franandaj
I'm so happy, I could BOUNCE!
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2009
I am pleased to hear this. Only because I have been so busy with moving and in two weeks we start up again with travels and busy weekends, plus a few park days and DIS meets.
I Love the Little Fishies. Don't You?
- Thread starter dolphingirl47
- Start date
I am pleased to hear this. Only because I have been so busy with moving and in two weeks we start up again with travels and busy weekends, plus a few park days and DIS meets.
DH of dolphingirl47
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2008
Busy life being Mickey's girlfriend, hope Minnie is enjoying her retirement
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Welcome back, I hope it was a good trip
Mom is allergic to apples which is another rare one, so I definitely sympathize with you.
Yes, it was a great trip. I finally got a chance to go back to the town where we lived in 2004 and 2005 and which I love very much.
Looks like we will both be traveling quite a bit.
I had not realised that you had grown Mickey ears
Corinna
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Day 7
After the relatively relaxed day the day before, this day was shaping to be up to be a little bit of a busy one. We did manage to sleep a little longer and I got up at 7:30. The day before, I had finally got around to making an appointment to have my hair cut. I had planned to do this at home before I left for this trip, but had run out of time. Up do this point, I always had other stuff to do during the holiday as well, but I had decided the time had come to sort this out. I was quite surprised when I got an 8:00 appointment, but that suited me quite well. She did a great job. She took off some length and added some layers. With hindsight, she could have been a bit more ruthless on both counts and I am planning to go back to a hairdresser here in the not too distant future to address this. I made an appointment to have my hair put up for the second formal night and then I was on my way.
I had missed Walk a Mile that morning, but by the time I was done with my haircut, it was about time for this to be finished. So I headed down to deck 4 to wait for Graham. We did not have long to wait until he arrived. We headed down to the cabin so that he could get showered and changed while I had a closer look at the Navigator. Once Graham was ready, we headed up to the atrium. Some of the princesses were due to be out. I knew that I would only be able to catch one or two, but the first two out were Belle and Rapunzel. I got into the line for Belle first, who was wearing her blue dress that day and then I decided that I had time enough to see Rapunzel as well. Belle only had a very short line. Rapunzel's line was a bit longer, but I still managed to see her and had time to spare before our reservation for Palo brunch. Graham had made himself comfortable on one of the sofas by Guest Services. I collected him and then we made our way aft and headed up to deck 10.
We have done Palo brunch on a number of occasions, but I always had made the reservation for lunchtime. This time round, Graham had requested that I make an earlier reservation. I did understand his reasoning. It is a long time to wait for some food until 11:30 or even 12:00 and if we even had a snack first thing in the morning, this spoiled our appetite for the brunch. So I was happy to oblige and made a reservation for 10:30. Despite me having to wait a while to see Rapunzel, we still managed to get there slightly ahead of schedule. It was nice to see the restaurant manager Dragan again. I also spotted Mladen, who had been our server for all of our Palo meals for the back-to-back cruise in 2013. When he spotted us, he came straight over to say "hi". We had a brief chat and then he checked a book. I assume he wanted to find out who our server was supposed to be. There seemed to be some discussion and scratching of heads going one and then we were asked if we would be happy to wait until Dragan would be back. He had disappeared inside the restaurant somewhere. When he came back, there was some further discussion and some pointing and the next we knew, Mladen was showing us to our table. I assume that we were supposed to have another server, but Mladen wanted to look after us again and there was some major reshuffling that needed to be done. We had not asked for this, but I was most certainly happy with the end result.
We were offered our free alcoholic drink. Graham went with the sparkling wine and I had a Mimosa. I was a little disappointed that there was no Bellini on offer that day. We also both had some water with ice and lemon. Mladen calls it Mickey water, which always makes me smile. We had a quick tour around the buffet and then we helped ourselves to our first plate. I had some Grilled Vegetables in Olive Oil, Focaccia, Melon with Parma Ham and Hummus. Hummus is the only thing I ever had at Palo that I did not like. Mladen had told us that they had a new chef from Italy and the Hummus did look different so I decided to give it another chance. I am glad that I did. This was much better and I really enjoyed it. It was still not quite as good as the Hummus I had in Dubai, but that does not come as a surprise. Graham had some seared Tuna, Crab Legs and Shrimp in a Bloody Mary Shot.
Graham went back to the savoury side of the buffet and got some Olives, some Bread and various Cold Cuts and Cheeses. I went to satisfy my sweet tooth and got some Almond Bread and Cherry Strudel. Once we had cleared our plate again, we ordered a Pizza to share and went with one half Spicy Italian Sausage and one half Red Grape and Cambozola. They must have changed the recipe for this, as it was even more delicious than usual.
We both ordered a hot lunch dish. Graham had the Tilapia on Risotto and I had the Chicken Parmigiana on Risotto. The reduced the size of this, which made me very happy as I could actually finish this. I had never managed that before. Better still, I even had room for dessert. Graham had a couple of White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, some Panna Cotta and a Fruit Trifle. I also had some White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and some Tiramisu. I had my heart set on some Walnut Brownies that Mladen had recommended, but they had all gone. He overheard us when I said to Graham that I wondered if they would be restocked. The next thing I knew, he had bought me a plate with three freshly baked brownies. They were utterly delicious and I was completely stuffed afterwards. Graham had some coffee, but I was too full for this. We then paid and said goodbye to Mladen. As we were heading out, Dragan stopped us to check if we had enjoyed Brunch and also if we would be back to Palo this cruise. We confirmed both and he asked us if we wanted to be with Mladen again. We also confirmed this and then we said goodbye.
After the relatively relaxed day the day before, this day was shaping to be up to be a little bit of a busy one. We did manage to sleep a little longer and I got up at 7:30. The day before, I had finally got around to making an appointment to have my hair cut. I had planned to do this at home before I left for this trip, but had run out of time. Up do this point, I always had other stuff to do during the holiday as well, but I had decided the time had come to sort this out. I was quite surprised when I got an 8:00 appointment, but that suited me quite well. She did a great job. She took off some length and added some layers. With hindsight, she could have been a bit more ruthless on both counts and I am planning to go back to a hairdresser here in the not too distant future to address this. I made an appointment to have my hair put up for the second formal night and then I was on my way.
I had missed Walk a Mile that morning, but by the time I was done with my haircut, it was about time for this to be finished. So I headed down to deck 4 to wait for Graham. We did not have long to wait until he arrived. We headed down to the cabin so that he could get showered and changed while I had a closer look at the Navigator. Once Graham was ready, we headed up to the atrium. Some of the princesses were due to be out. I knew that I would only be able to catch one or two, but the first two out were Belle and Rapunzel. I got into the line for Belle first, who was wearing her blue dress that day and then I decided that I had time enough to see Rapunzel as well. Belle only had a very short line. Rapunzel's line was a bit longer, but I still managed to see her and had time to spare before our reservation for Palo brunch. Graham had made himself comfortable on one of the sofas by Guest Services. I collected him and then we made our way aft and headed up to deck 10.
We have done Palo brunch on a number of occasions, but I always had made the reservation for lunchtime. This time round, Graham had requested that I make an earlier reservation. I did understand his reasoning. It is a long time to wait for some food until 11:30 or even 12:00 and if we even had a snack first thing in the morning, this spoiled our appetite for the brunch. So I was happy to oblige and made a reservation for 10:30. Despite me having to wait a while to see Rapunzel, we still managed to get there slightly ahead of schedule. It was nice to see the restaurant manager Dragan again. I also spotted Mladen, who had been our server for all of our Palo meals for the back-to-back cruise in 2013. When he spotted us, he came straight over to say "hi". We had a brief chat and then he checked a book. I assume he wanted to find out who our server was supposed to be. There seemed to be some discussion and scratching of heads going one and then we were asked if we would be happy to wait until Dragan would be back. He had disappeared inside the restaurant somewhere. When he came back, there was some further discussion and some pointing and the next we knew, Mladen was showing us to our table. I assume that we were supposed to have another server, but Mladen wanted to look after us again and there was some major reshuffling that needed to be done. We had not asked for this, but I was most certainly happy with the end result.
We were offered our free alcoholic drink. Graham went with the sparkling wine and I had a Mimosa. I was a little disappointed that there was no Bellini on offer that day. We also both had some water with ice and lemon. Mladen calls it Mickey water, which always makes me smile. We had a quick tour around the buffet and then we helped ourselves to our first plate. I had some Grilled Vegetables in Olive Oil, Focaccia, Melon with Parma Ham and Hummus. Hummus is the only thing I ever had at Palo that I did not like. Mladen had told us that they had a new chef from Italy and the Hummus did look different so I decided to give it another chance. I am glad that I did. This was much better and I really enjoyed it. It was still not quite as good as the Hummus I had in Dubai, but that does not come as a surprise. Graham had some seared Tuna, Crab Legs and Shrimp in a Bloody Mary Shot.
Graham went back to the savoury side of the buffet and got some Olives, some Bread and various Cold Cuts and Cheeses. I went to satisfy my sweet tooth and got some Almond Bread and Cherry Strudel. Once we had cleared our plate again, we ordered a Pizza to share and went with one half Spicy Italian Sausage and one half Red Grape and Cambozola. They must have changed the recipe for this, as it was even more delicious than usual.
We both ordered a hot lunch dish. Graham had the Tilapia on Risotto and I had the Chicken Parmigiana on Risotto. The reduced the size of this, which made me very happy as I could actually finish this. I had never managed that before. Better still, I even had room for dessert. Graham had a couple of White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, some Panna Cotta and a Fruit Trifle. I also had some White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and some Tiramisu. I had my heart set on some Walnut Brownies that Mladen had recommended, but they had all gone. He overheard us when I said to Graham that I wondered if they would be restocked. The next thing I knew, he had bought me a plate with three freshly baked brownies. They were utterly delicious and I was completely stuffed afterwards. Graham had some coffee, but I was too full for this. We then paid and said goodbye to Mladen. As we were heading out, Dragan stopped us to check if we had enjoyed Brunch and also if we would be back to Palo this cruise. We confirmed both and he asked us if we wanted to be with Mladen again. We also confirmed this and then we said goodbye.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
By the time we left Palo, we had been there two hours. Time had flown. We had spotted something in the Navigator earlier on that caught our interest. It was listed as a lecture on the expansion of the Panama Canal. This sounded interesting to both of us. I remembered that it would take place at 13:00, but we both had forgotten where. I thought it was at the Buena Vista Theater, but was not sure. We figured as we were aft anyway, we may as well head down to the Buena Vista Theater to see if it was listed there. It was and as we got there, there was an announcement about this explaining that this was a talk about paintings documenting the expansion of the Panama Canal. Neither of us was that taken by this idea. Graham voiced his disappointment and said that he really was not interested in seeing some guy's paintings of the expansion. Talk about timing. The "guy" was right behind us and had overheard us. He told us that he was the person behind those paintings and that he was really quite entertaining, but he could understand if we had other things to do. We were quite embarrassed and told him that we quickly would check out the photos and would be back.
We checked out the photos and were impressed with the overall quality. This is the first time we had a look at the formal night photos. I put them back in their folder as I wanted to check them against the kiosk when I had more time to make sure that they were all on the kiosk. Then we headed back to the Buena Vista Theater. I was thoroughly glad about the encounter earlier. It had listed on the Navigator that the person doing the talk was called George Scribner. The name did not mean anything at all to me, but I found out very soon that I know and love much of his work. George Scribner is the animation director for Walt Disney Imagineering and before this was an animator at Walt Disney Studios. He was involved in one of my all time favourite films "The Lion King"; directed Oliver & Company and also directed Mickey's PhilharMagic and the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. This "some guy" was a real life Disney legend. I also had seen some of his artwork from Disneyland before and really liked this. After the introduction, he came to the topic of the talk. This was a fascinating mix of him taking about the expansion work, the way in which he creates his art and showcasing some of the art itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this and he was spot on: He was really quite entertaining. He was doing a whole series of talks during the cruise, but unfortunately I only made it to one more due to other commitments.
After the talk was over, I had to head down to the Cadillac Lounge for our Mixology class. I arranged to meet Graham at Studio Sea at 15:00 for the Question and Answer Session with the Chief Engineer. As soon as I sat down, Jesus came over to tell me that he had made sure that I was safe. He still seemed quite shaken up by what I had shared about had happened the previous year. He told me that normally they get a list with allergies before classes like this and he had not received one then or this year. I still had no idea what he meant by the statement that he had made sure that I am safe, but I was about to find out. We got 4 cocktails and one shot each. Although the cocktails were not full size, they were quite big. The class again was a nice mix of education and drinking. Jesus explained what was in the individual cocktails and also taught us the basics of creating our own cocktails. I was very moved when he introduced the first cocktail. This was a variation on the Bahama Mama, which is on my danger list as it contains Crème de Banana. He made it in a way that it was safe for me. He had added another kind of rum and replaced the Crème de Banana with Pama Pomegranate Liqueur. This was gorgeous and very refreshing. We also had a Blue Hawaiian, Long Beach Ice Tea (a version of Long Island Ice Tea that substitutes Cranberry Juice and Sprite for Coke), a Mudslide and a version of the B52 cocktail that combined Baileys, Kahlua and white Crème de Menthe. I am not normally a big friend of mint, but this was delicious. Indeed, all the cocktails were wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the class.
It was just before 15:00 when I left the Cadillac Lounge and I headed to Studio Sea in a hurry. When I get there, the Question and Answer session had just started. I managed to find Graham very quickly and fortunately there was a spare chair right behind him. This was very interesting. Some of the stuff I already knew like how they make fresh water on the ship. Other things were completely new for me. I did not know that they have a sewage treatment plant on each ship. I also found out what they put on the Magic where the secret deck used to be. They added an additional generator in that space.
After the Question and Answer session, the Castaway Club reception for Gold and Platinum members was taking place. Because there were so many Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members on that cruise, the reception took place on deck 9 by the Goofy pool. I had encountered this once before on our Hawaii cruise and on that occasion, I just grabbed a drink and moved on, as it was far too busy. We decided to go and check it out. There was a table in the shade, but there were no chairs. Some officers spotted this and got some chairs. We decided to sit down. Two of our tablemates joined us. It was actually very enjoyable. Captain Fabian and our Cruise Director said a few words and then the officers mingled. Servers came round with fresh fruit, canapés and cookies. I was reminded that although I dont like the Chocolate Chip Cookies on the ships, I do rather like the Sugar Cookies. The drinks were also flowing quite freely, Graham had three glasses of sparkling wine over the course of the reception and I had two Mimosas and a Bellini. Captain Fabian came to our table and chatted with us for a while, as did some other officers. One of them was talking with us for quite a while. It turned out that is hometown is quite close to where we live.
Eventually the reception wound up and it was nearly time for Walk A Mile. I was not sure how after all the alcoholic drinks I had that day, I could still stand never mind walk. However, I did not even feel slightly tipsy. That must have been down to all the lovely rich food at Palo. We headed off for Walk A Mile. It was a beautiful afternoon and we stopped a couple of times to look at the ocean.
After Walk A Mile, I headed back to the cabin to just chill out for a bit and read my book before heading upstairs again to meet some more characters. I managed to see Pluto and Mickey and Minnie in quick succession and even had some time to have some photos taken against the wallpaper backdrop that they had out that evening. Then I went to see Donald and Daisy and Goofy before heading back to the cabin to get changed for dinner.
Dinner that night was the rotational menu at Triton's. Graham had Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp with Green Asparagus, Horseradish Cream and Dill Dressing for his starter followed by Onion Soup Gratinee with Baguette and Gruyere Cheese. For his main course, he had Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dauphinose Potatoes, Buttered Brussel Sprouts and a Claret Rosemarie Sauce. I chose Breaded and Deep Fried Brie with an Orange and Cranberry Chutney for my starter followed by Onion Soup Gratinee with Baguette and Gruyere Cheese. I had the Chateaubriand-Roasted Fillet Steak, Crushed New Potatoes with Shallots, Buttered Green Beans, Read Wine Jus and Béarnaise Sauce on the side, which was very tasty. This menu has gone from my least favourite of the rotational menus to one that I very much enjoy. On this menu, the changes were definitely for the better. We both had the Grand Marnier Soufflé with Grand Marnier Crème Anglais for dessert.
After dessert, we said goodnight to our tablemates and then went to get some photos. They had the black backdrop and the wallpaper backdrop out that evening. Both look very nice with the blue outfits. I only just realized that the design on my dress is very similar to that on the wallpaper backdrop.
There is a bit of a story about the jewellery I am wearing that evening. The gold gown that I was wearing for formal night was supposed to have dark blue embroidery. I had therefore asked originally for a simple set of jewellery made from gold wire with little dark blue flowers to mirror the colours and design of the dress. I wanted something very simple, as the dress is definitely the main feature. After a bit of discussion, the original design evolved with some addition of Swarovski crystals. Kythryne, the jewellery artist, also suggested to go with blue coated wire and add some gold wire as accent. I liked the idea of this. Then the dress arrived. What I expected to be blue turned out to be purple. I actually really like this and think that the combination of gold and purple works really well. However, this meant that our fabulous jewellery plans no longer worked. Fortunately she had not started on this so we could go with gold wire and purple flowers and Swarovski crystals. When I got my package, there was a variation of the jewellery we had originally discussed in it. She had substituted silver for the gold as I prefer to wear silver, but other than that it was how I had imagined it. I love the necklace and actually wear it quite a lot to work. (Photos courtesy www.wyrdingstudios.com)
Once we had finished with the photos, we headed back to the cabin. I made sure that we had everything we needed for the next day and took a photo of the towel animal. I had a quick look at the Navigator and set our alarm call before going to bed.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ntPpRo]
We checked out the photos and were impressed with the overall quality. This is the first time we had a look at the formal night photos. I put them back in their folder as I wanted to check them against the kiosk when I had more time to make sure that they were all on the kiosk. Then we headed back to the Buena Vista Theater. I was thoroughly glad about the encounter earlier. It had listed on the Navigator that the person doing the talk was called George Scribner. The name did not mean anything at all to me, but I found out very soon that I know and love much of his work. George Scribner is the animation director for Walt Disney Imagineering and before this was an animator at Walt Disney Studios. He was involved in one of my all time favourite films "The Lion King"; directed Oliver & Company and also directed Mickey's PhilharMagic and the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. This "some guy" was a real life Disney legend. I also had seen some of his artwork from Disneyland before and really liked this. After the introduction, he came to the topic of the talk. This was a fascinating mix of him taking about the expansion work, the way in which he creates his art and showcasing some of the art itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this and he was spot on: He was really quite entertaining. He was doing a whole series of talks during the cruise, but unfortunately I only made it to one more due to other commitments.
After the talk was over, I had to head down to the Cadillac Lounge for our Mixology class. I arranged to meet Graham at Studio Sea at 15:00 for the Question and Answer Session with the Chief Engineer. As soon as I sat down, Jesus came over to tell me that he had made sure that I was safe. He still seemed quite shaken up by what I had shared about had happened the previous year. He told me that normally they get a list with allergies before classes like this and he had not received one then or this year. I still had no idea what he meant by the statement that he had made sure that I am safe, but I was about to find out. We got 4 cocktails and one shot each. Although the cocktails were not full size, they were quite big. The class again was a nice mix of education and drinking. Jesus explained what was in the individual cocktails and also taught us the basics of creating our own cocktails. I was very moved when he introduced the first cocktail. This was a variation on the Bahama Mama, which is on my danger list as it contains Crème de Banana. He made it in a way that it was safe for me. He had added another kind of rum and replaced the Crème de Banana with Pama Pomegranate Liqueur. This was gorgeous and very refreshing. We also had a Blue Hawaiian, Long Beach Ice Tea (a version of Long Island Ice Tea that substitutes Cranberry Juice and Sprite for Coke), a Mudslide and a version of the B52 cocktail that combined Baileys, Kahlua and white Crème de Menthe. I am not normally a big friend of mint, but this was delicious. Indeed, all the cocktails were wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the class.
It was just before 15:00 when I left the Cadillac Lounge and I headed to Studio Sea in a hurry. When I get there, the Question and Answer session had just started. I managed to find Graham very quickly and fortunately there was a spare chair right behind him. This was very interesting. Some of the stuff I already knew like how they make fresh water on the ship. Other things were completely new for me. I did not know that they have a sewage treatment plant on each ship. I also found out what they put on the Magic where the secret deck used to be. They added an additional generator in that space.
After the Question and Answer session, the Castaway Club reception for Gold and Platinum members was taking place. Because there were so many Gold and Platinum Castaway Club members on that cruise, the reception took place on deck 9 by the Goofy pool. I had encountered this once before on our Hawaii cruise and on that occasion, I just grabbed a drink and moved on, as it was far too busy. We decided to go and check it out. There was a table in the shade, but there were no chairs. Some officers spotted this and got some chairs. We decided to sit down. Two of our tablemates joined us. It was actually very enjoyable. Captain Fabian and our Cruise Director said a few words and then the officers mingled. Servers came round with fresh fruit, canapés and cookies. I was reminded that although I dont like the Chocolate Chip Cookies on the ships, I do rather like the Sugar Cookies. The drinks were also flowing quite freely, Graham had three glasses of sparkling wine over the course of the reception and I had two Mimosas and a Bellini. Captain Fabian came to our table and chatted with us for a while, as did some other officers. One of them was talking with us for quite a while. It turned out that is hometown is quite close to where we live.
Eventually the reception wound up and it was nearly time for Walk A Mile. I was not sure how after all the alcoholic drinks I had that day, I could still stand never mind walk. However, I did not even feel slightly tipsy. That must have been down to all the lovely rich food at Palo. We headed off for Walk A Mile. It was a beautiful afternoon and we stopped a couple of times to look at the ocean.
After Walk A Mile, I headed back to the cabin to just chill out for a bit and read my book before heading upstairs again to meet some more characters. I managed to see Pluto and Mickey and Minnie in quick succession and even had some time to have some photos taken against the wallpaper backdrop that they had out that evening. Then I went to see Donald and Daisy and Goofy before heading back to the cabin to get changed for dinner.
Dinner that night was the rotational menu at Triton's. Graham had Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp with Green Asparagus, Horseradish Cream and Dill Dressing for his starter followed by Onion Soup Gratinee with Baguette and Gruyere Cheese. For his main course, he had Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dauphinose Potatoes, Buttered Brussel Sprouts and a Claret Rosemarie Sauce. I chose Breaded and Deep Fried Brie with an Orange and Cranberry Chutney for my starter followed by Onion Soup Gratinee with Baguette and Gruyere Cheese. I had the Chateaubriand-Roasted Fillet Steak, Crushed New Potatoes with Shallots, Buttered Green Beans, Read Wine Jus and Béarnaise Sauce on the side, which was very tasty. This menu has gone from my least favourite of the rotational menus to one that I very much enjoy. On this menu, the changes were definitely for the better. We both had the Grand Marnier Soufflé with Grand Marnier Crème Anglais for dessert.
After dessert, we said goodnight to our tablemates and then went to get some photos. They had the black backdrop and the wallpaper backdrop out that evening. Both look very nice with the blue outfits. I only just realized that the design on my dress is very similar to that on the wallpaper backdrop.
There is a bit of a story about the jewellery I am wearing that evening. The gold gown that I was wearing for formal night was supposed to have dark blue embroidery. I had therefore asked originally for a simple set of jewellery made from gold wire with little dark blue flowers to mirror the colours and design of the dress. I wanted something very simple, as the dress is definitely the main feature. After a bit of discussion, the original design evolved with some addition of Swarovski crystals. Kythryne, the jewellery artist, also suggested to go with blue coated wire and add some gold wire as accent. I liked the idea of this. Then the dress arrived. What I expected to be blue turned out to be purple. I actually really like this and think that the combination of gold and purple works really well. However, this meant that our fabulous jewellery plans no longer worked. Fortunately she had not started on this so we could go with gold wire and purple flowers and Swarovski crystals. When I got my package, there was a variation of the jewellery we had originally discussed in it. She had substituted silver for the gold as I prefer to wear silver, but other than that it was how I had imagined it. I love the necklace and actually wear it quite a lot to work. (Photos courtesy www.wyrdingstudios.com)
Once we had finished with the photos, we headed back to the cabin. I made sure that we had everything we needed for the next day and took a photo of the towel animal. I had a quick look at the Navigator and set our alarm call before going to bed.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ntPpRo]
Pinkocto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2011
Oh my, talk about timing, you had me laughing with the George Scribner encounter. I'm glad you went back and enjoyed the lecture.
The hair cut looks great, you were quite active even before brunch. And brunch sounded delicious! How wonderful Mladen made a point to take care of you, what a nice touch.
Jesus scores again, you really had extra special care today from the CMs.
The hair cut looks great, you were quite active even before brunch. And brunch sounded delicious! How wonderful Mladen made a point to take care of you, what a nice touch.
Jesus scores again, you really had extra special care today from the CMs.
Paula Sedley-Burke
Proud to believe in Rainbows and Unicorns...
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
Ohhhhh Palo brunch yum! Any Stolen? Yum yum. We also book for lunchtime but agreed it is too long to wait so we do have an early breakfast but great you got an earlier time! More time to digest before Titon's yummy treats too. Shame re no bellini. That's my fav too.
Thank goodness re lecture. I bet that was very interesting.
How nice of Jesus to take care of you this time. Oh jealous re Blue Hawaiian and I love sugar cookies!
Sounds like another magical day at sea! Or in canal..
Thank goodness re lecture. I bet that was very interesting.
How nice of Jesus to take care of you this time. Oh jealous re Blue Hawaiian and I love sugar cookies!
Sounds like another magical day at sea! Or in canal..
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
It was quite embarrassing at the time, but I am definitely was glad that it happened after the event.
I was definitely well looked after that day. Both of them ended up on the comment card at the end of the cruise.
They no longer call it Stollen Bread. I am quite happy about this as Stollen is something completely different. If I remember, they just call it Nut Bread now. It is still the same things though and every bit as delicious as it always has been. The earlier brunch time definitely worked for us.
I was absolutely blown away by the mixology class that day.. All I was expecting that I was given a heads up if I needed to avoid something. I did not expect him to change the whole class so that it is safe for me. I was very moved by this.
It is a real shame that they only seem to have the sugar cookies at the Castaway Club reception as they are truly delicious.
Corinna
dgbg100106
Missing the Tag Fiary
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2008
I am finally caught up... Whew seems like it took awhile but we are all good.... Ha-Ha
Embarkation photos are lovely
That pink dress is very pretty and that necklace goes perfect.
We are always tired on the first day also. It just takes a day to get in the grove of things, hope your first meal was good?
How wonderful that you got your same head waiter again.
The walk to the most southern point was beautiful and we had an amazing time there also. We went into the little White house and did the tour and looked at all the photos.
I am so glad you made it back to the excursion meeting place, I was worried for you. But I am sorry that the seas were rough; did you enjoy any of it?
When we go to Key West, we like to get our Key Lime Pie and Blue Heaven.. www.blueheavenkw.com/
Love love love all the character photos So much fun.
That purple dress is very pretty
I love the photos of you and stitch; Graham looks to be having a bit of fun in this one too!
Martini tastings are so much fun, so glad that you enjoyed yourself and that you were safe this time!
I think it is cute that Minnie was giving you a hard time about the matching dress, and you still in your sundress. That is one of those memories
Day 5
Your walk thru the park was beautiful ,
Lots of fishes in the snorkel pictures too.
Amazing that you had the pool all to yourself. And I must say great plan on yours and Grahams part on the couples massage!
I LOVE that black and white polka dotted dress!
Day 6
Sorry to hear that the Chocolate and Beverage Tasting was sold out, was there a waiting list in case people could not go?
I really like the blue polka dot also, it flatters you very well.
I understand your concern with food, I am allergic to pineapple, I am amazed at how many things contain pineapple or pineapple juice on these cruises. I am always asking
Day 7
I like the hair cut, it looks cute I am getting mine cut this weekend, donating it . A little scared.
So glad you got to try th brownies and that they were worth the wait!
George Scribners talk sounds amazing, I am super jealous!
Mixology class is always fun right?
Love that wallpaper background!
Embarkation photos are lovely
That pink dress is very pretty and that necklace goes perfect.
We are always tired on the first day also. It just takes a day to get in the grove of things, hope your first meal was good?
How wonderful that you got your same head waiter again.
The walk to the most southern point was beautiful and we had an amazing time there also. We went into the little White house and did the tour and looked at all the photos.
I am so glad you made it back to the excursion meeting place, I was worried for you. But I am sorry that the seas were rough; did you enjoy any of it?
When we go to Key West, we like to get our Key Lime Pie and Blue Heaven.. www.blueheavenkw.com/
Love love love all the character photos So much fun.
That purple dress is very pretty
I love the photos of you and stitch; Graham looks to be having a bit of fun in this one too!
Martini tastings are so much fun, so glad that you enjoyed yourself and that you were safe this time!
I think it is cute that Minnie was giving you a hard time about the matching dress, and you still in your sundress. That is one of those memories
Day 5
Your walk thru the park was beautiful ,
Lots of fishes in the snorkel pictures too.
Amazing that you had the pool all to yourself. And I must say great plan on yours and Grahams part on the couples massage!
I LOVE that black and white polka dotted dress!
Day 6
Sorry to hear that the Chocolate and Beverage Tasting was sold out, was there a waiting list in case people could not go?
I really like the blue polka dot also, it flatters you very well.
I understand your concern with food, I am allergic to pineapple, I am amazed at how many things contain pineapple or pineapple juice on these cruises. I am always asking
Day 7
I like the hair cut, it looks cute I am getting mine cut this weekend, donating it . A little scared.
So glad you got to try th brownies and that they were worth the wait!
George Scribners talk sounds amazing, I am super jealous!
Mixology class is always fun right?
Love that wallpaper background!
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
Catching up. Love the last lot of pictures. Your hair looks fantastic. I bet it felt great having a decent cut and taking some weight off. I love that blue/black dress on you.
Yet more fantastic character pictures and I think this set of pictures of you and Graham are my favourite to date. You both look so happy in them.
Yet more fantastic character pictures and I think this set of pictures of you and Graham are my favourite to date. You both look so happy in them.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I have made a note of Blue Heaven. With a bit of luck, we will be back in Key West next year and we may give this a try then.
The tastings were all great fun. No, they did not offer to put me on the waitlist. They have done that for previous cruises for free activities for which you needed to sign up. I suppose as all the tastings on DCL are non-refundable, there is no point for a waitlist as they would not know that some people do not show up until the class has started.
Being allergic to pineapple must be a real pain.
I might have to reconsider reading your TR's...You DON'T like the chocolate chip cookies???????I could live on them!
Maybe they are nicer on the Dream and I am not sure if I have ever had one on the Magic, but on the Wonder they always seem to be overcooked to me. I like my cookies soft and gooey.
It was a really nice day. Yes, I have quite a collection of jewellery.
Yes, it did, but I am still not entirely happy with it. I am quite busy at the moment. Today is day 7 of working 8 days in a row and next week I am off to Germany for 3 days, but the week after that, I will have to see if I can manage to make an appointment to work some more on that hair cut.
Corinna
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Day 8
After two sea days, we were back in port that day. The port for the day was Cartagena in Colombia. This was a new port for us and probably the one I had looked forward to the most before the cruise. We were due to arrive in port at 6:30 that day. Our excursion was not due to meet until 8:45 so we did not get up until 7:30. By then we had long since arrived in port. We saw all the buses for the excursions lined up right outside of our porthole. We got ready and then headed up to deck 9 to check out the view. The view was nothing to write home about. The port in Cartagena is an industrial port and there were containers and cargo ships everywhere. We got a hot drink from the drink station. Graham had his usual morning coffee and I found out that the hot chocolate from the drink station is actually pretty nice. We also picked up some snacks from the Cove Café. Graham had a muffin and I had a chocolate-filled Brioche. Then we got our stuff from our meeting point, which was the Walt Disney Theater.
We have done a number of Disney excursions on our cruises and some of them have been better organized than others. However, we had seen nothing like this chaos before. We arrived at the Walt Disney Theater about 20 minutes before our meeting time and encountered a line that very much reminded me of Pingate on our 2011 Panama Canal Cruise. When I got in it, the line snaked from one entrance of Walt Disney Theater across the area where they sometimes have character Meet and Greets, down the corridor by the shop, across the atrium and to the entrance of the art gallery. I am sure by the time the actual meeting time had arrived; the line would have gone all the way to Animators Palate. I had managed to lose Graham by the time I walked past the shops to find the end of the line. Initially the line did not move at all. I was talking with the people in front of me so time went quite quickly. Graham rejoined me once I started to get close to the Walt Disney Theater. Members of the cruise staff team came down the line to check Port Adventures Tickets, photo ID and Key to the World cards. They then sent groups of people into the Walt Disney Theater to wait. We were directed to a set of rows to sit down. The Walt Disney Theater was virtually empty and pretty much as soon as we had sat down; we and another group were called to head down to the gangway. We really did not understand what the delay was as the buses had been there for quite some while. It also would have made sense to let everybody wait inside the Walt Disney Theater rather than have them line up and blocking the way in the hallways.
Once we were on our way, things went smoothly. It did not take long for everybodys Key to the World card to be touched against the reader and us being off the ship. Once we were on the dock, we were handed over to a representative of the local tour operator. Each group was sent to their bus. Our guide Bert introduced himself. I had to smile. His full name was Dagobert and in Germany Scrooge McDuck is called Dagobert Duck. We got on the bus and Bert gave us some stickers with his name. He then introduced us to our driver and we headed off. He explained what our itinerary would be. We had booked the Best of Cartagena excursion, which included a visit to the La Popa monastery, a photo stop at the Fort San Felipe, a visit to Las Bovedas, a walk through the old town with a visit to the church of San Pedro Claver and a visit to the naval museum where we would watch a folkloric presentation. The port is a fair way from all the tourist attractions so first of all we had to make our way through traffic. The roads through the town were relatively narrow and very congested so it took us a while to get anywhere. Bert told us a lot about the history of Cartagena and the places we would be visiting while we were winding our way through the roads of Cartagena.
Our first stop came as a bit of a surprise. According to the itinerary on the website and also what Bert had told us earlier, our first stop was supposed to be the La Popa monastery. However, we pulled up to the Fort San Felipe. I had seen photos of this and was very much looking forward to seeing this for myself. On the photos, it very much reminded me of a Mayan temple. I was a little worried beforehand what they meant by photo stop, but we actually had quite a bit of time to take photos. Bert explained various things about the fort and things around it. We did not have time to actually climb up the hill to have a look inside the fort, but the hill looked steep and it was quite hot already so I was not at all upset about this. During the stop we also encountered the first street vendors. I had heard real horror stories about the street vendors in Cartagena. I had a real nightmare experience with this in Nassau and I was more than just a little concerned. I really did not need to be. Yes, there were street vendors and yes; there were a lot of them. However, they were all very polite and in no way aggressive like I had experienced in Nassau. A polite No, thank you was all that was required. They then moved on to the next person. I also heard from people who just took a taxi to the old town and did their own thing that they were never bothered by the street vendors at all as they target the tour groups.
After two sea days, we were back in port that day. The port for the day was Cartagena in Colombia. This was a new port for us and probably the one I had looked forward to the most before the cruise. We were due to arrive in port at 6:30 that day. Our excursion was not due to meet until 8:45 so we did not get up until 7:30. By then we had long since arrived in port. We saw all the buses for the excursions lined up right outside of our porthole. We got ready and then headed up to deck 9 to check out the view. The view was nothing to write home about. The port in Cartagena is an industrial port and there were containers and cargo ships everywhere. We got a hot drink from the drink station. Graham had his usual morning coffee and I found out that the hot chocolate from the drink station is actually pretty nice. We also picked up some snacks from the Cove Café. Graham had a muffin and I had a chocolate-filled Brioche. Then we got our stuff from our meeting point, which was the Walt Disney Theater.
We have done a number of Disney excursions on our cruises and some of them have been better organized than others. However, we had seen nothing like this chaos before. We arrived at the Walt Disney Theater about 20 minutes before our meeting time and encountered a line that very much reminded me of Pingate on our 2011 Panama Canal Cruise. When I got in it, the line snaked from one entrance of Walt Disney Theater across the area where they sometimes have character Meet and Greets, down the corridor by the shop, across the atrium and to the entrance of the art gallery. I am sure by the time the actual meeting time had arrived; the line would have gone all the way to Animators Palate. I had managed to lose Graham by the time I walked past the shops to find the end of the line. Initially the line did not move at all. I was talking with the people in front of me so time went quite quickly. Graham rejoined me once I started to get close to the Walt Disney Theater. Members of the cruise staff team came down the line to check Port Adventures Tickets, photo ID and Key to the World cards. They then sent groups of people into the Walt Disney Theater to wait. We were directed to a set of rows to sit down. The Walt Disney Theater was virtually empty and pretty much as soon as we had sat down; we and another group were called to head down to the gangway. We really did not understand what the delay was as the buses had been there for quite some while. It also would have made sense to let everybody wait inside the Walt Disney Theater rather than have them line up and blocking the way in the hallways.
Once we were on our way, things went smoothly. It did not take long for everybodys Key to the World card to be touched against the reader and us being off the ship. Once we were on the dock, we were handed over to a representative of the local tour operator. Each group was sent to their bus. Our guide Bert introduced himself. I had to smile. His full name was Dagobert and in Germany Scrooge McDuck is called Dagobert Duck. We got on the bus and Bert gave us some stickers with his name. He then introduced us to our driver and we headed off. He explained what our itinerary would be. We had booked the Best of Cartagena excursion, which included a visit to the La Popa monastery, a photo stop at the Fort San Felipe, a visit to Las Bovedas, a walk through the old town with a visit to the church of San Pedro Claver and a visit to the naval museum where we would watch a folkloric presentation. The port is a fair way from all the tourist attractions so first of all we had to make our way through traffic. The roads through the town were relatively narrow and very congested so it took us a while to get anywhere. Bert told us a lot about the history of Cartagena and the places we would be visiting while we were winding our way through the roads of Cartagena.
Our first stop came as a bit of a surprise. According to the itinerary on the website and also what Bert had told us earlier, our first stop was supposed to be the La Popa monastery. However, we pulled up to the Fort San Felipe. I had seen photos of this and was very much looking forward to seeing this for myself. On the photos, it very much reminded me of a Mayan temple. I was a little worried beforehand what they meant by photo stop, but we actually had quite a bit of time to take photos. Bert explained various things about the fort and things around it. We did not have time to actually climb up the hill to have a look inside the fort, but the hill looked steep and it was quite hot already so I was not at all upset about this. During the stop we also encountered the first street vendors. I had heard real horror stories about the street vendors in Cartagena. I had a real nightmare experience with this in Nassau and I was more than just a little concerned. I really did not need to be. Yes, there were street vendors and yes; there were a lot of them. However, they were all very polite and in no way aggressive like I had experienced in Nassau. A polite No, thank you was all that was required. They then moved on to the next person. I also heard from people who just took a taxi to the old town and did their own thing that they were never bothered by the street vendors at all as they target the tour groups.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
After we had plenty of time to take our photos, Bert called us to come back on the bus. Our next stop was really La Popa, which was the stop that I was most looking forward to. La Popa monastery sits on the highest point in the city and as such, I had heard that the views are spectacular. That alone was one of the reasons why I really wanted to visit. La Popa was founded in 1607 by Augustine monks. During the civil war and the war of independence, La Popa acted as a fort and barracks and then was left to fall into ruins. It was restored in 1964 by Augustine monks. It is the most visited site in Cartagena. I had seen some photos before the trip and liked what I saw, but I was in no way prepared for the beauty that awaited us.
To get to La Popa, we had to drive through a neighbourhood that was extremely poor and could probably be described as the slums of Cartagena. We then started to go up the very steep hill on a very narrow and windy road. I am not sure that it is actually a good idea for buses to go up there. On a few occasions our driver had to back up to make it around a bend and there were no barriers and not much between the road and some quite big drops. For the most part, the road was empty and it was OK. However, when we got near the top, another bus was coming the opposite direction and for a while neither could move, as the road is really not wide enough for two big buses. After a lot of careful maneuvering and back and forth, the other bus managed to get past us and we could carry on the short way to the top of the hill to the bus parking. This area was full of stalls with various souvenirs and there were also people in traditional costume with donkeys trying to convince you to take photos with them. Still, this was very low key and not a problem at all.
We then went inside the La Popa Monastery itself. Near the entrance was a very low-key building that I think may have been a guesthouse once upon a time. I did not manage to take a photo on the way in as there were so many people about, but I took a photo on the way out. We then at a short time to enjoy the views, which are really quite stunning, before Bert called us to follow him. We then entered the main monastery building and specifically the courtyard. I have to say I remember very little about what Bert told us in that area as I was so blown away by the beauty around me and was too busy enjoying this and taking photos to really listen.
To get to La Popa, we had to drive through a neighbourhood that was extremely poor and could probably be described as the slums of Cartagena. We then started to go up the very steep hill on a very narrow and windy road. I am not sure that it is actually a good idea for buses to go up there. On a few occasions our driver had to back up to make it around a bend and there were no barriers and not much between the road and some quite big drops. For the most part, the road was empty and it was OK. However, when we got near the top, another bus was coming the opposite direction and for a while neither could move, as the road is really not wide enough for two big buses. After a lot of careful maneuvering and back and forth, the other bus managed to get past us and we could carry on the short way to the top of the hill to the bus parking. This area was full of stalls with various souvenirs and there were also people in traditional costume with donkeys trying to convince you to take photos with them. Still, this was very low key and not a problem at all.
We then went inside the La Popa Monastery itself. Near the entrance was a very low-key building that I think may have been a guesthouse once upon a time. I did not manage to take a photo on the way in as there were so many people about, but I took a photo on the way out. We then at a short time to enjoy the views, which are really quite stunning, before Bert called us to follow him. We then entered the main monastery building and specifically the courtyard. I have to say I remember very little about what Bert told us in that area as I was so blown away by the beauty around me and was too busy enjoying this and taking photos to really listen.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
We then moved on to the small museum showcasing the history of La Popa. On the way there, we spotted some bathrooms and a number of people from our tour group made a small detour to use them. This was the first indication that I got that we were on a different continent. They were very basic, but clean. With this little stop out of the way, we rejoined the group. We did not miss much. The little museum did not really grab me. There was a very beautiful metal gate though.
We moved on to the chapel. This is very beautiful. We had to wait for another tour group to finish and then Bert told us a bit about the history of the chapel and about some of the thinks we were seeing. We then had some time to walk around and take photos. Soon we were called again to leave. Bert was suggesting that people may want to take a bathroom break before we left and to meet in the courtyard once everybody was done. I did not need another one so I took some more photos. I got some photos with a completely empty courtyard.
By the time we were ready to leave, we were the only bus left at La Popa. So driving back down the hill was a lot easier than coming up. We backtracked for quite a while and then entered the old walled city. Our next stop was Las Bovedas. Las Bovedas has had quite a varied history. Originally Las Bovedas was used to store ammunition and provisions before being turned into a prison in the early 1800s. Nowadays it is something entirely more pleasant. The old cells have been turned into shops selling local crafts, souvenirs and jewellery. Graham decided to go and explore the city walls while I went to shop. We had about 30 minutes at this stop. Before we left for this trip, I knew that there was one souvenir that I really wanted from this trip. This was a rough Colombian emerald. I am a bit quirky when it comes to my preferences in gemstones. I tend to prefer rough stones to those that are cut and polished. I also prefer the lighter shades over the more valuable darker shades. This is the case with Tanzanite and also with emerald. I was quietly optimistic that I would find something to my liking that would not break the bank. So I went off on my search. I started at the shops closest to our bus and then made my way down. I went into a number of shops and they either had just cut and polished emerald or rough emerald that did not really speak to me. It was nearly time to head back to the bus, but I decided to check out one last shop and there it was: The emerald of my dreams. It is a lovely pale green and has some inclusions that look like gold. It was literally love at first sight. It was quite a big chunk of gemstone so I though that this may be out of my budget. I had budgeted $100 for this. Still, I decided to ask and I was prepared to bargain if it was close. I have learned that game in Dubai. I think my jaw just dropped when she told me that if I could pay in cash, I could have it for $30. I don't think I ever got my wallet out so quickly before. I handed over my $30, she put my emerald in a velvet pouch for me and I carried off my treasure. I think she was quite glad to be shot of it. This was the only light coloured emerald in amongst quite a number of darker emeralds and I have the feeling that this poor little emerald had been waiting for a number of years for me to come to Cartagena. Well, it has found a good home now where it is very much loved. I headed back to the bus and took a few photos on the way.
We moved on to the chapel. This is very beautiful. We had to wait for another tour group to finish and then Bert told us a bit about the history of the chapel and about some of the thinks we were seeing. We then had some time to walk around and take photos. Soon we were called again to leave. Bert was suggesting that people may want to take a bathroom break before we left and to meet in the courtyard once everybody was done. I did not need another one so I took some more photos. I got some photos with a completely empty courtyard.
By the time we were ready to leave, we were the only bus left at La Popa. So driving back down the hill was a lot easier than coming up. We backtracked for quite a while and then entered the old walled city. Our next stop was Las Bovedas. Las Bovedas has had quite a varied history. Originally Las Bovedas was used to store ammunition and provisions before being turned into a prison in the early 1800s. Nowadays it is something entirely more pleasant. The old cells have been turned into shops selling local crafts, souvenirs and jewellery. Graham decided to go and explore the city walls while I went to shop. We had about 30 minutes at this stop. Before we left for this trip, I knew that there was one souvenir that I really wanted from this trip. This was a rough Colombian emerald. I am a bit quirky when it comes to my preferences in gemstones. I tend to prefer rough stones to those that are cut and polished. I also prefer the lighter shades over the more valuable darker shades. This is the case with Tanzanite and also with emerald. I was quietly optimistic that I would find something to my liking that would not break the bank. So I went off on my search. I started at the shops closest to our bus and then made my way down. I went into a number of shops and they either had just cut and polished emerald or rough emerald that did not really speak to me. It was nearly time to head back to the bus, but I decided to check out one last shop and there it was: The emerald of my dreams. It is a lovely pale green and has some inclusions that look like gold. It was literally love at first sight. It was quite a big chunk of gemstone so I though that this may be out of my budget. I had budgeted $100 for this. Still, I decided to ask and I was prepared to bargain if it was close. I have learned that game in Dubai. I think my jaw just dropped when she told me that if I could pay in cash, I could have it for $30. I don't think I ever got my wallet out so quickly before. I handed over my $30, she put my emerald in a velvet pouch for me and I carried off my treasure. I think she was quite glad to be shot of it. This was the only light coloured emerald in amongst quite a number of darker emeralds and I have the feeling that this poor little emerald had been waiting for a number of years for me to come to Cartagena. Well, it has found a good home now where it is very much loved. I headed back to the bus and took a few photos on the way.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Soon we were on our way again. We were winding our way along the city walls and were dropped off near one of the access points to the old town. Old town consists of narrow streets that are packed with colonial architecture and churches. I could happily have wandered around taking photos and soaking in the atmosphere all day. Unfortunately this was not to be as we ended up covering quite a bit of ground in a relatively short time. When we come back to Cartagena (and yes, it is going to be when rather than if) we will just get a taxi to the old town and go for a good wander.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
We spent a bit more time in the Church of San Pedro Claver. San Pedro Claver was a Spanish Jesuit priest who is the patron saint of Colombia. He was also a very early anti-slavery activist. He baptized 1000s of Colombia's slaves and worked hard to make sure that they were humanely treated. This did not make him very popular with the owners of the slaves. The church that is now the Church of San Pedro Claver was originally built in 1575, but destroyed by Sir Francis Drake in 1586. It was then rebuilt in 1602. San Pedro Claver came to Cartagena from Spain in 1610 and lived at the monastery that is attached to the church that is now named after him. It is a beautiful and peaceful church, which is actually quite plain for a catholic church. The church does have some stunning stained glass windows though and a rather impressive ceiling dome. Our time there was split between us sitting down and Bert telling us about San Petro Claver and the history of the church and us having the chance to look around and take some photos.
Then it was time to move on again. I have to admit, if we had gone back to the ship at that stage, I had been happy. I had seen what I had wanted to see and done everything I wanted to do. The rest of the excursion did not really add anything for me and was definitely a case that less would have been more. Our next stop was the naval museum, which is a short walk from the Church of San Pedro Claver. The naval museum had a rather nice courtyard, but we were not allowed to linger. I managed to get a couple of sneaky photos. The museum is essentially one big room that mainly consists of models of the various fortifications of the city. Bert told us a little bit about all the different fortifications, but I was not all that interested. I do enjoy history, but the military aspect of this has never grabbed me. We then moved on to a folkloric presentation that took place in a room off the courtyard. Again, this was not my thing and mainly consisted of a lot of noise. We did however get a bottle of cold water each and this was very welcome at that point.
Once the presentation was over, we headed back to the bus. I got some nice views of the city walls during this short walk. Then it was back to the bus. I was under the impression that we would head back to the port at that stage, but we were headed to a shopping centre. I had a look at a couple of the jewellery shops, but they did not have any loose emeralds and very little in terms of rough stones. I am so glad that I got my emerald earlier in the day. Apart from the jewellery shops, they mainly sold cheap souvenirs. There was nothing there of any interest to me. I would rather have spent some more time in the old town or even at Las Bovedas.
At the time we were supposed to leave, there were still some people missing. Bert headed out to round them up and soon we were on our way. The drive back to the port was actually quite scenic, but took a fair while. I think most people started to get a little antsy by that stage. On the description for the excursion, it had stated that we would be back at 12:45. When we got on the bus, we were told it would be 13:30. When we arrived at the old town, this had gone up to 14:00 due to the delays getting up to La Popa. In the end, we were finally back at the port at 14:45 with the ship due to leave at 15:00. We were still not the last tour bus back either. I think you know that things have not gone to plan if your cruise director comes on the bus to dish out wet towels and the Captain is standing on the dock welcoming you back. On the Disney Cruise Line side of things, this was handled fantastically well. We had heard at dinner the precious night that during the last visit to Cartagena, all the tours pretty much arrived back at the same time causing huge lines at the gangways. There is no shade there and people were really struggling. This time round, they asked us to stay on the air-conditioned bus and people were getting off the buses one bus at a time so there were no long lines. They also diverted any returning crew to the aft gangway so that the forward gangway could be used to get passengers back on the ship as quickly as possible. Graham used the short line as an excuse to take a photo of our bunnies looking out of our porthole.
Cartagena had been on my bucket list for a while, but I also had my concerns. After all Colombia is not considered to be one of the safest places on this planet. I had heard that the areas where the tourist attractions are in Cartagena are considered to be safe, but not to venture away from those. That was the reason why we had chosen to do an organized tour. I had also heard horror stories about the street vendors. I have to say; that I did not feel unsafe in any of the places we visited. Cartagena is not a place were I would consider just hiring a car and going exploring as even on this tour we passed through areas where I am not sure you would be entirely safe if you got lost there. Still, the same can be said for any big city and I still vividly remember saying a few prayers when we ran out of petrol in a less than desirable area of Los Angeles. Tourism is a major industry in Cartagena and the people we have encountered were all very friendly. There is quite a noticeable police presence around the tourist areas and this keeps them safe. The street vendors are a bit irritating due to the sheer numbers of them, but again they were friendly and polite and we did not encounter a single one that I would consider to be aggressive. I have experienced much worse in places like Nassau, Barcelona and Naples. As a city, Cartagena is truly beautiful. Sure, it does have his rough parts, too, but nothing that would detract from its overall beauty. This is one of the cities that really got under my skin. Actually, I can only think of two other places that had a similar effect on me. One is San Francisco and the other is Malta. The second one is not really a surprise as the old town of Cartagena and the Mdina in Malta are very similar. I definitely want to come back and explore this beautiful city at my leisure.
Then it was time to move on again. I have to admit, if we had gone back to the ship at that stage, I had been happy. I had seen what I had wanted to see and done everything I wanted to do. The rest of the excursion did not really add anything for me and was definitely a case that less would have been more. Our next stop was the naval museum, which is a short walk from the Church of San Pedro Claver. The naval museum had a rather nice courtyard, but we were not allowed to linger. I managed to get a couple of sneaky photos. The museum is essentially one big room that mainly consists of models of the various fortifications of the city. Bert told us a little bit about all the different fortifications, but I was not all that interested. I do enjoy history, but the military aspect of this has never grabbed me. We then moved on to a folkloric presentation that took place in a room off the courtyard. Again, this was not my thing and mainly consisted of a lot of noise. We did however get a bottle of cold water each and this was very welcome at that point.
Once the presentation was over, we headed back to the bus. I got some nice views of the city walls during this short walk. Then it was back to the bus. I was under the impression that we would head back to the port at that stage, but we were headed to a shopping centre. I had a look at a couple of the jewellery shops, but they did not have any loose emeralds and very little in terms of rough stones. I am so glad that I got my emerald earlier in the day. Apart from the jewellery shops, they mainly sold cheap souvenirs. There was nothing there of any interest to me. I would rather have spent some more time in the old town or even at Las Bovedas.
At the time we were supposed to leave, there were still some people missing. Bert headed out to round them up and soon we were on our way. The drive back to the port was actually quite scenic, but took a fair while. I think most people started to get a little antsy by that stage. On the description for the excursion, it had stated that we would be back at 12:45. When we got on the bus, we were told it would be 13:30. When we arrived at the old town, this had gone up to 14:00 due to the delays getting up to La Popa. In the end, we were finally back at the port at 14:45 with the ship due to leave at 15:00. We were still not the last tour bus back either. I think you know that things have not gone to plan if your cruise director comes on the bus to dish out wet towels and the Captain is standing on the dock welcoming you back. On the Disney Cruise Line side of things, this was handled fantastically well. We had heard at dinner the precious night that during the last visit to Cartagena, all the tours pretty much arrived back at the same time causing huge lines at the gangways. There is no shade there and people were really struggling. This time round, they asked us to stay on the air-conditioned bus and people were getting off the buses one bus at a time so there were no long lines. They also diverted any returning crew to the aft gangway so that the forward gangway could be used to get passengers back on the ship as quickly as possible. Graham used the short line as an excuse to take a photo of our bunnies looking out of our porthole.
Cartagena had been on my bucket list for a while, but I also had my concerns. After all Colombia is not considered to be one of the safest places on this planet. I had heard that the areas where the tourist attractions are in Cartagena are considered to be safe, but not to venture away from those. That was the reason why we had chosen to do an organized tour. I had also heard horror stories about the street vendors. I have to say; that I did not feel unsafe in any of the places we visited. Cartagena is not a place were I would consider just hiring a car and going exploring as even on this tour we passed through areas where I am not sure you would be entirely safe if you got lost there. Still, the same can be said for any big city and I still vividly remember saying a few prayers when we ran out of petrol in a less than desirable area of Los Angeles. Tourism is a major industry in Cartagena and the people we have encountered were all very friendly. There is quite a noticeable police presence around the tourist areas and this keeps them safe. The street vendors are a bit irritating due to the sheer numbers of them, but again they were friendly and polite and we did not encounter a single one that I would consider to be aggressive. I have experienced much worse in places like Nassau, Barcelona and Naples. As a city, Cartagena is truly beautiful. Sure, it does have his rough parts, too, but nothing that would detract from its overall beauty. This is one of the cities that really got under my skin. Actually, I can only think of two other places that had a similar effect on me. One is San Francisco and the other is Malta. The second one is not really a surprise as the old town of Cartagena and the Mdina in Malta are very similar. I definitely want to come back and explore this beautiful city at my leisure.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Once we were off the bus, we did not have long to wait until we were back on the ship. I did not even have time to finish my orange water. We quickly took the one sets of stairs up to deck 2 and dropped our stuff in our cabin and then made our way to deck 9 to get some food. We had to wait a little while for a lift that had room for us. Despite the delays of some of the tours, we left Cartagena pretty much on time. I expected the food outlets on deck 9 to be an absolute zoo, but they were not bad at all. I had a Cheese Burger and some Chili Beef with Sour Cream and Cornbread from Pluto's Dog House and Graham got himself some Pizza from Pinocchio's.
We then decided that we fancied a coffee and headed for the Outlook Cafe. There we could watch the scenery as we were slowly making our way away from Cartagena and still stay out of the sun. I had enough sun and heat for one day. Graham had an Americano and I had a Mocha. My Mocha was a piece of art. It was served in a glass with the chocolate, milk and coffee all being individual layers. It was very tasty, too. Shortly after we settled down, two members of staff from the spa started to set up for a seminar. They started to hand out information about reflexology. In the end, they decided that there were not enough people for a full-blown seminar so they just came from table to table to speak to people. I have to say that it was quite interesting, but nothing that I would consider trying.
When we had finished our coffees, we decided to head down to deck 4 to watch the world go by until it was time for Walk A Mile. As we had left very early that day, the ropes had been stored by the time Walk A Mile started and we could go all the way around. When Walk A Mile was finished, I quickly got showered and changed and then headed out to see the characters. I had made the right decision regarding the dresses I had packed for this cruise. I had read the Navigators from the Eastbound Panama Canal cruise in 2013 and realized that the Prince and Princess menu was served on a cruise casual night. There was no way for me not to dress up as a princess on the night the Prince and Princess menu was served. So I packed an extra gown, which came out that evening. I also had a piece of jewellery fit for a princess that night (photo courtesy of Antika Nueva):
Once I had transformed into a princess, I went off to see some characters. True to the theme, a lot of the princesses were out that night and we also had Sorcerer Mickey. I decided to give the princesses a miss for now as they would be out again later and headed straight for Mickey's line, which was quite long. I then fortunately still managed to catch Tiana, who was out only once that evening. I had a great interaction with her. She always referred to me as her queen. Then I headed up to deck 9 to find Graham who was in the pool. I got myself a Coke from the drink station and then sat down near the pool until Graham was done. We headed back to our cabin where Graham got ready for dinner and then we went together to the atrium. I managed to meet Cinderella with Suzy and Perla; Belle; Ariel and Rapunzel all without too much of a wait. By then it was time for dinner.
Dinner that evening was at Animator's Palate. Graham had the Slow Roasted Duck and Cheese Quesadillas followed by The Beast's Potato and Sausage Casserole Soup. I had Belle's Blue Cheese Polenta Cakes with Caramelized Onions and Walnuts followed by The Beast's Potato and Sausage Casserole Soup. Four our main course, we both had the Peppercorn Crusted New York Strip with sautéed Green Beans and Corn, whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes and Brandy Sauce. We passed on dessert again.
There were no backdrops out that night so we headed straight to our cabin. I took a photo of our towel animal and then we enjoyed a glass of wine each before settling down for the night. We would have an early start in the morning and I fully expected that I would be woken up in the middle of the night by an announcement that refueling operations had started as this is what happened on our previous Panama Canal cruise. Fortunately this did not happen this time.
We then decided that we fancied a coffee and headed for the Outlook Cafe. There we could watch the scenery as we were slowly making our way away from Cartagena and still stay out of the sun. I had enough sun and heat for one day. Graham had an Americano and I had a Mocha. My Mocha was a piece of art. It was served in a glass with the chocolate, milk and coffee all being individual layers. It was very tasty, too. Shortly after we settled down, two members of staff from the spa started to set up for a seminar. They started to hand out information about reflexology. In the end, they decided that there were not enough people for a full-blown seminar so they just came from table to table to speak to people. I have to say that it was quite interesting, but nothing that I would consider trying.
When we had finished our coffees, we decided to head down to deck 4 to watch the world go by until it was time for Walk A Mile. As we had left very early that day, the ropes had been stored by the time Walk A Mile started and we could go all the way around. When Walk A Mile was finished, I quickly got showered and changed and then headed out to see the characters. I had made the right decision regarding the dresses I had packed for this cruise. I had read the Navigators from the Eastbound Panama Canal cruise in 2013 and realized that the Prince and Princess menu was served on a cruise casual night. There was no way for me not to dress up as a princess on the night the Prince and Princess menu was served. So I packed an extra gown, which came out that evening. I also had a piece of jewellery fit for a princess that night (photo courtesy of Antika Nueva):
Once I had transformed into a princess, I went off to see some characters. True to the theme, a lot of the princesses were out that night and we also had Sorcerer Mickey. I decided to give the princesses a miss for now as they would be out again later and headed straight for Mickey's line, which was quite long. I then fortunately still managed to catch Tiana, who was out only once that evening. I had a great interaction with her. She always referred to me as her queen. Then I headed up to deck 9 to find Graham who was in the pool. I got myself a Coke from the drink station and then sat down near the pool until Graham was done. We headed back to our cabin where Graham got ready for dinner and then we went together to the atrium. I managed to meet Cinderella with Suzy and Perla; Belle; Ariel and Rapunzel all without too much of a wait. By then it was time for dinner.
Dinner that evening was at Animator's Palate. Graham had the Slow Roasted Duck and Cheese Quesadillas followed by The Beast's Potato and Sausage Casserole Soup. I had Belle's Blue Cheese Polenta Cakes with Caramelized Onions and Walnuts followed by The Beast's Potato and Sausage Casserole Soup. Four our main course, we both had the Peppercorn Crusted New York Strip with sautéed Green Beans and Corn, whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes and Brandy Sauce. We passed on dessert again.
There were no backdrops out that night so we headed straight to our cabin. I took a photo of our towel animal and then we enjoyed a glass of wine each before settling down for the night. We would have an early start in the morning and I fully expected that I would be woken up in the middle of the night by an announcement that refueling operations had started as this is what happened on our previous Panama Canal cruise. Fortunately this did not happen this time.
PrincessInOz
Thanks for my avatar, Mary Jo!
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
The day does sound like it started with un-Disneylike chaos. I wonder why?
What fantastic scenes of Cartagena. Did it meet your expectations? I've always been interested to go there.
I love the pictures of Princess Corinna. That royal blue with the jewellery turned out amazing. Great pictures with the Disney Princesses as well.
What fantastic scenes of Cartagena. Did it meet your expectations? I've always been interested to go there.
I love the pictures of Princess Corinna. That royal blue with the jewellery turned out amazing. Great pictures with the Disney Princesses as well.
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