Day 9 was a great day! So many things happening today- we were docking in Saint Maarten, it was my Mother in Law’s birthday, and it was Pirate Night!
Today we decided to give room service a try for breakfast so we can enjoy the view from our room while we showered and got ready for the day. The kids all had Pirate League appointments at 11:30am so we took the morning slow. We decided to stay onboard today to enjoy the ship.
Tip one: Room service in included in your cruise fare unless noted on the menu.
Tip Two: If you are interested in a makeover at the Pirate’s League (adults and children can be done), try to book it in advance. You might be able to get a reservation once on board- but space is very limited.
Once everyone was showered and ready to go, we headed to the Pirate’s League. This is located on deck 5. The Bibbidid Bobbidi Boutique is transformed into the Pirate’s League on Pirate Days to help everyone get in the spirit of Pirate Night.
We arrived and the kids were directed to a dice game to determine their Pirate name…
Next it was on to the makeovers! My nieces and daughters were getting an Empress makeover ($35) which included makeup, nail polish, sash, sword, tattoo, and bandana. All four girls actually looked far more beautiful than like pirates, but most female pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were bombshells, so what was I expecting? 😉
Now Mikey was getting the full Captain Jack Sparrow makeover- costume and all! Let me tell you, he ATE THIS UP. Six years old is such a great age- old enough to “get it” and young enough not to be embarrassed by it. It was absolutely worth the $100, and we get to keep everything for Halloween! Now I just have to figure out how to get the face paint just right…
From here we grabbed lunch on deck 11 (and brought it back inside to our rooms, I didn’t want anyone’s makeup to run in the heat) and then the kids were off to do the Muppet Detective Agency. This is a game all over the ship that requires the kids to answer clues within the enchanted art all over the ship. As long as they all stuck together and had at least 1 room key and wave phone- they were good to go. They also had plans to go see Monster’s University later in the afternoon before dinner (all indoor activities). They were hoping to see Planes, but that was being shown later that night.
Mike and I headed the (adult only) Quiet Cove Pool before heading to the Senses Spa for our reservation in a Couple’s Villa. Ahhh….
Tip Three: If you would like to reserve a Couple’s Villa, again, try to do so in advance. Space is limited and to avoid disappointment- you are better off scheduling this before your cruise departs.
Here we were treated to a sea salt foot rub, time alone in a private hot tub on the villa’s balcony, then 75 minute massage, followed by chocolate covered strawberries and tea on our loungers on the balcony. We also had a shower in the room to freshen up before we left.
OMGoodness worth every $475 spent for this. The view of Saint Maarten was stunning and we really needed to recharge and spend some quality time together. It was probably one of my most favorite experiences during my 12 nights of Disney. I absolutely, highly recommend this if it is in your budget and time permits during your Disney cruise.
After our time in the spa, I was meeting the kids in the lobby atrium for pirate pictures with Mickey Mouse and Captain Jack Sparrow.
Tip Four: On Pirate Night, all of the characters are our in their Pirate costumes– be sure to arrive for pictures before the posted times to avoid disappointment!
My children were all in the Lobby, as I expected, and even brought Tricia girls (who had also visited the Pirate’s League that afternoon)with them so they can get pictures too. I absolutely wanted these two pictures, so getting here early and done was going to help me relax for the rest of the evening.
After pictures, we headed to Enchanted Garden for tonight’s dinner rotation. We were late, but I wasn’t too worried. I was still totally chilled out from our time in the spa and on a high from getting the pictures I wanted. The menu is the same in each of the restaurants tonight, except in Palo and Remy (the adult only restaurants onboard). I ordered Pirates Golden “Pot Stickers” ( fried Oriental pork ), Caribbean-style Conch Chowder, The Dutchmen’s Dijon-Crusted Sirloin of Beef (a thick cut of beef with oven-roasted sweet potatoes and a black spot tomato with deep red wine glaze), and the Floating Island (soft centered meringue, vanilla anglaise and marinated fruits).
Dinner took was finished a bit later tonight- as we arrived later and the food was an experience in itself as well. My Mother in Law was also presented with a cake for her birthday and my Father in Law had her presents at dinner too. It was a nice celebratory dinner and the staff did not make us feel like we needed to rush and move along for the next dinner seating, which was well appreciated.
After dinner, we lingered a bit- strolling the decks and checking out everyone all dressed up for Pirate Night. We decided to stop in the Concierge Lounge for a drink and some cheese and snacks (why not? ).
We ended up on deck 12, behind the Mickey slide to watch the Buccaneer Blast where we danced and played along with the pirate themed funnel vision. Mikey found some other pirates to sword fight with to help pass the time before the show started as well.
The show on deck is one centered on Captain Jack Sparrow (there is an earlier one for kids centered on Mickey Mouse) saving the day…
Followed by the only fireworks at sea!
Immediately after the fireworks, there is a huge 2 deck dance party (Club Pirate) coinciding with a pirate themed buffet in Cabanas.
We stayed on deck far later than we thought we would, dancing and singing along – it was a great night. Pretty soon Club Pirate was closing up and it was time to head back to our staterooms and wash up before bed- we would be docking in Saint Thomas in the morning!
