Hmmm interesting - anyone done the 7 day med cruise?

[Skywatcher]

BTW I got to it through virgin holidays - I have a bazillion airmiles

[Skywatcher]

Is it bad form to reply so much to your own thread

[catrancher]

Chris,

Plenty to do as a family!

On board, there's the family pool and lots of activities that can be done together. Movies in the Buena Vista Theater for instance. Of course, in the evening there's dinner and the shows. Oh yeah, the shows. Broadway on a ship! Prepare to come away with a tear in your eye if they do "Disney Dreams". But I digress. During the days, you'll usually be in port so will be doing "port" things (excursions, etc). These you'll of course do as a family. During the 7 night Med cruise, you only have one day that's an "at sea" day. There's buckets full of onboard activities that everyone can enjoy.

Now, having said that, let me share a story from our last cruise (oddly enough, the one where we met Terry and Sue). When you board the ship, they have a nice buffet style lunch laid out. Usually in either the "Parrot Cay" restaurant or "Topsiders" buffet. My DW and I opted for Parrot Cay. We went in and were seated with a young family who was traveling with their 4 year old daughter. This little girl was the epitome of shy. All she did during that lunch was sit in her daddy's lap and bury her face in his shoulder. She was an incredibly sweet child but terribly shy.
Time passes. The cruise moves on. About the fourth or fifth evening of the cruise, my DW and I were in "Rockin' Bar D" (one of the clubs) when we saw the little girls parents come in. We went and singled them out to ask how their daughter was liking the cruise (my DW is a retired school teacher and is particularly attuned to children). The look on their face and the response we got took us completely by surprise. They told us that they had never seen their daughter come out of her shell like she had on this cruise. They couldn't get her out of the children's clubs! She was having so much fun, making so many new friends and having such a ball, that just getting to come back to the stateroom and go to bed was now a chore. Their faces were beaming. These people were so happy that their child was having the time of her life that it almost brought tears to my DW's and my eyes.

I only tell you this to prepare you for the fact that the boys will, in al probability, have an unbelievably good time. You'll still be together as a family for as much as you like (swimming in the Goofy pool perhaps). But for the boys, it'll be an adventure they'll remember as long as they live. Just like Africa was.

So no, it doesn't sound soft at all. Just be prepared for wonderment and joy. You won't be disappointed!

Tom (... one thing none of you will be is bored!)

[Keith]

Not been to italy and 3 stops is mighty tempting.

Its bonkers but the ' having to share a table with another family' is one of the things putting me off

Curse my eternal shyness/pessimism

a huge *ME TOO* on that one

[catrancher]

oooo could you be the other family at the table, we could slope off for a glass of something and talk cameras

You could and should do that! Disney can link your reservations so that you'll be each others dining partners. Other Secrets members are doing that very thing for our upcoming Disney Dream cruise in June.

Aren't we Terry!

Tom (... you REALLY should, Keith! )

[catrancher]

Curse my eternal shyness/pessimism

a huge *ME TOO* on that one

Keep in mind lads that I met one of my best friends at dinner on a Disney Cruise. And ended up here as a result!

Tom (... wonder who I'm talking about? )

[Keith]

oooo could you be the other family at the table, we could slope off for a glass of something and talk cameras

Now you're talking!

[Skywatcher]

I wouldn't inflict my offspring onto Keith

When I left them at lunch they were discovering the joys of facetime on their new iPods

[Skywatcher]

Keep in mind lads that I met one of my best friends at dinner on a Disney Cruise. And ended up here as a result!

Tom (... wonder who I'm talking about? )

Mickey Mouse?

[catrancher]

Mickey Mouse?

Hey Terry, guess what Chris thinks about you!

Tom (... sits back and watches... )