09/18/11 - DVCers Take Over the Dream (S.S. Member Cruise 2011) - Thread #5

[TIGGERmetoo]

Okey dokey! Terri and Tim are IN!

Yeah!!! I always wanted to be a cool kid!

 

[dvc deernut]

By now you have probably realized I am really slow in getting my trip report out. I may not even do one....I am so crazy busy. Here is what I can say....


*When checking in online, we had to pick a block of time to arrive at the port. There were only a few arrival times left, so I believe we picked 12PM. We arrived a bit earlier and didn't have much of a wait. Actual boarding began at about 12 Noon. Upon check in, you are given a card with a number on it. That number is your boarding number. We had number 19, so we had to wait until all previous numbers were called. We finally boarded at 1PM.

*There is only one Sail Away Party at 4:30PM on the Deck Stage. Now, it poured rain the day we sailed, so it was moved inside to the atrium.

*Staterooms ready at 1:30PM



*Mandatory Lifeboat Drill at 4:00PM. Life Jackets do not need to be taken to drill. However it is critical that you bring your key to the world card to your assembly station.

*Two showtimes....6:15PM and 8:30PM. We had a special matinee performance of Disney's Believe on our last night. I believe the showtime was 4:00PM. Not sure if they do this on all voyages.

*Pirates in the Caribbean Party 7:45-8:05PM Decks 11 and 12. At 10:30PM, is Buccaneer Blast on Decks 11 and 12, which is a fireworks display. This is directly followed with Club Pirate, decks are transformed into a dance club with a guest DJ.

*See ya Real Soon Party was night before you disembark in the Lobby Atrium at 4:15 and 10:15pm.


Pretty much, everything was the same. You can definitely tell the ship is bigger though. The wait to get on an elevator is a lot longer and the walk to your room takes a lot longer, but that comes with having a bigger ship. The pools are very tiny and the hot tubs are too. I did not step foot in any of the pools, no room. The hot tubs looked like sardines in a can. Very crowded (mostly with kids).
The way Shutters stores your pictures is different too. I actually really liked it. You scan your KTTW card at a kiosk and it tells you where to find your folder with all your pictures. You can also look at your pictures at the kiosk if you don't actually want to go to the shelf and get your folder. Our pictures were in the Minnie Case, #16 or something like that. Shutters is still very tiny and you have to find room to sit down with your folder of pictures, as they won't let you leave the room to look through them. It gets so crowded, especially on the last night.
You eat breakfast in the restaurant you dined in the night before. If you had late dining then you eat at the second breakfast time the next morning. The food was wonderful, service was great each time, minus once. We decided to do breakfast a la carte one morning and went down to Royal Palace for breakfast at around 9:30-9:45am. Not a big deal, had horrible service, people next to us left their table. Long story short....the hostess sat us in a closed section and our table wasn't assigned a server because it was CLOSED!! We were apologized to over and over and it was an honest mistake. No worries.
Overall, we had a great time. I thought everything was organized and well executed. I honestly had no complaints. Can't wait to go back in September. Hopefully, I have given you good ideas as what to expect. If you have any questions, let me know. I will try to answer them for you. I will have pictures up later in the week. It just takes me a while. Sorry. Let me know what you think of my mini trip report.

Kelly

I have a question. You said pools were crowded hot tubs like sardine cans with mostly KIDS. What about in the Adult area. Thats where we will be most of the time.

 

[dvc deernut]

Which night is ILLUMINATIONS CRUISE?

 

[dvc deernut]

OH BOY! as MICKEY would say TERRIE and WALLY will be in our Wishes boat. Im going to have to practice my humming the music of JAWS!!! Da, DaDa, DaDaDaDa, DaDaDaDaDaDa!!!!

 

[clayfolks]

Yeah!!! I always wanted to be a cool kid!

Ooh boy! I didn't know we were cool kids!

By the way, Terri, are you and Tim available on June 18?

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

Ooh boy! I didn't know we were cool kids!

By the way, Terri, are you and Tim available on June 18?

Sure!

 

[clayfolks]

The Wishes boats are filled. They are filled with gooey goodness! Oh, wait... This isn't a Hostess Cupcake ad!

Passengers booked are:
Ian and Laura (dvc deernut)
Lynn and Mark (mlholster)
Nancy and Michael (stitchnbead3)
Laura and Jim (lpotter)
Mike and Debbie (friends with mickey)
Debbie and Junior (luckymomoftwo)
Wally and Terrie (W@LL-E)
Karen and Jason (DizDragonfly)
Terri and Tim (TIGGERmetoo)
Sue and Dan (clayfolks)

We have to be at the Contemporary marina at 8:00. They provide soda, water, bag snacks, and fruit. If we want any "wobbly drinks" or other food or bev, we need to order it from Contemporary private dining. We aren't allowed to bring our own.

Who, are we going to say, is celebrating what? Inquiring minds at WDW want to know!

 

[clayfolks]

Which night is ILLUMINATIONS CRUISE?

Same night. If you would prefer Illuminations, you can switch. It sails from the Yacht and Beach Club dock at 8:00.

 

[clayfolks]

OH BOY! as MICKEY would say TERRIE and WALLY will be in our Wishes boat. Im going to have to practice my humming the music of JAWS!!! Da, DaDa, DaDaDaDa, DaDaDaDaDaDa!!!!

Ian, if you come to the Chicago meet in June, you can hum that on the Riverboat Cruise! Or hanging out by the beach...

 

[clayfolks]

Sure!

Whoo-hoo! Any preferences on what to do or where to meet?

 

[W@LL-E]

Whoo-hoo! Any preferences on what to do or where to meet?

Sue, as long as there's good food involved I'm game

 

[clayfolks]

Sue, as long as there's good food involved I'm game

Plenty of GREAT food. Have you ever been to Chicago, Wally?

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

We have to be at the Contemporary marina at 8:00. They provide soda, water, bag snacks, and fruit. If we want any "wobbly drinks" or other food or bev, we need to order it from Contemporary private dining. We aren't allowed to bring our own.

Who, are we going to say, is celebrating what? Inquiring minds at WDW want to know!

They won't know what we put in our own mugs/cups that we bring! I always carry my hydroflask.

Whoo-hoo! Any preferences on what to do or where to meet?

Sue, as long as there's good food involved I'm game

I'm with Wally!

 

[W@LL-E]

Plenty of GREAT food. Have you ever been to Chicago, Wally?

Only for a few days on business...

 

[clayfolks]

They won't know what we put in our own mugs/cups that we bring! I always carry my hydroflask.


Works for me!!!


I'm with Wally!

Great! There are plenty of great places for food and many of them won't throw us out for sitting around talking... We'll just have to find the right ones!

 

[Steamboat WillyNilly]

Great! There are plenty of great places for food and many of them won't throw us out for sitting around talking... We'll just have to find the right ones!

I have only eaten at the big places: Ed debevics, rainforest cafe, old michael jordans, planet Hollywood, hard rock, genos east, and Billy goat. I would like to eat at a place that's known by the locals. Something an out of towner would probably miss. Any suggestions?

 

[GoofTroop716]

I have only eaten at the big places: Ed debevics, rainforest cafe, old michael jordans, planet Hollywood, hard rock, genos east, and Billy goat. I would like to eat at a place that's known by the locals. Something an out of towner would probably miss. Any suggestions?

I went to Ed Debevics when I was in Chicago last summer and loved it! My buddy didn't tell me the waiters are supposed to be jerks until afterwards. But in the mean time, we had fun messing with the guy.

I wish they had one in Buffalo...

 

[Truffle]

I have only eaten at the big places: Ed debevics, rainforest cafe, old michael jordans, planet Hollywood, hard rock, genos east, and Billy goat. I would like to eat at a place that's known by the locals. Something an out of towner would probably miss. Any suggestions?

This is embarrassing. As locals (we lived right in town), we ate at Ed's so frequently that the waitstaff knew our kids by names!

We could eat at Ann Sathers which is a Scandinavian diner, Greek Islands on Halsted which serves excellent, traditional Greek food (and ouzo), or we could go to Al's for Italian beef and fries. Those are my initial thoughts. Actually, we could go to Al's for lunch, Greek islands for dinner, and Anns for breakfast!!

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

I don't know of any local places. The farthest we usually go is to Woodfield Mall.

 

[peloha86]

Alrighty!! Got Karen and Jason on the Wishes cruise. That leaves only 2 more seats.
We only have 2 Illuminations cruise boats still available for anyone who wants to do that!

Four please for the Illuminations boat!

gotta go...busy at work again! They're calling people in early...

Have a great tmie getting to 1000!!! I'll prolly be working when you guys get there

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!

Jennifer