Sea Day 1

Before I even get into talking about the day…let me tell you how COMFORTABLE the beds and pillows are!! I’m extremely particular about mattresses and pillows and will typically bring my own pillow anytime I travel. I typically don’t sleep well the first few nights either because I’m uncomfortable but that was not my experience at all on the Fantasy! The rocking of the ship and the comfort of the bed made it easy to sleep like a baby!

Anyways, back to the day…we woke up early and went to Cove Cafe to get coffee before going to Cabanas just to look around at what they have on the breakfast buffet. We didn’t want to eat because we had Palo reservations at 10:30, but I’ll get to that in a minute. If you don’t know, Cove Cafe is the on board coffee shop that does cost extra but has high quality coffee. You can get regular coffee from Cabanas or the drink stations as well if you prefer that. If you go to Cove Cafe, make sure to get a punch card and use it because if you buy 5 drinks, you will get one free.

After we got our coffee and walked around, we went back to our room to get ready for brunch at Palo. The reservation adult only dining experiences do come at an extra cost, with Palo brunch being $45/person. All of the adult dining experiences like Palo or Remy have a dress code, although Palo brunch is the most relaxed of them all. I did wear nicer sandals with my dress and those were acceptable, just not flip flops! You also don’t have to wear a jacket for Palo, but this is a requirement for men at Remy’s. We made our way over to Palo and I can’t tell you the last time I was that excited for food!

First of all, the atmosphere was incredible and it was subtly decorated for Christmas as well. We were sat at a booth overlooking the massive ocean windows and had the kindest waitress. Our meal began with our complimentary mimosa’s, a pastry plate, and a bread basket (my favorite was the almond croissant from this round). Then we got our antipasti plates: Ryan got the seafood one while I got the meat and cheese option so that we could try it all. We both preferred the seafood plate, but the meat and cheese option was really good!

Next was the appetizer round: Ryan got the Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon and Caviar while I got the Spicy Italian Sausage Flatbread. I couldn’t try Ryan’s because I have an egg allergy, but my flatbread (which was more of a pizza) was absolutely incredible! Honestly it was the best “pizza” I’ve ever had in my life and Ryan really enjoyed his as well as a slice of mine too. It was so much food already though and we still had two rounds to go, so we didn’t finish it all (although I wish we had the room to do so).

For the entree round: Ryan got Veal Saltimbocca with Black Garlic Rapini and Barolo Wine Jus while I got the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast topped with San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese over Creamy Arborio Rice Risotto. We watched many vlogs about Palo brunch, but hadn’t seen many people get the veal, but Ryan said it was amazing. On the other hand, we have seen everyone get the Chicken Parmesan and thought there was no way that it could live up to the hype, BUT IT DID! It’s 100/10 worth it and so delicious.

Finally we had dessert and we couldn’t choose, so we ended up getting three different ones and trying them all. I got the Warm Amaretto Chocolate Fondant with Espresso Gelato while Ryan got the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Strawberry Basil Sorbet and we both wanted to try the Limoncello Almond Torte with Citrus Salad, Kataifi Pastry, and Clotted Creme. They were all absolutely delicious and I couldn’t pick a favorite between the chocolate lava cake and the lemon cake.

We left absolutely stuffed and so happy. I’m a very selective eater, so finer dining isn’t something that I experience because I struggle to find things to eat. I was so thrilled to find options at each coarse and find them all delicious. It was the best meal I’ve ever had and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone! It will be a priority of mine for every future Disney cruise we take. Side note-don’t eat before going and don’t plan on eating until dinner because you will be so full! The whole experience took us about an hour and a half.

The rest of the afternoon we rotated between resting and digesting and doing onboard classes/activities. We did our first animation class of the cruise where we learned to draw Mickey Mouse. We also did an origami class, which is where we first met Sherva from entertainment, who we ended up becoming friends with by the end of our cruise. I highly recommend getting to know the crew members that you run into often on your cruise because they can make your experience even more magical!

That evening was the first performance in the Walt Disney Theater- Aladdin! Ryan has never been to a theater production on any level other than high school performances, so he was awed by the theatricality of the performance, even though the show stopped twice. The cast was incredible and it was very worth it to wait when the show stopped to watch it all the way through. The Genie made the show as good as it was and he was hilarious! Our Aladdin switched to a very different person right before “A Whole New World” and Genie made sure to incorporate the change into all of his jokes.

We met several characters between the show and dinner and then after dinner as well. Some are on the schedule, however there were more just walking around and it was fun to find them! It was also formal night, so the Fab 5 were dressed up in their nicest attire for the evening. We ended up meeting Mickey and running into Stitch and Goofy throughout the evening.

For dinner, we ate at Royal Court. The theming of this restaurant is incredible down to the bread bowls being shaped like Cinderella’s carriage. However, this was probably my least favorite of the rotational dining restaurants as far as food was concerned. I tried the lobster pasta as my entree this night, but it was not for me at all. I took two bites and didn’t eat anymore. Thankfully Roque (our server) immediately noticed and took it away and brought me a filet cooked perfectly and this all happened within about two minutes-talk about amazing service!

We were exhausted and retired to our room for the night after meeting our last few characters. The day overall was incredible and relaxing and I will never get over the level of deliciousness and service at Palo. Stay tuned for a jam packed day at sea tomorrow…