11-23-2008 DCL per-Thanksgiving 3 night Wonder cruise!!

[pillow]

I got my stateroom assignment. No upgrade. We got a category 12 room. Oh well, it's only 3 days I am sure we will be fine. It makes the whole cruise seem so real. I can't believe it's a month away.

Are you sure? Our upgrade said cat 12 (in order to reflect the price you pay), but the room was in a higher category. What is your room #?

Jodie

 

[spaddy]

Oh, I am sure. It's ok. The only thing I was really worried about was the one weird room. The one that sort of sticks out. I heard that room is really loud because there is a storage area right next to it. I can handle the noise late at night, but at the crack of dawn is a different story. (I am not a morning person)

I am excited to have a stateroom assigned. I was really only hoping for a cat 11 or maybe a 10. I know 7, 8, and 9 have been at guaranteed status for a while. Deck 2 seems like an ok location.

Everyone else had their rooms already assigned right?

 

[skibum]

We have been checking room assignments a few times a day, and finally saw we got one this evening. Came on here to post about it, and you guys beat us. Our 12 GTY ended up on Deck 1 (first time there for us) in a Cat 9. We have never even seen the double porthole rooms before, so another new experience.
We are just happy to be on the ship! But an upgrade to a porthole is even better!
A month from now we will be enjoying the warm weather in Florida a few days before our cruise.

 

[TCB in FLA]

We've had our room assignment from the beginning since we were getting connecting rooms. That's great about the upgrade skibum! And fingers crossed for a quiet room Spaddy.

While talking with my MIL yesterday, she said, "you know, I don't even know which cruise we are taking." Yes, I've been the one booking everything and she does live in New York with us in Fla., but we've been talking to her about this from the beginning. And she's been excited about it, asking lots of questions. But not knowing the name? (okay, so she knew it was the Disney cruise -- maybe she didn't realize there's more than one ship?)

 

[TCB in FLA]

I loved living in Albuquerque. I would move back there in a second. We only moved to be closer to family. My DH worked at the end of Eubank right before the entrance to the base. Does your DH fly big planes or little ones? I used to love when we would go somewhere on an airplane and fighter jets were taking off before us. It is just amazing to see.

That is awesome about Palo. I was thinking about cancelling our Palo reservation, but I really want to go. I made the reservation so we could still go to dinner at our regular rotation on the last night. Of course, we can't do that and still see the show on that night. I guess we will see if our son likes dinner or the show better and go to that one. I have a feeling it will not be dinner that he likes.

I have to post a picture of the pillowcase I made. I went a little crazy with my new embrodiery machine.

DH is a navigator on the C-130s, one of those big cargo planes that fly low. Kirtland is one of the training bases.

You have to keep Palo -- it's just great for some quality date time.

You'll have to show off that pillowcase!

 

[spaddy]

DH is a navigator on the C-130s, one of those big cargo planes that fly low. Kirtland is one of the training bases.

You have to keep Palo -- it's just great for some quality date time.

You'll have to show off that pillowcase!

I worked with someone in Albuquerque that was a retired C-130 pilot. Otherwise I would have no idea what kind of plane it was. My brother is really into planes (and his BIL is a pilot in the Air Force, I think F16) and he asked me about the planes that I saw taking off in Albuquerque. I told him I had no idea...Fighter jets. They all look the same to me. He seems to know how to tell them apart.

I am keeping the Palo. For now at least.

I seemed to buy the wrinklest pillowcase ever. I bought a high thread count and I think that might be the reason.

 

[pillow]

Has anyone booked transportation to the port from the airport via someone other than Disney? We're driving, but I need to book a shuttle for my mom and crew. For a large group, Disney is high. Just wondered who others are using??? (I'm being lazy - don't feel like doing the research)

Jodie

 

[skibum]

We have always found it most economical to do a one-way car rental from MCO to Cape Canaveral. Plus, we then can get around town a little bit - dinner, Ron Jons...

 

[TCB in FLA]

Spaddy - Cute pillowcase! You could get a side job selling those on eBay. And don't worry, I've been married to an AF guy for 12 years, and other than the C130, I can't tell the other planes apart.

Jodie- Can't help you at all with the transportation issue as we always drive. Maybe ask on the main cruise board.

 

[spaddy]

Thanks about the pillowcase, but I don't think there is enough money. It was a lot of work, but I am getting better at it.

Jodie, all I know is not to use FL Tours. I saw a thread where people have been left recently. I will check my Passporter later and post the list in there.

 

[spaddy]

We are driving too. Are you staying at WDW only after the cruise? We are actually leaving the car in the parking lot and paying to park there. It's sort of wasteful but we can leave some clothes in the car.

 

[TCB in FLA]

We are driving too. Are you staying at WDW only after the cruise? We are actually leaving the car in the parking lot and paying to park there. It's sort of wasteful but we can leave some clothes in the car.

We're doing WDW before the cruise, then picking DMIL up on Saturday and driving to the port. We're staying at Country Inn and Suites the night prior, then leaving the car there. DH will drop us and the luggage off at the port in the morning, drive back to the hotel to park, and take the shuttle over. We did this last year, and it went really well. I got us checked in, checked the boys into the club and were waiting to meet Goofy when DH got there.

 

[pillow]

We are driving too. Are you staying at WDW only after the cruise? We are actually leaving the car in the parking lot and paying to park there. It's sort of wasteful but we can leave some clothes in the car.

You mean at the port?

We are staying at the Country Inn and Suites. They let you leave your car there while on your cruise. Then you have to pay for their shuttle to the ship - think its $6ish per person.

Jodie

 

[pillow]

We're doing WDW before the cruise, then picking DMIL up on Saturday and driving to the port. We're staying at Country Inn and Suites the night prior, then leaving the car there. DH will drop us and the luggage off at the port in the morning, drive back to the hotel to park, and take the shuttle over. We did this last year, and it went really well. I got us checked in, checked the boys into the club and were waiting to meet Goofy when DH got there.

We were posting at the same time. I didn't think of having my dh drop us off before parking back at the hotel. That would save the shuttle money for the rest of us. Good thinking!

Logistically, how did you do this? Did all of you check in together at the port and then your dh dropped the car back at the hotel? or did your dh check in separately after you and the kids were already checked in?

Jodie

 

[TCB in FLA]

We were posting at the same time. I didn't think of having my dh drop us off before parking back at the hotel. That would save the shuttle money for the rest of us. Good thinking!

Logistically, how did you do this? Did all of you check in together at the port and then your dh dropped the car back at the hotel? or did your dh check in separately after you and the kids were already checked in?

Jodie

Only one person in your party actually needs to check in. Just make sure you have all the cruise docs signed, have the CC on the account, and have everyone's ID (maybe their passport is needed (can't remember) which is what I had anyway so that DH could keep his drivers' license). The hotel is less than 5 minutes away, so DH drove us all there, dropping us and luggage at the curb with the porters, never actually parking the car. When DH returned to the port, he just went through the metal detectors and joined us. They may check everyone's ID again when you actually get onboard, but I don't remember that either.

On the way back, DH jumped in the hotel shuttle while the boys and I waited with the luggage at the curb and returned in 8 minutes (I checked my watch to see exactly how long it would take).

 

[TCB in FLA]

We also stayed at the Radisson prior to our first cruise, and they have free parking and shuttle. It worked pretty well, but we like the Country Inn better. I like the kids suites, the b'fast, workout room, and overall newer feeling.

 

[pillow]

We also stayed at the Radisson prior to our first cruise, and they have free parking and shuttle. It worked pretty well, but we like the Country Inn better. I like the kids suites, the b'fast, workout room, and overall newer feeling.

It looks nice. When are you getting there? We should be there about 3:00ish on Saturday. I have no idea where we'll eat for dinner. Any ideas? Is there anything within walking distance? How about the hotel food?

Also, what time are they letting us board Sunday? I seem to remember 12:00ish???

I found a good fare from the airport to Port Canaveral - $85 for 5 people - www.cbshuttle.com.

Jodie

 

[TCB in FLA]

It looks nice. When are you getting there? We should be there about 3:00ish on Saturday. I have no idea where we'll eat for dinner. Any ideas? Is there anything within walking distance? How about the hotel food?

Also, what time are they letting us board Sunday? I seem to remember 12:00ish???

I found a good fare from the airport to Port Canaveral - $85 for 5 people - www.cbshuttle.com.

Jodie

DMIL's flight gets in about 1, so we'll be heading over after that -- so we'll probably be getting in around the same time. If I remember right, the closest restaurants are about a 1/2 mile away. We got in after supper last time, so I don't really recall. I think the hotel just has the morning buffet.

Good rate on the port shuttle.

I think we got to the port around 10:30 or 11. We had time to work out, eat, go to Ron Jons (have to get the boys a shirt!) and Walgreens, and repack the car before we left. That said -- we were up early b/c we were TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP!

 

[pillow]

We had time to work out, eat, go to Ron Jons (have to get the boys a shirt!) and Walgreens, and repack the car before we left. That said -- we were up early b/c we were TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP!

What is Ron Jons?

J

 

[spaddy]

Ron Jons is a HUGE surfing store. I used to go there all the time in the early 80's and it was a surf shop with some cool Tshirts. Well, now it takes up more than an entire block. They have a ton of Tshirts.

The most important thing you can know if you are driving down 95 is there were be tons of signs that say "250 miles to Ron Jon Surf Shop". This is the best count down because it is so close to port. Are you driving?

That is a good rate on a shuttle. It looks like a van is about $120 one way.