12/09/06 Cruise Continued ~ Pirating Bananas DIS Geekorama Part 2

[MrsMork]

We are members at WL and BCV. We like it too. We combined points from 3 years (banked and borrowed) and took all the kids and grandkids (12 of us) on a 4 day cruise and spent 4 nights at OKW. That trip alone just about paid for our points. We do know that it is better financially to rent points and then pay for the cruise, but it is just so stress free to use the points.

 

[goofyforlife]

Thanks, Its allot of money!

Think of it as less than a mid-range new car

 

[lbgraves]

Has anyone else realized that we will only have 2 days at sea? Someone on the cruise board asked about the character breakfast on another double dip cruise next year. I guess that we will be missing that this cruise? We get to CC at 8:30 on Sunday and 9:30 on Friday. I really don't care to miss the first couple of hours on CC for a CB, since that is the main reason we chose this cruise.

 

[pjpoohbear]

Our lastest morning is CC2 @ 9:30am, is it possible that they will do a double Character breakfast at Parrot Cay and Animators? Every other day we make land at 8 am in the morning.

We will have some answers in just a short 9 months, lol.

Penny

 

[MommyMinnie]

Hey everybody!

My family and I just finished our first cruise aboard the Wonder and had such a great time we booked the Double Dip 12/06! I didn't cry or anything when it was time to get off the ship because I knew we would come back in 18 months.

Traveling in my group are DH and DD. DD is going to turn 12 on the trip. It sounds like there are going to be a lot of birthdays.

DH has been trying to get me to Mexico for some time and is really looking forward to the tours when we get there.

This was my first cruise and my first stress free trip in ages. It's so great to have everything right there planned and ready to go. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed not having to decide when and where to have dinner at night.

You sound like a bunch of great folks and I look forward to getting to know you better. I thought we had visited Disney a lot being so close but y'all put us to shame.

Are there any other 10-12 year old's on the trip so far? Are there any other parents that are carelessly taking their children out of school? I feel pretty guilty about it but summer break is getting so short I have little choice anymore.

Patsy

 

[mum of two pirates]

Hi everyone,
welcome aboard. I have a then 7 and 9 yeard old, both boys and have no problum with taking them out of school for two weeks before christmass break. Hellooooooooo, they spend eight hours there 5 days a week, its just as bad as work. They need it, well really it is me that needs it. But I am a parent that beleaves they need a day of here and there to spend with me doing something fun.

lbgraves- its great to know that someone else that is going with us does the GM. maybe we could save up and swap some then. hopefully I will learn a few more of your tips by then. I am only one week into saving thoe. see ya later. Mum of two pirates

 

[lbgraves]

Do you mean the GG? I don't actually do that, just on my own. Since we don't get good papers here I order just what I need and don't trade. I have been taking December off the past couple years since we are gone 10 days for the cruise & then the holidays and having the kids home just makes it harder to keep up with.

We also take the kids out for 8 school days for our cruise/WDW trip. Once DS gets to third grade I will need to make sure that it isn't when they do the EOG testing stuff.

 

[lillygator]

Hello all!

I just booked this cruise! I am very excited about making the extra stop to Castaway Cay - we fell in love with that island!

On board will be myself, DH and two princesses....(ages at time of cruise) 4 and 19 months. We have early dining and are booked for cabin 2108.

18 pages is pretty intimidating - but I guess I will start reading!

 

[lillygator]

Glanced through most of the thread and looks like there aren't too many little ones
No matter...I can't wait - guess I should worry about this years first!

 

[MommyMinnie]

I'm holding out hope that there will be plenty of kids there anyway. I'll bet the other Moms just don't have the time to find us and let us know they will be on board.

There always seem to be lots of out of town kids at WDW in December.

 

[slindamood]

Welcome to all the new cruisers on this thread! We have the best itinerary on the best ship. And lots of DISers to meet.

JanDave - gail only told me that they wanted to go on this cruise with friends from their 50/50 cruise - looking forward to meeting you! My DB always has lots of birthdays to celebrate on cruises. Would have loved to been there to see a real birthday.

Have a great September cruise!

 

[lillygator]

Hi all! I think I am more excited about this cruise than our upcoming!! I wish we were double dipping this year!!

I'm looking at everyone's tickers and almost 16 months away....seems soooooo far!

 

[MrsMork]

We may have another family joining us on this thread, so I am bumping us up off of page 3. Hello All!

 

[GoofyFD]

Glanced through most of the thread and looks like there aren't too many little ones
No matter...I can't wait - guess I should worry about this years first!

We have two DD they will be 5 and 7. How old are yours? Wow only 15 more months to go. I think we will have one more family joining us also. We are all going to have so much fun.

 

[jwann]

Just checking in on our trip thread. So glad to see that we are getting new families!! We are currently planning our WDW trip for the end of Sept. (less than 30 days until we leave)!! That trip is just a bit closer than our cruise. You know, tho', I'm gonna love this year's Christmas season thinking things like....I love that pretty tree and next year I get to see the one in the atrium on the Magic again....I like that Christmas song and next year I get to hear it being played by a steel-drum band....oooh, I'm so cold shopping for presents and next year I'll be shopping in the streets of Mexico! My dh doesn't even want to talk about the trip since it's so far away. NOT ME!

 

[jwann]

Are there any other 10-12 year old's on the trip so far? Are there any other parents that are carelessly taking their children out of school? I feel pretty guilty about it but summer break is getting so short I have little choice anymore.

Hi! My son will be 11 on the cruise. He LOVES the LAB and will likely be in there ALOT! I also have a son who will be 8 on the cruise. I am "carelessly taking" them out of school and don't feel a single twinge of guilt. Yes, we'll have to do more homework before and after we get back but school is out for Christmas break by the time we get back so we'll have 2 weeks to finish the work. One bad thing that we ran into last year when we did an early Dec. 7-day cruise was that one of the boys missed his Christmas program at school and I missed a special choir performance at church. I just kept saying, "There will be lots of years of school performances and choir events but there will only be one or two Christmas seasons in paradise"!!

 

[MrsMork]

We've been careless grandparents and taken the grandkids out a couple of times for early Dec cruise. Life is too short to not enjoy it. Oldest is now in high school though and I think we need keep him in school. We had no qualms at all though through junior high. They always were able to make up the work thru Christmas break.

 

[lillygator]

GoofyFD - our girls will be 4 and 20 months at cruise time...so still the youngest of this thread, I think.

That's ok - I am just thrilled to be going!

 

[MommyMinnie]

Thanks for the support on taking my DD out of school. My parents were really strict about it and sometimes I have a hard time letting go. I know the kids hardly get any work done in Dec anyway because they are too excited about other stuff and the teachers are wrapping up for the break. I did check the schedule and there are no major tests going on at that time.

Personally I can't wait for the trip. Every couple of weeks I buy myself a disposable camera or set aside some laundry quarters just to keep the excitement rolling.

Patsy

 

[MommyMinnie]

Jennifer,
I'm glad your son enjoys the lab. My daughter does too, her favorites are the late night activities.
Patsy