LindaBabe
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Oct 20, 1999
- Messages
- 10,204
And it was WONDER- FULL!
Weather was sunny and warm every day but sea day, which was cloudy and windy. There was a little choppy water coming back across the gulf streem on the way home.
We had cabin 7563, inside sleeps three. It was very convenient location and quiet. If you sleep on the fold out couch, as I did, I recommend asking for a double bed pad under the sheet - it was a little lumpy.
We had first seating, Anit and Fortune were our waiters. Fortune won employee of the month and Anit bragged about him!
I survived boat drill. I carried my life vest down because i can't see over it to walk in it. They let me go down the elevator because stairs are difficult and slow for me. A CM very efficiently installed me in the life vest and fixed it so it didn't cover my mouth. About the time I started to feel distressed, the crewman extracted me from the lineup and let me go to beat the herd.
Even though two other women went with me, we moved pretty much on different schedules, so I saw very little of them. (THey being younger, energetic and party lovers and me being older, stiffer, and needing my sleep.) I need not have feared cruising alone! It was great! The cast members took such great care of me - carrying my tray from the buffets, and making conversation when i was alone. Everyone ALWAYS ha d a friendly word.
One morning at breakfast, the servers filled a whole table with us earlier risers - it was FUN meeting new people!
Our table mates, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom & Dad, and Cameron, age 8, were wonderful. I went to the shows with them two nights. I also met another charming family in the Castaway Club party, Grandmom Felicia, Mom Brenda, and 12 yo son, whose name i've forgotten.
I spent a lot of time in the rainforest and had two wonderful spa treatments. Tracey from Ireland, I love you! Unfortunately, she's going on two month leave, so you won't get to enjoy her services.
Lots of people must learn from these boards. I went upstairs as soon as possible but there were about a dozen people in line to book treatments already, and some of the later people were surely disappointed.
Their booking system sucks, to put it bluntly. One person for spa, one person for chakra capsule (In a totally different location), one person for hair and nails (standing totally idle), and yet another person for castaway massages, again in another location. NO signs saying this, so it was possible to stand in the wrong line for quite a while. One needed to either clone onesself to stand in all the lines or select the line for what treatment was wanted most.
In Nassau, I struck off on my own, as early as possible. I took the city bus to Ardestra gardens, a very small and old zoo. Bus was a dollar, zoo admission was $12. for an adult. It's about a 20 minute walk for a slow walker from the bus stop to the zoo. If I had paid the price for the disney excursion to the place, Iprobably would have felt cheated, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Met three young girls at the Flamingo show there. They were staying in Nassau, and told me that the food at Ardestra Gardens was the cheapest they had found anywhere so far! I played mom, and took all their pictures with multiple cameras when they went in to the pen with the marching flamingos.
I was going to the botanical garden too, but it looked to be a bit of a hike, so I opt to get back on the bus for the straw market.
The strawmarket was crowded and fun. The ladies all asked me to buy here, but a simple thanks or no thanks and keep walking was all it took to move on. On the way back to the ship, I passed several women serving food out of the back of their cars to the vendors in the market. OH it smelled SO good! My big regret for the day, fearing upset tummy, is that I did not buy a plate of it. It would have been a true Bahamian eating experience.
Castaway Cay! What can one say? It was heaven on earth, and all I did was stroll slowly on, taking pictures, until I spied a shady empty hammock. I flopped, and didn't move again until lunchtime.
After lunch, having had sufficient sun, I went back to the ship - and packed up everything I had worn and wouldn't wear again. Cleared out the closet, and gave me a huge head start on my packing.
Golden Mickeys is WONDERFUL! Extraordinary. Fantastic. I liked it. Disney Dreams is also wonderful! I sat in front of the lady who won the 3K bingo jackpot. BOY! Was she happy! Said she was going to buy a new suitcase and fill it with all the things her family wanted but hadn't been able to afford!
On the sea day, there were so many activities, I didn't know what to do! Spent time in the rainforest, went to the cooking demonstration (with samples), napkin folding, the single traveler's lunch, ice carving, animation class and towel animals class. WHAT fun!
The food was good and plenty. I usually ate the chef's recommendations. Duck, Salmon, and mixed grill, all wonderful. (skipped the last dinner to go to the spa). If I got something I didn't love, I didn't eat it. There was plenty of other stuff.
I ate on deck 9 for breakfast the second morning. The staffing was great! And the food looked great but was not warm by the time I got seated.The mickey waffles were cakey not fluffy, so I shoved it around my plate for a while, and then went down to Tritons for real food. The eggs benedict are divine.
The last night I had room service, Tomato soup (VERY good), grilled ham and cheese - limp from the little time under the cover, (and oatmeal cookies which I saved for later). Should have ordered 2 soups- one was not enough.
Did you know the room host is also the baggage handler on the ship? The steveadors get it onto the ship and then the room hosts take over. After I saw Ester struggling with a huge hand cart of luggage, I added another 5er to her gratuity! No WONDER they don't want people to come to the rooms early. (And it is not possible - there is a crewmember stationed at every elevator - they ask where you are going and press the button for you.
Disembarkation was so easy! No waiting in line at all. We had early seating and were on the road by 8, and checking in at Port Orleans by shortly after 9. (it could take way longer, so don't plan on such a short trip - I was behind a dump truck and we were MOVING, I can tell you)
I can't WAIT for December, and my next cruise - a 7 day western.
Weather was sunny and warm every day but sea day, which was cloudy and windy. There was a little choppy water coming back across the gulf streem on the way home.
We had cabin 7563, inside sleeps three. It was very convenient location and quiet. If you sleep on the fold out couch, as I did, I recommend asking for a double bed pad under the sheet - it was a little lumpy.
We had first seating, Anit and Fortune were our waiters. Fortune won employee of the month and Anit bragged about him!
I survived boat drill. I carried my life vest down because i can't see over it to walk in it. They let me go down the elevator because stairs are difficult and slow for me. A CM very efficiently installed me in the life vest and fixed it so it didn't cover my mouth. About the time I started to feel distressed, the crewman extracted me from the lineup and let me go to beat the herd.
Even though two other women went with me, we moved pretty much on different schedules, so I saw very little of them. (THey being younger, energetic and party lovers and me being older, stiffer, and needing my sleep.) I need not have feared cruising alone! It was great! The cast members took such great care of me - carrying my tray from the buffets, and making conversation when i was alone. Everyone ALWAYS ha d a friendly word.
One morning at breakfast, the servers filled a whole table with us earlier risers - it was FUN meeting new people!
Our table mates, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom & Dad, and Cameron, age 8, were wonderful. I went to the shows with them two nights. I also met another charming family in the Castaway Club party, Grandmom Felicia, Mom Brenda, and 12 yo son, whose name i've forgotten.
I spent a lot of time in the rainforest and had two wonderful spa treatments. Tracey from Ireland, I love you! Unfortunately, she's going on two month leave, so you won't get to enjoy her services.
Lots of people must learn from these boards. I went upstairs as soon as possible but there were about a dozen people in line to book treatments already, and some of the later people were surely disappointed.
Their booking system sucks, to put it bluntly. One person for spa, one person for chakra capsule (In a totally different location), one person for hair and nails (standing totally idle), and yet another person for castaway massages, again in another location. NO signs saying this, so it was possible to stand in the wrong line for quite a while. One needed to either clone onesself to stand in all the lines or select the line for what treatment was wanted most.
In Nassau, I struck off on my own, as early as possible. I took the city bus to Ardestra gardens, a very small and old zoo. Bus was a dollar, zoo admission was $12. for an adult. It's about a 20 minute walk for a slow walker from the bus stop to the zoo. If I had paid the price for the disney excursion to the place, Iprobably would have felt cheated, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Met three young girls at the Flamingo show there. They were staying in Nassau, and told me that the food at Ardestra Gardens was the cheapest they had found anywhere so far! I played mom, and took all their pictures with multiple cameras when they went in to the pen with the marching flamingos.
I was going to the botanical garden too, but it looked to be a bit of a hike, so I opt to get back on the bus for the straw market.
The strawmarket was crowded and fun. The ladies all asked me to buy here, but a simple thanks or no thanks and keep walking was all it took to move on. On the way back to the ship, I passed several women serving food out of the back of their cars to the vendors in the market. OH it smelled SO good! My big regret for the day, fearing upset tummy, is that I did not buy a plate of it. It would have been a true Bahamian eating experience.
Castaway Cay! What can one say? It was heaven on earth, and all I did was stroll slowly on, taking pictures, until I spied a shady empty hammock. I flopped, and didn't move again until lunchtime.
After lunch, having had sufficient sun, I went back to the ship - and packed up everything I had worn and wouldn't wear again. Cleared out the closet, and gave me a huge head start on my packing.
Golden Mickeys is WONDERFUL! Extraordinary. Fantastic. I liked it. Disney Dreams is also wonderful! I sat in front of the lady who won the 3K bingo jackpot. BOY! Was she happy! Said she was going to buy a new suitcase and fill it with all the things her family wanted but hadn't been able to afford!
On the sea day, there were so many activities, I didn't know what to do! Spent time in the rainforest, went to the cooking demonstration (with samples), napkin folding, the single traveler's lunch, ice carving, animation class and towel animals class. WHAT fun!
The food was good and plenty. I usually ate the chef's recommendations. Duck, Salmon, and mixed grill, all wonderful. (skipped the last dinner to go to the spa). If I got something I didn't love, I didn't eat it. There was plenty of other stuff.
I ate on deck 9 for breakfast the second morning. The staffing was great! And the food looked great but was not warm by the time I got seated.The mickey waffles were cakey not fluffy, so I shoved it around my plate for a while, and then went down to Tritons for real food. The eggs benedict are divine.
The last night I had room service, Tomato soup (VERY good), grilled ham and cheese - limp from the little time under the cover, (and oatmeal cookies which I saved for later). Should have ordered 2 soups- one was not enough.
Did you know the room host is also the baggage handler on the ship? The steveadors get it onto the ship and then the room hosts take over. After I saw Ester struggling with a huge hand cart of luggage, I added another 5er to her gratuity! No WONDER they don't want people to come to the rooms early. (And it is not possible - there is a crewmember stationed at every elevator - they ask where you are going and press the button for you.
Disembarkation was so easy! No waiting in line at all. We had early seating and were on the road by 8, and checking in at Port Orleans by shortly after 9. (it could take way longer, so don't plan on such a short trip - I was behind a dump truck and we were MOVING, I can tell you)
I can't WAIT for December, and my next cruise - a 7 day western.
