We were up and at it bright and early this morning! It was
Castaway Cay day and we really wanted to try and be off the ship as early as possible.
We managed to be up and ready around 7:30, so we headed on up to BBB for a quick bite of breakfast. I couldnt believe that this was the first time wed eaten breakfast here during this cruise!! Thankfully, wed made it there before it got crowded, as we managed to make it through the line pretty quickly.
I think we were so excited about getting off the ship that we ate a little quicker than normal! Within no time we were done! So, we headed back down to the room to grab all our stuff before we made our way to the tender lobby.
Ashore time wasnt until 8:30, but we arrived a little early in hopes of being one of the first off the ship. Normally the island is pretty full by the time we get off, but not this time. I think it was around 8:15 or so when they finally let us off! We were both excited about being here again as we had several things planned for our day!
First off, we headed over to Gils Fins and Boats to pick up our snorkel equipment. We had decided to do the Island Getaway Package that included snorkeling equipment rental, float/tube rental, and bicycle rentals for the day.
Id read that for best visibility, that it was best to try and snorkel early in the day instead of waiting until the lagoon got crowded and all the sand got stirred up. We found a couple chairs close to the shore and stowed our stuff there, then headed to the lagoon. We ended up being the very first people in the water there! I was a little nervous about what wed see, but excited too! I really wanted to try and find the sunken Mickey statue, so we made our way out. Unfortunately, even though I was having a great time, Mike was having a really hard time with getting his mask to seal around his mustache. Water kept seeping in which made it really difficult. We made it all the way out the lifeguard stand before we decided to turn around. I would have loved to keep going, but Mike had had enough. Before the trip, I had planned to buy a waterproof camera, just for this, but I never could find one at a decent price, and I ended up regretting it. We saw a ton of cool fish! And the water was beautiful, so I think I could have gotten some neat pictures. So, before our next cruise, a waterproof camera is a must on my to-do list!!
After our under-sea adventure, we thought wed head over to the other side of the family beach and check out Pelican Plunge! Mike and I both love waterslides, so I was excited to try this for the first time!!
Again, I wished Id had a waterproof camera! The slides were awesome! On our first time, when we got to the top, the lifeguard said that the enclosed slide was a bit faster and had a bit more push at the end. So, Mike decided to try it, while I went on the open one. He beat me to the bottom by a couple of seconds. Then we decided to go back and switch. I took the enclosed, and he took the open. The lifeguard wasnt kidding about the enclosed being faster! And instead of just sliding off the end, you literally get dumped into the water!! It was a lot of fun, and definitely a cool addition to the island!!
Finally, we were ready for a little relaxation, so we decided to head over to Serenity Bay to spend some time there. But first, we had to make a stop by Castaway Air bar to pick up a couple Konk Koolers!
Frozen concoctions in hand, we made our way over to the beach and found a couple empty chairs! Now this is heaven!
I swear I dont remember the water being this beautiful before. It was absolutely gorgeous!!
We relaxed on the beach for a little while before we decided to head out and enjoy the beautiful water and sunshine! As we were floating out, I noticed a dark spot in the sand. I asked Mike if he could tell what it was, and after a little further investigation, wed found the coolest star fish! Again, I wish Id had a camera!! It was the neatest thing!! Mike picked it up and we checked it out, but then he put it back in the water where he belonged! That was such a cool moment!!
By this time, wed gotten pretty hungry, so we decided to pack up and head over to Cookies Too! Thankfully, it wasnt very crowded at all, so we made our selections and found a table in the shade. I didnt think to take pictures, but if I remember right, I had a cheeseburger (surprise!!), and Mike had ribs. It was a lot better than I remembered it being last year!! As we were sitting there, one of the trams came down the runway and was making the turn to drop people off there at the tram stop. But right as they were making the turn, we heard someone from the tram yell, Oh my God! Unfortunately, a gentleman in a wheelchair had been thrown off the tram when it made the turn. It was quite scary. Thankfully, it looked like he was okay. The tram was out of service for a few minutes, so they were sending golf carts down to transport people in the mean time.
We finished our lunch, then decided to hitch a ride down to the Bike Rental hut. I was really excited about going on the bike ride as Id seen pics from podsnels report, and I couldnt wait to see it for myself!! We signed the waiver, picked out a bike, and were on our way! Because we still had our bag with us, Mike got a bike that had the baby seat on the back so that he could strap our bag in and not worry about it as we rode. Right after we started out on our ride, a nice gentleman saw us taking pics of each other and asked if we wanted a pic of the two of us! Of course we did, and it was really nice of him to ask!!
It took me a few minutes to get used to riding since it had been so long. I was a little weebly and wobbly to say the least! We made it down the first part of the path to the observation tower, and headed to the top. The view from up there was pretty cool!
Seeing the undeveloped part of the island was really neat.
After that, we headed back towards the runway, and headed down towards Serenity Bay where we took a right on the trail that goes behind the cabanas. At the end, you come to another stopping point where the view is once again, gorgeous!
By that time, we were pretty hot and tired, so we headed back to return our bikes. I was really glad that we decided to take the ride! It was really neat and provided some cool views of the island!! Were actually thinking about doing it again next time!
Once we were done at the Bike Rental hut, we decided to do a little shopping to see if there was anything we wanted. I did see a shirt that I liked, but I wasnt crazy about the color, so I decided to pass.
Shopping done, we decided to head over to Cookies to grab a cup of the famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream that Id read about in Lifelong Dreamers TR! She mentioned how yummy it was, so we had to try a bite. She was definitely rightthat stuff was delish!!
After practically licking the cups, we finally made our way back towards the ship. It had been a great day on the island, and I was finally begging to get it. Before, I never really understood why everyone though CC was so great, and especially didnt understand why anyone would want to stop their twice. Now I doI totally get itit may have taken me 4 times, but I totally understand now!!
the boards this morning and I saw your report. I haven't been on the Dis much lately thanks to school but I knew I had to take the time to read your report. 
Yay! I'm finally caught up with your TR! 
. I love waterslides too.
