10-21-12 Dream!!!

[Krichard2000]

How do you reply to a single post? Everything is adding it to my thread!

 

[Krichard2000]

It's Monday, and exactly 6 weeks from today it is our Nassau port day! Some wake up at the crack of dawn and watch the sunrise (just past 7 AM) in complete and total awe as the captain skillfully steers our massive ship into the tiny Nassau harbor and gently nestles it up against the dock. Amazing! Some of us, on the other hand, are still sleeping soundly and don’t even realize the ship has stopped moving!

Our first decision of our first morning onboard is where to eat breakfast. A large assortment of American and European breakfast delicacies are waiting for us at both Cabana’s and Enchanted Garden. Flo’s Café has a variety of grab and go pastries, and a fancy sit-down breakfast is available at Royal Palace. Espresso lovers head straight to the adults-only Cove Cafe for made-to-order specialty coffee. (Note that you will be charged for any beverage ordered from a bar, be it coffee, alcohol, or soda. Self-serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and soda at the 24-hour Beverage Station are complimentary, as are non-alcoholic beverages served in restaurants during mealtimes. Another fee-based item to be aware of is the special kid’s drink that can be ordered at dinner that comes with a cute light-up character on the rim.)

A few families with early rising children are enjoying the Mickey pool all to themselves! Those who like to work out have already hit the gym or are walking/jogging laps around the Deck 4 promenade where 2-1/2 laps equals one mile! The Aqua Duck opens around 9am, which is a great time to try it without a wait.

Quite a few of us are planning to stay on the ship all day but many others are preparing to debark for their Nassau port excursions. Sunscreen, check. Hats, check. Sunglasses, check. Souvenir money, check. Camera, check. KTTW card, check. ID, check. (Every time we leave or return to the ship, our KTTW card will be scanned and we must show a photo ID.) We’re ready to go! As we step off the Dream’s gangway, we realize we are actually standing right next to the ship! You can almost reach out and touch her! And again, we marvel at how large she is! We pause to take photos with our ship in the background. We can’t help but compare her to the other cruise ships that are docked nearby in port. Is it our imagination, or is the Disney Dream clearly the most beautiful ship in the world? Funny story – on our very first Disney cruise on the Magic in ‘98, we were docked directly across from Carnival’s Big Red Boat, which our teen-aged children promptly dubbed the Little Red Raft because it looked like an old rusty bucket compared to the size and grandeur of our magnificent vessel.

Walking toward a row of brightly tropical-painted buildings, we stop again for photos at the “Welcome to Nassau” backdrop while becoming faintly aware of live Jamaican music in the distance. Ahhh yes, here in da Bahamas we be jammin’, mon! Soon, we step out into the hustle and bustle of the tiny island. We’ll be asked, cajoled, pleaded with, flattered, sweet-talked, and begged to take a taxi, guided tour, buy some trinkets, or get our hair braided. Women will be called “Pretty Lady” dozens of times by almost every local resident. It is an experience like no other!

On the ship, there are plenty of activities to keep us busy throughout the day. First-run movies are playing in the Buena Vista Theatre and on the huge Funnel View screen by the Donald Pool. Maybe we’ve decided to play shuffleboard, ping-pong, foosball, basketball, putt-putt, Wii games, board games, bingo, the Midship Detective Agency adventure, find all the interactive art, or take a guided ship tour. The Navigator is full of so many options of things to do that we sometimes have to choose between two or more enticing activities. The kids aren’t the only ones enjoying their age-specific areas… we adults can partake in beer/wine tastings, relax in the spa , work out in the gym, read, relax, snack, sample delicious treats in Cove Café, etc., etc., etc. Characters will be out and about in various locations for photos and autographs. Hey, isn’t it time to eat again? Lunch awaits!

As evening approaches, those with Main Dining will head to restaurant #2 on their dining rotation. What was that table number? Some servers will greet you by name as you enter the dining room! How in the world do they remember us when their guests change every 3-4 nights?!? We, in turn, greet our tablemates again, asking how their day was and comparing notes. We’ll also notice that our servers wear different outfits for each restaurant, reminding us that everything Disney does is a “show” and the entire crew is part of the “cast”. The rest of us with late dining will soon be entering the Walt Disney Theatre for Villians Tonight! But first, maybe we’ll stop by Tow Mater’s Grill and pick up some piping hot french fries as an "appetizer" to tide us over until dinner… or better yet, get some ice-cream from Eye Scream!

Nassau’s all-aboard time is usually 6:00 p.m. (although occasionally DCL will extend the time to 11pm as a special treat for the hard-working crew). Will everyone make it back on board in time? We’ll know some guests are AWOL if we start hearing names being paged over the sound system! As the ship pulls away from the dock, keep an eye out for the Pilot Boat. It is a small tug that has a very thick black rubber bumper all the way around it. Once we’ve cleared the channel and are heading out to sea, watch as the pilot boat speeds closer and closer to one side of our ship, carefully matching our speed. When it gets within inches of The Dream, you’ll see a person jump (yes, JUMP!) from our ship onto the Pilot Boat! You have to watch carefully… blink and you’ll miss it! And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys, was the Nassau Port Pilot whose job is to help guide large ships safely out of the tiny harbor.

Soon, late diners are headed to dinner and main diners will have their turn to watch Villians Tonight! And after everyone has had a full day of fun, it’s time to head back to our cabins for a good night’s sleep before docking at what I refer to as "paradise on earth" in the morning! Another check in our FEs yields more bounty! We’re so glad we signed up for this! And, another towel animal patiently awaits our arrival inside our cabin, along with little chocolates and the Castaway Cay Navigator! We fall asleep thinking about what a great time we've had so far and how happy we are that we brought our families on this wonderful cruise!

I Am trying to get in touch with you about the FE exchange for the October 21 dream. It wont let me message you because I am to new. We have 2 rooms 4 adults and 2 kids 2&5!

 

[disneyholic family]

I Am trying to get in touch with you about the FE exchange for the October 21 dream. It wont let me message you because I am to new. We have 2 rooms 4 adults and 2 kids 2&5!

i'll see if i can find his email address back in the thread, but in the meantime, here's the facebook link to our group there.
Maybe you could send Christopher a FB message.

http://www.facebook.com/chani.lerne...f&notif_t=like#!/groups/October21DisneyDream/

 

[D73]

I Am trying to get in touch with you about the FE exchange for the October 21 dream. It wont let me message you because I am to new. We have 2 rooms 4 adults and 2 kids 2&5!

I have added you to the Roll Call and FE group. I am going to bump that information up in the next couple of posts to help any other newcomers find it more easily.

Since you have to have 10 posts before the bopard allows you to send a Private Message, you can email me your info at a dedicated address disneydreamoctober21@yahoo.com
To sign up for FE, send me the following details

DIS Board name
Names of each person participating
Ages of each person under 18 who is participating
Stateroom #
Contact email address


Again welcome!!!!


Christopher

 

[D73]

Roll Call for October 21, 2012 Disney Dream


jcuzzort1026 DW, DH, DD (8), DS (5)
tricari Tricia, Jason, DD (9) Frances, DS (7) Jack, DS (4) Joe, DMom Fran
Anjelic Jennifer Jennifer, DH, DD (12), DD (10), DD (8)
huey578 Luis, DW Carol
Doodle Mom ??, DH, D? (14), D? (10)
Morganr6258 ??, D? (8), D? (6), D? (5)
D73 Christopher, DMom Jean, DDad Larry
thecruisemom ??, DH, DS (12), DS (9), DS (4), DMom, Extended Family (5 cabins)
diane648 Diane, DH, DD (8), DS (5), 2 Grandparents
Birdie23 with DH, DD, DS
poohbear926 Lindsay, DH (Honeymoon)
disneyholic family Beth, DMom, DSis
seirra79 Sarah, DH, DS (5)
kmeyerholtz ??
tiffyms02 with DH, DS (4), DD (2)
hmurra75 Heather, DBF, DS (14), DS (11)
MomofXandG DW, DH, DS (4), DS (2) in 1 cabin; Friends with DD (5), DD (3) next door
PAdisneycouple Sean and Christine
Mandzkrazy4Disney Mandy, DH, DS (7)
Elainehfc with DS
loricdietzel with DH, DD (4), DS (23 mos.)
Krichard2000 4 adults, 2 Kids (2 and 5)

 

[D73]

Here is the information about FE once again....brought loser to where our discussion.

For all of you "first timers", here's an explanation of a "Fish Extender Gift Exchange" that I have modified from a tablemate on my April 2012 cruise who is also a Platinum Castaway Club Member and active DIS-er. Thanks to DebT!


Beside every cabin door is a large metal silver fish (or starfish or seahorse) with an indentation in the back for cruise personnel to leave information, invitations, etc. Teenagers receive invitations to Teen Club activities and we've also received "rebooking onboard" price quotes tucked in our fish.

DISboarders have taken the silver fish (starfish, seahorse) one step further... by creating hanging pockets (much like cloth letter holders) to hang from the fish (or starfish, or seahorse) - thus the name, "Fish Extender". The Fish Extenders (FEs) can be made of practically anything (cloth, plastic, paper gift bags, etc.), as long as they have at least one pocket that can hold surprises. Many are personalized with the names of those in the cabin and there are even sellers on ebay who will create them for you.

On each "Cruise Meets" thread (such as this 10-21-12 one) someone usually organizes a little gift exchange during the cruise. So folks, this time areound that someon is me! People sign up by giving their cabin number, names of everyone in their cabin, and ages of the kids so that everyone will know how many goodies to bring and where to deliver them. Some people give one gift per family, some people give a little gift to each person. It's totally up to the giver to decide what to give and when to give it during the cruise.

There are several threads on the main cruise boards that discuss ideas for FE gifts. Some gifts are from Dollar Stores, some are handmade, and some are bought in bulk from websites that sell trinkets like the Oriental Trading Company. Often, they are stickers, candy, glow sticks, lanyards, etc., with themes such as pirates, beach, cruise, tropical, hometown, holiday, etc. The main idea is just to have fun finding little goodies in your FE throughout the cruise. Kids LOVE running back to their cabin to see if anything's been left in their FE. As an adult, I have to admit that I love it, too!!!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Also, this thread has tons of info and ideas about FE Gift Exchanges: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

I speak from personal experience that it really is a LOT of fun to participate!

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
So for our FE group I am opening up the sign up at this very moment!
To sign up, send me the following details via Private Message here on the DIS Boards or via email at disneydreamoctober21@yahoo.com

• DIS Board name
• Names of each person participating
• Ages of each person under 18 who is participating
• Stateroom #
• Contact email address

On the thread here I will maintain a list of participants only by DIS-Board name. The sensitive material such as stateroom number will only be shared with the participants.

Deadline for signing up for the FE Exchange is Friday September 21, 2012. This will allow a full 3 weeks for people to complete any personalization of gifts that they may be choosing to do and ensure that there is not last minute stress just before the vacation.

I will monitor the size of the group closely and if it begins to grow rather large, we will look at dividing it into smaller groups if that is what is desired.

The main point of this is to have some fun while on board as well as having some fun in the preparationa nd anticipation of the cruise ahead. So let's have fun!

Christopher
*******************************************************************************
Confirmed participants

D73
poohbear926
triciari (cabin 1)
triciari (cabin 2)
jcuzzort1026
MomofXandG (cabin 1)
MomofXandG (cabin 2)
hmurra 75
tiffyms02
seirra79
hmurra75
Birdie23
Mandzkrazy4Disney
Krichard2000

 

[D73]

It's Tuesday, and exactly 6 weeks from today we'll be looking forward to enjoying a full day on a little piece of heaven on earth we call Castaway Cay! As the captain docks the ship, we gaze longingly at the pristine white sand beach dotted with colorful umbrellas and lounge chairs that are beckoning us ashore. We eagerly don bathing suits, sunscreen and cover-ups and then head to breakfast to indulge in another wonderful meal onboard. It is so nice to not have to cook! Beginning around 8:30am, we’ll make our way down to Deck 1 to debark directly onto the island – no tenders for us here!

As we make our way past the tiny little post office on the right, some of us will stop in to purchase Bahamian stamps to adhere to postcards destined for the family and friends who aren’t enjoying pure paradise with us today. “Wish you were here!” Sometimes, Donald Duck is standing outside for photos! We’ll also run into Mickey, Minnie, and even Captain Jack Sparrow throughout the day for fun photo ops! This is the second time (and the last) that we can get "up close and personal" photos right next to our beautiful ship!

We’ll make our way to one of several beaches... families will settle on the first beach on the left, arriving by tram or by walking. Seasoned castaways who prefer fewer crowds will continue on down to the far end of the family beach. Adults sans children will continue on to Serenity Bay. Everyone will marvel at the crystal clear pale blue ocean water! Wow! Look closely, and you’ll see tiny little fish darting around in the water, reminding us that we really are on a teeny tiny natural tropical island in the middle of the ocean! Wade farther out so that the water is up to your neck and you can still look down and see your feet through the water! Amazing!

Now that we have staked out our little piece of paradise for the next several hours, it’s time to relax! With any luck, the sun is shining brightly, there is a gentle tropical breeze, and the ocean water is warm. We sit back in our beach chair (or hammock or lounge chair) and enjoy the gorgeous view! The ocean stretches out in front of us for as far as we can see! Those on the family beach have a fabulous view of The Dream docked to the left. Laughter and squeals fill the air as children of all ages begin to frolic in the water. We can’t help but smile as our picture perfect vacation plays out before our very eyes.

There is almost as much to do on the family beach as there has been onboard the ship! Building sandcastles, swimming, sunning, and smiling. Beach volleyball, basketball free-throw challenge, and Crab Races are all starting soon. A DJ is playing popular beach music. Have any requests? Yes, this beach area is alive with energy! Some have already ventured off on rented bicycles or are floating lazily in rented inner tubes. Is anyone signed up to pet and feed stingrays today?

Working up an appetite? Cookies' BBQ and Cookies’ BBQ2 have been busy all morning preparing barbecue feasts for us and the aroma wafting toward us now is making our stomachs rumble! We gather the family and migrate toward the buffet lines that are filled to the brim with hamburgers and barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, pasta salad, potato salad, potato chips, fruit, and cookies. After filling our plates, we sit down at a picnic table in the shade of the shelter and proceed to stuff our bellies, being careful to save some room for ice cream! Oh yes, there is soft-serve ice cream on the island, too!

After lunch, some will check the younger children into Scuttle's Cove so parents can have a little bit of “couple” time. The kids will enjoy fun activities (including a whale dig!) while parents explore the island on their own and possibly even decide to see what the adults-only beach is all about. Serenity Bay can be found at the far side of the island, at the end of a long tram ride down an abandoned air strip and what seems like worlds away from the family beach. Peaceful and serene, this beach is bliss for those wanting true rest and relaxation. Some are reading, some are dozing, some are floating in the pale blue water, and some are sitting in beach chairs at the edge of the ocean with their feet in the water. The Air Bar is nearby, and servers pass by frequently to make sure we all stay properly “hydrated”. Next to the Air Bar is Serenity Bay’s very own private barbecue lunch spot. And just like at Cookies’ and Cookies’2, they even have ice cream and cookies! We're on vacation, so calories don't count, right??? Those of you who have young children might wish they were older so you, too, could spend the entire day here at Serenity Bay, but those who’s children are grown may feel that those days passed all too quickly and you secretly wish your children were still young and enjoying Castaway Cay with you.

A fun spot to walk off lunch (and get a little exercise) is the walking/bike path half-way down the runway between the family and adult beaches. Our reward for venturing inside this maze-like trail is coming across the little observation tower where you can look out over most of the island! It’s a fairly long walk, so be sure to grab some cold water before heading in if the day is hot.

All too soon, we realize it’s getting closer and closer to the 4:30pm all-aboard time. Wait! Have we taken time to check out the little souvenir shops yet? Although there are a few Castaway Cay items in the onboard gift shops, a much larger variety of exclusive CC merchandise is for sale only on the island! Don’t worry about not having cash, though, because only our Key to the World cards are accepted here. Very convenient… too convenient!

We hear the ship’s horn and that is our cue that all aboard time is approaching. Reluctantly, we start gathering our belongings. Did you know that a sprinkle of baby powder makes brushing off the fine white sand a very easy task? With a heavy heart, we begin trudging back toward the ship. Do we REALLY have to leave this beautiful island? Say it isn’t so. If we hadn’t thought about rebooking onboard yet, we are certainly thinking about it now!

Back on the Dream we can hear our final sail away party already underway on the pool deck. The upbeat music helps us feel a little better about having to leave Castaway Cay behind. We make a quick trip to the 24-hour Drink Station to rehydrate before watching our vessel slowly pull away from the beautiful tiny island. As Castaway Cay fades into a tiny far-off speck in the distance, we head to our cabins to shower and get ready for tonight’s activities. It is truly mind boggling that 4,000 people are showering at practically the same time and we all still have plenty of hot water to wash the remnants of Castaway Cay off of us! Gosh, the water heater in my house barely makes it through two people showering!

At our 3rd dinner rotation restaurant tonight, we’ll greet our servers and tablemates by name, having become very familiar with them over the last two nights. We’ll also realize that many of the servers who we saw working hard at Cookies BBQ and BBQ2 today are now busy making our dinner experience as perfect as possible for us tonight! Do they ever get a day off? (The answer is: rarely – all DCL crew work a minimum of 70+ hours each week! ) As we look around the restaurant, we observe that a few guests failed to apply enough sunscreen during the day ouch! We also can’t help but notice that the servers and quite a few guests are dressed up like pirates! Hooray! It’s the long awaited “Pirate Night”! Did you pack some pirate wear? Will we see you dressed in a pirate t-shirt or head-to-toe authentic outfit? Did you find some pirate-themed items in your FE? Thanks, DCL, for our pirate bandanas! Love the pirate-themed menu!

Between dinner and Pirate Night festivities, there are plenty of activities listed in the Navigator! Keep an eye out for Captain Jack Sparrow and other characters available for photos and autographs! Feel lucky? Try Pirate Bingo! Like game shows? Play “A Pirate’s Life for Me”! Instead of a stage show in the Walt Disney Theatre, a special guest performer has been brought onboard to amaze and entertain us. Who will it be tonight? A comic? A juggler? A ventriloquist? A combination of all three? Let’s go see!

As darkness descends, sailors beware - the pool deck has been transformed into a pirate’s lair! Aye mateys, there be not one, but two pirate parties awaitin’ ye brave souls: the Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean family-oriented show and then the livelier Buccaneer Blast as darkness descends. Arrrrrrrrgh! Aye, there be Pirates IN the Caribbean! Let’s get this party started! Did you know that DCL is the only cruise line in the entire world that has been granted permission to set off fireworks at sea? We can hardly wait to experience this! Savvy sailors (read: cost conscious) have brought their own booty (read: glow stick necklaces and bracelets from the Dollar Store) to wear tonight.

As the pirate party winds down, the Pirate Dessert Buffet is being readied for us in Cabana’s! Oh yeah, it’s time to eat again! Definitely check out all of the spectacular food sculptures on display! But, go soon because it’s usually only open from 10:30pm to 11:15pm! Afterward, pull up a lounge chair on the pool deck and experience watching “Pirates in the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” on the huge Funnel View movie screen outside on deck 11. Really, how many people can say they have watched one of the Pirates’ movies with the amazing built-in special effects of actually being onboard a real live moving ship?!? Shiver me timbers!

Soon, our sugar high begins to wear off and the now familiar gentle rocking of the ship has relaxed us. We realize we are weary from a full-day of amazing adventures. Time to make our way back to our cabins, empty our FE’s, check out our newest towel animal, glance at tomorrow’s Navigator, and ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……………….

 

[MandzKrazy4Disney]

Oh!! Ok. I will def check when we board!! Thank you!

Another question. Blow dryers... On magic the one on the wall was fine, but I have read that the dream supplies one, but that they r really bad , meaning will not dry your hair. Has anyone run into this problem on the dream ?

 

[D73]

Oh!! Ok. I will def check when we board!! Thank you!

Another question. Blow dryers... On magic the one on the wall was fine, but I have read that the dream supplies one, but that they r really bad , meaning will not dry your hair. Has anyone run into this problem on the dream ?

I have heard similar complaints but never use a hair dryer...towel dry for me. Anyone else?

 

[disneyholic family]

i don't know either - air dry for me...

 

[triciari]

Between the wind and the salt air, it'd just be a waste of time with my hair!

 

[MandzKrazy4Disney]

My hair is really short now...so I may not have a problem, but I thought just in case I better ask!

Maybe by then it will be even shorter.. I've never cruised with short hair.. It cuts my getting ready time way down.. so I should have more time for fun!!

 

[DadeJvon]

My hair is really short now...so I may not have a problem, but I thought just in case I better ask!

Maybe by then it will be even shorter.. I've never cruised with short hair.. It cuts my getting ready time way down.. so I should have more time for fun!!

Hmmm

 

[disneyholic family]

Hmmm

welcome to Mandy's DH (have you learned all the disboard initials yet???)

 

[triciari]

welcome to Mandy's DH (have you learned all the disboard initials yet???)

I was guessing that's who it had to be!

 

[DadeJvon]

welcome to Mandy's DH (have you learned all the disboard initials yet???)

Slightly confused using this but over all I'm doing ok - no clue on the initials I figured it was some sort of Disney CIA op.

 

[loricdietzel]

So there is a family pirate party prior to the one at 9:45? What time would the fireworks be? I am trying (and failing!!!) to come up with good times to put ds in the nursery. But he will love a pirate party!!! (Although maybe not the fireworks. He didn't like those on 4th of July.) I am hoping if we do not book a lot in the nursery that if they have times when they are not full we could drop off ds? Anyone have any idea on this? It is hard to book since we have never been on a cruise and we don't know what he would enjoy. Also, kids club is solely drop in, right?

 

[triciari]

So there is a family pirate party prior to the one at 9:45? What time would the fireworks be? I am trying (and failing!!!) to come up with good times to put ds in the nursery. But he will love a pirate party!!! (Although maybe not the fireworks. He didn't like those on 4th of July.) I am hoping if we do not book a lot in the nursery that if they have times when they are not full we could drop off ds? Anyone have any idea on this? It is hard to book since we have never been on a cruise and we don't know what he would enjoy. Also, kids club is solely drop in, right?

I read that it goes from 7:50-8:15. Weird times, but I swear that's what I read. With that in mind, I booked Palo that night for 8:30. I plan to skip the 9:45 pirate party, but grab the kids from the club in time to watch the 10:30? Fireworks (perhaps from our balcony).

 

[triciari]

I'm trying to get a handle on the FE:

I've sorted through the latest update (below) and came up with this, in case anyone else finds it helpful:

Men - 12
Women - 12
Girls - 6
Ages: 9, 8, 5, 3, 2, ?
Boys - 11
Ages: 7, 4, 5, 4, 2, 14, 11, 4, ?, 7, 5

9/8 - Here is the latest update for the FE:

D73 3 adults
poohbear926 2 adults
triciari (cabin 1) 1 adult, 2 boys ages 7 and 4
triciari (cabin 2) 2 adults, 1 girl age 9
jcuzzort1026 2 adults, 1 girl age 8, 1 boy age5
MomofXandG (cabin 1) 2 adults, 2 boys ages 4 and 2
MomofXandG (cabin 2) 2 adults, 2 girls ages 5 and 3
hmurra75 2 adults, 2 boys ages 14 and 11
tiffyms02 2 adults, 1 boy age 4 1 girl age 2
Birdie23 2 adults, 1 girl, 1 boy no ages provided
Mandzkrazy4Disney 2 adults, 1 boy age 7

Need further information:
seirra79 2 adults, 1 boyage 5 Need room number when available

 

[disneyholic family]

Slightly confused using this but over all I'm doing ok - no clue on the initials I figured it was some sort of Disney CIA op.

Part of the disney brainwashing scheme
There's actually a place somewhere on the boards with a key to the abbreviations, but I can't look for it on my iPhone
Actually I'm not sure what DH is - Dear husband? Darling husband? Disney husband?
Or alternatively, darn husband and all the stronger versions of darn

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards