DisneyZell
Likes Adventures on the High Seas
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2004
Finally...after a long time planning it is time to board the ship! Note that I didn't make you wait months to take you onto the ship like...ahem...some of those OTHER TR writers. Even though they love to harass me...I do ultimately get done and although I leave you hanging...I DO typically finish a day.
But I digress. We had to get up a little early because we had to make the drive out to the port...and if you have read my other TR's you know that we always try to upgrade. (What? You didn't know that? Do I need to say it? Why are you here when you don't have all the glorious background on me. I mean...those TR's are done. This one might not get done for months. Years even! Go read it. I'll wait. Really. I will. Go ahead. hum...de..dum...yeah...still waiting here. Oh heck with it, I'll move on. you can catch up).
DW, while getting ready, realized that she forgot our Fish Extender. She was not pleased with herself. I had the general observation that she had remembered everything else, including the entire SUITCASE full of FE gifts....so she gets a bye for that one. See the kind of cute, forgiving husband that I am? I know! And SHE gets to live with me! Lucky lady!
So we hit Mcd's for breakfast (We need to make sure that we weren't going to go hungry...as it will be hard to find food on the ship.
After Mcd's we went to Walmart for two very important thing. 1. Some sort of FE, and a smelly thingy. Which is a term I coined a few TR's ago. Yes I'm sure that there is a better word for it...or even a name brand. But it's that thing that you put on the counter and lift higher when you need more smell. The toilet portion of the bathrooms has a tendency to get a little gamey...so it's nice to have some nice scents in there. However we picked Vanilla, and according to our 15 year old vanilla and certain bodily functions do NOT combine well. So there you go. TMI, I know, but I want to give you the opportunity to choose a different scent. Again...yes...she gets to live with me!
So into Walmart we go...and after digging around we land on some canvas bags, fabric markers and some ribbon. Who says you have to plan ahead for FE? Now that I know this I will not allow DW to plan ahead in this area. Less for us to pack and haul across the country!
From there we hauled our way out to the port...
DW driving. Yup...I make her drive. Lets me play Clash of Clans. Good times.
Senor grumpy in the back seat. Actually he wasn't grumpy. But he is Connor. That's our answer for any question related to him.
DS15...pay attention you won't see a lot of him. Fleeting images. Foreshadowing. Well not really since I've been talking about it
A really bad Selfie. Not sure why I didn't retake it. But I am Drew. Huh...works for me too.
After driving for a while...we made the turns...and there she is...
Our home for the next 7 days!!!
Woohoo!
We got to the port around 10am...I dropped the luggage and the other three off so that DW could get us checked in and get in line to find out about getting us the upgrade. Yeah...I'm ever hopeful.
We rented from National which used to mean that you had to take a taxi from the car rental place. National and Enterprise merged into one location...and now has a shuttle so you can add it to the list of rental car places to your list. I'm a fan of National because you get to pick your own car which I always like.
On the way to drop the car off I stopped to get gas...and across from the gas station was the most expensive chicken McNuggets ever.
Wow! Look closely at the sign....
Dropping off the car was really easy, the people were super nice and they held the shuttle for me...so that was nice. I definitely recommend National....as it is easier at the airport than Budget is in my opinion. But for any of the rental car places make sure you sign up for the frequent renter program. Most of the times if you do that you get to skip the line...which at the Orlando airport can be a nightmare (again see one of my past TR's).
DW and the boys got in around 10:30 and when she got there she went to the first timers line because it was, ironically, shorter than the Castaway Club line. She checked in and got boarding group #2! Nice!
Yup...we are the bomb. or something.
After she checked in she went over to the supervisors line while the boys sat down to wait.
Meanwhile I arrived, chatting with a nice family on the shuttle..and we all waited in line to get into the terminal. That went pretty quickly and I was able to join DW in line for the supervisor. My fingers, toes, and hair were all crossed...I was hoping that there would be a verandah....that's what I love. Sea wind in my hair...etc...etc....
The line took FOREVER to move! But finally we were up there. The first Verandah we were offered was on the 8th deck (same as our current room), and was around $800. We hemmed and hawed (I don't even know how to spell that!), and the CM came back with another one on the 10th floor for $385. Score! Difference was the one on the 8th floor was a family Verandah. So we switched from a 8C - Deluxe Family Oceanview (love how they add Deluxe. That makes it special. If it was just FAMILY OCEANVIEW that wouldn't be that great. But Deluxe? You kidding me? that's fabulous! But I digress) to a 5A - Deluxe (yup...I said it again...Deluxe!!!) Verandah.
By this time Connor had come running up because they had started boarding...so he was nervous and wanted to get on immediately. But I figure the Verandah is worth it. By the time we boarded it was about 11:40am (which seemed early by the way), and we were boarding with group #5.
Trying to add the video of us walking onto the ship...hopefully it works! Ok...looks like it does. click it and it will take you to photo bucket and play it.
We went straight up to the pool deck (Deck 11) and grabbed a table for us to hang out. The kids immediately went and changed into their swimming suits and get in line for the Aquaduck. Connor gets to ride the Aquaduck by himself this time...and he was very excited about it! Good times all around! Now it was time to relax.
But I digress. We had to get up a little early because we had to make the drive out to the port...and if you have read my other TR's you know that we always try to upgrade. (What? You didn't know that? Do I need to say it? Why are you here when you don't have all the glorious background on me. I mean...those TR's are done. This one might not get done for months. Years even! Go read it. I'll wait. Really. I will. Go ahead. hum...de..dum...yeah...still waiting here. Oh heck with it, I'll move on. you can catch up).
DW, while getting ready, realized that she forgot our Fish Extender. She was not pleased with herself. I had the general observation that she had remembered everything else, including the entire SUITCASE full of FE gifts....so she gets a bye for that one. See the kind of cute, forgiving husband that I am? I know! And SHE gets to live with me! Lucky lady!
So we hit Mcd's for breakfast (We need to make sure that we weren't going to go hungry...as it will be hard to find food on the ship.
After Mcd's we went to Walmart for two very important thing. 1. Some sort of FE, and a smelly thingy. Which is a term I coined a few TR's ago. Yes I'm sure that there is a better word for it...or even a name brand. But it's that thing that you put on the counter and lift higher when you need more smell. The toilet portion of the bathrooms has a tendency to get a little gamey...so it's nice to have some nice scents in there. However we picked Vanilla, and according to our 15 year old vanilla and certain bodily functions do NOT combine well. So there you go. TMI, I know, but I want to give you the opportunity to choose a different scent. Again...yes...she gets to live with me!
So into Walmart we go...and after digging around we land on some canvas bags, fabric markers and some ribbon. Who says you have to plan ahead for FE? Now that I know this I will not allow DW to plan ahead in this area. Less for us to pack and haul across the country!
From there we hauled our way out to the port...
DW driving. Yup...I make her drive. Lets me play Clash of Clans. Good times.
Senor grumpy in the back seat. Actually he wasn't grumpy. But he is Connor. That's our answer for any question related to him.
DS15...pay attention you won't see a lot of him. Fleeting images. Foreshadowing. Well not really since I've been talking about it
A really bad Selfie. Not sure why I didn't retake it. But I am Drew. Huh...works for me too.
After driving for a while...we made the turns...and there she is...
Our home for the next 7 days!!!
Woohoo!
We got to the port around 10am...I dropped the luggage and the other three off so that DW could get us checked in and get in line to find out about getting us the upgrade. Yeah...I'm ever hopeful.
We rented from National which used to mean that you had to take a taxi from the car rental place. National and Enterprise merged into one location...and now has a shuttle so you can add it to the list of rental car places to your list. I'm a fan of National because you get to pick your own car which I always like.
On the way to drop the car off I stopped to get gas...and across from the gas station was the most expensive chicken McNuggets ever.
Wow! Look closely at the sign....
Dropping off the car was really easy, the people were super nice and they held the shuttle for me...so that was nice. I definitely recommend National....as it is easier at the airport than Budget is in my opinion. But for any of the rental car places make sure you sign up for the frequent renter program. Most of the times if you do that you get to skip the line...which at the Orlando airport can be a nightmare (again see one of my past TR's).
DW and the boys got in around 10:30 and when she got there she went to the first timers line because it was, ironically, shorter than the Castaway Club line. She checked in and got boarding group #2! Nice!
Yup...we are the bomb. or something.
After she checked in she went over to the supervisors line while the boys sat down to wait.
Meanwhile I arrived, chatting with a nice family on the shuttle..and we all waited in line to get into the terminal. That went pretty quickly and I was able to join DW in line for the supervisor. My fingers, toes, and hair were all crossed...I was hoping that there would be a verandah....that's what I love. Sea wind in my hair...etc...etc....
The line took FOREVER to move! But finally we were up there. The first Verandah we were offered was on the 8th deck (same as our current room), and was around $800. We hemmed and hawed (I don't even know how to spell that!), and the CM came back with another one on the 10th floor for $385. Score! Difference was the one on the 8th floor was a family Verandah. So we switched from a 8C - Deluxe Family Oceanview (love how they add Deluxe. That makes it special. If it was just FAMILY OCEANVIEW that wouldn't be that great. But Deluxe? You kidding me? that's fabulous! But I digress) to a 5A - Deluxe (yup...I said it again...Deluxe!!!) Verandah.
By this time Connor had come running up because they had started boarding...so he was nervous and wanted to get on immediately. But I figure the Verandah is worth it. By the time we boarded it was about 11:40am (which seemed early by the way), and we were boarding with group #5.
Trying to add the video of us walking onto the ship...hopefully it works! Ok...looks like it does. click it and it will take you to photo bucket and play it.
We went straight up to the pool deck (Deck 11) and grabbed a table for us to hang out. The kids immediately went and changed into their swimming suits and get in line for the Aquaduck. Connor gets to ride the Aquaduck by himself this time...and he was very excited about it! Good times all around! Now it was time to relax.