We had only scheduled two tours ahead of time for this trip and a Tuscan wine tour was one of them.  We booked the Castle and Chianti Wine Tour with tour company Italy and Wine.  At almost $200 per person (160 Euro each), this was a bit of a splurge but we did not want to come to Italy without visiting Tuscany and touring some vineyards.  The tour was a full day, lasting from 9:30 to 5:00, and included transportation, lunch, and two (generous) tastings, so while expensive, it was not a bad deal by any means.  And it ended …

We took the train to Florence after a whirlwind day in Rome.  It was a quick and easy hour and a half trip.  We checked into the Hotel Porta Rossa a little before 5:30 and then set out to explore the city.  We wandered the narrow city streets and explored Ponte Vecchio before deciding to try to make it to the top of Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset. Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s iconic bridge – a pedestrian bridge across the Arno River known for the jewelry shops that line its sides.  The bridge as it is today was built in 1350 …

Rome!  Our bonus city on our trip to Italy.  We hadn’t originally planned to go here but the flights forced a change in our itinerary.  And boy were we glad they did!  What an amazing city.  Our time was way too short there and I’m already certain that we’ll go back one day. But first the back story on why our time was so short…  You may recall from my pre-trip report that we booked reward tickets way far in advance and I had to take the boys up to my parent’s house in NJ first.  So my flight to …

After what seemed like non-stop action the last three days, we had a day at sea to relax.  People have different approaches to sea days.  Some people see it as an opportunity to experience all that the ship has to offer – and there is a lot!  Tastings, mixology classes, napkin folding, trivia, bingo, the list goes on and on.  And while I’m sure those things were fun, they were not for us.  We went for the slower pace – pool, Aqua Dunk, sports deck, movies, and just general R&R. But of course, no day would be complete without characters! …

Another morning of waking up somewhere new!  I woke up while we were docking in Nassau and quickly headed up to deck 10 for some pictures. I didn’t realize it but we were in for a treat.  The Disney Dream was in port at Nassau the same day and was coming in just behind us.  I was completely amazed to see the captain turn the gigantic ship all the way around and back in to the dock.  Talk about some parking skills! Nassau is not a super popular port so many people choose to stay on-board and take advantage of …

We woke up the next morning to find we were already docking at Castaway Cay.  Although we had never especially seen the appeal of cruises before, I will admit that it is exciting to wake up in a new place every morning.  Especially when that place is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. We had a 10:00 stingray excursion planned so we weren’t in a huge rush to get off the boat.  We got ready, ate breakfast in Cabanas, and then headed off the ship.  We passed Donald Duck walking around on the island and then found our way to …

After boarding the Magic, we took a few moments to get our bearings and take it all in.  Being on a cruise ship was a whole new experience for us.  We walked around a little, checked out the ship map to orient ourselves and checked out the view outside.  We couldn’t get into our room for another hour or more so we headed to lunch. On embarkation day on the Magic, they offer the same buffet in Cabanas and Lumiere’s.  Cabanas has the benefit of outside seating but you have to fight the crowds with your carry-on luggage and food …

After spending a fun day at LegoLand (see my trip report here), we spent the night at a hotel in Port Canaveral and woke up ready for our first cruise.  The boys’ excitement grew when my phone rang and it was none other than Mickey and Minnie Mouse calling to saying they can’t wait for our visit.  We would be seeing them soon! We stayed at the Residence Inn Cape Canaveral in Cocoa Beach.  The suites are great for families and the free breakfast was a winner with the kids.  We weren’t there long enough to use the nice pool …