I am starting up our Fish Extender Group for this sailing... For those that are not familiar with what a fish extender is:
All Disney ships have an ornamental fish outside the room (well on the Dream and Fantasy some of the ornamentals are not fish, but I digress). The fish is used by cruise personnel to leave a note for someone in the state room. What folks do is buy or make a holder with pockets that they will hang from the fish - we call this contraption a fish extender. For an ideal shaped/sized fish extender go to
ikea.com and look up PYSSLINGAR wall pockets. There are folks on eBay oe Etsy who will make a custom fish extenders for about $20 or $30. Most folks get fish extenders that have the same number of pockets as there are members of their sailing party - one pocket per family member... but its not a requirement (heck, I have a three pocket FE and we typically sail with four of us).
Folks participating in this FE will know the stateroom of all the other participants (from what is posted on a central spreadsheet in FB). Additionally, as Chief Fish Extender Executive I will take extra copies of the FE room list with me onboard and post on my stateroom door (room 7104). There will be instances where rooms get changed at check in. If this is the case, please write such room changes on the dry eraseboard on stateroom 7104 and I will communicate it to others.]
The FE participants are expected to buy or make a small gift that they will leave in each of the other FEs participants sometime during the cruise. So its sort of like a secret Santa exchange. Some get a gift for the room, others personalize stuff for each person in the room or tailor it to the ages of the folks in the room... most make a single gift delivery, some make multiple deliveries (multiple small gifts). Its really up to you what you want to give (or how much to spend on the gifts), but the more creative or imaginative, the better (IMO). You can deliver your gift whenever it best suits you. You don't have to deliver them all at once. You are not required to put your name on the gift you give, but I see no reason why you shouldn't.
Many newbies fret about what kind of gift to get. Please don't let this stop you from joining - you will regret it if you don't join - trust me! In my opinion FEs are part of what makes sailing on
Disney Cruise Line so special and I cant imagine not doing it. Most times when you return to the room you will have a surprise gift waiting for you!
Similar to Secret Santa, the gifts run the gamut. Folks often make or purchase a Disney inspired gift or will share something about where they are from or where the cruise is going. Many will give a highly personalized gift, others something to make the cruise more enjoyable. Food / Candy is common as are creative gifts as are gag gifts. There are threads on the DISboards, Facebook and Etsy with great gift ideas (but be wary as you may come across my gifts on those threads and I may do similar gifts on this cruise).
Some FEs groups have lots of rules (like limiting the number of participants or creating multiple FE lists if lots participate or strictly defining gift costs or determine which day you should deliver your gift). I think most of these rules are all silly - I have been on FEs as few as 15 participants and another with over 120 staterooms (and it was crazy fun). I suspect this sailing will have between around 30 participants.
On the final paid-in-full (PIF) date - which is December 3 - we will close the main FE list to "full members". "Full members" are required to get at least one gift each of the other staterooms that are "full members".
Should anyone want to join after December 3 they become "provisional members". "Provisional members" join with the understanding that they may not get a gift from every "full member", but "provisional members" are expected to get a gift for all members. "Full members" who created extra gifts should give to "provisional members" as well as "full members".
At or around December 3 all members of the FE list must reconfirm their intention of participating (this is needed as some folks drop out of the sailing at the paid in full date, but fail to alter the FE list accordingly)
Should a "full member" drop out of the FE for whatever reason, the first "provisional member" will become a full member - and so on.
I sincerely hope you consider joining the FE! I can honestly say that there are FE gifts from prior sailings that we have around the house and are as cherished a memento as any we may have bought while aboard. So sign up!_
