Oct 20th Western Caribbean with the "triplets"

[MinnMick01]

I just wanted to say thank you. We were on this cruise also and we actually chatted with you all a few different time standing in lines for the characters. It is amazing how much of a small world it is. I just noticed that you are from AZ and so are we. Keep up the report. I think I might actually start one also.

 

[j2bmickey]

So glad to see the updates! It's like re-living our cruise all over again. It really makes me want to move up our next cruise...Dec. 08 is just too far away right now.

I know what you mean about moving dates up. We are thinking with the College World Series (always wanted to do that) and school starting next year for DD, we won't return until sometime in 2009 I don't know if we will make it that long and might have to slip in a short one to hold us over.

I just wanted to say thank you. We were on this cruise also and we actually chatted with you all a few different time standing in lines for the characters. It is amazing how much of a small world it is. I just noticed that you are from AZ and so are we. Keep up the report. I think I might actually start one also.

You are very welcome and we remember you guys too. It is a very small world. Great start on your report. There must have been a bunch of writers (or talkers) on this trip as there seems to be higher than normal trip report count.

 

[DisneyZell]

I saw that you were the last to post and I thought, "Great another update", but no...what gives? I want to hear more about your trip and I'm sure you have nothing better to do with your life than finish this trip report. Keep them coming!

 

[j2bmickey]

Today was an early start as we had booked scuba diving on our own and needed to be on the first tender into Cayman. I had done some research on a dive website and booked with Neptune’s Divers. I highly recommend these guys. They are very professional, friendly, and continuously make sure you are comfortable and enjoying your dives. They also only take 8 divers max at a time which was important to us since we are newbies. There were a total of 8 people on the boat including the two dive masters who both dove with us. We had actually gotten our scuba certification last summer mainly so that we could dive in Cayman. Yeah, we were excited about today. Although DW was a little nervous about diving “The Wall” since we had never been that deep before.

As I went to get us some breakfast, DW finished packing the last of our gear into our “backpack”. If you saw me toting this thing around you probably thought I was a shipmate heading for shore leave. Or just a moron who was taking too many things and would never make it all day. This thing was pretty big and bulky with our fins, masks, snorkels, etc, etc. So once we get me strapped in and properly balanced, we head out and drop DD off with the neighbors. They were all going on a snorkel trip with Moby Dick Tours. This was another on-our-own booking that was suggested by Neptune’s. It was also a bonus because they would let the kids snorkel if they wanted. We got to the Buena Vista Theatre and were one of the first people inside. As we are all sitting and waiting for them to call us to the tender, a CM mentions that there will be no towels provided for people who haven’t booked excursions through Disney. WHAT?!?!? That didn’t go over well as most of seated were heading for some type of water excursion. Luckily a gentleman volunteered (actually I think his wife nudged him) to go grab a stack of towels for everyone. He sprinted up to the pool area and came back with a huge stack. What a nice guy.

Pretty soon they announce that the first tender is ready so we all moooove down to deck 1 for boarding. As we take our seats it starts sprinkling but I am not worried because I have read many reports where it is sprinkling first thing in the morning and then clears into a beautiful day. As we are sitting there waiting, the sprinkle turns into a downpour that soaks anyone sitting towards the edges. It doesn’t last very long but we still aren’t going anywhere. I am thinking, what gives. I know I have some extra time but I still have to go deal with the taxis that I heard so many horror stories about. Finally another group of people appear, board the boat, and we are off. Apparently no mode of transportation moves in Grand Cayman until it is completely full. As we round the ship, we are rewarded for our soaking in true Disney style, a beautiful rainbow over the top of the Magic.

When we reach the pier we notice a large Disney tent that was set up for handing out towels. Well now, isn’t that interesting. We have a short discussion on whether we want to try riding a bus or just go catch a taxi. Neptune’s had mentioned that the bus was cheaper and more reliable if you were willing to put in a little work. Since we weren’t sure how far the library was (bus station was next to library) or how hard it would be to decipher the routes and schedule, we opted for the taxi. We walk over to the taxi abyss and a nice lady asks us where we need to go. She says it will be no problem getting to Sea Grapes Beach and will have us there in a few minutes. She says that we can wait inside an air-conditioned vehicle and we will be on our way shortly. I notice that there are several vans that are looking close to full so I am thinking this is going to be smooth. Oh no, she takes us to a completely empty mini bus and let’s us in. We should have known to just walk away or say no at that point, but since we still had extra time we figured we would give it a chance. Well after about 10 minutes and no sign of life, we decide that we are out of there. They don’t even glance up at us as we walk back by. We ask one of the vendors in the square for directions to the library and he points toward a blue building a couple of blocks away and says it is basically across the street from the building. We get there and find the bus station/shack pretty easily. It was less than 3 blocks and there is a sign that says the buses (which are actually vans) run every 15 minutes and the cost is $2.50 a person. This is looking promising. We walk up and ask the attendant for instructions on how to get to Sea Grapes. He instructs us to get in the farthest van which will be leaving shortly. And sure enough it leaves on time. Oh yeah, this is definitely a better way to travel and will be my preferred method of transportation on return trips. It may take a little longer since it makes more stops (they will basically stop anywhere you ask them to) but it is cheaper and you know when you will leave.

We finally get to the beach and find the boat anchored as promised.

Since we are the last ones to arrive, we launch shortly after we get there. Being that we are newbies and have only dived in the San Carlos, Mexico area, we are expecting at least a 30 minute boat ride to the dive site. It was more like 10 minutes and they announce that we are there. I guess that is part of the perk of being an island. We start this dive with some swim throughs which you can basically think of as a small canyon. The last one is completely enclosed and as we round a corner it spits us out onto the wall. Wow! That is really cool and DW has no problems with the 100 ft water depth. As we head back we encounter a large grouper who is intent on checking us out and actually follows us for a little bit. We later find out that on some shark dives the grouper are actually more aggressive than the sharks and they are not small (over 9 ft long).

As we are taking a break before the second dive, DW takes out a banana for a snack. One of the dive masters looks at her and asks incredulously what she was doing with a banana on a boat. Apparently it is bad luck to have bananas on a boat. Of course it’s also bad luck to have a woman on board so he figured he might as well let her slide on the banana. The second dive was a combination of a shipwreck and then checking out the reef. DW wasn’t too thrilled about doing a wreck dive but they assured her that she didn’t have to go inside the boat if she didn’t want. This was another cool first experience as we also got to see sponges and parrotfish.

The cargo area at the front of the wreck was pretty open so I signaled to DW if she wanted to check it out. She nodded yes so we went in. I planned on just going in the front and then popping quickly back out since she was wary about the enclosed space. As I exited the top of the hold I turned around and she is going towards the rest of the wreck. So much for that fear. I might as well start planning the night and shark dives since she has also said those are on her not-gonna-do-it list. The reef was beautiful and we got to hang out with a baby sea turtle for awhile. Boy those things are fast when they decide they are ready to swim away.

Since we and the neighbors were both scheduled to be done with our excursions around noon, the plan was for them to have their tour guide call the Neptune’s cell phone and we would decide on a meeting place. Well, they finished closer to 11 and our meeting plans never materialized. We decided to take the bus (there was a stop right across the street from the beach) back into town for shopping and maybe finding the rest of our crew. The bus showed up after a few minutes wait and not only took us into town, but dropped us off right at the pier. Now that is what I call service. Our main shopping mission was finding rum cakes and bottles of rum. I had read some info on the Cayman Activity Guide that suggested Blackbeard’s because they were the only ones on the island that also made their own rum. I also learned something that I never remember coming across in all of my research for the cruise, and I don’t know how I missed it because it is fairly important. It seems that Disney will not accept any alcohol shipments while anchored at Cayman. And none of the duty free shops will let you take the rum (including rum cake) with you, they ship it to the boat. Well seeing as all of the shops around the pier are duty free, we find ourselves in quite a conundrum. We ask around and finally find out that there is a kiosk next to the Margaritaville that will sell rum cake to us. Yay, half of our problems are solved. But since I can’t be in the Caribbean without rum, we must find a store that will deal with us. We are directed to a store down from the pier that should be able to accommodate us. It still takes a minute before we realize that half of the store is duty free and the other half is a normal liquor store. Arrr, we be set.

The rest of our shopping involved looking at jewelry. We had heard that you could find some decent prices if you knew beforehand what you were looking for. I have a friend at work who is very knowledgeable about precious stones so he and his wife came over one night and gave us a crash course. They showed us many different pieces that they have and what to look for in different stones. They even let us borrow a small kit that included a scale, tweezers, and magnifying glass. I had done research on the prevailing prices before we left so we would know if the displays were a good price. I am sure the shops have to deal with all kinds of attitudes from the tourists and they must have thought we were a couple of bumpkins since we were wearing swimsuits, t-shirts, and ball caps after diving. Plus I was carrying that huge rucksack. One lady actually thought we were camping or something. They were all very cordial but you could tell that they didn’t think we were very serious. That changed as we would ask to see something and then pull out our little kit for closer examination. DW had figured that we might get a small stone or something, but I had actually planned on trying to find something fairly nice for an anniversary band. When one of the shops made us a very good deal on a ring, I told her we would take it. DW’s jaw just about hit the floor since she was not really expecting us to find anything.

With our shopping done and still no sign of the neighbors, we figured they must have gone back to the ship so we would too. We get back to the boat and check their room, the pools, and a couple of other places. We finally decide to check with guest services and learn that they are not back on the boat yet. Wow, that is surprising. We wander around the boat and take some pictures of Beat Street before heading toward our cabin to clean up before dinner. We decide to check the neighbor’s cabin one more time and they are all there. We catch up on the day’s events and learn that the snorkel trip was ok, but not as much fun as they had hoped. At the first stop DNS1 said at first that he didn’t want to get into the water. When he finally decided to get in, the crew started the recall of snorklers. At the Stingray City stop, DD was clinging to DNW and wouldn’t let here feet touch the water. She didn’t mind the baby stingrays and thought they were cute, but she didn’t want anything to do with the big ones. Ok, so maybe this is why Disney doesn’t let anyone under 6 on their snorkel trips. We also find out that they experienced the shock of local prices in restaurants. After the exchange rate and automatic gratuities, they spent close to $100 on a very basic lunch. Yikes!!!! Didn’t I warn you about that? No? Dang that is twice. Well as a peace offering I have some rum if you would like a drink. That seemed to help some.

Dinner tonight was back at Lumiere’s and we stayed long enough to enjoy the meal and have dessert. The twins had their birthday cake which was huge and quite yummy. They got a big kick out of it and the singing.

After dinner we did a little shopping and took pictures with Pinocchio. We gave the kids a choice between swimming and seeing the show. They all wanted swimming so we headed for the pools. When we got to deck 9 they were showing Cars on the mega screen so that is where we landed. There is something very cool about sitting in a jacuzzi watching a movie, in the middle of the sea. Tonight’s towel animal was a rabbit.

 

[DisneyZell]

Thanks for the update! I love hearing different experiences so I know what to do next time. Glad you had so much fun scuba diving...I would love to do it again (did it once in Jamaica, but didn't have to be certified). Can't wait to hear what you did in Cozumel.

 

[j2bmickey]

Thanks for the update! I love hearing different experiences so I know what to do next time. Glad you had so much fun scuba diving...I would love to do it again (did it once in Jamaica, but didn't have to be certified). Can't wait to hear what you did in Cozumel.

You're welcome. I did a crash course in scuba years ago while we were in Kauai so I knew I would like it. If you enjoyed the trial dive, I would highly suggest getting certified. It is 100's of times more fun once you have taken the class.

I will hopefully have Cozumel up by tomorrow at the latest. There are new posters who are going to pass me up if I don't keep moving. Plus I need to try to finish up before the holiday season starts. I will lose days just decorating for Christmas.

 

[j2bmickey]

One thing I had forgotten to mention. As we started out this adventure back in Canaveral, the neighbors had mentioned that this was most likely a one time deal. By the time Tuesday night rolled around, they were the ones pushing to start planning the next one.

Since today was a later port arrival, all of the adults took the opportunity to get in another workout. When I arrived to get in a bike ride, I ran into DNH just finishing up. Man I thought I was an early riser, but he beat me every time. It must have been the earlier time zone that he was used to (Arizona was still on Pacific time). After finishing my best Lance Armstrong impression, I decide to try out my first and only swim in the adult pool. Wow you can tell the difference in the chlorine level from the other two pools.

I pile up some food from Topsider’s and head back to the cabin so DW can go to spin class. DD is still sleeping so I munch on some breakfast and watch us head into port. So normally as people pull into a Caribbean port they notice the beauty of the beaches, water, and buildings. Sure I noticed those things also, but more important were all of the other cruise ships, the WIND (glad we’re not tendering today), and a McDonald’s right by the pier (I sure hope DD doesn’t notice that or it will be the first place we have to go).

If you remember from the character descriptions earlier, I mentioned that one of DW’s requests was dolphins. DW is a fanatic about dolphins, almost as bad as she is about all things Disney. So needless to say our excursion today would involve Chankanaab Park. We booked this one directly with Dolphin Discovery as Disney only offers the Dolphin Encounter and DW wanted more. Plus there was a discount on the website when we booked.

So off the boat we go and head down the pier. Did I mention that it was WINDY? Holy Cow, I think this could give Chicago a run for the money. We wouldn’t let the kids get very close to the edge for fear that a gust might knock them off balance and into the water. There was also a cargo ship tied to the pier that was straining and creeaaking against it’s tethers. In order to get to the taxis (actually anywhere off of the pier) you have to walk through the entire top level of the shopping mall at the pier. We had tons of people asking us if we needed help with what to do on the island. Every time we told them that we were going to Chankanaab they would say “Oh no senor, you do not want to go there as the water is too rough for snorkeling today. Let us take you on a jeep tour instead”. I would politely reply that we had already booked dolphin reservations and had to at least show up. We finally made it to the taxi stand and they repeated a similar speech, but agreed to take us. Let me say that getting a taxi is MUCH easier in Cozumel than it was in Cayman.

When we arrive at Chankanaab, I ask the driver to wait while we find out for sure what is going on. The park concierge approaches us and informs me that unfortunately the snorkel and swimming areas are closed because of the rough water. I ask if the dolphins are still operating and he replies that they are indeed along with the rest of park. That’s all we needed to know and unpack our crew. Since we had arrived a little early and there were many cancellations, DW and DNW were able to get into an earlier time slot. As they went to get checked in, the rest of us paid our admission (again with discounts through Chankanaab’s website) and went to investigate the dolphin pens. I will let DW put her own insert in, but it looked like they had a good time. The kids were also content to sit and watch all of the dolphins or play nearby, so it was well worth the money. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let us into the dolphin area so we don’t have any good closeup pictures of the adventure. They also don’t haggle on picture and video prices any more. It’s not that they don’t want to, they can’t. They have a sheet of paper with barcodes that they have to scan for the picture you purchase and it automatically rings up the price.

DW insert – I was more than excited about swimming with a dolphin. They are very beautiful and graceful animals. Our dolphin’s name was Tatich and he put on a great show for us before we get to even touch him. Let me back up for a minute, once we get checked in they take us over to some benches to explain what the different hand signals mean. This way you and the dolphin know what is going to happen. Our encounter was the Swim Adventure and included a kiss, hug and belly ride. Once we all have the hand signals down we head out to the swim area. Earlier in the day I had asked DNW if she had any water shoes that weren’t flip flops (DNW loves flip flops). She informed me that she didn’t so I let her use my scuba booties, since the platform we stand on was slick. Add to that the wind and waves and we were hanging on to the railing or we would all be swimming with Tatich at the same time. The dolphin trainer gives a quick overview of hand signals and asks if there are any questions and we start taking turns. The trainer has a couple people swim out for the hug and belly ride, and the rest of us line up for our dolphin kiss. This dolphin was very gentle as I’m sure they all are, but it was sooooo cool to touch his soft skin. It is a little intimidating to have him swim up beside you for a hug, but since they are so well trained he pretty much just lays there and you hug him. The belly swim was a ride!!! You hold out your hands and grab his flippers and he swims on his back and pulls you back to the platform. With all the wind and high waves it was a little difficult to hold your head out of the water enough to not get splashed or water logged. After everyone had their turn we were allowed to snorkel with Tatich and pet him as he swam by. This was great and it surprised me to discover that the tummy is softer than the other skin. Once our time was up we head back to the shore to view our DVD. The DVD was cool, but since it was of all the swimmers and not just me, I was not inclined to purchase it. Since they don’t let family or friends in to take pictures we check out ours and see if we can haggle a price. No such luck on the haggling, but I did buy the one of Tatich kissing me. I have to have some proof!!! End insert.

After grabbing a snack for the kiddos, we decide to check out the rest of the park. It really is a nice place that I wouldn’t mind returning to some day. Of course on a nice day we wouldn’t have had the whole place practically to ourselves so what can you do.

Just to show you how bad the waves were, here is a picture of the snorkel area. That gives a whole new meaning to drift diving.

The kids were content to play at the playground and dig in the sand so DNH, DNW, and I ventured off to check out the replicas of the Mayan ruins. It was pretty cool with some nice photo ops. They also had a couple of houses set up like an ancient village and they were actually cooking tortillas inside the huts.

We returned to the playground area and talked the kids into wandering around to look at the tropical gardens. This was another very nice area and we were able to see some wildlife including iguanas and a ton of tadpoles.

After walking around some more, we decide to head back into town. Again there were taxis waiting and it all went very smooth. Upon returning to the mall area we wander the shops and the kids enjoy watching the dancers and living statues. The ladies decide to take the kids back to the ship for some down time while DNH and I do some final shopping. DW had decided that my color changing hat was cool, so she wanted a t-shirt from Del Sol (of course it has dolphins on it). DNW had a particular item that she was looking for from Margaritaville but we could not find it so came back empty handed. We were also looking for tequila as a gift and found a liquor store nearby. Alas they didn’t have anything worth a purchase but we did each get an ice cold Corona. It went down quite nice after all that walking. We ended up buying two bottles of tequila back at the shopping mall, one as a gift and one to enjoy during the rest of the cruise. This ended up being a miscalculation as none of us really drink tequila without it being part of a margarita, and we didn’t have anything to mix margaritas. We did get creative with some orange juice and sprite that wasn’t too bad. It probably helped that it was really good tequila.

Time to get dressed up and ready for more pictures. We all had pirate garb on with DD preferring to wear an Elizabeth Swan dress since she is a princess who wants to be a pirate.

Did I mention that DW is very talented? She made my entire costume AND her shirt. Dinner tonight was again at Animator’s Palate with everyone receiving a special menu and bandana. DNS2 had all the excitement he could take and slept through the entire meal. Everything was good as usual but hectic as well as we needed to get moving for our picture with Captain Jack. The CM who played this part was great and it was a lot of fun to see all of his expressions in the pictures at Shutters the following days.

As promised, here is a picture that includes me and DW.

And here is one of the neighbors minus DNS1 who was through with pictures for the night.

Here is where we will do things differently on the next cruise. We won’t need to get a picture with EVERY…… SINGLE……. CHARACTER, in addition to their autographs. It was fun but caused us to be rushed more than once.

I wasn’t sure what to expect at the Pirate Party since I had overheard some CM’s talking earlier that there was no way they would be shooting fireworks in the wind. I figured it would be fun anyway and it was with lot’s of dancing and being silly. I had a slight mishap when I decided to try and dance with DNS1 on the pool decking. I placed him on my shoulders as we were dancing and jumping when a gust of wind caused me to lose my balance. I stepped back right in the middle of a ladies foot. I felt so bad but she was nice and didn’t make me walk the plank. I decide to step off the pool where the footing was a little more stable. I later saw her dancing so have to hope that I didn’t bruise her foot too bad. DD ran out of steam and fell asleep so DW took her to the cabin. Just as they got there DD woke up and wanted to go back to the party. They get back just in time to see Mickey save the day and …………. fireworks.

We stayed a little longer with DD mainly interested in collecting the little pom poms that were being shot everywhere. I think she collected enough for a quilt.

Oh yeah, the towel animal for tonight was a monkey.

 

[Ka-chow]

Great Trip report! Thanks to our best freinds for writing and including us.
NH: Yes, that Corona was "ohhhh, so GOOOOOD!" In fact, still drinking it!
NW: Noooo more characters. Oh, and btw, I am giving up the paparazzi role next cruise!....NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! But have to agree to lay low on the character chase.
(does the "NOT" date me???)

 

[DisneyZell]

Thanks again for posting about Cozumel. I loved reading about the dolphins and seeing the differences from our trip. I can't believe they don't negociate on the photo prices anymore...that was the only way we were able to get them! I hope at least they lowered their prices b/c the asking price when we were there was way too high! Loved your pictures of the park...we didn't make it around much, but I would love to see more of it now that I see your pictures. Keep the updates coming!

 

[j2bmickey]

Ahhh, another peaceful day at sea. Did I mention that the next cruise will have more of these? Even after staying up late the night before, I woke up early and decided to hit the gym once again. I selected the elliptical this morning but decided to forgo the swim as the pool was sloshing quite a bit. It seems that the wind and rougher seas had stayed with us as we left Cozumel. I believe the Captain’s report listed it as rough seas around 12 ft. Someone might correct me but I am pretty sure they were not the 2 ft seas we had experienced earlier in the week. Luckily all of us including DNW had no ill effects so that bodes well for the next cruise. It was a little more difficult to walk at times, and you could definitely hear the “creaks” of the boat more, but all-in-all, very relaxing. I don’t think everyone was as pleased though as I overheard several people remark that they no longer thought they were ready to sign up for duty aboard the Cornelia Marie.

Today was also our Champagne Breakfast (part of REAS package) so I headed back to the room without toodling too much on the near empty decks. We had scheduled this between 8:30 and 9 figuring they would show up somewhere in the middle. They delivered precisely at 8:30, before I had returned and before DW was completely out of bed and coherent. In her scrambling to make room and my showing up as the person was leaving, we forgot to tip. Not to worry, we didn’t let it ride. But since the person disappeared in a puff of smoke, we had to call room-service and have them drop back by. The food was good and I continued a tradition I had started, smoked-salmon with every breakfast. It was yummy although DW still can’t believe I have never tried it as many times as we have been to the Pacific Northwest. The mimosa’s were quite tasty too, but DD didn’t understand why she couldn’t have some of the orange juice.

After we had finished licking the plates, it was time to head out for kite making. We called the neighbors to see if they were interested but the guys were still sleeping so they declined. I figure I would be kind to my fellow passengers and hopped in the shower while DW and DD went to get started. As I entered Animator’s Palate, I was surprised at how empty it was. I guess most people were taking advantage of the gray skies and rocking boat to stay tucked in their beds. I was pleasantly surprised by the materials Disney provided. I had expected toothpicks and crepe paper that wouldn’t make it out the door, but they provided a kind of plastic material and fairly sturdy framing that survived all the way back home. We have however, yet to experience if it will actually fly.

As we were cleaning up we looked up to see Mickey walking through on his way to or from breakfast. We later saw Pluto as we were walking out. They didn’t have time to chat but it was kind of cool to see some behind the scenes shortcuts.

As you might recall, today was the second chance at “Do Si Do with Snow White”. DD definitely remembered and was ready to go. Sometimes she is just scary smart for a 4 year old. Maybe they all are and I have just never experienced it before. We call the neighbors and DNS2 is awake so DH meets us at the club. It takes a few minutes to convince DNS2 to stay, I think he was not quite awake and maybe thought we were leaving him with the evil witch. As we left them for their short journey, we did what most adults do when they have a few minutes to kill, we went to Shutters. Next time I must try some of the other adult locations on the ship. We had actually planned on getting Wendy’s picture, but it was changed to the Queen of Hearts who also didn’t show up. I did however, get a better picture of the lobby chandelier than earlier in the week.

We decided to gather everyone up for lunch since the young ones would be spending some more time in the club later for Celebrate the Journey. We headed to the neighbors cabin and discovered that DNS1 was just waking up. Wow, I think he would have slept all day if we let him. Yes I am jealous. For the first and only time all week, we decided to try out Parrot Cay for lunch. It was setup mainly as a seafood buffet with a station for made-to-order pasta. We found everything quite tasty except for the twice-baked potatoes. DNW and I were both quite excited with the finding and disappointed with the results. This was the only time I found something to complain about in the food department.

We had read how hectic things can get with Celebrate the Journey rehearsal and show, early dinner, and the Disney show, so we had developed a plan. We actually had Palo reservations for dinner, but it fell into the same previous category. To ease the later chaos, we decided to see the matinee performance of Disney Dreams. As with many other events on the cruise, this has had mixed reviews. Other than opening night with the human puppet (which had me crying I was laughing so hard) I based all of my reviews on the reaction of the kids. Since DD was on the edge of her seat mesmerized the entire time, I would give this one two thumbs up.

After the show we did some more browsing and shopping, and I got one of those cool nonchalant pictures of a character walking down the hall.

Before we knew it, it was time for the beer tasting and Celebrate the Journey rehearsal. DW and DNW decided that they weren’t so interested in this event (Partly after I reminded them that Zima is NOT considered a beer) so they took charge of the kids while DH and I headed for Diversions. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed when this event first started out. There weren’t any beers that I hadn’t tried (not that I am a connoisseur) except the Boddingtons, and the host was French, Huh?!? It ended up being both fun and educational. And I actually enjoyed all of the different beers, even the bad Foster’s (hosts words not mine). We learned what makes a good beer, which is based on quality, not necessarily taste. It takes around two days to make a Foster’s and 14 days for a Boddingtons. We also learned the proper technique for creating a black and tan, a skill which I need to practice.

As we headed out and back up the stairs, neither of us had a Navigator so didn’t register all of the kids coming down the stairs. All of the sudden it hits us that it is the children transitioning from the rehearsal to the actual show and we should probably duck behind something before we are spotted. Too late, we hear a chorus of “DADDY!!!!” and look up to see the “triplets” beaming at us. Uhm, hi guys, are you having fun? Yes we are going to our graduation, are you coming. After replying yes and giving quick hugs, they happily march on. WHEW!!!!! That could have been a disaster. On to the cabin to check on the ladies. They are deep into some kind of scrapbook planning zone with two laptops open comparing pictures and notes on what they had seen at Shutter’s. We zap them out of the trance and scramble to the Theatre for the graduation.

The whole ceremony is cute with kids singing and the video clips and of course Mr. and Mrs. Head Cheese. However, DD has informed us that she doesn’t find it necessary to participate next time. By the time the show is over and all of the kids unwind and exit, and all of the adults unwind and exit, we are again in scramble mode to get ready for dinner at Palo. Isn’t there some saying about the best laid plans of mice and men?

So as most everyone reports, dinner at Palo is exquisite. We had requested Louise from earlier in the week and requested that she pick everything for us. She seemed somewhat hesitant and preferred to make strong suggestions based on what she liked. Of course we always picked what she suggested and were never disappointed. I was the only exception as I had my heart set on lobster and she was not a fan of lobster in general. I settled on a double split lobster dish that did not disappoint. Now I know what you are thinking. This guy is from the desert and can’t possibly know what good lobster is. I will rebuke that I have at least been to Maine and sampled fresh lobster, and this was pretty good. Another good suggestion that Louise made was one soufflé per couple so we had room to sample her favorite, a raspberry treat. Sorry can’t remember what it was, but it was good, really I promise.

Since we had not seen the kiddos in years, we decided to break them out and see what they wanted to do. Actually they had been having a blast with magic shows, pizza parties, and Where’s Tink (this resulted in all kids covered in “Pixie Dust”) so were only mildly interested in leaving with the parents. We wandered the ship, including checking out the comfy chairs on a still windy deck 4, and decided to retire to our cabin to relax and have some tasty beverages. While the kids played, we relaxed on the veranda (ok, I admit it now, it was worth it) and plotted how to do the next trip sans offspring.

The towel animal tonight was a peacock, but probably should have been a hippo or some other “just hanging out” creature.

 

[cntkg1]

You are correct about the 12 foot waves on Thursday. That was one yucky day wasn't it?

Just wanted to tell you that I am thoroughly enjoying your trippie. You're doing a great job. I'm loving all the great pictures and may I tell you now that your little girl is a beauty! You and DW will have to keep an extra eye on her when she gets older.

Now that I see your pirate night pictures, I totally remember seeing you guys onboard. You would have made a tremendous addition to the DISmeet thread we had going for almost 2 years before the cruise. Perhaps you lurked on it?

Thanks for helping me relive one fabulous week with the Mouse.

 

[j2bmickey]

You are correct about the 12 foot waves on Thursday. That was one yucky day wasn't it?

Just wanted to tell you that I am thoroughly enjoying your trippie. You're doing a great job. I'm loving all the great pictures and may I tell you now that your little girl is a beauty! You and DW will have to keep an extra eye on her when she gets older.

Now that I see your pirate night pictures, I totally remember seeing you guys onboard. You would have made a tremendous addition to the DISmeet thread we had going for almost 2 years before the cruise. Perhaps you lurked on it?

Thanks for helping me relive one fabulous week with the Mouse.

Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad our antics have brought back good memories for you.

DW and I are already fretting the day DD becomes a teenager. Of course it shouldn't be too bad since she won't be dating until she is over 30.

Yeah, we were hard to miss with the monkeys bouncing off the walls all the time. And of course the three kids were pretty energetic as well.

I must admit that I did lurk a time or two on the meet thread. But in my defense, I found it late and you guys posted so much info daily, I couldn't keep up.

 

[j2bmickey]

If you are not going to able to stay at sea the entire trip, Castaway Cay is definitely a port worth visiting. We had a blast and probably didn’t see ¼ of the things on the island. It also helps that many things are prepaid and you don’t have to deal with taxis, you are just there. I think we should start a petition for a new itinerary from Disney; something like two days at sea, Castaway Cay, two days at sea, Castaway Cay.

So after a relaxing day at sea and gentle rocking to sleep, our whole cabin awoke at about the same time refreshed and ready to go. Since we had a big day planned, we headed up to Topsiders to make sure we had enough sustenance to make it to lunch. We tried a little of everything and you can bet that it included smoked salmon for me. With no sign of the neighbors yet, we headed back to the cabin to pack up “The bag” and grease up with sunscreen. We weren’t quite as loaded as in Cayman since we decided that we didn’t need our fins, but it was still pretty full with masks and snorkels for three people, sand toys, and inflatable rafts. After no answer from the neighbor’s room, DW headed to Topsider’s to let them know where we would be while DD and I headed for deck 1. We arrived at the exit much quicker than I anticipated and had to wait for DW since she had all of our identification.

As we headed off the boat, DW wanted to drop her pre-labeled (another great tip from the boards) postcards off at the post office. By the way, we just received ours the other day so that would make it approximately three weeks for delivery. There were quite a few people around the post office so DD and I continued down the path while DW dropped off the postcards since I figured she would catch up fairly quickly. As we neared the tram stop, I asked DD if she would like to ride or keep walking. She decided that conserving her energy for the beach was a good idea and would like to ride. As we were waiting for the next tram, I decided a picture with the “fresh catch” was a good idea.

DD found it quite silly that the fish had caught a hot dog. When I explained that it was actually the bait he was using to catch people, she broke into hysterics and had to explain it to everyone the rest of the day. DW showed up shortly before the next tram arrived (now that is good timing) and we were on our way.

Once the tram deposited us, we quickly found the “stroller corral” and snagged a 4-wheel drive looking wagon. This worked out great for hauling our gear and tired kids around. As we started heading for the beach we noticed that Pluto was posing for pictures. Since we still needed his autograph and the line was short, we made a quick pitstop.

After once again satisfying the photography gods, we were off to the far end of family beach. I had figured that with all of the people on the DIS boards, the whole beach would be crowded. This was not the case as is evident with the following pictures. One is a view back the way we came from,

and one in the area we were.

We contemplated where to park for a few minutes before selecting several chairs under some palm trees. This turned out to be a good choice for two reasons. It gave us some needed shade later in the afternoon when everyone was getting tired, and it protected our stuff during the rain.

DD and I headed for the water while DW waited and watched for the neighbors. We swam around and then headed for the play area while the water was still high enough. I don’t have very good pictures as proof, but I think it dropped about three feet by the afternoon. DD quickly tired of the play area (too many bigger kids I think) so we headed back to the beach to inflate some of the rafts and get the sand toys out. Before too long DNW showed up with DNS’s. DNH showed up shortly thereafter because he stopped off at the post office after a short trip back to the boat to get cash. DOH!!!

As 10:30 approached DW and I left everyone playing in the sand and surf to head for Ray’s and our Stingray Adventure. As with most of Disney’s tours, they also impart educational wisdom upon you including the fact that the largest rays are female, close to 23 feet in wingspan, and weigh around 3000 pounds. Holy cow, that would make me do my best scared squid impression (saying borrowed from DNH). As many people know, this is a much more tame experience than what takes place in Grand Cayman. It is still pretty cool and if you are looking for a good introduction without the mugging, I would recommend this excursion. The rays are trained to swim up ramps and stop at a Mickey shaped target for food. There are still several of them swimming about through your legs “waiting” for their turn, but since the water is pretty shallow, they can’t look you in the eye and ask “Where’s the squid?” I was amazed at how silky they felt and how powerful the suction they create with their mouth. After everyone gets several turns petting and feeding the rays, they let you swim and snorkel throughout the holding pen. The bottom is pretty sandy so the snorkeling is not that great, but if you swim far enough out, you could see several pretty large rays swimming or hanging out on the bottom.

As we headed out of the water we noticed people working on a rather large and elaborate sand castle. We just assumed that it was for decoration but later discovered that they were letting kids help build and then later destroy it. Oh there’s one to tuck into the “gotta do it next time” file. When we got back to our chairs, DNH and DNW decided that they wanted to go snorkeling so we agreed to watch the kids and get them fed. After a few more minutes of frolicking in the water, we all decided we were getting hungry and headed to Cookies for lunch. Now the lines didn’t seem that long, but they sure seemed to move sssllloooowwww. I’m not sure what the holdup was, maybe I was just hungry. As I finished loading my plate with everything in the buffet, DW went to commandeer us a table. Did I mention that I married a genius? She selected a table that was away from the crowds and completely covered by an umbrella. Not only did it serve as nice shade, it completely protected us when the downpour started. Brilliant!!! Just as we were finishing up, the rain stopped and the sun came out for the rest of the day. Just beautiful. DNH and DNW also showed up to renourish and relay the snorkeling events. They tell us the pertinent spots to look for, especially the Mickey statue, and DNW mentions how tiring it was swimming back in. I’m thinking, what a wimp, a comment I would pay for later.

 

[j2bmickey]

With everyone thoroughly stuffed, we headed back to the beach to try to burn off some of the calories. DW and I decided that we wanted to check out the snorkeling so we headed out across the water. When we approached the first buoy, we couldn’t find the Mickey statue and decided we must have misunderstood the directions given by the neighbors. We swam on and found the submarine, cannons, and anchors, but no statue. After a while I decided that we needed to head back since DNH and I had a scheduled excursion for the jetski eco tour. We decided that we would head back towards the first buoy and then ask the nearest lifeguard if we still couldn’t find it. We swam around some and then, aha, it was on the opposite side of the buoy and a little farther out. DW swims around some more and I high-tail it back toward the beach. Wow, DNW was right, it is tiring when you are doing a straight swim all the way back in.

I hand DNW my snorkel gear and sprint off towards the watercraft area. Having completed the first two legs of the Disney ironman, I arrive at the assigned area and try to catch my breath while signing the waiver stating that I am in decent enough condition to operate the watercraft. We don our lifejackets and head for the open water. As we round the protective reef, we enter the third and final leg of the Disney ironman. The water was pretty rough and took a little bit of work to hold on. It probably wouldn’t have been so hard if we had taken it slower, but where’s the fun in that? The water did smooth out as we reached the other side of the island and pulled up for the eco tour part of the excursion. It was pretty informative as they talked about how the beaches are formed, the different water levels, and so on. The letdown came when they informed us that we would not be going on to the second stop since the water was getting too rough. We walked and talked some more and then headed back to the start point. I think we only rode for 10 or 15 minutes total so this was a bit of a disappointment for the price we paid.

DW insert – While the husbands were on their eco tour, we played on the beach and swam. DNW mentioned that she needed to head to the shops and get more postcards to mail. So I watch the kiddos while she goes to the shops and post office. Since she is near the jetski area she hangs around to get some pictures of the men folk coming back from their tour. End insert.

We decided to head back to the beach for some final relaxing and playing in the water. Before long, the lifeguards are announcing that the beach will be closing soon so we load up our wagon and make a final stop to rinse the sand off before heading toward the ship. We decided to walk the entire way back so that we could stop and take any picture we had missed earlier. Here is one of the saddest signs I have ever seen.

As we are boarding the ship, the neighbors luck out as there was no line for Pluto on the gangway.

We decide to head back to the cabins to relax, pack a little, and clean up before dinner. As I am standing on the veranda enjoying the last views of the island, I notice a small catamaran drifting towards the ship. Upon closer inspection, I realize that there is nobody steering the thing. It would seem that a ghost from the Flying Dutchman has stolen a vessel and is making a break for it. Before too long, someone comes zooming up on a jetski and tows the renegade back to shore.

Dinner tonight was at Lumiere’s although I don’t remember what anyone had. We were all in a slightly subdued mood and it would have been fitting if they had played some music from Forte. All of the kids were pretty worn out and DNS1 slept through the entire meal.

After handing out the tips and gifts for the exceptional service we had received, we headed back to the cabins. The kids were all tired and not interested in any of the final festivities, so we agreed to finish the final packing and then meet back in our cabin for one more night of adult beverages and conversation. Now DW and I had read the tips about not leaving the packing until the last night and we had been gathering things into piles throughout the week. But for whatever reason, we didn’t take the next step and put things we were done with back into suitcases. This was a mistake and caused us to do a little bit of scrambling to meet the deadline. Couple this with the fact that we also decided to make one last mad dash to Shutter’s (another no-no that has been warned against), and that last night was a little hectic for awhile.

With everything squared away and the bags placed outside of the door, we were able to relax and enjoy the view from the veranda. There was a beautiful moon reflecting off the water and the lights of the Bahamas would have combined to make a great picture. Alas, none of us could get our cameras to cooperate so we didn’t get a very good picture. Here is our best attempt.

Towel animal tonight was a sting ray. The only one DD was interested in seeing or petting.

 

[2*geminis]

Here are the main trip reports I would refer to in helping the planning or just to read a good story (Sorry I can’t post links yet since I am a newbie).

threadid =1383940 by cdndizzylizzy
threadid =1384014 by sejejoemmiev
threadid =1276181 by lindaso
threadid =1264995 by disneyzell
This of course leads to two other reports that are linked inside



I'm getting ready (12-months out) for our first Disney cruise. I'd like to look up your referenced trip reports but cannot figure out how. Help!

 

[DisneyZell]

Here are the main trip reports I would refer to in helping the planning or just to read a good story (Sorry I can’t post links yet since I am a newbie).

threadid =1383940 by cdndizzylizzy
threadid =1384014 by sejejoemmiev
threadid =1276181 by lindaso
threadid =1264995 by disneyzell
This of course leads to two other reports that are linked inside



I'm getting ready (12-months out) for our first Disney cruise. I'd like to look up your referenced trip reports but cannot figure out how. Help!

I'll help you out on one of them....on our signature is the link to our trip report. Hope you enjoy it!

 

[j2bmickey]

Here are the main trip reports I would refer to in helping the planning or just to read a good story (Sorry I can’t post links yet since I am a newbie).

threadid =1383940 by cdndizzylizzy
threadid =1384014 by sejejoemmiev
threadid =1276181 by lindaso
threadid =1264995 by disneyzell
This of course leads to two other reports that are linked inside



I'm getting ready (12-months out) for our first Disney cruise. I'd like to look up your referenced trip reports but cannot figure out how. Help!

Oh, yeah, I guess it would have been helpful to include instructions on how to actually get to the reports. Sorry.

If you look at the address bar of you browser, you will see something like this:

"www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1633011"

If you replace the 1633011 with the above referenced threadid, it should get you there. Of course since I am no longer a newbie, I can post links so here they are again.

www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1383940 by cdndizzylizzy
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1384014 by sejejoemmiev
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1276181 by lindaso
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1264995 by disneyzell

 

[DisneyZell]

How sad that your report is almost done...I always love hearing about Castaway Cay. We've been there twice now, and still have not seen the entire island. Luckily our next cruise is a double dip, so hopefully we will get to see it all! So when is your next cruise?

 

[j2bmickey]

How sad that your report is almost done...I always love hearing about Castaway Cay. We've been there twice now, and still have not seen the entire island. Luckily our next cruise is a double dip, so hopefully we will get to see it all! So when is your next cruise?

Yeah, it kind of brings back the sadness of those last few hours on the ship. It is definitely fun writing the report though and I highly recommend it to all even if you don't post it.

Not sure when the next adventure will be. We have been holding out waiting to see what the 09 dates will look like. Of course that is an awful long ways out and we keep eyeing those double dips next year. Maybe a great deal will pop up or someone will volunteer to stow us in their luggage

 

[mruhaak]

Thanks for sharing! I'm cruising with a 4 yo DS (and 18 mo. old Ds) this Saturday and I enjoyed hearing about a cruise with kid's his same age! Looks like you had a magical time!