Disney Fantasy Day 7: Castaway Cay 5K Recap & Relaxation

Castaway Cay, Disney's private island, is probably one of my favorite places on the planet. The whole thing is absolutely gorgeous. The water is crystal clear and calm, the sand is perfectly white, and they have several beaches for different age groups, including an adults only one.

But before I get to the relaxation, I have to recap our experience with the Castaway Cay 5K.

For about a year going into our cruise, I was super excited about this race. I mean, how often do you get to run a race in the Bahamas? I read blog posts written by people who had run it whenever I could find them, and the general consensus was that everyone enjoyed it.

I guess I'm the exception.

It all started at 8am when we were supposed to check in to get our bibs. There were way more people running than I would have guessed and it got cramped really fast. A lot of people didn't realize that you actually needed to register for the race, as in you needed port adventure tickets, and so there were some grumpy people sent off to the floor below to officially sign up. I really didn't understand how people missed that because it was in our Personal Navigator every day.

The other problem that made people angry is they didn't realize that they needed a photo ID to get off the ship. So even more people had to go back to their rooms to get some form of ID, which just ate up time that was unnecessary.

At 8:30 we lined up to debark. We were meeting on the 4th floor, but debarked on the 1st floor. There were so many people that when we lined up it took up all of the flights of stairs and then some. Zach and I were toward the back, and people were still coming to check in at 8:35 and I could tell the crew members were pretty frustrated because they had already packed up their stuff. But, they were nice enough to check them in.

So after we finally got off, we had to walk about halfway across the island to get to the start.

See how the 5K map only shows half the island? Anyway, I was under the impression that we would be running before the rest of the people on the ship got off. We took so long getting off the ship, walking across the island, and stowing bags that it was about 9:15 before we were lined up and ready to start. Debarkation for the rest of the ship was at 9 so I knew we would be fighting bikers on the path.

The run itself was horrible, and not just because I had been eating junk all week. The course was pretty much two loops around the bike path, which was boring. The only things to look at were trees. And asphalt. I like looking at trees here in Virginia, but all these trees looked identical.

It was also about 88 degrees with 100% humidity, and I found myself struggling to catch my breath. At about the 1 mile mark I caught up with Zach (who was more miserable than me, not being a runner at all) and we wound up walking the rest. There was no shade and I was dripping sweat, and I was overheated to the point I thought I was going to throw up. All my runs at home had been in about 70 degree weather, so I just wasn't prepared for the heat.

(I actually remember telling Zach that I hope it's 32 the day of my marathon or else I was going to die. I'm not sure what else came out of my mouth).

We actually raced the last quarter mile, and thanks to my short legs and his long ones, Zach beat me by like 2 seconds. We got our plastic Mickey medals, and I decided that the run was worth it, but wasn't my favorite by any means.

My finishing face

Zach's finishing face

Since the race was free (with purchase of a cruise) any memorabilia you wanted had to be purchased at the gift shop (conveniently located by the finish line). I was hoping to grab the women's cut shirt I had seen online but all I could find was the unisex. It wasn't the prettiest but I wanted to buy it. When I was in line, an employee brought out an armful of the women's ones and the day was saved. However, having worked in retail I was amazed at how unprepared they were for the rush of people. The run happens every time a ship docks.

swag

Overall, I thought the Castaway Cay 5K was poorly organized over every aspect. Yes, it is a cool idea, but it should not take an hour from check-in to start, the course should have something worthwhile to look at, and all the merchandise should be put out at one time.

(If you only care about my running blogs you can stop reading now)

The rest of the day was spent in Serenity Bay, the island's adult only beach. I can't even describe this place to you, so here are some pictures.

While we were on the beach, a storm actually moved over another part of the island, hence the dark clouds in that middle picture. It never actually rained on us, though!

Pretty much all we did until it was time to get back on the ship was nothing. We did eat lunch but other than that we sat in out chairs and read. It was absolutely wonderful!

Dinner was bittersweet because it was the last time eating with our new friends. However, it was also at Animator's Palate, which I have already said is my favorite.

There was a special dinner show that involved drawing a character and having them come to life on screen. Because that took up so much time, the appetizer and the soup only had one option and we only got to pick the main course.

Appetizer: Sampler trio: smoked duck breast on duck confit, sliced mozerella and tomatoes, and dill marinated lobster and shrimp. All three were delicious.

Soup: Baked Potato and Mac & Cheese soup. It only had a few macaroni noodles in it, but it was really good!

Main course: Seafood Linguini. I had to get seafood as my last dish! It was delicious, except the mussels. They were too much work for such little meat, so I just let them sit there.

Dessert: See Ya Real Soon Sweet Temptations. Cappuccino mousse tartlet, celebration cake (kind of a layered strawberry cheesecake) and Chocolate Decadence (rich chocolate cake). The tartlet was my favorite, but they were all amazing.

The show involved the characters we drew being animated and put on the screens. It was really cool! They gave us an "Official Disney Animator" sticker on our drawings when we got them back.

The next morning, I really didn't want to leave. It was a perfect, magical cruise, and the best honeymoon we could have asked for. Here's to hoping we can do another in the future!

Disney Fantasy Day 6: Another Day at Sea

I meant to finish these posts a few days ago, but I've been a little busy taking care of my new puppy! I'll post more about him later, I promise :) But for now, let's start to wrap up the trip.

This day was really uneventful, sorry.

We were really tired from staying up past midnight the night before, so we decided we wouldn't set and alarm or anything, we would just wake up whenever we felt like it. Sleeping in for me at home is 8 since my body is adjusted to waking up early for things like work and school. By some miracle we both slept until 10. Of course that made my stomach all sort of confused because that's when I usually eat lunch so I scarfed down a bunch of breakfast.

Then we headed for the deck to lay out, but parts were actually closed because we were experiencing 30mph winds. Zach and I were lazy and used the spray on sunscreen, and he got a nicely striped sunburn after a few hours.

We took that as a sign to go inside and spent the next few hours watching Ice Princess and The Game Plan in our room.

After resting for a while, we tried out the Midship Detective Agency. Basically, you are given a badge and a map of interactive paintings around the ship and use the badge to solve various crimes. It was pretty cool, and very tiring, there were 11 decks with paintings, and we took the stairs everywhere!

Dinner was at Royal Court again, and the dress was semi-formal. There was a midnight premier of Maleficent, so we planned to look fancy in the theater that night.

This night I was pretty bad at pictures, but I'll still give you the recap.

Appetizer: Herb marinated shrimp. Nothing special, they tasted like shrimp. At this point, all the shrimp tasted alike.

Soup/salad: Minestrone. Pretty much it tasted like vegetable soup without any chunks of vegetables in it. I liked it, but it was boring.

Main Course: Oven Baked Lobster Tail. While it was beautiful, I really didn't like it all that much. I think it was the fact that it was baked, but it was tough and I had a hard time eating it. There also wasn't much flavor.

Dessert: Banana Creme Brulee. I knew after the mini creme brulee a few nights before that I wanted to try this. It was absolutely delicious, even if it isn't very photogenic.

After dinner we went to The Tube, which was an adults only area to watch a few game shows. They were very entertaining!

Then, it was time for Maleficent, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I actually kind of hate the original Sleeping Beauty, so I enjoyed the way they turned the plot around. But that's all I'm going to say about that.

Like I said, not to eventful. But we had just been through 3 days of ports so it was nice to just sit back and relax. After all, we were on vacation!

Next Installment(s): Castaway Cay in Two Parts

Disney Fantasy Day 5: One Love, Jamaica (and a Pirate Party)

Jamaica was my absolute favorite. I want to get rich and buy a vacation home there one day. The people were amazing and friendly, the scenery was beautiful (it actually looked a lot like Virginia, but with different foliage), and I basically fell in love with it.

For our excursion, we chose to go river tubing. After debarking the ship, we boarded a tour bus that contained one of the best tour guides I have ever seen. She informed us a lot about Jamaica and it's culture, and even taught us how to speak a little bit like Jamaicans. In Jamaica, the official language is English, but they also speak Patois, which is a blended French language. When two Jamaicans speak to each other, they usually speak English but they are impossible to understand because they speak so fast. It's kind of funny to listen to .

Our bus eventually arrived at Chukka River Adventures (Chukka means play) after a very bumpy and entertaining tram ride through a coconut/orange grove to the river, we donned our life jackets and went off into the Martha Brae river.

Tubing through the jungle was amazing. There wan't any wildlife (unless you count the ants, termites, and spiders that kept falling on us when we bumped into the banks) but the foliage was amazing. We passed by and under some really awesome tropical plants. Of course I can't remember what any of them were now but I promise you, they were cool.

After our one hour tubing adventure, we explored the complex for a while. Chukka is based in an old plantation, and they have preserved a lot of the old buildings and reconfigured them into things such as a rum tasting building, a coffee shop/ ice cream parlor, and a cafe where people can try Jamaican jerk chicken (which we regret not trying).

Zach and I tried the ice cream, which I'm pretty sure was made in Jamaica and featured a lot of interesting flavors. I got coconut and Zach got grape nut. I loved the coconut, it was the perfect taste to accompany our jungle adventure. I tried the grape nut too, which I can't really describe. It did have what looked like grape nut cereal in it, and it was pretty good.

Going back to the ship, we had a very informational bus driver. Some of the things we learned on the ride back:

• The main source of income in Jamaica is the tourism industry.
• The port in Falmouth exists becuase Royal Caribbean cruise lines invested $170 million dollars to help rebuild it. It just opened in 2011.
• 2.8 million people live in Jamaica, but 1.2 million of them live in the capital city of Kingston. 
• Kingston is where all the rich and/or famous people in Jamaica live. 
• Usain Bolt is from the province that Falmouth is in, and they are very proud of him. He now has a house in Kingston.
• Jamaica's main exports are sugarcane, rum, coffee, bananas, oranges, and coconuts.
• Bananas take 9 years to reach the point that we eat them in the US. The Jamaican people will harvest them when they are about 2 months old, boil them, smash them, and eat them like potatoes. 
• The main religion in Jamaica is Roman Catholic.

After a shower and obligatory nap, we headed to the deck to see the start of the Pirates IN the Caribbean party, which was fun, but definitely for little kids.

Dinner was back at Royal Court, and the attire was pirate wear!

Even the menu & table setting were themed to the occasion:

This was probably my favorite menu of the trip (except dessert).

Appetizer: Jumbo crab cake. What is there not to love about crab cakes? Not to mention that this one was one of the most pure crab cakes I have ever had, with barely any filler.

Soup/salad: Caribbean Conch Chowder. Slightly spicy, but perfectly so. This wins for best soup of the trip. I've never had anything like it, and probably never will again.

Main course: Seafood pasta. Nothing stellar, but was delicious. I couldn't get enough of their scallops!

Dessert: Fruit cobbler. It didn't say what kind of fruit and I honestly don't know myself what it was. I think it was mixed fruit. Nothing exciting.

After dinner we went to see the fireworks show. Disney is the only cruise line that does fireworks at sea. They were kind of short, but impressive for being out in the middle of the ocean! Of course, they were synced to Pirates in the Caribbean scores.

We stayed and talked to our new friends until well past midnight, and watched the storm that was brewing out in the ocean. The lightning was as fun to watch as the fireworks!

Finally, we made it back to the room. That night, we had a monkey hanging out in our room.

Next installment: Another Day at Sea

Disney Fantasy Day 4: Non-Adventures in Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman was my least favorite stop.

Let me start out by saying the island is beautiful. It's very tiny, but beautiful.

The waters were too shallow to dock, so the ship stopped a good ways off the shore and passengers were chartered in on tinder boats. The line for tinder boats gave those with on-shore excursions first priority with free loading tinders starting at 11:30. We took that to our advantage since we didn't have any excursions planned and decided to sleep in and go to a non-crowded breakfast. It was definitely the easiest day to find a table!

While we were trying to kill time before getting off, we were looking over the balcony, and I took those pictures. We turned around and saw Donald and Daisy out on the deck! Their human friend brought them to come talk to us and Donald noticed my ring and pointed it out to Daisy. I told them that we were on our honeymoon and Daisy made a huge fuss over my ring. I told Donald he needed to hurry up and get Daisy a ring like mine. He didn't like that very much.

When they announced the open tinder boats we made our way down to the gangway and on to the island. I snapped a quick picture of the ship in the open water.

Immediately I noticed that it was different than Cozumel. We were obviously in the tourist part of town and everywhere there were people bombarding us with offers. "You need a taxi to Seven Mile Beach?" "You want (insert tourist thing here), come see me!" I wasn't a big fan, especially because we had just planned to get off the ship and enjoy the environment. There wasn't much environment to enjoy.

We spent less than an hour off the ship and the only souvenir I bought was a shot glass for my collection to say I had been there (they're the cheapest souvenir to collect!)

Back on the ship we again took advantage of everyone being off the ship and read by the pool for a while. It was nice to sit and relax in the quiet.

I added another character to my meet and greet list later that night: Rapunzel! (aka my favorite princess)

Dinner was back at Enchanted Garden, and the theme was "Prince and Princess Dinner". Our napkins were folded in the shape of Tinkerbell's shoes to add to the ambiance of the garden.

Our server Imade and his assistant Corrado were very entertaining while we were eating. Imade did magic tricks and Corrado gave us puzzles made from crayons to solve. This night he gave us one that took from soup to dessert to solve! He actually got on us for letting our soup get cold because he thought we were more worried about the puzzle than dinner. Truth was the soup was just gross.

Appetizer: Duck and Cheese Quesadilla. Not really what I would call a quesadilla, we actually kept referring to it as "the wonton" for the rest of the meal. Aside from looking funny, it taste delicious and was one of my favorite things I ate the whole week.

Soup/Salad: Baked Potato and Sausage Casserole soup. Honestly, probably my least favorite dish. It tasted like chili (which I hate), and didn't resemble potato soup in any way.

Main course: Mushroom pasta. I was stuck between this and the steak when I ordered, but after trying some of Zach's steak I was glad I chose the mushroom pasta. I'm just too picky when it comes to restaurant steak. The pasta was amazing though! The sauce was butternut squash and the two tastes went together perfectly.

Dessert: Banana Bread Pudding, by far my favorite dessert of the week. It was warm and sweet and wonderful.

 When it was time to go back to the room we had an adorable towel elephant waiting for us:

Next Installment: One Love, Jamaica