Whoa-oh Down in Mexico: Coronado Island and 4-days on the Wonder-COMPLETE

[acndis]

Hello! Welcome to my first cruise trip report! I have two other reports (Adventures by Disney-Alaska and Aulani) but I have enjoyed and benefitted from so many other cruise trip reports, I thought I would write one for our most recent cruise, the 4-day Mexican Riviera with a stop in Cabo on the Disney Wonder. I saw that there was not too much information on the West Coast cruises so I wanted to highlight how wonderful they are.

The cast of characters is Me (Cindy), my husband (Adam), and our 11-year old Cruise Fanatic, Nick. We took this cruise during Nick’s spring break. I work at a University and we are not off for spring break but students and faculty are so it is a fairly quiet time to be out of the office. However, because of so many folks going out of town, it is beyond chaotic (and expensive) to get a flight. In addition, with Nick’s ever-increasing school demands, this will probably be our last spring break trip for a while. Fingers crossed that Disney dedicates a ship to the West Coast year round. We would love it!

For our pre-days, we planned to stay in the Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island right outside of San Diego. This has been a dream stay for my husband who has always loved the hotel and hoped to stay there. Because of a promotion with the Hilton Aspire Card, I was able to book our stay completely on points. We booked four days there but could have stayed a week.

As for our cruise, for many years, we only sailed concierge (this was when the price gap was much smaller) and we really enjoyed it. However, as we became more experienced at cruising, we found we needed concierge service less and less and though we miss the wonderful concierge hosts, we are set on cruising without it in the future. For this cruise, we had stateroom 5522 that is a hidden porthole room. It is the first time we have not had a veranda and we did not miss it at all. We tend to only sleep in our room and loved being to look out the porthole in the morning and for afternoon naps.

This was also the first time we were sailing as Platinum Cruisers. It was NICE. We took advantage of the free Palo dinner and felt like the black lanyard made a lot of folks feel comfortable talking to us and asking questions. It was a pretty good ice breaker!

This was our sixth time on the Wonder (we always end up on this ship) and we love it. We had been on the 7-day Bahamian from Galveston (wonderful cruise) in December so many of our favorite cast members were still on the ship. That made it feel even more like coming home.

So, that’s the set up. Next, I’ll get started describing our fantastic pre-days on Coronado Island (spoiler…Book a trip there, immediately). My husband will add pictures as we go!

 

[chamberlain]

Excited to read your trip report! We were on the Wonder in February and loved it. Also very interested in hearing about Coronado Island and the hotel!

 

[acndis]

Day 1

We left early for the airport and when we arrived, we were glad we did. The Delta Counter was mobbed and it took us close to an hour just to drop our bags with the Skycap. Somehow, I had managed to leave my TSA Precheck number off my boarding pass but adding it meant waiting in another line. Security was pretty crowded but I made it through in about 20 minutes and met the boys who had sailed through the precheck line.

Our flights were uneventful. We had a tight connection through Salt Lake City (I booked the trip on miles and this was the cheapest route) but we arrived early and had no problems. We also arrived in San Diego early, quickly collected our bags, and grabbed an UBER to Coronado Island.

Everything in San Diego seems close and it only took us about 20-30 minutes to get the hotel (UBER Fare with Tip was $25). We rolled up to the famous entrance of the hotel and unfortunately, the only thing the three of us could think of was that it looked just like the Grand Floridian! It is a beautiful place and they are just starting a multimillion-dollar renovation that should make it even better.

We headed to check in but our room was not ready. We were starving (it was about 1 pm) and even though we had a reservation for a late lunch/early dinner at 3:45 pm, we decided to grab a snack at the hotel bar, Babcock & Story. The bar is beautiful and very pleasant but (not surprisingly) SUPER EXPENSIVE. We had chips/guacamole (awesome), shrimp cocktail (also good), and drinks and it was over $90 for the three of us. Oh well! Everything was really good.

Since our room was still not ready, we decided to go hang out on the beach. We were not in swimwear but this is not an issue since the weather was in the 70s, quite a few people were hanging on the beach but were not planning to swim (the water is FREEZING). The beach at the Coronado is absolutely gorgeous. We had been to Byron Bay and Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia and that was our favorite beach ever (even outranking Hawaii) but the Coronado Beach has taken that spot. The sand is beautiful (flecked with Gold Mica) and is not sticky. Usually, I feel like I leave Castaway Cay with half of the sand on my stateroom floor but this sand was easily brushed away. The views are gorgeous and we had such beautiful weather you just could not miss being outside. We laid on the beach (and maybe even took a nap). Nick made some sand creations (any beach is his happy place) and we waited until we were called to our room about an hour later.

We stayed in the Victorian part of the hotel because we wanted the full experience of this historic place. Our room was smallish and a bit oddly laid out but we had plenty of room. I thought the room had lots of charm and loved staying in it. The Victorian wing is not very soundproof so we heard our neighbors quite often but this did not bother us and is something to be expected in a historic hotel. That said if an over-sized bathroom and complete silence are requirements for your hotel stay, the Victorian building is probably not for you.

Now, it was about time for our lunch reservations. Outside of the restaurants at the Del, there was not much appealing to me restaurant-wise on Coronado. However, my family loves oysters and there were good reviews for Bluewater Boathouse and Seafood Grill so I had made a reservation there. It is a cute place on the water with great views of the harbor and boats. As for the food, I thought it was good but nothing great. I had crab louis salad (good), my son had grilled octopus (he seemed to LOVE it and ate everything), and Adam had the fried seafood platter (he said it was tasty). Our waiter was sweet but very scattered. He totally forgot our oysters so he comped them (very nice) but also forgot my husband’s clam chowder (my husband did not have the heart to tell him—we were not charged). We still left him a big tip to compensate for comping the oysters but I think we all left thinking we would not return. The restaurant may be better in the busier season when I think the more experienced wait staff would be working. All in all good not great.

We went back to our room to chill for a while because we were all looking forward to the Haunted Happenings Tour of the Del that we had booked for 7 pm. If you do not know, the Del is one of the most haunted places in America. We visited the Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada (which also has a haunted past) and loved hearing all about that. Doing this tour was a must for us. I booked the tour online a few months before the trip. I think this was good planning because our guide said it had been very popular and both outings (7 and 9 pm) were sold out on the night we went. The tour was $30 per person and I thought it was a bit overpriced. However, the guide really knew her stuff and seeing all the scary sites was worth it to us.

I will not add too many spoilers about the tour but I think it is worth taking if you have a small group and are interested. In addition, to the haunted aspects, the guide gave a good overview of the history of the hotel and the architecture and we visited some surrounding buildings that also had significance. She also knew a lot about the upcoming restoration so that was really interesting. There is a book Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Del Coronado that she recommended and we will definitely pick it up. My husband would not buy it at the hotel (they sell it there) because of a story he heard on the tour (you will have to take it to find out). Nick LOVED the tour (he loves anything spooky) and was appropriately freaked out (even though he would not admit it). We hit some of the places our guide described on the tour (due to policy, they do not reveal any actual room numbers. However, they are on the internet) but that was later in the trip.

For now, we headed back to the room. We were tired from the early flight and the time change and had a great day at the beach planned for the next day!

 

[lorimay]

We stopped off at The Coronado during our hop on/ hop off trolley tour after our DCL cruise last month.
We loved it, only spent about an hour there, but want to go back!
The beach was beautiful.

Were there sand sculptures on the beach like this when you visited?
They were beautiful!
It was a chilly morning, but awesome.
I would love to see it on a clear day.

 

[Magical_Suitcase]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

Kate

 

[acndis]

Day 2



Day 2 was reserved for a resort/beach day and we were crossing our fingers for good weather. We got incredibly lucky with absolutely beautiful weather on every day of this trip but we got extra lucky and had gorgeous weather for our beach day (mid to high 70s all day)!

I had booked a stand up paddle boarding lesson for the three of us through the Coronado. Unsurprisingly, it was also extremely pricey ($100 each for one hour) but we had a very ‘when in Rome’ attitude about this part of the trip. We were paying for the stay on points so decided to splurge. That said, I think the lesson ended up to a be a GREAT value and one of the highlights of our trip.
Our son is a total water bug. He swims and plays water polo and is most happy, calm, and comfortable in the water. That said, we live in landlocked Austin and he spends all of his time in a competition pool. We only have experience in the ocean when we go on vacation. I also love swimming and the water, in general, but am a cold-water phobe and also a bit of a chicken. Once I get going on an activity, I am fine but I get nervous doing anything new (no matter how easy the activity!). Adam is a great athlete but a pretty horrible swimmer. Since he is good at everything else, we feel it is completely appropriate to point this out. Swimming may be the only thing I am actually better at than him. Nick, however, is a better swimmer than the two of us put together.

We were interested in surfing but thought that may be a bit much for our first foray into the California Pacific. Stand Up Paddle boarding (SUP) looks much easier, don’t you think? That was our rationale for choosing SUP over surfing.

Our lesson was at nine and we met Steve (our guide) over by the boardwalk area (in a part of the resort we had not been to before) right on time. I should also mention that we get free breakfast each morning with Adam’s Hilton Diamond. It was delicious and we took advantage of that each morning so we were well fed and ready to go by the time we reached Steve who would be our patient instructor for the day.

It was cool out and of course, I was worried we would be cold in the water. We were supplied with full wetsuits and Steve told us he thought we would be hot rather than cold (unless we fell in a lot—foreshadowing for some).

Steve did a quick explanation and then we all practiced standing up on the board on the beach. When we were ready, we pulled our boards out and started out into the water. The waves looked pretty rough and I was getting pretty nervous. I was worried about myself but I get more nervous with Nick as he is so adventurous and not afraid of the water. Steve knew the perfect time for us to push forward and start paddling out on our knees to get past the breaker so we could stand up and paddle. He was going to give Nick a push at the time but Adam and I would need to paddle. The time came and I saw Nick zing by me on his board making it past the breaker to the calm water. I was paddling like crazy but was super slow (you know how you imagine yourself looking amazing and then the reality is not even close) but I also made it and Adam followed. Now, it was time to stand up. Nick was up with no problems and seemed to be dancing on his board while not falling in—I do not know how he did it.

I made it up but then was really surprised how unstable the board was. I stayed up (I told you how scared I am of cold water) but my toes had a vice grip on the board and I was using every leg and abdominal muscle I had to stay standing. I started to paddle and I was doing great! However, my legs hurt so bad that I thought I would never make it the full hour. Then, within about 5 minutes, I relaxed and had a beautiful paddle almost the length of the beach at the Coronado.

Adam was not having the same luck. I was getting pretty far ahead of the group (Steve was giving me instructions) but I did have Nick behind me yelling, “Dad fell in again. Oh, wait! He’s up. No, dad fell in again.” We said Adam became the best Knee Paddle boarder of our group—he never really made it up on his feet.

I got out pretty far and then Steve told me I would need to turn around. What???!!! No one told me this part. I was just fine heading the way I was going. I did not want to turn around. However, I did start to make the turn. It was wide and not pretty but I made it and we all headed back towards the beach. We were going to have to go back over those breaking waves but Steve told me exactly what to do. I did it all pretty well but got hit by one last strong wave that took my off my board less than five feet from the beach.

Nick and Adam followed in both wiping out quite a bit before hitting the beach. I felt great but when I went to grab my board to carry it in, I was exhausted. It had not felt that exerting but it was wonderful exercise and so much fun! There is nothing like the Pacific Ocean and to have such a beautiful, calm, peaceful view was unforgettable. I loved SUP and knew we were going to get a chance to try again in Cabo when we were on the Wonder (more on that later). We were so happy we had done the lesson because we would have never known how to get over the breakers (oh man, I hope we would not have tried). I also have no concept of how to navigate or deal with wind direction (this will come up later) but Steve told us where and how to go with the wind making it so much easier. I was also not prepared to be so wobbly on the board. Without Steve, I do not think I would have stood up and placed myself properly on the board. With the one-hour lesson, I feel like I really know the basics. Plus, it was so fun. I also do not think the price was too bad when you consider the wetsuit rental was included. We loved it and would do it again.

Steve said that if the water is not calm, they take you out to the bay so I am glad the weather was nice enough to get the full experience!

After the SUP, we were tired and cold (especially Adam who spent a bit more time in the water!). We headed to the Coronado’s very nice heated pool where we spent an hour or two. The pool is beautiful and was never very crowded when we were there. They keep the water really warm and it is a great place to swim. There were plenty of pool chairs and they have bar and food service (more guacamole!).

After some pool time, I wanted to hit the beach. Nick was a bit reluctant (because you cannot really swim on the beach—cold water again!) but he agreed. When we got there, we decided we would bite the bullet again and rent chairs. We got the package that was $50 per person and included a lounger, an umbrella for the three of us, the option of additional chairs closer to the beach (we ended up not moving while we were there but this was a nice option if you wanted to play in the water), and food service (you had to pay additional for the food but there was a dedicated waiter). Again, because of our Aspire Card, we had a $250 resort credit so we thought this was a great way to use this. I actually thought it was reasonable (especially when compared to a CC Cabana) and it was really, really nice.

We stayed at the beach all day. We played in the sand. We had lunch and snacks (there is a great taco shack on the beach). The boys had an awesome game of Frisbee and we just chilled out while getting our Vitamin D. Weather alternated from a little hot to chilly but we were prepared and having the umbrella when it was sunny was necessary. Food and beverage service was prompt and very good. They also brought by ice water periodically which was much appreciated.



Like I said, it is a beautiful beach. We cannot wait to get back there! We will have to get Steve to try to take us surfing!



After a full day at the beach, we felt great. There is nothing like being by the ocean. We headed back to our room. We watched some basketball and then some True Detective because the hotel had HBO on Demand. Nick watched some Netflix on his IPad and we went to bed early.

We were off to LEGOLAND the next day!

 

[acndis]

We loved it, only spent about an hour there, but want to go back!
The beach was beautiful.

Were there sand sculptures on the beach like this when you visited?
They were beautiful!
It was a chilly morning, but awesome.
I would love to see it on a clear day.[/QUOTE]


Yes, the sculptures were there! So cool. Adam is going to post some pictures soon and I think one of these will be included. The Del is such a great place. I wish I was there right now.

 

[jedijill]

Great start! The Del looks gorgeous. I do hope you got time to "observe" and take pics of the Navy Seals training on the beaches of Coronado!


Jill in CO

 

[acndis]

Day 3

When we booked the trip, we decided that we would spend one day at Legoland California. We have been to the Florida version only once and stayed in the hotel (which was fabulous) but Nick was not feeling well that day and it was very hot (with very little shade at Legoland) so I do not think he ever felt like he got the whole experience. Since Legoland is geared for kids 2-12, we thought it was probably the last time he would really want to go.

Legoland is in Carlsbad, CA, which is about 45 minutes from Coronado Island. We had arranged to rent a car at the Del (there is a Hertz onsite) and drive to Carlsbad. This is a great way to do it. We had the car all day and it only cost us $55. The parking at Legoland was $20 but we still found it an incredibly affordable and convenient way to get there.

We had breakfast at the Del, picked up the car at 8 am, and set out for Legoland to try to be there by opening. It was a Monday so we hoped crowds would be pretty light. We did hit some traffic on the way (rush hour) but it was not too bad. The traffic in Austin is AWFUL so it actually seemed better than my morning commute.

We arrived at Legoland a little after opening. We had bought tickets in advance so we were able to proceed right through the gate. Legoland California is lovely and much better laid out than its Florida counterpart. There was lots of shade, which was much appreciated.



When we got inside, we realized that most place did not open until 10 am, which gave us some time to get our bearings and plan out the day. I had not done too much planning but knew we wanted to try to avoid the crowds so our plan was to head straight to Castle Hill when the ropes dropped. We did that and it worked fantastically! Practically no one else followed us. Everyone else stopped at the Ninjago ride or the Technic Coaster while we strolled to Castle Hill on our own.

Once in Castle Hill, our first ride was Knights Tournament. We had no idea what this was except it was a ‘thrill’ ride that was recommended. We were asked what level (from 1-5) we wanted. Nick and I were riding together so we started with ‘3.’ Adam was going on his own and blurted that he wanted ‘5.’ The team member then announce that ‘5’ goes upside down 17 times. Too late! He was already strapped in. Adam (who is prone to Motion Sickness) was positively green after the ride but Nick and I LOVED the ‘3’ level so we decided to go again (there was no line at all). This time we went ‘5’ and it was pretty nuts and started to border on not being that fun. We were glad we did it but would stick with ‘3’ next time. This is a simple but fun ride and was a top pick from all of us!

After that, we did ‘The Dragon’ coaster, which was cute, but Nick gave it a ‘meh’ (we had done it in Florida). There was no line but we decided not to ride again and instead wanted to head back to The Lost Kingdom Adventure. We sort of went the wrong way and ended up at the Lego City Deep Sea Adventure. This was everyone’s favorite ride and one of my favorite rides I have been on in a long time. It is important to remember that the charm of Legoland is that it is low tech (nothing like the rides at Universal or Pandora) and it skews young so take all my recommendations with a grain of salt. This was a submarine ride with actual sea life and a cute treasure hunt you could do as part of the ride. We all loved it as it reminded me of 20,000 Leagues at WDW all those years ago.

We headed back towards the Lost Kingdom Adventure where I had the top score! I was proud until I noticed a 6-year-old in the car ahead of me had beaten me by 600 points. We also took time to look at all the Lego Models (especially Star Wars) and rode the Technic Coaster (one of the longest waits of the day 25 minutes).

By the time we finished that, it was time for lunch and Adam had already scoped out the Pizza and Pasta All You Can Eat Buffet, which sounded absolutely awful to me. I tend to hate buffets and when Adam met me, I refused to eat at them. I have lightened up significantly since then but a pasta/pizza buffet at Legoland sounded like my idea of torture. I opted for the Ninjago themed restaurant that had Bahn Mi and other Asian offerings but when we got over there, it was closed for the day. I was outvoted. It was Pasta/Pizza buffet for all. Now, I have NO idea if I was just starving or really expecting the worst but the food was actually really good! The Pasta Bolognese was excellent, in fact! They also had a great salad bar where there was something for everyone. It was around $17.99 for adults and only $10.99 for Nick so for a theme park, I thought the pricing was good. Plus, the fact that we were stuffed and did not need to snack for the rest of the day. Therefore, I stand corrected Adam for the win on the pasta/pizza buffet.

After lunch, I made everyone do the Coast Cruise (I am a sucker for a boat ride). The boys thought it was pretty uncool but I liked it and Nick did appreciate some of the cheesy Lego jokes. We rode Ninjago (super fun but I was AWFUL). Then, we headed towards the Pirate Shores but stumbled upon The Adventurers’ Club, which was another sort of scavenger hunt/puzzle that we all really loved.

We were all dying to ride the water ride because we thought the Chima Ride (the version in Florida) was so fun. This was pirate themed and looked fun, too. We had to wait in line about 30 minutes and once we got on, it was not really worth it. We could be squirted by the people outside (not on the ride) but we could not squirt them (our water blasters were not powerful enough). We got drenched but did not have the pleasure of drenching others! What is the fun in that? This was the only ride that was not nearly as good as the one in Florida.



By then, Legoland was crowded and we had our fill. Nick sort of wanted to stay so we offered a trip over to the hotel to get a drink. Legoland has just opened the Castle Hotel and we wanted to check it out. The Castle Hotel looks neat on the outside but inside was not as impressive. It seemed great but overall, we preferred the Original Legoland Hotel that is still so cool. Adam and I had a beer (happy hour—go Legoland!) and Nick built some creations in the play area.

We mused over the fact that Nick really was getting too old for the place. I told Nick that this was probably the last time we would visit (thinking he would agree). He got kind of bummed and was sad that he was aging out. I felt bad for mentioning it. We had a great day and really enjoyed ourselves but I love the idea that the park is for younger ones and told him that many times, it is not as fun for the littles when there are lots of big kids around. He ultimately agreed but I felt like I had told him Santa was not real—whoops! I did not think he would take it so hard!



We headed back to Coronado Island around 3 pm and missed traffic. We were tired and still full from the pizza buffet so just decided to chill at the hotel for the evening. It was a great day at Legoland! I am so glad we went. It is definitely a fun, easy trip from the Del (especially with Hertz on site).

Tomorrow, we had nothing planned except dinner at Juniper & Ivy…

 

[oakleycat]

Great report! We're thinking about doing the 4 day out of SD for a cruise fix and can't wait to hear about it. We have two boys, 10 & 12 (who also swim and play water polo) who love the Del and Legoland. We used to have annual passes and they have been asking to go back as we haven't been in a couple years. I was thinking this would be the last trip and they would realize they're aging out of it, but maybe not!

 

[acndis]

Day 4

Even though our time on Coronado Island had been very relaxing, we had still been getting up early each morning to head to our planned activities. For that reason, we kept today completely open so we could decide what we wanted to do. In the end, we wanted to stay in the hotel and do very little. We walked around town and did some shopping at a great surf shop (Emerald City) after our usual breakfast at the hotel.

We came back and headed out to the pool. After some pool time, it was close to time to get ready to head into San Diego for dinner at Juniper and Ivy. We cleaned up and grabbed an Uber into town. It was about $12-15 to get there.

We were meeting my dad and his friend and were looking forward to a great dinner. Juniper and Ivy opened in 2014 and was started by Michael Rosen and Richard Blais (one of our favorites on Top Chef). It is consistently highly rated and focuses on fresh, seasonal west coast cuisine. We are total foodies and I have to say our dinner at Juniper and Ivy was one of the best meals I have had in recent memory. Everything was fantastic! Our dinner consisted of a lot of small plates for sharing but our favorite dishes were the Whole Roasted Duck (unforgettable), Oysters & Pearls, and the Chanterelle Mushroom Rigatoni. The Yodel dessert was incredible and my dad’s friend said it was the best dessert she ever had. For that reason, she scarfed down most of it (I just had a little bite) but it was amazing! Worth fighting for! Nick and I had more of the Cream Egg dessert, which was also incredible. I would say this restaurant is a must do! We will be returning when we get back to San Diego. https://www.juniperandivy.com/



We headed back to Coronado Island with an idea that we would walk by all the haunted areas of the hotel where our tour was not allowed to roam. We did not see any ghosts but some areas were CREEPY! I do not think I would be excited to stay on the fifth floor of the Victorian Building. It did have a spooky vibe.



After that, it was time for bed. We had loved our stay at the Del and were already trying to think of a way to come back. We had missed pretty much all of San Diego so we certainly have a lot more to see when we return. However, a four-day beach escape was perfect for us!



The next day we would be getting on the Disney Wonder!

 

[lorimay]

I am putting Juniper and Ivy on our to do list for May 2020!!!!
Love Richard Blaise.

 

[acndis]

First Cruise Day: Embarkation

Our stay at the Coronado had been fantastic! If we had to go home after our few days there, it still would have been a great vacation. However, it was even better to realize that our vacation had just started! It was embarkation day on the Disney Wonder!

As I mentioned before, we have been on the Disney Wonder six times. We love the ship and feel like it is our home away from home. We had just done the 7-day Bahamian from Galveston in December and really felt like it was our favorite cruise we have ever been on. We were sad it was only going to be a 4-day but really looked forward to getting back on.

A couple of notes about our family—we love the Disney Cruise (all three of us but especially Nick). Whenever I read all the wonderful trip reports on the DIS, I notice that we do things pretty differently than other families who write trip reports. We do not do Character Meets (unless it is Star Wars and/or Marvel and those we do sparingly), we do not really like the food (but dine in MDR pretty much every night anyway), we do not do any of the shows, and we do not use the pool.

I bet you are baffled by what we do onboard and we sound like real duds. However, we absolutely love the cruise and our must do’s are: for Nick, it’s all EDGE all the time, we have to drag him out of there. He loves the independence, meeting new friends, and fun! He loved the Lab and Club but has found even more of a home in Edge. He is so happy on the cruise that we have just resigned ourselves to cruise vacations through Middle School.

For Adam and me, we love the movies onboard (in the room and in the theatre). I think Adam watched Captain Phillips about three times in Spanish and English on one cruise. For me, I watched The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game just as much. The Disney Wonder does not have as good a selection of movies as the other ships do but we still take advantage to get some popcorn and veg out.

Adam and I also love the piano bar (the Cadillac on the Wonder) and can be found there after dinner every night. For that reason, we have been given a “Beverage Family” award on at least three cruises. At this point, I do not know if that is an honor or a warning but we do enjoy our lounge time.

We also love watching sporting events in the Pub (Crown & Fin on the Wonder). We watched Texas win the Sugar Bowl in December and sang the Eyes of Texas with our fellow Longhorns in the pub. This cruise we watched a lot of March Madness.

As I mentioned, we do not really like the food in the MDR but we do like the Premium Experience Dinners (Palo & Remy). We always do brunch and dinner there and enjoy it!

Therefore, our preferences may be different from yours but we pretty much have the whole thing down to a science. With one glaring exception, the dreaded EMBARKATION DAY, which results without exception with Nick, getting in trouble and the whole family being mad for a short period. So, dear readers, I hope you may have some advice for me on how to make a better plan for Embarkation Day.

As for the logistics of our Embarkation Day, things could not have gone more smoothly. We had our last breakfast at the hotel, checked out and headed to the port at around 10:30 am. Our UBER let us off in a weird spot so we had a bit of a walk to the area of the port where you check in and hand over your luggage. This was still no big deal and we got our luggage sorted and headed in. Check in was quiet. We were Platinum so it went very quickly but I did not see many lines anywhere. After we went through security, we only had about another half hour before we could board.

This is where things always start to get dicey. Nick is SO excited to get onboard that he becomes super annoying and we cannot wait to get rid of him. He was looking at the Navigator and asked if he could go into Edge during the Open House. I told him we would register him first thing but that kids do not seem to hang up there because the counselors are busy checking people in, etc. He was disappointed and started arguing that kids do hang out there. He was given another ‘no’ and backed down. He was bummed, though and was sulky through the rest of the morning until he was given the ‘suck it up’ or NO EDGE tonight annual Embarkation Day speech. Ugh! Will he ever learn?

Once we got on, we headed to lunch at Cabanas and had our fill of peel and eat shrimp (which we do like) and jello with meringue (a weird guilty pleasure of Nick’s and mine) and went to get Nick registered at Edge. Well, they immediately knew him from December and his favorite counselor Dion (Dino) was there. He was now even more excited. There were indeed NO KIDS hanging out there so he agreed (still sulkily but less so after the warning) to go with us.

By now, our stateroom was ready so we went to check it out. This was our first time without the verandah and I have to say I did not miss it! As I said, we had a secret porthole room and though it was partially blocked, you could still see the Ocean and it was lovely. I loved the room and would definitely book it again. We also liked being on deck 5 (we are usually higher) because it is halfway between everything.

Adam and I had booked a couples massage (one strategy to deal with Nick’s anxious, annoying Embarkation behavior) and Nick had agreed to watch Mickey Cartoons in the stateroom in the hour that we were gone. By the time we returned, he could finally go to EDGE.

Our massage as at 4 pm and was a great time to go (most are at Sail Away). We really enjoyed it but it is just so pricey. I think we will skip it again next time (it had been a while since we had been to the spa) but it was a nice way to have some couples time and relax to kick off the cruise.

We got back to the room and Mister Sour Puss was practically jumping out of his skin to get to Edge. Sail Away (or now A Wave) was just ending and Adam and I told him to head up there. He was overjoyed and we did not see him again until we went up to get him for dinner.

On our Galveston cruise, we had the best tablemates from New Orleans. They had a daughter who was Nick’s age who was awesome and we really enjoyed chatting with the parents. We had asked for tablemates again but I already knew that we probably would not hit it off as well with them as we did with the December family. I went to collect Nick from Edge and he was already playing with a couple of kids, one of whom was a cute curly headed boy around his age who just seemed (in my quick meeting) to have a good personality.

We were in Triton’s the first night and when the three of us arrived, my dad and his friend were already there. Our tablemates arrived soon after. They were also from the Austin area and said their son was still in Edge. I just had a feeling and I asked what he looked like—you guessed it! Curly headed kid was at our table. He and Nick got along great and this family was every bit as wonderful as our December group. Well done Disney! This made our dinner so much more fun.

As I said, I am not a big fan of MDR food. I have tried. My family loves eating but just due to the sheer volume and number of palates, they have to please; it always just tastes like cafeteria food to me. However, I still eat a TON of it so I am really trying just to order very little and enjoy the good company so I do not ingest all those calories I am not really enjoying. It did not work that well this time (still ate too much) but it is a work in progress.

After dinner, the boys headed back to Edge and we headed to Cadillac. Aaron, the piano player we really like was playing and we were trying to find Vicky, our favorite Beverage Service Host. We listened to Aaron (great) but found out Vicky had moved to Promenade. We would catch him tomorrow.

After Aaron’s set it was late, we headed to bed and Nick came home when Edge closed at midnight (yes, this makes us nervous but we got used to it). As always, Embarkation had its bumpy moments but many good ones, too! We were all so glad to be back on the ship.

I forgot! Adam and I actually went to the Whisky tasting after Aaron and it was great! David from Preludes ran it and he is really good. This is a great way to try some delicious unique whiskys without breaking the bank. Highly recommended.

So, how do you make Embarkation Day conflict free? Are there any traditions you have that make it great? I would love to hear your feedback!

 

[xavier2001]

So, how do you make Embarkation Day conflict free? Are there any traditions you have that make it great? I would love to hear your feedback!

I've often found its better for the sulky tweens to learn the lessons for themselves. If they want to hang out in Edge even though no other kids are there, I say go for it, they will probably get bored quick and end up back in the room watching cartoons anyway, but then not sulking at their obviously know-it-all parents. Wine and drinks of the day help with this too, of course that wouldn't help you in the waiting area. I have 2 tweens, so trust me I get the sulk, and its HARD!!

We were pretty hands off on our last cruise. There was no swimming without us, and they had to come to dinner, but otherwise they had pretty free reign of the ship as long as we knew where they were. The DCL app is great for that purpose, they can text us when and where they are and often they'd pop over to do a few activities with their very uncool parents.

Enjoying your report so far!

 

[acndis]

Great report! We're thinking about doing the 4 day out of SD for a cruise fix and can't wait to hear about it. We have two boys, 10 & 12 (who also swim and play water polo) who love the Del and Legoland. We used to have annual passes and they have been asking to go back as we haven't been in a couple years. I was thinking this would be the last trip and they would realize they're aging out of it, but maybe not!

Oh, I don't know. I think Nick was definitely aging out of it but it was kind of sweet that he was wistful about it. I think your boys might be bored stiff! It is such a cute place, though (as you know if you have passes). It's sad when they get too old for things! It may be worth one final tour!

 

[acndis]

I've often found its better for the sulky tweens to learn the lessons for themselves. If they want to hang out in Edge even though no other kids are there, I say go for it, they will probably get bored quick and end up back in the room watching cartoons anyway, but then not sulking at their obviously know-it-all parents. Wine and drinks of the day help with this too, of course that wouldn't help you in the waiting area. I have 2 tweens, so trust me I get the sulk, and its HARD!!

We were pretty hands off on our last cruise. There was no swimming without us, and they had to come to dinner, but otherwise they had pretty free reign of the ship as long as we knew where they were. The DCL app is great for that purpose, they can text us when and where they are and often they'd pop over to do a few activities with their very uncool parents.

Enjoying your report so far!

Thanks for reading! I love the way you think. I think that will be our strategy next time. They have started having a champagne tasting after boarding. We'll hit that and dump Nick. Then, I think you are right. He will figure it all out!

We have been very hands off last two cruises but it makes Adam kind of crazy so I try to compromise a bit. I just worry about Nick annoying everyone in Edge. He's a great kid but sometimes he has LOTS of enthusiasm.

 

[acndis]

I am putting Juniper and Ivy on our to do list for May 2020!!!!
Love Richard Blaise.

It is really, really good! Can't wait to go back...We have great restaurants in Austin but Juniper and Ivy was one of the best I have had in a while! Great service, too!

 

[acndis]

Great start! The Del looks gorgeous. I do hope you got time to "observe" and take pics of the Navy Seals training on the beaches of Coronado!


Jill in CO

We missed them but don't think I was not searching! The Del is so much fun. That beach is to die for!

 

[xavier2001]

I just worry about Nick annoying everyone in Edge. He's a great kid but sometimes he has LOTS of enthusiasm.

Never fear, the counselors in Edge also have LOTS of enthusiasm too, and I’m sure all the kids are excited that first day, they’ll get it sorted out.

 

[acndis]

Day 2 of Cruise: Sea Day

I should say a bit more about the whiskey tasting since I inadvertently left it off Day 1 (and added it in via edit). It was terrific. We had been regulars at the tastings on the cruise and had always enjoyed them but sometimes did too many and they almost became a chore to attend. On our December cruise, Adam became closely acquainted with the Whisky cart in the Cadillac and we tried something new almost every night. Vicky (from the beverage staff) always helped us with choices and we had so much fun and learned a ton about whisky and which ones we liked. Though this was fantastic, it was a bit hard on our pocket book so we decided to mix in a few tastings with regular outings to the Cadillac. Tastings are a great value and they always choose a nice mix of high end and more affordable options. The tasting was run by David who is the lead bartender at Signals on the top deck and he did a great job of explaining each whisky without talking too much. We really enjoyed him and were pleased to find out that he was also hosting the bourbon tasting we were doing later in the week. At this tasting, we had, Whistle Pig, Middleton, Buffalo Trace, and Glen Morangie. I loved all of them but both of us liked the Morangie the best. It was DELICIOUS! I drank every drop of each, though. I highly recommend the tastings. They are fun!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled sea day. None of us was up terribly early but the minute Nick opened his eyes, he was headed to Edge. He had already made quite a few friends and they already had a number of inside jokes that were not understandable or funny to anyone over twelve. He was having a great time and we were glad.

We were headed with my dad and his friend to Palo brunch. I enjoy Palo brunch but I think I am one of the few people who enjoys dinner in Palo more. I do love the cheeses but am not crazy for anything else on the buffet. Adam likes the seafood and my dad and his friend went pretty crazy for the desserts but I really like the ordered main course. I have had the lasagna Bolognese on the last two trips and I LOVE IT! It is so good (I wish I had some right now). My dad also got it because he enjoys it, too and we were both very happy. I do not remember what his friend ordered. Adam got the Calzone, which he said he felt as if he should have gotten something ‘nicer’ but he loved it and was so happy he ordered it. Overall, it was another successful brunch and it was fun to get it ‘free’ for the first time as a Platinum member.

We always keep the same server for dinner at Palo so we arranged with Soraia from Portugal to see her back tomorrow night (when we would be having dinner). I always really enjoy the servers in Palo. They are excellent and make the experience so much more fun.

After Palo brunch, I am always sleepy but we decided to hang out around Deck 10 for the afternoon (Basketball was not on in the Crown & Fin yet). It was chilly but nice on the top deck. We got coffee from Cove and may have grabbed a cocktail from Signals (and said hello to David) before we headed down to the Crown & Fin and parked for the afternoon.

We watched basketball for most of the rest of the day and were only interrupted with Jo came in with TV Quote trivia. If you have not done a program with Jo, you should! She is so much fun and very popular on board. Adam and I are contenders every time we play trivia but this is not one of our best categories. We came in second. Winchester from the beverage staff took care of our drinks (he was terrific) and finally we left to take a proper nap and get ready for dinner.

Nick and his tablemate friend joined us for dinner. We were in Animator’s. It was the typical Animator’s Meal (I did better tonight sticking just to the purses and dessert). I hoped a snack from Deck 10 (pizza! It’s so bad; it’s good) would be in my future. The company at dinner was great.

Before dessert, Nick and his buddy headed back to Edge. After dessert, Adam and I headed to the Promenade to see Vicky. He was there and showed us that now the Promenade has a gin cart (yay!). We tried a spicy gin, a high-end gin, and several kinds of tonic (who knew!). Vicky is the best and we had a lot of fun. After this, we were ready for bed. Adam and I went to the room and turned on an Avengers movie. I did not realize I had dozed off until I woke up to Nick coming home at 1 AM! This was crazy but he had a wonderful time in Edge and was very good about coming right home to the stateroom when it closed. Adam and I were shocked it was open so late!

We were all excited for our only port day in Cabo on Day 3!