10/24/2009 Bash on the Boat - Thread #1

[oybolshoi]

As for pre-cruise ... since we will have our DVC points back in force by then (we did some borrowing this year so we've only got about 24 points for 2008 and are just going to bank them for 2009) we will probably spend a week at the Beach Club Villas so that we can enjoy the Food and Wine Festival before the cruise.

If I get my way we'll arrive at BCV on 10/17 ... I can't think of a better way to start the birthday bash than going to Party for the Senseless on the night of our arrival which would be my actual birthday.

 

[minnieandmickey]

Jeff - I agree we need a weekly update on the Repo. Anyone have any sggestions for some good excursions?

I'd like some ideas too, but then again I am waiting for them to post them. As of right now unless something catches our eye we will probably just wander around the ports ourselves, with the exception of Cartegena I think I would feel better about taking an excursion there.

Sean has done some research on Cartegena and despite what a lot of people are worried about being in Columbia, it is just as safe as a port as any other. He wants to see the fort there and the church.

 

[MinnMick01]

:Carrie, We rented our rental through Avis this time. They were onsite at the airport and on cruise day Sean dropped me and Sarah off at the port so we could check in and then he went to the Cape Canaveral office and dropped off the car and took the shuttle back. It was very easy and cheaper that way. We all took the shuttle to the rental place after the cruise and went from there. We paid $50 for ea 1 day rental for a small SUV. Very easy and very econmical vs transfers and paying for a week for a car you won't be using on top of the per day parking fee.

So how far away is Cape Canaveral from the terminal? No wonder when I was checking last night there were none in port canaveral. helps if I know the area. We could get away with an economy car. For either 2 or 3 of us, as long as the luggage fit. That is alot cheaper then the transfer fee of $69.00 per person.

So here is the next question, if you book your air through DCL and take the hotel they provide which is the Hyatt can you drop the transfer and rent your own car?

 

[oybolshoi]

Has anyone seen the movie Blazing Saddles?

Blazing Saddles is an awesome movie! Jay and I laugh ourselves silly every time we watch it. We're big fans of Mel Brooks earlier stuff.

Chris
Age: 40/50
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Sexual Preference: Straight
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England
Member Number: 84653432358958658658658564586578

About Me

Cave man, used to to the boy next door but, I moved;-) A little shy at first but, then you can't turn me off. I am 5'10" height and weight way out of proportion,had strawberry blonde hair and a great sense of humor. I am looking for a patient honest woman, cause I am NOT PERFECT but I am fun and am a good conversationalist and I found out that I am so not a good listener. I am looking for a slim, petite, average, or athletic woman that wants to spoil me just a little between the ages of 30-48.....Must have a big personality....

Excuse me, but I thought your needs were already more than covered by the harem you seem to have accumulated on these last two cruises.

 

[minnieandmickey]

As for pre-cruise ... since we will have our DVC points back in force by then (we did some borrowing this year so we've only got about 24 points for 2008 and are just going to bank them for 2009) we will probably spend a week at the Beach Club Villas so that we can enjoy the Food and Wine Festival before the cruise.

If I get my way we'll arrive at BCV on 10/17 ... I can't think of a better way to start the birthday bash than going to Party for the Senseless on the night of our arrival which would be my actual birthday.

Sean and I are in the same boat, except no points for 08, used them on my 5 day cruise for me and my sister.
We also are going to do the food and wine festival, without kids for the first time . I am hoping to come in on the Sunday before the cruise and staying (keeping fingers crossed) at the AKV savannah view. I would love to do BCV but can never get in that time of the year. But to save some points we will just go to the cape on Friday and stay there.

 

[B9erSteve]

If we were to book for the 2 of us then we decided Mackenzie has to go, can we just add her on?

Yep, right up to 75 days before sailing.

Carrie, We rented our rental through Avis this time. They were onsite at the airport and on cruise day Sean dropped me and Sarah off at the port so we could check in and then he went to the Cape Canaveral office and dropped off the car and took the shuttle back. It was very easy and cheaper that way. We all took the shuttle to the rental place after the cruise and went from there. We paid $50 for ea 1 day rental for a small SUV. Very easy and very econmical vs transfers and paying for a week for a car you won't be using on top of the per day parking fee.

Maybe, I'll rent a car. If I can swing that deal, plus splitting with Rick, I'll be ahead a bit more!

 

[MinnMick01]

Cass did the last one. If I come up with any Ideas I'll work on them.



Nope. Here's how I plan to save money this time. First, the Disney Air is probably not that bad on price. I figure for the four of us it will be aprox $1500 (disney charged me $2000 and that included a night at the Hyatt and transfers... not too bad) But I'll be cashing in some Visa points for cash credit that I can apply to the air. I already have $200 accrued and think that I'll be able to add another $200 to that over the next year that I have before I have to book the air. So I'll save $400 there. I'll stay at a cheaper hotel, (Hopefully closer to the port) and that should save me a small amount then instead of the Disney transfers I think that I will be doing a towncar (savings of I think about $85) of course all of that is moot anyway since Disney will end up with the money... I'm planning on spending Halloween in the Magic Kingdom.

Ok here is how I see it and I might be wrong here. So help me out. This is working with the three of us. If we booked everything together through DCL it would be $4432.04. If we booked just the cruise it would be $2847.74. That is a difference of $1584.30. Then you minus the transfer fee of $207.00 that leaves you $1377.30. So if I divide that by three that is $459.10 per person that DCL is spending on airfair and the hotel room. Does this make any since to you?

 

[oybolshoi]

Start again...lost all my multi-quote replies.

Brenda - Rosa Regale sounds great, plus need to try and get a 'Stroke of Genius' this time. No luck in October.

Enlighten me ... what is this 'Stroke of Genius' you refer to? I've not heard of that one. We did try a pretty good dessert wine at Party for the Senses called Fro Zin - it's the US West Coast version of ice wine but not nearly as sweet. And not nearly as expensive as Inniskilin Ice Wine.

I'm not a big fan of zinfandels so I was a bit skeptical, but it was petty tasty.

Thanks for the update on the signature...wondered what happened to mine.

You're welcome - I only figured it out because I was trying to understand why my signature went wonky on me a month or so ago.

 

[minnieandmickey]

So how far away is Cape Canaveral from the terminal? No wonder when I was checking last night there were none in port canaveral. helps if I know the area. We could get away with an economy car. For either 2 or 3 of us, as long as the luggage fit. That is alot cheaper then the transfer fee of $69.00 per person.

So here is the next question, if you book your air through DCL and take the hotel they provide which is the Hyatt can you drop the transfer and rent your own car?

The Cape is about 45 min to and hour a way.

 

[oybolshoi]

Sean and I are in the same boat, except no points for 08, used them on my 5 day cruise for me and my sister.
We also are going to do the food and wine festival, without kids for the first time . I am hoping to come in on the Sunday before the cruise and staying (keeping fingers crossed) at the AKV savannah view. I would love to do BCV but can never get in that time of the year. But to save some points we will just go to the cape on Friday and stay there.

Becky, you will love F&W as adults only, trust me! If you have any questions feel free to give me a shout. I also have a lot of F&W stuff in my trip reports if you want to take a look at those some time (be warned: they're long ... I have diarrhea of the keyboard).

If you really want BCV, don't give up. I had to wait until March of this year to book it because I was using our SSR points to cover the stay, and I had to call member services every day to keep adding on and we got exactly what we wanted. It can be done!

And it's so convenient to just walk out of the villas and be at Epcot's International Gateway within five minutes - that's the biggest reason we like staying there in October.

I like your idea about moving to a Cape hotel on the Friday before the cruise ... I may have to consider that. Great idea!

 

[MinnMick01]

Is cape canaveral the same as cocoa beach? I am looking at rental car companies and Alamo keeps sending me to cocoa beach

 

[MinnMick01]

The Cape is about 45 min to and hour a way.

But they provide a free shuttle back to the port?

 

[minnieandmickey]

Yep, right up to 75 days before sailing.




Maybe, I'll rent a car. If I can swing that deal, plus splitting with Rick, I'll be ahead a bit more!

I'm always checking rates at all the sites. I think there is also an enterprise there at the Cape as well. I know Avis is on the airport site, just not sure about the others.

Ok here is how I see it and I might be wrong here. So help me out. This is working with the three of us. If we booked everything together through DCL it would be $4432.04. If we booked just the cruise it would be $2847.74. That is a difference of $1584.30. Then you minus the transfer fee of $207.00 that leaves you $1377.30. So if I divide that by three that is $459.10 per person that DCL is spending on airfair and the hotel room. Does this make any since to you?

That still seems a little expensive to me. I would hope you could fly to FL for no more than $350 pp, that leave the Hyatt at $300 wow you could book it on your own for cheaper, or you could rent the car and drive to the cape and stay there and we stayed at the Radisson for $99.

 

[minnieandmickey]

Is cape canaveral the same as cocoa beach? I am looking at rental car companies and Alamo keeps sending me to cocoa beach

Yes, and Yes they do provide shuttles back to the port.

 

[minnieandmickey]

Is cape canaveral the same as cocoa beach? I am looking at rental car companies and Alamo keeps sending me to cocoa beach

Somewhere on the Cruise boards there is a thread of which car places are the closest to the port.

 

[B9erSteve]

Ok here is how I see it and I might be wrong here. So help me out. This is working with the three of us. If we booked everything together through DCL it would be $4432.04. If we booked just the cruise it would be $2847.74. That is a difference of $1584.30. Then you minus the transfer fee of $207.00 that leaves you $1377.30. So if I divide that by three that is $459.10 per person that DCL is spending on airfair and the hotel room. Does this make any since to you?

I'm always checking rates at all the sites. I think there is also an enterprise there at the Cape as well. I know Avis is on the airport site, just not sure about the others.



That still seems a little expensive to me. I would hope you could fly to FL for no more than $350 pp, that leave the Hyatt at $300 wow you could book it on your own for cheaper, or you could rent the car and drive to the cape and stay there and we stayed at the Radisson for $99.

Exactly. I'm getting $330 to $350 to Orlando pp/rt.

Thanks for the tip on the Radisson. I'll definately looking in on that one.

 

[MinnMick01]

Ok so the car rental places do not have rate for 2009 yet, so I am using that Sat in 2008 just to get a rough idea of prices. Right now I have Avis quating me $61.05 for a compact car for 4 hours. I have Budget quating me an economy for $36.67 for 4 hours. I am really liking that price. For three that is saving us $170.33 or for 2 it is saving us $114.33. I just remember that my insurance campany offers me a discount on rental cars. I might jump over there and check.

 

[MinnMick01]

I can get a free upgrade through Budget if I use my insurance discount.

 

[minnieandmickey]

Carrie,
Here is a site that has the car places in the port area, she also posts discounts that are offered sometime to anyone.

http://www.mousesavers.com/dclground.html#pcrentalcar

 

[MinnMick01]

Exactly. I'm getting $330 to $350 to Orlando pp/rt.

Thanks for the tip on the Radisson. I'll definately looking in on that one.

How are you getting rates for Oct. 2009 for airfair. I keep getting told those dates are not available yet. I would love to compair air prices.