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[jiwdurando]

We booked our cruise for Feb 3, 2013! Our 10 year anniversary present (even though we are doing it several months before our anniversary). We booked a stateroom with navigators veranda. I wanted an inside stateroom, but hubby wanted to splurge (I worry about seasickness and the open veranda.) This is our first cruise and I'm very excited and nervous and its more than a year away lol. I still have lots of decisions to make, like how to get there. I keep feeling bad because we aren't taking the kids, but we are taking the kids to WDW in Oct 2013 just 8 months after our cruise. Anyone else going on this cruise? Any suggestions? I've been sort of looking at Remy and Palo, but still not sure we want to spend the extra money. I am a VERY picky eater, but my husband is like a garbage can lol. Thanks!

[chezp]

Congrats!

I can thoroughly recommend both Palo and Remy - both amazing dining experiences.

[MelissaL]

You should have a wonderful time! Don't feel badly about cruising without the kids -- they will have a blast at the parks later in the year, and won't know what they missed on the ship. Although the ship has a great nursery, the cruise is better for kids over 3 who can do the Oceaneer's Club. You may well want to book another cruise when your youngest is a little older.

Are you on the Dream 4-night? If so, booking Palo or Remy for dinner would mean missing one of the restaurants or Pirate Night (unless you book later than your assigned dinner time, and go to the assigned restaurant just for an appetizer).

It's of course up to you, but my vote would be to stay with the rotation restaurants for dinner and get brunch at Palo on the sea day. That's less expensive than dinner, and it has a lot of choices so you should be able to find something you like while enjoying the atmosphere. We did dinner, brunch, and tea at Palo last month, and while all were great, brunch was definitely my favorite in both quality and quantity.

My favorite activity on the Dream was the Midship Detective Agency. I did it with my 8-year-old daughter, but I could easily have done it without a child without feeling odd. As far as other suggestions, it depends on what you like. On 3 of our 4 Bahamas cruises, my family didn't even get off the ship in Nassau because nothing there appealed to us enough to justify the costs. The one excursion we did take, to the Ardastra Gardens zoo, was cute but once was enough.

Happy planning!
Melissa

[jiwdurando]

Originally Posted by MelissaL

You should have a wonderful time! Don't feel badly about cruising without the kids -- they will have a blast at the parks later in the year, and won't know what they missed on the ship. Although the ship has a great nursery, the cruise is better for kids over 3 who can do the Oceaneer's Club. You may well want to book another cruise when your youngest is a little older.

Are you on the Dream 4-night? If so, booking Palo or Remy for dinner would mean missing one of the restaurants or Pirate Night (unless you book later than your assigned dinner time, and go to the assigned restaurant just for an appetizer).

It's of course up to you, but my vote would be to stay with the rotation restaurants for dinner and get brunch at Palo on the sea day. That's less expensive than dinner, and it has a lot of choices so you should be able to find something you like while enjoying the atmosphere. We did dinner, brunch, and tea at Palo last month, and while all were great, brunch was definitely my favorite in both quality and quantity.

My favorite activity on the Dream was the Midship Detective Agency. I did it with my 8-year-old daughter, but I could easily have done it without a child without feeling odd. As far as other suggestions, it depends on what you like. On 3 of our 4 Bahamas cruises, my family didn't even get off the ship in Nassau because nothing there appealed to us enough to justify the costs. The one excursion we did take, to the Ardastra Gardens zoo, was cute but once was enough.

Happy planning!
Melissa

yes we are on a 4 night! You hit my question on the dot, i was really worried about missing a dining. I think a brunch is an awesome idea, and i never would have thought of that on my own. I just finished reading Disney Cruise Line Passporter and I read about the Midship Detective Agency and I def want to do that lol. See my husband wants to sit and do nothing but eat and relax whereas I get bored doing nothing. We like to do things apart. I may do the pier in Nassau, but i'm not doing anything big there, i'm waiting to get my excursion at Castaway Cay. Im thinking maybe the Sting Rays.

[Colexis Mom]

Congrats! The balcony should help with seasickness. You feel better if you can see the horizon!

[jiwdurando]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Congrats! The balcony should help with seasickness. You feel better if you can see the horizon!

Really?! I thought it would make it worse, but I can def see your point, I just never had thought of it!

[Dave Marx]

Most people get motion sickness because their bodies feels motion, but their eyes can't see that they're moving. That's why reading while riding in a car or bus can make you sick, and why looking at the sea can help.

While trying to get Palo brunch is a great idea, it's also hard to get - Palo serves dinner all four nights, but there's only one brunch. Another way to experience all the main dining rooms is at breakfast or lunch, which are offered in Enchanted Garden and Royal Palace as well as at Cabanas on deck 11. Animator's Palate is the only exception - the "show" with Crush from Finding Nemo only happens at dinner.

Between Palo and Remy, Remy is the big splurge, as it'll cost well over $100 per person with drinks. One reason Palo is so popular is that the basic $20/person charge is comparable to what they'd normally pay back home for a nice meal, and Palo is obviously much nicer for the same money. Remy, on the other hand, while still an exceptional value at $75/person, is going to seem expensive to all but those who are used to paying $100/person or more for dinner.

For picky eaters, Palo is usually the better bet, as its Italian menu will have more familiar foods than Remy's.

[jiwdurando]

Originally Posted by Dave Marx

Most people get motion sickness because their bodies feels motion, but their eyes can't see that they're moving. That's why reading while riding in a car or bus can make you sick, and why looking at the sea can help.

While trying to get Palo brunch is a great idea, it's also hard to get - Palo serves dinner all four nights, but there's only one brunch. Another way to experience all the main dining rooms is at breakfast or lunch, which are offered in Enchanted Garden and Royal Palace as well as at Cabanas on deck 11. Animator's Palate is the only exception - the "show" with Crush from Finding Nemo only happens at dinner.

Between Palo and Remy, Remy is the big splurge, as it'll cost well over $100 per person with drinks. One reason Palo is so popular is that the basic $20/person charge is comparable to what they'd normally pay back home for a nice meal, and Palo is obviously much nicer for the same money. Remy, on the other hand, while still an exceptional value at $75/person, is going to seem expensive to all but those who are used to paying $100/person or more for dinner.

For picky eaters, Palo is usually the better bet, as its Italian menu will have more familiar foods than Remy's.

Would we really be missing anything if we don't do Palo or Remy? We do plan to do more cruises one with the kids etc, so I am thinking about not doing either at all, this time and just get use to what normal dining is. All the normal dining looks great anyway lol.

[Dave Marx]

You're missing something, but you're not necessarily missing something that will be important to you. If fine dining was like a hobby for you, that'd be one thing, but you don't sound like that kind of couple. You'll get great meals in the regular dining rooms anyway, and because meals at Palo and Remy tend to last longer (2 hours is about right for Palo, 3 or more for Remy), there are other things you may miss, like one of the live stage shows.

First cruise? You won't miss Palo or Remy at all - there's so much else to do and enjoy that won't cost you a penny extra. It's kind of like taking a backstage tour at one of Disney's theme parks - it's "enrichment," rather than an essential activity. Something you do after you've done "everything" in the parks at least once.

[jiwdurando]

Originally Posted by Dave Marx

You're missing something, but you're not necessarily missing something that will be important to you. If fine dining was like a hobby for you, that'd be one thing, but you don't sound like that kind of couple. You'll get great meals in the regular dining rooms anyway, and because meals at Palo and Remy tend to last longer (2 hours is about right for Palo, 3 or more for Remy), there are other things you may miss, like one of the live stage shows.

First cruise? You won't miss Palo or Remy at all - there's so much else to do and enjoy that won't cost you a penny extra. It's kind of like taking a backstage tour at one of Disney's theme parks - it's "enrichment," rather than an essential activity. Something you do after you've done "everything" in the parks at least once.

lol thats exactly what I was thinking! Thats basically where we are in the parks. I've done every attraction except one, but its never open when I go. Anyway, I think we will skip it! Especially since this is a first time cruise as well, we can always go back. Im not sure we are even going to get off the boat in Nassau, there isn't really much Im interested in. I'm more interested in Castaway Cay!