Pudge Controls the Weather-A Disney Dream TR 4/10-4/15(Last Day new 5/26)

[jecskc]

Wednesday, April 6, 2012

Castaway Cay

Day 2 of the cruise – Part One

The boat was rumbling a good bit as we were docking on this morning and that is basically what woke us up.

We checked our Fish Extender and we had several goodies.

We planned a relaxed morning, not rushing off anywhere. So we took it slow and went up to Cabanas for breakfast.

I usually don’t take photos of my buffet food, but I did on this day. Loaded with carbohydrate goodness. ..BTW, I know this isn’t good for me.

Everything was pretty good, but the eggs were gross. Runny and mushy and ick. But otherwise, it was a good meal.

Then we delivered all of our Fish Extender gifts. I hope that everyone enjoyed them. We worked really hard on them and put a lot of thought into them. I know that we really enjoyed the ones we received.

Our navigator for the day

We got our bathing suits and cover-ups on and headed down to deck one to disembark to enjoy our first day at Castaway Cay.

A view from the dock.

The post office.

Stuff on the way to the tram stop.

We hopped on the tram and rode over to the family beach. My ankle was still hurting pretty bad and I was hoping to give it some rest that day.

 

[jecskc]

Day 2 of the cruise – Part Two

On the way to the beach, we saw Pluto.

More photos on the way to the beach.

This is my wallpaper on my computer at work

And here … was the view from my seat.

The parasailers

DH took a panoramic shot (he was better at it than I was)

So I found my spot. Had a nice comfy chair under an umbrella where I watched my family play in the water.

Some more photos.

The kids played and DH took them over to Pelican Plunge.

DS loved it. DD not so much. She didn’t like that you had to swim out to it and she got water up her nose. Me ?? I was still back at the beach on my lounger. Someone had to watch the stuff, right ??

So after a while it was time for our Stingray Adventure. So we headed over to the place to check in.

Here’s a description from the website.

Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure (1 hour)
An interactive experience that immerses guests into the fascinating underwater world of stingrays. In partnership with the Living Seas at Epcot, a stingray sanctuary has been developed adjacent to the Teen Beach. This 60-minute excursion includes an educational orientation featuring facts and tidbits about stingrays, hands-on interaction, and free-time to snorkel in the stingray lagoon.
No one under the age of 5 is permitted. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult
Adult Price: $35.00 (ages 10 and above)
Child Price: $29.00 (5 - 9)

So we waited a bit and A CM came out and told us all about stingrays. She said she lived on the island, but you can’t see where people actually live. They have those quarters well hidden for sure.

So what happens is they have several platforms

There is a handler for each one and the stingrays know that these things mean food so they swim up there right away. We held a piece of food between our fingers and they would swim right up and get it. It was really cool.

 

[jecskc]

Day 2 of the cruise – Part Three

Still at our Stingray Adventure, I found a comfy spot in the shade (again, the weather was super amazing) and watched DH and the kids do some snorkeling with the Stingrays.

And we got this afterwards.

So it was fun and we really enjoyed it. Highly recommend. Afterwards, it was time for some lunch, so we headed over to Cookies BBQ to get some.

We really liked the food. It was like regular BBQ food. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and ribs. The ribs were especially good. The kids really loved the hot dogs. We ate … a lot. And we were stuffed and happy and headed back to the ship.

We purchased a couple of souvenirs at the shop.

More photos on the way back.

 

[Skyw]

Yes!! There is more!!!!!

We are dong the sting ray excursions too. I can't wait to do this with my son!!!

So do they let adults on the pelican plunge? Looks fun to me!! Are there chairs near there? That might be where we want to park ourselves!!!

 

[jecskc]

Yes!! There is more!!!!!

We are dong the sting ray excursions too. I can't wait to do this with my son!!!

So do they let adults on the pelican plunge? Looks fun to me!! Are there chairs near there? That might be where we want to park ourselves!!!

We really enjoyed the stingrays. I hope you will as well.

Yes, adults can go on Pelican Plunge. Definitely, there are chairs nearby. I would go early and snag a spot. I just picked a quiet spot for myself. We really loved it there !!

 

[Skyw]

We really enjoyed the stingrays. I hope you will as well.

Yes, adults can go on Pelican Plunge. Definitely, there are chairs nearby. I would go early and snag a spot. I just picked a quiet spot for myself. We really loved it there !!

We have the stingray tour at 9am. Do you think 10 am is too late to get a seat there?

 

[jecskc]

We have the stingray tour at 9am. Do you think 10 am is too late to get a seat there?

I am not sure. The beach wasn't very crowded when we went, but we stayed closer to the left side (as you are looking towards the water). We never had any trouble finding a seat. It might be different for your cruise. I wish I could help more ....

 

[jecskc]

Day 2 of the cruise – Part Four

Back on the ship.

Our plan was to ride Aquaduck and the slides and enjoy some time on the deck.

We had a few Drinks of the Day

And I took some photos of an empty Cabanas

A photo of the splash area. I thought I got more, but I guess not.

And we generally enjoyed ourselves and the children. About 3:30 PM or so we headed back to the room and we all had a shower. DS went to his club, while DD, DH and I watched Dumbo. And then DD wanted to go to her club and DH came back and we watched Wall-E and had a glass of wine.

I am going to take this time to tell you two things the bothered me just a little about our otherwise awesome stateroom. First, the bathroom with the toilet in it always smelled like urine. Sometimes it would be stronger than other times, but it was noticeable and not pleasant. I am not sure that anything could have been done about it. Perhaps it was something in the plumbing and the confinement of the ship that caused it. Maybe they just couldn’t vent the system properly. I dunno. But it smelled. It wasn’t horrible, but noticeable. I did mention it on our comment card. In hindsight, I should have mentioned it to our stateroom host, but I only thought about it when I had to use the bathroom. The side with the shower in it didn’t smell at all.

The second thing was our neighbors. They had a VERY loud little girl that spent a lot of time out on the veranda in the afternoons before they went to dinner. And this was the time that we would always come back for an afternoon break. They obviously had early seating, and she would be out there when everyone was getting ready which took a couple of hours. Or maybe they just PUT her out there because she was so intense. She wasn’t nasty and she didn’t cry or anything, but she was LOUD ….. and annoying. Just a very excited kid, I guess. We called her little Miss Megaphone. They would come out and try to shush her, but it was never effective. We were always glad to hear them leave for dinner. Blessed silence after she left, though.

Photo of some Fish Extender gifts we received.

These were fortune cookies. They were really fresh and good, too.

Some photos from our veranda of Castaway Cay.

A panoramic view.

When it was about time for dinner, we went to get the kids from their clubs, but they said they had already eaten and didn’t want to go to dinner. And who are we to argue ?? So we went to dinner alone. Well, we had our tablemates, but our kids weren’t there and that was nice.

So we decided that we would head over to Pink

Menu

Champagne bubble lights.

I am pretty sure that I can’t say on the DIS what this light fixture reminded me of ….

We ordered a glass of Iron Horse Fairy Tale Celebration Cuvée.

And it was pink and bubbly and it made me happy. We talked to a very nice couple from New Jersey who had just bought a house in North Carolina and since we had said we were from South Carolina, they asked us lots of questions about the south. It was an interesting conversation. But we enjoyed their company very much.

 

[jecskc]

Day 2 of the cruise – Part Five

Our dinner on this night was at :

Such a beautiful restaurant. I forgot my camera on this night, so all of these are photos I pinched fomr the internet.

They brought us some bread and here is what the bread basket looked like.

For appetizers, DH ordered • Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp White and Green Asparagus, Micro Greens and Lemon-dill dressing with Horseradish Cream (couldn’t find a photo of this),

and I got the • Double Baked Spinach Soufflé Coated with a Three-Cheese Cream.

Very rich, but very tasty.

We each got

I just love French onion soup and this didn’t disappoint.

For our entrée, DH ordered - Roasted Wild Boar Tenderloin - sweet carrot and onion potato cake with a red currant reduction.

Which he said was very good. He talked about this a lot in the days after.

I ordered - • Royal Palace Aged Angus Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Lobster Medallions Sautéed Snow Peas and Marquis Potatoes with a Cognac Reduction

Mine didn’t have the lobster on it because I am allergic, but it was very tasty. The beef was very tender. I enjoyed it very much.

In the middle of our entrée, they called our wave phone from DD’s club and said she was ready to be picked up, so when DH was finished, he went to get her. They came back just in time for dessert. DD got a Mickey Bar and the waiters gave her some cupcakes, too.

DH ordered • Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée With Macaroon

He really liked this, and I had a bite and it was good.

I ordered – • Grand Marnier Soufflé Infused with fresh Orange Zest and served with Crème Anglaise

So, so good. The soufflé was so fluffy and with the cream, it was amazing. We both had coffee to go with it and the coffee at the restaurants was much better than the coffee you got at the drink stations or at Cabanas. I think they actually brewed it at the restaurants, whereas at the other places, it was Nescafe, which is nasty.

We loved our dinner at Royal Palace this night. And we got some good photos.

After dinner we came back to the room

and DS was there, so DH took the kids shopping.

While I stayed behind to write in my journal. They all came back and we watched a movie and fell asleep.

 

[Skyw]

The food looks yummy!!!! But I have been on a diet for a long time!!!!!!!!

 

[jecskc]

The food looks yummy!!!! But I have been on a diet for a long time!!!!!!!!

I hear ya, girl. But there aren't any calories on vacation, right?

 

[jecskc]

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Day 3 of the cruise – Part One

Nassau

Our day 3 navigator

We woke up with the boat docking in Nassau about 7:30 AM. It was really smoky around the island because apparently something was on fire.

And then it cleared up some.

We had a tough time getting the kids up, but we finally managed. We went to Enchanted Garden for breakfast and it was just regular buffet food. It was OK.

DD said the Mickey waffles didn’t taste as good as they did in the parks.

We went back to the room and took some more photos.

Our excursion wasn’t until noon, so we went out on the top deck on the front of the ship.

We got some REAL coffee from the Cove Café.

A ship coming in.

Another pan

It was about time for our excursion, so we went to 687 where we were to meet for our excursion which was the glass bottom boat.

We actually tried to cancel this excursion because we were tired, but they wouldn’t let us cancel it, so we just decided to do it.

 

[reelmom]

I am enjoying your report. We are taking our first cruise May 26, 2013. There is so much for us to learn. Thank you for taking the time to do a report to help us newbies know what to expect.

 

[jecskc]

I am enjoying your report. We are taking our first cruise May 26, 2013. There is so much for us to learn. Thank you for taking the time to do a report to help us newbies know what to expect.

Thanks for reading and stopping to say hello. This was our first cruise as well. And we loved, loved, loved it !!!

 

[jecskc]

Day 3 of the cruise – Part Two

Glass Bottom Boat Tour – So when I left you last, we were meeting at club 687 for our excursion.

They gave us all a sticker and we followed our group off the ship and out to Nassau where we were asked about 20 times if we wanted our hair braided by the locals. We politely said no thank you and continued on.

The kids were excited about the name of the boat which was Sunshine. Which is the name of our yellow lab at home.

We all got on the boat and the kids were like, “I thought this was a glass bottom boat”. I was thinking the same thing when our guide let us know that we would get to go down below to see the fish in groups when we arrived at our destination.

Which one is the prettiest?? You be the judge.

Atlantis in the distance

So we arrive at the cove where we were supposed to go down and see the fish. And we all head downstairs to take a look.

I forget what these fish are called (grunts maybe?), but for the most part, this is what we saw.

Every now and then you saw a colored one, but to tell the truth ….. this was lame. I could never get a decent photo of any of the pretty ones. And there weren’t many. When you think about the money you spend to do it, it really isn’t a good value. Not a huge disappointment and it wasn’t a bad experience. The guide was very entertaining and she told us a lot of interesting facts about the Bahamas. It just wasn’t a great experience. DH took DS up to the top deck and they took photos on the way back.

 

[Skyw]

We almost reserved that excursion. !!!! But now I wonder if the semi submarine one we did sign up for is any good. HMMM, ya got me thinking.

can't wait to read more.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

I am enjoying reading your TR! I've got to say that we saw the wrong part of Nassau! We did a self-guided walking tour, and everything looked old and run-down. We sure didn't see any houses like those!

My husband and I were traveling without kids, so we decided to take it easy and not book excursions (we were content to sit in lounge chairs and do nothing for four days). I am glad to read your honest opinion about the excursion so I have more info for when we travel as a family.

 

[jecskc]

We almost reserved that excursion. !!!! But now I wonder if the semi submarine one we did sign up for is any good. HMMM, ya got me thinking.

can't wait to read more.

We had a full cruise, so when the 75 day window opened up to reserve excursions, most of the good ones were gone. So we went with the glass bottom boat and we wouldn't do it again. I encourage you to spend your money on something else. It wasn't a horrible experience, it just wasn't worth the money.

I am enjoying reading your TR! I've got to say that we saw the wrong part of Nassau! We did a self-guided walking tour, and everything looked old and run-down. We sure didn't see any houses like those!

My husband and I were traveling without kids, so we decided to take it easy and not book excursions (we were content to sit in lounge chairs and do nothing for four days). I am glad to read your honest opinion about the excursion so I have more info for when we travel as a family.

Thanks so much for stopping by !! Nassau is kind of icky, I have to admit. But if you KNOW that, then you can chose wisely and make the most of it.

Next time if all of the good excursions are taken, we will just stay on the boat. I needed to read up on the excursion reviews more, for sure. For our next cruise, I have already started a spread sheet. I know, I'm a freak.

 

[jecskc]

Day 3 of the cruise – Part Three

Finally back at the dock

And we headed straight back to the ship. We wanted to like this excursion, but we expected a whole lot more. So if you are thinking about doing this, save your money. It just isn’t worth it.

We were just happy to get back to the ship. We didn’t stop to shop or anything, we just went back. Every time we returned to our room, it was always so clean.

DS went straight to his club and DD, DH and I went up to deck 11 to get some pizza from Flo’s. And DH went to Cabanas to get some food from there.

After that DD went to get some ice cream when she was finished, we went up to the sports deck

To play some Goofy’s mini golf.

This course was just precious and it was really fun to play. Only nine holes, so it didn’t take too much time. And of course, the weather was amazing. have I mentioned that ?? Well .... it was !!!

 

[triciari]

Great report! Can't wait to hear more!