I'm thinking two cross country trips in three months is enough to last a long time. Thankfully we made it without any lost luggage or children. The only thing I have yet to find is my waistline. So if you happen to be cruising Disney anytime soon, find our wonderful servers Jozsef and Tana and ask them as I'm sure they are to blame...
A little over a year ago we took our first cruise ever. We chose Disney, made certain we got a balcony since we didn't know how Jack would do with sea sickness and tested out the 4 night one to the Bahamas. It was such a hit with the kids (and Jack ended up being fine) that we decided on board that we had to book another one. We chose the western Caribbean itinerary this time because it was making stops in two of our favorite places, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The ship also stopped in Key West which was nice to see and of course it made a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. Little did we know that this trip would make history since our ship got stuck in a storm causing us to have to dock at Castaway Cay overnight turning our 7 night cruise into an 8 night cruise. We didn't end up leaving Castaway Cay until the same time the next day. Trust me, there are worse places to be stranded. It was a logistical nightmare for Disney as many travelers missed flights that needed to be re booked. In addition you had 3,000 passengers waiting in Port Canaveral to board the next cruise that had to be dealt with. Our concierge happily took care of adjusting our rental car arrangement and we were happy to get another day on the ship. It also helped that we were upgraded to a suite for this cruise. Thank you very much Disney as you've now ruined us and now we'll never be able to cruise in any other room!
Key West highlights: So what do you do in a place that's not known for it's snorkeling or beaches? You rent an electric car. The kids loved it and it was a great way to get a taste of Key West without the complaining of sore feet.
Out our balcony we had a view of this small island off of Key West where we were told many celebrities keep second homes.
Connor and Jack with a little spare time on their hands...
From swimming and sliding to tea parties, pirate parties, and birthday parties to movies and magic shows to super sized Superbowl...
Oh boy do we miss our servers. These kind, patient young men took such awesome care of us during our cruise. They knew what drinks we liked, where the kids like to sit (Sage always has to sit next to me) and the types of food we'd probably like. They'd cut up the kids food and perform magic tricks for them. Dinners just aren't the same here at home. We LOVE and MISS Jozsef and Tana!!!
Cozumel: I was looking to try something we hadn't done in Cozumel before so we booked a Passion Island jeep excursion. We had a wonderful tour guide named Alex who guided us through the "jungles" of Cozumel (if you can call some private property alongside the ocean that) and then he put us on a small boat that took us out to this private island where you eat, play, and relax. On the way back we did see wild raccoons and a crocodile. Jack and I still laugh about that trip.
Jack guarding his favorite Mexican donuts!
We LOVE Grand Cayman. It has been close to ten years since Jack and I had been there. We were really excited to take the kids on the Stingray City excursion. This includes stopping at Coral Gardens to snorkel and then going to Stingray City to swim with the rays. Stingray City is actually a large sandbar out in the middle of the ocean where stingrays have been conditioned to come for food. (Thankfully we were not their food.) We had forgotten how beautiful the snorkeling is in Cayman. Not only are the fish amazing but the colorful coral sets Cayman apart from most places we've been to. I was so proud of Sage for wanting to come out in the deep ocean in her life preserver and floatie so I could snorkel. I was also very proud of Connor for getting out of the boat at Stingray City. He was very nervous yet still managed to get in the water. They told us if we kissed a stingray we'd have seven years of good luck. Connor alerted us he should be in good shape for the next 21 years!
Castaway Cay is Disney's private island. The water was a bit chillier than our last visit but the kids still had a blast. Ty was dying to go for a bike ride so we rented some cruisers and had a great time. Note to self: A long skirt is probably not the best bike riding attire. After rolling it up into a micro mini I can say 'muffin top' took on new meaning... It's also sad when your seven year old says "mom, I didn't even know you knew how to ride a bike". We'll blame that on Seattle weather for now but we now know what I'll be asking Santa for for Christmas this year.
Little did we know when we arrived in Castaway Cay this morning to such a beautiful day that a storm would be on it's way and we'd be stuck on the island! It was a rocky night at sea with the captain doing his best to prevent us from bumping into the pier on one side or the rock ledge on the other side of the ship. In the meantime two tie downs had bust in the middle of the night but luckily the ship was ok. Here are a couple photos from the evening we were supossed to leave and the next day while we sat stuck on Castaway Cay.
On one of the nights there was a comedian that did the show. He needed a volunteer to help with his act and asked if anyone was interested. Leave it to Ty to be the one selected out of hundreds of kids jumping up and down in the main theater trying to get the comedien's attention. (I'm telling you it's the hair.) He was quite the hit.
I must admit I have over 300 photos from this trip so picking the ones that best tell the story is a bit difficult but I couldn't close without including some of the photos of the kids and the characters. This would definitely be the highlight to Sage's vacation. Next time though we'll be certain to buy the autograph books on the first day rather than the third. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing when the gift shop workers and the photographers know you by name AND room number...
Countdown to the Disney Dream in May 2011!
4 comments:
I'm trying really hard not to be jealous of this one! We are dreaming of a Disney Cruise with our family...one day!
Looks like an amazing trip. Your pictures are brilliant!
That looks like such a good time. I am glad that you all enjoyed it. Hopefully we can figure out a way to join you on the next trip. That would be so fun.
All of your pictures make me so jealous. You guys have such amazing vacations and your kids will grow up being so appreciative of that. I am glad you guys had so much fun!:)
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