許清曉(Clement C.S.Hsu, MD): 2013 Hsu family's Disney Fantasy cruise--part 1 of 4

From June 15 to June 22 of 2013, Hsu family had another reunion cruise. This time on the Disney Fatasy Line! We have planned this severl months ahead of time, Hanh started making reservations through the Costco Travel. Because of 6 children, and 5-6 months ahead of time, we even made the travel insurance. In case one of us got sick and cannot go, we can get the refund.

In the morning of June 14, we elder couple took Ashley, Dillon and Jet, drove to the North Remote Parking of DFW with our Lexus RV. We had to take shuttle bus from the North Rmote to Terminal D. Felix and Renee took the cab they are familiar with. AA#1592 left 12:10PM and arrive at the Orlando florida MCO on time 3:40PM. Except for one check-in luggage, all ours were carry-ons. After arriving at the MCO, we called the Holiday Inn Express for the shuttle to the hotel.

Ben's family had to leave home as early as 4 AM, and to have a 3-hour stop-over at Houston. There, they had further 3 hour delay!! Six hours in hotel with children from 11-16 months must have been tough! But they arrived at MCO by 8:35PM, and came to the hotel by 9 PM. I and Yui-Li went out to meet with them, hugged the children. Felix and Renee also came. Renee gave us each one green T-shirt, with "Hsu crew" in the front and images that fit each of us printed. Renee and Ashley prepared these individually days ago. We were to wear this uniform and go to on board the Cruise ship!

Next morning, we were at the lobby of the hotel eating breakfast. A nice family sitting next to us took pictures with all our 12 members in it. We took a photo of them too. Then we had to be on separate shuttle to the MCO Disney waiting area, use the brochures we received days ago to get on board the bus to the Port Canaveral, which is 50 minutes away. Bus fare, round trip, was quite expensive and had to be reserved long ahead, and Hanh arranged all. At the Disney Coarding Terminal, each of us was given a card, which was to be used during whole trip as an ID, a pass to everywhere, and ascredit card to charge expenses on this trip. We were on board and in stateroom by 1:30PM. Room numbers were 10130, and 8644, 7626, each on different floors.

The Disney Fantasy is 130,000 tons, more than 1100 feet long, and has 14 decks! A huge ship!! We did not have a large suite room for the whole family gathering like the last time in 2009 on board Disney Wonder. http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/ccshsu-clement/article?mid=6402&prev=6433&next=6140&l=f&fid=56 But we met on the Cabanas buffet area in the Aft of the 11th deck, for a late lunch.

We met with our stateroom host, Valentino, who is Indian National. The Disney still could not provide caption service for the TV news from FOX or MSN, despite my letter and complain after the 2009 cruise! The supper was the second seating at 8:15PM in the Animation Palate Restauraant. Our family was arranged at one long table and the server was Selchuk, a Turkish national, assistant server was Jelena, Serbian national, and chief server, Faisal, an Indonesian national. All the ship's crew appear to be from countries around the world, including the captain Marko (the first name), who is an Italian! Our supper arrangement is taking turns each evening in this Animation Palate, Royal Court, and Enchanted Garden.

Supper at Animation Palate, 8:15PM. At this point, the time on the photo is 2 hours behind the East Coast time.

The cartoon turtle in the screen can see the people in the wide restaurant, and talk to the people, hear them reply, even though the reply was in very low voice. Carly was asked about what she does, what is gymnastics, etc. I could not identify anyone near her that is palying the part of the tortoise, using ventriloque to talk into a microphone! Very interesting trick!!

Many people are into photographing the dishes in restaurants. They are frequently very nicely displayed.

The stateroom is tidied up by the host, Valentino, an Indian national. On the bed is a sculpture made by folding towels.

Cassidy was brought to the water spurting area to play.

The pool on the same floor. I do not like playing in the pool when it is crowded.

Felix and Renee are into heavy exercise program every morning, almost addicted.

After walking around these top floors, the time on the photographs were adjusted to the East Coast time.

The second night, 6/16. was a Formal night. We put on a more formal wear to have the photographs taken at the lobby by their professional photographers.

Cassidy was the pearl for everyone. She can do a blow kiss.

The singer at the lobby.

At 6:15pm every evening, there is a show in the Disney Theater at the Forward of the 3rd deck, the lobby floor. This evening was Aladin's story. We were not supposed to take any photos.

The second nit was at the Enchanting Garden Restaurant on the second deck. This Canon SX 230 HS can photo in the dark, but the image is not that sharp! This was a rather dark area, and the pic was edited to brighten it up afterwards.

The server of our table, Selchuk. From his slight accent and the hair on top of his head, I was guessing that he was from Turkey. He is from Istanbul. I had a colleague during the liver disease fellowship in 1968, who was from Turkey. And he had the same kind of hair on the head, thinner on top. Jelena in the back was also guessed by me to be from Eastern Europe. She is Serbian.