Disney Fantasy - Day 5

July 2, 2017

Today is my son's birthday but it will have to wait until we get back to Florida for me to wish him Happy Birthday. Today we put into port in Willemstad, Curaçao. Once again, this is the first time the Fantasy has docked on this island.

From my verandah I watch us pull up to the dock, and then once we are cleared, the first passengers get off the ship.

Unlike yesterday's excursion in Aruba, today we don't have to meet (in D Lounge) until almost noon. Much better. Also unlike yesterday, all 5 of us will be going on this excursion.

At the appointed time we check in and then head off the ship to meet our bus. It's Flag Day here in Curaçao and flags are seen everywhere. In fact, a big celebration will be held right on the route we have to take to get out of the port area - but that will be later in the day so we are okay to get out towards our first destination.

As we head towards the Curaçao Museum, we see houses and shops along the water which are reminiscent of those in The Netherlands, which makes sense as Curaçao is indeed another Dutch island.

As we pass through the city of Willemstad we are heading towards the Curaçao Museum which, is both a look at Curaçao's military hospital during WWI and a small art museum featuring Dutch artists. We arrive and get off the nice air conditioned bus into what turns out to be a hot and humid day. The museum itself is not air conditioned, so while the museum is interesting, it becomes quite uncomfortable.

This was used as a military hospital during WWI and we see some of the beds set up which the recovering soldiers would have used.

The kitchen, it is explained to us, is red with large white polka dots, as it is said that the spots will so confuse the compound eyes of the flies that they will not stay in the kitchen as leave quickly.

On the art gallery side, I found this piece interesting ...

Tour over, most people couldn't wait to get outside (which was better if you were in the shade) or back on the bus with it's (rather inadequate, but still better than outside) air conditioning. Brooke was no exception.

On our way we had this view of our ship.

Our next stop was the Senior Company distillery, the only company in the world that is allowed to call their Blue Curaçao (or other varieties) "Genuine". When they won recognition for their product, other companies around the world started copying it. They sued but lost. They do have the right to call their product "Genuine" on the label and were successful in protecting the shape of their bottle. They don't distill a great deal of product, and the US is not on the list of countries they export to.

I was pleased to find out that the Senior family is a Jewish family and that the product is certified kosher. I was also interested to fin out that there was a significant Jewish community on Curaçao.

They provided taste samples of three different varieties, Orange, Chocolate and Tamarind. I bought a bottle of each to bring home with me.

Speaking of the Jewish community, as we left the factory, we passed a Jewish cemetery. Unlike the island's tradition of burying above ground, according to Jewish law, we bury our deceased below ground, hence the very different look of this cemetery.

Our next - and final - actual stop on this tour is Hato Caves.

This was the one part of the excursion that gave me some trepidation. We were informed ahead of time that there would be 50 steps that we would have to climb to get into the caves - since they are above ground and not the traditional underground type. (Another surprise ... since they were not underground where such caves are usually a standard 56°, these were even more hot and humid than it was outside!)

Well, I didn't come all this way NOT to go in, so I bit the bullet (as it were) and forced myself - bad foot and all - up the steps. (I only counted 48 both going and and when I came down, BTW.) Pleased with myself, I soon discovered that there would be steep ramps and more up and down steps once inside. However, with more fortitude than good sense, I managed (barely) to make it there and back!

After a stop at the Cave's bar/snack shop to get a Gatorade (or two or three!) we head back to the bus. We pass through gated communities that Shell Oil had built when the built an oil refinery on the island. (It's only about 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela.) The refinery is still in operation, but now belongs to Curaçao and is leased to another company. Unlike what we see on most Caribbean islands, these were built for oil company executives and now are owned by relatively well to do families.

We also pass a lake where many flamingoes have been born and call home.

Then it is back to the pier to re-board the ship.

Tonight, Iris is going to allow herself to have a relaxing dinner, and Brooke will have her dinner and spend some time in the nursery.

Tonight we are back in Animator's Palette for the third time this cruise, but this night we have one of the two shows that happen in the restaurant. If you are familiar with Turtle Talk in The Seas with Nemo and Friends at EPCOT, the evening is pretty much like that, with many of Crush's friends joining in.

The sky at sunset that night was quite spectacular. This was the view from my verandah.

Brooke enjoys being out on the (connected) verandah, but the look of heat and exhaustion on her face holds true for all of us!

Tomorrow will be a day at sea as we steam towards Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. A chance to relax and recharge!

Disney Fantasy - Day 4

July 1, 2017

Today we arrive in our first port, Oranjestad - the capitol of the Dutch island of Aruba.

Today we order room service breakfast and I go out on the verandah just as the pilot boat approaches our ship to drop off the port pilot who will oversee the docking of the Fantasy.

I watch as we approach the pier and eventually we get tied up and are secure ... soon the gangways will open and people will start going ashore.

We have an early excursion this morning, and are just waiting for Brooke to be ready. Today is one of two excursions this cruise during which she will be coming with us so that Iris and Jason can go off on a non-toddler friendly excursion. They will be taking an ATV tour of the island, while we will be taking a more family friendly bus tour of the natural wonders of Aruba.

After a short bit of complaining about leaving mommy, we head to the Walt Disney Theater where we check in and soon our group heads down to Deck 1 to leave the ship. Since Brooke is not in our stateroom, Iris has had to file a document giving us permission to take her off the ship. Since this is the first time this cruise that we are doing so, as we check off the boat, we will see for sure if the paperwork has properly been entered into the system. Happily, the computer does not think it has a kidnapping in progress, and we leave the ship and head to our bus.

Getting from the pier itself takes a while as it is a very busy area. Like most Caribbean islands, there is a lot of color to be seen here. These trolleys' destinations are designated by their color ... and they are free to all.

As we get out of the port area itself, we begin to see a big difference between this island and other Caribbean islands that we have visited. Rather than being filled with lush greenery, Aruba is a dry island, only getting approximately 20 inches of rain in an entire year. The prominent feature wherever you look are cacti.

Our first stop on the tour was the site of what used to be Natural Bridge. It was a formation of coral limestone which had been cut by years of pounding surf and was one of the longest spans of this type in the world. It collapsed in the early morning in 2005. This was before tourists starting arriving, so no one was hurt. People still come to the site to see the smaller Baby Bridge which still is intact.

By the time we reached Natural Bridge, Brooke was truly enjoying both the bus trip and the sights. However, shortly after we re-boarded the bus, and were still waiting for a few more people to get on, I noticed a number of ATV's coming to the parking lot. Right away I wondered if this was the group that Iris and Jason were with. I soon had my answer - yes it was. Brooke had been looking out the window, and the last thing I wanted now was for her to see either of them and want to go to them. I quickly distracted her and disaster was averted!

Our next stop included some rock formations that the original inhabitants had used as shelter. In many cases they had left behind cave wall images such as these.

Although my foot was better, this had been the longest and most difficult walk I had to make so far on this trip (but it wouldn't stay that way for long) so although it was downhill and our bus met us at the bottom so we didn't have to walk back up - I was happy to get back on the bus. Happily, the weather had been cooperating and it wasn't as hot as some past days spent in the Caribbean over the years.

Back on the bus, we soon passed a traditional island style cemetery. All of the crypts were above ground, but the latest occupants only get to be the main occupant for five years. After that the bones are taken apart and condensed to take up less room and moved to another area down below within the structure - supposedly with other family members - to make room for its next occupant. (We would see this again on Curaçao.)

Our final stop on this tour was a butterfly farm. Brooke was duly fascinated by all of the butterflies flying right around her.

Now it was time to head back to the Fantasy. Upon arrival we headed up to Deck 11 and had some lunch, then headed back to the room to wait for Iris and Jason. Once they came back it was time to head to the Rainforest Room for a needed soak in the hot tub, an invigorating drenching in one of the specialty showers, and then a rest on a heated stone lounge. Ahhhhhh ....

One of the things I enjoyed during the cruise were the talks by Jason Hudak, an editor at Pixar on many films, including Cars 3. Today's talk was on the art of editing itself.

Tonight's dinner would be in the last of the three themed restaurants - Enchanted Garden.

Tomorrow we put in to Curaçao and all five of us will be going on the same excursion.

Disney Fantasy - Day 3

June 30, 2017

Second day at sea as we sail towards Aruba ... our first Port of Call on this voyage. It's a bit overcast and the seas are a bit choppy, but modern ship design overcomes almost all of it, and nobody seems to be any the worse for it.

We start the day with a room service breakfast as we have done most of the time on past cruises. It always makes for a very relaxing start to the day.

One of the best parts of this particular cruise is the lineup of movies that will be showing throughout the next (now 9) days.

• Finding Dory
• Dr. Strange
• Moana
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• Beauty and the Beast
• Born in China
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
• Cars 3

These are the movies listed on the daily Navigator which lists all that is going on aboard the ship. I also have the Navigator app on my phone which gives me access to every day of the cruise, so I can plan my week as well as my day. All of these movies and their showtimes are listed so I know how best to plan my day. Oddly - on the Friday of Castaway Cay ... there are no movies listed! Very strange indeed, but most of us know something is up ... and hints have been dropped that something special may be happening on this cruise. Many of us - including myself - have a good idea about what that is, but more about that later in the week.

Today, however, we decide to see Cars 3 which we knew was going to be showing on the Fantasy this week so we did not see it in the theater prior to arriving. Today we head to the Buena Vista Theater (Deck 4 midship) and get ourselves comfortable and settle in to watch. Having been quite disappointed with Cars 2 we had hoped that Cars 3 would redeem the franchise. We were not let down, and enjoyed this latest entry.

Movie over it was time for lunch. Today we decide to go to Royal Court for lunch, and moments after we are seated I get a text (on the Navigator app - I refuse to connect to the internet and the outside world while I am cruising) from Jason to look up and wave to Brooke. It seems that Iris, Jason and Brooke are sitting just two tables from us. The come join us and we have lunch together.

After lunch it's up to Deck 4 and a lounge chair for some relaxation. While there I see many of the cruisers who are planning to participate in the Castaway Cay 5K at the end of the cruise, conditioning on the running/walking track which circles Deck 4. I feel a bit of a twinge, as I had planned on doing just that myself. However, a broken ankle a few weeks before the cruise had me wondering if I would be even able to make the cruise itself, let along a 5K. Some aggressive treatment by my doctor has enabled me to not only make the cruise but not even have to cancel my excursions. I am no longer wearing a boot, nor using a cane, but walking itself is a chore, and 3.2 miles is still quite out of the question.

At 4:00 I once again meet Iris and we bring Brooke for some toddler time in Andy's room.

Tonight, I have a chance to attend the featured show, so at 6:15 in the Walt Disney Theater we are seeing a very entertaining six man acapella group. They are quite good and I enjoy the show.

After the show it's back to the room to get ready for dinner. Tonight is Pirate Night on the Fantasy, and as we have done on Pirate Night in the past, we are all going to Palo (one of two adult only restaurants about the Fantasy) rather than our normally assigned Animator's Palate (for the second night in a row). Brooke gets to spend some time in the nursery tonight. Although when Iris made the reservations, all she could do was get a 7:30 reservation for 2 and an 8:00 reservation for 2 ... I made a point earlier in the day to head over and speak to someone at Palo and they simply combined the two reservations into one for 7:30.

Our meal at Palo this evening was as good as always, and we once again had a pleasant meal, good food and good service.

After leaving dinner, and picking Brooke up from daycare, some headed up where the Pirates in the Caribbean show was taking place and watched the fireworks which end this day.

Tomorrow will be an early morning. We pull into port at Aruba, and then Sandy and I will be taking Brooke on a bus tour of Aruba's natural wonders while Iris and Jason tour the island on ATV's.

Disney Fantasy - Day 2

June 29, 2017

Today is the first of two days at sea as we head towards Aruba.

Ordinarily we have a room service breakfast each morning, but today we start our day at a Disney Junior breakfast in Animator's Palette. We did this breakfast last year and once again this trip. Disney Junior is the home of many of Brooke's favorite Disney characters, and she gets to meet a few this morning.

Of course, her favorite is Mickey Mouse. Although on this trip Pluto seemed to be her favorite and the first time she saw him she ran over and gave him a big hug!

After breakfast, I spend some time in the Rainforest Room in the spa, and after that, Iris, Brooke and I head up to Deck 4. The winds are blowing and there is a lot of sea spray there, but Brooke seems to love it!

The seas are a bit choppy today and the ship is rocking and rolling ... not so bad as to be a problem as on the Wonder two years ago, but walking at times becomes a challenge. As bad as it is for those of us who have been walking for years, Brooke counts her walking days in weeks, but except for one or two incidents, she seems to acquire her sea legs pretty quickly.

We decide to come inside and head to the Atrium where they will soon be setting up for the Diaper Dash. If you are a regular of these trip reports, you may remember that Brooke was a contestant last year, but when the starting words were given, she simply sat there and cried. As we sat there (well, Iris and I sat, Brooke was taking full advantage of having a large space to run around in) they started setting up the Diaper Dash course.

But, while last year there were enough babies signed up to run 8 preliminary heats, we waited, and waited, and waited and no babies were signed up. The two crew members decided to race themselves, and got down on hands and knees and did their own thing. However, still no sign ups! They asked if Brooke wanted to try again, although it was obvious she was now a walker, but she wanted no part of a shot at redemption. They finally found a few older takers, and the race was on. Not that it was anything that anyone expected and it was over almost as soon as it began. There was a second Diaper Dash scheduled for later in the week ... it was canceled!

It's now 4:00 PM and we take Brooke to Andy's Room - as in Andy in the Toy Story movies. It's toddler time and Brooke is the first one to get there.

Once Brooke is all played out, we start to head up to the pool deck to get her a snack, stopping to see a few of her friends.

Eventually, we do get to Deck 11 and get a snack, since our dinner is the second seating which is 8:15. It actually works fine for Brooke as due to mommy and daddy's work schedules, that's about when she usually is getting ready to be picked up from daycare. However, she is used to sleeping late, and that comes into play later on the cruise.

But now I have to leave Iris and Brooke as they snack, because I have an appointment for a pedicure! Yep - I told you I have decided to pamper myself this cruise (and I have been told to get my toe nails cut short - LOL!) and with my feet and legs in such bad shape starting this trip, the hot stone leg massage that goes with it seemed like a great idea. Turns out I was right! My one problem with the actual foot care portion of the pedicure was my extremely ticklish feet!!! But she managed to accomplish the feat. (Pun intended!)

Because of the time of my appointment, I had to miss the show in the Walt Disney theater tonight, but my legs and feet were thanking me for it!

Next up was dinner, which was going to be in Animator's Palate tonight. On the Disney cruise ships you rotate between three themed restaurants, and your dinner staff rotates with you, so you have the same table mates and staff each night, just in a different location.

Tonight is also Formal Night, so while I no longer have a tuxedo that fits me, I get into my suit for the evening festivities, which begin in the Atrium with a reception ... and drinks.

Of course, Brooke has to get dolled up as well ...

After dinner Iris, Brooke and I go back to the Atrium where Brooke enjoys listening to the musical duo for the evening, and they get as big a kick out of her as she does waving to them. She loves the attention!

Finally it's time to call it a night - tomorrow will be another day at sea!