All I Got Was A Lousy T-Shirt. . .(SleepyD's WetnWild Shower Fan Club -16 Feb 07)

[grumpydude]

Add this to the my personal TR Hall of Fame with Grumpydude, Royal Vizhier, Verandah Man and, of course, Zweihund.

We are all just pretenders to her throne.

Me....Hall of Fame????? I too have bowed to Erica's (zweihund) greatness...who by the way should be working on a report from the Booze Fest in collaboration with Brenda (oybolshoi), another queen of the TR throne.

GD

 

[grumpydude]

Day 3: Self-Indulgence 101—Palo, The Prelude​

Doc went for the more sexually ambiguous types. . .

Dog, this is just too funny for me to pass on. Pan on the Magic was just as ambiguous...just a little to ambiguous for me.

 

[Minnie_Moo]

As we top the first set of stairs, I feel something whacking against my pant leg. Raising my arm to look down, I notice that once again the maroonic bug had bitten me.

“It might be a good idea to get these tags off my clothes, don’t you think?” I queried. Oh, yes. I had not only walked out of the stateroom, but had passed dozens of people wearing tags that shouted, “I’m a doofus!” Oops. And with that incident emblazoned in my memory—and freshly de-tagged—we stepped into Palo once again. . .after a quick check to make sure no toilet paper was stuck to my new shoes. . .

Gives the Tag Fairy a whole new set of possibilities, eh SleepDoggy?

There sure are some good ones in there!

I'm sure Doc was eminently qualified to do the tagectomy.

Glad you were able to do some wine tasting.

 

[Madisonznana]

Shades of Minnie Pearl!!! You can the dress the guy up but you can't take the hills of Virginia out of him!! I'm sure the tags wouldn't be a problem in Palo if they said Armani or Hugo Boss...

 

[NAB]

You are one funny dude....and a tall one at that. Finally a pic minus the life jacket and the halo.

How lucky Doc was to get all the pics with the men. We found that too, characters were out alot. A great reason to take your little princess the next time.

Shutters worse time is the last night....have to wait to see if you were in there then.

Wine tasting do you even like Wine

Bet you were styling even with the tags on. Been there done that.


--

 

[horsegirl]

Women. Wives. Fiancées. Girlfriends. Boyfriends (if it fits). When we say, “you look good” in a particular outfit, we mean it—it’s our immutable creed of Rapid Reflexive Response. And if we don’t meant it, we sure as hell aren’t going to say so. “Why, no, hon, those stripes should be vertical.” Or. “That color is so-o-o-o-o not you.” Or. “That blouse/top is too low cut,” simply are statements we are not going to utter. We treasure our sanity. . .our lives, in fact. Besides. We do think you look beautiful. And. We know we are goobers when it comes to dressing up. Suits make us look like mini-versions of Lurch. We know and you know (and we know you know that we know) that you look better than us. It’s one reason why we married you—you make us look better with your radiance. (P.S. This same law of RRR generally holds true on such classic questions as “Do these pants make my butt look big?” Now, that is a black hole of a question if there ever was one. It is one of the top three least favorite questions EVER asked of a man. We break out in a sweat; we get the dry heaves; we change the subject. Please help us help ourselves and forego said question in the future.)



Anyway, we were ready. And did I mention how scrumptious and lovely my wife looked? One last check to make sure everything was in its proper place on our bodies and that we had a key to get back in later that night. Out the door we go, hang a left, and begin walking down the corridor to the stairs. As we top the first set of stairs, I feel something whacking against my pant leg. Raising my arm to look down, I notice that once again the maroonic bug had bitten me.

“It might be a good idea to get these tags off my clothes, don’t you think?” I queried. Oh, yes. I had not only walked out of the stateroom, but had passed dozens of people wearing tags that shouted, “I’m a doofus!” Oops. And with that incident emblazoned in my memory—and freshly de-tagged—we stepped into Palo once again. . .after a quick check to make sure no toilet paper was stuck to my new shoes. . .

You are a smart man! Thanks for your tremendous insight into the male species. I am loving your trippie, my friend! And Doc, I love the He said/She said stuff!

Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

 

[zweihund]

Me....Hall of Fame????? I too have bowed to Erica's (zweihund) greatness...who by the way should be working on a report from the Booze Fest in collaboration with Brenda (oybolshoi), another queen of the TR throne.

GD

Just back from boozing and feasting this evening.....trip report forming in my head! After the hangover clears, that is.

 

[Bethipooh4]

I haven't been able to get online to check your TR and what do I find???? ONLY 1 NEW INSTALLMENT????? It's been 3 days since I have checked....

Ok, I guess you can have a life outside of this....

 

[DiaLady]

Wow! A Wine tasting in PALOs. Do they regularly have that? It sounded wonderful! Thanks for the heads up!

Theresa

P.S. Can't wait to read your version of PALOs for dinner!

 

[sheridac]

a total of about 10 people wound up attending, including ourselves. But. . .not including. . .wel-l-l-l. . .I’ll let you ruminate on that one for a minute. You’re smart; you’ll figure it out.

Uuummm. I'm guessing.....Jasmine.

 

[sleepydog25]

Ok now that you are both done plugging each others reports and doing the manly slapping each other on the back with a grunt here and a grunt there. Can you BOTH get going on your reports? It's been 2 days for you sleepydog with nothing and almost 24 hours from FF. Some of us are in withdraws already!!

They make drugs for that kind of thing, you know. . .

Ima lovin this trippie, love your humor, etc, keep going

Aww, shucks. . . You're the first person to say they love my "etc."

You sound juuuuust like my husband

Mayhaps we went to the same Husband Finishing School. . .

I'm lovin every minute of your trippie. Going next weekend to buy my own little black number for Palo. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

Doc.........thanks so much for the low down on the clinic. I am a nurse & I found it very interesting as will my Mom who watched some show on cruises & how terribly unprepared they are for medical emergencies & yes she is coming with us on our cruise.

You guys are great

Thanks! I'll be posting the Palo installment shortly. Doc says "you're welcome," and that she's glad it may help ease your mom's uneasiness.

Yay! Another great episode! It's the weekend so you should be able to post at least 2 or 3 more episodes, yes??

Woohoo! Uh, no.

Dog, this is just too funny for me to pass on. Pan on the Magic was just as ambiguous...just a little to ambiguous for me.

He's playing the character Barrie created, a character who has always been, ummm, ambidextrous, perhaps? Heck, if Barrie had wanted a superhero type he wouldn't have named him Peter Pan, more like The Mangler, The Hookinator, or Steele Hans.

Gives the Tag Fairy a whole new set of possibilities, eh SleepDoggy?

There sure are some good ones in there!

I'm sure Doc was eminently qualified to do the tagectomy.

Glad you were able to do some wine tasting.

Wow. It sure does. Don't tell her, okay? Good thing the wine tasting came after the tagectomy. BTW, is that what the Tag Faerie does when she removes tags on here?

Shades of Minnie Pearl!!! You can the dress the guy up but you can't take the hills of Virginia out of him!! I'm sure the tags wouldn't be a problem in Palo if they said Armani or Hugo Boss...[/QUOTE]No, but I'd get my butt kicked back in the hills of Virginny!

You are one funny dude....and a tall one at that. Finally a pic minus the life jacket and the halo.

How lucky Doc was to get all the pics with the men. We found that too, characters were out alot. A great reason to take your little princess the next time.

Shutters worse time is the last night....have to wait to see if you were in there then.

Wine tasting do you even like Wine

Bet you were styling even with the tags on. Been there done that

But I left in the goofy grin. . .

Hate it. Have I mentioned my middle name is Pinnochio?

Best looking maroonic doofus on the ship. . .

You are a smart man!

And angelic to boot. . .

I haven't been able to get online to check your TR and what do I find???? ONLY 1 NEW INSTALLMENT????? It's been 3 days since I have checked....

Ok, I guess you can have a life outside of this....

Oh, I'm supposed to write WHILE you're away? Crap. Got that backwards. . .

Wow! A Wine tasting in PALOs. Do they regularly have that? It sounded wonderful! Thanks for the heads up!

They do, indeed, have a wine tasting regularly. You should be able to do it on most cruises, just check at the Guest Services desk upon arrival. The cost was $12 and quite informational. Plus, you get to visit Palo.

Uuummm. I'm guessing.....Jasmine.

Umm, no. Is that Viking logic? But, that reminds me, where the hell was Jasmine!?!

 

[sleepydog25]

Day 3: Self-Indulgence 101—Palo, The Meal​

As mentioned previously, Palo is beautifully appointed—at once sophisticated and intimate, as befits an adults-only restaurant. We were greeted warmly and seated immediately. . .next to a window overlooking Nassau as the day began to ebb into night. Honestly, Nassau’s cityscape doesn’t compare to NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Anchorage, or even Beaumont, Texas, but it was still special to have such a table. Doc looked fabulous--much more enticing than any skyline ever could--and I have proof.

We had no longer settled down when Gane’ (Macedonia) introduced himself and mentioned he would be our server that evening. I’ll tell you from the outset that his service and recommendations were exceptional. That’s the short version; if you want more, read on.


Now, I love wine, especially reds. Someone jokingly suggested in a response much earlier in this odyssey, that I probably didn’t really run a wine shop. Au contraire. Granted, my knowledge of wine isn’t much better than my knowledge of French (which is why I’m not sure I spelled that preceding italicized phrase correctly), but I do run a small shop, so I’m fairly conversant re: wines. I had my eyes locked on a nice Italian Barolo when Gane’ suggested I go for the Silverado Fantasia ’02. Gane’ suggested it was produced by a relative of Walt himself, but we were a bit skeptical, and my research seems bear witness to our cynicism. Still, the wine was superb. It was opulent, succulent, and luscious—an excellent wine to pair with our meals or simply sipped sans food. In fact, I’ll quote the winery: Or forget the food, and simply enjoy Fantasia with a glowing fire, some soulful jazz and someone you love. I couldn’t say it better myself. Now, Gane’ could have chosen a more expensive selection (they definitely have some top end wines there), but his suggestion was within a few dollars of the wine I had mentioned. Nice touch.



As is typical with excellent bistros, we had a difficult time deciding what we wanted. Doc started with the flash fried calamari which was quite good, fresh, and not greasy at all. I went with the Portobello polenta which was equally superb. We happened to mention to Gane’ that we were having a hard time making up our minds. Naturally, he brought out slices of their quad-fromaggio pizza, as well as a plate of their antipasto that included roasted red peppers, garlic, artichokes, cheese, prosciutto, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes, all of which was served with three types of bread accompanied by an aoli, an olive tapenade, and paprika pepper spread. Who needed dinner?



Well, of course, we did. During this early feeding frenzy, a couple was seated right behind us—Randy and Ann from our table rotation! This was not their first time in Palo, and they had one suggestion: the chocolate soufflé. That recommendation echoed what Doc had read about the soufflé on the DIS boards. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, we had to order entrees. Good lord, the decisions were tough!

Warning! The following 2 pictures are not for vegetarians!!

This is the rack of lamb at Palo. . .medium rare. . .as it should be. Notice the cheese cornucopia filled with sauteed vegetables. Excellent meal!

Veal cutlets that Doc had with polenta and a wine demi-glace. Also excellent! (pssst! Mine was better.)

Not content to fatten us with our sumptuous meals, Gane’ also saw fit to bring a dish of third entrée, the pasta with creamy tomato and shrimp sauce—very tasty but we could only manage a few bites.



Then came dessert. Doc chose the highly touted soufflé, while I opted for the tiramisu. (Okay, actually, I think he brought me a souffle, too, as it is etched in my memory of how good it was, but Doc says her memory of the dessert is better than mine.) As I began to order mine, however, Gane’ said, “I know what to bring you.” A dolly to haul us out came to mind, but lo and behold, we got not only the soufflé and the tiramisu, but also their crème fraiche custard served with fresh fruit. (TIP: Place the soufflé order when you select your entrée so that it will be done in time for the dessert course, unless you don’t mind waiting a little longer.) Each of the desserts was tremendous. The custard is the lightest of the triumvirate and very refreshing, while the tiramisu has the perfect balance of café, chocolate, and liqueur. However, neither compares to the decadence of the soufflé. Once placed in front of us, Gane’ cracked open the top with a spoon and poured chocolate syrup inside. O. . .M. . .G. . .I’m drooling as I type this—it’s that good.

Dessert at Palo. Oh, yes, our server Gane gave us each the signature dessert: chocolate souffle (top left). To die for. The tiramisu (top right) and creme custard with fresh fruit were each superb, as well. He promised they were all low-cal.


To top it all off, Gane’ brought us a scopini (Doc thinks it’s called a scorpini, but I hold my liquor and wine better than she does, so I’m sticking to what I heard . . .again). It’s an after dinner drink made from lemon sorbet, vodka, and champagne, served in a small, fluted glass. Wow! What a great drink that was, even though we were about to pop all the button and zippers on clothes. . .from eating so much. . .NOT the romantic notion as they frown upon nudity in public places, especially on a DCL ship (minus Rasul, of course ). Palo was an exceptional experience, and we’ll definitely go back.



From Palo, we took a leisurely roll, er, walk around Deck 9 and wound our way to the theatre to see The Golden Mickeys. The show is a cross between the Academy Awards and Fantasmic and was just as delightful as Hercules had been the night before. At this point, I need to give a special notice to the two sign language interpreters who signed all three shows. They were a real hoot! Not only did they interpret the show, but they threw themselves into each of the characters, donning capes, playing to each other, assuming the demeanor of whichever character was speaking, and “singing” all the songs. This man and woman were so impressive that I can’t say enough good things about them. The other stage characters had to know their role(s) for each show. These two had to know ALL the roles of EVERY show, and they did it with such vitality, that we often found ourselves watching them instead of the actual production. In a word, they were phenomenal.



Following the show, the Friday night Pirates IN the Caribbean party ramped up, and much like the Sail-Away party, this one featured thumping music (Goofy looked decidedly goofy doing YMCA), dancing, Mickey on a zip line about 30 feet above the deck, and other characters galore.

A whole bunch o' characters dance and sing, and Capt Hook crashes the party and attempts a mutiny. "Do the hustle!"

Naturally, Mickey won't let Hook and Smee get away with their diabolical plan. Yeah, MM is suspended about 30 feet above the party on a smoke stack and zip-lines to the other side. . .

. . .and naturally, MM saves the day, er, night. The whole thing ends with more dancing and singing. Mickey wins! Mickey wins! Mickey wins!


The highlight of the party comes as fireworks begin to explode. . .in the sky, not on the ship. Talk about a Disney touch! And I can only imagine what a drunken sailor would think were he to see these fireworks: “Who would invade Nassau? The Falklanders?!” Immediately following the show, we headed down to where a calmer atmosphere reigned—the Cadillac Lounge with Bobby Hamilton. As Father Force suggested, Bobby had a voice that was meant to sing the blues and jazz. He didn’t have a trained voice, or a cultured smooth voice like you hear on too many wannabe blues singers. No, his voice sounded like ice cracking in glass of warm bourbon, the sort of voice you imagine a man would have who had lived on stale cigarettes and soul food for most of his life. His voice crawled to a whisper on high notes, and broke down like an old gravel truck on the low end, but. . .the man has soul. I’m sure he’s been singing like that for decades, but each song, each note seemed genuine and heartfelt. From Sinatra and Nat King Cole, to Coltrane and Louis Armstrong, the heart and heat of the music hit the right notes. He was simply mesmerizing in a genteel, honest, and simple way. Of course, there were less than a half dozen people there, but what a treat! Bobby was a hidden gem for us.



Still, we couldn’t stay up all night. Okay, we could have stayed later, but we needed to get back to the room. A verandah awaited. A verandah with a view of the vast ocean, the stars, and the moon. Bobby could wait—he’d be back tomorrow night. As we entered the room, we immediately sought out our towel mate for the night.

Kissing swans. . .how elegant and romantic. Zippidee and Doodah just HAD to get in the pic, then gorged themselves on the chocolate coins.


So ended our second day of the cruise, a day of opulence and relaxation for our bodies, and a renewal of energy for our minds. One could argue I have little to renew there, but that’s another day, another forum. By now, I know many of you are wondering what we thought about being gone from Princess and for having left her back home. Well, we did think and speak of her often—she was never far from our thoughts. On the other hand, this WAS an adults-only cruise for us. . .



To be continued. . .Day 4: Castaway Cay Comes a’Callin’

 

[smwf71]

This is great - thanks! I would love to cruise alone with my DH - but, for now, I'd be happy with an overnight in a Marriott in Columbus - something? ANything?

 

[firstmickey]

Sigh.............I love that Panna Cotta dessert at Palo!
Everyone talks about how wonderful Palo is....but you truly have no idea until you experience it for yourself!


thanks for sharing and for making me hungry!!!


Sounds like a perfect evening for you!

 

[Bethipooh4]

At this point, I need to give a special notice to the two sign language interpreters who signed all three shows. They were a real hoot!

I agree!!! The two that were on the Magic were incredible. At one point during the shows, my Dh nudged me to watch them, pretty soon our entire group of 12 had more fun watching the interpreters then the show. I hope Disney knows what a treasure they have in all of them.

 

[FatherForce]

“Who would invade Nassau? The Falklanders?!”

Now THAT's funny!

I heard Jamaica has tried to invade Nassau many times, but halfway there they always forget why they were sailing and end up playing Playstation all day.

 

[LCTsMom]

Gane' was our server at Palo last month. We also had an excellent experience with him!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Day 3: Self-Indulgence 101—Palo, The Prelude​

Back in our room, we showered (yes, me too!), changed, and headed out to catch Triton’s for lunch. Our excellent servers were Charlie from Thailand and Vanessa from Trinidad and Tobago—for the record, she pronounced it Tuh-BAY-go—just another PSA for your edification. Doc ordered the tomato cream linguine w/scallops, shrimp, clams, and lobster—decadent but delicious. And there was enough to drop some by Father Force’s cabin to go with his extra steak he ordered at Triton’s the night before. For me, the Portobello risotto looked good, and it was. However, I had the chilled tuna appetizer along with it that was only average. It needed wasabi and pickled ginger. ALL fresh tuna dishes need wasabi and ginger. It ought to be a law.

Vanessa was our server back in Aug '05 and we loved her. So glad to hear she is still on the Wonder. Hopefully she'll still be onboard in Aug '07.

Thanks for the PSA that Vanessa is still with DCL. Made my day.

 

[curlybop]

I've almost drooled all over my keyboard after viewing the Palo food photos. Thanks!

 

[ThePhantomsGirl]

GREAT report....but....
I left this report 15 DAYS AGO!!! that's right 15 days!! (and long nights...) I figured well...yeah...Sleepy's a little slow...but SURELY if I give him 15 days...he'll be done...after all it was just a four day cruise!

I ain't zaggerating here...check it out...I'm on page 7....

Hmmm, I'll probably be on MY cruise in January before you're done!

Okay....I'll have a little cheese with my whine....