minniesota
<font color=purple>Land is a good thing, too<br><f
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2002
- Messages
- 1,690
We woke to a partly sunny day and I headed right out to the verandah. The early morning air felt a little nippy but it was early. Kids and DH were still sacked so I just went over the Navigator that was left on our bed the night before, along with towel animal and chocolates! Danny, our steward, was off to a good start. Hed also hung DHs and DSs tuxes in the closet Saturday night and DH tried his on (which I did not witness - more later).
The days plan was already somewhat scheduled. Our Character Breakfast was set for 8:15, but the parents had Palo brunch ressies at 11 so we just had coffee and juice. I needed to make a trip to Guest Services to reserve wine tasting on Monday with some fellow DIsers. I wanted to attend the Art of Entertaining series on appetizers at 10:15. Dismeet at 3:30 - Promenade Lounge. Maybe a little time on the verandah. Get ready for Formal night. Take formal night portraits. Have dinner. Stroll the ship. Attend Golden Mickeys. Hang out with new friends. This was sounding a little too scheduled...
Decided to get a shower before my strenuous day began! First I stepped into the other bathroom (the one with the toilet) and there was this smell that wa snot good - like sewer gas. I had my Fresh Rain Mist Glade solid room freshener set up in there but this did not smell like Fresh Rain mist! But then I remembered that someone on the boards said to pour water down the floor drain. I did that a couple of times and it took car of that nasty smell!
The shower is also an adventure. DH is 63 and I am 52. The shower head can be adjusted up and down or taken completely off and used as a hand-held. Lets just say that baby got quite a work-out during the week. Every time I got in, the thing was positioned higher than the Empire State Building. Geesh. But that was my upper body workout for the week (that and cocktails) so it wasnt so bad.
We finally got everyone up and moving to breakfast at Parrot Cay. Our servers were delightful, creating napkin headgear for the kids. There was a lot of character interaction and ship photographers everywhere. Very noisy as those meals always are. I was glad we were eating at Palos in a couple of hours. Dont mean to sound un-Disney like, but Ive had enough character meals now. But bring your cameras - lots of opportunities!
The kids decided to try out the kids club - 10-12 age group. Their new friends were in different age groups which proved to be a bad thing. DDs friend is 13 and she was able to moved down into DDs group but DSs new buddy is 9 and the 7-9 group seemed very young. But they all gave it a try and after 1 1/2 hours, they all agreed the clubs were not to their liking - at all. End of story.
I attended the Art of Entertaining series on appetizers. A full house in Studio Seas. The chef taught us how to make Seared Scallops with bacon and onion served on mixed greens drizzled with balsamic. We also tasted a Riesling wine. Really enjoyed the presentation and would recommend these. I wanted to get to the other two but never did.
Brunch at Palo was fabulous - do not miss this if you enjoy good food and service - and a quiet atmosphere! The brunch is served with a glass of champagne. You get food off a couple of buffets but your server brings you your main entree. The tilapia was fantastic as recommended by Louise, our server from England. Fabulous seafood, salads and breads. The berries were exceptional and the desserts were beautiful. We also tried their pizza which Louise brought to the table and it was absolutely delicious. We all agreed that this was an excellent value. We added our additional tip and still felt like we more than got our moneys worth here.
The kids had ordered room service for lunch and were lounging in their room with their friends. They informed us they were NOT going back to the clubs so we chased them off and told them to find their own fun! The boys went off to play basketball and hunt down autograph sessions. The girls did whatever teenagers do and DH and I took a snooze! I started taking Bonine before we even left just to be on the safe side. I wondered now if I was drowzy from that or from the brunch and 2 glasses of champagne!
I was refreshed and ready to meet my fellow Disers at 3:30, Promenade Lounge. I told the kids to come along but DH opted for a book on the verandah. (He thinks its a little weird that I have these complete strangers who I consider good friends!) There werent many kids at the meet (they were all having fun in the clubs!) except Tanya, whose birthday we were celebrating. So I dismissed the kids. We all introduced ourselves, had a piece of cake and it was really fun to finally put a face to the name! I saw several of these people throughout the cruise and it was really nice to see familiar faces.
We also had a thrill when we saw the Queen Mary 2 pass by going in the opposite direction. Apparently she was heading to Fort Lauderdale. SHes a beauty and we all waved and snapped pictures through the porthole windows in the Promenade!
I had a little relaxation time on the verandah before it was formal night prep time. This got to be a bit stressful -we really felt rushed tonight. I now know what people are talking about with early seating, but I can't imagine going to bed on a full tummy at 10 or 10:30! Anyway, back to the preparations. I was getting everyone else ready and when I turn back to our room and see DHs tux pants, I dont know whether to laugh or cry. THEY ARE TOO SHORT! All it took was a look and he loudly proclaims I tried them on! But did they fit, big daddy, thats the question! Oh well. He pulled them down as far as he could - imagine those teens who wear their pants below their crack - and off we went to have our family portrait taken. DS was handsome in his tux though the shoes were a bad fit and he had to shuffle to keep those babies on. DD looked beautiful - way older than her 12 1/2 years. I just hoped there was nothing hanging out on me and that the shine from all that sweat would translate to happy glow in the picture! The lines were long, people were crabby, kids were having meltdowns on the floor in their fussy dress-up clothes, DH is looking at his watch every 30 seconds and Im pulling his pants down. We had our picture taken in front of the ship backdrop (I insisted) and made it to dinner just a couple minutes late. DH was a bit grumbly, in his low-slung pants, DS wanted that tux jacket ditched, DD smiled radiantly and I begged Okim to bring me a glass of wine. PLEASE!
We were in Parrot Cay tonight and the food was okay. I had glazed chicken wings, mixed greens with Roma tomatoes and Potato-crusted Grouper which was fabulous. I think it came with spinach but I requested green beans. DH had hot crab Newburg and the mixed grill. He said both were good. We took some photos at dinner with our camera and after dinner we just strolled around and checked things out. As an aside here, please dont stress about the formal wear night and what to wear. To be honest, I really did not notice what other people were wearing unless it was over-the-top glamourous or under-the table trashy. I did not see anyone who looked like they shouldnt be in that restaurant.I guess if someone was sitting right next to you in a tank top you'd notice but really we were so focused on our families that we just didn't think it was an issue. I just wish people would focus less on what they or others are wearing and more on how they are acting. My advice is look your best and act your best - everyone should be happy. I'm getting off my soapbox now.
We attended the Golden Mickeys and thoroughly enjoyed it. Disney does such a great job with this kind of entertainment and its a fun thing to do in the evenings. DH is not a show guy but even he enjoyed a couple of the shows! Im always pretty tired by about 10 so I made it back to the room - spotless again, Ahhh.. DH and the kids hung out later tonight and I was sound asleep by the time they returned. Felt like a busy day and Im ready for some relaxing time.
The days plan was already somewhat scheduled. Our Character Breakfast was set for 8:15, but the parents had Palo brunch ressies at 11 so we just had coffee and juice. I needed to make a trip to Guest Services to reserve wine tasting on Monday with some fellow DIsers. I wanted to attend the Art of Entertaining series on appetizers at 10:15. Dismeet at 3:30 - Promenade Lounge. Maybe a little time on the verandah. Get ready for Formal night. Take formal night portraits. Have dinner. Stroll the ship. Attend Golden Mickeys. Hang out with new friends. This was sounding a little too scheduled...
Decided to get a shower before my strenuous day began! First I stepped into the other bathroom (the one with the toilet) and there was this smell that wa snot good - like sewer gas. I had my Fresh Rain Mist Glade solid room freshener set up in there but this did not smell like Fresh Rain mist! But then I remembered that someone on the boards said to pour water down the floor drain. I did that a couple of times and it took car of that nasty smell!
The shower is also an adventure. DH is 63 and I am 52. The shower head can be adjusted up and down or taken completely off and used as a hand-held. Lets just say that baby got quite a work-out during the week. Every time I got in, the thing was positioned higher than the Empire State Building. Geesh. But that was my upper body workout for the week (that and cocktails) so it wasnt so bad.
We finally got everyone up and moving to breakfast at Parrot Cay. Our servers were delightful, creating napkin headgear for the kids. There was a lot of character interaction and ship photographers everywhere. Very noisy as those meals always are. I was glad we were eating at Palos in a couple of hours. Dont mean to sound un-Disney like, but Ive had enough character meals now. But bring your cameras - lots of opportunities!
The kids decided to try out the kids club - 10-12 age group. Their new friends were in different age groups which proved to be a bad thing. DDs friend is 13 and she was able to moved down into DDs group but DSs new buddy is 9 and the 7-9 group seemed very young. But they all gave it a try and after 1 1/2 hours, they all agreed the clubs were not to their liking - at all. End of story.
I attended the Art of Entertaining series on appetizers. A full house in Studio Seas. The chef taught us how to make Seared Scallops with bacon and onion served on mixed greens drizzled with balsamic. We also tasted a Riesling wine. Really enjoyed the presentation and would recommend these. I wanted to get to the other two but never did.
Brunch at Palo was fabulous - do not miss this if you enjoy good food and service - and a quiet atmosphere! The brunch is served with a glass of champagne. You get food off a couple of buffets but your server brings you your main entree. The tilapia was fantastic as recommended by Louise, our server from England. Fabulous seafood, salads and breads. The berries were exceptional and the desserts were beautiful. We also tried their pizza which Louise brought to the table and it was absolutely delicious. We all agreed that this was an excellent value. We added our additional tip and still felt like we more than got our moneys worth here.
The kids had ordered room service for lunch and were lounging in their room with their friends. They informed us they were NOT going back to the clubs so we chased them off and told them to find their own fun! The boys went off to play basketball and hunt down autograph sessions. The girls did whatever teenagers do and DH and I took a snooze! I started taking Bonine before we even left just to be on the safe side. I wondered now if I was drowzy from that or from the brunch and 2 glasses of champagne!
I was refreshed and ready to meet my fellow Disers at 3:30, Promenade Lounge. I told the kids to come along but DH opted for a book on the verandah. (He thinks its a little weird that I have these complete strangers who I consider good friends!) There werent many kids at the meet (they were all having fun in the clubs!) except Tanya, whose birthday we were celebrating. So I dismissed the kids. We all introduced ourselves, had a piece of cake and it was really fun to finally put a face to the name! I saw several of these people throughout the cruise and it was really nice to see familiar faces.
We also had a thrill when we saw the Queen Mary 2 pass by going in the opposite direction. Apparently she was heading to Fort Lauderdale. SHes a beauty and we all waved and snapped pictures through the porthole windows in the Promenade!
I had a little relaxation time on the verandah before it was formal night prep time. This got to be a bit stressful -we really felt rushed tonight. I now know what people are talking about with early seating, but I can't imagine going to bed on a full tummy at 10 or 10:30! Anyway, back to the preparations. I was getting everyone else ready and when I turn back to our room and see DHs tux pants, I dont know whether to laugh or cry. THEY ARE TOO SHORT! All it took was a look and he loudly proclaims I tried them on! But did they fit, big daddy, thats the question! Oh well. He pulled them down as far as he could - imagine those teens who wear their pants below their crack - and off we went to have our family portrait taken. DS was handsome in his tux though the shoes were a bad fit and he had to shuffle to keep those babies on. DD looked beautiful - way older than her 12 1/2 years. I just hoped there was nothing hanging out on me and that the shine from all that sweat would translate to happy glow in the picture! The lines were long, people were crabby, kids were having meltdowns on the floor in their fussy dress-up clothes, DH is looking at his watch every 30 seconds and Im pulling his pants down. We had our picture taken in front of the ship backdrop (I insisted) and made it to dinner just a couple minutes late. DH was a bit grumbly, in his low-slung pants, DS wanted that tux jacket ditched, DD smiled radiantly and I begged Okim to bring me a glass of wine. PLEASE!
We were in Parrot Cay tonight and the food was okay. I had glazed chicken wings, mixed greens with Roma tomatoes and Potato-crusted Grouper which was fabulous. I think it came with spinach but I requested green beans. DH had hot crab Newburg and the mixed grill. He said both were good. We took some photos at dinner with our camera and after dinner we just strolled around and checked things out. As an aside here, please dont stress about the formal wear night and what to wear. To be honest, I really did not notice what other people were wearing unless it was over-the-top glamourous or under-the table trashy. I did not see anyone who looked like they shouldnt be in that restaurant.I guess if someone was sitting right next to you in a tank top you'd notice but really we were so focused on our families that we just didn't think it was an issue. I just wish people would focus less on what they or others are wearing and more on how they are acting. My advice is look your best and act your best - everyone should be happy. I'm getting off my soapbox now.
We attended the Golden Mickeys and thoroughly enjoyed it. Disney does such a great job with this kind of entertainment and its a fun thing to do in the evenings. DH is not a show guy but even he enjoyed a couple of the shows! Im always pretty tired by about 10 so I made it back to the room - spotless again, Ahhh.. DH and the kids hung out later tonight and I was sound asleep by the time they returned. Felt like a busy day and Im ready for some relaxing time.
