Get Off The Ship - we are running out of towel animals! Update 10/25 Day 31

[jenseib]

I agree...I love that you get to do back to back.....someday. I keep saying that because that way it will come true!!!

The food looks fabulous!
I am cracking up with the amount of money you thought you were going to have to pay Fed Ex. I would've freaked out.

I am so glad Tom is approved to have the time off for Italy. More fabulopus pictures to see!

 

[eandesmom]

Ah.....coffee tastes so much better in a real china cup!

What a drag that the bookings took so long to straighten out, that is frustrating when that happens but good you got it dealt with and completed.

 

[dizneeat]

Okay - no matter how many times I checked this forum, somehow I still managed to miss you starting to update again! I’m here now!


You are here now! That is all that counts.

I’m so glad you get to do the Italy trip; you know I LOVED reading about the last one!!! What a fiasco with FedEX - I’m glad you finally got the certificate! I cannot believe how close your next trip is!!!

Italy is such a nice weekend break for us, but it is a long drive for just two days, so having a four day weekend will be awesome - lots of food pics to share.
The certificate did get here in the end, the amount of money on the first note really freaked us out.
Your trip should be just around the corner as well, isn't it?

I cannot imagine being at the depressing Final Breakfast and know that you weren’t actually done! How wonderful. I am so intrigued with the back-to-back thing because of you - if I can ever find a way to afford it, I am totally going to do it!

The "Get off our ship" breakfast (that is what we call it ) is really the biggest letdown of every cruise. The only thing that makes it any better is to know that you will have a much nicer lunch a few hours later when you go back to back.
You really should try sailing back to back. It is just awesome, so much more relaxing that a regular cruise. I am really keeping my fingers crossed that we can pull it off again in 2015.

It’s amazing to see the terminal all empty like that. And the empty ship!!! What a treat to see that.

The empty ship is the best thing ever! Even if it is just for an hour, but the ship feels so different with NO guests on it.

The Enchanted Garden buffet lunch looks pretty darn tasty. As do the Vista Cafe goodies!

I am not a huge fan of Cabanas. Ways are too long for the food to stay warm. In Enchanted Garden at least we have a table assigned and ways are much shorter.

I need to get in gear here and get my TR updated to 17 August too!!!

Knowing the speed you are updating, you will be through your cruise way ahead of me.

Lunch looks relish and so do those pastries.

How great to be back on the ship just like that. Deja Vu! Did you have the same stateroom both times?

I love that tile artwork. Just gorgeous.

Lunch is really nice on day one - breakfast before you get off not so much.

YES, we stay in the same stateroom. No packing, everything stays where it is, easy peasy. If you (need to) change your stateroom you need to pack up and they will move everything for you, but I prefer not to do any unnecessary work.

There are so many unexpected nooks and corners to find some amazing craftsman ship around that ship - I am sure you are going to love it.

Great [ix around the ship Karin !!That Cappacinno looked great !! As did those desserts !! Now I see you had 2 of my favs for lunch shrimp and asparagus !!! Yummy!!!

Thank you, Rosie!
Food is so yummy on the ship. And I just LOVE asparagus - oh, and lets not forget the shrimp and cocktail sauce!

One of these days I'm going to get to do a B2B! That turnaround day would be awesome! I have thought about it for the 3 day Dream cruise we currently have booked for this fall, but I'm not sure that would be the best choice for us. I know we wouldn't be able to keep our favorite cabin, and I don't especially want to repeat the same itinerary. The 4 day does have a sea day, but I would rather go to different ports. Maybe we can book last minute if they offer some good FL resident rates. No, I haven't shared this thought with DH yet, so don't tell him!

Oh, a three night cruise just calls for adding on a four nighter. Two Castaway Cay days!
Believe me, I was the same way with going to different ports, but since we are stuck with my summer holiday we were stuck with the Bahamian itinerary if we wanted to sail out of Port Canaveral.
So, the ports were no longer our first interest, but you get to enjoy the ship much more and it is just so relaxing not to have to run after a guide during an excursion.[

I can't wait to see your WDW plans. Who knows, our paths just might end up crossing at some point. We haven't made many WDW runs lately so I think it's about time to get back to our regular WDW visits. Enough with letting life get in the way!

Nancy

Now that our plans for WDW and our DREAM cruise have all fallen into place I have started writing out the plans to post on my PTR. I am not sure if I will finish the Paris TR first or just post both, but I guess it might become confusing.
It would be awesome if we were at the parks the same time. We don't have any DISmeets scheduled this trip - now, that will be different.

 

[dizneeat]

I agree...I love that you get to do back to back.....someday. I keep saying that because that way it will come true!!!

Jen, "haven't you" got to do it as a TA experience once?
If you get to do it, you will LOVE it!

The food looks fabulous!
I am cracking up with the amount of money you thought you were going to have to pay Fed Ex. I would've freaked out.

Well, we both DID freak out about the amount! I said NO way can it be that high if the share plus frame and everything is just a fraction of it. But it really was noted without a dot in between and the € at the end, which indicates that this MEANS full Euros. I was pretty relieved once I had spoken to the girl in the FedEx office and she straightened things out.

I am so glad Tom is approved to have the time off for Italy. More fabulopus pictures to see!

He needs those days off in between. And we are both looking forward to our short trip to Italy.
And more pics to share!

Ah.....coffee tastes so much better in a real china cup!

What a drag that the bookings took so long to straighten out, that is frustrating when that happens but good you got it dealt with and completed.

I finally found someone who agrees that coffee in a china cup tastes a lot better than those styrofoam cups.
Please put Austria on your list of countries to travel to - coffee is a huge part of our culture here - and it is strong and tasty! Lots of different varieties too!

The poor CMs had to struggle a lot with computers not working - it was more of a hassle for them than us.
At least we had time to chat with the other people in line.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 11, August 17

Let’s try this again – A Fantasy cruise take 2 - Part 3

We sat and sipped our coffee and nibbled our baked goods and soon enough it was time to head to the DVC presentation.
We were handed two



Mimosas and sat down at one of the small tables in the Tube. Soon the presentation was on it’s way





and it was exactly the same as the last one we had seen. It did take longer than we had thought and so again, sadly we missed the DISmeet again.
Soon after the DVC meet we had to get ready for the lifeboat drill. We both picked up our sunglasses before making our way down. It was pretty interesting to use the “backstage” areas to get to our muster station.
We signed in, then stood in line and were amazed at how many people talked over the cast members who were trying to explain the evacuation process. Once the drill was over everyone headed to the lift and stairs and we just joined the masses and walked up to our stateroom.



There was another task still left to do, we had to decorate our door again



and hang up the Fish Extender. Decorations done we headed upstairs again to deck 12 to watch the ship sail out. It did not take long and the ship started to move.





The cast members came out to wave



and we were on our way. It takes a while for the ship to slowly glide out of the port









and we had fun waving and watching people wave back at us from the restaurants and also watching some speedboats getting back into harbour after a race.





It was fun to be up on deck again, with the wind in our faces.



















After we had left the port we walked around a bit and finally grabbed a seat in Currents after picking up a drink of the day, the Ooh La La.

To be continued ............ ​

 

[Teri1]

I can't wait to see the pics from this cruise since we have not sailed the Western itinerary.

 

[dizneeat]

I can't wait to see the pics from this cruise since we have not sailed the Western itinerary.

It was nice doing both, the Eastern and Western, but without taking anything away I have to say that the Eastern was our favourite.

 

[jenseib]

woohooo! off again to the next adventure

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Lots of exciting news, Karin! I'm glad you finally got the Fed Ex sorted out, and Tom has his stock. We gave one to Ryan in a frame when he graduated from college.

Yay for your Mickey Mail!

So cool that you got to just relax and stroll around like you owned the ship on departure day!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Karin, I have said this before but every single time I look at your cruise pictures, it makes me want to give a Disney cruise another chance. You always seem to enjoy yourselves and take advantage of everything the ship has to offer.

 

[dizneeat]

woohooo! off again to the next adventure

YES! But it meant that we would have to get off at the end of this one!

Lots of exciting news, Karin! I'm glad you finally got the Fed Ex sorted out, and Tom has his stock. We gave one to Ryan in a frame when he graduated from college.

Yay for your Mickey Mail!

So cool that you got to just relax and stroll around like you owned the ship on departure day!

Thanks, Tammie! It was nice to see some of our trip "parts" falling into place. AND getting FedEx sorted out.
The certificate looks really nice and since they stopped doing this kind of certificate it was nice to "snatch" one while they lasted.

Having the ship to yourself is one of the best parts of going back to back - well apart from the fact that you get to go on another cruise.

Karin, I have said this before but every single time I look at your cruise pictures, it makes me want to give a Disney cruise another chance. You always seem to enjoy yourselves and take advantage of everything the ship has to offer.

You really should give them another chance! They do an awesome job.

But to be honest, had you asked me if I wanted to do more than one cruise 5 1/2 years ago I would never have thought that we are going on cruise no 13 in 25 days.
They had me when they sounded the Mickey Whistle for the first time.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 11, August 17

Let’s try this again – A Fantasy cruise take 2 - Part 4

After we had left the port we walked around a bit













and finally grabbed a seat in Currents



after picking up a drink of the day, the



Ooh La La.
It was nice to enjoy the sun, sip the drink and have nothing else to do than enjoy the day.



When the drink was finished we decided to head back to our stateroom, but not without picking up some goodies at the counter service.
Tom was craving a



Hot Dog and that is what he got, with a side of fries. I didn’t feel like something hot, so I just got some



grapes. We transported our food back to our stateroom, grabbed a drink out of the fridge and sat out on the veranda enjoying our snack. And while half of the ship was having dinner and the other half was visiting tonight’s show, we grabbed our FE list and headed out to deliver gifts.
We returned to our stateroom about an hour later and a half later and after a short browse through the shops, even though there was nothing we needed to buy at the moment.
There was just enough time to freshen up again and get changed and then we headed to the Royal Court for dinner. Since we had the same table and already knew most of the servers, we had no problem getting to our table. Our servers were right there to greet us and without even having to order them, two Diet Cokes magically appeared. He also placed a small plate of the



Olive Spread and a “carriage” basket full of fresh, slightly warm



Herb Brioche on our table and we started munching right away. Our server came to take our order and soon after we were served our starters, the



Pomegranate Glazed Duck Breast with Gerwurztraminer Gelee and Pomegranate Glaze for Tom and the



Double Baked Spinach and Cheese Souffle, coated with a three-cheese cream for me. They were both really nice and we enjoyed every last bite.
We were on a cruise, so we also ordered some soup,



The Comtesse du Barry's Soup, a rich velvety cauliflower cream, topped with salmon caviar croutons. And while the soup was really good it was a mistake as once we had finished the soup we were getting full already. We still had our main courses to come and it did not take long for them to make an appearance. Tom had ordered the



Double Cut Rack of Lamb with a Dijon Crust with fine green beans, gratin potatoes and rosemary jus and I had ordered the



Aged Angus Grilled Beef Tenderloin topped with garlic shrimp, with sauteed snow peas and marquis potatoes with a cognac reduction. We took our sweet time enjoying our mains, but once we had finished them there was no way to fit in dessert as well. But we had had an idea. Why not order a sampler dessert platter and take it with us? We asked our server if that was possible and he was just happy to oblige. So a few minutes later we were served a dessert sampler on a plate and covered with a lid, complete with napkin and cutlery. We said goodbye to our servers and walked out of the restaurant by the side entrance and over to the back elevator. It didn’t take us long and we were back on deck 8 and luckily ran right into Raj, the happy recipient of the dessert platter. He was so surprised when we handed the plate to him and told him that we had picked it up just for him.
Back in our stateroom we found a giant stingray, sporting my sunglasses and trying to feed on the chocolates on the bed.



We changed into more comfortable clothes and grabbed a drink out of the fridge and sat out on the veranda watching the waves until we were tired enough to go to bed.

To be continued ............ ​

 

[Linda67]

What a lovely relaxing day Karin

 

[jenseib]

Dinner looks great!!!

 

[MEK]

Sounds like a perfect afternoon and evening. Drink, verandah, dinner, verandah. Perfection!

Dinner does look delish!

 

[Leshaface]

Feels like Deja Vu all over again! Such a nice relaxing day to your first day of your second cruise. I would love to do a B2B. By the end of the second cruise, were you ready to get off?

Looking back, I wish I would have asked for china while at the cafes. Seems so much nicer and fancy like that instead of the to-go cups. Good thinking!

That's so nice of you guys to give your dessert platter to Raj!

 

[ShellB8585]

Hi Karin and Tom!

It's been a particularly quiet day at work so i have been drinking coffee and reading your TR from start to finish. One of the best i have read and looks like you had a great time, can't wait to see more.

Thank you for sharing

ETA - I have a real hankering for Eggs Benedict now. I wonder why?

 

[basketlacey]

Karin - I love to read about your and Tom's adventures! I read through most of this report last night (at least from where I left off the last time!)

We leave for our first Disney Cruise two weeks from tomorrow I have a question for you about tips. I see you mention that you leave tips at the end of many of your meals. Can you help me understand that? Is it customary to tip and all sit down meals except for your main assigned dinner? And if so, how to you calculate what is appropriate (since I am assuming there is no charge for the food). Thanks for your help! I want to make sure we treat all of our CMs fairly!

 

[jenseib]

Karin - I love to read about your and Tom's adventures! I read through most of this report last night (at least from where I left off the last time!)

We leave for our first Disney Cruise two weeks from tomorrow I have a question for you about tips. I see you mention that you leave tips at the end of many of your meals. Can you help me understand that? Is it customary to tip and all sit down meals except for your main assigned dinner? And if so, how to you calculate what is appropriate (since I am assuming there is no charge for the food). Thanks for your help! I want to make sure we treat all of our CMs fairly!

I can help you...no it's not normal, Tom and Karin are just extra generous...VERY generous. Usually most people do the normal tip of $12 per person per day that is added to you bill and then when you give those envelopes to the crew on the last night you can add more if you like. But if you want to give extra at any time, I am sure they will not complain. Also little gifts like chocolates are appreciated. I have often left our stateroom host a little extra candy on the last night.
Now for room service you should tip. Most people give a couple of bucks each time they have something brought.

 

[scottny]

The food looked so good.
Cute backpack.
Those drinks look so good.
LOL. I thought the appetizers were the main course. They looked good and so did the soup.
Seems like a great start to the next chapter of the cruising.
Great updates and pics.