Shrek Takes On Mickey: The Dreamworks Experience Aboard Allure of the Seas 9/18-25

[MAGICFOR2]

Originally Posted by Florida Dreamin'

Thought I saw all of you while at DTD tonight. Didn't want to interrupt because you all looked like you were on a mission!

WHAT? ROOKIE MISTAKE - ALL DISers ARE REQUIRED TO MEET AND TAKE PICS, THEN POST THEM FOR ALL TO SEE! j/K (sort of)

[Mindy5767]

Sorry I'm so late to the party!! I was shown your TR by a friend and read it all yesterday and today. I can see you didn't finish yet... I'm waiting... In just about 2 weeks we will be sailing on the Mariner of the Seas on a Western Caribbean 7 day sailing out of Galveston Texas. We will stop in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica. I can't believe how much bigger the Allure is than the DREAM!! And I thought the DREAM was so huge. I just can't get over all those specialty food places. We sailed the Radiance in Alaska in 2008 before the renovation. The only places we ate were the main dining room, Windjammer Cafe and there was a small pub up on an upper deck that was only accessible from an outside deck, not from an inside hallway. This was particularly challenging when it was ice raining!!

[nenner1]

Originally Posted by lucas

[COLOR="Purple"]
There wasn't a parade the last night, just dancing in a blocked off area that the characters danced in. And the whole crowd was dancing in front of that area.

Oh I can imagine that was hard to see. I expected that on Allure too but we just had the parade. I think some of that info was confused between ships on CC or maybe they just changed how the did things somewhere along the line.

They never said anything. I wish I had asked the Captain at his talk but didn't think of it at the time. It was disappointing as I had my family in NOLA watching the sailaway. And we had great aft spots with just another family standing there, but they gave up before us.

As promised, here are the pics. FWIW the ship was pretty sailing away all lit up. I do much prefer it during daylight though.

I forgot to mention that on our second to last sea day (Oasis has 2 sea days at the end), as we were leaving our cabin on deck 8, there was a medical emergency announcement for a cabin on deck 8 (waaaaayyyy down from us) and people in uniforms were running down the hall. Later that day they made another medical emergency announcement calling for a certain type blood. At his talk, the Captain said passengers and crew came forward and the patient was stable. When we were disembarking, we saw an ambulance and fire truck right next to the ship.

Wow, so glad that passenger was stabilized and is hopefully doing well now. We had a fire alarm (they say it was a drill but I never choose to believe they do these "drills" out int he middle of dinnertime and showtime in a busy area like the Deck 3 Dining Room entrance but I digress. LOL!

We also had an encounter with a piece of emergency medical equipment pulled up to the ship when we docked in St. Thomas. Not directly involving us of course but it was an interesting tidbit. More on that coming up!

Oh no! The robes were not terrycloth! They were just extremely thin cotton! They said they would go get more and for us to come back. When we came back, we had to explain again, and they had us sit for about 5-10 minutes until they brought out 2 glasses. You would think we were begging for it or something. Heck, it was advertised to be be included in the price of the special! I knew something was weird right after the massage when she asked me if I wanted champagne or water. I mean, you think she should have at least offered another choice, like juice or something?

Oh boy...yikes! That is quite a disappointing experience. You are there to relax for goodness sakes!!!

We were discussing if we would go on Oasis next time and, I think we may just stick with Allure!We already have next Thanksgiving booked on the Fantasy (loved the Dream - only too short) and are thinking of booking something in March. But, this time we are gonna look for a deal. Princess has been sending us some great specials! Last Thanksgiving on the Emerald Princess was fantastic.

Awesome! Thanksgiving on the Fantasy will be awesome. Ron and I were just discussing how much we'd like to go on a Thanksgiving cruise. And we have been shooing deals too! My mom is coming back this morning from a cruise on the NCL Star that she got super cheap so I'm anxious to hear how she liked it.

Originally Posted by MAGICFOR2

YUMM-O!! That looks just like our fav restaurant when we were in Boise! Tucanos- Set up the same way - same foods -( Oh - no dancers there) What a great dinner for $12.50! If I show this to Jim he'll want to book on Allure for sure!

Oh absolutely Tammie!! What a bargain! It was not our favorite specialty restaurant of the cruise though!

Originally Posted by happypooh

Amazing trip report!! Have spent all day reading from page 1 and tidying up the house, taking breaks to come back to read the report as a treat from all the hard work of unpacking after our trip!

Aww, unpacking! That's the worst!!!

We've done 3 DCL cruises and my DH says he'd like to take a non disney cruise sometime (shock horror!) and your TR really makes the Allure sound alluring! Do you happen to know how they are with dealing with kids with food allergies? DCL is so so good and looking at the food places so far I can't see too much that she can eat on the Allure (she's allergic to wheat, dairy, egg, potatoes, beef, soy, gluten plus a gazillion more!)

I do know that they say they handle allergies similar to Disney- you let them know beforehand and a chef will come out and meet with you at dinner and discuss the menu. We are very lucky to not have any foodborne allergies, so we have not dealt with this firsthand however. Since your daughter's allergies sound quite complicated I would suggest a call to RCCL directly and follow up with a search on CC - there is an awful lot of info over there.

Also is there just one sit down restaurant that is free that you are assigned to or you have to make reservations for places that are extra cost? We once sailed Norwegian on their Hawaiian cruise and it was dreadful - it would take close to 3 hours to get fed at their sit down restaurants and the food would be cold. Most nights we ended up in the buffet just so we could get hot food! After that experience you can tell we were more than pleased with the food on DCL!

Yikes, I can see why you prefer DCL, that is pretty bad experience on NCL!

Yes, if you do traditional dining (the free/included main dining option) you are assigned a table at either early or late seating in the main dining room. It is a huge dining room- three levels and is very beautiful. We do My-Time Dining which allows more flexible seating- you can request a table to yourselves in MTD and you can dine at whatever time suits your fancy. On some ships, like Allure, you can make reservations for MTD online in advance and therefore avoid a wait- or you can also just show up whenever you want and be seated by availabilty. We have always made reservations so we haven't had to deal with any wait but I have read that waits aren't excessive. We have found service and food in the MDR on RCCL from excellent to good. I have more info and pics from the MDR/MTD coming up on Day 3!

Yes the for fee/specialty restaurants require reservations. It isnt nearly as hard to get reservations on the Allure restaurants as it is to get Palo/Remy on DCL. We even made a couple of our specialty dining reservations on the first day of the cruise!

Allure also has the Windjammer buffet option for dinner at no additional cost, plus any of the counter service style restaurants that are included- like Sorrento's Pizza and Park Cafe.

In my next segment I hope to highlight a few of the options we *didn't* get to on Allure. With 26 restaurants, even we could not do it all!!!

Anyhow, just wanted to say thanks again for taking the time and effort to do this TR! You and your family rock!

Well thank you so much for reading! I'm so glad you are enjoying it!!!

Originally Posted by JKSWonder

Jen, your report is making me jump right on to the Royal Caribbean website to check out prices.

I think if I showed the pictures of Samba alone to Mike, that would probably be enough to persuade him!

Oh my gosh, no kidding. And dare I say it gets even better!!??? Oh, it does! Prices for 2013 are still reasonable!!! LOL!

Originally Posted by floydfamily4

Please come back

I haven't abandoned you all, I wouldn't dream if it! There is so much I am excited to share!

I look at it this way- before finding the Dis I had no idea about such amazing things like MNSSHP, MVMCP, F&W, F&G and just so, so many other awesome experiences that we have been able to enjoy over the last 4 or 5 years! I hope I am opening some eyes in the same way to others that this is a cruise experience that they may enjoy too!

Originally Posted by LuvEeyore

I miss your updates!!I think I know the problem? The USPS is gettting the way. somebody has to help Santa get the work done in the next 15 days

Very true, I have been working too much. The dance competition season is heating up too so between both of those things and Christmas shopping/decorating/etc I have not been as focused on the TR- sorry! But as it all starts to come together here I hope to get a little more routine in my updates!

Originally Posted by LuvEeyore

Okay I am hanging. Expecting pictures and a mini trip report from your fun at WDW and DIS meet!!

I will post some at the bottom!!

Originally Posted by MAGICFOR2

I'm so jealous! Give Trouble a hug from me! Oh, an since it's Christms, have a hug youself!

Aw Thanks Tammie, I'll have to settle for that since Kara and the gang stayed over at the Boardwalk. Had the kids not been so tired we would have gone over there and found them, but we were pretty wiped out.

Originally Posted by knewton64

(PWEASE??)

T.T.F.N.

Got some coming!!!

Originally Posted by Florida Dreamin'

Thought I saw all of you while at DTD tonight. Didn't want to interrupt because you all looked like you were on a mission!

Hehe- we were on a few missions last night!!! You should have stopped and said Hi! We had a few meltdown worthy moments, especially at the end when Sarah and Savannah got cranky. And we never can come to an agreement on Disney merchandise so if you saw us bickering in the Christmas store, well, suffice it to say that one required a compromise.

I won't even mention the moms wanting (but not needing) margaritas in the picture pickup line or the clown car in the parking lot that held an impossible number of people. LOL! Oh well, I guess I did just mention it!

Contrary to popular belief though I don't bite! Most of the time! Would have loved to have met you!!!

Originally Posted by MAGICFOR2

WHAT? ROOKIE MISTAKE - ALL DISers ARE REQUIRED TO MEET AND TAKE PICS, THEN POST THEM FOR ALL TO SEE! j/K (sort of)

Heck ya! But I have some I can post! A Mini TR within a TR maybe?

Nobody does decorations like Disney:



With Santa!





Delicious Din-din at Earl of Sandwich. Yes, we have one at the mall back at home but this one just tastes better. It's the atmosphere I guess!

Sarah wanted to go to T-Rex though much to daddy's dismay. We'll be back in O in a couple of weeks so maybe then....



Still all smiles at this point!



Just because all TR's should include pics of a steaming vat of melted chocolate! This one is the hot chocolate at Ghirardelli! mmmm. I had Caramel and Sea Salt Hot Chocolate! To die for!!!









As DTD always is, it was quite busy. I think last year was busier though. the Santa line seemed shorter- only about an hour this time. EofS was craziness too. I love my 40th anniversary ornaments. Ron got one and I got one. The tree edges closer and closer to completely Disney and cruise ornaments. My Magic and Allure ship model ornaments have to share the front of the tree! LOL!

Originally Posted by Mindy5767

Sorry I'm so late to the party!! I was shown your TR by a friend and read it all yesterday and today. I can see you didn't finish yet... I'm waiting...

So glad you are joining us! Heck I'm just getting started! LOL! I'll have more today- some of which we did do, and some stuff that we didn't (hopefully I'll get that part done!)

In just about 2 weeks we will be sailing on the Mariner of the Seas on a Western Caribbean 7 day sailing out of Galveston Texas. We will stop in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica. I can't believe how much bigger the Allure is than the DREAM!! And I thought the DREAM was so huge.

Yes Allure is a monster, mostly because she is so wide. The Dream really is quite large though. Did you know that the Mariner is technically larger than the Dream (size wise. only by a bit though) Mariner is 138,000+ gross tons and the Dream is 128,000. For a comparison, Allure is 225,000+

I just can't get over all those specialty food places. We sailed the Radiance in Alaska in 2008 before the renovation. The only places we ate were the main dining room, Windjammer Cafe and there was a small pub up on an upper deck that was only accessible from an outside deck, not from an inside hallway. This was particularly challenging when it was ice raining!!

Oh wow! I can only imagine!! Being Florida natives we don't do well in that ice and snow stuff, hehe. Although someday we hope to cruise in Alaska.

The restaurants are really awesome, so many of them we didn't get to. I hope to share a little about those from what I have learned second hand, and share some pics in my next segment. There is just so much to cover!

Thanks so much for reading!!!

OK gang I am off to write and find what part of my EHD I stored my Allure pics earlier this week! Back in a bit!!

[lucas]

Originally Posted by nenner1

As promised, here are the pics. FWIW the ship was pretty sailing away all lit up. I do much prefer it during daylight though.

Cool, thanks so much for watching & posting the pics!

[jenseib]

I have been reading your TR over the past few days, but still only about half way there (at the part of the zipline right now). But I want to tell you it is awesome and I am so glad you are writing it. We are thinking of trying another cruiseline this spring, and this gives me a lot of info. Thanks so much.
And you have a wonderful, fun family!

[Lotjestar]

Hi! I just read your TR and I am really enjoying it.
You have really nice writing style! Can't wait for more!

[nenner1]

I apologize for the delay- this segment took a lot longer than I anticipated! But it's chock full of good stuff!

After our very filling dinner at Samba Grill, we had reservations for our first show onboard- the highly touted near Broadway version of CHICAGO-The Musical.



While a shortened version of the Broadway classic, Allure’s rendition of the Tony award winning CHICAGO is, as they say, An incredible evening of murder, music and merriment. If you are familiar with the plot, then you know this is where Royal diverges from Disney, as the themes and content in this show is not for the whole family. It has quite adult themes, including murder, prostitution, and includes profanity.





Despite the racy storyline, the presentation of CHICAGO onboard Allure has received rave reviews and has been considered- along with sister ship Oasis’ Hairspray- among the elite in cruise ship entertainment.







We didn’t originally plan to go to CHICAGO. It isn’t the type of show we could take our kids to- obviously- but we were hopeful that at least Ron and I at least could catch a performance. The only one that worked out for us was on Day 2 at 10:30 PM and we ended up booking the reservation last minute, and decided at least that way we’d have the option to go should we decide we wanted to.

Due to Allure’s having so many passengers onboard, reservations for the shows are required since there is not enough availability to accommodate all of the passengers. There is a standby line at each performance so there is a chance to get in without a reservation. And I’m sure two people were grateful for that opportunity when we didn’t show up! Honestly though I’m sure it’s an excellent show, I am pretty sure CHICAGO is not my cup of tea anyway. I tried to watch the movie many times and fell asleep. Tee hee.

We did see all of the other shows onboard with the exception of the”Headliner”. On Allure there is one night that there are a couple of variety performances with a guest performer. Sometimes it can be a singer, like on our cruise it was Tony Tillman, who his known in Vegas circles for his Rat-Pack/Sinatra meets Sammy Davis Jr. style of vocal performance. Often it is a tribute band like ABBAcadabra (Abba tribute) or Beatles/Temptations tributes. Occasionally there are D-list musical bands like Nelson (the Nelson Twins’ band) or even on rarer occasions, A-list stars like Taylor Swift.





Click here to See a short clip from Taylor Swift’s concert aboard Allure in Jan 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AD-ZwYgJ50

But that is obviously the exception. Most of the time the Headliner entertainment is- like we experienced- what you would expect on a cruise ship. On our cruise the Headliner shows were on evening five. We had other stuff to do that night, and more on that to come!

I’d also like to highlight a few of the amazing Dining venues we didn’t get to. All of these are for-fee/specialty dining restaurants and the fees vary but I thought I should give you all a little taste of some of the things you won’t learn much about in this TR.

Chef’s Table

The ultimate dining experience on Allure is the Chef’s Table. It is extremely exclusive- only open to 12-14 maximum people per night. This is a three hour, multi course gourmet affair. It is held in the mezzanine level of the Concierge Lounge, and was originally only open to Concierge guests. Now it is open for any passengers to book at a cost of $95/pp



You are greeted at the Library with a glass of Champagne and when you are seated, each course is carefully explained by the Chef and is accompanied by a wine which is explained by the sommelier. They go into detail, explaining where the wine comes from, the ingredients and
the grape varieties and why it is paired with that dish and the sauces.

Here are some examples of courses and photos, from twoculturescook.com

Smoked Duck Salad



Soup Trio



Serrano Ham (Pata negra) wrapped Diver Scallops



Roasted milk-fed veal tenderloin, fondant potatoes, wild mushroom confit, and truffle glaze.



Flourless roasted hazelnut chocolate cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and crème Chantilly.



Petits fours



All the guests get a cookbook signed by the chef and also by the
sommelier. They also get an apron as well saying: 'Chef's Table'. Plus
they customize the menu, which is a special menu with the logo of the
Chef's Table. It has your name and the position that you were on at the
table.

The cookbook you get:



Sounds like an impressive experience to me, one I hope to have next time we are onboard Allure!

150 Central Park

Another fine dining venue we did not have the opportunity to experience is 150 Central Park. Considered to be “the” signature dining establishment onboard both Oasis and Allure, 150 Central Park features two six course tasting menus that are modified seasonally with the freshest, most distinct ingredients.



150 Central Park is located in the beautiful Central Park neighborhood, and as with the other restaurants in “the park”, you can choose to eat inside the elegant restaurant or al fresco under the stars. The
foundation of 150 Central Park's style is Old World luxury but there are
also over-sized, high-backed chairs giving it a touch of whimsy.

150 Central Park features executive chef Molly Brandt and the fee to dine is $40/pp (not including wine pairing).



The décor is stunning. I love the oversized clamshell chairs (or, thrones as I like to call them!)










Like Chef’s Table, this tasting menu is set. Here is an example of the menu and select menu items:

[nenner1]

Like I mentioned, the menu changes seasonally, but this is an example- it was not the menu featured when we were onboard (the pictures of the food below, however were from one of the menus we would have experienced on our cruise) :







The menus are referred to as A and B and the A menu is served the first 3 nights of the cruise and the B menu is served the last four nights.

One of the interesting features at 150 CP is the international sea salts served with the crusty bread and unsalted butter. They each have an intense and unique flavor. The one most often commented on the the “boiled egg” sulfur tasting salt from South Africa. Sounds appetizing, huh? LOL!



Salad of chilled white and green asparagus, with citrus aioli, egg Mimosa, chive melba, and American paddlefish caviar



Smoked tomato soup, with lettuce cream and BLT brioche



Fresh Pea Ravioli, chanterelle-shallot and spring pea fricassee with parmesan froth and micro basil, and came with a parmesan crisp



Seared Tuna with roasted peppers, chickpeas, bread Skordalia puree and gold garlic chips



Wagyu strip loin with sour cream pomme dauphine, braised cipollini onions, roasted dill baby beets and borscht sauce



Rhubarb Gateau, pistachio shortbread crust, rhubarb sorbet, with rhubarb sauce




150 Central Park was the one restaurant I really wanted to go to but didn’t. Ron isn’t into set menus and feels it would be too frou-frou for him. So for those reasons we decided to skip it this time but I’m sure eventually I’ll get him in there! (He didn’t believe me when I told him he’d rather have an iphone than a droid either…he’s thanking me now!)

Vintages



Vintages is another “restaurant” I wanted to get to during the duration of our cruise but alas, it was not to be. Vinatges is a wine bar located in Central Park. It also serves tapas at a nominal fee (about $2-$5 per item) and I longed to try a nice relaxing, light meal or appetizers here under the moonlight. Alas, time and bloating had their way with us and we never made it. Something else we will just have to do next time!
Lovely exterior and patio seating:





Rich, elegant interior:





One of the things that makes Vintages unique is its ordering system: they have no menus, yet instead use an ipad to make your selection. Pretty inventive and wonderful for people who don’t know much about wine, like myself, as their system allows you to choose a wine based on its characteristics and also makes pairing suggestions based on what you select! Ingenious!

The ipad and menu at Vintages:






Some of the tapas selection (they have desserts too in the late evening called Sweet Indulgences)





I really regret not getting an opportunity to stop into Vintages. it seems that anytime we could have, we were interrupted or too full. Other times it was always a matter of places to go and people to see. Ah, well. Next time!

Izumi



And the last restaurant that I really wish we could have made it to is Izumi Asian Cuisine-a stylish Asian bistro offering tantalizing cuisine including expertly crafted sushi and sizzling dishes you can cook at your table.. Located at the top of the ship on Deck 16, and offering gorgeous panoramic views, he traditional Asian dishes at Izumi will impress you with their pure, delicate flavors, freshness of ingredients and impeccable presentation. Diners can choose from popular sushi rolls, sashimi, our Hot Rock (Ishiyaki) Plates, sukiyaki and more.

Penguins not included.



Izumi is open for both Lunch and Dinner and reservations are suggested, though I have read there is often seating availability- especially a Lunch. Reservations are not needed to dine at the Sushi Bar.

Izumi is also a Specialty Restaurant and carries rather confusing pricing. Menu items are charged individually. An additional dining fee of $3 for lunch and $5 for dinner will also be charged which includes gratuities. The $10 per person charge for pre-cruise web sales will be applied to the guest check in the restaurant. If your guest check is more than $10 per person, you will be charged the additional amount in the restaurant. If your guest check is less than $10 per person, your Seapass account will be credited with the difference. I would suggest just waiting until you get onboard vs. making reservations in advance.

I’m not a fan of this style of pricing; you will also find it at Rita’s if you dine there when it is not the Fiesta Party. When Ron and I were considering dining there, our estimated bill of items only was around $40-before the “cover charge” so we did not think Izumi is the best value to be found onboard. This is one of the main reasons we decided to skip it this time.

The restaurant is elegantly decorated- look at the intricate bamboo design on the walls

[nenner1]

Here are a couple of sections of the menu, courtesy of beyondships.com. It shows some the a la carte pricing.







Reviews of the food at Izumi have been very good. The sushi has received rave reviews in most instances.

Here are some pictures of the sushi rolls:



I was very intrigued with the “Hot Rock” since I am not a fan of raw food. You are presented at the table with a 550-degree hot rock to sear your choice of chicken, steak, seafood, or vegetables on. Here are a couple of pictures of the Chicken hot rock, and also the seafood hot rock.








Izumi’s desserts:

Ginger-green-tea flan, a green tea mousse, a fruit cocktail with coconut milk, and the amazing dumpling with sweet bean mousse inside.



Izumi is also located on the Oasis of the Seas and Splendor of the Seas cruise ships.

Vitality Spa at Sea



Here’s another place I definitely should have gone, but didn’t. The Allure of the Seas' "Vitality at Sea" spa located on Deck 6 forward offers a great variety of day spa selections: massages, acupuncture, body wraps, slimming treatments, facial treatments, tooth whitening, steam rooms, and water therapies. The spa is managed by Steiner. But shame on me for just calling it a “Spa”, for Royal Caribbean classifies it as one of the
Neighborhoods onboard the ship. If you’re curious why…The entire Vitality neighborhood has 47 staff and encompasses 29 treatment rooms in the spa area. In addition, there is a thermal suite with heated benches, enrichment lounge with wellness lectures, separate fitness center, beauty salon, medi-spa with acupuncture and other cosmetic treatments, and a teen and kid spa. Three massage rooms are large and dedicated to couples.

Spa photos:







Treatment room:



Thermal suite:



One interesting feature of the spa is the "man cave", which provides treatments for the urban man including collagen, deep cleansing, and even shaving lessons! Men want to escape from the stressful daily lives just like the women in their lives. There is also a Japanese Zen relaxation room, pictured below:



Workout enthusiasts will appreciate the 158 exercise machines, including a Kinesis tri-dimensional pulley system, spinning machines, gravity reformer, and dozens of the latest cardio and resistance equipment items. Classes are held in spinning, kickboxing, Pilates, and yoga.

Here is a photo of the gym:




If you have any questions about the gym or equipment, just ask. Ron did go there. Like once. Or maybe twice. Hee hee.


And , like anywhere on Allure, you cant go far without running into food. The spa even has it’s own restaurant, the Vitality Café snack bar. Some of the items here are free like the delicious homemeade granola bars. Other things like bottled water and smoothies are at an additional cost.

The Vitality Café:





Hope that this was an informative overview of some of the places we didn’t go and things we didn’t do. There is so much on Allure and these are some events and venues I felt you needed to know about if you plan on cruising aboard Allure or Oasis.

Up Next: Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming- oh…and a Space Walk too.

[iloverags2]

Oh, Vintages looks and sounds wonderful! I completely understand why you so wanted to go there. Thanks for covering those spots you didn't get a chance to visit.

[Jennifer48]

Wow I'd love to visit Vintages! I know absolutely nothing about wine but would love to learn more about it and that place sounds great!

Thank you so much for sharing information regarding the other restaurants even if you didn't have time to experience them for yourselves. Like you said, next time!

[UmmGooD]

What a great report. I have been reading it secretly for awhile and it is great. I must admit though that I would be very overwhelmed going on this ship. Seems like too much to think about haha! I am already overwhelmed planning for our first cruise on the Wonder in March.

[caribear]

Just found your report and I have enjoyed reading about your trip! My family and I were on the Oasis of the Seas last November (2010) and had an incredible time. Wish we could afford to go again right now!!!! My kids keep talking about the carousel, ice skating and Adventure Ocean...and can't wait until we have an opportunity to sail Allure or Oasis again!!

We had an oceanview balcony on Deck 8 which was a wonderful location! We walked through Central Park several times a day and would book this location again.

[DundasDad]

miss your updates ... hope you're getting everything together nicely to have a great Christmas!

[nenner1]

Aww thanks, yes I am busy busy and still have a TON left to do! Working right up til the end too of course! Ho Ho Ho!