A magical time on board the Magic: Index and Introduction ***COMPLETE***

[bambikate]

Hello!

Hope everyone is OK.

It’s been waaaaay too long since I wrote a trip report and whilst this isn’t *quite* as long or exciting as some of our previous trips I’m so grateful we’ve finally been able to get away and have a little bit of Disney magic after the last 18 months.

So, in September 2021, we went on a 3 night Disney Magic at Sea Staycation sailing from London Tilbury followed by a visit to Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London on the way home and I thought it would be nice to write a trip report and make a video of it.

Shortly after the staycations were announced, we booked the holiday knowing it was fully refundable. As you may know, one of the prerequisites for being able to go was that all adults had to be double jabbed. At the time of booking we had no idea if we would both be double jabbed in time but it was fully refundable so we went for it on the off chance that we would be.

After a month or so, we paid our balance and I decided to book a few activities. Things like the champagne tasting and mixology were already sold out but we did manage to book tequila and margarita tasting, wine tasting and martini tasting.

I’d almost convinced myself that the holiday wouldn’t be happening but as it got closer and time to do the online check in, I started to think… what if we don’t all get covid and we do get to go?! So, I started to properly plan an itinerary, booked parking, booked an overnight premier inn for the night before, ordered the required PCR test kits for the girls and did the online check in and secured a good port arrival time and booked some kids club slots.

At about the same time, a few days after Andy had his second jab (I was already double jabbed at this point) we all caught covid. He was really poorly and properly bedridden with it and he never gets ill. The girls and I (thankfully) had it pretty mildly but it still sucked having to isolate for 10 days on the final weeks of the summer holidays and cancel plans as well as look after Andy whilst also trying to work from home, still it could have been a lot worse.

The one good thing I suppose was that we had caught it and recovered from it already so I wasn’t as worried that we would catch it again just before we went.

Having covid so close to our holiday did fill me with anxiety though. First, the irrational fear that we would all never get our taste and smell back and we wouldn't be able to taste any of the lovely food on board or indeed any food ever again (yes... I know! - pleased to confirm all our taste and smell is back now!) but mostly he fact that it was possible for LFT and PCRs to show positive up to 3 months after covid even when you no longer have it and unfortunately there were no exceptions for the Disney cruise if you’ve already had it - a negative test or you’re not getting on.

A couple of weeks afterwards, I decided to do some LFTs we had at home. We test regularly in our house as I go into an office to work and Izzy in in secondary school and they all came back negative. This gave me some hope and I continued to plan and watch cruise vlogs as if it was going to go ahead.

Under 18s had to do a PCR test between 5 days and 24 hours before and send them off. So, 5 days before we were due to travel, the time came to do the tests and…. they were negative! It was actually happening!

That week in the evenings after work we finalised some plans and packed our bags, did the tyres, filled up with fuel and finalised dog and cat care.

I didn't do a pre-trip report, so check out one of my previous TRs for an introduction!

So, the itinerary!

Travel Day
Travelling to London Tilbury and staying at Premier Inn

Embarkation Day
Breakfast at Premier Inn, Embarkation, Oceaneers Club, Lumieres, Tangled the Musical

Day 1 at Sea
Cabanas, Pool Time, Kids Club, Cove Cafe, Stem to Stern Wine Tasting, Martini tasting, Animators Palate, Family Quiz Night, Freezing the Night Away, Disney Trivia and 90s Music Trivia

Day 2 at Sea
Cabanas, Pool time, Disney Music Trivia, Tequila and Margarita tasting, Oceaneers Club, Rapunzel’s Royal Table, Disney Dreams

Debarkation Day and Warner Brothers Studio Tour
Breakfast at Rapunzel’s Royal Table, Disembarking the ship, driving to Warner Brothers Studio Tour, Lunch, Driving Home.