September 3, 2005 --- Who is going?

[clonefans]

If anyone is up this early and wants to watch the Magic going through the Panama Canal this morning. It's going through the Miraflores Lock right now. You can watch it at pancanal(dot)com. Click on the live web cam

Thanks!! Just seeing it makes me get more excited (if thats even possible!!)

 

[omapcw1]

What a week! I'm at home for half a day and am stuffing suitcases in an attempt to be "completely packed" before I hit the road again. What's life without unrealistic fantasy?

For those of you flying NWA and slightly worried about the mechanics strike...I haven't had a problem at all this week. Things have had no change that I can notice. However, I was chatting with one of the reps in the world club and she said if I was nervous re: timing I could call the day before my flight and move to an earlier one most likely without charge. (which we may do just because I had booked us thinking we'd have a lie-in the morning we flew out but as the kids are too excited to sleep now I can't imagine what they'll be like by Thursday night!?!)

No great pirate loot on my travels with Charlie so far...went to the big disney store on Madison Avenue in Chicago and the costumes are out. Really cute pirate this year if anyone is still looking.

the ????'s (in no paticular order)

Books
For those Janet Evanovich fans out there...I'm with you--to the point of being willing to pay for a hardback. For those that haven't tried her yet. Do it!! and plan to be looked at like a loon as you laugh out loud. Great mind candy. Anything that I can get my hands on otherwise.

TV
Alias.

Movies
documentaries (got hooked while I lived in the UK--BBC can make a geek out of anyone. ask about the rice...ewwwww)

Trips
New Zealand; a tour of the far east

$$$
Pay everything off; buy my soul back from the firm and live a normal life.

DCL memory
our first time...but WDW memory; Strolling through the studios with 20mo old dd in stroller (dad and brother were off somewhere) and dd sees a character (I have no clue who it was but it looked like a squirrel in a monk suit???) and she throws her body out of the stroller onto the ground in a semi-ninja type roll and runs to said character and hugs his legs for everything she's worth. No one was around and I'm certain she had no clue who he was but she was gonna get some monk love if it killed her!!


Are we there yet?????

Patricia

 

[beachbumfamily]

are we dissers going to meet up somewhere if so where ?

 

[disneyfanforever]

Patricia,

Another Alias fan! That is my absolute favorite show to the point where I think I am borderline obsessive.

Your answers were cracking me up. I like the buy my soul back from the firm and live a normal life. What exactly do you do that you are gone everywhere? I don't know how you do it. Thanks for letting my know that everything is going well for Northwest. We are flying them and I was getting concerned. Hopefully, since we are flying in Friday we won't have any problems making it to the ship on time. Your story about your DD throwing herself at the character made me laugh.

As far as books, I am a Nora Roberts freak but I have seen the Janet Evanovich books and always wondered what they are like. Do you have a favorite that you suggest or should they be read in any particular order? I think I might pick one up for the trip.

The DIS meet is at the Promenade Lounge at 3:00 on sailaway day. I can't wait!

Robyn

 

[pogopossum]

at the weather channel website www.weather.com, you see can sat image of atlantic all the way out to those that cap'n pointed out, click on tropical update and scroll through list of available maps.

another good site is www.wunderground.com, weather underground, good tracking maps and a couple of blogs by meteriologists who have some good insights.

 

[omapcw1]

Robyn.

Start with One for the Money! It's the beginning of a series that is currently on number 12. You may want to bring the second one too. Thy're quick reads.

 

[Poohbl]

Thanks so much, I am very proud of him. Here is his website if anyone wants to take a look. If through out your travels and cruise you get any of those travel size containers of personal hygene products and you want to donate them let me know. We live in Florida so it would be nothing to bring them home.
They wont let me post my link because I don't have enough post yet. If you want to post for me you can.

 

[Poohbl]

Patricia,

My daughter loves those books. We started with them lsitening to the books on tapes, now she reads them and rereads them. Is there a new one. Her b-day is tomorrow and I could get her one for the cruise. Don't let her know you are a fan she will talk your ear off about them. LOL

laurie

 

[Poohbl]

I have a question for those that have been before. We have our own snorkel equipment with the exception of the vest. Zach has one but the rest of us don't. Can you use your own equipment to snorkel at Castaway? The next is about St. Thomas. We wantto go over to St John and visit the National Park. We want to snorkel there and Zach wants to do the Jr ranger program. Is anyone real familar with the are that could give me some tips. Looks like you can take a ferry over and rent a car. Anyway any advice would be great.

 

[captaincrash]

Poohbl...

We were planning to go to St John too. We're looking to do something that's a little different yet family friendly with a 1.75 and 4 year old. We've stayed on St Thomas a few days before and rented a car on St Thomas - and took the ferry from Red Hook to St John. Car rentals and renting a car on St John I am NOT familar with - but it seems to me that you might do better with a cab on St John. And driving from one end of St Thomas to the other can take a little time. I remember driving from the airport to the RItz Carlton and it must have taken 40 minutes or longer. So a ferry is cost effective and quite time efficient.

Regarding getting to St John there are ferries running from Charlotte Amalie at 9AM 11AM and 1PM with the return from from Cruz Bay running at 11:15AM/ 1:15PM/ 2:15/ 3:15. Depending on where we dock - it's either a 15 minute walk or a cheap cab ride. The ferry ride is 45 minutes and costs $7 each way for adutls and $3 for kids. http://www.usvi-info.com/infousvi/ferry.html

While there on St John we were considering renting a DInghy for a half day for $75 (or a full day for $140) for a 12' boat and a fraction more for a 14'. I just read that some folks thought this was pretty cool and allowed visiting several beaches from a new POV. It comes with life vests, cooler, water proof map - and so on. It is powered by a 15 HP outboard motor. Here is a link: http://www.bookitvi.com/nla.htm

Alternatively we have a rental car reserved for about $50 including taxes - but we are not quite certain which way we'll get about!

Anyone interested in doing the dinghy thing with us? We assume a small family (2 or 3 folks) could share a 14' dinghy with us while a larger one might need their own seperate dinghy. OR... three families might spread out into 2 dinghys. Here's a link to the cruise critic thread discussing it.... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=222681 Either way this seems mildly adventureous to us and certainly off the beaten path!

Hope this helps.

 

[pmarcum]

From The Weather Channel:

Elsewhere, there are two areas of low pressure in the central Atlantic. The first area of low pressure has now become Tropical Depression Thirteen as of 5 p.m. EDT. It is located about 965 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and is expected to pass well north of the islands.

...New tropical depression forms in the tropical Atlantic...expected
to pass well north of the Lesser Antilles...

at 5 PM AST...2100z...the center of newly formed Tropical Depression
Thirteen was located near latitude 15.4 north...longitude 46.8
west or about 965 miles...1555 km...east of the Lesser Antilles.

The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph
...20 km/hr...and this motion is expected to continue during the
next 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph...45 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 24
hours.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb...29.74 inches.
Repeating the 5 PM AST position...15.4 N... 46.8 W. Movement
toward...west-northwest near 13 mph. Maximum sustained
winds... 30 mph. Minimum central pressure...1007 mb.

The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at
11 PM AST.

Forecaster Avila

 

[captaincrash]

OK...

Does anybody know much about these storm track things? I know the various paths projected show the expected center positions over the next few days... and I think that not every storm comes to shore - but does anyone know much about it?

 

[Poohbl]

I looked into that. Looks like a lot of fun. I am concerned that we won't have enough time. How long are we in St. Thomas? I thought it was from 8 till 4:30. I have a fear of missing the boat,.

Laurie

 

[wendyk]

Well Guys.....................
I'm off to the airport now. Looking forward to meeting you all on the cruise.

Take Care,
Wendy

 

[Poohbl]

I can not believe next week this time we will be enjoying our cruise for the 2nd day. I am sooooooo excited. LOL I went to the store and got some of the items that were suggested on the list. I have started getting things together and I know next week will fly by.

 

[gdulaney]

Ginny,
We are flying in to Orlando, but we are staying near the port. I think it's the Radisson - that's where we usually stay. I won't start packing until Thursday. We have traveled so much that I'm getting pretty good at doing it at the last minute. Is it just you and your husband going?
- Vicki

Vicki -

Yes, it's just the two of us (no kids)....but should DCL ever let pets on, well, that would be a whole different thing. aw: aw:

Ginny

 

[gdulaney]

Ginny...You will love Saratoga Springs....we stayed there last Oct. with some friends. And yes you can walk to downtown disney, but I hate to sweat, so we drove . They have just redone the Lego store there. It is one of my kids favorite places. We also always eat at Rainforest. Suzanne

Suzanne,
We've stayed at Saratoga Springs once before and you're right, we absolutely loved it. Andy walked to Downtown Disney and I drove (I thought it was much further than it actually is)....and he beat me over there! I'm glad the Lego store is open, they had a "tent store" in February.

We've never eaten at the Rainforest. What's the food like? We usually try to do a dinner at Bahama Breeze and a lunch at the Big River Brewery. Andy loves the ribs at the NASCAR Cafe (at Universal), so we may try to eat lunch there one day.

Ginny

 

[disneyfanforever]

Have fun Wendy! See ya Saturday. I hope you guys have a great time.

Robyn

 

[captaincrash]

Poohbl:

Ya know Laurie.... on the notion of missing the boat - that comment jarrs a memory of once when we were boarding a RCCL ship in I think it was Grand Cayeman - we were sort of boarding late and as we stepped aboard there were 3 young ladies - or maybe two and a mom - and they were hysterical. It seems their Dad plus a few traveling companions were late returning and it was really very close to the time the ship was going to seal up and depart. So we paused to ask a crewmember aside what was going on and what would happen if someone were left behind. It seems (as I recollect) that so long as the late passenger returns to the pier - they will find a RCCL representative waiting and looking for them. SO - it seems they will be provided with lodging and transportation assistance to meet up with the ship at it's next port stop. It almost sounded like they would get lodging free - but I assume they would have to pay for everything room/meals and of course transportation - otherwise lots of people would abandon ship when the whim arose.

So - we watched as they closed the gangway and the 3 young ladies were hysterical - quite a commotion - and the crew were reasuring us their stranded party would be sought out and greet the ship the next day!

SO - it would pose a huge potential problem since we have so many sea days. Miss the ship and potentially you'd miss a lot - especially since DCL sailings have the ship as the actual destination objective - as opposed to other cruise lines where the destinations overshadow the ship.

BUT - for St John - we were thinking of catching the 9AM ferry - renting a dinghy til 12 noon - walking the town til the 1:15 ferry. That should put our return in ST Thomas at 3PM. This allows an hour or so for my spouse to shop - there are just a couple of favorite shopping haunts she likes to hit. AND .... if for any reason we miss the 1:15 there is always the 2:15 return ferry. Doing all this running around guarantees we'll have about 2 hours to motor around St John and have 2-3 or possibly 4 beach landings from a POV that would be difficult to recreate otherwise.

O how funny - my spouse is stomping around the house a bit in a "huff" - it seems while we were out our darling dog went into the master bedroom where he is forbidden and stole some chocolate coins from last years' pirate bash on the Magic and he left a bunch of coin fragments. The spouse is breathing fire - it's quite a laugh! NOW... NOW.... I know it is not gvery good (it's bad) for dogs to eat chocolate - but remeber taht our little Sugar is a 110 pound Samoyed. If he gets a few chocolate coins he should be fine - as through the years he's managed to get hold of entire boxes of See's chocolate (yep - 1 pound or more) and he's still kicking. AND... we do not endorse such conduct - it just HAPPENS.... and now what can you do?

OK... so if anyone is game for a St Johns run around in a Dinghy to go beach exploring - let us know. I actually might feel better if another family were tagging along in case one boat had a problem the other could tow or go for help. Plus - I heard there were pirates in these waters - a bug guy with a red coat and... Hook! SO another family tagging along might help us fighting off the Hook crew if they show up - or so my daughter explained!

 

[itdjbw]

Hi everyone, had a busy wekend but got no packing done, will have to give it another try tomorrow after work, I'm such a procastinator.

I'm a Nora fan too but pretty much will read anything that is 'Popcorn for the mind', love to travel so anywhere a ship or plane will take me is fine, just make it long, calm and lots of good eats.

Wishing everyone safe travels this week and a magical time.
Looking forward to meeting everyone soon.

Julia