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.

 

[PacNWTigger]

I'm glad you put the pin back up on the door. I just don't get people sometimes...

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I'm glad you put the pin back up on the door. I just don't get people sometimes...

It was still there this morning. Along with over 150 well-wishes on FB from all kinds of people of all kinds of politics, from high school friends to family to work friends from over the decades.

Love wins.

Can’t wait to fill you all in on the rest of the week! Hint: it involved a lot of eating and drinking, and missing other things lol.

I love love loved this experience, but I know how I will do it better next time. Looking forward to it!

 

[cgersic]

Love wins.

Love this!! Happy Anniversary!!

 

[lisak09]

Happy Anniversary, hope it was amazing

 

[MickeyCB]

Happy Anniversary!!!!


And I hope whoever removed your pin jabbed their finger on it.
(I know better than to put something like that out there in the universe with my crappy karma but couldn't resist).

 

[Maelstrom Troll]

Just getting caught up on your epic trip, and have so many questions! Since we couldn’t get the Palo brunch (yet), is the Remy worth it? Was it mushroom heavy or really foam heavy? We’ve eaten there for dinner a few times but never brunch. Did you guys pick up any cool souvenirs? I’m glad you guys had such an awesome trip, happy anniversary you two!

 

[Tiggerish]

Just getting caught up on your epic trip, and have so many questions! Since we couldn’t get the Palo brunch (yet), is the Remy worth it? Was it mushroom heavy or really foam heavy? We’ve eaten there for dinner a few times but never brunch. Did you guys pick up any cool souvenirs? I’m glad you guys had such an awesome trip, happy anniversary you two!

You didn't ask me, but I'll answer anyway! I love Remy brunch. Love, love, love it.

Unlike Palo brunch, it's plated and is five courses (not including the glass of champagne and slice of Jamón Ibérico that they start you off with before you're seated). I don't recall a lot of foam or mushrooms, but almost everything has a sauce on it, often added by the server when the dish is in front of you. A few years ago they switched the dessert to a Baba Rhum, which I don't eat, and they always bring me something chocolate instead.

 

[erstwo]

Couldn’t think of anything to say about the pin event that was nice enough for a public forum. So I’ll just say it was a great reminder to me to email my representatives again, re-affirming my support of codifying certain rights into law. Here’s hoping.

Glad you both had such a great trip! Sounds like there was little to no seasickness, lots of good food, and relaxing??? So glad! Really enjoyed all the photos so far and hoping for at least one more Kylie picture before you wrap it up. Lol

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Just getting caught up on your epic trip, and have so many questions! Since we couldn’t get the Palo brunch (yet), is the Remy worth it? Was it mushroom heavy or really foam heavy? We’ve eaten there for dinner a few times but never brunch. Did you guys pick up any cool souvenirs? I’m glad you guys had such an awesome trip, happy anniversary you two!

I was going to get into a comparison at some point, so I might as well at least answer your questions now, and then you'll see more detail as the trip went on.

Re: souvenirs - just a couple, will post pics. Something for us (the usual, most of you can guess) and something for Kylie. I was surprised how small the stores were, and how few. Images I saw online made me think they were bigger. Brian forgot his tie, and there was nowhere to buy one.

I'm kind of "filing" this trip report two ways: straightforward, but also geared towards folks who haven't cruised yet and may be on the fence - especially since we went from the perspective of being longtime WDW visitors but first-time cruisers. I'm guessing at least a few people here are in that same, er, boat. LOL.

So another point about the shops was they were closed most of the day on port days. If you think you're going to spend the day on the ship, ship-shopping in empty shops while everyone else is out in the Bahamas trying not to get mugged - nope. They don't open until 6PM on port days.

Re: Remy vs. Palo: to your specific question, I did not find the Palo brunch to be mushroom heavy. I am not much of a mushroom fan, although I like what mushroom flavoring does to a gravy, for example. I can deal with little bits of mushroom, especially raw, but I don't like the texture of most cooked ones in larger pieces. I had no mushroom issues!

That one dish with the ham mousse had the foam, and the foam was the least objectionable part lol.

At the top of the meal, they'll ask for any dietary restrictions. That would be the time to say, "No mushrooms, please." We did remember to mention Brian would prefer a no sugar added dessert. If you just say, "He's diabetic," then the whole menu will be thrown off. We just specify the dessert should be sugar free or NSA. Sometimes you have the option of an amazing sugar free dessert, like the apple thingy at Palo, and sometimes they bring you raspberries with whipped cream, and make it look fancy, like they did at Remy.

As some of you know, Palo is fine (Italian) dining, and I'd compare it with any WDW Signature restaurant. Remy is considered even higher (French/American) maybe somewhere between any WDW Signature restaurant and Victoria & Albert's. (In fact, one of the two chefs is from Victoria & Albert's.) The reason I wouldn't compare it directly with V&A is because V&A offers an experience with more courses and a higher price tag.

With that said, and this has a lot to do with our individual servers as well as the atmosphere: we preferred Palo. We're certainly glad we went to Remy, it is something to experience. But we got more heart from Palo.

I remember the anniversary we ate at Monsieur Paul at Epcot. We enjoyed the meal immensely. We felt a little uncomfortable at times. Remy was similar. V&A was not. Must be the French aspect LOL.

Both Remy and Palo offer brunch, and they offer dinner two ways (I think I mentioned this in the first Palo post.) You can order from a set menu with a few options, with or without wine pairings - or, you can just order from the full menu, and order wine/drinks.

If you book one of them for dinner on the first night of the sail, you may book it for a second dinner during the cruise. We booked Palo the first night, so we could book it again. I wanted to save Remy for the "grand finale" on the last night, which was our actual anniversary night. You may also book a brunch at each.

I expect if you don't get a reservation by the time you go, you will be able to add it on board. I'm sure it depends on how crowded the ship is, etc., but there were always empty tables, and I got the impression we could have switched our last night from Remy to Palo (stay tuned for that little anecdote.)

Since we didn't end up doing a lot more than eating at these two restaurants LOL, I don't want to ruin my whole TR right now, but if I were to go back to Remy (which I'm sure I will) I would possibly skip brunch, and definitely order a regular meal from the menu rather than the whole pairing smorgasbord/half V&A experience. But I'm glad we did the full experience once, and for a special occasion.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You didn't ask me, but I'll answer anyway! I love Remy brunch. Love, love, love it.

Unlike Palo brunch, it's plated and is five courses (not including the glass of champagne and slice of Jamón Ibérico that they start you off with before you're seated). I don't recall a lot of foam or mushrooms, but almost everything has a sauce on it, often added by the server when the dish is in front of you. A few years ago they switched the dessert to a Baba Rhum, which I don't eat, and they always bring me something chocolate instead.

This may be a covid leftover, but Palo brunch was plated. You could order whatever you wanted off the menu, in any order, as much as you wanted.

 

[Tiggerish]

This may be a covid leftover, but Palo brunch was plated. You could order whatever you wanted off the menu, in any order, as much as you wanted.

You're right, that is because of Covid. I wonder if they'll ever go back to the enormous buffet that used to be Palo brunch--which included not only the buffet, but also an entree from n the menu.

 

[dizfan917]

Kevin and I have spent the last 11 years in unwedded bliss and have racked up 14 WDW visits in that time but we've never decided to do a cruise. Thanks for your insight so far! This will probably help us finally decide to go (or not...). We'll see!! We're all about the dining at WDW, but we're not the kind of peeps who would enjoy the menu at V & A (it's too fancy and fastidious for our liking - we love amazing flavors and some attention to detail, but all the foams and gels and sauce dots and micro greens just make my eye twitch...), and we don't drink much... so I dunno. Kevin would dig the pools, but I don't think I could just do nothing and lay in a pool chair for the bulk of my vacation.

Our rainbow flag was stolen off our porch last summer. Small things like that can leave some hefty scars as much as we like to pretend that they don't.

Excited to read even more! Thanks for posting.

 

[King Panda 77]

P.S. today is our actual anniversary.

View attachment 665410View attachment 665411

Congratulations

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Kevin and I have spent the last 11 years in unwedded bliss and have racked up 14 WDW visits in that time but we've never decided to do a cruise. Thanks for your insight so far! This will probably help us finally decide to go (or not...). We'll see!! We're all about the dining at WDW, but we're not the kind of peeps who would enjoy the menu at V & A (it's too fancy and fastidious for our liking - we love amazing flavors and some attention to detail, but all the foams and gels and sauce dots and micro greens just make my eye twitch...), and we don't drink much... so I dunno. Kevin would dig the pools, but I don't think I could just do nothing and lay in a pool chair for the bulk of my vacation.

Our rainbow flag was stolen off our porch last summer. Small things like that can leave some hefty scars as much as we like to pretend that they don't.

Excited to read even more! Thanks for posting.

The like is that you might be considering a cruise, they are wonderful. I really liked the brunch at Palo, pre-covid, but I don't know if I would be up for anything too fancy and definitely not Victoria and Albert's style. Sorry your flag was stolen off the porch, I don't understand people sometimes.

 

[amjt660]

Max

 

[WWWD]

To hopefully make you feel better about the pin, it may not be a hateful act as we all assume. On all of our Disney cruises, I have seen kids do some really stupid things. We have had magnets on the ground and on doors a couple cabins down the hall a few times. Young kids just can't seem to keep their hands off things as they walk down the halls. Most times parents are oblivious. And, pre-teens like to hang out on the upper guest decks well past mid-night in their newly formed friend groups. I have seen them run up and down our hallway engaging in some stupid prank or whatever. The upper cabin decks are ripe for this as it's easy to get back to the guest decks. So hopefully, maybe it was some 5 year old who grabbed it, played with it for a couple seconds and then just discarded it when they found something else to grab. But if anything happens like that to make you feel uncomfortable, go to guest services, there are cameras everywhere on ship.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Kevin would dig the pools, but I don't think I could just do nothing and lay in a pool chair for the bulk of my vacation.

You don’t find this out until you get onboard, but there are literally 1-3 activities announced for almost every single hour from morning until night.

Lots are character meet & greets, but also things like karaoke, different trivia games (Disney trivia, 90s music trivia, etc.) tours of the ship kind of “behind the scenes.” Most of those events have a family version and an adults only version. All are included in your fare.

Plus there is a decent gym, watching the ocean from your room, adults only pools, etc.

For upcharges, you can do Senses spa, various alcohol tastings (sounds like maybe not your thing) etc.

It goes by so fast, we did barely any activities and have every reason to go back and do those. If you’re worried about being bored, do a 3 night as a test. That’s why we did a 4 night as a test (and we couldn’t bear leaving Kylie for a whole week.)

There will come a day, I hate to say it, my Kylie will not be here. Before we adopt a new family member, we will likely take some proper trips. (Our sitter was literally crying when we came home, asking us to let her know when Kylie is gone. I thought, “Does she know something I don’t know?!” WTH?!” We thought she’s been doing really well.

Apologies for the longer than expected intermission. I’ve been working overtime to catch up on work since returning home. In over 12 years, I’ve never been away from my business for so long!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Why do groomers think anyone wants this?

(Gratuitous Kylie pic!)

(She’s not that girly!)

 

[MinnieM123]

Why do groomers think anyone wants this?

View attachment 668894View attachment 668895
(Gratuitous Kylie pic!)

(She’s not that girly!)

I love Kylie -- who could resist her little face?

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I don’t know why it’s not visible in the pic (oh, the groomer covered it up with a bandana lol) but these were our only purchases from the onboard shop:

A DCL collar for the pup, and a Dream keychain for the Christmas tree. (We both agreed we liked it better than the actual Christmas ornaments.)