DDC XXVI: They all went to the DDCC and all we got was this Lousy Thread!

[Wherem I Now]

Goodbye to XXVI

 

[RodBelding]

Good night, DISDads. Good work. Sleep well. We'll most likely kill this thread in the morning.

Later Randall. See you in the am!

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

I got me a new Ticker!!!!

 

[GoHerd1028]

Boys say a prayer that SWMBO says yes to an Alaskan Cruise next year on Wonder.......I have the quote and she is mulling it over!!!

 

[twokids0204]

Welcome back! How's my ship? My turn in 6 days!

Ship was great...

The staff were really awesome.

Entertainment.... it's a cruise ship, it ain't broadway.

Food - Actually surprisingly was really good. Tons of choices, different cuisines... but only Pizza and Ice Cream available 24/7. Which doesn't seem bad, except after the dinner service stops (at 9:00 ish) if you want a cookie, or piece of fruit, you may find yourself S.O.L. They do offer room service, but at those times (non meal times) the waits can be 45 minutes.

The ocean was choppy first day. They had to flip flop the headline show in "Taj Mahal" (the main theater) due to rough waters.
They had a juggling act, he was pretty good, was a finalist on AGT a few seasons back.

Ports of Call
Port Canaveral - we rented a car and drove to DTD. Can't go wrong with Disney.
Nassau - Weather was high 80's (maybe even low 90's) we did a walking tour and then went to Junkanoo Beach (less than 10 minute walk from the ship). They had beer from a local Bahamas brewery: 3 Beers and 3 Shots for $9.99, and the beer was pretty good.
Freeport - Honestly, if you don't have an excursion, no need to get off the ship. Once you do get off it's just a local market (Straw, t-shirts, collectibles, souvenirs), but it's the same crap you'll find in Nassau. They have a Senor Frogs, and an Del Sol shop - apparently they are both relatively new. So if that appeals you disembarking the ship is painless, and you are literally smack dab in the middle of all that. But after 60 minutes, you will be done and ready to go back on.

Be sure to check out Punchliners in the Butterflies Lounge. Be there minimum 15 minutes before show time, or you will be standing in the back. They will have 2 comedians for the first few days, then the comedians switch off at one of the port days, and you will have 2 different comedians near the end of the trip. The early shows are family friendly, the later ones (10:30 and 11:30) are adult only shows. We missed the first 2 comedians as we were doing other things. Kinda wish we woulda got in to see them, as this show was one of the hidden gems of the ship.

You will get to know Troy and Robin... the cruise director, and assistant cruise director. Both great guys, funny, lots of personality.

Casino - we didn't gamble at all - but it was a pretty popular place. Not kid friendly though.

I found the tap water was discoloured (or discolored for you non Canadians)... so if you can, bring on bottled water, we brought a dozen bottles, and found when we got to Florida we needed more, so we stopped at a Wal Mart and bought a case of 24, no problem at all bringing it back on ship.

There will be 2 formal nights - Monday and Friday. Dress appropriately.

Not sure how old your kids are but Camp Carnival sucked! After 10:00 pm, they charge $6.75 per hour.
And during the day, when it should be free, we went to drop our kids off a few times, and they were closed...

You can bring 1 bottle of wine per adult on board with you. Bring a cork screw, or they will charge you $7 corking fee. Get wine glasses at the main bar on deck 2 - no charge. We poured our own wine in our room, and carried it into the Main Dining Room, they have no problem with you doing that.

Drinks on board are pricey, around $7.75 for "fruity umbrella drinks" (which everyone is drinking all day), and beer or wine start at $6.00 and up from there.

Don't miss The Love and Marriage show.

Most important piece of advice I can give you... Let loose, and have fun. Get involved!!

 

[twokids0204]

Boys say a prayer that SWMBO says yes to an Alaskan Cruise next year on Wonder.......I have the quote and she is mulling it over!!!

Good Luck, you guys will love it.

 

[BigTikiDaddy]

Boys say a prayer that SWMBO says yes to an Alaskan Cruise next year on Wonder.......I have the quote and she is mulling it over!!!

Good luck!

 

[Disney Commando]

Guess I'll be searching for the new thread tomorrow

 

[Twin Dad]

Boys say a prayer that SWMBO says yes to an Alaskan Cruise next year on Wonder.......I have the quote and she is mulling it over!!!

Good luck.

 

[Disney Commando]

Mickey's got a mouse guitar he'll play for you and me M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Sorry got a little homesick

 

[DisneyDaddy-O]

Guess I'll be searching for the new thread tomorrow

It appears that way.

 

[Twin Dad]

Just winding down after a busy day. We met my folks and aunt at the Mall of America before she had to fly back to New England. We had a great time. It was way too packed to do rides at Nickelodeon Universe so we skipped it. I was amazed there was no meltdown. I figure the kids saw that the lines were too long and decided skipping it was a good idea. It worries me a bit that a 15 minute line for every ride was such an easy deterrent.

Less than 72 hours ago we booked our trip. Now DW wants to push it back a week so the kids miss one week of school instead of two. I brought up this very point about 3 weeks ago and was dismissed out of hand. I might need stitches for my tongue from biting it so hard.

 

[declansdad]

Ship was great...

The staff were really awesome.

Entertainment.... it's a cruise ship, it ain't broadway.

Food - Actually surprisingly was really good. Tons of choices, different cuisines... but only Pizza and Ice Cream available 24/7. Which doesn't seem bad, except after the dinner service stops (at 9:00 ish) if you want a cookie, or piece of fruit, you may find yourself S.O.L. They do offer room service, but at those times (non meal times) the waits can be 45 minutes.

The ocean was choppy first day. They had to flip flop the headline show in "Taj Mahal" (the main theater) due to rough waters.
They had a juggling act, he was pretty good, was a finalist on AGT a few seasons back.

Ports of Call
Port Canaveral - we rented a car and drove to DTD. Can't go wrong with Disney.
Nassau - Weather was high 80's (maybe even low 90's) we did a walking tour and then went to Junkanoo Beach (less than 10 minute walk from the ship). They had beer from a local Bahamas brewery: 3 Beers and 3 Shots for $9.99, and the beer was pretty good.
Freeport - Honestly, if you don't have an excursion, no need to get off the ship. Once you do get off it's just a local market (Straw, t-shirts, collectibles, souvenirs), but it's the same crap you'll find in Nassau. They have a Senor Frogs, and an Del Sol shop - apparently they are both relatively new. So if that appeals you disembarking the ship is painless, and you are literally smack dab in the middle of all that. But after 60 minutes, you will be done and ready to go back on.

Be sure to check out Punchliners in the Butterflies Lounge. Be there minimum 15 minutes before show time, or you will be standing in the back. They will have 2 comedians for the first few days, then the comedians switch off at one of the port days, and you will have 2 different comedians near the end of the trip. The early shows are family friendly, the later ones (10:30 and 11:30) are adult only shows. We missed the first 2 comedians as we were doing other things. Kinda wish we woulda got in to see them, as this show was one of the hidden gems of the ship.

You will get to know Troy and Robin... the cruise director, and assistant cruise director. Both great guys, funny, lots of personality.

Casino - we didn't gamble at all - but it was a pretty popular place. Not kid friendly though.

I found the tap water was discoloured (or discolored for you non Canadians)... so if you can, bring on bottled water, we brought a dozen bottles, and found when we got to Florida we needed more, so we stopped at a Wal Mart and bought a case of 24, no problem at all bringing it back on ship.

There will be 2 formal nights - Monday and Friday. Dress appropriately.

Not sure how old your kids are but Camp Carnival sucked! After 10:00 pm, they charge $6.75 per hour.
And during the day, when it should be free, we went to drop our kids off a few times, and they were closed...

You can bring 1 bottle of wine per adult on board with you. Bring a cork screw, or they will charge you $7 corking fee. Get wine glasses at the main bar on deck 2 - no charge. We poured our own wine in our room, and carried it into the Main Dining Room, they have no problem with you doing that.

Drinks on board are pricey, around $7.75 for "fruity umbrella drinks" (which everyone is drinking all day), and beer or wine start at $6.00 and up from there.

Don't miss The Love and Marriage show.

Most important piece of advice I can give you... Let loose, and have fun. Get involved!!

Shortest trip report ever.


Told you Punchliners was a good spot.

 

[brettcw23]

Just winding down after a busy day. We met my folks and aunt at the Mall of America before she had to fly back to New England. We had a great time. It was way too packed to do rides at Nickelodeon Universe so we skipped it. I was amazed there was no meltdown. I figure the kids saw that the lines were too long and decided skipping it was a good idea. It worries me a bit that a 15 minute line for every ride was such an easy deterrent.

Less than 72 hours ago we booked our trip. Now DW wants to push it back a week so the kids miss one week of school instead of two. I brought up this very point about 3 weeks ago and was dismissed out of hand. I might need stitches for my tongue from biting it so hard.

Harness the rage. We all go through that. The key is to drive the point home and not let them easily dismiss us.

FIGHT THE POWER!

 

[boreas154]

Ship was great...

The staff were really awesome.

Definitely enjoyed the staff on our last trip. One of the reasons we stick to Carnival.

Entertainment.... it's a cruise ship, it ain't broadway.

Didn't see any of them last time. Spent most of the time in comedy club, casino, or sports bar.

Food - Actually surprisingly was really good. Tons of choices, different cuisines... but only Pizza and Ice Cream available 24/7. Which doesn't seem bad, except after the dinner service stops (at 9:00 ish) if you want a cookie, or piece of fruit, you may find yourself S.O.L. They do offer room service, but at those times (non meal times) the waits can be 45 minutes.

Did you do morning room service at all? Wife and I were thinking of saving ourselves the trip for coffee and just having it brought to us. Can't think of a better way to start the day, than coffee on the balcony.

The ocean was choppy first day. They had to flip flop the headline show in "Taj Mahal" (the main theater) due to rough waters.
They had a juggling act, he was pretty good, was a finalist on AGT a few seasons back.

Seems to be common with the cruisees out of Baltimore. Though my last one was on the heels of Ivan

Ports of Call
Port Canaveral - we rented a car and drove to DTD. Can't go wrong with Disney.
Nassau - Weather was high 80's (maybe even low 90's) we did a walking tour and then went to Junkanoo Beach (less than 10 minute walk from the ship). They had beer from a local Bahamas brewery: 3 Beers and 3 Shots for $9.99, and the beer was pretty good.
Freeport - Honestly, if you don't have an excursion, no need to get off the ship. Once you do get off it's just a local market (Straw, t-shirts, collectibles, souvenirs), but it's the same crap you'll find in Nassau. They have a Senor Frogs, and an Del Sol shop - apparently they are both relatively new. So if that appeals you disembarking the ship is painless, and you are literally smack dab in the middle of all that. But after 60 minutes, you will be done and ready to go back on.

Sounds like a good time! We're skipping any excursions, but got a plan laid out to keep us entertained

Be sure to check out Punchliners in the Butterflies Lounge. Be there minimum 15 minutes before show time, or you will be standing in the back. They will have 2 comedians for the first few days, then the comedians switch off at one of the port days, and you will have 2 different comedians near the end of the trip. The early shows are family friendly, the later ones (10:30 and 11:30) are adult only shows. We missed the first 2 comedians as we were doing other things. Kinda wish we woulda got in to see them, as this show was one of the hidden gems of the ship.

Love this aspect of the cruises. I think we went to every show last time, except first night.

You will get to know Troy and Robin... the cruise director, and assistant cruise director. Both great guys, funny, lots of personality.

Good to hear! I always worry if the CD's are any good if I've never sailed with em before.

Casino - we didn't gamble at all - but it was a pretty popular place. Not kid friendly though.

Wife loves the casino. Last time she was able to find a machine that she basically just used as an ATM.

I found the tap water was discoloured (or discolored for you non Canadians)... so if you can, bring on bottled water, we brought a dozen bottles, and found when we got to Florida we needed more, so we stopped at a Wal Mart and bought a case of 24, no problem at all bringing it back on ship.

We're signing up for the Cheers program... not much water needed

There will be 2 formal nights - Monday and Friday. Dress appropriately.

Already packed the formal wear!

Not sure how old your kids are but Camp Carnival sucked! After 10:00 pm, they charge $6.75 per hour.
And during the day, when it should be free, we went to drop our kids off a few times, and they were closed...

Not taking DS as we'd prefer to wait till he can enjoy the cruises more

You can bring 1 bottle of wine per adult on board with you. Bring a cork screw, or they will charge you $7 corking fee. Get wine glasses at the main bar on deck 2 - no charge. We poured our own wine in our room, and carried it into the Main Dining Room, they have no problem with you doing that.

Had the wine packed, then remembered the Cheers stuff. I think I'll save em for the homecoming.

Drinks on board are pricey, around $7.75 for "fruity umbrella drinks" (which everyone is drinking all day), and beer or wine start at $6.00 and up from there.

Cheers! $50 per person, but when on vacation, wife and I can easily do 10-15 drinks in a 24 hour period.

Don't miss The Love and Marriage show.

Agree!

Most important piece of advice I can give you... Let loose, and have fun. Get involved!!

Still got a full work week, but trying not to relax too much already

Replies above^^

 

[boreas154]

Woohoo! I made it through my first thread. Gonna have to work on posting more in the next one. Being a lurker is a hard habit to break.

 

[GoHerd1028]

Goodbye XXVI....I am sure you will be closed by the time I get to cath up tomorrow!!

 

[Twin Dad]

Harness the rage. We all go through that. The key is to drive the point home and not let them easily dismiss us.

FIGHT THE POWER!

It was a half hearted effort on my part. I could go either way on the debate. I like crowd calendar for the beginning of October and avoiding Columbus Day Weekend. I also like the idea of having the kids only miss one week and the crowd calendar isn't too much worse with the exception of Sunday of Columbus Weekend. I'm just frustrated that more thought wasn't given to my point BEFORE we booked.

 

[Twin Dad]

Is it time to start the race to the end?

I'm dying to break out the Star Wars/Disney and Star Wars/Star Trek mashups I found .

 

[BigTikiDaddy]

Just winding down after a busy day. We met my folks and aunt at the Mall of America before she had to fly back to New England. We had a great time. It was way too packed to do rides at Nickelodeon Universe so we skipped it. I was amazed there was no meltdown. I figure the kids saw that the lines were too long and decided skipping it was a good idea. It worries me a bit that a 15 minute line for every ride was such an easy deterrent.

Less than 72 hours ago we booked our trip. Now DW wants to push it back a week so the kids miss one week of school instead of two. I brought up this very point about 3 weeks ago and was dismissed out of hand. I might need stitches for my tongue from biting it so hard.

For the sake of not sleeping on the couch or the doghouse, you must show restraint