Hello Everyone,
Been reading all the forums here about all the adventures people had before during and after their trips and I decided "Hey what the heck" I learned so much, laughed and even got teary eyed with some. So I decided to give it a shot..
Background:
Me: 43 Retired Law Enforcement Current Security Director
DW: ** ( she always turns 21 still don't know her age) Elementary School Teacher
DD15 (will be 16 on Cruise) Typical Teenager life revolves around Cheerleading
DD14 (will be 15 on Cruise) Teenager who loves Cheerleading and reading
DD2 (yes that's right TWO
) Our little fun and great surprise
20 Years ago the wife and I went to WDW and the Big Red Boat on our Honeymoon (swore we would cruise again but life happened)
Nov 2003 - 1st Family WDW Vacation
Dec 2004 - DD14 Pop Warner Cheer advanced to National Championship (She was so young and we had fun)
Dec 2007 - DD15 and DD14 both of their teams advanced to the POP Warner National Championships and both won 1st place in their respective divisions. Now that was a very Busy and GREAT week...( Funny thing there was wife was complaining about being tired and feeling sick all week. We all brushed it off as being so busy with the 2 girls advancing in the competitions since October. NOT:::: She was carrying our little Jillian we found out a few weeks later
)
April 2009 - DD and me went to High School Cheerleading Competition National Championships (1st Place in her Division) in WDW
DECISIONS
October 2009 -
Well DD15 is turning 16 August of 2010 and she is starting to go to her friends and families sweet 16 extravaganzas. SO we start discussing what she wants to do. She is really unsure exactly what she wants to do and is torn
.
Well her and her sister DD14 come to me and my wife with an idea! They really want to go on a cruise and they also understand how expensive they are, so they both are willing to forgo any type of Sweet 16 party if the family can go on a cruise!!!!
Me and the wife begin to talk about it, DD15 will be 16 August of 2010 and DD14 will be 16 September 2011.. Well if you start crunching numbers at how expensive these sweet 16 parties are, with the price of the cruises we would probably save money, if not enjoy 7 days of fun, instead of a total of 8 hours...SO we go back to the girls and tell them they can begin the research on different cruises, then we will sit and discuss it..
November 2009 -Decisions Decisions-
Several weeks go by with the girls so engulfed in their research (wish they would put that effort in school lol, they are honor students). So finally they come to us with their choice, but are a little apprehensive. Why do ask? Well the girls not only researched the cruise lines, they researched the prices, costs for transportation etc...Me and my DW sit with them and ask them to tell us.. Well with the answer they come back with, we could not say "NO"..
Both girls explain to us that they really want to go on the Disney cruise and explain the reasoning..
1) The baby has at this time become a Mickey Fan thanks to the Disney Channel.
2) It seems that Disney has more to offer kids their age
3) A very good friend goes on the DCL and she loves it
Then they tell us the negatives:
1) DCL seems to be more expensive than the other cruises
2) We have to go to Fl. where as other cruises leave NJ or NY area (more costs)
Well me and DW tell the girls that this is their Sweet 16 celebrations in lieu of big parties and they should let us worry about costs and such.
SO DISNEY IT IS
!!!!!!!But When? oooohhh mmmmyyyy more decisions!!!!!
This took less time than I could have imagined, almost the same night it was decided.... With my wife working in the same school district as the girls, they are all off the first week in November so low and behold OCT 30, 2010 Western Cruise on the Magic it is......
I am in a true believer in giving local buisness people work, so I could have booked through Disney or other on line TA, but that is not me. Me and the DW go to a TA we know and have used for prior trips and Book the date and leave the deposit... We are finally starting our voyage with many ups and downs - But as we know right now 81 days and counting...
Still to come ----- Transportation, The who, what, where and How to get to the darn Boat
Been reading all the forums here about all the adventures people had before during and after their trips and I decided "Hey what the heck" I learned so much, laughed and even got teary eyed with some. So I decided to give it a shot..
Background:
Me: 43 Retired Law Enforcement Current Security Director
DW: ** ( she always turns 21 still don't know her age) Elementary School Teacher
DD15 (will be 16 on Cruise) Typical Teenager life revolves around Cheerleading
DD14 (will be 15 on Cruise) Teenager who loves Cheerleading and reading
DD2 (yes that's right TWO
) Our little fun and great surprise20 Years ago the wife and I went to WDW and the Big Red Boat on our Honeymoon (swore we would cruise again but life happened)
Nov 2003 - 1st Family WDW Vacation
Dec 2004 - DD14 Pop Warner Cheer advanced to National Championship (She was so young and we had fun)
Dec 2007 - DD15 and DD14 both of their teams advanced to the POP Warner National Championships and both won 1st place in their respective divisions. Now that was a very Busy and GREAT week...( Funny thing there was wife was complaining about being tired and feeling sick all week. We all brushed it off as being so busy with the 2 girls advancing in the competitions since October. NOT:::: She was carrying our little Jillian we found out a few weeks later
)April 2009 - DD and me went to High School Cheerleading Competition National Championships (1st Place in her Division) in WDW
DECISIONS
October 2009 -
Well DD15 is turning 16 August of 2010 and she is starting to go to her friends and families sweet 16 extravaganzas. SO we start discussing what she wants to do. She is really unsure exactly what she wants to do and is torn
.Well her and her sister DD14 come to me and my wife with an idea! They really want to go on a cruise and they also understand how expensive they are, so they both are willing to forgo any type of Sweet 16 party if the family can go on a cruise!!!!
Me and the wife begin to talk about it, DD15 will be 16 August of 2010 and DD14 will be 16 September 2011.. Well if you start crunching numbers at how expensive these sweet 16 parties are, with the price of the cruises we would probably save money, if not enjoy 7 days of fun, instead of a total of 8 hours...SO we go back to the girls and tell them they can begin the research on different cruises, then we will sit and discuss it..
November 2009 -Decisions Decisions-
Several weeks go by with the girls so engulfed in their research (wish they would put that effort in school lol, they are honor students). So finally they come to us with their choice, but are a little apprehensive. Why do ask? Well the girls not only researched the cruise lines, they researched the prices, costs for transportation etc...Me and my DW sit with them and ask them to tell us.. Well with the answer they come back with, we could not say "NO"..
Both girls explain to us that they really want to go on the Disney cruise and explain the reasoning..
1) The baby has at this time become a Mickey Fan thanks to the Disney Channel.
2) It seems that Disney has more to offer kids their age
3) A very good friend goes on the DCL and she loves it
Then they tell us the negatives:
1) DCL seems to be more expensive than the other cruises
2) We have to go to Fl. where as other cruises leave NJ or NY area (more costs)
Well me and DW tell the girls that this is their Sweet 16 celebrations in lieu of big parties and they should let us worry about costs and such.
SO DISNEY IT IS
!!!!!!!But When? oooohhh mmmmyyyy more decisions!!!!!This took less time than I could have imagined, almost the same night it was decided.... With my wife working in the same school district as the girls, they are all off the first week in November so low and behold OCT 30, 2010 Western Cruise on the Magic it is......
I am in a true believer in giving local buisness people work, so I could have booked through Disney or other on line TA, but that is not me. Me and the DW go to a TA we know and have used for prior trips and Book the date and leave the deposit... We are finally starting our voyage with many ups and downs - But as we know right now 81 days and counting...
Still to come ----- Transportation, The who, what, where and How to get to the darn Boat
...Start to go online for airfare!!!! NOT airlines have not posted flights past October 15, 2010 until March... Ok so I can still look at the flight information and costs to see the approximate costs.. Ahh thats what I do, well the airfare rates are not that bad, from my research we may be able to get this done. I check trains, auto train driving gas and hotel costs and the prices are almost all the same if you calculate convenience with flying. 
Oh my Gosh!!!! The airfare is double what I had anticipated.. I truly believe that airlines know that NJ schools are out so the almost double their prices to hurt parents like me who do not like there kids to miss school. 
....The girls also want to celebrate their 16th birthday at the Formal night (once we figure out when that is).
AND 
! We took her on a cruise in January (at 19/mo) It was...well...interesting! That was RCCL though and they did not have Flounders so I am looking forward to a little time off on the cruise, if you know what I mean! 
She was a hero! 
....
..
Which reminds me I am upset that 
The pain from my knee is unbearable......
Thank Goodness... But out of work for 3 weeks, of course the DW and DD's are not happy since it is there summer vacation.. 
Make sure to book your excursions early. I can see that 2 are already full, and Palo only has Monday available. I KNOW they also hold ressies that can be made on the ship.
