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Cruising with Grandma Author: George Burden Date: 2008-10-13
Rating: Votes: 11
Traveling with a handicapped individual is a real "Mickey Mouse" operation, at least when you're talking about the fabulous accommodation s that Disney Resorts and Disney Cruise Line make to the mobility limited. I discovered this last December on a pre-Christmas Caribbean cruise aboard the Disney Magic, flagship of the Magic Kingdom. Joining me on this voyage were my wife, Krista, my six-year-old daughter Ariana, her 16 -year -old sister, Meaghan and my mother-in-law, Bonnie. Bonnie hadn't traveled in many years, due to a severely arthritic leg, which limits her ambulation to a few hundred cane-assisted feet. For greater distances she relies on an electric scooter.
Despite Bonnie's mobility issues, I decided to surprise the family with a holiday cruise. This took care of all my Christmas shopping in one stop and I didn't have to brave crowded malls or do any wrapping! The eastern Caribbean 7-day venue looked great with stops in the half Dutch/ half French island of St. Martin, a day in the U.S. Virgin Islands at St. Thomas and a final day's respite on the beach of Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.
Needless to say the family was pretty excited about the upcoming holiday, though my mother-in-law voiced a few misgivings about getting around. She needn't have worried. On arriving at Halifax's Stanfield International Airport, the United Airline agent instructed Bonnie to take her scooter right to the gate where one of the ramp attendants took charge of the vehicle. To our great relief the heavy scooter was not considered as part of our baggage allocation. We pre-boarded the flight and were quickly and efficiently settled into our seats. Arriving in Orlando the scooter was brought to the gate and we made our way to the arrivals area. A complimentary Disney resorts bus awaited us, especially equipped to handle the scooter. Though Bonnie was mobile enough to board the bus on foot, wheelchair- confined individuals could be lifted directly aboard.
We were then whisked to the Old Key West Resort at Disney World for an overnight stay. Although we could have flown in for a same day connection to the cruise ship, it seemed advisable to arrive the day before when flying from northern climes in case of storm delays. Our room was a pleasant ground level, two bedroom suite (make sure your accommodation is ground level as some low-rise resorts don't have elevators). We were even able to spend some time that evening shopping at "Downtown Disney" and to pass a few hours enjoying the night clubs of the more adult-orientated "Pleasure Island" (facetiously named for the park in the movie "Pinocchio" where bad children were turned into asses). Don't miss the off-the-wall antics at the "Adventurers' Club".
The next morning Ariana and I let the rest of our party sleep in while we took a shuttle to MGM-Disney for an intense wake-up in the "Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" and the high-speed "Rock and Roller Coaster". Probably the two most adventurous attractions at Disney World, my fearless six-year-old insisted on doing another turn on each.
Back at the resort we met up with the rest of our party and were checked in by an amiable cruise line representative. We again boarded a handicapped- accessible bus, bound for Port Canaveral, home base for Disney Cruises. Usually checking aboard ship can be a daunting experience, especially with the stringent security measures now in effect, but this can be expedited by pre-registering on-line. You can even make dinner reservations and book shore excursions before leaving home, avoiding line-ups and expediting getting settled aboard to enjoy an afternoon swim, buffet lunch and the pre-sailing festivities.
The "Disney Magic", constructed in Italy in 1997, is an attractive, classically styled vessel, quite dissimilar to the floating boxes many lines operate. Its design was inspired by the cruise ships of yesteryear, but with modern flourishes . Fantasia Mickey is depicted in gold on the ship's bow and a bigger than life Goofy hangs off the stern adding some finishing touches to the vessel's trim.
As families board the ship they are announced in stentorian tones on entering the immense lobby of the "Magic". A huge Christmas tree graced the foyer. On our left was a bronze statue of Mickey Mouse as an oil-slickered ship's skipper at the helm, located just in front of the opulent entrance to the French-themed "Lumiere's" restaurant.
Our accommodations were two deluxe ocean-view staterooms adjacent to one another and next to the elevators. There are also special cabins available for those who are completely wheel chair bound, which we did not require. Each of our staterooms was roomy with two port holes, a queen-sized bed and a sofa-equipped sitting area which could be converted to bunk beds to accommodate two children. These areas could be separated by a curtain. There were two bathrooms, one equipped with a sink, tub and shower and the other with a sink and toilet, a blessed combination when dealing with the family's morning ablutions. We decided Ariana should bunk down in our cabin, while Meaghan stayed next door with grandma.
As expected there were scads of children of all ages aboard the vessel. We had pre-registered Ariana for the Oceaneers' Club, in the group tailored for the five to seven-year-olds. Imagine our surprise to find her counsellor was from Nova Scotia. Kids often spend hours in these clubs and frequently they're having so much fun it's a fight to get them back. There is a stringent identification process including a password to retrieve the kids, so Mom and Dad can spend a few hours in the adult only sections of the ship knowing the little ones are in safe hands. Meaghan quickly made a passel of new friends in the teen club (no adults allowed unless accompanied by a teen) located in one of the two mouse-ear adorned stacks of the "Magic".
The ship's engines were soon throbbing and we were underway, headed south for two days of at sea before arrival at our first destination, St. Martin. We had dinner reservations at the second sitting, 8:00 pm. Don't be concerned if you little one gets hunger pangs before this as there is 24 hour complimentary room service as well as scads of places aboard where guests can find an off-hours snack. Besides, with the stunning entertainment preceding dinner your little ones may forget to be hungry. I've cruised several other lines and have never seen entertainment approaching the quality of Disney's. In the course of the week we had four blow-out extravaganzas featuring an array of Disney characters, with Broadway caliber special effects including fireworks. In the production, "Twice Charmed", Cinderella's wicked stepmother and stepsisters get a second chance at the Prince, thanks to, who else, a wicked Fairy God Father.
Unlike most cruise lines, dining rotates between three distinct restaurants, the Caribbean themed "Parrot's Cay", the "Animator's Palate" with its protean color-changing décor and the elegant "Lumieres". For a change, adults can book an intimate dinner at the" Palo", featuring gourmet Northern Italian cuisine. This requires a small surcharge but is well worth it. Be sure to book early.
Though the restaurants change, your seat mates and servers stay the same. Invariably our hosts in whatever capacity were helpful, friendly and courteous. Each family also has one special breakfast where Disney characters parade around, dancing and interacting with young (and sometimes not so young) guests. Disney characters are also spotted around the ship and Mickey, Donald , Goofy and friends are happy to pose for pictures.
So, what else do you do with two days at sea? Believe me, there's not enough time in the day. With the kids ensconced in their clubs, Krista and I had the opportunity to visit the spa, spending time in the "Rain Forest", a complex with steam rooms, saunas, aromatherapy chambers with complimentary herbal teas and cool beverages. Guests can also pamper themselves with massages and various other decadent treatments. You can even book a beachside massage in a cabana at Disney's private island.
We were lucky enough to have Disney's chief illustrator Don "Ducky" Williams aboard. He spoke to guests at several scheduled lectures, recounting his fascinating story of how he came to work for Disney. While speaking he drew 16-18 Disney characters for a free raffle at the end of his talk. Imagine the thrill of winning an original sketch by your favourite character, signed by Williams. He also gave personal drawing classes for the kids in their respective clubs (sorry, adults not allowed). In case you didn't win a drawing at the raffle, this gentle and personable artist stayed late after his dinner and did small sketches for guests of their favourite character. Families that are aboard ship over special holidays receive a signed limited edition print by Williams commemorating that event.
Being a bit of an art aficionado I had a lot of fun attending Park West's on board art auctions (it had nothing to do with the free martinis!). The three auctions featured works as varied as Rembrandt and Picasso etchings, a Salvador Dali/Walt Disney collaboration (Dali considered Disney one of America's three most important surrealist artists), Disney works (including those of "Ducky" Williams) and pieces by other respected artists. Chris and Amy, the married couple who hosted the auctions were loads of fun with Amy doing a wicked Canadian accent (somewhat irking her Canadian husband).
Although I could have enjoyed a whole week spent at sea, we did stop at several Caribbean Islands. Activities ranged from island tours to days at the beach to plunging 100 feet down into the Caribbean Sea aboard a real submarine or in SCUBA gear. Arriving at the harbour of Philipsburg at St. Martin, we were auspiciously greeted by a rainbow arching over the town. For our excursion we had chosen a grandma-friendly bus tour of the island. First stop was on the French side for an hour at a butterfly farm. This was a hit with everyone, with multihued Lepidoptera filling the enclosure, often alighting on visitors. We proceeded on to the French capital of Marigot. The bus nicely accommodated Bonnie's scooter which she was able to use at all our stops.
A best buy in Marigot is a bottle of the island's famous Guavaberry Liqueur. Skip the two slickly packaged mass market brands and buy the hand painted bottles which are produced on the French side. Though similar in price the latter is handcrafted by an entrepreneur left jobless by a 1995 hurricane which ravaged the island. It is produced in smaller quantities and tastes a lot better.
Returning to Philipsburg, capital of the Dutch side, visitors can sightsee some of the old colonial architecture, shop fort duty free bargains or laze on the beach which runs along the front of the town. Return to the "Magic" on foot, by cab or by water taxi. I recommend the latter for its views. While in Philipsburg I bought my father's Christmas present, a Citizen EcoDrive watch, for about one-third its price in Canada.
Next morning found us docking at St. Thomas, again greeted by rainbows (does Disney arrange these?). Formerly belonging to Denmark the island was purchased almost one hundred years ago by the United States. Its capital, Charlotte Amalie, is also a duty free shopping haven with (relatively) inexpensive gold, diamonds, linens and other luxury goods. We chose an island tour which took us to the highest peak of the island. At almost 2000 feet altitude this gave us a panoramic view of St. Thomas and our vessel. We next visited a marine park where Ariana and Meaghan got to pet sharks (small ones), feed stingrays, admire large, friendly iguanas and descend down to the level of the offshore reef without even getting wet. Magen's Bay is a popular beach area and unlike on St. Martin those on the beach are generally wearing clothing. Another popular option is to take a ferry to the nearby island of St. John, two-thirds of which is national park, dotted with ruined Danish sugar plantations and picture postcard beaches.
After passing another day at sea we docked at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas. Anchored near us was the "Flying Dutchman", the ghost ship featured in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. The vessel is moored here when not busy terrifying the high seas and looks creepy, even in broad daylight. Jack Sparrow, the ghost ship's nemesis, was nearby greeting us on the beach and no doubt closely watching his old enemy.
Castaway Cay is the only cruise-line-owned private island which has its own docking facilities. This avoids a scooter-unfriendly tender ride, which was fortunate as there is a fair amount of ground to be covered on shore. A paved walkway allowed Bonnie to easily reach the beach and we found a palm-shaded nook to pass away the afternoon. There are many activities available at Castaway Cay, including parasailing, jet skiing and kayaking, but the most adventurous thing I did all day was to rent a bicycle for a leisurely pedal around the islet. The rest of the party rested, read, dabbled in the salt water and generally had a relaxing, sun filled afternoon (note: bring lots of SPF 30 sun screen).
In preparation for the next day's disembarkation the evening's entertainment feature was: "Remember the Magic: A Final Farewell". Well, I don't think the farewell will be all that final. As we disembarked the next morning Grandma said she wanted to come back again next year, a sentiment heartily endorsed by the rest of us.
