Day Four- Not Just Another Sea Day

Preface

If you are reading this, thank you!  I originally started this blog as a record of our travels so that one day the kids can read them.  I started sharing them because I thought it would be a less obnoxious way to show folks our vacation pictures.  Instead of blowing up your feed, only people who want to see them will click over to the blog.

But looking back on old blogs, I realize that it may come across that we always have these perfect little vacations.  Believe me, this isn't true.  I write these blogs using my travel journal and the photos I took to jog my memory since I am usually writing weeks, if not months later.  And I guess when I sit down each night on vacation to write my journal, I never put in that Rob and I bickered because we were hangry, or that the kids were fighting and had to pee every five minutes.  Oh yeah, that happens to us too.  

So if my previous posts have been too Pollyanna for your taste, this vacation is about to get real...

Day Four

I had big plans for this second day at sea.  Captain America was making an appearance. We had tickets to meet the princesses.  There was a walking tour of the ship I wanted to take.  Our dining rotation had us eat at Cariocas, which is unique to the Disney Magic.  And the show this night was Tangled: The Musical, which I planned to slip out and see solo after the kids went to bed.  As you will see, some of these things would happen.  Others would not.

​But first, sunrise and coffee.

Then second breakfast, then off to meet Captain America.  Remember on the first sea day when Ryan made that Captain America shield and mask?  He insisted on bringing it to meet the real Captain America, to show him he was going to be a super hero too.  

Now it was time for the kids to go to the club, Rob to go do nothing, and me to take my favorite tour: The Art of the Theme.  It's a must do if you are interested in Disney design.  Everything on a Disney ship is done with a purpose, and this tour tells you all about the story that Disney is trying to tell.  That carpet I told you about on the first sea day?  I learned all that stuff on this tour.  

​And here's a little more... 

This photo was taken in Palo, the adult's only restaurant on the Disney Magic.  Palo is the Italian word for pole and it was chosen as the name of the restaurant because it is easy to say to speakers of many different languages.  See the wine case in the photo?  It features poles like those the gondoliers use in Venice (and they are topped with Murano glass). 

The tour was chocked full of information like that.  I didn't take many pictures though, because I was engrossed in what Jamsey, the tour guide, was saying.  I guess you just need to book your own cruise and take the tour yourself!

Towards the end of the tour I got a text that Ryan was ready to be picked up from the club.  Which was ok, because that's where I was headed anyway.  When I got there, he was complaining about his stomach hurting.  Turns out he was playing a game on an iPad and the club doesn't have any windows.  So I sat out with him on the balcony for a minute and he said he felt fine.  Famous.last.words.

For a change we went out on deck and ate at the quick service places.  The kids had hot dogs and Rob and I had gyros.  They were delicious, but later, I would regret this decision.

Now it was time for our Princess Gathering.  I'd like to take a moment to talk about the cast members who bring to life our favorite characters.  These people are amazing.  The selection process is really hard and then they go to school to learn everything about being this person.  Seriously, they know everything about the world their character comes from.  They are also required to perfect the signature of that character, so if you go to Disney, meet Snow White and get an autograph, then go on a cruise and do the same, you will get the same signature.  It's a tough job and they do it well.

They are also taught how to interact with the guests.  Captain America, for example, was so totally into the shield Ryan made and gave him some training moves.  Spiderman taught the kids how to shoot webs, but told them to only practice on walls and chairs, never on their sibling.  Those guys were great.

But these princesses really touched my heart with my little girl.  Now, Anne isn't as all about princesses as other kids, but she was really excited to meet them.  She jabbered on and on about who was her favorite (Cindy) and who might kiss Ryan, and whose dress she wanted.  This was Anne's moment.  

But when the moment came, it was so hard for her.  As her mom, I could see the war inside her between the excitement to meet these ladies and the terror she feels at having to talk to people.  My girl, to say the least, is shy.  Luckily, her brother isn't and he ran up and talked for the both of them.  

Anne moved from princess to princess, collecting autographs and getting hugs, but never saying a word.  These lovely ladies took the time to get down on her level, ask her questions (which Ryan answered) and make her feel special. I'm sure it must be difficult to stand for hours in a dress and heels, always smiling, hugging child after child (and a fair amount of adults). But not one of them seemed frustrated or bothered by Anne's selective mutism.  

After the last princess, Cinderella, Anne turned and beamed at me, and positively hopped over to where Rob and I were waiting.  She started gushing again about how cool it was to meet princesses and she told me all the things each one asked her. It was a shining moment for her.

Alright, time for some ice cream and swimming.  Unfortunately it was a crowded and windy day on deck, so we had some trouble finding seats.

Soon after this picture, there was an... incident in the kiddie pool that resulted in it needing to be closed and drained.  That was the end of the swimming.  

See all the empty chairs?  See the rope  closing the pool?  Ugh.  Now how can we entertain these kids?  Hey, who wants to ride the twist and Spout slide?  Since Rob was occupied with his cerveza, I took Anne up to ride the slide.  The line wasn't too long, but it twisted around the mid-ship smoke stack, which made it hot and smelly.  But it was fun and Ryan then Ryan wanted a turn, so all three of us rode the slide.  Oh man, was it hot and smelly in line.  And such a windy day, man, the boat was really moving.

Warning, this vacation is about to get real.  I'm going to tell it straight, but not graphically. Just close the window now if you are squeamish.  

Rejoining Daddy, we decided to go to our room for a break.  I cuddled up Ryan in a towel and he said, "Mommy, I don't feel good."  Right at that moment he tossed his cookies.  And being a mom, I did the natural thing, use the towel I was cuddling him with to catch it.  Gross.  

Rob flagged down a lifeguard, who took down our name and stateroom and told us to report to the clinic.  This is standard operating procedure to prevent the spread of Norovirus.  They produced a hazmat bag and relieved me of the towel.  We went back to our room and tried to teach Ryan how to get sick into the toilet.  Then Rob took him to the clinic.  

While the boys were at the clinic, Anne and I watched a Tinkerbell movie.  Big mistake.  I should have had a dramamine and looked outside, but nope.  And now I was sea sick.  Ugh.

​Rob and Ryan returned.  Not norovirus, just seasick.  And Ryan was excited because he had cool sea sick bags and Pedialite pops!   That's great. Bubba, can I use one? On the scale of awful things in life, I think helping a child who is stomach sick and being stomach sick as a grown up are tied.  The four of us sat for awhile outside looking at the horizon and then it was time for dinner.
 
As I mentioned in the beginning, I was really excited about dinner tonight.  We were slated to eat at Cariocas, which is only on the Disney Magic.  The other restaurants are versions of ones we have eaten at previously on the Disney Dream.  This would be a unique experience.  Cariocas is themed to be like Brazil and the menu is inspired by those flavors.  So despite being seasick, I was determined to boot and rally! I got Anne dressed for dinner.  I got Ryan dressed for dinner.  I started to get myself ready for dinner and Ryan got sick again.  Then I got sick again.  Looks like Ryan and I would not be going to dinner.
 
Instead, with Rob and Anne off on a dinner date, Ryan and I sat on the balcony looking at the horizon until he cuddled up in my lap and fell asleep.  Ah, there it is, that wonderful moment that makes parenting worth it.  I laid Ryan on my bed, since the stateroom host hadn't been in yet to turn down the room and make the bunk beds.  I tried to get his clothes off and his jammies on, but all I was able to do was get his diaper and pants on.  Then I got sick again.
 
Eventually the stateroom host came and did the room.  Then Rob and Anne came back with a tray for me.  It had plain white rice and two glasses of ginger ale.  Our server had the tray prepared for me when she heard how sick I was. Man, Disney service is awesome.  I was able to eat and drink a little and then we all went to bed.  Ryan slept like a baby.  I slept like an actual baby, meaning I was up every few hours getting sick. 
 
Afterword
So there you have it, the day the vacation took an ugly turn.  You may be asking yourself why I wasn't prepared.  Please remember, this was our third cruise.  The first cruise was calm waters and Rob and I didn't get sick.  The second cruise went through really rough water and a thunderstorm, and not one of the four of us got sick.  This day was windy and I felt the boat moving but Rob didn't.
 
I think there were a few factors at play.  First, the Magic is a smaller ship than the Dream, which could have resulted in my feeling the movement more.  Second, that darn water slide.  It was hot and smelly in line and then very twisty, kind of like riding the teacups.  Immediately following the water slide, we sat on the deck and had no view of the horizon.  
 
Our takeaways were: no more twist and spout slide