Our Fantastic Fantasy Cruise! 11/24/12

[mom x4 grandma x4]

The next place you see coming down those stairs is the area is the area where they get off the Aqua Duck. We only saw a line one time on our many trips to the upper decks. Most of the time it was a 10 minute wait.

My husband went to go on it and he was told NO single riders. When he asked why they said it wasn’t safe due to the wind. He said what wind you’re inside a tube? They said well there’s one place where its canvas and often wind comes in there and can tip over single riders.

Now my husband wasn’t mad but it didn’t make sense to him. So he asked if anyone had flipped over before and one crew member said, oh yes lots of people. Well if you tipped over people would get hurt and we all know Disney wouldn’t have a ride that was unsafe. Many of the riders had small kids who didn’t add much weight for balance. So it was like a single rider in a sense.
So he walked away thinking that it didn’t make sense.

Later he asked a different crew member and got a different story, then later a 3rd story. Other single riders were turned away too. So I said let’s ask at guest services why singles can’t ride. I looked in every Navigator and on line and nowhere did it say double riders only.


But we went off and did other things so I never contacted them. The 3rd day on the ship we had extra strong winds while in port. Upon returning to the ship we decided to go up on deck to sit and I looked at the Aqua Duck and there went a single rider, and in a few minutes another single rider and after 6 or 7 of them I told my husband to trot up there and ride it and I would hold his shirt and I had the camera and I would get a photo of him. I said they can’t refuse you with all those other single rider going.

So he went right up the stairs and rode it. YEAH!!!

I figured dozens of people complained at Guest Services. Then when I got to thinking about it, I think they said no single riders to keep the line down.

Many who ride double may have wanted to ride single and then the line would have been really long. So they refused single riders, which isn’t fair because many don’t have someone to ride with. I am not the kind to ride that type of ride so my husband would have to ride alone and many were in the same position. I just hope other single riders got the chance to ride like Greg did.

That just my opinion as to why they really refused single riders at first. So if you’re going to be a single rider, don’t give up on going.

If our grandkids are reading this, yes thats your Grandpa on the Aqua Duck!

It really looks great after dark when it's all lit up.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Below the Aqua Duck entrance is Nemo’s Reef. This is an awesome water play area for toddlers. Its beautiful bright colors stand out. They have a tall clear plastic enclosure around it to keep the kids in and the wind out. It’s a very large area and so easy for moms and dads to go in with their child or watch then through the plexi glass wall that surrounds it so easily. We took photos
Belo but somehow after we got home 91 of our photos didn’t download off the camera, so I don’t have them to share.

If you have toddlers you will love this well thought out play area for them. It's really awesome!

Next are The Mickey pool and then a wooden deck covered in chairs, facing the Funnel Vision movie screen, and then the Donald Duck family pool. Plus there is a large family hot tub by the windows overlooking the ocean.

Mickey's pool photos are among the lost one.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Along both sides are lots of tables and chairs, plus a beverage station on both sides. They offered free Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Diet Sprite, Hi C Fruit Punch, coffee, assorted teas and Hot Cocoa. This area is open 24 hours.
This is the only area of the ship where you notice a crowd, but it really wasn’t bad.
Forward on deck 11 is a food area that is themed so cute after the movie Cars. The Starboard side, (hope that’s the right side??) was Pizza, Burgers, Chicken strips, hot dogs Fruit, Wraps and more

This entire area is themed for the movies Cars.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

On the Port side directly across from these hot foods is Ice cream. 6 to 8 dispensers were working at one time. Usually they had 3 or 4 flavors available.
Next to the ice cream place is Freeze Zones frozen treats, which is smoothies and alcoholic drinks.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

After this on decks 11, 13 and 14 forward are adult only areas.

But every day people came through with their kids and nobody said a word to them. There were signs everywhere saying 18 and over. I think the forward elevator needed a LARGE sign as soon as you stepped out saying deck 11 Forward, 13 Forward and 14 Forward are adults only so if you have kids with you please go to decks 12 Forward to go out on deck. From there they could go down to 11 midship where its family friendly for the pools and foods. I don’t blame the kids, their parent should of told them and enforce it but instead they walked through with them most of the time.


The Cove Café is still in the adult only section and is very nice.
I love the adult Hot tub overlooking the ocean. If you look down they have a clear bottom so you can look down to the ocean while our in it. There are also 2 small viewing windows in the floor by chairs alongside the hot tub so you can look down to the water without being in the hot tub. I never got in the family hot tub so I don’t know if it had the glass bottom to it too.

Adult Hot Tub

View through the Hot tub to the ocean.

One of the 2 viewing windows to the ocean next to the hot tub.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Also on deck 11 is an adult pool. One end has a cooling mist and you can walk up to the bar while in it. The middle I deeper for swimming a bit and the other end is shallow where you can sit and visit with people. It’s long and skinny but it was never crowded so plenty of room for everyone.

From deck 11 there are stairs to go up to deck 12 which is family friendly in one area there. There is a small wading pool for kid and a stage where singers perform often throughout the cruise. It was a nice quiet area to sit and listen to the music.

We only saw kids in this pool 2 times. So if your looking for a quiet area to take your little ones this is it.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

From there you can go up more stairs to deck 13. This is adult only. There is a bar at the top of the stairs and lots of tables and chairs on both sides of the bar. Around the very front of the ship there is a place to stand up front for watching us pull out or just to stare at the sea. Then they have a plexi glass wall to block wind and a roof over your head to block the sun with lot of loungers to relax on.

This is where the Satellite pool is located. You sit in the center of it and every so often water comes down from the top so it’s like you’re sitting behind a water fall. If it’s very windy they don’t turn it on because the water would be blown all over the deck.

Satellite Falls

There is also an enclosed area there for Concierge people to go to. I don’t know what it is like because only Concierge people are allowed in.

I have more photo of this area I will post with the miscellaneous ones after my report.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Thats pretty much the upper decks. Deck 4 is still the jogging deck with shuffle board. This ship you cant see the mechanical areas Forward and Aft because they enclosed them. The jogging path is wider so runners can easily get around walkers, which is nice.
One evening we ran into Miss Daisy Duck waddling around out there.

I started noticing for Character meets or dance parties in the Atrium the Characters often walked up the outer deck 4 to a door to enter mid ship for the meet. So if youre sitting out there a few minutes ahead of time they will give you a quick photo or high 4 before entering the atrium area. No lines out there!


If youve been on a cruise ship before you know how narrow the halls are and between tables, those with strollers, wheel chairs, ECVs can have a lot of trouble getting around. Not on this ship. I walked between tables with strollers and went across from wheel chairs many times and we all fit just great.
Now speaking of more room, anybody reading this who has been to the Pirate party knows how crowded it can be. Well not on this ship. Since they can close off 2 pools, plus the deck between them, even with more people it wasnt crowded.

Plus they had it at 7:45 instead of 10:00 P.M. They may do this on the other ships now, I dont know but it was so nice to have it earlier. Plus the party was totally different. Characters were on stage for 99% of the party. Lots of people dressed up as pirates in the audience. Including myself.

It was so windy on deck 11 where we were that Greg had to stand behind me and grab the railing on either side of me to hold us steady. He took the above photos while helping me stand steady and keep my pirate outfit from blowing over my head. LOL!! Ladies if you dress as a pirate, don't wear a skirt, wear pants or you will find yourself in trouble too.
Even on deck 10 women were grabbing their skirts.

This was a special glass for drinks on Pirate night. It lit up and blinked different colors.


Then later at 10:00 P.M. they had another short skit starring Captain Jack Sparrow and some pirates. It was only 10 to 15 minutes long. Then they shot off the fireworks. Which were great, as usual.
Followed by a nice buffet in Cabanas instead of on the open deck which was much better organized.
Sorry no photos of this since my flash was off, and I didnt know it until it was too late. My husband is the one who usually takes the photos .He wasnt with me for the fireworks.
I wore my jeans this time

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

If everyone reading this is still awake we will go back inside to see some shops and the Walt Disney Theater which are all mid ship and forward.
Here are the shops on board. The Disney Theater sign is themed to match the stores which are in the same area.

They all look the same from the outside but each one carries different items for sale.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

The Walt Disney Theater is enormous!! It was 2 levels which are needed. You can’t take photos during the shows but here are a couple before the show started. Oh yes, look for the hidden Mickey’s in there. I found over 20 of them in there right from my seat. All the shows were fantastic!

Preludes is still there for all your munchies too.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Here is the movie theater which can be entered from 2 levels too, although there is no balcony, just high up seats

The carpeting that is in front of the movie theater. Hidden Mickey's anyone??

Outside the door to the theater. More Mickeys. There is a snack bar there but I dont have a photo of
it.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Here are a few hidden Mickey’s around the ship. I won’t say where they are, it’s up to you to find them. They are everywhere.

Here are a couple more to get you started looking for them.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

I guess ports are next on my list. We are been to all these ports a few times before, how ever we found 2 new excursions to try.

In Grand Cayman we just walked around some shops and returned to the ship. We didn’t see anything we really wanted to do there.

In Cozumel we did the Adventure Park excursion. This one has 4 towers in a square shape that you can climb like a rock climbing wall, and repel down a 60 foot tower and they had several zip lines at different heights. There was a rope bridge where you step in one loop at a time to get across and a wooden rickety bridge with no place to hold on and a few slates were missing from the bridge. Of course you’re tethered from above so you can’t fall but it feels like you’re going to fall.

Some in our group were disappointed because they thought it was going to be long zip lines from the tree tops like other islands have. But since we didn’t have any real expectations we thought it was great.

If you just want to try something like this but don’t want to be 100 feet high then this is a good excursion to try to see if you like it before trying the big stuff. I kept my feet on the ground because heights scare me, but Greg loved it.

I took some pictures. You can do it as many times as you want during a 3 hour tour. They have men at every corner to help and instruct you. Plus there is a snorkeling beach there, but the water was very choppy so nobody wanted to snorkel. We each received a ticket for a free pop at the bar when we were done.

Everyone but us left right away. We stayed and order some chips and salsa and enjoyed the view. They also had a nice large pool there for you to swim in if you wanted to. The guides were great and very helpful. A taxi ride back to the ship was also included in the price of the excursion.

I do recommend this tour.

This loop rope bridge is meant to do one step at a time. One man was going to skip everyother one and you will do the splits if you try that.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Entrance to climb the first tower. It's like climbing a light house stairs.

Getting your gear on.

The next photos show how pretty the area was there. It was also very clean and the people were very friendly.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

You could swim in the pool, nobody was in it until we were about to leave or swim in the ocean. They had coke products and they were in glass bottles like when I was young. The chips and salsa was only $6,00 if you wanted guacamole instead of their salsa it was $7.00.
They have lockers to stow your purses or backpacks. They cost $5 for the day. When you turn in the key your refunded $2.
They also had water for you in the zip line area if you got thirsty and 2 tables where you could sit if you wanted to.

Other foods were available.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

We had a few minutes to shop after we were done which was nice. We never buy much but it’s nice to browse around some before returning to the ship.



Then in Costa Maya we did the Segway tour. I have always wanted to try a Segway so this was fun for me. It is fairly easy to drive but the getting on and off was really hard for me. The steering is very touchy and it’s very easy to turn the steering just a bit when you’re getting on or off and that causes a problem. At least for this lady it did.

So I was the last person in line in case I had a problem I wouldn’t cause a crash. LOL!!! But I did just fine and Edwin gave me lots of encouragement.

We rode along the road to Mahauhal (spelling?) which use to be a fishing village. It’s right on the beach. We did a 20 minute stop there for shopping and a bathroom break. Then a bit farther down the beach we ended our tour with a 30 minute beach break, before a taxi would take us back to the port. I really enjoyed this excursion.


Getting protective gear on.

I know i have more photos of this but for some reason I don't see them right now so I will try to add them to the odd and ends after the report.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

One thing I appreciated about both our tours was our guides didn’t give us the usual speech about how badly they need our tips since they don’t get paid much. I use to hate hearing them tell us about their financial problems to get us to tip them. It happens on almost every excursion we have been on over the years. Nobody said a word about tips on either excursion.
Of course we did tip them because we had outstanding service.




While waiting to pull out from the port we went up to deck 13 to watch us pull out. We were next to the Norwegian Sun cruise ship. It was dark outside so it was easy to see some of their dining rooms, game room and we heard a band playing on their open deck.

So we walked down a ways to see the band. They were quite good and we enjoyed hearing them. As I was listening to them I started looking at other public areas on their ship to see the décor. Boy did I get a surprise!! There were 2 very large windows almost straight across from us and I saw a man walk in and turn towards the windows. I couldn’t believe what he did. It was the Men’s Bathroom, LOL!!!!

No description is necessary I hope. LOL!


Who in their right mind would have huge windows in the men’s room looking out to sea and if you did you’d think they would have a blind to pull down while in port. I was stunned. So I called my husband over to make sure I saw what I thought I saw. He couldn’t believe it either.

The 4th or 5th man who entered the bathroom slowly raised his head up and waved at people on our ship straight across from him.
I can tell you ladies out of 8 men only 2 washed their hands so you might want to remind all your husbands and sons to wash their hands. LOL!
We figured nobody would believe us so here is a photo to prove it. Sorry It’s so dark but it was a quick shot that we hadn’t figured on taking.

I still can't believe this happened. We took the photo because we didnt think anyone would believe us.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Here are a few pictures of lunches and breakfast on the ship:


This was a steak dinner at Cabanas

corned beef

Roast beef for lunch. Greg made a Mickey shape without even knowing it when he set these plates for me to take a photo.

By the end of the week you start getting so full you only have room for cereal.

Apple pie

Freshly made omlet

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Castaway Cay was our first sunny day. It was decorated for Christmas which was nice. The only lasting effect from hurricane Sandy was lots of brown vegetation instead of beautiful colorful tropical flowers. They will come back in a few weeks.
We rented bikes like we usually do and rode around the island. It was a bit cool for swimming for us, so we didn’t go in the water. Many did but I guess coming from Florida it didn’t seem as warm to us like someone from Minnesota would have thought it was. So we had a relaxing day exploring the island.

Approaching Castaway Cay

Storks near Observation tower

water slides

Post Office . If you want to mail post cards from here. Do it in the morning because it closes early and they only take cash there.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

snack after lunch.

It was a great day on the island.

Now it was time to pack up the suitcases so we could be ready to disembark early the next day. It didn’t take me long to pack. We only had 2 suitcases so we didn’t set them out to be collected. Instead we carried them off the ship at 7 a.m. and right out to the car. We were told anyone carrying off their luggage could leave at 7 a.m. and walk directly through customs with no line and that’s what we did. From the time we got on the gang plank to the time we were in our car was maybe 5 minutes.

View of the port at 6 a.m. from our balcony.

The gang plank to take us back to reality.

I will post a few miscellaneous photos from around the ship soon.

This was the most awesome cruise we have had in years!
Now I am pooped from having to wash my own laundry, cook my own meals and clean my room and make the bed.

Plus after all the unpacking and laundry and grocery shopping the next day we spent at Magic Kingdom, which is exhauting and Epcot to see decorations,then monday we decorated the house, tuesday I worked on Christmas cards, and this report and wedneday night we went to see the Osborne family Spectacle of lights at Hollywood Studios, today is posting my report and tomorrow night is the Christmas party at Mk. What a great week!
If anyone has any questions please ask and I will try to answer them.

Kathy


More photos to come soon.