Anniversary DCL Trip – Day 2

I awoke just before my 7:30a alarm was to go off. After a quick shower, shave, and throwing clothes on, I ventured to the lobby for some Starbucks to get fueled up for the day. Breakfast consisted of an iced quad macchiato and a MetRx bar, figuring we’d be eating on the ship. We quickly re-arranged some items, so that we had just what we needed for the day in our backpacks.

We were out the door very early (a first for us!), and literally winded our way through the side streets of Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral to get to the port. We stopped to take a peek at the beach, and finally continued to the port. The 4.whatever miles took no time and we were in the garage by 10:15… well before port time. Good thing, because in the excitement of unloading the car, and making a short vid to send to the kids, DW dropped her ID, and we had to search for it. Luckily we found it in front of the car after about 10 minutes of searching… Straight to the checkpoint after that!

I have to say, I was very impressed with the speed and efficiency of DCL in moving lines. These were in no way like the slogs you encounter at WDW. We were through the two checkpoints and check-in in under a half hour. Our time in the terminal seemed to take forever, and for good reason. Boarding started an hour late due to a surprise USCG inspection (Thanks guys! :| ). Once cleared to board, we were on quickly.
The ship was impressive. We started to explore around the decks. One of the first stops was the spa, where we purchased a cruise-length pass to the Rainforest. Then to Guest Services to verify that our requests on reservation were honored. We just were double checking two dining items, and that there was a note that this was an anniversary trip. The first experience with guest services was a little surprising. We were informed that they could not check on the dining, that we had to see the dining managers for those requests (no problem). But then with the anniversary note, we were asked if we wanted to book anything special. After replying “Not at the moment, we are just checking the reservation note was there.” the CM replied: “Well, I’m not sure what you are expecting, but you will not be receiving anything extra unless you pay for it.” … Did a Disney CM seriously just say that to me? I kept my composure and politely explained to the CM that my only expectations is that my reservation is conveyed as submitted and thanked her for checking on that. She then went to the back counter for a pair of ‘Happy Anniversary’ buttons and handed them to us.
Next stop was Royal Palace to check on dining requests, which was a quick and easy process.
We made our way up to Deck 11 and grabbed a quick bite to eat. One of my favorite foods of the trip was also my first (and a very simple one). For lunch I had Greek salad wraps, and a turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sandwich. OMG, those Greek wraps!
2pm and we were able to access our stateroom. The room was tastefully themed, well laid out, and surprisingly large. Our verandah was not completely private as I anticipated, but we did have open air which was awesome. We dropped our bags, freshened up a bit, and got ready to sail away.
Some more brief exploring and photos and we were off to the spa for a raffle giveaway. The giveaway/orientation was fun, but no luck on our end. DW wanted an ice cream, so we grabbed a cone and had to go back to the room for the mandatory safety drill.
Once the drill was complete it was time for the sailaway party. The party was shorter than I expected, but tons of fun, and really energizing. We didn’t even feel the boat pull away from the dock! While first dining made their way to dinner, we stopped at Vista Cafe for pastry and coffee, then met with Goofy. Goofy was very excited about our anniversary and tried taking a special heart picture with us, but it did not work so well :p
Snack and character time out of the way, we did a little shopping and exploring before dinner. Our first dinner was at Royal Palace. The theming at the restaurant was great, as was the food. Of the main dining locations, this was my favorite. We met our servers, and I think we lucked out with our crew. The guys were amazing. Not only were they very attentive, and spot-on with recommendations, but their personalities fit us perfectly. DW had a fried brie with cranberry/orange chutney, potato leek soup, and the tenderloin steak. I started with the lobster tail & shrimp, also had the potato leek soup, and for entrees opted for the Ahi Tuna on green bean salad and the salmon. The food was perfect. For dessert, DW took Cristobal’s recommendation of the apple tart, while I chose the Grand Marnier Souffle.
We finished our night with a windy round of mini golf and some live music before turning in for the night.