2/15/2013 - 8 Night Western Cruise, Galveston, TX

[SunshineCruiser]

It doesn't seem to be widely known out there, but if you are flying in the night before you can call DLC and they will book you a stay at the Galvez hotel in Galveston and then transport you to the hotel the night before the cruise for the regular transfer price (I think it's $30 per person?). The next morning they will pick you up from the hotel and when you give them your bags that morning to load on the bus that will be the last you see them before they arrive in your stateroom, and this portion of the transfer is free. I think they have a similar deal with the hotel that is right in the Houston Intercontinental airport.

For us (family of 5) we found it cheaper to book the Galvez directly with the hotel and find our own transportation to the hotel the day before, but we called DLC and they still booked us free transfers from that hotel to the ship for the next morning. (The reason it was more expensive to book through DLC for us was because their system said the max. occupancy was 4 people, so we would need to book 2 rooms, but the hotel itself let us book all in one room.)

 

[Tass]

We booked our airfare last month when we booked the cruise. We found a great rate through Southwest - flying Philadelphia to Hobby in Houston. We decided to make it easy on ourselves and let Disney do the driving. Disney will pick us up at the airport and drive us to the Hotel Galvez on the 14th, drive us to the port on the 15th, and then back to the airport on the 23rd. We priced it out ourselves and it really wasn't much more to let Disney take care of everything.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Welcome to all the newcomers! This thread is really hopping!

We're driving from MI. Yikes! The airfare is just crazy expensive and we have 5 people. Out of Grand Rapids was insane so then we'd have to drive to Chicago where the cheapest is $300 RT, pay for parking etc still. It's just going to be cheaper to drive, even though it won't be a lot of fun to drive that far.

 

[dgmommie]

I'm pretty sure my 11 YO DD will love chatting-after she finds out in 2 weeks!

Elyssa definitely wants to email Julia and your daughter too. She wants to know if they will be going to the Oceaneer's Lab or Edge? She can't go to Edge since she's 10, and they can go to either. She's hoping that they will go to Oceaneer's Lab so they can hang out onboard if they become pen pal friends in email. (This banana dancing was her decision LOL)

 

[Tass]

Elyssa definitely wants to email Julia and your daughter too. She wants to know if they will be going to the Oceaneer's Lab or Edge? She can't go to Edge since she's 10, and they can go to either. She's hoping that they will go to Oceaneer's Lab so they can hang out onboard if they become pen pal friends in email. (This banana dancing was her decision LOL)

Julia was planning to go to the Edge this time. We cruised on the Dream in 2011 and she didn't enjoy the Lab very much - too many little kids running around screaming was her description. I think she spent maybe 2 hours there during the entire 4-day cruise. Do you know if she's able to go to both, or must she make a decision and stick with it for the entire cruise? I told her even if she and Elyssa aren't in the same kids area, they can still chat in advance and plan activities together on the cruise.

 

[SunshineCruiser]

Elyssa definitely wants to email Julia and your daughter too. She wants to know if they will be going to the Oceaneer's Lab or Edge? She can't go to Edge since she's 10, and they can go to either. She's hoping that they will go to Oceaneer's Lab so they can hang out onboard if they become pen pal friends in email. (This banana dancing was her decision LOL)

I've got an 10 year old girl (who of course is also limited to the Oceaneer's Lab) who feels the sole purpose of going on any cruise is to meet a new cruise BFF to hang out in the kids club with and to email with after the cruise, so I will talk to her and if she says yes I will PM you with her email address.

 

[thopkin1]

thopkin1 - Welcome to you as well! Another little girl! My youngest DD will be 3 the month before we sail but maybe yours will still want to play with her. I know that transition from toddler to pre-schooler is a big one.

Good to hear! My DD who is 4, plays shy but usually warms up pretty quickly. But I'm sure she will get to hang out with your DD in the kids club. Can't wait for February

 

[thopkin1]

Julie – I sent you a PM with the link to the FEE doc.

Welcome thopkin1! Great to have you on the cruise.

Thanks for the welcome FloridaFun!

 

[thopkin1]

has anybody purchased their airline tickets for February yet? I haven't even begun to look... Where are you flying in to?

We booked Southwest out of Cleveland to Hobby on the 14

 

[FSU88]

I haven't done one before. Can you tell me what is involved ahead of time to do this?

This is our first one too and forgive me if I'm overexplaining, but I'm going to assume you were like me and had never heard of a FEE before a few weeks ago. It's a simple gift exchange done one or more times during the cruise. You exchange small gifts, either hand made or store bought, with the other cabins on your FEE list. Some may choose to only do this once for each cabin or each person in the cabin and others may give items on multiple days, it's up to you and what you are comfortable with. Outside each cabin is a small fish shaped knob, and the people in the FEE group hang a 'fish entender' from it, and that usually contains one or more pockets to put items in. You can make something yourself, or as in my case, since I have no artistic aptitude at all, I bought one off ETSY. Do a search for "etsy fish extender" and you will see what I mean. During the cruise, you visit the other cabins on the list and put your gifts in their "Fish Extender", in a hit and run fashion. I think I'm looking forward to this more than my son. Hopefully you join in, I'd like a few more in the 3rd group.

Also, I see there is a Facebook group. Can I join that? I spent more time on FB than here since I can get that from my phone easily. I need the group name. I will someday hopefully have time to go back through the 21 pages of posts I haven't read yet.

Thanks!

Yes - FB group is http://www.facebook.com/groups/202895766512925/
Hopefully that works

Jeff

 

[FSU88]

Here is an updated FEE cabin map
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8858/ffedeckplan2.jpg


updated 12/30

 

[Ichiban]

has anybody purchased their airline tickets for February yet? I haven't even begun to look... Where are you flying in to?

We finally got our flights straightened out. We are flying into IAH on Thurs night and we are leaving from HOU on Sat afternoon. We have a room reserved in Galveston, but I am still waiting to figure out our ground transportation. We will probably hire a private car to take us to/from Galveston because it's not that much more than Disney's transfers.

 

[FloridaFun]

Thank you, Jeff, for the updated FEE Cabin list and excellent explanation of the FEE. Is there anyone else who joined the board or who is lurking that would like to join the 3rd FEE group? If so, just let me know and I will get you all set up.

I had planned to work on my FEE gifts today, but I am back to working on my basement remodel. My dream was to have that done before Christmas, but then I gave up on it when my brother said he wasn't coming this year. However, he called a couple of days ago and said he had a change of heart and would be home for the holidays. I am beyond thrilled, but now am in the mad rush to get the remodel done.

Now I just need to find a good balance so I can get my FEE gifts made.

 

[dgmommie]

Julia was planning to go to the Edge this time. We cruised on the Dream in 2011 and she didn't enjoy the Lab very much - too many little kids running around screaming was her description. I think she spent maybe 2 hours there during the entire 4-day cruise. Do you know if she's able to go to both, or must she make a decision and stick with it for the entire cruise? I told her even if she and Elyssa aren't in the same kids area, they can still chat in advance and plan activities together on the cruise.

I have no idea - I haven't had that problem before. And of course they can still do things together. Elyssa got Julia's email today and was so excited, she had to show me.

 

[dgmommie]

I've got an 10 year old girl (who of course is also limited to the Oceaneer's Lab) who feels the sole purpose of going on any cruise is to meet a new cruise BFF to hang out in the kids club with and to email with after the cruise, so I will talk to her and if she says yes I will PM you with her email address.

That would be great! My girl is a social girl - the more friends the better. She starts off shy, but gets over it quickly.

 

[KPetty725]

Hey Katie, do you think you could maybe add the links and important dates/times to the first page so they're easy to find? I think that would help a lot of people, since the thread has gotten so wonderfully busy and long! (A good problem to have! )
-gina-

I would LOVE to do that....if I knew how. If anyone knows how to do that, I'm on it! Anything else yall would like to see on page 1 if I figure it out? Maybe the FEE link and Jeff's fantabulous cabin locator graphic?

 

[Gina]

I would LOVE to do that....if I knew how. If anyone knows how to do that, I'm on it! Anything else yall would like to see on page 1 if I figure it out? Maybe the FEE link and Jeff's fantabulous cabin locator graphic?

Lol! Easy peasy... Just go back to that first post you made, click "edit" at the bottom right, click "go advanced" after that, and edit away! And yeah, I think it would be great to have all the FEE info and Jeff's awesome graphic! Anything that people might like to refer back to. Whatever you feel like putting, it's your thread!

 

[dismom73]

Jeff, the map looks great! Thanks for doing all that work.

 

[KPetty725]

Lol! Easy peasy... Just go back to that first post you made, click "edit" at the bottom right, click "go advanced" after that, and edit away! And yeah, I think it would be great to have all the FEE info and Jeff's awesome graphic! Anything that people might like to refer back to. Whatever you feel like putting, it's your thread!

Wait...MY thread??? It's too much pressure!!! I was reading through the first couple of pages and was laughing at how it was just the two of us for so long!

Thanks for the instructions. I think I did it right. Please feel free to check it. Also, I put the link for the FEE doc. Is that ok with everyone? If not, let me know and I'll take it down as soon as you say the word!

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Can anyone who clicks on the link see it or just those who have been invited to it? There is a lot of personal information there, that's my only concern. I'm not sure I want just anyone to be able to see my kids' names and our cabin number.

Is it possible to close our FB group too? I have the same concern with that link too. If you don't know how to do a closed group Julie, I am an admin of a closed group so I can help you if you need help.