Can You Cruise and NOT Cry?

Was it all the anticipation? Was it the relief? Was it months of being uncertain all coming to an end? Was it the absolute pure Disney magic? I don't know but it seemed everything made me cry once I was actually in the process of boarding the Disney Dream!

I was feeling so many emotions I can't even pinpoint what they were. We were going through the gangway and as soon as I saw the first crew member waiting for us the tears started. Then we got to Joey who chatted with us before we were announced to everyone and it was just all... I don't even know!! It was a blur, but yet I remember it all so well. Prior to sailing I had told the members of our private Facebook sailing group that I will believe we are actually sailing when I hear our name called as we enter the ship. When that moment happened it was a huge feeling of relief and excitement. As I said about 23 times in this video... "It is happening!" Seriously - I dare you to make it a drinking game any time I say it. Don't drink and drive.

The whole time on the ship before we set sail was just a time of feeling in awe. Awe of being there. Awe of the beauty. Awe at the atmosphere of all the people. All of us guests were so happy to be there. And I think even happier were the crew members. Every single crew member we interacted with during that entire sailing was fabulous. I can't remember a single moment that didn't feel like something positive. I was genuinely happy to say hi to each one I passed, and I was genuinely said to say good bye at the end.

Ikbal, Noel, Natasha, Darrell, Raf, Clive, all the photographers, those in merchandise, the crew in the Oceaneer Club - all of them exceeded any expectations and I am truly appreciative of them! They really helped bring out the magic of this sailing. And it felt like it hit me all at once during these first hours on the ship. 

Times I cried: 

- seeing the first crew member waving at us

- seeing Joey

- Joey announcing us to the ship

- Mickey and Minnie appearing and waving

- nearly every time the ship's horns went off

- when the people on the shore cheered loudly and all of the guests on the ship started cheering 

That's just during this one video! All happy tears, fortunately!

If you ever have the opportunity to do a Disney cruise, don't pass it up! The feelings we used to get in the parks back in the day.... those feelings are well and alive on the ship! It has this feeling of old fashioned family moments. And that feeling gets even greater during the Merrytime cruises. Gosh, if only I could take my mom on one of those with me.......

See ya real soon!