Day 1 I am onboard, now what to do / DCL western Caribbean Fantasy

We made it onboard! Whew!!! All the preparation and worry should dissipate now! It does for me!

First things first! FOOD! 
It is time for lunch. Typically one of the restaurants will be open for a table service meal or you can always go to Cabana's which is a full buffet. This is what we did!
The Table service location was Animator's Palate and it had a limited menu that we were just not excited about. 

Our room was NOW available (1:40pm). We went in to check it out! We were very happy with it! We met our Cabin Hostess who was amazing! You definitely get connected with the Dinner servers and your room host during a trip. Disney has a way of making you feel like you just gained a  new family member! Our host was Patrick. He was so sweet, made sure my daughter walked into an amazing towel display every night! He was always right around the corner wanting to see her reaction!

Our bags had not quite made it to the rooms yet. Funny thing, we could see out our Port window from the room to the dock. We could clearly see our bags sitting in the carriers waiting to be hauled in! how funny is that.

We decided to go walk around the ship andddd maybe pick up some of the free soft serve ice-cream readily and always available! We may have indulged in this treat multiple times every day! No shame!

We also did the Mid-Ship Detective agency. This is a fun interactive game to play while on board. The best part about this game, you will quickly learn the ship's layout! There are 3 variations of the game, we did 2 levels and a third later the same day.

We checked back in our room and found our luggage had arrived! Yea, all was great. We got our room settled.
By this time it was about time we head to our designated location for the Mandatory Muster Drill.
Majority of the location destinations are on deck 4. This time, our was located in The Walt Disney theater which was SUPER nice. We could sit & relax anywhere versus Deck 4 locations. Deck 4, you have to stand in tight lines shoulder to shoulder to the line next to you, in the heat without talking but making your kid mind. (not the funnest)

After the drill we went back over to Deck 4 so we could sit out & relax as we sailed off. They do have a sail away party on main outdoor deck (11 for ours) They have a cute stage show, characters come out and fun music plays. We are the more laid back type who rather have a little peaceful time. 
On, to Dinner. we had main dining which is 5:45pm. Second Seating is 8:15. I believe both have pros and cons. Majority of guests request main but second seating has some great pros! Many kids can stay up late without an issue and still enjoy their meals. We always found ourselves still somewhat full from previous meals that we were never really hungry at 5:45pm. Earlier dining can be nice for people with small kids who do eat early and go to bed early however. We did enjoy the meal time and we were able to relax afterwards and watch shows before bed.

While walking around and exploring the boat, we were able to meet Tiana, Captain Hook & Smee. They were just walking around meeting people! No lines and fun unplanned meet was great! We did also see Goofy and Donald which we could have met but there was no interest from the little ones.

ON to the Show! Majority of the shows set for second showings start at 8:30pm. I highly recommend getting to the theatre by 8pm which is when the doors are opened for seating. Seating is limited and this allows to grab a preferred seating area for your family. We tended to sit back more in second seating sections that offered a little more height. My son loved sitting in second floor (balcony area). It does provide a great view for many shows however, the shows utilize the moving stage platforms which can take away some of the magic.

We had to grab our popcorn on the way to each show! This is NOT free however! Not a crazy price but they did offer refillable popcorn buckets. Compared to the parks, this is a huge savings.. $7.50 for refillable bucket filled. Refills are only $1.50... Now.. Be prepared for this.. Any food/drink purchase there is an automatic 15% gratuity added. Be mindful. You are already at 15% when you are signing for it. There is a slot to add more if you would like though. Yes, even the refills fee of $1.50 has a 15% gratuity added.

 After the show, me and my special little lady walked to the Sweet on You shop. This location offers ice cream, gelato, candy bag and specialty confectionary items. These are all for a price! 
You can have free samples however!

I then went back to room, my other child wanted to go out for a snack, so off we went. Decided to hit the quick service food locations (deck 11). Grabbed some chicken fingers and fries! They had perfect fries that we may have overly enjoyed and their chicken fingers were also super yummy. Perfect crispness without bing dry!

Now back in the room to rest. It is now 9:52pm
We turned on the stateroom TV which has tons of Disney channels and Disney On demand options. We enjoyed the new Mickey shorts before drifting off to sleep!