I LOVE Comedians with Guitars......You didn't tell me that part...

[Beth D]

Love the update and all the pics! But no potty pics? From the lady that is famous for taking photos of el bano (Sp?) But if they were that nasty, we probably would complain!

Love the water pics! The aqua and light colors - shallow water. The deep blue - way over your head! We noticed that on our cruise as well last year!

My dad had to visit the Dr. on our cruise last year - he had some very bad bloody noses due to dryness before we left home, and they put a plug basically in his nose. They removed it the first day at sea on the ship, and I recall my mom commenting that the charge for that was very resonable.

We leave in just over a year for the next one. Miami on the Wonder for 5 nights was over $2K cheaper than 7 nights on the Fantasy out of PC! I'll save the money and stay longer in Miami. Only 19 days until we go to Florida though!

 

[jenseib]

Well, May 2014 would make Catie just 3… Maybe a short one to just see how they could handle it! We'll see! We'd have to do WDW and a cruise though. Cortlyn couldn't go without a day at MK! Yup- I'm blaming her!

I do agree to try a short one first and see how it goes. I have that problem too. I hate giving up a day at MK too!

Love the update and all the pics! But no potty pics? From the lady that is famous for taking photos of el bano (Sp?) But if they were that nasty, we probably would complain!

Love the water pics! The aqua and light colors - shallow water. The deep blue - way over your head! We noticed that on our cruise as well last year!

My dad had to visit the Dr. on our cruise last year - he had some very bad bloody noses due to dryness before we left home, and they put a plug basically in his nose. They removed it the first day at sea on the ship, and I recall my mom commenting that the charge for that was very resonable.

We leave in just over a year for the next one. Miami on the Wonder for 5 nights was over $2K cheaper than 7 nights on the Fantasy out of PC! I'll save the money and stay longer in Miami. Only 19 days until we go to Florida though!

Thanks. I love that blue water and all it's shades.

I wish I was heading to Florida in 19 days. Nothing planned at all this year ...yet! I am going to try and aim for Dec. but you never know what may happen. Right now Skip can barely walk, so I am not even mentioning anything till he is on the mend, whenever that may be.

 

[jenseib]

Our breadsticks arrive next at our dinner at Palo
Freshly Baked Bread on Our Pizza Oven. (Grissin Sticks, Olive and Ciabatta Rolls, and Focaccia Bread)

Our server! I can’t remember his name, but it was something hard to say and only Susan could master it right away.

And then the Palo's Cold Antipasti Specialties presented from our Antipast Cartello;
Prosciutto, Bresaola, Parmesan-Reggiano, Marinated Olives, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
served with Palo's Famous Dips and Olive Oil.

I tried some and I have to say, it’s all pretty foreign to me and not something I really cared for.

I was trying to get a picture of the roses, but I just wasn’t getting it right.

For an appetizer I ordered the Mozzarella and Plum Tomatoes with Balsamic Dressing.

Lisa got the Frito di Calamari, Lightly-crusted calamari I believe.

And Shelly got the Sicilian Pesto Marinated Grilled Shrimp I believe. I am looking things up on menus online and they don’t all sound right.

I think everyone else got some variation of those 3 as well.

For the next course, bot h Lisa and I got the Lobster and Mascarpone Ravioli with a light truffle burro Bianco.

I thought it was good, Lisa thought it was disgusting. She didn’t like the texture and she was expecting something more like regular ravioli and more of a red sauce I think. I would say, I would prefer that too. This was good, but not fabulous.

And then I believe we were served a palette cleanser.

For our main courses ….this is where I messed up. I was the one who suggested this night for Palo and it turned out to be Lobster night on the ship. I am one who loves to get Lobster whenever served. We were told we could still get it in Palo, but I really should’ve tried something that I couldn’t get in the main dining room. I didn’t. I got the Lobster. It was good, but I kind felt like I was wasting money getting something here I could’ve gotten in the dining room.

It was served beautifully though.

Many of us got the Lobster. A couple also got the Beef Tenderloin "Palo" served with Palo signature Barolo red wine sauce or Gorgonzola Sauce.

The food was good, but it didn’t WOW me at all. I think I came in with too high of expectations. To me nothing we had so far would make me think it was better than the dining rooms.

 

[jenseib]

Dessert time! Of course we all had to try the Chocolate Soufflé with Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Sauce.

This again was good, but it did NOT WOW me at all. I thought the vanilla one served in Tritons/Lumiere's or Royal Palace was just as good. Actually maybe even more to my liking.

I have this picture, and for the life of me I can’t remember what it is, and I am sure someone can remind me. I think it was some Kind of after dinner thing for digestion?

We all kind of agreed that the food was good, but not something we would rush back for. It was the first Palo dinner for all of us. Brook has done the brunch and she said it was MUCH better than the dinner.
I have now sailed the Dream since then and I did do the brunch on it. It was 100 times better than the dinner. I will most likely never do dinner again, but I will try the brunch out again.

We were running late for the show now and we had asked our server for our bill. He was kind of slow to get it and he was a bit mixed up with everyone asking for their own. I think with an extra tip and drink my bill was $30-$35. To me, it was NOT worth the price at all, but I am glad I tried it.

We rushed off to the show and it had already begun and we quickly found seats. We enjoyed this show too.

After the show I think we might’ve headed back to the room for a bit and then we were all going to meet up at the John Charles adult show in Rockin’ Bar D.
When Lisa and I arrived it was pretty busy already. They were finishing up another show, if I remember right. We just found some seats and sat. We later spotted Brook, Carolyn, Shelly and Susan across the way. It was too crowded to go over and try to squeeze in with them.

We enjoyed his show once again. I think the first time we saw him was better, but this one was good too.
After it was over, Lisa said she was dead tired and left. I moved over near the other girls and sat down. One hit Wonders was next and we sat and watched that a bit.
Remember the lady we called Jazzy on the first day. The older lady who could DANCE! We had seen her several times throughout the cruise and she was here tonight. We watched her dance a bit to some of the songs. Soon we all started getting tired and one by one left.
I decided to take a walk up on deck before heading back to the room

It was close to midnight now and I headed back to the room and went to sleep.

Another long, but very fun day!!!!

 

[dizneeat]

Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy Palo as much as you expected it to. We actually LOVE the food up there. But then it IS very italian (apart from that lobster dish) and we are used to that.
I had to LOL, as some of the US staples really gross ME out, with Mac and Cheese coming to mind first - yuck!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy Palo as much as you thought that you would. Like you said, you'd probably built it up in your mind that it was going to be outstanding and it just didn't live up to your expectations. I've done that before.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I am sorry that you did not enjoy Palo as much as you had hoped for. I have just booked Palo dinner and Brunch for our Alaska cruise. I am still not paid in full for our repositioning cruise, but I am hoping to get another Brunch for this. I think one dinner will be enough this time round.

Corinna

 

[vleeth]

If it makes you feel any better...that is not what my lobster looked like!

We weren't impressed with DCL's food at all, especially the desserts. We find Carnival has better food and way better desserts...but thats about the only thing that is better.

 

[francis6306]

The food looks great- but I'm sure it was just the expectation.

 

[jenseib]

Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy Palo as much as you expected it to. We actually LOVE the food up there. But then it IS very italian (apart from that lobster dish) and we are used to that.
I had to LOL, as some of the US staples really gross ME out, with Mac and Cheese coming to mind first - yuck!

I really enjoyed brunch on the Dream, the food was different there and I had more to my liking then.
I'm not a big fan of mac and cheese either. Actually I only like the box kind with the powder cheese.

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy Palo as much as you thought that you would. Like you said, you'd probably built it up in your mind that it was going to be outstanding and it just didn't live up to your expectations. I've done that before.

I am sure it was the hype I had read about it. Or it could've been on off night too. It wasn't bad, just not the wow factor I thought it would have.

I am sorry that you did not enjoy Palo as much as you had hoped for. I have just booked Palo dinner and Brunch for our Alaska cruise. I am still not paid in full for our repositioning cruise, but I am hoping to get another Brunch for this. I think one dinner will be enough this time round.

Corinna

I did like Brunch on the Dream. That was lick your plate good!

If it makes you feel any better...that is not what my lobster looked like!

We weren't impressed with DCL's food at all, especially the desserts. We find Carnival has better food and way better desserts...but thats about the only thing that is better.

I like the food, but I don't think DCL is over the top fabulous. I have heard mixed on Carnival, especially the triumph right now that is serving meatless cheese burgers s ans they float adrift right now.

I wish DCL would have my favorite desserts out on the buffet every day though. Well they do have the cookies!

The food looks great- but I'm sure it was just the expectation.

I am sure that was a big part of it. I was expecting more.

 

[lafa]

I have been following your TR's and really enjoy reading them and seeing your wonderful pics!

So, you have answered my question...where is my favorite server?
Branislav from Croatia-was that your server at Palo?

We loved him on our first cruise on the Magic in 2010. He was our MDR server. We were hoping he would be on the Fantasy in April for our next cruise. Guess I can put in my dining rotation request now!

 

[mom2rtk]

The dinner actually looks good, but I'm not an adventurous eater at all, so I would have played it safe and not been wowed either.

You look awesome in your black dress though!

 

[jenseib]

I have been following your TR's and really enjoy reading them and seeing your wonderful pics!

So, you have answered my question...where is my favorite server?
Branislav from Croatia-was that your server at Palo?

We loved him on our first cruise on the Magic in 2010. He was our MDR server. We were hoping he would be on the Fantasy in April for our next cruise. Guess I can put in my dining rotation request now!

Thank you so much and yes, I believe that was him. He was really nice, but he seemed a bit confused to us. BUT we are a confusing kind of group!

The dinner actually looks good, but I'm not an adventurous eater at all, so I would have played it safe and not been wowed either.

You look awesome in your black dress though!

It was decent food, thats for sure. But I am a cheapy, so it really needed to wow me. Now the Dreams brunch, ooooh so good.

Thanks. You know I had the generic form of spanks on under it and it was slippery on the dress and the dress kept riding up while I sat. I might've been giving people behind me a spanx show.

 

[jenseib]

So my goal this week was to work on the TR. I had very good intentions and even have pictures ready, I just need to write it up. That was my plan yesterday, after I got some work done.
Well you know what they say about the best laid plans.....
Skip went to the Dr yesterday to have his hip looked at again. For those who don't know, he had is right hip replaced in early Jan. He has had his left hip replaced twice, once in 2010 and then again in 2011 when he had nothing but troubles and eventually found out the replacement wasn't attaching. That was a nightmare. And this hip was done with a new procedure, MUCH easier healing process, etc. Call me skeptic, but I just know our luck and had my doubts. Plus the fact that Skip was out working within 3 days of being home.
Well over a week ago he said the incision hurt and it was red all around it. They gave him some antibiotic cream to apply. Not to get into too many gross details, but we had to change bandages a couple of times a day and it was looking gross.
He went for his check up yesterday and came home and handed me a paper with his surgery time. Yep, I am at the hospital once again. He was not healing and infected. They went in and cleaned it all out and sewed him up from the inside out. He has been out for over an hour now, and I should see him in about an hour or so.
Basically he is supposed to be good and take it easy. He will have some sort of wound vac in him to keep things clean and from more infections coming back.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I think we have some hard days ahead of us. He HAS to stop smoking or he may not heal at all or put back in the hospital. That is not going to be easy for him or for me living with him. If you hear of a wife murdering her dairy farmer husband .....well you don't know me!
I do plan to try and get at least one update up this week yet, but I am not sure how many I can do. If things go smoothly then I will keep going, if it's rough, then I will post when I can and I will finish eventually. It just might take time. I am hoping that things will be smooth and he'll rest and I won't have to wait on him hand and foot too much.

 

[mom2rtk]

Take your time Jen. And vent your frustrations here wheneve you want. Skip is lucky to have a strong wife to take care of him.

 

[dolphingirl47]

Oh, what a nightmare. You and Skip are in my thoughts and prayers.

Corinna

 

[jenseib]

Take your time Jen. And vent your frustrations here wheneve you want. Skip is lucky to have a strong wife to take care of him.

Thanks. Poor you have already heard a lot of the gory details already!

Oh, what a nightmare. You and Skip are in my thoughts and prayers.

Corinna

Yes, I guess if you don't just keep swimming ...you will go crazy

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks. Poor you have already heard a lot of the gory details already!

No biggie. I have a pretty strong stomach. You just hold to your end of the deal and don't send pictures... and we'll be good!

Or maybe you could just start a hospital trip report. Skip would LOVE that, don't you think?

 

[francis6306]

Bless your heart! I was wondering why you had been so "quiet" this week. I'll be praying for you! Hoping Skip starts to feel better quickly!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, I guess if you don't just keep swimming ...you will go crazy

Now you're channeling my hero Dory! She gets me through some trying times to be sure.