KC & the double dipping band. Nov 14-21

[Hypermommy]

Off cruise topic, though I must have you and your wife's opinion on something...when you decided to move did you already know the neighborhood you wanted to move to? Or did you just take a chance when house-hunting?

Like KC said, the job is in the NE suburbs of Orlando, so we kept our search on the NE side of town and some on the E/SE. I moved down in September (yeah, before the cruise... remember that our move-in day was 3 days before the cruise ) and quickly found that many rentals do not list in the paper. The only way to find them is to drive around. So I got out on the road with a good audiobook and spent several evenings just driving around. Ended up not actually finding this place until KC came down to help me hunt. Hope that helps.... you moving down???

The evening treats served at the Cove Cafe were alot less impressive this time, as only grapes and cheese were available.

I guess the recession is hitting everyone, huh?

Okay, so let me see if I can get caught up a bit. As I left off, it was Sunday night and EM#2 "forgot" what time it was and freaked me out! Well, Monday morning being a sea day there was no need to wake anyone up. I had a leisurely morning drinking coffee and trying to get the fish extender stuff done (nope,.... finishing the goodies that we were distributing was one of the things that just didn't get done before we left).

After the guys got up, the kids went to the Stack and did whatever kids do there and KC and I went bumming around. As he mentioned we saw the ship's tour on the Ariel TV. That was cool!!! We were supposed to meet some folks from our cruise thread at the Cove Cafe but it turned out he was sick, poor thing. Never did get to meet ya Kevin. Bummer!

But then we headed back to the room. We met the kids there and finished the fish extender stuff. It was a lot of fun just hanging out with the family while we got this done. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

That night was formal night and we didn't bring any formal stuff. Now I know that everyone says we could have gone to the dining room anyway, but I just didn't feel right about that. I remember last year dressing to the 9s for formal night and it being my totally be a princess night. I figured us in non-formal clothes might spoil it for someone else. There's so many other places to get food that we could afford to miss one night and not even feel it. Well, almost not feel it. We had our dinner at Topsiders. The steak was EXCELLENT but it took quite a while to get our food.

After dinner we cut the kids loose and KC and I went to see the ventriloquist. He had some funny bits. I thoroughly enjoyed him making the tennis ball come to life. But then he went downhill after that. No problems.... we just left. There's plenty else to do ;-).

And the kids were on time tonight. Whew!

KC pretty well covered what we did at Grand Cayman. Not much except the search for Pepsi. It was kind of fun seeing the non-touristy areas of the place. Sad too, though. A few blocks away from the port everything starts looking rundown and seedy. It's quite a shame.

That night while KC did his cigar night thing I went to the Promenade Lounge and played music trivia. It was a lot of fun but I didn't do near as well as I thought I would. I figured I'd do pretty good because I listen to a lot of Disney music on i'net streams. But there was a team of young adults that just out and out KNEW their stuff. That's okay... I had more fun on the team I was on. The little 4yo girl on my team was just adorable!

Okay, now that I'm sort of caught up, time for some pictures, eh?

Snoozing boys... since they weren't going ashore at Grand Cayman there's no need to wake them.

Welcome to Grand Cayman

Some of their areas down by the port are just beautiful

The post office

A pretty spot we passed in our quest for Pepsi

Away from the port areas look more like this

KC in the cigar shop

Didn't go in but just loved the way the sign looked with the beautiful sky behind it

She sure is a beauty isn't she?

 

[Kay1]

Just now tuning in. Your report is fantastic and those sunset pictures are amazing.

Thanks so much!

 

[King Charming]

I think the only valid comparisons come from folks who cruise both ways. I therefore feel qualified to babble on about it. With the V you get privacy and convenience, and maybe a bigger room. If you go to deck nine like I did the other time as a substitute, you get 2 minutes of exercise getting there, the same view (actually a choice of views), and the opportunity to meet new friends. About the only time it would make a BIG difference would be getting stuck in the room for illness, mobility issues, or a place to wait while children napped. While both cat 10's and 4's have nice decors, I didn't get on a boat to watch TV. Seeing other ships, passing islands, or just the horizon, I want to be outside seeing the stuff I can't see anywhere else. But you can see all these things from both places, so...

Was the V enjoyable? Oh very! and convenient too. Was it worth the extra money? Well, sorta. I know I will never be in a larger cruise ship room, on any line, and the privacy was nice. I can say been there, done that, and have something to brag about. Will I ever pay for another one? No. Aside from the fact that it will be years before we sail again, I sure could have used the extra $1K (GTY 6 v GTY 9) on stuff we missed. That kind of dough buys alot of Bingo, Shutters, and spa time PLUS a few tables at Palo's. While you could see alot being on the upper decks, it's almost the same view as deck 9. I'm a value kind of guy, and after hanging out on deck 9 for a week (Apr 08) and this week, deck nine wins.

I think it all boils down to privacy verses value. Convenience doesn't even enter the equation because I refuse to believe folks wouldn't walk an extra few minutes several times a day to save that much money. And here's the value question you should ask yourself to help you decide. If you used the money you would have spent on a V by getting a lower cat and an OBC that equals the difference, would you change your mind? If, after a couple of weeks, you can't think up stuff you could do, but MIGHT not otherwise using the OBC, go ahead and get the V.

And while I'm on the topic of room location, I want to weigh in on which side of the ship is best. We stayed in 8588, on the good side, er, right side of the ship. I thought it was the better side for the following reasons. When we first got there, we could see our car in the parking lot, the terminal, the drawbridge, yep, everything! The other side got the refueling barge. We waved to the gloved hands from the V as we sailed off. When we backed in to CC (both times), we could see the island, family beach, the excursion boats and jet skis go by. The other side saw pier construction. Grand Cayman was a wash, as both side saw the same thing pretty much. At Cozumel we again backed in and our side could see the island and pier, the other side saw a cruise ship parked 35 feet away.

What I can't include on this list is the fireworks they shoot off our side of the boat. I'm not sure if it was our location of being high and towards the rear, or what the rule is, but we were asked NOT to watch the show from the V for safety concerns. (Or was it just Mickey pulling my leg?) According to DS 14, who was on restriction that evening, a CM stopped by to check.

The very best part was that our room was only 25 seconds away from Topsiders, or 30 seconds to the drink station (not using the elevator). I highly recommend this room, the ones near it, or a room near the elevators on any deck. Your fish hanger and door magnets will help you find your room. I hope this helps.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Like KC said, the job is in the NE suburbs of Orlando, so we kept our search on the NE side of town and some on the E/SE. I moved down in September (yeah, before the cruise... remember that our move-in day was 3 days before the cruise ) and quickly found that many rentals do not list in the paper. The only way to find them is to drive around. So I got out on the road with a good audiobook and spent several evenings just driving around. Ended up not actually finding this place until KC came down to help me hunt. Hope that helps.... you moving down???

Yes, we are.
We are juggling two scenarios. 1 - townhouse in Orlando area that we rent out most of the year (vacation rentals) but stay in for about a month of the year ourselves. 2 - pick up and completely move to the Vero area. We're coming down in May sans kids to start looking around. Hopefully that'll help us decide our next move in this crazy plan. We've been talking about getting out of the northeast for some time now and are ready to do something about it.

 

[CastawayTink]

We are planning a Disney Cruise in April of 2011 on the Wonder to the Mexican Riviera and that has me thinking of my last trip. It was our first cruise and just had to be Disney!
We went on the Eastern Caribbean Cruise in January 2005 and LOVED it!!! We had planned to spend 7 nights at WDW and 7 nights on the Disney Cruise. It was a big trip for us for several reasons. We were going to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, it’s now 30 years and still counting. We fell in love at Disneyland and felt it the best way to celebrate! Also we had never taken a trip this big nor had I ever been out of the country. The trip was full of firsts!
When my parents heard about the trip they decided to join us. They quickly decided that the entire family should come and they paid for everyone to go! 15 people in all with 12 family members and 3 tag along friends.
We stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter at WDW and had a wonderful time. Lots of good memories were made there. The staff at the hotel was wonderful taking care of a missing power cord for my husband’s C-PAP machine. The power cord got left at home and my husband needed it badly. The head of maintenance tried to find a power cord that would work and when he could not he took my husband all over Orlando looking for a cord. It was amazing the way they made sure he had what he needed!
My parents are handicapped and needed lots of extra attention. The Cast members at the hotel and in the parks made sure they were taken care of. They felt so special there.
On the cruise they were quick to get an extension cord so my husband could plug in his C-PAP when he slept. Our daughter, who was 10 at the time, was made to feel safe on the ship. She felt like she could wonder the ship and if she needed us she could page us. Anything my parents needed was quickly attended too.
All the shows were wonderful and we wished we could have seen them all several times! Next time we will go to manatee show and then go again in the evening! The food was wonderful and our server, Raman, was great and made us all feel special. The rotational dining was fun and kept things very exciting and interesting. We enjoyed just walking around the ship. It is beautiful and romantic.
St. Martian was drab. We wished we had stayed on the ship! We took the 2 flags tour and the Dutch side of the island was poor but clean. The French side was dirty. They took us to the “Big Mall” on the French side. It was nothing more than a flea mart! Not much fun and I don’t suggest it. Maybe another excursion would have been better.
St Thomas was beautiful! We did not stay there long enough! We had a short time to walk around a few blocks away from the port but loved the feel of the island.
Castaway Cay was the best part of the trip!!! We thought we would snorkel for an hour or so and then explore rest of the island. We had so much fun snorkeling in the family area we hardly got out of the water the entire day!! When we first started snorkeling our daughter was scared to death of the fish! She had a panic attack and climbed onto her dad’s back! That did not last too long as she found too many fun things to look at and realized the fish were not going to hurt her. About the only time we were out of the water was to go to the BBQ for lunch. Even my parents had fun exploring the island on their electric scooters.
We were sad when the trip finally ended and wished we could steal some Pixie Dust from Tinker Bell so we could stay on the ship forever!

 

[King Charming]

Thanks for posting Castaway Tink. Yet another happy tale of satisified cruisers who got bit by the 'Gotta go again' bug. Everybody has a good time on Mickey's boat, and I think that's half the reason folks read these TR's. There is reassurance you made a good vacation choice, or recalling YOUR cruise and it's special moments when you read or see a photo of something similar. I think the other half are here to research their options for what to do after they board. Even veteran cruisers haven't done it all, and reading unsolicited reports on shows, meals, excursions, daily routines, or even who else will be at sea with you can help you decide how the next trip could be better.

Now y'all should know by now that the Mickster and I are pretty tight. Why just this morning we stood together to watch the shuttle launch. It was a clear night here in O town, and you could see it for a long time. Due to the angle of the sun we could even see a booster rocket drift away as an orange sliver. Anyway, I asked Mickey why so many folks are reading, buy don't stay long enough to say hi. After a crack about my deodorant, he said most people were waiting on the post covering the Most Popular Passenger Ceremony in the big theater. The MPP and other awards are typically announced on the 2nd sea day and I haven't gotten that far yet. Let's just say for now it was an intense (and loud) competition.

For those of you who are interested in collecting your own MPP hardware during future cruises, I would highly recommend my campaign manager. Never leave these matters to the whim of the voters; we all know they are idiots. With her reasonable rates, you too can have billboards stretching up and down I-95 with your slogan splashed all over the place. I'm sure you, or someone you know, saw mine in early Nov. She'll be in town this weekend, and if you want, I'll put in a good word for you.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Cool you saw the launch!!!

 

[MassDisLovers]

Awww, KC... you flatter me. However, working with an outstanding candidate like you is always a pleasure. Glad to hear that you and The Big Guy have been able to patch things up. I guess he has gotten over his shock at learning that you were potentially more popular than him. Good thing you finally got him to read the fine print so he understood that the contest was for Most Popular PASSENGER and would in no way affect him! You had a great way with him...... those celebs can be hard to handle! I'm hoping it won't be awkward when I board his ship on Saturday, but if he gives me the cold shoulder, so be it. It is what it is and even a Big Cheese like him has to be honest with himself. He's had 3 months to get over it, should be enough!

SO excited to becoming to your fair city this weekend, but MOST EXCITED about visiting with your lovely wife. Another great thing about these boards.....

 

[Queenofallthings]

Hey y'all!!

Look at me Hypermommy, gettin all southern on ya!! Ok, so I'm all caught up and I only have one thing to say...well I have a lot to say most times, but right now the one thing I have to say is ....I WANT TO GO ON A DISNEY CRUISE!!!

Your pictures are beautiful....I wasn't lovin the one where your snuggling a little to closely to my boyfriend Jack, but because your my friend, I'm gonna let it slide....this time

Can't wait to read more and see more pics

 

[King Charming]

So after cigars Tues evening, DW claimed me. We walked through the clubs, then collected the cooler and headed in. Back in the room around 11:30, then played the 'How late will the boys be tonight?' game AGAIN! I was pretty sure by now that I'd be officially notified if I was really needed, and therefore wasn't a very good player..... I went to sleep.

I was up at 6, and with a renewed supply of Pepsi, became a V veg. It was around 7 when I first noticed the little white islands begin to appear on the horizon. Strange, I don't remember that many islands off the coast of Mexico. Yeah, bit of a geography nut. Anyway, within 15 minutes it became clear what I was seeing. The multi-story Cancun resorts! About that time we began our turn around the top of Cozumel and are now sailing down it's west coast. We had Bfast as a family, then hit GS and split up there. Today was our excursion day. Each boy picked out their favorite (and paid for themselves), and we tagged along as chaperons. I had been trying to weasel out of paying full fare to accompany DS16, but Guest Services set me straight. If the kids are minors you pay full fare because transportation and other stuff is included/available, regardless of whether I use it. OK, kinda figured that.

So Eating Machine #1 and I show up at the Rockin D Bar at 9:45 for assembly to go on the ship's sponsored zip line/adventure park deal. We had a rookie lead us through the paperwork, given stickers, and led off the ship after 10. We went to the base of the pier, then off to the right side where there were two dozen benches. We met our tour guides, turned in our waivers, and within 15 minutes loaded onto 8 passenger taxi vans. We re-assembled about a mile from the northern tip, still on the same coast/side. Ushered into a 50 seat room, our group of 25 or so got the safety lecture/instructions/how to speech. Harness and hard hat properly adjusted, we go out and watch them secure anchor lines and test EVERYTHING!

I was disappointed by the size of the place. All the towers/rock walls fit within a 30 X 30 foot area. I somehow got the impression of zipping thru the trees/leaves, on long runs. Not gonna happen here. But what they did have was a nicely shaded table I could leave my Pepsi on. While I sat in my nicely shaded chair next to it. I don't zip. Long time ago, yes, eagerly. Rock climbing sounds too much like work, so that's out. I miss the repelling, but prefer to stay firmly planted these days. So me and the granny with a big group sat and watched. Every person climbed each rock face (then were lowered down), then walked the rope bridges, then zipped between the towers (30 ft tall), then repelled down. One tower started doing only repelling, 4 ropes going, for those who couldn't get enough. DS said it was easy (but he's done this junk before), but it looked stressful to the few over 40's in the group.

A special shout out to Kevin. I was right up there with you buddy (in spirit), as you went through ALL the stations. And how he thrilled us all with his amazing 'Look ma, no hands' repelling. Having DIS'ers around make everything more fun. Since Irish skin and tropical sun should never meet, we didn't stay long afterwards.

DS pronounced it a hit and said he got his money's worth even though we didn't stay to snorkle (also inc). What we did stick around for was the free drink that was included. There were beach areas and a swimming pool we could have used, and the bar and grill had reasonable prices. We told one of the folks we were ready to leave, and a few minutes later we're told a cab is waiting for us. They needed 2 more folks for a full load and were glad to see us. "Everyone going to the pier?" Well, yeah. We were told the ride back was also free, so we sit back and watch the guy drive by our pier and finally stops down by the other pier further south. There were 7 ships in Coz today, and everybody piles out but us. So on his way back he drops us at the escalator at our pier, and we are back on the ship by 1pm.

 

[King Charming]

Granddad's binoculars got quite a work out this week, and today was no different as I waited on the V, watching for DW and DS14. Their group got back around 2. By 2:15 Hyper and I went back into town on another quest... more Pepsi. Guest Services suggested Mega, a super Walmart type store. It's only 15 minutes away; not 15 mins from the end of the pier, 15 mins from the ship! It's easy to find because you can see it from the two story mall. Go down the pier, thru the mall, out to the road and head south. 2 blocks later, up the elevator, and you can buy most anything here. Just don't freak out (like I almost did when I saw the total) when your ordinary purchases cost hundreds! They use pesos there (duh), but take dollars, like every other store does. The 6 liters I got yesterday wasn't nearly enough (but all I was willing to carry for 20+ blocks), so I got 10 more. This should be enough to last the week and brings the total brought onboard to 30 liters (buy hey, I'm getting great mileage). Back on the ship by 3 after stopping to get braided.

An hours nap was my reward for watching such strenuous rock climbing, then it was time to dress up for pirate night. I've been wondering what does it say about a fellow who braids his beard and wears an earring, but didn't bring a necktie on the trip.

 

[MassDisLovers]

Where are you, King Charming? It's been a week since we've heard from you..... You know your fans don't like to be kept waiting like that!

 

[MSTXMOM]

I hope you all are okay. I've been lurking. Enjoyed being with you on this one. Denise, you are THE BEST Secret Mickey!!

Looking forward to hearing more.

-vicki

 

[Hypermommy]

Yippieeeeee... I finally get a chance to get on here again!!! It's been so busy around here. A couple of weeks ago everyone at the office had to work all weekend so we could make this deadline for a demo that we had. And then last weekend I had to work to try to make a deadline on a project I had. I was hired on with the company three weeks ago (woot!) but one of the conditions of my hiring was that I finish this project. So it had to be done. Ugh! But it's done and I'll move on to the next thing at work and we'll just see what happens. I was getting all hyper about it (not me!) but then I decided all I can do is do my best and either it'll be good enough or I'll be finding another job. God's always taken care of me in the past so I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that He'll do so again. But some prayers and pixie dust wouldn't hurt if you feel like sending some my way.

But enough with the real life... back to the cruise and the fun TR and all the fun I'm having with folks chiming in!

Oh Denise, Please say it ain't so!
It's that cold in Orlando?
We're coming down in Feb. for a week (like we didn't already give the mouse enought of our $ in November)
We gotta use our week at the timeshare before it expires. Please try to have 75 -78 degree weather for us in Feb. No snow.

I wish we could have had those temps for you and maybe you hit the weekend that we did? No snow, of course, but most of February has been below average temps. From what I hear there have been snow flurries in N. Fla. Of course, you know that's how it'd go... we move and they get snow flurries 2x this year. And yes, the kids are just THRILLED with me moving them out of town the one chance they get to have snow. Oh well.......

We've been talking about getting out of the northeast for some time now and are ready to do something about it.

This year is definitely the year to think about getting out of the NE. If this year doesn't convince you then I guess nothing will, huh? So let us know when you're coming down to look around and/or PM me. I can let you know some really wonderful areas of town. One of the cool things about living up here in Sanford is that "the attractions" are close enough that I can get to them quickly and easily but far enough away that I don't have to be affected by them all the time. You know what I mean... tourists on the road that don't know where they're going (hey, I can pick... I was one of them not that long ago) and everyone in a vacation mindset. So if you're thinking of moving, hit me up PM and I'll be happy to give you an idea of the feel of some of the towns around me.

Awww, KC... you flatter me. However, working with an outstanding candidate like you is always a pleasure.

Oh, THAT'S what he needs... a bigger head. C'mon girl... you know KC's head's about to fall off his tiny shoulders as it is!

SO excited to becoming to your fair city this weekend, but MOST EXCITED about visiting with your lovely wife. Another great thing about these boards.....

I'm just so sick that I missed you! I really had no problem working that weekend with the exception that it just RUINED my plans to see you. I guess you'll just have to come down again sometime soon, huh?

Hey y'all!!

Look at me Hypermommy, gettin all southern on ya!! Ok, so I'm all caught up and I only have one thing to say...well I have a lot to say most times, but right now the one thing I have to say is ....I WANT TO GO ON A DISNEY CRUISE!!!

Your pictures are beautiful....I wasn't lovin the one where your snuggling a little to closely to my boyfriend Jack, but because your my friend, I'm gonna let it slide....this time

Can't wait to read more and see more pics

You definitely want to do a cruise. It is sooooooo much fun being so pampered. And your Southern sounds great!!!!!! But you know you're gonna have to share your boy Jack... he's just way too much man to be tied to one lady, you know?

Where are you, King Charming? It's been a week since we've heard from you..... You know your fans don't like to be kept waiting like that!

He was probably waiting for me to show up. But I'm learning from my mentor, PurplePeg. Now, Queen you make sure to tell her for me, okay? LOL

I hope you all are okay. I've been lurking. Enjoyed being with you on this one. Denise, you are THE BEST Secret Mickey!!

Looking forward to hearing more.

-vicki

Awww, thanks! I'm glad I could find things you liked. You should have seen me shoppng for the SM stuff. I walked around the World of Disney for like an hour putting things in my basket. The I found an unused counter and laid everything out and decided what I'd keep. Believe me it was hard work -- and I can't wait to get a chance to do it again!

Okay, so back to the TR. On Wed morning we split up and EM#1 and KC went to the zipline and I met up with the other DISsers that were doing the dolphin thing with us. Now I know I'm preaching to the choir here but it's soooooooo much more fun to do things with folks you've gotten to know over the years. I wasn't near as concerned about us being split from KC/EM#1 in Mexico as I thought I'd be because we were with friends. Now, that's not to say that I wasn't happy to find them in the room when we got back

So the whole mess of us Double Dippers that were doing the dolphins met up at the Mariner Mickey statue. We'd booked this on our own instead of through Disney so getting there on time was our responsibility. But why mess with a perfectly functional system... excursion mates meet on the ship and progress from there. So everyone shows up and leave it to me to entertain the kids. You know how hard it is for kids to wait so I sat 'em all down in a circle and we played a game I picked up through Scouts. Basically someone says a compound word (campfire) and the next person has to come up with a compound word that starts with the end of the last one (fireplace)... and it just keeps going from there. Of course, since we had very young kids, the rules were somewhat relaxed. And besides, it was just a time killer. While we were sitting there playing I had my little redheaded EM#2 put on sunscreen. Until one of the Double Dippers reminded me that we weren't supposed to have sunscreen on (I guess it gets into the water and all). So I had him go wash it all off. But at least some of it made it into his skin. Then another Double Dipper reminded me that we needed our paperwork so back to the room I went.

Finally we were all ready to leave and so we did. Headed out into port through the mall (fantastic design, having to go through the mall to get out.... truly smart design) and out to where the taxies were. We needed a few taxis but we all headed over there.

The view getting off the ship

In the mall

This was hilarious! This guy would stand there like a statue and then when folks went by he'd startle them. It was hilarious!!!!

Between the various ports, Cozumel gets a bit grittier.

EM#2 at Chakanaab

When we got to Chakanaab (sp?) the first thing we saw was a pavillion where we go and get tix or wristbands if we'd already bought tix. There was also a guy there with an iguana and a parrott. He put them on EM#2's shoulder and all and I was just about to snap a picture when one of my DISfriends told me it was like $5 to take a picture with my own camera. Ha! I don't think so. But I went and stood a bit away and zoomed in as good as I could. Was it stealing? I don't know... but $5 for a picture with my own camera is just that stupid!

Best I could get without being noticed

Yeah, there's my child's face in there somewhere. I do love his hair, but it'd be nice if it were out of his face for pix. But, of course, he's much more interested in being cool.

Here's where he gets to swim with dolphins

Yep, he's big enough (Mom made him stand there... doesn't he look happy about it?)

See... he does have eyes

Learning the commands to use with the dolphins

More commands... and look, there's MouseMom. Oh, I hope I remembered the DISname right... I've got her real name written down but I did definitely want to make sure to publicly thank her. I had no idea how far away from my child I'd be (turns out, I was within eyesight) and she agreed to look after him while they were with the dolphins. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Training... check. Life vest...check. Now bring on them dolphins.

Playing with the dolphins

Getting pushed along by the dolphins

They had a WONDERFUL time. And Becky (okay... forget DISNames) was sweet enough to order the video for all of us. And Annie surprised me completely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd told Joey we couldn't get the pictures (remember, we still have moving expenses to deal with when we get back to reality) and he understood (the kids have been fantastic about that). Well, Annie was sweet and got him a copy of the picture!!!!! He loved it soooooooo much and was sooooo appreciative.

(ran out of space for pix.... continued next post)

 

[Hypermommy]

As KC mentioned, in the afternoon it was time for our obligatory excursion to find Pepsi. I tripped out that we found this in Mexio.

They're everywhere!!!!

KC with his "gold" (and check out the price... then remember it's in pesos)

Can you imagine how the FDA or someone would freak out over having non individually wrapped sandwiches for sale?

Getting the pirate beard in order

I'll have to post some more later... gotta get ready for work now. Y'all have fun!!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Will do!!! Thanks!!!!!!


Great installment, btw. We never got off the ship for Cozumel but kinda regret it now. I guess this means we'll have to go back!!!

 

[Hypermommy]

Great installment, btw. We never got off the ship for Cozumel but kinda regret it now. I guess this means we'll have to go back!!!

Sounds absolutely reasonable to me!!!!!!!!

 

[Diamondintheruff]

I've finally caught up. It seems unbelievable that your cruise actually happened. I remember seeing Hypermommy's ticker at 2 years or so out.

 

[King Charming]

I've been debating whether to include this post, but it did happen on Wed in Cozumel, and could happen to anybody. For those of you who read only for happy/fun stuff, skip this one, as it was downright depressing.

Two rental jeeps crashed near Chankanaab, one making a left turn in front of the other on the highway. Two died on scene, the other 6 badly injured. The first rumors started flying around the ship the next day, mostly true, that it involved no locals; only cruise ship folks. The CM's were under orders not to talk about it, and (after alot of badgering) would only say none of our passengers were involved. When we got home I tried to follow up on it, but only found out that 2 people (from Carnival) were airlifted back to the US for treatment, and that the paramedics who first responded were under investigation for taking stuff from the scene.

That's what I know to be true, and the rest is just speculation on my part, but I think somehow a Magic crew member may have been involved. Our Head Server, a 'be your best friend' type fellow, with a story for every situation, was Mr. Zombie on Thurs night. No, he didn't want to talk about it, but everyone near him could tell something had drastically changed in his life. He sucked it enough to at least smile by Friday, but was a no-show on Sat am. Did he get a dear John letter and the crash was a coincidence? I don't know, but I can see why full disclosure from the cruise lines could be too much information. Many families and friends had their life altered that day, and I'm just so thankful my wife and child, who were in the area that day, were not involved.

 

[suzcruz]

where are you king? hope everything is ok!