Our Island Hopping, Rain Dropping, Champagne Popping Adventure - Page 5 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Hello all -- first time poster, long time follower (and DVCer from back in '93!) here and going on my first cruise ever (Fantasy: Eastern) in November to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
I have no intention of hijacking the thread and if this question should be somewhere else, please tell/direct me. It seems that I find conflicting answers on how to bring wine/champagne on the ship -- can you elaborate on how you do it? Is it packed separately and give to the porters as 'checked luggage'? Do folks pack it along with their own conventional (clothing) luggage? And if you want to bring a 24 pack of water, is that handled differntly?
Thanks for your patience -- and I am very much enjoy the trip report!
<<I had also brought beer, wine and champagne with me on the ship>>
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Loving the report! We will probably never do a Disney Cruise, so I'm living vicariously through all of you. Thanks for chiming in with your family's side of things, too, Monica! Makes this even more special!
What a wonderful first day! How great that Thom was able to get Mary Devall into Edge! My DD was 11 on our last cruise, and I know she would have been bored in the Oceaneer Lab. I can't believe how old Macy is getting!
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Hello all -- first time poster, long time follower (and DVCer from back in '93!) here and going on my first cruise ever (Fantasy: Eastern) in November to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
I have no intention of hijacking the thread and if this question should be somewhere else, please tell/direct me. It seems that I find conflicting answers on how to bring wine/champagne on the ship -- can you elaborate on how you do it? Is it packed separately and give to the porters as 'checked luggage'? Do folks pack it along with their own conventional (clothing) luggage? And if you want to bring a 24 pack of water, is that handled differntly?
My understanding is that you must carry it on the ship yourself. It cannot be in your checked luggage. We pack ours in a small rolling carry on bag. I had six aluminimum bottles of beer, a bottle of prosecco, bottle of champagne, small bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a few Dr. Peppers and some bottled water (about 8 or so).
Great start to the cruise, and bringing back lots of fun memories of our Dream. Rise a year ago when we cruised with my BFF and her family.
Yes, any alcohol (or any drinks, really) must be carried on. I had the heaviest bag, with 6 bottles of wine, when we cruised! Plus, I think, some of those frozen drink pouches you pop in the freezer. The cabin fridge wasn't really cold enough for those, BTW.
Looking forward to hearing more! I'm sure the girls were in 7th heaven with the clubs!
Crazy Thom had decided that he was going to run in the Castaway Cay 5K this morning, so he got up and out before the rest of us even stirred. Not too long after he left, however, there was a knock on the door signaling the arrival of our room service.
Once I’m up, I’m up so I settled in on the balcony with my pot of coffee and my book and thoroughly enjoyed myself until the girls began stirring.
After they ate their doughnuts from room service (we believe in a healthy start to the day ), I talked them into going to the Royal Palace with me for breakfast.
Mary Devall didn’t want anything (she doesn’t believe in overeating - - crazy girl ), but I convinced Maddie to get Chip's Melon Boat on a sea of strawberry flavored yogurt because she loves melon and she loves yogurt. When the server placed the plate in front of Maddie, she looked befuddled and Mary Devall and I burst into laughter. I so wish that I had brought my camera with us because her plate was such a sight. It was essentially a slice of melon sitting on top a teeny tiny swirl of yogurt. A “sea” of yogurt it was not.
On the other hand, my Disney Cruise Line Breakfast Trio French toast, Belgian waffle, and buttermilk pancakes served with cinnamon butter, syrup and whipped cream, accompanied with bacon lived up to its description perfectly. My carb loving self loved this breakfast.
Even though I was really the only one who ate, we still had a great time at breakfast. As a bonus, we spotted our table for that night not too far from where we were sitting so we would know right where to go.
Once Thom got back from his run, we got ready and went to Castaway Cay.
Maddie decided that she wanted to spend some time at the kids club, so we dropped her off and then the three of us went to the beach. Thom and Mary Devall played around in the water for a bit and then took off to ask about the aqua trikes.
I sat back and did some major people watching. I was also watching the sky because the clouds were getting darker and darker. I had probably been there less than an hour when it started sprinkling. By the time that Thom and Mary Devall returned after riding the aqua trikes, I was hunkered under an umbrella with a towel wrapped around me.
We waited out the rain for a while, but when it looked like it was about to be a wash out we decided to pick up Maddie and head back to ship. We were just walking away when Monica called out and told us that they were waiting out the rain at a table underneath one of the shelters.
We joined them and I instantly spotted the konk koolers that Monica and Charlie were enjoying. Monica took this picture when they bought them for further evidence that Charlie had three drinks (the bartender had actually given them a third drink with the overage from their two drinks - - you won't find a Disney bartender that doesn't Monica and Charlie).
Monica’s was looking a little low and I didn’t want her to drink alone, so Thom was kind enough to make a bar run for us. While the guys ate lunch, Monica and I enjoyed our lunch in the form of a konk kooler. It was the perfect way to pass time while waiting for the rain to let up.
About the time that the rain stopped and the sun came out, Thom got a call on the wave phone that Maddie was ready for pick up. When he brought her back, we headed for the beach in front of the water slides with Monica while Charlie took Macy and Gem to their appointment with a parasail.
We had never been in this area, so it was fun to try something new.
Speaking of trying something new, I talked Mary Devall into going down one of the slides with me. She wasn’t scared of the slide itself, but just the depth of the water in front of the slide. She was worried that she wouldn’t be able to swim out to the slide or back. She’s a pretty good little swimmer, but just lacking confidence. Once I convinced her that I would be right beside her if she needed me, she was willing to give it a try.
She swam out to the slides without one problem and we were soon standing in line for the open air slide. We passed the time waiting by chatting with two sweet little girls behind us in line. They all laughed when I told some little boys to stop turning the sprayers so that they sprayed everyone in line. The other adults in line chimed in too, so I was not alone in my scolding.
The slide was fun and we made it safely back to the beach. Thom, Monica and Maddie were out in the water with a couple of floats, so we joined them.
Pretty soon Charlie found us and let us know that parasailing had been cancelled for the afternoon due to choppy waters. Macy and Gem had wanted to grab some food and were going to join us soon.
The girls showed up about the time we all started getting worried about them. They had forgotten exactly where Monica had told them we would be and had been looking up and down the beach for us. They looked about as worried as Monica did. Bless their hearts, I don’t think they left our sides . . . at least for the next couple of hours.
I think Monica was in need of a drink at that point , so she and Charlie did a bar run and brought back a margarita for me!
There he goes again!
For the rest of the afternoon, we relaxed on the beach and hopped in and out of the water.
It had turned into a beautiful, blue sky kind of day and we didn’t see rain again until the day we came back to port. Just to show you the difference - - Monica took the first picture that morning and the second in the afternoon.
About 4 p.m., we finally drug ourselves off the beach and headed back to boat. We made a pit stop at Conched Out on our way for two more konk koolers for Charlie and me and a smoothie for Maddie. While Thom placed our order, the island music put Charlie and Maddie in the dancing mood. These have to be some of my favorite pictures of the entire trip.
Once back on ship, Mary Devall and I went to ride the Aqua Duck since I didn’t have a chance the day before. I loved it so much that we ended up riding it twice! By far, the most difficult part of the entire ride is getting out of the raft (unless you’re 10, I guess )!
Once back in the room, the girls got ready to go to their respective kids clubs. Mary Devall went to the Edge on her own and Thom took Maddie to the Oceaneer Lab. Without me even asking, he sweetly picked up a glass of wine for me and brought it back to the room. I sat on the balcony reading, sipping wine and watching as we left Castaway Cay behind. By now, the wall between the balconies was down, so it was fun chatting with Monica and Charlie when they returned from spending a bit of time at the adult pool.
We took our time getting ready for dinner that evening - - it was semi-formal night after all! Thom went all out and wore his semi-formal shorts. Mary Devall returned to the room shortly before dinner so that she could change and then we all picked up Maddie on our way.
Portraits were being taken right outside of the Royal Palace and when Mary Devall saw the Mitchells standing in line, she wanted to do the same. This turned out to be the best idea ever because we got some great pictures with about five minutes of effort. We finished just in time for dinner.
We met the Mitchells at our table and had another great dinner. The photographer came by and also got some great shots of us at dinner!
After dinner, the girls went back to their clubs and we went back to our room. Their day of sun, sand and water must have worn them out because they didn’t stay up quite as late tonight!
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Last edited by Jillybean; 08-25-2012 at 09:18 PM..
Beautiful portraits! Reading your report is really getting me excited about our DCL adventure coming up in Nov! Sadly we will not be going to Castaway Cay.
So glad the rain didn't ruin your day at Castaway Cay! Brilliant idea to just sit it out with a few drinks. Brilliant. Your evening photos are all beautiful - what a fun group!
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We will probably never do a Disney Cruise, so I'm living vicariously through all of you. Thanks for chiming in with your family's side of things, too, Monica! Makes this even more special! 
Thom had decided that he was going to run in the Castaway Cay 5K this morning, so he got up and out before the rest of us even stirred. Not too long after he left, however, there was a knock on the door signaling the arrival of our room service. 
), I talked them into going to the Royal Palace with me for breakfast. 
), but I convinced Maddie to get Chip's Melon Boat on a sea of strawberry flavored yogurt because she loves melon and she loves yogurt. When the server placed the plate in front of Maddie, she looked befuddled and Mary Devall and I burst into laughter. 
I so wish that I had brought my camera with us because her plate was such a sight. It was essentially a slice of melon sitting on top a teeny tiny swirl of yogurt. A “sea” of yogurt it was not. 
Monica took this picture when they bought them for further evidence that Charlie had three drinks (the bartender had actually given them a third drink with the overage from their two drinks - - you won't find a Disney bartender that doesn't 
Monica and Charlie).
While the guys ate lunch, Monica and I enjoyed our lunch in the form of a konk kooler. It was the perfect way to pass time while waiting for the rain to let up.
Macy and Gem had wanted to grab some food and were going to join us soon.
They had forgotten exactly where Monica had told them we would be and had been looking up and down the beach for us. They looked about as worried as Monica did. 
, so she and Charlie did a bar run and brought back a margarita for me! 
)!
Mary - not enough trips!
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