1/22/2006 Roll Call for Wonder Cruisers

[num1tigerfan]

Did I know you're going to NY? When will you be there?

I don't know if I mentioned it before. We are driving to NY for Christmas. It will be fun but I am not looking foward to the 15 hr drive. DH's brother/family live in Syracuse. DH's sister/family are driving too, as well as another brother(single), DH's Dad and DH's Mom (she's riding with us). We plan on stopping at the great wolf lodge waterpark in Ohio on the way out (Christmas Day), then on the 26th we will finish driving to Syracuse and stop by Niagara falls on the way. We will stay until Jan. 1st or 2nd then drive back. BIL has looked up lots of fun stuff for while we are there, like day trips to Rochestor ect. I broke down and bought one of those dual screen DVD players for our van for the ride out. It has places for 3 head phones... and 3 kids are going!
. It will be pretty crazy though 9 adults, 7 kids, and 1 teenager all in the same house for a week. Luckily BIL has a large house. They are all great people so it should be a blast!

 

[Tahoe]

I broke down and bought one of those dual screen DVD players for our van for the ride out. It has places for 3 head phones... and 3 kids are going!

I broke down last year and got one! It has been a lifesaver. We have a 5 hour drive up to my parents' many times a year. It's become a boring drive now for them, and I'm usually driving alone without DH. I continue to feel like I caved, but I'm not "apologizing" for it anymore.

Have a great trip! I hope the weather holds up for your drive. You're not driving to Florida are you?

 

[Tahoe]

I had my husband take the pirate name test. Just as I suspected, he is MAD. And somehow he ended up with the same last name as me. He's Mad Sam Rackham.

 

[num1tigerfan]

No, we are flying to Florida. It think 16 hours in the maximum I would want to do and Florida is 21 hrs. I drove it last year with my teenagers. It wasn't to bad with them but it would be a nightmare with a 3 and 4 yr old. Also after paying for the FL trip I really couldn't justifly another $1200 for airline tickets 2 weeks before our trip. Besides DH works at a local community college and they are closed from 12/22 to 1/3 so he doesn't even have to use vacation days and we have the time to drive.

I haven't had DH take the pirate name test. I wonder if his would have the same last name as mine. It is good to know that the portable DVD player will come in handy. Like you, I hated spending the money and felt like it wasn't really a necessity.

 

[num1tigerfan]

Here is a link to the christmas photos we had taken tis week. DH and I decided we did not want to purchase the photos of us and we are not taking down our engagement photo as we have many more "wrinkles" now! LOL

http://www.picturepeople.com/viewsh...544&ShareKey=36ebffd4c22c4c08ba1b50e803c0d272

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

PS DD-17 did the pirate thing and she came out with the same last name as mine. She was Black Ann Cash!

 

[Tahoe]

Here is a link to the christmas photos we had taken tis week. DH and I decided we did not want to purchase the photos of us and we are not taking down our engagement photo as we have many more "wrinkles" now! LOL

http://www.picturepeople.com/viewsh...544&ShareKey=36ebffd4c22c4c08ba1b50e803c0d272

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

PS DD-17 did the pirate thing and she came out with the same last name as mine. She was Black Ann Cash!

Really, really beautiful pictures! I love the one of the three kids with the black background. Wrinkles?? Where?! Thanks so much for sharing!

You have to have your husband take the pirate test! That is really funny that you and DD have the same last name.

It's been a lazy weekend, but I have this teacher recommendation letter hanging over my head--I have to write it for Connor's first grade teacher. (He wanted to nominate her for a Disney teacher award!) It has to be done by Friday, but by the time I have a minute alone, my brain is gone, so all I do it read these boards! I feel like I'm back in school again.....

 

[Tahoe]

How were the crowds at Disneyland this weekend??? We are headed up there next Sunday and staying over until Monday. I just decided to stop over on our way up to my parents' house for Christmas.

All I really want to do is see the decorations and visit the reindeer, etc., by Thunder Mountain. I read on the DIS Disneyland board that they actually closed the gates yesterday. Now I'm wondering if this trip is a mistake. Maybe we'll just have to make sure that we're there early.

Let me know all about it, if you have time!

 

[dzneprincess]

Guys we are getting closer and closer! Woohoo! I got word today that my friend was able to pick me up a model of the ship to give my MIL!! I cant wait! Has anyone gotten their docs yet? Dont forget to post when you do! Who has sailed in Jan before. Remind me please?

 

[num1tigerfan]

How were the crowds at Disneyland this weekend??? We are headed up there next Sunday and staying over until Monday. I just decided to stop over on our way up to my parents' house for Christmas.

All I really want to do is see the decorations and visit the reindeer, etc., by Thunder Mountain. I read on the DIS Disneyland board that they actually closed the gates yesterday. Now I'm wondering if this trip is a mistake. Maybe we'll just have to make sure that we're there early.

Let me know all about it, if you have time!

Wow, They closed the gate because it was so busy....unbelievable. I have been to disneyland 2 times in the past years and love it too! We will have to go this summer when we are out in California. Since DH's conference is in San Diego we will have to keep in touch after the cruise and hopefully we can meet up in July too!

I will have to have DH take the test and see if he has the same last name although our personalities are totally different. He is very quiet and just goes along. Me, ..... I am always the "leader" (but not in a bad way) and also very social!!!! He also doesn't have any musical abilities as far as playing an instrument or singing so we probably won't even have similar names. Ha Ha

Thanks for the comment on the pictures. We drove through a snowstorm to have them taken!

I know what you mean about having a quiet moment to yourself and then your brain in dead. I am just taking a break from finishing up the xmas cards and wrapping. DH took the kids to the playstation today so I am here all alone. Woo Hoo. That is a rare event!

 

[num1tigerfan]

Guys we are getting closer and closer! Woohoo! I got word today that my friend was able to pick me up a model of the ship to give my MIL!! I cant wait! Has anyone gotten their docs yet? Dont forget to post when you do! Who has sailed in Jan before. Remind me please?

We have never cruised before so I can not help you there. Glad to see that you got your model of your ship for MIL. Hope everyone at your house is doing well. If you want I'll see if I can send some of our cold and snow your way! Just kidding!

 

[dzneprincess]

Julie,
Thanks for your kind offer, but I must decline! LOL
Is anyone else thinking about how the weather is going to be on our cruise? It dawned on me the either night that I have never sailed in Jan and therefore have no idea what to expect, weahterwise...

 

[Tahoe]

Julie,
Thanks for your kind offer, but I must decline! LOL
Is anyone else thinking about how the weather is going to be on our cruise? It dawned on me the either night that I have never sailed in Jan and therefore have no idea what to expect, weahterwise...

Of course, I haven't cruised either in any month, but from the averages I've seen Nassau (and Castaway Cay, I'm guessing since they're close) should be around 77 high and 62 low. The average rainfall is under 2 in. for the month.

That's actually still warmer than we have here (which is about 69 high and 40 low). I don't know about water temp. The water here in the winter is chilly, so it will still be warmer there!

I'm not expecting the summer humidity, nor am I expecting much rain. I've read on these boards that one week the weather may be great, but the next week colder. I think it's a tossup! But I will be watching the forecast 10 days before we leave!

 

[dzneprincess]

Hmmmm...hmmmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm so whats everyone going to do in Nassau......??

 

[num1tigerfan]

Hmmmm...hmmmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm so whats everyone going to do in Nassau......??

Stay on the ship. Eat drink and be merry!

I am also going to watch the weather channel before we leave. It will likely seem warm to us since it had been -12 degrees at night for the last couple nights. I am planning on bringing a few pairs of jeans and shorts with shirts that can be worn with either and also a sweatshirt, jacket, and swimsuits. For the past few years when we go on a January trip, I always pack lots of shorts and t shirts without any jeans or sweatshirts and we always freeze so this year I am packing both so I don't have to go buy more like usual.

 

[Tahoe]

Wow, They closed the gate because it was so busy....unbelievable. I have been to disneyland 2 times in the past years and love it too! We will have to go this summer when we are out in California. Since DH's conference is in San Diego we will have to keep in touch after the cruise and hopefully we can meet up in July too!

I will have to have DH take the test and see if he has the same last name although our personalities are totally different. He is very quiet and just goes along. Me, ..... I am always the "leader" (but not in a bad way) and also very social!!!! He also doesn't have any musical abilities as far as playing an instrument or singing so we probably won't even have similar names. Ha Ha

Thanks for the comment on the pictures. We drove through a snowstorm to have them taken!

I know what you mean about having a quiet moment to yourself and then your brain in dead. I am just taking a break from finishing up the xmas cards and wrapping. DH took the kids to the playstation today so I am here all alone. Woo Hoo. That is a rare event!

Here I am writing you guys instead of writing my rec letter for the teacher. I am the WORST procrastinator ever when it comes to things like this. My kitchen is pretty clean though--and the laundry is done.

Julie, make sure you let me know when in July you'll be here and where you'll be staying. We're usually around, but sometimes we head up to my parents' for part of the month. We also were considering a trip to Norway next summer, but that might not be 'til August.

I must say, I'm glad there's no snowstorm here... Hope you enjoyed your time alone!

 

[dzneprincess]

It will be weird to not be able to hop in the pool on embarktion day!!! I am thinking it may be to chilly for that.

 

[Tahoe]

Hmmmm...hmmmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmm so whats everyone going to do in Nassau......??

I've spent the last six months trying to figure out the answer to this question. Stay on the ship, go to Cable Beach, etc., etc. Well, after Kelli's suggestion, we have made reservations for a 2-hour "cultural" excursion geared toward kids about the Bahamanian Junaknoo celebration. I currently have it reserved for 10am, but I'm going to call tomorrow to change it to 2pm, so we can have a leisurely morning on the ship.

The pirate museum sounds amazing, but I'm afraid it would scare our kids too much. Amanda, your son might enjoy it! I'm not a huge shopper, so the straw market doesn't appeal to me.

So we'll get our two hours of culture in and then go back to la-la land!

 

[dzneprincess]

We might try for The Blue Lagoon again. We missed it in September because we did not dock until late. I am wondering though, how the water is going to feel.

 

[num1tigerfan]

We might try for The Blue Lagoon again. We missed it in September because we did not dock until late. I am wondering though, how the water is going to feel.

It might be cold...but who knows! You might be blue!

 

[kellib36]

Well, after Kelli's suggestion, we have made reservations for a 2-hour "cultural" excursion geared toward kids about the Bahamanian Junaknoo celebration. I currently have it reserved for 10am, but I'm going to call tomorrow to change it to 2pm, so we can have a leisurely morning on the ship.

Howdy, all!!! Well, another weekend down and tomorrow's supposed to be GREAT weather!!! Only 4 more work days til a vacation I do NOT have to pack for!!!!!!!! Hurray!!!!!!

Uh oh! The pressure of offering an idea for an excursion!!!!!!! I was thinking if we did that, we'd try for the morning tour, so we'd be back on the ship to do the bridge tour!! We've never done that in our many trips!!! I always have to find something that will appeal to Keith so I can convince him to do another trip down the road..... Well, honey that bridge tour only cost us $3000, how about another one in May!?!?!?!?!?!?

Keith and I have cruised twice in January!!! The first time, in '03, we met up with a group from The Magic For Less group, and had a ball...even though the weather sucked!!! We even missed Castaway Cay because the seas were too rough to dock! We wrote it off to travelling with a cursed person!!!

Then, in Jan '04, it was just Keith and I, and the weather was very good! Not as warm as we'd have liked throughout the trip, but we did wear shorts the whole time!!

FYI, this past January, "the cursed person" cruised again, and they missed both Castaway Cay AND Grand Cayman!!! Luckily, she's staying home this Jan~~we'll see her in NYC, but we didn't invite her to Florida!!