Hsu family's Disney Cruise--2009 (Part-1)

The view of the cruise ship Disney Wonder (83,000 ton, 2,500 passengers, 950 crew members, 294 meters long) that carried Hsu family of eleven on 2009/06/28 ~07/02.  This was the dream we have had for nearly 10 years !  From now on we wish to arrange one family cruise every year!!

 

多年期待的全家人帶小孩坐Disney Cruise旅遊的夢想終於2009年6月28日實現。除了我們夫妻倆，大兒子一家五口，二兒子四口，共十一人坐上可以充分滿足小孩幻想的遊輪五天四夜。船是八萬三千噸、九層樓、載客量兩千五百人、船員950人的Disney Wonder號，從Florida的Cape Canaveral出航，第二天到Nassau，第三天到Disney私有島Castaway Cay，第四天在海上，第五天回到原出發地。然後我和大兒子一家再遊Orlando Disney World，六日飛回Dallas，二兒子一家坐船完了就回去加州。

我們全體於27日下午就飛抵Cape Canaveral，傍晚在同一家旅館Radisson Hotel會合，愉快的全家旅遊就開始了。看到五個孫子很高興的一夥戲耍，我們夫妻倆的心情，自不用說。

Radisson Hotel at Cape Canaveral

At the Hotel restaurant.

Five grandchildren from 11 y.o. to 5 y.o.

Younger people are all health buffs; Ben's are into the yoga. Hunter showing his flexibility, a pretzel boy.

 

28日我們倆先到Disney上船豋記處拿船室的stateroom keys，以後旅遊中的支出都可以用這張鑰匙卡。岸邊就停靠著Disney Wonder，附近有十五萬噸、最大的遊輪Freedom of the Seas。

 

The largest cruise ship in the world, Freedom of the Seas, 150,000 ton, anchoring near the Disney Wonder.

Disney的遊輪，還有一艘是Disney Magic，是同樣噸級，但是安排的遊程都是七天。明年還會有一艘十五萬噸的Disney Dream號出現。

Specifics of the Disney Wonder.

 

進入Check-in的大廳前有坐飛機一般嚴格的行李檢查。特別看有沒有玻璃瓶，因為玻璃破了就危險。大廳裡有個大的遊船模型，可以仔細看船內的結構。另外還可以要一份船內各層樓的案內圖。

Rear section of the Disney cruise ship.

Midsection of the ship.

Front section of the ship.

Our suite is on the deck #8, closer to the aft on the starboard. The Triton Restaurant is in the mid section of the third deck, and the Parrot Cay is at the aft on the third deck. The Cadillac Lounge is on the port side near the bow of the third deck. At the drill we all had to gather at dack 4, below the life boats that are hanging from the deck 5. For the breakfast, we went to the 9th floor Topsider Buffet-Beach Blanket Buffet at the aft. ("Starboard" is a corruption of "steering board" that was located at the end of a boat, In the past, the man who held this most important job of steering the boat used to sit on the right hand side of the boat. Therefore, the starboard refers to right side of the ship. The boat's left side come in contact with the pier when going into port. Therefore "port side" refers to the left hand side of the ship. "Aft" mean the inside of the rear end of the ship, and "stern" refers to the outside of the rear end of the ship.

 

我們是在八樓的一個套房，全船總共只有八間套房中之ㄧ。這時才曉得一年前二媳婦為大家預約船室時，替我們倆定了套房，除了臥室衣櫥洗浴間，還有另外同樣空間大小的客廳浴室起居間，兩間各有一個普通大小的電視機，是要給我們一族十一個人都能聚集用的。這考慮是很周到，否則我們一群只能到甲板上聚會。這次旅遊就因這套房而使我們都感到非常方便如意。因為是套房的客人，我倆也受特別待遇。進入大廳後，我們就不必排隊，走red carpet (!)直接到登記人員處，又到特別座休息等待上船。

上船時還沒到下午一點半，船室還沒有準備好，我們就被引導到船上三樓前方右舷的Cadillac Lounge。在沙發上休息，有吃有喝，小的lox-cream cheese sandwich是特別地好吃。更有一位負責我們房間的concierge manager，穿著白色官員制服的 Michael Cuddy，很有禮貌地來給我們說明以後在船上的服務、三餐、攝影、節目等活動。我們也要求安排晚餐時，我們佔三船室的一家十一人都要同一桌；也要安排船上職業攝影師給我們拍全家照。他都立即記下安排。我們一上船就感受到被人照顧，很溫馨愉快。看到他們連玻璃瓶都不能帶上船，也感覺到他們對有很多小孩的船內安全是非常注意。

The decoration on the ceiling outside the Triton Restaurant.

Inside the Cadillac Lounge with snacks and drinks.

Our concierge manager Michael from Scotland.To be married soon. He takes care of 11 staterooms. He came to explain to us all the services on the ship in detail, including dinners, entertainments, photography services. Because of the suite, we will be able to ask for the room services, to have meals inside our suite, and be given fruits and snacks. Though it is very nice, we tend to over-eat. We did not get to enjoy these snacks much. My children and grandchildren ate them all.

 

一點半，我們房間就可以進去。二兒子、大兒子都都先到我們套房。大兒子的房間在我們隔壁，中間的門一開就通，陽台也是可以打成一片。二兒子因為只有四人，原先要求在同一八樓的船室，也不行，到二樓船室去了，也沒有陽台。不過她們是無事就到我們房間，吃水果、看大的電視。看過了我們的套房，再去看兒子們的船室，是很小，很擠，電視機只不過十五吋電腦大小。他們的床都是一個queen bed，使我們納悶，小孩子睡哪裡。當晚晚餐後才曉得stateroom hostess (Ana)會再來打開三張個人床給小孩。

This is the stateroom for Felix et al next to us, for 2 adults and 3 children. The hostess came to open up 3 additional single beds during our supper time. There is a door that can be opened and we became a 3-room family occupation. Their balcony can be connected to ours. Ben's family consists of only 4 people and could not register a room on the same 8th floor. Theirs was on the second floor and had no balcony. It would have been very convenient if they are also on the same floor.

The diagram, the mirror image, of our suite. It has two full size TV, two showers, one bath tub, two toilets, even a walk-in closet and a sink in the living room. Needless to say, we eleven people thoroughly enjoyed the suite. The living room became our gathering place everyday. 

Spacious living room. There were books for chilldren on the book shelf.

Snacks were sent into the room, probably everyday, but we did not pay too much attention to it, because we were full most of the time on the ship.

The bedroom of the suite. Deep inside, there is a toilet with shower, sink and bathtub, then a small walk-in closet.

Renee taking the family picture on the balcony. We were all very happy. These faces said it all. The first time we gathered and spent four days together since Felix and Ben left our wings more than 20 years ago!

 

在每一艘遊輪，客人上船後，還沒開船就要舉行緊急棄船的演練，每個人都得穿上救生衣，到有救生艇的第四甲板、被指定的左舷或右舷排隊。

At the drill we had to gather on the 4th deck. Life boats are on the 5th deck. A drill is a must for every cruise ship before sailing.

在船上，英文的右舷稱為starboard，左舷稱為port side。這些名稱都其來有自。Starboard為steering board(操縱板)的訛音，以前用手划船時，在後面用划桿操縱船的方向的任務最重要；這人都是在船的右舷，因此starboard代表右舷。船抵港靠岸時是以左舷靠岸，因此左舷稱為port (港) side。船的前端稱為bow，後方內部稱為aft，後方外部稱為stern。航海業常見到的幾個名辭則是從古時神話而來：Poseidon為古希臘海神的名，其羅馬名為Neptune。他的兒子名為Triton。

上船後，小孩有空就帶孫子們到九樓的小孩泳池戲水，吃免費的點心飲料冰淇淋，我們也一起去，看他們高興。但他們年輕人都會注意健身，有他們的活動，也可以讓小孩到kid’s club自己玩，大人不必陪，到晚餐時再一起聚會。每個小孩一上船，手腕就被戴上有名字房號的塑膠wrist band，不怕遺失。

Having all family members getting together for the first time in decades, our happiness is indescribable.

On the 9th deck,there were 3 small pools for children of small and medium ages to play with. Some pools can be covered up to become a large party area,

Sailing past a beach on Cape Canaveral.

(  continued to :  Hsu family's Disney Cruise--2009 Part-2  )