The dreaded disembarkation day was upon us as we grumbled out of our slumber around 6:30. While we weren’t excited to be finished with our spectacular cruise, we were looking forward to our day. Our plan was to take our time driving back from Miami to Orlando, enjoying the sights, sounds, and eats along the way. Before we could do that however, we needed to get ready and round up our remaining items from our stateroom to bring down to breakfast.
As Emily got ready for the day, I stepped out on the veranda with hopes to get an approaching timeIapse coming into the Port of Miami… which I apparently missed by a couple of hours. I set one up anyway to see the sunrise over the Miami skyline. Truly a remarkable view of the port and an enjoyable view for our first cruise out of Miami.
We begrudgingly awoke the boys from their slumber, stumbling into our clothes for the day. With teeth brushed and our last toiletries packed, we bid adieu to stateroom #7588. It was a bit of a struggle navigating our full size suitcase and camera gear carry-on down to Rapunzel’s Royal Court on deck three, but we managed somehow. We were a few minutes early to our 8:15 breakfast time slot. Luck for us we got to be packed into the waiting area with the other waiting guests and their luggage. As they called us into the restaurant, we all stacked our suitcases in the outside hallway in as orderly of fashion as possible and made our way to our table.
We considered ourselves lucky as we got to have one more meal in the best themed restaurant on the Disney Magic! We also got to spend one more meal with our amazing servers. For the last breakfast on the ship they have a pretty standard menu to choose from. The goal is pretty much to get us in and out of there so they can get the ship ready for the next sailing. Hunter, who wasn’t feeling his best the prior day, definitely got his appetite back as he ordered a second plate of waffles.
We spent our last breakfast morning as we normally do, talking about all of our favorite things we did on this cruise. We talked about our delicious breakfast and tour of Key West on our first port of call. Our day at Nassau, Bahamas was enjoyable as we spent time on the ship enjoying water activities and seeing Wreck it Ralph Breaks the Internet. We all agreed that it was hard to top our day at Castaway Cay with the private beach cabana. But when we talked about all of the fun we had during the Marvel Day at Sea, we all struggled to pick a favorite.
Breakfast eventually had to come to an end as we got a photo taken with our servers before leaving Rapunzel’s Royal Table. We said our goodbyes to the Disney Magic and headed off the ship around 9:00 am. With a little help from a nice luggage assistant, we got our bags loaded up in the car and made quick work getting out of the Port of Miami. A drive through South Beach was next on the list as we took the bridge over to that area, which provided a great photo opportunity of the Disney Magic in port.
With Miami being a 4 hour drive from Orlando, we don’t make it down to the city very often. Being that we were so close to the action we took a slow drive up South Beach. The yachts and real estate that line the waterways are truly a sight to behold. Hunter could not believe his eyes at all of the huge yachts that we saw along the way. Of course he kept his eyes peeled for the fanciest car models he could imagine. With our lunch destination being one of my favorite sandwich shops in Florida, Sandwiches by the Sea in Delray Beach, we eventually set the GPS to take us there to ensure that we made it by lunchtime.
It was about an hour drive or so from where we were, which ended up being a bit more eventful than we had originally planned. Thankfully, Emily packed some beach buckets because they came in handy when it was time for Sawyer to throw up in the back seat a couple of times. This trip was not the healthiest one we have ever taken, but we managed to keep the illness from our main events. This time, we think he was carsick from looking down during the starts and stops of South Beach, but suffice it to say we had enough barfing for a little while.
We arrived in Delray Beach and decided to continue with our plan of Sandwiches by the Sea. I begrudgingly took the barf bucket to the nearest bathroom to give it a good rinse, and met Emily and the boys outside of Sandwiches by the Sea. The place is a little to-go location with delicious sandwiches, chips, and an assortment of drinks. I first ate here when I came down to Florida on a trip with the St. Norbert Choir. I have been coming back whenever I can ever since. Luckily, Sawyer got his appetite back and loved his cheese sandwich.
After we finished our sandwiches in the quiet of the courtyard, we took some time to walk through a few shops on Atlantic Ave. Sawyer and I ended up doing some exploring while Emily and Hunter looked around the shops. Since it had been like 30 minutes since we last ate, it was time for some ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s. We took our time deciding on just the right flavors as the gentleman working at the location was kind enough to make us fresh waffle cones to house our ice cream goodness.
Our last stop in Delray Beach was a short walk across A1A to the beach to get a little sand in our toes. Sawyer has taken quite a love of the beach like his dad. He wanted to get his feet wet so he and I walked out into the water. It didn’t take long before getting his toes wet changed into getting his entire outfit drenched in ocean water and covered in sand. He was having the time of his life, laughing as he got pummeled by the waves. We rolled some video footage of the experience before calling it quits.
We returned to the car, and pulled the suitcase out of the back of the car to try and find a dry outfit for Sawyer to change into the for the drive home. We set the GPS for Orlando and completed the remainder of our fairly uneventful drive home. But wait, before we could get home and then go get the dog before the kennel closed, Sawyer decided he urgently needed to pee with a mere twenty minutes left in our drive. We stopped at a Publix and Emily hopped out with him. He took the opportunity while inside to make sure he got his free cookie from the bakery. Finally back on the road with our house practically in sight, we made it home without further adieu. Grateful to have had the opportunity to spend a few days on the Disney Magic with Em and the boys. Looking forward to our next adventure on the seas in Alaska!
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