I love planning family vacations and maximizing experiences. Go big or go home! So, naturally, when we decided to go on our first Disney cruise to the Bahamas, I turned into one of those Disney cruise fanatic moms who live to spread Disney magic. I joined fish extender and magnet exchange groups on Disboards and Facebook.
I created customized gifts for the exchanges. I had a whole plan for decorating our metal stateroom door with custom, lighted LED magnets. On top of that, we had a pin trading station and a white board on the door. It turned out to be a full, interactive experience courtesy of our door. Our little guy enjoyed delivering gifts and putting magnets on other people’s doors. The kids loved seeing the surprise gifts, new magnets and pins, and notes from other cruisers about their favorite Disney and Star Wars characters every time we returned to our stateroom. For two to three months before the cruise, I felt like I was living more of a double life—Silicon Valley, high-tech marketing executive by weekday and Disney craft mom by weekend. Believe me, not an easy feat!
Taking a Little Break
Selfishly, I was looking for a bit of a mental break and quality time with the family since I had been traveling almost every week for six months straight. And what a great way to get off the grid for a little bit. Honestly, I also thought about being around people who choose to be happy, share the magic with children, and put differences aside, especially in our increasingly divided world.
On top of that, I just had a big birthday and I missed my daughter’s 12th birthday. So yes, there was some degree of guilt that I was trying to allay with this cruise. So I’m sure that many working moms and dads who travel a bit for their jobs can relate to this. I originally thought about writing an article about living a double life and the guilt that working parents feel, but I stopped short of that because of what surprised me on this cruise.
It’s All About the Experience — Love the Marketing Machine!
Although this was our first ever Disney cruise, I knew it was going to be amazing. Our family has been on four Disney World trips, a couple to Disneyland, and now a Disney cruise in a span of eight years. With a Halloween on the High Seas theme, that was also a big bonus for us since Halloween is one of our favorite family holidays. So we knew what to expect from Disney—exceptional customer experience, first-rate logistics, a brilliant marketing machine, and an emotional brand. For us, Disney equals fun, time with family and friends, experiencing the magic through the children’s eyes, being good to ourselves and taking a mental break, being a kid again, making new friends, diet buster, overcoming fears, creating memories, first experiences, being grateful, and simply enjoying life’s special moments.
I’m sure the Disney marketing machine loves it when they hear all this stuff. (As a marketing person, I consider Disney a true marketing Jedi Grand Master while the rest of us are mere Padawans.) There are so many parents willing to pay $25 for a plastic lightsaber or pay 1.5-3x more for a Disney cruise vs other cruise lines. We’re paying for much more than a lighted sword or trip on a ship. As I looked around, I saw all the families wearing personalized, matching Disney shirts. I even got my husband to wear matching shirts with me and our kids despite him saying, “Are we going to be one of those people?” Yes, lots of grown men wearing Mickey Mouse shirts with Dad or Daddy printed on them. Now, where else would you see that? And he even agreed to wear a pirate costume on pirate night! Best of all, he swam in the ocean for the first time (in over 40 years) with his prosthetic leg because Disney made it so easy, relaxing, and non-judgmental. As they say, it’s hard to put a price tag on experiences.
Work and Personal Sacrifices
But here’s what surprised me the most on the cruise. No doubt that it truly brought families and extended families together. Lots of happiness all the way around. But I also thought about the many Disney crew and cast members who sail for five months straight and then get seven weeks off. These include servers and hostesses, spa therapists, cruise security, actors and actresses, etc. They were from all over the world but many were from the Philippines and Indonesia. I know this nomadic Southeast Asian contingent because I was born and raised in the Philippines. Disney has given these people opportunities for a career and better paying livelihood than what some of them can possibly obtain in their third-world, home countries.
The irony was that while we enjoyed our families, they were away from theirs, working to help us enjoy ours. They do this day in and day out, seven days a week, cruise after cruise, for five months straight before getting seven weeks off. And they do it all with a smile, enthusiasm, and energy as if it’s their first day on the job. They go that extra mile–cutting the kids’ steaks, doing magic tricks, catering to special requests, etc. My introspective self felt saddened by this irony. But put into perspective, these crew members are able to feed their families, put their children through school, create better work opportunities for themselves, and live a better life as a result.
We all make sacrifices in our work and personal lives. We might sometimes feel bitter, but it’s energizing and invigorating to think about why we’re making these sacrifices and be grateful for what they’ve allowed us to do for ourselves and others.
From the Adams family to yours, have a safe and happy Halloween!
If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it with others or click the thumbs up icon below and let me know! Share in the section below your comments and experiences.