2-2-2 trip Part 4

[northsouth]

Ok, St Maarten & St Thomas are over, boohoo, our island days were magical. But there is even more fun in store. I must say though, when we departed St Thomas I realized how quickly our Magical days were flying past, and felt kind of low for the first time. The seas were VERY active (I hesitate to say "rough" because it was a pleasant movement to me, like the seas are just rocking you gently) leaving St Thomas (8-13 ft swells) but didn't bother us a bit for the most part. Although at times that night I did feel like I was going to fall out of bed, but didn't. Anyone want some seasick medicine?? I had bought plenty but only one of our teens ever used it, and only used one tablet. Even when the seas were high it just didn't bother us a bit, and I still feel a little swaying sometimes being back on dry land even today.

Wednesday night we headed for the show, Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer, and settled in for a fun game show. Gina and TD were sitting behind us, we sure did run into them a lot, and were glad of it. They are Disney fans extrardinaire (sp?). Anyway, I had advised our teens that a good way to get picked was sit near some empty seats (tip from these boards) and sure enough, one of "our" teens did get picked that way. DH decided he would be the one to go up and "assist" even though he is not really a Disneyholic. Oh, well, I didn't really feel like being in the spotlight anyway, and he IS a pretty lucky and smart guy usually so off he went. He has been to WDW only once (remember he is the one who doesn't go for family vacations), I've been 5 times, and our teen friend has NEVER been there. So good luck to them!!! Actually they did better than I thought, but used a lifeline on the simplest of questions: what land lies behind Cinderella's castle, or something so basic like that. I was cringing and groaning, especially as they used the lifeline. TD the 5 year old knew that answer!!! ARRGH!! but they did get it right and advanced up to the question they missed on (I think it was the $125 question, or question #6): what Disney theme park has "Westernland"? the answer was Disney Tokyo but they guessed Disneyland Paris because DH & I had watched a travel channel show that had a Buffalo Bill show in Paris. I didn't feel too bad coz I didn't know that answer either. Still , they got $80 shipboard credit which was OK with us, and teen contestant used up $14 of that to call her boyfriend that night from the ship!! (a 2 minute call!!) Well, I wasn't surprised, and as long as she paid for it, what can I say??

Then we went to our Animator's Palate dinner and enjoyed the show (on Sunday the formal night they don't have the light show at AP). After dinner we really wanted to go sit and watch Match your Mate show at 11pm but we were so beat from getting up early for 2 days and running around the islands. So we just peeked in the Rockin Bar D, it looked like fun, but we were too tired and went to bed.

Thursday was jackpot bingo so we went and bought tickets as first timers ($20 for 5 games), just greedy pigs wanting to win the big jackpot like a lot of other people. On my way somewhere Thursday morning, I stopped by Captain's Q&A in Rockin Bar D and listened in on the last 15 minutes. Very interesting discussions if you get a chance to attend and our ship's officers are just so great. Very impressed with them. BTW we didn't win bingo but had fun playing, the jackpot was around $3000.

Saw Disney Dreams matinee in the afternoon, a good time choice for this show, and it was great of course. That Anne Marie is a little annoying but I don't have a suggestion for how to improve that part, so what can I say?? For the most part I love that show, it is truly Disney at its best. Then our dinner that night was at Parrot Cay, for the lobster etc, but it wasn't that special I thought, but was OK. The best food I had at Parrot Cay was on Monday night had the coconut shrimp and onion rings appetizer with a dipping sauce that really complemented the shrimp well. Also that night (Monday) had the Cuban ribeye that was more of a seared prime rib cut and I didn't care much for it, it was so rare (I had ordered it medium and it was pretty rare if not almost raw). Usually I was so full after the appetizer that I didn't care if the entree was good or not, so I didn't send it back. DH, the original carnivore, ate most of that steak for me.

Also on Thursday night we "discovered" Sessions piano bar. DH is a big Frank Sinatra fan so really loved it when they sang Frank. Then came a real highlight of our time on the Magic. One of the CM's Darryl played and sang for us between 730 and 830 on Thursday night. I gathered he was not a regular performer at Sessions but he was so great. He liked to "emulate not imitate" Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong and did a great job too. He sang "scat" and the real highlight came when he performed "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. I could cry just thinking of it, it was such a perfect song to describe the time we had had on our trip. DH and I both had tears in our eyes and were not ashamed to admit it.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.
(Louis Armstrong 1968)
(written by George Weiss/ Bob Thiele)

I think I'll end here for this part, it seems fitting.

 

[Chattyaholic]

We will have to spend some time there on our next cruise. Last time we barely peeked in, just to see what it looked like. I would probably enjoy it more than DH would though. You mentioned the song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, that was the song my daughter chose to have played when she danced the first dance with her new husband at her wedding 6/17/00!! Reading the lyrics in your post made me relive that moment at her wedding, it was so special!!

 

[taswira]

It's strange about the Cuban ribeye at PC on either ship. On the Wonder in January, that was the only really BAD food I had. I'd ordered mine "medium" and it arrived extremely overcooked, looking like old show leather and too tough for me to chew. But I didn't send it back because, as you said, there is plenty of other food to enjoy.

Enjoying your reports!