The McSparklesons Sail the Magic... AGAIN! $500 Potato Chips! 3/13

[podsnel]

Lmao hangover Dwarf I hate that one. I usually hang out with sleepy and greasy carbo loading dwarf after lol. Can't wait to see whatcha buy!

I forgot u have another cruise up besides we party! This is on the Rccl right??

LMAO-

 

[BeckyE]

What a fun trip report! I'm loving every second! Thanks and keep it coming!

 

[karajeboo]

By the time I finished plowing through the seas, it was about time to go dress for dinner. That sounds so classy, doesn't it? "Dress for dinner." Like we are Rose and Cal (well, except we actually like each other, and Jeff doesn't whack me like Cal did to Rose). OK, so we are not like Rose and Cal THAT much. And I didn't find a Jack Dawson either. WEll, and then there's the whole not sinking in the ocean thing. OK, so we are TOTALLY not Rose and Cal.

But we did dress for dinner.

And Ally was off who knows where.... Parents of the Year Award goes to.......

Not us! But hey, she's on a ship, right? Where could she go?

But the NOT Rose and Cal? We headed to Diversions for a before dinner cocktail. Or as we say when we are putting the plow, you know where.... Hair o' the Dog!!!!!

It appears we would have the place to ourselves! Well. Could be because I thought our Palo reservation was for 6pm but they don't even open until 7!!!! So I guess I was a little early.

Look at us, all dress up (that would be Dressed for Dinner) and nobody to see us!

He cleans up okay, huh?

After a quiet pre-dinner drink, it was time to head to Palo. I like the early dinners at Palo so we can still see outside and then watch the sun set. I think our dinner was at 7pm.

We were quickly taken to our table and guess who appeared!

Love me some Mo!!!! He was great at brunch and he requested us for dinner . Yes, I said HE requested US! How cool is that??? Or should I say.... how cool are WE?

Please bear with me as I try to get this all in order. Photobucket has decided to change the order of all my photos so I have to hunt them down for each course of dinner.....

We began of course with drinks. Something refreshing to start the evening.

And soon Mo was back with the Pane Casalingo (Bread Selection)

Freshly shaved parmesan cheese, parma ham, bresaola marinated olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
Freshly baked bread selection from our bakery accompanied by homemade dips (olive tapenade, aioli and roasted pepper & garlic)

Followed shortly by Specialita' Del Palo: Antipasto Freddo

Prosciutto, Bresaola, Parmesan Reggiano, Marinated Olives and Sun-dried Tomatoes.

For an appetizer, Jeff ordered the Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Polenta with a Roasted Shallot Sauce a light creamy polenta served with grilled portobello and parmesan shaving:

I really liked this last year, but for some reason it didn't do it for me this time....

So I ordered the Sicilian Pesto Marinated Grilled Shrimp Salad
served on a mussel, crab and cherry tomato ragu:

Once we ordered our entrees, it was time to choose a little vino to complement the meal.

Now for our first entree. Oh, yeah, you read that correctly......

Wild Mushroom and Hazelnut Risotto
served creamy with freshly-shaved parmesan and a chianti reduction

I've even made this at home and it just takes waaaaaaaay too much time and patience to ever do again. Plus, the view out my window isn't nearly as nice as this......

And because I kept talking about the Lobster and Mascarpone Ravioli
Freshly prepared served with a light truffle beurre blanc, commenting that I ate all of this AND another entree the previous year, Mo thought it only appropriate that I repeat.....

I was in the mood for red meat tonight. Usually I will go with the special, but I wanted a good steak, so I ordered Our Beef Tenderloin "Palo"
served with Palo signature Barolo red wine sauce or Gorgonzola Sauce.

And because I couldn't decide between the Barolo red wine sauce or the gorgonzola? Mo made sure they split it down the middle. Love me some Mo!

Jeff's "main" entree was Garlic Roasted Rack of Lamb
served with barolo roasted shallots, crunched potatoes and herb jus

He's become quite the lamb connoiseur of late and deemed this "pretty darn good."

So bread, antipasti, 2 appetizers, 4 entrees..... and we'r just getting started!!!

But first we must cleanse our palate:

And then there's really no point in even reading the dessert menu, is there? Does Palo make anything other than the Chocolate Soufflé with Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Sauce?

First Mo added my favorite, the vanilla sauce....

Then he added Jeff's favorite, the chocolate sauce....

Yeah. It doesn't suck. And I'll have you know that I've successfully made the Palo chocolate souffle several times! It's not nearly as hard as you might imagine. But again. View from ship? My view? Not the same.

Sometime during dinner I stepped outside to capture THIS view:

OK, so they make Palo’s Homemade Tiramisu also.

So the official count would be 1 bread, 1 antipasti, 2 apps, 4 entrees, 3 desserts. No wonder I gained 6 pounds this week!!!!

At some point, Ally was off with Tammi and Tori for dinner and after we said our goodbyes to Mo, we waddled out of Palo to find our offspring.....

Up soon..... Castaway Cay Cabana!!!!

 

[JKSWonder]

So the official count would be 1 bread, 1 antipasti, 2 apps, 4 entrees, 3 desserts. No wonder I gained 6 pounds this week!!!!

I gain 6-7 pounds each cruise, without fail. It's just a consequence I have learned to accept.

Do you remember what wine you ordered? I had a Barolo on the Fantasy that was really good, but I can't remember the name of it. Our server told us it was made just for them, so I gather I can't just go out and find it, though I'm going to look for it again when we are are the Fantasy in August 2014.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I must say the two of you do clean up quite nice!

Dinner at Palo looks very tasty, I do so love me some good antipasto. I could eat it very day. Last night I discovered Capaccio, OMG, so good!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

The two of you clean up beautifully! Who took your pic in the lounge? The Beetle Bailey guy sitting at the bar? Great choices for dinner, and I love your sunset pics!

 

[jenseib]

Fantastic dinner. I didn't see risotto on the menu. I should've tried that.

 

[Beth D]

Va va Voom! You guys look fantastic! I love your dress and the pretty flower trail on it!

Dinner looked great too!

 

[karajeboo]

I gain 6-7 pounds each cruise, without fail. It's just a consequence I have learned to accept.

Do you remember what wine you ordered? I had a Barolo on the Fantasy that was really good, but I can't remember the name of it. Our server told us it was made just for them, so I gather I can't just go out and find it, though I'm going to look for it again when we are are the Fantasy in August 2014.

My dad laughs each year when I start to lose weight in preparation for our upcoming cruise. He said Jeff books the cruises to spur my weight loss! lol Not sure what the wine was..... I believe it was a pinot noir.

I must say the two of you do clean up quite nice!

Dinner at Palo looks very tasty, I do so love me some good antipasto. I could eat it very day. Last night I discovered Capaccio, OMG, so good!

Oh Mother of Wicket, you are very sweet. Carpaccio..... yum!!!!

The two of you clean up beautifully! Who took your pic in the lounge? The Beetle Bailey guy sitting at the bar? Great choices for dinner, and I love your sunset pics!

Ha! Beetle Bailey! Actually I think it was our server. Beetle was playing checkers by himself I think....

Fantastic dinner. I didn't see risotto on the menu. I should've tried that.

Oh it was heaven on a plate!!!! I love risotto! But I will NEVER attempt it again! I think I had to ice my arm that night after all the constant stirring...

Va va Voom! You guys look fantastic! I love your dress and the pretty flower trail on it!

Dinner looked great too!

Ally HATES that dress and it's one of my favorites! It's the only one I've worn on both our family cruises, and I'm taking it again next month! I like to buy a new formal dress each cruise, but that one is a keeper! Thank you!

 

[karajeboo]

We found Ally in the dining room with Tammi and Tori and nabbed her for a stroll around the ship before heading to the show that night. I flat our REFUSED to go see this show because it had me SOBBING the year before, but Ally and Jeff thought it would be "fun" to go again.

Hey look, what's that? Dessert sampler?

Don't mind if I do!

This is what has replaced the elusive chocolate buffet. Just some servers hanging out in the atrium with lots of little goodies.

So add those little beauties to the list of foods for this night.....

OK, so that's the MOVIE theater, not the Walt Disney live show theater. Just testing you.....

I do believe Jeff and Ally had to drag me kicking and screaming into the theater this night. It was Dreams. If you've seen it, enough said. If not, trust me when I say it sucks you dry. Tear Jerker Supreme.

I think that little rat is smiling because she knows she'll be laughing at me soon enough.....

After the show, we headed back to our room to change clothes (and I think so I could just remove the mascara on my cheeks and chin), and Ally decided to play around with her new friend....

Next thing we know, she's gone. Out that door to meet her friends and get into who knows what kind of trouble. Jeff and I decided to head up on deck and get into our own kind of trouble.....

Plow please!!!!!

This is my favorite time to see the Mickey pool. No ankle biters, no baby ruths, just peace and quiet......

We stopped off for a quick drink and decided to call it a night. After all, tomorrow is the BEST and the WORST day of the cruise! BEST because it's Castaway Cay, the greatest port EVER! Worst because it's also the LAST day of the cruise......

So..... do you really wanna know what kind of trouble these kids get into on a cruise?

ICE CREAM! Too much ICE CREAM!!!!

 

[jenseib]

I never saw them serve desserts. Boy I would've loved that. You know, so I could gain a couple more pounds before I came home!!

 

[tony64]

Thanks for the updates, it's getting me in the mood for our next cruise on the Magic in August.

 

[Cheryl726]

Nice pics of the ship at night, I'd like to go on the Magic someday! Looking forward to your update on Castaway Cay!

 

[karajeboo]

I never saw them serve desserts. Boy I would've loved that. You know, so I could gain a couple more pounds before I came home!!

Hey what's a couple more pounds when you are already gaining 6 in a week?

Thanks for the updates, it's getting me in the mood for our next cruise on the Magic in August.

I'm really hoping to cruise on the Magic again, but now that she's been kicked out of PC, I don't know.... She will always be my first love....

Nice pics of the ship at night, I'd like to go on the Magic someday! Looking forward to your update on Castaway Cay!

I really want to share some videos from CC but neither photobucket nor youtube will accept them! I had to delete everything off the camcorder to make room, so they are just sitting on my computer. Drives me crazy!!!!

If I can't get them to upload, you can see them when I share the final 30 minute movie of the whole cruise....

 

[brookelizabeth]

A drink on the pool deck before bed sounds like the perfect way to end a night! Looking forward to Castaway Cay.

 

[jal417]

We had Mo at Palo too! He was great!!

 

[armandosgirl]

*subbing*

 

[karajeboo]

OK, I'm back, but sans video. I just cannot get youtube OR photobucket to accept them. But when it's all said and done, I'll post the link to the FULL movie, set to music, with photos and videos, of the whole cruise. Deal?

We got up bright and early, after all, it's Castaway Cay day!!!! The best and worst day of a 7 night DCL cruise, as anyone will tell you. Best because it's the best port there is! Worst because it's the last day!

We hurried to get ready and make our way HERE!

We weren't very smart because we WALKED to this spot, instead of hopping the trams that were waiting right off the ship for cabana guests. Oh well....

After a 10 second check in, a golf cart zipped up, scooped us up and off we went!

We're here!!!

C'mon, let's go in and check it out!!!

Ooooh, look who's here! Our butler!!!!

View from our cabana.....

"Our" beach....

The great thing about the cabanas, especially the lower number (we were in #4), is that you are right by the slides, but your beach is basically private.

Looking out from the cabana.

See how empty our beach was??? And all the cabanas were full!

From the beach side...

OK, enough about the cabana. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was I super excited when Jeff gave it to Ally and I as a Christmas present? Yes! Was it worth $500? Nope. At least not to us. I wouldn't do it again unless I was splitting with another family or two. I mean, it was nice, and I was glad when Ally's friend Molly snuck over and they were able to spend the day together. But I felt kind of isolated. And we just didn't hang out in there. What's the point of a beautiful beach if you're going to stay in the cabana?

I did enjoy that I could drop off our things and put items in the safe. And it was nice to get our lunch and eat in the cabana. Calling the butler to bring us a drink? Pretty cool. But again, not $500 cool. And after lunch we lost Ally for the day because she and Molly were off together.....

And as Ally said, "but the chips were free!"

No, Ally, those are $500 potato chips. Enjoy.

 

[luvslikepi]

Yay! Update!!

 

[KristiMc]

I have to agree about the cabana. We loved having one for the 3/2011 cruise and I was bummed when I was not able to get one for our cruise last June. After we cruised, both Steve and I said that we had a great time just hanging out on the regular beach. I would share one though if I had the opportunity.