Our Land and Sea Vacation 3/21-27 Update 7/5 P.16 The last night

[amandaw]

Great update! It had me !

 

[afwdwfan]

So on our 2nd day aboard the Dream we woke up in Nassau.

I can think of worse places to wake up. Usually when one speaks of where they woke up, it isn't the start of a good story.

I enjoyed my 2.5 seconds of relaxation (a new personal best) and then I was ready to go do something more. Mom, however, has this crazy view that relaxing means not rushing of to do something else so she wanted to hang out there for a bit.

I'm right there with you.... I just don't get it.

Wow this paragraph is way to long. Everyone has probably skipped ahead to the next picture so I think I will too.

Wow, I didn't even realize how long it is. I guess that's because... SQUIRREL!!! What was I saying... oh well, on to the next comment.

Bro had made a friend over video games (the universal language of boys) and Sis was in crafty heaven.

Fun for everyone!

Lest those land animals get to cocky I also had a large slice of prime rib.

Stupid cocky cows. Put em in their place!

(looking at this pics has me thinking slightly less favorably about the leftover spagetti I brought for lunch today)

Actually that sounds pretty good to me right now. Beats the protein bar I have in my desk.

Mom enjoyed her time to relax with my fidgeting in a chair next to her.

Why were you fidgeting in the chair instead of standing in line for the Aquaduck?

onboard fireworks (the shoot up in the sky kind, not the family argument kind).

Thank goodness. Looking forward to the update with stuff blowing up!!!

I'm sure the pictures are phenomenal as always, but I'll have to check them out when I get home... until then, nice [X]'s!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Mom and I had been to Nassau before and we wound up with a "Little Souvenir" so we decided we'd avoid the risk and spend the day on the boat.

Sea Shells from the beach?

At breakfast the kids decided the first thing they wanted to do was the midship detective agency. We signed up and got our badge.

I can't wait to try that! Were the puzzles pretty hard? (Remember, by the time we get on the cruise, my family will consist of a 7 year old, a 5 year old, a slightly below average intelligence but lovable father and a mother that encourages the kids to figure things out for our - sorry - themselves. )

Also, how crowded was the ship when it was in port? For that matter - how crowded was the ship any other time? Did the 5000 or so people on board seem like they were always in the same place you were?

Hey this is photographic proof that I have actually read the instructions for something.

Looks like of like a centerfold to me.

After solving about 8 clues it directs you to the certain picture so that you can decide which villain is responsible. I was pretty sure the butler did it, but that wasn't an option.

Col. Mustard in the library with the candlestick!

Lest those land animals get to cocky I also had a large slice of prime rib.

You show 'em! (dang that looks good! And it's all included in your cruise price? I can't wait for October!)

 

[dvczerfs]

great update trike!! love the pics!

 

[IamTrike]

Nope, she did not have an amazing super special deal for me. Looks like it's gonna be a while before we can cruise again. But, I'll just focus on (hopefully) returning to WDW in 2013. Would love to go next year but there are lots of changes on the horizon for us.

Bummer. Well start talking with your Disney travel agent now for your cruise dates in 2013. If they help you get your room on the date that they release the rooms you'll get the best price.

Great update! It had me !

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

I can think of worse places to wake up. Usually when one speaks of where they woke up, it isn't the start of a good story.

I was thinking that usually that is the start of a good story about an unpleasant event.

I'm right there with you.... I just don't get it.

Hyperactivity: its what's for Disdads

Wow, I didn't even realize how long it is. I guess that's because... SQUIRREL!!! What was I saying... oh well, on to the next comment.

What'd you say, I was distracted by your "SQUIRREL!" comment?

Stupid cocky cows. Put em in their place!

My tummy!

Actually that sounds pretty good to me right now. Beats the protein bar I have in my desk.

mmm congealed lightly flavored protein powder. How can you not be excited about that.

Why were you fidgeting in the chair instead of standing in line for the Aquaduck?

That was a typo I wasn't fidgeting in the chair. I was in the pool playing with the kids.

I'm sure the pictures are phenomenal as always, but I'll have to check them out when I get home... until then, nice [X]'s!

Actually today I only posted red X's I figured it would encourage you all to use your imaginations.

 

[IamTrike]

Sea Shells from the beach?

Yeah, and a candy bar that we had named Philip, but crazy customs people wouldn't allow us to bring them into the US. Leaving Philip behind was a traumatic experience so we vowed to never set foot in Nassau again.*

*This actually never happened

I can't wait to try that! Were the puzzles pretty hard? (Remember, by the time we get on the cruise, my family will consist of a 7 year old, a 5 year old, a slightly below average intelligence but lovable father and a mother that encourages the kids to figure things out for our - sorry - themselves. )

Sis and Bro were 5 and 8 Respectively. We shared a card and they didn't have many issues. Sis was a little short for some of them. You might have some issues though.

Also, how crowded was the ship when it was in port? For that matter - how crowded was the ship any other time? Did the 5000 or so people on board seem like they were always in the same place you were?

The ship was never not crowded. That being said the only places/ times we really noticed the crowds were:
1. In line for the aquaduck. It looked pretty constantly like a 30-45 minute line.
2. When waiting for an elevator around the dinner or the shows. Essentially 1/2 the boat is trying to get to decks 2 and 3 at dinner time. Before the shows there is a big crowd waiting and if you don't get there early you get poor seats.

Looks like of like a centerfold to me.

Not a centerfold. It may have been a map and I might have been looking to figure out where the nearest ice cream was. It is important to know that at all times.

Col. Mustard in the library with the candlestick!

Shhhhh!. You'll ruin it for the kids.

You show 'em! (dang that looks good! And it's all included in your cruise price? I can't wait for October!)

Yup. Let me warn you this cruise will be your 5k to couch.

great update trike!! love the pics!

Thanks.

 

[Turkey Lurkey]

True to my name I've been lurking. You've almost got me wanting to go on a cruise. That detective game almost had me researching prices. DW saw some of your pictures this weekend and was sold right away. Guess I better start saving!


TL

 

[afwdwfan]

I was thinking that usually that is the start of a good story about an unpleasant event.

Good point. The story is usually good, but the cause and effect is where the problem lies.
Somebody should make a movie about that.

Actually today I only posted red X's I figured it would encourage you all to use your imaginations.

Saw the pictures, and yes, they are giving me cruise envy.

 

[jecskc]

Can't wait to see more of your cruise. We have a 5 day double dip cruise on the Disney Dream booked for next April and I am beyond excited !!!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

So on our 2nd day aboard the Dream we woke up in Nassau. Yeah I wouldn't mind waking up to this view every morning.

Water that color never gets old.

Mom and I had been to Nassau before and we wound up with a "Little Souvenir" so we decided we'd avoid the risk and spend the day on the boat.

I don't recall reading that TR.

At breakfast the kids decided the first thing they wanted to do was the midship detective agency. We signed up and got our badge.

That just looks way cool. My kids loved the Kim Possible missions at EPCOT, and this looks like more of the same. Wish they'd had it on the Wonder.

Hey this is photographic proof that I have actually read the instructions for something.

Unless it's just a pose?

After successfully solving the mystery and saving the puppies we took the kids to the kids club. Mom and I were really not sure about this. We felt like a family vacation should be enjoying time together, and dropping our kids off at the club seemed like opposite of that.

Hmmm...my wife and I seemed to get over that pretty quickly.

Note:If any children are reading this Mom and I did not have fun, this was just a sacrifice Mom and I were willing to make.) I enjoyed my 2.5 seconds of relaxation (a new personal best) and then I was ready to go do something more. Mom, however, has this crazy view that relaxing means not rushing of to do something else so she wanted to hang out there for a bit. Mom enjoyed her chair an book for the next half hour, while I fought with every fiber of my being to remain seated. The next time I get irked because Sis or Bro are trying to use the couch back as a balance beam during a conversation, I need to remember how hard it was for me to sit in that chair. Wow this paragraph is way to long. Everyone has probably skipped ahead to the next picture so I think I will too.

To piggy-back on what Andy was saying...SQUIRREL!

Very nice pictures. Although after looking at them, I feel very hungry for some reason.

 

[IamTrike]

True to my name I've been lurking. You've almost got me wanting to go on a cruise. That detective game almost had me researching prices. DW saw some of your pictures this weekend and was sold right away. Guess I better start saving!


TL

Glad you came out of lurkdom. If anyone else is lurking you should come out too. I'd highly recommend taking a cruise. You won't regret it. All you can eat food and free unlimited babysitting.

Good point. The story is usually good, but the cause and effect is where the problem lies.
Somebody should make a movie about that.

Twice.

Can't wait to see more of your cruise. We have a 5 day double dip cruise on the Disney Dream booked for next April and I am beyond excited !!!

Double-Dip I am so envious. Castaway Cay was great. 2 days there is going to make for an awesome cruise.

Water that color never gets old.

Nope. Polluted maybe but old never.

I don't recall reading that TR.

I may have gotten in trouble for including that statement in this trip report. I figured it was paying homage to the original disney cruise line commercials and needed to show up somewhere in this TR.

That just looks way cool. My kids loved the Kim Possible missions at EPCOT, and this looks like more of the same. Wish they'd had it on the Wonder.

Kim Possible is really cool because of the way real things like statues in an exhibit become semi-interactive. In this it's only pictures that you really interact with. Still it was really cool.

Unless it's just a pose?

how'd you know
I NEVER LEARNED TO READ

Hmmm...my wife and I seemed to get over that pretty quickly.

We made that adjustment pretty quickly too.

Very nice pictures. Although after looking at them, I feel very hungry for some reason.

Thanks

 

[carlnix30]

So on our 2nd day aboard the Dream

Loving your trip report!! Isn't this pic of the hotel "Atlantis"?

 

[IamTrike]

Loving your trip report!! Isn't this pic of the hotel "Atlantis"?

It is. When the boat docs in Nassau you have great views of Atlantis and Paradise Island. I think the water park at atlantis is one of the excursions while in port there.

 

[carlnix30]

It is. When the boat docs in Nassau you have great views of Atlantis and Paradise Island. I think the water park at atlantis is one of the excursions while in port there.

I have been looking into that hotel for a vacation destination!! Maybe now we take a Disney cruise then do an excursion to check it out!! No harm no foul!! I get a guaranteed great vacation while checking out another vacation spot! thank you! You have helped me more than you know!

 

[IamTrike]

This post is broken into 2 sections so that I can include all the pictures.

At the end of the last post we were all in the pool. We hadn't gotten in line for the Aquaduck because we knew we only had a little bit of time. The kids had seen that they would be having "Super Sloppy Science" in the kids club at 2:30 and really wanted to go. It sounded educational, so Mom and I were pretty sure we would be considered negligent parents if we didn't let them go. We headed back to the room (Eye-Scream may have been grabbed en-route) to change and the head to the Oceaneer Lab.

Childless once again Mom and I needed something to do. We headed back up towards the adult pool but this time we went into the SPA. Mom went into the Rainforest room while I hit the gym. The gym had better facilities than the WDW resorts and a much better view. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. After working out I met mom in the Rainforest room.

For those who aren't aware the rainforest room is an area of the spa for which you can buy a daily entry pass. Its about 16 Per Person per day. It's named because there are a couple different showers in it. You might be thinking 16 bucks to use a shower? Even with the Disney premium that seems high. I didn't get it either, but then we went.

<Random side note> The rest of the services at the Spa were much more expensive than $16 and the products they sold were also very expensive. While we were purchasing our passes, a gentleman was returning the products his masseuse sold him during his treatment. He said he was surprised when he got back to his room to find out she had sold him $1000 worth of product. That must be some shampoo.

One group of the showers.

Notice there's no handle. Just the buttons you can see in "Water Fun" and "Tropical Thunder" You just walk into a shower and press a button for one of the different themes and it runs through a program. It was fun trying all the different cycles in all of the showers. Be warned most of the different cycles are with cold water. There was one or two other showers in the same room, but I don't have a pic of them.

At this point you're probably thinking. "Trike, while Mom may have been happy you paid $16 for a cold shower, you're not doing a good job of convincing me to try the rainforest room." Well behold, the entry to the rainforest room. Take note of the all you can drink cucumber or lemon flavored fancy water on the left. (If you read that in Heinz Doofensmirtz's voice it works better. On second thought everything works better in Doofensmirtz's voice, so it be better if you just imagined he was narrating the entire TR. Feel free to make up your own humorous backstory)

Still not convinced? Well then check this out. Semi-private hot tubs and check out that view. Be careful there is no glass in the middle section. I went to lean up against "the glass" and got a nice scare. This section was almost titled, dad falls overboard.

If this hasn't convinced you, they also have bathrooms there in the spa with showers much larger than the ones in the rooms and slightly nicer grooming supplies. Who can resist a free disposable razors and upscale shaving cream? I didn't take any pics in the bathroom though, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

At this point there is only one thing left in my persuade people to use the Rainforest Room Arsenal and that is "the chair".

I am a self proclaimed hater of sitting still, but those chairs were amazing. The tile is just slightly heated. Laying on one of those chairs was by far the most relaxing thing I did on that trip. Unfortunately all too soon we had to get up so that we could go get the kids out of the club and get ready for dinner.

We made it to Animator's Palate just in time to ensure that you couldn't read the name on the sign.

The theming of the restaurant was amazing.

We loved all the artwork and then some of the main screens switched from art to "Undersea" views.

Periodically fish would come by and make shapes like in the queue for Nemo and Friends.

Bruce stopped by

and so did Crush.

Those interactions were all wonderful and they just served to enhance the meal.

I could stare at this bread basket for hours. (Not just because I'm trying to do the low carb thing and man do I miss carbs)

For starters Mom had the Mushroom Risotto and I had the Salmon tarter.

For our next course Mom and I both had Butternut Squash soup. It was fantastic.

I'm still looking for our menu pictures to figure out what I had for an entre. I'm pretty sure it was Filet Minion as I can not resist a good steak.

Bro and our assistant waitress had a great time laughing and joking.

Actually Bro seemed to be in a particularly giddy mood. Shockingly my sense of humor does not always have him laughing like that.

By the time dessert came it was an all out silly fest.

This dining experience was one of the highlights of our trip. After dinner we used the restrooms outside of the restaurant. I mentioned to Bro that it was neat how the bathrooms in the ship are themed based on the area of the ship that they are near. Bro got very excited and said "You have got to try the bathroom in the center of Cabanas it is the fanciest bathroom on the boat, they have real towels not paper towels." It took me a second but then I realized that is the bathroom right outside Remy. So just as a heads up, if you are in need of a fancy bathroom on the Dream check out the facilities near the aft elevator bank on deck 10 or 11.

Dinner finished we headed up on deck to watch the sun set as we pulled out of port in Nassau.

We were opting to skip the show that night and head to the movie theater instead to watch Gnomeo and Juliet. Because we weren't doing the show it gave us a little more time to walk around and just enjoy the boat and view.

Watching the light on/under the surface of the water was entrancing.
Before we headed to the movie we swung by the room to make sure the bed fairies had come and changed the room.

They had, but this time they took some time to monkey around.

 

[IamTrike]

2B > 1I
Okay enough with that. Back to the posting.
We headed to the movie theater. I'm not sure, but I think you may actually have to pay for concessions at the theatre. We were so full we didn't want anything though. The theatre was almost empty so we got great seats and relaxed to watch the movie.

When the movie finished we headed back up to deck 10 for part of the Pirate party and to watch the fireworks. We didn't watch much of the Pirate party. Mom and I may be a little bit too serious about stuff, but just a few weeks prior 4 americans had been killed by pirates and so we didn't really feel like celebrating Piracy. We did however, really enjoy the fireworks.

By the time the fireworks ended it was after 10 PM, so we headed back to the room with 2 very tired kiddos. (Mom and Dad may have been tired too).

Coming up next Castaway Cay day.

 

[IamTrike]

I have been looking into that hotel for a vacation destination!! Maybe now we take a Disney cruise then do an excursion to check it out!! No harm no foul!! I get a guaranteed great vacation while checking out another vacation spot! thank you! You have helped me more than you know!

Glad I could help. While we didn't do the excursion this trip DW and I toured Atlantis when we stayed in Nassau. (There is a bridge that connects the 2 islands.) Atlantis is an amazing hotel. I think you'd be really impressed if you go look at it.

 

[trikefam]

At this point there is only one thing left in my persuade people to use the Rainforest Room Arsenal and that is "the chair".

I am a self proclaimed hater of sitting still, but those chairs were amazing. The tile is just slightly heated. Laying on one of those chairs was by far the most relaxing thing I did on that trip.

I want to be in the chair right now! They were the best. Seriously, spend the money and go to the Rainforest Room! I think the price is very good, considering you have access all day!

 

[amandaw]

Another great update! Man, I'm so mad I didn't have time to go to the Rainforest room. And especially now that you had to go & show those awesome looking chairs! And did you say they are slightly heated? I would just die! Well, guess that's yet another reason for us to cruise again....one day!

 

[IrenicMom]

Another great update! Man, I'm so mad I didn't have time to go to the Rainforest room. And especially now that you had to go & show those awesome looking chairs! And did you say they are slightly heated? I would just die! Well, guess that's yet another reason for us to cruise again....one day!

Reason #1 I told my husband the next cruise must be longer than 3 days - no time for the rainforest room!!!