01/02/10- Mickey's New Decade Brigade!

[Sorcerer Mom]

Dana- you're welcome about the answer for the online reservations- so yes, since you are on the west coast you get to log on at 9:00 PM on 10/3, and here on the east coast we log on at 12:00 AM on 10/4. Hopefully it wont be too much trouble for you to get on the wifi on the laptop at the hotel to take care of business! I'm personally worried about how many Palo slots will be available for booking on our 90 day mark, since DCL has just introduced the whole "tiered castaway club" thing recently and so many more people will be booking at the 105 day mark since gold and platinum members can do that, versus only the suites and REAS people before...I just hope there are still some brunch and dinners for Palo up for grabs by the time we log on!

While the suites can book before anyone, the next group are the Castaway Club members at 90 days...the new tiered system and booking window doesn't go into effect until the January 9th cruise...phew! Great news for us returning cruisers New cruisers shouldn't be discouraged tho...on our first cruise we were still able to get the shore excursions and palo reservations we wanted. Even if your preferred day in Palo is not available, book a day/time anyway and then request to switching it once on board; you shouldn't have any trouble if you do it early which is what we did and it worked great!

 

[Sorcerer Mom]

It's been so long since I've logged on, school is killing me! I'm glad to see so many new people on the thread!

I just wanted to offer to organize the magnet exchange since a few people are interested. I can collect everyone's information and pass out a list of room numbers (names and ages too, if they're needed) a few weeks before the cruise.

Just PM me the first names of everyone in your party (and your family name too, if you're willing), their ages, favorite Disney character, and your cabin number.

Did I forget anything important?


I am SO READY to be on the Magic! I'm seriously counting down the days already! I don't think we'll be linking reservations or doing anything with Palo... We are going to be in the late dining seating, though... Maybe we can arrange to be in whatever rotation everyone else does?

Hi Sara! I would like to know more about the details of the magnet exchange too - have never done that before but it sounds like fun

 

[Sorcerer Mom]

Just a follow-up to my post earlier about booking Palo etc....my post was correct; however, there are some perks..."On Board Benefits"...that do go into effect earlier...here is the info. from DCL's CC page and may apply to some of you, especially if you're lucky enough to be a gold or platinum level

Question
When does the new program officially begin?

Answer
On September 11, 2009, you will be able to look up your membership level in the Castaway Club section of www.disneycruise.com. The same day, Platinum Castaway members can also begin booking onboard activities (including shore excursions, Palo, spa and Flounder's Reef Nursery) for the January 9, 2010 sailing on Disney Magic and the January 10, 2010 sailing on Disney Wonder.

Onboard benefits for the new program will begin aboard Disney Magic on October 3, 2009, and aboard Disney Wonder on October 18, 2009.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[geber826]

I can't PM yet because I am new to the boards!!! So, I would love some details about how both the FE and Magnet exchange work.

This is our first Disney Cruise. I didn't grow up a Disney fan, but became one after first taking my daughter. We took Noel my oldest daughter when she was 2 years and 11 months. One night when we were leaving Fantasmic, she was in my mom's arms, raised her head and said "Mommy this is a magical place." She laid her head down and went to sleep. That is the moment I became crazy about Disney. She is 6 years old and has been 3 times. Her sister Eliana is 3 and has been twice.

I believe Disney vacations are the best ones we ever take and no matter where we go, we wish we were in Disney. I find myself tearing up just watching my daughters run to a character. I hope that the magic they feel then can stay with them forever. With that in mind, DH and I purchased in the DVC at BLT this year. We got a 7 day cruise with purchase, so this is our first Cruise. We decided to sail on Noel's 7th birthday, January 2.

I am an only child and my parents spend a lot of time with my family. I should note that my father looks like Santa Claus santacurtis.com. He is a mall Santa and will be in Memphis this year. He and my mom have been on 2 trips to Disney and are going on this cruise with us as well. My daughters understand that mall Santa's are Santa's helpers and so their grandfather is Santa's helper. He will have white hair, a white beard, and carries his own "padding".

As I mentioned, I am really interested in learning about the FE and magnets as well as having the chance for my girls to exchange letters/emails/chats with other kids their age. Does anyone know anything about the Tea Party? Other than Palos and Excursions what other Activities do we sign up for on the 4th?

Thanks,

Jenni

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I can't PM yet because I am new to the boards!!! So, I would love some details about how both the FE and Magnet exchange work.

This is our first Disney Cruise. I didn't grow up a Disney fan, but became one after first taking my daughter. We took Noel my oldest daughter when she was 2 years and 11 months. One night when we were leaving Fantasmic, she was in my mom's arms, raised her head and said "Mommy this is a magical place." She laid her head down and went to sleep. That is the moment I became crazy about Disney. She is 6 years old and has been 3 times. Her sister Eliana is 3 and has been twice.

I believe Disney vacations are the best ones we ever take and no matter where we go, we wish we were in Disney. I find myself tearing up just watching my daughters run to a character. I hope that the magic they feel then can stay with them forever. With that in mind, DH and I purchased in the DVC at BLT this year. We got a 7 day cruise with purchase, so this is our first Cruise. We decided to sail on Noel's 7th birthday, January 2.

I am an only child and my parents spend a lot of time with my family. I should note that my father looks like Santa Claus santacurtis.com. He is a mall Santa and will be in Memphis this year. He and my mom have been on 2 trips to Disney and are going on this cruise with us as well. My daughters understand that mall Santa's are Santa's helpers and so their grandfather is Santa's helper. He will have white hair, a white beard, and carries his own "padding".

As I mentioned, I am really interested in learning about the FE and magnets as well as having the chance for my girls to exchange letters/emails/chats with other kids their age. Does anyone know anything about the Tea Party? Other than Palos and Excursions what other Activities do we sign up for on the 4th?

Thanks,

Jenni

No- problem, I'm happy to explain the Fish Extender Exchange (and hopefully somehow who knows more about the magnet exchange can cover that part). First things first- to PM someone, all you need to do is click on the person's user name and a drop-down list appears, so you choose "send a private message to xx", that's it!

Okay so now as far as the Fish Extender goes- it gets the name because there is a fish-shaped hook type thing on the wall outside each stateroom door. Its purpose is for notes and letters, like excursion confirmations, to be left for you outside your room, like a mailbox only it is just a little fish that you can tuck a note into. So the name Fish Extender comes from the idea of “extending” the fish to be able to hold much more- like little gifts from everyone you know! It basically looks like a pocket organizer, about 3-4 feet long, and less than 12 inches wide. For a good idea of what it looks like, go to eBay.com and type in “fish extender” and you will see several good examples. Some people make their own, others buy them on eBay or from other places…and some people just use a simple bag or similar thing to hang instead of a typical fish extender. Basically whatever you use, its purpose is to collect the gifts that other DISers will leave for you. Now on to the gifts- they can be anything, some people hand make things, others give little dollar store type trinkets, some give candy, some do Disney themed items while others give little gifts representing their hometowns, like postcards or key chains. Some people give items for each person in each room, others give a “goodie bag” per room. It is really up to the individual on what to give, how creative to get, etc. I am in charge of keeping the master list of who wants to participate. Basically, each person gives me their info, and I’ll assign each person to a specific day of the cruise to deliver their gifts to every other stateroom on this list. This way, it ensures that we all get gifts each day of the cruise since we’ll have assigned days. So if this all sounds good to you, all you have to do is go a few pages back in this thread, to my post #91 which has all the information you will need to PM me in order to sign up. And of course feel free to let me know if you have any more questions!

As far as other what we can reserve online on 10/4, most importantly is Palo tea, brunch, and dinner reservations. I’m sorry I don’t know anything about the tea since this is my first 7 day cruise and I’ve done two 4 day cruises but they don’t have tea on the 4 day. But I do know brunch and dinner are FABULOUS and I wouldn’t miss either for the world. Also on the 4th you can book shore excursions, spa reservations (for both on-board and Castaway Cay treatments), and I believe you can also do reservations for Flounders Nursery for kids under 3 although that has never applied to me so maybe someone who has done that can confirm that.

I feel the same way as you do about Disney vacations being the best ones. I have travelled all over the world and have had some amazing adventures, but no matter what I have to some kind of Disney travel each year otherwise I just can get through the months! Disney vacations are just so magical, like stepping back in time to childhood no matter how old you are. You are going to just love your first Disney cruise. There is so much Disney magic on board, with the shows, the characters, and the whole atmosphere of the ship. I am so excited to be on my first 7 night to have 3 full days at sea to enjoy all the ship has to offer, which is a lot!! You will surely have a magical vacation.

Well I know I gave you a lot of info, but if you have any more questions just let me know, and I hope you sign up for the FE exchange because it really adds lots of fun to the cruise, especially for kids, your girls will love coming back to the room finding goodies in the FE!!

 

[Sorcerer Mom]

I can't PM yet because I am new to the boards!!! So, I would love some details about how both the FE and Magnet exchange work.

This is our first Disney Cruise. I didn't grow up a Disney fan, but became one after first taking my daughter. We took Noel my oldest daughter when she was 2 years and 11 months. One night when we were leaving Fantasmic, she was in my mom's arms, raised her head and said "Mommy this is a magical place." She laid her head down and went to sleep. That is the moment I became crazy about Disney. She is 6 years old and has been 3 times. Her sister Eliana is 3 and has been twice.

I believe Disney vacations are the best ones we ever take and no matter where we go, we wish we were in Disney. I find myself tearing up just watching my daughters run to a character. I hope that the magic they feel then can stay with them forever. With that in mind, DH and I purchased in the DVC at BLT this year. We got a 7 day cruise with purchase, so this is our first Cruise. We decided to sail on Noel's 7th birthday, January 2.

I am an only child and my parents spend a lot of time with my family. I should note that my father looks like Santa Claus santacurtis.com. He is a mall Santa and will be in Memphis this year. He and my mom have been on 2 trips to Disney and are going on this cruise with us as well. My daughters understand that mall Santa's are Santa's helpers and so their grandfather is Santa's helper. He will have white hair, a white beard, and carries his own "padding".

As I mentioned, I am really interested in learning about the FE and magnets as well as having the chance for my girls to exchange letters/emails/chats with other kids their age. Does anyone know anything about the Tea Party? Other than Palos and Excursions what other Activities do we sign up for on the 4th?

Thanks,

Jenni

Hi Jenni

I was new to the DIS last year and I think you have to have a minimum number of posts before you can PM. Not sure how many that is but once you reach it, WDW Princess is right, it's super easy.

Besides the Palo Tea, DCL used to have Tea with Alice. I was actually looking for this yesterday on their website and couldn't find it, but you can post a question on the main forum thread or search for it and I'm sure someone will happily get you the answer.

Love your story of how you came to love Disney. I didn't go as a child either and only became a fan when I took my kids. They are older now (DD 19 & DS13) but no-one is too old for pixiedust How great that you're parents will be able to share the trip with you! Maybe kids on the cruise will think that Santa needed a vacation after the busy Christmas holiday

Not sure about Flounders, but my DS was registered in one of the older clubs during our first cruise in '08. I was able to sign him up on line and I was able to actually register him and get a beeper etc. when we checked-in at the port. Again, the main forum board may have more specific and helpful info. for you since it may be different for little ones.

Be sure to take WDW Princess' advise and do not miss out on Palo. It is a treat! We only did brunch last time but my DD and I are looking forward to adding dinner and tea to the list

Also, you may want to think about bring either a pillowcase (or two-one for each of your children) or a blank picture matt with you. You can leave those with the staff at the desk on the ship, with multi-colored markers (or fabric pens if you do a pillowcase) and they will have the characters sign them for you! You can pick it up at the last day of the ship. The amount of signatures and who signs them vary but, IMO, that's what makes it even more special 'cause it's different with every cruise. We did a picture matt and got lots of signatures and was perfect to put with our family's formal night picture with Mickey that we bought from Shutters on the ship. We also put some hershey's kisses and hugs in the bag with the matt and markers to "sweeten" the deal Anyway, it's just a thought; you'll get lots of great ideas like that on the DIS (which is where I got mine)..everyone likes to share what they've learned and before you know it..you're a pro!

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Hi Jenni

I was new to the DIS last year and I think you have to have a minimum number of posts before you can PM. Not sure how many that is but once you reach it, WDW Princess is right, it's super easy.

Besides the Palo Tea, DCL used to have Tea with Alice. I was actually looking for this yesterday on their website and couldn't find it, but you can post a question on the main forum thread or search for it and I'm sure someone will happily get you the answer.

Love your story of how you came to love Disney. I didn't go as a child either and only became a fan when I took my kids. They are older now (DD 19 & DS13) but no-one is too old for pixiedust How great that you're parents will be able to share the trip with you! Maybe kids on the cruise will think that Santa needed a vacation after the busy Christmas holiday

Not sure about Flounders, but my DS was registered in one of the older clubs during our first cruise in '08. I was able to sign him up on line and I was able to actually register him and get a beeper etc. when we checked-in at the port. Again, the main forum board may have more specific and helpful info. for you since it may be different for little ones.

Be sure to take WDW Princess' advise and do not miss out on Palo. It is a treat! We only did brunch last time but my DD and I are looking forward to adding dinner and tea to the list

Also, you may want to think about bring either a pillowcase (or two-one for each of your children) or a blank picture matt with you. You can leave those with the staff at the desk on the ship, with multi-colored markers (or fabric pens if you do a pillowcase) and they will have the characters sign them for you! You can pick it up at the last day of the ship. The amount of signatures and who signs them vary but, IMO, that's what makes it even more special 'cause it's different with every cruise. We did a picture matt and got lots of signatures and was perfect to put with our family's formal night picture with Mickey that we bought from Shutters on the ship. We also put some hershey's kisses and hugs in the bag with the matt and markers to "sweeten" the deal Anyway, it's just a thought; you'll get lots of great ideas like that on the DIS (which is where I got mine)..everyone likes to share what they've learned and before you know it..you're a pro!

Thanks for the reply, I didn’t know there was a minimum number of posts before you could PM! Jenni, I sent you a PM and it looks like it went through, so hopefully you can reply to it with your info for the FE exchange. If you cant get to it though, let me know and maybe we can just communicate by email if we have to.

I totally agree with your suggestion about the pillowcases and photo mattes! I didn’t do the pillow case yet but I think I might this year; I did the photo matte in January and I loved it! I did an 11x14 size with a slot for a 5 x7 photo. It is really annoying how Shutters photography on board does 8 x 6 photos instead of 5 x 7’s, since 8 x 6 sizes are almost impossible to find…if anyone knows where they sell photo mattes with 8 x 6 openings, please let me know! Anyways, like you said you drop the photo matte off at Guest Services the first day of the cruise, and when you do so they will ask you about what kind of signatures you want, like “princess only”, main characters only, as many as possible, etc. You give them your sharpies at that time, and as you suggested I gave them a nice bag of candy and from the Guest Service rep’s expression, it seemed like the “characters” really appreciate that! I’ll be doing another matte this year, because like you said it’s different for every cruise. Another suggestion: decide ahead of time if you want your matte Portrait or Landscape and not that on a little not attached to the matte so the characters can sign accordingly. Also it is a good idea to put that blue painter’s tape around the borders of your matte so that the characters don’t sign all the way to the edge and then get covered when you frame it—this is another great time that I learned on the DIS! Also you don’t have to pick up the matte at the end of the cruise—GS will deliver it right to your room for you! It is such a nice surprise!!

 

[geber826]

Thanks ladies. I found the FE examples in the main forums last night along with the pillow case/ picture mat as well. I am getting so excited! I think we are 99 days away now. I am on my 3rd post as well. I think I will intro myself on a few other boards tonight to get that number up.

I will try to respond to the PM as well and see if I can do that yet.

Thanks again

 

[MontanaMouse]

Jenni,

You asked about other children that will be on the cruise. Our DD is 7 and would be excited to e-mail your daughter before the cruise! If you want to PM me, then please do and we'll see if we can set them up. If you still can't PM, just post back and I'll PM you.

MontanaMouse

 

[mmackeymouse]

Hey all.......just want to verify something. The booking on the 4th is only for CC members, correct, not all cruisers? I was under the impression that as a first time cruiser, my date to book things was the 19th.

I only ask because one of the previous posters mentioned the 4th, but were a first timer, so I was not sure if things had changed or what was going on.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Hey all.......just want to verify something. The booking on the 4th is only for CC members, correct, not all cruisers? I was under the impression that as a first time cruiser, my date to book things was the 19th.

I only ask because one of the previous posters mentioned the 4th, but were a first timer, so I was not sure if things had changed or what was going on.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Melissa- yes, you are correct- booking on October 4 at 12:00 AM Eastern Time is for CC members only, this is the 90 day mark. Non-CC members book at the 75 day mark which sounds like it is the 10/19 date you are talking about.

 

[geber826]

MontanaMouse, that would be awesome! DD will be so excited to meet someone before the cruise. I still can't PM, but am getting close.

Thanks ladies for the clarification on the 4th vs the 19th. I would have been up at midnight trying.

How formal is the formal night? Will DH be OK in a suit? What do the kids normally wear for that? How about the Semis?

 

[geber826]

How many are planning to be in WDW prior to the Cruise. I really don't like crowds and standing in lines for hours so we weren't going to go. However, I can't imagine driving by and not going to WDW. Wondering what others are planning?

Jenni

 

[WDW Princess 71]

How many are planning to be in WDW prior to the Cruise. I really don't like crowds and standing in lines for hours so we weren't going to go. However, I can't imagine driving by and not going to WDW. Wondering what others are planning?

Jenni

Jenni- that is a great question about the formal night attire, I would love to know the answer too. I haven't been on a 7 night cruise yet and I heard the 7 nighters are a bit more formal than the shorter cruises even though they have a "formal night" too. Plus, I've never given it much thought because I'm a girl and I've only ever cruised with girls, and really as a girl you can get away wearing a nice dress and it can be formal enough for formal night, semi formal, Palo, etc. But this time I'm cruising with my 19 year old brother so I'm wondering what he should wear for the formal and Palo nights. Hopefully someone can answer here, if not we can post the question on the main DCL thread and we'll surely get lots of answers.

To answer your second question, Mike and I are going to WDW before the cruise. We weren't planning to originally, until I thought about it and said, wait, our cruise leaves 1/2 and we always fly in the day before in case of travel delays, which would be 1/1. So I said to myself, if I'm going to be FL on 1/1, why not go down a couple days earlier and fulfill by lifetime dream of being in WDW for New Years Eve? So that is what we're doing! We are flying in on 12/30 and staying at the Pop for 3 nights (yes I'm breaking my tradition of always doing the Yacht Club for WDW because the cost is outrageous that time of year, and we really won't be at the hotel much except for sleeping this time). We will be in Magic Kingdom all day on 12/31 and I'm so excited to experience the fireworks over the castle at midnight! It will be so awesome, and to think that after that, we still have a fabulous 7 night cruise to look forward to! I really think this is going to be the best vacation ever!

 

[itssarayay]

Okay, so for the magnets... We could have one or two or however many we need, depending on the number of families participating, that we pass around (I can send you the name of the family you'll pass it too once you get it) and those of us who want to make magnets for everyone can do so? I know some people may not want to make magnets but it would still be fun to wonder when you'll get a magnet on your door.

Does that sound good to everyone? Remember, send me the info from post 199 in a PM or an email to sara.burton.al@gmail.com.

Jenni - we'll be in Disney two days before the cruise, staying at AKL. As far as crowds and waiting in lines go, you could always stay a night or two and just enjoy the resort and Downtown Disney.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Okay, so for the magnets... We could have one or two or however many we need, depending on the number of families participating, that we pass around (I can send you the name of the family you'll pass it too once you get it) and those of us who want to make magnets for everyone can do so? I know some people may not want to make magnets but it would still be fun to wonder when you'll get a magnet on your door.

Does that sound good to everyone? Remember, send me the info from post 199 in a PM or an email to sara.burton.al@gmail.com.

Jenni - we'll be in Disney two days before the cruise, staying at AKL. As far as crowds and waiting in lines go, you could always stay a night or two and just enjoy the resort and Downtown Disney.

Sara- what kind of magnet is it that we'll be passing around? Are you going to make it? I guess I'm still a little confused about it- is it a magnet that you make, and then we all sign up with you, you make a list and give the list to us so we know which family to pass it around to next? Or am I totally on the wrong page lol? Just want to make sure I know whats going on : )

 

[itssarayay]

I was thinking I could make a large magnet based on our theme or use what we put on t-shirts. I'll pass it on to the first family and I can let them know(through email before the cruise) who to give to to next. That way, you won't know when the magnet is coming.

If people want to also make their own magnets to give out, I will be able to hand out a list of who is participating that includes names, ages, and favorite characters so you can customize magnets if you want.

Is that a little more clear?

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I was thinking I could make a large magnet based on our theme or use what we put on t-shirts. I'll pass it on to the first family and I can let them know(through email before the cruise) who to give to to next. That way, you won't know when the magnet is coming.

If people want to also make their own magnets to give out, I will be able to hand out a list of who is participating that includes names, ages, and favorite characters so you can customize magnets if you want.

Is that a little more clear?

Yes, that makes sense now! I am going to PM you my info as soon as I get done typing this. Also you mentioned about the tshirts- I totally forget, where are we with that? I guess I need to look back a few pages in this thread because I don't remember who was organizing it- was it you? I just remember someone saying they had a friend who was in art school who could possibly work on a design

Also your idea of handing out the list of who's participating in the magnet exchange in case anyone wants to make individual magnets for families is a great idea! It could be something to include in a FE gift for that family : )

 

[WDW Princess 71]

IMPORTANT: If you Signed Up for the FE Exchange, Please Read!

As you all know I am in charge of organizing the FE exchange and I've been keeping a spreadsheet of all who have officially signed up by PM'ing me their info. Unfortunately, this week my hard drive crashed and therefore I do not have the spreadsheet containing all of your info

To add to my frustration I only just recently went through my PM inbox and started deleting a lot of messages because I was approaching my storage limit, so I don't have everyone's original PM to me. I did have some people's info, so I was able to piece some of it back, but not everything, so I am posting here to let the people know that I still need missing information from and those that I managed to retrieve your info from the original PM message.

IF YOU SIGNED UP BUT DO NOT SEE YOUR NAME ON THE LIST BELOW, OR IF I'VE INDICATED MISSING INFORMATION, PLEASE PM ME YOUR INFO! I apologize for the inconvenience- from now on I will keep a copy of the FE list on my work computer too so I always have 2 copies. Thank you all for your help- I have my work cut out for me over the next couple weeks trying to rebuild my computer life, so this will help if you can all just resend your info if I don't have it listed below.

1) TADsMommy- need stateroom number, preferred FE delivery day (if any), # of adults, # of kids, family name (ie- The Smith Family), hometown, names of adults, names/ages/gender of kids, preference for individual or "combo" gift with another DISer
2) mmackeymouse- need stateroom number, preferred FE delivery day (if any), # of adults, # of kids, family name (ie- The Smith Family), hometown, names of adults, names/ages/gender of kids, preference for individual or "combo" gift with another DISer
3) KC- Disney- need # of adults, # of kids, names of adults, names/ages/gender of kids
4) Mel0215- need family name (ie- The Smith Family)
5) toverly- no missing info
6) itssarayay- no missing info
7) GeneralMax- no missing info
8) secretkeeper- no missing info

Again everyone, thank you so much for your help in helping me piece this back together!

-Nicole

 

[secretkeeper]

Jenni- that is a great question about the formal night attire, I would love to know the answer too. I haven't been on a 7 night cruise yet and I heard the 7 nighters are a bit more formal than the shorter cruises even though they have a "formal night" too. Plus, I've never given it much thought because I'm a girl and I've only ever cruised with girls, and really as a girl you can get away wearing a nice dress and it can be formal enough for formal night, semi formal, Palo, etc. But this time I'm cruising with my 19 year old brother so I'm wondering what he should wear for the formal and Palo nights. Hopefully someone can answer here, if not we can post the question on the main DCL thread and we'll surely get lots of answers.

To answer your second question, Mike and I are going to WDW before the cruise. We weren't planning to originally, until I thought about it and said, wait, our cruise leaves 1/2 and we always fly in the day before in case of travel delays, which would be 1/1. So I said to myself, if I'm going to be FL on 1/1, why not go down a couple days earlier and fulfill by lifetime dream of being in WDW for New Years Eve? So that is what we're doing! We are flying in on 12/30 and staying at the Pop for 3 nights (yes I'm breaking my tradition of always doing the Yacht Club for WDW because the cost is outrageous that time of year, and we really won't be at the hotel much except for sleeping this time). We will be in Magic Kingdom all day on 12/31 and I'm so excited to experience the fireworks over the castle at midnight! It will be so awesome, and to think that after that, we still have a fabulous 7 night cruise to look forward to! I really think this is going to be the best vacation ever!

We have been on two previous cruises and have always dressed up for formal night. The first cruise my daughter and I wore long dresses, my husband and sons wore suits. The second cruise my daughter wore her prom dress and I wore a black tea length dress. My husband wore his suit and my son wore his Sea Cadet Dress Whites. My little one wore his Easter clothes. Slacks, white shirt and tie with a vest. This cruise DD and I are back to long dresses. DH and sons are in suits. Our dinner companions also dressed formally. The DH was in his full Navel officer dress whites, DW and their DD's wore pretty dresses. I hope that helps.

We are attempting to do Disney World after the cruise because year end is really tough in the financial industry where I work. I would have loved to have been there for New Years Eve. Instead we will be flying in on the Jan. 1, 2010. Pray for good weather!