Pirates of the Tennessean - Dave and INC's Dream Cruise!

[Total Joker ... TJ 203]

I can feel the sand between my toes!!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Awesome underwater pictures!!! I may invest in a decent underwater camera for my cruise next year!! Yes I love to swim with the fishes!!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Love the water pictures! I'm with INC. Love to snorkel but don't like fish near me. Had an encounter with a grouper in Coral Gardens off the coast of Grand Cayman. He looked almost as big as me. Thankfully he didn't come too close!

If anyone is interested, there is a company that makes waterproof camera pouches. They are $20+ depending on the size of your camera. Much, much cheaper than investing in an underwater camera! I've used one on several trips. If you'd like info, let me know and I'll dig mine out to check the brand.

[stefa70 205]

Great snorkle pics of the kids.

IMHO though, the Corona trumps all other shots.

J/K, but I do love me some Coronas!!! :jumpforjoy

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Another great update! Love the underwater shots!

Thanks Kimmie!

INC is a much better mom than me. I don't think I would have allowed my girls to have a picture with Jack Sparrow.

It is not that I have anything against Jack Sparrow, but if they are posing for pictures with him then it would be taking up my time with him.

Remind me to keep you away from INC. I'm thinking bad influence.....

More underwater pictures are OK!! You are right those pictures make the ship look huge! Kind of intimidating. LOL. Hanging in for lots more. Great job Dave!!

Edit to add

I totally agree with INC....I hate swimming with fish! I'll take a cemond pond any day over a swim in the fish infested waters. I've done it and was scared to death the whole time!

I think she is comforted to know she's not the only one.

Awesome update! Love the underwater pics. So very jealous of you finding Minnie!

We were totally blown away by CC. I don't know why we were surprised, with the level of quality that Disney puts into most everything it touches, but we still were. It was such a beautiful island, so easy to be there, so perfect...

Looking forward to the next update!

Leslie

PS - Yvonne - :rofl2:

It was perfect. I am completely NOT a beach person, but CC is much more than that. Just relaxing.

I can feel the sand between my toes!!

Be careful, you could get a blister.

Awesome underwater pictures!!! I may invest in a decent underwater camera for my cruise next year!! Yes I love to swim with the fishes!!

We were more than pleased with our Nikon. The nice thing is, it makes a great all around camera that happens to be waterproof. The other benefit is that it is shockproof and can be dropped from like 8 feet without breaking. That's an important feature in a house populated by Red Terrors.

Love the water pictures! I'm with INC. Love to snorkel but don't like fish near me. Had an encounter with a grouper in Coral Gardens off the coast of Grand Cayman. He looked almost as big as me. Thankfully he didn't come too close!

If anyone is interested, there is a company that makes waterproof camera pouches. They are $20+ depending on the size of your camera. Much, much cheaper than investing in an underwater camera! I've used one on several trips. If you'd like info, let me know and I'll dig mine out to check the brand.

I saw a grouper at CC...it swam right under me when I was snorkeling and it had to be 5 feet long! I thought it was cool, but I'm glad INC didn't encounter it or we'd have needed a medivac evacuation.

Great snorkle pics of the kids.

IMHO though, the Corona trumps all other shots.

J/K, but I do love me some Coronas!!! :jumpforjoy

Why is it that Corona tastes better in a tropical setting?

[SCTigerCock 171]

Great update Dave! :jumpforjoy :jumpforjoy

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

I saw a grouper at CC...it swam right under me when I was snorkeling and it had to be 5 feet long! I thought it was cool, but I'm glad INC didn't encounter it or we'd have needed a medivac evacuation.

:rofl2:

This one was just staying in one spot near the bottom. I was telepathically sending it signals to stay right where it was til I could get out of the water. I'd have needed an evacuation too if it had started moving toward me!

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I am with INC. Did you know that small lake fish will bite you to see if you are food? Can you imagine what the bigger fish will do?

[Just Beachy 18]

Loving this TR! It's dangerous for me to read this, though. Now I want to go on a cruise!

A lovely Canadian couple gave us a tip about the fish when we were in the Dominican Republic last year. Bring some bread with you, pull off little pieces & throw them in the water. The fish will SWARM you!!! It's SO cool!!! Unless, like INC, you're afraid of them. In that case, I recommend eating the bread yourself. :rofl3:

[Judy in Texas 150]

I will be sitting on the beach with INC. "Sven the Cabana Boy" will refill our fruity drinks and we'll let Anna bury us in the sand. :)

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I will be sitting on the beach with INC. "Sven the Cabana Boy" will refill our fruitly drinks and we'll let Anna bury us in the sand. :)

I am unsure Iof the wisdom I letting the "little red terror" covering you in sand.....

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Man, I missed a few updates, there.

I love all the professional photos you got taken on dress up night- those are definitely worth the money.

The underwater photos from CC are great, too. Good job to Gwen for getting the Mickey photo- it is quite a swim to get out there.

I forgot something that I liked about the 4 day cruise- CC is not the last day, the way it is on all other DCL cruises. It's nice that you still have that sea day to look forward to.

Back when we did the four night cruise, they did Pirate night on the Nassau day. I'm not sure when you guys had Pirate Night, but I guess it's coming up.

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Great update Dave! :jumpforjoy :jumpforjoy

Thanks Genia!

:rofl2:

This one was just staying in one spot near the bottom. I was telepathically sending it signals to stay right where it was til I could get out of the water. I'd have needed an evacuation too if it had started moving toward me!

Yeah, they are massive fish. And so tasty!

I am with INC. Did you know that small lake fish will bite you to see if you are food? Can you imagine what the bigger fish will do?

Precisely why there is no skinny dipping at Castaway Cay.

Loving this TR! It's dangerous for me to read this, though. Now I want to go on a cruise!

A lovely Canadian couple gave us a tip about the fish when we were in the Dominican Republic last year. Bring some bread with you, pull off little pieces & throw them in the water. The fish will SWARM you!!! It's SO cool!!! Unless, like INC, you're afraid of them. In that case, I recommend eating the bread yourself. :rofl3:

Those Canadians do the same thing with geese. And you know what happens? The geese poop all over the place and you step in it. Now imagine the same thing with fish. They poop too. In the water you are swimming in.

I will be sitting on the beach with INC. "Sven the Cabana Boy" will refill our fruitly drinks and we'll let Anna bury us in the sand. :)

No no NO! Sven stays away from INC.

I am unsure Iof the wisdom I letting the "little red terror" covering you in sand.....

Right!

Man, I missed a few updates, there.

I love all the professional photos you got taken on dress up night- those are definitely worth the money.

The underwater photos from CC are great, too. Good job to Gwen for getting the Mickey photo- it is quite a swim to get out there.

I forgot something that I liked about the 4 day cruise- CC is not the last day, the way it is on all other DCL cruises. It's nice that you still have that sea day to look forward to.

Back when we did the four night cruise, they did Pirate night on the Nassau day. I'm not sure when you guys had Pirate Night, but I guess it's coming up.

TCD

You are correct. Pirate night isn't too far off...

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Food??

After our morning in the water and relaxing on the beach, we decided to head over to Cookies where they serve the BBQ lunch and check things out.

I was wondering how they serve the lunch on a sandy island...and was afraid of it being hot, sandy, sticky, humid or any other uncomfortable thing you can think of when dining outdoors at the beach. Well, wouldn't you know it, but Disney did it right. They provided huge dining pavilions to eat in that were clean and comfortable, served a beautiful and tasty lunch with a nice variety of offerings, and also threw in unlimited drinks and ice cream in convenient locations. I shouldn't have been surprised, but lunch was a pleasure.

So, what did they serve?

They had some nice sides to begin with.

This is what the building looks like where you get your food. Keep in mind that they serve lunch in 3 locations as far as I'm aware....two main ones and another at the adult beach. But I think the lunch is identical at each place.

Here are some of the main course offerings.

You can't tell in the above pic, but they had ribs in addition to the burgers and hot dogs.

Here is my plate.

I have to say, the ribs were really good but that burger was the star of the show for me. I don't exactly know why, but it tasted awesome! And the potato salad was very good too. Everything was tasty except the pineapple upside down. That was just a dry mess.

To be honest, I could have skipped this meal entirely. I was reaching a point of perpetual fullness. And yet I kept stuffing it in! Is there such a thing as too much food? The answer is surely yes...but for a 4 day cruise you can keep eating. I would guess on a 7 night cruise you would have to pace yourself more.

Somebody needed to apply more sunscreen....fortunately this picture makes it look a LOT worse than it was. In reality she was hardly burned at all.

Right near the dining pavilion Goofy PLUTO (LOL!) was leading a dance party.

Some of my girls joined in.

I'm thinking that is probably enough dance party pics.

Meanwhile, back at lunch....

The 3 younger girls were getting tired, so INC decided to take them back to the ship while Emma, Gwen and I stayed on the beach to play a bit longer.

We decided to head back to the water. Emma wanted to snorkle again, and Gwen and I wanted to head back to the slides.

On the way, we passed Mount Rustmore and needed to get the photo opp.

After the Rustmore pics, we went back to the beach....and encountered Nature's Neti Pot. Coming up....

[MinnieMom 4]

I am loving this trip report! I think I really need to start saving my pennies for a cruise. But I agree with INC about swimming with the fish. Eeewww. and sharks. I am terrified of sharks. So I will be sitting on the beach with Judy, INC, fruity drinks and cabana boy Sven. :SmileyMargarita1:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great update, Dave!

It looks like you had perfect weather on the island.

I don't know what rock I have been living under, but I had no idea what a Neti Pot is. I had to google it.

Now I'm not sure I want to read the next update.

TCD

[Just Beachy 18]

Well now that "Sven the Cabana Boy" is in the picture, forget the fish!! I will enjoy the view on the sand instead with INC, Judy and MinnieMom!!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Your lunch looks awesome!! I do know what a neti pot is and I'm still looking forward to the next update!!

[We4mickey 6]

Loving the trip report Dave. I agree there is a point where you just feel like you shouldn't eat anymore.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Captain Jack Sparrow and Sven the Cabana boy....not sure I would ever leave CC!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I am loving this trip report! I think I really need to start saving my pennies for a cruise. But I agree with INC about swimming with the fish. Eeewww. and sharks. I am terrified of sharks. So I will be sitting on the beach with Judy, INC, fruity drinks and cabana boy Sven. :SmileyMargarita1:

I'm a little confused about Cabana Boy Sven. I picture someone named Sven being more of a Ski Patrol kind of guy. Isn't that a Nordic name? Shouldn't a Cabana boy have a name more like Pablo?

Great update, Dave!

It looks like you had perfect weather on the island.

I don't know what rock I have been living under, but I had no idea what a Neti Pot is. I had to google it.

Now I'm not sure I want to read the next update.

TCD

When you live in allergy prone areas, the Neti Pot can be your best friend.

Well now that "Sven the Cabana Boy" is in the picture, forget the fish!! I will enjoy the view on the sand instead with INC, Judy and MinnieMom!!

It's Pablo. Sven is skiing.

Your lunch looks awesome!! I do know what a neti pot is and I'm still looking forward to the next update!!

Lunch WAS awesome!

Loving the trip report Dave. I agree there is a point where you just feel like you shouldn't eat anymore.

Yeah, even for me I hit that point. I don't recall that happening before.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Captain Jack Sparrow and Sven the Cabana boy....not sure I would ever leave CC!

You women are out of control. Y'all are turning my trip report into WWW, September edition.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

You women are out of control. Y'all are turning my trip report into WWW, September edition.

So are you saying we need to remember to take quarters on a Disney cruise?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Nature's Neti Pot

Ok, I only have a handful of remaining pics on the island before we head back onboard the Dream for Pirate Night...so I will go ahead and post those now.

After our pictures at Mount Rustmore, we headed back to our beach chairs so Emma could get the snorkel equipment. While she went back into the water to explore, Gwen and I made our way down the beach to the slides.

I do not have any pictures of the slides at Castaway Cay, but I found these online.

The bottom one shows you how you have to wade into the water, and then you swim over to the slide platform. You cannot touch bottom at that point...you have to climb up a ladder onto the platform, and then walk up the stairs to the top of the slides.

There are two slides to choose from...an open top, twisty one that gives you a relatively slow ride down to the water, and an enclosed tunnel slide that is like greased lightening. Seriously, that tunnel slide was breathtakingly fast, and shoots you out into the water in the most uncoordinated manner. Remember, you can't touch bottom there, and you come down so fast that you can't really control how you will hit the water. And being the ocean, that water is salty. Very salty. The first time I went down I had water going into my nose and out anywhere it saw fit to exit. For anyone who has ever used a neti pot, I can say the sensation was similar, but rather than the steady trickle of salt water like a neti pot, imagine a salty pressure washer shooting up your nasal passages. My sinus problems were gone! But they were replaced by burning eyes, a sore throat and an uncontrollable cough.

Sounds fun? It was! I went again. The second time I tried the open slide. It was nice and all, but not quite the rush of the closed slide. So I had to ride the closed one again. I wimped out the second time, and plugged my nose at the bottom.

Hey, you'd do the same thing.

Between the swim to and from the platform and the ride itself, 3 times was enough to tire me out. We waded out of the water and hiked back down the beach to meet up with Emma again. Within a few minutes of us returning, she came out of the water and was done snorkeling. Neither Gwen nor I wanted to go again, so we returned the equipment and the tubes we had rented and went to explore the island a bit more before heading back to the ship.

The island, like everything Disney does, is beautifully landscaped. I thought these flowers were worth a picture or two.

We got some soft serve ice cream, and then found a game pavilion that had a huge Connect Four game. Of course we had to play.

Guess who won...

I then played Emma, and beat her too.

I'm not one of those "build their self esteem by letting them win" kind of Dads. :rofl3:

We walked around a bit more, and by then it was quite hot and our feet were quite tired. So we decided to catch the tram back to the ship.

While sitting on the tram at the depot waiting to move, I noticed that they decorate with a lot of boats.

Miss Cindy.

It's Not Miss Cindy.

The tram ride was a quick one back to the ship, and within a few minutes we were back onboard the Dream and in a great mood...ready for our Pirate Night festivities!!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

So are you saying we need to remember to take quarters on a Disney cruise?

No, just book an aft stateroom. Vibrations are included in your room rate.