December 5, 2009 - 7-night Eastern Cruise w/ Tortola
December 4, 2009
As soon as we arrived home from our August trip, we found out that DH had received a project from work that would take us to sunny LA. It was just supposed to be temporary (14 weeks) but they liked him so much he is now in charge of the sector, which means we would be moving permanently to LA, which had its pros and cons. I get to be a stay-at-home mom, but instead of living 12 hours away (or just a car ride), we now live 36 hours away (definitely not a car ride) from my favorite place in the world.
The organizer that I am
• The nice thing about traveling by car, anything that we did not need for the cruise could stay in the car, while when you travel by airplane, everything that you bring needs to follow you for the whole trip. For example, on our first cruise I did not bring the boys car seats, or stroller because it was not a necessity. This time the car seats could not stay in the car because we were renting a car, and they are getting heavy. They have both gained about 5 lbs since our last trip, and that a lot of weight for my little arms. Also this was seven-day trip not a 3-day trip which meant more clothes, diapers, food etc.
o The solution: DH and I got one suitcase, and the boys shared a suitcase. We had 4 carry-on bags, two were with the boys toys to entertain them on the flight (on the last trip we did not have to worry, they were entertained with a bottle or cuddling). My carry-on had diapers, formula, food & extra clothing for the boys for our flight down, and DH had all the important stuff that I did not trust to in our suitcases and our change of clothes (just in case something happened).
o We did use the Baby on Board from Baby Travel Lite for food and diapers. It is a little on the expensive side, but for us it was worth while. I did not do it directly through Disney since you can only order packages, but did it through their home website. I ordered two 7 day diaper packages which gave me 140 diapers for the week, four packs of travel wipes, two packs of full packaged wipes, 140 diapers sacks (to throw out diapers) and 20 disposable changing pads. We also got formula and food for the boys (this gave us bottle cleaner, dishwashing detergent, utensils, bowls, disposable bibs (we brought our own) and wet ones. You have to order the food separately from the bundle, but they have tons of options to chose from
This was a life saver for us; it gets delivered right to your room. It was there when we arrived. It saved so much room in our suitcases. I will admit those it would have been easier if they were still just on the bottle, even though I did enjoy not having to run around to get their bottles heat up this time. No microwave in your room. Remember those you have to still bring your own bottles. I do recommend it for parents. We are definitely using the diaper portion on our Trans-Atlantic Cruise, I would need a whole suitcase full of diapers.
The trip down to Port Canaveral (Airplanes my oh my).
• DH company deals a lot in the Travel Sector, so he was able to get us really cheap tickets down to Orlando, I am talking about $500 for all 4 of us, round trip, but this came at a cost. We left LAX at 6:00 AM in the morning (59 degrees) to Denver. We had 45 min. to switch flights (no big deal) but it was 5 degrees outside. Then we arrived at MCO to fog. While at least we made it by 5:00 PM. It was definitely not comfy having a six-month old sit on my lap through this whole experience either. I would not recommend it to anyone, and we are especially not doing it again, when we go down in March. The boys are definitely getting their own seat, just so mommy and daddy have extra room to breathe and actually sit together. Did you know that two babies on laps cannot sit in the same row, it was a really quite flight.
o It was the boys’ first flight, and I think they did quite well.We did not use anything to ease ear popping, or vomiting, because I did not know how they would react, and did not want to give them something just in case. There was no screaming and hollering. Kyran slept through the take-off on both flights (DH got the lucky end of deal). Ryder was awake but he definitely, did not complain. He was happy playing with his caterpillar toy we brought him. They both mostly slept through both flights. If not there was a lot of toys to chose from. Mommy overpacked the toy bags.
Car Rental
• We used Budget for our car rental both ways. It was really reasonable we were able to get a midsize car for $100 both ways. Meaning we picked it up at MCO dropped off in Cape Canaveral, DH took free shuttle to Port, then on return free shuttle again, pick up Cape Canaveral and drop-off MCO. If you do have young children in car seats, I do recommend bringing your own. It is very expensive to rent a carseat. Budget will actually store your Car seats for you if you like, we found those on the ship that if we wanted to do something that overlapped into feeding or nap time, it was easier to use the car seats then the stroller. Also we ended up using the car seats a lot during dinner time since the high chairs are wooded kind, and not very comfy.To transport them on the plane, we just bought two carseat bags. They are also very helpful; our server actually helped us connect our car seats into the car, since I ended up having to feed the boys while DH got all the paperwork and car organized.
Hotel
• We stayed at the Residence Inn in Port Canaveral. This would have been our first time ever staying in Port Canaveral, and I loved it. All the rooms there are suites. You get fully equipped kitchens as well as a separate living and dining room area. It also has free hot breakfast, and complimentary high-speed internet access. When we booked it I read all about it, but didn’t really believe it all until I got there. I loved it so much that I would love to come and spend a weekend there. When I saw that the kitchen was fully equipped I actually cancelled eating out that night, and we just ordered a pizza and ate it in the room. DSIL also stayed here, they were coming from Orlando, so they drove down to meet us. I highly recommend this hotel for families, especially families with young kids.
• I should note that if you do not want to keep your rental car overnight they do have a shuttle that costs $3 or $6 round trip. We did not use it because of our crazy luggage situation, but you just sign-up when you check-in and it leaves around 10 AM.
While we did not do much else after we got to the hotel. We put the boys to bed around 8:30 PM, stayed up and chatted for awhile, but we all departed and went to bed early. We had our first-fun filled day tomorrow.
December 5, 2009 - Port Canaveral (Embarkation Day)
Our day stars every morning now at 6 AM, while my day starts then. The boys are on more of a routine now, and with DH working crazy hours at his job. The boys’ routine lets me actually shower and get ready for the day. The boys wake at about 7 AM every morning; they are on a half an hour time difference for feeding so it reflects their sleeping patterns.
Complimentary Breakfast at the Residence Inn
While you know how much I loved the suites in this hotel. Their complimentary breakfast is outstanding. There was waffles, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, etc. etc. etc. I can’t believe it is all FREE!!! The food staff preps were very efficient in replenishing the food too if it was low, so no one missed out on anything. I should note those that seating in very limited, so get down early to get a place in the immediate dining area. There is an overflow area in the room next to the front entrance, or you can eat outside.
Arriving at Port
Our goal was to arrive at the port around 11 AM. They usually open the terminal between 10 AM and 10:30 AM. This opposed our first problem of the day. The boys’ second bottle of the day is at 9:30 / 10:00 AM, and they go down for a nap right after that and wake up around 11:30 / 12 PM for their lunch. My fear was that with all the commotion they would not sleep. While I was right, after the boys were fed we headed to the port. Check-out time at Residence is 12 PM, so we were really in no rush. While I fed the boys DH packed the car, and we were off for are 1.2 mile trip. We arrived right on time, the boys were asleep until we took them out of the car, and then the crying started, they did not want to be in those car seats anymore, and they were awake and wanted lunch. While DH had to take the car back, DSIL and her hubby graciously helped me with the boys and the carry-on bags. We made it through security scan (with screaming boys), and up the elevator to check-in. I did not even bother getting into the check-in line yet. I just went and found a seat and started feeding the boys, DSIL stayed with me since I had to feed two boys at once and not one after the other. Her DH check-in and he took over feeding Ryder and I went to check-in the gang. DH returned shortly after.
Two-important things about Arriving at port:
Once you make your way through the line, check-in takes approximately 10 minutes.
Boarding the Ship
Embarkation usually begins around 12:00 PM, but every time we have gone it has always been slightly earlier. They started calling boarding numbers around 11:45 AM, just as we were finishing up feeding the boys, some delicious bananas (Yummy!!). Captain Mickey and Minnie were out getting autographs but we did not try to get pictures. There are many opportunities on the ship. When they called our number we walked through the Mickey-ears and presented our Key to the World Cards, they got swiped and returned. Then we got our Mandatory photo. It did not turn out again. What a surprise, and headed to Topsider Buffet for adult lunch.
Topsider Buffet
We originally planned to eat at Parrot Cay because it is a sit down meal, and it would give us a chance to feed them while we waited for our meals, but because they were nicely fed and awake when we boarded we quickly changed our plans and headed to Topsiders Buffet. They are really too many options to choose from at this buffet. DH and I had a variety of options including Sweet & Sour Pork, Fried Rice, Mac & Cheese, Corn Dog Nuggets, Ham & Cheese Salad, Peach Cobbler, and Apple Cake. This was all I could remember when I sat down to write in my journal that night. The boys even had their first taste of cheese sauce during lunch.
Topsider is on Deck 9, just take the elevators up.
After lunch we just walked around the ship, until our stateroom was ready at 1:30 PM.
Castaway Club Gifts
Arriving in our room we were welcomed to a whole bunch of gifts. Our first being the Castaway Club bag with flip flop rice krispie treats, a keychain shaped like a ship wheel, and metal water bottles. Love the metal water bottles; I actually used them a lot on the trip for excursions. The boys received two gift baskets from their aunt, which had sand toys and a mickey stuffed animal. (Love her)
Walking Ship Tour
While DH and I fed and put our sons down for an afternoon nap (this will be an issue again). DSIL and her DH went on the Walking Ship Tour. For regular cruisers like us, it is not as interesting, but if it is your 1st cruise I highly recommend it. It gives you all the points of interest on the ship, and helps you get orientated. DSIL says she likes it because every time, she goes she learns one more new fact about the ship she did not know before, and it was a nice 45 min. walk around andsomething to do when the weather is no so nice.
Mandatory Boat Drill
This happened to be between the boys naptime, what a surprise??? I liked it better when they would fall asleep wherever they are, but that is not the case anymore. Our meet place was Walt Disney Theatre, since the boys were sleeping ever so nicely, we put our lifejackets on and carried the boys lifejackets up. It did not matter those they woke up and nap was over, and they were hungry again. What can I say they are boys they like to eat? While at least the boat drill did not last long, and I had some yummy food in my carry-on that I brought with me. DH and DBIL nicely brought our life jackets back to our room and DSIL and I with the crying boys headed to Deck 10 to feed them.
Adventures Away
When we took our 3 day cruise in August, we decided to hang out in our room to watch the ship leave from our stateroom. I was hoping to be a little closer to the action this time. While we were closer to the action this time, but we did not see a lot of the action because we were feeding the boys their yum, yums. The horn blasted right at 5:00 PM and we were off. Next time, I promise we will see and hear the whole thing. DSIL got some nice pictures of the event so that helped a little. The party was actually over before we even finished feeding Kyran, but we were off on our magical journey.
Dinner: Parrot Cay
Dinnertime is the most important for us on any Disney Cruise Trip. I personally think missing out on dinner to get a Hot Dog at Pluto’s means you are missing some of the magic. Also, how many times in a week do you honestly get served a 5 course meal, every night on a Disney Ship?
We had early dining, during this cruise, so that we could put the boys to bed at their schedule time of 8:30 PM, since they do so while with transitions right now if they are sleeping. We actually brought them along each night for dinner, but the opposed a challenge with it self. The high chairs are wooden, meaning they are not that comfortable the boys would not last over an hour in them, even if they were being entertained. Therefore, from this night forward we actually just asked the server to pull up to chairs, and we put their car seats on them, or we held them in our laps.
The food was delicious and our servers were fantastic. We also, had a table of six to ourselves which was nice, not that we mind meeting new people. It just gave us a chance to catch up even more. Dinner for us lasted on average an hour and 15 mins.
After Dinner: Partytime with Midtown
After Dinner we decided to head to the Promenade Lounge which is also on Deck 3, along with Parrot Cay, for an after meal drink. It is a family lounge so even children are invited to join their parents. We all ordered the Drink of the day Bay Breeze and the boys had their first bottle (with milk) in a bar. You also can have complimentary hors d’oeuvres of nachos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream dips. We were too full from dinner those.
The duo Midtown, were really good. They provided a relaxing atmosphere where you were still able to talk to everyone. It was also very nice music to dance too, which I even got a long overdue with my hubby.
Bedtime
The boys go to bed around 8:30 PM DSIL actually offered to help me, so I told the boys they could hang around the lounge or go to the sports deck if they liked. While, they ended up at the All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin at the Walt Disney Theatre.
All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin
I am not surprised the men ended up going to see the show. Another thing we do love about Disney is the entertainment they provide, because it reaches out to every age range. The nice thing about the first show on the 7 day cruise is that you get to see some highlights of some of the entertainment on the ship. On our particular cruise, DH and DBIL got to see Michael Harrison (comedian and ventriloquist) and Alfred and Seymour (comedy team), on top of the Disney Character skits. I am sorry I missed it but the boy’s beauty rest is more important at this stage of game. Maybe I will get to see it next year.
The Party Continues
The boys returned around 9:45 PM to the room. The boys were fast asleep in their pack n’ plays. While the men decided they were tired, the girls decided they should go check out some of the late night parties on the ship. While we ended up at Studio Seas jamming to Disney All-Star Channel Dance Party, not a place where you would fine two mid-20 year olds dancing. It was nice to actually go dance to some real pop music of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Borthers, and not the stuff they play in the bars today. It was actually nice to have some girl time with my favorite DSIL (there are 3 of them in total).
We finally made it back to the room around 10:45 PM, and crashed. All that dancing made us tired.
December 6, 2009 - Sea Day
I have the most amazing DH in the world. With us girls partying out to Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers last night, it was too early to get up at 6 AM to get ready for the day. Wait a minute I am on vacation, which means relaxing, and sleeping in. Unfortunately for my baby boys they do not understand that yet and were ready to eat and play at 7 AM. DH got up with them, and fed them their bottle. I finally got up when Room Service arrived at 7:30 am.
Room Service – Breakfast
The best way to start a morning! Before you go to bed at night, you fill out the menu with the time you want the food to arrive (30 minute time frame), and leave it on your door at night. We usually order chocolate milk (my fave), coffee, croissants and bagels, food that was quick and easy to eat while the boys had their bottles.
DSIL and her DH were still sleeping by the time we were ready to venture out of the room around 8:30 AM. We thought we would check to see what was being offered at Topsider to eat.
I should note that if you are on Concierge Level you do have the option to order a full breakfast meal to your room. We have not done it in over a year, so I do not know if the menu has changed or not.
Topsider Buffet
We stopped by Topsiders for a quick Mickey Waffle treat, and some bacon, they do have a full range of breakfast items to eat including Made-to order omelets, pancakes and scrambled eggs. It is buffet style, but they do have indoor / outdoor seating. It was a fast trip for us since we wanted to make it down to Deck 3 to checkout the Playhouse Disney Dance Party.
Playhouse Disney Dance (Promenade Lounge)
I will be the first one to admit that our boys are still to young to watch TV, and we hardly do, but every once in a while I do not mind sitting back with them to watch Little Einstein’s, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Winnie the Pooh. It is the perfect way to relax but their attention span is still too short. While I was glad to see that there was an activity geared toward young children on the ship.
The boys loved this activity. They loved hearing some of their favorite songs from the shows. Right now they are so amazed by movement and sound, they loved watching the cast members sing and dance, and mommy and daddy loved to see their smiles and giggles.
It was the perfect length to only 30 minutes, which is the perfect length for a child at an activity.
Family Animation
DSIL loves to draw, and I think she is amazing drawer. We actually have a drawing she made for us of the boys when they were born, It is amazing. So they joined in at Animator’s Palate to learn how to draw Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Hers of course turned out amazing, and she gave them to the boys, which I have framed and put in their rooms. DH turned out okay, Mickey’s ears are a little lopsided, so he must not of inherited the drawing gene. I will admit if I was there mine would have been ten times worse, while it was fun to say the least, and a nice relaxing activity according to my DH.
Goofy’s Galley
They went to Goofy’s Galley for lunch; it is a quick service up on Deck 9 next to Mickey’s Pool. They have some very healthy options here including wraps, sandwiches, Panini, salad and fresh fruit. While DH and family sat next to the pool to enjoy the meal, they did return with a wrap and cookie for me.
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The boys woke up around noon, just as DH returned to the room. It was great since then he could help me feed the boys, so we could try to make it to the Character Dance Party in the Lobby Atrium
Character Dance Party
Another perfect activity perfect for young kids (even those there was many kids there of different ages), Mickey Mouse and all his friends come to the Lobby and dance with kids / adults while music plays over the loud speaker. I loved the smile on the boy’s faces as they met Mickey Mouse and Goofy. They were not scared at all. I think they are still a little young for that phase, but I was glad there was no crying, only smiles and laughter.
Looking back at some of the pictures (and I apologize the pictures are on my digital scrapbooking computer right now and that computer has no internet access, I will try to post soon, if time allows), from our August cruise the boys are mostly sleeping when we met the characters, whereas now they are smiling and actually looking at the camera, or reaching out to the characters.
This is another short event, so if they are hosting it on your cruise. I recommend going early to make sure you get to see all the characters.
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From here our afternoon, was pretty quite. DH decided he would like to nap, DSIL and DBIL were off at the Adult Pool, so I decided for the boys and I we would just go hang out in our stateroom, and play a little, and watch some of the Muppets Christmas Carol, until the boys went down for a nap around 2 PM.
DH and I were just relaxing on the verandah when DSIL and her DH returned. DSIL and I decided maybe to go check out some of the bingo that was happening at 3 o’clock, while the boys just hung out in the room.
Bingo
First of all I should say Bingo, is very expensive. For our session which was 5 games (4 cash prizes and a Spa Visit Giveaway), I paid $75.00 for an electronic machine / 6 paper cards. It was so much more then bingo, the caller was actually entertaining and not so mundane, he actually had some of the kids in the audience dancing, it was magical. I loved it, even those I did not win anything. It would not be on my top of my list of activities, since so many activities on the ship are free, but it was definitely something to check out, if you are willing to pay that kind of money. I should note DSIL did not win anything either.
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Tonight, was our Formal Night so after Bingo, we headed back to our room to get ready for the evening. I was so excited to see my little Boys in their tiny tuxs, and of course my hubby too.
We left a little early because I wanted to get family photos before the evening in the Lobby. They turned out perfect, the boys were smiling and everything, and then it was time to head to Lumiere’s for our Golden Mickey Dinner.
Dinner: Golden Mickey
I love having formal night in Lumiere’s, just because of the atmosphere and the décor just suits the evening so perfectly. We did not order as much food as we did the first night, the boys were a little fussier then usual, so we try to make dinner as quick as possible, under an hour. Our servers were happy to accommodate us, and we were served fast and efficiently. Food is delicious as always, not a complaint.
Michael Harrison: Family Caberet
After Dinner, we checked our navigators and noticed that Michael Harrison was performing in Rockin’ Bar D. It was in the family entertainment section, so we thought it would be okay for the boys to join us. Rockin’ Bar D usually becomes adult entertainment bar in the evening, but he was doing his family show so everyone was welcomed. Michael Harrison is an amazing ventriloquist. The two parts that amaze me are the puppets that he does not hold on to but the mouth moves anyway and his last act where he picked a kid from the audience to become a human puppet, amazing, worth it to check out.
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We fed the boys their bottle during the show, so after the show it was time to head up to the room to put them to bed. DH and I took them upstairs, and then I insisted that he go join his sister for the Golden Mickey’s Show. Our agreement was he could do the show and DSIL would do the after party and maybe some Karaoke, along with her DH of course.
Golden Mickeys
As you walk down the red carpet, you might just get a chance to be interviewed by Rona Rivers, it is mostly children she interviews and it is broadcasted into the Walt Disney Theater in real-time.
The Golden Mickeys is an awards show in which Disney movie Characters are nominated in several categories, including heroism and romance. As the awards ceremony is set to begin, the Master of Ceremonies fails to appear, leaving a shy stage manager to host the big event. During the course of the show, the stage manager learns—through spectacular musical and dance numbers starring some of your favorite Disney Characters—the valuable lesson that anything is possible and dreams really can come true & when you believe.
The show is absolutely fabulous, and I am sorry I missed it, but there is always next cruise.
The Golden Mickey’s After Party & Family Karaoke
Shortly after, the show was over DH showed up, did a quick kiss and swap places. I headed to Studio Seas where the After Party was being held. It is just a big dance party, playing some if Disney favorite hits, it only last about 45 minutes until karaoke starts. If you miss the after party you were not missing much, but I had to say we did have some amazing singers on our cruise (young & old). It was a good way to end the evening.
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DH was already sleeping when the 3 of us returned around 11:30, it was another sea day tomorrow, and could not wait.
As soon as we arrived home from our August trip, we found out that DH had received a project from work that would take us to sunny LA. It was just supposed to be temporary (14 weeks) but they liked him so much he is now in charge of the sector, which means we would be moving permanently to LA, which had its pros and cons. I get to be a stay-at-home mom, but instead of living 12 hours away (or just a car ride), we now live 36 hours away (definitely not a car ride) from my favorite place in the world.
The organizer that I am
• The nice thing about traveling by car, anything that we did not need for the cruise could stay in the car, while when you travel by airplane, everything that you bring needs to follow you for the whole trip. For example, on our first cruise I did not bring the boys car seats, or stroller because it was not a necessity. This time the car seats could not stay in the car because we were renting a car, and they are getting heavy. They have both gained about 5 lbs since our last trip, and that a lot of weight for my little arms. Also this was seven-day trip not a 3-day trip which meant more clothes, diapers, food etc.
o The solution: DH and I got one suitcase, and the boys shared a suitcase. We had 4 carry-on bags, two were with the boys toys to entertain them on the flight (on the last trip we did not have to worry, they were entertained with a bottle or cuddling). My carry-on had diapers, formula, food & extra clothing for the boys for our flight down, and DH had all the important stuff that I did not trust to in our suitcases and our change of clothes (just in case something happened).
o We did use the Baby on Board from Baby Travel Lite for food and diapers. It is a little on the expensive side, but for us it was worth while. I did not do it directly through Disney since you can only order packages, but did it through their home website. I ordered two 7 day diaper packages which gave me 140 diapers for the week, four packs of travel wipes, two packs of full packaged wipes, 140 diapers sacks (to throw out diapers) and 20 disposable changing pads. We also got formula and food for the boys (this gave us bottle cleaner, dishwashing detergent, utensils, bowls, disposable bibs (we brought our own) and wet ones. You have to order the food separately from the bundle, but they have tons of options to chose from
This was a life saver for us; it gets delivered right to your room. It was there when we arrived. It saved so much room in our suitcases. I will admit those it would have been easier if they were still just on the bottle, even though I did enjoy not having to run around to get their bottles heat up this time. No microwave in your room. Remember those you have to still bring your own bottles. I do recommend it for parents. We are definitely using the diaper portion on our Trans-Atlantic Cruise, I would need a whole suitcase full of diapers.
The trip down to Port Canaveral (Airplanes my oh my).
• DH company deals a lot in the Travel Sector, so he was able to get us really cheap tickets down to Orlando, I am talking about $500 for all 4 of us, round trip, but this came at a cost. We left LAX at 6:00 AM in the morning (59 degrees) to Denver. We had 45 min. to switch flights (no big deal) but it was 5 degrees outside. Then we arrived at MCO to fog. While at least we made it by 5:00 PM. It was definitely not comfy having a six-month old sit on my lap through this whole experience either. I would not recommend it to anyone, and we are especially not doing it again, when we go down in March. The boys are definitely getting their own seat, just so mommy and daddy have extra room to breathe and actually sit together. Did you know that two babies on laps cannot sit in the same row, it was a really quite flight.
o It was the boys’ first flight, and I think they did quite well.We did not use anything to ease ear popping, or vomiting, because I did not know how they would react, and did not want to give them something just in case. There was no screaming and hollering. Kyran slept through the take-off on both flights (DH got the lucky end of deal). Ryder was awake but he definitely, did not complain. He was happy playing with his caterpillar toy we brought him. They both mostly slept through both flights. If not there was a lot of toys to chose from. Mommy overpacked the toy bags.
Car Rental
• We used Budget for our car rental both ways. It was really reasonable we were able to get a midsize car for $100 both ways. Meaning we picked it up at MCO dropped off in Cape Canaveral, DH took free shuttle to Port, then on return free shuttle again, pick up Cape Canaveral and drop-off MCO. If you do have young children in car seats, I do recommend bringing your own. It is very expensive to rent a carseat. Budget will actually store your Car seats for you if you like, we found those on the ship that if we wanted to do something that overlapped into feeding or nap time, it was easier to use the car seats then the stroller. Also we ended up using the car seats a lot during dinner time since the high chairs are wooded kind, and not very comfy.To transport them on the plane, we just bought two carseat bags. They are also very helpful; our server actually helped us connect our car seats into the car, since I ended up having to feed the boys while DH got all the paperwork and car organized.
Hotel
• We stayed at the Residence Inn in Port Canaveral. This would have been our first time ever staying in Port Canaveral, and I loved it. All the rooms there are suites. You get fully equipped kitchens as well as a separate living and dining room area. It also has free hot breakfast, and complimentary high-speed internet access. When we booked it I read all about it, but didn’t really believe it all until I got there. I loved it so much that I would love to come and spend a weekend there. When I saw that the kitchen was fully equipped I actually cancelled eating out that night, and we just ordered a pizza and ate it in the room. DSIL also stayed here, they were coming from Orlando, so they drove down to meet us. I highly recommend this hotel for families, especially families with young kids.
• I should note that if you do not want to keep your rental car overnight they do have a shuttle that costs $3 or $6 round trip. We did not use it because of our crazy luggage situation, but you just sign-up when you check-in and it leaves around 10 AM.
While we did not do much else after we got to the hotel. We put the boys to bed around 8:30 PM, stayed up and chatted for awhile, but we all departed and went to bed early. We had our first-fun filled day tomorrow.
December 5, 2009 - Port Canaveral (Embarkation Day)
Our day stars every morning now at 6 AM, while my day starts then. The boys are on more of a routine now, and with DH working crazy hours at his job. The boys’ routine lets me actually shower and get ready for the day. The boys wake at about 7 AM every morning; they are on a half an hour time difference for feeding so it reflects their sleeping patterns.
Complimentary Breakfast at the Residence Inn
While you know how much I loved the suites in this hotel. Their complimentary breakfast is outstanding. There was waffles, pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, etc. etc. etc. I can’t believe it is all FREE!!! The food staff preps were very efficient in replenishing the food too if it was low, so no one missed out on anything. I should note those that seating in very limited, so get down early to get a place in the immediate dining area. There is an overflow area in the room next to the front entrance, or you can eat outside.
Arriving at Port
Our goal was to arrive at the port around 11 AM. They usually open the terminal between 10 AM and 10:30 AM. This opposed our first problem of the day. The boys’ second bottle of the day is at 9:30 / 10:00 AM, and they go down for a nap right after that and wake up around 11:30 / 12 PM for their lunch. My fear was that with all the commotion they would not sleep. While I was right, after the boys were fed we headed to the port. Check-out time at Residence is 12 PM, so we were really in no rush. While I fed the boys DH packed the car, and we were off for are 1.2 mile trip. We arrived right on time, the boys were asleep until we took them out of the car, and then the crying started, they did not want to be in those car seats anymore, and they were awake and wanted lunch. While DH had to take the car back, DSIL and her hubby graciously helped me with the boys and the carry-on bags. We made it through security scan (with screaming boys), and up the elevator to check-in. I did not even bother getting into the check-in line yet. I just went and found a seat and started feeding the boys, DSIL stayed with me since I had to feed two boys at once and not one after the other. Her DH check-in and he took over feeding Ryder and I went to check-in the gang. DH returned shortly after.
Two-important things about Arriving at port:
- Disney Cruise Line is Terminal #8; you really can not miss it
- Have all your luggage tags attached to your check-in items
- Have all your paper work ready (forms are on-line).
Once you make your way through the line, check-in takes approximately 10 minutes.
Boarding the Ship
Embarkation usually begins around 12:00 PM, but every time we have gone it has always been slightly earlier. They started calling boarding numbers around 11:45 AM, just as we were finishing up feeding the boys, some delicious bananas (Yummy!!). Captain Mickey and Minnie were out getting autographs but we did not try to get pictures. There are many opportunities on the ship. When they called our number we walked through the Mickey-ears and presented our Key to the World Cards, they got swiped and returned. Then we got our Mandatory photo. It did not turn out again. What a surprise, and headed to Topsider Buffet for adult lunch.
Topsider Buffet
We originally planned to eat at Parrot Cay because it is a sit down meal, and it would give us a chance to feed them while we waited for our meals, but because they were nicely fed and awake when we boarded we quickly changed our plans and headed to Topsiders Buffet. They are really too many options to choose from at this buffet. DH and I had a variety of options including Sweet & Sour Pork, Fried Rice, Mac & Cheese, Corn Dog Nuggets, Ham & Cheese Salad, Peach Cobbler, and Apple Cake. This was all I could remember when I sat down to write in my journal that night. The boys even had their first taste of cheese sauce during lunch.
Topsider is on Deck 9, just take the elevators up.
After lunch we just walked around the ship, until our stateroom was ready at 1:30 PM.
Castaway Club Gifts
Arriving in our room we were welcomed to a whole bunch of gifts. Our first being the Castaway Club bag with flip flop rice krispie treats, a keychain shaped like a ship wheel, and metal water bottles. Love the metal water bottles; I actually used them a lot on the trip for excursions. The boys received two gift baskets from their aunt, which had sand toys and a mickey stuffed animal. (Love her)
Walking Ship Tour
While DH and I fed and put our sons down for an afternoon nap (this will be an issue again). DSIL and her DH went on the Walking Ship Tour. For regular cruisers like us, it is not as interesting, but if it is your 1st cruise I highly recommend it. It gives you all the points of interest on the ship, and helps you get orientated. DSIL says she likes it because every time, she goes she learns one more new fact about the ship she did not know before, and it was a nice 45 min. walk around andsomething to do when the weather is no so nice.
Mandatory Boat Drill
This happened to be between the boys naptime, what a surprise??? I liked it better when they would fall asleep wherever they are, but that is not the case anymore. Our meet place was Walt Disney Theatre, since the boys were sleeping ever so nicely, we put our lifejackets on and carried the boys lifejackets up. It did not matter those they woke up and nap was over, and they were hungry again. What can I say they are boys they like to eat? While at least the boat drill did not last long, and I had some yummy food in my carry-on that I brought with me. DH and DBIL nicely brought our life jackets back to our room and DSIL and I with the crying boys headed to Deck 10 to feed them.
Adventures Away
When we took our 3 day cruise in August, we decided to hang out in our room to watch the ship leave from our stateroom. I was hoping to be a little closer to the action this time. While we were closer to the action this time, but we did not see a lot of the action because we were feeding the boys their yum, yums. The horn blasted right at 5:00 PM and we were off. Next time, I promise we will see and hear the whole thing. DSIL got some nice pictures of the event so that helped a little. The party was actually over before we even finished feeding Kyran, but we were off on our magical journey.
Dinner: Parrot Cay
Dinnertime is the most important for us on any Disney Cruise Trip. I personally think missing out on dinner to get a Hot Dog at Pluto’s means you are missing some of the magic. Also, how many times in a week do you honestly get served a 5 course meal, every night on a Disney Ship?
We had early dining, during this cruise, so that we could put the boys to bed at their schedule time of 8:30 PM, since they do so while with transitions right now if they are sleeping. We actually brought them along each night for dinner, but the opposed a challenge with it self. The high chairs are wooden, meaning they are not that comfortable the boys would not last over an hour in them, even if they were being entertained. Therefore, from this night forward we actually just asked the server to pull up to chairs, and we put their car seats on them, or we held them in our laps.
The food was delicious and our servers were fantastic. We also, had a table of six to ourselves which was nice, not that we mind meeting new people. It just gave us a chance to catch up even more. Dinner for us lasted on average an hour and 15 mins.
After Dinner: Partytime with Midtown
After Dinner we decided to head to the Promenade Lounge which is also on Deck 3, along with Parrot Cay, for an after meal drink. It is a family lounge so even children are invited to join their parents. We all ordered the Drink of the day Bay Breeze and the boys had their first bottle (with milk) in a bar. You also can have complimentary hors d’oeuvres of nachos with guacamole, salsa and sour cream dips. We were too full from dinner those.
The duo Midtown, were really good. They provided a relaxing atmosphere where you were still able to talk to everyone. It was also very nice music to dance too, which I even got a long overdue with my hubby.
Bedtime
The boys go to bed around 8:30 PM DSIL actually offered to help me, so I told the boys they could hang around the lounge or go to the sports deck if they liked. While, they ended up at the All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin at the Walt Disney Theatre.
All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin
I am not surprised the men ended up going to see the show. Another thing we do love about Disney is the entertainment they provide, because it reaches out to every age range. The nice thing about the first show on the 7 day cruise is that you get to see some highlights of some of the entertainment on the ship. On our particular cruise, DH and DBIL got to see Michael Harrison (comedian and ventriloquist) and Alfred and Seymour (comedy team), on top of the Disney Character skits. I am sorry I missed it but the boy’s beauty rest is more important at this stage of game. Maybe I will get to see it next year.
The Party Continues
The boys returned around 9:45 PM to the room. The boys were fast asleep in their pack n’ plays. While the men decided they were tired, the girls decided they should go check out some of the late night parties on the ship. While we ended up at Studio Seas jamming to Disney All-Star Channel Dance Party, not a place where you would fine two mid-20 year olds dancing. It was nice to actually go dance to some real pop music of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Borthers, and not the stuff they play in the bars today. It was actually nice to have some girl time with my favorite DSIL (there are 3 of them in total).
We finally made it back to the room around 10:45 PM, and crashed. All that dancing made us tired.
December 6, 2009 - Sea Day
I have the most amazing DH in the world. With us girls partying out to Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers last night, it was too early to get up at 6 AM to get ready for the day. Wait a minute I am on vacation, which means relaxing, and sleeping in. Unfortunately for my baby boys they do not understand that yet and were ready to eat and play at 7 AM. DH got up with them, and fed them their bottle. I finally got up when Room Service arrived at 7:30 am.
Room Service – Breakfast
The best way to start a morning! Before you go to bed at night, you fill out the menu with the time you want the food to arrive (30 minute time frame), and leave it on your door at night. We usually order chocolate milk (my fave), coffee, croissants and bagels, food that was quick and easy to eat while the boys had their bottles.
DSIL and her DH were still sleeping by the time we were ready to venture out of the room around 8:30 AM. We thought we would check to see what was being offered at Topsider to eat.
I should note that if you are on Concierge Level you do have the option to order a full breakfast meal to your room. We have not done it in over a year, so I do not know if the menu has changed or not.
Topsider Buffet
We stopped by Topsiders for a quick Mickey Waffle treat, and some bacon, they do have a full range of breakfast items to eat including Made-to order omelets, pancakes and scrambled eggs. It is buffet style, but they do have indoor / outdoor seating. It was a fast trip for us since we wanted to make it down to Deck 3 to checkout the Playhouse Disney Dance Party.
Playhouse Disney Dance (Promenade Lounge)
I will be the first one to admit that our boys are still to young to watch TV, and we hardly do, but every once in a while I do not mind sitting back with them to watch Little Einstein’s, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Winnie the Pooh. It is the perfect way to relax but their attention span is still too short. While I was glad to see that there was an activity geared toward young children on the ship.
The boys loved this activity. They loved hearing some of their favorite songs from the shows. Right now they are so amazed by movement and sound, they loved watching the cast members sing and dance, and mommy and daddy loved to see their smiles and giggles.
It was the perfect length to only 30 minutes, which is the perfect length for a child at an activity.
Family Animation
DSIL loves to draw, and I think she is amazing drawer. We actually have a drawing she made for us of the boys when they were born, It is amazing. So they joined in at Animator’s Palate to learn how to draw Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Hers of course turned out amazing, and she gave them to the boys, which I have framed and put in their rooms. DH turned out okay, Mickey’s ears are a little lopsided, so he must not of inherited the drawing gene. I will admit if I was there mine would have been ten times worse, while it was fun to say the least, and a nice relaxing activity according to my DH.
Goofy’s Galley
They went to Goofy’s Galley for lunch; it is a quick service up on Deck 9 next to Mickey’s Pool. They have some very healthy options here including wraps, sandwiches, Panini, salad and fresh fruit. While DH and family sat next to the pool to enjoy the meal, they did return with a wrap and cookie for me.
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The boys woke up around noon, just as DH returned to the room. It was great since then he could help me feed the boys, so we could try to make it to the Character Dance Party in the Lobby Atrium
Character Dance Party
Another perfect activity perfect for young kids (even those there was many kids there of different ages), Mickey Mouse and all his friends come to the Lobby and dance with kids / adults while music plays over the loud speaker. I loved the smile on the boy’s faces as they met Mickey Mouse and Goofy. They were not scared at all. I think they are still a little young for that phase, but I was glad there was no crying, only smiles and laughter.
Looking back at some of the pictures (and I apologize the pictures are on my digital scrapbooking computer right now and that computer has no internet access, I will try to post soon, if time allows), from our August cruise the boys are mostly sleeping when we met the characters, whereas now they are smiling and actually looking at the camera, or reaching out to the characters.
This is another short event, so if they are hosting it on your cruise. I recommend going early to make sure you get to see all the characters.
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From here our afternoon, was pretty quite. DH decided he would like to nap, DSIL and DBIL were off at the Adult Pool, so I decided for the boys and I we would just go hang out in our stateroom, and play a little, and watch some of the Muppets Christmas Carol, until the boys went down for a nap around 2 PM.
DH and I were just relaxing on the verandah when DSIL and her DH returned. DSIL and I decided maybe to go check out some of the bingo that was happening at 3 o’clock, while the boys just hung out in the room.
Bingo
First of all I should say Bingo, is very expensive. For our session which was 5 games (4 cash prizes and a Spa Visit Giveaway), I paid $75.00 for an electronic machine / 6 paper cards. It was so much more then bingo, the caller was actually entertaining and not so mundane, he actually had some of the kids in the audience dancing, it was magical. I loved it, even those I did not win anything. It would not be on my top of my list of activities, since so many activities on the ship are free, but it was definitely something to check out, if you are willing to pay that kind of money. I should note DSIL did not win anything either.
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Tonight, was our Formal Night so after Bingo, we headed back to our room to get ready for the evening. I was so excited to see my little Boys in their tiny tuxs, and of course my hubby too.
We left a little early because I wanted to get family photos before the evening in the Lobby. They turned out perfect, the boys were smiling and everything, and then it was time to head to Lumiere’s for our Golden Mickey Dinner.
Dinner: Golden Mickey
I love having formal night in Lumiere’s, just because of the atmosphere and the décor just suits the evening so perfectly. We did not order as much food as we did the first night, the boys were a little fussier then usual, so we try to make dinner as quick as possible, under an hour. Our servers were happy to accommodate us, and we were served fast and efficiently. Food is delicious as always, not a complaint.
Michael Harrison: Family Caberet
After Dinner, we checked our navigators and noticed that Michael Harrison was performing in Rockin’ Bar D. It was in the family entertainment section, so we thought it would be okay for the boys to join us. Rockin’ Bar D usually becomes adult entertainment bar in the evening, but he was doing his family show so everyone was welcomed. Michael Harrison is an amazing ventriloquist. The two parts that amaze me are the puppets that he does not hold on to but the mouth moves anyway and his last act where he picked a kid from the audience to become a human puppet, amazing, worth it to check out.
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We fed the boys their bottle during the show, so after the show it was time to head up to the room to put them to bed. DH and I took them upstairs, and then I insisted that he go join his sister for the Golden Mickey’s Show. Our agreement was he could do the show and DSIL would do the after party and maybe some Karaoke, along with her DH of course.
Golden Mickeys
As you walk down the red carpet, you might just get a chance to be interviewed by Rona Rivers, it is mostly children she interviews and it is broadcasted into the Walt Disney Theater in real-time.
The Golden Mickeys is an awards show in which Disney movie Characters are nominated in several categories, including heroism and romance. As the awards ceremony is set to begin, the Master of Ceremonies fails to appear, leaving a shy stage manager to host the big event. During the course of the show, the stage manager learns—through spectacular musical and dance numbers starring some of your favorite Disney Characters—the valuable lesson that anything is possible and dreams really can come true & when you believe.
The show is absolutely fabulous, and I am sorry I missed it, but there is always next cruise.
The Golden Mickey’s After Party & Family Karaoke
Shortly after, the show was over DH showed up, did a quick kiss and swap places. I headed to Studio Seas where the After Party was being held. It is just a big dance party, playing some if Disney favorite hits, it only last about 45 minutes until karaoke starts. If you miss the after party you were not missing much, but I had to say we did have some amazing singers on our cruise (young & old). It was a good way to end the evening.
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DH was already sleeping when the 3 of us returned around 11:30, it was another sea day tomorrow, and could not wait.
