Tag: Disney Cruise Line

Apr 28 2013

Sailing on a Fantasy

  • Sunday, April 28, 2013

IMG_20130424_115324I am now officially back on dry land after an amazing week on board Disney’s newest vessel, the Disney Fantasy. For those that don’t know, the Disney Fantasy launched just over a year ago at the end of March and is the forth vessel in the fleet for Disney Cruise Line. While she is the same class and design as her sister ship, the Disney Dream, there are many things that have been updated and refined on her that make her what I feel is the very best of what Disney can offer.

I had the wonderful opportunity to sail on the Disney Fantasy with a good friend on a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean cruise that took us to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico and Castaway Cay in the The Bahamas. Along with the ports of call, I got three wonderful days at sea to explore this amazing ship!

IMG_20130423_135747Where to start, the simplest change which turned out to be one of my favorite changes was the addition of the Satellite Falls adult only area on the upper deck. This was the perfect spot to come and relax to read a book and soak up the sun on the deck. I couldn’t have been more pleased with this addition. The other update that I really loved was the whole Europa Adult Entertainment area. All of the night clubs are themed after various places in Europe complete with an authentic Irish Pub and a dance club themed after the London Underground, for those that know me and my travels, you will know that this just rocks my world! Everything else is nearly identical to the Disney Dream but just slightly updated to fit the theme of the ship which matches that of the Disney Wonder.

IMG_20130423_104147The ports of call on this voyage where familiar ones to me with the exception of San Juan which I haven’t been to since I was younger. St Thomas was simply beautiful the day we were in port. I couldn’t have had any better weather. I took the gondola to the top of the island and just enjoyed the view while having a nice cold beverage and catching up on emails. I felt very much like a crew member as I was looking for the available Wi-Fi to connect to. The blue in the water isn’t shown justice in any of my photos from the stop. It was just simply amazingly blue and so clear!

IMG_20130424_130417San Juan was another great stop and I spent the time to explore the old historic forts on the island and with it being National Park Week, there was not admission fees. Score! After walking all over Old San Juan, it was time to return to my new favorite spot on the ship at Satellite Falls to do some more email catch up and just enjoy reading. What a perfect way to cool off and relax for the afternoon!

In addition to the night life and the ports of call, the new shows on the Disney Fantasy are well worth the view. Aladdin and Wishes were simply amazing and I think really show what kind of entertainment Disney is known for and can put on even when you consider that you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I was also able to catch Oz-The Great and Powerful in 3D onboard which was a nice added bonus to the trip.

IMG_20130424_115642Even if you don’t have children, an adult can still have a blast on a Disney Cruise. This was the perfect and much needed get away that I needed for the spring where I could just step back and relax and let nothing get to me. I managed to survive with no added weight coming up from the ship as well, thank you Senses Spa and Gym. In addition to the gym, I also completed my first 5K on Disney’s Castaway Cay. You have no idea how fun a run in almost 100% humidity and the Caribbean heat!

I think the other part that made the vacation so wonderful was seeing some old friends that I haven’t had a chance to catch up with in a while since they are off at sea working on the ship. I want to thank all of you for everything you do and for giving me such a wonderful retreat for the week! Hope to see you all again soon!

7-Night Eastern Caribbean

7-Night Eastern Caribbean

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2013/04/sailing-on-a-fantasy/

Jan 29 2013

Discovering New Destinations in 2013

  • Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Disney_Wonder2013 has started off with a blast this year and I am just returning from my first adventure of the new year. Last week my friend and I went down to Miami for a day and enjoyed the night life in Miami Beach before boarding the Disney Wonder on a 4-Night Bahamian cruise that took us to Key West, Nassau and Castaway Cay. It was a great trip and experiencing Miami Beach and Key West for the first time really made the trip. It was also fun to experience the cruise with a first time cruiser and a group of international friends. The only downfall of the cruise was twisting my ankle on the first night on the stairs, and no, alcohol was not involved but, seeing old friends and making some new ones onboard made up for the downfall.

4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Miami, FL
Bahamas_4Night

Trip Photos

Home for a few days now and catching up on laundry and house work before heading to Naples, FL to visit the family for the weekend and then back for a few days to Orlando and then off to Washington, DC for a weekend with the boys. Yes, I know I am lucky to be able to do the trips I do. It keeps me going and excited to discover new things and visit new and exciting places.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2013/01/discovering-new-destinations-in-2013/

Sep 17 2012

Where Were you One Year Ago?

  • Monday, September 17, 2012

So one year ago I was cruising along in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the Disney Magic. It’s hard to believe that an adventure of a lifetime was only a year ago. I’ve been fortunate to have experienced many great travels and look forward to doing many more in the years that come. For those that want to relive my Transatlantic Voyage, click on tag Transatlantic to the right. Enjoy a few pictures from down memory lane.

From 14-Night Transatlantic Cruise – September 2011
From 14-Night Transatlantic Cruise – September 2011

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/09/where-were-you-one-year-ago/

May 26 2012

Sea Days and Canada

  • Saturday, May 26, 2012

So I think that I am finally caught up on sleep and getting back to my normal routine after a great vacation last week. Since I have already posted blogs from Disneyland® and San Francisco, I won’t repeat all of the details on those days of my vacation. After leaving San Francisco, we enjoyed a relaxing two days at sea as we steamed north towards Victoria, Canada. Now, unlike the Caribbean cruises that I am used to doing, I totally misjudged the weather and temperatures outside and ended up breaking down to buy a sweatshirt on the ship. So exactly how bad was the weather? Well, as you can see from the below photos, it was sunny and clear but, we had find and 18 foot seas. Anyone for surfing in the pool?

So with it being almost too cold and too rough to really sit at the pool, what does one do while at sea? Read of course. I think I saw more copies of The Hunger Games and more Kindles/Nooks than I have ever seen in the past and people seemed to find almost any spot on the ship to just curl up. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and taking in what ever world they were transported off to while reading. I managed to read the first to Harry Potter books for the first time and I can now honestly say they are quite good and much better than the movies.

Now even with the seas, it was still a nice time to catch up with my friends ont he ship and explore more of the life below the waterline and life in general on the high seas. I even took the time to treat myself to a nice 75-minute hat bamboo deep tissue massage. I had been eying this one for several cruises and with the right offer this trip, I decided to do it. Let me just say, you can’t get any more relaxed than I felt after this one. Well worth the money.

Our first stop in Canada was Victoria, British Columbia. I’d been to Victoria twice before with the family and now going back on my own and on the best weather day of the trip, I fell in love with this town. I can’t explain in words just how beautiful this down is. It’s modern yet has an old English town feel. It’s just a great place to visit if you have the chance. Also, while in port, Efrain was able to arrange for me to have a special tour on the ship, the Bridge. I feel honored that I was able to see this special part of the ship and with a little encouragement from the Captain, I think I might have found a new calling. What do you all think?

After a perfect day in Victoria, it was time for a nice and slow journey to Vancouver. Vancouver is one of those cities that I have heard so much about and have always wanted to visit and in fact, was one of the main reasons why I booked this cruise. We pulled in at 7am on Sunday morning and were in port for a full 24-hours to explore this amazing city. I decided it was best to book an excursion to start off with from the ship which took us around town, to Stanley Park and then to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This by far was worth the cost of the excursion. Such amazing views and trails in this park to explore and a really cool walkway along the cliffs to boot! If you don’t like heights, you might not want to do this one but, the views were worth it.

After the morning exploring the forests and town, it was back to the ship to meet up with Efrain after he got off work where we then went back in to town to have a great meal with some of his friends. After dinner, it was back to the ship to finish packing and enjoy one last night aboard the Disney Wonder before returning back to Florida on Monday.

Overall, I am really glad I booked and did this cruise, even if I was traveling alone. I had an amazing time on this trip and mark it down as one of the best cruises I have taken thus far with Disney Cruise Line. I especially want to thank Jason for taking the day and taking me around San Francisco and Efrain for going above and beyond on the ship to really give me the greatest experience and allowing me to see in to his life at sea. I also want to thank the many other Disney Wonder crew members that went out of their way to get to know me and show me a good time, Daniel, Justin, Robin, Steven, Jilly, Lance, thank you all again for a great cruise. Until next time.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/sea-days-and-canada/

May 23 2012

Photos: Disneyland and 7-Night Los Angeles to Vancouver Repositioning Cruise

  • Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/photos-disneyland-and-7-night-los-angeles-to-vancouver-repositioning-cruise/

May 16 2012

Greetings from San Francisco!

  • Wednesday, May 16, 2012

San Francisco – Greetings once again from the Disney Wonder! I am sitting here in the Outlook Cafe overlooking San Francisco as the fog rolls in. It’s been a busy day thanks to my friend Jason who did a great job of taking me around town and covering so much. I got to ride on a cable car and street car around town and have been to the Golden Gate Bridge, The Castro District, and the Embarcadero just to name a few.

Back on the ship now to warm up since I have been on the go since 9 this morning. The weather is in the mid-60’s but the wind makes it much cooler. We are here until 23:30 tonight so there is always time to get back in to the city before sailing. That’s the update for now. Don’t think that I will be posting any more until after the voyage but that will depend on mobile service. Until then, here are a few fun pictures including the friend that joined me for breakfast this morning and wouldn’t leave.

20120516-172008.jpg

20120516-172028.jpg

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/greetings-from-san-francisco/

May 15 2012

Relaxation at Sea and a Taste of Life Below the Waterline

  • Tuesday, May 15, 2012

At Sea – Today marked the first full day of my voyage north to Vancouver. Seas aren’t too bad as we go along but, it is definitely not a Caribbean cruise. I started the day off with a 5-mile run on the elliptical before breakfast and then enjoyed some nice reading time in the Outlook Bar which allows for some nice views but protected from the wind.

After that, it was time for some trivia and then yoga. I am enjoying the relaxation this trip and it is nice to have the sea days to just kick back and relax. The other nice thing about this trip is catching up with old friends. After dinner we had a chance to take in the entertainment and then I got my first tour of life below the waterline. Yes folks, I have now officially seen the bowels of the Disney Magic including I-95. All I can say is wow. I have an entirely new respect for what the crew does. My friend wasn’t able to give me the full tour tonight but plans one for later in the voyage so stay tuned as I head deeper below the waterline.

Bed time now so I can be up early for a full day in San Francisco. Internet is not fully functional so, updates may not post until after the voyage. Keep an eye on my twitter feed for the most up to date since mobile service still works. Till next time.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/relaxation-at-sea-and-a-taste-of-life-below-the-waterline/

May 12 2012

Time for Another Adventure

  • Saturday, May 12, 2012

Hello again everyone, it’s that time again where I am in the process of getting checked in for my flight and laying out the clothes and suitcases and preparing for my next adventure. This experience has me flying to Los Angeles, CA where I will spend one day in Anaheim at the Disneyland® Resort, which I haven’t back to since 2009, before heading to San Pedro to board the beautiful Disney Wonder for the first time since 2010. I will be taking her from Los Angeles, CA to Vancouver, Canada on what should be an amazing 7-night voyage up the Pacific coast with stops at some amazing ports.

For those that are interested, our ship can be tracked by visiting Marine Traffic. I have also included the itinerary for my trip below. I will be posting on Twitter (@websteth) as long as I have as I have mobile service and I will also try to post updates here when I have internet access and if time allows. Photos from the trip will be posted shortly upon my return to Florida.

7-Night Los Angeles to Vancouver Itinerary:

 

Day Date Port Ashore Onboard
Monday 14-May-2012 LOS ANGELES
Tuesday 15-May-2012 AT SEA
Wednesday 16-May-2012 SAN FRANCISCO 8:00 AM 11:30 PM
Thursday 17-May-2012 AT SEA
Friday 18-May-2012 AT SEA
Saturday 19-May-2012 VICTORIA 8:30 AM 4:30 PM
Sunday 20-May-2012 VANCOUVER 7:30 AM
Monday 21-May-2012 VANCOUVER  7:30 AM

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/05/time-for-another-adventure/

Feb 19 2012

Video: If I Were Not Upon the Sea – Disney Dream

  • Sunday, February 19, 2012

So one of the traditions on several cruise lines is the famous “If I were not upon the sea” skit. The skit is one of the highlights of the various cruises I have been on and is a good way to end the cruise on a fun note with the cruise staff. Here is the skit from my most recent voyage on the Disney Dream.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/02/video-if-i-were-not-upon-the-sea-disney-dream/

Feb 14 2012

Photos from 4-Night Bahamian Cruise

  • Tuesday, February 14, 2012

So things are finally getting back into a grove at work after my short 4-night Bahamian cruise on the beautiful Disney Dream. Not much else to report at this time so I will just post the pictures from the most recent trip.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2012/02/photos-from-4-night-bahamian-cruise/