*Mandymouse's 3 Night 20th/23rd Dec Cruise*

[mandymouse]

Castmembers

Mandy (me), Hubby (Paul), DD1 (Kerry 16) and DD2 (Becky 14)

Thursday 20th December ‘07

We all started to get up and showered around 7-7.30am. We finished off the packing and left the ASSp about 8.45am. After stopping for some gas, we headed to Port Canaveral.

We arrived around 10am, and they held us back for 10 minutes before allowing us into the terminal. Paul went off to park the car and the rest of us went to check-in. Once again we didn’t have to hand over our passports (woohoo ! no getting up at 6am on the last morning), and five minutes later we were checked in and given our Keys to the World.

We were in Stateroom number 7594 on Deck 7 (a category 5) and we found that our dining rotation was PTA, so Parrot Cay for the first night, Tritons for Pirate Night and Animators Palate for dressing up night and we were the last seating at 8.30pm.

We took lots of photos in the terminal, and the Christmas decorations looked lovely, then we took some outside, next to the ship as it was a beautiful morning.

At 11.45am boarding numbers 1 & 2 were announced to head through those huge Mickey Ears (we were number 2). We had our photo taken before we embarked and as we entered the ship we heard my favourite phrase in the whole world (apart from we’ve won the lottery – I’m still waiting to hear that one) “Welcome aboard the Disney Wonder, the Martindale Family”. It’s a wonderful feeling as they announce you aboard and all the CM’s are clapping – you really feel special.

We chatted to a CM from the UK and then we went straight up to Deck 9 for lunch at the Beach Blanket Buffet.

After lunch Paul & I popped to the restrooms to change into our swimwear, and we sat out next to the Goofy pool. Moments later I was in heaven, I was on the Disney Wonder with a Bahama Mama in my hand.

The girls went off to explore, and came back minutes later as Kerry had won an IPod shuffle in the games room. They went to find our room when the rooms were available at 1.30pm and our cases had already arrived.

I went back to the room around 2pm and unpacked.

Paul came back and helped Kerry set up the wireless internet, and he said that a rocket was being launched from Kennedy Space Centre in 10 minutes. So we legged it up the stairs to Deck 10, but we could hear it going off as we ran up the stairs, so by the time we got to the top deck, the rocket was a dot in the sky, with a long vapour trail behind it – I really wish we’d been quicker as I’m a bit of a ‘space nut’.

At 4pm it was the lifeboat drill, we donned our life vests and went to our station on Deck 4 and we stood baking in the sun.

A little while after returning our life vests to our room, we went to the top deck to see the ‘Sailaway Party’ or as it is called now the ‘Adventures Away’ party. I wasn’t overly impressed with the new Characters song, maybe it’s because I used to love the old song (and I knew the dance – how sad is that ? :rotfl: :rotfl: ) and they actually did the song and countdown about 10 minutes before we set sail.

After taking lots more photos, Paul & I set off for Diversions for a couple of Bahama Mamas and a couple of games of draughts (which ended 1-1) and then we went for a mooch around the shops when they opened.

We got ready for dinner around 7.30pm and got to Parrot Cay for 8.30pm. Dinner was very nice and I got to do the Limbo with one of our servers.

We had one final Bahama Mama and a couple of games of draughts (I’m now losing 3-1) and we turned in around 11.30pm

Friday 21st December ’07 – Nassau

I got up around 8am, went out onto our verandah, and saw that it was really cloudy – so I got back into bed.

We all got up around 9am, as Kerry had an appointment at 10am to have her hair braided. We had breakfast at the Beach Blanket Buffet and then I took Kerry to have her hair done.

We’re not overly keen on Nassau, and sometimes we get off the ship to take photos in the Port, but today we were staying put. The girls went off to the arcade and to visit the Teen Club, and as it was lovely and sunny now, Paul & I found some loungers up on top deck and enjoyed the sun.

After a couple of hours we went back down to the Beach Blanket for lunch. After lunch we lay out with another Bahama Mama, but after a while the clouds rolled in and it began to rain, so we went back to our room to chill out for a couple of hours.

Later in the afternoon we went up to Goofy’s Galley for a snack of tuna wraps and turkey & cranberry ciabatta’s, then we wandered around the top deck taking photos and for the first time we found the Adults Only area, where we had a couple of Bahama Mamas.

Around 6pm, the girls went off to see ‘The Golden Mickey’s’ show, so Paul & I had a look around the shops – then I’m sure there was the possibility of another Bahama Mama in the Promenade Lounge.

Tonight was Pirate Night, so we got ready for dinner at Tritons. Once again the meal was very nice. We were absolutely stuffed from our lovely dinner, so we wandered up to our room, but we were too tired to go up to the Pirate Party, so we watched the fireworks from our verandah and listened to all the music.

Tomorrow – Castaway Cay (Yay ! )

[mandymouse]

Saturday 22nd December ’07 – Castaway Cay

I think I woke up around 7am, as I could feel the ship turning around to back into Castaway Cay. As the ship turned, I saw 3 dolphins playing in the sea, and I wished that I’d got my camcorder ready. It was really cloudy and a bit drizzly, and it seemed to take ages to get to the island. The ship really did inch it’s way slowly towards Castaway Cay, but thankfully she did dock, so I went back to bed for ½ an hour. (Later we found out that a lot of excursions had been cancelled due to rough seas, so this must've been the reason she took so long to dock)

We all got up around 8.30am, we had breakfast at the BBB, and after picking our stuff up from the room, we disembarked at Castaway Cay.

The island is always lovely, but as it was decked out for Christmas, it looked gorgeous. As you got off the ship there was a huge tree next to some snowmen that were spouting out snow – how cool, snow in paradise.

We wandered down to the family beach where Kerry and Becky hired a pedalo, and off they went. By now it was about 10am, and already it was sunny with the temperatures in the mid eighties (fab).

The girls loved the pedalo, although at one stage I did start to worry that they were too far out, and I began to panic that they were crying with exhaustion and they couldn’t get back to the shore – well as you probably can imagine, they were having a great time and just let the tide carry them as they couldn’t be bothered to pedal.

We found some loungers under a parasol and sat out till about 12ish, and then we went up to Cookies BBQ for lunch. The burgers, chicken, potato salad and coleslaw were very nice and we polished them off with some cookie dough ice-cream.

Now my two don’t enjoy beaches and sunbathing, so we walked them back to the ship, settled them back into the room and then Paul & I returned to Castaway Cay.

We had another good hour in the sun (or should I say shade as it was blooming hot by now), so we headed toward the Conched Out bar and had a couple of cocktails there. Now whenever I daydream and wish where in the world I could be right now – it will be sitting on a bar stool at the Conched Out bar on Castaway Cay with a Bahama Mama in my hand – Total Heaven !

After our cocktails, we walked back to the Disney Wonder and once we were changed, we took photos of the ship leaving the island and then popped into the shop for some souvenirs.

The girls went off to see the Disney Dreams show around 6pm and at 6.30pm, Paul & I had our reservation for dinner at Palo. I love this place, not just because it’s adults only, but you just wouldn’t believe that you were sailing with 2,000 other people as it’s so peaceful in there.

Ivana was our server, and she was lovely. We ordered a bottle of Asti Martini, and we were brought a basket of bread/breadsticks with different dips and a plate of Italian meats and cheese.

For starter, Paul had ‘Grilled Portabello Mushroom and Polenta with a Roasted Shallot Sauce’ and I had ‘Mozzerella and Plum Tomatoes with Balsamic Dressing’ which were both very nice. Then for our main, Paul had ‘Our Beef Tenderloin – Palo with a red wine sauce’ and I had the Beef Lasagne. Mine was delicious, but Paul’s was devine (I’m going to have the Beef Tenderloin next time).

We both had the Panna Cotta, which we found on our last visit to be a lot lighter than the infamous Chocolate Mousse, and then we finished off with a tiny glass of some kind of lemony/vodka based sorbet drink – which like everything else we’d had, was delicious.

Roll on August, when we hope to do both Brunch and Dinner in Palo.

The girls had gone down to Animators Palate for dinner, and they looked lovely. We joined them after Palo, so we could give out our tip envelopes, and we had one last cocktail (well you just have to – don’t you ? ).

While at Animators Palate, we were forced (yeah right ! ) to have one final dessert (well it would’ve been rude to say no :rotfl2: ), so we both had the Strawberry Shortcake (Mmm) and then we said goodbye to our dining team.

We went back to the room to get changed and finish our packing and our cases were outside our door long before 11pm. (If you leave your cases out the night before, then you don’t have to carry them off yourself, you collect them once you’ve disembarked at the terminal).

I think we were all in bed by 11pm – all this sunbathing, eating and drinking is exhausting !

Sunday 23rd December ‘07

We were rudely awoken around 7.10am by the ships tannoy announcing that the ship had been cleared by customs and we were able to disembark. They sure wanted us off the ship as they repeated the announcement about 20 minutes later.

We quickly got changed, but didn’t bother with breakfast (a bit too full from the night before) and we disembarked. It was really busy where you pick up your luggage, so it was about 8.30am by the time we were back in the car and heading back to Orlando.

[Bats]

It's so lovely looking at peoples pictures .. trouble is, is that it makes me want to go NOW !

Less than 270 days to go anyway.

[jdybnsn]

Hmmmm ...1,2,..6,7,... well I make it at least 12 Bahama Mamas !

Anyone else care to count (bit of recurring theme wasn't it readers ) ?

... not bad for a 2 night cruise (lol)

[Michelle]

Lovely Mandy

I have to talk DH into doing a Christmas cruise

[TinkTatoo]

What a great trip Mandy - thanks for posting

Originally Posted by Michelle

...I have to talk DH into doing a Christmas cruise

See more...

I haven't even done our first cruise yet and I'm already dreaming of a Christmas one

[Guest]

great trip report mandy, you have a lovely looking family, the girls looks really nice in their dresses thanks for sharing

can i ask a quick question, do many people get dressed and and if so is it always the last night or for a particular restaurant

thanks mazz

[mandymouse]

Thanks for your comments everyone

Originally Posted by mazz

can i ask a quick question, do many people get dressed and and if so is it always the last night or for a particular restaurant

See more...

Yes, dress up night on the 3 night is on the last night, but to be honest we like to dress up for dinner everynight (except Pirate Night). Not everyone does, but there are lots of families just like us, who just feel that you are somewhere special, so why not make an effort

If anyone has anymore questions, then please just ask

[Tinkers]

Thanks for the report Mandy. After ready this, i understand now why i booked.

We all just can't wait. Christmas cruise would be lovely one day !

[Sue F]

Wow Mandy, CC looks amazing with all the Christmas decs up. Thanks for sharing your trip on the Wonder, it brings back fantastic memories of our cruise. I can't wait till we go again!