Tag: travel
At Sea – Hello from the beautiful Disney Magic. Today was a great day at sea here along the coast of Spain. We are sailing along at 16 knots on our way to Gibraltar tomorrow. What is there to do while at sea on a ship? Lots actually.
I started today out at 7am this morning for power circuits in the gym. After a quick and light breakfast at the Topsider Buffet I ended up going back to do yoga on the deck while taking in the great views and sea air. The temperature out has been in the upper 70s and very enjoyable. After yoga I did a nice 5 mile run in the gym before enjoyed ng an afternoon reading by the Cove Pool with live music. I couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing day!
Tonight was formal night with the Captain’s Reception with free drinks (rum punch was the best) and Prince and Princess Dinner where I had an amazing beef wellington. Not as good as Aunt Susan’s but close. Spending the rest of the night down in Diversions and Rockin’ Bar D before settling in for the night. Planning for an early morning tomorrow to explore Gibraltar and see the rock and the apes. More updates to come. For now, here are a few pictures so far from today and the ship.
36.3246608-3.2969106
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/09/transatlantic-cruise-day-1-update/
Hello from Barcelona. My flight arrived early this morning around 08:15 and I had a smooth experience getting through customs and getting my bag. My next adventure was taking the Aerobus from the airport to Plaza Catalunya before walking the few blocks to my hotel. I love our hotel location. We are right off Las Ramblas and in the heart of what seems to be a social part of town.
After a short nap, Joey arrived from his flight and we went off to see the Sagrada Familia. Talk about such a cool looking interior inspired by nature. i absolutely love it inside. It is hard to believe that it has been under construction for over 100 years and was only fully enclosed and dedicated by the Pope in 2010! After visiting the church, we had a nice lunch near by and then back to the hotel before heading back out for the evening.
This evening, we took the subway to the magic fountains to see the show there and it was neat to see all of the people that come out for it. Reminded me a lot of Disney, though not as over the top, but it appears to be a huge draw for the locals.
Back at the hotel now for the night it looks like. Sleep is calling my name after being up for so many hours. We had to the port tomorrow to board the Disney Magic. Still open to what we will do before sailing. Several ideas on the mind but nothing set in stone yet. Next update will come when I have Internet again.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/09/day-1-update-barcelona/
Well, I am officially on my way to Barcelona. I am sitting at the gate here in Atlanta after a quick hop up from Orlando. Boarding will begin here shortly. Already made my stop at the duty-free store to get my rum and Crown Royal to last me until we get to St. Maarten in a week. Landing time in Barcelona will be at 8:55 am tomorrow. Talk with everyone then. I will be tweeting. Time to pack up now.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/09/and-so-it-begins/
So the time is almost here for my upcoming 17 day adventure that I will be taking with my friend and former co-worker, Joey. While I have taken several vacations throughout this year, this one is by far one of the most exciting vacations I think I will have taken to date. On Thursday, September 8, I will be flying to Barcelona, Spain and will once again board the Disney Magic. Unlike the previous cruises I have done where you start and end in the same port, this one will take us across the Atlantic Ocean back to her home port of Port Canaveral, FL.
So far, I have most of my clothes laid out and ready to pack which is nice. Packing for a 17-day vacation is very different than any other vacation I have packed for. I am finding myself now thinking on everything I add to the pile with all of the new airline bag restrictions in place. I get one free checked back and plan to maximize my carry-on as much as I can. The question of if I will be doing laundry in the middle of the ocean is starting to come in to mind as I try to see if everything fits and is still under the weight limit. Just a few more days to go and a few more days of hitting the gym to be prepared for 17-days of amazing food.
Looking at the weather that we have had over the last week or so, it looks like this might shape up to be an interesting cruise with a few tropical weather pasterns out there in the Atlantic right where we will be sailing. I love being at sea so this will be a true test to my sea legs. For those that are interested, our ship can be tracked by visiting Marine Traffic and clicking on Current Vessel’s Track. I have also included the itinerary for our 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.
14-Night Transatlantic Westbound Itinerary:
| Day |
Date |
Port |
Ashore |
Onboard |
| Saturday |
10-Sep-2011 |
BARCELONA |
|
4:00 PM |
|
| Sunday |
11-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Monday |
12-Sep-2011 |
GIBRALTAR |
7:30 AM |
6:00 PM |
|
| Tuesday |
13-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Wednesday |
14-Sep-2011 |
MADEIRA |
8:30 AM |
9:30 PM |
|
| Thursday |
15-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Friday |
16-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Saturday |
17-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Sunday |
18-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Monday |
19-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
20-Sep-2011 |
ST MAARTEN |
7:15 AM |
5:30 PM |
|
| Wednesday |
21-Sep-2011 |
TORTOLA |
7:30 AM |
3:45 PM |
|
| Thursday |
22-Sep-2011 |
AT SEA |
|
|
|
| Friday |
23-Sep-2011 |
CASTAWAY CAY |
11:15 AM |
4:30 PM |
|
| Saturday |
24-Sep-2011 |
PORT CANAVERAL |
7:30 AM |
|
|
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/09/the-trip-of-a-lifetime/
So I am just settling in back home in Orlando after a great weekend back in Minnesota. Not only did I get to spend some time with the family, I had the great please of serving as an usher for one of my best friends Scott who got married this past weekend to the amazing Caroline. You two are perfect for each other and I am so lucky that you asked me to be a part of it. In additional to being in the wedding, I will also take some credit in the engagement as one of the ideas I gave to Scott is what he ended up using 🙂
Normal next couple of weeks back at the office until traveling again. My cruise docs came while I was gone so it’s just one step closer to the trip of a lifetime thus far. Now back to my DVR and catching up with Teen Wolf and The Glee Project. Congratulations again to Scott and Caroline and I hope you have many wonderful years.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/08/i-can-hear-the-bells/
Dates: May 19 – May 22, 2011
Ship: Disney Dream
Ports: Port Canaveral, Florida, Nassau, Castaway Cay
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/05/photos-3-night-bahamian-cruise-on-the-disney-dream/
Photos from my 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Magic.
Dates: April 23,2011 – April 30, 2011
Ship: Disney Magic
Ports: St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Castaway Cay
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/05/photos-7-night-eastern-caribbean-cruise-on-the-disney-magic/
Hello from onboard the beautiful Disney Magic. I am relaxing for our second day at sea by the Quiet Cove pool before we head to high tea in Palo at 3pm. Trip is going well so far. The sea was a bit choppy yesterday but it has since calmed down. Had a nice relaxing day despite the seas including an interesting workout while moving up and down and side to side.
We will be in St Maarten tomorrow and then St Thomas on Wednesday before another day at sea and Castaway Cat on Friday. Not much else to report. The classic ships are still just as nice as the new Disney Dream. I’ll ‘ll post pictures as soon as I can.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/04/hello-from-the-disney-magic/
So I am one of the lucky few that were able to experience a preview cruise on the beautiful Disney Dream from Disney Cruise Line. I am enjoying this relaxing two days with my brother Tim for a nice and relaxing brothers getaway. I am sitting on our veranda right now looking out over the pier at Disney’s Castaway Cay after a relaxing morning at the beach and by the pool. The weather has been a mix of sun with a few showers here and there. It looks like it will be a rough night though when we head back to Port Canaveral.
As for this ship, it is beautiful and big. You cannot explain how big this is until you experience it. For those used to previous Disney ships, you will find things are very similar but, just more spread out. I’m still finding my way around to new places it seems whenever I turn a corner. We had dinner last night in the new Animators Palate which has almost the same menu as the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. The new atmosphere is much more bright and warm. There are hints of Mickey Mouse but, the main star of dinner is Crush from Finding Nemo. He swims around the restaurant and interacts with dinners just like Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot® and Disney California Adventure® . This is fun but, can become sort of annoying if you are trying to have a conversation.
After dinner we checked out The District, the adult entertainment area on the Disney Dream. This area contains several different bars/lounges each with a different theme including one that makes it feel like you are in a champagne bottle and another that is a high end pub overlooking various skylines around the world. Then there is Evolution which is the night club of the ship. There was quite the party last night in there and it reminded me of Pleasure Island in its high days. This was great to see but, I hope that it continues to stay busy as my experience on the other ships is that these clubs aren’t usually full.
This morning as I mentioned earlier in the post we arrived at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. The new additions to the island for the larger ship are complete at this point and everything was open for guests to use. Water was a little too cold for Pelican Plunge but several brave souls tried it. Back on the ship, most people are hanging back by the pools and waiting to ride the AquaDuck which is a water coaster at sea. Tim and I did this twice last night and I do have to say that it was quite fun and even takes you over the side of the ship! This is a must do when you go on the ship.
Tonight we are dinning in the Enchanted Garden which is themed after the gardens in Versailles. This is a new restaurant so I don’t know much about it yet. After dinner will be fireworks for pirate night and then packing for debarkation tomorrow morning. That’s all to report for now. I will post a bit more once I am back on land and have all 300+ of my photos uploaded. I was hoping to post some now but the wifi is very slow via satellite. Time to get back to relaxing now.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2011/01/sailing-the-dream/
Well, the holidays are here and the differences between Florida and Minnesota seem to be very slim. For those that don’t know, Florida has been in the 30s and 40s the past couple of weeks. Just getting back in to the grind at work after a great couple of days at home for Christmas. Minnesota was nice with lots of snow as you can see below and Camper and Scooter were just like always, fun to be around. Lots of nice time with the extended family which is also nice. I’m just taking it easy around the house tonight and finally unpacking and getting things put away. Parks are busy as always so avoiding going out to them. That’s it for now so here are a few fun pictures for you all.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.webbyaquatics.com/archives/2010/12/minnesota-or-florida/
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