1st Time Cruiser just Got Back
- Thread starter LC30
- Start date
I was the first one up and since I didnt want to make too much noise, I picked up a magazine to read. DS moved around in his bed, gave me a disgruntled look and Shhhhed me, then went back to sleep. I had to suppress a laugh. This was a good time to get up and get out of the room. Theres no way, I can just lay here for another hour and a half waiting for the Sleeping Beauties to wake up. So I took the FEs, made my deliveries and explored the ship.
There were not a lot of people up and about around 6:30 in the morning, so I really enjoyed walking around the ship with some quiet time. I walked all over the ship. Deck 4 is a wonderful place to just enjoy the view and lounge on the chairs. Other than a few joggers, deck 4 was pretty empty. Deck 9 had a few people that got up early to get coffee and do some reading. Deck 10 was a great place to just take in the view and have a nice stroll.
View of Nassau as we are coming into port
After a couple of hours, I went back down to get the boys. I woke them up right before our phone rang. DS picked up the phone; it was Mickey with the wake up call. DS was so excited that Mickey called him, he could hardly contain himself. While DH was getting ready, DS and I hung out on the verandah enjoying the view of the pretty bright yellow and purple port terminal building. Later, we went up to deck 10 to hang out until it was time to get off the boat. While we were waiting, we ran into this guy just goofing around the deck 10.
We had decided against the pricey Bahamas excursions and opted to do Nassau on our own since weve been to Nassau and have enjoyed Atlantis a couple of years ago. We got off the boat, got in a cab and headed to the Wyndham on Cable Beach about 15 minutes away. The cab ride was about $15.00 or you could take the public bus for a fraction of the cost of a cab. We didnt want to hassle with public transportation and decided to splurge for convenience. We bought our day pass at the Wyndham for $40.00 per adult which included a lunch buffet and use of their amenities, pools, beach, towels, and beach/pool floaties. The Front Desk manager gave us a personal tour and told us that our day pass also gave us access to the Sheraton, which is right next door. A nice surprise for us. We hung out at the beach at the Wyndham, where we practically had the beach to ourselves. Then, we went over to the Sheraton pool since they had a zero entry pool, which was great for our DS. And again, we had the pool to ourselves. The whole day was very relaxing and enjoyable. We hated to leave but it was way past nap time.
Sheraton Pool
The only downside is the lunch buffet at the Wyndham was quite disappointing. It was the only bad meal I had the entire trip. Although the food was not good, we would probably go back to the Wyndham again because we enjoyed the beach and the pools there so much and getting access to the Sheraton was a huge bonus.
Tonight was our dinner reservation at Palo. I was really looking forward to it since it got rave reviews from fellow DISers. We ordered room service for DS and got him ready for the drop off at Flounders. We took DS to Flounders Nursery with a bit of hesitation, grabbed our pager and headed upstairs to dinner. Dinner was lovely. The grilled shrimp appetizer was delicious. DH had the osso bucco and I had the beef tenderloin, both extremely tasty. We followed that with the chocolate soufflé and the panna cotta. YUM! I have debated getting the tiramisu and our server, Ferhat from Turkey brought it for us to try. Wow 3 desserts! They were all delicious!
I forgot to mention during dinner, we were paged once. DS was not having a good time in the nursery. I was worried that he wouldnt be entertained since most of the activities and toys in there were more geared towards infants and toddlers. When DH went down to check on him, he was playing with one of the CMs and was fine. Nevertheless, we promptly went to get him after dinner. When we went back, he was crying for us again. The CM he was playing with earlier, Ace had to leave. Apparently, they rotate staff in and out of the kids programs quite a bit depending on how busy they are in there. One of the CMs told us that he had just starting crying for us, when we got there. We noticed that the little ones were doing fine and but some of the older ones like DS seemed a little bored, most of them were watching television instead of playing. Our preference is always to have DS be actively playing rather than watching television.
By now, we were late for Toy Story, so we skipped it and headed to the Mickeys Mates to check out the souvenirs. DS decided he needed a new stuffed toy, which I promptly purchased, still feeling guilty about the whole nursery thing. He hammed it up for the CMs in the store and put on quite a show for them before we left for the lobby. There we found Minnie and Chip and Dale. We spent the next 30 minutes spending time with the characters and getting pictures. And DS had a great time meeting the characters.
As a last stop of the evening, we stopped by Shutters to pick up our photos. The staff at Shutters was great. Ian, one of the CMs spent time with my DS, to my surprise DS let Ian hold him and was laughing and carrying on conversation, while I was trying to pick out photographs. (If I can only get Ian to work the nursery. LOL) When we got back to our room, DS found a bunny towel sitting on the bed to his delight. Another night of trying to get a very excited DS to settle down for bed. It took a bit for him to wind down but once he was out, he was definitely down for the count!
There were not a lot of people up and about around 6:30 in the morning, so I really enjoyed walking around the ship with some quiet time. I walked all over the ship. Deck 4 is a wonderful place to just enjoy the view and lounge on the chairs. Other than a few joggers, deck 4 was pretty empty. Deck 9 had a few people that got up early to get coffee and do some reading. Deck 10 was a great place to just take in the view and have a nice stroll.
View of Nassau as we are coming into port
After a couple of hours, I went back down to get the boys. I woke them up right before our phone rang. DS picked up the phone; it was Mickey with the wake up call. DS was so excited that Mickey called him, he could hardly contain himself. While DH was getting ready, DS and I hung out on the verandah enjoying the view of the pretty bright yellow and purple port terminal building. Later, we went up to deck 10 to hang out until it was time to get off the boat. While we were waiting, we ran into this guy just goofing around the deck 10.
We had decided against the pricey Bahamas excursions and opted to do Nassau on our own since weve been to Nassau and have enjoyed Atlantis a couple of years ago. We got off the boat, got in a cab and headed to the Wyndham on Cable Beach about 15 minutes away. The cab ride was about $15.00 or you could take the public bus for a fraction of the cost of a cab. We didnt want to hassle with public transportation and decided to splurge for convenience. We bought our day pass at the Wyndham for $40.00 per adult which included a lunch buffet and use of their amenities, pools, beach, towels, and beach/pool floaties. The Front Desk manager gave us a personal tour and told us that our day pass also gave us access to the Sheraton, which is right next door. A nice surprise for us. We hung out at the beach at the Wyndham, where we practically had the beach to ourselves. Then, we went over to the Sheraton pool since they had a zero entry pool, which was great for our DS. And again, we had the pool to ourselves. The whole day was very relaxing and enjoyable. We hated to leave but it was way past nap time.
Sheraton Pool
The only downside is the lunch buffet at the Wyndham was quite disappointing. It was the only bad meal I had the entire trip. Although the food was not good, we would probably go back to the Wyndham again because we enjoyed the beach and the pools there so much and getting access to the Sheraton was a huge bonus.
Tonight was our dinner reservation at Palo. I was really looking forward to it since it got rave reviews from fellow DISers. We ordered room service for DS and got him ready for the drop off at Flounders. We took DS to Flounders Nursery with a bit of hesitation, grabbed our pager and headed upstairs to dinner. Dinner was lovely. The grilled shrimp appetizer was delicious. DH had the osso bucco and I had the beef tenderloin, both extremely tasty. We followed that with the chocolate soufflé and the panna cotta. YUM! I have debated getting the tiramisu and our server, Ferhat from Turkey brought it for us to try. Wow 3 desserts! They were all delicious!
I forgot to mention during dinner, we were paged once. DS was not having a good time in the nursery. I was worried that he wouldnt be entertained since most of the activities and toys in there were more geared towards infants and toddlers. When DH went down to check on him, he was playing with one of the CMs and was fine. Nevertheless, we promptly went to get him after dinner. When we went back, he was crying for us again. The CM he was playing with earlier, Ace had to leave. Apparently, they rotate staff in and out of the kids programs quite a bit depending on how busy they are in there. One of the CMs told us that he had just starting crying for us, when we got there. We noticed that the little ones were doing fine and but some of the older ones like DS seemed a little bored, most of them were watching television instead of playing. Our preference is always to have DS be actively playing rather than watching television.
By now, we were late for Toy Story, so we skipped it and headed to the Mickeys Mates to check out the souvenirs. DS decided he needed a new stuffed toy, which I promptly purchased, still feeling guilty about the whole nursery thing. He hammed it up for the CMs in the store and put on quite a show for them before we left for the lobby. There we found Minnie and Chip and Dale. We spent the next 30 minutes spending time with the characters and getting pictures. And DS had a great time meeting the characters.
As a last stop of the evening, we stopped by Shutters to pick up our photos. The staff at Shutters was great. Ian, one of the CMs spent time with my DS, to my surprise DS let Ian hold him and was laughing and carrying on conversation, while I was trying to pick out photographs. (If I can only get Ian to work the nursery. LOL) When we got back to our room, DS found a bunny towel sitting on the bed to his delight. Another night of trying to get a very excited DS to settle down for bed. It took a bit for him to wind down but once he was out, he was definitely down for the count!
disneynewbee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2004
- Messages
- 1,799
Can't wait to read more. We'll be taking our first cruise in November.
Narnia_girl
He's not a tame lion, but he is good.
- Joined
- May 11, 2009
- Messages
- 2,559
great report so far. I never knew the Wydham was an option. Thanks for that bit of info. Looking forward to the rest of the story......
RoyalVizier
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2006
- Messages
- 939
This is what my 16 year old daughter claims she's going to eat every single night of the cruise! She says DCL has the best mac & cheese on the planet.
This is one of the cruise highlights for me. No matter what, my body wakes me up between 6:15 and 6:30 every single morning so I love to take a wander of the ship at that time when there is still peace and serenity before everyone gets up and gets moving for the day.
Love the report! Looking forward to more...
I went for my usual morning stroll and watched as our ship approached Castaway Cay. It was drizzling slightly and pretty cloudy. Still a beautiful sight. This was the day that I was looking forward to the most, hanging out Castaway Cay.
After breakfast, we were ready to leave for the island. But the captain come on the speaker to let us know that we will have rain and that we might want to delay going on the island until the rain subsides. I did notice a lot of people did try to make a break for it. Some stayed out there and had the BBQ lunch, but most stayed on the boat. So, we went to the lobby and spent time with the characters, which was just fine by our DS. As we were waiting, Lilo and Stitch came over to say “hi”.
Mid morning, we made an attempt to go to Castaway Cay but it was raining too hard. I did manage to drop the postcards off at the post office. We went back in and just spent time exploring the ship and hanging out.
After lunch, we made another attempt, by then, the rain had subsided quite a bit and we were ready to stay on the island rain or shine. As we were leaving for the lobby, I noticed DS had a “Magical Moments” certificate from Stephanie, the CM from Mickey’s Mates. It seems the little show that DS put on the night before left an impression.
We were in luck. The rain stopped and sun finally came out. The captain was nice enough to move the all aboard time from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. We enjoyed a few hours in the afternoon just playing in the sand and water. By about 5:00, DS was completely tuckered out and could barely stay awake as we grabbed our last drink specials and headed back to the ship. We had to get back to be ready for Pirate Night! I squeezed in a quick trip to the store pick up a couple of Castaway Cay t-shirts.
We called to let our servers know we were going to be a little late to dinner and we made it there right around 6 p.m. with a tired and cranky DS in his pirate outfit. But Marco and Lito were ready with big smiles on their faces and told us to take our time, we are on vacation! “Not to worry! You are on vacation! Take your time and relax for dinner, we take care of everything”, they said. Aaaahhhh….you have to hand it to the CMs. The pirate menu was very cool. (If I can manage to, I’ll make an attempt to scan it. The paper is not standard size.) We had the crab cake and potsticker appetizers, and jerk chicken salad. Potstickers were for DS which he turned his nose at. The stinker! For dinner, I got the sirloin and DH got the shrimp and scallop pasta. Marco also brought us the macadamia nut dusted mahi mahi to try, that was delicious. I thought it was better than my sirloin. You gotta love our servers and assistant servers for taking such good care of us, letting us eat anything and everything we want. I hope my clothes fit me at the end of the cruise.
Between dinner and dessert, they did a quick pirate party show. The kids got to dance around the restaurant with the CMs and do the limbo. DS didn’t participate, too intimidating with all the noise and people he didn’t know. It was fun watching everyone have a great time.
For dessert, we got the Pirates of the Carribean sweet temptations, coconut rice pudding and an anniversary cake! Thank you to Anil, Marco and Lito!!! Lots of food, not enough room for it all. What did DS have for dinner? The answer is “What is mac and cheese”. And of course a little ice cream with sprinkles and marshmallows.
After we dropped our cake off in our room, we ran into Paul, our stateroom host who wanted to show his buddy, DS how to make an animal towel creation. DS loved the end result.
DS wanted to see the characters, so we skipped Disney’s Earth movie and headed back down to the lobby. The atrium was filled with excited kids because Mickey was there. We wasted no time and got in line. DS was vibrating with excitement over seeing all the characters over and over again.
Around 9:45 p.m. we headed up to deck 9 to check out the Pirate Party and decided to go up to deck 10 instead. I was concerned about the dance floor getting too crowded to be in there with our DS. We found a great spot on deck 10 to watch the show. This was definitely a great spot for families with younger children. There was lots of dancing at the pirate party and about 10:15 p.m. the characters started showing up and the fireworks started right around 10:30 p.m. DS could hardly contain himself. The best part for those of you with youngsters, the fireworks wasn’t as loud as those at MK. So DS loved it. I think the pirate party and fireworks was his favorite thing on the cruise along with the character greetings of course. And of course the elevators! Go figure, we spend all this money and he loves the elevator.
When we walked back down to deck 9, the “midnight” buffet had already started. Wow! What a spread! There were turkey legs, ice cream and all sorts of other goodies. We didn’t partake since we were still full from dinner with the 3 appetizers, 3 entrees and 3 desserts! But people were lined up ready to have a little late night snack.
After breakfast, we were ready to leave for the island. But the captain come on the speaker to let us know that we will have rain and that we might want to delay going on the island until the rain subsides. I did notice a lot of people did try to make a break for it. Some stayed out there and had the BBQ lunch, but most stayed on the boat. So, we went to the lobby and spent time with the characters, which was just fine by our DS. As we were waiting, Lilo and Stitch came over to say “hi”.
Mid morning, we made an attempt to go to Castaway Cay but it was raining too hard. I did manage to drop the postcards off at the post office. We went back in and just spent time exploring the ship and hanging out.
After lunch, we made another attempt, by then, the rain had subsided quite a bit and we were ready to stay on the island rain or shine. As we were leaving for the lobby, I noticed DS had a “Magical Moments” certificate from Stephanie, the CM from Mickey’s Mates. It seems the little show that DS put on the night before left an impression.
We were in luck. The rain stopped and sun finally came out. The captain was nice enough to move the all aboard time from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. We enjoyed a few hours in the afternoon just playing in the sand and water. By about 5:00, DS was completely tuckered out and could barely stay awake as we grabbed our last drink specials and headed back to the ship. We had to get back to be ready for Pirate Night! I squeezed in a quick trip to the store pick up a couple of Castaway Cay t-shirts.
We called to let our servers know we were going to be a little late to dinner and we made it there right around 6 p.m. with a tired and cranky DS in his pirate outfit. But Marco and Lito were ready with big smiles on their faces and told us to take our time, we are on vacation! “Not to worry! You are on vacation! Take your time and relax for dinner, we take care of everything”, they said. Aaaahhhh….you have to hand it to the CMs. The pirate menu was very cool. (If I can manage to, I’ll make an attempt to scan it. The paper is not standard size.) We had the crab cake and potsticker appetizers, and jerk chicken salad. Potstickers were for DS which he turned his nose at. The stinker! For dinner, I got the sirloin and DH got the shrimp and scallop pasta. Marco also brought us the macadamia nut dusted mahi mahi to try, that was delicious. I thought it was better than my sirloin. You gotta love our servers and assistant servers for taking such good care of us, letting us eat anything and everything we want. I hope my clothes fit me at the end of the cruise.
Between dinner and dessert, they did a quick pirate party show. The kids got to dance around the restaurant with the CMs and do the limbo. DS didn’t participate, too intimidating with all the noise and people he didn’t know. It was fun watching everyone have a great time.
For dessert, we got the Pirates of the Carribean sweet temptations, coconut rice pudding and an anniversary cake! Thank you to Anil, Marco and Lito!!! Lots of food, not enough room for it all. What did DS have for dinner? The answer is “What is mac and cheese”. And of course a little ice cream with sprinkles and marshmallows.
After we dropped our cake off in our room, we ran into Paul, our stateroom host who wanted to show his buddy, DS how to make an animal towel creation. DS loved the end result.
DS wanted to see the characters, so we skipped Disney’s Earth movie and headed back down to the lobby. The atrium was filled with excited kids because Mickey was there. We wasted no time and got in line. DS was vibrating with excitement over seeing all the characters over and over again.
Around 9:45 p.m. we headed up to deck 9 to check out the Pirate Party and decided to go up to deck 10 instead. I was concerned about the dance floor getting too crowded to be in there with our DS. We found a great spot on deck 10 to watch the show. This was definitely a great spot for families with younger children. There was lots of dancing at the pirate party and about 10:15 p.m. the characters started showing up and the fireworks started right around 10:30 p.m. DS could hardly contain himself. The best part for those of you with youngsters, the fireworks wasn’t as loud as those at MK. So DS loved it. I think the pirate party and fireworks was his favorite thing on the cruise along with the character greetings of course. And of course the elevators! Go figure, we spend all this money and he loves the elevator.
When we walked back down to deck 9, the “midnight” buffet had already started. Wow! What a spread! There were turkey legs, ice cream and all sorts of other goodies. We didn’t partake since we were still full from dinner with the 3 appetizers, 3 entrees and 3 desserts! But people were lined up ready to have a little late night snack.
DisneyMom1976
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2009
- Messages
- 77
Great trip report. I've really enjoyed it and so glad you all got a little rain free Castaway Cay.
Granny Hawkins
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2009
- Messages
- 187
Glad you had a GREAT time!
Nothing(to me anyway)like the first time you cross the bridge and see the ship!
Nothing(to me anyway)like the first time you cross the bridge and see the ship!
Yes, I don't know about your little one. But mine was a ball of energy the entire time. He was so excited, he would explode into spontaneous singing, jumping and running. It was great to see him have a really, really good time.
Only 519 more days till my next Disney Cruise!
DARN! You'll be back from your SECOND cruise before I even get to the packing part for mine..........
My DH doesn't know it yet, I'm trolling the various sights for deals in the fall.
I can’t believe we will be leaving the next day. The last few days went by too fast. I am going to miss seeing this every day.
After my morning quiet time on the ship, we had a leisurely breakfast at Triton’s to see our servers, and then took DS to the Oceaneer’s Club to play. Mickey was there helping the kids become Mousesketeers. We were there a good while with DS, while he played. From what I noticed, some of the CMs were great and attentive, while others weren’t as focused. There was a little boy that got dropped off who was just terrified and they had CMs holding him for over an hour to keep him calm. I hope next year when we come back, DS will have a different experience in the Oceaneer’s Club than he did in Flounder’s…keeping my fingers crossed.
We went back to our room before lunch; DS got a little card from Stephanie, the CM from Mickey’s Mates. She had sent him a personal note and made an origami penguin for him to play with, to match the penguin stuffed toy we bought him a couple of nights ago. What a nice surprise! And I have to say I love those personal touches which make our vacation special.
It was off to lunch at Parrot Cay which was a seafood buffet. Can you say YUM??!!!! I love shellfish! I have been known to sit at our dining room table hours after everyone else is done, eating pounds and pounds of shellfish. Crab legs, peel and eat shrimp, crawfish, fish and sushi. I ran upstairs to Pinocchio’s Pizzeria for pizza for DS since there wasn’t much of a kid’s selection for lunch. I filled my plate with crab legs, shrimp and salad. The sushi only looked ok, so I skipped it since I’m really particular about fish. I have to admit embarrassingly that I got "kicked" out of Parrot Cay. Well, technically, I didn't get kick out but they politely came by to let us know that the buffet was closing and that we should get our last fill. DH who incessantly ribs me about my love for shellfish HAD to tell everyone that I got "kicked" out of a restaurant on the Disney Cruise because of my love for shellfish.
The afternoon was spent trying to get DS down for a nap which was a total disaster; he was a wild man the entire trip and wanted to keep going until he dropped. While DH continued trying to get DS to nap, I ran to Promenade Lounge to log on and check in for our flights. It only took a few minutes and I was able to print the boarding passes. Easy, breezy. Finally, we relented and took him up to Mickey’s Splash Zone and he splashed to his little heart’s content. It rained on and off but nothing that would stop a little one from having fun.
As we were getting ready for dinner, the weather turned and the captain came on the loud speaker to inform us that we will have inclement weather. And we should be prepared for a little bumpiness that night. He would try to avoid the weather the best he can but we will probably be seeing lots of high waves. Hmm…it should be an interesting night.
DH went down to Triton’s a few minutes before I did and DS tuckered out right before dinner. When I got to Triton’s, I only saw DH sitting there and DS was no where to be seen at the table. I walked up to the table to see DS sleeping in a little makeshift bed. Marco, our server had made him a little bed. He put two chairs together, laid down several layers of table linens as a bed sheet and then put table linens over him as a blanket. WOW! If only they would do that for me too. Sleepy, I'll make you a bed right here, when you wake up, I'll get you something delicious to eat!
DS slept for an hour while we enjoyed our dinner leisurely. We started off with the escargot, followed by the lamb shank for DH and the duckling for me. Halfway through dinner, DS woke up a little cranky. I held him for a bit, and then DH held him. Anil, our head server came by and started to cut the lamb for DH, so he could eat while holding DS. Seriously??!! Will you guys please, please come home with me?? I could use this kind of service every night! This is why none of us can leave the Disney boat without shedding a tear. DS had his standard mac and cheese, side of fruit and vanilla ice cream. By now, he was in a great mood again. Amazing how a little food and ice cream will soothe a little monster. We topped this all off with the Grand Marnier soufflé, Crème Brulee and apple tart. Wheel me out please! Another good meal to get the rest of the evening going.
It’s the last night with characters and we were able to get in a relatively short line to see Minnie and Mickey. DS was so excited to be getting hugs and kisses from Mickey and Minnie, he was jumping up and down as we were leaving the atrium. We made our way to the theater for the “Dreams” show. Christiaan, the cruise director said that this show was the award winning show among all cruises, so we were definitely ready to see it. It did not disappoint. All the surprises they had built in were wonderful and DS absolutely loved the show. That probably was the most priceless part; to see his expressions and hear his laughter and exclamations of excitement throughout the show. Each time I think about it, I smile and it makes my day better.
After the show, we headed back to our room for me to finish last minute packing and get ready to set everything outside the door. Paul, our stateroom host came by to say goodbye because we had missed him all day and the next morning would be especially busy for him. He brought our picture matte that was signed by all the characters and also some gifts for DS including a “Magical Moments” certificate. We in turn gave Paul some small tokens of our appreciation in addition to his gratuity. He would have another couple of hours of work ahead of him that night and would be up early the next day, so we bid farewell. I was sad to have to say “goodbye” to Paul, but I hope we will have another opportunity to see him again. I know this sounds crazy, but in just 5 short days, I felt like he was extended family on the cruise.
DS and I headed downstairs for the farewell party but it was pretty chaotic down there, so I brought DS back upstairs to get some sleep. That probably wasn't one of my brightest ideas. He was too wired from the night’s activities and wouldn't go to sleep. Instead, he wanted to watch a movie. It was our last night, why not? He stayed up watching the Lion King and fell asleep shortly before we start feeling the big waves. We felt quite a bit of rolling but did manage to get some sleep. DS slept like a baby through the whole thing. We have the makings of a wonderful trip - plane ride, Mickey Mouse, a big boat, tropical depression, a private island, pirates, fireworks, laughter. All we are missing are some tears. That would definitely come later when we have to leave the ship.
After my morning quiet time on the ship, we had a leisurely breakfast at Triton’s to see our servers, and then took DS to the Oceaneer’s Club to play. Mickey was there helping the kids become Mousesketeers. We were there a good while with DS, while he played. From what I noticed, some of the CMs were great and attentive, while others weren’t as focused. There was a little boy that got dropped off who was just terrified and they had CMs holding him for over an hour to keep him calm. I hope next year when we come back, DS will have a different experience in the Oceaneer’s Club than he did in Flounder’s…keeping my fingers crossed.
We went back to our room before lunch; DS got a little card from Stephanie, the CM from Mickey’s Mates. She had sent him a personal note and made an origami penguin for him to play with, to match the penguin stuffed toy we bought him a couple of nights ago. What a nice surprise! And I have to say I love those personal touches which make our vacation special.
It was off to lunch at Parrot Cay which was a seafood buffet. Can you say YUM??!!!! I love shellfish! I have been known to sit at our dining room table hours after everyone else is done, eating pounds and pounds of shellfish. Crab legs, peel and eat shrimp, crawfish, fish and sushi. I ran upstairs to Pinocchio’s Pizzeria for pizza for DS since there wasn’t much of a kid’s selection for lunch. I filled my plate with crab legs, shrimp and salad. The sushi only looked ok, so I skipped it since I’m really particular about fish. I have to admit embarrassingly that I got "kicked" out of Parrot Cay. Well, technically, I didn't get kick out but they politely came by to let us know that the buffet was closing and that we should get our last fill. DH who incessantly ribs me about my love for shellfish HAD to tell everyone that I got "kicked" out of a restaurant on the Disney Cruise because of my love for shellfish.
The afternoon was spent trying to get DS down for a nap which was a total disaster; he was a wild man the entire trip and wanted to keep going until he dropped. While DH continued trying to get DS to nap, I ran to Promenade Lounge to log on and check in for our flights. It only took a few minutes and I was able to print the boarding passes. Easy, breezy. Finally, we relented and took him up to Mickey’s Splash Zone and he splashed to his little heart’s content. It rained on and off but nothing that would stop a little one from having fun.
As we were getting ready for dinner, the weather turned and the captain came on the loud speaker to inform us that we will have inclement weather. And we should be prepared for a little bumpiness that night. He would try to avoid the weather the best he can but we will probably be seeing lots of high waves. Hmm…it should be an interesting night.
DH went down to Triton’s a few minutes before I did and DS tuckered out right before dinner. When I got to Triton’s, I only saw DH sitting there and DS was no where to be seen at the table. I walked up to the table to see DS sleeping in a little makeshift bed. Marco, our server had made him a little bed. He put two chairs together, laid down several layers of table linens as a bed sheet and then put table linens over him as a blanket. WOW! If only they would do that for me too. Sleepy, I'll make you a bed right here, when you wake up, I'll get you something delicious to eat!
DS slept for an hour while we enjoyed our dinner leisurely. We started off with the escargot, followed by the lamb shank for DH and the duckling for me. Halfway through dinner, DS woke up a little cranky. I held him for a bit, and then DH held him. Anil, our head server came by and started to cut the lamb for DH, so he could eat while holding DS. Seriously??!! Will you guys please, please come home with me?? I could use this kind of service every night! This is why none of us can leave the Disney boat without shedding a tear. DS had his standard mac and cheese, side of fruit and vanilla ice cream. By now, he was in a great mood again. Amazing how a little food and ice cream will soothe a little monster. We topped this all off with the Grand Marnier soufflé, Crème Brulee and apple tart. Wheel me out please! Another good meal to get the rest of the evening going.
It’s the last night with characters and we were able to get in a relatively short line to see Minnie and Mickey. DS was so excited to be getting hugs and kisses from Mickey and Minnie, he was jumping up and down as we were leaving the atrium. We made our way to the theater for the “Dreams” show. Christiaan, the cruise director said that this show was the award winning show among all cruises, so we were definitely ready to see it. It did not disappoint. All the surprises they had built in were wonderful and DS absolutely loved the show. That probably was the most priceless part; to see his expressions and hear his laughter and exclamations of excitement throughout the show. Each time I think about it, I smile and it makes my day better.
After the show, we headed back to our room for me to finish last minute packing and get ready to set everything outside the door. Paul, our stateroom host came by to say goodbye because we had missed him all day and the next morning would be especially busy for him. He brought our picture matte that was signed by all the characters and also some gifts for DS including a “Magical Moments” certificate. We in turn gave Paul some small tokens of our appreciation in addition to his gratuity. He would have another couple of hours of work ahead of him that night and would be up early the next day, so we bid farewell. I was sad to have to say “goodbye” to Paul, but I hope we will have another opportunity to see him again. I know this sounds crazy, but in just 5 short days, I felt like he was extended family on the cruise.
DS and I headed downstairs for the farewell party but it was pretty chaotic down there, so I brought DS back upstairs to get some sleep. That probably wasn't one of my brightest ideas. He was too wired from the night’s activities and wouldn't go to sleep. Instead, he wanted to watch a movie. It was our last night, why not? He stayed up watching the Lion King and fell asleep shortly before we start feeling the big waves. We felt quite a bit of rolling but did manage to get some sleep. DS slept like a baby through the whole thing. We have the makings of a wonderful trip - plane ride, Mickey Mouse, a big boat, tropical depression, a private island, pirates, fireworks, laughter. All we are missing are some tears. That would definitely come later when we have to leave the ship.
We got up early this morning because we had early seating for breakfast at 7 a.m. back at Tritons. Paul was already up ready to start getting the rooms ready for the next guests. He came by to let us know we can leave our bags in the room until breakfast is over if we didnt have to get to land quickly. LOVE HIM! (I made sure that I raved about him and mentioned both our server and assistant server in the comment cards. If only they would give me a little more paper ) We thanked him and headed for breakfast. I noticed the pace had picked up quite a bit this morning and mentioned to Marco that there seemed pretty busy. He said they only had 30 minutes to get breakfast to us and get ready for the next group for breakfast and then prep for lunch at 11:30 a.m. So thats why everyone is hustling and bustling. We both ordered a light breakfast and both Marco and Lito were concerned that we werent getting enough to eat. We assured them we were just fine. We were still full from them stuffing us to the brim the night before. We said our good byes and up to Shutters to get our pictures, doing everything we could to postpone leaving the ship.
Finally, I went to get our bags while DH hung out with DS in the atrium. I was very tempted to grab the family and hide under the bed and hope no one discovers us until the ship has sailed.
One last look around and we leave the ship feeling a little sad that our trip is coming to an end. DS gave a CM with a big Mickey glove a high five and said, Mommy, I live on the Mickey boat. I feel a little embarrassed but I have to say I felt a little like crying. We had so much fun and DS loved being on the boat, it was hard to leave.
There was no line to disembark and we found our luggage with no problem. We walked out of the terminal and hopped on the Budget shuttle. In a few minutes, we were at Budget picking up our rent car and headed to Downtown Disney to hang out for a few hours before our flight leaves. On our drive, my phone rings, its the shuttle driver for Country Inn & Suites. He didnt see us at the terminal and wanted to make sure that we got a ride. Now, thats really nice!
We made great time to Downtown Disney since there was not much traffic. DS ran around, rode the train and the carousel and we had a quick lunch. Before we knew it, it was time to catch our flight.
The trip was amazing. I was skeptical about cruises before I got on this one but I was a huge Disney fan. At the end of this trip, I am completely sold on Disney cruising. I can do this A LOT!
Thanks to everyone on this site. You have been so generous with your advice, suggestions and information. All your kind words, reassurances to first time cruisers and positive attitudes add to the Disney magic. We all need a little magic in our lives. And you all are completely right. We didnt get to do everything but we had so much fun, no matter what we did.
I want to give a special thank you to all the CMs on board. Their hard work is what makes our vacation special. We noticed the long hours they put in and how they do it all with such pride and care. I am so impressive no matter how busy they are, they take a moment to stop and say something nice to brighten our day or do something extra to make our day even more special. Even with the long grueling hours and amount of work they have, they manage to do all this with a smile to make our days the best it can be while we are on the cruise. They are the army and magic behind the Mouse!
Finally, I went to get our bags while DH hung out with DS in the atrium. I was very tempted to grab the family and hide under the bed and hope no one discovers us until the ship has sailed.
One last look around and we leave the ship feeling a little sad that our trip is coming to an end. DS gave a CM with a big Mickey glove a high five and said, Mommy, I live on the Mickey boat. I feel a little embarrassed but I have to say I felt a little like crying. We had so much fun and DS loved being on the boat, it was hard to leave.
There was no line to disembark and we found our luggage with no problem. We walked out of the terminal and hopped on the Budget shuttle. In a few minutes, we were at Budget picking up our rent car and headed to Downtown Disney to hang out for a few hours before our flight leaves. On our drive, my phone rings, its the shuttle driver for Country Inn & Suites. He didnt see us at the terminal and wanted to make sure that we got a ride. Now, thats really nice!
We made great time to Downtown Disney since there was not much traffic. DS ran around, rode the train and the carousel and we had a quick lunch. Before we knew it, it was time to catch our flight.
The trip was amazing. I was skeptical about cruises before I got on this one but I was a huge Disney fan. At the end of this trip, I am completely sold on Disney cruising. I can do this A LOT!
Thanks to everyone on this site. You have been so generous with your advice, suggestions and information. All your kind words, reassurances to first time cruisers and positive attitudes add to the Disney magic. We all need a little magic in our lives. And you all are completely right. We didnt get to do everything but we had so much fun, no matter what we did.
I want to give a special thank you to all the CMs on board. Their hard work is what makes our vacation special. We noticed the long hours they put in and how they do it all with such pride and care. I am so impressive no matter how busy they are, they take a moment to stop and say something nice to brighten our day or do something extra to make our day even more special. Even with the long grueling hours and amount of work they have, they manage to do all this with a smile to make our days the best it can be while we are on the cruise. They are the army and magic behind the Mouse!
We don't sail for another 5 months & I'm already dreading the end of the trip!
I need to be sure and enjoy every minute of it while there...and find a way to get the husband to rebook while we're on there!
I need to be sure and enjoy every minute of it while there...and find a way to get the husband to rebook while we're on there!
We don't sail for another 5 months & I'm already dreading the end of the trip!
I need to be sure and enjoy every minute of it while there...and find a way to get the husband to rebook while we're on there!
Pixie dust for you!
I convinced DH to do it. But it wasn't hard after he was on the cruise. He had a great time. And you can't beat the 10% discount and OBCs from Disney and if you assign to TA, the TA can also give OBCs on top of that. Good luck!1. First day onboard can be hectic. So, plan your time wisely. Definitely go early to make any dining reservations changes.
2. Staterooms open at 1:30 p.m. You can go and drop off your carry-ons and check out your room.
3. Decorate your door and participate in Fish Extenders, its fun!
4. Spend the extra time at home to individually package up fish extenders with names and stateroom# labels on the bags saved so much time. It was well worth planning ahead.
5. For Nassau, if you just want to use a pool and go to the beach, do it yourself. It’s much more affordable. Hotels sell day passes.
6. Spend a few minutes getting to know your servers, assistant servers and stateroom hosts. They are your “extended” family these few days and can make a huge difference in your experience onboard. And they all have really interesting stories.
7. If you are an early riser, talk a nice walk in the morning. You can have deck 10 and deck 4 pretty much to yourself. I loved doing this each morning on my first cruise and look forward to doing it again in September.
8. I LOVE food and have been known to plan my vacations around meals. Although the food on the cruise was not memorable, I still had a great time.
9. I love the verandah, but didn’t enjoy the smell from the smokers. Next time, I’ll be luckier and have no smoking neighbors.
10. Shutters will print the pictures without their customized borders. Wish I knew this before we disembarked.
11. Photo releases from Shutters can be done online – pre and post cruise.
12. Stop at Publix and pick up water, diapers, alcohol anything you didn’t want to pack on the plane.
13. Not every child is happy in the nursery. DS did not enjoy his experience there.
14. Shoe organizer was a huge space saver – thank you to whoever came up with that idea.
15. We really didn’t need a stroller for the cruise. Glad we didn’t pack it after a long debate about it.
16. Rental car is great for the flexibility and its affordability.
17. As a person who has to be connected on all the time, I was surprised that I really didn’t miss my laptop or blackberry while I was on the cruise. There was just too much to do.
18. Don’t stress about doing everything on the list that you want to do, trust me, you won’t get to it all. But you will still have a great time.
19. Getting off the ship on the last day was much harder than I thought.
20. We felt the motion of the boat, days after we got off the ship.
2. Staterooms open at 1:30 p.m. You can go and drop off your carry-ons and check out your room.
3. Decorate your door and participate in Fish Extenders, its fun!
4. Spend the extra time at home to individually package up fish extenders with names and stateroom# labels on the bags saved so much time. It was well worth planning ahead.
5. For Nassau, if you just want to use a pool and go to the beach, do it yourself. It’s much more affordable. Hotels sell day passes.
6. Spend a few minutes getting to know your servers, assistant servers and stateroom hosts. They are your “extended” family these few days and can make a huge difference in your experience onboard. And they all have really interesting stories.
7. If you are an early riser, talk a nice walk in the morning. You can have deck 10 and deck 4 pretty much to yourself. I loved doing this each morning on my first cruise and look forward to doing it again in September.
8. I LOVE food and have been known to plan my vacations around meals. Although the food on the cruise was not memorable, I still had a great time.
9. I love the verandah, but didn’t enjoy the smell from the smokers. Next time, I’ll be luckier and have no smoking neighbors.
10. Shutters will print the pictures without their customized borders. Wish I knew this before we disembarked.
11. Photo releases from Shutters can be done online – pre and post cruise.
12. Stop at Publix and pick up water, diapers, alcohol anything you didn’t want to pack on the plane.
13. Not every child is happy in the nursery. DS did not enjoy his experience there.
14. Shoe organizer was a huge space saver – thank you to whoever came up with that idea.
15. We really didn’t need a stroller for the cruise. Glad we didn’t pack it after a long debate about it.
16. Rental car is great for the flexibility and its affordability.
17. As a person who has to be connected on all the time, I was surprised that I really didn’t miss my laptop or blackberry while I was on the cruise. There was just too much to do.
18. Don’t stress about doing everything on the list that you want to do, trust me, you won’t get to it all. But you will still have a great time.
19. Getting off the ship on the last day was much harder than I thought.
20. We felt the motion of the boat, days after we got off the ship.
Great TR!How exciting you are going back so soon. Was the shuttle from airport to Country Inn provided by the hotel?
Thank you. I enjoyed doing the trip report. It's my way of journaling all our trips. I do it for almost every trip we did since DS was born but have just never posted it before. I can't wait to go back. I see you are headed for MVMCP. I really enjoyed it last year! It was so magical at the parks.
Country Inn only provided us a shuttle to and from the port for $4/person. We got a car service to take us from the airport to the hotel and got a one way rental car on the way back. Country Inn does provide complimentary shuttle service to take their guests to local restaurants in the port.
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