View Full Version : 3/28/09 Spring Break Magic in St. Croix
disneyfreak1
03-09-2009, 12:45 PM
Well I am not buying a suit for my DS. If he can't fit into one of my husband's jackets, he will just be doing a shirt, pants and tie. ;)
Dyanne
03-09-2009, 08:30 PM
I haven't posted on this thread in a while and thought I'd chime in. If anyone has a 12yo DD, mine would LOVE to send yours an email. She's an extrovert stuck in a family of introverts, so she likes to find new friends everywhere she goes. Please PM me if your daughter would like to meet mine. (She's into everything "12," such as Twilight, being cool, music, etc.)
And for the many of us from Minnesota who will be cruising: let's all cross our fingers and send good vibes out into the universe in an effort to ensure a VERY WARM TRIP!
I'll see everyone at 3:00 on embarkation day!
Dyanne
mumom95
03-09-2009, 09:38 PM
Well I am not buying a suit for my DS. If he can't fit into one of my husband's jackets, he will just be doing a shirt, pants and tie. ;)
The only reason my DS is going to be wearing a suit is because he had to have one last year for his first communion, and my MIL was able to let the pants out length wise to still fit him. My DH and DS aren't happy about it though. But they've agreed to do it for dinner and to get pictures, but I'm sure right after that they will be out of them and back into more casual clothes. Heck, I probably will too. I'm not one who likes to dress up too much, but I am looking forward to getting some nice family photos.
The one nice thing about driving down is we don't have to worry as much about luggage issues. But that 14 hour drive isn't going to be fun.
disneyfreak1
03-10-2009, 05:29 AM
The only reason my DS is going to be wearing a suit is because he had to have one last year for his first communion, and my MIL was able to let the pants out length wise to still fit him. My DH and DS aren't happy about it though. But they've agreed to do it for dinner and to get pictures, but I'm sure right after that they will be out of them and back into more casual clothes. Heck, I probably will too. I'm not one who likes to dress up too much, but I am looking forward to getting some nice family photos.
The one nice thing about driving down is we don't have to worry as much about luggage issues. But that 14 hour drive isn't going to be fun.
14 hours? Yikes! I'm glad I only have a 5 hour drive. It is very nice not to have luggage issues, though. We flew to Miami last spring break and cruised out of there. That was very different for us. I felt like we had to be careful what we took and brought back. I had some jerk seasoning from Jamaica that got confiscated. They called it a liquid! Huh?:confused3
Hi everyone- We will be joining you on this cruise, our very first Disney. We were able to get a really great military rate and we are very excited. Joining me are DH, DS 11, DS 9 and DD 7. We will be driving 13 hours from TN which won't be fun, but all in an effort to save money. Our last cruise was 4 years ago on Royal Caribbean. That time we had two adjoining inside cabins. This time we are in a cat 4. It will be nice having a balcony, but I'm a little worried with 5 of us we will be cramped in the room. My DS 11 is anxious to be in Ocean Quest and able to come and go as he pleases, but I don't know if I'm ready for that. Luckily, he is a responsible kid. I do wish he were in with DS 9, because he is my shy one and will try more new things if older brother is with him. DD 7 is very excited about all the fun stuff on ship....she has watched the video a few times.
We have booked Palo for one night, but no excursions yet. My brother lived in St. Thomas for a couple years. He said to take a taxi to Magen's Bay because the kids would love the beach.
I'm enjoying these DIS boards but they are quite addicting. :)
mumom95
03-10-2009, 06:10 AM
Hi everyone- We will be joining you on this cruise, our very first Disney. We were able to get a really great military rate and we are very excited. Joining me are DH, DS 11, DS 9 and DD 7. We will be driving 13 hours from TN which won't be fun, but all in an effort to save money. Our last cruise was 4 years ago on Royal Caribbean. That time we had two adjoining inside cabins. This time we are in a cat 4. It will be nice having a balcony, but I'm a little worried with 5 of us we will be cramped in the room. My DS 11 is anxious to be in Ocean Quest and able to come and go as he pleases, but I don't know if I'm ready for that. Luckily, he is a responsible kid. I do wish he were in with DS 9, because he is my shy one and will try more new things if older brother is with him. DD 7 is very excited about all the fun stuff on ship....she has watched the video a few times.
We have booked Palo for one night, but no excursions yet. My brother lived in St. Thomas for a couple years. He said to take a taxi to Magen's Bay because the kids would love the beach.
I'm enjoying these DIS boards but they are quite addicting. :)
My DS is also 9, and a bit on the shy side, we should make sure they get introduced early on and maybe they will become fast friends. My DD is also 7, but turns 8 the second day of the cruise, so I'm going to move her up to the club with the 8-9 year olds.
My DD 7 is in 2nd grade and will be 8 in a couple months, so I had thought about trying to move her up as well. After she looked at some of the activities for her age group she said she wanted to stay in th 5-7 age group. Guess we will see what the makeup of the group is when we get there, hopefully more towards the 7 year old side.
alikat99
03-10-2009, 09:00 AM
My DD 7 is in 2nd grade and will be 8 in a couple months, so I had thought about trying to move her up as well. After she looked at some of the activities for her age group she said she wanted to stay in th 5-7 age group. Guess we will see what the makeup of the group is when we get there, hopefully more towards the 7 year old side.
My oldest DD is 7 1/2 and she's quite outgoing too. Maybe we can introduce them early on too.
[QUOTE=Dyanne;30726085]I haven't posted on this thread in a while and thought I'd chime in. If anyone has a 12yo DD, mine would LOVE to send yours an email. She's an extrovert stuck in a family of introverts, so she likes to find new friends everywhere she goes. Please PM me if your daughter would like to meet mine. (She's into everything "12," such as Twilight, being cool, music, etc.)/QUOTE]
Dyanne - I sent you a PM.
Also, if anyone has a 14/15 year old daughter that is interested in exchanging emails with my other daughter, please let me know:)
I can't believe the cruise is so close. We haven't done anything yet to get ready. I'm sure it will be a last minute thing, as always for us. We are going to Universal Studios to see Montgomery Gentry this weekend, so that leaves only the weekend before that we'll have to shop and pack.
Wendy
skohrs
03-10-2009, 11:36 AM
We'll be going to see Montgomery Gentry this weekend at Universal as well. :dance3:
gagamouse
03-10-2009, 12:08 PM
My DD is 7 she will turn 8 soon as we get home. She is also very out going. She will be very excited to meet other girls her age. We are starting to pack. I can't beleive we are only days away.
I agree dis boards are very addicting.
kcashner
03-10-2009, 10:15 PM
We're driving 3 hours to Nashville and flying from there. The direct flights on Southwest were sold out and Delta no longer does directs (grrr.) Driving to Nashville will save me $500 and not take any longer than a flight with a layover. We flew last trip...I couldn't face another 14 hour drive this soon.
I'd strongly encourage you to start your kids in their "age appropriate" groups rather than automatically trying to move them up. If their age group isn't fitting, then talk to the CMs, and they can usually allow a move. DCL has lots of experience with kids and has fine tuned the groups over the years. They are pretty well planned and pretty appropriate. You're in a much stronger position to say "My almost 8 tried the 5-7 group two days and it's just too young for her" than "My kid is so mature that she just needs to move up." Yes, I know you wouldn't phrase it that way, but you get the idea.
mumom95
03-11-2009, 04:46 AM
We're driving 3 hours to Nashville and flying from there. The direct flights on Southwest were sold out and Delta no longer does directs (grrr.) Driving to Nashville will save me $500 and not take any longer than a flight with a layover. We flew last trip...I couldn't face another 14 hour drive this soon.
I'd strongly encourage you to start your kids in their "age appropriate" groups rather than automatically trying to move them up. If their age group isn't fitting, then talk to the CMs, and they can usually allow a move. DCL has lots of experience with kids and has fine tuned the groups over the years. They are pretty well planned and pretty appropriate. You're in a much stronger position to say "My almost 8 tried the 5-7 group two days and it's just too young for her" than "My kid is so mature that she just needs to move up." Yes, I know you wouldn't phrase it that way, but you get the idea.
Her age appropriate group would be the 8-9 year olds, she turns 8 the second day of the cruise. Unless, are you recommending she go to the 5-7 age group club on Saturday and then switch over to the 8-9 age group club on Sunday? It seems to me she'd miss out on all the info they give the first night if she did that.
DD is going into the 5-7 age group. She really wants to bake cookies, and she saw on a navigator that group gets to do it. Of all the fun activities, she focused on the cookies....too funny. Of course, I'm focusing on all the talk of good food as well. :)
For past DIS cruisers, do you use the laundry facilities? Are they super crowded? I'm starting to lay clothes out for the cruise and figured I need to take an outfit a day for the kids, because you know kids and how dirty they can get. Add to that some nicer clothes for dinner, and we are talking about lots of clothes.
starview
03-11-2009, 08:36 AM
My DGS turns 8 the beginning of May but he will be going into the Club. He's a little shy & I defininitely think he would do better with being one of the oldest instead of one of the youngest.
I just hope he doesn't want to spend too much time in the Club because we adore our time with him & want to be able to enjoy activities with him as well. We'll definitely be picking him up for all meals to share with us.
Another -35 degree morning today with windchill although it is supposed to begin the warming trend this afternoon. I'm just picturing lazing on a lounge at Castaway Cay to keep me warm.
kcashner
03-11-2009, 10:01 AM
Her age appropriate group would be the 8-9 year olds, she turns 8 the second day of the cruise. Unless, are you recommending she go to the 5-7 age group club on Saturday and then switch over to the 8-9 age group club on Sunday? It seems to me she'd miss out on all the info they give the first night if she did that.
Absolutely, a child who turns 8 on the second day of the cruise belongs in the 8 year old group. The DCL policy is that if they are within 30 days of the birthday, they can go into the new group.
My concern is with the 7 or "almost 7" where mom wants them in with their 9 year old sib, etc.
Sorry if I caused confusion.
kcashner
03-11-2009, 10:10 AM
DD is going into the 5-7 age group. She really wants to bake cookies, and she saw on a navigator that group gets to do it. Of all the fun activities, she focused on the cookies....too funny. Of course, I'm focusing on all the talk of good food as well. :)
For past DIS cruisers, do you use the laundry facilities? Are they super crowded? I'm starting to lay clothes out for the cruise and figured I need to take an outfit a day for the kids, because you know kids and how dirty they can get. Add to that some nicer clothes for dinner, and we are talking about lots of clothes.
First, for the kids...get some gallon sized bags, or re-use the plastic bags you get at the grocery store. Put one kid outfit in a bag for each day. Include socks and underwear. Each morning, you only have to get out a bag for each kid--no scrambling for clothes. I have a suitcase that folds up to the size of a manilla envelope and not much thicker--it is my dirty clothes bag. I instruct that it is for "underwear and clothes that are too dirty to be worn again." We have another place to put the shorts or top that you wore for 2 hours and didn't spill anything on--that can be worn again. Dinner clothes (if no spills) can definitely be worn again.
The laundry rooms are well maintained. They can be crowded--obviously, they get worse as the cruise progresses. The least crowded times are EARLY in the morning and on port days. The cost is $1 for washer, $1 for dryer (you may need more time in the dryer). Detergent is for sale or bring your own. They take quarters, but there is a change machine or get change at GS. I prefer not to do laundry for a "cruise only," if we do WDW, I do all my laundry on the last night so we get on the ship with everything clean.
Just a FYI...sometimes characters come to visit in the Club...not always on the schedule. Also, there is a "make a frame" activity and the kids will get a free photo of themselves with a character to put in their frame IF they are in the club for that activity.
Thanks for the idea about the kid's clothing. I really don't want to do laundry on the cruise, but am glad that it is available. Mom is on vacation, too!
kcashner
03-11-2009, 01:01 PM
If anyone cares....cat 4,5,6, and 7 are now available on our cruise....I've got my balcony, but this bodes well for those thinking about upgrades at the port.
mumom95
03-11-2009, 02:45 PM
If anyone cares....cat 4,5,6, and 7 are now available on our cruise....I've got my balcony, but this bodes well for those thinking about upgrades at the port.
Feel free to throw pixie dust my way, we'd love a balcony.
When we get to the ship we are going to ask what it would cost to upgrade to a balcony. I've read that sometimes you can get an upgrade for much cheaper the day of the cruise, so we thought we would try.
kcashner
03-11-2009, 03:03 PM
Feel free to throw pixie dust my way, we'd love a balcony.
When we get to the ship we are going to ask what it would cost to upgrade to a balcony. I've read that sometimes you can get an upgrade for much cheaper the day of the cruise, so we thought we would try.
We've upgraded at the port three times now. In each case, it cost about 1/2 of what it would have cost to book the upgrade originally. Most recently, we went from a cat 12 to a 6 on a 4 day sailing for $411. On a 7 day, we did a 12 to an 8 for about $236. I think a 6 on that cruise was $6??...didn't do it, so don't remember.
skohrs
03-11-2009, 03:03 PM
We have a Gty Cat 6 and were just placed on deck 5, and we already have a cat 7 on deck 6. We have been trying to get the Cat 6 moved from deck 5 to deck 6 so the entire family will at least be on the same deck, but all of the cat 4, 5, 6 and 7's they are showing available right now are also Gty. DCL has told us that there are no specific cabins available on Deck 6 at this time. Hopefully, we can get changed to a deck 6 cabin at the port. Keeping our fingers crossed. :worship:
RalphM
03-11-2009, 06:20 PM
maybe we can sit together because we decided that we are not getting dressy for formal nite...we are driving and do not have any extra room...would rather pack more "play" clothes...
Dave and Micha
03-12-2009, 02:10 PM
Hi Everyone... we just got off a back to back on the Magic and had a fantastic time! Would anyone be willing to help us continue a running gag we have going with our favorite server in Palo, Roberto?
Either go up to him and ask tell him Dave and Michael told you to ask him for the free drink... or just tell him that we've got our eyes on him.
We had such a fun time the entire two weeks and he made some funny comments about Disboards, etc.
If you have Palo reservations and don't have a favorite server, give him a try.
Thanks... and if anyone needs any port info....
starview
03-12-2009, 03:39 PM
I've seen on the boards where DIS members have arranged sitting together but I would imagine there are logistical nightmares to achieve that. Does anyone have experience with that?
alikat99
03-12-2009, 03:41 PM
I've seen on the boards where DIS members have arranged sitting together but I would imagine there are logistical nightmares to achieve that. Does anyone have experience with that?
Actually, it's extremely easy! I've done it for every one of my DCL cruises. One person just needs to call DCL with everyone's confirmation #, last name and cabin number. You just have to link the reservations, and DCL does the rest. It's actually very fun. We're hoping to switch to early seating, if possible, when we get there, otherwise, I'd LOVE to link ressies with another family!!!
And, one time, we linked a whole BUNCH of DISers together (about 80 of us) and we had one whole section of the dining room!!!
starview
03-12-2009, 03:48 PM
Actually, it's extremely easy! I've done it for every one of my DCL cruises. One person just needs to call DCL with everyone's confirmation #, last name and cabin number. You just have to link the reservations, and DCL does the rest. It's actually very fun. We're hoping to switch to early seating, if possible, when we get there, otherwise, I'd LOVE to link ressies with another family!!!
And, one time, we linked a whole BUNCH of DISers together (about 80 of us) and we had one whole section of the dining room!!!
We'd also love to link with other DISers, especially if they have a DS close to our DGS's age of 7. We're on early seating.
kcashner
03-12-2009, 04:03 PM
As above, linking reservations is very easy. One person (or their TA) needs to call DCL and have the information for both parties--name, reservation number is all that's needed.
What's everyone doing in St. Croix? Anyone know for sure where the boat docks?
mumom95
03-12-2009, 09:41 PM
We'd be up for linking ressies too, if other people are interested. We have first seating.
We are doing the Buck Island snorkeling trip in St. Croix. The reviews so far for it are pretty good.
disneyfreak1
03-13-2009, 05:58 AM
We have first seating as well and would much rather have dinner with people we already "sort of" know. :love: However, can someone else coordinate it? :rolleyes1 :laughing:
kcashner
03-13-2009, 06:08 AM
My suggestion re dinner linkings would be that you find ONE other family on the boards with kids about the same age as your children and link those reservations. That should give you a table of 6-10 people depending on the family sizes. A table this size is relatively easy for your servers, and everyone can talk with everyone else. If you get to a table bigger than 10, you'll end up speaking to the people on either side and maybe across from you, and that's it. It also gets harder to supervise kids.
We've been at everything from a 4 top with just 2 of use there to a long table for 18 (we were asked if that was OK first.) My personal favorites were in the 6-8 person range.
gagamouse
03-13-2009, 09:19 AM
We have early dinner DD7 and DS4 if anyone is interested in getting together I would call and see about linking ressie just let me know.:grouphug:
alikat99
03-13-2009, 09:40 AM
We have early dinner DD7 and DS4 if anyone is interested in getting together I would call and see about linking ressie just let me know.:grouphug:
I would LOVE to link ressies with you as I ahve a DD7 and a DD4 (almost 5), so our kids are the same ages. We're hoping to switch to early seating onboard, so I'm not sure if they would link us but it's worth a try. I see that you are new to the boards, so I'm not sure if you can PM yet (I think that you need 10 posts first). But, you could email me at amy@rodgersfamily.cc.
starview
03-13-2009, 10:13 AM
If anyone would like to link with us, it is me, my DH (we're in our 50's) & DGS who is 7 & we're on early dining.
This is the only board I've been on & I'm not sure about PMs & how they work. I would have no problem with calling Disney & doing the linking. I'm at work today so I'll check back at my afternoon break.
Dave and Micha
03-13-2009, 10:22 AM
As above, linking reservations is very easy. One person (or their TA) needs to call DCL and have the information for both parties--name, reservation number is all that's needed.
What's everyone doing in St. Croix? Anyone know for sure where the boat docks?
The ship docks right in Fredericksted. You are able to walk directly into the very small town, but there is very little to see there. The government prices for taxis to the main town Christiansted are fairly pricey, but if you walk out of the gate after the majority of people have left the ship the same taxi drivers were offering to take people for $6-8 per person instead of the $15.
Fredericksted is very clean and there is a fort and a small artists market with VERY overpriced and tacky stuff so if you are intending to shop there, forget it. The people were nice and polite to the extreme. No one kept asking over and over to sell you something and were polite when you said no, thank you.
IMPORTANT; At the end of the pier to the left is a small, clean little beach that alot of people from our ship went to... nothing fancy, but nice enough for free. There were some people renting umbrellas there, but nothing like on the main beaches in Carambola. To be honest... if you are a low maintenance person and just want to sit and relax, swim a little, and not go through a lot of expense and hassle... this little beach is fine.
disneyfreak1
03-13-2009, 11:28 AM
The ship docks right in Fredericksted. You are able to walk directly into the very small town, but there is very little to see there. The government prices for taxis to the main town Christiansted are fairly pricey, but if you walk out of the gate after the majority of people have left the ship the same taxi drivers were offering to take people for $6-8 per person instead of the $15.
Fredericksted is very clean and there is a fort and a small artists market with VERY overpriced and tacky stuff so if you are intending to shop there, forget it. The people were nice and polite to the extreme. No one kept asking over and over to sell you something and were polite when you said no, thank you.
IMPORTANT; At the end of the pier to the left is a small, clean little beach that alot of people from our ship went to... nothing fancy, but nice enough for free. There were some people renting umbrellas there, but nothing like on the main beaches in Carambola. To be honest... if you are a low maintenance person and just want to sit and relax, swim a little, and not go through a lot of expense and hassle... this little beach is fine.
Thank you so much for the information. The little beach is exactly what we are planning to do.:banana:
skohrs
03-13-2009, 12:42 PM
I am getting so excited. We are so close now. Every day I see the Disney Cruise Line bus driving on the 417 while I am on my way to work. I think Disney is taunting me.:hmghost: I snapped a picture of it today with my cell phone as the bus passed in the opposite direction at 65mph (so it is a horrible picture), but I thought I'd share it anyway.
http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/sjkohrs/CruiselineBus.jpg
:dancer:
Dave and Micha
03-13-2009, 04:59 PM
Another tip I can give you is for St Thomas. While most people go to Mhegan's Bay it can be costly; $8pp for the cab, $4 pp beach entry, $10 for a chair, etc. A really good place to go is Secret Harbour beach and resort. It is a $10pp cab fare, but there is no charge for the beach, chairs are $5 per day per person (with a $10 total deposit) from the dive shop which also rents snorkel equipment. There is a coral reef right off the beach and there was A LOT to see without any current or danger. There is also a bar on the beach and beers were $3.50 each; we had a delicious lunch from a menu ranging in price from $8 -$12... I highly recommend the Mahi sandwich...grilled, juicy and perfect! The cabs run regularly so you can grab one or tell the drivers when you want to go back. They were VERY good about it all.
One other thing... this is a great beach if you have kids. There are tons of shade trees and since the area is a cove, there are no strangers around.
We loved it.
kcashner
03-14-2009, 09:26 AM
Another thought for St. Thomas is to do Coral World/Coki Beach on your own. This is a GREAT excursion for kids. Coral World is an aquarium with an underwater viewing structure (you walk in), a traditional aquarium section (small), a "hands on " area where you can touch a nurse shark, sea urchin, etc. under supervision, hiking trails, a snack bar and gift shop, etc. Across the parking lot is Coki Beach--it's nothing terribly fancy, but it's a nice beach and it's free.
When you go to Coral World, you get a wrist band that allows you to come and go as you please all day. SO, you can go to the beach and walk across the parking lot to come back to the bathrooms and snack bars. There are discount admission tickets available on line and in the tourist info magazine you can get at the dock. They used to have a family rate as well. There are lots of cabs that will take you, and it's easy to get one to get back to the ship. I've recently read that the cab was $9 per person--we paid less, but that we a few years ago.
Megan's Beach is over-rated in my opinion. It was listed in some magazine (maybe 8 years ago) as one of the 10 best beaches in the world...and quickly became the one everyone wanted to visit. As a result, prices and crowds went up. There are many equally nice beaches without the mob scene.
Dave and Micha
03-14-2009, 03:30 PM
Coki beach was in the same direction as Secret Harbour and some people on our week went. They had very nice things to say about it.
kcashner
03-14-2009, 05:14 PM
The dress is fixed....now she wants me to make a jacket to match. She has a little chiffon scarf, but she isn't comfortable with the strapless part. Groan. I really wanted ANOTHER project for the next week and a half! Oh...the dress HAD TO be worn for formal night so she can have a trial run before prom.
alikat99
03-15-2009, 09:19 PM
Hey everyone!! Had to take a last minute trip to Chicago last week, as my grandmother had passed away. She lived a LONG, almost 88 years, so I know that she's partying in heaven, happy that it's almost St. Patrick's Day.
Anyway, living in FL has it's advantages, so we arrived home early this afternoon after the long drive and realized that the space shuttle was launching at 7:43pm. Got the girls bathed and ready for bed, then headed out to one of the bridges here in St. Pete, looked to the east and watched the shuttle take off. When I got home, I was looking around the NASA website and found the following information.
Landing Date: March 28, 2009
Landing Time: 1:43 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
So, if the weather is favorable, we just may see the Space Shuttle land while we're just getting on the Magic!!!
disneyfreak1
03-16-2009, 06:12 AM
Hey everyone!! Had to take a last minute trip to Chicago last week, as my grandmother had passed away. She lived a LONG, almost 88 years, so I know that she's partying in heaven, happy that it's almost St. Patrick's Day.
Anyway, living in FL has it's advantages, so we arrived home early this afternoon after the long drive and realized that the space shuttle was launching at 7:43pm. Got the girls bathed and ready for bed, then headed out to one of the bridges here in St. Pete, looked to the east and watched the shuttle take off. When I got home, I was looking around the NASA website and found the following information.
Landing Date: March 28, 2009
Landing Time: 1:43 p.m. EDT
Landing Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida
So, if the weather is favorable, we just may see the Space Shuttle land while we're just getting on the Magic!!!
That would be awesome! I plan to already be ON the ship by then for sure! I'll be one of the first in line. :laughing: :banana:
disneyfreak1
03-16-2009, 06:16 AM
Just wanted to remind you all about our "meet" in the Promenade Lounge at 3:00 pm on the 28th. I can't believe it's next week! My DH, DS and I will all have on white t-shirts with Sailing Takes Me Away...., The Murphy Family, a cute logo and the date on the front. I will have extra copies of the FE list if anybody needs one. Also, Dyanne will have maps for us.
Looking forward to meeting all of you!:banana:
Pam
golfcane
03-18-2009, 08:25 AM
Looking forward to meeting all of you Dis folks! Wont be long now!:cool1:
disneymom13176
03-18-2009, 02:02 PM
My boys are going nuts waiting. They are asking every morning, how many days left. I am so excited too!
Does anyone know if we will get any coverage of the NCAA tournament? We are HUGE Louisville Cardinal fans. I would certainly not want to miss any of my planned activities for basketball, but I also can't believe I'm going to miss their road to the final four. :)
skohrs
03-18-2009, 03:04 PM
My boys are going nuts waiting. They are asking every morning, how many days left. I am so excited too!
Does anyone know if we will get any coverage of the NCAA tournament? We are HUGE Louisville Cardinal fans. I would certainly not want to miss any of my planned activities for basketball, but I also can't believe I'm going to miss their road to the final four. :)
Don't worry. Their road to the Final Four will be over by then. LOL :rotfl2:
I certainly hope to be able to watch some of my Seminoles in the tourney while onboard (Go FSU!); however, I am afraid their road may end before we embark next Saturday if history is any predictor.
starview
03-18-2009, 04:30 PM
I had been crossing off the days on our calendar as my countdown. My DGS who's coming with us, was at my place for the weekend & I asked him to cross Saturday off. He looked at the calendar & informed me that I had been marking off February. :rotfl: He then turned the calendar to March & crossed off the correct days. He also added a happy face for the 27th because that's the day we fly out.
It will be his first cruise although he has been to DL & DW. It will be the first Disney cruise for my DH & me although we've been on several cruises with different lines. We can hardly wait to experience the "Magic."
disneymom13176
03-18-2009, 05:04 PM
Don't worry. Their road to the Final Four will be over by then. LOL :rotfl2:
I certainly hope to be able to watch some of my Seminoles in the tourney while onboard (Go FSU!); however, I am afraid their road may end before we embark next Saturday if history is any predictor.
I think we will still be dancing. :cool1:
Good luck to the Seminoles too! I remember a VERY VERY rainy football game against FSU. WOW was that a wet and cold night in the Ville. But good football is worth getting wet for. I hope your Seminoles hang in there for a good run this year!
disneyfreak1
03-18-2009, 06:57 PM
Don't worry. Their road to the Final Four will be over by then. LOL :rotfl2:
I certainly hope to be able to watch some of my Seminoles in the tourney while onboard (Go FSU!); however, I am afraid their road may end before we embark next Saturday if history is any predictor.
Too bad you aren't in our FE exchange. I live in Seminole country. ;)
skohrs
03-18-2009, 08:23 PM
Too bad you aren't in our FE exchange. I live in Seminole country. ;)
Unfortunately, I booked the cruise in late February, so by the time I read through the cruise meet the deadline for the FE had passed (I missed it by a day or two).
skohrs
03-19-2009, 09:48 PM
Hooray!!!!:yay: :cheer2: :yay:
Just saw online that we got switched to Main Dinner Seating. We had been waitlisted for it. Of all the Disney cruises we have taken, we have always had late seating since we tend to book them last minute (FL Resident discounts). We have been waitlisted each time and have NEVER gotten Main Dinner Seating before.
Now I am a little worried that we won't be hungry by dinner. :confused:
mumom95
03-20-2009, 08:42 AM
One week from today we'll be driving from Ohio to Florida, I've never been so excited for a 14 hour drive before :goodvibes
All the shopping is done, my FE gifts and door magnets are finished, and I'm working on washing everything before packing.
This next week is pretty much going to be cleaning and packing (I'm going to try and get some spring cleaning done before our trip), but I don't mind because the week after that I won't have to clean or cook for 9 whole days. That may be what I'm looking forward to the most :lmao:
disneyfreak1
03-20-2009, 09:29 AM
One week from today we'll be driving from Ohio to Florida, I've never been so excited for a 14 hour drive before :goodvibes
All the shopping is done, my FE gifts and door magnets are finished, and I'm working on washing everything before packing.
This next week is pretty much going to be cleaning and packing (I'm going to try and get some spring cleaning done before our trip), but I don't mind because the week after that I won't have to clean or cook for 9 whole days. That may be what I'm looking forward to the most :lmao:
Same here! I'm looking forward to being pampered Disney style. :banana:
[QUOTE=mumom95;30917752]One week from today we'll be driving from Ohio to Florida, I've never been so excited for a 14 hour drive before :goodvibes
Are you going to do the drive in one day? We will have about 14 hours as well from TN and are trying to decide if we should go all the way to the port area and spend the night or stop somewhere a couple hours out.
kcashner
03-20-2009, 04:40 PM
We did the 14 hours straight last trip. It makes for one very long day. Even DD (who slept most of the time) disliked it. We're going to drive 3 hours to Nashville and catch Southwest from there (all flights from here were full as it is spring break and we booked late).
My suggestion would be to drive as far as you are comfortable on the first day. You can even make a hotel reservation at PC and cancel without penalty IF you cancel before 6 pm. About 5:30, do an evaluation of where you are and how far you have to go. Decide at that time whether you are "good" for a few more hours or 6 more hours. OK, this is based on 8 am start time--you may be able to start earlier, but I have to drop dog at kennel at 8 and leave from there.
If you feel that you can drive another 6 hours, go for it. If you're really getting tired, you can get a room in south Georgia or north Florida. This is what we did on the way home last time--it was getting dark and I had the worst part of the drive ahead (the mountains). We pulled off at a main exit, found a place with free wifi, and did a little internet work to find a reasonably priced room. Yeah, DD and her computer were actually useful.
mumom95
03-20-2009, 08:21 PM
[QUOTE=mumom95;30917752]One week from today we'll be driving from Ohio to Florida, I've never been so excited for a 14 hour drive before :goodvibes
Are you going to do the drive in one day? We will have about 14 hours as well from TN and are trying to decide if we should go all the way to the port area and spend the night or stop somewhere a couple hours out.
We are driving it in one day, mainly to save money. It cost about $15 a day to park at the port I think, but if we stay at one of the hotels in the area we can park at the hotel for free for the week. So we are going to leave Cincinnati about 4:00 am Friday morning and just drive it in one day and we are staying at the Hampton Inn, which is 4 miles from the cruise ships. On the way home we will break it up into two days.
mumom95
03-20-2009, 08:22 PM
I have no idea why I just quoted myself, I meant to quote KAH.
amazonchild
03-20-2009, 09:53 PM
Hello from sometimes -45C Winnipeg.This is my first Disney cruise on March 28th . I am the single parent of a very active 7 yr old (8 in June) girl. We are looking forward to meeting new friends. mom relaxing and DD keeping busy!!! Any suggstions for St Croix for the two of us? I tried to book the snorkel but unsuccessful. Thx
skohrs
03-20-2009, 10:41 PM
My boys are going nuts waiting. They are asking every morning, how many days left. I am so excited too!
Does anyone know if we will get any coverage of the NCAA tournament? We are HUGE Louisville Cardinal fans. I would certainly not want to miss any of my planned activities for basketball, but I also can't believe I'm going to miss their road to the final four. :)
Don't worry. Their road to the Final Four will be over by then. LOL :rotfl2:
I certainly hope to be able to watch some of my Seminoles in the tourney while onboard (Go FSU!); however, I am afraid their road may end before we embark next Saturday if history is any predictor.
I think we will still be dancing. :cool1:
Good luck to the Seminoles too! I remember a VERY VERY rainy football game against FSU. WOW was that a wet and cold night in the Ville. But good football is worth getting wet for. I hope your Seminoles hang in there for a good run this year!
Well, true to form, the Seminoles lost tonight (in overtime). :sad2: :guilty: :confused3 Guess I don't have to worry about trying to catch their games on the ship next weekend.
Good luck to your Cardinals
Hello from sometimes -45C Winnipeg.This is my first Disney cruise on March 28th . I am the single parent of a very active 7 yr old (8 in June) girl. We are looking forward to meeting new friends. mom relaxing and DD keeping busy!!! Any suggstions for St Croix for the two of us? I tried to book the snorkel but unsuccessful. Thx
My daughter will be in 8 in June as well! From this thread, there seems to be a lot of little girls around 7-8, great news for my DD.
disneymom13176
03-21-2009, 07:11 AM
One week from today we'll be driving from Ohio to Florida, I've never been so excited for a 14 hour drive before :goodvibes
All the shopping is done, my FE gifts and door magnets are finished, and I'm working on washing everything before packing.
This next week is pretty much going to be cleaning and packing (I'm going to try and get some spring cleaning done before our trip), but I don't mind because the week after that I won't have to clean or cook for 9 whole days. That may be what I'm looking forward to the most :lmao:
We will probably pass at some point. We will be heading south too from Louisville, I-75. :yay:
disneymom13176
03-21-2009, 07:12 AM
Well, true to form, the Seminoles lost tonight (in overtime). :sad2: :guilty: :confused3 Guess I don't have to worry about trying to catch their games on the ship next weekend.
Good luck to your Cardinals
I saw that and thought about you! Sorry that they lost! Thanks for the luck!:thumbsup2
Weedy
03-21-2009, 08:09 AM
If anyone is going to Coral World in St Thomas on their own here is a discount coupon:
http://coralworldvi.com/hot-deals.html
kcashner
03-21-2009, 10:41 AM
If anyone is going to Coral World in St Thomas on their own here is a discount coupon:
http://coralworldvi.com/hot-deals.html
For anyone who doesn't know, Coral World is a GREAT family excursion to do with kids and very easy to do on your own. It is an aquarium with an underwater viewing area, hiking trails, small traditional aquarium, gift shop, snack bar, bathrooms, and a "hands on" area." It is directly across the parking lot from Coki Beach, a very family friendly FREE beach.
The nice thing is that you get a wrist band when you go to Coral World. This lets you go back and forth to the beach...and come to Coral World to use the restrooms, buy a drink, or whatever. There are lots of cabs to take you from port to Coral world and back--very easy to do on your own.
It's probably too "lame" for teens, but great for younger kids...you can touch a nurse shark, sea urchin, etc. under supervision.
alikat99
03-22-2009, 05:05 PM
For anyone who doesn't know, Coral World is a GREAT family excursion to do with kids and very easy to do on your own. It is an aquarium with an underwater viewing area, hiking trails, small traditional aquarium, gift shop, snack bar, bathrooms, and a "hands on" area." It is directly across the parking lot from Coki Beach, a very family friendly FREE beach.
The nice thing is that you get a wrist band when you go to Coral World. This lets you go back and forth to the beach...and come to Coral World to use the restrooms, buy a drink, or whatever. There are lots of cabs to take you from port to Coral world and back--very easy to do on your own.
It's probably too "lame" for teens, but great for younger kids...you can touch a nurse shark, sea urchin, etc. under supervision.
That sounds like the perfect excursion for us. We wanted to do something on our own, but didn't have any ideas. We did want to take that skyride thing, but that's it.
disneyfreak1
03-23-2009, 08:46 AM
Only 5 more days! Looking forward to meeting all of you. :banana:
mumom95
03-23-2009, 09:33 AM
Do we have a room number yet for mommavon for the FE exchange?
disneyfreak1
03-23-2009, 09:42 AM
Do we have a room number yet for mommavon for the FE exchange?
I haven't heard from her. I sent her a pm, but I'm guessing she hasn't been on these boards in awhile. I hope she meets us in the Promenade Lounge so we can get it then. If I get it before then, I will be sure to let everybody know.
mumom95
03-23-2009, 10:32 AM
I haven't heard from her. I sent her a pm, but I'm guessing she hasn't been on these boards in awhile. I hope she meets us in the Promenade Lounge so we can get it then. If I get it before then, I will be sure to let everybody know.
Thanks!! No big deal, I was just double checking to make sure I had all of my gifts and I realized that was the only room number I didn't have.
Thanks again disneyfreak1 for doing all of this, we all really appreciate it!! :goodvibes
skohrs
03-23-2009, 11:23 AM
Has anyone else not begun to pack yet?:rolleyes1
Dyanne
03-23-2009, 11:37 AM
First, I have not yet packed. My husband is taking Wednesday off and we'll be focusing on it then. I have, however, printed out packing lists for my kids so they can pull everything they need before Wednesday. They're 7, 10, and 12, and perfectly capable of choosing outfits (with a little oversight) on their own. They're not good at packing, though, and I'd rather not have a bottle of shampoo spilled across 7 outfits, so I do the suitcase work.
Second, I have not even made my FE yet! I'm handy with a glue gun, so we'll see how it comes out. I'll pretend my 7yo son made it if doesn't come out well. (I shouldn't have given that away...)
Third, I have decided on the final design of our FE gifts but have not put them into production yet.
And finally, I have not mentally prepared myself for how warm and fun the trip will be. Oh, wait... I think I'm starting mental preparations now... Oh, yes! Mental preparations are now well underway!
Dyanne, preparing mentally
Dyanne
03-23-2009, 11:41 AM
Has anyone on the FE list changed room numbers? If so, let Pam/disneyfreak1 know!
I'm making a map for the FE rooms based on her data. If you're planning to try for an upgrade at port, I'd love to know that as well, only because I'm really, really nosy!
Dyanne
disneyfreak1
03-23-2009, 12:05 PM
Thanks!! No big deal, I was just double checking to make sure I had all of my gifts and I realized that was the only room number I didn't have.
Thanks again disneyfreak1 for doing all of this, we all really appreciate it!! :goodvibes
You are very welcome and a big Thank You to Dyanne for making our map!
disneyfreak1
03-23-2009, 12:09 PM
I started packing Saturday, but I'm not done. I sure hope I don't forget anything. Our first Disney cruise, we drove to Cocoa Beach the night before. When I started to get ready for dinner the first night on the ship, I realized I had left my makeup in the hotel room. Yikes! The gift shops normally carry Clinique, but they sold out on the cruise before. So.....I had to wait until we got to St. Martin to purchase makeup. Needless to say, I'm not in any of the pictures of the first few days of our cruise!:rotfl:
This time, I am packing makeup for the cruise and makeup for our hotel the night before. :woohoo:
mommavon
03-23-2009, 12:33 PM
The Final Fish Extender List has been sent. Please look over your information and let me know if it is not correct. Also, I do not have a stateroom number for mommavon or wjbc yet. As soon as I get those, I will forward them.
Pam:banana:
We are getting confused with room upgrades, cruise docs I couldn't find an upgrade, we didn't get that nor on board ship credit, nor any of the other suprises.
I apologize for the delay however I thought we gave ya'll this information.
Only 3 more days! See you soon. I'll read on to see what the plans are.
Tootles! :hippie:
mumom95
03-23-2009, 12:36 PM
Has anyone on the FE list changed room numbers? If so, let Pam/disneyfreak1 know!
I'm making a map for the FE rooms based on her data. If you're planning to try for an upgrade at port, I'd love to know that as well, only because I'm really, really nosy!
Dyanne
We are going to try for an upgrade at the port. We are in an inside cat. 10 right now, and I'm willing to spend $500 for an upgrade to a verandah. I realize it's probably a long shot, and will be perfectly happy with what I have, but hey, it's worth trying.
mumom95
03-23-2009, 12:40 PM
Has anyone else not begun to pack yet?:rolleyes1
I washed everything this weekend and laid it out on the spare bed. Today I'm working on getting it into the suitcases. Of course, as I go along, I have a list I'm making of things I've forgotten to get, so I'll be shopping again tomorrow.
There's a lot of stuff to bring on a disney cruise. Clothes, shoes, FE stuff, beach stuff, formal night stuff, did I mention shoes, and then all the extra stuff that doesn't really fit into any one category.
mommavon
03-23-2009, 12:44 PM
My daughter will be in 8 in June as well! From this thread, there seems to be a lot of little girls around 7-8, great news for my DD.
My son is 7.5 (8 in july) He'll play with any other child both or girl. :) See you real soon!!!:cool2:
mommavon
03-23-2009, 12:47 PM
I washed everything this weekend and laid it out on the spare bed. Today I'm working on getting it into the suitcases. Of course, as I go along, I have a list I'm making of things I've forgotten to get, so I'll be shopping again tomorrow.
There's a lot of stuff to bring on a disney cruise. Clothes, shoes, FE stuff, beach stuff, formal night stuff, did I mention shoes, and then all the extra stuff that doesn't really fit into any one category.
I can't believe it's here. We did get snorkel for each of us that way we can have fun doing our own things w/o having to worry about others and fees. Got a great deal at Costco. :)
I cannot say ditto to your post enough. I will probably go through everything one more time tomorrow. OMG! Enough is enough, I have to pull stuff out, scared I'll have too much and no room to bring home any goodies. Besides alcohol or jewerly what else will you be bringing home?
mommavon
03-23-2009, 12:50 PM
First, I have not yet packed. My husband is taking Wednesday off and we'll be focusing on it then. I have, however, printed out packing lists for my kids so they can pull everything they need before Wednesday. They're 7, 10, and 12, and perfectly capable of choosing outfits (with a little oversight) on their own. They're not good at packing, though, and I'd rather not have a bottle of shampoo spilled across 7 outfits, so I do the suitcase work.
Second, I have not even made my FE yet! I'm handy with a glue gun, so we'll see how it comes out. I'll pretend my 7yo son made it if doesn't come out well. (I shouldn't have given that away...)
Third, I have decided on the final design of our FE gifts but have not put them into production yet.
And finally, I have not mentally prepared myself for how warm and fun the trip will be. Oh, wait... I think I'm starting mental preparations now... Oh, yes! Mental preparations are now well underway!
Dyanne, preparing mentally
Do we need to bring shampoo and conditioner, I read someone where that DCL has great sizes and products in our rooms. I know I have my faviorites but if this is one less things to pack, it would be great.
disneyfreak1
03-23-2009, 12:55 PM
Do we need to bring shampoo and conditioner, I read someone where that DCL has great sizes and products in our rooms. I know I have my faviorites but if this is one less things to pack, it would be great.
The staterooms have H2O products and I have read they are great. I sure hope so because that is one less thing I have to pack.
Oh, got your room number. Thanks!:woohoo:
mommavon
03-23-2009, 12:58 PM
Welcome, Welcome!! Your kids are the same ages as mine, except both of mine are DDs (and youngest DD is turning 5 next month). Welcome to the DISboards. Watch out, because they are VERY addicting (and so is DCL).
Can't wait to meet you!!!
Welcome, can't wait to meet ya'll! My kids are the same age, this is going to be a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!
skohrs
03-23-2009, 01:07 PM
My son is 7.5 (8 in july) He'll play with any other child both or girl. :) See you real soon!!!:cool2:
I have a DS and DD, both almost 7. They both make friends very easily and are looking forward to making friends onboard.
mommavon
03-23-2009, 01:10 PM
But she'll be a princess in it...and she can wear it for both formal and semi-formal nights.
My teen has informed me that she intends to "pack light" so that she can take the prom dress. She has other "smashable" things that would be great, but this is big, poofy, etc. Groan. At least we're on Southwest. We could end up with a garment bag just for the dress.
Target has great ziploc roll down bags you can put the prom dress in, if you do this you can place the poofy dress inside roll the air out and whalah you have everything you need in your tidy suitcase. My daughter has 4 costumes, not including the BELLE dress which is poofy going on the trip along with all her other clothing. We are doing it with one suitcase, your teen can too!
Good luck.
:hippie:
skohrs
03-23-2009, 01:12 PM
I washed everything this weekend and laid it out on the spare bed. Today I'm working on getting it into the suitcases. Of course, as I go along, I have a list I'm making of things I've forgotten to get, so I'll be shopping again tomorrow.
There's a lot of stuff to bring on a disney cruise. Clothes, shoes, FE stuff, beach stuff, formal night stuff, did I mention shoes, and then all the extra stuff that doesn't really fit into any one category.
It is a lot tougher for us Floridians to pack in advance than for those from up north. We don't really have different clothing for beach and sun weather since that is what we have every day this time of year. My kids are still wearing the clothes that we need to pack, so we (I mean my wife ;)) will not likely be able to launder their clothes until Thursday night.
alikat99
03-23-2009, 02:33 PM
It is a lot tougher for us Floridians to pack in advance than for those from up north. We don't really have different clothing for beach and sun weather since that is what we have every day this time of year. My kids are still wearing the clothes that we need to pack, so we (I mean my wife ;)) will not likely be able to launder their clothes until Thursday night.
That's exactly what I was thinking!! I can't ever pack too early for a DCL trip, since we're still wearing all of our clothes. Plus, I have the added issue that this is a secret to my girls. Thankfully, my oldest has to wear uniforms during the week, so she only needs to wear "regular" clothes on Friday to school. And, I had planned on buying her a few new summer outfits anyway, so I'm going shopping tonight or tomorrow night to get her a few more things.
I've started the very beginnings of packing. We have a toiletry bag that is always stocked, but we just came home from a trip this weekend to Daytona beach for my oldest DDs last cheer competition of the season. So, I went through it and figured out what needs to be replenished.
I went through and figured out a lot that needs to be done, and made myself a to-do list for the entire week, cleaning up one room per night, so that my house is clean and all the packing is done. Tonight is the dining room and dinner clothes (the formal clothes went to the cleaner this morning).
Sounds like we have a LOT of 7-8 yr olds around. At least they'll have lots of friends to do stuff with. I'm in a bit of a dilemma though. My youngest is 4 (turning 5 in a month). She's not immature, but she's very petite. I'm not sure if I should move her up to the 5-7 group, or leave her with the 3-4s. She's cruised DCL several times, so she's very familiar with the activities in that group. Decisions, decisions!!!
skohrs
03-23-2009, 03:42 PM
Sounds like we have a LOT of 7-8 yr olds around. At least they'll have lots of friends to do stuff with. I'm in a bit of a dilemma though. My youngest is 4 (turning 5 in a month). She's not immature, but she's very petite. I'm not sure if I should move her up to the 5-7 group, or leave her with the 3-4s. She's cruised DCL several times, so she's very familiar with the activities in that group. Decisions, decisions!!!
My DD6 (actually 6.8) is also very tiny. Her twin brother towers over her (which upsets her at the theme parks when he is tall enough for rides that she cannot get on). I wouldn't make the decision based on her size. I would base it more on maturity. Besides, the 3-4 year-olds seem to do a lot of things right along with the 5-7 year-olds.
mumom95
03-23-2009, 05:20 PM
Ok, I'm just going to say that I don't feel sorry for you Floridians who haven't been able to pack yet. I'd love to have the problem of all my clothes being sunny/beach type clothes :rotfl::rotfl:
alikat99
03-23-2009, 05:51 PM
Ok, I'm just going to say that I don't feel sorry for you Floridians who haven't been able to pack yet. I'd love to have the problem of all my clothes being sunny/beach type clothes :rotfl::rotfl:
Well, don't feel that great for us, at least for the St. Pete area, we were rainy and miserable today. But, we desperately needed the rain. When we were driving home from Daytona, the smoke was really thick from the local wildfires.
mumom95
03-23-2009, 06:50 PM
Well, don't feel that great for us, at least for the St. Pete area, we were rainy and miserable today. But, we desperately needed the rain. When we were driving home from Daytona, the smoke was really thick from the local wildfires.
I used to live in Southern California so I know what it's like to deal with wildfires and be in need of rain. Hopefully this will be a rainy spring for you guys.
I washed everything this weekend and laid it out on the spare bed. Today I'm working on getting it into the suitcases. Of course, as I go along, I have a list I'm making of things I've forgotten to get, so I'll be shopping again tomorrow.
There's a lot of stuff to bring on a disney cruise. Clothes, shoes, FE stuff, beach stuff, formal night stuff, did I mention shoes, and then all the extra stuff that doesn't really fit into any one category.
I did the same thing this weekend and now I'm trying to figure out how to fit it all into our bags. There does seem to be a lot of extra stuff, after reading all the tips on this board. Can't believe we will be at sea in a few short days!
Dizzy-Disney
03-24-2009, 04:53 PM
Hi Everyone,
I am so happy I found this board. This is the very first time myself and my family will be taking a cruise and we are quite nervous about it. We have four kids: 16 boy, 14 girl (will be 15 in June), 10 Girl and 6 Girl.
Anyway, I know nothing about cruises. Anyone care to tell me what I need to know/pack? I am so nervous.... :)
My kids are a little aprehensive too. Any advice for them?
Thanks!
Rena
Weedy
03-24-2009, 07:29 PM
If you go to the top of this web page there is a red bar look under FAQ there is tons of info. But here is a few quick things.
One of the best things to bring is a clear over the door shoe holder. Hang it on the outside of the bathroom door. You store all your stuff it ( hairbrush, lotion, hairspray etc.). This makes your stuff easy to find, and if someone is in the bathroom you have access to you stuff.
For dinner pack one or two nice khakis for the men and a few nice golf shirts, for the women nice slacks or casual skirts and a few cute tops. The rest of the time shorts and t-shirts are fine. Some will dress mare casual to dinner, but Disney ask for no shorts.
If the kids want to swim the day you get on the ship pack a small carry on bag with swimsuits because you won’t see your luggage for a few hours.
Does anyone know if we will be docking somewhere (if so where) or tendering at St. Thomas?
We have not yet finalized our plans and knowledge of this issue may determine what we do...
Thanks in advance.
rb71593
03-25-2009, 05:12 PM
Does anyone know if we will be docking somewhere (if so where) or tendering at St. Thomas?
I believe we should be docking, but I'm not sure...
Dizzy-Disney
03-25-2009, 05:55 PM
I just read some of the posts and am now more panicked. You are all packing already?????
I haven't started and I need to pack for 6 people and have never been on a cruise so don't know what to expect. And only have a little time to read posts, peruse these boards because I'm swamped.
Help!!???
Any other advice you care to dispense will be greatfully appreciated.
Thank you!
Rena
starview
03-25-2009, 06:56 PM
We just had a new baby granddaughter born last night. She co-operated very well because we wanted her born before we left on Friday morning. Mom & baby are both doing well. Now I'm concentrating on finishing packing tonight.
Even though we know we always over-pack, I'm sure we still did it this time.
2 more sleeps till we fly out & it's still cold here so am so happy to be getting away. :banana:
We just had a new baby granddaughter born last night. She co-operated very well because we wanted her born before we left on Friday morning. Mom & baby are both doing well. Now I'm concentrating on finishing packing tonight.
Even though we know we always over-pack, I'm sure we still did it this time.
2 more sleeps till we fly out & it's still cold here so am so happy to be getting away. :banana:
Congratulations on the new granddaughter. That was very nice of her to enter the world before you left on your cruise. :)
RalphM
03-26-2009, 06:44 AM
Hello fellow cruisers....I have been searching high and low for a formal dress...I just could not find one that I liked...so I hope that nobody gives my family looks at formal nite(just kidding)...we will be semi formal...It was just stressing me out....Is anyone else going a little less formal or should we skip the dining room that nite? .Can you believe that we only have 2 more days...Oh what fun!
the Martinez Family
mumom95
03-26-2009, 07:03 AM
Hello fellow cruisers....I have been searching high and low for a formal dress...I just could not find one that I liked...so I hope that nobody gives my family looks at formal nite(just kidding)...we will be semi formal...It was just stressing me out....Is anyone else going a little less formal or should we skip the dining room that nite? .Can you believe that we only have 2 more days...Oh what fun!
the Martinez Family
Mine isn't really a true formal, it's just a version of the little black dress. It is ankle length, a stretchy, black material, but does have a pretty neckline. And I've decided rather than drag two dresses along, I'm going to wear the same one during semiformal night also, just use different jewelry.
I think I've read that cocktail type dresses are ok for formal night, so I wouldn't stress about it.
disneyfreak1
03-26-2009, 07:39 AM
Hello fellow cruisers....I have been searching high and low for a formal dress...I just could not find one that I liked...so I hope that nobody gives my family looks at formal nite(just kidding)...we will be semi formal...It was just stressing me out....Is anyone else going a little less formal or should we skip the dining room that nite? .Can you believe that we only have 2 more days...Oh what fun!
the Martinez Family
Hey Mo,
Did you check at Ross? I've had good luck with getting inexpensive cocktail dresses there. If I don't spend alot of money, it doesn't bother me not to wear it a bunch of times.
Pam
alikat99
03-26-2009, 07:46 AM
I wouldn't stress too much about the "formalness" of your dress. You should see some of the things that people wear to dinner. You'll have NOTHING to stress about.
kcashner
03-26-2009, 09:28 AM
ok, I think I'm packed...except for whatever I've managed to forget....everything feels "almost" ready and nothing feels completed. Everything on the "to do" list feels like "not yet." Ah well....in 2 hours I'll go into panic mode.
We're leaving after school today, attend a meeting tonight about the college program, and head for MCO tomorrow.
alikat99
03-26-2009, 09:51 AM
I'm still working on my FE gifts, and will have DH finish them tonight. I have cleaned the house, just need to finish up some laundry and vacuum and mop the floors. The girls still have no clue, so I'm leaving them in our aftercare program here at school to play with their friends, (I'm a teacher here too), and go home to get their packing done and hide their suitcases in the garage. Then, DH is going to pick them up a little later and we'll head out to dinner (don't want to mess up my clean kitchen). Then, I'll just need to pack up DHs and my stuff and we'll be done.
For tomorrow, our middle school is doing Community Service Day, so it's "fun" day followed by a picnic in the park. Then, I have a few hours after school to do any last minute stuff. Go to Madison's soccer game at 6pm, get some dinner, then head over to the port (and hope the girls fall asleep).
skohrs
03-26-2009, 10:09 AM
I'm still working on my FE gifts, and will have DH finish them tonight. I have cleaned the house, just need to finish up some laundry and vacuum and mop the floors. The girls still have no clue, so I'm leaving them in our aftercare program here at school to play with their friends, (I'm a teacher here too), and go home to get their packing done and hide their suitcases in the garage. Then, DH is going to pick them up a little later and we'll head out to dinner (don't want to mess up my clean kitchen). Then, I'll just need to pack up DHs and my stuff and we'll be done.
For tomorrow, our middle school is doing Community Service Day, so it's "fun" day followed by a picnic in the park. Then, I have a few hours after school to do any last minute stuff. Go to Madison's soccer game at 6pm, get some dinner, then head over to the port (and hope the girls fall asleep).
We will begin packing tomorrow :rolleyes1. My wife is a teacher too (here in Orlando), and her Spring Break starts tomorrow. So she and the 4 kids will clean the house and get all of the clothing and supplies in piles on the living room floor while I am at work, and I will fit everything into the suitcases when I get home from work tomorrow evening. This is how we always pack for cruises. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.:scared1:
As for formal night, we will also be going more "semi" formal. No jackets for the guys. Just nice pants, button-up shirt and a tie. Nice dresses for the girls (formal Cinderella ball gown for DD6).
Hello fellow cruisers....I have been searching high and low for a formal dress...I just could not find one that I liked...so I hope that nobody gives my family looks at formal nite(just kidding)...we will be semi formal...It was just stressing me out....Is anyone else going a little less formal or should we skip the dining room that nite? .Can you believe that we only have 2 more days...Oh what fun!
the Martinez Family
I'm just wearing a black cocktail dress for formal night. My boys will be in shirts/ties, daughter in a dress and DH in a suit. We had debated taking his Army dress blues, but it was really going to add to the luggage so those are staying home.
mumom95
03-26-2009, 11:58 AM
Ok, I must be taking waaaaayyyyy to much stuff, if some of you are just starting to pack now. There is no way I could get all of this packed in a day. There are so many shoes alone. We've got our shoes for the beach/pool, our gym shoes to work out in, a pair of sandals to wear in the evening with our outfit, and shoes for formal night. So that's at least 4 pair of shoes per person, and there are four of us. Plus, I have an extra pair of shoes for me because of different dinner outfits/colors.
There are four of us and we have one large suitcase, on regular suitcase, a garmet bag and 3 carry-on size suitcases, so that's 6 pieces of luggage for only 4 people. Are we the only ones that are going to have this much luggage?
OK, maybe I am starting to stress.
disneyfreak1
03-26-2009, 01:07 PM
Ok, I must be taking waaaaayyyyy to much stuff, if some of you are just starting to pack now. There is no way I could get all of this packed in a day. There are so many shoes alone. We've got our shoes for the beach/pool, our gym shoes to work out in, a pair of sandals to wear in the evening with our outfit, and shoes for formal night. So that's at least 4 pair of shoes per person, and there are four of us. Plus, I have an extra pair of shoes for me because of different dinner outfits/colors.
There are four of us and we have one large suitcase, on regular suitcase, a garmet bag and 3 carry-on size suitcases, so that's 6 pieces of luggage for only 4 people. Are we the only ones that are going to have this much luggage?
OK, maybe I am starting to stress.
Oh, there are 3 of us and we all have a large suitcase each. Then we have a toiletry bag, a shoe bag and a garment bag. Then, I have 3 carry -ons that are nothing but FE stuff. :) So, you are NOT the only ones with that much luggage. :banana:
mumom95
03-26-2009, 01:09 PM
Oh, there are 3 of us and we all have a large suitcase each. Then we have a toiletry bag, a shoe bag and a garment bag. Then, I have 3 carry -ons that are nothing but FE stuff. :) So, you are NOT the only ones with that much luggage. :banana:
Thanks you, you just made me feel better.
disneyfreak1
03-26-2009, 01:38 PM
Thanks you, you just made me feel better.
Good, I'm glad. :) I look forward to meeting you in two days!
mumom95
03-26-2009, 07:51 PM
Well, I'm off to bed. We are leaving at 4:00 am in the morning, so this will probably be the last time I'm on the boards before the cruise.
Hope everyone has a safe trip to Florida, and I can't wait to meet everyone at 3:00. I've got dark, curly hair and I think I'll be wearing a brown shirt (if I got my packing right :lmao:).
dancer52
03-26-2009, 10:50 PM
Oh, there are 3 of us and we all have a large suitcase each. Then we have a toiletry bag, a shoe bag and a garment bag. Then, I have 3 carry -ons that are nothing but FE stuff. :) So, you are NOT the only ones with that much luggage. :banana:
One can never take too many shoes. It's like being surrounded by those you love!
Dizzy-Disney
03-27-2009, 04:19 PM
Are you all planning on meeting up at some point? I am very new to this board - I just found it a week ago.
I am in panic-pack mode now. It is overwhelming for me. We have to wake up at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. Nothing like have 4 very tired and cranky kids!!
Can we have a last minute touch base call? Mentioning the ages of our children, where we live, and I don't know - anything else we think is important to share about ourselves?
alikat99
03-27-2009, 04:27 PM
Are you all planning on meeting up at some point? I am very new to this board - I just found it a week ago.
I am in panic-pack mode now. It is overwhelming for me. We have to wake up at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. Nothing like have 4 very tired and cranky kids!!
Can we have a last minute touch base call? Mentioning the ages of our children, where we live, and I don't know - anything else we think is important to share about ourselves?
Don't stress, you're going on vacation!! Here's MY DCL packing list, that I've used for all of our cruises. Some of the items I don't always bring, some are specific to my family, some I always bring.
Over-the-door shoe holder
Ziploc bags
Dryer sheets
Soft-sided cooler
Extension cord
Beach bag
Spray-on sunscreen
Cork screw
Air freshener
Light-up travel clock
Cold medicine
Cameras (still & video)
Laundry soap
Shout stain-remover packets
12x12 scrapbook holder
Underwater camera
Insect repellent
Aloe
Antibacterial hand wipes
Antibacterial hand gel
Roll of quarters
Gifts for kids clubs counselors
$1 bills for room service
Beach toys
Address list for postcards
Thank you cards for the staff
Pop-up hamper
Crayons/coloring books
Highlighters
Post-it notes
Binoculars
Return address labels
Movie/show candy
Downy wrinkle releaser
Suction hooks
Door magnets
Fish extender
Passports
Cruise documents
Credit cards & numbers (in case of theft)
Wireless phone
Sunglasses
Children’s Motrin
Excedrin migraine
Tums
Email addresses
First aid kit
Toothbrushes/toothpaste
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body wash
Brush/comb
Baby powder
Extra carry-on bag
Umbrella/ponchos
Makeup bag
Small sewing kit
Razor
Any medications
Batteries
Pirate outfits
Dry Erase board
Pillowcases for signatures
Zip ties
We're all going to try to meet up on deck 3 between mid ship and aft at the Promenade Lounge around 3pm.
I'll introduce myself quickly. I'm Amy (39), DH is Chris (41) and we have 2 little girls, Emily (7) and Madison (almost 5).
golfcane
03-27-2009, 08:47 PM
See you all tomorrow!:cool1::goodvibes:thumbsup2:worship::bana na::yay::dance3::cheer2:
PetLover
03-28-2009, 07:47 AM
See you all in six hours :)
alikat99
04-04-2009, 10:42 AM
Hey everyone! Looks like I'm the first one home!! Helps to only be 2.5 hrs from the port. Anyway, we had a GREAT cruise, and I hope that everyone else did too.
And, to everyone in the FE exchange, thanks for ALL of the goodies. My girls just LOVED going back to our room to see if anything had been delivered.
Happy Laundry to everyone!!!:rotfl2:
disneyfreak1
04-04-2009, 01:02 PM
We are home now as well. I hope you all enjoyed the FE exchange as much as we did. THANK YOU all for the wonderful gifts. We love each and every one. I'm sorry our "meet" was cut short, but oh well, maybe our paths will cross again someday.
Pam
golfcane
04-04-2009, 01:23 PM
Hey there! It was great meeting some of you and I'm sorry we didn't get to meet everyone. We had a great time and hope you all did too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another Florida Resident rate next spring break! Thank you for the over the door hanger suggestion. That was fantastic. We've decided that we'll take that on all of our trips going forward and put labels in the pockets to notate all of the places it (and we) have gone.
The kids really enjoyed the fish extenders. They were excited to see what was delivered each night. Thank you to everyone for being so creative! My camera decided not to work the first day of the trip so I was unable to take pictures of the FE gifts we gave out. Our gifts included:
coozies, photo albums, Hanana Montana pencil cases, HS Musical journals, tatoos, cell phone stickers, pencils, wooden 3rd puzzles, glow sticks, cars magnets, princess bracelet, cars magnetic stickers. I think that's it.
Thanks again and hope to see you on another cruise!
RalphM
04-04-2009, 05:02 PM
It was great meeting most of you...we had a blast with the FE gifts...we left the bag with all the fe at the port and will not rec until Thursday! By the way, there were 13 other Floridians that left there bag too! I guess we were just in a hurry to get home...Thanks again...MrsMo aka the Martinez family
Just back. Great trip and weather. Will post a report later to the reports board. Bulleted thoughts:
- Great weather.
- Not a lot going on in St. Croix but the snorkelling on west side of Buck is fantastic......
- Is it our imagination that the ship is a lot more stable (after drydock)? First night seas were pretty rough and we did not feel it that much. Also, aft lower levels much quieter?
- Some run ins with rude fellow-cruisers (at Castaway cay and at the buffet line - more later).
- Requested and received Alex our favorite server and he was great as usual.
- Palo dinner good as usual, but brunch was phenomenal.
- Ran into lots of repeat cruisers
- Booked again for Xmas this time.
Thats all for now. Look for an abbreviated report on the other board.
disneyfreak1
04-04-2009, 08:41 PM
http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss261/pammurphs/HPIM1871.jpg
This is what we gave for the FE exchange plus a glow stick for each person and beach ball for each kid!
missyoh8
04-05-2009, 04:09 PM
Where the new menus in place on the Magic last week? If so were the plain steak and chicken an option at dinner?
thanks in advance! sounds like it was a good week last week!
disneyfreak1
04-05-2009, 04:48 PM
Where the new menus in place on the Magic last week? If so were the plain steak and chicken an option at dinner?
thanks in advance! sounds like it was a good week last week!
The new menus were not on the Magic and the steak and chicken were still an option at dinner.
Dyanne
04-05-2009, 08:56 PM
Our gifts included:
coozies, photo albums, Hanana Montana pencil cases, HS Musical journals, tatoos, cell phone stickers, pencils, wooden 3rd puzzles, glow sticks, cars magnets, princess bracelet, cars magnetic stickers. I think that's it.
...and a delightful set of 6 nautically-inspired knot instruction cards that included a length of rope to practice some really cool knots on...
disneyfreak1
04-06-2009, 06:03 AM
...and a delightful set of 6 nautically-inspired knot instruction cards that included a length of rope to practice some really cool knots on...
Yep and they were cool! Thanks a bunch!
starview
04-06-2009, 09:21 AM
http://i582.photobucket.com/albums/ss261/pammurphs/HPIM1871.jpg
This is what we gave for the FE exchange plus a glow stick for each person and beach ball for each kid!
We loved each & everything given but this picture frame was beautiful & I'm just trying to decide on which picture goes in.
disneyfreak1
04-06-2009, 09:28 AM
We loved each & everything given but this picture frame was beautiful & I'm just trying to decide on which picture goes in.
I'm so glad you liked it! :yay:
starview
04-06-2009, 09:29 AM
I had already packed everything when Pam suggested taking pictures but I included a card in one of the gift bags. We gave postcards, fridge magnets, travel kit, snacks, bracelets, coloring pages, tattoos, tiaras, etc.
We had such fun & were amazed at the creativity of some of you. The personalized gifts were especially appreciated & will be treasured keepsakes. Everything was great & we thank you all.
We got home early Sunday morning & this is my first time on the computer. I'm actually on hold with Disney to book my bounce-back (estimated wait 71 minutes). We booked a 4 day onboard for a b2b.
mumom95
04-06-2009, 10:41 AM
First of all, I want to say Thank You to all you guys for the awesome FE gifts. My kids absolutely loved coming back to the room and having a surprise waiting for them. It really made our first disney cruise extra special. And some of you gave such amazing things, I feel guilty that we didn't do more (I didn't realize people would do so much). I especially love the frame, I just finished putting a picture of the kids with Pluto on Castayway Cay in it. And to the people that gave Samantha something special for her birthday, I don't even know how to say thank you and show you how much she (and I) really appreciated the gifts.
We had such an amazing time, I booked our bounceback offer today, we'll be doing the 3 day on August 13th.
disneyfreak1
04-06-2009, 11:09 AM
First of all, I want to say Thank You to all you guys for the awesome FE gifts. My kids absolutely loved coming back to the room and having a surprise waiting for them. It really made our first disney cruise extra special. And some of you gave such amazing things, I feel guilty that we didn't do more (I didn't realize people would do so much). I especially love the frame, I just finished putting a picture of the kids with Pluto on Castayway Cay in it. And to the people that gave Samantha something special for her birthday, I don't even know how to say thank you and show you how much she (and I) really appreciated the gifts.
We had such an amazing time, I booked our bounceback offer today, we'll be doing the 3 day on August 13th.
I'm so glad you loved the frame! I gave Samantha the pastel Mickey head bracelet and was sorry I didn't keep one for myself. :rotfl:That's o.k....my DS is going to the Magic Kingdom on a field trip tomorrow and is going to get me one. :)
nkoelr
04-06-2009, 02:53 PM
I had never heard of a fish extender and really did not know what to expect with it and was really blown away by the amount of gifts. We had so much fun with it. Even getting us to walk around the ship more and see other people's doors and fish extenders was a lot of fun. I couldn't believe that we got something every single day!
I hate to point out gifts since I am sure I will miss one I loved but I will do it anyway. The frame was just beautiful (especially for those of us up north that can only dream of seeing a sandy beach anytime soon!). I loved the black personalized bag with each family member (who made that anyway, I didn't see a tag on it??). The mickey head bead was so cute and is already being used and the kids have been using the big paper clip bookmarks. The can holders were used at Castaway Cay (great idea!) and we had a great time working the knots each day. The personalized magnets on the doors was a fun memory of the trip. And all of the candy, stickers, cards, glow sticks and everything else just made the trip so much fun. Everything was very much appreciated!
Pam, thanks again for organizing this and Dyanne for making the map. It really was a great addition to the cruise!!
nonzerosum
04-07-2009, 06:46 PM
Hi Everyone,
The FE exchange was our favorite thing about our trip (the reason for this is to follow). Thank you so much to Pam for organizing and Dyanne for making the ultra professional map. We made the black tote bags and also distributed assorted goodies such as disney washcloths, stickers, tattoos, candy, flashing pins and some other stuff that I can't remember. I didn't put our names on them as I was thinking anonymous would be fun, but now I see that it is really great to know who visited you. An especially big thank you to all of you who put a little something extra in our birthday boy's pocket. My kids thought that was really cool. Thank you to everyone for making this so much fun.
And now for why the FE exchange was the best part of the trip.....We were horribly ill and didn't leave our stateroom for much of the trip. To make a very long and depressing story short, we spent 9 days at WDW prior to the cruise and picked up Norwolk virus while there, you know, the dreaded "cruise ship virus" that was epidemic a few years back. My daughter was sick on the bus ride to the Port and we thought it was motion sickness as the bus was VERY rocky. A couple of hours later, AT THE BOAT DRILL, she vomited everywhere. Can you say social pariah!!! We scurried back to the room, tail between legs and were not seen again for 3 days. Of course we saw the Dr. right away and we were all quarantined for 48 hours. The rest of us got it hours later and my DD and I were REALLY sick. She couldn't even hold down water for 5 days. My husband is only truly eating as of today. It was really terrible, not being able to leave the room, so the FE was so appreciated. Sorry to anyone who heard nasty wretching during deliveries to our room. We travelled a great distance (way north Canada--hi starview) and planned for 18 months for our 1st cruise, so this was a big letdown. Being able to poke our head out of the door and see the presents was really what we needed. We loved what we did see of the ship and will return in a couple of years. Just as a word of caution, I have heard from several sources that Norwolk is making the rounds at WDW, so take care. The sad irony is that I knew of this in advance and tried to take the necessary precautions--I looked like the OCD hand sanitizer lady. Enough complaining for one day. Thanks for the vent.
disneyfreak1
04-07-2009, 07:05 PM
Hi Everyone,
The FE exchange was our favorite thing about our trip (the reason for this is to follow). Thank you so much to Pam for organizing and Dyanne for making the ultra professional map. We made the black tote bags and also distributed assorted goodies such as disney washcloths, stickers, tattoos, candy, flashing pins and some other stuff that I can't remember. I didn't put our names on them as I was thinking anonymous would be fun, but now I see that it is really great to know who visited you. An especially big thank you to all of you who put a little something extra in our birthday boy's pocket. My kids thought that was really cool. Thank you to everyone for making this so much fun.
And now for why the FE exchange was the best part of the trip.....We were horribly ill and didn't leave our stateroom for much of the trip. To make a very long and depressing story short, we spent 9 days at WDW prior to the cruise and picked up Norwolk virus while there, you know, the dreaded "cruise ship virus" that was epidemic a few years back. My daughter was sick on the bus ride to the Port and we thought it was motion sickness as the bus was VERY rocky. A couple of hours later, AT THE BOAT DRILL, she vomited everywhere. Can you say social pariah!!! We scurried back to the room, tail between legs and were not seen again for 3 days. Of course we saw the Dr. right away and we were all quarantined for 48 hours. The rest of us got it hours later and my DD and I were REALLY sick. She couldn't even hold down water for 5 days. My husband is only truly eating as of today. It was really terrible, not being able to leave the room, so the FE was so appreciated. Sorry to anyone who heard nasty wretching during deliveries to our room. We travelled a great distance (way north Canada--hi starview) and planned for 18 months for our 1st cruise, so this was a big letdown. Being able to poke our head out of the door and see the presents was really what we needed. We loved what we did see of the ship and will return in a couple of years. Just as a word of caution, I have heard from several sources that Norwolk is making the rounds at WDW, so take care. The sad irony is that I knew of this in advance and tried to take the necessary precautions--I looked like the OCD hand sanitizer lady. Enough complaining for one day. Thanks for the vent.
Wow! I was wondering why I never saw you again after the "meet." I am so sorry to hear about your illnesses, but we absolutely loved our totebag! Great job!
Pam
mumom95
04-07-2009, 08:23 PM
Hi Everyone,
The FE exchange was our favorite thing about our trip (the reason for this is to follow). Thank you so much to Pam for organizing and Dyanne for making the ultra professional map. We made the black tote bags and also distributed assorted goodies such as disney washcloths, stickers, tattoos, candy, flashing pins and some other stuff that I can't remember. I didn't put our names on them as I was thinking anonymous would be fun, but now I see that it is really great to know who visited you. An especially big thank you to all of you who put a little something extra in our birthday boy's pocket. My kids thought that was really cool. Thank you to everyone for making this so much fun.
And now for why the FE exchange was the best part of the trip.....We were horribly ill and didn't leave our stateroom for much of the trip. To make a very long and depressing story short, we spent 9 days at WDW prior to the cruise and picked up Norwolk virus while there, you know, the dreaded "cruise ship virus" that was epidemic a few years back. My daughter was sick on the bus ride to the Port and we thought it was motion sickness as the bus was VERY rocky. A couple of hours later, AT THE BOAT DRILL, she vomited everywhere. Can you say social pariah!!! We scurried back to the room, tail between legs and were not seen again for 3 days. Of course we saw the Dr. right away and we were all quarantined for 48 hours. The rest of us got it hours later and my DD and I were REALLY sick. She couldn't even hold down water for 5 days. My husband is only truly eating as of today. It was really terrible, not being able to leave the room, so the FE was so appreciated. Sorry to anyone who heard nasty wretching during deliveries to our room. We travelled a great distance (way north Canada--hi starview) and planned for 18 months for our 1st cruise, so this was a big letdown. Being able to poke our head out of the door and see the presents was really what we needed. We loved what we did see of the ship and will return in a couple of years. Just as a word of caution, I have heard from several sources that Norwolk is making the rounds at WDW, so take care. The sad irony is that I knew of this in advance and tried to take the necessary precautions--I looked like the OCD hand sanitizer lady. Enough complaining for one day. Thanks for the vent.
I am so sorry to hear this. We LOVE the black bag, I've been carrying it around lately just to remind me of the cruise.
I hope it isn't too long before you can do another cruise to hopefully make up for the first one. I can only imagine what a let down it was after waiting and planning for so lone.
starview
04-08-2009, 10:58 AM
Hi Everyone,
The FE exchange was our favorite thing about our trip (the reason for this is to follow). Thank you so much to Pam for organizing and Dyanne for making the ultra professional map. We made the black tote bags and also distributed assorted goodies such as disney washcloths, stickers, tattoos, candy, flashing pins and some other stuff that I can't remember. I didn't put our names on them as I was thinking anonymous would be fun, but now I see that it is really great to know who visited you. An especially big thank you to all of you who put a little something extra in our birthday boy's pocket. My kids thought that was really cool. Thank you to everyone for making this so much fun.
And now for why the FE exchange was the best part of the trip.....We were horribly ill and didn't leave our stateroom for much of the trip. To make a very long and depressing story short, we spent 9 days at WDW prior to the cruise and picked up Norwolk virus while there, you know, the dreaded "cruise ship virus" that was epidemic a few years back. My daughter was sick on the bus ride to the Port and we thought it was motion sickness as the bus was VERY rocky. A couple of hours later, AT THE BOAT DRILL, she vomited everywhere. Can you say social pariah!!! We scurried back to the room, tail between legs and were not seen again for 3 days. Of course we saw the Dr. right away and we were all quarantined for 48 hours. The rest of us got it hours later and my DD and I were REALLY sick. She couldn't even hold down water for 5 days. My husband is only truly eating as of today. It was really terrible, not being able to leave the room, so the FE was so appreciated. Sorry to anyone who heard nasty wretching during deliveries to our room. We travelled a great distance (way north Canada--hi starview) and planned for 18 months for our 1st cruise, so this was a big letdown. Being able to poke our head out of the door and see the presents was really what we needed. We loved what we did see of the ship and will return in a couple of years. Just as a word of caution, I have heard from several sources that Norwolk is making the rounds at WDW, so take care. The sad irony is that I knew of this in advance and tried to take the necessary precautions--I looked like the OCD hand sanitizer lady. Enough complaining for one day. Thanks for the vent.
I am so sorry your family was ill. My husband & I got food poisoning on the night before one of our cruises & were ill & quarantined for 3 days so we got a sampling of that. With our long flights back home it must have been a challenge as well. We were exhausted & we were healthy.
We also loved the tote bags! My grandson loved the cruise & said he had the most fun ever so I hope you get a chance to experience it later. I hope you all at least had a great time at WDW.
Thanks again to everyone.
Weedy
04-08-2009, 02:07 PM
I'm so sorry you were sick. Did you have trip insurance? If so they may pay for the cruise.
alikat99
04-08-2009, 10:59 PM
Hi Everyone,
The FE exchange was our favorite thing about our trip (the reason for this is to follow). Thank you so much to Pam for organizing and Dyanne for making the ultra professional map. We made the black tote bags and also distributed assorted goodies such as disney washcloths, stickers, tattoos, candy, flashing pins and some other stuff that I can't remember. I didn't put our names on them as I was thinking anonymous would be fun, but now I see that it is really great to know who visited you. An especially big thank you to all of you who put a little something extra in our birthday boy's pocket. My kids thought that was really cool. Thank you to everyone for making this so much fun.
And now for why the FE exchange was the best part of the trip.....We were horribly ill and didn't leave our stateroom for much of the trip. To make a very long and depressing story short, we spent 9 days at WDW prior to the cruise and picked up Norwolk virus while there, you know, the dreaded "cruise ship virus" that was epidemic a few years back. My daughter was sick on the bus ride to the Port and we thought it was motion sickness as the bus was VERY rocky. A couple of hours later, AT THE BOAT DRILL, she vomited everywhere. Can you say social pariah!!! We scurried back to the room, tail between legs and were not seen again for 3 days. Of course we saw the Dr. right away and we were all quarantined for 48 hours. The rest of us got it hours later and my DD and I were REALLY sick. She couldn't even hold down water for 5 days. My husband is only truly eating as of today. It was really terrible, not being able to leave the room, so the FE was so appreciated. Sorry to anyone who heard nasty wretching during deliveries to our room. We travelled a great distance (way north Canada--hi starview) and planned for 18 months for our 1st cruise, so this was a big letdown. Being able to poke our head out of the door and see the presents was really what we needed. We loved what we did see of the ship and will return in a couple of years. Just as a word of caution, I have heard from several sources that Norwolk is making the rounds at WDW, so take care. The sad irony is that I knew of this in advance and tried to take the necessary precautions--I looked like the OCD hand sanitizer lady. Enough complaining for one day. Thanks for the vent.
OMG - I'm SO sorry to hear this! That's no way to spend your first Disney cruise, that's for sure. I'm glad that the FE exchange gave you a little bit of happiness in a virus-stricken vacation! We LOVED our bag, and I carried it around the ship a few times, and got several comments on where I got it!
kcashner
04-10-2009, 10:34 PM
I've never seen FE gifts like these! The frame was unbelievable! We loved the personalized magnets, wrappers on the hershey bars, etc. The name magnets were actually funny--we had another FE family with their magnets across the hall from us. The magnets sometimes fell off when the door closed. At one point I thought someone had taken them, and then saw our names on the door across the hall.....then later, one of their magnets appeared on our door. We swapped back and forth several times.
We did the anonymous variety as that's what we'd experienced before--passed out an assortment of things including compressed washcloths, glow sticks, pirate accessories, etc. I'm a little embarrassed--we got a LOT!
I'm so sorry you were sick for most of the cruise--hopefully your insurance will cover a lot of it...so maybe you can book another time.
Sorry for the quick run in and out at the dis-meet. We went to the spa drawing at 3 (must be present to win) and thought that when they said the drawing was at 3, they would draw at 3. What they actually did was to run all around the spa to be sure that everyone who wanted to had their form in...and then started a sales pitch. Then we had the announcement about the shuttle landing and wanted to see that...so sort of ran thru the dis meet quickly.
Did anyone actually SEE the shuttle landing? We didn't see or hear it...anyone know what happened? The web site says it touched down at 3:14 pm at Kennedy Space Center.....we thought the sonic boom would be huge, but must have missed it.
We LOVED St. Croix! DD found a free or cheap internet cafe there and at St. Thomas (so she could touch base with friends back home...grrrrr). 19 more school days for seniors!!!
disneymom13176
04-27-2009, 08:28 PM
Here were some of the goodies we dropped by the FE's...
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/ChrisDisneyCruisePics2009027.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/ChrisDisneyCruisePics2009030.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/ChrisDisneyCruisePics2009033.jpg
disneymom13176
04-27-2009, 08:35 PM
Here are some of the pics of the cool treats that were left in our FE...
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009119.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009120.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009121.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009122.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009123.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009124.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009125.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm98/awrightsel/DisneyCruise2009126.jpg
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