10/22/11 Parley!! Will this get me on the ship any faster?

[minnieandmickey]

Any other gold CC members staying up late tomorrow night to make ressies and do online checkin? I'm hoping the reservation system is in a good mood

Not to late great thing about being on the west coast is that I book at 9 pm!

 

[RobbW]

But I'm pretty sure they aren't navigating the Magic by sight

Actually, in the email communications I have had with DCL guest relations, I mentioned that I had read and heard about previous cruises where a navigational officer had led the stargazing activities; pointing out celestial objects and answering questions from the guests. So, I asked if this was a regular on-board activity that DCL currently offers or has plans to offer in the future. Their response was that DCL navigation officers only know celestial navigation, which is not the same as stargazing. So, an officer would not be able to host such an activity.

Great! I thought I remembered someone agreeing to do this. I would certainly be interested and I think my brother would be as well.

I'm not much of a host or public speaker, but I suppose I could lead the stargazing activity. It was kinda sorta my idea, I guess. Well, at least I was the one to ask about it. I would just give fair warning that I am by no means a master astronomer (or even a junior astronomer). I still have lots to learn about our night skies. I don't really know that many details about the objects we see at night. I just really enjoy looking at our beautiful night skies. I'm fascinated by them and enjoy sharing them with others. However, I have every intention of studying up on the night skies for the low-latitude area where we'll be sailing. I'd like to know at least a little something about what we will see at night before we sail off into the sunset. If there is anyone else who will be joining us that knows more about the night skies, I would be more than happy to defer to their knowledge!

We've done some riverboat cruising on the Mississippi and American Queen steamboats. And just like in Mark Twain's time, the river pilots still navigate by sight, and so there are no bright lights in the bow of the boat that would disturb their night vision. So the bow was always a good place to view the stars .

On previous non-DCL cruises I have been on, I have noticed that the bow of the ship near the bridge is always pretty dark. The problem I've had is that it is always uncomfortably windy up there and/or they have the best areas near the bow/bridge blocked off to cruise guests. It would probably be worth an effort to try and contact a ship officer to see if we could get a personal tour or escort to those super dark areas of the ship.

Does anyone know any of the officers aboard the Magic? Any suggestions on who we should try to connect with to see what, if anything, can be done to enhance any stargazing activities?

 

[jmjousley]

Why, yes he is! He will be contacting DCL to set it up for this cruise as well. The last 2 cruises we've taken, he has said Mass in the Buena Vista theater at 9 AM on Sunday morning. The best part is that his vacation Masses have no homily and no collection!

You just made my day!

 

[njprincess]

Remind me to get you a Konk Kooler and I'll remind you to tell the story... deal?

Deal! It's actually kind of cute

Not to late great thing about being on the west coast is that I book at 9 pm!

Lucky you!

You just made my day!

Wow, that was easy I thought that Frank had already said something about it but I guess not. We had a pretty good crowd last time.

 

[cntkg1]

What?!? That's really odd. We booked our 4-night cruise 74 days out and of course there were no on-line Brunch reservations available at that time. When we boarded the ship last Friday, we stopped by the Palo reservation desk just before 1PM and we were able to make them there. (We were even given a choice of 10AM or 10:30AM brunch times.) Furthermore, while we were having dinner at Palo the second night, our server told us he could secure brunch reservations for us on sea day if we didn't already have them.

We are actually both kinda scary looking, so maybe they were afraid of us...?

I'm just repeating what someone else said. Now whether that is true or not, I'm not sure. I just always thought whatever I read here on the DIS is the Gospel Truth!

It is the 9th for gold. And the 9th starts at midnight on Friday when the 8th ends

You little Wisenheimer.

Wow, interesting about the online check in at 3 AM Thanks for the heads up

Yup, read that too this week.

Palo brunches were scarfed up by the Platinums on the West Coast Repo. We only got to go because our table mate was Platinum, so she made the res.

The more annoying part was that the people with the 10 AM brunch reservations thought it was OK for them to stay in Palo for the ENTIRE MORNING! We were seated at 12:30 for our 11 AM res, although they did end up comping us.

I keep thinking that one day I'll be "Golden" too but a little worried that by then there will be "Double Platinums" and "Triple Platinums" to worry about.

I also thought it wasn't possible for a Platinum to include a Gold (or even Silver or Novice) in their Palo ressies.

Actually, Frank is a rather entertaining homilist, so it's a shame he doesn't include one. I always tell people to watch what they say to him or they might end up in one of his homilies. It's happened to me a few times

Sometime, after I've had a few Konk Koolers, remind me to tell you about the Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh Father from the SSMC08 cruise

Note to self....Keep big mouth shut around Fr Frank.

I would just give fair warning that I am by no means a master astronomer (or even a junior astronomer). I still have lots to learn about our night skies.

Well, if there are enough of those Konk Koolers passed around, you can just about tell us anything and we'd believe you.

Wow, that was easy I thought that Frank had already said something about it but I guess not. We had a pretty good crowd last time.

I didn't even know Frank checked in with us yet. Did I miss it?

 

[RobbW]

Well, if there are enough of those Konk Koolers passed around, you can just about tell us anything and we'd believe you.

Well, then. Drunken astronomy it is! Too bad I recently gave up drinking. That means I'll be the only one heckling all my own mistakes! Oh well, probably be best if I stay sober anyway if I'm going to be operating a GLP during the star party! I wouldn't want to hiccup and accidentally shine the laser into the bridge or something.

 

[njprincess]

You little Wisenheimer.

It's a tough job but someone's got to do it (since Mikey's away)

I keep thinking that one day I'll be "Golden" too but a little worried that by then there will be "Double Platinums" and "Triple Platinums" to worry about.

Titanium, perhaps?

I also thought it wasn't possible for a Platinum to include a Gold (or even Silver or Novice) in their Palo ressies.

I don't know how she did it, but she did it. We had our dining linked so that may have had something to do with it.

Note to self....Keep big mouth shut around Fr Frank.

Nah - don't do that. Your big mouth says funny stuff

I didn't even know Frank checked in with us yet. Did I miss it?

I will get on his case again. But I should warn you that he is more of a lurker than a poster, so he may actually be reading this

 

[cntkg1]

Well, then. Drunken astronomy it is! Too bad I recently gave up drinking. That means I'll be the only one heckling all my own mistakes! Oh well, probably be best if I stay sober anyway if I'm going to be operating a GLP during the star party! I wouldn't want to hiccup and accidentally shine the laser into the bridge or something.

You won't be the only one Robb. I don't drink anymore either...it freaks out my tummy. But, I would love to see how the other "over served" Parleyers react.

Titanium, perhaps?

I don't know how she did it, but she did it. We had our dining linked so that may have had something to do with it.

I'm linked with a Gold so maybe we'll score.

Nah - don't do that. Your big mouth says funny stuff

Oh....and some Not so Funny stuff, I'm sure.

I will get on his case again. But I should warn you that he is more of a lurker than a poster, so he may actually be reading this

He'll be in good company then. I think we have a lot of lurkers here.

 

[minnieandmickey]

Actually, Frank is a rather entertaining homilist, so it's a shame he doesn't include one. I always tell people to watch what they say to him or they might end up in one of his homilies. It's happened to me a few times

Sometime, after I've had a few Konk Koolers, remind me to tell you about the Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh Father from the SSMC08 cruise

Im not Catholic, but I may join in as I am interested to see what Mass is.

 

[abigaillynn]

Originally Posted by njprincess
My brother is a Catholic priest and he offered to say Mass on the ship during one of our cruises.

We will ask about the location when we get on the boat because we will be there. Tell your brother Thank You!!!!

 

[njprincess]

Im not Catholic, but I may join in as I am interested to see what Mass is.

Absolutely Becky! All are welcome.

Originally Posted by njprincess
My brother is a Catholic priest and he offered to say Mass on the ship during one of our cruises.

We will ask about the location when we get on the boat because we will be there. Tell your brother Thank You!!!!

They will post it in the Navigator, but the past 2 cruises it's been in the Buena Vista (bring a sweater brrrrrr)Theater on Sunday morning. They usually let him know before we leave, so I'll make sure to post the details before we sail.

 

[katzs13]

Hello everybody. We are down another week.

We have only

More Fridays left before we are on our Disney cruise vacation

 

[wilma-bride]

Hello everybody. We are down another week.

We have only

More Fridays left before we are on our Disney cruise vacation

Hi de ho Countdown Chic - thank you for that most excellent update

And we, my friends, are into double digits on our vacation countdown. Not too bad since we started at over 730 days

 

[njprincess]

Hello everybody. We are down another week.

We have only

More Fridays left before we are on our Disney cruise vacation

Tink & Toby are liking the monkey countdown!

 

[dennisbryce]

Hello everybody. We are down another week.

We have only

More Fridays left before we are on our Disney cruise vacation

Yeah Who!!!

 

[runskyhy]

Hello everybody. We are down another week.

We have only

More Fridays left before we are on our Disney cruise vacation

Tink & Toby are liking the monkey countdown!

Yeah Countdown Chic!!

Moe Monkey likes the monkey countdown

but I'm too lazy to upload a photo of him.

 

[dinahfig]

Hi everyone! Wow! I'm so excited about going on this cruise!! It's been too many months since the last one!

 

[dinahfig]

If you've paid in full, today is the day for the Gold Castaway Club members to book Palo ressies!

 

[minnieandmickey]

Well I got Palo's High Tea for Sunday, and Brunch for day 6 (Thursday) @ 10:30. Didn't sign up for any excursions, and wish I could get a cabana but Sean would kill me spending that much on that Only 3 cruises after this one and I'll be a platinum..woot woot

 

[RobbW]

Well I got Palo's High Tea for Sunday, and Brunch for day 6 (Thursday) @ 10:30. Didn't sign up for any excursions, and wish I could get a cabana but Sean would kill me spending that much on that Only 3 cruises after this one and I'll be a platinum..woot woot

I shall live vicariously through your advanced ressie bliss. I have to wait another whole month before I can start doing anything fun on DCL!