A WONDERful three nights on the Wonder…Spring break 2018 trip report.

[buzzrelly]

Day 2 Continued-

Cabanas Breakfast-


This was my plate. I absolutely love the oatmeal on the ship. I don't know how they make it but it's perfect And in the spirit of trying new things, I got myself a poached egg with hollandaise sauce. Again, not my cup of tea, but I'm glad I tried it.


Allie ended up meeting us up there as well and since her bagel didn't fulfill all her carb needs, she also got a couple Mickey waffles.



After gracing us with her presence ever so briefly, she went back to The Vibe where Nicholas was already. Mom and I walked around a bit to walk off some of our breakfast.


Not a great picture, but this chandelier is so pretty.


We ended up making our way over to the future cruise desk and signed in. At first there were about 5-6 people in front of us, but then a CM came along and announced that anyone wanting to just make a placeholder reservation doesn't need to wait. They just had to fill out a little postcard and drop it in a box. That cleared almost everyone out. There was still one couple ahead of us so we decided to wait.


So….what did we book? The Fantasy, 7-night Eastern Caribbean, April 6, 2019 Although, at this point, we weren't even 100% certain that we were going to keep this reservation because that would mean skipping WDW next April, and we weren't sure if we wanted to do that. But after much discussion between the four of us, we have now totally committed to doing this and I couldn't change my mind even if I wanted to because I ended up renting out my DVC points for next year, which covers half the cost of the cruise! The kids are super excited! One of the main reasons we really want to do this is because they LOVE The Vibe. I mean LOVE it…as in, I almost never see them on the ship. They just have such a great time. Nicholas is turning 17 this fall so next April will be his last chance to go in there. Plus, it'll be his senior year and I really wanted to do a special trip. We are all REALLY excited!

Sometime afterwards, we had tickets to the princess meet & greet. I thought Allie would join us but she had no interest in doing that AT ALL. So mom and I went down. I look horrid in all of the pictures though, so I cropped myself out











Ariel was super sweet. The rest were nice, but Cinderella was very standoffish and clearly not into touching strangers, which is EXACTLY how I would be as a princess, so I guess I can't really fault her for that

More of our sea day continued in next post.
​

 

[cadien]

We ended up making our way over to the future cruise desk and signed in. At first there were about 5-6 people in front of us, but then a CM came along and announced that anyone wanting to just make a placeholder reservation doesn't need to wait. They just had to fill out a little postcard and drop it in a box. That cleared almost everyone out. There was still one couple ahead of us so we decided to wait.​

My poor husband hung around for over an hour before they announced that postcard option. I wish there was a sign.

 

[xavier2001]

My poor husband hung around for over an hour before they announced that postcard option. I wish there was a sign.

We were on the Wonder the sailing after this, there was a sign sitting by the half sheets of paper but it was a small one. If someone was sitting at the desk they very well could have been blocking it.

 

[buzzrelly]

My poor husband hung around for over an hour before they announced that postcard option. I wish there was a sign.

We were on the Wonder the sailing after this, there was a sign sitting by the half sheets of paper but it was a small one. If someone was sitting at the desk they very well could have been blocking it.

I think that's right. There was a sign but totally out of the way and not at all obvious.

 

[buzzrelly]

After meeting all the princesses, mom and I changed and went back to Cabanas to have lunch, though I think I may be missing something because didn't we just have breakfast?
I'm guessing we walked around a bit more in-between but I have no photographic evidence of this.
Anyway, without further ado...our lunch...







After this we went back to the room to change and headed to the adults-only pool. I left my phone in the rom so I don't have any pictures of this. But it was very relaxing and I ended up starting and finishing a book on this vacation…something I haven't done since last summer.

Dinner tonight was Pirate Night and we were eating in Triton's. We did't bring any Pirate garb to dress up in, but Allie helped Nicholas put on his bandana…and he is DEFINITELY smiling here




Continued in next post...

​

 

[buzzrelly]

Dinner at Triton's, continued-

Nicholas and I both started with the French Onion soup:


This was so salty, it was basically inedible. I took one taste and couldn't eat anymore Nicholas wasn't impressed either, though I think he ate a little more than I did.

Mom tried the deep-fried brie:


She wasn't crazy about this, either.

So far, Triton's was totally striking out for us as far as food goes.

For our entrees, Mom and I both got the Filet steak:



This was actually really good. I ended up giving Nicholas one of those because he didn't like what he ordered for dinner, the roasted duck breast. I don't know why he thought he'd like that, but I think he thought it was going to taste like roasted chicken. It didn't, but he was happy with my steak.

After dinner the kids went off to the clubs and mom and I headed to the show, Disney Dreams, and then went up to watch some Pirate-Night festivities.

This will come as no surprise, but we beat the kids back to the room again and I was pretty much asleep by the time they came in.



Up next, Castaway Cay, otherwise known as, "the whole reason I even cruise at all." ​

 

[buzzrelly]

Day 3, Saturday April 7, 2018
Castaway Cay Day!

We woke early this morning, super excited for our day at Castaway Cay. Mother Nature was extremely cooperative yet again, giving us another glorious day of weather. I decided to go for a run on deck 4 before getting off the ship, kind of my own Castaway Cay 5K. I did the actual CC 5K in 2016 and it was just waaayyyyy too hot for me, and so much of it is out in the blistering sun. I feel no need to repeat that for a plastic medal. I decided to do my own version early in the day, in partial shade around the deck like I had done the day before. The one glitch I ran into was that while the ship is docking, part of the jogging path is closed. I made do by cutting through the last set of doors. I did nine laps again, but because I cut off that end part, it wasn't a true 3 miles, but it sure was pretty









After my abbreviated 5K, I went back to shower and gather the crew together to head up to breakfast at Cabanas. I was kind of hitting a wall as far as food goes and decided to try the yogurt bar. I ended up LOVING this and think on my next cruise I'll skip all the other stuff and just head to this. I also got some fruit to go with it.



My little carb-lover stuck to her bagel and fruit.



And mom tried a little bit of everything.



After breakfast, we parted ways with the kids because they were heading out on the Wild Teen Excursion with the kids from the Vibe.

Mom and I disembarked and saw Chip & Dale were meeting at the post office. They were really sweet.



I wanted to save my mom some walking so we boarded the tram

I wanted to do something that would have totally annoyed the kids had they been with us, stop and meet the characters. This was our third time to CC and our first time actually doing this. I absolutely love them dressed in their beach clothes and we had great interactions with all of them. They were really sweet with my mom






More Castaway Cay continued in next post.​

 

[buzzrelly]

Castaway Cay continued-

The characters were all in the same area and I think they switched out every 15-30 minutes. We just went back and forth and then waited for the next set to come out. Since we were there so early, the lines were short.







Once we had met all the characters, we made our way to find a spot on the beach, taking pictures along the way.



Cookie's BBQ wasn't open yet, but the drink station was-





We rented a couple tubes to float around in and found a nice little spot on the beach to settle in.



I happened to be taking a walk and spotted all the teens from the club getting ready for a bike ride…hey guys! Nicholas is in the red shorts with his arm up, and Allie is in the black shorts.



I continued my walk and just took some more pictures...





More Castaway Cay continued in next post...​

 

[missjackiemcg]

Mmmmm, all the cruise food looks tasty! Very sad about the disappointing french onion soup, as that is my favorite! It's always a hit or miss though, no in between!

It's fun that your kids enjoy hanging out in the Vibe area so much. On my first cruise, my BFF and I went together just the two of us. We were 18 and were seriously bummed that we couldn't go!! LOL

 

[DLo]

Hopping a board a little late ! Looks like a great trip so far.

 

[buzzrelly]

Mmmmm, all the cruise food looks tasty! Very sad about the disappointing french onion soup, as that is my favorite! It's always a hit or miss though, no in between!

It's fun that your kids enjoy hanging out in the Vibe area so much. On my first cruise, my BFF and I went together just the two of us. We were 18 and were seriously bummed that we couldn't go!! LOL

I don't think we'll be cruising much once Nicholas hits 18. I kind of feel there wouldn't be that much for him to do and yet he'd be too young for the adult clubs. Next April will be it for a while for us, as far as cruising goes…might as well end it with the best

Hopping a board a little late ! Looks like a great trip so far.

It's never too late!

Thanks for commenting!

 

[Skywatcher1206]

I don't think we'll be cruising much once Nicholas hits 18. I kind of feel there wouldn't be that much for him to do and yet he'd be too young for the adult clubs. Next April will be it for a while for us, as far as cruising goes…might as well end it with the best



It's never too late!

Thanks for commenting!

Great report so far! As for the not cruising when he turns 18, isn’t there an 18-20 group? I don’t know much about it, but I remember seeing some activities in the Navigator that looked fun.

 

[buzzrelly]

Great report so far! As for the not cruising when he turns 18, isn’t there an 18-20 group? I don’t know much about it, but I remember seeing some activities in the Navigator that looked fun.

Thanks for commenting!

I didn't realize there was an 18-20 group. I guess I shouldn't write off cruising all together then

 

[buzzrelly]

Castaway Cay, still continued-


After my walk, I went back to get mom and we went to Cookies's Too for lunch. None of the meat looked good to me so I ended up loading up on carbs…I have to say that of all the cruise food, this was my least favorite meal. There just aren't enough choices. I guess I could have gone back on the ship to eat, but it doesn't really matter that much to me, I guess. I picked enough so that I wasn't hungry.



In a SHOCKING turn of events, while mom and I were eating, the kids actually decided to join us for lunch


What my plate lacked in protein, Nicholas MORE than made up for




Allie even stuck around long enough to recreate a photo we took two years ago-

Then-


and now-


We kind of messed it up, but it's cute anyway. She loves Olaf

The kids went back to their teen group and mom and I went back to relax on the beach for a little bit before heading back.

I briefly contemplated going on Pelican Plunge by myself, but decided against it partly because I didn't want to go by myself and partly because I've read that there could be sea-lice in CC, and it's especially concentrated around PP. I have no idea if that's true or not, but I didn't want to take any chances. I settled for a picture...



Mom took the tram back to the ship, but I wanted to walk so I could take my time and take some pictures…







I love this sign, but I had missed it on the way to the beach...




Castaway Cay continued in next post...
​

 

[buzzrelly]

Castaway Cay continued-

Mom and I ended up meeting near the tram stop and a nice man offered to take our picture…


And just more scenic pictures as we walked back to the ship...












And one more from back in our room from the veranda. Good-bye, until next time, Castaway Cay



Back on the ship we all took showers and got ready for our final dinner. Tonight's restaurant…


You can tell everyone had had a little too much sun and we were all feeling a little wiped out.



The restaurant was super cute, though.




Animator's Palate continued in next post...
​

 

[lklgoodman]

I was also concerned about sea lice when we were planning our last cruise(on the Wonder this past March). I did some research and found out that they don't start appearing until the summer months(mostly July and August), so you shouldn't have had any there in April. We always cruise Jan-March, so I was happy to read that they wouldn't be there then. I wanted to do the slide at PP also, but the water was still too cold and I couldn't bring myself to get in the water pass my ankles!! My dh and dd went out there many times and didn't have any problems with sea lice, but I too have heard that is where they like to hang out. I enjoy seeing all your pics, I never noticed how the sign at Cookies has food in the title. I love the ribs there, but agree, they need more of a selection. I need to get a pic of my dd with Olaf, we've been there 4 times and have never taken one.

 

[buzzrelly]

I was also concerned about sea lice when we were planning our last cruise(on the Wonder this past March). I did some research and found out that they don't start appearing until the summer months(mostly July and August), so you shouldn't have had any there in April. We always cruise Jan-March, so I was happy to read that they wouldn't be there then.

That's good to know, since we mostly travel in April. Honestly, if Allie was with me and wanted to go I definitely would have gone.

I enjoy seeing all your pics,

Thank you! And thanks for commenting

 

[buzzrelly]

Our final night, Animator's Palate continued-

I looked at the menu, but I already knew what I was going to order well before I did.None of the salads looked good to me, so I asked Levi if I could get the wedge salad I had that first night at Tiana's. I felt kind of bad asking for that, but he said it would be no problem and made me feel like I wasn't putting him out. For my dinner, I asked for a double-serving of the Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes. These are my absolute favorite thing to eat on the cruise and frankly, I couldn't look at another steak. This was the perfect serving size and between that and my wedge salad, I was super happy













After dinner we looked at the dessert menu, but nobody ended up ordering anything.



Nicholas with our assistant server, SAM! Which I totally remember now (that I see his name tag ). He was SOOOOOO awesome! Each night towards the end of dinner, he would do a trick or a little game, and each night, none of us could figure any of them out! It definitely kept the kids entertained and not wanting to run out as soon as possible. Like I said earlier, Levi and Sam were the greatest servers we've ever had and I would definitely request them if I were to sail on the Wonder again.





The only thing I was confused about was that I thought in Animator's Palate that we were supposed to draw a picture and watch it come to life on the screens. I think they only do that on longer cruises? Either that, or I'm totally crazy Either way, that didn't happen, though the screens came to life with Disney animation by the end of the meal.

After dinner, we enjoyed one last sunset up on deck

​

 

[buzzrelly]

Final night, continued-

It was a "little" windy on deck...




AS they had done on the previous two nights, the kids went off to the club and mom and I headed to the room where this guy was waiting for us...



We then went to watch the live show, Frozen.



Don't flame me, but I think I may have nodded off during the show. It's not that the show isn't good, or the cast isn't talented, but I AM SOOOOOO OVER FROZEN Stick a fork in me, I'm done. If I never see it again, it'll be too soon. This is the only Disney movie I've ever felt this way about, though I imagine Star Wars may be heading down this path soon.

Back at the room, I finally remembered to take a pic of this awesome photo



And that concludes our final night. I told the kids not to stay out too, too late because we had to get up early the next day. I think they made it in around midnight, but I was already asleep.

So I'm not a great note-taker and when I write trip reports, I basically rely on my photos and the time stamps to remind me of where we were, and when. This doesn't work as well on the cruise because with some of the shows and other things, I didn't have any photos.

The reason I mention this is because one of the nights…maybe the second night??…I saw that there was going to be a Barry Manilow tribute in one of the lounges. I was so excited to see that and I made it a point to go. It was late and Mom ended up not coming with me so I went by myself. I felt a little weird going to a club by myself, but such is my love for Barry that I would risk it. And boy, was I glad I did. He was AWESOME! I ended up sitting on a lounge across from one other couple and we were pretty much the ONLY people in there That lady and myself were singing along and having the BEST time! We got to talking because obviously, we were both "Fanilows," and it turns out that she has seen the real Barry multiple times in concert, as have I, and we are both nurses, so we were chatting about that too.

I ended up having a great time and I was so glad I went! The singer..I think his name was Chuck Something…was amazing. He sounded just like Barry and even had his mannerisms down to a tee. He ended up coming over to chat with us for a little bit after the show and he was saying this kind of show does better on a longer cruise. I'm not sure why, but I'm guessing because more older people take the longer cruises, or maybe on the shorter cruises there just isn't enough time to squeeze it in.

Sorry for all the sketchy details, but I can't find my Navigators even though I thought I saved them…I'm guessing they are stuck in the front pocket of my suitcase, which is somewhere buried in the basement already


Anyway, Up next, our final morning and final thoughts about the cruise. And then we head to WDW and Bay Lake Tower for 7 nights!​

 

[cadien]

I always think that the Animators menu really misses the boat by not notifying people that halloumi = fried cheese. We’re not even vegetarian but we regularly eat it at home. Delicious!