jenseib
Mommy to Claire
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
I can't wait to see that new gown. Sounds perfect!
We had a golden Mickeys dress made for Claire and she got a ton of compliments from cast members.
Christmas Has Come Early
- Thread starter dolphingirl47
- Start date
I can't wait to see that new gown. Sounds perfect!
We had a golden Mickeys dress made for Claire and she got a ton of compliments from cast members.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I have a gown that I had made once I found out that they still have Golden Mickey's on the Wonder, but it weighs a ton and for the Alaska cruise, we will have to pack a lot more warm stuff than we would normally do. So I decided to invest into a new gown as this style is a lot lighter. This is the original Golden Mickeys gown:
Corinna
- Joined
- May 2, 2004
All caught up Corinna, fabulous report and your gown is beautiful
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I suppose I do. After 9 cruises in just over 4 years and 75 nights spent on the two classic ships you do get to know people.
Corinna
Corinna
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Day 6
We had set the wake up call for 6:30 just in case we decided to go to the stretching class. However, when the alarm went off, we decided that having a lie in was altogether more tempting and we slept until 8:30. Then we got up and headed for the Cove Cafe for some coffee. I had a Mocha and Graham had an Americano. We had planned on being good, but the pastries looked awfully tempting so we had a small pastry each. Coming out of the Cove Cafe, we checked how busy the pool was and it was empty. So we quickly went back to the cabin to get our swim stuff and had a swim. Every now and again somebody came and dipped their toe in or even got into the pool and swam a length or two, but for the main part, we had the pool to ourselves. I spotted something that really made me laugh. At the end of the pool there was a sign stating that swim diapers are not allowed in the pool. Considering that this was the adult only pool, this seemed more than a little weird. Eventually we had enough and got out of the pool. We went back to the cabin for a quick shower and then we got changed.
The first planned activity of the day was the Castaway Club Reception. We still had a bit of time until this was scheduled to begin so we headed for Shutters. We had a look at the photos that had been taken the previous day. As they had all come out fantastic, I decided to go for the photo CD. They now offer a package where for an extra $50, you get all the prints as well. This is really good value. I ordered the CD on the kiosk and then I headed to the counter to see how this would work with the prints. This solved the mystery of the remark of our photographer friend the day before. Yet another photographer from the Wonder was on the Magic. He had been on the Wonder for our Panama Canal and Mexican Riviera cruises, but not for the Hawaii cruise. It was nice to see him. He took the extra $50 of me and then called over one of the other photographers to help us to find all of our photos. I noticed that I had a print of one photo, but it was not on the kiosk. I mentioned that when we took the prints back to the counter and a request to add this was sent to the lab. We said goodbye to everybody and headed towards Studio Sea where the Castaway Club Reception would take place.
We were still a little early so we sat down on some chairs outside. There was some interesting looking construction going on next to Guest Services, which I found out later was the beginning of the Gingerbread House. A little while later, I headed over to the table with the name tags. I chatted with the member of cruise staff giving them out for a bit. He was also from the UK. I asked him how many Gold and Platinum Castaway Club Members were on the ship and he replied that they were not quite sure. I initially understood that they had sent out 70 invitations, but realised quickly that he had actually said 17. Shortly afterwards we were let into the room. This was very different from the previous Castaway Club Receptions that I had attended. I essentially had Captain Mickey to myself. This is normally a welcome advertising opportunity for DCL and this was not the case this time at all. The cruise director said a few words and then the officers mingled with the guests. There were only 5 or 6 families present. Servers came round with complimentary drinks and we both had a Bellini. We also had some canapés, some fresh fruit and a sugar cookie each, but passed on the rice crispy treat. We did however accept a second Bellini. The first officer to visit our table was the Merchandise Manager. She was very nice and we spoke with her for a while. Next up was the Captain and we had a nice long chat with him. He is from the UK, too. He asked us if we had been on the two new ships yet and we replied that we were a little concerned that they are too big for us. He replied that many people who are used to the classic ships enjoy the new ships as a one off, but then come back to the classic ships as they much prefer them. Once the Captain had moved on, we had a chat with the cruise director and then it was time to say goodbye and head upstairs for our Palo reservation.
As we managed to get the bonus dinner, we had a meal at Palo three days running, which was a real treat. When we arrived, we were seated straightaway and introduced to our server Susanna from Portugal. She brought us some ice water with lemon and then we got the guided tour of the buffet. Once we got back, she asked us if we wanted a glass of Kir Royal or a glass of Prosecco. I went with the Kir Royal and Graham had the Prosecco. I ordered some of their Chilled Strawberry Soup as I did not have the chance to have some of this so far. We then hit the buffet. Graham went for the seafood and specifically the crab legs. I had some assorted cold meats and cheeses with a nice Focaccia. Graham went back for some meats and cheeses, but I went and got some Almond Bread and some Brioche with Mascarpone. When I came back, I got my Strawberry Soup, which was delicious. We decided to order a Cambozola and Grape Pizza to share. This had been a real surprise to me on the Hawaii cruise. I normally hate Blue Cheese, but I loved this. Graham also ordered some Tilapia and I ordered my beloved Chicken Parmigiana with Risotto. We both loved our food. We both had some White Chocolate-covered Strawberries and Graham also had some Panna Cotta and some Cheesecake in a glass. I had some Chocolate Cream and some Tiramisu. We both some coffee and then we said goodbye to Susanna.
I had spotted a Tequila and Margarita tasting in the Navigator when I read through this in the morning. I was not quite sure if I fancied this after our Palo brunch so I had not done anything about this. However, when we were finished with still about 30 minutes to go before the tasting, I decided that I fancied it after all. I headed straight to Guest Services and there were still spaces available. So I got my ticket and headed over to Sessions. I was not the only one that decided at the last minute to do this tasting. When I got to Sessions, some people arrived to check if there was still availability and they paid right there. Again, they had set up tables of 2 or 4. This time I got company, which made this a lot more fun especially we hit it off straightaway. The tasting itself started with an introduction of what Tequila is and comparing it to Mezcal. We then got to try 3 Tequilas, all of which were the Patron brand. The first one we got to try was a Silver Tequila (aged up to 2 months). For this we were offered Salt and Lime. I passed. I don't see a point in spoiling a perfectly good Tequila. We also got to try a Reposado Tequila (aged between 2 months and one year) and an Añejo Tequila (aged between 1 and 3 years). The Añejo Tequila was so smooth that I wanted to weep. Apparently there is now also Extra Añejo Tequila, which is aged for more than 3 years. While we were trying the various kinds of Tequila we were told about the various aging methods. The tasting finished off wit two different mini Margaritas. The classic Margarita was great and easily made it into my top 10. The Mango Margarita was not to my liking, which is kind of strange as I love Mango. I suppose when it comes to Margaritas, I am a traditionalist.
We had set the wake up call for 6:30 just in case we decided to go to the stretching class. However, when the alarm went off, we decided that having a lie in was altogether more tempting and we slept until 8:30. Then we got up and headed for the Cove Cafe for some coffee. I had a Mocha and Graham had an Americano. We had planned on being good, but the pastries looked awfully tempting so we had a small pastry each. Coming out of the Cove Cafe, we checked how busy the pool was and it was empty. So we quickly went back to the cabin to get our swim stuff and had a swim. Every now and again somebody came and dipped their toe in or even got into the pool and swam a length or two, but for the main part, we had the pool to ourselves. I spotted something that really made me laugh. At the end of the pool there was a sign stating that swim diapers are not allowed in the pool. Considering that this was the adult only pool, this seemed more than a little weird. Eventually we had enough and got out of the pool. We went back to the cabin for a quick shower and then we got changed.
The first planned activity of the day was the Castaway Club Reception. We still had a bit of time until this was scheduled to begin so we headed for Shutters. We had a look at the photos that had been taken the previous day. As they had all come out fantastic, I decided to go for the photo CD. They now offer a package where for an extra $50, you get all the prints as well. This is really good value. I ordered the CD on the kiosk and then I headed to the counter to see how this would work with the prints. This solved the mystery of the remark of our photographer friend the day before. Yet another photographer from the Wonder was on the Magic. He had been on the Wonder for our Panama Canal and Mexican Riviera cruises, but not for the Hawaii cruise. It was nice to see him. He took the extra $50 of me and then called over one of the other photographers to help us to find all of our photos. I noticed that I had a print of one photo, but it was not on the kiosk. I mentioned that when we took the prints back to the counter and a request to add this was sent to the lab. We said goodbye to everybody and headed towards Studio Sea where the Castaway Club Reception would take place.
We were still a little early so we sat down on some chairs outside. There was some interesting looking construction going on next to Guest Services, which I found out later was the beginning of the Gingerbread House. A little while later, I headed over to the table with the name tags. I chatted with the member of cruise staff giving them out for a bit. He was also from the UK. I asked him how many Gold and Platinum Castaway Club Members were on the ship and he replied that they were not quite sure. I initially understood that they had sent out 70 invitations, but realised quickly that he had actually said 17. Shortly afterwards we were let into the room. This was very different from the previous Castaway Club Receptions that I had attended. I essentially had Captain Mickey to myself. This is normally a welcome advertising opportunity for DCL and this was not the case this time at all. The cruise director said a few words and then the officers mingled with the guests. There were only 5 or 6 families present. Servers came round with complimentary drinks and we both had a Bellini. We also had some canapés, some fresh fruit and a sugar cookie each, but passed on the rice crispy treat. We did however accept a second Bellini. The first officer to visit our table was the Merchandise Manager. She was very nice and we spoke with her for a while. Next up was the Captain and we had a nice long chat with him. He is from the UK, too. He asked us if we had been on the two new ships yet and we replied that we were a little concerned that they are too big for us. He replied that many people who are used to the classic ships enjoy the new ships as a one off, but then come back to the classic ships as they much prefer them. Once the Captain had moved on, we had a chat with the cruise director and then it was time to say goodbye and head upstairs for our Palo reservation.
As we managed to get the bonus dinner, we had a meal at Palo three days running, which was a real treat. When we arrived, we were seated straightaway and introduced to our server Susanna from Portugal. She brought us some ice water with lemon and then we got the guided tour of the buffet. Once we got back, she asked us if we wanted a glass of Kir Royal or a glass of Prosecco. I went with the Kir Royal and Graham had the Prosecco. I ordered some of their Chilled Strawberry Soup as I did not have the chance to have some of this so far. We then hit the buffet. Graham went for the seafood and specifically the crab legs. I had some assorted cold meats and cheeses with a nice Focaccia. Graham went back for some meats and cheeses, but I went and got some Almond Bread and some Brioche with Mascarpone. When I came back, I got my Strawberry Soup, which was delicious. We decided to order a Cambozola and Grape Pizza to share. This had been a real surprise to me on the Hawaii cruise. I normally hate Blue Cheese, but I loved this. Graham also ordered some Tilapia and I ordered my beloved Chicken Parmigiana with Risotto. We both loved our food. We both had some White Chocolate-covered Strawberries and Graham also had some Panna Cotta and some Cheesecake in a glass. I had some Chocolate Cream and some Tiramisu. We both some coffee and then we said goodbye to Susanna.
I had spotted a Tequila and Margarita tasting in the Navigator when I read through this in the morning. I was not quite sure if I fancied this after our Palo brunch so I had not done anything about this. However, when we were finished with still about 30 minutes to go before the tasting, I decided that I fancied it after all. I headed straight to Guest Services and there were still spaces available. So I got my ticket and headed over to Sessions. I was not the only one that decided at the last minute to do this tasting. When I got to Sessions, some people arrived to check if there was still availability and they paid right there. Again, they had set up tables of 2 or 4. This time I got company, which made this a lot more fun especially we hit it off straightaway. The tasting itself started with an introduction of what Tequila is and comparing it to Mezcal. We then got to try 3 Tequilas, all of which were the Patron brand. The first one we got to try was a Silver Tequila (aged up to 2 months). For this we were offered Salt and Lime. I passed. I don't see a point in spoiling a perfectly good Tequila. We also got to try a Reposado Tequila (aged between 2 months and one year) and an Añejo Tequila (aged between 1 and 3 years). The Añejo Tequila was so smooth that I wanted to weep. Apparently there is now also Extra Añejo Tequila, which is aged for more than 3 years. While we were trying the various kinds of Tequila we were told about the various aging methods. The tasting finished off wit two different mini Margaritas. The classic Margarita was great and easily made it into my top 10. The Mango Margarita was not to my liking, which is kind of strange as I love Mango. I suppose when it comes to Margaritas, I am a traditionalist.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
I had planned to head up to the spa anyway and I had seen something listed as a Pamper Party in the Navigator. There was no further explanation and I had not spotted it on the spa leaflet either. So I decided to head up to check out what this is all about. They seemed quite surprised that there was no further information about this in the Navigator. I was advised that this was essentially a workshop where they taught you how to do a mini facial on yourself and that this would be run by two of the beauty therapists. I decided that this sounded good and hang around. In the end, I was the only person to turn up. I am reasonably familiar with Elemis products and use them at home, too. So they did not have to explain a whole lot. They checked what I used at home and then gave me the chance to try some of the other products that are suitable for my skin type. They gave me some hints about techniques, but for the most part we were just chatting and having a laugh while I applied the various lotions and potions and let them do their magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this. At the end of the allocated time slot, I said goodbye to them and headed to the Rainforest Room.
The Rainforest Room was the busiest I have ever seen it. All the heated tile loungers were taken and there were a lot of people milling around. I sat down on the bench at the back of the room for a while to see if a tile lounger would become available. On the Wonder, this is heated, too, but it was not heated on the Magic. A little while later, Graham came out of one of the steam rooms and sat down to cool off. I left my iPad with him and headed for the warm sauna. This had always been one of my favourites, but this time I found it uncomfortably hot. This is kind of strange as I use a normal sauna quite frequently nowadays and I am fine with this. So I joined Graham on the bench in the hope that a heated tile lounger would become available. I was out of luck, after about 10 minutes, I decided to head to the relaxation area next to the changing rooms and made myself comfortable there for a while. I then had a quick shower, took my stuff back to the cabin and went to the atrium for some more character interactions.
I was in character heaven that evening. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto and Chip and Dale were all out in their nautical outfits. I was particularly pleased to see Pluto as there was an acute shortage of Pluto on the Hawaii cruise. I also had some photos taken against the wall paper backdrop and the white backdrop. Once I had all my photos done, I headed back to the cabin to chill out for a bit with my book and get changed for dinner.
The Rainforest Room was the busiest I have ever seen it. All the heated tile loungers were taken and there were a lot of people milling around. I sat down on the bench at the back of the room for a while to see if a tile lounger would become available. On the Wonder, this is heated, too, but it was not heated on the Magic. A little while later, Graham came out of one of the steam rooms and sat down to cool off. I left my iPad with him and headed for the warm sauna. This had always been one of my favourites, but this time I found it uncomfortably hot. This is kind of strange as I use a normal sauna quite frequently nowadays and I am fine with this. So I joined Graham on the bench in the hope that a heated tile lounger would become available. I was out of luck, after about 10 minutes, I decided to head to the relaxation area next to the changing rooms and made myself comfortable there for a while. I then had a quick shower, took my stuff back to the cabin and went to the atrium for some more character interactions.
I was in character heaven that evening. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto and Chip and Dale were all out in their nautical outfits. I was particularly pleased to see Pluto as there was an acute shortage of Pluto on the Hawaii cruise. I also had some photos taken against the wall paper backdrop and the white backdrop. Once I had all my photos done, I headed back to the cabin to chill out for a bit with my book and get changed for dinner.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Dinner that night was the rotational menu at Animator's Palate. Graham ended up with the Roma Tomato and Portobello Mushrooms on Polenta Cake with Monterey Jack Cheese and Red Curry- Coconut Marinara; Creamy Butternut Squash Soup garnished with Chives and drizzled with Sour Cream and Lemon-Thyme Marinated Chicken Breast on top of Sour Cream Mashed Potato, Roasted Root Vegetables and Grain Mustard Jus. Our server also brought him some of the Pennette Pasta in Parmesan Cream topped with Julienne of Turkey Breast and Prosciutto. Graham really detests Polenta so I ended up getting to eat this. This is normally the starter that I order from this menu, but I was so glad that I had gone with something else this time as this was both dry and tasteless. Graham really liked the soup and loved the pasta. He gave me a taste and I found it quite bland, but he really enjoyed it. I went with the Wild Mushroom Risotto with Porcini Twist served with Parmigiano-Reggiano; Baked Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup with Bacon Bits and Chives and Asian Marinated Beef Tenderloin with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Bok Choi and a Tamarind-Barbecue Reduction. All my food was gorgeous and the Beef was melt in your mouth. For dessert, Graham went with the Buckled Warm Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream. I was initially not going to have a dessert as I do not really like anything on this dessert menu, but Graham had a great idea. He suggested that I should have a Mickey Bar. I decided to go with this and really enjoyed it. While we were having our desserts, the show started. We must have had the worst table in the room for this as we could not see any of the screens on which the video that is part of the show is shown. I was not too bothered as we have seen this many times before and I do not really rate this anyway, but I felt sorry for our tablemates who were experiencing this for the first time. I have to admit that I also feel a slight lump in my throat when Sorcerer Mickey comes in. It felt a little strange though as on all of our previous cruises on the Magic, the same person had introduced Sorcerer Mickey and she is now on the Fantasy. It just was not the same with somebody else introducing him. Once the show was over, we said goodbye to our tablemates and our serving team and reminded them that we would not be at dinner for the next two nights.
We headed to the atrium for some more photos. We had had photos taken against the wallpaper backdrop, the black backdrop and the white backdrop. Once the photos were all done, we went back to our cabin. I checked out the Navigator for the next day, took a photo of our towel animal and then got ready for bed.
We headed to the atrium for some more photos. We had had photos taken against the wallpaper backdrop, the black backdrop and the white backdrop. Once the photos were all done, we went back to our cabin. I checked out the Navigator for the next day, took a photo of our towel animal and then got ready for bed.
Pinkocto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2011
Love the pictures of you and Graham, they are just adorable!
How many tile loungers are there? I think the Dream had 8 or 10. I'll have to look at the pictures again.
That's interesting about the return to the Classic ships for most cruisers. I simply can't wait to see the Wonder.
How many tile loungers are there? I think the Dream had 8 or 10. I'll have to look at the pictures again.
That's interesting about the return to the Classic ships for most cruisers. I simply can't wait to see the Wonder.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
The Magic and the Wonder only have 4 tile loungers and no view. The Rainforest Room is in the middle of the spa. We still love it dearly.
Corinna
Corinna
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Lovely update! I especially like the pics of you and Graham against the black background; your dress shows up so nicely (it's beautiful!) and you both just look so in love!
This is the dress that I bought for my citizenship ceremony, but I could not resist to take it on the cruise.
Today, Graham and I have been officially together for 17 years and in February, we will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.
Corinna
irongirlof12
<font color=blue><marquee>Am I the only one who lo
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2006
Lovely photos another fab day
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Day 7
We had set the wake up call for 7:30. Our excursion did not meet until 11:00 at the pier, but as Grand Cayman is a tender port, we figured we would leave ourselves plenty of time. We got up and ready and packed everything that we needed for the day before heading down to breakfast. Our server had told us the night before that she would be working at Parrot Cay that morning so we decided to head there. We both had some fruit to start of with and I was delighted that they had Lychees, even if it was only the tinned variety. I sprinkled some nuts on my fruit and Graham had some yoghurt with his. We both had coffee. Graham had some Orange Juice and I had Apple Juice and some Chocolate Milk. We both went back for some cooked food. Graham had Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Sausages and Mushrooms. I had some Breakfast Potatoes, Sausages, Mushrooms and an Omelet. Once we had finished our breakfast, we quickly went back to our cabin to pick up our stuff and then went to the Buena Vista Theater to get our tender tickets.
Grand Cayman is a tender port. I have never been keen on tendering. I am also not overly keen on Grand Cayman. When we were there in 2009, the tendering process was complete and utter chaos and the tenders were essentially floating platforms. So I was not that excited about the day ahead. I was positively surprised though. When we arrived at the Buena Vista Theater, they asked if our whole party was present and checked our photo ID and Key to the World Card. We were then sent to the second entrance to the Buena Vista Theater, where we were then directed to a row. We sat down and had to wait maybe 10 minutes or so until they asked three rows including ours to stand. We were then escorted down to deck 1. They swiped our Key to the World card and then it was time to get on the tender. To my immense delight, they now have proper boats. They were quite a good size as well and much more stable. It took us only about 5 minutes to get from the Magic to the port. This was entirely painless. We still had about 90 minutes until we had to meet for our excursion. I checked with one of the cast members that was milling around where we would have to go to meet for our excursion. He pointed me to a table a short distance away. We decided to have a look around the little shopping area by the port. There was nothing that caught our attention and most of it was just standard tourist fare. We ventured out of the port area to have a look at the town, but there was nothing there that interested us either. We did however spot an area where we would get a decent view of the ship and I was hoping to get some photos. This was the area where the excursion buses were parked and we were soon moved over as they were worried that we would get run over by a bus. I still managed to get a couple of photos near the entrance though.
We decided to head back to the port area and had a wander through a little craft market that they had set up, but again there was nothing that really caught my attention. We decided to sit down in the shade near where our meeting point for the excursion was. It was incredibly hot and I did not quite trust the biodegradable sunscreen that I had brought this time. There was a bar not far away and I was bemused that they seemed to be doing a lot of business as it was still only about 10:30. A little while later, two cast members appeared and set up for our excursion. Once they had sorted themselves out, they asked one person from each party to come forward with the excursion tickets and photo ID for everybody in their party. We were then issued with a character sticker. This was all quick and painless as it was such a small group. We were asked to sit down again. We were still missing two families and were waiting for the representative from the tour operator. The representative from the tour operator showed up shortly afterwards and one of the missing families pretty much straight after this. The last family never turned up. Graham ended up as "honourary tour guide". Our tour guide had dropped her wooden sign with the tour operator logo and Graham had picked it up. She then asked him to hold this while she sorted out the paperwork with the cast members. Once this was all done, she escorted us to the bus where she introduced us to the driver and then said goodbye to us.
We had set the wake up call for 7:30. Our excursion did not meet until 11:00 at the pier, but as Grand Cayman is a tender port, we figured we would leave ourselves plenty of time. We got up and ready and packed everything that we needed for the day before heading down to breakfast. Our server had told us the night before that she would be working at Parrot Cay that morning so we decided to head there. We both had some fruit to start of with and I was delighted that they had Lychees, even if it was only the tinned variety. I sprinkled some nuts on my fruit and Graham had some yoghurt with his. We both had coffee. Graham had some Orange Juice and I had Apple Juice and some Chocolate Milk. We both went back for some cooked food. Graham had Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Sausages and Mushrooms. I had some Breakfast Potatoes, Sausages, Mushrooms and an Omelet. Once we had finished our breakfast, we quickly went back to our cabin to pick up our stuff and then went to the Buena Vista Theater to get our tender tickets.
Grand Cayman is a tender port. I have never been keen on tendering. I am also not overly keen on Grand Cayman. When we were there in 2009, the tendering process was complete and utter chaos and the tenders were essentially floating platforms. So I was not that excited about the day ahead. I was positively surprised though. When we arrived at the Buena Vista Theater, they asked if our whole party was present and checked our photo ID and Key to the World Card. We were then sent to the second entrance to the Buena Vista Theater, where we were then directed to a row. We sat down and had to wait maybe 10 minutes or so until they asked three rows including ours to stand. We were then escorted down to deck 1. They swiped our Key to the World card and then it was time to get on the tender. To my immense delight, they now have proper boats. They were quite a good size as well and much more stable. It took us only about 5 minutes to get from the Magic to the port. This was entirely painless. We still had about 90 minutes until we had to meet for our excursion. I checked with one of the cast members that was milling around where we would have to go to meet for our excursion. He pointed me to a table a short distance away. We decided to have a look around the little shopping area by the port. There was nothing that caught our attention and most of it was just standard tourist fare. We ventured out of the port area to have a look at the town, but there was nothing there that interested us either. We did however spot an area where we would get a decent view of the ship and I was hoping to get some photos. This was the area where the excursion buses were parked and we were soon moved over as they were worried that we would get run over by a bus. I still managed to get a couple of photos near the entrance though.
We decided to head back to the port area and had a wander through a little craft market that they had set up, but again there was nothing that really caught my attention. We decided to sit down in the shade near where our meeting point for the excursion was. It was incredibly hot and I did not quite trust the biodegradable sunscreen that I had brought this time. There was a bar not far away and I was bemused that they seemed to be doing a lot of business as it was still only about 10:30. A little while later, two cast members appeared and set up for our excursion. Once they had sorted themselves out, they asked one person from each party to come forward with the excursion tickets and photo ID for everybody in their party. We were then issued with a character sticker. This was all quick and painless as it was such a small group. We were asked to sit down again. We were still missing two families and were waiting for the representative from the tour operator. The representative from the tour operator showed up shortly afterwards and one of the missing families pretty much straight after this. The last family never turned up. Graham ended up as "honourary tour guide". Our tour guide had dropped her wooden sign with the tour operator logo and Graham had picked it up. She then asked him to hold this while she sorted out the paperwork with the cast members. Once this was all done, she escorted us to the bus where she introduced us to the driver and then said goodbye to us.
dolphingirl47
In Search of the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
Once we were all settled down, our driver took us through the town centre of Georgetown. He pointed out shops that were charging in US Dollars rather than in Cayman Dollars. The Cayman Dollar is worth more than the US Dollar, but a number of shops that are aimed at the tourist and especially the cruise trade use the US Dollar. I have to say that this left me cold as I do not go on a cruise to shop. Our driver also pointed out various landmarks including the Governor's Residence on our way to the boat dock. Once we arrived there, we walked a few steps to the boat. We were introduced to our captain and the naturalist and then we cast off. We did not have to go very far to a clearing in the Mangrove Forest where we stopped. There are three types of Mangrove on Grand Cayman: Red Mangrove, Black Mangrove and White Mangrove. What we saw for the most part was the Red Mangrove as this grows closest to the edge. We learned how the different type of Mangrove deal with the salt in the water, what their role in the ecosystem is and how they reproduce. She also pointed out the wildlife including a rather regal looking Green Iguana. We told her the story of the Iguana that we ended up sharing the snorkelling lagoon with on our last visit to Grand Cayman. After a little while, we moved on to another area of Mangrove. There we were introduced to Upside Down Jelly Fish. We were encouraged to touch them, but I passed. We then moved on to an area where Green Iguanas like to hang out. On the way, our naturalist pointed out a gap in the Red Mangrove. Through the gap, we could see some Black Mangrove. The area where the Iguanas can be found is also where some rather nice mansions are. I am not sure what the owners think about their neighbours. After we had spent a while looking at the Iguanas, we headed back to the boat dock.
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