Just the two of us! (Need I say anything more?) Our Fantasy & Dream trip~many photos

[shadowryter]

I'm going to join in as it sounds so far like your cruise was what I had hoped for on my recent Dream voyage. Mine was wonderful, but I didn't have as much romance as I had wanted.

Hi and welcome! Romance is everywhere but I've learned that you have to make it happen.

What a beautiful picture of you and your hubby! Hope you enjoyed your anniversary!

I'm enjoying reading along, we are heading out on the Fantasy in one month.
This is our first Fantasy cruise, we have done 8 on the classic ships.

The lobster mac and cheese looks so much better than on the Magic and Wonder.
Must try that!

Loved the pink girl pics, too cute!!!!

Thank you. We had a wonderful 24th! You will love the Fantasy. Lobster mac and cheese was really good along with everything else.

Wonderful updates again
I agree with the PP, that is such a lovely photo of you both
The champagne meet sounded like a lot of fun
I was interested to hear your thoughts on sea sick medication. I get terribly sick on small boats but have always been fine on the big ships, but we have always had pretty calm seas. I took Dramamine non-drowsy on our last cruise just as a precaution but as the seas were so calm I probably didn't need it

I found that the photos taken of Dan and I with my camera were better than the pro shots. I purchased very few from Shutters. I'm someone that got carsick as a child and put me in the backseat for more than an hour and I'm done. The regular strength Dramamine seemed to work. I'm not much of a fan of Seabands but I saw a lot of those. It depends on where you are sailing too. If it's far (for us Port Canaveral to St. Maarten) just be prepared for that first night.

looking forward to more!

Following along! Enjoying your trip report so far! We sail the Fantasy in May... It will be our first Disney cruise. We are seriously considering a couples massage - appreciated your review!

We really enjoyed the couples massage and would love to do it again.

Joining in. We were on the Dream with you, but didn't make it to the meets.

I'm so sorry we didn't get to meet. We only made the first get together at Eye Scream. I wasn't really aware of any other meets until I got home.

Great update! Your massage sounds heavenly! I didn't get a massage this trip but did try the Rainforest Room, which I loved.

I love the picture of your Pink Champagne Girls meet-up. Now I'm kind of sad I didn't do it. I wasn't even aware that there was anything on deck 14 including the Outlook Bar (I think that is what you called it). I'll have to check it out next time. It looks lovely and I'm sure the view was awesome.

Love the photo of you and DH at Royal Court!

We had a fun meet. Kelly was a wonderful organizer but I was so frustrated for her with all the venue changes. In the end it was great. I knew there was something up there but didn't know what until we were all ushered to the Outlook.

 

[shadowryter]

December 2nd…Second Sea Day with two tastings

We had reservations for Palo brunch at 10 am so we were not in any particular hurry this morning. Before getting ready I turned on the TV just to check things out and found this.
Medical Emergency

It would seem that we made an unexpected stop at Grand Turk in the wee hours of the morning. Around 4 am to be exact. I don’t even recall the ship stopping to tell the truth. Dramamine I guess. Lol! I took a couple of pictures of our last night’s little treasures and we were off. Now last year when we had Palo brunch ressies we just had no idea of how to fine Palo and walked the full length of the Fantasy both ways in the rain. We were late, they called our room, I explained and brunch was saved though we were a little damp when we arrived. Now I know: Aft, elevator up from Cabanas and voila…you’re there. To be safe we walked Forward to Aft on our floor, took the elevator up to deck 11 and Cabanas, then the elevator to Palo.
A few shots of last night’s dessert destined to be breakfast

We were shown to a lovely table with a beautiful view and our server Kristian explained how brunch worked but this time there was something a little different. It would seem that there was a little outbreak of Norovirus and to be sure all of our choices were served with a smile from servers wearing gloves. It didn't take away from the experience and it was good to be safe.
Three rose centerpiece

Table with a view

The happy anniversary couple

Some of Palo’s offerings

A surprise rose for our celebration from Kristian

More offerings

Rose and champagne

Roses and Mimosa

Cold Strawberry soup….so delicious

Chicken Parm…Dan’s favorite

Beef tenderloin…This was amazing and cooked to perfection.

Moving on to desserts...two yummy assortments!
Dan

Me

Kristian

Palo table setting

This was a wonderful brunch experience and it made me look forward to our Palo dinner on the Dream. And yes….shameful me not only took my rose but it is home with me now in my curio cabinet to keep forever!

Continued next post...

 

[shadowryter]

With brunch over it was time to do a quick change to get ready for our first tasting at 12. We easily made our way to Ooh La La and found a spot for two at one of the tables and there I learned that I was not the only one suffering from sea sickness the other night. There were many more. Some a lot worse off than I was and some not as much.

I had heard some negative reviews about this class more recent coming from our tables mate Kris and Larry who tried it virtually in its infancy. Too much wine…hardly any chocolate. Well I am pleased to report that there was just the right amount of wine, plenty of chocolate and even some cheese thrown in. It was a fun class and explained how certain chocolates completely changed the tastes of wines. You should try it at least once. I think we’ll sign up for it again in the future.
Wine and Chocolate for all

We had about an hour before our group tasting at 2pm at the Skyline Lounge. So I took a couple of shots of various places.
Ooh La La

La Piazza

Guess who?

Christmas wreath

You know you’re a tad tipsy when you take a pic of the inside of the ladies room…it was so pretty!

We were not the first to find the Skyline and I was hoping that out Meridian bartender, Novak from last year would be here but alas he was not. He told us he would either be here or gone home to the Ukraine to get married. Congrats Novak!

We all gathered around the bar while Julian explained to us what we would be doing. We were a big group, more than 20 allowed and the fun was just about to start with our new barkeep.
All set up

Five drinks each….oh boy!

Julian with some flare

Me, Dan and friends mixing it up…actually muddling a Mojito!

Our wonderful bartender and his assistants
Priscila, Julian and Christine

These are the drinks that we all made:
Disney Stingray…Captain Morgan Spiced Rum…Midori, Pineapple juice and Cranberry juice
Mango Mojito…Tequila, mango puree, lime and mint
Ultimate Bellini…Peach Schnapps, peach nectar, lemon juice, champagne, Grand Mariner
Cranberry Cosmo…Vodka, cranberry juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, Cointreau
Mexican Guinness…Patron, Bailey’s Irish Crème
The only difference between this group Mixology and our last regular Mixology was that we only got to make one drink. Last time we got to make all 5. Which is why there are no pic’s of separate drinks.

To be continued...

 

[DisneYE]

With brunch over it was time to do a quick change to get ready for our first tasting at 12.

Thank you for this TR... I thoroughly enjoyed reading it..you look like a very nice couple and congrats on your anniversary..
Thanks in part to your raves about the mixology class I will go ahead and sign us up for one...I've only done beer/wine tastings before but not mixology...it looks awesome...thanks again for sharing your experiences...

 

[Linda67]

Great updates! You are getting me so excited for our cruise!
We have a private mixology session scheduled well so pleased to hear that it was a success
On our Alaska cruise last year the chocolate tasting was my fave tasting so far

 

[shadowryter]

Thank you for this TR... I thoroughly enjoyed reading it..you look like a very nice couple and congrats on your anniversary..
Thanks in part to your raves about the mixology class I will go ahead and sign us up for one...I've only done beer/wine tastings before but not mixology...it looks awesome...thanks again for sharing your experiences...

Thank you. You must take a mixology class. Each bartender has his/her own style but it's always tons of fun and the drinks are great!

Great updates! You are getting me so excited for our cruise!
We have a private mixology session scheduled well so pleased to hear that it was a success
On our Alaska cruise last year the chocolate tasting was my fave tasting so far

I think that Wine and chocolate was right up there with mixology. Different classes but each so good.

 

[shadowryter]

December 2nd...Part 2

With two tastings now behind us I was in need of coffee and something in my tummy besides alcohol and the Vista Café fit that bill perfectly.
Mocha Latte

A few snacks

I kind of knew what I wanted to do after Vista Café, so we went off to do some window shopping (note “window” is the key word here) and with no purchases in hand, (I know…shocker!) we arrived at the Walt Disney Theater to take in the 3D showing of Frozen. Just a warning which you probably already know, the popcorn here is pre-bagged and twice as much as it is back home. We settled for a bottle of water, a Root Beer in a souvenir cup and some chocolate. I really loved this movie. Disney/Pixar at its best. But all I find myself doing is humming, “Let it go.” It doesn’t help that Demi Lovato sang it during Disney’s Christmas Parade on TV. I’m just stuck. Let it go! Let it go! Lol!
A couple of shots along the way

Dinner was coming up quickly so we returned to our stateroom to get ready for Animator’s Palate.
Table setting…ooh crayons!

Table # 78

I love these little knives

Garlic and Herb Foccacia…with a Rosemary Virgin Olive Oil dip (new on the menu)

Guess what we are?

Blueberrilicious…Tequila, Fresh Blueberries, Passion Fruit Juice, Orange Flavor Liquor, and Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Golden Breeze…Vodka, Amaretto, Galliano, Orange Juice, and Pineapple Juice

Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes x 2…Pasta Purse filled with Truffle scented Cheese and coated with a delicate Champagne Sauce

Arugula and Curly Endive Salad…with Sliced Chorizo, Dried Figs, and Herbed Croutons topped with a Cider Dressing (new on the menu)

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup…Garnished with Chives and drizzled with Sour Cream

Herb Crusted Veal Chop…Roasted Veal Chop Brushed with Dijon Mustard and crusted with Herbed Breadcrumbs served with Sun-dried Tomato Risotto and a Barolo Wine Sauce (so tasty and also new)

Like you don’t know what this is!

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake…With Whipped Cream and Raspberry Coulis

add Vanilla ice cream

A paper towel flower from our server Heny

Animators Palate


Continued next post...

 

[shadowryter]

We returned to our room after having a lengthy discussion with Kris and Larry about what there was to do in St Maarten tomorrow. I had an idea but no clue really and was happily surprised when Kris invited us to go along with them. We were to meet at 8am, Easy because their stateroom was just across the way and down a couple of doors. Regardless of our early morning Dan and I stopped by the Skyline for a night cap from our bartender Julian and server Priscila who oddly in the dark recognized us from the Mixology class earlier.
Our little towel bunny

Paris 75…best cocktail ever!


It was getting late but I had my camera on me and noticed just how empty the ship was. So don’t be shocked by the amount of photo’s I am about to post.
Disney Fantasy at night
Hallway leading to Europa

Fantasy Atrium


Still continued next post...

 

[shadowryter]

Last photos of the night


Next…St. Maarten featuring Marigot and the famous Sarafina’s and Maho…where the big jets land

 

[shadowryter]

December 3rd…St Maarten with new friends

We made plans with Kris and Larry to meet at around 8am. We were only around the corner from each other but after a phone call we met at the elevator. Once off the ship we all made our way to the nearest taxi station and before I could blink my eye Larry found a taxi that would take all four of us to Marigot for a reasonable price. We hopped in and we off. The drive was very scenic, rich with trees and vegetation and houses way up into the hillside.
The road to Marigot

Once we stopped we walked down to the waterfront and took in the view before heading just down the street to Sarafina’s Bakery. I had heard a lot about this place and it was definitely on my to-do list so I was so happy that Larry and Kris wanted to stop here.
Marigot and the marina

Sarafina’s was a little place tucked away with a roof but very open. It was getting a bit warm but all the pastries and things were kept perfectly in glass cases.
So many things to choose from

Sarafina’s sitting area

Oddly enough I never even got to try a dessert because I was hungry and just wanted breakfast. For both Dan and I this turned out to be Quiche, Lorraine for me and ham and cheese for him. I was too full to even think about desserts but now find myself regretting my choice. We should have tried something.
Yummy Quiche

Hey…Dan’s got his own meat shop…who knew. Lol!


Continued next post...

 

[shadowryter]

We ran into another couple from our cruise group who shared a taxi to Maho with us which brought down the price even more. (I’m learning things if we should return). The drive was not very long and when we arrived we made our way to the Sunset Bar where a whole lot of our fellow cruisers were gathering for the same thing. Waiting for the giant KLB to land. Now watching a jet land is one thing but this place was noted the in Guinness World Book of Records for being one of the 10 most dangerous places to land a plane. It not only had to land but it literally hovered only a few yards overhead of sunbathers and swimmers alike not to mention those who were there just for the thrill or to get that awesome photo shot. Most of us stayed up in the bar area though some were more adventurous. There is also a place where the planes take off and the jet exhaust is so strong it will blow you over. Think Jacka$$ the movie (I know why would anyone?) where they try to do ordinary things in the blast of the exhaust. Yep…that’s Maho.

Sunset Bar sign

Ok…the tail end of American Airlines

Here it comes

Closer

Closer…Image by Larry

This is the view from the beach…Image not mine but from our group

This sign sums it all up!

Back in the taxi we headed back to port getting out a little ways from the ship to check out some shopping. Here the only thing I bought was a couple of postcards to send home and that was it. The shops were close to each other and mostly offered the same three things: T-shirts, alcohol and diamonds. That was about it. Before we reached the port we stopped for some gelato and a little rest under some shade trees.
View of the Fantasy from the taxi

Port Town

Gelato anyone? It was melting way to furiously to snap a shot

Cannon in town square

Christmas tree near taxi stand

St. Maarten welcomes you

And another Christmas tree


To be continued…

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

great update!

 

[tweis]

I'm so sorry you got seasick. I experienced the same thing on our last cruise and it was terrible. We booked GTY and were assigned room 8028 which was very forward and I could feel every movement of the ship and this was made worse by the rough seas we were having. I will never intentionally book forward again. I missed Royal Palace which is my favorite MDR on the Dream.

 

[Linda67]

What a great update!
Our DIS group/FB group have organised a private tour on St Maarten and Maho Beach and Sarafina's are both on the schedule
I would love to point everyone towards this thread to get them even more excited, but I wouldn't do that without your permission

 

[shadowryter]

What a great update!
Our DIS group/FB group have organised a private tour on St Maarten and Maho Beach and Sarafina's are both on the schedule
I would love to point everyone towards this thread to get them even more excited, but I wouldn't do that without your permission

You don't need my permission. The more the merrier. If my info helps your group then by all means point away.

 

[shadowryter]

great update!

Thank you.

I'm so sorry you got seasick. I experienced the same thing on our last cruise and it was terrible. We booked GTY and were assigned room 8028 which was very forward and I could feel every movement of the ship and this was made worse by the rough seas we were having. I will never intentionally book forward again. I missed Royal Palace which is my favorite MDR on the Dream.

I like being forward but I guess it all depends on the itinerary.

What a great update!
Our DIS group/FB group have organised a private tour on St Maarten and Maho Beach and Sarafina's are both on the schedule
I would love to point everyone towards this thread to get them even more excited, but I wouldn't do that without your permission

Thank you.

 

[shadowryter]

We were back on the ship by 2 pm and thanking Kris and Larry for a wonderful day we took off to find lunch.
St. Maarten from the ship

Flo’s to the rescue

Fish sandwich …special of the day

Brats…Dan’s favorites

Mushroom pizza

Salad from the fixin’s bar

Cookies…chocolate chip was dry

Boats in the harbor

Norwegian Epic right beside us

St. Maarten panorama

More of St. Maarten


After our late afternoon lunch I told Dan I was in need of coffee so we headed to the Cove Café. I really love this place. Dan and I grabbed a couple of lattes and a few snacks. So good.
Pumpkin Spice Latte…Pumpkin Pie syrup, espresso and steamed milk

Candy Cane Chocolate Mocha…Peppermint syrup, chocolate sauce, espresso and steamed milk…can you say OMG!!!!

Berry tart and fruit puff pastry

After enjoying our coffee we made stop at Shutters to check out some photos. Dan and I saw a couple that we were interested in but moved along for now due to crowds and the fact that it was time to get ready for Pirate Night. Last year we dressed up in full Pirate garb and this year would be no different. We returned to our stateroom as I had already unpacked our Piratey stuff so we just had to get dressed. The plan was to get our picture taken with Pirate Mickey or Minnie because we had our pic taken with Captain Jack last time. We left our room and was stopped by our stateroom hostess who more than loved our outfits then it was off to our picture taken. We hurried to get in line for Mickey but was told the couple who had just arrived in front of us was the last. Just our luck. Minnie was already leaving so that was done too.

We found a place to sit across from the Bon Voyage bar, ordered a couple of drinks and just relaxed. We ran into Kelly and her husband and chatted just a bit before opting to have our picture taken in front of a backdrop of a skeleton captain on a pirate ship. The shot Kelly took with my camera came out so much better than the Shutters shot. After, it was time for dinner at the Royal Court.
A Pirates Life for Me!

Pomegranate Cosmo…Grey Goose Vodka, Pomegranate juice, Cointreau, Freshly squeezed Lime Juice and Cranberry Juice

Eco-Tini…VeeV Acai Liqueur, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, ginger, and Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice served with a Souvenir Acai seed Bracelet

Just a couple of Pirates


Continued next post...

 

[shadowryter]

We met up with Kris and Larry who were sporting their Pirate bandanas. Being all too familiar with the Pirate Night menu we made our orders and prepared to enjoy another wonderful meal.
Johnny Cake with a pigeon pea relish

The Buccaneer's Sun-Ripened Pineapple…fresh island pineapple with a coconut covered banana and orange glaze

Black Beard's Jumbo Crab Cake…with a golden raisin-carrot and coconut slaw served with a spice Calypso dressing

Caribbean-style Conch Chowder…with sherry, sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes, thyme, and garnished with diced potatoes and crispy bacon bits

Jerk Chicken Salad…jerk-seasoned chicken strips over fresh crispy greens with a citrus dressing and plantain chips

Jack Sparrow's BBQ Marinated Beef Short Ribs…rubbed beef short ribs with tamarind-BBQ sauce served with onion red bliss mashed potatoes and plantain chip

The Dutchmen's Dijon-Crusted Sirloin of Beef…thick cut of beef with oven-roasted sweet potatoes and a black spot tomato with deep red wine glaze

Banana-Chocolate Crepe…with mango coulis and toasted coconut (no sugar added dessert)

Dan asked for nothing and nothing he got! Lol!!!

Somewhere along our meal Shutters photographers grabbed some shots but they were so similar to other pictures that we had in the past that we passed on them. Upon returning to our room we were greeted by this little pirate and our invitation for dinner at Remy.
Towel pirate

Remy invitation…

We did watch the fireworks and hang out for Club Pirate and a very cool DJ that kept the party hopping. Beforehand we kind of just walked through the Pirate buffet. Alas as in previous years we were just too darn full to try anything or even bring a snack to our room. Oh well, there’s always next time.

Next…Visiting St Thomas with five other ships in port…

 

[disny_luvr]

Oh my gosh, so much to comment on!

First, we ate at Palo's for brunch the same day as you but we had a 12:30 reservation. I was surprised when we were walked through the buffet by a CM who put the food on our plates. I wasn't aware that it was because of an outbreak. That makes sense now. We loved Palo!

Wow two tasting in one day! That would've done me in. It looked like fun though.

I loved your pictures of the ship at night. I can tell you that when you were taking those pictures my family was probably already crashed for the night. We never made it past 10:30 most nights. DH and I never made it to Europa or Oh La La either. Actually, I don't even know where those are located on the ship. We walked through LaPiazz (or however it is spelled) several times; are they anywhere near there? I loved the picture of the hallway to Europa. Again, where was that hallway? See, we really need to go back on the Fantasy so I can explore all the places I didn't get to this trip. More reason to book another trip!

Our St. Maarten day was beautiful. We did the Bernard's Tour and really liked it. I had wanted to get to Sarafina's but our stop in Marigot was only about 30 minutes and until we made a bathroom stop we were only left with about 15 minutes so I didn't want to chance missing our bus. We did enjoy walking around the open-air market and got some good pictures. We didn't see the KLM jet land but we did see it take off. How awesome!

You are Dan looked great in your pirate attire!

I can't wait to hear about your St. Thomas day!

 

[*Flower*]

I've GOT to subscribe to this one!!

Thanks so much for sharing the dinner table with us- we hope that you both had as much fun as we did...