5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston

By Kathy

Last night's dinner was a bit of a miss. Super dry halibut and runny creme brulee with a little too much time under the torch. The clam chowder was missing clams. I did have an awesome Shirley Temple though, and Thomas said his penne was good. He skipped dessert and was fast asleep when I came back to the room. Hopefully tonight's dinner will be better.

My office today. Can't complain.

Every little (and big) super hero lover's dream. Thor, Spiderman, Black Panther and Captain America out and about, mingling with guests. Nothing formal. Just chatting and making dreams come true. Love it.

By Kathy

Good Morning from the port of Progreso, Mexico. This is a new port for us. Thomas and I plan to take a free shuttle into town and explore all that the city has to offer. The shuttle is necessary as the pier is the longest in the world at just over 4 miles in length. Unlike Cozumel, Progreso hasn't been Americanized or "touristified." No Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville or Hard Rock Cafe here. It's small merchants and markets.

Last night was formal night. As we were getting ready, Thomas realized that he forgot his dress shoes at home. He decided to skip the tuxedo and wore pajama pants and a t-shirt. For the first time in forever, I felt zero guilt. I didn't single-handedly ruin anyone's vacation or family pictures by forgetting an item. We rolled with the circumstances and had a great dinner. In Thomas' words, "That must remove a lot of emotional trauma from your chest." Indeed it does.

Disney takes cleaning very seriously. There's a member of the housekeeping team sitting on top of the elevator, hand-dusting every piece of decorative metal. This is how they keep a 27-year-old vessel looking immaculate.

A great day in Progreso.

Both pools closed due to "accidental releases" just as we are leaving port. It's my pet peeve. It means a full draining and crew members scrubbing the heck out of them with bleach. They will be closed for a minimum of 2 hours. Make sure your kids poop in the toilet!

By Kathy

Dinners have been a bit hit or miss on this cruise. Last night, we were in Animator's Palate. The Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes were a disappointment. It is one of those dishes that is either sheer perfection or a complete flop. Last night, it was the latter. They were cold and gummy, which is too bad because the sauce was delicious. The Ginger Teriyaki Dusted Angus Beef Tenderloin was sheer perfection, cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth medium with heavenly Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and a tamarind reduction. It is my favorite dish across the entire fleet.

Tonight we are back in Animator's for my least favorite menu, Pirates in the Caribbean. I do love the crab cakes, so I think I'll have our server N.J. bring them to me as an entree-sized portion. The dining team is very flexible and they go out of their way to ensure guest satisfaction.

We have a neighbor in port today. It's the Disney Treasure! Standing here looking at the two ships, you would never guess that one is fresh out of the construction yard and the other is 27 years old. Oldest ship in the fleet next to the newest. I'm hoping for a horn battle as we leave this afternoon.

By Kathy

Hands-down, my favorite place on the Disney Magic is the Soul Cat Lounge. It was the Promenade Lounge the last time I sailed on this ship in 2019. The re-imagining did not disappoint. This is where I set up shop in the wee hours of the morning with a cup of coffee and my laptop. Yes, I am still a bit salty that they didn't theme it as the Snuggly Duckling to match Rapunzel's Royal Table, but this theme has grown on me. In two weeks, I'll be working from the French Quarter lounge on the Disney Wonder.

Current speed test on the Magic in the middle of the Gulf between Cozumel and Galveston. This is for the slower of the 2 packages on a 5-night voyage.

No line for the AquaDunk on a sea day.

You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

By Kathy

Good Morning from a very foggy Galveston. What a great cruise. It was everything I needed it to be. Relaxing, informal, bonding with my boy, a nice warm-up for 15 days on the Disney Wonder. This afternoon we will fly home, unpack and re-pack for Australia. 8 days until wheels up. Oh and celebrate Thomas turning 16 this weekend. Whew! Thank you Thomas for a great cruise. I had the best time.