1/17/09 Magic anyone???

[fltink]

It seems like every time we cruise lately it's with a big party. We are good at getting other peopl hooked on DCL!

 

[Eeyore77]

I can't seem to get my friends or family to go on DCL. All my friends are obsessed with Carnival, but I really don't like their cruises.... It took me two years to talk my grandmother into going on a DCL ship. I just hope she will think it is great as we do.

 

[Bytor01]

Well, this cruise is just one more step closer. I paid for our airfare and made reservations at the Hyatt-MCO. We are now all set. The only thing left to do is pay for the rest of the cruise. Wow, and that's a big nut coming up. We are flying Jet Blue on the 16th out of JFK-NY and will get to MCO at 8:30 am. We will check in and drop the bags off and then go downstairs and rent a car. The plan is to go visit my 93 year old Aunt near Tampa for the day. After, we will come back to the hotel relax, eat dinner and get ready for the cruise. I am sure the kids will want to go swimming at the pool out on the roof that the Hyatt has, as well. As you can see, the plans are in motion and we are coming up fast. With school starting next week I am sure the months will start flying by.

Tim

 

[JenKatt]

Anyone else staying at Ron Jon the night before? I know the water will be cool, but we'll be needing two cars to drive from Tampa (where we live) to the Port. With an infant I don't want to do the buses or a limo. Ron Jon seemed like a good idea because from what I understand we can leave the cars there for the week.

 

[Eeyore77]

Nope we will just be driving in from West Plam that day. It's only a 2 hour drive so we figured we would save the money!!!

 

[owensjro]

Hello all. I haven't been really following the thread in awhile so I just tried to catch up. Can't believe it is still so far away! I need to cruise now!

It looks like we will be driving in (from Cary, NC) leaving Thursday night and getting in Friday. Then we'll drive back the Sunday after. We're DVC members so are thinking we will stay on points at Disney.

Anyone with a 6 year old girl who would like to exchange some letters with our daughter? She's very shy and it definitely helps knowing someone going in.

Hope everyone had a great summer,
Jim

 

[toddlerhouse]

Hi owensjro,

We are in Hillsborough, NC. We did this cruise last year and loved it. Can't wait until January. We aren't sure if we are flying or driving. We drove 2 weeks ago to Disney and it wasn't too bad.

My DD will be 6 in a couple of weeks. This will be her 3rd cruise. I'm sure she would love to hear from your daughter.

Just pm me if you are interested.

 

[Eeyore77]

Hello all. I haven't been really following the thread in awhile so I just tried to catch up. Can't believe it is still so far away! I need to cruise now!

It looks like we will be driving in (from Cary, NC) leaving Thursday night and getting in Friday. Then we'll drive back the Sunday after. We're DVC members so are thinking we will stay on points at Disney.

Anyone with a 6 year old girl who would like to exchange some letters with our daughter? She's very shy and it definitely helps knowing someone going in.

Hope everyone had a great summer,
Jim

Hi there Jim.... Wow all you NC folks are making me homesick down here in FL. I was born and raised in Greensboro and I moved to the West Palm Area 2 years ago from Raleigh. I miss real trees and seasons. I know people think I ma crazy when I tell them that. Anyway, I will be moving to Orlando hopefully at the first of the year so hopefully I will like Central FL better than South FL and I will stop missing home so much......

I can't wait to meet you all on the ship. I leave in 3 and a half weeks for my 4 day DVC cruise so I will really be hyped up for this one after that.... I Love DVC we have taken sooooo many cruises thanks to that membership.

 

[fltink]

I can't seem to get my friends or family to go on DCL. All my friends are obsessed with Carnival, but I really don't like their cruises.... It took me two years to talk my grandmother into going on a DCL ship. I just hope she will think it is great as we do.

Carnival is a whole different world. If you're looking for a cost-efficient party, Carnival is where you wanna be. It is SO not my cup of tea, though. Give me DCL ANY day!!

 

[fltink]

Anyone else staying at Ron Jon the night before? I know the water will be cool, but we'll be needing two cars to drive from Tampa (where we live) to the Port. With an infant I don't want to do the buses or a limo. Ron Jon seemed like a good idea because from what I understand we can leave the cars there for the week.

We will be renting a car and staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Sea World for the night. We're also staying there the night AFTER the cruise and spending the day at Sea World, followed by dinner at Ohana!

 

[Eeyore77]

Carnival is a whole different world. If you're looking for a cost-efficient party, Carnival is where you wanna be. It is SO not my cup of tea, though. Give me DCL ANY day!!

I feel the same way.... I would just sit on the ship the whole time and be like.... Disney doesn't do it that way, they do it better than that... LOL.. SO there is no reason for anyone to even try to get me to change cause it ain't gonna happen!!!!

 

[fltink]

Well, I don't want to insult Carnival because I think they are very good at providing the certain type of cruise that they provide, but......I have sailed them twice and did not love it. I thought the food quality was gross and the options to choose form were limited. The service was just average. It's funny, we always consider dailing another line, just to do something different or go to different ports, but we always end up doing Disney instead. At least with DCL, you are sure to enjoy everything. Nothing ever falls short or disappoints. I LOVE DCL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[The Dave Party]

Just wanted to say hello to all you from NC. I'm originally from Charlotte but now technically live in Orlando. Although I travel 100% for my job now so I don't physically live anywhere. So looking forward to the cruise in January and I think I've picked out my dinners for the entire cruise already!

 

[Eeyore77]

Just wanted to say hello to all you from NC. I'm originally from Charlotte but now technically live in Orlando. Although I travel 100% for my job now so I don't physically live anywhere. So looking forward to the cruise in January and I think I've picked out my dinners for the entire cruise already!

Hi there... Another NC to FL transplant. I am not alone..... LOL.... Do you miss NC as much as I do. The funny thing is that I may be moving to Orlando myself so we can be NC to Orlando transplants together.... LOL... Oh how I miss seasons...

 

[Eeyore77]

OK so now my DH's boss may be going to throw a wrench into this trip. We leave 2 weeks before the Superbowl and get back one week before, but since he works for a SAT truck company that will be working to broadcast the Superbowl his boss is worried that the trip may be too close to the event. He says that they need to look at things and discuss if it will work or not when he gets back from his job that he is on now in Tampa. So PLEASE everybody keep your fingers crossed for us that it works out OK. If we have to cancel we will be moving the cruise to the first part of May but we are really hoping that will not be the case.....

 

[Bytor01]

Well I hope for your sake you don't have to move the trip. I am hoping you are able to avoid any bad dilemmas. Good Luck.

Tim

 

[Eeyore77]

Well I hope for your sake you don't have to move the trip. I am hoping you are able to avoid any bad dilemmas. Good Luck.

Tim

Thanks soooo much... I hope not either. I just really wanna go on this trip with my DH and Grandmother. SHe and I have not traveled together in about 4 years and we used to go on a trip together every year. I have really missed traveling with her and my DH has never been on a trip with her.....

 

[Brucemcc]

Just booked for 17 Jan 2009, this will be our 3rd Eastern in a row,we all love St Maarten!! Hope to talk and meet more Canadians as the cruise gets closer, if anyone needs any info , just ask, we are not pros but did do our 1st Disney cruise with our 10 month old so have a few tips especially with infants.Cheers

 

[Futurist]

Just booked for 17 Jan 2009, this will be our 3rd Eastern in a row,we all love St Maarten!! Hope to talk and meet more Canadians as the cruise gets closer, if anyone needs any info , just ask, we are not pros but did do our 1st Disney cruise with our 10 month old so have a few tips especially with infants.Cheers

Hi Bruce,

My wife and I are both decided Canadians - that is, we weren't born here, but decided to be Canadian. OTOH, since we live in Toronto, then you, being from Alberta, might not consider us Canadian after all

This will be our first cruise of any kind. It's a 30th anniversary gift from me to my DW. I wasn't sure about cruises in general, but decided that if anyone did them well, it would be Disney, so the choice was easy.

I chose the Eastern Carribean because it has the most sea days, but know nothing about either St. Martin, or St.Thomas. (Actually, I spent about two hours in St. Thomas, but that was about 40 years ago.) We've done things in the Carribean before, so are not that worried about sight-seeing, so any suggestions on excursions? We thought we'd mostly stay on the ship, but wander off and do a little shopping sometime in the afternoon, but as we're mostly going for the ship and the cruise experience. Are there any excursions that anyone has done that are "not to be missed"? Neither of us are big on holding down a patch of sand, we've done quite a lot of sailing, and my wife doesn't swim, so she won't snorkle.

And any other suggestions about the cruise, or things we should or shouldn't do, or that you particularly enjoyed, would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[Brucemcc]

Not too sure what you mean about an Albertian not thinking people from Eastern Canada are not Canadian but never the less, hope you find the info you are looking for in reference to "not to miss tours" etc.Enjoy your cruise!!