GoofyNewfie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 31, 2010
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my first ever TR. The 2015 Westbound Panama Canal. I'd so meant to do one after our 2013 EBTA but got work got ahold of me too quickly and I never found the time. I told too many people that I was going to do one this time so rather than disappoint, here it is. Please forgive any obvious inexperience. One of the things I'm already finding difficult is writing things in the proper tense. I will probably get it wrong multiple times, but since certain events didn't happen as planned, some of the tense may be foreshadow-y.
A bit about us. DW Kim works at the local hospitals doing shift work. I (Chris) am in IT and have been working on an extremely time-consuming project for the last 3+ years that takes me travelling overseas quite a bit. By the time this cruise rolled around, my wife and I had not had a vacation together since the 2013 ETBA and spending quality time together was a real struggle. My project was behind and had been in overdrive for 6 months and I really needed a break. We were so looking forward to all the time we would have together.
Us from the 2013 EBTA
We specifically booked the 2015 WBPC for a few reasons:
1. We know we like the longer cruises and do not mind sea days.
2. Like the transatlantic, this is a very cool idea to us - to go through the Panada Canal.
3. Air Canada rips us off for one-way international travel and staying in North America would make booking flights simpler and cheaper.
4. The 2015 EBTA was going to the North Atlantic in May. Considering that's where we live, and know what it's like in May, we would not be doing that one.
We booked shortly after it was announced into a 10C. We like the split bathroom and don't feel we need a window. I somewhat feel that a window or balcony is a bit of a trap in that there's more incentive to stay in the room rather than get out and about. As we watched prices, I think they added about another $1000 in the last days for a 10C.
For our flights, we decided to fly the day before the cruise as it's impossible to fly to St. John's to Miami in time on the day of departure. You'll see why that might have not been a smart idea... For some reason, business class tickets were only slightly more expensive so we booked those. In the end, this was a very smart decision and you'll see why as well. 7am departure from St. John's, connecting in Toronto, and arriving in Miami at 3pm. We had arranged to stay at the same hotel where much of the cruise group was staying.
For at the end of the cruise, we had gone back and forth on ideas, but in the end we decided to take the train to Anaheim to do Disneyland for a couple days, then a day doing Hop-on/Hop-off bus in Los Angelos before flying home.
The itinerary for our 2015 WBPC was to be:
Apr 30: Flying to Miami http://www.disboards.com/threads/pl...t-wasnt-a-wbpc-2015-tr.3413131/#post-53717606
May 1: Miami, Florida
At Sea
Cozumel, Mexico
At Sea
At Sea
Cartagena, Colombia
Panama Canal (cruising canal)
At Sea
At Sea
At Sea
At Sea
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
At Sea
San Diego, California
Disneyland
Los Angelos
Flying to St. John's
As usual, the cruise group had arranged all sorts of events and we had signed up for many of them. Thanks to everyone who arranged an event! We only booked Disney-arranged excursions as our fear of being left behind in foreign countries is too strong. The EBTA had shown us that they do indeed leave people behind. In the last days before the cruise, we did change one. Kim had wanted to do the secret river excursion in Cozumel and even though I have a rather strong/irrational fear of water, I had agreed to do it. But, we heard some last minute things that changed her mind. First, that there's a long ferry ride and DW doesn't handle those well. Second, that the water levels were really high and that there were spiders. We changed to a cooking excursion. We never found anyone that did the secret river excursion to see how it went. Can anyone comment?
We had also prearranged to sit with two other families that we had done the EBTA with. I am so glad that we did. I am especially glad that we didn't try to sit by ourselves. There was a couple nearby, sitting alone, that I watched for the duration of the cruise that I felt bad for. They looked so lonely. Hardly talked to each other let alone anyone else. But, I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?
By doing a linked reservation, like we did, to be able to sit with others, we were able to see what things that they had booked on board. But this didn't cause any trouble but the big warning the website gives you is slightly off-putting. Something about others not being able to do anything while you are making changes.
Like the 2013 EBTA, we were leaving DS(16) home as we could not pull him out of school just before exam preparations were starting. However, unlike last time, the in-laws were not going to stay in the house, but just drop by often. They live only a few minutes away. In preparation for this, DS and I had done a couple of grocery store runs and several talks. He's a very independant sort who has spent quite a bit of time away from home in the summers while at Air Cadet camp. We have lots of close neighbors and even a couple of co-workers nearby so there would be lots of people checking in on him, but it was still moderately nerve wracking to leave him home. However, I'll jump right to the end on this point and say he did great home alone. I'm very proud of him.
Besides ensuring Alex was ready, there were a number of last minute things that couldn't be done until right before the cruise for various reasons. New glasses, winter tires changed, dog dropped off with a friend, etc. It was a busy last week and in the last couple days before the cruise, we were still very slow in finishing packing. A few bad excuses kept getting in the way but we got packed early enough that we got to bed at a reasonable hour. Our philosophy for packing was 7 days worth of clothes with the expectation that we'd probably use them up quicker than that. It worked out just about perfect with us doing laundry 3 times. This resulted in only two regular sized pieces of luggage and one carry-on only - and we were doing FEs and more.
All items checked off the night before our flights, we got to bed, but with a foreboding fear because of the fog that was rolling in...
Welcome to my first ever TR. The 2015 Westbound Panama Canal. I'd so meant to do one after our 2013 EBTA but got work got ahold of me too quickly and I never found the time. I told too many people that I was going to do one this time so rather than disappoint, here it is. Please forgive any obvious inexperience. One of the things I'm already finding difficult is writing things in the proper tense. I will probably get it wrong multiple times, but since certain events didn't happen as planned, some of the tense may be foreshadow-y.
A bit about us. DW Kim works at the local hospitals doing shift work. I (Chris) am in IT and have been working on an extremely time-consuming project for the last 3+ years that takes me travelling overseas quite a bit. By the time this cruise rolled around, my wife and I had not had a vacation together since the 2013 ETBA and spending quality time together was a real struggle. My project was behind and had been in overdrive for 6 months and I really needed a break. We were so looking forward to all the time we would have together.
Us from the 2013 EBTA
We specifically booked the 2015 WBPC for a few reasons:
1. We know we like the longer cruises and do not mind sea days.
2. Like the transatlantic, this is a very cool idea to us - to go through the Panada Canal.
3. Air Canada rips us off for one-way international travel and staying in North America would make booking flights simpler and cheaper.
4. The 2015 EBTA was going to the North Atlantic in May. Considering that's where we live, and know what it's like in May, we would not be doing that one.
We booked shortly after it was announced into a 10C. We like the split bathroom and don't feel we need a window. I somewhat feel that a window or balcony is a bit of a trap in that there's more incentive to stay in the room rather than get out and about. As we watched prices, I think they added about another $1000 in the last days for a 10C.
For our flights, we decided to fly the day before the cruise as it's impossible to fly to St. John's to Miami in time on the day of departure. You'll see why that might have not been a smart idea... For some reason, business class tickets were only slightly more expensive so we booked those. In the end, this was a very smart decision and you'll see why as well. 7am departure from St. John's, connecting in Toronto, and arriving in Miami at 3pm. We had arranged to stay at the same hotel where much of the cruise group was staying.
For at the end of the cruise, we had gone back and forth on ideas, but in the end we decided to take the train to Anaheim to do Disneyland for a couple days, then a day doing Hop-on/Hop-off bus in Los Angelos before flying home.
The itinerary for our 2015 WBPC was to be:
Apr 30: Flying to Miami http://www.disboards.com/threads/pl...t-wasnt-a-wbpc-2015-tr.3413131/#post-53717606
May 1: Miami, Florida
At Sea
Cozumel, Mexico
At Sea
At Sea
Cartagena, Colombia
Panama Canal (cruising canal)
At Sea
At Sea
At Sea
At Sea
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
At Sea
San Diego, California
Disneyland
Los Angelos
Flying to St. John's
As usual, the cruise group had arranged all sorts of events and we had signed up for many of them. Thanks to everyone who arranged an event! We only booked Disney-arranged excursions as our fear of being left behind in foreign countries is too strong. The EBTA had shown us that they do indeed leave people behind. In the last days before the cruise, we did change one. Kim had wanted to do the secret river excursion in Cozumel and even though I have a rather strong/irrational fear of water, I had agreed to do it. But, we heard some last minute things that changed her mind. First, that there's a long ferry ride and DW doesn't handle those well. Second, that the water levels were really high and that there were spiders. We changed to a cooking excursion. We never found anyone that did the secret river excursion to see how it went. Can anyone comment?
We had also prearranged to sit with two other families that we had done the EBTA with. I am so glad that we did. I am especially glad that we didn't try to sit by ourselves. There was a couple nearby, sitting alone, that I watched for the duration of the cruise that I felt bad for. They looked so lonely. Hardly talked to each other let alone anyone else. But, I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?
By doing a linked reservation, like we did, to be able to sit with others, we were able to see what things that they had booked on board. But this didn't cause any trouble but the big warning the website gives you is slightly off-putting. Something about others not being able to do anything while you are making changes.
Like the 2013 EBTA, we were leaving DS(16) home as we could not pull him out of school just before exam preparations were starting. However, unlike last time, the in-laws were not going to stay in the house, but just drop by often. They live only a few minutes away. In preparation for this, DS and I had done a couple of grocery store runs and several talks. He's a very independant sort who has spent quite a bit of time away from home in the summers while at Air Cadet camp. We have lots of close neighbors and even a couple of co-workers nearby so there would be lots of people checking in on him, but it was still moderately nerve wracking to leave him home. However, I'll jump right to the end on this point and say he did great home alone. I'm very proud of him.
Besides ensuring Alex was ready, there were a number of last minute things that couldn't be done until right before the cruise for various reasons. New glasses, winter tires changed, dog dropped off with a friend, etc. It was a busy last week and in the last couple days before the cruise, we were still very slow in finishing packing. A few bad excuses kept getting in the way but we got packed early enough that we got to bed at a reasonable hour. Our philosophy for packing was 7 days worth of clothes with the expectation that we'd probably use them up quicker than that. It worked out just about perfect with us doing laundry 3 times. This resulted in only two regular sized pieces of luggage and one carry-on only - and we were doing FEs and more.
All items checked off the night before our flights, we got to bed, but with a foreboding fear because of the fog that was rolling in...
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