A Private, Romantic 30th Anniversary Trip- Just Ask My Friends! Last Afternoon: EP p. 37 9/19

[ddluvsdisney]

I really enjoy eating. In the past, Disney trips have been all about where we are eating. Although I’m proud to say that I have lost 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. I finally found motivation that works for me. I don’t generally recommend my regimen though because it is politically motivated and not good for the country.

I am a little concerned because in the next 3 months I have 2 week-long cruises and a Disney Food & Wine trip in the works, so we will see how my fitness routine will hold up. Though it appears that the source of my willpower remains and gets stronger, every day.

.

I didn't know you were going on 2 cruises!! That sounds fabulous!!
We are also doing F&W in October but again only for the weekend- stupid job!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

I really enjoy eating. In the past, Disney trips have been all about where we are eating. Although I’m proud to say that I have lost 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. I finally found motivation that works for me. I don’t generally recommend my regimen though because it is politically motivated and not good for the country.
Well done to you on the weight loss and finding something to keep you motivated ( even if you wish it weren't so at least something good has come out of it). I'm still debating whether or not I would use a gym enough to make joining one worthwhile? The fact that I'm debating it makes me think I wouldn't but while I love walking I hate doing it in the rain and given where I live I really should go to a gym before I turn into a total couch potato lol
I am a little concerned because in the next 3 months I have 2 week-long cruises and a Disney Food & Wine trip in the works, so we will see how my fitness routine will hold up. Though it appears that the source of my willpower remains and gets stronger, every day.


Sure between the walking, swimming and laughing you'll burn up those calories as fast as you consume them and if you don't there's always elastic pants



I'll let you know if I make it. I'm always looking for new things to do with salmon. This will not be an inexpensive recipe with all the nuts. But I happen to have some pistachios left over from last weekends family reunion. Silly me- I purchased unsalted and my boys rebelled, so I had to buy another bag of salted. We are going through the plain ones slowly.

Love me some pistachios especially sweet chilli ones, followed by salted, followed by plain

 

[natebenma]

.

I didn't know you were going on 2 cruises!! That sounds fabulous!!
We are also doing F&W in October but again only for the weekend- stupid job!

Yes, I kept the Alaska one with my family on the down-low because I don't like to announce trips when the whole family is going to be away.

We went, had a great time and now I'm back, getting ready for the cruise with Teena. Pesky Irma is causing some concern though.

Which weekend for F&W? Is it Columbus Day? I am going with my girlfriends Oct 25-29.

 

[natebenma]

Well done to you on the weight loss and finding something to keep you motivated ( even if you wish it weren't so at least something good has come out of it). I'm still debating whether or not I would use a gym enough to make joining one worthwhile? The fact that I'm debating it makes me think I wouldn't but while I love walking I hate doing it in the rain and given where I live I really should go to a gym before I turn into a total couch potato lol

I joined a gym at the beginning of the year, just $10 per month, with the hopes of going twice a week. I made it though most of the winter, but during the summer I am outside swimming, walking, working around the house so I haven't made it there recently.

Sure between the walking, swimming and laughing you'll burn up those calories as fast as you consume them and if you don't there's always elastic pants

I weighed myself before and after the cruise and I am proud to say I didn't gain a pound. Or maybe my scale is stuck on the same weight!

I didn't deprive myself of anything I wanted to eat, but I tended to choose lighter, healthier options when they were available.

The food on the Carnival Legend ranged from very good to inedible. We were served sushi at a sitdown lunch. We all ordered the same thing which is unusual. The cream cheese they used was gross and the texture was gummy. Mark said he would have spit it out if he could have done so elegantly.

Not as much walking on the deck as we had planned because it was really windy and a bit cold, but we did a lot of walking in Seattle and we took the stairs while on the ship most of the time.

It also helps that I don't drink much. I think I split one mojito with Mark and we had a beer when we were out with Nate. However on the upcoming trip, I have promised to raise a glass to toast a friend's birthday!

Love me some pistachios especially sweet chilli ones, followed by salted, followed by plain

YUM!

Now craving sweet chili pistachios at 7 am!

 

[Katesdad]

Dee. beware of Cove Café. There is a place right outside of this coffee shop that DW and I would meet up with some really great friends at during our 2012 cruise on the Fantasy. The coffee is hot and really good (beware of the free coffee they have on the deck, not good at all). The various pastries they sell can be addictive. Calories, here we come!! There is a charge for the coffee but if you are familiar with Starbucks then the price won't surprise you. Ask for a drink card. I believe it's after the fifth cup of java that the sixth is free. And may I make a small suggestion, take a travel mug with you. Get the waiter to fill it up for you after breakfast. The coffee in the MDRs isn't that bad.
Katesdad

 

[natebenma]

So, we are back!

We had a great trip to Seattle and Alaska, although I have to admit that after sharing an itty bitty cabin and one bathroom with 3 men, I am glad to be home.

I'll probably write up a little bit about our adventures and share some pictures but I'm not planning on a full-blown trip report. I'll save that for the Disney Cruise I'm taking with Teena. Although I could have done an amazing fun guessing game starting right out of the gate:

"When the car service arrived to bring us to the airport, what item was Ben missing that delayed us for a few minutes?"

and

"What mixed drink did Nate order as his first legal adult beverage in Victoria Canada?"



(the bottle in the foreground is mine, so don't let that throw you off)

Give a guess over the next few days and then I'll share the stories.

 

[natebenma]

Dee. beware of Cove Café. There is a place right outside of this coffee shop that DW and I would meet up with some really great friends at during our 2012 cruise on the Fantasy. The coffee is hot and really good (beware of the free coffee they have on the deck, not good at all). The various pastries they sell can be addictive. Calories, here we come!! There is a charge for the coffee but if you are familiar with Starbucks then the price won't surprise you. Ask for a drink card. I believe it's after the fifth cup of java that the sixth is free. And may I make a small suggestion, take a travel mug with you. Get the waiter to fill it up for you after breakfast. The coffee in the MDRs isn't that bad.
Katesdad

Thanks so much for the coffee tips!!! You know that is my vice. Teena doesn't drink coffee, but Bob did. He used to get an early morning room service delivery. I am torn between wandering around the ship with my travel mug (already packed, but thanks for the reminder) or filling it the night before and having ice coffee on the balcony while I wait for the day to begin.

Ahhhh, good problems to have!

 

[vettegirl]

Dee I know you are super excited for your upcoming trip!! I hope Irma leaves all our trips alone, we leave in 5 days!!!

 

[Katesdad]

Thanks so much for the coffee tips!!! You know that is my vice. Teena doesn't drink coffee, but Bob did. He used to get an early morning room service delivery. I am torn between wandering around the ship with my travel mug (already packed, but thanks for the reminder) or filling it the night before and having ice coffee on the balcony while I wait for the day to begin.

Yes, there is a certain DIS board member who quite eloquently wrote of your morning vice over on another thread. The Room Service coffee is the same as they serve in the MDR and is very drinkable. Order it the night before you go to bed with a warm milk and cookie (the cookies are warm and very good) if you don't mind drinking the coffee cold in the morning (no place on ship to warm it up).

 

[Mopedmom1]

"When the car service arrived to bring us to the airport, what item was Ben missing that delayed us for a few minutes?"

and

"What mixed drink did Nate order as his first legal adult beverage in Victoria Canada?"

A Passport and I would have said a Sunken Treasure but the color peeking out from his glass is wrong, so how about Canadian Whiskey on the rocks!

 

[wdwnut61]

So, we are back!

We had a great trip to Seattle and Alaska, although I have to admit that after sharing an itty bitty cabin and one bathroom with 3 men, I am glad to be home.

I'll probably write up a little bit about our adventures and share some pictures but I'm not planning on a full-blown trip report. I'll save that for the Disney Cruise I'm taking with Teena. Although I could have done an amazing fun guessing game starting right out of the gate:

"When the car service arrived to bring us to the airport, what item was Ben missing that delayed us for a few minutes?"

and

"What mixed drink did Nate order as his first legal adult beverage in Victoria Canada?"



(the bottle in the foreground is mine, so don't let that throw you off)

Give a guess over the next few days and then I'll share the stories.

Wow an Alaskan cruise I would love to see some pictures. Welcome Back and soon Bon Voyage for your cruise with Teena

Ok my guess is Ben was missing his passport and Nate's first drink was whiskey.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Yes, I kept the Alaska one with my family on the down-low because I don't like to announce trips when the whole family is going to be away.

We went, had a great time and now I'm back, getting ready for the cruise with Teena. Pesky Irma is causing some concern though.

Which weekend for F&W? Is it Columbus Day? I am going with my girlfriends Oct 25-29.

Yes Columbus Day.
An Alaskan cruise sounds so awesome!
Hope you had a blast!- I'm sure you did.
Hope Irma stays away!

 

[pbb&j]

"When the car service arrived to bring us to the airport, what item was Ben missing that delayed us for a few minutes?"

and

"What mixed drink did Nate order as his first legal adult beverage in Victoria Canada?"

I'm going to guess that the forgotten item was a phone/phone charger, and the drink was a Manhattan.

I'm taking my first cruise to Alaska next year, so I'm curious to hear about yours!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

What is the legal drinking age in Canada?
not sure about the drink- rum and coke?

 

[natebenma]

Dee I know you are super excited for your upcoming trip!! I hope Irma leaves all our trips alone, we leave in 5 days!!!

Fingers crossed for both of us!

Teena is keeping me updated several times a day with projected tracks for Irma. I'll start keeping my eye (no pun intended) on the storm later in the week.

Yes, there is a certain DIS board member who quite eloquently wrote of your morning vice over on another thread. The Room Service coffee is the same as they serve in the MDR and is very drinkable. Order it the night before you go to bed with a warm milk and cookie (the cookies are warm and very good) if you don't mind drinking the coffee cold in the morning (no place on ship to warm it up).

I drink my hot coffee black, but I need a bit of creamer and sweetener in my iced coffee. My emergency go-to is to stash some coffee in the fridge for the next morning to drink while I wander around deck to get some hot stuff.

A Passport and I would have said a Sunken Treasure but the color peeking out from his glass is wrong, so how about Canadian Whiskey on the rocks!

Thanks for your guesses. That is a great suggestion for a drink, but my son is a good ole American boy.

Wow an Alaskan cruise I would love to see some pictures. Welcome Back and soon Bon Voyage for your cruise with Teena

Ok my guess is Ben was missing his passport and Nate's first drink was whiskey.

Yes, I will be posting some pictures. I am trying to weed down what I want to post. I have trouble being brief in my descriptions and discriminate in the photos I want to share!

I'll have answers to the questions soon.

Yes Columbus Day.
An Alaskan cruise sounds so awesome!
Hope you had a blast!- I'm sure you did.
Hope Irma stays away!

We had a great trip!

Fingers crossed that Irma doesn't impact our trip, but more importantly, that she doesn't cause destruction to peoples' homes and lives like Harvey did.

What is the legal drinking age in Canada?
not sure about the drink- rum and coke?

I believe it is 19 in British Columbia where we were. Nate's 19th birthday was in July.

I'm going to guess that the forgotten item was a phone/phone charger, and the drink was a Manhattan.

I'm taking my first cruise to Alaska next year, so I'm curious to hear about yours!

Thanks for your guesses.

Which ship and when? Which ports? We were on the Carnival Legend. We loved, loved, loved the excursions we did.

In Juneau, we booked Juneau Whale Watch independently from the ship for a Mendenhall Glacier visit and whale watch. I think there were around 25-30 people on our boat.

In Skagway, we did a 5 hour scenic excursion that took us out to Emerald Lake, Carcross, Bove Lake, Spirit Lake Lodge for lunch (AWESOME). I was afraid the boys would be a bit bored but we all really loved this tour. Our guide was great!

We cruised through Glacier Bay on Saturday.

In Ketchikan we booked a bear excursion through the cruise with Taquan Air. Since we were only in port for 5 hours and the excursion was 3 hours, we booked through the ship in case there were any problems. It was about $30 more a person than booking on our own. We were taken to a US Forestry site that limits the daily entrance to just a few people so I think the tour sells out pretty quickly. We booked 6 months ago. OMG- AWESOME!

In Victoria, we went to a restaurant/bar just past Fisherman's wharf. I kind of wish we had gone into town, but we ended up having drinks and appetizers including a fabulous clam chowder Ben ordered.


Is this an Ewok or a bear?

 

[natebenma]

Duplicate Post

 

[pbb&j]

Which ship and when? Which ports? We were on the Carnival Legend. We loved, loved, loved the excursions we did

Thanks so much for your helpful information! I am leaving the family behind, and going with just my Dad on Holland America's Westerdam out of Vancouver in early May. My Mom passed away earlier this year after battling Parkinson's/dementia for years, and my Dad took amazing care of her during that time. They were both seasoned travelers over the years, but stopped traveling during her illness for the most part. After she died, he said he wanted to renew his passport and start traveling. At 77 I think that's pretty awesome! I suggested an Alaska cruise, and his initial response was, "Well, it wasn't in my top 10 places I wanted to go..."! After talking to friends, he actually is excited about it. Early May might not be ideal, but I wanted to go before my kids are out of school.

I did VERY little research before booking, but it looked like Holland America was a good fit for him style-wise, and I think we go to the same ports that you went to, minus Victoria. We did book a larger suite, because early May will probably be freezing and it gave us a large protected area to see outside. Plus, we haven't shared a hotel room in a LONG TIME so the extra space seemed important!

I thought a cruise would work for us, too, because I'll probably book more adventurous excursions than he will, and he's totally fine doing his own thing. In Skagway, were you on the train excursion, or something different? He did mention that he though the train would be nice, but he also said he might do a floatplane. Who knew? That bear excursion sounds awesome! Do you remember what it was called?

 

[natebenma]

Thanks so much for your helpful information! I am leaving the family behind, and going with just my Dad on Holland America's Westerdam out of Vancouver in early May. My Mom passed away earlier this year after battling Parkinson's/dementia for years, and my Dad took amazing care of her during that time. They were both seasoned travelers over the years, but stopped traveling during her illness for the most part. After she died, he said he wanted to renew his passport and start traveling. At 77 I think that's pretty awesome! I suggested an Alaska cruise, and his initial response was, "Well, it wasn't in my top 10 places I wanted to go..."! After talking to friends, he actually is excited about it. Early May might not be ideal, but I wanted to go before my kids are out of school.

I did VERY little research before booking, but it looked like Holland America was a good fit for him style-wise, and I think we go to the same ports that you went to, minus Victoria. We did book a larger suite, because early May will probably be freezing and it gave us a large protected area to see outside. Plus, we haven't shared a hotel room in a LONG TIME so the extra space seemed important!

I thought a cruise would work for us, too, because I'll probably book more adventurous excursions than he will, and he's totally fine doing his own thing. In Skagway, were you on the train excursion, or something different? He did mention that he though the train would be nice, but he also said he might do a floatplane. Who knew? That bear excursion sounds awesome! Do you remember what it was called?

My condolences to you on the loss of your mom. I'm sure your dad (and you) have been through a lot over the years- it's great that he is getting back to the travel he loves, and visiting some places he has never been before. A cruise is a great way to visit the different ports of Alaska and there is so much to do for all ages.

We did not do the train in Skagway. We wanted to see a lot more scenery and have the opportunity to stop and take pictures at designated stops. We did tour the town of Carcross which is where the train stops, I believe. Here is the description of the tour we did. A lot of independent tour operators offer similar or even more extensive tours. You can read reviews on popular travel advisor sites or cruise critic sites. DYEA Dave is one who gets awesome reviews. I went with a cruise excursion because my husband can get a bit nervous when we go off the beaten path.

There are also tours you can book that will take the train one way and then you are a van like we were on the way back, with the opportunity to stop along the way at various points.

Yukon Scenic Drive

Take a "Sunday drive" up the spectacular Klondike Highway into Canada's Yukon Territory.

On this excursion you will:

• Travel along the original White Pass Trail viewing waterfalls, glaciers and peaks, before crossing the Klondike Summit at 3,290 feet above sea level and pause at the ghost town of Log Cabin in British Columbia, where mail was dispatched by dogsled to the nearby mining districts.
• Then travel along the jewel-like string of headwater lakes that feed the great Yukon River.
• Make a stop to explore the village of Caribou Crossing, now known as Carcross, with its picturesque hotel and general store.
• Enjoy a home-style lunch at Spirit Lake Lodge, famous through the Yukon for its homemade pies.
• Upon your return you will be allowed plenty of time to shop and explore Skagway.

Note: This excursion enters Canada. Passports are required for all participants. (Birth Certificates and Photo ID are not sufficient for this tour)


Unfortunately, I don't think you will be able to do the Alaska Bear Excursion. I think it only runs in July through mid-September, when the salmon are running. The Neets Bay Bear Excursion may run at other times, but you have to call to ask. Here's the link to the tour operators website, www.taquanair.com

****************************************************************************************

If you have an email address you don't mind sharing with me, I can send you my mini review and pictures and provide you with my research info.

My email address which I use for DIS purposes is beachclubdee at yahoo. I will try to get a review going though.

 

[natebenma]

Stuffed Peeps Eat No Sweets


A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away… No, that’s not it.

Dead Men Tell No Tales… Closer, but not quite.

Stuffed Peeps Eat No Sweets (But Hit the Wall)…

That’s it!

*****************************************************

We had just finished our meal at Boma, and we were full!

We needed to get to the Contemporary Resort to check in for our Pirates and Pals tour, so we made our way to the AKL bus stop. We decided the best way to do that would be to get take the MK bus and walk. It was a Halloween party night, and a bus had just finished loading and was pulling away as we walked up.

The bus stopped for us!

We had to stand, but that was fine. At least we were moving.

When we exited the bus, most people went this way

We headed this way

We had a little bit of time before we had to check-in for the party, 8:30 I think, so we went to the large gift shop to look around. We didn’t buy anything.


It was time to check in- we looked around and saw a bunch of guests dressed like pirates. Ruh-roh! We were not in costume. Couldn’t blame us, though, we hadn’t even planned on doing this when we left home. And since all I could get out of Mark for the Halloween party was matching shirts, I don’t think we would have pirated-up anyway.

There was still about 30 minutes left before they would let us in. The CMs were handing out scavenger hunts for families to do while they waited.

Mark and I were exhausted! We found a couch and just crashed. Another, older, couple (grandparents) sat near us. We all looked so pitiful that when a group of people walked past us and snarked “You guys all look excited!”


Then, 9 pm, it was time to party!

We walked into the room.

It was full of all sorts of sweets and snacks and drinks- cake, cookies, popcorn, candy, chocolate coins, frozen treats.

I thought I took more pictures, but this is all I could find.

The soundtrack: Jake and the Neverland Pirates

The guests: Families with kids in the preschool set, who were exhausted, overstimulated and cranky.

Wait. That describes us.

We were the only childless couple there!

We were still stuffed from our meal at Boma, so I don’t think we had any food at all. We split a cup of coffee.

During the reception period, there was a meet & greet with Captain Hook & Smee, so we got into line for that.

Finally, it was time to go outside and board the boat.





There were two “teams” and the lead pirates each chose someone to carry the flag.

On board, they asked some Disney-themed pirate trivia questions and had a pirate sing-a-long.

We cruised for a bit around Bay Lake, including a stop by the Grand Floridian. Our pirate leader told us to mock the people waiting to watch the fireworks by saying “Ha Ha! We’re in a boat”.

That was awkward!

There was assigned seating on the boat- good

Since we were so late in booking, probably the last ones for this night, we were in the back row and so I had a blocked view of the fireworks- less good


Seeing the fireworks from the water was excellent, though, since we had a heads-on panoramic view to see all of the surrounding fireworks you miss when you are on Main Street in the MK.

See the next post for my fireworks photos.


While we were on the water heading back, we caught a bit of the Electrical Water Parade.





We docked, and lines formed for a meet & greet with a special guest, Peter Pan.

We were EXHAUSTED at this point, so we walked on by, made the short journey by foot to the MK bus stop and headed back to the Yacht Club.

Were we justified in being so tired?

Well, we visited two parks (EP and HS), skirted two others (dinner at AKL and the Pirates and Pals party near MK). We logged about 23,000 steps that day, more than we had any of our 4 previous very busy days.

I would say so.



Next Up: Our Last Disney Day

 

[natebenma]

Hallowishes from the Water