Not-So-Magical Port Adventures

Like so many other 7-night cruises out there, our sailing on the Disney Magic through the Western Caribbean included stops in ports of call.  Our itinerary included stops in Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel.   This entry will share some information about our stop in Grand Cayman. 

Costa Maya is a small tourist region in Mexico, in the state of Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula.  It is close to the state capital of Chetumal, not that far north from the border of Belize. It is a mostly undeveloped area, but growth has been coming quickly and rapidly after the construction of a large cruise ship pier.  It includes two small villages − Mahahual and Xcalak – both with a population of less than one thousand.  The port includes a modern shopping mall filled with jewelry stores and souvenir shops galore, and is generally only open to cruise ship passengers.  It also includes a central plaza with saltwater pools and 'swim-up' style bars.  It is the closest port of access to many of the lesser known Mayan ruins in the Yucatan including Chacchoben and Kohunlich, which are substantially less excavated than the more popular pyramids of Tulum and Coba.

Our ship docked in Costa Maya in the morning hours, around 7:30am.  We were ready to go to leave the ship, having to meet inside Studio Sea for our particular tour at 8:30am so that we would be off the ship and headed to our adventure at 9:00am.  We were heading out to enjoy a Dune Buggy Adventure, which would include a private beach experience for a couple of hours.  Upon arrival in Costa Maya, however, the skies were not as clear and blue as they had been throughout our cruise thus far, but rather to they west they were a bit grey and a bit windy.  It looked like rain was on the horizon. 

As we made our way through the port’s shopping mall over to the dune buggies that were lined up and ready to, our fellow passengers on the excursion were separated into groups.  Each vehicle accommodated 4 guests, so we were paired up with another pair – a father and daughter, who apparently didn’t want to go on the same excursion with wife and other daughter.  They were looking forward to a fun-filled afternoon in the dune buggy as we were! 

After a quick safety lesson, and a brief talk about the ins and outs of driving a stick-shift dune buggy, we were off, headed down the road to our first stop – the “pee pee stop” as our guide called it.  That would be about 10 minutes down the road, prior to our 45 minute to hour-long ride out to the private beach area.  We stopped in the town of Mahahual, and got to walk out onto the beach.  We were given an introduction to the little town , including history, culture and the like, and saw remnants of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dean back in 2007.  

The wind was definitely picking up, and the clouds were definitely moving in.  We snapped a few quick pictures, and then the skies just opened up and it started to pour!  Everyone quickly made their way to the couple of few shops for refuge until the storm could die down.  After a few minutes of waiting, with no real decrease in sight, our tour guides made the announcement that our adventure was being cancelled.  We would have to drive back to the port and we could enjoy the port there or return to the ship.  The private beach was currently getting much more rain than Mahahual was receiving – and with a 45-60 minute ride in open-topped dune buggies, each way, they decided it would be best not to subject 30+ people to the elements.  So we all got back in to our very wet buggies and started the short drive back to the port.

We lingered in the shopping mall area for a while, looking in various shops – seeing the same basic merchandise over and over again (I felt like I was in a Disney theme park, where you see the same basic stuff regardless of which land you’re in) and weren’t overly impressed with any of it.  I thought about getting a t-shirt or other memento, but since my tour was cancelled and I really hadn’t done anything all that exciting there in Costa Maya, I decided against it. 

By itself Costa Maya has a pretty landscape, but isn’t much as a cruise stop when compared to other more popular, better known destinations.  It is in a more rural part of Mexico, and simply “came to be” with the addition of a cruise ship pier.  Of the three stops we made on this cruise, Costa Maya was the longest by far, in terms of hours spent docked in port (we were there from 7:30am until 11:00pm), and the least desirable of them all.  Personally I would have rather spent a longer day in Cozumel or even Grand Cayman, but alas, we didn’t.  While I might give it another try on a future cruise, I certainly won’t be specifically seeking out an itinerary that includes Costa Maya as a “must-do” stop.  Thanks to the long stop though, I was able to get some nice pictures of the ship at night, not something you can typically do!

Next time when we look at our port adventures – Cozumel, Mexico.

Until next time,

Tips on Thursday - Discounts for Past-Guests

Discounts for Past-Guests

Like any business, cruise lines appreciate the loyalty of customers who sail with them again and again.  You’ll find that some of the lines offer special discounts or shipboard credits to their past guests on select sailings, while other lines will offer their best past guest discounts to members of their respective “frequent sailer” clubs (such as Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society or Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club).  When booking your cruise vacation, always be sure to mention if you are past guest of any particular line so that the best possible pricing might be applied to your upcoming reservation. 

Magical Port Adventures - part 1

Like so many other 7-night cruises out there, our sailing on the Disney Magic through the Western Caribbean included stops in ports of call.  Our itinerary included stops in Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel.   This entry will share some information about our stop in Grand Cayman. 

Grand Cayman is the largest of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands, which is still a British territory.  

Geographically, it is south of the western end of Cuba, approximately 1,092 miles southeast of Galveston, TX.  The island itself is about 22 miles long, and about 8 miles wide at its’ widest point.  It goes no higher than 60 feet above sea level. 

Yet, Grand Cayman, is home to hell on earth… literally – there is a place called Hell, on the island.  It is a place about the size of half of a soccer field, filled with black limestone formations.  It is ugly, yes, but nothing too exciting, though it certainly is a highlight of many tours, with a post office right onsite where guests can send cards or letters home “from hell.” 

Our tour took us to the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm, which raises turtles for meat, as well as introduction into the wild.  We were able to each hold a turtle, and touch several others.  It was a fun, yet sad place too.  We did get to see a hatchling working its’ way up out of the dirt in the glassed-enclosure hatchery.  That was pretty neat by itself. 

The island is surrounded by some beautifully pristine waters, with such incredibly beautiful hues.  Surrounding the island are many wonderful places for scuba diving and snorkeling.  We took a tour on a boat out to “Stingray City”, which was about a 15-20 minute boat ride out to the area, made up of 3-5 foot sandbars where there is an abundance of southern stingrays that guests can interact with.  

We had a very nice time playing with the stingrays, and getting some cool underwater photos of each other.  The waters were so beautiful, and so very comfortable.  The temperatures were fabulous – my lovely bride was initially afraid that they might be too cold to swim in at that time of year. 

Overall, neither of us were terribly impressed by Grand Cayman.  It has some lovely areas, and to be sure, some gorgeous beaches and ocean panoramas, but the port was dirty and ugly, and left a bad impression from beginning to end.  The people there were very friendly, but the overall experience just wasn’t what we had hoped it might be.  Perhaps if we go to Grand Cayman again on a future cruise, we will simply enjoy the beach instead of attempting a “port adventure” tour. 

Next time when we look at our port adventures – Costa Maya, Mexico.

Until next time,

Entertaining Adults...Magically

Through the years since the company’s founder and namesake, Walt Disney, died, the Disney Company has worked very hard to maintain the “family” atmosphere in its’ parks, resorts and even on its’ cruise ships.  And that atmosphere is definitely a big part of the advertising campaign regarding the cruise line.  Disney ships are great for families – which is very, very true.  But – in contrast to that perception – Disney ships are not JUST for families.  The line is also GREAT for adults – and not just adults sailing with children.  Rather it is GREAT for adults traveling sans (or without) kids!!  We did just that, and can definitely say that this it is so great for adults without their children. 

Like so many other cruise lines, Disney has certainly infused the ships with adult-only entertainment, from cabaret-style shows to piano bars, dancing and more.  As the first ship in the fleet, the Disney Magic started it off right.  Beat Street/Route 66 is made up of Rockin’ Bar D, Sessions and Diversions – all providing some great night-time entertainment for the over-18 crowd.  And at 9 pm, the entire area becomes off-limits to kids, who can either be with their families, or in their respective kid clubs/areas. 

The Bucket Boys

Each evening throughout the cruise we found some really fun shows, and some not-so-great shows.   Some we really enjoyed, and others that were just so-so – but the options were wide and quite entertaining:  from game shows, to adult-oriented versions of the “family shows” in the Walt Disney Theatre featuring the magician and the drummer-duo, the “Bucket Boys”.   My personal favorites were ‘80s Night, and “POP”, a matching-style game based on pop culture from the areas of entertainment.

Another great way that the ship is fine for adults only trips, is the Cove Café and Quiet Cove Pool – both areas on Deck 9 that are for adults only, 24 hours per day.  Filled with wonderful deck chairs on the outside, and comfortable chairs and sofas on the inside, the Cove really is a delightful respite for adults seeking some peace and quiet, or simply an enjoyable spot to read, use their laptops or other electronic devices, or just enjoy some conversation. 

Not only is the Disney Magic great for families, but simply put, it is great for adults of any age looking to have an enjoyable time. 

Until next time, 

Entertainment Magic

One of the most magical aspects of any Disney experience is the entertainment.  The theme parks are filled with all kinds of different shows, musical groups and entertainment offerings.  The Disney cruise ships are no different!  Not only were we pleasantly surprised with how much entertainment there is, we were honestly quite amazed.   And the best part, like other cruises, is it’s all included with your cruise fare. 

Throughout the week there was something going on in the main theatre – The Walt Disney Theatre – every single night; three Broadway-style shows,  the opening night and closing night variety-style shows, FRANKENWEENIE (Tim Burton’s new film which had just opened in theaters) was shown, and one family night-show with the featured magician’s act. What a beautiful theatre it is, too.  It definitely reminded of many old-time classic theatres and movie palaces from back in "the day" in New York and Los Angeles. I just love the Art Deco stylings, and the Disney Magic is just filled with that design style.   

There were all kinds of smaller shows and experiences to be enjoyed in other venues around the ship all week long.  But one of the neatest features we found, was the Buena Vista Theatre, which is their onboard movie theater.  Classic Disney films, along with first-run films are shown in there, as well as a ton of classic Disney fare plays on the “Funnel Vision” screen up on deck 9.  While onboard we enjoyed THE AVENGERS, THE ODD LIIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN and started to watch FINDING NEMO-3D (but ended up leaving after about a half an hour since it really wasn’t all that different from the original version).   On deck 9’s Funnel Vision we enjoyed PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL and parts of several other films including THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE, TOY STORY, THE JUNGLE BOOK, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, MARY POPPINS, CARS and WALL-E. 

In The Walt Disney Theatre we enjoyed five of the seven shows that were offered.  One of the two that we did not go to in the theatre (we watched a part of on the tv screen in our room) was TWICE CHARMED, the reimagined telling of the Cinderella story created just for the Disney ships.  We were quite impressed with the overall quality of the performances, even when we didn’t necessarily like (VILLAINS TONIGHT! and TWICE CHARMED), having worked in the theatre in our younger days, as well as both being involved with drama productions for years – we could definitely see how much quality goes in to the onboard productions.  But even though we didn’t really care for VILLAINS TONIGHT!, I will say that I LOVED that both Yzma and Kronk (from THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE) were featured.  I have loved that film since I first saw it on the big screen years ago, and it is a beloved favorite of my kids as well.  So seeing SOMETHING with those characters (I have not yet experienced the “Sorcerors” game at the Magic Kingdom, but I understand they are featured in the game there).  No photography was allowed in the Broadway-style shows, so I have nothing to share from those performances. 

It’s hard because I have so much that I want to share, but time can be so limiting.  I will talk about other entertainment offerings that we enjoyed in my next update, including which classic Disney character we learned to draw.  So  with that, once again, I say thanks for reading along and for now I will bid you adieu, or as Mickey likes to say, see ya real soon!

Until next time,

 

More Dining Magic

For those of you who have sailed with Disney Cruise Line, and even for many of you have dreamed of sailing with Disney Cruise Line, PALO probably means something to you.  For those of you who have not yet sailed or even considered sailing with Disney Cruise Line, it most likely won’t.  But PALO is the subject of this next entry – “More Dining Magic.”  

On our second night of the cruise, we were originally scheduled to dine in Parrot Cay, our regular rotational spot in the dining rotation, but instead we had dinner at Palo, the adults-only restaurant onboard the Disney Magic (and replicated on the other ships in the fleet as well).  We, well, at least I, had heard and read a lot of the hype about the restaurant, and kind of knew what to expect.   We were ready and willing to see what it was like, and to be wowed.  We knew that we needed to dress, and night two happened to be our itinerary’s “Formal Night”, so we just wore to Palo what we would have worn to Parrot Cay anyway.  We saw no need to alter our plans simply because we altered our ultimate table location. 

On the Magic, Palo is located on Deck 10, aft, or the very back of the ship, on the upper-most “real” deck.  (There IS a Deck 11, but it’s inside the pretend smoke stack housing VIBE, the teen club area).  Our table was in a lovely location, just slightly off-center from the very back of the ship.  As we sat enjoying the sunset, the one thing that I certainly would have preferred about the restaurant, was if the walking deck had been made to cross in front of the restaurant, rather than wrap around the back of it.  That way Palo could have truly butted up to the very edge of the ship, and would have provided unspoiled views of the ocean from the tables, vs. having the deck’s railing obstructing the view. 

Despite the inability to secure reservations online prior to departure for this “highly sought after location” for anything but the very first night of the sailing, Palo was fairly empty throughout the entire hour and a half that we were there.  It was fascinating to watch as there truly were only about 6 other tables filled the entire time we were there.  This was just the first something about the hype not coming true during our dining experience there. 

Given the very light attendance, our server, Nikola, was VERY attentive - even moreso than he most likely no doubt usually is.  He just kept coming around making sure we were enjoying ourselves, and that the food was good.  I counted  nine times when said “Bon appetite” to us.  Once, maybe twice would have been sufficient.  It was almost as if he were trying too hard. 

To start we had a very nice, freshly prepared at table-side anti-pasti.  The bread selection that came with it was not exactly to our liking, but it was fun to look at (mostly of the hard, cracker variety instead of soft, sumptuous breads). 

Neither of us could really decide what we wanted, but Nikola certainly had his recommendations.  For appetizers, I had the very delicious shrimp, and my lovely bride had a sumptuous  mozzarella rose (I didn’t get a picture of the actual menu insides, so I cannot remember the exact names of the various dishes we ordered).   For our entrees, I went with the ahi tuna, and she had lobster ravioli.  I also wanted the lobster farfalle, though I didn’t eat the pasta itself, just the big, very delicious piece of lobster.  The lemon sorbet that came in between the appetizer and the entrée was light, cool, refreshing, and oh so delicious. 

For dessert, we definitely decided to go with the Chocolate Souffle (which does indeed have to be ordered prior to your entrée as so much of the hype indicates), and it was very good.  I am not a huge fan of dark chocolate, so I definitely toned it down quite a bit with the provided vanilla ice cream – even my wife’s portion of the ice cream, which she didn’t want.  If it hadn’t been for that, I would not have enjoyed that “chocolate bomb” – but with it, it was quite good.  I also added the vanilla and chocolate sauces that were provided, and had a wonderfully tasty dessert. 

We are not coffee drinkers, (hot tea yes, coffee no), so coffee after dinner was not on our agenda – though my lovely bride did enjoy a cup of tea.  Nikola was sure to bring us the second round of the lemon sorbet, though this time it was not in a dish, but rather in a shot glass and infused with Absolut Vodka.  It was good, though I didn’t finish it all.  Not something that I would have thought to mix together myself, I must admit. 

Overall, I will say that for us, Palo just didn’t live up to the hype from the internet board and guide books regarding Disney Cruise Line.  It was nice - very nice - but it just wasn’t “all that” that so much of the hype makes it out to be.  The food was great, but not worth the $20 per person upcharge (plus added gratuity) that we had to spend to eat there.  While slightly different, the food selection itself wasn’t that far off from the menus throughout the week that we enjoyed in the other dining rooms (as we discovered as the week passed by).  Overall, if I were to place the experience on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a “must do again” rating, I would say our experience at Palo rated a 7.5.  It was nice, but not something that we just absolutely  “must” do again.

We had been able to secure a Palo Brunch, also something that is very hyped online, but after our dinner, with neither one of us being overwhelmed  - we decided we would just skip the brunch.  So on the way out of the restaurant, I asked the general manager what the brunch menu included, and then asked if we could cancel our brunch reservation.  He was shocked and instantly wanted to know what they had done wrong to upset us.  I assured him that they had done nothing wrong, and that we had enjoyed a delightful dinner, we had just changed our minds about brunch.  After a couple of minutes of convincing him that his staff had not offended us, he graciously cancelled our reservation.  On a future voyage, we have decided that we will try the brunch, but don’t really see a need to return for dinner. 

As with the initial entry regarding dining, I do have more to share, but once again will save those things for another entry.  So for now, as before, I bid you adieu, or as Mickey likes to say, see ya real soon!

Until next time,