Photos from Fantasy Eastern Concierge cruise

[jegsnakkernorsk]

On the Concierge Sundeck...



A cast member will turn on and off these misters in the center of the sun deck. The mist is so light you don't feel like you are getting wet and the seat backs are actually comfortable and you can rest your feet on the center island.





I loved how they designed the sun deck so that each sun chair got a built in table but it was visually interesting too.



These lounges were so comfortable with all the pillows and the awning could be pulled down.

[All American]

Is the sundeck for adults only? I've read that it is but later saw pictures of kids on there with Goofy or something. I can't seem to find an answer on that one.

Thanks again for the pictures although I love hearing about your dad's experience as well. He seems like a gem! Golf and "dad-care".

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Originally Posted by emmebear

any pictures of your parents suite balcony?

did your parents book brunch at palo during their 120 day window?

january 26, 2013 feels so far away!

we will be celebrating my daughter's 3rd bday on the cruise (she turns 3 on the second day). any idea who to tell that it's her birthday? i'm hoping they do something special for her.

It will go by fast! My parents didn't book anything (they are in their late 50s and early 60s). It was my 31 year old sister did all the booking at the 120 day mark. She even stayed up to midnight to book the Cabana for Castaway Cay - which I think you should do too!

Concierge team can make Palo and Remy reservations if you didn't before the cruise but the times might not be available that you want. Brunch is very popular, but I heard they are expanding the hours and taking out the Tea.

The dining team will do something for your daughters birthday for sure. The concierge team will also likely know your daughter's birthday. It should be in their system - I think they have everyone's birthdate. It will be a special trip for her no matter what!

As for the balcony my parents' had - the photo at the start of this day was taken from their balcony looking down to mine. Their balcony had the standard two blue chairs and table but also two white chairs that reclined. I would call their balcony a double wide.

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Originally Posted by All American

Is the sundeck for adults only? I've read that it is but later saw pictures of kids on there with Goofy or something. I can't seem to find an answer on that one.

Thanks again for the pictures although I love hearing about your dad's experience as well. He seems like a gem! Golf and "dad-care".

I never saw kids in the sun deck but I also didn't see a sign saying no children. There was a sign as you leave the concierge sun deck to remind you that the area outside the concierge sun deck is the adult only sun deck and satellite falls. I didn't see kids there also because I don't think it was very attractive to kids - not compared to all the other spaces on the ship.

The photos you saw of kids with Goofy there was probably from the day when they have a meet and greet with a character. Ours was in the lounge but I heard sometimes they do it on the sun deck. They don't promise who will be at the meet and greet but they do arrange for an hour when concierge can get a chance to interact and get a photo with a character, which was really nice. You'll get notice in your room telling you when and where the meet and greet is.

As long as dad can golf, he's happy. Good thing he lives in Florida.

[All American]

Thanks for the response!

[jilljill]

Originally Posted by All American

Is the sundeck for adults only? I've read that it is but later saw pictures of kids on there with Goofy or something. I can't seem to find an answer on that one.

Thanks again for the pictures although I love hearing about your dad's experience as well. He seems like a gem! Golf and "dad-care".

Found this on DCL's website. Since it says it's for Concierge Guests to me that includes guests of all ages and not just adults.


As a Concierge Guest, you'll enjoy the benefits of the ship's Concierge level special services and exclusive access to dedicated areas on the ship. The Concierge Lounge is centrally located amongst the Concierge Suites on Deck 12. In a stylish, modern setting, Guests can relax in quiet comfort, sip a cocktail, access the Internet, watch news on a large-screen TV and enjoy complimentary food and beverages offered throughout the day. From the Lounge, Concierge Guests have their own private entrance, an exclusive Concierge-only sun deck where they can soak up the sun in their exclusive onboard oasis. Enjoy tranquil breezes, cooling water misters, cushioned lounge chairs and a bar stocked with water and refreshments.

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Originally Posted by jilljill

Found this on DCL's website. Since it says it's for Concierge Guests to me that includes guests of all ages and not just adults.


As a Concierge Guest, you'll enjoy the benefits of the ship's Concierge level special services and exclusive access to dedicated areas on the ship. The Concierge Lounge is centrally located amongst the Concierge Suites on Deck 12. In a stylish, modern setting, Guests can relax in quiet comfort, sip a cocktail, access the Internet, watch news on a large-screen TV and enjoy complimentary food and beverages offered throughout the day. From the Lounge, Concierge Guests have their own private entrance, an exclusive Concierge-only sun deck where they can soak up the sun in their exclusive onboard oasis. Enjoy tranquil breezes, cooling water misters, cushioned lounge chairs and a bar stocked with water and refreshments.

Thanks! I spent time up there every day but didn't see kids there my cruise. There were a lot of families with young children in concierge and they were often in the lounge but I don't think the sun deck was that interesting to children - not compared to everything else on the ship.

I also never saw a bar on the sun deck. I would grab water and refreshments in the lounge on the way up to the sun deck.

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Here's what the hair dryer in the room looks like. In our room it was in the desk drawer and our outlets were on the desk. In the one bedroom there were outlets in the bathrooms and the hairdryer was in the master bath.

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Before dinner we met out friends for a "hen" night for mom since tomorrow was their vow renewal. Dad took the opportunity to run off to find a gift for mom in the gift shops (Mom had picked something up for Dad the night before the trip at the Hilton across from Downtown Disney.)

We met at Ooh la la in Europa.



The place is decorated like a bordello. We took over one corner, under plush drapes and on a massive velvet hard couch with little throw pillows and a few strange shapped chairs. Another hard to explain place in Europa. It was very dark and my only photos are photos of us being silly and having fun. Chris from Denmark was our server there every night (Kristina is her name but you can't have more than one with the same name in the same department and we already met Kristina in the concierge lounge).

As sis mentioned the drinks are expensive and the theme of the drink offerings are champagne or sparkeling wine cocktails.

Technically children are allowed in Europa before 9pm. It is confusing though because people would bring children into Ooh la la and then were told it was adults only (even before 9). I don't really know what a child would do in Ooh la la. It's not even that comfortable for adults to hang out in! I saw every night Chris and the bartender having to tell people that children weren't allowed there.

Here's another shot of the space outside Ooh la la that has the two tables I never saw anyone at.





This is a bathroom door in Europa. The toilet section is designed like Barcelona, Spain.



I think the bathrooms and the decor is the reason kids are allowed in Europa before 9pm. They want everyone to see how cool the mosaics are in the toilets.

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Tonight we are in



I liked how each restaraunt had different table settings.



We were at a long table that was sideways to the fountain.





North Atlantic Lobster Ravioli
With roasted Garlic and sweet Basil scented Tomato Juice
I learned how tomake this later in the cruise and can probably scan the recipe if I can find it in my papers from the cruise and if you are interested.



Spinach and Raspberry Salad
Tender Spinach tossed with fresh Raspberries, toasted Pine Nuts, and crumbled Gorgonzola and a Raspberry Vinaigrette

I honestly don't remember eating this. Maybe I took a picture of someone else's plate? I said we went to Ooh La La for drinks before dinner. It's amazing I have any photos of anything!



Slow Roasted Prime Rib
Thyme-roasted Vegetables, Double-baked Potato, Horseradish, and Natural Jus

They come around with the horseradish separately.



candies before dessert

[jegsnakkernorsk]

before





after



A photo of the fountain taken from the entrance



I never sat in these so can't comment on them really.

That night mom, Sis and I went for a walk on Deck 4


One of our friends from Buffalo speed walked every night on Deck 4 before bed. It was less crowded than earlier in the day and the air is nice at night. She would do a few miles every night!

[Uncleromulus]

jegsnakkernorsk:

Remy and Palo dinners are high priority for our cruise!!!

Been To V&A many times, so will be especially interested in how they compare. Must say from photos of Remy I have seen--it looks quite impressive!!

And I can see why there has to be a difference between "adults only" and "Concierge only".

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Originally Posted by Uncleromulus

jegsnakkernorsk:

Remy and Palo dinners are high priority for our cruise!!!

Been To V&A many times, so will be especially interested in how they compare. Must say from photos of Remy I have seen--it looks quite impressive!!

You will love it. We did brunch, tea and the parents also had dinner at Palo. We also did Remy on Pirate Night.

At Palo we had Laszlo as our server at brunch and then he also served my parents after their vow renewal. He was a very hard working but also fun-loving server. We really enjoyed him.

When us gals went to tea we had Marianne from Denmark. She's very sweet and has served on the Magic for years. I remember reading a TR a couple years ago raving about her in the main dinning rooms.

At Remy we had Yannick who really blew me away with his professionalism. He was on a whole other level. He was able to tell when I wasn't entirely thrilled with one of the courses, even though I said it was good. He questioned further and I admited I found it too spicy. The next course he sent back. It arrived at the waiter station and the servers were ready to present it and all the sudden the tray went back. He said the dish wasn't prepared to his liking and when he doesn't think his guest will like something he sends it back to be corrected. I was floored. I would recommend Yannick to you.

As for wine service, my parents and I both did the wine pairing and we were pleased. Mom and dad are members of Chaine de Rotisseurs and they recognized most of the wines we were served and liked the pairings. I was happy as well. I perfered the assistant sommelier, Christian, to the main guy from Sweden. Maybe it's the Norwegian and Danish in me that kept me from liking the Swede, but Christian seemed to give a lot more information and detail about the wines, that I appreciated. And I think he poured a better glass.


Remy has a lot of the perks you might be used to from V&A like the little stool brought over for ladies' purses. And mom and sis were escorted back to their seats when each left for the restroom during the course of service.

Each of the ladies got two roses. They weren't terribly busy that night and most people didn't seem to have the wine pairing. I hope people do take advantage of Remy and also the wine pairing. It was worth it!

[jegsnakkernorsk]

[speedo]

Today is the special day. My parents have been married nearly 36 years and my sister and I organized a vow renewal for them onboard the Fantasy. Although my mom did keep misspeaking and saying vow removal instead of renewal. We joked that that was the reason dad agreed to it because he thought it was a vow removal

We had breakfast in the concierge lounge because we had early morning appointments (8 AM) for pedicures in the spa. The lounge is supper convenient and I think it is good spread considering it is continental. The croissants are really fresh and flaky and big enough to share.

My sister and I got mani/pedi’s on the Magic last year but this year on the Fantasy it seemed more like a sales pitch the entire time. Plus they didn’t do a great job. I still enjoyed it since I haven’t had a pedicure since the Magic last year but my sister was disappointed. Sometimes it is hard to recreate memories and I think that is what I was aiming for with booking the pedicures onboard the Fantasy.

After the spa we decided to play the Muppets game on the midship detective agency. It was still early and we were still 10 minutes before the game opens at 9 AM. The game takes you past a lot of staterooms so they probably don’t want people to play too early so as not to disturb others. There were a few of us lined up to get out assignments. Don’t worry if someone in front of you is doing the same case as you (puppies, Muppets, or art theft) the system sends you to different locations and after the first clue you have your map to decide where you want to look next for clues.

The Muppets was more challenging than the stolen art game but it was a lot of fun. If I were to rank them based on difficulty I would say stolen puppies is the least difficult, then stolen art, then Muppets. Although we never actually played stolen puppies this is what I observed from others.

It was raining that morning so a lot of people were playing midship detective games. As we were finishing up the game we asked a cast member if the aquaduck was open in the rain and he said yes so it was off to our rooms to throw on swimsuits and head to the duck for the first time.

The skies were starting to clear but there was no line for the aquaduck. We rode twice. Both times I rode with my sister and both times I managed to hit her getting in. The first time with my elbow to her leg and the second time my foot to her head – honestly not on purpose!

The aquaduck is so much fun!!!

For lunch, I really wanted to order the steak sandwich from room service. Dad spent twenty minutes deciding what he wanted. And then all four of us ended up with steak sandwiches that we ate at the table in the one bedroom suite.

My sister and I went to the concierge lounge to grab some sodas when we ran into PJ. We told him that we went on the aquaduck and said how much fun it was. He then said you have to try it at night. We've heard this a few times from cast members including during the first musical. But the problem is the aqauduck closes at 10:00 every night. We have late dinner which means before dinner it is still light outside and by the time we are done with dinner the aquaduck is already closed. So we said this to PJ who told us that we would have to skip dinner one night for the aquaduck. We enjoy the restaurants too much for that : ) we suggested that they keep it open late at least one night on future cruises to accommodate the late diners or stop telling people to "try it at night" since that really isn't feasible for so many.

Soon it was time for our hair appointments – all except my dad of course. We had scheduled up-dos which turned out so nice!

At 5:00 we headed to Outlook Lounge on the 14th deck (the fake flume) for the Vow Renewal. My sister and I set up pictures from their wedding in 1976 and our friends soon arrived to fill the seats. It is an intimate setting perfect for a vow renewal with a beautiful view of the water and upper decks. And honestly we filled the room with our party of 9. So it is a small room but absolutely perfect for us. There is a grand piano in the corner and a musician is part of the package for the wedding/vow renewals.

The best surprise was Captain Marco was the officiant. The Captain doesn’t do many vow renewals or weddings and it was really special that he officiated my parents vow renewal. The vow renewal was really special!

After a quick bite of wedding cake and champagne toast we were all off to see the musical Wishes. This was my favorite show onboard. It is great for anyone who likes to channel surf. Basically you get the best parts from each movie. Still can’t believe the productions they put on!

We then headed back to my parents suite for some more champagne and laughs in celebration of the vow renewal before dinner. My parents had reservations at Palo that evening and the rest of us were in Royal Court.

Upon arriving in Royal Court we saw our surprise! We were seated at the Royal Court table in the center. Since it was just one man and six women we were quite the sight. The lone male was hamming it up being the “Lord” at court, with three women on either side. Apparently people asked our head server, Jaime, who we were and how was it that one man was with so many women. Our head server simply replied that he didn’t know the man’s secret : ) And our friend told the head server that he was fine with six women but any more than ten he has to call for back up. Which Jaimie was pleased to offer his support.

That evening we went to Skyline bar for the first time. Unfortunately the drinks were not the greatest, well actually, they were flat out undrinkable. The drinks all had strange ingredients like pepper and paprika not typical cocktail ingredients. Plus we sat through at least 4 cities (12 minutes per city) before out drinks arrived. I was the only non drinker which turned out good for me because the frozen drink they got from the Tube was great! Although at first when I said I don’t want something with alcohol the server told me that the drinks don’t taste like alcohol. When I clarified that I don’t want any alcohol he offered non-alcoholic beer – not exactly what I had in mind, but the frozen drink they brought was perfect. The real drinks being so terrible the bartender took them back and made more traditional cocktails that were much better, but we wouldn’t be back to Skyline. We were really missing Sessions on the Magic that night! Especially Stanislav and Abby who made the best drinks!