New experience on DCL

ChuckElias

ChuckElias

Well-Known Member
This isn't a trip report, but I'm on the Disney Magic right now. I've cruised on both the Magic and Wonder, but last night was a first for me. We have a Category 6 cabin (Family Stateroom with Verandah). We left Cozumel last night around 6 pm, saw Disney's new movie The Wild in the WDW Theater (didn't like it, sadly) and then went to the "Pirates IN the Caribbean Party". Had a blast.

Just after I turned in -- around 12:30 a.m. -- I heard very loud voices and metal banging coming from directly under my stateroom. Then I heard a machine start, again very loud and right under my room. The machine sounded like a winch, trying to pull something heavy.

So I went out on my verandah, and it was a winch -- lowering a lifeboat toward the water!! (We're in the open sea, remember.) There was a boat just sitting dead in the water about 100 feet off our port side. We watched some crew members load water and gasoline into the lifeboat. They then put the lifeboat in the water, delivered the water and gas, and came back to the Magic. They hoisted the lifeboat back on board, and we were back under way in about 45 minutes total time.

It was pretty cool to watch, and the crew got an ovation from all of us who were watching out on the verandahs. Anybody else ever see a rescue/assistance effort from a cruise ship?
 
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Magic Maker

Magic Maker

New Member
WOW you are on the Magic right now???? So is my boyfriend.
His name is Frank he is at the Disney Vacation Club desk with Johnathan, stop by and say hello, tell him Dani sent him.

That would be cool.

He won't sell you anything, he is just a representative, like myself. He'd think it was cool if you saw him since you posted on here.
 
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wild01ride

wild01ride

Well-Known Member
I took a Disney Cruise in the Fall of '04. We combined it with a stay prior at WDW during which we toughed out Hurricane Jeanne. So needless to say, we got the bad news letter with our DCL materials when meeting with the DCL representative that we would not be stopping at Castaway Cay during our voyage.
Nevertheless, we stopped in the open sea during our improvised "Day at Sea" (which was supposed to be "Day at Castaway Cay"). After being stopped for about an hour, I noticed a small boat heading away from the Wonder off into the distance. Capt. Henry came over the speakers and told us to look off of the starboard side of the ship and that we could see Castaway Cay off in the distance (about 20mi. away). We had stopped to deliver supplies to help reconstruct the island for those who were there working on it.

It was pretty cool to be part of the "supply mission." Guess I'll have to wait to see Castaway Cay next time...:rolleyes:
 
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ChuckElias

ChuckElias

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Magic Maker said:
Frank just emailed me and said that apparently they also picked up four people and had them come on board to the Magic.
Click to expand...
MagicMaker, I watched the whole thing, and none of the passengers on the sailboat came back to the Magic. I also spoke with the Staff Captain this morning and he said explicitly that they did not board the Magic. If they had, they would have lost their boat (since the Magic would not have towed it for them). They headed for Cancun with the gas that the Magic provided.

There were a lot of questions this morning about what happened. Maybe Frank just got somebody's guess. I will definitely look him up at the DVC desk, tho. Maybe he was talking about a different encounter.
 
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ChuckElias

ChuckElias

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I mentioned that we spoke with the Staff Captain this morning, but I left out one very interesting thing that he told us. He said that, even with the calm seas, the sailboat was bobbing badly in the open water. So the Magic positioned itself to block the current, making it slightly smoother for both the sailboat and the lifeboat. The Magic used its side thrusters every 5 minutes or so to maintain a position that would create a lee for the sailboat. Very cool, very effective (considering our size) and something that I never would've thought of.

P.S. -- I love writing this stuff from the ship! :lol:
 
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wild01ride

wild01ride

Well-Known Member
AngryEyes said:
So, basically, the goal is to "break down" as the Magic comes by...hmmm.....
Click to expand...


OK, I'll signal the distress call, you start up the smoke machine to indicate our "engine trouble"...
heh, heh, heh........:lookaroun
 
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