Day 2 Navigator
Pulling into Port between the Allure of the Seas and the Carnival Ecstasy
After a great night's sleep, DH and I woke up feeling energized and ready for a busy day. Closing all the doors to the bedroom had made the room nice and dark, and the bed and linens were very comfy. The only thing we didn't love was the pillows, which we both found to be too soft for our taste. Our stateroom host (Benny, who was great) encouraged us to try some different pillows via the Pillow Talk program. After checking out the list of options in our room, I went with the Beyond Perfect pillow and DH chose the Snore Reducer (or, more accurately, I chose it for him!). The Beyond Perfect pillow was much firmer, and I stayed with it for the rest of the cruise. DH wanted to try another option, but we never got around to requesting it. We had some things that needed to be dry cleaned, so before we left the room we filled out the Laundry Service form and left the laundry bag out for Benny. We sent a 2-piece suit, a men's dress shirt, 2 pairs of khaki pants, and a dress. The total cost was $29 and the items were returned to us, on hangers and looking great, on Tuesday afternoon.
After a quick breakfast at Cabanas, we disembarked and took a taxi to the Comfort Suites on Paradise Island. I had booked a room back in February when I discovered that the AAA rate for the night we needed was $143.10. With all taxes and fees, the total came to $213.62. The price for the DCL Aquaventure excursion is $169/adult. That price includes transportation and lunch. The cab ride to CS was $4/person each way, which came to $22 with tips. We ate lunch at Splashers, and that cost about $30. So our total cost was about $265, compared to $338 for the DCL excursion. Not a huge cost savings, but we liked the fact that we could just walk off the ship and grab a taxi at our leisure. We also got to Atlantis early and were in the water quickly, and that turned out to be a bigger perk than the cost savings.
Getting to Atlantis, and Getting Around Once There
We rode to Paradise Island in a van with two other couples. The driver stopped at Atlantis first, and the other two couples got out there. Then she dropped DH and I off at the Comfort Suites (pretty much right next door). There was no line at the check-in counter, and within a few minutes we had checked in and out and been given our vouchers for Atlantis. It took us about 10 minutes to walk across the street to Atlantis and through the resort to the Aquaventure check-in desk in the Royal Tower. We walked right up to the counter, exchanged our vouchers for wristbands, and were on our way. We breezed fairly quickly through the aquariums and headed out onto the grounds. We wanted to find lockers and towels, and we had to ask for directions twice before we found them. Big hint: You are looking for the Hospitality Center. No one told us that. Just follow the signs and you'll eventually get there. Lockers cost $9 for a small, $11 for a medium, and $13 for a large. A small locker was big enough for our fairly large beach bag. There was a towel hut right around the corner from the Hospitality Center. We asked for two towels each and then found some out-of-the-way lounge chairs to leave our towels and flip flops on. In retrospect, we probably could have left our flip flops in the locker because the ground wasn't so hot that we needed to wear them.
Here is a link to a helpful pocket guide that includes a map of the property. They hand these out at the resort as well.
http://www.atlantis.com/allthingsatlantis.aspx
The weather in the morning had been mostly sunny, but as the day wore on, more and more clouds began to roll in... and they were getting progressively darker. DH and I had been in the water and on the rides for about two hours when it started to thunder. After about 15 minutes of intermittent thunder, everyone was told to get out of the water. It was lunch time, so DH and I decided we might as well eat. We headed over to Splashers Snacks, which is right next to the Splashers Kids Pool. They have meal deals that cost between $8 and $11 and include a sandwich, fries and a drink. With tax, our meal came to around $30. Expensive for what it was, but we were expecting this. After we ate, we hung around for awhile, walking on the beach and around the grounds, until it finally started to rain. It absolutely poured for about 20 minutes, and even when it stopped there were no visible breaks in the clouds. At that point we decided to head back to the ship. We would have liked to have more time in the water park, but we were thankful to have gotten there as early as we did. I would definitely book a room at the Comfort Suites again for access to Atlantis. The whole process was very easy, and it can be a big money saver -- especially if there are 3 or 4 in your party.
Mixology
After we got back to the ship, we showered and headed to Skyline for our Mixology class. We had intended to hit Guest Services right after boarding to sign up, but that became unnecessary when we upgraded to concierge. Mixology was offered twice on our cruise: on Nassau day at 4:00 and on the sea day at 3:00. We got to Skyline just as the bartender, Suellen, was getting started. The group was fairly large (about 20?) and she had her hands full keeping everyone in order! We made four drinks:
1.
Black Velvet - Guinness beer and champagne. This one did not sound appealing at all, but I liked it more than I thought I would. The champagne definitely softened the taste of the Guinness.
2.
La Paloma - I can't remember all the ingredients but I know it included tequila and grapefruit soda. This one tasted a little like a margarita.
3.
New Yorker - One of Skyline's signature cocktails and my favorite of the night. It's made with Kettle One Vodka, Acai Liqueur, Pomegranate Liqueur, and freshly squeezed lemon juice, and it has a sugar rim. It's a beautiful color, and the full-size version is served with a souvenir glow cube. I went behind the bar to help with this one, and it was extra fun since it involved a shaker. Wish I'd remembered to take my camera! (This was sort of a chronic problem on the trip, but I attribute it to the fact that I was living in the moment!)
4.
B52 - This is a layered shot made up of Kahlua, Baileys and Grand Marnier. DH helped with this one, and it was a little tricky. He had to pour the Baileys and the Grand Marnier very slowly over the back of a spoon so they wouldn't mix with the layers below.
We had a great time at the Mixology class and enjoyed the cocktails, which were smaller versions of the real thing. I was just a smidge buzzed when we left -- not enough to stop us from hitting the cocktail reception in the concierge lounge!
Ordering Room Service from the MDRs
We had planned to eat dinner at Cabanas, but it occurred to me at some point during the day that guests staying in 1-bedroom suites are able to order room service from the MDRs. I knew that only from reading the Disboards -- at no point was this mentioned by any of the concierge hosts or in any of the printed materials we were given. I asked Annie-Marie when we got to the lounge whether we could, in fact, order from the MDRs, and whether it was too late to do it that night. She said we could just make it for the 6:30-7:00 delivery window, or we could wait until 8:30-9:00. We decided to go ahead with the earlier option and Annie-Marie showed us the menus, which were lined up on the bookshelves across from the concierge desk. After looking at all the menus, we decided to go with Royal Palace.
A server rang our doorbell at about 6:45 and brought in a tray loaded with our meal and everything needed to set the table. I started with the double-baked spinach soufflé, and DH started with Belle's French onion soup. For our second course, we both ordered the beef tenderloin. (I actually thought it was just as good as the tenderloin I'd had at Palo!) We both finished with the Grand Marnier soufflé. So, so good. It was a real luxury to be served such a fantastic meal in our room!
After dinner we did a little bit of shopping for DD and the grandparents, and then we stopped by Meridian for a drink. I ordered the crème brulee martini (yum!) and DH went with the Gin Garden. We had discovered Meridian when we were on the Fantasy in March, and it's our favorite bar on the ship (Skyline is a close second). The outside seating area is the perfect place to be when it's not too windy, and the view off the stern of the ship is incredible. After our cocktail it was time for our nightly visit to the lounge for a decaf cappuccino (me) and a decaf Americano (DH). All in all, an amazing day!
Next up: Day 3 (Castaway Cay)
