12/16/06 10-day holiday cruise Part 2

[magiroux]

Ok, this day just keeps getting better. I just found two really great resorts on line with my timeshres (purely by luck). They are for X-Mas/New Year 2007/2008. First week in California, second week in Hawaii

Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonite I am so excited. When I get these weeks with my "cheap South African timeshares" my vacations only cost $300-$400 a week (that's how I can go to WDW so much). I snagged a 2 bedroom/full kitchen for both resorts.

OK, now I have to float to the kitchen and do the dinner dishes...reality stinks sometimes.

 

[justmestace]

Ok, this day just keeps getting better. I just found two really great resorts on line with my timeshres (purely by luck). They are for X-Mas/New Year 2007/2008. First week in California, second week in Hawaii

Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonite I am so excited. When I get these weeks with my "cheap South African timeshares" my vacations only cost $300-$400 a week (that's how I can go to WDW so much). I snagged a 2 bedroom/full kitchen for both resorts.

OK, now I have to float to the kitchen and do the dinner dishes...reality stinks sometimes.

Our timeshare makes us wait until we are 10 months out to book! I think that stinks. Don't they KNOW that it is the NORM to book two years ahead of time, and then talk to other crazy people for those two years??? LOL

On a serious note...thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Megan was told by our doctor today that she should be off of work for at least 3 weeks. Her boss is demanding she return on Monday....and Megan even has a letter from the doctor!
Looks like Jay will be calling his brother tomorrow, so that we can find out about the services..if he has planned anything. We hadn't wanted to pester him, but we need to know for work, etc.....

 

[DCLgodess]

Our timeshare makes us wait until we are 10 months out to book! I think that stinks. Don't they KNOW that it is the NORM to book two years ahead of time, and then talk to other crazy people for those two years??? LOL

hey that sounds familiar...oh the DIS Boards. lol. we've been sitting on this thread talking to eachother with our cruise booked for, yeah, 2 years.

 

[dobelover]

Ok, this day just keeps getting better. I just found two really great resorts on line with my timeshres (purely by luck). They are for X-Mas/New Year 2007/2008. First week in California, second week in Hawaii

Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonite I am so excited. When I get these weeks with my "cheap South African timeshares" my vacations only cost $300-$400 a week (that's how I can go to WDW so much). I snagged a 2 bedroom/full kitchen for both resorts.

OK, now I have to float to the kitchen and do the dinner dishes...reality stinks sometimes.

Sounds wonderful! And the Illuminations Cruise , way to go!




Sue

 

[magiroux]

On a serious note...thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Megan was told by our doctor today that she should be off of work for at least 3 weeks. Her boss is demanding she return on Monday....and Megan even has a letter from the doctor!
Looks like Jay will be calling his brother tomorrow, so that we can find out about the services..if he has planned anything. We hadn't wanted to pester him, but we need to know for work, etc.....

Does your BIL live far away or something?? Seems like a long time to arrange services, no?

That really stinks for Megan. What's her boss' problem?

 

[magiroux]

Grab that T.O.P

 

[KatHuss]

I need to get off my backside and get my trip to Chicago next month taken care of. So far the hotels I am finding all have no refund on cancellation, ugh. Well, I will keep looking.

Drive to work took about twice as long as usual this morning due to icy roads. Lots of slideoffs. But I arrived safe and sound with no problems.

 

[karaeric]

Ugh! Mary Ann, I'm glad someone is having luck with vacation planning. Right now, we can't decide exactly when we want to go to London and Ireland, so we keep talking and the airfares keep going up, up, up! Geez. I've NEVER waited this long to book anything...

Stacey, I'm sure Megan's boss know's that a doctor's note is legal and all...Have a heart DUDE!

Kat, I hope the weather and Boo are better today!

 

[dobelover]

icy roads. Lots of slideoffs. But I arrived safe and sound with no problems.

Take Care!!!!!!!!1

 

[DCLgodess]

it's misserable here again today. I have to work so that really matches my mood.

 

[KatHuss]

Thanks Sue. Yeah, and I have to run to the PO at lunch. I hate having to go all the way down there but someone sent me something that requires a signature (I hate it when that happens). I should have left it at home so DH could do it as he has to go near there when he goes to teach class this afternoon but I forgot. Oh well.

Kara, sounds like a fun trip. We went to London last summer and that was fun. I want to go back. I am anxiously awaiting the time to be able to get our air for the cruise! I don't know whether to get tix right away (they change so often if you get them very far out, already happened with our tix for Hawaii in March) but I don't want to wait too long and lose good fairs either. The big airlines will let you book 331 days out. AirTran and Southwest look like they will be cheaper but I don't think those can be booked until late summer and I am scared that if I wait that long and the fares aren't good I will have lost the opprotunity for good fares elsewhere. Oy.

 

[karylrocks]

I am anxiously awaiting the time to be able to get our air for the cruise! I don't know whether to get tix right away (they change so often if you get them very far out, already happened with our tix for Hawaii in March) but I don't want to wait too long and lose good fairs either. The big airlines will let you book 331 days out. AirTran and Southwest look like they will be cheaper but I don't think those can be booked until late summer and I am scared that if I wait that long and the fares aren't good I will have lost the opprotunity for good fares elsewhere. Oy.

Kat, I know what you mean; it's like gambling or the stock market. I usually just pick a price that I am willing to pay and then when the fares get down to that price I book. If they go lower than that, I just figure oh well, at least I don't have to worry about it any more. Flying from the west coast, it is difficult to find a flight that departs and arrives at a decent time, with the 3 hour time difference; I usually end up on the redeye in order to not waste an entire day. Then if I find and book a good flight at a good price more than 6 months ahead, they change the flight times on me anyway (like you said). I keep watching the fares every day so that I am prepared when the time window opens up. I am especially worried since it will be during the holidays; I am not used to flying at that time and don't want to wait too long in case the good rates get snatched up right away. I am in travel school and learning to use the airline reservation system so I am hoping that will help, but I have learned that there are over 90,000 fare changes every day.

 

[KatHuss]

90,000!!!??? Egads. We get almost no direct flights anywhere. We are flying from Indy to Hawaii via Atlanta and LA! And in order to get in early enough to make the ship we either have to fly out the night before (which we cannot do because the last flight is too early for any of us with school, work, etc) or catch a flight that leaves around 6am unless we want to risk a scheduled 1pm arrival which I am not willing to do, especially during the winter months! So we go down to Indy the night before and stay in a hotel near the airport so we don't have the hour and a half drive first thing in the morning in order to be at the airport by 5am (we'd have to leave the house at 3:30!). I did that once, never again. DH is not a morning person at the best of times and even less so on vacation. I know he is going to hate the St. Thomas morning which is why I am not even going to say anything about it.

 

[karylrocks]

That is why we usually take the redeye. It is not worth spending the entire day getting out there. We usually get there 12 hours after we depart (actually 9 but 12 with the time change), like if we leave at 9am we get there at 9pm, depending on the layover which is usually a couple of hours. Then with travelling to and from the airport and making sure we get there early enough, it just takes forever. I was hoping to get a morning flight that will get us there early enough to spend the evening at Downtown Disney (DS loves the Adventurers Club and Comedy Club), get a room nearby, and drive out to the port in the morning. But since we would have to leave the house so early in the morning, like 4:00, it would probably be better for us to take the redeye Thursday night and hope that we can get early check in for a (long) nap before hitting DTD.

 

[DCLgodess]

The St. Thomas thing is crap. But, we went on an excursion that left an hour later. So it was all good. I am just hoping we can get another excursion that leaves early so we can just go to the St. Thomas thing first. Last year they let us go whenever because our scheduled time was after the excursion left. There was no line and lots coffee. I liked the no line part, mom liked the coffee part.

 

[WMILLER86]

The St. Thomas thing is crap. But, we went on an excursion that left an hour later. So it was all good. I am just hoping we can get another excursion that leaves early so we can just go to the St. Thomas thing first. Last year they let us go whenever because our scheduled time was after the excursion left. There was no line and lots coffee. I liked the no line part, mom liked the coffee part.

? What St. Thomas thing are you talking about?

Willie

 

[magiroux]

? What St. Thomas thing are you talking about?

Willie

In St Thomas you have to clear customs before anyone (or any excursion) can leave the ship. Everyone (even the itty-bitty babies) must show up in person at the Walt Theatre at the crack of dawn with passports in hand and get cleared through customs (the process is actually quite a joke). The thing that really stinks is on the 10 day St Thomas falls on Christmas Day.

 

[magiroux]

Ugh! Mary Ann, I'm glad someone is having luck with vacation planning. Right now, we can't decide exactly when we want to go to London and Ireland, so we keep talking and the airfares keep going up, up, up! Geez. I've NEVER waited this long to book anything...

Kara, funny you should say that. DH said last night that he wants to go to England next (meaning after DCL & Hawaii). So it looks like we'll be going there 2009 or 2010. I would love to go to Ireland.

 

[KatHuss]

In St Thomas you have to clear customs before anyone (or any excursion) can leave the ship. Everyone (even the itty-bitty babies) must show up in person at the Walt Theatre at the crack of dawn with passports in hand and get cleared through customs (the process is actually quite a joke). The thing that really stinks is on the 10 day St Thomas falls on Christmas Day.

Um, I thought we were on Castaway Cay on Christmas Day and St. Thomas on December 23. That's what my itinerary from DCL says anyway.

 

[dobelover]

In '04 we were on St Thomas Christmas Day. Warm sun, soft sand, gentle breeze..........




Sue