14-night Eastbound Transatlantic Cruise (May 14-28, 2011) Lots of pics! COMPLETED 9/8

[LindaBabe]

Love your report, Kev. Those Dolphin photos are FAB.

And I see where you're coming from on the party. On the PC, I felt similarly about some things - A lot of the hoopla was about something else (the Dream, in our case) and the 'specialness' of the Wonder relocation was over shadowed by it. Things just felt "off" somehow.

[KevieKev05]

Originally Posted by jessrose18

Those dolphin pics are amazing! What a great great thing to see!

Originally Posted by HermanTriplets+1

The dolphins, the birds, amazing! Are you sure they were not animatronics??!!! Maybe Disney planted them???!!!

Originally Posted by annichan

Those dolphin pictures are absolutely amazing!! It must have been a wonderful sight to behold.

Thank you! I was so completely in awe at all the dolphins! And I must inform everyone that I probably took at least 50 pictures of this whole occurrence. I was just snapping away constantly hoping SOMETHING would come out in the photos. Thankfully, I got a few good ones!

Originally Posted by iloverags2

Wow...did Disney really miss the mark with that deck party. What a huge disappointment. But you did get some really awesome photos of the dolphin...so very incredibly cool!

Love the comment on the lack of tomato soup picture...it was red liquid. And how sweet of Marianne to bring out the sundaes!

Your pictures are once again incredible!

Thank you kindly! Hahaha...I'm glad my humorous side is coming through! And yes, Marianne was just phenomenal in every aspect!

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Firstly, how very bizarre about that dance party... Yet another flaw of that cruise director, I've already put his name out of my mind. How could he let that wrongness invade the magnificent Transatlantic Cruise! I totally agree, I would have been annoyed also.

I love the bird pictures! It's like you were one with nature for a few moments in time.

What was wrong with the chocolate cake? It looked scrumptous. How very disappointing. Do you feel like they weren't putting as much effort into the menus as time went on?

I will be very sad when this TR is done, you must drag it out as long as possible!

Oh, and did they clear up the odor before you retired for the evening?

I'm actually dreading the end of this trip report as well! It's been truly wonderful reliving and sharing my experience! And I'm not quite sure what was wrong with the cake. Must've been the mixture of flavors? I don't know...I'm sure others would enjoy it though! Regarding the menus, I don't know if they themselves were becoming lackluster, or WE were becoming tired of everything. There's only so many ways you can do beef and chicken, you know? Hahaha. Regarding the odor, it was practically gone by the time we went to bed. Since we smelled it on the top deck before we sailed away, I assume it had something to do with what was happening on the dock? Maybe?


And now I come to the (apparently) controversial part of my TR....

Originally Posted by marie714

I really don't understand these comments. There is a special deck party for the Mediterranean cruises that they had to create, including costumes, music, character voices, rehearsal time, etc. The cast that is on the Magic for the summer learns this show, and has a chance to perform it for the guests of the 14 night cruise. How does this hurt anyone?!?

I see it as a wonderful bonus for those of you on the transatlantic. You not only get all of the regular entertainment, plus multiple special offerings to fill up the 14 nights (variety acts, guest performers, etc.), but you also get some previews of the stuff that the Med cruises will get. With 14 nights, this wasn't taking away anything else from you, it's not like this replaced the Pirates deck party.

Heck, for that matter, why doesn't anyone complain about the fact that the Pirates deck party is still called Pirates IN the Caribbean? Clearly that was made for the Caribbean cruises and shouldn't have been part of this cruise either (sarcasm mode off).

Sarcasm AND an eye roll? Wow!

If you recall, I said the show wasn't bad...it just didn't fit the context of this cruise. And, I don't want "previews" of a cruise I'm not going on or plan to go on. I would've gone on a Med cruise for that! I have a STRONG entertainment background which might be why I was so critical. Yes, I definitely understand the need for rehearsal time. Most times, for me, it happens behind closed doors and the first time on the stage is actually in front of people.

No, it didn't hurt me (or anyone else for that matter) to see this deck party. And, your argument about the Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party is definitely valid...to a point. In my opinion, that deck party focuses more on the pirate aspect and not the Caribbean aspect. This "Party Paradiso" deck party focused heavily on the ports of call to be visited. Also, the locations depicted in the Pirates movies aren't exclusively Caribbean-based. Actually, the opening scene of the fourth one takes place in Cadiz, Spain...a port we actually visited on this cruise.

Like I said, this is how *I* felt about this and not everyone will agree. That's fine. People were definitely enjoying themselves! Just not me. It was a cute show but I just couldn't get past how wrong it was for this cruise.

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

Perhaps if they had told everyone that it was a kind of dress rehearsal it wouldn't have been that bad. But when you're paying thousands of dollars for a trip of a lifetime you'd probably think it's weird too that they're referring to ports that are not on the itinerary. Almost like your cruise is not as important as the Med cruises. I think it would be the same if, on the Med cruises, they referred to ports not visited.... Both cruises are on my wish list, but I think they should be treated as totally seperate wonderful experiences.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by marie714

I am paying thousands of dollars for the trip of a lifetime on the westbound transatlantic, and I'm very much hoping that they do perform this deck party for us. They did on last year's wbta, so I'm optimistic!

I see it that my cruise is actually better than the Med cruises, cause we get all the regular stuff, plus the stuff the Med cruises got. Same goes for the dinner menus...all the regular ones, all the special Med ones, plus even more just for this cruise. And to top it off, most rates for the 14 night are lower than most 10-11 night Med rates.

Again, I'll be thankful to have the chance to see a special show that only a tiny portion of DCL guests ever see. Anyone who feels differently can enjoy the rest of the beautiful ship and save a better viewing spot for me!

I truly hope you get to see this show. You'll definitely get enjoyment out of it and it's true...not many people will get to see it!

Originally Posted by LindaBabe

Love your report, Kev. Those Dolphin photos are FAB.

And I see where you're coming from on the party. On the PC, I felt similarly about some things - A lot of the hoopla was about something else (the Dream, in our case) and the 'specialness' of the Wonder relocation was over shadowed by it. Things just felt "off" somehow.

Thank you for understanding. You said it just about right.



And, I understand there's only one EBTA cruise this year and one WBTA cruise this year with no more in sight. In regards to merchandise, I was definitely hoping for a bit more. I admit that I would have bought A LOT more stuff if it was transatlantic themed. We would've eaten all that up! Hahaha.

[LindaBabe]

I can also see why there wasn't as much transatlantic merch - when we were in the character warehouse in orlando in January, there was a TON of it on clearance, dated the previous year.

[Pinkocto]

Interesting that you're being so snippy about this. Since this is Kevin's TR let's not be so rude and take up his space.

[KevieKev05]

Originally Posted by LindaBabe

I can also see why there wasn't as much transatlantic merch - when we were in the character warehouse in orlando in January, there was a TON of it on clearance, dated the previous year.

Totally understand that. We came across quite a bit of transatlantic merchandise last year which got us hopeful we might see similar items on our cruise! Still a shame though...like I said, we would've bought A LOT more that we did, haha. I guess deep down I was hoping they would've learned their lesson and not order as many of each item to sell for this cruise (so they didn't have an abundance of unsold items). Instead, they just chose a few items to offer. Oh well...still happy with my sweatshirt!

[marie714]

Originally Posted by KevieKev05

If you recall, I said the show wasn't bad...it just didn't fit the context of this cruise.

...

Like I said, this is how *I* felt about this and not everyone will agree. That's fine. People were definitely enjoying themselves! Just not me. It was a cute show but I just couldn't get past how wrong it was for this cruise.

Thanks for the civil response, and I'm sorry if there was any confusion about my intent. My "snippy" response wasn't directed at your comments, I respect your opinion and understand your assessment, even if I don't totally agree.

I was more reacting to the comments from others about it being a "huge disappointment" and even making it a personal attack on the cruise director (from someone who has never even been on a cruise before). That is what I felt was really out of line.

Enough of the controversy, as you put it, I can't wait to see the rest of your report. Thanks again for sharing it all!

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 1)

Well, at 9:30, we woke up feeling a little depressed at the fact the cruise is almost over! Today was our eighth and final sea day and we couldn’t believe it! Day 13 already?! Where has the time gone?!

After laying around and slowly crawling out of bed, we started getting ready at about 10:45. By 11:30, the four of us were on our way downstairs to try and find some food! It was the “in-between” time...not quite breakfast, not quite lunch, and some places offering brunch. We looked at Lumiere’s and it was the brunch menu. We went to Parrot Cay and they were beginning the transition from breakfast buffet to lunch buffet. Buffet with the best of both worlds? Don’t mind if we do! Decision made!

To make our decision ever more AMAZING, they were setting up a SUSHI BAR!



We definitely made a good choice. The sushi bar was POPULAR with everyone dining in there, too! After about 45 minutes in there, we finished and decided to go up to the open deck to play some games. At 1:30, we moved our fun down to Diversions (there was a DVC presentation ending at this time). After two hours (time always flies when we’re playing games!) we were hungry, so we went upstairs to get some food. We grabbed some pizza and then took it to the Promenade Lounge for even MORE game playing! While here, Mom got the non-alcoholic drink of the day: the passion creme freeze!



At 5:30, the Captain came over the loudspeaker and announced that there was a medical emergency! Oh no! He said it was now full speed ahead with plans to be at the port in Barcelona at 11:00pm as opposed to 4:00am! We wondered if this went along with the “Bright star” announcement a few morning ago, and felt terrible for whoever this pertained to!

Shortly after this announcement, it was time for another Captain’s Reception. We knew last time this meant free alcohol, so James and I went to the lobby to scope it out. Sure enough, there were bartenders with trays of alcohol! I got a blue/green drink and James got what turned out to be a very watery Cosmo. Surprisingly, we were carded! The first time this WHOLE cruise...Day 13! We weren’t mad or upset by any means, it was just humorous and interesting that it happened after all this time on the ship, haha.

By the time 6:00 rolled around, we were outside the Walt Disney Theatre waiting to go inside. Tonight’s show was the award winning, “Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic.” Such a wonderful show that we ALWAYS enjoy seeing! However, it was just another reminder that the cruise was ending...this show is always one of the last to play on the cruises! At 6:30, Cruise Director Peter came on the stage and talked FOREVER. I guess there were guests leaving the cruise early and wouldn’t be back tomorrow night, so he was saying all the goodbye stuff now. The “Til We Meet Again” character farewell was also happening tonight as a result. Interesting! Anyway, the show FINALLY started, and (believe it or not) I took lots of pictures!

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 2)

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 3)

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 4)

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 5)

The show ended at about 7:35, and then we were on our way back to the room to change for dinner. At 8:00, we head back downstairs and get in line for a formal picture with Mickey. There was quite a line, but thankfully it only took 10 minutes to get through. Then, it was off to Animator’s Palate for dinner. Tonight’s menu? Captain’s Gala!



The doors opened at 8:30, and inside we went!



Mom’s fruit cocktail:


James’ oysters:


My shrimp:


Mom’s garden fresh salad:


I didn’t get a soup or salad, and James got the mushroom soup (sorry no picture...yucky gray liquid).

My fettuccine with parmesan-crusted chicken (yum!):


James’ lobster tail:




Dessert menu:


James and I both got the chocolate lava cake:


Banana creme brulee:


This is how it was nightly:


By 9:45, we were out the door and heading upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes for the character farewell. We had a towel animal and another gift!



I think it is called a “travel valet”? The corners fold up and can be used as a bowl-like thing to store keys, change, etc.



At 9:55, we were heading back downstairs for the farewell. It started 5 minutes late at 10:20. I normally enjoy the character farewell, but for some reason, we found this one lackluster (though not NEAR as lackluster as the travesty of a farewell of the Dream..blech! At least on the Magic/Wonder there are more characters/performers!). I guess I wasn’t thrilled with the characters/performers chosen to represent some of the shows. Whatever though...it’s still fun (and sad at the same time)! Picture time!

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 6)



























At 10:45, it ended. Ten minutes later, James and I were in line outside Lumiere’s for the dessert buffet! Another new experience for James, Mom, and Dad! Thankfully we were near the front of the line...the line got REALLY long as we were waiting to get in! The doors opened at 11:15, and we made our way through the buffet quite quickly. But, I still made sure to get pictures!

[KevieKev05]

DAY 13 - May 26th, 2011 - Day at Sea #8 (Part 7)



















As we were exiting the buffet, we saw lights outside! Looks like we were arriving in Barcelona! So, James and I went up to deck 4 to witness our approach. At about 11:45, we finally docked and within 15 minutes, we were heading back to our room to retire for the evening. It was hard to believe we were already at our final destination of the cruise! Two weeks sure flies by! Tomorrow we would be exploring BARCELONA! Better get a good night’s sleep...

STAY TUNED!

[MellieluvsDisney]

Wow, your TR is so wonderful!!!

Thank you for all the great pictures, and it sure looks like you had a great time with your family.

[iloverags2]

How terrible about the medical emergency. Hoping all is well with the guest they evacuated.

You definitely made a good decision with eating at Parrot Cay for lunch! Your games sound so much like my family. In fact for several years we used to have a game tournament weekend, lasting from early Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. Breaks only for meals, and no one left the house. Points were given for different games, everyone had the option to sit out a game or two (depending on how many games we played), and it culminated in the top points game of PIT! What a riot it always was!

But, back to your report...

O.M.G.! My favorite! (Well, my favorite from the regular dining room menus...Palo obviously not included!) Fettuccini with parmesan-crusted chicken! Love it!

(And, I must thank you for not posting any pictures of Peter with your fabulous Dreams shots.)