Aliens, F&W waddle & food porn-Oct2014 BCV & 1st time DCL (Updated 19Apr2015)

[TheMaxRebo]

Sounds like a fairly painless process checking in for the cruise. I could see myself eating a lot of those shrimp while waiting for my room to be ready

wow - that's pretty cool being able to see Cape Canaveral from the boat!

The fact your can bring drinks on board (of the adult variety or otherwise) is about the one fact I know about Disney Cruise lines and I think is a great thing vs. having to buy soda, beer, wine, etc. on board

"there was no way he was going to let me take his job" - that is a nice way he put it. I am like you and would feel I could get my own ice so nice that he made it not seem like you were expecting him to do it or anything

That was a nice idea with the cheese plate and it looks pretty good - I like how they have descriptions of how the cheeses look in the information so you know which one is which

Sail away party looks fun! I like how they made the screen almost look like an old fashioned TV with the curved corners.

As cool as those porthole "windows" sound I think if we ever did do a cruise I'd just have to get a veranda for views like that!

Not sure if I would call it a fetish but I do really appreciate the effort that Disney puts into their light fixtures and the theming of them - so thanks for posting those pics!

So this might be a silly questions, but I assume the "Shutters photographers" are the equivalent of the "Photopass photographers" in the park, right? And is that included with your cruise or do you have to buy a separate "memory maker" type thing?

Wow, that must have been a challenge to be at a table only with people who spoke little/no English. I think that would be my biggest fear - being at a "bad" table" or with bad guests. doesn't seem like they were bad guests or anything, but did make for a long meal and I would want my meals on board to be fun/relaxing, not taxing ... oh well. Food looks really good and kinda surprised how many options there were!

 

[TinksThree]

Oh my!! You have a new TR! I have been away since my September trip too and have fallen way behind. I decided to jump on the TR boards and see if anything new was happening (aside from me being WAY behind on TRs!!). The ship looks so great and fantastic pictures! I can only imagine how difficult the dinner must have been trying to converse! The food looks amazing too! Well, I have subscribed and hopefully I can follow along at a decent pace!! (BTW: My TR pretty much was DOA! LOL I haven't done anything on it!!)

 

[saintstickets]

I am NOT even ready to try to multi-quote your stuff to comment on. Holy batman on the updates though.

Hey...when I update...I UPDATE!!

I'm glad boarding went well.

We were pleasantly surprised it went so well.

The lunch buffet looks very yummy.

Probably the best buffet I've ever had and that includes Cape May, Tusker House, Biergarten and Crystal Palace.

Yay that your room was ready rather promptly. How sweet of you to order the cheese tray for your lovely bride.

That's just the kinda guy I am!

Sounds like you had a stellar cast of CM's thus far.

We've met some great individual CM's at WDW but as a whole, none can compare to those on this trip.

I think my biggest fear for cruising is sitting at a table with tablemats who don't understand you or who don't want to talk to you.

Oh just wait...the best is yet to come!!

Those scallops have me drooling all over the place.

I don't usually order scallops because not everyone knows how to cook them. They're either cooked too long and are tough or they don't have a good flavor but these were just right!!

Sounds like a fairly painless process checking in for the cruise. I could see myself eating a lot of those shrimp while waiting for my room to be ready

Check-in went very well. I went back for seconds on the boiled shrimp...or was it thirds?

wow - that's pretty cool being able to see Cape Canaveral from the boat!

Can you imagine being on the ship during a launch? Now that would be cool!

The fact your can bring drinks on board (of the adult variety or otherwise) is about the one fact I know about Disney Cruise lines and I think is a great thing vs. having to buy soda, beer, wine, etc. on board

We will know better next time.

"there was no way he was going to let me take his job" - that is a nice way he put it. I am like you and would feel I could get my own ice so nice that he made it not seem like you were expecting him to do it or anything

Foster was top notch and hilarious too...keep reading.

That was a nice idea with the cheese plate and it looks pretty good - I like how they have descriptions of how the cheeses look in the information so you know which one is which

I love cheese plates but I do need a "road map" to know which are which.

Sail away party looks fun! I like how they made the screen almost look like an old fashioned TV with the curved corners.

Since it was our first time, we had to see what it was all about. If we ever take kids it's a must but on our next trip we will probably use that time to explore while everyone is topside.

As cool as those porthole "windows" sound I think if we ever did do a cruise I'd just have to get a veranda for views like that!

Yep...we are now spoiled. If the funds are available, we will probably always get a "room with a view" now...in fact, we've already booked two cruises and both have a verandah.

Not sure if I would call it a fetish but I do really appreciate the effort that Disney puts into their light fixtures and the theming of them - so thanks for posting those pics!

Your welcome but there is a certain person that will read this thread that has a thing for light fixtures. She knows who she is!!

So this might be a silly questions, but I assume the "Shutters photographers" are the equivalent of the "Photopass photographers" in the park, right? And is that included with your cruise or do you have to buy a separate "memory maker" type thing?

Shutters are sort of equivalent to PP but they are not Disney CM's and yes, like MM, it is an additional purchase.

Wow, that must have been a challenge to be at a table only with people who spoke little/no English. I think that would be my biggest fear - being at a "bad" table" or with bad guests. doesn't seem like they were bad guests or anything, but did make for a long meal and I would want my meals on board to be fun/relaxing, not taxing ... oh well. Food looks really good and kinda surprised how many options there were!

The food was great!! That was our biggest surprise on the cruise. As for the tablemates, it was a bit taxing but it really didn't take away from the meal...at least not the first meal. Stay tuned!!

Oh my!! You have a new TR! I have been away since my September trip too and have fallen way behind. I decided to jump on the TR boards and see if anything new was happening (aside from me being WAY behind on TRs!!). The ship looks so great and fantastic pictures! I can only imagine how difficult the dinner must have been trying to converse! The food looks amazing too! Well, I have subscribed and hopefully I can follow along at a decent pace!! (BTW: My TR pretty much was DOA! LOL I haven't done anything on it!!)

Glad to see you've joined in Tinks! I hope the family is well and DH survived that MSU bowl game! Signing day is Wednesday so hope springs eternal for us Golden Eagle fans!! As for the cruise, the food was fantastic, the scenery was awe-inspiring, the ship was 1st class and the tablemates...well, keep reading!!

 

[TinksThree]

Glad to see you've joined in Tinks! I hope the family is well and DH survived that MSU bowl game! Signing day is Wednesday so hope springs eternal for us Golden Eagle fans!! As for the cruise, the food was fantastic, the scenery was awe-inspiring, the ship was 1st class and the tablemates...well, keep reading!!

That bowl game was not too pretty...nor was Ole Miss' which is sad after the season they'd both had! USM...well, there is always hope!! We are focused on baseball now! Plan to be in the 'Burg for some games! Ahhh...can't wait to get further scoops on these tablemates!!

 

[saintstickets]

That bowl game was not too pretty...nor was Ole Miss' which is sad after the season they'd both had! USM...well, there is always hope!! We are focused on baseball now! Plan to be in the 'Burg for some games! Ahhh...can't wait to get further scoops on these tablemates!!

I hope y'all will message me when you come down to the Hub City. Maybe we can get together for a lunch or something. Stay tuned for more on the tablemates!!

 

[saintstickets]

Time for an update...

Friday – 10/03/14

Today we dock at Nassau, Bahamas. It could not have been smoother. We never felt the ship coming into port or docking. We can go ashore at 9:30. DW has a massage scheduled for 9:15 but we are going to Royal Palace for breakfast beforehand. We were scheduled to eat here tonight but we have reservations at Remy’s. As we were leaving our room, Foster was in the hallway a few doors down. He greeted us with his ever present cheerful smile…

Foster – Good morning Mr and Mrs B. Everything okay with your room?

Me – Couldn’t be better Foster. Your day going okay?

Foster – Fantastic mon! You going ashore today?

Me – We will for a little while.

Foster – Be sure and use suntan lotion Mr B, it can get hot out there and you white folk burn a lot easier than us black folk do.

Me – Alright Foster. We’ll be sure and put plenty on. Thanks.

And that is how our day started! He was like that every time we saw him. If all CM’s were as gracious and entertaining as Foster and Bertram, vacations would be a lot better!!

Now for a few pics on our way to the restaurant. So you think the hallways are long at BWV and BCV?




A few seasonal decorations






Shutters Photography on deck 4 where you can look at your pictures during the cruise




The restaurant




And for breakfast, we both had a favorite of ours…eggs benedict




OMG! They were fantastic!! These were as good as any I’ve ever had in any restaurant in New Orleans! The English muffin wasn’t burned like so many places do, the Canadian bacon was fully cooked but still moist, the poached eggs were not runny nor completely hard boiled and the Hollandaise sauce was not too lemony. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant for breakfast and our service was top notch. Rarely do I give a restaurant a high rating for breakfast but Royal Court deserves an

A+

It was so good I was actually wondering if we made a mistake by paying extra to go to Remy’s tonight.

(Continued in next post)

 

[saintstickets]

(Continued from previous post)

After breakfast, we walk around the ship as it begins to dock in Nassau. I walk DW to the Senses Spa on deck 11 for her deep tissue massage. It’s raining outside.






As the Dream makes its way to our berth, the rain is letting up








And we park next to the Carnival Victory



You call that a water slide?!?!


More pics as the sunshine waited for the Disney Dream to dock






I go back to the room to wait for DW to finish her massage and sit out on the verandah taking it all in. Below us they are launching a life boat. It looks like a routine run and no type of emergency.




The Bahamian Navy?



(Continued in next post 2)

 

[saintstickets]

(Continued from previous post 2)

DW has returned to the stateroom so we get ready to go ashore. A few pics from Nassau






Should I stop in here and see if they think I’m a customer like our tablemate did?






We didn’t plan on staying ashore very long. There wasn’t anything special we wanted to do in Nassau and we thought it would be better to tour the ship while so many passengers were ashore. Besides, it was HOT! Our plans were to walk around a bit, get a souvenir t-shirt that DW always gets everywhere we go and get our passports stamped. I guess 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. Can you believe they didn’t stamp our passports?!?! Sighhh

We weren't that impressed with Nassau. Maybe we didn't give it much of a chance. The two main streets we walked were the same thing...nice jewelry store next to a t-shirt shop...rinse and repeat. Oh well, we made our way back to the ship and went to our room to cool off. After a while we went to Cabanas for lunch. I only have one pic




I’m here to tell you, that wasabi was the real thing! Most sushi places in the US use very little real wasabi and substitute horseradish. The difference in “kick” is the difference between night and day. This was REAL wasabi so consider yourself forewarned if you try any while on the Dream.

We walk around the Dream some more to get our bearings and see where things are located. We visit the Vista Gallery and look through the shops onboard. A few pins I picked up




And we stopped at the DVC desk to redeem our certificate we received at the D Lounge meeting yesterday




We talk about going to see this show




But we never did make it. Back in the room to get ready for Remy’s, I go out on the verandah and notice there is no lifeboat with a number 13. Superstition? I also notice something along the water line on the Carnival ship




Compare that pic with the one earlier of the Dream and you’ll see, there is no comparison.

(Continued in next post 3)

 

[saintstickets]

(Continued from previous post 3)

Now it was time for




All passengers had to be back onboard by 5:45pm. Our travel agent at MouseForLess got our Remy reservations for 6:00pm. Whether by design or pixie dust, it was the perfect time. You might say we had a decent view from our table








The picture I took of the menu selections did not come out very well so instead, I will show you what we chose. They give you these upon completion of your meal (just like at V&A)




I elected to get the wine pairing with my meal since I didn’t have to worry about driving home. DW didn’t want to take a chance on getting a migraine so she passed.

To begin with, I was served a glass of champagne with a raspberry and apricot.




Ooh la la…a very nice way to start a meal

First up for our dining pleasure is amuse-bouche. This is a single bite-sized hors doeuvre. For us, it was fried tomato soup.




You read that right…fried tomato soup. Don’t ask me how they do that but when it was served, the CM warned us to take the whole thing in our mouth and do not try to take a small bite. He said too many have tried and ended up with tomato soup all over their clothes (and the restaurants white linen table cloth too I imagine!). We did as instructed and there was an explosion in your mouth of tomato soup, cheese and bread crumbs all combined to make a very tasty bite. DW is the experienced chef in our house and she said they probably freeze small cubes of tomato soup, wrap it in a thin layer of cheese and then roll it in bread crumbs or very fine cheese mixed into the bread crumbs before dropping it in a fryer. The heat then melts the tomato soup ice cube and keeps it from getting so hot that it would burn your tongue when you bite. If you like tomato soup, this was really, really good.

A little entertainment while you dine



(Continued in next post 4)

 

[saintstickets]

(Continued from previous post 4)

Now for food porn pics of the rest of the meal




















For the cheese course




And chocolate for dessert






As a parting gift, you receive this to take home





(Continued in next post 5)

 

[saintstickets]

(Continued from previous post 5)

We’d read a lot about Remy’s and Palo’s on the Dream. The food we have had so far at the 2 restaurants and the buffet has been excellent so why spend extra for either of these two upscale restaurants? The pictures did not do adequate justice. Food at most restaurants are meals; food at places like Remy’s is more than just a meal – it’s a dining experience. I realize this type of dining is not for everyone. DW and I enjoy places like this. We live a couple of hours from one of the top 10 dining cities in the world, New Orleans and we go there often to try some of the literally thousands of restaurants in the city. Restaurants like Remy’s, Victoria & Alberts at the Grand Floridian, Jiko’s at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Bistro de Paris at EPCOT-France (replaced by Monsieur Paul) will compete with any restaurant in the world. We were not disappointed at all in Remy’s. We look forward to trying Palo’s on our next cruise. It goes without saying that the rating for Remy is

A+

If I could give it a higher rating, I would. If AAA rated cruise ship restaurants, Remy would get a 5 diamond rating without a doubt.

After such a fantastic culinary delight (it took a little over 2 hours), we waddled back to our room to change and get ready for the Pirate Deck Party. Our stateroom host Foster had cleaned the room and left us a new towel animal




After dropping off our parting gifts from Remy




It was time to head down to the lobby.






As you can see, people were already lining up to get character pictures so we had to get one with Captain Mickey






We saw very elaborate costumes, others like ours, simple accoutrements like a bandana and others that were not dressed at all. I think anyone would feel comfortable in whatever they decide to wear on Pirate night. We thought about going up on deck to watch the fireworks but instead headed back to our room. Do you think the water is clear tonight?




While sitting outside on the verandah, we were able to get a glimpse of some of the fireworks








The pictures aren’t that great but they were taken while on a moving vessel. And after a nice relaxing spell just watching the water go by, we call it a night.

Tomorrow we dock at Castaway Cay

 

[saintstickets]

Hello? Did I lose everyone? With this new DISboards one never knows!

 

[eandesmom]

I'm here!

Ah the new DIS, just found this thanks to your comment.

Sad that you didn't know you could take drinks inboard, you can save a pretty penny. Nice that you were on relatively early to really enjoy the day on the ship, we tend to embark much closer to sail away time which is a vastly different experience. Sorry about the table mates. It's interesting, we were surprised and a little disappointed to not be seated with anyone on our September cruise, we've had lovely table mates in the past. Not that we minded being alone but it can be a nice way to meet folks.

Love the verandah! We live on ours, soooo relaxing!


Love the pirate outfits! I've never tried viewing the fireworks from the verandah, great idea. Glad you liked Remy so much.

 

[emmysmommy]

Hi Bill! I've enjoyed reading through from the beginning and I have to say that right from the start it sent me to a sentimental place. We've stayed at the Radisson at the Port in Cape Canaveral a couple times and it brings back some awesome memories. Are you just a little scared that you'll always want to do a land/sea vacation now?
What a great first 2 days. Disney does such a great job making you glad that you chose them for your vacation plans. The food alone sounds fabulous. You have such awesome photos to capture the fabulous dining and the beauty of the ship. I'm looking forward to reading more.

 

[MEK]

Oh Wow! You have to put dates on your TR so I know when you update. I am ridiculously behind and I am only caught up to your first night on the cruise.

Love the stateroom. We had a similar view although we were on the 8th deck.

I found the people on the cruise to work harder than anyone I know. Their ability to work that tiresly is just amazing (did I spell that right? probably not, don't care).

OMG to having non English speaking tablemates. I am sure that was exhausting. We were also seated with one other couple, but they were from Pennsylvania so we had NO trouble with a language barrier.

So - that beach picture that you took right before you pulled into open water is where we stayed post cruise. The old Ron Jon's place. That was the beach associated with the property and we walked down there to watch the ships depart. Fascinating. We are going to be staying there for another couple of nights next week. Really can't wait.

Your dinner looks lovely.

Good for you for growing a beard just to play the part!

 

[MEK]

OK officially caught up now.

Remy's looks devine. We did Palos on our first night. It was actually a great way to start the cruise and I think I may do the exact same thing night time. The wine pairing was amazing. Let's just say I was feeling NO pain that night.

I love your costume! Denny would not put his on. It really irritated me since I bought it for both the cruise and MNSSHP. Let's just say there was some not happy moments over that decision.

We did a walking food tour in Nassau. It was a lot of fun and a great way to see the city. Plus it rained, so this made a rainy day far better.

The girl playing the violin was also on our cruise. I went to her show and it was amazing. She played a beautiful version of Ave Maria that was breath-taking, but she mostly did popular tunes with a backing track. She did a great job with those as well, but I am totally a sucker for classical music. Oh yeah - and she sang. I wish I could remember her name now.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Wow. *pauses to wipe drool off of kindle* your meal at Remy's looks amazing. That's cool they do wine pairings there too - always enjoy them

Great pirate costumes - and cool you got to see some fireworks from your veranda

 

[KatMark]

Okay...I'm still not comfortable with this new DIS boards set up. I had no idea you had done an update (although we were out of town visiting the kids the day you did it). I can't tell from the alerts WHO did an update and who didn't.

Bill, your CM's for your stateroom sound absolutely charming and wonderful.

I don't do Eggs Benedict, but breakfast looks yummy.

I remember my son saying he wasn't all that impressed with Nassau when he went on his cruise (but then I think he drank most of the cruise...it was spring break).

Wow...what a view from your table at Remy; and very classy with the entertainment. Mark would NEVER do this type of meal, but it looks lovely and I would love to try it some time.

You and your beautiful wife are stunning in your costumes and so glad you got a picture with Captain Mickey.

I still can't get over fireworks on a cruise.

 

[saintstickets]

I'm here!

Ah the new DIS, just found this thanks to your comment.

Sad that you didn't know you could take drinks inboard, you can save a pretty penny. Nice that you were on relatively early to really enjoy the day on the ship, we tend to embark much closer to sail away time which is a vastly different experience. Sorry about the table mates. It's interesting, we were surprised and a little disappointed to not be seated with anyone on our September cruise, we've had lovely table mates in the past. Not that we minded being alone but it can be a nice way to meet folks.

Live and learn about taking drinks with you. We'll know better on our next cruise in August. As for our table mates, stay tuned...it get's REAL interesting later.

Love the verandah! We live on ours, soooo relaxing!

I know we could save some $'s by not having the verandah but we've been spoiled. Two more cruises booked and both are oceanview with a verandah. Sighhhh.

Love the pirate outfits! I've never tried viewing the fireworks from the verandah, great idea. Glad you liked Remy so much.

We couldn't decide how far to go with the pirate outfits. All in or just a bandana? I think I went a bit further than DW!

Hi Bill! I've enjoyed reading through from the beginning and I have to say that right from the start it sent me to a sentimental place. We've stayed at the Radisson at the Port in Cape Canaveral a couple times and it brings back some awesome memories. Are you just a little scared that you'll always want to do a land/sea vacation now?

The Radisson was better than we expected, especially since we received a room upgrade. We have already made reservations for next April, 2016 for another land/sea vacay! Five days at F&G followed by a 7 day DCL trip!

What a great first 2 days. Disney does such a great job making you glad that you chose them for your vacation plans. The food alone sounds fabulous. You have such awesome photos to capture the fabulous dining and the beauty of the ship. I'm looking forward to reading more.

I was pleasantly surprised about this cruise. I have resisted DW's cruise suggestions for several years (I'm still going to temporarily cancel my life insurance during the cruise just to remove any temptation!) but I think I'm hooked now!

 

[saintstickets]

Oh Wow! You have to put dates on your TR so I know when you update. I am ridiculously behind and I am only caught up to your first night on the cruise.

Love the stateroom. We had a similar view although we were on the 8th deck.

I was pleased and surprised with the stateroom. It was bigger than I expected.

I found the people on the cruise to work harder than anyone I know. Their ability to work that tiresly is just amazing (did I spell that right? probably not, don't care).

I thought the CM's at WDW were great (and they are compared to other parks) but those on DCL are even better. We could not have asked for anything better.

OMG to having non English speaking tablemates. I am sure that was exhausting.

Oh it gets better with our tablemates! Stay tuned.

We were also seated with one other couple, but they were from Pennsylvania so we had NO trouble with a language barrier.

I don't know...sometimes I have a hard time understanding anyone that doesn't eat grits and doesn't say y'all!

So - that beach picture that you took right before you pulled into open water is where we stayed post cruise. The old Ron Jon's place. That was the beach associated with the property and we walked down there to watch the ships depart. Fascinating. We are going to be staying there for another couple of nights next week. Really can't wait.

That would be neat to watch the ships come and go from that location. BTW, good luck in the PHM!

Your dinner looks lovely. Remy's looks devine. We did Palos on our first night. It was actually a great way to start the cruise and I think I may do the exact same thing night time. The wine pairing was amazing. Let's just say I was feeling NO pain that night.

The food on the cruise was fantastic. Another great surprise for us. I can't wait to try Palo's on the Wonder in August.

Good for you for growing a beard just to play the part! I love your costume! Denny would not put his on. It really irritated me since I bought it for both the cruise and MNSSHP. Let's just say there was some not happy moments over that decision.

Hey, when I make up my mind to do something, I don't go half way! Go all in or go home I say!! Don't you remember our conversation during our dinner at R&C about "activities" I participated in while in college...then it was not only all in but all off too!!

We did a walking food tour in Nassau. It was a lot of fun and a great way to see the city. Plus it rained, so this made a rainy day far better.

I'll have to try that the next time.

The girl playing the violin was also on our cruise. I went to her show and it was amazing. She played a beautiful version of Ave Maria that was breath-taking, but she mostly did popular tunes with a backing track. She did a great job with those as well, but I am totally a sucker for classical music. Oh yeah - and she sang. I wish I could remember her name now.

I didn't know she did a show. There were so many different things we didn't get to do. A 3 night cruise is just not long enough.

Wow. *pauses to wipe drool off of kindle* your meal at Remy's looks amazing. That's cool they do wine pairings there too - always enjoy them

Remy's was definitely a fantastic experience. The same master chef that runs V&A at the Grand Floridian set up everything at Remy's and it showed.

Great pirate costumes - and cool you got to see some fireworks from your veranda

We weren't sure about the costumes. There were a lot of people that didn't do anything but quite a few that went all out too. We didn't feel out of place at all.

Okay...I'm still not comfortable with this new DIS boards set up. I had no idea you had done an update (although we were out of town visiting the kids the day you did it). I can't tell from the alerts WHO did an update and who didn't.

The new DISboards are different. You can click on the "Watched Threads" option under the FORUMS and it will bring up all the threads you follow that have had activity since the last time you signed on.

Bill, your CM's for your stateroom sound absolutely charming and wonderful.

As I said earlier, the CM's on DCL are the best. They really go the extra mile to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.

I don't do Eggs Benedict, but breakfast looks yummy.

It was really good as was all the food onboard.

I remember my son saying he wasn't all that impressed with Nassau when he went on his cruise (but then I think he drank most of the cruise...it was spring break).

Maybe that is what I needed...more adult beverages!

Wow...what a view from your table at Remy; and very classy with the entertainment. Mark would NEVER do this type of meal, but it looks lovely and I would love to try it some time.

I'm always up to try something new, especially if it involves food! It doesn't matter if it's a 5 star restaurant with all the bells and whistles or a backyard crawfish boil with juice running down your chin from sucking the mud bug heads, I'll try anything once and twice if I like it!

You and your beautiful wife are stunning in your costumes and so glad you got a picture with Captain Mickey.

Why thank you ma'am. She cleans up good for a wench!

I still can't get over fireworks on a cruise.

I think DCL is the only cruise line that does it. It was really neat to sit on the stateroom verandah and watch it almost directly above us!