In your life youll encounter many kinds of truth. Some of them are easy and accepted
some of them are hard and often unspoken.
Whoooa
that was a rather dark opening for an update to a Disney Trip Report, but Ive got me reasons. Firstly, it was meant to get your attention, but its also just a fact that has to be reckoned with. Now I hear you say: Yah, but this is a cruise so what kind of hard truth can you possibly have to contend with here? Well there is one unspoken truth of cruising that you need to keep in mind. Its buried inside that contract that has to be signed prior to boarding the ship, and all cruise lines keep to this particular code. The truth Im on about here is that the cruise line promises that they will take you aboard their ship, and that they will keep you safe at all costs, but
they do not guarantee that you will be taken to the exact destinations listed on the itinerary. The truth is that in order to keep both you and their ship safe, they can and will change their destination and/or even the length of the cruise if adverse weather or other unforeseen complications dictate the need to do so. Since this is a possibility (and Im trying to write a Cruising TR for all those that might be thinking about cruising), I feel that this hard truth could stand a little bit of daylight.
Let me go ahead and release the tension a bit by saying that our time aboard the Dream was unfettered by such complications, but I have had to deal with this thuth in the past. Our first encounter with a
DCL ship was when we boarded the Disney Wonder on Memorial Day of 2007 for a short three-day sailing. On June 1st, a trough of low pressure in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico formed onto a quick moving tropical storm and NOAA promptly named it Barry. We spent that day in Nassau and it was pleasant enough although somewhat overcast. Early on the morning of June 2, Barry slammed into the west Florida coast around the Tampa Bay area.
That image just shows the area covered by the Tampa radar station. To get a better idea of the extent of the rain bands, here is a satellite view with a few approximate locations to give you an idea of the size of the disturbance.
That morning scheduled port of call was
Castaway Cay. When I went up on deck to watch the captain attempt to back the Wonder into the little harbor that Disney had built for their private island, this is scene that greeted me
Heres a little close look. You can see the outline of the Flying Dutchman in the distance.
There was a spitting rain, entirely too much wind and the air temperature was barley even 60. The cross currents were the real problem though. The channel cut for docking DCLs ships here is relatively narrow. The captain tried four separate times to back her in but even with the side thrusts on full they just couldnt keep her straight enough and under enough control to ensure that they wouldnt find themselves grounded on the jetty. On this day, docking at Castaway Cay was not happening. Had we pulled in, it would have been rather miserable on the beaches as well. Turns out that this is as close as we ever got to CC.
My intention in relating this particular story is not to worry you or say that you ought not be wasting you money cruising, on the contrary, I think you should be wasting you money cruising (I know I will continue to do so). Its just good to keep in mind that things can go wrong. You might have booked an Easter Caribbean cruise only to find that a hurricane will force you ship to take you on an unplanned Western version (and that has happened to DCL as well). The main thing to keep in mind here is that the crew will first protect their assets (including the cargo which just happen to be you) from potential harm (even if they then have to spend the rest of the trip apologizing to the more upset and vocal members of that group). At times, sailings have even had to be canceled outright. Given that these are possibilities, I do recommend considering the purchase of
trip insurance. Even if youd never consider such while traveling around the country, Id always recommend it if you leaving the boarders of the U.S and cruise ships most certainly come under this umbrella (so to speak).
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OK, thats enough potential gloom and doom, so lets return to our actual TR already in progress
On the morning of June 27, 2011 I was up early (as usual) so I headed up to Deck-12 to watch the captain attempt to back the Dream into the little harbor that Disney had built for their private island (whooa
déjà vu). Once on deck, this is scene that greeted me
WoooHooo!!! That is a very different view from the last one I showed you. As I got to the rail, the captain had already backed her into the channel and kicked on the thrusters to start the process of pulling alongside the quay. The lines had been past ashore and the hands were going about the business tying her up.
A number of the positions on CC that are filled by locales from other islands near by. I caught this image of a motor launch bring in some of the folks that would be working with us today.
While I was out here it occurred to me that it might just be a good idea to take a few more images of our pristine destination for the day so that you could have a good idea of where everything is.
Just astern of the ship (assuming they backed her in) is where youll find Marges Barges. This is where youll need to report for pretty much any boat related excursion from fishing to Parasailing.
The next beach area along is the Boat Beach where you can rent personal watercraft of varying types. Off in the distance youll notice a rather odd and overly tall palm tree that looks like it just dont belong. Well thats because it doesnt belong. Thats a cell phone tower in disguise (its how the wave phones are able to operate on Castaway Cay).
Looking on up the way youll find Castaway Rays (the stingray adventure), and Gils Fins & Boats with the beach area known as Scuttle's Cove in the background. This is also where youll find the snorkeling lagoon.
Farther along across the sheltered bay you find the Heads Up bar and just beyond that is the new Pelican Plunge water slide. The beach area beyond is known as Pelican Point. Both of the two family beaches have their own amenities and that includes a restaurant: Cookies which serves Scuttle's Cove and of course, Cookies Too for the Pelican Point area (and Ill talk more about these spots later on).
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Well since I still have a few minutes before I need to go back to the cabin and collect everyone up for breakfast, Why not take a few more pictures of the amenities available on Decks 12 & 13 (especially since you dont have to attempt to look through the masses of other cruiser at this time of day).
The Mickey Pool & Slide for the youngens
a little clearer shot of just the pool
a look forward toward the Donald Family Pool beyond the banks of chairs and the Jumbo-tron (my name for the huge movie screen mounted on the backside of the forward funnel)
the entrance to the Aqua Duck which is built into the port side of the after funnel just behind the Mickey Pool
Waves a fairly quiet pub area behind the after funnel and just ahead of the entrances to Cabanas
and a shot looking forward from the Sports Deck (Deck-13 aft). From here you can also see that the first loop in the Aqua Duck actually does travel out over the side of the ship (but honestly, youll shoot through it so quickly that youll never notice).
Well thats about all for now. I think Ill go collect up the rest of the clan and grab some grub before heading ashore. Then well see just what all we want to get into today.
Ive had the chance to watch them do this in a number of different ports and it just fascinates me. The skill with which these folks delicately maneuver tens of thousands of tons of steal is remarkable.
