Dream 5/15 review-"If we could somehow make this Dream thing last"

[jnky]

The First night-concluded...

 

The Carnival dancers came out and became part of the rock and roll segment of the show, and the dancers mingled into the crowd and danced with random individuals including Kevin, Jim's partner from Kentucky. Let me tell you, this guy can dance!:p He has competed in ballroom dancing competitions and I think he really surprised the Carnival dancer with his talent! Way to go Kevin!!!:)

 

OMG that was one of the highlights of the cruise for him. The dancer had such a shocked look on her face at first when she realized she had picked someone who could keep up with her. That was thrilling for us ~ and I will tell him he was mentioned on CC....thanks doood. :cool:

[ckcb4u2]

Sunday - First Sea Day

 

On Sunday morning, we woke up about 7:00 am to cloudy skies and a few showers. We had slept so well, it was like we were in a large cradle. Being at the front of the ship, and up high, we felt more motion in our cabin than we usually do. However, it was minor and really was comforting at night when we were winding down. After getting ready, Jane and I made the short trip to The Gathering buffet and enjoyed a tasty, filling breakfast. Jane had her grapefruit, toast, some scrambled eggs, and some grits. I, of course had everything else including eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, danish, a croissant, and grits!:D It was about 8:00 am at this point, the showers had ended, and the sun was trying to peek through the clouds. Rob Barrington, a single member of our roll call group, had finished his breakfast and joined us for some pleasant conversation. His daughter Katie was originally going to come with Rob on the cruise, but it ended up being the same weekend as her boyfriends senior prom. Having a daughter myself, it wasn't hard to figure out what her choice was gonna be.:)

 

After breakfast, Jane had a spa appointment lined up so I decided to put on my bathing suit, Cloud 9 robe (yes Jim, it was nice and fresh), and the slippers that came with the spa suite package. Yessiree...here was this ole boy from Virginia looking so european and suave as I took the private elevator up one floor to the spa. I was so cool..for once in my life...and then I had to blow it! I stubbed my toe on the threshold of the doorway and dropped like a sack of cement! The first thought that popped into my head was "Please don't let anyone have seen that", but of course several did. A couple of the lovely spa employees came running over asking if I was okay. I was getting up at this point and assured them I was fine, other than the fact that my level on the "coolness meter" had fallen like a thermometer placed in a meat freezer. Oh well, since I was back to being plain old Craig, I picked up my VIP scan card, put my robe and slippers into a locker, grabbed a towel, and headed for the aromatherapy steam room. There was no one in there at the time, so I spent the next 15 minutes in total relaxation as I sweated like a pig. With the soft spa music playing in the background, I felt more at peace than I had in months. I then rinsed off and stepped over one room into the Tepidarium. They had these tile loungers that were heated slightly, and so comfortable. I felt like Fred Flintstone as I was laying on a stone lounger, but I swear, those things were comfortable. The air temperature was normal, and the spa music was soft and peaceful. Before I dropped off to sleep I was thinking "Man, I could really get into this...then my snoring must have woken me up a few minutes later as my mouth was hanging open. Luckily, this time I was in the room by myself!:D There was still about 15 minutes until Jane would be through with her spa appointment, so I went over to the Thalassotherapy pool and soaked in the "formulation of ocean water rich with trace elements of vitamins". To me, it just felt like a huge heated hot tub, but I am definitely no expert.:rolleyes: The jets and bubbles really felt nice though! Jane and I got back to the room at about 10:30 am and changed into our "cruise critic" outfits.

 

to be continued...

[Nickymjw1]

OMG that was one of the highlights of the cruise for him. The dancer had such a shocked look on her face at first when she realized she had picked someone who could keep up with her. That was thrilling for us ~ and I will tell him he was mentioned on CC....thanks doood. :cool:

 

We watched Kevin dance with the dancer from the deck above,..awesome job,...and then the dancer grabbed Jim's (JNKY) hands and thought she would get some more of those great moves....lol It was a funny sight Jim... He did a couple of steps in place and gave her the "no, not me please" look and she moved on....lol

 

Jim, I see how you are messing with Craig,...I can't wait to hear the cave-tubing stories from both of you. You did go right?

[Nickymjw1]

We are on the Dream this October 9th for the Eastern Carribbean and I feel as though I am on the ship right now with your terrific reveiw! I can only hope we have that much of a fantastic Roll Call as you did! Thank you for your review. You two sound amazing and funny!

 

We are also booked in a Spa Balcony, not the Suite but in 12219. Was that close to you?

 

It's a small world isn't it! Wish you could have been on this cruise with us! I know your roll call friends don't know what they are in for yet! :-)

 

Have a wonderful time in October!

 

Nicky

[Nickymjw1]

Sunday - First Sea Day

. Yessiree...here was this ole boy from Virginia looking so european and suave as I took the private elevator up one floor to the spa. I was so cool..for once in my life...and then I had to blow it! I stubbed my toe on the threshold of the doorway and dropped like a sack of cement! The first thought that popped into my head was "Please don't let anyone have seen that", but of course several did. A couple of the lovely spa employees came running over asking if I was okay. I was getting up at this point and assured them I was fine, other than the fact that my level on the "coolness meter" had fallen like a thermometer placed in a meat freezer. Oh well, since I was back to being plain old Craig,.

 

to be continued...

 

OMG,..glad I wasn't there because I would have busted out laughing! (after I made sure you were ok of course;))

 

This reminds me so much of JW (cruiseguys2009) on our last cruise hitting his head when entering the ship from the gangway on our last cruise! lol

[islandcruisersnc]

Great review! Am waiting for more! :D

[ckcb4u2]

We are on the Dream this October 9th for the Eastern Carribbean and I feel as though I am on the ship right now with your terrific reveiw! I can only hope we have that much of a fantastic Roll Call as you did! Thank you for your review. You two sound amazing and funny!

 

We are also booked in a Spa Balcony, not the Suite but in 12219. Was that close to you?

 

We were one floor below where you will be, but on the same side of the ship. As a word of advice from comments others made on our cruise, the spa balconies on deck 12 (Spa) are uncovered and people can look right down onto you from the Serenity area and waterslides. If there are any available, you may want to try and switch to a spa balcony on deck 11 (Panorama). They have private elevator access to Cloud 9 on deck 12, and come with the same amenities. But they are more private. Just thought I would let you know and give you that option. We switched a few months before our cruise, and our Carnival PVP had no problem making the change.

 

Thanks for the nice comments about the review. We had a wonderful time!

[ckcb4u2]

First Sea Day - Cruise Critic Roll Call "Meet-n-Greet"

 

As I have mentioned several times so far, we had a wonderful group of people in our "Living the Dream" roll call through Cruise Critic, and enjoyed getting to know each others "personalities" in the months leading up to the cruise. Although many in the group had met at the Radisson pool bar on Friday night, the "official" meet and greet was scheduled for 11:00 am Sunday morning. Michelle had designed our T-shirt logos, and had set up a store for us to purchase them at a very good price.

 

Although not everyone was able to be there, we had a great turnout at the Lanai Deck Ocean Plaza outdoor cafe (on the starboard side of the ship). We all introduced ourselves again and talked about our plans for the day, as well as some of the tours we had made plans for. Many of us were wearing our Cruise Critic roll call t-shirts, and at the end of the get together, we had a group photo taken (which I will attach on this post).

 

We all then headed off for lunch and other plans we had made for the day. We left feeling glad for the chance to meet, and hopeful for getting to know each other better during the times our paths would cross during the cruise. Just putting this down in words has taken me back to that moment in time, and kinda tugs on my heartstrings!:o

 

to be continued...

[ckcb4u2]

First Sea Day - Hairy Chest Contest

 

After the "official" meet-n-greet, we headed down to the Photo Gallery to check out our Embarkation photo (hey, it's all part of the experience!) and to take some pics of the atrium lobby. We then went back to the cabin to change clothes for the afternoon fun by the lido pool. My stomach was beginning to think that my throat had been cut, so we hit the Lido buffet for some food to get us through the afternoon. I actually skipped the burgers and hot dogs and ate some more "conventional" food. Jane told me she was proud of me!:rolleyes: We found a table on the Panorama deck outdoor dining area so that we could look down and watch the ice carving demonstration. They always do this on Carnival, but like I say, it's all part of the experience. It's really awesome how the artist works with those carving tools!

 

As the ice carving was concluding, the Carnival entertainment staff started asking for some volunteers for contestants in the Hairy Chest contest for 2:00 pm. At this point, Jane absolutely floored me when she said "I think I'm going to volunteer for this".:eek: I said "You're going to enter the hairy chest contest???...I think that one of the requirements is a hairy chest, and besides...I don't like the idea of you taking your top off in front of all of these people." Jane says "No silly!!!...I am going to volunteer to be a judge for the contest". Although slightly relieved at this point, I still wasn't sure how I felt about Jane rubbing her hands all over the chests and backs of a bunch of other hairy men! I mean, we are soul mates and all, but the only chest hairs I wanted her to be fondling would be mine!:cool: I started babbling something like "But...But...But..." as she walked away to speak to the Assistant Cruise Director, who would be in charge of directing the competition. A few minutes later Jane returned and told me that we needed to go down by the pool where she would be judging along with a couple of other ladies. Jane said "Maybe I will finally be awarded one of those golden Ship-on-a-Stick trophies". I said "I think they only award those to the contest winners". I was right...

 

As we made our way down to the stage area by the pool, I was thinking "Maybe no one from the group will see this". About that time, Greg and Marcia Miller said "Hi" to us from a couple of deck chairs a row or so away from us. As I continued to survey the area, I kept noticing more and more people from our roll call group. I was thinking "Busted, we are totally busted". Since I had our digital camera in-hand, I decided I might as well get some pictures for Jane to show her girlfriends from work...Oh, the indignities of it all.

 

As the contest began, the first guy was a young slender guy, (usually these contests feature mostly bigger guys with pot bellies) and as he danced his way down the steps and over to the stage, the lady judges started rubbing their hands through his chest hair and across his shoulders. Although a little uncomfortable, I tried to take a few pics but found that I couldn't get a good angle from where I was sitting. Not to fear...all I had to do was look up at the big screen and suddenly I had the best seat in the house. There in living color was my wife of 29 years shamelessly fondling other men right in front of me...Blimey! It's OK, I told myself, as one after another the men danced and paraded through the crowd to be groped by my DW and the other lady judges. Then they all pounded their chests and uttered something that was supposed to sound like a "Tarzan call". It's all part of the experience, right? After living with a woman for 29 years, you are able to notice subtle facial expressions and body language that might not be picked up by anyone else. And what I saw made me say to myself "She is actually enjoying this...my quiet, conservative wife!"

 

Finally, it was over and "Mr Lime Smiley Pants" was declared the winner. He got the coveted "Ship-on-a-Stick", and the judges received a Carnival Medal medallion to hang around their necks. Fun and games on Sea Day at the Lido pool...never gets old.:)

 

As we walked away to enjoy some more of the day, Jane says "I'm going to step into the ladies room and wash my hands and arms"...

 

To be continued...

[dogbert's mom]

Craig,

 

I'm loving the review but it really makes me long to be back on the Dream with you all.

 

Next time I'm going to find a way to clone myself so I can fit in more activities and spend more time with the roll call group.

 

Janice

[ckcb4u2]

First Sea Day - Elegant Night

 

I hope I am not boring everyone to tears with my review, but as I said before, I really want to capture the experience for those who have upcoming cruises on the fabulous Dream. And also as a keepsake to look back on as some of the memories fade with time (It starts happening faster to those of us over 50...LOL). I hope as some of my roll call friends read this, they will be nudged into a memory of a fun moment that occurred, or that they can refresh my memory if I leave something out that was special to them...

 

After the Hairy Chest contest, and after Jane scrubbed her hands and arms, we headed down to the Ocean Plaza area to join in on the Country Line Dancing Class. There were some other members of our roll call there to join in as well. Cheryl, Michelle, Teresa and Chantel, Jane and I, and I believe a few others were ready for some "boot skootin boogie".:) It was fun going through some basic steps, and I actually avoided knocking anyone down in the process. After it was over, I was sweating from the effort....must have been from the tropical humidity...yeah, that was it!:rolleyes:

 

Being the first Sea Day, it was going to be the more formal Elegant Night, so Jane and I decided to really dress up and get some good portraits taken after dinner. Jane had bought a new dress just for the occasion, and I must say, she look radiant in red that night! I had decided to wear a tuxedo, and I looked like a penguin (although Jane told me I looked very nice).:D We had dinner in the Dining room, and our table mates never did show up, so we just enjoyed the time with each other. Jane had warned me to be careful what I said to the young couple seated next to our table, so I carefully avoided shoving my foot into my mouth again. We actually had a nice conversation with them, and got to know them a little better. They were actually close to the age of our children, and the bride to be was especially interested in hearing about our daughters wedding that took place in Gatlinburg, TN in 2006. Any tension from my comments the night before had passed, and I think that they realized that I had not meant to offend them. Jane had gotten a chuckle from them when she commented "I can dress him up, but I just can't take him out";)

 

After another great meal, and great service from our waiters Wayne and Jaya, we decided to head off to get our portraits taken before the evening show. Again, I thought Jane looked as beautiful as ever that evening, and I was really proud to have her by my side. We decided to change clothes before the evening show, so we hustled back to the room. As I was changing out of my tuxedo, I took my jacket and white shirt off, but left the black bowtie on and told Jane "Look honey, I'm a Chippendale's dancer". She replied back and said "No, actually you look more like Chris Farley from SNL when he did the chippendales bit with Patrick Swayze" ROTFLMAO!!!...now that was a classic. Then Jane snapped my picture before I could take the bowtie off...Oh well.:eek:

 

We decided to go to the Encore Theatre to see the show "8 Seconds" at 8:30 pm, but the crew had technical problems with the props. They ended up canceling the first show after 30 minutes, so we decided to head over to the Piano Bar and listen to Barry lampoon some of the guests. We saw Nicky and Doug there, along with Cheryl. We also got to meet Jack, Nikki, Mark, and Cathy from the roll call group. Barry, the piano player, had the room in an uproar in no time and we found ourselves singing along and having a good ole time! After this, we headed back to our cabin and decided to call it a night. We were really looking forward to Cozumel the next morning.

 

to be continued...

[islandcruisersnc]

Not boring at all!! Keep it coming. 5 weeks from today we will be on Lido with a DOD:D

[billbren711]

We to were on the Dream 5/15..had a blast..except for the "once in awhile" horrible smell of sewer on the lido when the wind blew..and main deck where our cabin was..not enough to ruin the cruise..the dream is a gorgeous ship..we are booking for Jan 2012 with about 12 of us..looking at freedom ..cant wait to eat the diet coconut cake again lol

[Nickymjw1]

 

Being the first Sea Day, it was going to be the more formal Elegant Night, so Jane and I decided to really dress up and get some good portraits taken after dinner. Jane had bought a new dress just for the occasion, and I must say, she look radiant in red that night!

to be continued...

 

Craig that is the nicest thing I ever heard a husband say about their wife!

Wow, you actually notice things like that & remembered! You knew it was a new dress, the color and said she looked radiant!

Can you please teach Doug how to turn that part of his brain on?? :o:p

 

And, fyi, for anyone that didn't see Jane in action as a hairy chest judge,..they showed it on the in room TV all week! lol

[ckcb4u2]

Monday - Cozumel and Nachi Cocom

 

We got up on Monday morning, and had breakfast at the Lido deck breakfast buffet around 8:00 am. As usual, Jane had the healthy breakfast and I had the fat and cholesterol meat lovers breakfast.:) As we were eating you could see the Island of Cozumel coming up on the horizon. We headed on back to our cabin, and finished getting ready for our first shore excursion. Jane and I had made reservations at Nachi Cocum, a private beach resort 15 minutes south of the dock area. We had read some good reviews and comments on the Cruise Critic boards and were excited about the tour. After we finished dressing, I slathered on the sunscreen while Jane made sure that we had everything that we needed to take with us. Sail and sign cards...check, passports...check, cash for the taxi, Nachi Cocom, and tips...check, water shoes...check, swimsuits and towels...check...Seabiscuit...check...wait a minute, I thought we left Seabiscuit at home! (Just kidding Jim):D

 

After the ship docked and was cleared, we made our way along with the masses down to the gangway to exit the ship. Got our picture taken next to the ship's wheel and the pirate (all part of the experience, right?). We then started walking towards the terminal area and the taxi stand. Shortly after we left the ship we ran into Rob Barrington from our roll call group. We knew that he was headed to Nachi Cocom also, so we joined him for the walk. Although it was cloudy, it was not raining, and we were hopeful about the weather! As we got to the end of the dock and entered the terminal and shopping areas, we caught up with Teresa, Chantel, and Brandon Schroeder. They were headed for Nachi Cocom also, so we all decided to catch a taxi van and ride to the beach together. As there were six of us, we all split the $30 taxi van fare. After about a 15 minute ride, we were dropped off at the entrance to Nachi Cocom! The anticipation was building, and I was ready for my beach chair, coconut rum, and relaxation. A nice young lady then came out and welcomed us to the resort. She then handed us all sombreros to wear, and took a group picture of us with our smiles blazing!:p We then were shown all of the facilities (very important to know where the bathroom is), showed them our confirmations, made payment, and then were shown to our beach chairs. We were also introduced to our waiter for the day, Manuel.

 

Several of us decided to test the water and search for some sea shells, while others took walks along the beach just checking out the area. We were joined during the morning by other members of our roll call group. Marcia and Greg, Nicky and Doug, along with Nicky's parents. Cindy, Shi, and Kavin. Janice & Don. Jack and Nikki, and Mark and Cathy also were there. Around lunch time, Tammie and Larry showed up and had lunch on the covered patio. Everyone just kinda relaxed and did their own thing, and we had a chance to get to know everyone better. Our waiter Manuel kept our drinks fresh and took our lunch orders. Jane had Fajitas and fruit salad, and I had a cheesburger and fries...I know, not the best for me...but I am on vacation. After lunch, Jane and I, along with Teresa and Chantel, were supposed to do Parasailing, but they never showed up. I know Cindy was disappointed as she came by just so she could hear me scream from 300 feet in the air!:rolleyes: This was the only real disappointing thing for us, as I had never parasailed before. But all in all, it was a fun day there. Jane and I left around 1:30, as we had plans at the spa for the afternoon.

 

to be continued...

[Time2CruiseAgain]

oh come on, craig....dont skip the parts where your toilet clogged into the spa pool, someone had previously used your precious cloud 9 bathrobe, you tripped the old lady in the omelette line and the break dancing crew called you out to the floor to 'bust - a - move' ....

 

you're review is too good to be true....and you are misleading these poor innocent people.

 

i was there....i remember it all....

 

it's time to release seabiscuit...

 

<ducking and running>

 

jim&kev

 

rofl - too funny!

[Time2CruiseAgain]

First Sea Day - Hairy Chest Contest

 

After the "official" meet-n-greet, we headed down to the Photo Gallery to check out our Embarkation photo (hey, it's all part of the experience!) and to take some pics of the atrium lobby. We then went back to the cabin to change clothes for the afternoon fun by the lido pool. My stomach was beginning to think that my throat had been cut, so we hit the Lido buffet for some food to get us through the afternoon. I actually skipped the burgers and hot dogs and ate some more "conventional" food. Jane told me she was proud of me!:rolleyes: We found a table on the Panorama deck outdoor dining area so that we could look down and watch the ice carving demonstration. They always do this on Carnival, but like I say, it's all part of the experience. It's really awesome how the artist works with those carving tools!

 

As the ice carving was concluding, the Carnival entertainment staff started asking for some volunteers for contestants in the Hairy Chest contest for 2:00 pm. At this point, Jane absolutely floored me when she said "I think I'm going to volunteer for this".:eek: I said "You're going to enter the hairy chest contest???...I think that one of the requirements is a hairy chest, and besides...I don't like the idea of you taking your top off in front of all of these people." Jane says "No silly!!!...I am going to volunteer to be a judge for the contest". Although slightly relieved at this point, I still wasn't sure how I felt about Jane rubbing her hands all over the chests and backs of a bunch of other hairy men! I mean, we are soul mates and all, but the only chest hairs I wanted her to be fondling would be mine!:cool: I started babbling something like "But...But...But..." as she walked away to speak to the Assistant Cruise Director, who would be in charge of directing the competition. A few minutes later Jane returned and told me that we needed to go down by the pool where she would be judging along with a couple of other ladies. Jane said "Maybe I will finally be awarded one of those golden Ship-on-a-Stick trophies". I said "I think they only award those to the contest winners". I was right...

 

As we made our way down to the stage area by the pool, I was thinking "Maybe no one from the group will see this". About that time, Greg and Marcia Miller said "Hi" to us from a couple of deck chairs a row or so away from us. As I continued to survey the area, I kept noticing more and more people from our roll call group. I was thinking "Busted, we are totally busted". Since I had our digital camera in-hand, I decided I might as well get some pictures for Jane to show her girlfriends from work...Oh, the indignities of it all.

 

As the contest began, the first guy was a young slender guy, (usually these contests feature mostly bigger guys with pot bellies) and as he danced his way down the steps and over to the stage, the lady judges started rubbing their hands through his chest hair and across his shoulders. Although a little uncomfortable, I tried to take a few pics but found that I couldn't get a good angle from where I was sitting. Not to fear...all I had to do was look up at the big screen and suddenly I had the best seat in the house. There in living color was my wife of 29 years shamelessly fondling other men right in front of me...Blimey! It's OK, I told myself, as one after another the men danced and paraded through the crowd to be groped by my DW and the other lady judges. Then they all pounded their chests and uttered something that was supposed to sound like a "Tarzan call". It's all part of the experience, right? After living with a woman for 29 years, you are able to notice subtle facial expressions and body language that might not be picked up by anyone else. And what I saw made me say to myself "She is actually enjoying this...my quiet, conservative wife!"

 

Finally, it was over and "Mr Lime Smiley Pants" was declared the winner. He got the coveted "Ship-on-a-Stick", and the judges received a Carnival Medal medallion to hang around their necks. Fun and games on Sea Day at the Lido pool...never gets old.:)

 

As we walked away to enjoy some more of the day, Jane says "I'm going to step into the ladies room and wash my hands and arms"...

 

To be continued...

 

 

When I saw it was Jane down there - I was laughing hysterically! We were up by the slides - Jim and Kevin were up there too! What a riot that was - Jane - did you use a whole bottle of antibacterial afterwards? hahaha!!!

 

Loved meeting you two!!! I must say - Seabiscuit seemed to have been very well behaved on the entire cruise!!

 

I hope we cruise together again!

 

Great review, Craig!

[ckcb4u2]

Monday evening - Sailing from Cozumel and Edge show

 

After some Cloud 9 spa time, it was time to eat again so we headed for the Scarlett Dining room for early seating at 6:00 pm. About the time we set down, the ships thrusters activated and we pulled out from Cozumel headed to our next port of call - Isla Roatan. Funny thing about being at the very back of the ship and down low in the dining room. When the thrusters activated, the dining room was shaking like a a magnitude 5 earthquake. Being familiar with how ships maneuver away from the dock, we knew the thrusters were causing the vibration. But some brainiac from the table behind us was trying to tell everyone at his table that one of the ships main propellers was out of balance and that we might have to stop for repairs...When I told him it was just the thrusters working normally, he asked "What's a thruster?...thought I was going to have to send Seabiscuit after him!:D

 

After dinner, we checked out some pics at the photo gallery and enjoyed some musical entertainment in the main atrium lobby. At 8:00 pm, we headed over to the Encore theatre to get some good seats for the evening show which was going to feature Edge, a juggling comedian with a high energy act. We had actually seen his show the previous year on the Carnival Splendor when we took our Mexican Riviera cruise to Canada (long story for another time...LOL). He is a former clown that toured with the Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey Circus, and kind of stumbled into his juggling act because of his keen curiosity. Anyway, his show was a lot of fun as he got great audience participation and really lampooned a few of the guests!:p

 

It had been a fun and tiring day, so we headed back to our cabin after the show and called it a day. Sure did love that Carnival Comfort bedding, and the fresh crisp sheets. Our room steward had the bed turned down for us every night. Ahhh....so nice.

 

to be continued...

[ckcb4u2]

When I saw it was Jane down there - I was laughing hysterically! We were up by the slides - Jim and Kevin were up there too! What a riot that was - Jane - did you use a whole bottle of antibacterial afterwards? hahaha!!!

 

Loved meeting you two!!! I must say - Seabiscuit seemed to have been very well behaved on the entire cruise!!

 

I hope we cruise together again!

 

Great review, Craig!

 

Jane told Rob that the only reason she decided to judge was because she thought that he was going to be in the contest, and she was looking forward to rubbing his chest...LOL, see what I have to put up with everyday!

 

And Seabiscuit was too embarrassed to come out to see the contest...:D

 

I have really enjoyed your review as well! It is great hearing and seeing the activities that you and your family enjoyed during the week. I think we all had a great time, and I sure hope we can book cruises together in the future. I am really anxious to get another countdown going!:)

[ckcb4u2]

Tuesday - Isla Roatan - Victor Bodden Tour

 

Tuesday morning we awoke at 6:30 am to partly cloudy skies and some sun peeking through. We got up and got ready and dressed for our day in Roatan. We headed over to the Lido deck and The Gathering for the breakfast buffet. The buffet choices were always quite good, and I made it a point to try as many choices as possible. My only complaint about breakfast was the bacon. Most of the time, it was not crisp and sometimes it was almost raw. But everything else was always good, and I never left hungry...LOL.

 

As we approached Roatan, we sailed around the western end of the island headed to our dock on the southern shore. It was somewhat windy, so the captain made the decision to dock at Coxen Hole instead of Mahogany Bay. We were the only ship in Roatan that day, so the spot was available. We docked around 9:30 am.

 

A few weeks before the cruise Marcia and Greg Miller, a couple from our roll call group, had invited others to join them on a Victor Bodden tour "The Best of Roatan" which would make the cost less for each person. We had been looking at booking this excursion, so I responded that Jane and I would like to join them. Marcia emailed the tour description and meeting instructions, so we were all set. We saw them while we were heading down to the gangway, and joined them. Victor Bodden actually had a booth set up near the taxi area of the port, so we made our way there and Marcia gave them her name and confirmation. They found her name on the list, and then took us over to the van of our driver. His name was Ali, and came highly recommended for this tour. After introductions, we were all set to go. However, Ali's van was blocked in and he couldn't exit the port. A Bodden rep had us relocate to another van at the front of the line, and away we went! Since the Coxen Hole port was located adjacent to the city, Ali drove us through the area and commented on the businesses, schools, and local landmarks. Marcia asked him where we would be heading next, and Ali replied "You are my boss for the day, you tell me what you all would like to see". We all told him that we would like to see the local culture, so we headed east to do some sightseeing. We drove past the entrance to Mahogany Bay and we could see the dock and some shops located there. One thing I noticed was that there were a lot of churches on the island from many denominations. In fact, our driver Ali told us that he was a pentecostal pastor for a local church. We continued on our tour and drove to an elevated part of the island that had an overlook where you could see both the north and south shores of the island. It was called "The View Chill & Grill". We stopped here and there was a souvenir stand and a small shop for beverages. From the overlook, the nicer beaches appeared to be on the north side of the island, and you could see the waves breaking out by the barrier reef. The differences in the color of the ocean water varied from a deep blue to an emerald green and the effect was just stunning! We had our picture taken here with Marcia and Greg so that we would have a keepsake from this pleasant day. There was a couple of statues of the "Blues Brothers" Belushi and Akroyd, so I couldn't resist having my picture taken with them.:D

 

We headed back to the port area so that Ali could switch us over to his van before we toured the west end of the island. As we resumed our tour, I noticed the large difference in the size of homes from very small shacks to some gated homes. Ali mentioned that there were some wealthy residents, a few what we would consider middle class, but that most of the islands residents were considered in poverty by our standards. We stopped at Victor Bodden's residence and did a tour of the monkey zoo while others there were having fun zip lining through the trees! Thankfully, there were restrooms there! We met Victor Bodden while here, and Ali mentioned that he and Victor were both taxi drivers before the cruise ships started coming to the island. Victor had taken a group from one of the ships around the island showing the sights and explaining the culture. When the next ship arrived, someone asked for Victor's tour as they had heard about it from someone posting on Cruise Critic of their "wonderful" tour with Victor. This eventually led to what is now considered one of the best independent tours in the caribbean, Victor Bodden Tours! We continued along and had our pics taken with some of the baby spider monkeys and birds. We also saw for the first time a cashew fruit tree where the nuts come from. The nuts are actually part of an edible fruit. The nuts come from the top of the fruit, and are then dried out to become the tree nut that I love so much!

 

to be continued...

[ckcb4u2]

Tuesday - Isla Roatan - more Victor Bodden tour

 

After touring the Monkey Zoo at Victor Bodden's Monkey Business, where we had caught up with others from our roll call group, we got back into Ali's van and continued our tour. Ali asked us if we wanted to take a drive on the beach and we all said "Sure"! We turned onto Sandy Beach and rode along getting a good look at some ocean front homes and inns. We saw some of the infamous "orange coconut" trees, and trees with "sea grapes".When we got over to Half Moon Bay, we decided to stop for lunch, and Ali asked us if we wanted something quick, or if we wanted to sit down and eat. We opted for the sit down option, so he took us to a covered outdoor bar and restaurant on the waterfront. When we get there, we noticed Nicky and Doug, Nicky's parents, and Jim and Kevin already at another table there. We waved over to them, and then were seated across the room from them. When we got the menu, we noticed an entree called "coconut battered fish", and remembered Ali telling us about it earlier in the day. Marcia, Jane, and I decided to give it a try and the waiter brought us each out 2 "huge" pieces of fish fried in the batter. Let me tell you, it was delicious! I could only eat one piece, so I let Greg have my second piece as he had decided not to order an entree. Both Jane and I, along with Greg and Marcia picked up the tab for Ali's lunch, as he was providing us with such an enjoyable day. As they were leaving, Doug and Nicky stopped and said hello, and Kevin came over and spoke to us for a few minutes. He was joined by Jim, and we all reminisced about how much we were enjoying the cruise so far.

 

After leaving the restaurant, Ali drove us through some of the unspoiled rain forest of Roatan, and then took us up to the highest point on the western side of the island (about 800 feet in elevation). We took some pics of the views before heading back to the southern side of the island. As we were making our way back to the ship, we stopped at the Stone Castle Cameo Factory and toured their showroom. This was a unique place where italian immigrants, the Tammaros, carve designs on sea shells and conch shells. Their work has been going on for years, and the results are beautiful! After this Ali took us back along the south shore and to the Coxen Hole dock area and to the ship. We really had a nice time, and we tipped Ali well for his part in making the tour so much fun! As we walked back to the ship, we stopped and asked if we could take a picture of Greg and Marcia as a keepsake to help us remember this fun day. They did the same for Jane and I and we thanked them for sharing a great day with us!:)

 

to be continued...

[Sinjan]

As we were making our way back to the ship, we stopped at the Stone Castle Cameo Factory and toured their showroom. This was a unique place where italian immigrants, the Tammaros, carve designs on sea shells and conch shells. Their work has been going on for years, and the results are beautiful!

 

Do you happen to remember a general price range? I'm really looking forward to touring the factory when DH and I are there in September and am hoping there is something not too pricey.

Thanks for taking to time to do such a detailed review. Can't wait for the rest!

[Time2CruiseAgain]

Didn't you just LOVE Roatan?!! I have fallen in love with this country and would like to go back and spend a couple days!

[ckcb4u2]

Didn't you just LOVE Roatan?!! I have fallen in love with this country and would like to go back and spend a couple days!

Yes, one day was just not enough. I would also like to see Mahogany Bay and Tabyana Beach. Just another excuse for a western caribbean cruise in the future!:D

[ckcb4u2]

Tuesday Dinner- The Chef's Table

 

After getting back on board the ship, it was about 2:30 pm, so Jane went to her 3:15 spa appointment. I took the time to visit the spa's steam rooms and thalassotherapy pool. In no time, I was refreshed and ready for the evening!:p

 

I had mentioned early in my review about getting reservations for "The Chef's Table" dinner when we first embarked. So, tonight was the night and we met the other guests with reservations in The Song Room lounge across from the Burgandy Lounge. We were very excited about the dinner, and as we waited for the chef, we enjoyed some wine and horse doovers (I mean hors d'oeuvres).:eek: Being a meat and potato kind of guy, I was unsure how much I would enjoy the "fancy" appetisers that we were presented, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were delicious! Soon Chef Soulee Banjaree arrived, and explained the schedule for the dinner and told us some things about himself including the role of the Chef on a large cruise ship. He then took some of our questions like "What is the budget for food on a 7 day cruise?", "How much beef is consumed by the guests?", and my personal question "How many servings of Warm Chocolate Melting Cake are prepared during the cruise?":D

 

Then Chef Banjaree led us into the galley and showed us the operations of a kitchen that serves over 2,500 people at one time. To say that we were impressed would be an understatement! Obviously, they had this down to a science and used the latest high tech information technologies to assist in the tracking and scheduling of entree's for each dining room guest in both dining rooms. It was efficiency at it's finest!

 

While walking through, I saw our waiter Wayne in the galley and told him that I was there to complain to Chef Banjaree about the poor service we had received from our wait staff. Then I said "gotcha!!!!, just kidding Wayne, you have been great!" We both got a big laugh from that one (although I did see a bead of sweat forming on Wayne's forehead...LOL).

 

Then we were led to our dining table (adorned with fine linens) which was set up right in the middle of this highly organized chaos.:) We each located our name tags, and were seated by the Chef's assistants. At this point, Chef Banjaree asked us to look at our menu's for the evening (which were in scroll form wrapped in ribbon). There were seven courses shown, and the Chef gave us a brief summary of what to expect. Then a group picture was taken of all the guests with Chef Banjaree standing at the end of the table. We were then served bread, water, and wine (if desired). Each course was prepared right before us just before it was served by the chefs assistants. Then Chef Banjaree would describe the entree and accompanying adornments, and then tell us to enjoy.

 

After about the fourth course, the Chef invited us over to another section of the kitchen where an assistant chef demonstrated how a batch of the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake was prepared! I just knew I had died and gone to heaven!!!:p Although the recipe is very basic, Jane commented that she had never been in the presence of so much solid chocolate before! Eggs, sugar, flour, butter, and 3 types of CHOCOLATE!

 

We then went back to our table and finished the rest of the dinner. The 2 main entree's consisted of a baked Sea Bass, and Fillet Mignon. They were fantastic! And finally, there was a trio of delectable deserts served and the chef's assistant served us the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake that he had prepared for us.:D At this point, we were absolutely stuffed after having spent almost 3 hours being served some of the best food we will ever enjoy. The ladies of the group were then presented a copy of the group photo along with a copy of the chef's cookbook "Carnival Creations". We thanked Chef Banjaree for a wonderful evening, and had our picture taken with him as a keepsake.

 

to be continued...