Okay, having been completely consumed and riddled with guilt over prematurely ending my trip report earlier, I've decided that all of my life's events shall cease from this moment forth until my trip report reaches its rightful conclusion. After reading the latest responses from Churchlady and Babs417, I know that it isn't fair to call it quits. Plus, being a fanatical Harry Potter fan, the comment of Windy City Heather socked me as well. I have once again pulled out my cruise journal, wiped off a fair amount of dust, and settled into my chair. So without further ado
. (if ever there was need for a drum roll
)
Cast of Characters
Ward - that's me
Cheri - the lovely wife
Sadie - the lovely 13 year old daughter
Friday May 26th - Day 7: The Return of the Fish
We awoke this morning at 7am. Breakfast was once again at Topsiders and there were STILL no toasted ham and cheese croissants. I was sure hoping that they would make a second appearance during the week, but I guess all hope was lost at that happening. Cheri and Sadie went right back to the room to start getting ready, but I decided to go out on deck for just a bit to walk around. To me, Castaway Cay is one of those islands that just pops up out of nowhere. You see nothing, and then all of the sudden a glorious and lush landscape rises from the horizon. Although a bit overcast that morning, it did not hinder the landscape any. I watched the approach for a bit, mesmerized by the serene crystalline water, then myself headed down to get ready to go.
At about 8:30am we walked Sadie up to the Stack. She was booked on the teen-only excursion, the Wild Side, where they would go hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling, so this would be yet another day that we would be on our own. We left her in the counselors capable hands and began to make our way down to deck 1. The hoard of people trying to get off of the ship stretched from deck 1 to deck 3 and it was really rather chaotic.
Sitting here now, Im wondering why we even joined in the throngs of people instead of holding back, but I guess the draw for a hammock poisons everyone! So we stood there in the masses and made our way down the decks at a snails pace eventually reaching the delicious outdoors. We picked up some towels (yep, they hand them out) and started the lovely walk to the family beach. Since my wife and I are completely able-bodied individuals we forgo the tram for the scenic walk and photo opportunities.
Castaway Cay, to us, is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. One of life's "Happy Places". There are geographic places on the planet where you feel a sense of peace and happiness. Places where even in the darkest of times you can go and smile. In Walt Disney World, my happy place is Epcot. Specifically Italy in Epcot. More specifically, that marble patio area that juts out into the World Showcase Lagoon
at dusk when the light is just right, the torches blazing
standing there with a drink in my hand, a Nestle Toll House Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich in the other, waiting for Illuminations to start. That is my WDW Happy Place. Castaway Cay is my
Disney Cruise Line happy place. I think the "staging" of the island is amazing. Disney found the perfect island with the perfect shape. Ship, sand, water, and landscape just seem to belong, ya know? They work together, stretching before your eyes in a color palette only found in the Caribbean. I love it!
We weren't able to obtain a hammock, but we set up house in a pretty prime location underneath an umbrella directly in front of Cookies BBQ and the restrooms. Perfect! We could already smelly the smoky aroma of lunch.
Cheri and I went ahead into the water and played around a bit. It was chilly and still overcast, but not really looking like rain. For a short time, we had the ocean to ourselves. No one else had really made it that far yet. The water was crystal clear so the seeing was good. It's best early in the day before hundreds of people crowd the shore and stir up the sand tending to cloud the water quite a bit. Well that is when the fish decided to visit. I am not a fish expert so I have no idea what kind of fish it was, but it was white and yellow and big! I would say it was about two feet long and fat. He (or she I guess) swam right in-between Cheri and I. And this is where I have to pause to tell you a story:
Once upon a time there was a girl. Her name was Sadie. She was nine years old, and she was on her very first cruise vacation in 2003 with her mom and dad. She loved nature and loved the ocean, but was just a little timid at what might be lurking in the ocean's waters. She was playing in the sand on the water's edge on Castaway Cay. Her mom and dad were going into the water and were trying to get her to come in with them. She agreed a bit reluctantly and came with them. The happy family was standing in about three feet of water looking around soaking in the serene sea when another mother a few feet away started gaping and pointing near where the girl was standing. The father saw the big yellow and white fish first and every muscle in his body tensed for what he was sure was about to happen. The darling girl, Sadie, looked down into the water at her side and saw the fish, and I do believe that the entire island seized up on itself, retching from the bloodcurdling scream that erupted from the girl's throat. 
I do believe that seeing a massive, thirteen tentacled Kraken rise from the deep to engulf the island in one gulp would have been a more pleasing sight to her. She literally climbed her dear mother and could have possibly ended up standing on her shoulders had her mother not latched onto her. The girl screamed and screamed as the mother hauled her towards the shore. The father (evil, villainous father that he was) couldn't help but chuckle. The End.
I firmly believe that the fish
the very same fish from our first cruise three years ago, had come back to finish what it had started. Although this time without incident as Sadie was off with her crew.
We pretty much hung out all day. Isn't that what you do on Castaway Cay? We wandered out to the Heads Up Bar, a first for us. We found a few free hammocks over that way so grabbed those and laid around for awhile. We checked out the new Castaway Rays Stingray Adventure. Shopped a bit and then went to lunch. Lunch was fabulous as always. We were really looking forward to the soft serve chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! I believe that we consumed roughly five cones of the stuff between us in an hour time frame. At about 2pm we gathered our things are headed back onboard. We went right to the room and crashed for awhile. Sadie came back around 4pm and was looking very glum. Her hat was missing. She went with a Volcom baseball cap and it was missing when they came back from kayaking. We went down to Guest Services, and they said they would keep an eye out for it but there wasn't a whole lot they could do.
Dinner that night was in Parrot Cay and this would be the highlight of the entire cruise for my wife. She fell in love with a dessert on our last cruise called the Celebration Cake. It's some sort of strawberries and cream cake concoction that (I admit) is to die for. Well she had been waiting and waiting and waiting for this night to come. She knew it fell on the last evenings menu. The main course over, it was time to select desserts. I told Octavian that this was the moment my wife was waiting for. I had teased her endlessly up to this point saying that I was sure they weren't going to have it. Well not only did Octavian bring her Celebration Cake, but he brought her two to take back to the room with her! How's that for magic-making? Psst
only one piece made it back to the room.
That evening was the final show, Remember the Magic. This one was new to us. They didn't have it on the Wonder last time. Oh my gosh, talk about magical and emotional. I highly recommend this show.. Especially for the true Disney fans. A magical mixture of drama, video clips, and music, it is Disney magic at its finest. After the show, we weren't quite sure what to do with ourselves so we pondered the navigator for awhile and saw something called Pub Night in Diversions. I had never heard of this and had no clue what it was but something drew us to it. So we went
this may be the funniest thing I have ever ever EVER attended. I'm not going to say much about it for fear of ruining it (plus there is no way I could do it any justice) but all must see this! It is a skit starring your cruise entertainment staff. If only I had had my camera.
After the laughs, it was way past our bedtime. That heavy mushy sack of dread and sadness had settled in our stomachs about this time knowing that in a few hours we would be having our final breakfast before leaving for good. So it was off to bed for the last time. We put our bags outside of our room and went to sleep.
Up Next: The Conclusion
Okay...here goes...Ship Great! Weather Great! Food Great! Never saw the kids! There...how was that??? 
Oh please, Your Highness-BRING US THE LAMP!! 
I don't blame anyone if they never want to read anything I post again. 
ChurchLady help
on this one, but you know that whole FREE WILL thing may apply here.
And remember, we will always have each other!! 
I've been working on my own trip report in a Word Document. It is far from finished and you definitely won't see it until it is complete. Until then, it's TTFN! 
There can't be that much left....Shouldn't take long? (OK, so I"m whining). That's like not finishing Lord of the Rings....Star Wars....Not having a Jaws 3 (ok, bad example) crazy: Seriously though, if that IS the end...it WAS fun while it lasted.
together 
...all thanks to our well-versed albeit EVIL leader, the GREAT AND POWERFUL ROYAL V.
(especially for those of us who were actually there!!). This thread was just what the doctor ordered for my Cruise withdrawals. 
It's been over 2 months since we touched ground again and the little sparks of pixie dust 
from this thread helped me to wean myself back to reality.
but...
Fade to black...
