Dina's and Peter's MAGIC(al) second - January 2022 5 night MDAS

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 20, 2022 - Castaway Cay, DoubleDip

THANK YOU for sticking with me! (Especially YOU, MainStreetFireman!)

We are so blessed to have not one but two days at Castaway Cay! This was due to DCL dropping Key West (or Key West dropping DCL? Or making them feel unwelcome, or political envirnonment in KW hostile to cruise ships?)...Whatever the reason, their loss was our gain for this cruise anyhow. We hope to make it to Key West some day, but it probably won't be on a cruise, which might be for the best, as we want more than 1 day there.

We had a quick, um, light? breakfast at Cabanas, (with coffee from Cove Cafe, we gave up on Cabanas "coffee") and headed out to the farther end of the family beach, an area we hadn't explored on Tuesday since we had headed straight to Serenity Bay. We took our time walking because we wanted to see some of the fun Disney touches.









We were so sad the Post Office was closed. Hopefully we will get in there next time!







Beautiful ol' girl! <3





Oh, Captain Iger!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 20, 2022 Castaway Cay continued











We were among the first to arrive on the beach and it stayed pretty empty most of the day (back in January 2022, low crowds on cruise ships). These are my footprints. The beach and water were gorgeous!



At lunchtime, we took the tram over to Serenity Bay for the slightly upgraded lunch offerings.

Peter had the steak and ribs.


While I had the fish and ribs. I preferred the salmon from the other day to the white fish on this day, but that was a matter of taste. The ribs were just as delicious.


We also tried the fried chicken sandwich, which was really good!

After lunch it was time to make our way over to the Heads Up Bar for a delicious tasting!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Oh, what I wouldn't give to be on Castaway Cay right now instead of foggy, dreary November 1st in Chicago!! It's so picture perfect there, and with hardly any people, all the more enjoyable, I imagine! It did not look like that when we were there this past June, that's for sure!

 

[MainStreetFireman]

Thursday, January 20, 2022 - Castaway Cay, DoubleDip

THANK YOU for sticking with me! (Especially YOU, MainStreetFireman!)

Spoiler alert: I'm the luckiest husband in the world!

Your reports fill me with the memory of joy and love that we shared on our trips. I like to re-read them when times are tough or the weather is bad. They are a light that shines from within you that warms me in even the coldest of bleak winter days.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 20, 2022

The Mojito and Caipirinha tasting was our favorite!! I'm not sure if it was the setting, or the company, or the pixie dust...but spomething about the chemistry of this event was magical! The cruise planner and DCL website don't tell you this, but the tasting takes place at the Heads Up Bar on CC (I guess it's aweather permitting thing, and it could be done on the ship if it can't dock). On this picture-perfect afternoon, we were in paradise.

Our bartender/host was Glennys, and she was fabulous and generous. There were a few no-shows, and Glennys let the rest of us share the drinks that would have gone to the no-shows.



Glennys explaining the difference between the making of rum and cachaca.



I snapped this photo because that counter on the right has the beginnings of our drinks all lined up...and I have never seen a bar so spotless.



View from barstool (turning to left):


Other view from barstool haha: Classic mojito


Cachaca and Glennys


I'm pretty sure below is a mango mojito:


I think this one is the classic caipirinha:


Happy guests:




There was a strawberry drink in there also, and maybe a shot each of rum and cachaca so we could taste the difference? If you're on the fence about whether to do this tasting, please do it! If you're trying to pick one and your ship stops at Castaway, do it! Peter and I may or may not do this tasting on our next cruise, but one thing is for sure. Heads Up Bar is a must-do when on CC!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 20, 2022

We somehow made our way back to the ship, and as most people had already returned to the ship, the island was so quiet and peaceful. I wish we had taken more photos of the beaches.

Late afternoon sun,



After a nap, we got freshened up for dinner at Animator's Palate. We appreciated the gorgeous sunset from our Navigator's Balcony:

Nobody can get tired of the sunset, right?








At dinner, we got our bandanas for Pirate Night.



Pirate Night bread service with mango dip:

 

[missjackiemcg]

I had no idea they ever did drink tastings ON Castaway Cay! Now I'm bummed we didn't book this one because it was definitely available on our cruise last summer. Put it on my list for next time

The sunset pictures are beautiful!! We've never sailed with a Navigator's verandah--did you prefer it to having a regular verandah?? or was it pretty much same/same?

 

[iloveeeyore]

I had no idea they ever did drink tastings ON Castaway Cay! Now I'm bummed we didn't book this one because it was definitely available on our cruise last summer. Put it on my list for next time

The sunset pictures are beautiful!! We've never sailed with a Navigator's verandah--did you prefer it to having a regular verandah?? or was it pretty much same/same?

Yeah, there's no indication anywhere that this tasting has a special location. But if you see the Mojito one offered on a CC day, Heads Up is where it will probably be. I don't remember how I learned about it; maybe it was from a trippie or a vlog?

Regarding the Navigator's Verandah, category 7A...it was cool, and we are so glad we tried it. It was slightly cheaper than an unobstructed view. I imagine kids would love it! For those who don't know this, the 7A is different on the Magic and Wonder than it is on the Fantasy and Dream. On the smaller ships it's this cool little enclosed porthole type thing. On the larger ships, there's some ship superstructure partially obstructing the edges of your view, but no porthole. At least that's how I understand it.

Personally, they are not the same same. I prefer the unobstructed view, which offers a wider panorama and allows more light into the stateroom. I think the better view is worth the higher price; that is my personal opinion. Our next cruise we booked a 5B. Would welcome others' views on this.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I actually wrote the drink tasting tip in my planning notebook because I'm sure I'll forget, and it's too good to pass up!!

Personally, they are not the same same. I prefer the unobstructed view, which offers a wider panorama and allows more light into the stateroom. I think the better view is worth the higher price; that is my personal opinion. Our next cruise we booked a 5A. Would welcome others' views on this.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, too. I love having the natural light and also sitting out on the verandah for sunrises and sunsets with the whole horizon out there. I think the higher price would be worth it, as well.

Our last two cruises were on the Dream and Fantasy respectively, and before that I've sailed twice on the Wonder, but way back in '00 and '06. I really want to sail on the Magic and/or wonder again to remember the feeling of the "smaller" class of ship, and also try a verandah because we just had regular porthole rooms when we sailed back then.

Do you have any plans to sail on the Wish?? I hope to in the future, but the reviews are all so hit or miss that I'm thinking I'll stick to the classic ships for awhile longer.

 

[iloveeeyore]

@missjackiemcg

We want to do a grand slam! (Don't we, MSF?)

We have sailed on Fantasy and Magic so far. Dream is coming up in April for a 7-night eastern Caribbean out of Miami.

I don't know how we will squeeze in the Wonder. The itineraries make it tough, but maybe someday we can combine a Baja/Mexican Riviera Cruise with DL?

We'd, well, I would like to try the Wish eventually, but it won't be until after prices normalize and she starts sailing better itineraries. Peter might need some convincing

 

[MainStreetFireman]

@missjackiemcg

We want to do a grand slam! (Don't we, MSF?)

We'd, well, I would like to try the Wish eventually, but it won't be until after prices normalize and she starts sailing better itineraries. Peter might need some convincing

We would need to hit the lottery to convince me.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We would need to hit the lottery to convince me.

You ARE my lottery win

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 20, 2022 (Animator's Palate Pirate Menu)

The "pictures" on the walls are actually screens, and the screens change throughout the meal. In my opinion, this is the perfect venue for Pirate Night, because we could appreciate some piratey decor.









For starters, I went with the Deep Fried Crab Cake:

Peter ordered the Vegetable Samosa:


Next up the Baby Gem salad:


And the Chilled Mango Soup:


Treasure of the Seas pasta dish:


Peter went with the Steak:


continued next post...

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 20, 2022 (Animator's Palate Pirate Night continued)

There was some kind of short "show," where some pirates made an appearance and took over the ship? I couldn't get any great pics of it, but you get the idea:


For dessert, we ordered the Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Tart:


And the Pirate's Treasure Sundae:


It's loads of fun to see favorite characters out and about the ship, all decked out in their pirate garb:




There was a pirate show up on deck that night, I'm pretty sure. Neither of us has any photos of it, I'm not sure why? Maybe our phones were charging? And we can't remember if there were fireworks. We had already had fireworks on Marvel Night, so I'm not certain that there were fireworks for the second time on the five-night cruise. Please share
your experience if you can!

Peter and I definitely down-played Pirate Night this cruise. We made a big deal of it our first cruise and will again next time. It was Covid era, and we weren't sure we were even getting on the ship, so we packed especially light and skipped the check bag. Next time, we'll bring our costumes!

Up next, our day in the port of Nassau...notice how I specifically DON'T say our day in Nassau...

 

[MainStreetFireman]

Thursday, January 20, 2022 (Animator's Palate Pirate Night continued)

It's loads of fun to see favorite characters out and about the ship, all decked out in their pirate garb:
View attachment 734868

Chip and Dale are fast becoming my favorite duo to run into -- whether it be on DCL or the parks. Their interplay with each other is adorable and funny.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Thursday, January 22, 2022

I neglected to mention that after Pirate Night, we spent a little time wandering around the adult areas looking for some friends we had met at various times during the cruise. We never did meet up with anyone sadly, but we did stumble upon this amazing guitar player in the Promenade Lounge. This is one of the bad things about no printed Navigator, I'm so sorry I can't tell you his name. And we were in luck, not just for finding this great entertainer! Turned out, our fabulous bartender, Glennys, (from our earlier Mojito tasting) was working the Promenade Lounge that night! So we ordered a night cap and enjoyed some music - delightful!





Our towel animal for night #4

 

[iloveeeyore]

Friday, January 21, 2022 - Nassau - our last full day

Our plan for Nassau was really loose - Our first priority was to go see the Queen's Staircase. After that, we would walk around...maybe find a beach or a fish fry around Junkanoo area. From the ship, we also saw a beautiful-looking Masonic building downtown that we might try to explore. Mostly, we wanted a very low-key day with lots of walking around and a probable early return to the Magic for some relaxing down time by the pool.

We were wide awake and eager to greet the day as we sailed into Nassau harbor. I know this port is not a big favorite for many, but I must say, sailing in was quite beautiful, and I'd say it is one of the more picturesque ones we have experienced. We have a deep appreciation for lighthouses, and Nassau's is right there in all her glorious simplicity, begging for admiration. We enjoyed it quite a lot from our verandah!





Atlantis becomes visible:



Masonic buliding in town (a block or two up from the port).


It would take a while to fully moor and get clearance, so we did what cruisers do...we ATE! We hadn't yet tried breakfast in a dining room, so we decided on this day to give it a go. We headed down to Lumiere's.

Lumiere's is just as fancily dressed for breakfast as it is for dinner.

Assorted pasteries (good thing we didn't want any, lol)


We asked for POG juice, and I'm pretty sure our server ran uo to Cabana's to get it


Eggs Benedict:


Southern Hash:


And of COURSE, Mickey Waffles (to share)

 

[iloveeeyore]

Friday, January 21, 2022

What an absolutely GORGEOUS weather day we had in Nassau! In fact, our weather this whole trip was just perfect (except the first 24 hours in Miami). We KNOW first-hand how lucky we were. We didn't have the same luck in January 2020.


We wondered around the port area for a little while looking for a map. There were none. I don't think the locals are highly motivated to help tourists find their way around on their own?

I believe this is a municpal administration building right outside the port area. It was lovely!


After asking several people for directions, we did find our way to the Queen's Staircase. It was inland and to the left of the port, and it surprised us how little signage there was directing us to it.

The Queen's Staircase is 66 steps carved out of solid limestone by slaves as an escape route in the 1790s




Peter and I both have photos of this thing below, and I can't discern what it is on either. I believe it's a monument that had some carving, maybe?








This is the Nassau Water Tower, near the top of the Queen's Staircase


Once we reached the top of the staircase, we wandered around the top of the hill. If I remember correctly, there was a type of park up there where the ruins of the old fort are, and there was a makeshift market, with local craftspeople aggressively selling their wares. We were looking forward to heading back down to town, so we walked quickly with a purpose and it wasn't too uncomfortable saying "no thanks."

 

[missjackiemcg]

We were told on our first visit to Nassau that the first building with the statue in front of it was the "most photographed" building in the Bahamas--who knows if that's true, but we have made sure to stop there on our subsequent visits to always take a picture there!

I wish I had known about the Queen's Staircase before! This is the first I've heard of it, and definitely have added to our list for next time. Nassau isn't a port we have spent much time exploring, so I'm glad to have more reason to give it some more time on our next visit.

 

[NAB]

I was going to say the same thing never heard of the Queen’s staircase. Pretty cool was it walkable from the port?