!! We definitely have the itch to book another one :)

The merrytime activities really were incredible and added to the magic of our cruise. It was such an awesome way to celebrate Christmas!

Next time we cruise, I'm looking forward to not having as many "special" add-ons though, so we aren't rushing. I ran my family ragged because I didn't want to miss anything!!
 
The Princess Gathering also made my Mom really happy because there is no one she loves more than Princess Tiana! (She rivals your fandom, @PlutosRHM55 !!) Her favorite place in the whole wide world is New Orleans, so she just loves talking all things NOLA with Tiana, gumbo, beignets, etc!

I highly doubt this but I'm glad my girl is getting some extra love on the high seas. Same with my fave lost boy, Peter. They deserve it. Also, Tiana totally would've milked it big time if Jimmy didn't give her a hug so good thing he did lol I love the photo of him hugging Cindy though.

Also, it's surprising Anna and Elsa were still in their old outfits, everywhere else they've switched (except FoF). Interesting...

I've only been out of the country once in my life (and subsequently only used my passport once before it expired and now I'd have to apply again to get a new one), but as someone who has definitely spent some time in Times Square I understand how overwhelmed one can get when everyone's at trying to sell you something. I don't blame you for being nervous, especially with a 10 year old. It's nice that you got to see a little bit of Nassau and get some photos. Those in front of the ship though are so nice. I can only imagine how those ships look in person.
 
What a peaceful way to start the day! So cute that both you and your mom had the same idea!

So many great character meets!

I don't blame you for being a little nervous, but I'm glad you were able to explore a little!
 
I feel like you guys packed so much into your cruise already and it's only day 2!

I'm not sure when we'll all feel safe cruising again but I'm definitely booking a Disney cruise asap lol.

I don't blame you for feeling uneasy in Nassau. My friend and I went to Atlantis a few years ago and I started to feel bad we weren't truly experiencing the local culture but we felt very ambushed also when we left the resort.
 
Also, it's surprising Anna and Elsa were still in their old outfits, everywhere else they've switched (except FoF). Interesting...
As we were getting closer to our sailing date, I wondered if they'd be in their new ensembles, too! I was kind of disappointed to see them in their regular outfits. Maybe that will change once the ships begin sailing again!

Those in front of the ship though are so nice. I can only imagine how those ships look in person.
They are so gigantic and gorgeous!! I recommend you sail on the Wonder because the Tiana vibe is MAJOR!! You get to meet her at Tiana's Place on board. While we're at it, you should probably sail out of New Orleans, too. Two birds, one stone!

What a peaceful way to start the day! So cute that both you and your mom had the same idea!

So many great character meets!

I don't blame you for being a little nervous, but I'm glad you were able to explore a little!
It was SO beautiful out there in the mornings!! We ended up doing this every morning of our trip :)

Oh, yes, characters aplenty!! And we never had to wait very long (besides Capt. Mickey!)

I think I'll feel braver by the next time we go. Jimmy is getting taller by the second! He can hold my hand and drag me along next time :)

I feel like you guys packed so much into your cruise already and it's only day 2!

I'm not sure when we'll all feel safe cruising again but I'm definitely booking a Disney cruise asap lol.

I don't blame you for feeling uneasy in Nassau. My friend and I went to Atlantis a few years ago and I started to feel bad we weren't truly experiencing the local culture but we felt very ambushed also when we left the resort.
We certainly were busy on our short little cruise!! There was SO much to do, plus the addition of the Merrytime events, that we literally did not stop running. Well, maybe we stopped for a few minutes, or drinks, here and there, LOL

I felt bad that we weren't spending enough time on Nassau, but I think when Jimmy's a little older we will be more adventurous!!
 
I'm here and so excited to read about your Christmas cruise! I'd love to go on a Disney cruise - I went on one as a small child before Disney owned their own ships. My husband is not a cruise guy (and the current pandemic will not help!), but hopefully after a few years I can talk him into it. I'd be willing to forgo any other cruise in order to stay on a Disney ship!

I'm so glad to hear that Jimmy enjoyed the Kids' Club - it seems to get rave reviews. I love seeing peoples' photos from the initial tour. It looks like such a fun place to play!

Wow, your stateroom doors look awesome! How fun that you got additional gifts in your fish extenders.

Despite being fairly outgoing, I wouldn't be be very excited about the aggressive sellers at Nassau, either. Having your child along likely make it more nerve-wracking. I'm glad you enjoyed what you could and then were able to return to the ship. I hope you had a fun afternoon on a less crowded ship!
 
One of my favorite parts (and the boys' least favorite!!!) was taking family pictures before/after dinner. You will notice their faces tell the story of their delight with the whole process 🤣 😂

Ugh, it only gets worse as they get older too!


Also, can I just brag about my awesome deal on that dress I'm wearing!! I found it at Five Below, on the clearance rack, so it cost me a whopping $2.50!!!

So cute! You're so funny!




I actually got a little nervous as we sat in the theater waiting for the show to start. The seas were a little rough, and it was really noticeable here,

I always notice the first and last nights are rougher. Those stairs are no fun to walk up on rough seas!


Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Chip and Dale dispersed through the crowd and were dancing and having a blast! There were no lines being formed, but they would pose for pictures if you could get them to notice you and give a quick pose.

How fun! I have to update my cruise report but that's that last thing I really have to post about. I love when all the characters are out in the atrium at once.


I grabbed my phone and my blanket and quietly slid the door open to sit outside.


Ahhhhhh...


I peeked around the corner and saw that my Mom had had the same idea as me this morning! (Note, she had her blanket, too! #LikeMotherLikeDaughter)

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:rotfl:


The Princess Gathering also made my Mom really happy because there is no one she loves more than Princess Tiana!

Tiana is my favorite princess! We have a lot in common, I just love her!


We docked at Nassau at some point during all of the excitement of our morning, so after breakfast we'd be able to go ashore. Truth be told, I didn't really have a great desire to go ashore at Nassau, based on my previous experience, but my Mom and Dad really wanted to check things out.

I've been to Nassau twice. Last time we did Atlantis and booked through DCL, which was expensive but so much fun.


We decided to snap some pictures of our beautiful vessel and walked all the way down to the end of the dock. She really is magnificent!

:love:
 
but more importantly so my Dad could purchase a bathing suit and rashguard shirt, having realized the day before that he neglected to pack them both before leaving Chicago!! OOPS
Whoopsie!
I had completely forgotten I scheduled a character call for the morning of our cruise! We stood there in the middle of the Universal store on speakerphone hearing Mickey and Minnie tell us how they couldn't wait to cruise with us later today :) It was such a fun surprise!
And yet... I find it amusing that you were all listening to Mickey and Minnie in the middle of the Uni store. Did you get any dirty looks? :laughing:
Mom was VERY nervous about being late to the terminal,
I totally get that. I'm sure I'd be the same.
were given Boarding Group 2!!! I was SO excited and couldn't believe our good luck :) My Mom and Dad were given boarding group 12, and she was very upset about it.
Oh, dear.
When they called boarding group 2, we headed into the line with my parents right alongside. The CM who my Mom had talked to waved her on through with us, so I guess we had a little pixie dust right off the bat.
:goodvibes Glad that worked out.
the boys were checking out the REAL gingerbread house! It smelled so good,
mmmm...
You look great there, Jackie! Very regal. (And happy!)
people were getting hangry, and our lunch was not super pleasant! My Mom and Dad were bickering about something...diet Coke, I think. Jimmy was whining because it was "too cold" to sit outside.
Oh dear. :rolleyes:
( @chunkymonkey didn't name me Chunkylite for nothing!)
Ohhhh... so that's where it came from.
he would most definitely be spending time there (like it or not, kid!)
:laughing:
(and spoiler: Jimmy had THE BEST time in the club. He never wanted to leave when we came to get him, and always begged to go back as soon as we were done with whatever we picked him up to do!)
That's great! Glad that worked out so well.
The stations are awesome because all you do is stick your hands in and they are automatically washed and soaped inside!!
Oh! Cool!
We made our way over to the stairs and headed to our rooms on deck 6. @ariane37 helped us pick an excellent location for our rooms! We were mid-ship and just a few rooms off from the stairway/elevators. We didn't hear any noise from the elevators or people passing through the hallways throughout the trip. The best perk was that our rooms were connecting, and our stateroom host was even able to fold back the wall between our verandas to make it feel like ours was twice as long.
Wow! That sounds so great!
That blanket alone was worth the $70ish pricetag. The back side is plush sherpa deliciousness!!!!
:laughing:
One of us wasn't acting very magical! His "feet hurt" from "all that walking" we were making him do. He was very dramatic at the start of this trip, let me tell you!
Oh, dear...
this tour was just not what we thought it would be. We were thinking it would be more about the ship itself, a little information and exploration to get you excited about the days ahead. It was really more of a walk to the theaters, "yep, these are the theaters, and there are shows here." Walk to the adult district, "yep, these are the bars. You drink here." It was about 45 minutes or so without much other information or interesting facts to be found, which was kind of a bummer.
Well, that's unfortunate. You could've done that on your own with a map.
I put my sweatshirt on him and basically shoved him onto the dance floor. You WILL enjoy your vacation, kid!
:laughing:
Once those magical entertainment folks took the stage and everyone's favorite Fab 5 crew joined them, all his crankiness was gone, and my most magical boy had returned!
:goodvibes

Back to read the rest later! Gotta run.
 
One of my favorite parts (and the boys' least favorite!!!) was taking family pictures before/after dinner. You will notice their faces tell the story of their delight with the whole process 🤣 😂
:laughing: Looking forward to this.
So nattily dressed. :)
Also, can I just brag about my awesome deal on that dress I'm wearing!! I found it at Five Below, on the clearance rack, so it cost me a whopping $2.50!!!
Wow! What a steal! Nice going!
the maitre d' saluted Jimmy (who insisted on wearing his Captain hat everywhere on this cruise!)
:) Nice!
and yelled, "El capitan!!" To which every server standing there did the same. Jimmy felt SO important, LOL. He strolled in like he owned the place, as we were led to our table.
:laughing: That's awesome!!
One downside to our tables on this cruise was for some reason we were seated at the furthest back corner, almost tucked out of the way from everything. We didn't get a real view or good feel for Enchanted Garden or Royal Palace.
Well, that's unfortunate. Can you request tables? Or are you at the mercy of the host/hostess?
I had been a little nervous about whether we would be sitting with another family, and whether that would be awkward. Conversation didn't always flow smoothly, and the younger son had a couple of mild meltdowns, but in all honesty, it was pleasant enough chatting with them.
Glad that worked out. I'd be nervous about that too.
(Spoiler: one night, we let Jimmy stay in the kids club for dinner, and they pouted through the entire meal because "they missed him.)
Awww...
Nice shot of you guys. Nice dress!
But, one thing that's for sure, I did order a Miller Lite with dinner and was pleased it was an aluminum pint.
I'm seeing a trend here...
The seas were a little rough, and it was really noticeable here, since the theater is at the front of the ship. The curtain was really swaying back and forth, and I worried for the first time that I might suffer from some sea-sickness.
So... did you?
I hadn't realized it was going to snow, so that was a really magical moment for me, and of course I was crying because it was all so magical!
:hug:
Jimmy was bound and determined to see them all. I just tried to keep up with him! He was giving them all hugs and getting a little dance in with each of them, too. This was one of the very best moments of the day.
:goodvibes
So... what is it supposed to be?
:) He sure looks cozy up there. Bet he loved that.
 

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