Once Upon a Dream, We Took Our First Cruise - Goodbye Dream Vacation

[kmedina]

Ok...first and most importantly, of course it's Crap's fault. it is always the man's fault. Hasn't he been married long enough to know that by now??? Although, he does get some bonus points for wanting to be called Crap Bag here. I love that!

Well the last time I was in Vegas was for our 5th anniversary, and we just celebrated our 15th yesterday, so, i guess it HAS been a while.

As of right now, we are staying at the Monte Carlo, but I booked it before we booked the cruise and I just got some emails over the weekend offering deals at some other places, so I may switch if we can save a decent amount of $$$. It is just DH & I, and every $ we can save on Vegas can be another $ we can put towards the cruise. (Disney Math )

I didn't notice before that Xander had food allergies. My son Chris does too. He was really excited to go on the cruise because Disney is so great with his allergies. He loves to try new things, and says he had had some of his best meals at Disney since he doesn't need to worry!

How did everything work on the ship? Did you fill anything out regarding his allergies before you went, or did you just let them know about the allergies when you boarded. We have it noted in our reservation, but I'm not sure if I need to email someone else about it like you do with WDW.

Thanks. Crap has not learned that the man is always wrong yet. He actually has that philosophy completely backwards. It is strange calling him Crap on here, but he picked it.

Congratulations on your 15th anniversary. Our 16th is coming up on the 27th of this month, but we have only been married for a little over half of that.

Crap worked at the Monte Carlo a long time ago. I would switch too for a better deal. We used to get deals on rooms here until Crap switched jobs recently. His new job does not really offer much in terms of incentives.

Xander has a lot of allergies (milk, wheat, dogs, peanuts, eggs, fruits like bananas, etc) but none are life threatening. On a scale where anything over 101 is considered severe allergies, he is a 656. That is just because of the number of allergies. None of his allergies are over a 2 on the 6 scale. It is a hassle but not a serious danger. We have a script for an epipen jr but have not had to use it yet. Unless his airway closes, the Dr suggests we use Benadryl. He uses that a lot.

His worst allergic reaction ever was to a strep throat infection. That required a stronger med than Benadryl but the Dr said his airway was fine (so still no epipen). These pictures are all from that.

Both boys get eczema from allergies. Connor's actually got so bad on vacation (see picture) that we had to take him to the Dr when we got back. It was not as bad as I thought, because he said it was a 4 on a 10 scale. We are going to run allergy testing on Connor soon after we get back from Disneyland, because the Dr suggested we wait until he is one. The results may help me control his occasional eczema outbreaks a little better. Thus far, he has never reacted with hives to anything he has eaten. My skin is very sensitive. Even though I do not have eczema, I do get hives and break out from many skin care products. I live with year round environmental allergies but the only food allergy I have is to avocado.

Disney is wonderful with food allergies. Xander is a very picky eater anyway, and only consumes pure things that like him as well (except milk). We allow him to have milk once in a while, because his pediatrician said it was okay. Since eggs, wheat and milk are in so many things, he gets small portions at times and is okay (most of the time). He never eats just eggs, bananas or items that are mostly wheat. He is aware of what he can and cannot eat. I think we filled out forms stating allergies before we got on the ship. If my memory serves me correctly, they asked me for any meds Xander needed and mentioned the allergies they had on file. They did ask me to review and confirm but only the first time I dropped him off. That is probably why I forgot to leave the epipen the second time. Chris will be in good hands on the ship. They are very thourough, especially since kids are often fed inside the clubs.

 

[kmedina]

We were going to cruise on the Fantasy. I waited too long to pick a travel time and look into it. There were no openings for Xander's Spring Break unless we booked 2 rooms with 2 people each. Neither of us wanted to do that, so we looked into alternative cruises. Since we've already done Dream and wanted a longer cruise anyway, that left us with the Magic and the Wonder. One departs from Miami, FL and the other departs from Galveston, TX. Both are less than 7 days unfortunately. To maximize Spring Break, we picked the city we'd rather spend the extra break days in. Therefore, our next cruise will depart from Miami for 5 days on The Wonder. We booked it today for 03-25-12. Eventually, I would like to cruise on all the Disney ships, so I am not overly disappointed that the Fantasy will have to wait. Anyone wanting to sail should book as soon as possible for the best rates and room type.

Another cruise report I am reading provided some of the Navigators, which I thought was a nice touch. We only saved one, and it got a little banged up. Sorry it is blurry. Between the bends and shaky hands, they were the best pictures I could get. As you can see, there are so many things to do and this was not even a full day. The older ships have slightly less, but I still think one cruise may not even be enough to scratch the surface. Hopefully, we do them all more than once at some point in time. There is so much more that I want to see.

As you can see from the navigator, December is a great time to travel. Not only do you get all of the Christmas Decorations to include a lighting ceremony, but all items that are dated go on sale. We did look through the sale merchandise and opted to go with other items instead. I liked that we had a shot at the sale items though.

 

[kmedina]

Crap suggested we sleep in the next morning. Both boys were in a great mood, since we relaxed and moved slowly in the room. We headed to the Enchanted Garden around 10am for breakfast and were happy to see our regular wait staff. The restaurant was set up like a buffet. Franz brought us our drinks, and we helped ourselves to food. As usual, we did not get food pictures. I have no idea what we ate, but I remember liking it. After breakfast, we hung out in front of the restaurant for a few minutes while Crap took care of some business. That gave me a chance to look over the navigator. We only had one solid plan for Castaway Cay. The rest of our day was going to be more relaxed.

Neither of us wanted to mess with the ship’s stroller through the sand, since it barely turned on a flat surface. We pulled the Bob Revolution SE Dualie out that morning to navigate through the beach. Even though this stroller was a hassle to travel with, it moved through the sand and the beach like it was on a flat surface. That was the day I felt like the stroller was finally worth every penny we paid for it. It looks like we are going to take it to Disneyland (as long as it fits in the car with our luggage), so it will get used at least twice. At home, Xander walks, so we never use it. It was around 11am by the time we exited the ship. There were not many people who exited with us. As we walked over to the family beach, we got in two separate short lines to get photos taken. One of the characters was out as well (Goofy, I think). That line was actually quite long, so we skipped it. We were already on Day Three and had not seen a single character. I wanted to see at least one before we disembarked.

Castaway Cay has so many things to do, but we ultimately decided just to relax on the beach. When we return, I am already planning to do a little more like Pelican Plunge, which is a playground in the water that has slides. The other thing I want to try is parasailing or water skiing (while the boys are in the clubs). The 3+ club actually takes place on the beach during this port, so I think Xander would really enjoy that adventure. We found some lawn chairs on the family beach (toward the back, since all of the closer ones were taken by the early risers). I reserved two inner tubes, so Crap and I could take turns playing in the water with Xander. After I picked those up, Connor was ready to nurse.

Crap and Xander headed over to the water, while I nursed Connor. Shortly after they departed with both inner tubes, they returned with one. Even though the tubes are for ages 5 and up and Xander is tall for his age, he kept falling through the hole. He had just turned 5 four days before we were there though. They headed back out with one tube. It was not long after that when they returned with the other. I forgot exactly why, but Crap mentioned they were obviously not meant for two people to share one. This time, they headed back with no tubes and were gone a while. Turns out the tubes were not worth it for us. At least that was a cheap lesson, since they only cost $6 each for a daily rental. The fact that we got there hours after opening and there were still that many tubes left should have told me something. I may rent them again when Xander is a lot bigger.

After a long time nursing, Connor drifted into his first nap. While he was napping, I watched Crap and Xander play in the water and took some pictures. They are from pretty far away, since I did not want to leave Connor or risk waking him by pushing that large stroller through the thick sand. Even though the stroller pushed through the sand well, I was certain he would still feel the bumps. I was honestly enjoying the quiet time anyway. Connor was sleeping. Crap and Xander were playing away from us. It was so incredibly relaxing. The weather was so lovely I cannot even describe it. We were sitting by the beach in December and it felt so nice (not cold or hot). Next time, I will remember to bring a book. That is the only thing that could have made that time any better.

Crap and Xander returned from their play, but Connor was still asleep. Some of you may have noticed that Xander had on full tennis shoes in the previous pictures. Even though we picked out his clothes, he got himself dressed that morning. I told him to put his sandals on but did not even notice until he exited the stroller on the beach that he had on those clunky shoes. Xander and I walked to the store closest to our seats (She Sells Sea Shells Buy the Sea Shore and Everything Else). He needed shoes, and I wanted something that was exclusive to Castaway Cay. There were so many awesome things in the shop that I had a hard time choosing. I settled on a very nice duffle bag. It was a little harder finding shoes for Xander. They did not have any sandals or flip flops in his size. The only other options were water shoes or Crocs. No offense to Croc lovers, but I just do not like them.

I ultimately settled on the water shoes, because I thought they could come in handy later with our appointment. Xander really liked them and they were a great price too ($12.99, I think). It was an all- around win, so we went back to the beach with our new treasures. When we got back to our seats, I found Crap profusely bleeding. Connor woke up while we were shopping, so he took him for a walk on the beach and stepped on something very long and sharp. It penetrated his foot deeply. I asked him why he was still sitting there. He needed to find First Aid.

Crap handed Connor to me and went in search of First Aid. I did not have a watch but think he was gone about 10-15 minutes. Luckily, it was very close to where we were seated. He said they were very nice. It was mostly vertical, so he did not need any stiches. They were very nice and helped him wrap the wound. While he never found the item he stepped on, it was on the family beach near the seating. We avoided walking in that area for the duration of our stay. My advice here is to wear Crocs, lol. If he was wearing them or any shoes for that matter, it may not have penetrated his foot. From that point forward, I never allowed Xander to take his water shoes off on the beach. He had to wait until we exited the beach to rinse the sand out of them.

Now that Crap was cleaned up and relaxing on the beach, it was finally my turn to play in the water with Connor. Xander wanted to play again, so he came with us. Considering how nice the weather was, I was a little surprised that the water was cold. It was not unbearably cold for me or Xander, but Connor was not feeling it at all. Connor was just too unhappy in water and freezing even worse when I held him outside of the water. Since Xander already played for a while with Crap, I decided to pull them both out of the water after just a few short minutes.

We relaxed on the lawn chairs for a while in an attempt to dry off a little. After we dried off, we headed up to Cookie’s BBQ. This restaurant was set up buffet style and was quite packed. The drink station here was self-serve, like Cabanas on the ship. It was around 1:15pm, and it was scheduled to close at 2pm. Crap sat with the boys at the Dig In (seating for the restaurant). I came back with food for me and Crap but had a hard time finding something for Xander. He is very picky, so he does not do chicken or burgers. On my second time up, I decided to ask a cast member. He informed me that there was food in the kids’ section (like chicken strips and Mac and cheese, I believe), but it was all gone. This surprised me, because even after my second trip up there they were still well over 30 minutes away from closing.

The cast member offered to go in the back and see if he could find anything else. He was gone a long time. Another cast member came by and asked if I needed something. I told him I was looking for more kid friendly items and someone went to check on that for me. “We only have what is out,” he said. Just then, the other cast member returned with a hot dog. That showed me even at Disney some cast members take the easy way out while others go the extra mile. Why Xander will eat hot dogs but not hamburgers or chicken really perplexes me, but he is a picky eater. I thanked him and went in search of anything else he may eat. Luckily, I found some chocolate chip cookies. By the time I got back to the seat, we had less than 30 minutes until 2pm. Xander did pick at his hot dog a little. Hot dogs really are touch and go with that kid. Sometimes he likes them, sometimes he does not. He had a few of my chips, but they did not have any he really liked left (only plain Lays).

My bad Mommy moment here is I allowed him to have two cookies even though he barely ate any of his hot dog or my chips. We had a 2pm excursion planned, so there was no time to feed him anything else before it. He needed to eat something, and in that moment cookies were better than nothing at all. Just as the kids were getting very messy, Melissa (our dinner waiter) walked by and said hello. DCL really has them working all day, because we saw her at all three of our meals that day. After a quick hello, we were on our way. Our 2pm excursion started in 5 minutes, and the walk would take about that long.

We arrived at the excursion right at 2pm (talk about timing). The excursion was for ages 5 and up. Crap and Xander were going to do it while I watched them and Connor. Crap thought it would be better if I took his place, since his foot was wrapped and he wanted to keep it that way. He also did not want to risk an infection. The cast member at the check in desk had no problem with me switching places with Crap, since it did not change the price. As it turns out, Xander probably would have liked to sit out of the water with Crap and Connor. I’ll explain next time.

 

[dara00]

ugh about crap's foot! I'm guessing your excursion was snorkeling, look forward to hearing if I'm right!

 

[kmedina]

ugh about crap's foot! I'm guessing your excursion was snorkeling, look forward to hearing if I'm right!

I was bummed about his foot. Crap hardly complained though. He has a high pain threshold and is a pretty tough guy. The worst part was he was going to miss some great bonding time with Xander, or so I thought at the time. Xander was too upset to bond. You're half right about the excursion.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Oh I know U were only teasing me...we men just have to stick togetherr because when it comes to women we will never be right.

 

[kmedina]

Oh I know U were only teasing me...we men just have to stick togetherr because when it comes to women we will never be right.

Crap is right all the time. Just ask him. I think it is more of a like minded thing. Women think like most other women, and men think like most other men.

 

[MrsTeddy]

Those photos of Xander's allergic reaction are heartbreaking. Poor little man!

Logan has terrible eczema as well (and asthma) but no allergies. Our asthma/allergist gave us a new skin "regime" and its really working well on his skin! He needs a BATH once or twice a day (SO time consuming I would rather shower him!) using only unscented dove soap; and then within 3 minutes of getting out while he is still damp (just lightly dry him, want the moisture on the skin) we apply 2 different steroid prescriptions to inflammed areas if needed (one for body one for head) and then we do a thick later of glaxal base mixed with vaseline over his whole body. (glaxal base you buy in large tubs at the pharmacy-we buy it at costco). This has really helped his skin a lot, the glaxal base is a thick cream and the vaseline helps to seal in all that moisture. We don't even need the steroids right now its improved so much (he was BLEEDING in some spots just a month ago)

Isn't it funny (and frusturating) how kids can like a food one day and then totally refuse it the next!? Logan is not too fussy but he has his moments where he just won't eat something and other days where he will try anything!

thats too bad about crap's foot, I'm glad he didn't need stitches! I'm sorry he had to miss out on the excursion tho.

 

[shan23877]

You booked another cruise!!! Yay!! I'm so happy for you!

Sounds like a lovely morning on the island--note to self, bring a book!

Sorry about Crap's foot, that's so strange to me that something like that would slip by at Disney. However, I'm sure they can't sweep the sand all day.

I'm not a Crocs person either,but my MiL has been buying them for Maddie for years. Maddie loves them so much that she now has 6 pairs At least they're good for her feet.

Is the lunch on the island included with the cruise like the other meals or do you pay extra? I've always wondered that and never asked anyone. How nice of the CM to take the time to find a hot dog for Xander!

You're not a bad mommy, you were on vacation! Cookies for lunch is perfectly acceptable! (Especially when you've already paid for something that is starting right away and you need the darn kid to get something in their stomach already)

Can't wait to hear about your excursion!

 

[kmedina]

Those photos of Xander's allergic reaction are heartbreaking. Poor little man!

Logan has terrible eczema as well (and asthma) but no allergies. Our asthma/allergist gave us a new skin "regime" and its really working well on his skin! He needs a BATH once or twice a day (SO time consuming I would rather shower him!) using only unscented dove soap; and then within 3 minutes of getting out while he is still damp (just lightly dry him, want the moisture on the skin) we apply 2 different steroid prescriptions to inflammed areas if needed (one for body one for head) and then we do a thick later of glaxal base mixed with vaseline over his whole body. (glaxal base you buy in large tubs at the pharmacy-we buy it at costco). This has really helped his skin a lot, the glaxal base is a thick cream and the vaseline helps to seal in all that moisture. We don't even need the steroids right now its improved so much (he was BLEEDING in some spots just a month ago)

Isn't it funny (and frusturating) how kids can like a food one day and then totally refuse it the next!? Logan is not too fussy but he has his moments where he just won't eat something and other days where he will try anything!

thats too bad about crap's foot, I'm glad he didn't need stitches! I'm sorry he had to miss out on the excursion tho.

I cried multiple times during that outbreak of Xander's. It was so hard. He was so lethargic too, and I felt so badly for him. Most of his reactions are smaller than that. The only one that even came close was the first time he touched a non-organic banana.

That is great that Logan has no allergies. Did your Dr mention what was causing his eczema. The boys' Dr said Xander's was definitely from allergies and Connor's may be the same. If the tests come back negative on all allergens than it may be auto-immune. Neither of the boys have asthma, but Xander does pick up asthma like symptoms whenever he is sick. We've had to give him inhalers and use a nebulizer at home.

Connor is on two different steriod creams as well (although we rarely use the strong one). Then, we use Eucerin soothing cream over the steriods to lock in moisture. The Dr did say we should use vaselline on stubborn areas, and we have done that from time to time. I am very allergic to Dove (even the sensitive ones), so the Dr does not want me to try it on him yet. A freind of mine also uses the Dove treatment for her daughter, and it works well for her.

We used to give Connor baths from one month (after the umbilical cord fell off) until he was about 4 months old. Then, I started giving him a shower with me, so I know what you mean about it being easier. The Dr told me not to bathe him so much, because it was harmful to his skin. Now, I do not take him in the shower with me every time to give his skin a break. That is weird how your Doctor has you bathing Logan more while mine has me bathing Connor less. I am glad it works for him. We switched Connor to a natural soap from Johnson's that has been working well for him. He did not do well with Aveeno, or regular Johnson's.

I have never heard of the glaxal cream but will ask the Dr about it on his next visit and look it up. Thanks for the tip. He has one persistant spot on his arm but other than that, he is doing pretty well on the current treatment.

Xander is very picky with food. Even as a baby, he would refuse most of the things I tried to give him. Hot dogs do taste differently depending on how they are prepared, so I think he only likes the overly cheap tasting (leftover meat parts) one. Connor has never refused a single food I've given him. He eats anything and everything. We very well may be giving him Xander's adult portions at WDW when he hits 10 while Xander takes his 5-6 year old brother's kids meal. I have a feeling that is where we are headed. Maybe, he'll surprise me and expand his taste buds. He does like mustard and dislikes ketchup, so there is some hope there.

I was sad he missed the excursion as well even though I had a great time doing it for him. He never really complained too much about the foot after that day. It either healed well or he is even more pain tolerant than I thought.

 

[kmedina]

You booked another cruise!!! Yay!! I'm so happy for you!

Sounds like a lovely morning on the island--note to self, bring a book!

Sorry about Crap's foot, that's so strange to me that something like that would slip by at Disney. However, I'm sure they can't sweep the sand all day.

I'm not a Crocs person either,but my MiL has been buying them for Maddie for years. Maddie loves them so much that she now has 6 pairs At least they're good for her feet.

Is the lunch on the island included with the cruise like the other meals or do you pay extra? I've always wondered that and never asked anyone. How nice of the CM to take the time to find a hot dog for Xander!

You're not a bad mommy, you were on vacation! Cookies for lunch is perfectly acceptable! (Especially when you've already paid for something that is starting right away and you need the darn kid to get something in their stomach already)

Can't wait to hear about your excursion!

Thank you. While I am bummed I waited too long to get on the Fantasy, I am happy we are taking another cruise.

Yes, bring a book if you plan a relaxing day. There are so many awesome and adventure packed things to do that you may not need it.

We never even found the thing that penetrated him, so it may have been something that occurs in nature, which Disney could not possibly prevent. Even if it was man-made, Crap was not able to find it right after he stepped on it, so I doubt Disney employees would have seen it either.

The funny thing about Crocs is that I have no fashion sense whatsoever. Crap always teases me for my lack of girly-ness. However, I cannot handle Crocs or those five fingered shoes. I will never spend a dime of my money on either of those things, but I will buy un-stylish tennis shoes all day long. If someone bought Crocs for Xander and he wanted to wear them, of course I would allow it. I will not be buying them though. Crap knows that I do not support him wearing the 5 finger shoes around me. I feel badly for telling him that, because I was joking. He never bought them after that comment even though I gave him the green light. I should have kept my mouth closed on that. I have actually seen some of Maddie's Crocs. She is always dressed so girly and cute that I never pay much attention to her feet. It is not a bad look on her.

Lunch at Castaway Cay is included, since it is Disney's private island. Other than the tubes, the items we got at the store and the 2pm excursion, we did not pay for anything else there. We did not even bring any cash out of the room with us for that day either. Most all day excursions to other ports that you pay for include lunch in the price you pay, but I have seen some that do not. It was really nice of that man to find Xander a hot dog, especially since the other man obviously would not have made the effort.

Thanks for the support regarding the cookies. I really felt terrible about that, but I knew he needed to eat something. If I knew all of the kids selections would be gone well before the restaurant closed, I would have brought some of our WDW bounty out (although that was all snack food too.) At home, Xander usually does not get away with that. My Dad really helps me stick to that when we got to lunch every Thursday too. Every week that kid tries to sneak dessert before eating. I am usually distracted with Connor (and Crap is at work). Either my Dad or my brother always catches him, so you think he would stop trying. The kid is nothing if not persistent.

I had a great time on the excursion. Xander did not, but I think it was just another scared moment rather than a meltdown. It was kind of like what happened on the Aquaduck only this time, Crap got pictures to prove it.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sorry to see your kids with the allergy flare-ups. It's not nice when it happens to kids and babies.


Hope Crap's foot is better now and that it didn't pose any further problems for the rest of the trip.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Castaway Cay looks lovely. So nice that it wasn't too hot or too cold. I'm with you, I think sitting on a beach and just relaxing sounds heavenly!

I'm sorry about your Dh's foot, ugg, nothing is worse than getting hurt on vacation. I'm glad first aid was able to get him fixed up and he didn't need stitches! I hope it didn't negatively effect the rest of your vacation!

Good tip about getting to lunch earlier. I would have been upset if all the kids food was gone, my DS is pretty picky also. I don't think I could have gotten him to eat chicken or burgers. I also don't think there is anything wrong with eating cookies for lunch, you're on vacation, and there really was nothing else!

I'm intrigued about your excursion, I'm afraid it turned out to be a bust!

 

[kmedina]

Sorry to see your kids with the allergy flare-ups. It's not nice when it happens to kids and babies.


Hope Crap's foot is better now and that it didn't pose any further problems for the rest of the trip.

Thank you. I hate when they are in discomfort.

He has not mentioned it since that day, so I am assuming it is fine.

Castaway Cay looks lovely. So nice that it wasn't too hot or too cold. I'm with you, I think sitting on a beach and just relaxing sounds heavenly!

I'm sorry about your Dh's foot, ugg, nothing is worse than getting hurt on vacation. I'm glad first aid was able to get him fixed up and he didn't need stitches! I hope it didn't negatively effect the rest of your vacation!

Good tip about getting to lunch earlier. I would have been upset if all the kids food was gone, my DS is pretty picky also. I don't think I could have gotten him to eat chicken or burgers. I also don't think there is anything wrong with eating cookies for lunch, you're on vacation, and there really was nothing else!

I'm intrigued about your excursion, I'm afraid it turned out to be a bust!

Castaway Cay is stunning. Disney did a great job with the island. It was an awesome day minus Crap's injury and Xander's fear of the excursion. Every once in a while, it is awesome just to slow down and relax.

First Aid was wonderful he said. I am glad that it did not need stitches as well. He has not mentioned it since that afternoon, so I am assuming he is fine.

The day we checked into the ship, Cabanas had slim selections for lunch (luckily out of adult food rather than kid food). I was okay with that, since it is a lot easier to get a picky adult to eat kid's food than it is to get a picky kid to eat adult's food. Also, I am certain that it was much closer to closing like 10-15 minutes away. This was 45 minutes from closing, so it was a disappointing. Thanks to the cookies, it did not adversely affect our day though. Xander was perfectly fine with eating cookies for lunch.

I loved the excursion. Xander did not.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

Chris is currently allergic to Milk, Eggs, Peas, Peanuts & tree nuts and shellfish. He had been cleared of shellfish, but he had some lobster the other night, and had a mild reaction. He used to also be allergic to wheat, rye and barley, but can have those now. He is trying new things, but I am nervous about a reaction on a cruise ship far from an emergency room. He has never needed his epi-pen, aside from his initial reaction at 7 months which is how we discovered his allergies. At that point he was given epinepherine and steroids at the ER. He will be 13 when we sail, and I worry most about him going to eat with friends from the teen club and having an issue then. I did note the allergies on our reservation, so hopefully theu will contact us. If not, I will call and see if there is anything else we need to do.

Ask your Dr. about trying cetaphil facial wash (liquid) and Aquaphor for the eczema. Those both really helped Chris with his (but honestly, avoiding the food allergens helped the most...it was the worst before his allergies were diagnosed, and I was nursing so he was getting all of those allergens via me.)

Ok enough Off-topic stuff! It sounds like Castaway Cay is wonderful! I can't wait for that day! Too bad Crap hurt his foot, though. I am so excited that you booked another cruise. I am so excited for you!

 

[kmedina]

Chris is currently allergic to Milk, Eggs, Peas, Peanuts & tree nuts and shellfish. He had been cleared of shellfish, but he had some lobster the other night, and had a mild reaction. He used to also be allergic to wheat, rye and barley, but can have those now. He is trying new things, but I am nervous about a reaction on a cruise ship far from an emergency room. He has never needed his epi-pen, aside from his initial reaction at 7 months which is how we discovered his allergies. At that point he was given epinepherine and steroids at the ER. He will be 13 when we sail, and I worry most about him going to eat with friends from the teen club and having an issue then. I did note the allergies on our reservation, so hopefully theu will contact us. If not, I will call and see if there is anything else we need to do.

Ask your Dr. about trying cetaphil facial wash (liquid) and Aquaphor for the eczema. Those both really helped Chris with his (but honestly, avoiding the food allergens helped the most...it was the worst before his allergies were diagnosed, and I was nursing so he was getting all of those allergens via me.)

Ok enough Off-topic stuff! It sounds like Castaway Cay is wonderful! I can't wait for that day! Too bad Crap hurt his foot, though. I am so excited that you booked another cruise. I am so excited for you!

Chris has more allergies than Xander. It is nice to see some of them went away. Xander's Dr says that could happen for him. I do not know if he is allergic to shellfish, because he was not tested for that. Since I do not like seafood, I never prepare it. When he gets over his picky stage, he may try some and like it. There are Drs on board, and I am hoping they carry all kinds if meds. Cast members will probably keep him away from anything he is allergic to. I would just go over the allergies with the staff at the club when you first sign him up. The older kids can check themselves in and out I believe, so it is good you already noted it in case you do not have to do anything further. Make sure the club has his current epipen just in case. I forgot to give it to them the second time I dropped Xander off.

The Dr wants to run the profile on Connor right at his one year check up. He said he does not like blood draws for allergies before age one due to false positives and distress to babies. I will eliminate anything he is allergic to from my diet as well. He will not likely be done breastfeeding by then. At 11.5 months, he still nurses like an infant. Thanks for the tips, and I will discuss it with his Dr.

I did not think it was off topic at all, so no worries. When your kid has allergies like that, you never take a vacation from worrying. I understand the concern and have a feeling the kids' club will stay on top if it. Castaway Cay was wonderful. Thank you. We are so excited about the upcoming cruise. Unfortunately, Castaway Cay is not on the intenerary. At some point, we will get there again.

 

[kmedina]

I realized that I forgot a couple of tips. Some of you may remember that we opted to forgo the grocery stop on the way to the cruise ship, since our driver was 30 minutes late. We ran out of water overnight on the first night. Before we left for our excursion to Atlantis, we stopped to buy some water. There was no time to go back to the room, so we just bought four bottles to carry with us (and bought more later). Of course it was expensive, but that was not even my biggest problem. The ship only sells one kind of water, Evian Spring Water. Neither Xander nor I like spring water. It was so terrible that I barely drank any water through the duration of the trip. Xander did not have much choice, since he does not drink anything the drink station offers. He really only likes water with an occasional milk (we limit his milk since he is allergic).

Unless you like Evian and/or spring water, make sure you bring your own water on the ship. I was shocked that they did not have Dasani, since it is a coke product. There may be another place on the ship to buy purified water on the ship that I am not aware of, but I would not chance it. You can also save a lot of money. While I cannot remember what we paid, I do remember that it was overpriced.

The other thing I want to cover is the fireworks at sea took place at 10:30pm on pirate night. Crap mentioned he was tired and did not want to see them. I did not push the issue, since the boys were pretty tired as well. If my memory serves me correctly, Disney is the only cruise liner who is allowed to have fireworks at sea. It sounds like an awesome sight to see. Anyone who is unable to go that late without a nap, try to work in a midday nap the day the fireworks are shown. While this may not always happen on pirate night, you would only need to check the personal navigator to see what night they are planned for.

Now, I will get back to the excursion. We were given an adult and child snorkel mask when we checked in. Until we checked in, I had no idea that this excursion even involved snorkeling. Had I known that, I would have gotten there a few minutes earlier. Too bad it took so long to find that hot dog at lunch. After checking in, we went inside a large covered building that had a sand bottom. It looked almost like a tropical barn. Xander was still in a good mood at this point. The instructor was already going over everything. Yikes. I had never snorkeled before, so I needed every piece of information I could have gotten. They either started early, our clocks were a few minutes off or it took longer to check in than I thought it did. The instructions must have been very short, because it was over before it started, and I still had no idea what to do.

When the quick talk wrapped, everyone started putting on their snorkel gear and taking off their clothes. I had no idea how to put them on, so I just stuck them over our heads and hoped someone in the water would be able to help us. Xander started crying the moment I put the snorkel gear over his head. He was uncertain of what it was and did not like it when I told him we would put that on to get a look under the water (as soon as I figured out how to put them on that was). Usually Xander does better when he knows what to expect. This was not the case this time as you can see from his reaction.

Crap and Connor were seated just outside the building where lawn chairs were set up for people who wanted to observe. This was a nice touch. There were no observer fees as there are with some excursions, so I did not know how closely I (now Crap) would be able to get to view everything. Since he was so close, he took some pictures of what we were about to see. He also got some pictures of our beautiful ship, which was parked near this excursion.

There were a few different stations holding sting rays. This excursion is designed for ages 5 and up. I thought Crap and Xander would have a great time playing with them when I booked it. The stingers were clipped, so there is very little danger. Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, was killed by a giant sting ray, so there is no way I would have let Xander do the excursion if they were not clipped. One thing I did remember from the instructions was we needed to shuffle our feet when walking in the water. Even though the sting rays were large and dark, they like to bury themselves in the sand at times. They were everywhere in the water.

Xander was still upset at this point. People were already gathering near the large tanks within the ocean. I noticed that the tanks were not very deep and could tell by looking Xander would be able to walk there. He calmed down once I told him that he would shuffle over there, and he did not have to put the mask (snorkel gear) on unless he wanted to once he saw the cool “fish” we were going to see. After calming him down, everyone else was already at all of the stations. Once again, we would be late arriving. Hopefully, we would not miss any important information.

There was only one station that did not look as busy as the others. We shuffled very slowly over there to ensure we did not step on any sting rays, and because Xander got nervous any time one swam by. It was the one farthest to the left with all of the tall people. Xander and I looked very short in that group. I am 5’6”, so many of these people had to clear 6’. As cute and small as he looks standing in between me and this other lady, he easily cleared the tank. For anyone interested in doing this with a kid, there were other kids in the water. They were just at different stations. One little girl, who was shorter than Xander, was snorkeling like a pro.

We arrived at the tank to the demonstration already in progress. Our group (other than Xander) was very comfortable with the sting rays. The instructors gave some basic information about sting rays and gave everyone a chance to feed one. Xander refused to feed one at all. I have to admit that I chickened out a little when it was my turn. Cast members warn you that you will feel them suck the food up almost like a suction cup, but it will not hurt. As soon as I felt it on top of my arm and the slightest suction sensation, I dropped the food. Right after I chickened out, the next lady went, and I never asked for another turn. The good news is the sting ray was on top of my hand, so Xander never realized I chickened out. I stayed brave for him (as far as he knows).

After the demonstration was over, the cast members told everyone they could explore the area openly. That is probably why snorkel masks were provided. Even though the area was shallow, the rays like to hide in the sand. Anyone willing to snorkel could get an excellent look at them. I quickly asked the lady next to me how to use it. Turns out it was pretty easy to put on and use. Although, I cannot remember how to describe it other than to see make sure the pipe thing is sticking straight up, and the circular piece goes into your mouth. Xander said he did not want to put his on. I told him we could just look at them from the top of the water.

As we shuffled around, we found a highly dense area with lots of sting rays. They keep rubbing against us. This made Xander so uncomfortable that he started quietly crying. He was brave enough to get in the water and check it out. I told him I was proud of him, and he did not have to stay in the water if he did not want to. Very quickly, he informed me that we would like to get out of the water. We were not even the first ones out of the water. There were two small groups who excited before we did. When we exited the water, we were given pins and told that a portion of the excursion fee had been donated to help wildlife. That was a nice touch.

I handed Xander off to Crap and returned to the water to try out the snorkel gear. It took me a couple of minutes to really get the hang of it, because I kept breathing improperly, which fogged up the lenses and made me nervous. Once I got it, I explored for maybe two or three minutes before exiting the water again.

This time I was after the camera. Even though we did not have a waterproof camera, the water was shallow enough for me to take the DSLR in. I wanted to get some up close pictures of the sting rays. To this day, I have not really learned to use the camera well. The pictures that I got were as good as they were going to get. Once I got the shots, I exited the water for good this time. There were still quite a few people in the water, since the excursion did not end until 3pm. That was still about 15 minutes away, so we did all of that in 45 short minutes. It was awesome and relaxing for me, but Xander could have done without the excursion. Something tells me he would have done better with Crap. Whether it is trying to act tough for Daddy or that Crap just has a special touch that I do not, Xander always seems braver when his Daddy is around.

Other than Crap’s injured foot, we had an awesome time at Castaway Cay and felt ready to go. We had barely seen most of the island though. A tram was pulling up just as we were walking down the path. Knowing it would be easier to keep the stroller off the tram, I asked Crap if he minded meeting back up at the ship. I wanted to see some of the other stops, like Serenity Bay. He said he did not mind. Xander insisted on coming with me, so Crap and Connor started back toward the ship on foot without us. The tram made two stops and my plan to see more of the island did not work out very well. It was hard to see a lot from the trams. Even if Xander was not with me, I would not have gotten off the tram. He was not allowed in Serenity Bay, so I really did not have a choice. After the two stops, we arrived at the front of the ship and waited for Connor and Crap. They arrived about two minutes later.

We all entered the ship together and headed straight to the room. Xander was anxious to have more time at the kids’ club. Crap showered Xander quickly, so I could walk him up to the club. It was formal night. To give him as much time as possible in the club, I dressed him in his formal clothes and hoped he would not get them dirty at the kids’ club. That way, we could head straight to dinner after picking him up. This time, I took him to the Oceaneer Lab, because I wanted him to try that one as well.

When I returned from the club, Crap was exiting the shower. He was concerned that his hair looked bad and needed a haircut. With one quick phone call, he was out of there. They had an immediate opening. That left me in the room alone to shower and dress me and Connor. It was a little tricky, since there was no safe place to put him down. I got it done though and settled down to nurse him. Soon after I started nursing, Crap returned to the room with his new haircut. For a short cut, it was all right. Whoever cut it did a good job. He hopped into the shower to make sure no hair got on his formal wear. It was the second day in a row that he took two showers less than a few hours apart. We never got another picture of Crap after the haircut, so I am sorry I cannot show it to you.

Connor had just finished nursing by the time Crap was getting his formal wear on. I placed Connor in his formal wear before nursing just in case he fell asleep. Once he was deep asleep, I put mine on as well. It was too early to head down to dinner, but too late to try to squeeze anything else in. We hung out in the room until right before it was time to head to dinner. Crap walked down to get Xander from the kid’s club and said he would meet me inside the restaurant. I used that time to do a little shopping on the ship.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sound like a great excursion to snorkel with the rays. Glad that you made the best of the opportunity.

Such a shame that Xander puts on the "mummy's boy" routine around you and not around Crap. But then they are only little for a short period of time.

 

[kmedina]

Sound like a great excursion to snorkel with the rays. Glad that you made the best of the opportunity.

Such a shame that Xander puts on the "mummy's boy" routine around you and not around Crap. But then they are only little for a short period of time.

It really was a lot of fun.

Xander really is a Momma's boy. The scary thing is Connor is way more of a Momma's boy than Xander ever was. I worked with Xander and Crap helped care for him a lot more. Connor is with me so much that Crap can hardly pry him from my arms.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

2 How much questions...how much was the excursion and haircut? Thinking of doing both on my cruise.