A Trip Around The World + An 11-Night Fantasy Trip to Paradise! June 14-28, 2017! *COMPLETED 8/24*

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Thanks for the update! I'm really enjoying your report!!

Thank you. I noticed you are going on an Alaskan cruise. That is by far my favorite itinerary, but we have not done that through Disney. I really want to though. I'm hoping to do an Alaskan cruise next year or 2019.

Loving the trip report. We were on the 11 day as well, but opted not to do an excursion in Martinique. Now I wish we had signed up for the 4x4 Adventure -- it looks really fun! I'm looking forward to your Tortola post -- I think my family and I were on an excursion with you and your dad there.

Glad to see a fellow-cruiser joining in! We did the 4x4 Adventure as well on Tortola. I'll get into more of my thoughts on that when I get to it. Still have St. Kitts to cover. Let me know if you were on that excursion.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

you 4x4 excursion on Martinique sounds really neat - especially the off-roading part. Bummer about the fort, but at least you got to see some of it from the outside

sorry to hear about your Pirates dinner - that really is not acceptable as far as the steak you got. It's one thing if it just isn't the best steak ever, but for it to be 1/3 fat both times and then the first time for it to be no where near your doneness request is not acceptable.

Rest of Pirate night sounds fun - and even if short, it is still pretty cool to see fireworks while on a cruise ship

 

[Mark D.]

Glad to see a fellow-cruiser joining in! We did the 4x4 Adventure as well on Tortola. I'll get into more of my thoughts on that when I get to it. Still have St. Kitts to cover. Let me know if you were on that excursion.

Yes, we did the 4x4 Beach Adventure in Tortola. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on that excursion after St. Kitts, just to see if they match up with ours.

Oh - and about that steak.... my wife ordered that a couple times, and it seemed to be hit or miss as to whether it was cooked properly for her too. I don't think she had any issues with it being 1/3 fat, though.

 

[lucas]

Great updates!

We feel the same way about the Pirate Night menu. But, we were lucky enough to have our 6:00pm ressies at Palo on that particular night.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Great updates!

We feel the same way about the Pirate Night menu. But, we were lucky enough to have our 6:00pm ressies at Palo on that particular night.

Lucky people! That's the reservation I wanted lol! I'm glad we are officially gold members now for our next cruise.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

you 4x4 excursion on Martinique sounds really neat - especially the off-roading part. Bummer about the fort, but at least you got to see some of it from the outside

sorry to hear about your Pirates dinner - that really is not acceptable as far as the steak you got. It's one thing if it just isn't the best steak ever, but for it to be 1/3 fat both times and then the first time for it to be no where near your doneness request is not acceptable.

Rest of Pirate night sounds fun - and even if short, it is still pretty cool to see fireworks while on a cruise ship

Pirate Night is really a lot of fun. It's really just the menu that bothers me so much. The fireworks are always great, and it's just one of those added Disney touches that makes DCL cruises so special.

The 4x4 excursion was one of the best cruise ship port excursions I have ever done. It was a lot of fun, and I was glad I was able to change to that excursion on the first day of the cruise.

Yes, we did the 4x4 Beach Adventure in Tortola. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on that excursion after St. Kitts, just to see if they match up with ours.

Oh - and about that steak.... my wife ordered that a couple times, and it seemed to be hit or miss as to whether it was cooked properly for her too. I don't think she had any issues with it being 1/3 fat, though.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one with similar thoughts on the steak.

Hmm...I guess you will see what I thought of it. There wasn't a lot of people on that excursion. Now I'm trying to remember if I talked to anyone named Mark lol.

 

[Mark D.]

Hmm...I guess you will see what I thought of it. There wasn't a lot of people on that excursion. Now I'm trying to remember if I talked to anyone named Mark lol.

I don't think I ever introduced myself (I'm quite introverted in person), but I'm pretty sure we were in the same truck. I was there with my wife and two kids. There was a little talk about the recent Stanley Cup, and I mentioned that I had wanted the Preds to win since we were from the area.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

I do not care for the Pirate Night menu, either. Since we usually try to do Palo on formal night, I guess we will order room service that night.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

I don't think I ever introduced myself (I'm quite introverted in person), but I'm pretty sure we were in the same truck. I was there with my wife and two kids. There was a little talk about the recent Stanley Cup, and I mentioned that I had wanted the Preds to win since we were from the area.

I remember you now! Yes, we were in the same truck, and I remember sparking that conversation when the the other man in the truck was wearing a Blackhawks shirt. If I knew you were on Disboards, that would have been cool to know. I have noticed a lot of people from our sailing on Disboards that I never met. The song "It's A Small World" is truly real I guess lol. Glad to see you are following along.

I do not care for the Pirate Night menu, either. Since we usually try to do Palo on formal night, I guess we will order room service that night.

I have done Palo on formal night. That is definitely a positive since you would already be dressed up for that evening anyways. I have come to realize that the food is really good on the 2nd formal night, so I try not to book any special dining on that day. The first formal night tends to be the rotational restaurant menu. So, if I was to do Palo on a formal night, it would be the first night depending on which dining room we are in.

Another option would be going up to Cabana's Table Service. I don't know if Cabana's has a different menu than the Pirate menu on that night, but I know @lucas really likes to do eat up there on occasion. Maybe she knows more about the offerings up there.

 

[My2Qtz0205]

We ate at Cabanas last cruise for Pirate Night. Same menu.

 

[lucas]

I remember you now! Yes, we were in the same truck, and I remember sparking that conversation when the the other man in the truck was wearing a Blackhawks shirt. If I knew you were on Disboards, that would have been cool to know. I have noticed a lot of people from our sailing on Disboards that I never met. The song "It's A Small World" is truly real I guess lol. Glad to see you are following along.


I have done Palo on formal night. That is definitely a positive since you would already be dressed up for that evening anyways. I have come to realize that the food is really good on the 2nd formal night, so I try not to book any special dining on that day. The first formal night tends to be the rotational restaurant menu. So, if I was to do Palo on a formal night, it would be the first night depending on which dining room we are in.

Another option would be going up to Cabana's Table Service. I don't know if Cabana's has a different menu than the Pirate menu on that night, but I know @lucas really likes to do eat up there on occasion. Maybe she knows more about the offerings up there.

Some of the offerings at Cabana's Table Service are the same, but they don't have everything. In 2016 we went to Cabana's for dinner and had their rib eye steak. It was one of the best things we ever ate on DCL and with one of the best servers we ever had. And, the rib eye always got rave reviews from others, too. So, on this 11-nighter we again went to Cabanas for a dinner and ordered it. It was really horrible! Not like last year at all - I would not order it again. And the service was pretty bad, too. We were really disappointed in the whole experience.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Now at this point, sadly my trip is now over, but I am ready to dive right in and tell you about one of the best cruises of my life!

Always sucks when a vacation ends . But it's a good thing you had another vacation that was just beginning

We were welcomed aboard by hearing our family name, and that means it was time for the cruise of a lifetime!

That picture of the stairs you posted had me already impressed with the ship

At this time, we decided to go check out our stateroom. This means one thing…Time to decorate our door! All of the stateroom doors on Disney Cruise Line ships are magnetic. So, you can see I filled our door with some magnets.

Liking the magnets!

Our first night was in Animator’s Palate which is probably my favorite dining room on all of the Disney ships. The detail in this room is amazing, and also all of the fun effects are great to look at.

Ohhhh that is a cool place. I like the decor a lot. I could totally see how easy it is to get lost in all the detail around you.

We had an indoor stateroom with the virtual porthole.

Ok that is just so darn cool. I could stare at that pic for a long time. What a neat detail!

The Rainforest Room is really the secret of the Senses Spa.

That sounds very relaxing.

A picture of my Dad and I dressed up for formal night:

You guys look good

We would be spending our first formal night in the Enchanted Garden Dining Room.

That is a very detailed place based on your photos. That booth looked comfortable too.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 11: An Adventure Around St. Kitts!​

Here is the Navigator for our day in St. Kitts:



Welcome to arguably the most beautiful island that we went to on this cruise. I know that I said i liked Martinique the best, but if it wasn’t for the excursion on Martinique, St. Kitts would easily have been my favorite island. So, here is how the day went.

Along with every other day that we were arriving in port, I went up to the top deck to watch us sail in. This was a very nice sail in. It definitely was a little scary toward the end, because the ship kept sailing toward the rocks. Thankfully, we stopped.

















We had an early excursion on this day as well, so I went to eat a quick breakfast right after we sailed in.

The excursion my Dad and I would be going on today is the Essential St. Kitts - Adult Only Departure. One of the funniest moments happened while we were waiting for our excursion to leave the Walt Disney Theater. There was an adult only departure and a family departure. The adult only departure group kept getting bigger and bigger and the family group was not that big at all. So, when it was a couple minutes until we left, the cruise staff member in the Walt Disney Theater wanted to take a poll. The poll would be determined by how loud we were. The cruise staff member asked the family group if they were ready to have some fun. Literally, it was practically silent. The cruise staff member was like, “I’m scared for this next one. Adults…Are you ready to have some fun?” The adult section cheered louder than the families. So, I knew this was going to be a good day at that point.

Now, we chose the adult-only departure, because we have been on tours of the islands before and sometimes kids have been so loud in the busses that we were not able to hear our guide talk about anything.

We would get off the ship, and we were off for a tour of the island. Our tour started off with a drive around Basseterre, St. Kitts where we were docked. We drove by a couple churches, the police station, and many other sites.









We would then drive to our first stop on the tour. The Fairview Great House. This place was really interesting. This place featured a Botanical Garden that was beautiful, and there were several antiques inside the house.





As a musician, I had to take a picture of the piano:










The National Flower of St. Kitts:




Ponds in the shape of the two islands St. Kitts and Nevis:




After spending some time at the Fairview House, we continued driving along the south side of the island toward the Romney Manor. I forget what it is called, but at this location they made their own type of shirts that are famous on the islands. I know it is popular for females which is probably why I don’t remember the name of it. They also had Hawaiian style shirts for guys. What was nice about this place was it also included a Botanical Garden. I think I liked this Botanical Garden more than the Fairview House.



















Next, we continued to drive further down the island. We stopped by a church and saw some sheep before we made it to probably my favorite stop on any of the islands during the entire cruise.





Up next, I finally made it into a fort!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 11: I Finally Made It Into A Fort On St. Kitts!​

Up next on our excursion on St. Kitts was probably my favorite spot on the entire cruise, and it was the one place I was looking forward to going on the entire trip. We would be driving up a mountainside to the Brimstone Hill Fortress. This place was absolutely amazing!



Back in the day, this fort was mostly controlled by the English, but the French would battle for it and control it for a short time.

I enjoyed this place so much that I feel like it was worth it for this location to have its own post on my trip report.

Enjoy the pictures:









These steps were steep and at an angle to get up to the main part of the fort.







There was a wedding going on below while we were at the fort. I think that would be a great view to have a wedding.







This view:















The flag of St. Kitts:



You could actually ring the bell. Yes, I did ring it.









I got a picture with a canon with the view in the background.















Walking down was definitely easier.

​

After about 45 minutes at the fort, it was time to start driving back to the ship.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Day 11: Continuing the Adventure Around St. Kitts!​

So, after visiting the fort, our excursion continued, but it was time to head back to the ship.



While we were on our way back to the ship, our driver mentioned that he wanted to take us someplace “special.” So, he asked us if we would want to and we all agreed. Where he ended up taking us to was a spot on top of the hill where we could see the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. It was definitely a beautiful view. We were also the only bus that went here. So, we must have gotten an added bonus to our excursion which was really nice.







My Dad and I:




After a nice spot to take pictures, we had about a 15 minute drive back to the ship. When we got there, there was probably one of the best shopping areas of the cruise. My Dad and I both found something in this shopping area that we were looking for.











So, after a little bit of time shopping, it was time to go back on the ship.



When we got on, we had not eaten lunch yet. That meant to go to deck 11 and get some chicken tenders. I actually got these really quick and went down to the O’Gills Pub for my last Fantasy Baseball Draft game. I used the name Simba again, but I didn’t end up winning sadly. It was fun eating while playing the game though.

After the Fantasy game, I went and got my picture with one of my favorite characters, Woody, along with Jessie.



Then it was time for a nice relaxing time at the Rainforest Room. I got a picture this time of the opposite direction. This place really gets good views of the ship.



When I was done relaxing, it was time to get ready for dinner. Now, I was hoping dinner would be a lot better on this night than the previous one. My Dad and I would end up being inside Enchanted Garden. When I got the menu, I realized that most of the entrees were not really interesting me, so I decided to switch it up a bit. I ended up getting all of the appetizers and one soup. This decision would come back to bite me in the end, because somehow, this was not all I was going to get. The appetizers on this night Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Italian Bresaola (not pictured), Argentinian Empanadas, and the Norwegian Trio of Salmon. The soup I got was the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup.









I liked two of the appetizers. Those were the Vietnamese Spring Rolls and the Argentinian Empanadas. I didn’t care for the Italian Bresaola, and the Salmon was not prepared how I normally like it. I really liked the soup though! Probably my 2nd favorite soup of the cruise.

So, I thought my meal was done. Nope. I had a surprise on my hands. Since my Pirate Night menu and my experience from a couple nights ago in the Enchanted Garden were not the greatest, our waiters had a surprise on their hands for me. I literally got handed the biggest plate imaginable filled with pasta, chicken, vegetables, eggs, and other things. My waiter didn’t want to warn me when I decided to order all of the appetizers, so I literally did not put a dent in this entree. This was absolutely delicious though!



Now, this entree was not on the menu. It was literally prepared just for me. I had not witnessed this on any of the cruises I have been on, so I thought this was a great Disney touch.

So, since I could not eat my surprise entree, I guess I should order dessert right? I wasn’t planning on it, but I love cheesecake! On this particular night, they had a New York Cheesecake that was delicious!



So, this dinner far exceeded my expectations based on how the last couple of dining room dinners had gone for me.

After dinner, we walked in on the character dance party in the atrium.



So, it was time for the show that I was looking forward to the most on the entire cruise! The show on this particular evening was a concert by Alton Fitzgerald White. For those that don’t know who he is, he has played the role of Mufasa in Disney Theatrical’s Broadway Show, the Lion King, more than 4,300 performances. The Lion King is my favorite Disney Theatrical Show and is actually one of my favorite Broadway shows ever. So, as a musician, a person who loves musicals, and a Disney fan, this was going to be an amazing night.





Alton Fitzgerald White put on an amazing performance! I enjoyed all of his musical selections especially since he chose songs from musicals that aren’t really well-known among Disney fans (Aida and King David). I would end up buying his CD and getting a picture with him after the concert (Since I did not ask for permission to put the picture online, I will not be including the picture in my trip report).

After a great concert, it was time for the best adult night of the cruise! That is because the gameshow, the Quest, was going on. Then right after that, it was time for Match Your Mate! Match Your Mate is always a favorite of mine. You never know what the adults are going to reveal, and oh boy…Some adults definitely revealed more than they should have on this sailing.

After Match Your Mate, I went to the Buena Vista to watch Disney’s Broadway Hit Musical, Newsies! Now, Newsies was recently released in movie theaters and it is now on digital download. If anyone hasn’t seen the Broadway Show, Newsies (not the 1992 movie), I totally recommend seeing it! It is absolutely fantastic! So, I ended up walking in close to the song “Seize the Day” which is close to intermission. I would stay up to watch the end of the show



Now, it was already really late, but I decided to go sit up on the top deck for a while before heading to bed.



On this evening, our towel animal was a dog!



What’s up next? We would be arriving in Tortola the next morning!

 

[lucas]

Really enjoying your latest updates. And, pictures are fantastic!

 

[GAN]

Zach ...I'm late, but I promise I'll get caught up. Looks like an awesome trip!

 

[TXMNie]

How nice of them to make you a special meal the next day! Enjoying following along.

 

[KristinDBQ]

Was your Palo server named Stefanos? We were on the same cruise and we twice had him as our Greek server at Palo. Fast talker and charming.

Day 9: Barbados - Back on the ship + Palo!​

When I got back on the ship, my Dad and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so we decided to get a light snack before dinner. (This was around 3 p.m.).

After lunch, I walked around the ship. When I got into a very quite shopping area since the shops were not open yet (shops can’t be open while a ship is docked in port), there was a friendly character walking through. I got the chance to spend about 5 minutes with Pluto! Literally, no one came by, so Pluto, his guide, and I just started to talk. Pluto wondered what I did in Barbados, so I showed him pictures of the cave I went to. He seemed very excited about that. Well, after spending a few minutes with Pluto, I had to get a picture with him!



Is it just me, or did Pluto make Walt Disney look like he is from a sci-fi movie with his ear?

So, dinner tonight was not in any of the rotational dining rooms. Tonight, my Dad and I had reservations for dinner in Palo!





While sitting at the table, I had a lot of fun taking pictures. We also planned this dinner while the Disney Fantasy was pulling out of Barbados. It was definitely a great dinner while having a great view of our ship sailing away from Barbados.



Picture taken by our server:






At Palo, they give you a “welcome” appetizer plate which has some really good options. I also like the bread (not pictured) that they give. I also got my virgin strawberry daiquiri.





So, for dinner, I ended up getting the fried calamari, and the scallops. Between the appetizer and entree, Palo also gives you a lemon sorbet to wash out your pallet. For dessert, I got the vanilla bean panna cotta. The food was absolutely amazing! The calamari was delicious. I really liked the sauce they gave with it. The scallops were cooked perfectly. The panna cotta was the only thing I didn’t really care for, but I still enjoyed it. It was refreshing.









Palo was definitely the best meal of the cruise. We never ate at Remy though.





Our server in Palo was great! I feel bad for not writing down his name, but he was from Greece. He made this dinner a great experience.

After dinner, Charles Peachock was giving his family show so I went and watched that. Same thing as the adult show, his show didn’t change from the family show I saw on a previous cruise.

After the show, I went to a gameshow in the Tube called Pop! This gameshow was for adults only, and I want to thank my team for helping me when I went up. I had no idea the answers to any of the questions I had. At least I helped my team get back in the game by choosing questions everyone knew.

After the gameshow, the Liverpool legends gave their adults only show. I will say I enjoyed this show more than the family show.

The towel animal we got this evening was a turkey!



It was time for bed since we would be arriving in Martinique the next morning!

Day 9: Barbados - Back on the ship + Palo!​

When I got back on the ship, my Dad and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so we decided to get a light snack before dinner. (This was around 3 p.m.).

After lunch, I walked around the ship. When I got into a very quite shopping area since the shops were not open yet (shops can’t be open while a ship is docked in port), there was a friendly character walking through. I got the chance to spend about 5 minutes with Pluto! Literally, no one came by, so Pluto, his guide, and I just started to talk. Pluto wondered what I did in Barbados, so I showed him pictures of the cave I went to. He seemed very excited about that. Well, after spending a few minutes with Pluto, I had to get a picture with him!



Is it just me, or did Pluto make Walt Disney look like he is from a sci-fi movie with his ear?

So, dinner tonight was not in any of the rotational dining rooms. Tonight, my Dad and I had reservations for dinner in Palo!





While sitting at the table, I had a lot of fun taking pictures. We also planned this dinner while the Disney Fantasy was pulling out of Barbados. It was definitely a great dinner while having a great view of our ship sailing away from Barbados.



Picture taken by our server:






At Palo, they give you a “welcome” appetizer plate which has some really good options. I also like the bread (not pictured) that they give. I also got my virgin strawberry daiquiri.





So, for dinner, I ended up getting the fried calamari, and the scallops. Between the appetizer and entree, Palo also gives you a lemon sorbet to wash out your pallet. For dessert, I got the vanilla bean panna cotta. The food was absolutely amazing! The calamari was delicious. I really liked the sauce they gave with it. The scallops were cooked perfectly. The panna cotta was the only thing I didn’t really care for, but I still enjoyed it. It was refreshing.









Palo was definitely the best meal of the cruise. We never ate at Remy though.





Our server in Palo was great! I feel bad for not writing down his name, but he was from Greece. He made this dinner a great experience.

After dinner, Charles Peachock was giving his family show so I went and watched that. Same thing as the adult show, his show didn’t change from the family show I saw on a previous cruise.

After the show, I went to a gameshow in the Tube called Pop! This gameshow was for adults only, and I want to thank my team for helping me when I went up. I had no idea the answers to any of the questions I had. At least I helped my team get back in the game by choosing questions everyone knew.

After the gameshow, the Liverpool legends gave their adults only show. I will say I enjoyed this show more than the family show.

The towel animal we got this evening was a turkey!



It was time for bed since we would be arriving in Martinique the next morning!

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to let all of you know that I am currently on another vacation which is why I have been quiet with more updates. I am typing my last reports right now and will have them up as soon as I possibly can. Thanks to all of you that have joined in on this report so far!