AquaDunk on Disney Magic

Courtesy Disney Cruise Line (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

Make a Splash on Re-imagineered

Disney Magic

AquaDunk on the Disney Magic is a thrilling new three-story body slide that begins with a surprise launch when the floor beneath guests’ feet opens like a trap door. The drop sends them on an exhilarating, swift and splashy ride in a translucent tube that extends 20 feet over the side of the ship.

Courtesy Disney Cruise Line (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

 The Disney Magic has just emerged from dry dock and is sailing, for the first time ever, from Miami, Florida to tropical locales like Grand Cayman, the Bahamas and beyond!

Know Before You Go

Guests must be at least 48" or taller to ride AquaDunk. Please note that the slide's entry capsule may prohibit Guests of certain body sizes or those weighing more than 300 lbs. from riding. Operating hours are likely to vary, so once you're onboard, check the Personal Navigator—the Disney Cruise Line daily newsletter detailing all there is to see and do—for the most accurate operating times.

Read more about the enhancements planned:

Disney to Sprinkle Pixie Dust on Magic

The AquaDunk is just one of the many changes onboard the re-imagined Disney Magic, which has emerged following the completion of its dry-dock in Spain this month.

To learn more about the changes and see an album with the Disney Imagineers renderings as well as some additional images, become a fan on our Facebook Page and click the Disney Link on our Welcome Page.

Click on this image to go there now.

The newly re-imagined Disney Magic is now sailing from Miami. Enjoy 3-, 4- and 5-night Disney Cruise Line sailings to the Bahamas, or 5-night Western Caribbean cruises, all departing from this vibrant South Florida city. Explore the Everglades by airboat, stop by Little Havana, soak up the sun on South Beach and more!

Surviving Cruise Debarkation Day Part 2

Evening Before Debarkation

Most cruise lines now offer an "Easy Walk-off" option for those that don't have a lot of luggage, or for those that have early flight arrangements.  It is important to note that if you plan to use this method, you must be able to handle your entire luggage on your own. The crew will not be allowed to assist you.

For those that want to avail themselves of the normal process, bags must be packed and placed outside your cabin by the stated deadline.   This is usually shortly after late dining is completed.

Plan for What You Need in Morning

If you attended the cruise director's talk, he may have told you stories of passengers forgetting that they would need clothes in the morning and having to walk off the ship in a towel.  This may sound silly, but you do need to think about what items (clothing, toiletries, medicines, etc.) that you'll need in the morning.

We always have at least one carry-on bag with us so that we'll have a place to put our sleepwear, shavers, 3-1-1 bags with all our toiletries, and souvenirs that we don't want to pack in our larger suitcase.  Of course, you'll need your passports and other important travel documents with you as well.  Pack your large suitcase(s) and also have your carry-on packed, or at least know what will go in them, before placing the bags to be picked up outside your cabin.

Cruise Isn't Over Until 

the Paperwork is Done

Before retiring to bed, we suggest that you fill our your U.S. Customs Declaration Form and place it together with your passports.  Only one form is needed per family that are traveling and living together back home.   You'll need to know how much you spent in port and on the ship for things like souvenirs, jewelry, liquor, and clothing.   Anything that you purchased and are bringing off the ship must be counted.  You will have an allowance per family and the good news is that for things like liquor, your children count in determining the allowance.

Since the morning is an early one (usually all guests must be out of their cabins before 8 AM) you'll want to complete this the night before.  Doing so will allow you time for breakfast and a smooth, hassle free departure.

Once Docked, Crew  No Longer in Charge

Disembarkation is controlled by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection.  You'll find that there are several areas of the ship that will be blocked off and traffic patterns are strictly enforced.  You don't want to attempt to enter a controlled area.   It is for this reason that waiting areas are suggested by the crew in the instructions.   Don't proceed to the disembarkation point until your luggage color is called.  This will help keep the process moving for all passengers.

Go have breakfast and try to keep your entire traveling party together.   This way when an announcement is made for your luggage tag group, you will be able to disembark the ship.

There is a definite order of disembarkation and that will be listed in the instructions.  You might want to keep a copy of that handy so that you can tell when it is close to your time to disembark.  That allows you time for that one last bathroom break for example.

Note that the times listed for debark time are only approximate.   It is possible that the process may be halted several times to allow for crowd control.  There are a maximum number of passengers that can be in the terminal at a given time and as we mentioned, this is strictly under the control of the CBP.   Therefore, if there any doubt that you'll need more time, take the earlier tag when picking your luggage tags.

Getting to the Airport

Cruise lines sell "transfers" which can be prepaid or purchased on board the ship up to the stated time.  This is the easiest method for transferring to the ship because the ship's personnel will direct you to waiting buses for the trip to the airport.  You'll be amongst the earlier groups to depart the ship as well (ordered by flight times).  Caution: this could be a higher cost that arranging your own transportation, but it typically be the easiest.

Your travel professional can go over the various options applicable for your pier and airport location and can assist in booking the arrangements with the cruise line or other provider.   Remember, to be sure to allow sufficient time for the debarkation process.

Post-Cruise Tours

In many ports it is possible to book a post-cruise tour through the cruise line.  This is very similar to booking transfers but in addition to the transportation to the airport, you will also see one or more local sites.   This is a great option for those that booked later flights.  Consult the shore excursion sight before your cruise or during to determine your options here.  

Take-A-Ways

• Pack your luggage early so that you can enjoy your final evening onboard
• Leave clothing and other essentials for the morning
• Complete your Customs paperwork before retiring for the evening
• Pre-book transfers, tours, or know options for transfers to airport in advance
• Have a nice breakfast and listen for announcements
• When your luggage group is called, gather your belongings and head for the debark point
• Planning will help keep the stress levels down
• Also see Surviving Cruise Debarkation Day (Part 1)

Surviving Cruise Debarkation Day

Ending Cruise on a High 

The final full day of the cruise has arrived and fortunately it is a sea day.  That means you don't need to rush breakfast and get ready to go into port.   You plan to take full advantage of the ship and let any remaining stress melt away.

Last night you didn't have time to read the daily paper, so you pick it up and start to see what activities are planned by the staff.   Scanning through the list of morning activities, you see one that catches your eye ... "Debarkation Information - hosted by Cruise Director".  There is a note that says, one person from each family should attend.   Wait, what - I'm on vacation - what do you mean?

MUST I ATTEND?

Especially if you are a cruise rookie (first time cruiser) it is highly advisable that you attend any briefing offered by the Cruise Director or staff.   This will make your life much easier, since they will provide all the information you need and answer any questions.   On most ships, this information is disseminated in multiple ways, so if you have some conflict, you can skip the session.

For example, there should also be more information either in the daily paper or as a supplement covering everything you need to disembark the ship.  Often the debarkation talk is recorded and available for viewing on the ship's TV station during the rest of the day.

Flight Times Dictate Departure

Just Say When

When you listen to or read the information about debarkation, you'll soon discover that by mid-morning everyone is expected to be off the ship so that the crew can welcome aboard the new set of passengers.  There is a lot of activity that happens to make this possible.

WHEN TO LEAVE

You may not realize it, but your departure time was determined by you when you booked your trip and made travel arrangements.

How's that you ask?   When you picked your return flights, or made other arrangements for your return home, you determined the time that you needed to be off the ship in order to make your flight on time.   Upon leaving the ship you'll need to collect your bags, process through Customs, and board a taxi, shuttle bus, or other means of transportation to your departure destination (airport, bus, train station, rental car etc.).

How much time do you need?

There are a lot of variances in terms of when the cruise line calls your luggage group and when you are outside with bags in hands.   It may take some time to catch an elevator and actually get to the disembarkation point on the ship.  Once through there, it's usually a walk along a ramp, down the escalator or elevator to the lower level, where you'll find your baggage sorted by color tag.  There are porters to assist you in finding your bags and getting you through Customs.

In most cases, the pier isn't far from the airport, so you may have about 30 minutes to an hour for transfer time from pier to airport.  There are several ways to get to the airport, but for now, let's just assume you need to factor in some travel time.    Since you will be checking bags, and there will be several hundred or more of you arriving at the airport at the same time, you'll need at least 1.5 to 2 hours for checking in and clearing airport security.

The rule of thumb is that for flights before noon, you'll want to be in one of the first groups off the ship but for later flights you can take your time.

Key Take-A-Ways

• When booking your return flights, be sure to factor in the time it will take to disembark and travel to the airport
• Ask your travel professional for guidance before making arrangements
•  It is best to book flights later in the day to avoid having to rush - why add stress to your vacation after you have finally started to relax
• Be sure to attend any information talks and/or read and follow printed instructions

In Part 2, we'll talk more about preparation the night before debarkation as well as what to expect in the morning.

More Memories From Our First Cruise

 Not Exactly the Ritz

We arrived at the pier for our stow away night aboard the Yankee Trader and were shown to our cabin.  As you can see from this picture, our beds were actually twin bunk beds.  

Not shown is the washroom which consisted of a shower, toilet, and sink  "all-in-one".   The one thing that stands out from our memories is that we had a problem one day, when the shower would not turn off, and had to summon someone to resolve the situation.   

Classic Wooden Ship

Notice the beautiful wood above, which is something that we vividly remember about our cabin and public areas of the ship. Here is another example (left) of the beautiful wood on the ship.   

This may be the only time in our 30+ years cruising where we had a cat as a member of the crew. The cat was quite content sleeping on one of the benches on the main deck.

Working With Crew

The Barefoot Windjammer cruises were structured for two different types of passengers - those that wanted to actively participate in the sailing adventure and those that were content to be more passive.

One night, the dinner menu was quite simple - it was the catch of the day.   That meant that the crew, and any passengers that were interested, could fish for our dinner.   Here are some of the fish that were caught.

As mentioned in our previous column about our first cruise, the Captain's dinner consisted of a pig roast with all the trimmings.   Certainly, food was an integral part of the experience even on our first cruise.

The Long Good-bye

One of the benefits and downfalls of cruising on a small ship is that you meet your fellow cruisers and build relationships during the cruise.   It is therefore hard to say good-bye at the end of the voyage.  

As the sun sets on the Fantome, which was sailing the same itinerary with us,  we conclude our story about our first cruise. 

Related:
Our Very First Cruise
Entertainment on Our First Cruise


 Making Memories

The memories from this trip have not faded over the years.  Our love for cruising and the sea began that week.   We love sharing our experiences and knowledge with others. 

If you have not taken a cruise before, consider that sometime in your future.  Perhaps you too can have lasting memories like these.

Thank you to the crew of Yankee Trader - if any of you read this story, we'd love to hear from you.

Entertainment on Our First Cruise

Windjammer Barefoot Cruise

Yankee Trader

Our first cruise was a 3-day trip to the Bahamas on a small sailing vessel which could travel under mast or by motor.  See our previous article, Our Very First Cruise, for the beginning of the story.

Entertainment

Unlike the modern cruise lines that have all sorts of entertainment from small lounge shows to Broadway-style musicals, nightly entertainment would be provided by the Captain, crew, and passengers.  The "stage" was the upper deck which also served as the main dining room, bar, and meeting area.

In the center image at  the top left is our captain with his magical elephant.   You can't see it in the picture, but there is one of the passengers laying on the ground and about to get a surprise shower from the elephant.   Props for the entertainment was whatever you could find onboard the ship including towels and other supplies.   We had some creative crew and passengers.

Another event was the rowing contest where all the passengers grouped on the wooden platform beneath the main mast (their row boat).   I'm not certain they made much progress "sailing" but the beer that was flowing certainly kept the spirits high as they fought the high waves.

Thanks for Starting Our Amazing Journey

Captain Jon S. Helmick was the skipper on our first cruise.   We owe a great debt of gratitude to him and the rest of the crew for making our first cruise so special.   It is now more than 30 years since that first voyage and we can remember the events as if they happened yesterday.  That certainly says something about the dedication of that crew to providing a great experience for their guests.

We hope that your first cruise is as memorable as ours.   And for those that have been sailing for years, we hope that you have many fond memories like the ones we've shared here.

You haven't lived until you've Cruised ....

Twelfth Tropical Storm of Atlantic Season Forms

        

Tropical Storm Lorenzo

Tropical Storm Lorenzo formed in the Central Atlantic.  The storm is expected to weaken in a couple of days and does not pose a threat to land at this time.

Tropical Storm Lorenzo	500 PM AST MON OCT 21 2013 ...TWELFTH TROPICAL STORM OF THE SEASON FORMS...
WIND:	NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/H... WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
WATCHES/ WARNINGS:	THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.
SHIP IMPACT:	NONE

Storm Archive         Graphics Archive

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

Real-Time Cruise Ship Tracking

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES (CLICK HERE)

Not the storm you are looking for?  Click Image or Here

  
SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST...2100 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...28.9N 54.9W
ABOUT 635 MI...1020 KM ESE OF BERMUDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH...65 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 30 DEGREES AT 7 MPH...11 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1008 MB...29.77 INCHES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
None

HISTORICAL DATA:

1100 AM EDT MON OCT 21 2013
 
...TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS IN THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC...

Our Very First Cruise

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

Yankee Trader 

Bahamas

As National Cruise Vacation Week begins we thought it would be fun to turn back the clock to our very first cruise.  Looking through our old photos, we selected a few to use in this column.   The image on the left shows several images of the Bahamas, which was the destination of our short cruise.  It also shows the mast of our ship and a sister ship that was sailing with us.The images in the right photo were from the Captain's dinner which included a toga party and entertainment by the passengers and crew, including the Captain.

Yankee Trader

Certificate signed by the captain of Yankee Trader

Windjammer Barefoot cruises operated out of Miami, Florida back in the 80s when we took our first cruise.   It was normal for two ships in the fleet to sail together.  In our case the Yankee Trader, which we were on, was joined by M/S Fantome, the flagship of the fleet.   You can see her in the photos above as well. Yankee Trader was smaller than Fantome with a length of 179 feet and passenger capacity of 70. 

We had no intention of going on a windjammer cruise when I went to a local travel show with a friend.   I filled out entry forms at various booths and to my surprise, got a phone call that we had won a passage on the ship.  All we had to do was get to Florida, and if desired pay for the stowaway night (which cost us $25). 

Toga Party & Captain's Dinner

Unlike other cruises on ocean-going ships, dress code on the Yankee Trader was very casual.  They didn't call them barefoot cruises for nothing.   Dressing up for the Captain's dinner meant putting on your sandals.  The night of the dinner began with a toga party.  The rules were that you needed to make your toga from whatever materials you could find and you must not have anything underneath the toga (and the female Purser checked to be sure).    Some of the people knew about the party in advance and were prepared.  We had not know but still participated.   My husband used a nightshirt for his toga and I used some sheets.   The winner of the event had been on the cruise the week before and had collected vines and other embellishments.

Dinner was a pig roast complete with all the trimmings. The Captain did the honors, carving the pig while the crew finalized the preparation of the other items.  To date we still remember this dinner party and the great time we all had.  This is what a great cruise is made of - memories that last for a lifetime.

It is sad that the current generation will never sail on these beautiful sailing vessels.  The fleet is gone and earlier this year Captain Michael Burke, their founder, passed away closing the book on this chapter forever.

It was by chance that we took this first cruise.  We fell in love with cruising and the sea on this trip and the rest is history.   If you've not cruised before, we hope that you'll find a similar experience in your future.  We are certain once you take that first cruise, you'll fall in love like we did.