Experiment-627: A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Experiment-627








A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser
(Summer 2011)

Sometimes you just need to try something new… take a chance… flirt with failure and/or disaster. Sometimes you just need to experiment with a different way of dealing with even those things you know and love. Some of these experiments will work… some will not, but try them we must. Even the image I’m using to welcome you into this adventure was the result of an experiment (which both worked and failed… spectacularly). This “testing of new experiences” will be a theme that runs through the pages that are to follow. Within these posts, my family will be heading back to Disney, a place we know and love, but we’ll be seeing it in a rather different light and on a completely different pace then trips of the past. I think that the slight little smile you see on my boy’s face (even when he thought no one was watching him) is a good representation of our experience this grand and wonderful summer. As for the trip report that I’ve started on here… I’ll be making this journey through the literary badlands one way or another, but you’re invited to travel along if you’d like.

Hay… what’s the worst that could happen?

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Table of Contents:


Chapter 1: The Players
- Part 1: Who Are You?
- Part 2: Signorinas and Fräuleins
- Part 3: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…

Chapter 2: The Set-Up
- Part 1: Getting To Know You
- Part 2: What’s a “fish” and why does it need “extending”?
- Part 3: Details… Details…

Chapter 3: The Hook
- Part 1: The Journey Commences
- Part 2: Interstate Blues
- Part 3: Castillo de San Marcos
- Part 4: The Ramparts of Fort Marion
- Part 5: Welcome to the Rad

Chapter 4: The Tale
...(Day 1 - Sunday)
- Part 1: Shuttle Launch
- Part 2: Terminal Velocity
- Part 3: “Experiment 627”
- Part 4: A Room With a View
- Part 5: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-1)
- Part 6: T minus 5… 4… 3…
- Part 7: “Please come back… I’ll give you five bucks!”
- Part 8: I ate What?
- Part 9: Turned Down

Chapter 5: more of “The Tale”
...(Day 2 - Monday)
- Part 1: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-2)
- Part 2: Land Ho…
- Part 3: All Ashore (but not that way)
- Part 4: Beached
- Part 5: You must be hungry…
- Part 6: Mirror, Mirror…
- Part 7: Sea Turtles?... Aye, Sea Turtles…

Chapter 6: In the midst of: “The Tale”
...(Day 3 - Tuesday)
- Part 1: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-3)
- Part 2: Swinging for the Green
- Part 3: Sizing Up the Competition
- Part 4: Caught in the Act
- Part 5: Inner Sanctum
- Part 6: Ad Victor Spolia

Chapter 7: The tail of: “The Tale”
...(Day 4 - Wednesday)
- Part 1: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-4)
- Part 2: Taking time to smell the flowers
- Part 3: Where Forth Art Thou
- Part 4: The Calm Before the Storm
- Part 5: A Little Night Music
- Part 6: Highfalutin
- Part 7: Are you noticing a pattern here?

Chapter 8: The Wire
...(Day 5 - Thursday)
- Part 1: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-5)
- Part 2: Alone
- Part 3: Dizzying Heights
- Part 4: Unknown Knowns
- Part 5: The Journey to Come
- Part 6: Trials, Triumphs and Bittersweet Rewards
- Part 7: Crossroads

Chapter 9: The Shutout
...(Day 6 - Friday)
- Part 1: See Ya’ Real Soon
- Part 2: Charting a New Course
- Part 3: A Room With a View… Sort’a
- Part 4: The Lay of the Land
- Part 5: Decisions, Decisions…
- Part 6: Rapid Oxidation

Chapter 10: The Sting
...(Day 7 - Saturday)
- Part 1: Are You Awake Yet?
- Part 2: Sometimes you win…
- Part 3: And…. They’re off!
- Part 4: A Shot in the Dark


Chapter 11: Denouement
...(Day 8 - Sunday)
- Part 1: All Good Things…



The Chapter 11 stuff is new and the Final Entry!!

I hope y'all had fun...
I sure did

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Bonus Features

These are links to anything off topic that ended up being tossed in here
(And believe you me… I certainly have a knack for going OT)


01: Retreat
02: Paper Dream
03: The Big Red Boat
04: Blow That Horn
05: Vexillology
06: A DCL Cruiser’s Tipping Primer
07: DCL Beverage Management
08: Nathanael Greene
8.5: Sub Addendum???
09: I’m on a Boat
10: Now how’d I get here?
11: The Wreck of the Flying Dutchman
12: Turkey Surprise
13: Nassau – Part 1
13: Nassau – Part 2
13: Nassau – Part 3
14: Duodécimo de Mayo
15: Shamless Plug
16: O Sole Mio
17: In The Bag
18: Dragon’s Breath
19: Darn! That’s the end




:

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

One more (just in case )

[petals]

joining in first!!!.. I rock!

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Originally Posted by petals

joining in first!!!.. I rock!

Yes you do! Congrats and…



I guess the first update will just have to be in you’re honor.
Sooooo…. Here goes.

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Bonus Feature 10:

Now how’d I get here?

At 1,115 feet in length, 125 feet on the beam (that’s width to you landlubbers) and 128,000 tones, the Disney Dream is a fairly large ship. You can climb nearly fifteen stories above the waterline and there is another twenty-six feet of hull beneath the waves that you don’t generally see at all. It takes a crew of just under 1,500 to man her and of the sixteen decks; fourteen of them are at least partially open to the nearly 4,000 passengers that can be onboard at any one time. Given that amount of space combined and that density of humanity, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that finding your way from Point-A to Point-B can at times be somewhat confusing. Well… this little post is here to give you a hand.



First off there are some general design elements on the dream that will help you get your bearings (and the first part of getting anywhere… is first knowing where you are). The easiest thing to remember is that for the vast majority of cabins that you might find yourself living in…

playtime and a snacks are up / diner and a show are down.


= = = = = = = = Going Up = = = = = = =

The top zone (Deck-11, 12 & 13) are where you’ll find all of the outdoor amenities and play areas (sports, pools, gym and the spa), and most of the counter service meals and snacks (including Cabana’s). The other things that reside up here are the concierge cabins forward on 11 & 12 and the high end restaurants (Palo & Remy) aft on 12.


= = = = = = = Going down = = = = = = =

The bottom of the ship is where most of the indoor activities are found. The middle of Deck-5 is home to all of the kids clubs but there are also staterooms forward and aft (and the teen club is all the way toward the front). Deck-4 is home to most of the nightclubs and lounges (in the back) and the lower entrance to the movie theater and the balcony of the main theater(forward). Deck-3 is the Grand Lobby, shopping, main entrance to the Walt Disney Theater (toward the bow) and most of the restaurants (mid ship and aft). Deck-2 is home to one restaurant (Enchanted Garden amid ship) and the rest of the staterooms (forward of the restaurant).

So basically it’s 2 & 3 for food, 4 to party and 5 for the kid’os.

You only need to head down to Deck-1 to leave the ship when in a port (other then Port Canaveral). The only other thing down that way is the doctor but if you need to see these fine folks, do make sure that you use the forward elevators or stairwell cause there are no connecting hallways from the other two banks of elevators on this deck.


= = = = = = = Home Time = = = = = = =

The middle of the ship is where the bulk of the cabins are found. Starting at Deck-6 and ascending up through Deck-10 there are nothing but long hallways of staterooms, so except for the one where your stateroom is likely to be located, you can completely ignore these decks. But it is also true that a lack of windows and the continuous sameness make these living decks the easiest place to get turned your self around. As such here are a few trick for knowing where you’re going. First of all… as you walk the halls, you will run across these medallions in the carpeting at regular intervals…



These are set into the carpet so that when the map is right side up (north to the top) then you’re heading forward. If it’s upside down you’re walking toward the stern. Now, while your looking at that little image there, here’s a simple little game (and one you can put you kids onto)… can y’all tell me just what the signal flags in the borders might be spelling out? I’ll check back with y’all on that one latter if I don’t hear from anyone.

Ok here’s another trick that will let you quickly know which side of the ship you on: Just look for the little fishy.



These are only on the port side of the Disney Dream (but remember that this wont work on the Magic or Wonder). If you’re in the starboard hallway, that little fishy will look more like a seahorse.



The other quick way to know where you are is to just look for the cabin numbers. The first digit will tell you which deck your on. The next one will identify the side of the ship (0 for Port forward, 1 for the port aft, 5 for starboard forward and 6 for starboard aft). The last two digits identify the individual staterooms starting at the bow and heading back with even numbers for the outside cabins and odd numbers for the inside cabins (which will also help you know which way your heading).


= = = = = = = Suds n Duds = = = = = = =

While I’m heading off through Bonus feature land this seems like a good place to tuck in a little extra bit of useful info. Specifically… how do I go about getting the wrinkles ironed out of my dinner clothes that have been stuffed in a suitcase for the last couple of days? Well there are laundry rooms scattered all over the living decks of the Dream and each location generally has at least a couple of washers and dryers, 1 iron and an ironing board.



This is the one on Deck-10 (and just as a clue that little game I tossed out there a bit ago, the three signal flags worked into the tile floor just happen to spell out “DCL” and you’ll run across them all over the ship) OK, back to the laundry rooms… some of them will also include a folding table and seating bench. At least one location (on Deck-6) has 8 washers, 4 dryers and 2 irons/ironing boards (according to the DCL FAQ on these boards). An added bonus here is that there’s no need to carry quarters. With just a swipe of your room key and you can charge a load to wash (45 minute cycle) and/or dry (45 minute cycle) and even purchase laundry supplies (Tide, Clorox and/or Downey), but… they cost a couple of bucks per cycle. The iron is free to use, but you may have to wait in line if you wait until just before dinnertime to use ‘em. So where are these magical little locations? You’ll find them just across the hall from the following cabins: 2002, 5192, 6508, 7014, 8150, 9500 and 10572. Something to keep in mind is that if you have any of these cabins (or one of those in the immediate vicinity), finding the laundry will be dead easy, but conversely there will also be a good bit of foot traffic around your stateroom.




Now just for giggles we can use that little list of cabin numbers back there to practice our navigation skills.



2002 - would be on Deck-2, port side as far forward as you can go.

5192 - Deck-5, port side, all the way back to the stern.

6508 - Deck-6, starboard side, up near the bow

7014 - Deck-7, port side, just a little back off the bow

8150 - Deck-8, port side, about three quarter of the way back (a little ahead of the aft elevators)

9500 - Deck-9, starboard side, all the way up at the bow

10572 - Deck-10, port side, amidships (just a little aft of the amidships elevators)

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 5: more of “The Tale” - Day 2 (Mon)

Part 1: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-2)

Are you still following along? Really? Well you perseverance is either about to pay off a smidgen or prove the utter futility of your actions. Why? Because I (and therefore… you) have actually made it all the way to the beginning of our next day at sea. And on this day… our port of call is that mythical destination known as “Isla De Morta”!

No, no, no no… wrong movie again! Where is my script? Oh, here it is… now I just need to find my glasses… OK, now it says that… our destination for day two is… ummmmm… here it is! It’s…

“Castaway Cay”!

And here’s a secret… We’ll even be coming back here again in a couple of days (Ok, you may already know that but I’m pretty excited about it).




= = = = = = = = = = = = = Navigators = = = = = = = = = = = =


As I have repeatedly warned, I intend to start off each new day with a post showing that day’s Navigator. As you’re surly aware by now, these are a handy review of events to come that day. The Highlights dominate page-1, a schedule grid rules pages 2 and 3 and the backside has all the little details. Well… that’s the gist of the thing so I guess I’ll just go on ahead and post the “Navi” for Day-2, so here ya’ go…

(Just click on each image to see an enlarged version of that page)







= = = = = = = = = = = = = = Maps = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


Since we are spending the day on Disney’s own Private Island, the folks at DCL saw fit to tuck a map of this little piece of real estate into everyone’s Navigator for the day. What that means to you is that I’ll be posting it here for your perusal. The front is a pretty straightforward illustration of the island it’s various installations and amenities. The backside is a list of the various events that will be going on that day (and there is more happening around the Cay then you might think.


(Just click on each image to see an enlarged version of that page)






= = = = = = = = = = = = = Magnets = = = = = = = = = = = = =


And lastly (and most certainly leastly)… Our door magnets for the day.
Feel free to ignore the heck out of these.

(again just click on each image to see an enlarged versions… if you’re really that desperate)


The main themes for the day…




A Mickey for each of us…





And a couple of extra’s that just needed to be let out into the light





= = = = = = = = = = = = = = Ears = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


OK… here’s an extra bonus feature for those of you that were foolhardy enough to actually scroll down this far. If you were paying attention to the pictures of our cabin door so far you recognize that the little porthole looking thingie that has the stateroom number on it also has what looks like Mickey’s ears attached to it. If you’ve never been on a DCL cruise, then you may not be aware that these do not come standard (the ears that is, the porthole thingie with the number on it will be there sure enough). Well if you’d like to have a set of these “ears” to attach to your cabin door… then I’m here to help you out.

Below are two different sets of Mickey Ears that you too can use to make a couple of magnets and attach to you door (both will work so just pick the set that suites you particular sense of artistic aesthetic). One note though… please don’t use tape to attach these (or any other magnet/image) to you door as it damages the paint and could convince DCL to ban all magnets if they find themselves having to repainting too many doors.


(once again… click on each image to enlarge and down load ‘em from there)

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 5: more of: “The Tale” - Day 2 (Mon)

Part 2: Land Ho…

In your life you’ll encounter many kinds of truth. Some of them are easy and accepted… some of them are hard and often unspoken.

Whoooa… that was a rather dark opening for an update to a Disney Trip Report, but I’ve got me reasons. Firstly, it was meant to get your attention, but it’s also just a fact that has to be reckoned with. Now I hear you say: “Yah, but this is a cruise so what kind of hard truth can you possibly have to contend with here?” Well there is one unspoken truth of cruising that you need to keep in mind. It’s buried inside that contract that has to be signed prior to boarding the ship, and all cruise lines keep to this particular code. The truth I’m on about here is that the cruise line promises that they will take you aboard their ship, and that they will keep you safe at all costs, but… they do not guarantee that you will be taken to the exact destinations listed on the itinerary. The “truth” is that in order to keep both you and their ship safe, they can and will change their destination and/or even the length of the cruise if adverse weather or other unforeseen complications dictate the need to do so. Since this is a possibility (and I’m trying to write a Cruising TR for all those that might be thinking about cruising), I feel that this hard truth could stand a little bit of daylight.



Let me go ahead and release the tension a bit by saying that our time aboard the Dream was unfettered by such complications, but I have had to deal with this “thuth” in the past. Our first encounter with a DCL ship was when we boarded the Disney Wonder on Memorial Day of 2007 for a short three-day sailing. On June 1st, a trough of low pressure in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico formed onto a quick moving tropical storm and NOAA promptly named it Barry. We spent that day in Nassau and it was pleasant enough although somewhat overcast. Early on the morning of June 2, “Barry” slammed into the west Florida coast around the Tampa Bay area.


That image just shows the area covered by the Tampa radar station. To get a better idea of the extent of the rain bands, here is a satellite view with a few approximate locations to give you an idea of the size of the disturbance.



That morning scheduled port of call was Castaway Cay. When I went up on deck to watch the captain attempt to back the Wonder into the little harbor that Disney had built for their private island, this is scene that greeted me…



Here’s a little close look. You can see the outline of the Flying Dutchman in the distance.



There was a spitting rain, entirely too much wind and the air temperature was barley even 60. The cross currents were the real problem though. The channel cut for docking DCL’s ships here is relatively narrow. The captain tried four separate times to back her in but even with the side thrusts on full they just couldn’t keep her straight enough and under enough control to ensure that they wouldn’t find themselves grounded on the jetty. On this day, docking at Castaway Cay was not happening. Had we pulled in, it would have been rather miserable on the beaches as well. Turns out that this is as close as we ever got to CC.



My intention in relating this particular story is not to worry you or say that you ought not be wasting you money cruising, on the contrary, I think you should be wasting you money cruising (I know I will continue to do so). It’s just good to keep in mind that things can go wrong. You might have booked an Easter Caribbean cruise only to find that a hurricane will force you ship to take you on an unplanned Western version (and that has happened to DCL as well). The main thing to keep in mind here is that the crew will first protect their assets (including the cargo which just happen to be you) from potential harm (even if they then have to spend the rest of the trip apologizing to the more upset and vocal members of that group). At times, sailings have even had to be canceled outright. Given that these are possibilities, I do recommend considering the purchase of trip insurance. Even if you’d never consider such while traveling around the country, I’d always recommend it if you leaving the boarders of the U.S and cruise ships most certainly come under this umbrella (so to speak).


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


OK, that’s enough potential gloom and doom, so lets return to our actual TR already in progress…

On the morning of June 27, 2011 I was up early (as usual) so I headed up to Deck-12 to watch the captain attempt to back the Dream into the little harbor that Disney had built for their private island (whooa… déjà vu). Once on deck, this is scene that greeted me …



WoooHooo!!! That is a very different view from the last one I showed you. As I got to the rail, the captain had already backed her into the channel and kicked on the thrusters to start the process of pulling alongside the quay. The lines had been past ashore and the hands were going about the business tying her up.



A number of the positions on CC that are filled by locales from other islands near by. I caught this image of a motor launch bring in some of the folks that would be working with us today.



While I was out here it occurred to me that it might just be a good idea to take a few more images of our pristine destination for the day so that you could have a good idea of where everything is.



Just astern of the ship (assuming they backed her in) is where you’ll find “Marge’s Barges”. This is where you’ll need to report for pretty much any boat related excursion from fishing to Parasailing.



The next beach area along is the “Boat Beach” where you can rent personal watercraft of varying types. Off in the distance you’ll notice a rather odd and overly tall palm tree that looks like it just don’t belong. Well that’s because it doesn’t belong. That’s a cell phone tower in disguise (it’s how the “wave phones” are able to operate on Castaway Cay).



Looking on up the way you’ll find “Castaway Ray’s” (the stingray adventure), and “Gil’s Fins & Boats” with the beach area known as “Scuttle's Cove” in the background. This is also where you’ll find the snorkeling lagoon.



Farther along across the sheltered bay you find the “Head’s Up” bar and just beyond that is the new “Pelican Plunge” water slide. The beach area beyond is known as “Pelican Point”. Both of the two family beaches have their own amenities and that includes a restaurant: “Cookie’s” which serves “Scuttle's Cove” and of course, “Cookie’s Too” for the “Pelican Point” area (and I’ll talk more about these spots later on).


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


Well since I still have a few minutes before I need to go back to the cabin and collect everyone up for breakfast, Why not take a few more pictures of the amenities available on Decks 12 & 13 (especially since you don’t have to attempt to look through the masses of other cruiser at this time of day).



The “Mickey Pool & Slide” for the young’ens…



…a little clearer shot of just the pool…



…a look forward toward the “Donald Family Pool” beyond the banks of chairs and the “Jumbo-tron” (my name for the huge movie screen mounted on the backside of the forward funnel)…



…the entrance to the “Aqua Duck” which is built into the port side of the after funnel just behind the “Mickey Pool”…



…“Wave’s” a fairly quiet pub area behind the after funnel and just ahead of the entrances to “Cabana’s”…


…and a shot looking forward from the “Sports Deck” (Deck-13 aft). From here you can also see that the first loop in the “Aqua Duck” actually does travel out over the side of the ship (but honestly, you’ll shoot through it so quickly that you’ll never notice).

Well that’s about all for now. I think I’ll go collect up the rest of the clan and grab some grub before heading ashore. Then well see just what all we want to get into today.

[Captain_Oblivious]

Lots to catch up on. I'll say this: you're braver than I am for trying escargot.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

On June 1st, a trough of low pressure in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico formed onto a quick moving tropical storm and NOAA promptly named it Barry. We spent that day in Nassau and it was pleasant enough although somewhat overcast. Early on the morning of June 2, “Barry” slammed into the west Florida coast around the Tampa Bay area.

There goes Barry, ruining yet another vacation. Sheesh.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

That morning scheduled port of call was Castaway Cay. When I went up on deck to watch the captain attempt to back the Wonder into the little harbor that Disney had built for their private island, this is scene that greeted me…

Man, how depressing is this story? I know I'd be crushed if I couldn't have stopped there on a cruise.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

On the morning of June 27, 2011 I was up early (as usual)

Hey, that's my anniversary! If only we could have spent the day where you were...

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

WoooHooo!!! That is a very different view from the last one I showed you. As I got to the rail, the captain had already backed her into the channel and kicked on the thrusters to start the process of pulling alongside the quay. The lines had been past ashore and the hands were going about the business tying her up.

That is a really cool process to watch. The ship really is smooth in her movements. I loved being up early to watch Castaway Cay grow bigger and bigger in the horizon.

[afwdwfan]

Wow, I get busy for a few days and you go crazy on the updates.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Daniel was recommending the Aged Angus Grilled Beef Tenderloin and that sounded mighty good to me.

Sounds good to me too!

[

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

(well… being a Southerner, a belly flop might be a different story given that one’s honor were on the line and more then enough beer had entered into the equation… but you get the point).

Experience talking?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Needless to say… Escargots got ordered… Escargots got tried... and no one had to bring a bucket.

You know, I think I'd tend to be a little more willing to step outside of my palate's comfort zone on a cruise. Just order something new and tell them to go ahead and have that Angus Beef Tenderloin on standby, just in case.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Day one was a roaring success and we had much more to look forward to. The weather for tomorrow was predicted to be excellent all morning, and that was extremely important to us given the destination of the day.

Looks like a good end to a good day! I enjoyed the pictures of the ship (and yes, I can still see them when I'm at work now!)

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

(and the first part of getting anywhere… is first knowing where you are)

Why do I get the feeling that this could also be one of the hardest parts?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Since this is a possibility (and I’m trying to write a Cruising TR for all those that might be thinking about cruising), I feel that this hard truth could stand a little bit of daylight.

Uh oh.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Let me go ahead and release the tension a bit by saying that our time aboard the Dream was unfettered by such complications

Whew, that's a relief.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

On June 1st, a trough of low pressure in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico formed onto a quick moving tropical storm and NOAA promptly named it Barry.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

You can see the outline of the Flying Dutchman in the distance.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

On this day, docking at Castaway Cay was not happening. Had we pulled in, it would have been rather miserable on the beaches as well. Turns out that this is as close as we ever got to CC.

So it is Barry's fault that you didn't get to go to CC on that cruise??? He's more destructive than I ever imagined.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

so I headed up to Deck-12 to watch the captain attempt to back the Dream into the little harbor that Disney had built for their private island

So, do they have backup cameras and parking assist on that thing?

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

I think I’ll go collect up the rest of the clan and grab some grub before heading ashore.

Don't forget to grab a handful of the free snacks and a cup full of rum.

Great updates and great pics! I think the main thing that makes me want to do a DCL vacation is the Castaway Cay feature. I think if we ever book a cruise, I'll have to find one that includes a second stop at Castaway Cay just as a little insurance that if weather is bad, we might have a second opportunity. If neither day would work out, I'd just have to take it as a sign that I'm never meant to go to Castaway Cay and the first cruise should be the last.

[FreezinRafiki]

Lots to catch up on and hardly any time to do it. But I did want to let you know I'm still reading along and finding everything very useful and entertaining!

You magnets look great by the way. UPS says the mine should arrive today. I'll post some pics of them if you want.


Oh, and sorry about ruining your vacation. I guess I'm 2 for 2 now - I wrecked Mark's summer vacation just by showing up in Chicago!

[KatMark]

Okay, this one is a LOT longer and will take me longer to catch up on. I'll be back in a day or two to comment. First, I have to go do responses on my PTR and TR (I leave three weeks from tomorrow for Disney).

[afwdwfan]

I'm not going to comment on the first few paragraphs because I'm afraid my eyes might go crossed if I spend too much effort on them.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

But… rest assured, that everything the grill masters tossed on the coals… turned out to be quite tasty.

And that's what is important.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

During one of these orientation stops, I was able to catch this image of the Dream from another different perspective…

As long as that perspective isn't the back of it as it's heading out to sea.




Then again, that means you'd have more time in Castaway Cay.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

From the time I’d purchased it about five years ago up to that point, it had dutifully taken six thousand, six hundred three photographs in the service of my family, but IMG_6604 would not be happening.

For some reason, I'm not surprised by this turn of events.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

If no one ever tries anything new however, then we don’t learn. But you can learn form my failed attempt.

That's the most important lesson from this experiment. I've tried and failed plenty of times.

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

Decision made, we packed it in for the day and made our way back to the Dream. This actually wasn’t that momentous a decision, we wanted to catch the latest POTC film while we were aboard the ship and late this afternoon happened to be the last scheduled showing of said flick.

I can't think of a better place to watch a POTC film than on a DCL ship in the Carribbean...

Originally Posted by GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes

If I were to say anything negative it would be that the addition of 3D wasn’t really necessary (and I certainly wouldn’t pay extra for it).

I didn't see it in 3D, but it was obvious there were some cheap 3D sight gags added for the effect. I would have expected better from Disney.

[FreezinRafiki]

Goodness gracious, how did I fall two updates behind?

First - parasailing. (Poop deck. Hee hee. You're welcome!) Bambi and I did it on our honeymoon many years ago in Aruba. I was disappointed. While everything I had seen (and what you confirmed) is that the boat goes forward, and you go up. Well, Bambi and I were strapped in, and they started letting out the rope. The breeze caught the parachute and we went up. And the boat stayed where it was. We went up, hung around for 10 minutes or so, seeing the exact same scenery the whole time. They pulled us back in and headed back to the dock. I guess that shows us for going somewhere other than Disney.

I'm glad you had fun, but I agree with the price. After paying for the cruise, adding that much extra for parasailing, cabana massages, etc is pretty steep.


Snorkeling - I'm sorry your camera was drown. But at least you got to pull it's last pictures off. Reminds me of the TV cop shows where the murder victim is found with a camera and documented his own demise.
Detective #1: There's a few dozen pictures of the ocean on the camera.
Detective #2: I think it drown, Jim. Case closed.

We thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling. Except that it's a very, very long way out there, and you fight the current and wind on the way back in. Really gives the ole legs a workout.

Pirates 4 - We never did see that one yet, but Bambi got it for me for Christmas. It's still sitting next to the TV, waiting for us to find time to watch it.

Man, that's the 3rd sad smiley I used on this update. I hope I'm not depressing you.