Making History! A 2017 Westbound Panama Canal Trip Report **Complete**

[arielmomma]

Monday, April 24, Day at Sea






We'd set the alarm clock in the room to wake us in time to make our Character Breakfast, but we ended up not needing it. Without any fuss, we were up, dressed, and ready to meet the true stars of this cruise.



We had a little time to spare, so the kids thought it would be fun to play "jam pile on Daddy."



A few extra zzz's sounded good, too.



While they catch a little extra beauty sleep, allow me to fill you in on something I forgot to share in yesterday's report. When we'd first arrived in our cabin, we noticed that it was really warm. Our room hostess, Nan, stopped by shortly thereafter whereby we told her that the air conditioning wasn't working properly. She promptly brought us a Dyson bladeless fan and notified us that maintenance would be by shortly. It wasn't ten minutes before a maintenance man appeared. Unfortunately, he was not able to fix our air conditioner. It turned out that a cluster of cabins in our neighborhood were without air conditioning. (It would remain that way for most of the cruise.) When Nan heard this, she immediately brought us a second fan. Now, this could have seriously had a detrimental impact on our vacation - small space, no windows, tropical climate, warm bodies - a potential recipe for disaster.

However, it actually turned out to be a positive experience. We preferred the fans to the air conditioner!

First off, I LOVED the Dyson bladeless fan. I wanted one to take home with me. The fans allowed us to control the room temperature much better than we were ever able to with the air conditioner. Usually, we either froze or melted in our cruise cabins. Not this time. It was always just the way we liked it. Also, with two fans, we were able to keep both sides of the curtain different temperatures at night. The adults could keep our side frigid (the way we liked it while we slept), while the kids kept their side more moderate. It worked out great! So, in the event that this ever happens to you, stay positive. It might turn out for the best.

Flashback over. Back to our regularly scheduled Character Breakfast....

Our meal was scheduled at 9:30am in Animator's Palate. I booked this online prior to our cruise. We arrived on time and were seated at an eight-top table near the back wall in front of one of the screens.



Shortly after arrival, our server provided us with the appropriate attire.





She also gave us menus. Normally, I am not fond of this menu. This time, though, I decided to try something different. I was so glad I did!



To start, I had a pineapple/coconut muffin. Those of you who read my last trip report know how much I love these muffins. James had a cinnamon roll.

 

[arielmomma]

View attachment 239714


I saw this picture and thought, "She looks familiar." A second later it hit me.


View attachment 239712

I see the resemblance! My baby is a work of art!

 

[arielmomma]

My children turned into zombies staring at the cartoons playing on the screen in front of them. They frequently had to be reminded to eat.



They pulled themselves away from the cartoons long enough to meet Minnie.




Well, sort of...



Once Minnie moved on, our server delivered our meals. I'd ordered the Hawaiian Shores with a side of sautéed mushrooms. This was the first time I'd ordered this dish, and it turned out to be delicious. It will definitely be my character breakfast go-to selection in the future!



Jimmy's bagel, sausage, scrambled egg, and hash brown.



Emily's Mickey waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and a hash brown.



James ordered a ham and cheese omelet, bacon, hash browns, and a bagel with smoked salmon.



Pluto stopped by to say, "Hi."

 

[arielmomma]

Mickey made his appearance shortly thereafter.





Finally, our favorite of the bunch - Goofy!

 

[Oregongram]

Following along.

 

[SonyaShay]

Caught up and following along!

 

[MickeyEarrings]

Wow!! I'm sorry to hear about the air conditioning issues, but I'm glad the two fans were helpful.

I'm also glad it only affected your end of our hall - I surely would have melted without AC!

 

[arielmomma]

Wow!! I'm sorry to hear about the air conditioning issues, but I'm glad the two fans were helpful.

I'm also glad it only affected your end of our hall - I surely would have melted without AC!

Like I said, it really didn't turn out to be a bad thing. The fans kept the cabin in what I would guess was about the mid 60's (light sweater comfortable) during the day and we lowered it at night (nestled under the comforter comfortable). The temperature remained a lot more consistent this way than it had on any of our previous cruises. I promise, there was no melting!

 

[arielmomma]

From breakfast, the kids and the adults went our separate ways. James and I went to the D Lounge for Anyone Can Cook. The amazing Tony from Spain asked for volunteers to help Chef Mike make Lobster Ravioli. James promptly volunteered me, and I was selected.



Here I am adding salt to the lobster. I may have accidently added a tad too much. Okay fine, I may have turned it into a salt lick. At least, I was able to laugh at myself (along with the entire audience).



Don't you just love my hat?



Here I am with Tony. I had a lot of fun participating in the demonstration. I recommend trying it if you get the chance. Thanks James for volunteering me. Oh, and the Lobster Ravioli was great, too! Not the one I made, of course.



From the D Lounge, we headed to deck 3 to run a few errands.



Then it was back to Deck 4 to catch up on my novel. It was a gorgeous day to sit outside in the shade and read.

 

[arielmomma]

Eventually, it was time to meet the kids at Triton's for lunch. To my surprise, the menu had completely changed. For a moment, I was saddened. I'd become accustomed to my favorites. Then, I realized I would get to try a bunch of new foods and find new favorites. While I like familiarity, I also love to try new things! There were eight new menus in all.



Jimmy had a double portion of calamari for his main course. Emily had a single portion.



I started with the marinated artichokes. These were SO good!



For my main course, I had the Penne Rigate. This had a rather mild taste, but was also very good. I added some shaved parmesan to give it a little extra kick.



James ordered the Halibut. He really liked it.



For dessert, my men both had sundaes.



I had the Warm Hazelnut Chocolate Molten Cake. Oh my goodness! This was hands-down the best dessert I had during this cruise. It was like traditional Chocolate Molten Cake, except it had a rich, creamy chocolate-hazelnut center. It was delectable! I'm fantasizing about it right now...mmm... Already the new menu was a winner!



Emily had a Mickey Bar.



After lunch, James and I returned to our loungers on deck 4 to take a short nap before dance class. At 2:45pm, we went to Azure to learn the Waltz with Willem and Natalia. It was great to see them again. Willem, Natalia, and Willem's husband, Jarrod, all remembered us from our previous Panama Canal Cruise. If you have any interest in learning ballroom dancing, I can't recommend these three professionals enough. They are fun, friendly, and incredibly talented (not to mention patient). You also don't need a partner. If you don't have one, one will be provided for you. And let me just say, when I danced with Willem or Jarrod, I actually felt like I knew what I was doing!

Continuing on that thought, for those of you who read my last trip report, you know that while James and I LOVED taking Willem and Natalia's classes, we will never be featured on Dancing with the Stars. Possibly America's Funniest Home Videos, but that would be about it. Last cruise, I was lucky to make it out of each class with only a single new bruise.

Let me just say, that both James and I made it out of this first class injury free! So, James may have accidently stepped on the foot of another man in class, but it wasn't our bruise so it didn't count.

A lack of injuries was reason to celebrate, so we headed to deck 9 for soft-serve ice cream. I had strawberry and mango. Yum!



I was really starting to get into my book, so we decided to stay up on deck 9 until dinner. We found a nice quiet spot in Quiet Cove. I was shocked. Quiet Cove was never "quiet" on our 2016 Eastbound Panama Canal cruise. Finding a seat was impossible midday. We found that this was not the case on this cruise. We never had trouble finding a quiet spot in the shade both on deck 9 or deck 4. Not even on Panama Canal day!

 

[egesicki]

Great report so far. PC is on my bucket list. This is probably posted somewhere on these boards but I'll ask anyway, did your sideways inside have the split bath? My DH would be thrilled with the fans, he loves the white noise.

 

[arielmomma]

Great report so far. PC is on my bucket list. This is probably posted somewhere on these boards but I'll ask anyway, did your sideways inside have the split bath? My DH would be thrilled with the fans, he loves the white noise.

The sideways rooms do not have a split bath. The first time I had one, I was afraid that it would be a problem (after previously having a deluxe inside), but it didn't really impact our experience either way. The public bathrooms for the Walt Disney Theater were below us, so a second bathroom was only a flight of stairs away. The white noise the fan provided was definitely a huge advantage. Between that, the total darkness, and the constant rocking, we slept like babies!

 

[arielmomma]

Tonight was formal night, and we were dining in Triton's. We all went back to the cabin to dress for dinner.









To start, Emily ordered double Escargot. This was one of her favorite appetizers. Who would have guessed my kids would love squid and snails so much?



I had the duck confit. It was as good as I remembered it.



I also had the pear salad. It, too, was good.



James had the French onion soup.



For her main course, Emily had the mushroom ravioli. This was my usual choice, but tonight I decided to try something different.



Instead, I had the crispy roasted duck breast. I was glad I expanded my horizons. This was delicious!

 

[arielmomma]

For James' main course, he ordered the rack of lamb. He said that it was very good.



Emily ordered an extra side of French Fries. Jimmy didn't order a meal for himself. He'd overindulged on deck 9 pizza too close to dinner. He did enjoy sampling my duck, however.



For dessert, Emily had the sundae. Jimmy had the apple tartin.



I had the crème brulee. This, too, was as good as I remembered.



James had the apple tartin and the apple pie off the children's menu.



After dinner, the children went to their clubs, while James and I returned to Azure to learn the Foxtrot and Hustle with Willem and Natalia. We had a great time, but ended our "no injury" streak. I ended up with a bruised knee.

From dance, we met Jimmy at the Walt Disney Theater to watch Mary Ellen Hooper's family comedy show. Emily opted not to join us. Boy did she miss out. Mary Ellen was hilarious! She was one of our favorite acts on this cruise.

After the show, I asked the Jimmy if he would like to play family Wonder Quest with us. He hemmed and hawed and abandoned us for the Edge. James and I went to D Lounge to play without him. We not only had a great time, but we won!







Armed with our winner's medallions, we returned to the Walt Disney Theater for Mary Ellen Hooper's adult show. It was my turn to volunteer James to get up on stage. She teased us both about our marriage and parenting. At the end of the bit, she proved James' value as a husband by having him open a bottle of water for her. She was great!



With our sides aching from laughing so hard, we figured it was time to collect Emily and call it a night. This was our view of the atrium on the way to the Oceaneer Club.



Eventually, Jimmy joined us in the cabin, and we all got ready for bed. Another amazing day was behind us. I wonder what adventures tomorrow will hold?



Up next...Staying onboard in Cozumel.

 

[nycdisneygal]

AAWWW love your formal night look! I want to wear a tiara for formal night!!
Man I hope we have that lunch menu for our Alaska cruise!!

That was so awesome how you were the cook!! Great pics too! Wow this is such an amazing vacation so far.

 

[arielmomma]

AAWWW love your formal night look! I want to wear a tiara for formal night!!
Man I hope we have that lunch menu for our Alaska cruise!!

That was so awesome how you were the cook!! Great pics too! Wow this is such an amazing vacation so far.

Thank you! What better place to be a princess than with Disney. It really was a wonderful vacation. I hope your Alaska cruise is as special. I hope to get to Alaska one day, too.

 

[lunarsongbird]

Oh no! I'm all caught up! You must post more! Need more. LOL. (Or maybe I should go finish up my trip report from a YEAR ago. Sigh. LOL)

 

[arielmomma]

Oh no! I'm all caught up! You must post more! Need more. LOL. (Or maybe I should go finish up my trip report from a YEAR ago. Sigh. LOL)

LOL, but it's so much easier to read other people's reports.

 

[arielmomma]

Tuesday, April 25, Cozumel





We woke to an absolutely gorgeous day! Well, at first, it was only Emily and I. The boys were still asleep. Quietly, she and I dressed and slipped out of the cabin. I gave Emily the choice of where she would like to eat breakfast. She chose Cabanas.

Here is my breakfast. Everything was delectable!



This was Emily's breakfast.



Cabanas was rather crowded as our fellow passengers filled their bellies in preparation to spend the day in Cozumel, Mexico. Emily, however, was excited to have the Goofy pool mostly to herself. Since we'd been to Cozumel several times in the past, we would be spending the day onboard. We are those odd people who love to take advantage of a quiet ship on port days.



After I finished my meal, I walked around the buffet taking pictures to share with those of you who are curious about the breakfast buffet options.

 

[arielmomma]

More pictures of the breakfast buffet...