November 26, 2005/ 7 day Eastern Magic [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

plenam

06-27-2004, 08:17 PM

Hi all,

A little early but no time like the present. This will be our second cruise, we had our first this past May(4 day Wonder) and enjoyed it so much we rebooked on board for November of 2005 on the Magic. Looking forward to see who's all going, there's four of us DW, DS10, DS8. See ya on board!

Brett

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :bounce: :bounce:

"Waiting to live the dream again"

plenam

07-13-2004, 11:13 AM

bump

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :bounce: :bounce:

jcemom

07-13-2004, 01:59 PM

I'll be there!!!! This will be our very first cruise ever--me, DS (then 12), DS (then 11), and DD (then 3). We're in 2112. :hyper:

plenam

07-14-2004, 12:04 PM

Hey Tracey,

Welcome, we thought we were going alone for a while, though we posted real early. As said this is our second cruise and we are sure you're going to love it. From what I understand from the boards is that the ship will start to be decked out for the Christmas season, can't wait. Looking forward to seeing y'all.

Brett

"Waiting to live the dream, again"

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :bounce: :bounce:

jcemom

07-14-2004, 12:16 PM

I find it hard to believe that we are the only "early planners" here, LOL. :teeth:

plenam

07-14-2004, 12:46 PM

As you will see I'm a "trip planning junkie", no detail left unturned.:p

Brett

"Waiting to live the dream, again"

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :bounce: :bounce:

Michelle2

07-19-2004, 01:43 AM

I am sooo glad you started this thread, Brett. I was going to start it, but I thought I would be too early! LOL
We will be going too, and it will be our first cruise ever too!! It is me, DH, DS (will be 12), DD (will be 11), DD (will be 9), and DS (will be 3 and 1/2). We (I) am so excited that I can hardly stand it. We are in 7563, and 7562.
I am a total trip planning junkie too, and have checked this thread, but didnt see this date until now! Already deciding on resorts at WDW, and having a blast planning even though it is so far away...I hope it goes by fast.

Michelle2

07-28-2004, 05:18 PM

bump

jcemom

07-31-2004, 10:42 PM

Sorry guys but it looks like I'll be leaving you! DH has decided to go along and can't take time from work in November/December...so we have to switch to the September 3, 2005 Magic! :wave: It was nice "almost sailing" with you! Hope you have a great time!

plenam

08-01-2004, 04:54 PM

Sorry to hear that you can't make it, also sorry to all for not responding lately, my broadband modem was zapped by lightning awhile back and had to wait for a new one to arrive.

Brett

"Waiting to live the dream, again"

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :bounce: :bounce:

alexturner74

08-06-2004, 07:39 PM

My wife and I will be going. It will be our second Disney cruise. First was for our honeymoon in Nov. 2002. Went on the Western last time, now it's time to try the Eastern...

plenam

08-22-2004, 02:37 PM

bump

plenam

09-11-2004, 07:49 PM

bumpity bump

plenam

09-30-2004, 03:17 PM

Sorry to say but we will not be able to do the 11/26/05 cruise, DW can't get off of work at that time so we transfered the reservation to 01/21/06. Really wanted to see the ship decked out for Christmas, but, oh well, it's only another sixty day wait. You all have fun.

Brett

"Waiting to live the dream again"

:earsboy: :earsgirl: :bounce: :bounce:

disneybride96

10-10-2004, 10:48 AM

Hi everyone!
We just returned from the 10/2/04 Magic where we rebooked for the 11/26/05 Magic. Woo Hooo! We also booked for my Mom & Dad and will probably ad my 2 Nephews on also.

This will be our 3rd Disney Cruise and we obviously love it!

We will be in rooms 7122 & 7120. Anyone close to us?

DsnysGr8t

11-01-2004, 01:53 PM

We currently have 4 cabins booked on this cruise! This trip will be the 2nd leg of our 20th Anniversary Trip (1st week at our DVC resort VWL and a week in the parks). We are being joined by our DD and her BGF (both will be age 13), my mom and 2 cabins worth of friends to help us celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

I'm trying to talk my DH into doing a re-committment ceremony on the ship, but he's currently dragging his feet!

LGM:)

disneybride96

11-01-2004, 06:45 PM

You have a year to get him in gear! It would be nice and I am sure disney would do it so well!

We have added on my Sister, BIL, and DN Twins 4 & DN 1. Waiting on word from my DH's sister too. Oh...I can't wait a year!

alexturner74

11-02-2004, 09:35 PM

We're in 7066.

DsnysGr8t

11-03-2004, 10:30 AM

We're in 5022 & 5024 (hidden portholes!)

disneybride96

11-03-2004, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by DsnysGr8t
We're in 5022 & 5024 (hidden portholes!)

How cool to get the hidden porthole rooms! We rebooked 7122 for us, and were lucky to get 7120 (the downgraded cat 6) for my mom & dad. We have also added my Sister and BIL across the hall in 7121.

DsnysGr8t

11-03-2004, 02:08 PM

We also have friends in two other cabins. I'm hoping if we can get 8 cabins booked we can get the "Group Discount"!

We'll be at WDW the week prior too, and have some friends/family joining us for the land portion and some for the sea.

LGM:)

DisneyDarling

11-10-2004, 02:57 PM

We'll be there! It will be DH, DS (then 15) DD (then 5) and DD (then 2 1/2). We are also taking my parents. We are SO excited! See you there!

disneybride96

11-11-2004, 10:14 PM

We just added my SIL & BIL. We are up to 11 in our group now! Unfortunately, we could not get the inside room next to our group. If anyone is in 7123 and wants to swap for 7125, just let me know!

Susan

TJGorman

11-23-2004, 02:39 PM

We will be on that cruise with 9 other cabins. Big group! My DH, DD (will be 11) and DS(will be 9) have cruised on DCL in 12/03. This time we brought our friends and family!

thumpery

11-29-2004, 02:17 PM

:wave: :wave: Hi 11/26/05 Eastern Cruisers! We just rebooked on board for this cruise a few weeks ago! I'll be traveling with DH, DS12, and DS9. This will be our 3rd Disney Cruise. We did this itinerary back in 2002 and we just did the Western. Since we are going around the school schedule, we can't be picky with the itinerary. Doesn't matter as long as we're on the MAGIC! :cheer2: :cheer2:

Michelle2

12-04-2004, 12:07 AM

Hey everyone...It has been awhile since I have checked this board. but time is going by faster than I realized, and I turned around, and it is now less than a year to go. We have been planning this cruise for over a year, so it is getting exciting! (It is our very first cruise!) We will be going to WDW and USO for about a week and a half after it...
AlexTurner74, we are right next door to you almost. We will be in 7062 and 7063! It will be me, DH, DS12, DD11, DD9, and DS3. Glad to see everyone else that is going too!! Now that it is getting closer, I will be sure to check back more frequently. It will sneak up on us before ya know it! :Pinkbounc

Michelle2

12-23-2004, 01:29 AM

I made a mistake, I said that we were in 7062 and 7063, but I was wrong. We are in 7562 and 7563, but everything else was right...lol

karaeric

12-29-2004, 05:50 PM

Hi all - time for me to join in. We just returned from the 10-day holiday cruise. Had a complete blast. DH and I are also going on the May repositioning cruise, and this Nov. 26 '05 cruise. In all, we will be on the Magic for 31 days in one year!! :cool1: :cool1:

We are some of "the friends" that DsnysGr8t mentioned. We're looking forward to celebrating with them!

Oh, DH will be 37, myself 32. No kids. We're in 5020, the third hidden porthole cabin on the port side.

That's all for now I guess. Back to work. :smooth:

Popovich

12-31-2004, 09:40 AM

We just returned from the 11/27 Magic and rebooked for the same week next year. We had such a great time and met so many fun people from our thread. I guess I'm an obsessive planner as well.

It group will consist of: Me (40) DH (41) DD (8) and DS (6) and grandma and grandpa. We will have two adjoining cat 6 rooms.

The best tips that I learned from these boards last time were: bring at least one clear over the door shoe holder. We used one for shoes for the 4 of us and one for "stuff". It really helped keep the room organized. The other was to bring a multi pocket folder to keep documents organized. I brought a 4 section accordian file and it was great for plane info, cruise docs, birth certificates/my passport and then WDW resie info.

Well all for now. I look forward to meeting you all. Have a Happy New Years!

Gailyn :flower1:

april riddle

12-31-2004, 06:15 PM

Hi Gailyn - I promise I am not stocking you! After much thought and serious talk to the kids and DH I decided to change our ressies for the same week next year (or in just a couple of hours this year). I see there are some people here with boys 9 and 12 - my DS's will be 10 and 12 at the time of the cruise. This year we had a couple of boys that they emailed pre cruise and they hung out during the cruise. We have/had a very active thread for 11/27 eastern and hopefully we can do it again this year. Nice to talk to all of you - Happy New Year - Included in our group is DM (69) room 6601 - Myself (45) DH - 47 DS - Zacch (11) DS Nick (9). Room 6600.

ohiominnie

01-01-2005, 10:02 AM

You guys are in for a treat on your cruise. We just got off of the 10 day Holiday cruise and had an awesome comedian/ventriliquist sailing with us the whole time. His name was Taylor Mason (www.taylormason.com) and it looks like he'll be on the end of the previous Magic cruise and the beginning of your cruise (according to the schedule on his website)!! He is just TOOOOO funny. Don't miss him!! :)
Carry on! :)

thumpery

01-01-2005, 03:08 PM

Hi april riddle! It is my son's that are 9 and 12 when we cruise THIS year - 2005! They don't know about the cruise yet; we're planning on surprising them on Valentine's Day. I have always done a scavenger hunt for Valentine's Day and this year they will be getting a cruise at the end. They normally only get some candy. So what a surprise for them this year. Anyways once we tell them that we're going, I'll let them know about your sons. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

april riddle

01-01-2005, 03:48 PM

Greetings Thumpery - If you haven't been on a cruise before you are in for a huge treat. My Sons names are Zacch (12 on cruise) and Nick (10 on cruise). It was great for them to start emailing the other boys around the end of September. They didn't email a huge amount but they felt like they knew someone besides their brother. (They can be the best of friends or the worst of enemies at times). I was just sorting through my pictures to start my scrap-book and it just is amazing how much fun we had. We will be rebooking the Doubloon Sail and Snorkle in St. Thomas. It was alot of fun and the kids had a blast. Just be warned - going at this time does cut into getting ready for Christmas - I had a huge problem getting into the Christmas Mode and have promised myself to be ready this year before we leave. ::yes:: I learned my lesson.

thumpery

01-01-2005, 09:42 PM

:wave: Hello April Riddle! This will actually be our 3rd DCL cruise. We did the Eastern in 2002 and just did the Western Nov. 6, 2004. We are obviously Hooked on Disney. :love: My sons both love the clubs. They weren't together very much this past cruise due to their ages. As far as Christmas, I am concerned about the rush when we get home too. I know this sounds funny, but the day after Christmas this year I was out shopping for next year. I hope to be as organized as I possibly can be. :rolleyes: As far as excursions, we haven't really thought about them yet. We did the Atlantis submarine the last time we were at St. Thomas and an island tour on St. Martin. I was actually wanting to take a trip over to St. John this time. I'll need to look into them. Anybody know of any good ones? What is the Doubloon Sail and Snorkel?

DsnysGr8t

01-01-2005, 10:57 PM

disneybride96

01-02-2005, 10:08 PM

WOW, only 326 days left til this cruise! I'm hoping to make our flight reservations in one measly week! We're using miles and will be needing 4 tickets, so keep your fingers crossed!

I can hardly wait, but for now I am just living vicariously through my GF Kara!

LGM:) :Pinkbounc

Yes- it's a few days before you can book flights. We were just looking and most airlines will not let you book more than 330 day out. Gotta wait for that return trip. Congrats ont the miles! Good deal.

Where is everyone staying the night before. Most of us are flying down Thanksgiving day and spending friday at MK. Trying to decide were to stay....I think we are shooting for a WDW resort. I picked this week for the cruise because the prices were great, but the high season prices for the resorts are killing me!

karaeric

01-03-2005, 12:14 PM

For those of you with kids, I agree with Ohiominnie. Taylor Mason seemed to really be great for the families, but we do not have children and didn't really enjoy his shows much. But that is just my humble opinion... :blush:

We too have done many cruises with DCL and would never think of going with another cruise line, even without kids!! This will be our third trip on this particular itinerary, so we too will be looking for some new and different excurisons to try. So far, we've scuba dived in St. Thomas and done the sky tram. In St. Maarten, we have done the Under two Flags tour, then just shopped in Phillipsberg on the second trip. If anyone has questions about any of the excursions we've done, ask away!

As for air, we haven't even begun to think of that yet. Still have to get through the Panama Canal cruise in May before I can think about that stuff.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Boo Mc

01-03-2005, 12:31 PM

karaeric

01-03-2005, 04:23 PM

Hi all, we've never cruised but are considering the 11/26 one (mainly because that's my birthday). Will the ship already be decorated for Christmas or does that happen during the cruise so you can watch? DS will have just turned 9 and DD will be two weeks from 7 at that time so I'm not sure if they could be together in the clubs or not. I have one quote from DU but should probably get some more before we commit. Would appreciate any tips. Thanks!
Sure hope you decide to join us!

Yes, the ship will already be decorated. At the beginning of each cruise, DCL does a Tree Lighting Ceremony that is just beautiful. There are characters, they sing carols, and there is "snow." We wished we had brought our video camera, but we hadn't seen it before and didn't know. We will definitely tape it this time around.

I have heard that children that are very close to the birthday that would bump them into the next level of kids club are able to go into that higher level if they want to, so you may be able to talk Disney into keeping your kids together.

Hope this helps.

DsnysGr8t

01-04-2005, 12:30 PM

"Hi all, we've never cruised but are considering the 11/26 one (mainly because that's my birthday). Will the ship already be decorated for Christmas or does that happen during the cruise so you can watch? DS will have just turned 9 and DD will be two weeks from 7 at that time so I'm not sure if they could be together in the clubs or not. I have one quote from DU but should probably get some more before we commit. Would appreciate any tips."

Children within one month of their birthday are allowed to "bump" up to the next group, which will put both of your kids in the same group!

LGM:)

TJGorman

01-05-2005, 11:13 PM

Our group is planning on staying in Port Canaveral Friday Night. We haven't decided on a hotel as of yet.

hpscole

01-06-2005, 12:22 PM

TJGorman

01-06-2005, 01:01 PM

No, the itinerary for the Eastern is the same with 3 total days at sea :cheer2: , stops at St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.

There is a link for the countdown clock. I can't remember where it is but you should be able to do a search for it.

You will have a great time, this will be our second DCL cruise, we had so much fun we convinced 30 of our friends and family to come with us on this cruise!

hpscole

01-06-2005, 01:13 PM

Thank you!!!! I will look for that link!! Wow 30 people! Great!
HOLLY

karaeric

01-06-2005, 01:55 PM

Hello Everyone,
I posted a similar message on the wrong thread...Thanksgiving thread. Anyhow, any helpful hints on cruisin DCL would be awesome!! I am cruising with DH, DS7, DS3 and my Mom. We are in a cat 4 room but am thinking of upgrading to a cat 3 b/c of the 2nd bathroom. Any suggestions on that??
ok..how do I get the countdown on here??? I don't see were to do that!
Looking forward to the Ship being decked out for the holidays too!
Also, has the itinerary changed for this Eastern Cruise?
Thanks again,
HOLLY :wave: :wave: :jumping4: :jumping4: :cool1:
Welcome Holly! Glad you found us.

RE: Upgrading for the extra bathroom. Though having the Cat 3 would be amazing, I wouldn't do it just for the extra bathroom space. Bathrooms on the Disney ships for Categories 9 (I think) and above have one bathroom, but the bathroom is essentially split into two parts. Each has a door, with one part containing the toilet and a sink, and the second part containing the shower/bathtub and another sink. Getting ready for dinners is easy with the dual set up, because your DH can be shaving in one bath area while you are drying hair in another.

Hope this helps you make a decision!

DsnysGr8t

01-06-2005, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by hpscole
Hello Everyone,
I posted a similar message on the wrong thread...Thanksgiving thread. Anyhow, any helpful hints on cruisin DCL would be awesome!! I am cruising with DH, DS7, DS3 and my Mom. We are in a cat 4 room but am thinking of upgrading to a cat 3 b/c of the 2nd bathroom. Any suggestions on that??
ok..how do I get the countdown on here??? I don't see were to do that!
Looking forward to the Ship being decked out for the holidays too!
Also, has the itinerary changed for this Eastern Cruise?
Thanks again,
HOLLY

Holly,

Kara is soo right, the bathrooms on the DCL are the best of any cruiseline! Also, there's a plug outlet at the desk and I like to sit down there and do my hair/make-up (staying out of the way of the pre-teen!).

The physcial difference between a Cat 4 and a Cat 3 are HUGE. A Cat 4 is 304 sq.ft. and a Cat 3 (also known as a 1bed suite) is 614 sq.ft. I hope this helps!

LGM:) :earseek:

april riddle

01-06-2005, 08:56 PM

karaeric

01-07-2005, 09:14 AM

We are traveling the same time as you and are going with DS's (12/10) and my mother. We opted for cat 6 for us and a cat 11 for DM - not sure what the price difference is but this way she gets time away from us and she also gets a bigger bed. Don't you have to get wait-listed for cat 1-3? just wondering.
The Cat 1-3's usually do sell out quickly, but I've seen them come available (at least the Cat 3s) pretty readily as people's schedules (or minds :earseek: ) change. If you wait listed this far in advance, you would have a good chance of getting a Cat 3 I would think.

That being said, DH and I took my MIL on a cruise in May 03 and did the same thing you are doing - we had a Cat 6, she had the Cat 11 accross the hall from us. It worked out great! We were still close, but not sharing the same cabin.

hpscole

01-07-2005, 03:39 PM

Hello all!! Thanks for your great advice!! This is awesome!!! I am still trying to find the link for the countdown! he he!
I think we will stick with the cat 4 since the bathroom is broken up a bit!
GREAT ADVICE! keep it coming! Oh...yes..we are on a wait list for the categ.3
HOLLY

Boo Mc

01-07-2005, 07:27 PM

Well we did it - put a deposit down last night :cool1: :Pinkbounc . We've been thinking about this for a while but always end up going to the parks instead. Anyway, my 40th birthday :earseek: is on 11/26 so this should be a fun birthday gift!! Now we just have to wait for 10 months! Anyway, it'll be me, DH, DS will have just turned 9 and DD will be two weeks from 7. See you on board.

april riddle

01-07-2005, 07:39 PM

Great Choice! you will not reget your decision

TJGorman

01-07-2005, 09:11 PM

Wow, what a great birthday present! All I seem to get are clothes! lol You will have a great time. The 10 month's will go faster than you think!

hpscole

01-08-2005, 11:29 AM

ALRIGHT!! We should stay connected so we can all meet! My 2 DS will be 7 and 3! I am so excited!!!! Keep me posted!

april riddle

01-08-2005, 11:47 AM

Hi Guys just realized when reading the thread this morning that we have two Hollys. Love the name (my oldest niece's name) Should we call you guys Holly1 and Holly2 or California Holly and Connedicut Holly? Either way I am happy to meet both of you. You may even be same age as my niece as DH and I started our family in our mid thirties and DS started her family very young. DN is 30 and expecting her first. Ok I am rambling..............talk to you guys soon.

DiaLady

01-10-2005, 01:45 AM

Hi Folks --

Dialady here and boy are we excited to join you! We just made our deposit last night for the 11/26/05 Magic cruise. This is our 2nd cruise. We did a land and sea package in June 2003 with my entire extended family - 18 of us! We loved the cruise part so much, we wanted the four of us to extend it for a week. I'm sailing with my beloved dh, and two ds (8 and then 11). We're in a category 9. Right now we're in 2016, but my travel agent is working on a better room. The boys are so fired up! I'm glad to see they will have lots of friends to make.

One quick question? How do I add the count down to my signature?

Oh and one more question? Has anyone thought about what excursions you will be doing? I'd love to hear some ideas .. .especially from the experienced folks

Have a fabulous week!

Theresa (DiaLady) :flower1:

disneybride96

01-10-2005, 06:09 AM

Welcome!
Wow...I'm glad to finally see so much action on this tread. I don't feel like I a have to go throught the waiting agnoy all alone now!

Here is a link to the thread on countdown timers:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=381216

karaeric

01-10-2005, 10:05 AM

My goodness! I don't log in for the weekend and we pick up several new folks! Welcome Boo Mc and DiaLady! Glad to have you join us.

This will be our third cruise on this particular intinerary, so if you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Happy Monday, all!

april riddle

01-14-2005, 09:08 AM

bumpin us up to the top

DiaLady

01-14-2005, 05:33 PM

UUggghhhh! Here in Virginia we dropped from mid-70's this morning to low 40's now (early evening) and it's only getting colder! I'm so ready to be in the Carribean!

Our first trip on DCL was June 2003 with my extended family. When I told my dad we had booked a cruise for this Thanksgiving (well right after), I think he was kinda bummed. We had such a great time last trip.

Has anyone seen Castaway Cay recently? I'd love to hear how well it has recovered from the Hurricanes.

Does anyone have a TOTAL for the recommended tips for the week?

Have a great day!

Theresa

april riddle

01-14-2005, 08:28 PM

It is getting pretty cold here in NC as well. We have been spoiled with this balmy weather. We were on Castaway Cay the same week last year and I did not think that CC was too brown. In fact our best pictures were on CC. There is a place on AOL that can give you the totals for tips I will try to find the link for you, and post it. I am not totally computer savy so you may have to bare with me. Well everyone bundle up temps are dropping!

DsnysGr8t

01-14-2005, 11:00 PM

Here's the link for the tip calculator. It's great because you can use it for all the cruise lines!

http://members.aol.com/CruiseTip/

LGM:)

karaeric

01-19-2005, 04:04 PM

BUMP up...Hey, where is everyone? Geez, you'd think you all had jobs and lives. Come on, what's more exciting than planning a vacation on DCL?

TJGorman

01-19-2005, 04:22 PM

I was just thinking that there hasn't been much action on this thread. Has anyone booked flights yet? With such a big group, we are waiting for Jet Blue to open up their flights but I am getting nervous that we won't get a good rate (read under $2oo per person/roundtrip). We are planning on getting to Orlando on Friday and somehow, haven't decided whether we will rent cars or use van service, go to Port Canaveral. How is everyone else's travel plans working out?

DsnysGr8t

01-19-2005, 06:15 PM

I booked our tickets using frequent flyer miles. We will be at WDW for the week prior to the cruise. My folks are driving cross-country in their motorhome and are "shuttling" us and karaeric to the port!

LGM:)

disneybride96

01-19-2005, 08:26 PM

We are going to fly down on Thanksgiving day. Hopefully the rates and crowds will be better on the holiday than a day or two after. If we still had faith in ATA, we would probably have booked when they dropped to $189 round trip. Just not to sure if they will still be around in November.

TJGorman

01-19-2005, 09:12 PM

I have the same concern about an airline (USAIR) still operating in November/December. We were originally going to book flights with USAIR, but with their bankruptcy problems, we didn't want to take a chance. We think Jet Blue will be good but they will not be opening up their flights for awhile, so it's just a waiting game.

disneybride96

01-20-2005, 06:27 AM

Here's a question for everyone!
Why did you choose this particular week to cruise?

DiaLady

01-20-2005, 07:11 AM

Hi folks --

We're in the same boat (hee, hee) as ya'll with airplane plans. We'll be flying ATA, but I'm waiting for their really good prices (usually $100/person). We're planning to fly the day after Thanksgiving (Friday) and spend the night before taking a chauffered drive to the port. I'm trying to pitch staying at the Peabody to my hubby . . . just for something different. My kids have never seen the ducks :)

Why did we pick this week? Mostly by default .. sorry. . . I really wanted to do a Western, but hubby couldn't get off work on the 1st week of December so we chose to go the week before or the week after. Mostly it's was based on price and time of year. Do you think it will help me get my Christmas shopping done early if I'm going on a cruise?? We also wanted to see DCL at Christmas. We're read so many great posts about it.

Have a fabulous day!

Theresa 8-)

april riddle

01-20-2005, 07:12 AM

We are flying from North Carolina, my mom will be flying in from Detroit. So we have to co-ordinate our flights. DH wants to drive this year but I don't want to and we were able to get flights for $130 round trip by waiting for a good seat sale. We fly Delta and they are already listing the price at $180 not too bad. We are going to come in on Friday and either drive to Cocoa beach for the night or just stay at the Hyatt and get a limo service first thing Saturday morning since we did a two week stint this past November. I can already tell he is not going to let me squeeze a couple of days in anywhere else. Boo hoo! I had actually thought about switching to the December 17 sailing but as of Monday all the quads were sold out. We had originally been booked on the December 3rd sailing but I am worried about sailing so close to Christmas and not getting anything finished before I go. We went the same week last year and it was tough getting co-ordinated.

TJGorman

01-20-2005, 12:57 PM

We picked this week because we are cheap! ::yes:: We are from buffalo, so we wanted to go at a time when it's cold here and warm in St. Thomas. We did not want to pay the higher prices through Feb. and March, so we started pricing different dates and the least expensive week we found was 11/26.

Boo Mc

01-20-2005, 04:04 PM

Hi folks - looking for opinions on transportation. I'm now thinking about getting to Orlando a day or two early so we can hit the parks before the cruise. (Although part of me wonders if I should considering what the crowds will be like :earseek: ). Anyway, I'm wondering what would be easiest way to get from the airport to an on-site hotel for a day or two and then to port and, of course, back to the airport after the cruise. If I rent a car can we drop it off at the port? Would that be cheaper than hiring a service both ways? Then I guess we would just need a bus/cab from the ship back to the airport. Any idea of pricing for these things? I'd like to book flights now but I have to figure out all of this timing stuff first. And I thought planning the cruise was tricky!!
Has anyone been to the parks (especially MK) on Thursday or Friday of Thanksgiving week? I know it's crowded but is it so crowded that you're miserable? Can you even get on the rides?
To disneybride - we picked this week mainly because it's my birthday :cool1: and we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the prices are also good during that time - an added bonus! :thewave: And then when I found out the ship would be decorated for Christmas, I really had to book it!

thumpery

01-20-2005, 04:59 PM

DsnysGr8t

01-20-2005, 05:53 PM

We booked this cruise to go around the boy's school schedule that doesn't include a holiday (peak and expensive) time.

TJGORMAN - We are from Rochester, and totally agree with you regarding going where it is warmer and the rates.

The extra bonus is seeing the ship all decorated for Christmas.

BooMC - I have already set up rental cars for both before and after the trip. We will be using Budget.

We will be there from the Saturday before, we aren't planning on going into one of the parks on Thanksgiving or the day after. Probably do a water park on Thanksgiving and some shopping on Friday (plus LOTS of laundry!).

If you are booked at a WDW resort they will start offering the "Magical Express" this is free ground transportation from the airport to the resorts (and luggage transporation!) There are car rental companies with drop off sites by the port, but am not sure which would be the best.

LGM:)

karaeric

01-20-2005, 07:02 PM

BooMC - I have already set up rental cars for both before and after the trip. We will be using Budget.
Thumpery, question for you - have you used Budget to get to the Port before? I am wondering if you (or anyone else out there) has experience with how long it takes to get to the Port once you drop off the rental car with Budget.

thumpery

01-20-2005, 07:20 PM

karaeric

01-21-2005, 11:12 AM

karaeric - Yes, we have used Budget (2004) and Avis (2002). We have chosen Budget again for this trip due to their cheaper rates and they are the closest rental car company to the terminal. As far as transfers, it went very quickly going to the terminal. We dropped the car off at Budget and maybe waited 10 minutes for the shuttle to come and get us. We loaded up and were there at the terminal within another 5-10 minutes. I guess it would depend on the crowd of people they get. I know they shuttle to the other ships too. That day there was a Carnival and a Holland America. To be honest, I thought they should bigger shuttles; like small buses. They only had vans. We have always chosen to rent a car to have the freedom around Orlando before the cruise.

I hope this helps you out!
Perfect! Thanks so much. We had also used Avis before, but we weren't very excited about them and wanted to try someone else. We will be using Budget for our trip in May!

DsnysGr8t

01-24-2005, 04:29 PM

Well we chose the Doubletree Inn & Suites in DTD for our last night before the cruise. My folks will be "shuttling" us all in their motorhome to the port, so no need for figuring that part out!

I finally found a mini-van available for our land portion, only Thrifty had any available! I'm keeping my fingers crossed some free up (with good discounts of course) before we go!

LGM:)

DiaLady

01-25-2005, 01:03 PM

We're thinking about using Happy Limo. Their prices seem reasonable. I'm trying to put together an expense summary for my hubby so we can plan for what we'll need.

Hey, what does it mean to have a formal night on the ship? How formal is "formal" on ship? Anyone picked out what they're wearing for it yet?

Thanks!

:)

DsnysGr8t

01-25-2005, 02:13 PM

Here's the quote from Disney Cruise line's website for "What to Wear" "Aboard our 7-night cruises, one dinner is semi-formal. Another evening requires more formal - or "black-tie-optional"- attire. Tuxedo rentals are available, in advance. Other themed evenings aboard our 7-night cruises that adults might want to pack for include salutes to the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s."

We LOVE to dress up for the formal nights, I've got a couple of gorgeous evening gowns that I wear only on cruises and we bought my DH a beautiful tux before our last cruise so he looks equally great! Even my 12 yr old DD gets into the act and looks lovely in her gowns (Though she's much harder to pin down on Disney cruises for a meal).

LGM:) :cool1:

disneybride96

01-25-2005, 05:07 PM

We're thinking about using Happy Limo. Their prices seem reasonable. I'm trying to put together an expense summary for my hubby so we can plan for what we'll need.

:)

We have booked with Happy Limo. We are doing the Stretch SUV Excursion from WDW to the port and the Sprinter Van back to the airport. Even with the splurge of the SUV, the price was about the same for the 11 of us as it would have been with the DCL Transfers. (Plus we don't have to drag our luggage around as much!) I can't wait to see everyone's faces when the limo show up to pick us up. We told them that we booked a van! ;)
BTW- We decided to stay at Coronodo Springs Thursday & Friday nights.

karaeric

01-25-2005, 05:19 PM

Hey, what does it mean to have a formal night on the ship? How formal is "formal" on ship? Anyone picked out what they're wearing for it yet?

Thanks!

:)
This question can often spark quite a debate on these boards! As LGM mentioned, tuxes are available for rent for men, and lesser known is that women can also rent formal dresses. Like LGM, we cruise enough that we bought DH his own tux. Even by buying him a high end tux, we equaled out to about 5 rentals on the ship, and because it's his, it fits him to a T! :love: :love:

I usually wear an evening gown or a very formal pants suit outfit.

That being said, if you don't want to miss out on the festivities, but just cannot go quite that formal, a nice suit for the men and a dressy outfit for the women is fine.

It's all about what you make of the full cruising experience. No matter what you choose, have fun with it! :cool1:

alexturner74

01-26-2005, 05:51 PM

Here's a question for everyone!
Why did you choose this particular week to cruise?

Our anniversary is 11/22, but we wanted to go on an Eastern cruise. For our honeymoon in 2002, we got married on Friday night, and went on the Thanksgiving Western cruise the next day. We haven't gone on the Eastern yet, and thought the week after Thanksgiving would be best due to the price/holiday decorations, etc. and it's close enough that we can still celebrate our anniversary.

DiaLady

01-27-2005, 08:52 AM

AlexTurner - that is so cool that you are celebrating your anniversary this way! My hubby is so glad to be going with just our family (instead of my entire extended family like we did the last time).

As a couple without kids, what did you enjoy most about the ship? I've been trying to get hubby to go with just the two of us on a 4 day in the next few months :)

Oh, and I told hubby about the formal night yesterday. He was NOT happy about having to wear a tux. He looks great in them! Well at least I'm sure he will look great in it. The last time we dressed up this much was over 10 years ago when I was 8 months pregnant with my oldest son. I was running a gala event for the Air Force Assoc. Hubby had to come as my escort. I didn't even know they made formal wear for pregnant women. . . LOL. I'm looking forward to finding something beautiful to wear and to see hubby in a tux again!!

Only a little over 10 months to go . . . .It will fly by . . .

Michelle2

01-27-2005, 10:58 PM

Yes, it will fly by, and it already has been flying by too fast. I leave the thread alone for a bit, and then look at all the pages that have been added. That is great! I posted quite awhile ago. It will be me (33), DH (34), DS12, DD11, DD9, and DS3, and it is our first cruise, and 2nd trip to WDW.
I do have some questions...Thumpery, you had said you already have your car to and from the port taken care of through budget..but I went to Budget and all their deals expire and don't include Nov/Dec. Did you get a good rate this far in advance? I am pretty overwhelmed...didn't know these things could be done this far in advance., but I should start on it. Same with flights...I BARELY was able to redeem our 4 free tickets, whew! Almost found that out the hard way...
We chose this cruise because of the good rates, and want to try and experience WDW/USO at a slow time of year with Christmas decorations...we will see!

thumpery

01-28-2005, 09:10 AM

Michelle2 - I also have a son who will be 12 on the cruise. Hope they meet up. As far as cars, I did book but don't think I got a great deal. I was looking for a different trip in May and decided to reserve one for November. I can always modify it if the prices go down. Just don't know what to expect for prices being that we are going down during Thanksgiving time. There is a Walmart code W810011 I used.
Someone wrote back that it is only 10 more months! WOW! :earseek: :earseek: The last cruised we waited almost 2 years for. This one seems right around the corner. I will be surprising my sons on Valentine's day. :love: I always give them a scavenger hunt to celebrate the day. I have had a puzzle made of 3 pictures (the ship, our family on the beach and the "Welcome to Castaway Cay" sign - it says 'Sailing November 26, 2005). With each clue during the hunt, they will receive some pieces of the puzzle. At the end, they will put it together and will find out WE'RE GOING ON A CRUISE! Much better than that piece of candy they usually get. :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc Can you tell I'm excited! Thanks for letting me share! :rotfl: :rotfl:

DsnysGr8t

01-28-2005, 10:46 AM

Thumpery,

That's a GREAT Valentine's present! Just before Christmas a couple of years ago I discovered that Aaron Carter would be cruising w/DCL (and performing), DH and I decided to "gift" our then 9 year old DD with this cruise! I created a cute color presentation and wrapped it for under the tree. She loved it!

DH didn't want to go (screaming pre-teen girls just aren't his style) so KaraEric of this board went with us on her very first DCL and now she's hooked!

Looks like everyone signed up here so far has 12 year old boys, I'll have two thirteen year old girls w/us this time (DH is coming along, though complaining about no casinos on board, geesh).

Lisa

karaeric

01-28-2005, 12:44 PM

Looks like everyone signed up here so far has 12 year old boys, I'll have two thirteen year old girls w/us this time (DH is coming along, though complaining about no casinos on board, geesh).

Lisa
Lisa, just tell Mike it's all about the BINGO, baby! :rotfl2: :banana:

And don't forget to "disclose" the fact that your MOTHER is stuck in the same cabin as those two teenagers! She is one BRAVE woman! :earseek:

DiaLady

01-29-2005, 01:07 AM

Well we'll have one 11 year old boy and one 8 year old boy on the cruise . . . maybe they will all get to hang out. :)

One of the reasons we like DCL is because there IS NOT a casino . . .LOL. I kinda like the movie theater.

For folks that have been on the cruise before, what part of the night life did you enjoy most? When we cruised last, we were so exhausted from dealing with family that we passed out each night w/o enjoying the night life. It's one of the things I'm really looking forward to this trip.

disneybride96

01-29-2005, 08:25 AM

Looks like everyone signed up here so far has 12 year old boys, I'll have two thirteen year old girls w/us this time
Lisa

I'm sailing with 3 boys....4,4 & 1. That almost adds up to a 12 year old! :rotfl:

thumpery

01-29-2005, 08:37 AM

Dialady - I also have a 9 year old son on the cruise. I only mentioned my 11 year old son to Michelle2 because she has an 11 year old too. Our friends who are also going have 10 and 8 year old sons. Sounds like the lab could be pretty full with boys this age. :banana:
As far as night life, on our first cruise we did the same as Dialady. I think that sea air makes you pretty sleepy. This last cruise, we went out a bit more. It helped that the boys were older and could stay up a bit later. We usually ended up at the bar (can't remember the name - sorry). Also, we were on the Western so no early mornings and even got to go into town in Cozumel. Some nights we just enjoyed our verandah and watching the beautiful ocean go by. AHHHH! those were the days!

TJGorman

01-29-2005, 08:30 PM

It really sounds like there will be quite a few boys on this trip! My DS will be 9 and my DD will be 11. In our group, we have two 3 year old boys, one 5 year old boy, a 10 year old boy, two 11 year old boys, a 12 year old boy, a thirteen year old and a 16 year old boy. The girls are quite out numbered in the group. One 7 year old girl, one 9 year old girl and one 17 year old girl. The 10-12 lab should be quite busy!

april riddle

01-29-2005, 10:16 PM

DiaLady

01-30-2005, 01:12 AM

My DS's will be 10 and 12 while on the cruise. We did this cruise this past November and around the beginning of October they both started to email boys from the cruise the same age. They enjoyed meeting them and ended up hanging out with them for the week.

OH, what a fabulous ideas! My kids had such a fabulous time in the labs last time, but with so many family around, they didn't a chance to hang out with the same kids (besides their cousins). Maybe we can setup a board for just the kids on the trip so they can chatter.

Off to bed to dream of DCL and Castaway Cay . . ahhhhh

karaeric

01-31-2005, 01:58 PM

The night life is as much as you want to make of it. There are always family events scheduled, as well as adult only events scheduled. In addition, there are two or three bars on board where you can just hang out and have a nightcap.

In addition, there are usually one or two (I can't remember on the 7-day cruises) night time deck parties that begin at 9:45 or so and go to 11ish. There is a ton of food out for those, as well as dancing and a band. Good for the whole family!

For adults, they always have themed nights, like 60's, 70's, and 80's nights. Those are complete hoot! And in one of the other clubs, they have events like Pub night, which is even funnier than the themed nights! :banana:

Anyway, yes, it is hard to do it all and see it all. We usually try to pick which nights we're going to stay up a bit later based on when we will be in port and when we'll be at sea. If we're at sea the next day, we can stay up later!

grlzmom

01-31-2005, 02:21 PM

Hi, we just got off the Magic on Saturday, and have rebooked for the November 26th Eastern. Please add my gang to your group.

It will be me, dh, dd15, dd14, dd11, dd9, dd4, dd2 and ds2 (twins will be two weeks shy of third bday), and my mom and dad.

This will be our sixth cruise (fourth Eastern) and we picked this week because the girls have a couple of days off of school and won't miss as much time. We are sticking to a budget this time and aren't getting verandahs, trying portholes instead, staying on deck five since our younger ones spend quite a bit of time in the club.

We are addicted to DCL and can't wait to get back onboard. :banana:

TJGorman

01-31-2005, 03:25 PM

Welcome grlzmom! It is nice to see someone else who has girls. This thread has a lot more boys. I also have a DD 11. She will be glad to hear there are some more girls her age. In our group, there are mostly boys and she prefers not to hang out and do "boy stuff". Hopefully they will meet up!

DsnysGr8t

01-31-2005, 04:34 PM

It will be me, dh, dd15, dd14, dd11, dd9, dd4, dd2 and ds2 (twins will be two weeks shy of third bday), and my mom and dad.

:banana:

Wahoo! My two 13yr old girls (DD and her BGF) will be VERY happy to hear of more girls in the teen club! Actually "I'm" happy too, even the odds of too many teen age boys (though the girls might not agree) :love:

LGM :wizard:

dthogue

02-02-2005, 06:57 PM

Hi Everyone,

After much debate (we were thinking of doing RCL, but decided DCL was what we really wanted), we have finally decided to take this cruise as well. I will be booking later this week. I am hoping for 2 connecting category 9's on deck 2 or maybe one cat 9 and one cat 10 across from each other.

This will be our 2nd DCL Eastern cruise (we went in May of '04). It will be me, DH and DD16, DD13, and DD7. I know my girls would love to email others before the cruise, its so much fun for them to get to know others before they board.

I look forward to passing the time with everyone - hopefully the time will go fast.

Michelle2

02-03-2005, 03:13 PM

April riddle, I think it would be great if the boys got in touch through email before the cruise, I think my DS would like that, he's kinda shy.
TJGorman, and grlzmom, I have a DD that will be 11 on the cruise also, and she is more of a socialite, she likes making good friends even if it is just a few hours...Grlzmom, I have one that will be 9 as well, I think you will be glad you chose DCL, we are, and haven't even been on it yet, but we like how much they cater to kids and a family environment (hopefully) LOL!
Thumpery, you were an inspiration and I went ahead and started booking things that I thought was too early for, but its not! I saw on someone's counter it is in the 9 month range now...wow! :earseek:

grlzmom

02-03-2005, 04:18 PM

I know that my dds will be so excited to find other girls their ages on this trip :earsgirl: Making new friends on vacation is always a highlight for them.

We have never cruised in November before and can't wait to see the ship all decorated for the holidays.

grlzmom

02-03-2005, 04:19 PM

Michelle2, I just noticed that your counter also lists USO. Are you going there before or after? We are going to be there for a couple of days pre cruise.

TJGorman

02-03-2005, 04:32 PM

Michelle2 and grlzmom-I know my DD would be interested in e-mailing before the cruise.

Michelle2

02-05-2005, 03:24 AM

TJGorman, that sounds great! My girls would love that. I was even mentioning to my DS12 today about emailing the other 12 year old boys closer to the cruise, and he was all for it.
Grlzmom, we are going to USO right after the cruise. We would never leave out one or the other while in FL, WDW is after US/IOA! LOL and we are so excited! Glad to hear that you are getting to go before...what a great combo, we love them both!

thumpery

02-05-2005, 08:20 AM

Hi everyone! Under 300 Days till it's our turn on the MAGIC!

Michelle2 - Did you book cars / transfers / hotels? Sounds like you have a long vacation with USO and WD after. We're going a few days before and staying Saturday night after. Haven't book the hotel for before the cruise yet. We want to be near WDW. We really like getting a condo before; somewhere I can do laundry (at my leisure ie. after the parks) and save a bit of money eating in. Anyone have any reasonable ideas? I know it will be more expensive due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but any suggestions would be appreciated. We stayed at Cypress Pointe this past year and it was fine. So, I'm looking into it again. We've also stayed at the Holiday Inn Family suites. Where is everyone else staying before?

Michelle2

02-06-2005, 09:33 PM

Yes, I have started really getting things in gear on reserving, I have been worried about it being December, and the different locations involved. You inspired me, Thumpery! I know that I can change the reservations if better deals come out, so I am just going with the guaranteed for now, and keep my eye out as the time gets closer...
We kinda made it a long trip since we are in the west and don't come to FL at all...Just one other time for a Disney trip in 2003 (haven't vacationed since then to save up for this next one), so we wanted to experience DCL, and this may be it for awhile. :guilty: But looking forward to it! :teeth:

DsnysGr8t

02-07-2005, 10:35 AM

We're staying at the Doubletree Guest Suites in DtD (on Hilton points) the night before the cruise and at the Embassy Suites (points again) at the airport the night we get off the cruise. We're still trying to decide if we want to go to Universal the day we get off the cruise or something else.

Thanks to one of my co-workers DD and her BGF that is going with us now have gowns for one of the formal nights (plain black velvet, very simple). Hopefully one of them doesn't out grown them before then (or both!)

LGM

DiaLady

02-08-2005, 12:57 AM

Listening to everyone talk about their plans is so exciting.!!

We're considering flying on Thanksgiving since it's usually less crazy. Then we would have a day to spend at Sea World and evening in Downtown Disney. My kids have never seen Sea World and we're getting Busch Garden passes this summer. I figure we'll get a hotel close to Sea World.

Hubby is asking me to put together a list of probable expenses for the trip. I know airfare, tips, hotel, transportation . . . Does anyone have some other items I need to remember to include?

Have a terrific day!

grlzmom

02-08-2005, 04:13 AM

My girls would love to correspond with other dds their ages before the cruise. They did this once before and it really made a difference in their trips.

I need to get going on our reservations for the nights before and Saturday night after our cruise. Not to mention the airfare. Booking for a family of nine is never the easiest.

Dialady, we also budget for Shutters (photos), shore excursions, Bingo (ha ha, my girls are addicted and at 35 bucks a game it gets expensive), way overbudget on tips because our service has always been great and my girls love to do the room service thing so we bring lots of one dollar bills, and of course my favorite, spa treatments :goodvibes

My younger ones really want to stay at the Nick hotel before the cruise and I would much rather stay on property, but will probably end up caving in.

thumpery

02-08-2005, 07:47 AM

Well, I just booked our condo before the cruise! :cool1: We're going to stay at Cypress Pointe Grand Villas. We were pleased with them last year and I got a good rate.
Grlzmom - I checked into the Nick Hotel (I believe it used to be Holiday Inn Family Suites). We have stayed there numerous times and the rates were always pretty good. This year they were $203/nt. :earseek: :earseek: I couldn't believe the price increase. That was with a AAA rate. On Hotel Discounts website it was even higher. Anyways, just thought I'd let you know. Hopefully, you can find it at a more reasonable price. My boys will miss staying there. Just thought I'd let you know because I was just looking into it yesterday. Good Luck!

DsnysGr8t

02-08-2005, 10:12 AM

I also budget for shore excursions, food (before boarding, in ports etc) and don't forget Palo's! If anyone finds a good coupon/deal on a mini-van "please" let me know.

LGM :rolleyes1

april riddle

02-08-2005, 02:32 PM

I am seriously thinking about Discovery Cove the day after Thanksgiving this year. I had booked it for last thanksgiving but decided to use the almost $1000 to stay 4 nights at Universal's Royal Pacific and 5 day pass for the same price. It was alot of fun and I would love to do that again this year but I know DH won't go for that two years in a row so I am thinking to fly in Thanksgiving Evening around 730 and do Discovery Cove Friday and stay somewhere around Sea World and drive to the port on Saturday from Orlando. I have already booked the rental car since it is cheaper for us to rent a premium car and leave it at the port and take it back to MCO than going Disney transfers for the five of us or getting a limo. I am dying to try Discovery Cove!!!!

Michelle2

02-09-2005, 03:13 PM

DsnysGr8t, I am looking for a good mini-van rate and/or coupons too. I noticed that the good $!99 or less a week usually come out closer to when we go...a few months before or so. I have noticed on the transportation boards that Southwest has been having good minivan rates, but they only book out about 5 or 6 months in advance, bummer....
That was a really good point you made about leaving your car at the port being cheaper than transfers april riddle, I will have to look into that...We have a family of 6...grlzmom I don't know how you do it! LOL
We will be leaving on Thanksgiving day too, and have a stop over in Las Vegas for about 6 hours (my family is there) so we can kinda end up having Thanksgiving with them in the process of going on our trip! Just found this out last night, so i am really happy...trying out Delta song for the first time! :Pinkbounc

grlzmom

02-09-2005, 03:54 PM

Michelle2, that is great that you will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family enroute to your cruise.

Thumpery, I caved in and booked the Nick hotel. I would much rather be at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but, majority wins. We booked at the 203 per room per night and maybe I will get lucky and find a better rate later. If not, it will just have to be less bingo for the girls.

We have never rented a car for the duration of our cruise but a couple of times when not all the kids could go, we did the one way rental (from budget) and dropped it off at port and that worked out great and was really cheap, like 30 bucks each way. The limo works out least expensive for us. And, then dh and I can concentrate on the kids and not worry about schleping the luggage anywhere.

The kids I can handle, the luggage is another story :teeth:

We are going to WDW in four weeks for all star cheerleading nationals and my girls can't wait. I can't wait til that's over and I can get planning on the cruise.

thumpery

02-09-2005, 04:32 PM

Grlzmom - Thought I'd pass this on to you. I read somewhere on the board today that someone was booking at the Nick hotel and got a deal for being a return customer; I think 25% off. Might be worth looking into. This person was still not happy with the rate, and that the lady they were talking to gave them even a better rate. Something called Great Rate I think. Hope this might help you. As far as you going to FL for cheerleading, would that happen to be Tampa around March 3rd. If so, my niece will be there with my sister and BIL.

I have started making my riddles/clues for the scavenger hunt on Valentine's Day. That is the day the boys will find out that they are going on this cruise. The puzzle I had made of the ship came out great! They will get a few pieces to the puzzle with each clue. At the end, they will put it together and find out. Anyone have any riddles? The more clues/riddles the better. I've always done a scavenger hunt for Valentine's day and the boys love it. It's become a tradition.

april riddle

02-09-2005, 05:37 PM

We pulled right up to where they unload the luggage - the porters come out and out take your luggage. We didn't do anything to it except put it in the car from the hotel. and I parked so close to the door that my dh and sons had about three people behind them going up to the security. it was a nice set up.

DiaLady

02-11-2005, 01:19 AM

april riddle - what is discovery cove? Is it a hotel or is it a dolphin petting place? I'm still open to ideas. I'm just thrilled hubby has agreed to leaving on Thanksgiving day. Guess I"m not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year . . .LOL

Thanks!

april riddle

02-11-2005, 10:41 AM

Discovery Cove is a part if Sea World that is separate from it and it has a Dolphin experience where you get into the pool area with them. It is a whole day experience and there is snorkling and other areas where you can experience sea life. It is pretty expensive but it is a whole day of exposure and everything is included, including (from what I have read) a pretty nice lunch with it. For the four of us last year the price was $960.00 dollars. You spend about 45 minutes in the dolphin pool. I think it is alittle more expensive than the dolphin swim in St.Martin but I have this thing in my head about the dolphins not being taken care of properly in the islands. I know that this isn't probably true but going to Sea world several times the past few years the trainers just seem like they truly love the dolphins. You can put a deposit down and I think you need to pay the balance thirty days before you arrive. Since we did Nasa and Cape Kennedy this past November I think we may try this instead. There is also a whole thread committed to Discovery Cove on the DIS boards, there is also a website but I am not too computer literate so not so sure I could post the link. try www.discoverycove.com. It sounds and looks like a fun place to try. We are going the friday after Thanksgiving - maybe we will see you there.

DiaLady

02-12-2005, 11:47 AM

Thanks aprilriddle! I wondered why our passes to Busch Gardens say they do not include Discovery Cove . . .LOL. I'll have to investigate it more and see what hubby thinks :)

I'm doing my best to put away extra $$ for this trip so we can enjoy a bit of the spa. I'd like to suprise hubby with it.

For those of you have been on board before, what is your favorite spa experience? Do you think it's worth it to have the Rainforest pass for a week?

I recently read a single mom's recommendations and one the cool things was showering up at the rainforest each nite in a big shower with great smelling shampoos, etc. I know for a single mom, it's a treat to have a break from the stress of a family, but I thought it was a great idea for a married mom, too :)

Have a fabulous day!

TJGorman

02-12-2005, 09:23 PM

On our last cruise, I tried the Spa Tester. I chose the back massage and facial. On this cruise, I will choose the full body massage. I didn't try the rainforest pass, I am still deciding whether to use it on this cruise. I started considering the rainforest pass after reading all the positive comment posted here.

Michelle2

02-13-2005, 02:21 AM

Those all sound really relaxing, we still do not really know which one(s) we are going to do...I was thinking of a facial. I am just kinda scared off by all the posts about the high pressure sales pitches...even those who write "no sales pitch please". Oh well, we will see!
And Discovery Cove sounds really fun!

DiaLady

02-13-2005, 02:37 AM

OH, I didn't know you could write "No sales pitch." That's a cool idea. I know it's rough for those folks who probably have a quota of stuff to sell each cruise. The lady at our local day spa worked on a cruiseline for a number of years (can't remember which one), but she said the pay wasn't that good, but the tips made the difference.

Thanks for the idea Michelle

disneybride96

02-17-2005, 09:32 PM

april riddle

02-19-2005, 06:40 AM

Hi everyone and happy weekend! I just talked hubby into an adults only weekend for our anniversary at the end of May...............thinking Vegas Baby or a four night cruise (not DCL) what would you do? We love Vegas but I would like to try another cruise line so I am stumped. Can anyone help me?

TinkersMagicDust

02-19-2005, 03:48 PM

It will be our daughter 18th birthday and I was going to take her, until grandma invited herself oh well it will be ok
COUNT US IN 18, 41, and 65
plus 7 more fun filled day in disney
We are going to play the airport game.
We are leaving 3 days early which is wednesday the 23. day before Thanksgiving. We are going to hope to get bumped off and get more free
tickets. Oh well we have to wait to get to Orlando. But it worth it if you are paying 350.00 a ticket from Portland Oregon. We have been successful for the last 12 years in getting bumped off 7 times that we have traveled. Some would not think this is fun but free tickets are free tickets. sometime they give you two ticket each...
Mary

april riddle

02-19-2005, 08:08 PM

Hi Mary - good luck with that bump and get more ticket deal - sounds like a plan to me except that I am not patient enough to want to sit at the airport and wait for the next flight and yes it is worth it for that price. Last year I got tickets for $120 round trip. Of course we are not as far as you. :wave2:

disneybride96

02-20-2005, 10:13 AM

april riddle

02-23-2005, 06:39 PM

We did decide on the four day cruise - not DCL - carnival going from Miami to Key West and Cozemel. It will give us that taste for both of those ports without the kiddos. It will be interesting since we are doing the almost cheapest room - we will have alot to compare that is for sure. I am alittle nervous about not having at least a window - but I don't suppose we will be in the room too much anyway.

Michelle2

02-24-2005, 01:17 AM

Hey Tinkersmagicdust (Mary)! I replied to an different post of yours, especially seeing you were on this cruise and so close to where we live! I forgot where it was I posted, so if you replied and I haven't seen it, I am sorry. But I am so glad you posted here too!
Do you ever get to Boise? I see alot of people coming here to shop from Bend...and I know what you mean about the expensive plane tickets...We have 4 of our 6 tickets free and our other 2 will probably cost about that much. That is the pain of flying from the West, huh?

And April riddle, I think a cruise is a great decision. I am from Las Vegas, and my family lives there, and although it is fun, I think a cruise is a great way to go! Have fun! :Pinkbounc

DiaLady

02-25-2005, 12:12 AM

Hi Folks --

Can you believe we're under the 9 month mark!! We are so excited. DH just proposed staying an extra day AFTER the cruise. Does anyone have any suggestions for where to stay close to Kennedy Space Center. I don't think they're renting out the shuttles yet . ..LOl.. I have two space-cadet kids so getting to Kennedy would be a huge treat for them. I haven't toured it myself since, oh, sometime in the 1970's !! Although I"ve been on the causeway for a number of launches. Actually almost got to watch from the press booth once when we were flying something on board a shuttle. Oh the good ole days . . .

I've heard Kennedy is expensive. But hey, Discovery Cove makes it look like a walk in the park (space park that is). Has anyone done the tour in recent memory . . . and was it worth it. With the shuttles going up again soon, there should be more activity there as well.

Thanks for your input!!

Have a fabulous day!

Theresa 8-)

april riddle

02-25-2005, 06:30 PM

Hi Theresa, we did Kennedy space center last year the day before we cruised.After a week at the parks ds (9 and 11) were a little bored even though the 11 year old has been asking us about space camp. I think if we had not done Orlando before hand they would probably have enjoyed it alot more. DH and I kept saying to them - this is so much history! Be sure to get breakfast before you go in we drove right from Orlando and kept thinking we would find a McDonald's or something and ended up getting a muffin and milkfor each of the kids and coffee and danish for DH and myself and can'tremember the price but do remember grumbling that we could have eaten dinner for the same price. I don't remember it being really expensive to get into though. I think that it is probably about the same for any Florida attractions. We stayed at the Raddison - I can't recommend it - it was just ok to me - nothing special I know that alot of people swear by it on these boards but this year we will be trying somewhere else.

DiaLady

02-26-2005, 07:28 AM

Thanks April Riddle - Yep, I can see where the history of space would play 2nd place the pizzaz of Disney . . .LOL. I'm hoping after the relaxing cruise the boys will not be desensitized to the simple pleasures in life. Hopefully Mom and Dad will be relaxed as well. don't want to need a vacation after the vacation . . .LOL. We're a homeschool family, so we'll need to get right back into the swing of school when we get home. Can you tell I'm always up for a good field trip???

You were right about the pricing for Kennedy. It's not expense if you look at it relative to another day's activities. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is $50/day this year .. . yikes!! Makes those passes even more valuable. I think we have to go 8 times in 2 years to justify the cost :)

Anyway, thanks so much for your input. Our cruise vacation keeps getting extended :)

Have a great day!

Michelle2

02-27-2005, 03:39 AM

page 2? I don't think so! Bump
We are now in the 8 months range!! wooo hoo! (barely, but still there!)

April riddle, now I am worried...we have our night before the cruise at the Radisson...what was disappointing to you about it? What are the reasons why you will try something different? Do you have any other recommendations for something so close to Port? I guess since it is only one night, we should be ok, and they also have suite style-2 bedroom that can sleep 6 for a reasonable price. I guess we can live with it, but would like your opinion.

april riddle

02-27-2005, 08:29 AM

Hi Michelle, the Raddison wasn't my cup of tea that's all - I had booked the king suite when we got there - they said that all they had was a regular room. The manager wouldn't help at all with this and it just ticked me off - we had spent a long day at Kennedy space center and it was a little chilly so I was waiting to get into that whirlpool in the bedroom that is all! many people on these threads love the Raddison and it was fine - it was clean the checkin was very painful - only two people at the front desk and about fifteen people in line - it probably took about an hour to check in. It was probably a bad day for them. We are thinking about doing Discovery cove the day before we cruise this year so we may just end up staying in Orlando overnight. Or if we fly in the day before maybe checking out one of the beach front properties. My mother is also coming with us so I am thinking we may just stay at Ron Jon's. If I can't get what I want at Ron Jon's I may end up at the Raddison - it is fine really - you will be fine there.

dthogue

03-05-2005, 08:56 PM

Bumping up our thread. What's everyone doing to past the time until the cruise. We have most of our plans in place, just waiting for SW to open dates for November so I can buy our airline tickets.

We are leaving for WDW in 12 days to celebrate my DD's 13th birthday. :bday:

Tammy

grlzmom

03-06-2005, 07:28 AM

We are leaving for Disney in three days and hope the weather is good. Of course it has to be better than Central Pennsylvania is right now ;)

Thumpery, how did your Valentines scavenger hunt go? Bet the kids were very excited.

They have taken away our spring break here due to using up our snowdays so that will make Thanksgiving vacation all the more special.

We still don't have airline tickets as we like Airtran and they don't have November opened up either.

Jeanne

thumpery

03-06-2005, 08:02 AM

Ok, I'm jealous! grlzmom and dthogue have a wonderful time in Disney!
We haven't gotten our airline either. We will be using Airtran and the dates aren't open yet.

I'm looking for a discount code for WL for the day after the cruise. I've booked using the AAA discount, but it's still $241! We've never stayed there before and thought it would be a nice ending to our wonderful cruise. Hoping some pixie dust comes and lowers the price though!

grlzmom - Thanks so much for asking about the scavenger hunt. It was wonderful - the boys loved it and are very excited about the cruise! :banana:

dthogue

03-06-2005, 08:04 AM

Hi Jeanne,

We are from Central PA too (Hershey) - small world. It seems like winter is dragging on - just heard they are calling for snow/rain on Thursday. I can't wait to leave for Florida. Hope you have a great trip! Luckily we still have our days off school for Spring Break (we have only had delays/early dismissals).

We flew Airtran fron PHL last May for our cruise. What airport do you fly from? I'm keeping an eye on Baltimore, PHL and Dulles for the best price. Driving time is about the same to all three. Let me know if you find any great deals. What day are you flying down?

Tammy

DiaLady

03-06-2005, 05:10 PM

It's 60 degrees today in Virginia! Florida should be one step better! Hope each of you has a blast - grlzmom and dthogue! Thumbery . . . glad the scavenger hunt was a success. . . bet the kids are still talking about it!

We're planning to fly AIRTRAN as well. I had hoped they would open November by now ... it's gotta be soon :) My dh is flying home to Seattle this summer for his high school reunion so we have to watch flights for that trip, too. I'm looking at Independence Air for that trip .. . has anyone flown on them yet.

Someone asked what we're doing to pass the time until the cruise . . . besides playing on two baseball teams this season, we're considering the things we'd like to take with us . . . like snorkel gear. Costco has had some nice stuff available. Wonder if it goes on sale in the sporting good stores at the end of the season? I'm also loosing weight. Lost almost 25 lbs since Jan 4! Would really like to be at closer to my pre-baby weight by the time the cruise rolls around (my youngest is 8 yo . . . LOL).

What is everyone else doing??

Have a great Sunday!

Theresa 8-)

grlzmom

03-06-2005, 05:52 PM

We fly usually from Pittsburg (almost three hours from us) or we can fly from BWI which is about three and a half hours. We are in Clearfield which is a very small town in sort of west central (about 2 hours from Hershey).

Theresa, that is an incredible amount of weight to have lost since January, are you following a particular way of eating or exercise?

Thumpery, glad the scavenger hunt was a success.

Airtran needs to hurry up and open up those dates so I can start looking for some bargains.

dthogue

03-06-2005, 08:12 PM

Sounds like alot of us are waiting for Airtran. I'm hoping they wait until we return from WDW to open through November, I don't want to miss any great deals :banana:

Dialady - Please hold onto that weather in Virginia. We are heading down to Richmond on Friday for a soccer tournament and I have my fingers crossed for decent weather (no Rain :umbrella: ). Congrats on the weight loss - you must be so proud of yourself. Best wishes for continued success :cheer2: . Are you following a weight loss plan? I have been looking into Independence Air from Dulles. I have hear many positive things about them. I just received an email for $83/rt flights for April. Now that's a price that can't be beat.

Tammy

april riddle

03-07-2005, 09:24 AM

Hi everyone - I am jealous of eveyone heading down to orlando - I headed the opposite direction to take care of DM post knee surgery. I will be here in Canada for at least the rest of this week and boy is it cold out! it is rainy and cold today and the temp is going to drop tonight with more snow. I hope everyone is well and I will check in later on this week. bye for now

DiaLady

03-07-2005, 12:16 PM

Sorry, dthogue, but Virginia weather is guaranteed to change .. .sometimes almost instantly. . .LOL. Although it 70 degrees today, they were predicting snow here by Friday. It actually snowed here 3 days ago!! February and March have the most bizarre weather patterns. One of our baseball coaches had a suprise practice yesterday and another today . . .LOL He knows we won't be practicing by the end of the week.

Thanks for the encouragement about my weight loss. I've been needing to do it for years. I had nearly 80 lbs to lose to get back to my average weight. So you asked what I'm doing . . . having read or attempted virtually every diet book or idea or plan out there, I settled on doing the "Theresa Diet" . ..LOL. Now here's the tough part . . .for any diet to be successful you have to decrease the calories in and increase the calories out. This change will require new habits. I started exercising 6 days a week. Just 15 minutes of Leslie Sansone's Walk away the pounds at first (and that was painful). I'm just now getting up to 30+ minutes a day on her new Walk and Jog or Walk and Kick tapes (I love kick boxing). Food-wise I simply stopped eating junk food and stopped eating after dinner. I've also reduced (but not eliminated) my carb intake. I try to make the carbs I do eat count. More whole grains, etc. instead of processed stuff. What I didn't give up is regular Starbuck's Black Ice Tea (no sugar) and my XS Energy drinks (no carbs, no sugar). Some folks think caffine makes you hungry . . .I'm not one of those ;) Bottomline . . I found what will work for me for the next year and I'm sticking to it. It will be worth it to wear a size 8 or 10 again! My dh is so thrilled he's actually thinking about working out to lose some of his "excess baggage" . ..LOL

Again, thanks for the encouragement. It really helps!!

Have a great day!

Theresa 8-)

april riddle

03-07-2005, 02:56 PM

Congradulations Theresa, you are inspiring me to start back to the exercising. I do well when I low carb but when I get off the wagon - I really get off the wagon. I was going to wait until I got home to start my serious dieting but I think I will "walk away from the carbs" while I am here in the great white north. There is a great walking path right outside of my mother's apartment and think that as soon as one of my sisters come over to give me a break I will don my boots and get cracking. It is really hard when I come home though since there are sooooo many things I love here that I can't get in the states. I will have to be very strong until I get home to DH who is my diet buddy. Maybe we can inspire each other while we are waiting for the cruise too - if interested let me know. Have a great day, by the way I too love my caffine and don't feel like it makes me hungry. Just the opposite - if I have my coffee I don't need anything to eat.

dthogue

03-07-2005, 07:02 PM

April Riddle - sorry to hear about your DM's surgery. Hope she is feeling better, prayers for a speedy recovery. I have never been to Canada, although I heard its beautiful up there. I bet its cold - do you have much snow?

Theresa - I love Leslie Sansone's walking tapes (although I don't do them as often as I should). Her new tapes sound great. Did you purchase them off an TV ad, or are they available in stores. You sound like you are in the right mind frame for weight loss. If only I could find what would work for me. I also have about 75-80 pounds that I need to lose. Continued luck to you - keep sharing your successes, maybe you will motivate me and others to do the same.

Last year we purchased really cheap snokeling equipment for my DD's to use while on the cruise. It feel apart the first day, so I'd like to get something a little nicer. What is the set like at Costco? Might have to check it out. I can't imagine using rental equipment :crazy:

Don't know about anyone else, but this weather is really driving me crazy. Like Theresa, it was 62 here today and they are calling for snow showers tonight and a high tomorrow around 30. I'm ready for spring.

Take care everyone and keep posting - it sure does help the coutdown!!

Tammy

thumpery

03-08-2005, 07:42 AM

Hello everyone - BOY IT'S COLD HERE! I noticed my location is not listed by my name, but we're from Upstate NY. 50's yesterday - teens today! YUCK!

Aprilriddle - We are heading up to Niagara Falls in the near future. It's my mom's 70th and the whole family is going to surprise her and go there for a weekend. Where in Canada are you? Niagara Falls is approx. 1.5 hours away from us.

DiaLady

03-08-2005, 10:15 AM

LOL . .. ya'll are so sweet. Thanks for the encouragement. Every day is a test to see if I'm going to exercise. I've been overcoming the coughing crud everyone has around here and took a few days off of exercising. Now, it's challenging to make myself do it. They always say to keep your eyes on the prize. My prize is getting to buy new clothes that I've admired for years in ColdWater Creek, Gap, and Old Navy . . .LOL Good for you that are exercising!!! We all need to do it. It's just a habit to create.

I bought a few of my Leslie Sansone tapes on eBay. The more recent ones I bought through Amazon. Target sometimes has them as well. I tend to buy things online if I can. Just more convenient.

The scuba gear at Costco looks great. I read on the boards before our last trip that they were acceptable quality. The adult set it $40 so that was why I was asking if they went on sale at the end of the season elsewhere. The kids set is about $20 I think. We'll probably just buy one of each and share. I don't think my 8 yo will be into snorkling yet. Oh and we tried to rent the snorkling gear at Castaway Cay last trip. It worked fine for my ds, but my mouthpiece had a hole in it that didn't get bad until we were WAY OUT there. I hope they bring back the sunken Mickey soon. That was one of the highlights for my ds. He was so proud of himself for finding it. He was only 8 yo at the time.

Still 60 degrees here this morning, but they're calling for snow by late afternoon. . . how weird is that!

Have a fabulous day!

DiaLady

03-08-2005, 12:47 PM

Oh my gosh! Remember I just said it was 60 degrees here? Well, by noon, it was snowing . . .like blizzard!! It was thundering!! and they're closing the schools!

I can't wait to cruise where the weather is at least predictable! Oh, the warm sunshine .. .

dthogue

03-08-2005, 08:14 PM

Our weather is completely nuts as well. Yesterday it was 62 degrees - today snow covering the ground. I give up - I think we need to move south :sunny:

Counting the days to WDW - hopefully the weather will be better down there :earsgirl:

DsnysGr8t

03-09-2005, 10:48 AM

Hi All, looks like lots of "weather" talk going on here :wave: We've had soooo much rain so far here in California that we're at like 300% of normal! The sun has been shining since last Saturday though, and our daily averages have been mid-70's!

As for what we're doing until our WDW/DCL trip in November, I told DH that there was no way I could survive w/o any type of vacation for 11 months (our last time off was at Christmas). So I shopped around and found RT air from SFO to Washington DC for $200/each! We are going to be in DC from 7/3-7/6 then going to Williamsburg for 7/7-7/9!

I'm very excited about this, though DD isn't thrilled to be taking what she terms as an "educational" vacation!

LGM pirate:

TJGorman

03-09-2005, 01:00 PM

We are heading up to Niagara Falls in the near future. It's my mom's 70th and the whole family is going to surprise her and go there for a weekend. Where in Canada are you? Niagara Falls is approx. 1.5 hours away from us.

Thumpery, where are you located? It can not be too far from where I am. Grand Island, NY is in the middle of the Niagara River located half way between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, yes it is actually an island! :flower:

I am also waiting for either JetBlue or SWA to release their flights. I am too obsessive to be kept waiting! They need to release the flights or I will drive my family and friends crazy ;)

april riddle

03-09-2005, 04:08 PM

Hi everyone - DM lives about three hours from the falls in a city called Sarnia Ontario. It is approx one hour from Detroit. It is bloody cold here with the wind chill as she lives literally on the corner of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. I am sitting in her office and can see Port Huron Michigan from the window, With the Blue water bridge as back ground if anyone knows this neck of the woods. There is quite a bit of snow still for here. We are planning a trip up here this summer and taking the kids to the falls and to Toronto for a couple of days and hopefully catch a Blue Jays game. I am slightly bored as I am a workaholic and have been kind of stuck in the house - watching Dr. Phil isn't really my cup of tea...........and I don't watch soaps. My DM loves to watch all the british shows on TV and I sit there with her but don't know what is going on since most of them are series. Oh well the only entertainment is that my co-workers keep calling me with problems at work on my cell phone. I keep telling them that I must be the glue that holds them all together since they are having problems while I am gone. Well I quess I should go back and find out if my mum needs me for anything she has a very large apartment and it is difficult to hear her from her bedroom. Wish me luck everyone! talk to you soon.

thumpery

03-09-2005, 04:15 PM

TjGorman - We're located in Rochester. And it is FREEZING HERE! :cold: :cold: I think I have passed Grand Island before. It does sound very familiar. Plans as of this minute is to stay at the Hilton there across from the Seneca Casino. Now we all have to settle on a weekend that works for all of us. It's not Florida, but at least it's a getaway!

We plan on returning home on Sunday after the cruise, which is Dec. 4th. Does anyone know if we have to wait for December rates for the airlines because we won't be returning till December?

dthogue

03-09-2005, 08:08 PM

oooh Niagara Falls - we have always wanted to visit, but never seem to get the chance. I have had trips planned for the last two summers, but some soccer tournament always seems to come up and then we don't get to go.

DsnysGr8t - Washington DC is a great place. Please tell your DD she will love it - so much to see and do and they tend to forget that it really is educational. We live about 3 hours North and like to do to day trips to DC. We also have a niece who lives there, so its always nice to visit her.

One week til we leave for WDW - I can't wait. Just started packing. Keeping my fingers crossed that this cold weather doesn't follow us South.

DiaLady

03-10-2005, 01:13 AM

As for what we're doing until our WDW/DCL trip in November, I told DH that there was no way I could survive w/o any type of vacation for 11 months (our last time off was at Christmas). So I shopped around and found RT air from SFO to Washington DC for $200/each! We are going to be in DC from 7/3-7/6 then going to Williamsburg for 7/7-7/9!

I'm very excited about this, though DD isn't thrilled to be taking what she terms as an "educational" vacation!

Hey DsnysGr8t --

Since we live less than 30 minutes from W'burg and 2.5 hours from DC, I can tell you, you're in for a treat! We were just visiting Colonial W'burg for a field trip last week (it was COLD!!!). Your daughter will love it. Don't forget we have Busch Gardens and Water Country in W'burg, too. They would be a great break from too much educational stuff . . .LOL.

Don't forget in Washington, DC to ride the METRO. My kids think that's the best part of the trip everytime we're there. Don't even bother with a car. The metro is very convenient and parking is outrageously expensive. Oh, your daughter might also be interested in the National Zoo. One of the few places in the world you can see pandas. They were out lounging around on our visit in January. The best part about the Smithsonian museums (including the zoo) is that they are all FREE!

Oh, I could go on forever. We lived in DC before we were married so we love going back with kids whenever we get a chance. Let me know if you need any hotel or restaurant or shopping recommendations. We're usually up there at least a couple weekends a year. We're planning on pass to Busch Gardens this year so we'll be spending even more time in W'burg . . LOL . .

But hey . . . that's a great way to spend time before the cruise! Does anyone else have additional vacation plans between now and then?

Have a terrific day!

Michelle2

03-12-2005, 02:19 AM

Hi everyone,
It was great to read everyone's posts, since I haven't posted in a bit. Being in the west in Idaho, the weather has warmed up so nice here!! We are really enjoying our early spring! Mid 70's/60's this week.
Theresa, I loved reading about your weight loss goals. I am doing something similiar as well, and it makes the time go by very fast for me too! I have lost about 20 pounds and am hoping for another 30 or so by the time the cruise gets here. After all, what could be greater motivation????
We only have 4 out of our 6 airfares because they were skymiles (free) tickets from Delta..was lucky to even get our dates...Then the Song tickets went up and I am hoping they will go back down once SW releases theirs. Afterall, they were alot lower last year at the same time. Being from the west coast can be a pain and expensive to fly...:(
Everyone heading to WDW have a great trip! :banana:

DiaLady

03-13-2005, 09:20 AM

Theresa, I loved reading about your weight loss goals. I am doing something similiar as well, and it makes the time go by very fast for me too! I have lost about 20 pounds and am hoping for another 30 or so by the time the cruise gets here. After all, what could be greater motivation????

Thanks Michelle2!! Way to go, girl!! I'm so glad you're passing the time the same way. It's nice to have more than one :)

I understand those expensive west to east airfares . .. my hubby just returned from a quick unplanned trip home to Seattle. With a bit of planning and a lot of timing, I can usually get THREE tickets for what we paid for his trip. I can't imagine doing that regularly . . . Glad you have a few free tickets to use!

Weather in SE Virginia still can't decide what season it is during one day. . .LOL. They were calling for more snow last night and it didn't happen! YEAH!! Busch Gardens opens this weekend. Can't wait to have a nice Friday afternoon to enjoy the park when it's uncrowded (oh the advantages of homeschooling!).

Have a fabulous day! (we're almost done to EIGHT months!!)

TJGorman

03-13-2005, 11:15 AM

This is for anyone who is planning to use Airtran for flights. I talked to a women at group reservations at Airtran on Friday. She stated she is pretty sure Airtran will be releasing flights to the end of the year some time during this upcoming week. :cheer2: I am going to be checking everyday until they open. I will be so happy to get the flights booked. I am getting nervous, especially with gas prices increasing.

DsnysGr8t

03-15-2005, 06:45 PM

DiaLady,

Thanks for all the info! Right now I've got us at The Virginian Suites in Arlington for 3 nights, then the La Quinta in Williamsburg for 2 nights (I showed DD the Busch Gardens Williamsburg website and she's excited about going "there" :sad2: ). Then we're back in Alexandria for our final night at a Hampton Inn and then we'll spend the day at Mt. Vernon.

We won't be renting a car until we drive down to Williamsburg (and I found it's MUCH cheaper not to rent at the airport, $15/day cheaper!) If you find yourself bumming around Busch Gardens Williamsburg on 7/7/05, we'll be there!

Lisa :hourglass

dthogue

03-15-2005, 08:58 PM

Well its getting close to the 8 month mark. We leave for WDW on Thursday. I'm exhausted from packing and trying to get everything together. I can't wait to leave.

TJGorman - keep us posted on Airtran. Hopefully they will wait a week or two, so I can recoup and have $$ to buy our tickets :crazy:

DsnysGr8t - sounds like you have a great trip planned to DC/VA. Looks like a nice diversion while we wait for our cruise.

Take care everyone, probably won't check in until we get back and then our timers will be showing 7months and counting.

DiaLady

03-17-2005, 11:59 PM

karaeric - Yes, we have used Budget (2004) and Avis (2002). We have chosen Budget again for this trip due to their cheaper rates and they are the closest rental car company to the terminal. As far as transfers, it went very quickly going to the terminal. We dropped the car off at Budget and maybe waited 10 minutes for the shuttle to come and get us. We loaded up and were there at the terminal within another 5-10 minutes. I guess it would depend on the crowd of people they get. I know they shuttle to the other ships too. That day there was a Carnival and a Holland America. To be honest, I thought they should bigger shuttles; like small buses. They only had vans. We have always chosen to rent a car to have the freedom around Orlando before the cruise.

I hope this helps you out!

Hey Thumpery & et al--

Since we're now staying for a few days in Orlando before the cruise, I was thinking a rental car might be a better idea than a limo. Can you tell me what the name of the drop off point you used? I tried Cape Canavarel, but the guy at Budget said they didn't have any shuttles to the ships.

I'm still working on hubby that this is a better idea. I think he'll see the light if it's cheaper, too.

Thanks!

Theresa 8-)

DiaLady

03-18-2005, 12:04 AM

Hi Fellow Cruisers --

I'm so excited tonight. We booked our hotel for Orlando! I'm finally starting to look at the details of this trip :) Wonder if it has anything to do with watching the new DCL DVD . .. LOL

Okay, my question to you is .. .

Have you booked any excursions yet? If you have which ones? If you haven't what are you planning to do on St. Maartin, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay . . .
This is my next step to consider and was curious what others were thinking about as well.

Have a great day!

TEW 8-)

thumpery

03-18-2005, 08:10 AM

DiaLady - The code for Budget at Cape Canaveral is CC5. I don't have the code for Avis or Hertz. Odd that the Budget worker didn't know. The discounts for November haven't really come out yet. I have reserved, but hope as the time gets closer that the price will go down. Last year when we went the price went up as the time gets closer. :confused3 I guess it's a game and I just keep checking. How far in advance of the cruise are you planning on going? Congrats on booking the hotel! I booked a condo about a month ago and I was excited too! :cheer2: Makes it more of a reality!

Anyone getting any warmer weather? We might get into the 40's this weekend! My DS11 is sleeping in a tent for Boy Scouts this weekend; He's crazy! LOL! Hope Spring comes soon!

TJGorman

03-18-2005, 10:19 AM

Thumpery- It feels like a heat wave, it's going to hit 42 this weekend!:bounce: Spring needs to come a little faster.

DiaLady- Some of the people in our group are considering a scuba dive at both St. Thomas and St. Martin. I am looking at a scuba at St. Thomas and horseback ride in St. Martin. But no definate plans as of yet.

DsnysGr8t

03-18-2005, 10:50 AM

I've got a mini-van reserved from National. We're picking it up at MCO and dropping it off at their Cocoa Beach location. With the Entertainment Book discount I got it for $304 for 8 days ($38/day isn't bad for a minivan!)

We will be Kara & Eric's "Limo" for them this trip, so she doesn't even have to worry about renting a car!

Lisa

thumpery

03-18-2005, 11:12 AM

DsnysGr8t - Or anyone else - Do you know how far the National drop off is in Cocoa Beach from the port? I hadn't looked into their rates. I don't recall a line for them this past year when we were there after the cruise. Thanks!

TJGorman - Yes I agree, 40's will feel like a heatwave to us. At least it's been sunny this week. I'm so tempted to wash and put away the our snowpants. But as soon as I do, we'l have a snowstorm. March is so unpredictable!

We haven't looked into shore excursions yet. On our 2002 Eastern cruise we did the Atlantis submarine in St. Thomas and the island tour at St. Martin. I would like to go to St. John this year.

april riddle

03-18-2005, 01:08 PM

Hi everyone - it is a beautiful day here in NC - yesterday it snowed all day and schools ended up being first delayed and then cancelled all together. Then both of my boys woke up with flu like symptoms this morning so I went to work for a couple of hours and then came home to let DH go to work. I don't know if anyone on this board knows this but apparently Disney has dropped the price of transport to the Port. For some reason I called them for the price and they dropped it somewhat - sorry can't remember what it is.(I think it is $59 round trip). I know that Carnival transfer to the port from Fort Lauderdale to Port of Miami is only $33 round trip and I think it is about the same distance from Orlando to Cape Canaveral. We ended up getting flights to Miami and the bus is only $22 round trip. (this is for our weekend cruise just mom and dad). I am still planning on renting the car as hopefully my DM will be with us and for five transfers it is still a little bit cheaper. I would highly recommend the Doubloon Sail in St Thomas - I don't know if we will go on it again but the kids loved it! There were also alot younger kids on it as well and they seemed to do fine with the snorkling. Not too sure what we will do in St. Marteen yet I think the boys would be too bored with the butterfly farm so I will have to do some research. Well everyone - hope you all have a great weekend!

DiaLady

03-19-2005, 02:13 AM

Okay, I gotta share our weather . . .it was nearly 60 degrees and sunny with the same planned for tomorrow. Baseball practices here we come!

Thumpery - Did you think the Atlantis Submarine tour was worth the $$. Did your kids enjoy it? My son perked up on that one when he saw it on the DCL DVD.

TGGordan - Horseback riding at St. Maartin's sounds wonderful. I'd love to see my DH riding a horse . . . he's the most urban guy you'll meet and he grew up on a dairy farm . . My kids have never ridden except when they were very young and my sister still had her horse. How sad is that. I was riding bareback by the time I was my youngest ages (8). Big difference between city folks and country folks . . .we're pretty citified . . .don't want to live too far from a Starbucks . .. LOL

Thanks for info on the car rentals . . .that's my next step . . .

Stay warm . . spring is coming! . . then summer .. then fall . . then THE CRUISE!!!

DsnysGr8t

03-19-2005, 02:09 PM

The National Car rental office in Cocoa Beach is about 4 miles from the port. I'm not sure if they offer shuttle service, if they don't we'll just drop everyone off at the port, turn in the car then take a cab to the port.

Well it's raining here again, we had a lovely false spring for about 6 days. All the trees started blooming, gorgeous. It's hard to believe that DD will be out of the 7th grade in a mere 12 weeks.

thumpery

03-21-2005, 11:02 AM

Dialady - I have heard mixed reviews on the Atlantis excursion, but we personally loved it. It is quite pricey, but the water was crystal clear and we saw sea turtles, sharks and these fishes that looked like they were kissing the window we were looking out of. My boys learned was sponges were and still talk about it. Any luck on the rental car?

TJGorman - Well our 1 day of spring was beautiful. However, we woke up to snow this morning - YUCK! Luckily, it's melting as we speak. That's March! Dreaming of Spring :sunny:

DiaLady

03-21-2005, 03:42 PM

Thanks for the feedback Thumbery . . . dh was just asking me last night what excursions we might consider. I was laughing when I told him I wanted to do horseback riding in St. Maartin. He was very concerned about the nudity on the beaches at St. Maartin. A friend at work just returned from a cruise there. Dad was shocked when his 10 yo boy's mouth dropped at the volupuous women rising nearly naked from the sea :) His friend thought it was a family beach (it was). Needless to say, I don't think we'll do anything on the beaches at St. Maartin (our boys are 8 and 10 yo). . ..LOL. The submarine would be a fun experience for the boys . .. we'll see . .

OH as far as the car rental .. .I'm cool for getting from the airport to the Sea World Hotel (we found a great rate for Comfort Suites .. .we love those hotels . . the rooms are huge and a great price . . .nothing fancy though unless you consider a fridge and microwave fancy) then to the ship. The pricey part is a trip back. We wanted to rent a car for a day to see Kennedy Space Center and then stay by MCO that night. It's almost double the price. I've got to call the limo places and get some feel for what it would cost to have a limo. DH would prefer someone else drive.

Hey, spring has finally sprung in SE Virginia!! It's been nearly 60 degreees for 3 days in a row!! Close to wanting to put away those darn winter coats! Our opening day of baseball is April 2 . . less than 2 weeks away!!

Have a fabulous day!

thumpery

03-21-2005, 04:42 PM

I second your opinion regarding the nudity at the St. Martin beaches. My boys will be 12 and 9 years old then. Are there any safe (as in no nudity) beaches? My DH won't go horseback riding. LOL! I guess it's time to really research our shore excursions.

april riddle

03-22-2005, 04:19 PM

Hi everyone! We did the See and Sea in St. Marteen last November - we really enjoyed the tour part of it but the Sea part of it was so-so. The tour guide on the bus was very informative and had a really good sense of humour. The boat ride was ok - the guide was really bossy and when you go down below on the boat it is very closed in so if you are at all phobic about enclosed areas I would not suggest you do this excursion. We didn't really see much of the fish until the diver went over the side of the boat and started feeding the fish from a can of sardines. Anyway just my 2cents

Michelle2

03-26-2005, 02:58 AM

Hi everyone,
It's nice to see everyone making their cruise plans...Our rental car (minivan) I booked for us a bit ago through Budget, but am finding it cheaper through National now. I read on the dcltribute site that the National site is about 7 miles away from the DCL terminal. I am just trying to decide if it is worth the 22 bucks for a taxi (pre and post-cruise) to save 100 bucks. (National does not have a free shuttle like the other car places do.) I think that for the convenience of NOT having to take the Budget shuttle after and before the cruise would be a blessing from what I have heard it is like a zoo??
As for hotel, we are staying at the Radisson the night before, so I hope it is ok?? As for excursions, I have no idea what we are going to do...lol! But I like seeing all of your opinions, for we have kids and are concerned about the beaches, too. I am glad it is not the 30-90 day mark yet, because I am really unorganized at this point...Thanks for letting me ramble...LOL

TJGorman

03-26-2005, 08:34 AM

I can't believe we will be leaving 8 months from today!!!! :banana: :cheer2:
I finally made the airline reservations with group travel at AirTran. I am a bit obsessive and would like to have as many details finished as soon as possible! All we are waiting for is another member of our group to confirm the hotel reservations. Now, all I have to do is pay off the cruise and save for extra's. :teeth:

ljt064

03-26-2005, 11:49 AM

Hi All,

First time cruiser, and I booked our 11/26 Cruise. Can't wait until the big day. I t will be my wife and I, two children 8 and 4, and my 12 year old niece (can you say baby sitter) :Pinkbounc .

I love these forums, you get the best tips.

We are flying in on Friday, staying at the Radisson. Looking foward to seeing all of you for 7 days of fun.

TJGorman

03-26-2005, 04:50 PM

Welcome ljt064! I think you will enjoy your time here. This is our third cruise, second with Disney. IMHO, cruising is such a relaxing way to have a vacation. Unlike our other vacation this year where we are hiking up two mountains.

Boo Mc

03-27-2005, 02:40 PM

Hi gang - just checking in. I finally booked our airfare - a little annoyed with myself because I waited a few weeks and the prices went up. :sad2: But, I decided to go ahead and get them now in case they go up again. With my luck they'll probably come down! I also booked a room at the Radisson at the Port for $109 - I hope that's a good price. Has anyone done better? Haven't gotten a rental car yet. I need your help on this one. Budget seems to have a better reputation than Avis but Avis has a drop off at the Radisson. Any opinions on which to use? Also, does anyone know of any good mini golf places near the Radisson? Our kids would be thrilled if we spent Friday afternoon swimming and playing putt putt. Thanks in advance for your help!

dthogue

03-28-2005, 07:48 AM

Hey everyone - boy you guys have been busy. We just returned late last night from our 11 day trip to WDW. The weather was wonderful - low-mid 80's, although we had a threat for rain everyday - it sure beats the 40's and rain :umbrella: we have here in PA. It is so depressing being home. We had a fantastic trip, but the parks were so full. The only thing making coming home better is that we know in less that 8 months we'll be cruising :Pinkbounc

For those looking for excursions we did the Golden Eagle Catamaran through Disney last year and I highly recommend it. I am looking into doing a sail/snorkel trip through www.lordsheffield.com. There is lots of talk about this company on the Cruise Critic board. If we don't do that, we will just take the ferry to Great Bay for a day of swimming and shopping. In St. Thomas we are considering the Doubloon Sail (if we don't do Lord Sheffield the day before) pirate:

We have been considering doing Discovery Cove on Friday. Has anyone done this before? Is it worth the cost? If we don't do Discovery Cove, we'll probably spend the day at Cocoa Beach. So many decisions to make. :crazy: Right now I have a rental car booked through Avis for both our trip to the port and back again. We are also looking into doing Universal on Saturday after the cruise.

My girls are so excited for this cruise - if anyone has a child who would like to correspond, please email us. My DD's are 15, 13 (birthday girls at WDW last week) and 5.

DiaLady

03-28-2005, 10:47 AM

Welcome home, Thegohe Glad you had a wonderful trip. Sounds like you had a great time .. now into recovery mode . . .LOL

Spring break just commenced here so kids are everywhere (since we homeschool, we took our break a few weeks ago and are doing school). The parks here become insanely busy, too.

I like the idea of the sailing excursions. Really liked to see my boys learn to sail and I'd like to get better . . .not sure if dh has ever sailed . .ummm . . gotta ask him about that one . . .Anyway, thought I saw an age limit . . mine will be 8 & 11 YO when we sail. Let me know about the off-Disney tour your mentioned, too.

Honestly, I'm just excited dh is considering excursions at all. He usually is a would rather stay in instead of go out :) We've still got time.

Oh and I'm considering adding the REAS to our package so we can pick our dinner rotation, get PALO reservation, couple massage (dh liked that idea), and other things. I wonder if that gives us early excursion reservations, too.

Have a great day!

thumpery

03-28-2005, 11:37 AM

This is a question for TJGorman - I see that you booked your air on Airtran. That is the airline we also want to fly with (we have free tickets due to being bumped last year). Anyways, when checking rates on the internet they only go out through November. We need to fly home in December. Did you call to get your tickets? I don't want to wait too long and miss the boat or should I say plane. :rotfl: Thanks in advance for your input!

Dthogue - Welcome back! What a great year you are having: WDW & the cruise! I'm going to look into the Golden Eagle Catamaran, but would also like to know more about the other you mentioned.

TJGorman

03-28-2005, 02:07 PM

Thumpery--It was by luck that I found out that the Airtran Flights were open. I was looking at Sam's Club Travel (to compare prices) and they had Airtran dates available on the Sam's Club website. I immediately went to the Airtran website and it was not open there, so I immediately called group reservations. I would call Airtran. The prices are definately on their way up.

dthogue-Welcome Back!

thumpery

03-30-2005, 07:32 AM

TJGorman - Thanks for the info.! I will try calling AirTran today. Hope you enjoy the few days of spring weather! :sunny: It's supposed to go back downhill by the weekend. :umbrella:

DiaLady

03-31-2005, 12:53 AM

AAAUUUGGHHH!! Thumpery & TJGorman you are probably right to get your reservations on AirTran right away. We didn't budget for it this soon. My dh is headed home to Seattle this summer for his high school reunion. When you booked were the rates reasonable?? We got $100 round trips last time. Since we're so late in the season, I wonder when the oil prices drop again if the airline prices won't go on sale. If the price drops, will AirTran give you the difference? Okay, I'm rambling now . .

Thanks folks!

Have a great night!

thumpery

03-31-2005, 08:05 AM

Hi Dialady - I can't really help with the prices. I am actually trying to use tickets we received for being bumped last year. :cool1: my situation you have to get them or lose them. When we went last year for the beginning of November, I didn't book my tickets till August and paid $158.00 which is good for here. I have heard, however, that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a peak travel day. So, I guess it depends when you are planning on going. I really don't want to book my tickets yet, because we still don't have the kid's school schedule for next year. I wonder if I book if I can change? Ok, Now I'm rambling. Sorry I wasn't too much help.

DiaLady

04-01-2005, 12:39 AM

Thumpery - You can always change the tickets, but it usually costs $50 - $75 per ticket :rolleyes: Thanks for the encouragement about tickets. When I mentioned it to dh tonight, he wasn't interested. But hey, we got the Busch Garden passes tonight so now our trip to Sea World is free (well sorta). I keep telling dh we've now saved $215 on our trip . . .LOL.

Time is passing quickly. Even the kids are counting down . . .

Have a great day!

thumpery

04-01-2005, 06:05 AM

Well, I booked our airline tickets! :banana: :banana: After posting my last message on the board, I called Airtran. I was able to use our free tickets on the flights I wanted. It took awhile with many phone calls, but they worked with me and we are so happy! I just didn't want to lose our free tickets! What a savings! Thanks for lettting me share my joy!

DiaLady - You are correct about the change info. For Airtran December rates on the computer are still not up, but when I called they could book them. However, they wanted $266/ticket. :earseek: I would just keep your eyes open for deals.

dthogue

04-01-2005, 09:31 PM

TGIF - we are slowly getting back into our normal routine, but I am having WDW withdrawls - keep asking what were we doing this time lasy week :earsgirl:

The weather here is nuts. Yesterday my DD had her 1st high school soccer game we nearly droze to death :cold: Today they had another game and it was in the mid 60's sunny :cool1: . Tomorrow they are calling for 3 inches of rain :umbrella: and in the 40's. Sunday they are calling for snow showers. I give up - someone please send me back to Orlando.

I checked Airtran today and they have now opened up flights through December. I found the dates and times I want, but unfortunately I'm not ready to book them (still recovering from last week's vacation :teacher: . Hopefully the prices won't go up too high before I can book my seats.

DiaLady

04-07-2005, 11:40 PM

Things suddenly got quiet around here . . .LOL. We're busy with baseball season. Two boys on two different teams in two different age groups . . .Mom scores for both and Dad coaches (when not working) for both. Gotta get my tan going so I won't burn in November . . .LOL.

We've had 80 degrees and better for the past two days! Hurray! Dh broke down and turned on the air conditioning tonight. Too much pollen to open the windows anymore.

Hope eveyone else is having a lovely spring! Can't say I've ever been so excited to get to the fall .. .LOL

Have a great day!

grlzmom

04-08-2005, 01:34 AM

We have had a taste of spring here this week (which is good after getting six inches of snow last Sunday), of course nice weather just means time to get the spring yard work done.

Our trip to Disney for cheerleading was nice and couldnt comprehend not getting back there til November so we are going back first week of June and doing a split stay between the Nick hotel (then I can avoid it in November) and Disney. Got Southwest r/t nonstop for 98 per person (which helps considering there are nine of us). I hate going in June but with the older dds sports schedules there isn't much of a choice. We havent booked our November airfare yet, waiting to get dds schedules, so we will probably end up not getting a good price by having to wait :confused3

Definately getting excited about the cruise (not as much as our three year old who loves her "counselors" and "her club").

I know my dh is very happy to not have to dress up as much on this cruise (being allowed jeans at regular dinners) because he dresses up for work everyday and would rather dress down for vacation. He of course will still happily comply on formal nights for dinner and portraits (gotta get that Christmas card done).

Michelle2

04-08-2005, 05:08 PM

I heard about that! So am I right to understand that you can wear casual attire (jeans) to all dinners except semiformal and formal nights, and Palo of course? Well I think that makes it easier for alot of people...to either be able to dress up, or not...
Jeanne you are so lucky to be able to go all these times to WDW! THat is great! We are going through withdrawals too, except for us it will be 2 years by the time November comes. We are used to going every year to DL. In some ways the time is going by too quick, and other times, not quick enough...

DiaLady

04-08-2005, 09:36 PM

Michelle2, I love the picture of your family with Pooh! I have a dear friend here in VA whose girls all have that beautiful red hair, too.

We haven't been to Disney since 6/2003 so I know how you feel! I've been working on my dh to book the cruise. He had some training (for 1 1/2 years) that couldnt be interrupted for vacation so we had to wait.

We went to Busch Gardens and got torrentially rained upon today! Good thing it was fairly warm. I used to think people who went to amusement parks in the rain were crazy. The kids and I had the best time! We were with some friends and the boys played hide and seek and then tag for nearly 2 hours in the rain! Go figure! The park was nearly empty. Now I understand the many posts from folks who went to Disney in the rain .. .LOL.

Have a fabulous weekend!

dthogue

04-08-2005, 10:03 PM

Glad to see some activity here - it was getting too quiet.

Jeanne - what a neat picture with Pooh - you have a beautiful family.

Grlzmom - sorry to hear about the snow - hopefully it's all melted by now :sunny:

Our cruise seems so far away, but I know it's just around the corner. Still trying to locate airfare. Can't decide between leaving on Thanksgiving or on Friday. The flight I wanted on Friday on Airtran jumped $50/pp overnight. This has to be the worse thing about going on vacation - once this is done, it should be smooth sailing until departure. pirate:

Is anyone planning on staying at the Ron Jon resort prior to the cruise? I emailed for a rate for Friday night and they came back with $247/night. That seems high, did anyone get a better rate?

Have a great weekend - calling for nice weather here - can hardly wait :sunny:

DiaLady

04-09-2005, 01:47 AM

dthogue (member.php?u=33930) - Wow! $247 . .. gotta be a great place!! We're staying Thursday night and Friday at the Comfort Suites Universal for $107/night. We've been staying at Comfort Suites a lot lately b/c their rooms are so nice. I know it doesn't have a lot of the resort type ammenities, but when we travel as a family it's so much easier to have the room. They're right down the street from Sea World and the outlet malls.

We're still waiting on airfare, too. Airtran just announced another sale this week, but it's only through October. So close! Our return flight is only $89/pp, but the trip to Orlando on Thursday is $192!! That's double! I'm sure it will go down. Most folks aren't thinking that far ahead yet :)

We're still debating about staying over one day and going to Kennedy Space Center. Dh is beginning to be concerned he will be vacationed out by that time . . .LOL. Every vacation is a new adventure with him. I know the kids and will be good to go, but have no idea how he'll handle being a way for nearly 10 days (and not staying with his family . . .LOL).

Anybody else staying in Orlando before the cruise???

Have a terrific day!

dthogue

04-12-2005, 08:29 PM

Hi DiaLady - glad to see you checking in - Hey Everyone - where did you go :guilty:

I couldn't believe the price either for Ron Jon - definitely a budget buster for us. My DH would flip if he had to pay that much for one night.

Last year we stayed over Saturday night after our cruise and it was the perfect wind down. We had a van take us to the All Stars, checked in and spent some time at MK. We returned to the hotel, and lounged by the pool. Our flight home on Sunday left at 2pm, so we had a leisurely breakfast by the pool, packed and meet our van for the return to the airport. Perfect ending to a perfect trip.

Good luck convincing your DH to stay.
:cheer2:

thumpery

04-13-2005, 12:41 PM

Hello again everyone! I think everyone is busy with Spring activities! It's just nice to be outside again without boots and snowcoats.

We also stay after the Saturday night after the cruise. I agree that it is a nice way to wind down. It also makes it a little bit easier (and I mean a tiny bit easier) to get off the ship knowing that your vacation isn't totally over. We will be staying at the WL, but my family does not know it. I love surprising them. We have never stayed there before and have always wanted to.

I have a question for those going down early. We will be in Orlando on Thanksgiving. We do have a condo, but I don't plan on cooking a full course meal. We use it for breakfast and small meals. Anyways, does anyone have any ideas for Thanksgiving dinner? :confused3

Enjoy the sun! :sunny:

DsnysGr8t

04-13-2005, 02:32 PM

We too will be staying the Saturday night we get off the cruise! Though at an Embassy Suites by the airport (our flight out on Sunday leaves at 7am).

We have been tossing around ideas for what to do on Thanksgiving, right now we're thinking O'Hanas at the Poly, though we might break down and get one of those "Complete Thanksgiving Dinners" from Marie Calendars.

If you think of any other places in the area that might be fun, let me know!

Lisa

dthogue

04-13-2005, 09:29 PM

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions for a good Thanksgiving day meal, but O'hanas sounds like fun. We have always wanted to eat there, but never get around to it.

We spent Thanksgiving at WDW several years ago and boy it was weird to us. We are used to it being cold for Thanksgiving and here we were, 80 degrees, wearing shorts and listening to Christmas music on the radio - gotta love it.

Hopefully we'll be traveling to Orlando on Thanksgiving, still looking for a decent flight. So I guess our dinner will be at some airport - hope something good will be open.

Happy Spring everyone - hope the weather is great where you are :sunny:

cmaelltt1

04-21-2005, 06:01 PM

This is so great. We booked our cruise last December and are so very excited. Almost immediately after booking, I started working on potty training for my just turned 3 yo son. We've made great progress, so hopefully he can get into the kids programs. I've just been sitting here reading the back posts and getting to know everyone. Yes, I'm supposed to be cooking dinner before my dh gets back with dd from Martial Arts. Hopefully, I can throw something together quickly.

We live in Virginia, DiaLady, it sounds like we are in the same hometown area. We are also homeschoolers so I'm wondering if we know each other. We also have Busch Gardens passes and love to go before the crowds come for summer.

This is our first cruise. We've done Disney World twice. But my oldest dd was and only child both times. We've added 2 kids since then and decided it was time to take them on their first Disney trip. We were planning to do Disney World again but after seeing the Travel Channel cruise show, we decided on this instead.

My kids are dd 12, dd 5, and ds 3. We are booked in room 2607 and 2609 connected. They are inside rooms but I'm happy we got connecting rooms. I really wanted 2 bathrooms and this was cheaper than a cat 3 or 4 room.

My dh doesn't like to fly, so we will be leaving here on Thanksgiving morning and driving to his mother's house in NC. We'll spend the day with her and leave our dog with her. Then we plan on leaving early Friday to go to Jacksonville. We stayed there on our DW trips too. Then we will rise early on Saturday and drive to the ship. I'm hoping this works out well. We will probably drive the whole way back to NC after we debark on Saturday.

We are still discussing excursions and what things we want to do. We have a jar for all extra money and change and are up to $200 in just 2 months. This will be our wild money.

I hope to get to know some of you and can't wait to see you in person.

Carrie

thumpery

04-23-2005, 09:20 AM

Welcome cmaelltt1! We've been rather quiet here since Spring has arrived! I think you'll love the cruise. This is our 3rd. Obviously, we're hooked!

My in-laws live in N.C. also. We're flying to Florida so I guess we'll just wave to them.

We've been saving our loose change too since we booked the cruise. It really adds up and teaches the kids how to save $.

Take Care!

dthogue

04-23-2005, 02:52 PM

Hi Carrie,

Welcome to the DIS and to our cruise thread. As thumpery mentioned, its been quite here lately, but hopefully everyone is still checking in.

Sounds like you are off to a good start with your plans. This is the place to get all the information you need for a great vacation.

I have a DD who just turned 13 - if your DD is interested in emailing her and getting to know each other before the cruise just let me know.

Anyone else waiting patiently or not so patiently for Southwest to open up flights for the cruise? It seems like our airfare is the last piece of my puzzle. I booked 2 nights at the Comfort Inn and Suites at Cocoa Beach for Thanksgiving and Friday nights. The hotel looks nice, and its just across the street from the ocean. Will anyone else be in the Cocoa Beach area Friday night - maybe we can set up a mini-meet.

Take care!

Michelle2

04-24-2005, 04:34 AM

Welcome to our cruise meets board Carrie! I haven't posted in a bit, but I am still around. When I checked every day it seemed to make the time go by slower LOL! But look, we are almost under 200 days! And we are almost out of the 7 month range wooo hooo!
We are staying in the Cocoa Beach area on Friday night at the Radisson, so let me know if you want to do a mini meet. We are lucky enough to be making a 8 hour stopover in Las Vegas where my family is at, and have Thanksgiving with them before heading off on the Song all night flight. And I am waiting for the SW fares to come out just to hopefully help my Song rate to be cheaper...I have 4 booked on frequent flyer miles for free, but still need to buy the other 2. The fares a few months ago were already at the 7 day advance rate, so I know they cant get much worse. So I am keeping all my fingers crossed. Come on good SW fares!!

disneybride96

04-24-2005, 10:53 PM

I am so excited. In conjunction with at customer service promotion we had at work, I won a 4 night trip to WDW!! Woo Hoo! :cool1:
Funny part is that the President of the company asked if we had ever been to WDW before. ( Uh....yeah, just married there. :goodvibes )
I will now get to do our cruise and another trip, probably in Feburary. I think we are going to try and ad a 3 day Wonder cruise on there too. The trip is for a family of 4 staying at an All Star, but I hope since it will be just me and DH, we can upgrade to a Moderate!
Oh...I am still more excited about the cruise, but it will be nice to "do the World" again!

DiaLady

04-25-2005, 01:19 AM

Hi Carrie --

Welcome to the boards. Where in Hampton Roads do you live? We're in Newport News. We tie in with the HERE homeschool group out of Liberty Baptist in Hampton . . .With all our field trip activies, we could know you . . .LOL

Wow! You're doing a great job saving! I"m attempting to put together the $$ to for the REAS to suprise my dh. When mentioned the amenities he thought it was cool. With two kids who love the kids programs, we ae hoping to have some alone time :)

You'll love DCL! This is our second cruise. It's such a fabulous way to travel. Especially if you love to be pampered. I still think one of the best things about DCL is how they allow adults to enjoy their time as Adults, parents, and kids . .. .LOL

Have a great start to the week!

Theresa 8-)

DsnysGr8t

04-29-2005, 12:49 PM

We are doing the REAS package too DiaLady! DH doesn't know about it though, it's my little "surprise" as this trip is to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

Well only 65 Days til Washington DC/Williamsburg and 211 days til our Disney Cruise!

LGM:)

DiaLady

04-30-2005, 06:55 AM

That is so cool, DsnysGr8t! What a terrific way to celebrate your anniversary! My dh works so hard and takes great care of us. I wanted to do something that would be a unique treat for him. I was kinda suprised when we were talking about massages awhile back that he was interested . . .LOL. Knowing him, he'll absolutely love it. My kids are looking forward to the Labs so much that I not concerned about having a bit of "mom and dad" time. Dh is fired up right now b/c he's ready to pay off the trip! We still haven't found airline tickets worth paying for. I'm sure Airtran will have a great sail at the end of the summer and we'l be ready to rumble.

Well off scout camp! Have a great day all!:cool1:

dthogue

05-01-2005, 06:46 PM

Hey Cruise Buddies!!

Today is the 1 year anniversary of our 1st Disney Cruise. Today my DD kept telling me - this time last year...the limo was picking us up, we were boarding the ship, we were at the safety drill, we were at the sail away party, the ships horn was blowing...I think she's gonna keep it up for the balance of the evening :goodvibes

I can't beleive it has been a year. We had such a great trip - I can only hope that our cruise in November is just as good. So I came here to daydream about our upcoming adventure.

We had some changes of plans and will now be staying at Cypress Pointe in Lake Buena Vista Thursday and Friday before the cruise and Saturday after the cruise. I just couldn't pass up $73/night for a 2-bedroom unit. So I guess we'll be driving to the port Saturday morning. :moped:

Disneybride96 - congrats on winning the WDW trip - you are so lucky - I never win anyhting.

DsnysGr8t - congrats on your upcoming anniversary. I'm sure both you and DiaLady will enjoy the REAS package. It sounds heavenly :love:

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

thumpery

05-02-2005, 08:39 AM

Hi Everyone - I think there's a bunch of us who come to this thread to get our Disney fix. I'm working on creating a DVD of our last WDW and cruise trip from this past November. (I take our video and still pictures and put it to music and burn it on a DVD.) It is a great keepsake, and it is really getting me excited for this coming trip! I'm a bit late in doing it, but we've had some trouble with our computer, and since it is quite a bit of work I didn't want to lose any of my work.

Tammy - We are going to be at Cypress Pointe Grand Villas both Thursday and Friday. How did you get your rate and have you stayed there before? We stayed there this past November before the cruise. We got our rate through Hotel Kingdom.

Disneybride96 - You are SOOOO LUCKY!

dthogue

05-02-2005, 07:49 PM

Thumpery - No we haven't stayed at Cypress Pointe before, but after reading all the positive reports on the Orlando board, we decided to give it a try. I did book through Hotel Kingdom, although we are not staying in the Grand Villas, which we about $20.00 more per night. We are really looking forward to staying there, hopefully it is as nice as everyone says.

thumpery

05-03-2005, 08:21 AM

Tammy - I think you will like Cypress Pointe. We chose the Grand Villas because that is where we stayed last year. I really don't know the difference. Anyways, we found it very spacious and clean and a great deal for the $$. 2 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms full kitchen, etc. and having the washer and dryer before the cruise is a great bonus!

Michelle2

05-04-2005, 02:15 PM

I take our video and still pictures and put it to music and burn it on a DVD.) It is a great keepsake, and it is really getting me excited for this coming trip!
Thumpery, that is so awesome...great idea! I need to do that, and have the program to do it with, just need to buckle down and learn HOW! What kind of music do you set it to? I have bought ALOT of Disney cds, is that what you do too? You gave me the inspiration to get on it though. I think that it would really get the kids excited, even though we have never been on a cruise before. I think that is what everyone including DH is looking forward to the most. I am kinda thinking about the REAS package. DH has sounded really interested in the spa treatments. And I would love to avoid the Palo rush...Maybe I will start looking into it.
Good to see everyone, and I love seeing that the counter is now in the 6 month range!! Wow, I remember when it was at 10, 12 and 18!

Michelle2

05-05-2005, 04:40 PM

I had to post again because I just checked out the new DCL website. It is awesome! I know there are some threads about it over on the main forum, but I just had to share in case those who hadn't seen it yet can!

They are now allowing you to make all of your reservations from their site at the 75/90/105 day marks. For first timers, castaway club, and concierge or REAS at sea customers, respectively. I think that it is the best thing ever! I was wondering how I would do all those ressies on board right away, and now being the impulsive planner that I am, I can do it way in advance and not worry about it once on the ship. It makes it tempting for me to get that REAS I was debating about....hmmmm. Oh well, the music and pics on the new site are awesome too. I am glad they are making things more convenient from online. :goodvibes

hpscole

05-09-2005, 10:26 AM

we will be there too!!!! I have a DS 7 and another DS 3 1/2 too!!! We should get together!!! HOLLY

hpscole

05-09-2005, 10:28 AM

This is awesome!!!! I need to check out the reservations!!! Are you signing your kids up for the clubs??

disneybride96

05-09-2005, 07:19 PM

We just booked our airfare today!
It was more than what I really wanted to pay, but waiting to late to make Thanksgiving day reservations was making me jumpy. ($217 each) Boy, do I miss ATA here in Indianapolis! We got direct flights for the Kinfolk, but since I have to work until the store closes on T-day, DH and I have to fly through Atlanta. Oh well, we wanted to be there Friday to take the nephews to the Magic Kingdom.

dthogue

05-10-2005, 07:48 PM

Woo Hoo - the countdown is now under 200 days!!! I'm so excited :cool1: Do you think its too early to start packing?? :confused3

disneybride96

05-11-2005, 07:21 AM

Woo Hoo - the countdown is now under 200 days!!! I'm so excited :cool1: Do you think its too early to start packing?? :confused3

Never to early!

DiaLady

05-11-2005, 09:26 AM

Golly I've started packing way back . . .LOL. Actually it's more like buying and putting away. We purchased snorkle equipment for the adults so we'll have our own set. I still have to get the over the door hanger (can't remember if we used it on the last trip) and other recommended equipement :)

My dh is working lots of overtime so we're about ready to pay off the trip. I'm so proud of him for paying it off early. Then I can add the REAS package and suprise him!!

Did you hear about making PALO, spa, and kids reservations 75 days out on the new disneycruise.com?? My TA says it is up and down, but sounds like a great deal. I like the fact I won't be running around making reservations that first few hours on the ship. Much less stress on dh!!

I was telling DH that I really hope we get to meet some of the folks on this discussion list. Ya'll are so cool!:cool1::cool1::cool1: Can't wait!

Have a terrific day!

grlzmom

05-11-2005, 11:08 AM

I am so jealous of you guys who got your airfare all done and out of the way. With dh's schedule we will have to wait until late summer to book ours.

For those of you booked at Cypress Pointe before the cruise. We have added on a couple of days there during our June trip (after the Nick hotel) in a three bedroom and will let you know how it was when we come back. We booked through Hotel Kingdom and this is our first time trying it, but looks like a bargain and somewhere to really relax after a few insane days at the Nick hotel.

We are getting a taste of summer here, sunny and 70s. Gotta love it. Our pool is being opened today and in three weeks school will be out and we will be on our way to Disney!! The flowers and trees are blooming and the kids can get plenty of outside playtime.

So glad for some sun.

Michelle2

05-17-2005, 04:24 PM

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to check in and tell everyone hooray for the under 200 day mark! :cool1: Getting most of my reservations finalized...it's been so much fun for me.
And yes, hpscole (Holly), I sure will be signing all my kids up for the kids' clubs. Now whether they stay (3 1/2 year old mostly) is a whole different story! I am sure there will be some sort of Dismeet that everyone can get together at if they want to! :goodvibes

dthogue

05-28-2005, 10:32 PM

Happy Memorial Day - hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend. Can you believe we are at last then 6 months til we sail :boat:

Today was my youngest DD's birthday :bday: I can't believe she is 7 - where does the time go??

DiaLady - congrats on paying off the cruise = wish I could say the same :=)

Have a great weekend everyone!

DiaLady

05-29-2005, 08:47 AM

Hi All!!

Wow! Thanks dthogue (member.php?u=33930) for reminding us that we're under SIX MONTHS!! Time has definately been flying! Happy Birthday to your little girl, too.

Now that we're getting closer (LOL), does anyone have suggestions for meeting? Have you read the posts for the Panama Canal cruise. It is so cool all the things the DISers were doing :) Anyway, just thinking a bit ahead.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I'm so thankful to live in the good ole USA! And thankful for all those who have gone before us to fight to keep us free.

DaMayor

05-31-2005, 06:46 PM

Hello Fellow DIS'ers,

Just booked my cruise today. Going with me, myself and I :smooth:

This will be my 7th cruise overall, but 1st on Disney (Carnival for the previous 6)

This will be my 30th birthday trip (no spankings allowed, okay...a little, but only from single women)

Matt
Las Vegas, NV

Dis Mama

05-31-2005, 10:57 PM

Hi there everyone. We will be joining you for Nov. 26th DH (then 40), DD (7), DS (then 5), and myself (35). We have 10 rooms of family all in a row. Our room is 6550. Anyone near us? We did the Western cruise and now it's time try the Eastern. I hope it's not too late to meet you all (it looks like you've all been talking for a while!!!!).. :banana:

Lisa

DiaLady

06-01-2005, 01:31 AM

Welcome Dis Mama and DaMayor! Glad you have joined our cruise!

Yes, we're still talking and we have less than 5 month to go for all the packing we're going to need to do . . .LOL :rolleyes:

DaMayor, I'm kinda curious what made you choose DCL as a single guy?? Didn't think there would be as many single chicks to choose from on a family cruise. However, it might be more relaxing not to have to be chased around the ship so much :teeth:

Well, back to preparing for another baseball game . . .

Have a great night!

DaMayor

06-01-2005, 05:31 AM

My feeling, besides the fact that it's the cheapest cruise left in 2005 (remember, I pay 175% of the normal price anyway), is that the 11/26 cruise has greater potential to not have so many families on it.

The Thanksgiving cruise sure will, and although my 30th bday falls on that cruise (11/19), I felt that the cruise after that one would mean most kids would be back in school.

The other reason I chose Disney is because if you are a single adult without a child, there's still plenty to do. Adult only pool, adult only area at Castway Cay, adult only resturant (Palo) and adult only bars/clubs.

Matt

DsnysGr8t

06-01-2005, 10:56 AM

Welcome DaMayor & Dis-Mama!

DaMayor, we will have 4 "single" females in our group, 2 will only be 13 but the other are over 21! I have also taken a DCL w/o kids and there is so much for singles or marries w/o kids to do! Enjoy!

Hi Lisa! I'm a Lisa too! It's never to late to join a Dis-Board party! After reading the Dis-Board for the 14-Day Panama group I'm very excited to start planning our "Meet & Greet". Anyone have any ideas on what they would like to do?

LGM:)

hpscole

06-01-2005, 11:21 AM

Hello All,
We are so excited to go on this DC!!! As is everyone else here! We are flying in on Thanksgiving morning from CT. We are really living it up ...going to the Beach Club resort for a couple days before the cruise!! I hope we have a DISBOARDS cruise meets on the ship! HOLLY

Michelle2

06-01-2005, 01:07 PM

Hey Matt (DaMayor) and Dis Mama, welcome to our group! I think it will be a great cruise...and wow the time is going by pretty fast. It will be here before we know it!
I just had to say hi to you Matt because my family lives in Las Vegas. I was born and raised there too, and go there often to visit. Just got back actually. Looks like some HOT weather there!

DaMayor

06-01-2005, 05:49 PM

Thanks all for the hello's. It's pretty warm here in Vegas, about 97 today.

I picked up my air documents and cruise confirmation # from the travel agent today. Is there a such thing as a happy dance for air documents and confirmation #'s? :earboy2:

Since there will be a outdoor movie theater by the time we go on our cruise, would anyone like to have a DISBoard meet for one of the movie nights? Or maybe even a drink the first night of the cruise?

Only 5 months and 25 days (but who's counting...oh wait...me)

Matt

Dis Mama

06-01-2005, 10:27 PM

This is one group I'm proud to be a member of!!!! We are also flying in on Thanksgiving day, but staying at the Port Orleans Riverside. We haven't figured out where we are going to make dinner reservations Friday night yet. Any suggestions for a party of over 30 people????? Anyone else from San Diego or remotely close?

Lisa

thumpery

06-02-2005, 07:52 AM

Wecome Matt & Lisa! I can't believe it's less than 6 months away! :cool1:

Michelle2 - Sorry it took so long to reply back to you. I've been busy with my son's Holy Communion, DVD and we just got back from Charleston, SC. I just finished the DVD! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc It is such a great keepsake! My boys watched it and are so excited to go back again. As far as the music, I use a variety of songs. I few came from the "Brother Bear" movie cd, and some were Jimmy Buffet and The Lost Lonely Boys for those beach days! Also, I used the obvious like "Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirate's Life for Me" is for Pirate's night. I think picking the music is the hardest part. I sit in front of our cd player with a stack of cds and listen to the words.

Sounds like a bunch of us are flying in on Thanksgiving! We probably will see each other at the airport and not know who each other are.

ljt064

06-02-2005, 10:52 AM

pirate: Hello All,

My wife, niece (13), DD (8) and DS (4) are getting sooo excited about our upocoming DC. :cool1: We are flying in the day after Thanksgiving and staying at the Radisson.

Right now, cars are booked, hotels are booked, now its just a waiting game.

For the experienced cruisers, what are the excursions to book?

Louie

DaMayor

06-02-2005, 07:49 PM

You spend half your day at work cruising the disboards for new cruise line posts or postings in this group LOL

Matt
<needs a Delorean to go into the future>

Dis Mama

06-02-2005, 09:40 PM

I have to ask, Matt, do you work at a casino or frequent them? I hear a lot of locals don't go to the strip????

Lisa

dthogue

06-02-2005, 09:47 PM

Wow - don't check this thread for a day or two and look what happens - WE GROW :cheer2:

Welcome Matt, Lisa and Louie. Lisa, I have a DD 7 as well - Brenna will be so excited to know there is another girl her age - so far its been mostly boys. Louie, I also have a DD13, if your niece would like to email before the cruise, please let me know.

On our last cruise, we had a meet and greet around the Goofy pool at 3:00pm. Gave everyone a chance to have lunch, settle in their staterooms and for us to meet before the safety drill. One the guys made name tags for everyone, so we knew who was who. My girls wore their nametags all week on thier lanyards. It was a nice icebreaker.

Is anyone planning on dressing up for pirate night? I was surprised my DD's actually agreed to wear pirate attire (we have a costume shop at my work, so they found some neat stuff) pirate:

As for excursions, we are going to do them on own own. Water taxi to Great Bay beach in St. Thomas for a beach day and shopping. On St. Thomas, I was looking into Godfrey tours. On Cruise Critic I was reading that you can get picked up at the ship, taken into town for shopping, picked up at lunch time for a brief island tour on the way to the beach for a few hours. $20/per person - anyone ever here of this company?

Take care!

Dis Mama

06-02-2005, 10:01 PM

Hi Tammy! My daughter's name is Devyn and I let her read your post. She was very excited to read about Brenna (what a cool name). We've got over 30 of us in our party so I need to look into the excursions as well. We were thinking of taking the recommendations from Cruise Critic also. I'll try to find out more. We want to take advantage of the beaches and are going to try and stay away from the shopping :sad2:

Lisa

TJGorman

06-03-2005, 09:09 AM

Welcome Dis Mama and Da Mayor! It is nice to see our group growing. I can not believe we are under six months! :banana: I like the idea of a DIS meet at 3:00 by the Goofy Pool.

As far as air, car, hotel reservations go, I am still waiting for a member of our group to make the hotel reservations. His brother works for an Orlando hotel, so we are hoping he can help us out. But as an obsessive planner, until the hotel is confirmed, I can not relax.

Hope all are enjoying this beautiful June!

DsnysGr8t

06-03-2005, 11:21 AM

Hi All!

Dis-Mama(the "other" Lisa ;) ) Does Santa Cruz Calif count as "close"? We live in Scotts Valley, but most folks (even Californians) don't have any idea where that is!

Louie T. we have two 13yr old girls traveling this time (but they're in "Grandma's" cabin :love: ), sof if your niece would like to meeting them via email prior to the cruise just let me know!

Tammy, I'm with you on the excursions! We're just planning on hanging out at the beach and doing a little shopping (DH is hitting the casino's since the DCL doesn't have one), I'm going to try and find some info on your suggestion of Godfrey tours too!

I 2nd the motion for a 3pm DIS Meet by the Goofy Pool!

Only 176 days til the cruise! And 168 til we leave for the trip!

Lisa

DiaLady

06-03-2005, 12:22 PM

Yeah! 3 PM by the Goofy pool sounds great! Wonder how I'll convince dh this is important . . .LOL. It's so cold here again today. We figure it will still be 80 degrees at Thanksgiving!

Have a super Friday!

DaMayor

06-03-2005, 07:59 PM

I know where's Scott's Valley is, but that's because I was born and raised in San Jose until I moved to Vegas (and yes, I know the way to San Jose, so don't ask) LOL

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Matt

ljt064

06-07-2005, 02:52 PM

Finally the spring / summer weather has hit Boston.

I began to start thinking of questions as I was haning out in the yard over the weekend...Any thoughts or ideas would be apprecited...thks!

What night to have dinner at Palo?

What excursions are people planning for a family of 5 in St. Maarten and St. Thomas? I was thinking of just hanging out at a nice beach and avoid tourists traps..

My wife will definetly want to book time at the spa, any days better than others...what treatments are the best...

......just thinking....

Goofy pool at 3:00 sound like a great idea....

DsnysGr8t - I'll ask my niece over the weekend for her email address.

thanks!!

disneybride96

06-07-2005, 06:25 PM

Finally the spring / summer weather has hit Boston.

What excursions are people planning for a family of 5 in St. Maarten and St. Thomas? I was thinking of just hanging out at a nice beach and avoid tourists traps..

thanks!!

Last year we did the St. John Island tour....it was awesome. St. John is the most beautiful place I have ever see. The majority of the island is Virgin Island National Park....about as pristine as you can ask for these days. Ask for "Magic"...he was our tour guide and very knowlegeable about the island. He pointed out some neat island secrets.

dthogue

06-09-2005, 06:44 AM

DisMama - Brenna said to tell Devyn hello - she was also excited to know another girl her age will be on the ship. Hopefully they can meet the first day - its make easier to go to the clubs when you know someone.

DsnysGr8t and Louie - I also have DD13 - she would love to get to know the other girls before the cruise.

We decided on Great Bay beach for St. Martin - via the water taxi for the day. That way we have beach time and the all important shopping time :flower:

In St. Thomas I booked with Sunny Liston tours for the day. They pick you up at the dock, take you into for shopping, then an island tour followed by some beach time and return to the ship. Cost is on $20/pp.

Weather here has been hazy, hot and humid - guess summer has finally arrived.

:grouphug: - approaching the 5 month mark - can you believe it??

Michelle2

06-10-2005, 12:25 AM

Tammy, we are doing the exact same thing on St. Martin as well...Great Bay beach and just hanging out close and convenient to the ship. having a 3 year old, that is important to us. We want to jet ski!! :) Maybe we will be close by while we are having our beach day! Haven't decided about St Thomas yet. We will probably steer clear of too much shopping, and not spend too much on excursions...probably hanging out at beaches will be what our kids will want to do most.

I also love the 3:00 idea of the meet! I (we) will be there!

Before you know it, we will be doin' the double digit dance!! :cool1: :banana: :cheer2:

And thanks for telling me what you have been up to Thumpery. I loved hearing about your music and the DVD you are making. Now if I can only get my stuff together and do it before the trip.... :rolleyes:

dthogue

06-18-2005, 09:18 PM

Where did everyone go :confused3

DiaLady

06-20-2005, 09:35 AM

Hey everyone --

I'm still here, but I think eveyone is enjoying outside activities. Sure beats being sucked in by the computer all day long . . .LOL. Guess we need waterproof laptops for poolside surfing :)

We've also been overwhelmed by baseball. My oldest son made the all-star team for 9 & 10 year olds. So instead of 3 or 4 days a week with two kids, we are now practicing every day and start the tournament at the end of the week. . .phew! It's so great to be a parent!

Happy belated Father's day to all you dads!!:flower:

Anyone else lurking around??

Have a wonderful sunny day!

thumpery

06-21-2005, 07:06 AM

Hello Everyone! :wave: It sure has been quiet. I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather!

I am having a garage sale this weekend to make some money for the cruise. Please wish me luck & Pixie Dust! We just found out that my son needs braces and that his tuition is going up $1200.00 :earseek: more. OUCH! We better enjoy this cruise to the fullest. It looks like it might be the last for awhile. I'm so thankful the memories we have!

Keep in touch!
Marcy

ljt064

06-21-2005, 09:34 AM

Hello All,

I am so excited that summer is here. :cool1: I had a great Father's day, got some cool shorts to wear for summer and cruisng. My DW and I have a goal of losing 10 pounds each by the end of the summer so we can eat without guilt on the cruise. :rotfl:

Its a sunny 80 degrees today with clear skies. I get to play golf tomorrow and enjoy a day out of the office.

So many things to do before November. I have a to-do list a mile long. I need to go to the post office and get our passports.

Hope everyone gets a chance to go outside and enjoy this wonderful day.

I am excited about November, but I want to enjoy a nice long warm summer first. :smooth:

Michelle2

06-23-2005, 03:34 AM

My DH and I have passports, but I don't need them for my kids do I? I thought that didn't take effect until 2006?? Just making sure....

I am around, just like everyone else, I have just been enjoying our weather here too! and Marcy, I know about the braces, our son will need to get them on as soon as we get back from the cruise!

I am sad that we had to cut off our WDW and Universal trip off after the cruise. We are compromising and going to Disneyland in September instead. Living in Boise, it is cheaper to drive and we have family in Las Vegas. I am half glad, and half mourning the trip I had planned for so much...still going on the cruise though. Maybe DH will like it enough, and we will save enough that we can rebook on board for another. There's an uplifting thought about the whole thing. Sorry for rambling, just a little sad. (I love DL more with all my heart, but I know we can go there anytime. We usually go once a year.)