A Christmas Ship Comes Sailing In (A Cam and Luke TR) Completed 2/18 - Page 20 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I love how relaxing your evenings sound! I would have LOVED to seen the photo!
One of my favorite parts of the cruise was dining and a show each evening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
It's too bad the photo prices are so high on the ships. I have had that same dilemma of which package to purchase. The pair of constellation plates in the stairwell are my favorite pieces of art on the Magic!
I wouldn't mind having replicas of the constellation plates for my house.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
Sounds like a delicious meal. Love the DVC gifts you're getting!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
You had a nice time on the last part of the excursion at the Turtle Farm! It must have been a good experience to hold one of the turtles! Too bad, they didn't offer to let you hold the alligator!
That was crazy with the tendering and how rough the seas were on the return to The Magic!
You had quite a relaxing rest of the day on board and glad you enjoyed quite a nice dinner at Lumiere's! Seems like you saw a good show in the theater and hope to see this one on my cruise!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
What a great relaxing day! I love the wall art as well! It would be cool if they sold them as well!!
That would be so cool!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
You had a nice time on the last part of the excursion at the Turtle Farm! It must have been a good experience to hold one of the turtles! Too bad, they didn't offer to let you hold the alligator!
That was crazy with the tendering and how rough the seas were on the return to The Magic!
You had quite a relaxing rest of the day on board and glad you enjoyed quite a nice dinner at Lumiere's! Seems like you saw a good show in the theater and hope to see this one on my cruise!
Luke and I enjoyed every single show in the Walt Disney Theater. The entertainment really is fun for all ages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Sounds like a lovely dinner and a nice relaxing evening.
I woke up at 7:15 without the alarm, which had been set for 8:30. I checked the view from the verandah, discovering that we were still sailing, though I could see Cozumel in the distance.
I checked the TV to be sure of the time change, and eventually, found Cinderella to watch. At 8:00 I decided to get ready. That woke Luke up, and he got ready as well.
We left for breakfast at Cabana’s at 9:15. Walking down the hall we met Laurie and Tom from our table. Their room was 6090 and ours was 6080. Laura was still dealing with a cold and chest congestion. Once at Cabana’s we decide to eat light as our excursion today was a Mexican Cuisine workshop. So I just had hash browns and a donut. We went back to the room to await our assembly time for Cozumel Port Adventure.
Around 10:30 we walked down two flights to the D Lounge on Deck 4 midship. We were quickly checked in and then sent over to Luis, who would be our guide and, most importantly, our chef. We liked him immediately – so friendly and enthusiastic. Luis walked with us to the pier, which from the ship to Cozumel is a bit long, but once we made it to the terminal, we along with two other couples boarded a taxi shuttle for the 15 minute ride to Playa Mia. All the couples got to know each other as we rode along. I know that one of the couples was platinum Castaway Club members by their lanyards. They had lots of great advice for the Alaskan cruise, which I really hope we get to do one day. We also discovered that each couple had someone who had grown up as a preacher’s kid and each also had a teacher.
On our arrival Luis escorted us to his building at the water/adventure park. The building was painted bright pin to match his and his staff’s uniforms.
Inside we deposited our personal items on a table and then proceeded to our work stations.
The chef without a hat is Luis. He was very personable and made the whole experience so enjoyable.
My "ham" of a chef.
Couples worked across from each other to prepare each course.
I'm pretending that I know what I'm doing.
Before we handled any food, Luis instructed us in the proper method for hand washing, and then had each of us wash up. I appreciate this attention to safety.
He was assisted this day by Angel and Moises who he said were technically our sous chefs for the workshop. Both of these guys had done the prep work for us, e.g. dicing, measuring ingredients, and laying out the necessary utensils. Angel also took our drink orders and brought them to our work stations. Luke and I both had margaritas, which were quite strong.
With everyone washed up and drinks ready, we could now begin cooking. In my notes here I have a reminder to check the recipes we were given. I have searched everywhere without any luck to find those recipes. My notes are fairly general as I was busy cooking and taking photos. So now I’m a bit sad that we won’t be able to repeat these at home as I don’t have measurements nor ingredients. The first dish we prepared was desert as it would need time to chill. Step one: add cinnamon and sugar, as much as we wanted, to plantains. Each of us got to slice of plantain, and I would add much more of both sugar and cinnamon if I made this again as I love sweet.
The plantains were then caramelized in a skillet, using a tequila sauce and cream.
While these were cooking, Luis taught us how to use both white and dark chocolate to create plate art. It was so much easier than I ever dreamed, using squirt bottles for each chocolate and a toothpick for the design. We also used the chocolate sauces to write our names on our plates to be sure we were served our own cooking.
Once these delectables were done, we were allowed to drizzle bitter/dark chocolate over them. In the end, there was lots of chocolate sauce on mine.
Yes, mine have chocolate glopped on them rather than drizzled. As I've said, I love sweet and chocolate.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
What a neat "excursion"! Looks fun and delicious . I've never really thought about the process of creating plate art. I know I love it when I see it, but of course here at home I'd never think of trying it. It would be fun to do for company. Hmm ...
__________________
Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow, for all you know, tomorrow, the dream that you wish will come true.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
About This Page: 
photo! 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Glad you enjoyed the show and survived the rocky seas! 
The first dish we prepared was desert as it would need time to chill. Step one: add cinnamon and sugar, as much as we wanted, to plantains. Each of us got to slice of plantain, and I would add much more of both sugar and cinnamon if I made this again as I love sweet. 
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
