From Galveston to Rome: Magic Transatlantic/Med Trip

[Justacruiser]

He gets the kids' trays too and says "not only do people think I'm an idiot for walking around with a kid's tray but they also think I'm a pig for eating 6 eggs and a pound of bacon." I told him he seemed a little cranky and maybe a stroll to pick up juice would make him feel better (he didn't appreciate my concerned tone or helpful suggestion).

I never thought about ordering the drinks from room service. I read you quote to him, and he said "now that woman is helpful".

I used to carry a lot of food down to the room until my DW heard me tell another passanger that I was just getting my wife a snack.

she goes upstairs now.

 

[amityisland]

Can't wait to read more

 

[drlaurafsu]

Hilarious! This is a fantastic TR!

 

[gotomu212]

Day 10: Sunday May 26th

Where were we? Oh yes, still bounding across the main. Despite yesterday’s success we weren’t up until 11:30 today. I think this is the day when I finally said screw it and accepted the fact that we were going to be sleeping late and stopped feeling bad about it (acceptance is the first step). We went to brunch at 12:15 in Parrot Cay. I think they stopped serving at 12:30 so it was a rush to load down our plates with anything we thought we might want the first time through which explains why I had peaches, pasta, a hash brown, and broccoli on my plate at the same time. Afterwards we walked along Deck 4 and it was definitely windier and much colder today, but the boat still wasn’t rockin.

We went back to the room and tried to do a little housekeeping (how boring is your vacation when you finally say we need to clean up? Actually the question is how bad has your room gotten??). We organized the FE gifts we’d received since so far they were in 2 different drawers, Carlitos’ back pack, and piled up under some sweaters on the desk. Then we took some time to put a few hundred other things away. We watched Monsters Inc at the same time so it probably shouldn’t have taken as long as it did (both my husband and son have seen this movie over a hundred times, so why are they both frozen, standing in front of the TV so no one can go by when I’m trying to get them to put things away?)

After we had a path to the door carved out, we took a trip down to Port Adventures to find out about our Barcelona day. So for those of you sailing the Med this summer, on debarkation day they have two half day excursions you can sign up for, but you have to sign up on board and can’t do it in advance. There’s a city tour that drops you at a Disney sponsored hotel or airport and a half day to Montserrat, a cool monetary outside of the city that drops you at hotels or the airport. We were back to back cruising so we had the whole day in Barcelona and we had to change rooms so I knew we didn’t want to just hang out in the terminal and around the ship (on a shorter cruise definitely, but we’d already had a ton of time on the ship and I didn’t feel the need to spend any more time there when there was a port right outside the window).

We had originally planned to do Barcelona Day Tours on the last day of our second cruise and do both the city and Montserrat. The experience with them just wasn’t sitting right with me though. They were very timely in emailing me about my initial inquiry but when I didn’t email them back for 2 days, I got another more terse one suggesting I check my junk box since they hadn’t heard from me (look it’s 4 months before this potential tour, I didn’t respond in 2 days, let’s just all calm down here). I responded that I was interested and would like to share the tour with others and to put us down. Then nothing for months and 2 weeks before I leave they say they can’t confirm me because there aren’t enough people and ask if I want to be a “tour leader” and post their link to boards and encourage others to join. I didn’t want any part of that. If it sucked, I would feel horrible for dragging others in so I wrote back and said no. Then they said they couldn’t confirm me but then two hours later they sent another email and said I was “confirmed”. The confirmation email said they would send me another email with a meeting time and details later. I never got that email until I got home and saw that they emailed me the day before the tour (after I’d been on vacation for 3 weeks). All that build up and back and forth had me feeling funny about the tour, and I envisioned us sitting at the port with all our luggage and no turn. Plus the cost was so much more than the Disney one that I said forget that, we need alternative plans.

It was a bit of a cluster at Port Adventures. We wanted to go on the same tour as our friends but they were waitlisted on both the city and monastery tour since when they booked there weren’t any openings for anything. BUT, maybe PA had an opening for us or maybe we needed to be waitlisted, maybe there wasn’t space, maybe not this week (this is literally how the conversation was going). Then they decided they were going to call us later (this actually took 2 days to straighten out and get everyone on the right thing so I’m glad we started early).

Either way I needed a drink after that, and Carlitos needed more bowling board (shuffle board). We paper, rock, scissor-ed it, and Carlos “won”/ got to play with Carlitos and I went up to Deck 10 to read and drink. I settled down up top between Mickey and Goofy pools, and I have no idea what was going on but both speakers were really loud and I was getting a movie from one, and music from the other; all at earsplitting volume. I am usually so good at blocking crap out, but this wasn’t working so I hauled myself up (knocking over my drink of course- ARGH) and went over to sit on the Quiet Cove side. Ahhh, relaxation, calm, peaceful, AHHHHHHHHHHHH, screaming, wait, what screaming in the Quiet Cove?? Has a child escaped from the Club? Are minors swimming in the pool? Sound the alarm, what is going on. Oh, it was just a couple of ladies being pushed into the pool after their Champagne Girls party. It was all a good time, but just one of those jarring “what’s happening here” moments. I gave up and went back to the room until Carlos and Carlitos dragged me back up for swimming.

We grabbed some quick service (if I have to listen to all this I’m at least getting chicken fingers!) and swam until about 6. Clouds started rolling in and we scattered quickly (I may or may not have lied about seeing lightning in an attempt to get them out of the pool faster). We needed to get ready for dinner anyway so don’t judge.

We saw the White Rabbit and Pinocchio on our way to dinner. It was so funny standing in line for the rabbit and watching everyone doing variations of looking at their watch or phone and saying we’re late; every single person. Dinner tonight was Parrot Cay with the Masterchef menu. I got Sorrento ham bruschetta (good), chicken consummate (tasted as gross as it sounds), potato crusted red snapper on tomato risotto (very very good). I ran Carlitos to the bathroom at this point and when I came back we had somehow ended up with 12 desserts for 4 adults not counting our 2 temptation trios. Apparently all kinds of shenanigans had occurred while I was gone for 4 minutes. The Rocky Road sundae that I wanted was disappointing but everyone pointed out I should just console myself with the dessert cart currently sitting on our table.

After ensuring that no gelatin or cream cheese died in vain, we went off to the adult hypnotist show. Maybe he won’t be as weird (maybe…). We grabbed two seats in the back section of Rockin Bar D, and Carlos ran off to use the restroom. Suddenly, someone sat down in the chair next to me…IT WAS THE HYPNOTIST, and he was staring and smiling right at me. I think I made a noise like a duck being strangled mid-quack. He kept sitting there while Tiesa does her intro, and all I could think is “whatever Tiesa, no one cares about the disco/80s/Motown/rave occurring after the show, get this guy away from me”. Finally he’s introduced, lights twirl, and I am relieved. (I later found out that Carlos had come back from the restroom, seen the guy in his chair, and just waited because he wanted to “see what would happen”. I plan to take the same approach if I ever see Carlos being mugged on a dark alley at midnight.)

The show was funny. It was better than last time since he dispelled with a lot of the introductions and explanations. We laughed a lot so, creepiness aside it was a good place to spend an hour. After the show, we picked up Carlitos and headed back to the room. We had another hour forward card next to our chocolates.

 

[lilpooh108]

We grabbed some quick service (if I have to listen to all this I’m at least getting chicken fingers!)

That's how I feel about Deck 9 alot...the random blaring music from one side, and movie from the other.

IT WAS THE HYPNOTIST, and he was staring and smiling right at me. I think I made a noise like a duck being strangled mid-quack. He kept sitting there while Tiesa does her intro, and all I could think is “whatever Tiesa, no one cares about the disco/80s/Motown/rave occurring after the show, get this guy away from me”. Finally he’s introduced, lights twirl, and I am relieved. (I later found out that Carlos had come back from the restroom, seen the guy in his chair, and just waited because he wanted to “see what would happen”. I plan to take the same approach if I ever see Carlos being mugged on a dark alley at midnight.)

My husband would have done the same.

 

[Kirbo]

We saw the White Rabbit and Pinocchio on our way to dinner. It was so funny standing in line for the rabbit and watching everyone doing variations of looking at their watch or phone and saying we’re late; every single person.

OMG, I am one of those people I ran into the White Rabbit as he was (I am guessing here) heading to his photo op. I asked him if he was late for an important date. Then I laughed at how witty I was

(I later found out that Carlos had come back from the restroom, seen the guy in his chair, and just waited because he wanted to “see what would happen”. I plan to take the same approach if I ever see Carlos being mugged on a dark alley at midnight.)

 

[jedijill]

(I later found out that Carlos had come back from the restroom, seen the guy in his chair, and just waited because he wanted to “see what would happen”. I plan to take the same approach if I ever see Carlos being mugged on a dark alley at midnight.)

Thank god I live alone because I just busted out laughing.

Jill in CO

 

[braysmommy]

Thank you for a great trip report and the many laughs! Following along as we will be doing EBTA and Med next year.

 

[tlynk]

I'm enjoying your trip report immensely! Thank you for sharing your adventure!!

 

[gotomu212]

Day 11: Monday May 27th

Today is the last consecutive sea day (I know you all are as disappointed as I am that soon we will reach land and I will have to succinctly –for me- describe our ports). So up at 11:00, and off to lunch at Lumiere’s. When we got to the door right before noon we were told that they were very busy and wait times would be really long (we were told that once before too). So, um maybe they say that to everyone or maybe “long” means something else to them. The service was fine and fairly fast for sit-down, order of the menu fare. (I say that but I did jump up with Carlitos to get a picture in the lobby with Timon-from the Lion King-after ordering so I guess there was enough time for character pictures….). Anywho, I got the Eggs Benedict Royale which means they add salmon instead of Canadian bacon. At this point I was salmon-ed out so I probably should have stuck with regular Benedict. It was still tasty.

Afterwards we took a turn through Shutters and slowly started winnowing down our pile of pictures we aren’t buying any of anyway (did you follow that? I didn’t either when Carlos told me what we were doing. Bottom line was that we couldn’t throw all of them away yet.) As an aside- is Shutters brilliant for having a box labeled TRASH where you are suppose to throw smiling pictures of your kids away? I think that’s the best strategy ever since throwing Carlitos’ bright smiling picture in the trash tears a little bit out of my soul (in which case I created about 75 horcrux’s there alone). Throwing away memories done, we headed back to the room for laundry.

I hate doing laundry in general, even when it’s in my house, right next to the kitchen and I can fold the clothes on the couch, and there’s no possibility of a stranger touching my underwear. So you can imagine how much I love doing laundry on the ship, desperate times though. We had packed so much so we were trying just to wash the basics. OMG some of those clothes smell…bad, oh so bad. We got our piles sorted out and I sent Carlos out to secure washers (he’s tougher than I am and a better fighter). Carlitos and I settled in for some Uno and hadn’t gotten into the second game when Carlos came back, with the laundry. Apparently they were all full- on our deck and the other decks (he either sprinted around the ship with a suitcase of dirty clothes or he maybe didn’t check all the other decks- it’s fine, whatever), we’ll open the veranda door to wash the smell out.

We played enough Uno to satisfy our “good parents” quota, and then took Carlitos to the Kids Club so we could see The Great and Powerful Oz (I may have that title slightly off but am too lazy to google it for you). I really liked it. I thought the 3D visuals were outstanding. I was glad we didn’t take Carlitos since those monkeys were a little scary. No worries though, they showed it on our plane ride home- where you can’t escape and Carlitos kept yelping every time a monkey came on screen.

Carlitos was ready to be picked up, so we grabbed him and then Carlos made a run for the laundry hoping that with dinner they would be free. They were, but he ended up doing 3 loads. Honestly there was about 1 load there so they must have been 3 of the smallest loads ever. He came back to the room while they were washing and I told him he needed to get back in there before some crazy person took my underwear out of the machine and left it on the counter. He told me to relax; he was planning on going back when there was 20 minutes left. I told him that wouldn’t cut it; these people are vicious on the ship. He suggested maybe I should sit in the hot, crowded room, inhaling lint, while watching a washer spin. I said I had allergies and quickly walked away. Seriously though, on our last cruise, I know I had 15 minutes left on our dryer, I walked into the room across the hall to grab my water, walked back in and all my clothes (still wet) were lying in a pile on the table. Not again people, not again.

While Carlos babysat the laundry, Carlitos and I went to Mickey Mania. It killed enough time so that when we went back to the room, the laundry was done and mostly folded (coincidence I swear). Carlos ran up to change dollars for Euros at guest services while Carlitos and I got ready for dinner. For anyone who doesn’t know, guest services have a little currency exchange going on the med trips (sometimes it’s at port adventures desk too). You just take your passport and your dollars, the exchange rate is pretty good, and if you don’t spend all the bills they were turn it back in at the same rate). We normally just use ATMs, but since we were on a tour and didn’t know where we’d be dropped we thought we’d grab a few Euros.

Dinner tonight was Lumiere’s. We were on our own again since our friend’s hate the menu and were going to have a relaxing night. Maybe that’s why the worst travesty occurred. Let me start at the beginning. We sat down, drinks were there, bread service was a delight as always. We let them know it was just us tonight, sad faces were made all around, but we ordered. I got the escargot (one of my favorites), tomato basil soup (why are there weird stale croutons in there?), sea bass with mushroom risotto (absolutely excellent which is weird since I don’t really like fish but am eating a ton this trip), and this is when things went horribly bad. It’s only 9:25 without our friends we were not lingering- really what is there to talk about at this point? We’ve been together 24/7 for over 10 days we’ve said all we have to say. We get the dessert menus and I order the soufflé. The soufflé wasn’t great, but I got it because we always had the Trio so I could be a little more adventurous with my order…BUT WAIT. Limbert set down our dessert and left. This is normally the part where he goes over to the station and grabs the Trio and comes back, but um where is Limbert? Um Limbert? Uh..anybody? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? Our Trio isn’t here and Limbert is missing. Carlos and I looked at each other totally bewildered (seriously we would not look more shocked if we looked out the window and saw snow). We sat there, looking around, lost. Limbert must have been in the back. We were so ahead of our meal that the other tables were just getting mains. I thought I caught a glimpse of him once but then he was gone. Is this retribution for yesterday’s dessert situation, I had nothing to do with that Limbert, nothing! Now Beauty and the Beast are here to do a dance so Limbert is trapped in the kitchen. OHHHH the humanity. The moment was lost, totally dejected we slinked out of the dining room and headed back to the room.

It was a much needed early night since we had our first port day in ages tomorrow. I read over the Navigator which had a little blurb about the discovery of Madeira and I got really annoyed (maybe it was the lack of a Trio that did it). The write up talked about the “founding” of Madeira in 1419 when a Portuguese prince happened upon it. It added a line that “at the time most people thought the world was flat”. Argh, no they didn’t. Sure some uneducated peasant may have thought that while also thinking that a witch wouldn’t burn, but the VAST majority of educated people-royalty, military, merchants, and definitely navigators- knew that the world was not flat. Vikings had made it across the ocean 400 years earlier, Europeans had sailed down the coast of Africa for 200 years of written history, and merchants had gone to the Middle East and Asia. People knew what was up and I don’t know why the story that people thought the world was flat is so prevalent. Sorry, history rant over, but come on Disney first the Trio and now this. Carnival may strand you at sea, but at least they know you won’t fall off the end of it (joking!).

 

[chiburple]

Just want to let you know that I'm still following and very much enjoying the humor . How cute that Beauty and the Beast do a dance at Triton's.

 

[lilpooh108]

That laundry my DH does the same thing. He has to get his game face on before he takes our laundry in, and then he goes in 20 minutes before so that our machine doesn't get sniped. It's so competitive in there!

Love your TR...can't wait to hear about the ports.

 

[WVURunner]

Day 10: Sunday May 26th
I am usually so good at blocking crap out, but this wasn’t working so I hauled myself up (knocking over my drink of course- ARGH) and went over to sit on the Quiet Cove side. Ahhh, relaxation, calm, peaceful, AHHHHHHHHHHHH, screaming, wait, what screaming in the Quiet Cove?? Has a child escaped from the Club? Are minors swimming in the pool? Sound the alarm, what is going on. Oh, it was just a couple of ladies being pushed into the pool after their Champagne Girls party. It was all a good time, but just one of those jarring “what’s happening here” moments. I gave up and went back to the room until Carlos and Carlitos dragged me back up for swimming.

That awkward moment when you are reading a trip report and realize you are that drunk obnoxious “minor” disrupting the relaxing, calming, and peacefulness of the Quiet Cove Pool that the poster is posting about! Yep, that was me! Little sister (and mother of 2) thought it would be great fun to toss me into the pool fully clothed with wave phone in my pocket. Unfortunately, she did not account for her strength and when she pulled me, I twisted around and hit the ledge of the pool and knocked myself out. Second fully clothed person in the pool was a very drunk little sister attempting a rescue. I am embarrassed to say that we both are lifeguards with me being a trainer! I am pretty sure most of the screaming came from my mother who witnessed the whole incident (Mom-I think we are a little too old for time out.) But I am proud to report that my head didn’t really start bleeding until I was out of the pool, so the hazmat suit workers didn’t need to come close the adult pool because of me! Sorry we gave you a “what’s happening moment” and most likely flashed you back to your college years! For me, it was a nice reminder that I may think I am still 22 but I am indeed in fact 30! And for the record, we got the wave phone working again!

Innocent photo by the pool:

Being pulled in:

Moment of impact:

 

[Sparky47]

That awkward moment when you are reading a trip report and realize you are that drunk obnoxious “minor” disrupting the relaxing, calming, and peacefulness of the Quiet Cove Pool that the poster is posting about! Yep, that was me! Little sister (and mother of 2) thought it would be great fun to toss me into the pool fully clothed with wave phone in my pocket. Unfortunately, she did not account for her strength and when she pulled me, I twisted around and hit the ledge of the pool and knocked myself out. Second fully clothed person in the pool was a very drunk little sister attempting a rescue. I am embarrassed to say that we both are lifeguards with me being a trainer! I am pretty sure most of the screaming came from my mother who witnessed the whole incident (Mom-I think we are a little too old for time out.) But I am proud to report that my head didn’t really start bleeding until I was out of the pool, so the hazmat suit workers didn’t need to come close the adult pool because of me! Sorry we gave you a “what’s happening moment” and most likely flashed you back to your college years! For me, it was a nice reminder that I may think I am still 22 but I am indeed in fact 30! And for the record, we got the wave phone working again!

Innocent photo by the pool:

Being pulled in:

Moment of impact:

As if this trip report needed any help getting any funnier...this is hysterical! Oh...certainly not that you all fell in the pool, simply the fact that you were reading along and recognized you were this person being described. Very funny (I'm laughing WITH you not AT you!)

 

[Kirbo]

I'm so glad that Emily fessed up and I didn't have to out her

 

[gotomu212]

I'm so glad that Emily fessed up and I didn't have to out her

Oh I LOVE IT you guys. How did we not meet and hang out on this cruise?? No worries for adding some excitement to my day. It was just one of those "never seen that at the quiet cove" moments.

Can you imagine if you would have shut that pool down bleeding? Ohhhh some of the folks at the adult pool would have rioted for sure and the disboards would have LIT up.

 

[gotomu212]

Oh crap did you really knock yourself out? Younger siblings always be causing trouble. That is something my little brother and I would totally accidently do. I hope you got double dessert that night.

 

[gotomu212]

Sorry I'm a little delayed in my updates. Apparently when you skip town for 3 weeks, work piles up, and apparently it's considered "wrong" to let a five year old eat spaghetti o's 3 days in a row (is it my fault he only knows how to make himself that and hotdogs and we're out if hotdogs right now? If he wants to eat better there's a cookbook right there on the counter.. Jk family services). I'm hoping to have time this weekend to get some more done!

 

[pharmjenn]

Sorry I'm a little delayed in my updates. Apparently when you skip town for 3 weeks, work piles up, and apparently it's considered "wrong" to let a five year old eat spaghetti o's 3 days in a row (is it my fault he only knows how to make himself that and hotdogs and we're out if hotdogs right now? If he wants to eat better there's a cookbook right there on the counter.. Jk family services). I'm hoping to have time this weekend to get some more done!

Wow, your son cooks the spaghetti-o's himself? Or does he eat them cold? My 5yo probably could, and he can definitely get the hotdogs out and enjoys them cold at school

I am really enjoying your report. We will will on the WBTA next fall.

That awkward moment when you are reading a trip report and realize you are that drunk obnoxious “minor” disrupting the relaxing, calming, and peacefulness of the Quiet Cove Pool that the poster is posting about! Yep, that was me! Little sister (and mother of 2) thought it would be great fun to toss me into the pool fully clothed with wave phone in my pocket. Unfortunately, she did not account for her strength and when she pulled me, I twisted around and hit the ledge of the pool and knocked myself out. Second fully clothed person in the pool was a very drunk little sister attempting a rescue. I am embarrassed to say that we both are lifeguards with me being a trainer! I am pretty sure most of the screaming came from my mother who witnessed the whole incident (Mom-I think we are a little too old for time out.) But I am proud to report that my head didn’t really start bleeding until I was out of the pool, so the hazmat suit workers didn’t need to come close the adult pool because of me! Sorry we gave you a “what’s happening moment” and most likely flashed you back to your college years! For me, it was a nice reminder that I may think I am still 22 but I am indeed in fact 30! And for the record, we got the wave phone working again!

Innocent photo by the pool:

Being pulled in:

Moment of impact:

Emily, I saw your name and remembered you had said you were on this cruise. I got very confused that it was not Corinne in the pic though. I guess you are allowed to have more than one sister with 2 kids.

 

[Kirbo]

Oh I LOVE IT you guys. How did we not meet and hang out on this cruise?? No worries for adding some excitement to my day. It was just one of those "never seen that at the quiet cove" moments.

Can you imagine if you would have shut that pool down bleeding? Ohhhh some of the folks at the adult pool would have rioted for sure and the disboards would have LIT up.

You didn't join the meet thread, did you? I was a total bum; I joined and loved seeing folks around the boat, but I ddin't participate in most DisBoard things. (And I don't drink alcohol, so that wiped out a lot of activities ) You should join the meet thread for next year (wait, you are going next year, right?)

Sorry I'm a little delayed in my updates. Apparently when you skip town for 3 weeks, work piles up, and apparently it's considered "wrong" to let a five year old eat spaghetti o's 3 days in a row (is it my fault he only knows how to make himself that and hotdogs and we're out if hotdogs right now? If he wants to eat better there's a cookbook right there on the counter.. Jk family services). I'm hoping to have time this weekend to get some more done!

I am so impressed that your five year old can make those for himself