Trip Report englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

Salutations!

What's a Surf and Turf? Well, stick around, you are about to find out!

So, the trip has finally started! This first leg of the trip consists of a flight from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. Here, I will meet up with the kid and her mom, and we'll crash for the night at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, two stops on the Metro (DC's Subway System) from Reagan National.

But, I get ahead of myself. Let me introduce ourselves for those who don't know about me, and / or didn't follow along with the Pre-Trip report!

I'm englanddg. <waves hello>

And this is my 8 year old daughter, Kaylee (a.k.a. KK, "the Kid" or "Kiddo").

As you can see, we both like T. Rowe Price Piggies!

Oh, you want to know my age? Well, lets just say I'm old enough...<grin>

So, some history...well...we have been going annually to Disneyworld since 2010, and each trip has been different and more fun than the last.

2010 - First Trip as a Parent
This first year we stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort for 14 days. I had been many times before (my Grandparents lived near Ocala, and I had a Florida Residents Annual Pass), but that was my first trip taking the kid, and as a parent.

Here's a picture of what happens when you don't finish your Turkey Leg.

And, of course...before my Kid turned to the DARK SIDE (keep going, intrepid readers, the answer awaits!)

Oh, and here's one of my videos commemorating that trip:



Yes, that's right, I'm one of those people who likes to make funky you tube videos about my trips. Some people trip report, some people organize photos and make scrapbooks...I edit videos!

2011 - Kid, Mom and Uncle!
In 2011, I took the kid on a tour of DC for a few days. We did the Smithsonian, the tour of the Capital Building, and a bunch of other things. Then, we flew back to Atlanta for a few weeks, and then on to Orlando for another 14 days at Caribbean Beach Resort.

I had told her we were "meeting Mommy", which technically wasn't false. This trip was special because her Mom and then 10 year old Uncle joined us halfway through. But, the kid had no idea we were going to WDW, and even less idea that's where Mommy was going to meet us!

We surprised my daughter by meeting up secretly at the Castle right before Wishes. The kiddo had no clue, and freaked out. Of course, I got it on video...and...it came out terrible! The lights had already shut off for the show, so you couldn't see anything.

This is her Uncle, though he will not be joining us this trip, just thought I'd give him a little shout out.

Here's a bonus picture of Darth Kiddo (her Mom is in the background). SEE, I TOLD YOU SHE TURNED TO THE DARK SIDE!

And, of course...I made a video for this trip!



2012 - Dancing around the Disney World
The kiddo stayed with me the whole summer last year, and we started it with a blast, going to see the Cirque de Soleis Immortal Tour in Atlanta.

Here she got her Michael Jackson hat...one of her most treasured posessions (I kid you not).

We stayed late and watched them strike the show, which, considering I used to do stagework, was fun to watch. That's what is going on behind her.

So, for that years trip to "The World", we decided to do something different. So, we did 3 days at Universal Studios, staying at the Royal Pacific. We also did 11 days at Disney, staying at Pop Century. It was also the first trip I told her in advance we were going (this year I did not, having learned my lesson!)

Oh, and that was also the first trip I wrote a complete trip report for, live, while I was there...which is what I will endeavor to do again this trip.

You can read it here.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/englanddgs-magical-mystery-tour.847588/

Also, there is a reason that it was called the "Dancing" trip...because...well...we DANCED!


That trip was loads of fun. I tried to be good, I really did...but, well, if anyone has ever thought that the marketing on the Magical Express ride back to Orlando Airport didn't work, think again!

I decided this coming year, we'd change it up even more. We'd do a DISNEY CRUISE!

A few weeks later, I had us booked in a Veranda Room on the Disney Fantasy, sailing out in a year. I also booked a split stay at WDW, for various reasons which I will get into in a moment.

And so, friends...that brings us to today, read on. <continued next post!>

 

[luv]

Poor kid, being told she had to leave right away. Can't wait to hear about check-in on the ship and how you're both enjoying it!

 

[englanddg]

Day 3 - Here Comes the Surf!

(Edited, Updated Post with Pictures Here)

englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

 

[englanddg]

Poor kid, being told she had to leave right away. Can't wait to hear about check-in on the ship and how you're both enjoying it!

She took it pretty rough. I think that's partially why she wanted to go to bed right after Wishes (she did that of her own accord)...

But, read on...she forgave me once she found out what was coming next!

 

[englanddg]

Day 4 - So Much to See at Sea!

Magic - 0
Peeves - 1 (Formal Night)
Breakfast - Too much to List, buffet (me and kid)
Lunch - None
Dinner - Steak Sandwich, Fries (me), Chicken Tenders, Fries (kid)
Snacks - Lots of free Soda, snacks from the Vista Cafe (shared)
Dining Credits - Not Applicable on the Ship
Steps - 5,830 steps / 2.83 mi / 2,484 cal

So, first night on board was sortof a bust. We didn't eat dinner in a fancy restaurant, we didn't see any shows (though I did poke my head in on the Sailing Away show in the Walt Disney Theatre, and wasn't impressed...but I hardly sat through more than a few minutes either...so it's not a fair judgement.)

I felt lost and uncomfortable, and the kid was upset because swimming pools (I'm convinced) are like an addictive drug to children. Especially ones that are shallow and they feel comfortable in (which is every pool she's allowed access to on the Fantasy).



Mind you, I have no issues traveling or trying new things. But, there is a difference when you have a child in tow who's moods and expectations you need to manage. This is where WDW has spoiled me. Even planning our 2010 trip, I still had a pretty good idea of how the parks worked, what to expect, what to skip and how to organize and plan things. Though the parks had changed a lot over the past decade, they hadn't changed so radically that I didn't feel comfortable making decisions as to what we should do and see.

Similarly, the Disneyland trip in Feb felt much the same. It was just a quaint (yes, I said it, quaint) version of WDW (I don't care to get into a DLC vs WDW debate in this report, so I'll say it here as a disclaimer, WDW is my home resort, and I don't see that changing anytime soon)...

Anyhow, it felt much the same. Similar attractions, similar terms, similar experience. Different surroundings.

The cruise is completely different. It's a culture shock to a park goer at the deepest levels. It's not hot (though it can be). It's not sweaty (though it can be). It's not rushed (though it can be). It's not crowded wall to wall (most of the time). Many, I've read from trip reports, walk away from it swearing off the parks and become Cruise junkies. I don't see it yet. But, I do see why they may feel that way.

Imagine taking a deluxe resort at WDW, putting it on a hull, and floating it to controlled, yet exotic destinations. If you can picture that, then imagine slapping on a small version of the old Pleasure Island nightlife and live entertainment from Downtown Disney (or Disney Springs, as I need to get in the habit of calling it now)...

Add to that an Epcot "World Showcase" pavilion that changes out every day or two, and is far more real and varied in experience than anything Epcot has to offer.

Toss in world class signature dining on a nightly basis as NO EXTRA COST, and that is just the normal tier of Dining. There is still a level above that (Remy and Palo, at least on this ship).

If you can imagine all that, then you can begin to understand a Disney Cruise.

Talk about culture shock to a lifelong park goer.

And, I'm still in it as of Day 4. Today was "Formal Night". Considering how my "park attire" made me feel uncomfortable yesterday, today was even worse. I packed largely shorts and t-shirts, because...well...that's what you wear most of the time at WDW. If you wear anything else on a regular basis you are being silly about it. You'll sweat stain your favorite polo and end up with embarassing marks on your nice slacks in the...um...nether regions. It's just not a smart move.

On the cruise...well, polo and slacks are considered "casual"...and many take it as just that. So, you can see how me, running around in my ratty park cargo shorts and t-shirt felt a bit underdressed.

As I said, tonight was formal night...which made it all worse.

But, let me not get too far ahead of myself.

Today was a full day at sea. I had been told that these were the days I'd enjoy the most, as there is quite literally nothing to do but relax. I found this...true...but unnerving. No bus to rush and catch. No rides to fastpass and ADRs to meet. No waiting in the hot sun sharing a water with the kiddo and trying not to think about how sure I am my eyebrows are melting off.

Nope. Just...comfort. Sheer...comfort.

We both slept in, very late in fact. I didn't find the vibration of the bed very soothing, so I transferred to the couch. Vibration? Oh...well, I'm on deck 9 aft. That is right above the engine room...and everything vibrates, especially when they have the engine going full bore, like they did today. Combine this with the movement of the ocean, and it doesn't make for a very pleasant experience.



I had taken precautionary measures and gotten some kids Dramamine and Bonine for me. Though neither I nor the kid felt queasy in the least, we both took a pill. I'd rather deal with taking a pill than a seasick kid for a few days while she figures out her sea legs. Probably not required, as it's really not that bad at all, but better safe than sorry.

The kid, however, slept like, well...a baby. She has this neat bunk with a star backdrop. Hidden in the stars are constillations that represent Peter Pan characters.



When we arrived yesterday, the bunk was stowed, and that sort of irritated me. Not that it was stowed, but that it was locked and I couldn't find the key. What if the kid wanted to take a nap? Nope...couldn't do it. I suppose I could call Guest Services, but really, why not just leave a key for the bunk somewhere in the room?



I'll get into why it was stowed and what that means later in this post, because it does mean something, as it leads to something else that annoyed me...both yesterday and today.

So, laptop up, internet working and paid for ($150 for 500 minutes, what a deal!)...we set off about our day...doing...absolutely...nothing...

Nothing...

Did I mention? Nothing...

We had slept in, so we missed any sort of breakfast, and I did some work and also tried to frantically get my Friday posts done so I could get back on track of daily posts (so much easier that way! I'm finally getting caught back up now...Friday was just...busy!)...

I scanned through todays Navigator and noticed that Stitch was making an appearance in a few hours. Seems I'll be able to keep that Autograph promise sooner than I intended! We watched TV (Disney Cartoons) and lazed around the room and sunned on the balcony for bit (yeesh, I hadn't realized how pale years of computer work had made me!)...and slowly got showered, bathed, clean and dressed.

Off to see Stitch!

Now, I have a bit of a gripe here. The Navigator said he would be "Deck 4 mid", which means midship. It didn't say where! A bit off wandering around and we found him though...he was on the middle deck of the Grand Atrium!



The line was short to meet Stitch (something else the Cruise Line has going for it), and I could keep an eye on the kid and yet peel away from the line while she waited for her desired autograph while I got some refreshment from the coffee shop next door. So I peeled off, still a bit worse for wear after the hectic few days being called to a grinding halt today.

Did I mention we did nothing? <grin>

I ordered a spiked coffee, a Mint Mocha Latte to be exact. "Creme de Menthe, Espresso (which they mis-spelled on their menu) Hersey's Chocolate sauce, Milk and Whipped Cream" according to the menu. It was...ok. Drinking, at 12:50 in the afternoon...screw it. I'm on a boat (hums the song)...

So, I sat down at a table in the Coffee Shop and sipped my drink. They also have complimentary (meaning free) pastries, which I had a fruit tart. Well...actually, I had the tart. I had walked it over to the kid partially to offer it to her, partially to check on her, and she stole all the fruit! <sigh>



Mind you, I'm still rather uncomfortable at this point. I'm enjoying the cruise, but the whole experience is very foreign...not the "Disney" I'm used to at all!

It's so...relaxed! People aren't rushing around, shoving and pushing (though that does happen around the elevators from time to time, and a few times I ran into people who actually used strollers on the ship...say wha???)...but, for the most part, it's just...well, it's hard to explain. It's different. It's Disney...but it's different.

So, when the kid got within a few families of the line, I rejoined her and we waited it out. Stitch was in rare form (probably enjoying the air-conditioning compared to when he has to do meet and greets in the Florida heat) and was goofing around with all the kids, striking unique poses, etc. For my kid, he used her head to sign her autograph book.

It was hilarious to see a character being so interactive and spontanious. The kid loved it, and talked about it randomly throughout the day.

Oh, let me back up...I just realized I've been blabbering on about the Navigator, and it may not make sense if you haven't been on a Cruise. So, let me explain...

The Navigator is a daily newsletter that outlines the shipboard events as well as general news for the day. It includes 4 pages of general information and a very well done calendar. It's your key to events that are happening on the ship, and a perfect tool to plan out your day. When I get back on shore, I'll post pictures of my daily Navigators in this thread.



Max (Goofy's son) was also making an appearance today, and the kid was very excited about that. So, after Stitch, we wandered off to the pool for around a half hour and then up to Goofy's Sports Deck (Deck 13, aft) to see if we could find him.

Turns out it wasn't difficult. And, the character was also in rare form. Goofy's Sports Deck is where the mini golf, among other activities (like basketball, ping pong and outdoor foosball tables) are located. Max did his Meet and Greet by approaching families and playing Mini-golf with them. Just awesome. The kid adored his antics (and, Max was pretty good at Mini-golf!).



Autograph obtained, the kid wanted to play some Ping Pong. Yeah, neither of us are very good at this. She spent more time chasing the ball than playing. We then wanted to try and do Mini-Golf, but it was rather busy and we couldn't find any balls.



At this point it was around 2p, and neither of us had eaten anything. I was famished. I wanted to go to Cabanas, and on the way down to Deck 11, I made the mistake of noting to the kid that the Aqua Duck (the on board waterslide) had no line.

Guess what we did next.

Five times.

<grin>

Mind you, I wasn't dressed for the Aqua Duck, and the kid, we found out, is too short to go on it alone. So, we rushed back to the Stateroom and I tossed on my suit and we rushed back. I forgot to grab my Gopro waterproof camera, so I don't have any shots of it (though I will fix that before the trip is over). But, I will say this. The Aquaduck is a blast...but jarring.

I loved the whole thing except the bottoms of the two hills, where I felt like the bottom of my spine was being pushed up forcing my neck to compress in a most uncomfortable way. I haven't found a way around that yet, though lifting my bum up off the base of the tube using my arms when we approach the hills seems to help a bit.

I was left with a bit of a headache, but the kid thinks it's the best ride ever. We hung out at the pool for a while after that.

As 3p approached, we went back to the Stateroom and got dressed again to head off to see Aladdin in the Walt Disney Theatre.

I snagged us some Kettle Corn and a few sodas right as the show was starting. Oh, one gripe here...with a movie theater and a stage theater, I wish they had fresh popcorn on board. They don't. It's all bagged stuff...



I think that would be a nice addition.

But, that aside, the show, was a lot of fun. The kid, however, decided she was Mrs. Ebert and critiqued the whole way through.

Examples? Sure...here...

"Aladdin is cute, but he shouldn't be wearing shoes."
"Aladdin should have came in on an elephant, not a horse." (during the Prince Ali scene)
"Jasmine should be singing to a real bird" (during her solo song before A Whole New World)
"Where is her pet Tiger?" (same scene)
"Where is Abu the monkey?"
"Dad, do you see the hidden Mickeys????"

Oh, let me explain that last one. This year, I explained to her what Hidden Mickeys are. And, everywhere we go she's been pointing them out. Don't be surprised if this comes up again... <grin>

Now, my take on the show was...it varied from ok to amazing. The Genie was awesome, with great jokes.

For example, he did a bit with the "lamp" after he was freed and quipped "I don't care if your cousin was in the movie, no one liked the Green Lantern."

Iago (a puppet with a visable puppeteer / voice) was likewise awesome, with annoying jokes (Gilbert would be proud). "At least the evil cave isn't shaped like Honey Boo Boo Child!" was one of them. <groan>

Now, on to the amazing. The pyro in the show was very well done. But, the show stealer (as you would expect) was "A Whole New World". They used a mechanical arm carpet to fly Aladdin and Jasmine around between two scrims with front and rear projections, pyro effects, and 3D CGI animations done quite tastefully blended with real set effects. All while they sang live for the audience. Hands down the winner of the evening, and the show. I'd love to see it again, just for that part.

Enjoyable. Not the best production I've ever seen, but this isn't Broadway (or Lion King at Animal Kingdom!)...

After that is when the "fancy pants" started to appear...I don't mean that in any other way than literal. I started to see people in $300 dollar nightgowns (even teens) and tuxedos or nice fitted suits.

Since I brought nothing of the like, I felt way out of place, and didn't wish to participate in "formal night".

So, I should explain. I actually have two very nice suits. Both purchased when I was about 70 lbs heavier than I am now. See, that's what I didn't take into account until a few days before packing. So, when I was finalizing my bags, I went to go try on the outfits, and...what do you know...they didn't fit. Not at all. Both the jackets and the pants needed massive tailoring, which I didn't have done. Why? Well...I was already stressed about checking out of work and getting things together...

So, I just didn't have it done. So my "formal" outfit consists of an older pair of slacks that I normally wear to work and a soft jacket that is not tailored to me very well at all.

No way I could compete with the show I saw being put on. So, I decided to skip "formal night" at the Enchanted Garden, and the kid didn't disagree (she likes cartoons and room service)...

We did a bit of shopping, and the kid came upon the Perry display.

When she saw this, she decided to crack a joke...



"It's Perry the Pillowpuss!"

Ok, good joke! I chuckled. But, being 8, and seeing that I thought that was funny, she carried it on...



"Look Daddy, it's Perry the Bank-o-pus!" Um...ok, still sortof funny...



"Daddy! It's Perry the Cup-o-pus!" Er...tee hee?



"Ooooh, Daddy! It's Perry the Shirt-o-pus!" Um...ok, kid, the joke is old now...

So, night #2, no fancy dinner. We just chilled out in the room and ate mediocre food. But, we enjoyed ourselves!

After dinner, the kid wanted to go back to the kids club, so I checked her in. The plan was that I'd drop her off for a few hours and then pick her up to see the 10:45 showing of Lone Ranger.

I spent the rest of my evening getting caught up on this trip report and going through a few work related items.

10:00 rolled around, and I went and got her. We walked into the movie theatre at 10:15 on the dot...to find out that Avengers was just ending. Yep...I'd mixed up the times and thought that Lone Ranger was 10:15 instead of 10:45.

The kid wanted to swim, so we did. And, we missed our 10:45 showing. A bit bummed (I really wanted to see the movie, and had been putting it off because I suspected it would be shown on the Cruise), we made our way back to the Stateroom where we ordered some more room service.

I had a Veggie Pizza (which was excellent).

The kid had...wait for it...Chicken Strips and Fries.

<do you really need another picture of it?>

We dozed off after this, and I gave the bed another fair shake. After a long day of doing nothing...I was exhausted, and quickly dozed off.

So, that's the end of the day.

Coming up next - Day 5 - What is so Grand about Grand Cayman?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Oh my goodness! Let me rescue you right NOW!!! I'm no fan of the dressing up at night bit. It really isn't all that consistant from cruise to cruise. Like on the Magic out of Galveston we were 1 of maybe 3 families in full-on formal wear. Everyone else was cruise casual. Cruise casual even is beyond my happy place so I've decided I don't give a crap about any of it. That said, if you don't want to do the main dining room thing (you have semi-formal night coming up) go to Cabanas for dinner! Cabanas is not a buffet at dinner. It's a low-key (read: not dressed-up) sit-down meal that offers bits from the main dining room menus. Go there! You won't be disappointed. It's faster and waaaaaay more relaxed. We showed up for Cabanas dinner in cruise casual attire once and the crew were convinced we meant to be in the dining room. Nope. Just decided we wanted Cabanas instead.

If it makes you feel any better, we OWN tuxedos and evening gowns and refuse to cart all that crap onto the ships for formal night. In fact, I plan to spend our upcoming formal night (just the hubby & me) in the adult pool with a drink in-hand. I refuse to be bothered with it. I may or may not schedule us some massages during dinner hours for formal night. Wouldn't that be the ultimate statement of what we think of formal-ness??? Naked gettin' rubbed down. Yes sir. That's ME!

Also, don't be put off by being overwhelmed with all the unfamiliar-ness. This isn't just a new setting like DLR vs. WDW. This is a whole other rhythm. It will throw you off if you've never done it before. Relax. Go with the flow. Accept that once upon a time WDW was new to you, also. Anything new deserves a learning curve. You're on it. Don't be self-conscious about it. Hello! I was a crying, blubbering mess a day into my first cruise (just 3 nights on the Dream) because I couldn't figure out my aft from a hole in the ground. That first time I left the stateroom to go somewhere and realized I had no clue where the hell anything was, serious as a heart attack, I was petrified. I grew up at WDW. I've never not known my way around. I knew the parks vacations like I know my car. I could handle those and perform with precision. But, thrown into a whole other vacation and I was clueless. Stepping into something new and the lack of familiarity was not something I anticipated prior to our first cruise at all. Understanding what was going on and giving myself permission to feel awkward until I learned the new stuff was important.

I can tell you I stepped off the ship after our first cruise, again, 3 little ol' nights not entirely sure what or how I felt about the whirlwind experience. It wasn't until we were moving away from the ship that any amount of appreciation for what we'd just experienced truly took hold. We went from the port to the Yacht Club (Regatta Club). At each turn we found ourselves reflecting. Didn't take long for the reflection to pass into longing. That's when it all really took hold for us. It was after. It was when we had a chance to contrast the cruise experience back to a parks experience that we truly understood what we wanted out of our vacation(s). And, **sigh**.... we've not been back for a WDW trip since. We never looked back. Not that this will be the experience for everyone. I think our needs evolved over time and found something Disney that felt like a natural progression into a better fit for our family. It clicked for us.

The point is to keep your eyes and mind open. Don't let the awkwardness of something so vastly different from a parks vacation make you feel like you don't fit or belong. You're just in that awkward spot you aren't used to being because you're so familiar with everything WDW and parks travel related. This is all new. EVERYTHING new comes with a learning curve.

You didn't miss much in the first night show. I'd skip that one myself. Aladdin I really liked. Love the Genie's humor. Thought Jasmine's song was a bit drawn out. Keep going to the production shows. They all have some cool stuff to offer.

If you need the bunk down for naps and such during the day or if you'd like that bunk left down all the time, tell your room steward. That's what they're there for! Whatever makes y'all comfortable is what they're there to do! You should feel at home!

Oh! And I'm totally with you on the deck 9 aft room vibrations on that first day/night. Remember my TR?! I thought my brother was going to strangle me with all the noise from everything vibrating all night long. I don't know what it is about that first day/night but the vibrating will let up. Personally, I won't book another aft verandah again even with all that space. I want more rocking and rolling. Not much of that happens on the aft. But there's plenty of that dagnabbin' vibrating. Ugh! That's NOT what all the rooms feel like. Certainly was a first for us and that was our 5th cruise.

Gotta get a few hours sleep to make this stupid 8 hour drive back to Texas today. Can't take my eyes off your report. I sooooo wanna leap thru this laptop and show you the ropes!!!!

I'll be thinking of y'all and sending all the bestest wishes I can for y'all to have smooth sailing and find your cruisin' soul. It's all goooooood....

 

[englanddg]

Day 5 - What is so Grand about Grand Cayman?

Updated with Pictures, Click here.

englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

 

[englanddg]

Oh my goodness! Let me rescue you right NOW!!! I'm no fan of the dressing up at night bit. It really isn't all that consistant from cruise to cruise. Like on the Magic out of Galveston we were 1 of maybe 3 families in full-on formal wear. Everyone else was cruise casual. Cruise casual even is beyond my happy place so I've decided I don't give a crap about any of it. That said, if you don't want to do the main dining room thing (you have semi-formal night coming up) go to Cabanas for dinner! Cabanas is not a buffet at dinner. It's a low-key (read: not dressed-up) sit-down meal that offers bits from the main dining room menus. Go there! You won't be disappointed. It's faster and waaaaaay more relaxed. We showed up for Cabanas dinner in cruise casual attire once and the crew were convinced we meant to be in the dining room. Nope. Just decided we wanted Cabanas instead.

If it makes you feel any better, we OWN tuxedos and evening gowns and refuse to cart all that crap onto the ships for formal night. In fact, I plan to spend our upcoming formal night (just the hubby & me) in the adult pool with a drink in-hand. I refuse to be bothered with it. I may or may not schedule us some massages during dinner hours for formal night. Wouldn't that be the ultimate statement of what we think of formal-ness??? Naked gettin' rubbed down. Yes sir. That's ME!

Also, don't be put off by being overwhelmed with all the unfamiliar-ness. This isn't just a new setting like DLR vs. WDW. This is a whole other rhythm. It will throw you off if you've never done it before. Relax. Go with the flow. Accept that once upon a time WDW was new to you, also. Anything new deserves a learning curve. You're on it. Don't be self-conscious about it. Hello! I was a crying, blubbering mess a day into my first cruise (just 3 nights on the Dream) because I couldn't figure out my aft from a hole in the ground. That first time I left the stateroom to go somewhere and realized I had no clue where the hell anything was, serious as a heart attack, I was petrified. I grew up at WDW. I've never not known my way around. I knew the parks vacations like I know my car. I could handle those and perform with precision. But, thrown into a whole other vacation and I was clueless. Stepping into something new and the lack of familiarity was not something I anticipated prior to our first cruise at all. Understanding what was going on and giving myself permission to feel awkward until I learned the new stuff was important.

I can tell you I stepped off the ship after our first cruise, again, 3 little ol' nights not entirely sure what or how I felt about the whirlwind experience. It wasn't until we were moving away from the ship that any amount of appreciation for what we'd just experienced truly took hold. We went from the port to the Yacht Club (Regatta Club). At each turn we found ourselves reflecting. Didn't take long for the reflection to pass into longing. That's when it all really took hold for us. It was after. It was when we had a chance to contrast the cruise experience back to a parks experience that we truly understood what we wanted out of our vacation(s). And, **sigh**.... we've not been back for a WDW trip since. We never looked back. Not that this will be the experience for everyone. I think our needs evolved over time and found something Disney that felt like a natural progression into a better fit for our family. It clicked for us.

The point is to keep your eyes and mind open. Don't let the awkwardness of something so vastly different from a parks vacation make you feel like you don't fit or belong. You're just in that awkward spot you aren't used to being because you're so familiar with everything WDW and parks travel related. This is all new. EVERYTHING new comes with a learning curve.

You didn't miss much in the first night show. I'd skip that one myself. Aladdin I really liked. Love the Genie's humor. Thought Jasmine's song was a bit drawn out. Keep going to the production shows. They all have some cool stuff to offer.

If you need the bunk down for naps and such during the day or if you'd like that bunk left down all the time, tell your room steward. That's what they're there for! Whatever makes y'all comfortable is what they're there to do! You should feel at home!

Oh! And I'm totally with you on the deck 9 aft room vibrations on that first day/night. Remember my TR?! I thought my brother was going to strangle me with all the noise from everything vibrating all night long. I don't know what it is about that first day/night but the vibrating will let up. Personally, I won't book another aft verandah again even with all that space. I want more rocking and rolling. Not much of that happens on the aft. But there's plenty of that dagnabbin' vibrating. Ugh! That's NOT what all the rooms feel like. Certainly was a first for us and that was our 5th cruise.

Gotta get a few hours sleep to make this stupid 8 hour drive back to Texas today. Can't take my eyes off your report. I sooooo wanna leap thru this laptop and show you the ropes!!!!

I'll be thinking of y'all and sending all the bestest wishes I can for y'all to have smooth sailing and find your cruisin' soul. It's all goooooood....

Thanks for the advice. A bit late, but not unappreciated.

The first few nights were intimidating to me, I won't lie...as they were for the kid (probably feeding off my own trepidation).

Tomorrow I'm showing up in park attire...why? Well, we have a long excursion. One I may cancel since we are getting into port later than expected...

We'll see.

I am quite happy with the seating arrangements, as I'm placed with a classy lady (lawyer) whom I can at least have intelligent conversation with.

We are both single parents, which makes things a bit awkward...especially tonight when for some reason Disney finally decided to send around a Photopass guy who thought we were a couple (um...she's 20 years my elder...intellectual stimulation aside, there is nothing else there)...Her kid and my kid get along swimmingly though, and are mutually misbehaved.

<shrug> I think I'm getting the hang of the cruise now that I'm on Day 6 (day 4 of the cruise)...and I think I like it...a bit too much!

 

[fractal]

Great report. I'm dying to see the rest of the pictures!

 

[englanddg]

Day 6 - Can Ruins ruin the Day?

Click here for the updated post with pictures.

englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

 

[sweetpee_1993]

There are other breakfast options but I think they close at like 9 or 9:30. They'll open Royal Court for a sit-down table-service. I generally prefer it to Cabanas. Not sure why. Weird. They'll also have other restaurants open for lunch beyond Cabanas. Just look at the venue's hours on the back of the Navigator.

My great big teenage boys love that classic cartoon channel, too. Then there's the on-demand stuff. Soooo nice to have these when you're sick and resting.

Outside the gated terminal area of Costa Maya feels half constructed and pretty beat down because it keeps getting demolished by hurricanes. The port is always the first thing to get repaired because it's the money-maker. Other stuff gets left behind by people not wanting to rebuild or people who are slowly rebuilding as they can afford to. It's a bit primitive in some respects but not so bad. I enjoy the fact that it's different from every other resort area I've been to. Gives the place "soul". We definitely went outside the port area. Took cabs to Mahahual (fishing village). Never felt unsafe. The visible security is to keep the area from turning into the problem areas other parts of Mexico have become.

Mexeetos. I love that.

"The kid says they taste like Macaroni and Cheese, and that she doesn't want to eat anything that tastes like Macaroni and Cheese that isn't Macaroni and Cheese. Deep thoughts, by KK."

Awesome! I'd love to spend time with KK soaking up the wisdoms!

Yeah, all the eateries have their hits and misses. We've seen some misses, for sure. We've taken to asking our wait staff for suggestions. Strange, coffee is usually offered to me at dessert especially for the first few nights. Maybe now that you've ordered it they'll start offering it to you more. I've noticed if I decline a few times they'll stop asking.

Can't wait to see your pictures! Sounds wonderful!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Loving this TR so far!! Being a newbie to crusing and taking my first cruise next month, this is really assuring me that I'll get the hang of it. I've been going to WDW since I was 6 months old so I can't ever remember not knowing those parks like the back of my hand. The cruise will be SO different but in a good way! There will be lots of cruise experts with me though ( @sweetpee_1993 and @Disneyfalcon ) so if I get completely and hopelessly lost, I'll just holler to them for help!

 

[littleroo]

So glad you are enjoying yourself and especially time with your daughter. I have never been to thrilled at the thought of a cruise in light especially of some recent events! You are really making me rethink this Looking forward to the rest of your TR! Enjoy!!!!

 

[englanddg]

There are other breakfast options but I think they close at like 9 or 9:30. They'll open Royal Court for a sit-down table-service. I generally prefer it to Cabanas. Not sure why. Weird. They'll also have other restaurants open for lunch beyond Cabanas. Just look at the venue's hours on the back of the Navigator.

Thanks. Cabana's has become a standard thing for us now though! So many choices (and all pretty good to very good, I think...except the pastries...those look a little bland.)

Outside the gated terminal area of Costa Maya feels half constructed and pretty beat down because it keeps getting demolished by hurricanes. The port is always the first thing to get repaired because it's the money-maker. Other stuff gets left behind by people not wanting to rebuild or people who are slowly rebuilding as they can afford to. It's a bit primitive in some respects but not so bad. I enjoy the fact that it's different from every other resort area I've been to. Gives the place "soul". We definitely went outside the port area. Took cabs to Mahahual (fishing village). Never felt unsafe. The visible security is to keep the area from turning into the problem areas other parts of Mexico have become.

Yes. That's what I thought as well. That's why I wanted to be clear that at no time did we feel unwelcome or threatened in any way. It's just something I noticed...

It was in Cozumel as well. Men with AR-15s (or M-16s, hard to tell) and M-203 single shot grenade launchers mounted on them.

Just something most americans are probably used to seeing day to day. <grin>

Awesome! I'd love to spend time with KK soaking up the wisdoms!

She's full of them. 8 going on 18.

 

[englanddg]

Day 7 - So Long and Thanks for "Arrrr" the Fish!

Click Below to go to Update Post with Pictures / Video

englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

 

[englanddg]

Day 7 Continued - Click Below

englanddg's Surf and Turf Experience

 

[MsLambright]

Really really really enjoying the trip report. I will re-read it when all the pictures are added.

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Can't wait for pictures!

 

[englanddg]

Day 8 - Is it Crazy to be so Lazy?

Magic - 0 (though it was a great day!)
Peeves - 3 (Aggressive People, Disney Fantasy Laundry Facilities, Begging for Tips)
Breakfast - Eggs Florentine, Breakfast Sausage, 1 glasses of milk, 1 small glass of Orange Juice, 1 coffee (me)
Bacon, 1 nectarine, 1 apple, 1 skim milk (kid)
Lunch - Four Cheese Pizza, Small Salad (me), Chicken Strips and Fries (kid)
Dinner - Soup, Grilled Chicken with steamed vegetables, Risotto, Sugar Free Chocolate Cheesecake (me)
Chicken Strips and Fries, Chocolate Brownie (kid)
Snacks - Black Coffee (me), 2 cups of Coke, 1 Rum and Coke, 4 Bass Ales (me), 1 can of Fanta, 2 cans of sprite (kid)
Dining Credits - N/A on the ship
Steps - 12,257 Steps, 5.95 Miles, 17 Active Minutes, 3,078 Calories Burned

I feel like I should be creating a "How to Vacation" video starring as Goofy. These past few days on the cruise have been a vacation culture shock for me. A very good one, I should mention.



So, here we are, today...day 8 of my trip, day 5 of the cruise. One true "cruise" day left tomorrow, with the Port of Call being Castaway Cay, Disney's private island, tomorrow...



And, I have absolutely nothing planned. I am supposed to do Palo tomorrow, but I've decided to skip it. It's my last chance to eat at Animators Palette again, and really I'd rather do that with the kid than eat a fancy dinner alone...no matter how fancy it is. I'd rather share a night at Jiko with her than have amazing food while she sits alone in the kids club.

So, our day. Well, I woke up around 9a, still on central time...I went for a quick walk around the deck while the kid slept. They did leave us a note that we were back on Eastern time, so we lost an hour...

When she finally woke, she had no idea that this was a day at sea, and I didn't point it out. So, she had complete control over today. So, what did we do?



Well, not much.

I did laundry. She swam. We walked around the ship. We sunned ourselves. We ate. That pretty much sums up the day!

The kid wrote a note for our room steward asking him to leave her bunk down. He had been putting it up every day during the morning service, and take it back down at night.

Yes, park goers, on the Fantasy your room gets serviced TWICE daily. This took me a bit to get used to! I mean, at Disney, you are lucky if your room gets serviced daily (it seems anymore)...

Anyhow, I left the kid watching on-demand Disney movies (I think she was watching Rescuers) while I went and got laundry started.

So, lets gripe a bit, the Fantasy laundry facilities stink. I'm not alone. I went last night to do a load and ran into a lady who ranted at me about how much the dryers stunk (yeah, well, you tried to do too large a load, my bags are the perfect size...) Anyhow, I decided I really didn't want to wait up the two to two and half hours it takes to do laundry last night, so I put it off for today.

So, I skipped the busy but convenient 8th floor laundry for the 5th floor.



This is where I ran into issues...I couldn't get the washers to start. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. There was a whole group of people in there who were having similar issues. And, yes, they sent someone to fiddle with it until it worked...but I was there with witnesses, it wasn't as simple as I didn't press start!

You see, the Disney Fantasy launderette facilities have this high tech system where you swipe your stateroom Key to the World card and select the washer / dryer you wish to start. Processing takes about 20 - 30 seconds...that is if it doesn't "Time Out" or say "Failed".

So, for anyone planning to do laundry on their cruise, first, you won't need quarters, the machine doesn't take them. Second, be sure to check your room charges at the end of the cruise (or during it) because sometimes the charge goes through even when you can't / didn't use the washer / dryer.

Myself, I had $4 overcharged (a credit was quickly issued, Guest Services didn't even bat an eye at it). Another family I spoke with had $20 in overages charged to their room from failed swipe attempts.

Anyhow, just keep an eye out for that. Hopefully Disney can come up with a better system than this one, because this one stinks!

Washing going, I walked the deck (this time 12) again, and went back to check on the kiddo.

She had woken up, and was watching Disney Cartoons (go figure).

Today was a lazy day, last day at sea, so I went and got her breakfast.

After that we finished our Mid-ship challenge and started the last one. It started with finishing our challenge! So, we rushed to 5 deck mid to sign up again.

And, I was nearly run over by someone in a scooter.

Ok, let me be clear, I don't mind people in scooters who need them, and I'm sure this woman needed hers...but, that's no excuse for using the scooter to hip check people's ankles. I would think it was an accident, except she made quite a belligerent comment about how "I'm next in line!". I'm sorry, she was sitting across the area in her scooter with her family at the sofas, and it didn't appear they were in line. I wasn't attempting to cut in front of her. I don't know why she felt so stressed, but yeesh.

So we continued with our experience...and it was fun. We were sent all over the ship, and when done with this we were set on doing another one.

As a result, back to deck 5 mid-ship to register again for a new mission!

Then we went to the Mickey Pool for an hour or so, and ordered some room service for lunch.



The kid had (you probably know by now)...Chicken Strips and Fries. I tried Four Cheese Pizza. It...was terrible. In fact, it was inedible. It was like someone had dumped a whole container of grated Parmesan cheese on it.

When she woke, we watched Mary Poppins.

And then it was back to the Mickey Pool! Here, I made a salad and munched on that while the kiddo practiced holding her breath somewhere in Mickey's left ear.



This is something neat they do with the condiment bar at Flo's (the Deck 11 Quick Service eatery...think of it like the food court at a Resort at WDW). They include a few salad items (like olives and cucumbers) and some salad dressings. This way, you can make your own salad there! It was pretty tasty as well. One thing I've been thoroughly impressed with is the overall quality of the produce on board.

The Condiment Bar at Flo's serves as a small salad bar as well, which I think is really cool!



After this we finished our mission with the Mid-ship Agency (which sent us all over the ship!)...and then we decided to sign up for a new (and final mission)...and we nearly finished it too before the game shut down for the night.

When we went back to the room, there was information about getting ready to debark the ship in two day's time, tomorrows Navigator, and something that bugged me. It was a sheet that stated that Disney had "taken the liberty" to charge my room for gratuities for my Service Staff (3 waiters and my Room Steward).



Now, I would probably do the same if I were running the ship, because I'm sure if tipping was "optional", many people wouldn't. However, something about automatically charging my room at the END of the voyage just bothered me. I would almost rather they just include it as an up front charge or something if they are going to do it that way. I don't mind tipping (at all), but I don't like "automatic gratuity"...which Disney took the "liberty" to charge me.

First, I don't think my service staff for dinners was all that special. Not that they were bad, not by any means, but they weren't amazing either. In fact, there was more than once that they made me feel a touch uncomfortable.

I think I got off on the wrong foot with them because I skipped our first two meals, and the meal tonight, and I also complained my second dinner (which they had to drag out of me, I just thought the "New York Strip" was not good at all...) My room steward, on the other hand, was fantastic!

That being said, I thought the amounts Disney set for each was fair. Though, I may stop by Guest Services and up the tip charge for my Room Steward, Carlos, because, as I said, he was awesome, and I'd like to leave him a bit more than $56. I may just leave him some cash in the room tomorrow, I'm not sure yet. The total for all of them was around $170 in "added gratuity".

The kid took a bath and I washed her hair (something she was not too happy about).

We decided we were hungry. So, I went to Cabanas. Now, something I wish I'd known earlier in the trip is that Cabana's turns into a full service restaurant after 6p or so. We had walked through it earlier and the kid noted that they had a brownie type dessert that she wanted.

So, while she played in the bath, I went upstairs and got one to go. They didn't bat an eye at giving me one, so I got to thinking...we had already missed our 5:45 dinner time at Royal Court (neither of us were very interested in it anyhow after last nights experience)...but I really wanted better food than Flo's or Room Service. So, after checking with the kid, I ran back upstairs and got us both dinner.

I had some type of soup (I'm sorry, I can't remember what it was, but it was very good!)



I also tried the risotto. This had pine nuts, peas, lima beans, risotto, fried cheese crisp, spinach leaf, and a pesto aioli. Oh my goodness was this delicious. Well spiced, salty yet not too salty...it had bite and great texture. Man, I loved this risotto! Where have you been all my life? I will certainly attempt this dish when I get back home!



I also ordered the grilled chicken. On the menu it said "Grilled Chicken and Steak", so I thought I would get a little of both, but when I got back to my room it was just chicken. Not that I minded at all. The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy, extremely well seasoned with a bit of char left on it from the grill. I couldn't stop eating it until it was all gone! The dish also included some steamed veggies that were well cooked, though I did add some salt.



For dessert I had a sugar free chocolate cheesecake. This had a raspberry sauce and some whipped cream. I didn't miss the sugar. It was fantastic.



The kid had a macadamia nut brownie with vanilla ice cream and raspberry and chocolate sauces.



Oh...and for her "meal" she had...wait for it...chicken strips and french fries. I think that child is going to start growing feathers and clucking at this rate!



Then, she crawled in bed and we turned on a movie. Pretty quickly she was knocked out.



So, I decided to hop down to O'Gills and have a beer. They serve Bass (bottle, but they'll put it in a frosty mug for me!), and Bass is my favorite beer. Another thing I've noted, prices on alcohol are fairly reasonable on the ship. There are a few examples of grossly overpriced "fancy drinks", but on average I've been pleased with the reasonable costs. Well, I had more than one beer, I had 4. And, combined with a rum and coke I'd had earlier, I was feeling them!

I joined a small group and tried to strike up conversation, but that fell flat...so, I left. Guess I'm just not much of a conversationalist...

Anyhow, I slept quite well when I finally made it back to the stateroom!

I woke up around 4:00a and the kid was awake. She'd turned on Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I asked if she was feeling ok, and she indicated she was, she just wasn't sleepy. She asked for a glass of ice water, which I provided, and then I went back to sleep after puttering on the internet for a while to make sure she was ok.

She was, so I went back to sleep. At some point so did she, because she was knocked out the next morning when I woke.

Stay tuned! Next is Day 9 - Everythings Gonna Be O-Cay!

 

[PUSH]

After this we finished our mission with the Midship Agency (which sent us all over the ship!)...and then we decided to sign up for a new (and final mission)...and we nearly finished it too before the game **** down for the night.

I think you mean the game "shut" down for the night.

 

[englanddg]

I think you mean the game "shut" down for the night.

Wow, what a typo!