February 14, 2008 Roll Call… 2/14/2008 Valentines 3-Night Wonder

[scottie]

The excitement for our next cruise is already building! Any other cruisers sailing 2/14/08 out there?? I look forward to hearing from you! What a nice way to celebrate Valentines Day!

We are a party of 2 adults this time (leaving the kids behind with grandma for once!!), and this is our 4th Disney cruise.

Scott
pirate:

[hueydewielouie]

Hey..also hangin' on the Wonder for Valentine's Day. Will be me, DH, and DS. Also parents, sister, in-laws, friends. There's a big group of us. And this is the first Disneu cruise for us all. We are practically jumping out of our skins we are so excited :banana: :cool1: :banana: :cool1: :banana: :cool1:

Can't wait to see all. I know there has to be more than just us on that ship on Valentine's.:love: :love: :love:

[scottie]

Welcome Aboard!! I was thinking the same thing... no way we can be the only ones sailings on the 2/14 cruise!! I am happy to know someone else will in fact be sharing the ship with us :thumbsup2

I am in a bit of a dilema now with trying to get airfare. Southwest just came out today for our trip and it is over 300 RT with taxes. Much more then I expected to pay for a SW ticket! :scared1:

Are you guys doing DisneyWorld too as part of the trip? We will be spending the night before the cruise at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

[scottie]

Took the plunge and bought our airline tickets to fly via Southwest Airlines.... the trip cant come soon enough!

[icesk8rmom]

My husband and I are taking our first cruise on Feb. 14. It will be our 10th Anniversary. I am so excited. :yay:

[scottie]

Welcome aboard the Valentines Day Cruise icesk8rmom! pirate:

How exciting, your first Disney Cruise! This will be our fourth Disney cruise, but our first 3-night cruise and first without the kids. We will be spending the day before in Disney World and then take a town car over to port from Animal Kingdom Lodge.

[Surfergirl]

I just booked myself and my daughter. This cruise is a surprise 14th birthday present for her. This will be my 5th Disney cruise and her 4th. Hubby and older daughter would rather stay home and ski.
Now I have to hold in the secret until February.:rolleyes1

[scottie]

That should be a great surprise present for her surfergirl!! I wish you the best of luck with holding that one a secret!

[scottie]

So is everyone arriving into Florida at least a day before the cruise? We were considering flying in the morning of sailing but with it being winter and living in Ohio, we felt it was best to leave a day early and stay at disney world for the night.

[Surfergirl]

We are flying in the night before and staying at the airport Hyatt.

[scottie]

I was reading a recent post in regards to being able to pre-pay the tips before leaving home. I think we may take advantage of this new option.
:thumbsup2

[Surfergirl]

:cool1: Just paid off the balance. Can't wait to book excursions. I also will probably pre pay the tips. One less thing to do on board.

[scottie]

Congrats on paying off the balance Surfergirl! I plan to satisfy our balance in the next couple of weeks so I can book in Palo for the first night, Valentines Day, at the 90 day mark. Something makes me think it would be more popular that night then others... even know it is always popular! :)

[scottie]

Just heard back from my travel agent, only have to wait till 11/16 at midnight to book in Palo for Valentines day!:banana:

[hueydewielouie]

Can you believe everything is getting so close?:cool1: :banana: :cool1: :banana: We just got our information packet from our TA that Disney sent her. I am sooooooo excited. I am even more excited because the trip is now paid in full and I do not have to worry about that any more. All I have to worry about is what to pack.

[scottie]

I plan to settle up our remaining balance in the next week or so and add the tips on too.
As it gets colder here in Ohio I know I will want the cruise to come even sooner!

[scottie]

Just curious if anyone is planning to book any excursions?? I think we are going to skip excursions this time.
This will be our first time that we won’t have kids with us on Castaway Cay so we plan to just enjoy the adult beach for the day. As for Nassau, we will likely just get off the ship for about an hour to do some shopping and then back to the ship to relax.

[scottie]

Got our first cruise pack of info from the travel agent today... cant wait till February gets here!!

[Surfergirl]

I plan to book the Kayak and Walking tour on CC. We have tried to do this twice before and been canceled due to weather:mad: . Hopefully the third time is the charm.:thumbsup2

[nkkilala]

count me and DH in for the Valentines Day cruise!!!

I just put it on hold yesterday and am putting the down payment on the reservation today!

I'm keeping it a secret from him as a 1 year anniversary present!

I'm so excited! It will be our first cruise!!! I'm so excited!!

Let me know if you have any advice for us!

[scottie]

Surfergirl, we will keep our fingers crossed for good weather this time so you can enjoy the activites, and I can enjoy relaxing on the beach with my wife. :thumbsup2

Welcome aboard nkkilala and happy 1st anniversary!!pirate:
What kind of questions to do you have about sailing with Disney? I would suggest making your reservations for the spa or Palos online as early as possible.

[nkkilala]

I'm thinking about doing the Romantic Escape package.....Does anyone have any opinions ab out it?

Is it a good deal?

TIA!!!

[nkkilala]

How do you know your dinning rotation?? I want to make my Palo reservations but am not sure on what night I should make them..... I don't want to miss Animators Palate.

What restaurant rotation should I substitute?

TIA!

[scottie]

nkkilala, here is my two cents and I am sure others can provide info too!

We haven’t done the romantic escape package yet, but I have read both positive and neutral comments about it on the boards. Many seem to like it and others seem to prefer to pick and choose what they want and buy the pieces they like separately.

You do not know your dining rotation in advance of arriving at port. You will see the rotation listed on your key to the world card after checking in at port. It will reflect on the card as a series of the first letter of each restaurant. You could always wait till you get to port to see what your rotation is and then attempt to make a Palo reservation when you first board. I have heard people say they have no problem securing reservations if they do it right away during the allotted time upon boarding. We haven’t tried to do that before so I don’t have any personal experience.

If it was my first short DCL cruise and I knew I would be back to DCL down the road, I may be tempted to skip Palo for the first cruise and try the three restaurants. But again it is your anniversary cruise so maybe you would want to do the upscale Palo for a night? **Better Yet** do Palo on the same night as another restaurant and skip a show that night!?! You could do Palo either earlier or later in the evening depending on what dinner seating you have. That may be something to consider if you aren’t as worried about catching all the shows as you are about trying all the yummy restaurants.

[scottie]

Everyone may want to check their pricing of the cruise on the DCL website to see if you can save some $. I just noticed the cat 11 rooms are listed for approx $100 less then a few days ago but not sure on the other categories if they went up or down.

[scottie]

I lucked out and gave it a try to log in at midnight eastern time and secured an 8pm seating for the first night. We are looking forward to giving Palo a try after 3 cruises of skipping Palo. Should make for an extra special touch to valentines day!

[nkkilala]

Yeah Scottie!!! I"m so glad you got the day you wanted for Palo!!!

I was wondering, has anyone received their documentation yet? I'm wondering when it will come. I need to get it first so that my hubbie doesn't see it!!!

[scottie]

Final docs won’t arrive until much closer to sailing. For some reason I can’t remember exactly when right now but I am thinking a couple/few weeks before sailing at the most. Some people post that they don’t receive them until even closer to sailing. You may want to consider asking for them to be sent to another address… family, work, etc. if you are trying to guarantee DH won’t see them.

[nkkilala]

Thanks scottie!

I'm pretty sure he won't see them, I normally get the mail. I think he has gotten the mail 2 times since we have been married and I asked him both times!! LOL

As long as the envelop doesn't directly say "Here are your cruise documents" on the outside it will be pretty easy to pass it off as information Disney is just sending us! I get things from them in the mail all of the time so no big surprise there!!


My other "issue" about keeping this a secret is the luggage tags.......do the resemble the tags you get from magical express? Hopefully he won't pay them much attention. He never has in the past. At least these will only give me away the day of the trip!



My goal is to get off the plane and get to the main terminal. When we are there I will go into Disney mode and ask him what new things he wants to do this vacation. He'll tell me his and then I'll tell him mine! I'll say something along the lines of "well I want to try the Disney Cruise this vacation....." conservation will ensue and we will end up at the Disney Cruise Desk Check in!!!!

Here is crossing my fingers!!!!!!

[hueydewielouie]

Scottie...good job on the ressies at Palos. :cool1: I hope you enjoy. I can't believe that it is now less than 3 months away. I really need to start packing.

nkkilala...so glad you decided to go for it and do the cruise. WHat a wonderful wife to give her husband such a great surprise for their one year anniversary. I am sure it will be wonderful and memorable.

Most of my family is jumping out of their skin they are getting so excited.:banana: :banana: :banana: This is all of our first Disney cruise. I keep telling my husband to not forget to book our next one while on board in order to get the deals. he just rolls his eyes :rolleyes2 I don't think it is working.

Isn't it great to have something so great to look forward to!!!!!!

[scottie]

It sure is great to know we are less then 3 months away from a great vacation for sure! Now just need to figure out what clothes to pack and I guess we will all have to wait till the time gets closer to see what kind of weather is in store for us!

[nkkilala]

Yeah we are all getting so close??

Does anyone care to share their plans?

We are doing the Nassau harbor Tour

Palos (Nassau night)

Snorkeling at CC

Some sort of Couples Massage (I am torn between one of the villa options or the cabana on CC,)

[scottie]

Sounds like good plans you have set. May want to consider the couples massage onboard as can’t be positive the weather will be warm on Castaway Cay in Feb. Very likely will be nice weather but if not I would do some research to find out how warm the cabanas feel during the cooler times of the year.

As for our plans:

Arrive in Orlando Wednesday night and spend one night in the concierge level at Animal Kingdom!

Town Car from WDW to port for a nice early arrival on Thursday (maybe by 11am).

Palos the first night, since its valentines day

Probably just get off for a few mins in Nassau to by some stuff at the straw market

Catch all the shows all the way thru for once- since this will be the first time where one of us are not having to take a child out in the middle of the show to go the bathroom etc.

Hit the clubs onboard and hang at the adult pool

Relax Relax Relax

[hueydewielouie]

OUr main plan is to take everything in, with this being our first Disney Cruise (and DH has already stated to me numerous times that we will not be taking another one for quite a while. Hopefully he changes his mind)

We are getting in the night before but pretty much will land, grab bags, go to hotel and go to sleep (like I will be able to sleep due to the excitement)
Get to the port as early as possible. (Want to take it all in)
Enjoy the ship
We, too, are considering the Nassau Harbor Cruise. I can say I saw Nassau, but it is economical and not too long and the family can get back to the ship.
Enjoy all of Castaway Cay
ANd then on to Disney World

I really want to watch my DS enjoy everything. He is 4 and it is all he can talk about. Now, as for the rest of my family and friends that are going, I am not sure, but it is all of our first time on DCL, so we all want to do as much as we can. Wish us luck.

Just got back from watching my sister march in a CHristmas parade in Michigan and thoughts of the cruise kept me warm:goodvibes We are all sooooooo looking foreward to this.:banana: :banana: :banana:

[nkkilala]

OK so I just received my confirmation letter.

I have a few questions as the what some of the abbreviations mean...

The first one is VPP (under it my husband and I are both listed as Yes.....This VPP is located right before the dining rotation.

The other one is that I have GTY under stateroom.... I am assuming that this means guaranteed???


Thanks for your help!

[scottie]

I can confirm that your first Disney cruise experience will be full of excitement and can easily be a non-stop experience!! You will feel worn out for sure after the first cruise, at least we did on the 4-night cruise!:upsidedow

Nikki- not sure on the VPP one that may be something to do with that package you bought? You are correct on the GTY meaning Guarantee

[nkkilala]

I found our from the main cruise menu that VPP stands for Valid Passport.!


ETA

After a little debate we decided that it stands for Vacation Protection Plan.......seeing as how Disney does not have my passport numbers yet.....

still crossing my fingers and wishing they get here soon.

[scottie]

Vaction Protection Plan sounds like a good answer!

We decided to postpone getting the passports for this cruise since they now dont appear to be needed by the govt till the summer. DCL also is only still suggesting to get them but not requiring them. I guess that we will leave us a bit more money to spend onboard!

[scottie]

As we quickly approach the 75 day Palo booking window for new cruisers (I think that is the right timeframe) I just wanted to let everyone know that there appears to be almost all the seatings still open for Palo on any of the three nights.

[nkkilala]

Thanks for the update Scottie!!

I have changed my reservation at Palo from 8pm to 6:30. I thought it might be nice to actually have some sunlight to see from the great view! I also do not want to miss the Pirate "show" out on deck with Mickey and the gang!

[scottie]

Seeing the view is probably a good idea for your first cruise! Luckily we wont miss any big productions by going to Palo the first night (that I can think of). I am keeping fingers crossed the new Toy Story production is up and running when we cruise, which should be the show for the first night. We plan on catching the show, heading to Palo and then finish off the night with a visit to a couple of the clubs.

[nkkilala]

Scottie could you (or anyone) tell me a bit more about the clubs??

I went on RCL once and they seemed kind of lame....I assume the Disney ones are better but would love to hear of your experiences with them!

Thank you!

[scottie]

Lets see clubs, well DW and myself have not ventured to them a whole lot on our past Disney cruises because always had the kids sailing with us and grandma could only handle them on her own for so long :rotfl2: But we have snuck out for bit here and there...

We try to catch the comedy acts in the club because they are more adult orientated and have always been amusing. I think they may take place when scheduled in WaveBands. We have also watched the 80s night act and karaokee in the past and they were a blast. We are not into dancing much so havent gave that a try. Also havent visted Cadillac Lounge to listen to the great piano playing but heard it was worth a stop and will try this time!

Here is some Disney Info on the areas:

WaveBands
Dance to the music at this cool club that features live bands that really swing, a DJ who knows exactly what to spin and an awesome atmosphere amid vintage radios and classic albums.

Diversions
Keep up on all the scores all the time in this sports pub with big-screen plasma TVs tuned into ESPN. Cheer for your favorites in this casual hangout.

Cadillac Lounge
Delight in drinks and light hors d'oeuvres in this intimate lounge with its classic bucket-seat bar and Cadillac fins. Select music at personal listening stations or enjoy live performances at the piano.

[scottie]

I just got off the phone with DCL. We had a room booked for a 7 night sailing in Oct 08 and I flipped it today to a May 09 sailing (announced today). Looking forward to trying the 7 night sailing!

[scottie]

How exciting, we are all under 60 days till fun in the sun aboard the Wonder!
:dance3: :dance3:
Now I just need to figure out what else I have left to do, like book the town car and I'm sure a bunch of other stuff!

[nkkilala]

I've been thinking about a car service however every time I price them out Disney is cheaper for the two of us.....

Does anyone have any suggested car services (or alternative ways to the port) that would be comparable to Disney for just 2 people?


Thanks!

[scottie]

As for transport.... I did a bunch of back and forth when deciding between using the DCL bus to port or a car service. I decided on a car service since we will be coming from Animal Kingdom lodge. Basically if we used the bus from the hotel, we would not be picked up till around 12:30 and not arrive at port till around 1:30, hence missing possibly an hour or so of onboard time. By using a town car service from the hotel to port, we can be picked up whenever we want and be at port an hour later. This will allow us to schedule a pickup around 9:30 and be at the port when it opens to hang out for a little while then board the ship when the doors open. With being a short cruise, we wanted to make sure to have every min. we could onboard.

On the flip side, if you are coming from the airport to the port- from what I have read you could very easily catch the DCL bus and be at the port fairly quickly since the have buses going quite often from the airport. I don’t know specifics of how often etc. though.
We are actually using the bus for the trip from the port to the airport for the way back home.

Now for pricing… I checked every town car service I could find. We are going with one that has good reviews and the lowest price of anyone I could find… Tiffany Towncar. From Animal Kingdom lodge to port, the trip is $105 plus tip. So really not much more then doing the bus and we can ride in a nice car by ourselves and travel when we want. If you are going from airport to port and not Disney to port, I believe the fare is lower like maybe $90 or so plus tip.

If you are trying to save some money, you could also consider renting a car. It can be dropped off near the port and a shuttle taken to the port. I have read that people manage to find good rental deals online and it ends up being less then the dcl bus.

[plutolovr]

Hubby and I are taking our first Disney Cruise Feb. 14. Just decided to do so. We're driving down from our So. Carolina home and then attending the Daytona 500 after disembarking. ;)

[scottie]

Welcome aboard plutolovr! Your first Disney cruise and then the big race... that should make for some real fun! Do you have any special plans during the cruise?

[staceyj2]

We will be crusing on 2/14 also. This is our 2nd Disney cruise. We did the 3 night last May. It will be me, DH, DS (7, almost 8) and DD (5). We are really looking forward to it. I had hoped to book the dolphin excursion on Nassau, but I waited too long and it looks like it is booked up. We don't have anything else booked. This trip will be celebrating DS's birthday. Does anyone know of anything special I can do for him?

[Mariabug]

Hello-

DH and 3 yo DD and I will be on the Disney Cruise on Valentine's Day. This will be our first Disney cruise and DD's first Disney trip. We are hoping to have a wonderful time. DH and I are trying to decide which shore excursions to do. Any opinions? I'd love to hear from others going on this trip, especially with kids of similar ages. :)

Maria

[plutolovr]

Welcome aboard plutolovr! Your first Disney cruise and then the big race... that should make for some real fun! Do you have any special plans during the cruise?

Thanks Scottie!

We don't have anything special planned. However, we were thinking about maybe getting the couples massage on Castaway Cay. This is being planned very last minute. I had originally booked a stay at the Polynesian before the race and just decided to look into the cruise. We're actually saving money. :cool1: I would like to try Palo, but realize it may be too late, but we're happy eating anywhere. Just looking to unwind and recharge :lovestruc

[scottie]

We will be crusing on 2/14 also. This is our 2nd Disney cruise. We did the 3 night last May. It will be me, DH, DS (7, almost 8) and DD (5). We are really looking forward to it. I had hoped to book the dolphin excursion on Nassau, but I waited too long and it looks like it is booked up. We don't have anything else booked. This trip will be celebrating DS's birthday. Does anyone know of anything special I can do for him?


Welcome aboard staceyj2, it sure is nice to know the ship is finally filling up with DISers!:thumbsup2

I know I have read posts from time to time on the main cruise board about people booking the dolphin excursion on their own, either to save money or because DCL was booked up or both in some cases. I would post something or do a search to see if you can find out what company offers the excursion for DCL and just look up their website to see what they have to offer for a direct booking if you are interested in that one.
If your DS will be eating dinner with you and not with the clubs, you can let DCL or your travel agent know ahead of time and they will have a small cake sent to the table one night for his b-day. I believe you get to tell them what night you prefer.
If he will be hanging out in the kids club a lot you may want to mention something to the staff of the club. Something makes me think they would do at least a little something for him, but not positive.
You could also look into ordering something like decorations for the room or a gift basket from DCL. You could also consider Shirley from the main cruise board to make up something special to have waiting for him in the room.

[scottie]

Hello-

DH and 3 yo DD and I will be on the Disney Cruise on Valentine's Day. This will be our first Disney cruise and DD's first Disney trip. We are hoping to have a wonderful time. DH and I are trying to decide which shore excursions to do. Any opinions? I'd love to hear from others going on this trip, especially with kids of similar ages. :)

Maria

And welcome aboard to the Wonder Valentines day cruise to you too Maria!!:cool1: That’s a special way to live up a first Disney experience for the little one... cruising Disney style!:yay:

Shore excursions, well if the water temp is ok at Castaway Cay I would say give the snorkeling a try for sure. Renting one of the rafts/tubes is always nice too. As for Nassau, we tend to stay on the boat other then to get off to buy some t-shirts or other quick items. But one time we did do a tour of the city and got dropped off at Atlantis for a bit to look around. We didn’t book this thru DCL, we just got off the boat and picked one of the vans waiting near by and worked up a price for all of us. He took us around for a little while and we got out to check out some of the major sites then headed over to Atlantis with him. It wasn’t expensive at all and ok for something to try- but not a must do in my personal opinion. I think DCL offers a tour or something of Nassau too.
Some people also rent rooms at Atlantis or the Comfort Suites so they can use the pool areas at Atlantis while the boat is docked.
We prefer to just mostly hang out on the ship in Nassau and relax and let the kids swim onboard or do some the kids club stuff during the day.

Each time we have sailed we have had a child around the age of 2-5 with us and find just swimming and relaxing onboard to be the most fun for us and the little ones. Swimming and chilling at Castaway Cay cant be beat! We haven’t sailed in Feb before so I am keeping fingers crossed for nice weather and water at Castaway Cay!! If your DD is potty trained, I would defiantly let her give the club a try... Our kids have loved them and allows us adults some time to do adult activities for a while. Or if DD is not potty trained, you can check her into the nursery for a couple of hours a day or night or two. We did this with DS this past May and he liked the nursery and we liked the quiet time at dinner.

[scottie]

Thanks Scottie!

We don't have anything special planned. However, we were thinking about maybe getting the couples massage on Castaway Cay. This is being planned very last minute. I had originally booked a stay at the Polynesian before the race and just decided to look into the cruise. We're actually saving money. :cool1: I would like to try Palo, but realize it may be too late, but we're happy eating anywhere. Just looking to unwind and recharge :lovestruc


We were talking about a couples massage too. I am shying away from one on Castaway Cay due to not being sure how the weather would be there. I am sure it will be great but who knows. I was reading a long report recently on the couples massage onboard with the upgraded facilities and it sounds wonderful too so either on the ship or on the island should be a nice relaxing time!
As for Palos, it does appear most spots are filled online except for one or two times. However, I have read they leave a number of openings for Palos that you can book once you board the ship the first day in the early afternoon. So fear not if you want to give Palos a try this cruise. All the food onboard is good though!

[hueydewielouie]

I agree with Scottie...it is great to see the ship finally filling up :cool1: . This is our first Disney cruise and we are so excited :banana: :banana: :banana: . We have a bigger group going (8 cabins of people party: ). OUr little family is me, DH and DS (4) also have family, in-laws and friends coming along. Right now our only real plans are to have a great time and do as much as possible. Here's to a wonderful cruise for all :drinking1 Cheers!!

[scottie]

It just kind of hit me yesterday when I was looking at the calendar how close we are to actually being on vacation... time flys!
I think I will figure out how much I need to bring in tips for our stay at AKL, the towncar/suv transfer to the ship, and onboard.
I also need to finally decide who we are going to use for the transfer from AKL to Port!
I am going to hit the local dollar store in search for a cheap over the door show hanger to hold misc stuff in while onboard

[scottie]

The excitement is growing... just received mail today that included all our info for the Magical Express transport from MCO to Animal Kingdom Lodge!
:banana: :banana:

[staceyj2]

The excitement is growing... just received mail today that included all our info for the Magical Express transport from MCO to Animal Kingdom Lodge!
:banana: :banana:

It's getting close isn't it??? I'm getting really excited too. I booked a hotel for the night before and a rental car yesterday. The shore excursions I wanted were booked, so I guess we will be playing it by ear in Nassau. We have a "GTY" room. Anyone have an idea when an actual room # will be assigned?

[scottie]

It's getting close isn't it??? I'm getting really excited too. I booked a hotel for the night before and a rental car yesterday. The shore excursions I wanted were booked, so I guess we will be playing it by ear in Nassau. We have a "GTY" room. Anyone have an idea when an actual room # will be assigned?


I just sent an email to my co-workers reminding them I will be gone on a plane in 36 days 20 hours and counting!

From what I have read on the boards, some seem to stumble upon their assigned room number while checking out their reservation on the DCL site as early as several weeks in advance and some have had to wait all the way up till very close to the sail date. Hopefully they will give you a room upgrade too!

[scottie]

Has anyone completed their online registration yet? I guess I will do it one day this week as I would imagine the cruise docs will be sent out in the next two weeks or so and I will do my part to save DCL some money on printing docs :rotfl2:

[nkkilala]

I have filled out all of the available online documents!!!

I was very ambitious and did this as soon as I had signed up!!

The only thing I have left to do is print and sign the agreement!

I don't have a printer at my house so I'll have to venture over to my mothers house in a few days to get this done!


I'm getting so excited!! I just hope that DH hasn't figured out we are going on a cruise yet!!!!!!

[staceyj2]

Has anyone completed their online registration yet? I guess I will do it one day this week as I would imagine the cruise docs will be sent out in the next two weeks or so and I will do my part to save DCL some money on printing docs :rotfl2:

My forms are filled out and my signature form is in a file ready to go! I'm just waiting on my docs and a cabin # and I'll be all set!

[scottie]

Great to hear everyone is on track! I have decided this time that I am going to do our payment authorization form online as a "Cash" option this time vs. giving them our credit card upfront online. I remembered today that we got a couple of Disney gift cards for Christmas that will burn a hole in my pocket if we try to save them till we head to WDW again over Thanksgiving. So we will just give the gift cards to guest services after boarding and they will apply them to our account. By selecting the Cash option, it also puts a spending limit on the Key to the World cards of $200. This may in fact actually help us to avoid going crazy with spending for once onboard! :confused3 :confused3
Once we hit the $200 limit we have to settle up at Guest Services to have the account opended back up. Will see how it works this trip and may do it again this way for our 7 night sailing in 09!
For those of you who like to shop/drink etc. and havent sailed DCL before, just wait till you see how quick your tab can run up!! With 6 of us total on the past 4-night cruises we have taken, we have easily racked up bills around $1000+ for 4 nights and that was with a couple of kids as part of the group. :scared1:
However with our first 7-night cruise we are looking at a possible onboard credit total for the two rooms of approx $900... SWEET! So we wont have as much out of pocket-hopefully!:rolleyes1

[scottie]

Finished my online check in this morning! 34 days and counting (I think)!! Now I need to head out and find a cheap over the door shoe hanger for all our junk and pick up a folder to put all of our travel docs in.

[nkkilala]

It is getting close and I"m getting psyched!!!

I can't wait to get on the ship!!

I still don't have a cabin number yet but hopefully that is a good thing!

See ya real soon !!!

[2cutekidz]

Hello hueydewielouie!! Guess who I am cruising with!! We are getting pretty excited too. DD keeps talking about it. She's in kindergarten and in "writers Workshop" wrote "We are going to Disney World. I think it will be fun." Our group consists of DH, me DD5 and DS2. We are also travelling with hueydewielouie and her immediate group, my Sister in law and her family(DH, DS9, DS6 and DD4) my brother in law his wife and DD18mo. And the drama of the day - My MIL might not be making the trip. Her husband is having health problems and he won't be coming. She needs to decide whether or not to do the trip. Can't wait to see you in 30 days!!

[hueydewielouie]

Hello hueydewielouie!! Guess who I am cruising with!! We are getting pretty excited too. DD keeps talking about it. She's in kindergarten and in "writers Workshop" wrote "We are going to Disney World. I think it will be fun." Our group consists of DH, me DD5 and DS2. We are also travelling with hueydewielouie and her immediate group, my Sister in law and her family(DH, DS9, DS6 and DD4) my brother in law his wife and DD18mo. And the drama of the day - My MIL might not be making the trip. Her husband is having health problems and he won't be coming. She needs to decide whether or not to do the trip. Can't wait to see you in 30 days!!

Okay, you beat me to it. I saw some of the outfits you have made and they are absolutely adorable. Your daughter is one lucky little girl. I so cannot wait. My parents are jumping out of their skin, even more so than my sis. I can't believe it is so soon. I still have everything to do. Let's try to get together before the 30 days, okay? See ya!!:)

[plutolovr]

We don't have our cabin number yet either.

I was able to book a couples' massage on Nassau day. After our massages we plan on visiting Atlantis for a little gambling :rolleyes1 .

I have a question for anyone who knows. As I stated in an earlier post we are headed to the Daytona 500 on Sunday. I would really like to be off the ship as early as possible on Sunday. If we're waiting down at the disembarkation point at around 7:30am and they clear the ship soon after this can we get off then? We also may be handling our own luggage as we won't have very much. We have pit passes for the race and I want to spend some time there before heading to our seats and I also anticipate traffic to the track.

Another question, I was unable to book Palo online, not even sure we want to do it, but will there be times available on the ship?

Thanks in advance!

[scottie]

plutolovr- We always like to be one of the last off, but if I recall correctly from reading some posts, you can jump off the ship just as soon as they open the doors for exiting. You dont have to wait for a group number or something to be called. You could even skip the breakfast if you wanted to not spend time with that. You may want to post on the main board to double check the earliest people have been able to exit the ship after they clear the ship, because I cant find the info via the broken search function!

Couples massage at Nassau sounds like a great idea... lucky you two! You should be able to grab a taxi to take you to Atlantis to win some money without much of a problem at all too after you exit the ship!

As for Palo, yep just get on the ship at a decent time the first day and you can go to the designated area onboard to request a reservation. I have heard they leave openings for those who want to request a reservation when first boarding. Never done that before but didnt sound like much of an issue. It looks like you can request a Palo reservation from 1-3:30PM the first day in Wavebands, if you decide you want to do Palo.

[scottie]

After much decision (too much for sure) I finally decided on which company would be driving us from Disney to Port and booked with them. One less thing to deal with now!

[scottie]

Just noticed... I am now at 30 days from today from checking in at AKL for the night before we cruise!
:cool1: :banana: :cool1:

[staceyj2]

Just noticed... I am now at 30 days from today from checking in at AKL for the night before we cruise!
:cool1: :banana: :cool1:
:banana: Hopefully, the next month will fly by. I'm checking the website several times a day looking for a cabin #, but no luck yet.

30 days and counting!! :yay:

[scottie]

:banana: Hopefully, the next month will fly by. I'm checking the website several times a day looking for a cabin #, but no luck yet.

30 days and counting!! :yay:

Be sure to let us know right away when you get your room number!

[2cutekidz]

We've had our room #'s from the start. I've even read a room report on it.

hueydewielouie - since we won't be at the parks at the same time, I figured I'd show you some of the outfits I've made.

I think she'll wear this on the way down.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/2cutekidz/IMG_1224.jpg

Animal Kingdom set. I'm going to make myself a matching tee. DH has one too, and if I can find a black tee, DS2 will have one too. Obviously the boys shirts don't have ribbon, and DH's is a little Mickey on a polo.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/2cutekidz/IMG_1218.jpg http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/2cutekidz/IMG_1108-1.jpg

Epcot...
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/2cutekidz/IMG_1552.jpg

My new favorites. She'll wear these to dinners. Tink at Crystal Palace and Cinderella to 1900 Park Fare.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/2cutekidz/IMG_2900.jpg http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/2cutekidz/IMG_2849.jpg

You'll see the ones for the cruise in 30 Days!!

Sorry to hijack the thread with clothes!!

[nkkilala]

those outfits are the best!!! I wish that my mom would have made cute stuff like that for me when I was little!!!

I'm getting so excited 30 days........ I'm still looking for a hotel in Detroit for a "good" price......

[scottie]

I'm getting so excited 30 days........ I'm still looking for a hotel in Detroit for a "good" price......

Did you think about using Priceline for a hotel? May not be right at the airport but there is a site you can use to guesstimate what hotels are offered and where prior to bidding.

[hueydewielouie]

nkkilala...

Are you wanting to stay by Metro Airport ? WIth all of the airports around there you should be able to get one at a good price. At Priceline you can even indicate Airport hotel for the Detroit area (Even thought Metro is in Romulus). We used Priceline for our hotel near Orlando airport the night before the cruise (We are flying out of Metro Feb. 13) and got one right near the airport for $55. I was elated. I say go for it.

[nkkilala]

OK so those of you that used priceline......did you pick one of the hotels they offered or did you take the risk and "bid" on a low price.


I worry a bit because I know there are a few BAD hotels near the DTW airport....


any advice about using priceline would be nice!!!!


(FYI still no cabin assignment)

[scottie]

You can check out biddingfortravel.com to see what hotels are typically won around the location you want to bid on. Can also see recent winning bids and reviews/links to the hotels. We always use priceline when getting a hotel in Pittsburgh when we go to visit family. I would say try to stick with at least a 3 start hotel if the winning bids look within your price range.
Also if you are a member of Costco or Sams you may want to see if they have any discount codes for hotel chains or see what kind of prices expedia/travelocity has for rooms.

For all of those waiting for room numbers, hopefully the room # god will come around soon and grant you with a great room... just dont steal our room unless we are being upgraded to a Cat 3 room :lmao:

[plutolovr]

Still waiting for room assignment here too! :surfweb: Hopefully we'll know soon. pirate:

[scottie]

I was messing around on the DCL site today and it looks like cat 4-7 rooms are now sold out for our cruise. Cat 8 and 9 are GTY only bookings. And I thought all along it would only be our small DIS group sailing on the ship ;)

[plutolovr]

Got our cabin assignment, it's 7634, Cat. 5. It's aft with a metal balcony. It's all good. Just can't wait to go.

[nkkilala]

I got my cabin assignment too!! 2554

No clue where it is so i'm on my way to do research!!

Edited to Add:
Well I"m on the 2nd floor (duah!) right by the midship elevators!! Which means we won't have as much walking to do to the elevators.....I'm a bit worried about noise but I think I'll be purchasing a white-noise machine to take care of that! We always sleep with a fan on so I think the machine will simulate that!

[staceyj2]

Got our room assignment too. Category 9 (no upgrade) on deck 2 near the front elevators. It's going to sneak up on us and be here in no time!!!

[scottie]

Happy to hear everyone got their assignments, FINALLY!!

[2cutekidz]

I got my cabin assignment too!! 2554

No clue where it is so i'm on my way to do research!!

Edited to Add:
Well I"m on the 2nd floor (duah!) right by the midship elevators!! Which means we won't have as much walking to do to the elevators.....I'm a bit worried about noise but I think I'll be purchasing a white-noise machine to take care of that! We always sleep with a fan on so I think the machine will simulate that!


I think we're down the hall from you!

[staceyj2]

I think I went a little crazy on the DCL website today. I booked a massage for myself, the Atlantis Discovery on Nassau, and bike rentals on Castaway Cay. This is our second 3 night Wonder cruise. The first time we didn't book anything. We just played it by ear and explored on our own. I guess we are "branching out" this time!

Less than a month to go cruisers!! :cheer2:

[scottie]

I think I went a little crazy on the DCL website today. I booked a massage for myself, the Atlantis Discovery on Nassau, and bike rentals on Castaway Cay. This is our second 3 night Wonder cruise. The first time we didn't book anything. We just played it by ear and explored on our own. I guess we are "branching out" this time!


You sure did go all out this time around!!

We have always debated about doing the water park side of Atlantis. Pretty pricy via DCL but we have considered getting a room at the sister hotel, I think it’s the Comfort Inn which gives rights to use the water park at Atlantis for less cost. They are also running a special room rate for the Atlantis hotel this winter (I think) which would include the water park passes too.
When we went two cruises ago to Atlantis, we looked around the place and they had a no-cost part of the aquarium area that you could walk thru. It wasn’t the full aquarium but enough to feel like we enjoyed it.
Have fun on your Atlantis Excursion!!:cool1:

[staceyj2]

You sure did go all out this time around!!

We have always debated about doing the water park side of Atlantis. Pretty pricy via DCL but we have considered getting a room at the sister hotel, I think it’s the Comfort Inn which gives rights to use the water park at Atlantis for less cost. They are also running a special room rate for the Atlantis hotel this winter (I think) which would include the water park passes too.
When we went two cruises ago to Atlantis, we looked around the place and they had a no-cost part of the aquarium area that you could walk thru. It wasn’t the full aquarium but enough to feel like we enjoyed it.
Have fun on your Atlantis Excursion!!:cool1:

We would love to do the Atlantis Water parks sometime. My kids would have such a blast. This time, we are just doing the tour that takes you to the aquarium. Hopefully it will still be fun.

[scottie]

We would love to do the Atlantis Water parks sometime. My kids would have such a blast. This time, we are just doing the tour that takes you to the aquarium. Hopefully it will still be fun.

Im sure you will all still have a blast!
:woohoo:

[nkkilala]

So anyone have an estimated arrival date for their cruise documents? I want to make sure I intercept them before my husband!

[scottie]

So anyone have an estimated arrival date for their cruise documents? I want to make sure I intercept them before my husband!

If i recall correctly, I think the documents normally print 10-14 days before sailing and then go out maybe 3 day UPS for the most part. If you used a travel agent the documents may go to them first and they forward the docs to you. Not all travel agents work this way with DCL but many do. If you booked direct with DCL, then you may be able to get an estimated mailing date if you call them and explain you are planning a surprise...worth a shot at least!

[staceyj2]

I just looked at my ticker. 25 Days!!!!

Are most of you combining this trip with a trip to WDW or the beach? We are not able to leave until after school on the 13th. Our flight arrives at around 10 P.M. We are then getting a car and driving to the port. We are staying at the comfort suites. When we return on Sunday, we fly out at about 5:00. So for us, we are only able to stay for the cruise this time. I'm sure the time will fly by while on the cruise, but we plan on making the most of it. :thumbsup2

[scottie]

I just looked at my ticker. 25 Days!!!!

Are most of you combining this trip with a trip to WDW or the beach? We are not able to leave until after school on the 13th. Our flight arrives at around 10 P.M. We are then getting a car and driving to the port. We are staying at the comfort suites. When we return on Sunday, we fly out at about 5:00. So for us, we are only able to stay for the cruise this time. I'm sure the time will fly by while on the cruise, but we plan on making the most of it. :thumbsup2

Since this is a quick getaway for us without the kids (and kind of a honeymoon we never had)- we are flying in on the 13th, land around 1:30pm and head via ME over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas for a stay one night. We are giving the new DVC part a try and staying on the concierge level!
We have a suburban scheduled to pick us up and take us to port the following morning around 9:45am. After we arrive back to Port on the 17th, we are using the DCL bus to get to MCO and fly back to Columbus around 2pm.
Normally when we sail DCL, we take the 4-night sailing and combine it with around 3 or 4 nights in WDW after. Next year, we have a 7-night Eastern sailing scheduled (hate to think about having to pay that off still!!) and likely wont include any WDW with the trip since we will be at WDW over Thanksgiving and don’t want to take the kids out of any more then a week of school with the 7-night sailing.

[scottie]

I have been keeping my fingers crossed for a SWA Ding Fare to show up for our return flight home... but no luck yet. :confused3 I guess since it is the holiday weekend I should just be happy with the rate we already have for the flight and not expect it to go any lower. Did anyone else find their fare to be higher then they normally pay for travels to Orlando? I think we are at about $214 per ticket out of Columbus for this trip.

[staceyj2]

I have been keeping my fingers crossed for a SWA Ding Fare to show up for our return flight home... but no luck yet. :confused3 I guess since it is the holiday weekend I should just be happy with the rate we already have for the flight and not expect it to go any lower. Did anyone else find their fare to be higher then they normally pay for travels to Orlando? I think we are at about $214 per ticket out of Columbus for this trip.

Yes, my return flight on southwest is much more than I usually pay. I got a great fare for our outbound, but overall I think it is around $250 per person rt from KC. We had one free ticket, so that helped some. The return flight was almost 3 times what I am used to paying. It would have been even more to leave on Monday instead of Sunday.

[scottie]

staceyj2- I didnt even notice until now that you live in Kansas. My DW was born in Kansas and lived there for several years before moving to Texas. Her dad and grandma still live in Kansas.

[staceyj2]

I have been keeping my fingers crossed for a SWA Ding Fare to show up for our return flight home... but no luck yet. :confused3 I guess since it is the holiday weekend I should just be happy with the rate we already have for the flight and not expect it to go any lower. Did anyone else find their fare to be higher then they normally pay for travels to Orlando? I think we are at about $214 per ticket out of Columbus for this trip.

A ding fare just came through that saved me $30 per ticket without changing flights. I hope something came through for you too.

Do your inlaws live in the Johnson County area? That is where we are.

[nkkilala]

I've been scouring the Internet today for good town service deals. I figured that if I get a town car I can tell my DH that we are going to spend a few days by the ocean before my mom arrives for our stay at the Boardwalk!

This way I can keep it from him for a whole hour extra!

I have found one service that charges $74 for a one-way. This is a cheaper than a rental car!

The question is can I cancel my Disney transportation for a refund?

[scottie]

I've been scouring the Internet today for good town service deals. I figured that if I get a town car I can tell my DH that we are going to spend a few days by the ocean before my mom arrives for our stay at the Boardwalk!

This way I can keep it from him for a whole hour extra!

I have found one service that charges $74 for a one-way. This is a cheaper than a rental car!

The question is can I cancel my Disney transportation for a refund?

Transfer via towncar/suv is the way to go. We were considering the DCL bus from Disney to Port but just couldnt go with the thought of not arriving at port till around 1pm or later if we did the bus!
I cant recall, are you at WDW before the cruise or are you near the airport for the transfer? And just curious, which service did you find for that price?

As for canceling, something makes me think you have up to three days before sailing to cancel the DCL transfer, but dont quote me on that! I would suggest doing it as soon as you are sure you have a town car booked in.

[scottie]

A ding fare just came through that saved me $30 per ticket without changing flights. I hope something came through for you too.

Do your inlaws live in the Johnson County area? That is where we are.

Lucky you... no luck for me.. but still happy you were able to save some $$!! If we were able to take a morning flight back we would actually be able to save $40 or more per ticket for the return trip but we wont be off the boat early enough and I dont want to rush things either.

They live in Garden City, not sure where exactly that falls in the state.:confused3 My understanding is in the middle of no-where! :laughing:

[scottie]

I can’t recall right now if anyone is staying near port before the cruise, but if so… you may want to consider Ron Jon Resort. I got an email today showing studios for 70.00 per night and 1-bedroom units for 90.00 per night up till 2/14. Limited availability. That rate is a good bit lower then their normal rate for sure. We have stayed there two times before cruising and everyone loved the huge pool area, beach and the kids liked the indoor playground too. And a nice plus, it is very close to port. Just a thought if anyone was still trying to decide!

[staceyj2]

I can’t recall right now if anyone is staying near port before the cruise, but if so… you may want to consider Ron Jon Resort. I got an email today showing studios for 70.00 per night and 1-bedroom units for 90.00 per night up till 2/14. Limited availability. That rate is a good bit lower then their normal rate for sure. We have stayed there two times before cruising and everyone loved the huge pool area, beach and the kids liked the indoor playground too. And a nice plus, it is very close to port. Just a thought if anyone was still trying to decide!

Wow, that sounds like a great deal. We are staying at the port the night before. However, we will be arriving very late so no time to enjoy and pools or other hotel amenities. We have a room booked at the Country Inn & Suites. We got a great rate there also.

[scottie]

Wow, that sounds like a great deal. We are staying at the port the night before. However, we will be arriving very late so no time to enjoy and pools or other hotel amenities. We have a room booked at the Country Inn & Suites. We got a great rate there also.

We stayed at CI&S this past May for the day before we cruised. Had one of their kids suites and we all enjoyed the stay... really enjoyed the free cookies at the front desk! ;)

[scottie]

If anyone is looking to get chat up DCL a bit more before we sail out... Check out the virtual DCL House Party this Saturday night on the DIS chat! It should be fun and they are giving away prizes!

:banana:

[2cutekidz]

My cruise docs. are in! My TA sent them out I should have them by friday!!

[nkkilala]

I'll be there on Sat! I can't wait!!

Lucky you 2cuteKidz!! Hopefully mine will come soon and I"ll snatch them up before my hubby gets home!

[scottie]

My cruise docs. are in! My TA sent them out I should have them by friday!!

Lucky you... we will all be waiting by the door now for ours to arrive too! :surfweb:

[scottie]

Well I must admit my new bad habit is to pull up the Weather.com website a few times a day and check the 10 day forcast for Orlando, Cape Canaveral and Nassau. I just cant help but to want to see those 70+ temps!!
:thumbsup2

[hueydewielouie]

Our cruise docs are in too. We are meeting with the TA tonightbto pick them up. Less than three weeks:cool1: :cool1: :cool1: WIth the way my week has been going, I sooooooooo need this vacation.

[ljm23]

I too look at the weather almost daily, as well as my reservation on the Disney Cruise website and of course this forum. Can't come soon enough! We're from NY and it's COOOLD up here!

[hueydewielouie]

I too look at the weather almost daily, as well as my reservation on the Disney Cruise website and of course this forum. Can't come soon enough! We're from NY and it's COOOLD up here!

I, too, check all of the above on a daily basis. And, the weather here in Michigan isn't too warm either. I keep seeing those 70s and hoping they stick around. Actually, as long as I don't have to wear my bulky winter jacket I will be pretty thrilled. Now doing the warm weather dance:banana: :banana:

[staceyj2]

I too look at the weather almost daily, as well as my reservation on the Disney Cruise website and of course this forum. Can't come soon enough! We're from NY and it's COOOLD up here!

I guess I'm behind in the game because I only check the DCL site and this site. I'll have to start checking weather.com!!!!

No documents yet. Maybe they are waiting to send them so they can surprise me by upgrading me from a 9 to a 3!!! :rotfl:

[staceyj2]

I have been keeping my fingers crossed for a SWA Ding Fare to show up for our return flight home... but no luck yet. :confused3 I guess since it is the holiday weekend I should just be happy with the rate we already have for the flight and not expect it to go any lower. Did anyone else find their fare to be higher then they normally pay for travels to Orlando? I think we are at about $214 per ticket out of Columbus for this trip.

I just saw a Ding fare for Columbus. I don't know if it will work for you, but I thought I would let you know.

[scottie]

I just saw a Ding fare for Columbus. I don't know if it will work for you, but I thought I would let you know.

wow it must have gone quick because I checked the dings around the time you posted this (maybe 15 mins after) and didnt see one... bummer! Thanks for keeping and eye out for me!

[nkkilala]

when I woke up thismorning in Michigan it was about 1 below! I am ready to get out of here.

[scottie]

when I woke up thismorning in Michigan it was about 1 below! I am ready to get out of here.

That is cold! Hopefully you will also end up with some of the slight warm up that we are supposed to have in Columbus at the start of the week (for just a couple of days).

[Iowa6]

We are IOWA6, however my DH and I are not bringing the 4 little DEMONS on this cruise. So I guess we are the non-responsible IOWA2. It will be EZ to spot us on the ship, I will have a smile from ear to ear, and my DH will be drunk and hitting on the female cruise staff. Neither of us will have one of those child pagers on at any point, so that should give us away for sure.

I have told my husband that they added a casino, so if he is asking any of you for directions just tell him that its TWO floor down.

Cant wait to meet everyone,

Shantelle & the chubby guy that never leaves the buffet

[nkkilala]

Welcome aboard Iowa!!!

Way to venture out and just cruise with you and your hubby!!! Scottie is doing the same!

I'm thinking that because this is a Valentine's Day cruise that there could be a slight reduction in children aboard!!

I am cruising with my husband for our 1st anniversary!!! He still has NO CLUE about the cruise that I am surprising him with!!

[staceyj2]

We are IOWA6, however my DH and I are not bringing the 4 little DEMONS on this cruise. So I guess we are the non-responsible IOWA2. It will be EZ to spot us on the ship, I will have a smile from ear to ear, and my DH will be drunk and hitting on the female cruise staff. Neither of us will have one of those child pagers on at any point, so that should give us away for sure.

I have told my husband that they added a casino, so if he is asking any of you for directions just tell him that its TWO floor down.

Cant wait to meet everyone,

Shantelle & the chubby guy that never leaves the buffet

Welcome Aboard! It sounds like cruising sans children was the way to go. Maybe I should have done the same! :) My DH and I along with DS (almost 8) and DD (5) will be on this cruise as well. It will be here soon!!!! :cheer2: :cheer2:

[scottie]

We are IOWA6, however my DH and I are not bringing the 4 little DEMONS on this cruise. So I guess we are the non-responsible IOWA2. It will be EZ to spot us on the ship, I will have a smile from ear to ear, and my DH will be drunk and hitting on the female cruise staff. Neither of us will have one of those child pagers on at any point, so that should give us away for sure.

I have told my husband that they added a casino, so if he is asking any of you for directions just tell him that its TWO floor down.

Cant wait to meet everyone,

Shantelle & the chubby guy that never leaves the buffet


Welcome aboard Shantelle, and hubby! I may have to have you give my wife some lessons on how to be excited to be leaving the kids behind for this cruise!! ;)

[scottie]

Welcome aboard Iowa!!!

Way to venture out and just cruise with you and your hubby!!! Scottie is doing the same!

I'm thinking that because this is a Valentine's Day cruise that there could be a slight reduction in children aboard!!

I am cruising with my husband for our 1st anniversary!!! He still has NO CLUE about the cruise that I am surprising him with!!

Any chance on snagging those cruise docs from under his nose yet?

[nkkilala]

They have yet to arrive..... I just hope they don't come on Monday because he has the day off. However I plan on say that they are just advertisments/ cruise trip information from Disney.......My family is planning a cruise for next year so this could very well fly.....I also have the general disney cruise information from earlier that I can supplement in its place.

[plutolovr]

Hey Shantelle,

Glad you'll be onboard. We're cruising sans children too, however our children are in their 20s. :rotfl: But if offered, I'm sure they would love to come too.
We still do the family Disney World trips together.

My DH and I vacationed alot without our kids when they were young. It's a wonderful thing to do. We've even done Disney World alone. :eek:

You'll have a great time. :love:

[scottie]

They have yet to arrive..... I just hope they don't come on Monday because he has the day off. However I plan on say that they are just advertisments/ cruise trip information from Disney.......My family is planning a cruise for next year so this could very well fly.....I also have the general disney cruise information from earlier that I can supplement in its place.

Sounds like you have a great game plan togther!

[Iowa6]

Thank you for all your warm greetings. We dont really have a problem leaving the kids behind. I think I might feel a little guilty when we board the ship and they announce our family name. But since I am assuming that the drink of the day will be the Bahama Mama, I WONT FEEL GUILTY LONG.

Nikki, if you are still in need of a bottle of RUM let me know and I can pick you up a bottle on the way to the ship.


signed,


SHANTELLE & the guy who wont leave me alone all the cruise

[ljm23]

We're hitting Yacht club first for 3 nights before the cruise so our vacation starts in just 2 weeks, I'm SOOOOOO excited. We have a 9yr old DS who doesn't know we're going yet, we like to pick him up from school and tell him "hey let's go to Disney World" He pretty much starts to cry tears of joy at that point, so much fun!
My sister and her husband (and 12 yo DD) are joining us when we get to the cruise part then we're all staying a few days at Grand Floridian after, our first time there so it's just one exciting thing after another for us:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
Have a great Monday!

[scottie]

We're hitting Yacht club first for 3 nights before the cruise so our vacation starts in just 2 weeks, I'm SOOOOOO excited. We have a 9yr old DS who doesn't know we're going yet, we like to pick him up from school and tell him "hey let's go to Disney World" He pretty much starts to cry tears of joy at that point, so much fun!
My sister and her husband (and 12 yo DD) are joining us when we get to the cruise part then we're all staying a few days at Grand Floridian after, our first time there so it's just one exciting thing after another for us:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
Have a great Monday!


WOW, that does sound like a great time!! We stayed at GF for a couple of nights after a cruise a few years back and loved the place. And of course who cant love the pool area at Yacht/Beach Club and the Beachs and Cream Soda Shop!!

[scottie]

Just curious, what time is everyone planning on arriving at port on the 14th?
pirate:

[staceyj2]

We're hitting Yacht club first for 3 nights before the cruise so our vacation starts in just 2 weeks, I'm SOOOOOO excited. We have a 9yr old DS who doesn't know we're going yet, we like to pick him up from school and tell him "hey let's go to Disney World" He pretty much starts to cry tears of joy at that point, so much fun!
My sister and her husband (and 12 yo DD) are joining us when we get to the cruise part then we're all staying a few days at Grand Floridian after, our first time there so it's just one exciting thing after another for us:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
Have a great Monday!

Wow, that sounds like so much fun! We are arriving just for the cruise and leaving the day we get back. We have a DS that will be turning 8 a few days after the cruise, so maybe our boys will meet up in the club.

[staceyj2]

Just curious, what time is everyone planning on arriving at port on the 14th?
pirate:


We are staying near the port the night before, but we won't get there until very late. Hopefully, the kids will sleep in, but either way we will be there early. I'd say by 11 or so. What about you?

[scottie]

We have a SUV scheduled to pick us up at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at 9:45. I am estimating about 1:15 of drive time to port- depending on the speed of the driver :eek: So that should get us there and inside right around 11am too! We typically show up at port closer to 10am when we have the whole crew and stay near port.

[Surfergirl]

Anyone else receive their documents yet? I'm hoping ours come before Friday:worship: . Thats my daughters birthday and we will be surprising her with the cruise that morning.

[staceyj2]

Anyone else receive their documents yet? I'm hoping ours come before Friday:worship: . Thats my daughters birthday and we will be surprising her with the cruise that morning.

No documents here. We went through a TA, so I'm expecting to get them later than everyone else.

[scottie]

Anyone else receive their documents yet? I'm hoping ours come before Friday:worship: . Thats my daughters birthday and we will be surprising her with the cruise that morning.

No docs here either. I emailed my agent and they said they just got in the ones for the 2/9 sailing so we should be next.

[plutolovr]

My DH and I are driving from our home in SC. We'll be leaving here around 5am and hopefully arriving at port no later than noon.

[hueydewielouie]

Just curious, what time is everyone planning on arriving at port on the 14th?
pirate:

We are going to get there as early as the Disney Transportation from the airport can get us there:yay: We are coming in late on the 13th so we are staying by the airport, getting up bright and early on the 14th, eating our compimentary breakfast and then off to the airport and then to the port. I really want to get there early, but I guess as long as I am there before the shio sails off, that is early enough. :goodvibes

Oh, and we picked up our cruise documents from our TA on Friday. :banana: She had had them since last Tuesday. I hope you all get them soon (but not too soon to spoil any of your surprises) Only 16 more days. :cheer2: I am nearly jumping out of my skin.

[scottie]

For any of those parking at the Port, make sure to set a few extra dollars aside. I was reading today that the cost of parking increased from $12 to $15 per day.

[2cutekidz]

DCL Transportation is picking us up at The Swan & Dolphin at 12:15. So Im guessing we'll be at port around 2? Yes, we are stayong at Pop, but are being picked up at S&D. Our TA failed to mention that DCL does not pick up at the Value resorts! Thet will drop off though! Go figure. So we get to take a 3 mile cab ride, get there 45 minutes early to catch the shuttle.

[nkkilala]

SHANTELLE, I might take you up on that rum offer.....I'll let you know as we get closer to the date how I decide to bring in my reduced price alcohol.


I am taking the brave change of flying out the day of the cruise....... Becuase this cruse was planned AFTER we made our initial flight reservations for our WDW trip I was not able to change them. This was my main reason for purchasing trip insurance. We are however staying the night next to the Detroit Airport so that we are not delayed in weather related car traffic.

I don't have an exact plan on how we will be getting from MCO to the port.... I've been going back and fourth between a car service and the Disney Transportation.

It is all getting so close! I can't wait to be out of this snow!!!! (however there has been a slight warm up and we are currently experiancing rain....which is melting the snow....lets hope it stays warm and doesn't freeze overnight!)


Have a good night everyone!

[scottie]

DCL Transportation is picking us up at The Swan & Dolphin at 12:15. So Im guessing we'll be at port around 2? Yes, we are stayong at Pop, but are being picked up at S&D. Our TA failed to mention that DCL does not pick up at the Value resorts! Thet will drop off though! Go figure. So we get to take a 3 mile cab ride, get there 45 minutes early to catch the shuttle.

I have yet to figure out the why they wont pick up there but will drop off too! I believe it has something to do with the values not being part of the land/sea packages maybe? Im sure you will enjoy your trip to port all the same though! :cool1:

[scottie]

We are going to get there as early as the Disney Transportation from the airport can get us there:yay:


From what I have read, it sounds like buses start to the port pretty early from the airport so you should have no problem getting there before we all have to sail off and wave bye to you in the parking lot! :lmao:

[scottie]

I am taking the brave change of flying out the day of the cruise....... Becuase this cruse was planned AFTER we made our initial flight reservations for our WDW trip I was not able to change them. This was my main reason for purchasing trip insurance. We are however staying the night next to the Detroit Airport so that we are not delayed in weather related car traffic.

That is brave... you better see if you can get a hold of the Care Bears weather machine to make sure you have clear weather for your exit out of Detroit! :wizard:

[scottie]

A friendly tip: I stopped by Wal-Mart and picked up a .79 bright orange plastic two-pocket folder for all our documents for our wdw/dcl trip. I have found this to be a great way to keep all of our various papers (flight info, hotel and cruise confirmations, etc.) together in one place while cruising. It also ends up being a great place to store the papers we want to bring home with us, like navigators.

:)

[staceyj2]

A friendly tip: I stopped by Wal-Mart and picked up a .79 bright orange plastic two-pocket folder for all our documents for our wdw/dcl trip. I have found this to be a great way to keep all of our various papers (flight info, hotel and cruise confirmations, etc.) together in one place while cruising. It also ends up being a great place to store the papers we want to bring home with us, like navigators.

:)

Great idea.

Still no docs here. Hoping they come tomorrow. It's snowing so hard here it looks like a blizzard outside. This cruise can't come soon enough! :yay:

[scottie]

I was just checking a 15-day weather outlook for cape canaveral and it looks like they are predicting a bit of a dip in the temps starting a few days before we all arrive. Temps are currently projected to have highs around 64-68beginning around the 9th. I know that is way far off so lets all wish for temps closer to 80 and sun! But of course I will be more then happy with any temp that is about twice as warm as our weather in Ohio!

[nkkilala]

There are blizzard like conditions here in SW Michigan today!!! Even to colleges are closing!! The radios have stopped reading off the closings and are going with a "EVERY SCHOOL IS CLOSED" message........ too bad that doesn't apply to physical therapy clinics!!!

My 30 minute drive took me about 50 minutes today!! There have already been 3 patients who have called and canceled today!!

Looks like it will be an internet surfing day!!! lol!

I don't think I'll get documents today due to the horrific weather!

I can't wait for the cruise to get here!!!!

[scottie]

There are blizzard like conditions here in SW Michigan today!!! Even to colleges are closing!! The radios have stopped reading off the closings and are going with a "EVERY SCHOOL IS CLOSED" message........ too bad that doesn't apply to physical therapy clinics!!!

My 30 minute drive took me about 50 minutes today!! There have already been 3 patients who have called and canceled today!!

Looks like it will be an internet surfing day!!! lol!

I don't think I'll get documents today due to the horrific weather!

I can't wait for the cruise to get here!!!!

Please keep that crazy weather up north, and have safe travels home! :scared1:

[hueydewielouie]

I was just checking a 15-day weather outlook for cape canaveral and it looks like they are predicting a bit of a dip in the temps starting a few days before we all arrive. Temps are currently projected to have highs around 64-68beginning around the 9th. I know that is way far off so lets all wish for temps closer to 80 and sun! But of course I will be more then happy with any temp that is about twice as warm as our weather in Ohio!

Our weather isn't as bad as Nikki's in Portage (as least not yet. I will up date you on Friday), but here in Metro Detroit, if we double our weather the temp would be 32 with a wind chill close to single digits.:scared1: SOOOOOO, i am going to have to at least want to quadruple our weather here. I refuse to pack all of my sweatshirts. Once again, let us all start doing the warm weather dance :banana: :cool1: :yay: :dance3: You can never start to early.

[nkkilala]

well I arrived home in one piece. However, I cannot say the same for my mailbox..... It was smashed into smitherines by a car that slid off the road.

I do miss my mailbox! It was the first purchase made as husband and wife!!

Alas I will have to have my husband pick up another one :-(

However, I don't think we will get it put up soon due to the amount of snow and BELOW FREEZING wind chills.......

I am off to call my local post office to ask them to hold our mail until we can get a new mailbox put up! Wish me luck!

[scottie]

Maybe a cool disney mailbox like this would help to cheer you up...

Mailbox on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-DISNEY-MAILBOX_W0QQitemZ160202422864QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp= TL08012816103a30615)

[hueydewielouie]

well I arrived home in one piece. However, I cannot say the same for my mailbox..... It was smashed into smitherines by a car that slid off the road.

I do miss my mailbox! It was the first purchase made as husband and wife!!

Alas I will have to have my husband pick up another one :-(

However, I don't think we will get it put up soon due to the amount of snow and BELOW FREEZING wind chills.......

I am off to call my local post office to ask them to hold our mail until we can get a new mailbox put up! Wish me luck!

I am sorry to hear about your mailbox. :sad2: More so for the sentimental aspect that the actual mail aspect. As they say, gotta love living in Michigan. But in two weeks you will leave Michigan and your mailbox behind :goodvibes Florida, look our for us Michiganders. We are ready for some sun and fun,:cool1:

[staceyj2]

We are expecting more snow tomorrow with highs in the 20's. My entire family has been sick, and we are just now getting better. Is it Feb 14th Yet????? :eek:

[scottie]

We are expecting more snow tomorrow with highs in the 20's. My entire family has been sick, and we are just now getting better. Is it Feb 14th Yet????? :eek:

People are getting sick at my work left and right... I just hope I dont catch the quickly spreading virus to close to vacation!

[plutolovr]

I hope everyone is healthy for our cruise. I'm just starting to feel better after being sick for almost the entire months of December and January with bronchitis. But now that I'm better, my husband was sick last week and my daughter is coming home from school this weekend to watch the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl with us and she's sick now. I just hope she keeps her germs to herself. :sick:

I have lots of Airborne in the house and will be taking it this weekend.

nkkilala: Sorry to hear about your mailbox. When we lived in Jersey, we had some kids come around the neighborhood and destroyed a bunch of mailboxes, ours included. It's just a pain to replace especially when the ground is frozen like you have. :mad:

Well, 2 more weeks and we can forget all about cold weather, broken mailboxes and being home sick. :cloud9:

[nkkilala]

well I think i have decided to take the Disney transport from MCO to the port!

Our flight lands at 10am.

Maybe we will be on the same bus as hueydewielouie!!

You'll spot us because my husband will be the one saying "YOU DIDN"T TELL ME WE WERE GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE!""

[scottie]

well I think i have decided to take the Disney transport from MCO to the port!

Our flight lands at 10am.

Maybe we will be on the same bus as hueydewielouie!!

You'll spot us because my husband will be the one saying "YOU DIDN"T TELL ME WE WERE GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE!""

Sounds like a good choice to me! If we were staying near the airport the night before we would use the bus for sure. Staying at WDW and having to wait till at least noon before the bus left was the deciding factor for us to use a transfer service.

[ljm23]

You're too funny nkkilala. We're using a car service since we had to pay for the transfer's seperately anyway it would have cost us $105 for DCL bus from Yacht club which wouldn't have gotten us to port until 1 or later. At least from the airport you can leave as early as you want. The car service is $120 tip included and we can get picked up at 9:30! We'll miss the video on the bus that get's you excited though!

[scottie]

You're too funny nkkilala. We're using a car service since we had to pay for the transfer's seperately anyway it would have cost us $105 for DCL bus from Yacht club which wouldn't have gotten us to port until 1 or later. At least from the airport you can leave as early as you want. The car service is $120 tip included and we can get picked up at 9:30! We'll miss the video on the bus that get's you excited though!

Just curious, which car service are you using?

[ljm23]

We're using Tiffany Towncar. We've used them before with no problems.

[scottie]

We're using Tiffany Towncar. We've used them before with no problems.

That is who we planned on using until I stumbled upon Edd who posts a lot on the transportation board. We got a decent deal from him and will be transported in his Suburban. We are being picked up at AKL around 9:45am! I have not used Tiffany before but am happy to hear they are a good company!:thumbsup2

[scottie]

In case you miss the posting on the main cruise board, Hercules, the Muse-ical has been replaced with The Art of the Story until the Toy Story show comes onboard in March. I am a bit sad as I was hoping to see Hercules one more time before it left forever.

[ljm23]

That is a bummer about Hercule's, we hadn't seen it. Wonder why they'd do that?
By the way we got our documents today, we booked through expedia.

[scottie]

That is a bummer about Hercule's, we hadn't seen it. Wonder why they'd do that?
By the way we got our documents today, we booked through expedia.

My guess is they need a couple of weeks to get things in working order for the new Toy Story show behind the scenes onboard but not positive. Maybe we will luck out and have a sneak peek at the Toy Story show when we are onboard, doubt it... but one can always hope!

Great news on the docs!

[hueydewielouie]

well I think i have decided to take the Disney transport from MCO to the port!

Our flight lands at 10am.

Maybe we will be on the same bus as hueydewielouie!!

You'll spot us because my husband will be the one saying "YOU DIDN"T TELL ME WE WERE GOING ON A DISNEY CRUISE!""

I'll be looking for ya and I will make sure to tell your husband that I knew about it the whole time. I'll be the one traveling with as much as my family as humanly possible: husband, son, parents, sister, sister's friend, parent-in-laws, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece (with either one or two fractured wrists.:sad1: I feel so bad for her. She just fractured them both last week.)

In exactly two weeks we will all be sitting on the ship, basking in the sun and not having a care in the world. ALmost makes me forget about the snow storm heading our way. Still doint the warm weather dance:dance3: As of now, the high on the 14th is 72 degrees. It beats 16 degrees. See ya all in a couple of weeks.

[Surfergirl]

I'm am also disappointed about not seeing Hercules. It was our favorite.:sad2:

No documents yet!

[scottie]

I have been reading the posting about the current castaway cay water temps. Some people who have been sailing recently seem to be reporting the water as too cold to enjoy or even get into for long. I was planning on enjoying some water time at the adult beach this trip. Others said it was ok after a few minutes of being in the water so I will hope we end up on that end of the spectrum and have great air temp/clear blue skys/and a nice water temp! I guess another dance we all need to do for CC day!! :cool1: :cool1:

[nkkilala]

well I am on my way up north to Cadillac. My dad and I are doing a poker run on snowmobile Friday. Let's hope I win big for some extra spending money. Have a good weekend everyone! I'll check here occassionaly on my I-phone!

[staceyj2]

I'm so excited!!!:banana: I had really wanted to book the Dolphin excursion on Nassau, but by the time I checked into it, it was full. I have been checking back every day for the last 3 weeks to see if there were any cancellations, and today there was!!! My kids are going to LOVE it. I'm not going to tell them until that day. :yay: :yay:

[staceyj2]

I have been reading the posting about the current castaway cay water temps. Some people who have been sailing recently seem to be reporting the water as too cold to enjoy or even get into for long. I was planning on enjoying some water time at the adult beach this trip. Others said it was ok after a few minutes of being in the water so I will hope we end up on that end of the spectrum and have great air temp/clear blue skys/and a nice water temp! I guess another dance we all need to do for CC day!! :cool1: :cool1:

I've seen those reports too! Some even said they wore long sleeves and pants on CC. I'm hoping it will be warm for us, but am determined to have a good time either way!

[scottie]

I'm so excited!!!:banana: I had really wanted to book the Dolphin excursion on Nassau, but by the time I checked into it, it was full. I have been checking back every day for the last 3 weeks to see if there were any cancellations, and today there was!!! My kids are going to LOVE it. I'm not going to tell them until that day. :yay: :yay:

Thats great news... have a blast!!

And as for the water, it does sound like we will at least have warm pools onboard to enjoy for the duration of the cruise! :dance3:

[Surfergirl]

Well it's my daughters 14th birthday today:bday: . We told her about the surprise cruise. Instead of jumping up and down she sat in stunned silence for a few minutes then had the biggest grin on her face. by the time she left for school she was excited.
Now I can start to get things organized, only 12 days until we leave:cool1:

[scottie]

Well it's my daughters 14th birthday today:bday: . We told her about the surprise cruise. Instead of jumping up and down she sat in stunned silence for a few minutes then had the biggest grin on her face. by the time she left for school she was excited.
Now I can start to get things organized, only 12 days until we leave:cool1:

Happy birthday to your daughter! And thanks for reminding me... I need to go out and do some clothes shopping this weekend so we can start packing!

[staceyj2]

Still no documents. Is there anyone else who still hasn't received theirs?

[scottie]

Still no documents. Is there anyone else who still hasn't received theirs?

No docs here either (went thru an online travel agent). Our agent said they usually recv docs for their customers around 12-14 days before sailing, check over them and ship them back out.

[plutolovr]

Still no documents. Is there anyone else who still hasn't received theirs?


I'm an outside travel agent, and my documents for this cruise came into the office yesterday and the manager is sending them to me today. :banana:

[Surfergirl]

I'm doing the happy dance.:banana: My documents arrived this afternoon.:woohoo:

[scottie]

I'm doing the happy dance.:banana: My documents arrived this afternoon.:woohoo:

Great for you... nothing here still!

I will tell you what, those weather reports for our arrival and sail-out day look better to me everytime I look at them! :cloud9:

[nkkilala]

I am home from my very successful poker run! My group (dad, uncle and me) went to 11 different stops and covered 95 miles by snowmobile. We won a rib dinner and a walleye dinner!

I have arrived home to find no documents.... which is good becuase then I would have really had some explaning to do to DH.


Do they leave your documents at your door?? or Mailbox. If it is the mailbox I'll have a bit of a delay there seeing as all of my mail is being delivered to the post office.

[scottie]

I am home from my very successful poker run! My group (dad, uncle and me) went to 11 different stops and covered 95 miles by snowmobile. We won a rib dinner and a walleye dinner!

I have arrived home to find no documents.... which is good becuase then I would have really had some explaning to do to DH.


Do they leave your documents at your door?? or Mailbox. If it is the mailbox I'll have a bit of a delay there seeing as all of my mail is being delivered to the post office.

Great job on the poker run!!

The last couple of sailings we used travel agents and they have always been delivered to our door via UPS or a similar carrier from the agent. If you went direct thru DCL, I cant recall who they use to ship to your home. I believe it is some sort of priority shipping still. Hopefully someone else can help answer this so you will be more prepared!

[nkkilala]

well,

My papers must have come sometime this weekend! I found them on the counter last night after I got home from a super bowlparty (hubby didn't go because he has a small cold).

He must have brought them inside!! He did not open them and did not ask me about them!! Now I have some time this morning to fill them with the "regular cruise information" that Disney sends out advertising their cruises!

Have a great week everyone!! Only 10 more days until we set sail!!!:yay: :yay:

[scottie]

well,

My papers must have come sometime this weekend! I found them on the counter last night after I got home from a super bowlparty (hubby didn't go because he has a small cold).

He must have brought them inside!! He did not open them and did not ask me about them!! Now I have some time this morning to fill them with the "regular cruise information" that Disney sends out advertising their cruises!

Have a great week everyone!! Only 10 more days until we set sail!!!:yay: :yay:

Thats great to hear! :thumbsup2

[hueydewielouie]

well,

My papers must have come sometime this weekend! I found them on the counter last night after I got home from a super bowlparty (hubby didn't go because he has a small cold).

He must have brought them inside!! He did not open them and did not ask me about them!! Now I have some time this morning to fill them with the "regular cruise information" that Disney sends out advertising their cruises!

Have a great week everyone!! Only 10 more days until we set sail!!!:yay: :yay:

I am so happy that everything is falling right into place for you. :) I am not sure that I (or any of us) have told you how lucky your husband is to have you. Planning an entire wonderful trip like this as a complete surprise. I keep telling my husband to feel free to follow your lead while we are on board. This is his response:lmao: :rotfl2: Well, it never hurts to try.

Can you believe it is only 10 more days until we will be boarding the ship of dreams?

[nkkilala]

Well the trip preparations have started!!

I had my hair cut, colored and styled today!!

I received some of the things I ordered from the Disney Store (including 2 shirts for me, one for hubby, and a new purse!)

I've started setting aside the outfits we will wear and will start packing Saturday after work!!!


I am SOOOO ready to be out of this cold dreary weather!



Hueydewielouie: feel free to let my husband know how lucky he is when we see each other on the ship!

[scottie]

I plan to pull the suitcases out of the closet Saturday and begin the packing by Sunday. Weather reports looks like we should be safe with shorts every day and maybe one pair of jeans just in case. And of course the usual dress clothes for the cruise dinners. Cant wait to celebrate Valentines day in Palos!
I decided to have roses delivered for an early valentines gift to my wife at work this coming Thursday so she could enjoy them for several days before we head out on our vacation.

[2cutekidz]

I have started packing!! My DD5 is almost all packed and my DS2 is done! It's almost time! This week is going to fly by for me! I asked DH what time my mom should get to our house to take us to the airport, and he said - " I don't know." I asked what time our flight was, again - "I don't know. I haven't looked at any of that you planned everything." That is so unlike him! He is usually the one to do all of the planning and I am the one saying "I don't know" I can't wait to see all of my planning come to life! KWIM?! If anyone is intersted, here is what my kiddo's will be wearing on the ship... It's the first quote.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=22992598#post22992598

[hueydewielouie]

I have started packing!! My DD5 is almost all packed and my DS2 is done! It's almost time! This week is going to fly by for me! I asked DH what time my mom should get to our house to take us to the airport, and he said - " I don't know." I asked what time our flight was, again - "I don't know. I haven't looked at any of that you planned everything." That is so unlike him! He is usually the one to do all of the planning and I am the one saying "I don't know" I can't wait to see all of my planning come to life! KWIM?! If anyone is intersted, here is what my kiddo's will be wearing on the ship... It's the first quote.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=22992598#post22992598

Way too cute. I love them :lovestruc Now, just so you know, my family will be sitting as far from your family as possible at dinner (and any where else on the ship) so my little guy does not pale in comparison to the total cuteness of your kids. I so should have come over and had you taught me how to sew. See ya soon.

[staceyj2]

I have started packing!! My DD5 is almost all packed and my DS2 is done! It's almost time! This week is going to fly by for me! I asked DH what time my mom should get to our house to take us to the airport, and he said - " I don't know." I asked what time our flight was, again - "I don't know. I haven't looked at any of that you planned everything." That is so unlike him! He is usually the one to do all of the planning and I am the one saying "I don't know" I can't wait to see all of my planning come to life! KWIM?! If anyone is intersted, here is what my kiddo's will be wearing on the ship... It's the first quote.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=22992598#post22992598

I can't see the pictures. I have been having that trouble lately. I can't see most of the pictures that are posted. I'm sure they are super cute though!!! I started packing yesterday also. I am trying to take as little as possible, but I'm having a hard time with what to wear based on the weather. Do you think we will need pants too, or just shorts???

[ljm23]

Does anyone know how it works at the port with your luggage when you are using a private car service to get to the port?
In my docs I got these DCL luggage tags that have our room number on them. Do we have to bring our luggage on board or do they take it at the port?

[scottie]

Does anyone know how it works at the port with your luggage when you are using a private car service to get to the port?
In my docs I got these DCL luggage tags that have our room number on them. Do we have to bring our luggage on board or do they take it at the port?

Our car service said they pull right up to the drop-off area where the porters stand. This is the same area you would pull up if you were driving your own car. The porter will take your luggage from the driver and wisk it away behind the scenes and you can head inside to complete registration and relax. I would guess most all transfer companies have rights to pull up to the drop-off area.
We plan to settle up with the driver at this point also and tip the porter for taking our luggage.

[ljm23]

Thanks, I was hoping that was how it went. I did not want to lug everything around!

[scottie]

Just ran across this... here is a link to the Port Canaveral site that lists most of the car services that are authorized to drop people off at the terminals.

http://www.portcanaveral.org/cruising/groundtransport.php

[2cutekidz]

Way too cute. I love them :lovestruc Now, just so you know, my family will be sitting as far from your family as possible at dinner (and any where else on the ship) so my little guy does not pale in comparison to the total cuteness of your kids. I so should have come over and had you taught me how to sew. See ya soon.


Very funny! Of course I've made all the sets, but I'll be lucky if I get her out of her bathing suit during the day! Her dinner sets should get worn though. Your DS is cute enough - without the homemeade clothes! Such a cutie!! You can't sit that far from me, I'm going to need you to save me from the insanity!! ;)

[ljm23]

Hey, I just looked at my online reservation and we got changed to the main dinner seating. We had been on the waitlist so I guess it does actually happen sometimes. I had called several times about this but was never able to get it changed. The last time I called (about a week ago) they told me to wait until we got on the ship. Just wanted to give anyone else who's hoping to get changed a ray of hope.

[scottie]

Just got confirmation from my agent that documents will be sitting on my front door today... about time, but HAPPY none the less!!!
:cool1: :banana: :cool1:

[scottie]

Hey, I just looked at my online reservation and we got changed to the main dinner seating. We had been on the waitlist so I guess it does actually happen sometimes. I had called several times about this but was never able to get it changed. The last time I called (about a week ago) they told me to wait until we got on the ship. Just wanted to give anyone else who's hoping to get changed a ray of hope.

Great to hear! I think you are one of the few and far between that are able to get flipped before the cruise date... way to go!

[scottie]

Weather reports are looking pretty nice for our vacation so far!
:surfweb:

[scottie]

I'm an outside travel agent, and my documents for this cruise came into the office yesterday and the manager is sending them to me today. :banana:

You are a travel agent, cool! Does that have many perks when traveling?

[staceyj2]

Just got confirmation from my agent that documents will be sitting on my front door today... about time, but HAPPY none the less!!!
:cool1: :banana: :cool1:

I got mine yesterday! Not much in them, but it is still nice to have them in hand.

I'm glad to hear that someone's dining waitlist came through. I called and checked on ours, and we are still on for late seating. I'm hoping and praying that we can get early once we get there. My kiddos will never make it that late.

[plutolovr]

You are a travel agent, cool! Does that have many perks when traveling?


Some. Disney gives us good discounts, 50% off at the resorts, but we can't book packages, so no dining plan for us. We can also get cruise discounts, but it depends on space available. Sometimes we get good offers. Around Christmas 2006 we were offered their Christmas cruise for a song, but the offer came about 3 weeks before sailing, so hard to make arrangements that soon.

[nkkilala]

Is anyone else at the late seating for dinner??

We are booked for late because it is just adults. Anyone else doing this late seating?

[scottie]

Some. Disney gives us good discounts, 50% off at the resorts, but we can't book packages, so no dining plan for us. We can also get cruise discounts, but it depends on space available. Sometimes we get good offers. Around Christmas 2006 we were offered their Christmas cruise for a song, but the offer came about 3 weeks before sailing, so hard to make arrangements that soon.

Cool, how lucky! Do you know if DCL cut comissions as recently as a week or so ago? Reason I ask is I had an agent claim this happended so they were no longer willing to offer me the same onboard credit for an 09' cruise. I didnt see any other agents changing their onboard credits so I was curious.

[staceyj2]

Is anyone else at the late seating for dinner??

We are booked for late because it is just adults. Anyone else doing this late seating?

So far we are on late dining, but hoping to change it.

[scottie]

I got mine yesterday! Not much in them, but it is still nice to have them in hand.

I'm glad to hear that someone's dining waitlist came through. I called and checked on ours, and we are still on for late seating. I'm hoping and praying that we can get early once we get there. My kiddos will never make it that late.

Happy to hear your docs arrive too! I guess we are opposite as we love having the late seating and the kids have never had much of an issue with it and seem to enjoy having more time to do other stuff while the sun is out. We never found it hard to find a late day snack- even a healthy one- to tide them (us adults too) over till dinner seating.
Also, if your kids are in the clubs and find they like the clubs our kids have been excited to eat dinner with the club which is earlier.

[scottie]

Is anyone else at the late seating for dinner??

We are booked for late because it is just adults. Anyone else doing this late seating?

We are late seaters too!! Doing Palo the first night so you wont spot us in the dinining room until the second night- if we have the same dining rotation.

[nkkilala]

Would anyone like to meet up for the sailaway party? or at any other time during the trip?

[scottie]

Would anyone like to meet up for the sailaway party? or at any other time during the trip?

I have never had much luck dragging the wife away to an event on the first day of our cruises.... but I can try if others decide to meet up! :eek:

[redeemedq]

We will be on the cruise...actually have reserved 2 rooms at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island in order to use the facilities at Atlantis for the day. We are a family of 6 so needed 2 rooms as they only give out 4 wristbands per room. My husband is considering canceling this after I told him the need to get 2 rooms (and the cost!). I need to cancel by Sunday, Feb. 10 at noon. Was wondering if there might be a couple that would like to join us--and pay considerably less than what DCL charges for their Atlantis excursion. So far the weather for the Nassau day looks good.

[scottie]

We will be on the cruise...actually have reserved 2 rooms at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island in order to use the facilities at Atlantis for the day. We are a family of 6 so needed 2 rooms as they only give out 4 wristbands per room. My husband is considering canceling this after I told him the need to get 2 rooms (and the cost!). I need to cancel by Sunday, Feb. 10 at noon. Was wondering if there might be a couple that would like to join us--and pay considerably less than what DCL charges for their Atlantis excursion. So far the weather for the Nassau day looks good.

Welcome aboard!!! That would be fun to hit the pools at Atlantis for the day, unfortunately, I think I have been talked into shopping Nassau with DW while there so we are out of the running for splitting a room.

[2cutekidz]

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on the Wonder!! we are off to the World in the morning!!

[scottie]

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you on the Wonder!! we are off to the World in the morning!!

Lucky you!!! have a safe and fun trip!

[plutolovr]

Scottie,
Have not heard about Disney cutting commissions, 10% as usual, however, the TA you're using may want to hold to more of their commission instead of giving it back to you as OBC. If she works for an agency, this may have may have been mandated by the owner.

BTW, we're at late seating also. Can't wait!!!:thumbsup2

[scottie]

Scottie,
Have not heard about Disney cutting commissions, 10% as usual, however, the TA you're using may want to hold to more of their commission instead of giving it back to you as OBC. If she works for an agency, this may have may have been mandated by the owner.


Thats what I was guessing!

[staceyj2]

Would anyone like to meet up for the sailaway party? or at any other time during the trip?

We might be able to make it if others with kids are meeting. I know many of you are doing "kid free" vacations (I'm jealous to say the least! ;)) and might want to be around adults only. :boat:

[nkkilala]

We are doing kids free only becuase we don't have any....yet!!

It doesn't matter to me if kids are there or not! We will probably be on the higher deck though to get a better ariel view.

Seeing as this is my first Disney cruise I don't know of any places/landmarks to meet up at!

[nkkilala]

redeemedq,
I would have loved to help you split a room however that is the day that I have our spa reservations and there are none others open. Thank you so much for the offer though!

[nkkilala]

we all get to cruise THIS WEEK!!!! EEEK!!!

I'm SOOOOO excited to get away! We got another 3" of snow last night!

Florida here I come!!

[staceyj2]

we all get to cruise THIS WEEK!!!! EEEK!!!

I'm SOOOOO excited to get away! We got another 3" of snow last night!

Florida here I come!!

I can't believe it's almost here! I'm almost packed and Wednesday night can't come soon enough for me! :cool1: :cool1:

[plutolovr]

We're excited too!! I made my DH get his clothes out today because he travels for work today and won't be home until late Wednesday.

We bought a bottle of my favorite champagne yesterday to enjoy in the room and I have to order some chocolate covered strawberries to bring with us. We're also going to the Daytona 500 and we purchased a new camcorder yesterday so we can record all the pre-race stuff and some of the neat things on the ship. So if you see 2 adults who look like they're not sure how to use their camcorder, it's probably us. I'm not real good at reading instructions and usually just go on the fly. :rotfl:

[hueydewielouie]

In three days we will be on a plane heading to Orlando and in 4 days we will be cruising. :cool1: :cool1: I can't even express how ready for this I am. It is 3 degrees here with a real feel of -18. That FLorida sunshine sure sounds good right about now.

Good luck to all on finishing up your packing (At least I know I haven't quite finished).

[scottie]

We will join your boat of not being packed yet. Got the suitcases out and starting pulling some "summer" clothes out of storage to pack but no where near finised yet! Freezing cold here too so bring on the warmth and sun. I plan to hit the pool at AKL Wednesday!

[scottie]

Oh boy... my MIL is supposed to fly in on Tuesday late morning from Ft Myers to watch the kids and I was just noticing weather is supposed to be a wintery mix of uck on Tuesday. Keep fingers crossed that she makes it hear Tuesday and the weather is clear for Wednesday so we can join everyone on the cruise!

[hueydewielouie]

Oh boy... my MIL is supposed to fly in on Tuesday late morning from Ft Myers to watch the kids and I was just noticing weather is supposed to be a wintery mix of uck on Tuesday. Keep fingers crossed that she makes it hear Tuesday and the weather is clear for Wednesday so we can join everyone on the cruise!

My fingers are crossed for you. I am sure all will turn out well. You know how good they are at predicting the weather. You'll probably end up with a record-breaking 65 degree day:rotfl: (one can dream)

[scottie]

My fingers are crossed for you. I am sure all will turn out well. You know how good they are at predicting the weather. You'll probably end up with a record-breaking 65 degree day:rotfl: (one can dream)

Too funny!:lmao: And I will continue to hope for good weather for all of us cold-weather state travelers sailing the high seas on 2/14!

[staceyj2]

Oh boy... my MIL is supposed to fly in on Tuesday late morning from Ft Myers to watch the kids and I was just noticing weather is supposed to be a wintery mix of uck on Tuesday. Keep fingers crossed that she makes it hear Tuesday and the weather is clear for Wednesday so we can join everyone on the cruise!

Fingers crossed! Hopefully, they are wrong. It was supposed to be freezing rain all day here today, but now it is going to miss us totally.

As my daughter has been telling me all moring..."2 more sleeps until we leave Mom". :banana: :banana:

[ljm23]

We leave in a few hours. Staying at Yacht club for a few days before. Hope you all travel safely. See you Thursday!!!:yay: :yay: :yay:

[scottie]

some good news, MILs flight took off from Ft Myers this AM so we have one hurdle out of the way now. She should be landing here in about 45 mins!

[Surfergirl]

Looks like we are going to have great weather.:thumbsup2
One more sleep!:banana:

[staceyj2]

some good news, MILs flight took off from Ft Myers this AM so we have one hurdle out of the way now. She should be landing here in about 45 mins!

Great news!! I can't believe it's almost here! :banana: :thumbsup2 :cloud9:

[scottie]

Looks like we are going to have great weather.:thumbsup2
One more sleep!:banana:

Lets make sure the snow doesnt follow anyone to Florida! :scared1:

[staceyj2]

Apparently there was a tornado in Cocoa Beach today. They are expecting bad weather again tomorrow. I sure hope it all passes before we arrive tomorrow evening. This Dorothy is leaving KS to get away from the tornadoes. Are they following me??? :rotfl:

[scottie]

I hope everyone had a GREAT trip!!

[Surfergirl]

We had a fantastic time. Now back to reality to pay for the next trips.

[scottie]

We had a fantastic time. Now back to reality to pay for the next trips.

Happy to hear you had a great time with DD!

You are so right. I was just thinking this morning how I only have about a year left to get our 7-night paid off. I guess I know where part of the tax return will be heading!

Oh, and not sure if anyone else saw the King of Cars on Castaway Cay, but we were sitting about 10 feet behind his family and took a picture with him!

[nkkilala]

ok scottie... who is the King of Cars???


we had a great time on the ship! My husband was SOOOOO surprised when I told him about the cruise at MCO!! We had a blast and tentitively booked another cruise for late '09 however I'll probably change it to '10 or '11 when the dates come out! I think our next one will have to be a 7 night because it was TOOOOO SHORT!!!

[scottie]

Here is a link to the A&E page for his show King of Cars (http://www.aetv.com/kingofcars/index.jsp?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=king+of+cars&utm_campaign=king+of+cars&keywords=king+of+cars&paidlink=1&ref_str=http%3A//www.google.com/search%3Fq%3Dking+of+cars%26sourceid%3Die7%26rls%3 Dcom.microsoft%3Aen-US%26ie%3Dutf8%26oe%3Dutf8)

Happy to hear your hubby was surprised and you both had a great time! Feel free to join us on the 5/9/09 Eastern! We did find the 3 night to be a bit too short for us to do all the time but it was a nice change. However we have found the several 4 night cruises we have done to be pefrect lenght when followed by a couple of days in WDW after! We also look forward to our upcoming 7 nighter! And I am sure we will book onoabrd then for a 2011 cruise!

[staceyj2]

Hey everyone! I hope all of you had a great time on the cruise. We had a good time, but I don't think I will ever do a 3 night again without combining it with a stay at WDW or Universal. It was way too short! I planned and packed for what seemed like forever and then had a ton of laundry to do when I got home. It just wasn't long enough to warrant all of that for me! That said, we all had a great time. The kids loved the dolphin excursion on Nassau and the day on Castaway Cay.

We booked a 4 night for Oct. while onboard, with plans on changing it when we returned home to look at the calendar. We have done 2, 3 nights now and I don't know how much different a 4 night would be so we are hoping to fit in a 7 night in 09 or 10.

Wish I could have met all of you, I hope everyone had a great time.