Somewhere mixed in among the eating, swimming and ship exploring, we were allowed to get to our stateroom and drop off our carry on bags. I always have good intentions of taking some nice pictures of our room, but by the time I remember, the kids (yes, I'm solely blaming the kids) have made a mess of it and I don't feel like cleaning up just to take a picture. Rest assured, the room was very nice.
At precisely 4:30ish or there abouts (maybe it was 4:00. It really doesn't matter) we gathered at our assigned muster location for a mandatory lifejacket/lifeboat/here's what we're going to do if the boat starts to sink drill. Luckily, it didn't, because I pretty much forgot everything they said. Why? Because immediately after the muster drill was the Sail Away Party up on Deck 11.
Grandpa took the kids right up next to the stage while I wandered up to Deck 12 to get some pictures of the festivities.
The show was all about what's going to happen on the cruise. In typical Disney fashion, there was music, dancing and of course - characters. Each character told us all about something available to us - be it the food, the ports of call, the shopping, the shows, etc. Ironic that they used a show to tell us about show, but you know, whatever.
Now, I know what you're saying. Hey! Isn't that where the pool is? Are they making those poor people tread water just to see the stage show? Of course the answers are an emphatic
yes and a resounding
I doubt it.
Actually, the ship was designed to have movable deck pieces to completely cover one or both pools to make room for an audience. I was never up there to watch them cover the pools, but I did hear a rumor that they made everyone get out first.
Grandpa got them a nice viewing location, huh?
And, as the name suggested, we did indeed begin sailing away during the sail away party. The family wanted to head back to the stateroom to rest up a bit and get changed for dinner. I headed up top with my camera to watch us pull out of the shelter of Port Canaveral and into the open seas.
Along my way, I passed....well, I really don't know what I passed. I looked at every current and historical Philadelphia Eagle rooster that I could find, and didn't see anyone with the name "Proud Mom". So clearly, this is a custom. But here's where I get lost. How can you proudly declare that your kids are the most important things in your life when you're sitting at a bar pounding back shots of Wild Turkey and Budweiser no more than 10 minutes after a big deck party?
Anyway, back to fun Disney stuff! The AquaDuck hanging off the side of the ship. I'll have a full review later in the TR. Can't skip ahead. Need to adhere to strict chronological guidelines. Sorry, I don't make the rules.
Looking back at Disney's port.
NASA's massive VAB (vehicle assembly building) Where they processed everything from the Saturn V that took us to the moon to the recently retired Space Shuttle fleet. Side note: I love how NASA nonchalantly refers to multi-billion dollar scientific and engineering marvels as "vehicles". A Ford Pinto is a vehicle. A space shuttle is a
frickin' space shuttle!
At first I though these were the Liberty Star and the Freedom Star - the NASA owned boats that picked up the Solid Rocket Boosters after the Shuttles take off, but a little research after I got home told me they weren't. Rob - can I get a little help here? Any idea who these twins are?
For as nice, bright and shiny as the west end of the port is with the 3 cruise terminals, the east end is much more industrial. (Read: rusty.)
Again, I'm taking a stab in the dark here, but I'm pretty certain these are NASA launch platforms.
It took me a little while, but I eventually noticed that we had an escort on our way out to sea. A little tiny police boat was leading the way. You know, just in case some wayward shrimp boat captain didn't see a 1,115 foot long, 125 foot wide, black, red and white ship hulking it's way down the channel, the little blue lights on the police boat would surely get his attention.
The two other ships in port with us got an earlier start. Au Revoir biker gang!
I headed down to good old state room 2522 just as we were clearing the breakwater. I found Evan in what would be his favorite spot, sitting in the porthole, watching the water go by.
It's a cozy fit, but there was room for both of them up there.
Coming Up Next: A Rocking Good Dinner!
LOL! KIDDING!
Reid loved to sit in those all around the ship when we were on it. Did y'all have the early dinner seating or the late? We did the early & I thought it was a tight squeeze getting from the Sail Away party, to the room to get dressed & then down to dinner.
