10/4/08-Buccaneers Take the West! Cruiser List in Post #1

[glindamood]

Ginger and family. Glad to have you aboard! I just counted, this will be out 11th cruise and 10th on DCL (we went to Alaska on Princess in 2003). With all of that - this is only our second western intinerary. We missed Cozumel due to a hurricane and ended up in Costa Maya but we have been to Grand Cayman.

Our snow is almost all gone - yippee! We had a great weekend last weekend with Drew (youngest DS) having his Eagle ceremony. I cooked and cleaned and cooked and did dishes and was sort of happy to come back to work Monday so I could sit down! Once we get the pictures off the camera I will attempt to post them.

Well - have a great rest of the week. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend - and a trip to watch a soccer game I think. Jan - enjoy those grandkids and give Dave a hug from me.

 

[kimmcbee]

Bumping us up for a great weekend. It is opening day for baseball tomorrow for 2 DS. Will be a long day at the ball park, hoping for warm weather.

DS12 is at first dance tonight at school.. Hope they are having fun. FLower for girl, still in car. Not cool to walk in with it infornt of your friends they may think Im strange. So much for that $.

Have a great weekend all.
Kim

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Hi Everyone,

Our family will be on the same cruise! Myself, DH, DS(16) and DS(14) when we cruise.

This will be our 3rd Disney cruise and our 1st Western. We are already excited! We went on the Eastern in January and it was fabulous!

I'm looking forward to getting to know you over the next 17 months and one week!

 

[JanDave]

Welcome Sheri and Family!!!

This will be our (DH and I) first western cruise. Looking forward to meeting you.

Everyone have a great weekend! It's supposed to be in the 60s in mid-Michigan.

Jan

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Welcome Sheri and Family!!!

This will be our (DH and I) first western cruise. Looking forward to meeting you.

Everyone have a great weekend! It's supposed to be in the 60s in mid-Michigan.

Jan

Thanks so much Jan! We're so excited for the next cruise!

We're headed for mid-80's for weather today in Northern Nevada!

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[NZMUM]

Welcome Sheri.

Hope you all have a good weekend. Think of us down here in NZ - as your weather warms up ours is getting colder. Soccer season started yesterday and it rained . Apparently first time it's rained on the first weeekend for a few years. Oh how I'm looking forward to all those rainy, cold Saturday mornings standing on the sidelines

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Welcome Sheri.

Hope you all have a good weekend. Think of us down here in NZ - as your weather warms up ours is getting colder. Soccer season started yesterday and it rained . Apparently first time it's rained on the first weeekend for a few years. Oh how I'm looking forward to all those rainy, cold Saturday mornings standing on the sidelines

We always laugh at the Nevada weather-one day it's 85 degrees, the next it will snow again! I will think of you in beautiful NZ!

I was just giggling at your other post on the 'Convince me' topic and I did look at your signature, that's how I figured out we were on the same cruise!
It's 17 months away but it still makes me happy thinking about it!

Stay dry down there and have a great week!

 

[NZMUM]

Thanks Sheri, it's supposed to rain all week, but at least it's not cold, yet.

I know what you mean about feeling happy about the cruise even though its sooo far away. I can't wait.

Which part of my post did you like - I thought the part about my DH hating queues is funny considering we're going to Disney, the place with the biggest queues I've ever seen .

Tania

 

[glindamood]

Sheri and family! Glad to have you with us.

Nice weekend here in northern Michigan although chilly and pretty breezy at the soccer game yesterday down in Ludington (on Lake Michigan) but sunny and no rain. Glad I had a jacket with me though. Our season had a slow start due to snow on the practice fields but hopefully we have see the last of that for this year anyway.

Prom is next weekend for youngest DS (17) plus he plays in two soccer games, one Saturday and one Sunday. He will be pretty tired come Sunday but being keeper, he doesn't run too much.

Well, best get to work so have a good week everyone!

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Thanks Sheri, it's supposed to rain all week, but at least it's not cold, yet.

I know what you mean about feeling happy about the cruise even though its sooo far away. I can't wait.

Which part of my post did you like - I thought the part about my DH hating queues is funny considering we're going to Disney, the place with the biggest queues I've ever seen .

Tania

After our 2 1/2 wait in the fast past return line (Yes, Return line! ) during New Years Week, there was no waiting for anything during our cruise this past January! Thank goodness for that cruise! I think if we hadn't had the cruise after the crowds at DW I don't know if I would have got any of my family back to Disney!

Sheri and family! Glad to have you with us.

Well, best get to work so have a good week everyone!

Thanks so much for the nice welcomes! We are so thrilled to finally meet some other DIS'ers cruising with us!

Have a great week everyone!

 

[NZMUM]

After our 2 1/2 wait in the fast past return line (Yes, Return line! ) during New Years Week, there was no waiting for anything during our cruise this past January! Thank goodness for that cruise! I think if we hadn't had the cruise after the crowds at DW I don't know if I would have got any of my family back to Disney

2 1/2 hours . Just as well we go in the "off" season. I'd never get my DH anywhere near the place if that happened to us. We'd be the ones with the whinning kids asking why we couldn't go on any rides .

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

2 1/2 hours . Just as well we go in the "off" season. I'd never get my DH anywhere near the place if that happened to us. We'd be the ones with the whinning kids asking why we couldn't go on any rides .

We learned a good lesson = go in the off, off season! DH didn't mind the wait. We happened to be really very close to a some lovely woman who I would swear was a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model and her family!

We had been to the Magic Kingdom the day before and had a family with very impatient children behind us. Every time we walked up 1 foot, the children would swing the chain, bang anything they could to make noise, and come right up behind us so close they would actually touch us. It was finally too much and my 13 year old turned around and asked them to respect his personal space! They kept their distance after that!

I consider myself a pretty patient girl (2 children of my own, + 41 5 year olds that come to school to visit me daily), but those crowds did us in!

P.S. Our Nevada weather has changed again. Yesterday was 81 degrees, tonight it's supposed to snow!

 

[NZMUM]

We learned a good lesson = go in the off, off season! DH didn't mind the wait. We happened to be really very close to a some lovely woman who I would swear was a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model and her family!

We had been to the Magic Kingdom the day before and had a family with very impatient children behind us. Every time we walked up 1 foot, the children would swing the chain, bang anything they could to make noise, and come right up behind us so close they would actually touch us. It was finally too much and my 13 year old turned around and asked them to respect his personal space! They kept their distance after that!

That is sooo funny . My DD would just look at them and roll her eyes.

Did you get snow? We had some rain most of last week (usually just before school started and just before finishing). Fine weekend though. My DH is still wearing shorts and the kids are still in their school summer uniform even though they can wear winter - it's just too hot in the afternoons.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Another week closer to our cruise .

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Hi NZMUM!

We had quite a week weather wise-80 degrees Monday, by Thursday we had snow on the ground, and it rained all day Friday with lots of wind! Nevada weather for us!

Anyone else been researching Western Excursions? I've been looking into the excursions in Grand Cayman and at Cozumel and I am getting some questionable reviews. Anyone have any input? DH has me seriously thinking to take the Eastern again and not our scheduled Western. HELP! I only have until Tuesday to decide!

 

[NZMUM]

Hi Sheri

Can't help with excursions - we've only done the Eastern & then only did one excursion. For us the excursions cost too much (exchange rate is not good).
I have read reports where people have enjoyed the Western excursions, even Key West.

We are doing the western to get a different experience then we can decide for ourselves which itinerary we like best. We are doing the Altenate Western the week before as well - we wanted an eastern & western but these 2 fit school holidays better. Bascially cruising anywhere will do us as long as it's warm and there is sunshine.

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

Hi NZMum,

We loved the eastern itinerary and did excursions at everyport. We won't do the dolphins again. Too much $ and it wasn't what we thought it would be. After researching the Western, several people have said that Cozumel is still recovering from a hurricane a couple of years ago and the snorkeling isn't at all good, and the economy is so bad that the locals are often overly pushy which makes getting off the ship not worth it. We would love to explore the ruins in the area and take a zip line tour through the tropical foliage, but so far I haven't found a tour like that.

I also heard from another Dis'er that Grand Cayman is beautiful, with great shopping, but they aren't really friendly toward all foreigners.

We felt perfectly safe in St. Thomas and loved the Eastern Itinerary. Now I'm going back and forth as to which one to do.

Our travel time is limited-our boys will be in high school and it that Western Week is a safe week for them to take off -no interference with mid-terms, finals, or sports and I am off the month of October. Push it another week and we are getting iffy with the team my eldest son is on.

How lucky for you to be doing both cruises! Do you get to stay in the same cabin? Do you have to disembark or do you get to stay onboard?

We are also looking at NZ in the near future with our Disney Vacation Club and another time share we own. Would you mind if I PM you to ask your opinion of certain areas?

Have a great week! It's supposed to warm up this week and be around 75 or so. I'm having a Mother's Day Celebration in my kindergarten on Friday! I hope the weatherman is right this week!

 

[NZMUM]

Hi Sheri

I thought there was an excursion to ruins, but I may be confusing that with Costa Maya. Don't know about zip lines. The beaches at Grand Cayman are nice though aren't they (from reading)? I'm not much of a shopper but my DD is - have to keep her away.

I know what you mean about trying to decide what to do. We were like that too but in the end decided 2 westerns were better than nothing. At least we'll have the comparison and can make an informed choice in the future.

We are very lucky. We have the same cabin and our agent has said we don't have to get off in between. Just have to make sure we have enough snacks and water to feed the kids between breakfast & lunch. We will be up bright & early for immigration though. It's going to be pretty awesome being on an empty ship.

Feel free to PM me with any questions you have.

Hope the your weather is nice this week. We currently have sunshine so hopefully will stay like that most of the week. I never trust the weather man -they say one thing & it quite often does the other

Tania

 

[kimmcbee]

After a long weekend of playiong bseball in the heavy rain, it is off to work for another week. DH and I leave in 6 days for a cruise and I cant wait . We are going to exotic western carribean. Going to some ports that we have never been to so that should be fun. Hope everyone has a great week, have to get to work
Kim

 

[glindamood]

Hi NZMUM!

Anyone else been researching Western Excursions? I've been looking into the excursions in Grand Cayman and at Cozumel and I am getting some questionable reviews. Anyone have any input? DH has me seriously thinking to take the Eastern again and not our scheduled Western. HELP! I only have until Tuesday to decide!

We did Stingray City when we were in Grand Cayman in December '05. It was awesome - totally awesome. We plan on doing that again this time. I can't offer any suggestion for Cozumel because we didn't get to go there due to the hurricane. I think I have an interactive map with the beaches on it, I will post the link tonight.

 

[JanDave]

Good Morning Buccaneers!

Kim - Have a great cruise. Can't wait to hear about the ports you go to and the ship experience.

Happy Mothers' Day to all. I'm taking a four day weekend to head to Morgantown, West Virginia for my oldest grandchild's birthday - Paul turns 5 on Saturday. I'll be driving home Sunday afternoon and taking Monday off to play with two of my grandchildren who live on the western side of Michigan.

Lots of storms here this morning. Have a great day everyone!

Jan