Fantasy 2-9 to 2-16 as a Shinny New Platinum (Adding photos)

[allears]

I’ve decided to do a fairly detailed day by day report this time, so apologies In advance if it gets a little long. I am also not including photos, as there seem to be a good number of reports with excellent photos included already. But besides trying to share information that others may find useful, I want to have a nice record of our amazing voyage to read through the year.
A little background, my partner and I booked this cruise last year while on board the Magic. This was my 11th and his 2nd cruise, but the first on the Fantasy for both of us. It is hard to believe how fast that year went and we spent the last couple of months in obsessive planning mode, which I really enjoy! We were so very excited about experiencing the newest ship in the DCL fleet and I have to admit a bit anxious about how I would feel not being on my beloved Magic. Our plans went through many iterations through the year but finally firmed up within the last two months, including a day at WDW and deciding on what to do or not do at the ports. So here goes!
Day One: Travel and Disney World
We took the first flight out of Philadelphia on Friday. The weather was giving us a bit of concern as two major systems were heading to the north east, and turned out to be a major blizzard for areas starting as little as an hour north of us. We had every intention of driving to Port Canaveral should it look like we would have trouble with our flight, but as it turned out we were out well ahead of any issues. We actually left home at 4 am, to make our 6:30 am flight.
The flight was great, left on time and arrived 35 minutes early! Once off the plane we headed off to get Magical Express to the Pop Century Resort. Very quickly we were on the bus and off to the resort, in warm sunny weather. The day turned out to be spectacular! When we arrived at Pop Century, it was immediately apparent that we had hit a cheer leading competition weekend, oh goodie!!! Despite being at 100% occupancy, our room was actually ready! This was around 10 am! We were very happy about that, since we could put some valuables, especially cash in the room safe and not take it with us to the park.
Off to the bus and the Magic Kingdom. We were very, very fortunate that a friend of ours offered us two of his cast member park hopper passes for the day! That was a huge savings and allowed us to plan to park hop, time permitting. We arrived at the park around 11 am, way earlier than we originally expected. We were immediately struck by how crowded it seemed, for a usually less popular time of the year. First touch of magic was being able to avoid the long regular lines and go through the cast member/electronic ticket line.
It’s always amazing and exciting going under the bridge and emerging onto Main Street! It had been a few years since either of us had been to the Magic Kingdom and we were way excited! We headed around the castle and the street party parade to new fantasy land. This area is going to be simply amazing once it’s all finished. So cool and so incredibly immersive! We were advised by a friend to try getting fast passes for Ariel while heading back into the new area, but the return time was 4:45 pm, seemed rather silly, so we skipped the fast past and just headed to the attraction. Where we found out that it doesn’t open until 1 pm!
Enchanted Tales With Belle, had a 60 minute wait, so we chose to skip that, then Mickey’s Philharmagic had like a 50 minute wait, and Peter Pan about an hour. We were thinking we may choose to hop to what we hoped would be a less crowded park. However, we jumped on It’s A Small World, and decided we were really hungry. So we got into line for Be Our Guest, which looked daunting but we had noticed that it moves kind of quickly. We waited about 30 minutes and were glad we did. The food was good, but the venue is amazing! The library is very cool, the ball room is incredible, you totally feel like you’ve stepped into the movie, especially with the snow falling outside the windows. We ate in the west wing, which is just totally cool!
We finished lunch right after 1, and since we were next door to Ariel, we walked onto the ride. It is really quite amazing. The advances in autio-animatronics is impressive. Our good park karma kicked in and we found ourselves in a good grove, getting on one attraction after another, with a maximum wait of 20 minutes. We did sacrifice seeing the parade to hit a couple of popular attractions. Our longest line turned out to be for dole whips, which we got while waiting for our fast pass window for the Jungle Cruise to open.
Not too long after 7 we found a great spot to watch the AMAZING projection show and then the beloved fireworks! Once over we headed into Tomorrow land, got a fast pass for Space Mountain, then some dinner. Took a spin on Buzz Light Year then our final attraction, Space Mountain. It was a little after 9 and we were heading out, doing a little shopping on the way. Then to the bus back to Pop Century.
The day was great, the weather beautiful! When we got back to the hotel, we checked the weather channel to check in on the blizzard that was taking place in the north east! Kind of forgot about that while running around in the sun.
Consolidated the stuff in our carry ons to our suit cases, so all we had to carry onto the ship in the morning would be a back pack. Put our cruise line luggage tags on and turned in! It was a great, but very long day. Very often we see threads about whether to go to the parks before or after a cruise. While I can see the appeal of extending the magic a few days after getting off the ship, my vote would be to do the parks first. I couldn’t imagine getting off a relaxing voyage to go park ninja, which is the only way I can do a park. We were very much looking forward to virtually no lines, relaxing meals and less walking!
Now it was just one sleep until we got to head to the port and the Disney Fantasy!

 

[KarenMP59]

subbing

 

[Ready to go]

I'm In!!!! We are on the Fantasy in May and are staying at the Pop two days before. I think we are just going to relax the first night at the resort since we won't get in till the late evening, then the next day do DTD and explore the Art of Animation. I can't wait to read more...are you sure you don't want to post pictures???

 

[allears]

Day Two: Sailing Day and Happy Birthday!

This was my birthday, no better way to celebrate than a cruise!

We got up around 8 am, got all ready to go, before heading over to the food court in search of some coffee and breakfast. However, we hit the area about 30 seconds behind a tidal wave of Brazilian Cheerleaders. Oh wow, the place was packed out!!!! It was insane! We opted to grab coffee and run!

Gathered our stuff and started making our way out front in preparation for getting picked up by Happy Limo. Weve used the service before and have been very pleased with them. It would be a bit cheaper to take DCL transportation for the two of us, but I am crazed about being at the port at the earliest possible time and dont feel like schlepping back to the air port to get the first busses to the port. And now being platinum, we didnt have to worry about a port arrival time and knew wed be boarding right after concierge guests. While rounding the building, at 9:20ish, I got a call from Happy Limo, the town car they were sending broke down! However, as an accommodation, they were sending a stretch limo instead! The driver was due in 10 to 15 minutes. The stretch was AWESOME!!! We were actually about 20 minutes late getting picked up, but a very sweet ride to the port!

We enjoyed the ride A LOT, though I was antsy about getting to the port ahead of the crowds. I would have been beside myself if I didnt know that we were still getting priority boarding. But what a way to arrive!

I always look forward to the first glimpse of the ship when you come over the rises. We were awe inspired by the sight of the Fantasy! Im used to seeing the Magic rise along side of the terminal, but WOW the Fantasy is huge! The closer we got the more amazing she looked! We eventually pulled up to the terminal, dropped our bags off with a porter, settled up with our driver, Maurice, were quickly checked in through the gate and after a very small line at security were once again in the terminal! Departure day is always full of excitement and anticipation!

Check in took about two minutes, we were given boarding group 1! Checked out the concierge/platinum lounge, finally met up with Darren and Bruce, who weve been emailing and had ended up linking our dining reservations. We also met Elisa and Jim, from the boards, who had come in on the bus with D&B. Then some photos of the ship, and at 11:30 they started boarding! I gotta admit it was very cool being in boarding group 1!

Stopped for our photo, and then onto the Fantasy. WOW!!!!! The atrium is breath taking!!! We knew the ship was bigger, but werent really prepared for just how much bigger it is! And she is stunning!!! A quick stop at guest services, to put cash on our account, book a galley tour, the mixology class and the Art of the Theme ship tour, which we didnt realize youd need tickets for. Got good slots for all.

Went to lunch at Cabanas. Really liked this space, though it was a little overwhelming at first, just seems to go on forever! We enjoyed eating out on deck. The outside space seems a bit smaller than on the Magic, but the inside space is very well laid out and roomy.

After lunch, we started exploring the ship. The new ships have a familiar feel with their lay outs, finishes and some of the styling. I kept expecting to really know my way around, having studied the deck plans, but found myself more than a little disoriented. Once of my favorite things about cruising on the same ship, is the lack of a learning curve. You can just get on board and feel relaxed. It became immediately obvious that it was going to take a couple of days to get familiar with this new lady.

I will probably say this dozens of times, but the Fantasy is spectacular!!!! All of the things we love about the classic ships but plussed a hundred times over! We never did get over the sheer size! The ceilings were higher, the spaces grander and the attention to detail, impeccable!

We checked out our stateroom once they were open. We were in an ocean view on deck 2. We found the room to be very, very nice! Love some of the changes to the cabins, like the raised bed frames and the cabinet/ottoman. Since our luggage wasnt there yet, we set off to continue to explore the ship. We did the spa tour and entered the raffle, but didnt win anything. Then time for the muster drill.

Afterward our luggage had arrived, so started to unpack before the sail away party. Went up on deck for the party. Again, impressed with the size of the deck space! Its always a thrill to be setting off on the voyage! Then back to finish unpacking.

We got dressed for the show and dinner. We enjoyed the Welcome Aboard show very much. Its your first chance to see the main stage cast in action, and this one promised to be great. We also got a preview of one of the acts for the first half of the week, Magic Dave, who was very funny.

We requested and received AERAERA rotation, second seating. We were dining with Darren and Bruce, and due to a snafu with their table, Elisa and Jim joined us. Animators is a truly amazing space. I could have spent days in there taking photos of all of the items on display. The first night was dining with Crush and characters from Finding Nemo. While we werent super close to a screen we could see crush interacting with guest, very, very cool! Also had the servers sing happy birthday and received the birthday dessert.

After dinner we went to the Tube to watch Match Your Mate. Tina was the hostess in the club that week, very funny, very personable. The Tube is main venue of the adult district, called Europa. All the venues were incredible. La Piazza, Ooh La La, OGills and the amazing Skyline. Each ones theming is taken to the nth degree and are very, very cool! Even the hall way from La Piazza to the Tube is themed to be caverns in Barcelona, and the rest rooms are elaborate enough to warrant photos.

We were pretty done in by the end of the game show, so we decided to turn in. We were greeted by a birthday card from our room hostess Fridah and the most phenomenal towel birthday cake!!! It was great! Not a bad way to start ones 51st year!

 

[allears]

Day Three: Day at Sea
Sunday was our first full day on board and a day at sea. I dont think I mentioned before that we were on the Eastern Itinerary to St. Thomas and San Juan. I very much enjoy sea days. I think this is what cruising is all about, being on a beautiful vessel sailing on the open waters. This would also be a great day to get more familiar with the ship and feel more at home. So far, we were still a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Fantasy and while similar in some respects to the Magic, the differences in some of the lay outs and orientation of the stairwells and elevators still had be bumping into walls!

We made a plan to get up in time to have breakfast at the Enchanted Garden right after it opened so that we could hit the Aqua Duck right after it opened. The EG was super convenient to our state room! The venue is really lovely, very pretty and casually elegant. Breakfast is very nice there, the buffet had a nice selection and the server takes care of bringing you drinks. We had a nice seat by a window. Our server for breakfast was Claire, from England, who from our dinning rotation. She was so sweet. We also got to chat with Rosie our assistant server.

After breakfast we went up to the AD, where there was no line. We road it three times, together. It is A LOT of fun. You really need to make sure you pay attention as youre launched into the slide, in order not to miss the view from that first part of the coaster. Its really cool to look down and over the side of the ship. While it is not by any means the most wild ride in the world, it is a blast and seriously you can not beat the views! Sunday was a nice sunny day, but the wind was stiff, if I recall the winds across the ship both Sunday and Monday were between 30 and 40 knots. We were way chilly while climbing the stairs to ride again!

After three turns and shivering we decided to hit the hot tubs at the Quiet Cove pool area. There are essentially two of them, designed pretty much as one big unit, but unlike the classic ships, they are on the port side of the ship, right against the glass, so you have a really nice view of the ocean. They also have clear glass panels in the bottom so you can look straight down the side of the ship to the water below. The hot water felt great after being chilled!

We ran back to the cabin to get changed and go to the Tube for the Castaway Club reception. I try never to miss these. We enjoy getting to speak to some of the officers, they occasionally have some cool videos, the snacks are good, you can get a picture with Captain Mickey (and virtually no line) and you can score some free champagne! It was a nice event and on the way out we were given rice krispy Mickey bars!

When we toured the spa we asked about rain forest room passes, other than the ones for a week. They gave us the usual story that they dont always have lesser passes available and it will depend on how busy the RF room is. They are of course hoping to sell weekly passes; however, our platinum perks letter mentioned a $10 savings on a three day RF pass. So we stopped up to the spa and inquired about those. For a couple the three day pass was $75, and with the discount it would be $65. We took that. The RF room is one of our favorite places on the ship and we knew wed want to spend some time there! And three days was perfect.

Now it was time for lunch. We chose to dine at the Royal Court. This venue is simply gorgeous. The detail is impeccable and it feels regal! Weve done lunch at Lumieres before, and found that the RC was plussed just a bit with its lunch menu. I loved the seafood sampler appetizer! We also got to visit with Ciao Romano, who had been our server last year at Palo on the Magic. It was really good to see him and we had a nice visit. Again it is always so cool to meet friends from previous voyages!

We spend the rest of the afternoon on deck 13 enjoying the sun! The wind across the ship was pretty brisk, in fact they had the loungers on the starboard side of deck 13 tied down. We were on the port side, and the wind was pretty calm. The whole satellite falls area is great!!! The falls feature is very cool, though with the wind they didnt have the falls running that day. Lots and lots of loungers and a very quiet area. This is one space where it was very rare to see kids pass through, unlike the adult pool area. Mind you we arent complaining, but you do see kinds pass through that area a lot, there really isnt any choice as there are state rooms on that deck and the elevator lobby is right there in the middle of the deck and you exit at the pool. We spent time in that area too and never felt like this was an issue.

After a nice February afternoon laying in the sun, we got ready for the captains reception and the show. Sunday night was formal night, and we choose to go all out. Disney is all about the immersive experience and the story of the ships is that of ocean voyages on classis liners of the early to mid 20th century. One of the traditions on those was to dress for dinner. Black tie is our choice for the night! So decked out in our tuxes, Mickey vests and ties, we headed for the atrium lobby to get our photo with the captain. This is always a good one to have taken, since they put the date on them and the particulars about the ship. The reception is also another good place to score some free drinks!!!! We had plenty of time so we decided to get our picture taken with Captain Mickey as well.

He was on deck 4 outside of the Vista Gallery. While waiting in line, we had a great opportunity to just gaze out over the spectacular lobby and atrium. Man this ship is big, compared to our beloved Magic! All of the ships are elegant and classy, but this ship, and I can imagine the Dream, just seem to be amazingly enhanced! Everything is just so grand and sweeping, beautiful! And it is so fun to see people who did get dressed up wandering around this pretty setting; it just makes the evening seem that much more special.

Off to the show, which tonight was Aladdin. First of all the Walt Disney Theatre on the Fantasy is epic! So grand, so big and just incredible. The stage seems huge when compared to the Magic, on which they do incredible shows. This of course was the first of the three big productions shows, so we were eager to see the cast and crew in all of their glory. We were not disappointed. Aladdin is one of my favorites, I really like the music. The production was awesome! I marvel at the special effects, the sets and complexity of scenes. The cast was great, but the Genie really stole the show, he was phenomenal!!!!! Very, very funny, very, very talented and so quick witted! The magic carpet ride sequence blew us away as well. Again, we just marvel at how much show they pack into a compressed time, as the shows are only about an hour. And we always keep in mind that these casts dont learn just one show, like a they would if working on a Broadway show or tour, but they have to know five different shows, play different characters, countless costume changes and lots of different choreographies!

After the show we went to Magic Daves family cabaret. The Tube was mobbed by the time we got there, but they did a live feed into the Piazza where we watched the show from. He was very funny and we always enjoy watching them play off the unpredictability of the kids they have get involved with the act!

Dinner this night was in the Enchanted Garden. It was nice atmosphere for formal night, kind of like the Ascot scene in My Fair Lady. Dinner was delicious, and the restaurant does some fun things during your meal. The hanging lights are flowers, whose pedals open as the meal progresses and they change color. The latticed and ivy covered ceiling changes hues from day, to dusk to sun set to night as the meal progresses. It was very charming.

After dinner we got changed and headed once again to the Tube to catch Ricky Kalman, they hypnotists adult show. Ive seen him before and was extremely surprised at how much I enjoyed his show. We were not disappointed this time either. It is an interesting act and has turned out to be highly entertaining!

A full day at sea was had by all and it was off the bed.

 

[MomToPrincePhillip]

Hi there , I'm enjoying your TR so far and I'm joining it!

 

[Kristina - Mom]

I am loving your trip report....we are going on the Fantasy for the first time in August....can't wait to keep reading....

Kristina

 

[nannylori]

Hi from Key West!!
DH & I were on the Fantasy MV last year and are going on your cruise on 3/9. I was VERY anxious before boarding the Fantasy,having only known and absolutely loved the Magic 3x before. I thought I might feel overwhelmed by the larger size,but once you get a feel for the ship,it's not as big as one imagines. We ended up loving the Fantasy,though the Magic holds a special place in our hearts.

I'm curious as to what changes we might find in two weeks. We don't know what activities,entertainment,etc., might have been on board for just that week, just because the top Disney execs were on board.
There was not a welcome show or going away show-just the three major productions and a special show with the woman who did Mulan & Jasmines voice & the man who wrote the songs..........
No Castaway Club Party either, that I remember.....

DH hung out with John Lasseter,originator of Pixar,for the wine tasting session,as Mr. Lasseter has started his own winery too.

The guy who hosts Cupcake Wars, on TV, was the main attraction. He might be one of the funniest entertainers I've ever seen (never saw him on the TV),but was he just there for the MV?????

Larry the Cable Guy did a show also,but his antics were,at times,NOT too Disney,so everyones' assumption was,no way is he EVER getting asked back!!

I'm curious as to how I need to adjust my expectations, because all I know concerning the Fantasy is from that one week and maybe that week was totally different from all the others now.

So, I'll be reading with great interest, your future reports......we'll be doing the same trip,but making a side trip to St. John instead of staying on St. Thomas.

 

[Mrs Green]

Subscribed. My family and I will be on this same cruise in 2014 so I am definitely intrigued to hear all the details!

 

[allears]

Subscribed. My family and I will be on this same cruise in 2014 so I am definitely intrigued to hear all the details!

Thanks! I'll try getting another day or two done early this week.

 

[allears]

Day Four: Second Day at Sea

Monday was yet another glorious day at sea! Sunny, warm though a bit windy across the ship. This caused a good bit of rocking, but I honestly enjoy the feeling of the ship moving under my feet. While it wasnt extreme and I dont think too many people were put out of commission by the movement, even the cast was saying it was a bit more motion than they have been used to.

We slept in a bit, man the bed on this ship is so very comfortable. First on the agenda for the day was Palo brunch. This meal is typically about my favorite of the whole voyage and we were curious to compare the Palo we know and love on the Magic with the Fantasys version. Palo and Remy inhabit their own area flanking the aft part of the ship on deck 12. In between the two is the Meridian Bar, which is a very nice lush and comfortable lounge. It looks out over the back of the ship with outside areas for dining and drinking on each side of the room.

Palo on the Fantasy is nothing short of stunning! The restaurant is so amazingly well done, very elegant, very plush and just beautiful. When youre there, just look around, take notice of all of the hand crafted glass lighting fixtures. We had a table right next to the windows, which over look the ocean. Another difference between the classic and these new ships is that there is not much of a deck outside of the windows. Not only does that mean no one is wandering by squinting in at you while dining, the view of the ocean is almost completely unobstructed and really, really nice.

Our server for brunch was Luca from Italy, who was amazing, likeable, attentive, funny and a fount of useful ship information! He took us on our tour of the buffet, pointing out the highlights of the restaurant. The buffet sections are elegantly laid out in what is used as the private room for dinner. The selections were very much what weve come to love on past voyages. Everything was gorgeous and tasty. Pizzas were available, breakfast and lunch entrees. We made several trips to the buffet, especially enjoying the sea food! We did get a pizza, then DP had eggs Benedict and I had the veal dish. Both were awesome. The desserts were incredible, love the small tasting sizes. We ate for about 90 minutes, taking our time to savor every part. Before leaving Luca made us make up a plate of desserts to take back to the state room, so we loaded up some chocolate covered strawberries, and some of the other selections, which we enjoyed over the next couple of days. So we gave Palo brunch very high marks and was just as amazing as ever!

After waddling out of brunch we got changed to go check out the Rain Forest room. We werent sure if it would be really crowded being a sea day, so just in case we also took our stuff for hanging out on deck. We checked in at the Spa and asked them how busy the RF room was. The folks at the reception desk really didnt know, but checked us in and let us know we could change our minds if it was busy. We got into robes in the locker room and locked our stuff up before checking out the RF room. Happily it was not busy at all. The RF has always been one of our favorite places on the ship, so again, we were wondering how the new version measured up!

The area is really, really nice! When you come in the entrance area is pretty, there are carafs with lemon or cucumber water. Straight ahead through the door is the room with the tiled loungers, there are about a dozen of them. They are contoured, heated to body temperature, have pillows on them and even little reading lights. They face a glass wall that separates the room from a mostly covered veranda which houses two hot tubs. That room is mostly enclosed by glass, but there are open panels that let in the fresh air and over look the ocean. Its an amazing view. Just to the left in the entrance are four different showers. These are large circular enclosures with different water effects. Some have multiple effects, like summer rain or thunder storm. At the end of the hall are three treatment rooms, a heavy steam room, light steam room and sauna. The sauna also has a full length window overlooking the ocean. We spent about 90 minutes or so enjoying all that the quiet relaxing facility had to offer!

It was now time to get changed and head to the Skyline for a the mixology class. The Skyline is a slick, cool and very elegant venue. The bar is designed to resemble a sleek penthouse apartment, complete with a fire place. The lighting is subdued, the furnishings very slick. The entire back wall behind the bar is designed to look like large windows that over look several European cities at night, I can remember London, Paris, Venice, St Petersburg, Rome, and Athens. I know there are a couple of others, but I just dont want to list the wrong ones. The views appear to be live, as there are people, cars and trains moving. The scene changes every twelve minutes as does the music, which of course matches the location. This is a club that you must have at least one drink in. Spend a few minutes and enjoy the ambiance. Oh and the drink menus are lighted, very cool!!!

The Fantasy offers several such tasting experiences, like mixology, including champagne, martini, whiskey and tequila tastings. We had read on the boards about this class and its gotten great reviews. Daniel from England was our teacher. There were about 15 or 18 or us for the class. What is very cool about this experience is that each of us got to take a turn behind the bar mixing real full sized drinks. Overall we were taught how to make 5 different drinks. Came behind the bar to mix our drink. We mixed enough for each person, so we did 4 or 5 of our drinks.

Daniel was a great teacher and very patient. No one felt intimidated and it was a blast to get behind the bar. In 90 minutes we drank all five of the drinks, some of which were fairly strong. It was a lot of fun, and man did we have a buzz when we left! Not the best thing since we hit the shops right after that and did a bit of drunk shopping!

We got back to the cabin with time to get dressed for the show and dinner. Tonight was Wishes, which we really liked! The cast was outstanding, very energetic and put their all into the performance. We enjoyed the overall theme of the show and think it was a good idea to gear this a little bit more toward the teen and tween audience. However, with all of the familiar Disney music, it wasnt just for them.

We then took in the family cabaret with Ricky Kalman, the hypnotist. Very similar to the adult show, but no less entertaining. Then off to dinner at the Royal Court. Such a beautiful venue and a great meal! After stuffing ourselves at dinner, we went catch Magic Daves adult show. Lots of fun!!!!

Time for sleep.

 

[tgropp]

Good report. Keep it coming. We were also on that cruise and had the same boarding #. I really liked the fact that it was such a beautiful day on sailing date and after lunch, we were laying by the pool by 1. Made it seem like an extra day on the ship. Awaiting your island excursions.

 

[MariaJ]

Loving the report!
Just one picture, please? Maybe of you and DP on formal night?

Thanks so much, really enjoying it....

 

[kittymamma]

I agree with Maria J....at least one pic of you and DP on formal night !!! I'm sure y'all were dashing. Enjoying TR.

 

[allears]

I agree with Maria J....at least one pic of you and DP on formal night !!! I'm sure y'all were dashing. Enjoying TR.

I may work on that tonight. First I'd have to scan one in. We bought two photos of us on formal night, one with each of the captains!

 

[allears]

Day 5: Land Ho!!!! St Thomas

Docked at St Thomas, one of the prettiest ports in the Caribbean and this day was a beauty!! We ate breakfast out on deck at Cabanas, what a nice view of the harbor and what a great way to start the day, especially in February!

We got off the ship and took a lot of pictures of it from as many angles as possible. We just couldnt get over how big she is! And beautiful, especially compared to the two other ships that were docked behind us!

We spent some time wandering around the mall area, checked out a few of the shops, picked up a couple of souvenirs and walked around the streets of that area a bit. Then we went through the resort there at the dock, checked out the shops and took a bunch of pictures, many of the ship! It was a warm, sunny and stunning day.

We headed back on board for lunch at Cabanas. We chose to eat inside this time. I think theyve done a fantastic job with this space. Obviously its much larger than Topsiders, but more than that the area is laid out very well and is quite comfortable and doesnt feel crowded or tight. The décor is fun and the view from the floor to ceiling windows is great, especially of the spectacular harbor.

After lunch, we got changed to spend time on deck. We rode the Aquaduck a couple of times. Really love this ride and what a view coasting above the deck overlooking the harbor! Now it was time to grab a couple of loungers up on deck 13 and relax!

Bruce and Darren invited us to their cabin for sail away. They had a veranda room at the aft part of the ship with a huge wrap around veranda. A super view! We all enjoyed a couple of drinks and sailed smoothly away from St. Thomas at sun set.

We had planned earlier to make sure we got a photo with Pirate Mickey that night. So off to our stateroom to get into our pirate gear. If we do say so ourselves, the costumes look pretty great! We were in line at a good time for Pirate Mickey, and got a good photo. We then high tailed it to Preludes, where we were able to snag a photo with Captain Jack Sparrow. He was incredible, very engaging and a dead ringer for his movie counterpart.

Next stop, Mickeys Pirate Party up on deck 11. This was our first experience with the new format for the pirate party. This part of the festivities started when the family cabarets usually take place. This gives most everyone a chance to attend. In this iteration Minnie and gang teach everyone how to be pirates. Then captain Hook takes over only to have Mickey challenge him by proofing his (Mickeys) crew are fierce pirates. Of course Mickeys crew wins and there is much rejoicing. This is a far more kid friendly show and I think a great idea. This gives the kids, who have trouble staying up for the later party a chance to have fun and is a bit less dark than the event weve seen on the Magic.

Dinner was at Animators, which was a great venue for the evening. The screens show different pirate themes, from the animated to the live films. The lighting and music add to the effect and totally helps add more fun to the evening.

Back on deck for Buccaneer Blast, part two of the Pirate event. This time the show is a little darker and involves the main stage cast members and cruise staff. And it continues with the pirates trying to obtain a golden gauntlet from Jack Sparrow, who repels down from the front funnel. Eventually he wins and demonstrates the power of the gauntlet by setting off the fireworks show, which is now backed up with music from the pirates movies, very dramatic. The fireworks were AWESOME!!!! There was brief lull after a few minutes when you thought, okay that was nice and its over, then they returned with a vengeance!!!! Truly spectacular! It is truly a magical thing to be on a ship in the Caribbean, dressed as pirates, with pirates and then to experience fireworks!!!! Wow!

We then checked out the extensive buffet at Cabanas, and despite having had dinner just a little while before, managed to get a few goodies, including a turkey leg! We ate out on deck, before calling it a day!

 

[Nawlins Cruiser]

My family and I were on this same cruise. We had a great time. I'm always interested in hearing others' views and opinions. Just a friendly request...pictures, please. {Just a few would be great!}

 

[allears]

Trying to insert some photos.

 

[perfectmatch300]

Thanks for your reoprt. Loved your pirate pic! You're right, you did a great job with the costumes! Also loved your shot of the Fantasy bow!

 

[Dixielady908]

Really enjoying your trip report....thanks for sharing your views on the Fantasy....My first voyage on her in December and looking so forward to it.