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

[Gina]

Have the tropical music streaming and I am happily packing... Thought I'd take a break to come check in on my fellow cruise pals!

Re: blow dryers -- Definitely bring your own!! You could blow on your own hair and dry it faster than the ones there.

CalgaryFam ~ As others have said, there is plenty for your kiddos to do at night if you want to go to the adult activities, especially if they're used to staying up later anyway. DS has been on the Magic at both your children's ages, and even at 12 or 1am, I had to drag him out of there! He said he liked it late at night because most of the other kids were asleep and he could have his pick of things to play with. But we've always been nightowls by nature anyway.

I have a question for you veteran Magic cruisers... On all our previous cruises, we never once went anywhere but Topsiders for breakfast. I like options and buffets. But I've heard breakfast in the main dining room is really nice, and less hectic. What do they offer? Any thoughts?

 

[elmo2200]

You guys have been busy!!! Well, I stayed off the DIS and got my FEs done!!! As a bonus I just got my memory cards emptied and ready!!!! I can't wait to pack! I can't tonight because DH is home and will think I'm crazier than usual.... But just wait for Monday while he's at work!!!!
We NEED a picture...

 

[FloridaFun]

Me too, taking a break to check in. Had to change forcus a little from cruise stuff to valentines day. My DS5 had a make a box for pre-school. He will miss the party, but their "post office" opens tomorrow and mail can be delived by the kids any time. I am also working on the card deck idea of "52 reasons that I love you" for my DH. I came up with way more than 52 and now am in the process of picking out the best ones.

Almost all my FE gifts are done. All I have left is the 4 really little tikes in our FE lists and I finally figured out what I am going to do for them. A trip to the store tomorrow for the supplies and I think they will be all done tomorrow. After that... It is on to packing!

It is starting to feel so real!

 

[tryin]

You can usually go to the county office for a birth certificate. It's crazy expensive to get one printed but its better than missing the cruise!

Thanks, I know, but we are far from his birth state.

My DD said she is staying in the club until 12 AM! that gives me tons of free time, lol! We'll see how long she lasts.

 

[graysonsmom]

Help... pirate costume help! I finally found a good top... that I think is PERFECT but it is yellow... I imagine like a cream/white top.... what do others think... I'm doing black pants... red and white stripes sash and red or yellow bandana (now I still haven't cut the fabric so I can still switch colors) hmmm confused. .. first cruise!
Also, what are most people bringing for the kids club staff and the signature people (when u take to guest service a mat for autographs) I would love to do like phone cards or something BUT how many. .. or just bring candy/cookies... what about healthy snacks. .. HELP!


thanks in advance!

 

[juliefsu]

Have the tropical music streaming and I am happily packing... Thought I'd take a break to come check in on my fellow cruise pals!

Re: blow dryers -- Definitely bring your own!! You could blow on your own hair and dry it faster than the ones there.

CalgaryFam ~ As others have said, there is plenty for your kiddos to do at night if you want to go to the adult activities, especially if they're used to staying up later anyway. DS has been on the Magic at both your children's ages, and even at 12 or 1am, I had to drag him out of there! He said he liked it late at night because most of the other kids were asleep and he could have his pick of things to play with. But we've always been nightowls by nature anyway.

I have a question for you veteran Magic cruisers... On all our previous cruises, we never once went anywhere but Topsiders for breakfast. I like options and buffets. But I've heard breakfast in the main dining room is really nice, and less hectic. What do they offer? Any thoughts?

Agree about the hair dryer. They stink

We enjoyed the sit down breakfast better (eggs Benedict, omelettes, better waffles/pancakes). We didn't do it as often as I would like because of our morning schedules. Kids would want to eat while I ran and DH slept. So I would get the kids breakfast at topsider, bring it to the room so they could eat while DH slept. But if we were all up and hungry we did the sit down. Less hectic but took longer. Try it out. We liked it more but like I said everyone in my family wanted breakfast at a different time.

 

[elmo2200]

Help... pirate costume help! I finally found a good top... that I think is PERFECT but it is yellow... I imagine like a cream/white top.... what do others think... I'm doing black pants... red and white stripes sash and red or yellow bandana (now I still haven't cut the fabric so I can still switch colors) hmmm confused. .. first cruise!
Also, what are most people bringing for the kids club staff and the signature people (when u take to guest service a mat for autographs) I would love to do like phone cards or something BUT how many. .. or just bring candy/cookies... what about healthy snacks. .. HELP!


thanks in advance!

Your costumes sound great! Try not to stress too much, especially your first cruise. (Giggling to myself because I am the WRONG person to tell someone not to obsess!)
In the past we have given staff candy. I am planning to search the threads to see what is a popular gift right now.

 

[Gina]

Good Morning, happy cruisers!

We interrupt your probably boring Monday to tell you...

11 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We now return you to your regularly scheduled daydreaming.

 

[Kimbo71]

Anyone planning on doing the Castaway Cay 5K? I didn't do it last cruise and really regretted it. Am doing it this time for sure.

I am. I have worked since October to be able to run it, & just finished the C25K program last week. I will continue to run 3 times a week through the CC 5K, & probably beyond that. I am really looking forward to running at sea level, since I live at 6,500 ft!!!

 

[KPetty725]

I have a question for you veteran Magic cruisers... On all our previous cruises, we never once went anywhere but Topsiders for breakfast. I like options and buffets. But I've heard breakfast in the main dining room is really nice, and less hectic. What do they offer? Any thoughts?

We typically do Topsiders just because we like to put on swim suits and hit the pool early. The few times we've gone to main dining it was delicious but too slow for our little girls to handle. They're not used to a multi-course breakfast!

Does anyone know when/if there will be character breakfasts on this cruise? We haven't done a long cruise in a while and haven't ever done the character meals on the ship.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Help... pirate costume help! I finally found a good top... that I think is PERFECT but it is yellow... I imagine like a cream/white top.... what do others think... I'm doing black pants... red and white stripes sash and red or yellow bandana (now I still haven't cut the fabric so I can still switch colors) hmmm confused. .. first cruise!
Also, what are most people bringing for the kids club staff and the signature people (when u take to guest service a mat for autographs) I would love to do like phone cards or something BUT how many. .. or just bring candy/cookies... what about healthy snacks. .. HELP!


thanks in advance!

I just got my top today at Walmart for $12. I didn't like the one we picked up at the thrift store. They had it in all kinds of colors including white. It's long sleeved lightweight material and bunches at the waist and wrists with a tie at the neckline. Both my kids are at school right now so I picked up a few things at Walmart this morning. Then I got all my FE gifts into labeled ziplocs, good thing because I was 1 short on two things so I'm planning to head to grab those in a minute, hopefully there is the same thing left. Then I tried on my pirate costume with the new shirt and deemed it quite piraty so I think I'm good to go there! So excited!!

 

[graysonsmom]

I just got my top today at Walmart for $12. I didn't like the one we picked up at the thrift store. They had it in all kinds of colors including white. It's long sleeved lightweight material and bunches at the waist and wrists with a tie at the neckline. Both my kids are at school right now so I picked up a few things at Walmart this morning. Then I got all my FE gifts into labeled ziplocs, good thing because I was 1 short on two things so I'm planning to head to grab those in a minute, hopefully there is the same thing left. Then I tried on my pirate costume with the new shirt and deemed it quite piraty so I think I'm good to go there! So excited!!

That is the exact shirt I'm talking about but they only had my size in yellow :-(

 

[fatfish]

Our pirate costumes are T-shirts, jeans and a pirate hat, and I'll be lucky if I get dd11 to wear that! If you have little ones that love dressing up, go all out on the pirate costumes. Otherwise, don't stress over it. Only about 1/3 of the people seem to dress up on the cruises we have been on.

In the past I have brought candy for the kids' clubs CMs and anyone else I wanted to give a little "thank you" to. There is a great debate going on apparently, on the main cruise board, but I have always found the CMs very happy to get chocolate, and no, they were not just being nice. They would "swarm" when I showed up with a bag of Snickers. I would bring full size chocolate bars to GS when I wanted/needed something. By the end of the cruise they all knew me by name and would ask me if I needed anything if they passed me in the hall. Some people (those that seemd to enjoy raining on other's parades, IMHO) will tell you that the CMs do not like the candy and you are doing it to make yourself feel good, but it has been my experience that the CMs truly appreciate it. I will be bringing some candy on this cruise, but not as much as dd11 will be in the Edge, and thus I will not be seeing the CMs as much. (I literally brought a bag of candy every day when i picked up dd on our last cruise.)

I have baby fine hair. The hair dryers on the ship work for me, but if you've got any volume to your hair, you might want to bring your own.

We will be putting our names (real and Dis) on our FE gifts, but we will probably make 2 deliveries for the kids, and names may not be on the second one. Not sure I want y'all to know it was us that gave your kids those things...

11 days and counting!!

 

[fatfish]

Finally got our cabin assignment! I tried to update the FE spreadsheet, but it would not let me. Who do I need to PM? We're in 2092.

Thanks!

 

[Gina]

Ugh... helpies, please! I've been trying to get the FEE2 list from Google Drive on my phone to my work computer, but can't seem to do it. (For some reason we can't access Drive from here.) Is there someone who can pretty please just save off the FEE2 sheet as a regular Excel spreadsheet and shoot it to me right quick? g.peterson@ssss.com

Thanks!!!


-gina-

 

[Gina]

Okay, are y'all seriously sick of me yet today? I'm sorry... I can't seem to gather all my thoughts into one basket this morning!

I just had a teensy request... Just for the next week-ish, it would be SO awesome if people could sign their posts with their first names! I really really don't want to be addressing people by their DIS names onboard, lol. And if I start cramming to memorize real names now, I might get it down in time.

If you don't want to do that, that's totally fine -- just a request.


-gina-

 

[fatfish]

Ugh... helpies, please! I've been trying to get the FEE2 list from Google Drive on my phone to my work computer, but can't seem to do it. (For some reason we can't access Drive from here.) Is there someone who can pretty please just save off the FEE2 sheet as a regular Excel spreadsheet and shoot it to me right quick? g.peterson@ssss.com

Thanks!!!


-gina-

Just sent it!

 

[Gina]

Just sent it!

Thank you thank you!


-gina-

 

[SunshineCruiser]

I'm really starting to worry that we might not make it on this cruise because my 91 year old grandfather likely only has days to a couple weeks to live and it is his time to go (he is in pain and on morphine and can no longer talk at all or swallow to be able to eat, and they have taken off all his other regular meds), and I know I couldn't live with myself if I missed the funeral for a vacation.

Please keep us in your thoughts, and I hope it doesn't sound selfish to hope it doesn't interfere with our vacation plans because we have been through a hell of a year and looking forward to this vacation is what has kept me going.

Nicole

 

[elmo2200]

Nicole- I'm sorry y'all are having such hard times. I will pray for you right now.
Tracey