Experiment-627: A Caribbean Double with a Wilderness Chaser

[afwdwfan]

We are driven to apply a comfortable familiar explanation onto what ever it is that we’re experiencing.

Not really... I can't explain why I keep coming back to your TR, and I don't try to explain it either.

(I really couldn’t demand more, so you could say that he earned his tip)

That's the important part!

Some cabins also have a similar single bed that folds up into the ceiling.

A bed that folds into the celing??? Wheres the picture of that one???

Tell you what… I’ll even toss out another clue on this pattern in my next post. Actually, I’ll give you a clue in every one of the updates to follow. It’s even possible, that I’ve been doing exactly that in every update so far. There’s really no telling for sure. Why do I do these things? I don’t know… maybe it’s the voices.

Hmmm... interesting... The pattern, I mean. Not the voices.

Although, the concept of you listening to the voices is probably a bit concerning.

No… really! What will my next theme be?

I don't know. Ask one of the voices.

Care to make a suggestion or two?

No, I'm not very creative.

Of course, you can just leave me to my own devices, but that’s generally a bad idea.

Well, I guess that's what we're stuck with. Good luck, we're all counting on you.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Not really... I can't explain why I keep coming back to your TR, and I don't try to explain it either.

Could be I’m not the only one around here that’s loosing their mind.

A bed that folds into the celing??? Wheres the picture of that one???

Not all cabins have this particular feature and our home on the Dream fit that last category. I’ll try to dig up one from our trip aboard he Wonder back on 2007. In the mean time… here’s a couple of images of this contraption that I found on the web…

Hmmm... interesting... The pattern, I mean. Not the voices.

Although, the concept of you listening to the voices is probably a bit concerning.

What? Don’t you hear them? Are you telling me that not everyone hears the voices? The only time mine ever shut up is when were not on speaking terms.

I don't know. Ask one of the voices.

I didn’t like their ideas much. One of them said I should use my own judgment (like that’s a good idea) and the other one said… well… It’s just best not to repeat what that one said.

No, I'm not very creative.

I’ve got a link to a TR that proves this statement to be false.

Well, I guess that's what we're stuck with. Good luck, we're all counting on you.

This does not bode well for the rest of humanity.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 8: The Wire - Day 5 (Thursday)

Part 1: Navi-s & Mag-s (Day-5)​

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One last port of call, and what could it possibly be?
How about a triumphant return to…


Castaway Cay!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = Navigators = = = = = = = = = = = =




Here’s the last ship’s Navigator of our trip aboard this fine ship…



(Just click on each image to see an enlarged version of that page)





= = = = = = = = = = = = = = Maps = = = = = = = = = = = = = =








= = = = = = = = = = = = = Magnets = = = = = = = = = = = = =



And then (and also as usual)… Our door magnets for the day.
and again… you can just ignore this dreck if you so desire

(you could click on each image to see enlarged versions…
but I’d advise against it)


The main themes-o-the-day …





An Alternate Mickey and the one that’s always there…






And… a Mickey for each of us…



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[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Aloha and Merry Christmas

May the season find you all happy, well, and maybe even a bit wiser…

And just maybe… I’ll get a little bit more of this TR posted before too much longer.​

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 8: The Wire - Day 5 (Thursday)

Part 2: Alone
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As we’re getting down to the wire on this expedition I “spect” that by now, y’all have noticed that each day of this trip I was usually up before most everyone else on the ship. As my MIL would say: “he’s generally up before the rooster sh**s”. That’s actually about par for the course. I sleep lightly to begin with and don’t get back to sleep easily once roused. This is annoying on an average weekend when sleeping in would be preferred, but was an asset during our stay aboard the Dream. Lets face it… with near forty-five hundred folks aboard, it’s not easy to get a little alone time on a cruise ship of this size. Oddly though… today we would actually spend rather little time surrounded by mobs of other passengers. It just sort’a worked out that way.

As was true every other day aboard the Dream, I started off by strolling around Deck-11 to see where we were. As it turns out…the answer was: still in transit.

We were bound for Castaway Cay. Our last port of call on this particular cruise was a second stop at DCL’s premier destination… we just weren’t there yet. Having time, and pretty much having the ship to myself, I decided to take a few pictures of the public spaces (without them being cluttered up by hoards of folks dressed in their finest ripped tee-shirts and neon colored Crocs).

You’ll also notice that there is a bit of gold overtone to all of those pictures… That’s because I fowled up. I had the flash off, but the camera is “smart” enough to add its own light to the images. The problem is that it’s a rather unnatural light enhancement, so you get that gold-ish look… oh well (but it still looks better then your average group of tourists).

When I walked out onto Deck-4, I could see that we were nearing our destination.

So I headed back to the cabin and found that the rest of my family was up and just about ready to go partake of a bit-o-breakfast. We all wanted to go ahead and get moving so as to get out onto the Cay early (‘cause we had plans). About the time we sat down with our food, the officer on watch was starting to swing the ship around and begin the processing of getting her birthed. The island was covered in a light mist, but that would burn off quickly and it already looked inviting.

Today we were planning to find a spot on the nearest beach (Scuttle’s Cove) se we were among the first folks down the mid-ship gangway and onto to the shuttle. For our efforts, we were rewarded with a front row spot on the beach and greeted by a clear day and even clearer waters.

After settling in I decided to conduct a couple of experiments. We had acquired a “water tight” case for our camera. This was basically a heavy gage clear plastic bag with a bit built into it for the telescoping lens and a double locking seal somewhat similar to a ziplock on steroids. I wasn’t sure that this was really going to work, so it was decided to test said contraption using the oldest camera (which Tamara would like to have replaced by now anyway). So with a sense of cautious adventure I headed out into the lagoon to give this gizmo a “dry run”. First… can you take pictures with it at all…

Check (and you can also see just how empty the rest of the beach was this early in the morning). So far so good… Now, will it actually work beneath the waves?

As a matter of fact… it does. OK, so now did the camera survive the dunking?

Yep, it surely did. You know this j-u-s-t m-i-g-h-t work. Experiment 628 was officially a “qualified success”, but I was still going to be cautious as my plans for farther testing this device were reserved for a bit later in the day. We’re ready for our next experiment, but now I’ve got to wait for Marge to get her shop opened up.

So… who’s Marge? Patience, padawan… Patience…


For now I think we’ll just put this toy away and enjoy the beach for a bit.




What say?

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[afwdwfan]

Lets face it… with near forty-five hundred folks aboard, it’s not easy to get a little alone time on a cruise ship of this size.

Fart shoes might help with that too... you know, so you don't have to get up so early.

Oddly though… today we would actually spend rather little time surrounded by mobs of other passengers. It just sort’a worked out that way.

Having time, and pretty much having the ship to myself, I decided to take a few pictures of the public spaces (without them being cluttered up by hoards of folks dressed in their finest ripped tee-shirts and neon colored Crocs).

And what is wrong with ripped t-shirts????



I'm glad you didn't drown the camera. At least not yet.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

As my MIL would say: “he’s generally up before the rooster sh**s”. That’s actually about par for the course.

I'm the same way, but I usually use something along the lines of "up at the butt crack of dawn."
But I like your MIL's description better and will use it from now on.

Having time, and pretty much having the ship to myself, I decided to take a few pictures of the public spaces (without them being cluttered up by hoards of folks dressed in their finest ripped tee-shirts and neon colored Crocs).

I had one of those mornings - loved it!

About the time we sat down with our food, the officer on watch was starting to swing the ship around and begin the processing of getting her birthed.

Seems like an odd word to describe sticking the ship in to the little breakwater area Disney created. Eh, most sailors back in the day were half drunk most of the time. No wonder most nautical terms don't make sense. Poop deck.


In addition to our "fancy" camera, we bought one of those fancy "tough" cameras - waterproof, shockproof, able to be dropped from a height of 5 feet, etc. It really helps when trying to keep up with 2 (and soon to be 3) little adventurers.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Fart shoes might help with that too... you know, so you don't have to get up so early.

Speaking form experience?

And what is wrong with ripped t-shirts????

It’s more the Crocs that are ugly beyond all possible defense.
But then again… most tourists have a knack for looking rather scruffy.

I'm glad you didn't drown the camera. At least not yet.

I am glad as well… as of yet.

I'm the same way, but I usually use something along the lines of "up at the butt crack of dawn."
But I like your MIL's description better and will use it from now on.

I also rather liked her description…
It’s become a standard bit of ammunition in my arsenal of metaphors.

I had one of those mornings - loved it!

It’s nice to at least seem to have the place to yourself for a little bit.

Seems like an odd word to describe sticking the ship in to the little breakwater area Disney created. Eh, most sailors back in the day were half drunk most of the time. No wonder most nautical terms don't make sense. Poop deck.

I suspected that you just needed to say “Poop deck”, so I purposely used the antiquated language to provide you with an excellent opportunity to do so.

In addition to our "fancy" camera, we bought one of those fancy "tough" cameras - waterproof, shockproof, able to be dropped from a height of 5 feet, etc. It really helps when trying to keep up with 2 (and soon to be 3) little adventurers.

I’ll have to add one of those to my Christmas list…
One second thought, I wouldn't let anyone spend that much on something as useless as me… so scratch that idea.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Being the enabler that he is… Barry has given me an opportunity to toss out a mini-bonus feature. As he pointed out, there is a lot of odd and antiquated language associated with ships. This has a little to do with the age of the occupation and a little to do with the nature of language, and it’s that second one that gives us the bit of nautical nomenclature that most piques the American sense of humor…

“poop deck”

As with many things in the world that drive Americans to distraction, we can blame this one on the French.


Pintel: "Damn to the depths whatever muttonhead thought up 'parley'!"

Jack: "That would be the French."

Had they not mangle the original word first… we probably be referring to this bit of naval architecture as a Pup Deck. The original Latin name for the cabin built on the back of a ship is “puppis” which literally translates into English as “stern” The puppis deck is really no more then the flat roof of the cabin at the back of a ship. It also happens to be a good spot to oversee the operation of said ship and perform navigation and steering tasks (given the higher field of vision).

As Latin evolved into French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian, it was the folks from Gaul that most altered the forms of the original words. From Puppis, the French came up with “la poupe” to describe the stern most cabin and the roof deck attached to it. As they were also among the preeminent explorers and builders of sailing ships during the infancy of the occupation, it was their wording that stuck in this instance. English speakers picked up the word, immediately dropped the gender precursor and then altered to spelling to better match what their ears were hearing. The result: poop (which has nothing to do with excrement…


as we all know…


that gets dealt with in the “head”.​

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 8: The Wire - Day 5 (Thursday)

Part 3: Dizzying Heights
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Any of y’all afraid of heights? I am… sort’a. It’s not the height as much as it is the perceived danger. What actually bothers me is an unprotected height. Standing on the top couple of steps of an a-frame ladder trying to clean out the gutters… that’s unnerving. Hanging out over the railing of a seventy story building to take a picture…

…for some reason, that doesn’t bother me. I think it’s a matter feeling like you’re being held up by something that gravity will have a difficult time defeating (or that has a pretty good backup plan in case something goes wrong). It was the existence of that potential backup plan that led me to try an experiment that I’d been putting off for a while. Well… there was a monetary factor involved as well, but being as we were on a DCL cruise, I thought that at least one splurge was called for. So what exactly was Experiment 629?


Parasailing


I’ve spent a good deal of time on the SC coast and have seen folks being towed up and down the “Grand Strand” like human advertising banners on a daily bases. It always looked like fun and there was an actual parachute involved which theoretically could save you if something went wrong. The thought of plummeting toward earth like… well… like one of these…

…was just not a very appealing image. Truth be told, I also never really saw it as worth spending the cash on at the time, but the chance to try something new and do it at Castaway Cay was what finally got me to take a crowbar to the wallet.



It had been a good morning so far, but according to the clock, it was time for the next experiment. So my son and I hopped on the shuttle bound back to “Cargo Handling” and walked over to Marge’s.

You’ll notice that Tamara decided not to accompany us this time. She has a stronger sense of self-preservation and decided that even on CC… this really just was not a good idea. Anyway, I walked up the desk to check in for our adventure and the kind lady in charge welcomed me and then handed over a stack of wavers that needed to be signed before we could even set foot of the boat. I understand that they need to protect themselves legally and that all things come with an implicate understanding of risk to life and limb… but reading over this tome and then signing about seventeen different riders and addendums set me to thinking that just maybe Tamara was considerably smarter then Max or myself. But then again, that’s common and accepted knowledge so just lead me on to the peril.

Once you’ve finished signing a contract that Rumpelstiltskin would have been proud of, they lead you off into a separate waiting area near the end of the quay where the ship is docked (kind’a like a livestock pen for oblivious critters waiting to be slaughted), but it also allowed for a very nice shot of the characters attached to the name plat of the stern of the Dream).

After a bit there was a call for all the guests with the same sailing time. They had us line up and counted everyone out. There would be two boats going out this time, but there was only room on each one for no more then ten people beyond the two person crew so they needed to get everyone divided up properly. Once organized, we were lead to the slaugh… errr… boats

They had us leave our shoes on the dock before hand (and if you’re smart, you’ll turn your sandals upside down before leaving them there or after they have set out in the sun a while they’re likely to burn you feet once you try to slip ‘em back on afterward). Then we climbed down a ladder and grabbed a seat in the fount of the launch. As we headed out of the little marina and toward open water, we got to see the Dream from a rather different perspective.

Before very long, we’d cleared the protected lagoon and were heading away form the guest areas and toward the side of the island that passengers rarely see. The water was a bit choppy and every once in a while we’d take a wave over top of the bow and drench everyone pretty good. Max and I were seated last on one side of the boat, so the folks in the front caught the brunt of the spray. Our position on the benches, as it turned out, also meant that we’d be going up first. That was a little unnerving as I was hopping to watch one or two other groups to get an idea of what to expect, but I wasn’t going to argue with the captain (short of mutiny, you’d never win that argument anyway). They strapped the two of us into a very heavy harness (the material was similar to that in a seatbelt, but much thicker), sat us down on what Barry will remind you was the poop deck, and then hooked the whole contraption up to the parachute that was now trailing behind the boat. The main line that the chute was attached to went through a pulley and down an opening to a wench that was below the deck we were sitting on.

The captain gave us a nod and hit the throttle. The next thing we knew the boat sped away from beneath us and we were floating in place over the water.

First off… that’s not us in that last picture. It was supposed to be though. Back over on the beach, Tamara was watching for the next group of parasailers to drift by out beyond the jetty that protects the lagoon from the larger waves and sea creatures. When she saw folks floating along, she snapped pictures in hopes of getting one of the boys. The problem was that there were two boats, and the one that was working the waters out in fount of the rest of the guests was not the one we were on. Like I said earlier, we were off on the other side of the island. But… had that actually been us… it’s pretty much what we’d have looked like, so I’m including the picture here. I had brought a camera along with me (stuffed in that water-proof protector that I tested out earlier in the day), but it truth, the whole thing happened so quickly that I didn’t really have time to try to pull it out of my pocket and snap any pictures.

Now as for the experience itself… it was a lot like being on an elevator. The boat was moving quickly away form us but it was as if we were standing still. The only motion detectable form our perspective was upward, and it was very gentle. Within moments there was almost no sound and we were able to talk to each other easily as the parachute continued to pull us higher and higher. The view was spectacular and I could now clearly see the other islands in the vicinity. What I could not see was Castaway Cay, because it was behind me (just as well, because I still didn’t let go of the hand straps long enough to get the camera out anyway). Had I pulled out a camera, this is what my view would have been like…

At least someone out on the web was smart enough to actually take a picture of this. If you’re looking for a rollercoaster type of a thrill ride, this ain’t it. It’s much more akin to a Farris wheel or even a back yard porch swing (but with a great deal more height). Gently we were raised up form the boat and then after a bit of floating freely like a cloud, they started reeling us back in just as you’d haul in a fish at the end of a line (but from above the waves rather then below them).

As we came closer to the water it was also clear that we were not going to make the boat before hitting the ocean. Actually, this was part of the plan. They purposely let up on the speed to drop us about chest high into the waves and then gunned it to pull us back out again. I was not expecting this, but it was very cool. Moments later we were back on the deck and the next pair was being tethered out over the water.

I enjoyed this little excursion a lot, but it went by rather fast. So quickly in fact, that I question from a financial stand point whether I’d do it again. Were it free (or at least relative inexpensive) I’d be there like a shoot, but at several score of greenbacks US, I may pass and try something else next time around. Besides, there’s much to do on the island that I’ve yet to get into.

The ride back to the marina was just as entertaining as the trip out (and given the speed, wind and waves it may have actually been more exciting) and we got to see the Dream from a few more unique angles.

That last picture also shows the two fellows that were our guides for the day. They did introduce themselves but I honestly don’t remember their names (and I actually feel a bit bad about that). I know that they were contractors with DCL and that they actually lived on one of the islands near by CC and boated into work each day. That is a job that I need to get into. Imagine living in the Bahamas, and being paid to dive a boat around a beautiful resort all day. Clearly I’m in the wrong profession.




Well… now I can check that particular activity off of my list of things to do today.




So what’s next…

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[Grooovertoo]

Being the enabler that he is… Barry has given me an opportunity to toss out a mini-bonus feature.

Thanks Berry!!!​

“poop deck”

Of course, once again....THANKS BERRY!

As Latin evolved into French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian, it was the folks from Gaul that most altered the forms of the original words. From Puppis, the French came up with “la poupe” to describe the stern most cabin and the roof deck attached to it. As they were also among the preeminent explorers and builders of sailing ships during the infancy of the occupation, it was their wording that stuck in this instance. English speakers picked up the word, immediately dropped the gender precursor and then altered to spelling to better match what their ears were hearing. The result: poop

Great insight as usual Rob!

Parasailing

Cool!!

Once you’ve finished signing a contract that Rumpelstiltskin

Nice, I can see the actor who plays this character on ABC's Once Upon A Time making you sign this.

They had us leave our shoes on the dock before hand (and if you’re smart, you’ll turn your sandals upside down before leaving them there or after they have set out in the sun a while they’re likely to burn you feet once you try to slip ‘em back on afterward).

Note to self.

Well… now I can check that particular activity off of my list of things to do today.

Good for you!! Way to go Rob and Max!!!

So what’s next…

Keep em coming!​

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

Kudos to you for being brave enough! I am afraid of heights in certain situations, namely when there's nothing below me and I'm hanging, so I think my palms would be too sweaty to really enjoy parasailing. But I'm sure the view was spectacular!

 

[afwdwfan]

Any of y’all afraid of heights?

No

Standing on the top couple of steps of an a-frame ladder trying to clean out the gutters… that’s unnerving.

Ok, I guess I can agree with that point.

I understand that they need to protect themselves legally and that all things come with an implicate understanding of risk to life and limb… but reading over this tome and then signing about seventeen different riders and addendums set me to thinking that just maybe Tamara was considerably smarter then Max or myself. But then again, that’s common and accepted knowledge so just lead me on to the peril.

So was the first thing you signed a waiver to cover them for the carpel tunnel you'd suffer from signing the rest of the papers?

They strapped the two of us into a very heavy harness (the material was similar to that in a seatbelt, but much thicker), sat us down on what Barry will remind you was the poop deck, and then hooked the whole contraption up to the parachute that was now trailing behind the boat. The main line that the chute was attached to went through a pulley and down an opening to a wench that was below the deck we were sitting on.

He said poop deck and wench.

The captain gave us a nod and hit the throttle. The next thing we knew the boat sped away from beneath us and we were floating in place over the water.

Makes me think of Wile E Coyote running off the end of a cliff...

Right before he makes the dramatic plummet back to Earth.



That's too bad that you didn't get any pictures from up there. The ones you got from the different view points of the Dream are really neat though. Nice job!

 

[Wherem I Now]

Ashamed to say that I haven't read a GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes trip report before now. I am now into two of them at the same time. I started with the Macy's TGD parade one and then followed to this one.

I've got to say that this is a well written and entertaining read so far (I'm still about 12 pages back) with a great mix of pics. Makes me miss the Dream even more though.

Great job Rob! Keep it up!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hey Rob,

All caught up after a Christmas DIS-break. You might think of those gold-tinted shots of the lobby as a mistake, but I think they add a nice warm, majestic look to them.

And thanks for trying parasailing out for us! That's one of those things I've always wanted to try (yeah, even though I hate ToT) and never could justify ponying up the money. Sounds like that's the big question to consider. Maybe after I become independently wealthy? Still, it sounds like a very cool experience.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Cool!!

And it was too!

Nice, I can see the actor who plays this character on ABC's Once Upon A Time making you sign this.

​

DW watches that one. Don’t follow myself, but I know basically what going on just by walking in and out of the room while she’s catching up on an episode or two. I actually like that character as well. I don’t think I’d be making any deals with him mind you, but I like the way they are portraying him.

Keep em coming!

Requests of that caliber are probably unwise.

Kudos to you for being brave enough! I am afraid of heights in certain situations, namely when there's nothing below me and I'm hanging, so I think my palms would be too sweaty to really enjoy parasailing. But I'm sure the view was spectacular!

Thanks!
Obviously it’s not for everyone, but I never felt nervous or unsafe at any time.

No

Considering the amount of time you have to spend scaling the mountains of Indiana… I’m not surprised.

So was the first thing you signed a waiver to cover them for the carpel tunnel you'd suffer from signing the rest of the papers?

Actually, I wouldn’t have been surprised by such.
How often the words “potential” and “fatality” were mentioned…
that surprised me.

He said poop deck and wench.

I missed where the spell checker decided to add another “wench” into the story. Oh well… it did give you something else to harass me about.

Makes me think of Wile E Coyote running off the end of a cliff...

Right before he makes the dramatic plummet back to Earth.

I had a similar vision. Of course I have similar visions of Wile E Coyote type catastrophes occurring in the midst of many of my daily undertakings.

That's too bad that you didn't get any pictures from up there. The ones you got from the different view points of the Dream are really neat though. Nice job!

Poor planning… I may need to try it again.

Ashamed to say that I haven't read a GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes trip report before now. I am now into two of them at the same time. I started with the Macy's TGD parade one and then followed to this one.

I've got to say that this is a well written and entertaining read so far (I'm still about 12 pages back) with a great mix of pics. Makes me miss the Dream even more though.

Great job Rob! Keep it up!!

Thanks Mike and welcome to my literary disaster that has been vaguely camouflaged as an otherwise mundane TR. No shame in missing this one, I’ve been ignored by celebrities and great minds alike (I think it’s the lake of pictures of babies, toddlers and young children in my TRs… the ones with lots of pictures of adorable small kids in ‘em tend to get more followers).

I’m glad to have you along. Feel free to add your wisdom and thoughts whenever the mood strikes you. Otherwise, it ends up being me that does most of the talking and somehow that just doesn’t seem like a good thing.

Hey Rob,

All caught up after a Christmas DIS-break. You might think of those gold-tinted shots of the lobby as a mistake, but I think they add a nice warm, majestic look to them.

And thanks for trying parasailing out for us! That's one of those things I've always wanted to try (yeah, even though I hate ToT) and never could justify ponying up the money. Sounds like that's the big question to consider. Maybe after I become independently wealthy? Still, it sounds like a very cool experience.

The Parasailing was a might pricy. That’s another reason that Tamara decided not to try it. It was a fun experience and I’d do it again if the circumstances were right. But it does go by very quickly. I may have to check out the cost/hang-time ration of the outfits that offer this service down on the SC coast. It may be more cost effective there.​

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 8: The Wire - Day 5 (Thursday)

Part 4: Unknown Knowns
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“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know.”
​

You’ve likely heard that last quote… you’ve likely got opinions on the context of that last quote… But for now, I’m disregarding the original subject, and focusing on what it says.


Say what!!

Hold on a moment… I’ll simplify the quote first, and that should clear up what I talking about. To paraphrase: there are things we know, things we’re sure we don’t know and things that we just never thought about. Philosophically, this is a fairly elegant argument. Logically… it’s missing one of its dimensions. If you can have a “known known”, a “known unknown” and an “unknown unknown”, this it stands to reason that you can also have an “unknown known”.

So… and your point would be?…

An unknown known is actually the most common occurrence in our daily lives. Day in and day out, we all find ourselves doing things that we’ve done before (often many times before), but we’re never certain exactly how it will turn out, or… it could be something you seen and used before that now gets done or used in a different way. The rest of our afternoon at CC and back on the ship would be a series of unknown knowns and would start with something as simple and sustenance.

Once back from our parasailing experiment, it was decided to go ahead and grab some lunch before the crowds got too large. There was nothing new about lunch, and I’ve had meals on Castaway Cay before and even at “Cookies” before… but I didn’t know exactly what they’d be serving today or how good or bad it might be. As it turns out… much of it was the predictable picnic fair, but the fish always varies a bit. Today it was a blackened filet. I don’t remember precisely what variety of white-fish it was, but it was very good. I’d tell you more about the rest of the experience, but I didn’t take near enough pictures today to help with the memory (a fact that will pelage much of this particular update, and explains why I’m letting Tom Hanks supply some of the visual entertainment). But… rest assured, that everything the grill masters tossed on the coals… turned out to be quite tasty.

Ok… next unknown known: snorkeling. This, I’ve also done before and also done while at CC… recently… like just a few days ago… as you’ve previously read. So what could be unpredictable about this? Well… I was trying to hunt down some different artifacts this time around and I was going to attempt to photograph the expedition. Would this plan work? Unknown… but it would get tried.

Tamara decided to let the boys go out adventuring. She, pulled a beach chair into the shallows and set herself up a nice spot to enjoy the cool water, gentle waves and brilliant sunshine for the rest of the afternoon. Max and I, headed into the snorkeling lagoon, donned our gear and started out toward deeper water. You don’t have to go very far to leave most folks behind and we come upon some of the artificial reef structures that Disney had scattered about the area pretty quickly.

It took a good bit more time and kicks of the fins to get deep enough to encounter any of the more substantial artifacts.

Since snorkeling also requires a good bit of time swimming forward with your head down, every once in a while it’s a good idea to stop, look around and get your bearings. During one of these orientation stops, I was able to catch this image of the Dream from another different perspective…

So far… Experiment 630 was working pretty well. My older camera was easy enough to handle in its “watertight” container and was taking fairly decent pictures. But then again…

“…the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.”
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By now I was so far off shore that if something went wrong, I couldn’t do anything to save the camera or dry it out quickly enough to make a difference. That being the case, I spotted one of the buoys that mark the locations of the various underwater treasures and headed off in that direction. This one was a good ways farther out, but after a bit of a swim, familiar shapes began to immerge in the distance.

A little more kicking and paddling and I was face to face with a likeness of one of Walt’s preeminent icons…

Minnie! This was very cool, as I didn’t know that statue was out there. I certainly never run across it on any of my previous excursions into the snorkeling lagoon. It also illustrates just how hard it can be to orient you body and a camera long enough to take a steady picture while you’re in the water. Even so, I actually kind’a like that this image is slightly askew. It’s a better representation of how things appear through a diver’s mask in the first place.

From here we headed off toward another fairly large object I spotted in the distance. On the way we ran across a submerged cargo winch. Nothing overtly artistic, or inhearently Disney in and of itself, but interesting to see at the bottom of the lagoon none the less. Here’s the best image of that chunk of steel as it continues on a journey form inorganic object to life-encrusted reef…

As we journeyed on toward the next wreck, you could tell that what we were approaching was the hull of one of the submarines form the retired 20,000 leagues attraction at WDW…

Now, that’s not a particularly good picture, and the composition isn’t really interesting enough to warrant its inclusion here either, but the context of the image earns it a spot in this TR. What context? The context of it being the last photograph that my little camera would ever record. From the time I’d purchased it about five years ago up to that point, it had dutifully taken six thousand, six hundred three photographs in the service of my family, but IMG_6604 would not be happening.

“Meega nala quista!”

(Such language…) I now had a known unknown… I knew that the watertight pouch I had gotten to protect it in the ocean just wasn’t up to the task. Experiment 630 was over and of the theories being tested, the one that was confirmed, was that I probably shouldn’t have tried it in the first place (which didn’t really surprise me none). If no one ever tries anything new however, then we don’t learn. But you can learn form my failed attempt. If your camera isn’t already waterproof, it’s more economical to either get a disposable one that is, or… pay top dollar for a proper enclosure if your bound and determined to do use you own camera anyway.

Well… why didn’t you stop me then! Huh!


Obviously, that’s the end of the snorkeling photos (and I’m sure that y’all are truly disappointed by that fact), but we did enjoy the rest of the afternoon drifting around the waters of Castaway Cay. (Did I say drifting?) After a good bit more exploration and enough flipping of the fins to work some pretty good knots into my quads, it was decided that we ought to call it a day and head back to shore. Being fairly close to the rental shack, we also went ahead and turned the gear in. Mousekeeping tasks accomplished, we then found a relaxing spot in the shallows where Tamara had been whiling away the afternoon. After a bit more quality time in the warm waters of the Caribbean the obvious next question came up: “now what?”

Hummmmm…. what do you think about it Tom?

You know… I think he's got a good idea there. How about a movie?

Decision made, we packed it in for the day and made our way back to the Dream. This actually wasn’t that momentous a decision, we wanted to catch the latest POTC film while we were aboard the ship and late this afternoon happened to be the last scheduled showing of said flick. Given that set of conditions, it wasn’t like I had to be drug to the theater or anything like that…

Once back aboard the ship, we got cleaned up, acquired some liquid refreshment, grabbed some 3D shades and found a nice spot in the middle of the Vista Theater with the intention of experiencing another unknown known. I’m a fan of the “Pirates” films in general, so I knew what to expect in terms of adventure and interaction between some of the characters, but obviously I didn’t yet know exactly what the plot line was nor how well they’d pull off this rendition of the saga. The first film is an unquestionable classic, but the next two, while entertaining, just didn’t live up the ‘all’ the hype. There was a potential for disappointment here…

But I was up for the challenge (like sitting through a move is a challenge)… Well… actually, some films are so bad that sitting thorough them is neigh impossible. I’m glad to report however that in this instance there was no such problem. Now free of the original story line, they were able to tell a more adventurous tale this time around. It still didn’t beat out the original, but it came in a close second and depending on your mood, could possibly steal the title on a good day…

If I were to say anything negative it would be that the addition of 3D wasn’t really necessary (and I certainly wouldn’t pay extra for it). There are instances where a 3D effect really adds, but if it’s not necessary to a good story line, then it can be a bit of a distraction instead. That coupled with the one size fits all shades that were trying real hard to give me a serious headache, made for about the only less then stellar points of the evening’s entertainment so far. And with another new show and a fine dinner looming on the horizon, this was a relatively minor bug to deal with.

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[KatMark]

Okay, this one is a LOT longer and will take me longer to catch up on. I'll be back in a day or two to comment. First, I have to go do responses on my PTR and TR (I leave three weeks from tomorrow for Disney).

 

[afwdwfan]

I'm not going to comment on the first few paragraphs because I'm afraid my eyes might go crossed if I spend too much effort on them.

But… rest assured, that everything the grill masters tossed on the coals… turned out to be quite tasty.

And that's what is important.

During one of these orientation stops, I was able to catch this image of the Dream from another different perspective…

As long as that perspective isn't the back of it as it's heading out to sea.




Then again, that means you'd have more time in Castaway Cay.

From the time I’d purchased it about five years ago up to that point, it had dutifully taken six thousand, six hundred three photographs in the service of my family, but IMG_6604 would not be happening.

For some reason, I'm not surprised by this turn of events.

If no one ever tries anything new however, then we don’t learn. But you can learn form my failed attempt.

That's the most important lesson from this experiment. I've tried and failed plenty of times.

Decision made, we packed it in for the day and made our way back to the Dream. This actually wasn’t that momentous a decision, we wanted to catch the latest POTC film while we were aboard the ship and late this afternoon happened to be the last scheduled showing of said flick.

I can't think of a better place to watch a POTC film than on a DCL ship in the Carribbean...

If I were to say anything negative it would be that the addition of 3D wasn’t really necessary (and I certainly wouldn’t pay extra for it).

I didn't see it in 3D, but it was obvious there were some cheap 3D sight gags added for the effect. I would have expected better from Disney.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Goodness gracious, how did I fall two updates behind?

First - parasailing. (Poop deck. Hee hee. You're welcome!) Bambi and I did it on our honeymoon many years ago in Aruba. I was disappointed. While everything I had seen (and what you confirmed) is that the boat goes forward, and you go up. Well, Bambi and I were strapped in, and they started letting out the rope. The breeze caught the parachute and we went up. And the boat stayed where it was. We went up, hung around for 10 minutes or so, seeing the exact same scenery the whole time. They pulled us back in and headed back to the dock. I guess that shows us for going somewhere other than Disney.

I'm glad you had fun, but I agree with the price. After paying for the cruise, adding that much extra for parasailing, cabana massages, etc is pretty steep.


Snorkeling - I'm sorry your camera was drown. But at least you got to pull it's last pictures off. Reminds me of the TV cop shows where the murder victim is found with a camera and documented his own demise.
Detective #1: There's a few dozen pictures of the ocean on the camera.
Detective #2: I think it drown, Jim. Case closed.

We thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling. Except that it's a very, very long way out there, and you fight the current and wind on the way back in. Really gives the ole legs a workout.

Pirates 4 - We never did see that one yet, but Bambi got it for me for Christmas. It's still sitting next to the TV, waiting for us to find time to watch it.

Man, that's the 3rd sad smiley I used on this update. I hope I'm not depressing you.