I awoke at my customary 6:30 am to the sound of sleep breathing surrounding me. We had finally arrived at the day that the boys were most waiting for, Marvel Day at Sea. Although this was the theme of this five night cruise, you would have been hard pressed to find any Marvel themes during the first four days. It had been an amazing cruise thus far as we enjoyed a day in Key West, exploring the island. We followed Key West with a stop at Nassau, Bahamas, where we stayed on the ship and took advantage of the water slides and movie theater. Castaway Cay followed with an absolutely spectacular day in our private beach cabana where we stayed from all ashore until all aboard! We went to bed at a reasonable hour the previous evening so that we would be rested and ready to see all things Marvel today!
I knew the Hayes clan wouldn’t want to do much exploring at 6:30. I took the opportunity to grab a table on deck nine with my Diet Coke and keyboard to capture the prior day’s cruise highlights. Upon my arrival on deck nine I could immediately tell that the Disney Magic had taken on the Marvel theme. From the background music, to the Marvel character banners around the ship, to the converted Funnelvision screen, Marvel madness had taken over. I enjoyed my new background music as wrote about our adventures, peaking up from my keyboard to admire the beauty of the sunrise across the ocean.
I finished up a bit early to return to the room to check on Em and the boys. As expected, they were all awake and in various stages of getting ready for the day. The boys were getting dressed in their carefully planned Marvel themed outfits as Emily was putting the final touches on getting ready for the day. Hunter, who had a bout of illness the morning of embarkation, indicated that he woke up not feeling his best this morning. We hoped that a hearty breakfast would be the cure.
Our final breakfast as Cabanas was calling and we were happy to answer. We piled our trays with our morning favorites and snatched a table on deck nine across from Daisy’s Delights, just outside the door to Cabanas. We were impressed that even the food labels had been updated with a Marvel flair. I got an omelet made to order which was delivered hot and fresh to the table and was delicious!
We finished our breakfast in record time and set out on our marathon day of meeting the Marvel characters. Breakfast didn’t exactly do the trick in helping Hunter feel better but he was a trooper and fought through it for the sake of the group. Our first stop of the day was deck four midship to meet Emily’s favorite character, Thor. When we arrived on deck four we were blown away by how many Disney Magic guests had the exact same idea. The line to meet Thor literally wrapped around the entire mid-ship, which we were told would be roughly an hour wait. As we were waiting in line we could see other Marvel characters roaming around deck three and four posing for photos. I offered to hold our place in line while Emily took the boys around for meet and greets. They met with Black Widow and Hawkeye, who were getting mobbed by their fans. Emily fangirled over Black Widow, telling her, “You’re so pretty!” Instead of autograph books, we brought black photo mats and metallic Sharpies for signatures, which ended up making a really cool souvenir for the boys’ rooms.
After Emily and the boys met back up with me in line, Assistant Cruise Director Mike walked by us in line. Mike was the Cruise Director on the ten night Caribbean Cruise we took in the summer of 2017! Hunter was quite enamored of Mike on that trip and we were so excited to see him again! We talked with him for a bit and got a photo as well. He was super excited for Marvel day as you could tell he was enjoying himself as much as the guests were!
We waited our allotted time and finally got to meet with Thor. The Cast Members were clear in the line that individual photos would be taken first followed by the group photos. When they asked who from our group would like to be first up, Emily wasted no time in raising her hand and declaring, “MOM WILL!” When Emily came face to face with the mighty Thor, I dare say she was a little smitten and star struck. Eventually the boys got to meet him as well and we got our photos taken.
The time waiting for and meeting with Thor had wrapped up just in time for our scheduled meet and greet with Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. On embarkation day I waited in line at the Port Adventures desk and was able to secure us a meet and greet time (something we couldn’t get ahead of time). Our tickets indicated that the meet and greet would be at Animator’s Palate on deck four, not far from where we were. We assembled with the rest of the guests who shared our time slot and were ushered into the restaurant. Groot had a themed meet and greet location with a Disney Photographer. We were all amazed at the massive character and were grateful we had a chance to meet him. One of the highlights of the day!
Continuing on our Marvel character scavenger hunt took us to the forward of Deck three where Dr. Strange had a short line formed just outside of the Fathoms. Dr. Strange was by far the most engaging of the Marvel characters as he spent time talking and joking with us as he signed our photo mats. The boys posed for a few photos with the Dr., but Hunter wasn’t taking it quite as seriously as Sawyer was. Dr. Strange encouraged us to attend his show which was later that afternoon in the Walt Disney Theater.
After our photo op with Dr. Strange we wandered into Fathoms, where they were holding a Marvel trivia contest. Several Marvel fanatic guests were battling each other to determine who was the Marvel expert. The cast member hosting the show kept the crowd laughing as the contestants advanced through the rounds until they found a winner. We knew a few of the answers but we all agreed that these folks were a different level of Marvel smart than the Hayes clan.
All of this Marvel madness makes a group hungry and lunch was calling our names. We secured our table in the corner of deck nine across from Daisy’s Delights. Emily and the boys did a lap through Cabanas and I went and got Emily and I our new favorite, schwarma wraps and a few slices of pizza for the boys. Leave it to Disney, as even the quick service menus were updated and themed for the Marvel day at sea. Not only were the menus different, they also had Marvel themed paper that they placed on the pizza plates. We met back at our table to enjoy our finds. Hunter was feeling better and did a number on a plate of Butter Chicken from Cabanas. We followed up our lunch with some themed desserts, ice cream, cookies and milk. Just the fuel that we needed to get us back on our feet and into the Marvel fray.
After lunch we remembered that our new favorite cast member, Oksana, told us that she would be working at the merchandise kiosk on deck nine across from the ice cream. We met Oksana two nights prior on Nassau day while she was working in the shops on deck three. Sawyer, who was her biggest fan, peaked around the corner and spotted her talking to some other Guests. When she spotted Sawyer she came over and gave him her customary tickles. She then took Sawyer into her merchandise kiosk and proceeded to give him a handful of pins for his collection.
With more Marvel characters to meet we worked our way back down to deck three forward where I got in line to meet with Captain America. The line was at least ninety minutes long which was the perfect amount of time for Emily to take the boys to the room so they could get suited up in their costumes for the afternoon. Sawyer had his new Spider Man costume that he got for his birthday, and Hunter wanted to return to his Halloween costume as Tony Stark. Emily made him an arc reactor that fit in a secret pocket she sewed into his shirt. She completed the look with a painted on goatee. She had just enough time to take the boys to a character party in the atrium before joining me in line. You can see all the kids dressed up in the Marvel best. Spidey was a popular dress up character! Hunter was interviewed as part of the show because he stood out as the man in charge of the Stark Expo, taking place later that night. They asked how long it took him to grow his goatee and he said, “Fifteen minutes.”
When they joined me in line we were still about 30 minutes from the front. I was truly impressed when I saw the boys for the first time as they looked awesome in their Marvel costumes. The meet and greet with Captain America was great as he was really engaging with the boys who were a bit star struck. He talked to them as Spidey and Tony which was a fun change from our normal character interactions.
The boys had mentioned how much fun it was watching the Marvel trivia earlier in the day. There was another round of team trivia about to start at Fathoms that we were eager to participate in. We grabbed our seats and had a blast trying our hand against folks that knew far more than we did. Hunter even got picked for the first round of the game for our team, which required that he compete in a dance off. It was a really fun time.
After the show Emily took the boys out on the deck four promenade to snap a few photos. Apparently Sawyer wanted to get a Deadpool type photo which was absolutely hilarious. The photo above is just one of the many gems that Emily captured. Check out the slideshow at the end of this post for more funny photos!
Following the advice of Dr. Strange, we headed to the Walt Disney Theater to see Dr. Strange: Journey Into the Mystic Arts. We like magic and Marvel, so why not? I am normally a huge fan of most things that Disney does; the Dr. Strange show was unfortunately not on my Disney Must Do’s list. The show started by bringing a bunch of guests on stage, dressed in Star Wars type robes. Dr. Strange attempted to teach these Guests magic by making them jump through hula hoops and pass around a glowing ball like a hot potato. Not exactly my idea of entertainment but, to each their own. The show, which seemed to last three hours (actual run time was about 20 min), finally came to a close. I wanted to ask Dr. Strange if there was any magic he could do to give me back my lost time, but I decided against it. Even the kids were freely sharing their feelings about how corny and/or boring it had been. Emily did say one of her friends warned her ahead of time, but she thought maybe it would appeal to the kids. Next time, we listen to the friend.
Our faith and love in all things Marvel was redeemed, however, at our next experience in the D Lounge. A huge thanks to Emily, she secured tickets for a meet and greet with the the boys’ favorite characters. The D Lounge had been completed converted to a character meet and greet location complete with cool backdrops and professional photo setups. While we were waiting in line for our meet and greet opportunities, Iron Man came up to Hunter, recognizing his Tony Stark costume, and said that he knew him. Hunter thought that was pretty awesome.
The first character meet and greet was Sawyer’s favorite, Spiderman. Sawyer was in awe of his favorite superhero as the boys interacted with Spidey and got a photo with him.
At our second meet and greet stop we got to hang out with Black Panther who was super cool. The boys struck their Wakanda Forever pose with the mighty super hero.
We ended with a meet and greet and photo opportunity with Iron Man, Hunter’s favorite superhero for as long as he has watched Marvel movies. Iron Man’s suit was truly impressive to see up close. The boys walked out of the D Lounge pretty fired up after having met all three of the characters.
After the D Lounge we agreed that is was time for a chill break in the room as we had been pretty much non-stop since breakfast. Back in the stateroom the boys chilled and watched TV while Emily got some of the final items packed up so we wouldn’t miss out on any of the evening activities. After the boys had their downtime, they asked to go to the Oceaneer Club so they could play GaGa ball as well as do a few of their favorite activities for the last time. Since Emily was still finishing up, I dropped the boys off for their fun.
After dropping the boys off I had a late afternoon craving for an ice cream cone and a Diet Coke. As I was walking toward the aft of the ship I spotted Star Lord and Gamora doing a meet and greet on deck five. Since it was the only two characters that we didn’t have a meet and greet with, I went back to the room to get our photo mats and returned for a photo and signatures. Our mats were finally complete! I rewarded myself with that ice cream cone and soda.
When I returned to our stateroom Emily was just finishing up packing up for the day. The Captain’s Mai Tai was calling our name from Signals on deck nine. After we got our drinks we took them down to deck four to take a leisurely stroll. It was the perfect chill break as we enjoyed the fresh air as well as some time away from the Marvel character frenzy. We finished our drinks and stopped into Shutters to review the photos that had been taken during our cruise. It was the perfect time because it wasn’t busy at all. We picked out a couple photos of the boys with their favorite superheroes to frame with the mats that we had signed throughout the day.
The boys activities at the Oceaneer Club had ended as Emily and I swung by to pick them up for our last evening on the cruise. Our first stop was the shops to ensure that we got the last souvenirs that we wanted before leaving the ship the next day. As we were browsing we spotted our favorite merchandise cast member, Oksana. One of the things that we like to do on each cruise is to bring bags of chocolates to give to our favorite cast members. Because Oksana was one, I ran up to the room to get a bag so that Sawyer could give it to her that night. She was super thankful to have received the chocolates, so much so, that she tackled Sawyer to the ground and tickled him. We finished up our shopping and headed back to our stateroom to change for dinner.
It wouldn’t be a dinner on the cruise without some type of themed getup for us all to wear. Emily wanted to continue the Marvel theming into the evening with our dinner outfits (see photo above). She assures me she found these awesome Marvel shirts for the boys on JC Penney for a steal. (Emily here: seriously, they were like $7!) She and I just evoked the colors of the Marvel universe. After getting dressed and ready, we went to deck three to get some photos before our dinner. On our way, we ran into Assistant Cruise Director Mike for the fourth time today. He pulled us aside a gave us a tip on where to stand at 8:00 for a special surprise, which we had heard about earlier in the day at the Groot meet and greet.
We had a few minutes before 8:00 so we went and got a photo with the family and Captain Jonathan. As instructed, we returned to our spot just before 8:00 to see the Guardians of the Galaxy characters, including Groot, walk past to start a dance party. Star Lord and Gamora took their spot on deck five overlooking the atrium area, as fun 80’s music played. Other super heroes trickled in during the 15 min show for signatures and photo opportunities.
As the show was ending it was time for our dinner seating so we walked to our final dinner at Rapunzels. In the mass of people moving toward the restaurant, we realized Thor and Loki were assembling together for a photo op! Not normally one to assert herself in public, Emily formed her own line and made sure we didn’t miss this photo op! Because Sawyer and I missed dinner the first night, this was our first opportunity to eat at Rapunzel’s Royal Table. The restaurant was absolutely remarkable. The second dinner didn’t include the same entertainment that Emily and Hunter saw the first night, but it was still a sight to see. Our dinner was good but they were definitely trying to move quickly so that everyone could get out in time for the 10:15 Marvel deck show on deck nine, based on the Stark Expo.
Having heard everyone around the ship talk about how amazing this deck party was, we wanted to make sure that we got a good spot. We secured a location near the front right with a fair view of the stage. We were located right in front of where the characters came out when they went on stage. The show was really cool and included all of the Marvel characters seen on the ship throughout the day. We got to see lots of action, including Spiderman rappelling down a rope from the back smokestack to the stage. The highlight of the show was when Captain Marvel flew in at the end to save the day. This was the first cruise on which she appeared, so she was quite a highlight. The show finished with fireworks shot off the side of the ship. It truly was the perfect ending to the Marvel cruise! My favorite part of the evening, however, was when Hunter, unprompted, brought his brother a slice of pizza as we were waiting for the show to begin. What an awesome big brother.
After the show Sawyer and I got our last ice cream and a plate of pizza to bring back to the room. Since it was our last night on the ship, we also ordered our customary room service which included a cheese plate, grilled cheese, warm cookies, and milk. We enjoyed our late night snack as the ship continued on it’s way back to Port Canaveral. We got in our jammies after a long, fun day at sea, and drifted off to sleep watching Mary Poppins. We certainly got our money’s worth out of today! Although we weren’t excited to disembark the ship the next day, we did have some travel day fun planned to get us back to Orlando.
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