Barcelona and The Magic! - Day 1

Sorry for being a bit behind. Internet access is sparse and inconsistent at best, even on the ship but we'll get to that later.

Got to Barcelona on time and with all our luggage (Hurray!). Got off the plane, gathered the luggage and stepped through the exit from the baggage area to be greeted by Mickey's waving white glove. Then had a short wait before boarding the bus to our Hotel (Hesperia Presidente). We arrived at the hotel at approx. 1:30pm and were exhausted from no sleep and a large time change but did manage to make it outside for a bit before heading back in. Took a short nap (2.5hrs) and then caught a cab to The Hard Rock for a 7pm dinner. (Took Andrews advise and booked a spot in line on the Hard Rock website, it worked wonderfully and we only waited like 5 minutes prior to being seated.) Dinner was good and then we headed back to the hotel and off to Never, Never Land... Awoke refreshed for the "BIG" day of boarding.

The Presidente had a free Breakfast Buffet which consisted of just about everything, Juices, Milk, Water, Breads, Cereals, Fresh Fruit, Meats, Cheeses, Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, etc... of note were the Scrambled Eggs which were served cold and the Sausage which was not what us Americans are used to. I put this in simply so that those of you traveling behind us won't be surprised.

In the Lobby of the Hotel, Disney had a Hospitality Desk setup which was a great help. We were able to actually check in and saved the lines at the port for others less fortunate. The bus arrived at 11:45am and we boarded and were off. After the 20 minute drive to the port we were there, at the Magic!! We proceeded through the Security Check (passport necessary) and then received a boarding card with a number on it. However, Disney had a separate line for those that stayed in a Disney Hotel the night before so we were able to board immediately. Once on board we were announced and taken directly to Deck 9 to enjoy a buffet lunch in Topsiders and to await the 1:30pm hour to access our cabins.

We accessed our cabin a 1:30pm sharp and our luggage followed at approx. 4pm. The kids in the pool immediately, making new friends. Dinner was of course casual and we started off in Animators Palate. With this cruise being 11 days, the staff said that the colors would not change in the restaurant on the first night which was odd but not a problem. After dinner we were off to the sail away briefly and then played "Santa Clause" delivering our Fish Extender Gifts for everyone. Off to bed at 12 midnight and ready for a day at sea...