08 DEC 2007 - 7 Day Eastern Magic Part 4

[Cruise]

We're all friends, right? Will you share?

Beth

BTW, I mean George Clooney, not the skirt!

Sure! He's probably more man than I can handle anyway.

Just got back from helping my mom pack (throw away junk). I hope she is still talking to me when we leave next week. I keep throwing all her stuff away.

She may thank you one day. I still have stuff in boxes that I moved 3 years ago! I wish I'd just thrown it away then. But, now... I've moved it twice again since then.

We got a new teacher today!

Woohoo! Congrats! Can this one spell?

Hi!
He will eat his veggies...but he wont go out of his way to eat them, if that makes sense. So when i make Lasanga i slice them really thin and hide them between the layers. Before we started dating he tried to put ketchup on sushi!

Wow.. that is so my DH. He puts ketchup on everything. Anyone sharing the linked dinner with us will see this. Although, in public, he tries to limit himself to "normal" ketchup things so people won't think he's weird. But, over the years, I can't tell you how many times he's asked me in a whisper at a gathering "Is it okay to put ketchup on this?"

Today was a tough day at work!
Everyone be nice to your disney reservation agent!!!!

I'm sorry you had a rough day. I've done my fair share of customer service phone work and it's not fun!

Anyone know the name of the port we will be at in St. Thomas? I want to take a ferry to St. John and go to the national park. Maybe I should just do the excursion?

Where we'll be docking is still up in the air. Sometimes the Magic has to tender in St Thomas depending on how many ships are in port that day and what time it arrives. I decided I really wanted to see St John this time, but also decided to do the Disney excursion. We've always done everything on our own for our other cruises, but I didn't want to risk not getting back to the ship in time for sailing. My understanding is that if it's a ship sponsored excursion and it runs late, they wait for it before sailing.

 

[MrsMork]

Today was a tough day at work!
Everyone be nice to your disney reservation agent!!!!

I always am! They are my friends!

 

[helloemi]

I'm sorry you had a rough days. I've done my fair share of customer service phone work and it's not fun!

It has its good parts too, I love helping people. Its a great feeling to feel like you made someones vacation special.

I just gave df the choice between turkey sausage chili, shrimp enchaladas, and baked mac and cheese.....

Of course he picked the mac and cheese!

 

[MrsMork]

Anyone know the name of the port we will be at in St. Thomas? I want to take a ferry to St. John and go to the national park. Maybe I should just do the excursion?

Charlotte Amalie (not sure of the spelling.)

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

Anyone know the name of the port we will be at in St. Thomas? I want to take a ferry to St. John and go to the national park. Maybe I should just do the excursion?

I looked online and found that we will most likely dock at . . .

Your ship docks at Charlotte Amalie, the capital of this region. (WDW Info)

If this is incorrect, please someone correct me.

I know for sure that we dock at Philipsburg in St. Maarten.

- Jennifer

 

[coastgirl]

I agree on the greek salads! Yum! Thats why I have grown to love tampa, we have the best greek salads...sounds strange but they all have potato salad on the bottom, but its delicious!

Ok, yes, that sounds weird. However, I'm willing to give it a try. Here you can get an amazing chicken shwarma--with french fries in the middle! Ok, I pick out the soggy fries, but the schwarma is worth it.

Why thank you for your consideration! We can not give out package codes, and sometimes people can get a bit fiesty. I try to be nice and say "If you look online at www.disneyworld.com you might find some offers!"

Chilli does sound good. I could make it healthy too! maybe with turkey... I understand about fitting into the cruise clothes!

Oh, it kind of handicaps you when you've got so many must/must nots. My sis is just starting a job doing service for...? Some US phone co. Her "scores" were down b/c she wasn't using "the script" even though she was resolving the customers' issues...

I have a version of chili with ground turkey, just as good IMO.

That sounds so yummy! I love goat cheese and cheeses like feta (MY FAVORITE!). I could eat Greek salads for the rest of my life and nothing else. Now, Bill will eat the pizza side and nothing else for the rest of his life. DD5 has acquired her Daddy's love for pizza. DD5 is a strange creature. She eats the same as DS7, but with some fruits and vegetables thrown in here and there, and she is the skinny one. So it goes to show, eat your veggies!

- Jennifer

I guess Tx chili doesn't have beans? I'm perfectly happy to explore regional cuisine!

My dd loves sushi, still amazes me. And she's becoming a tea granny with me, requesting mint tea in the afternoon. Ds--give him a steak! He knows he's a "lion" (born in August hence a Leo) and take it seriously!

 

[MrsMork]

We did the Disney excursion to St John also. We did the Island Tour and got to see all of the island, plus get some history and tidbits about the island. Very, very cool excursion. You do not get into the water on that one, just tour the whole island. I too am terrified of not getting back, not timing the ferry right, the ferry being to crowded and having to wait for the next.

 

[helloemi]

Ok, yes, that sounds weird. However, I'm willing to give it a try. Here you can get an amazing chicken shwarma--with french fries in the middle! Ok, I pick out the soggy fries, but the schwarma is worth it.

Do you mind me asking what schwarma is?

Is that like french fries with gravy and melty cheese like in Canada?

 

[coastgirl]

No, that's poutine. Fries with cheese curds and gravy. Yumm. But don't even ask about the nutritional values--as they say, if you have to ask the price you can't afford it! Schwarma is a middle Eastern thing, marinated chicken kebabs in a pita with--I don't know. It's soooo tender and flavourful. It's not something obvious like hummus or tzatziki...but also yummm... (It's probably injected with olive oil or something but as I have never seen the nutritional info, I'm thinking, chicken, pita, must be healthy...

 

[coastgirl]

Ok, time to go feed the children...think they're hungry enough not to notice the veggies??

 

[helloemi]

No, that's poutine. Fries with cheese curds and gravy. Yumm. But don't even ask about the nutritional values--as they say, if you have to ask the price you can't afford it! Schwarma is a middle Eastern thing, marinated chicken kebabs in a pita with--I don't know. It's soooo tender and flavourful. It's not something obvious like hummus or tzatziki...but also yummm... (It's probably injected with olive oil or something but as I have never seen the nutritional info, I'm thinking, chicken, pita, must be healthy...

That does sound yummy!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

We've always done everything on our own for our other cruises, but I didn't want to risk not getting back to the ship in time for sailing. My understanding is that if it's a ship sponsored excursion and it runs late, they wait for it before sailing.

This is exactly why with less than two weeks away, I changed all our previous plans and went with DCL excursions. We were going to rent a car/jeep in St. Thomas (right at the port in case others were interested) but were worried with the crazy traffic during rush hour, we'd miss the boat. So, we are now doing family-friendly excursions at both ports and leaving the driving to DCL. It is a BIG relief.

Another thing for new DCL cruisers . . . EVERYONE has to get up early on St. Thomas for immigration. I've heard it is painless, but early. So, it makes sense to make your St. Thomas plans for earlier in the day since you will be up and ready to go anyways. Plus, St. Thomas is an early all aboard. Just my two cents.

- Jennifer

Port: St. Maarten Ashore: 8:00 am Onboard: 7:00 pm
Port: St. Thomas/St. John Ashore: 8:00 am Onboard: 4:30 pm
Port: Castaway Cay Ashore: 9:30 am Onboard: 5:00 pm

 

[KrisannB]

Also, DO NOT put your DCL baggage tags on before getting to MCO. Make sure to put them on after you have arrived at MCO. However, put the DCL tags on before giving your bags to the Magical Express people or if going to a WDW resort, keep the tags off until you depart for port. Those baggage tags are VERY important in making sure your bags get to your stateroom in a "timely" manner. Just a word of advice.

- Jennifer

ok I am confused - why do you say not to put your baggage tags on before getting to MCO? I know this time we are doing it different (going to WDW first) But the last time we went straight to the cruise and we put our tags on before we left Tennessee - and then the next time we saw our luggage was in our cabin. We did not have to pick up our luggage. But is this because we took the DCL transportation? Sorry I am confused

Krisann

 

[Cruise]

Another thing for new DCL cruisers . . . EVERYONE has to get up early on St. Thomas for immigration. I've heard it is painless, but early. So, it makes sense to make your St. Thomas plans for earlier in the day since you will be up and ready to go anyways. Plus, St. Thomas is an early all aboard. Just my two cents.

That's how I put the spin on the 7:15am meeting time for the excursion for DH. "But we're already going to be awake anyway."

 

[WIFamily]

ok I am confused - why do you say not to put your baggage tags on before getting to MCO? I know this time we are doing it different (going to WDW first) But the last time we went straight to the cruise and we put our tags on before we left Tennessee - and then the next time we saw our luggage was in our cabin. We did not have to pick up our luggage. But is this because we took the DCL transportation? Sorry I am confused

Krisann

I was told to not put my tags on, as we're flying in the day before. The thought is that DCL might grab them without looking, and we'd not know where our luggage went to. Makes sense.

 

[Cruise]

ok I am confused - why do you say not to put your baggage tags on before getting to MCO? I know this time we are doing it different (going to WDW first) But the last time we went straight to the cruise and we put our tags on before we left Tennessee - and then the next time we saw our luggage was in our cabin. We did not have to pick up our luggage. But is this because we took the DCL transportation? Sorry I am confused

Krisann

The luggage tags are basically a big flag to the people at the airport saying "Take me now!! Put me on a bus to the port!!" If you're going directly to the port from the airport, then you can put them on before you get on the plane at your home airport. If you're doing anything else before going to the port, don't don't don't put them on your bags cause they'll go the port without you. And, yeah, it's for people using DCL transport. If you put the tags on and you're not using DCL transport, people have reported that they'll take them to the ship, but once they realize the person hasn't paid for transfers, they hold the luggage until you pay a fee for them transporting the luggage.

We're flying in the night before and staying overnight at the Hyatt and you'd think that, technically, we could put the tags on then as well, but no. There have been reports that if you do this, they'll go to the port that night, but once they get there and the baggage handlers realize your cruise isn't till the next day, they send them back to the airport. Who knows where they go from there.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

ok I am confused - why do you say not to put your baggage tags on before getting to MCO?
Krisann

Thanks for the correction Krisann. I made the appropriate modifications to my previous post!

- Jennifer

 

[SeaSickPsycho]

More info on running the school bus out of the road. Most importantly, no one was hurt.

I was headed home down the one lane dirt road. I was driving very slowly because it is still raining . I came around a curve and met a schoolbus. I started to back into a driveway so he could pass but he decided to pull off the road, into a ditch and got stuck. The kids looked excited, not scared.

I feal bad but he could have waited, I was almost up the drive.

I don't even know where the bus was going. I didn't think anyone stayed up here during the week. This is my first Monday here.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

More info on running the school bus out of the road. Most importantly, no one was hurt.

I was headed home down the one lane dirt road. I was driving very slowly because it is still raining . I came around a curve and met a schoolbus. I started to back into a driveway so he could pass but he decided to pull off the road, into a ditch and got stuck. The kids looked excited, not scared.

I feal bad but he could have waited, I was almost up the drive.

I don't even know where the bus was going. I didn't think anyone stayed up here during the week. This is my first Monday here.

I know we are homeschooling right now. But, if our children ever have to go to a Public School not close to home, I will be driving them. I am NOT letting our children on a school bus until they put seat belts in them. It still doesn't make sense to me that in this day and age with all these seat belts laws for children, there are NONE for school buses. It just baffles me. They are starting to give Texas School Districts money/incentives for putting seat belts in buses. It all comes down to money. A new football field or seat belts on the buses?

- Jennifer

 

[SeaSickPsycho]

I know we are homeschooling right now. But, if our children ever have to go to a Public School not close to home, I will be driving them. I am NOT letting our children on a school bus until they put seat belts in them. It still doesn't make sense to me that in this day and age with all these seat belts laws for children, there are NONE for school buses. It just baffles me. They are starting to give Texas School Districts money/incentives for putting seat belts in buses. It all comes down to money. A new football field or seat belts on the buses?

- Jennifer

My homeschooled kids are really in love with the school bus idea. We fix big trucks/buses at our shop and the kids think it is a field trip when dad drives them around the lot in one. The first time DD4 got in one she asked why there weren't any seat belts. Even a four-year0old has that one firgured out.

I think there may be more of us homeschoolers on the ship.