Part 7 Day 3 afternoon
So then we strolled through the stores at Atlantis and looked at the unique art work.
Outside there are some little boats parked
Theres a nice outdoor shopping district where we found a Tortuga cake outlet. We had a small banana cake.
Then we made the decision to take the boat back for a late lunch this led to the biggest bummer of our entire trip. This was our little boat back
This guy told stories about the rich and famous who have houses on their island (like Oprah and Nicholas Cage dont know how much was true). He then told how much they appreciated our American money and about all his hungry children at home, and then passed his hat. We thought, hey, we tipped our taxi driver, we might as well do the same here.
We just sat, listened to this guy ramble on, and enjoy the bright red color of the little boat.
The water travel allowed for some additional photos of the ship
So before we board, I took this photo of DW, and right after she gasped and said I had blood dripping down both arms! I looked and quickly assessed, thats not blood, thats paint! That fresh coat of red paint on the boat? It was much more fresh than we thought. My arms were all red as was my brand new
Disney Cruise Line shirt! I wanted to run back through customs and find those guys, but I knew they were already long gone. Onboard, guest services gave us some tiny alcohol rubs to take off the paint on our arms, but the shirt was going to take more work. We tried in vain, using various methods to get it out.
After all that cleaning, we deserved a break. Exhibit C
So now that we had our only negative experience, we decided to cash in on the Senses Spa Rainforest day-pass we had won the night before at Match Your Mate. What ensued proved once again why we were never made for the upper-class.
So we entered the same reception area where the snooty cast member had attempted to up-sell us the day before and I got out our certificates and said BOO-YEAH in her face (not really, but that would have been fun). We were taken back to the locker room where we put on our swimsuits and were given a bathrobe and towel. We entered the Rainforest area where we got some water.
We next went to the showers. Something you must know about my DW, she likes her showers one degree under scalding. Since a number of these showers involve cooler water (especially for guest in the summer months), each time she (or I ) would hit a button that delivered cooler water, shed let out a little scream. This is NOT conducive for the tranquil quite the spa is supposed to evoke.
So next we tried the saunas. DW didnt understand the concept of sitting in a hot room and sweating. We spent about 5 minutes in each. When we came to the steam room, DW said Oh, no-no-no-no! I made her sit, but in 30 seconds she was sounding like Darth Vader so that wasnt going to work.
We next went to the heated benches. Half of the seats were taken by people in various stages of consciousness. We quietly found two benches next to each other, but since we had not brought a book or anything, DW started to tap her fingers and wag her feet she was board. How about we try the whirlpool?
These whirlpools seat two so when one was open, we went over and took off our robes and folded our towels, but couldnt figure out where to place them, so we put them on the floor. Another couple came and took the other whirlpool, and neatly folded their robes and towels and placed them on the wood corner of the whirlpool. So in comparison, we looked like we had wadded up our stuff and thrown it on the floor. I hear banjos playing off in the distance.
DW turns on the jest in the whirlpool, and her little lightweight body just about floated out of the tub! She was laughing so much; I decided we had better leave so we wouldnt disturb the patrons any further. On our way out, we passed by a heated chair upon which was one elderly Asian woman who was nearly comatose at the time. As we tip-toed by her, she was awakened by her own loud thundering fart! DW had to RUN through the doors and as soon as I was out of earshot of the woman, I offered a Buddy the Elf quote DID YOU HEAR THAT???
DW had to be picked up off the floor and carried out of the Spa. We will never be invited back.
So, in our continuing saga of the shirt, once the ship went out to sea, we ran down to the shops to check with our darling store cast-member to see if she had anything to recommend for taking out the paint on my new shirt. She took a look at it, and shook her head with a glance that there was no hope. Long story short she went to her manager, and before we left, all was right with the world. Moral of the story: Treat cast member right, and they will return the favor!!!
So finally, it was Pirate Night! Earlier, we had spent Halloween going around to different local costume stores to find the perfect getups for the evening. When we got dressed that night for the show and dinner, we had the fear that we might be the only ones who got this creative.
We were happy to find MANY people who also dressed up. What was even more fun is that I had many conversations with children about my adventures on the high sea. I even was challenged to a duel by a princess who immediately disarmed my and saved the day.
Since we had late seating, we again first went to the show. It was Knight Magic, who did a top-notch magic show. There was both big Vegas-style productions and close-up sleight of hand. Misty, the female half of the show kept DW fascinated with her quick-change outfits, and kept me fascinated
for other reasons.
We then went out on deck for the pirate party it was cute, but we stayed out of the chaos for the most part by holding onto our hats and watching from the upper deck.
More coming about dinner at the Royal Palace!
I hope I run into you on a future cruise!
