Disney Wonder

[iPirate]

Well, I just got back from my cruise on the Disney Wonder... and by "just got back", I be meaning some time last week. The entire journey, including the drive from D.C. down to Fla, was amazing. We stopped over at Myrtle Beach for a night. We left in the pre-dawn hours and our GPS took us on a strange and somewhat scary adventure through the coastal back roads of South Carolina.

You know in movies how you see a dark scary swamp with lots of spanish moss and water all around and then there's the one run down shack sitting by itself...? And then some guy in a top hat and his face painted like a skull come out? Yah, we saw that place. A few times. Seemed to keep going past it for some reason like we couldn't get away from it...

anyhow...

after boarding and having crew call out our name and draw all attention to my terminaly shy wife, we scuttled off to our cabin. Being our third Caribbean cruise we splurged and went with a larger state room with it's own balcony. Best decision, ever. I spent lots of time on that veranda sipping Pyrate XO and Coke and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.

Our first night at sea we ventured to the bow of the ship and sighted a dolphin splashing along side us.

I've loved dolphins my entire life and that was a truely magical moment for me.

Despite a forcast of thunderstorms the whole time, the weather was beautiful. Sunshine every day with a warm breeze to drive off the humidity.

Another highlight was Castway Cay and especially seeing the Flying Dutchman.

And the service... holy smokes...

let me give you an example. My wife went to dinner and she ordered something with shrimp. The head waiter came over, pulled out a fresh set of silverware, picked the shrimp out onto a side plate, cut the tail and shells off the shrimp and then returned the shrimp to my wife's plate.

That night was the Pirates IN the Caribbean party. Ok, it was Disney, it was hollywood kitchy, but it was fun. Props the Christian, the Cruise Director who had a beautiful brocade frock coat as opposed the holloweeny costumes everyone else was wearing.

All in all, it was fun and perhaps even piqued my wife's interest in pirate type things... so that can't be bad.

[Rumba Rue]

I'm jealous! Someday I want to cruise on that ship!

[Badger]

Does sound a blast! Hey, I love th' dolphins, too. Used tae ride right out on th' bow o' me fathers schooner in th' Banana River inlet in florida, an' reach me foot down tae pet th' bow-ridin' beasties on th' backs....they'd arch like a cat, an' come back fer more...dolphins got no taste. Even me beloved WIFE wont let me pet 'er with me calloused ol' sea-dogs! Swam with em' too, on many moonlit nights when WHOOOOSH they'd go in th' canal, chasin' mullet. Ya gotta love 'em....

[hurricane]

Don't feel bad, Rumba, the Wonder leaves our of Cape Canaveral, 30 minutes from here up the coast. And we haven't made it yet. And the last minute deals are killer too.

-- Hurricane

[Black Syren]

Now that would truly be fun..