Thank you everyone for reading!!
DAY 3—CASTAWAY CAY DAY AND THE BEST COMPLIMENT EVER RECEIVED!!!!
We were very excited for Castaway Cay day and all the events we had planned. DH couldn’t wait to venture high in the air with his parasailing excursion and the rest of us were ready for some beach fun!
I will preface this report by stating that we are NOT beach people. I grew up on the beach and would much rather swim in a pool. But, I was ready to enjoy the tropical beach, as I knew that it would be altogether different.
Having been rested from a good night’s sleep, we all woke bright eyed and bushy tailed for the day ahead. John’s excursion was at 9 AM so after getting ready, he headed up to Goofy’s Galley around 8AM for some breakfast and then to disembark for his excursion.
The children and I took a leisurely time getting ready and went to Beach Blanket Buffet for a nice breakfast. After breakfast, we got some great pictures of Castaway Cay from the outside eating area.
At around 9:30 we made our way to go ashore. I had a cooler full of water and a back pack with sundries. My hands were full and it was hot!! The kids grabbed towels for all of us and we had our picture taken by the ship. On the way to the family beach, we saw my DH waiting at Marge’s Barges for his excursion. He would have had time to have breakfast with us. Oh well. We wished him a good time and headed for the family beach.
Not knowing how far the walk was and because the little cooler was heavy, we took the tram.
I am going to pause for a minute for a few more tips:
If doing an excursion, and you want to tip (tipping is welcome), make sure to bring some cash and small bills. We had listened to the CD the night before who told us we did not need any cash on the island. When John went on his parasailing excursion, the team stated in their spiel that tips were greatly appreciated. NO ONE had any cash and the tip could not be charged to the room. John happened to have a $50 on him, so he went to Marge’s Barges to get change, but they did not have any. So, the poor guys did not get any tips on that trip.
Also, if you want pics with the characters have them done in the morning on your way ONTO the island. I am not sure why, but I thought that there would be photo opportunities on the way back to the ship, but alas, there was no one to be found. We missed Captain Jack!!
Back to the report……..
Upon disembarking the tram, we quickly found a place to set our things down not too far from the walkway, so DH could find us. I had thought it would be a fight for chairs, but there were many available this early and we had no trouble getting a spot. The kids were so antsy, they wanted nothing to do with an application of sunscreen, but momma won. They donned their face masks and down to the water we went. How warm and wonderful!!!!! It was so cool that there were photographers IN the water to take our photos!!
After swimming in the family swim area, the kids spotted the jungle gym so we walked down the beach so they could jump and play. Now, there is a sign that the play area is for 14 and under. Let’s say that there was one GROWN man who felt that he fit in that category???!!! If you can touch the rope AND the WATER buddy, YOU’RE TOO BIG!!!!
By this time, DH found us among all the beach dwellers and joined us for a little swim. Before we knew it, it was time for our Sting Ray Excursion @ 11AM, so we walked over to the excursion.
We checked in and got our snorkeling gear and waited for our turn. The sting rays could be seen so well in the water, and you could tell that they knew dinner was coming. After an interesting information session, we made our way to the feeding stations. My son was freaked out at first when the sting rays swam so close and touched him. It took him some time to adjust to that and some time to feed them. The rest of us were amazed and got to feed many of the rays. Finally, Colby decided he wanted to partake. I’m glad he did, as it was a great experience.
After the sting ray excursion, which lasted about 15 minutes, we had 45 minutes to snorkel in the lagoon. This was the first time we had ever snorkeled and I was not sure how much it would be enjoyed. Colby took right to the snorkeling and DD was quite apprehensive. DH coaxed her into trying it and I told her we could hold hands and snorkel together. Well, that worked because she started snorkeling and had a great time.
Around noon, we sadly returned our gear and headed back to our chairs to get some water and apply more sunscreen. Then, it was off to Cookie’s for lunch!
One word to describe lunch…………YUMMO!!!! Our plates were heaping with delicious salads including: potato salad, coleslaw and pasta salad. DH & I had burgers, DD had a hot dog and DS had ribs. We also ate corn on the cob. We shared a picnic table with another family who were also cruising for the first time, so we shared some stories and tips, which was nice. After eating lunch, we cleared our trays and went to get delicious chocolate chip cookies and melt-in-your-mouth cookie dough soft serve ice cream. SOOO GOOD!!!
We were stuffed so a nice stroll along the walk way and a little shopping was on the schedule before swimming could happen again (you know, the 20 minute swimming rule!). She sells… had some nice t-shirts that DH found and the kids each got a pin.
Back to the family beach and to pick up the floats I had rented. It was a comedy in the making, that is for sure! By this time the family swim area was packed and the LARGE YELLOW tubes were totally in the way. The kids couldn’t climb up in them and DS kept saying he wanted to snorkel. The snorkeling lagoon looked so much more inviting since it was much less packed, so we gave up on the monsterous water tubes (a total waste of money for us!) and went to get some snorkel gear. $100 later we were fully equipped for a great time. This time we had the flippers to help us and the cast member gave us some tips on what to look for in the water. We had a blast! We went out quite a ways and saw lots of fish and many underwater surprises. I got a little nervous once when the wind kicked up and was pushing us out with the water lapping all around us while we tried to swim in. It all worked out, though!
We must have snorkeled for an hour plus and then decided that we were ready to head back to the ship—but not before another cookie dough ice cream!! It was around 3:45 when we began our trek back. We got to see Chip and Dale before boarding.
Back at the room we rested and showered for the evening ahead. John and I were excited for our PALO dinner tonight and the Pirate night ahead. The kids were going to the kids clubs for the first time, and were okay with it, but not thrilled. While some of the family got ready, I made my way down to guest services to pay our tips on the room charge. I saw a lot of the characters in their pirate gear and I had a twinge of guilt for not taking the kids to pirate night dinner. This was DH and my night though, and the kids were quite happy watching a little tv and having dinner at Goofy’s Galley.
At 6:30 we checked the kids into their appropriate clubs and walked to PALO. It was a lovely night. We checked in at PALO and were so happy that we got a seat by the window. On our way to the table, the best thing happened. I was walking ahead of my DH and our waiter (I wish I could remember his name—he was awesome) was leading us to our table. So he turns to me and says, “Are we celebrating a special occasion tonight?” and so I reply, “Yes, our anniversary.” He says congratulations and then asks me how many years to which I reply “15 years”. Well, he did a total double take and looked back at me and said, “15 years you just met?” I chuckled and said, “No, 15 years we’ve been married.” He acted as if he were stunned. After he got us settled, I asked DH if the waiter was acting and he said that no, the waiter was really surprised.
Everything at PALO was excellent, including the service. The antipasto was delicious as well as the salad and appetizers…ooohhh and the bread!! I indulged in two Toblerone Martini’s and DH went for a Cabernet. For an entrée, DH had the lobster ravioli and I had the shrimp & pasta arribiatta. I had ordered the soufflé early in the meal and the waiter also brought out another soufflé, tiramisu, panna cotta and a plate with strawberries that had “Happy Anniversary” scrolled in chocolate. UNREAL!!!
So, at the end of the meal, we chatted a little bit more with our waiter and while we were chatting he graciously asks me, “Were you married at 5??” I blushed and said, no, that I was married at 20. He then looks at my DH and says, “Him, yes 15 years married, but not you!” He goes on to say that he and I were the same age! I was so very flattered. He made my night!!!
After a lovely dinner, we picked up the children and went to the Pirate party. We had plenty of time and the kids said they were hungry, so we grabbed them some chicken strips to share and then a spot for the show.
The Pirate Party was WONDER-FUL!!! The staff did a great job getting everyone excited with the music and dancing. The fireworks were great. Just a great time!! We did not partake in the dessert buffet, as we were quite full. The kids wanted to see G-Force and given that it was playing after the Pirate Party, we went down to the Buena Vista theater to watch the movie in 3-D. It wasn’t my favorite movie, but it was about doing something as a family, so it was good.
After the movie, we went headed back to the room for night night. It was an AMAZING day!!!
