Our First Cruise - Fantasy 7 Night Eastern Caribbean completed 2/21/2015 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Our First Cruise - Fantasy 7 Night Eastern Caribbean completed 2/21/2015
17 Jan 15 - Embarkation Day
Celebrating our 30th anniversary, we booked a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise, aboard the Fantasy, with stops in Sint Maarten/Ste. Martin, San Juan, PR and Castaway Cay.
All aboard!
We bookended our cruise with 5 night resort stays and so we met our cruise guide at the BWV and made our way to the bus. A couple of more stops at other resorts and we are on our way. The trip is over before we know it and going through security and checking in is a breeze.
The official embarkation photo.
We are announced as we board and there is much rejoice as crew members applaud our arrival. We head to our cabin to check it out and it is fantastic! We are in #9650, a Cat 5A deluxe ocean view with veranda.
Our unofficial embarkation photo.
We go for a walk about to check out the ship, prior to the mandatory Emergency Stations Drill, to check out where some things are located. After a little confusion, we find our emergency station is located in the Tube… cool, ship is in trouble and we head to the bar!
After the drill is concluded we head to Senses Spa so DW can book a hair appointment, for our formal night at Palo and a spa day. Next, we head to the main deck for the departure party.
Time for dinner and we have the main (early) seating. We meet our wait staff which consisted of Faisal (Indonesia), the Manager, Nelson (Honduras) the Head Server & Carlos (Dominican Republic) the Assistant Server. I order the pasta pursiettes, cheese potato soup, and the Angus tenderloin. DW tries the sliced Serrano ham (which she was not fond of), roasted red bell pepper salad and the jumbo shrimp salad. For dessert, it’s Sweet Temptations for DW and I get the Duo Chocolate Cake. Our serving team then bring out an extra chocolaty dessert for us to share and they then sing “Happy Anniversary”, nice touch.
After dinner we head to the shops which are now open as we are no longer in port. DW grabs the DCL plush toy line, we get some t-shirts and I also pick up a DCL lanyard.
We then spend the rest of the evening hanging out and meeting people. We also take advantage of Luigi’s extended evening hours with a late night pizza snack.
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I start the day off early with a trip to the fitness centre. Good thing I went when I did because it filled up fast. I did an elliptical machine as I wanted something to hang on to. With the motion of the ship, I was worried I would fall off a treadmill. As this is my first cruise, I can’t compare, but I wasn’t really expecting to feel that much motion. PT is finished, eat the banana (no kidding, they actually had a bowl of bananas there for you), get cleaned up and wait for DW to awaken.
We make our way to Cabana’s for our first breakfast. The buffet seems the familiar brunch fare and it is hot and tasty. You can’t go wrong with eggs, bacon, potatoes, croissant and a coffee.
We go for a walk on deck and do a little more shopping as DW has her eye on some DCL coffee mugs. After dropping those items off in the cabin we decide to find the laundrette and take care of our formal wear for dinner tonight. DW would like to steam her dress and I need to press my shirt. I am a little amused that DCL charges you $2 per use for the washers & dryers and DVC provides them free at the resorts.
Lunchtime rolls around and we head to Flo’s V8 Café to check what Mater’s and Fillmore’s has to offer, having already had Luigi’s Pizza. DW goes to Fillmore’s for a wrap and discovers they have several that they serve cut into two-bite pieces, so you can mix ‘em up and go for a variety. I get a burger and fries from Mater’s and it is very tasty. Still feeling a little peckish, DW goes back for a hot dog and lets me take a bite. Even with just mustard and ketchup, it is one tasty dog… big too. We top it off with some ice cream and then head back to the cabin for some quiet time.
After quiet time, DW goes to senses for her hair appointment and I settle down to watch the NFC Championship game (wow… just… wow). After she is done, looking beautiful as always, we head to Palo for our dinner.
We check in and wait, briefly before being shown to our table. As I sit down, the hostess points out that because I am wearing a dark suit, she will replace the white linen napkin with a black one. It’s that attention to detail that, for me, defines Disney guest service. As we are seated, we take in the décor of the place and it is rich and detailed. From the glass blown chandelier to the handles on the wine cooler doors (crafted from the gondola poles or palo straight from Venice) everything about the place is rich and stunning.
Our server is Predrag (Serbia) and he is very charming and helpful with his suggestions (or, sometimes, instructions) as we navigate the menu. DW opts to start with the Grilled Portobello and then the Lobster & Mascarpone Ravioli for entrée. I am having a tough time deciding but eventually settle on the White Bean Soup to start and the Angus filet. Predrag starts us off with assorted breads and an antipasti plate. One new thing we learn is to drizzle balsamic vinegar onto chunks of parmesan cheese, it was so good! We have flavoured balsamic vinegars, at home, and were marvelling at the possibilities. For dessert, I consider the tiramisu as it is one of my favourite all time classics. Predrag, however is praising the chocolate soufflé as the house specialty so I relent and DW and I both get the soufflé. It is served with chocolate and vanilla bean sauce and a big dollop of vanilla gelato. Predrag pierces the soufflé, pours both sauces on and drops the gelato into the centre of the soufflé to help cool it. The taste is out of this world; decadently rich, smooth and just the right amount of sweetness. He also brought out a tiramisu just so I wouldn’t miss out on my favourite but after the soufflé, I could only eat half.
If you are planning a cruise, dinner at Palo is an experience you won’t want to miss. This was, quite simply one of the finest dining experiences I have ever had. The quality of the food and the service make it worth every penny. We are really looking forward to returning for the brunch, later in the week.
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I get up a little later this morning and the fitness centre seems a little less crowded, I guess timing is everything. Afterwards we head to Cabana’s for brunch and, this time, I take a look at all the buffet has to offer as I am in the mood for something other than scrambled eggs. Mission accomplished as I find Eggs Benedict and they are cooked perfectly.
Today is DW’s spa day so she heads to Senses for some relaxing while I head down to the pub (O’Gills) for the trivia contest the Personal Navigator says is about to begin. I used to think I was good at trivia but this contest is brutal! I do OK but not well enough to win. After that, I do some exploring around the ship and end up topside lounging in the adult-only area when DW calls to see how I’m doing (Wave phones are cool).
She joins me on deck and then we decide it is snack time and head down to get some ice cream (it is self serve, all you like). They have chocolate, vanilla & strawberry or you can swirl chocolate-strawberry or chocolate-banana, so good!
DW and I head back to O’Gills for another trivia game. This time it is TV tunes, I’m all over that! Alas, once again we do well but just not well enough to win.
Our dinner tonight is at the Royal Court and DW and I are impressed with the stylish décor. Right down to the napkins that are folded to resemble small dinner jackets, Royal Court is fancy-schmancy! The French inspired cuisine starts with the bread service which is an herbed brioche. DW starts with the escargot, moving on to the onion soup and, for the entrée, lobster macaroni. I opt for the deep fried brie and also go for the onion soup and decide on the oven baked salmon for my entrée. For dessert I select the vanilla crème brule (my second favourite) and DW can’t decide on one so she orders the dessert trio. The fantastic meal is an excellent finish to a nice relaxing day.
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All aboard!
The official embarkation photo.
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Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Dinner at Palo
With Capt Mickey
Mary - not enough trips!
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