[mickey]

Well, we have reached another milestone in our lives, Minnie and I will have been married 15 years this December (I can't do the math though, since we are both still 29!). So, we booked a Celebrity cruise this Spring to celebrate our anniversary. We were looking forward to 8 days without kids, sailing through the Western Caribbean.

This weekend, we stumbled across a deal on the Disney Cruise Line and were able to book a 7 day cruise the same week on Disney for considerably less than on Celebrity, plus we get a verandah room, and it's Disney! So, for our 15th, we will be spending a couple of nights at the Wilderness Lodge and then 7 wonderful nights at sea. We are both so happy that we found this deal and got a great room, it is going to be a great vacation.

So, anyone have any hints on shore excursions, restaurants, on-board activities that we should do for sure? Has anyone used the internet cafe on board? I may have to buy a week pass, but $90, ouch! Any suggestions or hints are welcome.

Thanks! :)

[disneycouple30]

If you are going to use it more than once for a short period, it worth while to get the package. It about $5.00 a one minute shot so it will be worth it.

Since it your honeymoon, make sure you get the wine package so you can have wine each night for dinner. ($175 for a week of wine.) And make sure you get up to Palio as soon as you get on the ship to make reservation for yourself and the bunch is fab. No kids in that place.

We spent about $2200 on board and off and it was well worth it. Two spa treatments and trips all over the place. Plus a ring for my better half.

By the time we got home I couldn't do anything wrong

[minnie]

I am getting very excited for our cruise. Mickey and I have never cruised together before so this will be a real treat!! I would love to hear everyone's suggestions on fun shore excursions. We are pretty adventurous so, anything goes. I thought I should correct my darling husband Mickey, we are actually doing the Eastern Caribbean. :D . It does make a difference since the shore excursions will be totally different.
Thanks, Minnie

[lopo]

Way to go, Mickey and Minnie!!!!! Your trip sounds heavenly: a couple of days at WL, seven nights on the Disney cruise, good price, and no kids! I know I'd be thinking I died and went to heaven (LOL).

Since I have never been on any cruise, I cannot offer any tips but I know that you will have a fabulous anniversary trip. You've planned a can't miss!

:D :)

[trishb]

You will have so much fun! I can't add anything that you don't already know, except sleep with the verandah door open...even when the ac is on.

[wdwjeff]

Happy Anniversary, and have a great trip. I've never been on a cruise, either, but my kids went on a Disney Cruise with my parents a couple years ago. They loved it, and want to do it again. From what I understand, there's more to do than is possible to do, kinda like WDW. We'll have our 13th in September(the day before 9/11). We honeymooned in Tahiti, and are hoping to go back there either for our 15th or 20th.:love:

[MickeyMac]

Hey, you guys are doing my dream vacation... although I'd probably make a week outa WL AND a week outa the cruise... aw heck, THEN I'd fly to Paris for a quick two week stint and DLP... i'm rambling, aren't I...

Are you going to horseback ride on the beach? That's romantic. Atlantis is nice, too, if you like pristine pools and a very cool underwater tunnel. The kids were bored to tears, but we loved it. How about a Dolphin encounter?

[jgriff2388]

Mickey, I'm jealous! We also celebrated our 15th anniversary this past June, and we were lucky to spend it at WDW. We actually stayed at the Polynesian, which is also the same resort we went to on our honeymoon. So why am I envious? Because you are going away without children to celebrate. Not only was my daughter with us, but also my sister and her family. But I'm not complaining, it was a great trip, but yours does sound a bit more romantic.
:love:

[Scanlonsgirl]

That sounds like so much fun! We will have to look into going on a Disney Crusie.. Can't wait to read all your reviews!! Have a wonderful time!

Lisa:)

[Cinderellafifi]

Wow, congratulations on both a long marriage and getting a great deal on your Disney cruise! I've never been on a cruise either (I don't think one day gambling cruises to nowhere count :D ) because of my tendency to get motion sickness. I would love to do a Disney cruise someday! I'm sure you both will have a great time!

P.S. Will you still be doing an actual Disney park trip in 2003?

[ilvminnie]

Happy Anniversary Mickey & Minnie! Can't wait to hear all about your cruise. We're planning on doing one just over a year from now, but we're just going to do the 4 night one after spending a week or so in the parks. But the reason I'm looking forward to that one is because it will just be the 2 of us. We had our 20 year anniversary in January, so at this point we're kind of looking forward to this empty-nest thing.

Have a great time, & fill us in on all the details when you get back.

[mickey]

Originally posted by Cinderellafifi
P.S. Will you still be doing an actual Disney park trip in 2003?

Thank you everyone for the congratulations, we are both so excited. I think I have a pretty good grasp on the ship and the on-board activities, but if any of you have done any of the shore excursions, and you loved them, let us know, we are having a hard time deciding what to do.

Fifi, Minnie and I, or at least one of us and one child will be making a WDW 2003 Park visit. We have our family vacations planned for 2004, once during February and once during October-November time frame. So, 2003 will be a small trip for just two of us, and 2004 we will take all 7 of us for about 20 days total. However, we are trying to get all of us on a Disney Cruise for Spring 2003, just depends upon when our Spring Break falls, and how busy the ships are. That will probably take the place of our park trip for next year. I guess I better get a countdown going.

[CP17]

We sailed on the Magic in Sept. 2000. It was unbelievable. From Goofy hanging off the stern to when the horn blows "When You Wish Upon a Star" (make sure your on deck when you're leaving port to hear the horn). I can't give you any suggestions from experience as far as shore excursions, but I would defintely do one on St. Maarten. The town is a little boring. If you like snorkeling, on St. Thomas the one to St. John and Trunk Bay would be great. On a seperate trip we went there and liked it much better than St. Thomas. With the three dining rooms you rotate through all of them, the only problem we had was the first night we ate in the Animator's Palate was the Captian's Night (?)(formal attire) and so the walls didn't change color (very disappointing). Also speaking of dining, Palo is a must. When we went you made reservations for Palo right when you got on board, it books up fast. All the characters are onboard and on Castaway Cay for some great pictures. I just glanced at the Disney Cruise web site and it seems to have a lot more information than when we went. You'll have great time. There is too much to say about the cruise to say here. :!:

[disneycouple30]

We went on the cruise in June 2001, it was great. If you want to go on tour's the best one 's are at St. Maarten is over to the beach on the French side in the morning and when you get back just before you leave the town on the Dutch side you can get off and shop a little, the boat doesn't leave until 9:00 PM so you can do some shopping, If you like linens for your tables this is the place to pick them up. Oh by the way the french beach is au natural if you want a all over tan.

At St. Thamos, we took the tour around ST. Johns. That island is so beautiful. I would love to stay at the resort at cimmonom bay, no TV radio or telephone, just seven beautiful beaches.

You get back to the ship about 3 hours before sail time, this give you a chance to shop in the shop just outside the dock. My better half got a beautiful taniznite ring for about 1/4 of what we would had paid for it here in the states.

Make sure when you stop at Castway Cay you get your snokel gears before you head for the adult beach so you don't have to go back and get it. There plently of chair and umberalls at the beach so you don't have to rush to get one. It a lovely place and no kids to bother you.

Have fun, we did.

[mickey]

Thanks for the great suggestions. Not sure if Minnie is going to go for the au natural beach though, I'll suggest it, might be a fun honeymoon kind of thing.

By the way, make sure that you put your countdown in your signature, that way it will show up on each post. You can do that by going to the control panel (link is in the header) and then clicking on "Edit Profile". You will see a box there for signature. Just copy the one in your last post, and it will work like a charm. Thanks again!