The Pay It Forward PTR - Concierge on Disney Fantasy Eastern January 26, 2013

[bubbles0812]

Love following your report! I was hoping you could tell me what FE means. I have seen it in a few threads.
We leave next week for our cruise out of Galveston. We are very excited.

 

[cblack]

Love following your report! I was hoping you could tell me what FE means. I have seen it in a few threads.
We leave next week for our cruise out of Galveston. We are very excited.

Welcome and thanks for reading along! FE is an abbreviation for "fish extender." On the Disney ships, outside of each room, next to the door, there is a little hook that you can hang things off of, and the staff on the ship will leave notes/info on that hook. On the classic ships (Magic and Wonder), some (or maybe all) of these hooks were fish. Sometime a while ago, a Dis group decided to do a gift exchange of sorts, and they decided to leave these gifts in bags that hang off of the "fish extender" outside of the door. These have morphed, some of the bags are fancy, some are not...the goal is to have fun with the gift exchange. If you google "fish extender," you can see images of these. If you have a cruise planned, check into your meet to see if they are doing this to sign up. HTH!

 

[cblack]

The first Disney cruise to port in San Juan just came back about a week ago, and I was so happy to find that someone from that cruise posted the Navigators (Thanks Disneyfan888!). I wanted to look at these for a couple reasons. First, I remember a couple of things that we didn't do on our last cruise that I really wanted to make time for this cruise. And, second, I wanted to see what would be happening at the kids' clubs while Jeremy and I were going to be at Palo Brunch, Palo Dinner, and the spa. You see, I am VERY nervous about Jayden and the clubs. She can be very timid, and is not the kid that runs into a place and starts playing. She requires "transition time," and more importantly, there must be an adult there that she really likes and trusts.

On day one, we plan to take an hour or so to show her all of the cool things that are there to play with. I also plan to tell her that if she is really, really good, we will let her come back to play with all of those cool things. I am not above using trickery on my child to enjoy food and pampering!

In reviewing the Navigators, I identified several activities that we would like to partake in and I am classifying those as "hope to dos" and "must dos." I will admit that some of these "must dos" were "must dos" on the last cruise that didn't get done, so I do know that this may be the case this time, too.

Hope To Dos:

• Wine Tasting - I do not really drink alcohol very often, but would love to find a wine that I like.
• Anyone Can Cook - It appears that Jayden can join in on this fun, and that girl LOVES to cook. I hope we can make it happen!
• Character Dance Party - just as it sounds. A good way to interact with the characters without having to stand in a line.
• Enjoy a meal in our room or on our balcony - preferably breakfast.
• Read a book - This is probably REALLY pushing it, but I will at least bring my Kindle

Must Dos:

• Princess Gathering - it was on our last cruise that Jayden fell in love with the princesses. It is worth it to me to stand in line for a while for these ladies!
• Disney Junior - an early morning event where we can interact with the characters. I have heard that because these are early morning, the attendance is low.
• The Evening Shows - all of them...seriously! It was on our last cruise that we learned of Jayden's love of musicals. I don't care how cheesy a musical is if it gives me the chance to see her do something she loves.
• Go With the Flow - I am the type that must include this or it will not happen. I want to plan everything out, but I know that a good vacation is dependent on this item!
• Look at the stars - see below

The Navigators showed several activities during the times we have booked for brunch, dinner, and the spa, so as long as we can find 1 (or 4) great cast members that she loves, we should be golden.

Jeremy and I spent some time this weekend talking about the "big reveal." Jayden is now regularly talking about "on the Mickey Boat, can I..." and we continue to respond, "yes, dear, hopefully we get to go!" She loves to go look at the stars every night; tonight, it was cloudy, so she responded, "I bet I will be able to see them really well on the Mickey Boat!" I'm sure she is right. so I just went back up to add that to my "Must Do" list! I still have no idea where she got the idea that we are going.

Even if she has figured out we are going, she still doesn't know when or what we will be doing. So, I am planning to make (er...or request someone on Etsy to make) three invitations. The first will be an invite to Florida with a little bag of goodies for the plane (entertainment and snacks). She will get that at breakfast the morning we leave. The second invite I hope to discreetly pass to the CM that checks us into the hotel to give to Jayden, and this one will be from Cinderella herself and will request Jayden's presence at dinner that night. The final one will be one that will invite her on the "Mickey Boat," and I will either ask one of the servers to deliver it to our table, or I might sneak up to the room while Jeremy distracts her and set it up with balloons or a new stuffed character. Jayden loves surprises and will quickly see the trend here, so I think it will build the excitement!

We are just 10 weeks away from sailing away, and I can't wait!!!

 

[Conorama]

You see, I am VERY nervous about Jayden and the clubs. She can be very timid, and is not the kid that runs into a place and starts playing. She requires "transition time," and more importantly, there must be an adult there that she really likes and trusts.

We are just 10 weeks away from sailing away, and I can't wait!!!

Are we 10 weeks away? Good grief. I'm a bit preoccupied with my thesis defense coming up, so I've lost track!

Would a (new) friend she knew a bit help Jayden at the clubs? Our Dude does well when he is the "protector", and so if he knew that Jayden might be worried being there on her own, he would (in all likelihood) take her under his wing. Dude's got a knight in shining armor thing going. (Nevermind that this would help us get him to the club... )

Otherwise, it looks like we'll see you at quite a few things, minus the princess gatherings - despite his Prince Charming complex, the boy is completely anti-princess... and, I'm still thinking, anti-characters. We'll see, though!

Oh, and I *definitely* read on vacation. It's my number 2 thing after "spend time with the kid". On beaches, I get to combine numbers 1 and 2, which is why we're doing a lot of beach stuff. The Canadian Kindle (Kobo) is the best invention since sliced bread.... or maybe since Pibb?

BTW - I forget (and I'm too tired to read back - badness!) - what are you doing in St. Thomas again? I'm now officially freaking out about the 21,000 + people in port that day. We have a Coral World excursion booked, but the reports of the transportation are alarming, but with that many humans in port, I'm worried about arranging our out transportation, even if we could arrange Coral World privately...

10 weeks - oh my.

 

[cblack]

Are we 10 weeks away? Good grief. I'm a bit preoccupied with my thesis defense coming up, so I've lost track!

Would a (new) friend she knew a bit help Jayden at the clubs? Our Dude does well when he is the "protector", and so if he knew that Jayden might be worried being there on her own, he would (in all likelihood) take her under his wing. Dude's got a knight in shining armor thing going. (Nevermind that this would help us get him to the club... )

Otherwise, it looks like we'll see you at quite a few things, minus the princess gatherings - despite his Prince Charming complex, the boy is completely anti-princess... and, I'm still thinking, anti-characters. We'll see, though!

Oh, and I *definitely* read on vacation. It's my number 2 thing after "spend time with the kid". On beaches, I get to combine numbers 1 and 2, which is why we're doing a lot of beach stuff. The Canadian Kindle (Kobo) is the best invention since sliced bread.... or maybe since Pibb?

BTW - I forget (and I'm too tired to read back - badness!) - what are you doing in St. Thomas again? I'm now officially freaking out about the 21,000 + people in port that day. We have a Coral World excursion booked, but the reports of the transportation are alarming, but with that many humans in port, I'm worried about arranging our out transportation, even if we could arrange Coral World privately...

10 weeks - oh my.

Haha! Yes, just 10 weeks. After having a couple extremely busy work weeks, I am already starting the, "everything must be done before I leave" panic. It will be ok, though!

I can't wait for Jayden to meet your Dude! He sounds like such a fun little man! A new friend could definitely work for the clubs, especially if I tell her he is a knight in shining armor. We shall conspire to have adult time!

Jayden declared several times that she is going to hug the characters, give them high fives, and get her picture taken because she is brave and they are nice. We will see!

I love to read...usually at least one book per week, but on vacation, it is just harder to do. I tend to read on my commute to work, so without that I find other things to occupy myself. I couldn't read on a beach with Jayden there because I'm not capable of running, digging, swimming, burying, etc. while reading . Maybe that will be included when I get my Mom 2.0 upgrade

We are doing the Kon Tiki excursion in St. Thomas. It goes to honeymoon beach, and I have heard it is less busy than other beaches. We are really hoping we will avoid the thousands of people!

Thanks again for reading along!

 

[pionnetje]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me which night will be formal night? And do they still do a pirate night? If yes when will it be?

Thanks for the info,

Kyra
The Netherlands.

 

[cblack]

Hello,
Can anyone tell me which night will be formal night? And do they still do a pirate night? If yes when will it be?

Thanks for the info,

Kyra
The Netherlands.

The answer to your question depends on which cruise you are on. For the cruise I am on, formal night is Sunday. Pirate night is on Tuesday.

 

[cblack]

As suspected, this time of year is flying by. We are just 50 days away from leaving...that deserves some dancing banana!

I have picked up the FE gifts we are doing for Jayden, and those are hidden well in my packing basket. These are good backup Christmas presents, too, just in case we have an extra little one (extras are always a possibility during the holidays!)

I am starting to put more thought into baskets from Shirley. I still am not sure what to include, but will figure it out soon.

I probably won't update again until after the holidays, so here is to wishing you and your families happy holidays!

 

[eyesing4u]

Finally got our cabin assignment! Room 5026. Pretty sure we got pixie dusted. Hope they don't change it before we sail. Woot!

 

[cblack]

Finally got our cabin assignment! Room 5026. Pretty sure we got pixie dusted. Hope they don't change it before we sail. Woot!

That is great! I hope they only change it if you get upgraded

 

[pionnetje]

The answer to your question depends on which cruise you are on. For the cruise I am on, formal night is Sunday. Pirate night is on Tuesday.

I am on the cruise this thread is about...januari 26th 2013... Thank you for the answer.

Kyra

 

[cblack]

I am on the cruise this thread is about...januari 26th 2013... Thank you for the answer.

Kyra

Well welcome! You should go to our meets thread as there are several of us on here going on this cruise. If you look at the top of disboards, there is a link to cruise meets, and then find our date. I would put a link in, but I'm not sure how to on my phone.

Found it... http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2820421

 

[eyesing4u]

How can I get information on Shirley's baskets? DH would love a 40th birthday basket with Mountain Dew! Lol!

 

[cblack]

How can I get information on Shirley's baskets? DH would love a 40th birthday basket with Mountain Dew! Lol!

Shirley posts helpful info about Orlando/port Canaveral on these boards and is so nice. Her web site is www.theperfectgift.cc

 

[eyesing4u]

Thanks so much Cassie! I can't wait to read your next update. Have a wonderful holiday!

 

[Wenawen]

Sorry to be lurking on this thread but I am trying to find out as much as I can about the concierge level. I just upgraded my reservation from 4C to V.
We went from Deck 7 to Deck 12!! My husband does not know yet. I am giving it to him as a Christmas present. Our cruise is not til Aug. Please keep posting about the concierge level. What is the rain forest?

 

[cblack]

Sorry to be lurking on this thread but I am trying to find out as much as I can about the concierge level. I just upgraded my reservation from 4C to V.
We went from Deck 7 to Deck 12!! My husband does not know yet. I am giving it to him as a Christmas present. Our cruise is not til Aug. Please keep posting about the concierge level. What is the rain forest?

Please comment and ask questions! It gives me something to focus on! I will shoot for finishing up our trip report before you cruise How neat and what a great surprise for your hubby!

I haven't been in the rain forest room, but from what I understand, there are heated lounge chairs and showers with different temperatures of water. I believe you can get day passes or a week-long pass for this room. Hope that helps!

 

[cblack]

I interrupt this holiday weekend with very exciting news...we finally received our cruise documents! The document/booklet itself is not all that exciting, but I will share what is included for first timers or for those who dont receive their documents for some reason.

First, your luggage tags are included. These tags are color coded for concierge and are a dark burgundy color. From what I have read, the folks loading bags and prepping them for delivery look for the concierge tags first. Who knows if this is true or actually happens. I thought we received our bags fairly quickly on our last cruise as concierge, but others around us did too. The booklet also includes a vacation checklist for Right now, Before you leave home, Before you get to Port Canaveral, Before you go, and As soon as youre on the ship. The booklet includes an overview of documents required to get on the ship, and then provides a vacation summary with dates, guests, flights, ground transportation, insurance, port adventures, and anything else already pre-booked. One great thing about the breakdown of port adventures in this section is that it lists the actual times of the excursions. I have not been able to find this so far, but was happy to read that our earliest excursion starts at 9:15am. The vacation summary section also includes information about the various amenities onboard, information for ordering gifts, and the sailing itinerary. There is a section on Flight Information, where it recaps what you have entered on Disneys web site when completing online check-in and provides the airlines baggage policies. Finally, there are three perforated cards with the sailing information, stateroom number, and ship telephone number to be used in case of an emergency. You can give these cards to folks at home in case they need to reach you.

Now, if you did not receive your booklet, dont worry! You can get luggage tags at the port and they will write in your stateroom number, and there is nothing in the book that is not online already.

So, nothing new in the booklet...why so much excitement? For us, it is the timing. The cruise documents tend to arrive about one month prior to the cruise, and this milestone reminds us that we are getting INCREDIBLY close to our long awaited vacation.

As soon as the holidays are over, I am going to get started on our special invitations for the cruise and dinner the night before. I also hope to have a good idea of what we are going to include in our baskets from Shirley!

 

[Conorama]

I interrupt this holiday weekend with very exciting news...we finally received our cruise documents! The document/booklet itself is not all that exciting, but I will share what is included for first timers or for those who don't receive their documents for some reason.

Thx for the update Cassie! No documents here, but I think I've figured out that's because they would have gone to our travel agent, and probably arrived on Friday before the holidays, so we'll just have to be patient and wait... and patience is running on a very low supply here these days, what with it being Christmas eve and there being a 4 year old in the house.

Otherwise, I think I know what Shirley needs to put in our basket and I just need to find the time to call her. I'm excited because we have one short trip to visit family from Dec 27-29, and then I can start packing in earnest. As noted previously, we have The System, and it's ready to get going... I'm on call for Dec 30 to Jan 2nd, so lots of time at home to get it done.

For some reason, we do know our excursion times despite not having cruise documents ... for some of them we had to pick. We have on early one in St. Thomas, I think, which is fine for us early birds (all except the husband, and Dude and I know how to manage him...) and we picked early due to being not a little concerned about the crowds in St. Thomas that day with so many large ships in port.

And with that, the 4 year old is finally done in the bath, so my time here with my computer is about to come to an end. Time to leave cookies out for Santa, read one last Christmas story, and try to get the boy to sleep so I can wrap presents.

 

[Fastpaks]

What is the rain forest?

Per bliss LOL.

It is essentially three areas. The first is "experience showers." This can range from a VERY icy experience to a rain shower in the jungle. While you take the various showers, you can get a range of smells that are themed to the type of shower you choose. I forget which on but there was one that would start of cold, then warm up a ton, switch to a cool mist.. etc etc.. They aren't rinse showers perse.

The second area is a the saunas. There are 3. The dry one over looks the ocean, the other 2 are wet ones that are enclosed. If you get a scrub (extra charge) then you do use the "experience showers" to rinse.

The third area is where the "stone" heated seats are. If I recall there are 6/8 of them. AND at night they have a individual LED light if you would like to lay and read. There are double doors or a sliding door, I can't remember that leads to two hot tubs overlooking the ocean. They have the window open (at least when I was on the ship they did), so you get a nice cross breeze to greet you.

There are daily passes and weekly passes. I forget what the prices are but they are likely higher now anyhow. My only regret when I went on the Dream was I didn't get a full 4 day. On the Fantasy, I certainly will get a full week.

Jonathan