Shaking Down the Fantasy and Three Encounters with a Dream!

When: March 21-26

Where: Coronado Springs for two nights and then a three night cruise on the Disney Fantasy

Why: This was a special cruise for agents from Disney Earmarked agencies. A shake down cruise if you will. It was preceded by a day of conference activities at WDW.

Here’s my cruise docs!

Who: My family came this time! If you've read any of my trip reports you know that m family can't always come. Ds is in high school, dd is in middle school and dh is in the Air Force. Not that people in the Air Force can't go on vacation, but he tends to be in really busy jobs that don't work well with the - "Hey, there's an awesome travel agent special in two weeks", or "I haven't been to Disneyland in 9 months and need to go this month to get caught back up" kind of trips.

But this one was too good to pass up! A preview cruise on the brand spanking new Disney Fantasy! Disney doesn't have any new ships in the works so this opportunity wasn't coming along again any time soon. We decided it was even worth taking the kids out of school this time.

It was. Really. No matter what their report cards say next week. :lookaroun

Even better, we had a room for 5 so ds brought a friend. You may recognize friend from my Alaska trip report this summer.

Here’s ds and friend in the Mr. and Mrs. Potato hats in Oceaneers Club:

Dd in the Oceaneer’s Club:

Dh and I heading to the beach. Check out what’s in the background!

You'll also see Pam - owner extraordinaire of Kingdom Konsultants and her family. Here’s Pam and her dh:

Here’s Pam’s dd on the right and her friend on the left:

And Missy (polymissy) who brought her hubby! They’re showing off the butter knives I was coveting:

Disclaimer – I took a lot of pictures of the Fantasy when I toured it in New York City back in February. I didn’t duplicate much, so here’s that report if you’re interested in more pictures of the ship:

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=833556

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Oh! So what room did you get for Thanksgiving on the Dream with the aft verandah??? I'm so looking forward to that big balcony on the Fantasy next May! Just imagine how incredible the views on CC will be! Ooooh...aaahhh....

Did you find out if the little door was part of the Detective thing with the Muppets?? The Detective Agency was one thing I seriously regret missing on the Dream. I think the fact that the Muppets are involved on the Fantasy is even more motivation to make sure not to miss it next year. I so love the Muppets!

The animation seminar sounds like it was awesome. I'm jealous. When I was little I wanted to be an animator for Disney....and a trainer at Sea World...and a billionaire (not sure how I thought that was gonna happen animating & taking care of marine mammals :lol. I love that you all got a sketch for a keepsake. How sweet is that???

Royal Court. Hhmmmm... it's gorgeous in a more understated, elegant way. Definitely fit for royalty. I dunno if I like it more than it's counterpart on the Dream, tho. I like color a lot. And I'm still totally geeked out over the glass slippers incorporated in the center chandelier. One thing I will say is that the lighter color palette really does give the space a more open, spacious feeling. Gorgeous either way. I can't wait to dine here!

Ridley Pierson! Wow! I think Brian has read some of the Kingdom Keepers books. They really packed a lot of punch into presentations for y'all on the shake-down, huh? And more swag! Who could ask for more, right???

I love the light aqua tonal dot throw pillow in the foreground of the suite picture. That's such a beautiful color. The dots are so my thing right now. I have a thing going for dots. Weird. And look at the throw pillow on the bed in the background! Is it the same as the red pillow in the regular stateroom beds with the embroidery on the back??? I'd be more likely to spend $200 for that color vs. the red..... Or make mine in a color more similar to that one.....:lookaroun The Roy Suite. Yeah, don't see me ever staying in there. I could totally soak in that bathtub watching movies until I was thoroughly pickled. Oh yeah...

Gotta comment on DD's tshirt! Love it! "Strong is the new beautiful." Amen. That's the shiz right there!

Satellite Falls. I gots to veg here! Good to hear there weren't many/any screamin' kiddies in the new family area directly above the adults pool. You know I've questioned that addition from the get-go. How do you find serenity with kids above you screamin'??? Don't get me wrong, love kiddies but we need to keep Quiet Cove quiet! Yes! Can't wait to see your comments on the new Aqua Lab. Was it a hit? Did all these new areas make any difference at all in the crazy crowds in the family pools during the day???

Can't wait for more! :wave:

 

[Howe]

Great trip report!! Holy cow, that ship is beautiful! I have never really been interested in going on a cruise, but reading all of these cruise TRs has me convinced! Seriously, everything looks AMAZING! Your pictures look great as well!! I love the drawing activity at animator's palate, that is just too cool!

I have to agree with others and say that I think sweetpee is definitely one of the most entertaining commenters! I'm pretty new around here, but sweetpee, your comments always make me laugh! I feel like I can hear you talking when I read them (hope that's not creepy, considering I have no idea what your voice sounds like!)

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I know! Right??? We just talked about that last week! I always think I talk too much (which I do) and I'm forever telling myself "Okaaaaayyy....you can shut up nooooow..." because I'm sure I annoy people. Then 2 of my girls (Tammy being one of them) mentioned how my responses make them feel like I really spend time reading and thinking about what they write. I felt soooo good! And relieved! And now I feel all warm-n-fuzzy again! Awwwww...shucks....

We told you so!!

I told ya! I've never done other cruises but the Disney cruise was like Disney-topia filled with Disney awesome sauce! It just happens to be on a cruise ship. That's just geography, girl! Give it a whirl...never know 'til ya do, huh????

Disney-topia filled with Disney awesome sauce. Best. Description. Ever.

I'm still cookin' up a new angle to convince you. It's not just going on a cruise, it's spending 4 days escaping boy-cooties and hanging with Disney-crazed chicks! It is a much less expensive way to give cruising with Mickey a whirl before going all-out to take the family. Right????

I like Tammy's thinking. It's all in the presentation. You gotta make it like you're taking one for the team, that you're making the bodily sacrifice to go scope this out to see if it's good enough for your family. Oh and you could do some strategic sighing making it like you're so exhausted and need the little getaway from all the testosterone. :lol:

It is a much much less expensive way!! Paying for one versus a family of 4 makes a huge difference! The perfect time to try it out! And then you can rebook one for your family while you're onboard! At a discount!!

We could go on and on.

That suite is nice! Wish I had the cash for that!! Actually, even if I did have the cash for it, I'd probably rather stay a week at the Polynesian

So craving a Mickey ice cream bar right now!! :slurp:

I wish I had the cash too. I'd love to try it.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Oh! So what room did you get for Thanksgiving on the Dream with the aft verandah??? I'm so looking forward to that big balcony on the Fantasy next May! Just imagine how incredible the views on CC will be! Ooooh...aaahhh....

We are in 10164 and my parents are in 10166! We can take out the divider between the balconies and have a balcony as big as our room! Seriously, here's a picture of one of the balconies. I didn't take this and I have no memory of where I found it. So to the photographer, I'm sorry for not giving you credit!

Isn't that great?! I'm so excited I booked my sister and her family on it and haven't even told them!! I have to wait for the right timing on that one. :lol:

Did you find out if the little door was part of the Detective thing with the Muppets?? The Detective Agency was one thing I seriously regret missing on the Dream. I think the fact that the Muppets are involved on the Fantasy is even more motivation to make sure not to miss it next year. I so love the Muppets!

Yes, the little door is for the Muppets! It's super cute. I think I explain it a little later.

The animation seminar sounds like it was awesome. I'm jealous. When I was little I wanted to be an animator for Disney....and a trainer at Sea World...and a billionaire (not sure how I thought that was gonna happen animating & taking care of marine mammals :lol. I love that you all got a sketch for a keepsake. How sweet is that???

It was so neat. Her stories about getting started with Disney were great. She said when she was in third great they had a career day at school and she thought you had to pick your career that day! In third grade, your decision was binding. :lol: So she loved Disney and drawing and that's what she picked. So she worked on it until she graduated.

Royal Court. Hhmmmm... it's gorgeous in a more understated, elegant way. Definitely fit for royalty. I dunno if I like it more than it's counterpart on the Dream, tho. I like color a lot. And I'm still totally geeked out over the glass slippers incorporated in the center chandelier. One thing I will say is that the lighter color palette really does give the space a more open, spacious feeling. Gorgeous either way. I can't wait to dine here!

It is gorgeous! I liked it better. The mosaics are so beautiful! But they're both super nice.

Ridley Pierson! Wow! I think Brian has read some of the Kingdom Keepers books. They really packed a lot of punch into presentations for y'all on the shake-down, huh? And more swag! Who could ask for more, right???

It was super cool! He was so nice too!

I love the light aqua tonal dot throw pillow in the foreground of the suite picture. That's such a beautiful color. The dots are so my thing right now. I have a thing going for dots. Weird. And look at the throw pillow on the bed in the background! Is it the same as the red pillow in the regular stateroom beds with the embroidery on the back??? I'd be more likely to spend $200 for that color vs. the red..... Or make mine in a color more similar to that one.....:lookaroun The Roy Suite. Yeah, don't see me ever staying in there. I could totally soak in that bathtub watching movies until I was thoroughly pickled. Oh yeah...

Yes! The throw pillow is the same in a different color. The colors in the suites are so pretty. I wonder how much they would sell that one for?

Gotta comment on DD's tshirt! Love it! "Strong is the new beautiful." Amen. That's the shiz right there!

I like that one too. I gotta say, it's kind of hard to find Nike shirts sometimes. So many of the sayings insult boys, are somewhat suggestive, etc. Finding a good saying on a good color can be a lot of work! :lol:

Satellite Falls. I gots to veg here! Good to hear there weren't many/any screamin' kiddies in the new family area directly above the adults pool. You know I've questioned that addition from the get-go. How do you find serenity with kids above you screamin'??? Don't get me wrong, love kiddies but we need to keep Quiet Cove quiet! Yes! Can't wait to see your comments on the new Aqua Lab. Was it a hit? Did all these new areas make any difference at all in the crazy crowds in the family pools during the day???

Can't wait for more! :wave:

Satellite falls is seriously my favorite new area. It was such a great idea!! And I do think the new family pool is going to work.

Now I have a confession. I totally forgot to go see the AquaLab when it was in action!! I know shame on me!!! :brick: I've heard it's a big hit though!

The family pools didn't seem bad at all, but this cruise didn't have the same number of kids that a middle of the summer cruises would have.

Great trip report!! Holy cow, that ship is beautiful! I have never really been interested in going on a cruise, but reading all of these cruise TRs has me convinced! Seriously, everything looks AMAZING! Your pictures look great as well!! I love the drawing activity at animator's palate, that is just too cool!

Thanks, Howe! It is beautiful. I totally agree! You've got to try one!

I have to agree with others and say that I think sweetpee is definitely one of the most entertaining commenters! I'm pretty new around here, but sweetpee, your comments always make me laugh! I feel like I can hear you talking when I read them (hope that's not creepy, considering I have no idea what your voice sounds like!)

As dd would say - I know, right?

 

[Disneyfalcon]

We got ourselves a little bit of ice cream before going back to the room to get ready for dinner. We did stop at the excursion desk and the Wild Side for the teens opened up so we booked the three of them.

The boys appeared about 10 minutes before it was time for dinner and got changed. Tonight dinner was in the Enchanted Garden. Here’s the light fixture outside:

We had a window seat and it was beautiful.

Here’s Missy and her dh with our server Lenin:

Here are the kids in their pirate bandanas:

We are a piratey people:

Here's the menu:

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I had the romaine wedge. Lettuce is the only veggie I eat so ds comes by his food aversions a little honestly :

Someone had the spinach and raspberry salad. When I said I like lettuce, I meant lettuce. Not fru fru salads like this:

I’m guessing this was the cream of green asparagus soup:

Ahi tuna and avocado tower:

A couple of people had the lobster ravioli:

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Ds had his regular pizza and fries for dinner from the kids menu. Trust me, those veggies are just for show.

I believe these are the Portobello mushrooms:

Most of us had the prime rib and it was excellent:

Missy’s dh had two things of course:

Pam is “helping” Missy with her bandana:

Missy and her dh take piratey to a HNL – hole nutha level.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Dessert menu:

Pam and Missy:

Pam’s Dd and friend:

I had a Mickey bar for dessert. Oops! I think it was my second of the day!

I wasn’t the only one!

Passion Fruit Tart I believe:

Ice Cream!

Trio:

 

[Disneyfalcon]

We all got a free Wine and Dine package which means you can pick a bottle of wine each night. Since Dh and I don’t drink, Missy and her dh decided to take two of our bottles home with them. Tonight when they brought ours, Missy showed us how people from Pennsylvania drink wine:

Just kidding! The bottle wasn’t even open. :lol:

After dinner the kids took off again and we decided to try the Midship Detective Agency with the Muppets. It was super cute. Cuter than the Midship Detective Agency on the Dream.

Well one child feigned like she was exhausted. She rallied of course.

The show tonight was Aladdin. Since the Disney California Adventure version is probably my favorite Disney show anywhere, I had big hopes. They weren’t quite fulfilled. It was very good and I think it will even get better as the Genie settles into his role. He just wasn’t quite as on as he could have been. But really, it was still very good! Some of the technology was better than the DCA adventure.

Right before the show started the Captain came on the speakers to announce that something very exciting was going to happen in a couple of hours. We were going to see the Dream!! :sohappy::sohappy: This was the first time the sister ships would be near each other. I was so stinking excited.

After the show ended we went back to the room to get my camera. We were still about an hour out and the Captain told us there would be several ships in the area since they like to see our fireworks. Missy called on the Wave Phone a few minutes later and said they could see it! I thought she had probably just seen another ship, but we went up anyway.

When we got up on top we saw it immediately. It is impossible to miss with those red smokestacks! I should never have doubted Missy!

It was seriously cool. We waited for them to get closer for pictures.

While we were waiting Ally and Dex came by! Dd got a picture with them.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

We heard they were coming to our starboard side for fireworks so we scouted out a location. Here we were. Look inside the smokestack and you can see Edge, the tween hangout:

Here comes the Dream!

Pam ran blocking maneuvers for everyone who tried to horn in on our space. When the Dream started their fireworks they were definitely not starboard but we still had a great view:

After their fireworks, we started ours and the Dream hung out to watch. Between the movement of the ship and not having my wide angle, I didn’t get any good fireworks shots. After a couple of tries I just gave up and watched the show:

The excitement onboard was palatable. Everyone, even the crew was so excited. The crew was snapping pictures, the guests lined the decks, it was really, really neat.

I had promised dd a ride on the Aqua Duck tonight so after the Dream sailed off I went to change into my swimsuit. We stopped by Vibe to turn in the permission slips for the teen excursion in the morning and caught the counselors singing karaoke in an empty club. They were a little embarrassed. :lol:

We walked on the AquaDuck twice with no wait.

The pirate buffet was going on but there was no way I could eat more.

Dh was reading and I decided to shower and dry my hair so I wouldn’t wake everyone up in the morning. Dh fell asleep while I was in the shower so that didn’t really work!

I finally got in bed about 1. The boys came back a little after 2 again.

I forgot to mention the Navigators! The Navigators have changed! I don’t know if that’s true for every ship, just the inaugural Fantasy, every Fantasy cruise, etc. They now have an insert with the times. It made it really easy to pull out the times and walk around with just that. I’ll try to remember to take a picture.

 

[erstwo]

We heard they were coming to our starboard side for fireworks so we scouted out a location. Here we were. Look inside the smokestack and you can see Edge, the tween hangout:

Here comes the Dream!

Pam ran blocking maneuvers for everyone who tried to horn in on our space. When the Dream started their fireworks they were definitely not starboard but we still had a great view:

This is so awesome!!!!!!!

And how neatl that you saw Dex and Ally. I showed my kids and they think y'all are so super cool!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

This is so awesome!!!!!!!

And how neatl that you saw Dex and Ally. I showed my kids and they think y'all are so super cool!

I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even tell you how excited I was!! :sohappy:

I thought it was so cool to see them too! I was glad I'd seen the show a few times so I recognized them whenever we saw them.

 

[eagles]

wow, seeing the dream while on the fantasy is super cool, tammy!!! great pics. double the fireworks show :sohappy: did they play any horns?

 

[Disneyfalcon]

wow, seeing the dream while on the fantasy is super cool, tammy!!! great pics. double the fireworks show :sohappy: did they play any horns?

They did! There were multiple "horn battles" whenever we saw them. They could be hard to hear based on where you were on the ship but it was really neat!

 

[devoy1701]

bah.

I shouldn't have looked at your pictures but I wanted to. Because I like to know what's ahead of us! lol. Times like this are when I hate that I love this website!

We're sailing in 32 days and are definitely looking forward to it. Our stress levels are reaching maximum as the wedding fastly approaches. This month is going to go by in no time!

$200 for a throw pillow is absurd!
Glad CMs are adhearing to the no flash pictures rules somewhere!
The balconies on the aft of the ship...in the words of Takei.... OH MYYYYY!

Thanks (I think) for the pictures! :wave:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I have to agree with others and say that I think sweetpee is definitely one of the most entertaining commenters! I'm pretty new around here, but sweetpee, your comments always make me laugh! I feel like I can hear you talking when I read them (hope that's not creepy, considering I have no idea what your voice sounds like!)

Oh wow! Really??? Nah, I don't think you're creepy at all. I write/type like I talk except maybe not with as many of the silly voices, accents, or made-up words. The old man is a one-man comedy show so I guess he's rubbed off on me over the past going on 19 years. I also have a long-standing spot on the soap box. I know that part of what I write isn't so fun to read. Thanks for the compliment, tho. Wow! Y'all have a way of making a girl feel pretty dang good..... ((all things considered, I think I have a sinus infection starting up ))

Oh. While I'm thinking of it: Word of warning to my fellow girls cruisers. When you add drinky-drinks to Kelly she talks even mooooore....

We are in 10164 and my parents are in 10166! We can take out the divider between the balconies and have a balcony as big as our room! Seriously, here's a picture of one of the balconies. I didn't take this and I have no memory of where I found it. So to the photographer, I'm sorry for not giving you credit!

Isn't that great?! I'm so excited I booked my sister and her family on it and haven't even told them!! I have to wait for the right timing on that one. :lol:

Oh wow! Y'all will practically have you a little Roy suite going on! Well, minus the really coolest details like the pretty pillows, hot tub, tv in the mirror, etc. Maybe you can call it the "Meg Suite". Oh snap. Did I just say that??? Oh no she didn't!! Oh yes I DID!!!! :lol:

So how long you gonna wait to spring the cruise on your sister??? Time's a tickin'! If she opts not to go, lemme know. I might run away from home.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

The boys appeared about 10 minutes before it was time for dinner and got changed.

This is one of the reasons I'm envious of boys. They don't even have to really try and they look just ducky.

Here’s Missy and her dh with our server Lenin:

Hey! Look! It's almost a Holly-mirror-shot!!! I see yooouuuuu.....

This is a good place to mention that I think cruising with Missy & her DH would be a riot! They totally look like our kind of people: silliness, funny, and who cares what people around us think?!

I had the romaine wedge. Lettuce is the only veggie I eat so ds comes by his food aversions a little honestly :

Someone had the spinach and raspberry salad. When I said I like lettuce, I meant lettuce. Not fru fru salads like this:

Ooooh...salad....I'm living on a rabbit's diet right now so I can appreciate pretty salads.

No fru-fru salads. That's funny! Tracey only likes iceburg lettuce, too, only he calls it "normal lettuce". He confuses more servers when ordering dinner salads:

"I'd like a house salad with extra ranch. Make it like a little salad with my ranch. Do y'all do normal lettuce or weeds? I don't like weeds."

That's when I have to interpret:

"Normal lettuce is iceburg, not romaine, spinach, or spring mix. I swear, I can't take him anywhere."

:lol:

A couple of people had the lobster ravioli:

Lobster ravvy-moley! I had that at EG on the Dream! It was yummy. I approve of this selection.

Pam ran blocking maneuvers for everyone who tried to horn in on our space. When the Dream started their fireworks they were definitely not starboard but we still had a great view:

Looks like your captain was a little mixed-up in all the excitement. Y'all were on the Dream's starboard and the Dream was on your port. That's okay. You still had a great view going on.

And great big kudos to Pam for running the block maneuvers. We did the same thing on our cruise when we staked-out our perfect spot 30 minutes early with another large, multi-generation family with little kiddies. We made sure those little-uns had their spot at the rail without being mushed. And the adults of the group were a riot so it was oodles of fun all the way around.

The excitement onboard was palatable. Everyone, even the crew was so excited. The crew was snapping pictures, the guests lined the decks, it was really, really neat.

I bet it was! This is why I think the Dream & Fantasy should make it a point to do close-proximity sail-bys whenever feasible. It's a great thrill for everyone. It's not like they're doing high-speed sail-bys of rocky coastlines or anything, right???

We stopped by Vibe to turn in the permission slips for the teen excursion in the morning and caught the counselors singing karaoke in an empty club. They were a little embarrassed.

What?! You didn't join in?! I woulda been all over it!!!! No, I can't sing a lick but I can sure put on a great show! Imagine Eddie Murphy singing 'Roxanne' in the movie '48 Hours' but way more dramatic and funny. Ooohh yeah! I should be on 'The Voice'!

The boys came back a little after 2 again.

Dontcha just love this? I sure do. When I was a teenager my curfew was always 1:00. When you're trying to come home no earlier than 12:59-and-a-half there's lotsa trouble to be found. Where else can us moms of teens let our minions come in at these hours without worrying ourselves sick and/or wait up for them with a wire coat hanger in hand....er.....I mean a serious scowl on our face???? LOL! Seriously, I love that the boys can go and do and have late-night adventures without the possibility of getting into the stuff I did. Really!

I forgot to mention the Navigators! The Navigators have changed! I don’t know if that’s true for every ship, just the inaugural Fantasy, every Fantasy cruise, etc. They now have an insert with the times. It made it really easy to pull out the times and walk around with just that. I’ll try to remember to take a picture.

Oh! Need to see these Navigators!!!! Sounds cool!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

bah.

I shouldn't have looked at your pictures but I wanted to. Because I like to know what's ahead of us! lol. Times like this are when I hate that I love this website!

We're sailing in 32 days and are definitely looking forward to it. Our stress levels are reaching maximum as the wedding fastly approaches. This month is going to go by in no time!

$200 for a throw pillow is absurd!
Glad CMs are adhearing to the no flash pictures rules somewhere!
The balconies on the aft of the ship...in the words of Takei.... OH MYYYYY!

Thanks (I think) for the pictures! :wave:

32 days!! Woo hoo!! This month will go quick! It will be so wonderful to relax after the wedding!! I hope you have an awesome wedding and honeymoon!

The aft balconies are wonderful!

Oh wow! Y'all will practically have you a little Roy suite going on! Well, minus the really coolest details like the pretty pillows, hot tub, tv in the mirror, etc. Maybe you can call it the "Meg Suite". Oh snap. Did I just say that??? Oh no she didn't!! Oh yes I DID!!!! :lol:

So how long you gonna wait to spring the cruise on your sister??? Time's a tickin'! If she opts not to go, lemme know. I might run away from home.

The Meg suite!! :lol: I love it!

I don't know when I'm telling her! I'm not planning on paying for her whole cruise but we really really want them to go and I don't want the prices to go up so much that it's out of the question. I'm hoping we can at least help them out with the cost if they need us too. Right now they're hoping to go to Europe for a land tour that year, but I really don't think she'll pull the trigger on that one because of airfare.

So once she officially says they decided not to go to Europe, I'll give her some alternate vacation plans!

This is one of the reasons I'm envious of boys. They don't even have to really try and they look just ducky.

Seriously! They each took like 3 minute showers and were out the door!

Hey! Look! It's almost a Holly-mirror-shot!!! I see yooouuuuu.....

Oh yes! There I am!

This is a good place to mention that I think cruising with Missy & her DH would be a riot! They totally look like our kind of people: silliness, funny, and who cares what people around us think?!

Missy and her dh were so much fun! I've been to training with Missy before, so I knew she was fun, but the two of them together were even better.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Ooooh...salad....I'm living on a rabbit's diet right now so I can appreciate pretty salads.

No fru-fru salads. That's funny! Tracey only likes iceburg lettuce, too, only he calls it "normal lettuce". He confuses more servers when ordering dinner salads:

"I'd like a house salad with extra ranch. Make it like a little salad with my ranch. Do y'all do normal lettuce or weeds? I don't like weeds."

That's when I have to interpret:

"Normal lettuce is iceburg, not romaine, spinach, or spring mix. I swear, I can't take him anywhere."

:lol:

I am right there with Tracey!! I do not want my salad to look like someone went in their backyard and picked leaves off the ground!! :lol:

Lobster ravvy-moley! I had that at EG on the Dream! It was yummy. I approve of this selection.

I am not a seafood lover, so I didn't care for them the one time I tried it on the Dream. Everyone else did say they were great though.

Looks like your captain was a little mixed-up in all the excitement. Y'all were on the Dream's starboard and the Dream was on your port. That's okay. You still had a great view going on.

We did still have a great view.

And great big kudos to Pam for running the block maneuvers. We did the same thing on our cruise when we staked-out our perfect spot 30 minutes early with another large, multi-generation family with little kiddies. We made sure those little-uns had their spot at the rail without being mushed. And the adults of the group were a riot so it was oodles of fun all the way around.

Yes, I greatly appreciated her effort!! I was running back and forth trying to find dd since she couldn't come stand with us (we were in the adult section) and I wanted to make sure she found the boys. Pam put up a barricade of chairs around us and wouldn't let any last minute arrivers through.

I bet it was! This is why I think the Dream & Fantasy should make it a point to do close-proximity sail-bys whenever feasible. It's a great thrill for everyone. It's not like they're doing high-speed sail-bys of rocky coastlines or anything, right???

I agree. They should sail by whenever they can. They don't get too too close and we weren't anywhere near land. We don't want any Costa Concordia type driving!!

What?! You didn't join in?! I woulda been all over it!!!! No, I can't sing a lick but I can sure put on a great show! Imagine Eddie Murphy singing 'Roxanne' in the movie '48 Hours' but way more dramatic and funny. Ooohh yeah! I should be on 'The Voice'!

Maybe I should have!! I can't sing either but I sing loud!! Maybe a little karaoke night on the girls cruise?

Dontcha just love this? I sure do. When I was a teenager my curfew was always 1:00. When you're trying to come home no earlier than 12:59-and-a-half there's lotsa trouble to be found. Where else can us moms of teens let our minions come in at these hours without worrying ourselves sick and/or wait up for them with a wire coat hanger in hand....er.....I mean a serious scowl on our face???? LOL! Seriously, I love that the boys can go and do and have late-night adventures without the possibility of getting into the stuff I did. Really!

Absolutely! I think that is one of their favorite things on the cruise, the freedom they have. I have no problem going to sleep while they're out enjoying themsleves, so neither one of us cramps the others style. At home, when he's out driving, there's no way I'm sleeping well until I know he is in for the night! So he's not staying out until 2, I can guarantee that!

Oh! Need to see these Navigators!!!! Sounds cool!

I will scan them soon!

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Sunday, March 25th. - Castaway Cay

We were headed to one of my favorite places in the world today! Woo hoo!

Our schedule for this conference gave us a lot more free time onboard then we had for our conference on the Dream, but unfortunately the only mandatory time together onboard was the morning of Castaway Cay. Who planned that? It was semi torturous sitting through speakers, no matter how entertaining, when we knew what was waiting for us outside.

I got up at 6:30 and proceeded to do my hair in the dark. Oh yes, the plugs for curling irons and flat irons are at the desk too.

The teens were doing a teen only excursion. It’s the best deal on the ship. It’s called Wild Side and it includes kayaking, snorkeling and bike riding for only $35.

Dh was running the 5k and then waiting for me to finish the conference at 11:00.

I met Pam and Missy for breakfast at Castaway Cay and then I ditched them to take some quick pictures before our session at 8.

Look what I see!!!! :sohappy: