May 23, 2009 (5/23/09) E. Caribbean w/Tortola

[ehagerty]

Yeah more pictures, was this a dcl excursion?

I usually take "sponsored" tours the first time, until I get my bearings and courage.

 

[msmith07101]

 

[ehagerty]

I was motivated to try this experience by podsnel trip report (will include link when I find the specific, spa post). I am not a regular at any spa and rarely get a massage, even though I like them.

You start with the reservation and checking in - this report will start with walking down the hall from the check in desk to the spa room:

... a quick turn to the right, Kelly leads me down the hall to HER spa room

... entering into your room for the next 100 minutes. I am standing here in the middle of the interior room, with some sort of hydrobed on my right (don't know how it was used, just reporting) and the massage table on the left. Looking stright ahead, the exterior veranda includes the hot tub (right), chair, and day bed (left - more on that later).

Next, Kelly sits down and discusses - briefly - allergies, preferences, etc.

Here is your robing, decoratively hung up and waiting for you, flowers (silk) on your pillow

A dish of Elemis products, unobstrusive advertising (no sales push at all)

A view of the daybed

...with the tea cart ready, your towels below (my own sandals)

After checking for your scent preferences, Kelly adds something to the hot tub.....

... then provided you with a choice of lemon water or cucumber water. Obviously, I choose lemon here. Later, I past the larger containers of water and tried the cucumber water - very refreshing - would get that next time, only because I get lemon water at every restaurant I go to. I'm sure you could ask for a sample of both, and then choose, if you are not sure!

Finally, IN the tub - here is your view:

You can see where a second person could fit in the tub at the same time - "black rectangle" would be his / her backrest.



Scooting over to the "other" position - this would be that view:

What a nice little towel-rug laid down for you to walk on!

After your massage, you can either return to the hot tub, choose to sit on the daybed, or mix it up any way you want for the remaining time. I chose the daybed, because, unlike Kramer, I don't like eating in the tub.

The tea is from tealeaves.com - the supplier for the Gardenview Tea (Grand Floridian) and Palo's. You also get a dish of fresh fruit and two chocolate covered strawberries.

Othe random thoughts:
1. The quality of the massage - very good. My husband is a certified licensed massage therapist. He doesn' t practice, but I've been exposed to more than you might think, given my opening paragraph - that I am not a spa person. I'd like to be, I just haven't brought myself to spend the money on it.
2. You get $30 off a future massage on the same cruise, with the same person, should you decide to return. I scoffed - what could possibly be more self-indulgent than the Spa Villa Experience? Turns out, Spa +1. Later the next day, I booked.
3. We had an inside cabin - I am sure that made the veranda experience more special than if we had one attached to our room.
4. My classic "test" for myself:
4a. Would I repeat the experience? I would LIKE to, but I think I would go for 2 massages, before one Spa Villa experience.
4b. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.

 

[ehagerty]

Yeah more pictures

I may have enough pictures to keep me busy posting right up through the member cruise....

 

[WiscBill]

[/Quote]We didn't take pictures snorkeling - thought DS21 was going to take the D10 scuba diving.



.[/QUOTE]

Some snorkeling photos from our camera, along with a picture of Tracy and Bill

 

[winotracy]

Thanks Bill! We don't have very many pictures of the two of us. We loved that snorkeling trip. I've got to go through my photos and post some.

 

[ehagerty]

Joanne L and her sister

Melody & John (I still have your FE gift - if you PM your address, I'll send it)

Dis Gathering

Family next to us for sailaway party (not sure they are Dissers - but just in case)

Enjoying sailaway (DS21 and DS19 were last on the 2000 Magic sailing - they were VERY happy to be here)

DS19

Good Wishes from people on shore

DS21, DS19

.

 

[ehagerty]

Let me summarize our Castaway Cay day:

10:40 am, on the way TO the beach:

12:40 pm, on the way TO the ship

In those two short hours, DS19 parasailed, the rest of us snorkeled....

DH in the foreground

Already posted elsewhere, but CGI couldn't have done better a better job at creating threatening clouds.....

Fortunately, this was not my first - or last - opportunity to experience CC and get pictures.

 

[JOANNEL]

Ellen,

Those are great pictures, can you send me the one of me & Pat please? I would love the two wit the clouds from CC also if you don't mind sharing.

Thanks so much.

 

[WiscBill]

I wish we would have gone back to ship when you did. We stuck it out till around 3:30 before giving up. Maureen missed seeing UP! as a result; Kay and I had done the morning sho. Also, I think lunch would have been better and drier on board.

That night, Mo and I went to the Cove Cafe for a fancy coffee. All of the senior officers were there, as Captain Tom was leaving the ship the next day. We ran into Bret and asked him if the reason he kept reminding us to wear sunscreen was to make the rain slide off our bodies easier.

 

[ehagerty]

Can you send me the one of me & Pat please? I would love the two with the clouds from CC also if you don't mind sharing.
Thanks so much.

Happy to share - just not sure of easiest / quickest way to do so. Some options:
1. I think you can download (save image as) from the disboards (probably limited to posted size)
2. You could PM me with your private email - presumes you have enough room in your mailbox of 2 mega-pixal pictures (I do, with gmail, but not all hosts are so generous)
3. I could copy them into a special folder on my picture host site (zenfolio) and email you the link.

Open to any other ideas.

I wish we would have gone back to ship when you did. We stuck it out till around 3:30 before giving up. Maureen missed seeing UP! as a result; Kay and I had done the morning sho. Also, I think lunch would have been better and drier on board.

That night, Mo and I went to the Cove Cafe for a fancy coffee. All of the senior officers were there, as Captain Tom was leaving the ship the next day. We ran into Bret and asked him if the reason he kept reminding us to wear sunscreen was to make the rain slide off our bodies easier.

DSs and I saw UP the night before (Prem-ear). DH and I saw it again after lunch. Worked out well.

Fancy coffee - I LOVE fancy coffee. I'll have to remember that for a "last night" event on a future cruise.

 

[ehagerty]

Of course, for the safety of the performers, no flash. This means that I have to push up the ISO (to 1600 - looking forward to newer cameras in a couple of years with even higher ISOs). A the light is low. And the performers, moving. In all, I don't get very many decent shots. But I will share what I have, because we will recall the performances!

Night #1 - stage show (will look up names in Navigators, later)

Heath Hyche - a particularly washed out picture, which I am posting anyway, because his dad sat next to us and did not get a picture.

I REALLY enjoyed this entertainer. He had a broad range of "styles" (props, imitations, homage to Red Skelton (explicit) and Jackie Gleason (my thoughts), extremely creative (not aging variations on a theme). Yea, the audience didn't click with every single one of his skits, but the sheer unique-ness of his humor has really stuck with me.

More to come. DS needs to use computer for awhile. Laptop too slow, with WiFi and mega-pixal pictures. Tomorrow, then.

 

[ehagerty]

I did not take quite as many pictures this time as I did in 2008 - no need to repeat what I already have, unless it is different, or the people are different, etc.

To see the pictures from 2008, click on these links:

Click on this link for 2008 - Part 1

Click on this link for 2008 - Part 2



Getting started - a toast to vacation

The food is arranged in 5-6 "stations", grouped by theme - seafood, dessert, pastries, cheese, etc.





Flowers, in the middle of the station area:

This station was centered around an ice-carved basket containing fresh flowers. Below the flowers, slightly washed out by the camera's flash, is a unique "pegboard" - metal, curved, with slots for spoon handles. Each spoon contains the same tantalizing tidbit. In 2008, it was a very thin slice of ahi tuna with lemon and caper. I forget what it was this time, but I might have a closeup further down the thread.

Appetizers

Melon and Prosciutto

Tomato and fresh mozzarella

Marinated Scallops

Shrimp

Stone Crab Claws

Ham and Asparagus

Grilled Vegetables

DH's appetizer plate, with shrimp arranged for me!

Various cheeses from the cheese station:

Brie

The cheese with no name - rather, the cheese I forgot to photograph its name

Pretty sure this was a Stilton

Breads

Pastries

Entrees

You can preview, near the kitchen. Here are representative plates, so that you can observe them before you order. On this side of the kitchen, the traditional breakfast options - eggs, pancakes

Close-up of the pancake, which appealed to me because of the description of the filling (something to do with whipped cream and orange). DS21 ordered it, I tasted it - and decided to get it next time. Others on the disboards have not been as enthusiastic about the pancakes (I think the word "gritty" was used), but I really enjoyed the one bite I had

To the right of the kitchen is the day's offering for fish, veal, etc.:

.

 

[ehagerty]

Dessert

Chocholate pots

I-forget-the-name, in Palo china (looks like a creme brulee, but doesn't make sense because they wouldn't be able to caramalize the sugar)

Tira Misu

Looks like mini-triffle

Petit fours

....with a close up of what looks like a caramalized sugar decoration

Items we ordered

Someone ordered a variation on Eggs Benedict - looks like spinach and asiago

Strawberry flatbread

Grape and blue cheese flatbread

Fish

The Dis-famous Stollen (toasted) with whipped cream and berries

People we met

Bruce, Chef (Gordon?) and PJ (Maitre d')

.

 

[ehagerty]

I did not do justice, pictorially, to this meal. I still think that Palo is "somewhere between the California Grill and Victoria & Alberts. I have no menu notes. Next time, I'll ask for a menu copy!

Just a word - we like small portions and a lot of variety - after a couple of dishes, we started asking for half portions so we could try more dishes. They were very accommodating, but it was a challenge for poor chef in the middle of the dinner rush. We didn't realize it until our waiter appeared a little flustered - then we changed gears. My point - besides the great food and customer service - is that some of the portions you see here may not be representative of a normal portion. That's all

Waiting for DS21

Walking by the open kitchen - I think his name was Chef Gordon ...

... but I didn't capture the name tag

The view from our table

The menu and table flower

Frederick - our wine steward from the 2008 DVC cruise - was on duty again here. The bottle = "Purple Angel" ...

... poured from this lovely decanter ...

... and a toast to DS21's birthday (again) and our good fortune to be here ...

Bread Dips ... Mayo-something, olive tapenade, roasted red pepper....

Antipasto

Ahi Tuna (thin slices)

Portobella Mushroom something (Risotto? Mousse?)

Calamari

Gnocchi

Ravioli so good, we ordered another

Linguini with seafood something (tasted better than it photographed)

Something rigatoni

Mushroom risotto

Ravioli?

Click here to continue on to Palo - Entree & Dessert


.

 

[ehagerty]

Click here if you want to view Part 1 - Appetizers


Fish

.. and a different fish, with polenta

Palette cleanser - lemon ice

Lamb

Filet

Veal

Chocolate Souffle

Pane Cotta

Tira Misu

Limoncella chasers

.

 

[jlawall]

Wow, you're report couldn't come at a better time.......we're sailling in two weeks!!!!!!

 

[ehagerty]

This was my first time participating in either activity. One of the fun parts of delivering FE gifts is the opportunity to see how everyone decorates their door. I realize, at the end of my distribution run, that I might want a picture of my own door, however plain it might be. It would appear from the ones I saw that some others have been evolving their "door decoration collection" over time - kind of like Christmas Tree ornaments (dates of prior cruises, etc)

Anyway, here is my plain door, with cruise line logo magnets (thanks to fellow disser) for each of us, along with a couple of 8.5x11 magnet prints of my pictures (used to test the magnetic paper print in preparation for creating FE gifts):

The FE was bought on ebay - reasonable price ($2) with relatively unreasonable shipping ($8?). Turns out "granny" something on ebay is shipping from Hong Kong. No surprise there, eh?


.

 

[justmestace]

Well, I'm back in Arizona...roasting after being in Nebraska for over a month!
And sooooooo sad to leave that baby behind!


BUT.....how AWESOME to come back and see all these great pictures!!!
WOW......I don't feel half bad now, reliving a great cruise!!!!

 

[justmestace]

What excusions did every one do on St Thomas and would you do it again? I am going in October and want something water/ snorkle/ beach related and was it worth it?

We've been to St Thomas 3 or 4 times. Once we hired a private sailboat and did an excursion much like our Tortola one. But our favorite is to sail with Captain Nautica. They have faster boats that take you to snorkel over by St John. They get you out there fast, and back fast, so that you have more time to actually snorkel and enjoy, and also more time in St Thomas to shop or do the Sky Ride.

This is part of what we saw near St John: