manchurianbrownbear
<font color=green>Not very concise<br><font color=
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2002
- Messages
- 1,160
Im going to start Day 3 by digressing to Day 2 for just a moment. DW and I ended Day 2 sitting in the deck chairs on deck 4 watching the ocean, and an occasional runner, go by. It would have been nice to have a clear night, especially since we were within a few days of the full moon, but we did enjoy the rain and the thunder and lightening. As Midwesterners, we see plenty of thunderstorms in the summer, but not over the ocean!
The runners reminded me that I had packed my running shoes and some shorts, but hadnt used them since leaving home seven days ago, so I purposed in my heart to get up a little early on Day 3 and get a run in.
I just missed sunrise, but it was a great relief to see clear skies for Castaway Cay day! I quietly got dressed and took advantage of nearly empty deck 4. The first couple laps all I could see was water, but soon I could see land in the distance and, sure enough, it was Castaway Cay! We were much closer every lap and I could appreciate either how fast the ship was moving or how slowly I was moving.
In all the excitement, I hadnt noticed that my KTTW had fallen out of my little back pocket and I had to run most of a lap looking down scanning the deck for the card. Fortunately, I eventually found it!
Back at the room DW and DS8 were awake. We went up to deck 10 to get some pictures coming in to Castaway Cay. DS and I shot a couple baskets even though he was still in his pajamas!
All of us went to breakfast at the Beach Blanket Buffet. DW and I had decided earlier that we would go through the line and pick up food for everyone. The kids often have difficulty making decisions, or make poor decisions at buffets. Most importantly, we wanted to save time! We ended up with about twice as much food as we needed.
By 8:30 we were leaving the ship. By 8:35 I was heading back to the room! I hadnt realized I needed picture ID to get off the ship. We had family pictures taken at a couple spots before getting on the tram to the beach. Its kind of fun to see picture backgrounds that I recognize from pictures posted on the DIS!
Our plan was to drop the younger three kids at their clubs until lunch and then bring them to the family beach with us. We felt guilty leaving them in the clubs with the ocean just a few yards away, but the draw of a couple hours of peace and quiet was strong! The kids certainly didnt argue!
We walked about 100 yards down the beach and I was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was. Most people were set up much closer to the ship. We had a fairly long walk back to get drinks, go to lunch, visit the gift shop, etc , but the relative solitude was worth the walk! We rented an inner tube and a float and brought another inflatable float that wed purchased on clearance at Target and DW, DS12 and I were all set. It doesnt get any better than that!
Deciding what is worse, getting sunburned, or the shame of returning from a cruise to Minnesota without at least a modest tan, was tough. I didnt apply sunscreen for the first hour or so, but I tried to turn over regularly. Ill skip to the end of the story; despite being a fair skinned Scandinavian, I was able to avoid sunburn. And, I did get some color! I went with 30 SPF sunscreen for most of the day.
Lunch at Cookies was pretty good. DW and I decided to split a plate; again trying to save room for dinner, especially since Id eaten too much for breakfast. We had the Lobster burger. It was good, and not something you can easily find back home. I also enjoyed the potato salad. In moderation! We enjoyed seeing Stephanie, our head server at Cookies.
DW went back to the Wonder to get on the internet to get seat assignments for our flight home (depression sets in!) and post on the DIS, Live From Castaway Cay! Why do people have to rub it in that theyre having fun?!?!
Then, laden with guilt, we picked up the kids from their clubs. They were all mad at us for dragging them away from their fun. DD4 left in tears. They did not appreciate the novelty of swimming in the ocean and did a lot of complaining. If we could do it over again, wed bring the kids to the beach for an hour or two, first thing, and then take them to the clubs for the rest of the day. My advice; dont feel bad about leaving the kids in the clubs!
The kids eventually took some interest in playing in the sand and taking turns on the floats with us and we got some pictures. We had purchased disposable cameras to use on Castaway Cay because we didnt want to take a chance on ruining or losing our digital or 35mm cameras. We had a waterproof Fuji and a black and white Kodak which we had also used at Magic Kingdom earlier in the week. If any of you find a black and white disposable Kodak camera on Castaway Cay, please contact me. Somehow, I misplaced the B&W! I was sick. It was almost time to go back to the ship when we realized the camera was missing so everyone else went back and I retraced every step wed taken since I last remembered having the camera, but I never came up with it. Not a fun way to leave Castaway Cay, but at least we had pictures on our other camera.
On the way back to the ship, I mailed a postcard to ourselves from the Bahamian P.O. so DD7 could bring the stamp/foreign postmark to show her 1st grade class.
Back at the room DW was getting the younger 3 ready for the they put on with their colleagues in the clubs. Lots of sand in the tub!
A quick glance at ESPN showed me that my MN Gophers had defeated Wisconsin a few minutes before I got back to the room! That helped remove a little of the sting of losing the camera!
I was given the responsibility of picking up gift cards at Guest Services to use for tips for our servers and stateroom host and then attending the disembarkation talk in the Walt Disney Theatre and saving seats for the kids show. While at Guest Services I learned that our camera hadnt been turned in to lost & found.
Many DISers have advised watching the disembarkation talk in your room, and if you dont need to save seats for the show, Id agree with them. Definitely dont skip it, but I dont think there is any advantage to seeing it live.
The kids show was fun. Having only a few minutes to practice, the kids role was not real sophisticated, mostly clapping, swaying, etc . to the music, but it was cool to see them up on stage in the Walt Disney Theatre! During the show they run still photos of the kids taken in the clubs during the cruise up on the big screens on either side of the stage and, of course, we were thrilled that our kids made it on the big screen a couple times! The grand finale included Mickey out on stage with the kids. Is there anything more depressing than hearing Mickey say, See you real soon?
The kids went from the stage back to the clubs saving us the trouble of checking them in.
DW and I made a last pass through the gift shops. We ended up not spending as much as we thought we might. We ended up with beach towels, a couple t-shirts, pins, pens, etc We wish that we had bought a DCL frame for one of our Shutters pictures, but we did all right.
Time to get ready for dinner for the last time. Dinner was in Parrot Cay and it was adults only at our table the last night. DW and I stooped for a quick portrait behind the DCL life ring. Ive liked the pictures of so many other DISers behind the ring, so I had to try it myself! Im trying to figure out how to shrink it and post it.
Even though we were only on the ship for three days, I had become kind of attached to our servers. We got pictures of all of them and gave them their tips, which DW said are not supposed to be given until after dinner. At least I didnt find them in my pocket on the plane on the way home!
Parrot Cay is so colorful and festive, it seemed like a shame that the kids werent with us. But, they were having more fun without us in their clubs! For the last dinner of the cruise I had Crab Newburg (excellent!), mixed greens with marinated Roma tomatoes, mixed grill and finally, pecan pie for dessert.
During dinner the servers dance in a conga line around the dining room and DW and SIL were pulled into the line. DW is very shy, so I enjoyed watching this show immensely!
DW and I made a final stop at Shutters and bought four or five pictures and then went to pick up the kids for Disney Dreams. I wouldnt say the shows are Tony-award-winning quality, but theyre very good and everyone in the family can enjoy them. And our family ranged from 4 65! A nice combination of different Disney stories and music wrapped into an entertaining story.
Ill have to admit that my eye lids were heavy during the show, but we werent quite ready for bed yet. The kids, who seemed to have more energy than me, were ready for one more trip to the clubs. DW and I went back to the room to get our suitcases packed to put outside the room by 11pm. We packed one extra bag in our suitcases on the way down, but even with the extra bag we had a tight squeeze. One thing we didn't do was put our bottles of sunscreen in zip lock bags. Now I know, its really difficult to wash waterproof sunscreen out of the inside of a suitcase.
After getting the suitcases out, we went to retrieve DDs from the club. And, return our pager! The kids were on mats watching Tarzan and we were finally able to track down our DDs, fast asleep on a mat. I guess thats a good way to end a cruise. As we carried them back to the room we looked down on the Farewell Party. The Atrium was packed with characters. We were tempted to wake up the girls, but decided they needed their sleep more than another character encounter. A little aside; our DS8 and DD7 had purchased autograph books while we were in WDW before the cruise and got a few autographs there. They did much better on the cruise. We found many characters on board and they were very accessible.
After getting the kids all tucked in, I went up to deck 9 to get one more refill in my refillable mug (I was determined to get my moneys worth. And I think I did) and a Conch Cooler. Neither DW nor I drink, but I got her a non-alcoholic version on Castaway Cay and she became hooked. This would be our last chance to have one for awhile, so I thought Id better carpe diem! Even if it was close to midnight!
Disembarkation loomed at dawn. To be continued
The runners reminded me that I had packed my running shoes and some shorts, but hadnt used them since leaving home seven days ago, so I purposed in my heart to get up a little early on Day 3 and get a run in.
I just missed sunrise, but it was a great relief to see clear skies for Castaway Cay day! I quietly got dressed and took advantage of nearly empty deck 4. The first couple laps all I could see was water, but soon I could see land in the distance and, sure enough, it was Castaway Cay! We were much closer every lap and I could appreciate either how fast the ship was moving or how slowly I was moving.
In all the excitement, I hadnt noticed that my KTTW had fallen out of my little back pocket and I had to run most of a lap looking down scanning the deck for the card. Fortunately, I eventually found it!
Back at the room DW and DS8 were awake. We went up to deck 10 to get some pictures coming in to Castaway Cay. DS and I shot a couple baskets even though he was still in his pajamas!
All of us went to breakfast at the Beach Blanket Buffet. DW and I had decided earlier that we would go through the line and pick up food for everyone. The kids often have difficulty making decisions, or make poor decisions at buffets. Most importantly, we wanted to save time! We ended up with about twice as much food as we needed.
By 8:30 we were leaving the ship. By 8:35 I was heading back to the room! I hadnt realized I needed picture ID to get off the ship. We had family pictures taken at a couple spots before getting on the tram to the beach. Its kind of fun to see picture backgrounds that I recognize from pictures posted on the DIS!
Our plan was to drop the younger three kids at their clubs until lunch and then bring them to the family beach with us. We felt guilty leaving them in the clubs with the ocean just a few yards away, but the draw of a couple hours of peace and quiet was strong! The kids certainly didnt argue!
We walked about 100 yards down the beach and I was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was. Most people were set up much closer to the ship. We had a fairly long walk back to get drinks, go to lunch, visit the gift shop, etc , but the relative solitude was worth the walk! We rented an inner tube and a float and brought another inflatable float that wed purchased on clearance at Target and DW, DS12 and I were all set. It doesnt get any better than that!
Deciding what is worse, getting sunburned, or the shame of returning from a cruise to Minnesota without at least a modest tan, was tough. I didnt apply sunscreen for the first hour or so, but I tried to turn over regularly. Ill skip to the end of the story; despite being a fair skinned Scandinavian, I was able to avoid sunburn. And, I did get some color! I went with 30 SPF sunscreen for most of the day.
Lunch at Cookies was pretty good. DW and I decided to split a plate; again trying to save room for dinner, especially since Id eaten too much for breakfast. We had the Lobster burger. It was good, and not something you can easily find back home. I also enjoyed the potato salad. In moderation! We enjoyed seeing Stephanie, our head server at Cookies.
DW went back to the Wonder to get on the internet to get seat assignments for our flight home (depression sets in!) and post on the DIS, Live From Castaway Cay! Why do people have to rub it in that theyre having fun?!?!
Then, laden with guilt, we picked up the kids from their clubs. They were all mad at us for dragging them away from their fun. DD4 left in tears. They did not appreciate the novelty of swimming in the ocean and did a lot of complaining. If we could do it over again, wed bring the kids to the beach for an hour or two, first thing, and then take them to the clubs for the rest of the day. My advice; dont feel bad about leaving the kids in the clubs!
The kids eventually took some interest in playing in the sand and taking turns on the floats with us and we got some pictures. We had purchased disposable cameras to use on Castaway Cay because we didnt want to take a chance on ruining or losing our digital or 35mm cameras. We had a waterproof Fuji and a black and white Kodak which we had also used at Magic Kingdom earlier in the week. If any of you find a black and white disposable Kodak camera on Castaway Cay, please contact me. Somehow, I misplaced the B&W! I was sick. It was almost time to go back to the ship when we realized the camera was missing so everyone else went back and I retraced every step wed taken since I last remembered having the camera, but I never came up with it. Not a fun way to leave Castaway Cay, but at least we had pictures on our other camera.
On the way back to the ship, I mailed a postcard to ourselves from the Bahamian P.O. so DD7 could bring the stamp/foreign postmark to show her 1st grade class.
Back at the room DW was getting the younger 3 ready for the they put on with their colleagues in the clubs. Lots of sand in the tub!
A quick glance at ESPN showed me that my MN Gophers had defeated Wisconsin a few minutes before I got back to the room! That helped remove a little of the sting of losing the camera!
I was given the responsibility of picking up gift cards at Guest Services to use for tips for our servers and stateroom host and then attending the disembarkation talk in the Walt Disney Theatre and saving seats for the kids show. While at Guest Services I learned that our camera hadnt been turned in to lost & found.
Many DISers have advised watching the disembarkation talk in your room, and if you dont need to save seats for the show, Id agree with them. Definitely dont skip it, but I dont think there is any advantage to seeing it live.
The kids show was fun. Having only a few minutes to practice, the kids role was not real sophisticated, mostly clapping, swaying, etc . to the music, but it was cool to see them up on stage in the Walt Disney Theatre! During the show they run still photos of the kids taken in the clubs during the cruise up on the big screens on either side of the stage and, of course, we were thrilled that our kids made it on the big screen a couple times! The grand finale included Mickey out on stage with the kids. Is there anything more depressing than hearing Mickey say, See you real soon?
The kids went from the stage back to the clubs saving us the trouble of checking them in.
DW and I made a last pass through the gift shops. We ended up not spending as much as we thought we might. We ended up with beach towels, a couple t-shirts, pins, pens, etc We wish that we had bought a DCL frame for one of our Shutters pictures, but we did all right.
Time to get ready for dinner for the last time. Dinner was in Parrot Cay and it was adults only at our table the last night. DW and I stooped for a quick portrait behind the DCL life ring. Ive liked the pictures of so many other DISers behind the ring, so I had to try it myself! Im trying to figure out how to shrink it and post it.
Even though we were only on the ship for three days, I had become kind of attached to our servers. We got pictures of all of them and gave them their tips, which DW said are not supposed to be given until after dinner. At least I didnt find them in my pocket on the plane on the way home!
Parrot Cay is so colorful and festive, it seemed like a shame that the kids werent with us. But, they were having more fun without us in their clubs! For the last dinner of the cruise I had Crab Newburg (excellent!), mixed greens with marinated Roma tomatoes, mixed grill and finally, pecan pie for dessert.
During dinner the servers dance in a conga line around the dining room and DW and SIL were pulled into the line. DW is very shy, so I enjoyed watching this show immensely!
DW and I made a final stop at Shutters and bought four or five pictures and then went to pick up the kids for Disney Dreams. I wouldnt say the shows are Tony-award-winning quality, but theyre very good and everyone in the family can enjoy them. And our family ranged from 4 65! A nice combination of different Disney stories and music wrapped into an entertaining story.
Ill have to admit that my eye lids were heavy during the show, but we werent quite ready for bed yet. The kids, who seemed to have more energy than me, were ready for one more trip to the clubs. DW and I went back to the room to get our suitcases packed to put outside the room by 11pm. We packed one extra bag in our suitcases on the way down, but even with the extra bag we had a tight squeeze. One thing we didn't do was put our bottles of sunscreen in zip lock bags. Now I know, its really difficult to wash waterproof sunscreen out of the inside of a suitcase.
After getting the suitcases out, we went to retrieve DDs from the club. And, return our pager! The kids were on mats watching Tarzan and we were finally able to track down our DDs, fast asleep on a mat. I guess thats a good way to end a cruise. As we carried them back to the room we looked down on the Farewell Party. The Atrium was packed with characters. We were tempted to wake up the girls, but decided they needed their sleep more than another character encounter. A little aside; our DS8 and DD7 had purchased autograph books while we were in WDW before the cruise and got a few autographs there. They did much better on the cruise. We found many characters on board and they were very accessible.
After getting the kids all tucked in, I went up to deck 9 to get one more refill in my refillable mug (I was determined to get my moneys worth. And I think I did) and a Conch Cooler. Neither DW nor I drink, but I got her a non-alcoholic version on Castaway Cay and she became hooked. This would be our last chance to have one for awhile, so I thought Id better carpe diem! Even if it was close to midnight!
Disembarkation loomed at dawn. To be continued
