Melissa's European Adventures: At Sea & Capri

Thank you for following our new blog series, Melissa's European Adventures! While cruises and much travel have been put on hold, it brings me joy to share our experiences and adventures with you. If you missed the first post in this series sharing the start of our Mediterranean Disney Cruise vacation in Barcelona, check it out!

Barcelona has captured our hearts! We will be back and hope to be able to experience much more of Spain. It was time to say "adios, hasta la proxima" and embark on the Disney Magic for a 7-night Mediterranean sailing! After having sailed on the Magic out of Port Canaveral, FL, it was so surreal to see the ship all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. What a beautiful sight, it felt like a piece of "home" was brought to us. In the cruise terminal, prior to boarding the ship, we got to say hi and give hugs to the always stylish and sweet, Minnie Mouse!

Once we exited the gangway, we entered the ship and were greeted by one of our fav things to hear that always brings HUGE smiles to our faces, "Disney Magic, please welcome aboard the Ritrivi Family!". When you hear that saying with your family name, surrounded by crew members clapping as you enter the atrium, you know you are about to embark on one of the most fantastic vacations, ever!

Once onboard, there were so many things we couldn't wait for- lunch at Lumiere's, to check out our room, to explore the Oceaneers Club & Lab with the children, and of course, the Sail Away Party! After enjoying a delicious lunch at Lumiere's, featuring gumbo, empanadas, smoked salmon, chicken Caesar salad, beef sirloin, and of course the Welcome Aboard ice cream sundae, our room was ready. We had a lovely oceanview stateroom with a large porthole window. The room had plenty of room for us to rest, relax, and store our things. The split bathroom is key! It makes getting ready so much easier. Such a valuable feature of many rooms on Disney's ships. My children loved sitting at the porthole watching the sights and the sea (and some of their toys and stuffed animals made themselves home on the porthole ledge). While our luggage was being delivered in the afternoon, we went to walk around. First up, the children's only areas, the Oceaneers Club & Lab! On the day of embarkation, these areas have an Open House, so that parents and children can explore the areas together. So many fun areas for the children to enjoy, including Marvel Super Hero Academy, Pixie Hollow, Andy's Room, the Disney Junior room, craft area, art studio, and other areas for games, science experiments and group activities.

After the all important safety drill, it was time for the much anticipated Sail Away Party! With my traditional embarkation day Miami Vice in hand and my children onto their first of many ice cream cones, we were cheering and jumping with excitement! Mickey, Minnie and our fav Disney pals danced away and counted down as we officially set sail! With a blast of the ship's horn, we were off! And in true Disney fashion, it's no ordinary horn, it blasts to the tune of When You Wish Upon a Star (and features other Disney tunes)! There's nothing like that exhilarating feeling that you are officially off on your cruise adventure! A quick change into bathing suits and it was pool time! But, our day didn't end there! We saw the first of a few wonderful, Broadway caliber shows in the Walt Disney theater. Then it was time for our first dinner onboard. We opted to reserve the second dinner seating for our sailing. My family prefers the second seating because we are used to eating later, but mostly because it gives us more time for fun in the afternoon (and to get hungry since it feels like we are eating all day long, LOL). Especially in Europe, we knew we wanted to spend as much time in each port of call as possible. This was the first time we met our server, Alex. We were immediately impressed by his professionalism, expertise and courtesy. With Disney Cruise Line, your servers stay with you throughout your dining rotation in the various main dining rooms, which is so very nice- they get to know your family, your dietary needs and preferences. We've now had the pleasure of being seated with Alex on 5 Disney Cruises! You really do form a bond with some crew members and they can grow to feel like family. We miss him so much and hope to be reunited again.

The next day was a gorgeous day at sea as we sailed towards Italy. We started our day with a character breakfast featuring Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. After some family time together in the morning meeting more characters, the kids were excited to go play in the Oceaneers Club & Lab, so we checked them in and took advantage of the time to sit by the adult only pool at the Cove, and enjoyed a bellini and Bloody Mary. We picked the children back up at lunchtime and spent the afternoon swimming, splashing, sliding, and relaxing on the pool deck.

​In the evening, we took in a great show called, Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story. In between the show and dinner, the children wanted more time in the club, and then again after dinner. They absolutely love it! Dinner this evening was at Animator's Palate. I don't want to spoil any surprises, but this dining room is full of magic! Off to bed to rest up for our first port of call, Naples, Italy!

We woke up and were in Italy! Ciao Italia! Docking in Naples offers a range of Port Adventures that can take you to a variety of locations, whether you are looking to take in some history or beautiful scenery. We had dreamt of visiting Capri, so we opted to spend the day there. We took a jet-boat ride to Capri, then boarded a shuttle to Anacapri. Our Port Adventure guide was so welcoming and informative. First, we had free time to explore the breathtaking views of the city and marina. We loved exploring the narrow streets and pathways to discover gardens, charming homes, and lovely scenery. Capri is the home of Limoncello- we enjoyed a few samples and as a result, our first souvenir from the cruise was purchased! My daughter was intrigued by the various sandal-makers located on the island. The Capri sandals date back to ancient times. This mom can't say no to a new pair of beautiful sandals! We found a small sandal shop on a side street and were greeted by the very talented sandal-maker himself. We chose the style, the color leather, he took our measurements and a short time later, we both walked out with a truly memorable souvenir- matching, custom Capri sandals, handmade before our very eyes. We then took a short bus ride down to Capri with our group for a truly delicious Italian, al fresco lunch, filled with antipasti, pasta, and meat.. After lunch, our guide took us on a walk through Piazza Umberto, through the "Rodeo Drive" of Capri, then up to the Gardens of Augustus for an absolutely breathtaking view of the Faraglioni rock formations and the Mediterranean. I could have stood there for hours, taking in the view. On our walk back to the funicular, we couldn't pass up stopping for gelato at the historic Gelateria Buonocore. The smell of their fresh made waffle cones that permeated the air was irresistible!

​Our time in Capri was coming to an end, so we took the funicular down to the marina for the jet-boat ride back to the ship. The girls soaked in every last bit of Capri with the wind in our hair and beautiful views from the ride, while the boys took a nap to rest up for an evening of fun onboard. Our first stop in Italy was full of beauty around every single turn. We left Capri already dreaming of the day we'd return. That day was supposed to be in June of this year. My family had a vacation planned to Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast for this summer. We were so looking forward to revisiting some of our fav sites, plus new adventures like going to the stunning Blue Grotto and visiting Pompeii for a fascinating history lesson, plus just soaking in the views from the cliffs of Sorrento. I hope we can reschedule this extra special vacation for another time.

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Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next stop in our European Adventure, Florence!