We got back from the cruise about 3 weeks ago...(let's not talk about the suitcase that just got unpacked last week)....
I really meant to stay on top of the blog during vacation so not only could my friends and family keep up with what we were doing, but also as a way of journaling what we did. But well, I kind of well, forgot. I mean I wanted to...I really, really did, but the laziness of vacation won that battle...not to mention the call of the beach...
So, let me go back (so I can go forward with my blog...)...
We went on a 7-Day Western Caribbean Disney Cruise on the Disney Magic. We boarded the cruise on Saturday Oct. 16th....and, after boarding was shown to a private area for concierge guests (ooh, we felt pretty darn special). There we met with our concierge, and briefly went over our itinerary before heading to our room...which was more like a small apartment! It had 2 bedrooms, a dining room 3 baths, a living room, reading room, and a small galley area, and of course a large balcony....
(Sunday) I already blogged about Key West which was our first port that we stopped at...see my last blog, or two...
Our next day (Monday) was a day at sea...and a very relaxing day! I got a manicure, the kids played in the pool area, the older ones played in the arcade. And, we finished off the evening with a few groans as the kids got dressed in their suits for Formal Night. Kenna was in her glory...loving the dress she wore and the attention she got.
(Tuesday) Grand Cayman...nothing to see here folks...really, nothing. We ended up doing a Turtle Discovery thing at Boatswain. Yuck! The turtles were cool...but DO NOT GO SNORKELING. The snorkeling area was man-made but definitely not self-cleaning! Ugh....it was so gross. There was a thick green slime all over the bottom and sides of the zero depth entry "pool" where fish and turtles were being housed. Now, ask me with all those conditions...who would go in? ME...yes, I did, with 3 of my boys. Because I didn't want to be one of those foo-foo moms who don't do anything fun or daring...so I sucked it up (literally did by accident at one point) and got in. I lasted a few minutes before the ICK factor got to me and then I hauled booty out of there. I couldn't get to the shower quick enough...
(Wednesday) Okay, so I can live without Grand Cayman, but not without Cozumel. It was so beautiful there...crystal clear water...great food. (I love mexican food--I think I was a Mexican in a previous life...) Josh took the older boys to an Adventure Park Excursion while I took the 3 younger ones to a Dolphin Discovery thing. We actually got to go in the water and pet and kiss a dolphin!!! (Hard to believe but Kenna DID NOT go in...) I have a video and $100 photos to prove it! We then got to enjoy the Dolphin Park, pool, and beach and snorkel area. Crystal clear water was really hard to leave when we had to go back to the boat...just sayin!
(Thursday) Our last day at sea! And the day for BINGO...yes, finally my husband got to get rid of his "lack of gambling shakes". And, he went big too...we must have had like 4 of those big electronic things and 25 plus paper bingos...and as usually, we did not win. But ask us about B-11....
(Friday) My favorite day so far....Castaway Cay. Josh and the boys went on a fishing excursion while Kenna and I had part of the day to ourselves, so we hit the beach about 9:20am...the beach was gorgeous. The clearest water I have ever seen. It was crowded, but no overly so....Kenna and I didn't leave for 4 hours!!! When we finally got up, we went to go look for the boys and grab lunch....we found both, and we went back to the beach for another hour or so before having to head in for our last night on vacation...
(Saturday) We left the cruise...how did we like it?
Well, let's just say that Kenna loved it. Every Princess under the sun was available to get a picture with and everyone called her Princess. In fact, she got so used to being called a Princess and treated like one, that at one of the activities for kids in Oceaneers Lab, she said that a little boy did not treat her like a Princess so she did not want to go back to the kids club.
My boys (and I mean all of them including my hubby) would pass on another Disney Cruise. Why? Because it really was geared more toward little ones, with girls probably getting the most out of it. The cruise ship was okay, but with all the new and bigger ships out there, Disney needs to step it up (and they are with the Disney Dream coming next year and the Disney Fantasy coming in 2012). The food...well, to put it politely--it sucked. I was very disappointed in it. And, they need to really have their concierge staff show their patrons more "love". The other cruise lines really offer their concierge guests some unforgettable perks. On Disney, concierge is not really anything special...so that was disappointing.
What did we like? The room rocked! We loved the space of the Royal Suite...The waiters, and staff were also really nice, and seeing my daughter smile and gush at all the Princesses was well worth it! I also liked the excursions...they all seemed pretty geared toward families which was nice. And, and most importantly of all, we liked getting away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and just being together as a family.
We had a great time...so great that we have planned our next 3 vacations...March is Washington, DC; June is Myrtle Beach; and in July we are taking another cruise...this time on Norwegian Cruise Lines (we have sailed with them before) to Bermuda!
So, now when I say I am going to blog on those vacations...don't believe me. I won't...
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