If we can DREAM it, we can do it! ..... another 30 day vacation Update 02/07

[dizneeat]

Day 15, August 25

Castaway Cay – Day 1 - Part 4

It was a lot of fun to sneak around the ship, handing out gifts, seeing the astonished faces of other passengers who were not sure what we were doing and why we were delivering gifts and sometimes stopping to enjoy some enchanted art.
Once we were back in our stateroom we relaxed for a little while before we had to get changed and head to dinner at Royal Palace. After wiping our hands we were led to our table and waiting for our servers to arrive. They were serving tables a little way over, but once they saw us they came over to greet us and to take our drinks order.
We both ordered Diet Cokes and then started to have a look at the menu. Tom decided on





the Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp, white and green asparagus, micro greens, and lemon-dill dressing with horseradish cream, while I ordered my favourite,



the Double Baked Spinach Souffle, coated with a three cheese cream. And while we waited for our starters to arrive we nibbled on the Bread service that was placed into the carriage baskets,



warm herb brioche that came with an



Olive Spread. And both were really good. When our starters were served we enjoyed them while talking about our wonderful first days on the DREAM. Soon after we had finished our starters we were served the soups we had ordered. Tom’s choice had been



Belle's French Onion Soup with gruyere cheese crouton and I had gone with an old favourite of mine, the



Comtesse du Barry's Soup, a rich velvety cauliflower cream, topped with salmon caviar croutons. And then our main courses were served. Tom had ordered the



Double Cut Rack of Lamb with a Dijon Crust with fine green beans, gratin potatoes and rosemary jus and my choice was the



Roasted Wild Boar Tenderloin, sweet carrot and onion potato cake with a red currant reduction. Having talked with our servers the previous night that we were no fans of eating too fast, they gave us ample time to finish our main courses before they took away the plates and announced that our desserts would be served soon. Again, we did not get a choice of desserts, but rather were surprised with a wide array of desserts. So when they returned the brought out the



Sweet Temptations, a trio of peanut butter mousse, mango cheesecake and Tahitian vanilla creme brulee, the



Grand Marnier Souffle infused with fresh orange zest and served with creme Anglaise and the





Strawberry Short Cake Sundae, strawberries, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and Angel Food cake. We tried all of them and did our best to finish them, but it was far too much.
After dinner we said goodbye to our servers, left them a little chocolate and went back to our stateroom. We could see from afar that our Fish Extender was full again and once we had made it there, we emptied it out and took it inside where we were greeted by a new towel animal.





This time it was a dog wearing Tom’s hat and my sunglasses. We unpacked our gifts,







took photos and then took a beverage out of the fridge and sat out on the veranda for a while enjoying the warm ocean breeze. And finally at around 11pm it was time for bed.


To be continued ............

 

[annmarieda]

Oh my! Food pics are making me hungry!!!

 

[dizneeat]

Oh my! Food pics are making me hungry!!!

Dinner - wonderful part of any cruise day! ...... and thankfully NO calories as this is Disney.

 

[michelle9343]

I so wish they would sell that bread basket !!!!! I would love to own one!!!

 

[englishrose47]

You are giving me pix of what I want to order !!!! The Shrimp and lobster appie, the onion soup , Not sure what for entrée or dessert yet !!! Great FE gifts !! Question is Disney the only cruise line that does FE ????

 

[scottny]

that meal looked so good.

love the dog with sunglasses.

 

[dizneeat]

I so wish they would sell that bread basket !!!!! I would love to own one!!!

I wish they did, too! I would love to have one. I don't know why they don't, they sell the plates from Animator's and the butter knives.

You are giving me pix of what I want to order !!!! The Shrimp and lobster appie, the onion soup , Not sure what for entrée or dessert yet !!! Great FE gifts !! Question is Disney the only cruise line that does FE ????

I am glad I can wet your appetite for your upcoming cruise, Rosie!
As for the FE, I have no idea, if they do it on other Cruise lines as well. We have only sailed with Disney.

that meal looked so good.

love the dog with sunglasses.

Food on board is really good. And if you come across something you do not like, they will gladly bring you something else.

Our stateroom host was really nice, she came up with the greatest towel animals. She was really talented.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 16, August 26

Food, food and even more food ……….. - Part 1

We woke up to grey skies and choppy seas. Hurricane Isaac had caught up with us.



They had changed up the itinerary so we could get the most of our days and this sea day was not going to a nice one.
We got up around 7am, showered and got dressed. Then we headed to the Royal Palace for breakfast.
Again!
Yes, we love the place.
And after signing in at the podium we were quickly led to nice table and our server handed us the menu. The assistant server quickly came by to ask about drinks and we both ordered



some orange juice, Tom opted for



coffee, while I asked for



some tea. It didn’t take long for the drinks to be served and a server coming by with a box of teas to choose from. Most of them were herbal or decaf and it took some searching to find a “drinkable” tea.
With drinks sorted we ordered our breakfast. Before we went there we had decided on just a quick small breakfast, but once seated, our plans went out the window.
Tom ordered his favourite,



the Swiss Bircher Muesli, Muesli with raisins, shredded apples and yogurt and I did the same, I ordered my favourite,



the Mornin' Tug Boat, fresh blend of strawberries, bananas, almonds, raisin granola and low-fat yogurt. Both were served within a minute and we started digging in our delicious “healthy” breakfast options.
But then we lost it, as we both ordered



the Traditional Eggs Benedict, a toasted English muffin with grilled Canadian bacon, served with poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce, grilled roma tomatoes and link sausages. As much as we loved our choice, it really filled us up. Once we were done we walked through the shops and then back to our stateroom.
We stopped there for just a little while, and while we were just chilling in the room, the ship’s PA system came on and the captain explained that we were in for a rainy day as the would be in the outer bands of Isaac and that it would be a bit rocky, but there should not be much discomfort for us guests. He wished everyone a day as enjoyable as possible and then the system just clicked a few times.
We were sure the announcement was over, but it just came on again and it started like this, “This announcement is for crew only, crew only!” We looked at each other, laughed and continued to listen.
Then the captain explained that he had just informed the guests that we would run into a little discomfort, but now to his crew he could announce the “whole” truth. It would be raining most of the day and it would be rather choppy, so everyone was to prepare for a lousy day.
Tom and I burst into laughter. It was too funny to hear both sides of the “truth”. Isn’t it sometimes the funniest thing when you push the wrong button. And once we had recovered from the news, we picked up the next set of Fish Extender gifts and went on our little tour all over the ship to hand them out.
When we got back to our stateroom it was all done up and we had a little chat with Oana, who always had a huge smile and a few fun statements to mention. She thanked us for leaving chocolates for her all the time and mentioned that since she was sharing them she had found a lot of “new” friends.
Back in our stateroom we chilled for a while, then going outside on the veranda to see the stormier sea. At 10.45 we started to get ready for the next ADR we had that day, lunch at Remy.
We have been to Remy before, but for dinner, not lunch. And while the food was really good and the service outstanding, it was a bit over the top. We have yet to come across a restaurant in Europe that works that way.
But we were sure it would be a nice, new experience for us, to try lunch. So at 10 to 11am we signed in at the podium and were asked to wait in Meridian. There were a few other guests waiting as well and at exactly 11am we were asked to follow a greeter inside the restaurant.
We were told about the wines they were offering and which were on display and then led into the wine room. All the guests filed up against the wall and we were all handed a glass of Champagne,



a crisp Cremant d’Alsace Blanc de Blancs, then the sommelier and the head chef came out to explain the Pata Negra, a ham which comes from a specially-raised pig and demonstrated how they used a hand-cranked machine to slice it paper-thin.
And while he was still explaining and cutting the ham, I looked around the room and noticed that the servers had filed up at one side as well. And I was more than happy to see that Mathieu was still there and one of them. And while the chef still cut and handed out the Pata Negra, Mathieu came over to greet us and all I wanted to know was, “Did she say YES?” (In February of that same year, Mathieu had been our server at a Remy dinner and had been excited to hear that we came from Austria, as his girlfriend was from Austria as well. He then told us that he planned to ask her to marry him, when she came to visit him two weeks later. Everyone in HER travel party knew about it and they all knew that he planned to get married during the time she visited, all of them knew, and she was the only one not in the know.)
All he did was showing us his hand with his wedding ring on. Needless to say that we did not pay any more attention to the chef and sommelier but stroke up a conversation about how things had been. Only after we noticed that the room had gone quiet, did we realize that all eyes were on us.
So we stopped talking and Mathieu promised to come to our table to tell us ALL about his proposal, wedding and life on the ship. Now that the chef had the full attention again we were to taste the ham and the champagne, which turned out pretty tricky with a glass in one hand and a plate in the other.
We found a table to put the glass and tried the ham which was really wonderful and just melted in your mouth, then the chef invited us to try out the slicing machine.



I think one or two people did try it, Tom and I didn’t. After our welcome in the wine room we were led to our tables and Tom and I got seated in a very nice booth at the window. Our server introduced himself, he was young and very nice, but somehow I don’t remember his name. We had opted for the Champagne pairing and so the sommelier came to our table as well to introduce himself. With introductions out of the way it was time for food.


To be continued ............

 

[annmarieda]

breakfast looks good! I can see why it appears to be a staple in your breakfast foods...

Sorry to hear that the storm caught up to you and the day's voyage was going to be a crummy one. At least you had the amazing food to dine on....

 

[wiigirl]

omg...all that food looks delish!

 

[scottny]

Not sure how I would have been with a storm.

The rest looked wonderful.

 

[englishrose47]

You know I am looking at those eggs Karin!!!!

 

[Linda67]

Ooh, I'm looking forward to reading more about your lunch at Remy

We absolutely loved our dinner there

 

[MEK]

Oh Wow - lunch at Palo sounds pretty amazing. I can't think of a better way to spend a rainy day. Can't wait to see your food.

Speaking of food, my mouth was watering with the food from your prior update and that eggs benedict looks amazing.

I really hope the weather wasn't too terribly awful and you were still able to enjoy your day.

 

[dizneeat]

breakfast looks good! I can see why it appears to be a staple in your breakfast foods...

Sorry to hear that the storm caught up to you and the day's voyage was going to be a crummy one. At least you had the amazing food to dine on....

It's my favourite vacation breakfast. At home it's more tea and buttered toast.

Ann, since we usually cruise during hurricane season we have to live with it. And it's not been our first storm.
You are spot on about the amazing food ........

omg...all that food looks delish!

Can't wait to do it again in a little over three months ..... it was wonderful food!

Not sure how I would have been with a storm.

The rest looked wonderful.

Since we always cruise during hurricane season, we just have to live with it and it looked worse than it was for us. Yes, blue skies would have been nice, but we had a lot of really yummy food to look forward to.

You know I am looking at those eggs Karin!!!!

I know, Rosie, and you are going to love them!

 

[dizneeat]

Ooh, I'm looking forward to reading more about your lunch at Remy

We absolutely loved our dinner there

We actually prefered lunch to dinner, even though we had two more Remy dinners that cruise.
It was a lot of fun and the food was really good.

Oh Wow - lunch at Palo sounds pretty amazing. I can't think of a better way to spend a rainy day. Can't wait to see your food.

Speaking of food, my mouth was watering with the food from your prior update and that eggs benedict looks amazing.

I really hope the weather wasn't too terribly awful and you were still able to enjoy your day.

It was an awesome lunch at Remy. And even better since we got to see Mathieu again.

Mary Ellen, you have to try the Royal Palace/Court for breakfast - it is so relaxing and the food is really nice.

The weather cleared up a few days later and we are "kind of" used to hurricanes as we mostly sail during hurricane season. And it was a fine excuse to book more dining.

 

[dizneeat]

Day 16, August 26

Food, food and even more food ……….. - Part 2

With introductions out of the way it was time for food. We were handed a nice menu and told that this was a set menu.



A little later we were served some



brioche style bread which came with butter and a small bowl of sea salt. Needless to say we had to try it and it was fresh and light. We enjoyed the view out the window,



but soon realized that we were getting closer to Isaac. There was a huge grey wall coming towards us



and once it got closer you could see the rain. All so quickly it reached the DREAM and it got darker in the restaurant with rain pouring down the windows in streams.



Then our first course,





the Gnocchi Chili, very light and fluffy potato gnocci with a wonderful scented foamy sauce were served together with



the Taittinger Prestige Rose, Disney’s signature pink champagne.
Our next course was







the Lobster Cannelloni, Caviar. And while we were enjoying this, Mathieu came over to ask, how our experience had been so far and to chat a little bit.
He said that no one had told his wife to be of his plans and that she was very surprised, especially since most of the crew knew about it as well. They were then married during Nassau day, instead of Castaway Cay, but he said it was a wonderful experience.
And then we asked how it felt for him, to know she was in Austria and he was here on the ship.
Well, we were told that she was NOT in Austria, but here on the ship, the only Austrian cast member on board at the time, as hotel director, Andreas, was on vacation.
She was working at Guest Services if we wanted to meet her. And then I remembered something, so I asked him if his wife’s name was Bettina. And yes, it was …….. she was the wonderful cast member who had sent us the Magical Moments certificate.
We told Mathieu about it and he seemed to be as excited as we had been about it. With the Maitre d’ not being happy about Mathieu tending to other guests than his own he just asked if we would be back for dinner?
And the answer was, yes, we would and we would make sure he would be our server again. We needed to finish up our course as they were already waiting with the next one, which was







the Sea Bass, Egg, Thai. The presentation of this dish was awesome and the delicate flavours of the fish went so well with the egg mixture and Thai broth it was served with. With it our second Champagne tasting was served,





the Pommery Gold ’04 Pop. It went perfectly well with the delicate fish course. The next course was coming up in a timely manner, it was





the Gascogne Pork Loin, Turnips. The pork was a similar breed as the Pata Negra and was sweet and tender and juicy and was served with a rich, slightly sweet sauce. To go with it there were a few round slices of turnips. The server explained that these were cooked very slowly for quite a while to bring out the sweetness of the turnip. He did not lie. These turnips were out of this world good, sweet, soft and the perfect thing to go with the pork loin. We gobbled up every last piece of this delicious course.
And while the individual courses were small, they were more than enough to fill you up. But there was still dessert to come, the Duo Chocolate paired with





Moet & Chandon Ice. Now, I was a bit surprised to be served Champagne with ice, but it was the most wonderful thing. We both really loved it. And then there was dessert.







A plate with a square piece of chocolate mousse, encased in a crisp chocolate shell, covered in dark chocolate ganache with a piece of a gold leave in one corner. The server than poured warm hot chocolate all around it. It worked so well together, a heavenly dessert. And while we waited for our bill to arrive we were served another sweet treat.



Homemade little chewy French cakes, homemade Marshmallows and two home made lollies. Even though we were so full, we tried the cake bites and Marshmallows and took the lollies with us. We said goodbye to our server after leaving him a nice tip and hugged Mathieu goodbye, promising him to come back for dinner. We hadn't brought any chocolates with us, so we quickly made our way down to our stateroom where we found Pirate headscarves a



nd a little letter on the bed and then quickly filled two small bags with sweets and chocolate and headed back to Remy to hand them to our server and Mathieu. Mathieu promised to share, but we had something else in mind.

To be continued ............

 

[jenseib]

I am so cracking up over that announcement. That is just too funny.

I am not a fan of Remy's menu and your brunch makes me think I am right. It's too fancy for a country gal like me.
I wouldn't know how to eat half of it.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hi Karin! Thanks for sharing your Remy brunch! It looks very nice - but like Jenseib said, it is quite fancy. I think I would enjoy every bit of it, but I was picturing DH saying, "what is this stuff?" And "Where's the food?" the whole time - I think I would want to do that one with a lady friend.

 

[michelle9343]

Karin I have to say how amazing reading through this report is for me. When you mentioned the announcement of Issac I had a total flash back of that day!!! We had to take Angie to the infirmary on that day and could not believe the difference in the motion of the ship down there all I can say is!!! When we were on deck 6 we could hardly tell we were in the storm but when on deck two I could barely walk!!! I was really rocking down there!!!!
Again thanks so much for writing these amazing trip reports you have given me the joy of reliving our cruise over and over again!!!!