Disney Cruise 2010

In May 2010 we went on a Disney Cruise to celebrate the completion of Mike's paramedic program.  Mike was supposed to have taken his final exam the week prior, leaving more than enough time for us to drive to Florida at our leisure, making several stops along the way.  However, his final exam was postponed a week due to school closures from the record-breaking snowfall in February.  As luck would have it, Mike's exam was rescheduled for Saturday, May 15.  The cruise ship was scheduled to set sail mid-afternoon on Sunday, May 16.  We left town around 4 pm Saturday, and drove until late in the night trying to get as close to Port Canaveral as we reasonably could.  The timing actually worked out well since the boys ended up sleeping through most of the drive that night.  We actually made it there on Sunday surprisingly close to the start of boarding, allowing us plenty of time to explore the ship before the Sail-Away Celebration.

The 4-night voyage took us to the tropical ports of Nassau and Castaway Cay, with a relaxing day at sea before disembarking on Thursday, May 20.  In keeping with Disney tradition, the entire on board experience - from the shows to the stateroom decor to the Mickey Mouse shaped waffles - was designed to make magic happen for everyone who sails aboard its ships, delivering that special enchantment, wonder, and awe that only Disney can create.  

Arrival
Prior to boarding, we admired the detailed replica of the Disney Wonder, the ship that was to be our home away from home for the next 4 days.  Then, we exited the terminal through a Mickey Mouse shaped jetway that lead to the boat.  As we boarded, the cruise ship staff applauded, cheered, and announced our arrival over a loudspeaker.  To see the look of stunned amazement on Ryan's face as he took the entire scene in brought tears to my eyes.  Our first stop was our stateroom to drop off our carry-on luggage and to check out the view from the balcony.  Ryan waved to people on shore who had gathered to watch the ship depart.  Next, we toured the ship's main attractions and went to the upper deck to join in the Sail-Away Celebration.  Then, we hurried back to our room to get on our life jackets for the Lifeboat Drill.  We all giggled when we saw Gavin in his life jacket with his round cheeks and chubby little legs sticking out! 

Stateroom

Ryan enjoyed returning to the stateroom every night to discover chocolates on the pillows and different "towelgami" animals waiting for him.  He was also excited to go to sleep in his own "pirate bed."  That's what we called the pull-down bed over the couch.  Perhaps if we got him a loft bed at home, he'd be more agreeable to sleeping in!  Both boys slept incredibly well on the cruise.  With the black-out drapes and gentle rocking of the ship, they slept in until almost 8 am every morning!  Mike says that's even more reason we should relocate to a houseboat or live on a sailboat.  I think that's a drastic step and maybe we should consider installing black-out blinds in their rooms at home instead!  As you can see, Spot, Monkey, Corduroy, and Fire Bear accompanied Ryan on the cruise.  Thankfully, even though we exceeded our room capacity with all these "friends," we didn't have to pay for the extra passengers!

Mealtimes
Naturally, we took what seemed like a 20-pound bag of baby food with us on the cruise and that's when Gavin decided that he was done with the jarred pureed stuff!  Luckily, the menu featured plenty of kid-friendly options.  Ryan was particularly excited about all of the Disney-inspired treats such as Mickey Mouse shaped waffles and chocolate coated ice cream pops. 

The Disney Cruise features a unique dining rotation system that allows families to enjoy a different themed restaurant each night of the cruise.  Our favorite, by far, was Animator's Palate.  This dining room is designed to celebrate the art of Disney storytelling and animation.  Throughout the meal, character sketches located around the room come to life by transforming from black and white to vibrant color while music from favorite Disney movies plays in the background.  It's hard to concentrate on your meal when there's so much excitement and "Disney magic" going on around you!

Shows

The impressive, Broadway-caliber shows included The Golden Mickeys, Toy Story The Musical, and Disney Dreams.  Each night, Ryan was completely mesmerized by the performance, and was riveted to his seat for the entire hour-long show.  In addition to the nightly live shows, there were also themed deck parties.  The most notable was the Pirates in the Caribbean party, which started with a pirate-themed dinner, featured a duel between Captain Hook and Captain Mickey, and ended with a spectacular fireworks display.   

Character Sightings

Ryan, who watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse almost every day, was a little star struck by all the characters walking around the ship.  Mickey, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy are celebrities to a 3 year old!

First Port of Call - Nassau

We began our day in Nassau with a tour of the Pirate Museum.  There was a man dressed as a pirate who greeted us at the entrance.  While Mike and I were entertained by his colorful personality, Ryan and Gavin were much more leery.  Once inside the museum, we were able to board a replica of the pirate ship "Revenge" and enter the boorish, savage world of the pirates.  The dim lights, smells of sea salt and tar, and sounds of lapping water and a spirited, drunken pirate celebration helped create an authentic atmosphere for the museum.  However, I think it was sensory overload for the boys, especially Ryan who found the whole experience unnerving.

Dolphin Encounter

Later that afternoon, we boarded a boat at the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal and cruised to Blue Lagoon Island where we were able to meet a dolphin.  Gavin was terrified, but Ryan was brave, even letting the dolphin kiss him on the cheek!  The dolphin trainer invited Ryan and Daddy to pet the dolphin, feel his teeth, and dance with it to the song, "Macho Man!"

Second Port of Call - Castaway Cay

After leaving Nassau, we sailed to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.  The boys loved playing in the white sand and swimming in the crystal clear water.  Although he hadn't seen the movie, Ryan was amazed that the pirate ship, The Flying Dutchman, that appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean, was anchored just off shore.

Day at Sea

Although our day at sea was a little overcast, that didn't stop the boys from having a great time in the pool and fountain.  In fact, it was the promise of being able to swim in the Mickey-shaped pool that finally got Ryan to become potty trained!

Homebound

Since the return trip was so long, we planned several stops to give the boys a chance to run off some energy.  Our first stop was for lunch in Savannah.  We ate at Blowin' Smoke BBQ where we had amazing food, including fried pickles!  Then, we ventured down to the historic riverfront where we watched tugboats and posed with The Waving Girl Statue (a statue that honors the life of Florence Martus, Savannah's legendary "waving girl."  Florence Martus continued her waving tradition for 44 years and it is estimated that she welcomed more than 50,000 ships during her lifetime.) 

We then continued on to Rocky Mount where we stayed for the night.  The next day, as we were driving over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, we noticed it was unusually crowded at one of the overlooks.  We parked to see what all the commotion was about and discovered that an aircraft carrier was being deployed.

We had a fantastic time and are looking forward to our next Disney adventure.