One last hurrah before heading north again, we decided to have a celebratory dinner at Disney Springs, Terralina Crafted Italian restaurant during the Magical Dining event. Karen and I love Chicken Parmigiana and order it often. (She’s actually become quite good at making it at home too!) Terralina was offering Chicken Parm as part of their Magical Dining menu ($37 for a 3-course meal). I started with the meatball appetizer. I received two good-sized meatballs, sauce and cheese on top of polenta. That was a meal in itself! Karen chose the Caesars salad – she’s a much more conscientious eater than I am sometimes! We both chose the Chicken Parm, which came hot out of the kitchen in a huge portion with spaghetti. Our dessert choice was the cannnoli – three of them on a plate with wonderful health like bits sprinkled around them. I actually enjoyed the bits more than I did the cannoli!

Be sure to check out the rolling pin display, located in the rest room corridor. A pin or all occasions!

We shopped around a bit, bought a Disney lanyard pouch and charm for Disney’s 50th, which will become an ornament for the travel tree colleciton.

Didn’t spend any other money except to experience the tethered hot air balloon ride. Quickest eight minutes ever! Nice view though.

We travel and explore for our pleasure as well as education.

Going on a cruise is one of my favorite things to do when I travel. Cruising is easy – everything is “under one roof”. Your hotel. Your entertainment. Your restaurants. Move in and take over a cabin for a few days. Feel free to unpack and use the dressers available. It’s easier than pulling out your suitcase for every wardrobe change. I have sailed on many different cruise lines over the years. My current favorites are Viking and Oceania, as they provide the most complete cruise experiences.

So! What should you do on a cruise ship? Let’s see…

When you first board, you are likely to be presented with a signature cocktail (to be placed on your room charge account, of course!) So definitely umbrella drinks and ship’s cocktail of the day are a must.

Don’t forget to go top-side to watch the sail-away! It’s also a great place to be when pulling into or out of a port of call.

Next up is your stateroom. Welcome to your home away from home for the next several days. We always get a balcony cabin. Yes, inside cabins are less expensive and you might not spend much time in your cabin during your cruise, but a balcony offers a refuge from the masses – your own quiet oasis at sea. Enjoy your morning coffee, afternoon snack and beverage of choice or enjoy a book on your balcony while gazing out over the blue waters. Balcony cabins are also great on sea days. Grab a nap inside or out on your balcony. Balconies are also a great place to watch the sunset with the beverage of your choice. Stargazing off your balcony – there’s nothing like the open sea to see the constellations and stars.

Entertainment on board is plentiful. It all depends on you! There are live stage entertainment shows in the main theater. There are small musical groups positioned around the ship for a more quiet type of entertainment – soloists, duos, trios – everything from classics to rock. The ship’s band also plays in the lounge nightly. There are bars, lounges there’s even some entertainment offered by the waiters in the main dining room on occasion. And depending on the ship and itinerary, local musicians, actors are brought on board for the evening’s entertainment. Make sure you attend any captain’s parties or staff introduction events as well. You can even sign up on Cruise Critic for a party hosted by the ship’s officers. This is a great way to meet other passengers and be recognized by the crew.

Another form of entertainment falls under the category of shore excursions. Most people are chomping at the bit to get off the ship and experience the local culture through guided tours that are provided through the ship. After the pandemic, many cruise lines are enforcing that shore excursions need to be booked through the ship. Double check to be sure that this is the case. You may be able to book independently. We find organized shore excursions can be something of a foot race from one point of interest to another. We prefer to book on our own so we can take the time to enjoy the point of interest and take pictures.

Food selection is abundant on board. There’s something for everyone! Be sure to try out a specialty restaurant if the opportunity presents itself. Viking includes 2 specialty dinners with certain cabin types. Make sure you make your reservations as soon as possible as these restaurant fill up fast, especially on sail-away day and sea days. Other options may include a pool-side burger/sandwich shop, a buffet or a chef-named restaurant.

Clothing is definitely a personal choice. You may wish to ‘dress to the nines’ each night for dinner and a show or drink or you may be very comfy in your shorts and t-shirt. Just understand that there are expectations for certain dress in certain areas. Generally speaking, shorts and a t-shirt are OK in the main dining room during breakfast and lunch, but not for dinner. No one expects you to put on a 3-piece suit or formal gown, but the expectation is that you will get out of your shore excursion day clothes and put on long pants or a nice outfit. Check out one of my previous posts on what to wear if you are unsure.

Shopping is a must! Where else are you going to find something unique to a culture or area? Whether. you are looking for tea towels, magnets, or a cuckoo clock from the Black Forest, your opportunities to locate such items are out there. We always bring along a little bubble wrap and a small box to hold precious, breakable items. In the case of the cuckoo clock, most shops will ship it for you. Just be patient as it may take a while to get to you as it has to go through customs and paperwork before being put on a delivery truck. Our favorite souvenir from our travels are locally-made Christmas ornaments.

Cruise terminals vary from country to country and port to port. You initial entry onto the ship is usually more reminiscent of a cattle drive as you wind your way through the path the the agent at the check-in desk. Depending on your cabin selection, you may quality for the pre-sail lounge where you can check in and get a snack and rest until it’s your turn to board. Some terminals offer shopping for souvenirs, cold drinks, money exchange booths, car rental, shore excursions etc. Some cruise terminals are located in a shipyard and do not offer much in the way of anything of interest. You need to board a shuttle bus to get any where as you are not allowed to walk in the area as it is a working ship yard. Some cruise terminals are at the edge of town so you are able to walk to shops etc. There may also be a shuttle. Bottom line is they definitely want your business!

August found us acting like tourists, both on our own and with visiting family. For the most part, the weather was great, except for the Big Wheel, where it was shut down due to incoming inclement weather. But! This is hurricane weather in Florida so you must be prepared!

We started our tourist days at Hash House aGo Go before the weather turned inclement.

On our way home we stopped at the largest McDonalds for a look-see. They make and sell pasta and pizzas here as well as traditional fare.

Act like a tourist day continued when my nephew Keith, wife Missy, son Mason and Missy’s Mom, Carol, visited Orlando. It was a busy week with varied entertainment venues and lots of food. On Monday, we met them in Celebration for dessert – Kilwin’s Ice Cream. I don’t think this gator belongs in Celebration!

On Tuesday we enjoyed lunch at Miller’s, a cabana and pool time at their timeshare after a morning at Gatorland – One of my nephew’s favorite local attractions. Keith, Karen and Mason had fun feeding the alligators as they jumped out of the water for food. While at Gatorland, Karen and Missy enjoyed the zip line. A beautiful sunset ended an amazing day.

On Wednesday, Karen, her cousin and his 10-year old son went bass fishing on Lake Toho in the early morning.. Naps for us; lazy river for the visitors. Dinner at the Pirate Adventure show.

Thursday was road trip day to Clearwater Beach and a beautiful cabana and pool time at the Hyatt. The boys headed to the fishing pier for a while, Missy and her Mom headed to the beach. Lunch from the pool bar and pizza, wings and garlic knots for dinner. At day’s end, we experienced a beautiful sunset.

Friday, Karen was back at work, so only dinner plans at Fords Garage, which we unfortunately missed as I wasn’t feeling well. Saturday farewell dinner – we ate at Rock and Brews. We stopped at Culver’s for some frozen custard comparison to Abbott’s for dessert. No pictures, just had waffle cone and dishes of yummy goodness.

We ended this first edition of Act Like a Tourist with a complimentary overnight stay at Four Seasons Orlando at Disney World. The food was plentiful, the area inside and out was well done. We had a beautiful suite. We enjoyed the adult Oasis pool as well as the lazy river and slides. The weather was beautiful.