Today is the last day that my daughter is under 2. I could be sad that my girl is growing up so quickly, but I am just so overwhelmed with happiness that Emersyn has grown into a beautiful, thriving, amazing little girl. I completely worship the ground she walks on and am so blessed by her every moment. We rented a jump and bounce space for her little birthday party and she had a blast. Jumping and sliding with no fear, and giggling like crazy with all the fun she was having.
2 years ago tomorrow, Emersyn came into the world. Our girl couldn't breathe, function, eat or cry. Even the simplest of cries or whimpers, a small wail to let us know she was ok, wasn't possible. She was without a doubt the smallest and weakest being I had ever laid eyes on. She started her life that way, but that's not the way I see her, as I think back on that time and reflect. Emersyn fought for her life and proved just how strong she truly is. I look at her now and am overcome with emotion as I remember the condition she was in when she was born and every day thereafter that she spent in the NICU. That 2lb 3oz baby has grown into a laughing, talking and walking toddler. She eats everything on her plate and then mooches food from our plates. She is the most opinionated and demanding little thing and wants what she wants when she wants it. She runs and plays as if she could never be stopped. She is very chatty and often repeats what we say. Hearing her say momma is the sweetest music to my ears.We spend a lot of time going to the park, and she has to test every swing, go down the biggest slide, and say hi to every kid she sees. At bedtime, we sit with her in her rocking chair and read books. She loves any book with a moom-moom in it (moon). Before putting her in her crib with Daisy, Mickey and Minnie, she gives me a sweet kiss and says ni-night momma. I turn on her night-light with stars and a moon and tell her that the moon and all of the stars shine for her. And in my mind they do, she is the brightest being in my world. I have an immeasurable love for her that I can't describe. She is our tiny miracle and our greatest joy. Two years ago could have been the most horrific day, but our darling girl turned it, and the rest of our lives, into a beautiful love story. I love you Emersyn, with all of my heart. Happy 2nd birthday to my baby girl!
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Disney Cruise 2012
We decided on a Disney Cruise out of Galveston, TX due to it's proximity to Dallas so we wouldn't have to purchase airfare. The Disney Magic sailed from Nov 3 - Nov 10.
Before You Go
Disney has a cruise website that allows you to book port adventures, spa times, adult dinners, and nursery hours so you can plan your trip in advance. Just make sure that you have your plan solidified if you book any of these things online, because you will get charged for everything you book 3 days prior to your sail date. When you first book your cruise, they mail you luggage tags along with a booklet of information. Make sure to read through it and also the guide online. You can purchase parking in advance as well, there are several options right next to the cruise terminal in Galveston. Ours was at Park & Cruise and cost $50 for 7 nights of parking. We drove from Dallas to Galveston the morning of the cruise sail date. Even on a Saturday morning, Houston traffic was awful though! I'm sure many people drove down/flew in the night before and stayed at a hotel to make sure they didn't miss the ship due to travel issues. Go to your family doctor and get the patch that goes behind your ear to prevent motion sickness. I have severe issues with motion sickness and got the patch, which worked wonderfully. Even if you think you won't have issues, bring Dramamine just in case. Sea-sickness is rotten so don't be a tough guy!
Boarding
The boarding process couldn't have been any easier. You can check in online and arrange a terminal arrival time a few days prior to your cruise sail date. They stagger arrival boarding times so it's not overwhelming when people get to the terminal and check in. Make sure to have your passports and all paperwork filled out!! A porter will meet you at your car when you arrive at the terminal. They will take the luggage you wish to check, it will be delivered to your stateroom a few hours after you board. Keep all medications, swimsuit, change of clothes, etc in your carry-ons so you can have instant access to it upon boarding. You will go through metal detectors and then wait in line for your check in. They will give everyone in your room a "Key to the World". This card is your stateroom entry card, on-board purchases card, drink card, getting on and off the ship card, etc so DON'T lose it! They take a quick picture of your face and attach it to your key, that way they can easily identify you for purchases, port adventures, etc. Once you've completed check in, you are ushered onto the ship. We dropped off out carry-ons in our stateroom and headed straight for lunch at a buffet.
Food
A huge highlight of the Disney experience is the food. You will arrange a dinner time (either 5:45pm or 8:30pm) when you book your cruise. If you have small children, do the early dinner seating. The Disney Magic has 2 buffet locations, 3 restaurants for dinner seatings, an adult exclusive restaurant, and 3 quick stations on the pool deck for pizza, burgers, and sandwiches.
The adults-only restaurant requires a reservation in advance and has an additional charge of $20 per person. We went to Palo once and it was lovely. Romantic atmosphere with great food and service. Pay attention to their dress-code, as they don't allow shorts, jeans, tank-tops, or flip-flops.
Lumiere's, Animator's Palate, and Parrot Cay are the dinner rotation restaurants for 5:45 or 8:30. You will receive a ticket at check-in that will give you your scheduled dinner rotation and table number. Your table number and waitstaff will remain the same throughout your trip. Every meal is themed and you order off of a menu. Island Fare, Italian Fare, French Fare, Princess/Prince Night, Pirates in the Caribbean Night, etc. The food is good and you can order whatever you'd like. They had vegetarian specific items which made me happy. There is also a children's menu and they will bring the kids food out immediately if you prefer. Breads, Salads, Soups, Main Courses, and Desserts. You can order alcohol for an additional charge.
The buffets (Topsiders & Parrot Cay) were full of a variety of foods sure to please everyone. They are open for breakfast and lunch, and Topsiders was a dinner option for those not wishing to do a sit-down meal. Breakfast buffets have the typical eggs, pancakes, waffles, toast, bagel, skillet potatoes, omelet station, cereals, yogurts and fruit. Lunch buffets were themed (bbq, mexican, seafood, italian, etc). Part of the buffet at Topsiders is towards the back, so make sure to check it out as they have a salad bar and sandwich station there. Desserts were plentiful.
Pinocchio's Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House and Goofy's Galley had varying times of operation (mostly during pool time and late night). If your kids are swimming and you don't want to do a buffet, you can order slices of pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fries, sandwiches, fresh fruit, etc. from these places and eat by the pool. They also have a self-serve ice-cream station.
My last note here is for parents with toddlers. They don't have a ton of snacks for toddlers so bring your own. I was disappointed that they didn't have cheerios available on the ship. You can order crackers from room service, but you'd be better suited to pack your own goldfish, crackers, and puffs. Fruit and yogurt are abundant, but many of the meats and dishes have seasoning and dressing on them so choose food for your toddler carefully.
Drinks & Alcohol
There is a 24-hour drink station located outside of Topsiders where you can get coffee, tea, whole milk, soft drinks and water for free. Don't order this stuff on room service because they will charge you (as I learned by ordering cartons of whole milk for our daughter). If you have a baby or toddler drinking whole milk, you can take extra cartons from the breakfast buffet and store them in your stateroom refrigerator. Or bring your bottles/kids cups to the 24 hour station and fill them up. You can get sodas and milk during meals for free too, but you'll pay extra anywhere else and with room service. The drinking water on the ship is safe, but I'm picky about the taste, so we ordered bottled waters to keep in our stateroom. 6 bottles was $10.50, so that might be something you bring in your carry-on. We also brought bottles of wine in our carry-ons. Alcohol has a huge price mark-up on the ship and you'll notice the prices are similar to restaurants and bars when you go out at home. You can bring your own wine on board but it has to be carried on. You can request a corkscrew and wine glasses from room service. I highly suggest opening the bottle before you take it to dinner. If the waitstaff has to open your bottle for you, there is a $20 charge per bottle. We saw several people bring their own wine bottles to dinner without any issues. We saved money by bringing some wine with us, but don't think we are penny-pinchers, as we also ordered drinks from several bars and at the pool and beach. They sell duty-free liquor in a shop on-board, so that is another option to lower your drinking costs. I think next time we agreed to bring beer too, aluminum bottles not glass, for poolside and late night drinks.
Stateroom
Having a port-hole window is the way to go. An interior room is cheaper, but you run the risk of sea-sickness without a view outside. You can also get a stateroom with a balcony, but we decided against that with a toddler. Our room was adjoining to the Grandparent's room which was convenient! Don't bother bringing a hairdryer...the outlets aren't compatible. They provide a dryer, but good luck round-brushing your hair with that thing. We had a toilet with a sink in one compartment and a shower with a sink in another compartment. Great for families when getting ready. We had a large bed, pull-out couch, flat screen tv, refrigerator, large closet, several dressers, etc. Since we were bringing our 20 month old daughter, we called ahead to request a pack n play and diaper genie. We also brought a fan (we always sleep with a fan to block out noise) which was wise considering the kids next door were noisy. We checked out a bottle warmer and bottle sanitizer from Guest Services. Each had a $50 deposit associated with it, but it goes back to you when you return them on the last day. One thing I wish I had remembered was a bottle brush and dish soap to clean the bottles completely! We also brought our own compact stroller for carting baby around, but you can check one out at Guest Services. All these things are on a first come/first serve basis so secure them immediately upon boarding. Blackout curtains for the porthole were key in helping our daughter rest.There is also a curtain you can pull between the couch area and bed area, so little ones can have a secluded sleep area. The tv moves to either area so you can still watch while kids sleep. The tv is satellite so most of it is movies. Madagascar 3, Hocus Pocus, Disney Pixar, Disney Classics, Men in Black 3, Mission Impossible, The Vow, Spiderman, etc. play on repeat, plus they have a few news stations and music. Don't expect to be watching your favorite shows on-board...DVR them at home!
Room Service
The room service menu is decent if you can't or don't want to leave your room. Most of the menu is free of charge and takes 30 minutes to be delivered. Breakfast is all cold items like cereal, fruit, yogurt. You can order pizza, sandwiches and a few main courses, but they really didn't have much. You can order popcorn, snacks, and sodas, beer or wine but you will get charged for it. Tip is not included so make sure you have cash with you.
Waitstaff
There is one staff member for every two guests on-board. Incredible service. You will constantly have people asking you if you need anything, giving you directions, cleaning your mess, serving you food. During meals you will have a head server, food server and drink server. You will also have a stateroom manager. They will call you by name and remember what your likes and dislikes. Ours were fantastic and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we wanted. Our stateroom manager had to clean up puke several times and did it with a smile (we tipped him extra!). He said it was a requirement when interviewing. He cleaned our room in the morning and then refreshed our room during turn-down service. Please be prepared to reward these staff members for excellent service. The suggested tips are automatically added to your card unless you wish to reduce or increase the amount at Guest Services. The suggested amount is as follows (each child counts as a guest too):
Head Server: $7 per guest
Food Server: $28 per guest
Drink Server: $21 per guest
Stateroom Manager : $28 per guest
Please tip them accordingly...they will wait on you for 7 nights and depend on tips. They go above and beyond to make sure you are happy and should be rewarded for their service. We increased our stateroom managers tip as he was really good. Plan on paying ahead of time and allot your trip funds for this expense so it won't be a surprise at the end.
Spa & Exercise
We did a couples massage at the beginning of our cruise. It was very relaxing and lasted 50 minutes. The cost was $120 per person, tip is extra. We were glad we did a massage before spending several days in the sun as it may have hurt to have someone rubbing on your burned skin. They will try to give a weak sell afterwards about buying lotions from them, but just say "no thanks" and be on your way. The spa has all sorts of services and you can book at any time. There is also a hair salon and a fitness zone with treadmills, elipticals, weights, etc which is free of charge. The promenade on deck 4 is for those wishing to walk or run. It is outdoors and loops all the way around the ship.
Pools on Board
The ship has 3 pools. The adults-only pool is the Quiet Cove at the front of the ship. There are 2 hot tubs, a bar, coffee cafe, drink service, showers and plenty of lounge chairs both in the sun and in the shade. You will see a lot of adults reading books and drinking mai-tais while they listen to elevator music. Each afternoon features live music as well. The pool water is very cold though. The Goofy Pool is the main pool for kids and activities. There is a mega-screen tv playing Disney movies at all times and music or a dj dance party daily. Lounge chairs are quickly gone, but they have tons of tables and chairs alongside this area. You are not allowed to save chairs at any of the pools, or so they say. The Mickey Pool features a water-slide and is for smaller children. Children wearing swim diapers or not toilet-trained are NOT allowed in this pool. It had to be closed several times to be cleaned due to accidents in the pool. There is a water fountain feature area for toddlers right by the Mickey Pool which is the only area they allow swim-diapered children. I saw several children in this area with regular diapers or no diaper at all, gross. Make sure to tell a staff member if you see this (I wish I had!). They really needed a staff member monitoring this fountain area at all times.
Nursery
The Flounders Reef Nursery was open daily from 9am until 10pm and cost $6 per hour. You can make a reservation here for your child under 3 yrs old anytime (even online before your cruise begins). You can cancel 4 hours ahead at no charge but otherwise you will incur a 50% charge. We reserved time for our daughter on "At Sea: days so we could go to the adult pool and relax. We also did one night at the adults-only dinner so she went to the nursery. They are very nice and good with kids. From what we experienced, the caregivers were all women with English or Austrailian accents. My fear was safety, but it is secure and safe. Your child will be checked in allowing for you to provide any special instructions. They can give your child snacks, naps, and if you leave diapers and wipes, they will do that as well. They require a secret password (that you set ahead of time) when you return to pick up your child. They don't allow sick children to come in, and they will also call you to pick up your child if they are disruptive or unsettled. You are provided with 2 cordless phones in your stateroom, so make sure you carry these with you, especially if they need to get a hold of you while you are out and about on the ship. There are other clubs for different age groups all the way up to 18yrs old, but since we only have a toddler I can't comment from experience with those. We did peek inside the Oceaneer Club and the kids seemed to be having a good time.
Activities
Abundant activities provide for all ages of guests on the ship. Toddler play times, movies and shows playing in 2 theaters, evening magic and comedy shows, live music, bingo, cooking classes, tween and teen clubs, games, tours, dance parties, wine tastings, meet the captain, crafts for adults and kids...you name it, they have it planned. Every morning, a cruise navigator packet will be delivered to your door detailing the times for all the day's activities and events. One thing we loved was Mickey's Breakfast Jam! You will be scheduled automatically for this breakfast on one of your cruise days...don't miss it. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Chip make appearances and come to every table for photo opportunities. Character appearances are scheduled around noon time and dinner times. Show up promptly and be prepared to wait in line to have your child's picture taken with characters. Princesses, Mickey and Minnie, Captain Hook, Daisy and Donald Duck, Chip and Dale, and more. They do professional pictures at these appearances and you can buy the pictures at the photo studio on-board. They are pricey at $20 for an 8x10 but definitely worth it for a few good pictures. They also have several opportunities for family photos before dinner times. Wish we would have done this for formal night or something.
Port Adventures
Port Adventures can be booked online ahead of your cruise to ensure a spot on your desired activity on land. Reminder that you will be charged 3 days prior to your sail date even if you cancel your adventure. You can also book port adventures at a kiosk on-board, even on the day of the adventure given spots are still available. We did a beach break on Grand Cayman which was $35 per person (children under 3yrs old were free). It included bus transfers to and from the beach, lounge chairs with umbrella, and a drink ticket for one bottle of water per person. Had we thought about it ahead of time or been more familiar with the island, we probably would've just planned our own adventure to the beach for a cheaper day. The beach break was 5 hours long, so we had to get a taxi back to the ship when our 20 month old daughter was tired. My husband and in-laws went on a catamaran and snorkeling adventure at Costa Maya which was $60 per person, and they had fun. We had planned a beach break in Cozumel for $66 per person including lunch, but we were informed that morning that there was a red flag warning due to the rough seas so no one would be allowed to enter the ocean. We were given the option for a full refund on that excursion, some people still went though. We hopped in a cab ($16 each way) and went to Mr. Sancho's resort. I saw it in a map pamphlet once we were in port and thought it sounded ok. No entrance fee for beach access at Mr. Sanchos and they serve food and drinks for a decent price. You can use the lounge chairs and tables for free, you can pay extra to rent an umbrella for shade or a covered cabana. They tried to up-sell us on the $50 per person all-inclusive day, which meant food and access to an exclusive pool, but we declined since we were only planning to be there for a few hours.
Port Adventures arranged through the cruise ship are a good idea, and they are guaranteed to wait for you to return to the ship before they leave port. Go on your own excursion only if you are familiar with the area and are planning to return well before the ship leaves port. You don't want to ship to leave without you!!
Other Notes
Our daughter got sick on-board several times and towards the end she couldn't keep anything down. I checked the shops for Pedialyte, but had no luck. Guest Services only had the colored Pedialyte freezer pops, so I had to settle on trying those. Have Pedialyte packed if you have a little one!
We brought a suitcase filled with our daughter's toys and supplies. She loved having some of her own toys to play with in our stateroom. Of course, they have a store where you can buy Disney merchandise and we definitely spoiled her there. We brought her sippy-cups and bottles along, plus diapers, swim diapers and wipes. They provided the crib sheet for the pack n play, but I do wish I would have brought some of our daughter's blankets. I forgot her sleep-sack too which was a major bummer.
Before You Go
Disney has a cruise website that allows you to book port adventures, spa times, adult dinners, and nursery hours so you can plan your trip in advance. Just make sure that you have your plan solidified if you book any of these things online, because you will get charged for everything you book 3 days prior to your sail date. When you first book your cruise, they mail you luggage tags along with a booklet of information. Make sure to read through it and also the guide online. You can purchase parking in advance as well, there are several options right next to the cruise terminal in Galveston. Ours was at Park & Cruise and cost $50 for 7 nights of parking. We drove from Dallas to Galveston the morning of the cruise sail date. Even on a Saturday morning, Houston traffic was awful though! I'm sure many people drove down/flew in the night before and stayed at a hotel to make sure they didn't miss the ship due to travel issues. Go to your family doctor and get the patch that goes behind your ear to prevent motion sickness. I have severe issues with motion sickness and got the patch, which worked wonderfully. Even if you think you won't have issues, bring Dramamine just in case. Sea-sickness is rotten so don't be a tough guy!
Boarding
The boarding process couldn't have been any easier. You can check in online and arrange a terminal arrival time a few days prior to your cruise sail date. They stagger arrival boarding times so it's not overwhelming when people get to the terminal and check in. Make sure to have your passports and all paperwork filled out!! A porter will meet you at your car when you arrive at the terminal. They will take the luggage you wish to check, it will be delivered to your stateroom a few hours after you board. Keep all medications, swimsuit, change of clothes, etc in your carry-ons so you can have instant access to it upon boarding. You will go through metal detectors and then wait in line for your check in. They will give everyone in your room a "Key to the World". This card is your stateroom entry card, on-board purchases card, drink card, getting on and off the ship card, etc so DON'T lose it! They take a quick picture of your face and attach it to your key, that way they can easily identify you for purchases, port adventures, etc. Once you've completed check in, you are ushered onto the ship. We dropped off out carry-ons in our stateroom and headed straight for lunch at a buffet.
Food
A huge highlight of the Disney experience is the food. You will arrange a dinner time (either 5:45pm or 8:30pm) when you book your cruise. If you have small children, do the early dinner seating. The Disney Magic has 2 buffet locations, 3 restaurants for dinner seatings, an adult exclusive restaurant, and 3 quick stations on the pool deck for pizza, burgers, and sandwiches.
The adults-only restaurant requires a reservation in advance and has an additional charge of $20 per person. We went to Palo once and it was lovely. Romantic atmosphere with great food and service. Pay attention to their dress-code, as they don't allow shorts, jeans, tank-tops, or flip-flops.
Lumiere's, Animator's Palate, and Parrot Cay are the dinner rotation restaurants for 5:45 or 8:30. You will receive a ticket at check-in that will give you your scheduled dinner rotation and table number. Your table number and waitstaff will remain the same throughout your trip. Every meal is themed and you order off of a menu. Island Fare, Italian Fare, French Fare, Princess/Prince Night, Pirates in the Caribbean Night, etc. The food is good and you can order whatever you'd like. They had vegetarian specific items which made me happy. There is also a children's menu and they will bring the kids food out immediately if you prefer. Breads, Salads, Soups, Main Courses, and Desserts. You can order alcohol for an additional charge.
The buffets (Topsiders & Parrot Cay) were full of a variety of foods sure to please everyone. They are open for breakfast and lunch, and Topsiders was a dinner option for those not wishing to do a sit-down meal. Breakfast buffets have the typical eggs, pancakes, waffles, toast, bagel, skillet potatoes, omelet station, cereals, yogurts and fruit. Lunch buffets were themed (bbq, mexican, seafood, italian, etc). Part of the buffet at Topsiders is towards the back, so make sure to check it out as they have a salad bar and sandwich station there. Desserts were plentiful.
Pinocchio's Pizzeria, Pluto's Dog House and Goofy's Galley had varying times of operation (mostly during pool time and late night). If your kids are swimming and you don't want to do a buffet, you can order slices of pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fries, sandwiches, fresh fruit, etc. from these places and eat by the pool. They also have a self-serve ice-cream station.
My last note here is for parents with toddlers. They don't have a ton of snacks for toddlers so bring your own. I was disappointed that they didn't have cheerios available on the ship. You can order crackers from room service, but you'd be better suited to pack your own goldfish, crackers, and puffs. Fruit and yogurt are abundant, but many of the meats and dishes have seasoning and dressing on them so choose food for your toddler carefully.
Drinks & Alcohol
There is a 24-hour drink station located outside of Topsiders where you can get coffee, tea, whole milk, soft drinks and water for free. Don't order this stuff on room service because they will charge you (as I learned by ordering cartons of whole milk for our daughter). If you have a baby or toddler drinking whole milk, you can take extra cartons from the breakfast buffet and store them in your stateroom refrigerator. Or bring your bottles/kids cups to the 24 hour station and fill them up. You can get sodas and milk during meals for free too, but you'll pay extra anywhere else and with room service. The drinking water on the ship is safe, but I'm picky about the taste, so we ordered bottled waters to keep in our stateroom. 6 bottles was $10.50, so that might be something you bring in your carry-on. We also brought bottles of wine in our carry-ons. Alcohol has a huge price mark-up on the ship and you'll notice the prices are similar to restaurants and bars when you go out at home. You can bring your own wine on board but it has to be carried on. You can request a corkscrew and wine glasses from room service. I highly suggest opening the bottle before you take it to dinner. If the waitstaff has to open your bottle for you, there is a $20 charge per bottle. We saw several people bring their own wine bottles to dinner without any issues. We saved money by bringing some wine with us, but don't think we are penny-pinchers, as we also ordered drinks from several bars and at the pool and beach. They sell duty-free liquor in a shop on-board, so that is another option to lower your drinking costs. I think next time we agreed to bring beer too, aluminum bottles not glass, for poolside and late night drinks.
Stateroom
Having a port-hole window is the way to go. An interior room is cheaper, but you run the risk of sea-sickness without a view outside. You can also get a stateroom with a balcony, but we decided against that with a toddler. Our room was adjoining to the Grandparent's room which was convenient! Don't bother bringing a hairdryer...the outlets aren't compatible. They provide a dryer, but good luck round-brushing your hair with that thing. We had a toilet with a sink in one compartment and a shower with a sink in another compartment. Great for families when getting ready. We had a large bed, pull-out couch, flat screen tv, refrigerator, large closet, several dressers, etc. Since we were bringing our 20 month old daughter, we called ahead to request a pack n play and diaper genie. We also brought a fan (we always sleep with a fan to block out noise) which was wise considering the kids next door were noisy. We checked out a bottle warmer and bottle sanitizer from Guest Services. Each had a $50 deposit associated with it, but it goes back to you when you return them on the last day. One thing I wish I had remembered was a bottle brush and dish soap to clean the bottles completely! We also brought our own compact stroller for carting baby around, but you can check one out at Guest Services. All these things are on a first come/first serve basis so secure them immediately upon boarding. Blackout curtains for the porthole were key in helping our daughter rest.There is also a curtain you can pull between the couch area and bed area, so little ones can have a secluded sleep area. The tv moves to either area so you can still watch while kids sleep. The tv is satellite so most of it is movies. Madagascar 3, Hocus Pocus, Disney Pixar, Disney Classics, Men in Black 3, Mission Impossible, The Vow, Spiderman, etc. play on repeat, plus they have a few news stations and music. Don't expect to be watching your favorite shows on-board...DVR them at home!
Room Service
The room service menu is decent if you can't or don't want to leave your room. Most of the menu is free of charge and takes 30 minutes to be delivered. Breakfast is all cold items like cereal, fruit, yogurt. You can order pizza, sandwiches and a few main courses, but they really didn't have much. You can order popcorn, snacks, and sodas, beer or wine but you will get charged for it. Tip is not included so make sure you have cash with you.
Waitstaff
There is one staff member for every two guests on-board. Incredible service. You will constantly have people asking you if you need anything, giving you directions, cleaning your mess, serving you food. During meals you will have a head server, food server and drink server. You will also have a stateroom manager. They will call you by name and remember what your likes and dislikes. Ours were fantastic and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we wanted. Our stateroom manager had to clean up puke several times and did it with a smile (we tipped him extra!). He said it was a requirement when interviewing. He cleaned our room in the morning and then refreshed our room during turn-down service. Please be prepared to reward these staff members for excellent service. The suggested tips are automatically added to your card unless you wish to reduce or increase the amount at Guest Services. The suggested amount is as follows (each child counts as a guest too):
Head Server: $7 per guest
Food Server: $28 per guest
Drink Server: $21 per guest
Stateroom Manager : $28 per guest
Please tip them accordingly...they will wait on you for 7 nights and depend on tips. They go above and beyond to make sure you are happy and should be rewarded for their service. We increased our stateroom managers tip as he was really good. Plan on paying ahead of time and allot your trip funds for this expense so it won't be a surprise at the end.
Spa & Exercise
We did a couples massage at the beginning of our cruise. It was very relaxing and lasted 50 minutes. The cost was $120 per person, tip is extra. We were glad we did a massage before spending several days in the sun as it may have hurt to have someone rubbing on your burned skin. They will try to give a weak sell afterwards about buying lotions from them, but just say "no thanks" and be on your way. The spa has all sorts of services and you can book at any time. There is also a hair salon and a fitness zone with treadmills, elipticals, weights, etc which is free of charge. The promenade on deck 4 is for those wishing to walk or run. It is outdoors and loops all the way around the ship.
Pools on Board
The ship has 3 pools. The adults-only pool is the Quiet Cove at the front of the ship. There are 2 hot tubs, a bar, coffee cafe, drink service, showers and plenty of lounge chairs both in the sun and in the shade. You will see a lot of adults reading books and drinking mai-tais while they listen to elevator music. Each afternoon features live music as well. The pool water is very cold though. The Goofy Pool is the main pool for kids and activities. There is a mega-screen tv playing Disney movies at all times and music or a dj dance party daily. Lounge chairs are quickly gone, but they have tons of tables and chairs alongside this area. You are not allowed to save chairs at any of the pools, or so they say. The Mickey Pool features a water-slide and is for smaller children. Children wearing swim diapers or not toilet-trained are NOT allowed in this pool. It had to be closed several times to be cleaned due to accidents in the pool. There is a water fountain feature area for toddlers right by the Mickey Pool which is the only area they allow swim-diapered children. I saw several children in this area with regular diapers or no diaper at all, gross. Make sure to tell a staff member if you see this (I wish I had!). They really needed a staff member monitoring this fountain area at all times.
Nursery
The Flounders Reef Nursery was open daily from 9am until 10pm and cost $6 per hour. You can make a reservation here for your child under 3 yrs old anytime (even online before your cruise begins). You can cancel 4 hours ahead at no charge but otherwise you will incur a 50% charge. We reserved time for our daughter on "At Sea: days so we could go to the adult pool and relax. We also did one night at the adults-only dinner so she went to the nursery. They are very nice and good with kids. From what we experienced, the caregivers were all women with English or Austrailian accents. My fear was safety, but it is secure and safe. Your child will be checked in allowing for you to provide any special instructions. They can give your child snacks, naps, and if you leave diapers and wipes, they will do that as well. They require a secret password (that you set ahead of time) when you return to pick up your child. They don't allow sick children to come in, and they will also call you to pick up your child if they are disruptive or unsettled. You are provided with 2 cordless phones in your stateroom, so make sure you carry these with you, especially if they need to get a hold of you while you are out and about on the ship. There are other clubs for different age groups all the way up to 18yrs old, but since we only have a toddler I can't comment from experience with those. We did peek inside the Oceaneer Club and the kids seemed to be having a good time.
Activities
Abundant activities provide for all ages of guests on the ship. Toddler play times, movies and shows playing in 2 theaters, evening magic and comedy shows, live music, bingo, cooking classes, tween and teen clubs, games, tours, dance parties, wine tastings, meet the captain, crafts for adults and kids...you name it, they have it planned. Every morning, a cruise navigator packet will be delivered to your door detailing the times for all the day's activities and events. One thing we loved was Mickey's Breakfast Jam! You will be scheduled automatically for this breakfast on one of your cruise days...don't miss it. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Chip make appearances and come to every table for photo opportunities. Character appearances are scheduled around noon time and dinner times. Show up promptly and be prepared to wait in line to have your child's picture taken with characters. Princesses, Mickey and Minnie, Captain Hook, Daisy and Donald Duck, Chip and Dale, and more. They do professional pictures at these appearances and you can buy the pictures at the photo studio on-board. They are pricey at $20 for an 8x10 but definitely worth it for a few good pictures. They also have several opportunities for family photos before dinner times. Wish we would have done this for formal night or something.
Port Adventures
Port Adventures can be booked online ahead of your cruise to ensure a spot on your desired activity on land. Reminder that you will be charged 3 days prior to your sail date even if you cancel your adventure. You can also book port adventures at a kiosk on-board, even on the day of the adventure given spots are still available. We did a beach break on Grand Cayman which was $35 per person (children under 3yrs old were free). It included bus transfers to and from the beach, lounge chairs with umbrella, and a drink ticket for one bottle of water per person. Had we thought about it ahead of time or been more familiar with the island, we probably would've just planned our own adventure to the beach for a cheaper day. The beach break was 5 hours long, so we had to get a taxi back to the ship when our 20 month old daughter was tired. My husband and in-laws went on a catamaran and snorkeling adventure at Costa Maya which was $60 per person, and they had fun. We had planned a beach break in Cozumel for $66 per person including lunch, but we were informed that morning that there was a red flag warning due to the rough seas so no one would be allowed to enter the ocean. We were given the option for a full refund on that excursion, some people still went though. We hopped in a cab ($16 each way) and went to Mr. Sancho's resort. I saw it in a map pamphlet once we were in port and thought it sounded ok. No entrance fee for beach access at Mr. Sanchos and they serve food and drinks for a decent price. You can use the lounge chairs and tables for free, you can pay extra to rent an umbrella for shade or a covered cabana. They tried to up-sell us on the $50 per person all-inclusive day, which meant food and access to an exclusive pool, but we declined since we were only planning to be there for a few hours.
Port Adventures arranged through the cruise ship are a good idea, and they are guaranteed to wait for you to return to the ship before they leave port. Go on your own excursion only if you are familiar with the area and are planning to return well before the ship leaves port. You don't want to ship to leave without you!!
Other Notes
Our daughter got sick on-board several times and towards the end she couldn't keep anything down. I checked the shops for Pedialyte, but had no luck. Guest Services only had the colored Pedialyte freezer pops, so I had to settle on trying those. Have Pedialyte packed if you have a little one!
We brought a suitcase filled with our daughter's toys and supplies. She loved having some of her own toys to play with in our stateroom. Of course, they have a store where you can buy Disney merchandise and we definitely spoiled her there. We brought her sippy-cups and bottles along, plus diapers, swim diapers and wipes. They provided the crib sheet for the pack n play, but I do wish I would have brought some of our daughter's blankets. I forgot her sleep-sack too which was a major bummer.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
3/17/11
Today, my baby girl is one month old. An entire month has flown by! She is such a strong girl and I feel so incredibly blessed that she is ours. She has been gaining weight and is now up to 3lbs 5ozs. That's quite a dramatic jump from her 2lb 3oz birth weight. I can tell she looks different, her face has become round and her body has gone from wrinkly to filled out. She is doing so well on her feedings and the doctors continue to increase her feeding amounts so she can get the calories she needs to grow. She went up a diaper size from teeny tiny to tiny (lol), she got switched to a nasal canula from vapotherm, and all the nurses that take care of her say how much she's grown since the last time they saw her.
Being that today is her one month birthday, so many thoughts and emotions run through my mind. Many of them take me back to scary times...the fear I felt when my water broke in the middle of the night, being told I would have to stay in the hospital on bedrest until she was born, the stress of being on bedrest for 9 days and constantly losing water, the feeling of complete desperation while having severe contractions on the day of her birth and knowing it was too early for her to come, being so incredibly worried about whether or not she would live during and soon after giving birth to her, trying to figure out the NICU and actually living here, her 3 blood transfusions, feeding intolerances and bowel issues, breathing support machines, monitors beeping constantly, jaundice, x-rays every morning, IVs and PICC lines in and out. I've watched her fight for her life on a daily basis and felt so helpless as I wait for other people to care for her since I can't do anything to help make it better. It has been very trying and difficult to have my baby in this situation, wanting to take away her pain, wishing she wouldn't have been born so soon, hoping her health issues down the road are minimal, wondering when she will be able to come home with us.
The past month has been hard, but I know that with the bad comes the good...the excitement I felt when we found out it was a girl, imagining how cute she would be and she followed through more than I could've ever expected, seeing her face and touching her head and feet to soothe her, holding her little body on my chest for the first time and everytime since then, watching her open those beautiful eyes, her finger holding onto mine, hearing the doctors talk about her positive progress, realizing how strong of a little girl she truly is, being able to be here in the NICU for her constantly, trusting the doctors and nurses who are fully capable of keeping her safe, watching my husband with her and knowing she has him wrapped around her tiny little finger (both of us actually). I couldn't have asked for more.
I now understand what it means to be a Mom, to want to give everything you have for your child. I'd trade places with her in an instant if I could. Becoming a Mom has led us down a different and more difficult road than I thought we'd be on, but it is the road we are on together. It gets better every day because she makes it better. She keeps us going. I stay strong for her because I know how hard she is fighting to survive...and I am fighting right along with her. I've never seen a face more beautiful than hers. I never thought I could feel so complete.
Happy one month birthday to my sweet baby girl! I love her so much and I am so grateful for her. She is a true gift from heaven above!!!
Being that today is her one month birthday, so many thoughts and emotions run through my mind. Many of them take me back to scary times...the fear I felt when my water broke in the middle of the night, being told I would have to stay in the hospital on bedrest until she was born, the stress of being on bedrest for 9 days and constantly losing water, the feeling of complete desperation while having severe contractions on the day of her birth and knowing it was too early for her to come, being so incredibly worried about whether or not she would live during and soon after giving birth to her, trying to figure out the NICU and actually living here, her 3 blood transfusions, feeding intolerances and bowel issues, breathing support machines, monitors beeping constantly, jaundice, x-rays every morning, IVs and PICC lines in and out. I've watched her fight for her life on a daily basis and felt so helpless as I wait for other people to care for her since I can't do anything to help make it better. It has been very trying and difficult to have my baby in this situation, wanting to take away her pain, wishing she wouldn't have been born so soon, hoping her health issues down the road are minimal, wondering when she will be able to come home with us.
The past month has been hard, but I know that with the bad comes the good...the excitement I felt when we found out it was a girl, imagining how cute she would be and she followed through more than I could've ever expected, seeing her face and touching her head and feet to soothe her, holding her little body on my chest for the first time and everytime since then, watching her open those beautiful eyes, her finger holding onto mine, hearing the doctors talk about her positive progress, realizing how strong of a little girl she truly is, being able to be here in the NICU for her constantly, trusting the doctors and nurses who are fully capable of keeping her safe, watching my husband with her and knowing she has him wrapped around her tiny little finger (both of us actually). I couldn't have asked for more.
I now understand what it means to be a Mom, to want to give everything you have for your child. I'd trade places with her in an instant if I could. Becoming a Mom has led us down a different and more difficult road than I thought we'd be on, but it is the road we are on together. It gets better every day because she makes it better. She keeps us going. I stay strong for her because I know how hard she is fighting to survive...and I am fighting right along with her. I've never seen a face more beautiful than hers. I never thought I could feel so complete.
Happy one month birthday to my sweet baby girl! I love her so much and I am so grateful for her. She is a true gift from heaven above!!!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
3/10/11
Emersyn is 3 weeks old today. It's amazing to me that I gave birth 3 weeks ago. On one hand, 3 weeks seems like so long ago and so much has happened since then, but the drama and emotion from that day are still so fresh in my mind. Our ride on the rollercoaster continues. She had some difficulty with feeds for a few days due to a bowel distention on x-ray so the feedings were stopped. The doctor resumed her feedings yesterday after the x-ray looked ok, and she seems to be doing better. This morning she was given an enema to help get her bowels moving. Probably wasn't a good idea for me to do kangaroo care right afterwards. I held her for almost 3 hours, and when the nurse took her off my chest there was poop on me and her diaper was full. I was glad the enema helped rather than being grossed out. Won't be the last time she poops on me either so guess I better get used to it! Brian's Dad is still here and his sister Kym flew in last night from New Mexico. My first time to meet his sister and Kym's first time to meet Em. My family is all out of town for the most part (parents and 2 sisters/fam in Orlando and another sister/fam in Grand Cayman). It has been nice to have Brian's family here.
We've taken a few breaks from the hospital for meals and showering, but the majority of time spent is here with the baby. Thankfully there is free internet access or we might have already lost our minds. We upgraded to a larger room yesterday, more space, a flat screen tv and we can have the pullout bed down and still open the bathroom door...quite a difference. I was reluctant to move rooms, but figured it might be worth it since we will be here for 2 more months. Moving all the butterfly and flower wall decals was a pain, but we still have the cutest room here in the NICU. We see alot of familiar faces now that we've had about every nurse and doctor for Em. We do have our favorite nurses, ones that we feel truly listen to us and are better with handling Emersyn...we've chosen a few to be her primary care nurses. Some of the older nurses seem cold and a bit numb to everything here. This might be their job, but it is our baby girl's life...we are not willing to compromise when it comes to her care.
We've taken a few breaks from the hospital for meals and showering, but the majority of time spent is here with the baby. Thankfully there is free internet access or we might have already lost our minds. We upgraded to a larger room yesterday, more space, a flat screen tv and we can have the pullout bed down and still open the bathroom door...quite a difference. I was reluctant to move rooms, but figured it might be worth it since we will be here for 2 more months. Moving all the butterfly and flower wall decals was a pain, but we still have the cutest room here in the NICU. We see alot of familiar faces now that we've had about every nurse and doctor for Em. We do have our favorite nurses, ones that we feel truly listen to us and are better with handling Emersyn...we've chosen a few to be her primary care nurses. Some of the older nurses seem cold and a bit numb to everything here. This might be their job, but it is our baby girl's life...we are not willing to compromise when it comes to her care.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
3/3/11
Emersyn is 2 weeks old today and tomorrow will be at 30 weeks gestationally. She is nothing but a gift from heaven. She weighs a mere 2lbs 13oz, but that seems like a lot to us given she has gained 10oz since birth. She is still having bouts of apnea and bradicardia, so she is still on vapotherm breathing support. Her feeding is up to 7mls every 4 hours, on a continuous feed machine. Her head ultrasound today was good with no signs of a brain bleed. There are no signs of infection right now. So much to think about, so many things that could go wrong, so many things that are going right for her. My husband and I couldn't feel more blessed by this tiny angel. She had us from the beginning, wrapped around her very tiny little finger and that is where we will forever stay.
The NICU will be our home for some time longer, as our girl keeps fighting. She is such a strong baby in our eyes. Some of my other girlfriends have had babies since Emersyn was born and are already at home with their little ones, our day to take Em home will come too, we just have to patiently wait until she passes the criteria to be released. We hope she'll be ready to come home in the beginning of May. I can't wait to take care of her the way I envisioned when I found out I was pregnant. We might be able to start holding her twice per day soon, giving us each a chance to hold her everyday rather than every other day like we've been doing.
Brian's Dad made it here last night to finally meet Em, and will be here for the next week. Everyone who sees her in person says she looks so much smaller than in pictures. She is tiny, but she is growing stronger every day. We've been calling her "super-girl". I am constantly amazed by her, that she is ours, that I am finally a Mom. She's all I have ever hoped for, dreamed of. I couldn't be happier to have a family of my own...I've never loved two people more in my life than I do my husband and my baby girl. I am so lucky.
The NICU will be our home for some time longer, as our girl keeps fighting. She is such a strong baby in our eyes. Some of my other girlfriends have had babies since Emersyn was born and are already at home with their little ones, our day to take Em home will come too, we just have to patiently wait until she passes the criteria to be released. We hope she'll be ready to come home in the beginning of May. I can't wait to take care of her the way I envisioned when I found out I was pregnant. We might be able to start holding her twice per day soon, giving us each a chance to hold her everyday rather than every other day like we've been doing.
Brian's Dad made it here last night to finally meet Em, and will be here for the next week. Everyone who sees her in person says she looks so much smaller than in pictures. She is tiny, but she is growing stronger every day. We've been calling her "super-girl". I am constantly amazed by her, that she is ours, that I am finally a Mom. She's all I have ever hoped for, dreamed of. I couldn't be happier to have a family of my own...I've never loved two people more in my life than I do my husband and my baby girl. I am so lucky.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
3/1/11
March has finally arrived. Emersyn is 29 weeks and 4 days along gestationally, or 12 days old from birth...confusing as the doctors use both to determine her course of care. She had a rough day Sunday and had lots of apnea spells leading to a blood transfusion and vapotherm breathing support. She is doing better now thankfully. They've stopped her antibiotics for the time being as her labwork has come back without signs of infection and they just turned the humidity off in her incubator. There are so many ups and downs, it is hard to stay calm as her Mom. I haven't gotten much sleep as I feel everytime I close my eyes I think about her. I've tried going to my Mom's twice to sleep, doesn't make a difference as I don't get anymore sleep there then at the hospital. I got to hold her yesterday for Kangaroo Care, I'm so looking forward to her growing stronger so I can hold her every day. It is hard as a new Mom to not be able to hold your child. I can't breastfeed, care for her, hold her whenever I want, bathe and dress her, take her home, comfort her...all I can do is pump breast milk and wait. Every other day I get to Kangaroo, Brian gets his turn the other days...it is hard. The situation is taking a toll on me. This is not the way I imagined my child's first moments here in this world. I wish I could've done something, anything, to prevent my water from breaking, to prevent going into labor, to prevent her from being here in the NICU. I'd trade places with her in a heartbeat if I could. Emersyn is our amazing little baby girl. She's proving how strong she is when every day is a struggle. She fights on.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2/23/11
Emersyn is 6 days old today and is doing quite well given her prematurity. She has had ultrasounds of her head and kidneys, x-rays of her stomach and bowels, blood taken daily, breathing support for 3 days, phototherapy for jaundice, etc. She is now being fed breastmilk through a feeding tube. Her nurses had been concerned that she wasn't digesting all of the milk, but that issue may be resolved now that she's had a bowel movement.
Emersyn is the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. She is 2lbs 6 oz today and has opened her little eyes several times. I swear she recognizes my voice, when I talk to her she turns her head towards my voice and opens her eyes. Holding her is like heaven on earth. She is constantly kicking and moving her hands. She puts her hands up by her face when she sleeps. The nurses refer to her as feisty. She is such a strong baby, and my hope for her is that she continues to gain strength. Every day brings about a new issue, but we are staying positive. I've held her a few times and we are doing kangaroo care, but I am not able to pick her up whenever I'd like. I can't stand to hear her cry, and I'd love to be able to hold her and tell her that everything will be ok. That might be the hardest thing for me about her being here...I want to hold her.
Brian and I have been living in her NICU room. Our space, separated by a curtain from Emersyn's incubator bed and the lights nurses need to tend to her, is a 4x10 cube. We have a recliner and a couch that pulls out into a twin bed. Both are like sleeping on a rock, but we don't want to leave Em at night. We have been showering at my parent's house and then coming right back to the hospital. I am up every few hours eithering check on the baby, watching what the nurses are doing, or from being drenched by the night-sweats plaguing me. Luckily, I get fed for free by the hospital since I am pumping breast milk for the baby. The NICU is our home for the next 2 months, and while it's not comfortable by any means, we are allowed to be here constantly with Em and that is all we want.
We learned last Sunday that Brian has been removed from his deployment. His commander called to notify him, taking into account our child's health and the fact that Brian's mind will be on home affairs rather than the mission overseas. We were in shock for a few days after getting the news. Everything we've been through in the past month was directly because of his deployment and now it was getting reversed? We have been trying to make sense of it all. The news comes with a huge feeling of relief, as I can't imagine going through this NICU experience with my husband half a world away. He will have to resume his job in Dallas next month, but at least then he can visit us on the weekends. It seems as though a higher power was looking out for us, or had decided that we've been through enough already and deserved a break. The past month and a half have been extremely stressful, and I'm so glad I won't have to say goodbye to my husband while our daughter is fighting for her life.
Emersyn is the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. She is 2lbs 6 oz today and has opened her little eyes several times. I swear she recognizes my voice, when I talk to her she turns her head towards my voice and opens her eyes. Holding her is like heaven on earth. She is constantly kicking and moving her hands. She puts her hands up by her face when she sleeps. The nurses refer to her as feisty. She is such a strong baby, and my hope for her is that she continues to gain strength. Every day brings about a new issue, but we are staying positive. I've held her a few times and we are doing kangaroo care, but I am not able to pick her up whenever I'd like. I can't stand to hear her cry, and I'd love to be able to hold her and tell her that everything will be ok. That might be the hardest thing for me about her being here...I want to hold her.
Brian and I have been living in her NICU room. Our space, separated by a curtain from Emersyn's incubator bed and the lights nurses need to tend to her, is a 4x10 cube. We have a recliner and a couch that pulls out into a twin bed. Both are like sleeping on a rock, but we don't want to leave Em at night. We have been showering at my parent's house and then coming right back to the hospital. I am up every few hours eithering check on the baby, watching what the nurses are doing, or from being drenched by the night-sweats plaguing me. Luckily, I get fed for free by the hospital since I am pumping breast milk for the baby. The NICU is our home for the next 2 months, and while it's not comfortable by any means, we are allowed to be here constantly with Em and that is all we want.
We learned last Sunday that Brian has been removed from his deployment. His commander called to notify him, taking into account our child's health and the fact that Brian's mind will be on home affairs rather than the mission overseas. We were in shock for a few days after getting the news. Everything we've been through in the past month was directly because of his deployment and now it was getting reversed? We have been trying to make sense of it all. The news comes with a huge feeling of relief, as I can't imagine going through this NICU experience with my husband half a world away. He will have to resume his job in Dallas next month, but at least then he can visit us on the weekends. It seems as though a higher power was looking out for us, or had decided that we've been through enough already and deserved a break. The past month and a half have been extremely stressful, and I'm so glad I won't have to say goodbye to my husband while our daughter is fighting for her life.
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