Rock the Boat, Don't Tip the Boat Over! Fantasy 10/20-10/27 Completed Post #277!!

[cdtommie]

Hi Brenda, just found this thread today...appears to me that you and Jay went pretty light on the booze this trip...maybe you're slowing down fast at the advanced age of 43 (from a guy that was sleeping in the parking lot at a tailgate and then snoring during the first half yesterday...until Mary Ann reminded me about that Jets ice sculpture in the lot doubling as a shot ramp...I was wondering why my knees looked so scuffed up when I got home).

That kahlua and midori combo looked really scary...I may have met my match as the guy who will drink anything. Hopefully you'll pick up the drinking pace at WDW...maybe we'll see you and Jay around the world next week.

The beer guy

[Scouter]

Originally Posted by oybolshoi

The wind stops being fun when I can't catch up with my straw!

[Tink rules]

Originally Posted by oybolshoi

We do have that 14-night Panama Canal cruise booked for September but I'm not sure I'm up for that long of a TR.

Take it from the little green furry guy... after going through the twilight zone, Bermuda triangle, Area 51 of the canal locks... you won't remember enough to report on!!!

[oybolshoi]

Originally Posted by disneyholic family

you have a wonderful writing style!!! very engaging and entertaining!!! i'm the most boring writer on the planet, so it's a good excuse to leave trip reports to those with gifted pens!

i discovered the adults only change on the first day when i went looking for our dis-meet which was supposed to be up there, but which had to be relocated at the last moment (since our meet included kids)....i eventually did find it - at the bottom of the stairs on deck 12...

as i said, it was way too windy to make use of deck 13 forward (including the concierge sun deck, which i had been looking forward to trying out)..
we were on the october 21-25 Dream cruise....Sandy definitely started really affecting us on our sea day....waiting in line for the show on the last night, i fell over twice....too bad there were women standing in front of me both times, it would have been a great excuse .....well..
anyway...
walking back to the room, we had to hold the walls to stay upright....and during the night i seriously started wondering if perhaps the Dream was too top heavy and that was the reason we were pitching over so far each time....i was a bit unnerved, but at least thanks to the sea bands i was wearing, my stomach was totally unfazed...

as for Palo brunch - i've only had palo brunch once before, on the Wonder (8 years ago)....we really enjoyed it.....great food, great service, and very quiet...
but on the Dream i felt the food wasn't nearly as good as i remembered, the service was just so so (our regular rotation waiter was superb and probably anyone would have paled in comparison), and it was super crowded....just a zillion people crowding around the buffet tables.....not at all the palo i remember fondly on the Wonder...
but i should add that i know other people on the dis who were on my cruise who thought the palo brunch was stupendous....so as they say, your mileage may vary....ours certainly did..

oh...and about those parental units...
this cruise i left hubby and kidlets behind (well - my kidlets are 25 and 28 and married)...
i took my mom and sister on this cruise - their first - so i was VERY worried before the cruise...especially after i'd read a number of bad reviews of the Dream - bad food, bad service, bad concierge service, bad rooms, etc etc etc etc etc etc.
And given that my mom and sister are almost disney haters...not quite haters, but certainly love to make fun of us, i was even more worried they weren't going to enjoy themselves....
so imagine my relief when everything (other than palo) was beyond perfection...truly....amazing amazing amazing!!!! we had the most wonderful cruise that could be...the ship is a Dream, truly...
and the service is outstanding!! everyone from the lowest to the most senior was friendly and helpful - going out of their way to be helpful...
and our rotation staff was incredible...the best i've ever had on a cruise!!!
my mom and sister enjoyed everything so much they're already talking about when we should go again!! and if we do, we should go on a longer cruise since 4 days just isn't nearly enough on that ship!! we barely scratched the surface!!
so there's hope for your parental units!!!!

Thanks for all the great info ... good insight about the Dream, too. Sorry about Palo but I understand what you mean ... we feel that way about it sometimes too and sometimes it just depends on the day.

As for my parents ... it's hard to tell how they will react. My step-dad has cruised before but it's been a long time. My mom (who was the one who wanted this 4-nighter) has never cruised. I'm hoping they enjoy it but my husband and I will, regardless of how they feel!

Originally Posted by disneyholic family

i forgot to mention why we didn't eat at remy...
had i been on the cruise with my family, or just with my mom, we would definitely have done Remy...
but it would have been torture for my sister so what's the point?
i absolutely LOVE a long leisurely meal (and yes, i'm a cheese person too!!).....but my sister is anything but a foodie and hates lingering..

i know that at least one of the servers on the Dream must be superb - we met him in the concierge lounge...he was there to take reservations from any concierge passengers who still needed to make them.
when we first walked into the concierge lounge, upon boarding the ship, there wasn't any place to sit (both my mom and sister are mobility challenged - walking very slowly due to chemo effects on their feet - so we got to the lounge long after everyone else)...
i've forgotten his name, but he literally leaped into action to get us a table and 3 chairs and to take our hand luggage aside out of the way...
only later, when he came by our table to tell us about remy, did i realize he was a Remy server.
And he made it clear there wouldn't be any problem at all feeding me, a fish eating vegetarian (ok, pescatarian)- and having had the meal of a lifetime at V&A last year, i knew that was possible.
Alas, we had to pass. But the next time i'm on the Dream/Fantasy, i'll definitely be dining at Remy.

Remy is amazing ... no doubt about it! If you get a chance to try their champagne lunch go for it - a stellar experience for a great price. And a little less formal, too.

Originally Posted by Dixielady908

another fabulous installment...looking forward to your last sea day...

Thanks very much for reading along - so glad you're enjoying!

Originally Posted by TigerKat

I'm so happy y'all got to spend some time with Lori & Rick, great people!

Yes indeed - they were a hoot. And I think you still have a Homer Simpson pin for Lori, Miss Kat!

Originally Posted by disneyholic family

i just got to your post about the storm and your seasick room steward...
that reminded me....
as i mentioned, Sandy really started affecting us on our sea day (getting worse as the day progressed and into the night)...
in palo, the waiter at the table next to ours was really not well (he was seriously green)....
i told him he should wear sea bands, as they truly are a miracle (i wore them for the first time on this cruise and they saved me!!).
he said that they're not permitted to wear them or he definitely would...

i felt terrible for him!!!

I wonder why they can't wear the sea bands? What a shame to have to suffer through that when there's a way to combat it. Jay and I were lucky that we didn't have any seasick or motion sickness issues on the Fantast ... considering the waves on Friday night I'm surprised I wasn't hurling over the side of the verandah!

Originally Posted by cntkg1

B, don't I recall someone very special had the wrong name on her Birthday pin from WDW a little while ago? Too bad that passenger couldn't have as much fun as you guys did with that little error.

Glad to see that you and Jason had a nice dinner even though the boat must've been rocking and rollin' all over the place by then. Yes, I say "see" because once again I read your TR on the computer and viewed the pics on my iPhone.

See? I am dedicated.

Delicious update B.

Nancy, you remain the best of the best, sir! We always try to have a good experience even if things get a little wonky ... makes for a great sotry once the dust settles! I'm glad you thought the update was delicious even though you were looking at teeeeeeny pictures. I know you prefer brunch at Palo over dinner, so I wasn't sure how you'd feel abou this one.

So, when are we crusing together again?

Originally Posted by zweihund

Such a great update!
One of these days worlds will collide and we will actually get to sit down at Remy or Palo together

Thank you kindly, my friend! And when are we cruising together? May of 2014?

Originally Posted by PNO4TE

Just love reading your TRs, Brenda. Thanks for taking the time to write this one.

Elin, thank you for taking the time to read along. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Originally Posted by cdtommie

Hi Brenda, just found this thread today...appears to me that you and Jay went pretty light on the booze this trip...maybe you're slowing down fast at the advanced age of 43 (from a guy that was sleeping in the parking lot at a tailgate and then snoring during the first half yesterday...until Mary Ann reminded me about that Jets ice sculpture in the lot doubling as a shot ramp...I was wondering why my knees looked so scuffed up when I got home).

That kahlua and midori combo looked really scary...I may have met my match as the guy who will drink anything. Hopefully you'll pick up the drinking pace at WDW...maybe we'll see you and Jay around the world next week.

The beer guy

My favorite beer man has arrived! Not enough booze ... wait until I tell Jay. We are convinced the booze is the reason we rode out the storm as well as we did!

And yes ... we will discuss WDW offline ... I'm sure something can be worked out!

Originally Posted by Scouter

I wondered if anyone other than me thought this picture was funny!!

Originally Posted by Tink rules

Take it from the little green furry guy... after going through the twilight zone, Bermuda triangle, Area 51 of the canal locks... you won't remember enough to report on!!!

That's fine by me .... I don't think I will have enough time to write a trippie for something that long ... but you never know. Not making any promises - this is hard work!

[TigerKat]

I'll have to apologize to Lori about the pin! Was that the '09 one? Not sure what happened, I can't remember what happened last month. That's a great reason for us to get together with them in March!

[Linda67]

Well I am so late to this review it's positively embarrassing

I promise I've read it all, not just skimmed through!!

Looks like you had an absolute ball on this cruise, I'm with you on the Skyline and Meridian Bars, aren't they just wonderful?

Anyway sorry to be so late to the party but I really wanted to chip in to repeat what everyone else is saying ..... Your TR is awesome!!

[oybolshoi]

Originally Posted by TigerKat

I'll have to apologize to Lori about the pin! Was that the '09 one? Not sure what happened, I can't remember what happened last month. That's a great reason for us to get together with them in March!

Oh Kat ... I can't remember yesterday and that's when I'm not drinking! I think it was probably the 2009 button ... if I had any left I would send her one but those are long gone. I was thinking to send her one of the end of the world buttons to be nice.

We are hoping to cruise with them again soon or maybe plan a get together in bourbon country. What do you think of a friendies bourbon trail weekend?

Originally Posted by Linda67

Well I am so late to this review it's positively embarrassing

I promise I've read it all, not just skimmed through!!

Looks like you had an absolute ball on this cruise, I'm with you on the Skyline and Meridian Bars, aren't they just wonderful?

Anyway sorry to be so late to the party but I really wanted to chip in to repeat what everyone else is saying ..... Your TR is awesome!!

Well hello and welcome! Thanks for reading and I'm so glad you've enjoyed it so far. Oh yes ... Meridian and Skyline are the best. We are going to miss them in September when we're on the Wonder.

BTW ... I am totally jealous of your tag!

[disneyholic family]

Originally Posted by oybolshoi

I wonder why they can't wear the sea bands? What a shame to have to suffer through that when there's a way to combat it. Jay and I were lucky that we didn't have any seasick or motion sickness issues on the Fantast ... considering the waves on Friday night I'm surprised I was hurling over the side of the verandah!

the food service people can't wear them - i don't know about anyone else.
he said that anyone involved in food service isn't permitted to wear them because of food contamination concerns.

[indychristine]

Great TR! Really enjoying it! TY for sharing.

[tony64]

Just back from our two weeks in the sun and cought up with your report.
Doesn't matter what time of day it is........It's always 5 O'clock somewhere.
Really looking forward to the next instalment.

[cntkg1]

Originally Posted by oybolshoi

Nancy, you remain the best of the best, sir! We always try to have a good experience even if things get a little wonky ... makes for a great sotry once the dust settles! I'm glad you thought the update was delicious even though you were looking at teeeeeeny pictures. I know you prefer brunch at Palo over dinner, so I wasn't sure how you'd feel abou this one.

So, when are we crusing together again?

Hey, when there are pictures of dessert, I'm always interested.

As for cruising together, we tried 3 times, right? We were all only successful once. But, it was a great "once" wasn't it? I'm looking forward to the cruise where we can really make it happen.

I wondered if anyone other than me thought this picture was funny!!

It was classic Bendy. I loved it too!

That's fine by me .... I don't think I will have enough time to write a trippie for something that long ... but you never know. Not making any promises - this is hard work!

But you're soooooo entertaining. And you have some great fans here.

[oybolshoi]

Originally Posted by disneyholic family

the food service people can't wear them - i don't know about anyone else.
he said that anyone involved in food service isn't permitted to wear them because of food contamination concerns.

Well, I guess that makes sense. I'm not all that familiar with sea bands since I don't wear them. Still ... can't be all that appetizing to have your dinner being delivered by someone who's "green", ya know?

Originally Posted by indychristine

Great TR! Really enjoying it! TY for sharing.

Thanks for reading - glad you're enjoying.

Originally Posted by tony64

Just back from our two weeks in the sun and cought up with your report.
Doesn't matter what time of day it is........It's always 5 O'clock somewhere.
Really looking forward to the next instalment.

Two weeks .... hope you had a great trip! Thanks for coming back to read the rest. I'm hoping to finish it off this weekend ... we leave for WDW soon and I don't want to have any unfinished business just in case the world really does end on 12/21 ... or my liver cells give out completely.

Originally Posted by cntkg1

Hey, when there are pictures of dessert, I'm always interested.

As for cruising together, we tried 3 times, right? We were all only successful once. But, it was a great "once" wasn't it? I'm looking forward to the cruise where we can really make it happen.

It was classic Bendy. I loved it too!

But you're soooooo entertaining. And you have some great fans here.

The Molar Express was an awesome group of people ... so many good friends from that cruise.

I don't know if I'm entertaining or just totally insane, but I do appreciate people taking the time to read. I'm sorry I don't have more / better dessert pictures for you ... we just didn't have much sweet stuff on this trip. Unless you go back to Facecrack and drool over the chocolate cake with peanut butter cup filling we ordered from the Grand Floridan bakery the night we had dinner there on my birthday with Chelsi & Jason. That cake was pretty amazing!

[TigerKat]

Originally Posted by oybolshoi

Oh Kat ... I can't remember yesterday and that's when I'm not drinking! I think it was probably the 2009 button ... if I had any left I would send her one but those are long gone. I was thinking to send her one of the end of the world buttons to be nice.

We are hoping to cruise with them again soon or maybe plan a get together in bourbon country. What do you think of a friendies bourbon trail weekend?

I have the '09 pin which I'll either mail to her or give to her. We're going to try and get together when we're on our Spring trip.

I think a Friendie's bourbon trail weekend would be so much fun!!

[PNO4TE]

Originally Posted by TigerKat

I think a Friendie's bourbon trail weekend would be so much fun!!

I would be IN for that!!!!

[cntkg1]

Originally Posted by oybolshoi

The Molar Express was an awesome group of people ... so many good friends from that cruise.

I don't know if I'm entertaining or just totally insane, but I do appreciate people taking the time to read. I'm sorry I don't have more / better dessert pictures for you ... we just didn't have much sweet stuff on this trip. Unless you go back to Facecrack and drool over the chocolate cake with peanut butter cup filling we ordered from the Grand Floridan bakery the night we had dinner there on my birthday with Chelsi & Jason. That cake was pretty amazing!

Actually, I'm more of a "salt" person but since there aren't any pictures of Chips n Dip, I resort back to my other guilty pleasure of dessert pics.