Disney Cruise 2012

Recently we flew to Galveston, Texas, climbed aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship and set sail to the Caribbean! What a wonderful week we had. The weather was perfect - sunny and in the 90's for our ports of call. We certainly created some lasting memories.

In the airport waiting for our bus to the ship.

Bon Voyage party!

The view from our balcony!

The first night at sea was formal night for dining so we got all fancied up! The Mickey and Minnie stuffed animals are courtesy of Grandma, who accompanied us on the cruise along with her cousin Carolyn. It was fun to have dinner with them every night and they were good sports about putting up with two crazy kids at their table.

The first morning of the cruise we went to the character breakfast where we got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofie, Chip and Dale! They came around to each table for a visit while we ate, so no lines to wait in - great thinking Disney :) Our waiter made special hats for each of us out of napkins and things. We liked Daddy's the best - is that a viking hat??

Our first port of call was Grand Cayman, what a beautiful place! We decided to visit their Turtle Farm where we saw lots of turtles big and small. They even have a hatchery where they keep eggs to increase their chances for survival. They have small pools set up where kids can wade right with the turtles and even pick them up.

Time to head back to the ship.

The 3D movie theater on the ship played Disney movies all day. 

Pirate night was lots of fun. We all donned our pirate bandanas and joined in the festivities. The highlight of Carson's trip was meeting Jack Sparrow and getting a picture with him.

Next stop: Costa Maya, Mexico. It was so hot we spent the day swimming in some great pools. We stopped at a Jade Museum on the way back to the boat and not only learned about jade but also learned a little about the Mayan calendar. Feeling better that the world will not end this December, instead we will be starting a new epic.

Found these souvenir masks in Costa Maya, great for dress up!

Next stop: Cozumel, Mexico - a beautiful island.

We took a taxi to see the San Gervasio ruins in Cozumel and learned quite a bit about the ancient Mayan culture. 

We saw iguanas like this one all over Cozumel and even in Grand Cayman.

After visiting the ruins we asked our taxi driver to take us to the beach. He must have liked us because he took us to a gorgeous beach which was nearly empty, with restaurant and bar service right from the hammocks! We were lucky enough to see a few tropical fish in the water (and no sting rays).

One of the best parts of the cruise was the food. We ate like kings every night - three course meals followed by delicious desserts. And they had a great kids menu so Rachel and Carson were happy too. Fortunately there was a fitness gym and running track on board the ship so John and I were able to burn some of those calories.

Rachel on the balcony outside our room.

The kids with Antara, our wonderful dinner server for the week.