Vacation Part 2: DCL

It was a bit easier to leave the Magic Kingdom on our last morning, knowing we weren't going home, but just starting the second part of our trip!

We got a quick snack at our hotel, then boarded another Disney coach for the ride to Port Canaveral, where we boarded the Disney Dream ship after a quick check-in process. Then, we were off for another adventure in the Bahamas!

The itinerary was almost the same as the trip we took with Grandma & Pop-Pop and the family back in 2007, with stops at Nassau and Castaway Cay (Disney's private island), plus we had an extra day at sea. We ended up staying on board for the Nassau day, but we really enjoyed exploring Castaway Cay for a few hours. I should explain, perhaps, that what we wanted most was to take another Disney cruise, so we chose this itinerary for the price and sail date, not the ports. Actually, one of the problems with DCL is that they only have 4 ships, so there are limited choices, especially if, like us, you can only really travel during the summer. They're building 3 new ships, though, so we hope to have some different options in the future.

The 4-night cruise did give us a chance to have dinner at all 3 of the rotational dining restaurants, plus a special dinner at Palo, one of the adults-only restaurants on board. We also enjoyed lots of activities, including 3 movies: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Coco. And in the evenings, we saw the new Beauty and the Beast stage show (twice!), another stage show called Believe, and a new pirate-themed show on deck followed by fireworks at sea. We certainly felt like we got to experience what a Disney cruise offered in terms of food, entertainment, and activities, plus the service, and the very roomy cabins.

Now--the pictures! (again in chronological order from my camera, then Mark's phone).

on the bus

a model ship in the port terminal

the beautiful chandelier in the main atrium--
the whole ship was so beautiful, in a lovely, classic style

map/art behind the guest services desk

one half of our bathroom

the rest of the bathroom (two separate spaces)

it was so nice to have a seating area in our cabin!

bed and "magical porthole"
(a screen that displays the view outside the ship, plus some special Disney touches)

the water slide/coaster on board

Disney details are everywhere!

the name of the buffet on board

the on-deck sail away party/show

this part of the Aqua Duck water slide stretches just over the edge of the ship

the mural in Cabanas

Dinner at Royal Palace:
our first, and some of our favorite, appetizers--and we forgot to take a picture!
fried brie and escargot--delicious!

Mark's lamb

my steak

our dessert (we ate way too much!)

first of the nightly towel animals left by our stateroom attendant

we came across characters everywhere!

in port at Nassau

the crew, working hard always, kept the ship so clean and well maintained!

had to try the strawberry-banana soft serve

some of the artwork on board was interactive--it has facial
recognition and animates when it senses a face standing in front of it!

windy, but pleasant on deck

pretty views in the Bahamas, but we had to admit it didn't compare to Alaska

carpet clues for navigation: N = forward, S= aft

adult-only pool area

watching some other ships sail away from Nassau
(we were one of five that day)

Dinner at Animator's Palate--a unique, interactive restaurant

our server, Ravi--he was great!
(and that's Crush from Finding Nemo in the back)

another great appetizer--my favorite part of this meal: cheese-filled pasta

more beautiful, tasty desserts

the themed entryway to the restaurant

we're not sure what this animal is...elephant, maybe?

and, because we could, complimentary room service;
the cheese plate was fantastic!

our best breakfast on board, at the Enchanted Garden restaurant--
a buffet, but quieter than Cabanas on deck, and with our regular dinner server!

who recommended a made-to-order omelette--he took good care of us

the back of the ship, docked at Castaway Cay

they've developed a bit more of the island since our visit 11 years ago!

we walked out to the observation tower
(which wasn't here on our previous trip)

we got a kick out of these fat lizards everywhere
 (don't see those in OH!)

at Serenity Bay, the adults only beach

lunch BBQ buffet at Serenity Bay BBQ (also adults-only)

Frozen is everywhere, even the Bahamas! :-)

our magical porthole again

we played a round of mini-golf on this very cute course

Then took a tour of the ship, including the two adults only restaurants.
This is in Palo, where we'd have dinner that night.

our excellent tour guide, Ashlei

in Remy, the other adults-only restaurant
(this one is pricey--an extra $90 per person! we didn't try it)

sailing away from Castaway Cay

at Palo, our fantastic server Amo serves us an antipasto plate 

everything was so delicious!

our appetizers--caprese salad and calamari

palate-cleanser sorbet

the ship's violin player walked through
the restaurant once during our meal

Amo again, this time, filleting Mark's fish table-side

 

my lobster pasta

Mark's fish--this was possibly the best thing we ate on the whole cruise.
We asked for the recipe, and the chef came out himself to give it to us. 

a side of scallops--because, really, everything on the menu looked so good!

amaretto souffle

Amo again, pouring the chocolate sauces on
Mark's chocolate souffle--Palo's signature dessert

we had a nice table, right by the windows

the action on deck on Pirate night, before the fireworks

on our day at sea, we enjoyed the apple strudel cooking demo

lunch at the buffet, with a view

I love the cases of sweets--so beautiful!

Our last dinner, at Enchanted Garden.
Mark's appetizer--tuna avocado stack (a recommendation of our server)

my scallops

Mark's fish

and the prime rib our server brought, just because he thought we should try it

more delicious dessert--Mark really liked the sticky date pudding

this was my favorite restaurant in terms of the style

it's magic!

 Okay, now from Mark's phone:

our first view of the ship

inside the Walt Disney Theater, for the evening shows (and some movies)

we tried to take a lot of pictures at the beach,
since it's something we rarely do

Mark wanted proof that he, too, got in the water :-)

after so much rain at WDW, it was nice to have such great weather here
(though we did get hot and sweaty walking around, we enjoyed cooling off in the ocean)

ribs! (thinking of you, Mom Cook :-)

My strategy to ride the water slide worked--
early afternoon on Castaway Cay day, and no wait
(despite the posted 10 minutes). I rode twice in a
row--so fun, and with fantastic views!

a mosaic in the main atrium

 

it was really hard to catch pics of these animations

another view of Castaway Cay

Overall, we had a great time. And we're so thankful to be able to take trips like this, both on our own and with family. This summer, we've got two more adventures planned: a visit to Niagara Falls with my parents, and a trip out to Las Vegas for Mark's brother's wedding. I sure love summer!