Ep. 331 - A Fantasy Come True: A Family's First Time on Disney Cruise Line

00:00.00 dclduo Welcome back everybody to this week's episode of the DCL duo podcast brought to you by my path unwinding travel and sam I am melting I'm wasting away in the seattle summer heat here. It has turned from. 00:12.12 Sam A. 00:14.35 dclduo ° to ° in a week and our friends in Orlando are probably laughing at us. But it is hot outside here in Seattle. 00:20.17 Sam It is. We're lucky we only have like thirty some percent humidity but I am staying hydrated and cool with my topo chico water right here with me product placement. No. 00:31.35 dclduo Can you can You can you pop that can you pop the top up goes Shh like a nice cold can of sprite or something you know. 00:39.67 Sam No, it's already opened because it required I actually have to use that I hate these bottle opener things because I I cannot um I don't know I can't This is not a screw top anyway. But I can't open these kinds of bottles like a beer bottle or a topacico bottle without no no I was just thinking. 00:50.96 dclduo The dcl duo brought to you by Topo Chico I want to know what they're I want to know what their tagline is drink fresh drink fresh. 00:58.88 Sam We need. We need a topo we need ah a Dc L to a bottle opener and we that's we need some new Swag Um I do yes. 01:03.76 dclduo We really don't know we really don't you have a topo chico bottle opener in there but we we digress we digress. It's hot here in Seattle we've lost our minds because it's so warm outside for us. It's making me long for a caribbean cruise and thankfully we're going to be talking about 1 this evening with ah. With Brian and Caitlin so welcome to the show Brian and Caitlin. Well yeah. 01:22.19 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Thank you for having us yay so we feel your pain with the heat we live in Alabama so we know all about heat and humidity. Yeah, let's see it was ninety today with about oh 80% humidity yeah 01:30.85 Sam But yes. 01:38.36 Sam Ah God Okay, so now I don't feel so bad now I think. 01:40.16 dclduo Ah, yeah, and this in this in the south this time you hear though it's the forecast. It's sunny today. It's gonna be sunny tomorrow and. 01:41.12 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, yeah, so the forecast until November is ° and a random shower or 2 in the afternoon. 01:52.91 dclduo Oh there you go there, you go but well before we dive into talking about your fabulous Cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy won't you. 01:53.60 Sam No well sounds like Orlando. 01:57.67 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, we just all that tricky. Absolute. 02:06.53 dclduo Won't you tell folks? what your Disney creds are I already know this is a first time Disney Cruise episode which is one of sam's favorites. So no Disney Cruise line prior experience. But what are your Disney creds. 02:16.42 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So mine's really simple I've only been to Disney World maybe 4 times in my entire life. Ah never a Disney Cruise never cruising now Caitlin she is from Jacksonville Florida so she's got a little more disney background than I do. Yes, so I went we would go at least once a year or so growing up and then as I got older I would go a few times in college I had some cousins that worked with Disney and lived in celebration. So I would go stay with them. Um, and then when Brian and I first started dating. We actually went to Disney we spent I guess two days um we did one day Disney we went to magic kingdom and we did the unspeakable. We went to universal islands of adventure too. Um, but we actually 1 of his times together was right when we first started dating. He's a pilot so he was down in Florida until I flew down during my spring break. 03:02.55 Sam Ah. 03:11.41 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, as a teacher and I met him and we spent a few days down in Orlando was that our third or fourth day. Yeah, yeah, we won't talk about that. Yeah yeah, so it was spring break and he was working and I was looking to get away for a few days. So um. 03:20.20 Sam Yeah, that's a pretty nice date I would say. 03:30.49 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We went down and spent a few days in Orlando and I think we just did the magic kingdom I don't we didn't hop or anything that time but just last year we spent seven days with the whole family at Disney world. Yes, so we had we had it all that was the kids first time. Um. 03:42.20 Sam Um, ah wow. 03:46.56 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And we actually our last day there. We did the vip tour so we had a vi ip person I call them the vest people. Um, we had a yes but we had him. Um Mike was his name I think um Mike Michael took us around. 03:52.58 Sam Yeah, the plaids the plaids. Yeah. 04:04.60 Bryan Caitlin Maddox He made he was best friends with Lily that was her riding partner. So we we made a week of it last year we went last April so yes, so Lily just turned 6 and Aidan turned 9 in february. 04:06.90 Sam Oh. Amazing, amazing and how old are your kids Lily and aidan. 04:10.88 dclduo Nice. 04:20.74 Sam All perfect ages for the cruise we we need to? yeah we need to dive in and and ask why did you decide on a Disney Cruise and why did you decide on the disney fantasy for 7 nights. 04:24.10 Bryan Caitlin Maddox How are you? Oh yes. 04:34.47 dclduo And and had you ever taken a cruise before this is your first is this is your first cruised. Okay. 04:36.48 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So we we yes this is our first cruise altogether we yeah, we had booked 1 we were supposed to take 1 right when covid hit for spring break and um, when. We were supposed to leave a week after covid started. It would think it was like the twenty first of March. Yeah, and we just which it was carnival so we're not sad that we didn't go but um I hate to say that. But so. 05:02.12 Sam But and the cracks me up jaitly. 05:07.90 Bryan Caitlin Maddox If we would have taken that one may not yeah, might not have we really probably wouldn't have done another one. Um, but yeah, so we we tried to book one and go but it never worked out so since that didn't work out. We were looking for something to do for spring break with the kids that we just did dizzy world I was like well let's just see about a Disney Cruise so I started looking while I was. Watching my son's football practice one day and started going through the itineraries and you know being a pilot if I'm going to travel and move since I do it every day I want to go somewhere and be somewhere for a while. So I knew a 3 or 4 day while being a first cruise probably should have been the best way to go. To make sure we would like it but I was like if we're gonna do it. Let's just do it get all 7 days and so that's how we ended up with the fantasy because I was like if it's gonna be a Disney Cruise let's do a seven day which that's our was our only option and there was a fantasy. It's course is a great choice. 05:47.86 Sam Um. 05:59.62 Sam Yeah, that was our first cruise was it did well not first cruise ever first Disney Cruise ever was a seven night on the fantasy. So we knew we both knew we liked cruising though so you were taking ah a bit of a risk as as you mentioned we do most of the time recommend to people. 06:10.44 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know. 06:16.72 Sam For their first crews you know 3 4 maybe 5 nights just because you don't especially if you're afraid you're going to have seasickness and all of that. Um, but I I understand for you Brian that's like a work trip 3 or 4 nights all right? So yeah. 06:22.41 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Graphic. 06:30.73 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, 3 or 4 nights it's just it's not even long enough to me to be off. Yeah, but we also our kids are on boats a lot. We have a lakehouse and stuff so we weren't as afraid of them getting seasick. Um, just because. 06:34.51 dclduo Now. 06:36.57 Sam Ah, here. Yeah. 06:46.57 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They're used to being on the water so it wasn't something that we were too worried about. But you know we did people were like this is your first cruise and you chose Disney like you can't go down from this like there's you started at the top. So we people. 06:59.26 dclduo Now which Itinerary did you book. 07:04.20 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We did the western caribbean the grain came in cosme jamaica Castaway and district how that was the week that worked best because it was for perhaps and it was sold out. 07:09.70 dclduo All right? And what was. 07:15.50 Sam Right? That's spring break for your kids? Yeah yeah. 07:21.58 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Like it was a sold out ship. 07:22.87 dclduo And what was the experience like booking the cruise and the like we always like to talk about the lead up to the cruise you've got the booking experience the activity window opening up the check in process. How did things go for you pre-cruise. 07:37.61 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yes, so for booking it wasn't a big deal. We ah Caitlyn's cousin is a travel agent with Disney and so she handled all of our booking. She handled all the check in process. She even took care of the. Most of the excursions and the stuff you know we had to book beforehand so we just kind of told her everything we wanted in like a here's what you know priority one if we can get this can't get this do this. We can't do this do this and she stayed up tilll midnight everynight took care of everything and. Made it really simple as far as that goes so you know travel agent is the way to go when it comes to doing that stuff and it was a little because we booked so it was his family so it she kind of I booked I guess when I open I did Bipity Boby because we were making sure we got. 08:12.41 Sam Nice, yeah. 08:28.93 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Know she did that 1 didn't she no you I did the princess gathering and stuff whatever opened up I did that part. Yeah, so there was actually in our travel party. It was our family of 4 my brother and his wife and daughter and my mother and father. So. That's why she kind of took care of all that booking because I was three separate rooms all together and so as far when the thirty day window came in for check in iheldedr 4 so we could do it. You know real quick. She handled the other 2 rooms and then like Caitlyn said she did the princess gathering that she had to do thirty days out 08:49.11 Sam Right. 08:55.52 Sam Right. 09:06.80 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So that way everybody kind of had their own thing they logged in and tried to grab so it worked out. We ah we were boarding group like 5 so doing that doing it that way. 09:07.00 Sam Um, yeah. 09:17.41 Sam That's great. Yeah, well and it's super smart to work with a travel agent. Um, and it's also super smart though to have a game plan with that travel agent of who's gonna be doing what because I have her at times you know people who are you know come. In Facebook groups complaining about their travel agent because they thought their travel agent was going to book stuff for them. But they never talked to their travel agent about what they would want to book and so it's like unless you have that conversation and there you know if there's confusion. It's it's not really going to help you you you know you. 09:44.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox How absolutely. 09:50.50 Sam Got this travel agent resource figure out what you're going to use them for and what you need him for and it sounds like you guys did a really great job of that, especially with 3 09:54.91 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Oh absolutely there was there was hundreds of emails and text messages and what do I need to do next what I need to make sure I have and she handled all that so it was it made the process very simple as far as. 10:08.00 Sam Ah, also. 10:10.89 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Booking and checking in and getting ready to go. 10:11.39 dclduo Was there anything that you wanted to book that you weren't able to book precruise because you were a first time cruisers. 10:17.61 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ah, pallo brunch. We weren't able to get that on the day that worked for us. Um, the only day we could do that was Jamaica day and then we already had a couples massage book for that time so that was more important for me because it's no our time away. 10:34.81 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And also we didn't get um, what was the simulator. Ah yeah, the the goofy for simulator for Aidan. Yeah, we couldn't get that. Um, we did like I said we did get the royal gathering or the princess thing. Um, but we actually we didn't use it. So we released it? Um I guess that morning because Lily had seen all the character I mean she was tired of seeing characters. But that's has't she thought it wasn't it was booked for the last cday so that was day six six yeah and so by that time she had seen everybody. 11:10.51 Sam Um. 11:12.83 Sam Yeah. 11:12.84 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Got pictures with everybody got sit curs with everybody and so when she got in line for that. She's like I'm good. Yeah I mean we saw the line and I was like Lily do you want to wait in line. She has no it. You know. 11:17.46 Sam Um, yeah. 11:22.34 Sam Yeah that's the benefit of a seven night you you have there are so many I mean that is something I would say for a princess gathering if you got a 3 or four night cruise and your kid is into princesses you want that princess gathering becomes less and less important. Ah, longer your cruise is because you're probably gonna have so many other opportunities to see those characters. 11:41.44 dclduo Did did you try to book anything that you didn't when you got on board. Did you try to for Palo brunch on a different day. Did you try to do anything on board when you didn't get sort of some of the things you wanted precurs. 11:53.44 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ah, once we got on board. We really didn't do any I Really didn't try to do anything because there was so much going on. You know I didn't want to feel like I was having to drive keep trying to find something else due because there's so much. Do we didn't have time to do it all. Anyways. 11:56.20 dclduo O. 12:00.67 Sam Um. 12:05.19 Sam Yes, yes. 12:09.80 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, a lot. We didn't do that we wanted to like I really wanted to play bingo I never played Bingo because we were busy and I know that sounds crazy but we were just busy doing other things and there was a lot of like in the itinerary they sent out or on the app. There was a lot that we wanted to do but like the kids wanted to be in the kids club so there was things that I thought lillly would enjoy but she'd rather be in the kids club. We even booked a um was it the mejito tasting. Yeah and then we actually ended up not going because we had other there was other things with the family they wanted to do so we just. 12:29.23 Sam Um. 12:39.85 Sam Um. 12:44.36 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know now when we were looking and first starting speaking of mojito tasting. We had second dinner and we were a little nervous about that going in because you know we got kids but looking back at it. That's the only one I would do I would not do yeah first seating. 12:53.68 Sam Um. 13:00.97 Sam Um, oh interesting. 13:04.30 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Because we were never ready to go to dinner at five thirty that is just wasn't a good time for us and so it worked out better for us and if I were to do it again. I'd always stick with second seating for dinner. 13:12.15 Sam Yeah, we've found that now too when Nathan was younger. We had to kind of do the early seating and now we've done. We've done both now that he's a little older but um, we for sure have a strong preference for a second seating. So let's talk about embarkation day. Um you you got to travel to Orlando from Alabama not too far right? but you still probably have to fly or did you drive. Ah. 13:39.65 Bryan Caitlin Maddox No, we drove so 8 hours it's 8 hour drive for us so we decide to drive just to not have to worry about the whole airlines and getting anywhere. You know being a pilot I fly enough that I see all the good stuff like. You know what? let's drive. Yeah, so yeah, so and my son who he's funny. You know when we told him hey we're going drive to Orlando it's about 8 hours he goes we're not fine. No son you can sit in the car for 8 hours you will be just and the sad heart is that was. 14:15.75 dclduo Um. 14:16.73 Bryan Caitlin Maddox The longest he's ever been in a car and that is long I mean well I've always had a rule for two or four hours are flying yes, but the way the airlines have gotten so much with delays and everything else, especially this being our first cruise I didn't want to be stressed out trying to make sure we got there so we drove down the night before stayed in a. 14:19.23 Sam Um, oh Wow Yeah, um, right. 14:32.28 Sam Um. 14:36.71 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We went to Disney Springs that night and kind of walked around there and then went over to the port the next morning I was prepping him for the people. Yes I'm writing um big group of people so I have to be warmed up to well we prep we went to Disney Springs I was getting him ready for the people. 14:44.86 Sam Yeah, ah for the crowds. 14:52.20 Sam I love that all right? So you drive down to port canaveral and you see as you're approaching the port. The beautiful disney fantasy what were your first impressions. 15:05.55 Bryan Caitlin Maddox What was it. It's big like Wow and compared to the other ships around it I was like okay all right, That's home and the kids you know they they couldn't believe the size they they were thinking because they're so used to like smaller boats. And I just remember them just staring at it like oh okay, like as you're driving up, you know you'll get a glimpse of the Tower. You know the smokes stacks first and they're like oh there's the ship and that disappears and then' like all and then you go up over the bridge like oh there it is again and then it disappears Yeah when we like. 15:23.52 Sam Um. 15:34.57 Sam Yep. 15:39.20 Sam Ah, ah, it's a little tease. It's a warm up. 15:42.29 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It is but then we got stuck by the drawbridge and so we had a chance to sit there and just look at it like that's all we had for a few minutes and so like that was nice because we had a great spot for it. We it was kind of yeah an emotional moment just cause you've done all this work and you're finally getting to see the show. 15:47.14 Sam Yeah. 16:00.19 Sam Yeah. 16:02.20 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You're finally there at that moment. Everybody's healthy. You know everything that could go wrong before the cruise you finally made it to the chip and so it's kind of that breath of ah we we did everything we had to do we made everybody's here healthy. Everybody's here we can actually get on the boat. 16:04.93 Sam Right. 16:12.63 Sam Yeah, just relief. 16:20.99 Bryan Caitlin Maddox The idea. 16:21.56 Sam Yeah, so speaking of getting on the boat. How is the check in process um did everything go smoothly. Do you have all your documents ready and check in fairly seamlessly. 16:28.86 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah I had done enough research to know hey have all your documents in your hand is kind of you walk in and so I had all 4 passports in my hand with everybody stuff and the paper and so other than I mean there was a kind of a line I'd say we waited in line maybe thirty forty minutes to get. Through the terminal security and and you know to do check in and security and then well after that we walked our boarding group had already been called and we walked right on the ship. So after that initial little weight it really wasn't bad at all. It was beautiful terminal there too very clean. 16:55.49 Sam Awesome. Yeah, yeah, Caitlin you walk onto the beautiful Disney fantasy and they announce your family name. What are you feeling at this moment. 17:12.98 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Well, it was kind of I mean it it was when they call your name and then you walk in I think my mother in law like started tearing up like she started like which I was getting teareyed because it's like just the beauty of the lobby I guess it's the atrium that you're in but just the beauty of it. And then like they just make you feel special like you kind of walk in and you feel at home and so like when we first got there and it's weird because Brad and I completely did roll reversal for our Disney trip last year I planned everything I had it? Yeah, that was my that was my job for the week I planned everything. Well this was his trip. 17:43.66 Sam Um. 17:48.68 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And so when we got there I'm like right brown What are we gonna do we gone left we gone right? We're going up and so it's kind of like what? well the whole ship shores. What do we do? and so we kind walked around and the thing we did first I think was the best move was we checked our kids in to the kids club. That's where we went first. Um. 17:59.20 Sam Um, yeah. 18:07.68 Sam Um, yeah. 18:08.62 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And we beat the rush and just for future things. We went to the second entrance. There's a bunch of people at the first like the first check-in I think it was I don't know which 1 comes first down that hallway the ocean sneer's club and then the lab so we went to the lab and did check in and there was nobody there. 18:25.30 Sam Um, yeah, um, right. 18:28.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, so that was 1 thing that we did was we checked the men first thing. Um we didn't have to hardly wait for that. We checked them in and then I think we walked around so I really like doing that first because and if we did again I do it first. We literally had the kids club to ourselves. Yes. 18:45.85 Sam Um, yeah, yep. 18:45.99 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Cause everybody of course gets on the ship and have straights took about and you know like they got to do they got to do the boat thing like that. Yeah emulator thing the Lilly wanted to do the light table where she was tracing and even that like the counselors. Um. 18:53.77 Sam Here. 19:03.87 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They were great because we could talk to them and ask them questions. Um, so we kind of had the whole area to ourselves and then you could I felt comfortable like the kids could do whatever they wanted kind of see everything and then you were able if we had a question we could answer it when we later walked by it was packed. 19:04.68 Sam Right. 19:18.89 Sam Yep. 19:21.59 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And you could tell like it would be hard if you wanted to talk to a counselor So like I used to be a teacher. Um, so if parents have like special needs kids you know anything like special accommodations that would be a good time for them to go because they could get that attention versus later on where. It might be harder to get Attention. You know from accounts or with so many people. 19:42.93 Sam Absolutely And that's a great tip because you do have to you Even though you do some online pre-registration you do have to go there. Um, make sure they've got the the band if they weren't given the band in the terminal. And give them any sort of special instructions that your kid might need and just sort of make sure you're finalized that kid's registration. They're not usually they're not in secure mode yet so you can't drop the kids off and leave them there but it is a great time to visit the kids club and. 20:05.55 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Wherever right. 20:10.36 Sam It's usually um on the app you can see whether or not what what hours the open house versus secure programming are in the kids club. So I think that's a great tip. Okay so you check out the kids club you walk around the ship a little bit. Um, get your bearings I Guess where do you go for lunch. 20:27.85 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, so after the kids club we kind of find out you know where we are on the ship and then we had to cabannas and go grab lunch my ah, the other half of our group. My motherin law and brother and all them they went down to Roy court and sat for lunch. But since we had the kids were like animate they went to animators but wasnt. Yeah, whichever one was open. Yeah and then ah, but since we had the kids and you know they're really excited I was like I'm really not going to go sit them down for an hour so we went up to cabanas and even though we were later getting there. It was still we found a table really easily. You know it was full but it wasn't just you know. 20:48.51 Sam Um. 20:51.86 Sam Yeah. 21:03.70 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, we were right by a window like we got a spot right? Um, right out a window so you could see the other boat across from us so you still got to take in. You know the surroundings and stuff like that. 21:15.46 Sam Awesome now. Did you guys get a chance to go up on deck for the sale away party and if so what? what did you think of it I mean that's always a I feel like that's a highlight for the kids usually. 21:22.46 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Oh no, so we had a great game plan. Yeah, ah you know I'm I'm not big on big crowds of people right next to me. Um, that's why we have a we got a veranda room so I could have my own space. 21:35.22 Sam Um, sure. 21:39.51 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So you know before the cellway is the in-person Muster drill which puts everybody right outside together on date for luckily our muster station was right near the forward um stairs. So right near the forward elevators. 21:44.57 Sam Right? Everyone together. 21:58.52 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And so I kind of just I knew the cellaway was gonna get packed really quickly and I knew everybody was gonna head up there as soon as that was over so my game plan I kind of put together since um, you know I checked in for the muster station and then I kind of eased behind the crowd over near the stairs and as soon as they say hey you can go I just ran up all the stairs and. Made a space at the top deck now on the Railing. So The kids could look out at the below that and and so once everybody called up with me I had our little space and you know let it fill in from there but we we did do the sellaway. 22:22.10 Sam Oh nice. 22:33.57 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And the kids absolutely loved being able to see all the characters come out and all the dancing and really get a taste of what the entertainment is like on the boat and I think it's a great initial hey this is the step and level of entertainment. You're gonna get on the boat and it was really really good. And I will say one thing I was really surprised about on a seven day cruise and we had you know four or 5 ports and sea days this right after the salaway party they blow the horn that is 1 of 2 times I heard it on the whole entire cruise. Yes. And I was expecting you know I'm gonna hear the horn every day as we're leaving port but you get so busy and you know it's that iconic horn that you want to hear I heard it then and then I heard it at noon on the sea day that I happen to be thinking out and that was it? Yeah yeah. 23:15.74 Sam Yep. 23:21.64 Sam Ah, yeah, yeah, you have to be really up on deck to hear it and so they do typically play it when you're leaving port. However, if you're not out on deck If you're busy doing other activities. You're going to miss it and you might be like showering because you just came back from. You know your excursion. 23:37.41 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yes, right. 23:39.29 Sam Ah, while the ship is sailing away. So I'm glad you got to hear it. Ah you know at least a couple times that's always a a fun experience. So what kinds of stuff Did you all get up to on that first day I mean it's kind of a busy day right? embarcation day you yeah you check out the ship you. 23:54.97 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It's a very busy day. Yeah, but um. 23:58.35 Sam You know, check out the kids club you you know, do all these things. What what else did you go because you had some time now before dinner as you mentioned you did late seating. 24:04.59 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, so after Sellaway um, we actually before sellaway between cabanas after cabanas we are runs are ready so it's about one thirty or 2 so we went down and got everything unpacked with bad. Yeah, all the the luggage that we had. And then which we were only missing one bag so it really they had everything up there really quick so we had everything unpacked and then we went to the sellaway party and then after that we kind of just relaxed and watched the boat sell out of port from the verandas. Um, since we had 3 rooms together. We had our. 24:27.73 Sam Um. 24:34.40 Sam I Love that. 24:39.45 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Room attendant who was absolutely phenomenal. He opened up all 3 verandas so they're all together and so the whole family was just kind of on the veranda in 1 big long week waving everybody and just enjoying the boat leaving the port and then and that was fun like because the people would wave back at you like people were sitting at restaurants. 24:44.82 Sam Um, oh awesome. 24:54.21 Sam Yes. 24:57.93 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know and just sitting I guess there was like a little park there and you're just waving to him and Aidden was like I feel like a celebrity that was like I mean but that I mean lily they would just wave and people were waving back and whistling so that was that was a lot of fun. So and then after that would. 25:06.25 Sam Ah. 25:11.14 Sam That's so cute. Awesome Well speaking speaking of state rooms I'm gonna I'm an interrupt you there and speaking of staterooms. Why don't we talk about what kind of state room you had and the rest of the family obviously verandas right. 25:16.00 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We just kind of relaxed. 25:26.16 Sam And all next to each other but did he which which level veranda did you have and where were you on the ship. Nice. 25:26.59 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Right? Are we just have the standard family veranda not the big ones so we just had all 3 in the forward on deck nine um, it was right next to the stairs and elevator. 25:41.66 Sam Nice. 25:43.29 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Which I was a little concerned when we booked it. You know that it was gonna be loud, but except for the last night I never heard. We never heard a single thing from the elevator or stairs. So you know if I were booking again I would really I would look at that because it's easy on off, you know exactly. The kids especially for aid since he could check his stuff in and out of the kids club. He had no problem knowing where the room was because he goes just go to the Ford stairs go up to 9 and just right there? Well and awesome. Yeah, yeah, and even like going to breakfast. All you do is walk up the stairs I mean we. 26:06.70 Sam Um. 26:09.27 Sam Yeah, that's our favorite location on the fantasy and the dream as well. 26:20.90 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We really didn't take the elevator very much now if we were on like the third floor. Whatever yes, but we and getting an elevator wasn't that hard. There's only a maybe a handful of times we had to wait, especially those forward elevators. They're really I mean unless you're getting out of one of the shows in the theater. They're really not that busy so it really was never a problem getting an elevator to you or wherever you wanted to go either. So I really liked our room location and the verandas were really nice like I said we had 3 al together. So the room attendant came and he opened them all up so you know we had like 1 really big veranda which is really neat and that was fun. 26:41.15 Sam Yeah. 26:57.63 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And you know so the kids would run from door to door on the barter seeing who's up and who's what they're everybody's doing but and then our room and my mom and dad's room were adjoining room so we just left the door open in the middle for those and you know that way everybody knew what everybody was doing so it. 27:11.40 Sam Oh nice. 27:16.25 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Really liked them and the I was a little worried about the bunk beds um Aiden slept on the top. Um, but really, it worked up. Great. You know because Ricky was our room attendant he would come in the morning he would put Aidan sped up then we would have the couch and then he would let it down so it was perfect. Um, you know that was a wonderful service that I really liked because when we came back from our excursions. The kids we would grab quickserve something from quickserve that would eat a snack. They'd had somewhere to sit and it wasn't on our bed where they were getting all the crumbs. So I really liked that it gave them somewhere to sit and then at night. Aidan had the lights above them and so he really enjoyed that and then even though Lily was on the bottom our room attendant he would do special things for them. Um, throughout the trip that really made it even better for them. 28:09.36 Sam No I love that? Yeah, our son Nathan loves that top bunk as well. Yeah, so let's talk about some? Yeah, let's talk about some of the onboard activities and um, yeah, let's start on the pool deck I feel like that's always a good place to start you of course saw the pool deck on sale away. 28:12.81 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And it was possible. 28:27.32 Sam Um, at the salaway party but it's not really what the pool deck looks like the rest of the time because there's no pools open on the pool deck but um, did you all spend a lot of time on the pool deck. What did you think of you know the the Aqua duck of course I mean that's ah, a big deal and. 28:29.38 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Correct. 28:40.42 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Death. 28:44.00 Sam And ah yeah, what were your impressions and did you enjoy time up there. 28:48.10 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So we did ah both sea days and the Jamaica day we stayed on the boat. Um, and we we went up to the pool deck. We never got in the pools. They were always a little too crowded or they were closed. They every day at least one was closed at some point for some reason for cleanup. Yeah, um, and but we did do the hopha duck more than five six times and then probably 3 or 4 times every day. Yeah, ah, kids loved it and then the actually the kids like the splash pad in the back. Um I aqua but yeah, yeah, the that. 29:21.21 Sam Um, oh yeah, the Donald 1 right? yeah. 29:25.78 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It will never be the same though. No we yeah ah on the Jamaica day my son decided to face plant into the benches there and busted out his front tooth so we spent the rest of the crews missing a tooth. Oh it was bad. It was bad. It was and I we were sitting on the pool deck. 29:33.60 Sam Ah, oh no. 29:37.92 Sam Oh no. 29:44.12 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And he was up above us in it. Others are just a blood trail I mean I felt so bad for the guy cleaning it up I was like can I help you. He's like no I have to do it yes, Ray and I mean it was he came to us and it was just it was everywhere so we enjoyed the splash fat up until that moment. 29:51.60 Sam Yeah, yeah, because he has to make sure. 30:00.51 Sam Oh no, yeah. 30:03.42 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That was that is what the and he wasn't doing anything wrong like the kids were they were just playing and he just it was a freak accident and um, but they loved no oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no is one permanent. It was one of the thousand against so. 30:10.90 Sam Please tell me it was a baby tooth. Oh oh, go ahead. 30:21.66 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And so we got to meet some lifeguards that came and doctored him up and I will say while there's not a lot you can do for a tooth on a cruise ship I mean there's just it is what it is Disney did go above and beyond of making sure he was okay. We had multiple people come. 30:30.66 Sam Right. 30:41.81 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Throughout the cruise come to the door find him on the ship and just make sure that he was okay, he didn't need anything. We didn't need anything and so I will give them big credit for that, especially having you know, not a lot of people have a medical issue on a cruise ship. But. 30:46.79 Sam Oh. 30:56.25 Sam Um, right. 30:57.46 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Seeing what they did to try to make sure he was okay was very very above and beyond and they did and I mean I was surprised because they called us. We had gotten back to a room a few minutes later probably about 30 minutes after having him just set once Aiden settled down. 31:01.22 Sam Well, that's good to hear it sounds like they handled it. Well. 31:15.44 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And I got a call from guest services and you know they were checking in then and then later on um, the deck 9 manager came by our room and said you know hey we just wanted to check on them. Um, even our rheumat attend had found out what happened and he put some extra goodies on the bed and you know like they really went all out and even. 31:15.67 Sam Um. 31:24.64 Sam Are. 31:30.90 Sam Well. 31:34.71 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know people at the kids called later on because I mean his lip like it was bad and so they're like oh we have I lost a tooth but you want it like and he was like no like eat it but they really took you know first medical things and even you know they offered. 31:37.60 Sam Yeah. 31:44.72 Sam Ah. 31:53.77 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They called us multiple times asking hey you sure you you know we can take him down to medical if you need us to um, but yeah, he he has his he will have a souvenir for the rest of his life because it's not that we dont But yeah, you have the yeah and yeah and I just I. 31:58.66 Sam Um, great. 32:05.40 Sam Ah, of hook. Yeah, but 11 he'll have a ah permanent reminder. Yeah. 32:12.95 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I felt so but I mean the cleanup was you know you always see them cleaning and doing everything but they were very quick to respond because I mean there was blood everywhere and so like I mean they came with a bat like a special bag to put the towel in and you know they it was there like I'm a germy person. That's why we didn't get the pools. Um, but. 32:20.43 Sam Um, right. 32:31.72 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Like just seeing how they cleaned it up like I felt safe knowing you know because ah you see them cleaning but then when you actually know like oh they really? ah like you actually see it and play. They were very quick to respond and stuff like that. 32:36.22 Sam Ah. 32:39.52 Sam Right? yeah. 32:45.21 dclduo What other kinds of activities. Did you get up to on board as a family outside the pool deck. 32:53.26 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We went to shows that was something we did um so it was really the pool deck to be honest, that was I was kind of not I was kind of disappointed in that there was we really didn't have a chance to get a chair and actually sit and and that this happens with any cruise line. 33:04.00 Sam Um. 33:06.48 Sam So. 33:10.99 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Where people just kind of put towels down or bags down and then never return which is fine like I wish there was something like if you don't come back with a certain amount of time but to manage that it's hard, but that was 1 thing um the kids they wanted to watch a movie. We couldn't really get a chair to see it and i. 33:13.19 Sam Yep. 33:22.43 Sam Yep. 33:29.58 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I Don't know like I said I'm a Jemy person so we didn't get in the pools I was like arenin't swimming in that sorry we're gonna make it through this cruise with no sickness. Um, but the kids really enjoyed the kids club so on sea days they went there. Um, but as a family we just enjoyed walking around seeing the characters doing the shows. 33:37.46 Sam Um, yeah. 33:49.20 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, my mother-in-law took a lily to a few of the arts and crafts activities. Um, and so it was We just enjoyed it but family activities like the game shows times and stuff we just I don't know we were doing other things and yeah, we were always walking around her. Yeah. 33:53.61 Sam Il fun. 34:04.61 Sam Um, yeah. 34:07.20 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know we we also spend a lot of time you know, sounds bad but relaxing in the room and just kind of enjoying the verandas while Bob ears know relax for a little bit because you know you you spend all morning you go go go and then. 34:11.29 Sam Nothing bad about that. 34:12.90 dclduo Um. 34:20.40 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, especially on a seat day. You're like you know what? we just need to go and relax for a little while and we did We did hide ducks that was one of the things that they got excited about was we hid some ducks. Yeah and we ah the coy dust We didn't indeed the fish extenders that was a little overwhelming to me. 34:25.21 Sam A fun. 34:34.17 Sam Yeah. 34:36.52 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, we we didn't quite do that but we did do the Pixie dust. Um, so we took little things around a rooms and the detective agency. We did the detective. Oh yeah, that was fun. Yes, yes, they really liked it. They ah it was hard trying to keep up with them as they run from place to place. Um. 34:43.88 Sam Oh I Love Midship detective. Yeah, how did the kids enjoy that. 34:55.30 Sam Um, yeah. 34:56.80 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And really do that we learned don't do it in between what was at dinner or something when they got when the stairwells were really loud. You couldn't hear it and so that was what we learned. Um, you know just to kind of do it at a less busier time. Um, but we had a great time that we I think we did all 3 or we did 2 add 3 35:05.65 Sam Um. 35:14.88 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, two and a half I didn't get finished with mine cause they wouldn't let me you know I got finished with airs and they were like oh we're done and they took off. 35:18.62 dclduo Um, with. 35:21.59 Sam We're done ah now now when the kids spent some time in the kids club. Did you all get any chance to I know you did set you said you got a massage did you get any chance um to hang out on the you know the adult only pool deck areas. 35:28.89 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Okay. 35:34.73 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, so the first c day is the first day you know you leap port and then it's a c day on the on this itinerary and so the first day we get them fed and breakfast. We you know me and caitlinn are like all right? We're going to at least get them in the kids club for a little while and have some alone time. We get him fed. We put him in the kids club and we tell my son and we gave him an old iphone so he can message us if he needs to hey you know, just let us know if you're leaving and we get we put them in there. We're like all right, they're gonna be good for at least they got us stay at least an hour maybe 2 and so we get on up on the satellite falls which is beautiful area of the boat. You know where the old only area. So like you know views straight out. We got a chair looking straight up the front of the boat all excited. We were there maybe 15 minutes he call it said hey I'm ready to leave then we're like okay just. 36:25.37 Sam No, ah. 36:28.91 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Go to the room. Go find what he calls me now we made him stay. We made him stay at least another 30 minutes and then we're like all right, go find me me which is my mother go find them and we'll we'll meet you in a minute and then it was probably 20 minutes later and we get a text from the kids club hey Lily's ready to go. We're like ah what it might have been a little longer because. 36:44.89 Sam Yeah, ah. 36:48.75 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Aidden thought he would he would come out and so we went to the pool deck and I was like buddy you're not swimming you put your feet in and he saw how busy it was and I was like see the kids clubs where it's at really want really where you want to be and so they realized like okay so then we took him back. We went upstairs changed his clothes and then. 36:58.95 Sam Um, yeah I. 37:07.94 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That's when he wanted to go back in Lily wanted to come out and I was like they enjoyed but they both had fun but Lili's are more sociable child and so she'll make friends with the stranger at any given time aid's cautious. He's takes him a little bit longer to warm up to people but by the end of the week. He. 37:18.13 Sam Right. 37:26.25 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They were both and the kids for you know hours hour hours hour hours and we had our own special time. Um, we did get to do like we said do we did the couples massage. We did that on Jamaica day we did the whole ah your own little room with the balcony and the club. 37:31.83 Sam Um, ask them. 37:40.73 Sam Oh yeah. 37:44.24 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, that was nice. It was really really nice to just have that a long time with just the 2 of us and be pampered a little bit. Um I really enjoyed that part course I like massages she's back and forth on them I just sleep that's weird. It's so weird but I can fall asleep. 37:49.50 Sam Um, yeah. 37:55.59 Sam Yeah. 38:03.60 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And that's yeah, was great right now seemed like this time that I did good but just having that you know hot tub and balcony in private time now we weren't like I said we were at port so we were looking at a Royal Caribbean chill. 38:07.83 Sam Ah, nice. 38:08.20 dclduo Um, if. 38:16.96 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know you waved the people on the other route can eat but we weren't that close but you we probably quit it they were looking but it were it was a really nice area and really nice. We did that and then on the last c day. All the adults did Apollo dinner so which was really nice. Yes, and as far as. 38:20.79 dclduo Are. 38:29.87 Sam Oh nice, awesome! Ok, well yeah, of course I mean it is Disney Cruise right so you got to have a mix. 38:36.40 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That's other than that it was kid time. Well, that's needed. 38:42.29 Sam You got to have a mix of ah adult time if you if you can get away with it if your kids will do the kids club or if you got me me with you. You know you get a little a little adult time. So I feel like we need to talk about the ports a little bit. Um and you know you had 4 different ports including Castaway key. 38:49.41 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That's correct. 38:57.71 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Passed away? Yes, okay. 39:00.86 Sam Um, and so I'd love to hear you know, did you guys book Disney excursions did you venture out on your own. 39:05.67 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So you know I'm a big planner especially with my job I have to make sure everything's planned out ahead of time I do corporate planes so I handle you know everything for our executive passengers. So i. And when it come down to the cruise I was like I got to have Abc I got to have it all lined out I did all my research. Um and cosmil there wasn't just a whole lot that I was just you know hey we really got to do this so cos mail was our first stop after our c day we just did the beach day there through Disney um, which. If I were to do it again. I'm fifty fifty on it. It was fun. It was the one with the little pools in the water slides playing Mia. Ah yeah I think so I was awesome in my yeah, um, but yeah, super it was good. The first hour and then after that it was. 39:46.87 dclduo Apply a mia. Yeah, we've been there. Yeah. 39:47.69 Sam Yeah, oh yeah, pimia. 39:58.36 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Started getting really really packed as the other ships started coming in. Um the other thing I wasn't thrilled about is I think you get to port it like 7 that morning but they don't get you out the boat till 2 and 30 for that excursion and so you really only have about maybe two and a half hours before they're putting you back on the bus to bring you back to the boat. 40:09.73 Sam That little interesting. 40:16.15 Sam So I will tell you let me tell you 1 thing there is an earlier one but everyone who has earlier check in and ends up getting they just they they slot you in that way. Um, but it's still the same length so because I know because we've done that excursion at plymia. 40:18.80 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So didn't. 40:26.54 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They couldn't afford. Yeah. 40:36.10 Sam When we did it. It was ah none of the water slides and stuff were open because it was still with they still had covered protocols in place. So it was just like the beach excursion part. Um, but yeah, we had an earlier slot but it was we thought it was too short because it was only you were only at the beach for maybe 2 hours 2 2 15 something like that. 40:43.12 Bryan Caitlin Maddox But. 40:52.47 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, is yeah, we were only there I think I counted up like 2 hours and 35 minutes and then we were back on the bus heading back to the boat which you know we were kind of done because it was getting so busy and the water was cold. The water was really cold there making you know this was march. 40:55.36 Sam Yeah. 41:03.90 Sam Are. 41:10.95 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So in the March so the water's still chilly and so you know I probably wouldn't do it again. I'd probably maybe stay on the boat or find something else doing cosmal just that gives you a little more time and then our second day was Grand Cayman ah we did our own excursion because. I meant my family's gone to grain caman probably 7 8 times just on personal trips and so I had a boat captain that I know down there and so we ended up booking him and so we did our own stuff and got off the boat early. 41:36.35 Sam Oh cool. 41:46.12 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And it's a tenderport so we made sure we were our meeting places in the theater for everybody to go to the tender so we were one of the first groups in the theater to make sure we're on I think we're like the second or third tender off that boat. We had just missed. We missed the first one. My like 6 people or so bad. We like very get fit. We could fit. And so we ah we get into port and take taxi over to where his boats located and then we do snorkeling and stingre city there. Ah so the kids loved all of that I was a little unsure being the kids being six and nine if they would do snorkeling. But. 42:14.19 Sam Your core. 42:21.12 Sam Um, yeah. 42:23.91 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They had no problem jumped right in our boat captain had he had 1 those little life rings and he had them hold onto that and he just paddled them all over the reef everywhere they wanted to see something so that was a really great day and then we were right back on the boat I think. 42:34.23 Sam Oh awesome. 42:42.47 Bryan Caitlin Maddox All the board time was four thirty we were on boat by three thirty yeah exhausted yes Yes so yeah so we had our own private boat. Yes, and but we saw everybody on the Disney Cruise ship at stingray city. 42:43.98 Sam Now was that no was that your all for all 3 rooms that you were traveling with you so you basically had just your own boat. That's awesome. 42:58.25 Sam Right? Of course because there's always right wearing their character stickers to show that they were on an excursion. 43:01.37 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, all the Disney people were resting racecing right? Yes, yeah, we were the only boat ah at port for grand caman which made it really nice because it wasn't overly crowded and the tenders weren't you know trying to go hit different boats so that made it really nice. 43:20.10 Sam Um. 43:20.86 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Being the only boat at green caman because I could see if there's like 2 or 3 that come in on the same day that that port get really crowded, especially being in tenderderport so you have to really schedule your time you know that's 1 thing I did look at when I was doing our private stuff and not Disney is making sure I went online and found out how many. 43:28.19 Sam Oh yeah. 43:39.88 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Boats we gonna be of hor to see if we're really going to have time to get those tenders to get back and forth. But and if we didn't if we you know because I mean it was a little bit more on the expensive side to do the private boat. But when we went to the caymans in September we went to that turtle sanctuary the turtle area. 43:41.68 Sam Um. 43:43.85 Sam Yeah, that was smart for sure. 43:59.60 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Which that's big and we heard a lot of people going there? Um, but again if there was any more than just our ship that would have been difficult because it's big, but it's not that big. You know if there's other ships in port So I would highly recommend people do the research. Um. 44:03.89 Sam Um. 44:10.55 Sam Yeah. 44:18.30 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Especially for that port. Yeah to find out how many boats are really gonna be there if you're gonna do a private anything non Disney right? Um, because. 44:21.84 Sam Yeah, now how what? what about Jamaica you you had the couples massage that day but did you also get off the ship. 44:30.53 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So Jamaica when I was doing my research everything even you know all the excursions that I was looking at on Disney everything was like an hour drive away. Um, it just I guess where fallmouth ends up being on the island wherever you want to go. It's like a 45 minute drive so we knew that if we were doing an excursion cosmile and then the very next day doing a really big one in grand ca in and Jamaica was the very next day we're like you know we're just gonna have a boat day so we chose just to stay on the boat in Jamaica because we didn't really want to put the kids in a car for 2 hours you know an hour each way and. 44:54.87 Sam I. 45:04.77 Sam Yep. 45:06.80 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And Jamaica there wasn't a whole lot lily was 5 at the time of the cruise that she could do that wasn't just a beach day right? and so because everything's kind of like big adventure stuff in Jamaica which I heard it was really pretty and ah if we go back and they're older I'd probably do something but since she couldn't do a whole lot. We chose just stay on the boat that day. 45:12.60 Sam Um, right. 45:24.92 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And have our couple's time while they're in the kids club and then you know let the kids play in the aqueducts and everything else while the boat's not as crowded and that was it was still busy though I was kind of surprised. It was still a little busy. It was still like the aqueduct you were waiting about thirty thirty five minutes to get on it still even yes, so. 45:31.66 Sam Oh yeah. 45:41.93 Sam Um, oh Wow um. 45:44.00 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Like I said our boat was sold out like I mean it was I think even conciers was sold out like everything was sold out and so you still Waited. Um, but the kids still had fun. They did that was the day of the Splosh Pad incident. Um, when we were there was that to make a day but like his parents got off Board. And my niece got off and she went got her hair braided and they walked from the port now it does have a really nice port area just right there with all kind of shops. So You know we thought about doing that just getting off and walking around the port a little bit but since we had the incident and everything else We just ran out of time and you can get. 46:03.77 Sam Maybe. 46:19.30 Sam Right. 46:20.24 dclduo Um, me. 46:21.77 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, but my mother and all them they got off the and said that was really nice port area right? there and went shopping and just went shopping. Yeah. 46:29.55 Sam Awesome! All right? Well we have to talk Castaway um, because obviously that's why a lot of people choose these itineraries right? A lot of people choose the caribbean or Bahama itinerary because they want to go to Castaway. What did you guys think of Castaway. And what did you do on castaway. 46:46.17 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ill let caitlyn go first on Castaway so castaway um Aidan and I did the 5 k um I had yep, that's how we started it I wish I would have done more research on it because I will not take that tram again. 46:52.56 Sam Nice. 47:02.26 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I will just add to my 5 k and walk the extra whatever you know cause I didn't know and I feel like we missed out if there were characters. We missed out on those just cause we were the first ones off. Um and so we did the 5 k and while we were doing that they ended up. 47:04.30 Sam Yeah, yeah. 47:11.98 Sam Are. 47:20.81 Bryan Caitlin Maddox The rest of the party went and found chairs and stuff like that. Um, so we did that but it was it was really packed and I think that had to do with our ship being you know, sold out a lot of people weren't had because they couldn't get chairs. You couldn't you know. 47:27.94 Sam Yeah. 47:39.60 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You couldn't find anywhere to just sit. Um, we got lucky they got there early and so after I finished aid and I finished running. Um, we met them and they had reserved us some chairs but there was a lot of people that they didn't get chairs. It was yes. 47:39.56 Sam Um, wow. 47:52.45 Sam Wow, That's unusual I Wonder if they just didn't go far enough down the beach because yeah. 47:52.96 dclduo Is full. 47:58.66 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I went all the way to the we were at the cabanas. Yes, went all the way to that? Yeah, we were like packed 5 chairs away from where the cabanna start and everything before that was completely full and we were off within 30 minutes of the boat docking. 48:10.17 Sam Um, Wow. Yeah yeah. 48:14.90 dclduo That is really unusual for the to be because we've been there when the wish has been full and there's still chairs available. So that's that's really unusual. 48:16.48 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That matter of a rush we went and I and so we didn't We weren't even in the busiest area we were like he said pass that little water area like the water slides and stuff like we were past that because the kids were playing right at the caban a lot like that little. 48:29.36 Sam Yep. 48:35.26 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Area where there's like a net I guess or a rope on the sand. That's where we were and that's kind of where they played and stuff but people were still walking around looking for things like looking for places to sit and stuff like that. 48:38.85 Sam Are. 48:47.54 Sam Wow I Wonder if it was just a lot more families. Um versus adults. Yeah right couples. Yeah. 48:52.56 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I say it's probably cost being spring break. It's full of families full of yeah you know all the cabins had 4 or 5 people in them and not just you know a couple here and there um and then the other thing. Yeah. 49:03.46 Sam Because when you have a bigger mix with adults and you have a lot of people you know at serenity and so it's I will tell you it's not. It's not usually that packed. But of course you're on 1 of the one of the bigger ships versus 1 of the you know the wonder and the magic are always. It's going to be always less crowded. Um than. 49:13.66 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And write right. And it's Springberg. So it's a full ceiling. Yeah, and it's all family. Youth. So nobody went to the old areas like even to get food. We set like and we kind of went at the later part we were waiting in line for probably 20 to 25 minutes just at lunch. 49:21.83 Sam Right? And spring break. 49:23.20 dclduo I'm still I'm still. 49:36.65 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And the lines I mean they were moving but there was just so many people. 49:36.86 Sam Um, yeah, yeah. 49:39.73 dclduo Yeah, I'm still I'm still pretty shocked because we were there on the wish on spring break and there was well I guess I mean I the beach didn't look full to me. But maybe yeah. 49:49.57 Sam I don't know I don't know Brian you know by the end you know it also on the shorter cruises some people decide to skip Castaway and stay on the ship. You know, ah versus on the longer cruises I feel like everyone wants to get I don't know it's you know it's kind of a mix. Bag with castaway. Some people have been there so many times they were willing to skip it and other people are like no I'm want to I'm going to suck the marrow out of every you know the bone and stay on. 50:10.17 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, yeah, so yeah I mean for me as far as the island goes. It's beautiful island everything is woke I mean it. It is a very great port. Um, you know I I travel all over the Bahamas so I've I've seen them all. But. 50:23.28 Sam Um, yeah. 50:29.56 Sam Um. 50:29.94 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And I will be really excited to see lighthouse point whenever that comes available because I believe I've spent a lot of time on that Island and I know exactly where they're putting that I've been on that beach and it is a beautiful place and so. 50:40.16 Sam Nice. Oh awesome. 50:46.66 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I'd like to see really the difference that they do between it and castaway. Um I enjoyed Castaway but it was it did feel crowded. Um I guess since this was our first time I didn't know what to expect but in my mind I'm thinking big beautiful beach. You know there can't be that many people I think yeah yeah, there was 1 50:50.56 Sam Um, yeah, sure. 51:05.47 Sam In there. Ah. 51:06.43 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And I just have you know everybody's gonna have kind of like their own little you know I know it's gonna be busy, but everybody's gonna be able to like spread out a little bit. You're not gonna be unpacked on a little boat but it still felt like it was just the boat just on the land for me. So and we like we but we did get to see characters and lilly got dance. We dance party. 51:16.85 Sam Yeah, yeah, yeah. 51:25.90 Sam Um, oh fine. 51:25.96 Bryan Caitlin Maddox All that so we had a great time at cus she got her hair braided there since we didn't get off at Jamaica so we still we still had a really good time and it was if they wanted to do the kids club it was there. Um, the water was really cold. So a lot and I think that was the other thing I think more of the kids were in the water versus the adults. 51:38.29 Sam Um, here. 51:45.54 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So frightening areas to sit was harder because all the adults were on like the shoreline and the kids are in the water cause it's freeze like yeah, all the adults are like no, we're not getting in y'all go yeah like and so that's and maybe another reason why so there wouldn't a whole lot of people float. No they got. 51:48.44 Sam Um, ah. 51:54.40 Sam Was cold. Ah yeah, yeah, yeah, because when when we're at cast away I feel like we don't usually need like more than. 52:03.97 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ah. 52:07.77 Sam You know for the 3 of us 1 maybe 2 chairs because we are spending a lot at at least not the long loungers. We'll take you in just those you know, small short chairs because we're spending a lot of the time in the water. But yeah, if the water's freezing. That's for sure. 52:14.83 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Roads. Thanks. Yeah, oh it was it was but you know we're up from Alabama so anything less than about eighty it's it's cold. Yes I mean the kids were all about it. They loved it. But we didn't get in. We sat it in the short chairs on the shoreline and it was really windy. 52:26.38 Sam Yeah, yeah. 52:37.53 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We almost the captain came on before we got there to say that they were going to try but they couldn't guarantee that they could get in. Um, they ended up of course making it with a lot of thrusters going in. Yes, Elwin that was fun to watch on the balcony was yeah. 52:44.94 Sam Yep. Yeah, well you got lucky? yeah. 52:54.25 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, getting So I think that also kept people like on the beaches and out of the water because the wind was so cold and the water was cold so that's probably what led to me feeling like I was a little cramp still but I still enjoyed it. 52:58.12 Sam Are. 53:06.95 Sam Good, Well good all right? Well let's let's get back to onboard the ship because we haven't talked about you know, couple of my favorite categories one of which is the shows I'd love to hear you know which shows you all were able to go to. 53:19.64 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Nothing. 53:24.73 Sam Whether the Broadway style shows or the variety acts and what you thought of them. 53:30.94 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Well being that we had and this is the other reason when I said I will always pick late dinner. We felt like we went to all everything that the the theater put on we were there for it because we didn't feel rushed having to like leave an excursion get dressed and run to dinner. Um, so. 53:36.45 Sam Um. 53:48.79 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Being able to be in that lake seating. You know we were able to get back in the room give the kids some quick serve um from one of the restaurants on the pool deck and then everybody kind meandered and got ready and then we were able to make all of the shows. Even the juggler the comedian and the Ben Tro cost 54:07.54 Sam Um, oh awesome. 54:07.63 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, so we got all of those and then our 3 shows were Aladdin ah frozen and believe with the Broadway shows. Ah so for Aladdin we were told like you need to get there like thirty forty minutes for the doors open and so we're like okay well we were. 54:15.78 Sam Awesome. 54:27.49 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We heard about it so we were okay, we are the first ones at the door. We were first here for a long time. So but the great news is and I don't know that this is normal but we met I think 3 or 4 characters in that time like goofy walked around and his text it because it was formal night for one of the shows so give. 54:28.92 Sam Oh Wow time. Yeah. 54:42.66 Sam Um, oh cool. 54:46.97 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Aladdin so goofy came by in his tuxedo and then we had snow white cane by Cinderella came by like and my kids got 1 on 1 time with them and just why we're waiting on a show and so um, that was the great part and we made the mistake of we were on the second row in Aladdin. 54:54.85 Sam Oh that's awesome. 55:05.97 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I don't recommend that just because of all the smoke we were like we were in it and we're going like everybody was cough it I mean it was. It was a great show but I would recommend sitting a little bit farther back? Um, but the kids loved it because they were like the genie was right there Aladdin and Jasmine were right there. 55:06.90 Sam Yeah, yeah, yeah. 55:17.70 Sam Um, yeah. 55:25.82 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, so the shows were wonderful set. 55:27.41 Sam Awesome! I'm so glad that you enjoyed them. They're of course one of my favorite things. You know we would be remiss. Of course if we didn't talk about food. Right? I mean that is a huge topic. We always like to that's always like the last thing we like to talk about because we like to save that for the end whether it's a wow or a big want ma is always ah a good big question Mark um, ah we we tend to think that the food on Disney Cruise line is. Is generally good. Um not always great. Um with a few you know I would say a few items splattered in that are great. Um, but let's talk food. Let's talk cabanas and main dining and then of course we'll talk a little bit about a Paulo. But first let's talk about cabanas and main dining and pool deck food. What did you all and I guess cookies or cookies too. What did you all think of of the food across the you know across the ship. 56:22.20 Bryan Caitlin Maddox As far as cabaass we did it breakfast every morning and then we only ate Kabenna's lunch on the first day and then the last c day it was yeah and it was good. You know there was a few things that are really good and then there was some things that are just you know it's. 56:32.72 Sam Um. 56:41.40 Sam Yeah, like the scrambled eggs. Yeah, the worst scrambled eggs ever. Yeah. 56:41.97 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It's cafeteria stuff food. It's trying to serve the princees right? So my son here's got eggs so we have spoled him and he will not eat eggs unless I cook them well and so we even went to like the guy and um like the heart. Um at the heart and I was like could you just make him some like. 56:55.38 Sam Yeah, yeah. 57:01.90 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Fried eggs and kind of screw on. He's like you know you can get those over there I said no, you really can't yeah, let's try with your egg that still didn't work and that still didn't work but and I enjoyed the breakfast food especially the Chiro waffles. Those are my favorite. Yes, um, and then let's see as far as lunch food. It. 57:02.65 Sam You can't yes. 57:19.57 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It was good. There's a few things a lie there some we didn't really, but we didn't eat lunch but there wasn't a big selection at lunchtime at Caandas for the kids because it's like curry chicken and a lot of stuff that they're just not going to eat but typically with our family. We ate breakfast like we got up. We ate breakfast. 57:27.53 Sam Um. 57:29.80 Sam Um, yeah. 57:36.81 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And typically when we eat breakfast. We don't really eat lunch So we we're not a good. We don't We're not say they went to Caba ass lunch twice because we're so once we need a big bread work. Well, that's what we did and that's yes, yes, so we were the light lunchers so we just grabbed. 57:38.40 Sam Okay. Yeah, well all we eat pool deck food at lunch. Oh I mean almost always? yeah. 57:55.23 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know, like 3 or 4 we would go to the board and get you know pizza or our chicken fingers or something like that and then all of that was good. 57:55.82 Sam Um, yeah. 58:02.12 Sam And well me you have late when you have late dinner that's actually I think a great option too because you're going to be if you wait to eat. You know you're going to be hungry if you you know for dinner right. 58:12.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And we would go like the kids we did ice cream like if they were hungry. They would get something the only kind of downside is for a seven day cruise the quickserve it it wasn't rotated so like by the end of the week we were tired of pizza chicken tenders hot dogs like there is so. 58:23.00 Sam Right. 58:31.41 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Variety there is but it's the same the same variety every day and I mean I don't know how much you could change it up but by the end of the week like when we got off the boat like you know we we're Mexican fan like we love Mexican food like we didn't have Mexican food all week. So let me take. 58:32.27 Sam Um, yeah. 58:37.19 Sam Um, yeah. 58:44.98 Sam Oh yeah, there is almost. There's no Mexican food. Yeah. 58:50.47 Bryan Caitlin Maddox No, and so like when we like one day I really wanted like chips and salsa or like chips and keys or something and you just it wasn't there but the other stuff was good but I just wish there was a little bit more of a variety but maybe a pizza the day or something where it wasn't just like. 58:55.72 Sam Um, me. 59:02.16 Sam Yeah. 59:08.79 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Pepperoni Cheese Pepperoni cheese and V to you know which is fine but that was kind of a downfall for me was by the end of the week I was tired of you know some of. 59:08.91 Sam Yeah. 59:16.56 Sam Yeah, so one one pro tip I will give you is in Cabanas they do sometimes have nachos but it's all the way at the middle like so all the way at the end in the middle. 59:26.65 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Miss You missed. 59:33.66 Sam So they only you'll have it in like 1 station and it's not every day but they'll have it like on a on a seven night that it was probably there once or twice but it's it's not like a Full Taco bar or anything like that. It's like chips and cheese and some salsa. It's nothing like you know, but you need to go on the wish because. 59:39.23 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Probably. 59:47.31 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, and and when we did close it. 59:52.78 Sam The wish has Donald's cantina if you don't have chips. They need to add chips to their repertoire. But it's basically like a chipotle at sea as far as burritos tacos bowls that sort of a thing. Yeah yes, yes. 59:56.94 Bryan Caitlin Maddox By said how pe not is well and like when we went to cabanis my kids still got macrony and cheese and pizza so they were eating pizza the whole 7 day likes all now and that's not I mean some kids love that. 01:00:12.26 Sam Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Nathan's a mac and cheese kid. 01:00:16.35 Bryan Caitlin Maddox But when we got back from the cruise we didn't eat pizza for like a few weeks like we were Okay, we're good like anybody want pizza. No. 01:00:26.99 Sam Um, and even in main dining or in cabanas and he is a hamburger and French fries kid on the pool deck and he's happy to eat that literally every day of the cruise. But then yeah we don't he doesn't eat that I mean he eats it at home but not that often. But yeah. 01:00:28.17 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That's limit. 01:00:39.81 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, not that often right? yeah. 01:00:43.76 Sam All right? Well let's talk about main dining because obviously main dining you went to every night except for that one night that you went to apollo um curious what you all thought of the food quality. The food selections. 01:00:56.41 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, so our rotation was royal court and Aator's pilot and then the and tenn gardens. Um I really liked I wasn't disappointed in any of the food. Ah, there were a few dishes that. 01:01:12.32 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I really really enjoyed that you know I wanted 2 or 3 of and then there were some they're like ah that's good, but you know and we'll move on. Yeah um, and you were able to try stuff like I tried stuff I would have never ordered at a regular restaurant or you know and so it was good but that the truffle. 01:01:20.17 Sam Yep. 01:01:26.46 Sam Um. 01:01:31.45 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Pasta or whatever it was that animator's pal I could have eaten that every night like here I like that was you know and that was the I all that I love that pasta like that was delicious. 01:01:35.50 Sam Yes, vindication. 01:01:43.40 Sam Um, okay, pro tip Caitlin when you go on the next time you can ask them to bring that for for you for an entree and they'll just like triple the portion and just have that as your entree. Yeah. 01:01:55.37 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Well well and then we also learned that you could order well, it wasn't easy but like god bless my brother-in-law if he listens to it. Love you Matt um, but he would look up all the other restaurants and then be like. Hey can I get this instead of that and sometimes it was easier to do that some nights than others. But then there was a night that they were like well we'll just have to see the numbers and it was I remember even what it was last year no because we had that and no he had before so it was something. 01:02:13.90 Sam Yeah, yep. 01:02:28.76 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Like that where it was you know they're like well we have to see the numbers. We're gonna have to you know there was one night where it was not as easy to get it. Um, but it was still really good food and the desserts were really good too. Well. 01:02:34.62 Sam I. Yeah, and I will tell you I do that a little bit but it's more usually with like an appetizer or something right at the the first 3 nights. Everybody's having the same rotation the rotational menus right? and I might like an appetizer from 1 restaurant and want to have that 2 nights in a row instead of. 01:02:45.58 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Then. 01:02:51.70 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I mean right. 01:02:57.62 Sam Picking an appetizer from the restaurant I'm in so I definitely do that. But I also understand when they tell me that it's that's just not going to happen I ah will say I think on on the 4 original I'm going to call them original ships. But the first 4 ships that they do. They are more willing to do that than on the wish. 01:03:03.90 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So right. 01:03:08.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Man. 01:03:14.28 Bryan Caitlin Maddox No. 01:03:16.24 Sam And I say that because the wish it's something about the kitchen arrangement that makes it a little bit more difficult for them to do that and so it's much easier for them to do on the 4 original ships than it is for them to do on the wish. But regardless sometimes they can make it happen sometimes it's harder for them to make it happen. Um I do think it's. 01:03:21.49 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Right. 01:03:34.93 Sam Probably a little easier late seating dining for them to make that happen because they'll know if they're out of something or if they're not out of something right? So in the. 01:03:36.60 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And then run 5 01:03:43.77 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Now I will say as far as main dining goes you know when you're booking Disney Cruise Orby saying the service, the service the service I wasn't overly impressed. Um, now our room attendant and all that. 01:03:55.88 Sam Um. 01:03:59.91 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Absolutely he did above and beyond but our servers did good but I guess since we were a party of 9 Ah we always had to ask for. You know, extra drinks because they were always empty. We were always the last ones to get our food. Um, yeah. 01:04:08.65 Sam Um. 01:04:12.66 Sam Are. 01:04:18.19 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Like the table next to us would be gone before we got our entrace. Ah and so you know dinners were like 2 hours yeah it was just long we were. We were always one the last tables to leave. Um, now they were really nice and you know if you asked for something they would do it. It was just I was expecting that. 01:04:20.80 Sam Oh that's a bummer. 01:04:37.73 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Above and beyond that I didn't feel like I was really really got. It was really good and it was better than any you know chain restaurant you go to but and I think our expectations were high I think I was just over they would you know we. 01:04:39.45 Sam Um, yeah, yeah, what? yeah. 01:04:47.71 Sam Sure. 01:04:56.10 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We're creatures of habit like I drank a diet coke every night ate a diet coke lily had Apple Juice pretty much we all drink the same thing every night so we kind of expected as the nights went on. They learned our habits. They learned what we like and we had heard before like your drinks would be on the table waiting for you and that kind of didn't happen. 01:05:00.00 Sam Um. 01:05:06.91 Sam Um, yeah. 01:05:13.00 Sam Yeah, sounds like your assistant server wasn't too great because I will say yeah and I've had good servers I've had great servers and I've had just okay servers right? But the assistant server is like the master of the drinks and if they don't have your drink orders like by by night. 01:05:15.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And then. 01:05:22.91 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Now. 01:05:32.41 Sam 3 right? I mean then they're just not going to get him. It's just that's just a sign that's not a great assistant server. 01:05:34.90 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Know and that's and that's kind of what we did that like it was kind of frustrating because there were times where there would be character meeting greets that we wanted to do and so like we were there I would say almost every night we were one of the first ones at the door where where. We like to be on time like we want to get there because we would walk around in the lobby looking at the characters after that first dining the show would end. We had a few minutes we would walk around. We were always in the area even if we were the first table sat we were the last table to leave every single night pretty much. 01:05:55.78 Sam Um. 01:06:09.93 Sam Um, yeah. 01:06:10.63 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And like that got frustrating because even if we're like right? we're gonna get there. We're gonna be the first ones we're gonna be ready to order like we're gonna go and it just didn't that that was frustrating a little bit like we did get good family time. It was great conversation time and the assistant at the end like they did like put crayons down for us to figure things out. 01:06:15.26 Sam Um, to her? Yeah um. 01:06:29.20 Bryan Caitlin Maddox They did that but that was a little frustrating to where you know we kind of missed a few things at night and because it was such a long dinner like we didn't really go and do anything afterward because it was pushing 1010 years ten fifteen and it was time. Yeah, and it down and and we were tired so i. 01:06:38.85 Sam Right? right. 01:06:48.32 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know I wish we would have maybe if we weren't I don't know if it was our party size I don't know what it was but they were nice I Just wish it was a little bit better there. 01:06:52.54 Sam Yeah. 01:06:59.90 Sam Yeah, well it sounds like you is probably a combination right? I mean who knows it's it's I would guess it's a combination of a bigger party bigger parties do take longer typically to serve and they end up sitting for longer. Um, but 9 is not that big and um, but it sounds like. 01:07:07.73 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, my. 01:07:15.79 Sam Just by what you've said about the drinks to me that that to me that sort of is setting off the alarm bells of you had maybe not a a great service team. Um, even if they were nice and maybe good. Yeah, all right? Well we've got to talk about Apollo. 01:07:17.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And. 01:07:27.23 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, right, Absolutely core. 01:07:32.10 Sam Because you you were able to go there for dinner. All the adults went for dinner. Um, let's talk what you did with the kids first right, you have to feed them at some point right? So what did you guys do with that. 01:07:42.57 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, so ah, we gave them. We did quick serve for a snack for right before that and then so they were good cause Apollo was at 6 yeah, so as we tried to time it. Where you know the kids club wouldn't be overly busy and so we gave them quick serve about four thirty five o'clock they had plenty of chicken fingers and pizza so they were good until you know for us to go have a real good dinner and then they just stay in the kids club while all the adults went and then afterwards we did room service. We just did room service. 01:07:58.46 Sam Sure. 01:08:10.98 Sam Um, yeah. 01:08:15.38 Sam Oh perfect smart. Yeah. 01:08:17.63 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Man because our niece couldn't go. She was 16 so she couldn't go to pallo and so um, she went and did her thing I don't remember what she if she stayed in the room or we had some friends on board. So she wentt yeah with them so she joined one of the groups before um, my mother- in law kind of. 01:08:22.52 Sam Oh yeah, yeah. 01:08:37.49 Bryan Caitlin Maddox 1 of the Facebook groups they created a group chat and so all the teenagers could talk and so she met people before and then she went and hung out with them. Um, and did all that so she had some friends and then our kids went to the kids club but I think we did room service later on with them. We just la into room service and that was. 01:08:42.69 Sam Um. 01:08:52.68 Sam Nice. 01:08:55.46 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Room service I don't think we talked about it but that was we enjoyed room service when and the food was really good. Actually yeah room service. We had the wings from there that was really good and the grill cheese I think yeah, the cheese tray cheese plate that was always my favorite. Yes Slide easy. Yes. 01:09:05.14 Sam Um, yeah, people love that cheese that cheese plate the all hands on deck. Yeah. 01:09:14.51 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yes, cookies and then we one of the things we did for the excursions my mother in law she ordered those peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches and so we took those um with us when we went to Grand Cayman so we ordered those and had those. Um, so yeah. 01:09:20.50 Sam Yes. 01:09:28.24 Sam Very smart, very smart. This is a pro tip for those listening if you don't know you can order the uncrestable sandwiches Sometimes they have strawberry sometimes they have grape and sometimes you can tell them which one you want if you're a really picky person like me who only likes grape jelly and doesn't like strawberry jelly. 01:09:46.74 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ah, that's my daughter. 01:09:48.30 Sam Ah, um, but yeah, yeah, but you can you can tell them hey I need can you bring me, you know 6 uncrustibles and you know we're and they'll deliver them to your room and then you take them with you on your excursion and they you know they lost. Ah you know for several hours. Ok well yeah. 01:10:02.18 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Now you can't without the fruit but you can with the sealed single passages was key. 01:10:07.83 Sam Yes, yes, good point. Yeah when you're getting off at pork you you cannot bring fresh fruit items and um and sometimes even meats and stuff it depends on the port but pretty much all ports. It's no fresh fruit. 01:10:18.28 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Anything that it basically told us anything that does it not in its own package sealed together. Can't go off the boat because we even brought like cause I had heard that so I even brought like and I think Brian thought I was crazy I packed snacks like. 01:10:23.48 Sam Um, yeah, yeah. 01:10:33.45 Bryan Caitlin Maddox We had cheits in our room and we had like little like beef jerky sticks and stuff like in crackers. So when we went on excursions I knew my kids would have something to eat because like yeah when we were in um Grandm not grand came and when we took snacks on there but um cosme. 01:10:41.68 Sam Yeah. 01:10:51.95 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I didn't know how they would react to that food because when they said yes, we're going to serve you Well you are in a different country like it's not the same and so they ate a few things on the buffet but then they were hungry so I was like hey here's some cheeses here's some goldfish just to hold you over until we got back. So that's another thing I would suggest. 01:10:56.16 Sam Right. 01:11:03.85 Sam Yeah, yeah, are yeah, these are some great tips but I need to hear what you thought Apollo. 01:11:11.87 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Know Yeah I was um I Highly recommend the Sangria I had it was red Sangria if I I'm glad this was night six six I would have been every night getting it. 01:11:20.33 Sam Um, oh oh I don't think I've had the San Korea 01:11:28.16 Sam Um, yeah I'm loving this. 01:11:30.42 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I wouldn't have known it was that good like it. It was one of the best sanres I've had it was who well makes you don't get it till the end because you'll be up there any every night I mean I would have been at that bar every night yet and and i'm. 01:11:36.44 Sam Yeah I don't think I've had this angryria I don't know why? yeah ok ah no I'm going to have it on the first night 01:11:48.38 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And I love a good sangria and I've tasted a lot of ones from different restaurants since that was one of the best ones that I've had so drink that was great I think I was the only one that you had have one. Yeah I just had 1 Um, but to start off with that sangria was top notch and then we did the. 01:11:48.67 Sam Um, yeah. 01:11:54.48 Sam Um, oh awesome. Yeah. 01:12:03.21 Sam Nice. 01:12:07.88 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You did the normal $45 I think it is meal and butals amari because I can't be like everybody else I did the ala heart stick and I had the anipaa and the noki which was fantastic. Um. 01:12:15.63 Sam All a cart. 01:12:26.70 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And then what was my ah the calamari I had the camari that was ah that was huge. Yes, like he hit you? Yes, yes yes so he ate Calamari I her yes because I mean and there was still stuff left. Yeah I'm trying to remember. 01:12:29.84 Sam Oh yes, it's a huge portion with that humongous shrimp. Yeah. 01:12:44.19 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I Can't remember what I got I had shrimp something with shrimp the shrimping Camari Um steak Oh we all got the steak yes and that was top notch like you really didn't even you could have cut it with a butter knife I mean it was it was good. It was wonderful and the. 01:12:51.65 Sam Oh yeah, the the beef the beef tenderloin. Um, yeah. 01:13:04.10 Bryan Caitlin Maddox The quantity that you got yeah I couldn't like we didn't finish our plates Now we were saving room for dessert but still like there was so much that you just it was It was wonder everything was wonderful. Yeah, and you know when we were looking at it. Um, um I spend money places and I don't spend money other places. 01:13:09.00 Sam Right. 01:13:23.69 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And so when it comes to food I'm like oh there's free food on the boat and you know do we really want to spend money and I will say for Pallo if you did the $45 thing you got way more than what you would think you would get for that price if you went to any restaurant on land for $45 you would never get that much food until I was really impressed. 01:13:34.75 Sam Are. Absolutely. 01:13:43.47 Bryan Caitlin Maddox With the quality and the amount of food that you got Atpollo because in my mind you know not being I was thinking Well you know you're gonna pay this. It's gonna be little bitty portions and they're just you know because it's a fancy restaurant but it it wasn't It was huge portions and you were overly full when you left. 01:13:45.41 Sam Yeah. 01:13:57.97 Sam Yeah, what did you get for your main Brian. 01:14:03.21 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I had ah I think I had a steak. No, you got you got see some fish or something. Maybe no I wouldn been sammon. You got something else I remember the noki more than I do I remember. 01:14:06.89 Sam Did you get dover soul or there's a salmon dish or the Osto Buco. Yeah. 01:14:19.30 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Thought but it wasn't You didn't get a steak you got something different. Yeah I got something different I don't remember what it was but it was all a car. It was one the a La carte things and I don't remember what it was like I said I remember the noki because that was it was so fresh and tender in our server like she was great like she was really good that night and she was very knowledgeable like. 01:14:24.16 Sam Um, all right and and let me. Yeah yeah. 01:14:38.73 Bryan Caitlin Maddox She would talk about where the different um like what pairs well with it and even just like the history of what like noki and stuff like that I don't know if it was history but she was very informative and very knowledgeable about the dishes and stuff and what she recommended and everything else she was. She was really good. 01:14:56.77 Sam Nice now I have to ask? Did you do the famous Paulo Souffle I mean it was on your your list of options Caitlin for on the price fix menu I feel like it's one of those things that most people opt toward. 01:15:03.13 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah. Yes, yes, it was I had just the chocolate I Think yeah, my was chocolate chocolate was the only one you could get with that. Yeah, since I did ala cart they had a almoretto one that was fantastic. Yeah. 01:15:16.65 Sam Yeah. 01:15:23.10 Sam Um, yes. 01:15:26.50 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It was outstanding and I would I would choose the almoretto over the chocolate any day. But even the presentation like you know because like he said people like why are you paying more when the food's good in the main dining which the food was great in the main dining but this is a special experience where it was just us adults. 01:15:39.18 Sam Um, yeah. 01:15:44.48 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And just sit and but like just the environment of having a relaxing dinner and looking out and seeing you know what when we were passing little islands. We're like oh there's a little Island you know just being able to have that because in the main dining we couldn't really see out and so seeing that was nice. You know. 01:15:59.49 Sam Um. 01:16:02.45 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And just being able to enjoy your meal because the main dining it was great but it was kind of loud so we were a party of night. So for me to talk to like my brotherinlaw and sister-in- law at the other in the table we didn't really have a chance you know to sit there and talk but I really liked how he booked it on one of the last nights. Because we were able to talk about like what was been our favorite part. What joy so I liked that having towards the end especially on a seven night sailing you know you've already hit all the restaurants. So you know you kind of know what you're missing. You know if I was doing a 3 or maybe a 4 I would have to consider it because you know. 01:16:24.40 Sam Um, oh nice. Yeah. 01:16:33.94 Sam Right. 01:16:40.86 Bryan Caitlin Maddox What would I be missing in the main dining rooms with the kids but especially on the seven night I really I probably would do it twice if I were to go back and do it again. What did we miss ah was it enchanted. Yeah one of them and that that was a beautiful right dining room then chnon. 01:16:46.85 Sam Oh yeah. 01:16:53.24 Sam Yeah, yeah, so you know we've talked food. We've talked shows. We've talked to activities on Board. We've talked the pool Deck. We've talked ports is there anything that I've missed in asking you about Before. Of course we head over to.. Everyone's favorite part of the show or as I like to call it Rapid fire. 01:17:19.27 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ah I don't think so I guess from a first time or you know Cruise. Um, while there were highs and lows I would say the highs definitely overdid it. We definitely I booked the placeholder while we were there. And send it to my travel agent and said be ready. Um, you know so we will go on another Disney Cruise um we actually have a royal caribbean cruise booked in December just so we can try out both. We're going to give it a fair shot. 01:17:44.35 Sam Um, oh nice. Yeah, you should. 01:17:48.83 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Know but well we book the december one before we win even went on this march one I know we were gonna love it I was like we're all in people you know we will love. We will if we're go so we booked a eight day eight night eight night 1 in December. Um. 01:17:54.66 Sam Um, yeah. 01:18:02.25 Sam Nice, well that'll be great I mean Brian's going on his first. Um royal caribbean cruise in just a couple weeks by the time this show comes out. He'll have already been on and and reported back with Nathan but I think it's great for people to. See what else is out there. Not every cruise line is for everyone. But I think there is a cruise line for every cruiser as we you know like to say and we've sort of borrowed that from Emma from Emma cruises. Although I'm saying it a little bit differently. But yeah, so I I think it's great I don't I don't see any you know anything negative and in checking out what else is out there. 01:18:37.58 Bryan Caitlin Maddox And the other thing that I really enjoyed because you know we went to the parks last year so we kind of had it fresh in our minds and even with the vip experience like seeing the characters you're still when you're at the park. You don't get that one on one. So if Lily. You know by the end of the week she knew the characters she had seen them all. She had been able to talk to him dance with them that time that she had with the characters was so magical. Well I think it was Tiana newer by yeah tiana later on she was she'd walk by and go hey Lily yeah I mean it's just little things like that like. 01:19:11.82 Sam Um, ah. 01:19:14.64 Bryan Caitlin Maddox You know and they would see him in the kids club and they would come by and and even if you weren't like waiting in the line you could still see him and they were still. The characters were still waving at you like you know in what I understood because we joined our Facebook group for um, our crews. And a lot of people that had been cruising before they couldn't believe how long the lines were and and though the lines were long but I was like if you were in Disney You would wait 3 times as long, you wouldn't get near the interaction that we did and that's where you know that princess gathering we got it but I ended up releasing our tickets. 01:19:38.15 Sam Um, oh yeah, totally. 01:19:52.47 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Because we had seen them and for such a long booking like I mean she was like I said lily you want to go get a picture of ah many no I mean like 4 or 5 times you know and that was great seeing all those characters and even the dance parties they did with them like he would dance with Donald duck and I was like you would. 01:19:54.81 Sam Um. 01:20:03.28 Sam Ah, yeah. 01:20:12.23 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Never do that at a park like very rarely would you get that opportunity at a park to just sit there and like hold his hand and dance with them. Um, and so that to me was one of the best magical moments and you know Bell would come up to her and just the characters are just walking around. 01:20:18.44 Sam Um, yeah. 01:20:30.98 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Like it was nothing and and because of that while they're young I know we're going to do another Disney Cruise I'm already eyeing that Eastern Caribbean I like those ports that's just trying to find that week that works ah so you know it's those little details that you know I think I'm going to miss when we do go to royal. 01:20:39.32 Sam Um, yeah, yes. 01:20:50.59 Bryan Caitlin Maddox But I think it. Ah yeah I know we will definitely be looking at another one but even like my brotherin law and sister-in law they had nothing to do with the characters like in my niece. She's 16 she could care less about seeing them. It was cool when she would walk by and go hey you know and they would wave at her but Disney. 01:20:53.98 Sam Yeah. 01:21:09.20 Sam Are. 01:21:09.43 Bryan Caitlin Maddox To me. It is what you make it like if you if you're an adult I would understand we would if I had the opportunity we would go just us to no absolutely I might not go see the characters but just the service and the amenities and stuff like that. Even if I didn't have kids I would still go. The characters are great to see but again. 01:21:19.60 Sam Yep. 01:21:24.25 Sam Yeah. 01:21:29.14 Bryan Caitlin Maddox If we didn't see one like just being on an adults only trip that would still be. You know it is what it like characters said I'm like oh you're gonna be around all those princesses and dizzy characters it like it was great If you want to be around him you can if you don't want to be around him. You just keep walking I mean it wasn't. 01:21:41.10 Sam Yeah, yeah, all right? Well I think we've reached in that point in the show. Brian. 01:21:47.10 Bryan Caitlin Maddox It was good for all groups. 01:21:55.80 dclduo Yeah I Yes I do ah sorry I gotta get my headspace back in here. Ah yes I think we have reached that point in that actually I can't say that hold on. 01:22:07.35 dclduo Well I think we've reached that point in the show where I need to hand you over to Sam. although she's been doing the bulk of the interview here because I had to step away for a minute to go get our son from school. But I think we have reached that point in the show where I need to hand you off to sam for some arbitrary questions some arbitrary rules and a dash of judgment or the round we call. Rapid fire so see I'm taking it away. 01:22:26.30 Sam All right? you guys these are just going to be ah your favorites some favorites from Disney and then favorites from Disney Cruise line these are quick rapid answers and I don't want. Answers about who your kids' favorite is I want to know who Brian's favorite is and who caitlyn's favorite is right I don't care about everybody else. These are you know these are just your favorites all right? So we're gonna start with favorite Disney or Pixar character Caitly brian nice. 01:22:51.90 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Eore stitch. We're depressed. 01:22:56.23 Sam Favorite yeah favorite Disney or pixar movie Brian Caitlin oh I love it all right? Favorite Disney Song caitlin 01:23:01.93 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Lelo and stitch tangled. 01:23:08.13 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, oh it's not Disney what's Cinderella. Um, well no, um that well it's a Disney park can I pick a Disney park one that one that they did enchanted was it enchanted their fiftieth year song the one that they did has to. 01:23:20.32 Sam Um, sure. 01:23:26.40 Sam Um, oh yeah, yeah, love it all right? Brian. 01:23:28.80 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That has been my new favorite I would say probably you're welcome from um I forgot about that. 01:23:35.54 Sam Yeah, my Brian loves that song too. All right now we're moving on to the disney fantasy so this has to be limited to the Disney fantasy because you haven't been on the other ships all right? Your favorite disney stage show. 01:23:41.20 dclduo It's a good one. 01:23:54.45 Sam On the fantasy Brian Caitlyn Caitlin you have you're winning right now. Just a warning Brian. Um. 01:23:56.56 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Aladdin frozen oh Genny was really good. He was he it was great. But at least I didn't say believe it could have been worse you. 01:24:07.51 Sam Yeah, could have been worse fair enough fair enough all right. Your favorite favorite onboard activity Caitlin Brian Nice all right. 01:24:14.37 Bryan Caitlin Maddox That one the massage ah probably the aqueduct. 01:24:24.67 Sam Favorite rotational dining restaurant Brian and Caitlyn favorite space on the ship Brian Oo kaitlyn 01:24:28.43 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Animated I would say enchanted. Settle falls for me This is gonna be crazy. But I'm like the deck parties I don't know that's a location but the deck take you in? Um, but. 01:24:42.91 Sam Sure that's fine. It works favorite bar space. Not sure if you got a lot of time in the bar spaces but favorite bar space. Kaitlyn. 01:24:53.76 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Ah, we the one the tube that's only one that's all went to and it was so we'll say that one. Ah the tube yeah is probably best 1 but above that area you walked through um like the tangled yeah that was pretty. 01:24:58.66 Sam Um, nice and Brian our all right? Yeah cool. 01:25:11.45 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Forgot What was the I don't know what it's called, but it's just that area with the bathrooms that have all the yeah that was pretty that Yes, yeah. 01:25:16.66 Sam Oh Barcelona yeah, that's Barcelona. Yeah, so that it's the europa is the whole area but but the area with the bathrooms that's Barcelona we we love to use the bathrooms in Barcelona I'm not joking all right? um. 01:25:30.40 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, with what. 01:25:33.16 Sam Okay, now we're going to talk food item I need 1 sweet item one savory item. Okay Brian favorite sweet item and favorite savory item that you ate. 01:25:42.60 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um, sweet item would be the um cookies and cream milkshake from main dining room and then savory item would be the noki from Apollo. 01:25:51.41 Sam Um. 01:25:54.15 Sam Nice all right Caitlin same question. 01:25:57.59 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I had some cheesecake when I was there I don't know there's a really good cheesecake I don't remember what it was but I was like oh this is good. Um, the cheesecake. Yes I think it was it was something no went I don't remember it was something cheesecake and I'm kind of strawberry made. 01:26:05.42 Sam Um, was it the Oreo cheesecake on embarkation day. Yes. 01:26:13.56 Sam Ok, ok, then it wasn't the Oreo one but the Oreo one is the best that's barn on. 01:26:17.14 Bryan Caitlin Maddox I Don't remember it was but it was but his now is that the one is that at Cabanas The orie that had an oreosert at cabanas. 01:26:24.60 Sam Yes, so there's an Oreo cheesecake at Cabana's it's only on embarcation day lunch and you can also get it at the sit down lunch. It's yeah empty. Yeah and favorite savory item. 01:26:30.84 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Yeah, and I didn have that that was good too I did have maybe it was that so I would say age like okay this is gonna be so stupid. But I remember it at cabana's it was a Grand Cayman day it was called a mexican hot pocket. 01:26:46.93 Sam Yes, Brian loves those? Yes, it's like a breakfast thing. It's a breakfast thing. Yeah, yeah, it's like a tortilla with meat and cheese in it or something. Yeah. 01:26:50.37 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Okay, whatever it I Know there's plenty. Yes, it was like a breakfast but at went even a burrito I don't even know what it was but like I want Yes yes and Then. Wanted another one but I was like I'm about to want to boat for like I don't know how rocky it is outside I think one is good enough so I was bomb because I never saw it Again. No I Saw it once I think and yes that was my random I know that's random, but. 01:27:08.28 Sam Nice, Yeah, they don't have it every day but usually couple times. 01:27:21.58 Sam Ah, it's not that random because because my Brian loves them too so all right? The last question of rapid fire same question I ask every guest on our show who gets. 01:27:22.68 Bryan Caitlin Maddox So yes. 01:27:31.99 Sam To do a rapidfire round which is your bucket list. Cruise you could go anywhere in the world on a Disney Cruise line ship. It doesn't even have to be someplace that Disney Cruise line currently goes. Where are you going Caitlyn brian nice all right? Well thank you for playing. 01:27:41.56 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Australia mediterranean oh that's a good one to. 01:27:50.72 Sam Um, there are no winners of rapid fire except for me I always win so congratulations to me and thank you for playing appreciated. 01:27:53.36 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Um. 01:27:58.31 dclduo And thank you for coming on the show and sharing your family's fun experience with the first Disney Cruise of first cruise ever. It was so fun chatting with both of you and so thank you so much for taking the time today. 01:28:08.68 Bryan Caitlin Maddox Thank you for having us. Yes, we were excited and I love you. 01:28:11.68 Sam Awesome.