Cruise | Taryn's Mad Hatter Adventures

Tag: Cruise
- Royal Court Dinner Review
  
  Posted at 2:32 pm by taryngirl, on October 18, 2019
  
  6/16/19
  
  For dinner on our second night, we were scheduled in Royal Court. This was also our formal night. I requested a specific dining rotation so we would be all dressed up in this dining room! This was in the most formal in my opinion. It’s all about the princesses in here.
  
  I loved the special touch with the way the napkins were folded into shirts! And the bread basket is my favorite.
  
  Thinking back now, I did not get any pictures of the kid’s menu!
  
  Kid’s spaghetti:
  
  Kid’s pizza:
  
  Gaston’s Escargot Gratinee:
  
  Farmhouse Salad:
  
  This was mine and I loved every bite of it. The dressing is super light, and I like the addition of the sliced fingerling potatoes and goat cheese crouton.
  
  Wild Mushroom Stuffed Pasta in a Vegetable Broth:
  
  Chateaubriand-Roasted Filet Steak:
  
  This was mine and it was super tender and delicious. It was really good dipped in the sauce. It was the perfect portion size!
  
  I don’t have a picture of the dessert menu, but this was some flavor of Creme Brûlée and some kind of soufflé.
  
  This was an apple dessert and very good!
  
  The chandelier in the Atrium, just outside of the restaurant:
  
  Grandparents with grandchildren:
  
  Overall the meal was fantastic and the dining room was perfect!
  
  Posted in Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Royal Court, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Dining Review, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Main Dining Room, Royal Court
- Disney Fantasy Cruise Line – Embarkation Day and Cabin Tour
  
  Posted at 2:11 pm by taryngirl, on August 3, 2019
  June 15, 2019
  
  The day had finally come! The day we embarked on the Disney Fantasy Cruise Line, for an Eastern Caribbean cruise! We had been preparing for this for over a year for my niece’s graduation.
  
  (We had rented a car through Hertz from MCO, and returned it the night prior to leaving for the cruise. Hertz was right in the parking lot of our hotel. My husband spoke with them when returning the car and explained we were going on the cruise in the morning. They told him we could come back and take the shuttle the morning of the cruise.)
  
  Here we are at Hertz waiting for the shuttle to the port.
  
  And here we are with the rest of our travel party! They had rented cars from another place, so we just met once inside the terminal.
  
  Priority upon embarking for our family:
  - Head straight up to the pool deck and secure some seats near the pool.
  - Ride the Aquaduck.
  - Eat some lunch.
  - Head to Palo to secure brunch if unable prior.
  - 1:30 p.m. Head to our cabin to drop off carry ons and unpack a little bit.
  - Go to the DVC Member party.
  - Go to the Facebook meet up.
  - Check out kid club open houses.
  - Head to the sail away party.
  Here is a tour of our Stateroom #2550 which is a Deluxe Oceanview:
  
  (I forgot to snap a picture, but the couch flips down to a twin sized bed and the other bed comes down from the ceiling.)
  
  These extra goodies can be ordered through DCL, except for the sling bag. That is a gift from DCL for returning cruisers. The owner of my travel agency, Mad Hatter Adventures, had sent us these goodies!
  
  After checking out our room, we went to the DVC Member party. They usually have a character of some sort, and this time it was Princess Tiana!
  
  One plus is you get a free drink and some bottled water.
  
  The spillway party is always fun! We go to deck 12 so we can look down on the party and also look over the railing as we are sailing out.
  
  The DCL terminal.
  
  This area is full of restaurants! We ate here the night before sailing.
  
  More to come!
  Posted in Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Port Canaveral, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, Eastern Caribbean, Port Canaveral
- Grandeur of the Seas – Day at Sea
  
  Posted at 2:45 pm by taryngirl, on September 5, 2018
  
  Today was our first sea day. I must have been excited because I was awake at 6:15 a.m.! Here’s the Cruise Compass for today:
  
  Once the kids woke up, we headed to the Windjammer for the buffet breakfast. Imagine my delight to see FRIED RICE on the buffet!
  
  And it was DELICIOUS! I would have this same thing every single morning (except when it was shrimp fried rice).
  
  Kinsey had her normal doughnut:
  
  After breakfast, we headed straight for the pool deck. The weather was perfect! Sunny and warm. Apparently we were finished eating by 8:51 a.m.!
  
  There were tons of open chairs available. There are always horror stories about people saving rows of chairs from the crack of dawn, and not actually sitting in them. I didn’t experience this at all on this cruise! I was always able to find a chair with no problem.
  
  My bathing beauties! Around 11:30 a.m. the girls came to me with some new found friends, and wanted to go try the rock climbing wall. We headed to the back of the ship, and it was currently closed because it was too wet.
  
  We kept checking back and finally they were open with a semi-long line already!
  
  These are the special shoes they have you wear:
  
  We did have our own socks on with them.
  
  My oldest daughter went first, and she was a champ!
  
  My daughter is on the left in the white. The dad next to me was super excited for his daughter who was next to mine!
  
  I want to mention. It was HOT this day! Almost too hot to be comfortable doing this. My youngest daughter was a bit grumpy once it got to be her turn.
  
  We headed to lunch at the Windjammer.
  
  They had a very good selection and everyone found something they liked.
  
  We stayed at the pool until about 2:30 p.m., and by then we had enough of the hot sun. We headed back to the cabin to relax and shower before dinner.
  
  Posted in Cruise, Cruise Compass, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized, Vacation | 0 Comments | Tagged At Sea, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Windjammer
- Grandeur of the Seas Cabin 3061
  
  Posted at 1:27 pm by taryngirl, on August 27, 2018
  
  It’s time to take a tour of our stateroom! Since we had two separate staterooms, we wanted them to be connecting. Options were somewhat limited for this for the exact category we wanted. We knew we wanted to be on a low deck mid-ship due to some motion sickness issues. The 4th, 5th, and 6th decks had all of the action, so we opted for the 3rd deck knowing we could walk up a few flights of stairs if the elevators were full. Elevators were not an issue for us except on embarkation day when EVERYONE is trying to get up to deck 9! Also, I always check the deck plans of the ship so I can see what’s below us and what’s above us.
  
  I was able to find cabins 3059 (Inside–Category 2V), and 3061 (Inside–Category 1V). Both were 136 square feet. Just a little blurb on Inside vs. Oceanview vs. Verandah vs. Suite…we prefer an Inside cabin. I like it to be dark, and I like to save some money so we can do more excursions. The price difference is just too much for me to justify it based on how much time we actually spend IN the cabin! We are basically there to shower and sleep! Now, when we do an Alaskan cruise or Panama Canal, then I would consider a balcony/verandah.
  
  Another word of warning before you watch this video…cruise cabins are SMALL! Not like normal sized hotel rooms. My filming seems very CLOSE…well it was! There’s only room for 1 person to stand in the bathroom. I promise I will get better at videos!
  
  The sleeping area:
  
  The desk area and closet:
  
  Inside the cabinets and the safe:
  
  These are the ONLY 2 plugs in the entire cabin! Surge protectors are not permitted and they are very strict with this on this ship! They confiscated a large number of these from people’s luggage. I may or may not have had to go to the naughty room myself! To be discussed in a later post…
  
  Inside the closet:
  
  The bathroom:
  
  Posted in Cruise, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Cruise Cabins, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Trip Report
- Grandeur of the Seas, Windjammer and Deck Pictures
  
  Posted at 7:54 am by taryngirl, on August 23, 2018
  
  Continuing on with embarkation day…
  
  We headed straight up to the pool deck, deck 9, and went to the Windjammer for lunch. It was about 11:45 a.m. at this point. The Windjammer is the buffet restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has several different “stations.” There’s a Kid’s Corner, Healthy Corner, Dessert area, Bread/Soup area, Beverage station (lemonade, mango water, iced tea, water, coffee, hot tea), and regular hot choices, salad bar, etc. When we arrived it wasn’t full yet, but by the time we left, people were looking for tables!
  
  Here are some pictures of some of the food offerings during this lunch:
  
  And this is what I decided on!
  
  I wasn’t super hungry at this point, so I just nibbled on a few different things. I personally LOVED the bolognese sauce and would eat this several more times throughout the cruise!
  
  After lunch, I walked around and took some pictures of decks 9 and 10.
  
  This is where we spent a majority of our time! This is the Main Pool. There are also 4 hot tubs all around the pool.
  
  Shot from the 10th deck.
  
  This is the Solarium. Also on the 9th deck, and exclusive for adults only.
  
  A hidden gem on this ship is the Park Cafe. It’s located in the Solarium on deck 9, and offers some good eats! Sandwiches, salads, nachos, cookies, etc. etc. It’s a great place to grab a quick snack. Just not the serving hours in the Cruise Compass! Even though this is located in the “adult only” Solarium, children are permitted to go here to eat.
  
  Not shown are a bunch of tables and chairs, where people will sit and play all kinds of games they bring onboard. I even saw someone painting on a canvas! It’s super quiet compared to the outside main pool area. It’s also a little bit warmer and stuffier in my opinion, because there is no outside air coming in. I did hear from someone that while in port, they did open the roof.
  
  Also located in the back of the Solarium is the spa. I personally did not spend any time here on this cruise!
  
  Up Next…Our cabin and some inside pictures!
  
  Posted in Cruise, Dining Review, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Baltimore, Buffet, Cruise, Park Cafe, Pool Deck, Royal Caribbean, Solarium, Windjammer
- Grandeur of the Seas, Embarkation Day, Baltimore Cruise Maryland Terminal, Check In
  
  Posted at 9:28 pm by taryngirl, on August 21, 2018
  
  Our adventure began bright and early in the morning. My husband was driving us and dropping us directly at the port. It was about a two hour drive and our boarding time was anytime after 11 a.m. I like to budget in time for traffic, accidents, etc. and I like to be EARLY! So my goal was to be in the at 8:30 a.m. SUCCESS! We managed to fit 6 people and alllllll of our luggage and carry-on bags in my Sorento.
  
  The drive was very easy and we didn’t really hit any traffic. We were to the port by 10:45 a.m. I didn’t get any really good pictures of the Baltimore Port drop off area as we were very rushed! Since we were being dropped off, we were in a line of cars, and the porters were waiting to take our luggage right away. One note…porters generally do not work for the cruise line, but rather the port itself. I always tip them $1 per bag that I’m checking with them. They load the bags on carts that are driven to the ship. They are then delivered to your stateroom sometime throughout the afternoon.
  
  Once our luggage was taken care of, we took our carry-ons with us into the terminal. What do I pack in my carry-on for a cruise? Normally, a bathing suit, deodorant, prescription meds, passport, wallet, ID, any valuables and electronics. We then got into the security line. This is where they check your ID and booking information. The carry-ons do go through a scanner. We were able to bring a 12 pack of bottled water with no problems at this specific port. After security, we headed to the cruise check-in line.
  
  Here are a few pics from inside the terminal.
  
  At the counter, they gave us our first CRUISE COMPASS! This had all of the general information we needed for our boarding day.
  
  We also received a paper with all of the Officers onboard and other useful information.
  
  We also received information about the various Adventure Ocean Kid Clubs onboard.
  
  MUCH MORE TO COME!
  
  Up next…Grandeur of the Seas, Windjammer Buffet, and more!
  
  Posted in Adventure Ocean, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Adventure Ocean, Baltimore, Cruise, Cruise Compass, Embarkation, Kid Clubs, Royal Caribbean, Terminal
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Line—Grandeur of the Seas
  
  Posted at 8:08 pm by taryngirl, on August 6, 2018
  Every summer, my children and I take a vacation with my mother. The past few years it’s been to the Jersey Shore. However, this year we had a special guest…my aunt from Australia! So we decided on something different. A New England/Canada cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Grandeur of the Seas. One deciding factor was the ability to drive to the port vs. having to pay for flights. And RC was having an amazing sale at the time I was looking!
  
  The itinerary:
  - Baltimore
  - At Sea
  - Boston
  - Portland, Maine
  - Bar Harbor, Maine
  - Saint John, New Brunswick
  - Halifax, Nova Scotia
  - At Sea
  - At Sea
  - Baltimore
  This was also appealing because I have never been to any of these ports! We always go south to the Caribbean.
  
  After booking, I kept a close eye every time Royal Caribbean would run a special promotion. One benefit of using a Travel Agent…they can check for discounts automatically when they are released! No need to have to do it yourself.
  
  Up Next…Day 1–Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Grandeur
  Posted in Cruise, Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Baltimore, Bar Harbor, Boston, Canada, Cruise, Grandeur of the Seas, Halifax, Maine, Massachusetts, New England, Nova Scotia, Portland, Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Saint John
- March Disney World AEP Trip {Day 4}-Part 2! (Common Areas and Kid Clubs)
  
  Posted at 9:36 am by taryngirl, on June 15, 2018
  
  Moving on now to other “common” areas around the ship.
  
  This is the entrance to the Quiet Cove Adult Pool. One great thing about the Disney Cruise ships is they all have adult only areas. And they adhere to them!
  
  Yes, this pool has its own bar.
  
  Another adult only area is Satellite Falls. This is hands down my favorite area to be when I’m kid free on the Dream or the Fantasy!
  
  You can’t see good in this picture, but all around the perimeter are padded loungers. And there’s a glass wall to block the wind.
  
  This next picture is showing the Mickey Slide and Mickey’s Pool. Above you can see the AquaDuck slide.
  
  At the other end of this area is Donald’s Family Pool. (not pictured) There’s also a big screen where they play movies throughout the day.
  
  In case you didn’t know, in order to swim in the regular pools, children must be POTTY TRAINED! NO SWIM DIAPERS! And please, please, please adhere to this. If there’s an accident in the pool, the entire thing is shut down, which is no fun for anyone. So please, just follow the rules! Available for children ages 8 and under is Nemo’s Reef. This is more of a “splash pad,” but is a great option for those kids who wear swim diapers.
  
  From here we moved to the Kid Clubs.
  
  There are a few different age-specific experiences on Disney Cruise ships. For children under the age of 3, group babysitting and play time happens at It’s a Small World Nursery. A small fee DOES apply here!
  
  Children ages 3-12 have the option of going to the Oceaneer Club or the Oceaneer Lab. There are so many activities going on at both of these locations! Here’s a quick summary of the CLUB. And here’s a quick summary of the LAB. One note…your child can participate in a scheduled activity, or they can just go there and find something to do on her/his own. All kids participating will get one of these Magic Bands. They scan this everytime they enter the clubs. One topic I read about often is parents in clubs. The only time parents are permitted inside the club is during “Open House” hours which will be listed on the Navigator (schedule of events for the day).
  
  Oceaneer Club:
  
  On the Dream you have Andy’s Room
  
  Pixie Hollow
  
  Star Wars Millenium Falcon
  
  Disney Infinity Game Room
  
  This is the large room right where you enter. It has a magic floor!
  
  This is the way to get to the Lab once inside the Club. Kids don’t have to walk out in the hallways, as you can get back and forth once inside. This is also where they eat if they are eating a meal in the club.
  
  EDGE:
  
  This club is meant for kids ages 11-14. Unfortunately I got no pictures!
  
  VIBE:
  
  This club is mean for kids ages 14-17. This space was….AMAZING! If I was a kid, I would never leave this space. It has its own sundeck!
  
  Watch this video of Vibe that I took!
  
  Up next…{Day 4} Evening! Magic Kingdom and Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
  
  Posted in Disney Cruise, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged Cruise, Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Dream, Edge, Kid Clubs, Oceaneer Club, Oceaneer Lab, Vibe
- March Disney World AEP Trip {Day 4}–Part 1 (Cabins and Dining)!
  
  Posted at 8:33 pm by taryngirl, on June 4, 2018
  
  Friday was such a jammed packed day, that I have to break this post into two different parts! It started off with a quick breakfast at French Quarter and then boarding a bus to the DISNEY DREAM CRUISE SHIP! Disney Cruises are my family’s FAVORITE vacation. This is the only Disney Cruise ship I haven’t personally cruised on, so I was excited to see it and compare it to the other three ships.
  
  It takes about an hour, hour and fifteen minutes to drive from the Disney area to Port Canaveral. We arrived around 10:15 a.m. and the terminal was practically empty!
  
  Those seats and the entire terminal will be packed with people before too long!
  
  Here we go!
  
  After walking through the Mickey head, you will stop and scan your Key to the World card that you get at check in in the terminal.
  
  This beauty is in the Atrium!
  
  Our first stop was on Deck 2…Enchanted Garden. This is one of 3 Main Dining Rooms. Disney Cruise Line is unique in that it has rotational dining. Guests rotate through all three dining rooms throughout the cruise while their wait staff travels with them. This is one of our FAVORITE parts of the cruise! Each dining room is amazing in its own way.
  
  The other two Main Dining Rooms on this ship are Animator’s Palate and Royal Palace. There is also a buffet called Cabanas, which is a more casual dining spot. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner in Cabanas. It’s a great option when you are sitting pool side because it’s located on the same deck.
  
  We headed up to Deck 11, which is the pool deck. And right after getting a FREE soda, I hit the FREE soft ice cream machine! Both of these are included with your cruise fare. Disney seems to be one of the only, if not THE only, cruise line that does not charge for soda. It’s available on deck 11 for 24 hours a day.
  
  Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats is a fun little shop. The items in here are NOT included in your cruise fare and must be charged to your stateroom account. They do not accept cash, so we were unable to partake in the goodies! They did let us inside to browse around though.
  
  So when you think “Disney” cruise, you may think Mickey, and kids, and nothing for adults…well NOT TRUE! On Deck 4 is an area called The District, which is home to several different themed bars and pubs. Each evening, these areas become “adult only.”
  
  Pub 687 food and drinks, also not included in your cruise fare. A really cute pub that we passed through!
  
  Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar
  
  There are some adult drink “package” options that you can purchase once onboard the ship. You will find them on the pool deck on embarkation day.
  
  Of course, if you don’t want the package, you can order individually at any of the bars located throughout the ship.
  
  I want to take a moment here to also mention that on DCL, you can bring beer or wine onboard with you! You can read the official policy with allowable amounts HERE. You may also bring a case of water onboard with you as a carry on. Do not put it in your checked luggage!
  
  Time to see some cabins!
  
  Interior Cabin
  
  Deluxe Oceanview Accessible Cabin
  
  Deluxe Verandah
  
  Category T–Concierge Bedroom Suite–Sleeps up to 5
  
  Category R–Concierge Royal Suite–Sleeps up to 5
  
  YES! I was able to see inside the Roy Disney Suite!!! It was AMAZING!
  
  It was so spacious! And the verandah was HUGE. If I win the lottery, this is the first thing I’m booking!
  
  Next up…{Day 4} Common Areas and Kid Clubs!
  
  Posted in Disney Cruise | 0 Comments | Tagged AEP, Cruise, Cruise Cabins, DCL, Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Dream, Enchanted Garden, Port Canaveral, Roy O. Disney Suite, The District, Vanellope's Sweets and Treats