3 Families doin' a Surf & Turf Trip! AKL CL & The Dream- Dining at REMY -part 2

[amandaw]

Walking onto that ship for the first time is such an overwhelming feeling. It's just so beautiful & hard to take it all in. You're really making me miss it right now.

I wish we had done Cabanas for lunch when we had embarked on the Dream. We will definitely do that for lunch when we get on the Fantasy.

[shan23877]

The Dream looks beautiful, and it sounds like you were off to a great start.

I love that last photo-what a cool perspective of the ship!

Can't wait to hear more!

[DisneyDoc5]

Originally Posted by hstrickland

Because a dear friend gave me some great advice, we knew exactly where to go first! Erin (DisneyDoc) said to head straight for Cabanas for lunch….so that’s exactly what we did.

And here’s our tacky tourist #1….aka….the Closet Disney Fan and DisBoard Lurker...

glad to have helped my #1 dis-friend! This pic had me giggling out loud - too bad my DH is trying to sleep! Wow, I am beyond excited - the pictures are so awesome. Faith looked adorable and how cute with her plate of fruit and the cast member! What a great day to remember!

[pas130]

I love the VIP treatment the kiddos seem to get on the cruises...well everyone gets..the pic of Faith reminded me of Roni's Willow getting pampered by Doulson

[psac]

Wow, that last pic looks incredible. I like how you can even see Cinderella (I think) by the elevator landing.

[AvasMommy526]

Yay cruise time!! I miss cruising and I've never even been spoiled by the Disney Cruise Line! As soon as DD is a little older we are definitely doing a spilt vacation, (because of course we can't be that close to WDW and not go! )

I'm glad your sisters family finally made safely and everyone is together! And the ship looks beautiful, love the Aquaduck! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the cruise

[vassar36]

that seafood buffet looks great!! what a great tip to go right to the Cabanas for lunch!!!

[jcjen519]

I'm really enjoying reading all of your trip reports including the past ones. I completely understand your nostalgia for the mk resorts and although we are dvc members so have stayed at many of the other resorts, they will remain my favorite. Glad we decided to do a poly trip this year.

I'm enjoying your poly club level posts as well. I had thought we wanted a 3rd floor room (also doing theme park view) but now I'm thinking first floor might be nice with our 3 year old We seem to like to hit the same restaurants. Glad to see another family that takes their kids to all the restaurants with them!

[Pinkocto]

You are making me quite nostalgic! Can't wait to cruise again. Thank you for all the wonderful pictures

I was constantly amazed by the fantastic CMs and cleanliness of the ship. Everything was always spotless.

[hstrickland]

Originally Posted by jennyjinx3

Wow...just wow!! Crab legs...yummo! Hey it's okay to look like tacky tourists!! It's part of the fun! I will now file the tip about Cabanas to the back of my brain for later use too!

You might as well start creating a file on your computer of all the helpful hints. The Cabana tip was the best!! Get there before the crowd hits

Originally Posted by RGirl

Fabulous updates, Heather!!! We were blown away by how organized the boarding was in Seattle too (although the space Disney has there is a bit crowded).

I thought you got some amazing pics with Mickey and the family. VERY nice!

Lunch looked great, and I am so excited to see all your pics of the Dream!!!

The Disney terminal is great!! And they're super quick with the boarding process. If we ever do another cruise (which we will) I'll definitely be getting there early again in order to have that extra time on the ship to get settled.

Originally Posted by ProudMommyof2

Yippee! You are on the ship! Did Cabanas seem crowded by the time you left?

It was fairly crowded when we left. All the window tables were occupied....only tables in the middle were open and the lines had formed at the buffet, too. But even though there were lots of people, it wasn't unpleasant or loud.

Originally Posted by amandaw

Walking onto that ship for the first time is such an overwhelming feeling. It's just so beautiful & hard to take it all in. You're really making me miss it right now.

I wish we had done Cabanas for lunch when we had embarked on the Dream. We will definitely do that for lunch when we get on the Fantasy.

It was super nice to go ahead and get on, eat lunch at a relaxing pace, and then go to the room right away and unpack. Because I can't live out of a suitcase, I unpack everything....so it takes a while.

Originally Posted by shan23877

The Dream looks beautiful, and it sounds like you were off to a great start.

I love that last photo-what a cool perspective of the ship!

Can't wait to hear more!

My sister took that picture....guess I'll give credit where credit is due It is a pretty cool shot. And you can actually see some of the princesses, too.

Originally Posted by DisneyDoc5

glad to have helped my #1 dis-friend! This pic had me giggling out loud - too bad my DH is trying to sleep! Wow, I am beyond excited - the pictures are so awesome. Faith looked adorable and how cute with her plate of fruit and the cast member! What a great day to remember!

Bill didn't know I was posting that picture until it was already posted and he was reading it. He started laughing at himself.

Originally Posted by pas130

I love the VIP treatment the kiddos seem to get on the cruises...well everyone gets..the pic of Faith reminded me of Roni's Willow getting pampered by Doulson

I know, right! Maybe that's something the crew is trained to do...they really go above and beyond the call of duty.

Originally Posted by psac

Wow, that last pic looks incredible. I like how you can even see Cinderella (I think) by the elevator landing.

That was a pic my sister got after lunch....I think they were headed to the kid's club for Open House. I was busy in the room unpacking ....I'm a bit OCD when it comes to getting my things put away in resorts/ships.

Originally Posted by vassar36

that seafood buffet looks great!! what a great tip to go right to the Cabanas for lunch!!!

Surprisingly enough, it was really tasty. I'm not a huge buffet person, but I was really impressed. The desserts were kind of buffet like....but still fairly good.

Originally Posted by AvasMommy526

Yay cruise time!! I miss cruising and I've never even been spoiled by the Disney Cruise Line! As soon as DD is a little older we are definitely doing a spilt vacation, (because of course we can't be that close to WDW and not go! )

I'm glad your sisters family finally made safely and everyone is together! And the ship looks beautiful, love the Aquaduck! Can't wait to hear about the rest of the cruise

Disney Cruise is definitely the best for kids. We threw the idea around about taking a cruise years ago, but wanted to wait until we could utilize the Kid's Club. They have a nursery for those children that are under 3, but I think you have to pay. The Oceaneer's Club is open for children 3 and up who are potty trained......such a GREAT benefit for parents. And our kids LOVED it!!! Thank goodness, right?!

Originally Posted by jcjen519

I'm really enjoying reading all of your trip reports including the past ones. I completely understand your nostalgia for the mk resorts and although we are dvc members so have stayed at many of the other resorts, they will remain my favorite. Glad we decided to do a poly trip this year.

I'm enjoying your poly club level posts as well. I had thought we wanted a 3rd floor room (also doing theme park view) but now I'm thinking first floor might be nice with our 3 year old We seem to like to hit the same restaurants. Glad to see another family that takes their kids to all the restaurants with them!

Oh gracious....you're going back to my old TRs. You'll certainly see a progression in my ability to post pics, etc. My first one was a bit rusty

We REALLY liked the first floor at the Poly!! I enjoyed being able to literally walk out of my room onto the grass and having the beach just yards away. Since I'm an early risers, it was perfect.

Funny you say that about the restaurants....the first time Jesse went to WDW, he was 3 and we did lots of signatures. I'm not gonna say my kids are the best behaved by any stretch, but they do ok. And they really don't have a choice....I love to eat, so they have to endure the sit down restaurants :laughing

Originally Posted by Pinkocto

You are making me quite nostalgic! Can't wait to cruise again. Thank you for all the wonderful pictures

I was constantly amazed by the fantastic CMs and cleanliness of the ship. Everything was always spotless.

Ok...wasn't the ship like sparkling clean??!!! Even the restrooms!! I honestly couldn't get over it. We are still talking about the spotless Dream. I hate public restrooms, but never felt the least bit grossed out on the ship.

[amandaw]

Originally Posted by hstrickland

It was super nice to go ahead and get on, eat lunch at a relaxing pace, and then go to the room right away and unpack. Because I can't live out of a suitcase, I unpack everything....so it takes a while.

I'm the exact same way! I feel like I can't really start enjoying the vacation until everything is unpacked & put away nice & neat.

[cdotla]

Well you have definitely captured the excitement of the first few moments on the cruise. I had also heard about that tip to get to Cabanas as soon as possible....I have heard tables can become scarce quickly, but it looks like you scored an awesome spot. And you are right...it certainly is very high up. But you have a great bird's eye view of all the Disney traffic as you say.

[hstrickland]

Originally Posted by cdotla

Well you have definitely captured the excitement of the first few moments on the cruise. I had also heard about that tip to get to Cabanas as soon as possible....I have heard tables can become scarce quickly, but it looks like you scored an awesome spot. And you are right...it certainly is very high up. But you have a great bird's eye view of all the Disney traffic as you say.

Cabanas is really spread out...kind of in a U shape. I'm assuming that the other side had the same offerings. At the time, I didn't realize it wrapped around the back of the ship or I would have checked out everything. It really is quite overwhelming not knowing where to go or what to do. Even though I read as much information as I could, first hand knowledge is always better Perhaps after several cruises I'll get the hang of things!

[hstrickland]

The Oceaneer Club Review
(some of the information below was taken from several different sites)



The Oceaneer’s Club and Oceaneer’s lab is a tremendous space located on Deck 5!! It’s an unbelievably magical area for children. This long hall spans down the side from the nursery to the lab.









You will find a list of daily activities for the club posted on Deck 5.






It’s a Small World Nursery is located on Deck 5, also….very close to the Oceaneer’s Club.









Travel a little further down the hall and you’ll find the Club.






On the first day, an Open House was offered. While I was unpacking, Bill, Stephanie and Sean took the kids. This is a time when parents are allowed to venture around and check things out. The Cast Members are super friendly and will answer any questions or help with any concerns.


Before entering the club or the lab, the kids have to scan their bracelet then wash their hands....they were extremely concerned with cleanliness, which was much appreciated!!





The kid’s area is divided up….the Oceanneer’s Club & the Oceaneer’s Lab. The two are connected by a workshop and laboratory. In these specialized areas, kids concoct crazy experiments in an interactive science lab, stretch their culinary skills and participate in other hands-on activities.








Oceaneer Club


This children's activity center located on Deck 5, Midship. It is the perfect place for children 3 to 12 years of age to immerse themselves in the imaginative worlds, while performing on stage, playing games and enjoying a wide variety of supervised activities.


The Oceaneer Club's central rotunda is its main gathering place and, at the same time, a portal to other "lands". The room's focal point is a stage area where kids can join storytelling sessions and attend special visits by the world-famous Disney character, both in person and virtually.


The rotunda also has a 103-inch plasma screen for watching movies and for magically awesome interactions with Crush, the animated sea turtle from Finding Nemo, who speaks like a surfer dude. The turtle personally chats with kids during his real-time animated appearances, asking them about themselves and the human world they inhabit.


Oceaneer Club includes:

*4 distinctly themed play areas

*Computer banks with child-friendly computers

*A reading area

*Multiple televisions

*Play structure

*A giant TV screen



Branching off from the central rotunda, there are 4 themed spaces:


Andy's Room

Inside this vibrantly-colored room, the world of Disney Pixar's Toy Story comes to life. Children feel toy-sized, because everything around them is built large scale. Throughout this space, kids can play with larger-than-life characters from the animated film, including Rex the dinosaur, Hamm the piggy bank and Mr. Potato Head. This room also features a huge Slinky Dog structure that kids can climb through.








Monsters Academy

This area is based on the animated film Monsters, Inc., the centerpiece being an elaborately themed play structure, where kids can immerse themselves in the world of Monstropolis. It also boasts computers with unique interactive games.






Pixie Hollow

Inspired by the series of Tinkerbell movies, this fun interactive space transports children to the magical world inhabited by fairies. A pixie dust tree stands in the corner of the room, with glittering lights twinkling among its leaves, and fun acorn and mushroom stools are sprinkled about for children to sit on. This endearing and tranquil environment is designed for dress-up play, individual craft projects and storytelling sessions.











Explorer Pod

Children can explore the Nemo Sub—a scaled version of a submarine inspired by the animated film Finding Nemo. The bright blue and yellow submarine surrounded by a seascape features virtual environments for children to discover. Onboard the blue and yellow submarine has 16 interactive computers stations for fun-filled individual or group games.



Activities at Oceaneer Club may include:

*Disney's Once Upon a Time

*Bartleby the Bookmaker leads the kids through the art of bookmaking and wows them with his very special talent: When he reads the books, he makes the characters come to life!

*Puzzle Playtime with Mickey and Friends

*Mickey Mouse and his pals stop by to play some of their favorite games with Disney Cruise Line's youngest cruisers and their families.

*Tinker Bell's Talent Show

*Tinker Bell has come from Pixie Hollow to Disney Cruise Line to help young cruisers discover their Fairy Talents and to give them the opportunity to shine.



Oceaneer’s Lab

The Lab's main hall features a stage, where kids can hear stories of great expeditions and star in their own swashbuckling plays. They can also watch Disney movies on a 103-inch plasma screen and interact with animated characters, including the mischievous animated alien Stitch, whose unrehearsed, real-time antics are sure to bring laughter.





Branching off the Oceaneer Lab's main room are several themed play spaces:


Media Room

Children can kick back and relax in bean bag chairs and watch movies, play video games or even read a book.


Animator's Studio

Designed as a working animation studio, this room allows children to create original, hand-drawn art or learn how to sketch their favorite Disney characters. With the help of a youth counselor, kids can even design and bring to life computer-animated characters.






The Wheelhouse

This space is all about technology. It features numerous computers and large, high-definition LCD screens. Here, young technophiles can compete in a unique Pirates of the Caribbean game exclusive to DCL.



Sound Studio

This interactive area is dedicated to children who appreciate music and want to create it.



Craft Studio

Children seeking a more tactile artistic experience can escape from technology to this creative studio and create hands-on arts and crafts projects.



Our kids had a FABULOUS time at the club! In fact, there were times when we had to beg them to leave. There was never a dull moment. This in itself was worth the price of the cruise!! Just be warned…if you lose a wrist band, you’ll pay $50 to replace it. Stephen did go the first night to the club, but ended up going to the Edge the rest of the trip and loved it!! As usual, Disney does it like no other!!!





Up next.....time to show-off our stateroom!

[WDWaddictt]

My kids also loved the Oceaneer Club. It was great for them and also for us to be able to have some alone Adult time. Disney really rocked when they made these clubs!