KC's Western PRE trip report

[King Charming]

WARNING: I'm extremely long winded, cheap, and eagerly anticipating our 1st cruise.
Sub-Titled: A free cruise is gonna cost WHAT??? with other budgetary & planning concerns. Plus some history, humor, an antidote, a few observations and mumblings.

I've never won anything of value, and still haven't. But DW aced it this time. A seven day Disney cruise!!! Whoa... all the things that first come to mind... how soon can we go? Where will the ship take us? How much will it all cost? Holy Cow, I've been to "the world" for a week, staying "on property" and it cost a ton and a half of money!! I don't care what the commercial says 'cause I spent WAY more than $ 1600. :scared1: And everyone knows a cruise costs MUCH more. Just what have I gotten myself into? Can we even afford a "free trip"? What follows is one man's account of how he prepared to again struggle with a mouse over money we both think we have a right to. There will also be a follow-up covering the ACTUAL costs, so you'll know in advance how much cash to keep in your pocket on any given day for things like cab fare, booze, or T-shirts. I expect to finish up right before our 4/19-26 western cruise. Of course this means I only think I know what I'm talking about, and I'm sure some areas could have been re-written with hindsight. Also, because I wrote this in real time, but didn't post it till many weeks later, there might be times when a responder touches upon a subject that I didn't write about until much later, if at all. Please bear with me when the inevitable happens. Rather than edit this narrative to include these comments, it will be simpler to plow through unchecked. Even though I had to wait 4 months for our cruise, it made no sense to make anybody else wait that long. I also promise to post often and complete this report because we both know how rude it is to do otherwise.

[MassDisLovers]

Can't wait to read more! :yay:

[pwgs]

Can't Wait!:surfweb:

[Tinkified]

Hey there King Charming! You got your own cheering section here! Looking forward to meeting you on board! Michelle

[King Charming]

That's right, WON IT!!! :banana: one of those lightning strike odds type of thing. DW, in either preparing for a 6 day "world" trip w/ Mom (a "you gave me the world growing up by raising me, now I can give it back" theme), or for her Disney/Scouting related web site, got registered by having her question answered during a Disney related pod-cast. Sponcered by that company and a Disney related travel agency, (you've heard of them both), a yearly grand prize of sorts was announced on Christmas. I'd like to take a moment to again thank these nameless companies and/or organizations, but as they very politely explained when I wanted to send a press release to my local newspaper, they control all aspects of the contest/drawing and would appreciate having ALL control in advertising either their corporate names or the contest. :confused3 Since I know it's all on the up n up, and since it is FREE, my family has agreed to do it their way (wouldn't you?).

[anty30]

Subscribing. Sounds good so far.
Anty:grouphug:

[Hypermommy]

Yes, I'm a bit biased :rotfl2: but let me tell you, you guys are going to love this TR. I've read most of it already but I'll be reading it here becuase I can already tell he's editing it a bit as he goes. King Charming has a wonderful sense of humor (he has to, right? I mean, he does live with me and that definitely takes a sense of humor :lmao: ). So I'm very much looking forward to reading this account of his ongoing strugle with the Mouse.

Just remember he's the sane one in our marriage -- you know.... the one that says we should purchase a fulltime house before we purchase a partial real estate interest (otherwise known as DVC). Personally, I'd happily plunk down dollars for a DVC becuase it's Disney, but he's the one that reminds me of the responsible things we should do. Somehow, though, he does it with such finess that he makes me feel totally free and totally protected all at the same time. Go figure! Guess that's what rates him a King Charming instead of a mere Prince. :worship: :rotfl2: :cool1: :worship: :rotfl2: :cool1:

So sit back and enjoy this wonderful pre-TR .... otherwise known as the struggles of a sane man against a woman so addicted to the Mouse that money has become just numbers on a page... and everyone knows that numbers are infinite. :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

[King Charming]

To establish the fact that this trip has not been bestowed upon the uninformed or unimpressed, our Disney "history" is also included. Prior to meeting DW, I had been to Mickey's place on a couple of occasions with various friends and family members. It can be said that the wife and I have always been Disney fans, driving down there from Tallahassee for our honeymoon in 91 and staying the third week of Dec. We watched "the arm" being erected at the Epcot sphere in Sept 99; which was thankfully removed last year. We became Disney "fan"atics when we bought Florida resident passes in March 06. We had planned for a trip in Dec 06, so when extra funding became available in March :cool1: the spring break week from school became the first time we ever stayed at a Disney hotel. I think we were there for 6 nights (yeah, we must have been feeling rich). I was finally able to kick back and really enjoy the parks in a brand new way. No longer "going commando" and trying to see everything at once, I knew there was always tomorrow to go back and finish seeing this or that. We also knew we'd be back in 9 months, during Dec., my favorite time, because the parks are all dressed up for Christmas :santa: . My work as an independent carpentry sub-contractor usually drops off then, and more importantly, it is one of the few times of the year when attandance is low (relative to Disney standards).

[TotallyAngelic]

I am going to enjoy this I can tell - I can't believe you actually won a cruise - that is amazing!

[VacationKicks]

What a great start. How awesome that you won a cruise!:cool1:

We are going on a western cruise in 2009 and love hearing what others do/plan on the western route.

[King Charming]

I am a highly economical (CHEAP!) person, and there is always a money factor. There is really no such thing as "extra funding becoming available" although I thought it was a cool term. What really happened that March is that DW is a computer master who works as a programmer. She was wasting away as a state employee and floating the idea of doing free-lance programming work, starting a company, being self-employed, that kind of stuff. Then she landed a part time gig for people she had previously known and worked for. At $70.00 per hour!!:woohoo: Holy Cow, that adds up pretty quick, no matter how conservative she insisted on being. Then she says (oh so sweetly) "since I earned it, can I do anything I want for the family with it?" And silly me said yes; BAM, it was just like that end of the Super Bowl commercial. "DW, someone has just handed you a check for 3 grand, what are you going to do next?" Duh!! How excited was she about a week in "the world"? She made scrapbook pages about PREPARING for the trip! :rotfl2: So we stayed at the All-Stars and bought the yearly passes. Having the extra thousand dollars relieved the expenses you normally run up prior to such a trip. But even being T-shirt rich, I'm sure we were quite the scene setting up the room with our own frig, microwave, coolers, bins of cereal & bowls, bread and booze. :eek:

[Hypermommy]

We probably were quite the scene but it's called being thrifty! :rotfl2: Since King Charming and I don't eat breakfast but the kids definitely need it or you'd think they were going to drop down dead of starvation right there, we decided cereal in the room was a good idea. And we had to have the dorm fridge to keep the beer cold. And a microwave makes for wonderful popcorn in the evening and mac and cheese or beefaroni snacks. It's just how we help make those numbers infinite! :rotfl2: :cool1: :rotfl2: :cool1:

[Mozart]

I would suggest posting a link to this over on the podcast board. The team will probably be happy to read this, and many of the posters over there are preparing for the podcast cruise.

Congratulations on winning the cruise. Noone here is jealous or anything.

[King Charming]

Another benefit of having passes and living 4 1/2 driving hours away is the weekend or spur of the moment visit. Hypermommy would take DS14 & DS12 and stay at the HoJo's on Sat. nite. And I'd stay home, Hooray! I'd rather have a weekend off from parenting. Plus I've got a steady Sat. night gig; Poker nite w/ the guys. Nickel/dime stuff w/ lots of bluffing. As much as I enjoy Mickey, his pull on my money is alot like gravity. It's constant & a little bit is good, but too much kills you. But DW kept on billing, abet a lot less now that it was down to fine tuning the programs. She was the one getting up at 4am, the bills were getting paid, and she wanted to "immerse herself in the Disney magic", so she could spend it anyway she wanted to. This led to trips down in May, June, 2xJuly, sept, Oct w/ me, and Nov prior to our blow-out trip in Dec. She got quite good at cutting expenses on most trips, which was how she went so often. Although I had a great time with you dear, I still cringe when thinking about the eight hundred clams we blew that weekend without the kids at Epcot. They had the food & wine thing going and we would walk around eating small plates of 5 or 7 dollar foods while drinking 5 dollar wines at the 20 or 25 places that offered 2 or 3 "National" dishes. We kept a master menu and between us must have eaten/drank half of it during our 2 day visit. Gosh, it was a fun weekend, capped off with a day at MK on Sunday. We stayed at the All Stars again, used Disney transportation, and took FULL advantage of letting someone else drive. I'm not sure how much "research" :rolleyes1 for her website got done, but she sure does know her way around down there now.

[Hypermommy]

I had a great time with you too, dear... but you have to remember that it was not all about being at F&W (although being with my one and only in my most favorite place in the entire world was absolutely wonderful!!!)..... remember also that this was the first trip we'd taken without kids since the boys were born. And if I'm going to be completely honest, I have to admit that I keep hoping we can find a way back to F&W again, just us. Remember, we're "making memories, making memories...." and those numbers are infinite!

But I digress from your most excellent trip report. Forgive me, O my liege, for interrupting your saga. :worship: :worship:

:rotfl2: :cool1: :rotfl2: :cool1: :rotfl2: :cool1: :rotfl2: :cool1:

[King Charming]

Then in Dec. there was the saved for and extremely well planned 9 nite stay at Pop Century. Lets just say I love Disney buses. The family went down for the "Mickey Mouse Convention" weekend (I love that term), then after poker I went down too. Although they don't call it that, the "Disney-ites" really do gather early in Dec every year. It was sorta fun to ask DW about crowd levels and lines since she was there so often. In fact, I loved teasing her about being a 9 percenter. That's right, during the year she had the pass, she was in one of the parks on 34 different days! (A Mickey Month).
I haven't been back since then, however the wife and kids did go back a last time in Feb 07 before the passes expired. Only DW is a current pass holder, having gone for a "research trip" :rotfl: weekend in Oct, and for a week last Dec for the annual convention/Mom's vacation/ and of course "for research" :rotfl2: (wouldn't it have been great to have the guts to write these trips off for tax purposes?) Since it is such a money drain, I hadn't planned on another 7-10 day stay for AT LEAST another year. How strange to actually have a (real) savings account with something in it one day! With Christmas and giving Mom "the world", spending thousands more a few months later on the mouse shouldn't be anywhere in the picture. You are supposed to save for these type trips ya know. I feel like I was thrown into the deep end on this one. BUT, they couldn't have found a more appreciative person/family to award this to if they looked for years. This fantasy even ranked ahead of staying in the castle suite. :cloud9:
Up next Let the planning begin :cheer2:

[kalel29]

:surfweb:

[King Charming]

Oh Lordy, we won!! And it's been confirmed two different ways! A DISNEY cruise!!! Not one of those quickies either. For seven long nights. TOO COOL!!!!
:thumbsup2 :cool1: :cloud9: :banana: :dance3: :goodvibes :cheer2: :yay: So I asked the wife if she'd like to do it for her birthday, and she said no way would she wait 4 months for her new "dream vacation". Seems she had been asked to go cruising with some of the other adult scout leaders, but knowing there was no way we could afford it, merely replied that she was saving herself for Mickey. Initially I was scared of the prospect of coming up with fifteen hundred dollars in the next 30 days to be able to actually go somewhere. I mean, how much does a "free trip" cost? But slow down, let's find out more about this. The deal was any 7 day, cat 6 for two, or cat 11 for four. Do we have to take the kids? Really? Oh alright, but what is the difference between an eastern or western? The western has such cool ports (IMHO), and she did ask me, so we're going to Mexico! Ever the planner/organizer, Hypermommy immediately set the wheels in motion. What do you mean these boats, oops, I mean ships, fill up fast? HOW FAST?? Dang, a 4 month wait is suddenly acceptable. That means we'll be at sea on DW's birthday! That works out good all around. I suddenly have a 100+ day notification on my savings plan. OK, we can do that, that's only $15 a day. It's the slow time of my work year, but we should be able to do that. (I build wood fences and decks). I also have several cords of seasoned firewood left, having sold half of my stock so far for about a grand. Good, we can go forward now, go ahead and confirm our western cruise date of 4/19.:woohoo:

[King Charming]

OK, time to start looking at some actual costs to see how close the estimate was. First up was the tips issue. We have to pay tip, taxes, tariffs, and such. Hey, I knew it wouldn't be totally free, and it's really great that they are so up front about who and when to tip the staff. You pay your $ 305 (7 days X 4 persons) and are given tickets to give the staff at the end so they know they haven't been forgotten. Another cost that we found out about right away was the US Passports. One day soon everyone will need them to cruise. DW and I went the rounds for a week as to whether we needed them. Cheap, ah, er, frugal me said they were not needed and proved it. The boss countered with there was no way she would allow such a trivial matter stand in the way of such a fabulous opportunity. Just the idea of being turned away at the port because we didn't have the right paperwork was all I heard. So with credit card in hand, off we went to be certified, documented, and stamped. POW, :scared1: four hundred bucks, and I still have one hundred more days to figure out what else I'll be spending money for. :confused: At least I know what I'll be spending half my money on.

[Hypermommy]

Well, at least they didn't put us on the group W bench, right dear?

[Mozart]

Let me see if I have this straight? We have the husband posting a trip report, and the wife reading and responding?

Please, please, please argue about what excursions you're going to take...and do it on the boards! popcorn:: :)

[MassDisLovers]

Well, at least they didn't put us on the group W bench, right dear?


:confused: What is the group W Bench?

[King Charming]

Alice's Restaurant:goodvibes

After the draft board deems him unfit for killing people. :confused3

Sorry folks, I just had to answer this one. :hippie:

[King Charming]

We got the confirmed paperwork from DCL!! And we hit an up-grade already!!!:banana: :banana: Now a Cat 10, meaning 30 extra sq feet in the room with the split bath. And Mexico, Cozumel really. The lure of ancient ruins was another deciding factor for the western. We're really going!:cool1: Of all the excursions I've seen, for all 4 ports, going to the Tulum ruins would be worth it at most any price, at least to me. It's the third most popular tourist spot in Mexico, the type of place you can't help but learn about. Showing a couple of impressionable teens another culture and country is worth the $97 dollars a head they charge to boat you over to the mainland, and bus you down to the walled-in collection of buildings. If we can keep the spending down to just T-shirt(s) at the first two ports, I can justify the increased debt as a once in a lifetime type deal. Besides, having another credit card is a good thing, right?

[King Charming]

The savings plan started off well enough, with the firewood sales generating several hundred dollars cash that got stashed away. Unfortunately, the cruise costs have gotten totally out of control.:eek: Would you risk driving 300 miles the day the ship leaves? The mini-van is 6 years old w/ 79K miles; good enough to run back and forth to Orlando, but it only takes 2 flat tires to eliminate any safety margin and miss the ship. So you stay in Cocoa Beach the night before, wake up refreshed, and get to the port early. Fine, but it costs a hundred bucks. They recently raised the parking rate where you leave the van to $ 15 a day (from $ 12), bang, another hundred. Lunch and gasoline costs for both ways, another hundred. Where to put the puppies (they will be 1 yr and 6 mos)? See the pattern? At least the income taxes that I will owe as a result of this fine gift will not be due for another year. I definitely didn't plan for this, but at least it doesn't stink. I can take aspirin for this kind of headache, thank you. It didn't hepl any to have to raid the cash stash at the end of Jan. There is a silver lining up ahead though, the government wants to help me pay for the cruise by sending summer rebates to all taxpayers. That's ME!! They say between 1K and twelve hundred for families to come in May 08. That should be about the time the April cruise bills come due. Anything would sound good at this point.:goodvibes

[pixidustmom]

This is a great story. I have been captivated by your story of not wanting to spend it all. :surfweb: I can totally relate. :thumbsup2 I've been lucky to have seen the "World" two times and the "wonder 3night" once.:banana: All were not from my pocket, only the extra stuff you are talking about.;) Both times when we went to the "World" we had the food and fun package too. This was a huge help. The first trip to the "World" we only had a $100 (long story but it was before ATM cards were used as Debits).:confused: We were there for 4 nights too with two young DDs. The next time was a little better with the finances but we did spend more on the "Magic" before we went, but the Circ Sole was closed so we got a little over a $100 each person in Dis Credit, this was so sweet. :cheer2:
So this year I am going to do a 7 day western double dip for Thanksgiving. :yay: I know this one hurts as I have to actually pay my own way.:sick: But I have been a very good girl and saving up for this for a long time and my tax returned did the rest.:woohoo:
See the two of you are a perfect pair. One who enjoys life and the extras and the other who enjoys life and watching others living it.

[rantnnravin]

Alice's Restaurant:goodvibes

After the draft board deems him unfit for killing people. :confused3

Sorry folks, I just had to answer this one. :hippie:

:hippie:"with blood, n guts, n veins in ma teeth..":hippie:

[King Charming]

Holy Cow, that woman is whacked!! The "spreadsheet" has passed two and a half thousand dollars!:scared1: The spreadsheet came to be when the estimated costs rocketed past $2K.:eek: I mean, I knew that I could squeeze a penny until old Abe cried uncle, but could my rock bottom guesses be THAT far off? Oh yeah, BIG TIME!! :headache: Stuff like tuxes and a dress for formal night, ship's pictures, booze, and internet access are all adding substantial amounts. Haircuts, water shoes, waterproof disposable cameras and T-shirts sure do pile it on. At what point do you pull the plug? How many times can you trot out the "once in a life" rationale?:rolleyes: The whole friggin thing is a once in a lifetime experience. I sure as heck don't want to do this again unless it gets a whole lot free'er. Some good news is that my in-laws sent a hundred bucks to help with the costs of the passports, and DW's mom said she will send hundreds of dollars too. We've always been very thankful for the financial help she has provided over the years. Another plus I can count on is not paying to feed bottomless pit #1 and # 2, or in board speak DS 14 & DS 12, for a whole week. The grocery store is one of the few places I enjoy spending money; probably because I'm there so often getting another truck load of consumables. So taking a week off and staying out of the store that receives a large percentage of our income will be a welcome reprieve. I'm sure all you parents of teenagers are nodding your heads in a "been there, done that" gesture.

[Hypermommy]

Yep, Mozart, you got it straight. KC is my DH. Unfortunately, there won't be any arguing about excursions. We've been together for 20 years now and usually we're into doing the same type of thing. So the way he feels about showing our teenaged sons places like Cozumel... I'm in agreement about that. And never having been much of a beach loving person, many of the other excursions just don't appeal to me either. But don't worry... there was enough "discussion" about things like how much my formal gown is gonna cost and stuff like there.... there should be enough drama :rotfl2:

Whacked, I am dear? Well, you're welcome to your opinion... but I still say "once in a lifetime". And I'm glad to see you thinking about how much you're going to save at the grocery store. I hadn't even though about that. Given what the boys eat... well, let's just say I'll be going shopping for cruise clothes this afternoon :rotfl2: :cool1: :banana: :rotfl2: :cool1: :banana: :rotfl2: :cool1: :banana:

[chirurgeon]

Denise, I never thought I would enjoy a trip report about a cruise that I didn't win so much. Your DH is hysterical. So are you. No matter what anyone else says, I'M JEALOUS. If only Pete had read my name on Christmas morning. Oh well, you and your family are going to have a ball and we will enjoy it vicariously.

Kim

[TallyTutter]

Hey Hypermommy, did you remind KC about the shipboard credits? That ought to help some. :yay:

[King Charming]

I think I've been given a stay of execution. It's so good to find out that this isn't going to kill me after all. My good old Uncle Sam said he wanted to fund the entire cruise.:cool1: :banana: :cool1: We got our tax statements at the end of Jan., and I just got done running the numbers. We should be getting back close to 80% of the nearly 5 grand that was withheld this past year! Last year we got back less than half of that, and I had been hoping for a similar refund this year. However, DW changed jobs during the last year, now working full time for 2006's part time employer. In her first few checks she had way too much federal tax taken out, and it wasn't until her third or fouth check that it got down to a more realistic number. Now it's time to get that money back and I'm sure we will be in a hurry to fill out the paperwork and claim it.
The passport came!:cool2: Wow, was I ever surprised how quickly they processed them. It's also good to know our names are not on any type of "investigate these clowns" list. :laughing: And we didn't even pay the extra fee to speed the process. That's one big hurdle cleared, right dearest?

[Hypermommy]

Yep... I felt much better when I knew we had the passports. Even though we didnt need them to cruise, I just feel much, much better having them.
And besides, now we have them in case we decide to book another cruise while onboard. <evil grin>

That's what you were talking about, right TallyTutter?

[nzdisneymom]

You guys are making me LOL! I had to especially LOL about the savings from the grocery store for the week with your kids -- see? if you save $200 from not having to feed them for the week, that pays for their passports :) And the gas money you spend going down to the Port and back is probably about the same as what you'd spend in a week driving them around as well as back and forth to work! So you're even there!

[Hedy]

Can't wait to hear more!

[King Charming]

Thank you Mom! :thumbsup2 This trip is starting to take on a whole new light now that I know I will have a few bucks in my pocket. Mom's check for 500 smackaroos arrived.:banana: Between that and my slowly growing cash stash (now back over $300), I can start breathing again. Even if the tax refund gets delayed or all my deductions get disallowed, we should still be able to enjoy the trip without asking "excuse me, how much does that cost" everytime, or deciding to just let the kids do whatever, while DW and I stand around taking pictures and movies. No creative financing will be needed, although some of the ideas were not too bad. One was to trade in the van and replace it with whatever had the largest cash rebate. Another poorer one was to get another credit card for the Tulum charges. The idea of paying more that 1% a month on the balance would bite, but all kind of silly ideas run through my mind (OK, short sprint) to take full advantage of this week in paradise. Gosh, what a relief to at least have a handle on the expenses, no matter how far out of hand they seem to be getting. Hey Honey, do we really need...

[King Charming]

I still get quite a kick out of being able to sell firewood in Florida. Who'd have thunk it? In years past I'd always been able to sell out all I could gather and split with my axe, usually earning $300-600 bucks. This year they cleared many acres near me for a new Walmart/Costco. So I took full advantage of it and snatched up as much of wood as possible. Then seeing how much I could amass, I went out and bought a 27 ton log splitter. This bad boy splits even live oak. In this part of the country, there are many, many varieties of oak trees. They grow so well here that we have numerous canopy roads leading in and out of town. Yes, they are beautiful. Many long wood piles later I had slightly more that 2 grand worth of wood in the easement next to the house. Unfortunately, I'm only going to sell 3/4's of it this year, (it just doesn't stay cold in sunny Florida for long) so this cash cow has gone dry prematurely. At least I was able to re-coup the cost of the log splitter.
We now have a special "cruise stuff" pile that has previous years vacation/travel stuff under the new junk. Stuff like pirate garb, the white photo matte that will surround a new favorite photo, (we will drop it off at Guest Services to get the characters to sign it), the required over-the-door shoe bag, and travel size containers are currently on top. You know what I'm talking about; the typical clutter you think you might need so you take it anyway. As we run across these items, the pile grows.
And of course, THE COUNTDOWN!! In out house it took the form of the Home Depot's paint sample cards. You've probably seen the mousehead ones. We numbered and taped them to the sliding glass back door. So happy with herself, DW posted a picture of it on our cruise meet thread. The kids alternate days, and remove one accompanied by the sound file of the ship's horn played from a lap-top. I guess X's on a calendar would have been way too ordinary.

[disneygirlinnj]

subscribing! you guys are great!

[Hypermommy]

Xs on a calendar?!?!?! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too ordinary. You know Walt taught us all to "plus" it.

Besides, who's right over there at the back door on the days that DS14 doesn't feel like pulling off the Mickey head becuase we've let a few days go by? Yeah, I know, I know.... you're doing it for DS12's benefit. Right?

[King Charming]

Lucky does not even come close to describing this trip. After running through the internet, it seems that in addition to the "Conch Republic" independence anniversary festival in Key West while we are there, there is also some sort of annual festival in Grand Cayman. There will be none of that "I sure wish we could have been there for that" type complaining. As a side note, and again off topic, I was living in very south Florida (Homestead) when Key West seceded, declared war on the United States, and then promply surrendered all on the same day. Everyone down there thought it was a hoot, especially when they asked for war reparation money. It did however cause the government to stop checking ID's of everyone leaving Key Largo headed north. The traffic tie ups had stretched halfway to Marathon. You might remember this was less than two years after the big Cuban boatlift, and undocumented/non-immunized people were showing up all over south Florida. Even after the Krome Ave refugee camp was set up to process the estimated 100 thousand people who fled or were banished from Cuba, there was still a steady flow of folks washing up from other nations as well.
Enough history, back to being lucky. It turns out the formal night on the ship is DW's birthday! Can you say pictures of the family all dressed up? She said it will be just like prom night, only this time with a real prince. I told her OK, but that I refuse to be demoted to prince; hence my screen name. I had kinda hoped to skip this event and save some big time coin by not having to buy fancy duds for four, but it was the only (the first) thing she's asked for (yet).

[Hypermommy]

Oooooh, and just wait until you see me in my gown, dripping in jewels and wearing my tiara. Trust me KC, it's gonna be well, well worth the $$ spent on the gown (okay, worth the $$$$ spent on the gown).

And to see the boys all dressed up? You know how it is with teenaged boys. We're doing good if we can get them to wear clothes that actually came out of the drawer rather than off the floor. That will definitely be worth it.

Just keep singing the song... "making memories, making memories....." and you'll be okay.

[King Charming]

Oh my, she must think this is some kind of game. A "look and see how high the costs can get" type of game. :eek: Only I don't want to play. :mad: Gosh, what a mistake it was to tell her how high an estimated tax refund we will be getting. Suddenly she's a Rockefeller. Para-sailing, banana boat riding, shopping on the ship AND in port, it goes on and on. Some concessions must be made of course (like buying alot of grog onboard), but really, my idea of not spending every penny available is getting dimmer and dimmer by the day. There have been a few bright spots though. By staying at a "better" hotel the night before the cruise, they will let you park for free during the week you are gone. Rather than pay for a shuttle from the hotel to the port, I'll just take the loaded mini-van over in the morning, drop everybody and bags off, drive back to the hotel, then do a solo on the shuttle. Bringing my own booze should save half a fistful of dollars, even though I'm sure to buy a few "drinks of the day". The folks on the boards said a visit to the ship's doctor has a minimum $ 100 fee plus meds. So you just buy several "remedy drugs", pack them away just in case, and keep your Franklin. The biggest problem is that DW can come up with an expense quicker than I can figure out the cheaper, er, I mean a less expensive way to do it. Yeah, that's what I meant. And some costs are like granite, aint no way around the fact that you will pay dearly or do without. Hey sweetie, are you sure we really need...

[King Charming]

Palo, the ritzy restaurant, is one of the places there is no bargaining with. Sure, I could just as easily skip the wine portion of the meal, (saving how many five dollar bills?) but at an extra $ 15 per head, plus tip, it is just too close to 40 bucks per couple for a meal. I've been told that there are places all over the ship that will feed you for free. Some of these places even assign you a seat and save your place. I'm only hot dog rich, so small food arranged fancy is wasted on me. Look, I realize the money will be flowing (sadly AWAY) the minute I lock the front door to leave for Port Canaveral, but being sensible with our money makes a difference in the amount or how often, I'm willing to spend.

[King Charming]

An itinerary of sorts has been almost agreed on. First stop is Key West. I have an amusing story about losing my legs in Key West that doesn't involve booze at all (!), but it's not THAT funny. (And yes, it is possible for a grown man to lose his own legs). Anyway, the idea is to go to the southern most marker, munching sandwiches from the ship, and acquiring libations as we walk back to the ship. We figure we would let the layout of the Independence Day festival (a week long celebration) dictate our route. A similar outing is planned for in Grand Cayman. Hiring a cab (at a predetermined rate) to take us north to Hell, we can mail postcards and snap pictures of the signs. An hour or two later (determined by the cabbie's advice/availability), a ride down the coast to Seven Mile Beach. A few hours later another ride back to the port. I found out there is a bus the runs every 15-20 minutes that will also work. There is also that yearly festival thing going on that I would expect to be centered in the largest town, George Town; which is where the port is. How this will affect our plans is unknown, maybe our cabbie can clue us in on where to go and what there is to do.

[Hypermommy]

What? No libations aquired in Grand Cayman? But of course we will. I have to be able to tell my mom she was right... if I didn't stop drinking I was going to go straight to Hell. :-)

[RLccweems]

:rotfl2: You, two are a hoot! I can't wait to read more!!

[King Charming]

Cozumel is the stop that intrigued me the most. Not knowing where it was exactly, I did know an iota about the Mayans and the general area. When I found out about the side trip we could take to see some ruins, I was hooked. I do know that transportation to the site is included (a small boat and a bus each way), and they give you a box lunch, and that the bus stops several blocks short of the place; but conveniently amid all of the shops. I expect the T-shirts to be alot cheaper and am so glad Hypermommy is not a silver nut. So in theory, I could come away having spent little extra, on the other hand... Did she REALLY just go in that store? :sad1:

[TallyTutter]

I don't know if it's still the same but when we went to Cozumel, the beer that you can buy on the bus, had sand under the lid. DH stopped buying it! Hypermommy knows how bad it must have been for that to happen!!

[Hypermommy]

Shhhhh... y'all be quiet and KC won't see me pop into this other store real quickly. Oh wait.... restroom stop... that's the ticket. Dear, you know after I drink all that beer I have to stop by the restroom. And the only one around appears to be in the back of this store. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Yeah, Tutter... I know how bad that must have been. But if he'd just kept drinking he wouldn't have minded sand. Besides..... I didn't even think about buying beer on the bus. Maybe I'll just stay on the bus and not go in the store. That should make KC a bit happier, right?

[King Charming]

Castaway Cay, what would a cruiser do without one last chance to give "the Mic" his due? Once the tax refund check amount was known, this was the stop that really exploded cost wise. Parasailing, the dream of floating/flying, was gonna happen! Not for this old poop (one "o" or two?) of course. In a "been there, done that professionally" moment, I was able to claim to have done some parasailing while in the service. The USAF has/had a water survival school south of Homestead AFB (at Turkey Point) that I attended which included 2 water landings from a shute. When you got up to 400 feet, you could see the Miami Beach hotels. But the family will want to do it, and once you get over the initial fear, it is a blast. And what the heck are banana boats? I don't care how inexpensive it is. No thanks, but you go ahead and reserve 3 of them. Jet skis? Ah, don't you think you're pressing your luck? And no thank you to anything else, either! I remember how costly it was just walking IN the gift shops around "the World". Look, I know money will flee my pocket as if I were on fire when it comes time for shopping there. I should expect that anything that says DCL or CC on it will be put on the KTTW card, so I won't have to carry that much cash to the island. The "But we'll never be here again" cry is sure to be heard, but that's OK too. I don't see myself ever being in a position to be able to, or for that matter wanting to spend 8 to 10 grand for a single week's worth of memories. For half of that, I can tour the parks for 10 days, stay "on property", buy quite a few T-shirts, and even eat in the park's fancy restaurants occasionally. That continues to be my ideal vacation.

[nzdisneymom]

Look, I know money will flee my pocket as if I were on fire when it comes time for shopping there. I should expect that anything that says DCL or CC on it will be put on the KTTW card, so I won't have to carry that much cash to the island.

Well, King Charming, here's the thing - Castaway Cay is a CASH-FREE Zone! So no worries about loading up your pockets with cash.

However, everything that can be bought on the island can be paid for with your KTTW Card. And just so you know, there are some things that you can ONLY GET at Castaway Cay...

[Mozart]

Well, King Charming, here's the thing - Castaway Cay is a CASH-FREE Zone! So no worries about loading up your pockets with cash.

However, everything that can be bought on the island can be paid for with your KTTW Card. And just so you know, there are some things that you can ONLY GET at Castaway Cay...

Don't forget that the post office requires cash if you want to mail any postcards or the like from Castaway Cay. It's best if you have exact change.

[nzdisneymom]

Don't forget that the post office requires cash if you want to mail any postcards or the like from Castaway Cay. It's best if you have exact change.

Oh yeah -except for postage :) I forgot about that - thanks for clarifying.

[King Charming]

Given this general plan, I still can't believe how expensive it is to go cruising. I had just gotten used to the costs associated with a week in "the World". I knew exactly what to expect, what corners could be cut and how to tailor the vacation to our family. Now I'm abruptly confronted with a whole new set of expectations and expenses. This cruise is so different in style from any other vacation I have ever taken, and I'm having a hard time coping with it all. :confused: The idea of parking the car for a week was hard enough getting used to. At least when staying "on property" it was always nearby. But now I'm expected to abandon it, and not even miss it. Right.... I'm sure that when you figure in the food, the sites, the service, the ship, the shows, and the other cool things Disney does so well, the value is evident. Oh dearest, do we have to have...

[alwayslisad]

this is awesome! keep it coming!

[TallyTutter]

The question we always had was this - the cerveza or beer (Corona was all they had) they sold on the bus & on the boat excursions we went on ALL had the sand under the lid - WHY? Are their bottling plants in a sand pit? One theory we had was that they collected the empties & refilled the bottles with a cheaper beer. The lids were not on all that tight so it is a distinct possibility this is the case.

Having said that, remember that it was about 20 years ago & certainly not on a Disney cruise. Just remember that your not in the good old USA anymore & they don't have the restrictions & inspections that we do.

[King Charming]

So I won't have my own ride, so what? Well, the cost of transportation (in and around the ports) was another consideration I had initially omitted. Whatta ya mean there is no Disney bus/tram except on Castaway Cay? Why not, or better yet, what has replaced it? (See how spoiled Disney has gotten me?) This expense blindsided me completely until that "Duh" moment. Sure you walk on and off the ship, but then what? Well, you want to see stuff, right? When I checked, the Key West "Conch Train" was 27 Washingtons a head. Sure, you'll hear a great line of prattle about the sites you are going past, but at over a hundred bucks for the family, I'll pass.
Then there was the booze line in the spreadsheet. She thought I meant how much we'd spend prior to leaving, you know, what we take on board in our luggage. No, not quite. Darn, that means ANOTHER entry for "Drink of the Day" type costs. I really don't drink often, being a parent and a driver (of a pick-up), but try and make up for it by drinking alot.
A third dual entry was for tips. The aforementioned $ 305 covered only the 4 key crew members you interact with most often. Tips to bartenders/hostesses and others who really deserve it are not included, nor are the off ship tips to appropriate persons. How many people do you think you will come in contact with that will go "above & beyond"? I plan on getting two rolls of dollar coins and make sure I pass them all out before we go home.

[King Charming]

As useful as the spreadsheet is, or because it is, the packing list is another way to anticipate the fun. DW and sons swear by these lists when then go camping, and are commonly counted on by others to have a necessary item(s) needed to borrow. (I don't camp, either; I pay literally hundreds of dollars every month just so I don't HAVE to "camp"!) Planning is the key to a portable kitchen, and even though we don't need one this time, it hasn't stopped my hyper DW from uber planning. That means all senarios are covered, with back up ideas just in case. Heck, we even have one of those timeline charts going. It's now nine weeks out, and every Friday from here on out has items on a deadline. Rather than try and get everything done in the last week or two, and knowing me, forget something (yes, CRS), it is all printed out and official looking. Not only does it make it seem like you are moving toward the cruise by constantly reminding you that things need to get done, it also spreads out the cost of the "lets get ready to cruise" items and tasks. Remember, some things do take time, like alterations to clothes (you wore them last WHEN?) or getting passports (they will be required someday soon for everybody). By making a timeline, it forces you to consider how far in advance something needs to get done to insure a proper follow-up.

[King Charming]

Since so many people forgot to ask, I'll tell the "No legs in Key West" story. When I was first stationed at Homestead AFB in 1976, I lived in a dormitory. After working a 3-11pm shift, I was hanging out in the TV/day room of the dorm when Sgt. Case stopped by. I think his first name was William and we worked together. Anyway, I must have been the least objectionable (or only) person in the room because he tossed me a motorcycle helmet and said lets go. He was going out for a ride and wanted company. So I jump on the back of his bike and off we go out the west gate towards US 1. When we start getting close he yells "which way should we go?" I replied most decisively "Whichever way the guy in front of us is going". So the guy turns left and so do we, now heading south on 1. When you start at the bottom of the state and go south, you find yourself in the keys within minutes. So like a couple of fools with nowhere to go, naturally we didn't stop until the road ended. By now it is the middle of the night, everything is closed, and we are tired. Bill thought it would be cool to sleep on the beach, and did. I, on the other hand, being a city boy, feared getting hassled by the cops, and/or eaten by sandfleas. So I draped myself across the motorcycle with my legs hanging over the turn signal pegs and my head & shoulders up on the handlebars. Sure enough, I eventually lost circulation to both my legs below the knees. When I woke up around sunrise and starting moving, SLAM! I'm on the ground, and my legs don't work!! :scared1: I did a quick survey to find out what else didn't work while I started to panic. After 20 seconds or so I was talking to God. Please let me walk again, why me?, are you even listening? sort of talk. Hey, maybe being Baptized and Confirmed may have been a good move. A few moments later I realize my legs are STILL NOT MOVING!!! Oh Lord, what have I done? Jesus Christ, I'm only twenty. Now I hit the promise level where I begged and pleaded. I have long forgotten all of the promises I made that morning as I flopped around on the pavement. But I was; promising everything! For the next minute or two I was forfeiting my future to get my legs back. About the time I realize that there is NOBODY in sight that can help me, I start feeling the needles. Thank you God, I can feel my legs again. Whew...thanks...but...ouch, is it supposed to hurt? Hey, ow, hurting bad now. OUCH... Come on, that is painful!! Hey God, can we re-negotiate the feeling part? (Be very careful what you ask for). I can tell you that the "pins & needles" feeling you get when a limb "wakes up" can get extremely intense before it ebbs, and downright hurts when the limb has been inactive for a good while. As I'm laying there recovering from the worst kind of leg sensations, I finally figured out what had happened. I then promised MYSELF to never sleep on a motorcycle ever again. When I finally recovered I limped over and woke the sarge, we had breakfast, and rode back to the base. I've been back to Key West a couple of times since, once on official Air Force business, but have never again stayed overnight anywhere in the keys.

[MassDisLovers]

So- good thing we aren't staying overnight in Key West, then, huh? Wouldn't want you to go having any flashbacks on HyperMommy!:eek:

[King Charming]

The spreadsheet allows the kids to have some input in the planning whils also covering all of the anticipated costs Here is what our budget for four peolpe looked like eight weeks prior:
Gas round trip 100 Kids allowance 50 Tulum Ruins 388 Luggage 45
Tips 305 Parking 96 T-shirts 200 Passports 407
Dress clothes 400 Ship photos 100 Extra tips 50 Gift 50
Extra Kids $ 50 Motel nite prior 60 Booze to take 50 Booze to buy 75
Dog Boarding 150 Parasailing 285 Internet connection 100 Pepsi 10
Ziplock/trash bags 10 shoe holder 4 Glow necklaces 10 Fish extender 25
Yankee trade 30 Meds 20 Water shoes 20 Underwater cameras 20
Watches 15 Cab fares 80
(When I typed it out it was spaced real pretty, sorry)

As you can see, the important stuff like fish extender and Yankee Trade items have been included, while other notable items like on board services (Palo, spa) aren't even listed. Back (way back) when I thought we could do this for only $ 1500 (silly me), trip insurance was dismissed quickly as being way too expensive for a free trip. Some listings, like parking and motel will eventually be combined, while gasoline costs continue to be anyone's guess. Some items are there to conform to what we want during our vacation. I'm the one who wants the photo package. Although a T-shirt says you have been there, a picture with Mickey proves you had fun. On and around the ship there are some unique backgrounds, and since you can pick and choose your photos, even receiving a refund for unwanted photos, I'm sure to want them. Even though I've read somewhere that some of the pics are not part of the package (w/ Characters or the Capt), I'm sure to want one or two of those too.

[Hypermommy]

So- good thing we aren't staying overnight in Key West, then, huh? Wouldn't want you to go having any flashbacks on HyperMommy!:eek:

The problem there is that I wouldn't be nice. I'd be dancing around him in a circle poking him with a stick and singing "you can't get me, nannie, nannie, boo boo!" :rotfl2:

[Mozart]

Gas round trip 100 Kids allowance 50 Tulum Ruins 388 Luggage 45
Tips 305 Parking 96 T-shirts 200 Passports 407
Dress clothes 400 Ship photos 100 Extra tips 50 Gift 50
Extra Kids $ 50 Motel nite prior 60 Booze to take 50 Booze to buy 75
Dog Boarding 150 Parasailing 285 Internet connection 100 Pepsi 10
Ziplock/trash bags 10 shoe holder 4 Glow necklaces 10 Fish extender 25
Yankee trade 30 Meds 20 Water shoes 20 Underwater cameras 20
Watches 15 Cab fares 80


You're only going to spend $125 on booze for a 7 night cruise?

Good luck with that! :laughing:

[MassDisLovers]

The problem there is that I wouldn't be nice. I'd be dancing around him in a circle poking him with a stick and singing "you can't get me, nannie, nannie, boo boo!" :rotfl2:


:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:I can't wait to meet you guys !:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[King Charming]

DW will have to have the internet package. Even though there are several "hot spots" on shore that can be used for free, this is supposed to be a vacation, and dragging around a laptop in a backpack ain't happening. Of course she'll bring the machine. She has to download all the digital pictures she takes every day so the camera's memory card will be freed up again. My wife is an internet junkie, getting and sending hundreds of Emails a day. She also has her own website and weekly newsletter. 250 internet minutes for the whole week will sure cramp her style; whatever will she find to do with her time?
I guess the T-shirt line item qualifies as shopping. I'm realistic enough to know that gobs of dollars get spent on momentos, T-shirts, and whatever looks good right now. It is impossible to predict the "opportunity to spend" on things I didn't know we needed or wanted. I like buying T-shirts because they are both souvenirs and clothing. An inexpensive way of says "look where I've been, done, ate, or drank". This version of "the sheet" has soared past $3K. My family has gotten used to my tightfisted ways and I appreciate the fact that they are good at shopping and carefully consider how they spend our money. Conversely, I could care less how (arcade) the kids spend their allowance or any other money they have saved from my unashamed bribery for them not smoking, drinking, or doing drugs. I've been doing it for years and hopefully they will still be qualified to receive it years from now. My youngest once saved up fifty bucks to buy a rather large stuffed "Stitch" that he had to have when I told him no. I guess he really did "have to" have it. Hey, has anyone seen my wife or my credit card?

[Hypermommy]

I think she went into that shop just up the street. Don't worry.... I'm sure she's just buying you a drink :-)

[King Charming]

The return cruisers know a good thing when they see it, it's called Palo, and we have been shut out. Just another indicator of how full our ship will be. I was trying to discourage DW anyway, not wanting to spend the extra when free food is served at all the other restaurants. Castaway Cay Club members get to make reservations at the 90 day mark, while us first timers wait until day 75. I think it should be this way. Return guests should receive a few perks. (Un)fortunately, by the time DW tried to make ressies, everything was mostly full. They say that a few slots are available for day of departure bookings, but it's not as if we are missing a port or something important, so it's no big deal. I bet "the powers that be" will figure a way to increase seating soon because it is so wildly popular, even after recently raising the surcharge. I'm sure the returnees also scooped up all the evening and sea day slots for the other amenities like the spas and salons. Being the new kid on the block has a steep learning curve; thanks to the numerous folks who post trip reports or answer questions to educate a fool like me.

[King Charming]

So what else is cool about this particualr cruise? Well, there will be a full moon on Sunday, the second evening. That may make strolls on the deck a tad more romantic. Monday is DW's Bday and formal night. She is so happy about the timing of that one, for sure. There is a space shuttle mission going up on Thurs., but if it is delayed two days, we will be back in ports and should have no trouble seeing it from anywhere. (Since re-scheduled) Oh yeah, the two festivals in the port of call. And new friends. Thanks to the DIS boards, DW has been in contact with several families (and collected pictures) so we will know several folks and will have something to talk about with them. The "Very early roll call" thread for our cruise is so busy that there will probably be 2.3K postings with 33-35K views prior to sailing. The weather during April is cooler than summer and hurricane season doesn't start till June. So many little things are combining to make this a truely spectacular trip. :cool1:

[King Charming]

I've totally amazed myself with the volume of this here babble fest. I knew there were a few modest (?) money considerations I wanted to warn other first timers about because I am still awed by the array of costs that accompany a cruise. For others some of these costs are less, sometimes alot more (you aren't going by yourself, are you?). I'm crying about the total cost, and I didn't even pay for the stateroom OR airline tickets. I also wasn't aware of my need to document the experience, but with all these thoughts rattling around, I thought if I could write them down, it might allow someone else that peace of mind that comes with having all your bases covered. I guess it was also the enjoyment of reading the pre trip reports from others that told you what to expect, as well as the building anticipation of having so wonderful a time. Ya know dear, I don't think we really need...

[4newtocruise]

Hey! I finally got a chance to read this pre-trip report! Great Job, I'm lovin it! :thumbsup2

Sure glad my husband doesn't have one of those spreadsheets, or I'd be in trouble.

And, another thing.....DON'T TALK TO MY HUSBAND ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS CRUISE REALLY COST US! I've been, you know, sweeping some costs "under the rug"! He may try and go overboard!

And hey, you can take two of those drinks off the bar bill.....it's my treat one night!!!

-Joan

[King Charming]

So in a moment of mind numbing stupidity, I've made gentle inquiries into the availability/costs of an upgrade. DCL told me to contact the travel agency that made the original booking, so I did. A verandah sure would be a nice place to go for a smoke. With less than two months to go, the ship has gotten very full. I think the kids clubs are nearing capacity because when you check on-line, a cabin for 4 (cat 5 only) is $8K+, but other staterooms (in 3 dif cat's) show up at better rates if you tell them that there is only two of you. I think I've finally gotten used to the idea of all the costs, and having almost 5 grand cash available come cruise time when only a few weeks ago I was charging the cost of the passports has softened my edges considerably. So if we are really gonna do this, and funding will be soon forthcoming, and not be as big an issue, well, there's really no harm in asking. I don't expect they will sell many of those few remaining verandah cabins at that rate and I might be able to side up there. The 75 day mark is history, which is the deadline for completing payment. If rooms are going to open up, now would be the time to check. I've been told that the normal price difference is around $1500, but I probably would not upgrade unless I could get it for 1/3 of the price. The cat 11 rooms are not listed again, and I hope that part of the DCL marketing plan is to sell off as many as they can early, then wait for upgrade requests so that they have more less expensive rooms to offer. I guess the "GTY" rooms are like this. Even though DW will surely be near the head of the line at check-in and will automatically offer to pay a discounted "surcharge" for an upgrade, it will be something new to dream about this week. Who knows, with cancellations and timimg, maybe a few hundred dollars can buy alot of cruising for a lucky few, either now or on departure day. I'd love to know the cut-off date for no longer charging full price for a cabin upgrade in an effort to maximize occupancy rates. In fact, I would think that day of departure discounts are the secret nobody talks about. Folks who miss the boat so to speak, or cancel late, lose a big percentage of the cost as a nonrefundable fee; hence the need for trip insurance. The break even costs for DCL have already been met since the room has been paid for once already. Rather than allow the room to go empty, a motel manager friend of mine says getting ANYTHING extra increases the bottom line. More importantly, a free or deeply discounted upgrade generates enormous goodwill. I've read that DCL cruises can be half full of repeat Disney cruisers, so they must be doing several things right. It's a "no brainer" when it comes to building more and larger DCL ships.

[King Charming]

What a good transition - too funny! Today she started lobbying for the 2nd cruise! Will "wonder's" ever cease? It seems a local plumbing company needs a programmer to drag them into the 21st century. A much better website, shopping carts, on-line payments, etc. is the sort of stuff they want. Even after seeing a "big box" quote from an out-of-towner, I'm sure the plumber will shudder when he sees the estimate DW gave them; but who better to understand 70 dollars an hour if I can come over TODAY! Even at a lower rate, this job will eat hours, which could easily translate into a need for the passports again. DW does speak French, we have both done Disneyland, California, and "the World", there is another park somewhere "over there", so maybe...

[lyn9856]

What a good transition - too funny! Today she started lobbying for the 2nd cruise! Will "wonder's" ever cease? It seems a local plumbing company needs a programmer to drag them into the 21st century. A much better website, shopping carts, on-line payments, etc. is the sort of stuff they want. Even after seeing a "big box" quote from an out-of-towner, I'm sure the plumber will shudder when he sees the estimate DW gave them; but who better to understand 70 dollars an hour if I can come over TODAY! Even at a lower rate, this job will eat hours, which could easily translate into a need for the passports again. DW does speak French, we have both done Disneyland, California, and "the World", there is another park somewhere "over there", so maybe...

Don't forget there are some more also, not just France, but Hong Kong and Tokyo too :faint: Now that will really test the spreadsheet!
Love the thread. You guys are brilliant. Can't wait for your trip report(s)

[King Charming]

I was checking around on different cruise sites and found only cat 5 & 6 staterooms available for our cruise date, but the Magic Eastern for the week just before our April 19th western AND the eastern the week after had most all categories of staterooms still open! There isn't any port that is "special" or highly interesting on the eastern (to me) and the rest of the cruising world (based on these bookings) agrees. Sounds like the ideal situation for folks looking to be 'bumped up" over there. Maybe that's the draw, going to less popular ports but having the ship less crowded. A beach is a beach, right? Wow, maybe I'm on to something here. Let's see, lines are bad, crowds are worse, love to be pampered and waited on, there's that Disney angle - yeah, I can suddenly see why even a slightly less full ship is more important to some folks than the ports you stop at. Especially for those repeaters who might not care where they go, or if they have been there before, as long as they are going AGAIN!

[King Charming]

Some of these "prep for cruise" costs are one time fees. Similar to getting ready for a trip to "the World", once these obligations have been met, subsequent visits become easier to justify. When you already have matching luggage and passports, good walking shoes, a digital and/or video camera, and formal clothes, these pre-trip costs come down quite a bit. Unfortunately, I am a cruise virgin who has been steadily shelling out money. This week it was for DW's semi formal dress, a bump in the spreadsheet for the kennels (up 100 to $250), and new spreadsheet lines for agreeing to a salon visit for DW (if avail), and for door magnets and cruise T-shirts that DW did the artwork for. This puts us over $3.5K, or about the cost of a free one week stay at a sanitarium.
Purchased at the local craft store, magnetic sheets and iron-on transfers will allow us to print the images on our printer. DW has posted many of the pictures on the DIS board thread about our cruise, and several other families also have plans for the April "Showers of Happiness" image she created. In fact, she has been posting on the boards quite often since we found out when we were going. Inasmuch as I'd love to tease her about this newfound habit, the info she has gleaned has been priceless (and free). I too found the offer to read these valuable tips irresistible and soon found myself reading many, many interesting threads. Hopefully I have some useful insights and an interesting way of approaching a brand new type of Disney vacation. Hey, do we... aw, never mind.

[Hypermommy]

Don't forget there are some more also, not just France, but Hong Kong and Tokyo too :faint: Now that will really test the spreadsheet!
Love the thread. You guys are brilliant. Can't wait for your trip report(s)

And the new park in China that's rumored... but it'd have to be France first! Je veux aller au Paris!!!! :rotfl2:

[King Charming]

It turns out I'll be one of the best dressed pirates on the ship wearing glasses. I had kinda hoped to dress-up on pirate night, and had acquired a cool hat to wear over the bandanna they give you, and an eye patch & earing. I expected the rest of my pirate garb to consist of a cool T-shirt and anything else I could run across. But DW, ever efficient (and occasionally thrifty), has managed to borrow her boss's Halloween costume from last year, and it is rather complete. With the long hair coming out of the bandanna, white pufft shirt, vest, sash, and cutlass, I will only need to tear the bottoms of an old pair of black jeans and go barefoot. I've even got a stuffed parrot to mount on my shuolder. Now I am NOT the kind of person who dresses up for Halloween, but what the heck, a Disney party plus a killer costume should add up to a memorable evening. You there, pass that rum over here...

[Hypermommy]

Arrrgggghhh, ye'll not be gettin' this rum from me, Cap'n! And don't bother brandishin' yer cutlass 'cause I've seen it afore. As fine a blade as it is, it not be cold steel I be spongin' fer in trade for me rum. Ye'll have to come up with some'at else to bargain with! Eh, what's that? Ye wish to parlay? Well, I might could consider an accord. What be ye offerin'?

[pixidustmom]

It turns out I'll be one of the best dressed pirates on the ship wearing glasses. I had kinda hoped to dress-up on pirate night, and had acquired a cool hat to wear over the bandanna they give you, and an eye patch & earing. I expected the rest of my pirate garb to consist of a cool T-shirt and anything else I could run across. But DW, ever efficient (and occasionally thrifty), has managed to borrow her boss's Halloween costume from last year, and it is rather complete. With the long hair coming out of the bandanna, white pufft shirt, vest, sash, and cutlass, I will only need to tear the bottoms of an old pair of black jeans and go barefoot. I've even got a stuffed parrot to mount on my shuolder. Now I am NOT the kind of person who dresses up for Halloween, but what the heck, a Disney party plus a killer costume should add up to a memorable evening. You there, pass that rum over here...


Sounds like a great constume. Those pictures should be great to see. pirate:

[King Charming]

I've run into a small conflict; part of me wants to start posting the first few pages (13 single space typed so far, actually about half way), and the rest of me wants to skip forward to the finish and see how this all turns out. Will this actually be worthwhile? If folks can afford the price of a stateroom, will they care about my grousing about the associated costs? I kinda feel like I'm in the doldrums; most of the planning has been done weeks ago, but there are still many weeks to go before we start packing stuff. Sure, things are getting done, like ordering fish extender stuff to pass out, black dress shoes are being broken in, and DW finally settled on a formal. Unfortunately, time seems to have slowed WAY down. I've hit the nadir of my "off season" and have way too much time on my hands. It doesn't help that I haven't heard from the traval agency, even though its only been a few days (still). Waiting on a tax refund check and wondering will it get here before or after we leave? With a Feb postmark I anticipate an early April arrival. Even with tax checks only taking 5 weeks from postmark to deposit two years in a row, I budgeted 6 to 7 weeks this year. I usually play they waiting game fairly well (another acquired military talent). So why is a laid back, type Z person like me suddenly so impatient? This trip is turning into a much bigger deal than I first assessed, thats why. The fear of the unknown has been replaced with the smugness of knowledge. I no longer worry about missing out on something simply because I didn't know about it. The initial panic of the rising costs will be replaced by stacks of Jacksons. And the worry of alienation at the hands of a bunch of snobs has been erased by the welcome we have received from our fellow cruisers and other board members. Now that I've adjusted my thinking and gotten used to these concepts, I'm ready to leave my confort zone and embrace a brand new way of traveling and sightseeing. Where's a fastpass when you need one?

[MassDisLovers]

If you're still wondering if "people will be interested" take note of your 1,984 views. I guess you have your answer!

[kalel29]

If you're still wondering if "people will be interested" take note of your 1,984 views. I guess you have your answer!

Yeah, it's not everyday you hear firsthand accounts of a sweepstakes winner on the process you have to go through when you win, more less the planning involved.

[King Charming]

So I came up with a compromise for myself. I'll wait another few weeks until the 30 day mark or so, and then post half to two thirds of a page a day. I'll time it to finish off several days before departure day, and this can be followed up about 2 weeks later with a TR that deals with actual costs. I'm sure I can't be the only one who is (overly) concerned about money, and other TR's I've read gloss over this aspect. It is relatively easy to find out how much excursions cost, but I have yet to see someone write about the cost of the drink of the day or other routine expenditures. Sure, it is a rather insignificant cost (comparatively) and it is really no ones business how cheap or extravagant (or drunk) the writer is. But for this writer, when you are trying to budget realistically, it sure helps to know these things. Even thought DCL has minimized the need for cash on the ship, I won't be fooled into thinking that means money is not needed. Not by a long shot! They sell booze at the bars, sell meals at Palo, sell souvenirs at the gift shops, sell photos at Shutters; you get the idea, sell, sell, sell. Market the mouse and "of course you can charge that to your room key sir". Most of these costs must be listed somewhere, but it's sometimes embarrassing to be such a miser and always be asking "how much?". Hopefully, being able to list real costs will enlighten other tightwads like myself. And rather than listing every nickel spent, it makes more sense to only list items costing around 10 bucks or so and/or are cruise specific items. (Hey, I'm cheap, not anal). So just assume you will need another hundred bucks or so for water shoes, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses type expenses. Just because I wear new socks on a vacation doesn't qualify it as a bona fide cruise cost, so I won't list it or similar personal expenditures. Another hundred bucks should cover these expenses unless you want to use the cruise as a good excuse to replace your summer wardrobe. :laughing: Just remember, a "must have" item for some families may not even show up on another's list. Everyone IS different and therefore one proposed cruise budget might look alot different than the next. Look here Sweetie, I'm sure we don't need...

[castlegazer]

:yay: Oh, oh, I know this one... The drink of the day is usually in the $3-$4 range. Some drinks can be up to $7 and wine by the glass varies. You can get a bucket of beer and the sixth beer in the bucket is free. Beer is normally about $3 per bottle.

I am one who really wants to know these costs prior to going also. We allow ourselves one drink of the day per day and then a glass of wine at dinner - we bring some bottle of wine on board too. I want to know what this will cost prior to going because the true expediture that will get you every time is photos. If you plan on getting a package, which is a seriously good deal, you will know going in how much you will be in for. If you don't end up purchasing all the photos that the package calls for, they will refund you the difference. Its a no lose situation.

[King Charming]

A rather interesting recurring theme or attitude among DCL'ers seems to show up throughout the threads. It basically boils down to "If I'm spending THIS amount of money, what's a few hundred more?" This flies in the face of how most people get rich; not spending on the extras. However, I too believe that the best way to get the maximum enjoyment from any vacation is to do and try new or favorite things. What sensible mouse lover would travel more than 500 miles, be within 50 miles of Mickey's house, and not want to stop in to say hello, even if just for the afternoon? Isn't that the reason for flying in and out of Orlando and driving/riding over to the port anyway? For this group, the hundred dollars a head it will cost for a single days admittance and a meal is still a good deal, even if only staying for a few hours. So those of you who feel the same way are in good company.

[King Charming]

Thanks to the pending IRS check, the savings plan has been abandoned and the cash is turning into receipts. The cash stash topped out at $500 before the cruise prep stuff started knocking it back down. This is being properly documented for both depression and accounting purposes. Since we hadn't needed these things in our real life, I hold little hope that we will get continued use of these items after we get home, but you never know when you'll need a clear over the door shoe holder. :confused3

[Hypermommy]

:yay: Oh, oh, I know this one... The drink of the day is usually in the $3-$4 range. Some drinks can be up to $7 and wine by the glass varies. You can get a bucket of beer and the sixth beer in the bucket is free. Beer is normally about $3 per bottle.

Cool! That price for the drink of the day is not bad at all! I imagine I'll be having a few of these. And the beer price isn't too bad either. I've gotten used to spending $5 in "the world" for a beer. Thanks for letting us know, castlegazer!!

Yes, honey... I am going to pop into this shop. Why don't you go get another drink of the day since they're not as much as we thought they'd be. I'll only be a minute.

[King Charming]

I couldn't wait any longer and sent off another E-mail about a cabin upgrade. I got an almost immediate response. Drats!! It is not to be (yet). Unless of course I want to pay $ 1545 for a guarantee status cat 5. They say there were no more cat 6's available. Let's see, 4 people, times seven nights, divided by 1545 comes out to an extra 55 bucks a head each night. In as much as it would have been nice to have a private and nearby smoking lounge, there is no way I can justify, or pay, for this extravagance. Maybe I'll have better luck at check-in. I think I'll write the TA back, thanking them for everything they have done and see if I can be put on some sort of "wish in one hand,..." list. It would have been a huge savings (80% off) compared to the 8 grand I saw the room listed for just a week or two ago. I wonder why we could have had an outside stateroom if there was just the two of us, but we are in an inside room with the kids? How could they have possibly found out what idiots my children are? :confused3 And so quickly too! :eek: It had to be those nice people at the space center across the bay. The boys were there last year with the scouts and got to sleep under one of the big rockets. I guess what happens at Kennedy does NOT stay at Kennedy. :scared1: Oh well, greedy and lucky usually don't mix well, so I can't be too disappointed. As many people point out throughout the different DIS board threads, ALL of the rooms go to all of the ports, and they arrive about the same time.

[King Charming]

Speaking of rooms, the Radisson's "Resort at the Port" won my private bidding war for where we are staying the night before. The base price was $99 plus taxes & fees. You have to pay your $110 in advance when you go on-line to make the reservation. I am pretty darn sure that I have never paid that much for a single room before. (But I sure didn't mind someone else picking up the tab when we went to New York City for a weekend during Aug '01 and stayed at the "short" 23 story hotel nested between the trade center towers.) In addition to the Radisson being a 3 star hotel, it has a respected name, proximity to the port, a lavish swimming pool and a free shuttle to the port as plusses. I also heard it hasn't been updated in a while, but that's cool; I'm not going there to look around. Most important is the free parking while we are gone that made this upgrade sensible. Even though I plan on dropping off/picking up the family with the minivan, the hotel is close enough that I can take a cab to or from the port solo if the shuttle doesn't quite work out. The "cruise group" from the DIS Board seems evenly spread out hotel wise. Besides, there will be a "cruise group dinner" meet n greet at a local restaurant on Friday evening, so this was not a factor. I get an "atta boy" for finally coming in under one of my low-ball estimates. :thumbsup2

[Hypermommy]

Atta Boy!

/me ducking and running :rotfl2:

[King Charming]

Thanks also go out to the wife's boss John and his wife JW. JW is the person who gave my wife her first (paying) shot at computer programming many years ago and they remained friends after JW sold the company. Anyway, in addition to the cool pirate duds we got from the boss, JW is allowing DW to wear some of her swanky jewelry for the dress-up nights. They have also volunteered the use of their luggage, saving us even more money. I love it when a plan comes together so nicely, as opposed to the roadblocks life likes to throw up to keep you on your toes. WARNING bad pun ahead.... It's "no wonder" this feels so much like "magic". (sorry about that one, I couldn't resist, but at least you were warned). :rolleyes1

[King Charming]

All returning cruisers and folks who order one of the "packages" receive "gifts" that are placed in the stateroom prior to checking in. I really liked the idea of having something waiting for you in your cabin. But it made no sense to pay for a fancy cheese tray when you could order one from room service for free. Champagne is a great way to celebrate (and a personal favorite), but it is another one of those things in life where the more you pay, the better the quality. Rather than get silly with money (who, me?) I'll bring a bottle (or two) in the rolling cooler. And the best way to arrange a proper welcome is through DCL. So I broke down and ordered the birthday package for the wife. It includes a door magnet, banner, and small cake. I first saw this option several weeks ago when I went online attempting to find cruise related T-shirts and such. After all, it's only another one percent. I'm sure when she sees this it will put the whole experience over the top, the tears will flow, and the April "Showers of Happiness" theme will prove very prophetic. Maybe we can just send the kids up on deck for the safety drill and....:love:

[King Charming]

My dogs should be well taken care of. The place where I will board them has a vet on staff. It is also where they got their shots and where I buy the preventive meds I give them. The last thing I'll do before leaving town Friday morning will be dropping them off, but since they are closed on the weekend I'll have to pay for 10 days. After checking around with a half dozen kennels, a rate of around $25 bucks a day (based on the dog's weight) for both dogs is a bargain. Medium dog (Abu) stopped growing at around 30 lbs. Quick, for 2 points, which Disney movie had a character named Abu? Five more points for knowing what type of animal it was. Big dog (Aladdin) is living up to his nickname even though he is only 4 months old. He gained 10 lbs during Feb. and is up to 37 lbs. I expect he will be around 50 lbs by cruise time and should top out at 75-80 lbs. The movie was of course Aladdin, and Abu was a monkey.

[Hypermommy]

Can y'all see why I just adore this man? Is it any wonder that he'll never be demoted to Prince but will always and forever be my one and only King Charming? :sad: (yes, they're tears but I'm not at all sad)

[King Charming]

The children's school has been notified of the 6 days they will miss, making it an excused absence. I'm sure the teachers will come up with assignments to make up the missed days, even if it is only keeping a journal. How Christmas was celebrated around the world was assigned when they missed 6 days in Dec 06, two weeks or so before the holiday break. Isn't that what EPCOT is all about? This trip will be different in so many ways that I've decided to assign the boys a research paper on Cozumel, the Mayans, and Tulum. Three pages or so to be done during spring break week. I want them to understand the significance of what they will be looking at and where they will be going. I used to have to do something similar prior to going on field trips growing up. I'm sure I remember these trips a little better since I was "invested" in the experience. Of course New York offers scores of fabulous places to visit (and we went to them all) when you grow up 25 miles north of "The City", so maybe that helps with the memories too. The United Nations, Radio City Music Hall, and the statue quickly come to mind.

[MassDisLovers]

You're lucky that the boys are able to get "excused absences". Here a vacation during school time is never considered "excused" and the teachers are under no obligation to give you the work ahead of time. Even though I'm a teacher and held to vacations only when the school is closed, I truly beleive in the value of travel.

[Hypermommy]

You're lucky that the boys are able to get "excused absences". Here a vacation during school time is never considered "excused" and the teachers are under no obligation to give you the work ahead of time. Even though I'm a teacher and held to vacations only when the school is closed, I truly beleive in the value of travel.

Yet another reason that I wish home-schooling had worked out for my kids. I hate, hate, hate!!! the fact that the school thinks they can tell me how I should raise my kids and what would be of value to them. I sure hope that one day we get back to the point where education is more about expanding the mind of the child and less about that stupid standardized test!!!!!!!!!

(jeez, Hypermommy... tell us how you really feel)

I now sheepishly climb off my soapbox and return you to the humor of KC's trip report.

[King Charming]

We are running up against the deadline for figuring out the tuxedo dilemma. Since form fitting tuxes didn't fall from the sky, we need to decide if we will be renting or buying. Purchasing one for me is logical because I've stopped growing up and only grow out these days. Not so with the boys. I'm leaning towards renting matching vests for us all, and complete outfits for the boys. I'll probably go on-line and buy mine (used) for about the same price as the rental. But before any of that can get done, measurements must be taken. The rental outfit said to go to a local place and get measured for an "out of town" rental. It will also give me the chance to play "match the offer". The allure of having the clothes delivered (no packing) and already pressed will be hard to beat though.

[castlegazer]

We have done both rental and purchase. Renting on the ship is very nice due to the convenience, but it is a whopper in terms of price.

We E-Bayed my son's Tux last cruise and it was wonderful - even got him a Mickey Mouse Bow Tie. So Cool! We have now handed it down to another couple to use. I think the whole thing cost me no more than $20.

My husband just bought his Tux and it was less, new, than a rental would have been for a formal event we went to recently.

[TallyTutter]

Yet another reason that I wish home-schooling had worked out for my kids. I hate, hate, hate!!! the fact that the school thinks they can tell me how I should raise my kids and what would be of value to them. I sure hope that one day we get back to the point where education is more about expanding the mind of the child and less about that stupid standardized test!!!!!!!!!

(jeez, Hypermommy... tell us how you really feel)

I now sheepishly climb off my soapbox and return you to the humor of KC's trip report.

HEY, you didn't tell me that #1 son had gone back to school!! :eek: Where is he going?? When did that happen?? What happened?? Email me girl!

[King Charming]

I'm having such a good time with this. Even though it will probably rain 2-3 inches today and a tornado touched down less than 5 miles away (very minimal damage), today is a good day. This morning marked the 6 week milestone of leaving for the port. I went online and found out my tax refund should arrive in less than 3 weeks. The mail came and brought notification # 1 (of 2) from the IRS. This officially announced I was in line for the "Economic Stimulus Act of 2008". It also said that in addition to the $600 each for DW and I, an additional $300 per kid is included. Since I've filed my taxes for last year already, I need do nothing and the "stimulus check" will be in the mail sometime in May. The refund check arriving three weeks out should give us plenty of time to buy the necessary "pre cruise" items and dovetails neatly into our timeline. Receiving over 5 grand from Uncle Sam within the next 75 days has taken all the pressure off meeting the still rising expenses. Maybe I'll be able to leave my collection of Grumpy T-shirts at home. DW bought me a different one on every trip she made during 2006, so I have quite a few. Writing this has turned into a very enjoyable hobby, which is the reason I have wondered off-topic so often and with such verbosity. Thank you for putting up with my opinionated long-windedness and meanderings.

[King Charming]

Extra funding will not be available this year. DW finally talked with the plumbing co. about their (lack of) website. She could tell they were not too happy with the cost (who ever is?) prior to this conversation, so wasn't too disappointed when they backed out. And I don't blame her for not reducing her price, especially since they didn't even seem interested in negotiating. Even after a second estimate, they must be in deep denial about the cost and time involved. I run into that situation in my work also when I write proposals for a new deck. Some folks find out that the estimate and what they are willing to pay are very different numbers. Even though I used to be the one who wanted it all for next to nothing, the advancing years have also brought the wisdom that "you usually get what you pay for" and/or "cheap isn't always good". It is just as well since the next "planned" family vacation is starting to look like early Dec 09. Oh, how nice, just in time for my parks to empty out and get all dressed up (again)! What's that dear, you want WHAT?!? :scared1:

[Hypermommy]

Well.... let's see...............

[King Charming]

What a disaster the local tux rental scene is, at least for me. I wanted to see what was available locally, and at least give them a shot. We also needed measuring, so I drug eating machines #1 and #2 along. At the first place, "S" in mall 1, the guy seemed confused, wouldn't measure us unless we rented from them, and wanted to charge us one and a half times the normal rate because we would have the clothes during 2 weekends. The other place "T" in mall 2 quickly measured us and set us all up in some fine threads, for only $ 475!! (w/ tax). He kept saying "it's included" meaning the choice of vest, cuff links, etc., then handed me an itemized bill. Ouch! :headache: At both places they looked at me kind of funny when I made my counter offer of 100 bucks per suit. I wonder how much money walks out the door (of ANY business) because they can't (computer won't let me) or are unwilling to move off of a price point. :sad2: Since I'll soon have the money, I might have gone as high as $ 115 each for the satisfaction of trying them on before we left and getting the colors that we wanted. It seems that these mall places are more geared for the weekend events and are priced as such. They did have a great selection of tie and vest combos though. The online place offers on-board delivery/pick-up of a classic tux, meaning no packing, pressing, or late fees. The fact that we will all match is good, as is an on-ship tailor who can adjust/replace/make right any problems. At less than a hundred bucks each, I'm glad I walked from the mall stores empty handed.

[King Charming]

That takes care of the men's clothes for formal night very nicely, and the coat and pants only will get worn again on semi-formal night. Long sleeve white shirts and individualized red ties (to sorta match DW's dress) complete the outfits. I've only got to shine our shoes twice and re-press a few things to remove the stress of dress-up nights from Hypermommy and have us three guys looking like a million dollars. This makes the tuxes more cost effective since we get the use out of the fancy clothes (and manditory photo ops) twice, while only packing shoes, socks, and 3 shirts & ties. Sorry about that DW, I know how jealous you'll be on this one.

[King Charming]

Knowing in advance that it will take about an hour before dinner for the various photos in front of the different backdrops, on three different nights (don't forget pirate night), has got me thinking we might could use an hour by hour itinerary. I'm sure our attitude (and therefore the pictures) will be better if we plan in advance for wasting an hour or so on these. Not a rigid schedule of course, but something we could use to ensure we don't close down the bar if we have an early day tomorrow. Or for when certain people need to get back to the room and start dressing for dinner. Or if, after getting on-board, we find we want to cut short an outing ashore for a show or something. Making sure there is time for each family member to do what is important to them; be it sunrises, shooting hoops, swimming, or character photos, AND making sure there will be no time conflicts with others, is easier if a plan has been hatched out. It will be quicker to make changes or fill in the blanks each morning after looking over the navigator the prior evening. We will have a good idea what the kids expect, and more importantly, where they are likely to be when they don't show up as planned. Yes, 2-way radios are planned for, hopefully loaned from a fellow Scouter. Thats right, another list! First it was the packing list and cost spreadsheet with estimated and actual expenditures, then the timeline.Then I asked that the cost sheet receive columns for date purchased and how; cash or credit. Now another "get ready" list to come up with. No problem says a grinning DW as she whips out her laptop and opens her cruise folders...

[King Charming]

I like writting this all out in a "word" document weeks before it is posted because of the spell check (I'm a horrible speller) and the grammatical editor that checks for senence fragments and other dreadful uses of American English. I have been known to butcher a phrase or two, sometimes intentionally. Just becuz I finished book learnin at kollege don't make me no not smart person who kant rite goodly enough. It's quite obvious I wasn't an english major so the help is appreciated. Better yet is the ability to go back and edit what has been written. Though hard to believe, I really have deleted many wordy-wanderings and edited other extraneous babblings in an effort to be more concise. I do hope the humor shines throughout.

[conny264]

Hi KC
Can´t wait to meet you all in 2 weeks.We will be with you in Tulum.
Just a small tip from someone who has already done 2 cruises.
Don´t overplan!!!;)
It´s a cruise,sit back,relax and go with the flow.From reading your report I get the feeling you´re stressing yourself too much.:dance3:
Although it´s a fun read,so keep going.

See you soon
Conny:flower3:

[King Charming]

I've run across something in my exploring that has me baffled. It is those "beach clubs" that offer an "all inclusive" stay. You pay a flat fee to use the facilities, a higher fee to peruse the buffet and bar. What has me wondering is, didn't these folks JUST get off a ship that has a large majority of these same amenities? With the exception of having a waiter, what is the attraction? Why not stay on the ship and enjoy the relative emptiness? My poker buddies said that since I am so used to doing things for myself, (when I can't sweet-talk DW to do it), that I was missing the point. The purpose for some is to have a completely pampered experience beginning the minute the ship leaves Florida. The guys are right, I don't get it. I thought the purpose of a vacation was to go out and DO something. Oh, yeah, and give Mickey my money. Hey, don't get me wrong, I really LIKE lying around, I guess I just don't want to pay to be able to do it. Yes, we really are all different.

[King Charming]

Another factor that I'm sure I'm ignoring is the difference in the cost of living and taxation. I'm sure I won't be spending 20-25 bucks for a T-shirt like in "the parks", and it's highly doubtful I'll be spending half of that either. Aside from an afternoon in TJ Mexico (fun) with DW, and a trip to Niagara Falls (fun) as a kid, the only other time I've been out of the country was a six week stint in Panama (not fun) during a canal flare-up in the mid 70's. It struck me as odd back then that we could buy American beer cheaper than American soda (on the air base) at a third of the "normal" American prices, so far from home. I've heard the Brit's chuckle about exchange rates here, and I haven't considered the value a dollar can buy in the Caribbean countries. Maybe the shopping tab won't be so bad after all. Sure dear, whatever you want.... EXCEPT THAT!@!

[King Charming]

Happy happy Joy joy! I just checked refunds-dot-com or whatever the IRS site is and got updated info. Seems they have confirmed my refund amount and said the check will be mailed in 10 days! So I'm assuming they processed it and again found no glaring errors. Maybe one year soon I'll opt for the direct deposit option, but the timing of this years refund saved the day.
Baa humbug! I just checked NASA's web site and the shuttle launch (STS 124) scheduled for 4/24 has been moved back a month. STS 122 was late going up, messing up the original schedule. I would assume they need several weeks to test the installation of STS 123's work on the 1st phase. STS 124 is a follow-up mission to install phase 2 of a 3 stage assembly of the new Japanese section of the International Space Station. BTW, did you know that when it is completed, the space station will be the third brightest object in the sky? The Delta rocket launch (4/22) has also been moved back to May. The only fireworks we will see will be shot from the ship.

[Hypermommy]

Hi KC
Can´t wait to meet you all in 2 weeks.We will be with you in Tulum.
Just a small tip from someone who has already done 2 cruises.
Don´t overplan!!!;)
It´s a cruise,sit back,relax and go with the flow.From reading your report I get the feeling you´re stressing yourself too much.:dance3:
Although it´s a fun read,so keep going.

See you soon
Conny:flower3:


Hi Conny,

I'm not sure I'd call it stress... just the joy of anticipation and figuring everything out. Oh, and by the way... just wanted to let you know the reason he's not answering on here is he's just focusing on plowing through with what he's written. I've read ahead and it is great (although he wouldn't let me read the part about the birthday package until he posted it here). But he's reading and appreciating everyone's point of view.

Less than 2 weeks now!!! We'll be doing the single digit happy dance soon!!!

[King Charming]

As I'm not going to be a return cruiser, that verandah stateroom keeps calling to me. See, there it is again, and just how DID it learn my name? Even with Uncle Sam (indirectly) paying the associated cruise costs, I still can't justify the big leap in cost. But until they sell out of them, I'll keep my fingers crossed. The very few cruise websites that even list Disney's Magic show that these cat 5 rooms are still available, but not how many. It's the only category listed too. Therefore I'll keep checking so the dream can remain alive for another day.
I've decided that it is near impossible to figure out when the ship is full verses how many rooms are left. I've heard that Disney will not allow late bookings for a third or fourth person in your room if the ship is at capacity. Some places say 1750 guests, others say 2400 guests. Returning cruisers have reported that they were told there were 2800 guests on their cruise. If all 875 staterooms have two people each, the 1750 would be the minimum. If the average per room is 3, that's over 2600 people. Being a family oriented vacation, I would assume most folks would bring along a kid or two. I only bring this up because if they have to stop selling rooms because the upper cat rooms all have 5 or 7 persons in them it would be nice to know there are 6 or 8 balconies available IF "the price is right". So my guess is that 2675 is the "magic number"; anything above that number means I stay put, below that means I have a chance at my up-grade. With the quickness that the rooms filled up, my dream is on life support. Go right ahead sweetie, what's a few more dollars?

[Hypermommy]

There ya go... now that's the right frame of mind for a vacation! Just keep humming that song... "making memories, making memories...." :rotfl2:

[King Charming]

It's time to get real about some of these expenses listed on my sheet. The first one is booze. My thinking now is to bring a couple kinds of beer, a bottle of wine, and two bottles of champagne. The first bottle of bubbly for kicking off the cruise, the other one for DW's Bday. DW said don't forget the sangria either. She's not too wild about champagne, but I love it. I will not pay a "corkage fee" (don't they EVER put that big white gloved hand in their OWN pocket?); instead we will get it from our cooler and take it up on deck to enjoy there (since we won't have a balcony). However, expecting to spend only 75 bucks on ship-board grog is unrealistic for two people who know how to bend an elbow. I'm thinking that will probably only cover the "drink(s) of the day" cost, (for each of us), and DW keeps making plans to meet with the girls to go out for Bahamas Mamas; deck walking is their euphemism. I'll most likely buy the first few beers at the bar, and only resort to raiding the cooler if I want to do some "repetitive drinking". Another liquor cost is the bottle or two of Mexican Tequila I'll want to sip from and bring home duty free. Maybe buying a Cuban cigar or two in GC would be nice. Doubling this number (tripling?) will be much closer to reality no matter what I bring along to smoke or drink.
The ship photo package entry was to cover the minimum deal, but I'm sure to want character pics also. Bumping this up another $50 is reasonable for what I expect to buy.
We went over the four hundred dollars for dress clothes. Although I was darn close to estimating the cost of each formal outfit, the semi-formal attire included shirts & ties for the guys and another dress for DW. Then there were extras like dress shoes and "accessories" (whatever she means by that) which will bring this cost in at over $600.
The fish extender costs also slightly exceeded expectations, but since it is such a cool tradition to receive trinkets from strangers, I can only smile about this one.
The dog boarding charges went from $150 to $250, but with tax it will be closer to $270.
The kid's allowance issue finally got figured out. I knew 50 bucks would not cover it, but also hadn't realized how seldom I had been doling it out. (Yes, Hypermommy has a spreadsheet for that too.) All told, each kid has over a hundred bucks in their allowance account. So they shouldn't be hassling me until at least Castaway Cay.
New spreadsheet items that finally showed up were postage (from Hell and CC), and Friday night's meet n greet dinner at 7pm.

[Hypermommy]

"Accessories"... girls, shall we let them know what we mean or just keep it to ourselves. Keep it to ourselves, of course. Just give me that credit card, King Charming, and trust that I'll look mah-velous.

[MassDisLovers]

Accessories are very important to us girls, right Denise??? KC should be happy that he has 2 sons! My DH has 2 daughters princess:princess: to accessorize! The shoes, oh the shoes.......we have pink ones and black ones and shiny sequined ones and flip flops and Birkenstocks and sneakers .........

[King Charming]

I don't know if we can afford to wait these last five weeks for this trip if the true costs are going to grow/become apparent by an average of HUNDREDS of dollars a WEEK! I was afraid this was going to happen when the first $1500 got gobbled up so quickly, but accepted this as normal expenses when I realized I could afford it. Gee, just because I said I wanted to be able to take full advantage of this opportunity, it didn't mean that the opportunity should take such complete advantage of me. I am still in denial about spending thousands of dollars on this. It is SO much easier to think of it in terms of accepting charity from a rich uncle than spending that much of our own money. After all, the cruise was free, why shouldn't everything else be free too?

[King Charming]

With these up-dates, the spreadsheet has balloned to over 4 thousand dollars. :scared1: It just isn't fair to do this to a fellow. I remember saying I could deal with a headache of this sort, but now I'm beginning to wonder; is there truly an end in sight? Every time I get used to a number, it increases! Will I disembark this ship at port poorfarm? (Will a Disney tram at least take me back to the van?) In an effort to regain my sanity, some of the expenses need to be axed. First on the chopping block was the underwater cameras. Since only 20 bucks was allotted, photo processing for two cameras obviously wasn't included. Rather than put up with yet another item bumped, POW, it's gone. Glow in the dark necklaces are cool, but not necessary. So too the line item for watches and candy/snacks. The kids can ask someone what time it is, and stop at a buffet before the shows. Even though this is only 75 bucks off the total, I can at least pretend I really DO have (semi) control over these ever climbing outlays of funds. And now that I've (again) exceeded my comfort level for spending, it will be much easier to tell that nagging verandah to hush up and go away.

[King Charming]

After such a pathetic attempt to rein in the costs, I gave DW one last chance to save us hundreds of dollars before placing the tuxedo rental order. Man, talk about a puffy lip. Response number one came quick enough; I already bought my dress. That's alright, you deserve nice things says I. But, but, but think of all the memories. Another predictable come-back when I (routinely) suggest holding out on Mickey. With all we will be seeing/doing, they won't miss it I reply. Besides, if we skip dress-up night, you won't need that hair appointment you wanted. Now the "pitiful little ole me" look is used. Even though she knows there is a good chance I'm pulling her leg, after topping $4K, she also knows I've reached the end of my rope. But, but, but for my birthday? Sweetie, I say, this whole adventure is your birthday. She had her ace well hidden, and played it now. We will use Mom's money for it! Of course we will, just like we used it for passports, or was it the excursions we used it for? Hey, as long as it doesn't cost ANYTHING, why not? If only I had come to the realization how handy that money would turn out being weeks ago, I could have gotten a "don't worry, be happy" sticker to wear. Since "the Mic" didn't include coupons in the cruise docs, the tuxedo rentals were $87.50 each.

[King Charming]

No coolers?, ya got to be kidding! :confused: I could understand not having the baggage handlers carrying around full coolers (and ice), and thought a rolling cooler was a great compromise. :idea: Then I heard only soft-sided coolers were allowed. That's OK, we have one as part of our camping gear (we got at least one of ALL the camping gear). Now I'm hearing that they are enforcing the EXISTING rule - only if medically necessary. :scared: And they are suddenly enforcing what liquids may be brought aboard in your checked luggage verses your carry-on bags. :sad2: Not good at all. Thankfully there are still 4 weeks to go, so maybe this will all shake out before it impacts us. I guess that the "powers that be" have a pretty good idea how much these rulings could cost me. I'm told other cruise lines prohibit all carry-on booze because they make so much money selling the stuff. It looks like the sink full of ice trick will be used to chill the first day's champagne if I can't find a collapsible cooler to stash in our bags. Those cheap Styrofoam coolers you can buy in Key West are real good at carrying stuff (more beer) back on the ship and might become an official souvenir if need be. BTW, having someplace to buy everything you forgot/couldn't/didn't want to bring, at decent prices, the second day in, makes the stores at the Key West stop invaluable. Good, DCL is now saying small soft-sided rolling coolers are allowed, but booze may only be brought aboard in your carry-on bags. That's a decent enough compromise, as only the fittest will be strong enough to bring enough alcohol to get super tipsy. Let's see, since there are four of us, one can carry the backpack with the laptop in it, one can have a suitcase with immediate needs stuff, and two can carry our "drinks". That should last us until the Key West stop (I hope).

[Hypermommy]

Man, talk about a puffy lip. <snip> She had her ace well hidden, and played it now. We will use Mom's money for it!

And you guys should see my puffy lip. It's pretty good! But, of course, over the years KC has developed an immunity towards it so I've learned to have an ace somewhere. Now.... I wonder how many more things I can claim are being paid for by funds other than our own.

Let's see, since there are four of us, one can carry the backpack with the laptop in it, one can have a suitcase with immediate needs stuff, and two can carry our "drinks". That should last us until the Key West stop (I hope).

Hmmmmmm.... do I want one of the kids carrying my laptop? Or do I want them dragging around the softsided cooler full of alcohol? I don't worry about them wanting to drink it (they know I'd kill them) but both are quite valuable. I don't know if I could survive without my computer but if they were to break bottles or something.... well, that's just alcohol abuse. :rotfl2:

[King Charming]

The kids are starting to resurrect items I eliminated. Good for them; it's nice to see I won't be the only person who's money scorched a hole in his pocket. They seem pretty keen on documenting this adventure their own way and the waterproof cameras are back. I told them I'd chip in if they took pictures of each other parasailing. "See that dot up at the end of this rope"? type pics is not what I'm looking for here, and a three count after leaving the deck will be recommended. I know that turning a couple of knuckle-heads loose with a hundred dollars each is not one of my smarter moves, so consider this your warning. :laughing:

[King Charming]

Look out Caribbean, here we come! The last great obstacle has been cleared; THE CHECK CAME!!! Now all the credit cards will be quickly zeroed out in anticipation of a full on frontal assault by none other than "The Mic" himself. He cuts quite the figure out in front of the very attentive army he commands. I am told this can get very brutal and it is best to just write him a check (minimum bid $1K) on the second or third day of the cruise. This way everything from excursions to shopping can be listed on one bill, and later reviewed by a new psyco-analyst who will promise to help me recover. Gee, I MUST be crazy, because I'm still looking forward to this cruise.

[Hypermommy]

Ooooh, ooooh... I know a good doctor for you to go see. I'm pretty sure his name is Nigel Channing and he has been converted, er, uh, convinced that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Don't think about the money... think about how this experience will provide your sons with that one little spark of inspiration that's at the root of all creation.

[Cyrano]

Thanks to DW's post on the Unplugged board will follow this with interest :)

[King Charming]

So we are getting into the final month, and the anxiety level grows. We are into that period where a plaster cast of any type means limited mobility and pain from the affected area. Any kind of major health issue for that matter, be it mine, the kids, or even the extended family could seriously throw a monkey wrench into the mix. You may have heard I have a lot of dough riding on this one, with no trip insurance. You can bet I will at least be in Cocoa Beach that Fri nite, if only to get in my hundred dollars worth of swimming in their fancy pool. Everyone who has ever looked forward to an anticipated vacation knows the feelings of dread that can lurk. Thankfully I have someone to do that for me and take a more laid back approach to it all. I figure I would have spent the money anyway, on something else as useful, so it is no big deal if it all falls apart. Naw, your right, I'll pitch a big time fit and complain to anyone with ears (?) about spending/wasting money on something so frivolous (told you we didn't need passports) and outrageous (tuxedo's?)

[hayanyujah847]

I have loved reading along so far & can't wait to read more~! :)

[King Charming]

I started posting this epic last week, and have gotten warm support from folks. I'm told I am funny enough to make this interesting. I sure hope ya'll mean it in a good way...:dance3:
The spending has begun. After months of talking about it, I am ready to take the plunge and purchase all those things that I think we need. We bought a good bottle of champagne, rolls of coins, shirts & ties for semi nite, and more. After all the moaning about WHY we needed something, I've either gotten used to the idea, or given up! Although I can't understand why we need to spend extra on COLOR copies (vs black & white) of the passports, I've resigned myself to kissing this first IRS check goodbye. Dollar signs have been replaced with percentage signs. Another color printer cartridge and some more white T-shirts and transfer paper? Sure, it's only another 1%. Extra door magnets for all those cool graphics DW came up with, (and lamination), 1% more. Deck shoes, new shorts, report card bonuses, WHATEVER!! If I was still attempting to limit these costs I would have lost it by now. A "zen" approach has settled in; one that I was forced to adopt during a "World" trip when DW told me point blank that if I didn't shut up about how much everything costs, I would ruin the experience for her. As liberating a feeling as it is to spend without care, I rarely get to do it and it is therefore an alien feeling to me. When they say that you experience a wide range of emotions when you get near the mouse, was this what they had in mind?

[King Charming]

Thanks to excessive planning and numerous threads read, all the larger expenditures have been anticipated. There was no startling increase in the spreadsheet this week, FINALLY!! :woohoo: I kept telling myself this eventually had to happen, especially after "the Mic" and I agreed that he could have the entire check. :laughing: He hedged his bets on how much of the May "stimulus" check he'd take, saying we'd deal with it after I got on the ship. I'm willing to go another $500, but please don't tell him. I try and feel better after we have these man to mouse talks, but seldom do. At least he promised to take a picture with us and wave, but will again ignore me in public and not say a word. :confused3

[King Charming]

Oh fiddle sticks; I went and stepped in it this time, which is another good reason to go. Being as I have such a difficult time with my legs, it was only a matter of time before someone saw to it that I learn to use them properly. That's right, dance lessons! Tons of coordination I got, rhythm I ain't. So rather than kick poor old DW across the dance floor, she will drag me to the dance studio. For those of us who used to keep track of this sort of thing, it's only "another one percent". Now I know how a fellow can give 110%. If anybody asks, I'm really doing it so I can pay for us, but also bring the knowledge home and teach the sons. Yeah, that's the story. A pay for two, get two free deal. That sounds much closer to the real me. If I had known Kings were expected to 3 step, I might have chosen a more appropriate screen name. The up side is she can't be shopping while she is dancing.

[Hypermommy]

Don't worry darling... Mickey loves you. It's just that he has so many other people he has to see during this time as well. But you know good and well he'll be right there for another man to mouse talk after the cruise. You know he's going to want you to come visit him at his house again before too terribly long.

And y'all should see King Charming dance!!!! Oh, it feels soooo good to be held in his strong arms for a beautiful waltz. Someone please volunteer to shoot some video of us waltzing on formal night. My mom's not gonna believe this!

[King Charming]

The cruise timeline worked real well since we were told what to expect. Among our listed items were ordering fish extender stuff and tuxedos, buying Yankee trade gifts, gowns, and meds, reserving kennels and a hotel room, and making magnets, T-shirts, and address labels, plus holds placed on newspapers, ads, and mail, All the stuff has been bought by 3 weeks out, most of week 2 stuff is making things, and most of week 1 is phone calls to confirm everything. Getting the bulk of the items completed/assembled ahead of time is such a good feeling. I recommend a "Cruise Prep Timeline" to all.

[King Charming]

So now I'm getting heckled by the ghost of one percent. Remember my Cuban cigars? Or some neat pirate garb for the kids? How about fishing off the Cocoa Beach pier, playing Bingo, or buying another rolling soft sided cooler? Just because Mickey has agreed to cut me some slack (I think he heard), now there is room for other hands to go pocket diving. For some reason, "the sheet" is nowhere to be found, so I'm not really sure what the total is up to. I think I'll waltz off to find my happy place, a place where the wife has no shopping bags in her hand, and I chant "It's only ANOTHER one percent".

[Hypermommy]

Now just where exactly is this happy place of yours that has no shopping bags? I'd be willing to bet there's a Walmart there somewhere.

[King Charming]

I finally gave up on the effort expended to know where all the money is going. Pleeease don't tell DW. :rolleyes1 Controlling these costs is next to impossible, and I used to think I wanted to know why something was needed. These days I just do the regal "wrist wave" and mutter my mantra as DW attempts yet another explanation of the rationale behind her latest "must have" item. If I'm really gonna spend $5K+, I don't want to know about it until I'm well into therapy. When new things appear, I pretend to be happy that we are so close to the sail date. It really means we are one day closer to a savings account. A new countdown has begun for me, it marks the Monday AFTER the cruise when I pick up the dogs from the kennel and the final cruise bill is paid. The financial madness that we have been experiencing will finally be over and the still smoldering credit cards will get a well deserved rest. In an interesting paradox, the more I spend, the more I can get for my one percents. Given this logic, maybe that verandah upgrade is affordable after all. :laughing:

[Hypermommy]

Madness is such a relative term, dear. :rotfl2:

[MN Dis Fans]

KC After lurking in the background :surfweb: for the past several weeks, I felt I had to jump in an empathize with your situation. Like you, I would like to try and resemble the common sensical "frugalness" <-is that a word? of what you are trying to do, and like you, have seemingly failed miserably. :confused3

I am often overheard telling the DW that the cheapest part of the cruise, is the actual cruise, and that the nickel and diming (more like $'s :sad2: and more $$$'s :sad2: :sad2: ) associated with the run up to the event far surpasses the event itself. The endless lists of must haves is mind boggling at best, and I to gave up trying to detail them all. So, I worship :worship: your attempts at trying to detail them, and for having hung in there for so long doing so.

I have resigned myself to the fact that as long as the DW is happy, life is good. A long term mentor of mine once told me, "Would you rather be right, or would you rather be happy", :rolleyes1 it's difficult to have both.

So, make sure you have plenty of your favorite beverages to bring on board with you (this is my futile attempt) to at least control costs from my persepctive, and kick back. Life will be good, once you are on board; and if you're anything like me, will be booking another one once there. (Remember you will get an additional 10% doscount! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: )

I look forward to reading many more chapters of your exploits!

[King Charming]

A brand new game has taken over the household, and it is doing a pretty good job at defining what we are most looking forward to on this vacation. The "What will we be doing at this moment 3 weeks from now?" game is all the rage. We finally got together and drew up the itinerary (still 1/3 blank) that should prevent us from expecting to play bingo when we will be off the ship. I'm sure that next week only the name of the game will change. This is a fun way of anticipating our favorite activities while also making sure that the kids will be at the far end of the ship while some adult behaviors are enjoyed. :love:

[King Charming]

I'm not sure why I feel the need to explain this next part, as I'm sure folks could care less. DW and I have really played up the shopping and alcohol angle alot. She seldom spends our money unnecessarily, and neither one of us drink on even a semi-regular basis. Booze references are usually amusing. That being said, I am very, very sure that our fellow cruisers will meet a completely different pair of people that who we actually are. When you always see us with a drink in our hand, and that silly half buzzed look on our faces, it will be easy to dismiss us as a couple of drunk fools. That's cool, even though that is not who we are and the majority of what we will drink will have no alcohol in it. Vacations for us have different rules, and since we hardy ever get sloshed together (someone has to drive), it is something that needs to be planned for and done right! If I don't drink them or give them away to my new buddies, what's left of a case of beer can always be given to the housekeeping staff. (Cold beer is usually second only to cold cash). Even though I have always prefered the taste of Pepsi over beer, some sacrifices must be made, especially on a "Coke" ship. Just wait until you see the size of the cup I ALWAYS walk around with! Hey Honey, since you are going back to the room, could you please bring a couple of beers back up with you?

[King Charming]

And even though I've been steadily moaning about the (high) cost of everything, it should also be obvious that I would prefer to do things this way. Yes, we COULD have done this for half as much, and (probably) would have if the tax money was not available. But as I implied before, if you can do it, do it right. Regrets are for others when it comes to opportunies like this. I can think of no scenario that will EVER take me to the Cayman Islands again, so getting off the ship for a good look around is mandatory. Books and the internet are excellent sources of info, but seeing and doing are the easiest way of learning. So it is going to cost an arm and a leg (or ear), so what? I long ago decided that it was more important to have a happy family than scads of money. Investing in us always brings high returns, and I have the photo's and T-shirts to prove it. You can only spend a dollar once, memories last a lifetime. :thumbsup2

[King Charming]

And even though I've been steadily moaning about the (high) cost of everything, it should also be obvious that I would prefer to do things this way. Yes, we COULD have done this for half as much, and (probably) would have if the tax money was not available. But as I implied before, if you can do it, do it right. Regrets are for others when it comes to opportunies like this. I can think of no scenario that will EVER take me to the Cayman Islands again, so getting off the ship for a good look around is mandatory. Books and the internet are excellent sources of info, but seeing and doing are the easiest way of learning. So it is going to cost an arm and a leg (or ear), so what? I long ago decided that it was more important to have a happy family than scads of money. Investing in us always brings high returns, and I have the photo's and T-shirts to prove it. You can only spend a dollar once, memories last a lifetime. :thumbsup2

[Hypermommy]

KC After lurking in the background :surfweb: for the past several weeks, I felt I had to jump in an empathize with your situation. Like you, I would like to try and resemble the common sensical "frugalness" <-is that a word? of what you are trying to do, and like you, have seemingly failed miserably. :confused3

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that KC and I read your message with great interest. It's good for me to hear that he's not the only one that tries to squeeze poor Mr. Lincoln until he cries. And he does very much enjoy the feedback that shows that folks are enjoying this essay.

I have resigned myself to the fact that as long as the DW is happy, life is good. A long term mentor of mine once told me, "Would you rather be right, or would you rather be happy", :rolleyes1 it's difficult to have both.

And I'll bet you're quite happily married! :rotfl:

She seldom spends our money unnecessarily

Awww... thanks dear. At least I try not to. Now, we may disagree sometimes on what is the exact meaning of "necessary", eh? :rotfl2:

[MassDisLovers]

Investing in us always brings high returns, and I have the photo's and T-shirts to prove it. You can only spend a dollar once, memories last a lifetime. :thumbsup2


This is about the best thing I've ever read on these boards - wait - it might just be the best thing I've ever read all together. Hypermommy should put that saying on shirts for all of you!

[King Charming]

I couldn't help myself and asked DW to send one of her sweet as syrup Emails to the TA about the availability of a verandah. I just had to know. Quick as a wink they said no. I guess we were not the first to ask this month. Equally as polite, they explained that there were not any more 4 person staterooms available for our cruise and went so far as to explain that there were NO more empty staterooms period! The ship is officially full and we really are darn lucky to be included. Of all the prizes that could be won but not shared (ie money), this has got to rank near the top on the jealousy scale. Sailing and touring the Caribbean with Mickey will always give me a leg up in playing "Can you top this?" when the subject of fabulous vacations comes up. Thanks again to all those folks who made this possible.

[King Charming]

We finally arrived at "Milk Day". I'm sure you have seen dates stamped on the milk containers denoting spoilage date. Whenever I am anticipating an upcoming event, I am always eager to see that date printed on the milk jug. When I finally see it, I know that I can stop being so blase' about it and start preparing for the good times. Of course this time I jumped the gun (a little) as far as the excitement level goes, (I had help), but it is so nice to hit this milestone anyway. :cool1:

[King Charming]

Man oh Man, has our printer been getting a workout. First it was magnets for the stateroom door. When we ran out of those sheets, we printed the images on regular paper, laminated them, then put smaller "sticky" magnets on the back. I didn't realize that different graphics were needed for each day! DW has apparently been having way too much fun creating new images, and our cabin door will be covered top to bottom. Most of them are personalized, and all will have our room number on them in the event they wander off. Then she kicked it up a notch by personalizing our fish-extender. The Mickey Mouse fabric wasn't enough so she added our "adopted" characters. Mine is of course Grumpy due to my tendency to grumble about Mickey's share of my money. So there should be no doubt about who is occupying our deck two room.

[hayanyujah847]

This is about the best thing I've ever read on these boards - wait - it might just be the best thing I've ever read all together. Hypermommy should put that saying on shirts for all of you!

I was thinking the same thing!

[King Charming]

Remember my delight at being shut out? No good deed goes unpunished, AGAIN! Even though I still don't have to eat fancy food at Palo, DW scored a most excellent spa ressie around lunch time on a SEA day no less! All the good slots should have been taken months ago, and it was way too easy to say "sure, go ahead and try". :laughing: Knowing DW, she has been at the online site that covers this many times a day for the past month or so. Persistence paid off and now so shall I. :eek: And of course my attitude is all wrong. Rather than dwell on the cost, what I SHOULD be thinking about is how much I'm SAVING :sad2: since DW found a sympathetic fellow cruiser who will style her hair for formal night :yay: AND the extra savings I incur by not getting dragged along into the spa with her. Yeah, I've heard all about the hot rocks and mud, but I don't want to get so relaxed that I can't feel the money disappear from my pocket. (That's what booze is for). :woohoo: Looks like we graduated to expenses that only add another 2%. What's that dear, huh?..you're gonna take what back? ;)

[King Charming]

The spreadsheet turned out to have an up-side and an annoying side. In the beginning I was glad to see where all the money was going, and maybe showing off a bit by being so organized in anticipating the range of costs and funding alot of them. It was fun to check off another purchase made. :banana: If you got the impression that doubling the amount of a line item, or watching the total cost expand frustrated me completely :headache: , I've become a good writer.
The spreadsheet didn't really disappear; I just couldn't look at it anymore. :scared1: Three and a half months ago I wondered what a free trip could cost. I never EVER dreamed we could run up such a bill on something so free. When you add up everything from the sheet and the spur of the moment shopping ops, plus the income tax due next year, I'm guessing it tops out near $6K for a new cruiser, spouse, and two kids. For those who haven't satisfied their spending jones and have thousands more to run through, there is always booking the next cruise while on-board, or joining DVC so Mickey can meet with your bank on a more consistent basis.

[King Charming]

The total cost could have been an even higher number because the list of things omitted was quite impressive. Absent items that fell in the hundred(s) dollar range included trip insurance, organized excursions in KW & GC, port parking, airline ticket/car rental, and park admissions. Lesser costs not paid include new luggage, Palo, organized tastings, the salon, silver jewerly shopping (or does that go in the other cat?), and the host of stuff that shows up on the lists of others. Now that I've been educated in boat travel, I can see how easy it is for a family of 3 or 4 to avarage well over a grand a day, and that's after getting all the first time/one time cruise items. I'd of never thought that being in the parks would be the cheaper half of a vacation, and can understand how it would be cost prohibitive to fly down for only a 3 day cruise. The Land/Sea packages must be very popular. Ahh, dear? Hello? Has anyone seen DW?

[Hypermommy]

Ahh, dear? Hello? Has anyone seen DW?

Shhhhhh... y'all don't tell KC I'm at Walmart again.

[Hypermommy]

I was thinking the same thing!

First try... not too sure if I like it. I may go with just the saying. But anyway, here's what I came up with.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/hypermommy_2007/InvestingInFamilycopy.gif

[MassDisLovers]

Beautiful! That saying will be in my mind and heart forever!
Next week at this time we'll be making our approach to Key West!

[King Charming]

I'm hearing from fellow cruisers that one grand cash on hand is a good amount to take for a 7 day'er. (tips, shopping, excursions) and if any is left (GET 'em Mic) it can be applied to your ship-board account. We will bring less and rely mostly on plastic. We will load 50 bucks on the kid's cards with the understanding that they will pay any overages. They absolutely love the idea of having their own "charge" card. I plan on charging as much as possible to the KTTW card so the charges will be written down somewhere. I'll write them a check halfway through when I review the damage so far, and let them get happy with my credit card at the end. A different credit card will be used off-ship for shopping and such to help identify and record purchases. Still, I/we will always need some cash, especially smaller denomination bills. I'm thinking of bringing 50 ones, 20 fives, 25 tens, and some twenties. The room safe is a comfortable place to stash our valuables. This should be enough so everyone has a few bucks in their pocket during the week without my being suckered into passing out twenties. I'll also bring 75 bucks worth of dollar and half dollar coins. Most folks enjoy these coins (as tips) since they seldom see them anymore.
To increase your bargaining credibility, be sure to keep money in a couple of different places. You can then "discover" that you can increase your offer another few bucks. A favorite of mine is to make sure the kids have some cash, then "borrow" it back from them and play it off as something that happens all the time. Not for the bargaining aspect, but to observe the reactions from people who "overhear" my pleading and begging. I adore teasing my kids, and if I can get a reaction from somebody nearby, all the better. And when the kids play along we can raise a few eyebrows around us. We will have some fun this trip, for sure. :woohoo:

[King Charming]

Even though DW has asked me to remind her to stay away from the stores, she hasn't really gone crazy buying new cruise wear or other stuff to drag on board. I think all the planning worked. It is such a good feeling to know we have everything we need after slowly assembling stuff for months. With just 10 days to go, packing is about the only thing left to do. Maybe she's not buying junk because she doesn't want to pack it. Either way, not much expensive stuff has showed up lately, even though she could just as easily say it is for "growing children" as opposed to "cruise ware". I still have her keeping track of it all, because sometime this summer I'm going to want to know what happened to both IRS checks. Or is this just the calm before the perfect shopping storm? :confused:

[King Charming]

Wow, am I ever flattered by the amount of times this has been viewed and the number of daily readers this has attracted. It is easy to track, so I did. DW sent a link to it to several friends and family, and other curious people quickly ran the count over 50 readers a day. After posting links on other threads, the count galloped past 80. Some more read it during the weekend and got hooked so that there were over a hundred daily readers. The meter is currently at 4.5K views for 28 days. The growth has been steady and there were over 175 views today. Thanks Mom for logging on under so many different names and so often. I'm sure that by posting at least twice a day, there was always something new to read. I hope you liked the pace. With over 27 pages of revelations covering 16 weeks, posting many times a day was easy. Living vicariously through other people's reports and/or comparing it to your own experience is the whole purpose of these forums. And some folks say that the preparation and expectations are as much fun as the actual trip itself because it lasts longer. Look, I'm an amusing guy who had this thrust upon him and found a way to vent about it in a constructive way. Someone should please tell the Fla Lotto folks about the dignity and grace I exhibited while accepting such a fine gift. I hope they are looking for people like me. Hey...HEY.. you there.. yeah you, hey.. make sure she's only there buying drinks, OK?

[hayanyujah847]

First try... not too sure if I like it. I may go with just the saying. But anyway, here's what I came up with.

Love it! You know, I actually used the saying today! My mom was giving me a hard time about the amount we spend on vacationing...and I used the quote in response. :) :) She then had no further comments on it! lol!

I am *so* jealous of you all that you will be on the cruise next week, wow!

I am in a similar situation whereas I won Disney's Doorway to Dreams and am getting 225 DVC pts (I don't currently have DVC) for the next 3 years. I am still awaiting my final paperwork (*fingers crossed it comes soon*), but as soon as I do, I'm going to book the 7 day Western for Jan 2009 with my first allotment! Your TR is really helping me start to budget for my "free" cruise!! :rotfl:

[Hypermommy]

Love it! You know, I actually used the saying today! My mom was giving me a hard time about the amount we spend on vacationing...and I used the quote in response. :) :) She then had no further comments on it! lol!

I am *so* jealous of you all that you will be on the cruise next week, wow!

I am in a similar situation whereas I won Disney's Doorway to Dreams and am getting 225 DVC pts (I don't currently have DVC) for the next 3 years. I am still awaiting my final paperwork (*fingers crossed it comes soon*), but as soon as I do, I'm going to book the 7 day Western for Jan 2009 with my first allotment! Your TR is really helping me start to budget for my "free" cruise!! :rotfl:

Glad you could use it! Yep, I've said something similar to my mom a few times too, but KC put it much more eloquently than I ever did.

Congratulations on the DVC win! I'd love to get into DVC, but KC says we should buy a full time house before buying part time real estate. I know he's right (and we probably could if we weren't making so many memories :rotfl: ) but that doesn't make me want it any less. Glad to know the pre-TR is helpful to you!

[King Charming]

Shame on me for abandoning them. I was planning on taking the boys out on the long fishing pier and renting poles in the afternoon and only doing dinner if the fish were not biting. I had envisioned meeting 10 or 12 families from the cruise board for dinner on the night before we sailed. Turns out that the idea was not well received and we actually ended up backing out. I thought it would be cool to recognize 20 or 30 familiar faces that I could wave at while on the ship. I guess that meeting will get saved for the Yankee Swap meet on Sat. The photos that our new friends have submitted to DW's secure website will have to do for another few days.
For those of you who mistakenly read this expecting concise reporting of my circumstances (but kept reading anyway) who would like to read similar articles or accounts, please let me know. I will happily accept most/all FREE week or longer exotic vacations and can write about them for you (lets talk). This time please include a check for expenses as DW is TOO good at spending money, (esp O.P.'s) and we would like to have a verandah, also.

[King Charming]

In the course of re-reading and editing, I was amused at how often certain words kept showing up. Anticipation, opportunity, and cost were three that caught my attention and can be indicative of most any vacation. When applied to our situation, I think they fit perfectly. However, it is time to wrap up this story. We are in the final days before sailing (I'm starting to love that term), and there is thankfully nothing left to prattle on about. Maybe a quickly paced cha-cha would be appropriate for the double digit happy dance :dancer: I started today as there are finally less than 90 HOURS until we leave for the port. :drive: I wonder if we will stop by Orlando first to hit Downtown Disney to kind of knock the edge off DW's habit. Getting that first Disney fix after several months has got to be euphoric. I have one more post to wrap this sucker up with, and then.... Oh dear....OH NO....would you look at the SIZE of that shopping bag! :scared1:

[Hypermommy]

Oh, I would be quite amenable to the idea of popping by Downtown Disney first. Especially since we're leaving so early. Let's plan on having lunch at the Earl of Sandwich (they really are inexpensive, dear... you can get a delicous sandwich for about $5).

Hmmmmmmmmmmm wonder if I can sneak away to try out Spaceship Earth? Haven't seen it since the update (and missed the soft openings they were doing in December).. Nah... that'd be just too mean to the rest of them since I'm the only one with a season pass right now. But than again, no one expects me to be nice anyway, right? bwaaaaaahahahahaha :cool1:

But seriously... if you want to pop by DTD, that's fine with me. But I'll definitely be getting a Disney fix for the week so if you'd rather just keep on booking til we hit the port that's fine too. :love: :love: :love:

[TotallyAngelic]

I just want to say how much I have enjoyed reading your pre-cruise build up, and am already in anticipation of hearing how the whole thing pans out - whether it all lives up to your expectations, whether you manage to keep within your budget, whether you manage to keep a tight rein on Hypermommy's shopping extravaganza!

Hope you all have an amazing and magical time! Bon Voyage!:goodvibes

[dis2cruise]

First try... not too sure if I like it. I may go with just the saying. But anyway, here's what I came up with.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/hypermommy_2007/InvestingInFamilycopy.gif

oh what a beautiful saying :worship: it's totally true too :thumbsup2

[Hypermommy]

whether you manage to keep a tight rein on Hypermommy's shopping extravaganza!

Ummmm... not! :rotfl: :rotfl:

[King Charming]

So how do you end a pre-trip report? By getting "on board"!! :cool1: aka "The Second Happiest Place on Earth". After dedicating scores of hours to this; writting, editing, posting, and reading your comments (which were greatly appreciated), I'm gonna miss this. What should I do next? :rolleyes1 Even though I won't post on this anymore, I will enjoy eventually reading your thoughts on this, so please feel free to post. And DW will post anywhere.
When I do the post trip report, I'll include photos because a picture really is worth a thousand words, and you've already read most of mine.:laughing: The captions will probably read something like "Here's our family all dressed up for formal night, I'm the one with a drink in his hand" or " Here I am all hung over after wearing what's left of my pirate costume to bed". OK, maybe not that bad, but I hope as interesting. I plan to write mostly about money (what else?), but will also try to include stories about new friends, new places, and old booze. For those who will follow in our western footsteps, our routes will be included too. For those luckier few who will cruise with us (and probably suffered through this the longest), you are also invited to post your comments, pics, or rants. Hearing how people experience the same events adds new perspective to an amusing(?) story. Knowing how impatient DW can be, I'm sure we will be hitting the road by 9 am. on Friday. The family will be at the port terminal around 10 am on Sat., and I should be there for autographs by 11. I'll be the guy with the big hat, the big cup of Pepsi, and the big smile on his face. So until we get back and start posting again, ahoy, arrgh, I sincerely thank you, and good night Miss MaGillacutty, wherever you are. :grouphug:

[nzdisneymom]

Have an amazing journey! Bon Voyage!

[pwgs]

:worship: See you on board!

[RLccweems]

Have a great time....and for us staying behind we'll be waiting for your trip report when you return!!!

[Hypermommy]

Well, I decided to redo this. I like this one a lot better. In fact, I think I'll even do KC a t-shirt with this.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/hypermommy_2007/InvestinginFamily2copy.jpg

[hayanyujah847]

I just love it! I hope you don't mind if I ~borrow~ that for my siggie!

Hope you all have a *magical* :wizard: time on your TR! Don't forget to put a link to your TR in this Pre-Trip Report~!! :) :)

[Hypermommy]

I'm sure he's not going to mind... especially when he sees himself referred to as "the great King Charming". Man... he's gonna be impossible to live with now :rotfl2:

[purplepeg]

Have a great time. I can't wait to read all about it. I love the pic with the investing in family on it. So true, so true.:goodvibes pirate:

[hayanyujah847]

I'm sure he's not going to mind... especially when he sees himself referred to as "the great King Charming". Man... he's gonna be impossible to live with now :rotfl2:
lol! I have to give props where they are due!!! :)

[nzdisneymom]

Let me be the first to say Welcome Home - hope you all had an amazing trip - can't wait to hear about it.

[Hypermommy]

Thanks!!! It was a great trip. If you want to start out with KC's TR, it's here http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1807135. I haven't started mine yet. Gotta organize my notes and photos first.

[King Charming]

I just wanted to recognize the 6K+ views this has received. Come on over to the post TR and let me know what you thought of the whole ordeal, my writting style, or whatever. I'm waiting to hear what you have to say.:thumbsup2