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

[pillow]

I live not far from Short Pump. I swear your name sounds so familiar that I feel like we may have met, but who knows! It's a small world.

There aren't that many Pillows around. I'll PM you.

J

 

[spaddy]

Short Pump and Goochland. I thought Pennsylvania had weird names.

Pillow, are you the one going on the Dolphin Encounter? I can't remember who it was.

 

[pillow]

Short Pump and Goochland. I thought Pennsylvania had weird names.

Pillow, are you the one going on the Dolphin Encounter? I can't remember who it was.

You hear it enough, it doesn't sound funny anymore I guess!!??

No, we're not doing the Dolphin Encounter. We've decided since this is such a short trip that we're just hangin out on the ship or the Castaway Cay beach all day.

My kids have been so sick. I hope everyone is well for this trip. We leave a week from Friday - can't wait!!

Jodie

 

[slumbergal]

I KNEW I KNEW RECOGNIZED YOUR NAME!!!
We live in Gates Head in the Richardson's house. We moved here in 2004 (probably right before you moved)
What a small world!!

(Sorry I could not send you a pm since I am a newbie here!)

 

[spaddy]

You hear it enough, it doesn't sound funny anymore I guess!!??

No, we're not doing the Dolphin Encounter. We've decided since this is such a short trip that we're just hangin out on the ship or the Castaway Cay beach all day.

My kids have been so sick. I hope everyone is well for this trip. We leave a week from Friday - can't wait!!

Jodie

My dh and I have been sick for weeks. I have actually not been feeling great since the end of September. I can't seem to shake it. My DS is still doing ok, and we hope it stays that way.

I can't believe it is a week from Friday. It just doesn't seem possible. I have being checking the availablity online for our cruise. Looks like an upgrade at port might be possible. I can't decide if I want to get there that early. Honestly, I would be pretty happy with a Cat 9 room. I guess I will just see how the weather is. If we can swim at the Beach Club in the morning I will probably want to do that.

We were thinking about staying to the ship too. I was looking at the Dolphin Encounter and it looked like fun.

We live near a town called Zelienople. I think sometimes people think I am making the name up.

 

[slumbergal]

How do you go about getting an upgrade at the terminal? We were in a guarantee cabin and it looks likes our room is in a pretty LOUD part of the ship.

 

[spaddy]

I don't think anyone was planning on going to the Space Center, but if you are the kids meals from ChickFilA have a $5 off coupon. I would love to go, but we just won't have time.

 

[spaddy]

How do you go about getting an upgrade at the terminal? We were in a guarantee cabin and it looks likes our room is in a pretty LOUD part of the ship.

I have never done it. This is my first Disney Cruise. From what I have read, you just show up early and ask if any upgrades are available. They are suppose to be much cheaper that buying the upgrade ahead of time. They say you have to get there early. I was reading about post of people getting there are 10 to get in line outside the terminal. I am not going to do that. I don't want to spend 3 hours there with a 4 year old while I am on vacation. We got assigned a cat 12 room, so we are definitely in the loud part of the ship.

 

[slumbergal]

Jodi,
pm me your email so we can chat offline. I can't send you messages through this board until I have 10 posts.
Teresa

 

[TCB in FLA]

Short Pump and Goochland. I thought Pennsylvania had weird names.

Pillow, are you the one going on the Dolphin Encounter? I can't remember who it was.

Spaddy - We are the family going on the Dolphin Encounter -- I think we are scheduled for the same time? (9 ish) I'm really looking forward to it! In 2 weeks, we'll be in Nassau!

 

[spaddy]

Spaddy - We are the family going on the Dolphin Encounter -- I think we are scheduled for the same time? (9 ish) I'm really looking forward to it! In 2 weeks, we'll be in Nassau!

We haven't booked it yet, but I was thinking about it. I was surprise that there were still openings. I was thinking about booking direct, but I don't know what they do if you miss the boat. I guess it is too big of a chance.

I am not sure if my son will really like it. Is your 6 year old going to do the Encounter or just watch? I think my son would actually enjoy just watching, but that means that only one of us would get to do it. We watched that movie Flipper the other day when it was on TV and my son got suddenly very interested in dolphins. Maybe I will just go by myself and leave DS and DH on the boat, hehe.

Have you done the Encounter before?

 

[etblank]

We haven't booked it yet, but I was thinking about it. I was surprise that there were still openings. I was thinking about booking direct, but I don't know what they do if you miss the boat. I guess it is too big of a chance.

I am not sure if my son will really like it. Is your 6 year old going to do the Encounter or just watch? I think my son would actually enjoy just watching, but that means that only one of us would get to do it. We watched that movie Flipper the other day when it was on TV and my son got suddenly very interested in dolphins. Maybe I will just go by myself and leave DS and DH on the boat, hehe.

Have you done the Encounter before?

Hey guys...I am the other one doing the Dolphin Encounter. Did it in January on a Carnival cruise, it was a lot of fun! My 4 and 7 year olds are doing it. They loved my video from there and they are really excited about it. My Mother isn't crazy about the idea, but my Dad somehow talked her into it. Sort of a once in a lifetime thing for her.

 

[spaddy]

Hey guys...I am the other one doing the Dolphin Encounter. Did it in January on a Carnival cruise, it was a lot of fun! My 4 and 7 year olds are doing it. They loved my video from there and they are really excited about it. My Mother isn't crazy about the idea, but my Dad somehow talked her into it. Sort of a once in a lifetime thing for her.

I really want to do it. I am a little afraid of how cold the water will be. Were your kids not with you when you did it last time? Was it the same place?

I have been try to show my DS the videos online to see if he really wants to do it. Are you in the morning too?

 

[etblank]

I really want to do it. I am a little afraid of how cold the water will be. Were your kids not with you when you did it last time? Was it the same place?

I have been try to show my DS the videos online to see if he really wants to do it. Are you in the morning too?

The Carnival cruise was a "girls getaway weekend" to see if we liked cruising, so no kids, no husbands. The water is a bit cold, but they do provide wetsuits, even in little kids sizes. You are not completely submerged in it either, it is only a bit higher than waist deep. It is the same place, there were some people from the Wonder out there when we were there, and of course they raved about how great DCL is...so here we are now going on DCL (minus the friend, but plus the family.)

We are on the 9:30 boat out there...they also have a couple of sea lions...I am hoping the kids get to see them as well.

On a different note, my children have been behaving so poorly at the dinner table lately, I think we are shipping them off to the Oceaneers club so we can enjoy our dinners in peace. Is that wrong of us???

 

[spaddy]

The Carnival cruise was a "girls getaway weekend" to see if we liked cruising, so no kids, no husbands. The water is a bit cold, but they do provide wetsuits, even in little kids sizes. You are not completely submerged in it either, it is only a bit higher than waist deep. It is the same place, there were some people from the Wonder out there when we were there, and of course they raved about how great DCL is...so here we are now going on DCL (minus the friend, but plus the family.)

We are on the 9:30 boat out there...they also have a couple of sea lions...I am hoping the kids get to see them as well.

On a different note, my children have been behaving so poorly at the dinner table lately, I think we are shipping them off to the Oceaneers club so we can enjoy our dinners in peace. Is that wrong of us???

Oh, I don't think it is bad at all. My son doesn't eat so it is very challenging. He is not even interested when the food comes. He is getting more interesting in drawing, so hopefully that will save us.

The dolphin encounter sounds like so much fun. I think I am just going to play it by ear and see what happens. I feel like I have planned so much for our last couple Disney trips that I just need to wing it a little. Of course, winging it is easier when you don't know what you really want to do.

 

[etblank]

Look at it this way...which will you regret more...the fact that you did it, or the fact that you will come back home and say...ughh, I really wish I did the Dolphin Encounter?

My friend that was on the cruise with me was the same way...it wasn't until we were on the boat (and had booked a different shore excursion), that she had this look on her face like, "I really want to but...it is expensive" Needless to say, for her afterward, the experience was priceless.

I have also done the Discovery Cove (SeaWorld) dolphin thing twice. It is different in the Bahamas because there isn't quite so much emphasis on conservation as there is here in the states. Both experiences were great, but there was a difference in the type of interaction. The Bahamas was a bit more lively and hands on.

Off topic...what exactly is the gift exchange/fish extender thing people are asking about?

 

[tiggercraZ]

Is there still availability for the Dolphin Encounter in Nassau? I went on-line several weeks ago and wasn't able to get a reservation, so I figured it was full. I did go to the Dolphin Encounter website and try to book it myself, but I haven't heard back from them (that was about 4 days ago).

DD would love to do this and she will be very disppointed it I can't book it. Any suggestions?

 

[slumbergal]

Oh, I don't think it is bad at all. My son doesn't eat so it is very challenging. He is not even interested when the food comes. He is getting more interesting in drawing, so hopefully that will save us.

The dolphin encounter sounds like so much fun. I think I am just going to play it by ear and see what happens. I feel like I have planned so much for our last couple Disney trips that I just need to wing it a little. Of course, winging it is easier when you don't know what you really want to do.

Spaddy: Do we have the same child?! My DS6 doesn't eat and loves to draw too! We must introduce them! Last year he fought us about going in the kids club or else we would have put him there for dinners! We had to bribe him with a sword from the gift shop to go there while we went to Palo.

 

[spaddy]

Is there still availability for the Dolphin Encounter in Nassau? I went on-line several weeks ago and wasn't able to get a reservation, so I figured it was full. I did go to the Dolphin Encounter website and try to book it myself, but I haven't heard back from them (that was about 4 days ago).

DD would love to do this and she will be very disppointed it I can't book it. Any suggestions?

I saw availablity for at least one person. Maybe that was all there was. Keep checking all the time. I was surprised there was anything, but I didn't go all the wat through and complete the reservation, so maybe I would have gotten rejected if I really tried to book it.

I think booking yourself will work. I think they will get back to you.

 

[spaddy]

Spaddy: Do we have the same child?! My DS6 doesn't eat and loves to draw too! We must introduce them! Last year he fought us about going in the kids club or else we would have put him there for dinners! We had to bribe him with a sword from the gift shop to go there while we went to Palo.

My son will eat mac and cheese and rice. I figure the nice thing about being on a cruise is he can order something and we don't have to pay for it. I also like buffets with him because I can just keep bringing things back until he tries something. He eats about once every 2 days. He has also recently started eating pizza, I think they have that in the dining rooms.

I am hoping to spend sometime in the club with my son on the first night. Hopefully if I can spend a little time with him there he will enjoy it. If he can find another kid that he connects with he will be fine. If not, he will fight going in there.