3 Families doin' a Surf & Turf Trip! AKL CL & Dream...Good-Byes

[StitchIsOurHero]

Love this update!! We are very excited about Pirate Night!!

 

[hstrickland]

We have had a Royal Room booked for about 6 months! I am waiting VERY impatiently for a mini-TR about your Royal Room stay!

Hmmmmmm.....I knew that, didn't I? Glad you're a patient person I'm really trying to get this TR done, but Photobucket doesn't always cooperate with me. Sometimes it takes days for the edited pics to transfer and show up....crazy. I actually uploaded the remaining pics last night. Anyway...POR is so neat...loved it. The landscape is beautiful! I would certainly return for a long weekend.

Loved the pirate night update. Everything looks so fun! They had a pirate night on our Alaska cruise, and we did meet Jack Sparrow and Pirate Stitch, but Willow was too tired to stay up for the real pirate party, so I'm hoping we might see more of the festivities this year.

They actually did lots in the Oceaneers Club...a total pirate adventure for those kids. It was fun just to get dressed up

Can I just day how much I love that your dad dresses up? His grandkids must get such a kick out of that. What wonderful memories they'll have with him!

We are blessed for sure. And he loves it! The kids have come to expect it...if he didn't, there would be some disappointed grandchildren.

Pirate dinner looks like fun! It seems like your servers really added something special to your trip!

Kids should always watch fireworks with chocolate on their faces. Those photos are the epitome of 'vacation'.

Yeah....the servers were wonderful. I guess they could really make or break a trip, ya know. Of course my family members are big talkers, so the waiters really didn't have an option but to talk back

Love this update!! We are very excited about Pirate Night!!

Have you gathered your pirate attire, yet?? Your son will certainly love it. I was asking Faith yesterday about the best part of Pirate Night and she said it was the kids club "because we saw Stitch and Jack Sparrow and made Pirate treats and had face painting and sang Pirate songs!" Happy planning!!

 

[Pinkocto]

Heather, you guys didn't stay up for the dance party!? That was my favorite part of pirate night you must go cruising gain!

Great update, loved all the costumes

 

[2xcited2sleep]

What a fun update! Love all the costumes! Look at you with the tattoos... very cute! I'm surprised Pop didn't grow a beard again for this but he still looked very pirate-y. Argh!

Looking forward to a day at Castaway Cay!

 

[amandaw]

Y'all look great for pirate night!! I was so looking forward to getting Reid an appt. @ BBB on the Fantasy for pirates night (they do Pirates League in the BBB on those nights). But, I just read that all the appts are already booked for that night on our cruise. Oh well - at least I have his Cpt. Hook costume from the MNSSHP.

Looks like y'all had a lot of fun at dinner. And that's great that Stephen got to celebrate his bday! So fun!! All of the food looks so good! I don't know how I'll choose between the potstickers and the crab cake. YUM!

 

[hstrickland]

Heather, you guys didn't stay up for the dance party!? That was my favorite part of pirate night you must go cruising gain!

Great update, loved all the costumes

Dance party??!! After the 10:30pm Fireworks?! I would have never made it!!! One thing you are right about....I MUST go cruising (with Disney) again!! Looked at some dates for October and November, but the dates don't work for our school breaks.

What a fun update! Love all the costumes! Look at you with the tattoos... very cute! I'm surprised Pop didn't grow a beard again for this but he still looked very pirate-y. Argh!

Looking forward to a day at Castaway Cay!

Why didn't Pop have a beard??? Oh yes....now I remember. My mother forbid him from growing one since we were having family pictures made He wanted to...I can assure you.

Y'all look great for pirate night!! I was so looking forward to getting Reid an appt. @ BBB on the Fantasy for pirates night (they do Pirates League in the BBB on those nights). But, I just read that all the appts are already booked for that night on our cruise. Oh well - at least I have his Cpt. Hook costume from the MNSSHP.

Looks like y'all had a lot of fun at dinner. And that's great that Stephen got to celebrate his bday! So fun!! All of the food looks so good! I don't know how I'll choose between the potstickers and the crab cake. YUM!

Always nice to 'recycle' costumes! I've been doing it for years I can't tell you how many years we've been pirates and princesses.

And don't worry about choosing between appetizers on the cruise....you can have BOTH! Eat and be merry!

 

[hstrickland]

Day 9
Castaway Cay –Part 1
(prepare yourself for a VERY picture heavy post(s))


Just some FYI…we have tons of pictures from this particular day. And quite frankly I just couldn’t post a few. The weather was perfect; the aqua water was unbelievable; the kids (and adults) had a blast….so….you get the not-so-edited version of a day on Castaway Cay



Let’s start with the map. Just a random thought, but one of the reasons we loved the location of our stateroom is because we could see CC. Our room is more towards the aft, so dad and I got some great shots from the verandah.

The list of activities that are available on CC are endless….there’s something for everyone. Really! This a sample of activities offered....click on link below


List of Possible Activities and Times




When I awakened from my very deep sleep, the Dream was making her way into CC. I could not believe the weather! As you know, the previous days were a bit rainy.

Apparently they back into the dock (fortunately for us)

I couldn’t believe it…my sister’s family was actually awake! Stephanie always reminds me that vacation is for resting….NOT getting up at the crack of dawn like me

Very cool to watch the ship make her way in.

(see...I told ya....lots of scenic pictures)

Before I knew it, the kids were already dressed and ready to go! .... definitely my children.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat. Notice we aren’t sitting by the window….apparently others had the same idea that we did. Wake up early and be the first on the beach!

After breakfast we had some time to kill (couldn’t get off the ship until 8:30am) so I decided to put on the zoom lens and get a few more shots from the verandah.

Of course I’m still in complete shock about the weather!! It’s absolutely perfect!! 8:30 won’t get here soon enough!

Very shortly we would be walking/riding across the bridge!

No more waiting….we’re heading down!



Continued on the next post!...



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[hstrickland]

Continued from previous post….



The Dream is even more beautiful with the sun shining on it! Check out the guys washing her. DON'T want that job!

When we (my family) got off the ship, Donald was nowhere to be found (he’s so cute in his beach attire, isn’t he) Stephanie and crew lucked out. Interestingly enough…I found that many times when the characters appeared on the island, there wasn’t a photographer. Not sure why.

You can opt to walk over but it is quite the haul. I would recommend riding the tram if you have small children

Not real sure what Faith is doing in this picture....she's just a little excited about CC

While riding over, I continued to snap pictures!

You can see people walking in this picture. We found, too, that the trams are fairly quick. I don’t remember waiting for any great length of time.

Up next….. Pop and MaHopie take their turn at PARASAILING!



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[amandaw]

Your pictures are so lovely!! I can't wait to see the rest of your CC pictures. It is really such a lovely island. I can't wait to be back there!

 

[jennyjinx3]

Wow Heather, I cannot get over the color of that water...so beautiful. I know when we arrive there it will be surreal. And I really really want to do the parasailing...so I can't wait for the next update! BTW your kids are just so precious.

 

[shan23877]

Beautiful pictures! I love the perspective of the ones from the verandah. I've never seen all of Castaway Cay like that!

Can't wait to hear what you guys thought of your day!

 

[hstrickland]

Your pictures are so lovely!! I can't wait to see the rest of your CC pictures. It is really such a lovely island. I can't wait to be back there!

Thanks Wish I were back there myself! The low was 28 degrees this morning....not the kind of weather that I really enjoy. Basking in the sun on CCs beach sounds perfect right now. I've been trying to find a really short cruise (Disney, of course) that corresponds with our school breaks but no such luck. Since we're only 4 hours away from Port Canaveral, driving down the day-of for a 3 or 4 day cruise would be perfect. Oh well....I'll have to revert to Plan B.

Wow Heather, I cannot get over the color of that water...so beautiful. I know when we arrive there it will be surreal. And I really really want to do the parasailing...so I can't wait for the next update! BTW your kids are just so precious.

Thanks, Jen. Pictures really don't do CC justice. I would totally love a cruise that incorporated 3 days at this place! If Photobucket will ever cooperate with me, I'll post the parasailing pics. My parents loved it!! And dad got some awesome shots while up in the air.

Beautiful pictures! I love the perspective of the ones from the verandah. I've never seen all of Castaway Cay like that!

Can't wait to hear what you guys thought of your day!

Lots more CC pics to come I finally got my POR pics uploaded yesterday...trying to finish this TR so I can move on to another one I'm assuming you'll be doing one of your July trip...and it's POR for yall, too, right?

 

[rustytss]

Ivy lost a tooth while on the cruise. Im thinking that Stephanie told one of the CMs and they did something special&cant remember exactly. Maybe she can tell us.

Yes, we just told concierge after the Magic show (when the tooth came out). When we got to the room there was a pin and note for her. I actually bought some tinker bell stuff too and ran up to the room before the pirate party to add to what they left, so that when we got back in the room that night it looked like tinker bell dropped the stuff off. Ivy claimed that tinker bell knew the tooth fairy since they are both fairies.

 

[WDWaddictt]

I absolutely loved CC!! If I could book a trip to just there, that would be a dream!

We had Daisy to meet and greet us when we went instead of Donald.

 

[amandaw]

Thanks Wish I were back there myself! The low was 28 degrees this morning....not the kind of weather that I really enjoy. Basking in the sun on CCs beach sounds perfect right now. I've been trying to find a really short cruise (Disney, of course) that corresponds with our school breaks but no such luck. Since we're only 4 hours away from Port Canaveral, driving down the day-of for a 3 or 4 day cruise would be perfect. Oh well....I'll have to revert to Plan B.

I hear ya! I'm always trying to plan "extra" trips. I looked into a few of the Disney cruises going out of Galveston. But none of them made me really want to book. There was a local news story here yesterday that the CEO of the port of New Orleans sat down with the head DCL people, trying to lure them to sail out of New Orleans. Evidently, New Orleans is building a new terminal that will be ready after 2014 & they want Disney to dock there. OMG! I would be in heaven!! But, with my luck, it probably won't come to fruition.

 

[hstrickland]

I absolutely loved CC!! If I could book a trip to just there, that would be a dream!

We had Daisy to meet and greet us when we went instead of Donald.

Can you imagine?! A cruise to Castaway Cay...sounds great to me. Sleep on the ship at night.....private cabanas during the day I was recently looking for cruises with 2 days at CC but couldn't find any...maybe I missed something.

 

[jennyjinx3]

Can you imagine?! A cruise to Castaway Cay...sounds great to me. Sleep on the ship at night.....private cabanas during the day I was recently looking for cruises with 2 days at CC but couldn't find any...maybe I missed something.

There is one!
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/reservations/customize?execution=e3s4

Nov 13, 2014 if that link doesn't work! I was trying to talk DH into this even though we haven't even been on our first cruise yet!

 

[Pinkocto]

More please! I love CC

There's another double dip on 10/20/13 leaving from Miami.

 

[pas130]

There is one!
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/reservations/customize?execution=e3s4

Nov 13, 2014 if that link doesn't work! I was trying to talk DH into this even though we haven't even been on our first cruise yet!

This is a cruise I can live with Jen

SO much $$$

Heather...parasailing pics..

 

[MEK]

I will be cruising for the first time in October so I just skimmed through your TR. Thanks for all the great links. I honestly can't wait to see Castaway Cay. It looks so amazing. Really enjoying all your pictures!