It All Started With A Postcard **Updated 4/26** About This Page:

[SouthernBelle]

Dates: 14 – 21 Feb 2009
Disney Magic - 7 days Eastern Caribbean Cruise
Celebration: 20 years of Wedded Bliss

SouthernBelle - The Disney Nut, I will be the one crying before I even board , I cried every time I got mail from DCL, okay any mail from Disney makes me cry, even if it is the flyer to renew our AP’s
Grumpy – The Other Disney Nut, but he will be the calm one handing me tissues


All the planning for this MAGICal 20th Anniversary cruise started back in Oct ’07, when my cohort in planning all things Disney sent us a beautiful post card from her MAGICal ’07 fall cruise, NanaTink, you. The post card was of her beautiful, sleek, elegant, ocean going MAGICal yacht, mailed from the post office on her favorite deserted island, Castaway Cay. Where I have heard that the post office is run by a couple of chipmunks.

Not long after we received her beautiful post card, Grumpy and I were soon thinking of a MAGICal cruise for our 20th Anniversary. 20 years of wedded bliss. After all 20 years only rolls around once….

I had the foresight to hang the post card on the fridge door, so that every time he opened the fridge for a frosty adult beverage, he would see the MAGICal yacht waiting for us…..
postcard.jpg


One clarification, we were married in May ’89, but Grumpy being the weatherman that he is, did not want to cruise in May, since he knows that is when the Caribbean starts warming up for ever wonderful Hurricane season. So he selected the dates of 14-21 Feb, what other dates would be more romantic for your 20th Anniversary cruise than the week of Valentines Day.
I personally think he didn’t want to be cruising that time of year and have all the PP’ers on the cruise come up and blame him if we had to outrun a Hurricane or if we had bad weather and rough seas

we have cruised before, the Seine; the Canals of Amsterdam; Lake Zurich; Lake Lucerne; Cheimsee, Bavaria; Gulf of Mexico; Chesapeake Bay; Ohio River; Mississippi River; Susquehanna River. This will be our first ever Caribbean cruise, and first ever cruise on ship bigger than our own 25 ft yacht.


boat.jpg
First thing I ordered was my Passporter for DCL, then I ordered the DCL video and brochure and put out some inquiries for prices and really didn’t find anything lower than what DCL was quoting me, even my friend who is a TA, couldn’t get me a lower price and tried to sell me on a Carnival or a Princess cruise the same week… not going to book those. So I went ahead and booked 14-21 Feb ’09 7 Day Eastern Caribbean on the Magic WAHOOO Deluxe Stateroom with verandah, 6076.

Well we booked before we even had passports!!!! I downloaded the forms, filled them out and it was off to our local post office, where it was one stop shopping. They took the photos, processed the paperwork and mailed them off to the State Department Office in New Orleans. The Postal Clerk said we should have our Passports back in 4 weeks. We got them back 29 Feb, just 3 weeks to the day that we applied for them. WAHOOO

Then I just had to sit back and await the arrival of my DCL Passporter, so I can start planning my shore excursions. Wait for my 75 day window, midnight 1 Dec 2008, to book my shore excursions and book our Romance at Sea Package.

Then we received our DCL DVD and Brochure. Grumpy and I watched it one night with our evening glass of wine and dreamed of sailing away on the Magic….. I think I cried all the way thru the video…..oh geez if I am crying now just watching the DVD, look out DCL, load up on the tissues Ms. Waterworks will be boarding.

Please have the tissues ready when I arrive at Port Canaveral…… I will be crying before I even board….So if any PP’ers are cruising at the same time, just look for the redhead that is crying in the terminal…..that will be me

So then I just had to sit back, wait, make my monthly payments, search for Pirate Costumes for Grumpy and myself, plan our door decorations, start planning, packing list, learn to snorkel (I am snorkeling handicapped) read all the Cruise TR’s. View the webcams and watch the Magic sail out to sea without us.


Next Up: All the Preparations have begun!!

[David's Mom]

Great start!!! I can't wait to hear all about the cruise.

My husband and I were also married in May and this year will be 15 years! I can't believe how fast it goes.

Have a wonderful trip!!!!

[chezp]

Great start and what a wonderful way to celebrate your 20th anniversary!

[Moxrox]

Sounds like you and DH are going to have a magical Valentines day!!

Can't wait to hear your TR when you get back!!!!!!!!

[MontiMouse]

Sounds MAGICal Melissa. We are planning a cruise next year for our 20th Anniversary. The funny this is our dates for next year are exactly the same as your dates for this year! Hurry back with more...

[NanaTink]

Yes, I KNEW if I sent you that postcard!!!! Grumpy was toast from the moment I picked it up in Treasure Ketch! He never had a chance! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
I can't wait for you to go because I KNOW you are going to it! Hurry back with more!

[mom2twingirlies]

Sounds awesome. Mmmmm - 20th anniversary cruise. This sounds like a great idea - maybe something to plan for......

[FanOfMickey]

Great start to your TR!! I really can't wait to hear about it as I am going on the Eastern in April with a bunch of other Passporters

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Melissa!!

[disneydani]

Glad you started writing the TR, Melissa! I know how very excited you are to take this cruise; it is going to be awesome!

danielle

[cmhand30]

I hope you have a grand time! I will be missing you by a few months! Someday we will meet!

[Luvsun]

Sounds wonderful!
I will look forward to reading all about your romantic anniversary cruise! (since we are going on one in November!!)
Why didn't I know about the DCL DVD????? I am off to check that out!

[DyanKJ130]

Great start!! Looking forward to more

[shellybelly72]

Great start!

[CRCrazy]

Congratulations - I can't wait for you to go on your special trip so I can read all about it.

Good luck with the snorkeling - I too am snorkeling handicapped. I've only been once - off the coast of St. John. I am seriously nearsighted - so unfortunately, when I put on my mask - I had to take off my glasses so I couldn't see anything. I didn't wear flippers - and since I couldn't see - I stepped on a sea urchin - YUCK!! I still have little black spots on my toe where the spine disintegrated as I pulled them out. Those things hurt!!!!!

So - take my advice - wear flippers!!!!!