Trip Report - Wonder - Day 2 4/30/04

[gottaluvdis]

Friday, 4/30/04 – Nassau Day

We awoke to find ourselves docking in Nassau. The ship was in the process of repositioning itself by turning around as we stood on the verandah to watch. It was surreal to be able to open a door and be right there. I’ve been to Nassau before, but my husband and daughter had not. The first things we saw was the huge Atlantis hotel on Paradise Island to the left, the high swooping bridges to and from Paradise island straight ahead, and the port area with its many bustling buildings to the right. My husband and I both showered and changed while my daughter watched TV. Soon enough we were all ready and headed up to Beach Blanket Buffet for breakfast. We didn’t have any formal excursions booked for Nassau, so we didn’t have to be anywhere at a certain time. Instead we had planned to take a taxi to Paradise Island and explore the Atlantis hotel.

Beach Blanket Buffet is located on Deck 9 aft. We didn’t realize when we went for breakfast that there are actually 2 entrances. The elevator drops you off near the left hand entrance, but the right hand entrance actually has the kids buffet and seems to be shorter lines because most people don’t realize it exists. We entered to the left and it was very crowded. We chose our food and tried to maneuver our trays. Our daughter said she couldn’t carry her tray, so the 2 of us grappled with all 3 trays. The trays are good sized and can be an armful with the linen napkins and full size flat wear. One thing I noticed is that there are no paper products anywhere on the ship. It makes sense due to Disney’s concern for the environment – no one wants paper napkins blowing into the ocean. All napkins are cloth, all glasses are real, there’s no plastic cutlery etc. It was difficult to find a seat in the interior dining area, so we opted to eat outside on deck. There were CMs around to help find seats and even carry trays if needed. The breakfast at Beach Blanket was marginal. My eggs were cold by the time we sat down, and the pastries are the standard kind you would find at any hotel that includes continental breakfast. My husband had smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers on a bagel each morning, so he was happy. My daughter had an assortment of pastries and fruit. I didn’t see any yogurt that morning which kind of disappointed me, but we found some a couple of mornings later in the kids buffet line. Fruit was plentiful all over the ship. The fruit mix at Beach Blanket was watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and honeydew. I also saw fresh grapes at the fruit bar on Deck 9 in addition to the melons and pineapple. My daughter loved this mix, which was nice since she didn’t eat one vegetable the entire cruise (unless you count tomato sauce). It was a little challenging eating outside because there was a stiff wind, but we made it through. We found lunch at Beach Blanket to be much better.

Once we finished eating it was time to debark for Nassau. We had to show a license as well as our KTTW cards to leave the ship via security. Once outside, it’s a fair walk down the docks until you hit the street. There are vendors practically salivating at the end of the dock, vying for your business. Most of the dock vendors were taxi companies. You enter Nassau through a building that houses a small shopping area, and many taxi vendors. A man asked us if we needed a taxi and we said yes. He told us to wait a minute. We stood there a couple of minutes before we realized that we could just go outside the building and hail a cab there. The goal of the taxi operators is to find as many people as they have seats for to fill the cab. We weren’t going to stand there all day while he tried to fill his cab, so off we went. A woman approached us outside to fill her cab and we had to wait a little while, but at least we could see her cab driver pulling up to come get us. We rode with another family to Atlantis. Cab fare was $4 per person, not including tip. Our driver was a very informative and friendly woman who told us she would give free cab fare to anyone who could guess her age. Guesses ranged from 18 to 35, but no one guessed her actual age (50). She was a grandmother of a 2 year old! You never would have known it – I’m sure she knows that’s a safe bet for her.

We entered the Atlantis into the shopping area of the hotel. The Atlantis is absolutely enormous. The shops are very upscale, with stores like Bulgari, Channel etc. Décor was lots of smooth marble and statues showcasing the aquatic theme. We meandered around for a little before asking where to purchase tickets for the aquarium and the Dig. We were directed to a ticket counter on a lower level near the pool area. Ticket prices are $29 per adult and $20 for a child. Our total was $78 before tax. Once we received our wristbands we were off to explore via a cave-like walkway. There are many large ocean tanks along the walk that contain sharks, stingrays, and a very interesting saw fish. There is also an outdoor ray pool. At one point, the tank envelops you overhead and to each side so you get a great view of the undersides of the sea creatures. My daughter loved this. It’s similar to the tank at Sea World. Along the way, the Atlantis theme is echoed in ruins and fountains. There was an interesting exhibit of crabs at the end of the aquarium. The crabs were perched on a fountain ruin with chunks of coconut to eat. After climbing some stairs, the aquarium turns into an outdoor covered gazebo restaurant overlooking the snorkeling lagoon and some beach area. The restaurant looked nice but it wasn’t open yet. We took some nice photos of the main building and the water areas from this location. We decided to wander the grounds looking for the Dig. There are no signs telling you where to go and we had to flag down hotel workers twice to figure out how to get to the Dig. The Dig ended up being across the lagoon, on the other side of the property. On the way, we surveyed the casino quickly. The casino and hotel in general reminded me very much of some of the newer Vegas hotels, just in a nicer setting. We found the Dig and took the tour. The Dig ended up being another aquarium with more “ruins” and “artifacts” of what Atlantis could have been like as depicted by designers. We had the option of taking a guided tour if we wanted, but decided to venture on our own. I’m not sure a guided tour was needed. The highlight of the Dig was a touch pool where you could pick up sea creatures such as large starfish, horseshoe crabs, and sea cucumbers. Our daughter loved this. They provided nice towels to wipe your hands off as well. At the end of the Dig, there was a more traditional gift shop than the upscale shops up above. We purchased touristy items like magnets, and my daughter bought a water globe with a fake jellyfish swimming inside. All and all it was fun to see, but we wouldn’t do it again. Part of the reason we checked it out is that my sister is considering booking a trip to Atlantis for her anniversary and I wanted to give her the scoop. The next cruise we decided we would go to Cable Beach and have a beach day.

At this point it was after noon and we were getting hungry. We decided to go back to the ship to eat since we had no idea where to go in Nassau. The cab ride back was more adventurous than the first. Since it was lunchtime the streets of Nassau were very crowded with traffic. People were double and in some cases triple parked down very narrow streets that our driver negotiated well. The ride took a lot longer than the ride over, however, so we were glad to get back to port. We had to pass through the same building to get out to the dock area, and many women outside the building were soliciting hair braiding. We said no probably 10 different times before we got into the building. We had to show our KTTW cards and licenses again to gain access to the dock.

Once aboard there were 2 restaurants open for lunch, PC and Beach Blanket. Since we had eaten lunch at PC the day before we opted for BB again. This time, BB was not crowded, a CM showed us the right hand line, and the lunch food was plentiful and very good. We found a nice table inside where we dined on fresh crab claws, short ribs, salad, jalapeno corn bread and fruit. Everything was delicious, although the crab claws took some work. Being from New England and having navigated many a boiled lobster, this wasn’t new for us and it was delicious. Our daughter had her beloved mac and cheese again. The dessert bar was brimming with delights, most notable puff pastries made in the shape of swans and filled with cream. Our daughter was getting tired and full, so we brought back some cookies and a swan for her for later. We weren’t sure if we could do this since there were no paper napkins to wrap food in, but the CM told us to just take the plate. They have no problems with people taking the dining room dishes/utensils to the rooms – they eventually find their way back where they belong.

Hubby had seen some interesting foodie type shops along the streets of Nassau and he was interested in finding a particular liquor that we can’t where we live, so he ventured out into the streets of Nassau after lunch. Our daughter was so tired that we decided we needed some down time in the stateroom. She laid down for about an hour in front of the TV and I had some quality verandah time. Unfortunately, my view wasn’t of islands and water but of the side of the Carnival Fantasy that had docked right next to us. Even so, it was peaceful, breezy and nice to be out on deck. Once rested, DD and I had about an hour to explore the ship. She had decided that she wanted to participate in the kids club at 3:30 for the How to be a Pirate program and she was going to eat dinner with the club and stay until we picked her up for the show at about 8:00 after we ate at Palo. We went up top to Deck 9 and watched an ice sculpting demonstration on the stage and got some refreshments. DD really wanted to play table tennis, but one table was being used and the other table was curiously missing both paddles. Turns out that a boy of about 11 was wandering around with both paddles, apparently looking for a friend to play with. It was a bit annoying because we saw him a while later, still roaming around with the paddles and not using the table. DD decided to try Quartermasters arcade, so I swiped my KTTW card into the debit machine in order to get her a $10 arcade card. Unfortunately the card would not work in any of the machines – we ended up getting a message that the card was expired. I brought the card down to guest services after dropping DD at the Oceaneers club and was told that the computer system had gone down for a while so the arcade card hadn’t been activated. They couldn’t give refunds on the arcade card, but I could come back in ½ hour and they could put the $10 on the card for use later. Of course we ran out of time and never used the card. We had planned to just give it to another family but forgot about it.

I went back to the room to meet up with hubby, who was just returning from Nassau with his wares. He bought some souvenir type items and 2 bottles of interesting liquor. He never found the particular one he was looking for, but he bought banana and another kind. He had fun exploring Bay Street and walking all around, but he said Nassau really isn’t for him. We both wondered why the ship docks there for so long (8 am – 11 pm) and figured it has to do with the ship being registered there and they must have a contract to dock there for a certain period of time. I had read about Deck 7 in the Passporter, so we got some drinks and headed to Deck 7 aft for some quality time. We had a blast. There was only one person out there with a little child for a few minutes, and the rest of the time it was just us, hanging over the rail and looking out in the bay. We had a nice, relaxing chat and drink for over an hour before we needed to get ready for Palo. We cleaned up, dressed and headed for Deck 10 and Palo.

Palo was extraordinary. Our server was Serena from Italy. She and hubby had a nice chat about northern Italy (where she’s from) and how travelers overlook it. Hubby said he prefers northern Italian food and cooking. I had a lemon martini that was perfect – a lot of times they’re too sweet, but this one was fabulous. We didn’t buy the wine package or order a bottle at Palo because we both prefer different wines. We ordered by the glass. We also ordered a bottle of San Pelligrino sparkling water. The service was impeccable. I had the warm shrimp salad appetizer and we both had filet that you could cut with a butter knife. Serena highly recommended the soufflé for dessert, and I had read how good it was so it was a no-brainer for me. Hubby had panna cotta. I could have dove into that soufflé and lived there. Melt in your mouth heaven. Palo is definitely worth the time. We tipped very well and received a card the next day from Serena. A meal like that could easily cost $150 where we live, and I think we paid $40 for everything.

Palo was over all too soon, but we felt like a King and Queen. It was time to retrieve our daughter from the club. We had checked the pager plenty of times since dropping her off 4 hours earlier, but not one “beep”. When we got into the elevator at Deck 10 to head to Deck 5, we noticed a little boy in his bathing suit with a KTTW card. I eyeballed him to guess he was about 6. He looked upset, so we asked him where he was going. He said he was trying to find his room on Deck 6. Even though we were going to Deck 5, we decided to take a detour to Deck 6 and we explained that that was our deck too. We asked him his room number but he didn’t know it. We told him it would be OK and that we would be sure to help him find his room. He was obviously upset. Once we got to the floor, we followed him up and down the hall but he couldn’t find his room. He told us his name was Alex. As soon as we found a stateroom attendant, we asked him to help us get the boy to his room. The attendant took Alex’s room key and made a phone call and told us Alex’s stateroom number, but he didn’t offer to help us find the room or to take Alex there himself. We thought this was strange, but since we knew the room number, we set off with Alex to find the room. We ended up having a hard time finding the room, so I can see why Alex did too! We kept him calm and told him our daughter was 7, and that we’d get him home. Eventually we found another CM dressed in whites that actually led us to the room. It was aft on Deck 6. At this point, we weren’t going to leave until we made sure he found his room and his parents. Once we got to the room, Alex knocked on the door, explaining that it was his grandmother’s room, but no one answered! At that point, Alex said he had another room too and proceeded to knock on the door next door, and his father answered. His father seemed pretty unfazed by it all, and just mumbled something like “I wondered where you were”. Since Alex was OK, me, hubby and the CM just left. We were pretty surprised that a family would allow a 6 year old to wander the ship, but we were glad we helped Alex out because we would want someone to do the same if our daughter needed help. Hubby also commented that if you need help, find “someone in white”. I should also mention that when I checked DD into the club earlier in the day, a woman entering directly in front of me had lost track of her son for about 15 minutes and was asking the club counselors at the desk if he had checked himself into the club. He had not checked in, but I was very impressed with how fast the counselors were on the phone, reporting him missing and how pro-active they were. I’m not sure how old the woman’s son was, but he had to have been at least 8 or 9 or older in order to be allowed to check in or out of the clubs himself. The woman seemed anxious but not overly panicked, and I’m sure they were reunited. All kids that enroll in programming receive a wristband with vital information that helps out if they get lost anywhere on the ship. Alex did not have a wristband, however.

We arrived at the Oceaneers club a little before 8 to get our daughter for the show. It turns out they were across the hall at the Oceaneers Lab for “Storming the Lab”. When we walked in, there was a crazy counselor dressed as a clown, conducting experiments and good-natured joking with some of the other counselors. The kids were actively participating by raising hands, shouting, laughing and having a blast. Our daughter was front and center, so we waited a few minutes. She really didn’t want to leave, but she also didn’t want to miss Golden Mickeys. She really enjoyed eating dinner with the kids also, even though they ate at BB (3 times today for her!) They had their own special section away from everyone else, which she thought was the best. She also really liked the How to be a Pirate program and the visit from Captain Hook, although she’s getting to the point where she thinks she’s too cool to get autographs and hugs from the characters!

Golden Mickey’s was a fun show. The red carpet interviews were fun to watch. We weren’t selected to be interviewed, but it was fun seeing those who were on the 2 big video screens to either side of the main stage. I was interested in this show because we had sat with one of the choreographers during lunch at PC the day before. As soon as I saw the Tarzan tribute, I knew why our circus owner lunch mate had been hired. Hubby didn’t enjoy this show as much as Hercules, but DD and I liked it just as well because of all the characters and the razzle-dazzle factor. After Golden Mickeys, all 3 of us decided to shop again since the shops hadn’t been open all day. If you see something you like, grab it, especially if it’s DCL merchandise because DCL items are only sold on the ships. Once again, we were back in the room and in bed just as the ship left port at 11:00 pm

 

[wdwmom2]

Great trip report. It sure is sad getting off of the ship, isn't it. I had to do that myself 2 weeks ago.

 

[disneyagain]

I hope you're working on day 3!

We're so excited...I just called DCL and they said our docs should be at TA by middle of next week!

 

[sters]

A very informative report! Looking forward to the next installment.