Day 7 - So Long and Thanks for "Arrrr" the Fish! (Part 1)
Magic - 3 (Dophinaris, Pirates, Fireworks)
Peeves - 0 (Wee hee!)
Breakfast - Ham and Cheese Omelet, Bacon, 2 glasses of milk, 2 small glasses of Orange Juice (shared), 2 coffees (me)
Lunch - Steak (they called it beef, but it wasn't shredded beef or ground beef, more like chopped skirt steak) Burrito (me)
Chicken Nuggets and Fries (kid)
Dinner - Pearls of the Carribean, Carribean Style Conch Chowder, Captain Hook's Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi (me)
Mac and Cheese, Fries, Veggies, Steak with gravy, Chocolate Brownie (kid)
Snacks - Black Coffee (me), Raspberry mini muffin (me), 1 Double Shot Cafe Latte (me), 1 Mexican Coke (me), 1 Mexican Fanta (kid), 2 rum and cokes (me)
Dining Credits - N/A on the ship
Steps - 11,524 steps, 5.51 mi, 2979 cal
Ok, get ready for a long one. Today was a VERY busy day!
I woke up extremely early today. Around 6a ship time (which is the same as Central Time, US). I tried to go back to sleep, and normally I can. But today, it just wasn't happening. I felt too rested, too relaxed, and really didn't care to sleep any more.
It was still too early to wake up the kid, who was zonked out.
So, what to do with my time? I decided to go for a run on Deck 4, exterior, and then walk the ship. And, just for giggles, I brought you all along with me.
Oh, and you can click on the youtube logo to watch on youtube, then click on the gear in the video player you can adjust the video quality up to 1080 HD. I uploaded it in HD...but it doesn't play that way when embedded.
Yeah, I wore my GoPro on my headband. I got several odd looks from people, and a few asked what I was doing. When I explained I was doing a walkaround of the ship which I planned to speed up and put to music and post on youtube, I got several positive responses. "Oh, that sounds cool!".
But, I did look a bit goofy...I admit it!
So, after a lap around Deck 4 Exterior, I walked all over the ship for around 45 minutes. I picked up a coffee and a raspberry mini-muffin along the way. I collected a ton of video of the ship, all from a first person view. I've already reviewed some of the video using an HDMI cable, my laptop, and the rooms television. That's right, if your computer (or iPad) has the capability to connect to HDMI, you can use the stateroom TV as a display. Quite nice. I've used it the past week a few times as a second monitor. It's nice when doing code to have the finished product up on one screen, and the code and debugger on the other.
I backup all my pictures onto the 2 TB USB drive I brought with me. The other drive was busted (not surprising, it is a year old), so I donated it to Oscar the Grouch (threw it away)...I'm a bit bummed about that, but really for used drives that cost me nothing, I really am not complaining.
Around now the kid started to wake up. So, time to turn on the Disney Cartoons (I'll be dreaming of these cartoons word for word for months!)...at least they do seem to toss in a new one from time to time.
We lazed around the room. We didn't really have anywhere to be until 10:35 a. I watched us dock at Cozumel, and the whole procedure was very similar to Costa Maya. I also poked around on the internet some. Lets spend a moment talking about internet on the ship. It's much better than I thought it would be. It costs $55 for 100 minutes of time, $100 for 250 minutes of time, and $150 for 500 minutes of time. That's right, usage is based on time, not bandwidth. So, for example, I find myself doing a lot of work (like writing these reports) offline, and then popping on for a few minutes here and there throughout the day to check email, post responses, etc.
In fact, this is the primary reason I am not even trying to upload photos anymore. Flickr would work on it for 10 or 15 minutes, and then time out with an error. This is eating into my paid time, so even if I am working on something else online, it's not really something I care to afford.
I've also noticed that the internet towards the middle of the ship is better than aft. In my stateroom it's ok. At the pool or at O'Gills (pub), it's excellent. On my stateroom deck it won't even work (times out). Also, streaming (youtube, netflix, etc) is pretty much out of the question. While it will work, the lag is so bad and the time it takes to load / buffer a video so long that it's just a bad idea to do it.
So, while I wouldn't recommend you crank up World of Warcraft, it will function for day to day needs. And, it works far better than I thought it would. One note...be sure that you LOG OUT at the end of each session. You do this by going to a site provided to you by Disney.
If you don't, you'll find that your minutes continue to tick away, even if you aren't using the internet.
Moving on with our day...
We went to breakfast at Cabana's and, since we had only about 40 minutes until we had to meet inthe D Lounge for our excursion, we shared a quick breakfast of a ham and cheese omelet, and some bacon.
Docking was pretty much the same as Costa Maya. Nothing to note there. However, Cozumel is significantly larger than Costa Maya, and much busier.
We met with the rest of the excursion group in the D-Lounge, where our tickets were checked, a Simba Sticker issued to us (to mark us as "Dolphin Swimmers", other groups, even if going to the same place, were issued different stickers. Disney uses the stickers to identify that you are a cruise line passenger, and what excursion you are going on.) Then we were directed across the room to a gentleman who issued us wristbands.
We still had some time to burn, so I snagged the kid and we hopped over to the Cafe and got a Cafe Latte. Then back to D-Lounge to wait.
The staff was again amusing, yet organized. While not as funny as the CM who manned the Walt Disney Theater the past two ports, the staff here was full of little jokes and LOTS of warnings. "Do not bring any unpackaged food on shore. No fruit, no bread, no T-Bone steak that you have kept in your pocket for the past 2 days waiting for the right moment to eat. Nothing. Seriously, you will be caught, and the fine is $10,000. That's US dollars people!"
We didn't wait long. Soon, we were following a series of paddles (carried by kids, including mine, such a position of responsability!) down through the exit check-out points and onto an assembly point on the dock.
We were divided into two lines and handed off to the Dolphinarus staff. After walking the pier, we were taken up an escalator and over a bridge that lets out into a shopping plaza. "Plaza Fiesta" to be exact, but it didn't really feel much like a party...rather, it was like any other port. The vendors are very persistant. "Make your name on a bracelet in 5 minutes, princess?" Some really seemed enthusiastic about what they were doing, others looked bored, and barely even attempted to stop people...sitting in chairs, etc. Not that I blame them per se, it was HOT!
Along the way we ran into this guy...
Down a flight of stairs, and the kid informed me...she needed to use the restroom! Yes, great timing there kiddo! Your bladder and I will be having a serious conversation later! However, Jose, who was in charge of our taxi loading process, was very understanding. We hadn't started loading yet, so the kid and I rushed over to the closest restroom, and while I normally allow her to potty by herself, this time she went in the mens with me and I stood outside her stall urging her to keep a decent pace going.
We washed our hands and rushed back just as the last taxi was loading. The ride was what I had expected on a crowded street where traffic laws and right of way are more a factor of whomever gets to the spot first than any controlled method. Toss in people on mopeds scooting around, and it makes for a very interesting ride! Quite a few times I was convinced we were going to hit something (or get hit), but it never happened. However, we did get stuck behind a military truck that had rear ended a sudden stopping taxi. Appearantly there was no damage (or so little that neither party cared) because after inspecting both vehicles and the military driver (with armed backup) obviously not pleased with the cab driver, both got back into their vehicles and traffic started moving again.
Dolphinarus is an intersting place, and not what I expected at all. First, it's right in the heart of the metropolitan coast of Cozumel. Really, only a few blocks from the Port. In fact, we could have walked there in about the same time the Taxis took (and with less heartburn).
It is much smaller than I expected when we first got off, but this is decieving. Once you get back into the facility, it's actually a decent size. I had run into some people who did the Dolphin Swim in Costa Maya yesterday and they complained that the facility was small and the water was dirty...so I was a bit worried.
While I can't claim first hand experience of what they have at Costa Maya, I can say I am pleased to report that Dolphinarus is a very clean and well run facility. The staff, for the most part, are friendly and observant of the guests. Sure, some (like the lady at the cart) look bored, but then again...minding the souvanier cart all day must be boring. The locker lady likewise wasn't very outgoing, and the cashier in the Photo Lab (I'll get into that later) was flat out rude. But, everyone else was awesome, so I can overlook all this. Those few stick in the muds really didn't impact our experience at all!
Now, if I did have one serious gripe, it's that you get absolutely no direction from the staff on how this is going to work once you get there. I understood later why they do this, but for now, just put yourself in my shoes at the time...a facility I am not familiar with, and process that I really have no clue about outside of the very short description on the DisneyCruise.com website...in fact, all I really know is that I have a wristband and we are supposed to go swim with a Dolphin.
So, we sort of followed the herd who arrived with us, who, as it turns out, also had no idea what they should do. Immeadiately to the front after you pass through the turnstyle and have your wristband checked is a large patio with tables. They look like restaurant tables, with condiments in the middle and all. This struck me as odd, because I didn't see any waiters or food being served, or even drinks...so I thought that maybe, in a previous life, this facility was a restaurant with an ocean view or something.
People began to claim tables with their towels from the Fantasy, and from here you could see what we all had come for. The Dolphins in their pools. Current meet / swim with the Dolphin shows were being done, and we all got a good view of what we were in for, plus added fun. The dolphins jumped and swam and played together. Two of the side pools had dolphins that appeared to be off today (or on break, turns out they were on break) and they were actually even more fun to watch. They played with each other, tapped floating balls, etc.
The kid and I thoroughly enjoyed what we saw (though, I was still confused as to what we were supposed to do next). We talked about sonar, and I shared what little I know about Dolphins as she asked various questions. So, as an aside, and to get a bit serious here for a moment...I watched a movie called "The Cove" a few months ago, and this weighed in the back of my mind. I wondered, how many of these Dolphins came from Japan? Were they well treated here?
Now, I'm no Dolphin expert, but they did seem to be rather happy. The pens had plenty of room, and you could see that they had extra pens that were empty, and all the pens interconnected with obviously removable gates...I assume they open these up for times when the place is closed to give the Dolphins free time to wander through them all. I don't know this for sure, and it's really none of my business...but it is something that I thought about, so I am sharing it here.
Eventually I guessed we were in the wrong spot (we were, we were at the exit), and looking around for clumps of people, I noticed that the facility is much larger than I thought originally. There's a small walkway just to the right as you enter the facility that takes you over to showers, lockers, one of the empty pens I spoke of, another bay (which I later learned is the maternity bay, and they have two adolecents in there), a covered staging area and life jacket dispensary, and a quaint refreshment bar.
I noticed a small kiosk. This is where you can rent towels (we had brought some from the Fantasy, so no need) and a locker (which I recommend). Lockers are $3. You will be asked to surrender Photo ID in exchange for the key. I felt a bit anxious giving away my Passport Card, but <shrug>, I really wanted a locker key!
The lockers are well sized, and easily held our towels, my daypack, the kid's dress, etc. They key comes on a lanyard, which is very convenient for the upcoming experience. As a note, you are not allowed to bring anything into the pools except for your personal googles. That is it. So, leave your waterproof cameras at home, etc...because they won't be allowed. Partially for the safety of the dolphins, partially for your safety, and partically because they have a profit motive (which I'll get into later).
We wandered down to where the lifejackets are, and one of the staff pulled us aside and informed us we would be in bay 3, which she wrote on our wriststrap with a permanent marker. Then we went and got fitted for lifejackets and hung out and watched the dolphins. About 10 minutes later, it was time to head down to meet our flippery new friends!
After a short safety lecture from one of the trainers, we were split into our respective groups. One group was of younger children (4 - 6 or so, I'd guess) who were going to do the shallow water Dolphin Meet, and the other two groups were doing Dolphin Swims. We were introduced to our trainer / guide, Thomas. Thomas was awesome. As is usual, I've found at least so far in Mexico, the first question is "English or Spanish". I'd do ok if he was all Spanish (and, about half the presentation was in Spanish or he'd say both things). One family in our group only spoke Spanish.
The pool is divided into three sections. The deepest section is the domain of the Dolphins, and is about 20 feet deep. Next is a ledge that is about 4 to 4.5 feet deep. This is where the "swim with the Dolphin" experiences happen. Lastly, there's a ledge that's about 6 inches deep. This is where the meet with the Dolphin" people go.
This was a bit deep for my daughter, even though she's been working on her floating, paddling, kicking and submerging all week long to get ready for this experience. I am not sure what I had expected, but it wasn't quite as deep in the "meeting area" as this! Certainly not a 20 foot drop-off! I began to get a bit concerned that perhaps I had overestimated my kid's ability to do this. I don't want to be the sort of parent that forces her into experiences she is not ready for. The whole way in I kept asking "are you ok?"...She confirmed every time that she was, so we kept on.
Well, it turns out, as soon as she realized that her feet wouldn't touch the sandy ledge, even though there was a ledge to hold on to, she began to get a bit nervous. And when playful dolphins started to check us out (curious, no doubt), she got even more anxious. Nervous is the wrong word. I could see it in her eyes, she was a few minor steps away from all out panic. But, I held on to her and propper her up on my leg and whispered in her ear to calm down, and that helped...some. There were quite a few points during the experience that I thought about sitting it out, or indicating that we couldn't really participate. I don't want to cause a scene for the trainer or ruin other Guest's time here because my kid is freaking out about salt-water!
But, luckily, Tomas (our trainer / host) was quite adept with dealing with this sort of thing, and gave me ample time to calm her down while he continued the experience, out of order, skipping around us between sessions so she had time to calm down.
In the end, she did the whole experience, and she didn't break down (though, she did have a few close calls where I thought she might!) I was quite proud of her.
She floated out into the 20 foot water with me, and though she probably doesn't realize it, she was treading water by herself. I merely had my hand resting on the back of her lifejacket. I wasn't providing much in the way of beauancy.
Our Dolphin friends today were Aphrodite and Hermes (loving the Greek names! This from a guy who used to own a cat named Aristophanes (if you don't know who he is, google will help). They were great fun. Aphrodite is 28 months old and Hermes is 14. Obviously, Hermes was the most playful, but both were amazing to meet.
So, first we all lined up against the wall and our new friends swam by and said hello. We got to touch them on the back and sometimes they'd turn over and let us pat their belly. Our trainer warned never to grab them or to touch near their eyes, mouth (unless instructed to, we'll get to that in a moment) or blowholes (common sense, you would think...but, maybe not).
Then we got to shake hands with the Dolphins. You would float about 5 feet out from the ledge and put both hands on your life jacket. The dolphin then swims up and presents his/her pectoral flippers, which then you can touch lightly.
After this, another trainer joined us (I'm sorry, I missed his name) and the group began to do two activities at once. Half the group did "Dolphin Hugs" while the other half got to do their "ride". Then the two groups "switched". If you think about it, this is a pretty smart way to do it. That way, no one in the group gets "bored" and the group is easier to control (and as a result prevent harm to the guests or the dolphins), and it also means one dolphin isn't stuck giving all the "rides". I did my ride first...
Followed by the kid doing her "kiss and hug". In this experience you are instructed to put your hands in a specific signal and wait. The dolphins will kiss your cheek, and then you kiss them...yes, full on lips, on their chin.
And then me doing the same. If you've ever wondered what a Dolphin kiss tastes like...well, it's salty.
For the "hugs" we were instructed to place our palms, hands flat, under their chin and push backwards slightly, basically keeping them from floating or hitting the wall, and then we could pet them.
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