Wonder Day 4 Did it have to end?

[DLihte]

We docked at Freeport the last day. As many of you heard already the Freeport dock is truly an eyesore but beyond the Harbor their are jewels to be discovered. After breakfast we took a cab to a place called Paridise Cove which is on the other side of the Island. Not too many folks know about it so it is very quiet and beautiful. Disney Excursion people have heard about Pirates Cove but not Paridise Cove so believe me if you would like to take the ride don't expect Disney to know much about it. I heard about it on the discussion board so we decided to give it a try. The only problem it was 60.00 dollars round trip for the 4 of us. The Taxi drivers know exactly where it is. The beach is something out of a travel brochure. Turquoise blue with wonderful snorkeling. If you don't have your own gear it is for rent.
They have rest rooms and towels and Lunch. Each costs a bit, so it might be somewhat expensive but compared to the Disney Excursions very reasonable. If you have been reading my daily logs you realize we did not take any of the Disney trips and had a ball while saving some money. On the way back I asked our taxi driver if there was any beach where the kids could easily find some shells. He took us down a dirt road to an isolated beach and we found about 100 Conk shells just sitting there on the beach. We loaded up around 10 of them and took them back to the ship. Some were quite beautiful and large. We gave them away to some of the kids on the ship and kept a few for ourselves to take home with us.
When we got back to the ship we ran into one of the Captains crew and mentioned to him that my kids where a bit dissapointed that we never got to hear the famous Disney Wonder Horn which plays When you wish upon a star" I told him that the music at the send off party was so laud that we couldn't hear the horn. He said that the Captain would blow it again as we departed Freeport. He said he would call my state room and let us know what time to listen for it. At about 430 he called and said the Captian would like to invite my kids up to the Bridge to blow it. We have it on video and on 35 mm and the kids where thrilled.
We had an 8pm reservation for Palos. Got a seat at the window overlooking the ocean. Food was out of this world. Right in the middle of dinner the full moon came up and lit up the sky. They had Andrea Buccelli as background music. What a way to end the trip. We took the kids to the Disney store after dinner and they finally purchased their gifts we had promised them. Off to bed. The late dinner folks get up later in the morning for breakfast. Early seating gets to breakfast at 620 and late seaters at 815. Another reason for my vote for the late dinners. Debarkation was a breeze. This was the most wonderful trip of our lives. Prepare well. be relaxed and don't let little things annoy you. Be friendly and start conversations. Count your blessing for the opportunity to do something that much of the world can only dream about. Enjoy your trip Dennis

 

[disykat]

Thanks for the great report, Dennis! I've been anxiously awaiting day 4 to see how you liked Paradise Cove. How many hours did you stay there? Were there any floats available for the kiddos? My family will probably go there on our July 1-5 Wonder Cruise.

 

[Nutsoverdisney]

Loved your trip report! Glad you had a great time. We were thinking about going to Paradise Cove after reading about it from a previous post. Can you tell me how long the cab ride was to Paradise Cove. Did you do the snorkling? My daughter 14, read on another post there were Baraccuda, and Lemon sharks out by the reefs and now she says she won't go in the water there. Did you see or hear anything about them. Also, for the cab back to the ship, are there cabs standing by at Paradise Cove, do you need to call for one or do you prearrange wilth the driver to pick you up at a certain time? Thanks for any info.

Cheryl

 

[girl scout troop 37]

Like you, I am having post cruise depression. Loved reading your trip report. Didn't we have the most gorgeous weather and very calm seas. Who could ask for more. I have cruised before and this was my favorite cruise ever. Can't wait to go back. If you go back, I know how much you wanted to do the dolphin encounter. It was fantastic. Sorry we were unable to meet but I did have my hands quite full with all those teenagers. Next summer we are doing a dude ranch in New York State (a lot more affordable) and then back to the 7 day cruise in 2003. Fundraising will begin again in August. God Bless you and your family and I hope you can cruise again on DCL.

Pam

 

[DLihte]

Thanks for the nice replies. First thing is that when I heard we were stopping at Freeport instead of having a day at sea I had a tinge of dissapointment. In reality I think one has more fun when the ship docks. It gives you many more options. I hear a day at sea can have 2700 people all trying to do the same things and it can get a bit too much.
Paradise Cove is very beautiful. It looks alot like Castaway Cay but with 20 people rather than 2000. I would have liked it more if I didn't put sun screen all over my bald head and face so my eyes burned so badly.
Arrange if you would like with the Taxi driver to pick you up at a certain time. He gave me his card and said if we wanted to leave earlier or later just call him from the rental shop. He didn't even ask for payment until he dropped us off at the Ship. Cab drivers are not an endangered species so if you lose the one who got you there they will call for another one without a problem.
They have all kinds of rentals at the little shop so I think that they do have floaties for rent.
I went snorkeling and went out very far. Probably too far because I began to get nervious when I began to see fish 50 feet down below me. It was quite an experience. I heard of no Barracudas or Lemon Sharks. The owner gives you a five minute introductory talk about how to navigate the waters. Most folks stay in shallow water and there is plenty of that. If you go beyond the large outcrop of rocks it gets pretty exciting or nerve racking depending on how adventerous you are. If you go out very far there are some rest bouyes if you get tired. Most of the area is family friendly but you need to beware of the areas of Corral because it can cut you if you are not careful. I did get a scrape but nothing more than that. The Freeport day the ship leaves pretty early so you need to head back by about 230 or 3pm. It is about a 20 minute Cab ride. Freeport has many cool excursions sponsered by Disney and ones you can do on your own. If you have had your fill of snorkeling at Castaway Cay than try something else. I know there are sites on the internet for Freeport and all of the oppoutunities to have fun. Don't be nervious about doing your own excursions. It will turn out well Love Dennis