davidmbfonz
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Posts posted by davidmbfonz
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The only downside I see is this sounds like it could get expensive! ;-)
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Thanks Again. Back to reading this wonderful review!
Thanks 55work! ;)
This is a lot of fun to write and reflect along the way...
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You've got to love the sleek elegant design of a DCL ship vs. the gaudiness and trashy paint schemes of some others, especially NCL!
That and the skill to stop and manoeuvre an 83,000 ton vessel so close to the dock as in your post #48!
ex techie
Indeed - "stunning" doesn't begin to describe the elegant beauty of these 'classic' liners...
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We were in room 2108. It looked to me like bubbles actually in the glass. Possibly occurring during the manufacturing process. While it made for some interesting pictures, I found it a bit distracting. I hope they aren't making all of the windows like that.
That looks pretty severe - we must have been right down the hall from there - 2062 and 2064.
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Note: Day #4, not #3.
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You're welcome and thanks for the kind words.
I'll have to admit, I haven't read the whole report, but I have a question for you - what room were you in? I see that you had bubbles in your window. We had bubbles in our window on the Magic on our 2010 cruise, but it was my understanding that all those windows were swapped out during the re imagining. I guess some rooms still have them.
Ah! Yes, we had them in both of our rooms - Deck 2, Midship. I assumed it was trapped water vapor between layers of glass. My wife thought it was put there on purpose, but there was no pattern to it, and I didn't think so.
We didn't think to ask anyone about it.
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Disney Magic 2015 845 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr
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Disney Magic 2015 851 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrWhat an incredible day - and we were only about 2/3 done!
I took the kids to see Lynn Trefzger, the ventriloquist. She was obviously really talented and my two boys though she was hysterical!
We then took some photos with the characters in our pirate garb and headed to Lumiere's once again for Pirate Night!
I'll post more narrative later, but will go and scan the Day 4 Navigators right now. Stay tuned!
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Love this shot - puts the size of the ships in perspective!
Disney Magic 2015 800 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrWhile my wife and the two youngest kids took baths and rested up, my DS10 and I went to watch us pull away from the pier.
Disney Magic 2015 827-001 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrWe were rewarded with some great views!
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Disney Magic 2015 830 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrLooking south down the island - you can see the 2nd cruise terminal in this shot:
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We spent about 5 hours at Mr. Sanchos and then headed back to the ship. What a wonderful time, and service was very friendly. We loved Beto!
Disney Magic 2015 741 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrMy view! ;-)
Disney Magic 2015 699 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThere she is!
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The food was very tasty - it was a buffet and had all the things you might imagine a typical Mexican buffet would have. It even had a little nacho setup with tortilla warmer and cheese dispenser. The boys loved that.
Now, this plate isn't a great visual, but let me tell you, I don't take pictures of bad-tasting food. In fact, this was among the BEST Mexican food I'd ever had. The refried beans (which I imagine always look unappealing) were FANTASTIC!
IMG_3089 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThe drinks kept coming, for my wife and I, and also for the kids...
This one is called the Monstro Verde "Green Monster" - I liked it so much I had several. I asked what was in it - curacao, rum, and melon liqueur.
IMG_3083 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrSubmersed chairs and tables in the pool!
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Disney Magic 2015 680-002 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrMy wife and daughter at the swim-up bar - how cool!
Disney Magic 2015 690 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAnd, my boys ordering 'drinks'.
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The water had a nice gradual slope - I was worried there might be a quick drop-off. And it was some of the prettiest water I've ever seen. We got settled in and I noticed my DS6 was 'missing' - I looked about 30 yards to my left and of course, there he was - he had already swam out to the trampoline float and was giddily bouncing up and down on it! Crazy kid! (He's a strong swimmer, and the water out at the first set of inflatables isn't over his head.)
Then we tried snorkeling and the water was perfectly clear! Not a ton of fish, but we weren't very far out. Another guest told me there was a sunken 'Mayan' statue directly out about 75 feet and so we swam out and searched for it. Sure enough, we found it - the water was about 10-12 feet deep at that point. My son used his GoPro and got lots of great footage. Just a magical experience to share that with my kids. No worries the whole day!
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That's a GREAT explanation, Shmoo! Thanks.
One thing I'll add - usually groups set limits - like around $10 max. per cabin - if you are crafty, it might cost much less than that, but will take time and personal attention, of course. It's a lot of fun, and a nice bonus. You get to explore the whole ship that way too - you go to decks and parts of decks that you would never otherwise have reason to do.
Day #3 was Cozumel day - we were in Mexico! I checked the longitude and noted that we weren't even as far west as New Orleans is! But we were much further south. This island is Cozumel and the town is San Miguel. Its location looked to be an island paradise as the inhabited part of the island and the beaches face west across from the Yucatan peninsula. The sunsets here must be amazing (and actually, we got to see one as the ship was departing).
We are adventurous and moderately-experienced travelers. I like to do as much for myself as possible. So, we arranged an excursion on our own. I checked with friends and also with the Ports of Call section of cruisecritic.com and everyone was raving about Mr. Sanchos. There were several other beach resorts that people also liked, but Mr. Sanchos seemed to be the 'standard' or perhaps 'original' beach resort on this side of the island. Most importantly, I couldn't find anyone saying anything bad about the place. I even visited and liked their facebook page - and saw that they communicate with guests on a daily basis on their page. Looked promising. For the five of us, we paid about $210 for all-inclusive one-day access (all food and drinks included. A portion of that money also was for my two sons to have passes to the aqua park inflatables). I think this price might have been about $75 cheaper than arranging through Disney. So, not a big savings. And, we had to pay for transportation.
We disembarked the ship and headed down the long pier, across the street and past some shops. We weren't 'mobbed' by shop owners, but folks definitely were interested in us stopping and taking a look. We just smiled and said, "Gracias, no." and on we went. At the end of the shops, straight ahead (probably an 1/8 of a mile) is an escalator down to the taxi stand. We immediately were approached by a uniformed person who took us right up to a van. I made sure to ask "Cuanto cuesta?" which was actually un-necessary because even the taxi driver spoke fluent-enough English. It was $26. Both ways, plus tip. So about $60 for private, fast, safe (there were seat belts), van transportation to and from the beach resort. Probably a 20-minute drive each way.
I should also note that we pre-paid for Mr. Sanchos via paypal through their website. They actually only make you leave a small deposit that you can cancel up until the night before, but I wanted to just have it paid. When we arrived, they looked up our reservation, put armbands on us, and introduced us to Norbeto aka "Beto", our server for the day. He showed us a table we could claim as our own and 10 yards further down from there, our lounge chairs on the water! Paradise found!
View out our porthole in the morning:
Disney Magic 2015 552 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAnother view from the ship:
Disney Magic 2015 556 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrView of our ship right after we got on the van:
Disney Magic 2015 557 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrScenery along the way:
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I'm thinking I need to get these Navigators up before they become non-useful for the folks sailing on Merry Time cruises this month! ;-)
Sprinkled throughout Day #2, were various times when 1, 2, or all 3 of my kids were checked-in to the Oceaneer's Club/Lab. We did try to make use of the Dine and Play option, but the kids wouldn't all agree to go wit the counselors at the same time - for example, DD4 would only go if DS10 would go, and he didn't want to go yet because he wasn't done with his ice cream. You know - the kind of frustrating minutiae that marks every day as a parent.
So, one of us would bring the kids up, check them in and come back - only took 5 minutes or so. Our DS10 was given permission to check himself in and out and this worked out nicely. I think he really enjoyed a bit of freedom and independence this time around. He'll be old enough for Edge next cruise.
More on the kids' clubs later. I'll scan the Day #3 Navigators now.
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Great review so far, and amazing pictures! Enjoying reading it!
ex techie
Why, thank you! :)
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We certainly don't get to eat like this at home. As any busy family with three kids - DS10, DS6, DD4, meals most nights are not the prettiest (although usually quite nutritious). How wonderful to be served better than average food multiple times per day in a kid-friendly environment?
Kid-friendly? One example here - the magic tricks. My DS6 always falls for them! He's a sucker for a good disappearing act!
Disney Magic 2015 517 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrDessert!
Disney Magic 2015 525 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrWhat number Mickey Bar was this for him? ;-)
Disney Magic 2015 524 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrLet's talk about this creme brulee for a moment - I don't remember ordering this last year on the Dream. Well, we'll never forget it now. The crust had the perfect thickness/texture and my wife and I just sat there in silence with our eyes closed trying not to GOBBLE it down. We mentioned it to Romeo - he brought another one. THEN, the next night, he brought us two EACH! And the following night, he brought us SIX! (He was like an Italian-American grandmother in that regard - eat! eat!) We took them back to the room and had them as late-night snacks. Sinful!
Disney Magic 2015 532 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrWe finished off our 2nd day with a sea turtle towel animal. Then, my oldest son and I snuck off for the 10:45 showing of "Tomorrowland" - the plot was ridiculous, and I honestly wondered where it was going, and then it finally ended with a Disney positive side - I can see why the movie wasn't a huge hit though. ;-)
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My wife tried the escargot and liked it. While I had the deep-fried brie with that tasty cranberry chutney.
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Disney Magic 2015 497 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrRomeo insisted on having us try this appetizer as well:
Disney Magic 2015 504 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrMy wife ordered the pasta and I had Chateaubriand - the red wine jus was so good that I mentioned it to Romeo. He went and got me a whole gravy boat of it! Ha!
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Disney Magic 2015 514 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrWe're not the world's pickiest eaters and we've always enjoyed trying new things. While all these weren't new menu items to us, most were to our kids and so we could share the experience with them at low-risk. My DS10 ended up ordering grilled shrimp every night as an appetizer! Do we know what TRULY remarkable "foodie-grade" food tastes like? Yes, we enjoy a fine meal out on the town in Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, or New York, etc. But we have modest expectations for these meals and find that attitude ends up leading to a very satisfying DCL dining experience. (Add the incredible service and the detailed commitment to design and theme and we've got a winner!)
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Dinner was at Lumiere's on the 2nd Night.
Disney Magic 2015 484 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThe details are wonderful. The chandeliers each have a rose from "Beauty and the Beast" that is slowly losing its petals!
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Disney Magic 2015 946 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrJust wonderful! Be our guest, indeed!
Disney Magic 2015 952 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrNo doubt about it - we were at a French restaurant!
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DSC03883 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAnd Minnie!
DSC03895 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAfter, I took a shot of my family in front of the tree:
DSC03907 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThey setup a table with hot cocoa and cookies, and Santa received visitors:
IMG_3049 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAnd he was making a list!
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That afternoon, we made sure to attend the Tree Lighting ceremony:
The dancers looked fantastic!
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DSC03837 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAfter, they joined the audience and had a dance party! Here's my daughter dancing with one of them!
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DSC03853 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAnd then Donald came out to dance! Here he is with my DD4 - how do you put a price tag on this class of entertainment? (OK, I've seen the bill - I know the price tag!)
DSC03865 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrAnd Goofy joined in!
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Our first glimpse of Cuba:
Disney Magic 2015 341 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrMy DS10 on the promenade, with Cuba in the background:
Disney Magic 2015 441 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThe Port Adventures desk:
DSC03921 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThe mural behind Guest Services:
DSC03906 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrPlaying in the hot tubs later that afternoon on the pool deck - not crowded at all!
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After the Frozen meet-and-greet, we explored the ship some more. We actually split up for a bit - my two boys went up to the pool deck, while my wife checked out the spa and the Cove Cafe.
Disney Magic 2015 338-001 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrI took my daughter to the atrium which we had completely to ourselves for the better part of a half-hour! She colored on the stage, checked out the Christmas tree, and danced to the music that was playing - the video I have of her dancing on that stage makes me so happy!
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Disney Magic 2015 353 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrThe ceiling of the atrium:
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No line (well, maybe 2 minutes of wait) and she got to see Anna and Elsa AND Olaf!
Disney Magic 2015 248-001 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrHere she is 'melting into' Olaf's arms!
Disney Magic 2015 269 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrGotta' get your autograph book ready!
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Disney Magic 2015 279 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrObviously, I'm a fan of the details and theming!
Disney Magic 2015 251 by davidmbfonz, on FlickrTime to sit in a porthole and take it all in!
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Disney Magic Nov. 15-20 ** 2nd Cruise ** Trip Report
in Disney Cruise Line
Posted
We have requested 2nd Seating for dining both cruises now, because that just fits better with our family's rhythm. One disadvantage, I think, of having 2nd Seating is with Pirate Night - the meals finish at 9:30 or even later, and honestly, how could anyone be hungry just an hour after that? So, we haven't gotten to try the pirate buffet they do after the show. Not a real complaint, just a consideration.
We went up to the top deck and watched Club Pirate from the balcony railing. Everyone was up there and so it actually seemed more crowded than on the Dream, which has a larger midship deck. It was still a good show - love how they have the characters and cast members (and us) dancing to current hits. The fireworks were actually shot right over our head this time (we were starboard, I believe, on the balcony). That was pretty cool. It was a 3-minute or so show that did not disappoint! I heard people mention that the Captain maneuvered the ship to allow for the fireworks since the conditions were not favorable.
So, to recap the day - Cozumel beach day adventure, ventriloquist show, pirate pictures with characters, pirate-themed dinner, pirate party, and fireworks. We figured out early on that these are intense vacations! Bring it on!
The kids spent a little bit of time in the Oceaneer Lab between dinner and the Pirate Party:
Aarggghh!
Any more rowdiness and you're gonna' walk the plank, says dad!
My camera didn't like taking pictures of these menus for some reason - maybe because they have a glossy finish, the lights are right overhead, and I was using natural light.
Delicious appetizer! That banana is rolled in toasted coconut.