Completed Star Wars Day at Sea Trip Report

We are on and I have a cocktail. See ya next week!!!

And just like that, we are back. Just slid into the dock. Have to say I am a bit sad this time. Off to WDW for the day. Trip report soon.

Hey all, we are back and checked into our room for the evening, we will start the rest of the journey home in the morning. WOW, this trip was just fantastic. I took the laptop with me so I was typing most of this as it happened. I slacked off the last couple of days, so without further ado...

Day One Friday

The day started out like any other, up at 5:15, get Blondie up for school and Joe up for work... I THOUGHT we would be leaving early this day but I was assuming this and was a little disappointed when Joe told me he had to work. Luckily it wasn't as late as I anticipated.

After taking Blondie to school I came back home and finalized some packing and started making sure everything was turned off, unplugged, etc. I needed to go to the bank and Hancock Fabrics (the are going out of business and I need tulle for the November race lol) I got those things done and headed home.

Blondie was picked up at noon and we headed to Summerville for my spray tan appointment. This was a first for me, I've done the booth before a LONG time ago but this was a lady who was going to actually spray paint me. Needless to say I was a bit nervous. But it went smoothly and now I look like I've been on vacation for a week already!

We left Summerville to go pick up Joe, he was dropping his truck off to have some work done on it while we were away. As soon as we go him we were on the road headed out! It was about 2:00 or so. We stopped at Hardee's to grab a snack since I didn't have lunch yet and off we went.

We made really good time to Florida and we made our usual stop at the Welcome Center for OJ. They were CLOSED. I was crushed, it's tradition. THIS is now another reason I like to leave early.

We decided to stop in Jacksonville at (you guessed it) 4 Rivers Smokehouse. I got the Smoked Spud that was GIGANTIC! And fabulous. Joe got brisket of course, Blondie had our sides. Dessert and we were back on the road.

The rain was on and off the whole way but really heavy as we got close to Port Canaveral. We went right to the Hilton and went to bed around 10pm

Day 2 BOARDING!

I of course was up at 5 something. I messed around on the phone for a bit then got up to start getting ready. When I got out of the bathroom it was around 7 and Blondie was getting up shortly followed by Joe. I ran to Walgreens for a couple of last minute necessities while they got ready.

We went to breakfast at Roberto's Little Havana. After reading reviews, I was really excited about this place. Too bad it fell flat for me. I got Benedicts as normal. These were on Cuban bread and they added cheese. BLAH. Cheese was NOT on the menu description and had it been I would have asked for it not to be on there. It did not go well with the hollandaise... Everything else was just meh...

From there we headed to Ron Jon for Joe to pick up sunglasses, he left his at home...... We shopped around a bit then headed to the car to rearrange some things and head to port. We got there a little before 10 and parked the car. Parking for a 7 night is $120. But we got a voucher from our hotel for 40% off! We prefer to park there so we can just get in the car and go when we get back and not hassle with transport.

We got unloaded and in line. Blondie immediately found one of the girls she has been talking to on facetime from our Facebook cruise page! I think it is really awesome she went into this knowing some of the kids already.

We dropped our luggage with the porter and was in the terminal by 10:40ish. We got right in line and checked in without much of a wait. We also hopped in line for pics with Minnie and to get Blondie's MagicBand. Before we knew it, we were being Welcomed Aboard!!!! It was around 11:15 and we went straight to deck 11 and grabbed a table by the window to relax. Well, I grabbed a cocktail first! I was the first sale at the bar LOL. I was not playing around, I was on vacation and ready to roll!!! We stayed there a while then ran into Cabanas for crab claws and shrimp! YUM! I ate so much I think I am now a crab! It was nearing 1:30 so we headed towards our stateroom. Here comes the first bump in the road...

We waited in a PACKED stairwell for them to open up the hallways. We walked past the huge room with the luggage and I saw mine! The CM told Joe he could grab it, YAY! We get to our door and BAM, red light with my Key to the World card. Joe tried his, same thing, Blondie tried hers, same thing. So Joe goes down to Guest Services. Shortly after he comes back with 3 new cards. SAME THING... so I go back... This time a VERY UNHAPPY camper. Not much of an apology from the CM when I told him Joe was JUST down there. "I will send a carpenter, are you outside of your room?" I wanted to say DUH, we can't get in but I just smiled and said yes... finally he showed up and our lock battery was dead, it had to be replaced. Luckily we had the time to fully decorate our door while we waited! When we got in, we had a nice canvas/burlap bag for our Castaway Member gift.

We walked around some more, checked out the kid's club and took tons of pictures. After, we rested a bit in the room then took off again for more exploring. We went to the DVC party with free cocktails and Stitch. We also got the 25th anniversary buttons, blinking bracelets and lanyards (we actually got the lanyards when we arrived at the terminal) There was also a Welcome Home magnet on our door

We left there and went to our Facebook group's meet and greet. The kids were trading Tsum Tsums and the adults were drinking... I already had a nice buzz from the DVC party so we just laid low and spoke to a few of the people I've been talking with online.

We picked up our preordered Star Wars Merchandise before heading to dinner. I'm doing much better with food pics so far this time! Animator's Palate tonight. Dinner was wonderful, I'm not so sure about our table mates... an odd bunch. A lady with 2 kids and her parents. The girl flat out ignores the grandfather and wouldn't even talk to Blondie and the boy barely spoke. The "grandma" is really friendly and talkative but we will see... Blondie went to the Oceaneers club after dinner and we went to check her out around 10:30. It had been a long day and we were ready for sleep!

Day 3 At Sea
I slept until 7:00!!! Yes, SEVEN!! I never do that and I was super excited. The boat was really rocky yesterday and I was just over it. I think I just passed out when I hit the bed.

I got up and went for a walk. I think I am going to DIE trying the 5k. Just walking around deck 4 I was pouring sweat. I didn't even attempt to run this morning. The heat is not my friend.

Today was another disappointment for me. Last cruise I had asparagus every single morning for breakfast and for a year that is all I have been looking forward to. You would have thought they told me there were going to kick me off the ship. No asparagus to be found anywhere. Not even at lunch... I was one sad panda.

I left breakfast and went down to the stores to wait in line for the limited edition SW items. Blondie and Joe joined me shortly after and I got the pins I wanted!!! I just went down a little while ago and they still have quite a few.

Blondie went back to the club, Joe and I played shuffle board until I was too hot to go on and headed for the Bon Voyage bar for a nice cold fruity drink to cool off. Claudette from Jamaica was wonderful. Then Nick from India came behind the bar to check the wine dispenser. I call it this because I have no other word for it. It's enclosed and the wine bottles are on cylinders that move up and down. Each bottle has a tube in it that dispenses the wine into the glasses. He removed a bottle that still had wine in it and replaced it. We asked if we could put one of our bottles in there. He laughed then brought us the bottle that he took out. He said someone put the wrong one in and we could have the rest of this one. 2 full glasses free!!! It was delicious and my favorite red. Valpolicella! I couldn't believe our luck! He told us it was a $90 bottle! He stuck around to chat for a while about wines and the $9000 bottle they have in Remy. He also told us that on the last cruise a guy spent $30,000 on just wine, I would have love hanging out with him.

Tonight was formal night and we decided to go even though we didn't plan on it. Enchanted Garden was our restaurant. We dressed nice but not "formal" and never felt out of place. There were free drinks flowing in the atrium so of course it was packed. I had a couple glasses of wine because, well.... It was free. Dinner was nice and our table mates loosened up a bit. They also apologized for the night before! I also got a little bit of magic for tomorrow morning, special order asparagus!!!! Woot woot! Blondie hit the kids club and we just roamed around the ship a bit checking out all of the adult clubs. It was getting late and we have a big day tomorrow!

Day 4 Cozumel

I booked an excursion since it has been 20 years since I have been to Mexico and I wasn't real sure about just finding our way with Blondie. I choose the Cozumel Highlights excursion which included San Gervaisio, Discover Mexico and the Mayan Cacao Company. Angel our tour guide was wonderful beyond all of my expectations. David was our bus driver and he had me biting my nails a few times but he was a great driver! San Gervaiso was about a 25 minute drive from port, there was a nice little shopping area in the front then the ruins. We only did a small part of the park but Angel made it feel like we were there all day with all of the information and facts he shared with us. We had free time after to roam a little by ourselves before heading off to the next stop. Abigail and Joe held a beautiful Macaw. There were iguanas everywhere! Cold agua and Cocoa Cola were awaiting us back on the bus

Next stop was Discover Mexico for a little more free time and lunch. There was a beautiful museum which I wish we had more time for and dioramas of all of the Mayan temples and cities to walk thru. We got to the buffet and I was in heaven! A lady was sitting there making flour tortillas. Mayan style chicken, there was also pork and beef for the tacos. Beans, chips and salsa, guacamole, and the hottest of hot ghost pepper salsa. Unfortunately I was too busy getting a margarita in a hand painted glass to hear him say DON"T eat the green salsa unless you like heat. I thought he said GET the green salsa.
O. M. G. I thought I was going to die in Mexico! I like spicy but this was just painful. Lesson learned and I lived! The rice milk and hibiscus water were the big surprise, so delicious and refreshing!

Our last stop was the Mayan Cocoa Company. I think this was my favorite part of the excursion. We walked through a couple of huts that were full of cocoa beans and powder, I can't even describe it. The smell was amazing. One hut was they typical Myan home and the last one was a theater where a young man made chocolate for us as the Mayans would have. I wish I had recorded it, it was amazing. With a stone and a rolling pin, he crushed the beans and added spices (no sugar or milk) and tada!!! Chocolate! If we were not going to WDW on Sat I would have bought more chocolate than I did. The lime and salt was my favorite. They also had a bar where we got a chocolate margarita!! YUMMO! There were swings at the bar. I wish we could have stayed there all day.

Sadly we made our way back to the boat. It was pirate night and we needed to get ready Dinner was at Royal Palace. Things went well tonight, there were no fireworks of course because they are reserved for Star Wars day and their electronic systems were off kilter so no show. (it was rescheduled to our last night) We had dinner, roamed around, took Blondie to the kids club and passed out when she got back.

Her dress was a hit that night. So many people stopping her and commenting. She started counting compliments LOL

The Chocolate place was outstanding. Even the sugar free bar we purchased is sooooo good! They do have a website and ship to the US! I know I will be ordering more soon!

Day 5 Grand Cayman " We slept in a little this morning as I was starting to not feel too well. More on this later... We finally went down around 11:30 to debark the ship. They had everyone seated in the Walt Disney Theater and took people by rows down to the ferry boats. We arrived on the island safe and sound about 45 minutes after arriving in the theater. We didn't have an excursion planned but I wish we had. We ended up just walking around a bit and eating at Margaritaville before heading back to the boat. Been there done that in the Bahamas. Lunch for 3 was $75.00 No, I don't need a ride to the beach, turtle farm or to swim with the stingrays. I don't need braids and I don't want to go in a rum bar with my 9 year old. I don't remember the Caymans being this way when I went years ago. Next time, we will book an excursion.

Back on the boat we all changed into bathing suits and headed up on deck. It was pretty quiet and we rode the Aquaduck with only about a 10 minute wait a few times. Joe and I had a date with Palo this night. Animator's Palate was doing there show this night and Blondie really wanted to go. We talked to our server the night before and he promised to take good care of her. I went to the club and gave her permission to sign herself out. We did a run thru of where to go and my baby went to dinner ALONE! We did make it to AP in time to have another dessert, do or drawing and see the show.

Palo " what can I say, it was amazing!!! Our server Jenny from the UK was spot on! Fab and all that stuff! We were both stunned when the water menu was set on the table in front of us. Yes, a water menu. We did not have this last time we ate at Palo. I selected a water from Wales (Jenny's mum is from there so she was pleased) and Joe chose one from Italy. The differences in the waters were stunning. I never knew water could have so many flavors. Next was wine, the somiller came around and helped up pick out a wonderful oaky red! The antipasto plate and bread was great as usual. For starters we had the gnocchi and calamari. Dinner was the filet and lamb. Both were divine. I was so full be just kept eating. I forced myself to stop for Chocolate souffle.

We did finish dinner in time to make it go down to Animator's Palate for 2nd dessert and we got our drawing done to be in the show!

Prepare yourselves for Star Wars Picture overload! I have combined them into collages so there are not so many LOL

Day 6 at sea " STAR WARS DAY
We were up to an early start, Padawan Jedi training was early but Blondie didn't get picked, we watched the first show then started roaming. We were headed to Cabanas for breakfast when the first character we encountered was Darren dressed as and X-wing fighter pilot! We snapped a couple pictures and carried on.
There were Storm Troopers everywhere and they were a riot! Stopping people and asking for ID. Looking for rebels and droids. It was fantastic. We ran into Imperial Guards, Banthas, Sand People, Bounty Hunters and more.
For our two meet and greets we got the Dark Side and Bespin. We were only supposed to see one character at each location but both CMs were nice enough not to tear our tickets and sent us back thru the line! We got Chewy and Bobba Fett at Bespin and the Dark side was Captain Phasma and Lord Vader himself!! The kids (Joe and Blondie) were on cloud 9!
There was a Kylo Ren that DID NOT work for Disney roaming around who was AWESOME!!! The CMs were running around telling people he didn't work for Disney but never asked him to change. He was even signing autographs. We roamed the ship all day meeting characters, Blondie went to the club, we napped and we ate. So generally, a perfect day at sea.

Again once we sat down for dinner, I started to feel bad again. (Enchanted Garden with Star Wars Menu) I was stopped up, headache, etc. I left dinner before dessert and went to the room to rest a bit. I fell asleep FREEZING afraid I was coming down with something. Of course all I could think about was the damn bug that bit me in Mexico LOL. Joe came back to the room waking me up and I spent most of the night sniffling and cold.

Thsnks! She loved it!!!!

Day 7 Day at Sea

Well, here I am feeling bad again. Blah, sore throat, stuffy nose, cough... That damn mosquito got me good

Today was a low key yet exciting day. There were lots of naps for me while the kids were playing in the pool. I ventured up for breakfast and finally lunch a little after 2. I was feeling a little better so we decided on a few character meets and the dance party. We got Woody, Jessie and Daisy in about 30-45 minutes. We only waited on characters who haven't signed out Character Encyclopedia this trip, though I really wish we got one with Mickey too... The dance party was great with the Fab 5 but Blondie would not dance with anyone!!! GRRRRRRRR

We were heading to the room when we heard the announcement that we were turning around as 3 people were spotted floating on an overturned vessel. WHAT?? We got to our room and could see them from our balcony. We watched the entire rescue which was very cool. I never in a million years expected this to happen on a cruise we were on. We did miss the Coast Guard exchange as we were in the theater watching Jungle book. I "liked" the movie. I'm not sure what I was expecting but maybe seeing it again without 10,000 people around me getting up and down, kids crying, people sitting on the steps (HELLO FIRE HAZARD), uncomfortable seats and better sound I will like it better.

We headed to the room to get ready for dinner, Enchanted again, and I was still feeling bad. I made it all the way to dessert this time but by the end I was miserable. Blondie headed to Oceaneers Club after dinner and I headed to meet Belle in her yellow dress. All of the pictures I have of her is in her pheasant dress. So this was a MUST feeling bad or not.

While in line I experienced one of the saddest and meanest things of the trip. There was a couple in front of me who was maybe around my age and behind me was a woman with her husband and daughter. VERY LOUDLY and while standing right behind me she started complaining about adults being in line. "I get they are maybe trying to re-live their childhoods but there are kids in line!" As she stepped even closer to me to look around me she said "there are 3 of them in front of us." Me and the other couple, they were with Belle at the time. I turned and looked at her and if looks could kill she would have been dead right there in Preludes with Walt's picture looking on. Lucky for her, her kid was standing there because I was close to unloading on her. At this point, I gave her the "eat s**t" look and then took my time with Belle. I mean seriously, if it wasn't us in front of her it would be other families... Maybe ones with 5 kids. I never judge anyone regardless of age for meeting any character, we all have bonds to these characters in one way or another and that is what they are there for. Anyway, rant over.....

During the night, I was getting worse, fever, chills, chest pains when coughing. I spent most of the night awake and crying because I knew I was not going to be participating in the 5k in the morning and I was really looking forward to it.

For some reason pics won't attach, gonna try again....

I have no idea really what some people are thinking. I kind of felt sorry for her afterward thinking she must not have had any "magic" in her childhood. Then I just figured "nah, she is just a witch"

Danjirod, it is wonderful!! I love unpacking and just relaxing for the week. Not jumping from park to park. It's still A LOT of walking (and goodness the stairs) and there is always something new around every corner of the ship!

There are still things we wanted to see and do that we missed!

I did feel better yesterday LOL

Next day coming soon Castaway Cay and we lost Blondie on the island....

Day 8 Castaway Cay Beach

I woke up LONG before my alarm went off for the 5k. This was after about 2.5 hours of sleep. I still felt like poo and was crushed that I could not do the 5k. You really should be able to breathe to run and breathing was not on the list of things I could do this morning.

I sat on the balcony and watched the ship pull into the dock. I'm forever amazed by how effortlessly the boat turns. It looks so graceful. I finally woke the kids up and broke the news that I wasn't running. So we all relaxed a bit then went up for breakfast before heading to the beach.

We decided to hike it all the way to the family beach. I was exhausted and wheezing pretty heavily but made it. I staked my claim and plopped down. Shortly after we decided to hit the slides. I figured the salt water would clear me up. NOPE, my poor raw nose was burning and I had saltwater in my eyes. I sucked it up and down the slides I went. Blondie decided to pitch a fit about the water burning her bug bite so we sat on the beach and I threatened to take her back to the ship to sit in the room the rest of the day. After about 20 minutes of that, we decided to build sand castles. Blondie was feeling better, I got a delicious Konk Kooler and relaxation began to happen.

It was time to take Blondie to the kid's area so we could spend some alone time on the hammocks. This entailed of walking all the way to the other end of the island to drop her off, going back to get out stuff and moving closer to the kids club. We strolled, laid in hammocks, ate lunch (the chicken and mahi were perfection!!) and decided to pick her up. It had only been about an hour to an hour and a half. We scan my card and to my surprise the CM says to me "she checked out to go find you." WHAT???? We moved all of our stuff!!! She was not going to find us and we didn't tell her she could sign herself out.....The CM told her if she can't find us to come back... grrrrrrrr So off we went all the way back to the other end of the island. We didn't see her anywhere on the path and we searched the entire beach. I wasn't panicking at this point... SO all the way back to the kids club we go, Joe walked the beach and I took the path. No Blondie. I am starting to worry at this point. Back at the kids club they scan me again, no Blondie. I head off to Island Information stand where you report kids missing (why can't the Kid's Club do this) when I see Joe and Blondie walking towards me.... A wave of relief washed over me... She had found our table mates from dinner and was playing with them. She never planned on going back. That child nearly gave me a heart attack.

We ended up going back to where Joe found her and we played in the water and sat on the beach with our new friends. I am so glad their first night was just an off night for them, they were a really sweet and wonderful family!

Back on the ship, I kicked the kids out of the room so I could shower and pack. I was dreading getting off the ship the next day. We caught the "goodbye" show and headed to eat. Dinner was sad as we were not having breakfast with the crew in the morning. So hugs and tears all around. We strolled around the boat a bit and turned in for the evening. We were taking advantage of getting off the ship early to head to Orlando!

Day 9 Orlando
We were up early since we were walking off the boat with our own bags this morning. I think this is my new favorite thing. I don't enjoy looking for my suitcase in a see of so many similar ones. And we were one of the first families to get through customs. There were only 4 others in front of us. We were in the car and headed to Orlando by 8am. While it wasn't as bad as the last cruise, it was still hard stepping off the boat. We had such a wonderful time!

We made it to Disney and Hollywood Studios right about the time they opened the gates. First ride of the day, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. We sat in the very last row and WOW, what a different experience. I felt like we were never going to get to the first loop! After we made our way over to the Launch Bay. We met Kylo Ren and did some browsing in the store. We walked over to TSM and decided not to get in the 90 minute line and continued walking down to where the walkway is all blocked off.

We caught the Storm Troopers and Phasma marching as we headed to Starring Rolls since we still have not had breakfast. Blondie got a cinnamon roll and Joe and I shared a ham sandwich. It was so tasty. It had a spicy mustard on it.

At this point, I decided to head to Epcot for a couple of Flower and Garden bites. I should have stayed put... The bus stop for Epcot is a bit of a hike and hot. No cover and smack dab in the middle of a parking lot. I retreated back to a tree to wait. And wait, and wait. 28 minutes to be exact and that was after I timed it (should have taken the boat). We arrived at Epcot and I am pretty sure we stopped as far away as we could. FINALLY I am inside and my first stop was to pick up a F&G pin. Now, this was our first trip to Disney without staying there and I was not aware that I could not use my MagicBand to charge... Needless to say, I had NOTHING on me. No cash or a credit card. So, back to the bus stop I went. Another 20+ minutes waiting on a HS bus... Seems like there were lots of people waiting on buses this day. All of the lines were full everywhere.

I got back in time for us to go for our Disney Visa meet and picture. Guess who it was, Kylo Ren. UMMMMMM, I can stand in line for that right next door. This seemed pretty lame to me since we had earlier stood in line for only about 10 min to see him.

We roamed the park a little longer shopping, I got the new Alex and Ani BB-8 bracelet and watched the new SW show. It was also pretty lame. I feel like they can do much better than characters walking out on stage and then walking off. It was time for our fast passes. We had RnR, ToT and Star Tours. Luckily there was only a 20 min wait for ST so we hopped on about 40 min before our FP time and decided to head on out. I've never been a big HS fan, but we made the most of our day and we were tired.

We stopped at a Chili's about 30 minutes from out hotel in St Augustine and had a nice relaxed dinner then crashed in bed around 8:00. In the morning we head home

Overall it was an amazing trip. Only a few minor setbacks that were easily fixed.
The shows on the cruise. Amazing as usual. We loved Aladdin and I wish I could find footage of the show we saw. Aladdin dropped the lamp and it broke. Genie did a great job on the recovery. The line "Story of my life, lamps breaking. People dumping me" is a standard in our house now. The ad-lib went on for about 10 minutes as Al tried to compose himself. He was laughing so hard. The audience was loving it and even gave them a nice round of applause. The guy who plays Genie is so much fun to watch. They need a show with just him every single night.

We saw Magic again which is my favorite. The Mary Poppins scene is the best!

And the closing show on the last night. I can't think of the name of it right now but it was really good too. They brought out the juggling comedian that was on the ship and I really wish we had made it to his show. His name is Marcus Monroe and the bit we saw was fantastic.

Our stateroom hostess was a doll. Her name was Flory and I never saw her without a smile on her face. We chatted every single time we saw each other. One evening we came back to the room while she was in there finishing up. She showed us how to make the towel animal she was leaving us and gave us extra chocolates.

I can't say enough about Bruno, Raffy and our main server Namanja. Dinner was an absolute joy every single night. Not to mention my special order asparagus every morning! All of the food was delicious. There were only a couple of things we didn't care for, the Curry Lamb and the Lobster pasta (I forgot the name of it) I wasn't crazy about the sauce.

Officer Pin Trading was amazing, they had several Star Wars pins and I got a couple of really good ones. I may have gone overboard on the pins. but hey, it's my thing!

There were a couple of nights with free cocktails which I don't remember from the first cruise. I made those nights worth my while! We brought 2 bottles of wine each onto the ship. We only drank one full bottle. I will rethink this next time. I also didn't bring our Tervis mugs this time. We were always forgetting them last cruise and didn't miss them at all. The drink of the day is the way to go!!!

I feel better about booking excursions in the future. Hopefully they will all be as wonderful as the experience we had in Cozumel.

I feel like there is so much I am forgetting. Blondie had a blast in the Oceaneers Club every night. She stayed much later this time and I think she really liked getting to know a lot of the kids through the cruise Facebook page this time. Again, we never felt over run by kiddos. I got Joe a couple of passes to the Rainforrest room. He really enjoyed it and we will do this again next time.

As I remember things or see pictures that remind me, I will add it to this. Thanks for reading along, off to plan our July WDW trip and decide on what cruise to take next year!

sorry for the double post!