Warning! Long post ahead!
No table service for the Gluttons today! No sirreee!
The Gluttons made their way into an aft elevator (conveniently located pretty close to room 7138, just in case Michelle was wondering) and up to Deck 9 for Beach Blanket Buffet (Or BBB? Like Better Business Bureau?) Ok, maybe not
But they did go up and have breakfast at that buffet place after they gelled their hands.
The Princess and I stood with our trays, braided hair still dripping watery conditioner goo, and hit the omelet station.
Mmm Mmm Mmm
Mickey waffles, platters of crisp bacon, mountains of butter
This was looking GOOD!
We headed outside and devoured our food while fending off the laughing seagulls that managed to make it to Castaway Cay all the way from port Canaveral???
We can see the island off the side of the ship. Just beautiful!
We finished our breakfast, grabbed the beach bag, and get in line to get off the ship and hit paradise!
To leave the ship, everyone must have their Key to the World card swiped. DH's was declined, so we all had to step to the side while a CM called to see what was up.
After a quick phone call, she returned to tell us something.
I piped up "Oh he won a prize from the Year of a Million Dreams!"
No, she handed DH his card and told us we were free to leave the ship. Rats!
Off we went! Immediately off the ship are CMs handing out beach towels.
Then over by the Post Office we see Max. You know, Goofy's son.
The kids caught a quick picture with him, and off we went.
Down to the tram stop, we took pics of the big Fish fisherman photo op and more pics of the Flying Dutchman.
Rode the tram down to the next stop and went shopping at She sells. $113 later, we had the items sent back to the ship to retrieve later, and continued on.
We checked in at the bike rental area, and I found the tiniest hermit crab by my bike! He was smaller than my thumbnail.
I showed him off to the kids and set him down in a safer area.
We boarded our beach cruiser style bicycles and were off!
We came upon an old airstrip with an old airplane still on it.
We rode past that and on up to Serenity Bay, dodging the tram bringing people to that adult beach (DS later asked why they need an adult beach, if the people there were nekkid). Are they?
We rode past Serenity Bay onto a sandy trail through the trees and bushes.
Back, back back we went into the recesses of the island.
When we reached the end of the trail, we came upon ICE water and cups and a terrific view!
We parked our bikes and rested a bit, taking in the view. Took more pictures to remember the moment by.
Hopped back on the bikes and rode back. The bikes were very comfortable, but my elephant legs were burning with exertion!
We returned the bikes and headed to the family beach. We find a couple of empty loungers together, set our things down, and DS runs into the water.
and runs right back out again.
DD brought the sand bucket full of toys and began playing in the sand.
The prince announces that his manhood has crawled back inside his body because the water was THAT cold. The lady in the next set of loungers laughs...OUT LOUD!
Oops! Now DS is embarrassed. He's cool with sharing his witticisms among the family, but strangers?? Oh no he didn't!
Or did he?
You tell me??
He ran off to play with the Princess in the sand. Who should wander up but Amanda from the United Kingdom and the Promenade Lounge!
While I didn't take pics of the Promenade Lounge, I did take a pic of the Promenade Hallway
She offers us half priced Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers.
Half priced? Sure!
We'll each take two then!
Off Amanda trudges through the sand to quench our thirst.
We brought bottled water (carefully stowed in our luggage) with us out to the island and sipped that until our drinks arrived.
We knocked back our icy spicy refreshments, grabbed our thing, and decided to head to Cookie's BBQ for lunch.
The music from that area was loud! It was also really crowded!
We grabbed ribs, burgers, dogs, cats, potato salad, cookies, corn, and more and found an empty picnic table.
Ok, no cats.
We chowed down and were too full to try the soft serve ice cream.
Sacrilege?
Blasphemy?
Sure, but at this point, I knew I was rebooking!
I can get the ice cream on my next cruise!
We grabbed the beach bag and bucket and ventured back to the Family Beach again, this time close to the snorkeling area.
We emptied the beach bag onto a chair (1st mistake), grabbed our snorkeling gear, and left the Chief to mind our thing while he snoozed and we went snorkeling.
After about 15 minutes in the water (oh yeah, it was cold at first, but not so cold you don't get comfy in it right away), we hear the lifeguard yelling.
Oh? We need to wear snorkeling vests?
We trudge back out of the water, get vests from the lifeguard tower, put them on, and head back out into the water.
Initially, snorkeling is a huge disappointment. The water is so murky and so crowded. We venture farther and farther out, past the rope play area, past the lifeguard stands. The water is crystal clear here and deep! Bright silver and yellow fish swim all over us.
We see items Disney sunk to create reefs and lots of fish happily partaking of the reefs.
We swam and swam. I investigate by every buoy looking for HIM.
We swim to all three lifeguard towers in the water searching and searching.
The kids were tired. I, however, was on a mission. A mission from DIS.
DS swears he saw a nurse shark. We saw one HUGE fellow swimming along the bottom. A grouper perhaps?
The kids held onto my snorkeling vest straps and I swam and swam.
Finally I found HIM! The sunken Mickey!
DD and I did snorkel screams. DS and I high fived.
The sunken Mickey is between the two lifeguard towers to the right, near a floating white buoy. OK, not so near the buoy.
I figured we'd been in the water for about an hour?
We started to swim back to shore so I could grab my camera with its underwater camera and come back to get some underwater pics.
On our way back we met up with a family who found a huge conch shell with an occupant still inside. What a baleful look that conch eyed us with! Someone sure was crabby about being pulled out of the water and looked at.
The kids continued to ride at my side while I paddled and swam. I was pooped! That bike ride must have really taken a lot out of me!
When my feet touched bottom, I walked us out. My legs felt like egg noodles. I realized that I was just exhausted!
We found the Chief, who by now was wide awake. It was after 2PM!
We'd been in the water for a couple of hours!
There was no time to go back in the water for pics, much to my dismay.
We gathered our things and hurried to the tram stop.
We rode the tram back to the ship, found the Post Office closed and a sign to bring postcards for mailing to Guest Services.
Captain Hook and Smee were waiting by the ship, surrounded by little people.
We hurried back on board. DH took the kids to the stateroom to shower before going to the club and I ran to Dhiversions for the DVC presentation.
It was already in progress when I arrived. I went to the bar, ordered a tall cold drink, and found myself a seat.
The presenters were drawing names, asking trivia questions, and awarding great prizes.
Oh? A beach blanket? I'd love to win that? My name wasn't drawn. Oh well.
A beach chair? Nope.
An ice chest with a seat? No.
A tote bag? Still no.
There weren't too many people in there, but they just would not draw my name!
The final giveaway was for $300 in on board credit.
DH arrived then and sat next to me. I showed him my notes from the presentation. DH asks if we want to go ahead and buy our DVC while there. I tell him "no". Then my name is called.
We won $300 in on board credit!
Sweet!
That just knocked the $900 cruise down to $600. Cha-ching!
We scheduled an appointment to discuss DVC with them for 9:30PM.
DH and I left. I needed to shower before our Palo reservations and there was Bingo going on.
I ran to Bingo and found I was too late. Back in the stateroom, as I hopped into the shower, I asked Dh to get the digital camera out to get the pics of Castaway Cay off so we'd have plenty of space for Palo pics, and more.
I come out of the shower and DH is just sitting there.
He says "I'm sorry, the digital camera is gone".
We brought my laptop and uploaded pics at every opportunity so we could take lots of pics.
Dh figured he left it on a lounger while we were snorkeling.
We headed to Guest Services to see if the camera had been turned in. No.
That magical feeling when you're aboard a
Disney cruise seems to spread everywhere. We were assured by Guest Services that the camera would be found by a Cast Member that evening and sent to our home.
We did have our old Kodak Easy Share camera with us, but the pics it took just weren't as good. It also didn't have the terrific underwater housing.
We headed to the Walt Disney Theater and found our seats.
the kids went through the Disney SEA University in a show called Celebrate the Journey.
They received t shirts and mortar board with Mickey ears for participating. We saw both of them on screen waving.
Too cute!
We also saw DS jump when the confetti was released.
We took the kids up to Deck 9 to Pluto's for dinner.
Then back to the Club.
DH and I headed up to Palo for our 6:30Pm reservations.
It was empty! We checked in and were asked to have a seat.
Except DH had on shorts. Nice shorts and a shirt with a collar, but there were bare, hairy legs being exposed in Palo.
So he had to leave, change his clothes, and hurry back.
We arrived at Palo at 6:20 PM for a 6:30 reservation.
Others arrived for their 6:30 reservation after us.....and were seated right away.
Then 6:45 people arrived and were seated.
the 7:00 PM people arrived and were seated.
After the first 7:15 couple arrived, I spoke up.
the couch Mrs. Gluttons rested her backside on for almost an hour
Ok, Mrs Gluttons can get nasty when she has to.
and she had to. No explanation for the delay. Just seating everyone that showed up and letting us sit there.
While the maitre'd was in earshot, I said aloud "They get 5 minutes to seat us and be polite about it. Otherwise, we're leaving and they can shove that $20 for our reservations up where even an Immigration agent performing a body cavity search couldn't find it".
Or did I?
Would Mrs. Gluttons say such a thing? Sweet, naive, pushover Mrs. Gluttons?
You bet your pixie dust I would. I only put up with so much trampling.
and I did!
and we were seated immediately. By the Maitre'd. Plus, he was polite about it, but he did walk funny, holding the menus over his caboose..... Nervous sort?
the bar:
Zoran was out server. He was terrific! He apologized for our timely wait (No apology from
maitre'd) as he had a party in there that had run into some difficulties requiring his full attention.
Oh Zoran, you smooth talker you!
We let Zoran pick out our food for us that evening.
DH had grilled salmon and I had halibut.
The bread course with dipping sauce was terrific.
The shrimp and asparagus appetizer was really over done and wooden.
We didn't order wine. We had a long day and a long night ahead of us. No wine, no booze.
Zoran brought us one of each of the desserts. They were all great, but the chocolate soufflé was by far the best!
Zoran was from Bosnia and a soldier in the war there. He became a Disney Cruise employee five years earlier after the post war butcher shop he and his father opened failed. He couldn't speak English and started as a dishwasher. He worked as a regular server for three years before being offered an elusive spot in Palo. Zoran said the pay in Palo is much better than as a regular server.
What a great experience! Zoran and the food pulled that one out of the fire.
We left, gathered the kids from the Lab, checked with Guest Services again about the camera (no), and headed to the Walt Disney Theater for the show.
Tonight's show was Disney Dreams.
From the Kodak (sorry):
Inside the Walt Disney Theater:
and a pic of the main character (aside from Peter Pan):
the show was terrific and I was sure I'd get my camera back!
23. Renting snorkel gear at Castaway Cay costs more than purchasing your own and bringing it with you. The snorkel vests are free to use (and required).
Up next:
Say CHEESEY
men should have to have those too!
Even I, with my elephant legs and elephant butt 
