A long time ago on a Fantasy far far away...Feb 2016 SWDAS TR, 5/17 CRUISE EPILOGUE - The End!

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

I love your dress and all the pics!! I love the pasta as well and the sundae too! How did CS like the couch bed? I've often wondered how it compared since the normal bed is so heavenly soft!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Just found your report and love it!

Thank you and welcome!!

Another awesome update! I love that dress, absolutely fabulous!

Those little animators palette knives are so cute aren't they?

Thank you!!! The dress was comfy and flattering and that's exactly what matters to me! The knives are so cute! I was wondering why I didn't pick more up, they make good gifts!

I love your dress and all the pics!! I love the pasta as well and the sundae too! How did CS like the couch bed? I've often wondered how it compared since the normal bed is so heavenly soft!

Thank you!! CS thought the couch bed was comfy! I sat in it too and I was surprised at it's softness. It's oviously not like a thick fluffy mattress but she said they do a good job of padding it a bit to make it more bed-like during the turndown. It definitely is not like those sofa beds which have the thin spring mattresses. Those are awful!

 

[natebenma]

Day 1 Part 3: The worst cruise photo ever! Plus, dinner at Royal Court!

Deck 4 was pretty empty at this time, either people were going to the welcome show in the theater or were at first dinner seating which started at 5:45pm.

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What a great photo of the deck!

OK, so now we're at the backdrop with the ship in the background. And we just can't contain it any longer. I give you...the worst cruise picture ever...


*SNIP*

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What a riot!!! Sometimes the pictures that are the worst become favorites, if you know what I mean. They bring back memories that make you smile.

BTW- how did DH get out of having to do the glamour poses???

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These pictures are awesome!!!

Thanks for the food porn. It did not disappoint.

After dinner, I really wanted to check out the adult bar areas so we headed to the Europa section on Deck 4. This place is amazing. There are different bars, all interconnected, each one with a different and unique theme. Tonight we visited Skyline Lounge first, where every 12 minutes a different European skyline scene will be displayed on the screens. When we arrived, it was Paris.

Cool!


I ordered a cocktail - I can't remember which one it was though but I told them I wanted something fruity and not too sweet. It had a citrus-passionfruit-y taste and was really good. There was a small jug of prosecco that you pour into the top of the cocktail so that it kind of bubbles and fizzes.

Cooler!


Want to see a special Disney touch? In each of the scenes, it's not completely still, there are digital "people" in each city scape walking around. It's really cool. Oh and because it's Star Wars Day at Sea? They were all JEDI. I just about died.

Can you see the Jedi???

This was just the most magical touch!


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Coolest!
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Lobster?

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I think so.

 

[chunkymonkey]

What a great photo of the deck!

Thanks!!

What a riot!!! Sometimes the pictures that are the worst become favorites, if you know what I mean. They bring back memories that make you smile.

BTW- how did DH get out of having to do the glamour poses???

They were hilarious. We were laughing so hard, I think the photographer just gave up and took the pictures. The ones where we were on the floor...my sister was lauging hysterically that she rolled over on her back, which led me to have uncontrollable laughter too. You know, I have no idea where DH went but he took one look at those cruise backdrops and he's like, um, no. He probably was just hanging out in the atrium enjoying the live music.

These pictures are awesome!!!

Thanks!

Thanks for the food porn. It did not disappoint.

Lots more coming up!

 

[kastoney]

Love the "cool" pictures with Anna and Elsa. That combined with all the other characters you found my daughter would be in Disney heaven.

Laughing out loud at your post mixology video. I can't fathom having that many different drinks in such short order. I'm surprised you were even able to get up the stairs. Though it did look like a great experience.

Artists Palatte looks delicious and the ambiance amazing. Of course I'm a sucker for all things truffle but all the apps and entrees looked delicious. And crush to boot. What fun. And love your dress. I gather you don't have to do the formal thing (says the woman who loathes getting dressed up)?

 

[natebenma]

I forgot to mention that my sister and I did try the Aquaduck water slide the first day, and it was really fun! It was easy to get in the tube at the top, although it was hard to get out of the tube when you reach the bottom, at least not elegantly. I kept laughing because my sister was screaming like a madwoman the whole way down. And of course we had to do it again!

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I wondered about that and was going to ask. I have heard that the first day, or port days are the least crowded times on the Aquaduck.

Sounds like a fantastic morning.

The Rainforest Rooms looks really nice. I'm not much of a spa person, but I think I could enjoy a lot of what is offered there. A sauna with a view? Awesome!!! Heated napping loungers? I'd like to give that a try because I don't nap well, either.

How far was it for you to get to the Rainforest Room from your stateroom? I can definitely see the advantage of using the different cool showers there.

Bummer about being disappointed with the Dooney bag. And the missing pins. But, Free Stuff!

 

[natebenma]

The pictures from the Remy brunch just blew me away. Wow!!!

I love, love, love the mango cup (and its contents)

Every single thing looked awesome!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Day 3 Part 1: It's Cozumel day! Our plan is no plan!

Today was our first port day at Cozumel! I had seen in the Navigator the night before that Senses Spa was offering some of their sampler specials for port days so one of the first things I did was call to see if there was any availability. They did not have many times for today but they did have 3 appointments for tomorrow morning. Since we wouldn't be docking at Grand Cayman until late morning it was a good time for us! I booked us for 75 minute treatments at the spa. I think the cost was 139 pp which is a good deal considering their regular prices.

Today I wanted to try having breakfast at a dining room and not at Cabanas. We knew Royal Court was open so we headed there for breakfast before leaving the ship.

Right before breakfast I got this shot at the SWDAS backdrop. There was a rope around it when there wasn't a Shutters photographer there to take pictures, which was pretty much only in the evenings. I wonder why they did that but I guess it's to prevent people from climbing all over it and potentially damaging it.

At Royal Court it is open seating, meaning you aren't at your assigned tables. There is still table service although your servers will be different. We got to sit in the main part of the room. I did actually like it better even though it was a bit noisier.

We didn't get our regular servers for breakfast because of the set up. I wasn't super hungry so I just ordered yogurt and oatmeal. Although I was deciding between the following yogurt blends and I ended up getting both:

Mango Mountain Hike
fresh blend of mangoes, honey, granola and low-fat yogurt

Mornin' Tug Boat
fresh blend of strawberries, bananas, almonds, raisin granola and low-fat yogurt

The yogurts were blended with the granola so it gave it a nice texture. I rather enjoyed these! Can't remember what DH and CS ordered but it was your pretty basic eggs and bacon deal.

So, I have to admit that when booking and planning for this cruise that the ports were not my main focus. I honestly was more into Star Wars Day at Sea and everything else on board the ship. In addition to booking the cruise and all our meals, I also had to plan out our flights, transportation, hotel etc. So I gave DH and CS the responsibility of planning out our port days. I wasn't really into any of the DCL excursions and wanted something just low-key. Guess what they came up with? Pretty much close to nothing!!! Of course, how could I let the non-planners plan anything?!?

Well, DH did do a little research on some restaurants that we could go to in Cozumel. He did this right before we left port and still had WiFi.

So our lack of a plan today was to just walk around the the downtown San Miguel area, go to the Mega market, and have lunch somewhere. I guess that is now our official plan!

After covering ourselves with bug spray (we did not take those Zika virus warnings lightly), we disembarked the ship! DH and I have been to Cozumel before, but we were at an all inclusive resort many years ago so didn't really spend that much time at the downtown area.

The Fantasy is such a gorgeous ship!

Taken from the 2nd floor of the pier/terminal:

The port is pretty much your touristy Caribbean destination, with Hooters, and Starbucks as headliners.

We weren't exactly sure where the Mega was, so we asked one of the terminal workers who pointed us in one direction. I believe when you walk off the ship you want to head right. It was a very short walk to get there.

Inside it looked like a Walmart Supercenter, but I think it was a little nicer than Walmart.

I finally bought some Kinder eggs! I was going to bring them back home for my nieces! I hope they let us in with them back at Port Canaveral since they are illegal in the US. I also got some local Mexican snacks - chips n stuff like that.

After leaving the Mega we walked in the other direction towards some of the shopping. I passed by this little cart selling some sort of icy treats.

Some guy had purchased what looked like a creamy banana shake, he saw me looking at it and told me it was really good and if I would like one. I said sure! So he spoke Spanish to the cart owner and soon enough I had my own...creamy banana concoction. I cannot tell you what was in there. But I think it is smashed banana, condensed milk, ice, some other stuff. Maybe cream or milk. It was topped with some cinnamon.

It was creamy and sweet, but cold at the same time, great for the Mexican heat. I've never had anything like it so I was really happy to try something very local!

We walked around for a bit ducking into any stores that looked interesting. It was your typical stores you'd find at most cruise ports, a mixture of high end jewerly, as well as the cheap tourist souvenir places.

Is this a donkey or a mule?

Pretty soon, we got a little hot and tired of walking around. All I could think about was going back to sit in the Rainforest Room! However, we did want to eat some Mexican food so we ended up at a restaurant that was on DH's short list. The restaurant was about a block from the main avenue where all the shops were. I cannot remember what it was called but it was a 2 story open air spot. We sat on the 2nd floor.

The prices were very reasonable especially for alcohol. DH got a Blue Hawaiian:

CS got some sort of Sangria which I'm convinced didn't actually have any alcohol in it.

I got some weird beer mix...a can of beer served with a glass on the side. The glass had a mix of sauces in it and you pour the beer in the glass. It was an interesting savory/tangy taste. it tasted like a bloody mary with a beer, without the tomato juice. I wasn't sure I liked it but it did grow on me and I always order the weirdest sounding thing on a menu especially when I'm traveling. It's fun to try new things!

We got the requisite chips n pico de gallo. Yum!

I ordered shrimp tacos

My sister got coconut shrimp

And DH got fish tacos. Sorry for the blurry pic!

The food was good and tasty, and really affordable. I think lunch for 3 including our drinks was around 30 bucks.

After lunch we walked back to the ship. We got some nice pictures on the way.

There was an NCL ship here as well today. But our ship is 100x better looking, obviously.

My sister walked ahead of us and said she was going to Starbucks to get some WiFi. So DH and I walked slower and enjoyed the scenery.

Right before we got into the terminal we too decided to go to Starbucks so imagine my surprise when we walk in and don't see my sister anywhere. I looked around the patio outside and in the surrounding stores. Hmm, I wonder where she could be.

We ordered some iced coffees and sat with our phones checking our emails and texting people back home. I tried to text my sister thinking she had found another place with WiFi but didn't hear back. I was not too worried but I was thinking about what to tell my parents if my sister didn't get on the boat...captured by Mexican drug lords? Sold into cruise line slavery? Selfie stick-induced drowning? Hahaha.

After about a half hour DH and I left Startbucks, with still no sign of CS and just walked back to the ship. Maybe she changed her mind and went back early?

Our beautiful ship!

It was nice to get out of the heat, so we changed into our bathing suits and headed up to Deck 11. I got some ice cream too!

My daily ritual

And since we were right by Cabanas, DH said he wanted some crab claws so we went to get our 2nd lunch. It was here that we finally heard from CS. She was taking pictures with her selfie stick and it broke again! So she went to find another one but she didn't like any she saw so she came back to the ship. So much for Starbucks! Soon she joined us at Cabanas too.

I grazed the buffet. I saw they had sushi though, which was pretty cool as it's one of my favorite foods. Not good sushi by any means, but hey, I don't have much choice.

CS and DH had a few of theses:

CS and I were really smitten with this rum raisin bread pudding. It was delicious!!

OK now that we're finally full, we all headed to the Rainforest room!!

Coming up...The Rainforest Room, Pirate Night pics, and the most decadent Remy dinner!
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[bcwife76]

Haha, we always hit a Mega when we're in Mexico, no matter where we are. I love just going up and down all the aisles, no idea why And I have to agree, it's always cleaner than pretty much any Walmart!

That looks like a tasty lunch and quite the bargain! Not sure about your beer though

Glad to hear CS didn't disappear!

Gosh....if you see the Fantasy (or let's face it, ANY Disney ship in port) it's always the most grand, most beautiful ship there. Makes all the other cruises jealous!!

 

[distherapy]

Loving your report!

Your beer drink looks like a Michelada - one of my husband's favorites. He ordered one on our excursion on our SWDAS trip a couple of weeks ago and the guide couldn't believe it. He said Americans never order them...

 

[KathyM2]

it fit perfectly and it was stretchy too, good for gorging and lounging in.

That dress is so pretty!! And actually looks comfortable! I usually hate formal wear but I can see actually wearing that!!

DH got the Sweet Temptation which is usually a trio of some of that night's desserts.

LOVE the mini desserts!

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

Love the Cozumel update! Your report is great!

I'll have to make a note of the Mega for our next cruise. My kids would've loved the kinder eggs!

 

[cheermom2four]

I finally bought some Kinder eggs! I was going to bring them back home for my nieces! I hope they let us in with them back at Port Canaveral since they are illegal in the US. I also got some local Mexican snacks - chips n stuff like that.

My DD5 informed me the ONLY thing she wants to do during the western cruise we are taking in Sept is open up Kinder eggs (lol she watches other kids on youtube open them up). Where in the Mega Market do you find them? Were you able to get them back into the US? We figured we would just sit at the port and let her open a bunch of them LOL

 

[chunkymonkey]

Love the "cool" pictures with Anna and Elsa. That combined with all the other characters you found my daughter would be in Disney heaven.

My sister was in heaven! LOL

Laughing out loud at your post mixology video. I can't fathom having that many different drinks in such short order. I'm surprised you were even able to get up the stairs. Though it did look like a great experience.

It was really fun. And made even more fun that we were on a cruise and not having to stumble out of a bar to hail a cab...now that wouldn't be as funny.

Artists Palatte looks delicious and the ambiance amazing. Of course I'm a sucker for all things truffle but all the apps and entrees looked delicious. And crush to boot. What fun. And love your dress. I gather you don't have to do the formal thing (says the woman who loathes getting dressed up)?

Thanks! Yes you don't have to do the formal thing at all, it's mainly just for pictures and stuff, plus the characters are in their formal wear. The key is to wear black and find something stretchy.
You'd love the truffle pasta pursettes!

I wondered about that and was going to ask. I have heard that the first day, or port days are the least crowded times on the Aquaduck.

Yup that is correct. Sea days were pretty crowded. It's really fun! But when you're waiting in line, at the top, it can get windy and cold!

The Rainforest Rooms looks really nice. I'm not much of a spa person, but I think I could enjoy a lot of what is offered there. A sauna with a view? Awesome!!! Heated napping loungers? I'd like to give that a try because I don't nap well, either.

It was amazing. I thought I'd be bored after a day or two but I wasn't. I napped and gave myself a scrub every day and it was really nice!

How far was it for you to get to the Rainforest Room from your stateroom? I can definitely see the advantage of using the different cool showers there.

We were midship on Deck 6 and the spa is on Deck 11 Forward. It was not terribly far. I always tried to use the stairs to get some exercise but when I took the elevator, it was very quick.

Bummer about being disappointed with the Dooney bag. And the missing pins. But, Free Stuff!

Yeah I was having reservations about the bag when I ordered it initially. The print wasn't my favorite and when I saw it in person it just confirmed it. But it's ok. I bought something else at Watto's Grotto at DHS
The free pins were a nice surprise. I honestly didn't care for the pins because they were really going to be gifts, but I guess they were popular! One of them is coming in the mail right now, I just got an email about it!

The pictures from the Remy brunch just blew me away. Wow!!!

Delicious brunch! Worth the upcharge!

I love, love, love the mango cup (and its contents)[/

Every single thing looked awesome!

Everything was delicious and all my favorite flavors! It's as if they read my mind!

Haha, we always hit a Mega when we're in Mexico, no matter where we are. I love just going up and down all the aisles, no idea why And I have to agree, it's always cleaner than pretty much any Walmart!

I'd take this over Walmart any day!

That looks like a tasty lunch and quite the bargain! Not sure about your beer though

The beer was an acquired taste...it grew on me and was interesting but not sure I could have it all the time.

Glad to hear CS didn't disappear!

She'd miss out on a lot of character pics!

Gosh....if you see the Fantasy (or let's face it, ANY Disney ship in port) it's always the most grand, most beautiful ship there. Makes all the other cruises jealous!!

I know, when we were in Cabanas we could look down and see the top deck of the Norwegian ship and it looked...uninspiring. I mean, there was green astro turf and it looked very old compared to the Fantasy (or any other disney ship, even the older ones). I cannot get over how beautiful the DCL ships are! DCL all the way!

Loving your report!

Thank you!!!

Your beer drink looks like a Michelada - one of my husband's favorites. He ordered one on our excursion on our SWDAS trip a couple of weeks ago and the guide couldn't believe it. He said Americans never order them...

LOl! Yes I believe it was a Michelada. It definitely grew on me and I can see how it would be good with spicy food. Did you have fun on SWDAS?

That dress is so pretty!! And actually looks comfortable! I usually hate formal wear but I can see actually wearing that!!

LOVE the mini desserts!

Thank you! it was comfy and flattering and I didn't even have to iron it!

Love the Cozumel update! Your report is great!

Thank you!!

I'll have to make a note of the Mega for our next cruise. My kids would've loved the kinder eggs!

Yeah my nieces went bananas over the kinder eggs!

My DD5 informed me the ONLY thing she wants to do during the western cruise we are taking in Sept is open up Kinder eggs (lol she watches other kids on youtube open them up). Where in the Mega Market do you find them? Were you able to get them back into the US? We figured we would just sit at the port and let her open a bunch of them LOL

My nieces watch them on youtube as well! It's hilarious how they are infatuated with watching someone open up a toy or a kinder egg. We went to the candy/chocoalte aisle in the mega and they had a whole bunch of them. I bought 6 and we intially thought we were going to video tape ourselves opening them up on the cruise and just showing the video to my nieces. But we just honestly never had time to and then I forgot about them until I packed them on our last night. So yes we did bring them back to the US and we were not stopped. But I have not seen anyone being stopped in customs on our last cruise or on this cruise. My nieces had a great time opening up their own kinder eggs!!

 

[disnygirl55]

Great update! I think we're going to hit Mega Mart after our excursion and before we go back to the ship, so I appreciate knowing to hang a right from the pier. I hate not having my bearings in a new place.

We used to get Kinder Eggs when we lived for a couple of years in Germany when we were first married, and they were so cute - but I think the toys / prizes inside might be a lot cheaper now - made of plastic - I think they were higher quality 25 years ago. I really should have hung onto them, but we treated them like cracker jack toys and didn't think anything about throwing them away after a while. And I've bought them in Canada, but hey, it's just fun to do because you never know when the opportunity to buy them will come around again!

Mainly, I'm going to Mega Mart to look for some good quality Mexican vanilla. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to find it right in the baking aisle, just like any store, so it won't be too difficult.

Looking forward to your Remy Dinner update - your posts are full of such wonderful detail. You are a fantastic writer, and I can't wait to read more!

 

[disnygirl55]

Oh, one more thing I meant to ask. Did you take any Pesos with you, or did the street vendor sell you the iced drink in US Dollars? I wasn't planning on taking any foreign currency, but if you think there might be problems otherwise, let me know! I'm assuming Mega Mart will take a Visa and there will just be the normal foreign conversion fee.

 

[SonyaShay]

We asked our dune buggy guides to stop us at MEGA on the way back to the ship so we could get Kinder Eggs. We allowed each kid to buy $20 US which was about 25 eggs. They had so much fun the rest of the trip making videos of themselves opening them while sitting in the window of our rooms on deck 2. Really good chocolate and money well spent to make those girls so happy!

 

[TigerTown]

Some guy had purchased what looked like a creamy banana shake, he saw me looking at it and told me it was really good and if I would like one. I said sure! So he spoke Spanish to the cart owner and soon enough I had my own...creamy banana concoction. I cannot tell you what was in there. But I think it is smashed banana, condensed milk, ice, some other stuff. Maybe cream or milk. It was topped with some cinnamon.

It was creamy and sweet, but cold at the same time, great for the Mexican heat. I've never had anything like it so I was really happy to try something very local! ​

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You are brave! I'm always afraid to try anything from a cart in Mexico​

CS and I were really smitten with this rum raisin bread pudding. It was delicious!!

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That looks amazing! How did I miss it? I love rum raisin cake so I'd really go for this!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Great update! I think we're going to hit Mega Mart after our excursion and before we go back to the ship, so I appreciate knowing to hang a right from the pier. I hate not having my bearings in a new place.

I hope I'm right! Maybe best to print out a map before the trip. I'm not 100% accurate with directions as evident with my post mixology video. And I have been known to walk in the other direction as our stateroom....

We used to get Kinder Eggs when we lived for a couple of years in Germany when we were first married, and they were so cute - but I think the toys / prizes inside might be a lot cheaper now - made of plastic - I think they were higher quality 25 years ago. I really should have hung onto them, but we treated them like cracker jack toys and didn't think anything about throwing them away after a while. And I've bought them in Canada, but hey, it's just fun to do because you never know when the opportunity to buy them will come around again!

My thoughts exactly! Just buy them when you have the opportunity and even if they get confiscated...well at least I tried. Luckily they are not that expensive in Mexico.

Mainly, I'm going to Mega Mart to look for some good quality Mexican vanilla. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to find it right in the baking aisle, just like any store, so it won't be too difficult.

I don't think you will have any issues there! I still have Mexican vanilla from my last trip to Playa Del Carmen a few years ago! Soo delicious!

Looking forward to your Remy Dinner update - your posts are full of such wonderful detail. You are a fantastic writer, and I can't wait to read more!

Thank you!! Remy was amazing. I love to write but it's funny, I write a lot on my job but mostly functional, business, and technical documents ...so writing trip reports is a real treat!!

Oh, one more thing I meant to ask. Did you take any Pesos with you, or did the street vendor sell you the iced drink in US Dollars? I wasn't planning on taking any foreign currency, but if you think there might be problems otherwise, let me know! I'm assuming Mega Mart will take a Visa and there will just be the normal foreign conversion fee.

Nope no pesos, the cart took USD - it was 2USD which I'm pretty sure is double what it would have cost in pesos! But yes the Mega and the restaurant took credit cards so we used one with no foreign transaction fees.

We asked our dune buggy guides to stop us at MEGA on the way back to the ship so we could get Kinder Eggs. We allowed each kid to buy $20 US which was about 25 eggs. They had so much fun the rest of the trip making videos of themselves opening them while sitting in the window of our rooms on deck 2. Really good chocolate and money well spent to make those girls so happy!

LOL, so cute!! I can't believe how much kids are into those surprise egg videos! I also can't believe I didn't think of that idea first! I mean, garnering millions of views just by opening chocolate/plastic eggs???!?!

You are brave! I'm always afraid to try anything from a cart in Mexico

I think if it were some sort of roasted meat, I'd pass. A drink seemed harmless, although now that I think about it, I'm not sure if the ice that was used was made from filtered water...oops. But I survived!!

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That looks amazing! How did I miss it? I love rum raisin cake so I'd really go for this!

I only saw this during lunch that day! It was really good, especially with some ice cream on top...mmm. Every day they had some sort of bread pudding and the flavors changed daily. My bread pudding-loving sister was in heaven!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Wow, the Fantasy ship is truly spectacular -- even more so when parked next to another non-Disney ship. Looks just heavenly! Love all the pics and great story telling