Fun with Dick and Kaz - A Cruisin' Trip Report... COMPLETED

[saratogagirl]

more please Karen

 

[Minniespal]

Looking forward to reading more

 

[CustardTart]

The following morning, I awoke to the smell of fresh coffee as Richard had got busy with the in-room filter machine. After showering and dressing, we left the Hyatt but not before booking a day room for our return journey as we felt we might want to relax in between leaving the Magic and boarding the plane. Richard had collected our hire car the previous evening and parked it in the Hyatt's car park so it was ready and waiting for us. We loaded up and made our way out into the Floridian sunshine. First stop was Walgreens as I'd forgotten a couple of essential items and Starbucks as our caffeine levels were dipping. Then we headed for the Beachline Expressway and soon we were on our way to Port Canaveral...

The drive was uneventful. We found a soft rockin' radio station called WMMO and sang along to some old classics whilst our light blue Sebring ate up the miles. We arrived at the Port at about midday and Richard got his first sight of the Disney Magic.

We were directed Disney-style into the unloading area and said goodbye to our appropriately tagged luggage before heading for the car-park. Grabbing our hand luggage, we made our way to the elegant Art Deco-style terminal building. Once inside, we were shown the Concierge check-in and before you could say "Have a magical day" we were in possession of our Keys To The World, walking through the Mickey ears and onto the ship! I just couldn't believe we were finally here and, as we had our boarding photo taken, I felt tears prickle behind my ears. Thank goodness for those over-sized sunglasses!

Once the photo had been taken, we boarded the Magic properly and "The Taylor Family" were welcomed by the Cast Members. We gazed around the impressive soaring lobby area before making our way to Sessions, the piano bar, for the Concierge reception. Upon arrival, we helped ourselves to olives, crudites and dip, and waited for one of the team to go through our itinerary with us. We didn't have to wait long and we were soon welcomed by Jonathan and Pascal of the concierge team as well as Nicole, the onboard Fairytale Wedding representative. I'd been able to book most things online at 105 days and as we just wished to add the wine-tasting to our list of activities, that was quickly arranged. Nicole asked us a few questions about the vow renewal arrangements and we agreed to meet with her on our first At Sea day to confirm the details. Then it was off to Topsiders for our first taste of the buffet lunch. The choice was amazingly delicious plus it was good to sit down and eat as we'd been up for hours with only coffee and veggie sticks for sustenance! We grabbed an outside table and looked out at the terminal building, basking in the Floridian warmth... By now our room was due to be ready, so we quickly finished noshing and made our way to the deck below to look for our stateroom. It was easy to find so Richard slipped his KTTW card into the slot and slowly opened the door...

Oh my! I was totally blown away! Stateroom 8602 was absolutely gorgeous and far exceeded my expectations! Beautiful Deco-style light wood furniture and panelling adorned the living room and a decorative glass sliding door led into the bedroom. Attractive artwork hung on the walls, classic books lined the bookcases and the two shower rooms were spacious and luxurious - one each! Two of the first things I noticed were the gorgeous tropical flower arrangement on the dining table and a Bon Voyage banner above the verandah doors - sailaway gifts from our wonderful children! A bottle of Dom Perignon sat in an ice bucket with two champagne flutes at the ready - what a way to start the cruise!?

Time to explore the verandah - and OMG it was huuuge!!! It had a table and four chairs plus two sunloungers with room for more! We grinned at each other like a couple of Cheshire cats and Richard popped the champagne cork so we could toast the start of our week. But we didn't have time to linger too much longer as we were due to meet our DISboard buddies on Deck 9 at 3pm!

We made our way up to the Goofy pool and into the sunshine. At first I couldn't spot anyone who looked a likely cruise-meet candidate but suddenly I saw Marsha! Now Marsha is a wonderful lady who's close to becoming something of a cruise addict and I was delighted to make her acquaintance. And her 'kids', Pal and Min! Next up were Bob and Penny, a fab couple who I recognised from photos in their respective DIS signatures. They were able to introduce us to the lovely Eva who I had been DISchatting with for ages and her DH, Steve! We were all very happy to finally get together as we three couples had linked reservations so we could dine at the same table in the evenings. Then I spotted Ann, a lucky lady who, with her DH, was on the 3rd leg of a back-to-back-to-back cruising extravaganza! Imagine! She had also taken the time and trouble to order lime green wristbands for us all which Richard and I wore throughout the week. Actually I think Richard's still wearing his wristband hidden behind the cuff of his work shirts - seems he's unwilling to leave the Magic behind. There were plenty of other DISfolk there but I'm ashamed to say I didn't really speak to many as the group quickly dissipated in order to attend the compulsory Drill and afterwards we decided to return to our stateroom to unpack, watch the ship leave the port and sip a little more delicious champagne...

Back to suite 8602. In our absence, a plate of goodies from the concierge team had arrived and Richard, in his role as Big Chief Sampler, pretty much ate the lot. I can't recall if they were sweet or savoury as by the time I got the camera out to record them for possible scrapbooking posterity, all that was left was an empty plate! Mmm, anyway... Fortunately for BCS, I was distracted by the arrival of our luggage and we quickly unpacked. As the space in our stateroom was so generous, we were able to have a closet each - mine was walk-in and so flippin' wonderful I'm now thinking I'd like to re-model our entire first floor so I can recreate it at home. The ensuite shower-room was more like a wet room and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want one of those too - I do. Very much. See how expensive a Disney cruise can be?!! Eventually it was time to SailAway and we stood on our romantic verandah, hand in hand, waving to those still onshore. As a very wise, powerful and heavily chained man once said, "Pity the fools!"

It was very beautiful standing there, watching the waves and the disappearing shore. We even saw a couple of dolphins frolicking in the swell - an auspicious start our cruise. As I continued to watch the coastline slip away, I suddenly realised someone else had slipped away too! I was alone on the verandah, whispering sweet nothings to sweet no one! It seems Richard had ventured inside to top-up his champers but en route discovered a ring binder guide to onboard services which included the restaurant's menus! Big Chief Sampler was in his epicurian element as he reviewed night after night of gastronomic offerings! I checked the rotation on our KTTW cards and showed him what we could expect that very night in Lumiere's - confirming yet again it's the simple things that keep a man happy... As it would soon be time for us to get ready for the afore-mentioned dinner, we decided to take a quick look around the ship. We'd already resolved (in the interest of weight gain) to use the stairs as much as possible so we scampered down to Deck 4 and proceeded to explore. It was as we were strolling through to the Lobby that DH spotted the art auction area and before you could say "How much??!!" he'd spoken to the auctioneer (a lovely South African lady called Jackie) and signed us up for the upcoming auction at sea. He claims he was swayed by the prospect of free martinis but I'm sure the prospect of winning a Picasso was what really piqued his interest! Yes, really... We continued on our impromptu tour and ended up exploring the shops before realising time was seriously ticking by and shooting back to the stateroom. Scampering down 4 floors was easy, crawling back up them less so but we kept our eyes firmly on our waistlines and managed to reach 8602 without too much wheezing...

And so to dinner. We freshened up and got changed into our 'cruise casual' attire. I still don't really know what this means - I just hope my towelling robe and oversized spa flip flops didn't offend anyone... But I jest! Would I, a fine upstanding member f the DISboards, commit such a faux pas?! Of course not! Actually I think I wore pretty much the same thing I wore most nights - dressy top, casual crop trousers and jewelled mules. I have no memory of what Richard wore so I'm calmly assuming he didn't storm the dining room wearing nothing but a smile and a rotating bow-tie - fingers crossed, eh?! Back to the story, dear readers! We entered Lumiere's slightly late as there was something of a queue outside. So much for making a good first impression on our fellow diners! Needless to say Steve, Eva, Bob and Penny were already seated, perusing their menus and checking their watches - no doubt wondering where those unreliable Brits had got to! Actually they seemed quite relaxed about our tardiness as we slunk into our seats and waited for our servers to do their stuff...

Oka from Bali and Additya from India were a fabulous team. Prompt, knowledgeable, efficient and friendly, they were quick to provide the table with bread and water and happy to advise on our food and wine choices. Once we'd re-acquainted ourselves with our table-mates, we scanned the menus - or at least I did, as my darling husband was having his mind boggled by the Wine Package leaflet! Fortunately Additya came to his assistance and explained the mechanics of the scheme - basically you can choose any 7 bottles of wine from the relevant package for the price stated. That's a bottle per night in anyone's language and as my DH is very fond of a couple of glasses of red wine with his dinner, he chose to buy into the Premium package and quickly selected a bottle of red for that evening's delectation... During dinner, we chatted and learnt more about each other. Using Top Secret MI5 probing techniques, I determined that Steve & Eva were High School sweethearts (like Richard and myself - aaaahhh!!) and also celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary during the cruise. I discovered that Bob and Penny found romance in an unexpectedly wonderful way that should give hope to everyone - you could say we were one loved-up table! Lumiere's was a beautiful restaurant, if a little noisy and the food very good. Our menu choices were as follows:

Kaz's choices: Escargot, Normandy Salad, Herb-Crusted Halibut, Grand Marnier Souffle...
Dick's choices: Proscuitto Cup, Chilled Vichyssoise, Coquilles St. Jacques, Ice Cream Sundae...

As this was our first night, I tried to choose sensible options (I only had a nibble of the souffle) as I was increasingly anxious about getting into my Vow Renewal dress on Thursday! Dinner was soon over and we all went our separate ways - Richard and I headed out for a stroll around the deck before returning to our room where I noticed the 'Privacy' sign on our door. Turns out my DH thought it prudent to hang the sign out whilst we were getting ready for dinner (?) and had then forgotten to remove it. So no Turn Down, Pillow Chocs or Towel Animals for me tonight! Oh well. I made him write out "Mousekeeping Matters" 1000 times before bed so he got the message. Anyway, after a final champagne nightcap (those of you who don't know me, will be amazed at how much fizz we get through on this vacation - those of you that do, will be expecting nothing less...) we retired to our extremely comfortable bed and thoughts of tomorrow - Key West, Palo Brunch AND our 25th Wedding Anniversary...

 

[natalielongstaff]

brilliant report Karen....you def travel in style

 

[mandymouse]

Brilliant day Karen Was this your first time in a Cat 3 ? I'm really looking forward to your next installment

Mandy

 

[Tammy Stringer]

Brilliant report -I am really enjoying this and can't wait for the next instalment

Tammy

 

[CustardTart]

Thanks so much for your kind words! TBH the cruise is already such a dim and distant memory, there's a chance I may be making up plotlines and/or borrowing heavily from "Overboard", "The Poseidon Adventure", "Flipper" and other nautical films! Seriously tho', I've had to spend much of the afternoon looking at the Navigators for vague clues of what we got up to...

Nat: The upside of becoming a parent an incredibly young age (19 to be exact) is that now 2 of the 3 leeches - I mean, little darlings - are off our hands and all the cash we used to spend on them we can now spend on us! The downside of blowing the cash on holidays is that a) you get a taste for it and b) you've never got the funds to replace the sagging sofas and leaky guttering so your home remains the shabby without the chic... Ah well, as Annie would say, "it's a hard knock life!"

Mandy: Yes, this was our first time in a Cat 3. Richard had never set foot on a cruise ship before and when I sailed with Sophie we were down on Deck 2! We had one of the aft suites kitted out for disabled guests - hence the huge deck and no bath tubs just showers. OMG is was so beautiful - I think we've been completely spoilt! I know it's not the Walt or the Roy suite but it felt like it to me...

 

[natalielongstaff]

Nat: The upside of becoming a parent an incredibly young age (19 to be exact) is that now 2 of the 3 leeches - I mean, little darlings - are off our hands and all the cash we used to spend on them we can now spend on us! The downside of blowing the cash on holidays is that a) you get a taste for it and b) you've never got the funds to replace the sagging sofas and leaky guttering so your home remains the shabby without the chic... Ah well, as Annie would say, "it's a hard knock life!"

i can relate to that Karen....at 9 and 6 yrs old its a long way off for me just yet !!!

 

[arieljasmine]

Hi Karen

I have just caught up with your reports and I am LOVING them! Thanks for sharing. It sounds like such a magical trip. I am very much looking forward to hearing more.

Laur's

 

[CustardTart]

Day 3: We woke at around 8am and wished each other a very Happy Anniversary. Today was our first Big Day onboard and we surprised each other with a couple of gifts - I'd bought Richard a pair of silver heart-shaped cuff-links for him to wear during our Vow Renewal. He's bought me a beautiful pastel cultured pearl necklace with an elaborate silver clasp - believe me, they're gorgeous and I kept them on for much of the vacation! I'm a June baby so pearls are my birthstone and I love them! I'd bought some of our anniversary cards with us from home and displayed them in the bookcases.

Anyway, in a fit of efficient booze-planning, we'd pre-ordered coffee and orange juice the night before from the room service menu and, when it arrived, we created a couple of weak Bucks Fizz cocktails with the last of the champagne. We then toasted each other's fabulousness on the verandah before showering and dressing. We also toasted Bruce Springsteen - well, someone's gotta remember his birthday and I hear the E -Street Band aren't that reliable...

But I digress. Our Palo brunch was scheduled for 11am so we were able to attend the DVC Member Celebration in Diversions at 10am. When we arrived, the room was packed but we managed to perch on a couple of stools at the rear of the room and watch the action. We only joined DVC earlier this year but we're already delighted we did. As Richard says, what's not to delight!? You get to spend vast sums on a Disney-related product, sign Disney-themed paperwork and, as a result, receive a box of Disney-designed manuals, a wicked DVC members card plus a huge canvas bag in which to stuff your Disney-bought merchandise! It's all good... Seriously tho', watching the promotional DVD for Adventures By Disney made us even more enthusiastic - the Costa Rica trip looks awesome and we're pencilling it in for 2009. Our names were put in a raffle and we won a DVC drawstring bag to go with our baseball caps and pins...

But the Palo Brunch was calling and we left the DVC get-together before the end, more than a little giddy with anticipation and hunger! We checked in and our server, Sasha from Spain, introduced himself and offered us a Mimosa (yep, more fizz!) He guided us around the brunch buffet, showing all the tempting wares of offer! OH - MY - GOODNESS!!! Believe me, it's impossible to do the Brunch offerings justice so I'm not going to try. Suffice to say, we can't wait to book it again as we didn't even try the half the goodies on offer and everything looked deliciously yummy!

By now the Magic had docked in Key West but it was pouring with rain so we decided to hold off for a while before going ashore. I think we'd just waddled back to the room (yes, too full of Palo's pleasurable pastries to even walk properly) when the sun broke through so we freshened up and headed out to walk off our waistline worries as well as sample the delights of Key West! I gotta be honest - we didn't spot too many delights tho' we walked a fair few miles that afternoon! We mainly saw T-shirt shops with slogans so ribald, rude and risque, I swear Roy 'Chubby' Brown would be blushing like an innocent maid if confronted with 'em! As it was, they fell into two categories - the half that I didn't understand and the other half that made my eyes bleed! So, our senses assaulted, we staggered down the nearest side street, hurrying away from Duval Street as fast as our poor waddling legs would carry us! I had a basic shopping map of the area and, after turning it this way and that, stepping into it (a la Joey from Friends), I finally realised where we were and we set off for a bit of culture at Ernest Hemingway's house! We walked far and we walked long. At one point, as Richard bent down to tie his shoelace, we were surrounded by menacing natives. Turns out the cockerels meant no harm but at least he burnt off a few calories as he sped off down the street like Forrest Gump. Run, Richard, Run...

As we approached Hemingway's house, we spotted a cute-looking bar and, resolving to have an (another) anniversary toast upon our return, we entered the one-time abode of the famous author.

It was at this point (after we'd paid admission) that my DH revealed he wasn't actually a fan of the writer after all. Seems he felt $11 each admission was a bit steep for any museum that wasn't dedicated to the Aston Villa European Cup Winners of 1981, but I was just glad of tranquility after the Duval Street debacle - even if the place reeked of what I came to realise must be cat pee! Like the cockerels earlier, we didn't notice the feline presence at first, but the smell hit our nostrils with the force of an anvil and shortly after we spotted them - everyflippin'where!!! The sheer volume of cats was surreal and creepy but we kept going! We're bloody British dontcha know! After I'd taken photos of every conceivable artefact and some inconceivable ones too - check out this moggie mausoleum...

...I loved these tiles...

...yet more wildlife...

...we decided to head for the cute-looking bar and get wasted. Except the cute-looking bar was now closed. So we cut our losses and headed back to the Magic as fast as our little London legs would carry us!

Once onboard, and seeing as we were still sober, we propelled ourselves to the Promenade Lounge on Deck 3 for a couple of glasses of grape-based beverage! This became our favourite haunt throughout the cruise - it was rarely busy, the seats were comfy and the staff attentive - in fact, later in the week, the same cast members served us champagne during the Vow Renewal and Konk Koolers on Serenity Bay... So we chose a table, placed our orders and snuggled together on a comfy banquette seat. I don't know who first spotted the Scrabble set nonchalently nestled on an adjacent table and I can't be sure which of us reached for it and started turning the tiles face down. All I know for certain is that was the start of the Great Silver Wedding Scrabble Championship (GSWSC) of 2007! DH asked the waiter for a pen and we scored on our damp Key West shopping map. We had a great time - OK I had a great time. Actually I had a fabulous time! I played fast and furious, getting all my letters out - twice! Yes, you guessed it, I WON!!! I was victorious, the top-dog, the champion, numero uno!!! Just call me the Scrabble Subjugator!!! Yeah but I didn't crow about it...

It felt like time to get ready for dinner so we climbed the 5 floors to our beeootiful room (a little hard after all our exhausting excursions but wheezing was kept to a minimum) and opened the door... More goodies from the concierge team greeted us - a platter of little savoury amuse-bouches! Next to the food was a card from the concierge team plus a photocard signed by the characters! And a generous sprinkling of Mickey-shaped pixiedust - just wonderful and, as someone who can cry at the drop of a hat, I felt a little teary. I had to put the weeping on hold tho' as there were arty food photos to take so I locked Richard on the verandah while I snapped away. Unfortunately 'arty' and 'food shots' don't go together so you'll have to make do with this...

As I turned to allow Big Chief Sampler back in, I saw a huge display on our coffee table. This time it was a gift from the Fairytale Wedding team - two waffle bathrobes beautifully presented - well, you can see from the photo... And yes, you've guessed it, time for more tears...

Tonight we were dining in Animator's Palate and I didn't want to be late, so I stopped crying and hopped in the shower! I wore a different top, cropped trousers, bejewelled mules and my new pearls. Richard dressed in one of his Princess outfits (Belle tonight, I think) and we hurried out of the suite... Now my previous Animator's Palate experience had been neither than animated nor palatable. It had been on the 2nd night of a Girls Only 3 night cruise, DD and I had taken back in May 2005. A combination of table-mate tension plus devastating hunger meant I didn't really get the chance to soak up the 'show' so tonight I was determined to pay attention! And it was worth it! We had a wonderful evening with our new friends - no table-mate tension here! We chatted about our day in Key West and about the Magic in general - it was all good. Richard selected another bottle of wine with his usual aplomb and I didn't even have to remind him not to snatch an already open bottle from a neighbouring table - he's growing up, bless him! Tonight we chose the following menu selections:

Kaz's Choices: Wild Garlic Mushrooms, Caesar Salad, Lemon Peppered Oven-baked Stuffed Chicken, Double Fudge Chocolate Cake.
Dick's Choices: Wild Garlic Mushrooms, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, Maple-Glazed Salmon, Pound Cake.

At the end of the meal, the Head Server, John and our usual guys presented us with a surprise Anniversary cake and serenaded us with a song that ordered us to 'kiss' at the end of every line. So we duly obliged! Afterwards, with sore lips, we took our cake back to the room and began a love affair that photos cannot do justice to. That cake was the most delicious, creamy, mouth-watering cake in the history of cake! We ate it with coffee for breakfast and with champagne for lunch - it was utterly fabulous and I hope to be on the receiving end when we next cruise...

Tonight my DH hadn't left any inappropriate signage on the door handle of our stateroom so we'd been tidied up and turned down to perfection! There were chocolates on the pillow and two towel-animals on the bed - all was right with the world!

It seemed a little early to head for bed so we decided to drop in on 80's night in Rockin' Bar D! Ah, the perfect end to our day as we'd tied the knot in 1982 and who knew what classic tunes would blow our minds!?! Turns out it wasn't so much the music as the outfits of the cast members. We bagged a table, ordered a couple of glasses of guess what and watched in amusement (me) and horror (him) as the entertaining cruise staff cajoled people onto the dance floor. Actually I found it entertaining - the CMs did a fab dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller and later a band performed what can only be described as a Ska version of Come On Eileen. Now this song is special to us (we played it at our wedding and I'm even getting a little teary as I write this!) so it seemed appropriate that an alternative version should herald the next 25 years of our wonderful life together... But enough of such sentimental mush. We danced, we drank and we drifted back to room 8602 ready to sleep...

 

[saratogagirl]

this is wonderful Karen, I can't wait to read more. Palo brunch is wonderful isn't it. I am sure we can get through a few grapes together when we meet in December, You are inspiring me for our 25th, I have ten years to save for it LOL x

 

[Minniespal]

Karen, I'm really enjoying reading your trip reports. Looking forward to the next installment.

 

[CustardTart]

Thanks, just so glad you're enjoying my ramblings! Real life has kinda stopped while I'm writing up this trip but it's so wonderful to get the opportunity to relive it!

Jules, the Brunch was incredible! I especially can't wait to try all the pizzas next time around - actually, with no vow renewal dress to terrorise me, I'll have two of everything please!!!

 

[BRobson]

Great trip report so far Karen. We need more ............

 

[florida sun]

More, more, more, please Karen, loving these reports

 

[CustardTart]

Our very first At Sea day! I awoke feeling rested and refreshed in our still fabulous but slightly less tidy stateroom. Casually, I looked over at the propeller clock on the bedside table. Mmm, 8.40. What a civilised time to wake up... I turned over, stretched out in the bed and then remembered we were scheduled to be at the onboard character breakfast in 5 minutes! So, elbowing my DH in the ribs and yelling "Get up!" down his ear, I rolled out of bed and threw myself into the shower room! Dick was up in a flash - despite his advancing years, he's good at that - and, suffice to say, we made it to Parrot Cay dining room a mere 5 minutes late and joined Bob and Penny at our table! Now I love characters and I love breakfast so the whole concept is one of my absolute favourite Disney experiences and this didn't disappoint, tho' the delivery was different from what we've enjoyed elsewhere. This was more of a character-based show, with audience and Cast Member participation, not the more personal table-to-table affair we've experienced before. I didn't mind - I'll happily sing and clap along with anyone to anything but, I've gotta be honest, parents wielding enormous video cameras, barging past our table and yelling stage directions to their offspring got old very, very quickly! Ah well, at least the turkey sausages were delicious and the coffee kept coming...

Brekkie over, it was time to meet up with Nicole (the FTW coordinator) so we headed for the Guest Services desk in the Lobby. We adjourned with her to Diversions and went through the details of our ceremony with a fine-tooth comb. We confirmed that all requests and choices had been honoured and Nicole talked us through the ceremony itself. Despite my fears to the contrary, the ceremony was due to take place on the Secret Deck just below our stateroom and Captain Thord would be officiating. Naturally, we had to sign the standard 4-page document confirming we would not harangue the Captain over future Magic itineraries or names for the forthcoming DCL ships - nah, I'm joking, guys! Seriously, the meeting went as expected and we left Diversions feeling prepared and happier than ever that we'd chosen DCL for our upcoming repeat nuptials...

We headed back to the cabin for a much needed review. In my haste to get to breakfast, I'd scarcely looked in the mirror that morning so needed to check I wasn't the reason small children kept screaming as we made our way around the ship... Before long, however, we were back on Deck 4, as it was time for Richard to peruse the artworks on display, prior to the auction later that afternoon. Now I'm a supportive wife and I know Dicks Just Wanna Have Fun so I'd already decided to be open-minded about the event. What I didn't expect was to like anything myself. A lot. And you may recall I'm a gold medalist in Shopping - UK and International standard. So what happens next is easy to predict and I won't insult your intelligence by going through the details...

Mmmm, anyway, 2 o' clock approached and, if you're Dick and Kaz, that can only mean one thing - EXTREME WINE TASTING!!! Now, dear readers, it's possible some of you might think we've tasted enough grape-based beverages already but we were on a roll and this is just a teeny weeny tasting event! Not a wine supping, quaffing, gulping, swigging or downing-in-one - so I think you'll agree, it had to be done! We arrived at Sessions, where the event was due to take place, a little early! What can I tell you? We are very keen students. After a few dragging minutes, we were shown to our seats and quickly settled into the comfy club chairs which faced each other across a table crowded with glassware. Unfortunately, Richard became over-excited by the sight of twelve glasses of wine in front of him and had to be kicked on the shins several times before normal service was resumed! First up, we were told how to assess a wine by it's colour, it's smell and it's taste. Using a different sense, I could hear my DH getting impatient. "When's the actual tasting gonna start?" he hissed to no one in particular. I ignored him and studiously made notes on my tasting leaflet. Finally, the event got underway for real and I was delighted to discover that wines were completely different from those I'd encountered on the Wonder in 2005. Three wine sommeliers guided us through tasting 3 whites (reisling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay) and 3 reds (burgundy, cabernet sauvignon, syrah) from different parts of the world. All in all, we had a good time and received a 'Stem to Stern' pin as reward for attending the seminar!

But no rest on the Magic! Time now to scamper off to the art auction in the Lobby, where we bagged a couple of seats and complimentary martinis before sitting back and enjoying the action. Despite initial misgivings, it proved to be good fun and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. The pace was swift, the young auctioneer very entertaining and the prices (to my semi-experienced eye and given the $$/£ exchange rate) not too bad! Over the years, I've collected a number of posters, lithographs and paintings which I now use to hide the appalling condition of the walls of our home - well, it works for me! That afternoon, we bought a couple of brightly coloured lithographs by a French artist - really pretty and they'll look fab in our living room. We chose to have them unframed as that would be easier for us to transport and we were able to take them away with us on our final morning as we left the ship. We also bid on this little framed heart-shaped 'coin' as a memento of our romantic trip. It now hangs in our hall and, whenever I walk past it, I remember our Magical week...

After the rush of the auction, we knew we had to calm down. But the Promenade Lounge was calling and Richard wanted a Scrabble re-match so how could I, the Scrabble Subjugator, refuse?! We spotted a couple of wines on the list at the bar that had been part of our tasting - Richard had the shiraz whilst I had a glass of the chardonnay. I insisted we sit in the same seats as yesterday and, guess what, I cleaned up - again! I ran two laps of the lounge whilst DH clapped and sang the Rocky theme tune through gritted teeth. But I didn't rub his nose in it - honest...

By now the prospect of Formal Night was looming large and, as it takes Richard a l-o-n-g time to get ready (men eh?), we decided to head back to 8602 and prepare for the evening ahead. Guess who'd stopped by with a plate of sweet petits fours?!

These were totally delicious and I confess I ate a couple of chocolate-covered strawberries before diving into the shower... Tonight I wore a long sequinned silk skirt, silk camisole, a gold shrug and brown/gold strappy mules. Richard put aside his beloved Ariel outfit in favour of a new blue suit, deep blue shirt, matching cufflinks and a subtle Mickey tie. I gave a sigh of relief as we left the stateroom and made our way to Parrot Cay...

We made it to the restaurant just about on time which, sadly, meant we didn't have time for a formal photograph in the Lobby. This was disappointing but we assumed that photographers would be circulating in Parrot Cay during the evening. We sat with our regular table-mates in the vibrantly decorated dining room. After the usual greetings, we discovered the others had attended the Margarita/Tequila Tasting at the same time we'd been enjoying the Wine Tasting. I'd initially been keen to attend this but lately margaritas have made me acidic so I'd given DH the choice and he opted to taste wine - nothing new there then! It sounded like they'd had a blast tho' I seem to recall some lightweights needed a nap during the afternoon! Our servers were soon dispensing bread and water whilst we perused the menus with a concentration that bordered on obsessive - or maybe that was just me. Tonight our decisions were as follows:

Kaz's choices: Baked Crab Martinique, Mixed Island Greens, Caribbean Roast Chicken, Creme Brulee Cheesecake.
Dick's choices: Trio of Salmon, Cold Cream of Mango and Papaya, Baby Back Ribs, French Toast Banana Bread Pudding.

We chatted throughout dinner and it was fascinating to hear other views on a common experience. What interested me was that even seasoned cruisers such as Eva and Steve seemed not to have tried everything the Magic has to offer. As Richard and I are booked to enjoy two more weeks on the Magic in 2008, that was good to know. Despite keeping a watch for any roaming paparazzi, I didn't spot a single photographer so Formal Night passed by unrecorded for posterity - ah well, you live and learn... Anyway, after dinner DH and I adjourned to 'our' Promenade Lounge and ordered a couple of champagne cocktails as a nightcap. We returned to our suite and again the room looked beautiful with two swans adorning our bed and forming a cute heart!

Soft lighting made the quality furnishings look even more sumptuous and as we headed off to bed, I just wished this dream vacation would never end...

 

[saratogagirl]

another lovely day, Karen you have on my t shirt, that blue Castaway Cay one normally lives in my wardrobe, you can give it back in December LOL

 

[Minniespal]

Another lovely day Karen

 

[natalielongstaff]

great reports Karen and photos

 

[florida sun]

Another brilliant report Karen, cant wait for the next one