Coffee on the Verandah - Let the Festival Begin - 5/13

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by MeMom

Maybe you could entice them with arcade and food money. They could spend 30-45 minutes playing games and getting a snack, and you could have that time to walk around the main part of the resort to see the decor, displays, check out the gift shops, and take pictures.

That is actually a great idea for the boys who won't be into it. Some will but one in particular could derail the group.

Originally Posted by MeMom

I think it is interesting to see people swimming while lifeguards are trying to stay warm in their full sweatsuits. I thought it was pretty cool to see people swimming and watching the big screen movie from the pool when we arrived on Christmas evening several years ago. People were floating around watching The Santa Clause.

So true! It's all about your starting point I think. For FL natives, it IS cold. For Seattle...

Our boys, ourselves and a handful of Northwesterners were the only ones in the pools and hot tubs most of our Alaska cruise. I think it is very likely they will swim if we are upper 60's or greater. I hope it's warmer than that but it really could be anything in Dec I think. When we went in Feb a couple of years ago it ranged from 50-82!

Oh God is so good today I have to share. I just got news that my HS friend with very rare cancer who underwent stem cell transplant and her last lumbar puncture came back clean with no evidence of disease. And my other friend battling breast cancer for 12 years (the one whose DH has brain cancer), who's doctors thought her cancer had metastasized to both lungs (but can't biopsy in her condition, too risky) it turns out she has a bizarre allergy to one of the chemo drugs, very very rare, but once they changed all her meds up she can breathe again and feels so much better. It's not in her lungs after all, I could cry with relief for both of these amazing ladies.

[Mndisneygirl]

Glad to hear some GOOD news Cynthia!!!

[rentayenta]

I swear I thought I read your update and posted. Going back to catch up.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by Mndisneygirl

Glad to hear some GOOD news Cynthia!!!

Thanks Sheree, it unfortunately was followed by bad, one of Jeff's co workers who actually helped us move out of my old house, passed this weekend. He had been having health issues but seemed to be better and was back at work so it was a shock.

Originally Posted by rentayenta

I swear I thought I read your update and posted. Going back to catch up.

I know the feeling well! I thought I'd posted on your thread about Riley but it must have just been on FB.

[Flossbolna]

How wonderful that there finally are some good news on the health front!! Very happy to hear that!

Thanks for the advice about the dining requests. I will be travelling with a friend so I guess we need to talk about whether it makes sense to request anything. Tomorrow the first of the 5-night cruises from Miami will sail, so hopefully once they are back there will be some info as to when Pirates Night will be. We already know that we want to eat at Palo one evening - ideally on one of the two sea days and then brunch on the other sea day. We will see what we can can get once we can book it. But I am not that concerned as those cruises don't seem to sell that well...

[CarolynK]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Did they have their own special fireworks? Werre the crowds better there?

So many questions sorry!



Packing is always so sad, I hope you had a great trip and the crowds weren't too bad. From everything I read it's still very crowded which doesn't bode well for next year, I think it will be crowded the entire trip from what I've been reading and where the holidays fall. Oh well, it's still a Disney trip and during the holidays!



It is cozy. The privacy curtain between the master bed and the living space really helps a lot.

And there is a deadbolt.



Seriously though, they've raised the bed on the Dream and so you can stash everything underneath and that helps a ton. They make and put away the beds for you so if it weren't for K's darn duffle bag it really wouldn't have felt cramped at all. And that didn't really make it feel cramped, just junky. I looked at 2 regular verandah's and the one family suite was less. Across the hall made me nervous at their ages but I have looked at that before. I think if you buy and book right it can be doable for about the same but every time I've priced it, it's been more. I'd have to have at least one verandah!

Reading from my phone, @Big River Grill enjoying a Pale Ale, will reply from home

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by Flossbolna

How wonderful that there finally are some good news on the health front!! Very happy to hear that!

Thanks for the advice about the dining requests. I will be travelling with a friend so I guess we need to talk about whether it makes sense to request anything. Tomorrow the first of the 5-night cruises from Miami will sail, so hopefully once they are back there will be some info as to when Pirates Night will be. We already know that we want to eat at Palo one evening - ideally on one of the two sea days and then brunch on the other sea day. We will see what we can can get once we can book it. But I am not that concerned as those cruises don't seem to sell that well...

I don't think you will have any issues either. Our "dressy" night on the Dream was our at sea day and if memory serves, pirate night on the Wonder was at sea day as well but in both cases we were able to brunch on the at sea day. Our 2 Palo dinners both ended up being on port days but it worked out ok.

Originally Posted by CarolynK

Reading from my phone, @Big River Grill enjoying a Pale Ale, will reply from home

Love Big River Grille! We haven't eaten there in forever but plan to for next years trip, probably arrival day dinner. We have gotten drinks there though. Lovely IPA on tap.

[DisneyFreak06]

Thanks a lot. Now I want to buy DVC AND go on a cruise! I can't afford to do that!

In all seriousness, I am totally enjoying this trip report. Thank you for sharing.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by DisneyFreak06

Thanks a lot. Now I want to buy DVC AND go on a cruise! I can't afford to do that!

Welcome to DISenablersRus!



This board has gotten me in big trouble over the years, happy to spread the joy, pain, wealth, uh.... something.

Originally Posted by DisneyFreak06

In all seriousness, I am totally enjoying this trip report. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks! Reliving lessens the pain between trips.

[eandesmom]

Hard to imagine. We've been back oh...almost 5 months and I'm on day 7 of this TR! Hey, at least I'm doing better than a day a month, right? Nothing like drawing it out to make the trip last longer, especially when the next ones seem so far away. Helps me get through the winter, that's for sure.

Today was our first port of call, Nassau. Now, I will be honest. Neither Jeff nor I were remotely excited about this port. We've both been to this type of island before and I hope I don't offend anyone but it is what it is. A poor, dirty city awaiting to pounce on tourists the minute they get off the ship, try to get them to buy jewelry that really doesn't have anything to do with that island, nor do the profits stay there or baskets that you may or may be able to bring home. Oh and maybe rum. There are some lovely resorts on the island to be sure, Atlantis obviously the most famous but they are, in a way, islands of their own. Showing the beauty that can be created on an island, a midst dirt and poverty. The island survives because of tourism and you cannot deny it has some beauty but truth be told much of it I find a bit depressing, the disparity. All that said, when we considered a short cruise, we knew what we were getting into and certainly Nassau isn't the only port that falls into the general scenario described above. Jaded as Jeff and I were, the kids were anything but. It was the Bahamas! It was exotic! It was ANOTHER COUNTRY! And for kids whose entire experience with another country is Canada, a place that feels just like home to them, this was a pretty big deal. We had elected to pass on excursions. Atlantis would have been fun but it would have been almost $1000 and that just wasn't in the budget. As a family of 5, the Comfort Suite alternative that many use, wouldn't work for us and there just wasn't much else that either fit the budget or sounded worth the money. Instead , after much research on the DIS and elsewhere, we decided to do a day trip to another hotel on the Island, get a room for the day and enjoy their facilities.

All ashore wasn't until 9:30 and we were not planning to be first off the ship, but we didn't want to be last off either! It had been a late night for all, as all on the ship would be (based on our previous experience) and there just wasn't enough we wanted to do in Nassau that meant waking kids up early. Though we had no set time frame, if we were going to pay for a room for the day we did want to make the most of it and ordered tea the night before to be delivered. We didn't really want tea, we just wanted the hot water to make our Via but had found on the Wonder that ordering a pot of hot water really confused room service and if we ordered tea with cream, Jeff would get his cream and sugar and since they wouldn't toss unopened tea bags, we weren't really wasting anything. I don’t recall what time we ordered it for but it came either right on the nose of the early part of our delivery window, or earlier! I am guessing it was a 7:30-8:00 window. It woke us up. So we got up and...

Had coffee on the verandah of course!



Sigh, my poor mutilated Old Key West mug, with splotches of the decal still on it, like melted blobs of paint.

Granted, we almost broke our necks getting out the verandah door between K's bag and her bed but we made it. And boy, the sun had come out!



We checked out the view from our verandah and watched the Dream get settled



My lens steamed up



So pretty!













I’d like to be heading out there. Not sure where I’d go but sigh!



One cup under our belt it was time for a refill and our first walk on the promenade. Jeff and I like to do this every morning we can on the ship, 3 trips round, 1 lousy mile but it’s a nice walk up walk. And it let us say hello to Nassau!

It was already a bit full in the port



And we could see Atlantis in the distance





I wouldn't mind a night or 2 here







I could totally do this as an excursion



Getting closer and the view changing as we walked around deck, checking out the slide on the Carnival ship. I cruised Carnival once. Never again. But the slide did look cool.











Continued in next post

[eandesmom]

Ah, now I can see the path out!



Love the colors. Even knowing what we'd see in the city itself, the colors really do entice you and we couldn't help but get excited. We had discussed staying on the ship (or rather I'd suggested it) but Jeff wanted nothing to do with that idea.





Jeff was intrigued by this boat, wondering what its purpose was docked where it was.



A few other folks were out for a walk, or run, as well. About half way around we were blocked, completely, At one end of the ship they were doing some kind of drill and had it roped off, so we had to turn around and go the other way until it dead ended on the other side. Wah!



This view is prettier. I think (Brooke?) that this is the Colonial Hilton. We considered a day pass here but from what we read both the pool and the beach might be a bit boring for older kids.







Looking back





Our tour complete, or as complete as it could be, and our coffee empty we headed back to the stateroom.

It was now 9:15 Would anyone be up?

Locked out, and Rained out

[MAGICFOR2]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

That is actually a great idea for the boys who won't be into it. Some will but one in particular could derail the group.



So true! It's all about your starting point I think. For FL natives, it IS cold. For Seattle...

Our boys, ourselves and a handful of Northwesterners were the only ones in the pools and hot tubs most of our Alaska cruise. I think it is very likely they will swim if we are upper 60's or greater. I hope it's warmer than that but it really could be anything in Dec I think. When we went in Feb a couple of years ago it ranged from 50-82!

Oh God is so good today I have to share. I just got news that my HS friend with very rare cancer who underwent stem cell transplant and her last lumbar puncture came back clean with no evidence of disease. And my other friend battling breast cancer for 12 years (the one whose DH has brain cancer), who's doctors thought her cancer had metastasized to both lungs (but can't biopsy in her condition, too risky) it turns out she has a bizarre allergy to one of the chemo drugs, very very rare, but once they changed all her meds up she can breathe again and feels so much better. It's not in her lungs after all, I could cry with relief for both of these amazing ladies.

God is Good. ALL the time! So happy to hear the good news and answered prayers. I will have to come back later to read - need to go pick Jim up and get some dinner.

[KatMark]

Wonderful update, Cynthia. I like your idea of taking a walk every morning while on the ship; and you got such great pictures. I was so sorry to hear about your mug and then to see it in person. Would you like me to pick you up a new one when we are there later this year (we will be staying at OKW again)?

Can't wait to hear how the excursion at the hotel goes.

[Poolrat]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Oh God is so good today I have to share. I just got news that my HS friend with very rare cancer who underwent stem cell transplant and her last lumbar puncture came back clean with no evidence of disease. And my other friend battling breast cancer for 12 years (the one whose DH has brain cancer), who's doctors thought her cancer had metastasized to both lungs (but can't biopsy in her condition, too risky) it turns out she has a bizarre allergy to one of the chemo drugs, very very rare, but once they changed all her meds up she can breathe again and feels so much better. It's not in her lungs after all, I could cry with relief for both of these amazing ladies.

Glad for the good news.

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Thanks Sheree, it unfortunately was followed by bad, one of Jeff's co workers who actually helped us move out of my old house, passed this weekend. He had been having health issues but seemed to be better and was back at work so it was a shock.

Awwww So sorry there was bad too. Thoughts and prayers for the family.

[Poolrat]

Such Pretty Pictures of Nassau. I know what you mean right off the boat not so great.

Spent time over the bridge on Paradise Island way back in another liftime.

Going back would only happen on a cruise. Maybe someday.