[Amelia's Man]

Okay, continuing on!

Day 4, our first day on the Disney Wonder!

After I had a couple of mugs of Kirin, it was time for me to get back to the cabin and freshen up for dinner! I met my family as they were walking down the hall to our cabin! What timing! We all got showered and spruced up in our best "Island Casual" for our first dining experience aboard ship!

The first restaurant on our rotating dining schedule was Parrot Cay! There we met our serving staff, who were to be with us the entire voayge at all the restaurants! We got to be quite friendly with Marjan, our main server; Jan, our drinks server; and Arnold, the head waiter aboard the Wonder (he called my boys his accolytes!)
We had all ordered drinks, and I decided to order a bottle of their best Merlot (which they kept for me and brought out at every meal!) the food was deliciuos, I had a steak that was cooked to perfection, the boys each had chicken which they fully enjoyed, and my wife ordered a fish dish that she too found absolutely delicious!
After dinner , our wait staff and head waiter brought out a special birthday cake for me (planed by my loving wife and children!) I didn't expect this, as my birthday was already celebrated on the first day of our vacation! Arnold, the head waiter gave me a special Disney Cruise Line birthday button that I was to wear for the rest of the day!

On a funny side note: later in the evening my wife and I were strolling around the ship, and we happened to run in to Arnold, and he asked if I was still wearing the button! Which I most definately was!

Well, after dinner my boys couldn't wait to get back to the Oceaneer's Lab on deck 5, so we dropped them off there and signed them in! Then my wife and I went to the Walt Disney Theatre to check out the Hercules musical! It was hilarious! Great, fun show! The performers they have onboard the ship are extremely talented!

After the show, my wife and I headed down to the Caddilac Lounge! We each had a couple of awesome martinis! My wife had a couple of chocolate martinis, while I had a couple of the standard "James Bond" type, complete with the lemon peel! I'll tell you, they were the absolute best martinis we had ever had! EVER !!

It was time to get the boys and turn in, as it was now 12:45 A.M.! When we got to the lab, the boys were having so much fun that they didn't even realize the time!We all got back to the cabin, and upon entering, there was a towel animal! It was a dog, and he was wearing my sunglasses! The top bed was pulled down from the ceiling, and all the beds were turned down and very inviting!

Everyone was asleep as soon as they hit the pillows, except me! I just had to sit out on the veranda and relax, taking in the still warm sea air! A perfect end to a perfect day, our first one at sea!

My next report will entail our first port-of-call, Nassau, and of course our wedding vow renewal!!

See you then!

[lovemysons]

I am sad that you had to leave the Poly, but what a good reason you had! Wedding vow renewal on a cruise? HOW ROMANTIC!! Can't wait to read more.

[JM0318]

great trip report, I am hanging on everyword.... Thanks so much for sharing with us.

[Maria]

Great trip report! Thanks.... Looking forward to more.....

[Amelia's Man]

Sorry to keep everyone waiting, but we just went through a MAJOR inspection here on base! I was unable to get any computer time at all for the entire week!

I'll get back to my TR just as soon as I can get more time on the computer! Everyone needs to use it at the same time it seems to check all their e-mail from last week!

I have not forgotten! I will post the rest of my TR soon! Just as soon as everyone gets all caught up here! I'm dying to tell you all about our wedding vow renewal!! Ooops! I'm being chased off the computer now! Bye!

[Princessbaby]

I'm soo excited! This sounds like a GREAT trip report! This is my first one where I got to read about a cruise, so keep it coming! Very good so far. The Poly sounds so nice too.

I do have one question-- what are Lapu Lapus?

[Amelia's Man]

Again, I'm so sorry this is soooooo late!

Day 5: July 4th!!!

Nassau! We arrived in the Bahamas nice and early, and disembarked for a wonderful day at Atlantis! It was already extremely hot, and it was only morning! No worries thought I! I could most definitely handle the heat! I didn't know just how wrong I would be!

We picked a really great spot on the private beach of the Atlantis Resort, complete with towels and deck chairs! By the time my wife and I set our stuff down, our boys were in the water already! It was like bath water! Very comfortable, and extremely clear!

I ordered a couple of pina-coladas for my wife and I! There was a guy walking around the beach balancing a rather large cardboard box on his head, filled with coconuts, ice, and all the alcohol and mixers needed to make these drinks! I was impressed not only with this man's ability to balance such a heavy load on his head, but also how polite and friendly he was! He told me that he would come around later to crack the shell off of the coconuts in case we wanted to eat the fresh coconut! True to his word, he was back around twenty minutes later! Mind you, I had finished my drink exactly 18 minutes earlier! Yup! I drank the thing in under two minutes! Did I mention how hot the temperature was?.....

After about four hours of baking in the tropical sun, and seeing visions of the "Black Pearl" out in the ocean, my wife decided that it was probably for the best if we packed up and walk over to tour the Atlantis Resort! She was worried that I was getting sun stroke and wouldn't be coherent enough for our wedding vow renewal later in the day! This was a brilliant decision on my wife's part, because now I was really starting to hallucinate! (what exactly was IN that drink anyway?!)

Atlantis.......in a word.... beautiful! You could easily spend two full weeks in the resort alone! Truly a magnificent piece of architecture! We walked through most of the complex's underground area, which was very, very cool temperature wise (bliss!), and also with how it was all planned out! You got the distinct impression that you were actually in the raised city of Atlantis! Very cool! There was a huge aquarium that you walked through that had a ton of "artifacts"! My family and I were extremely impressed with the place! Plus everyone was so friendly and polite, that we really didn't want to leave!

But now it was time to get back to the ship! We all had to shower and freshen up for our "Big Day"!

Our shipboard "wedding planner/coordinator", Jako, had all our clothes nicely pressed and laid out on the bed for us! There was also a congratulatory card from him that also explained that my sons and I were to be in the Caddilac Lounge at five P.M.! My wife would be escorted down to the lounge a little after us!

My sons and I made our way down to the lounge, and Jako was there to help us with our button hole flowers! The whole lounge was set up and decorated just for the four of us! Talk about feeling special!
You should have seen the cake, it was a pretty good size! With a porcelain Mickey & Minnie in full wedding dress atop the cake! Beautiful!

Well, my boys and I took our places in front of the podium and chatted with our Captain (John) We found out that, like my wife, he too hails from England!
We also found out that he used to be captain of the QE2! Then the music started....Jennifer Rush's The Power Of Love! This is "Our Song"!

My wife walked in and i found myself just as nervous as the day we married......17 years ago! It was a wonderful nervousness though!
Captain John said a lovely ceremony, then my wife and i exchanged new vows that we had written, and the captain ended the ceremony by saying that it was such a wonderful thing to see a couple married for 17 years that are still so very much in love with each other! He then presented us with a really nice certificat that he had signed and dated!

After the cake cutting, and the champagne toast with a bottle of Dom Perignon, my wife and I had a couple of slow dances while my boys explored the lounge and talked with the captain and Jako!

It was a very memorable experience, and one that we will remember and cherish forever! Jako and his assistant took photos for us, and they came out spectacular! I also took some pictures with my digital that I'll post here if I can! My wife and I were also given a nice "Ariel and her Prince" pin set, plus special "Disney's Magical Honeymoons" pins and lanyards too!

After a good full hour, we had to head over to dinner, as our reservation was drawing near! During dinner, Captain john came over the public address system to toast the 4th of July! We all raised our special Disney Cruise Line souvenir "July 4th 2005" champagne flutes and joined in the toast!

Later that evening, there was a wonderful fireworks display over the ship! along with the champagne flutes, everyone was given a commemorative July 4th menu with Mickey dressed up patriotic on the front!

After that, my sons wanted to go back to the Oceaneer's Lab, so we signed them in! Then my beautiful wife and I took a relaxing stroll around deck five outside! A wonderful way to end our most magical day of our vacation!

Day 6 is coming soon.....! Castaway Cay!

[Amelia's Man]

Ooops! Messed up here! Tried to edit, but hit quote instead! Can a moderator remove this post please?! Thanks!!

[Peppertink]

Awwwww...how very sweet and romantic. Congratulations to your beautiful wife and her wonderful husband on 17 years of marriage. It sounds like it was a very magical day:)

[Disneyfever]

That is a wonderful story of your trip. I can't imagine anything better!

[Amelia's Man]

Thanks Peppertink and Disneyfever! Yes it really was a perfect time! The only thing is..........we all wished it was longer!!

Oh well, there's always next time!

Princessbaby, a Lapu-Lapu is a wonderful concoction made in a hollowed out pineapple! It contains Myers rum, assorted tropical juices, and it's topped off with Bacardi 151 and served with ice, fruit garnish, and a little umbrella!

They are delicious! (I sucked one down in 10 minutes!!) (Aaarrrggghhhh!! )

[Peppertink]

Originally Posted by Amelia's Man

Thanks Peppertink and Disneyfever! Yes it really was a perfect time! The only thing is..........we all wished it was longer!!

Oh well, there's always next time!

Princessbaby, a Lapu-Lapu is a wonderful concoction made in a hollowed out pineapple! It contains Myers rum, assorted tropical juices, and it's topped off with Bacardi 151 and served with ice, fruit garnish, and a little umbrella!

They are delicious! (I sucked one down in 10 minutes!!) (Aaarrrggghhhh!! )

Do they serve these Lapu-Lapu's at 'Ohana's?????

[whitba]

I tripped over your post before your cruise with all your questions (I had the same ones) and immediately went searching for your TR. We're discussing a cruise for our 20th Anniversary (2007), with our twin boys as well! I would love to include the Renewal of Vows as well. Your TR has me tearing up. Can't wait to read the rest.

[Amelia's Man]

Originally Posted by Peppertink

Do they serve these Lapu-Lapu's at 'Ohana's?????

Yes they do Peppertink! Right at the bar in the entrance to 'Ohana!

[Peppertink]

Originally Posted by Amelia's Man

Yes they do Peppertink! Right at the bar in the entrance to 'Ohana!

Yippee!! I can't wait to try one