Ahhhh the Honeymoon!
After the proposal and a few weeks into the wedding planning we booked our Honeymoon. It was no doubt in my mind what I wanted to do...and I think I had easily convinced Chan that it was a great idea too. Neither of us had ever been on a cruise and of course, with my strong love for Disney, I refused to get on any other boat besides a Disney Cruise. We booked our 4-Night Bahamian Cruise on the Disney Dream for May 18th - 22nd in a Stateroom with Private Verandah, which meant it was the day after our wedding. With no clue as to what the weather would be like, and having to get to Port Canaveral the next day, Chan and I decided that we did not want to risk flying and not being able to catch the boat, so we drove. That's where the excitement began.
Chan and I talked about the drive for weeks! He was convinced we could make it Tallahassee immediately following the wedding, which was a 3 hour drive from our venue. And then at one point he said he could make it all the way down to Port Canaveral, HA, that's an 8 hour drive from our venue. But he obviously forgot that I would be in the car with him and I do not make a great riding partner. We ended up only making it to Dothan because I could not get comfortable in the car and my legs were so sore! (We danced A LOT at the reception!) We stopped at a Fairfield Inn in Dothan and stayed there for the night. We woke up around 5AM on the 18th and left the hotel by 6AM headed down to Port Canaveral. That was a much easier 7 hour drive than the miserable 2 hours the night before. But we made it to Port Canaveral around 1PM, got to the desk by 1:10PM and we were in our Stateroom by 1:35PM. Talk about a SMOOTH and easy process!!!!
So, our cruise itinerary:
Day 1: Depart Port Canaveral
Day 2: Arrive in Nassau, Pirate Night
Day 3: Day at Sea
Day 4: Arrive at Castaway Cay (Disney's Private Island)
Day 5: Arrive at Port Canaveral
So, if you don't know how Disney Cruise Line dining works, well you are in for a treat! They are the only cruise line that offers rotational dining. In summary, you are at a different restaurant every night but your head waiter and assistant waiter move with you to each restaurant. You also eat dinner with the same group every night. And a plus, Disney really thinks this out because if your party is not big enough to fill it's own table, they will pair your with people similar in age and celebrating the same thing. Chan and I enjoyed dinner with another couple that married on the same day we did, and a couple from California who were not married; however, we were all very close in age. Anyways, Disney Cruise Line does not cheat you on food. That is FOR SURE. There is always food, and it's pretty much all you can eat. Breakfast and Lunch are both buffet (unless you choose to go to a specific restaurant), and Dinner, well you get more than you think you would. The first night, Chan learned that in a hilarious way. Of course you get to choose an appetizer and soup/salad to start off with, next your entree, and then dessert. Well Chan couldn't decide which entree he wanted so he asked the waiter 'What would you suggest: the steak or the lamb?'. The waiter responded with 'How do you like your steak cooked?'. Chan just assumed that meant the steak was better and the waiter made his decision for him...OH NO! He brought out a steak & lamb. 2 plates. Well, the next few nights, if someone wanted to try something, they would just order 2 entrees. I ordered 2 desserts one night. Man, so YUMMY! Oh did I mentioned there is all you can eat ice cream on the outside main deck?!
Our Dinner Group and Waiter & Waitress
Chan and I got off in Nassau for about 30 minutes to just walk around the plaza and get a few souvenirs, but we did not take the time to explore. I was really concerned with the crime rate and didn't trust any taxi driver to get me over to Atlantis. So we just hopped right back on the boat, played put-put, went and watched a movie (Million Dollar Arm), and enjoyed some pool time. Just a nice, relaxing day. That night was also Pirate night, so we did go enjoy the firework show!
As close as we got to Atlantis - this is from the top deck, playing put-put.
The day at sea we really spent relaxing. Very simple day. We did go enjoy "The Golden Mickey's" live performance. And we may or may not have checked in to the Disney Vacation Club :)
Our Castaway Cay day was where we decided to really participate in some fun. Chan and I decided to sign up for the Getaway Package. That consisted of snorkel equipment, a float/tube rental, and bicycle rentals. We did the snorkeling first. Chan didn't enjoy that too much and we didn't even get all the way out to where the good stuff was. So that was a bust. The tube/float rental was a best because the wind was blowing so bad you had to work to not cross over the ropes that they had as boundaries. But the bicycle rental was worth all the money went spent on the package. We rode those bicycles for about 3 miles and just really had a great time exploring the island and seeing the beauty of it. After that, we saw these awesome activities on the water that we decided to take part in - The Aqua Trike. That's right, a tricycle on the ocean! We had a great time and have some great videos from all of the activities. (Once I figure out a way to get them off the cameras, I promise to share them). After the day at Castaway Cay we cleaned up and went to check out the "Believe" live performance.
Castaway Cay
Arrival back home at Port Canaveral was just so sad. We had a great time being shut-off from the world and just taking in the ocean and all it's beauty. Neither of us purchased Internet, and we didn't do any International Calling Plans, so we literally just spent the honeymoon together, just me and Chan! We did a lot of on-board activities together, enjoyed all of the adult lounges, enjoyed watching the 'Match your Mate' game show, watched Ron Pearson - comedian, and just so many things.
Oh, did I mention our wonderful stateroom host?! He always had us a great surprise!
This was definitely a special vacation for us and we are both already planning our next cruise -
7-Night Alaskan Cruise on the Disney Wonder.
