Jessica Johnson - November 2006

Today was our first "at sea" day, and we had it chock full of stuff to do. This happened to be our character breakfast morning, and though I hadn't really planned on going, I was up at the crack of dawn again, and decided I would go after all. I tried to let Chris sleep in- I really did. Unfortunately, I finished my book earlier than I thought I would, and I finally just started getting ready for the day, which woke him up. So, I convinced him that it was time to explore the ship, and drug him out of the room.

We wandered around seeing a variety of things, including the health center (and I was standing outside it, waiting for it to open). Then we headed upstairs to Parrot Cay, which was where our breakfast was being held.

We, as a group, really did have a full day planned- the plans were to do the character breakfast, which we could be at for 30 minutes, before heading to the Art of Entertaining Dessert Presentation. After that we had a short break before we had to go to the Castaway Club party, and then we had the tequila/margarita tasting, and Chris and I had the Spa Villa at 2:45 pm. When Robin got to breakfast, we learned that we had gotten a spot for tea, at 3 pm. So, Chris and I were going to have to miss it. I was sad, but figured I'd rather do the Spa Villa.

I had a breakfast of fruit and a piece of sausage, and we saw a few characters before Pam, Robin and I headed out to get to Studio Sea for the Dessert Presentation. I'm not sure if we were late, or if they started early, but we ducked in, and discovered the presentation had already started. This wasn't a problem though, and we found a table, and were quickly given the recipe sheet, a sample dessert and a glass of wine.

The dessert turned out to be the White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Domes that I'd had a few nights earlier at Lumiere's. It was cool to see how they made them, and to also see how quickly the chef was able to hammer through the dessert. I'm not sure it's something I'd make at home, but it was great. After they finished the presentation, they had a short wine tasting demonstration. Luckily for me, they'd chosen a wine I like, a Moscato, specifically the Trentino, which Chris and I have had a few times and love. Robin learned that she loved it as well.

When the class was done, we set off to find the boys, and we soon did. As a group, we decided to make a pilgrimage up to the Spa to see if they could move our Villa time, so that we could do both tea and the Spa. It turns out they could, and we were soon booked for 5:45 pm. This thrilled me, because it meant we'd be out there just after sunset!

So, that taken care of, we headed back down stairs and made our way into Rockin' Bar D where the Castaway Club party was being held. On our previous cruise, the Castaway Club party was a cocktail reception in the evening, but this time they were changing it up a bit. On the invitation that was left in our room there was a detachable card to bring to put your name in for a prize. Outside Rockin' Bar D, they had table set up and you'd put your card in a box, and then they'd give you a booklet to fill out and a pen.

We headed inside and got a table for all of us, and then checked out the food that was available. There were cookies and Mickey shaped Rice Krispie Treats. There was a coffee bar set up, as well as bottled water. The booklets we were handed had some trivia questions to answer, some were general trivia, others required you to go around to other guests to get the answers. Once you'd gotten all the answers, you turned them back in at the tables outside.

There was a presentation set up, one that told the history of Disney Cruise Line and explained where things were heading. It was interesting to see the footage of the ship being built- though I still want to know how they didn't sink the halves of the ship while sailing the one part to the shipyard where the other part was. All in all, I enjoyed the video clips and the little talk the officer gave. After the talk, they had the raffle for the prizes- which were Disney Cruise Line clocks. Pam won one of the first ones! While I was taking her picture with her clock, they called the last name, which happened to be Steve- so now they have a set of Disney Cruise Line clocks!

After the Castaway Club party, Chris ran the accumulation of stuff we'd gotten back to our room, and then we did a quick email check at the Internet Café. Since we had no other plans for a while, we decided to go to the Guest Services desk and see if they had a list of Hidden Mickeys on the ship, and that we'd hunt for those. They did, so we set off to see what we could find. All of the clues were written as rhymes, so we had to decode them before we could find the Mickey. The first one was the one that is built into the bow of the ship, so we made our way upstairs to Deck 10, to take a picture of that one. While we were up there, we took some pictures of Cuba, off in the distance. Then we headed off to find more Mickeys.

Once we'd gotten to the second Mickey, we decided that it probably would be a good idea to get lunch somewhere, since we had the tequila/margarita tasting coming up at 2 pm. As a group, we decided on Lumiere's, so made our way down there, and on the way, we found Hanna, who joined us.

Lunch was yummy- I ordered the Tropical Fruit Cocktail- Kiwi, Papaya, Mango and Pineapple with a Citrus Glaze sprinkled with Toasted Coconut as an appetizer, and then the Tamarind Glazed Beef Kabob- skewered with Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions served on Braised Yellow Rice. Chris opted for the Lumiere's Burger- grilled 1/2 lb Burger with choice of Bacon, Cheddar or Swiss Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato and Onion served with Cole Slaw and Steak Fries.

After we finished up lunch, we continued our Hidden Mickey quest a bit, and then made our way to Diversions, where we had our tequila/margarita tasting. We found ourselves a booth in the back, and then drug some extra chairs over. At this point, we realized we might be in over our heads. We had been under the impression that it was more of a margarita tasting- that we'd be trying a strawberry one, a lime one, etc. But, it was more of a tequila tasting instead. The first clue was the plate of salt, surrounded by lime slices.

We quickly regrouped and decided to go with the flow- after all, it's a vacation! I happen to like tequila, it's one of my drinks of choice- straight up, I don't even bother with the salt or the lime. But, I also knew that we had tea at Palo coming up, so I decided that I'd try to be moderate with my drinking. We were quite surprised when the servers came around and dropped off 3 full shots of tequila in front of each of us. A Cast Member came out and gave a little talk about how tequila is made, it's history, and the different types. Sadly, we weren't the best audience, so I'm not really sure what that history is. Still- we had a ball, and we did learn that our first shot was Jose Cuervo. The second was Repousada 1800, and the third was Patron Silver. As it turns out, Pam, Chris, and Robin had never had a shot of tequila, and I don't think Pam or Robin will again. I actually split my Cuervo shot with Robin, as she was nervous about trying it. Steve, Chris and Vince spent quite a while convincing her to try it and I have a lovely picture of her introduction to tequila.

I decided to bypass the Repousada 1800 shot, and just tried a sip of the Patron. I prefer the regular Jose, though the boys all raved about the Patron. Steve had Robin pretty much convinced that the Patron didn't taste anything like the Cuervo, and she did try it, but didn't find it any better than the previous shot. Then, after we had completed our shots, they brought out two margaritas for each person, both on the rocks, one lime and one strawberry. I took a few sips of each, and then figured it was best to stop, because we did have tea next. My husband, like all the boys, finished all three shots and both margaritas.

We were a, umm, happy group when we made our way up to Palo, to say the least. Our tea reservation was at 3 pm, and we got there at almost exactly 3. This is when the wheels began to come off. We entered Palo and explained who we were, and that's when we learned that the dress code they have also applies to tea and brunch. They informed all three guys that they could not wear shorts, but that they'd seat the girls, and then the boys could come back after they changed. This was fine for them, so they headed off, while Pam, Robin and I were lead to our table.

I think we confused our server quite a bit- but he was patient with us, and was a wonderful server. Steve came back first, as I was telling the girls that Chris hadn't packed any pants, other than his suit. Steve told us that Vince was lending Chris some pants, because Steve didn't think his pants would fit Chris. Vince got to the table next, and said that he hoped the pants would fit. I commented that he wears 32s, and Robin started laughing, because Vince's pants are 38s. So, by the time Chris made it to the table, we were all giggling as we saw him coming, because the pants really were big.

Tea at Palo is a little different than the tea at the Grand Floridian. You do pick your tea, and the menu is pretty well set. I chose English Breakfast tea, and then requested that our server bring a lot more splenda. By the end of the meal, I had quite a stack of empty splenda packets surrounding me- as I use a LOT of it.

We were presented first with tea sandwiches. There were four different ones, Cream Cheese and Cucumber, Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream, Chicken and Curry and Norwegian Prawn. All four were quite good, even though they were combinations and ingredients I wouldn't normally eat.

Next we had warm scones- and these were wonderful! Much better than those available at the Grand Floridian. The only ones I've had that were close to these are at the tea shop in Celebration. These were served with the usual jam and Devonshire cream.

The next course was Trifle, which was ok. Custard, pound cake, whipped cream and strawberries are always good- but there was either pineapple or mandarin oranges in it as well, which I found strange. This was followed by pastries, all of which were quite good.

Partway through the meal, Chris got up to use the restroom, and again we were laughing about his pants. On his way back to the table, he stopped, sucked in his stomach, and they fell to his hips, even though he had his belt practically wrapped around him twice. So, it wasn't that shocking when, as we were walking out, he lost them altogether. Since Steve snapped a picture- he'll never live this one down ;o)

We were at a loss as to what to do next, so Pam, Robin and I found a seating area in the Deck Nine Forward Elevator Lobby, and waited there while the guys ran back to the rooms to change. I called Chris while he was in the room and asked him to bring our bathing suits, and we just hung out talking to everyone until it was time for Chris and I to check in at the spa. The others headed out to do their own things.

This was the spa thing I'd been looking forward to the most. In fact, it was one of the pluses for booking the 7 night cruise for me. Up until this October, when the Wonder went into drydock, only the Magic had the Spa Villas. Ever since I'd heard about them, I was determined to experience one, and after some coaxing, I'd had Chris convinced that we "had" to do one. Once he was sold on the idea (and it's never really that hard for me to sell him on a spa experience) it didn't take long for us to determine that we would go for the "top of the line" one, the Ultimate Indulgence.

The Ultimate Indulgence gives you the longest time in the Couples Spa Villa, and it offers a massage, a facial, a foot ritual and a bathing ritual for each person. It's also the most expensive package, at $589. However, it was well worth it, and I look forward to being able to do it again.

Once you've checked in at the spa, they normally give you the paperwork to fill out, but we'd already done that, so we just had a seat and waited for our therapists to come and get us. They came for us in just a few minutes, and escorted us into our villa. The villa is a fairly large (by cruise ship standards) treatment room. It's decorated in a very different style than the rest of the spa, more dark wood, slightly more contemporary feeling. In the middle of the room are two treatment tables. Along one side, is a long counter with a sink, and a few decorative items, along with a few things used in the treatment. There are a few carts that hold all the usual treatment items, and there is one wall that is completely open- a big sliding door. Each villa has a private verandah, and on that verandah you'll find an open air shower, a Jacuzzi, a chair and a daybed.

After you get to your villa, the therapists each take the person they are assigned to and go over your form and ask the usual spa questions. Then they excuse themselves while you change into your bathing suit for the Jacuzzi and top that with one of the wonderful waffle robes. When they return, they escort you out to the verandah, for your foot ritual. I sat in the chair, while Chris sat on the edge of the daybed, and they had large bowls of warm water to soak our feet in. They presented us with a menu to choose from one of the three types of tea they offer, and then proceeded to present us with small marble glasses full of the oils and treatments they would be putting in the Jacuzzi for our customized bathing ritual. When they had poured everything in, they then washed and exfoliated our feet. Then they excused themselves, explaining that they'd be back in about 25 minutes, while we enjoyed the Jacuzzi. They had set up a pitcher of cold water on the side, and after getting us settled, they turned off the lights, all except the blue one in the Jacuzzi, then pulled the curtains before closing the door (the curtains are on the outside of the door)

And we were alone. I can't even begin to explain how amazing of a feeling this was. It was just past sunset- so the sky was a gorgeous deep, sapphire color. We were out on the ocean- no land in sight, just the sky full of stars, and we were sitting in a private Jacuzzi, just the two of us. It was just amazingly peaceful.

When our time in the tub was up, our therapists discretely opened the doors and asked if we were ready to come out, before opening the curtains. They showed us the stack of towels they had for us to dry off with, and then excused themselves, after explaining that we should lay face down on the tables, and cover ourselves with the towels. So, we left our bathing suits out on a bench, dried off, and headed in to get settled on the massage table. A few minutes later, we were both tucked into a little cocoon on our respective tables, and our massage began. The massage is the usual 50 minutes or so, and when that's finished, they do your facial. I was so relaxed, that I didn't even realize that the therapist was about to start the facial (normally you hear them walking around, etc) and she sort of startled me. The facials are always wonderfully relaxing. I loved that we were still insulated from the outside world- the whole time we were tucked away in our special villa.

Once the facial was done, they excused themselves again while we got back into our robes, and then headed back onto the verandah. Here we climbed onto the daybed, which I can't rave enough about. It's soooo comfortable! I wish I had one at home! Then, they brought us a tea tray and a plate of fruit skewers. The tea left something to be desired, it was sort of lukewarm, and a green based tea, which I generally don't care for. There was also nothing to sweeten it. The fruit though, was amazing- fresh, wonderful pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes and strawberries. We spent another half hour just relaxing, taking in the huge, starry sky and nibbling on our fruit.

Eventually, though, our time was up, and we had to leave our wonderful hideaway. I'm not sure that words can really express how wonderful the experience was- it was so worth it. It's one of those experiences where I found myself just sitting there counting my blessings that we were there.

Chris and I headed back to our room, and had a few minutes to get ready before heading upstairs for dinner. Tonight was formal night, so it was time for another dress for me. There was a little massage oil in my hair, so it was another night of my hair slicked back, but that's ok. Dinner was at Parrot Cay, and we were soon seated at our table.

Tonight was the regular Parrot Cay menu, so for my appetizer, I ordered Cold Cream of Mango and Papaya- flavored with Passion Fruit. I'm not a big soup person- but I love the cold fruit soups on the ship. For my entrée, I went with the Mixed Grill- Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Lamb Chop, Bacon-wrapped Sausage and Jumbo Shrimp with a Cabernet Mushroom Sauce. I'm still not entirely sure why I ordered the mixed grill, since I don't really like lamb, and I don't eat shrimp. I've also discovered that sausage wrapped in bacon just tastes weird. But, in the end, I was left with my old stand-by, the beef tenderloin.

For dessert, I thoroughly confused our servers. I don't generally think of myself as a picky eater, but there are just some basic food "rules" I have. I generally try to avoid a lot of heavy carbs, so I rarely eat the potatoes, order burgers without buns, etc. I also happen to be allergic to milk, so rarely eat ice cream. Looking at the dessert menu, I realized that the one thing that sounded really good was a brownie. There was an ice cream sundae that was basically a brownie a la mode. So, I ordered that, with no ice cream. They weren't entirely sure that I meant what I was asking for, but after I explained, they agreed- and I had a brownie for dessert.

After dinner, we decided that it was time for some more drinks. Tonight we settled on Diversions, and soon found ourselves tucked away in a corner, after we rearranged the chairs. Our server was one of the guys who had helped with the tequila tasting that afternoon, and he came over to take our order. I opted for a chocolate martini, while Chris decided to be adventurous and go for his new favorite drink, red wine and coke. (back in June, when we'd been at Palo on the Wonder, Joe had asked our server to bring him a drink from her country, and Chris had requested one too. That's what she brought) Chris had been telling Steve about it, so he decided to get one too. The server was speechless- thinking he was confused, Chris explained that he wanted them in the same glass, but that wasn't the issue. It turns out that the server is also from Romania, so it's a normal drink in his country, he'd just never encountered anyone ordering one on the ship. He was thrilled, and came back with an extra can of coke, to make sure that the drink had the right balance.

When we finished our drinks, we decided to call it a night, since we had our first day in Mexico the following morning.

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