Get Off The Ship - we are running out of towel animals! Update 10/25 Day 31

[Aurora's Mommy]

Hi Karin,

I found this trip report as I was planning our summer vacation. We are hoping to sail on the Fantasy in August if the prices go down a bit. We've been on the Magic 3 times, but I was looking for some info on the Fantasy to see what it was like and your report totally helped out. I was looking at the cruise meet thread and it looks like you will be on the same sailing so hope I get to thank you in person.

 

[dizneeat]

I got behind here too. Thanks to the new Dis they forgot to notify me. LOL
That drive to key west is pretty far. My sister drove from Ohio there other once and she said it was sooooo long.
It looks like paradise though and you have gotten some great pictures. That 7 mile bridge makes my heart skip...the scared way. Thats a long time to be driving on a bridge.

I didn't get notifications in the beginning either. But then "magically" they appeared again.
The drive to Key West isn't that far when you look at the miles, but in most areas the speed limit is 30, so it takes a while.
Jen, you would not believe the colour of the sea when the sun hits it. The photos do not do it justice. It is beautiful. And I just love driving across the 7 mile bridge - so beautiful.

Wow I would have a hard time leaving that balcony. It looks so relaxing not what I think of when I hear "Key West."

Tammie, I DO have a hard time leaving that balcony. We were out there so often - it is huge too. Runs around the whole corner room and comes with a small table and two chairs plus two loungers.
There is a very busy part of Key West if you hit the right part of Duval Street, but our hotel is close to the Southernmost point and it is nice and quiet there (if they do not have Beerfest! )

I thought dm was in Austria as well - would not have thought that there is such a price difference! I know the Bears and Friend stores, we have one here as well. I know quite a few who really like their stuff, but I am a huge Haribo fan... I like my gummi bears rather hard and not too soft. Passau is a lovely city, I can see why you would make it a bit of an excursion!

Yes, we do have dm as well, but some things are far more expensive here than they are in Germany. So we always stock up on those and Edeka carries an olive oil spread with I love and cannot get here, so it is always worth going to Passau.
Guess what, we have a Haribo factory here and while Tom likes their product, I love the soft variety of Bears and Friends.
And you are perfectly right, Passau is a beautiful city, but then, so is Nuremberg. The thing is that a friend of ours has lived in Passau for over 20 years and we sometimes take her with us and discover all those wonderful places that only the people who live there know about.

That's funny!! But am I seeing this right that the coffee is more in some kind of pad, not the usual capsule? Is that the American system?

I had to ask about those pads and it turns out that the professional coffee makers use pads, while the "private" ones use the capsules. Got it from our Nespresso friend.

I have a Nespresso machine (I only bought it because I hoped to meet George Clooney if I got one ) and really like it. I only drink coffee during the weekend and normal coffee always got stale before I used it up. With the capsules it works so much better!

To be very honest, Tom has got three of the Nespresso machines, different styles that can do different things, and he drinks a lot of coffee.
Mine is more a piece of decoration. I just love my tea too much. My aunt supplies me with the Fortnum and Mason brand. But I really like how the Nespresso capsules look in their little stand. Very decorative.

Oh, this sounds delicious! Did you like it?

Oh, that drink was to die for. A bit tart, just perfect.

 

[Flossbolna]

The thing is that a friend of ours has lived in Passau for over 20 years and we sometimes take her with us and discover all those wonderful places that only the people who live there know about.

If you ever make your way up here to Nuremberg, I will be happy to show you around to those places in Nuremberg.

I had to ask about those pads and it turns out that the professional coffee makers use pads, while the "private" ones use the capsules. Got it from our Nespresso friend.

Thanks!! I have a friend who told me that she once stayed in a hotel that hat Nespresso pads and I told her that she was dreaming... I guess she was right after all...

I just love my tea too much. My aunt supplies me with the Fortnum and Mason brand.

I am very much a tea drinker as well! My favorite is Twinings Earl Grey though. Or the organic brand Lebensbaum Earl Grey.

Oh, that drink was to die for. A bit tart, just perfect.

Sounds like something I would have loved!

 

[dizneeat]

What a gorgeous view and love that they gave you a sea salt scrub. I love all kinds of bath products. I could seriously live and work in the bath salts at Basin inside of the GF lobby!

Mmm, a Key Lime Colada? Not sure what that is, but i'd give it a go!

It was really neat to get a little present, even though the room was "present" enough.

OMG! BACON CHEESE FRIES??? That is both so wrong and so right! I know a certain bacon-loving little girl who would lose her mind if she found out about those!

Those fries were very yummy, but VERY filling. There was more than enough for the two of us, and if Willow loves bacon so much, you might consider getting her some some day.

What a nice room you got at the hotel in Key Largo. I can’t believe I have never once made it to the keys. I even lived in the Miami area for a year long, long ago. I love reading about your non-Disney adventures. As you know, I’m a big fan of TRs that include some other things - it’s fun to see other destinations and get ideas for other vacations. And as you definitely know, I’m a huge fan of a relaxing meal in the room now and then on vacation.

You never went to the Keys? Now there is something you need to do rather sooner than later - the keys are really beautiful.
I knew you would agree on the "in room dinner".

Wow! Very impressed with the service at your Key West hotel. And, oh my goodness, what a gorgeous room!!! And the view! I know that I was in on your previous TR when you stayed here, but I have a bad memory. I am loving this place!

We love the Southernmost on the beach. It is an awesome hotel. And their service is absolutely awesome. We love it there.

Hi Karin,

I found this trip report as I was planning our summer vacation. We are hoping to sail on the Fantasy in August if the prices go down a bit. We've been on the Magic 3 times, but I was looking for some info on the Fantasy to see what it was like and your report totally helped out. I was looking at the cruise meet thread and it looks like you will be on the same sailing so hope I get to thank you in person.

I am glad you enjoy my trip report and it helped with getting you excited for the ship.
To be honest, I really enjoy the newer ships more than the Magic. We sailed on her in the summer and were less than impressed.

Which sailing are looking for in the summer? We are doing another back to back.

 

[dizneeat]

If you ever make your way up here to Nuremberg, I will be happy to show you around to those places in Nuremberg.

Thank you for the offer! I might take you up on it. And if you ever make it to our corner of the woods I would be very happy to be your tourguide.

Thanks!! I have a friend who told me that she once stayed in a hotel that hat Nespresso pads and I told her that she was dreaming... I guess she was right after all...

I am very much a tea drinker as well! My favorite is Twinings Earl Grey though. Or the organic brand Lebensbaum Earl Grey.

We seem to have quite a few things in common. I like my Earl Grey as well. My aunt gets me the Fortnum and Mason one which is really nice and they also offer a Countess Grey tea, which has even more citrus note - heaven.

 

[englishrose47]

And I the BRIT am a coffee drinker Not that I dislike tea I just prefer coffee !!

 

[dizneeat]

And I the BRIT am a coffee drinker Not that I dislike tea I just prefer coffee !!

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 23, August 29​

Key West, here we come! - Part 5

We both ordered a Diet Coke to quench the thirst, Tom got a local beer and I opted for the Key Lime Colada as a second drink.
We were offered a

bread service, which were several different rolls, a Hummus type spread and some really good olive oil infused with herbs. We had not known how large the bread service would be and gone ahead and ordered a starter to share as well and it was served pretty soon.

And so we were tucking into the

Cuban Egg Rolls, slow roasted pork, black beans, sweet corn salsa and goats cheese, wrapped in crispy wontons, served over greens, with a planteen chip drizzled with chipotle BBQ sauce. It was so good, but again, a fairly large portion. We had just gobbled everything up when our main courses were served. Both were specials of the day and Tom had opted for the

Lobster Mac and Cheese, while I had gone for the

Fish of the Day, which was served over Pilaf rice, with a Crabcake on the side, asparagus and a caper sauce. And not only did both plates look beautiful, but they tasted as good as they looked.
I had planned on getting a slice of their wonderful Key Lime Pie for dessert, but was far too full to do so. So, after settling the bill we decided to walk off a few calories

and once we had made it out to the street we headed to the Southernmost Point where a lot of people were still lining up to take photos. We watched for a while before we went on along the street towards Mallory Square. But we did not get far, as there were people looking up in the trees and what we saw when we looked up was too funny. In the tree there were quite a few chickens looking down on all the onlookers. And here is where my otherwise trusty camera was starting to act up again. I was not able to get one good photo of the chickens

and the same goes for the rabbits we found frolicking in a yard a few steps on.

We walked further on for a while, then, when it started to get darker we turned right into one of the streets and back to where our resort was. While walking we walked past a tiny convenience store and realized that it was the one where we had done our grocery shopping on our first trip to Key West in 2000. Needless to say that we had to stop in and have a look around.
Tom found some more beer he had not seen or tasted anywhere else and I got myself a sweet treat,

Russel Stoves, Dark Chocolate Smores. We returned back to our resort shortly after that and stood and sat out on the balcony for a little while

until it was completely dark. It was now time to get comfortable and we turned on the TV and watched a little, Tom tried his new beer,

which was now cold enough and I had a bite of my



Dark Chocolate Smores. I have never had “real” smores, so this was a nice treat, but I found it overly sweet. It did not take long and we were tired enough to call it a day and rest our heads on those wonderful soft pillows.

To be continued ............​

 

[jenseib]

Real S'mores are so much better.
And thanks now after all the wonderful food postings I am hungry again...such a surprise. LOL

 

[Leshaface]

Cuban egg rolls sound yummy, especially with the goat cheese!

What a scrumptious dinner and your view isn't too shabby either!

lol what the heck, chickens in a tree?!

You've never had a real smore?! Oh my goodness, they're delicious and you can make them as chocolatey as you want! Such fun to make, especially during the Summer.

 

[KCrystal]

I'm a little late to the party but stumbled upon your TR while doing some research for our *hopefully* cruise next year!!! I'm loving everything so far! A b2b cruise sounds so amazing and I hope to also do this someday. All the food looks absolutely delicious but the meal that stands out the most to me is that breakfast the very first day at Olivia's because those eggs Benedict with the crab cakes look heavenly!
Can't wait to see more!!!!

 

[dizneeat]

Real S'mores are so much better.
And thanks now after all the wonderful food postings I am hungry again...such a surprise. LOL

Yeah for making you hungry again.
I guess we need to try and make smores at home some day. Thank you U-tube for giving directions on how to!

Cuban egg rolls sound yummy, especially with the goat cheese!

What a scrumptious dinner and your view isn't too shabby either!

lol what the heck, chickens in a tree?!

You've never had a real smore?! Oh my goodness, they're delicious and you can make them as chocolatey as you want! Such fun to make, especially during the Summer.

We love the Southernmost Beach Cafe - such a great little place to be, right at the beach and the food is sooooo good. You need to go there and try it someday.

Chickens have free reign in Key West and these ones seemed to like that tree very much. It was such a shame that my camera didn't work as it was pretty funny to see them in the tree and all the tourists taking pics.

Nope, Smores are not common here, but I guess we will have to try some real ones some day.

I'm a little late to the party but stumbled upon your TR while doing some research for our *hopefully* cruise next year!!! I'm loving everything so far! A b2b cruise sounds so amazing and I hope to also do this someday. All the food looks absolutely delicious but the meal that stands out the most to me is that breakfast the very first day at Olivia's because those eggs Benedict with the crab cakes look heavenly!
Can't wait to see more!!!!

I am happy to hear that you are enjoying the TR so far. It has been quite a while since we went and we cannot wait to repeat the experience.
Food on the DCL ships is pretty good, but you are right, those Eggs Benedict at Olivia's are pretty yummy and kind of a special treat to start off our trip.

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 24, August 30​

A sunset to remember - Part 1
​

We were up and ready to go at around 8am. For today we had planned a breakfast in one of our favourite eateries, Sarabeth’s.
So once we were ready we headed to the car, got in and drove up to the restaurant. There were numerous parking spots and meters, so we parked close to the restaurant. Tom got out and fed the meter some coins, but came back to tell me that the meter had very well “eaten” the coins, but it did not show any parking time. We looked at the other meters and none of them showed any parking time. Worried we might get a ticket we asked in one of the stores about the meters and were told that these were old ones and did not work any more, but that there was a new system meter just around the corner.
And since we were not sure if we were now allowed to park there, we got into the car and drove around the corner and down the street a bit until we could see the marked parking and the meter. And within a minute a parking pass was inside the car and we were able to head to Sarabeth’s, which is located inside an old church.

We quickly signed in and were taken to a table. The restaurant is very small with a few tables inside

and a few outside, but the food is just wonderful. Since we were a bit early for Key West we entered a nearly empty restaurant and were quickly seated at a table at the back. We both ordered some drinks, Diet Coke for Tom, while I went with the

Four Flowers Juice, orange and pomegranate juices, blended with fresh pineapple and banana. It’s a bit on the thick side, but it tastes like heaven. We have both had breakfast there before and I was really tempted to go with an old favourite, but then decided to try something new, the

Spinach And Goat Cheese Omelet, which was absolutely delicious, while Tom went for an old favourite, the

Key West Shrimp and Bacon Omelet, with scallions and herbs and smoked mozzarella. Both came with toast, we chose white and some of Sarabeth’s famous jam. OMG, so good. We sat and gobbled down our wonderfully tasty breakfast while the restaurant filled up quickly.
Once we had finished our breakfast, we paid our bill, then headed to the car and drove further on to Mallory Square.

There was a ship docked at Mallory Square

and people were streaming off the ship. We walked around the area a bit,

did a little shopping on Duval Street and explored the area and around midday we headed back to our hotel.

Our room had been made up and we had a drink out on the balcony

watching people play in the waters right in front of our balcony.

Around 2pm we decided to check out the pool. It was pretty full there, but we found lounge chairs to park our stuff under and sat there for a while until we headed for the pool. The water was nice and cool and even though there were quite some people IN the pool it did not feel crowded. We stayed in the water for about half an hour, then sat out in the sun for some time before we decided that we needed to get out of the sun, since we had not brought any sunscreen to the pool. ​

To be continued ............​

 

[Leshaface]

Four Flowers Juice, orange and pomegranate juices, blended with fresh pineapple and banana

Wow this is very different and I bet it tastes amazing!

Spinach And Goat Cheese Omelet, which was absolutely delicious

Mmm, this is something I would definitely order. I love goat cheese!

This looks so freaky and cool at the same time. Not sure i'd want to try it though!

 

[Flossbolna]

Your morning at Key West just sounds wonderfully relaxing!! And that omlet looks like heaven!

You must be starting to get busy with packing for your next trip!! I see your ticker is already at 1 week and 3 days! I hope Lufthansa pilots are not going to extend their strike until then. Or have a new one. I tell you, between the train drivers and the Lufthansa pilots, traveling in Germany is a real nuisance these days...

 

[dizneeat]

I hope Lufthansa pilots are not going to extend their strike until then. Or have a new one. I tell you, between the train drivers and the Lufthansa pilots, traveling in Germany is a real nuisance these days...

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We ARE flying Lufthansa - only airline that flies out of here without too many stopovers. I am checking their site several times a day and hoping for the best!

 

[Flossbolna]

Keep your fingers crossed for us. We ARE flying Lufthansa - only airline that flies out of here without too many stopovers. I am checking their site several times a day and hoping for the best!

I hope things will have quited down by the end of next week! At the moment those pilots are totally crazy!!

I guess if there is a problem with the flight to Frankfurt, you could always take a train. You should be on the direct route Vienna, Passau, Regensburg, Nürnberg, Würzburg, Frankfurt. I know that in Germany if there is a strike, Lufthansa has a standing agreement with the Deutsche Bahn that you can take a train with your plane ticket. Might be worth it to investigate possibilities. But then today they are striking on the long distance flights... Normally they don't do that. I guess they really want to cause chaos!

 

[Aurora's Mommy]

I am glad you enjoy my trip report and it helped with getting you excited for the ship.
To be honest, I really enjoy the newer ships more than the Magic. We sailed on her in the summer and were less than impressed.

Which sailing are looking for in the summer? We are doing another back to back.

 

[Aurora's Mommy]

Whoops, can't figure out how to reply with this new format. Meant to say we are looking at the 8/22 sailing. I love the Magic, and I was a little concerned the Fantasy was too big and crowded, but that is not the impression I get from your report. Hopefully we will get to meet you this summer!

 

[RGirl]

Hi Karin!

Wow! That meal looks amazing!!!! YUM!

Awwww - the view from your balcony. Heavenly…..

Sarabeth’s looks right up my alley. What a neat find!

What a perfectly relaxing vacation day! I love it.