12/24/08 Christmas Cruise on the Wonder

[brendalee59]

Ok, I think I did it. I have a list of ADRs to send off to our DU agent. It isn't very creative(thank goodness it is only 4 nights) But it's done. Here is what I have....

12/20. Sci Fi Drive In....4:30 pm.


12/21 Breakfast Kona Café 8:00 am
12/21 Dinner O'Hana 5:30 pm


12/22 Breakfast Kona Café 8:30 am
12/22 Dinner Kona Cafe 6:00 pm




12/23 Cirqe Du Soleil 6m
12/23 Dinner...House of Blues,8:15 pm

Those of you who have been to the show, do you think we could make the 8:15 resservation or am I cutting it to close? Dale would prefer to eat before the show, but I would sit there and worry that we wouldn't get finished and be late for the show. Most of our meals will be counter service.

 

[brendalee59]

Hey Courtney
Lindsey and I had a conversation about her and Victoria maybe hanging out onboard.I don't think she trusts me. I tried to get her and Jolene to hang out with the daughter of another cruise board member on our last cruise. The girl was a real big time snob. So at first I got the whole eye roll thing. Then I told her about them being within a couple weeks in age,and that they are both learning to drive."hmm Ok" she says. Then I tell her about their mutual love of Johnny Depp. Now THAT got her attention I got an "oh heck yeah, that's what I'm talking about" out of her. She told me to see if Victoria has a myspace,and they can"check each other out,to see if they will click". That's when I remembered Victoria doesn't know anything about the cruise Lindsey is laughing at me by this time,and asks me how she is supposed to get to know someone who doesn't know what we are doing? "Oh great, I just randomly start talking to this girl,and She'll think I'm nuts or something"

 

[TXdeVille]

Both stingray excursions rate a 9 in Passporter, so I don't think you can go wrong. Hands down, this was my favorite excursion and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Not sure how many people they let in the water at a time in Nassau, but at Castaway Cay, they only let 25 or so people in the water per hour. I imagine the sand gets stirred up regardless, but here is a picture of my son chasing a stingray near the end of our time in the stingray area and you can see it pretty clearly in the water:

Courtney, your snotty friend was wrong. There are actually 2 dolphin encounters at Nassau and one is at Atlantis. The difference is the price:

Atlantis Dolphin Encounter:
$285 Adult/$245 Child
Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter:
$99 Adult/$84 Child

Granted, the Atlantis one gets you into the Atlantis water park as well, but Sheesh. That would be $1060 for my little family. "Holy Chowdah!" my east coast auntie would say. And the Blue Lagoon gives you the option of taking members of your party as observers for $35 and they can just enjoy the beach day. Since the baby is too young to go in... and free... hubby will just hold her. So that's $218 for our family which is not chump change by any means, but like 25% of the Atlantis price.

Cute picture. Seems clear to me. Maybe they just got a bad day or something.

I had come home and noticed in my Passporter that going to the Atlantis excursion is in there and fairly new. That one is definitely expensive and I agree with you on the price. But remember that Atlantians don't like us on their beach, which is a limited stretch of beach, so the price doesn't seem worth it. HOWEVER, if you check online through Atlantis directly at Dolphin Cay, the shallow water interaction which seems similar to Disney's Dolphin Encounter excursion, is only $140. Might be worth the extra money. And the group is limited to 10. I don't know how many they let on the other excursion. I don't recall how long they list the other encounter for but I think it is longer than Atlantis' program. Leaves more time for fried conch!!!

 

[TXdeVille]

good point I will ask on the main board!

I started to. Here it is....

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1855703

 

[TXdeVille]

Hey Courtney
Lindsey and I had a conversation about her and Victoria maybe hanging out onboard.I don't think she trusts me. I tried to get her and Jolene to hang out with the daughter of another cruise board member on our last cruise. The girl was a real big time snob. So at first I got the whole eye roll thing. Then I told her about them being within a couple weeks in age,and that they are both learning to drive."hmm Ok" she says. Then I tell her about their mutual love of Johnny Depp. Now THAT got her attention I got an "oh heck yeah, that's what I'm talking about" out of her. She told me to see if Victoria has a myspace,and they can"check each other out,to see if they will click". That's when I remembered Victoria doesn't know anything about the cruise Lindsey is laughing at me by this time,and asks me how she is supposed to get to know someone who doesn't know what we are doing? "Oh great, I just randomly start talking to this girl,and She'll think I'm nuts or something"

That is too funny! Good thing she doesn't fall for just anything. I LOVE how she was convinced once she heard of the Johnny Depp thing. Well....maybe we can figure something out. She does have a myspace but she doesn't accept anyone she doesn't know and has the private thing on there. Not entirely sure what that means. Until we figure something else out, I guess all we can do is wait until we embark, somehow find each other and introduce them. I think she knows that I have been visiting the boards but I am pretty sure she doesn't know for what exactly. Once she finds out, I can mention that there is a girl her age, who loves JD (that will get her attention too), who is a daughter of someone I met on the board and I thought they could hang out. Doesn't have to, but you know.....I know she hates people that are snobs so I don't think anyone can consider her a snob. She is opinionated, don't get me wrong. I just know sometimes she can not be interested in something because there isn't anyone she knows there. DS is quite the opposite....he'll get involved even if he doesn't know anyone. Perhaps Lindsey can help us come up with a solution. Ask her if she can see stuff on myspace even if it's private. I'm not entirely sure how it works.

 

[brendalee59]

That is too funny! Good thing she doesn't fall for just anything. I LOVE how she was convinced once she heard of the Johnny Depp thing. Well....maybe we can figure something out. She does have a myspace but she doesn't accept anyone she doesn't know and has the private thing on there. Not entirely sure what that means. Until we figure something else out, I guess all we can do is wait until we embark, somehow find each other and introduce them. I think she knows that I have been visiting the boards but I am pretty sure she doesn't know for what exactly. Once she finds out, I can mention that there is a girl her age, who loves JD (that will get her attention too), who is a daughter of someone I met on the board and I thought they could hang out. Doesn't have to, but you know.....I know she hates people that are snobs so I don't think anyone can consider her a snob. She is opinionated, don't get me wrong. I just know sometimes she can not be interested in something because there isn't anyone she knows there. DS is quite the opposite....he'll get involved even if he doesn't know anyone. Perhaps Lindsey can help us come up with a solution. Ask her if she can see stuff on myspace even if it's private. I'm not entirely sure how it works.

It was funny how the topic came up. She asked if we were going to eat in AP cause last time they didn't get to. I told her that was because we couldn't get them out of the Lab to come eat with us. "But mom, we had friends there" So I told her I hope she has friends this time too. She said that isn't as easy as it was when she was 8. That's when I mentioned Victoria. I wouldn't call Lindsey shy. But meeting new people is tough for her. If they are both this way, we may never get them together.
I'll ask her about the myspace stuff. I believe Lindsey's is private too. The only people she adds are people she meets through friends that are already on her friends list. If there is a way, I'm sure she can find it. I told her about the teen activity on CC. When she heard it was a bike ride, she said, umppphhh that. Then I told her they ride to a teens only beach. "Ohhhhhh OK,why didn't you say so" We have got to gett hese two together. The thought of having to "bond with her brother" is killing her

 

[TXdeVille]

It was funny how the topic came up. She asked if we were going to eat in AP cause last time they didn't get to. I told her that was because we couldn't get them out of the Lab to come eat with us. "But mom, we had friends there" So I told her I hope she has friends this time too. She said that isn't as easy as it was when she was 8. That's when I mentioned Victoria. I wouldn't call Lindsey shy. But meeting new people is tough for her. If they are both this way, we may never get them together.
I'll ask her about the myspace stuff. I believe Lindsey's is private too. The only people she adds are people she meets through friends that are already on her friends list. If there is a way, I'm sure she can find it. I told her about the teen activity on CC. When she heard it was a bike ride, she said, umppphhh that. Then I told her they ride to a teens only beach. "Ohhhhhh OK,why didn't you say so" We have got to gett hese two together. The thought of having to "bond with her brother" is killing her

Sounds like Lindsey and Victoria could be twins. Think I've mentioned that before. Meeting new people and it being tough....yeah, that could be difficult. We may never succeed.

Victoria is alright with the bike rides. She would actually love it. Victoria would die if she had to bond with her brother. They have such a hot cold relationship.

P.s. No, Victoria doesn't know about it yet, but I still have a little over 6 months to screw that up.

 

[drag n' fly]

Hi Everyone!

We had a wonderful Father's day weekend in the mountains. We went to Kananaskis http://www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/kananaskis/flashindex.asp and went horseback riding at Boundary ranch http://www.boundaryranch.com/. Kids have finals this week and next. it is going to be CRAZY round here. I thought I would share something nice sent to me by a friend!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked." The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

 

[AndymanGA]

so who's gonna run the 5k at Castaway Cay with me

 

[adrianna_sarah]

so who's gonna run the 5k at Castaway Cay with me

Certainly not this kid. Hasn't anyone told you that you are supposed to come back 10 lbs. heaver than you left?

 

[adrianna_sarah]

My husband has landed in Kuwait and will be headed back to the US sometime early Thursday morning.

My half is almost whole again! Woo hoo!!!

 

[AndymanGA]

Certainly not this kid. Hasn't anyone told you that you are supposed to come back 10 lbs. heaver than you left?

I've lost 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I want to get rid of a total of around 25 by the end of the summer. I am more likely to work out some on the cruise instead of running on the beach but who knows...


I just figured out that this is a 4 night cruise. I had been thinking all along that this was only 3 nights but now that I know better

 

[brendalee59]

Hi Annette
Glad you had a wonderful Fathers Day weekend. What beautiful country you visited. Thanks for sharing the links with us.

 

[brendalee59]

so who's gonna run the 5k at Castaway Cay with me

Not me My idea of a workout on a cruise is taking the stairs. But you go right ahead Andy. We'll cheer you on from our hammock

 

[brendalee59]

My husband has landed in Kuwait and will be headed back to the US sometime early Thursday morning.

My half is almost whole again! Woo hoo!!!

Oh Adrianna, I'm so happy for you both. When is he expected to arrive home? That is just wonderful news.

 

[brendalee59]

I've lost 6 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I want to get rid of a total of around 25 by the end of the summer. I am more likely to work out some on the cruise instead of running on the beach but who knows...


I just figured out that this is a 4 night cruise. I had been thinking all along that this was only 3 nights but now that I know better

I almost forgot. Congrats on the weight loss Andy I lost 5 lbs in the last three weeks myself. Wish all I had to lose was 25 lbs,but I've lost a total of 37 lbs since last august. Keep up the good work.

 

[AndymanGA]

I'm doing a fitness bootcamp. We meet at 6 am (I am so not a morning person) Tues - Fri and exercise for an hour. We have homework on days we arent at camp and have to keep a journal of what we eat and when. It's only a month.

If I can find a link to what I did Saturday I'll post it. About 300 people did an obstacle course that I think the Geneva Convention has outlawed. The best overall time was posted by an Olympic Athlete. Let's say that I am nowhere close to being an athlete (Olympic or otherwise) but I finished the course and then came home and vegetated.

 

[TXdeVille]

Annette,
I'm so jealous. Wish I could have been there with you.

Andy,
I might not make the 5K with you. I'd love to. I have lost some weight myself over the past year but not as much as I wanted to. Still want to lose more. It's so hard when I have to work late so often, can't workout, and then shove anything in my mouth that I can find. When I am home, I'm trying to rest or get caught up on everything I am so far behind on. Please share the workout. I have always wanted to do the boot camp thing but 6 am is too late in the morning for me. Seriously....gotta be at work at 630. And I don't think I have it in me to workout at 5 am like others I know.

Adrianna,
I am so happy for you. I know you must be ecstatic. Hope someone will take the kids for you for a couple of days for a little alone time.
How long will he be back for? I'm expecting to gain a little bit when we go on the cruise as well. Hopefully I won't be too bad.

Brenda,
Our fearless leader....your ADRs sound great. I think I will only have the two to make...Emeril's and Jiko. At least for this time. We are even considering not doing WDW next June like I originally planned. I don't know. I'm torn.....
BTW, did you say that you had some online places for me where I can shop for stuff? I wonder if they would have summer stuff after the season is over.....I hope to be needing smaller sizes by the time we sail.

 

[TXdeVille]

Annette,
I guess I helped get your Meet and Greet thread shut down. Boy am I bad.....::cop:

 

[drag n' fly]

Annette,
I guess I helped get your Meet and Greet thread shut down. Boy am I bad.....::cop:

Oh dear