Disneyland and Eastbound Panama Canal (AKA Patricia who??) **Complete**

[ShellB8585]

Around 5 we decided to head back to the park…


… but we took a little detour



Yes we did make it to



We sat outside as it was a beautiful evening, unfortunately we were sat against the wall (near the door) so got missed a few times in favour for newcomers who came and sat in the obvious view of the cocktail waitresses. So eventually I grabbed someone and we placed our orders. I had the Krakatoa punch and Carl had the Shrunken Zombie head –





​

Naturally we went for the souvenir Tiki mugs They were both really yummy BUT Carls tasted a lot stronger than mine so I made the right choice!

After drinks Carl decided it was time for a snack so we headed here
​

He bought himself the Original 1762 but we ended up sharing it (I had only wanted a bite but it tasted so good! I don’t think he was very impressed)

We decided to not walk all the way to the park, we’d done a lot of walking already, so we had our only monorail ride which takes you to tomorrowland




We checked out Space Mountain but it was a 60 minute wait so it looked as though we wouldn’t get a second go, instead we headed to Buzz - I don’t really like this ride but we did it 3 times because DH likes it (I’m far too good to him!!)

We headed to check out Haunted Mansion passing this beauty



The queue was quite long so we headed to Splash with its 15 minute wait – we love this ride and it always has such long queues in WDW! There isn’t one in Paris so we miss it quite a lot!





​

You may notice in the picture Harry the monkey behind me. He is sort of a family mascot, after several trips to WDW we realised a lot were looking the same so one year we thought we would take Harry and take pics of him for something a little different. Since then he has travelled the world with us and the idea is that if/when we have children we can use these to make up stories of his travels. He’s not as photographed as he used to be but he’s still there!!

Anyhow, most of the rides were busy but there was one we hadn’t ridden for years that we suddenly really wanted to –



The 1 or 2 photos I took didn’t turn out great so I won’t upload them here but we enjoyed the ride, loved all of the jokes.

At this point our thoughts turned to the parade. Unfortunately we were on a tight schedule and didn’t really want to spend 3 hours sitting waiting for the parade which we overheard a lot of people had done for good spots. It was all pretty crowded and whilst we would have liked to see it parades aren’t the most important thing for us so resigned ourselves to making our way to the exit…

On the way we went through the shops and did a little shopping this time – picked a jumper my sister had wanted and a pin for myself. However, as we exited the emporium we noticed a couple spots on the steps of City Hall so we checked it out and stuck around for the parade!! We’re glad we did as it is possibly one of the best parades we have seen. I will share a small selection of my photos

​

 

[ShellB8585]

It got very crowded very quickly after the parade ended





So we sat on the now vacant bench and let the masses move whilst we decided our next step. We contemplated the fireworks but with the hundreds of people up main street we knew we wouldn’t get a great view and from what I have read / seen it looks similar to a show we had seen in Paris earlier this year so we decided to make our way out of Disneyland for the last time (this trip ). This was a little bittersweet as it was the last time we would be at a Disney Park for some time but there is so much to look forward to!

As we had to walk through Downtown Disney which was the quietest we had seen it all trip we made a stop here –



So I could get my new Christmas ornament, we get one every trip, and I bought myself a dress which you will see a little later in the TR

Wanted to take this on the way pass since we passed it every day and it was our last bit of this version of Disney for a while
​

We were back at the condo around 10:30 I did some more clothes washing so we could take all clean clothes with us and we chilled out with some of our Konas and got packed ready to leave.

My feet and lower back were very painful but it is all so very worth it – we LOVE Disneyland!! I will note here that there were a few people from our cruise group who had also been to DL before the cruise and they had said the customer service wasn’t as good as Florida and I believe one even went as far to say it was terrible and they wouldn’t go back. I can honestly say our experience was the exact opposite of this (apart from maybe WCT) – everyone we encountered was pleasant, interested in talking with us and things were run very well. It also felt genuine. Sometimes, in WDW the happiness and politeness of some of the staff seems very forced and we didn’t have that in California – every CM we encountered genuinely seemed happy to be there. So, always take every review you read, especially the negative, with a pinch of salt. We had an excellent experience and were so very happy but on the same day, in the same parks, there were people who didn’t and were unhappy.

Couldn’t wait to board the cruise and put my feet up….it’s getting closer….
​

 

[ShellB8585]

Moving on​

I had not had a great nights sleep, kept waking up with a very sore throat EEEK. I am putting it down to going between air conditioning to the hot weather outside and dehydration rather than actual sickness.


Before we left Carl stripped the bed and put our used towels in the washing machine as per the instructions (I like vacation Carl – he’s more helpful ) whilst I got us all packed up. I will also mention he had a bowl of cereal but I was saving myself…


We were out of the door by 8:30 and headed toward the Laguna Beach area – because we are super cool we wanted to get some photos of our car for the trip.




We were the only convertible with the top off so we assume everyone knew we were tourists! It was hot for us.


Then continued along to our next stop.


DH is a project engineer at a nuclear power plant (and a total geek )so just HAD to get a snap of this on the way



Another tradition for our US trips is Carl replenishing his wardrobe at a Vans outlet store (so much cheaper than here). I had seen there was one at the Carlsbad premium outlet which is where we headed. It was so peaceful when we arrived, hardly anyone around – the opposite of the last few days.


First though we needed breakfast and I had done a little research and settled on Ruby’s Diner for a very enjoyable breakfast



​

We ordered from this section of the menu



We quite liked this place, the food was tasty and very filling and the service was good. I had black coffee and the cinnamon roll French toast with bacon and sunnyside up eggs. Carl had a coffee milkshake and the multigrain hotcakes with bacon and scrambled egg



This was the best breakfast (and cheapest) of the trip. I was glad I hadn’t eaten last night or earlier in the day as I was able to enjoy and eat my whole breakfast. Carl, on the other hand, couldn’t finish his!


Here’s a link to their website in case you chose to check them out (you should )…. http://www.rubys.com/menu/index.html


We then went shopping (in one shop) and DH picked up 2 pairs of jeans and a new pair of shoes so he was happy.


Back on the road we headed to San Diego. We arrived at Alamo around 12:30 and the drop off was quick and simple and we were on the bus to the airport in no time. The journey was 10 mins and we were at the terminal and walking over to the hotel shuttle pick up point.

UH OH – no phone I had left it in the car door!!!! I can’t believe this, we checked the car over but I had forgotten I had taken it out of my pocket to drive. Ran back to the bus and the driver Rod was so helpful, he called the depot for me so I could let them know where I left it (luckily we had a photo with the number plate on) by the time we were back I just had to pick it up at customer service and get back on the bus…phew!

Back at the airport we had 4 options – walk to the terminal to use a pay phone to call the hotel to let them know we had arrived, Use the mobile phone, hope another guest arrived and made the call or get a taxi. Honestly we could not be bothered with walking to the terminal with our luggage so that was out. So I thought “how much will it cost really” well I used the number they provided and was told number out of order. Tried again in case I had made a mistake – still out of order. Tried a second number to be told I had no credit (I am still on pay as you go) well those 2 unsuccessful calls cost me $27.00!!!!!! Which is why we are going to buy a US sim the next time we visit!

We decided on a cab which was only $15.00 including a tip. Should have just gone for that first.

We were staying at the Best Western Bayside which was nice, we liked the location and it was a fairly reasonable price. It was all a little beige though haha. When we arrived the room wasn’t ready but I had a plan for that! We did the check in and left our luggage in the office and headed to Little Italy with 1 goal in mind



Let me give you an insight into our next few days. On researching “things to do in San Diego” there were a few things that stood out – Sea World (I’m not the biggest fan), the Zoo (again I’m not a huge fan of zoos and didn’t really want to spend our limited time walking around one), Balboa Park – which we did make it to and craft beer. From what I understand San Diego has a big craft beer scene and some are apparently must dos. We like beer – not to get drunk - we just like tasting different types, trying “weird” combinations and experiencing different atmospheres all whilst being refreshed. So I devised a plan that had us visiting different breweries and bars, at the same time we would be covering a lot of mileage, seeing the city and enjoying a cold one! So had I did a lot of research into the best ones we could get to with only walking (and a ferry ride but we’ll get to that tomorrow) and devised our own craft brewery tour and we just loved it! In fact we would really like to go back with some friends / family to do it all again!


Anyhow, first stop was Ballast point which is considered one of the Golden trinity in San Diego. Carl had the Sculpin IPA “Bright floral hop flavours of apricot, mango and lemon” I had the Wahoo White “Witbier with orange peel and coriander” Generally I am not a huge fan of wheat beer so I don’t know why I ordered it – it think it’s the hint of coriander, however I enjoyed this one and Carl enjoyed his










After our refreshing brews we walked a mile uphill it was 82 degrees (28 Celsius) which is a little on the hot side for me to be honest, there was no breeze but at least it cooled a little in the shade. We were quite amazed how low the planes were to the houses which were in the flight path



We were heading to














​

We bought a lemonade and bottle of water and sat by the fountain for a little while enjoying the peace and tranquility

​

 

[ShellB8585]

Then we walked, downhill this time, to our next stop





We both had one of the own brews but I can’t remember what – Carl enjoyed his more than I enjoyed mine. We did get chatting to the barman who was recommending places to visit, most of which were on my list for tomorrow so I was quite proud of myself!


We then headed toward our hotel to get into our room




This made us laugh

Nice to know it’s fresh!


As you can see it’s a little brown and bland but it had the things we hold most important – it was clean, comfortable and had a decent bathroom. The view made up for the bland room anyway


And here’s the pool we never had chance to use

We were room 705 in case anyone is interested.


I then had the most glorious long soak in a hot bubble bath while Carl watched some hockey then we switched. I felt so relaxed after that. Another peak out on the balcony before we headed back out

Do you remember the sore throat? I was still getting it on and off, mostly if I didn’t drink for a while so I expected it was dehydration more than anything. To be on the safe side though we stopped in CVS and picked up throat sweets along with a case of water and some muscle rub – my heel was starting to hurt a lot with all this walking! I really wish I had a fit bit or something as I am interested to know how much we actually walked this trip!


Anyway, we headed for dinner and we had a reservation at the Melting Pot. This was a new restaurant for us and I only heard about it through another TR here. I can’t for the life of me remember which one but thank you whoever you are!


We weren’t hugely hungry and didn’t want to go for 4 courses, if we had we would have been stuffed and not enjoyed it as much.


We ordered our drinks, I had

And Carl

Our first course was, of course, cheese fondue. We opted for Cheddar – Aged Cheddar, garlic, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, lager and pepper which is all mixed in the fondue at the table.

DH isn’t a huge fan of anything too garlicky which we told our server, he didn’t look to put too much in but there was a distinct garlic taste. We asked to upgrade to also have Italian meats but they never came (we weren’t charged) and we weren’t overly bothered. To dip we had bread, Apple, carrot, broccoli and Cauliflower. It was quite nice but next time we will have one of the other flavoured ones.


Our second course? Well there was only one choice really – Chocolate fondue!!!

We chose S’mores – Chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers flambéed tableside



To dip we had pineapple, banana, strawberries, Brownies, cookies, rice krispie bites, oreo covered marshmallows, graham cracker covered marshmallows, graham crakers and pound cake. I liked the pound cake and the fruits but the rest was too rich. We have decided if/when we go back we would have cheese fondue and one of the entrees. Overall it was a very nice meal and we had just the right amount of food for us.


We then walked through the Gaslamp district

And along the seafront

Back to our hotel where we arrived at 9:15. Feet aching, we’d walked around 9 miles since we arrived in San Diego I decided to sit on the side of the tub soaking them in the bath for a while before applying muscle rub and crawling into bed and catching up on notes. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!​

 

[ShellB8585]

Exploring San Diego​

I was up at 8 and started sorting our bags ready for tomorrow, carl was up a little later and we headed down for breakfast. What a difference a day makes! Yesterday we had the best breakfast of the trip, today the worst. There was a hot and cold buffet, the pastries were dry and seemed a little stale like they had been left out for hours uncovered. The hot choices were sausage, scrambled egg and potatoes but it was a little bland, the sausages were ok. My favourite thing was the toast!


We headed down to Broadway pier to catch the 10am ferry to Coronado

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/74b0da54-7431-4c60-9d2c-032819f08ce3_zpsbf3qe01r.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/174e1301-8e3f-46ba-bfe5-d289257d1578_zpsmj4hwvfg.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/510486d2-6985-443a-80ca-72bddcfd1c2c_zpsgle4chyg.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/257e4bb7-5811-4dc7-b5ec-6649c615e4c9_zpsr6qn9jqg.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/e2111620-23ec-43eb-8c78-fea051ca6093_zpse8sn4dr7.jpg.html][/URL]
http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...c-43eb-8c78-fea051ca6093_zpse8sn4dr7.jpg.html
We walked from the ferry port to the beach on the other side. It was so peaceful and really nice to walk along the 1 straight road we followed. I might be wrong but it seemed to be a really beautiful place to live. If/when we make it back to San Diego I wouldn’t mid spending a little more time here.


I had read somewhere before the trip that the beach here was considered the 2nd best in the USA – I am sorry I cannot remember the source or where was first – so we wanted to check it out!!
​

We couldn’t resist a paddle



​

It was a little chilly but it was hot out so it was nice. We were very grateful we are currently able to travel any time of the year as we do not have children yet so no school constraints. It meant everywhere was so peaceful with few people around!


Selfie!



I tried to do arty



I just loved the reflection in his glasses.


Then we went for our first craft brewery stop of the day. O the way we saw this very laid back tree



Our destination was the Coronado Brewing company



​

I had the flight of all their main beers



L-R Coronado Golden, Orange Avenue Wit, Islander IPA, Mermaids Red and Blue Bridge Coffee Stout. I liked them all actually but I think the red was my favourite. Carl had 2 pints in the time I drank this but unfortunately I have not noted what they were. I can tell you he enjoyed them so check the place out.​

It was a nice bar and they had a nice looking food menu, Carl picked himself up a cap and we were on our way.

We caught the ferry to the convention center this time. Walked by Petco Park​

On our way to our next stop​

I liked it in here was a large place and looked like it would be a great place for a party!​

I had another flight (L-R Mission Blonde, Shipwrecked IIPA, Holiday Ale and Peanut Butter Dark Seas) Again I liked them all but if I had to choose a favourite it would have to be the Holiday ale as It tasted of Christmas Carl had a pint of the El Conquistador​

They also had 2 new casks on Watermelon Shipwrecked and Maple Bacon Porter. We decided to have a taste (well I just bought them whilst Carl visited the bathroom ) Both tasted good but the watermelon was my fave – refreshing!

​

 

[ShellB8585]

In my research there were 2 bars that came up as being recommended to visit. Our next stop, based on this, was the Tivoli bar and grill. This is allegedly the oldest bar in San Diego and a bar that served Wyatt Earpe back in the day



​

We were so grateful to be exploring on a weekday! Sorry my notes aren’t extensive for today. I asked the bar tender what she’d recommend and she recommended 2 Ballast point. Despite have tried their already I felt I should go with one of her recommendations. Carl had something different which was another from the golden trinity.


After this we headed to the other “must visit” which was The field Irish bar which was all ready for Halloween



We had visited Dublin twice earlier this year and loved it. In honour of being in an Irish pub and with memories of Dublin we decided to go for an Irish beer and chose Harp. We also had something to eat. I had a grilled cheese sandwich which chunky chips and Carl had a pancake with bacon and cheese
I was a little concerned to see the filling was black but it was tasty!

ETA - I have since contacted the bar and they have now replied (11th Dec) That it was a porter cheese and the porter is what makes it black.


On the drink menu were drinks we don’t do over here – Black and Tan (Guinness over Bass) or Half and Half (Guinness over Harp) – these reminded us of our first visit to Dublin (BTW, if you have never been I can recommend it, we had 2 fantastic weekends there!!!) , we were sat at a bar talking with the manager who had finished his shift and was having a few drinks with his brother (he started buying us drinks so we stuck around). An American came to the bar and ordered a half and half – well none of the barmen or us had ever heard of it so the American explained. All of the barmen had a laugh and basically told him they wouldn’t ruin good drinks so it was one or the other. It was all quite funny, the American customer thought so too. So folks, it might be worth not ordering your mixed beers in Dublin…


I realise you will be thinking we are drinking a lot of beer. We did a fair amount of walking and drank a lot of water so we were fine.


Our final brewery stop was Karl Strauss

I had the Oktoberfest which was good and I wasn’t there when Carl ordered so I’m not sure what he got.


This was designed to be our last stop as it was close to our hotel – about 5 minutes – so after his one we headed back. We had walked just over 6 miles today, with the heat, the beer and the previous long days I really wanted a nap. Carl didn’t so he was left with instructions to wake me up at 7:30 as we had a dinner reservation at Hard Rock Café at 8:30…..


….I drifted into a blissful sleep leaving him watching Hockey…



…. I woke up at 9:30 with him asleep next to me! HA! Oh well, neither of us were hungry so we hung out in the room, I repainted my nails and finished getting us organised for our big day tomorrow.



We really enjoyed San Diego, it had a nice vibe, and wish we had a few more days. We have a couple friends and family members who we think would like it too so hopefully we’ll get back soon and maybe with some companions. In fact we are supposed to be heading to Vegas in 2017 for a joint 30th birthday bash for Carl and my brother, Since we are coming all that way I may just HAVE to make it a little road trip and visit DL and San Diego too . I would have liked to spend more time at the beach and in Coronado generally. We did see most of the city by foot. I realise I didn’t take many pictures but I just wanted to soak it all in so didn’t have my camera out much. If we had another day I would have taken quite a lot more! ​

 

[ShellB8585]

It’s here it’s finally here!!​

As soon as I woke up I looked out of the window (naturally)



I wasn’t sure if I’d see her but I was so happy I could!! We decided we would skip breakfast this morning so did a little lounging. For the first time since we left the UK we put on the news only to hear there was a cat. 5 hurricane (the highest cat recorded) heading in the direction of our second port of call (Puerto Vallarta). This is hurricane Patricia! It seemed to be picking up momentum and it was expected to hit land at some point that day and they were expecting devastation. To put it into perspective Hurricane Katrina was a cat 3 when it hit New Orleans. So a lot of folks were worried, we tried not to though. If we had to miss some ports then we had to miss some ports, we knew the Captain would do a great job and get us where we needed to go safely. I was a little worried about the locals though, it must be so horrible knowing that’s coming.


The hotel offered a free shuttle to the cruise port which started from 11. Our P.A.T (Port Arrival Time) was 11 so we decided we may as well walk – we had 2 large cases which were relatively light 1 small case and a backpack so it was all fairly easy.


We got down to the lobby and bumped into someone from our FB group who I had become friends with over the last year or so. It was nice to finally meet! We said our hellos, she and her DH were waiting for the shuttle. We checked out around 10 and walked on down. It was all downhill, had it been uphill we would not have walked! By 10:25 we had dropped off the 3 suitcases, leaving just our backpack, and we headed in to our first waiting area. We were given a Donal Duck card meaning we were next through security. It wasn’t long before we were called, went through a Passport check then the baggage scanners and metal detectors. Which took no time at all. Through to the next stage – Check in.


We were given navigators on the way in​

Whilst the hall was busy there was no one in the queue, this was all being run quite efficiently, so we called straight through to the next desk. Here we met a small hiccup our fellow non Americans will want to know about…


Do you remember our very swift experience when we reached LAX? Well, because it was all automated and done electronically our passports hadn’t been stamped. Because of this they couldn’t let us board without a copy of our ESTAs. Now the ESTA website says you do not need to print them as it is all linked to your passport. I always do just in case. HOWEVER, as we had already passed through customs to get into the USA I didn’t think we’d need them again so they were in the suitcase ( was carrying 4 bottles of wine, swim wear and books in the backpack and didn’t want to carry anything I didn’t need). Next step they wanted to pull the case! I knew which one it was in so wrote out the description on their form. At this point I was a little worried, what IF I had left them somewhere and they weren’t packed, would we be boarding?? So we were sent to sit in a little waiting area whilst they pulled our case.


After about 5 minutes they came to ask for our Passports as one of the clever managers realised they could print them off for us instead of pulling the case – happy days! We were finally able to check in.


We were given a letter regarding the weather



Along with a silver lanyard, and our Key to the world (KTTW) – and relax.


Our dining rotation was APT (A= Animators Palate, P= Parrot Cay, T= Tritons) we had table 71 and second seating which was 8:15


We were given boarding number 5 and went to the waiting area where we met another person from the FB group. We seemed to be boarding in no time. Had our embarkation photo taken and off we go.


I think we are in a minority but we feel a little uncomfortable with the announcement onto the ship. Because of this we thought about coming up with a funny family name to make it a bit better. We failed so we got that over and done with and we were finally onboard the Wonder!!


Parrot Cay and Beach Blanket Buffet were both open for lunch and we opted for BBB as we like grabbing our food from the buffet and sitting outside for our first meal on ship. This is the way we have started all of our cruises so far. Next years may be a little different as we are going to be a group of 9 so I think it will be easier in the main dining room.


We caught the elevator up to 9 (this is only 1 of 3 times we used the elevators all cruise)

Here is my first meal of the day and of the cruise​

It’s not hugely exciting and full of carbs (I had been on a no carb diet leading up to this trip and I just wanted all that I had been missing) but I really enjoyed every bite. There’s Mac n cheese, Mini corn dogs (I love these), Olives, Focaccia, cheese, Schnitzel and Mash. I don’t have a picture of Carls but it wouldn’t have been hugely different, I do know his had an addition of cottage cheese.


Then onto dessert​

Cookie, Chocolate cake and a lemon puff – I liked the Cookie, the rest was OK.


We walked around deck 10 and took a few pictures of the scenery, we quite like ports that are actually in a city – more interesting than Port Canaveral. ​

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/ca8befb9-3bde-44e3-a889-d44daa5a8984_zpsuwpavyt9.jpg.html][/URL]
http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...e-44e3-a889-d44daa5a8984_zpsuwpavyt9.jpg.html
http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...e-44e3-a889-d44daa5a8984_zpsuwpavyt9.jpg.html
It really was a beautiful day to be on a beautiful ship!


I got a snap of the drinks on offer at the 24hr self service machines​

There is also regular coffee, decaf coffee, hot chocolate and hot water with a large array of twining tea bags.


We had a wander around and got a few snaps of the quiet pools

Mickeys pool



This is for the little kids really, the slide is for ages 4-14 I think I read and the little splash zone under the slide is for really little kids as they are not allowed in the pools if they are still in diapers. Central you maybe able to see a sign for Plutos, here you can get Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, Chicken Strips, a Fish sandwich, Cajun chicken sandwich and usually a special of the day (these included philly cheesesteak, Chilli with cornbread and pulled pork) For those who haven’t cruised before the opening times are published in your navigator. The places near the pools are open most of the time and you can go up as little or often as you like really. Behind the slide is a little bar.


Goofys pool and funnel vision


This is more a family pool which also has 2 hot tubs. Down to the right (under the white) is Pinocchio’s pizzeria and a bar. Usually the pizza options were pepperoni, ham and pineapple, margherita and another veggie. The pretzels were normal salted or a cinnamon filled with cream cheese.


Finally the pool we spent a fair amount of time in
​

Yes that’s another bar along the back and there are 2 hot tubs just out of shot on the right. This is the Quiet Cove Pool and the area is for 18+ there is also a cove café which sells premium coffee drinks and alcoholic beverages and usually has complimentary snacks. We have yet to visit cove café, I had every intention of doing it this cruise but never got around to it. I expect I will next time as my parents enjoy a latte.


We played some table tennis (I hate this game but DH likes it) I lost 11-9 by the time we decided to stop. We then went and sat on the side of the Quiet cove pool to paddle until DH decided it was to tempting and he had to get in. We always pack our swimming costumes in our carry on so he went and got changed in one of the restrooms whilst I worked on refreshments.​

We actually purchased the beer mugs on the last cruise – for those who don’t know they serve 2 different sizes of draught beer – 16oz and 22oz. With the mug you get the 22oz for the price of the 16oz so you save yourself a couple dollars if you want the larger one and eventually you break even on the cost of the mug ($14.95). You don’t have to carry the mug around all the time, you can change it to a card to hand over with your next beer. The great thing is once you have bought it you can take I home at the end of the cruise then take it back on the next. We took the actual glasses home last time but decided to make a new purchase this time for a few reasons – 1, I quite like having our 2 at home for souvenirs and we use them regularly (I mostly use mine for water) 2, we wanted to save room in the luggage, 3, My dad and brother are cruising with us next year and we were going to buy them the glasses to use. This way we had a gift for them from our trip and they have something useful for next year. We will bring ours back then too. The options for beer were Kona Longboard (lager) Kona Big Wave (Pale Ale) Bud light and in diversions they also had Heineken, Murphys stout and Stella Artois. These do vary however as I remember there being different options when we were in the Med a couple years ago. The prices varied but it was between $6.50 - $8.00 a glass. ​

 

[ShellB8585]

Rooms are usually ready around 1:30 so I headed down at 1:45 to check it out, and drop off my heavy bag. This was our first time in a navigators verandah and we really liked it room # 7122















​

I then got into my swimsuit to join DH. By the time I got up there he had made a friend and we talked to this chap quite a lot during the cruise – we enjoyed his company! The pool was like a bath – it was hot. I am not exaggerating, I have my baths about the temperature the pool was that day! Luckily it was cooler after this, I can only assume it’s because it had been in the sun all day.


By the time we got out around 14:30 a breeze had picked up so it was a little chilly. We had showers and got changed back in the room then went to the 3 o clock FB meet and greet in the Promenade lounge. We are introverts unfortunately and quite shy around people we don’t know – If you ask some of my colleagues they will tell you it took about 6 months to get into real convos with them. So we aren’t every good at this sort of thing. I picked up some rubber bracelets I had ordered but everyone was in groups and deep in convo so we picked up a beer at the bar and went for a stroll around the ship.​

​

We ended up in Diversions​

​

where I narrowly lost at draughts!


Now it was time for our muster drill – for those of you who haven’t cruise this is a drill in case of emergency, you go to your designated muster station, checked off a register and get talked through the procedure of what to do in an emergency. This is compulsory and will take place on every cruise. Be kind to your fellow cruisers and get there on time – we have been stood at outside stations our previous cruise and have had to wait for people on both occasions.


This time we got to sit in the air conditioned animators palate. We ended up being sat next to a lovely older couple from Southampton which isn’t a huge distance from us – It’s a small world after all!


After the drill we headed back to the room and as we were leaving we met our room host, Elmer, who said our cases were next. We didn’t wait though, we had somewhere else to be…

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/4caca138-1ffa-4349-a8a7-cbdf40ab596d_zpsky8inwp7.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/25fbca6f-0d2d-444d-8c4f-fc1b30b82882_zpsacgoji00.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/70e54fa1-eebc-4033-bc72-30de95d51b99_zpsqj6qgsnf.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/ShellB8585/media/EBPC%202015%20DIS%20TR/1c9ac49c-5bd7-4c7a-821b-71f6593f1d20_zpsabbg2b8y.jpg.html][/URL]​

Our Cruise director was Peter Hofer which we couldn’t believe – has been the CD on every cruise we have taken!​

I would also like to say our entertainment staff were brilliant – the best we have had on our 3 cruises but some of that will be down to the fact we spent more time with them than any other cruise! ​

 

[ShellB8585]

After the adventures away party we went back to our room to unpack for our 2 weeks and decorated the door



until we started moving then back up to deck 10



​

So long San Diego​

​

The party boat…​

Our escort had the lights flashing red and blue as we were leaving and as we passed it they played under the sea to which we cheered!


Just before 6:15 we went to the Walt Disney Theatre for our first show – Let the magic begin which showcases some of the entertainment we can expect a long with a production from the characters. One of the acts – Marcus Monroe – looked really promising (comedian/juggler) so we would definitely go and see him again. No pictures of the show though I’m afraid


Back at the room we freshened up and got ready for our dinner. We were shown to a table set for 4 but ended up a table just the 2 of us. We were quite happy with this. We like meeting other people and enjoyed sitting with others on our first cruise but we also enjoyed eating just us.








​

To start I had the Calamari​

And C had the Chicken Bastela



We both had the Mango and Papaya soup (I love the chilled fruit soups on DCL)​

For our mains I opted for the Halibut with peas which was light and flavoursome​

Carl had the Mesquite grilled chicken breast

For dessert we both had the Kahlua Chocolate Crème Brulee

Well we could not taste chocolate or Kahlua (a common theme for the crème Brulees on this cruise unfortunately) but we love normal Crème Brulees – I would say it’s our fave dessert, so we were happy. In fact we enjoyed our meal – everything tasted great! We also liked our servers – Milton from India and Kenan from the UK – he was very excited to be serving us as he’s from up north and has a bit of an accent which he says others sometimes find a little difficult to understand so he has to talk a little slower, he could talk his normal speed with us. More about them later though…


After dinner we went for a lap around deck 4 to try and walk some of it off then we went on a search for the laundry which was actually very close to our room.


When we got back to the room we were met by our first towel animal and tomorrows navigators

I decided to put a load on of all the clothes we had worn since Anaheim – the Washer and dryer are $1 each and you just swipe your KTTW – it’s very easy! I brought washing powder capsules from home as I picked some up really cheap on offer but they do also have a dispenser. There was also 2 irons in there.


Whilst I was waiting I updated my notes and Carl watched Terminator. I had to take a picture of this lampshade

I wouldn’t mind these at home – there is a little castle in every place on the globe they have a park and a ship on the west coast, 2 in the Caribbean/Bahamas area and one entering Europe.


Walked up to deck 10 to get us some tea - I loved being so close to everything! I also like a themed cup



Washing done I was in bed around 11:30. That so very comfortable bed, very happy this was home for 2 whole weeks!! ​

 

[ShellB8585]

Day at sea​

My sore throat came back with a vengeance in the night, worse than it had been and now accompanied by an annoying cough so I barely slept. I am glad I bought those throat sweets though as they soothed a little!


Anyway…


We had a plan! We wanted to get up early Panama Canal day to watch us go through the first locks (more on that later) SO… we decided we would get up early every morning and workout at the gym watching the sunrise before canal day so it was easy to get up


With that in mind set our Mickey wake up call for 6 but I had woken up at 5:30 and noticed sunrise wasn’t until 6:50 so we set a new alarm for 6:30 when we got up and headed to the gym. We worked out for 45 minutes watching the sunrise – I really enjoyed it. I had been working out a lot this year and it has been a bit on an epiphany for me as I had never stepped foot in a gym before and now I love my workouts. However, due to medical issues getting in the way I hadn’t been able to go since mid Aug so it was great to be back! We then decided to walk it off and stretch it out a little with a lap around deck 4 – for those who don’t know 1 lap = 1 third of a mile.


We returned to our room showered and I decided we would start handing out our exchange gifts. We didn’t join FE – we haven’t done one yet and I don’t think we will. However, this was a Christmas ornament exchange and I buy Christmas ornament everytime we go away so I thought I’d give it a go. I am not very crafty (AT ALL) but I managed to pick up some bargains at the Disney store after Christmas last year so had these to give (I bought the xmas mickey on Etsy):​

We had originally had 3 groups which was reduced to 2 and there were 11 in my group but 2 from the same stateroom so I also had 1 of these done
​

I had also made up a couple of these as “Pixie Dust” gifts as a thank you to a few of the people had organised things ​

​

Here are the decorations I received in return



I think I had 1 missing which was either not delivered or stolen. A shame whichever it was.


After making a few deliveries we headed up to BBB for a light breakfast, the workout had made us hungry and I really wanted some fruit! My plate:​

Carls:​

By this time it was around 9am so we went to the lecture by former Panama Canal Pilot Ken Puckett​

It was interesting, but his lecture style was not really for us – maybe we are still too close to remembering boring uni/college lectures like this and will give it another go in a few years so - we didn’t make it back to another one but he did them on most sea days (if not all).


We made a few more deliveries then decided to go for a swim, passed these in the hallway​

I’d love to hang these at home!


Well the pool was like people soup so we didn’t get in. Instead we sat on the side and paddled our feet before heading back to our room and getting ready for our 12:30 Palo Brunch reservation…​

 

[ShellB8585]

We had only done Palo Brunch once before and that was our first cruise and the reservation was 10:00 or 10:30 . DH wasn’t fussed but I loved it. I have since learnt DH doesn’t like eating a lot early in the day so cleverly made the reservation for 12:30, coupled with the early morning work out, DH enjoyed it a LOT more this time!


We were led to our table and introduced to our server Hristo – I will say now he was fantastic, really friendly and nothing was any trouble.



We were sat at the table for 2 next to the window behind the booth​

We chose to have a Mimosa (included with the price already paid) and then made our way to the vast buffet​

​

And Sweets (Hristo told us they are not desserts as Desserts are for the end – sweets can be eaten anytime you like )​

​

 

[ShellB8585]

My first plate




I particularly liked the Scallops and camembert so had to go back for seconds whilst Carl had some sweets


As well as the buffet there are entrees you can order from. I can’t remember them all but they do a strawberry soup which is amazing (didn’t have any this time though) we ordered a 50/50 pizza which was half Gorgonzola and grape and half Italian sausage which was yummy. DH doesn’t usually like blue cheese but he did enjoy the pizza. We also each had Chicken Parmesan, not quite as good as I remember but still very good



I had my sweets as dessert and C picked himself up another plate




It was a delicious meal and I would highly recommend it as it is worth every penny! Already looking forward to introducing my mum dad and bro to the delights next year.


I didn’t take any photos this afternoon but then we didn’t do a great deal. Stuffed after brunch we headed back to the room where we snoozed a little then watched the incredibles followed by the cruise directors morning show – on sea days the CD did a live show in studio sea where he’d talk with various entertainment acts and give us information. We never made it to Studio Sea but we did watch it on the in room TV when we remembered. We then went back to the pool which was a lot quieter now, I even managed 10 minutes completely alone in the area so enjoyed the hot tub to myself.

Tonight was formal night and they were having the captains gala in the atrium where they were giving out drinks, I had a red wine and DH a white to take to the show. Before that though we had to get a photo with the big cheese​

Tonight was the Golden Mickey show which we were looking forward to as it is not on the Magic so we hadn’t seen it before. We saw the preshow interviews but, unfortunately, there were some kind of technical difficulties so they were unable to go ahead. Instead we were treated to a ventriloquist act we quite enjoyed. After the act there was a glimmer of hope they may be able to show it but it wasn’t to be. They promised us a matinee later in the week. Unfortunately it was on when we were doing something else so still yet to see it.


There wasn’t much going on between the show and dinner that we wanted to do so we decided to hang out on our verandah before we headed to Parrot Cay​

​

We both tried the crispy cheese ravioli ​

which were really nice


But after the delicious scallops at brunch I also had to try the scallops with tomato risotto​

(not as good) whilst Carl had the sangria soup which I did not photograph.


I then had the duck


Which tasted wonderful but I am so used to duck coming with a crispy skin I was a little disappointed it wasn’t there.


Carl had the steak

Which he was happy with.

For dessert he had sweet temptations

And I opted for…

The lavender Crème Brulee. Again, you couldn’t taste the lavender which was a shame but it was a nice crème brulee all the same and I couldn’t finish it all.


After dinner we walked up to 9 to pick up some teas then headed to Wavebands to watch the Marcus Monroe adult show – This was very funny, he is a great act and if you ever cruise with him I definitely recommend going to see his show. I would go as far as to say it was one of the 2 best acts of the cruise and the others didn’t come close.

We then decided to go to the Walt Disney Theatre to watch the Nightmare Before Christmas 4D sing and scream. The nightmare before Christmas is one of my faves!

But 3d glasses give me a headache and we were both pretty tired so left about 1/3 of the way through and went back to the room where we were met by this guy
​

 

[cruisehopeful]

This is such a detailed report. I feel like I am there, too. Very fun!

I have a question about the grilled cheese at the Irish bar. Why was the filling black? Was it a sauce? Asking because I love grilled cheese and have never seen anything like that.

 

[ShellB8585]

This is such a detailed report. I feel like I am there, too. Very fun!

I have a question about the grilled cheese at the Irish bar. Why was the filling black? Was it a sauce? Asking because I love grilled cheese and have never seen anything like that.

Ah thank you!! I'm trying to keep it interesting for all my readers and informative so hoping i have found the right balance

I have absolutely no idea! I didn't ask because I thought maybe I got it wrong and that's just the way they were (stupid I know as I have had many grilled cheese but nothing like this). There was no sauce that I could taste I have just found them on FB so have sent a message as I have had a few people intrigued...will let you know what they say

 

[bcwife76]

Oh my goodness, when you update you UPDATE lol

I had comments in my head as I read these but now I can't remember many so I'll just say looks like your cruise is off to a good start. Hope the sore throat turned out to be nothing and that you didn't get sick on the cruise =0

Palo.....ahhhhh.....Palo. So with your 12:30 ressie I see by your photos that all the food was restocked....or untouched? The reason why we made a 10am ressie on our last cruise was DH was afraid they'd run out of food (as if!!!!) or the brunch buffet would look a little ransacked. This is obviously not the case so I wonder if we'd be better off doing a later ressie on our next cruise? While I was hungry at 10am (we had not eaten beforehand) I could have waited til 11am at least ;-)

 

[ShellB8585]

Oh my goodness, when you update you UPDATE lol

I had comments in my head as I read these but now I can't remember many so I'll just say looks like your cruise is off to a good start. Hope the sore throat turned out to be nothing and that you didn't get sick on the cruise =0

Palo.....ahhhhh.....Palo. So with your 12:30 ressie I see by your photos that all the food was restocked....or untouched? The reason why we made a 10am ressie on our last cruise was DH was afraid they'd run out of food (as if!!!!) or the brunch buffet would look a little ransacked. This is obviously not the case so I wonder if we'd be better off doing a later ressie on our next cruise? While I was hungry at 10am (we had not eaten beforehand) I could have waited til 11am at least ;-)

Well I wanted to get you all to the cruise honestly I work for an online retailer and we are really busy March - Oct then really quiet Nov- Feb, because we work so hard in the summer it is accepted by our bosses that we have a little downtime in the winter and as long as we do our work when we need to we can generally use that online. Because it is so quiet it is basically all I am doing at work some days but, of course, customers come first.

With Palo I did the same thing - I thought it would be like a usual buffet and 10 would be best for choice and presentation etc but they really kept on top of it and it was good quality, nothing tasted or felt like it'd been out for hours and we had the same range we did at 10. Also, we had not eaten before our 10am reservation but we couldn't manage a great deal. with the 12:30 reservation and getting up a little earlier, despite having some bits over 3 hours earlier, we enjoyed everything so much more. DH wasn't bothered about Palo on our first cruise and would rather have saved the money so we didn't do it on our second. I managed to persuade him to give it another go on this cruise (by that I mean I told him we were doing it and that was that ) and we both really really enjoyed the meal! We even toyed with the idea of doing again but we didn't have the time in the end. It was also a lot quieter at 12:30.

 

[ShellB8585]

Cabo San Lucas​

Set the alarm for 6:15 which we slept right through waking around 7:30. Oooops – skipped our work out! Oh well we ARE on vacation after all. My cough and sore throat were worse this morning so probably best I don’t work out anyway.


We lazed in bed watching the end of one of my recent favourites – Tangled. And watched us come into port from our verandah
​

​

Just look at the colour of that water!


We then headed up to BBB for breakfast but I was starting to feel pretty rough and had a headache so we went back to the room where C watched Pirates of the Caribbean and I had a 45 minute nap which seemed to work.


Then got ready for our Santa Maria Snorkel and sail. Here is the blurb from the Disney website -


Sail the blue Sea of Cortez on a catamaran past Lover's Beach to secluded Santa Maria Cove for a snorkeling expedition.


Life on the Waves
Cruise along the coast by Cabo's most recognizable landmarks to snorkel in the beautiful waters of Santa Maria cove.

On this adventure you will...

From the pier, board a sailing catamaran and embark on a cruise along the Gold Coast to some of the Mexico's most picturesque destinations. Pass Lover's Beach, Los Arcos at Land's End, the Arch of Poseidon, and even a resident sea lion colony, en route to the picturesque, palm-studded Santa Maria Cove.

Receive your snorkeling gear and the instructions from your experienced crew.

Take the plunge on an eye-opening snorkel adventure in an underwater wonderland of magnificent marine life as you explore life just beneath the ocean's surface.

After your approximately one-hour visit, sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery with a refreshing drink in hand during your one-hour cruise back to the pier.



Once aboard the catamaran we went up the coast
​

They provided some soft drinks and we enjoyed the (bumpy) ride listening to some music until we arrived at a pretty little cove



We got ready



And in we jumped




I didn’t really liked the jumping off the boat part and had a little panic attack to begin with (very minor and I’m glad Carl is the only one who noticed) I composed myself quite quickly though.


Because of the recent storm (Patricia) the waters were a little murky. Whilst we saw a lot of fish (our guide was feeding them – that’ll do it) we didn’t see the variety we had seen in the Caribbean…






​

We were given an hour in the water but we were back onboard after about 45 minutes. At that point they brought out snacks – cheese sandwiches, breaded chicken rolls, Tortilla chips and salsa. Also the drinks and they were pouring freely – by the time we had gotten back they had managed to persuade us to have 4 lite beers (they were in normal sized plastic picnic cups) and a shot of tequila – see they are very persuasive as I don’t like tequila! Despite the lack of variation of fish we did have a great time on this excursion – the staff definitely make it and it was a nice relaxed fun atmosphere on the way back.


Back onboard we walked up to the room via the promenade lounge where we picked up some wine glasses, we sat on the verandah and ordered some room service and opened one of the bottles of wine we brought with us.

For those who may not know room service is included. However, you do tip so it’s worth taking some $1 bills with you




​

We ordered the All aboard cheese platter, Steak and cheese sandwich and a Pepperoni Pizza. It all tasted great and really hit the spot



We watched us leaving port and watched beauty and the beast
​

​

Eventually we got ready and headed to the Walt Disney Theatre

I love the attention to detail everywhere



to watch Voiceplay Before the show they had a little trivia, most serious questions then this


http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...2-42cd-b959-beacaecbad3e_zpsxiazawun.jpg.html
True of course!

We enjoyed them, it was something a little different – they use their voices to sing of course but also make the music etc. We then went back to Wavebands for the Marcus Monroe family show – again very enjoyable! This finished at 8:18 so we went straight to Tonights restaurant – Tritons…​

 

[ShellB8585]

To start Carl had the deep fried Brie

Followed by the Leek and potato soup

Whilst I had the Escargot

Followed by the French onion soup

For main we both had the rack of lamb which was yummy

For dessert we both ordered the Grand Marnier Soufflé and Milton also brought us a Crème Brulee to share



I am glad I tried the soufflé after the praise it gets on these boards but you will be glad to know there will be more for you all as I wasn’t overly bothered by it.

As we left the restaurant Donald was there with barely any queue…

Tonight was the night I debuted my new dress from Disneyland.

We then headed back to the room to pick something up or drop something off and tomorrows navigator was there in which we found our first clues for Annas scavenger hunt

So we went on a hunt around the ship using the clues in the navigator – I won’t give away where any are but I will say they put them in some hard to spot areas! Well, it was hard to spot until you knew exactly what you were looking for.


We did this on the way to Wavebands to watch the ventriloquist – Kevin Johnson – adult show. It was funny but, unfortunately, he had had to stand in for the Golden Mickeys yesterday at last minute so we had already heard some of his material. Then back to our room for bedtime We lose another hour tonight
​

 

[ShellB8585]

Navigators for Cabo day -

​

 

[bcwife76]

Ah, I love that dress!! Good purchase ;-)

Sorry to hear you didn't see as wide a variety of fish when you went snorkeling; still looks pretty cool though. That's something I'm not sure I could ever do(not a fan of sticking my face in the water, let alone going under with a mask lol)

See, now I really did NOT enjoy the souffle in Tritons, I found it under cooked. More for the rest of you ;-)