Gosh darn it! Now I have 2 updates I"m behind on. I have a splitting headache after early classes, and a long drive back and forth from Portland today; I need to get to bed!
But behold!!! A new screen and a happy camper... More tomorrow.
1) Michael's comments make me chuckle. Especially the quips about the "other, cooler sister". And yes, I can imagine making Rice Krispie treats in Berlin would be pretty amazing.
2) As always, the food looks amazing.
3) But what really stuck out to me are the passing comments about the ship rocking and the wind. Which confirms that I will probably only ever go on a cruise solo or with a friend. Mike is HORRIBLY prone to sea-sickness, so he'd just be miserable.
4) The entertainment options alone sound like they make a cruise worth it. How fun to stay up late and relax- and then get up late and relax. (Are you catching a theme here yet? I need a summer off!)
Good gravy, this still makes me laugh hysterically whenever I see it. I mean how many margaritas must have been consumed to even have CONTEMPLATED putting that in a public restroom?! At DISNEY of all places. I'd travel 1,000 miles to see that over and over.... because well, I mean, just wow.
And think about the fact that it's done in tile -- that means that when it was installed, some contractor had to lay it out on the floor and put it together like a jigsaw puzzle before applying it to the wall. He probably scratched his head and said, "you want me to put that...right there?" "Okay, whatever. I get paid either way."
Really enjoying your descriptions of the Fantasy--I've sailed on her twice and it is interesting to hear different perspectives and experiences. It's funny--we are doing opposite vacations. Last May I was on the Fantasy and in 1 month, I will on the Wonder, sailing out of Miami for the WB Panama Canal cruise. Might have to re-read that trip report for the 3rd time
Oh my goodness. I am FOUR, I think, updates behind
When I last checked, it was just one and Michael had begun to comment. To do it justice I felt I couldn't comment from my phone and alas, never made it to the computer to do so. So this may be rather lengthy as a result!
It was a beautiful and sunny day! The first picture is looking back at the main building from the beach side:
I went for a nice long walk along the beach. It was so wonderful! I walked quite a bit, well past Vero Beach and along other beach side properties. I have to say that from the beach “mine” looked the best! But the others might be as lovely if you stayed in them…
I took a lot of pictures and as you can see, the tide was far lower this morning:
Magdalene asked if I would drop some comments in here from time to time -- I think her sister will enjoy them too! -- so I was only too willing to offer up ''the other side of the story.'' For instance, here I can firmly say that it was frigid out, in what has been one of the warmest winters on record in Florida, and only a German tourist would dare stick toes into the Atlantic at that time.
Also, wanted to clarify the Shutters 'Sundae incident' and why it was important to me. On my last few Disney cruises I have noticed the desserts to largely be uninspired to outright lousy. Unlike my Bavarian Beauty, I have cruised many times on other lines and, honestly, Disney's desserts are largely the worst at sea. I don't quite understand why as the food is often good to excellent and WDW's restaurants offer some after dinner delights that almost make the weight gain worth it!
I can only surmise that, like most other things, it all comes down to money and guests who are willing to accept less because they are cruising with Mickey and the Magic (or in Magdalene's case on the Wonder -- Cruise Director Jimmy and the Magic! Yes, I am suggesting that she might have a slight crush on the dashing CD and I am OK with that because I understand those!) ;-)
Back to said sundae, I wanted a photo because the sundae was amazing and simple and better than almost every dessert we consumed (Palo excluded) on our amazing 15-night voyage thru the Panama Canal last spring. I wanted it for comparison sake to measure all desserts by. All it consisted of was vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top (all for the low, low, low ... really by Disney standards it was ... price of $4.99).
And while desserts were better on the Fantasy, they still lack much when compared industry wide. When other lines like Celebrity can offer 8-10 flavors of ice cream, gelato and sorbet made daily on the ship, I'd suggest that Disney is simply doing what it can get away with!
OK, there you have the long-winded explanation for why I wanted a sundae picture! I hope that helped!
This is killing me, Jeff has many of the same complaints and I admit, I agree, overall it's utterly lackluster. We have stopped having dessert in general on the ships, instead we may get 2 appetizers!
There is another carry on size suitcase hiding behind the two bigger ones. Yes, we were not travelling light…
We are happy that every thing went well and are waiting for the shuttle. More and more people arrive and they are not lining up behind us, but kind of mill around. I am getting a bit worried. It seems like the shuttle is taking a long time to return, I think it might have been 20 minutes or so. Then the shuttle arrives and the nice lady who told us that we would be the first on the next shuttle keeps out calling names of groups that will be on this shuttle. It is everyone who arrived after us, but not us!!! We are now really rather annoyed. So we go to speak to her and she looks at us with quite some horror and realises that she forgot to write us down on her list because she was busy loading the shuttle when we arrived. So she takes down our information then and we kind of are unhappy as it will be another 20 minutes for the shuttle to make its round. The shuttle is finally loaded and leaves and the lady comes over and apologises again and tells us that they are going to call in a few vans. It takes a little time for the van to arrive and we are the first people to be put on it. Some more groups get on. The van driver (it was a regular large taxi) is really nice and we start chatting with her about all kind of things. And then we finally arrive at the Disney terminal!!
To be fair, one of us worried way too much about ''missing the boat'' and it isn't me! We are always amongst the first 25% of guests to board it seems without any scientific proof to back that number up!
I am having rental car deja vu here except ours was upon our return to canaveral, trying to pick up a car and waiting an HOUR (if memory serves) for a shuttle to get us to the rental car location. Next time I am taking a cab!
Before our cruise I had a hard time to decide where I wanted to go for our embarkation lunch. Two restaurants offer a buffet for lunch, Cabanas and Enchanted Garden. I had read that Enchanted Garden had a far more limited buffet. But Enchanted Garden is one of the main dining rooms and even if you are eating there for breakfast or lunch and it is a buffet, you are still assigned a specific table and a server brings you your drink. The first two cruises on the Wonder we had gone to the Wonder’s version of Enchanted Garden (there it is a different theme and called Parrot Cay). We really liked that. But reading again and again how wonderful the selection is at Cabanas, I really felt that we would miss out if we did not go there. Michael told me that it was up to me, he did not care as long as he got his prime rib (his must do dish for embarkation lunch).
I am if nothing else, traditional and predictable! <--??? Well, maybe with regard to food...
Well, Cabanas was a zoo. And it was totally confusing in layout to me as it is more or less U-shaped. We searched hard for a table and finally found a tiny two top that was just becoming open. After having spent quite some time searching for a table, I started to head out to find some food, while leaving our luggage with Michael who started reading the Navigator.
I really did not enjoy lunch at Cabanas at all. The different stations seem like a good idea, but if you want stuff from different places, you end up walking all over the place. And the walkways are often crowded with people carrying their food and lining up for the different stations. And it was just so full of people and noisy. This was the last time I went to Cabanas for embarkation day lunch!!
I knew that Magdalene wasn't thrilled with lunch, but I didn't know to what extent before reading this. I actually thought it was the best embarkation lunch I had ever had on a DCL ship in terms of quality and variety of offerings. Disney finally figured out what the rest of the industry has been doing for years at buffets: pods that you pick and choose from, instead of waiting in a seemingly unending line simply because you want a cup of soup or a little more pasta.
It is better when less crowded. I've not been on the Fantasy but we had a VERY late embarkation lunch on the Dream and while in general I have been underwhelmed with the DCL buffets, the lunch on the Dream was surprisingly good. I love the concept of pods but it only works if people realize they are pods. On DCL, just as at Boma or Trails End in WDW...they stand in line and go around to each as if it is one long line anyway.
Michael wanted to let his folks know that we arrived on the ship, but I wanted to check out the spa. So, I left him to chat for a little while and rushed up to the spa and got a lovely lady to walk me around. The problem was that I was a bit rushed for time as we had the next thing on the schedule pretty soon, the DVC Members’ Celebration. So, when the lady wanted to start to tell me all about the special barber shop treatments they were offering and asked if there were any males in my travel party, I told her that there weren’t. I had no interest in her trying to sell me on convincing Michael to purchase a barber shop treatment. We had heard all about those treatments on the spa tour on the Wonder and he had no interest then. And obviously I had no interest in those for myself either. She then asked me with whom I was travelling and in order to keep the chat flowing I kind of was forced to make up a story… I am not good about lying and this totally threw me off. But I really loved what I saw of the spa area on the Fantasy. It definitely is a huge upgrade from the Wonder! And I loved the look of the Rainforest Room which is an area with different saunas/steam rooms, special effects showers, tile loungers (here they have an ocean view, on the Magic and the Wonder they are inside) and two hot tubs with ocean views as well. Michael and I had pre-purchased day passes for the Rainforest Room and I was really looking forward to experiencing it!
When we got to the treatment rooms, they told me all about the Thalasso wraps they were offering and then suggested that I lie down on one of those beds that they use for that. They were really amazing, you are lying on some kind of air cushion that is heated and it is so nice and warm and comfortable! But I really did not feel like paying the 250$ or so it cost for one treatment…
Not a fan of the tours that every ship offers of the spa designed to separate you from your money. I actually know someone who spent $8,000 in a week on an RCL cruise in the spa. I am still not sure how this is possible!
I have to say I've done mani and pedi's on DCL and in general have not been impressed at all. They've not held up, were overpriced and sadly I didn't feel that the quality of service (or the training that the providers had) was remotely up to standard. After our last cruise I won't be doing it again.
When we got there, we were greeted at the door, each given a form to fill out with our names as there was going to be a price drawing and we were given a DVC hat. We already had plenty of hats from our previous two cruises (I don’t ever wear that typo of hat…) and they were white, but this time they were baby blue and were made out of very nice soft material that seemed to be the type that is used for sports clothes. We found a table and got a cocktail from one of the servers.
I think slimy is putting it kindly. It is very low and manipulative. The message I got was ''If you want your kids, some of whom are sitting right there, to think you love them, then the $6,000 you're spending on the cruise isn't enough. Nope. You need to spend $30,000 on timeshares. It really, really, really rubbed me the wrong way.
Yes, that was amusing in a sad way. I do know friends who use DVC points to sail because they feel the same way or simply feel that WDW has largely remained stagnant over the last decade while Universal is constantly opening major state of the art attractions. I'd rather take a DCL cruise than visit WDW too!
I have to say that I did not like the timing of the event that much. The past two cruises it had been on the morning of the first sea day. I think I liked that much better. First of all we got mimosas or sparkling wine then, this time it was some cocktails that did not taste that spectacular. And then it made the embarkation day even more hectic than that day is anyway. Of course we could have skipped it, but I like to hear what DVC has to say and how they are advertising the product.
At the exit we all got an insulated cup with the DVC logo. In the past I had gotten a mesh bag that did not really impress me. The cup however was really good as you could use it for refills from the drinks station on the ship and I saw plenty of people do that.
The cup sounds nice but perhaps not worth sitting through the sales pitch. It makes me wonder if we saw the same video...I don't recall that but then again it is entirely possible we just grabbed our free mimosas and basically chatted in the background, not really paying attention.
After the drill we headed back up to our room, still without suitcases. It then dawned on me: We had changed our room from an inside cabin to the balcony cabin rather recently. Our luggage tags still had the old stateroom number on them. We had been told that this did not matter as they were distributing the bags according to the bar codes. However, our old stateroom was only four staterooms away from our new one and it seemed that Tri was responsible for that room as well. So, I went there and yes, that’s where he had put our bags! Obviously they get sorted into areas by bar code, but once the stateroom hosts are distributing them, they are looking at the numbers on the label (and most likely only scan if they see that the number does not fit with their area). We quickly go the bags and Michael stopped being grumpy. Lesson learned: just cross out your number and write the new one on your luggage tags even if Disney tells you it is not necessary. It makes things easier for everyone involved.
The reason why Michael was grumpy about the luggage missing was that he wanted to get to his usual sailaway spot: the hot tub! And his swim suit was in his bag (don’t ask me why, he obviously does not read the DIS cruise board where everyone is told that the most important item in your carry on after your prescription medicine is your swim suit). We both quickly unpacked our bags so that that was done and we did not have to worry about them anymore. And then Michael disappeared into the hot tub.
I was not Grumpy. I was maybe Sleazy ... or what's that other Dwarf? ... Oh, Sleepy. Yep, I was him!
Yes, no one who read my Panama Canal trip report would have any doubt that you are Sleepy....
And then it was time for me to watch the rest of the sailaway from the hot tub as well. The Fantasy adult hot tubs are great as they are directly at the edge of the deck and you have a fantastic view. They even have a clear bottom so that you can look directly down to the water. But the location also has the side effect that they have the walkway of the deck above above it, so they are under a rather wide cover. If there are a few more people in the hot tubs the sound bounces off that ceiling and I find them to be extremely noisy.
When I am eating at a mall food court, like I just was, I can fantasize about that meal at Remy. Truly, spectacular in every way!
I never made it into the adult hot tubs (or pool for that matter) on the Dream but really don't care for how they botched the layout compared to the classic ships. This is the first time I have seen the spoiler alert function, it's pretty cool!
Yes, I had no clue about this. I do think DCL could do better though since their cruises are so pricey to start. It wouldn't kill them to offer 10% to silver, 20% for gold and 30% to platinum. Really, I mean how much of a markup is there on that $16.95 Vinylmation? Oh, I also liked the shops, but was disappointed in the lack of ship-specific merchandise. I don't really need much DCL logo stuff, but I'd like something from the Fantasy and beyond a pin, I don't recall seeing much of anything!
After a brief visit to the shops I wanted to check out the adult area. So, we ventured over there. And even though it was between show and dinner, so the best time for drinks, the bars were nearly empty. We first looked into OhLaLa as I love champagne. We thought it was a beautiful space. The CMs were quite excited to see us and told us a little bit about the bar. They were really nice, not pushy. We promised we would be back.
A promise that we did not keep and I am a bit sad about this. But we had a good reason. The next place we checked out (after walking through the hallway with the bathrooms and the night club called “Tube”) was Skyline. Here again the CMs were excited to tell us all about their bar. The fun thing in Skyline is that one wall looks like windows, but is actually screens. And you see the skyline of a different city every 12 minutes. It gives you the feeling as if you are in a bar on top of a high building looking out of the evening in your city. When we came in the CMs asked us to guess which city we were seeing. Well, the whole adult district is called “Europa” (the Latin name for the continent of Europe – and for the lady who impressed Zeus, but that’s another story). So, all the cities being displayed are European cities. As a European I felt that I needed to show off my knowledge of my continent and guessed very hard. And then I saw one thing that told me where I was: A church with a very distinct black and white striped pattern: It was Florence. The CMs were really surprised when I told them my guess and they said that I was the first person ever to guess this one correctly. I am sure there was some flattering going on… And I kind of lost all my credentials later on during the cruise when I declared Budapest to be Paris. I guess that was an easy mistake since they both have a river run through them. And yes, they obviously both have an Eiffel Tower (no, not really…).
I really liked the separation between the adult clubs and the rest of the ship. It seemed more like a labyrinth or maze to wind through and I really liked that. It also assured the lack of an accidental brat (oh, did I say that? I meant angel!) clamoring on through. I do agree with Magdalene, I would have enjoyed spending more time at the bars and clubs, but it just wasn't meant to be. I guess one day when the Fantasy starts doing 9-11-12-14 night cruises we'll get our chance!
It is a bit of a labyrinth. I found it a little odd, in the sense that all were sort of connected and sort of not quite enclosed and sort of not as intimate or large as I'd expected. Which I realize is a bit of a contradiction! Pretty funny about Budapest/Paris!
After dinner I insisted that we go and sign up for the one of the Midship Detective Agency. This is a kind of scavenger hunt where you go from clue to clue. The interesting thing is that the clues are hidden in the so-called “Enchanted Art”. Those are screens that look like pictures. You unlock those with your Detective Badge (actually a card with a bar code on the backside that you hold up to the screen which recognises it and then plays your appropriate clue). Michael was not too excited about it, but humoured me and agreed to play a little.
this was the precursor to feeling movement even when there was none. Like even six days later in Orlando, the ground still felt like it was moving. It never made me ill or anything, but was bothersome. And since I hadn't felt that way in over a decade at sea (that includes many transatlantic cruises and our Panama Canal voyage)I really don't know why that was. The seas weren't smooth, but they weren't what I'd term rough either. It was never unpleasant while onboard. It was unpleasant when everything from EPCOT to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at UNI seemed to be gently rocking under my feet!
Our first activity together was to go to lunch. We decided to give Royal Court a try as this was the restaurant that served table service lunch and this was something which we had enjoyed a lot during our previous cruises.
So, all in all lunch was a success and we once again found the food to be notably better than on the Wonder. Michael even liked dessert!
It is very odd that everyone I meet from Scotland seems to have no idea who Craig Ferguson is. If you don't, he's been the host of The Late Late Show on CBS from 2005 until last December. Quite irreverent and amusing. I was sad to see him quit. Still, odd that Craig from Scotland didn't know him. For folks who watched The Drew Carey Show when ABC ran it, he played Drew's boss.
We went to the show which was Aladdin today. This is very similar to the show they have at DCA in Anaheim. Which Michael has seen often enough, I however had never seen it. We both enjoyed the DCL version. I thought the story was shortened in a bit of a strange way. But then I had watched Aladdin recently on DVD and therefore remembered the story very well. All in all, I really enjoyed it because it was a show which told a story, not just a collection of Disney songs.
It is very similar to the DCA production and is fantastic. I may be biased as Aladdin is one of all-time favorite Disney animated features and I was lucky enough to be a VIP invitee for the premiere of the DCA show back in 2003 (wow, does time fly!) But, to me, this is one of Disney's best shows at sea and is a don't miss for anything! If only they'd replace that dog, Toy Story, on the Wonder with this amazing show then I'd be as happy as Magdalene when Jimmy stops to chat with her!
After the show I wanted to go to the Captain's Reception. On formal night there is an event in the Atrium before each dinner seating where they give you free drinks (and that's a pretty good reason to go there!). But during the Panama Canal cruise I had started to enjoy talking to the officers and finding out interesting things about the ship. So, I thought this would be fun to do. Normally I HATE having to do small talk during receptions with strangers. But I guess knowing that it is part of the officers job to be there to talk to guests makes me less self conscious. And of course there is already a good topic to talk about: The ship and the cruise. We ended up chatting for quite a bit with the Food and Beverage Manager and the Head Chef about preparing the food for so many people. They more or less confirmed that with the newer technology on the new ships they are able to server better quality food than on the older ships.
I am still disappointed that DCL didn't do a version of the Osborne Lights at sea!
I had the Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower with Crispy Noodles and Wasabi Dressing
I really loved this dish. But I generally love tuna. Combined with avocado it was just delicious.
I went with something a bit unusual for me, I chose a fish! I eat fish, but often prefer meat and there are some things out of the sea which I am not fond of at all. My choice was the Pan-seared Sea Bass With Saffron and Fennel Risotto with a Sweet Chili Glaze:
Following along now! I've read your other TRs before and quite enjoyed them (I may or may not have commented, memory isn't helping me right now!) and I'm on board for this one! We sailed the Fantasy on our honeymoon and had the same rotation as you (and same cruise director!) so this is bringing back all kinds of memories for me. Can't wait for more!
Great to have you hear and it is always nice to hear that people return for another trip report because they liked the previous ones!
Isn't it great to read trip reports that remind you of your own vacation? I loved reading @dolphingirl47 's trip report about the WBPC cruise because she was on the same cruise as us and this was the best way to relive my own happy memories of the trip!
Love your trip reports!! I have been lurking (and getting inspired) for a while and finally signed up. Can't wait to read your Scandinavian report and hope you have fun!
to this trip report and the DIS!! You will find that the DIS is far more fun if you take part in the discussion! I am really looking forward to the Norway trip and hope that I will come back with plenty of interesting stories to report!
Hey! You know it, boys and girls! I should have a "special" tour, during my next trip. You know, to raise funds and awareness. I might even have to hand out FastPasses for the really prime attractions, like this one so beautifully displayed above.
Good gravy, this still makes me laugh hysterically whenever I see it. I mean how many margaritas must have been consumed to even have CONTEMPLATED putting that in a public restroom?! At DISNEY of all places. I'd travel 1,000 miles to see that over and over.... because well, I mean, just wow.
Gosh darn it! Now I have 2 updates I"m behind on. I have a splitting headache after early classes, and a long drive back and forth from Portland today; I need to get to bed!
But behold!!! A new screen and a happy camper... More tomorrow.
1) Michael's comments make me chuckle. Especially the quips about the "other, cooler sister". And yes, I can imagine making Rice Krispie treats in Berlin would be pretty amazing.
Unfortunately, the food generally is not that amazing on the cruise ship... You get better food on land from Disney. Don't cruise for the food (Remy and Palo are in a different league, but they cost extra).
3) But what really stuck out to me are the passing comments about the ship rocking and the wind. Which confirms that I will probably only ever go on a cruise solo or with a friend. Mike is HORRIBLY prone to sea-sickness, so he'd just be miserable.
My first cruise on the Wonder was totally smooth and no rocking at all. But then, you never know what the weather would be like. But I have heard that girls cruises are quite en vogue amongst DISers and supposedly great fun!
4) The entertainment options alone sound like they make a cruise worth it. How fun to stay up late and relax- and then get up late and relax. (Are you catching a theme here yet? I need a summer off!)
Yes, sounds like you need a vacation!! Who would have guessed???
But you are on the right track there. Of course it is always up to one's tastes and interests, but a cruise is not only about being on a ship, but also about the entertainment. There are so many different things being offered, from baby racing (yes, they have babies crawl through the atrium and the fastest wins) to cooking demonstrations, all kind of alcohol tastings, shows etc.
And think about the fact that it's done in tile -- that means that when it was installed, some contractor had to lay it out on the floor and put it together like a jigsaw puzzle before applying it to the wall. He probably scratched his head and said, "you want me to put that...right there?" "Okay, whatever. I get paid either way."
I think if someone is in the tile business, they are used to not questioning the tile choices. If I look at some bathrooms in other people's houses, I always wonder why the hell someone would choose that. Tastes just vary so much...
Really enjoying your descriptions of the Fantasy--I've sailed on her twice and it is interesting to hear different perspectives and experiences. It's funny--we are doing opposite vacations. Last May I was on the Fantasy and in 1 month, I will on the Wonder, sailing out of Miami for the WB Panama Canal cruise. Might have to re-read that trip report for the 3rd time
Yes, it does. In fact, I have not confirmed this, but I have heard that Disney is actually a parent company of many "seedier" types of production genres. It would not surprise me, while at the same time rather disappoints me. Edgy is one thing- that is quite another.
Our study group, 4 of us, made them a couple weeks ago, and snarfed them out of the pan hot and delicious. Between irresposible actions like that, and the wine and cheese we regularly consume, my scrub pants are seriously uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, the food generally is not that amazing on the cruise ship... You get better food on land from Disney. Don't cruise for the food (Remy and Palo are in a different league, but they cost extra).
My first cruise on the Wonder was totally smooth and no rocking at all. But then, you never know what the weather would be like. But I have heard that girls cruises are quite en vogue amongst DISers and supposedly great fun!
I do, but I'm also probably going to test for my license and try to work some to get some money for tuition. For the first time since going back to school 3 years ago, I had to put tuition on credit. That made me really sad!
But you are on the right track there. Of course it is always up to one's tastes and interests, but a cruise is not only about being on a ship, but also about the entertainment. There are so many different things being offered, from baby racing (yes, they have babies crawl through the atrium and the fastest wins) to cooking demonstrations, all kind of alcohol tastings, shows etc.
I think if someone is in the tile business, they are used to not questioning the tile choices. If I look at some bathrooms in other people's houses, I always wonder why the hell someone would choose that. Tastes just vary so much...
They probably had a catalogue with limited choices suitable for a "Western" theme, then again, Hoop itself can be rather edgy in and of itself. Last time I went it was almost over-the-top, but then again it was the late show, so I think they can get away with more.
But you are right, I have a tile job coming up someday for my kitchen and bath, and I'm sure my choice will be questioned by some. That's ok, it's my kitchen.
I know we talked about this already a bit, but in my opinion the longer cruises are just so much more relaxing! And the Eastern Caribbean is really beautiful. Itinerary A is with St Maarten and St Thomas? We both loved our excursion to St John (more to come soon), but I don't think it would be possible to take the scooter along. It did not involve a lot of walking, but it might be too much for Fran. But I am sure there are other options!
I definitely want to do the longer one, but I don't want to have a room without a Verandah and all those rooms are sold out, so I guess it will be back to the Dream.
Our first activity together was to go to lunch. We decided to give Royal Court a try as this was the restaurant that served table service lunch and this was something which we had enjoyed a lot during our previous cruises.
At first he tried a little to convince us to order more food, but we told him about our Panama Canal cruise and how we felt that we needed to pace us a little and not overeat in the beginning already. We then had an interesting conversation about eating healthy and he obviously felt very strongly about it.
This doesn't surprise me at all. Besides sitcoms and dramas, American TV doesn't really translate well to the rest of the world. Especially late night talk shows. His new show Celebrity Name Game is really lame.
At least people seem to be getting the idea about dressing for formal night. I've had some experiences where people think it's fine to walk into the dining room on FNs dressed like they're going to Epcot on a summer's day. I don't care how much you've paid for your cruise as I've paid either the same or close. I'd love to go out on deck sans clothes (OK, I'm lying ... just trying to 'splain something), but I don't because spending a certain amount of money doesn't mean you should be able to flout the rules. You want to wear shorts on Formal Night when I've lugged a suit or tux with me? Fine get your butt upstairs to Cabanas or one of the quick serve places.
When I last checked, it was just one and Michael had begun to comment. To do it justice I felt I couldn't comment from my phone and alas, never made it to the computer to do so. So this may be rather lengthy as a result!
I can so much relate to this. It's not that I'm not reading people's TRs, I just can't comment on everything I want to say from phone and then I find I'm several updates behind on comments!
Oh my goodness. I am FOUR, I think, updates behind
When I last checked, it was just one and Michael had begun to comment. To do it justice I felt I couldn't comment from my phone and alas, never made it to the computer to do so. So this may be rather lengthy as a result!
Yes, I can't wait to get back there for a little longer than one single night. Don't think I need two weeks there, but 4 or five nights would be perfect.
Yes, we Northern types are just so much more appreciate of warm weather! As long as the water is not freezing, it is good for swimming. Even though I once went into a lake that had an ice cover. But just for a very short dip after I came out of a sauna...
This is killing me, Jeff has many of the same complaints and I admit, I agree, overall it's utterly lackluster. We have stopped having dessert in general on the ships, instead we may get 2 appetizers!
I think I don't mind the desserts that much as I am not such a great dessert fan anyway. But for Michael dessert is the highlight of the meal. In my opinion they don't even do the sundeas very well because they put all the sauce into the bottom of the dish and the ice cream on top.
I am having rental car deja vu here except ours was upon our return to canaveral, trying to pick up a car and waiting an HOUR (if memory serves) for a shuttle to get us to the rental car location. Next time I am taking a cab!
Actually, your rental car story inspired me to veto renting a car in PC for driving to WDW. We got the transfer instead. But that came with its own issues...
It is better when less crowded. I've not been on the Fantasy but we had a VERY late embarkation lunch on the Dream and while in general I have been underwhelmed with the DCL buffets, the lunch on the Dream was surprisingly good. I love the concept of pods but it only works if people realize they are pods. On DCL, just as at Boma or Trails End in WDW...they stand in line and go around to each as if it is one long line anyway.
I think people were quite able to figure out the pod system. However, they all queued into the walkway at each pod, instead of standing a bit to the side... I never had an issue at Boma with the one line syndrome. But maybe since I don't come from a queuing culture (in Germany it is more free for all and whoever gets their first wins) I might not be very susceptible to the non verbal signals other send my about my perceived line jumping...
I have to say I've done mani and pedi's on DCL and in general have not been impressed at all. They've not held up, were overpriced and sadly I didn't feel that the quality of service (or the training that the providers had) was remotely up to standard. After our last cruise I won't be doing it again.
I had a massage on the WBPC that was quite wonderful, but overpriced. And this time I got a manicure. Without spoiling too much, I guess I can say that my experience was better than yours, but my ladies at home are far cheaper and better. However, I had shellac on my nails and was away for more than three weeks, so it needed to be refreshed at some point and the cruise seemed to be more convenient than to do it at WDW.
The cup sounds nice but perhaps not worth sitting through the sales pitch. It makes me wonder if we saw the same video...I don't recall that but then again it is entirely possible we just grabbed our free mimosas and basically chatted in the background, not really paying attention.
I was surprised that I have seen a different film every time I went to this presentation. But your last one was in September on the Southern Caribbean, wasn't it? That could have been the same.
I am always surprised how easy it is to get away from the crowds for sail-away. Most people seem to be busy unpacking or so instead of watching the ship leave.
I never made it into the adult hot tubs (or pool for that matter) on the Dream but really don't care for how they botched the layout compared to the classic ships. This is the first time I have seen the spoiler alert function, it's pretty cool!
And I think I have heard no one praise the adult pool layout on the new ships... The Fantasy at least has the satellite falls pool, so is slightly better.
I think they have a fair amount of really cute DCL t-shirts, but I really am getting to the point where I don't know when to wear all my cute Disney t-shirts... I can't wear them to work and they are too nice for working out in them... I really liked the Christmas stuff, but there was not a lot of that either. I got a very cute Christmas mug though.
It is a bit of a labyrinth. I found it a little odd, in the sense that all were sort of connected and sort of not quite enclosed and sort of not as intimate or large as I'd expected. Which I realize is a bit of a contradiction! Pretty funny about Budapest/Paris!
I think they changed the locations of the different bars around a bit on the Fantasy as compared to the Dream. I wonder whether you would like it better on the Fantasy? We loved the bar area!
Yes, unfortunately the Magic gets a new show first now. I have no idea how bad Villains Tonight is, but I can't imagine it can be worse than Toy Story. We will get to see it in a little over two months!
I never thought I would enjoy it, but because I really got into the spirit of meeting the officers on the Panama Canal cruise, I think it will now be one of the things I will try to do on every cruise.
Yes, it does. In fact, I have not confirmed this, but I have heard that Disney is actually a parent company of many "seedier" types of production genres. It would not surprise me, while at the same time rather disappoints me. Edgy is one thing- that is quite another.
This sounds more like an urban myth to me than something that is true. I know that Disney used to own Miramax (which made films like Pulp Fiction) and even that was a bit controversial. If by "seedier" your mean what I think, I cannot in any way think that Disney would get involved in things like that and damage their brand. As a publicly traded company all their earnings are pretty out in the open as well, so not a lot of hiding possible.
Our study group, 4 of us, made them a couple weeks ago, and snarfed them out of the pan hot and delicious. Between irresposible actions like that, and the wine and cheese we regularly consume, my scrub pants are seriously uncomfortable.
I had a study group at university and some other friends claimed that all we would do was eat. Well, we studied hard and then cooked together and ate. And when it came to the final exams everyone else could see that we had studied as all four of us did really well!
I do, but I'm also probably going to test for my license and try to work some to get some money for tuition. For the first time since going back to school 3 years ago, I had to put tuition on credit. That made me really sad!
Sorry about you having to go into debt for tuition! But I am amazed that you managed to avoid that so far! Hopefully getting licensed and working this summer will set you for the rest of your course!
They probably had a catalogue with limited choices suitable for a "Western" theme, then again, Hoop itself can be rather edgy in and of itself. Last time I went it was almost over-the-top, but then again it was the late show, so I think they can get away with more.
Hmmm, we went to the early show and that was pretty edgy, too. But in the way that I think most kids would not even notice the edge and just laugh at the obvious joke.
But you are right, I have a tile job coming up someday for my kitchen and bath, and I'm sure my choice will be questioned by some. That's ok, it's my kitchen.
I definitely want to do the longer one, but I don't want to have a room without a Verandah and all those rooms are sold out, so I guess it will be back to the Dream.
Sorry, that is a shame! Personally, I found out with this cruise that I prefer the oceanview cabins. But I understand that this a personal preference and everyone is different with that.
The food pushing is actually one thing that could really get me annoyed with a server. I know that other people write about their servers bringing them additional dishes that they did not order. Some people seem to love that. I would not. So far, we have been lucky or always had servers that could read us well enough to see that this is not what we would appreciate. I think to a certain degree the food pushing is the servers way of trying to make sure you have a great dining experience and therefore will rate them well in the survey and of course tip them well.
This doesn't surprise me at all. Besides sitcoms and dramas, American TV doesn't really translate well to the rest of the world. Especially late night talk shows. His new show Celebrity Name Game is really lame.
Just go and search out the Food and Beverage guy on your next cruise during the Captain reception. Just ask any officer, I am pretty sure they can easily introduce you to the right one!
I can so much relate to this. It's not that I'm not reading people's TRs, I just can't comment on everything I want to say from phone and then I find I'm several updates behind on comments!
I know that too... When I see that someone posted an update I sometimes don't read that thread from my phone and wait until I am on the computer to avoid exactly that problem. But then sometimes I am just too curious and want to read the new update immediately.
This night we lost one hour as the islands that we were heading to are one hour ahead of the US in winter. So, this morning I slept in as well and got up a little before 10am. I slept really well that night and felt that the rocking of the ship was just perfect for me to help me sleep.
The rocking was fine while onboard. It wasn't so much fun a week later at EPCOT or IOA. I didn't sleep particularly well, but I generally don't even at home. M seems to be able to sleep peacefully no matter the conditions around her. I could see her sleeping through the start of the zombie apocalypse!
Once I was up I went in search of breakfast. Since it was still windy outside I did not want to take any chances with Cabanas and tried Enchanted Garden for breakfast. It was funny that they seated me at the table that we had for dinner.
Breakfast is great ... at like 2 or 3 a.m. after a night out. I don't get people eating it in the morning. I have always had trouble waking up -- even if I haven't consumed food in say 16 hours -- and being hungry. The mere thought of food just does nothing for me until I have been awake at least two hours under most circumstances.
This is a view of the corner we were seated in for dinner:
We were one row from the windows though.
I headed up to the buffet which is kind of hidden at the back wall of the dining room. EG has a traditional buffet line, but it is doubled. You start either at the left or right side of the dining room and move towards the middle. It also appeared that compared to Cabanas there are far fewer offerings. For breakfast it did not really matter though. But I could see that it made a difference for lunch. It is interesting, on the Wonder Parrot Cay appeared to have a larger buffet area than EG, but that might just be a wrong perception because here the room is so much bigger. However, Parrot Cay is a bit more free flow, while EG has kind of a fenced in single file line that you cannot easily jump in and out. Still I thought it was perfect for breakfast. The dining room is so lovely light and airy despite being down on deck 2. And when I got there they were not busy at all.
Here is a picture of my selections:
I am pretty sure that I went back to get one of those delicious mango breakfast thingies that they have on the ships… Kind of like a smoothie, but not as liquid.
When I left I took some pictures of the fountain that is in the middle of the restaurant and one of the head servers working there for breakfast came over and offered me to take a picture of me with the fountain:
In the background along the wall with the painted landscape you can see the buffet line.
Oh – and see those “Caution” signs. Not sure if they are there always, but they were certainly needed as the ship motion caused the fountain water to escape. Considering that EG is kind of close to the center of gravity of the ship (the upper decks are not heavy as they are mainly just walls, the belly of the ship with the machinery is far heavier, therefore the center of gravity is in the middle of the ship lengthwise, but very low and kind of close to the water line), it shows how much the ship was moving!
Some more pictures outside EG:
After breakfast I headed to the Future Cruise Desk to start the rebooking process. We wanted to get a new reservation just in case, even if we are not sure when we will sail again next (remember, this was the getting cruising out of our system and be done with it cruise…). Disney just recently changed the rebooking offer. You now can just reserve a placeholder that is no longer attached to a certain cruise, you pay a 200 $ deposit and then you can move it to whatever cruise you want to take at a later point in time, as long as you sail within 24 months. The great thing is that your future cruise fare will be reduced by 10% and you will get a 100$ or 200$ onboard credit to spend on that future cruise depending on length of the cruise. However, when we sailed you had to book a specific cruise and pay a 10% or 20% deposit (depending on cruise length) on that particular cruise. So, I had done some research beforehand and had determined that the cruise to book with the lowest possible deposit would be one of the Southern Caribbean sailings the Wonder was doing from San Juan in January 2016. We thought that the itinerary looked great and thought that this might even be an option we could be interested in. So that’s what I booked.
On the way there I took some more pictures of the ship:
This is the bar that is in the atrium itself:
I was finally able to step out on deck 4:
I have to say that I think deck 4 is much nicer on the classic ships. Since it is less deep, you feel more connected to the ocean. And on the classic ships the deck itself is real teak and that is just much prettier than the fake teak.
More random pictures:
Afterwards I went to get Michael who was now hungry and wanted to get some food. I suggested to get something on the pool deck and take it down to the room to sit on our veranda and eat it there while enjoying the view. Luckily I stepped outside before we went to get the food and decided that this would not be enjoyable. It was really windy out there and not really pleasant. There might even have been some rain…
So we went up to the pool deck to eat there as a lot of the pool deck is under cover. I decided that I was not hungry, but Michael got a hot dog:
After that we wanted a coffee and decided to go to the Vista Café which is in the Atrium on deck 5, so not on the floor level of the atrium, but one floor up on the balcony overlooking the atrium. They have little cakes there that are free and coffee specialties that you have to pay for. They had some special Christmas drinks and we tried those.
The last one was something with mint and you can see the green layer of the mint syrup. Unfortunately the drinks were prettier than they were tasty. They were good enough to drink, but nothing that wowed us.
Yes. Mine was really sweet and not that good.
We really liked the Vista Café. It was a neat place that was close to the action without being in the middle of it. I really like it that on the Fantasy the atrium is a place where you can hang out and not just an empty lobby.
At 2pm we headed to the Buena Vista theater (which is where they show movies), for a talk by Clifford Schwartz who is a stage manager with Disney Theatrical. He talked about different musicals that he helped bring on stage for Disney. It was really interesting as he explained what his job is (he is the one responsible to make sure that every little thing on stage happens at the time it is supposed to). He also is involved with putting up new shows and develop them for the stage.
I found his second presentation -- on opening shows in foreign markets like Aida in South Korea and Tarzan in Germany and his current project, which is Aladdin in Japan -- to be more interesting than his first. Someone in our traveling party skipped that one. I had wanted to speak to him personally after the show to see if he knew some people that I do, but in situations like this you tend to get 5-6 people who just monopolize the Disney 'personality' and won't let go, so I knew it wouldn't happen then.
I tried to take a few pictures in the theater before the talk. This is the stage with the opening screen:
Ceiling:
Lamps on the side:
After the talk we headed to the spa to use our day pass for the Rainforest Room. This is an area in the spa, which has a sauna (with a view of the sea), steam rooms, different showers, a long row of heated tile loungers with a view of the sea and two hot tubs also with a view of the sea.
When we got there the tile loungers were all taken, so we started with the other stuff. I totally loved the showers and the different programs. One that was called “Caribbean Rain” was my favourite as it had a sound effects with birds chirping and also a lovely smell. Some of the showers have programs that include cold water, but I would suggest that you warm up in the sauna or steam room first and then use those, that’s lovely and refreshing!
Slowly the area emptied out a little and we found our spaces on the heated tile loungers, spent some time in the hot tub, went back under the showers etc. It was so wonderfully relaxing! I loved the Rainforest Room as it is so much brighter than on the classic ships! Michael loved it as well and I managed to convince him to skip the main show this evening which was another show by the Atlantic City Boys. We watched the sun set from a hot tub and left at around 6pm. By then it was getting dark and I could tell that the whole area would look amazing in the evening as well, it was lovely lit up!
It was great. Blissful. Tranquil. You pick the adjective. I could use one day a week like that -- or even one a month!
Once we left I was really hungry and had to get a snack. I ended up with some pizza and a salad. It was really strange, some pizzas were much better than others. It seems that somehow some type of pizza was prepared with a more softer crust than others – and it seemed to be consistent that one type was always crispier and another type always softer. The crispy ones were pretty decent in my opinion. I also liked that the pool deck food area has a tiny salad bar with the condiment station. We got quite a few salads from there. Not a huge selection, but some basics and two different dressings. Obviously the lettuce, tomatoe and onions kind of doubled as burger condiments.
What I recall is they had turkey and something (cranberry, I believe) pizza. As a matter of fact, they had lots of 'special' turkey items for this cruise that left on Thanksgiving Weekend. Coincidence, I'm sure. I actually wanted to try the turkey pizza, but never got around to it. Tokyo Disneyland has a quick serve location in Fantasyland that serves pizza and had the turkey pizza when I was there before Christmas in 2010. Friends said it was very good, but I never tried it and felt I was missing something. I tend to avoid Disney pizza, though, as it has never impressed me dating back to the 70s and 80s when you could only get it at the MK at Lancer's Inn (not sure what it is called now, just that it is next to the soft serve ice cream stand next to Winnie The Pooh and ...OK, I think I went on a history of lousy or better Disney fast food pizza. Sorry, back to your regularly scheduled trip report.
I think this was the first day where I decided to speed up the showering and getting ready for dinner process by grabbing my stuff and head up to the spa to shower there. I had done that once on the last cruise and it really works out great! On the Fantasy the spa showers were great! Much more spacious than on the Wonder. I repeated that once or twice and since we were on deck 9 forward, it really was only two minutes to get there from our room.
By the time we both were presentable again, it was the perfect time to head to the Skyline Bar for pre-dinner drinks to continue to work on our passport.
We looked at the menu and Michael decided to order the Apollo, which was a cocktail under the Athens heading. It had Ouzo, Blanton’s Special Reserve, Freshly Muddled Raspberries, Fresh Cilantro and Honey.
I ordered one of the Budapest cocktails called A 38 Hajó: Tokaji Aszu Puttonyos, Palinka, Elderflower Liqueur, Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice and Apple Juice.
I loved my cocktail, but Michael hated his. I had been a bit surprised that he ordered a cocktail with ouzo as I would have thought that this would not be his taste. But I did not want to question his choice and assumed that he knew what ouzo tasted like. Here in Germany when you eat at a Greek restaurant, they will always serve you a glass of ouzo with the bill, so I think everyone knows what it tastes like. It is anise-flavoured and therefore has a very distinct taste, it is similar to the French pastis. Well, Michael took one sip and then told me that his cocktail had a very strange chemical taste, I think he said it tasted like medicine. Not surprise there on my side, that’s why a lot of people don’t like ouzo. Lucky for Michael I do like ouzo and offered to swap our drinks. Lucky for him the cilantro in his drink was not muddled and everywhere in the drink. It was just floating on top and could be easily removed. While I like ouzo, cilantro was the reason why I ruled out that drink.
The drink sounded very good. But I hadn't had ouzo and I doubt I ever will again. I think you need to be Greek or ... perhaps German to enjoy that!
We were sitting in a nice booth at the end of the room and while we were sitting there we started to look at the rather eclectic decorative items that were on the shelves there.
And then we slowly started to realize that every shelf was representing one of the cities (or their countries)! The little race cars were all Italian models, the plates are Greek, the shelf below the plates had Beatles records and the bottom shelf had Hungarian stamps. The other side covered the other countries.
I see I have some reading for Wednesday night! Yippee! Tonight though, I"m headed to bed early, as my first exam for the term is at 8:00 AM. It's 100% about Labor and Delivery, Gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, etc... so I really need to get a good nights sleep in case something I don't quite get will "gel" as I sleep. Yes, truly, sometimes in a dream that actually does happen to me.
Tomorrow, Mike's sister and family will be over for dinner, so family time. But I am totally looking forward to reading this and catching up.
I remember that the two of you tend to hang out at the pool during the off times as well. And then the pool can really be quite lovely - just as the hot tub with a view!
Yes, we tend to either go to the pool first thing in the morning or during the early show/ dinner. So I don't think we would have any issues with crowds. Graham likes swimming laps though. He manages that on the Wonder and Magic, but this would not be an option on the Dream and Fantasy.
We went to the show which was Aladdin today. This is very similar to the show they have at DCA in Anaheim. Which Michael has seen often enough, I however had never seen it. We both enjoyed the DCL version.
I finally got to see Aladdin at DCA in November. For all the times I have been there, I never made the time to watch this. I would not have done it on this trip either, but our VIP guide talked us into it. I am glad she did. I absolutely loved it.
I had also thought about maybe getting a picture taken. However, the lines were really long! Especially the line in front of the Christmas tree. So, no pictures for us.
The Outlook. Not to be confused with the one on the Wonder, on the newer ship this is a small space all the way on the top of the ship on deck 14 (I think). It is the highest you can get as a passenger. We found it and it was empty. It really is a shame that they are not really using this space for anything...
After that we wanted a coffee and decided to go to the Vista Café which is in the Atrium on deck 5, so not on the floor level of the atrium, but one floor up on the balcony overlooking the atrium.
At 2pm we headed to the Buena Vista theater (which is where they show movies), for a talk by Clifford Schwartz who is a stage manager with Disney Theatrical.
After the talk we headed to the spa to use our day pass for the Rainforest Room. This is an area in the spa, which has a sauna (with a view of the sea), steam rooms, different showers, a long row of heated tile loungers with a view of the sea and two hot tubs also with a view of the sea.
We looked at the menu and Michael decided to order the Apollo, which was a cocktail under the Athens heading. It had Ouzo, Blanton’s Special Reserve, Freshly Muddled Raspberries, Fresh Cilantro and Honey.
I ordered one of the Budapest cocktails called A 38 Hajó: Tokaji Aszu Puttonyos, Palinka, Elderflower Liqueur, Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice and Apple Juice.
We went to the show which was Aladdin today. This is very similar to the show they have at DCA in Anaheim. Which Michael has seen often enough, I however had never seen it. We both enjoyed the DCL version.
I wish I'd had time to see Aladdin in DCA. I've heard so many good things. And I agree with Michael that anything is better than the Toy Story musical.
She may be mild-mannered here, but I wouldn't want to get her angry. Side note: You haven't lived until you've made Rice Krispie treats on a 10-degree day in Berlin with these two lovely sisters!
Considering that EG is kind of close to the center of gravity of the ship (the upper decks are not heavy as they are mainly just walls, the belly of the ship with the machinery is far heavier, therefore the center of gravity is in the middle of the ship lengthwise, but very low and kind of close to the water line), it shows how much the ship was moving!
I tend to avoid Disney pizza, though, as it has never impressed me dating back to the 70s and 80s when you could only get it at the MK at Lancer's Inn (not sure what it is called now, just that it is next to the soft serve ice cream stand next to Winnie The Pooh and ...OK, I think I went on a history of lousy or better Disney fast food pizza.
Here in Germany when you eat at a Greek restaurant, they will always serve you a glass of ouzo with the bill, so I think everyone knows what it tastes like. It is anise-flavoured and therefore has a very distinct taste, it is similar to the French pastis.
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For instance, here I can firmly say that it was frigid out, in what has been one of the warmest winters on record in Florida, and only a German tourist would dare stick toes into the Atlantic at that time.
Great to have you hear and it is always nice to hear that people return for another trip report because they liked the previous ones! 
I am really looking forward to the Norway trip and hope that I will come back with plenty of interesting stories to report!
I really liked the Christmas stuff, but there was not a lot of that either. I got a very cute Christmas mug though.
. I know it happens but yikes. 
I would hope Michael would at least nudge you awake as he runs out the door.
I would be popping Dramamine pills like candy.
