churchlady
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2004
- Messages
- 390
Subbing! We're on the 5/23 Tortola. Can't wait!!
It's a wonderful day to go on a cruise....
- Thread starter dianachaney77
- Start date
msmith07101
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2009
- Messages
- 884
Ready to hear & see more! We're on the 5/23 to Tortola too...and it is our first cruise...so I am very excited to read more
Granny Hawkins
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2009
- Messages
- 187
Your DH's version of your reaction to seeing the ship sounds like mine!
I never thought anything could take WDW's #1 spot until we crossed the bridge and saw the ship!
Enjoying your report so far. Will check back for more.
I never thought anything could take WDW's #1 spot until we crossed the bridge and saw the ship!
Enjoying your report so far. Will check back for more.
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
It was about 10:15 am when we arrived at the cruise terminal. In just a few hours we will be boarding the Magic!!! 
We got off the bus and had to go through security to get into the cruise terminal. Just like at the airport we had to put our bags through the X-ray machine and walk through the metal detector. It was a breeze. We brought DS's stroller so while everyone else rode the escalator upstairs DH and I took DS in the stroller up the elevator. It seemed like it took forever for the elevator but I am sure it was only 20 seconds. 
Part of me really wanted to tell DH "I will see you up there" and run up the escalator but i just couldn't do that to him, after all I wasn't the ONLY person that was excited about this cruise!
As we stepped off the elevator we noticed right away that there weren't that many people there. I was so excited that we would have a chance to take some photos before it was crowded with people, I was so happy we ended up on the first bus over from the Hyatt! As we walked further into the terminal there was a woman there with a Mickey hand waving at us, I thought that was so cute, I mean I've seen pictures on here of exactly that but it was just so much cooler actually being there and being the one she was waving at!
She then approached us to make sure we had all our documents with us and then directed us over to another woman who was standing at the entrance of the check-in line. When we got to her she handed us two cards with the number 5 on them (since we had two different staterooms she had to give us one for each).
Group Number 5
We then proceeded to the line. There were maybe 6 or 7 groups of people in front of us and the line was moving right along. We ended up striking a conversation with a woman and her daughter directly in front of us, they have been on many DCL cruises. They suggested we go to Parrot Cay for lunch and advised us not to stand too close to the horns at the Sail Away party. It was now our turn to check-in!
I gave the gentleman all our cruise documents and passports. He asked if any of us had experienced flu-type symptoms over the last 72 hours and had us read a piece of paper that I believe was talking about the same thing (too excited to really pay attention). Once we confirmed we had all been healthy he asked to see all the credit cards that were listed on our cruise documents and then just like that he handed us our Key to the World cards!!!! He then pointed us over to another area where we had to have a security photo taken. There was no line for the security photo's and we were done in like a minute...off we go to take some photos in the terminal!
After some photos we decided to find a spot to sit down and relax while we waited. There were some empty tables over by the elevator so we decided to hang out there, come to find out this would be the best seat in the house!
We hadn't been sitting more than 10 minutes when Mickey showed up for photos in front of the model cruise ship....DA, DH, DS and myself decided to head over and get our picture taken. DS loves the characters but apparently only from a distance...a very far distance! DA and I each had our photo taken with Mickey but DH decided to sit this one out with DS.
Mickey and Me!!!
We headed back to our table to sit down but it wasn't long before DS was antsy so I decided to push him around his stroller. We went all the way down to the other end of there terminal by the Mickey tunnel. We were just standing there checking out all the people when all of a sudden there's Goofy!!!
OMG! Goofy is right there, he bent down to say "hi" to DS...OMG where's my camera....where is that stinking camera....by the time I fumbled around and got it out he was already walking away! 
Even though I didn't get a photo I was still super excited to go tell the group that we saw Goofy and he said hi to DS. There we several people standing around so I thought it was very special that he stopped and bent over to say hi to him!
By the time I worked my way back through the crowd of people to where everyone was sitting I barely got out two words about our Goofy encounter before my DH informed me we were sitting right next to the door where the characters exit when they are done taking photos in the terminal! Mickey was finished (hence the reason Goofy came out on the other end) and he stopped long enough for DH to get a picture of him on his iPhone.
It wasn't another few minutes before we heard an announcement....the "Family of the Day" from Boulder, Colorado was boarding the boat! This only means one thing...general boarding should be starting any time now. I had found out earlier that there was no Group No. 1 so the fact that we were No. 5 really meant we would be the 4th group called. Before you know it they call group No. 2. DM and DA decide they should use the restroom before they call our number, then DH decides to go too...now they are calling group No. 2 through Group No. 3....OMG hurry up everyone I have to go potty too but they are going to call our group next! You would think that I would have missed the boat if I didn't board right after they called our group, but I was so excited I wanted to be right there when they called our group! They got back just in time for me to run to the restroom and get out as they announced "Now boarding Groups 2 through 4." I ran over to the stroller and pushed my son so fast I am sure he thought he was on a ride at Disneyland!
We went through the Mickey tunnel, had our Key to the World card swiped, wiped our hands down with Saniwipes and waited to have our photo taken (waiting for DA to scan and send me a copy).
Welcome Aboard!!!!
Now it is time to "officially" board...I knew about the special announcement from the boards but no one else in my group knew they were going to do that, I thought it was cool for that to be a surprise to them. DH, DS and I are the first through and I decided to run through and give everyone high-five...you would think I had just won something?! We were then directed to Parrot Cay. As we were walking towards the restaurant we stopped at a station they had set up offering you beer, wine or water packages (they may have offered other packages but I can't remember). DA, DM and I knew we wanted to get a water package and split it and DH and I were ALL over the beer mug! After that was all said and done we headed to Parrot Cay for some buffet!
We were seated right away but barely let our butts touch our seats before we we headed over to get some food!
I have to say the chocolate cake they served here was the best ever!!! I was hoping one day this would be the cake of the day through room service but no such luck.
After we finished lunch decided to wander up on deck and check out the pools. DA was definitely overwhelmed with excitement, she said she felt like crying. I think this is when it really set in for her that she was finally on vacation and about to go on a cruise...a DISNEY cruise, who wouldn't be overwhelmed with emotion?!?!
I packed DS's swim trunks and swim diapers so he could go in the Mickey Splash Area while we waited for our stateroom to be ready. It wasn't long before we had heard they had dropped the ropes to go into the staterooms so we packed up and headed to Deck 7 to check it out!
More to come tomorrow...
We got off the bus and had to go through security to get into the cruise terminal. Just like at the airport we had to put our bags through the X-ray machine and walk through the metal detector. It was a breeze. We brought DS's stroller so while everyone else rode the escalator upstairs DH and I took DS in the stroller up the elevator. It seemed like it took forever for the elevator but I am sure it was only 20 seconds. Part of me really wanted to tell DH "I will see you up there" and run up the escalator but i just couldn't do that to him, after all I wasn't the ONLY person that was excited about this cruise!As we stepped off the elevator we noticed right away that there weren't that many people there. I was so excited that we would have a chance to take some photos before it was crowded with people, I was so happy we ended up on the first bus over from the Hyatt! As we walked further into the terminal there was a woman there with a Mickey hand waving at us, I thought that was so cute, I mean I've seen pictures on here of exactly that but it was just so much cooler actually being there and being the one she was waving at!
She then approached us to make sure we had all our documents with us and then directed us over to another woman who was standing at the entrance of the check-in line. When we got to her she handed us two cards with the number 5 on them (since we had two different staterooms she had to give us one for each). Group Number 5
We then proceeded to the line. There were maybe 6 or 7 groups of people in front of us and the line was moving right along. We ended up striking a conversation with a woman and her daughter directly in front of us, they have been on many DCL cruises. They suggested we go to Parrot Cay for lunch and advised us not to stand too close to the horns at the Sail Away party. It was now our turn to check-in!
I gave the gentleman all our cruise documents and passports. He asked if any of us had experienced flu-type symptoms over the last 72 hours and had us read a piece of paper that I believe was talking about the same thing (too excited to really pay attention). Once we confirmed we had all been healthy he asked to see all the credit cards that were listed on our cruise documents and then just like that he handed us our Key to the World cards!!!! He then pointed us over to another area where we had to have a security photo taken. There was no line for the security photo's and we were done in like a minute...off we go to take some photos in the terminal!
After some photos we decided to find a spot to sit down and relax while we waited. There were some empty tables over by the elevator so we decided to hang out there, come to find out this would be the best seat in the house!
We hadn't been sitting more than 10 minutes when Mickey showed up for photos in front of the model cruise ship....DA, DH, DS and myself decided to head over and get our picture taken. DS loves the characters but apparently only from a distance...a very far distance! DA and I each had our photo taken with Mickey but DH decided to sit this one out with DS.Mickey and Me!!!
We headed back to our table to sit down but it wasn't long before DS was antsy so I decided to push him around his stroller. We went all the way down to the other end of there terminal by the Mickey tunnel. We were just standing there checking out all the people when all of a sudden there's Goofy!!!
OMG! Goofy is right there, he bent down to say "hi" to DS...OMG where's my camera....where is that stinking camera....by the time I fumbled around and got it out he was already walking away! Even though I didn't get a photo I was still super excited to go tell the group that we saw Goofy and he said hi to DS. There we several people standing around so I thought it was very special that he stopped and bent over to say hi to him! By the time I worked my way back through the crowd of people to where everyone was sitting I barely got out two words about our Goofy encounter before my DH informed me we were sitting right next to the door where the characters exit when they are done taking photos in the terminal! Mickey was finished (hence the reason Goofy came out on the other end) and he stopped long enough for DH to get a picture of him on his iPhone.
It wasn't another few minutes before we heard an announcement....the "Family of the Day" from Boulder, Colorado was boarding the boat! This only means one thing...general boarding should be starting any time now. I had found out earlier that there was no Group No. 1 so the fact that we were No. 5 really meant we would be the 4th group called. Before you know it they call group No. 2. DM and DA decide they should use the restroom before they call our number, then DH decides to go too...now they are calling group No. 2 through Group No. 3....OMG hurry up everyone I have to go potty too but they are going to call our group next! You would think that I would have missed the boat if I didn't board right after they called our group, but I was so excited I wanted to be right there when they called our group! They got back just in time for me to run to the restroom and get out as they announced "Now boarding Groups 2 through 4." I ran over to the stroller and pushed my son so fast I am sure he thought he was on a ride at Disneyland!
We went through the Mickey tunnel, had our Key to the World card swiped, wiped our hands down with Saniwipes and waited to have our photo taken (waiting for DA to scan and send me a copy).
Welcome Aboard!!!!
Now it is time to "officially" board...I knew about the special announcement from the boards but no one else in my group knew they were going to do that, I thought it was cool for that to be a surprise to them. DH, DS and I are the first through and I decided to run through and give everyone high-five...you would think I had just won something?! We were then directed to Parrot Cay. As we were walking towards the restaurant we stopped at a station they had set up offering you beer, wine or water packages (they may have offered other packages but I can't remember). DA, DM and I knew we wanted to get a water package and split it and DH and I were ALL over the beer mug! After that was all said and done we headed to Parrot Cay for some buffet!
We were seated right away but barely let our butts touch our seats before we we headed over to get some food!
I have to say the chocolate cake they served here was the best ever!!! I was hoping one day this would be the cake of the day through room service but no such luck.
After we finished lunch decided to wander up on deck and check out the pools. DA was definitely overwhelmed with excitement, she said she felt like crying. I think this is when it really set in for her that she was finally on vacation and about to go on a cruise...a DISNEY cruise, who wouldn't be overwhelmed with emotion?!?!
I packed DS's swim trunks and swim diapers so he could go in the Mickey Splash Area while we waited for our stateroom to be ready. It wasn't long before we had heard they had dropped the ropes to go into the staterooms so we packed up and headed to Deck 7 to check it out!
More to come tomorrow...
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
I do have all the Navigator's but we just recently switched over to a mac and I cannot figure out how to scan and save them to this computer.
I will continue trying to get them online and worst case scenario I will just take them to work and scan them in there, I know how to work that scanner! 
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
It was a little passed 1:30 pm and we were able to go check out our stateroom. We were in Stateroom No. 7562 (Category 5) and DM and MIL were in Stateroom No. 7554. I couldn't wait to get our luggage so I could start decorating our door! I can honestly say I did not have one complaint about our stateroom and would absolutely stay here again. We were on the starboard side on deck 7 close to the Midship Elevators and not too far down from the laundry room. I really enjoyed having a verandah and will definitely get a room with a verandah next time we cruise. I spent a lot of time reading on the verandah while DS took naps and it also came in really handy for photos when pulling in/out of ports and on "Pirates of the Caribbean" night for the fireworks show.
Wine compliments of our TA
Complimentary Shampoo, Conditioner and Lotion
DA in front of our very plain stateroom door
By this time it was a little after 2 pm and we still didn't have any luggage to unpack so we decided to go get familiar with the boat a little more before we had to be back to our room to prepare for the Safety Drill. By the time we made it back to the room it was almost 4...time to put on those sexy orange vests! The safety drill was quick and easy, except for the fact DS refused to wear the life vest, luckily the Disney staff understood and didn't force him to put it on! Back to the room we go to drop off the vests and then up to deck 10 for the Sail Away party!!!!
Next time we cruise I will definitely be on deck 9 so I can get some better pictures and be in the midst of all the action!
DS trying to figure out what was going on?!?
After all the dancing, cheering and anticipation, it was finally time...the ships horn blew "When you wish upon a star" it was absolutely amazing! It actually gave me goosebumps! I hated to have to rush away from all the excitement but we had to run down and see if our luggage arrived, we have early seating and have to get ready for dinner!
Lucky for us all our luggage had arrived! I was smart enough to put all our clothes for dinner on the first evening in the same suitcase so it was super easy for all of us to get our clothes out and get ready without having to dig through 4 different suitcases!
I was so happy with the dinner rotation we had, LAPLAPL (L - Lumiere's, A - Animator's Palate, P - Parrot Cay). Animator's Palate was my least favorite restaurant, because there were no windows and it was so crammed, so I was very happy we only had dinner there 2 evenings. We arrived to Lumieres and were taken over to our table (Table 12) it was by the window and I was excited that we had a view. There were 6 people in our group but 8 chairs at our table. After we were seated we met our Head Server Leeroy from Jamaica and our Assistant Server Jonathan from the Philippines. We asked if there was anyone else going to be at our table and they informed us it was just us 6, in a way I was kind of happy because I was worried if DS was fussy at dinner it may ruin someone else's experience but thankfully that wasn't the case.
I had the following and enjoyed all of it:
Appetizer:
Smoked duck breast with Cabbage prune pie garnished with baby greens and walnuts
Main Course:
Coquilles St. Jacques with sauteed scallops and mushrooms
Dessert:
Creme Brulee
Wine compliments of our TA
Complimentary Shampoo, Conditioner and Lotion
DA in front of our very plain stateroom door
By this time it was a little after 2 pm and we still didn't have any luggage to unpack so we decided to go get familiar with the boat a little more before we had to be back to our room to prepare for the Safety Drill. By the time we made it back to the room it was almost 4...time to put on those sexy orange vests! The safety drill was quick and easy, except for the fact DS refused to wear the life vest, luckily the Disney staff understood and didn't force him to put it on! Back to the room we go to drop off the vests and then up to deck 10 for the Sail Away party!!!!
Next time we cruise I will definitely be on deck 9 so I can get some better pictures and be in the midst of all the action!
DS trying to figure out what was going on?!?
After all the dancing, cheering and anticipation, it was finally time...the ships horn blew "When you wish upon a star" it was absolutely amazing! It actually gave me goosebumps! I hated to have to rush away from all the excitement but we had to run down and see if our luggage arrived, we have early seating and have to get ready for dinner!
Lucky for us all our luggage had arrived! I was smart enough to put all our clothes for dinner on the first evening in the same suitcase so it was super easy for all of us to get our clothes out and get ready without having to dig through 4 different suitcases!
I was so happy with the dinner rotation we had, LAPLAPL (L - Lumiere's, A - Animator's Palate, P - Parrot Cay). Animator's Palate was my least favorite restaurant, because there were no windows and it was so crammed, so I was very happy we only had dinner there 2 evenings. We arrived to Lumieres and were taken over to our table (Table 12) it was by the window and I was excited that we had a view. There were 6 people in our group but 8 chairs at our table. After we were seated we met our Head Server Leeroy from Jamaica and our Assistant Server Jonathan from the Philippines. We asked if there was anyone else going to be at our table and they informed us it was just us 6, in a way I was kind of happy because I was worried if DS was fussy at dinner it may ruin someone else's experience but thankfully that wasn't the case.
I had the following and enjoyed all of it:
Appetizer:
Smoked duck breast with Cabbage prune pie garnished with baby greens and walnuts
Main Course:
Coquilles St. Jacques with sauteed scallops and mushrooms
Dessert:
Creme Brulee
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Saturday continued....
After dinner we went to the Walt Disney Theatre to see All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin. DS didn't seem to be enjoying the show and the boat was rocking quite a bit so I wasn't sure if maybe it was affecting him so DH and I decided to leave the show and go up on Deck 9 to check things out. Come to find out the rocking of the boat wasn't affecting him at all, he just wasn't interested in the show! We attempted to play a little ping pong on Deck 9 but the wind was blowing so hard DH couldn't even get the ping pong ball across the table!
Due to the rough seas we were experiencing the pools were closed and if I remember correctly they were closed Sunday and Monday evening too. Apparently we were experiencing rougher seas than normal but luckily for us no one in our group was affected by it! DA was using a scopalmine patch that her doctor prescribed, DM was taking less drowsy dramamine, and I just used some over the counter motion sickness pills from Walmart.
It was quite a busy day for us and so we finally headed back to our room to go to bed. We were excited to find our covers turned back on our bed with a towel animal and chocolate mints! Going back to the room in the evening to see what towel animal would be on our bed was really exciting for DS. Not too mention he LOVED those chocolates. One night we came back to the room and DH was busy doing something while I used the restroom and when I came out I hear DH ask DS "Did you ask mommy if you could have that chocolate?" he has his mouth full of chocolate and chocolate melted on his fingers and face! Even though he did not ask for the chocolate it was too funny too scold him!
After dinner we went to the Walt Disney Theatre to see All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin. DS didn't seem to be enjoying the show and the boat was rocking quite a bit so I wasn't sure if maybe it was affecting him so DH and I decided to leave the show and go up on Deck 9 to check things out. Come to find out the rocking of the boat wasn't affecting him at all, he just wasn't interested in the show! We attempted to play a little ping pong on Deck 9 but the wind was blowing so hard DH couldn't even get the ping pong ball across the table!
Due to the rough seas we were experiencing the pools were closed and if I remember correctly they were closed Sunday and Monday evening too. Apparently we were experiencing rougher seas than normal but luckily for us no one in our group was affected by it! DA was using a scopalmine patch that her doctor prescribed, DM was taking less drowsy dramamine, and I just used some over the counter motion sickness pills from Walmart.
It was quite a busy day for us and so we finally headed back to our room to go to bed. We were excited to find our covers turned back on our bed with a towel animal and chocolate mints! Going back to the room in the evening to see what towel animal would be on our bed was really exciting for DS. Not too mention he LOVED those chocolates. One night we came back to the room and DH was busy doing something while I used the restroom and when I came out I hear DH ask DS "Did you ask mommy if you could have that chocolate?" he has his mouth full of chocolate and chocolate melted on his fingers and face! Even though he did not ask for the chocolate it was too funny too scold him!
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Day 2 - At Sea
Evening Attire: Formal
Show: The Golden Mickeys
DS woke up sometime around 7 am so we decided to get up and get moving. DA and I both read through the Navigator to figure out what we wanted to do for the day. DA would usually mark up the things that she wanted to do and carry the Navigator with her to help her remember. There were so many things going on all the time that you definitely have to go on additional cruises to experience it all! DA would also go by Guest Services every day to pick up extra Navigators for those of us who are scrapbookers.
On this morning we decided to go to Parrot Cay for Brunch where we could sit down and order off of a menu. I had the Eggs Benedict and DS and DH had the French Toast which was all very good. I loved that the servers would come around with danishes and donuts, I can't ever pass those up!
After breakfast DH, DS and I headed to the Buena Vista Theatre to watch Bolt in 3D. Unfortunately, DS did not want to wear the 3D glasses and after about 20 minutes got really restless so we left the theatre before he started bothering anyone. As soon as we left the theatre DS asked to go to the Mickey Splash zone so up to Deck 9 we went. He played in the water for over an hour while DH watched and I sat at a near-by table reading my book. It was now close to lunch time so we ended up getting DS son some chicken strips and french fries from Pluto's Dog House for lunch and DH and I both enjoyed hot dogs. It was now time to head back to the stateroom so DS could take a nap. But first we ordered Mickey ice cream bars from room service.
DH decided to stay in the room with DS so I could go play bingo with DA. This particular game you had a chance at winning a free cruise so of course we had to play! It was $30 for 4 games but you could buy a double pack for $40 and each person would get 4 games for only $20, this was definitely the better option if you have someone else in your group who enjoys Bingo. Natalie, the cast member who ran the Bingo, was a ton of fun and made it very enjoyable, I can see how someone could get hooked and end up spending a lot of money here! Unfortunately we did not win but it was worth the entertainment.
Bingo ended around 4:45 pm and so we headed up to the room to start getting ready for dinner. Since it was formal evening we knew we needed to get downstairs so we could get our pictures taken. There were several areas set up for photos but the shortest line was outside of Lumiere's in front of the Mickey statue. (If you want to get your pictures with actual characters or the Captain I highly recommend you go down early!) We ended up taking a few separate photos and then it was time for the group photo, DS didn't show any interest in having his photo taken and clearly expressed that to me so I told him that was fine he could just sit in his stroller. As we were getting ready to take the photo DS creeps over holding his stuffed turtle and stands right in front of us just in time to get in the picture! It was the cutest thing, I think he finally realized that he was being left out by not being in the picture and decided he had to join us!
Tonight dinner was at Animator's Palate. Our table was in one of the back corners and we were so crammed in you could barely move around without disrupting the people sitting next to you or behind you. I found this to be my least favorite dining room because of that. We found out that since this was The Golden Mickeys night the restaurant would not be having the show where everything changes to color throughout the meal. We didn't even get our appetizers before DS started acting up, he just wouldn't sit still and I knew this was going to be a battle I did not want to fight in my nice dress and heels so I packed him up and headed back to the room. I changed out of my dress into something more comfortable and ordered pizza and chocolate chip cookies from room service. After the group was finished with dinner they brought me back a "Golden Mickeys" dessert which I was able to enjoy before we headed down to the show. Delicious!!!
DH decided to let me go to the show while he took DS up to Deck 9. The fact that DS knew the Mickey Splash area was only two decks up made it extremely hard to do anything on the cruise without him wanting to go up there and swim! I really enjoyed the show and was so happy DH let me go to this one! The photos aren't the greatest because we sat so far up and you cannot use a flash but at least I got a couple decent shots for the scrapbook!
When the show was over I headed back to the room to find DH and DS, they weren't there but our towel animal was!
I then headed to Deck 9 where I knew I would find DH and DS. We hung out up there watching basketball on the big screen and drinking beer. DS attempted to play ping pong but once again the wind was blowing so hard it made it impossible.
Back to the room for some much needed rest!!!
Evening Attire: Formal
Show: The Golden Mickeys
DS woke up sometime around 7 am so we decided to get up and get moving. DA and I both read through the Navigator to figure out what we wanted to do for the day. DA would usually mark up the things that she wanted to do and carry the Navigator with her to help her remember. There were so many things going on all the time that you definitely have to go on additional cruises to experience it all! DA would also go by Guest Services every day to pick up extra Navigators for those of us who are scrapbookers.
On this morning we decided to go to Parrot Cay for Brunch where we could sit down and order off of a menu. I had the Eggs Benedict and DS and DH had the French Toast which was all very good. I loved that the servers would come around with danishes and donuts, I can't ever pass those up!
After breakfast DH, DS and I headed to the Buena Vista Theatre to watch Bolt in 3D. Unfortunately, DS did not want to wear the 3D glasses and after about 20 minutes got really restless so we left the theatre before he started bothering anyone. As soon as we left the theatre DS asked to go to the Mickey Splash zone so up to Deck 9 we went. He played in the water for over an hour while DH watched and I sat at a near-by table reading my book. It was now close to lunch time so we ended up getting DS son some chicken strips and french fries from Pluto's Dog House for lunch and DH and I both enjoyed hot dogs. It was now time to head back to the stateroom so DS could take a nap. But first we ordered Mickey ice cream bars from room service.
DH decided to stay in the room with DS so I could go play bingo with DA. This particular game you had a chance at winning a free cruise so of course we had to play! It was $30 for 4 games but you could buy a double pack for $40 and each person would get 4 games for only $20, this was definitely the better option if you have someone else in your group who enjoys Bingo. Natalie, the cast member who ran the Bingo, was a ton of fun and made it very enjoyable, I can see how someone could get hooked and end up spending a lot of money here! Unfortunately we did not win but it was worth the entertainment.
Bingo ended around 4:45 pm and so we headed up to the room to start getting ready for dinner. Since it was formal evening we knew we needed to get downstairs so we could get our pictures taken. There were several areas set up for photos but the shortest line was outside of Lumiere's in front of the Mickey statue. (If you want to get your pictures with actual characters or the Captain I highly recommend you go down early!) We ended up taking a few separate photos and then it was time for the group photo, DS didn't show any interest in having his photo taken and clearly expressed that to me so I told him that was fine he could just sit in his stroller. As we were getting ready to take the photo DS creeps over holding his stuffed turtle and stands right in front of us just in time to get in the picture! It was the cutest thing, I think he finally realized that he was being left out by not being in the picture and decided he had to join us!
Tonight dinner was at Animator's Palate. Our table was in one of the back corners and we were so crammed in you could barely move around without disrupting the people sitting next to you or behind you. I found this to be my least favorite dining room because of that. We found out that since this was The Golden Mickeys night the restaurant would not be having the show where everything changes to color throughout the meal. We didn't even get our appetizers before DS started acting up, he just wouldn't sit still and I knew this was going to be a battle I did not want to fight in my nice dress and heels so I packed him up and headed back to the room. I changed out of my dress into something more comfortable and ordered pizza and chocolate chip cookies from room service. After the group was finished with dinner they brought me back a "Golden Mickeys" dessert which I was able to enjoy before we headed down to the show. Delicious!!!
DH decided to let me go to the show while he took DS up to Deck 9. The fact that DS knew the Mickey Splash area was only two decks up made it extremely hard to do anything on the cruise without him wanting to go up there and swim! I really enjoyed the show and was so happy DH let me go to this one! The photos aren't the greatest because we sat so far up and you cannot use a flash but at least I got a couple decent shots for the scrapbook!
When the show was over I headed back to the room to find DH and DS, they weren't there but our towel animal was!
I then headed to Deck 9 where I knew I would find DH and DS. We hung out up there watching basketball on the big screen and drinking beer. DS attempted to play ping pong but once again the wind was blowing so hard it made it impossible.
Back to the room for some much needed rest!!!
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Day 3 - At Sea
Evening Attire: Cruise Casual
Show: Twice Charmed An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story
Once again we were up early, this was typical for the entire cruise, who needs an alarm clock when you have a two and a half year old! But today was special, it was our character breakfast in Parrot Cay. This was noted on our dining tickets that were in our stateroom on the first day we arrived but our servers had also reminded us the night before. They also told us NOT to be late, the characters have a specific order in which they go by each table to take photos and if you are not there they will not come back to your table! We didn't want to miss any photos so we arrived a few minutes prior to our 8:15 seating. It wasn't long before the characters arrived and starting taking pictures. Our napkin "hats" were made for us by our servers, what a great surprise and DS actually kept his on through the entire meal!!!
I have no idea where I was when Minnie showed up but luckily my DA was able to capture this great photo!!! Thanks T.
It was really cool to be able to take pictures with all the characters and what a wonderful way to start off your day! I recommend that you do not miss out on this one!
Once we finished with breakfast DH, DS and I ran up to Deck 9 where they played a little foosball. DS actually made a couple goals, he absolutley loved playing this and found it to be much easier than ping pong!
DA, DM, MIL and I decided to attend DIsney's Art of Entertaining in Studio Sea, today it was Dazzling Desserts. We learned how to make the Montelimar Nougat and Pistachio Dome. We were brought a sample of the dessert along with a sparking wine to compliment it. It was very good and I remember thinking I wanted to order it for dessert (at whichever restaurant served it) because I wanted the whole thing but I completely spaced it out and obviously didn't notice it on whichever dessert menu it was on!
DS was down for a nap so DM stayed in the room with him so DH and I could go enjoy a quiet lunch together. We went to Parrot Cay where they were serving an Italian Buffet. I love how the Navigators list what type of buffet is being served, this definitely helps when trying to figure out what exactly you want to eat!
When we were finished with lunch we headed back to the stateroom to wake up DS. Once again he wanted to go swim so we took him up to Deck 9. Earlier in the day DH and I had gone to Guest Services to sign up for the beer tasting in Diversions at 2:30. DM had offered to watch DS so we headed down to Diversions. This was actually our first time down to Deck 3 Forward, it was so cool down there, next cruise we plan on spending a lot more time here!!!
DH actually matches the decor!
Anyway, DH and I grabbed a table and two other guys who had came down by themselves ended up joining us as well. We had been down there maybe 15 minutes before DM and DS showed up. My poor mother said Caleb hadn't stopped crying since we left and she felt so bad she couldn't let him cry any longer (I can't blame her!). Since we were in the bar for an "Adult Only" activity I knew I would have to leave with DS. I found out later that the cast member that was doing the beer tasting told my DH that I could come back on Thursday when he was doing it again but I completely forgot about it by then! (Oh well, maybe next time)
So where exactly do you think DS wanted to go.....you guessed it, Deck 9!
Evening Attire: Cruise Casual
Show: Twice Charmed An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story
Once again we were up early, this was typical for the entire cruise, who needs an alarm clock when you have a two and a half year old! But today was special, it was our character breakfast in Parrot Cay. This was noted on our dining tickets that were in our stateroom on the first day we arrived but our servers had also reminded us the night before. They also told us NOT to be late, the characters have a specific order in which they go by each table to take photos and if you are not there they will not come back to your table! We didn't want to miss any photos so we arrived a few minutes prior to our 8:15 seating. It wasn't long before the characters arrived and starting taking pictures. Our napkin "hats" were made for us by our servers, what a great surprise and DS actually kept his on through the entire meal!!!
I have no idea where I was when Minnie showed up but luckily my DA was able to capture this great photo!!! Thanks T.
It was really cool to be able to take pictures with all the characters and what a wonderful way to start off your day! I recommend that you do not miss out on this one!
Once we finished with breakfast DH, DS and I ran up to Deck 9 where they played a little foosball. DS actually made a couple goals, he absolutley loved playing this and found it to be much easier than ping pong!
DA, DM, MIL and I decided to attend DIsney's Art of Entertaining in Studio Sea, today it was Dazzling Desserts. We learned how to make the Montelimar Nougat and Pistachio Dome. We were brought a sample of the dessert along with a sparking wine to compliment it. It was very good and I remember thinking I wanted to order it for dessert (at whichever restaurant served it) because I wanted the whole thing but I completely spaced it out and obviously didn't notice it on whichever dessert menu it was on!
DS was down for a nap so DM stayed in the room with him so DH and I could go enjoy a quiet lunch together. We went to Parrot Cay where they were serving an Italian Buffet. I love how the Navigators list what type of buffet is being served, this definitely helps when trying to figure out what exactly you want to eat!
When we were finished with lunch we headed back to the stateroom to wake up DS. Once again he wanted to go swim so we took him up to Deck 9. Earlier in the day DH and I had gone to Guest Services to sign up for the beer tasting in Diversions at 2:30. DM had offered to watch DS so we headed down to Diversions. This was actually our first time down to Deck 3 Forward, it was so cool down there, next cruise we plan on spending a lot more time here!!!
DH actually matches the decor!
Anyway, DH and I grabbed a table and two other guys who had came down by themselves ended up joining us as well. We had been down there maybe 15 minutes before DM and DS showed up. My poor mother said Caleb hadn't stopped crying since we left and she felt so bad she couldn't let him cry any longer (I can't blame her!). Since we were in the bar for an "Adult Only" activity I knew I would have to leave with DS. I found out later that the cast member that was doing the beer tasting told my DH that I could come back on Thursday when he was doing it again but I completely forgot about it by then! (Oh well, maybe next time)
So where exactly do you think DS wanted to go.....you guessed it, Deck 9!
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Day 3 - At Sea (continued)
Dinner tonight was at Parrot Cay, the funny thing is we realized we had eaten here every meal this day, but we didn't care because we really enjoyed this dining room!
I enjoyed the following for dinner:
Appetizer - Baked Crab Martinique
Main Course - Island Roasted Rib-Eye of Beef
Dessert - Creme Brulee Cheesecake
The cheesecake could have had a little more flavor but everything else was delicious! We noticed that every time we tried the cheesecake it lacked flavor, but that was the only food item that we could really complain about.
And of course DS enjoyed yet another Mickey ice cream bar...
Before the show we went by the room, Garry had already turned down the bed and made the towel animal so of course we had to take photos!
This time DA got in the photo...I am sure she thought it was strange that I felt compelled to take a picture with our towel animal every night!
Anyway, now it was time to head to the Theatre for the show. Tonight was Twice Charmed and it was excellent!!! I have to thank my DH once again for watching DS so I could enjoy the show. I know he would have enjoyed it too if he could have stayed and watched it, but he knew I really wanted to see it so he made the sacrifice!
It never ceased to amaze me at how fast the days went by. I can't even imagine doing a 3 or 4-day cruise, 7 days almost didn't seem like enough! We knew we would be pulling into Tortola early in the morning and so we decided to call it a night.
Dinner tonight was at Parrot Cay, the funny thing is we realized we had eaten here every meal this day, but we didn't care because we really enjoyed this dining room!
I enjoyed the following for dinner:
Appetizer - Baked Crab Martinique
Main Course - Island Roasted Rib-Eye of Beef
Dessert - Creme Brulee Cheesecake
The cheesecake could have had a little more flavor but everything else was delicious! We noticed that every time we tried the cheesecake it lacked flavor, but that was the only food item that we could really complain about.
And of course DS enjoyed yet another Mickey ice cream bar...
Before the show we went by the room, Garry had already turned down the bed and made the towel animal so of course we had to take photos!
This time DA got in the photo...I am sure she thought it was strange that I felt compelled to take a picture with our towel animal every night!
Anyway, now it was time to head to the Theatre for the show. Tonight was Twice Charmed and it was excellent!!! I have to thank my DH once again for watching DS so I could enjoy the show. I know he would have enjoyed it too if he could have stayed and watched it, but he knew I really wanted to see it so he made the sacrifice!
It never ceased to amaze me at how fast the days went by. I can't even imagine doing a 3 or 4-day cruise, 7 days almost didn't seem like enough! We knew we would be pulling into Tortola early in the morning and so we decided to call it a night.
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Day 4 - Tortola
Land at last!!!
Pirates IN the Caribean Party!
Evening Attire: Pirate of Cruise Casual
Movie: Disneynature: Earth
We woke up early and stepped out on the verandah to see the following:
It was so nice to finally see land. It wouldn't be long before we would be docked and able to debark so we all showered and got ready, packed our beach bags and headed up to Deck 9 for some photos. It was cloudy and sprinkling off and on but it was very warm outside. I was lucky enough to get a photo of a rainbow, it was so amazing! I also had to take a picture of the Mickey pool, one of the few times it would be empty the entire cruise.
Another photo of us pulling in.
We ran over Parrot Cay (yes, again) to grab a bite to eat before we got off the ship. We ended up taking our time at breakfast and didn't get off of the ship until 9 am, this was actually a good thing, by the time we got down to the gangway there wasn't anyone trying to get off so we didn't have to wait at all. We had no clue what this port would have in store for us but we knew relaxing on a beach was in our near future!
Off we go, but to where we don't know!
We ran into Christian, our cruise director, and asked him if he could recommend a good beach. Since this was the first time Disney pulled into this port he couldn't really help us out but he walked us over to an area where there were people that could help us out. The person we talked to suggested we go to Smuggler's Cove, he said it was a beautiful beach and not too crowded, this sounded great! Once we were done there we had to walk through a parking lot full of buses, vans, taxis, etc. waiting to take you on excursions, tours of the island or wherever you might want to go. At this point we wanted to walk around for a minute and see if we saw any souvenirs we had to have. As we are walking down the street we were approached several times to see if we wanted to pay for a tour of the island. We politely said no and continued walking. For some reason this one gentleman was kind of following us so my DM told him we would come back and find him when we were ready to go to the beach. He stopped and pointed out his open air taxi bus (I don't know what else to call it?) and said when we were done just come back and find him.
Here is a picture of one of the taxi buses we saw, this one was MUCH nicer than the one we ended up riding on.
None of us had beach towels and didn't know whether or not they would have them at the beach so we ran in to one of the stores nearby to see if they had any for sale. Yes, they had beach towels, but they were grossly over-priced and cheaply made so we decided to pass on those and just figure it out later. DA and I each bought a Christmas tree ornament and a tank-top, I also picked up a Smugglers Cove postcard (for the scrapbook of course) and DM bought a really cute button up shirt.
Group photo (we took a picture of a family and they took a picture of us so we could all have a photo with the entire group)
After our picture we stopped by one more store and grabbed a couple of bottles of water, threw them in our beach bags and headed back to find that open air taxi bus so we could get a ride to the beach! Luckily for us the gentleman was still there waiting by his vehicle. We told him we wanted to go to Smugglers Cove, he told us this would be $10/person and it was a very windy, narrow road and on the other side of the island. At this point I was concerned, so we asked him if there was somewhere else he suggested we go. He told us he could take us to Cane Garden Bay for only $6/person and it was much closer. We were pretty much sold, so much for the Smugglers Cove postcard (oh well).
It would be just the 6 of us on the bus. Off to Cane Garden Bay we go, but not before MIL would make the comment "I hate the beach!" Seriously, who hates the beach...and if you hate the beach why on earth are you here?!?! This was very frustrating to hear but I wasn't about to let it ruin my day at the beach!
In Tortola they drive on the opposite side of the road, however the drivers side of the vehicle is on the same side as in the States so it was kind of awkward. It didn't take but a few minutes to realize this ride was going to be an Adventure, it reminded all of us of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, the only difference is on Indiana Jones they have seat belts!!!! In order for me not to have a complete panic attack I had to keep telling myself that this guy does this every day, he lives here and is completely used to driving these roads...I just kept saying it over and over again!
Our driver was nice enough to stop at a couple different spots on the drive up so we could get some great photos. These were taken at the top of the island right before we started our decent down the long windy road to the beach.
The ride itself was probably 10 minutes but it felt like a lifetime. We were finally here!!! We all got off the bus and then asked our driver if he could come back at a certain time and pick us up. He said absolutely, it was now 10 am and we all agreed for him to come back at 1 pm so we would have plenty of time to get back to the ship, nap (for DS) and shower before our early dinner seating. Our driver let us know his name was Shamba and that he would see us again at 1 pm.
As we walked onto the beach we were approached by a woman asking if we wanted lounge chairs for $5/person. Of course we accepted and she walked us down to a group of lounge chairs with a couple umbrellas. We also asked her about beach towels, those were also available too, I think we paid extra for the beach towels but I can't remember. This beach ended up being beautiful and so we were very happy that Shamba brought us here. We barely set our stuff down before DS was ready to get in the water. The water was chilly at first but once you got past that first initial dunk it wasn't too bad in my opinion.
As lunch time approached we decided to take a break from the water and enjoy a drink and grab a bite to eat. There was a restaurant right there so we walked up and ordered drinks, hot dogs and french fries. The food was ready in 15 minutes and was hot and fresh. I don't know what it is but something about being on the beach makes everything taste better! DM, DA, MIL and I all enjoyed pina coladas (YUMMY!) and DH had a Rum Punch. When were were finished it was almost 1 pm so we got cleaned up and headed over to where we were supposed to meet Shamba, sure enough he was right there waiting for us. It was another scary ride back to the ship but once again we made it there safely!
Land at last!!!
Pirates IN the Caribean Party!
Evening Attire: Pirate of Cruise Casual
Movie: Disneynature: Earth
We woke up early and stepped out on the verandah to see the following:
It was so nice to finally see land. It wouldn't be long before we would be docked and able to debark so we all showered and got ready, packed our beach bags and headed up to Deck 9 for some photos. It was cloudy and sprinkling off and on but it was very warm outside. I was lucky enough to get a photo of a rainbow, it was so amazing! I also had to take a picture of the Mickey pool, one of the few times it would be empty the entire cruise.
Another photo of us pulling in.
We ran over Parrot Cay (yes, again) to grab a bite to eat before we got off the ship. We ended up taking our time at breakfast and didn't get off of the ship until 9 am, this was actually a good thing, by the time we got down to the gangway there wasn't anyone trying to get off so we didn't have to wait at all. We had no clue what this port would have in store for us but we knew relaxing on a beach was in our near future!
Off we go, but to where we don't know!
We ran into Christian, our cruise director, and asked him if he could recommend a good beach. Since this was the first time Disney pulled into this port he couldn't really help us out but he walked us over to an area where there were people that could help us out. The person we talked to suggested we go to Smuggler's Cove, he said it was a beautiful beach and not too crowded, this sounded great! Once we were done there we had to walk through a parking lot full of buses, vans, taxis, etc. waiting to take you on excursions, tours of the island or wherever you might want to go. At this point we wanted to walk around for a minute and see if we saw any souvenirs we had to have. As we are walking down the street we were approached several times to see if we wanted to pay for a tour of the island. We politely said no and continued walking. For some reason this one gentleman was kind of following us so my DM told him we would come back and find him when we were ready to go to the beach. He stopped and pointed out his open air taxi bus (I don't know what else to call it?) and said when we were done just come back and find him.
Here is a picture of one of the taxi buses we saw, this one was MUCH nicer than the one we ended up riding on.
None of us had beach towels and didn't know whether or not they would have them at the beach so we ran in to one of the stores nearby to see if they had any for sale. Yes, they had beach towels, but they were grossly over-priced and cheaply made so we decided to pass on those and just figure it out later. DA and I each bought a Christmas tree ornament and a tank-top, I also picked up a Smugglers Cove postcard (for the scrapbook of course) and DM bought a really cute button up shirt.
Group photo (we took a picture of a family and they took a picture of us so we could all have a photo with the entire group)
After our picture we stopped by one more store and grabbed a couple of bottles of water, threw them in our beach bags and headed back to find that open air taxi bus so we could get a ride to the beach! Luckily for us the gentleman was still there waiting by his vehicle. We told him we wanted to go to Smugglers Cove, he told us this would be $10/person and it was a very windy, narrow road and on the other side of the island. At this point I was concerned, so we asked him if there was somewhere else he suggested we go. He told us he could take us to Cane Garden Bay for only $6/person and it was much closer. We were pretty much sold, so much for the Smugglers Cove postcard (oh well).
It would be just the 6 of us on the bus. Off to Cane Garden Bay we go, but not before MIL would make the comment "I hate the beach!" Seriously, who hates the beach...and if you hate the beach why on earth are you here?!?! This was very frustrating to hear but I wasn't about to let it ruin my day at the beach!
In Tortola they drive on the opposite side of the road, however the drivers side of the vehicle is on the same side as in the States so it was kind of awkward. It didn't take but a few minutes to realize this ride was going to be an Adventure, it reminded all of us of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, the only difference is on Indiana Jones they have seat belts!!!! In order for me not to have a complete panic attack I had to keep telling myself that this guy does this every day, he lives here and is completely used to driving these roads...I just kept saying it over and over again!
Our driver was nice enough to stop at a couple different spots on the drive up so we could get some great photos. These were taken at the top of the island right before we started our decent down the long windy road to the beach.
The ride itself was probably 10 minutes but it felt like a lifetime. We were finally here!!! We all got off the bus and then asked our driver if he could come back at a certain time and pick us up. He said absolutely, it was now 10 am and we all agreed for him to come back at 1 pm so we would have plenty of time to get back to the ship, nap (for DS) and shower before our early dinner seating. Our driver let us know his name was Shamba and that he would see us again at 1 pm.
As we walked onto the beach we were approached by a woman asking if we wanted lounge chairs for $5/person. Of course we accepted and she walked us down to a group of lounge chairs with a couple umbrellas. We also asked her about beach towels, those were also available too, I think we paid extra for the beach towels but I can't remember. This beach ended up being beautiful and so we were very happy that Shamba brought us here. We barely set our stuff down before DS was ready to get in the water. The water was chilly at first but once you got past that first initial dunk it wasn't too bad in my opinion.
As lunch time approached we decided to take a break from the water and enjoy a drink and grab a bite to eat. There was a restaurant right there so we walked up and ordered drinks, hot dogs and french fries. The food was ready in 15 minutes and was hot and fresh. I don't know what it is but something about being on the beach makes everything taste better! DM, DA, MIL and I all enjoyed pina coladas (YUMMY!) and DH had a Rum Punch. When were were finished it was almost 1 pm so we got cleaned up and headed over to where we were supposed to meet Shamba, sure enough he was right there waiting for us. It was another scary ride back to the ship but once again we made it there safely!
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Loving your trip report!
Jennifer
Thank you for your comments, I am glad you are enjoying it. More to come this afternoon...
Thank you for your comments, I am glad you are enjoying it. More to come this afternoon...
waiting (the afternoon in Pennsylvania is officially over)....time for more pictures and report
RoyalVizier
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2006
- Messages
- 939
Thanks so much for the great recap of Tortola! We're going on the June 20th Eastern with a stop to Tortola and that will be a new port for us so we're excited!
Great report... looking forward to more!
Great report... looking forward to more!
dianachaney77
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2008
- Messages
- 145
Day 4 - Tortola (Continued)...I apologize for the delay!!!!!!!
Once we were back on the ship we all showered and relaxed until it was time for dinner. Tonight was the Pirates IN the Caribbean dinner so we were all very excited to see what was in store for us. When we arrived at our table we were excited to see our rolled up Pirates menus and bandanas. I attempted to put on one of the bandanas but it was just too small, I wasn't too concerned though, I figured it was a great little souvenir to throw in the scrapbook.
I started off with Black Beard's Jumbo Crab Cakes, there was only one crab cake but it was good and I really didn't need any more than that.
DH had the Pearls of Caribbean - Crabmeat, Shrimp and Salmon mixed in pearls of Couscous
I also tried the Chilled-to-the-Bone Honeydew Melon and Mango Soup, it was really yummy!
For the main course I had The Black Pearl's Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin
DH had Castaway Cay's Chicken Breast Breast Rubbed with Pirate Island Spice
Before dessert was served the servers gave us a little show, they turned up the music and danced around the dining room. After they made their first loop around the dining room they started running to all the tables and getting the kids and whoever else they could to come dance with them. DS, DM and myself got up and danced around the dining room with them, it was a lot of fun!
For dessert I had Walk the Triple Layered Chocolate Gangplank Cake
DA had the Calypso Ice Cream Sundae - this contained Rum and Raisin Ice Cream, Caribbean Cake and a Rum Caramel Sauce
MIL had the Floating Island of Tropical Fruit Treasures - this was a meringue chest filled with tropical fruit & berries surrounded by a vanilla sauce
Here are some more pics of us with our servers
Once we were finished with dinner we headed to the theatre to watch Disneynature Earth. DS decided he was done watching the movie about 20 minutes after it started so DM and I took him to the room to go to bed. I was surprised to find our towel animal which was actually made out of one of the blankets tonight! Very cool.
After the movie the rest of the group stopped by the room to pick me up and we had just enough time to head up to Deck 9 for the Pirates Party! DM decided to stay in the room with DS since he was already asleep and the rest of us headed up. We had a ton of fun dancing with everyone but next time I will be sure I am up there in plenty of time so I can be closer to the stage and get better pictures!
The dancing went on for what seemed like a lifetime, at this point I think I was just really tired and it had been a long day so I was ready for the fireworks and then bed. At one point we decided to go up to Deck 10 because we thought the fireworks were about to start and figured we would get better photos up there. After about 15 minutes on Deck 10 the smell of smoke started getting to me. I assume it was from the fireworks they were getting ready to light off but I'm not for sure, all I know is the combination of being really tired and the smell of smoke was making me feel sick so I decided to head back to the stateroom. I had remembered someone telling me earlier in the cruise that the fireworks are launched off the starboard side of the ship, which is the side our stateroom was on, so I figured I would go sit on our verandah and wait and see if I could see them. It turns out that I had a great view from our verandah...
After the fireworks I was off to bed. In the morning we will be pulling in to St. Thomas which means we will be waking up early once again!!!
Once we were back on the ship we all showered and relaxed until it was time for dinner. Tonight was the Pirates IN the Caribbean dinner so we were all very excited to see what was in store for us. When we arrived at our table we were excited to see our rolled up Pirates menus and bandanas. I attempted to put on one of the bandanas but it was just too small, I wasn't too concerned though, I figured it was a great little souvenir to throw in the scrapbook.
I started off with Black Beard's Jumbo Crab Cakes, there was only one crab cake but it was good and I really didn't need any more than that.
DH had the Pearls of Caribbean - Crabmeat, Shrimp and Salmon mixed in pearls of Couscous
I also tried the Chilled-to-the-Bone Honeydew Melon and Mango Soup, it was really yummy!
For the main course I had The Black Pearl's Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin
DH had Castaway Cay's Chicken Breast Breast Rubbed with Pirate Island Spice
Before dessert was served the servers gave us a little show, they turned up the music and danced around the dining room. After they made their first loop around the dining room they started running to all the tables and getting the kids and whoever else they could to come dance with them. DS, DM and myself got up and danced around the dining room with them, it was a lot of fun!
For dessert I had Walk the Triple Layered Chocolate Gangplank Cake
DA had the Calypso Ice Cream Sundae - this contained Rum and Raisin Ice Cream, Caribbean Cake and a Rum Caramel Sauce
MIL had the Floating Island of Tropical Fruit Treasures - this was a meringue chest filled with tropical fruit & berries surrounded by a vanilla sauce
Here are some more pics of us with our servers
Once we were finished with dinner we headed to the theatre to watch Disneynature Earth. DS decided he was done watching the movie about 20 minutes after it started so DM and I took him to the room to go to bed. I was surprised to find our towel animal which was actually made out of one of the blankets tonight! Very cool.
After the movie the rest of the group stopped by the room to pick me up and we had just enough time to head up to Deck 9 for the Pirates Party! DM decided to stay in the room with DS since he was already asleep and the rest of us headed up. We had a ton of fun dancing with everyone but next time I will be sure I am up there in plenty of time so I can be closer to the stage and get better pictures!
The dancing went on for what seemed like a lifetime, at this point I think I was just really tired and it had been a long day so I was ready for the fireworks and then bed. At one point we decided to go up to Deck 10 because we thought the fireworks were about to start and figured we would get better photos up there. After about 15 minutes on Deck 10 the smell of smoke started getting to me. I assume it was from the fireworks they were getting ready to light off but I'm not for sure, all I know is the combination of being really tired and the smell of smoke was making me feel sick so I decided to head back to the stateroom. I had remembered someone telling me earlier in the cruise that the fireworks are launched off the starboard side of the ship, which is the side our stateroom was on, so I figured I would go sit on our verandah and wait and see if I could see them. It turns out that I had a great view from our verandah...
After the fireworks I was off to bed. In the morning we will be pulling in to St. Thomas which means we will be waking up early once again!!!
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New Floats Inspired by Pixar's 'Elio' in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom
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New 2025 Disney Celebration Pins Selling Out Fast!
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We Need a REAL Pizza Planet at Disney's Hollywood Studios
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Disney Cruise Line Unveils Details for Retail Spaces Coming to the Disney Adventure Ship
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Fan-Favorite Coconut-Cream Cake Returns to Gideon's Bakehouse at Disney World
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Celebrate PRIDE with 'Food is Love' Homecomin' Drink Bottles & Moonshine
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Disney Jr. Let's Play! Returns to Disneyland Resort in 2025
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