Meet Me @ Quiet Cove: 6-night Western from Galveston with (New) Adults (COMPLETED)

Narnia_girl

He's not a tame lion, but he is good.
Joined
May 11, 2009
It's time for another fun cruise adventure (our third) and trip report!

We are latecomers to Disney vacations. I took my first trip to WDW when I was 47 years old; our youngest child was 13 then. So we didn't do the whole "little kids at Disney" stuff. We actually took a Disney cruise before we ever visited WDW. Since then, we've gotten hooked and have had several trips to Orlando.

Now, that's not to say we didn't love Disney, we really did. It's just I always had other places in the U.S. I wanted our kids to see, and I thought WDW was too expensive. I didn't know the ins-and-outs of making Disney more affordable and I can honestly say I learned almost all of that on the DIS Budget Board. That board made it possible for us to afford Disney vacations. :disrocks:


Our first cruise was on the Disney Wonder in 2009 when our oldest child graduated from high school. In 2014 we enjoyed the Disney Dream when our second child graduated. Fast forward another five years, our youngest child graduated from high school, so time to cruise again! That’s where the “New Adults” in my title comes in. On our past cruises at least one of our children were just that, children. Now all of them are officially adults—18 and older—and able to go to the adult areas on Disney ships. This will turn out to be one of my favorite aspects of this cruise.

Here is our family in 2014 before we boarded the Dream.



Although our family has grown (our oldest married a wonderful young woman) our cruising group has shrunk. This time around it’s just mom, dad (Rick), DS (24) and DD (19).

You can read about the rocky road which got us here, in my pre-trip report: Red, Hot & Blue. There I describe the changes to our trip (originally a Baja cruise) and how we visited Galveston in July, planning to scope out sites to see when we returned in January for our cruise
 
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Jan. 2, 2020

Rick and I both worked at our jobs until noon and came home for a quick lunch. While eating I happened to read a Consumer Reports story on traveling. One of the main points on security emphasized that most people do not lock their suitcases, and why they really should.

Our poor, vulnerable bags...


So we left home about 2:30 p.m. and stopped by TJ Maxx to buy suitcase locks. They were inexpensive: 2 for $7 and I wondered why I never used them before? Then we hit the road.

Another helpful idea I had was to take photos of where important items were stored in our bags. Since we are carrying more stuff than we normally do in our day-to-day lives, I thought it would be good to have a photo in case I needed to find something quickly (like a passport, cash, earbuds, or raincoat). Hence, these photos:





On our way…



We fly out of St. Louis so we made the two hour drive there, and ate a mediocre dinner at Dunkin Donuts in the airport.

>>>Do you ever sit waiting for a plane and try to determine if anyone else on the flight is also on your cruise? Yeah I did that!

Our flight to Houston Hobby Airport took longer than expected as the pilots were trying to avoid a storm.



DS had worked a full day at his job. He flew into Houston from Oklahoma City and was supposed to arrive 30 minutes after us, but he was already in the terminal waiting when we landed. Luggage area was total chaos...maybe lots of flights were weather delayed? No idea but it was a mess so we had to wait a long time for our luggage.





It was super easy to find the car ride share area. We ordered an Uber Comfort and it took about 15 minutes to arrive but we were so pleasantly surprised to have a van. It was a roomy, comfortable (ride with a nice driver) to Galveston Island.

Side bar: We investigated all the transfer options available to us to get to Galveston. DCL transportation is not available from Houston Hobby Airport, and most of the Shuttles did not run late evening. Our flights arrived about 9:30 and it was 10 p.m. by the time we retrieved our luggage. We considered staying at an airport hotel and taking a morning shuttle, but for us, getting to Galveston that evening was preferred. We settled on Uber Comfort, which is supposed to be a roomier ride, but not as expensive as Uber XL. The fare for an Uber Comfort from Houston Hobby Airport to a Galveston seawall hotel at 10 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2020 was $60.

We had booked Holiday Inn Express & Suites on Galveston Beach. It was brand new—opened the day after Thanksgiving—and we had a ocean-view suite with balcony. Suites are best for families like us: parents with adult children who don't share a bed. It was a beautiful new room with modern touches.







The bedding for the pull-out sofa was missing, but staff supplied it right away.
We had snacks in the room and went right to sleep, excited for tomorrow!



.
 
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Day One: Disney WONDER / Jan. 3, 2020

Rick and I got up at 8 and had coffee on the balcony.




We let the kids sleep later and took our time before we headed downstairs for breakfast.









The Holiday Express buffet was pretty good as far as those things go. We had time to enjoy the view a little longer.





Galveston Island Pleasure Pier from the elevator landing. Our daughter spent a fun vacation here with her beloved cousins a few years back. She remembers those crazy, scary rides!





The 11 a.m. hotel checkout time and our 11:30 a.m. Port Arrival Time seemed to line up well.

We checked out of the hotel about 10:50 and called another Uber Comfort to take us to the port.












That car took a while to arrive and was more cramped than the night before, but it was a short ride to the terminal and he knew right where to take us. (I had read sometimes the Uber drivers would drop riders at Starbucks and have them walk across to the port. We had spent a good bit of time at the Starbucks in July so I knew right where it was and that it wasn’t a long walk….but I was wrong and so glad he didn't drop us there. It’s not a long walk to the pier, but it is a long walk to the DCL port.)



Our last cruise was on the Disney Dream. Since then I frequently hear the Magic and Wonder referred to as "smaller" ships. Yes, they are smaller than the newer ships, but when I caught a glimpse of this beauty after 10 years, I did not think she was small. I thought, beautiful, majestic and BIG! :love:




We arrived at the port at 11:10 a.m. , a little early for our official PAT. We dropped our bags in the loading area ourselves. It was a very quick line through security. DD got stopped for having water in her bottle and was made to pour it out. DS and I both had water in our bottles and passed right through. :confused3

We checked in with DCL and were given boarding group 6. In the terminal we sat down and noticed Goofy nearby with no real line. People could just walk right up and get a photo. We were collecting our bags to go over and get a pic with him, when a wave of excitement rippled through the terminal.





Captain Mickey strolled past and people came from everywhere to get a photo. Suddenly our no-wait line became 50 people deep as Goofy and Mickey exchanged places. Poor Goofy just doesn’t get the love...





We sat back down and waited for our turn. It really wasn't long before they announced the family of the day and earlier boarding groups. It was kind of hard to hear the announcements so we placed ourselves closer to the queue area. They moved quickly through the earlier groups and we boarded right about noon.





I assume he’s heading to the Bridge to get us going…




I was thrilled to see they still had Christmas decorations up. It was beautiful!







We went right to Guest Services to put gift cards on our account. I had compiled them online onto one card, but the lady ahead of us did not do this and the CM had to manually process multiple $25 cards. I had to wait a long time in line as she did this. I was also able to get a 2 p.m. Mixology spot for one of our Sea Days, despite it showing “sold out” on the website.

While I was doing that, the others took some photos.







Next up, our first day onboard the Disney Wonder continues, and it's quite different than our first day 10.5 years earlier.
 


Day One: Disney WONDER / Jan. 3, 2020, continued

We walked around Deck 9 and 10 watching the pier workers going about their jobs and enjoying the 65 degree weather.














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Because I had watched a few sail-aways online I knew the port camera was somewhere in that area to the right. I thought this would be a good place for us to stand and wave to family as we departed.









The guys played table tennis.






We had lunch at Cabanas. It was busy as usual, but we were able to snag a table for four on the outside deck.








After lunch we headed to Senses Spa for a tour. Mostly I wanted to see the Rainforest Room, and the Locker Room Showers. Since my husband is 6’4” I knew he could shower in the Locker Room, and be more comfortable there. The tour encompassed everything within the spa, including treatments I had never even heard of, but we declined all of the services offered.

It was well past time for the Staterooms to be opened so we headed down to check out ours. It was our first cabin with a verandah and I had not told Rick or DS about it. We were in a 4B stateroom on Deck 8 Aft. The main reason I wanted this size cabin was the Murphy bed; that meant both our kids would have their own bed on ground level and we wouldn’t have to stick one of them on the berth. The room turned out to be a good location for getting drinks and other Deck 9 activities.







Went to the introductory ship tour but within two minutes realized it was for new cruisers and we didn’t really need that as we had sailed this ship before. So instead, we walked around Deck 4 a bit and took lobby photos.





Rick found a comfortable chair to read his book while we were doing this, so he decided to stay put when the rest of us went back to our stateroom to unpack.

After he finished reading he decided to join us in the room. It was then he realized he didn’t know our room number and he got lost roaming the corridors looking for us. All he knew was it was on Deck 8. He used the chat feature on DCL app but we did not get the message. Thankfully, I had put out our old Fish Extender and a few magnets on the door so he eventually arrived in our room, slightly disgruntled. :charac2:

Our safety drill station was in Animator’s Palate which is a nice, seated location.

Afterwards we went up to deck 10 for the Sail Away.



We were surprised there was no horn melody as we left port. They did play the horn at noon throughout the week.

I waved a tassled Mickey banner and our family did see us on the Port camera. Here’s that screenshot.




We stood on deck for a long time and watched Texas recede in the distance.






When it got too cold for that we went to the Cove Café overlook. They have comfortable chairs with cozy blankets. We ordered the drink of the day and relaxed. This was our first real moment of relaxation in this area. We were so happy that DD is now old enough to be in the adult area and that she enjoyed just hanging out and relaxing. It was so much quieter there!





Next up.... the first day comes to an end
 
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Day One: Disney WONDER / Jan. 3, 2020, Evening

We had a slice of pizza and went to our room to change for evening activities and charge phones. Then sat in the audience of the Mickey Mania Game Show in the D Lounge; it was fun.








Dinner was at Tiana’s Place where we met our servers for the week, and enjoyed the bayou version of Disney tunes from these guys.



Tiana’s Place Holiday Décor



Some of the things we ate:

Cream of Wild Forest Mushroom Soup with White Truffle Oil and Chives





Caesar Salad



One of my favorite foods I ate all week: Country Green Lentil Soup with Paprika, Chorizo Sausage and Vegetables.



Sliced Gaviax: Marinated slices of Salmon with Honey-Mustard Dressing.



Louisiana Hot Crab Dip with Toasted Croutons



Grilled Rum-Marinated Swordfish with Black Bean Muneta, Roasted Corn and Sweet Potato Fries:





Trio of Veal: Grilled Tenderloin, pulled Shank and tortellacci Pasta with a Sun-dried Tomato and Sage Reduction. Garnished with a Potato Crisp.





Lime-Marinated Jumbo Shrimp with Jambalaya Rice, Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Celery, and Cajun Spices:




Desserts:

Louisiana Root Beer Crème with Cherry Parfait and Honeycomb Crunch



Banoffee Cream Pie: Caramel Toffee base topped with Bananas and an abundance of Whipped Cream



Tiana’s Place Sunday: Rocky Road Ice Cream topped with Chocolate Fudge Bites, Chocolate Sauce and Whipped Cream.



We were happily stuffed and needed to stretch our legs a bit, so we strolled through Cadillac Lounge, Crown & Fin and to Azure.





Decided to stay in Azure for the Feud & Snippets games. Derrell from North Carolina (not Darnell or Darrell) was the host and we enjoyed his humor.


Our clocks were set forward one hour before bed and we ready for sleep.

 
Day Two: Disney WONDER / Jan. 4, 2020



I woke up early to the boat rocking, but since we had put our clocks forward an hour I felt I could go back to sleep for a while...so I did. Got up at 8:45 and sat on our verandah enjoying the warm breeze.



The kids got up at 9:45 so we went to Tritons for brunch.







We strolled the perimeter of Deck 4 a couple of times, passing through the anchor room.











Sat for awhile on Deck 9 in the sun then we went to Cove Café lounges and relaxed.






At noon the ship’s horn played When You Wish Upon a Star. We loved hearing this since it didn’t happen at Sail Away, but it’s very loud in the Cove Café! :D

As the area got busier we went back down to Deck 4 Promenade.

This naturally happens on those lounge chairs:




We read some and just enjoyed the peaceful scenery. We also marveled at how loud the surf was. Many white caps.



After half an hour we went up to Cabanas for a small lunch. Rick wanted to eat a bit so he could run later.

Here’s my 'big; meal— one of those rolls was filled with buttery coconut and it was yummy!



DS had a more hearty meal





This is so beautiful! Especially knowing it was about 35 degrees at home in the Midwest.







Watched Frozen II movie in the Walt Disney Theatre; it was very full and we all enjoyed it. (This photo is a DCL commercial before the movie started.)





Three of us relaxed in our room and verandah while Rick ran on Deck 4.





Here is the Murphy bed that our stateroom host would lower and make up for DD each night.



On the verandah table you can see two small battery-operated tea lights I brought along. Those really were nice to have at night and just added a little extra ambience to sitting out there.

DD & I sat at Quiet Cove Pool while DS napped, then we all got cleaned up for evening.

Tonight’s show was Golden Mickeys. It was our third time seeing this show and we still love it. (I think there were one or two changes since last time.)

We watched the NFL Wild Card game on FunnelVision. There were many Texas families onboard so it was fun to see the Texans vs. Bills.



It ended right about the time we were due for dinner at Tritons.



Crispy Roasted Duck Breast with Cabbage, Shallots, Honey Parsnip Mash, and Duck Red Wine Jus



DD’s favorite: Fried Brie with Orange & Cranberry Chutney



DS’s favorite: Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brulee with Almond Biscotti



Grand Marnier Souffle served with Grand Marnier Creme Anglaise




After dinner we relaxed in our room and watched the Titans beat the Patriots, which is just about the perfect way to end a day. :goodvibes

 


Isn't it great when the kids are old enough to join you in the adult areas??
Our cruise in 2012 was the first "adult" cruise for the 4 of us, we had 2 significant others and two small grandkids with us too.
They loved Palo dinner and brunch and sitting with us at the over 18 area.
 
Derrell is one of our favorite CMs. So glad to see him moving up in the ranks!

Our DD was "finally" old enough to enjoy the adult areas on our last cruise. She was never into the kid's areas so she thoroughly enjoyed Palo, the Quiet Cove and the Cove Cafe!
 
Isn't it great when the kids are old enough to join you in the adult areas??
Our cruise in 2012 was the first "adult" cruise for the 4 of us, we had 2 significant others and two small grandkids with us too.
They loved Palo dinner and brunch and sitting with us at the over 18 area.
We really did enjoy it, sounds like you did too.

Your photos are amazing!
Thanks, the really good ones are from my son's Samsung Galaxy Note 10.
Derrell is one of our favorite CMs. So glad to see him moving up in the ranks!

Our DD was "finally" old enough to enjoy the adult areas on our last cruise. She was never into the kid's areas so she thoroughly enjoyed Palo, the Quiet Cove and the Cove Cafe!
Same with our daughter! And Derrell shows up again in this trip report. :D
 
Day Three: Disney WONDER / Jan. 5 2020
(Sunday in Cozumel)



Alarm went off at 7:15 a.m. It was hazy and overcast. We had breakfast in the Octogon, I mean Cabanas. :scared:

There was a CM set up outside the restaurant selling collapsible coolers and bottled water. I have wanted one of these since our last cruise so was excited to get it. I feel like it’s one of the rare values on DCL and I know we will actually use this souvenir over and over.



We had scheduled the Jeep Tour to Punta Sur. We met in the D Lounge for our excursion. It was kind of chaotic but our group finally walked off the ship together.

Our guide, Eliot, met us right as we disembarked and walked us down the pier and through the terminal together.




Eliot stopped us on the lower level and gave some basic instructions and quickly checked our driver’s licenses. Then it was about 1/2 block walk from the terminal to the Jeep parking lot and we were on our way.



All the vehicles looked brand new, and were automatic. We drove through town and down the coast road past many resorts arriving at Punta Sur Ecological Park. There we were asked to turn over our sunscreen (it was returned when we left).




Our beach area included a shaded bar with numerous tables/chairs, a few swings, and an elevated platform where lunch was served. We were told the hammocks nearby were available for our use, as was the bathroom/changing room. However, we should not venture too far near the other resort or they would ask us to pay.






A few people chose to snorkel but most just relaxed on the beach and dipped their toes in the water. There was a lot of gross debris washed up (it smelled fishy).



Workers at the next door resort (blue umbrellas) were shoveling paths through the debris so
guests could reach the water easily but at our area there was no way around it—we had to go through it.




I walked to the bathroom, also near those blue umbrellas in the above photo, and it was clean spacious. Back at the beach Rick and DD got in the water for a bit; it was pretty chilly still.




I trudged through the seaweed sludge wall and had my sandal sucked right off my foot! I had to stick my hand six inches into the sand to pull it out.

Mostly we just lounged on the beach. It was quiet and beautiful.

Lunch was soon announced and we went through the buffet line. The members of our group who are picky thought the lunch was gross. Rick thought it was fine.




Then we relaxed some more and watched two kids in our group break a piñata.








A worker came around and sold us a photo she took at our Jeep ($10 for a 5x7 print, $20 if you wanted it framed).

We loaded up the cars and headed to our next stop, the Lighthouse.




We expected a lot of steps to reach the top but we were not prepared for the extremely narrow passage that made negotiating those steep steps even more risky. Then at the top we had to squat down and crawl through a low opening to access the open skywalk.


Rick (6’4”) didn’t even bother to try to get through the opening, but gazed from inside on the tiny landing near the light. You can see behind him, just under the backpack is the low opening we had to crawl through.



We did our best to back down the steps —feeling that was the safest route. It was a great view at the top, really gorgeous, and I’m glad we did it, but visitors should be prepared for more than just the steps.



The road leading in/out, where you can see our Jeeps parked.





Crocodiles to the left of me, sharks to the right…



Once back on land we wandered the area. It’s very beautiful. There was a large driftwood Christmas tree, several shaded places to rest and a maritime museum. We saw several iguanas.









Next our group drove to the lagoon to see a Mayan ruin and (hopefully) crocodiles.


Our other guide gave us a brief explanation of Mayan culture and the small ruins visible.



Then we filed on elevated wooden walkways out into the lagoon.



Right away Eliot pointed out a large crocodile under one of the walkways. (His head is visible just to the left of the short, white support pillar.)

After about five minutes DS and DD spotted another one. This guy was much smaller, so probably a juvenile or female.







The larger croc moved out from under the walkway and was very close to our exit route, just off the side of where we walked.





A few feet and small boards separated us and I feel sure it was not very safe.




We watched a flock Pink Flamingos which Eliot said was rare for the area and two flying Roseate Spoonbills. (The small croc we saw had just gone under the surface of the water when I took this, so he’s hiding there.)



This was essentially the end of our excursion; our second guide had us stop underneath shade pavilion and gave a brief speech about how they work for tips. It wasn’t heavy-handed, but he made his point.



Next up: Back on board the Wonder, lodging a noise complaint and sea sickness...
 
Quick question on the sunscreen, would they have let you keep it if it was reef safe? Just trying to prepare. Thanks.
 
Quick question on the sunscreen, would they have let you keep it if it was reef safe? Just trying to prepare. Thanks.
Probably, and it wasn't like they searched us. Our guide told us ahead of time that we needed to turn over sunscreen when we got there, so to make sure and apply it beforehand. When we got to the entrance he walked by each car with a tote bag and asked for sunscreen. I handed over our large bottle but forgot I had a travel size in my first aid kit, and so that went along with us to the beach. Truly, I think it's an 'on your honor' type system and you'll probably be fine with yours.
 
Evening, Day Three: Disney WONDER / Jan. 5 2020

Up on Deck 10 it was starting to get windy as we pulled away from the pier.






We went back to the room and sat on our deck watching Cozumel closely as we sailed past. Rick ate again (chicken strips & fries).





The wind and waves were starting to get rough (42 knots). DD found this to be great sleeping motion so she napped. I began to feel sick.



As the boat continued to rock Rick kept hearing a noise that had kept him up a lot the last two nights, even though he used ear plugs. It almost sounded like a marble rolling around in the ceiling and because the ship was tossing so much the sounded continued.
As prepared to leave for dinner, he mentioned the noise to our stateroom hostess. She alerted the stewards or proper people who came and listened for themselves and duly noted the “challenge.” (That’s what they called it.) It seemed to be coming from the drop down berth which we had not used at all. They heard the sound also and promised to send a maintenance person to try to fix it. :listen:


We headed off to dinner at Animator’s Palette. I left during the appetizer to get some motion sickness medicine from our stateroom. While I was there a maintenance man came to try and fix the rolling marble noise. I told him to carry on and I went back to dinner with the family.

We dined on:

Smoked Salmon Tartare with Dill, Capers, Onions, Pickles and Horseradish Cream





Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes: Pasta Purses filled with Truffle-scented cheese and coated with a delicate Champagne Sauce.




Baked Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup with Bacon and Chives



I also had the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup but don’t seem to have a photo.

Ginger-Teriyaki Dusted Angus Beef Tenderloin Served on Wasabi Mashed Potatoes with Bok Choy and a Tamarind Barbecue Reduction.



Herb-Crusted Pork Chop: Roast Pork Chop Brushed with Dijon Mustard and Crusted with Herb Bread Crumbs Served with Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto and a Borolo Wine Sauce.





Here’s my entrée: Lemon-Thyme Marinated All Natural Chicken Breast on top of Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables and Grain Mustard Jus. This photo is a pretty accurate representation of how my stomach and head felt at the time.



After eating part of my entrée I took another motion sickness pill and left. I felt miserable and after a while I realized it wasn’t just motion sickness but a migraine. I sat outside the Cove Café with my head against the window because I could see the waves there, and that seemed to help.

My family stayed and enjoyed dessert.

Cookies & Cream Sundae with Chocolate Sauce and Chocolate Chip Cookies




They brought me my favorite DCL dessert (sticky date pudding) from Animator’s Palette and I ate half of it while we sat on deck.



I was sorry to hear that I missed Captain Mickey in the dining room.



We returned to our stateroom to find the upper berth in the drop down position. After that, we never heard the noise again, and the berth remained ‘open’ for the rest of our trip.

The heavy dose of motion sickness medicine did help and I was able to sleep well.

 
Day Four: Disney WONDER / Jan. 6, 2020/Grand Cayman

We slept later this morning and I felt a lot better than I had the night before.

Breakfast was at Cabanas, which again was very crowded, so we found a table on Deck 10.





Today was our Grand Cayman day and our dinner servers had suggested we until about 11 a.m. to try to disembark (rather than 10 a.m. when it opened). They said the line would be shorter then. We headed towards the Buena Vista Theater at 11:20 and there was a line to get in, but it didn’t take long and we were handed tender passes and bus passes.







It turns out we were not able to anchor at the main Georgetown port. We had to use a secondary port, as did the Carnival Paradise. Because of this, we would need bus passes to get to the main downtown area. Disney provided us with those passes for both ways. We waited in the theater about 10 minutes before it was our turn to make our way down to Deck 1 and disembark.



When we boarded the tender boat we headed to the very back row so we could get an unobstructed view of the Wonder as we pulled away.






This worked well until it was time to disembark the tender boat. Our seating meant we were last off the boat. We walked up the hill through the simple “port” and waited at the back of a long line to get a bus.



Thankfully the wait was only about 10 minutes (starting to get hot) and we were boarding a small bus. We noticed there were not enough seats for everyone they boarded but then the driver showed us how to lower the arm of one seat in each row, effectively creating a seat in the aisle. I couldn’t help thinking that meant in an accident .everyone was basically trapped behind the rows ahead of them.

We drove through Georgetown—noticing chickens everywhere— and were dropped off in the shopping district near the main port.



We walked past the luxury stores and souvenir shops towards the main port where the Disney Magic was tendered.



We kept walking until we got to the historic Elmslie Memorial United Church. The front doors were open and the sanctuary inside was beautiful with dark wood and two stained glass windows.



Despite the doors being open it was also pretty stuffy inside so we did not stay long.





We walked to Heroes Plaza but it was under renovation so we couldn’t get close to anything except the women’s statue.





There really wasn’t much to see there and we crossed the street to the bus depot right next to the library. The attendant pointed to the bus we needed and we got on a shuttle to Governor’s Beach. We paid $2.50 per person for the ride.

Governor’s Beach is a small area, only moderately clean. The lack of facilities (one very smelly portable toilet) helps keeps the crowds low. (Try changing into a swimsuit inside a portable toilet while trying not to touch any surface.) :scared:
Much of the beach had small bits of litter including bottle caps and the long metal rods that sparklers come on.
That’s the down side to this place.
The upside is gorgeous powder sand and clear water.





I had brought with us a waterproof backpack and water proof phone cases with the idea we could take our valuables out into the water with us. But once we got to the beach I did not feel comfortable doing that. I just felt that even our backpacks, minus any valuables and only holding clothes, would be vulnerable to theft. For that reason I encouraged Rick and the kids to go ahead and swim while I sat on a towel with our stuff.



The waves were very strong near the shore. After a while, Rick came out and insisted that I get in the water so I did for a while. It was a beautiful and not very crowded spot.






Not much later we decided to start the process of drying off and heading back. I did not want to go back into the porta-potty to change so I did the best I could to wring out my suit and put a dress on over it. All told we probably swam for 45 minutes.

WHAT DID IT TAKE TO GET TO THIS BEACH?
We drove 2 hours in a car to the St. Louis airport, flew to Houston, took an Uber car to Galveston, got on a ship and sailed for two days, from the ship took a tender boat to Grand Cayman, got a bus across the island, then took an Island Shuttle to the beach…all for 45 minutes of swimming. :fish:




Living in a land-locked area I forget how much preparation and stuff is needed for a day at the beach. If I could do it again, I would have paid for a place with more services. They are much more crowded but clean facilities are important.

After our beach time we walked back to the road and an Island Shuttle stopped within 2 minutes. He motioned us to cross the road (we kept forgetting about left side driving) and we hopped on. This driver was more reckless and made me nervous as he got so close to other vehicles. He also like to cut people off and they would honk at him. He dropped us at the town center again, we briefly glanced at Constitution Hall and walked back through the shopping area to our bus stop which would deliver us to the DCL port.




As we got back on the bus the driver stood outside taking tickets. I handed him all four for our family. Three of us got on, but he stopped Rick and said he needed a ticket. He claimed I had only given him three. I double checked my wallet and all my tickets were gone. :confused3
Then he recounted the passengers, arriving at 11, but claiming he only had 10 tickets. He counted passengers and tickets three times and kept insisting that Rick didn’t have a ticket. He said we could buy a ticket for $6. :scratchin
Rick asked for the tickets himself and counted them out for the driver, counting 11. Then the driver admitted he had miscounted and allowed Rick to board. :teacher:



The drive back to port was busy with end-of-work-day traffic. We walked right on the next tender boat.





 
Day Four: Disney WONDER / Jan. 6, 2020 Evening

Back on board after our day in Georgetown, everyone was hungry so we got food on Deck 9.
I again got a sample plate of Cove Café pastries to share, and then we swam in the Cove Pool. My family thought it felt good but I was cold the whole time. I would have loved to warm up in the hot tub but that wasn’t happening.

(We were in the pool about 45 minutes and the same people were in the hot tub the entire time.
They were having fun and I wouldn’t blame them for not noticing that they had overstayed the posted time limit,
but they really over stayed. My husband said that the day before the same group was in the hot tub for a couple
of hours straight.) :earseek:

I went back to the room for a warm shower and headed to Guest Services. Earlier I had noticed a tour for the next day that I really wanted to take but it was going to be at the same time as our Mixology class--yes the Mixology I snagged on Embarkation Day. :o The CM at Guest Services said it was no problem to cancel Mixology so we could take the tour.

Everyone else got cleaned up for the evening, and we watched the sun set from our verandah.



The last tender boats leave for the day…



We headed to Crown & Fin for 80s Music Trivia. Rick ordered a beer and the rest of us had water. Derrell was the host again and it was a fun, but fast moving trivia!





Trivia finished right at 8 p.m. so folks could make it to dinner. We noticed that Crown & Fin had out appetizers (chips/salsa, wings, hot dogs, etc…) but as we were on our way to dinner we didn't have any. Other times we went back to the pub, no food was out.

At Tiana’s we dined on:

Sauteed Gulf Shrimp & Grits with Andouille Sausage, Grilled Green Onions and a Smoked Barbecue Sauce



Boudin Sausage Fritters: Minced Pork and Boudin Sausage, Breaded and Fried served with a Bourbon Aioli (there were three )



Mama Odie’s Creamy Tomato Soup with Chopped Cilantro




Iceberg Wedge with Pepper Jack Cheese, Tomato, Basil and a creamy Thousand Island Dressing



James’s Roasted Pork Tenderloin: Sliced Pork Tenderloin with White Rice and Greens, on an Andouille Sausage Stew



Eudora’s Artichoke Ravioli with Sautéed Spinach, Lemon Butter, Sage, and Pecorino Cheese





Cajun Spiced Sea Bass on Shrimp Jambalaya with Crisp Fennel Salad and Remoulade



Big Daddy’s Roasted Prime-Rib of Beef with a double Baked Potato, Broccolini, sweet Roasted Carrots and a Red Wine Veal Sauce



We had to have Beignets for dessert



Dinner at Tiana’s was loud and lively. Rick said it was his favorite meal with a show of any cruise we’ve taken. :dance3:



It was also long, so we barely made it up to Deck 10 for the Pirates in the Caribbean Party. We enjoyed the music, show and fireworks.






The white dot is the moon…



There was a Pirate buffet but we were stuffed from dinner. We watched Pirates of the Caribbean for about an hour on Funnelvision before heading off to bed.



 
Day Five: Disney WONDER / Jan. 7, 2020

We slept late this morning. As the kids continued sleeping Rick got coffee and took a load of clothes to the laundry on Deck 7. That wasn’t working (I’m not sure why) so he went to Deck 6.

I got coffee and pastries from Cabanas and sat in our room journaling while Rick read in the Cove. We met back in the room to wake the kids. When he got a notification that the dryer was done, we all went to help carry the laundry back to our room.

Then Cabanas for breakfast. The tables were crowded so we headed up to Deck 10 outside and ate there. (Watch out for blowing bacon!) DD and I delivered some pixie dust gifts.

A short nap… You can see the berth in its lowered position which eliminated the noise complaint.





All four of us met on Deck 9 quiet area and played Double Ditto game and cards.
These playing cards were a Fish Extender Gift to us on our first cruise in 2009!



Rick & DS tried to teach us Euchre. :confused3

It got very windy and storms were threatening so the CMs were pulling in all the deck chair and lashing down the cushions. We retreated to the Cove Café for just a bit then went to Cabanas for lunch. We took our time here and had dessert.

One of our desserts was Lambington Cake. We had first tried this at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival so were excited to eat it again. It was fine, but nothing like the delicious version we enjoyed at Epcot.



At 2 p.m. we met at Palo for the Art of the Theme Tour that I so wanted to take. I’m very glad we did this as it was interesting and informative walking tour that explained key design elements on the ship, including the gondola poles in Palo and the ‘water spots’ on the carpet outside the adult lounges.

Who thought this was a good idea?



Do you notice that the martini is Sorcerer Mickey’s Hat?



Experts at forced perspective, Disney Imagineers designed Deck Five to be shorter than the other decks because this is where the kids clubs are located. It helps kids feel more comfortable when the space is more their size.





After the tour we spent a bit of time on the Deck 4 lounges, but it was too windy to stay long.

My photos are using an iPhone 7 Plus. My son has a Samsung Note 10 and his photos are superior.









We retreated to our room and found two notes from the staff about the noise “challenge”, plus a small dessert tray and a bag of popcorn with two Mickey Rice Krispie treats.





While the guys relaxed, DD and I delivered the last of our pixie dust gifts.

Next up was another trivia game in Crown & Fin. This place was becoming my favorite spot on the ship. This time it was movie quotes trivia and, not surprisingly, we did not win.











After that loss, we headed up to Deck 9 for some pizza and relaxing.

Next was our turn for Frozen: A Musical Spectacular and I thought it truly was that. I loved the clever puppets, the music, the cheeky Olaf, the snow effects… It was amazing.





We went to Deck 9 again for something to drink. DH and DD don’t drink soda at all, but they both liked the Pomegranate Water at the drinks station.

We sat down, enjoying the evening breeze, and DD decided to quiz her dad on his Disney knowledge. She’s an ultra Disney fan, he has admitted he didn’t even like Mickey Mouse when he was a child. Anyway, we still love him and often have fun at his Disney ignorance. When she got to the question,
“can you name the seven dwarfs” this was his answer:

Huey
Dewey
Louie
Snoopy
Snoozy
Wheezy
Sneezy
Droopy
Bashful
Slippy
and Drippy, the Ring Leader

:rotfl2:

After that 'entertainment' we headed to dinner at Triton’s.

We noticed that a large table near us only had children seated, whereas on previous evenings they were a large group of both adults and kids. Tonight, it was just five children by themselves. I was rather surprised that parents would send their kids to dinner alone. I’d guess they were somewhere in the 9-12 year old range. Our head server may have noticed us checking out the situation because he explained that the parents were dining at Palo and were going to send the little ones to the kids club that night. He encouraged them to go ahead and send them to the dining room. As he explained they would get chicken nuggets in the kids club, but it was lobster night and those kids were dining on steak and lobster instead. And I was pleasantly surprised to see these kids were very well behaved. Other than their size, they were no more noticeable than adults dining. It was also charming to see our servers taking good care of them, cutting up their meat, and treating them very well.

We dined on:
Marinated Tiger Shrimp with Celery Hearts & Remoulade




Braised Oxtail Soup with Spinach and Roasted Garlic Tortelloni



Oven-baked Lobster Tail with Lemon-Pesto Mash and Roasted Asparagus



Fettuccine with Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Sweet Peppers and Mushrooms in Cheddar Cheese Sauce



Grilled Sirloin Steak with Steamed Vegetables and Baked Potato



Chocolate Lava Cake with Double Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream



The Captain’s Table Sundae: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce, Whipped Cream and Crunch Merigue



Apricot Trio: Vanilla Cheesecake with Apricot Compote, Apricot Tart-Tatin and Apricot Infused Cream



DS’s Favorite! Raspberry Vanilla Crème Brulee with Lemon Madeleines



Our assistant server asked us what our favorite dessert from Tiana’s had been and when we said the beignets he brought us out two servings.




We played the Wavelengths Game with Derrell in the Azure Lounge. This game is similar to Scattergories. He picks a letter and gives you categories. The goal is write down what you think he wrote down. It was a fun evening in a beautiful lounge.









DD wanted to watch Enchanted on FunnelVision so we grabbed a blanket from our room and settled into loungers on Deck 9.



Gradually, we all drifted back to the room to go to bed, with DD staying by herself the latest.

 
Day Five, At Sea: Disney WONDER / Jan. 8, 2020

Sleeping late again, DH and I got up for coffee about 9:30 a.m.



We had a small breakfast at Cabanas at 10:15 and went back to our cabin to wake the kids. We took a nice walk around Deck 4 and then came inside for a view of Jack-Jack’s Diaper Dash.



After getting spiffed up, we headed to Palo for brunch.







DH and I had dined at Palo on the Dream, but neither of the kids had ever been there.






So happy to share this experience with our beautiful girl.



The enormous Calzone



Lasagne



Chicken Parmesan with Risotto



Desserts:





We enjoyed our meal and left there feeling very stuffed. That full feeling induced drowsiness and we retreated to the Quiet Cove area again to lounge on the wicker furniture.

We played cards in the afternoon and tried our hand at Disney Villains Trivia with Derrell in the Crown & Fin (didn’t win).





DH decided to go to the Disney Vacation Club Presentation.

The kids and I walked around Deck 10 and saw oil rigs in the distance. This was our first indication we were getting closer to the Texas coast.







I packed some of our things up and organized our tip envelopes.



DD got a snack (a brat which she didn’t like), then we all went to the Walt Disney Theater to see the stage production of Disney Dreams. We had not seen this show and thought it was wonderful. (no photos—it’s the rule!)

Back in our room we utilized our binoculars to watch several ships and a couple of nearby oil rigs.






Dinner was Animator’s Palate and we enjoyed the creative team bringing our animations to life. Our son has a degree in 3D Animation, he was able to explain to us how they (probably) made it happen.






Malaysian Chicken Satay: Grilled Chicken Skewers marinated in Turmeric, Chili and Coriander. Served with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber



Roasted Filet of Beef Wellington, covered with Mushroom Stuffing, Covered in a Puff Pastry. Served with Fingerling Potatoes, Baby Vegetables, and a Cabernet Black Truffle Jus.



Chicken Schnitzel: Breaded Chicken Breast fried in Butter. Served with Roasted Bacon Potatoes and Buttered Green Beans.



Chocolate Decadence



Amaretto Cheesecake



Celebration Cake




Such a fun show, featuring our drawings!





After dinner Crème Brulee Martini: Grey Goose, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Amaretto, Caramel Syrup, Half & Half.




We staked out a spot on Deck 5 to watch the Til We Meet Again Party.

DS and I met a very nice woman from Texas who has been on two dozen Disney cruises. She gave us so much great information and I just loved talking to her. We learned that our sons had the same degrees and some other things in common. After we said goodbye I had really wished I got her name. She was just one of those charming people you’d like to sit with and chat.





Hi Goofy!



Back in our room, we packed up most of our stuff. The kids walked around and took photos (separate post) and then it was off the sleep for the last time.



(Side note, since I’ve been home I’ve been trying to track down two things...that nice woman I met and what type of mattresses they use on Disney ships. Aside from the rolling marble noise, we both slept great and loved the mattress. I’d be willing to buy one.)
 

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