No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems: A Tremendously Tropical PTR

[Charleston Princess]

Good point about losing time by delivering gifts. I think I might pass on it for this first time -- three days is going to go by quickly as it is.

 

[sjs314]

Throwing out my 2 cents it does seem like the fish extender thingy could really cut into your day time wise, just thinking of how large those ships are and the possiblility of having to roam all over to give out the gifts is mind boggleing to me. Not to mention with my sense of direction or lack thereof I might be lost for the remainder of the cruise.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I think I would skip the FE group if I were you. I'm sure it would be fun, but I wouldn't want it to cut into my time on a short cruise!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Here's my 2 cents on the FE...
This wasn't our first cruise and we didn't do one our first time.
Baylor wasn't in to it. Your DD would love it.
Marc and I did the deliveries while Baylor did his own thing, which was very common for him on the cruise. He hung out with Michelle's boys.
It did take up some time. We had the late dinner seating and got it done the first night before dinner.
We were on the four night, you will be on the three.

We will do it again next year, it was really fun, but you might want to go ahead and skip it and see if you go again.
I bet you will want to participate on your next cruise!!!

Cali Grill...
So glad you are still considering.
The pork tenderloins will melt in your mouth.
The flatbread is something Marc and I split.
The chef will hold your entree if the fireworks are getting ready to start but be careful. Your meat can get a little over-cooked while it waits.
I think the main rule is no cut-offs or tank tops.
Marc wears a shirt with a collar, like a polo. Depending on the season, I wear capri's or slacks.
The chocolate cake, so delicious!

Back to the cruise...
You know me. Not going to pass up a chance to shop. I have been to the straw market with and without Marc! I wasn't a bit frightened. I just had my shop on.
My daughters love all the knock-off items they offer there, so I go with a list. OK, I love that stuff too.
Baylor stayed on the ship this past summer when we went shopping and didn't mind a bit missing out on the experience.
We wandered around a bit and when I stared down an alley, Marc asked me if I was trying to get us killed and so we headed back to a main street. I has also gotten turned around and was going away from the ship instead of toward it.
The Tortuga Rum cakes that you can buy on the island are to die for. If you can find a way to get over just to get them I would say go for just that!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I know Wigd participated in our cruise FE, I chose not to, for the exact reason you described. I didn't want to take time out of our first cruise to walk around and deliver the gifts. And honestly, I'm glad I didn't do it, we didn't have enough time as it was to enjoy the ship! If I were going on a longer cruise, say 7 nights, or if I had cruised on a particular ship several times, then I think the FE looks like great fun!

Thanks. That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm really leaning towards skipping it this time. Just another great excuse to cruise again!

I've heard great things about this activity on the cruises but I understand where you are coming from with the time crunch. Hmmm. I might pass on it if you think you will be going on another cruise in the future.

Well if we do skip it, it just adds to my list of reasons to cruise again, right? Not that I need any arm twisting!

Good point about losing time by delivering gifts. I think I might pass on it for this first time -- three days is going to go by quickly as it is.

I know. Even if we do the 4 night cruise, it will still be really short.

Throwing out my 2 cents it does seem like the fish extender thingy could really cut into your day time wise, just thinking of how large those ships are and the possiblility of having to roam all over to give out the gifts is mind boggleing to me. Not to mention with my sense of direction or lack thereof I might be lost for the remainder of the cruise.

I hadn't thought about getting lost! Yeah, that's sounds just like something I would do!

I think I would skip the FE group if I were you. I'm sure it would be fun, but I wouldn't want it to cut into my time on a short cruise!

I'm thinking we will skip it. Even with the 4 night cruise, we will still be cramped for time.

Here's my 2 cents on the FE...
This wasn't our first cruise and we didn't do one our first time.
Baylor wasn't in to it. Your DD would love it.
Marc and I did the deliveries while Baylor did his own thing, which was very common for him on the cruise. He hung out with Michelle's boys.
It did take up some time. We had the late dinner seating and got it done the first night before dinner.
We were on the four night, you will be on the three.

We will do it again next year, it was really fun, but you might want to go ahead and skip it and see if you go again.
I bet you will want to participate on your next cruise!!!

I agree. It may not be the best thing to do on a first cruise. I want it to be fun, not a chore.

Cali Grill...
So glad you are still considering.
The pork tenderloins will melt in your mouth.
The flatbread is something Marc and I split.
The chef will hold your entree if the fireworks are getting ready to start but be careful. Your meat can get a little over-cooked while it waits.
I think the main rule is no cut-offs or tank tops.
Marc wears a shirt with a collar, like a polo. Depending on the season, I wear capri's or slacks.
The chocolate cake, so delicious!

That sounds more convincing by the minute! Have you had the filet? That sounded really good too!

Back to the cruise...
You know me. Not going to pass up a chance to shop. I have been to the straw market with and without Marc! I wasn't a bit frightened. I just had my shop on.
My daughters love all the knock-off items they offer there, so I go with a list. OK, I love that stuff too.
Baylor stayed on the ship this past summer when we went shopping and didn't mind a bit missing out on the experience.
We wandered around a bit and when I stared down an alley, Marc asked me if I was trying to get us killed and so we headed back to a main street. I has also gotten turned around and was going away from the ship instead of toward it.
The Tortuga Rum cakes that you can buy on the island are to die for. If you can find a way to get over just to get them I would say go for just that!

That cake sounds tempting. Can you buy it at any of the shops really close to the ship? I'm pretty sure that I won't be brave enough to conquer the streets, but if it's close enough to the ship then I might give it a go for the cake!

replies in blue

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Let’s finish up this day in the Bahamas shall we! I told you about everything we plan to do on this day in the last update except for one thing… our excursion! I am so excited about this part of the trip. We will be doing the dolphin encounter on Blue Lagoon Island! Well, I should say that I am planning on us doing it. I still have to reserve it, and I am really crossing my fingers that it will be available when my booking window opens in a couple of weeks. I will be crushed if this excursion is already booked up!

This is absolutely another item I can cross off my bucket list! The closest I have come to anything like this was when we got to feed the dolphins at Seaworld in ’09. I just know this is going to be so much better!

Onto the details……

We will board a catamaran like this….

and take a 30 minute ride to Blue Lagoon Island.

We’ll get checked in and then start our dolphin encounter. There are two different dolphin experiences you can do. One is the “encounter”, the other is a “swim”. (Thank you Michelle for clarifying all of this for me!) The main differences between them are that the encounters are in shallow water and you stand on a platform, while the swim is in 30 feet of water without a platform and the dolphins push you across the lagoon by your feet like this:

I felt like DD was too young for the swim, so we are going with the encounter. The swim is also WAY more expensive ($200/pp).

We can’t wait to meet these sweeties!

They have a photographer there that takes pictures and video of your experience that you can buy afterwards. You can also take your own camera into the water (another reason I wanted my birthday gift!)

If dolphins aren’t your favorite, then you also have the choice to do a sea lion encounter.

I’d love to do that too!

They also have a beach area that you can use if you choose to stay on the island after the dolphin excursion. Or you can choose to just do a beach day at BLI if you don’t want to do one of the animal experiences. I still can’t make up my mind if we want to stay and enjoy the beach or head straight back to the ship???

The beach does look really nice.

Doesn't that look like a big swimming pool!

They have canoes and water bikes that you can rent too.

There is a lookout tower on the beach.

I’d love to go up there and see the view but I just don’t know that we will have time.

There are several excursions to choose from in the Bahamas. It was an easy choice for me, and I think they have something that everyone would enjoy doing. Atlantis is another popular excursion that I would like to do someday as well. They also have dolphin experiences there but they are more expensive than they are at Blue Lagoon.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that we can book this excursion! With DCL, the people who have cruised before get to book their excursions first, so I am just hoping that there will be slots left when it’s my turn!

Up next…. Castaway Cay!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Sounds like an awesome excursion!! I hope you are able to book it!!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

I have only had the pork at Cali Grill. It's too goooood to not keep having over and over!

The Tortuga Rum cake shop is close to the ship. They will give you a map and it won't take you five minutes to get there. Actually you will pass by when you go to and from the the excursion. Just stop and enjoy the samples and make your choices! Those cakes come vacuumed sealed and last a very long time. When they tell you how long they stay fresh. They aren't feeding you a line....

 

[SoonerGirl]

Oh, you're going to love the dolphin encounter! I have lots of pictures to share from ours. This was the main reason I wanted the waterproof camera too, and I put it to good use. I took pictures of Anita's family when they were in the water and she took pictures for me when it was our turn. We got some really cute ones!

I didn't even notice that look out tower on the beach, now I wanna go back! Like I didn't want to before.....

I was worried about being able to book too, being a first time cruiser, but we didn't have any issues, hopefully you won't either

 

[sjs314]

The Dolphin Excursion looks fantastic! I hope you are able to book it, seems like a wonderful expierence for DD. I think I would be tempted to spend the day there instead of returning to the ship the beach looks so inviting

 

[jenseib]

I am going to say DO the FE exchange!!!! We LOVED it. It's easy to pass stuff out. We did it our first day as well. We did it before the life boat drill, but could've easily did it later that evening as well. You could do it right after you eat or right before you go to bed. I debated doing it too. But I am so glad we did. A HUGE highlight for Claire. She loved coming back to the room to find surprises in it. Heck, my Mom loved coming back to find surprises in it.

When does you Excursion windo open? I think you will have no problem booking it.

 

[MeMom]

Those pictures are gorgeous.

Time with the dolphins will be fun!

 

[stace208]

Wow, those pictures are beautiful. I can't wait to see them in person.

I will be reading everyone's review of things closely. My booking window opens in January so hopefully all the TR's will be done!

I signed up for our FE even though it is our first cruise. I doubt DS will get much out of it but I know my DD will absolutely love it. I am thinking of grouping the gifts into sections so that I don't have to pass them all out at once and use it as an excuse to tour the ship. Could you check the thread and see how many folks are signed up? If not too many then maybe the enjoyment would outweigh the time needed.

 

[Lady Lallie]

Those are some really awesome pictures. If I ever get to go on a Disney cruise then I want to do a dolphin excursion, I've always wanted to be up close to a dolphin. The most exotic animal I have been up close to is a penguin at Sea World and I was able to pet it, it was very cool.

 

[MaryAz]

All caught up! Great purchases and your Castaway Cay porch sounds great!! I agree about the FE on a 3 night cruise. We did do it on our 7 day. My little DD was under 2 and I zoomed her from cabin to cabin in her stroller to do the deliveries. The dolphin encounter sounds amazing!! I also agree on the virtual porthole vs a verandah for a shorter cruise. think I would go with a virtual one over a real one We had a verandah for our but the inlaws paid. My older DD really wants to go on the Dream but the $$$ are so hard to justify....

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Sounds like an awesome excursion!! I hope you are able to book it!!

Me too! Right now I hate that the previous cruisers can book first, but after this cruise, I'm sure I will love that policy.

I have only had the pork at Cali Grill. It's too goooood to not keep having over and over!

The Tortuga Rum cake shop is close to the ship. They will give you a map and it won't take you five minutes to get there. Actually you will pass by when you go to and from the the excursion. Just stop and enjoy the samples and make your choices! Those cakes come vacuumed sealed and last a very long time. When they tell you how long they stay fresh. They aren't feeding you a line....

Oh good! I think I can handle it if I am with a big group. I guess we will just get some on our way back to the ship!

Oh, you're going to love the dolphin encounter! I have lots of pictures to share from ours. This was the main reason I wanted the waterproof camera too, and I put it to good use. I took pictures of Anita's family when they were in the water and she took pictures for me when it was our turn. We got some really cute ones!

I didn't even notice that look out tower on the beach, now I wanna go back! Like I didn't want to before.....

I was worried about being able to book too, being a first time cruiser, but we didn't have any issues, hopefully you won't either

I can't wait to see your dolphin pictures! Were you satisfied enough with what you were able to take that you didn't need to buy their pictures? I'm hoping that will be the case for me. If I can take my own pictures (and they are decent) then that will save me some money.

I'm glad to hear that you got your booking without any trouble. Maybe that will happen for me too. At least we will have an advantage next time..... I'm assuming there will be a next time!

The Dolphin Excursion looks fantastic! I hope you are able to book it, seems like a wonderful expierence for DD. I think I would be tempted to spend the day there instead of returning to the ship the beach looks so inviting

I know! That beach looks awesome! But I know there are things I want to do on the ship as well. Too many decisions!

I am going to say DO the FE exchange!!!! We LOVED it. It's easy to pass stuff out. We did it our first day as well. We did it before the life boat drill, but could've easily did it later that evening as well. You could do it right after you eat or right before you go to bed. I debated doing it too. But I am so glad we did. A HUGE highlight for Claire. She loved coming back to the room to find surprises in it. Heck, my Mom loved coming back to find surprises in it.

When does you Excursion windo open? I think you will have no problem booking it.

Ok, you've got me thinking on the FE again! Since our girls are about the same age, I know my DD would enjoy it just as much as Claire. Decisions, decisions....

I can book my excursions on August 9th or 13th (depending on which cruise we choose) so my time is running out. I think all the repeat cruisers got to book theirs yesterday.

Those pictures are gorgeous.

Time with the dolphins will be fun!

We are so excited about it! I've never done anything that adventurous in my whole life!

Wow, those pictures are beautiful. I can't wait to see them in person.

I will be reading everyone's review of things closely. My booking window opens in January so hopefully all the TR's will be done!

I signed up for our FE even though it is our first cruise. I doubt DS will get much out of it but I know my DD will absolutely love it. I am thinking of grouping the gifts into sections so that I don't have to pass them all out at once and use it as an excuse to tour the ship. Could you check the thread and see how many folks are signed up? If not too many then maybe the enjoyment would outweigh the time needed.

Yeah, you will have lots of good stuff to read about before your cruise. Start taking notes...

Right now there are 8 families signed up so it's not too big. They are closing it on September 1st, so I have to let them know by then. I'm planning on getting up really early on our Bahamas morning to see the sunrise, lighthouse, etc., so I could go do it then while everyone is still sleeping. If I do that, then I could tell DD that our gifts were left by Tinker Bell! I just love stuff like that! She might not completely believe me anymore, but it gives her something to think about!

Those are some really awesome pictures. If I ever get to go on a Disney cruise then I want to do a dolphin excursion, I've always wanted to be up close to a dolphin. The most exotic animal I have been up close to is a penguin at Sea World and I was able to pet it, it was very cool.

Me too! Swimming with dolphins is one of my bucket list items! I've always thought it would be awesome! I just hope the rest of my family enjoys it as much as I do!

I'd love to pet a penguin! That sounds pretty cool too!

All caught up! Great purchases and your Castaway Cay porch sounds great!! I agree about the FE on a 3 night cruise. We did do it on our 7 day. My little DD was under 2 and I zoomed her from cabin to cabin in her stroller to do the deliveries. The dolphin encounter sounds amazing!! I also agree on the virtual porthole vs a verandah for a shorter cruise. think I would go with a virtual one over a real one We had a verandah for our but the inlaws paid. My older DD really wants to go on the Dream but the $$$ are so hard to justify....

I'm still debating the FE... I'm so indecisive!

I'm excited about the virtual porthole. I think it will be fun while DD is still little. But if my in laws were paying, I'd go concierge verandah suite!

I hope you get to go on the Dream at some point. Maybe once the newness and popularity dies down some, the prices will decrease too. I have to say that is one benefit of having a small family of only 3... everything is so much cheaper for us than it is for most families.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

3 MONTHS!!!

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________________________________________________________________________

Job update:

DH finally got an email telling him that his final interview will be Tuesday (Aug. 2nd). It amazes me how slow the wheels turn within a company. Anyway, I am really hoping that he hears something quickly afterwards. I only have 4 days after the interview to cancel one of my cruises. Talk about taking it right down to the wire!

 

[Lady Lallie]

3 MONTHS!!!

​

________________________________________________________________________

Job update:

DH finally got an email telling him that his final interview will be Tuesday (Aug. 2nd). It amazes me how slow the wheels turn within a company. Anyway, I am really hoping that he hears something quickly afterwards. I only have 4 days after the interview to cancel one of my cruises. Talk about taking it right down to the wire!

Happy 3 months!!!

Oh my, that really is taking it down to the wire, I would be stressing out if I were you but I am a very stressful person. I am sure everything will work out. My fingers are crossed for you!

 

[SoonerGirl]

I can't wait to see your dolphin pictures! Were you satisfied enough with what you were able to take that you didn't need to buy their pictures? I'm hoping that will be the case for me. If I can take my own pictures (and they are decent) then that will save me some money.

Don decided that he wanted the video that they took of us, so we just bought a package that included 3 5x7 photos. It will be hard to take pictures yourself, just because of the way they do everything, you are quite close together and it might be hard to get pictures of each other when you are so close, plus it wasn't very easy to balance at the edge of the platform - just not good picture taking conditions! Hopefully you can talk another guest into taking them for you.

Yay for 3 months!

Boo for only having 4 days after the final interview to cancel your cruise - yikes that's cutting it close!!!

 

[stace208]

Does the company not realize that you have a vacation to plan?? Geez, what are they thinking.

Fingers crossed for DH and a quick reply!!