Can you believe it...I finally posted the rest of the trip pictures! It was so hard to choose which ones, I mean I took about 600 pictures then I downloaded Makyah and Cambree's cameras, and there were actually a few cute ones on there too! So here it goes people, the most pictures you have ever seen in a blog post:)
The first picture started our arrival on the boat. Everyone boarding, was to take a picture. They had photographer's everywhere on the boat, and then they would actually print each photo out in an 8x10 and hang it on a wall for you to buy. However the pictures were $20 a piece, so they threw piles and piles of pictures away. It was disheartening and my only complaint about the whole trip! I thought Disney was suppose to be "green" and here they are printing off pictures and throwing them out. It was kind of scary too, because they had face detection, so each time they took a picture it would show up under your room number because it could detect where they belonged!
Each night we rotated the restaurants for dinner but our waiters always came with us so we always had the same ones. They were very nice and we especially liked our head waiter, Plamen. We ate at Animators Palate the first night. Where they had all these black and white pictures on the wall, and then one by one they would take turns lighting up while we ate. Then at the end, behind the wall lights up to expose all kind of colors!
In the main lobby when you enter the ship they had this mickey statue. When you board the ship, they make an announcement for each family. " Attention... please help me welcome, The Lokkens."
The portholes were everywhere on the ship of course and the girls loved to sit in them!
One breakfast we had a sit down character breakfast, where they all rotated through the tables, took pictures and signed autographs! Here's goofy!
Chip
Dale
and for Mickey we got a family picture:)
Pluto
and Minnie!
Our waiter always had something fun for us. This morning he made us napkin hats, but he aways had a magic trick or a puzzle for us! At dinner, the kids would get their food right away, and then the kids club counselors would come and get the kids so they could go and play!
This was our first stop at Key West. It was pretty breezy. Makyah thought it was fun they had a hat shop.
Key West Pier
They had a huge big screen outside by the pool on the ship. It was fun they had movies, videos and TV playing on it at all times. We even got to watch the packer's playoff game with other bears and GB fans. The girls loved it because they could continue to swim or sit in the hot tub!
Our room host always turned down our beds at night and left a towel animal with chocolates. The girls loved it and of course they loved the chocolate. On pirate night we got gold chocolate coins!
The main lobby was beautiful. It had 2 glass elevators and a beautiful chandelier, and always a hum of people and characters.
We met Princess Tianna in the lobby!
This was one of the 3 pools on the ship. It was the Mickey pool with the water slide. The big screen pool was the goofy pool and they also had an adult only pool and hot tub.
The kids loved the oceaner lab and club. They got to do cool projects like make pillow cases, bake cookies and hang out with the characters. A couple times when we came to pick them up, they didn't even want to leave. I kind of felt guilty when they were there, but they didn't seam to mind. Cal and I didn't expect to get alone time as much as we did.
Not sure what the animal was on this night??
I thought I had a picture of us all on formal night, but I can not find it right now. Here is Cal in his Mickey Mouse tie with princess Minnie. A lot of the little girls wear princess dresses on formal night. We had a Minnie mouse and an Alice in wonderland costumes from past Halloweens, so that is what they wore, and of course, were adorable as ever:)
I love it when they get along. This is on our way to formal night dinner!
In Grand Cayman, we decided to go to 7 mile beach. We had to take a cab there and back (which I thought I was going to die in) but it was a perfect day. The weather was mostly sunny and in the low 80's. I definitely enjoyed laying on the beach. Cambree would live on the beach if she could; playing in the sand and swimming. She also has the best skin out of all of us and had a complete swimsuit tan line after one day in the sun!
My little beach mermaids!
Swimming with dad.
The water was so clear and aqua colored, but don't look down because there is a lot of fish! The girls also collected a few shells.
In Grand Cayman you can not pull right up to the piers. They have protected waters around them, so we had to anchor in deeper water and their boats called catamarans come and take you to and from the pier. Makyah below is riding on the boat.
An elephant towel with more chocolate!
Waiting to go to the dolphin excursion.
The girls really wanted to swim with the dolphins. It was expensive but it was the only real excursion we did. We did it in Cozumel and it was a beautiful place surrounded by ruins and burned down buildings. Off the coast Cozumel is very run down and poor. The pier and shops are where most of the people stayed. This was the only place I felt like I had to keep a close eye on the girls. They all assume Americans have money and jump in front of you to get you to buy their stuff!
Here is the girls first reaction to the dolphins. Cambree told me she didn't want to hug or kiss them but of course did and loved it. The girls both said that this was their favorite thing we did off shore!
Makyah asking the dolphin for a hug.
Getting a kiss.
Cambree tickled the belly of the dolphin.
Got hugs...
and learned how to talk to them.
One parent got to get in the water, and I went. Cal stayed on the deck and filmed and took pictures.
This was the view of a passing ship from the dolphin place.
The dolphins also performed for us!
As part of the package the girls got a little pink dolphin stuffed animal, which was nice because then we didn't have to buy something in the gift shop!
We also did a little shopping and sight seeing in Cozumel. We saw senor frogs... this is the picture right before Cambree swung on his arm and nearly knocked him over:0
Of course she loved all the colorful things in the shops. However not another hat on this trip:)
Being swallowed by the shark.
That night it was pirate night. We made Mickey and Minnie Pirate ear bandannas and wore skull shirts.
We had a special pirate menu at dinner and got special pirate bandannas. We also had a pirate celebration that took place with all the characters on the top deck.
We watched the pirate party from the top deck. It was pretty windy, but we had a great view.
We even saw pirate stitch!
Cambree also was attached to Stitch this trip. She bought a stuffed animal and dressed him up for pirate night as well.
The pirate celebration ended with fireworks. It was so windy our boat had to take a turn and go out of the way, so the fireworks could be sent in the right direction. It is the only cruise line that is allowed to set off fireworks and I thought it was one of the coolest things ever.
One night and day the waters were pretty choppy. In the middle of the night our closet door slammed open and the next day Cambree and Cal pretty much had the pool to themselves because it had waves like the ocean from the boat rocking. Cambree loved it of course.
One night all of the princesses were in the lobby. We waited to see them and even got to see Alice. Makyah seemed to enjoy it but I can tell by what her friends are telling her about princesses at schoo,l she is ending the princess stage. Oh how happy I am that we experienced it all before it wasn't "cool" anymore!
Of course any chance we could see Stitch we did. Cambree's new favorite of the year.
This was my favorite character picture we got!
The girls performed in "Friendship Rocks" with the kids club. They each performed a dance with other kids their own ages and got to present it to the parents. We got a special text message on our ship cell phone to come to the Walt Disney theatre and they performed with Mickey and Minnie. It was cute and they both really enjoyed it. They also got a special "friendship rocks" t-shirt to keep!
I guess it is a scorpion?
Some other kind of sea creature?
There was lots of cool clubs and areas on board. This was "beat street" We went there to play BINGO one day. There was also a club where you could be in a family game show. We never had time to do it, but both girls mentioned they want to do it next time we are on a cruise:) I guess that means we are coming back?!
The last stop we made was Disney's own island, "Castaway Cay" an island in the Bahamas. It was cooler that day but it was the most beautiful, fun island we went to. We were the only ship there and all was included, so we got to eat lunch and have snacks and swim again on the beach. They had a kids club there as well. The food was amazing. They had huge tables of fresh fruit and ice cream cones whenever you wanted them!
Cal said he was told that in the 1980's this island was a huge drug ring island, until Disney bought it and spent 25 million dollars building on it. Only part of the island is built on as you can see in the above picture. There was a private adult only beach more on the far left, but Cal and I never did make it over there! Not enough time:(
When you get off on the beach this sign marks the path. Read closely...it really makes you want to swim in the ocean doesn't it?
We got to ride the tram from the pier to the beach.
Pelican Plunge is a new part of the island. It is a floating water slide island thing. I was glad that if you were under a certain height you were required to wear a life jacket. It was a long way to swim out to it. They did have a lifeguard as well, but Cal took the girls out.
At the top of Pelican Plunge with dad!
Coming off the slide.
Of course playing in the sand!
Ice cream whenever we want!
While we were sitting on the beach the new Disney Dream ship passed by! It was on it's Maiden voyage and it played ship horn tag with our ship for about 15 minutes. The ships have very cool horns that play parts of Disney songs!
They also had hammocks all over in the trees on the beach. If only it would have been a little warmer!
Mt. Rustmore is like a small Disney monument painted on giant rusty boat anchor things?
Makyah really wanted to get her hair braided. She was so brave, but actually cried a little because the lady pulled so hard. Cams thought she wanted to get braids too, until she found out it hurt:)
We all tried snorkeling. It was a bit cold for me to swim, but I knew I would regret it If I didn't. Cal took each girl and then he and I went out for a while. I am so glad I did it. The water was pretty warm and they had cool things marked from above to swim out to! It was a lot more work then I thought to swim that far with flippers, but was so fun. I even let out a few small screams with the fish I saw going right by my body. Cal was much braver than I and even dove down and picked up a giant conch shell and brought it up for the girls to look at. How did her know that there wouldn't be anything living in it?????
Cambree's turn.
Makyah's turn.
The giant fish Cal couldn't get enough of!
Some of the sunken stuff.
A stingray.
Coming back in!
Our last day of the cruise was bittersweet. It was getting so tiring but the girls did not want to leave. We took pictures of our cruise ship doors and the magnets we brought to decorate them.
The last towel animal was a stingray.
The last night the characters were everywhere in the lobby mingling with the kids. Here is sailor Mickey and Minnie.
Donald,
Daisy
And Captain Hook!
Cambree loved hanging out in the small room and the bunk bed that pulled out of the ceiling.
Saying goodbye and leaving the ship.
The day we got off the ship we stayed one more night at a hotel in Disney World. We picked the New Orleans styled riverfront resort. It was nice to just relax and swim. We also walked around down at Down Town Disney.
The cool water slide at the pool.
That day in Floriday it was 70 but very sunny. Not as warm as we are used to when visiting but much better than winters in Wisconsin. I couldn't get enough of the sun that day!
Shopping at Downtown Disney. Above was the biggest pin trader shop. The girls enjoyed trading Disney pins again and got a lot of new fun pins both on the ship and on land!
This was Cambree's favorite store with pirate Stitch. Every minute or so spit (water) would shoot out of his mouth!
The Lego sea creature!
We had lunch at the T-Rex which is owned by Rainforest cafe and very similar with a dinosaur twist. Fun lunch at not a fun cost!
We finally headed home on Sunday morning. It was a great family vacation and something we all would love to do again. We loved it just as much as going to Disney World and I found the ship truly amazing and unlike anything I had ever done before. When we got home we realized it was a more expensive trip:) but spending time as a family when our kids still like us, was worth every penny. These are the times I will truly never forget! And so we save...for our next trip...I can't wait! Thanks for taking a peak! Love, The Lokkens
Going Home!
The End!
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