Hi all!
Going to throw out another Disney Treasure review. This one will hopefully differentiate from the others for two reasons: (i) this was a concierge sailing and (ii) this was INTENDED to be two adults (me and a friend) without kids. I won't bury the lead, my friend got sick last minute and I went solo.
This is mostly going to serve as my own diary so I can look back at my cruise experience. I am well aware that my style of cruising is VERY different than around 98% of DCL travelers... but hopefully there is some crazy person out there like me and this will be helpful. Regardless, it has been really fun remembering a fun week.
Booking:
* This was a Western Caribbean sailing (I am strange, but Western is my preference - read on to find out why!).
* We booked this sailing only about two months ago. I saw an early Feb sailing on the Treasure where there was a 1 bedroom concierge suite available. This was shocking for me because I had my eye on this sailing for a while and there were NO concierge rooms at all, only the occasional verandah room would pop up every few days or so. So I immediately booked it.
* Naturally, because of the last minute nature, some things were not available for booking. I was able to get all my regular Concierge requests in (H2O products rather than Elemis in the suite, stock the fridge with our preferences, etc.).
* We booked Palo Steakhouse Dinner on Night 1 and Night 4. Brunch on Day 6 (2nd sea day) We booked Enchente Dinner on Night 3. Enchente Lunch on Day 2. Thoughts on these experiences later on.
* We specifically requested a dining rotation where we would eat at Coco on Night 2 and Night 5. Although we have eaten at 1923 on the Wish and enjoyed it, we both extremely dislike the Marvel restaurant (bad menu, bad entertainment, and WAY too loud). Essentially, our goal was to eat at Palo Steakhouse and Enchente for the other five nights.
* We booked Scuba Diving at Cozumel and Grand Cayman (this is why we prefer Western over Eastern Caribbean... the scuba diving is much better on Western).
* We had nothing booked yet for Jamaica but a couple of ideas of stuff to book while onboard. Really, I was interested in going surfing.
With that, I think we are ready to get going with the trip, itself...
Getting to Port Canaveral:
* As the first summary note mentions, my friend who was supposed to be sailing with me got very sick and could not come on the cruise. We could have tried to call and change the date around, but finding another 1 bedroom on the Treasure would be really difficult and I had already gotten the time off of work. I do cruise solo on occasion and love it (and, ultimately, I paid for the cruise, not my friend!) so I was looking forward to enjoying my own company, a book, and meeting new friends.
* Like many discerning travelers on these boards, I arrived the night before and stayed at Disney World. I chose to rent a car, as I have friends local and the cost was far less than the many Uber/Lyft trips I'd otherwise have taken.
* Not important for this reviewed, but stayed at BCV in a 1 bedroom villa - it was very enjoyable.
* I left Disney at 10:00am on the nose and arrived at the Avis rental car location in Port Canaveral at 11:15am. My Lyft then took me to the Disney Cruise Line port.
* I arrived at the Port just before 11:30am. I assumed that Concierge guests had already began boarding, or would promptly.
* Side note, I am not in love with the stern character(s). Although the Wish is not my favorite ship by any means, I love Tangled and thought the stern character was beautifully done. This one fell short. Granted, it is not even close to as bad as the Destiny's which legitimately makes me gag. Common theme - not a Marvel fan! Lol
* I did not check a bag. I had one roller luggage and a briefcase. Knowing that my room would be ready at 12:30pm, I knew that I did not need the delivery. I also have had really bad experience with porters, including two experiences with luggages that were presumed lost, but found hours (or, in one case, a full day) later. Never again will I check my bags!
* The check in line was LONG around that time - I would guess people without Platinum, Pearl, or Concierge were having to wait about 20-30 mins to check in, plus the wait for security. There were no Concierge guests ahead of me, so when I walked in I only had to wait about 30 seconds for an agent to help with check in. She was ***shocked*** that I was abandoning my sick friend to go on the ship solo, but it was more her being empathetic and glad I was making the most of the situation. She had a brief tech issue while pairing my Disney Band with the room reservation, so the whole process did take about 5 minutes. Much longer than usual, but ultimately no issue.
* I was, of course, given a gold Concierge sticker so that I could be identified after check in and once I board the ship. As an aside, I kind of hate these stickers... as someone who only cruised outside Concierge for years (and even while I was Platinum!) I always felt it created a weird class system on the first day and would make some families feel pompous and others feel less-than. I am sure that's just me overthinking it, especially because I never regretted not choosing to pay for Concierge for over ten sailings, but still I just feel a bit weird about it. Ultimately, as this is not my first time in Concierge, I knew that the stickers are necessary because I will otherwise need to spend time convincing Crew members (both in the port and on the ship) that I belong in certain places, which is a waste of mental effort. Instead, it's better here to just go with the flow and wear the shiny gold sticker.
* Security waits were moderate - I had about 7 or 8 people in front of me and it took about 5 minutes to get through. I am always a bit surprised that people don't realize what is about to happen and take so long to put all their belongings in the x-ray machine. Alas...
* I was ushered behind the glass partition with beautiful floor to ceiling windows showing the amazing Treasure.
* Those reading along who have done Concierge at this port before know that the next step usually is they bring you past the kiosks where they would scan your port arrival forms/let you onto the ship and there is a Concierge Lounge behind there. However, I could see the gangway that the Concierge guests were already trickling in. That left a group of 4 or 5 families (plus me!) waiting in this area for a Concierge Host to come out and give us their "spiel."
* The Concierge "spiel" is very helpful for new DCL passengers or those sailing in Concierge for the first time. However, for someone who has done it before (including just a month ago!) it was SO PAINFUL to know that if I asked politely I could just walk onto the ship right now rather than having to listen to someone say things I already know (we get priority seating/popcorn at the shows, we get priority tender boats at Grand Cayman, the lounge is open from 7-10, we get free drinks from 5-10......). It was KILLING me! Haha.
* The spiel was only a few short minutes and we were sent towards the Gangway. Given it was just me, I let all the families go ahead. I always try to do this as I know it is much more meaningful for the parents and children. Waiting is harder for kids!
Fist Impressions / Cruise Director / Captain:
* Carly was our cruise director (I have had her many times / love her) and Andy was our Captain. I am not sure if Andy is the one who is notorious for not liking the horn, but I will say that he played it VERY sparingly. He would do one or two horn "tunes" a day. We did get to hear all of them by the end of the voyage, but I, like many of my fellow passengers, would have rather him have played them all each day when leaving a port.
* I have done concierge many times, but never in Triton Class before now.
* I mean... wow. I am full on a proponent of the old style ships (Dream and Fantasy have always been my favs). The Wish was certainly... pretty. But it was not my style. This lobby atrium, however, was absolutely gorgeous. My jaw hit the floor.
Day 1 (Embarkation):
* A small detail that I loved was that the folks introducing people onto the ship were activities folks who would be a part of the various stories being told throughout the sailing (although, spoiler alert, I didn't witness any of that lol). A neat touch.
* The Concierge lunch was in 1923 on the Walt Disney side. Unfortunately, the line to get in spanned all the way to the entrance to the Scat Cat lounge. It took at least 15 minutes, if not longer, to get to the front and was a really unpleasant way to start the cruise, especially for the highest paying guests.
* Thankfully once at the front of the line, we had Kemisha to have some introductions and small talk with - she was the Lead Concierge Host and I cannot speak her wonders enough. She was by far the best Concierge employee I have ever encountered and made the sailing truly special.
* I was brought to my seat and had my traditional Concierge lunch. I am not an expert here, but my understanding is that the Concierge lunch menu is the same as the regular sit down lunch at all the DCL ships, with the only addition being a Filet Mignon entree. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
* I enjoyed a caesar salad topped with chicken fingers (I am a child at heart) for my starter, then a muffuletta sandwich as my entree. Beer/wine/champagne were included in the lunch so I enjoyed a Peroni. They have bottled water (still and sparkling) but will always pour still without asking, so make sure to ask for sparkling immediately if that's what you want.
* They asked me to order dessert simultaneously - I asked for the molten chocolate pot. However, after my entree was finished, I waited almost 10 minutes and it never arrived. As I was leaving my server told me it was on his way and I told him to cancel it.
* One frustrating thing was that I have historically experienced Concierge lunches where spa professionals and Concierge hosts would roam around and ask each table if they wanted assistance with bookings/anything else. I had a few things I needed: (i) Concierge rooms get complimentary Internet, but it's the crappy base-level internet that can barely open a Safari browser, so I needed to upgrade that; (ii) I wanted to add Palo and Enchente (I had already booked for Nights 1, 3, and 4 but I also wanted to be there Nights 6 and 7); (iii) I wanted to check out what Jamaica excursion would allow me to go surfing or wind surfing; (iv) I didn't travel with enough cash for tipping, so wanted to get some more cash withdrawn; and (v) I wanted to book a pedicure for one of the sea days.
* I asked my server when I should expect the Concierge Host and Senses staff to walk around and was told they were not doing so, it would all be handled in the lounge. Candidly, if I had known this, I would have went to Marceline Market, put together a plate, and bring it to the Concierge lounge to enjoy.
* Lest I forget to mention, I never stepped foot in Marceline Market the entire cruise... I assume it's the same on the Wish (which I did experience on there).
* Concierge rooms and suites were all available at 12:30pm. I entered and was in awe of the room. Again, I would definitely prefer the Tangled themed rooms, but I love the Lion King as well. The mural behind the headboard and the mosaic by the soaking bath tub were the highlights. I am well aware that a 1 bedroom suite is too much space for one person. I did use all of the spaces of the room (including the second bathroom!), but the purpose is when sailing with a friend we essentially get two separate rooms/bathrooms and it gives us our own space to be alone when needed.
* At the room, my stateroom host introduced himself (I forget his name, though I did track it down to give him the special shoutout on the virtual comment/feedback form... he just went by "P"). I prefer for my stateroom hosts to be very proficient in their job, but to mostly leave me alone. Obviously I say hi in the hall, thank them for their good work, and give an increased gratuity. He had an assistant stateroom host too, whom I never met (but still gave a pretty good gratuity because they did an amazing job). The towel animals were on point - always super creative and ones I have never seen before!
* I fully unpacked for this seven night sailing and headed to the Concierge lounge around 1:00pm.
* At the lounge, I took care of all of the things I noted above that I needed to do. A few notes about them: (i) asking for more than the typically allowed nights at Palo Steakhouse and Enchente was tough to do... it was a full ship and those restaurants ended up being packed every night so the best they could do was put me on the Waitlist for Nights 6 and 7; (ii) withdrawing some cash for more tips was easier than I thought - it was unclear among the staff whether the max allotment was $200 or $250, so we did $200 to be safe, but essentially all I had to do was write a check to Disney Cruise Line and they gave me the cash (they needed my ID though); (iii) Senses Spa appointments were much more in demand than I expected, as most sailings Senses is BEGGING people to book anything and are never super busy... but they managed to snag me my preferred pedicure time for Day 6 (sea day) at 3:30pm; and (iv) unfortunately, asking for help booking an excursion in Jamaica proved more difficult... essentially, I wanted them to do research on my behalf to see if any Disney excursion would include surfing or wind surfing... the hosts were not adept at this task. Ultimately, we found one plausible option (a day pass at Half Moon resort) but I insisted that they call the resort to confirm if they offered either activity, and they confirmed that they did not. Ultimately a bit of a sad result, but I ended up being really happy to have a lazy Day 5 "sea day" in Jamaica.
* After getting all my Concierge requests in, I decided to head to the adult only pool in the aft. As anyone will tell you, the pool (and adult only area) is laughably small and arguably one of, if not the, largest blunder of Triton Class ships. It is really sad that DCL had the chance to adjust for the Destiny and future ships and there seems to be no indication they will be doing so.
* Thankfully, however, on embarkation day, the adult only pool is quiet as can be. Wish sailings, me and my cruise friend(s) have the entire thing to ourselves! This time, there were a few more than usual, but never more than 5 or 6 total. I ended up staying in the pool until the muster drill.
* Muster drill was in Sarabi and just like every other time I have had to do this since COVID. Let me scream into the void and chastise Disney for not sticking with the Royal/Celebrity Cruise Line model of watching a video and checking in to a station. It is truly an abysmal way to start out a vacation.
* I am not a huge fan of big crowds, so instead of going to the sail away show I went to the Concierge sundeck (Deck 13). This became my most frequented space on the ship to spend time, namely because the two hot tubs and plunge pool were NEVER busy (seriously! even during sea days!). I watched us sail out of Port Canaveral and the sun set, knowing that I had dinner at Palo Steakhouse at 7pm. I went back to my room, enjoyed the first of many deep soaks in the lovely bath tub, and got dressed.
* I went to the Concierge lounge to grab a complimentary cocktail (another common theme for the sailing). I enjoyed a moscow mule and a divine espresso martini.
* I went to the Rose for dinner. This is crazy to admit, but despite the fact that I had five dinners at Palo and Enchente, I never got a drink from the Rose. I have been many times on the Wish, but with the complimentary cocktails in Concierge I never felt the need. Also, I prioritized visiting the four other adult bars/lounges that were much more interestingly themed.
* I introduced myself to the two hosts, telling them that I was hoping to see a lot of them. They were both always super nice and Patrick, in particular, became a great crew member friend throughout the week. I tried to start early and asked them both to try as hard as they could to get me off the waitlist and I greased them with a bit of cash to get them to prioritize the request.
* Shortly, my table was ready. I ended up being paired with Nuno as my server in Palo who took care of me for my three dinners and brunch. I got Saratoga sparkling water which he always remembered on subsequent visits without me needing to ask. I also ordered a glass of Bollinger.
* I had the arugula salad, the 6oz A5 Wagyu Striploin, and the Chocolate Souflee. All the food was remarkable.
* A familiar face was Van, the manager in Palo Steakhouse on the Treasure. She had previously been on the Wish and she remembered me (and even my sick friend). She was lovely throughout the sailing.
* After dinner, I went to the gift shop and did my only (kind of..... a few exceptions) shopping of the trip. Got a couple shirts and Christmas tree ornaments, as is tradition. I loved the Treasure buttoned down collared shirt as well as the golf shirt!
* Being in a 1 bedroom suite, I was able to order hot breakfast. Given Day 2 was a sea day, I made a very glutinous order and put out my card on the door.
* After putting away the items I bought, I went to bed.
* This is my first time in Concierge in Triton class, so the first time with the new King mattress and bedding. I am not sure if the threads are different but this is by far the nicest bed I have enjoyed in sea. It truly reminds me of a St. Regis hotel bed.
Day 2 (Sea Day):
* Usually, I order the in-room breakfast to double as an alarm clock on sea days to force me to get up and seize the day. For some reason, that was not needed and I woke up around 9:15am (on vacation, I am a night owl / late riser). I just relaxed in bed with the curtain open, watching the ocean, the TV (which was on the map channel playing lovely Disney music), and checking emails. Doing this while wearing the heavenly concierge robe was an amazing way to start off a sea day.
* I ordered an enormous breakfast for just one person. I got Mickey Waffles (which they DUSTED with the churro Mickey Waffle spices... made them even tastier than usual), eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and fruit.
* I also ordered a bunch of cereal boxes which I keep in the room as a little snack. Sadly I never ate them... I left them in the room when I left unopened, hopefully they can re-use!
* Spoiler - this was actually my only breakfast I had on board the entire week, besides for Palo Brunch! I am not really a breakfast person and eating so much this morning made me weary to order again throughout the sailing. I know, I am crazy lol.
* After eating a thousand calories at 10am... I went to the gym! LOL. The gym was packed but I was able to thoroughly enjoy about an hour there. Even with a bunch of other people, it's a great space and I never felt annoyed by the amount of people there.
* I had Enchente lunch at 12:00pm. For those unaware, they changed their Brunch to Lunch. Their lunch menu, candidly, seemed EXACTLY like the dinner menus.
* The restaurant manger, whom I became very close, is Alexis from France and I knew him through his partner Ryan who is a server at Remy on the Fantasy. Alexis was an amazing host and would always chip in to help and swing by to chat with me.
* I was greeted by my server Xerach who took care of me for my three other dinners (spoiler alert, I added even one more night at Enchente... to be explained later). He asked me if I wanted the champagne cart, which I gladly obliged.
* Teddy is the sommelier at Enchente and brought over the champagne cart. I enjoyed a glass of Krug (Grande Cuvee).
* There were three menus: a veggie one (I, of course, ignored), "Collection" (large tasting menu) and "Passion" (smaller tasting menu).
* Given my heavy breakfast, and knowing I would be back more times for dinner to enjoy the Collection, I ordered the Passion.
* I could explain all the dishes, but they are the same as other posters so I will leave it be (and my French is a bit rusty). Spoiler alert, this was my favorite restaurant on board and I loved every bite of every meal I had.
* During lunch, my Krug was drank and Teddy came by asking what else I might want. I suggested I wanted a bottle of Blanc de Blancs champagne and he suggested Comtes de Champagne Grands Crus (done by Tattinger).
* As everyone surely knows, the main detraction at Enchente is the bill. It is certainly Michelin star quality (hearing stories about how much the chefs yell in the kitchen is fairly entertaining). But expect to spend around $500 per person if you drink including gratuity.
* I only had about 1/4 of my champagne so Teddy assured me that it would travel with me to Plaza de Coco this evening.
*An aside, something that bothers me is that the restaurant manager drops the check and explains the 18% auto gratuity (and how that goes to the entire restaurant) but that essentially you need to add money for the server, too. I always add an additional 25% or more for the servers at Palo, Remy, Palo Steakhouse and Enchente. It is just really a shame that they make it so confusing that now the managers have to be put in the uncomfortable position of treating guests like cheapskates after just enjoying a $500 per person meal. I also always separately gave cash to Alexis and Teddy.
* Alexis confirmed I was booked at Palo at Night 6 and Enchente at Night 7 now and he gave me his direct phone extension and told me I should call him with any requests for changes/additions. He also floated I should consider adding another dinner... It was pretty interesting that just a day ago, Concierge made it seem impossible to book these extra dinners.
* I was pretty full and sleepy (and, honestly, a little champagne drunk). I went back to the room and decided to watch the Coco movie as I had not seen it since it came out and wanted to re-familiarize myself before the first of two dinners I had there.
* I spent a little bit of time in the Concierge hot tub, then went to the Concierge lounge to grab the 5:00pm happy hour (I believe I had a mojito). I had the early seating and so made my way over to the restaurant after my beverage.
* This happened to be Super Bowl Sunday and kickoff was 6:30pm. I thus, very stupidly, lined up for dinner on the earlier side and it was a zoo. The line to enter went all the way to the gift shop on deck 5. I encourage anyone and everyone to arrive to MDR 10 mins after the posted time (just be respectful by knowing what you wanna order/ordering quick once you do get to your seat!).
* I loved my MDR team, it made me sad that I was only joining them for two nights! I remember my server as Sophie from the UK and she, specifically, was one of the best I've had.
* Chips and salsa were an amazing idea and definitely trump plain ol' bread loaves. Definitely ask for a second helping of salsa right when they drop the initial chips/salsa on the table though because it's definitely not enough!
* I ordered the Chorizo Croquettes (okay, but nothing special... probably would order something else next time) and the chicken tortilla soup. No joke, best soup I have ever had on DCL... wish I ordered a second cup!
* For my entree I ordered the short rib. Definitely was the "safer" entree choice, but it was really tasty.
* I was urged to try two desserts and got the Mexican Chocolate Tart and the Coconut Tres Leches. The former was borderline inedible (both texture and flavor... the "spices" they used tasted awful). The latter was delicious, though I still couldn't finish it because of how much I ate during the day.
* The show was lovely... I think the two nights at Coco, both the food and the general experience, is the best MDR on any of the ships. I am not a stage show guy, either!
* Tip is that Concierge gets to sit alone (always!) and gets the best table locations, so my table was right next to the stage.
* After dinner I wanted to find a bar to watch the Super Bowl. I went to Periscope which was a mad house, would have been hard to snag a seat. So I went to the Concierge lounge and it was perfect. The TVs were playing the game and the bar was about half full. It was lively enough that people were cheering and chatting, but not too busy (like Periscope Pub) where it was unpleasant.
* Best part was the drinks were still free throughout the game and Concierge stayed open until the game was over.
* After the game was over I went back to my room for some slumber. I had a busy day ahead!
Day 3 (Cozumel):
*I love Cozumel day! It has some of the best scuba diving around the world and it is a quick cruise trip away. The island, itself, is nothing to behold, though. Almost all of the resorts are pretty run-down, it is difficult to find authentic food close to the port, and the rest is all Diamond International and Señor Frogs. However, I still love Cozumel.
* I woke up late, around 10:00am. My excursion meets up at 12:15pm at Worlds of Marvel so I had some time to kill. I did a quick trip to the gym which was much less busy today.
* I then went to Mickey's Festival of Friends and grabbed a couple of tacos from Donald's Cantina. I find that the food there is always great, but they are really skimpy with ALL of the toppings. Before they moved on to the next topping I just politely asked for a little more. They ended up being really tasty!
* After I finished lunch I went back to the room, grabbed my day bag (filled with some scuba equipment, a camera, towels, and some water bottles) and went to Marvel.
* The excursion, specifically was "Certified Scuba Tour CZ02" which was done by Sand Dollar Sports. I have done a Discover Scuba Dive tour with them before I was certified and had enjoyed it, but this would be my first certified dive with them.
* My overall experience I will say was good but not great. I am fairly confident that often, the dive boat will pick up the divers on the same dock in which the DCL ship is docked and you go straight to the dive site 1 (in fact, that's exactly what the DCL website says should be happening). Instead, this time, we had a 15 minute walk to get to a taxi stand and took taxis (paid for by the excursion guide) to the dive center. There, we picked out any equipment we needed (all included in the cost except a wetsuit which I believe was $10 USD cash).
* We got onto the dive boat and headed to our first dive location. The first site, according to the DCL website, should be approx. 80 feet. I have a dive computer (an Apple Watch Ultra 2... more on this on Day 4 lol) and I could see we went about 60 feet max depth on dive 1. We really saw nothing interesting, either. It was really a bummer because Cozumel is known for their miraculous coral reef and awe-inspiring sea walls. Neither were really included in this first dive... our guide was clearly understandable though and assured us dive #2 would be better.
* Before we could get to the second dive, we had to go back to the dock and drop off a bunch of empty air canisters and replace with new ones. Totally fine given it is best practice to take a 45ish minute break between dives. They provided water and fresh fruit on board (the pineapple with tajin was delicious!).
* The 2nd dive was, in fact, much better. We went about the same depth but got to slightly see the "wall" and saw a lot of reefs and little caves. We saw a lovely sleepy sea turtle as well as a really long eel (looked like one of Ursula's henchmen!). Definitely made the excursion worth it.
* We headed back on board. Thankfully, on the return trip, the dive boat dropped us off directly at the dock. Got back on the ship around 4:30pm and I headed straight back to the Festival of Foods for a little snack - some barbecue. I consistently would say that this is the best free food on the ship! The pulled pork with the Carolina bbq sauce is my favorite. I only had a few bites to hold me over for dinner but it was delicious.
* I had Enchente Dinner at around 6:00pm so I finished my snack and went to the room to shower and get changed. I went to the Concierge lounge for the compulsory pre-dinner cocktail and chat with Francisco and Kemisha.
* One of the great things about this group of Concierge hosts is that they truly cares about various guests having a good time. One of my favorite things was having these large group conversations at the bar where people would talk about what they did during the day, share pictures, share laughs, and share drinks. It was such an amazing way to start each evening and truly warms my heart!
* Off to dinner, I went to Enchente and had the same crew taking care of me. As promised, I ordered the Collection this night and decided to go with the regular wine pairing (as opposed to the "champagne journey") to accompany the meal. Highlights include chef's signature caviar course served with cream and potato foam, lobster, and wagyu beef from Snake River Farms in Idaho.
* Something I forgot to mention during my review of their Lunch is that for both Lunch and Dinner, for the Collection and Passion menus, they let us choose between three desserts (though they are vague when describing them). They are Citrus, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter. I had the Citrus for lunch and that ended up being my favorite of them. I had the Chocolate with dinner but after the cheese course I was so full I couldn't eat any more than a couple of bites.
* After paying my bill and saying "Thank you for the meal" (I hope people get the reference!) I went back to the Concierge lounge to beat the 10pm closing time and grab a quick final drink.
* I am pretty sure this is the night where there was a magician in Sarabi (apologies if I am getting my days confused!) so I watched the back half of her performance. It was quite good! This was probably my favorite magician I have seen on the ships.
* I was exhausted from scuba diving (surprisingly I burn about 400 calories for every hour I dive) and went back to the room for a quick episode of Seinfeld, then bed.
Day 4 (Grand Cayman):
* Another day another scuba tour! I always find that, on a 7-night sailing, day 4 is when I first think in the back of my head "oh no, I am going to have to get off this ship eventually..." but then I dispel any notions and seize the day!
* My meeting time was 10:15am and I decided not to eat... anything before going off the ship. A decision that my expanded cruise tummy would be upset about while I was away!
* Essentially all I did in the morning was put together my day bag (same contents as when I went off the ship in Cozumel), drink plenty of water, and swing by the Concierge lounge for a Diet Coke.
* At 10:15, I was back in Marvel. I got there just in time as when I checked in, they started guiding us out.
* Of course, this is a tender port. There was no wait, really and the ride from the ship to the dock was only about five minutes. Very painless. I do know that Concierge had priority access first thing when the ship anchored. They put a pamphlet explaining those procedures in our suites the night before.
* Our tour is the 2-Tank Dive Tour (G03). Overall, I feel basically the same about this tour group as the Cozumel one.
* We all got off the ship and had to fill out their required forms, and we waited around for 15-20 minutes. Then, we took a very short walk (under 5 mins) to a separate dock.
* At the second dock, we were waiting for the dive boat to arrive. It took around 10 minutes. It was fun to interact with people from Regent Seven Seas who were also visiting the island that day (their tender boats were bringing them to the second dock where we were!). Makes me want to try out that cruise line, especially in Alaska.
* We got on the dive boat and had about a 10-15 minute drive to the first dive site. They offered two different dive plans: one where the max depth would be ~60 feet and another with a max depth around ~100 feet. I chose the latter and my dive computer (Apple Watch Ultra 2) clocked that I was at 107 feet as a max depth.
* Both dives were off of 7 Mile Beach, with the first dive being at a sea wall. Thankfully, the first thing we did was go straight down to the deepest point we would be at during the entire dive and we saw the wall. It was truly amazing to look out and see nothingness... the visibility in Grand Cayman is really good so I was amazed! Unfortunately, one of our divers had an issue with his gear and our plan on where we would go / see things got cut short. We went back to where the boat was anchored (technically, attached to a mooring) and let the one traveler go back up to the surface. We then "buddied up" in pairs and stayed close to the mooring and explored. We didn't see anything crazy, but just seeing the sea wall was really cool.
* We had a 45 minute break between dives where we went to the second dive site and enjoyed some water and fruit. I will say, this dive company (I am blanking on their name, sadly) was MUCH more organized / professional.
* We initiated the second dive where we would be watching a wreck. Our max depth for this dive clocked in around 65-70 feet. The coolest aspect of this dive was watching a nurse shark - the largest one I have ever seen! The shark swam by all of us and got no less than 4 or 5 feet away from me. Suffice to say, I was breathing fast! The rest of the dive was really enjoyable, navigating the wreck and enjoying a nearby reef. Arguably one of my best dives ever!
* Sadly, once I surfaced, I realized that my Apple Watch was malfunctioning back on the surface. I would later that day learn that it was fully dead. Thankfully, it is under warranty and I was not using it beyond what it specifies it permissible, so I have since departing sent it in to be replaced.
* The ride back to the dock was quite pleasant. I loved going around the Treasure being able to take some epic shots from all around. It is such a beautiful ship inside and out!
* Once I returned, my tummy instructed me to march directly to the Smokestack BBQ restaurant and procure some pulled pork. It was an amazing late lunch (around 3:00pm). I knew I had dinner at Palo, tonight, so I tried to be good and eat sparingly.
* I went to the Concierge sundeck and enjoyed the hot tubs. Like always, there were maybe one or two other people there but so quiet. I got to truly enjoy sail away with a cocktail and some water, listening to the amazing new horns (I believe this was the first day where they played the Moana horn songs). Once 5:00pm hit, I ran down to Deck 12 Concierge Lounge, grabbed a dark and stormy, and enjoyed it in a nice bath to clean up for dinner. I got changed and went back to the Lounge for a quick final cocktail before Palo Steakhouse.
* My second time in Palo Steakhouse on board, my server Nuno knew all the preferences. I had my glass of Saratoga waiting for me and ordered a glass of Santa Margarita (their sparkling rose - shoutout to @OKW Lover !!). For this meal, I had the romaine salad which I thought was good, but not as good as the arugula. For my entree, I had the seared tuna - it was delicious, but a HUGE portion so I sadly couldn't finish it all. Finally, I had my second chocolate soufflé of the trip... marvelous as always.
* Once I left Palo, I had my nightly chat with Patrick at the host stand. Who else was there? Alexis, the Enchente manager. They knew that I had dinners planned for Palo on Night 6 and Enchente on Night 7. Alexis suggested, though, what if I added another dinner in Enchente on Night 6, moved Palo to Night 5. I was hesitant because I had my 2nd dinner at Coco on Night 5. But Alexis noted that guests have been known to go to the early dinner in MDR to watch the show, have a very small snack, and then enjoy a second dinner at Palo or Enchente afterwards. Who was I to say no? So now, the plan was: Night 5 (Coco + Palo), Night 6 (Enchente) and Night 7 (Enchente). I was so excited that I would be having stellar meals each night of this cruise and that the hospitality in Deck 12 aft was so effervescent.
* After dinner, I had an inkling to go shopping again. I checked out the main gift shop and was received that I did not find anything that I missed during my first visit there. I then went to deck 3 to visit the "fancy" shops. First, I went to the port side where they have some Tommy Bahama, bags, and specialty mugs. All the items I liked were either impractical to travel home or I already owned, so I was able to get out of there without any purchases. Then I went to the jewelry/watch store...
* As you know, dear reader, I had just lost my Apple Watch (he's resting easy in Heaven). At first, I looked at the used Rolex watches. AJ, the crew member, informed me about some of the prices and they were frankly much more than my budget (all around low to mid 5 figure range!). He then brought me over to the Cartier watches (all new, unlike the Rolex collection). The first one I saw (the Ronde Must de Cartier) I was married to - I asked him to pull it out and I tried it on. It was beautiful and I kind of fell in love. Of course, I braced myself for some ungodly price and was telling myself in my head not to get attached. However, much to my delight, the watch was priced extremely reasonably at $3700. I told him to repeat it to make sure I heard it right! I knew from prior cruises that they cannot negotiate the MSRP price on new watches, but I asked him just in case. He confirmed that the price was firm, so I told him I would buy it but wanted to do about 5 mins of research first. I searched the watch online and confirmed that this was, in fact, the MSRP. About 10 minutes later, I was walking out with a beautiful red bag with a beautiful red box and a beautiful watch on my wrist, adjusting the time to around 10:30pm. The rest of the cruise, I was so happy to have this wrist accessory for dinners and drinks each night after I showered/changed into my evening attire. I am so glad I will always have this to look back on and associate with the Disney Treasure!
* Sorry for all the scuba/watch talk... as noted, this will serve as my diary and I want to remember this amazing day!
* Now back to the interesting stuff. I realized that I had hardly been to any of the bars here. I went to Sarabi first and watched some Karaoke (I even sang Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay and it was so much fun). I was so impressed at how amazing the singers were on our sailing! I then went to the Haunted Mansion Parlor around 11:30pm, as everyone had raved about it and I had somehow still not visited. Upon my arrival I was so delighted that there were only about 5-10 people enjoying themselves in there. I had poked my head in once on day 2 and it was standing room only!
* I began with the Chilling Challenge, which ended up being one of my favorite cocktails on the whole cruise! It is described as having 818 Añejo Tequila, Cointreau Noir, Blood Orange, Sour Cherry, Lime Salt Air Foam (for credit, I pulled this from WDWNT's website). It was presented in a smoke box and had a hidden stamp with the bar's name in the foam, which can only be revealed with a blacklight (the bartender had a special flashlight).
* While enjoying my first cocktail, I was seated at the complete back area by the fireplace. I was told to hop around so while I had this drink, I sat there for 10-15 minutes, then went to the front corner of the bar and sat in the Donald Duck chair for another 10-15 minutes. Then, I transitioned to sit by the fish tank.
* At the fish tank, I ordered my second and final cocktail of the night - the secret menu item called "The Chilling Challenge." A guest in the Concierge lounge had told me about it earlier - essentially, you move the orientation of the iPad menu from landscape to portrait, which reveals an easy word puzzle. Once you solve it, this drink is revealed. This drink is described (again, thanks to WDWNT): A Restless Spirits Experience for Two: [Drink 1:] St. George Botanivore Gin, Screaming Soda, Blackberry, and Blueberry; [Drink 2] Five Trail Blended Whiskey, Sour Shivers Lemonade, Orange.
* The drink was served in a bat glass holder with two different glasses with the liquor. Then, the bartender brought some little bottles of tonic water and ginger ale to use for the gin and whiskey drinks, respectively.
* Let me be honest here, dear reader, and tell you that this was probably my 9th or 10th drinks of the night so I was a bit tired of the alcohol. I did thoroughly enjoy the taste of these, but could only have about half of each before I had to call it a night. It was after midnight, after all!
* My overall impression of this bar was that it was enjoyable to spend some time in, but--even with a friend--it would not be my first choice. For me, it was more about experiencing the "show" once or twice and then other bars would be better for relaxing. I am always inclined to enjoy bars that either have a football/basketball game or live music. So, for the rest of my sailing you will notice that I do not return to this location. I did enjoy it, especially my tequila drink, but not enough to pull me from the amazing other spots on the Treasure.
* I hurried up the stairs from deck 3 to 12 and hop into bed. Tomorrow is Jamaica, which will be a makeshift day at sea for me.
To be continued tomorrow!
Going to throw out another Disney Treasure review. This one will hopefully differentiate from the others for two reasons: (i) this was a concierge sailing and (ii) this was INTENDED to be two adults (me and a friend) without kids. I won't bury the lead, my friend got sick last minute and I went solo.
This is mostly going to serve as my own diary so I can look back at my cruise experience. I am well aware that my style of cruising is VERY different than around 98% of DCL travelers... but hopefully there is some crazy person out there like me and this will be helpful. Regardless, it has been really fun remembering a fun week.
Booking:
* This was a Western Caribbean sailing (I am strange, but Western is my preference - read on to find out why!).
* We booked this sailing only about two months ago. I saw an early Feb sailing on the Treasure where there was a 1 bedroom concierge suite available. This was shocking for me because I had my eye on this sailing for a while and there were NO concierge rooms at all, only the occasional verandah room would pop up every few days or so. So I immediately booked it.
* Naturally, because of the last minute nature, some things were not available for booking. I was able to get all my regular Concierge requests in (H2O products rather than Elemis in the suite, stock the fridge with our preferences, etc.).
* We booked Palo Steakhouse Dinner on Night 1 and Night 4. Brunch on Day 6 (2nd sea day) We booked Enchente Dinner on Night 3. Enchente Lunch on Day 2. Thoughts on these experiences later on.
* We specifically requested a dining rotation where we would eat at Coco on Night 2 and Night 5. Although we have eaten at 1923 on the Wish and enjoyed it, we both extremely dislike the Marvel restaurant (bad menu, bad entertainment, and WAY too loud). Essentially, our goal was to eat at Palo Steakhouse and Enchente for the other five nights.
* We booked Scuba Diving at Cozumel and Grand Cayman (this is why we prefer Western over Eastern Caribbean... the scuba diving is much better on Western).
* We had nothing booked yet for Jamaica but a couple of ideas of stuff to book while onboard. Really, I was interested in going surfing.
With that, I think we are ready to get going with the trip, itself...
Getting to Port Canaveral:
* As the first summary note mentions, my friend who was supposed to be sailing with me got very sick and could not come on the cruise. We could have tried to call and change the date around, but finding another 1 bedroom on the Treasure would be really difficult and I had already gotten the time off of work. I do cruise solo on occasion and love it (and, ultimately, I paid for the cruise, not my friend!) so I was looking forward to enjoying my own company, a book, and meeting new friends.
* Like many discerning travelers on these boards, I arrived the night before and stayed at Disney World. I chose to rent a car, as I have friends local and the cost was far less than the many Uber/Lyft trips I'd otherwise have taken.
* Not important for this reviewed, but stayed at BCV in a 1 bedroom villa - it was very enjoyable.
* I left Disney at 10:00am on the nose and arrived at the Avis rental car location in Port Canaveral at 11:15am. My Lyft then took me to the Disney Cruise Line port.
* I arrived at the Port just before 11:30am. I assumed that Concierge guests had already began boarding, or would promptly.
* Side note, I am not in love with the stern character(s). Although the Wish is not my favorite ship by any means, I love Tangled and thought the stern character was beautifully done. This one fell short. Granted, it is not even close to as bad as the Destiny's which legitimately makes me gag. Common theme - not a Marvel fan! Lol
* I did not check a bag. I had one roller luggage and a briefcase. Knowing that my room would be ready at 12:30pm, I knew that I did not need the delivery. I also have had really bad experience with porters, including two experiences with luggages that were presumed lost, but found hours (or, in one case, a full day) later. Never again will I check my bags!
* The check in line was LONG around that time - I would guess people without Platinum, Pearl, or Concierge were having to wait about 20-30 mins to check in, plus the wait for security. There were no Concierge guests ahead of me, so when I walked in I only had to wait about 30 seconds for an agent to help with check in. She was ***shocked*** that I was abandoning my sick friend to go on the ship solo, but it was more her being empathetic and glad I was making the most of the situation. She had a brief tech issue while pairing my Disney Band with the room reservation, so the whole process did take about 5 minutes. Much longer than usual, but ultimately no issue.
* I was, of course, given a gold Concierge sticker so that I could be identified after check in and once I board the ship. As an aside, I kind of hate these stickers... as someone who only cruised outside Concierge for years (and even while I was Platinum!) I always felt it created a weird class system on the first day and would make some families feel pompous and others feel less-than. I am sure that's just me overthinking it, especially because I never regretted not choosing to pay for Concierge for over ten sailings, but still I just feel a bit weird about it. Ultimately, as this is not my first time in Concierge, I knew that the stickers are necessary because I will otherwise need to spend time convincing Crew members (both in the port and on the ship) that I belong in certain places, which is a waste of mental effort. Instead, it's better here to just go with the flow and wear the shiny gold sticker.
* Security waits were moderate - I had about 7 or 8 people in front of me and it took about 5 minutes to get through. I am always a bit surprised that people don't realize what is about to happen and take so long to put all their belongings in the x-ray machine. Alas...
* I was ushered behind the glass partition with beautiful floor to ceiling windows showing the amazing Treasure.
* Those reading along who have done Concierge at this port before know that the next step usually is they bring you past the kiosks where they would scan your port arrival forms/let you onto the ship and there is a Concierge Lounge behind there. However, I could see the gangway that the Concierge guests were already trickling in. That left a group of 4 or 5 families (plus me!) waiting in this area for a Concierge Host to come out and give us their "spiel."
* The Concierge "spiel" is very helpful for new DCL passengers or those sailing in Concierge for the first time. However, for someone who has done it before (including just a month ago!) it was SO PAINFUL to know that if I asked politely I could just walk onto the ship right now rather than having to listen to someone say things I already know (we get priority seating/popcorn at the shows, we get priority tender boats at Grand Cayman, the lounge is open from 7-10, we get free drinks from 5-10......). It was KILLING me! Haha.
* The spiel was only a few short minutes and we were sent towards the Gangway. Given it was just me, I let all the families go ahead. I always try to do this as I know it is much more meaningful for the parents and children. Waiting is harder for kids!
Fist Impressions / Cruise Director / Captain:
* Carly was our cruise director (I have had her many times / love her) and Andy was our Captain. I am not sure if Andy is the one who is notorious for not liking the horn, but I will say that he played it VERY sparingly. He would do one or two horn "tunes" a day. We did get to hear all of them by the end of the voyage, but I, like many of my fellow passengers, would have rather him have played them all each day when leaving a port.
* I have done concierge many times, but never in Triton Class before now.
* I mean... wow. I am full on a proponent of the old style ships (Dream and Fantasy have always been my favs). The Wish was certainly... pretty. But it was not my style. This lobby atrium, however, was absolutely gorgeous. My jaw hit the floor.
Day 1 (Embarkation):
* A small detail that I loved was that the folks introducing people onto the ship were activities folks who would be a part of the various stories being told throughout the sailing (although, spoiler alert, I didn't witness any of that lol). A neat touch.
* The Concierge lunch was in 1923 on the Walt Disney side. Unfortunately, the line to get in spanned all the way to the entrance to the Scat Cat lounge. It took at least 15 minutes, if not longer, to get to the front and was a really unpleasant way to start the cruise, especially for the highest paying guests.
* Thankfully once at the front of the line, we had Kemisha to have some introductions and small talk with - she was the Lead Concierge Host and I cannot speak her wonders enough. She was by far the best Concierge employee I have ever encountered and made the sailing truly special.
* I was brought to my seat and had my traditional Concierge lunch. I am not an expert here, but my understanding is that the Concierge lunch menu is the same as the regular sit down lunch at all the DCL ships, with the only addition being a Filet Mignon entree. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
* I enjoyed a caesar salad topped with chicken fingers (I am a child at heart) for my starter, then a muffuletta sandwich as my entree. Beer/wine/champagne were included in the lunch so I enjoyed a Peroni. They have bottled water (still and sparkling) but will always pour still without asking, so make sure to ask for sparkling immediately if that's what you want.
* They asked me to order dessert simultaneously - I asked for the molten chocolate pot. However, after my entree was finished, I waited almost 10 minutes and it never arrived. As I was leaving my server told me it was on his way and I told him to cancel it.
* One frustrating thing was that I have historically experienced Concierge lunches where spa professionals and Concierge hosts would roam around and ask each table if they wanted assistance with bookings/anything else. I had a few things I needed: (i) Concierge rooms get complimentary Internet, but it's the crappy base-level internet that can barely open a Safari browser, so I needed to upgrade that; (ii) I wanted to add Palo and Enchente (I had already booked for Nights 1, 3, and 4 but I also wanted to be there Nights 6 and 7); (iii) I wanted to check out what Jamaica excursion would allow me to go surfing or wind surfing; (iv) I didn't travel with enough cash for tipping, so wanted to get some more cash withdrawn; and (v) I wanted to book a pedicure for one of the sea days.
* I asked my server when I should expect the Concierge Host and Senses staff to walk around and was told they were not doing so, it would all be handled in the lounge. Candidly, if I had known this, I would have went to Marceline Market, put together a plate, and bring it to the Concierge lounge to enjoy.
* Lest I forget to mention, I never stepped foot in Marceline Market the entire cruise... I assume it's the same on the Wish (which I did experience on there).
* Concierge rooms and suites were all available at 12:30pm. I entered and was in awe of the room. Again, I would definitely prefer the Tangled themed rooms, but I love the Lion King as well. The mural behind the headboard and the mosaic by the soaking bath tub were the highlights. I am well aware that a 1 bedroom suite is too much space for one person. I did use all of the spaces of the room (including the second bathroom!), but the purpose is when sailing with a friend we essentially get two separate rooms/bathrooms and it gives us our own space to be alone when needed.
* At the room, my stateroom host introduced himself (I forget his name, though I did track it down to give him the special shoutout on the virtual comment/feedback form... he just went by "P"). I prefer for my stateroom hosts to be very proficient in their job, but to mostly leave me alone. Obviously I say hi in the hall, thank them for their good work, and give an increased gratuity. He had an assistant stateroom host too, whom I never met (but still gave a pretty good gratuity because they did an amazing job). The towel animals were on point - always super creative and ones I have never seen before!
* I fully unpacked for this seven night sailing and headed to the Concierge lounge around 1:00pm.
* At the lounge, I took care of all of the things I noted above that I needed to do. A few notes about them: (i) asking for more than the typically allowed nights at Palo Steakhouse and Enchente was tough to do... it was a full ship and those restaurants ended up being packed every night so the best they could do was put me on the Waitlist for Nights 6 and 7; (ii) withdrawing some cash for more tips was easier than I thought - it was unclear among the staff whether the max allotment was $200 or $250, so we did $200 to be safe, but essentially all I had to do was write a check to Disney Cruise Line and they gave me the cash (they needed my ID though); (iii) Senses Spa appointments were much more in demand than I expected, as most sailings Senses is BEGGING people to book anything and are never super busy... but they managed to snag me my preferred pedicure time for Day 6 (sea day) at 3:30pm; and (iv) unfortunately, asking for help booking an excursion in Jamaica proved more difficult... essentially, I wanted them to do research on my behalf to see if any Disney excursion would include surfing or wind surfing... the hosts were not adept at this task. Ultimately, we found one plausible option (a day pass at Half Moon resort) but I insisted that they call the resort to confirm if they offered either activity, and they confirmed that they did not. Ultimately a bit of a sad result, but I ended up being really happy to have a lazy Day 5 "sea day" in Jamaica.
* After getting all my Concierge requests in, I decided to head to the adult only pool in the aft. As anyone will tell you, the pool (and adult only area) is laughably small and arguably one of, if not the, largest blunder of Triton Class ships. It is really sad that DCL had the chance to adjust for the Destiny and future ships and there seems to be no indication they will be doing so.
* Thankfully, however, on embarkation day, the adult only pool is quiet as can be. Wish sailings, me and my cruise friend(s) have the entire thing to ourselves! This time, there were a few more than usual, but never more than 5 or 6 total. I ended up staying in the pool until the muster drill.
* Muster drill was in Sarabi and just like every other time I have had to do this since COVID. Let me scream into the void and chastise Disney for not sticking with the Royal/Celebrity Cruise Line model of watching a video and checking in to a station. It is truly an abysmal way to start out a vacation.
* I am not a huge fan of big crowds, so instead of going to the sail away show I went to the Concierge sundeck (Deck 13). This became my most frequented space on the ship to spend time, namely because the two hot tubs and plunge pool were NEVER busy (seriously! even during sea days!). I watched us sail out of Port Canaveral and the sun set, knowing that I had dinner at Palo Steakhouse at 7pm. I went back to my room, enjoyed the first of many deep soaks in the lovely bath tub, and got dressed.
* I went to the Concierge lounge to grab a complimentary cocktail (another common theme for the sailing). I enjoyed a moscow mule and a divine espresso martini.
* I went to the Rose for dinner. This is crazy to admit, but despite the fact that I had five dinners at Palo and Enchente, I never got a drink from the Rose. I have been many times on the Wish, but with the complimentary cocktails in Concierge I never felt the need. Also, I prioritized visiting the four other adult bars/lounges that were much more interestingly themed.
* I introduced myself to the two hosts, telling them that I was hoping to see a lot of them. They were both always super nice and Patrick, in particular, became a great crew member friend throughout the week. I tried to start early and asked them both to try as hard as they could to get me off the waitlist and I greased them with a bit of cash to get them to prioritize the request.
* Shortly, my table was ready. I ended up being paired with Nuno as my server in Palo who took care of me for my three dinners and brunch. I got Saratoga sparkling water which he always remembered on subsequent visits without me needing to ask. I also ordered a glass of Bollinger.
* I had the arugula salad, the 6oz A5 Wagyu Striploin, and the Chocolate Souflee. All the food was remarkable.
* A familiar face was Van, the manager in Palo Steakhouse on the Treasure. She had previously been on the Wish and she remembered me (and even my sick friend). She was lovely throughout the sailing.
* After dinner, I went to the gift shop and did my only (kind of..... a few exceptions) shopping of the trip. Got a couple shirts and Christmas tree ornaments, as is tradition. I loved the Treasure buttoned down collared shirt as well as the golf shirt!
* Being in a 1 bedroom suite, I was able to order hot breakfast. Given Day 2 was a sea day, I made a very glutinous order and put out my card on the door.
* After putting away the items I bought, I went to bed.
* This is my first time in Concierge in Triton class, so the first time with the new King mattress and bedding. I am not sure if the threads are different but this is by far the nicest bed I have enjoyed in sea. It truly reminds me of a St. Regis hotel bed.
Day 2 (Sea Day):
* Usually, I order the in-room breakfast to double as an alarm clock on sea days to force me to get up and seize the day. For some reason, that was not needed and I woke up around 9:15am (on vacation, I am a night owl / late riser). I just relaxed in bed with the curtain open, watching the ocean, the TV (which was on the map channel playing lovely Disney music), and checking emails. Doing this while wearing the heavenly concierge robe was an amazing way to start off a sea day.
* I ordered an enormous breakfast for just one person. I got Mickey Waffles (which they DUSTED with the churro Mickey Waffle spices... made them even tastier than usual), eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and fruit.
* I also ordered a bunch of cereal boxes which I keep in the room as a little snack. Sadly I never ate them... I left them in the room when I left unopened, hopefully they can re-use!
* Spoiler - this was actually my only breakfast I had on board the entire week, besides for Palo Brunch! I am not really a breakfast person and eating so much this morning made me weary to order again throughout the sailing. I know, I am crazy lol.
* After eating a thousand calories at 10am... I went to the gym! LOL. The gym was packed but I was able to thoroughly enjoy about an hour there. Even with a bunch of other people, it's a great space and I never felt annoyed by the amount of people there.
* I had Enchente lunch at 12:00pm. For those unaware, they changed their Brunch to Lunch. Their lunch menu, candidly, seemed EXACTLY like the dinner menus.
* The restaurant manger, whom I became very close, is Alexis from France and I knew him through his partner Ryan who is a server at Remy on the Fantasy. Alexis was an amazing host and would always chip in to help and swing by to chat with me.
* I was greeted by my server Xerach who took care of me for my three other dinners (spoiler alert, I added even one more night at Enchente... to be explained later). He asked me if I wanted the champagne cart, which I gladly obliged.
* Teddy is the sommelier at Enchente and brought over the champagne cart. I enjoyed a glass of Krug (Grande Cuvee).
* There were three menus: a veggie one (I, of course, ignored), "Collection" (large tasting menu) and "Passion" (smaller tasting menu).
* Given my heavy breakfast, and knowing I would be back more times for dinner to enjoy the Collection, I ordered the Passion.
* I could explain all the dishes, but they are the same as other posters so I will leave it be (and my French is a bit rusty). Spoiler alert, this was my favorite restaurant on board and I loved every bite of every meal I had.
* During lunch, my Krug was drank and Teddy came by asking what else I might want. I suggested I wanted a bottle of Blanc de Blancs champagne and he suggested Comtes de Champagne Grands Crus (done by Tattinger).
* As everyone surely knows, the main detraction at Enchente is the bill. It is certainly Michelin star quality (hearing stories about how much the chefs yell in the kitchen is fairly entertaining). But expect to spend around $500 per person if you drink including gratuity.
* I only had about 1/4 of my champagne so Teddy assured me that it would travel with me to Plaza de Coco this evening.
*An aside, something that bothers me is that the restaurant manager drops the check and explains the 18% auto gratuity (and how that goes to the entire restaurant) but that essentially you need to add money for the server, too. I always add an additional 25% or more for the servers at Palo, Remy, Palo Steakhouse and Enchente. It is just really a shame that they make it so confusing that now the managers have to be put in the uncomfortable position of treating guests like cheapskates after just enjoying a $500 per person meal. I also always separately gave cash to Alexis and Teddy.
* Alexis confirmed I was booked at Palo at Night 6 and Enchente at Night 7 now and he gave me his direct phone extension and told me I should call him with any requests for changes/additions. He also floated I should consider adding another dinner... It was pretty interesting that just a day ago, Concierge made it seem impossible to book these extra dinners.
* I was pretty full and sleepy (and, honestly, a little champagne drunk). I went back to the room and decided to watch the Coco movie as I had not seen it since it came out and wanted to re-familiarize myself before the first of two dinners I had there.
* I spent a little bit of time in the Concierge hot tub, then went to the Concierge lounge to grab the 5:00pm happy hour (I believe I had a mojito). I had the early seating and so made my way over to the restaurant after my beverage.
* This happened to be Super Bowl Sunday and kickoff was 6:30pm. I thus, very stupidly, lined up for dinner on the earlier side and it was a zoo. The line to enter went all the way to the gift shop on deck 5. I encourage anyone and everyone to arrive to MDR 10 mins after the posted time (just be respectful by knowing what you wanna order/ordering quick once you do get to your seat!).
* I loved my MDR team, it made me sad that I was only joining them for two nights! I remember my server as Sophie from the UK and she, specifically, was one of the best I've had.
* Chips and salsa were an amazing idea and definitely trump plain ol' bread loaves. Definitely ask for a second helping of salsa right when they drop the initial chips/salsa on the table though because it's definitely not enough!
* I ordered the Chorizo Croquettes (okay, but nothing special... probably would order something else next time) and the chicken tortilla soup. No joke, best soup I have ever had on DCL... wish I ordered a second cup!
* For my entree I ordered the short rib. Definitely was the "safer" entree choice, but it was really tasty.
* I was urged to try two desserts and got the Mexican Chocolate Tart and the Coconut Tres Leches. The former was borderline inedible (both texture and flavor... the "spices" they used tasted awful). The latter was delicious, though I still couldn't finish it because of how much I ate during the day.
* The show was lovely... I think the two nights at Coco, both the food and the general experience, is the best MDR on any of the ships. I am not a stage show guy, either!
* Tip is that Concierge gets to sit alone (always!) and gets the best table locations, so my table was right next to the stage.
* After dinner I wanted to find a bar to watch the Super Bowl. I went to Periscope which was a mad house, would have been hard to snag a seat. So I went to the Concierge lounge and it was perfect. The TVs were playing the game and the bar was about half full. It was lively enough that people were cheering and chatting, but not too busy (like Periscope Pub) where it was unpleasant.
* Best part was the drinks were still free throughout the game and Concierge stayed open until the game was over.
* After the game was over I went back to my room for some slumber. I had a busy day ahead!
Day 3 (Cozumel):
*I love Cozumel day! It has some of the best scuba diving around the world and it is a quick cruise trip away. The island, itself, is nothing to behold, though. Almost all of the resorts are pretty run-down, it is difficult to find authentic food close to the port, and the rest is all Diamond International and Señor Frogs. However, I still love Cozumel.
* I woke up late, around 10:00am. My excursion meets up at 12:15pm at Worlds of Marvel so I had some time to kill. I did a quick trip to the gym which was much less busy today.
* I then went to Mickey's Festival of Friends and grabbed a couple of tacos from Donald's Cantina. I find that the food there is always great, but they are really skimpy with ALL of the toppings. Before they moved on to the next topping I just politely asked for a little more. They ended up being really tasty!
* After I finished lunch I went back to the room, grabbed my day bag (filled with some scuba equipment, a camera, towels, and some water bottles) and went to Marvel.
* The excursion, specifically was "Certified Scuba Tour CZ02" which was done by Sand Dollar Sports. I have done a Discover Scuba Dive tour with them before I was certified and had enjoyed it, but this would be my first certified dive with them.
* My overall experience I will say was good but not great. I am fairly confident that often, the dive boat will pick up the divers on the same dock in which the DCL ship is docked and you go straight to the dive site 1 (in fact, that's exactly what the DCL website says should be happening). Instead, this time, we had a 15 minute walk to get to a taxi stand and took taxis (paid for by the excursion guide) to the dive center. There, we picked out any equipment we needed (all included in the cost except a wetsuit which I believe was $10 USD cash).
* We got onto the dive boat and headed to our first dive location. The first site, according to the DCL website, should be approx. 80 feet. I have a dive computer (an Apple Watch Ultra 2... more on this on Day 4 lol) and I could see we went about 60 feet max depth on dive 1. We really saw nothing interesting, either. It was really a bummer because Cozumel is known for their miraculous coral reef and awe-inspiring sea walls. Neither were really included in this first dive... our guide was clearly understandable though and assured us dive #2 would be better.
* Before we could get to the second dive, we had to go back to the dock and drop off a bunch of empty air canisters and replace with new ones. Totally fine given it is best practice to take a 45ish minute break between dives. They provided water and fresh fruit on board (the pineapple with tajin was delicious!).
* The 2nd dive was, in fact, much better. We went about the same depth but got to slightly see the "wall" and saw a lot of reefs and little caves. We saw a lovely sleepy sea turtle as well as a really long eel (looked like one of Ursula's henchmen!). Definitely made the excursion worth it.
* We headed back on board. Thankfully, on the return trip, the dive boat dropped us off directly at the dock. Got back on the ship around 4:30pm and I headed straight back to the Festival of Foods for a little snack - some barbecue. I consistently would say that this is the best free food on the ship! The pulled pork with the Carolina bbq sauce is my favorite. I only had a few bites to hold me over for dinner but it was delicious.
* I had Enchente Dinner at around 6:00pm so I finished my snack and went to the room to shower and get changed. I went to the Concierge lounge for the compulsory pre-dinner cocktail and chat with Francisco and Kemisha.
* One of the great things about this group of Concierge hosts is that they truly cares about various guests having a good time. One of my favorite things was having these large group conversations at the bar where people would talk about what they did during the day, share pictures, share laughs, and share drinks. It was such an amazing way to start each evening and truly warms my heart!
* Off to dinner, I went to Enchente and had the same crew taking care of me. As promised, I ordered the Collection this night and decided to go with the regular wine pairing (as opposed to the "champagne journey") to accompany the meal. Highlights include chef's signature caviar course served with cream and potato foam, lobster, and wagyu beef from Snake River Farms in Idaho.
* Something I forgot to mention during my review of their Lunch is that for both Lunch and Dinner, for the Collection and Passion menus, they let us choose between three desserts (though they are vague when describing them). They are Citrus, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter. I had the Citrus for lunch and that ended up being my favorite of them. I had the Chocolate with dinner but after the cheese course I was so full I couldn't eat any more than a couple of bites.
* After paying my bill and saying "Thank you for the meal" (I hope people get the reference!) I went back to the Concierge lounge to beat the 10pm closing time and grab a quick final drink.
* I am pretty sure this is the night where there was a magician in Sarabi (apologies if I am getting my days confused!) so I watched the back half of her performance. It was quite good! This was probably my favorite magician I have seen on the ships.
* I was exhausted from scuba diving (surprisingly I burn about 400 calories for every hour I dive) and went back to the room for a quick episode of Seinfeld, then bed.
Day 4 (Grand Cayman):
* Another day another scuba tour! I always find that, on a 7-night sailing, day 4 is when I first think in the back of my head "oh no, I am going to have to get off this ship eventually..." but then I dispel any notions and seize the day!
* My meeting time was 10:15am and I decided not to eat... anything before going off the ship. A decision that my expanded cruise tummy would be upset about while I was away!
* Essentially all I did in the morning was put together my day bag (same contents as when I went off the ship in Cozumel), drink plenty of water, and swing by the Concierge lounge for a Diet Coke.
* At 10:15, I was back in Marvel. I got there just in time as when I checked in, they started guiding us out.
* Of course, this is a tender port. There was no wait, really and the ride from the ship to the dock was only about five minutes. Very painless. I do know that Concierge had priority access first thing when the ship anchored. They put a pamphlet explaining those procedures in our suites the night before.
* Our tour is the 2-Tank Dive Tour (G03). Overall, I feel basically the same about this tour group as the Cozumel one.
* We all got off the ship and had to fill out their required forms, and we waited around for 15-20 minutes. Then, we took a very short walk (under 5 mins) to a separate dock.
* At the second dock, we were waiting for the dive boat to arrive. It took around 10 minutes. It was fun to interact with people from Regent Seven Seas who were also visiting the island that day (their tender boats were bringing them to the second dock where we were!). Makes me want to try out that cruise line, especially in Alaska.
* We got on the dive boat and had about a 10-15 minute drive to the first dive site. They offered two different dive plans: one where the max depth would be ~60 feet and another with a max depth around ~100 feet. I chose the latter and my dive computer (Apple Watch Ultra 2) clocked that I was at 107 feet as a max depth.
* Both dives were off of 7 Mile Beach, with the first dive being at a sea wall. Thankfully, the first thing we did was go straight down to the deepest point we would be at during the entire dive and we saw the wall. It was truly amazing to look out and see nothingness... the visibility in Grand Cayman is really good so I was amazed! Unfortunately, one of our divers had an issue with his gear and our plan on where we would go / see things got cut short. We went back to where the boat was anchored (technically, attached to a mooring) and let the one traveler go back up to the surface. We then "buddied up" in pairs and stayed close to the mooring and explored. We didn't see anything crazy, but just seeing the sea wall was really cool.
* We had a 45 minute break between dives where we went to the second dive site and enjoyed some water and fruit. I will say, this dive company (I am blanking on their name, sadly) was MUCH more organized / professional.
* We initiated the second dive where we would be watching a wreck. Our max depth for this dive clocked in around 65-70 feet. The coolest aspect of this dive was watching a nurse shark - the largest one I have ever seen! The shark swam by all of us and got no less than 4 or 5 feet away from me. Suffice to say, I was breathing fast! The rest of the dive was really enjoyable, navigating the wreck and enjoying a nearby reef. Arguably one of my best dives ever!
* Sadly, once I surfaced, I realized that my Apple Watch was malfunctioning back on the surface. I would later that day learn that it was fully dead. Thankfully, it is under warranty and I was not using it beyond what it specifies it permissible, so I have since departing sent it in to be replaced.
* The ride back to the dock was quite pleasant. I loved going around the Treasure being able to take some epic shots from all around. It is such a beautiful ship inside and out!
* Once I returned, my tummy instructed me to march directly to the Smokestack BBQ restaurant and procure some pulled pork. It was an amazing late lunch (around 3:00pm). I knew I had dinner at Palo, tonight, so I tried to be good and eat sparingly.
* I went to the Concierge sundeck and enjoyed the hot tubs. Like always, there were maybe one or two other people there but so quiet. I got to truly enjoy sail away with a cocktail and some water, listening to the amazing new horns (I believe this was the first day where they played the Moana horn songs). Once 5:00pm hit, I ran down to Deck 12 Concierge Lounge, grabbed a dark and stormy, and enjoyed it in a nice bath to clean up for dinner. I got changed and went back to the Lounge for a quick final cocktail before Palo Steakhouse.
* My second time in Palo Steakhouse on board, my server Nuno knew all the preferences. I had my glass of Saratoga waiting for me and ordered a glass of Santa Margarita (their sparkling rose - shoutout to @OKW Lover !!). For this meal, I had the romaine salad which I thought was good, but not as good as the arugula. For my entree, I had the seared tuna - it was delicious, but a HUGE portion so I sadly couldn't finish it all. Finally, I had my second chocolate soufflé of the trip... marvelous as always.
* Once I left Palo, I had my nightly chat with Patrick at the host stand. Who else was there? Alexis, the Enchente manager. They knew that I had dinners planned for Palo on Night 6 and Enchente on Night 7. Alexis suggested, though, what if I added another dinner in Enchente on Night 6, moved Palo to Night 5. I was hesitant because I had my 2nd dinner at Coco on Night 5. But Alexis noted that guests have been known to go to the early dinner in MDR to watch the show, have a very small snack, and then enjoy a second dinner at Palo or Enchente afterwards. Who was I to say no? So now, the plan was: Night 5 (Coco + Palo), Night 6 (Enchente) and Night 7 (Enchente). I was so excited that I would be having stellar meals each night of this cruise and that the hospitality in Deck 12 aft was so effervescent.
* After dinner, I had an inkling to go shopping again. I checked out the main gift shop and was received that I did not find anything that I missed during my first visit there. I then went to deck 3 to visit the "fancy" shops. First, I went to the port side where they have some Tommy Bahama, bags, and specialty mugs. All the items I liked were either impractical to travel home or I already owned, so I was able to get out of there without any purchases. Then I went to the jewelry/watch store...
* As you know, dear reader, I had just lost my Apple Watch (he's resting easy in Heaven). At first, I looked at the used Rolex watches. AJ, the crew member, informed me about some of the prices and they were frankly much more than my budget (all around low to mid 5 figure range!). He then brought me over to the Cartier watches (all new, unlike the Rolex collection). The first one I saw (the Ronde Must de Cartier) I was married to - I asked him to pull it out and I tried it on. It was beautiful and I kind of fell in love. Of course, I braced myself for some ungodly price and was telling myself in my head not to get attached. However, much to my delight, the watch was priced extremely reasonably at $3700. I told him to repeat it to make sure I heard it right! I knew from prior cruises that they cannot negotiate the MSRP price on new watches, but I asked him just in case. He confirmed that the price was firm, so I told him I would buy it but wanted to do about 5 mins of research first. I searched the watch online and confirmed that this was, in fact, the MSRP. About 10 minutes later, I was walking out with a beautiful red bag with a beautiful red box and a beautiful watch on my wrist, adjusting the time to around 10:30pm. The rest of the cruise, I was so happy to have this wrist accessory for dinners and drinks each night after I showered/changed into my evening attire. I am so glad I will always have this to look back on and associate with the Disney Treasure!
* Sorry for all the scuba/watch talk... as noted, this will serve as my diary and I want to remember this amazing day!
* Now back to the interesting stuff. I realized that I had hardly been to any of the bars here. I went to Sarabi first and watched some Karaoke (I even sang Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay and it was so much fun). I was so impressed at how amazing the singers were on our sailing! I then went to the Haunted Mansion Parlor around 11:30pm, as everyone had raved about it and I had somehow still not visited. Upon my arrival I was so delighted that there were only about 5-10 people enjoying themselves in there. I had poked my head in once on day 2 and it was standing room only!
* I began with the Chilling Challenge, which ended up being one of my favorite cocktails on the whole cruise! It is described as having 818 Añejo Tequila, Cointreau Noir, Blood Orange, Sour Cherry, Lime Salt Air Foam (for credit, I pulled this from WDWNT's website). It was presented in a smoke box and had a hidden stamp with the bar's name in the foam, which can only be revealed with a blacklight (the bartender had a special flashlight).
* While enjoying my first cocktail, I was seated at the complete back area by the fireplace. I was told to hop around so while I had this drink, I sat there for 10-15 minutes, then went to the front corner of the bar and sat in the Donald Duck chair for another 10-15 minutes. Then, I transitioned to sit by the fish tank.
* At the fish tank, I ordered my second and final cocktail of the night - the secret menu item called "The Chilling Challenge." A guest in the Concierge lounge had told me about it earlier - essentially, you move the orientation of the iPad menu from landscape to portrait, which reveals an easy word puzzle. Once you solve it, this drink is revealed. This drink is described (again, thanks to WDWNT): A Restless Spirits Experience for Two: [Drink 1:] St. George Botanivore Gin, Screaming Soda, Blackberry, and Blueberry; [Drink 2] Five Trail Blended Whiskey, Sour Shivers Lemonade, Orange.
* The drink was served in a bat glass holder with two different glasses with the liquor. Then, the bartender brought some little bottles of tonic water and ginger ale to use for the gin and whiskey drinks, respectively.
* Let me be honest here, dear reader, and tell you that this was probably my 9th or 10th drinks of the night so I was a bit tired of the alcohol. I did thoroughly enjoy the taste of these, but could only have about half of each before I had to call it a night. It was after midnight, after all!
* My overall impression of this bar was that it was enjoyable to spend some time in, but--even with a friend--it would not be my first choice. For me, it was more about experiencing the "show" once or twice and then other bars would be better for relaxing. I am always inclined to enjoy bars that either have a football/basketball game or live music. So, for the rest of my sailing you will notice that I do not return to this location. I did enjoy it, especially my tequila drink, but not enough to pull me from the amazing other spots on the Treasure.
* I hurried up the stairs from deck 3 to 12 and hop into bed. Tomorrow is Jamaica, which will be a makeshift day at sea for me.
To be continued tomorrow!
Just TOO MUCH action/activities happening for me when I cruise cause I'm simply a chillin' out kind of person.
I'm glad you found one that you love and will remind you of the Treasure.
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