I'll Be Good Next Year- Fantasy Eastern NYE 13/14 Updates 6/17

[franandaj]

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Wow!​

That meal looked amazing. Based on the menu, I was leaning towards Pod's meal, but after seeing the courses. I would take yours hands down. I can't wait to go there! And that cheese course, I could never eat that much cheese after a meal like that, but so cool that they let you have one of each!

All the pictures of the two of you are so cute, you both look great all dressed up. I spill my drinks all over me too.

 

[JulieODC]

Sooo excited to see your Remy review!! We are booked to eat there on our cruise...and I can't wait!!

 

[papertraveller]

Such a wonderful meal, and you both look stunning!

Working backwards:
When you come into Canada each person of legal drinking age (19 in B.C.) can bring in two bottles of wine, or a 1-litre bottle of liquor. Do it, if you can. If you're flying or driving in, use Duty Free. You can expect to pay upwards of 60 per cent more for a bottle of wine in Canada at the provincial liquor store than you do in the U.S.

I think the unnamed bartender in the photo from Skyline is Damian. He spent a little bit of time helping us fill out our passport! He also led our Mixology class.

And finally, my prayers and heartfelt condolences on the loss of your dear sister-in-law. She sounds like a remarkable person, and no doubt your lives are all the richer for her gentle touch on you.

 

[JKSWonder]

Well, doesn't that all just look amazing?!

 

[podsnel]

Cynthia, loved our mixology class. It was private so I'm not sure how it differs but it was a total blast.

We loved our mixology, too- but I bet it is even MORE fun when it's with an entire room of people you know!

Great looking couple Ellen. Love how dressed up you both get. Can't wait to see the food at Remy.

Thanks! I love to dress up! Pods...he just loves to make me happy!

Joshua loved the sports deck too but the soccer and ping pong. I think he was intimidated by the older kids on the basketball court.

Awww...they didn't have times when it was just his age?

Mmmm, those cocktails all look amazing!

My fave cocktails ever are on those ships- except the Rose Slushie- if they brought that onboard, too, I would probably have to become a stowaway....

Remy, the love of my life! I would dump my drink on my dress too...I'm a total klutz!

Jill in CO

CRAP! Being a klutz stinks! But it's ok when you match your drinks to your clothes I guess...

You both look so nice! So swanky!

thanks! All in clothes we bought in 2008- I guess we are getting our money's worth out of them!

YUM, those cocktails look amazing! I bet the balsamic one is an interesting taste, but probably good-interesting.

I was too interested in mine to really notice if it was in a good way or a bad way- mine was sooooo superior!

I feel your pain on spilling on your dress; I cannot wear anything white, I always manage to spill something on myself.

White clothes should be removed from most everyone's wardrobe. I think if they don't have stains within 5 minutes of the first wear, you probably are not living your life as well as you could and should re-focus your priorities.

Thank you for taking such nice pictures at Remy. I didn't take a camera and it is nice to relive all of those wonderful dishes. We did the same thing as you. I had the Saveur menu and Steve had the Gout tasting. We did sample each others dishes and each dish was amazing.

It was such an unbelievable meal!

The cheese course was the best. She really likes her job and did a great job presenting the different offerings.

She was a great girl! And I was a big fan of her cart, but she would not let me take it with me back to my cabin when I left, so, I deduct points there for sure...

I was so stuffed after that meal.

Yea- the candies they put down in front of you are sooooo freakin funny! Do you think there is anyone who is able to polish them off too?

We must have been working on the Passport . We ended up skipping Pirate Night - the boys were not interested.

I will say this for you- you were VERY hard workers on this cruise....

My teens were def not into Pirate night either- I know, you are SHOCKED!!! I think they were so relieved we were not dressing up as a family, lol! But Timmy would have done it if I would have asked him- Tyler....ummm, no....

 

[podsnel]

We LOVED Remy as well. I was shocked at how much we enjoyed that food. I tend to shy away from French food since I tend to think of heavy sauces, but the food in Remy wasn't heavy at all. It was incredible! We did skip the cheese course though. I just can't get past eating cheese toward the END of a meal. Just when you're getting full . . . well, lets eat some cheese! Nina was our server as well, and we laughed about our different traditions/customs. It was a great night. Wish I could eat there every day. And OMG the coffee was probably the best I've ever had. YUM! YUM! YUM!

Jodie

I think only traditional French food, and only some, has the heavy sauces you are thinking of- this was more nouvelle cuisine- all about fresh ingredients and technique! you should eat more French food- it is GORGEOUS!!

What a wonderful meal at Remy! I can't believe you passed on the champagne brunch...it is amazing as well.

I know.....we did Palo's brunch instead- and the BTB we are on in Oct doesn't have ANY brunches because no sea days , so it could take a little while, but we will get there eventually!

You guys look so cute together.

Jill iN CO

Oh thanks! Probably after 30 years together between dating and marriage we are even starting to look alike, lol!

OK, that settles it.....FOR SURE putting Remy on the "have to try" list. Your meal looked INCREDIBLE. And a handsome man in a suit escorts you back from the bathroom?! I'm sold - where do I sign?

OMG- you would LOVE IT my friend!

I'm glad you had such a nice time; what a memorable meal!

It certainly was- worth every penny!

What a lovely update! Literally. You looked lovely and so did your food!

Thank you! It's amazing what a party hair ponytail can do!

You two clean up well some great pics of you guys.

thanks-

Seems like Remy is into the current trend of "foam" on every dish. I admit, I am not a fan but it didn't seem to mar any of your dishes. I kind of wish I could get excited about Remy (not that we have a cruise planned where it would be an option) but I don't know. Perhaps it is simply too many years in that business or having been to too many of those kind of dining experiences that somehow it lost the magic and turned into a chore. I know that sounds odd but I've gotten to this point where I am just not into the number of courses, small plates, sheer length of time for the expeirence and the unfortunate tendency (though clearly not here) for some of those kinds of dishes to be more interesting than delicious. Jeff would never go for it (I can hear him in my head...where's the food? You call this a serving? ) so it's probably just as well.

This was as wonderful as is humanly possible- not one negative thing to say. Including the portion sizes- had they been bigger, we would have been done after the first two.

All that said, I love reading about it, especially when someone enjoyed it as much as you clearly did!

We really did- I would re-think that decision to never go, it was completely fabulous from start to finish-

 

[podsnel]

Love, love, love this update!
Firstly you and Pods look fabulous!
I adore your dress and the color is perfect in you

Thanks so much, this dress is so OLD!!! I literally have worn it on every Cruise formal night since 2008! Same for Pods' tux!

Ah Remy, honestly one of the best meals I have ever had. Even DH, who rarely raves about food thought it was incredible

It is an incredible meal!

We aren't doing the Remy dinner next time but we are doing the champagne brunch so I will report back
Argh, this is getting me sooooo excited for our upcoming cruise!!

Yes- I hear from many that the brunch is even better than the dinner- would love to hear what you think (and see what you have to eat and drink- you always do sucha fab job with food porn and reports!).

Ah, Remy! Memories of the rat's restaurant!

Sorry, got carried away. I love the update and was surprised that some of the dishes we had had on the Dream looked completely different to what you had.

Really? Again they are different (like the Muesli?)- I will have to look at your again to compare- very interesting.

We have only done brunch at Remy lately as I that 7 course meal is just a bit too much for me.

By the end i was very full, but I would do it again in a heartbeat- really want to try that brunch next time, tho!

BUT ..... I am glad you met Nina! We know her from when she was an "assistant" on the Dream in Remy. She has worked her way up and best of all you got to meet Benoit!!!!!!!!!
We got to know him on the Dream as well, when we had those super fun Remy experiences with Mathieu. I am happy to hear that he decided to come back to the Fantasy - when we saw him in August he wasn't sure he would come back.
He is fun, but Mathieu was the ultimate fun.

How cool! They were all so nice- maybe I will convince my friends in Oct to visit Mathieu....

I can really relate to spending the rest of the evening on the veranda. After Remy you need to have time to "digest" the experience.
But PLEASE, try brunch on your next cruise - we love it more than dinner - yummy food AND equally yummy Champagne!

I PROMISE!!!!!

.

Wow!​

That meal looked amazing. Based on the menu, I was leaning towards Pod's meal, but after seeing the courses. I would take yours hands down. I can't wait to go there! And that cheese course, I could never eat that much cheese after a meal like that, but so cool that they let you have one of each!

OK- I was seriously thinking how much you girls would LOVE LOVE LOVE Remy while I was there- you are going to go INSANE for it!!

All the pictures of the two of you are so cute, you both look great all dressed up. I spill my drinks all over me too.

Well, at least I'm in good company and we are all slobs together here on the DISboards, lol!

Sooo excited to see your Remy review!! We are booked to eat there on our cruise...and I can't wait!!

You are going to LOOOOOOVE it!

Such a wonderful meal, and you both look stunning!

Thank you! Really love getting dressed up!

Working backwards:
When you come into Canada each person of legal drinking age (19 in B.C.) can bring in two bottles of wine, or a 1-litre bottle of liquor. Do it, if you can. If you're flying or driving in, use Duty Free. You can expect to pay upwards of 60 per cent more for a bottle of wine in Canada at the provincial liquor store than you do in the U.S.

THANK YOU!!!!! We will pack a couple bottles of vino and pick up a bottle of vodka for Pods at the airport Duty Free- so we should be good! What about buying a bottle of wine in an Alaskan port? Is that doable, or also crazy cost wise?

I think the unnamed bartender in the photo from Skyline is Damian. He spent a little bit of time helping us fill out our passport! He also led our Mixology class.

YEA!!!!!! That is his name- he is a sweetheart! And i believe he is who the Bev Mgr for DCL told me I should hook up with when i met her on the Dream last year. She said i would love him- and she was right! Had it not been for our Passports, we would have visited him more often- and now I am sorry we did not.

And finally, my prayers and heartfelt condolences on the loss of your dear sister-in-law. She sounds like a remarkable person, and no doubt your lives are all the richer for her gentle touch on you.

Thank you so much- that was beautiful. And yes, our lives are def richer because of her-

Well, doesn't that all just look amazing?!

It was just SICK!! So amazing!!

 

[podsnel]

So I don't know if you noticed (from the card on our bed the night before), but I had forgotten when I awoke that second sea day, that the clocks were moved forward. So when I went down for breakfast by myself (again) on Monday morning, I was sad and confused by the fact that RC was already finished serving breakfast. DAMN! What about the Muesli? Well, as it turns out, Enchanted Garden was still serving their buffet breakfast- and they have muesli there, too (I was not exaggerrating when i said I loved the stuff and was looking forward to having it onboard!). I could even slice up a banana and put it on top! Yay!



Other stuff-



After that big breakfast, I went back up and found pods awake- so today I had company on my morning constitutional-





I walk much faster with a walking buddy!



Looks like I wasn't the only one who felt like doing laps this morning-







I love you most Goofy!!



GAWRSH.

After we had done a few miles, we decided to hit the gym for a bit- and then after that, stuff our faces guilt (somewhat) free at lunch in Cabanas!









It was time for a little RnR before our Mixology class at 2 pm in Skyline (drinking classes AGAIN! But, especially good for Pods, also MIXING this time!) so we went to hang by the Satellite Falls area again-



I love the loungers up there, they are so comfy-





Back soon with some more higher learning!

 

[KristiMc]

We should have met up for breakfast. My family - like yours - also slept in so I went up to Cabana's a few times and ate by myself.

I loved those little Mexican rollups - yummy.

 

[englishrose47]

All these food pix are making me hungry and I just ateThe breakfast looked yummy!!!

 

[podsnel]

Here we were in Skyline at 2 in the afternoon.....where they had heard we were coming, so had almost enough glasses ready to be poured into for the four of us...



Selam of Turkey (also formerly of the Disney Dream) would be educating us today. Mixology is an awesome class- you not only drink the drinks, you actually get to mix them, too! Selam was very organized and divided us into groups of four (one guess who was in ours ). The first group dazzled us with a mojito (I think?)....



Drink #2 was a sunken treasure-



which was very pretty but a bit too sweet for me. It was however made by a group of 4 who were friends, and we swapped cameras so that I took their mixing pics, and then they took ours- awesome! Our turn! We are making...apple tinis! (They must have have heard we cleared our table of minitinis up there in Meridian so figured at least SOME of us MIGHT know how to make a drink).

Here are the some-



And here is our boy, Pods, getting a private lesson-



That's right, one to one instruction, here on the Disney Fantasy! I believe here Selam is teaching Pods (who is a CPA) to count- one, two, three- not 121 mississippi, 122 mississippi....



And I think Pods was saying "This shot glass is WAY too small!"

Of course, some of us were on our own-





And doin' just FINE!





cherries!



TA-DA!!!!!



A+ students AGAIN!!





We then handed our creations out to the rest of the class. And told them to watch out for the drinks from the guy at the end of the bar.

Next was some kind of champagne drink? Kristi, do you remember?



All finished off with a B52 (I made this one in my mixology class on the Dream last March). It is sooooo yummy...



It's really hard to pour those layers! The key is to put the sweetest (aka also the heaviest) on the bottom and pour slowly over the back of a spoon.



It was a great time, lots of laughs, as expected. Love these guys-



We went our seperate ways, the Mcs were off to find their boys and participate in some great family activity, I am sure, and Pods and I were off again to the Adult area because we didn't bring any kids on this cruise.....wait a minute- I know I left those kids around here somewhere! Oh yea- they were having the BEST time in Vibe- and we know that because every so often we would run into them on their way to get something to eat on the pool deck and they would actually make EYE CONTACT with us and tell us so!

Anyway, while I was making some of that beautiful, but brief, eye contact with one of my progeny, I grabbed a little snack-



To go with my diet coke and lounge chair-



Hmmm...seems like a good time to do something else relaxing for an hour....any guesses?

Up next!

 

[KristiMc]

Next was some kind of champagne drink? Kristi, do you remember?

I think it was a Pomegranate Passion??



You were having fun



We went our seperate ways, the Mcs were off to find their boys and participate in some great family activity,

From looking at my pictures, I think we met up with Matt to play some BINGO. We love BINGO on the ship.

 

[podsnel]

From looking at my pictures, I think we met up with Matt to play some BINGO. We love BINGO on the ship.

It was a pomegranate passion? I think that is more red?

Anyway- I LOVE your pics!! And yes, I OBVIOUSLY was having a blast!! lol! Was with you!

Really love your photo of the boys- so adorable, both!

 

[podsnel]

We should have met up for breakfast. My family - like yours - also slept in so I went up to Cabana's a few times and ate by myself.

Yea- that's a revelation! Next time!!!

I loved those little Mexican rollups - yummy.

I think I had a bite- again, full from muesli- I have a muesli issue, I think- I start, and I can't stop. Missing out on all kinds of goodness!

All these food pix are making me hungry and I just ateThe breakfast looked yummy!!!

THESE FOOD PIX.........ARE MAKIN ME THIRSTY!!!

Sorry- obscure Seinfeld references are unfortunately still in my blood-

Yes, Rosie- loved the brekkie!

 

[podsnel]

Yea so....I can see everyone is guessing so I will just put you all outta your pain-

we went over to the Rainforest- ahhhhhhh......



so- Pods had never been in here before, and I thought he would love it (yeah- that's my excuse, I am stickin to it!) so I purchased FOUR (count them! Four! lol) rainforest passes pre-cruise, thinking that with 3 whole sea days, Pods would be DYING to go here twice.

Well, he loved it- but only one day's worth- well, that was the FIRST story- the story he gives me now, on top of the story he gave me later that week, is that "the lounges weren't that comfortable, and the women talkin' ruined everything."



It's ok- worked out JUST FINE for me!

Does he look that miserable?



I mean, look at the view!!!



I hope it has occured to SOMEBODY up there in DCL that this crazy amazing situation should somehow be incorporated on that little and lovely Wonder ship they have spinnin around in Alaska every summer- toute suite, por favor- my cruise starts in 111 days, thank you very much!

So happy in that hot tub!



Don't we look cute out there in the very special hot tub? And don't my toes look nice on this "uncomfortable lounge chair" ?



WAIT a second.....who's takin a bath with Pods if it's not me????

No idea- but it kinda was like watching myself- until she went elsewhere- and poor Pookie was alone again-



LOL- it looks so relaxing, I wish I could dive in there with him right now!

But we had to get going after some point, because there was a show called "Aladdin" that I was DYING to see-



So back across the deck-





and down just a couple to Deck 9, where we cleaned up and became presentable again.....

Up next- a fine meal with OUR SONS!!!!!!!!!

 

[franandaj]

Sounds like a great day so far. We had at least three of those same drinks in our mixology class. But a Cosmo instead of the Appletini and not the you can't remember the name of.

Those classes are so fun and I'm sure even better if you have friends to pair up with!

So what is muesli? I've always been all over the bacon and eggs, waffles and stick to your ribs foods, it sounded kind of healthy so I've akways paused it over.

I'm so trying to figure out where we can work in a Fantasy cruise. After reading yours and Karin's reports, I just have to go so we can do Remy brunch! And dinner and Palo brunch and dinner. There just isn't time on a Dream cruise.

 

[jenseib]

You would think with all those drinking classes you would have learned how to drink by now!

I thought that was you in the hot tub thing with Pods too and then I was like wait....who took the picture?

 

[podsnel]

Sounds like a great day so far. We had at least three of those same drinks in our mixology class. But a Cosmo instead of the Appletini and not the you can't remember the name of.

LOL! can't imagine why?!

Those classes are so fun and I'm sure even better if you have friends to pair up with!

Yes! Let's work on that!

So what is muesli? I've always been all over the bacon and eggs, waffles and stick to your ribs foods, it sounded kind of healthy so I've akways paused it over.

Its a little healthy- but SUPER YUMMY! It is some cereal (like granola, but not the chunky kind) and yogurt and fruit- but there are apples sliced very slimly, and that mixes in very nicely- it is ice cold- I guess (to me) a much better version of oatmeal? Maybe Karin can help here?I DESPISE oatmeal- love this- ???

I'm so trying to figure out where we can work in a Fantasy cruise. After reading yours and Karin's reports, I just have to go so we can do Remy brunch! And dinner and Palo brunch and dinner. There just isn't time on a Dream cruise.

Listen girlfriend, you have GOT to go on the Fantasy- the Dream is similar- but the Fantasy is a whole new level- REALLY. Trust me.

You would think with all those drinking classes you would have learned how to drink by now!

You WOULD ....but apparently, practice makes perfect!

I thought that was you in the hot tub thing with Pods too and then I was like wait....who took the picture?

Ummmm...yea...I KNOW!!!

 

[ProudMommyof2]

WOW! Great day! How could anyone not like that view! Glad a day of the passes didn't go to waste

 

[dizneeat]

Awesome updates, Ellen! I loved to see the photos of your mixology class. We were signed up for one last summer, but then there was this "know it all - I can do everything better than anyone else" newbie who got involved in everything and we simply backed out. I could not let her ruin my trip.
Looking forward to signing up on one next summer.

Rainforest looks awesome. We have never done that either. But I guess it might be in our future.
Do you know if they have something similar on the Magic?

Can't wait for more!

Its a little healthy- but SUPER YUMMY! It is some cereal (like granola, but not the chunky kind) and yogurt and fruit- but there are apples sliced very slimly, and that mixes in very nicely- it is ice cold- I guess (to me) a much better version of oatmeal? Maybe Karin can help here?I DESPISE oatmeal- love this- ???

Muesli - something very common here in Austria. It originally is Swiss and was developed by a Swiss physician who "preached" healthy living.

It usually is based on rolled oats to which you can add seeds and other rolled grains.



The mixture looks somewhat like this with raisins and fruit added for sweetness.

Now the Bircher Muesli they have on the ship has shredded apple in it.

You make it by soaking the dry mixture overnight in milk or yoghurt, then about half an hour before serving you add the apple or other fruit. I love raisins and have plenty in mine and since I can't have apple (gives me a belly ache) I use berries and a little honey. Yum, yum!

Hope that explained what it is - otherwise, please ask more questions.