Trip Report 2 Broke Guys - on a boat! 😃

Been debating when to post this. Some of you are already aware of our upcoming trip. (First cruise ever!) What came in the mail today inspired me to get started on this pre-TR:

My very first passport.

Note there is only one. Currently we are joking that I’m going alone because Brian’s got rejected. I’m sure his will arrive Monday.

When: September 5 to 9, 2022. Translation:

Who are going: Tony & Brian

Who is left out: Kylie, our nearly 14 year old German Shepherd Chow-Chow rescue.

Although she’s having a bath on the back patio right now, the pic of her is from a recent drive to the Florida Keys. We pretty much bring her on all trips now, including WDW. As she has aged, she doesn’t take being left alone as well, even with a trusted sitter. Even for one night.

So although we are very concerned about her, we’re trying to arrange multiple people visiting the house more often than just the sitter would, and offering the sitter extra money for more quality time. (Guilt money, for sure.)

And that will likely be the biggest out of pocket expense for this trip (except maybe the passports) because, true to form, we are doing this 4 night Bahamas cruise out of Miami (including all drinks, fancy meals, liquor tastings and souvenirs) entirely on Chase Disney Visa Rewards Points.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Why do groomers think anyone wants this?

View attachment 668894
(Gratuitous Kylie pic!)

(She’s not that girly!)

She's looking at you like "please take this off of me right now"

 

[Tuvalu]

Waiting for more pictures of the sharp-dressed men!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Waiting for more pictures of the sharp-dressed men!

Reading back to make sure I don’t double post!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

OK, it looks like we left off in the middle of day two (at sea) after Remy brunch(!)

Pretty sure these pics were from our trek from brunch to the shops.

B was checking for a charger (no luck for the odd one he needed) and I bought our two little items.

I did not buy this, but thought someone here would like it:

Disney details:

After a short break and wardrobe change, we were back at our spots: the Cove pool bar with Abhi, and our out-of-the-way lounge chairs.

We were sitting up here:

and this was our view:

We had fun with Abhi and ordered crazy stuff. OK, Brian ordered Crown & Diets. I experimented. Keep in mind, we already had wine with brunch, and I am out of practice in the drinking department.

I started with that crazy huge and fancy old-fashioned which I posted a pic of earlier.

Then there was this bourbon with a horsey on top.

Stock photo:

Why not? It’s splurge anniversary time. I ordered one, neat. Heaven.

My dad loved horses, and learned to be a trainer. He also loved “the ponies.” Uh oh.

Well, apparently, this company makes several different horsey toppers, one after another, not at the same time.

According to Abhi, if you collect them all and send them to the company, they take a slat from an actual used barrel, and mount each horse on top, and send it back to you.

#goals!

Learn something new every day.

While Abhi was very well-intentioned, whatever I ordered was supersized. That may not have been the best idea, but I appreciated the thought.

So when I next ordered a Don Julio Añejo neat, yikes it was a big pour.

I thought I’d taper off with a nice Absolut Pears and club soda before our only rotational dining at Artists Palette. Naturally, Abhi says, “Are you sure you don’t mean a pear martini?” WTH, I wasn’t feeling wobbly. Must be all that brunch, and this comfy bar stool. Go for it, Abhi!

I remember stopping to get a banana gelato on the way back to the room.

I remember Brian mock-singing, “He takes a whiskey drink, he takes a vodka drink, he takes a bourbon drink…” Oh, Danny boy.

I remember acknowledging there was no way we (I) would make Artists Palette in my current state. The booze caught up and hit me all at once after getting up from the barstool and heading back. It was all I could do to figure out how to order room service. It took a few minutes lol.

I ordered pizza, a burger, a steak sandwich, and a salad. (Options were limited from what I could see.)

Good Lord, that food was bad. I found that out closer to 5am when I woke up and tasted the pizza, because I passed out after accepting delivery. (Delivery was very quick, btw.)

The burger was OK. The steak sandwich was OK. We never touched the salad. The pizza…just sad, sad pizza. Lol. That’s not even me being a NJ pizza snob, it was just…wretched. Barely any sauce, plastic-y cheese, not a good thing about it. Definitely not the pizza you see out at The Cabanas. Pizza from 7-11 is better. (Much!)

But at 5am, it did the trick. I wasn’t hungover, didn’t have a headache. Took my vitamins. And presto! Day three.

 

[amjt660]

Max

 

[Tony the Tigger]

This was the last pic I took before “responsibly going to bed early” on day two.

This iPhone camera could never capture the brilliant light displays I saw with the naked eye. I wish I could show you those.

And this was my first pic in the morning.

After watching them actually dock the boat (I was fascinated on the Verandah for some time, still pondering that pitiful pizza) now I could see all the people getting off the boat to visit Nassau.

Not us!

First, we heard a noise and saw these guys cleaning outside our stateroom.

They would pop up a lot that day!

Next, we went down to guest services, where Brian was able to sign for and borrow/bring back to the room a multi-pronged charger that worked with his insulin pump. No charge (unless you keep it!)

On the way back, I snapped a pic of some princesses.

And upon returning, found these on the bed:

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Yep, it was pirate night tonight. Didn’t know how far we were going to take that - we didn’t bring full pirate costumes (we had Palo booked for dinner) but we did bring some accessories. It was “play it by ear.” Nice of DCL to supply these in case you didn’t bring anything!

And in fact, it was *double* Palo day - brunch and dinner! My fancy shoes were getting a workout.

You guys all go swim with sea life, I’m eatin’ good!

As some have mentioned, apparently Palo brunch used to be a buffet. That’s the last thing I’d want on a covid cruise. But after hitting up Abhi for a starter drink (there wasn’t time to lay out) we once again made our way up to deck 12 to be greeted by Pipa!

As it turned out, there was no buffet this time. There was a menu, and you could order whatever you wanted from any section. Pipa made it very clear: you could order dessert first, breakfast food, lunch food, etc.

She started us off with some traditional bread, and some pastries. Notice there are no bastardized “bread sticks” like Olive Garden serves, which are nothing like anything Italians ever ate, and probably are not even real food. They’re like serving Combos snacks and calling them mini pizzas.

These breads were fab.

We ordered two different antipasto platters.

For whatever reason,B’s phone took brighter pics (I think the spotlight was more over his head.) But I’m using my own phone now; so ya gotta work with what ya got.

There was a welcome Bellini or mimosa on the house. Then, in the spirit of adventure and going all-Italia I ordered this:

It’s a Balsamic Grande.

That’s right. The good vodka, muddled strawberries, and that same aged balsamic vinegar that Pipa was putting on everything the first night.

She kind of warned me about ordering it. Apparently some people don’t like it. (Imposters!) She said to just get past the first sip, and if the vinegar is too much, it settles at the bottom. Otherwise, stir it up!

I sipped. I stirred. Another fun experiment. After all, that’s why we’re here.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

And what the…

Even at Palo, there are more people cleaning outside!

 

[erstwo]

Ugh (ish) to the Blanton’s. I have friends who collect the horses. My experience at many restaurants and bars that serve it is they’ll let the person who orders the last serving/ pour have the horse. Several times I’ve had to ‘take one for the team’ and had a Blanton’s ordered for me (so we could get to that last pour and get the horse!)
I just can’t get into bourbon or whiskey (no matter how fancy those big ice cubes are!) and - ugh - I try my best but I usually end up Wasting half my pour.

 

[MinnieM123]

I did not buy this, but thought someone here would like it:

Very cute indeed!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

It was time to start ordering real food. Brian went with some version of eggs Benedict that I didn’t see the need to take a picture of. I ordered two entrées:

Their version of eggplant rollatini (which Pipa didn’t enthusiastically recommend) and a back-up lasagne (which she did.)

Now, over 51 years, I’ve learned to generally not order Italian food out - especially outside of NJ/NY. It will never be Grandma’s - and neither would this. Worse, they’re often made the lazy way: quickly, and with sugar and salt to make up for not letting it simmer.

But while Pipa was gently guiding me away from the eggplant (“it’s nothing special, many people take two bites and leave it”) and towards the lasagne, she mentioned details about the ingredients and process going into the chef’s sauces. Something told me to proceed. OK, “I’ll bite!”

These were both wonderful! With lowered expectations, I went for the eggplant first. Loved it. Beautifully done. Same with the lasagne, split with Mr. Egghead.

What I couldn’t help noticing was the sauces were uber-fab. Not sugary, not salty, simple but wonderfully developed flavors - I had to grab some bread to not leave a drop on the plate.

Let’s just savor that moment for a moment.

 

[k8einwdw]

I remember Brian mock-singing, “He takes a whiskey drink, he takes a vodka drink, he takes a bourbon drink…” Oh, Danny boy.

This cracked me up! Sorry for the "like" overload, can't wait to hear about the rest of the cruise!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Next course: I ordered Veal Saltimbocca. Pipa joked how that translates to “little cow jumps into your mouth.”

Brian got steak or something. He was not real creative today.

When Pipa came back and asked how it was, I said, “I waited a bit, but then I had to use a fork - she would not jump into my mouth.”

But she was delicious once she got there!

We could have kept going. We were torn between “getting our money’s worth” (we felt we already had) vs. not overdoing it. We were full, but not to the point of discomfort, and we were going to lay out on the upper deck, so I did not want to look even more pregnant.

We thoroughly enjoyed this meal, and it opened my eyes to the possibilities at Palo with their well-made red sauces. (It’s killing me not to say “gravy” but they really weren’t.) I was already looking forward to dinner.

Back to the room to get changed for the pool/bar and visit my fave Verandah.

What was I looking at out there?!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

What was I looking at?

Yep. Those folks on that thing doing that job. I told you they were everywhere!

You’ll notice there’s a rather large overhang above our Verandah. I believe it’s unique to deck 10, and was described as a hindrance by some who prefer more sun on their balcony.

Having not ever stayed in any other kind of room, we had no comparison to make. Our Verandah was not large enough for proper sunbathing (a few are) so it didn’t make much difference to me, and I could hang out there without direct heat beams.

They also warned it could be noisy because the high activity deck 11 was directly above. It was not. I believe @Tiggerish was correct in assessing we were in something of a “dead zone,” only under a few chairs which rarely moved. I couldn’t have hand-picked a better stateroom for this trip.

We ventured back out, the pool, drinks with Abhi (fewer than the day before!) and, of course, a banana gelato on the way back to the room. I was getting spoiled.

We had time for a short rest and shower before going to see Pipa again!

And here’s that view I love. (See, we got a little sun sometimes. Just enough.)

 

[Darstarr]

Now, over 51 years, I’ve learned to generally not order Italian food out - especially outside of NJ/NY.

Aunt Lulu’s, Boca Raton
Get the Brooklyn slice

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Why such a long break between lunch and dinner on day 3?

Because in real time, I had a business & bourbon trip to Louisville, KY.

Photo dump:

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Can I just stay home for a moment?

Current view:

Flying into Newark and driving 2 hours+ to Fishkill (Poughkeepsie) for the rehearsal dinner for my youngest brother’s wedding. Might not make it after the flight was delayed 2.5 hours. Preparing to feel cold!

Thank goodness I sprung for the 2 big front seats! On this plane almost 5 hours by the time we land.

So…let’s go back to dinner on day 3 of the cruise! Happy thoughts.

Our lovely Pipa once again greeted us at the entrance. While it was the same restaurant, tonight would be a different experience.

No crazy courses, no 3 hour marathon dining. Just a “regular meal,” hosted by the best server we have had the pleasure of meeting in years at any venue.

She started us off with 2 amuse bouche (each.)

One was the star gnocchi we experienced on the first night. The other was equally tantalizing but at the moment I can’t remember the ingredients.

There was also a drink on the house.

Brian ordered a mesclun salad. (No pic.) I ordered this beautiful ciuppin (fish soup.) Loved it.

Each time we dined at Palo, we were seated in a different area. (Each seemed better than the last.) They treated us well. Tonight we were seated not far from the private dining area, which I had looked into reserving, but a minimum party is required. Still, I took a pic of it from my seat.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

As I labored over the wine list without the usual sommelier to offer pairings, we discussed the strategy with Pipa. Inspired by the discovery of excellent sauces earlier at brunch, and wanting a more “homey” experience, I ordered the homemade pasta with lamb ragu.

This was the perfect choice for me, and it did not disappoint. When I eat pasta, I enjoy plenty of sauce (gravy.) This was smothered in it, and every bite was delicious.

By accident, I chose a wine that complemented the dish at least as well if not better than any other pairings we enjoyed the whole time.

Brian had tuna or whatever.

He enjoyed it (with a different kind of wine.)

She brought us these, which I think was another drink (my brain is shot. B will remember. He’s sleeping on the plane now like a chooch.)

And yet another chocolate sign:

This was one of my favorite meals. Simple, not too long, delicious, not too expensive, and not too much alcohol (did I say that? See what happens when you’re 51?!)

This is how we would do Palo going forward. The big tasting menu would be a treat once in awhile. (Can you tell we are definitely cruising again?)

When we returned to our room, this was on the bed:

We love our stateroom attendant! Perfect for…up next: pirate night.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I take you guys on so many trips!

Photo dump from my littlest (but huge) brother’s wedding in New York. Look at that view!

The empty chair was in memory of our Dad.

Here’s Joey dancing with his bride…

…and with his mom. She is 67 and a ball of energy.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Their dog, Millie, was part of the wedding party!

There were specialty drinks named after her, and black & white cookies given away with a sticker of her face on the bag.

We just barely made the rehearsal dinner on Thursday night. With all the delays, we arrived at 8 for a 7pm dinner, and the food was just coming out. We met the bride’s family, and I found out a bunch of people from my side of the family who I haven’t talked to in years were coming. (Wasn’t sure how that would go, really!)

Without boring you all to death, this whole thing was very eventful for me. Between the wedding and catching up with my Dad’s side of the family - some chats were wonderful and a couple were awkward. I had people coming to tell me stories about my Dad, which I appreciated.

Here is Dad holding one-year old Joey. He passed away a few months after this picture was taken.