"They're going to do anything I tell them, I can tell!" A WONDERful First Cruise, February 2018

"Daddy, I'm ANGRY!" - February 8th, Cruise Day 1, Part 2

Our first rotational restaurant was Animator's Palate; we had the early seating. I know for next time the late seating will be better for me, since my body was still on west coast time so it felt like I was eating at 2:45pm! Mom has agreed to this because there are so many options to snack on during the day.
26660085688_8c8d2edea8_c.jpg


We met our server, Juan; our assistant server, Orly; and our head waiter, who's name is currently escaping me but I think was something like Falas?

Our table number was 76, and I loved this table marker!
25660670857_3eae6ffc4a_c.jpg


How cute is the butter knife?! You can purchase them in the gift shops for $9.95 each.

40531234901_4b561c43a9_c.jpg


I was fascinated with the hologram on the menu:
40531208341_d3e0dfaecc_c.jpg


This was the meal where C & B discovered that I'm dead serious about photographing my food on these trips. My mom is well trained now, she knows not to take a bite until verifying whether I need a photo and if it's turned out well! C & B got on board with it pretty quickly too!

C & B claimed they were still full from lunch, but C, at least, didn't realize the portions are pretty small at dinner, due to all the courses. C only ordered an appetizer salad, and I suspect it was not as filling as she had hoped!

Chicken and Walnut Salad
With Craisins, Red Onions, and a Cranberry Dressing
40531234371_e348392a9b_c.jpg


None of the appetizer course options looked appealing, so I started with the soup course. You can't really go wrong with Butternut Squash Soup!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Garnished with Chives and drizzled with Sour Cream
25660668567_90d6971cd6_c.jpg


The photographers come around and take your photos here and on pirate night. It's a little odd, but this is a great picture of us! We each ended up having this one framed for our houses.
39820761254_7e9dcd9e60_c.jpg


Lemon-Thyme Marinated All Natural Chicken Breast
On top of Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables and Grain Mustard Jus
25660667467_173b47b2fe_c.jpg

This one was my entree and it was very good. The mashed potatoes were especially delicious!

Jumbo Shrimp Salad
Poached Tiger Shrimp tossed in a Lemon Olive Oil, served on diced Cucumber, Egg, and Red Onion Garnished with Roquette Leaves
25660666597_45494cde71_c.jpg

Mom ordered this as her entree (she didn't have an appetizer or soup) and had no complaints.

Ginger-Teriyaki dusted Angus Beef Tenderloin
Served with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Bok Choy and a Tamarin-Barbecue Reduction
25660665597_4dcab097df_c.jpg

This was B's and he ate every last bite.

Then it was time for dessert!

B and I each got the Lemon Icebox Pie
Served with Lemon Curd and Berry Creme
25660664547_ff74540847_c.jpg

I loved it! It reminds me of the Key Lime Pie that Red Lobster serves, which is a thicker texture than other key lime pies I've had, and I prefer it that way.

Mom and C both ordered the Warm Sticky Date Pudding
With Butterscotch Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream and Phyllo Crunch
40531231521_eeeed5ec26_c.jpg

They ordered this mostly out of curiosity, and Mom says it was "very good", according to the comment on my Facebook photo of it. She says that for nearly everything though!

B's birthday was the week before, so I marked it down that he was celebrating. When they were planning to bring their granddaughter's, one of them had a birthday to celebrate too, but then they were removed from the reservation. Apparently this confused the dining team, because they thought it was both B and C's birthday instead! They brought over a special birthday dessert, which we think was the Crunchy Walnut Cake from the menu.
Dark Chocolate Mousse and Raspberry Coulis

25660662877_a37128cde9_c.jpg

The table was very mixed on this one - we all took a bite. The top layer was pretty "eh", but the rest was okay if you scraped off the top!

Watching the drawings around the restaurant come to life was pretty funny with B & C, who aren't as familiar with their Disney characters as I am. The way the drawings get shaded in is pretty odd at times - I remember my mom and I were very confused why Dory's eyes were completely blue, and Aladdin had purple pants. They make it to the correct colors by the end though! And any finale that uses the music from Fantasmic! is okay in my book (yup, I was TOTALLY dancing along and I have no shame in admitting it).

40531229011_9706dbe498_c.jpg

40531227451_226a04141e_c.jpg


Note to self: Get more photos of restaurant next time!

Since we'd gone light on courses that evening, we were able to make it to "70's Music Trivia" in the Crown & Fin Pub. We were pretty fascinated with the fiber optic lights leading the way through After Hours:
39635977465_fe99782f78_c.jpg

26660085088_a892ff7690_c.jpg


Trivia was A BLAST. We met Jo, from England, who is the Wonder's current Adult Activities Host and we LOVED HER. Literally want to take another cruise JUST to participate in the things she hosts. She's hysterical, and her laugh cracks me up! We didn't realize that we could be a team for trivia, so we each played our own list. While none of us won overall, Mom did the best, then me (because I was raised by her, after all, and grew up on 70s music!) then C with an assist from B. We definitely planned to return the following two nights for 80s and 90s Music Trivia.

Before heading up to Golden Mickeys, we made a pit stop, and I had to take a photo of the restroom because I was IMPRESSED with the construction! Yup, those doors and fronts of the stalls go floor to ceiling, ladies and gents. I *think* the divider between stalls is not quite all the way to the ceiling but definitely helps cut down on "potty shyness", if you will.
40531203911_5be852e09a_c.jpg


We grabbed our seats for Golden Mickeys early enough that we got good seats in the middle of the theater about halfway up. I don't recall a lot of specifics here (honestly, probably because I don't have pictures to help jog my memory, but I do appreciate the no photography rule, because in the words on Natalie, the cruise director: "It's awful trying to watch live theatre through the iPhone screen of the person in front of you". Fair point.) but I do remember wishing the initial opening number volume could have been turned down
just a smidge so I could actually understand the lyrics they were singing! I liked that Mulan, Hunchback, Tarzan, and Cruella deVil were all included. C was super disappointed that Tarzan was not one of the characters who comes out into the audience during the finale...something about "yum, his abs are lickable" :rolleyes1 Thought the storyline was a little corny, the part with the video "interaction" from Bob Iger was A LOT corny, and that the entire cast was so very, very talented. Unofficial Guide had recommended to skip this show and I really considered it, but I'm so glad I didn't!

After the show, I couldn't tell you what the grownups went to do (look in the gift shops, maybe?) but I had some characters to meet!
First up was Pluto! I was hovering in the lobby and one family got there after me but started the line. We chatted and they were kind enough to let me go first because I "looked so excited"!

26660083548_7e34071f1b_c.jpg

If you're like me, and finding the price of the photo package that includes all your photos hard to swallow (almost $200 for a 3 night cruise, more expensive for longer voyages), I was very wary that it was needed. But, as you can tell from the two following photos, one from my iPhone and one from their camera with the fancy lighting - they do know what they're doing!
26660082928_75d0ab5515_c.jpg

39820758184_074ca660fb_c.jpg


Also took some pictures of the lobby atrium - this is the new chandelier that was installed after the dry dock in 2016.
26660081498_b7a71c6ea4_c.jpg


And the elevator bank with all the hidden Mickeys!
39635972575_957721a427_c.jpg


I waited until they said they were going to start the line for Mickey, then hopped up to be early in that line. Here he comes!
26660080998_4c0e1e1aa4_c.jpg


Awww, Pluto just wants some love from his owner, Mickey!
26660080378_50485933fa_c.jpg


Again, way better lighting and clarity from the DCL photographer's camera.
39820759694_5382fb094c_c.jpg


After that, it was time to call it a night. I met up with the grownups somehow, and Mom and I went back to our room, where we found this dude waiting for us! I can officially say, the DCL towel creations put WDW and DLR to shame!
39635977165_48ea2aed08_c.jpg


Arriving back in the room, the sofa bed had not been set up - I didn't realize how easy it was to do, so we called. My guess is they thought we were a same-sex couple sharing the same bed (same last name and all) so didn't make up the sofa.:confused3

It wasn't a problem after that though. And friends, that sofa bed was COMFY. I slept like the dead. No lights on my side of the room, that heavy curtain pulled to separate my area from the bed kept most of the light out from over there, and I had GREAT earplugs so I wouldn't have to hear mom snore.
39820763544_f7912db435_c.jpg


We ordered the All Hands on Deck cheese plate for a late night snack, to eat while we discussed next day plans. I had no intention of getting off the boat. No port excursions to do, and all of my fellow agents said they recommended staying on the boat instead. C wanted to go look around. I stressed the warnings from the Personal Navigator and the Unofficial Guide about the crime rates and then finally spelled it out: "YOU THREE LOOK LIKE EASY TARGETS. You're older, you don't walk well, you look like tourists, you'd be the first people I'd try to steal from if I was that kind of person." Nope, C was still bent on going but my mom seemed to come over to the safer side of things. We decided we would sleep in a little and have room service breakfast the next morning.

Here's the cheese platter - no indication was given about exactly what kinds of cheeses those were, and it wasn't the same each time (we ordered again later in the cruise) so YMMV on this one. It was good though!
39820762264_d428b19c4e_c.jpg
 
Last edited:
Dinner looked delicious. And you're right, the photographer's photos are much better, but I can't see myself paying that much for three nights. I'll just have to suffer with my bad iPhone pics :sad2:
 
Unofficial Guide had recommended to skip this show and I really considered it, but I'm so glad I didn't!

I understand the recommendation on a short cruise especially for people who might not be planning to do another. But, we also enjoy this show.

I stressed the warnings from the Personal Navigator and the Unofficial Guide about the crime rates and then finally spelled it out: "YOU THREE LOOK LIKE EASY TARGETS.

I get what you're saying but I think awareness is the key. While we choose to stay on board in Nassau, it's because we've been there already. I just am not ready to write it off completely. I live in St Louis, and there are travel warnings about coming here too.
 
Dinner looked delicious. And you're right, the photographer's photos are much better, but I can't see myself paying that much for three nights. I'll just have to suffer with my bad iPhone pics :sad2:

Honestly, I wasn't planning on buying any pictures on the ship because the price was so hard to swallow! We ended up buying a 10-picture package on the last night with the best ones that we really loved for $150...slightly less expensive.

I understand the recommendation on a short cruise especially for people who might not be planning to do another. But, we also enjoy this show.

I get what you're saying but I think awareness is the key. While we choose to stay on board in Nassau, it's because we've been there already. I just am not ready to write it off completely. I live in St Louis, and there are travel warnings about coming here too.

Yes, I totally agree that awareness is key...but that's just it, I know my mother and that sometimes she just isn't aware. Next cruise, maybe I will get off the boat, but there were more things to do onboard that I was interested in. Any shore excursions you recommend? People seem to be iffy on things they really liked here!
 


"This is Not an Assortment of Muffins" - February 9th, Cruise Day 2, Part 1

We had used the room service hang tag to order breakfast for 8-8:30am; they were early and we were awoken by a knock on the door at 7:55! We ordered juices, cold cereal for me, probably fruit for both of us, and we had marked one "Danish Pastries" and one "Assortment of Muffins" (Actual wording from the menu), thinking we would in fact get an assortment of these. Apparently what they actually mean is that the kitchen has an assortment of muffins and they will give you one muffin of their choice. Definitely not what we were expecting. We received one small cinnamon roll and one muffin of undetermined variety - Mom ate it and she definitely mentioned coconut being involved.

After breakfast, we went back to bed. It was early, we are not morning people, and there's not very much happening that early. Once we woke up for real, around 10:30, we found it was a lovely day in Nassau and our verandah actually faced the port/Festival Place! (Reminds me of the Jamaica section at Caribbean Beach Resort!)
41150560671_5bc3396420_c.jpg

39341099670_a16071e99b_c.jpg


I had pre-booked character meet & greets for "The Princess Gathering" in the lobby atrium at 11:45 and Anna & Elsa in Animator's Palate at 12:15 - or so I thought - I actually had the times backwards. But I took the midship elevators down to deck 3, and took this photo. The midship elevators on decks 3-5 overlook the atrium, but above that they have nice murals to look at!
39341099200_a1c472f9b6_c.jpg


So I found myself in the lobby atrium attempting to check in for my Princess Gathering meet & greet, but the attendant kindly informed me I was supposed to be with Anna & Elsa in the aft of the ship, so off I went!

I loved the transformation of the restaurant into an icy wonderland!
39341098860_689d3bd379_c.jpg

39341098360_33b17bc35d_c.jpg


Anna and Elsa were...fine. It seemed they were just speeding through the line. I honestly couldn't tell you much about our interaction. I didn't even get great photos. All of them looked like this, and they easily rank high in my "most awkward character interaction poses".
39341097580_7ce69f69da_c.jpg


Once I finished up there, I made my way back to the lobby, stopping to take a photo of the lunch menu at Triton's along the way:


I'm pleased to say the Princess Gathering was a much bigger success than our Norwegian ladies were.
Not sure how I only ended up with one photo of Belle, because she's my favorite (obviously).
41107078052_c441029647_c.jpg


Tiana was ADORABLE. We talked about how I was going to be dining in her restaurant that night!
27276904298_c0031eca4d_c.jpg

39341095810_708cdfc3a2_c.jpg

40255038125_d78e54a47e_c.jpg


I told Ariel her ship was beautiful (she is the lobby statue, after all, and her dad is the namesake of the lobby restaurant!):
27276899668_f50e179781_c.jpg

39341094160_c342dc7aae_c.jpg

26278593177_e879b9ed99_c.jpg


And rounding things out was a nice princess pose with Cinderella::
26278592767_1a93c594f8_c.jpg


Then I was on a quest for some lunch! Up to Deck 9 we go!

Goofy's Pool and the FunnelVision Screen
39341092560_74a507351e_c.jpg


Grabbed some pics of the quick service restaurant options:
26278590967_0a3847f997_c.jpg

39341090930_959b73f537_c.jpg

39341090250_f39de5c328_c.jpg

39341089490_07784568b0_c.jpg


Part of the AquaLab and Twist 'n Spout Slide
39341088670_9e7a18e1f2_c.jpg


Options at Daisy's deLites:
Fruit and cookies
39341087100_2ec2ec60e9_c.jpg


Garden salads
39341085800_50b0a2765f_c.jpg


Sandwiches and wraps
39341084850_293cc15b03_c.jpg


A full view of Twist 'n Spout
26278584257_4ece482772_c.jpg

And the stairs to get up there!
26278583337_52606c0a7f_c.jpg


I ended up grabbing a slice from Pinocchio's Pizzeria
26278582347_033d6c494c_c.jpg


Another shot of Goofy's Pool
26278581657_b16070aee9_c.jpg


My mom texted me through the DCL app and told me she was at Cabanas so I went to sit with her. I thought she had been with C&B the whole time but nope, they got off the boat and now I can't remember what she had been doing! Relaxing on the verandah, or exploring the ship, probably. Somehow, even without messaging us, on a ship of 1500 passengers, C managed to hone right in on us while we were dining.

We all ate and chatted for a while. I did get some more to eat besides that sad pizza slice! The lunch buffet was still very impressive, even for not being embarkation day, and we were full by the time we left. C said the island didn't feel "too unsafe" but she was glad B was there with her. They bought some cheap t-shirts that they wanted us to see, so we went to their stateroom. I think this was the time where my mom went with them and I stopped back by our room to drop something off or whatever. I went to knock on their door...I could hear them...AND NO ONE COULD HEAR ME TO ANSWER THE DOOR! I even messaged them but that was a waste. I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled with me loudly knocking for literally five minutes. Apparently they were having a "photo shoot" on the verandah. :rolleyes2

C showed us the shirts, they were nice, but I wasn't compelled to venture off the ship to purchase one (I came home really lacking in souvenirs this trip - nothing seemed to really catch my eye) but my mom agreed to go ashore with them after our Mixology class to buy some shirts as well. In the meantime, it was time to head down to Cadillac Lounge for our travel agency's private Mixology class! :drinking1
 
Wow, bummer about the Anna and Elsa meet & greet. We have that one booked, as well. I hope it's not super awkward!

Did you happen to notice if those smoothies are for a fee? I am guessing yes, but I didn't see any prices listed?
 
Wow, bummer about the Anna and Elsa meet & greet. We have that one booked, as well. I hope it's not super awkward!

Did you happen to notice if those smoothies are for a fee? I am guessing yes, but I didn't see any prices listed?

Yes there is a fee for the smoothies. I can't recall exactly what the price is though.
 


Wow, bummer about the Anna and Elsa meet & greet. We have that one booked, as well. I hope it's not super awkward!

Did you happen to notice if those smoothies are for a fee? I am guessing yes, but I didn't see any prices listed?

They don’t have the prices on the sign, probably to make you think they’re free! According to DCLBlog, the ones on the Fantasy are $3.95/$5.25 so I’d guess these are similar.
 
They don’t have the prices on the sign, probably to make you think they’re free! According to DCLBlog, the ones on the Fantasy are $3.95/$5.25 so I’d guess these are similar.

Well, that's a little sneaky :P Not too bad though. Thanks!
 
It's interesting that Pete's Boiler Bites has gyros on the Wonder and shawarma on the Magic. I'm sure it's the same product.

Jealous of the lamb kofta burger in Triton's. I haven't seen that on any Magic lunch menus!
 
They used to sell the shampoo and conditioner on the online store, but it's no longer listed, hopefully it'll be back soon. I always ask the room attendant for some extra and have always been given some. I love the smell of it.
 
It's interesting that Pete's Boiler Bites has gyros on the Wonder and shawarma on the Magic. I'm sure it's the same product.

Jealous of the lamb kofta burger in Triton's. I haven't seen that on any Magic lunch menus!

Definitely appears to be the same item. I checked DCLBlog and apparently there are somewhere between 4-7 variations of the main dining room lunch menu, so maybe the Magic and/or other ships will have the burger sometime - we didn't eat lunch there this trip; maybe next time at Lumiere's.

They used to sell the shampoo and conditioner on the online store, but it's no longer listed, hopefully it'll be back soon. I always ask the room attendant for some extra and have always been given some. I love the smell of it.

I did see the conditioner and the lotion listed last time I checked. Next time I'll know to buy one of the ginormous bottles...or hoard the small ones!
 
"This Drinkology is Great!" "...Mixology..."
We were able to reserve a private Mixology class for our agents and their travelmates and after much back and forth, "yes we can do it Nassau day, oh wait, now that's booked, hang on, it's available again", we secured our class for 2pm in Cadillac Lounge. FYI, you need a minimum of 20 people to reserve your own group. My whole group of four went and we just had 20 of us! The cost is $20/person. My mom drinks basically never, and I'm not far behind...I drink a wine cooler on very rare occasions and that's pretty much it, but what the heck, we were on vacation!

I can't for the life of me remember our host's name and I'm so sad about it because he was great. He'd ask what we thought the base of the drink was, someone would say an answer, and he'd be like, "Nooooo" - it was too funny!

Don't quote me, but I think this device is a vacuum distiller of some sort - reminds me of a coffee maker my grad school roommate had!
26278580427_094f3c1473_c.jpg


Decor and seating - very cozy feeling.
26278576717_3251217181_c.jpg


For the price of the class, we got four drinks and one of two shots.

First up was the Pomegranate Bellini (Pomegranate Liquor, Passion Fruit, Prosecco). Three people were selected to come up and make this at the bar: an agent, our boss, and another agent's sister. There were only two carafes of the passion fruit juice and our boss didn't realize that she was supposed to be sharing, so hers were a little heavy on the juice! This drink was good though!
39341078110_647df44c56_c.jpg


Then we had the Gin Garden (Gin, Cucumber, Lemon, Sour Mix, Sprite)
26278579987_41efd58f90_c.jpg

Not my favorite but a lot of people really liked it!

Third drink was the Castaway Wave (Malibu, Midori, Apple Pucker, POG Juice) - as our host put it, this is dangerous. You can barely taste the alcohol so next thing you know you've drank like 14 of them and run up an outrageous bar bill! I think this was my favorite - as anything with POG juice is. (You can also see the cute magnets my boss distributed to us for our room doors - unfortunately the laminate on mine separated a bit and the paper got wet so the font is all smudged now :()
26278578357_4a8aac4cd6_c.jpg


Final drink was the Pineapple Kamikaze (Pineapple Vodka, Grand Marnier, Sour Mix/Lemonade). I HATED this, it was way too sour. Took one sip and I was done, but C loved it and gladly drank mine and my mom's!
40255097545_6845c9b126_c.jpg


For the shots, we got to make our own and had the option between a Jellyfish (Creme de Cacao, Amaretto, Grenadine) or a Raspberry Sensation aka RaspBailey's (Bailey's, Chambourd). I had the Jellyfish (it didn't turn out so good for the camera but it tasted just fine).
26278577357_0320b23d0c_c.jpg


The other three had the Raspberry one but I didn't get a good picture. At some point during the class, C said our title quote. She kept calling the class "Drinkology" and I was like "No, no it's MIXology". She was just thrilled that there was alcohol!

As soon as the class was done, Mom, C & B hustled out to go ashore on their t-shirt expedition. I stayed to visit with my team for a while. It was really nice to meet everyone! Once we disbursed, I went back to the room and did some work hanging out on the verandah (of course, it's Murphy's law that you'll get a request for a trip quote while you're on your own trip, and even better when you're on a ship with paid internet!) - it was so relaxing! My mom took a picture of the ship from the pier while she was out and about.
41150507181_e7babd39ed_c.jpg


I wanted to meet some characters in pirate gear before dinner but I had to get my own pirate attire on first! Then I headed down to deck 5 and got in line for Minnie just a few minutes before they cut her line. I didn't get to meet Stitch but I got a photo of him from above:
26278575847_5763daaa2a_c.jpg


It took 30 minutes to get to Minnie and she even stayed a little late before Mickey arrived!
39341073610_009edaeefd_c.jpg

40255103425_417bbf4fbb_c.jpg


I immediately got back in line for Mickey, which took another 25-30 minutes. While we waited, Belle made an appearance by the elevators after a visit to the Oceaneer Club/Lab.
39341071980_7fbde06394_c.jpg

27276854158_224dcd35a4_c.jpg


Then it was on to dinner!
39341070600_f4bd2cf685_c.jpg


I was the first one to arrive at our table.
39341069610_2b23c5a00c_c.jpg

39341068420_a7423b70c2_c.jpg


Even the water glasses are Mardi Gras themed/colored!
39341067550_88342c3560_c.jpg


Eventually the grownups arrived and we got our picture taken again. My little pirate hat kept falling off so I wasn't wearing it for the photo :( Our group had matching "Dead Men Tell No Tales" shirts that I ordered from the Disney Store. Obviously Mom and I both had black ones but C had a bright pink one and B had a red one. Mom and C had the matching pink hats and I bought B a regular hat/eye patch/earring. He said the eye patch was kind of uncomfortable so he didn't wear it for very long, but I appreciated that he played along!
26278552647_39faa3bc67_c.jpg


I really liked the theming here and I'm super excited to try Rapunzel's Royal Table on the Magic if it's anything like this! Tiana came to each table for a couple of moments to check in on everyone - she got to us really early, before the food even came out. C was in awe of how pretty she was. (I'm 99.9% sure Tiana was the same friend from the morning Princess Gathering.)
39341066770_9aed9ac977_c.jpg

40255114115_77da58b888_c.jpg


We quite enjoyed the jazz band but my mom was like, "That sax player is dressed too modern, he doesn't match!"
40438491094_32f402ab6f_c.jpg


Side story: they told me about their venture back ashore. They went back to the shop that C had gone to in the morning. It sounds like there was an outside shop with one employee doing sales and an inside store with another employee (manager? owner?) also making sales. Except, I guess in the Bahamas, pricing is kind of a suggestion and it's anything goes. So my mom got a great deal on a shirt from the outside guy and then went to browse some more inside. When she went to buy a sweatshirt from the lady inside, she was quoted significantly more than C had gotten the same sweatshirt for earlier in the day outside. The inside lady was NOT happy that outside guy was discounting things so heavily and it started to get a little heated between the employees. The grownups skedaddled pretty quickly after that, so it doesn't sound like I missed all that much.

On to the food! C had the Boudin Sausage Fritters: Minced Pork and Boudin Sausage, Breaded and Fried, served with a Bourbon Aoili
40645709834_c8e31a64be_c.jpg

She said they were very good.

I ventured a bit outside of my comfort zone and tried the Sauteed Gulf Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage, Grilled Green Onions and a Smoked Barbecue Sauce
39341064250_5e6657abdc_c.jpg

I did not regret this, it was very good!

I know for the soup/salad course I had Mama Odie's Creamy Tomato Soup with chopped Cilantro. I didn't take a picture because I'm pretty sure everyone knows what tomato soup looks like.

For entrees, here's a slightly blurry picture of B's entree: Cajun Spiced Sea Bass on Shrimp Jambalaya with crisp Fennel Salad and Remoulade
39341063170_01c7539275_c.jpg


There goes Mom again with her salad; tonight's was Warm Water Lobster Salad with Avocado, Butternut Squash, Fennel, Endive, Grapefruit, Jicama, Hazelnuts and a Citrus Dressing
39341062260_aa7098211c_c.jpg


C and I both had Big Daddy's Roasted Prime-Rib of Beef with a double Baked Potato, Broccolini, sweet Roasted Carrots with Red Wine Veal Sauce - or at least, C's had the sauce; mine, for whatever reason, did not, and the steak was VERY dry. It was my least favorite dinner entree for sure, that's how dry it was. And I LOVE steak. The potato was really good though!
41150524291_86b4417e10_c.jpg


Louis the Alligator joins Tiana in the restaurant but doesn't go table to table and he also goes up on stage to show off his trumpet skills.
41150523891_40edca9151_c.jpg

39341059770_1ec0334bd4_c.jpg


Before the dessert course, all of the servers come out in their Mardi Gras accessories and have a little parade around the restaurant, which guests are invited to join. They even have a "limbo" stick - I use that term loosely because they hold it up high enough that basically anyone can just walk naturally right under it.
39341054970_1ab29ae7f7_c.jpg


I loved that the details here were so direct from Princess and the Frog, right down to the female servers wearing the same uniform that Tiana wore when she worked at Duke's Cafe!
39341054970_1ab29ae7f7_c.jpg

39341056400_a0fe4cff9c_c.jpg


And finally...the desserts. Oh my heaven. My mom and I are both huge sweets people and we just could not make a decision on what to order....so we ordered them all to share! It did take a while to get them delivered though, and we had already pretty much eaten an extra course compared to the previous night, so we unfortunately missed 80s Music Trivia.

First dessert was the Signature option: Southern Style Pecan Nut Tart with Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Now, I LOVE pecan pie, pecan tarts, etc...but this one was dry and disappointing. A real let down.
39341053610_e74f7bbb05_c.jpg


Here we have Mama Odie's White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream and New Orleans Banana Foster Sundae: French Vanilla Ice Cream with Rum-flamed Caramelized Banana and Whipped Cream. The bread pudding was okay, but there's very few bread puddings I really like (looking at you 'Ohana!). The sundae though...Oh. My. Gosh. It was out of this world good! I don't even usually like Bananas Foster but I couldn't get enough of this!
27276861938_6b5deb613d_c.jpg


Also very good (my second favorite) are Tiana's Buttermilk Beignets dusted with Powdered Sugar and served with Chocolate Espresso Dipping Sauce. Mom, however, wasn't a fan.
39341051440_fb1f116eb8_c.jpg


Finally, for unknown reasons they left off the
Chocolate Doberge Gateau: Six-layer Sponge Cake filled with Chocolate Chantilly Creme and subbed in the No Sugar Added Lemon Raspberry Mousse Bombe Citrus Lemon Mousse embedded with fresh Raspberries. Mom said it was good and didn't taste like it was no sugar added, but I didn't try any of it.
39341050100_a1217d6445_c.jpg


We didn't finish dinner until nearly 7:45. I think we may have looked in the shops on the way up to the Walt Disney Theater but I'm not positive and don't have pictures for guidance. I do know we sat way up in the rear left of the theatre where there are free standing chairs without arms for guests with disabilities. I didn't like the view or the seats and thankfully mom and I sat elsewhere the following night. Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic is also a pretty big blur to me. I know the goal is MaryAnn learning to fly like Peter Pan and needing to believe in herself to do (something about princes and genies and kings). The songs were fine. I thought the voice of MaryAnn's actress was a little grating. I don't feel a pressing need to see it immediately on my next sailing but it was enjoyable.

We were told repeatedly that the fireworks would begin at 10 so we had a little extra time to kill, and we went back to the rooms so they could show me their t-shirt purchases (I'll be honest with you, I can't even tell you what the shirts specifically looked like, so clearly they made a big impression on me!

Coming up next, Pirates IN the Caribbean Party!
 
The food at Tiana's sounds just amazing. Maybe I should look at Wonder itineraries.
 
We did a mixology class on the Fantasy last winter, we had different drinks than you all did. The ones you had look really good. We were on the Wonder a few weeks after you, we did a 7 night EC. We didn't do a mixology class on the Wonder since we had already done it on the Fantasy, after seeing you had different drinks, now I wish we had done it. That's too bad about your prime rib at Tiana's, I had it also and it was really good. You should have asked for something else. Does a 3 night get to see Frozen? I hope so, it was so good. We saw it twice, they did it in the afternoon plus at night on our cruise.
 
The food at Tiana's sounds just amazing. Maybe I should look at Wonder itineraries.

Do it! Everything besides my steak was good - C said hers was fine, but she had the sauce and she asked for hers a little less well done than I did.

We did a mixology class on the Fantasy last winter, we had different drinks than you all did. The ones you had look really good. We were on the Wonder a few weeks after you, we did a 7 night EC. We didn't do a mixology class on the Wonder since we had already done it on the Fantasy, after seeing you had different drinks, now I wish we had done it. That's too bad about your prime rib at Tiana's, I had it also and it was really good. You should have asked for something else. Does a 3 night get to see Frozen? I hope so, it was so good. We saw it twice, they did it in the afternoon plus at night on our cruise.

Honestly, the steak was the only thing that really appealed to me, and it wasn't a big deal - it's not like I was starving to death on that boat! :rotfl:Yes, Frozen is the final show of the three night cruise and I LOVED it! I'm interested to see how the California Adventure version compares when I go there next month. I'm glad I did Mixology but I don't know that I'd do it again, just because I'm not a big drinker. Only went this time to meet my team. My mom was a total waste of money for it, she drank like three sips total and was feeling a little boozy so didn't drink any more! :rotfl2:
 
"Oh, she's barely 27, that's how she can keep dancing like that!"
Back in our room, this towel animal was waiting for us, complete with gold pirate coins.
26278468907_f1104460b3_c.jpg


We also made a stop at C&B's room, and they had this outstanding creation to greet them!
41150506421_a9f216a79c_c.jpg


Like, I said, literally every cast member had announced the fireworks were at 10pm, so we headed up to the outside decks around 9:50. We tried Deck 10 first, but as it turns out, you can't get to the port side from the aft elevator lobby near Palo, and they weren't allowing people onto the Starboard side anymore because they were setting up for the fireworks! OK, back down to Deck 9, out to Port side, walk up the stairs to Deck 10 to get where we want to be. Whew! I don't think the grownups were thrilled with me walking them all over the place. We found a good spot behind one of the spotlight guys.
27276859868_32867e8cb3_c.jpg


A view of the crowds:
39341048770_b4de4fd1e4_c.jpg


FYI, when they say "fireworks begin at 10", they ACTUALLY mean "the cute but really long pirate show begins at 10 and you'll have to wait until 10:30 to see any pyrotechnics". #thingsIwishIhadknownearlier

The teens and tweens of Edge and Vibe had a "flash mob" performance for the crowd. (Is it a true flash mob if it's announced? I thought the point of a flash mob is that it's random.)

Minnie, Goofy, Chip & Dale all come out to do some dancing:
27276858948_61b732c9a0_c.jpg


A couple of years ago I discovered One Direction, and now I'm a GIGANTIC fan, so I was so excited when they started dancing to 1D! (Don't mind the bouncing, I was dancing along!)

Then Chip & Dale led a dance too; basically each character got to jam to their song of choice.

Some "bad" pirates come to "rock out" to "heavy metal" aka "I Love Rock 'n Roll" and similar songs.
39341046870_e9f099011b_c.jpg


There's an appearance from Captain Hook & Mr. Smee.
41107005522_39705f0d22_c.jpg


About halfway through this show, the grownups were tired of waiting with nowhere to sit and they decided to all go back to C&B's room to watch from the verandah. I was like, "Yup, buh-bye, see ya, I'll just be up here dancing and having a great time!" (Yeah, that's where this chapter's quote comes from. Apparently B wanted to know how old I was because he was astonished that I was bopping around like a 12 year old).

Literally moments after they left one of the photographers came by and asked if my "group" wanted some pictures (I'm assuming he thought I was with the people near me) and I told him it was just me. This resulted in some stellar solo pics.
26278551597_ef40d1c5e6_c.jpg


I think this was me going "Arrrrrrr" but maybe I was driving the ship, who knows?
40255098885_dd255be321_c.jpg


He even had props!
26278550947_9b208530e3_c.jpg


OK, here comes Mickey to save the party and get things back on track!

Ah, here are those long awaited fireworks!
39340985440_aba7e8f021_c.jpg

39340984280_ed23b75034_c.jpg

39340983020_703e0362d5_c.jpg
41150467471_00db37dbaf_c.jpg


And a video of the finale for you:

IllumiNations this was not by any means, but it was cool for what it was. When I talked to Mom later, she said they had a pretty good view of the fireworks but couldn't really hear the music. Frankly, I don't quite understand how that's possible because it was SO LOUD. I took a creeper photo (I won't post it here) of small children near me who had fantastic hearing protection with big ear muffs - the audiologist in me was very pleased. Save your hearing when you can, folks!

After the fireworks, there's some more music and dancing for a couple of minutes, then they open Cabanas for a fruit/dessert/Mexican food buffet. I was still reasonably full from dinner but got a couple of things and messaged Mom about the choices. I was in awe of these fruit carvings.
39341045890_ed033854f6_c.jpg

39341044730_397b7aa673_c.jpg


I took a tiny plate back up to the room for the two of us to share, as I wasn't really feeling the Mexican choices. Fresh fruit, banana bread, corn bread (Mom's request), and a chocolate cherry choux puff (DELISH!). The corn bread was a little dry but the banana bread was good.
27276856578_b9ef65ea0a_c.jpg


We went to bed soon after, because we had some stingrays to meet at Castaway Cay in the morning and wanted to get some early breakfast at Cabanas!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!







Top