Friday, June 28, 2013

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 11 – Captain’s Gala Dinner @ Animator’s Palate

Captain’s Gala Dinner @ Animator’s Palate
Date of Visit: June 24, 2013

Captain’s Gala Dinner @ Animator’s Palate


Appetizer – Mik had the garlic and herb sautéed shrimp, which he thought were only okay.

Captain’s Gala Dinner @ Animator’s Palate


Entrée – Mik had the Oven-Baked Lobster Tail. He liked the lobster, but he really liked the saffron rice that came with it.

Captain’s Gala Dinner @ Animator’s PalateCaptain’s Gala Dinner @ Animator’s Palate

Dessert – Mik had the Tropical Sundae (Sherbet, Coconut Cream, and Coconut Macaroon) and the Warm Chocolate Lava Cake. He liked both other than giving Dad his macaroon since he does not like coconut. However, he wished he had ordered them separately rather than getting them both at the same time because he did not realize he would get ice cream with the lava cake. Once he ate the lava cake with the ice cream the sundae had started to melt and it would have been better still more frozen.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’s

Day 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’s
Date of Visit: June 24, 2013

The Pirate’s Menu is in all three restaurants on the night that there is the Pirates in the Caribbean Party. Around dessert time the servers come out and play Limbo and guests can join in if they wish. Our server entertained us with a pretend banjo made with the pepper shaker and a plate cover.

Day 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’s


Appetizer – Mik went with the Pirates Golden “Pot Stickers” for his appetizer.

Day 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’s


Soup – Mik enjoyed the Caribbean-style Conch Chowder.

Day 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’s


Entrée – Mik thought the Dutchmen’s Dijon Crusted Sirloin of Beef was the best steak he had on the cruise. He substituted the sweet potatoes with a baked potato.

Day 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’sDay 10 – Pirate’s Menu @ Lumiere’s

Dessert – Mik tried the Crunch Time Sundae (rum raisin ice cream and pineapple whipped cream) and the Rum Soaked Chocolate Cake. He liked the sundae, but not so much the chocolate cake.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot Cay

Date of Visit: June 23, 2013

Appetizer – Mik enjoyed the Citrico’s Shrimp for his appetizer.

Day 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot Cay


Soup – Mik thought the Chicken Consomme soup was okay.

Day 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot Cay


Entrée – Mik loved the Center Cut of Beef Tenderloin and to a lesser extent the Lobster Medallions that came with it.

Day 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot CayDay 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot CayDay 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot Cay

Dessert – For Dessert Mik was going to order three things, but since it was his birthday he knew he would get a little cake, too. Thus, he started by only ordering the Chef’s Favorite Sundae (rocky road ice cream with roasted marshmallow, chocolate wafer, and fudge sauce) and the Sticky Toffee Date Pudding. He enjoy both, but his favorite was the chocolate Happy Birthday cake. After finishing those three, he ordered a fourth dessert of the Caramelized Apple Cheesecake, which he also liked, but still did not top the cake.
Day 9 – Master Chef Dinner @ Parrot Cay

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 8 – Shopping in Kusadasi

Day 8 – Shopping in Kusadasi

Date of Visit: June 22, 2013

Kusadasi was the one non-tendering port we did not book Mik a port adventure. The reason was there was not a private vehicle with lift option and the only accessible option was a group bus tour. The group bus tour would not have been too bad, but it was about $400 a person. Thus, it would have cost almost as much for him and mom as the private vehicle tours they did, although actually more than the non-lift ones in Turkey. Also, he hates buses in general and it lacked the flexibility you get on your own, so we thought it better to not waste money on it. In the end though, it might have been cheaper to send them on that then let them get off just to shop in Kusadasi.

Day 8 – Shopping in Kusadasi

I encouraged Mik and Mom to get off and just walk around the port a little before Dad and I left on our port adventure, as the dock was right next to the city and Mik wanted to at least say he really had been in Turkey. Well, they did get off, but they did not get far. They only went to the shops on the dock and they did not even get far in there. They ended up buying some leather jackets and a vest before they decided they must return to the ship before they did any more damage. At least Mik has already gotten some wear out of his vest (photo is him in Mykonos) and we did not do the port adventure for them because I have a feeling they would have still gotten the leather.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 8 – Mediterranean Menu @ Animator’s Palette

Day 8 – Mediterranean Menu @ Animator’s Palette


Date of Visit: June 22, 2013

The Mediterranean Menu is another one that is the same in all restaurants that night.

Day 8 – Mediterranean Menu @ Animator’s Palette


Appetizer – Mik tried the Tapas, Taste of the Mediterranean for the appetizer, but did not particularly like it. It comes with proscuitto, sun dried tomatoes, marinated olives, and parmesan cheese with grissini stick (this was the one thing he liked).

Day 8 – Mediterranean Menu @ Animator’s Palette


Soup – Mik had the Spicy Andalusian Tomato Soup. It certainly was spicy, but he enjoyed dipping the table bread in the soup (foccacia and rolls, not the pumpernickel that came with the soup).

Day 8 – Mediterranean Menu @ Animator’s Palette


Entrée – Mik had the Braised Center Cut Osso Bucco “Milanese” and really enjoyed it. He also like the risotto that it was served on top of.

Day 8 – Mediterranean Menu @ Animator’s Palette

Dessert – Mik was full from all the bread and Osso Bucco, so he almost skipped dessert. He did end up trying the Chocolate Custard, though, and really enjoyed it.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’s

Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’s

Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’sDate of Visit: June 21, 2013


The Greek Menu is a themed menu served in all three restaurants on the same night. Near the end of the meal the servers came out carrying Greek flags and danced around the dining room.

Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’s

Appetizer – Mik ordered the Kalamarakia Tiganita (i.e. fried calamari/squid). He enjoyed his so much that he also finished half of Mom’s and another order of it.

Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’s


Soup – Mik thought the Parosoupa was okay. It is Fisherman’s soup with red snapper, mussels, and vegetables.

Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’s


Entrée – Mik had the Rosemary Marinated Lamb Sirloin since he had enjoyed the lamb so much at a previous dinner. It did not disappoint, although he was disappointed in the oregano roasted potatoes being rather light on the oregano.

Day 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’sDay 7 – Greek Menu @ Lumiere’s

Dessert – Mik tried the Greek Lemon Cake and the Serano Chocolate Cake. His first choice would have been the lemon cake, but he actually only like the chocolate cake, so it was glad he had ordered both from the start.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 7 – Athens by Private Vehicle w/ Lift

Day 7 – Athens by Private Vehicle w/ Lift


Date of Visit: June 21, 2013


In Athens, Dad and I were supposed to do a Port Adventure that involved competing in games at the Panathenaic Stadium, but two days before the Pireaus port call we got a note that said our Port Adventure was cancelled due to not having enough people. Thus, we joined Mik and Mom on the Private Vehicle w/ Lift tour that was already booked with an itinerary to visit the Panathenaic Stadium as well as the Acropolis. The four hour tour ended up being just the right amount of time to enjoy both rather leisurely.

Panathenaic Stadium

Day 7 – Athens by Private Vehicle w/ Lift

Here the driver parked right in front for us to visit. Most of the bus tours also stopped here, as it is a good photo stop out in front. However, we also took the time to go inside the stadium. The cost was 3 Euros for adults, but Mik only had to pay the student price (1.5 Euros) and one companion got in free with him. The walkway around the track is rather flat, but it is a large step up onto the track. There appears to be a ramp in the front, but it is part of the gated off section. For us, it was easy to just lift Mik up onto the track. There you can run around the track, take pictures on a medal podium, and see tablets inscribed with the years and host cities of the modern Summer Olympics (they are in Greek and interestingly over the past century the spelling of Athens and London seems to have changed).

Day 7 – Athens by Private Vehicle w/ Lift


For Olympic fans like us, it was cool to see the stadium for the first Modern Olympics in 1896 (it was also used for more ancient games), although it is annoying Dad did not show us the pamphlet that came with the tickets until we were back on the ship because we missed climbing up to the seat with the founder of the modern games on it. Mik would not have been able to go up there, but he would not let me climb up to the top at all because he did not want to wait for us (it was his tour Dad and I joined after all). However, if he had known there was something to see other than a different view he would have been fine with me going up there.

Acropolis and Parthenon

At the Acropolis, the driver drove right up to the ticket office area to drop us off. He could not stay parked there, so he parked the vehicle and came back up to wait for us to be done and then brought the vehicle back up to pick us up and return to the ship.

When we started out tour we were warned that Mik might not be able to visit the Parthenon, as apparently it is pretty common for the elevator to not be operating. The driver checked for us before unloading and if it had not been working we would have gone to the Acropolis Museum instead.

Day 7 – Athens by Private Vehicle w/ Lift


The path to the “elevator” (Dad called it more like a mine car) is where those climbing up and down exit. They only allow one person to go with, so Dad went with him. They both got to go in free. Mom and I could have got tickets and climbed up, but we thought we would likely end up taking longer to do the climbing and since it was Mik’s tour we did not want him to have to be waiting for us.

Day 7 – Athens by Private Vehicle w/ Lift


Mik was glad Dad and my tour was canceled because he would never have been able to do the Parthenon with Mom. The worst pathway was the area at the bottom around the ticket office and shops. Dad almost tipped Mik since his front wheel got stuck in a crack. Up at the Parthenon it was better, although it is old worn stone that can be slippery and not totally even. For an ancient ruin, though, it is pretty accessible other than it sounding like you may need luck for the elevator to be operating when you visit.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 6/7 – Monsters University 3D PremEAR at Sea in Walt Disney Theater

Day 6/7 – Monsters University 3D PremEAR at Sea in Walt Disney TheaterDate of Visit: June 20, 2013

The Monsters University movie was released in theaters during our cruise and they showed it in the Walt Disney Theater and Buena Vista Theater at 12:01 a.m. for a PremEAR at Sea 7 hours before it was even midnight opening day in the United States. It was shown again many times in the Buena Vista and even though the next day was a port day, we decided to go to the PremEAR because it did not coincide with anything else. The 3D option was only in the Walt Disney Theater, so we decided to watch it there. In hindsight, the 2D in the Buena Vista would have probably been more enjoyable.

The main issue with watching a movie in the Walt Disny Theater is the only wheelchair seating is in the back and it is not in the center. This means you are off center and quite far from the screen. Overall that would not have been a problem, but they never closed all the doors in the back and light came through causing reflections in the 3D glasses.
Day 6/7 – Monsters University 3D PremEAR at Sea in Walt Disney Theater

Mik did not have too much of a problem, though, as right before the movie he asked for a sweatshirt and we gave him his birthday present a few days early, since we had only packed the hoodie Grumpy sweatshirt that was his gift. The hood is fluffy soft and he was wearing it up before the movie even started and it ended up being quite useful for him to enjoy the movie. He was glad we saw it for free, though, as otherwise it was not really worth it in his opinion (he sort of thought it was a sequel, but it’s a prequel).

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay

Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay
Date of Visit: June 20, 2013

The Bella Itala was a themed menu that was the same for all restaurants that night.

Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay


Drink – Mik did not initially want the special non-alcoholic drink, but once he saw my Dolce Vita he wanted his own. It is a blend of apple and cranberry juice, agave nectar, chamomile tea, pomegranate puree, and fresh lemon juice.

Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay


Appetizer – Mik choose the beef and pork tortellini. He liked the tortellini, but not so much the mushrooms and the thyme red wine reduction that went with it.

Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay


Soup – Mik tried the Cream of Trevi Celery Soup. It was somewhat of a disappointment because he found no croutons in it like the description suggested it had.

Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay


Entrée – Mik had the Spaghetti con Polpette (i.e. spaghetti and meatballs). He really enjoyed the huge meatballs.

Day 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot CayDay 6 - Bella Itala @ Parrot Cay

Dessert – For dessert Mik tried both the Sicilian Chocolate Indulgence and the Warm Stuffoli. He did not really like the Sicilian Chocolate Indulgence, but it had a pistachio cake and it was kind of surprising he even ordered it. He totally loved the stuffoli, which are mini doughnuts, although he did not particularly like the honey lemon dipping syrup.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 5 – Prince & Princess Dinner @ Animator’s Palette

Day 5 – Prince & Princess Dinner @ Animator’s Palette

Date of Visit: June 19, 2013

The Prince & Princess dinner was the themed dinner for the Formal Night in all the restaurants.

Day 5 – Prince & Princess Dinner @ Animator’s Palette

Appetizer – Mik tried the Slow Roasted Duck and Cheese Quesadilla. He liked it, although, it was different than a typical quesadilla since it was with phyllo dough rather than a tortilla.

Soup – Mik had the Beast’s Potato and Sausage Casserole Soup.

Entrée – Mik could not decide between the Oven Roasted Tom Turkey Breast and the Rosemary-scented Medallions of Lamb. He went with the turkey because the sides seemed more to his liking, although we thought sweet Mashed Potatoes meant regular potatoes sweetened and not Mashed Sweet Potatoes, which Mik never likes. In the end, he also asked for some lamb, so he tried both anyways. He ended up preferring the lamb, but still liked the turkey, especially the stuffing with it.

Day 5 – Prince & Princess Dinner @ Animator’s Palette


Dessert – Mik choose the Prince Charming Chilled Chocolate Souffle. He had been wondering what a soufflé was since it was on another menu earlier and he had instead choose something else. At least the chilled one was a lot like the mousse dessert.

Disney Mediterranean Cruise with Greece: Day 4 – Rome by Private Vehicle w/ Lift

Day 4 – Rome by Private Vehicle w/ LiftDate of Visit: June 18, 2013

Mik’s first port adventure for the cruise was from Civitavecchia. We decided not to do the first two ports because it required using the tender boat and it was unclear if it would require a transfer. Turned out Villefranche would have been no problem other than it is quite hilly to go around too much in the port town. The gangways up in La Spezia, though, were too narrow at the top and would have likely required carrying Mik and the chair on separately.

Mik did not much care about missing the stuff from La Spezia, but he would have liked to see Monaco. However, he really did love having his first two days basically as at sea days compared to all the people we overheard saying they wished the first at sea day came before the three days of port calls to give more time to adjust to the time and get settled on the ship.


Mik and Mom did only the 4-hour private vehicle w/ lift port adventure. All along we were warned it would only allow time for a panoramic tour, which was fine with Mik and Mom since 4 hours is about their limit on touring, as they are the ones that always prefer the at the hotel/cruise ship parts of vacation and not long days of seeing stuff like Dad and I. Also, it was flexible enough that they could have stayed out longer and just paid for the extra time if they ended up finding something they wanted to spend more time at or wanted to see more things.

The ride between Rome and the port is about an hour to 90 minutes, so that does take up a big chunk of the 4-hour private vehicle tour in Rome. However, they still saw more different parts of Rome than Dad and I saw in our 10.5 hour tour, although that was because we spent most of our time in the Vatican and the other time was just seeing the inside of the Coliseum. Mik and Mom still got to see the outside of both, which while the insides are at least partially accessible Mik probably would not have enjoyed inside much because of the crowds.

Day 4 – Rome by Private Vehicle w/ Lift

During their tour, they mostly viewed stuff from the vehicle, but the driver would stop and open the side door to give a better view. They did get out once, though. They parked about a block from the Trevi Fountain and the driver even pushed Mik to it. He then took a picture of Mom and Mik in front of the fountain. Mik was totally excited to hear when we got back that he went to something I have never been.

Day 4 – Rome by Private Vehicle w/ Lift

One of the coolest parts of the tour for them was that they got to drive around/close to the Capital Hill and Forum area that you normally have to walk through. Mik also liked that the way they tied down the chair made it feel very secure, which really has to be saying something with the way driving and traffic in Rome can be crazy.