6/5/08 3 Night Wonder Trip Report- with Navigators, 20 tips, and 100+ photos!!!

[Tri-circle-D]

Great so far - I slept in on our last cruise and didn't see the ship dock at all - I plan to change that next year. What an amazing sight Castaway Cay is as you approach - just beautiful

Joh- You go girl! It is such an awesome and peaceful experience to watch the ship approach Castaway Cay. Everything looks perfect on this island, and there are no people. You can sleep when you get home (or, if you like, in your hammock on the island).

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Snorkeling at Castaway Cay

I really enjoy the snorkeling lagoon at Castaway Cay. On previous cruises, the whole family has snorkeled. Not on this trip. Only one DD and I want to go. The main objection was that the lagoon is very big, and there is a lot of swimming required. We get to snorkel around home from time to time, and we have also snorkeled at Discovery Cove and Typhoon Lagoon. I guess that kind of snorkeling is a lot less work.

So, anyway, one DD and I head over to the snorkeling lagoon. I guess it is a little after 11, or so. Not many people are snorkeling. There are plenty of vests on the the lifeguard stand. We grab our vests, and head out. First stop, underwater Mickey.

All of the underwater attractions are marked with buoys. I don't think this was always the case. I appreciate it, though. It makes it a lot easier to find the sunken items.

It really wasn't a surprise to us that Mickey has been replace by Minnie (thank your Disboards). Here she is:

Sorry for the photography! These photos were taken with a disposable underwater camera. I couldn't see through the view finder underwater, so I was just pointing and shooting.

Also, I guess this would be the time that I should apologize to the lady who asked me to take her photo with Minnie. She had a camera, but was snorkeling by herself. Her photos are probably at least as bad as these.

A couple of shots from above the surface:

And some more of the underwater props:

Don't know if you can make this out, but this is one of the subs from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea:

There is nothing that I saw that prohibits this practice, but I do not recommend taking a bag of chips from the Cookie's BBQ and feeding the fish with it. It creates a feeding frenzy:

I think we spent about 45 minutes snorkeling, and that was plenty. Back to base camp for the next activity!

TCD

 

[MTMom]

I'm getting addicted to this TR!! I don't want it to end.

I also have a 14 year old DD and I've a few questions for you, if you don't mind? Please tell me that cell phones (texting?) do not work at sea and on CC? I have images in my mind of my DD spending our entire vacation texting or with iPod earphones stuck in her ears! (I'm thinking a little subterfuge combined with a little sabotage might just do the trick, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!)

Did your DD's get involved with any of the teen activities? Both my kids are very outgoing and meet new people very easily. On previous cruises, they have always loved the kids clubs, but this will be our first cruise with a teen.

Keep the TR coming, everyone is enjoying it tremendously!

 

[HoosierFrog]

Taking notes every step of the way for our first cruise. 09/25/08. This has been an excellent source of information. Thanks for taking us all along for the trip. Snorkeling is now a must do on our list for CC. The underwater pics are actually pretty decent. I was worried about the amount of aquatic life that we would be able to see.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I'm getting addicted to this TR!! I don't want it to end.

I also have a 14 year old DD and I've a few questions for you, if you don't mind? Please tell me that cell phones (texting?) do not work at sea and on CC? I have images in my mind of my DD spending our entire vacation texting or with iPod earphones stuck in her ears! (I'm thinking a little subterfuge combined with a little sabotage might just do the trick, a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!)

Did your DD's get involved with any of the teen activities? Both my kids are very outgoing and meet new people very easily. On previous cruises, they have always loved the kids clubs, but this will be our first cruise with a teen.

Keep the TR coming, everyone is enjoying it tremendously!

About the cell phones. I know what you are talking about. There is a notice on the back page of the first day's Navigator that says that cell phones will work in the staterooms, but that international roaming rates will apply I don't even want to know what international roaming rates are, so our rule was that all cell phones had to be turned off as soon as the ship began to move from Port Canaveral.

The same Navigator had a warning that says:

To avoid unwanted costs associated with data downloads and to get the most out of your vacation, we recommend turning off your wireless devices.

I also do not want to know about unwanted costs associated with data downloads, so the rule on the cruise was that the phones had to be off. I am afraid that there might be charges for even an incoming text, and I had no intention of finding out the hard way.

I will tell you that on Castaway Cay, we were near a lady who loudly yacked non-stop on her cell phone. Gosh, how annoying. So, the cell phones work, but I would suggest you do like we did- show the kids what it says in the Navigator, and make sure they know they are in deep doo-doo if they even think about using the cell phones after you leave Port Canaveral.

About the teen club, all of the DD's went on the first night, stayed for a very short time, and they never asked to go back. I think they thought it was too much like school. Too structured. Plus, they would rather hang out with their old man. (actually, it must have been pretty boring in the teen club if they chose to hang out with me).

I remember on our very first cruise, the oldest DD had just turned 13, and we were so nervous about her going to the teen club. With the younger two, it was really no big deal. It seems like a safe, harmless, place. They just were not interested.

TCD

 

[ICEMANPAD]

Well While I will probably do a trip report from the Wonder in a couple weeks when we are there July 4th weekend, it will be nowhere near this extensive. That said, we agree and absolutely love CC. Our preferred location is basically in front of the local shops a good bit past the lunch place, largely b/c it is less crowded and b/c it is relatively close to the volleyball nets where I can inevitably be found.

We also take a portable cooler on wheels aboard the boat, but in addition to beer and water, I also bring Gatorade as they do not sell it onboard or on CC, and during and after a few hours of volleyball, a few bottles of Gatorade is a necessity.

Also, not sure why, but we think Cookie's has the best chocolate chip cookies on the trip.

As to Palo, they still prefer men wear a jacket, even though they will not kick you out w/out one.

Chuck

 

[MTMom]

TCD, thx for your reply. I will definitely ban all cell-phone usage away from the mainland. I suppose if she really needs a communication fix, she can go to the internet area. We always buy a package of minutes to use to send messages home anyway. Although, I wonder if it's free if you bring your own laptop?

The new airline luggage restrictions will make it difficult for a lot of folks to bring everything they'd like. We are fortunate in that we are flying with NWA and they have one free checked bag allowance. On top of that, we booked prior to their cutoff date (end of March sometime) and we can still bring two free checked bags per person. If we didn't, we probably wouldn't bring our snorkel equipment. We much prefer our own snorkels and masks, but we usually use their fins. I wonder if you can just rent the fins?

What about the teen beach at CC? Any comments?

I'm anxious to read your next TR installment!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Our afternoon on Castaway Cay

Our original plan was to hit Cookie's BBQ after the noon rush. We were going to participate in the crab races at 12:30, and then go to lunch.

But, big black clouds were threatening. We figured that if it started to rain, the shelters would get full, and we might not even have a place to sit for lunch.

I should mention that the weather on Castaway Cay, as it was on Nassau, was warm and breezy. Very pleasant, actually. I would even say that it was less humid here in June than it had been on our three previous November visits (our Thanksgiving Magic 2005 cruise was a double dip-so this is actually our fourth visit to the island). But, just before noon, some big black clouds blew over, and it looked like it was going to rain hard! . So, we headed to lunch early.

There were no lines to speak of, and plenty of empty tables, so we got our lunch, and sat down to enjoy it. Then, we heard an announcement from David, one of the entertainment staff members, that it was time to sign up teams for the crab races, and only there were only eight teams available.

So, I left my lunch, and headed over to the Gazebo to sign up. We got Crab #4! And, those clouds I mentioned kept on going- we didn't even get a drop, and we had sunshine for the rest of our day.

Here is our official crab race sign:

And a list of the teams:

Extra points to anyone who can explain the meaning and significance of our team name and its relationship to the crab's name(only can be answered by a teen girl).

So, the way this goes is that they have eight crabs in a bucket. They dump these poor things into the center of a circle, and which ever crab walks out of the circle first wins that heat. It looks a little something like this:

Who knew that there were this many crab racing fans.


They have four heats, and then a final race. Our crab is big. And slow. But it could have been worse. The first two heats a smaller crab wins. And then . . . . And then . . . . Sweet Victory! We are on the scoreboard, Baby!!!

So, we make it to the finals. I think maybe our crab died of heat exhaustion, because he didn't move in the finals. Drat! So close. The losers were collected to be sent to the galley for the Parrot Cay crab dip on the next cruise. David really said this.

BTW, I am not an animal rights activist or anything, but DCL better hope that the PETA folks never witness one of these crab races. That ground is hot! And it looks like those crabs live in a bucket. That's all I'm saying about that.

So, no more medals for the TCD gang, but at least we made it to the finals. The DD's head back by Cookies to get some ice cream cones, and we all head back to base camp to get ready for our next activity. Bike riding on Castaway Cay!

TCD

 

[theduck619]

I have always wanted to do a cruise. Our DD's are only 3 so we may have to wait awhile, but it seems like the shorter trip my be theway to break them in!!

Thank you.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Whoops- I forgot something.

Before the bike ride, we went to the Character Dance Party at 1:30, also at the Gazebo.

Of course, if the DD's were among their cool friends at home, this would never happen, but here on Castaway Cay, they could dance to some nice Miley Cyrus, HSM and JB tunes!

With Goofy and Pluto, to boot:

This was a fun little event. The DJ, David, kept things moving. It lasted about 30 minutes.

And then, we went for our bike ride.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

TCD, thx for your reply. I will definitely ban all cell-phone usage away from the mainland. I suppose if she really needs a communication fix, she can go to the internet area. We always buy a package of minutes to use to send messages home anyway. Although, I wonder if it's free if you bring your own laptop?

The new airline luggage restrictions will make it difficult for a lot of folks to bring everything they'd like. We are fortunate in that we are flying with NWA and they have one free checked bag allowance. On top of that, we booked prior to their cutoff date (end of March sometime) and we can still bring two free checked bags per person. If we didn't, we probably wouldn't bring our snorkel equipment. We much prefer our own snorkels and masks, but we usually use their fins. I wonder if you can just rent the fins?

What about the teen beach at CC? Any comments?

I'm anxious to read your next TR installment!

Sorry, but they charge whether you bring your computer or not. I think the charge is the same. There are plenty of computers to use there at the internet cafe, so we have always used them. There used to be an unlimited package, but I didn't see that on this cruise. Since this was such a short cruise, we banned the internet to. That was a good move. Lord knows those girls are on it all day and night at home.

I think you can just rent fins at CC, but I don't know the cost.

We have never visited the teen beach. From what I have seen, there doesn't ever seem to be a whole lot of activity over there.

TCD

 

[jollytammy]

WOW!! Such a great TR! Thanks for sharing. I'm at working trying to break out laughting .

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Our Afternoon on Castaway Cay

So we have eaten our quick lunch, participated in the crab races, and danced with the characters.

It is time for a bike ride.

We always rent bikes on Castaway Cay. It is only $6.00 per hour per bike. This is a reasonably priced and fun activity on Castaway Cay.

They have plenty of bikes available this afternoon, and we are quickly on our way.

We head out onto the runway, and notice that the plane that used to be parked at the end nearest the tram stop is no longer there. We find it at the entrance to the new bike path:

This bike path is a long loop. The entrance is about half-way down the runway.

We will visit this later. For now, we head on down the runway to Serenity Bay. I was worried about the heat on this cruise. Our previous visits to Castaway Cay were in November. But, the heat is really not a factor at all. There is a great breeze, and very low humidity. I actually think this weather is more pleasant than it was during our November visits.

We head past Serenity Bay, and down the old bike path to the overlook. This is easy, level, riding.

Here are the DD's at the overlook:

We hang out here for a while. It sure is beautiful and peaceful.

We head on back down the path, and go to the new bike path.

There are lots of props along this path. Like this:

We head on down to the observation tower. This is new to us. It was not here in November, 2005. It is fun to climb up and take a look around.

It is pretty amazing to take a good look at the island from here. Castaway Cay is bigger than you might think. There is a lot of room for future expansion, should DCL ever choose to do so.

Although an hour seems like a short time, it is just about the right length for a bike ride, so we bring the bikes back.

The next item on the agenda was going to be the Grouper Game Pavilion, but some of the DD's are getting tired, and want to head back to the ship. So we have to skip the games on this trip.

Our tradition has been to finish our afternoon at the Head's Up Bar. We have been looking at it all day from the beach:

We head on over, and get there at about 3:15. It is a good thing that we went when we did, because they are getting ready to close at 3:30. I didn't realize that they closed this early.

I order a Konk Kooler. The bartender tells me that he does not have all of the ingredients, but that he will do his best . He makes our drinks, and I end up with something that tastes something like a Konk Kooler, but it isn't quite right.

Here we are at the bar:

We always take a photo from here:

And, we take a photo of the Wonder, too:

When we get back to base camp from the bar, it is around 4 pm, and the life guards are announcing through their megaphones that the swimming lagoon will close at 4:30. The playground has been closed because it is low tide. A lot of people have headed back to the ship. The DD's all want to go back. Mrs. TCD and I are not ready to leave just yet. So the DD's head on back to the ship.

One of them snapped this photo on the way back:

We really don't want this day to end. We did want to try to stop by the gift shop on the way back, and we see that it closes at 4:30, so we reluctantly head back to the ship. We get to the gift shop at about 4:20, and they are basically closed up. The doors are all shut, except one, that is open a crack, and has a castmember standing next to it. We get the message, and keep on heading back to the ship. We decide to walk instead of taking the tram. It is a nice afternoon, and this will give me a chance to get a good photo of the Flying Dutchman, which I do:

We apparently are about the last folks getting back onto the ship. It is maybe 4:45. We head up to deck 9 to hang out by the pool and hot tubs. Promptly at 5, we are moving! Good thing we didn't dawdle on the way back!

We had a perfect day on Castaway Cay. Great weather, and a lot of fun activities!

As those of you who have cruised before know, we have to have our suitcases packed and in the hallway before 11 pm tonight, and we have a show and dinner to get to, as well.

We decide to skip the show tonight, so we head down to the cabins at around 6 to start with the packing.

Next up, our last night on the Wonder.

TCD

 

[CapnJackGroupie]

Awww...just like our Disney Cruises , we don't want your TR to end!!! Thanks so much for sharing your trip & family with us!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Our Last Night on the Wonder

The dreaded time has arrived. We have to get our bags packed . The suitcases need to be placed out in the hall between 9 and 11 pm. With late seating, this means that you had better get your packing done before dinner.

Our last DCL cruise was a seven night cruise. I still remember how long it took us to get everything packed up. It took a LONG time. We had 7 days worth of stuff everywhere, and the DD's were basically not much help.

The packing process on a three night cruise is so much easier. We had so much less stuff to pack, and each DD packed her own suitcase. We got everything packed up, and left the bags in the cabin, so we could quickly stuff tonight's evening wear in, and get the bags out into the hallway right after dinner, but before 11 pm. They say if your bags aren't out by 11, you are carrying them off the ship yourself. I don't want to find out how strict they are about this.

There was an "important" debarkation presentation at 4:30 pm. The Navigators state: "We request that at least one member of each family attend this important talk." If you have been paying attention, you would know that Mrs. TCD and I were still on Castaway Cay at 4:30. We missed the
debarkation talk! Oh no!

Actually, this leads me to my next tip:

Tip # 22- Skip the debarkation presentation.

You might say: "that's crazy talk." But it isn't. That presentation will be played continuously all night on one of the TV channels in your stateroom. Just listen to it while you are packing. Trust me, you will get off the boat. They will see to that. The debarkation talk on this cruise was given by our cruise director, Clayton. To his credit, he did not use a joke that I have heard on every cruise that I have taken. Invariably, the person giving this talk will always remind the audience to not forget to leave out clothes to wear when leaving the ship. He or she will always claim that on the last cruise, some passengers had to leave the ship in their pajamas! I guess I have been on 20 cruises, and this lame story has been told on every one of them. But, not by Clayton. So, props to Clayton for breaking the mold.

Oh yeah, I also wanted to acknowledge that I promised 20 tips, but it looks like it will be more like 25. Sorry for the miscalculation, there will be no extra charge. I could have stopped at 20, but these last few are pretty good ones.

Back to our story, we are packed and dressed for dinner, so we have time to hit Studio Sea for the 7 pm High School Musical Dance Party! Whoo-Hooo! If you have pre-teen or teen daughters you know what a big deal HSM is!
The girls were looking forward to this all day. But, when we got there, the crowd was all young, young girls. Like 8-9 years old. The DD's would not go out an dance . I can't say that I blame them, they would have looked kind of silly. And, I'm the only one who is allowed to look silly. Anyway, the event was still fun, they played all of the songs, played some video clips, and handed out free copies of a HSM magazine.

We headed to Animator's Palate for our final meal. It was good to finish our dining rotation at AP. This is an amazing restaurant, and it is fun to watch the "show" while eating your dinner. But, unless I missed him, we never got a visit from Sorcerer Mickey.

We tried to finish up by 10 pm, as we wanted to attend the 'Till We Meet Again (TWMA) event in the Atrium. I think a lot of folks skip this, because they are packing or just worn out, but I recommend that you try to attend. This is an event where all of the actors from the shows, and a lot of the characters come out into the Atrium. You can have autographs signed, and take photos. If there are lines, they move quickly. The DD's got photos with a lot of the characters and princesses without having to wait at all. You can also speak with the actors from the various shows, which is always fun. Here is a photo with Chip and Dale:

Another tip:

Tip #23- Attend the 'Till We Meet Again celebration. You will have a chance to meet lots of characters and the actors from the shows on the cruise, with almost no crowd.

We hang out in the Atrium until about 10:30, and then dash back to our cabins. We have to get out of our dinner clothes, get them in our bags, and get those suckers out into the hallway. We make it with minutes to spare.

Since it is so late, I am already in my pajamas. I put all of my clothes in my suitcase. Our cabin steward took the suitcases away almost as soon as we put them out. Uh-oh- I forgot to leave out clothes to wear off the ship! Why didn't Clayton warn me not to forget? This is going to be bad!

Just kidding. You don't think I would be in my PJ's by 11 do you? Au Contraire- the night has just begun . . .

Check back later . . .

TCD

 

[ICEMANPAD]

Yep, Andrew, why waste time sleeping - do that when you get home - and TWMA should be an absolute must as you suggest, especially if you have kids.

Chuck

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Regarding the Debarkation process, I meant to post this document, which you will find in your stateroom on the last day of the cruise. This is another reason that there is no need to attend the debarkation talk- this tells you everything that you need to know about getting off the ship:

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

The Last Night-Continued

Where are we? Oh yes: the suitcases have been packed, and placed in the hall. It is about 11 pm. Too early to sleep. What to do?

We notice that the Navigator tells us that the movie Cars is playing on the big screen at the Goofy Pool. It started at 10:30, and is going to play until 12:27 a.m.. We aren't sure if the pool itself is open, so we take a trip up to deck 9 to take a look. The movie is playing, and the pool and hot tubs are open! Back to the cabin for our swimsuits. Luckily, they were all still damp from Castaway Cay, so they haven't been packed. We were going to let them continue to dry, and carry them off in our now empty rolling cooler along with other assorted dirty laundry.

We head back to the pool in our swimsuits. Here is a magical moment: watching a great Disney/Pixar movie while in a swimming pool somewhere between the Bahamas and Florida!

As you might imagine, there are not a lot of folks in the pool at this hour, but we are not the only ones. We also enjoy time in the hot tubs. No crowds. Despite the warm days that we have had, it is actually a little chilly up on deck, and we settle into our own private hot tub at around midnight. As you might know, there is a button that you have to push to activate the bubbling action, and it is on a timer. Occasionally, the bubbles stop, and someone has to get the tub started again.

At just about midnight, the bubbles stop. We push the button. Nothing. I guess the hot tubs are about to close? Then, a couple of castmembers come out to put the net across the pool. We sit in the hot tub and continue to watch the movie. And then, very slowly, so slow that it is not noticeable at first, the water in our hot tub starts to drain! They must be on an automatic timer. Within 5 minutes, the hot tub is half empty- I mean half full , and we get the message that it is time to get out.

The movie is still going on, but we are cold and wet, so we head back to the cabins to change.

Another tip:

Tip #24- If there is a movie playing on the Ariel view at night- check it out. You definitely can't watch a movie while in a pool on a ship in the ocean at home!
It is now sometime between midnight and 1 am. Time for bed?

What do you think?

Time for a last tour of the ship!

There is no one out. Everyone has gone to bed! Wimps!

We wander around for a bit. Get some Hot Cocoa from the drink station.

We end up in the Atrium.

It is empty.

It is such a large, nice area.

It is hard to believe that it was only two days ago that we walked through this very spot to begin our cruise!

My DD says that this is a perfect place to do cartwheels.

That might be true, but this is a fancy cruise ship. This is no place for cartwheels.

OK, maybe just one:

I am ready for the flames. What kind of parent would allow this type of shenanigans from his child?

This kind:

And you know, DD was right. That is a sweet place to do a cartwheel!

We agree that on our next cruise, we will do cartwheels when we board the ship.

As much as we hate to admit it, we are getting tired. It has been another long (but fun!) day. At a little after 1, we head on back to the cabins. I believe that there was some room service ordered in the DD's room, but I wasn't awake for that.

Next- our last morning.

TCD

 

[3gr8kids]

The Last Night-Continued
That might be true, but this is a fancy cruise ship. This is no place for cartwheels.

OK, maybe just one:

I am ready for the flames. What kind of parent would allow this type of shenanigans from his child?

This kind:

And you know, DD was right. That is a sweet place to do a cartwheel!

We agree that on our next cruise, we will do cartwheels when we board the ship.

As much as we hate to admit it, we are getting tired. It has been another long (but fun!) day. At a little after 1, we head on back to the cabins. I believe that there was some room service ordered in the DD's room, but I wasn't awake for that.

Next- our last morning.

TCD

OMG - that is too funny, and definitely something my fam and I would do!! Glad to see we're not the only ones.

 

[nzdisneymom]

TCD!!!!! I remember reading trip reports and tips from you after your Turkey Day 2005 cruise - it was just before we had our very first DCL cruise in December 2005!

How fun to read your 3-day report - we did a 3-day in early April. A few things were different than yours, but what great memories it brings back. We also took the time to do some of the 'little' things like watching a movie in the Buena Vista Theater. We had cruised our inaugral 7-night and then we did a 10-night last summer in the Med, and there was still so much to see / do that we hadn't done, so I was determined to see/do something new each day we were on board!

Love the tips, sorry 'bout the bird poop, which leads me to a tip you might want to add:

~ Bring along a few individually wrapped sanitizing wipes when you're off-ship in case you need to wipe hands or clean up other messes (like bird poo) and you can't find a dirty napkin on the street

Seriously - I make sure to keep a couple in our day bag because you never know when you might need them, especially when out with kids, no matter their ages.

We found that the area of the family beach on Castaway Cay that is just beyond the play structure in the water is a great non-busy place to set up for the day. You can stay on the bath until you get to where the hair-braiders are, just a short distance beyond the restrooms, and then cut into the beach. Near the last life-guard stand.

My only question is how far you would have to drag those inner-tube floats when you set up that far down... my boys want to get them the next time we sail... they looked like loads of fun. We have a double-dip in our future.

The water was so clear for the snorkeling - there must've not been much snorkeling action yet when you all were there.

I"m with you about not sleeping on a 3-day -- plenty of time for that at home. But on our last night, my three guys went back to the cabin by 9:30 and got ready for bed. I didn't have anyone to roam the ship with except I did meet up with my DIS friends (YAY for meet threads even when they only have a few DISers) for the TWMA... that was a new thing for me, too - I had missed it both times before because I was PACKING.

Thanks for writing your TR and including photos and details - love it!