Elephants, pins, and such

We leave Parrot Cay and head up to the Walt Disney Suite – it still makes me giddy to think that it’s ours. The ship is now rocking enough that walking in a straight line is a challenge, and more than once I bump up against the hallway walls. We’re grateful for the handrails provided down the hallways.

When we arrive, we find the beds have been turned down, including the boys’ Murphy bed in the sitting room. The chairs in there fit nicely on either side of the bed. There are chocolates on each bed – not that we’re hungry for them at all! – and there is a towel elephant on the bed in the master bedroom. Awesome.

"Bari," the stuffed bear I got for Becky at the Barbershop Harmony Society convention in Denver (still sporting a lei from the Polynesian), has been placed next to the towel elephant. I'm not sure he knows what to think about it.

Okay, decision time – are we going to go to the 8:30 stage show, Hercules: the Muse-ical? Benjamin and I are semi-interested, but the general consensus seems to be, “no.” We’ve seen it on our previous cruises, it’s been a long day, and we have this wonderful Suite to enjoy. Besides, Hercules will be shown on our in-suite televisions, so we’ll still see the show, but in the comfort of our living room. Or in the sitting room. Or bedroom. Or other bedroom. Or bathroom, for that matter! (Five televisions! Wow!)

There’s pin trading in the atrium until 8:30, and Brandon and I want to go check that out. From past experience, it’s not always a hotbed of trading activity, but there’s usually at least one crew member there with pins to trade, and also DCL pins for sale that can’t be bought anywhere else.

The female crew member at the pin display is very nice. There are some amazing pins for sale, but none that match the one I got here on my last trip, with the Disney Wonder in profile against a star-filled night-sky Mickey shape. It’s one of my two favorites, along with the pin that features the Walt and Mickey “Partners” statue in pewter against a color Cinderella Castle.

The CM does have a Captain Mickey pin available for trade, showing him dressed in his officer whites and throwing a snappy gloved salute. I trade for it – now that I have more pins than my lanyard can hold, I keep several off-lanyard and let the CM have his or her pick, which most of them seem to appreciate over the usual method where guest picks one for them. There’s also a pin featuring Mater from Cars. Ooo, I know Benjamin would want that if he were here, so I trade for it, figuring Benjamin can then trade me for it later.

Brandon has his eye on a Chip and Dale pin the CM is wearing, but alas, he has left his extra “trading pins” in the Suite. The cast member very nicely says, "No problem!" and gives him a set of two identical Tinkerbell “Where Dreams Come True” pins! She then lets Brandon make the trade with one of the free pins and keep the other! That was cool.

She tells us that she will be there each night, and that on the final night of the cruise, several of the officers will be there with their pin collections. We’ll definitely have to be back for that.

We thank the CM and then turn towards the midship stairs. We’re going up a deck to the ship’s two onboard stores, Mickey’s Mates and Treasure Ketch. Treasure Ketch has mostly high-end stuff – watches, jewelry, and the like, while Mickey’s Mates has clothes, hats, toys, etc., and is usually the place I’m more likely to spend money. However, I do duck into Treasure Ketch, as they now also have a line of Castaway Club clothing, kept behind the sales counter, that you can only buy if you are on your second or subsequent cruise.

I’d like to find another Disney Cruise Line cap, but I’m not seeing anything that really catches my attention. The Castaway Club stuff is okay, but it’s all red – red t-shirts, red hats – and that’s not really what I want. I leave without making a purchase today, but I know I’ll have more time later to come back and shop.